#i think i get where people are coming from with 'this season didn't go anywhere'

[fandom-susceptible]

So I've been thinking about where The Dragon Prince left things after Season 7, especially since they had to wrap it up so quickly and it doesn't look like they're likely to get full ten seasons.

I'm still very unsettled by Terry. I know he had his whole "Zuko here" moment and "redemption arc", but it rings hollow for me for a guy who spent the previous several seasons totally cool with a genocide against his own people as long as it was Claudia doing it. I super don't buy his shock and dismay at Claudia trying to kill the illusion of her mother after what he himself did to Ibis. I want to know where he came from and why he's okay with Dark Magic, just so long as it's not Aaravos.

Which is only loosely tied into a thought I wanna dwell on more, but is somewhat important background information for my thought process.

So at the end of Season 7, Soren, Corvus, Pyrrah, and Terry take off looking for King Harrow in the body of Pip the songbird. They wouldn't even know to look except that Runaan confirmed that King Harrow didn't fight back at the assassination, and instead just squawked, and Corvus put the pieces together.

Ezran is still struggling to forgive Runaan for his part in Harrow's death, which I think actually adds to his depth of character. He's no longer an innocent child - the "true soul", "death of innocence" theme from this season was strong, and Ezran is the peak example of it. He must find a way to balance his ideals with the pain that far more adult figures have been struggling with for years. Callum made a good point bringing up that he forgave Zubeia, and we didn't get to see Ezran's response, but imo his reaction to Callum's betrayal sort of fills in the blanks. It was Zubeia's mate and son that she thought were dead. I can see how that would make more sense for a kid like Ezran, who grew up with very strong familial bonds and values, than Runaan and the other assassins carrying out revenge for someone else when they have no personal grudge of their own.

Anyways. Consider.

Pip/Harrow's been missing for three years now. That bird could be anywhere on either side of the continent by now, though he is living with the mind of a king. He's also nowhere near Katolis, or Ezran would have found him already, from going to talk to "Pip" and finding that the bird is carrying an entirely different soul.

So imagine, in that time lapse in the final episode, Soren and Corvus come back and confess that they haven't found anything of worth. The last maybe-sighting of Pip was from some soldiers in Viren's army who thought they saw the bird following them into the Sunfire plains in Xadia. It's been two years, and they don't know.

So Rayla says she knows someone who might be able to help. The best tracker in Xadia. He can find anyone on the Xadian side of the border, and anyone he's ever tried to find in the Human Kingdoms too. He's diligent and has only ever missed one target. If anyone can track down King Harrow, it's him . . . but Ez isn't going to like it.

Runaan.

And at first Ezran doesn't. But Rayla makes a point, and Corvus and Soren aren't having any luck on their own or with Terry (if he's even relevant, tbh, if I write it he probably won't be because i am still disturbedd by that guy). So he agrees - with conditions, of course.

Runaan is hesitant when he's told the news, and when Ezran asks him why, he just delicately points out that a king in the body of a bird is also a bird with none of the instincts of a bird, and may not have survived regardless of the war, unless he's learned how to feed himself and managed to avoid all possible predators for three years straight.

Ezran acknowledges it, tells him that's something he's . . . preparing for. But Corvus gets to make the call that they've searched too much and Harrow is likely dead. Not Runaan.

So the terms are agreed to and Runaan ends up going on a road trip with Soren and Corvus. Please imagine the comedic value of dignified older assassin in the midst of a major cultural deconstruction trying to do serious business with Soren. Especially Soren and Corvus. And the flip side - imagine Soren and Corvus seeing what Xadia is like towards Moonshadow elves, especially ones of Runaan's description (tall, menacing, leader, broken horn, homosexual - am I talking about Runaan or Kim'dael). Possibly featuring an appearance from the surviving Dragonguard, and Runaan's reaction to Hendyr specifically, the Skywing elf who KNEW Tiadrin and Lain stayed to protect the egg and chose not to save it or to clear their names.

[fallenrocket]

100% agree. Barbara's the one who urges Gregory to offer to go to the fancy restaurant with Janine, and then she spends the whole episode trying to guilt him out of sticking to his safe foods. The whole, "napkin, food, smile, 'Thank you!'" thing was gross. There's something to be said about not freaking out at catering staff who are just doing their jobs, but I really disliked the notion that Gregory isn't a proper adult until he conforms to neurotypical expectations and ignores his clear sensory issues around food. "Teaching" him to try fancy food by hiding truffles in one of his safe foods felt really uncomfortable to me.

As for using his military-family background to explain his food habits, a couple things. First, I can actually buy Gregory not having a diagnosis, or not even necessarily being aware that he's autistic. Access to diagnosis is often more about how ND traits affect *other* people than the well-being of the person who has them, and if Gregory did well in school as a kid, I can see him flying under the radar and not being identified, especially as a Black boy. As such, it would make sense that he attributes this to his upbringing, even as he describes his sensory issues. And second, when he talks about his family focusing on food as fuel rather than flavor/everything with its own spot on the plate/no different foods touching, I couldn't help thinking about autism being genetic. If Gregory comes from an autistic family, it makes sense that he would've grown up eating that way and didn't start discovering his issues with other foods until he was in school. It could contribute to his being undiagnosed too--if Gregory's dad sees his traits as "normal" (because he has them too,) he wouldn't think to seek out a diagnosis for his kid.

Now that Janine and Gregory are dating, the show has gone to the "Gregory needs to change for Janine" well multiple times, and those changes are always surrounding his ND traits. Part of what I love about them as a ship in seasons 1-3 is how well they understand and support each other, despite some pretty major differences between them (they're absolutely an Austistic4AuDHD couple for me.) They're good at giving each other what they need, accommodating the other and appreciating the qualities that other characters think are weird. But this season, it's been more "Gregory is weird and uptight, and he has to loosen up to make Janine happy." Not always--I loved how excited they were over their dorky Jurassic Park Halloween costumes, Janine getting hot and bothered over Gregory's encyclopedic knowledge of smoothie shops, and of course, Janine's beautiful "I'd never take you anywhere [to eat] without buttered noodles." I wish the show would give us more of that energy instead of repeatedly asking Gregory to put aside his discomfort and conform when it comes to things that very obviously feel like his ND traits.

I will say, I like the bait-and-switch in the last scene where they're at the fancy restaurant together. As Gregory favorably describes the various French foods, Janine admits that she can't eat it and Gregory sighs, "Oh thank god, I was really trying" (paraphrased.) It cracks me up when they just abandon their table, with Janine assuring Gregory that they can pay on their way out. That's the Janine/Gregory I love!

I was kind of disappointed with the most recent episode of Abbott Elementary, Girared Creek. Part of me understands that there are various reasons why the show might not want to say he's autistic, but the other part is frustrated to see yet another character's defining and comedic traits relying so heavily on what we, the nuerodivergent audience, see as parts of ourselves.

Because in this episode, Gregory's food specifications are brought up, as we've seen before. And while I know Barbara had good intentions as a very loving character, she pretty much guilts him into trying new foods for the sake of his relationship with Janine. Not only that, but the episode is resolved by him "overcoming" his preferences when Barbara secretly adds some fancy clove to his (safe food) buttered noodles.

I'm glad it worked out for his character, but through a neurodivergent lens, that would have been such an awful thing to do. This feeling is enhanced by an earlier scene in the episode, where we hear Greg using some pretty specific adjectives in describing his aversion of more complicated dishes: "crusted," "chewy," "a bunch of flavors on the same plate." It honestly just seemed like a signal or nod to some sensory issues.

But ultimately, we're given a different explanation when he talks about his family's military background and their rigid food routines. Then the A plot gets resolved by the team threatening the golf club owner with Gregory, having overcome his food-related "deficits," eating his extremely expensive mushrooms. All together, it sounds like a nuerodivergent-coded character, whose vulnerabilities and traits were kinda just being used as a plot device.

A part of me appreciates the writing having tied everything together at the end, and the value of opening yourself up to new things. But there's a balance, and for neurodivergence, there's accommodations. Again I understand that they may not have imagined their character to be diagnosed and there are many other reasons to why they wouldn't call him autistic, but I'm just sayin that personally, I was disappointed anyways.

[glitterdustcyclops]

i feel like the only person who actually liked the bear season 3

liiike i know that's not true, that the negative stuff is what gets the most attention and "perfect show SUCKS NOW" is a more compelling narrative so of course news outlets would push that for clicks but still

i do agree that it maybe lost some of the magic of season 2, but i also think this season had some truly great moments as well. the first episode is a masterwork in purely visual storytelling, i love the way it uses the language of cinema to show someone who has fallen into a dissociative state and is kind of just zombie walking through their life after experiencing a pretty major trauma

also also, this might be my hottest take, but i actually don't hate claire at all? (and extra hot take, from what i can tell most of the people who are loudly anti-claire are sydcarmy truthers and those people are fucking obnoxious so i don't actually care what they think)

anyway, debra + sugar's ep absolutely destroyed me, tina's ep was EVERYTHING, my one biggest critique is there were not nearly enough Marcus Moments™️ and i actually cannot wait to see where we go next

[coraniaid]

The scene where Willow confronts Faith is Choices is kind of fascinating to me, because ... well.

I like Choices quite a lot, and I think Willow's dislike of Faith is perfectly understandable and in character (and her speech has some fun but probably not intentional foreshadowing for later seasons), but it's hard not to notice that the narrative expects you to be rather more unambiguously on Willow's side than I think is really warranted.

I mean, Willow might not have been the most popular girl in high school, but she has multiple close friends, a nice boyfriend, a stable [and fairly comfortably middle-class] home life, she "represents the pinnacle of achievement in Sunnydale High" in the words of her school's principal, she's trusted enough to teach at the school, in a year she'll be able to go to any college she wants (and, unlike some people, she can afford to go anywhere she wants), she used to hack into government computer databases (before she ever met Buffy!) and now she's teaching herself dark magic "for fun" and she hasn't [yet] ever suffered any real repercussions for either of those things.

On the other hand, from what little we hear about Faith's past we know she grew up poor and that her mother used to get drunk and beat her, that she didn't have any friends and dropped out of high school young, she is very strongly implied on multiple occasions to have been the victim of some pretty horrific abuse before being called as a Slayer, and after being called as a Slayer she got to watch the one adult who ever told her she mattered get killed horribly in front of her before fleeing across the country to a town where she doesn't know anybody, still has no friends, doesn't have a job or go to school and lives alone in a motel in the bad part of town. And when she accidentally killed a man, while trying to do the whole slaying vampires thing she's supposed to be doing, the Watcher's Council -- who never actually bothered to send her a new Watcher of her own -- decided to have her abducted and dragged away to England [a fate which surely nobody deserves].

Yet a part of Willow clearly thinks (and almost outright says) "oh, well, yeah, but she hangs out with Buffy sometimes when I don't get to and she slept with the guy -- not my nice boyfriend! -- who I used to have a crush on (and who I was briefly cheating on said boyfriend with), so it's clearly impossible to say which of us really had things worse and I don't need to feel sorry for her". And -- again, while this is great characterisation for Willow -- it's kind of hard not to notice that the writers think she has a compelling point.

Yes, sure, Faith has defected to working for the Mayor and has a knife drawn on Willow this scene (she's not anything like a blameless victim at this point of the story) and it takes a certain level of physical bravery for Willow to stand up for herself despite that. But ... I mean, come on. "You had friends like Buffy" is only true if you accept it to mean "you had exactly one friend, who was Buffy". "It's way too late" for Faith to seek forgiveness ... how many people has Faith killed at this point? One, by mistake? Giles has killed more people than that. "Some people think you had a lot of bad breaks?" Yeah, actually in Faith's shoes I'd want to hit Willow after she said that too.

I realize that part of the show's central thesis -- something that explicitly came up as recently as Earshot -- is the idea that everybody, regardless of how comfortable their life might seem from the outside, has their own sorrow and pain and (only occasionally metaphorical) demons to fight. But while that's not entirely wrong, it's also ... not entirely complete? Everyone has it bad sometimes, but some people really do have it worse than others. Pretending otherwise is ... not a serious position to take.

Willow's life could be better, but she's not gone through anything like Faith has. I'd argue she literally can't imagine how bad Faith's life has been. She really doesn't have as much moral authority as the show's writers think she has at this point.

[Compare this part of Season 3 with the first half of Season 6, when the show is overflowing with sympathy for Willow's abrupt descent into magic addiction but has no sympathy at all for Amy Madison, whose own magic addiction is just implied to be because she's inherently a Bad Person who Willow needs to avoid and whose own horrific past and abusive mother and complete lack of support system is just entirely forgotten about. Or, indeed, to the weird take of Dead Man's Party, which has Buffy apologize to Willow for ... what? Having problems of her own that don't revolve around Willow? Being too busy mourning the loss of everything she ever cared about to tell Willow how uniquely special and amazing she was for learning rudimentary magic? Not being grateful enough for Willow restoring Angel's soul without bothering to ask Buffy if that was something she still wanted her to try?]

So, the overall effect is ... yeah, it's a good scene. But it's almost a good scene despite the writer's intentions, not because of them. It's much less of an ambiguously triumphant moment for WIllow than I believe we're meant to read it as.

[pumpkin-cake]

hi this request isn’t for S4 i hope that’s ok!

but takes place in s2 where five strands everyone?

his spouse gets stranded a year and a bit before he gets there

and they made a career for themselves as a singer? maybe they have some sort of siren power or they are just naturally talented !?

but he finds them on a billboard or something that says where they will be performing next and they have a reunion where the reader has a love hate reaction to seeing him?!

sorry if this is a lot!!!

totally okay! i like all the other seasons better than 4 anyway lmao- this is actually an idea i have for my upcoming reboot of a five story i'd written, so i'm excited to sort of test it out! this turned out a bit more fem reader coded, but no she/her pronouns are used last i checked.

also my swiftie is coming out for this story, sorry to all you non-swifties ;-;

divider credited to @cafekitsune (lmk if you'd like me to remove it or anything of the sort!)

warnings: taylor swift (i love her actually but some people don't so)

The last thing you remembered was holding hands tightly with Five, and then he was ripped from your grasp, and you were falling ass first into an alleyway. Where did he go? Where were the others?

"Five..?!" You cried, hurrying out of the alleyway and bumping into somebody, who glared at you and walked off. You looked around and spotted a newspaper box, and you were over there before you could think. Your eyes scanned the paper. Year, year, what year was it?!

1960.

The sixties?! What the fuck?! All you could do was drop the newspaper to the floor, collapsing against the building wall beside you. You were the only one there. Some of your found-family wasn't even here yet, you'd imagine. There had to be some kind of time frame. You felt bad for whoever was put the farthest. Were you put the furthest in the past? What if you were super old by the time you found everyone again?! Well, you are already old, but what if you looked like it?!

All you could do was wait. You knew Five, he'd stop at nothing to save you and his family.

Unfortunately, there wasn't exactly anywhere to go. You looked pretty young and had no identification. You were wearing strange clothes, you didn't fit in. This felt like the apocalypse in a way, loads better obviously, but being alone? The worst feeling.

You had to stealth around, stealing and pilfering where you could. Sitting in alleys in the rain, starving. That was until you were dumpster diving behind some sort of bar. The heavy door creaked open and you froze inside the green box.

"Them damn raccoons again." A heavy southern accent was muffled to you, but you could tell it was a woman. You heard heels clicking on the ground and the dumpster opened and a broom whacked you in the head.

"Ouch!!!"

"Oh my heavens, yer a person!!!" The woman exclaimed, dropping the broom with a clatter. She reached over and helped you out of the trash, her nose crinkling. The woman was wearing a scantily clad flapper dress, a cute headpiece adorning her blonde hair. "What're ya doin' inside the trash, sweetie?" She asked with worry, brushing some garbage off you like it was nothing.

"Uh...I'm so sorry, I can go." You apologized, ready to get out before she called the cops like everyone else.

"Oh no, baby, no. Here, you come in, we'll getcha somethin' to eat." She assured you, ushering you inside. Some other women (and some men) that were dressed similarly didn't seem to mind. "Most of us here, came from poor too, we'll take ya in." She smiled, taking you to the back and providing you with a meal.

"Thank you...." You said, completely shocked at her kindess.

"Oh! Right, my name's Jess, nice to meetcha." She cooed politely, and you gave her your name through bites of food, making her giggle. "Tell me, sweetie, can ya sing? Dance? Anything of the sort?"

You paused. A golden opportunity was just presented to you. 1960. Some of your favorite artists haven't even been born yet. Not to mention your power dealt with your voice, similar to Allison's. You were frequently named The Siren in Umbrella Academy material. And, you didn't have any stigma to using it like Allison did.

"I write songs." You blurted, and a wide smile came across her face.

"Do ya?! Oh, you'll have to show Bruce then. He's the owner of the place." She hummed, and soon you were cleaned up and sitting in a private room on a nice sofa with a guitar in front of a sleazy looking man who looked like he'd run some kind of club with sexy women around to exploit.

"Alright, sweetheart. Show me whatcha got." He said, a fat cigar between his greasy looking fingers.

You took a deep breath. "Um...so...this song is called...." Shit, you had to think. You didn't have much time to come up with the song to sing. You had to pick a song that was popular in the modern era, maybe it would be good here too? But maybe you should stick to country. You were in Dallas, Texas after all. Not to mention you'd need to change some words if needed.

"C'mon, don't have all day." Bruce took a puff of his cigar, blowing the smoke into your face.

"Um. It's called...Mean." You blurted, and began to strum the guitar. Taylor Swift had been a hit as a country singer, this was a good idea in your mind. You were careful to control your power, and also make it believable. A southern accent and changing the word 'football' into 'baseball'.

As you sang, Bruce stopped focusing on his cigar and was completely focused on you and the shitty guitar you managed to make sound so good.

You finished the song and had a job immediately, with a small lie that you were 18. No liquor, but you could have beer! Thus began your career in that small club, becoming friends with the women who worked there. Soon enough you had the money for a small apartment. You despised the creepy looks men at the club gave you. All you could think of to continue was Five. He'd find you, right? Surely!

But after years? It was tiring. Dancing in sexy outfits in front of men with cigars, smoke and alcohol filling the air. The harsh lights on you while you had to make acoustic country covers of Taylor Swift songs. The more sexual songs like 'Dress' and 'Don't Blame Me' were your least favorite. You'd just have to withstand it. For days. And days. And days. And weeks. And years.

Five crashed into Dallas after witnessing the second apocalypse, with his hand empty. He forgot which sibling he'd been holding onto, but he knew he had you in his other hand.

"Shit, shit, shit!" He had hissed to himself, looking around and calling your name desperately. He'd never admit how panicked he currently was, and composed himself immediately upon the meeting of Elliott, some weird nerd.

"Alright, before I do anything." Five walked up to the man, looking up at him with fierceness. "Do you know anything at all about someone by the name of (Y/n) (L/n)." It was more a demand than a question. "If I find out you've been lying, I'll kill you." He threatened.

Elliott cracked immediately, telling Five he'd seen a billboard of that name recently. He didn't listen to music much, but their name was everywhere. Five was instantly gone, and was amazed to see your face on a huge billboard. You? A star? Not that you weren't talented, you absolutely were! You just weren't that kind of person. He asked around and found the club, teleporting in without an issue.

Ordering a drink, he sat as close to the stage as possible. A sleazy man you would absolutely despise walked out with a grin, golden teeth shining under the light as he began to speak. About you. Five clenched the glass of whiskey in his hand. This asshole looked so smug. Like you were his property.

Then you walked out with a shining silver guitar. He felt his breath leave him. "My God..." he hissed under his breath. You were gorgeous. He wasn't a fan of the makeup on your face, red lips and such. But you were glowing, looking so confident in yourself. You started singing 'You Belong With Me' by Taylor Swift, and he understood the situation quick. The folks around were immediately entranced, and it made him sick. You were using your power to reel them in, keep you popular and making money.

Your eyes met his and you faltered for just a moment, but no one else noticed as you kept singing. After the song was over, you gave him a look and walked backstage. Within seconds he was back there, so relieved to finally see you again.

"A singer, huh?" He said with a lopsided smile nobody else in his family got to see. "Not what I expected."

Your face dropped a tad, tears filling your eyes. "That's all you have to say to me?" You asked, and Five panicked. He hurried over and very gently held your face.

"No no, sweetheart, I'm sorry if that came off wrong. I'm so glad to see you." He quickly said, letting you fall into him for an embrace. "How long was I gone for?"

"Three years." You murmured, and he sighed.

"I'm sorry, I'm here now. You looked really good up there." He said softly. He decided to not tell you about the upcoming apocalypse. At least, not yet. When everyone was together.

"Thanks." You said with a weak smile, not at all letting go. Last time you let go, you were without him for 3 years. You didn't ever want to let go again.

fuck im sorry that ending was so rushed, but if it wasn't i wouldn't have had this out

[dee-morris]

When Aziraphale Comes Back

Why does everyone assume it's going to be to ask Crowley for help?

It's an ongoing assumption I keep seeing: that Aziraphale will come back to Earth to ask Crowley for help with the Second Coming, and we'll get a big dramatic Moment of will they or won't they? How will Crowley react?

But friends, we already saw that. Aziraphale asked Crowley to come with him in the Final Fifteen, and Crowley said no. And I'm not criticizing Crowley for this, I'm not criticizing either of them, it was just the shit situation they were in, but it's clear to Aziraphale as he's riding in the elevator that he's on his own with this one, and this time for real.

And here's why this bothers me and why I'm bringing it up: people offer this scenario in the context of Crowley punishing Aziraphale for leaving. Will he make Aziraphale beg, will he be cold and cruel to him, and it's not even in the context of bring funny and bitchy, people actually want Aziraphale to be hurt as though he isn't already in the worst pain of his existence.

I think I see where the assumption comes from: the FF feels like a reflection of the Bandstand Scene, and after that scene Aziraphale calls Crowley and Crowley rushes to the bookshop. But Aziraphale didn't call Crowley for help. He called to give him information bc he'd given up on getting anywhere with heaven. Aziraphale had no idea when he called Crowley that he was about to be discorporated and his bookshop set on fire. Crowley ran to him as soon as he was free of Hastur without even trying to call him back first. The calls were made while he was already driving.

So if Aziraphale deliberately seeks out Crowley in season three, I don't think it will be to ask for help. It will be either to give him valuable information or offer his help, possibly both. And Crowley will leap into action without being asked bc that's what Crowley does.

[natriae]

Best friend omi and reader where it’s like mutual pining but one day omi just loses it and kisses reader and they make out filthily✨??

So i may be back from my mini (mega) hiatus... :0

I miss my omi-omi <3

CW// she/her pronouns used, reader is described as having hair (but no details on the hair itself), 14+ , reader is described as introverted (i'm projecting), please let me know if i missed any!

1.8k words

To say the majority of MSBY was shocked to see a woman bring Sakusa Kiyoomi a hearty meal and scold him about not taking care of himself would be an understatement. Meian genuinely thought he woke up in another timeline, and it definitely didn't help that Atsumu had barely reacted.

With the season just beginning many of the MSBY had not had time to meet their new teammates. Yes, they knew who they were, and yes, they had made light conversation with them at VBA events, but they didn't really know much about the new members. Barnes honestly had assumed Sakusa was celibate, or completely shut down anything that included sharing germs, yet here their new opposite hitter is letting this girl, no woman, sit him down and grab his leg to put in her lap. The man barely reacts. He just let her examine his ankle before listening closely for her next words.

‘There's no way she’s his girlfriend’ Tomas thinks, but the way Sakusa watches her makes him question everything. Didn't Bokuto comment on Sakusa never being able to pull. There's no way Sakusa could pull her, especially with his attitude.

"Hey, Miya-san," Meian calls over. Atsumu stops practicing sets against the wall to jog over to his new captain.

"’es, Captain," Miya quickly bows to his superior. Even out of college the older twin still has his boyish charm.

"Just Meian-san is fine," Meian quickly responds, watching Atsumu's face light up (oh will Meian regret that later). "Who's the girl with Sakusa?" he nods his head towards the two of you. Now you're fixing Sakusa's hair while he drinks his water.

"whatta' ya mean?" Atsumu asks, face scrunching in confusion. Sure, he has a few theories on what Meian is implying, but he wants to hear it outloud so he knows he's not delusional.

"Is that Sakusa-san's girlfriend?" Tomas interjects. The three men watch as the two of you converse with light blush on your cheeks.

"Y/N?" the finally toned-blonde laughs at the thought, "Sakusa couldn't pull her even if he had a fishing rod," the twin continues, "the two of them have known each other for years. I always thought Sakusa had a thing for her, but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere".

While Atsumu yaps, Meian can't help, but watch his new teammate in awe. Compared to the others, Sakusa was more introverted. As a captain he wants to know his teammates - friends - inside and out. Be able to build a bond with them that will last, yet Sakusa has proven to be the hardest of all. You make it seem so easy. The curly haired man will beg at feet if he must. How did you dig your way into him?

"Kiy," you poke your head through the locker room door, "it's getting late you almost done?" Behind the wall you hear the shower turn off and the soft wet steps of Kiyoomi. He's always been a gentle giant. On the outside he seems intimidating, but honestly he’s just trying to protect himself.  "Can I come in, yet?" you smile waiting for his response.

Ever since Kiyoomi joined the big leagues you can't help but bask in the joy with him. He's wanted this forever, and you're so happy you were able to watch him succeed. Kiyoomi's family was proud of him, yes, but not in the way you were. They didn't see all the highs and lows. They didn't notice the small changes in his mood, or how he would continually work himself to exhaustion. They always saw him at his best, but their Kiyoomi was not your Kiyoomi. Actually most people's Kiyoomi isn't your Kiyoomi. You know him better than most. You know how he struggled in highschool socially, and how he struggled again moving out. How he wasn't used to someone not commenting on his every move. So imagine his surprise when you didn't fill that spot in college. You always made him feel valid in his thoughts.

"I'm dressed," his voice responds. For most people they would be shocked to know that Sakusa now bathes after everyone else. It wasn't a germ thing. It simply just made more sense to shower before the chaos. Also, who wants to share germs with a teenage boy anyway. He changed his habit so it allowed some time to decompress before driving home, plus it allowed more time to spend with you before he drove you back to your apartment.

Walking in you round the corner to see the rows of lockers. It wasn't long before you spotted him. His sweatpants hung low on his hips as he began rubbing the moisturizer on his face. This was always your favorite time. Watching Sakusa perform his night routine always motivated you to do more. He's always been so disciplined.

"So how was that party with your friends," his voice cuts through your thoughts. Looking up you notice how his eyes remained on you through the mirror.

"it...it was okay," you responded, rolling your lips in between your teeth. It was much easier to direct your thoughts to caring about him than your own social life.

"it wasn't. Tell me," he says. The demand in his voice was one you still haven't mastered not being affected by. Something about talking to him was so easy, allowing the words to flow out like his words were a truth potion. 

"There were some new girls there I haven't met before, and we were telling stories to get to know one another, and um," Kiyoomi's eyes never leave your face through the mirror, "the topic of our first kisses came up, and when it got to my turn-"

"you froze," He finished for you.

"Yeah," you say looking down. You watch as his feet turn and begin walking to your position on the bench.

"So what did you end up telling them?" By the way he softly looks at you, you're sure he completely trusts you. He knows you would have told him if something had changed. You’re sure he already knows your answer before you tell him.

"the truth," you respond solemnly. He doesn't need you to say it to know how embarrassed you are. “Having a horrible first kiss is one thing, but being 23 and never having kissed anyone is a completely different situation.”

The way Sakusa turns back around to pack up his stuff isn't one of rejection, but in a way that tells you he'd rather finish this conversation when you have his full attention. "You know, at least you've never kissed anyone you would later regret," he shrugs, zipping up his duffle.

"look at you being on the bright side," you state, partly in shock, and partly in the hopes that the two of you can change the conversation. A smile breaks out on your face just from speaking to him. With his bag now on his shoulder he watches you, silently telling you to get up.

"hey, you’re more likely now to have a memorable kiss than before,"

"Sure, but everyone is way more experienced than me," you sulk trailing behind him out of the stadium.

"not everyone," He quietly says, just enough for you not to hear. 

The walk to the car was silent for the most part. The only noise heard were the late night crickets chirping and the occasional sound of a car passing on the main road. No matter how many times Kiyoomi explained it to you, it never made sense why he always parked at the very back of the parking lot. Which is quite far considering this is an official stadium. His long strides were no match for you, so while attempting to catch up you continued speaking hoping to remind him of your presence. “It’s just I’ve always received compliments from girls, which honestly is still pretty limited, but the best compliment a guy told me was, get this, ‘you’re not pretty now, but you’ll be prettier when you're older’. Well guess what I’m older and still nobody wants me,” you sigh.

While you yap the car the lights blink once, and a small beep is heard. His trunk pops open and surprisingly he carelessly throws his bag in slamming it shut. It all happens before you have time to comprehend it. His long, lean body swiftly turns around and presses you to the side of his car. His forehead resting on yours while his hands grip your arms tightly. “You don’t get it do you?” he whispers before leaning in. 

His lips press on to yours with inexperience. Your eyes widened as he continued to chase your plump lips. You may have found the one thing Sakusa Kiyoomi is not skilled at, yet his passion is at an all time high. You want to laugh. There is so little time to wonder if it’s nervous laughter or if you genuinely find this funny. He’s clumsy and you swear his body begins to shake with nervousness, but he’s trying. It’s more than just a kiss. Your heart connects with his. You’ve never felt this type of euphoria before. Nervous, definitely nervous laughter.  His hands begin to loosen as he draws back from you. The sparks connecting the two of you begin to break. It hurts in a greedy way. You want nothing more than to just grab his collar and slam him back into you, but he’s your Kiyoomi and he knows exactly what you want without you having to ask. There’s only one way to describe the way Kiyoomi kisses. It’s messy and unskilled. Two words that he would never want to associate with. The second kiss is wet and the sounds are vulgar. His hand moves from your arm and wraps lightly around your hair as he presses into your head. He wants more. The greed has consumed you both and simply kissing is not enough. Finally gaining control of your arms you slowly run your arms up his chest feeling the soft cloth of his t-shirt, but like always he’s faster than you. Both of his hands grip your wrists to push them up to his shoulders as if begging for you to latch onto him. Everything about this moment is rushed. Even though your introverted brains are yelling at you, the chance of anyone seeing you two is all too exciting. Your tongue shy pokes out first. A small lick on Kiyoomi’s bottom lip to know if he wants it too, and just as everything else Kiyoomi’s tongue is licking into your mouth before you have time to process it. Your tongues dance through kisses just as the wind does the same between both of your bodies. Pressed so close to one another that you can feel his rapid heartbeat, but all good things will eventually come to an end and the black haired male draws back first. 

“I meant something like that,” he whispers, still holding you tight to his body.

A/N: I really hope y'all got my new girl reference. Also, FUN FACT I actually did receive that 'compliment' from a guy once (the only time a guy complimented me). Anyway, I really have not been in a good head space so I'm sorry for just kind disappearing, but writing does give me joy so i'm going to try and answer my asks.

[thatstoomanysausages]

My favourite activity to indulge in recently in non-stop binging The Crane Wives' songs, especially the new album, and tallying how many times I can somehow link the lyrics to Desert Duo.

At this point it might be a talent of delusion, and I am winning.

Here is a list of lyrics in the newest album that I am particularly delusional about (it's long. It's 2am)

(btw it's every single new song. I am tired as fuck)

Scars:

"All the love, all the kindness, all your best-laid plans/Couldn't stop me from becoming the way that I am" (3rd Life reference referring to Scar inevitable turning red despite all of Grian's plans to keep him alive and safe)

"A fatal fault at the start/Tell me it's inevitable that I'd end up with scars" (3rd Life, when Scar is quickly killed in the beginning by Grian)

"Nothing could have been done/Is that right?" (3rd Life. Conversation between Grian and Scar after the creeper prank)

"Nothing could have been done" (3rd Life. After Scars falls to red)

"Nothing could have been done/Is that right?" (3rd Life. After Grian kills Scar with his own bare hands)

"End up with scars from falling/Down, down" (3rd Life, Grian's final death via suicide)

"We were always meant to fall apart" (Not even one specific series. Every single one of them actually.)

Bitter Medicine:

"Are you ashamed of me, or did you buy what I'm selling?" (3rd Life reference about Scar's scamming nature and Grian's disappointment that hides the fact that he's charmed by Scar. Every. Single. Time.)

"Made my bed but I'll sleep anywhere, anywhere" (Wild Life reference. I think we all know. Pillows smelling like waffles? Yeah.)

Higher Ground:

"I gave up the truth and now I can't take it back" (3rd Life. Grian telling Scar that he was the one that brought the creeper over. Or. Double Life Grian if he ever told Scar about his Secret Soulmate. OR. Wild Life, Grian telling Scar literally anything about the wildcard)

"I didn't wanna hurt anyone" (Oh.)

"The corvids are calling/Warning the forest a predator is approaching/Am I in danger, or am I the threat" (Grian is often characterised as a corvid if not a parrot. Basically any scenario in Wild Life where Grian is warning Scar about the wildcards despite the fact that he is at fault of making them happen)

Predator:

"What were you thinking?/Shouldn't you know better?/You opened a door for an apex predator" (Any scenario in which Scar welcomes Grian into his home and doesn't think twice about the danger the other could be harbouring. His trust for Grian is unimaginable)

"I keep forgetting the lessons I've learned/So I keep getting hurt" (Before Scar won, he never remembered what had happened with Grian, so he went back to him for safety multiple times, teamed with him, didn't mind his company, not knowing the dangers that Grian represents just by existing)

"Your heart is a nasty place/I'm afraid to say no to you" (...Yeah)

"Keep your lies and your denial/I am fighting for survival/My heart is a changing shape/What if I said no to you?" (DOUBLE LIFE DESERT DUO TAKE ME HOME. The 'changing shape' line implying that their soulmates could change their soulbound partners if they really wanted to, and could adapt to being with another if they desired it)

"You took advantage of another anxious people-pleaser" (I can't keep doing this. Honestly, depending on your point of view, this could go either way for them in varying seasons, they're doomed in every universe)

"I keep forgetting that you wont learn/So I keep getting hurt" (And now it switches to Grian on this paralleling line. He forgets about Scar's undying loyalty and falls into the trap of his safety every time, only to come out hurting him or not protecting him like he swore to in 3rd Life. This line goes so hard)

Say It:

"Say it/If it's over, say it/So I can move forward/Please don't leave me in the dark/Praying for a wayward spark" (This whole chorus screams them. They won't communicate. They never officially separate from one another, always somehow intertwined, but neither will finalise their allyship. I need therapy)

"I'm haunted by your tenderness" (3rd Life Grian traumatised by the half-hearted hits Scar was giving because he was letting Grian win, he never wanted to fight, he felt Grian deserved to win because he had done so so much for him. He was completely smitten)

"And if we meet as strangers again/Would you refuse to meet my eyes?" (Grian internally questioning Scar after he killed him in the 3rd Life finale, harbouring more guilt than he can comprehend, literally)

"You know I'm loyal to a fault" (Scar and Grian interchangeably in 3rd Life...)

"I will sit here waiting/Waiting for the axe to fall" (Scar submitting his life to Grian after they are left the last two alive. And also, if you're insane for Treebark, there is a glaringly obvious implication of Martyn feeling incredible guilt after axing Ren down to red, even if he asked him to.)

Mad Dog:

"Keep looking for the end of the tunnel/Never seems to get any closer" (The two waiting as winners for the games to end and alongside it, their suffering as well. They will never be free from circling around each other, over and over and over again)

"We both know the ship is gonna sink/But I keep reaching for the shore/Never seems to get any closer" (They both keep reaching towards each other, knowing that they will never truly be able to be together, especially after the first time where they did, and it ended horribly for them)

Arcturus Beaming:

"My sanctuary to worship the pain" (References the panda sanctuary that Scar built to help the soulmates heal their bonds, only to never complete its purpose with the two that needed it the most, ironically including the one that built it)

"And I am tired of forming a cliff face/Inside of my chest now" (Grian remembering jumping off of Monopoly Mountain and the weight that it now burdens his heart with. This line is diabolical with the right context)

"I'm grieving all that I gave" (Both of them grieving the sacrifices they made for one another, their sacrifices only making their relationship more strained overtime)

"A mirror image of us here, but they're pointing up at our sun and/Asking themselves/What exists beyond, beyond, beyond, beyond?" (Other versions of themselves in different life series looking at their 3rd Life selves and wondering what it was like to be so tightly allied)

"But there's still time, it's not too late/Nothing will change until I change" (Grian's attempt at teaming with Scar in Limited Life, savouring the time he had with him before killing him. He will never change their bond, he is always destined to kill him one way or another)

Time Will Change You:

"Planting hearts in a grave/Pray they grow after it rains" (Grian burying all his allies, hoping that as he digs their graves, he can heal their broken bonds, the cracks only caused by himself. This can unfortunately apply to a lot of Grian's allies, but Grian and Scar's relationship tries to heal itself each season)

"Someday/Time will change you/You'll leave behind what doesn't move" (Someday Scar will remember and he'll leave Grian behind once he realises that Grian was never able to move on, and that his heart is still stuck neck deep in the sand where both their bodies laid at the end of 3rd Life)

"Give me a chance to get this right/I'm learning how to let go" (They're learning, but they'll always fail, no matter how many chances)

Black Hole Fantasy:

"There's a black hole in the living room floor/I keep trying to ignore, but it's growing" (Their need to team and interact is overwhelming, and the longer they ignore one another, the larger their need will get)

"If love is just a chemical reaction/Is there a pill to take? Something to quell this ache?/ Is this the real thing or a distraction/Is it worth the risk?/My life would detonate" (Mmmmmm I'm losing it here)

"I'm on my way to your house, I can't wait anymore" (Yeah.)

"My knuckles hesitate an inch away from the door/What happens when it opens?" (They've spent so much time apart and away from one another that they feel fear that the moment they reconnect, it won't be the same as it was in the desert)

"And on the other side is another life/A version of me with a spark in her eyes that I don't have" (Looking back to 3rd Life when everything was simpler and happier)

"You pull me in your arms and I feel your heart pounding/I take a step back to catch my breath/And we look at each other and double over/And laugh, and laugh, and laugh" (Yeah. Just yeah. This whole verse makes me sob)

Red Clay:

(Already I want to make a link to 'red' and Scar's existence in 3rd Life being very red)

"Blistering sun, my sweat soaking my clothing" (THE DESERT???)

"We don't have to do this the hard way" (We don't have to battle to the death bare handed. We don't have to.)

River Rushing:

"I know I can't grow with a hand around my throat/Hold yourself steady/Whenever you're ready" (Reference to their fight to the death in 3rd Life)

This entire song is just a narration of their fight honestly and it makes me violent.

[mvrkieboo]

The Original Ending for Old Bloodhounds

lmao this is totally because of this ask right here.

so, lemme tell y'all how the original ending of old bloodhounds would've been like before i scraped it because it was too much even for me lmao

once yoonsu's had his fun of isolating her from the people she loves, he's going to kill her and commit suicide in an isolated spot, just to really drive the nail that she's always going to be alone with him, even when all that's left of them is their rotting corpse.

he kills her and kills himself, and y/n's friends and family are going to report her as a missing person because she's missing her classes and not seen anywhere else anymore. then, a few weeks* after, some poor hiker and his dog stumble upon y/n's and yoonsu's corpse. mind you, yoonsu executes this during the winter, so in that thick layer of snow, y/n's and yoonsu's bodies are perfectly preserved.

only then are they going to find out that junyoung wasn't junyoung, but actually cha yoonsu. especially because authorities in gangnam already uncovered the original junyoung's body. dna testing proved that the corpse beside y/n's was yoonsu. then as the authorities investigate this fucked up case, they'd find the messages y/n and yoonsu shared and the blackmail material yoonsu had over her. detective do kyungsoo who had helped you in gangnam gets involved in this case.

as detective do explains to y/n's loved ones what really happened to y/n, it would dawn on them that they had a hand in making y/n's worst nightmare come true—for the people she loved to abandon her once again when she needed them most.

jaehyun has a breakdown that would result in his debut as a soloist singer be put on hold. him and his dad were inconsolable, but he eventually realises he can't throw away his career as a singer because y/n had only ever hoped for him to become one and achieve his lifelong dream. didn't she die for this? the public notes that he's not as easygoing anymore, but rather closed off.

mark takes a break from studying, his world is put on hold now that he knows just how much y/n suffered up until her murder. jaehyun drags him in to get therapy, and mark only lets him because jae's his best friend. he always has y/n on his mind. once he actually graduates, all of the songs he helps produce and write with jae are about her. jae knows this. all of the sad songs jae created with mark couldn't be sang live he'd just choke up on those lyrics anyway

geonwoo and woojin were shut off from the world for a while. once they do get back on their feet and continue their work in helping loanshark victims evade their debt collectors, they'd always see her ghost in the backseat of their vehicles. they swore off in personally fostering any loanshark victims after y/n's death. they couldn't bear thinking that they could be replacing her with someone else.

yangyang, xiaojun, and aeri...yangyang—afraid of losing anyone else after just how brutally y/n was ripped away from his life—hired xiaojun and aeri into his start-up tech company. their ai assistant for their app is named after y/n, and even the model suspiciously resembles her. as if that's not enough, the three of them immortalise y/n by creating a foundation named after her that aims to help troubled teens all around the nation.

y/n's and junyoung's ashes are kept within the main jeong household, deciding that their resting space should be among y/n's family and kept together, and papa jeong keeps them both safe and clean daily. geonwoo and woojin comes and visits the jeong household when they can to visit y/n, yuno had left a framed childhood photo of him and y/n together near her ashes, mark always gifts her new phone charms when he can. yangyang, xiaojun, and aeri had gifted her a plush version of their app's ai assistant.

y/n's mom always visits the spot where y/n was murdered, leaving flowers there every month.

everyone eats ice cream during the first day of the fall season in y/n's memory.

they'll never stop mourning over her. each and every step of their life moving forward is haunted by how it could've been if she was still alive.

[notmorbid]

the americans: season 2.

dialogue prompts from season two of fx's the americans.

it's good to have the same enemy.

why would you open a closed door?

i've never been very good at waiting.

here, i'll read your palm.

where the hell have you been all these years?

the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.

what does a person do for fun in this town?

congratulations. you're the first person i've met who wasn't exactly as they seemed.

i understand why ____ trusted you.

i'm not really supposed to talk about it.

i need help. did you come to help me?

i wish i could stay with you, but i have to go. you're gonna be okay.

we're here to help you. call any time.

how are we gonna live like this?

we'll get used to it. like we got used to everything else.

you didn't have a choice.

how long have you been watching?

i want to help you. let me help you.

i'm glad you're safe.

lying will not be tolerated.

none of this is your fault. do you understand that?

you're still alive. that's a good sign.

maybe you're never really solid.

i wanted to see the world, but i wound up here.

how can you be so nice?

is it okay if we just take things kind of slow?

i don't know why i told you. i'm so sorry.

don't 'honey' me.

i see something you're not able to see. you're afraid.

you're back, but you're not back.

i don't want to lose anyone else.

do i seem like i need sympathy?

would you stop being so reasonable?

i'm not interested in your best. i need results.

i can't tell if you're being kind or naïve.

you're easy to talk to. i'm really surprised.

i'd forgotten the heart-stopping thrills.

i know the look. i've used it myself.

let me put on my 'surprised' face.

i don't have anything to give you. i wish that i did.

i've never seen you scared before.

how can you read right now?

you never know what people are into.

i'm not allowed to change?

do you do that with ____? is that how it is?

you ever had anything you would die for?

i don't want to lie to you. i'm not a liar.

this business can be lonely.

you look like a spy in an old movie.

keep a tiger as a pet, it's still a tiger.

can't be too careful, nowadays.

it's hard to feel safe anywhere.

close your eyes. what do you see?

i see how you can develop a jones for that sort of thing.

you were my secret power.

don't you enjoy any of this? sometimes?

it's nicer here, yes. it's easier. it's not better.

i won't make promises i can't keep.

i need to be done with you people.

get that _____ out of my house.

it's not like i haven't been thinking about it nonstop.

once i did it, it seemed so easy to keep doing it.

i'm a good person, you know that. i'm good.

pick a card. any card. put it anywhere.

it's not cheating. it's called magic.

you think it's easy for me, what i do?

being a grown-up means doing things you don't want to do, all the time.

i thought we were through the hard times, you know?

i can't always be as honest as i would like.

i'm not afraid of the different sides of you. i love all of you.

you know you're everything to me.

either you didn't want to see it, or you just didn't care enough to pay attention.

i'm not here to be saved.

i see that you're in pain.

i wasn't really sleeping.

there are some things in life you can only handle yourself.

you're going to be eaten alive out there.

i'm glad to see you're adjusting to reality.

how much longer are you not gonna talk to me?

please don't ask me anything you don't want to know.

_____. you can say the word.

what's it like to be a hero?

i think the three things a person should focus on every day are health, growth, and community. don't you?

i made a promise to look out for you.

i said i'd be honest with you, and i will be.

i just want to be sure you're being careful.

i love the way you love me.

you don't get to take anything with you.

i'm glad your parents let you come.

being a parent is hard, but so is having parents.

i don't really understand computer stuff.

this is a long road to travel.

maybe you just don't know me as well as you think.

that must have been hard.

there's something wrong with you.

this is what i really look like.

these backwoods roads can be pretty confusing.

people like us don't have a lot of people to talk to.

[notafragilething]

Late Night Buck & Tommy Ramble: Shit is getting interesting

I honestly thought today was going to be fucking chill with no promo and maybe only a whisper or two about tomorrow's episode. We currently have 21 hours left until the new episode airs and we have so much to unpack because everyone is just out there wilding right now

Get yourself a drink and a snack and prepare yourself. There is a lot to discuss. Minor spoilers for tomorrow's episode in regards to stills and vague-ish comments by people who have seen the episode.

Buck & Tommy Related Chaos:

I'm going to start with the chaos: OLIVER AND LOU ARE DOING A JOINT INTERVIEW that was filmed today for Access Hollywood / Access Daily that will air tomorrow before the episode.

I am in total shock by this because I've been vocal that I didn't even think we'd get more interviews from these two before the season ended. I would have never dreamed that they'd have them doing a joint interview together.

This is a pretty huge (and good) sign, in my opinion. You wouldn't suddenly have two actors going out doing press together unless (from a marketing point of view) you're trying to promote that couple to the audience. This to me really does suggest they're planning on keeping Lou around and pushing BuckTommy.

I've heard crazy speculation about what the interview will be about but it airs before the episode so likely we won't get major spoilers. We'll likely see the two talking about their characters, what it's like working together and hinting at what is going to happen moving forward.

With that said, I'm really curious at how they're going to sell this on the show. We've already seen Ryan hitting the talking point that Eddie is straight in recent weeks, which seems to be an attempt to distancing themselves from Buddie. This interview tomorrow may possibly give us an idea where their heads are at moving forward.

Regardless, I think this is a strong indicator that Tommy isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I know some people are trying to downplay this as happening because Bi Buck was such a huge storyline but they could have easily just had Oliver on the show. Them having both of them makes this about their relationship, not just Buck coming out as Bi and that's a pretty big shift from the marketing we saw around episodes 4-5.

Lou also posted about it on his Instagram and Ryan liked it.

Also I cannot remember a time that they had Oliver doing interviews with his love interest on the show. Can anyone else?

The kiss on Instagram reels continues to do well. It's almost at 1.2 million, sitting currently at 1183k.

General Cast Information:

Let's start simple with the tweets coming out from press who saw tomorrow's episodes. The overwhelming theme with all of them seems to be a warning for us to prepare for some hurt. I'm preparing myself to watch Hen, Bobby and Eddie all go through hell tomorrow based on what we've seen on social media over the last 24 hours. So let's get into that.

Hen: Early today the official Instagram posted stills from the earlier episode where the councilwomen's son refuses treatment after he accident and dies (which leads to Hen being investigated). They then captioned this "A moment from the past can become so pivotal for your future" because clearly they want to hurt us. It also seems like that congress women is in the episode and we see her in one of the stills at the medal ceremony.

Bobby: It seems like he's going to have a nice father/son moment with Buck at some point this episode based on the stills and what Oliver has hinted at. But I think he'll also definitely be dealing with guilt.

Eddie: Dude I don't even know. Between Marisol being at the medal ceremony with him and Christopher and him taking a row boat out with Kim? This is going to get ugly.

All of the stills were really happy and we know that isn't what is happening in this episode so I'm pretty sure they're from the first 15 or 20 minutes. This show has been fucking with our heads with these promos.

We're very, very likely to get a sneak peak sometime tomorrow along with the Oliver&Lou interview.

I might attempt to make a ramble post talking about the interview prior to the episode depending on what time it airs.

So how are we all feeling? Cause I'm having all the fucking emotions.

[sufferu]

...Three years?

I thought it would be the much more reasonable year total. (6 months for 1 and 2, and six months for the recovery).

So you know, it's A Roughhousing and not complete abuse that justifies Subaru one day vanishing to the ether (preferably) back home with his parents.

B, your telling me that Beatrice Otto Roswaal Garfiel Felix Reinhard Emilia, and all the others didn't have a single spark in their brains about Subaru's situation?

That's Beatrice (1), Otto (2, by proxy of Patrashe), Puck (3), Reinhard (4), and Liliana (5) people who can sense Emotions and they didn't realize Subaru's distress?

F

O

R

T

H

R

E

E

E

Y

E

A

R

S

?

!

this extra two years makes it a Full Second Order Idiot Plot:

In literary criticism, an idiot plot is one which is "kept in motion solely by virtue of the fact that everybody involved is an idiot",[1]: 26  and where the story would quickly end, or possibly not even happen, if this were not the case.[2] It is a narrative where its conflict comes from characters not recognizing, or not being told, key information that would resolve the conflict, often because of plot contrivance. The only thing that prevents the conflict's resolution is the character's constant avoidance or obliviousness of it throughout the plot, even if it was already obvious to the viewer, so the characters are all "idiots" in that they are too obtuse to simply resolve the conflict immediately.

Science fiction writer and critic Damon Knight, in his 1956 collection In Search of Wonder, says that the term may have originated with author James Blish.[1]: 26  Knight went on to coin the term second-order idiot plot as a narrative "in which not merely the principals, but everybody in the whole society has to be a grade-A idiot, or the story couldn't happen".[1]: 195  The term was later popularized by film critic Roger Ebert.[3]

Thanks wikipedia.

To decrease it being an idiot plot, go with my suggestion of six months for each half of the story, therefore everyone is too busy with every other thing to have time to sit down and actually think about wtf they are doing.

The other major issue I have with Back To Zero is that its answering a fundamental question Wrong.

"Would it have been better if I never existed."

The canonical failed loops answers: "The World is Objectively Worse Off without you."

This is the objective right conclusion each and every time I've seen it come up anywhere.

See, there was this old 1930s-40s movie called "It's a Wonderful Life" the main premise is that we get a guy tortured for an hour, by the bank that he's trying to prevent his town from falling victim to, by the townsfolk around him, and by nature itself.

then in the last half hour, he's so depressed that he literally attempts suicide but is stopped by an angel who shows him a world where he didn't exist.

The bank took over the town, his wife didn't marry his superior, and generally everyone hates being alive.

it was his presence that gave everyone the ability to fight against their apathy and their oppressors.

hence why its copied many, many, many times for being a classic story about Self Worth.

BTZ, however, says: "Subaru was only holding us back."

You know, like the much hated episode of Fairly Odd Parents' Season 5, episode 10: "It's A Wishful Life."

My suggestion to avoid a chunk of the hate heading your way, shrink the timescale and intermix the events.

Such as that abuse disguised as sparing with Julius. cut everything after Julius sits on Subaru and have another character interrupt that scene.

Like have The Blue Lightning guy do the kidnapping event from there.

Or have Patrasche decide that Subaru needs to be her space heater.

Or have Emilia and Beatrice come back from fighting the witch cult for resupply and have Emilia showcase a single iota of care for Subaru and be angry at Julius for his treatment of her dog.

Hell, let's go full crack.

That's when Elsa is revealed to be part of the emilia camp.

But as it, with a Full Three YEARS, they have become Villain Protagonists who no longer fall under the umbrella term:

"Never Attribute to Malice, What can be explained by Incompetence."

nonononnoono, now what applies to them is:

"Cuddling and Torture are synonyms."

them taking an interest in you is simultaneously a desire for closeness and a desire to subjugate and torment. A very common expression of love in Japanese fiction is “I want to know more about you”: with fiends that might well mean “I want to vivisect you”.

you know, the type of things that True Made from Pure EvilTM Demons do.

You know,

The Witches.

So Either A, They're Incompetent (in which case they should be losing against the Witch Cult and need the Story Breaker Power that is Subaru's Curse to Survive).

B, They are actively Malicious and Subaru needs to GTFO like the MC of The Truman Show.

Or C, in the course of viewing Subaru's life, everyone broke and here's the story of this massive group of insane individuals deal with returning to reality.

Okay, I feel that you have made a number of assumptions about the foundations of what I am writing that are simply untrue. I think you’ve misidentified some key themes, motifs, and foundational intentions of the prompt that I am working with here, and that a lot of your explanation of how to “fix” the story’s perceived flaws misses what I am trying to do with this fic and what kinds of tools I am working with in order to do it.

[First point: “BTZ is an Idiot Plot.”]

This is not the sort of claim that I can really argue for or against at the moment, because BTZ only has one chapter and the concept of an “idiot plot” is FAR more dependent on execution than it is on the prompt alone. Plenty of perfectly good story ideas have been turned into idiot plots due to poor execution, and good execution have taken many “iffy” prompts involving miscommunication and transformed them into very charming pieces of fiction.

I do not believe that BTZ is an idiot plot. I am taking great care to make sure that the line of thoughts that these characters are following are reasonable considering what they know, how they are perceiving their situation and interpersonal dynamics, and how they are both attempting and failing to present themselves in turn. BTZ — and ESPECIALLY BTZ II — is better defined as a comedy of errors: an event or series of events made ridiculous by the number of errors that were made throughout. These errors sometimes stem from the characters’ innate personal flaws or shortcomings, sometimes they come from wacky hijinks or the inherent flaws in the nuances of interpersonal relationships, and sometimes it is just pure bad luck. Once BTZ II comes around it really does lean into the absurdist humor of just HOW MANY THINGS needed to go wrong in order for things to go as badly as they do in BTZ I.

Of course, I cannot say that this is not an idiot plot yet because I have not executed the story yet. So I guess we’ll see.

[Second point: Central questions]

You argue that BTZ is answering the fundamental question “Would things be better if I never existed?” incorrectly, but the thing is: that is not the question being asked by BTZ. I have watched “It’s A Wonderful Life,” (and I actually really didn’t like that movie, whole other thing), but it has absolutely no relevance to BTZ from a writing angle because they’re not asking the same questions. They have a completely different thematic structures, central conflicts, and conclusions.

BTZ I and II aren’t about Subaru seeing a world in which he never existed: they’re about the dangers of personal pride, making assumptions about the perspectives and desires of other people, and the refusal to communicate with those around you. THOSE are the core themes of the narrative, at least when it comes to the central conflict about the constant, ever-growing miscommunication between Subaru and the rest of the cast. Nobody but Subaru is even considering that they might be better off without him. Hell, half of the internal monologues surrounding Subaru in BTZ II are them turning to the camera and saying, “Man, I sure love Subaru a whole lot! I’m so glad he’s here with me right now, and I hope I can facilitate a future where he can be safe and happy and a part of my life for the rest of our days!” The idea that Subaru is somehow a burden is — Subaru himself is literally the only one who would even suggest such a thing.

Hell, even if you were to ask “Would things be better if I never existed?” about BTZ — “Yes” is not even the right conclusion? Because BTZ is ONLY POSSIBLE because of everything that Subaru has done for all of these characters in the old timeline, that’s the whole point. As far as everyone else is concerned, Subaru already sacrificed everything for them, and now they have the chance to return the favor. The only reason it doesn’t look like that in BTZ I is because Subaru himself does not have the context necessary to recognize it. This is not a timeline where Subaru does not exist, it’s one where a different version of him already did all the work. In that sense, the conclusions reached by BTZ and “It’s A Wonderful Life” actually are the same regarding that central question, lol — but it’s still not really the intended central question of BTZ.

[Third point: Good intentions]

I’m gonna start this off by saying that I do not care about receiving hate on a fanfic: if I did, I never would have even considered the Julimilia subplot, and I probably wouldn’t have posted BTZ I on AO3 at all. I’m never going to change what I’m writing solely because I’m scared that I’ll get backlash for it. That aside, I have my reasons for keeping BTZ I and II on such a long timescale and I’ll get to that in a second, but first — I think your main suggestion fundamentally misses the point of what I am writing.

You are suggesting that I make everyone else in BTZ either intentionally cruel, insane, or completely incompetent as a way to justify this colossal misunderstanding. I will not be doing any of that, lol, because the whole point of BTZ is that everyone is genuinely trying their best. Changing that fundamental aspect of BTZ would transform it into a different story entirely. Is it a challenge to create a scenario in which the characters can fuck up this bad without being stupid or malicious? Yes — but it is a challenge that I believe is worthwhile, and one that I believe I can pull off.

[Fourth point: Why it’s so long]

The reason why BTZ I and II last as long as they do is because BTZ II is about everyone fully managing to accomplish their goal of conquering the plot of Re:Zero without getting Subaru involved: they defeat the Witch Cult, quell the Four Calamities, slay the Great Mabeasts, complete the Royal Selection, everything, and they do it without Subaru dying even once. They went back three years in time, and now they have fully managed to come full circle and can finally proceed after they have fully redone all of their worst mistakes and come out the other side. (—And then BTZ III happens and they realize that they kind of screwed up in an entirely different manner, of course.) For that to happen, BTZ II basically HAS to take place over a three year period.

Also, I mentioned before that BTZ II is a comedy of errors, where a large part of the central point is exploring just how many things would need to go ludicrously wrong in order for BTZ I to get as bad as it does and go on for as long as it has. This is also why the timeframe is so long: the fact that things go so badly for so long is effectively the punchline.

And like — it’s honestly not hard for things to keep going badly once they start down a certain path: once a pattern is set, it’s easy to keep repeating it. It might not seem like it from here, but I fully believe that the timeframe is honestly going to be one of the least challenging things to make believable. It’ll need work, sure, as will everything else about this story, but there are other things that will be more challenging to get right than that.

Anyway, those are my thoughts, lol. I have a lot planned for this fic yet, and a lot of it is going to be challenging to get right. But that’s kinda what makes it fun, eh? ;)

[eisforeidolon]

Question: Has there ever been a moment on set or in a series that has made you so seriously contemplate quitting acting and like who was the person [audience laughs] - No! Like who was the person who helped you stay, who was your grounding stone that really made you want to keep in this career? Or has there just been a moment that's made you say I'm done with this and what helped you stay in the career?

Jared: Great question. I think I know what you're asking. Uh, there was certainly several moments - there were countless moments where it's like this is more than I got. And more often than not, it would happen on set, I was on set with Jensen or I worked with Jensen, so it's like hey, we got it, we've been through harder. You know, like, let's figure this out, just get through the day. And there was always that great feeling at the end of the day, we did something you didn't think - that prior to that day you didn't think you were capable of doing? There was certainly some uncomfortable scenes or sequences or - You know it generally didn't have to do with acting or the character, that I kind of - I - You know I'm not a writer and so I've accepted as an actor that I'm largely telling somebody else's story and hopefully able to weave in my own where it's possible and learn from their story when possible? So it hasn't really had anything to do with what my character did. It's usually when something - just like with everybody, when something is going on in your head or in your [finger quotes] real life? When you're at work, like I don't like anything right now. I don't wanna do - not that I don't wanna act, I just don't wanna be here, I don't wanna be anywhere. And I think a lot of that was Ackles, you know when I was experiencing that, with work, at work I think a lot of - yeah, the most I ever wanted to leave acting was frankly, when I had to leave Austin and fly to Vancouver. You know, Vancouver - as many of y'all know, many of y'all are from there - is one of the most beautiful cities on the planet. It's amazing, nice people, great food - yeah. [Jensen nods and pounds his fist over his heart] Loved our crew, loved our cast, but there's something about when you're gonna see, when you're saying bye to your kid 6 pm on a Sunday and they say when do you come back? And you say I'll be back in, uh, twelve days, but I'll FaceTime you - and they start crying. And then I'll have to leave for the airport and I'm running late? That sucks. That's rough. And I feel for parents, for anybody who has to leave on a regular basis. That was probably the most rough. But he and I could also talk about that, like, it sucks. Like, JJ has a teacher's appointment on this after this or Tom has a teacher's appointment or whatever, you know? We were missing a lot of key moments. And so it's just, it's difficult to have to leave, I guess.

Jensen: Any moment on The Boys. [Jared laughs] Has not only made me question my career choice, but also my life. Um, no, I think there was only one moment in my life that I can remember where I was contemplating walking away. And it was very early on. I had just turned 19, and I had just come off of a television show called Mr. Rhodes that was my first, like, real gig when I moved out to LA at 18. And I worked for a full season for NBC at Universal Studios and I was like, oh, this is amazing. And then that show got cancelled. And by that time, all my friends back home were all in college, and they were sharing all these incredible stories and I was also a kid, I was 19 and I was really, really homesick. And I wanted to go home. I was like, I don't know if I want to do this. And I had - I was up for a job, I'd had one audition and I had a callback coming and this was the moment where I was like I don't think I'm gonna do this, I don't wanna do - I wanna go home, I want to go to college and just go that path that I abandoned. And I was like, I'll tell you what, if I get this role, then I'm meant to stay. And it was Days of Our Lives. Yeah, and I signed a three year deal, so I couldn't go. But I was literally like, already starting to pack my stuff, and just had it riding, put it all on that one - and I didn't think I was gonna get it. It wasn't like, oh, I'm gonna get this so you know. Cause I literally thought I was not getting that role. I was the youngest guy that was up for the role, I was certainly the least developed muscularly? Like all those soap guys were just all jacked and ripped and I was like - I was just some skinny kid from Texas. And I thought there's no way they're gonna go with me, they're gonna go with some, you know, some big Adonis pretty boy guy. And they went with the skinny kid from Texas and that's why I'm still here.

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

Retaliation: Final Part

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.7k

Summary: Everyone can see just how much you're suffering, Spencer more than most. When he confesses to the team about your nightmares, Derek takes matters into his own hands.

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Season Five Masterlist

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there are any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them.

x

When they come through, Emily points to the person she saw helping Schrader out of the car he wrecked.

"That is the guy. That picture is ten years old but that's him. Garcia, it's the first one you sent over."

"His name is Joe Muller. He has a wife and two kids."

"That's definitely the guy. Where is he now?"

"I'll hit you up when I know."

The team doesn't wait for Penelope to do her job. Instead, they start asking around at people who might have known him or do know him. Even people who know his wife and children.

"Muller's not at home," JJ says. "No one is. His wife didn't show up at work and the kids weren't at school yesterday or today."

"Schrader probably has them hostage," you say.

"Where? What could Joe do for him?"

"The only thing that's left. He can get him the money."

"No one even knows where it is."

"Schrader does. He must have hidden it someplace safe. Though, I don't think he'd use a bank. His face is circulating all over town. The only way he would is if Joe walked in," you say. "He'd have to have a key, though."

"Where's the physical evidence from the Schrader case?" Emily asks.

"We don't have it."

"Well, if we can figure out where Schrader hid the money, we'll know where he's going."

You and Derek go to the police station that has the evidence from the original case, and a woman named Betty is working inside the cage where all the evidence is held. She looks up when you three approach her.

"Can I help you?"

"We're with the FBI. We're working the Dale Schrader case," Derek says while flashing his badge at her.

"Is Joe Muller helping you?"

"No, why?"

"He was just here."

"When?"

"Two minutes ago."

"He'll still be in the parking lot," you tell Derek.

You and Derek rush outside and find Dale and Joe inside a car that is about to leave the parking lot. You and Derek raise your guns and stop them before they get far. Joe is the one driving but Dale pulls him close and pushes a gun into the side of his head.

"Stop the car! Put your hands where I can see them!" Derek yells.

"Don't shoot!" Joe pleads.

"Schrader, put it down!" you yell.

"Are you really gonna let me blow his brains out?"

"Drop it or I'll shoot!" you say angrily.

You're channeling his anger to fuel your own. You're not normally this angry but you can't help it.

"What's wrong, agent? Upset I hurt one of your own? Huh?" He smirks at Joe and yanks him closer. "Look at her. She is pissed."

"Please don't kill him," Joe begs.

"See that look in her eyes? She is going to do it. Come on, what are you gonna do?!" You don't say anything so he turns to look at Derek who moves the gun from Joe to Derek. "How'd your aim?"

You take this opportunity and shoot Schrader in the head through the windshield. Joe freaks out and immediately tries to get information on him but Schrader is already dead. 

"Where are they? Where's my family? Tell me where they are!"

"Back up! Get away!" Derek argues.

"She just killed my family!" Joe gets out of the car and stalks toward you. "You killed my family!"

"Calm down!" you yell at him. 

Joe grabs your shoulders and tugs you towards him in anger. Your entire body freezes as you're brought back to the moment when you were taken by your rapist.

"Let me go! Help! Somebody help me, please!"

"Let me go! Please let me go!" you beg in horror.

"Hey! Stop!" Derek yells and yanks Joe off you. He slams him against the car next to you and holds him in a way that he can't go anywhere. "Calm down!"

Yeah, you need to go to therapy for sure. You back away and try to control your breathing without having a complete breakdown. Once Joe is calm enough and you're confident you won't break down in tears, you and Derek take him back to the station while you let the local police deal with Schrader's body. Joe explains the situation with Schrader and produces a photo that he took of Joe's family to prove they are alive.

"He was the only person who knew where my family was and now he's dead." Joe looks at you but you can't seem to look at anyone. "I had every chance to kill him but I couldn't. He had my family."

"This photograph is the only proof of life?"

"Where's my phone?"

Joe takes his phone out of his pocket and plays a voicemail he got from his wife for all to hear.

"Joe, honey, it's me. He got us. All of us. I don't know where we are. God, I am so sorry."

"Help us, Daddy!"

Hotch looks away in pain when he hears the son call out for his dad. It reminds him of Jack who reminds him of Haley and what happened to her.

"Just do what he says, okay? Please do whatever he says."

"I'm gonna get Garcia to trace this," Derek says and dials Penelope. "She might be able to help."

"Were there any other phone calls?" JJ asks.

"I tried to get him to let me talk to them again but he wouldn't."

"There must not be anyone there watching them. He hid his family where no one would hear them call for help. Maybe someplace remote? The cabin?"

"No, the locals tore it apart. There is no one there," Emily states.

"Where are they?" Joe sobs.

"You saw Schrader since he's had your family. You saw something or heard it. There's got to be some clue. Y/N?"

"Yeah, I'm on it," you sigh quietly. You get in front of Joe and hold out your hands. You don't feel like telling him what you can do and he doesn't ask. He puts his hands in yours and you close your eyes to concentrate. "When was the last time you saw your family?"

He explains it as you see it. There is a one-story house with three cars in the driveway. Joe's wife is getting the kids in the car and once done, she approaches the car Joe is in. They kiss and both go their separate ways. 

"Did you notice any cars on the street?"

"Nothing." Joe drives away and she waves him off, but there are no other cars on the street. "Our routine's the same every day. The kids have to be at school by 8:15, then Molly heads to work."

"She didn't make it to either yesterday. What was her route?"

"North on Route 7 and East on 22."

"Is that route isolated during the morning commute?"

"No."

"If he was watching, there's a good chance she never left the driveway," Hotch sighs.

"I drove out first. I just left them there."

Joe wants to pull his hands away but you keep them firmly in yours.

"Where did he find you?" you ask.

"At the hardware store."

Joe just got done in the hardware store but before he can even put the keys in the ignition, Schrader slaps a picture of his wife and children onto his window indicating him of their danger.

"He told me how for eleven years he'd been trying to figure out how he got locked up. He knew Otey had ratted him out for the robbery, but that wasn't enough to put him away. He said I was the piece that didn't fit. He figured out I was a cop."

"He took your family." Hotch holds up a picture of Stacy. "Did you ever see this woman?"

"Yeah. I think she's some junkie. I saw her right after he told me, 'You help me, your family lives. You don't, they die.'"

Joe is driving Schrader around town and stops at an alleyway where Stacy is pacing. Schrader hops out and starts talking to her but they are disagreeing. You can't hear what they're saying but her body language suggests she is angry and impatient and Schrader is anxious and annoyed with her.

Suddenly, he stabs her and drags her to the car. Joe can't do anything but watch as Schrader shoves her in the front seat and climbs in next to her before ordering Joe to drive.

"You didn't know what she was talking about?"

"No."

Joe drives to an open area on the side of the road and tosses Stacy down the hill where she is ultimately found. You take your hands away from Joe since you're done seeing what he is willing to give. You explain what you saw to the team and they try and piece together what happened.

"He could have left the body in the alley. Why didn't he?"

"He didn't want to draw attention to that place."

"Where was it?" Hotch asks.

"South of Van Wyck. It's an abandoned side of town that the junkies took over."

"It's a perfect place to leave hostages," you state.

"Can you take us back there?" Emily asks.

"Wait, you think she knew about my family?"

"Her murder was the only thing that didn't fit. Now it makes sense. Schrader killed her to shut her up."

With your help, you're able to lead the team inside the abandoned building to where Joe's wife is. She is battered, bruised, and dirty but alive. The kids aren't with her so you use her energy to guide you to where they are. With his family safe and Schrader dead, this is a case closed.

Derek had given you the choice to start therapy sessions Monday morning but you feel like you need to get this done and over with. You don't want to be here even if you know you have to be here. The therapist you chose, Melissa Patterson, had an opening right when you got home to Virginia and suggested you take it so she could get to know you and establish a rapport.

However, you've been in her office for twenty minutes and have been silent for seventeen of it. The ticking of the clock makes you more anxious, anxious enough to want to blurt out how you're feeling.

"I don't even know why I'm here. I'm fine."

Of course, you'd say that. Everyone wants to be fine. No one wants to feel like their world is falling apart.

"That's not what I hear," Melissa says and crosses her legs.

"Yeah, I went to prison for a crime I didn't commit. It could happen to anyone."

"It didn't, though. It happened to you." You go silent and look at your lap. You don't think you can look at her face without crying. "Why don't you start by telling me a bit about yourself? That doesn't seem so bad, does it?"

You take a deep breath and finally look at her in the eyes.

"Where do I begin?"

"There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness but of power. They are messengers of overwhelming grief and of unspeakable love." - Washington Irving

x

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[scoobydoodean]

sometimes people accuse tfw of being hypocritical of working with demons and while i personally think dean's line of "we dont make deals with the devil" is a bit too broad with their prior dealings with crowley:

1. they dont know When castiel started working with crowley

2. they were under duress during their deals with crowley in season 6 and were being coerced into the deals

3. castiel could've stopped working with crowley at anytime after any instance of crowley dealing blow after blow to the winchesters (threatening bobby's soul, threatening sam with hell, trying to kill sam and dean, etc)

Prior to season 6, the Winchesters had only willingly worked with Crowley to find the horsemen's rings. Working with him was all done in the open. They didn't hide what they were doing from one or two members of the group. Crowley did actually try to get Dean to exclude Sam from Brady's interrogation (because Crowley didn't trust Sam to behave around Brady) but Dean refused to exclude Sam. This is really what Dean is getting at when he says to Cas that "you don't make a deal with the devil":

DEAN: No, actually, it's not, and you know that. Why else would you keep this whole thing a secret, huh, unless you knew that it was wrong? When crap like this comes around, we deal with it... Like we always have. What we don't do is we don't go out and make another deal with the Devil! CASTIEL: It sounds so simple when you say it like that. Where were you when I needed to hear it? DEAN: I was there. Where were you? You should've come to us for help, Cas.

Their conflict is about mutual feelings of abandonment (though I think Cas's are largely self-inflicted tbqh) and Dean is saying "Why did you go to Crowley when you could have gone to your friends, who you defied all of heaven with once before?" Instead, Cas explicitly chose to exclude all of them and work with Crowley in secret. It was worse than just that though.

During season 6, you're exactly right—Sam and Dean didn't work with Crowley by choice. First, they (and Gwen) were unknowingly working for Crowley by helping Samuel capture alphas (and Dean was already highly suspicious of Samuel's activities). Then after they found out Crowley was secretly Samuel's boss, they refused to work for him, but in 6.07 and 6.08, Crowley claimed to have leverage over Sam's soul and threatened to throw him back in The Cage if they didn't do as he says. As a cherry on top, if they did what he said, Crowley promised to return Sam's soul (which Dean and soulless Sam both want back until 6.11). They are under the impression that Crowley is the one person with access to Sam's soul and is essentially holding it hostage.

Dean repeatedly expressed outright disgust at being forced under Crowley's thumb. He outright refuses to work for Crowley at the beginning of 6.08 until Crowley physically harms Sam, then he stops putting up a fight, but he never stops hating what they're doing. In 6.10, soulless Sam and Dean even have this exchange:

DEAN: No man, screw it, I’m done. SAM: Calm down. DEAN: We’ve been going on these freaking Crowley runs and it’s not getting us anywhere. SAM: Dean – DEAN: I mean, the only thing that’s really changed, is now I need a daily rape shower. SAM: OK, you’re right. Let’s go with Plan B. Oh yeah, we don’t have one. So till we do, sorry dude, stock up on soap-on-a-rope. Dean, if you wanna get my soul back, that’s what we gotta do, OK?

Dean's utter disgust and the dirtiness he feels from being forced to work for Crowley can't be missed from 6.08 to 6.10. This is actually where the bulk of feelings of betrayal toward Cas come from. The whole affair made Dean feel infuriated and used, and Cas knew after a certain point that Crowley was coercing Sam and Dean into working for him (using lies that Cas could have cleared up without even revealing his plans and by simply admitting that he was the one who raised Sam—not Crowley). Cas did not admit it was him because it was not in his own self-interest (and probably because he felt guilty about botching Sam's rescue). By extension, Sam and Dean weren't just working for Crowley but also for Cas, and it hurts Dean more that Cas didn't have the decency to just ask for their help with heaven (Dean offered his help in 6.10 and as early as 6.03, asked why Cas didn't tell them he was struggling). Instead, Cas decided he would work with Crowley, decided Sam and Dean wouldn't like it, then (after originally balking at the idea) let his business partner exploit them as free labor using threats based on lies Cas could have cleared up easily.

Cas didn't just make a deal with the devil—he signed Sam and Dean over to Crowley as forced labor, and instead of coming clean about it in 6.10, he tried to scare Dean into backing down, and then when it didn't work, orchestrated a dramatic confrontation that involved burning fake bones. That's a lot of lying. That's lying that took effort, and it was all done in an effort to exclude his friends, because Cas wanted to cover up something he was ashamed of, because he knew what he was doing was wrong—something Dean points out in 6.20. Cas wouldn't have lied if he actually believed he was doing the right thing.

That said, Dean's pseudo love affair with Crowley IS hilarious actually.

[gingergofastboatsmojito]

Like clockwork

Knowing that I nailed every single prediction except the awards bc the time span covered in S3 was too short for the restaurant to even be considered for one (YET) and the apology, which he thought about making to C but chickenshit at the last minute forcing her character to lurk around a little longer next season, unfortunately.

And also knowing that S4 (which I always considered ENDGAME) might be finally the one where they get those awards and end the show on a perfect note, makes me incredibly happy because even though I do think S3 is the weakest so far, I also fully expected everything that happened in it, except the low Sydney screen time, compared with the excessive Faks screentime, which was the biggest bummer of all times.

I think that Storer is straining along the “non-Sydcarmy” narrative in the right-hand column and leaving about a million Sydcarmy breadcrumbs in the LEFT-HAND COLUMN, so he’s putting all the money on the endgame and that is why most people, including critics, and non-sydcarmy truthers feel underwhelmed after all the build-up excitement and high-expectations that had been forced around it. The critics are mixed, BECAUSE you didn't get exactly what you wanted, both truthers and anties, whereas I got exactly what I assumed I was gonna get from Storer, a TWIST that he will resolve in S4.

As I always said, my ONLY priority is getting my SYDCARMY ENDGAME, not putting Syd’s happiness above all, not even the restaurant getting a star, although IK it will at some point, not even Carmy finding happiness in any other place that is not that meadow Sydney. Etc. I don't play that game. I only want those things to happen in a Sydcarmy context, hopefully, but not necessarily, explicitly, not in a Lalaland kinda way.

What Storer did was open the game enough for a potential Clairmy endgame to happen, which last season seemed impossible, now he forced the narrative to make it fit in S4 if he wanted to. That’s why everyone is soooo underwhelmed, except me. Because I trust my intuition in the left-hand column which is what allowed me to nail all the predictions so far to the letter. Including Carmy being an ass to Syd and Syd not going anywhere, even when offered a way out of The Bear (the restaurant and the man).

And due to this accuracy in predicting Storer’s behavior, I still, like always, feel Sydcarmy is a S4 dish. Fully endgame material. Nothing has changed for me after watching S3. If anything, that belief is even more cemented in my mind now.

Storer is still right on schedule and the Sydcarmy clock started ticking more than ever, exactly as I anticipated HERE. I even nailed the "no sorry sign" thing, which is what we need to watch for in S4, as soon as it happens, we will be out of the woods.

I don't come from a place of wanting to get my needs met or wishes granted by someone as cruel and infuriatingly brilliant as Storer, that would be too naive on my part. I know what to expect when it comes to his writing and he's the Zodiac Killer for me, he can write the perfect crime, and the perfect plot and twist it in ways I can anticipate but no one can control in terms of layout and order but himself. He's a perfectionist and a control freak, incredibly talented piece of shit(sounds familiar?). So I work with what he serves me. I expect from him nothing but asphyxia first, to then give me breathing room for a few scenes, and then take it away. That's what this season was. The chokehold. The lack of oxygen. He's depriving us or making us think he will "on the table", while "under the table" the conversation or unspoken dialogue is the following:

Syd didn't sign The Bear's agreement, and neither did she sign the poaching contract, she's stalling both because she leads with her heart, not her head, which woulda made her get the hell outta the restaurant that has her name nowhere to be found in the reviews that are all about Chef Berzatto, where her business partner is a fucking robot she "can't babysit anymore" and who explicitly told her he's about to crack and where she dreads going to work every day. I mean NOT EVEN THAT CAN MAKE HER SIGN THE POACHING OFFER. I wonder why...

Carmy is still breaking the vow he made to Syd under the table: "You deserve my full focus". He's focusing on getting that bullshit star for her, he's focusing on the bully chef that used to torture him in EMP and ruined him mentally (because according to him it's that asshole's fault, not his own upbringing, and responsibility for having stuck around his bullying and not standing up for himself back then) while Syd is seating right next to him and Luca is flirting with her (I'm OK with that btw) and he's still blaming other people for the choices he made or the things he FAILED to do, instead of taking full responsibility and changing them, which I'm sure he will in S4 and I never expected him to do now because that process IRL for anyone takes YEARS, maybe DECADES, so...

And lastly, we have Chef Terry being the one who tries to open their eyes with her wisdom and they are both still blinking and being blinded by the brightness of it, they still can't see clearly what she's trying to tell them. Especially Syd, who had a full-on panic attack (her getting stuck in a walk-in while everyone else was on the other side of the door moment exactly as I predicted too). Why would she have that if that wasn't her realization moment? → THE ONE WE, SYDCARMY TRUTHERS HAVE BEEN FUCKING PRAYING FOR AND WILL HAVE TO FORCE HER TO FINALLY FOR THE LOVE OF DOG MAKE HER FUCKING MOVE!!!!

So summing up, like I said, I don't come from a place of expecting Storer to please me, my approach to anticipate his moves is asking myself: How can I get what I want while he gets his way because he will get his way regardless, so why fighting him? He will make me suffer, he will play every single string of my heart and he will make me think I've lost all hope and that is not even worth keeping on trying, on the surface. But under the surface, he will prepare THE TWIST and it's gonna be beautiful, and if I play my cards like this, fully expected. That's exactly what I did and what I got, the thing is that this was THE TRANSITIONAL SEASON, S4 is the RESOLUTION of all loose ends because it's ENDGAME. He's right on schedule as far as I'm concerned.

Bonus track: Sydcarmy breadcrumbs he planted: * Menu (heartshaped and best meal Syd ever had) → which is MEAT. * Her panic attack in the hallway after thinking of Carmy and all the history they have together. * Cicero and Nat asking her to sign the agreement once and for all, THEY ARE ASKING HER TO ENTER THE FAMILY, not just the restaurant. * She not quitting, even though someone offered her an easy way out on a silver platter. She can't quit The Bear, and I'm not talking about the restaurant. Even if she eventually does, Storer made it clear that her heart is not in it, she doesn't want to, otherwise, she would have done it by now. * Carmy NOT APOLOGIZING to Claire. Even if he eventually does, Storer made it clear that his heart is not in it, he doesn't want to, otherwise, he would have done it by now. (He did call her "peace" though, which was a cruel way of Storer giving us truthers the middle finger for having told him that the panic attack scene was his way of telling us SYdcarmy was endgame). We shouldn't trust this, Storer is Storing. * Lastly: In the final sequence (CLIFFHANGER), Carmy gets the reviews that will make or break The Bear, which leads to S4 → if the reviews force Cicero to pull the plug, Syd is free to sign the new contract and start over elsewhere. If the reviews are great (they are not because the menu was called INCONSISTANT) then he has a reason to go to Syd's place and show her they made it! Either way, in any of those scenarios he has the perfect motive to jug all the way to Syd's apartment and find her in the midst of her panic attack and CONFORT HER, which I think will be the opener of S4 and then the whole ENDGAME will go from there. This endgame will include Syd signing something that will tie her to Carm. And this endgame will also feature "Andrea". My only fear is: LALALAND ENDING, and I'll tell you why → COPENHAGEN+CLAIRE. Knowing that MG was with JAW in Copenhagen a few weeks ago, I'm sure that shooting some scenes, even though many said they didn't I still believe they did, leads me to think that Carmy, who is reminiscing of his time in Copenhagen like one of the most beautiful times of his life, can go back there with Claire after apologizing to her and rekindling their flame and after Cicero pulling the plug on The Bear letting Syd off the hook for her to pursue the other option presented to her. This will mean Carmy ends with Claire in Copenhagen somehow, sketching and maybe even fully leaning into his artsy side, who knows? And Syd gets her Star elsewhere, which she will find underwhelming because she wanted to get it with The Bear (the restaurant AND the man). This will pave the way for them to give themselves a second chance eventually if Carmy ever comes back from Copenhagen and chooses her over C. Or something along these lines but not necessarily in this order. Either way would explain JAW and C being in Copenhagen recently and would be a Sydcarmy endgame but bittersweet, not spoonfed and cruel, just like Storer likes it. I hope I am mistaken about this since the Lalaland kinda ending is my biggest fear and it's still fully plausible given S3. Still, sometimes I'm wrong... like when I thought that Richie was gonna quit on Carmy after the walk-in fight and he just stayed to spite him and make his life miserable LOL!