#like i also don't want to lead him on only to completely bail

[spocksmalewife]

i'm experiencing a dilemma

[chickenbyday]

11 and 13 for andreil...(@stabbyfoxandrew)

this uh.. drabble. got away from me. and is also most definitely not what you intended.

Prompts are "I thought you were dead" and "We're going to get arrested for this". Enjoy!

The chain link fence gives under Andrew's boot in a way that sends his stomach swooping towards the cold hard ground below, but he manages to keep his balance long enough to prevent the ten-foot free fall. Aaron huffs from the ground, although whether it's from amusement or annoyance at Andrew's plight is up in the air, and Andrew refuses to look down and check. When he swings his leg over, his jean snags on the top where the shitty wire isn't folded over, and Andrew swears under his breath. He's going to kill the man when they finally get to him, and this is going onto the list of reasons, right after the fake death and the ghosting. 

Andrew finally spares Aaron a look. "Sometime before the sun comes up, if you don't mind," he whisper-yells, and Aaron drags his hands over his face roughly before dragging his feet over to the fence and following Andrew's lead. 

"We're going to get arrested for this," Aaron mutters, and Andrew rolls his eyes, although he knows Aaron can't see him. It's more likely to be the FBI considering the man Andrew is trying sneak up on, and apparently, they've been handled. 

"I know the guy," Andrew says instead when he gets two feet on the ground, and Aaron jumps from the top like the asshole he is, landing next to him, snow crunching under his heels. 

"Then why the fuck are we breaking and entering?" Aaron asks, trailing Andrew to the fire escape stairs. The bottom level ladder isn't completely lowered, and Andrew turns to look at Aaron head on. Before he opens his mouth, Aaron shakes his head. "No. Absolutely not."

"You owe me," Andrew says, which technically is true, and the only reason he got Aaron to come. Not that he told him about this part, because, well--

"I don't owe you this much," Aaron says, eyeing the drop-down ladder. Also, arguably, technically true. "I'm not going to jail for this."

"What, don't think Nicky would post our bail?" Andrew asks snidely, and Aaron glares. He's rubbing at his temples again, which means that he already knows that Andrew isn't budging and is trying to decide whether or not it's worth that argument in the middle of the night after they've already broken into the place. 

"I'm not going to be the one to do it," Aaron says instead of arguing again, and Andrew shrugs. He can salvage this. 

"You think you can give me the boost?" Andrew asks, because he really, really doesn't want to do this part. 

"It's not like you're tall," Aaron says, rolling his shoulders and gauging the distance between the ground and the ladder. 

Andrew huffs at him but doesn't have a rebuttal to that. It's not like he is tall. Andrew shakes most of the slush off his boots, because as much as he wants to be a dick about this, if Aaron loses feeling in his fingers, Andrew will be the one to pay for it. 

He'll find a way to get him back eventually. Probably when Aaron cashes in on what Andrew will owe him for.

Aaron moves to stand under the ladder and drops to one knee. Andrew comes up behind him and clambers onto his shoulders, and Aaron slowly stands up, tipping Andrew in the process. 

Andrew yanks his hair when he regains his balance. Asshole. Andrew would have done this part smoothly. "Fuck all the way off," Aaron says, swaying in a way that makes Andrew's stomach twist and turn. 

When Aaron finally finds his footing and braces for it, Andrew does the shamble of an amateur gymnast that it takes to get to something that resembles standing, Aaron gripping his ankles hard enough to make the leather of his boots creak. 

"Why are you wearing these shoes to do this?" Aaron complains, and Andrew ignores him in favor of reaching up to grab the- 

The ladder is still too tall. 

This is why he didn't want to be the one to do it. 

Andrew pauses, and Aaron looks up to see what the holdup is and groans. 

Andrew knocks his knee against the side of his head. "Let go of me," he demands, and Aaron to his credit does, and Andrew says, "Watch your shoulders," before jumping to the bottom rung. The ladder slides down half a foot in a jolt, Andrew's intestines falling to the floor, but when it settles again, Andrew is still dangling in the air. 

He pulls himself up enough to grab the next rung and manages to get to landing without crashing back to the ground. When he gets there, he undoes the latches holding the ladder in place and sends it down for Aaron to follow. 

They climb up the rest of the steps, and they get to the fourth floor before Aaron finally asks, "So who's apartment are we breaking into?" Only took him three hours. That's two and a half hours later than Andrew was expecting, but small mercies he guesses. 

Granted, Andrew did show up at his apartment at ten o'clock at night and told him he was cashing in and nothing more. 

"This guy's," Andrew says in answer, and Aaron kicks the back of his heel. "We were... friends," Andrew continues, because Aaron still wears steel toed, apparently, and Andrew doesn't want a repeat. He grumbles something about not knowing Andrew had friends, but Andrew ignores him. "He disappeared off the face of the earth a year ago and turned up here two months ago with a different name. He deserves a kick in the teeth."

None of that was quite the truth, but it was as close enough as it could get with the distraction of the task at hand. 

"What makes you think it's the same guy and not a look-alike?" Aaron asks, which if it was anyone else, might be a reasonable question. Andrew shrugs at him the best he can over his shoulder, and Aaron rolls his eyes at him with a huff. 

When they get to the fifteenth floor, Andrew pauses, startling when Aaron runs into his back. "Are we there yet?" Aaron asks, not quite out of breath, but in the vicinity of it. 

"Door one or door two?" Andrew asks, gesturing at the two windows on the landing, and Aaron whips around to look at him. 

"How do you not know which one?" He asks, voice reaching an octave that Andrew would be alarmed about if he didn't know that Aaron was a dramatic little bitch.

"Renee works in mysterious ways," Andrew says cryptically, because the real answer is that he does know, probably, if he was paying attention, but the answer is lost somewhere in his memory and Andrew has no idea how to pull it out. 

"Why does Renee know where your secret friend is?" Aaron asks, because, well. Her line of work has never exactly been one that you want to get mixed up in, never mind that these days, she works to break up the gangs like the ones she was running with as a teen. 

She had to pull a lot of strings to figure out where the FBI dumped him when they were through getting his testimony, and she told Andrew that she wouldn't be able to find him again if he fucks it up and gets him relocated. He told her not to worry. Andrew wasn't losing him again. 

Andrew ignores Aaron's question and picks a window to peak into. He finds himself looking into a darkened living room, at a plush couch with tasteful pillows and photos of dogs on the far wall. Definitely not. Andrew remembers the state of the apartment he had a year ago. 

The other window proves more promising, the furniture looking like it's probably been in this building since the old woman who lived here last kicked it, saving the FBI from having to figure out how to get this man a furnished apartment. Or maybe they picked out the most god-awful stuff they could find after having to deal with him as some form of revenge. Andrew can't say that he blames them if the latter was the case. 

Andrew shimmies one of his knives through the crack where the window is latched down, carefully pushing the latch open. When it eventually gives, Andrew slips his knife back into its band and carefully slides the window up, letting in the powdery snow lining the sill. Andrew turns to Aaron, and Aaron shakes his head. 

"What?" Andrew hisses at him through his teeth, and Aaron gestures emphatically to the window. 

"I'm not breaking and entering this guy's apartment!" He hisses back. 

"We haven't broken anything yet. It's still just trespassing," Andrew says, one foot already halfway through the window. Not technically true, because breaking and entering includes if there's intent to commit a crime, and Andrew plans on committing a murder before this night is over. But Aaron doesn't need to know that. 

"That doesn't make this better," Aaron argues, following him through. 

"Actually, according to the law, it does." Andrew turns and stops dead in his tracks. 

The bluest eyes Andrew has ever seen in his life are staring back at him, a deer caught in the head lights, a flash of a knife caught in his fist.

"It's going to be the same call from jail," Aaron says, spinning around and promptly freezing. For a moment, no one moves. 

"Neil," Andrew says, as absolutely flat as he can muster. He's not sure he manages it if the way Neil inhales sharply is anything to go by. 

Neil says nothing, still staring at Andrew like-- 

Andrew turns to Aaron. "You can leave," he says, and Aaron gestures between the three of them wordlessly. 

Andrew points to the window. He does not say please, but Aaron must be less of a jackass than he lets on, because he catches it anyway. "I'll be in the car," he grumbles. Andrew tosses him the keys, and he leaves after shooting Neil a look Andrew isn't quite sure how to parse. 

Andrew watches the window slide shut, and then watches the closed window for good measure, carefully clenching and unclenching his hands into fists. 

"Andrew," Neil finally says, and Andrew flinches, whirling around to face him. 

"What are you doing here?" Andrew spits, his breath burning hot in his lungs and igniting the dark coal in his chest. 

Neil keeps staring at him, like he has any right to be looking at Andrew like that right now, and says, "I could ask you the same." 

Andrew wants to break his face more than it already has been since the last time Andrew has seen him. "I keep my promises." Neil's eyes cut down to the floor when he hears the unspoken, unlike you. 

"There wasn't another option," Neil says instead of answering Andrew's original question. Andrew's nails dig into his palms hard enough draw blood, a sudden burst of warmth he wasn't expecting. 

"Thought you were the optimist between the two of us," Andrew says, glaring at the spot on the carpet where his shoes are melting into the floor, because if he looks at Neil right now, he'll kill him. 

It's starting to hit Andrew that he might not have been a hallucination after all, and he doesn't know what to do with that revelation. 

"I never pretended to be," Neil says, and he sounds as tired as Andrew feels. "I was just... stupid." 

Andrew's eyes snap up to his. "So that's how it is?" Andrew asks, clinging to the apathy settled into his bones. 

"I'm sorry," Neil says, dragging his hands through his hair, "for dragging you into this." 

"I don't care." The forest fire in his chest has gone out in a haze. Andrew wills his eyes not to water in the smokey aftermath of it. 

"I know," Neil says, and there's something wrong with the lilt of his voice. 

"Also irrelevant," Andrew says, instead of addressing it. 

"I didn't have another choice." Neil puts the knife away into the drawer in front of him. 

"Bullshit." 

Neil walks around the countertop that separates the living room and the kitchen and sits on the couch. They would have killed you, if I had fought back." 

Andrew plops down next to him, crossing his arms and kicking his feet up onto the coffee table. Neil wrinkles his nose at Andrew's shoes but elects not to say anything. "They would have tried."

Despite himself, Neil huffs a laugh. "Andrew," He says, and Andrew can't believe it's been a year since he's heard that voice, "These people were employees of a man known as The Butcher." 

"'Were'?" Andrew asks, and the mirth on Neil's face vanishes, mouth forming a thin line. It gives Andrew a moment to study the other new lines carved into Neil's face from up close, but Andrew can't think about it too hard, because there madness lies, and he just managed to cool the embers of his rage. 

"Were," Neil responds firmly, and Andrew lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. 

"What happened?" Andrew asks after sitting in silence for a long moment of listening to Neil breath next to him, a sound Andrew didn't even know was possible to miss. 

"They got me on my way out of work. FBI caught up some twelve hours later." Neil picks at the scars dotting his hands, and it's a familiar enough sight that Andrew smacks his hands lightly without thinking. Neil looks up at him and smiles softly, and the back of Andrew's neck tingles in a way it hasn't in a while. Still, this isn't adding up.

"Why didn't you come back?" Andrew asks, and Neil drops his gaze to his hands. 

"They had your address and were going to get you instead if I fought," Neil says, and Andrew rolls his eyes. 

"This martyr shit isn't cute." God. The fact that this didn't occur to Andrew as a possibility months ago is ridiculous. 

"It would have been my fault," Neil says, like that's any kind of defense or justification. "If something happened to you, it would have been my fault."

"I don't care," Andrew repeats, catching his eyes again.

Neil narrows his eyes, an anger that Andrew hasn't seen in a year that he didn't think he'd see again. "Someone needs to care about your life," Neil says, an edge to his voice that hasn't been there. 

"I thought you were dead," Andrew says, matching that edge. 

Neil blinks before shaking his head roughly, ignoring him. "I couldn't lose you," Neil says, like that's a thing he's allowed to admit out loud, like that's a thing he's allowed to feel about Andrew, like that matters at all when it means Andrew has to lose Neil. 

"Then don't," Andrew says, eyes still locked on Neil's, and Neil is still fucking looking at him like-- 

"Yes or no?" Neil asks, and Andrew crashes into him without bothering to answer. 

Andrew isn't losing him again.

[hello-nichya-here]

No, the HIMYM finale is not secretly genius, stop lying to yourselves

The series finale of How I Met Your Mother, with Robin divorcing Barney and then getting together with Ted, a widower, years later could have been great. Yes, I'm serious.

Two people that were NOT soulmates and did NOT work out as couple when they were in their 20s met their true soulmates but life made them split up, and then they got a second chance of happiness with each other because, despite not being a perfect match they were at a point where they could make it work? Could totally work as a "bittersweet" ending. It's not "happily ever after" but it still finding happiness after the tragedy that stole their actual happily ever after, which is a valid, totally compelling story to tell.

But the writers completely destroyed any chance of it working as a satisfying story because the ending simply doesn't work as a twist and foreshadowing can't compete with consistent characterization.

The finale would only ever work if we had gotten to see the years of character development that were supposed to lead up to it. We'd have to SEE Barney and Robin's marriage deteriorating. We'd have too SEE Tracy's struggle with her illness and then Ted's years of grief. We'd have to SEE Ted and Robin slowly reconnecting and realizing that they've changed so much that can actually be a decent couple now - and more importantly, we have to see them CHANGE IN A WAY THAT MAKES THEM COMPATIBLE, NOT SIMPLY REVERSING THEM BACK TO HOW THEY WERE IN THE PILOT EPISODE BECAUSE THEY WERE ALREADY INCOMPATIBLE BACK THEN!

The show spent 98% of it's time building up to the "red-herring" of a Barney/Robin & Ted/Tracy endgame, with only the ocasional hints that this wasn't actually going to happen. It spent 9 fucking years, 9 seasons of 20+ episodes, building up to it this false endgame. Then suddenly the finale they try to give us SIXTEEN YEARS IN 40 MINUTES, expecting the audience the do the writer's jobs for them and fill in the blanks.

If they had given us the "fake ending" in the middle of the show, then spent the following seasons building up to the true ending, the finale wouldn't have been hated. Sure, no one would be surprised by the events in it, but anyone who didn't want Ted and Robin together would have bailed on the series a long time ago anyway.

And that's why they didn't do it. Because they knew most people didn't want these two to be endgame, LOVED Barney's growth as a character, and were not only eagerly waiting to meet Tracy but were also blown away by how she managed to be even better than we imagined. They wanted to have it both ways: give the audience what they wanted AND say "Sorry, this is our story, if you don't like it you don't have to watch it." It's cowardly, pathetic and a deep betrayal of the audience's trust, because people CAN accept not being given what they wanted - but they don't accept being lied to.

We never saw Barney be frustrated by Robin's work or by constant traveling before the finale - he's the "challenge accepted" guy, for fuck's sake, he used to go random trips just for the sake of having an adventure with his friends - thefore we don't believe that he is miserable enough that he'd want to end their marriage.

You can't show us Robin repeatedly choosing Barney over Ted, give us an insane scene of her covering Ted's face during sex to pretend she's sleeping with someone else, having her react to what she thinks is a proposal with 'You can't do this to me!", and even saying, to his face, that she doesn't love him, and then pretend that she totally still had feelings for him this entire time.

Even Ted pointed out, during this wedding to Stella, that Robin isn't hoping he'll remain single because she genuinely wants him, but because she's just afraid of being alone. C&C cannot convince general audiences, or critics, that she loves this man after they literally described the show as "The story of man that is in love with a woman, and she doesn't want that."

They can't tell me Ted genuinely loved Robin when he was constantly irritated by everything that makes her who she is: the fact that she's career-driven, always takes charge of everything, doesn't want kids, likes to travel around because she wants life to be an adventure, doesn't seem to believe in fate or soulmates, is a gun enthusiast, etc. They can't tell me they'd make it work when that's still who Robin is a person and Ted would still be irritated by it.

They DEFINITIVELY cannot convince me that him being hung up on her for so long means anything when he meets a new potential "soulamte" every other week, and will ALSO fall back in love with multiple exes the second he runs into them again, or so much as thinks back to the good old times.

And they absolutely cannot fucking tell me that he'd still be hung up on her after 25 fucking years, after he met his actual soulmate - unless they want me to believe the woman that was basically born from his rib is not his soulmate, which I call bullshit on.

And no, finale defenders, you cannot make this an inspirational "He found happiness with an old flame after his true love passed away because life is messy like that" when the show itself said, all the way back in season two "If Ted and Robin got married, they'd inevitably divorce, handle terribly, and screw up any kids they had."

Because yes, that's a thing that happens. When Robin meets Ted's parents, there's a whole misunderstanding about the dad supposedly cheating on the mom - and then we discover that actually they've been divorced FOR A LONG TIME, and just never told their kids because REASONS. Ted is even outraged that "Is this what passes for communication in this family?" More importantly, he and Robin, who are wearing the same colors as his parents, are shocked as they realize that the reasons for their divorce were the same reasons that made Robin not want to want Ted - the same reasons that would make them break up episodes later.

The writting is on the wall here. Ted and Robin will inevitably split up, and his kids will resent them both for getting them caught in the crossfire. Ted is already taking a page from his parents' book on How To Suck At Communicating Like A Normal Person by claiming he's gonna tell a story about their mother, only to then be like "Actually, this about how I love someone else and want to date her now."

"Oh, you just don't get it! The show was never about the Yellow Umbrella (Tracy)! It was about the Blue French Horn (Robin)!"

Yeah. It was about Robin. About how she's completely wrong for Ted and how they could never be happy together. About how he needs to let go of this obsession before it ruins his life and his relationship with everyone else that he is hurting during his attempts of getting with her: Victoria, Barney, Tracy, his children, and even Robin herself.

This is not a bittersweet ending. This is not a happy ending. This is two delusional writers ACCIDENTALLY giving their characters the most miserable endgame possible, and being convinced that they're giving us a fairy-tale ending - because yeah, that's what they thought. They weren't even aiming for bittersweet. They were never aiming for "Tragedy happens, but life goes on and you can still find happiness in it." They thought that Robin and Ted being so distraught by their awful lives that they convince themselves they were meant to be, and then go on to ruin their already shiity lives even more, was the most perfect happily ever after anyone could ask for.

The finale COULD have been great. Instead it was the worst thing imaginable, and the very fact that people can only try to defend it by WILDLY misterpreting what the writers wanted them to take from it is proof of how poorly thought out and written it was.

No one likes it for what it is, they like it for what they PRETEND it is. That simple fact is more insulting to this ending than anything I or anyone else could possibly say.

[i-like-media]

If I had the pleasure to write a Dan VS. Episode, I think I'd write Dan VS Elise, but not for the ways you think!

The episode would start off peacefully, blue sky, birds chirping... only to be interrupted by Chris's car FLYING through the air at a high speed as it comes up from behind a hill! It drops back onto the road, and we get a view of what's happening inside the car.

Chris is dressed as a mime. "W-WHICH WAY?" He asks frantically, to which Dan (who is fighting a monkey in the backseat) replies "TAKE THE NEXT LEFT! ............ ALSO MIMES DON'T TALK.". A tranquilizer dart flies through the car window, scaring Chris and making him swerve. They're being chased by a zoo staff! Chris takes that screeching left, which rolls the two in the back over, with the monkey landing on top of Dan. It ooh ooh aah aah's victoriously, only to be hit by a tranquilizer dart. It collapses and Dan takes the opportunity to get on top with a cocky "HA!" ..... only to get darted himself too. "WHICH WAY NOW? .... DAN?" Chris is swerving about like crazy, but with no reply from Dan, he feels the need to look back and check what's going on. Before he can even properly respond, he crashes into another car. The car spins around a couple of times, before coming to a stop. In a matter of seconds, the car is surrounded by cops and zoo staff... and the Scene ends with Chris letting out a measly "oh boy..."

The next scene takes place some time later. Chris had been bailed out by Elise, but Dan hadn't. Which is why we find Dan immediately going to Chris's house when he DOES get out. "Stupid Chris, stupid Elise... (Mumble mumble)... next time they need me I oughtta (grumble grumble)..." We get a shot of the house, without the car in sight. The curtains are also closed. As Dan approaches the building, he hears arguing. He pauses and WANTS to put his ear to the wall, but then the front door flies open right in his face, knocking him to the side. Elise stomps out holding a large bag. "Elise, please... Let's just talk about this" Chris pleads as he follows her out the door. "This isn't the end, Chris. I just need... a break. And I need you to start thinking about who you'd rather choose.... Me, or Dan." Chris is at a loss of words, unable to form words. So with a sigh Elise turns around and walks off.

"Well OBVIOUSLY you'd choose me, right?" Dan pipes up, covered in leaves. Chris doesn't react, he keeps on watching Elise.

"...I'll take that as a yes. Besides, we've got work to do! That monkey is still on the loose and that VET is STILL walking around without the iron fist of JUSTICE tainting his tastebuds!" Chris drops to his knees and starts tearing up, dropping his head into his hands.

"Ohhh cheer up, buddy. We both knew it wasn't going to work out <:)" Chris starts sobbing harder. "Ew.... well, he'll be over it soon enough 🤷‍♂️" but little did Dan know he would never get over it. Even worse, Chris becomes the most incompetent "sidekick" to his schemes ever, eating tub after tub after TUB of ice cream and breaking down crying at everything that reminds him of Elise. Which is when Dan gets so frustrated, he swears revenge on Elise (for rendering Chris completely useless in his schemes).

The rest of the episode would be filled with the wacky hijinks of Dan spying on Elise and trying to get back on her, while Chris tags along as a useless, crying mess.

These hijinks would eventually lead to Dan discovering Elise's lab, where he finds all KINDS of weapons. Though, his interests lie in a piece of technology he overheard Elise talking about to someone. A brand new prototype of a device that's supposedly wipe out a person and their entire existence with a single blast. No one remembering them either... Which sounds PERFECT to Dan. With Elise wiped from the planet, he could have Chris all for himself again! So he sets up an elaborate trap to get Elise somewhere in a specific spot so he can blast her... but Chris finds out about his plan, gets Elise out of harms way at the last second and breaks the weapon, showing to Elise that he's choosing HER. He wants to spend the rest of his life with HER because he loves His WIFE. And Elise sees this, and accepts it as an apology. They make up...

And as Dan watches this unfold in frustration, he sighs and eases up. He even manages to crack a short lived smile. It's a bittersweet one, because Deep Down he wants Chris to genuinely be happy. He doesn't like saying it, but seeing Chris so SAD for so long, wasn't great! He thought it was annoying for the most part SURE, but he's also still his best friend. But on the other hand it's bittersweet, because in the process of bringing Chris closer to him again, he only drifted further away. He's officially not getting "his friend back" in the same sense they might've been when Chris hadn't met Elise yet... and that's something that has scared Dan ever since Elise started to become a serious presence.

So in this short moment, he contemplates some of this nuance........ but that thought process is cut short rather quickly when the monkey from before LEAPS out from the shadows and tackles Dan, scratching and clawing and continuing the fight.

Chris goes: "...Huh. I knew I forgot about something.... Oh well." And that's how the episode would end, with the camera zooming out on the whole chaotic scene, Elise embracing Chris and Dan getting mauled by a monkey.

[deke-rivers-1957]

Roustabout Review

Marred by pre-production issues, Roustabout took about 3 years to put out. Announced in 1961, Elvis didn't start filming until March 1964 at 29 years old (well after he stopped playing bad boy characters). This film also had Colonel's influence as he wanted the film to be portray carnival life as a respectable profession.

Made after VLV and Kissin Cousins, this is the last film from Elvis' 2nd Hollywood phase (lighthearted musical comedy travelogues). Does Roustabout have enough of a gritty yet colorful edge to make it enjoyably different, or was it trying too hard to capture a movement and emotion that was no longer relevant? Let's find out.

The titular song "Roustabout" gets us off to a great start. The colored lights are tolerable for those who are photosensitive. The song itself is very enjoyable but I'm not sure if it fits the movie's characterization of Charlie. He's characterized as a ruffian with a chip on his shoulder. I personally recommend looking up "I'm A Roustabout", an alternate opening title song that I think better suited Charlie's character.

So we get introduced to some college kids that only show up for this one scene and I don't like their attitudes. They get all uppity with a waitress who insists on giving them non-alcoholic drinks despite one of them claiming they're all 18 (unless this takes place in Louisiana, states even back in 1964 had the purchase age at 21 to buy alcohol so that argument is moot). The establishment has the right to enforce underage drinking laws, so regardless of their actual age, the waitress has to at least check.

This is the first example of the movie telling us to think one way about Charlie despite showing evidence suggesting otherwise. The college students start heckling him and then get mad when he heckles back. "Poison Ivy League" is an entertaining song that calls out the rich college students and has a unique sound for an Elvis song.

When the song is over, we're made to believe that Charlie is some type of bad boy who picks fights because he's got a chip on his shoulder for being an orphan. That isn't the case at all because Charlie didn't start the fight. Him being an orphan has absolutely nothing to do with this interaction. The college boys started it by making remarks and if you look closely, the one in the blue actually started to swing first. Despite this, Charlie is the only one who gets arrested then gets slapped by the waitress who bailed him out. She's upset that he wouldn't take her with him, when in reality he's not obligated to do anything more than pay her back.

"Wheels On My Heels" is a good song that properly fills in what otherwise would've been dead air. You want to believe that Charlie is content with being on his own as he travels to his next job. However, given the circumstances that lead to this, you still don't get the idea that he's a bad boy. He's acting like a relatively reasonable person that doesn't like getting blamed for things he didn't do.

Which is what makes Joe running off the road so frustrating. Charlie flirts with his daughter, Cathy, and he just completely loses his mind. He verbally stated his intents on killing Charlie, yet still makes it like it was Charlie's fault. What's worse is that, Charlie is forced to work with Maggie and the family until his motorcycle is fixed. Instead of offering to buy him a new bike all together, this family makes like Charlie should be honored to work there as opposed to being held against his will.

We get a walk through of the carnival and I immediately get the idea that Colonel contributed to the script. Cathy uses all this carny talk and then compares it to doctors using Latin because it separates them from the common man. I'm all for wanting to break stereotypes, but Cathy saying this makes her come off as nothing but high in mighty. At least with Cody and the other carnival workers, they have a realistic perspective of trying to take pride in their work despite their low status. It's just a shame none of them show up again to do literally anything. Charlie so far is quite personable and even tries to be nice to Cathy by going on a Ferris Wheel ride singing "It's a Wonderful World." It's a beautiful song with unique tracking shots of the Ferris Wheel moving.

Joe is still unreasonably awful when he's not even the boss. He would literally rather pick on Charlie than accept his half dollar coin for using a ride. We later find out that Maggie is also an irresponsible carnival owner for keeping him employed there. Joe as we learn, was drunk on the job and rigged a ride that ended up killing someone. As a result of not having insurance, Maggie now owes the bank compensation. Instead of doing literally anything, she still insists on keeping Joe employed and only blames herself for letting the insurance lapse. In reality, she'd likely be forced to shut down her business and Joe would definitely be out of a job. There's no way she'd be in business if she kept Joe working there as she'd be complacent in his negligence.

It's the first night of the carnival and while there is business, Cathy simply isn't doing enough to get money at her booth. So what does the bad boy Charlie do? He sings "It's Carnival Time" to attract business on a toy ukelele. Wow that's such a bad boy move /s. Charlie was so bad that he actually manages to earn the carnival a lot of money for that game.

The song itself is still good but I don't think it was lip-synched well. In the shots like this one, Elvis sometimes isn't even moving his lips while he's singing. But ultimately I still buy the idea of using him to attract customers since his songs are entertaining. If only the movie also properly utilized the Wall of Death since we know Charlie is a motorcycle rider.

We get a double header of "Carny Town" and "Hard Knocks" which both do a good job of entertaining the crowd. In the meantime, we get an introduction to the so called "villain" of the movie. Harry Carver is meant to be this no good carnival owner that buys out dying businesses. However, given what we know so far about Maggie and co. I don't hate this man at all. Maggie has shown that she's unwilling to get rid of Joe despite him actively being cruel to other workers, while Harry Carver actually comes off as a reasonable man who just wants to provide the highest quality entertainment possible.

When Charlie's show ends up being a success, Joe still can't even have the guts and admit that he was wrong. He still thinks Charlie is the bad guy here. So of course when Charlie is still salty about the damages Joe caused, Cathy is mad at him for being ungrateful when Maggie gave him a new guitar. Do you see how messed up that is for Cathy to not only defend her father's awful actions, but then have the gall to get mad at Charlie like he's the heel? I'm sorry but the movie is actively trying to gaslight its audience into think Charlie's this bad boy when in reality Charlie's the victim. I just can't support this downright unreasonable and unlikeable family.

At Charlie's next show we get "One Track Heart" and it's one of the best songs in the movie for how entertaining it is. That being said, I have no idea why Charlie changes his mind out of nowhere when he signs Maggie's contract. Nothing we've seen indicates any major change in his status there. This is where not giving his relationship with the other male carnies any development, really hurts the movie. It just feels like the script is forcing Charlie into this instead of naturally establishing reasons to make him change his mind. That's bad storytelling where you're telling us this is what needs to happen as opposed to showing us how Charlie grows.

Cathy also comes off as being super unlikeable by getting mad at Charlie for so much as being with Estelle, the fortune teller. They are not dating and she didn't even tell Charlie how she felt. Charlie is not at all obligated to stay loyal to her. She just comes off as high and mighty like Charlie should never dare have affections for another woman and it's very annoying. I just don't get any chemistry from these two at all and it's another aspect of the story that just feels forced.

After signing the contract with Maggie, Cathy is seen running the dunk tank with Joe and my god do we get the most obnoxious couple I've ever seen in my life. This couple actually makes me feel bad for Joe when they accuse him of stealing their wallet when they have been nothing but a nuisance and started a fight with Charlie. Then again, this family gets mad at Charlie having dared feel concern over Cathy's wellbeing. I was so mad at Cathy when she slapped Charlie because I have no idea why I'm supposed to get at someone who just wants to help. How I'm supposed to like anyone in this family over Harry Carver when they've all treated Charlie as nothing but dirt?

Estelle the fortune teller and Cathy are just awful love interests. They wanna make like they're interested in Charlie, but just when Charlie shows interest back, they get all disgusted. That's not a bad boy. A bad boy wouldn't listen to Cathy when she says she's not a one night stand type of girl. Like Estelle gets mad at Charlie even though she was the one who wanted him to have sex with her. It comes off as these women being so flakey and unlikeable as opposed to Charlie actually being wrong for pushing.

So he finds the wallet and like a good friend decides that Joe needs time to get sober. The next morning, he gets his bike back and is about to leave when he sees the Wall of Death. In a scene that absolutely serves no purpose outside of wasting time before the big reveal, Charlie tries his hand at it. Once he had his fun, Charlie tells Maggie and the other carnies that he found the man's wallet last night. As rational, reasonable people, every single person gets mad at Charlie for betraying Joe. They think Charlie was a heel for having dared think it was a good idea to keep a drunk man in jail longer than he should've been.

I just can't stand any of these people. Charlie actively tries to keep an absolutely terrible person in jail just long enough to sober up and HE'S THE BAD GUY! I think everyone in this carnival is insane. The colonel wanting to make this a specially coded business with rules ended up making this a straight up cult. If you don't drink the kool aid and support your fellow carny no matter how much of a horrible person they are, you're the bad person. I want this carnival to fail and go out of business because of how awful they are. That's a complete failure on the writers part to just completely fumble the ball when making Charlie this "bad boy" who has to change his ways. I want Charlie to get as far away as possible from these people.

Charlie of course signs with Harry Carver and I refuse to believe he's supposed to be the bad guy like the movie wants to make him. He's an actually reasonable man who runs a far superior business. This is a whole theater with numerous performers providing a quality show. However, "Little Egypt" is by far the weakest song in the movie. I hate the sound effect used as it hurts my ears and is completely unnecessary. It ruined what would've otherwise been an absolute banger and a good reason to believe that Charlie is a good performer.

We see Maggie's carnival and of course it's failing. It's almost like they didn't realizing casting Charlie out would have consequences. Cathy and Estelle talk and despite literally watching her kiss Charlie multiple times, Estelle says "she didn't even get to first base". I have never seen a movie completely mess up on its own continuity this badly. It gives you this feeling of anxiety that you're being gaslight as the movie tells you one thing despite being shown something completely different. We never once see Charlie use anyone like Estelle says he did and it's completely ridiculous.

I love "Big Love, Big Heartache". It's the quintessential Elvis ballad but if Charlie had an actual character arc this is the perfect way to show that he actually does love Cathy. It's such a shame that he doesn't have any character arc at all. Cathy just shows up because she wants to manipulate Charlie into coming back and he does. I think Charlie is absolutely insane for leaving a legitimately superior job for an actually toxic work environment. Based on what we're shown, no one at Maggie's carnival is likable enough to make Charlie want to be there.

I honestly feel bad for Harry Carver because he's a reasonable man who actually cares about his business. He even cares about Charlie being in love with Cathy and tries to give him advice. Charlie just gives him the shaft because we're near the end and this has to have a "happy" ending where Maggie's carnival is saved.

This is the most forced ending I've ever seen in an Elvis movie. Absolutely nothing is earned here. Absolutely nothing in this movie was properly developed as we're introduced to things like Charlie being an orphan and the wall of death only to have neither of those things matter. It's not like Loving You where Deke being an orphan actually matters as he learns how to heal and accept that he's good enough to have friends. With the Morgans you can't help but think this is the most unlikeable family you've ever seen. It's so badly written that the only way you can make sense of it, is to come up with the conspiracy theory that Joe is abusive towards both of them. It would other wise make zero sense for Maggie or Cathy to defend Joe.

Charlie can't accept the Morgans as his family because despite "There's A Brand New Day On The Horizon" telling us things are going to get better, I just don't think it will. Joe didn't have his epiphany and realizes Charlie is a good guy. Joe only accepts Charlie coming back because it's the end of the movie and the script tells you that he does. It's all so forced and I have no reason to believe Joe will get better. A complete mess of a story that is absolutely frustrating to watch.

I said in my Clambake review that it was the hardest film to develop a solid opinion on whether I liked it or not. Roustabout to me is like a Clambake but in reverse. Clambake had bad production and some bad songs but had the best character writing I've seen in a mid 60s Elvis movie so far. Roustabout meanwhile had good production and an amazing soundtrack (outside of the sound effect used in Little Egypt.) but the worst character writing I've ever seen in an Elvis movie.

Since the writing is the worst part of the movie that singlehandedly ruined my ability to enjoy it, I have to give it 5/10. This movie's production and soundtrack just wasn't enough overcome the failures of basic story telling. I personally didn't vibe with it so I can't say I'd recommend it but if you're someone who only watches Elvis films for the songs or doesn't care as much about the writing, then I think you would have a great time.

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

AN: Thank you @xanatenshi for requesting this review as well as @thedaisymaisy for providing input about the film. If anyone wants to send a request, feel free to send it in.

Tagging: @lynettethemadscientist, @motht-eeth, @ash-omalley, @spooky-hazex, @teamnefarious, @blighted-star, @ab4eva, @oh-my-front-door, @father-of-2cats, @stormie-ryan23, @yksuwyksud, @tacozebra051, @alienelvisobsession, @vintageoldsoul, @ohmygiddd, @lovininapinkcadillac, @stephthestallion, @mistyspresley, @bisexualwvtson, @ahundredlifetime, @karel-in-wonderland, @elvispresleywife, @georgefairbrother, @moonchild-daniella, @musiclover712, @worldofyns, @sillybookmarks, @g00d2balive, @leighpc, @generoustreemystic, @peskybedtime, @thetaoofzoe, @renegadewarrior, @vintagepresley, @tupelomiss, @myradiaz, @pinkcaddyconfessions, @kiankiwi, @presley72elvis, @delulubutidontcare, @januarypresley1969, @livelaughelvis, @all-hookedup-on-elvis, @slayingjd, @ilivebecauseiamforced, @dusintv, @cattcb, @jaqueline19997, @richardslady121, @iloveelvis2, @lett-them-eatt-cake @if-i-can-dream-of-elvis and @lookingforrainbows.

[isagrimorie]

One of the things episode 7 pointed out is how Anakin prepared Ahsoka to survive.

Anakin: As your Master, it’s my responsibility to prepare you. So, practice these forms often. Or at least more than I do. I won’t always be there to look out for you. If we get separated, or something happens, you need to be able to make it on your own. Don’t be afraid. Just remember what I taught you and trust your instincts.

Ahsoka also pointed out she feels like she failed Sabine because she didn't prepare Sabine enough -- and that just made me think -- when Baylan let Shin go, did he prepare Shin enough?

Baylan claims he trained Shin to be more than a Jedi; so far, we haven't seen how different she is from other Padawans we've seen. Even how he set her foot to follow her own path isn't different.

Anakin's focus on Ahsoka was singular -- that Ahsoka would learn to lead her troops well and survive the war.

As of episode 7, we don't know what Baylan's goal was in training Shin.

But Shin looked pretty shocked that Baylan was parting from Shin, I feel like Shin didn't feel ready to cut off her braid.

Shin was so surprised by Baylan's actions, I think whatever happened, Shin was still ready to walk whatever path Baylan wanted to take.

(Although maybe Baylan thought his path might lead to his death, he did this as kindness. Except... he didn't explain it to her).

I did think Baylan hand waved away Shin's comments about power or being part of a community, but it turns out he did take note. He just didn't say anything or clarify his position.

Baylan stayed long enough to ensure Shin had time to do what she needed, but his purpose prevented him from going to Shin's rescue. And, I think Baylan not appearing to bail her out finally sunk into Shin that Baylan has let her go, not knowing he stayed behind long enough to delay Ahsoka.

And Ahsoka deliberately did not use her lightsaber against Shin because, IMO, Ahsoka didn't want to kill a Padawan.

The Padawan only follows their Master, and Ahsoka was once a Padawan, too, who followed their Master anywhere.

Ahsoka tells Shin to surrender her weapon and then offers her hand for help.

And the look on Shin's face, the longing but also she does seem genuinely afraid of Ahsoka, and I want to know what the hell Baylan's been tailing Shin about Ahsoka because no matter how much she wanted to be part of this, Shin bails.

Ahsoka stops Sabine from chasing after Shin, whatever happens, Shin is on her own now.

Shin might look for Baylan, or she might head back to Thrawn. I'm curious what will happen.

As one Master and Apprentice relation parts, another is reunited:

Ahsoka's smile and then Sabine's smile, the way her face melts:

In the last one, she looks like she's holding back from crying, but she's a Mandalorian and a Wren, so Sabine doesn't let tears fall, but those feelings of care and love and happiness are all there.

(I don't know why some people read her expression as smirking when she's not even close to smirking here).

Ahsoka understands that whatever questions she has for Sabine, it isn't the time to ask them because she is also joyful that Sabine is alive.

And that Ezra was found, too.

I love how Sabine can't stop looking at the two people she cares about in the Galaxy. Her family.

(Please, none of them die or get significantly hurt in the finale. I'm okay with losing a limb, standard Star Wars to lose a limb!).

Also, I noticed on rewatched, it stood out to me that Ahsoka's ship has four chairs in the cockpit:

The crew is complete!

[bleachbleachbleach]

6/17 - 6/23/2024

Won a fanfic research grant from the Circus Money cell of the Institute of Budget Spreadsheet sponsored by the Bank of Me 🥰🥰🥰

Was the trip wholly unrelated to fanfic and is that actually Lake Erie and not a sea at all? I mean, sure, but I still thought about fanfic while I was there. And I got to ride a ferry! And I actually had a really great writing week leading up to this?! I'd say "oh no what if I jinx it" but this week I'm going to be really busy driving/panic working toward three different deadlines/preparing for a guest next weekend (oh god the bathroom. it is bad. and what food?? I have to what) so I assume I will not be doing a lot of fun writing.

I have somehow completed 2/3 of Weird Rukia 10, though at some point in this process I bailed out a little conceptually and I don't think it's as weird now. I don't know if that makes it better or worse, and I don't know if I like this better or less. I continued my back and forth about this from last week, and I was like, "well, is it actually cheap if Rukia doesn't get to 'buy' anything? or she tries but lol she doesn't get what she wanted out of this..." But it doesn't actually matter if Rukia thinks she gains useful information from this experience, because the reader still does, but maybe that disjuncture saves it and makes it work, who knows. Are there other ways of moving us along that would be more elegant, or are the other options just more boring? Which all makes it sound like this chapter is Very Bad, but I don't think it actually is. The third I have left are all the various Renji parts, which I suspect will be a lot harder to write.

- I am also, somehow, still working on Hisagi's chapter, despite working on this chapter basically all year. There are apparently a lot of tiny working parts that I keep needing to dash off revision notes about at random times, and I am also still working on the stupid Hitsugaya scene--the one that I could not simply delete--as was true before I started focusing on that chapter in earnest and will apparently be true forever, I guess. I had this thought in the course of other things happening yesterday, so I haven't had a chance to do anything with it yet. But regarding That Stupid Scene, I've been thinking mostly in terms of what Hisagi can't do in it, or what limitations he feels (in his whole chapter). But now I'm getting to a point where I think there are things that he can do in that scene, and that only he can do (aside from having a crisis about his inadequacies for the whole chapter), which I think will help the scene be in better dialogue with the rest of the chapter. So I'm excited about that!

- I had an epiphany about Hisagi in Matsumoto 18, which helps explain to me, at least, why I am writing so much Kensei in this fic (I don't think this epiphany will make any difference to the reader).

- And I now have a new moment in Hitsugaya's chapter (Renji 11 is up next after Rukia, then Hitsugaya comes after that) I'm excited about writing, which is good because I assume this chapter is going to terrorize me.

But... maybe not...? I say this because I generally prefer to write about Hitsugaya than with him, but I think part of what is difficult about, say, The Stupid Hitsugaya Scene in Hisagi's chapter, is that you!! you sir! Hitsugaya! you really need to be the one to tell this story, bud. In early versions of this story (that is, in 2021), Hitsugaya was originally narrating a lot more of it. To which Hitsugaya was basically like, Um, I don't even want to be in this story. Since then, his role has changed a lot and the narrative structure has changed a lot (or rather, the structure has reverted to the earliest conception). But the parts that are still his can't be given away, because absolutely no one else can tell them but him. I feel like there's a necessity there that makes me feel like Hitsugaya will be on board with the project for once in his damn life, and finishing his chapter may actually be easier than anything Hitsugaya-related leading up to it.

[maya-matlin]

Since we’ve talked about the supremely adorable Jake/Jeyton: what do you see as Jake’s strengths and flaws? What about his character do you think makes him such a good match for Peyton? Have fun :)

This might be more difficult for me because I feel like I have a stronger understanding of Naley and Brucas than I do Jeyton. But I'll try.

Jake is loyal to a fault. When he cares about someone, he falls deeply and truly commits. Jake is hardworking. He's compassionate. For the most part, he confronts problems head on rather than pushing them aside for the sake of maintaining harmony. He's incredibly selfless. Trying to figure out Jake's faults is difficult. To some degree, Jake is pretty much perfect. Jake is already a single dad at the beginning of the series, meaning he's come to terms with sacrificing whatever dreams or wants he might have had prior to Nikki's pregnancy. We missed out on seeing Jake's struggle because by the time we meet him, he's already undergone that character development. That being said, Jake struggles to let his guard down. He refuses to unload his burdens on anyone else. I assume Jake's relationship with his parents is different because they're stated to be helping out and don't appear to be pressuring Jake to move out on his own. And even still, Jake feels clear guilt for putting his parents in the position where they have to support his daughter. Another way Jake's flaw manifests itself is keeping his daughter a secret for several months after her birth. Jake insists he isn't ashamed of Jenny, but his desire to protect her could have potentially made Jenny feel like a shameful secret. All of this leads to Peyton. By the time Jake and Peyton start spending a significant amount of time together, Jake has allowed the world to know about his child. So he's more open to letting Peyton into Jenny's life via her babysitting. What's sad is that even after Peyton bonds with Jake and Jenny, even helping them discreetly leave Tree Hill - something that proves Peyton is willing to put Jenny first, Jake still won't fully let down his walls. Jake spends half of season 2 refusing to communicate with Peyton due to his fear of Nikki somehow tracking him down, but also because it seems like he doesn't want Peyton to feel tethered to him. Over and over again, Jake takes any opportunity he can to push Peyton away so that she can have a normal life and isn't forced to sacrifice anything. Peyton is able to somewhat break Jake out of his habit during their season 2 relationship, resulting in Jake letting his guard down and willingly bringing Jenny back to Tree Hill to live with Peyton. But the return of Nikki and the custody mess means Jake is once again reminded that his baggage is too much for Peyton. Jake won't even consider allowing Peyton to come with him to find Jenny and Nikki. But by season 3, it seems like Jake is less guarded and completely on board with Peyton settling down with him if that's what she truly wants. The writers are assholes, so that dream dies when Peyton says she loves Lucas in her sleep. Naturally, Jake sends Peyton back to Tree Hill and Lucas, where Peyton unfortunately and conveniently realizes via a flashback montage that she truly loves Lucas.

As for what makes him a match for Peyton? It's somehow all of his strengths and flaws mixed together. Jake's heart is never conflicted. From the end of season 1 through his brief season 3 return, Jake belongs to Peyton. This could be because due to Jake being a father, it's harder for him to meet other girls. Every single person who comes into Jake's life is really coming in to Jenny's. Jake has to make sure they're worthy and won't be someone that will bail when things get too complicated or are untrustworthy. It's so painfully clear that Nikki did a lot of damage to Jake. Apparently, Nikki was only 19 when she gave birth to Jenny. Based on the math, Jake was probably 16. We don't know how long they dated, only that Jake was in love with her. Nikki feels older and more predatory, though. I think the writers legitimately forgot Nikki was intended to be a recent high school graduate rather than an adult woman because she intentionally went for an underage Lucas because she "likes them young". 🤢 It also didn't help that they cast a woman pushing 30 as a 19 year old. Even for a show like One Tree Hill, that was pushing it. Taylor James looked like a baby next to her. I'm sorry. I got WAY off topic. Anyways, Jake loved Peyton and only Peyton! There's no hiding his heart or mind games. Jake wants Peyton to have the very best in life and places her needs ahead of his own. Even if Jake is going to be miserable. Jake is protective, but he doesn't have a savior complex. Jake shows up for Peyton because he wants to. Jake falls in love with Peyton because he adores and respects who she is as a person, not because he thought she was hot when they were in middle school and he romanticized the idea of stealing her away her asshole boyfriend who happens to be his half brother. Jake is aware that Peyton is strong and a survivor. Maybe on paper, Jake is the less interesting love interest. His flaws aren't as on display to the same degree as Nathan's or Lucas's or, in later seasons, Julian's. Jake is safe, but he's strong. He makes Peyton feel lighter and happier. Jake inspires Peyton to be more selfless. It's hard to explain, but I feel like Peyton is a more complete, more empowered version of herself with Jake. This is so dumb, but the only thing coming to mind is that Jake lets Peyton bejeweled LOL. Jake brings Peyton back to earth, but he makes it clear how amazing and capable she is. Lucas, in contrast, often desires Peyton under only specific circumstances. Because he's never truly moved past the way a preteen Lucas looked at Peyton, it frustrates Lucas when Peyton rejects him or doesn't give him what he wants on his terms. This is why adult LP can only reunite when Peyton is appropriately punished and worn down to the point where all she wants in life is to become Mrs. Lucas Scott. Lucas is willing to fight for girls like Brooke and Lindsey. But with Peyton, his ego will not allow him to compromise and figure out a way for both to be happy. In my opinion, Lucas deeply loves and cares for Peyton as a friend. Lucas is a very good support system during season 3, early season 4 and even parts of season 2. But Lucas has trouble distinguishing Peyton the fantasy from Peyton the actual person when they're romantically linked, which is why LP blows and Lucas sucks as a love interest for Peyton. He decidedly does not let her bejeweled.

[randomnameless]

If I can be the devil's advocate, the victim blaming helps illustrate how misguided Supreme Leader is and is one of the few aspects that support her status as the villain/antagonist. (And if anyone defends victim blaming especially wrt imperialism, yikes).

You're not playing devil's advocate anon, rather IS/KT's lol

If the devs didn't bail out at the last moment - CF and Supreme Leader could have been fascinating bonuses for the FE series, play as the red emperor - see how the red emperor recruits/their tactics to keep the population ignorant at large and demonise the people they're attacking, etc, etc...

But no, instead Supreme Leader wondering why people are not happy when she's Aymr'ing them is played seriously, and we're left puzzled with the character we see, are we supposed to follow Flamey - who lies and manipulates people, ultimately ditching them when they're useless - on her quest to conquer the world, seeing how this manipulation works, the "must have good PR" tactics unfold etc etc?

Because that's part of what we see in Tru Piss - the lie about Rhea using Nukes, the lie about "unlike u i let people go when i stormed Garreg Mach" and the Aeneid approved "what is a pincer attack?" where Supreme Leader apparently marvels at how the "pincing" army supposedly waited until the first army was already ko to intervene, limiting their losses - when it's just a pincer attack with added plot rain -

And then we have the brainfart moments "why are people resisting?" that completely retcon the entire "uwu blood at my feet" because, hey, you knew blood would rain since you uwu'd about it, so why now you're wondering why people are dying? - that is also played seriously, are we following Flamey and a red Emperor, or someone who thought she was playing with dolls and forgot her own words?

Everything falls flat when the games give the victim blaming lines to other factions, aka the victims themselves!

Like in

(SS's worst support)

Nopes.

I get victim blaming when you're siding/following the red emperor's mindset, because PR, or maybe because they're delured enough to think they're doing this for the "great-err good" - but the invaded parties?

Where the fuck in FE Tellius are people telling Ike started Ashnard's war because he sheltered Elincia? Sigurd pretty much says "fuck off" to people telling him Granvalle might hate him for, hm, sheltering the Prince of an enemy nation instead of dicing him in cubes, because said prince is only a kid in hiding and Siggy will protect him (which will of course be used as an argument leading to his downfall) - When Reptor and Langobalt (and Andrei don't forget him!!!) attack Sigurd and deem him a traitor, Sigurd doesn't think they're right and it's his fault if he and his men are branded traitors because they rescued a child, no, he wants to cleanse his (and his father's !) name by rekting the aforementioned dudes.

Unless we're supposed to understand Supreme Leader's information campaign reached far and wide, why the world blames the Central Church, you know, the Elincia who was kicked out of her home, for the start of the War? What were they supposed to do? Die ?

I still have to check with friends about the accurate translation, but Supreme Leader's battle lines even in Nopes, lampshade this victim blaming, telling the Nabateans or Church peeps she's only fighting because they do like -

you want them gone and they want to survive, it suspiciously looks like some "it's your fault I have to smack you/you made me do this" - but hey, from the Red Emperor, it's normal, they deflect and redirect the blame because they are the Red Emperor, and they manipulate, it's their MO (even if Supreme Leader's quite weak compared to people like Ashnard or Arvis who legit framed Siggy!).

And that's where the Hresvelg Grey pours like an endless fountain - the victims will never be allowed a voice to the chapter - the plot ignores them and so it's their fault, and nothing says the contrary. It's because Rhea is so BaD and sekritly controls the World that Supreme Leader has to invade the Alliance who pretty much doesn't give a fuck about what Rhea says or does.

And no one will ever point that out.

In a nutshell, I love Tru Piss as a concept, the unreliable words you're told vs the world you see - the contradictions between your side's story and the rest of Fodlan, how the dissonance is too strong and culminates with "Rhea BaD she razed Arianrhod" and yet... nothing comes from this. The plot warps at the 11h59 hour to fit with the "world as you're told" and Tru Piss shines on Fodlan.

Sothis forgots you've terminated her daughter (and maybe son+granddaugther?) because Supreme Leader doesn't believe in... Sothis, or how she fulfills her fated enemies agenda to have brainsex with Billy and shares with them some of her power to make sure they still live as she poofs in oblivion if she wasn't S-supported - completely retconning what we knew of Sothis (the supposed loving mother) and what we will later learn about her (the vengeful being who's pretty pissed at people who slaughter her kin).

TLDR : Fodlan's victim blaming could have been better implemented in the Red Emperor "information campaign" to depict how warped information is, in times of war, or in general, the dangers of misinformation coupled with a charismatic person's spouting utter shit to justify... something that is not justifiable. But Tea must be sold, and so everyone buys the "information campaign" even if the world screams against it.

Victim blaming becomes unsufferable in Nopes and in the worst support ever, Rhea's straight out asking Billy if the war - eating nukes, being tortured in Enbarr for 5 years, a continental war, disparition of civilians, Baldos and Waldis being manufactured, etc etc - is her fault and Billy never saying "of fucking course no".

When Ninian blames herself for Elbert's death, Eliwood tells her it's not her fault, Elbert died trying to do what he thought was just, and Nergal was the one who killed him.

Oh well.

[monochrome-sunsets]

babbling about my thoughts on the ending of good omens 2 because i need to get them off my chest

spoilers ahead (obvi)

(also it's mostly complaining about the ending so if you really loved it don't like. doxx me or whatever. i just need to rant about what i hated.)

so, the season as a whole i did definitely enjoy. i don't think it's as good as the first for a number of reasons- primarily that season one had ended with everything wrapped up very nicely with a bow- but it was still great fun and a good watch. there were loads of things i was very excited about (see saraqael, the angel in a wheelchair)!

i think i would have enjoyed it more if it had been slice of life-esque? following the adventures of crowley and aziraphale throughout pre-time all the way to current day.

what really ruined the season for me was the last fifteen minutes or so of episode 6. not because crowley and aziraphale didn't end up becoming loving life partners for eternity, but because all the character development aziraphale went through for two whole seasons just got tossed out the window like that.

i mean, two whole seasons of figuring out that both sides are shit and that really, the whole system is pretty much trash, and no one knows exactly why they're doing any of it! he bails on the system, says "i'm going to carve out a place for myself and my loved ones outside of the system", then he's offered a shiny new job and he's back in the fucking system again.

he says "we'll be able to change things" but you won't. gabriel, the last man in your position, got fired by his own employees because he didn't want to destroy earth. and metatron tells aziraphale that the next plans for humanity are already in place. aziraphale only gets to figure out the execution of the plan! and based on the meetings we saw, he'll have to run literally everything by the other archangels, who, again, can fire him despite him being their boss.

it's just so so frustrating to see what, in-universe, amounts to literal millenniums of character progress be completely crumpled in a single five minute chat with metatron.

it's just so frustrating to see and it leads to a deeply unsatisfying ending. i'm engaging in media to see characters grow and become better people, not see them do all that only to backtrack to square one minutes before the end. it's not enjoyable.

urghhhh.

i just really needed to rant about how frustrated i was by the ending.

also, aziraphale? really? "i forgive you"??? what the fuck is wrong with you?

[notthestarwar]

From a reply to a comment I got on a fic

For me, canon Obi Wan is someone that's liable to ignore the truth of a situation for his own comfort. He's a Jedi master, he knows the importance of not letting your emotions lead you and yet, he ignores that when it comes to Anakin. He doesn't let himself see how lost he's getting until its too late and then when it is too late, he then can't accept the part Anakin plays in his own fall.

In rots Obi Wan has all these conflicting emotions, he's devastated, he's guilty, but also he's angry with Anakin 'killing him would be merciful, Obi Wan isn't feeling merciful'. His reluctance to process those emotions, even though he so obviously knows how to, and the importance of such a thing, leads to old Ben. Old ben still hasnt processed the reality of things. Is it the trauma of what happened to the Jedi? If it were someone else i think maybe, but for Obi Wan, i do think that he had the potential to live a different life than the one he did on tattoine, i think that would have been better for him and for everyone.

But i think he always would have done things as he did, as that's just who he is, who he's always been.The contradiction of him being a master teacher in 'dealing with emotions healthily' of him understanding that so fully that he's got everyone thinking he's a master of his own emotions, he is a really good Jedi but I don't think he applies any of what he knows to himself, he just pretends, but deep down he isn't doing it. Deep down he's always been the person that would turn a blind eye to his brother falling, that would be unable to kill him even tho he knows that would be the 'Jedi' thing to do.

I think Obi Wan had the potential to do better by Luke, he could have done better by the galaxy by joining the rebellion, he could have done better by anakin by being harsher from the start, by not letting his love blind him, he could have given him a kinder death than leaving him to burn. But instead, he does barely anything, he chooses sticking his head in the sand every time even tho as a master Jedi, he'd be the first one to guide anyone else away from that.He lives a miserable life on tattoine for 20 years cause he thinks he deserves it, its a kind of self punishment, and it's completely unnecessary.

He could have taken luke anywhere else. He could have found funds to give himself, hell even Owen and beru a better life (like bail wouldn't have given him money, like he couldn't make his own in a job that took advantage of his skills. He easily could have stolen money, which we know he wasn't averse to prior to the Jedi's fall). But he doesn't want to accept the reality of things and so refuses to live. Even before he knows vaders identity, he's given over his life to right anakins wrongs and he won't allow himself to be comfortable for a minute of it. He goes to live on Anakin's planet, living as a pauper in a cave. Its all about anakin and the guilt he feels. He won't confront the empire himself, he's convinced himself the only way is playing this passive part in a plan, that I don't think he really believes in. Luke defeating the empire is yoda's plan. For Obi Wan it's a convenient excuse to avoid looking for an alternative. It's pure luck that luke and Leia do bring down the empire! Obi Wan played barely any part in that. He chose to give luke to Owen, yeah Owen didn't trust him but Obi Wan is the Negotiator, he could have fought for luke to be trained, he should have, for lukes own safety. He leaves leia to it, only just stepping in at the last possible moment when she's kidnapped. He also leaves her untrained. We know that untrained force sensitives are dangerous and difficult to raise, that's how the order gets every one of their members, because non force sensitives struggle with force sensitive children and so they give them to the Order. So he leaves both of these powerful children with non force sensitives and gives them no input? It's illogical. It's asking for the empire to find them. As is using his own name. Going to tattooine of all places. Letting luke use Skywalker? No matter how common the names it doesn't make sense. And we know Obi Wan isn't stupid so the only conclusion I can come to is that he's caught so deep in denial he's doing stupid things without acknowledgement.

How might Obi Wan have developed the conflict that allows him to be like this? I think certain extended universe materials indicate that he had a pretty messed up early apprenticeship, which I think could easily lead to problems with self worth and a desire to hide that. Looking at the prequels, he wasn't ready to take on anakin. Taking on a parenting type role when you aren't ready leads to blurred boundaries. He was not his parent, but I think he acted like one. His love for anakin tipped in to attatchment. He couldn't do what was right in general or what was right for anakin, because he was influenced by that love.

[bottom-boy-darren]

Ive never been so happy to see you

Pairing: Namjoon x reader

Genre: angst, fluff ending

Summary: you and namjoon have a fight that leads to you locking yourself in your room. When he realizes he hasn't heard from you for a whole day, he worries that you might have done something to yourself that he would feel guilty about for the rest of his life.

Author note: I feel like this story didn't get written as well as I wanted it to be but I still posted it because I didn't know what else to post. Also I have requests open and i would recommend to request something for me to write cause I'm running out of ideas :')

Trigger warning: argument between couple, reader gets told she's too clingy, reader locking themself inside their room, mentions of suic*de

**please do not read if you get triggered by any of these warnings mentioned**

(Y/n's pov)

Disappointed and frustrated. Those were the only 2 words that could describe you right now. You were currently sitting in front of your kitchen counter while scrolling on you phone. occasional, you would glance at the clock to check the time.

Namjoon had promised that he would be home by 9 so you both could enjoy a nice dinner together but it was already midnight and there was no sign of him showing up any time soon. No text. No call. Not even a simple voice-mail that would take 2 seconds.

You felt like you were going to explode. Saying you were just disappointed felt like an understatement but you weren't suprised by his behavior. Just in the last week he bailed on you three times. You understood that he was busy with work but tonight he promised he would show up. You now realized that it was an empty promise.

At this point you didn't even feel like eating dinner, the food was already cold and you knew you wouldn't be able to enjoy it anymore. You sighed as you got up. You put all of the food you made into a plastic container and put it in the fridge, then you made your way over to the stairs to go sleep.

As soon as you were about to go up, you heard the front door open. You turned your head to see who it was and ofcourse it was Namjoon. He looked back at you with a some what of a guilty smile while closing the door.

"Hey y/n. Why are you still awake?" Namjoon said while taking off his shoes

"Oh hey namjoon. I don't know.. Maybe it's because I was waiting for someone to show up to dinner." You honestly didn't know why you were being sarcastic. You weren't necessarily mad at him, You were just annoyed.

"Y/n, i'm sorry that I'm late. I was busy with work and I couldn't come home on ti-"

"Too busy to even take a few seconds to text me and say, OH HEY Y/N, BY THE WAY, I WONT MAKE IT TOO DINNER TODAY" you said, cutting him off while rolling your eyes.

You wanted him to know how you felt after getting stood up four whole times in less than two weeks.

Namjoon looked at you. He was usually a pretty calm person but today felt different. His stare seemed more angry. You weren't trying to cause a fight, you were just being stubborn and wanted to get your point across.

"I already told you I was sorry. I was busy and it completely flew over my head. I don't know why you're making it such a big deal." namjoon started to walk towards the kitchen, his patience growing thin by the minute, but you didn't want your convo to just end like that. He wasn't understanding your point of veiw.

"Big deal? I'm not making it a big deal. I'm just trying to explain to you that getting stood up 4 times in the past week even tho you promised you wouldn't do it again sucks. Maybe you should prioritize some things other than just working all the time."

"MAYBE I JUST DONT WANT TO PRIORITIZE YOU ALL THE TIME. I can't just spend all my time with you just because you want me too. You're always too much.. Maybe try being less clingy sometimes for a change?" Namjoon said while narrowing his eyes at you

"W-what?" You responding trying not to cry

"You heard me.. You're so fucking annoying" He said walking into the kitchen.

You felt a tear roll down your eyes. Your heart hurt and you felt a lump in your throat. You weren't trying to argue with him. You just wanted him to realize where he was the wrong and not say something like "there's always next time".

"Oh really.. that's it. The whole reason we're having this problem is because I'm clingy?" You said to yourself as You walked upstairs to your room and you locked the door behind you.

While you walked over to you bed. You started to let the feelings you bottled up in the past week out. Your tears felt warm and rushed as His words went to your head. Maybe you were too clingy, or maybe you were just flat out annoying.

You got into your bed and wrapped yourself into your blanket. You grabbed your little koala plush that you kept on your side table and hugged it close to you.

(Namjoon's pov)

Namjoon opened the fridge to see some containers which he assumed to be the food you had cooked. He grabbed the containers and opened them up to see his favourite food. He smiled to himself but then frowned.

Why had he been so mean to you? All you had ever done was care for him.. he didn't deserve you. Namjoon started to think over the events of today leading up to right now.

This morning, namjoon had gotten yelled at for not finishing his lyrics for his upcoming song on time, he had also accidently spilled his coffee on himself which wasted his time to make up for not writing the lyrics,

he had also totally forgotten most of the dance that he and his members had been trying to learn and to make up for it he had tried to work on it for longer, which caused him to forget to be at home on time for dinner.

Namjoon felt bad for you. He knew he broke your heart as you were a sensitive person. He made his way to your room, trying not to think of all the possibilities of you not forgiving him. When he reached your room door he heard crying on the other end.

This mad his mind go blank. He made you cry.. he knocked on your door a few times but the crying stopped as soon as he did.

(Y/n's pov)

You stopped your crying abruptly as You heard someone knock on your rooms door, you already knew it was Namjoon. I mean who else would it be? You were the only two that lived in your shared apartment.

"Y/n.. are you there?" You heard namjoon call from inside the hallway.

You didn't respond to him, Since you wanted to be alone. But then He tried to open the door of your room, only to find out it was locked. You figured he knew you were already in there since he saw you go up to your room so you waited for him to continue what he was going to say.

"I know, you don't want to see me right now.. and i know you're mad at me but I'm so so sorry. I realized I fucked up and this doesn't fix it but I promise I'll make it up to you. You're not annoying or clingy. I didn't mean anything I said. I was mad earlier. Not at you, of course, but.. you know what I mean right?.. I love you so much and I promise after tomorrow, we can hang out as much as you want."

You don't respond to him because you honestly just wanted to go to sleep. Of course you heard his apology but all you could think about were his mean words from ealier.

Namjoon took a second to wait for you to respond but you didn't. He expected you to even open the door since the both of you always slept beside eachother, even if you were in a fight. But he understood why you didn't. right now you didn't feel like seeing him.

"I.. I'm going to go sleep in my room. good night, love you." And with that you heard his footsteps fade away.

(Namjoon's pov)

Walking away from y/n's door frame, namjoon felt guilty. You two slept beside eachother pretty much every night... did he fuck up that bad? What if y/n didn't want to see him again? Namjoon felt tears going to his soft eyes but tried telling himself it was fine. He could make up for it after tomorrow, once he got his work done.

Namjoon walked into his room that was only a door away from yours. He didn't feel like sleeping right now, even tho he was tired, he should be working so that he could spend more time with you later. Namjoon sat down in his chair, turned on his desk lamp and opened up his computer. He started to write the lyrics for his next song.

- time skip to Next morning at 10 -

Namjoon had just gotten out of the bathroom, after he had gotten ready for work. He fell asleep at around 2 last night so he still felt drowsy but on a good note, he had finished the lyrics for his new song so he didn't have to do more work than needed today.

Namjoon made his way to you room to go see if you had woken up but to his surprise you room door was still locked. He thought it was strange because you'd usually be out of bed by now, making breakfast for you two but He decided not to wake you up since he thought you needed the sleep anyways.

Namjoon made his way downstairs, grabbed some food and went to work.

- time skip to when y/n wakes up - (y/n's pov)

"Honk" "tires screeching" "other noises cars make"

You woke up to the sound of a few cars making a ruckus outside of your bedroom window. You groaned as you were tired but any tierdness you felt soon got over taken by the feeling of absolute hell. Your body was tangled up in your sheets because you had been tosing and turning pretty much all last night and you had the biggest headache ever.

'How long did I sleep for?' you thought to yourself as you picked up your phone from your bedside table. You turned it on to see that it was already 1:00. You quickly got up and out from you bed which didn't ofcourse didn't make you headache any better.

You forgot to make breakfast for namjoon.. a wave of guilt washed over you as you realized he probably didn't have time to eat something proper before he left. You turned on you phone and started to text namjoon.

'Hey I'm sorry I woke up late, did you eat anything before you left?'

You were about to hit send but before you did, you deleted the message. What were you thinking. Namjoon had just said yesterday that you were being clingy and here you go again, annoying him while he's busy. Although he said he didn't mean it, what if he was lying just to make you feel better? You put your phone away and went to go do your morning routine.

- after y/n finished her morning routine -

You got out of the bathroom and went downstairs to go get yourself some food. Although you had just finished your morning routine and should have felt atleast a little bit better by now, you still felt like you wanted to lay in bed all day and just be alone.

So that's what you planned on doing. After getting some food, you also grabbed water and some snacks and made your way to your room. You placed everything onto your bed and turned on your TV. You started the watch some k dramas while comforting yourself. You didn't plan on leaving the comfort of your bed today.

- time skip to 9 pm - (Namjoon's pov)

Namjoon was in the practice room. Today he had spent the day practice the new dance he and his band members were learning. He was proud of himself since he had caught on to the dance pretty quick today.

Right now he and his members were on break. They all were sat around eachother, some drinking water and cooling themselves off while some of the others were somehow still energetic and fooling around.

Namjoon was wiping his sweat off with towel and rummaging through his bag to find his phone. He basically hadn't turned it on at all today, only really to check the time.

He turned it on a waited for his notifications to pop up. There was a few but not what he was looking for. He was looking for a text from you. Everyday, even the days you were busy or didn't want to talk to him, You would text him to make sure he was okay. It was just one of those nice habits you had.

But today there was nothing. Namjoon was just going to let it off as you didn't want to see him but that's when it clicked in his head... he hadn't seen you in a whole day. What if something bad happened. What if.. no.. I couldn't be. Right? A look of fear washed onto his face which didn't go unnoticed by his members.

"Hey namjoon? Everything alright?" Asked jin, the oldest member in their group

"Yeah.. I have to go tho. I'll see you guys later, good night bye!" Namjoon responded quickly while grabbing his things and making his way out of the building.

Once namjoon made his way outside the building, he grabbed his car keys out of his bag, unlocked his car and sat in. (We all know he can't drive but for the sake of the story we can pretend lol) he quickly threw his bag into the passenger seat and put on his seat belt. He started the car and started driving to your shared apartment.

You weren't the type of person to just not talk to him for a whole day. Well not anymore you weren't. Back when you and namjoon first met you were suffering with depression and were slightly suic*dal. That was a long time ago but what if you weren't asleep like he thought.. what if you actually did do something to yourself.

Namjoon started to let out a few tears. If he came home to you not there and well, he would never forgive himself.

- time skip to when namjoon made it home -

Namjoon ran into your shared apartment in tears. He quickly went all around the downstairs floor to find you. Around this time you would be making dinner in the kitchen but you weren't anywhere to be found.. that means you were still in your room.

Namjoon walked over to the stairs, his heart sinking with each step that he took. When he got to your room door he was about to turn the door nob but hesitated before doing so.

If he opens that door to see you dead.. it would be a memory he wouldn't ever forget ..

of course he didn't want to remember that forever but he had to make sure you were okay. He took a deep breath as he walked in.

(Y/n pov)

You were currently still in bed, re-watching your favourite k-drama. It was about 8:30-ish and you were close to dosing off to sleep when you heard someone turn the door nob of your room. You ready knew it was namjoon before he even came in so you turned around so your back was now facing him when he came in.

While he was walking in you could hear him crying so you were about to turn around and see what was wrong but before you could, he layed down in the bed next to you and hugged you. He had his face in the crook of your neck and he continued to cry.

(Namjoon's pov)

As I took a step into the room, the lights were off but I could still see y/n in her bed due to the light of the TV playing a k-drama. I couldn't help but start crying even more out of relief. I quickly walked over to the bed and layed down next to her. I wrapped my arms around her middle while crying into the space between her shoulder and neck.

(Y/n's pov)

"Y/n.. Ive never been so happy to see you." namjoon said in-between choked sobs

You turned around as you hugged him so he would be closer to you. You started to caress his hair to try and stop him from crying even more.

"Namjoon.. baby.. what's wrong?" You asked him, being worried about his well being

"I just love you so much and I'm sorry about yesterday. Can we spend time together please?" He said, calming down a little

Namjoon still had his arms around you, hugging you like a koala.

"I love you more and ofcourse we can. Let's watch a movie together" you said smiling down at him

He smiled back at you nodding his head in approval.

_____________________________________________________________

The end

[chasingpj]

Idea(not a request):Percy being best friends with daughter of Aphrodite!Y/n since his first day at camp and going to her for love advice since she's a hopeless romantic and he thinks she doesn't have any romantic interest in him.He frequently thinks things like 'if only i could date Y/n instead :/ She's girlfriend material.These are completely platonic thoughts'.Then after the war with Gaea,she moves into his apartment complex and starts going to Goode High and romantic hijinks with a side of tired™️ wingwoman Rachel ensues

okay, i'm a sucker for child of aphrodite! reader because that's how i project LMFAO. Here are some short, but not short headcanons <33

yes, we all know percy is OBLIVIOUS. we were in his head the entire time for the first five books in the series, and never once was he able to explain his feelings for annabeth 😭

i think if percy thinks you're out of his league, especially when he was younger, you could practically drool over him, and he'd be like, haha, y/n is so nice :))

i love the concept of tired wing women rachel

she's seen you guys interact before, and it's so apparent that you guys like each other

there's always banter, shy smiles, lingering touches, and she was probably like, why the hell aren't they dating yet?

and then she's not surprised at all when she realizes it's because percy is not putting two and two together on his part, LMFAO

when you move to Goode, the three of you hang out a lot!

i feel like there are many conversations between you and rachel where you're both frustrated at the fact percy hasn't asked you out

sally is lowkey frustrated too because even she can tell the two of you like each other

thus leads to you and rachel forming a plan to make sure that you are percy's prom date and will be dating by the end of senior year

rachel being close to percy, had taken the approach of straight out asking him if he liked you or not

she tried not to roll her eyes when he sheepishly admitted that he did but said that it didn't matter because you were out of his league

she starts giving him friendly advice like, hmm, i don't know. y/n seems to like you back, you know?

even though percy doesn't believe her, rachel persuades him to make some moves on you

it results in an "oh, let's all go to the movies on Saturday," but then rachel bails last minute, leaving just you and percy to watch the movie

rachel notifies you of every single plan, by the way, LMFAO, so you always have to act surprised and a little sad when percy says rachel isn't coming anymore

being alone helps a lot because usually when you spend time together, it's amongst other people

sure, you guys would pick strawberries in the fields, take care of the pegasi, and train together, but there were usually other people around

when you guys went on unofficial dates (as you and rachel would call them), you were forced to talk to each other even through the moments of heavy romantic tension

also, you swore that the most romantic moment you guys had together was when he won a stuffed animal from a claw machine at an arcade

almost 15 dollars later, the both of you were elated, laughing and cheering when the bear finally got into the basket

when he got ahold of the stuffy, you asked playfully what he was gonna name it, but then he just shyly passed it to you, saying that he wanted you to have it

it's literally something a small child would do with his elementary school crush, but you heavily resisted the urge to make out with him right then and there

middle of the year comes around, and the universe gave you even more opportunities to be together because your health class teacher had decided to pair you up to take care of a fake baby 😭

when you and percy pulled up to his apartment with it, sally thought it was so funny, especially since you're sure you got the fussiest baby simulator out of the whole class

to complete the project, most of the partners just alternated, but since you and percy would see each other every day and spend time at each other's apartments all the time, you just suffered together

sally insisted that you should stay over so that you could take care of the baby together overnight

this project was a bonding experience because the two of you were literally defeated because the doll would. not. stop. crying.

at some point, the doll and baby estelle were both crying, and you thought you were gonna lose it

also, the project was supposed to deter you from having kids too early, so why did your stomach flutter when percy fell asleep with the fake (and silent) baby on his chest?

anyways... HAHA

promposal season was approaching, and you were anticipating percy asking you

rachel asked percy who he was going to ask and her face literally turned a shade of pink when he was like, "oh, maybe you, me, and y/n can just go together as a group"

SDJKFSLKFD

rachel pretty much snapped, not sure how he was still not getting it that you liked him just as much and maybe even more than he liked you

all the unofficial dates had made you guys even more affectionate

the two of you were never really shy to give each other hugs and hook your arms when walking together

she was basically like 😡 "you're gonna ask y/n, you don't have a choice. she's going to say yes, and you guys are gonna go to prom together."

percy got really nervous, but truthfully, he wanted to ask you but again, he was afraid that you'd reject him and then it'll ruin the friendship you guys had

but with a nudge, no, a SHOVE by rachel, he came up with a promposal plan with the help of paul

since percy would be nervous about doing it in person, he asked his dad to put an "extra credit" question at the end of the test you guys had coming up

the day of the test came by fast, and you were oblivious as paul winked at percy when he gave you the test packet with the question at the end of it

percy literally couldn't concentrate on his own test as he waited for you to get to the question

he literally held his breath, watching you turn to the last page with the single multiple-choice question that said, "will you go to prom with percy?"

your cheeks burnt up as you looked at your four choices: a) yes b) of course c) duh d) all of the above

you turned to meet his nervous eyes that softened only with the appearance of your bright smile

you then returned to your paper and circled all of the above before raising the test and showing him your answer over your shoulder

you heard a whisper of "yes!" come from percy as you noticed paul smiling at the two of you from his desk

AHHH I'M CRYING

your prom colors were, of course, blue :))

you guys choose a navy blue, and his suit matched the color of your suit/dress, whichever you prefer

you guys laughed at how overboard your parents were with the pictures

your cheeks burnt up as your parents kept commenting about how good you two looked together

percy eventually had to let his mom know that she's taken enough photos and that your ride to the venue with your friends was already waiting for you

it wasn't until you got to the car did percy compliment you, saying that you looked beautiful, and you giggled, calling him handsome, which made him flustered

the night was so much fun; you guys danced and hung out with all your friends

then the DJ decided to end the event with a few slow dances

percy had grabbed your hand, asked you if you wanted to dance with him, and of course, you agreed

your hands rested on his shoulders, while his rested on your waist

the two of you were silent for a second, admiring each other as you swayed to the music before percy confessed that he didn't think you'd say yes to his promposal

there were a handful of guys that had asked you, and he was sure that you would have a date by the time he got around to it

a small scoff left your lips, and you told him that the entire time you were waiting for him, and he was surprised, especially as you said that rachel warned you he would ask you

you laughed at percy's face because he had told rachel not to tell you anything, and then you mention how she also told you when she would bail out on your outings together

"wait, so, you knew about it this whole time?"

"duh," you glanced over at rachel, who was leaned against the wall, watching you guys with crossed arms and a smirk on her face.

"But why?"

"Because I was hoping that one of those days, you'd finally ask me out"

percy gawked out at you, the tips of his ears turning a shade of pink, and he shifted awkwardly in the middle of your dance. "really?"

a soft smile remained on your lips, and you gave him a small nod of your head

being a child of aphrodite, you could tell how fast his heart was beating, and you felt his feelings for you more than ever before

then finally, he leaned in, capturing your lips in a tender kiss

it took a whole school year, but you and rachel's plan really did work

[warriorsbutnotreally]

Hypokits for Leopardfoot x Snowfur x Rosetail pls

I worked on these while sick so that was fun

also this is our first double litter hypos!

LeopardSnowRose!

Sparkear and Pollenswipe are the oldest of the siblings. They were born around the time Whitestorm had been born in canon and completely replaced Tigerclaw and Whitestorm. Those two toms do not exist at all in this AU verse.

though that's not to say their spirits don't live on

Sparkear is much like Tigerclaw in the fact that he's ambitious, a bit rough around the edges, and not afraid to fight. He can be gruff and frightening, but he's no threat to anyone as long as they're not a threat to him first.

Pollenswipe is much like Whitestorm. She's a good-hearted warrior. Loyal, wise, and a voice of reason. Even then, between her and her brother, she's more willing to stand up against Bluestar if she feels their aunt is being unfair.

Something Sparkear won't do.

/

Born shortly after Longtail [probably around 3 moons after] are Daypaw, Pearpaw, and Eggpaw.

This litter never gets to meet Snowfur, as she dies shortly before they're born. They also barely get to know Leopardfoot, as she passes away from grief a couple moons later, leaving Rosetail as their sole caretaker.

Rosetail does her best to raise them on stories of their other mothers and even gets help from Bluestar, making these three pretty close to their aunt.

She returns shortly after they're apprenticed.

Daypaw is a very sporty tolly. They can be stubborn, proud, and they're ambitious. Null is very similar to Sparkear, a fact that null hates more than anything. They're very determined to be the best warrior ever - wherever the best is needed.

Though Pear is the the quietest of the three, this molly shouldn't be overlooked in any way. They're a a very eerie cat to be around, analyzing everyone and everything in their surroundings. Though their siblings stand up for their sister, none of them ever know what's going through Pear's mind.

Egg is a very curious tom. He loves learning everything he can about anything. He'll ask about a thousand questions a day and still have more the next. His quest for knowledge can lead him to being quite careless, however. Ze are bailed out often by zir older siblings..

/

They're close to warrior age by the time Firepaw joins ThunderClan, but during one of the raids from Brokenstar, Day and Pear are snagged and kept as hostages

this is.. Until the two actually agree to join ShadowClan. Day wants to live there as null is convinced that ShadowClan will make null the best

Pear is there to study the Clan and see what could be used for their own gains

Pear is the only one who doesn't stay. Instead they move to WindClan after The Great Journey to help kick off a certain coup and help a former deputy take what's rightfully his.. For the price of making Pear the deputy

/

Spark uses he/him and is a cis tom

Pollen uses she/they and she's a cis molly

Day uses they/null and they're nonbinary - as a warrior null earns the name Daystorm

Pear uses they/them and they're a cis molly - as a warrior they earn the name Pearshade

and Egg uses he/ze and zir a trans tom -as a warrior he earns the name Eggheart

[addictedtostorytelling]

This isn't a question, but I haven't seen anyone else freaking out over the scene in the whatever is the police station equivalent to a waiting room. To me it had to be a deliberate call back to Bloodlines. The room looks almost identical (it could conceivably be the same room years later) and the way Sara and Grissom are positioned in the shot is absolutely identical to the way they are sitting in Bloodlines. It felt like a little GSR gift. Thoughts? (There's a question finally.)

hi, @nrh61!

while the waiting room itself is definitely not the same as the one in episode 04x23 "bloodlines" (this one has benches and is in the clark county jail, whereas the one from s4 had chairs and was at the lvpd station), the way grissom and sara are positioned is, as you say, identical, so whether or not it was a deliberate callback, i think for longtime fans, the insinuation is there, and particularly given the thing that they are there to do (i.e., bail hodges out from potentially career-ending trouble).

i don't know that these thoughts make a lot of sense, but seeing that parallel got me thinking about some of sara's motivations throughout this episode.

it's occurred to me that in addition to just the fact of her extremely loyal, "ride or die" nature, another reason why sara is so adamant that hodges is innocent is because she is someone who has needed "bailing out" before herself.

in episode 04x23 "bloodlines," she did actually do a bad thing (drunk driving), and yet grissom showed up for her and, with no strings attached or questions asked, got her out of the trouble she was in and took her home. had he at all hesitated or been more careful of his own reputation with regards to associating himself with her, the trouble she was in then both could have and probably should have ended her career, but he immediately gave her a second chance, and his unfailing belief in her was one of the things that not only paved the way for her eventual longevity in the field but which ultimately turned her whole life around, leading to the happiness she and grissom enjoy together today.

that she would want to show up for hodges in that same way, believing that he deserved a similar kind of "the help and belief are automatic, never mind the optics" response to the one she got and benefitted from with grissom is therefore unsurprising.

she knows how salvific that type of "all in" help can be.

of course, she also knows what it feels like to be framed for a crime she didn't commit.

for as much as i hate to acknowledge anything that happened in s13 of the original series and particularly the shitshow that is episode 13x15 "forget me not," the fact remains that it is ultimately canon: sara has been the object of an elaborate set up (complete with fabricated evidence) herself.

that so, she can absolutely empathize with hodges in this case.

she gets how baffling it must be for him to have no explanation for why things look the way they do but only to know for himself that there's no way he could have done what he stands accused of doing.

she understands how abandoned and heartsick he must feel watching his friends and colleagues doubt and even turn against him based on counterfeit evidence.

she knows how humiliating and scary it is to be processed and thrown into central holding at the jailhouse alongside many of the same criminals one helped to put away.

she can still remember how frantic hodges must be, racking his brain to try to figure out who might hate him enough to destroy his life this way.

his sense of utter helplessness is something she has experience with.

ditto for his horror at staring down the potential outcomes if his name isn't ultimately cleared, which include possibly spending the rest of his natural life behind bars.

his fear and anger and desperation are all things with which she can empathize.

she knows exactly what he's going through because on one of the worst days of her life, she went through it, too.

and while hodges certainly was himself far from kind to her when she was caught in ronald basderic's crosshairs, he did nevertheless take the job of processing the evidence in her case in a fair and impartial manner very seriously.

he allowed that she could potentially be innocent of the crime of which she stood accused and if so that she deserved the opportunity to have her innocence proven so she could be exonerated of the charges leveled against her.

for however angry he was with her based on his belief that she had cheated on grissom, he nevertheless scrubbed his trace lab of all touches from her (twice!) for the express purpose of letting the evidence speak for itself in her case.

and once it did speak for itself, proving her innocent, he eventually came around to her again; he didn't let what she'd been wrongfully accused of color his good opinion of her going forward.

so given that experience, sara's quickness to champion hodges takes on an extra level of meaning.

it calls to mind nick's famous line to sara from episode 06x05 "gum drops":

"i was rescued."

sara has herself been pulled out of the same hell hodges currently finds himself in. her colleagues didn't give up on her. they proved her innocence, even when it seemed incredibly doubtful. she was given a second chance. she was allowed to have a happy ending, even after everything once felt so lost for her.

she believes that hodges deserves the same.

—and that brings us back to grissom and her response to him throughout this episode.

she knows, of course, that it's in grissom's nature to be skeptical and to place his faith in empirical evidence rather than in gut feelings or personal belief systems, so, frankly, despite the annoyance she professes, she's not even really mad about his insistence on wanting to see proof in this case, either; she gets that that's just how he is and is always going to be.

that said, she also knows that grissom has the ability to be a really fierce advocate and that he has it in him to see past the damaged reputations, mistakes, and flaws of the people he cares about, believing in them fully and stubbornly and in a way that changes lives for the better.

she's benefitted from that quality in him personally, but she's also seen it benefit others—from warrick to nick to catherine to greg.

everyone on their team has been "rescued" by grissom at some point or another, and now she wants him to help her rescue hodges.

she remembers what it felt like, having grissom take her hand in that waiting room in pd and tell her, with no equivocation or conditions, "i'll take you home," and she believes hodges deserves to know what that feels like, too.

she believes he deserves that second chance.

anyway.

like i said, i'm not sure that these thoughts are especially cogent (and i know they're not even really relevant to the original content of your message, so my apologies for going off on a tangent).

i just have a lot of "sara feels connected to this case on a deeply personal level" impressions, i guess.

thanks for the message! please feel welcome to send another any time.

[6rookie-writer0110]

I don't know. Might further the plot.?

Male Reader x Avengers Cast

Request- Do you think you could make a Avengers cast X Male reader & his talking about his past & saying his been in juvenile detention & jail cause he had a rough childhood & his friend (oc) always helped him and stayed by his side & helped him get into drama class & he was good at it & now his new movie is coming out & it's about helping his character with his depression, suicidal thoughts & he meets his love interest who becomes his girlfriend in real life & her character helps him through depression

Your childhood was rough because your father would hit you physically and mentally abuse you. Your mother would do the same, also she would call you horrible names. Your father is known for selling drugs and always gambling. Your mother is a drunk and always high on drugs. You barely went to school and if you did you would cause problems.

You have always been on a rough path, your rap sheet is long as the train tracks. You didn't go to school often because you were in juvenile detention, many people gave up on you. When your turned eighteenth, you were in and out of jail. Since your parents didn't care for you they didn't pay for your bail. The longest sentence you did in prison was eight years.

After getting out of prison, you packed what you had left, took the van, and stole from your parents. You stole your dad’s pot to make quick cash.

As days went on you slept in your van. You would sell pot, with that money you would buy food and fill up the van. It's the middle of the night and you are sleeping, your best friend John Krasinski, banged on the van. You opened the door and you tackled him to the ground.

”Dude it's me!!!” John yelled.

You were about to punch him.

”What the fuck!?” You yelled.

You get off him and he gets off the ground.

”You almost gave a heart attack!!” You yelled.

It's freezing because it's November.

”I heard what happened. I came to get you and tell you to move in with me” John said.

You and John Krasinski have been friends for a long time. You trust him and only him. He has been there for you many times and never left your side.

”I don't know men. I can't even pay rent on time and I won't get a job from nine to five” You said.

”Just move in before you freeze to death,” John said.

”Fine,” You said.

-----

The next day, you start to help John run his lines. He is trying out for a role on a show called the office. You always help him run his lines, even in high school when he tried to the school play. He told you to try out for the school play but you said no.

”Y/N, you should really get into acting. You are really good and you should think about being an actor” John said.

”Don’t lie to me,” You said.

”I’m serious. With more training then you will become a better actor. I think you should take a shot at it. Now you are not doing anything with your life, take a chance” John said.

You have always been into acting but never took it seriously. You start to think and you are unsure what he said.

”I will think about it,” You said.

”Okay. Give me a ride?” John said.

”Yeah sure,” You said.

John goes to acting classes also he pays for you to go. At first, you hesitated to go but you didn't have money to pay for the classes. But you promised him that you will pay him back later on.

✧ ✯ ✧ ✫

John has been helping you become a better actor. But he can't help all the time because he has his own life. You get one role for acting but it was to be an extra, you took it paid $200.

You tried out for a role to start in an Iron man movie, it was for a small role but you didn't get it. And you can't afford to do headshots.

”What’s your name?” He asked.

”Y/N... I really like your movies, ” You said.

”I saw your audition. I see you have potential but you need acting lessons” Robert said.

”I can't afford it. Most times, I sleep in my van and doing random jobs” You said.

You watched every single movie that Robert Downey Jr. Did.

”I will help you and I will be your mentor,” Robert said.

”No way!!” You sad very loud.

You can't stop smiling and he is serious. You are still speechless and can't stop smiling. Later, you told John about it and he is happy for you. Robert will let you live with him but you told him, to repay him back you will do chores around the house.

-----

You are happy that you get to sleep in a new bed. Every day he gives you lessons for acting. He tells how to bring the characters to life and cry on cue. You always run lines with him and he tells you what you do wrong.

” Besides my best friend, you are the only one who ever believed in me,” You said.

He hugged you and you did cry a little bit, he starts to rub your back.

”It’s okay. Let it all out. You are a good person, you are the only one that has control for your future” Robert said.

You wipe the tears away.

”That means a lot,” You said with a small smile.

✧ ✯ ✧ ✫

You have been getting small roles on tv shows and some indie movies. You always give it your all and you keep improving in each role you get.

You got your big break to appear in The Avengers in the first movie. You got the role of Marcus "Marc" Milton aka Hyperion.

Hyperion possesses great physical strength. Between 75 and 100 tons. Marcus Milton was able to hold two piles of the earth apart to prevent them from colliding with each other for a period of time, confront the Hulk blow-for-blow until the Hulk reverted back to human form. He also does not require air, food, or water to survive as long as his body absorbs Solar energy. Also, he is a Trucker, adventurer, vigilante, former teacher.

---

But you didn't have a role in Avengers: Age of Ultron. For the first movie, you invited John to the movie premiere.

With the cast, you get along with them really well. Sometimes play pranks each other, make each other laugh during sets, and more. You and Robert still have a good relationship, he is still your mentor. John always supports you in any role you get. During an interview, you said you hope gets a role in a Marvel movie.

✧ ✯ ✧ ✫

You decided to take a chance to make your own movie. It took a while for your script to be completed. You meet Elizabeth Olsen for the first time and she got the lead role. She will play your love interest in the movie.

While shooting the movie during sets and offset, you and Elizabeth would spend time together. She does invite you to her house and you always yes. Always making each other laugh and you like to stare at her green eyes.

”You should help me cook more often,” Elizabeth said.

You laughed.

”Only to help you. My parents never taught me how to cook or taught me anything positive” You said.

”You still don't talk to your parents?” Elizabeth asked.

”No. They did contact me two months ago, pretending they care about me. They only called because I am famous. I don't want to give them a second chance, they made my childhood a living hell” You said.

She hugged you and it caught you off guard, but you did hug her back. Later, you and Elizabeth eat dinner outside in the backyard and kept talking. Later, she taught you how to make smores and you love it.

-----

You and Elizabeth go to the beach because it's very hot in California. You start to help put sunblock on Elizabeth’s back and the paparazzi take pictures of everything.

You told her you don't know how to swim, she decided to teach you how to swim. She teaches you the basics and how to breathe underwater. You come out of the water and you start to cough. She starts to pat your back.

”Did you swallow the water?” Elizabeth asked.

You nod and coughed again.

”Y-yeah. It's hard to breathe underwater” You sad.

”It’s not and I will keep teaching you,” Elizabeth said.

Again she teaches you how to breathe underwater. The paparazzi take pictures of when she kissed you.

----

Working on a movie that is dark, you and Elizabeth try to make each other laugh. She would take pictures with you and post it on her Instagram account. You are sitting down on your chair and you are using your phone. She takes a picture of you and writes something.

So cute when he is focused 😍

✧ ✯ ✧ ✫

You did appear in the other movies Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. Now you go on promo tours with the cast, it's always fun with them. You did talk about your character Hyperion.

”i will appear in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki. But I won't say what will happen for now” You said.

”Can you tell us about your new movie?” He asked.

You nod.

”My character has depression and he is suicidal. He meets his love interest who becomes his girlfriend, who is played by, Elizabeth Olsen and her character helps him through everything. It's hard for him to believe that anyone truly cares for him and she proves that she does care for him. Robert also worked on the movie has a co-writer and producer” You said.

”Is everyone invited to the movie premiere?” He asked.

”Of course not. I don't get along with them, they are such divas and horrible to work with” You joked.

Everyone starts to laugh.

”Why are you laughing? It's true” You said.

”I hate Y/N, I'm so happy I won't see him again. And I won't go to his movie premiere” Scarlett Johansson joked.

”I agree with her” Chris Evans joked.

”You have to tell us. Are you really Elizabeth Olsen’s boyfriend?” He asked.

”I knew you two were going to end up dating,” Jeremy said.

”Is it true?” He asked.

”Yeah-”

”How did you even ask her to be your girlfriend?” Mark asked.

”She lost a bet in Uno, duh. How else I would be her boyfriend” and you are serious about it.

That didn't happen.

----

You are finally home and Elizabeth is staying the night over. You do enjoy cooking together with her. You and Elizabeth watch the new movie Scoob while eating dinner.

”I saw the interview,” Elizabeth said.

”What do you think?” You asked.

She laughed and drinks her wine.

”Can't believe I lost in Uno and we are stuck together” Elizabeth teased.

You and Elizabeth laughed.

”You could have won if cheated but it's not my fault you lost” You winked.

”You are such a doofus” Elizabeth laughed.

You laughed too. Elizabeth again stole a hoodie from you. It's cold and she loves wearing your hoodies, you like how she looks in it so you don't say anything about it.

✧ ✯ ✧ ✫

Since you said Elizabeth lost in Uno, when she does interviews they ask her about it. She goes along with it.

The night of the movie premiere, Robert and the others arrived to support you. Everyone posed for the cameras, you are not serious because you are making everyone laugh.