#in real life i genuinely will never get on a boat again

[cowardlycowboys]

sail away with me

[itneverendshere]

how does a moment last forever - r.c

pairing: rafe x pogue!reader (bartender!reader universe)

Rafe’s sitting on the deck of his family’s boat, the sun finally starting to dip a little lower in the sky, casting this beautiful orange-pink glow over the water. It’s a perfect evening—calm, warm, everything laid out exactly how he planned. But his hands are sweating so bad he feels like he’s about to jump out of a fucking plane.

You’re sitting across from him, legs crossed, sipping on a drink and looking out over the water. You’re not a big fan of all the fancy Cameron stuff, but you’ve always had this soft spot for the boat.

Rafe doesn’t know what it is—maybe it’s the quiet out here, away from everything and everyone. It’s just you two. It’s always been like that on the water.

He's embarrassed to admit he’s been carrying the ring around for a couple of weeks now, trying to find the right moment. He kept thinking he’d know when the timing was perfect, but here he is, overthinking it.

Should’ve just done it the second you stepped on board, but nah, he’s an idiot, waiting for the right line of conversation or whatever.

The problem is, you know him better than anyone else, even himself.

You always do. It’s like you’ve got this radar, and right now, it’s probably screaming at you that he’s acting weird.

Over the past three years you’ve learned all his tells. He feels like he’s coming undone, and not in the way he’s used to. He’s fought people, and had these moments that should’ve sent his adrenaline through the roof.

But this? 

Asking you to marry him? It’s on a whole other level.

You turn to Rafe, catching him staring, and you raise an eyebrow.

"You’ve been acting weird all day."

There it is. Busted. You always knew when something’s up. He takes a deep breath, "’not acting weird."

"Liar."

You lean back against the cushions, smiling at him like you know all his secrets. And hell, you do.

"You’re doing that thing again," you point towards his fidgeting fingers, and now you’re fully facing him, your glass resting against your knee. "Spill it."

Rafe moves in his seat, running a hand through his recently buzzed hair. You’d liked it so much the last time he did, last year, he decided it was only fair to do it again. 

This isn’t how he planned it.

He thought he’d get some big, romantic speech out, but he can't think straight now. He’s never been so nervous in his life, not even when he thought you’d never take him back after you saw him relapse. 

"Alrigh’, fine," He mutters, pushing up from his seat to stand. "Give me a sec."

Your eyes follow him, confused but curious, and he walks over to where he stashed the ring in his jacket pocket. He can feel you watching him, probably trying to figure out what the hell he’s doing.

He reaches in, fingers brushing over the small box, and for a second, everything gets real quiet in his head. He can hear the water lapping against the side of the boat, the hum of the wind, and then just... you. 

Just you both.

Rafe turns around, and you’re sitting there, waiting. Still waiting. Always patient with him, even when he was an idiot.

This is it. It’s not some high-stakes deal, no street fights, no mess of his past haunting him—it’s just him and you, the girl who’s been there through it all. 

And somehow, this feels bigger than anything else. Maybe you already know. Maybe you’ve known this whole time. Your eyes meet his, and for a second, he swears he forgets how to breathe.

Rafe crosses the short distance between you and drops to one knee. He doesn’t think about it. It’s instinct now, like muscle memory, the way he moves. The way he’s always moved toward you, like you’re the only thing pulling him forward.

Your eyes widen, and for the first time today, you look genuinely surprised. Your drink forgotten, you lean forward, hands resting lightly on your knees, mouth parted in a silent gasp.

"Look," Rafe starts, his voice catching, and he clears his throat. "I—I don’t have a big speech planned. You know me." He laughs, but it’s nervous, shaky. His heart’s still threatening to jump out of his chest, and he’s not sure how he’s supposed to get through this without his whole nervous system exploding. "But I’ve been carrying this thing around for weeks, waiting for the right time. Thinking I’d know when it was perfect or something."

He opens the box, revealing the ring. The diamond catches the last bit of sunlight, sparkling like it’s part of this whole perfect evening. Your eyes flicker down to it, then back to him.

"The truth is," He continues, "there’s never gonna be a perfect moment. Not for us. Because every moment I’m with you feels like it already is. Somehow, you’re still here, you’ve always been here baby, so I must be doin’ something’ right," He pauses, trying to stabilize his voice "And I want that. Forever. Just you and me."

You blink, and he sees the way your lips tremble, like you’re holding back tears. It’s rare for you to get emotional, but there’s something about this—about him, down on one knee, baring his soul—that’s gonna make you sob like a baby.

"I know I’m not perfect. Far from it." He swallows hard, his throat dry. "But I love you. More than I ever thought I could love anyone. And I want to spend the rest of my life proving that to you."

His heart is pounding so hard, he’s sure you can hear it. This is the most vulnerable he’s ever been, and it scares the fuck out of him.

Because if you say no, there’s no way he’s ever recovering from the heartbreak.  

"Will you marry me?" Rafe’s voice is just whisper, but it feels like the loudest thing in the world.

You’re silent for a second, staring at him with those wide eyes. Then, without warning, you laugh—this breathless sound—like you can’t believe this is happening and you’re nodding, tears falling over before you can stop them.

"Yeah," you manage, your voice breaking. "Of course I will. Yes!"

The relief hits him so hard he almost falls on his ass he but then he’s slipping the ring onto your finger, and you’re already pulling him up, wrapping your arms around him and burying your face in there.

Rafe feels your arms wrap tightly around his neck, your breath against his skin, the way your body molds perfectly against his.

He’s still half in shock, still processing that you said yes, that you’re now officially his forever. You bury your face into his shoulder, and he can feel your tears soaking into his shirt, but you don’t let go. 

Before he knows it, he’s crying too. Really crying.

Not the kind of tears he’s able to swallow back or hide. These are the ones he can’t control, the kind that make his whole being shake as he also buries his face in your neck. 

You don’t say anything yet— you just hold him, one hand stroking the back of his head with your thumb, the other rubbing soothing circles on his back. Rafe pulls back slightly, his wet eyes meeting yours, both of you sniffling, your cheeks streaked with tears.

There’s this split second where you’re both just looking at each other, eyes puffy, noses red, overwhelmed by everything you’ve just shared. 

Then, you both start laughing.

It starts with a chuckle, but then it builds, like neither of you can help it. His shoulders shake as the laugh spills out of him, and soon enough, you’re giggling too.

Loud, uninhibited, like you can’t believe this is real.

"Are we really doing this?" you ask through your laughter, wiping your eyes, your voice still cracking from all the crying. "We’re actually getting married?"

He nods, "Yeah, we are," he says, there’s this huge grin on his face now, the kind that makes his dimples show. "Holy shit, we’re getting married."

You throw your head back, laughing harder, clutching your stomach like you’re afraid you might fall over from the sheer ridiculousness of it all.

Rafe watches you, the way the joy lights up your face, the way your eyes crinkle at the corners, and he can’t stop himself from laughing along with you.

This is perfect. You're perfect.

You’re still holding onto him, but your eyes are drawn to the ring on your finger. It sparkles in the orange light, the diamond catching the last bit of the sunset and making it glimmer like something straight out of a dream.

You stare at it in disbelief, turning your hand slightly to watch the light bounce off the edges.

"Holy shit," you breathe, eyes wide. "That rock is huge."

Rafe chuckles, leaning back to watch your reaction, wiping at the last of his tears. He seems a little proud of himself, though, seeing your expression. "You like it?"

"Like it?" You shake your head, laughing again. "I love it, but—baby, be honest, how much did you spend on this?" You give him a half-teasing look, your voice laced with shock. "Seriously, how much?"

He grins, you’ve seen a million times before, but this time, there’s so much love behind it.

"Wouldn’t you like to know, Miss Cameron-to-be?"

You roll your eyes, but you can’t help the smile that spreads across your face at his playful tone.

"Oh, so we’re keeping secrets now, huh?"

Rafe shrugs, but you can see the way his chest is still rising and falling like he’s calming down from all the emotions. "Maybe I just wanted to get you something special. You deserve it."

"Special?" You giggle, holding up your hand and tilting it toward the light again. "This thing could probably pay off the boat. You didn’t need to go this crazy.”

"I wanted to." He says it simply, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. He reaches for your hand again, gently pulling it down so he can look at you. "I wanted you to have something that shows you what you mean to me. Even if it’s just a piece of jewelry, I wanted it to be something worthy of you, baby.”

Suddenly you’re not thinking about the size of the diamond or how much it must’ve cost. You’re thinking about him—how much this must’ve meant to him, how hard he must’ve worked to make this moment perfect for you. 

You’re thinking about how stupid you would’ve been back then if you’d never given him the chance. If you’d refused his ride home. If you’d continued to push him away when he so clearly only wanted you to be his. You feel that familiar warmth in your chest, the one that only comes from knowing how much he truly loves you.

You shake your head as you lean back into him.

"You know, you could’ve proposed with a ring pop, and I still would’ve said yes, right?"

Rafe laughs, his shoulders shaking as he pulls you closer. "Yeah, I know. But you’re not getting out of this that easily."

You smile, resting your chin against his chest.

"Fine, I’ll take the giant diamond. But seriously, Rafe—thank you. It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful."

He kisses the top of your head, his arms wrapping around you tightly, "You ready for this?" he murmurs his low against your temple.

You pull back just enough to peek up at him, your hand resting on his chest, the ring catching the light again. "For what? Marrying you?"

He nods, his blue eyes soft, his smile still a little shaky from everything that’s just happened.

"Yeah. Forever. You and me."

You smile up at him, and without hesitation, you nod. "I’ve been ready for that for a long time."

Rafe’s smile widens, and he leans down to kiss you—slow and sweet, like he’s savoring every second of it, he’s got all the time in the world.

He has you forever. 

You draw back from the kiss, grinning up at him with that playful glint in your eyes that he’s always loved.

You tilt your head slightly, "So," you start, lacing your arms around his neck, standing on your tiptoes, "How am I ever going to show my gratitude for this?" You wiggle your fingers, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, it is a pretty big ring."

His smirk spreads slowly, the kind of smile that makes your brain go fuzzy, and you can imagine the gears turning in his head. His big hands drop down to your waist, his fingers digging into the soft flesh there, pulling you just a little bit closer.

"I’ve got a few ideas," he murmurs, his breath warm against your neck as he leans in, his lips brushing your skin.

You shiver at the contact, the heat from his hands and mouth making your thighs clench.

“Yeah?" you almost pant, he’s always affected you like this. "What kind of ideas?"

His lips suck lightly against the sensitive spot on your neck, and you’ve never been so thankful to be holding on to him. His hands grip your waist a little tighter, his thumbs tracing slow circles against your hips as he speaks between soft kisses. 

"Let’s just say you’re gonna be thanking me for a while."

You laugh softly, the sound making him delirious, it’s somewhere between a giggle and a breathless sigh as his lips trail up to your jaw. "I see. So this is part of your grand plan, huh?"

"Mmhm," he hums, not pulling away, teeth still nipping at your skin. His hands slide down your back, squeezing gently. "You think I spent all that time planning this just for a 'thank you'?"

You chuckle, tilting your head to give him better access to your neck, "Now that you mention it, I did say yes. Isn’t that enough?"

He lifts his head slightly, enough to look at you, his lips still inches from yours, his smirk widening.

"You think you can just say yes and call it a day? Nah, baby, I want the whole deal."

TAGLIST: @italiekim @luannemarureis

if you ever asked me to me tagged in my all my works and you're not tagged here or haven't been tagged yet, please lmk!! i'm writing down every taglist from all my different works!

[withahappyrefrain]

Ruin the Friendship- Bob Floyd

Warnings: Best friends to lovers trope, it’s so obvious they love each other they’re stupid, language, filth, some angst (why not?), unprotected sex, oral sex (f receiving), Bob being pussy drunk.

Summary: The night before Bob leaves for Boot Camp, he's learned no one has gone down on his best friend. He's determined to fix that.

Words: 4.8K

This is for @attapullman's Bob Fucks celebration!

When you've been friends with someone since preschool, you get to know them like the back of your hand. Certain quirks and sayings that no longer surprise you. 

“God, I wish that were me.”

It wasn't the first time Bob heard you say that. Usually there was a cute dog around, or a sushi boat being delivered at a restaurant when you said it. 

But saying it during an oral sex scene in a movie was new. 

It also brought up many questions. 

Questions Bob shouldn't ask, considering he's known you since preschool. Questions Bob couldn't ask right now, because he was too preoccupied looking at you. 

Your eyes were fixated on the screen, focused on the actress withering. Occasionally, they would dart to the other actor who was between the actress’ thighs. Bob noticed the increased rise and fall of your chest, how your front teeth dug into your bottom lip, how when you lean forward, the v-line cut of your shirt showed off the tops of your breasts. The soft glow of the lamps highlighted the beautiful features on your face. 

All things he shouldn’t be noticing about his best friend. But then again, best friends shouldn’t be watching a French film together whose plot line focused on sexual liberation before he went off to Navy boot camp. 

Granted, you and Bob haven’t had a conventional best friend relationship in a while, if at all, considering both sets of parents claimed you two promised to marry each other at the age of four. 

Promises or not, best friends shouldn’t be one another’s first kiss. Or make out practice partners. Or each other’s New Year's kiss when y'all were single. Or spend Valentine's Day together at the local dinner. 

The line between friends and something more was blurry, saved by a comment that ensured the other to think that the feelings that had been brewing weren't reciprocated. 

“You’re a good kisser. Kelsey McCoy is going to think so too.”

“If Tommy Delaine doesn't like you, he's a dumbass.” 

“I’m sure next year you’ll have someone.”

“If I had to spend it with anyone, I want it to be with my best friend.”

“You’re an amazing friend, you know that?”

Why say that if you harbor romantic feelings? Surely, all those kisses and talk of marriage meant nothing to them. 

At least that's what the other thought. 

It's because of this blurry line that Bob doesn't bite his tongue, doesn't throw away the comment to be forgotten. Instead, he speaks up. 

“Been awhile?” 

And because it's Bob, the guy you've known your whole life, the guy you tell everything to, your response rolls off your tongue without a second thought. 

“Try never.” 

It takes Bob a moment to process your words as the way your lips wrap around the beer bottle is far too distracting. But just like processing a car accident, once it registers, your words bring his brain to a screeching halt. 

“Wait, never?” The shrug you give isn’t satisfactory. He grabs the remote to pause the movie, ignoring your cries of protest. 

“Real talk; are you saying that no one has ever gone down on you?” 

You sigh, regretting saying anything in the first place. One would think that after years of friendship, you’d know well enough that once Bob set his mind to something, he wouldn't relent until satisfied. 

You down the remnants of your beer, mentally preparing for this conversation. 

“No Robby. I've never had someone eat me out. Happy now?” Reaching for the remote was all in vain, as he just held it further away from you. 

Darn those long limbs. 

“But you've been with people…..so what did they do?” When you looked at him, there was no malice, just Bob looking genuinely baffled. His gentle blue eyes put you at ease, giving you the comfort to explain. 

“They would touch me,” you motioned to the lower half of your body, “And like finger me. Enough to get me ready, I guess.” 

Bob raised an eyebrow, “You guess?” 

College was supposed to be a time for you to explore, to figure yourself out, to interact with new people. 

And yet, when it came to the relationship aspect, everything had fizzled. You were now going into your junior year having yet to experience a meaningful romantic relationship. 

Did you just have shit luck? Or was it because your mind would wander back to a bespectacled best friend when you were in bed with someone else? 

“So instead of eating you out, which would actually be enjoyable on your end, you're telling me they just stuck their hand down there and hoped they were rubbing your clit? You didn't ever ask them to do something else?” 

Bob didn't have the pristine mouth that parents thought he possessed. You knew, and had known for a while. And yet, hearing him say the phrase your clit in his deep, slightly twangy voice felt different. 

You rubbed your thighs together. 

“Are you shaming the people I've been with or me?” 

Bob closed the difference between you and him on the couch, placing a hand on your bare knee. 

Have his hands always been so big and veiny? 

Fuck, did you have a thing for hands? 

“I'm not shaming you. I’m shaming the people you've been with because well,” he ran a hand up and down the back of his neck, “Well, I enjoy giving….I like doing it. So I guess I'm surprised other people don't?” 

His statement was shocking because everyone else you had been with viewed it as a chore, as something to use every excuse in the book to avoid doing. 

Too tired. Takes too long. Wet enough so what's the point? 

“You…like doing it?” 

The tops of his cheeks reddened, despite a smirk beginning to form, “Yeah. I like giving and I like making them feel good. It's also a confidence booster, being able to make someone fall apart with your mouth.” 

It shouldn't come as a surprise, it was Bob after all. The same Bob who always brought an extra pencil with him to algebra, in case you forgot yours. The same Bob who shared his Dunkaroos because your mom refused to buy them. The same Bob who made his dream of serving his country finally come true after years of hard work. 

He was selfless. But this didn't feel like selflessness. Hearing him talk about giving pleasure, making someone fall apart with his mouth, was different. Even his voice when he said it was different, raspier than usual. 

“Well,” you scooted closer to the edge of the couch, trying to widen the gap so he couldn't feel how hot your body was, “I can't wait ‘til I meet someone who feels the same way.” 

“You don't have to wait.” 

The grip on your beer bottle tightened, the alcohol getting caught in your throat. There's no way he could have just said that, no way he could be implying what you're thinking. 

But when you look at Bob, he was staring back with raised eyebrows and thin lips curled into a little smirk. The same look he’s given you countless times before when he mumbles a smartass comment only your ears were privy to hear. 

You heard me. 

“What-are you…” You stared at him, mouth agape. Bob appeared unphase by it, like he had just offered something totally normal and rational. 

Perhaps it was the three beers he had downed. Perhaps it was the rush of adrenaline kicking in after realizing this was his last chance at making a move before he left. 

“Wouldn't that be like crossing a line?” Your head was racing, alternating between flashbacks of when you kissed Bob and imagining what it would be like to have his mouth on your body. 

“Wouldn't be much different from what we’ve already done.” 

All the air was sucked out of the room by his comment. Because of course he wasn't doing this because he wanted to, because he wanted you. This would be meaningless, just like everything else. If you went through with this, you’d wake up the next day to Bob leaving with nothing changed, still in this seemingly endless limbo. 

Long, nimble fingers hooked themselves under your chin, gently forcing you to look up. 

The look he gave you was unfamiliar. His eyes remained focused on your face, though it seemed like they were searching. 

For what, you couldn't tell. 

After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. 

“Do you want it to be different?” 

What good was telling him if he didn’t feel the same way, thus ruining a great friendship?

“Do you want it to be different Robby?” You countered back. 

He leaned in, his breath hot on your face, “I asked you first.”

He thought he had the upper hand. But you were like a lightning bug, faster.  

“I asked you second, Robby.”

Like a rubber band, the tension snapped as Bob was unable to hold back a snort of laughter. The tension left your shoulders, the sight of him laughing familiar and safe. 

“I’m going to really miss your resounding maturity,” Bob deadpanned after gaining the ability to compose himself, though a sweet crooked smile remained. 

It was now your turn to roll your eyes, though it didn’t stop the smile currently forming on your face. Seeing this side of Bob was always fun; most folks thought he was quiet and meek. The truth was that he liked to observe and didn’t find value in speaking when it wasn’t necessary. He didn’t hold back with you, didn’t feel the need to sit and observe. He truly conversed with you and you’d be lying if you said it didn’t make you feel special. 

He was never that way with the other girls he dated. 

“You love me,” you teased back. It was a comment you've said countless times, always with that sweet, albeit mischievous smile that made Bob's heart flutter. 

But this time instead of shaking his head or rolling his eyes, he leaned forward until your foreheads were touching. 

Seeing him up close took your breath away. You could see how his roots were beginning to darken, the blonde fading as he got older. The little scar on his chin from a BB Gun incident when he was ten. Eyes bluer than the ocean. The ends of his hair were beginning to curl, something you'd greatly miss when he'd get the military mandated buzz cut. 

“Yeah, I do.” There was no teasing in his voice. No mischief in his eyes. Instead of playfully shaking your shoulder, his hand found its way to the back of your neck, fingers cupping your warm skin. He was moving quickly, making you unable to truly process what he had just said. 

Despite it being new territory, he was handling it beautifully. You, on the other hand, were torn between wondering if your increased heart beat was medically concerning and how large Bob’s hands were. 

“You gotta….if you want to stop, tell me,” His breathing had increased, like it did when he had finished his part in the marching band. But this wasn’t marching band practice and y’all weren’t on the high school field. You were in your parents’ basement, with Bob’s lips quickly closing the gap between yours and his. 

It wasn’t your first time kissing Bob, but it might as well have been. Years of experience had given him more confidence. He knew where to put his hands now, one still on your neck to guide you, the other gripping the soft flesh of your hip. He didn’t hesitate to slide his tongue across your bottom lip, successfully driving you wild. 

When the rounded tip of his nose brushed against yours, a soft laugh escaped your lips. Bob didn’t mind, using the chance to let his tongue explore your mouth. Your body leaned towards him, hands gripping the soft fabric of his old Warped Tour T-shirt. 

“I thought you,” your words were slurred, a weak moan interrupting your speech due to his lips moving down to your neck, “Thought you were gonna eat me out.” 

Bob’s moan vibrated against your skin, sending shivers down your spine. His hands traveled to your breasts, gripping them through your T-shirt. It wasn't a hard squeeze, which is what you were used to. 

It was pleasurable. Bob was pleasurable. 

“Did none of the guys you were with do foreplay?” He asked, his hands continuing their ministrations. 

“I-fuck- yes they did, it just never took this long,” you grunted against his lips. 

“God, you have terrible taste in men.”

You wanted to let Bob know that he was now included in that group. But then his fingers hooked themselves around the band of your shorts, pulling them down. Had you known what tonight would entail, you would have opted for underwear that wasn't so worn. The long hairs on his arms tickled your sensitive skin as he moved to kneel on the floor, the cool basement air making you realize just how wet you were. 

How could he do that so quickly? 

He pinned your hips against the soft couch cushions. With anyone else, you would complain with how hard he was gripping your soft skin. But with Bob, you’d love it. It meant hand-shaped bruises that would stay after he left, reminding you of tonight. 

When his sharp nose nudged your clothed slit, a loud gasp erupted from your mouth. 

Thank god your parents were on vacation. 

His tongue was so wide as it stroked the quickly dampening fabric. How was he able to find your clit so quickly? Most struggled to find it even after your panties had been taken off. 

Bob couldn’t help but chuckle upon hearing your strained whimpers. You were practically squirming, hips erratically jerking with every touch. 

“Wha-why did you stop?” You whined, looking down to find him staring up to you. 

“Are you-I just need to know, do you still want this?” God, he was so fucking considerate. In any other moment, you’d find it endearingly sweet. 

But if his tongue felt that good against your covered cunt, you were dying to feel it without the barrier. 

“Robby, I swear to god, if you don’t eat me out, I’m going upstairs and using my vibrator,” Your voice was strained, your knuckles turning white from gripping the couch cushions.  

He laughed.  Bob knew you were bluffing. He had just gotten started and you were already so wet. 

Slowly, he took his glasses off, placing them on the coffee table behind him, making a show of it. 

“Won’t need those. I’m nearsighted after all.”

“You little-” The insult remained unsaid, as Bob pushed your underwear to the side, his mouth instantly latching onto your swollen clit. 

His mouth was warm. The pressure wasn’t too much, just enough to make you wither in pleasure. It felt so good, so fucking good. When Bob looked up, he found your mouth open, despite no sounds coming out. 

Good. 

You deserved to know what it was like, to have someone care about your pleasure, to focus solely on making you feel incredible. 

God, he could feel his cock throbbed. You looked so pretty with your eyes glazed over, mouth agape as you watched him, completely enthralled. 

And he had just gotten started. 

He wanted to do more than make you come, he wanted to blow your mind. Call it selfish, but Bob wanted to ruin you for anyone else. He had always held back his tongue when it came to the people you dated, knowing sooner or later you'd realized they weren't worth your time. 

But now he had his chance and Bob sure as hell wasn't going to let it slip away. 

The loud sound of fabric ripping broke you out of the pleasure filled haze you were in. Before you could make a sound about your now ripped underwear, your knees were pinned to your chest, giving Bob complete access to your soaked core.

“So fucking sweet,” He groaned against your cunt, sending vibrations all through your body, “Sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted.” 

“Robby.” 

To say Bob dreamed of hearing you moan his name would be the understatement of the fucking century. 

Your whole body was on fire, unable to do anything else but take everything Bob was giving. 

A resounding moan fell from your lips as Bob thrusted two fingers inside you, your walls struggling to accommodate the unexpected stretch. 

Was he this thick elsewhere?

You wanted to find out. Wanted to feel it inside you, in your mouth. You shamelessly wanted it all. But you couldn’t even voice that because Bob was tracing figure eights on your clit, his fingers brushing against a spot you thought Cosmo had made up. 

Fuck, he was doing a number on you. His soft hair threaded through your fingers as you gripped the strands. Your hips involuntarily jerked upwards, desperate to get as much of Bob as possible. 

You kept expecting him to stop, considering you were wet enough for him to fuck you. That's what everyone else did. 

But Bob Floyd wasn't like everyone else. Far from it. 

He was fucking delighted to hear all the cute, strained noises coming from you as he continued.  Each time you tugged on his hair, a groan would fall from his lips. It was the prettiest sound you had ever heard. 

Why did either of you wait this long? 

You tried to communicate, to let him know you were close, tugging on his hair, trying to move away from his mouth. 

But Bob was deceivingly strong, using his free hand to pin your hip back to the couch, his mouth firmly on your pussy. 

When you looked down, you were in awe of how blissed Bob looked. His eyes were closed as his mouth remained latched to your clit. The sounds of your own wetness were obscene, but barely audible over the moans Bob was letting out. 

He really did enjoy it.

“Come. Wanna taste ya,” His voice was muffled as he added a third finger inside you. 

Worried thoughts of coming on his face left your brain as pleasure coursed through your veins. Without any warning, the band that had been tightening came undone.

Bob used both hands to hold your hips firmly in place, his tongue lapping up your release. 

You don't recall coming this hard or this long before. It wasn't a small wave, it felt like the whole damn ocean was taking you under. 

His fingers continued to stretch you open, prolonging your high. The Navy was the perfect fit for him, considering he could apparently hold his breath for an impressive amount of time. 

The soft fabric of the couch cushions brushed as the back of your head, your eyes half closed. You couldn't even voice an acknowledge when Bob’s mouth and fingers withdrew from your abused cunt. 

“You're so pretty when you come,” Bob murmured, his lips brushing against yours. 

Your hands tugged on the soft fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer. 

“M-my turn,” you whined, hips jerking up towards his. 

Bob shook his head, “Wanna be inside ya.” 

How was this the same guy who feared clowns as a kid? 

Before you could even question it, Bob had sat down on the couch, gripping your hips to help you straddle his lap. When had he taken off his jeans? How was he so quick- 

Jesus Christ, he was huge. 

“Fuck, she was right.” 

Bob looked up from where you two were about to connect, a very confused look on his face, “Excuse me?” 

“Betsey Thomas said you had a huge dick,” you confessed, wishing that you'd think before speaking for once. 

Bob’s brows knitted together in confusion, “Betsey Thomas has never seen my dick, the fuck are you talking about?” 

“Said she could tell you were packing because of the gym shorts you'd wear for PE class.” Bob signed, shaking his head as he muttered something about the required uniform. 

“I….we can unpack this later-” 

You snorted, “Why? Too busy packing here?” 

Your laughter was cut short by Bob rubbing his cock against your soaked cunt. Memories of high school escaped your brain, the only thing you could focus on now was Bob and his huge dick. 

Curious wasn't accurate. Frankly, you were desperate for him. Had been since middle school, if you were being truthful. 

“Woah, hey. Easy baby, easy,” his voice made your thighs clench, made you whine into his shoulder as you tried to line your aching hole with his cock. 

Finally, you felt him at your entrance. Slowly, he filled you up inch by inch. Every time you tried to urge him to go faster, Bob would simply shake his head before pressing a kiss against your cheek. 

“Don't want to hurt ya darlin’.” 

Darlin. You were his darlin. 

He made you feel so full, and you didn't even have it all inside of you yet. All you could do was cling to him as he whispered praises in your ears. 

Once you reached the base, it felt like you and Bob were the only ones in the world. At least, that’s what you pretended. It was better than thinking about how he would be gone for who knows how long after tonight. After boot camp was done, he would be off to train for the Navy. 

Even he didn't know when he would return home. 

It wasn't fair, finally expressing your feelings for one another just to be separated immediately after. You wanted him to stay, to go on dates with him, to visit him on the weekends when school started, just like everyone else in a long distance relationship. 

“Hey, what's wrong? Do you- we can stop if you want, it's okay.” Bob’s voice was soft, full of concern. 

His hand lifted your chin up from his shoulder, revealing your watery eyes. 

“I don't want you to go.” 

“I know,” his voice was barely a whisper, matching your volume. Long fingers gently traced over your face, as if he was trying to memorize them. 

“I know it's horrible timing, but we'll figure it out, okay? I want to figure it out with you, I promise,” He peppered your face with soft kisses, earning a small smile out of you. 

“But for now, can I make ya feel good? Because I'm willing to bet no guy has made you come while fucking ya.” 

Unlike in the past, where Bob’s smartass comments earned him a shove, you pressed your lips against his. 

“I'm gonna start moving now, okay?” Even though he warned you, nothing could have prepared you for how full Bob made you when his hips thrusted upwards. 

“You're-fuck- you feel so good, oh my God.” 

Your fingers tangled into Bob’s hair, trying to commit the feeling to memory. 

Bob was trying to do the same, his hands roaming over your body as he took in your scent. Maybe if he asked nicely, you'd let him take a bottle of your perfume with him. 

He was going to need it for the next few months. 

Your mouth clashed against his, tongue desperate to taste him. Wandering hands desperate to feel everything everywhere. 

“When-fuck- when I come back, wanna take you out. W-we can go to that Italian place by your school. The one where you have to wear a tie.” How Bob was able to talk coherently while fucking you was beyond comprehension. 

The Navy will be lucky to have his great ability to multitask. 

“Gonna bring ya flowers too. Sunflowers ‘cause they're-oh my god- you're favorite.” You didn't think you could recall your full name with the way Bob is thrusting into you, much less favorite things. 

Your walls clench around Bob’s thick cock, eliciting a desperate groan from him, rather than the instant ejaculation you were used to. 

“If you keep doing that, I'm gonna come,” Bob whined into the crook of your neck.

“That’s-shit- the point,” you grunted, your hips picking up speed. 

Bob shook his head, “Need you to come first.” 

Confusion caused you to still your hips, “Bob, I already-” 

“Don't finish that sentence, don't you dare,” Bob ended his command with a strong thrust that made you feel as if he was splitting you open on his cock. 

Your head dropped down to the crook of his neck. His skin was so warm and the smell of sage was nearly overwhelming. You knew exactly what body wash he had used, as it was the same one he wore ever since junior year, when you commented on how nice it was. 

In hindsight, it was painfully obvious. 

His lips found yours, capturing them in a desperate kiss. When you felt his fingers draw circles on your clit, you saw stars. 

You didn't know it could feel this good with someone. This was more than a quick fuck, as you actually felt cared for. It was intense, the sensitivity of your first orgasm still echoing every time the thick head of his cock brushed against your walls. 

It's audible how wet you are for Bob. He can feel it at the base of his cock, which makes him wonder what it would be like to have you on your knees, or better, your back, all spread out for him. 

“C’mon sweet girl,” he’s panting, voice desperate and raspy, “Wanna-fuck! Wanna feel you come s’bad, please, please baby.” 

Each circle drawn on your clit causes the band in your stomach to tighten. Combined with Bob’s words, you knew you wouldn't last much longer. 

“You're incredible, shit, I-fuck. All yours. Wanna be all yours. Fuck fuck fuck, clenching me so hard, fuck, don't stop.” Obscene was not a word many, if any, would use to describe Bob Floyd. 

Up until thirty minutes ago, you would have considered yourself part of that group. 

But now? Now you were falling apart on his cock. The rush of pleasure had hit like a brick, coursing through your veins. It hit harder than anything else, harder than the now banned alcohol caffeine combo drink, or any controlled substance doctors had prescribed to help you focus. 

His finger-fuck, usually you had to use two of your own- didn’t stop rubbing your clit, nor does he stop thrusting in and out of your pulsing cunt. It's almost as if-no, you know Bob’s enjoying making you feel euphoria. 

That's what blows your mind. His laser focus on your pleasure, rather than his own. Truthfully, he could have come already and you wouldn't have thought twice about it. 

But now it was all you could think about. How much he cared, how good he felt. How incredible it was for him to pull your hips flushed against his, filling you to the brim with his cock. 

“Holy shit you're so tight-I, sh-should I pull out?” 

Instead of answering, you used all your strength to rock your hips against him. Considering he made you come twice, the least you could do was help him find his release. 

Your fingers gripped his hair, tugging on the strands as your mouth clashed against his. 

The downright guttural groan he releases against your mouth has you clamping down on his cock. The motion finally leads to Bob’s undoing, causing him to come deep inside you, warmth flooding your body. 

His arms are wrapped around your body, clinging onto you as if he thinks you'll disappear if he lets go. 

You’d be a damn fool to. 

The basement is now quiet, apart from the heavy breathing coming from both you and Bob. 

After several minutes pass by, you gather the courage to break the silence, “Did you mean all that? Taking me out on a date and being mine?” 

Bob’s cheek burned a bright red as he timidly nodded his head, “I….yeah. I didn't mean to say it when we were, you know. I'm sorry.” 

You pressed a reassuring kiss to his warm cheek, “Robby, what do you feel the need to apologize for?” 

He looked up to you, those earnest blue eyes sparkling, “Shit timing?” 

“You're not wrong about that, but like you said earlier, I want to work it out with you.” Your words brought comfort, giving Bob the confidence to place a sweet kiss right on your lips. His smile was burning into yours, causing your stomach to flutter. 

“I know it's not that Italian restaurant, but can I take you out to breakfast tomorrow?” 

The local diner had been a go-to since y'all were thirteen. But this time would be different. This time you wouldn't feel the urge to look away when he caught you staring. This time neither one would correct the waitress when she'd make a comment about y'all being a cute couple. 

The soft call of your name pulled you out of your thoughts. 

“Uh can I….eat you out again? Tomorrow obviously! Like before we go to the diner?” 

Good Lord this man was going to be the death of you.

---------------------------------------------------------

@ohtobeleah @sebsxphia @attapullman @ryebecca @sio-ina-bottle @rhettabbotts @callsignspark @roosterforme @lewmagoo @hangmanapologist @justabovewater20 @theharddeck @cumholland @bobfloydsbabe @sometimesanalice @heartfairy @auroralightsthesky

[autumnmobile12]

My Hero Academia AU: Ambush Simulation

Aight, storytime:

So awhile back, I was thinking about Episodes 4 & 5 of the anime Soul Eater where the gang is tasked with capturing two villains, the zombie Sid and the guy who resurrected him, Professor Stein.  (There’s also the added stakes that if they fail in this task, they’ll be expelled from school.)  After a somewhat harrowing fight, defeating Sid and losing to Stein, the plot twist is this was never a real fight, Stein and Sid were not villains, and this whole thing was just a test that was orchestrated and sanctioned by the school and definitely skewed more toward hazing than actual education.

And I thought, what if that’s all the Vanguard Action Squad was during the Summer Camp Arc?  Just a test orchestrated by UA that skewed more toward hazing than actual education. (Note:  These are the traditional LoV members, so Muscular, Mustard, and Moonfish are not part of this line-up.) At the very least, that would probably be the meanest ruse Aizawa has pulled. And you can't tell me Principal Nezu wouldn't have been all in for this plan.

"It happened once at the USJ. Despite our precautions, it could happen again. Let's teach them how to prepare...by scaring the absolute shit out of them."

"Ambush Simulation" is playing off my earlier AU comic with Shigaraki being the adopted nephew of All Might and leading a pretty normal life.  The rest of the squad is more or less in the same boat. For context, Touya’s canon divergence is he returned home after the three-year comatose and actually stayed there, but since nothing about that household environment really changed, he’s still an unhinged mess, but that is a whole other kettle of fish best saved for another comic. (Clearly getting a kick out of the prospect of scaring a bunch of kids, including his brother, half to death, though.)  Toga’s home life is rocky at best after ‘the incident,’ but she’s no longer a runaway teen.  Everybody else just kinda fell in with each other.

Their role as a vigilante team was inspired by the series Durarara!, specifically Kadota and his crew for anyone who's familiar. I genuinely forgot the Vigilantes spinoff existed...sigh, it's been awhile and I only recently got back in this fandom. The Vanguard is pretty much living by a 'you're only in trouble if you get caught,' philosophy. (And the nepotism has probably saved all their asses a few times because it doesn't look good for the No. 2 Hero if his eldest son is busted for vigilantism.)

Anyway, there's a few other details that I can't fit in this post, so head over here if you want to read more behind the scenes of making this thing.

[firequeenofficial]

*Wild Life Spoilers ahead! You have been warned!*

I want to add my two cents to the teams discussions that have been going on, because people are getting unnecessarily worked up about it.

In the past, the Lifers have let teamups happen naturally, going off in separate directions and basing pretty much with whoever crosses their path first. Because this group is handpicked by Grian, they all work really well with each other, so this isn't an issue. However, there is the definite reality that some people bounce off each other better than others, which makes for better content, which is the main goal of this, after all (besides them having fun, of course).

My theory is, for this season, they had certain teams predetermined, at least to some extent. Not everything was set in stone, of course - I genuinely believe Lizzie joining Scar and Jimmy, for example, was a natural progression - but some feel like they were. The way some people got in the boats after the intro, specifically heading for specific people, gives the idea that this was planned. Scar waiting for Jimmy before riding off, Ren making a beeline for Martyn, who was waiting for him. I can't speak for everyone, of course, I've only seen a few povs so far, but some of the teams give this idea.

Let me emphasise this: This Is Not A Bad Thing! This is the way they felt they could make the best content and make the most people happy. You can never make everyone happy, of course, because some people suck and insist on trying to ruin it for everyone else. And the two teams I've decided are like this (Scar&Jimmy and Ren&Martyn) are actually perfection, and teams everyone's been waiting for for a while. They just decided this is the best way to ensure these teams come about, and that's fine.

I also want to add: I absolutely do not think every team is like this. I'm pretty sure Gem and Joel were natural, though I haven't yet finished Gem's ep, and Ethubs and Tango felt very natural as well (and is going to be so amazing!).

If you disagree or have something to add, let me know! I'm open to opinions!

Unless those opinions are attacking anyone for teaming up with someone again. If I see a single person attacking Pearl, or anyone else, in the notes, I'll block you, end of story. They all have every right to team up with whoever they want, and that team especially has proven again and again that they work real well together, both for hanging out and having fun, and for content creation.

[teenytabris]

my stucky bang 2024 fic is up!

hold my body (hold my breath)

“You were born in a storm. On a rocking boat, too. Maybe that’s where all this started,” his ma had said, kissing his head and rocking him in her arms. “Demanded to come into the world in an in-between place. Couldn’t wait to get to America,” she joked. Steve didn’t know what that meant, but he did know that even imagining a boat out there, getting tossed by waves, made him feel ill enough that even looking at the rain made him retch weakly. His ma tutted, and pressed a hand to his forehead.

--

Steve has always had an all-consuming fear of water, and nearly drowning twice only made it worse. One day, after just turning on a tap sends him spiraling, he has to consider what his breaking point is.

🌊🌊🌊

Huge thank you to my artist partner @alwaysabrighterdarkness for their art for not only inspirating the fic but also helping me brainstorm the initial idea ❤️and also thank you for your patience while real life got extremely in the way 😭

An additional thank you to @sparkagrace, for betaing the damn thing, but also being always encouraging even when I was genuinely convinced I was never gonna write a single word ever again. Whatever I did to deserve you is not enough!

[otomes-and-tears]

it’s meeeeeeeee i’m shiloh enjoyer #3!!!! revolving him around in my brain every day like it’s a microwave 😭😭 i know you’re busy with a lot of other asks at the moment but i’m eagerly awaiting the lizzie post!! and all of your other writing ofc <33 you brighten my day :D

HELLO TO THE MYSTERIOUS SHILOH ENJOYER #3! I think we're all here now haha I'm glad you enjoy my analysis posts! NOW BUCKLE UP, BUCKAROOS! THIS ONE IS GOING TO BE LOWKEY SAD: Elizabeth is perhaps the most complex and defining relationship in Shiloh's life.

First of all, it's one of the few we see glimpses of throughout several steps in his life-- we see how he idolises her as a child, how he acts towards her when they reconnect in his teenage years and glimpses of how the different versions of him act with her in adulthood. It's likely the oldest relationship he maintains that isn't familial, and I think that's incredibly significant when we take into consideration what I believe to be one of the paradoxical cores of Shiloh's character: Connections and relationships are disposable to him, but Shiloh is only Shiloh as long as there’s someone there. He still feels lonely.

I talked a little before about Shiloh's childhood. How the social dynamics he established as a kid ended up influencing his behaviour as a teenager: He sees Lizzie as the obvious leader, since she's older and more assertive than him and MC, and follows her around and obeys her every whim because of it. Whether he genuinely likes her or not is up for debate, but I don’t think it matters to Shiloh. What she means to him is something that can far supersede any simple likes or dislikes that he might feel at that age:

She provides stability and purpose. She’s his anchor against the mean kids, the teasing, the isolation. All he has to do is stay in her favour. Lizzie is his first encounter with a power dynamic he can rely on and emulate as he grows, and therefore she becomes someone he idolises.

Shiloh doesn’t need to be honest, or even be himself, as long as he’s useful and needed. He understands social hierarchies all too well, knowing what happens to people at the bottom. It’s why he insists he isn’t “different” and loses it when Cove calls him “weird.”

He was probably one of the kids who got picked on, so he’s always scrambling to stay just above water and not sink to the bottom with the rest of the “outcasts.” MC doesn’t mean much to him, but in Lizzie’s absence, he sticks to them just as obediently, as they’re the next best thing. Cove, on the other hand, is mostly just a mild annoyance but does give Shiloh a bit of relief because, for once, he’s not the one at the bottom. And it’s not like Cove was ever going to be Lizzie’s favourite anyway.

Whenever Shiloh gets ignored, he panics and tries to wedge himself back into the conversation however he can. And as soon as Lizzie shows up again, he immediately runs back to the safety of their old dynamic.

I think that while most of him admires her at that age, there's a little part of him that resents not being like her. Not being able to be a leader and being relegated to a follower, feeling aimless when she isn't around. As a kid, he's more prone to lashing out when angered, unlike older Shiloh who acts with fake cheeriness and this strange, eery coldness when annoyed. And that's why he pulls her down with him into the water in Step 1.

If he isn't willing to voice these things because he doesn't want to rock the boat and cause issues, he expresses it more subtly.

Shiloh’s just scared—a scared little kid who figured out a way to fit in. And because that method kept working for him, through moving out of state and getting through life without Lizzie, he never really had a reason to change, even if it did a number on his very sense of self.

He got better at these tactics over time, making sure he’d always have a way to fit in, but it cost him a real personality and genuine social skills beyond the manipulation tactics he fine-tuned throughout the years. Eventually, he started taking control in small but crucial ways: He’s the one who walks away from relationships, now. Removing himself from them becomes a choice. It’s not only about leaving when people cease being useful to him but about imposing a sense of control that he felt like he lacked in childhood since he moved schools and states a few times and was likely used to being the “new kid” in different places.

He learned to hide his feelings better, so he wouldn’t blow up the way he did when he was seven. That’s why his relationship with Elizabeth—and the times he had to start fresh somewhere new—were so essential to shaping who he is: Lizzie set the standard for the kinds of relationships he’d chase, and moving around gave him fresh slates and new people to practice on.

That brings us to the serendipity moment in Our life and what we know from him in Xoxo droplets. Now, I know a lot of people haven’t actually played XOD and only have a cursory knowledge of it and the fact that a few characters from it cameo in the Our Life series! But did you know that Liz is mentioned by name in Shiloh’s route?!?

Yes! Back in 2017 we actually had Shiloh mention the events of Serendipity, which I think is a crucial scene to understand Shiloh’s character.

But before we talk about that, Let's talk Serendipity!

After Jeremy brings up “Shiloh’s famous memory” and Liz realizes he lied about not remembering her in the Step 3 prologue, Shiloh actually goes ahead and explains why he is the way he is. His explanation lines up with what we know about him from XOXO Droplets and how he acts in Step 1.

I don’t think he’s lying. Not about all of it, at least. Some of the only concrete information we have on Shiloh’s character and how he functions comes from his childhood, and I think that what he’s saying is a natural progression of that information. He only does things for his own benefit, he’s afraid of being left out and he asserts his sense of control through his relationships with others. But it’s really important to remember that Shiloh doesn’t do things without it benefiting him. While I believe in the core of what he’s saying, the fact that he’s divulging this information at all (how he’s going about it, by putting Liz and her feelings on the matter first, and framing his choices as being mistakes he made out of care for an old friend and by reiterating that they’re too good and putting himself down for pity points) instead of trying to dodge the conversation again, he’s employing a few of his known manipulation tactics: the real me strategy.

Shiloh knows that this new information is hurtful to Liz, and like in Step 1, her opinion is really the one that matters to him. He knows that there’s a limit to how much he can play dumb before they snap, and by Jeremy revealing part of his MO, there isn’t a lot he can do to smooth things over, so the least destructive path is to do exactly what Shiloh does to JB during his route in Xoxo droplets: He feeds Liz little bits of truth because he knows he’ll damage their relationship if he doesn’t. He gives her enough so she feels like she knows him better, like she’s got some new, special insight into the “real” Shiloh that nobody else has, which keeps her around. He pretends to drop his manipulative schtick because by telling her this, she has “figured him out” and there isn’t a point in trying anymore. That itself is a manipulation tactic.

But why bother? He’d be gone again by the end of the afternoon regardless of her forgiveness or not.

It comes back to what I mentioned earlier: Shiloh is the one who exerts control over his relationships. He is the one who decides when they start, and when they end, and by Liz being upset and deciding she doesn’t want to be around him, not only does he lose the control he craves, but Shiloh loses it with the person he based all of his subsequent relationships on.

In the few hours that he spent in Sunset Bird, they all fell back into their old dynamics even though it had been so long since Shiloh stepped foot in that town. He still remembers that she prefers popsicles over ice-cream sandwiches, and even though he’s better at including MC and Cove, Shiloh in a lot of ways fell back into their old routine, looking back to Liz as his leader and following into step as her sidekick. It doesn’t matter if Liz isn’t an active part of his life any longer, what would it mean to him to have those memories tainted? For that perfect template to be ruined?

But Liz stays. 

And because of that choice, we get to see the ultimate consequences of it. Shiloh isn’t a good person. As pitiful and as tragic as he might be, he simply isn’t one. And I think that can be encapsulated perfectly in how he frames his interaction with Liz to his girlfriend in Xoxo Droplets.

He glosses over what he did wrong, he casually exploits that event to garner points with his girlfriend. He ultimately doesn’t care if she takes his and Liz’s relationship the wrong way and frames it as being romantic, even if that’s far from the truth. Even with Elizabeth being miles away and already hurt by him, he still finds ways to use people and spin narratives to his advantage. 

I do believe he holds Liz in higher esteem than most (and arguments can be made that JB, the main character in XOXO droplets and his love interest, and Elizabeth share similarities in both appearance and their strong-willed, confident personalities), since she was his “idol” by his own admittance, but this is a tiny way in which he asserts his control over the situation. It doesn’t matter if Liz believes she holds the reins. If she’s older, admirable and if he still follows her around like an obedient puppy when she’s around.

By choosing to stay, she tipped the scales in his favour. He is the one in control once again, and he's able to continue his interminable cycle of holding people at arm's length while playing the part of a devoted companion.

[vespertin-y]

OKAY I FINALLY WATCHED GRAVITY FALLS. TEN YEARS LATE I KNOW. i was expecting to have to power through a bunch of boring kid stuff to get to the actual interesting drama and i was so so wrong i locked tf in and finished it in two days. it's so good what the actual fuck. heres my thoughts on the main characters

mabel: when i was the actual target audience for this show i saw a bit of mabel while flipping through disney XD and i immediately concluded that she was annoying af and i would never watch this show because of her. i would like to repent for this evil evil take by flinging myself belly down onto shattered glass. MABEL MY BABY GIRL...if they ever put her in another Situation or Scenario ill kill someone fr. she's a little too selfish and a little too pushy sure but so genuinely KIND and SWEET and so willing to make a fool of herself to pull her dumb brother out of his head. that unicorn doesn't know jack i hope she gets everything she wants forever

dipper: if i had watched gf as a kid i would have been in very real danger of naming myself after this guy (which doesn't even work bc im not nearly as cool as him!! the woodland creatures would have eaten my ass). it would've been so easy to give him a generic gaining confidence arc but he is never a coward when it really matters and i think that's great. he may not be able to talk to a girl but he can and will beat a gnome to death with a shovel for touching his sister!!! also yeah he is extremely transgender.

stan: OUUUUUGH. STARTS SOBBING. stanley pines the man that you are. i assumed at first that his plot would be about Learning To Love but no he is 100% on board with being the world's best grunkle from minute one. he definitely fucks up sometimes (putting waddles outside comes to mind as does. The Other Thing) but he always tries his very best to fix it. every action he takes just oozes with care for his family. every time i thought he had a motivation that wasn't his family they pulled the rug out from under me and revealed that it was, in fact, just his family again. he would give everything for them. AND HE LITERALLY DOES??? im gonna vomit. he hand stitched fishing hats 😭😭😭

wendy: definitely my least favorite of the main cast im sorry wendyheads...i just feel like there isn't a lot to get into here. every time they imply there's something more going on with her or her family they just snap her right back into The Coolest Girl In The World which might be fun but it's not that interesting.

soos: SOOS MY FRIEND SOOS!!!! i wobbled on him during the middle of the show bc i felt like they were making him Genuinely Dumb instead of just a good babysitter but they pulled his characterization back around by the end i think. he is like me in that he would also die for the mystery twins without hesitation or regret 💖. a lesser show would've been really mean about soos but gf is BASED and SOOSPILLED so he gets what he deserves. he does not have to lose weight or drop his "childish" interests or stop living with his grandma to WIN AT LIFE. awesome girlfriend! dream job! big house! stan using that boat to hunt down his bio dad and kill him, probably!

ford: ill be honest and admit i hated this guy at first but eventually i learned to live laugh love about his massive incredibly fragile ego ruining everything all the time and now i am a big ford enjoyer. what a FREAK oh my god. he believed his journals to be capable of destroying the world and still refused to destroy them because they're His Life's Work????? he had the painfully obvious option to tell bill he didn't know the equation and stall for time and chose instead to say that OBVIOUSLY he knows it he's the SMARTEST MAN ALIVE he's just not TELLING YOU 😤 and then immediately got tortured????? he spent most of his screentime projecting his relationship issues onto an Actual Child?????????? he needs to go to therapy and learn he's not the main character of the universe but he will not be doing that so i can only hope the boat fixes him. if i was stanley i'd've fed him to the shapeshifter.

bill: SIGH. YES OKAY HE'S MY FAVORITE. I KNOW I'M FUCKING PREDICTABLE DON'T @ ME. i spent 90% of his screentime cracking up and the other 10% making Homosexual Detection Eyebrows at my brother! the ideal ratio!!!!! i can't wait to get my hands on the book so i can poor little meowmeow him more efficiently. i knew i was saving that barnes & noble gift card for something important.

[thorn-rosed]

there's something christian / catholic in all versions of my rosekiller. i dont care what earth this is, guys. you're having a deeply complicated relationship to god.

fallenangel!evan x priest!barty

Evan was supposed to deliever a message to some random priest. it was an honour to be allowed on earth as an angel, you had to be outstanding. The message read "dont trust those who dont even acknowledge the bad", and evan didnt really think about it too hard. But when events on earth were unfolding, he realized that God had been in his way the whole time. He was the one Barty wasn't supposed to trust. Luckily, Barty didn't give a fuck and from that day on, Evan wad filled by a deep hate by God. The almighty took Evan's whole life from him and tried to take away his one safety boat too. And this was supposed to be the one millions of people trust and love? No, Evan decided to never trust him again.

Meanwhile Barty never really lost his faith. Sure, over time he became bitter towards God, and the more he got to know Evan, the more he resented the almighty. Yet he still believed in the ground principles and teachings of the bible. When he hit rockbottom, Barty prayed to God because he knew no matter what, God would take him back. He didn't know how or if the entity ever listened, but he knew that if He did, He'd be there for Barty and help him. After getting close to Evan and occasionally consuming his blood, God would be able to communicate with Barty. This was the craziest turning point in his life. Now, everytime he prayed, he'd make sure god would listen and wait for answers and help. Barty knew that this relationship wasn't the way it was supposed to, he knew he should give more into it, but at the same time, there was no way he'd actually worship God. Getting advice? sure. believing his existence? Yes. But respecting it and active support? No. From week to week, Barty lost his trust more and more, and even though he'd never give it up completely, he dishonoured his extremely catholic family by breaking all the rules and not giving a fuck about morals.

vampire!barty x scientist!evan

Evan had never been religious, God was just a concept that people made up to feel better about themselves. But when he tried to summon a demon, his intention was to ask how the true god was like, so Evan could live and believe the truth. over time, his Catholicism increased steadily, despite the horrible things he did to others, he read and studied the bible, prayed and went to church / confession once a week. Because God was real, and even if Evan would go to hell for murder and torture, he'd get into the good parts of it, because trusted gods plan. He'd probably say smth like "Obviously i killed thay guy! Last night, god told me to do so, its all part of his plan!" and if someone said that was blasphemy, Evan would answer with "I'm allowed, im catholic".

Meanwhile Barty... you would say that since he's been to hell and is hyperaware of God's existence, he's catholic or at least satanic (after all he knows satan personally and can't talk to his hell-bestie on earth anymore) but no. He doesn't pray to anyone, and he won't ever start. He says he loathes God for taking his mother away from him and forcing him to be tortured all his life... At this point Evan doesn't know who Barty even is, so the whole time he's like "????". But they figure it out at some point :) Yet, it makes him genuinely angry that Evan is becoming religious because of him. Why would the love of his life pray to the one entity that hurt him so much? God and their opposite views on him are some of their only fight points. While all Barty sees in God is a fake saviour who is lying through his teeth, Evan acknowledges His flaws, yet praises him for the good things. He doesnt care about breaking the rules - he's thankful for not being in jail and he's thankful for meeting Barty.

They both arent near perfect and neither of them has a "healthy" relationship to God, but I don't think that's possible in any universe.

Summary

Both versions of Rosekiller has one person that is more religious than the other one. While fallenangel!evan x priest!barty built on religion and wouldn't be able to exist without both of them being religious, there is no technical need for scientist!evan to become religious. vampire!barty might've showed him that hell is real, but there was no "real" reason for him to convert to Christianity, read the bible and confess. He knew that no matter what he did, he wasn't ready to change his behaviour for anything or anyone and would end up in hell anyway. I think, for him God was like a parental figure that had been missing his entire life, and before vampire!barty met him, scientist!evan knew he'd get no answer and wasn't even ready to try and become religious. But now that he could get an answer through vampire!barty, who showed him spells for contact, he felt like this was everything ever missing. A neglected child finally getting attention from the parent it needed his whole life.

Personal notes

The reason for Christianity/Catholicism being the only religion represented is because it was one I grew up with and I know the most about, also due to most of my friends being Christian. I would love to see people headcanon the skittles/marauders as other religions too, I simply didnt want to give misrepresentation.

[spookypete-94]

Beastie: Chapter #8 GhostxFem!reader

Slow burn, following MW2 storyline, eventually branching into my own. Warning for canon COD violence and language.

part 7.

part 6.

part 5.

part 4.

part 3.

part 2.

part 1.

The phone rang to Laswell. Who never did answer... making the rage within Y/N ignite further. What was she to do now? Why did Shepherd black ball her on this? She sat down the phone still in her hand, she didn't have a good feeling on this.

Alejandro sliding her door open made her finally look up from her pity party.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly walking in.

"Not your fault, just don't understand it."

"Graves wouldn't elaborate to all of us why either. You've worked hard Y/N, you're not a hinderance what so ever. I want you to know that."

"Thanks Colonel," she said looking up at him again. Out of the week they had worked together he had hardly used her real name, telling her he was trying to be genuine. "Really do appreciate it."

"We will be heading out here shortly, taking a main ship to take out three smaller boats for the teams that have been assigned." Alejandro briefed her. The spiteful side of her wanted to tell him to hold his breath, to not even waste his time, but she honestly was curious how it all was going to go down.

"Just, you all be careful, yeah?"

"Always," Alejandro nodded. "Rudy is staying here. He is going to work on vehicles if you want to help him." Alejandro offered to her. "I know you like having something to do."

"Thanks Alejandro, I appreciate it." She said getting up planning to head to the garage. She watched as he left towards the group leaving for the oil rig. Ghost and Soap turned to look at her, making her stop for a moment. Soap gave a small wave which she returned to the both. Her eyes lingering to Ghost who unbeknownst to her because of his mask was looking at her longingly.

"Let's roll out!" Graves yelled commanding the group. His voice making her blood boil, so she turned on her heel and headed to help Rudy.

"Beastieeeee," Rudy said in a playful way.

"'Sup Rudy," She said trying to help boost her state of mind.

"Come to help me did you?"

"Sure did, what can I do?"

"Bring me that tool kit over there." He said pointing to the black case on the tool bench.

Rudy was a great distraction. He never once brought up the mission or the fact that she wasn't allowed to attend. Instead, he would ask her a few things about her personal life asking if she was willing to talk about that stuff, in exchange he told things about his. She learned that he met Alejandro through the military becoming best friends working side by side. He had a wife with 3 kids, his home on the outskirts of Las Almas.

Hours passed by, as they listened to radio traffic start from Rudy's that was on his vest. His vest hooked around an old shop chair. It was mostly static due to the distance, but they could hear enough to know they were all close to the oil refinery.

"Weather sounds rough out there," Rudy noted.

"Right? Can't tell if it's the waves out there or if that is rain," Y/N said trying to decipher the noises. And just like clock work, thunder sounded off in the distance, telling her that rain was coming and more then likely the group was dealing with the elements on their mission.

Her phone was ringing in her pocket.

Laswell

"Hello?" Y/N

"Beastie, saw you had a missed call, heard the coordinates worked out to a oil refinery out in the Gulf. Are you on the way then?"

Y/N was speechless. Clearly Laswell wasn't told.

"Shepherd gave orders I wasn't to go."

".....What?" Laswell asked, shocked.

Y/N remained silent, already given her answer.

"Who told you this?"

"Graves."

"I was not notified," her voice now coated with anger.

"Are you surprised at this rate?"

"I'm going to call Shepherd." The line then went dead, Laswell abruptly hanging up.

"She didn't know?" Rudy looked up at her confused, sliding back up from the vehicle.

"Guess not," Y/N said, still staring down at her phone. It was now late around 1800. Peeking out the window, the black clouds that were approaching made it so much darker outside.

"Let's go find food, think most of the work is done." Rudy said getting up and brushing himself off. Out of habit he strapped his vest to himself.

In the kitchen, they had found some left overs in the large industrial style fridge. Rudy threw them in a pain to heat them up. Even for leftovers from the vigil, they were still quite tasty.

Y/N stayed close with him monitoring radio traffic still, worried about the main three men that she has bonded and worked side by side with.

"Sounds like they have it handled, think they located the missile and had to blow up the oil rig from what I understand." He said as the both stilled to listen to the traffic.

"All units RTB," Ghost said, crackling about every half second through his radio transmission.

"Should all be here in a couple of hours," Rudy said looking down at his watch.

Once more Y/N phone vibrated in her pocket.

"Laswell," Y/N answered knowing who it would be.

"Get out of there," her voice was serious, making Y/N's eyes flash over at Rudy, urgency now readable on her face. He also heard Laswell say it.

"What's happening?"

"I can't get Shepherd to answer, he has gone dark. I wonder if he has been tapping my phone conversations and knows what was said last night. I think he knows we are both suspicious of this whole mission."

"Shit," Y/N said, urgently heading to her room to gather her gear. "What do you think is happening?"

"I don't know, but I don't like it and I want you out of there."

"We have a safe house," Rudy said offering up a place to go. He was close enough to be able to listen to the phone call.

"Rudy says there is a safe house."

"Go with him," Laswell begged, happy to hear of an option.

"We're packing up now, I'm going to go dark. I'll find a way to get ahold of you." Y/N said quickly throwing the phone down on the floor and shattering it with her boot. She then pulled the SD card from it breaking it in half. Her vest was thrown on and her pistol on her thigh in it's holster. Sloppily, she threw her items in her bag, Rudy standing in the doorway peaking into the hallway, on guard. She slung her black tactical bag with her change of clothes, minor first aid items, and the jewelry set Ghost had paid for, on her back.

She racked one into her rifle and nodded to Rudy she was ready. "We go back out to the shop, take one of the trucks."

"Alright," she nodded, following him back out to the shop.

Yelling then started.

"Get on the ground!!"

"Fuuuuuck," Rudy hissed, halting, lifting his gun up and turning the corner.

It was Grave's shadows. It looked to be they were detaining the other Los Vaqueros.

"Quickly!" Rudy had whispered towards her. "Don't shoot unless needed, don't give us away."

She nodded, her adrenaline running high, her eyes looking at him wide.

The yelling only got louder and closer, as they stayed low and moved beside a side wall.

She was startled when someone grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back making her yell.

It was a Shadow, pulling her back by her vest, grabbing ahold of her radio as he did. Pulling a knife from her belt, she reached up cutting the arm of the Shadow.

"Fucking, Bitch!" The Shadow yelled at her. "Just need you to comply!" He said reaching for her again. She looked over at Rudy and saw him fighting with another Shadow. She pulled a smoke bomb off her vest and pulled the pin, dropping it between her and the Shadow she was fighting and pulled the other Shadow off of Rudy.

"Let's go!" Rudy yelled pulling her hand, the smoke bombs filling the building. She tried to keep up with him, but eventually lost grip with his hand. The smoke filled her sight and she wasn't sure where she was going now.

"Shit, shit, shit," she whispered starting to stress out. Her memory served her good as she found Rudy, but Shadows filled into the shop. Y/N started shooting them dropping a few, Rudy starting to do the same. The group finally stopped filling in, allowing Rudy and Y/N to get into a truck, Rudy as the driver.

Rudy floored it, throwing it into reverse and out of the garage they were in and started to head out of base through the back fence and into a gate. He didn't even bother wasting time to open the gate, forcing it down and driving over it with the truck.

"What the fuck was that?" Y/N turned to Rudy and asked. It was more rhetorical then anything.

"I don't know..." Rudy said quietly, stunned. The radios were then starting to go crazy. They both stayed silent and listened. From what they could tell, the members from 141, meaning Ghost and Soap, had somehow got away from Graves, but not on good terms. They were hunting the city for them. She couldn't just leave them.

"....Rudy." She said quietly. This made him turn to look at her.

"Beastie, no." He was giving her a side eye.

"I can't leave them.."

Rudy sighed, slowing the truck down. Y/N looked at him telling he was conflicted. "Go to the safe house. Maybe Alejandro is there."

He looked over at her giving a harsh face before pulling an old napkin out of the glove box. "These are the coordinates and directions to the safe house heading out of town. Take this truck, I'm going to go get one of the armored one's that we have parked and take it in to the safe house." He turned the truck around and headed to an old building not too far off from the Vaqueros base.

"It's gonna be alright Rudy," she said in a tone trying to convince him and herself.

"You better stay alive, or I am never going to forgive you or myself."

"See you soon," she said smiling to him as he got out of the truck and headed to where she assumed the armored truck was stored at.

Y/N slipped the older truck into drive and started towards town. She listened to the radio chatter trying to hear any update between the Shadows about Soap or Ghost. All she could hear was them talking trash or expressing their concerns, so instead she started flipping channels in the off chance Soap and Ghost were talking to each other... and sure enough.

"Church is on the northside of town. Get there," She heard Ghost's gravely voice.

"Yes sir," Soap said, his voice exhausted.

She reached for her mic to key up, realizing it was broke from the struggle with the Shadow at the base. "Fuck," she growled, "Go figure." The wire was frayed at the mic, the button bashed into itself not allowing her to key up.

Y/N ducked her head down to try to find a building tall to look through the windshield trying to find a building she would consider a church... What are the odds she could get the truck as close as possible? Pushing her luck she creeped into the further north side of town heading south bound towards the church. From the way she entered into town she was unseen by Graves and his Shadows. Most of them on the south side of town. Slowly, she let the truck roll further past the gate of what she assumed was the church. She turned the truck off, pulling the keys out so they didn't cause the truck to ding placing them in a cup holder. She slowly dropped out of the vehicle leaving the door open not wanting to alert anyone by closing it.

She made herself small, rifle still in her hands as she crouched down. No way she was going to clear the main gate, she pulled on it seeing it was locked. She stood on the brick wall of the gate and pulled herself up one of the shorter ones. She wanted to call out to Ghost, but didn't want to alert anyone else if they were around. Inching little by little she pushed the front door open a bit letting it breath before she stepped in. Instantly, someone had her arm pulling her to the ground and pinned, "Ghost! Ghost!" she yelled hoping it was him unable to see her attacker, pulling her gater mask down as she did. She only hoped if it was him she could get him to stop before he ended her.

"It is you," she heard him grumble, her breathing now ragged. She could see a knife in his hand that he sheathed. He reached a hand picking her up off the ground. "I really didn't think it could be you. ..Sorry." She sighed relieved taking his hand, standing back up.

"What the fuck happened?" she asked him.

"Graves turned."

"He took over the Vaqueros base. Rudy gave me this. It's instructions on how to get their safe house." She said handing him the napkin. He glanced down at it, reading it briefly.

"Rudy got out?"

"I believe we were the only two that did. Laswell called and tipped us off, said Shepherd went dark. She seems to think he was listening to our phone conversations. So I think he knows I don't trust him and think there is more to this then what he is letting on."

"Clearly." He said dryly. "You hurt at all?" his voice now showing concern.

"No, my radios broke though. Been listening to you and Soap but can't key up, asshole folded my mic in. You both sound like an old married couple," she quipped. This made Ghost shift, his eyes changing shape as he looked down at her.

"Trying to keep him moving, think he's injured. There was gunfire between the altercation with Graves and his men at the front gate and think he was hit. They took Alejandro in custody."

This made her stomach drop. "Rudy was hoping he made it to the safe house."

"I doubt he did, if he is even still alive."

Y/N sighed, more anxiety filling her bones.

"You hurt at all?"

"No," Ghost answered in a low rumble. She sighed, backing up from her further to get a better look at him comfortably instead of having to crane her neck up to look at him.

"So what exactly happened that you got separated from Rudy?"

"We didn't exactly get separated. I heard the radio traffic that you and Soap bailed off into the city, and they were searching for you both. Told Rudy to get to the safe house in case Alejandro was there or on the way."

"You came back for us?" Ghost said taking a step forward closing that gap she had reclaimed earlier, looking down at her intensely again. She could tell by his tone that he either was shocked or had admiration for her for doing so. She just couldn't tell which since his face was covered.

"Couldn't leave you." She muttered up to him. "Couldn't leave you both." she clarified. " I didn't know what was happening." Rambling again, trying to distract herself from her nerves that he gave her.

She watched as he lifted his right arm, his gloved hand finding her face where it then held her cheek. His thumb running over her lower lip. This seeming to be his signature move to her. Like he knew it raised the hair on her skin. She could only stare up at him in wonder, unable to break eye contact with him.

"Ghost," Soap spoke across the radio, ruining the small moment.

"Yeah?" Ghost said back. Y/N turned her down to cut off the feedback from hers.

"Made it to the tunnels."

"Beastie is here."

"Beastie?" Soap asked surprised.

"Said that her and Rudy got out. Rudy isn't here though."

"Glad they are alright."

"Follow the tunnels, you're close." Ghost said climbing up towards the tower to do overwatch.

Y/N followed him, climbing the steps trying to keep up with his pace.

"We can use the truck to get out of here to get to the safe house."

"Mmm." Was all Ghost said setting up with his sniper rifle, giving her at least the acknowledgment that he had heard her. The area began to crawl with Shadows, them knowing Soap was somewhere in this area. She laid next to Ghost, using the scope of her rifle to watch for Soap. Eventually he broke through a door out of shop where a Shadow was waiting for him. Ghost picked him off with no issue, but now their location was blown as some of the other Shadows ran towards the church. Heavy gunfire was being exchanged between Soap and the enemy.

Y/N dropped a few before Ghost stood up and radioed out that there were enemies breaking into the church. They both ran out of the building and into the courtyard. Ghost grabbed ahold of her by her waist, hoisting her up allowing her to grab the bar and pull herself over. As soon as she dropped to the ground, she had her rifle up to cover Ghost's back. He ran back a few feet before full board sprinting to the gate, jumping on some pallets using them to clear it. Two Shadows popped out the front which she quickly dropped. They both met Soap at the steps.

"That truck there!" she said pointing and signaling to Soap that was where they needed to go.

It was a struggle, but eventually they reached it. Y/N piled in Soap taking the passenger seat, Ghost in the driver's.

The back window was shot out behind them, throwing broken glass onto them. Soap leaned around with a rifle that he pulled off a Shadow, preparing to shoot, but Ghost threw it in reverse and ran them both over. Soap leaned around the both of them and shot another by the drivers side. That was when Y/N noticed the gun shot wound on his left arm. Ghost threw it in drive, launching them forward roughly as the slammed into a gate, spidering the windshield. His arm jerked forward holding her leg in place, trying to keep her from jumbling around the cab.

"Did it go all the way through?" she asked Soap lifting it look.

"I think so."

She noticed the small hole where it did in fact exit.

"Did it go into your side at all?" She peaked running her hand looking for more blood or signs it was lodged in his ribs.

"No, don't know if vest blocked it or if it was when I fought with the one on the ground."

"Gonna pack it for now, will look it over when we get parked." Y/N said pulling the bag off of her carefully trying to not hinder Ghost while he was driving. She cleaned it with hydrogen peroxide to the best of her ability, holding gauze to it trying to slow the bleeding. With the best finesse she could, she wrapped the gauze around it tightening it.

"Thanks Beastie."

"Any time." She said grinning. "I want to punch you in the arm so damn bad."

"Please don't," Soap whined at her covering her arm.

She chuckled leaning back in her seat. To say packed in like a can of sardines would be an understatement. The very large men had her squashed in the middle, but without even realizing it, she scooted closer to Ghost feeling more comfortable with him. Soap leaned his head against the window, exhaustion making him close his eyes for a bit.

"You should try to sleep some too," Ghost said looking at her out of the corner of her eye.

"And miss time with you? Where is the fun in that?"

She could tell he was chuckling, shaking his head as he did.

"Don't ever change." He said looking down at her.

"What do you mean by that?"

"The fact you can run your mouth so well without pissin' anyone off. Don't lose that."

This made her quiet, her face flushing as she looked up at Ghost. The stars shinning right back at him making his do the same even if she couldn't tell. She then leaned her head against his arm, taking it upon herself this time to show whatever kind of affection she could. Closing her eyes, she tried to rest as best as she could.

prev.

[teefndribz]

The ocean mirrors the sky.

Choi saeyoung x reader/707 x reader

✦　　　.　　. 　 　.　　　˚　. ★⋆.

AN// this is a completely self indulgent drabble. But what if mc(reader) was obssesed with marine biology/the ocean (and was a marine biologist... Cough.. this is so self indulgent......). And she decided to ask 707 to go camping (on a boat) with her to go see bioluminescent algae and/or jellyfish. The song I linked is the song I listened to while writing this +_+

Category: tooth rotting fluff

Cw/tw: light teasing/banter ?? No usage of y/n! 1 use of the word 'kinky'

* 　　　 ˚ . 　˚ 　　　 ⋆

. · 　　 + 　　 ˚

* 　　　 ˚

✧

If Saeyoung had known he was going to see the most beautiful sight in the world that night, he would have brought a better camera.

"Babe, i want to surprise you with something, can I lead you somewhere with a blindfold?"

Saeyoung had raised his brows to this, and you could feel your eyes roll in their sockets.

"I can already hear what you are thinking and NO it's not that kind of surprise." He mocked a shocked expression.

"when did you learn to read minds ?? !" He flapped his hands around, looking like a total idiot (of course) and then he settled into a more genuine stance.

"silly, of course you can surprise me." His tone endearing.

He had been blindfolded for the past 2 hours after packing his bag as instructed and handing them over to you. You had mistakenly committed too early on and tripped yourselves to the car afterwards. Now, his sneakers crunched in the sand with every step he took. And then they didn't, he assumed there was a dock under his feet. He could hear waves crashing, and seagulls. Why were you at the beach so late into the night?

Saeyoung was no stranger to your fascination and connection to the ocean. As a marine biologist, you spent most of your time with tasks related to it. In a significant amount of ways, you two reflected each other. Your love for the sea was a reflection of how he was with outer space- he adored the stars, the moon, and astrology as a whole. He would listen to infodump for hours about the sea though, it never got boring, mainly because it was you.

He wasn't very surprised to be on a boat right now, still blind folded. He was holding on to you as you navigated it further out to sea. Would you be spending the night out there? It wouldn't have been your first night at sea together. The two of you had spent many nights, stargazing or holed up in the cabin on 'camping' trips. Sometimes for work, sometimes for fun. He used to get really sea sick but after so many trips, it's gotten better.

You squeezed his hand, and kissed him, soft and quick.

"almost there."

"where? Mexico? " He mused.

(You were on the other side of the world)

"no, that will be another trip."

"ooooh blindfolding me on a plane? Babe I didn't know you were so kinky."

You pinched his cheek, and pulled at him a bit.

"sure thing, I'll make sure to gag you so you can't speak either." He shut up real quick, drawing his fingers across his lips like it was a zipper. You giggled, and god, he swore he could hear the sun in your laughter.

The boat slowed, and the engine stopped, still continuing to sway gently on the water.

"okokokook" you squealed, he could hear your hands flap up and down in excitement briefly. Tugging him with you out to the edge of the boat, you carefully untied his blindfold,, making sure he kept his eyes closed after so you could put his glasses on for him. You had poked him in the eye and he had to adjust them while laughing, but soon enough they were on.

"ok..... Three... Twwoooo... One!! Open!" He opened his eyes, and they adjusted to being able to see again. Once everything was set, he caught sight of your face. You were shining in the moonlight and the..... The ocean was glowing?

He had heard about this from you before, even saw pictures, but nothing could capture how enchanting it was to see the ocean glow with life. Blue algae lit up the water, and he leaned against the railing looking out at the water. You stared at him with glee, before turning to the sea yourself.

"sooo..?" You said.

"...I... My god.... This is beautiful. I-" Saeyoung was at a loss for words, his eyes captured by the sight surrounding them. For once, he wasn't looking up. Or away, or at a screen. He was looking out. He could smell the saltwater, and he could hear the calm of the sea. The gentle rolling of the waves. He felt a cool breeze against his face.

You were enraptured with the wonder in his eyes. Like you could forget, you scanned every part of the sight next to you that was your boyfriend as if in hopes to memorize all of him.

"babe this is so freaking awesome, how-" he turned to you, and silence struck him. You were looking at him with a pure look of love on your face. He smiled, his face warming slightly.

"do you like it, Saeyoung?" You blinked slowly, your lips turned in a small, sweet smile.

He interlocked his fingers with yours, and tilted his head, taking in your big doe eyes and soft skin.

"I love it." He wasn't talking about the surprise, about the bioluminescent algae in the water, about the stars in the night sky—he was talking about you. You, illuminated by millions, trillions, of glowing microorganisms and moonlight. You, sweet and thoughtful. You, an excellent swimmer, and an even more excellent kisser. You. You. Just you. With a portrait of the stars, and the ocean behind you.

And maybe he should kiss you. And maybe he did. A lot. And maybe you danced to the quiet of the night.

Now, with coffee in your hands, and your lipstick smeared, a blanket over your shoulders. He knew that the best camera in the world wouldn't be able to capture the heaven he was witnessing.

[bayofwolves]

Rereading Fire and Ice

We're back again after a short break! Sorry this one took so long to get out, adult life caught up to me. As you might know, these posts are to discuss interesting tidbits and things I hadn't noticed before. Let's get right to it!

Once again, please mind the tags.

In A Revised History of Erdas, Rollan is native and has his long hair in two braids, so this cover messes with me. I really fuck with the colour scheme, though.

Meilin thinks Maya might be crazy. She also jokes about burning Pia's house down in a later chapter, which is a little unsettling! These are definitely just throwaway lines that aren't meant to be thought about again, but I find myself wishing the authors had purposefully written Maya to be a little bit off. It would add something to her character, at least.

Rollan is confirmed to be a person of colour! Yay! "His brown eyes were warm, his brown skin speckled with dirt from the road, his broad face comfortingly familiar." I wasn't a fan of the ambiguous "tan" description he got before.

It seems Abeke may have been physically abused in her home as well as emotionally. She says that if she had ever talked back to her father like Rollan did to Pia, she would be switch-whipped. Pojalo, mark my words, you will answer for everything you've done to hurt this girl.

Abeke being a Rain Dancer becomes relevant! Everybody cheer! Being near water helps her think clearly and make sense of the situation in Samis. Would have been nice to show her actually making it rain at any point like Rain Dancers are supposed to do, but I'll take this, I guess…

Aidana may have had Rollan when she was a teenager. This doesn't have any real merit, but I think it's very possible. And no matter her age at the time, given her circumstances -- living on the streets, mentally unwell and experiencing frequent blackouts -- I doubt her pregnancy was of her own will. Especially considering how she never mentions anything about Rollan's father, and he never asks.

Rollan doesn't seem to remember Wikerus. (Perhaps he only had traumatic memories of him, and his brain covered these up along with the memories of Aidana's sickness.) He probably would have mentioned to the Greencloaks that his mother was Marked if he'd known.

Zerif must have found and cured Aidana while he was in Concorba seeking Rollan and Essix. I doubt he would have visited that city on two separate occasions. He likely came across her after losing Rollan to Olvan. Another element of tragedy to their story: Aidana was possibly just hours or minutes too late to safely reunite with her son.

Aidana talks about the Devourer helping people, seeking out those afflicted by the bonding sickness and curing them with the Bile. It's unclear if she means Gar or Shane by this, but I'm inclined to believe the latter. In that case, it would have been interesting to see some of this -- Shane finding people the Greencloaks passed over and taking their pain away. He would have genuinely thought he was doing something right, even if he was offering them up to Gerathon in the process.

Pia may have been alive in Feliandor's time, as Rollan notices she doesn't seem surprised to learn of the new war. This is entirely possible, as Suka presumably froze herself and stopped visiting Samis soon after the Fall of the Four in the First Devourer War.

The animal that attacks the group's boat on their way to Arctica isn't fully revealed. I hope it was a creature that doesn't exist on Earth. I imagine a hippocampus or something like it, since the noise made when Tarik strikes it is described as sounding like a wet horse's flank.

Tarik's bond with Lumeo gives him the power to control water. Wish we'd seen more of this.

Abeke has never seen hail before their nights in Arctica.

Conor singing has always been one of the most memorable parts of this book for me. I wish there'd been other instances of him singing folk songs for the group.

So as we've seen with Suka, Great Beasts can devolve into a beast-like state -- presumably if they are comatose for a long period of time. Suka had probably been asleep for hundreds of years, so it makes sense that her mind would be delayed.

Jhi calming Suka reminds me of what Meilin's bond token was intended to do. It would have been a neat callback to what happened here if it had stopped Song's murderous rage.

Halawir's identity as the Betrayer has actually been hinted at in a few books prior to the reveal, this one and Tales of the Great Beasts. Here, it's clear that him asking for Suka's talisman meant he was up to something.

Abeke and Maya's little conversation where they hold hands for comfort and call each other magical is the gayest thing these books have given us since... Suka and Jhi, a few chapters ago. It's a really sweet but also sad moment, Maya revealing that she is traumatized and Abeke not knowing how to help. Definitely one of my favourite parts.

The dream Conor has about the group all wearing strange shoes could have actually had some meaning behind it. The laces on Meilin's dumpling shoes that stretch behind them for miles could symbolize her Bile bond leading the Conquerors to them. Abeke falling through the ice with her fire shoes, but Conor being unable to save her, could foreshadow her being captured by the Conquerors in the next book. As you may recall, Conor was not present and could not do anything when this happened.

I don't believe Shane had any intention of cutting Uraza off Abeke's skin. It's this line for me: "Shane is too much of a diplomat, so Zerif made sure we [Ana and Tahlia] came along and enforced the plan. He was especially hurt by Abeke's betrayal." I'm assuming Shane knew of the plan, and may have been okay with threatening Abeke to get what he wanted (similar to how he used Achi to win his fight against Lishay in The Book of Shane: Vendetta), but wasn't going to actually harm her. He knew he could get the talisman another way. Zerif, on the other hand, wanted Abeke to suffer and so sent two of his minions along. Less plausible is the chance Shane wasn't even in on it to begin with, and Zerif (and his minions) deliberately conspired behind his back. (I'm all for the Conquerors defying Shane's authority, given that ARHoE has Drina stage a coup, so I find this possibility particularly intriguing.)

Kind of wish Abeke had ridden on Great Briggan with Conor in the final battle. Would have made for an iconic scene.

Poor Abeke is concussed during the final battle. I never spotted this growing up because I've never had a concussion and didn't know the signs. I thought she was just tripping, to be honest.

Rollan begins to slip into suicidal ideation after his mom tries to kill him. This book has not been kind to our protagonists, not one bit.

On this quest, the team has done two terrible things: destroyed the Ice Palace, a place built by generations of Ardu, and condemned the entire village of Samis to death. And all for a talisman that slips out of their hands, no less.

My final thoughts on Fire and Ice are mixed. There were some inconsistencies and relapses in character development, and while I can chalk it up to being a product of the many different authors working on this series, it still got on my nerves a little. Let's be real, Conor's animosity towards Shane came out of nowhere and is wildly out of character for him. Rollan shouldn't have been grating on Conor for giving away the Iron Boar when they resolved that conflict back in Blood Ties. It's a little messy. But I liked the rest. They introduced some elements in this one that really grabbed me. I absolutely love Aidana and her relationship with Rollan; she's a good example of how the war is not so black and white. I love how our protagonists firmly believe anything they do is justified because it's for the greater good, choosing to ignore the destruction they leave behind. I love the depth Rollan got, though it unfortunately came at the expense of other characters'. I wish they hadn't waited to develop Maya until we were nearing the end; I really enjoyed her when they gave her a bigger role. The focus this author gave Conor and Abeke has always been a highlight of the series for me; their relationship is so sweet and caring, though I see it as more platonic than anything. And of course, I loved the darker elements that this book had. Not only that, but it left me in emotional pain, which is exactly what I need to consider something a good read.

All in all, another solid addition to the series. This journey hurt our protagonists so much, and it hurt me.

This is part of an ongoing series.

Wild Born | Hunted | Blood Ties | Fire and Ice | Against the Tide | Rise and Fall | The Evertree

Immortal Guardians | Broken Ground | The Return | The Burning Tide

Heart of the Land | The Wildcat's Claw | Stormspeaker | The Dragon's Eye

Tales of the Great Beasts | The Book of Shane | Tales of the Fallen Beasts

[strange-calathea]

Okay one other person expressed interest so I'm gonna do it :3

The wilds headcanons, ships, and predictions for how the next season might have gone if it wasn't cancelled!

⚠️ Spoiler warning! ⚠️

Obviously starting with the girlss<3

Now of course I love shoni and leatin, I think we all do however I am a multishipper and a huge fan of dotin they would so live together after everything and it would be adorable!!!

Aromantic Rachel is also sooo real to me she's pretty much the only one of them that I don't remember saying anything about romance?

Also there's Nora who I'm really just unsure about she scares me a little :3 I do LOVE her outfits tho the pants that look like skirts are fucking awesome!!! Also love the way she subtly directs everyone shes sooo manipulative<3

Martha might be the exception to the all of them are queer thing she's like the group ally

This is not to say I don't absolutely LOVE her character I love Martha soo much I loved the arc with her becoming the group hunter and then the bunny thing and just UGH I love it all

Also she def has weak ankles this doesn't really matter but I also have weak ankles so I'm projecting it onto her

Also about Shelby being the new confederate, I saw someone somewhere wondering why she would do that so I really wanna explain that since I totally get it. Of COURSE she would want to stay on the island it's where she learned what love REALLY is. It's the same reason she did nothing when she saw the boat.

Now the boysss they're sooo gay (and I might talk more about them than the girls I'm sorry there is a bias because I'm gay (also they have the craziest shit going on?? Most of the girls problems are discussed and dealt with in the show lol))

AND IM STARTING WITH HENRY I love him

he's an emo theatre kid he's def queer and I'm gonna project again, I hc him as omni <3

I also think Hen and Ivan would be a cute pairing & I think Ivan would constantly play the song emo boy by Ayesha Erotica to annoy him<3

RAF. YOU POOR BISEXUAL MESS. :(

I don't even really have more to say about him he just makes me sad

IVAN HOWEVER. I have soo much to say about him so first of all, he's gay, we know this

And to get ships out of the way, Ivan&hen and Ivan & Kirin are my favs

SO I wanna talk about the scene with him and Kirin because it's so hard to watch and it's so like???? So I just wanna explain how I see it, a young black gay boy catches his schoolmate crying over a former coach at their school because he was very close to this coach, but he recently got fired for doing blackface in the past (NOT excusing it, just to acknowledge that there is a CHANCE he has genuinely changed over time) assuming Kirin was upset because the coach was a father figure to him? We never get to see kirins family life but I feel like we can assume he's being raised by a single mother? And Ivan rightfully assumes Kirin is excusing the coachs actions but I think Kirin is just grieving because someone he looked up to turned out to probably be a bad person

And about why Ivan egged him on, sometimes when you live with everyone saying those things to you, you begin to just expect it. He was so convinced that somebody like Kirin COULD NOT dislike him for any other reason that he practically put the words in his mouth. And I am gonna defend Kirin because he's NOT an asshole ! I feel like I shouldn't have to explain any of this but I might as well atp, when someone expects the worst of you, you give them what they want. So to summarize: assumptions and misunderstanding caused their problems and I think they should talk it out

Okay since that also counted as my thoughts on Kirin it's time for my hcs for him!! Gaygaygay so gay love him & Ivan and he's very touchy and protective with Josh (see: his response to Josh setting himself on fire),,, I don't think it's requited tho. I also just love the way he doesn't hesitate to believe and defend Josh

To conclude my thoughts on Kirin, a community meme :)

Scotty & Bo get to share a section because they are practically attached at the hip

They are sooo in love and they're gonna spend their whole lives together :3 I also really love both of them their characters are so interesting and so special to me

Josh is the team ally, or he tries to be alternatively I will accept the idea that he's aro

And I'm not gonna talk about Seth because I'm not a trained psychologist! So I don't know wtf is going on there

However I do think that Nora might also be in the little radio station place Seth was in at the end of season2 unless it was like Gretchen's way of making sure he can't hurt anyone else? Just put him in his own little box then he can't fuck it up!

In conclusion, I love the wilds:3 and please tell ur thoughts and headcanons!! I would love to hear what other people think about this show or what I've said about it!!!

[imnotoverlyobsessive]

Return to the Water

Chapter Five: Her.

AO3 one two three four five six seven eight nine

Until now, he told me her name; it sounded familiar in a way. I could have sworn I’d heard him say it ten thousand times.—Sara Bareilles, Between the Lines

The first time Lea looked in a mirror, her initial thought was that she looked a lot like her mother and sisters. Her second thought was that she wasn’t sure she liked—or disliked, for that matter—the way she looked.

Lea was practicing walking, her arms outstretched on either side of her as she wobbled awkwardly. Just as Timothée caught her in his arms, the front door slammed open.

“What the hell is going on?” an unfamiliar female voice demanded shrilly. “And who is this?”

“Kylie!” Timothée exclaimed, sounding surprised and hastily helping Lea onto a nearby couch. He bounded over to the human female—his mate from the boat, she recalled, jealousy and pain twisting in her stomach—and started talking to her swiftly and quietly. She wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not, but Lea couldn’t hear what was said.

After a minute or two, the woman turned to her, her too-big lips pinched but her face otherwise strangely expressionless, and said,  “Thank you for saving my boyfriend.” She said the last two words with a strange amount of enunciation that Lea didn’t know what to make of.

She nodded slightly. “I’m Lea,” she said, her voice polite. The situation had become complicated enough; she didn’t want to be on bad terms with her mate’s so-called girlfriend, no matter how jealous she was, how much it hurt.

“Lea was also hurt in the… accident,” Timothée said delicately. “She has amnesia about a lot of things and she needs help relearning how to walk.”

“That’s hardly your responsibility,” the woman—Kylie—said primly.

“She saved my life,” he pointed out. “Helping her however I can is the least I can do.”

Kylie pursed those too-big lips again, looking Lea up and down. “You know, Lea,” Kylie began, enunciating Lea’s name to a strange degree, “as a thank you for saving my boyfriend, why don’t I get you in touch with some people who can really help you bring out your inner beauty?” Kylie smiled. “With a good surgeon and tanning technician, you could have some serious potential. Some—well, a lot of—liposuction here, a nice tan there— Why don’t you let me show you how to make yourself prettier?”

Lea stared at her for several seconds, genuinely confused. Timothée, meanwhile, was standing beside them, flabbergasted and horrified at the exchange. 

“I don’t understand,” she finally said. “Do you think you’re prettier than I am?”

Kylie sneered. “Well, I am a supermodel, as you know.”

“I don’t know what that means,” Lea said. “And I honestly have no idea who you are.”

Kylie faltered, her expression falling slightly for reasons Lea couldn’t comprehend. “I don’t blame you for being upset that I’m gorgeous,” she said.

“I’m sure you look very good for your age,” Lea allowed.

“I’m two years younger than him!” Kylie snapped, jerking her chin at a very uncomfortable-looking Timothée. 

Lea blinked. In mermaid society, you never lied to people about their appearance. To tell someone your honest opinion of them is a sign of respect. “You’re two years younger than he is and you look like this and think you’re gorgeous? But… you’re not.”

“What?” Kylie demanded sharply. Timothée’s eyes flitted back and forth between the two women rapidly.

“You’re actually quite strange looking to me,” Lea informs Kylie simply. “Your skin reminds me of an orange starfish in coloring, and you look old enough to be my mother. I’ve seen women of all shapes and sizes, but I’ve never seen a woman with a body like yours. It’s all wrong, like something’s off about you. Your waist is so small it looks wrong. You don’t look… I don’t know how to put it.” Lea paused, considering. “You don’t look real. You look like a doll made from plastic. Your lips look like they got stung by a jellyfish, and your butt looks like it’s been inflated. Plus your face is frozen, almost, like you can’t move it,” she explained. Then, she smiled. It was always good to be honest about the traits—both physical and otherwise—of another mermaid, so how could it be any different with humans? “Now you know,” she added.

Kylie’s expression was still stilted, but there was fury in her eyes. “I see,” she said with a sneer. “Well, at least I’m not fat.”

Lea blinked. “Oh, you’re insulting me,” she observed. “Now I understand. You’re being mean.” She tilted her head to the side. “But I don’t understand why. How odd.” She turned to Timothée, who looked horrified beyond all measure. “Is she usually mean?”

“She’s— well, I—“ he sputtered.

“Quiet, Timothée,” Kylie snapped. Timothée shut his mouth obediently, and Lea frowned. Her sister and her mate—who was a mermaid—never behaved like this with one another. Was it typical with humans?

“You are strange,” Lea decided after a moment.

“You—“ Kylie started to hiss.

“She is the reason I’m standing here,” Timothée finally interjected. “Lea, I know you’re unused to… normal customs,” he began with careful wording, “but for future reference, it’s usually best not to make critical comments on another person’s appearance.” He looked at Kylie again. “And stop underhandedly insulting Lea. You have her to thank for still having a boyfriend at all.”

Kylie bristled, her jellyfish sting-looking lips pursed, but nodded.

“Oh,” Lea said after a moment. “I’m sorry, Kylie,” she said sincerely. “Where I come from, it’s considered respectful to be honest about the way someone else looks.”

“Honest?” Kylie growled.

“Lea,” Timothée sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“What, what’d I say?”

Lea came up from the villa’s pool, spitting and coughing. “What,” she gagged, “is that?”

“What do you mean?” asked Timothée, who was—in Lea’s opinion, because she significantly was better at it—pathetically treading water.

“It’s not water.”

“How is it not water?” Timothée said, exasperated.

“It— it smells wrong, it tastes wrong—“

“Why are you breathing in the pool?” he laughed.

“I breathe when I swim, I don’t think about it,” Lea said, frustrated. “That’s even weirder than the stuff that comes out of those faucet-things. Why would you want anything but salt in your water?”

Timothée just laughed and dunked his head under the so-called water. 

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Lea—“

“No!” Lea said again. “I am not getting on that metal bird-monster you call a rareplane—“

“It’s an airplane,” Timothée corrected. “And it will take us to the other side of the country, which is where I live—“

“I can swim there just fine,” she said immediately.

“Kylie is letting me use her jet to take you there—very begrudgingly, I might add; she is not happy about me living with another woman—so would you please cooperate?”

“I’m meant to be in the ocean, not the sky,” she muttered as she climbed the ladder. At least she could walk well enough now. “It’s against the Goddess, I’m certain of it.”

“Of course it is,” Timothée said indulgently.

“Is this a house or a palace?” Lea wanted to know, looking up at Timothée’s estate.

“A house,” he said defensively. “Let me show you around. C’mon.” They went inside the—in Lea’s opinion—ridiculously large building, and Timothée gestured to the right. “Kitchen and dining room. A living room is on the left.” They went down a flight of stairs. “Here’s another one. Movie room is over there.” He pointed to the other side of the room.

“Can we watch one of yours?”

“Nope,” he said immediately, hastily continuing. “My room’s that way—“ he gestured to their right— “and down the hallway. Any time you need anything, just let me know.” He continued down a hallway in front of them, gesturing as he went. “Laundry room, but the maid’ll take care of that.” He reached the end of the hallway. “Second staircase is over there. And this—“ he opened a door— “is your room.” He stepped inside, and she followed him slowly, hesitantly. “It’s the biggest one, except for mine. And there’s a door outside, in case you wanna run to the ocean or something. Do your mermaid stuff, I dunno.” He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly before gesturing down a hallway on one end of the room. “Closet through that door, bathroom through that one. If you’re not sure how to work something or where something is, again just let me know.”

“There’s one of those screens,” Lea observed.

“Uh huh, yeah, a TV,” Timothée confirmed with a nod. “Got whatever streaming service you want. You remember how it works?” He smiled when Lea nodded in response.

“Now,” Lea decided, going towards the wraparound bench below a similar window, the ocean visible and calling to her. “I think I’ll go stretch my fins— well, you know what I mean.”

“Oh, there’s a pool if you wanna—“

“One of those fake miniature oceans that has no salt and tastes like your weird human chemicals?” she snorted. “No thanks. I’ll stick to the real thing.” She rifled through her suitcase for one of those bikinis he got her.

“You’re, uh.” Timothée swallowed. “You’re gonna wear the blue Zimmermann bikini, huh?”

“The panties-type things on this one feel almost like I’m not wearing anything, which is what I do most of the time, so I prefer it,” Lea explained, unfastening the top of the swimsuit so she could put it on.

Timothée gaped at her. “W— what do you mean you prefer not to wear anything?”

“Your human panties feel weird on my new body parts, so I don’t wear them,” she explained, thinking nothing of it. 

Timothée looked down at her bare legs beneath the hem of her short floral dress. “You’re… you’re not wearing anything under that?” he asked, his voice a bit hoarse for reasons Lea couldn’t have guessed. 

“Well, the bra is similar enough to my wrappings that it’s not terribly uncomfortable, but the panties are just too weird. Anyway, I’m gonna change into this thing.” She held up the swimsuit. It was lower cut than most of her wrappings.

When Lea emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later in the swimsuit, her sizable breasts shoved into the top, Timothée gaped at her. 

“Huh,” Lea said, surprised at his presence. “What, are you gonna swim, too? Don’t make me save you again. I dunno if giving you my breath would work now that I don’t have my tail.”

“I— I— I’m gonna swim, yeah.” His gaze raked over her. “Yeah. Definitely gonna go swimming with you.”

“I still think you secretly eat humans,” Lea decided after seeing the way he was looking at her.

“I do not eat humans.” Then, under his breath, he added, “At least, not like that.”

“Huh?” Lea said as she made her way out the set of double doors in her bedroom that led to the patio near the beach. “Sorry, didn’t hear you.”

“Nothing,” he said hastily. “Nothing at all.”

Big thanks to my beta @lilmaymayy

Tag list:

@ellamaianderson @shika1200 @blackqueenstarseed1 @gatoenlaciudad @esmaada @mariaelizabeth21-blog1 @softhecreator @timolaurence @timmymyluv @oddlyenoughiamweird @leecrunchybones @s-we-e-t-t-ea @almostg @leespparker @bubblebuttwade @glizzymcguirex @starberry-cake @camille-1019 @lixzey @shycreationdreamland @gossamer19

To be added, please ask 💗

[theladyragnell]

Hi! Question for you once you've had a chance to finish S3 of Ted Lasso: I'd love to hear your perspective on how S3 could have unfolded in a more fulfilling way. No pressure, of course, but I enjoy reading your insights. :)

Okay! I am rolling up my sleeves.

EXPRESSING-OPINIONS-ON-THE-INTERNET CAVEAT: I am not a media critic, and not everything in this post will be cohesive, well-thought-out, and non-contradictory. I do not for a moment pretend that my opinions are Correct, they are merely my own.

SECOND CAVEAT: At this point, with where they left arcs, I'm about 80% sure that depending on how the WGA strike goes (crossing my fingers for them) and any corporate retaliation for that, there will be a spinoff or continuation sans Ted. More of their choices make sense if that is true, even if I don't love the thought (let shows end!!!), so this is all changes I would make assuming s3 is the final season.

The thing about this season, for me, is that any given episode or moment was largely really enjoyable for me! Sure, a few quibbles, and the whole Roy and Keeley thing we will get to in a moment, but if I ignored the fact that I was watching a season, most things worked for me. Looking at it as a season, though, it was too busy, in a way that meant the show dropped a lot of things I wanted to see more of.

So, when pondering this question, I think that there's no way to keep everything I love while getting rid of only the things that annoyed me or that didn't feel right to me. And in the end, I'd rather miss things that weren't there than be annoyed with things that are present, so my take on s3 would streamline a lot of things to engage with others.

Oh boy, this is already long, time for a cut.

Change #1: Roy and Keeley do not break up. There was simply no reason for this, and especially no reason for it to happen off-screen. They can still fight and have difficulties, and Roy can deal with his mental health, but it's just unnecessary drama and I never understood it. This also prevents Roy and Jamie's weird last-episode regression to fighting over her and forcing her into shitty positions.

Change #2: Most of Keeley's plotlines change. All of the KJPR plots and characters were interesting, but they also busied the season up too much. So I'd have her actually building up a one-woman business without Jack (or, tragically, Barbara), maybe doing the Shandy thing and grappling with that for longer, or her dealing with the Establishment the way Rebecca does so often, trying to make them see her as a businesswoman and not a footballer's girlfriend.

Change #3: Beard and Jane break up. We get to carry over the threads from s2 from the Beard episode and from Higgins expressing his concern, instead of treating the way Jane treats him as comedy. We also get to counteract this show's everyone-deserves-not-just-forgiveness-for-everything-but-also-to-be-in-your-life-again message with one instance of someone setting out a boundary and sticking to it.

Change #4: Many of Nate's plots change. As with Barbara, I would really regret losing Jade, but I think there are better uses of Nate's screentime--he was set up to be a real main character in s2 and I felt like I hardly saw him in s3. What I really wanted was for Nate to learn how to have power over people responsibly, I think? I'd have chosen either for him to grit his teeth and stay at West Ham (perhaps while joining the conspiracy to overthrow Rupert) or, when he left, for him to somehow end up coaching a kids' team, and learn gentleness in authority that way. It would pick up this show's really genuinely cool theme of "once one person makes a point of stepping out of the cycle of abuse and trauma it can ripple out around them" in interesting ways.

And while there are many other tweaks I'd make (more Sam, his last focus plot was SO goddamn miserable; eliminate everything about the psychic; goodbye to Rebecca's boat stranger), I'm going to finish with the last big one, which is

Change #5: Ted gets to do something besides reinvent total football, pine for his son, and make speeches that should have been edited down to a third of their length tops. He just seems so checked out this whole season, just talking about how none of the work he's done is on him, all focused on Henry in the wrong ways, so that going back to Kansas felt more like a horrible sacrifice than a choice that will bring him fulfillment or contentment. He was always going to go back to Kansas and his son, much as I wasn't wild about that, but it doesn't feel like a new beginning for him, just like he's going back to his old life with a little more knowledge of football and more knowledge of how to model good parenting and relationships for his kid (while not, from the way I interpreted that last expression, dealing any further with his own mental health). It felt weirdly dark for this show.

(Also I know this show loves its book theming, and I know it's The Wizard of Oz (see: a song from The Wiz playing over the credits to the penultimate episode), but have they considered that in subsequent Oz books Dorothy and her family move back to Oz? Things to consider.)

[the-entity-down-the-street]

Hi back from the fucking dead to bring you my unhinged love for a new blorbo who deserves more attention

SO SLUMBERLAND

SPOILERS Btw

I was so worried when they introduced Philip, I thought: "Oh lord, some disconnected rich asshole in a suit. And he's on the phone during his brother's funeral. Nemo is gonna have to teach him the meaning of family yadda-yadda, I'm gonna hate this dude."

But then... he Googled how to raise a child. And that gave me pause. There was a subtle look in his eyes of worry and fear. And I thought: "Oh. Wait. He does care?"

I don't want kids. He clearly didn't want kids. But due to tragic circumstances, he had his eleven-year-old niece he's never met dropped on his lap. That's so... real. That's heartbreaking. Still, I was wary about his character arc. They could still make him an asshole.

Then he tried to give her a boat so she could go sailing again!

He tried to tell her a story, but all he could think of was a work story about doorknobs!

He had a vulnerable moment with her, and we learn he's just a man who is, quite literally, broken. The loss of his brother as a companion absolutely destroyed him emotionally and he cut himself off from his imagination, dreaming, and family. That's so fucking sad. Someone hug this man.

He's the goat man that Nemo has been on an adventure with!!

And this brings me to my next point. Philip is the most accurate representation of autism I've ever seen as an autistic person. His special interest in doorknobs and lock-picking became his entire life. He struggles to interact socially with other people because he doesn't understand them. He seeks comfort in the world of facts, of numbers, of his own little business that he DOES understand. The one place he could be his wild, true self was in Slumberland, with his one genuine companion, his brother.

Then his brother left. And he completely gave up on himself. Sure, he has financial success and a nice apartment, but he sees his life as boring and monotonous. He never leaves his apartment. That's some self-isolation right there. Been there buddy.

Also would like to say, this "boring" dude wanting to be a magical creature with horns and flamboyant, colorful clothes? That's the most queer, neurodivergent shit I've ever seen.

In conclusion: Philip subverts audience expectations. He looks like a "normal" enough dude (by society's standards), but that's just a mask for the autistic bisexuality radiating from his soul. I love both Flip and Philip and the scene where they fuse, and he jumps in the water to save his neice/outlaw partner warms my fucking soul. If you haven't seen this movie, you are missing out. It's so good. And you get a free bisxual disaster goat man, I don't know what more you people want.