#let’s hope the same will happen in s6

[n1blakelover]

i don’t have the effort to edit my tags but i meant starscraper and it says stars taper lmao

Thinking about how Rayllum first fully established trust in an icy climate. Thinking harder about how they’ll be fully reestablishing trust in an icy climate as well.

[epicbuddieficrecs]

Weekly Recap | June 3rd-23th 2024 ~ Fics

Sorry for skipping a two weeks! I had a work thing the weekend before before last and work is a bit busy at the moment so I couldn't get to it during the week. Hope you enjoy!

Complete

Take the Lead by Inell/ @inell (Getting Together, Post-S7 | 1,3K | Teen): Buck and Eddie finally have a conversation that they’ve needed to have for months, if not years.

take me out and take me home by bellabrady (Getting Together | 1,7K | Not Rated): Maddie has been texting him, asking him if he’s asked Buck yet and reassuring him that he’ll say yes, although after a few days, it seems her patience started to run out and the reassurance kind of turned into bullying. So he’s going to do it. He’s going to ask Buck out on a date, today. Partially because he wants to finally be with Buck and this will hopefully be the start of that and partially because he’s getting tired of Maddie texting him that he’s a coward — Or: Buck and Eddie finally go on a date.

thanks, babe! by bucksclipboard/ @excuseme-greentea (Getting Together | 1,8K | Teen): Eddie accidentally calls Buck babe and refuses to have a meltdown over it. It was just his subconscious betraying him because they were surrounded by couples, right? Right?!

hit the jackpot by coupe_de_foudre/ @panevanbuckley (Canon Divergent, 1x09: Trapped | 2K | General): “I’m your husband.” “You’re my husband? Holy shit!”

baby don't you know? (you're my golden hour) by ipretendtobesane/ @useramor (Post-S6 | Getting Together | 2K | General): Eddie will give him this: Chimney does wait months after Buck’s out of his coma and back by his side to bring it up. “How come you and Buck haven’t told anyone you’re together?”

I wish I could help by bucksclipboard/ @excuseme-greentea (Post-7x05: You Don't Know Me, PWP | 2K | Explicit): Eddie is so pent up he can barely focus on his job – and Buck is all too happy to help. That’s just what friends do.

the 'i' in ikea stands for 'i love you' by ipretendtobesane/ / @useramor (Getting Together, Didn't Know They Were Dating | 2,8K | Teen): buck has some life changing realizations in the curtain section of ikea. mainly, he's really, really in love with his best friend.

Chance Encounter by Inell / @inell (Canon Divergent, Shannon Lives, Divorced Eddie/Shannon, S4 | 3K | Teen): When Eddie and Buck go to the Hollywood Farmer’s Market, Eddie doesn’t expect to run into his ex-wife for the first time since moving to LA two years ago.

(for every question why) you were my because by thatbuddie (talktothesky) (Post-S7, Getting Together | 3K | Teen): “Being boyfriends and being friends is really different,” Buck says. “But if you’re so okay being friends with him,” Eddie explains, “It means there wasn’t anything he did wrong while being your boyfriend. So I don’t understand why you broke up with him.” “I didn’t break up with him because he did anything wrong.” Eddie opens his arms wide and then lets them drop down to hit the side of his thighs. “But then what happened? I just don’t understand. What happened?” “You! That’s what happened: You!” (or, Buck breaks up with Tommy but won’t talk about it, and Eddie just needs to know why.)

of bake sales and overdue realizations by brewrosemilk/ @gayhoediaz (Getting Together | 4,8K | Teen): Eddie doesn’t notice it until it becomes a thing that happens even when it’s just him and Buck, without Chris anywhere near them - but even then, he doesn’t find it strange, or give it much thought. Buck is the one who starts ending their phone calls with a quick ‘love you’ but it doesn't take long before Eddie does the same, often beating him to it.

one single static frame by signetsealed/ @gayeddieagenda (Post-S7, Pre-Buddie | 5K | General): Chris is gone and Buck and Eddie are called on for babysitting duty. Eddie has feelings about it.

some version of you that I might not have (but I did not lose) by Chash/ @ponyregrets (Coma Dream, Pre-Buddie | 5K | Teen): Either Eddie is dreaming and can't wake up, or he's losing his mind. He's not sure which one is more likely.

Baby Got Buck by bgonemydear, Chash/ @ponyregrets (Pre-canon to S7 | 5K | Mature): Five times Buck checked out a guy's ass before he figured out he was bi, and one time someone checked out his after.

sounding like the rest of my life by coupe_de_foudre/ @panevanbuckley (Canon Divergent, Getting Together | 6K | General): or, Eddie does a Ravi and swaps shifts for a bit, only everyone on B Shift is convinced that he and Buck are married. they might not be as wrong as Eddie initially thought.

buried deep, our love comes home by lookforanewangle (Post-3x15: Eddie Begins | 7K | Teen): “You care for him.” “Of course I do,” Buck says, gaze back on Eddie against his will. He squeezes Eddie’s hand again. “He’s my best friend.” “That’s not what I meant.” “I—I don’t—Bobby, it-it’s not like that—” or: After a traumatic few days, Buck and Eddie get their shit together.

i told my future by reading your lips by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (2x06: Dosed, Time Travel | 7K | Teen): In 2018, on their way to a call at a child beauty pageant, and feeling a little strange, Buck and Eddie are suddenly thrown into a fast-paced look at some key moments from their future. And, what they see? Well it can only lead to one logical conclusion.

oh, come when you're called by lesbianrobin/ @lesbianrobin (Post-S7 | 8K | Teen): Chris wants his dad. He wants his bed. But he can't have those yet, and he and Dad never really text because if Dad’s not working they’re usually together or one of them is too busy to text, so texting Dad feels weird, but Buck… He can text Buck.

🔥 Saints into the Sea by Chash/ @ponyregrets (Post-7x05: You Don't Know Me, Coming Out, Jealous Eddie | 8K | Teen): There's an itch between his shoulder blades when Buck talks about Tommy, when Buck asks Eddie if he wants to join the two of them for a drink after work, when Buck smiles at a text message and Eddie knows it's from Tommy. His stomach had been twisted in knots for half of Maddie and Chim's wedding, watching the two of them. There's only one awful, inevitable conclusion: Eddie isn't actually as comfortable with Buck's coming out as he thought he was. Which is, frankly, unacceptable.

If You Want It, You Can Have It by fruitsdoesnotknow/ @tayf-ghost (Post-S7, Halloween, Identity Porn | 9K | Mature): Buck just wants to enjoy a Halloween night out with the 118, drinking and dancing and making fun of Ravi's costume, all the while trying to handle his newfound feelings for Eddie. He thinks he's being smart, trying to get over his best friend, or at the very least, keep his secret under wraps. He ends up doing the exact opposite. It ends up yielding great results.

🔥 We're at an Impasse Here; Maybe We Should Compromise by Chash/ @ponyregrets (Post-S7 | 9K | Teen): "You cannot murder anyone," says Maddie. "Also, if you were going to murder your captain, it would be very stupid to write murder down as your top idea for how to deal with him." "It's on a dry erase board!" Chim protests. So far, all he's written on the board is Ways to Deal with Capt Gerrasshole, and then 1. Murder? below it. "And I put a question mark. So even if I didn't erase it, the jury would never convict. A question mark introduces reasonable doubt."

friends don't mean nothing to me (it's us) by Kwills91/ @kwills91 (Pre-S2, Canon Divergent | 15K | Teen): Buck and Eddie meet before he joins the 118, and it just might be the balm he needs to get over Abby. But when Eddie starts working at the station, Buck doesn't understand why Hen and Chim keep looking at them that way, or why Bobby seems to think they're dating.

🔥 when the longer days of sun appear, they'll be rising like an answered prayer by Chash/ @ponyregrets (Post-S7, Fake Relationship | 18K | Explicit): Eddie is generally worried when Tommy and Buck break up because Tommy's ex moved back to town, and even more worried when that leaves Buck without a date to a wedding. So, of course, Eddie's going to help him out with all of that.

🔥 like a bird stealing bread out from under your nose by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Post-S7, Fix-It | 21K | Mature): If you’d asked Eddie back in May what rock bottom looked like, it was his son leaving him. That felt like it; everything ruined so entirely that there was no way to ruin it further. There’s always more to lose.

🔥 some things fall when they're meant to fall by sibylsleaves/ @sibylsleaves (Post S7E5 | 25K | Teen): Eddie’s gaze drop to Buck’s lips—pink, like his birthmark. Eddie wants to taste those lips, and he wants it with a fierceness so sudden it shocks him. “I’m, uh,” Buck stammers. “Last night. When you saw me and Tommy…we—we were on a date.” Everything inside Eddie goes still. If his heart is a kite, then this is the moment it plummets back to earth. or, Buck tells Eddie some news. Eddie has a realization and breaks up with his girlfriend. Not necessarily in that order.

🔥 that magic feeling by woodchoc_magnum/ @woodchoc-magnum (S7 Fix-It | 42K | Explicit): An alternate ending to season 7, in which Eddie doesn't completely blow his life up, and he and Buck realise they're in love.

🔥 ripples all the way down by iriswests/ @fcntasmas (Getting Together, S4 | 52K | Mature): With some coercion, Buck allows Maddie to set him up on a date. Surprisingly, the date goes well — and it keeps his mind off the unnamable feelings he’s been studiously ignoring for his best friend. Until Christopher’s science report on gentoo penguins — no, seriously — sets off a series of events that has him somehow spending more time at the Diazes’ side, and he feels like he’s going just a little bit insane trying to juggle a burgeoning relationship, his jealousy over Eddie’s own new relationship with Ana, and his inability to move on from the place that’s been his for three years in the Diazes’ lives. Oh, and Eddie keeps looking at him like he has something to say — except he never says it. This is the tumultuous road to finding out what Buck truly wants, paved by pebbles. -- or; christopher partakes in some parent trapping

🔥 stuck now so long, we just got the start wrong by Daffi_990_ao3/ @daffi-990 (Canon Divergent, Different First Meeting | 85K | Not Rated): Probational Firefighters Evan “Buck” Buckley and Eddie Diaz meet on a call which ends with them at odds with each other. As the months roll by, they keep running into each other on the job, much to Eddie’s dismay and Buck’s delight. Can they put aside their first opinions and misunderstandings and allow the seeds of friendship, and possibly something more, to take root?

WIP

🔥 Steal My Sunshine by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Altered Memories | 7/9 | 24K | Mature): Memories hazy and unreliable, Eddie Diaz wakes up every morning in a house at the end of a cul de sac, goes to his office job at a petroleum engineering company, and comes home to his wife and son. But something is missing, and the more Eddie begins to put the pieces together, the stranger the predicament he finds himself in. 

🔥 If You Can Make the Music by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Canon Divergent, | 1/5 | 2K | Mature): Spin-off Sequel to Evan Buckley & the Coma-Verse of Madness - Chapter 5 (Seaside): A year after a whirlwind two week love affair with bartender Buck in Galveston, Texas, Eddie Diaz finds himself coincidentally relocating to the area. But when he attempts to reconnect with Buck, he's in for an unfortunate surprise. (Part 3 of Coma-Verse)

The Smutty Ones by Tizniz/ @tizniz (PWP | 55/? | 22K | Explicit): A collection of smutty Buddie drabbles.

🔥 Things We're All Too Young to Know by Daisies_and_Briar / @cal-daisies-and-briars (Canon S1-S6, Divergent Post-S6 | 129/? | 405K | Mature): This is a love story. Even if it doesn’t always look like it. Even if it doesn’t always feel like it. A look back on Eddie and Buck's lives up to now, and what led them to each other, interpreted from the current 9-1-1 canon.

Kiss Me Once Cause You Know I Had A Long Night by I_still_dont_understand_13 / @sherlockcrossing (Prompt collection | 33/? | 21K | Teen): 100 kiss prompts.

Chapter 33. 19. "If we get caught kissing we're dead but let's risk it." 

🔥 Held Up a Lightning Rod (Wonder Why I'm Struck) by letmetellyouaboutmyfeels/ @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels (Not A Firefighter Eddie, Sugar Baby Buck | 4/22 | 18K | Explicit): When Eddie Diaz stumbles his way into money, he finds himself one of the most eligible bachelors in Los Angeles - to his dismay. He needs a way to get people off his back without confessing his messy marital situation, and Shannon's still not answering his calls, so he caves to a friend's suggestion: hire someone to pretend to be his partner. Enter Evan "Buck" Buckley: sugar baby, fire fighter, and the man about to turn Eddie's world upside down.

🔥 Any Other Way by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Canon Divergent, S2 | 13/19 | 67K | Mature): In a switcheroo alternate universe, Buck spends young adulthood in the military, while Eddie, who has no idea Christopher exists, spends his twenties messing around, finally enjoying freedom away from his family’s expectations. When they both end up in Los Angeles, at the 118, some things are different, and others will be the same in any universe.

Re-Read

the secrets we keep (the ones that spill out) by sparegarbage/ @babybucks (Getting Together | 4K | General): Or: Buck and Eddie comfort each other with cuddles, hugs, and kisses (platonically—or so they think).

Tear me to pieces and make me feel whole by justhockey (Getting Together | 2K | Not Rated): And that’s when it clicks. In the pasta aisle of the grocery store, at 10am on a Saturday morning. Buck is frowning as he tries to decide what to get - and Eddie is in love with him.

[uhnoobuhhs]

My thoughts on these last two episodes:

Though things seems to have gone back to what they were, I believe they are also completely different at the same time.

Because although being a vampire was Guillermo’s dream, I think in the years he’s spent with the vampires, the main reason he wanted to be turned was so he could be considered a valued part of the team

He wanted the vampires to see him like family, to care about him the way he does for them.

And that’s come true, all the vampires care and love and worry for Guillermo now.

They all demonstrated this in their own different ways this season:

from Laszlo actively trying to help Guillermo, showing up at his motel to apologize for not being as helpful (which was actually very sweet of him) to that final scene with Derek

to Nadja taking Guillermo to the vet and protecting him from being harmed

To Colin stopping by the motel to give Guillermo a farewell gift.

They all were worried about him. They all didn’t want him to get killed, that’s why they kept his secret despite knowing how hurt and upset Nandor would be. It’s such a three sixty from the beginning of the series. The found family vibes really made me want to cry in the best way.

(But since I am a huge nandermo shipper I saved my Nandor points for last because I’m gonna dive in DEEP)

I knew that we wouldn’t get a love confession this season, I believe that Guillermo will either be turned into a vampire in a last ditch effort to save his life (hopefully by Nandor)

Or he’ll eventually change his mind and ask Nandor again to be turned and I think if he were to ask again (after everything that’s happened) I think Nandor would do it if he believed Guillermo was sure.

Guillermo did mention to Nandor at the fake ceremony that he really still wanted to be a vampire. (So who knows I wanna keep hope alive)

But overall, I loved this season.

We got a rare peak behind the curtain at Nandor.

He not only deeply cares for Guillermo and can’t imagine losing him but he also knew all along that Guillermo was not ready to be a vampire.

(Remember that scene in s3 where Nandor tells Guillermo that vampirism is a curse? And that he cared too much about him to do that to him?)

The fact that Nandor memorized Guillermo’s letter to him when they first met just speaks volumes about how much he actually loves Guillermo.

Nandor has grown so much this season, it was so refreshing to see. I mean all those self help books really paid off. Cause, not only did he set his own hurt feelings aside and forgave Guillermo despite how important loyalty and honor are to him but

he also didn’t act impulsively when it came to Guillermo transitioning. He let Guillermo experience vampirism and observed his reactions and emotions before stepping in.

(I hope we continue to see more character growth like this and that hopefully in s6 we finally get some romantic plot for these two because fuck I’m in too deep to quit this show/ ship lol)

[zutaralesbian]

what theories elaborate🙏

Was trying not to be too controversial but okay 😂

I think some people headcanon Mickey as being confident when it comes to his relationship with Ian and “never losing hope in their relationship” because it’s a way for them to give Ian a pass for the way he’s hurt Mickey, so to speak. I’ve seen sentiments like “Mickey doesn’t hold anything against Ian. So why does the fandom????” from people in response to criticisms of Ian (particularly when it comes to 5x12 and S6).

People use the 7x10 and 9x06 reunions as evidence of Mickey’s confidence in Ian’s want for him but like…there are several canon instances that point to Mickey actually being pretty insecure about how Ian feels about him and fearful of Ian dropping him again.

At the end of 7x10 he asks Ian “is this goodbye?” and is visibly happily surprised when Ian gets in the car. He was not expecting Ian to agree to go with him.

In 7x11 he asks him “did you ever think about me when I was in the joint?” and voices the fact that Ian never visited bothered him.

In S10, when Ian tells him he has a parole hearing, Mickey is very clearly upset by it at first and doesn’t have any confidence in them maintaining a relationship while Ian is out and he’s in prison (probably because of what happened in S6).

And Mickey literally says “you just don’t love me enough now” when Ian tries to talk to him after the courthouse drama. Point blank spelling out that he doesn’t think Ian loves him as much as he loves Ian. These are all canon scenes and lines.

And it makes complete sense why he would feel that way after Ian’s long history of running away from him. Again, yes, Ian had his reasons. But you can understand why Ian does the things he’s done while also acknowledging the hurtful effect they’ve had on Mickey. And the truth is, Mickey has abandonment issues when it comes to Ian. (At least in S10).

“Ian has commitment issues that stem from his lack of self-worth after his bipolar diagnosis” and “Mickey has been clearly hurt by the times Ian has let him down” are two arguments that can exist at the same time.

[doctorprofessorsong]

Destiel Fic Recs

Let's all pretend that I didn't just do one of these because I have clearly been consuming fic at an alarming rate.

A Beginner's Guide to Communing with the Dead by suspiciousflashlight @huntingthehaggis (Mature, 77k,)

Listen. I am actually mad at all y'all cause this fic has existed since 2013 and nobody told me to read it until now.

Detective Dean Winchester is haunted (literally) by the murder of a little girl. Unable to move on, he makes the decision to summon an ancient creature, Castiel, using forbidden magic. But the murder is only the beginning and he and Cas find themselves in a race against time to fight an ancient evil.

This fic has everything. Immaculate worldbuilding. Trueform Cas. Impeccable humor. Seriously, I devoured it. I'm shocked it took me this long to find it (probably because it's older), but I'm so happy I did.

The Beginning by valleydean (emmbrancsxx0) @valleydean (Explicit, 129k)

A horrorfest Endverse fic, Mallory tackles what happened between the Croatoan infection and Dean and Cas' arrival in Camp Chitaqua. It's canon compliant and it really digs into Dean losing hope and becoming the darker version of himself and Cas falling into addiction and losing his angelic powers. 

It's angsty and brutal and gross in the way zombie stories are. It's also got shining moments of love in the face of hopeless odds. Plus there's a character named River so you know it's good.

I also think watching the degradation of these two characters, and the way their love can't be denied even then is just really a good read. 

Above & Below by murron (Explicit, 45k)

Speaking of older fics to lose your fucking mind over, this fic is absolutely immaculately done. Steeped in canon and set in S6, Dean, Cas and Soulless Sam embark on a journey through the circles of hell. Their mission is to recover Sam’s soul and their brother Adam from the cage.

It's really beautifully constructed with the vision of Hell pulled from various pieces of lore. This is a horror story for sure, but it's not a hopeless one. It's more like an epic mythological journey. And at its heart is the love story of Dean and Cas, and a lot of healing for Dean and Sam.

It's high concept. It's poetic. It's a top tier story to meltdown over.

Sentinel by Followsthebees (Explicit, 15k) @follows-the-bees

A delightful entry from the monsterfluffer bang, Dean finds himself increasingly enamored with a gargoyle on the roof of his work. What he doesn't know is the gargoyle feels the same way.

This has some absolutely delicious smut. 10/10 magical creature porn. But also Dean is so cute and lonely and full of love and Cas us such a delightful little creature. A fantastic time was had by all (me). Canon is integrated in a really fun way in a few places and the humor is fantastic.

Just a complete romp.

A pun regarding the word "bull" by zation @zationao3 (Explicit, series 41k)

Smutty and fluffy and oh so horny, this fic is a fun AU with light angst, a lot of sexual tension, but ultimately it's just a fun ride with a happy ending.

Castiel doesn't have time for attachments, but his money does afford him all the comforts of wealth and a string of casual lovers. When he spots Dean on the back of a mechanical bull, he decides he's found his next conquest - and a very willing one at that.

But after that night, both men can think of nothing but a repeat performance. Unfortunately, they failed to exchange numbers. Even more unfortunately, Dean just happens to be the new contactor engaged by Cas' company and therefore off limits. 

There is some delicious smut in this one. The angst is counteracted with a sweet, soft pining and a profound bond type immediate connection that is a delight to read. 

You Better Not Stay by FriendofCarlotta @friendofcarlotta (Explicit, 17k) 

A fantastic horrorfest thriller, this one delivers jump scares and teen scream delight.

Dean and Cas have been best friends just short of forever and lovers for a year. But now that high school is behind them, Cas wants to leave to find freedom from his fucked up family. Dean can’t bring himself to join him. There’s Sam and the family business.

On the cusp of separation, Dean decides to take Cas on a little date to the abandoned skating rink they used to love when they were kids. Only they aren't alone, and if they're not careful, their last night together could be their last night on earth.

This one is great for the jumps and screams. But it's the soft way they love each other and the vulnerability that make this one memorable. Dean is heartbreakingly earnest trying to impress the man he loves. And Cas is sarcastic and sweet in a perfect balance.

And you're the sky by Desirae (Explicit, 28k)

Quite by accident I have two fics on here following the missed connection/one night stand reappears in your life trope, but they are very different. This one has a lot more roommates to lovers domesticity and some delightful Wings (the show) vibes.

Dean’s best friend, Gabriel, has been grounded due to medical issues. In order to save his small airline, he calls upon his estranged brother, Castiel for assistance. Being a good friend, Dean happily offers up a room in his house to Cas. Only when he shows up, he happens to be the one who got away - a hookup who was going by the name Jimmy.

This fic is soft and sweet. There's a lot of caretaker Dean and domestic vibes. It has the soft vibes of a fic where the two main characters are circling one another and you almost feel like it's inevitable that they will eventually find their way to each other. There is some family trauma, but the angst is largely countered by a lot of intentional healing. Throw in a fantastic cast of characters and this one is definitely worth the read.

Check out my other recs at @riversrecs

[sevensoulmates]

I've never been more convinced then I ever have of Buddie canon and I think we're about to get Buddie canon confirmed in the bachelor party/wedding episode.

I think these 2 episodes, 4 and 5. One told through Buck's the other told through Eddie's are clearly telling a story of two separate queer journeys. One of acceptance(Buck) and the other of repression(Eddie).

I think this episode is going to end with Eddie doubling down on his relationship with Marisol because Buck being bisexual is going to draw feelings inside of Eddie that he is absolutely terrified to explore and he thinks that being with a woman is just going to make those feelings that are getting stronger and stronger for Buck go away, they won't.

Then in episode 6 which is the Bachelor Party/Wedding episode, as Ryan said Eddie is going to let go, have fun and see where it takes him. When Ryan said that I have never been more convinced that something is happening between Buck and Eddie after the bachelor party and it's going to be something very non platonic that will be the reveal that Buddie is canon.

I'm very much inclined to agree with you, especially about episode 4 being Buck's journey of accepting his queerness, and episode 5 being about Eddie's journey of repression. Buck and Eddie have always been narrative parallels on equal and opposite journeys, both heading for the same place but going about it through very different personal arcs.

Like I've said before, I think things are going to get worse for Eddie before they get better. And I think you're so right that episode 5 is going to be things "getting worse" because he's going to double down on Marisol. The more I've been hearing and sussing out with people, it seems like Marisol's sticking around past episode 5 (which sucks, I know! We were all hoping!) but I can see why that choice is being made because unfortunately if we want to explore Eddie's comp-het, then we need a woman around for him to be comp-het with! I think that's likely why they also switched up on Marisol's personal style this season and had her go from tomboyish in s6 to very femme in s7. They needed to represent her being a little bit more of the "perfect woman" for Eddie again a la Ana Flores. Especially in contrast with Buck and Tommy who are very masc-presenting men.

Most of the time when people talk about compulsory heterosexuality in an academic space they are always talking about women because comphet is inherently a byproduct of patriarchy and misogyny. But, as most of us are aware by now, patriarchy has deep-rooted harmful effects on men too. I can't claim to be anywhere near an expert but I would love to see it explored deeper with Eddie given that a lot of his story has also revolved around him deconstructing other aspects of toxic masculinity and hypermasculinity.

Like does Eddie really enjoy going out with Marisol? Or does he like the freeing feeling of being able to cuddle up with a woman in public and know that no one is judging?

There's a lot of academic theory that goes into compulsory heterosexuality but if you look at the "Am I a Lesbian? Masterdoc" and apply everything there to Eddie, it's almost point for point him.

Some examples:

[brackets] are me turning "men" to "women" from the original text for clarity

Deciding which [women] to be attracted to – not to date, but to be attracted to –based on how well they match a mental list of attractive qualities.

I like the idea of being with a [woman], but any time a [woman] makes a move on me I get incredibly uncomfortable.

I do not like the reality of being with [women], only the idea of being with [women].

I like the idea of marrying a [woman]/being in a relationship with a [woman], but I can always pick out a reason to not want to date any [woman] that is interested in me or any [woman] suggested to me

You view relationships with [women] as a chore, burden, or just something you must deal with.

Picking a [girl] at random to be attracted to

Choosing to be attracted to a [girl] at all, not just choosing to act on it but flipping your attraction on like a switch

the [girls] I like are always hyper [feminine] [girl's girls] who embody everything about [womanliness].

Only/mostly being attracted to unattainable, disinterested, or fictional [women] or [girls] you never or rarely interact with.

Reading your anxiety/discomfort/nervousness/combativeness around [women] as attraction to them. Confusing your anxiety around [women] for “butterflies” or being flustered.

Dreading what feels like an inevitable domestic future with a [woman]

You have every reason to be happy in your relationship with a [woman], but you just aren’t / everything is going really well, but something is missing and you can’t figure out what

Thinking you’re commitmentphobic because no relationship, no matter how great the [girl], feels quite right and you drag your feet when it comes time to escalate it

Going along with escalation because it seems like the ‘appropriate time’ or bc the [girl] wants it so bad, even if you personally aren’t quite ready to say I love you or have labels or move in together etc.

Or jumping ahead and trying to rush to the ‘comfortably settled’ part of relationships with [girls], trying to make a relationship a done deal without investing time into emotional closeness

Your relationships with [women] are devoid of passion.

Feeling like you have to have relationships with [women] and/or let them get serious in order to prove something, maybe something nebulous you can’t identify

Getting a [girl]friend mostly so other people know you have a [girl]friend and not really being interested in [her] romantically/sexually

Wishing your [girl]friend was more like your [male] friends

Worrying that you’re broken inside and unable to really love anyone

Having had people think you were gay when you had no suspicion you were gay

That got longer than I intended but I wanted it here anyway because it just proves (at least to me) that this is the story they're doing with Eddie. The only ones I didn't include were the parts about sex because other than Shannon we actually haven't seen how Eddie reacts in sexual moments with women.

As for the bachelor party/wedding, I do think a lot is going to happen there, and likely a lot of Buddie clues, big and small, but I still don't think anything physically intimate (kiss, hookup, etc) is going to happen. The only exception might be hand-holding, a hug or like a slow dance. Those I could see being plausible.

[tevanbuckley]

Hi! Heading into season 8 with buck and tommy, do you think it’s about time they cement a relationship for buck as a long term or endgame potential? My impression is that Tim doesn’t like to have certain things set and stone to leave potential for whatever it is he wants to explore but going into the 8thseason, with no idea on how much longer the show will go on for before being cancelled or before a main(s) decide to leave, I would say it’s time to commit to a relationship for buck and they’ve built a good foundation with him and tommy.

also because I can’t imagine another season of the same, relationship -> breakup -> single -> relationship and so on. Buck’s love life being secure in the sense that he’s no longer searching for love also gives potential for newer, fresher storylines to be explored. I just don’t know if a part of Tim is holding out hope that buddie will get greenlit at some point so he’ll continue this single/relationship/breakup trajectory with buck and eddie until that can happen or if he’s ready to move on and let them both find happiness. But if it is the former, to me that would really hurt the characters development and growth and would make even canon buddie feel just bland in a way because they just did it because “they could” now.

my desire is that Tim commits to this relationship and continues to develop it in a way that by 8b affirms them as endgame, I think it would be a mistake not to and let the development fizzle out.

the paradox of tv is that “this couple is for all intents and purposes endgame” and “anything could happen so there is no real endgame” have to awkwardly co-exist. bc nobody would balk at the idea of calling madney or bathena ‘endgame’ yet irl considerations could interfere. or what if tracie gets offered a series regular gig somewhere down the line?

But, this isn’t grey’s, once they have something that works they seem to want stick with it. Even when they had to write JLH out for her maternity leave they did it in a way that made it pretty easy for madney to reconcile.

I think when tim says he “doesn’t have a plan” what he really means is he doesn’t want to write himself into a corner (imo this is what happened in s6 with the couch metaphor but that’s a whole other post). despite being chaotic, writing as they go, does reduce the risk of random loose ends they can’t tie up because a sl got killed half way through cooking.

Having buck in a LTR gives them space to explore new things with buck (bisexuality or not) so now that they’ve found something that does work, that’s had positive audience and critical reception, I think they’d be insane to throw that away.

Also, idk how much I buy into the idea that tim’s secretly a buddie shipper and the only reason he’s not doing it is bc tptb said no. I think he agrees it’s a plausible interpretation of buck and eddie’s relationship, that doesn’t mean it was intentional, that he has any interest in doing it, or that he thinks it would work well as a story within the confines of a network procedural.

I’ve seen others question the longevity the show has at this point but idk, the only character I see stagnating a bit is unfortunately eddie (but I’ll hold off until s8 for a final judgement). And on a practical level, abc has just poured a shit ton of money and marketing into the show, so assuming the ratings don’t tank in s8 I’m optimistic we’ll get a s9. Yes it’s expensive to make, but more than it needs to be tbh. Like there were cheaper ways to have that cruise ship sink, they did not need to write a prohibitively expensive hijacking into it.

really the tldr; is that we don’t know what the future holds but I think there’s every reason to be optimistic the shows heading in a positive direction.

[leothil]

Okay I'm thinking some more thoughts about Christopher and the use of the red umbrella on Buck's balcony, because I think it''s more connected to parenthood rather than danger, as I first thought.

As many have noted, in S6 we first saw the umbrella in the background in 6x04 (Animal Instincts) when Connor comes over to apologize for blindsiding Buck with the request to be his and Kameron's sperm donor.

It's very conspicuous in the background of this shot, almost like a divider between Buck and Connor. The scene continues with Connor talking about feeling like a total failure for letting down the woman he loves, and how he'd assumed the fault was with her. Interestingly, the umbrella is never in sight during the last scene of the episode where Buck tells Connor and Kameron that he will be their sperm donor. At least to me that makes it seem like it points more to the concept of family and fatherhood that Buck and Connor are discussing; the tone of the conversation is very much about longing for a family and feeling desperate that your own faults is what's holding you back from having one.

The next time we see the umbrella is actually in 6x08 (What's Your Fantasy?) when Buck is watching Jee-Yun.

It's only kind of visible in the background during the first part of the babysitting montage, but it's still noticeable, because you don't see it at all while Maddie and Chimney are in the apartment, even though similar shots are used where it very well could've been seen. But it makes sense that it wouldn't be as prominent with Jee-Yun - while Buck loves her, he's very clear on his role as her uncle. So it's more about Buck flexing his parenting muscles rather than actually acting in the role of a parent.

The next time the red umbrella makes an appearance is in 6x09 (Red Flag) when Buck reveals that Kameron is pregnant.

For the duration of the group call you can see the umbrella flapping in the wind behind Buck. Chimney wonders if they should congratulate him, Eddie says that would feel weird, and Buck (a bit later) says he's happy for them and that he'd been worrying about setting them up for more disappointment in case it didn't work. Very much the same train of thought as Connor in 6x05!

In 6x11 (In Another Life) the umbrella flashes by again, both in the coma dream and in the real world. Here it's very much in the background, though, and I think it's just as part of the set rather than having any symbolic role; it's never in focus or prominently visible in the background like in these other cases.

Now, in 6x12 (Recovery) it's harder to argue that they're not playing with some kind of symbolism with the umbrella!

We spend quite a bit of the first half of the episode in Buck's apartment, but the only time the umbrella is visible is when Connor comes over - not with Maddie there, not with Hen there. And once again the conversation between Connor and Buck touches on parenthood. Connor seems to hint at being a little bit spooked about becoming a father (understandable): "You hope for something for so long and when it finally happens it doesn't quite feel real."

And finally, today (yesterday for you living in UTC-negative time zones) it was there again in 6x13 (Mixed Feelings).

In this precious I-have-read-about-this-in-1000-fanfics scene Buck and Chris are baking cookies for Chris' class. The umbrella is visible during the whole scene, hanging out behind Christopher's head. It's very hard to not see this as a parenting scene: Buck and Chris are hanging out without Eddie, at Buck's house, and doing something for school. Buck even kindly rebuffs Chris' question about having cookies for dinner.

Does this mean anything? Who knows! But it's fascinating to be able to find similar themes connecting the scenes where the red umbrella is featured! If I were to guess, I'd say parenthood is the connective thread between all these different scenes, and specifically parenthood in connection to Buck. We've already seen him trying to figure out his own life more during this season, and the sperm donor storyline definitely seems to nudge him towards thinking about his own role as dad and guardian. The very domestic scenes with Eddie and Christopher have only served to underline this, in my opinion!

I am still very suspicious about this shot of Chris at the end of 6x07 (Cursed) though. Very suspicious.

[raayllum]

Something I’ve been noticing a lot in my current rewatch is how Rayla and Soren are foils…Soren being the failed crownguard (“failed” in large part bc of his father’s choices) who ends up on a quest to kill his little king… Rayla trying to make up for her parents’ failures as dragonguards and going every extra mile to protect Zym but taking Ezran under her protection as well (sometimes FROM Soren)…, Soren runs Viren through for trying to kill Ez but he’s just an illusion, the real Viren is trying to kill Zym, and Rayla is prepared to die to stop that…then Rayla goes but Soren stays, and when she comes back he’s taken up her role as the moral center of the show, arguing points that she used to make

I tried to see if you’d written anything about these two being foils specifically but tumblr search is… you know lol. I would love it if you could point me to a relevant meta if there is one! If there isn’t, I hope my thoughts were interesting lol they make me emotional

Y'know funnily enough I don't think there ever was a dedicated Soren&Rayla from almost anyone (of course I could've missed it, but at least not from me) precisely cause from what I remember of early post-s3 arc 1 days, their foil relationship was just... a general fandom consensus of everyone going "Oh yeah that checks out" and kinda left at that.

After all, Soren is the princes' sworn protector who tries to kill them, makes his way back onto the right side, and then 'kills' Viren (his father) in order to protect them... whereas Rayla is their sworn killer who defects from her father in order to protect those same princes, and then she actually kills Viren (if Aaravos and Claudia hadn't intervened) in the same episode. More than that, they both leave behind their previous "hey kill these kids" roles in favour of being a Protector of their respective princes (Soren with Ezran, Rayla with Zym) respectively likewise in 3x09.

You're absolutely right that Soren and Rayla both rely a lot on their physical fighting skills, and this parallel in regards to failure always stands out to me in S3:

Soren: As crownguard, it was my job to make sure that nothing happened to him. No matter what. So when the Moonshadow elves came I did everything I could to protect him. But it wasn't enough. I just... don't want to fail you, too. Rayla: It's me, and it's all my fault. I failed them. I let them all down. They're right to reject me. I'm not good enough, and I never will be.

as does this one for Runaan-Viren, because Runaan may have brought his teenage daughter on an assassination mission, but she's never seemingly scared of him the way Soren is of Viren

even if both fathers take issues with 'fear born' weakness at least in theory

And of course there's some other parallels scattered throughout, which makes sense: 1x01-1x03 is basically Rayla speedrunning Soren's S1-S3 arc of perpetuating the cycle of violence to actively trying to stop it by joining forces with your previous 'enemy'.

I think in a lot of ways Soren was exactly the sort of human Rayla had prepared her whole life to kill -- he's proud, he lies, he's not a 'good' person (at first) -- but of course, now they're good friends and it's very sweet to see. Arc 2 has less direct foils, but it's still there, y'know? Just more quietly in the background.

For example, enough has changed since 2x07 that now in 4x05 their roles have virtually switched, since Soren is the one campaigning to save the dragon while Rayla, although not the aggressor, is saying to walk away. I expect S6 Rayla to take some of Soren's 'protector' quality on further in regards to "doing everything you can" when Callum gets possessed. Possible 5x08 parallels also stand out to me with the concepts of identities (names), ownership vs agency, and compassion against the enemy currently wailing on you through future possessed!Callum and Elmer parallels.

The two are also in for a real pickle since they're the most "these people are the bad guys, we're the good guys" in the show... and it's like sir your sister is evil and ma'am your boyfriend is going through a corruption arc, you're in for some rude awakenings. That said they do have their unbreakable bonds of love with Claudia and Callum respectively, so who knows. It'll all work out. (Eventually.)

On that note we can also see some parallels between 2x02 and 3x03 perhaps... Rayla accuses Soren of trying to kill Ezran but explains it poorly, so Callum gives her as much as he can but doesn't side with her in the moment (which to be fair it is Quite a leap so like Callum you're so valid) VS Soren poorly explaining Viren asking him to kill the princes and Claudia not siding with him. The difference is that in the face of more evidence in favour of Claudia + Soren, Callum still sides with Rayla, and in the face of more evidence against Viren ("You'll understand when you see the first to change" -> "Claudia, you're changing too"), Claudia still sides with Viren, but I digress.

I'd also argue that Ezran is the moral centre of the show (at least to me) simply because he's the only one in the main cast who hasn't entered the 1) you did terrible things in the name of love/protective relay and 2) he's pretty measured and compassionate 99% of the time (but I do love the 1% when he's not let me tell you).

I talked about it in this meta (which is 2+ years old jc) about how like a good moral line event horizon measuring stick is "how does this character treat Ezran" and if they're treating him poorly they're not doing the right thing, and if they're treating him well then they Are, but it doesn't go into S4 or S5 so like. Mileage may vary

Last but not least: I do have a Sorayla tag for headcanons edits brotp content in general so if you want more of them, that's what I'd recommend, with fics such as "flower crowns" (oneshot) and "if heaven and hell decide" (completed multichap, 60k) for their dynamic

[theflyindutchwoman]

I’ve been feeling so upset and down and sad. I hate that they broke up. I hate how he just left Lucy there. I hate how sad my baby girl is in this season. I need them back together, they are so great together. I am so afraid that it will take the whole season for them to reunite romantically and we are left in a chenford drought the rest of the season.

Let me start by sending you a virtual hug, we are going to need it for this journey. That last scene of Lucy has been haunting me… So know that you are not alone in this! As for them getting back together… Listen, this is probably an unpopular opinion (?) and not the one you might be hoping for… but I don't want them back together this season (and I can't believe I'm writing this).

What Tim is going through on a personal level is not something that can be magically fixed in one or two episodes. Otherwise, it just cheapens his storyline. He needs therapy - with someone who is not spying on her clients, by the way (speaking of, I really hope that he doesn't reveal anything incriminating to our resident psychiatrist, that would make things worse on so many levels). He needs to work on himself, he needs to learn to come to terms with his past so he can forgive himself. That's not to say that Lucy can't help him along the way in the future. But, at the very least, he has to start the work.

As for Lucy, she also needs therapy. She needs to focus on herself, to deal with everything that has happened to her in the last couple of months (if not years), to figure out where she goes from there and rebuild her confidence (which should not be dependant on the approval of others). It could be interesting to see her navigate this new stage of her life without Tim at her side. Ever since she started in Mid-Wilshire, he has been her one constant. He was her TO, her Sergeant, her case officer in her last UC mission, her boyfriend… There has been some periods of time without him, of course, like right after her graduation… or after she stopped being his aide… But this time, it won't be as easy to get past this hurdle. Or it shouldn't.

But doesn't mean that they won't interact at all. They still work at the same station and with Tim back on patrol (and as her direct superior officer), they are bound to bump into each other. So we should definitely have some pining moments. And awkward interactions. Maybe some angry words. What I hope, I guess, is that by the end of s6, they will have a meaningful conversation, where Tim explains to Lucy why he broke up. Because I'm not sure she understands why. Scratch that : I'm not sure she even has all the information. We don't know what Tim told her since we didn't see that scene (I'm a bit bitter about it). I think it could be a first step in the right direction. For both of them individually and for their future. But they still have a long road ahead of them. They need to work on their friendship first, before even thinking of being a couple again.

That's going to be the biggest challenge actually : finding the right timing to get them back together. Too soon and you risk ruining that storyline. Too long and your risk losing your audience's interest. I wish I had more comforting words for you, dear Anon. I still believe this could be a wonderful journey, even an empowering and beautiful one for the both of them. And at the moment, I'm holding on to that.

[summerongrand]

Just wanted to say I appreciate your take on the whole white man/woc imbalanced power plot issue. This is something that I had a big problem with in season 4 and others definitely seemed to pick up on the same when all the storylines were Wesley, Nolan or Tim centric, and Nyla, Angela and Lucy were seemingly left as the 'other'. However I feel like I saw the issue be forgotten in the fandom a little. It seems this show has consistently favoured highlighting the male struggle and treating female storylines as trivial and unworthy, other than that of Bailey, the then newly introduced and now main cast white female character. I thought this would change with Lucy's story now being written consistently in s6 but it's clear that Tim's potentially the more favourable storyline. Now I can't speak from a psychological standpoint on what Tim did to Lucy but from a plot pov it's definitely making the white man vs woc power issue glaringly obvious. He is the one that gets to start or end their relationship. He's the white man with issues that is allowed to feel what he wants and grow his character while the asian woman is left behind despite her own depth and trauma. Let's hope that Lucy is given the same grace of dealing with her issues and growing as Tim, and Lucy gets her power back.

Hi Anon!

Thank you for your kind and thoughtful message. And thanks for patiently waiting for my response. I agree with everything you said. I believe the post you’re referring to is this one and possibly this one too.

It’s clear that the show has favored male storylines, particularly those of Wesley, Nolan, and Tim (and Bailey a non-WOC), while sidelining WOC ones. And even though the focus here is on Lucy and Chenford, I’m equally happy and willing to talk about race through the POVs of Angela/Wopez and Nyla/Jayla too.

I don’t think the actual act of Tim breaking up with Lucy has a racial dynamic to it other than the obvious. Them being of different races is just who they are. But their overall relationship (TO/Rookie, mentor/mentee, sergeant/gofer, friends, couple, etc.) does. And Melissa, bless her heart (affectionate), codes so heavily as Chinese in her mannerisms too and this gets projected onto Lucy. But that’s not talked about very often either. I say all of this to agree with you, Anon, because the “white man vs woc power issue” as you described has existed the whole time.

Let’s look at S5b and S6. A WOC masterminded the career progressions of at least two middle aged white men. One of them derailed her career progression. The other one broke up with her. Both broke her heart in very different ways. We did get some of Lucy’s character development and growth in S6 on the front end of the season. But even within that, her storyline has been about the 5 player trade (made to benefit Tim primarily) and Tim not being comfortable with her in UC. Tim gets demoted but he has a cushion to fall on because Lucy trampolined him into the Metro clouds and now the show’s able to use what Lucy did to benefit Tim again and use that to give him room to fall back on. This is part of the whole ‘using a WOC as a plot device to further a white man’s story’ which I’ve shared about in regards to the breakup (which is different than the act of breaking up) and you've detailed out too. We’ll see what happens to her story in the next few episodes, and I too hope that Lucy is given the same grace and that she does get her power back. But no matter what happens in future episodes, that trope was used so the genie’s already out of the bottle.

You did bring up the fandom, so I am going to talk about it a little more. This next part may be hard to hear, Anon, but … I have received negativity from Chenford fans for talking about Lucy and Melissa O’Neil’s race. This shows me that this topic is so worth talking about because there are people who feel a certain way about seeing race-related discussions about Lucy (they don’t want to be anywhere near it) and I do believe it’s unhealthy for the fandom to have these beliefs about a WOC. Others in the fandom have also encountered negativity and pushback when discussing this topic. Maybe it's even happened to you. People have shared their fandom experiences with me privately, but you’re the first to do it Anonymously which is great because that means you’ve given me the opportunity to respond to you publicly. 

Challenging this negatively held belief within our fandom and embracing Lucy/Mel’s racial and cultural identity is a worthy endeavor so let’s move the dial on that. It starts with talking about these topics in the context of The Rookieverse and keeping an open mind if these topics are unfamiliar to us. I mean, Mel wants more of that too.

Thanks again, Anon!

[iknowshocker]

What do you think Kai would be like as a boyfriend if he had a genuine/healthy bond with someone?

For being one of the funniest characters in tvdu, I don’t think we ever even saw someone laugh at one of his jokes, so I’ve always been curious what it would’ve looked like if just one person matched his energy or at least accepted him

oh my goodness, i love this queeeestiooon!

let me just quickly out myself by saying if you lined up all the TVD men and told me to pick, kai would be my one and only choice. 🙈 my love for him horrifies my husband but i stand behind my witchy woo man 🫡

first thank you !! for saying he's funny !! you're right no one really appreciates his humor in the show and its one of the silliest choices imo. like you can admit the scary man has jokes, guys, it's not going to kill you. (oof sidenote but him and Jo having the same humor/picking on each other is one of my fav things!)

if he was out and about making his lil comments and someone started giggling a few seats down at the bar i truly think he'd combust. also probably be like "....me? you - you're looking at me? you think i'm funny ??? 😳 AnD CUte ?? really????" and then try immediately to be cooler about it but like, he's screaming crying throwing up inside

canonically we also know he liked it when bonnie matched the more aggressive/argumentative side of his personality, so i don't think he'd be able to be with someone that didn't pick at him a little. you gotta be able to tease him back but also like .. not take it too far cause he 100% can't take as much as he can give lmao (one older sibling to another we're a lot more sensitive than we pretend to be)

basically i think kai needs:

somebody grounded to keep him from totally flipping out

but who is also willing to fight for what they believe in

spontaneous and playful - but also thoughtful and mindful of his mood swings

kind enough to love him completely despite his past

and supportive enough to help him rebuild the coven

so...yeah, bonnie, basically lol

i think s6 kai at minimum needs to be with a witch that is willing to share power, and s8 kai needs a vampire or heretic. s6 kai could make it work with a human but pre-merge you're risking a lot, and then if you put s8 kai with a witch/human, he's turning them no questions asked so we better hope they're okay with it. (let's just leave legacies kai out of this, okay? he is a different breed)

i picture him being touch starved like you wouldn't believe, so super super clingy and probably jealous at least in the beginning of a relationship. that would go for friendship, too, honestly.

i think it would be really hard for him to a. wrap his head around someone picking him and then b. allow them to also pick other people. i don't think he'd throw a klaus sized tantrum, he'd be more petty about it: "oh sorry i just assumed you liked damon now since you said you liked his hair today and yEaH i was listening from three tables over watching the whole thing don't lie i SAW HOW YOU SMILED AT HIM-,"

but like he'd mellow with that as time went on and he starts to believe he can trust being loved. on that note i think he'd need a lot of reassurance but simultaneously be embarrassed/unsure of how to ask for it. some fights would happen as he works through how to regulate himself, but i don't picture it being a delena level of toxic. kai is more self aware/honest about himself so even when he's making poor choices he's like "woah hold on, why am i doing this ?? ah yes, that's why" and i think he'd get to a point where he knows his triggers and can help a partner figure out how to avoid them/talk through them.

so think like "my boy only breaks his favorite toys" vibes. he's so sure things are going to be taken from him/stuff can't be trusted that he'll mess it up first to hopefully make it hurt less. but with time a partner could help him see that he can have nice things !! love is real !! id love to see him build up the coven/a friend group/family with a partner beside him and just !! enjoy life lmao

anon you said boyfriend not husband but i hc he'd actually be an amazing dad. i would want him to end up having a siphon !!! end the coven curse of abuse bb 👏🏼 i have a post detailing what i would have done with the parker's that talks about him being a good uncle too!! i don't know i just think he'd be weirdly good with kids. so even if we're talking heretic!kai he'd be bringing kids/teens into the coven to help them and he's gonna need a partner that is down with that

no matter the stage of relationship he's super tactile. (mans has no context or care over some PDA being inappropriate). you're always sitting in his lap, or he's draped over you requesting that you play with his hair, he keeps his hand in the back pocket of your jeans, he wants you to play with his rings, ect. just always always always touching in some way even if it's small. it was something he missed out on for so much of his life and i think having someone actively want to touch him would never get old.

(sad note i picture this being a bit of a PTSD thing for him too. so certain things would make him flinch or jump and he might not even really be aware of it all the time. like he'll be tense as hell and his partner is like "honey what's happening ?? where have you gone ??" and he'd have to take a second and body scan before realizing oh shit Yeah, something is Wrong)

he's possessive as hell so expect hickys left where everyone can see AND a smug annoucment that he knows where you got them :) if we're talking s8 kai i imagine he would leave bite scars intentionally. so like heal them with magic but leave the little fang marks so other vamps know you're spoken for and he'd probably also have them on his wrist

i think a common hc is that he's Always the dominate one, but we all saw him in those chains, boy's totally a switch. (i also personally hc that 1994 kai is virgin!kai, but that's a story for another day). still tho i do think control is a big thing for him so he's definitely more comfortable being the one in charge. with trust comes wanting to mix things up tho so that's nice all around.

hands down the best boy to date during the holiday season are we kidding ??? any little thing you can possibly think of he's down and probably already has it planned:

apple orchard

carnival !!

christmas tree decorating

horror movie marathon !!

baking sugar cookies

snow ball fight

you're hosting the holiday parties now i hope you like cooking for a whole coven !!

like sep-feb you are Booked and Busy (i hc he's not much of a summer boy but that's okay if yall went back to portland west coast summers are built different, pls don't keep him in the south from mid june-mid august i fear he will melt)

if there's a downside i think it's how protective he would be. i think the mix of possessive/protective/clingy could be too much for some people but again i don't think it would last at such a high level forever. it's just elements of his personality that show up especially in high stakes situations, so they shouldn't be ignored.

but yeah anon, basically give the boy a chance and he's tripping over himself to be the best partner he can be 🤷🏼‍♀️

[callivich]

Gallavich Canon Divergent Prompts

Prompts for fics, headcanons, or discussion, art, etc. Interpret these however you like and feel free to use them as just a jumping off point, you don’t have to stick to the exact prompt! If any fics like any of these have already been written, please feel free to recommend them to me!

Mickey’s injured badly in 3x05 and ends up hospital rather than the Gallagher kitchen. As he’s unconscious, Ian is desperate to be able to stay with him. So, he accidentally refers to Mickey as his boyfriend and is allowed to stay in the hospital room. Ian’s hoping Mickey will allow him to help him as he heals but what will Mickey do when he wakes?

Ian doesn’t go straight to jail after blowing up the van, he ends up in hospital with burn injuries. When Mickey learns of this, he knows he’s going to have to turn himself in and cut a deal to somehow get back to Ian. But first…he’s gotta get back to Chicago and sneak in the hospital at least once, just to see if Ian’s ok.

Mickey gets out of jail quickly in s6 but doesn’t get back into contact with Ian. He comes up with a very lucrative money-making scam - he signs up to an escort company & poses as an escort on their app. Then when he meets up with men, he robs them and threatens to blackmail them if they report him. Somehow, Ian discovers Mickey on this app and he’s worried. He thinks Mickey is actually working as escort and he’s concerned. He creates a fake profile to try and see if Mickey’s ok and safe. But as they talk via the app, Mickey starts to like this new guy - he’s funny, good at sexting, kind - and he doesn’t know if he wants to rob this guy. What happens when they do meet up?

Mickey doesn’t think, he just runs - from his dad, from the wedding to Svetlana, from his whole fucked up life. Ian is devastated that Mickey has left but glad that he hasn’t gone through with the wedding. But he can’t let him go off like this. After months, he finally tracks him down - living in another city, under a different name, building a whole new life for himself. Ian thinks they finally have a chance of happiness together but Mickey is still scared and pushes him away….However, Ian’s never given up completely on Mickey so far, and he’s not going to start now.

S4. Ian is offered a opportunity that seems too good to be true by one of his regulars at the club - an apartment with discounted rent on the West Side. When he reconnects with Mickey, he’s excited about the deal and he wants to take it. Mickey, just glad to have found Ian, goes along with it…but is the apartment as good as it looks?

Ian never blows up the van, never becomes Gay Jesus. He does go through a difficult period. He struggles with his medication but slowly begins to get back to feeling like himself. He realises he needs Mickey. Without telling anyone, he decides to take a trip to Mexico - with no plan apart from seeing what it’s like there. It’s a big place, he’s never gonna find Mickey. He doesn’t expect to, he just wants to feel close to him. But then…he sees a familiar face…..or at least…he thinks he does.

Everything’s the same up to the middle of season two - when both the Gallagher and the Milkovich kids are taken into foster care. Ian and Mickey end up in the same foster home, separated from their siblings but both secretly pleased they’ve ended up together. Suddenly, they’re in a nice home with kind foster parents. Oh yeah, and they get to share a bedroom….

Terry, angry that Mickey is out of prison and living with Ian at the Gallagher house, kills Paula and frames Mickey. The police fall for it and arrest Mickey, who promises Ian he’s innocent. Ian believes Mickey but when the police don’t and it looks like Mickey’s going back to prison for a long time - Ian decides to play detective and find the real killer….

Ian really can’t sneak out from the group home in s3 and he has to turn down the sleepover. When Terry comes home early, Mickey realises he and Ian could have been caught. It puts a lot of things into perspective.

After their hookup in s1, Ian finds himself a little bit obsessed with Mickey. Which is why he’s secretly following him to the abandoned buildings. He expects Mickey to shoot cans or something but instead he spies him prying a brick out of the wall and pulling out a battered notebook. Later, when Mickey leaves, Ian goes and retrieves the notebook. In it, he finds drawings and notes - a journal of sorts. As their relationship progresses, he keeps secretly checking the notebook to find out Mickey’s true thoughts.

Post s6. Ian knows Mickey is out of jail but he hasn’t seen him. He keeps thinking he’ll run into him around the neighbourhood. The last place Ian expects to see Mickey is in the waiting room of his therapist’s office. Apparently a condition of Mickey’s release is therapy. It’s all awkward looks as Ian leaves and Mickey goes in. But slowly, they begin to reconnect….

S10. Ian has a good parole officer who gets him a receptionist/admin job at a private clinic on the West Side. It’s not exactly what he had in mind but he’ll take it. Only thing is, there’s a familiar face who works at the clinic - Ned. Mickey isn’t pleased with this but Ian wants to keep the job. But as time goes on, he starts to realise how bad his earlier relationship with Ned was….

3x05. Ian doesn’t think about the consequences when he sees the drunk lady with the shotgun. He just runs as fast as he can and tackles Mickey out of the way. And gets himself shot in the ass. Ian tries to play it off, to act like he would have done it for anyone. But that’s obviously not true. Mickey is in shock, not only seeing Ian get shot but knowing the reason why. It changes everything.

Ian is set on joining the army but a chance meeting with Clayton stops him. Although Clayton doesn’t know Ian well, he realises something is wrong and offers him a place to stay. Ian accepts and over time opens up to his biological father about his relationship with Mickey. Wanting to make up for all the lost years, Clayton decides to play matchmaker and find Mickey - hoping to bring him and Ian back together. But it’s not that easy.

They get married at city hall. And it’s all good. For a minute. An attempt on Mickey’s life by the cartel leads them into witness protection. They’re told it’ll be temporary but it’s not easy when they’re sent to a random town and given new identities. Can their new marriage survive all this drama?

More Gallavich prompts here

[kradogsrats]

Fic: Coins for the Eyes

sfdjksdljfl so I haven't written any Ouroboros-verse (Viren-Harrow bodyswap scenario AU) in forever but I wanted to get this out just in case all my "Claudia finds coined Kpp'Ar and it crumbles the last unstable pillars supporting her worldview" prayer circle manifesting for s6 actually works.

—

The next day, Claudia stayed in bed until after the noon bells, sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest and her folded arms resting on top of them.

She’d been only a child when Kpp’Ar disappeared. She barely even remembered those weeks, now—Soren on the edge of death, Kpp’Ar vanishing without a word, their mother dwindling to a speck on the horizon. Then her own first attempt at magic, followed by many, many more as she threw herself into the only thing that had made her feel like the future might hold something besides loss.

They never found out what happened to him. Her father’s duties as high mage seemed to crowd out every chance he had to investigate, and the Puzzle House was sealed by royal decree not long after she and Soren navigated it. After King Harrow was crowned, it seemed like everyone was determined to never speak of Kpp’Ar again. He became just another person who abandoned her without explanation—another ghost haunting her heart.

Ten years later, and she’d finally found a clue. A clue her father may have had that entire time.

He must have still been looking for Kpp’Ar, hoping to work out how to save him. It was the only explanation that made any sense, but it still hurt—he’d never said anything, even knowing how much it ate at her that Kpp’Ar was gone. If he’d told her, they could have worked on the problem together—she could have helped. She was smart and strong and eager, and they could have done so much if only he’d let her—

Like he let you help with saving King Harrow from assassins?

She shook the nasty voice out of her head, squeezing her eyes shut. “Stop being such a child,” she said aloud. “Maybe you weren’t strong enough then, but you are now. So fix it.”

It was Kpp’Ar she had first gone to with questions about magic. She had learned not to do the same with her father unless absolutely necessary—even after he started properly teaching her, he had little patience for explanations and tangents. Now they were both gone, but there was still someone who might be able to give her answers.

After finally dressing and coiling her hair into a severe knot at the back of her neck, she stepped out to face what remained of the day. She stopped by the high mage’s office, but Aaravos was nowhere in sight when she pulled the mirror’s cover away. Rather than wait for him, she scribbled a note on a scrap of paper and stuck it face-first to the glass with a blob of half-dried glue.

She spent the rest of the afternoon in the library, prowling the shelves for books on metallurgic magic and elven runes. When she felt like she couldn’t read anymore without screaming, she climbed up to the battlements and watched the sun slowly sink below the western horizon.

Aaravos was waiting when she returned to the office, his sunset-fog eyes and elegantly arched brows visible over the note stuck to the mirror’s face. She pulled the paper off and let it fall to the floor, picking up the slate and chalk.

The pinprick lights dusted over his indigo skin twinkled as he raised a hand, the usual glowing letters trailing behind his fingers to hang in the air. You say you want answers. You need only ask.

“Good evening to you, too,” Claudia muttered under her breath. The chalk squeaked as she wrote on the slate: Have you ever seen something like this? Then she drew the coin from her belt pouch and held both up to the mirror.

He motioned for her to bring the coin closer, leaning in to examine it. She turned it so he could see both sides—Kpp’Ar’s twisted face on one, and the strange, split-wheel symbol on the other—switching between them when he gestured with a twisting motion. His face was so close that his nose seemed like it might brush the glass, close enough that she could see the pale curve of his eyelashes and the stray hairs that fell across his face, all highlighted by the glow from the bright notches of light across his cheekbones. His eyes flicked briefly up to hers, and he slowly straightened.

I have, he wrote. For once, he didn’t wait for her to ask before offering his explanation. The complete essence of a human trapped in gold, body and spirit. A cruel, if effective, punishment for enemies.

Claudia swallowed against the tightness in her throat. She closed her hand around the coin, holding it tightly for a moment before tucking it back into her pouch.

When she looked back to the mirror, Aaravos was watching her. It is someone you care for.

She nodded slightly, then sat down in her chair and rubbed the slate clear. He was like a second father to me, she wrote out. I’m a mage because of him.

It wasn’t something she’d ever admitted aloud—that it had been Kpp’Ar who truly nurtured her love of magic, not her father. She never doubted that her father loved her, but he’d shown no interest in teaching her until she was already getting in trouble for messing up spells she’d learned on her own. When he finally saw she had talent, he’d trained her rigorously in building and using it. Kpp’Ar had spoken of magic as something to love—powerful, but also wonderful and weird and sometimes silly. Something fun, not just a tool to be used for greater ends.

I’m sorry. Aaravos looked at her with sympathy, his face somehow softer and more genuine than ever before. It hurt some, to be looked at that way, but she also felt a little better. Like someone cared.

Rather than continue to meet his eyes, she wiped the words from the slate again and busied herself with writing. Who could have done this? After a moment, she added, Can it be undone?

He can be freed, though it is both difficult and costly. The next part of Aaravos’s reply came slowly, with clear hesitation. As for who: I will say only that the spell cannot be cast without the aid of a powerful relic, of which kind there is only one.

She stared at him, perplexed—was she supposed to somehow know the relic he spoke of? He held her gaze at first, but then his eyes shifted slightly, focusing on something behind her. A shiver ran down her spine, and she turned slowly to scan the room.

Her eyes immediately fell on her father’s staff, propped against the doorframe.

“No,” she said reflexively. She turned back to the mirror, shaking her head. It couldn’t be that. It couldn’t be. It was a mistake—she was tired and upset, and it made her misinterpret things. Aaravos would correct her.

Aaravos only looked back out at her, that same knowing sympathy on his star-speckled face.

“No,” she said again. “No, no, no—that’s impossible. Dad wouldn’t. He wouldn’t.”

She began to shake, her vision swimming. Her chest tightened like a vise until it stopped her breath. The slate and chalk slipped from her numb fingers and hit the floor with a crack she barely heard.

That her father could have done this to Kpp’Ar—not just kept secret from her what had happened to him, but lied to her for more than half her life—she couldn’t even process it. He’d barely investigated Kpp’Ar’s disappearance because he’d known what happened all along. He’d let her think Kpp’Ar had abandoned her. Like her mom had abandoned her.

Like he eventually would, too.

Aaravos was still watching her when she looked up again. More glowing letters drifted in front of him. Are you all right?

Claudia wiped her eyes angrily and nodded. She picked up the slate, making a face at the long crack that had formed across one corner, and one of the larger pieces remaining of the shattered chalk.

How can I free him? she wrote, calm and precise.

I can help you, but not like this. He gestured expansively to the glass and glowing words between them. We must first be able to speak to and hear one another. I know a small ritual that will allow that. After completing it, we can begin.

She rubbed out her words and wrote again. What do I have to do?

Aaravos smiled.

[three-milkz]

Could there be a balance of powers between ladynoir in season six? I think so, but I know that the writers won't do it because they don't know how to do their job and the fandom does the job a thousand times better with fanfics.

Going back to balance. There was never a balance as such between them. On s1, Ladybug did most of the work and Chat rarely did anything noticeable.

With Fu making an appearance, the chances of Chat showing off a bit are totally diminished, because the writers decided to bring in the WORST teacher, well, mediocre attempt at teacher. They tried to make Fu look like he was wise or whatever, but he does a lousy job and the best thing he could do was get off the show.

A teacher must guide those he trains and give them the same treatment and importance, especially if he says that his two students have the same balance of power. Fu favors Marinette and doesn't get close to Adrien until he is forced. If this weren't bad, he is such a bad teacher, that he leaves a terrible legacy for Marintte, Fu literally made Marinette follow his terrible footsteps in s4.

But I still think there can be a balance if the writers remember that Chat is not just a punching bag.

And this is where Cerise comes in, but let's call it Lila.

As we know, the only limit that the miraculous have is the holder and as we also know, Lila is a thousand times more intelligent than Gabriel.

We also know that Ladybug is essential for battles, because she is the only one that can purify akumas. (Pretty dumb idea if you ask me. Why can only ONE miraculous clear the akumas? What if the ladybug's miraculous is missing while the butterfly's one is owned by someone bad? or the ladybug's is owned by the same person who the butterfly? It does NOT make sense. Even so, it has been shown in chat blanc that akumas can be destroyed with cataclysm, but only before the akuma gets its victim, although this is forgotten and will never be used again). And Chat can be replaced by ten temporary heroes without problems.

but what if we make both ladybug and chat so important that they are the only ones with the power to clear the akumas?

Maybe Lila can develop her powers so that the ONLY way to destroy the akumatized object is with the cataclysm. There is no cataclysm, the akuma is still there doing damage.

We have only one akuma from the future and timetagger's akumatized object is destroyed WITH THE CATACLYSM, I'm not going to rule out the idea that it could happen, but it probably won't.

Good, let's continue.

Chat has been a jester forever and is useless in most cases, but we know that he can do a VERY GOOD job when he wants to. Examples: sandboy, passion, kuro neko, etc. But I will also add this: during passion, Mari is VERY distracted because she is in love with Chat and well, she ruins it several times by being in the clouds and she had more in mind flirting than worrying about the akuma. Somehow, are they telling us that Chat was useless for that very reason? For being in love with Ladybug? If we follow that logic, then in s6 things will improve a lot for him.

(Although with so many mediocre heroes, even the baby Augustus would beat them and anyone can look perfectly)

As we know, Adrinette is canon and ladynoir is just a friendship, so with no romantic feelings involved, Chat can focus on doing effective work.

And, I think this is already asking a lot, that he wants to explore his powers more and improve in that aspect, even more knowing that he has infinite cataclysms. If they want to give Su-han a use, then they can make him a master of Adrien and Mari, not like Fu. Although between fu and suhan I don't know which one is worse in uselessness.

In s6, the akumas will be much stronger and it is necessary for everyone to take the job seriously, so I hope that they will finally give Chat the leading role and development that he deserves from s1.

(Last thing. If Chat's power is evolved as Ladybug being able to create talismans, they would do it with the cataclysm at a distance. Chat Blanc makes it clear that he can do it. When he is akumatized, Gabriel POWERS UP the abilities of Chat, there is a high chance that Chat could use cataclysm from a distance at some point.)

[karenandhenwilson]

Some thoughts about Eddie

It's fine to headcanon a character as gay. It's just as fine to headcanon a character as straight and even create fan art portraying him that way. Yes, even during Pride Month. (Especially if that character is according to current canon actually straight.)

Personally, I've always headcanon Eddie as demisexual. Because it's so very clear that he had a lot of chemistry with Shannon and enjoyed it. While he outright stated that he really has no interest in dating for the sake of dating. He had to be pressured into it by his aunt in s6 and by Bobby in s4. Otherwise, he was pretty happy not dating at all.

And then there is of course the fact that he is in a way chasing what he had with Shannon. Who I believe that he loved at one point, even if we never saw them being happy with each other. You can love someone and still be horrible for each other, be horrible in a relationship with each other. Be that because of outside forces (Eddie's parents) or just because you might not be the right people for each other. But he loved her and dreamed of creating a good and strong family with her at least. The way he tried to pull her into his and Chris' life again eventually, just before she slapped him in the face with the false pregnancy suspicion and then the demand for a divorce, speaks of that dream, at least for me.

I think Eddie had the love and intimacy with Shannon everyone tells him he should find again. And everyone (his aunt, Bobby) tells him how easy it should be to go out and just click with someone, just be attracted to someone. But it's not for him. Because he needs a connection that he had with Shannon but has never found with anyone else since. And only then will the attraction part come.

But he's never been able to experience that with anyone else. He only knows that dating is a chore and that, honestly, he is pretty happy alone but no one will believe him about that. At least no one he talked to about that topic or who pressured him to discuss that topic, aka Pepa and Bobby. I like to believe that if he ever talked with Hen or Buck about it either would ask him something like "But do you need to find a relationship?" and maybe then the puzzle pieces would finally find the right place in Eddie's head. (I'd like to beg Hen to ask him that un-propmeted. Because with the way she looked when Eddie declared dating a chore? Makes me think she knows.)

And what fandom likes to claim as Eddie being bad at relationships is just him not knowing what should be expected there of him. He is not invested in the relationships we have seen him in and he probably just assumes that's how it is when go about dating first instead of building a friendship first as it probably happened with Shannon. (Because, let's be honest, we all assume at first that our own experience is the same as everyone else's experience and even if we learned to know better it remains our default all too often.) He doesn't know it's supposed to be different, that it's not supposed to feel like a chore to spend time with the woman you are trying to date.

Lately, I've even come to wish Eddie would outright come out as aro/ace. A little bit out of spite. But mostly because we really have barely any representation of aro/ace characters and I think it would fit Eddie's journey of the past six years so, so well.

This is my personal headcanon and wish for Eddie in s8. And it's just as valid as hoping he'll stay straight or headcanoning him as gay.