#like the s2 finale is what really HIT me you know?

[everythingisamazing]

I think one of the biggest missed opportunities in S2 imo was not making Jayce’s time in the ravine a bottle episode. As it stands in the show we got, I’m fine with it being where it is and think the “Jayce in dark souls” contrast with Ekko is hilarious, but i think even cramming it in like they did has led to some viewers downplaying his trauma and the vague timeline of events only being segmented a la montage didn’t really help — and that’s not even getting into Mage Viktor’s role in all of this. It’s obvious when some people haven’t rewatched the show in a while since it came out, since there appears to be this narrative being spread around now villainizing the Mage, saying that he had “doomed” Jayce either through giving him the mission in the first place, or is trying to paint Jayce as a victim who only stayed with Viktor out of “obligation” for his mission or even people saying that he had groomed Jayce (god, I hate how flippantly that word is used nowadays), and I think that’s because, even foregoing the twist at the end, we just didn’t spend enough time with the Mage to establish his motivations even for a bait and switch. Now, while I know not a lot of viewers like him, either because they think the twist is stupid or they’re just salty it wasn’t Ryze (as if shoving in more League lore would magically fix the writing or pacing problems this season lmao), I actually think Mage Viktor ended up being one of the more compelling characters for me to come out of s2 because of how little we know about him and how he got where he did, but obviously not everyone feels that way and while I’m not saying the writers should’ve showed their hands entirely — because, regardless of the logistics, that reveal still was one of the better executed imo and hits incredibly hard, especially on repeat viewings — I also just wanted to see more of this character and the eerie, desolate world that Jayce was thrusted into.

There’s also the meta reasoning that we, the audience, would simply have more time to sit on the information being processed before being thrown back into Plot Stuff™: I hate the internet for what it did to the word “filler” and acting like character focused episodes over strictly plot-driven episodes is a sign of bad or “lazy” writing, because even in a show as plot heavy as Arcane, allowing moments of reprieve actually allows your audience to process what’s being shown onscreen rather than having a million things thrown at you or having crucial character arcs condensed into music video montages — lemme also just pour one out for specifically my girl Vi real quick because she was done so dirty. Now, you can argue that we simply just didn’t have enough time to explore little moments of R&R with the characters (ignoring the fact that s1 was also nine episodes here), that just points to the crucial problem of s2 in my opinion in that we simply had too much stuff going on. In a perfect world, to me anyway, we would’ve had at least another season or the finale releasing separately to the rest of the season as a two-hour special. Now, while I didn’t love s2 as much as s1, I also don’t think it’s unsalvageable or ruined the show either — in fact, there’s a lot of moments I love conceptually or standalone, and that’s why I think the choice to prioritize twists/big moments over smaller, more intimate character scenes hurts all the more, but with whatever ends up coming out of this universe in the future, we could wind up looking back at this season with a newfound appreciation. But if this is the last we see of Jayce or Viktor — if not forever, then for a while — I’m saddened that we weren’t allowed more time with them, especially since the core emotional moment of the finale hinges on them, and even on repeat rewatches, it’s very evident that the writing of Jayce especially in Act III is heavily reliant on the execution of the twist and even then, some of his lines are still confusing to me (“everything you did to these people you did alone” is one that confounds me, even from a place of rationalizing Jayce’s cryptic behaviour throughout the last two episodes as a front for toxic yaoi’s sake). All this, and I feel like letting Jayce have a moment to really reflect on him murdering Viktor and maybe even giving him a moment with Ximena was such obvious tearjerker material that I’m shocked the writers didn’t go for it.

Gah, my apologies for rambling so much in your inbox. I’m genuinely not trying to be a negative nancy like how a lot of people are about Arcane s2 and act pissy because the show didn’t go in the direction I wanted — writing is my passion and all of my critiques come from a place of genuine love. I guess I’m just throwing this out there for the sake of discussion? Do with this what you will, I’m just some random nobody on tumblr.com XD

Ooooh long ask - I love it! I will try to respond to everything you wrote, but incase I miss something - apologies in advance <3. Since you were mainly talking about S2, I have to give a little disclaimer: I am one of the few people on here (at least from what I've seen) who prefers S2. I wrote a #personal post about why that is; if you are interested you can find it on my profile, tagged as such. TL;DR I am NOT objective when it comes to S2 or S1. Because while the first season objectively has less flaws, there is one character that tainted my enjoyment of it on my first my first watch ( I am still debating on wether I want to get into that on my blog in a post someday, but that's neither here nor there). So yeah, just a heads up that I am somewhat biased :) I think one of the biggest missed opportunities in S2 imo was not making Jayce’s time in the ravine a bottle episode. As it stands in the show we got, I’m fine with it being where it is and think the “Jayce in dark souls” contrast with Ekko is hilarious, but i think even cramming it in like they did has led to some viewers downplaying his trauma and the vague timeline of events only being segmented a la montage didn’t really help — and that’s not even getting into Mage Viktor’s role in all of this

I adore bottle episodes. They are usually among my fave ones in any show, because the reduction of elements really allows good writing to shine. So, a Jayce ravine bottle episode? Hell yes. About downplaying Jayces trauma - I still think that episode actually helped make people like Jayce more than before (which is not saying that the montage etc was the best way to do it) - whereas most viewers on the first watch (including me) completely glossed over the fact that he tried to kill himself in S1 and failed to empathize or even understand Jayces character. I wrote a whole post about my thoughts on this - I hope it's okay if I just link it here. It’s obvious when some people haven’t rewatched the show in a while since it came out, since there appears to be this narrative being spread around now villainizing the Mage, saying that he had “doomed” Jayce either through giving him the mission in the first place, or is trying to paint Jayce as a victim who only stayed with Viktor out of “obligation” for his mission or even people saying that he had groomed Jayce (god, I hate how flippantly that word is used nowadays), and I think that’s because, even foregoing the twist at the end, we just didn’t spend enough time with the Mage to establish his motivations even for a bait and switch. All I can say is that arguments about who "doomed" who are really irrelevant when it comes to Jayvik. Idk if it's a perfect analogy, but it kind of reminds me of the trolley problem - there is no correct answer. Should mage!viktor have let Jayce die as a child? Should he not have saved him from suicide later? What about how Jayce doomed Viktor and by proxy himself, by ignoring his wishes? I think there are several valid positions for people to hold about this if they want to philosophize about what they would or would not have done in either one of those situations. BUT you shouldn't project it onto what the show explicitly depicted: Which is a) Jayce looking in awe when he sees mage!Viktor and neither scared nor angry b) Viktor giving Jayce the choice to leave and c) Jayce clearly stating that he wants to stay with him. Now, while I know not a lot of viewers like him, either because they think the twist is stupid or they’re just salty it wasn’t Ryze (as if shoving in more League lore would magically fix the writing or pacing problems this season lmao), I actually think Mage Viktor ended up being one of the more compelling characters for me to come out of s2 because of how little we know about him and how he got where he did, but obviously not everyone feels that way and while I’m not saying the writers should’ve showed their hands entirely — because, regardless of the logistics, that reveal still was one of the better executed imo and hits incredibly hard, especially on repeat viewings — I also just wanted to see more of this character and the eerie, desolate world that Jayce was thrusted into I am not sure if the majority of people really dislike the reveal, or if it is mainly those who are more involved in fandom or league lore. At least from people in my real life, I have never heard anyone disliking the reveal - quite the opposite.

Speaking for myself, I’ve never liked time travel plots — they often feel like a lazy cop-out. That said, this one actually works. It ties together several elements the show had already set up, and does so beautifully through a single character. Mage!Viktor’s message distills all the other storylines into one simple, tragically unsatisfying — yet strangely life-affirming — truth.

I also find it interesting that while he’s literally a mage, he actually aligns more with the archetype of the sage. To me, Commune Viktor embodies the show’s magician archetype (as hinted at in that one Sevika scene with the cards), whereas Mage!Viktor represents what happens when that magician archetype becomes too successful in reshaping the world. He even says as much himself. It really makes me think about how Viktor cycles through multiple archetypes over the course of the show — always orbiting around the hero archetype embodied by Jayce.

Sorry for suddenly going off about archetypes — but all this to say: Mage!Viktor doesn’t deserve the hate he gets, in my opinion. He’s a smart addition to the story and leaves a strong impact despite his limited screen time.

There’s also the meta reasoning that we, the audience, would simply have more time to sit on the information being processed before being thrown back into Plot Stuff™: I hate the internet for what it did to the word “filler” and acting like character focused episodes over strictly plot-driven episodes is a sign of bad or “lazy” writing, because even in a show as plot heavy as Arcane, allowing moments of reprieve actually allows your audience to process what’s being shown onscreen rather than having a million things thrown at you or having crucial character arcs condensed into music video montages — lemme also just pour one out for specifically my girl Vi real quick because she was done so dirty. Again, I am all with you on this. Filler episodes only feel like "filler" if the writing isn't on point - and because Arcane has skilled writers, I think their work gets better, the more it is allowed to breath. I am also glad you mentioned the music video montages. I am not a fan of those. They are very cool visually - hats off to the animators - but that's it imo. I also know they are a staple in the show, but I do wonder if both seasons wouldn't actually be better, if they replaced those with other scenes. As for Vi, all I am going to say is that I hardly remember her in S2. I think that speaks for itself. Now, you can argue that we simply just didn’t have enough time to explore little moments of R&R with the characters (ignoring the fact that s1 was also nine episodes here), that just points to the crucial problem of s2 in my opinion in that we simply had too much stuff going on. In a perfect world, to me anyway, we would’ve had at least another season or the finale releasing separately to the rest of the season as a two-hour special.

When I finished watching S1 and was talking to my friend who had recommended it to me, I remember saying how I felt like the show needed two more episodes (therefore making it 11) to really work for me. So S2 definitely could have done with at least 2 more, but realistically more like 3-4. I have to say though, while I was watching I didn't really feel like there was too much going on for me plot wise. I enjoy when the world opens up and the scale becomes bigger. The thing is though, back then I didn't know there wasn't going to be S3, so I got excited about the new things they threw in because I thought I was watching the midway point of the story - not its conclusion. So yes, agreed, in a perfect world Arcane would have had another season. I am still hopeful that they will give us what was missing in the spin offs (more on that in the next paragraph) Now, while I didn’t love s2 as much as s1, I also don’t think it’s unsalvageable or ruined the show either — in fact, there’s a lot of moments I love conceptually or standalone, and that’s why I think the choice to prioritize twists/big moments over smaller, more intimate character scenes hurts all the more, but with whatever ends up coming out of this universe in the future, we could wind up looking back at this season with a newfound appreciation.

This is exactly what I’m hoping for too — especially because I had a similar experience with Season 1 while watching Season 2. The added context really elevated a lot for me. And now, Season 2 itself has so much potential to be elevated by the spin-offs. I just hope they do it justice, because honestly, S2 is special to me — and I don’t want it to remain just potential. But if this is the last we see of Jayce or Viktor — if not forever, then for a while — I’m saddened that we weren’t allowed more time with them, especially since the core emotional moment of the finale hinges on them, and even on repeat rewatches, it’s very evident that the writing of Jayce especially in Act III is heavily reliant on the execution of the twist and even then, some of his lines are still confusing to me (“everything you did to these people you did alone” is one that confounds me, even from a place of rationalizing Jayce’s cryptic behaviour throughout the last two episodes as a front for toxic yaoi’s sake). All this, and I feel like letting Jayce have a moment to really reflect on him murdering Viktor and maybe even giving him a moment with Ximena was such obvious tearjerker material that I’m shocked the writers didn’t go for it.

I feel like I end most of my metas by pointing out how there is so much more to be done with Viktor and Jayce narratively. That being said, if I was a writer I'd be a lot more confident on what to do with Viktor after the finale, than with Jayce. Partly, because of what you described - some of the things he says and does in Act 3 are...strange.

You can tell the writers wanted two contradictory things at once: tell a story about how Jayce has come to understand Viktors importance to him and the lengths he is willing to go to for that but also not make it too obvious because then the finale will lose its emotional impact. I think the only way to rectify this, would be to show more of his conversation with Mage!Viktor and that somehow explaining why Jayce was putting up the "toxic yaoi" front as you accurately called it lol. They could still do this in flashbacks in a spin off - or maybe even in the form of dialogue with Viktor, who knows. Unfortunately, I see one more problem with Jayces as character (that I don't see with Viktor at all) - because they kind of wrote themselves into a corner when they completed his arc with "now, all i want is my partner back." and him succeeding in that. Because assuming that him and Viktor are not somehow separated after the finale (which I'd hate because their dynamic after what happened is too interesting to be left unexplored), he has everything he claims he wants. And if a character has everything he wants, what is there for him to do?

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy post canon fluffy cottage by the stream AUs, and I'd watch the shit out of that if it were a show, but realistically, it's not something that will ever get made. I am not saying it's impossible to create a new plot line for Jayce - because he is an interesting character - but it isn't the easiest thing to imagine because of how murky they kept his inner workings in S2. Gah, my apologies for rambling so much in your inbox. I’m genuinely not trying to be a negative nancy like how a lot of people are about Arcane s2 and act pissy because the show didn’t go in the direction I wanted — writing is my passion and all of my critiques come from a place of genuine love. I guess I’m just throwing this out there for the sake of discussion? Do with this what you will, I’m just some random nobody on tumblr.com XD Please don't apologize - yapping about Arcane and Jayvik and writing is all I want to do on the internet these days, so thank you for giving me the opportunity to do so. I really really enjoyed your ask. You also don't come across as a negative nancy at all - as I said, everything you pointed out makes absolute sense to me as a S2 stan lol. I can see that it is flawed and I am happy to discuss those flaws, while loving it regardless. So yeah, thank you and if anyone else has anything they want me to ramble about - ask away!

[mymitochondriaforpresident]

For me YR exists in two parts: before the s2 wille speech, and after.

Aka The Dark Days and The Light Days, respectively.

[no-brand-gays]

it is always a good day to find out that the character you’ve liked the most so far in your watch of love live superstar is a descendent of the samurai who founded the city you live in

[skrunksthatwunk]

just finished s2 of kaiji and it was good i really liked it but i hope i never see that fuckass pachinko machine again!!!

[animeshotsh]

Moms | Jinx x Fem!Reader | Arcane ¤

Summary: You are worried since your girlfriend has dissapear since Silco's death. Only for her to show up at your home, but not alone.

Warnings: SFW - SOFT - OFF CANON IN TERMS OF TIME - Worm joke - grammar mistakes - spoiler s2 - sad!reader - mentions of alcohol -

Even since the big explosion that took place in the uppercity the undercity had gone into a crisis of gang fights and just more violence.

No one really knew what had happened, there were rumors of Silco being dead, but who attacked the uppercity?

Well, since Jinx your girlfriend was a fan of gadgets, guns and bombs, and how she had stopped coming to your home to visit you, you connected the dots.

Then when her face was in a wanted poster it became real.

God you were scared for her, where was she? Was she safe? You did check her usual hideouts and the ones that were secretly for the both of you so no one would target you. But nothing. You were left with zero trace of her.

You had to push yourself out of your home to work and put a fake face of not caring when someone mentioned her, or when you saw the enforcments go around.

~~~~~~

Your day was long, so when you finally got home you left yourself fall on the old couch. Dust covered the place even if you have tried many times to clean it.

Just like any other night you started to feel sad, memories of you and Jinx coming back. How you met her, how she seemed curious of you at first and how you had felt like her experiment, then your first kiss with her, the cuddles, doing her hair and nails....

And so you started to cry again but your spiral of depression would have to wait since a knock at your door alerted you.

Now, you were born and raised in the undercity, you knew how dangerous it could be, thats why you have trained yourself on being able to use knifes and be quick on your feet.

You swiftly took out your blade going in silence towards the door, the knocking continued, being more frenetic.

Your heart went up fast your brain already thinking on vitals points to hit and a back door from the apparment complex till you hear it.

"No! Im not shooting her door"

That voice...

"Well because she is nice? You will love her, but no more than me"

You went quickly and opened it revealing a figure under a cape, but you could see the blue hair and pink eyes.

You were fast on pulling her in, no noticing the small kid that followed by her hand.

"Jinx! Fucking hell, are you alright? Wait, thats blood? Its not yours right? I need to get you cleaned, hold up"

Just as you were going to go and look for something she pulled you back and kissed you, it felt different, like this was a kiss that was more to ground herself than anything.

"Just...just shut up. And its not mine"

Jinx said getting away a bit. She could see your worried expression and by the look of your aparment and the alcohol bottles she could tell you had been dealing with a lot.

Fuck, why did she hurt anyone who got close?

Her mind stopped when she saw you go down on your knees and see behind her leg.

"Why do you have a kid with you?" You asked seeing the dirty kid who looked back at you then at Jinx then at you.

Jinx and the kid seemed to talk without saying a word, then with a nod from her the kid went to you and hugged you.

You were suprised and a bit taken back, but hugged her back.

"Suprise! You are a mom now, I know you have said how you wanted to adopt a kid if you could"

You gave a Jinx a pointed look then separated from the kid who had a different look now, a look of...fondness?

"Jinx...I- Im not even going to ask. Im just glad you are fine"

Her heart broke at your honest words and loving smile. She did swear no one would take you from her.

~~~~~~~~

Jinx insisted on you moving to her hideout, saying that someone could have seen her and your house was not safe anymore.

Honestly? You thought she was trying to make her own world there. A place where she, Isah and you could live under colors, see insects fights. Play hideout and just....be a family.

When Isah went to sleep you went to Jinx who was messing with her old gun, not getting it back together just...moving pieces.

"Jinx, you know this cant last forever" You had started to say slowly getting her to stop messing and look at you.

"Dont tell me you agree with lefty?"

You snorted at the nickname she had gave to Sevika.

"No, well maybe a bit. Look i dont want you to be a vigilant or anything, i want you to be whatever you wanna be. But, we are in difficult times now, and you Jinx" You said taking her hands in yours "You are what is keeping the others together, something i have never imagined"

"Because I jinx everything, right?"

You moved your head and made her look directly at you.

"You dont do that. Stop saying that. You met me, and we are together right? We have been together for so long, i dont plan on going anywhere".

"...Even if i turn into a worm?"

"Yes Jinx, even if you turn into a worm. I will still be at your side, loving you  and caring for you. But i wont let you be on our fights, sorry but you would be a loser"

And with both of your laughts the bitter reallity seemed to go away at least for now.

[uzurakis]

hi :D can you do jjk boys doing like a tiktok prank and telling reader to shut up but they've a really bad day and either get mad/really sad? angst with or w/o comfort plz

CAN YOU SHUT UP FOR A SEC?!

featuring: gojo satoru. fushiguro megumi. itadori yuuji. geto suguru.

n. some comfort and some w/o comfort lol. thanks for the req babes, not breaking my angst writing stride. if you could understand why i wrote gojo like that, then you paid attention to s2. enjoy </3

GOJO SATORU. you dropped your bag by the door and took a deep breath, hoping to find some comfort in his presence; finding your boyfriend lounging on the couch, his eyes glued to the tv screen.

“satoru,” you said, voice tinged with fatigue. “i had a really bad day today. the higher ups are a fucking pain—“

“shut up, babe, i’m watching tv. see?” without looking away from the tv, gojo cut off your words.

you froze, the sting of his words hitting you harder than you expected. you stared at him in disbelief, feeling a mix of hurt and anger rising within you. “wow. thanks for that. really needed it today,” you said laced with passive aggression.

gojo finally turned his head to look at you, but it was too late. you could feel the tears welling up in your eyes, and you didn’t want him to see you cry. you pivoted and exited the living room, displacing him in the process.

as you retreated to the bedroom, you could hear the faint sound of the tv continuing in the background. the reality of the situation settled in, and you felt the tears spill over, silently streaming down your face. you sank onto the bed, burying your face in your hands.

moments later, the sound of the tv stopped, and you heard footsteps approaching the bedroom door. it opened slowly, and gojo stepped inside, looking all confused and a tad concerned. “babe,” he said softly, “seriously, what’s going on?”

FUSHIGURO MEGUMI. “can’t you see i’m busy? can you shut up for a sec?”

you froze, his words hitting you like a punch to the gut. your shoulders slumped further, and you felt a knot form in your stomach. “i don’t need this today. just leave me alone,” you muttered, turning on your heel and heading towards the door.

megumi’s head snapped up as he realized something was wrong. “wait, hold on,” he called out, but you didn’t stop. “hey, i was just joking. come on, talk to me.”

your pace quickened as you left the dorm room, but you remained silent. you needed to leave before you totally lost it because you could feel the tears starting to burn in your eyes. megumi's voice could be heard calling after you as you went down the corridor; growing more concerned with each attempt.

“please, wait!” he shouted, tone now filled with worry. “fuck, i didn’t mean it like that! it’s a tiktok prank, babe!”

you kept moving, the door closing behind you as you stepped outside into the crisp evening air. you leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths to calm yourself. the last thing you needed was more pain on top of an already unbearable day.

ITADORI YUUJI. anger flared within you and your eyes widened. “why would you say that to me? what’s wrong with you?” you snapped, voice sharp as a knife.

yuuji’s gaze moved to look at you, and he immediately saw the pain in your eyes. his expression shifted from surprise to regret. “wait, wait, baby, i’m so sorry! it’s just a tiktok prank. i swear i didn’t mean it like that. please, forgive me.”

“a tiktok prank? do you think this is funny?”

he scrambled off the couch and came over to you, face earnest and pleading. “no, no, it’s not funny. i thought it would be harmless, but i can see now that it wasn’t the right time. i’m really sorry…”

“forgive me, please?”

you took a deep breath, trying to calm down. the sincerity in his voice and the worry in his eyes made it hard to stay mad at him. “yuuji, i’ve had a really bad day. the last thing i needed was for you to tell me to shut up.”

your boyfriend nodded vigorously, looking like a guilty puppy. “i know. i messed up big time. can we start over? we’ll order your favorite takeout and watch a movie? my treat!”

GETO SUGURU. your frustration, already simmering beneath the surface, boiled over. “excuse me? you don’t get to talk to me like that, geto suguru. especially not today!”

“whoa, hey, calm down. it was just a tiktok prank. i didn’t mean it seriously.”

“and you think that’s funny?”

the guy stood up, hands raised in a placating gesture, trying to approach you cautiously. “okay, okay, i get it. not funny. i’m sorry. how about we forget about it and i make it up to you?”

you could see the genuine concern in his eyes, but you weren’t ready to let it go just yet. “you really don’t understand how bad my day has been, do you? and you choose today to pull something like this?”

suguru sighed, taking a step closer to you. “i do understand. i’m sorry i made it worse. i was just trying to be playful. let me make it up to you.” he dropped his voice to a softer, flirtatious tone, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “you know i can’t stand it when you’re upset with me.”

“you damn flirt,” you huffed, trying to maintain your anger, but the familiar charm in his voice made it difficult. “you can’t just flirt your way out of everything, geto suguru. i’m still mad.”

he stepped closer, gently taking your hands in his. “maybe not, but i can try. let me make it up to you tonight. we can do whatever you want. i’ll be on my best behavior, promise.”

@uzurakis

[sashayed]

ok now it is time to air my grievances with severance s2, a season of television i thoroughly enjoyed and looked forward to every week. s2 is mr milchick putting on a spectacular drumline Just For Me and what do they get for it. trapped behind a vending machine (readmore cut) while i batter them with a trombone. classic ingratitude.

my umbrella gripe btw is that showrunner dan erickson's figurative innie is actually Ricken and he won't admit it and until he does we are never going to see the show that severance Could Be. like ricken is a pretentious nightmare who is insulated from the consequences of his own actions. he's also got a fascinating way with words (fond, derogatory) and a heart that yearns for love and he is really trying to Say Something. ok well that's what this show is. accept this and reconcile with yourself Dan Erickson (or should I say DAN: SO RICKEN??? boom anagrammed!!) or keep displacing all your sins onto that one character and doom this show to eternal alienation from its own core themes.

i think we can all admit that pacing in this season sucks and they had enough time to do it better. and the thing is imo if you were really committed to storytelling you would have to cut some of the most fun/fanservicey individual scenes of the season. i can see why you might choose not to do that! like for instance the baby goats thing. i get it. it looked soooo fun to film with the baby goats. visually the pasture room is great. gwendoline christie is a gift. it's fun! but it doesn't actually uhhh serve the story to spend all that time on it. it doesn't shed any new light. "they are sacrificing the goats because lumon is a creepy cult." we KNOW they are a creepy cult. "lumon thinks innies are non-people who don't experience love and care, but they DO experience love and care and that motivates them." brother we know that too!! "ok but wasn't it all worth it for that heavyweight christie/olafsson finale fight scene." i will concede this point. that ruled.

pacing problems never worse than in "sweet vitriol," an episode i actually enjoyed more than everyone else, but it didn't need to be a standalone and in fact was badly served by the format!! many in your audience have forgotten to give a shit about ms cobel so the revelation that she invented severance doesn't hit for them. splitting her storyline up and dividing it among episodes starting earlier would have kept her more consistently in play and opened up space for underserved character arcs, like dylan aND IRVING—

—because as much fun as burving demon threesome is it is so underbaked and wastes one of the show's coolest characters. WHO IS IRVING. WHY IS HE SLEEPERAGENTING LUMON. you're gonna put him on a train to the farm for old dogs and be like "all was well because love is more important than revenge :)" ??? like sure but again it DOESN'T HIT because it doesn't require the viewer to struggle with WHAT IRVING'S DRIVING FORCE ACTUALLY WAS. and he doesn't even get to kiss. let him kiss!!!!

I actually think having reintegration move at an unpredictable pace and having its side effects be unclear is not the worst idea, and in fact as an allegory for like, real life healing and becoming a Whole Person i maybe even prefer it. but the pacing problems move it beyond "this process is unfolding gradually and erratically" into "we have forgotten this is happening" and it just didn't have to be that way, man. side note there is something fascinating going on with helly's uncomfortable, unwilling quasi-reintegration from the innie side! from the moment she finds herself in front of that gala to hearing jame say he doesn't love his daughter, she is accepting the fact that SHE IS HELENA. she is thinking about how She as a first-person experiencer of the world could find herself in helena's position (which helena—who is less of a grownup than her innie—is still unable/unwilling to do). i've read some criticism of that final scene (which i loved btw) that was like "helly's goal has always been to dismantle lumon, why would she give that up for A Man? wouldn't she push mark s. out the door and be like BURN THIS PLACE TO THE GROUND?" sure, but i think that doesn't engage with helly's arc either—which is not about revolutionary conviction OR about A Man but about about discovering that SHE wants to live, she doesn't want to hang herself in the elevator out of spite, she wants her half-a-life even if it means a degree of complicity with her evil outie. on the other hand, does the WRITING actually engage with helly's arc? or am i getting all that from britt lower??

speaking of making actors do all the work: we as a show are going to grapple with corporate racism and the Black experience :) no we're not :) or are we? ;) you're welcome :)))

i don't love gemma's backstory boiling down to Woman Want Baby. "Greatest Agony for Woman Is Want Baby and Can't Have Baby" is a storyline that makes me personally grimace. but i accept that that's a personal preference and honestly dichen lachman sells her character/s so beautifully that i didn't even remember to bitch about it when i originally wrote this. i just remembered it and had to edit this post because god forbid i don't complain about something. (although. now that i AM complaining about it: putting someone through three years of torture and then being like "we'll prove this fresh consciousness is unaffected by suffering by going all the way back to the baby thing, because 'no baby,' not years of torture and isolation, is the fundamental pain at the root of this woman's being," is...........a choice!!!!! it's a choice. and if it were a deliberate narrative choice, like if it were about how the lumon ideology fundamentally conceives of women, that would be one thing! but i just don't think it is.)

did i mention i really liked this season and had a great time. i did. i am bitching about it because i have a fun time rotating it in my mind. maybe it's actually very brave and artistic to make a show that is not as well-crafted as it could be because then you are opening up intellectual/creative space for your viewers. what about that. if you think about it maybe a slightly less good show is better than a great show. in a way. checkmate haters

[epicbuddieficrecs]

Epic Buddie Fic Rec | March 31st-May 15th 2025 (PART ONE)

Hey guys.... long time no see ... 🙈

I've been really busy both at work and in my personal life, and I couldn't find the time to sit down and make the weekly recaps. (Part of that was planning a trip I am CURRENTLY on, making the most of this train ride to try and finish this goddamn post I started a week ago). As a result I have a month month and a half worth of fics to catch up on! Because of that, I'm gonna try and make the summaries shorter and the formatting easier because I have a lot of fics to go through! Also, I'm going to make one taglist for all the authors recced instead of tagging one by one for each fic!

Also, I am sorry to all the writers writing canon fics after 8x16, I just really haven't been in the mood to read about MCD. :/ Edit: godfuckingdamnit tumblr can't handle that many links but that just means I can yeet at least part of this rec into the void for now!!!!

@buckleyflower @exhuastedpigeon @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels @shitouttabuck @useramor @evcndiaz @gigi-gigi @inell @cal-daisies-and-briars @songbvrd @challaudaku @pairofraggedclaws @tizniz @devirnis @facewithoutheart @greenbergsays @facewithoutheart @xylodemon @oh-stars @markofalover @spaceprincessem @coldbam @fruitsdontknow @chronicowboy

Complete

Boyfriend on standby by buckleydefender (Post-S8E7: Hotshots, Getting Together | 7K | G): Eddie realizes he’s gay, begs Buck to stop baking and gets a birthday cake and a boyfriend in one night

my place, my peace by buckleydefender (Eddie back from Texas, Getting Together | 8K | G): what happens when Buck becomes TikTok famous, people assume that Eddie is dead, then that they are married and eventually help them get together

🔥 maybe this time, I'll be yours, you'll be mine by Elgney (Canon Divergent, S2 | 22K | G): It's the 63rd Annual Los Angeles Fire Muster & Firefighter’s Family Day, and inter-station relations are about to get real friendly between stations 6 and 118.

can′t leave me alone by 42hrb (S8, Eddie back from Texas, PWP | 3K | E): “There wasn’t a line at the DMV, it was a miracle. I —” The words die on Eddie’s lips as he takes in the scene in front of him, his eyes go wide and his mouth drops open, a flush spreads over his cheeks. Buck must look a fucking sight and he knows it, his face hot with a mix of shame and arousal. He can’t look at Eddie, not when he’s still got a fucking dildo buried in his ass. Not when his cock is fucking leaking against his stomach. Not when looking at Eddie might be what sends him tipping over the edge, so Buck carefully looks at the wall behind him instead. “Y-you’re not supposed to be home yet."

ride it, my pony by weewooforever (Post-S8E6: Confessions, PWP | 4K | E): Eddie shifts again, lifting one leg over Buck’s lap so that he’s straddling him. And then Eddie starts to move and Buck’s brain completely short-circuits. Eddie’s hips roll forward deliberately, like he’s just letting himself follow the beat of the music. Then he rocks back again, and Buck feels the shift through every part of him. That’s when it finally hits him. This is happening. Eddie Diaz is giving him a lap dance.

to bake an orange creamsicle cake by agilerose (S8, Getting together | 3K | G): Buck and Eddie make a grocery store run to get ingredients for a cake, but instead of reading the grocery list, Eddie finds a note in Buck's phone all about him.

i looked at your face & i knew that i’d found it by fleetinghearts (Eddie back from Texas, Getting Together | 3K | G): or, it might be just slightly obvious that buck really, really likes to talk about eddie

🔥 if i have your heart forever by ipretendtobesane (Eddie back from Texas, Getting Together | 9K | M): The day Eddie returns to Los Angeles for good and the day he realizes he’s in love with Evan Buckley happen to be the same twenty-four hours, which makes sense, really, if you think about it. He was coming home. To Los Angeles, to the 118. To Buck.

Overflow Protocol by lethargicWaste (PWP | 10K | E): Or; Eddie finds out Buck has hyperspermia and is totally normal and sane about it.

in golden wednesdays (i see ocean blue eyes) by bibuckdiaz (Canon Divergent, Veterinarian Eddie | 12K | T): Veterinarian Eddie Diaz meets a man who turns his life upside down with his smile, his heart, and his adorable Golden Retriever puppy.

a fever you can't sweat out by evcndiaz (PWP | 5K | E): eddie chuckles at the sight of him, the sound of it so low and dark and cocky that buck swears to god he almost comes right then and there. “you’re a greedy little bitch, aren’t you?” buck moans.

SOS by paleredheadinascifi (Getting Together | 1K | T): Eddie: SOS Buck: ??? Eddie: How do you know if someone wants to kiss you Or, Eddie phones a friend. That friend just so happens to be the guy awkwardly avoiding eye contact with him on the couch.

no angels could beckon me back. by dylaesthetics (PWP, Nightclub | 3K | E): OR Buck wants to party with Eddie and ends up partying…Well, erm, hard.

Devour Me, My Love by giselleslash (Love Confessions | 3K | T): When Buck holds onto Eddie it quiets the noise and brings him back to himself. Eddie doesn’t want to need him, but he can’t stop. (basically Eddie being a freak about Buck. and then Buck being a freak right back.)

Thrill Me Like You Do by Inell (Getting Together | 2K | T): An unexpected kiss over breakfast dishes leads to Buck asking Eddie out for their first date.

Earth is a very small dot by paleredheadinascifi (Blind Date, Getting Together | 3K | T): Or, Buck goes on a blind date. Impossibly, so does Eddie.

🔥 your face has faded but lingers on by Daisies_and_Briars (Angel!Buck, Canon Divergent | 16K | M): After a minor injury, Eddie learns that for years Buck - who was lost in an accident years before - is his guardian angel. Now able to see and interact with Buck, the two develop an unusual and deep bond. One Eddie doesn't want to let go of.

Iridescence by songbvrd (Mermaid!Buck | 18K | E): When Buck's parents try to exchange him for Daniel's health, they're hit with unforeseen circumstances. 5 times Eddie tries to get Buck to open up and tell him the truth, and the one time Buck actually does.

five times buck and eddie talk about having kids (and one time they actually do it) by challaudaku (Established Buddie | 4K | T): It’s not the first time people assumed Christopher was Buck and Eddie’s son, and he is, really, but Buck’s still aware that he came into their lives, that he wasn’t always a part of it, however long ago that felt like. This isn’t going to be the last time someone assumes that, either, but every time sends a rush through Buck’s body, it makes him feel giddy. Having a kid. With Eddie.

made your mark on me by challaudaku (Post-Getting Together | 1K | T): “Was it too much?” he asks. “Too fast?” Eddie’s breaths are shaky and shallow, and then he gasps out, “Is that what it’s supposed to feel like?” - buck, and eddie, and deserving happiness

sweetness follows by pairofraggedclaws (Outsider POV, Getting Together | 4K | T): Buck and Eddie figure it out, through the eyes of Chimney, Hen, and Bobby.

gel jail by shortndiaz (S8, Getting Together | 2K |M): Buck hates Eddie’s hair gel. He sentences it to a life sentence in gel jail.

a spreading heat by Tizniz (Werewolf Eddie | 1K| M): But not today. Today, it’s like he’s unable to ignore the carnal want he has for Buck. And it’s a problem. OR: Eddie is starting his rut and has absolutely no idea.

morning, noon and nightfall by devirnis (New Years Eve, Proposal | <1K | G): It’s been a chaotic day, but the best kind of chaos. Many hands coming together to help decorate, prepare the food, set up games for the kids — as well as discreetly squirrelling away additional decorations and a themed cake that has nothing to do with New Year’s Eve. Buck loves it, loves hosting a big party for his family in their new house, but he also feels like he hasn’t had a chance to talk to his boyfriend all day. Fiancé in — he subtly checks his watch — less than an hour. Probably. Hopefully.

we are human after all by facewithoutheart (Eddie in Texas | 3K | T): With Eddie in El Paso and Buck resting from a minor injury, Buck buys one of those robot cameras for watching pets so he and Eddie can hang out all day.

stress relief by greenbergsays (Post-Shooting, PWP | 5K | E): Set in the aftermath of the sniper shooting. Eddie is feeling frustrated and Buck offers a helping hand. (With added feelings!)

tell me what you need by weewooforever (PWP | 6K | E): It was supposed to be a one-time thing. He’d asked Buck for sex that day because he was desperate and looking for something to relax him. He thought it would burn off the need, get it out of his system. But it hasn’t. Not even fucking close. (Part 2 of wants and needs)

I told my friends you were the one by Elgney (Chris POV, Reddit | 2K | G): r/relationships ConfusedKid • 1 yr. ago : Hi. I’ve never posted here before but my friends can’t help me so maybe you guys can. I (12M) have kind of been going crazy trying to figure out what is going on with my dad (31M) and his best friend, B (31M). (Part 2 of make way for Buckling)

Water Lovers by xylodemon (S8, Getting Together | 10K | E): (Or: Five Times They Shared a Shower at the Station and One Time They Shared One at Home)

🔥 playing favorites by 42hrb (Pepa POV, Canon | 10K | T): Vignettes of Pepa and her favorite nephew throughout the years.

Pauses, then says, "You're my best friend." by this_is_moony_lovegood (Eddie Back from Texas, Getting Together | 7K | T): When Buck walks in on Chris kissing his best friend, Aiden, Buck and Chris settle in for an overdue conversation about love, family, and being brave.

shoulda been me by Tizniz (S8, Eddie Coming Out, Getting Together | 7K | G): Eddie goes on a date, realizes some things, and Buck handles it in a perfectly normal and rational way.

If you Give a Buck a Baby by scarmaddiewrites (Canon, Multiple POV | 7K | T): If Evan Buckley came with an instruction manual, the number one rule printed in bold, underlined, and possibly laminated, would be: If Evan is sad, give him a child.

vuelve a mi by markofalover (S8E17: Don't Drink The Water, Pepa&Eddie, Getting Together | 2K | T): “All these years, I tried to,” she says, pausing to inhale. “Set you up, and I didn’t know. That your heart already belonged to someone.”

sick of the chase but hungry for blood by spaceprincessem (S8E17: Don't Drink The Water | 1K | M): or buck and eddie kiss during the kitchen scene

easy by coldbam (S8E17 Coda, Getting Together | 1,7K | M): "Buck, are you single?" Eddie snorts, leaning back in his chair. "Pepa, don't start." She swats him lightly on the shoulder. "Oh, Eddie, hush. I'm just curious," she says, a picture of innocence before she turns back to Buck with a raised eyebrow. "Well?"

featherlight by coldbam (Canon Divergent, Eddie in Texas | 7K | G): Eddie snaps the picture, and sends it to Buck without thought. New neighbour stopped by to welcome me Eddie had been drinking his coffee, sitting outside on his back porch, trying not to get overwhelmed at all the shit he still had to do at his new place. The bird, a sweet little thing with a yellow face, was a nice distraction, flitting around, probably looking for food through the overgrown garden. It doesn’t take more than three minutes before his phone buzzes with Buck’s response. think thats a verdin!!! so cool!!

I Don’t See Your Mistakes by fruitsdoesnotknow (Eddie Back From Texas, Roommates, Getting Together | 7K | T): They're asked a simple question. "When did you fall in love with your partner?" This is how they respond.

seeing him in a new light by Tizniz (Eddie Back from Texas, Getting Together | 1K | G): The big question Eddie has is: has Buck always been this big?

bet the house (watch it fall) by withmeornotatall (S8E17 Spec | 1K | G): (OR: eddie goes back to confession)

Earth is a very small dot by paleredheadinascifi (First Date | 3K | T): Or, Buck goes on a blind date. Impossibly, so does Eddie.

WIP

Innocence died screaming, honey, ask me I should know by JJK/ @trenchcoatsandtimetravel (Demon Buck, Canon Divergent | 11/? | 21K | Teen): Buck is a demon with the power to help with pregnancy, childbirth, and infant health. When the Buckleys make a deal asking for someone to help 'save their baby', Buck leaps at the chance as it will give him what he's always wanted: a life on earth. But demon deals are tricky and neither of them gets quite what they're after. This is Buck's journey as he navigates growing up on earth and remembering how to help those in need.

🔥 Gentle On My Mind by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Canon Divergent, Shannon Lives, Buck/Eddie/Shannon | 26/28 | 139K | Explicit): In which Shannon lives, tells a lie, and sends hers, Eddie's, and Buck's lives down a very different path

🔥 for all the haunts and homes of men by euadnes/ @kananjarus (Canon Divergent, Post-Apocalyptic, Station Eleven Crossover | WIP | 18/19 | 189K | Mature | Warning: Violence): The year by the old calendar is 2025. Home is gone. Home is a failed rescue mission and an echo of a memory. Home is a lost boy living in a wooden house by the sea. But first, there was a promise. Christopher, when it's safe, I'll take you back to your father. Buck had all but given up on keeping it after the world had died and everyone in it. But just as some oaths refuse to be forgotten, so the same can be said about the endurance of love.

Shake the Disease by Daisies_and_Briars (Post-S8E15 Sick Day, Canon Divergent | 2/9 | 10K | M): Six months after a lab explosion which left Buck the only surviving active member of the 118, Buck begins to experience strange symptoms that lead him and Athena, both trapped in their grief, into the depths of a conspiracy that might be more fact than fiction.

🔥 Doe & a Drop of Golden Sun by ohstars (Canon Divergent, Dad Buck | 17/? | 72K | Teen): Buck doesn't mean to keep secrets from everyone, but he also can't talk about the pain he experiences on a day to day basis. With his nine-year-old living across the country and his custody limited to one monthly visit, Buck doesn't know how to share this part of himself. How does he tell his team of six years that he's had a kid this whole time?

Podfic

[Podfic] I'll Eat You Instead of Chocolate (You're Sweeter Anyhow) by Favourite_alias for letmetellyouaboutmyfeels (Werewolf Buck, BDSM | 2.5-3h | E): When the 118 is called to deal with a "dog" that ended up in someone's house, Buck sustains a bite. It's fine, in fact it healed really quickly, and he doesn't see a need to make any fuss. The fact that he's craving raw meat, wants to be taken on a walk, and has a crazy strong sense of smell now are completely unrelated. Definitely. For sure.

[supernotnatural2005]

Clowning Around

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Summary: You’ve got a crush on Dean, your best friend’s brother. The catch, he's only in town for a few more days. However, all it takes is a haunted house, a punch to the face and a surprising confession to know where you stand.

Word Count: 1.7k

Warnings/tags: Fluff! Eventual pairing. I love everyone involved. Mentions of unintentional assault.

AN: Okay, so I hadn't expected to get something out so quickly, but I guess I was just inspired and this is what came of this wonderful mood board and challenge from @chevroletdean ❤️ I've never written from a mood board inspo before, so I hope I did okay? 😅 I also took a bit of inspo from New Girl S2 Ep6. (gif not mine)

Congrats on 500 friend 🎉

Masterlist

The evening air was crisp, swirling with the scent of kettle corn, hot cider, and woodsmoke from the fire pits set up around the Stanford fall carnival. You stood just outside the haunted house, the multicoloured lights of the fairgrounds casting a warm glow on your torn and bloodied zombie costume.

Fog machines hissed faintly behind you, and a dark sinister voice echoed from the entrance speakers, adding atmosphere for the next wave of thrill-seekers waiting to be terrified.

You should’ve been hyped. Halloween was your absolute favourite time of year. Spooky costumes, haunted houses, candy, cozy sweaters—this was your season. You’d even signed up to volunteer as an extra for the haunted house this year, practically bouncing when Jess suggested it. But tonight, the buzz just wasn’t there.

Because Dean hadn’t shown.

A week and a half ago, Sam had introduced you to his older brother at your local bar just off campus. You’d heard stories about Dean Winchester—grease monkey, classic rock enthusiast, had practically raised Sam after their parents had passed. You expected to like him on principle alone. You just hadn’t expected how much.

And man, you were crushing hard.

You’d hit it off immediately—easy banter, shared love for horror movies and greasy diner food, the way he actually listened when you talked about your thesis like it was interesting and not soul-draining. And his eyes—God, those green eyes—had this way of locking onto yours like he saw you. Really saw you. 

He’d been in town for two weeks, crashing with Sam and Jess, and since you’d been the honorary third wheel long before Dean arrived, it was only natural that the four of you had spent a lot of time together. 

However, nothing had happened. Nothing beyond harmless flirting or the occasional teasing glance. Sure, there were moments—his thigh brushing yours when he sat too close, fingers grazing as you passed each other a drink or walked side-by-side—but it never led anywhere. 

Dean was leaving in a few days anyway, heading back to Kansas, back to a life you weren’t part of. Maybe that was why he’d kept his distance. Or maybe it was your own insecurities whispering that he just didn’t see you that way.

Jess swore up and down that he was into you.

“He asked me if you were seeing anyone. Twice,” she’d said just this morning, practically bouncing on her toes as she dabbed fake blood onto your cheek. Jess had clocked the chemistry from the start, maybe even before you had.

A part of you couldn’t shake the feeling that this had been her plan all along. That she’d hoped something like this would spark before Dean even got to campus.

Sam, of course, seemed blissfully unaware—just happy to have his brother around again—but even you had started to get suspicious of the hushed whispers between him and Jess whenever you and Dean were in the same room.

Still, despite yourself, you’d smiled—nervous, giddy, full of hope.

Tonight was your chance to find out for sure. You’d invited him to the carnival, hoping he’d show up. Maybe even join the haunted house with you. Your plan was to finally bite the bullet and just ask him out. Long-distance? You could try it. 

There was just something about Dean that made you want to throw caution to the wind—to be bold, reckless, brave. He was different. Special.

And maybe it was crazy to think that way from only knowing someone for such a short period of time, but there was something electric about Dean—like he was carved out of your daydreams and dropped straight into your life.

But then Jess and Sam arrived without him. She had tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice when she said he had to drive out of town for something work-related.

You’d played it cool. Nodded. Smiled. Shoved the disappointment down into the pit of your stomach as you took your place in the haunted house, ready to scare the ever-loving hell out of strangers.

But, your heart wasn’t in it. You did your job—jumped out of coffins, hissed from behind tombstones, chased a couple of high schoolers with a plastic axe—but your enthusiasm had taken a hit.

And then, just as you were leaning against a gravestone prop, waiting for the next group, you heard a noise behind you.

“BOO!”

A clown—huge mask, frizzy hair, red nose, and all—lunged out of the shadows right into your face.

You yelped and reacted on instinct.

CRACK.

Your fist collided with the clown’s face with a satisfying thud, and he stumbled back with a sharp groan.

“Shit—”

You blinked, adrenaline still buzzing in your veins, as the stranger pulled the mask away from their face.

“Dean?!”

Dean stood there, eyes wide, one hand clutched over his nose, which was rapidly turning red and beginning to swell.

“Oh my God!” You rushed forward. “I am so, so sorry—oh God.” You cupped his face in your hands without thinking, scanning his features with guilt.

He winced, but his grin was lopsided and teasing. “That was one hell of a right hook.”

You groaned and grabbed his arm, tugging him toward the carnival grounds, guiding him to a picnic bench beneath some newly lit orange lanterns. People milled around you, kids in costumes darting between booths and couples sharing funnel cake, but your world had narrowed to the man nursing his nose beside you.

“Sit. Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

You returned minutes later with a paper towel-turned-cloth from a nearby food stall and a small paper cup filled with ice. Dean took them both with a grateful grunt as you sat beside him.

“You really clocked me,” he said with a chuckle, pressing the ice to his face. “I’m gonna feel that tomorrow.”

“I feel it now,” you muttered, horrified. “I thought you weren’t coming.”

“That was kind of the point,” he said with a sheepish smile. “Wanted to surprise you.”

Jess and Sam passed by just then, and Sam burst out laughing the moment he saw Dean’s face.

“Oh this is everything?” Sam wheezed. The kid was turning purple almost as he clutched his stomach, and Jess was no better as she giggled beside him. 

“Yeah, hold this jokester.” Dean threw his mask at Sam who caught it on reflex and then recoiled instantly, dropping it to the ground when he saw what it was. 

The two of you burst out laughing, Sam’s bitch-face in full bloom. His phobia of clowns clearly not lost on the pair of you. 

“Jerk.”

“Bitch.” The brothers exchange before Jess looped her arm through Sam’s, tugging him back towards the line of stalls.

“Come, we’ll leave the zombie to nurse her victim, maybe even sample his flesh.” Jess shot you a sly wink despite your pointed look, before they wandered off, leaving the two of you alone once again.

Dean leaned back, ice still to his face, but he offered you a crooked smile. “So… Hi.”

You couldn’t help but huff a laugh and cover your face with your hands. “I can’t believe I punched you in the face.” You groaned.

He laughed, nudging you with his shoulder. “Yeah, but come on, at least it was memorable.” You laughed softly, and he smiled at the sound.

The moment stretched out, neither awkward or uncomfortable. The fading sun had cast the sky in a hue of deep oranges and purples and you found yourself admiring it before Dean spoke up again.

“I quit my job.”

You blinked. “Wait. What?”

He nodded, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Told my boss to shove it. I’m done busting my ass for sixty hours a week just to get talked down to by a guy who thinks a compliment might kill him.” He huffed humourlessly and shook his head.

“I mean, I've been dreaming about opening my own garage for years—figured it was about time I stopped dreaming and actually did something about it. So… why the hell not, right?”

Your eyes softened. He’d told you about this dream one night while the two lightweights had passed out on the couch, leaving you and Dean to keep the party going, which essentially consisted of eating your weight in multipacks of halloween candy and watching b-movie horror films. 

You remembered the way his eyes lit up as he talked about it. Of wanting to be his own boss, about the freedom, about building something for himself. You’d been more than encouraging, having to refrain yourself from sounding like every positive, uplifting bumper sticker ever.

“But it’s more than just the job,” he went on, voice quieter now. “Kansas hasn’t felt like home in a long time.”

Your heart twisted at that. You already knew from Sam about their parents—how much they'd lost, how empty that place must feel without them. A ghost town full of memories.

Without thinking, you reached for his hand, lacing your fingers through his and giving it a soft squeeze. He looked at you then—really looked. And for a moment, everything around you seemed to slow, like the world had paused to catch its breath.

“Now I’ve quit. There’s nothing keeping me there. But…” He trailed off, tongue darting out to wet his lips as his gaze flickered between your eyes. “There’s a lot pulling me here.”

Your heart skipped, like it had hit a bump in the road. Hope bloomed fast and fierce in your chest.

“I found a shop,” he said, voice a little quieter now. “Small place, not far from here. Needs some work, but it’s got good bones. I’m thinking of buying it.”

You stared at him, mouth parting. “You want to move here?”

“Yeah,” he said, almost shy. “And I was kinda hoping that… if I’m gonna be sticking around, that maybe I could take you out sometime? If you’d be interested?”

He barely got the words out before you leaned in and kissed him.

It was fast, impulsive. One full of pent-up nerves and relief, but when he let out a soft grunt and you jerked away.

“Oh crap—sorry!”

Dean winced, but the crooked smile spreading across his face was pure mischief. “No, no—it’s good. Totally worth it.”

You snorted, but your laugh dissolved as he hooked a finger into the neckline of your torn costume and tugged you gently toward him. This kiss was much slower—sweeter. His lips brushed over yours with such softness it made your breath catch, his hand warm against your cheek.

You melted into him, smiling against his mouth as the carnival lights flickered behind your closed eyes like the very fireworks exploding in your stomach.

Halloween had always been your favourite holiday, but now you have one more reason why.

AN: I hope you all liked this one, it was a lot of fun to write 💗, feedback is always welcomed 😘

If you would like to be tagged in my future works please respond to this >form< so I can add you to the character's you'd like 😊

Dean Winchester Tag List:

@bettystonewell , @nancymcl , @happyfxckinghorrors , @ambiguous-avery @jollyhunter

@tbgfvfdcb @crooked-haven @chevroletdean @paganvamp @stoneyggirl2

@deans-baby-momma @spnaquakindgdom @ladykitana90 @lyarr24 , @impala67rollingthroughtown

@jackles010378 @riteofpassage77 @spnaquakindgdom @shadysoulangel @my-stories-vault

@piptoost @star-yawnznn @deansimpalababy @megara0224 @hobby27

@idontwannabehere78 @maddie0101 @kr804573 @shadysoulangel @mrs-nesmith

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[warblogs17282]

Blitz and self-hatred, plus his self-forgiveness journey.

Aka, watch me try to make sense of the massive lore drops in ghostfuckers. (Long post alert, my first meta post after ghostfuckers dropped)

Section 1: The roots of Blitz's self-hatred.

The circus fire. We know what Blitz's actions were that day, he saw Fizzarolli, and tried to call for help, but then he realized that Tilla was also caught up in the fire, and instantly rushed over to attempt to save her the moment Blitz realized that fact.

We know that Fizzarolli getting severely hurt in that fire affected Blitz very deeply, considering that it was one of the memories in that slideshow.

If you look at this frame by frame, you can see some sort of face in the fire when Blitz is rushing to save Tilla from the fire. The face in that fire looks like a mix of an angry face and a screaming face at the same time. Signaling that Tilla has been consumed by the flames. That she's dead.

There's an interesting detail within the hallucination sequence as well.

"This is your life." The fact that the fire in this sequence starts right at Blitz's hand is really telling. It tells us that Blitz still blames himself for accidentally causing the fire. Blitz blames himself for the fire that severely hurt Fizzarolli, and the fire that killed Tilla. Blitz feels like he hurt Fizzarolli and killed Tilla, his own mother.

Look at Blitz's hand during this memory, you can very clearly see that it's quite badly burned, including some that haven't even fully scarred properly yet, placing this memory very shortly after the fire happened. During this scene, Cash hits Blitz, and it's very clearly a memory that still deeply affects Blitz, a memory that most likely reinforced Blitz's own self hatred, because he's blaming himself for Tilla's death and Fizzarolli's injuries at this point, and his dad is just rubbing that in a lot by getting extremely pissed off with Blitz and hitting him because of the circus fire.

Plus, just look at Blitz's reaction to this memory, look at Blitz flinch, look at Blitz starting to struggle against the chains the moment this memory comes up. Blitz's reaction to this just proves how deeply it affects him to this day, and also proves that Cash hitting Blitz added to Blitz's self-hatred over the circus fire. Also, just how many times did Cash physically abuse Blitz like this over the course of his life so far?

Finally, we have the memory of Cash keeping Blitz from seeing Fizzarolli at the hospital. "But they told me you didn't want to see me.", Cash lied to Blitz and most likely the hospital staff as well considering the 'they' used, saying that Fizzarolli didn't want to see Blitz again, having strong implications to Blitz that Fizzarolli hated him. He also lied to Fizzarolli and said that Blitz never even visited him in the hospital. Further adding to Blitz's self hatred over the circus fire.

Section 2: Everything that has reinforced Blitz's self hatred, and is important on Blitz's self-forgiveness journey.

Let's start with Loona, we see her two times during the memories sequence.

The first having this exchange of dialogue.

Blitzo: Because, I adopted you! And that should mean something!

Loona: Oh, what does it matter?! You're not my real dad! I was almost eighteen!

Blitzo: It still counts!

Loona: Well, it shouldn't! I didn't need you then, asshole! I don't, now!

Notice the word 'need.', it's something that Blitz has internalized by now, Blitz thinks that if the people in his life don't 'need' him, they'll just leave him. Another thing that this shows is that Blitz is worried about if Loona hates him.

And it's very clear that Blitz is still effected by this exchange in s1 e3, even quite a while later. In s2 e2, we see Loona kick Blitz right in the balls, and just look at Loona's face in this scene, what Blitz sees here is his fear that Loona hates him, which is why it's in the memory sequence, and there's also these pieces of dialogue to consider.

Loona: If I'm so terrible, how about you just grow a pair and replace me?

Blitzo: Okay, well, maybe I- Maybe I might.

Blitzo: Oh, Loona, my sweet baby girl! I'm so sorry, I'll never replace you no matter what you--

Blitz is still concerned that Loona hasn't forgiven him/hates him for saying that he might replace her, hence why he instantly says he'll never replace her the moment Blitz sees her again, and that face and kick in the balls definitely fed into Blitz's fear that Loona hates Blitz.

And this fear that Blitz has about people who he cares about hating him seems to be something that applies to a lot of different people.

We see this fear in Fizzarolli, because this is one of the memories that comes up in that sequence. The malice-filled stare Fizzarolli gave Blitz during Ozzie's, and we all know Cash was the reason why Fizzarolli hated Blitz for so long, because he lied to Fizzarolli and said he started the fire on purpose, and said that he never visited him once. Alongside other things like Cash making Fizzarolli the golden child. So even all those years later, Cash is still contributing to Blitz's fear of the people he cares about hating him.

Don't be mistaken as well, just because they made up in s2 e6 doesn't make this fear of Blitz's go away, doesn't make the pain of the malice-filled stare go away, which this memory being brought up proves.

And, as I've said before, Blitz still blames himself for accidentally causing the fire that severely hurt him, also adding to the fear and self-hatred.

Barbie Wire, we can see this fear play out with her as well.

"I never wanna see you ever!"

Looking at both Blitz's face at the time and the fact that this scene made it into the memories sequence, it just shows us that Blitz has this fear for Barbie Wire as well, just like how he had it for Fizzarolli. The fact that Barbie Wire doesn't even want to see Blitz again just confirms that fear he has, that Barbie Wire hates him, and the memory of it also confirms just how deeply her saying that effected Blitz.

"Are you worried I may have enough of it one day as well?"

Truth Seekers, the fact that this is Blitz's subconscious telling him this is proof of the fact he has this fear that Moxxie will get tired of Blitz's behavior, that Moxxie will hate him and just, leave.

And the sequence with all the dead Millies and her appearance in the memories sequence also confirms that Blitz has this fear when it comes to Millie as well. Plus, the sequence with the dead Millies also tells us quite a few things, but I think the main ones are the insecurities Blitz has that he 'keeps fucking people's lives up' and 'leaving them worse and more broken than he found them', which both add to the fear that the people in Blitz's life who he cares for hates him.

The last person, Stolas.

There's three memories in ghostfuckers of him I'd like to bring up here.

The first being the All 2 U song memory, just look at how angry Stolas looks to Blitz in this specific memory, while singing lines like "'Cause I don't think it meant a thing at all!"

This one, Stolas was literally just crying a moment ago with all the makeup streaming down his face, but Blitz doesn't seem to remember that fact, instead, he's more focused on what Stolas said, more specifically, "You! Why are you here? I don't want you here, go home, please! Let me not feel so sad!"

And the final one, Stolas and the BTB guy. It's not jealousy, it's god damn heartbreak, especially considering the 'I mean you're a fucking prince. How could you ever actually care for an imp... Me? How could anybody?' Which shows us that Blitz thinks Stolas deserves a better partner, and then a guy literally with a shirt named 'Better than Blitzo' came in, with them dancing and enjoying each other, something that Blitz most likely wished he could do.

Plus, it had been around 24 hours since Stolas' confession to Blitz, and to Blitz, Stolas is already with someone else, someone 'better' than him. With the moment of the BTB guy kissing Stolas being all the confirmation Blitz needed, that he'll never be enough for Stolas, that Stolas has found someone better than him. That he's unlovable.

With all these three memories just massively contributing to Blitz's fear that Stolas hates him, and his self-hatred in general.

(Obviously Stolas doesn't hate Blitz, and that the BTB dude is a one night stand at most, but I'm speaking like how Blitz sees things rn)

Something else that's also relevant is this memory of Verosika, and the reason why this is specifically in the reel is because this was the moment that Verosika said "A reckless, heartbreaking freak!", all while Stolas was watching, which is something Blitz very clearly noted in his memories of the event, showing how much this effected him as well.

And to show that even more, this is the exact point that gets Blitz's tears flowing.

Another thing I want to quickly mention is that Blitz struggles to understand concepts and such of love, outside of a transactional context. Like, correct me if I'm overthinking this, but the 'unconditional support' card is yet another example of Blitz doing this kind of stuff. Everytime they give Blitz 'unconditional support', Blitz punches a hole in the card, with the one at the end being that Blitz has to leave M&M alone for one date, like, my babygirl, that isn't unconditional.

I also suspect that this has roots with Cash as well, considering that Cash was 100% the type of person to only see their value as 'how much money they can make him', and that the less they make for him, the less that Cash will 'love' them, something that is extremely clear in the difference that Cash treated Blitz and Fizzarolli on multiple occurrences. Like, here for example. Plus, there's also the fact that Blitz was bought by Paimon to be friends with Stolas as a kid.

And well, I think we all know what the biggest example of this kind of relationship has been throughout the show, it being something that only ended a few episodes ago.

Of course, I have to mention "I believe your subconscious is trying to tell you that you simply cannot fathom proper intimacy, but… also crave it as well.", which is something that is extremely intertwined with this subject, and the best example of this is probably s2 e8.

Something else in the memories sequence that this line from truth seekers also heavily applies to are these memories.

It shows us very clearly that Blitz is rather envious of the relationship that Moxxie and Millie have, because Blitz craves proper intimacy, so what Blitz sees is something he wants, but something he feels like he can't obtain.

Finally, the last subject I'd like to talk about is the fact that Blitz, hasn't really been able to see much of the good things he's done for the people he cares about or that he straight up doesn't know, by just being himself.

Blitz saved Moxxie from a life with Crimson and also busted him out of prison, Blitz gave Millie a life, a husband, and a purpose, Blitz gave Loona a home and a loving father, right before she was about to get kicked out the system, and Blitz gave Stolas the courage to stand up to his abuser, to allow him to choose for himself and get that divorce.

But, the sad part is that Blitz doesn't really see much of that.

Section 3: The progress Blitz has made on self-forgiveness journey so far.

S2 E6, the fact that Blitz and Fizzarolli was able to make up after so long removed a huge roadblock in the way of Blitz's self-forgiveness journey. The fact that Fizzarolli no longer hates Blitz. While there are still memories about Fizzarolli that still haunt Blitz, as I've shown in this post, this is still a huge step forward for Blitz being able to repair his relationships.

The first real heart-to-heart Blitz and Millie conversation, a lot gets brought up here, just exactly how Blitz has improved Millie's life for the better, confirmation to Blitz that Millie never hated Blitz and the fact that they're best friends. Of course, there's also Millie's apology to Blitz, with this conversation being something that Blitz desperately needed to hear, and I really hope everyone else eventually tells Blitz just how much he's changed their lives for the better.

And the second conversation between the two, the first thing that Blitz mentions is Millie's best friend comment, and that is huge for Blitz, because it signals the start of Blitz learning that people in his life can care for Blitz unconditionally. That Blitz can just have friends in his life, as the line "I- I've never had a real friend that I didn't want to fuck."

(hit the image limit, so time for timestamps!) Timestamp 24:31

(Timestamp, 24:45) "The bird got to you that bad, huh?", it just means so much to me that Blitz has finally admitted the fact that Blitz has feelings for Stolas, because it shows that Blitz is slowly, but surely starting to open up, and this is gonna be a huge thing for Blitz's relationships, including when Stolitz finally gets back together.

[simplygojo]

Die With A Smile ⸺ Satoru Gojo

authors note ⸺ This request really sparked something in me…and I may or may not have gotten carried away, but I hope you like it :) I kinda liked listening to the song while reading, but not sure if I prefer with or without it..

request ⸺ “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars (with smut) - @mawhoreagaa

pairing ⸺ Satoru Gojo x f/reader

content warnings ⸺ 18+ Content, mention of death, smut, oral (f receiving), p-in-v intercourse, mentions of shibuya incident, S2 spoilers

The night felt heavy. Gojo stood by the window of his penthouse, the city’s distant hum a faint reminder that life carried on below, while up here, everything seemed to slow.

The warmth of the evening clung to the air, but it was his own thoughts that weighed him down more than the heat. Tomorrow was unlike any other day.

He was facing a curse user who had proven to be a serious threat, a fight that even Gojo—the strongest sorcerer—knew could push him beyond his limits.

He never liked to admit it, never let the thought settle in his mind, but this fight was different.

The kind that made even him question whether he would walk away unscathed, or walk away at all.

His gaze drifted over to where you sat, unaware of the full weight of the battle that loomed over him.

You were watching him closely, sensing something was wrong. It wasn’t fear on his face, but a certain tension, something rare that you’d only seen a few times before. 

He wasn’t cracking jokes like usual or teasing you with that playful grin. Instead, he stood there, quiet, his hands in his pockets, as if he was lost in thought—no, not thought. It was something deeper.

“Gojo,” you finally called, voice soft, but enough to pull him out of his reverie. “Are you okay? You’ve been... off tonight.”

He looked at you, and for a brief moment, the mask slipped. His bright eyes, usually filled with endless confidence, held a shadow of something else.

Not fear, but an understanding. An acknowledgment of the unknown that tomorrow held.

He crossed the room slowly, his steps deliberate, his gaze never leaving yours.

When he reached you, Gojo knelt down in front of you, his hands resting on your thighs, thumbs tracing slow circles against your skin. His touch was warm, comforting, but there was a desperation in it, like he was memorizing the feel of you.

“Something big is going to happen tomorrow,” he said, his voice lower than usual, almost a murmur. “I can sense someone—a curse user—someone stronger than most. I am going to have to fight, I can feel it.”

You blinked, your heart sinking slightly at his words. “And?”

He gave you a small, soft smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “And there’s a chance I might not come back.”

The words hung in the air between you, heavy and real. It wasn’t like Gojo to admit something like that—he never worried about losing. He never worried about anything. But this... this felt different.

Your breath hitched, but you refused to show him the fear building inside you. You knew what he did was dangerous. You had accepted that long ago. But hearing him admit there was a possibility that he might not return tomorrow—that hit you harder than you expected.

Gojo’s hand slid up to cup your cheek, his thumb brushing tenderly along your jaw. 

“Hey, don’t look like that.” His voice softened, his usual teasing tone creeping back in just a little. “I’ll still win, you know. I’m the strongest.”

But it didn’t sound as convincing as usual. He didn’t need to say it—he wasn’t worried about his strength or the battle. He was worried about this. About you. About tonight.

You reached up, your hand covering his, pressing his palm more firmly against your cheek. “Why are you telling me this now?”

“Because,” Gojo paused, searching your face, as if he wanted to engrain every detail of you into his memory. “If tomorrow doesn’t go as hoped... I want tonight to matter.”

You swallowed, heart pounding as his words settled over you like a heavy blanket. “Gojo—”

“Call me Satoru tonight,” he interrupted, “Like you do when you’re happy,” his voice a quiet demand, his thumb stilling on your skin. “Just tonight.”

The weight of his name, his real name, hung between you like a tether, binding you together in this intimate moment. 

He leaned closer, his lips ghosting over your forehead, barely touching but enough to send shivers through you. His hand slid from your cheek to the back of your neck, pulling you just a little closer.

“I don’t want to think about tomorrow,” he whispered against your skin, his breath warm and slightly ragged. “I don’t care what happens in that fight. I just... I want to love you like it’s the last time I’ll ever get to.”

Your chest tightened at his words. You had never seen Gojo like this—so raw, so vulnerable. 

It was as if he was shedding every layer of his carefree facade, leaving only the man beneath. The man who was afraid of something far deeper than death: leaving without having fully shown you how much he cared.

“Satoru...” You whispered his name softly, your fingers threading through his white hair as you pulled him closer. “We don’t have to say goodbye tonight.”

He pulled back slightly, his forehead resting against yours as he looked into your eyes, his bright blue ones darker now, filled with emotion. “Maybe not,” he said softly, his voice a gentle murmur, “but if we do, I want to make sure you never forget how I feel.”

The room seemed to shrink around you, the world narrowing down to just the two of you, wrapped in the quiet intensity of the moment. 

There was no teasing grin, no playful banter—just the weight of Gojo’s need to be with you, to hold you, to make sure you knew exactly how much he wanted you. 

His lips brushed yours softly, almost reverently, as his hands slid up your thighs, finding a resting place on your hips.

“You don’t have to,” you whispered, your hands resting at the back of his head, twirling his white hair between your fingers, “I already know.”

But Gojo shook his head, a soft, almost sad smile pulling at his lips. “It’s not enough to know. I want you to feel it.”

And in that moment, with his hands on your skin and the warmth of his forehead pressing against yours, you realized that tonight wasn’t just about him—it was about both of you. 

The need to hold on, the desire to forget tomorrow, to live in the present moment as though it was your last.

Because for Gojo, that was the only way to love you now.

Before you could respond, his lips were on yours, the kiss slow but deep, filled with unspoken promises. His fingers slid beneath the hem of your shirt, his touch rough but careful on your soft, delicate skin, sending shivers of anticipation coursing through you. 

He lifted you up from your seat on the chair, your legs wrapping around his torso as his hands supported you with a firm squeeze of your ass.

The world seemed to fall away, the only thing that mattered was the heat between you, the way his body pressed against yours.

“I’ll die with a smile, even if it’s just for tonight,” he murmured between kisses, his breath warm against your lips. 

There was something in his voice, a quiet intensity, and you knew he meant every word. It sent a thrill through you, and you could feel the weight of those words settle deep inside, making your heart race.

You didn’t have to think; your body moved on instinct, drawn to him in a way that felt inevitable. He adjusted his grip on you, one of his long arms now laid on your spine, holding you at the base of your neck, the other still holding the weight of you up. 

He pressed you closer, his lips claiming yours in a kiss that left you breathless. The heat between you was unbearable now, the tension that had been building for so long finally breaking free.

Gojo’s lips trailed down your neck, his breath ragged. You could feel the strength in him, the way his body moved with a quiet intensity that matched the fire burning inside you. 

His words, laced with desire and urgency, sent a jolt of heat through you, and you couldn’t help the soft moan that escaped your lips as his hand gave your ass a good squeeze, his touch firm but careful. His lips found the sensitive spot just below your ear, and you shivered beneath the intensity of his kisses, a heat pooling at your pussy.

Your hands focused on messing up his beautiful hair. Your lips moving hungrily with him

“I don’t care about tomorrow,” Gojo whispered against your skin, his voice soft but firm, each word punctuated with the gentle scrape of his teeth on your neck. “Right now, it’s just you and me.”

Your breath hitched, your heart pounding in your chest as his hand slid up your back, pushing your shirt higher. Every inch of skin he touched seemed to burn, a fire that only grew with each passing second. 

You tilted your head, giving him more access as his lips trailed down your collarbone, his teeth grazing your skin in a way that made your knees weak.

Each brush of his lips, each press of his hands against your skin, felt like an unspoken promise—a desperate attempt to savor every moment as if it might be the last.

You felt the warmth of his breath against your collarbone, his fingers deftly pushing your shirt up higher until it was discarded on the floor without a second thought. His touch was searing, his hands mapping every curve of your body, and you felt a jolt of electricity course through you when he lifted you effortlessly into his arms.

“Let me take care of you, my girl,” Gojo murmured against your lips, his voice deep and filled with a quiet urgency. 

He held you close, his strength undeniable as he carried you toward the bedroom, his eyes never leaving yours. There was something in his gaze—a vulnerability that only surfaced in rare moments like this, a silent plea for you to stay with him on this fleeting night.

You wrapped your arms around his neck, fingers tracing his skin, memorizing the way it felt as your lips found his again, the kiss deepening with a hunger that couldn’t be contained any longer. 

The weight of his body against yours, the way his muscles tensed beneath your touch, sent a thrill of heat through you, your breath coming faster with every second.

“You already know what you mean to me,” he whispered between heated kisses, his breath warm and uneven against your lips. The way he said it, with such conviction, made your heart race. You knew he meant every word, and it was impossible not to feel the weight of his desire—of his need for you. “Let me make sure you remember..”

The bedroom door clicked shut behind him, but the world outside didn’t matter anymore. There was only this—Gojo’s hands, his lips, his body pressed against yours as if he couldn’t get enough of you. He laid you down gently on the bed, his fingers tracing the outline of your naked body, lingering over every inch of bare skin.

Your pulse quickened as you felt his weight settle over you, his broad frame caging you in beneath him. 

The heat between your bodies was unbearable now, and the tension that had been building for so long was finally unraveling. His lips found yours again, the kiss slower this time but no less intense, as if he was savouring every moment, every breath.

“Don’t hold back,” he whispered against your mouth, his voice rough with desire. “I want all of you.”

His words sent a shiver down your spine, your body reacting to the raw intensity in his tone. You could feel his hands wandering lower, his touch deliberate but careful, as if he was trying to memorize every curve, every inch of you. 

When his fingers dug into your hips, a soft moan escaped your lips, and you could feel him smirk against your skin.

His lips trailed down your neck again, lingering on the sensitive spot just below your ear, his breath hot and uneven as he continued his path downward. 

You arched into him, your hands tangled in his hair, tugging gently as your lips moved hungrily against his, each kiss more desperate than the last.

“I’m gonna love you like it’s the last time,” Gojo’s voice was a low murmur against your skin, his teeth grazing your neck as his hands slid under your back, pushing you closer to him. “Right now, it’s just you and me. I need you.”

His words were almost a growl, sending heat rushing to your pussy as your body responded to his every touch, every kiss. You could feel the tension building between you, a fire that couldn’t be extinguished, and it drove you wild. 

His hands roamed your body with purpose, every touch sending sparks of electricity coursing through you. He tugged at the band of your lacy thong, discarding it in a swift motion, leaving you vulnerable beneath him. 

His eyes widened at the view of you. He wasted no time in spreading your legs open with his big hands and planting soft kisses all over your dripping cunt—making sure to watch as your head fell back in reaction to his tongue entering you with ease. 

Your breath hitched as his mouth returned to your—tasting yourself on his tongue as his lips moved sloppily on yours. 

The way he looked at you—like you were the only thing that mattered—set your heart racing, and you couldn’t help but pull him closer, needing him in every way possible.

“Satoru,” you whispered, your voice barely audible over the sound of your own heartbeat, “don’t stop.”

His name, spoken by your sweet, seducing voice with such need, seemed to ignite something in him. Gojo positioned himself and every so slowly inserted himself into you, his own head falling backwards at the sensation—his grip on your thighs tightening as he lowered into you. 

His strokes were slow—as if he was trying to pour every ounce of emotion into it. His hands slid up your sides, fingers brushing the sensitive skin beneath your breasts, his touch lighting a fire everywhere he went. 

You gasped loudly as he continued his pace, every thrust going deeper into your walls. He took his time, savouring the way your body responded to his every touch, his every kiss on your stomach as he fucked you slowly. 

The tension in the room was palpable, thick with the weight of unspoken desire and the promise of what was to come. Every moment felt like it was suspended in time, as if nothing else existed but you and him.

And in that moment, as his body pressed against yours, the world outside ceased to exist. There was no tomorrow, no battle, no uncertainty—only the two of you, wrapped up in each other, lost in the intensity of the moment. 

Gojo’s hands tightened on your hips, pushing himself even deeper into you, evoking a pornographic moan from your lips.

“If tonight’s all I have,” he breathed, his voice thick with emotion, “then I’ll make sure it’s enough.”

୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧

The hours that followed were a blur of tangled sheets, loud moans, whispered names, and unspoken promises. Now, in the quiet aftermath, your bodies were entwined, limbs lazily draped over each other as the cool air filtered in through the open window onto your dam skin.

The soft glow of the moon illuminated the room, casting shadows across Gojo’s face, making him look almost otherworldly in the dim light.

Your head rested on his chest, the steady rise and fall of his breathing lulling you into a peaceful haze. 

The world outside was silent, but you could feel the weight of the unspoken between you—the tension that still lingered despite the intimacy you had just shared.

His arm was wrapped around you, fingers tracing lazy patterns along your bare chest, but you could feel a quiet restlessness in him.

“You worried about this fight, Satoru?” You said softly, adjusting your position to gaze into his clear eyes.

He was quiet for a long moment, his gaze drifting back toward the ceiling as if searching for the right words.

His fingers absently combed through your hair, and you could feel the shift in his energy, the way his usual carefree demeanour had given way to something more serious.

“There’s something about it,” he finally said, his voice quieter now, more thoughtful. “A feeling. It’s been gnawing at me for a while, like something big is coming.”

Your heart skipped a beat at his words, and you sat up slightly, your hand still resting on his chest. “Something big?”

Gojo nodded, his lips pressing into a thin line. “It’s hard to explain, but… I have a feeling it’s going to be in Shibuya.”

“You’re going to be okay, right?” The words slipped from your mouth before you could stop them, the worry evident in your voice.

Gojo’s hand cupped your face again, pulling you down for a gentle kiss. His breath was warm against your lips, his eyes meeting yours with a softness that made your chest ache. “I’m the strongest,” he reminded you, though his voice lacked its usual arrogance.

The weight of his words settled between you, heavy and real. You wanted to believe him, to trust that he would come back to you, but the uncertainty of it all made your throat tighten. There was something about tonight, something about the way he held you, that made it feel like a goodbye.

You pressed your forehead against his, closing your eyes as you let his words wash over you. The warmth of his body, the steady beat of his heart, and the feel of his hands holding you close—it was all you had right now, and you clung to it with everything you had. 

His scent, familiar and comforting, mixed with the lingering warmth of the room, wrapping around you like a blanket. His breath was steady, and in that small space between you, it felt like the rest of the world had vanished.

“I’ll hold you to that,” you murmured, your voice soft but filled with determination. Even as doubt gnawed at the edges of your mind, you wanted to believe him. You needed to believe him.

Gojo’s lips quirked into a smile, a real one this time, one that softened the sharpness in his eyes and made your heart swell despite the worry still gnawing at you. 

He kissed you again, slower this time, as if trying to savor every second, his lips brushing against yours in a way that felt like a promise. 

Each kiss was unhurried yet intense, a dance between fear and love. You kissed him back just as desperately, pouring all your fears, your love, and your hope into that kiss, as if it could tether him to you no matter what tomorrow might bring.

When you broke apart for air, your lips still brushed lightly against his, and you couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at the corners of your mouth.

“And I’ll give you 5,000 yen if you’re right about it being at Shibuya,” you teased, the humor in your voice a small attempt to ease the tension between you.

Gojo let out a laugh, low and rich, and the sound filled the room, easing some of the weight that hung in the air. Without warning, he flipped the two of you over, his body moving with an effortless grace as he gently pinned you beneath him, your back sinking into the mattress. 

His hands gripped your fell to your shoulders, and for a moment, you were lost in the sheer presence of him—the way he made you feel safe, despite everything.

“You’re on,” he said, his voice a low rumble in his chest as he leaned down, capturing your lips in another passionate kiss. 

For now, that was enough. 

୨୧ ୨୧ ୨୧

Turns out he was right, it was at Shibuya.

But you had no one to give the 5,000 yen.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Theory: LX intended for CXS to dive to save LG

Preface and disclaimer: this is kind of an out-there theory; more a few loose thoughts that I found interesting to think on - I fully expect that some or all of this will turn out to be totally wrong. Link Click loves showing us scenes only to later have them be revealed as either a) shown out of order, or b) recontextualized by further info we weren't initially privy to. I fully expect this will be the case in s3.

For now though, concerning Cheng Xiaoshi's death, Yingdu arc is what we have to work with. And there's a particular scene that really, really bothers me: the very opening confrontation against Vein.

(Actually, there's a lot that bothers me. There are multiple timeline inconsistencies that can't simply be explained by animation error - the most egregious is CXS figuring out his powers by diving alone when he had to figure that out in s1, well after the point many timeline changes had already occurred that would directly lead to the events of s2, our current timeline. It makes my head hurt. That's why this post is not about the inconsistencies, even though it bothers me that I cannot come up with a good explanation for this atm. My best guess is that multiple possibilities or potentials are collapsing in on a singular timeline due to LX, SYY and/or LG's actions but I really don't know. Whatever. On with the theory.)

Let's start with a key assumption. If this assumption is proven to be wrong later, then the theory very much falls apart, but I feel fairly confident about this for now.

Assumption: CXS's death scene from Yingdu episode 1 is the original timeline, as is the dive back to the basketball court.

The reason I think this is from both a narrative standpoint and a character one. From a narrative standpoint, it makes sense to show us either the first timeline or the most recent one after s2's cliffhanger ending. These are the timelines that actually have consequences for our story. Here, we see a lot of focus given to the transfer of Cheng Xiaoshi's power, and his dying request of Lu Guang. This dying request, to save everyone, is referenced in a later nightmare sequence, where Lu Guang is reminded that everyone has died. I don't think it makes much sense to focus on Cheng Xiaoshi's final words in a repeated timeline, unless they were framed as something Lu Guang has clearly heard before, which, they weren't.

Which brings me to the main reason I believe this is the original timeline: Lu Guang's reaction.

He's in shock for much of the events here - doesn't look at all like he knows or knew what was about to happen. If this wasn't the original timeline, I would expect him to look more desperate and sad than shocked. His reaction after diving also doesn't make much sense to me if this isn't the first dive he's attempted. Again, I'd expect him to look more haunted and sullen if this is a repeat. Instead, he looks around at his clothes and at his surroundings for a bit before getting hit by the ball, sees Cheng Xiaoshi, gasps and immediately tears up. <- Not the reaction I'd expect from a man used to diving.

Hopefully, you either agree with me or can at least suspend your disbelief enough to hear me out.

Let's go over what's odd about the initial Vein confrontation, yes?

Vein never actually shoots or even aims at Cheng Xiaoshi

"This is the punishment for you changing the past."

Vein doesn't finish off Lu Guang afterwards

Point 1: Vein knocks Cheng Xiaoshi back and twirls his gun. A few seconds pass in which Vein does not aim at Cheng Xiaoshi at all, just stands there, maybe to make sure he stays down. Lu Guang rounds the corner and Vein immediately fires a shot at him.

If Vein wanted to kill Cheng Xiaoshi, he could've already done it here. He's fast. He fired that shot at Lu Guang in a split second. The implication here is that Cheng Xiaoshi was not the target - the target was Lu Guang.

Point 2: Vein tells Lu Guang that his actions are punishment for changing the past. If we go by the assumption that this is the original timeline, this... doesn't make much sense. Lu Guang doesn't have the power to change the past without Cheng Xiaoshi's ability. It suggests that Vein is not after them here because of Lu Guang's attempt(s) to save Cheng Xiaoshi, but for some other deviation.

Conclusion? This is a shared punishment. In the original timeline, it seems very likely that Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi made some kind of change, or changes, to the past. <- This may actually explain why Lu Guang in the current timeline is so adamant about Cheng Xiaoshi not changing anything.

It is possible that the combination of their powers resulted in some kind of significant deviation, or else that they were mistaken for or had the blame pinned on them for someone else's actions. Either way, Vein seems to only gun for one of them, but it's not the one I'd expect.

After all, if this is a punishment for changing the timeline (and presumably, you wouldn't want them changing anything else), why wouldn't you shoot the guy who actually... makes the changes? Why try to shoot Lu Guang?

Well... maybe you would if you actually wanted the exact opposite outcome.

Vein misses Lu Guang several times in this scene. It's a little strange, given that he's been backed into a corner and his attempt to fight back does him no good at all. You can see in his fight against Shao Yuanyuan/Wang Qing in episode 6 that he does have good aim and is actually fairly efficient with his objectives. You could say he's toying with him, and maybe so! Vein clearly loves a good fight. Much like Liu Xiao, he has the vibe of a "hunter". But Vein also is stated to have a certain set of principles. To me, it feels like he's putting on a show.

This brings me back to the main question: why didn't he try to shoot Cheng Xiaoshi? Why kill everyone connected with them and attempt to kill Lu Guang, ostensibly as "punishment", when Cheng Xiaoshi is the one who can actually dive?

Point 3: Lu Guang helps Cheng Xiaoshi into the darkroom and locks the door. Vein fires a shot but then just kind of... stands there, grimacing. He doesn't even try to break the door down, which I'm sure he easily could. <-This is the weirdest part of the scene.

I don't think this was supposed to happen. I don't think Cheng Xiaoshi was intended to take that bullet.

I think Vein put on that show, wanting Cheng Xiaoshi to see him shoot Lu Guang. I don't think Vein expected Cheng Xiaoshi to dive in front and die.

You could say that Vein just decided to wait outside for Lu Guang to come out instead of exerting energy, but that's strange because in the time afterwards, from 23:11 on September 12th when they stumbled into the darkroom to just a little before 00:05 on September 13th when he leaves, Lu Guang gets injured, but is left alive, and Vein is nowhere to be seen. There is absolutely no way Lu Guang was able to fend off Vein, and the only other possible sign of a continued skirmish is more blood on the photo and its positioning (this could be an animation error, truthfully - everything else in the scene is the same as before - but if it is an error then that helps my point even more - there are no further signs of struggle).

The police didn't arrive and force Vein to leave. The implication is Vein left Lu Guang alive after waiting patiently outside the door for him to come out. Why? Why wait?

Well, one possible explanation: he didn't want to interrupt the power transfer.

Think about it. Why leave one alive, but kill everyone else? If it was to avoid them making changes, only one of the pair with the actual powers needs to die. Not everyone connected to them. This situation seems explicitly orchestrated to make it so Cheng Xiaoshi cannot resist diving back. I suspect he was already intending to - if you look at the scene where Lu Guang glances down at the shattered photo, his breath hitches - I suspect Qiao Ling is already dead and they know that.

Cheng Xiaoshi's last request is to save everyone, since he is now unable to - he cannot take the shot himself, so he passes the ball to the person he trusts most. And I think this was the goal all along. In a situation like this, how could he not try to save them? Especially if, as I suspect, the rules regarding past and future weren't made quite as strict in this timeline as they are in the current one.

Except this didn't go quite according to plan, because in epic Cheng Xiaoshi fashion, he did something that wasn't anticipated and died in Lu Guang's stead. Not ideal, clearly, from Vein's reaction, but it doesn't actually matter.

All that matters is that one of them dives back. The outcome is the same.

Why kill everyone, but leave one alive, and with a power that will allow them and inevitably tempt them to try to save their loved ones? The most obvious answer is if this is exactly the outcome you wanted.

--

Now, why do I say Liu Xiao intended this if the main actor here was Vein? Well, for one, Vein doesn't seem aware in Yingdu arc of changes to the timeline, except in this scene. Needless to say, he is definitely not privy to Lu Guang having future knowledge - Lu Guang is suspicious to him, but it does not seem to occur to Vein that he could be from the future. This information likely comes from Liu Xiao, who Vein works with during the arc to obtain Cheng Weimin's book and who unzips his body bag at the end of the season. Out of anyone who could've orchestrated this, our favourite puppeteer manipulator is the most likely candidate.

I won't claim to know what's going on with Liu Xiao, nor what his goals actually are, but I suspect he has at least some future knowledge or is somehow able to catch glimpses of parallel lines. He comes across as much older in the flashbacks with him and Li Tianchen as children. There is an odd bit in Yingdu episode 2 during the roulette scene where there is a flash to the gun killing him. Metaphor or vision? It's hard to say.

Interestingly, in the Bridon pv, Liu Xiao looks back at Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang in the airport and smiles but does not approach them. Lu Guang even mentions that they didn't run into Liu Xiao in the past timeline.

At the end of episode 1, in the current timeline, Liu Xiao says "Finally, we can start the game." It implies that all the pieces are finally in place. This may be why he approaches Cheng Xiaoshi in the airport and asked Xia Fei to trail him, expecting him to have dived back from the future.

I suspect his knowledge isn't perfect. Liu Xiao is a gambler. He's not like Lu Guang, who needs to have perfect control and anticipate every outcome. He wasn't really paying much attention to Lu Guang at all until he noticed something strange - ostensibly his heartbeat. Again, I suspect the person he intended to have dive was Cheng Xiaoshi. Lu Guang was not expected - but he can still work with this, and clearly does, because at no point does it seem like any of Lu Guang's actions or knowledge disrupted his plans. Instead, it seems like everything is going smoothly because of his actions.

Everything Lu Guang does, including his decision to stall Vein and try to get him killed, seems to work out in Liu Xiao's favour. I suspect, inadvertently, that Lu Guang is doing exactly what he wants him to. Lu Guang's only real moment of "masterminding" is therefore implied to have been anticipated. Liu Xiao smiles when Xia Fei receives the call about Vein's "death", as if he knew.

"You might have seen something interesting."

It checks out. This frame from Train Trail during his verse says "the puppets are standing" over everyone's silhouettes - including Lu Guang. Lu Guang is also frequently shown as either trapped or drowning in official art and in Yingdu - if he was intended to be a mastermind on equal footing with Liu Xiao, I really don't think we'd see so much of his feelings of helplessness, nor his repeated assertions that he essentially has no idea what he's doing and doesn't actually expect the outcome to change. Liu Xiao doesn't seem to have any such compunctions or concerns in this sense.

If Lu Guang does turn out to have been essentially manipulated into this situation, it would follow a particular pattern seen in Link Click. There are characters who enact control over others but are ultimately being puppeteered or manipulated (Liu Min trying to control what is said about him comes to mind, as does Li Tianchen's literal control, to an extent), as well as characters who, through desperation and/or love, and the limited options available to them in their shitty situations, become complicit in something immoral and suffer for it (Emma taking the money from Zhu, Li Tianxi being the other half of the remote control, Vivian becoming a scammer). If Liu Xiao really did orchestrate Lu Guang's dive, then Lu Guang would follow both these patterns, as a puppet with the power of future knowledge that can (and perhaps has) hurt others, and as a victim who made a desperate choice and is now trapped by its consequences.

One last bit of evidence - this time explicitly about Liu Xiao.

^Everyone is familiar with 091305 by now. September 13th at 12:05 am. The date and time Lu Guang dived back from. However, something interesting here: the year is blurred out.

Moreover, I see people say sometimes that this is Cheng Xiaoshi's death date - it isn't. Remember the time from when they were in the darkroom? Cheng Xiaoshi's death occurred on September 12th, just a little past 11:11 pm.

Here's one last fun thing before I close out this post:

Liu Xiao, why does the date on your Tetris game-over say September 12th, 2024 when Yingdu arc takes place in 2019? I wonder whose game-over this could be?

[dearmyloveleys]

Weak Hero Class 2 : A show that hits you hard into a coma — only if you love Season 1 and Yeon Sieun. Otherwise, it's only decent (compared to WHC1).

An honest review of S2's story and writing from someone who loves WHC1

I love S1 as much as the next person (I sure hope my neighbour fuckin watched WHC1). WHC1 is just about perfect in every aspect of film making and script. While still decently directed and written, WHC2 loses much of the quiet ambiance and nuance that made WHC1 all the more poignant, as a show under the action genre. Poignant and action don’t come together often in one sentence, which is why WHC1 stole the limelight for me. WHC1 holds the most mind-boggling balance of emotions, plot, action and characters in its harsh grip.

WHC2 is really loud when it it’s loud, and doesn’t come back down to the level of rumination that makes audiences think on their own part, staring at the black screen of their device and to be emotionally affected, aka screaming crying throwing up, compared to WHC1. There’s quite a bit of telling and not showing, which makes WHC2 lose out on the charm that WHC1 had.

Fight/action choreography:

S1 is amazing. Had me on the edge of my seat. Engaging. What really hooked me about the fight choreography in S1 is that it tells a story about the character in and itself. A good fight sequence should always be able to let the audience in on more of how the character thinks and acts — How Sieun uses his surroundings as an advantage, How Suho is not only adept at martial arts, but also quick to think on his feet. How even the thug Gilsoo fights with savagery and brute strength. WHC1 found nuance in its fight choreography with characterisation.

Though the action scenes in S2 are visually stunning, and I love Sieun’s fight with Seongje on the roof (top 10 action scenes in my life in a series) there’s a point where there’s just a lot of flashbang and no real innate story like a lot of action shows out there. The fights don’t strike the balance of character and action as well as WHC1 do especially with the new characters.

They nearly achieve it with Baku and Baekjin in the finale fight — but unfortunately, we don’t spend just enough time with the duo as kids to understand why they fell out to empathise enough, just why they fight the way they do.

Gotak’s taekwondo style fighting wasn’t shown enough, and neither were his backstory and motivations. This severely bumped down the interest I had in his action sequences.

I must say, I severely enjoy Juntae’s fight scenes. He reminds me so much of Sieun and the juxtaposition of his cuddly character with his tenacity tells a very compelling character story. I am very interested in his backstory, which we don’t get. S3 perhaps?

Character writing and handling:

Everything they do with Sieun in WHC2 — perfect. Yum. Angst. Trauma. How he fights. How he lets the Eunjang Gang in. Which is why I say in my header that WHC2 hits hard only if you love WHC1 and are watching it for Sieun, because we already know well what are Sieun's motivations and feelings. If I were a webtoon fan or just watching S2 as a story on its own, characterisation and development of the new cast fall a tad bit short.

Not going into specifics, but I do wish they extended S2 into 10 episodes, just to get us to understand the new cast better. In S1, we are brought along the ride in real time on how Suho works at a barbecue restaurant part time, how Beomseok suffers from abuse and how Sieun feels so empty + dislikes his parents. In S2, much of what we know about the Eunjang Gang + antagonists are told to us via exposition and dialogue. Telling and not showing is a very big no no in writing circles, as it alienates the audience. Even if there are scenes that give us a glimpse into who they are, it’s not enough and I’m left blinking: you are like my papa

Juntae’s school room with his weeb friends and his iPad wallpaper — amazing, I want more. Why is there only a 5min long scene of that?

Hyuntak’s accident with his knee and Baku going ballistic about it — uh, I want more..? Can I? Please? Don’t give me exposition.

The writers were almost good with how they handled Baku and his relationship with Baekjin. They clearly spent the most effort and time fleshing them out. Baku is the most compelling character this season with all the scenes with his father, the Union and Baekjin. But still, it’s not enough. If I were the writer, I would have dedicated an entire episode detailing Baku's life and he will the character we follow the entire episode. We'll get to know his childhood with Baekjin, how they fallout, how he meets Gotak, a fight scene of him going out against the Union, how Gotak got his knee injured etc, right up till the present timeline.

Given more time, Baku and Baekjin's backstory would have formed a very strong literary foil against Suho and Sieun's history, as both pairs clearly have guilt and trauma from violence. Furthermore, one of the pair taught the other how to fight.

I really would have loved a morally grey antagonist which they shaped Baekjin up to be, but we don’t get anything more than his scene at the orphanage. Then he dies. (Am I just a view to you, writers?)

Lastly, the writers seem to be confused about who is the real protagonist of the season - Sieun or Baku. The writers want to build on both, but the focus becomes convoluted and it messes up the story pacing.

Story pacing (my largest gripe with WHC2):

WHC1 have the same 8 episodes duration and somehow manage to have no extraneous/unneeded scenes. Nothing more or nothing less. Every scene is impactful and matters to either the plot or characters. Right at the midway point of Ep4, WHC1 changes its arc from an external antagonist (Gilsoo) to an internal antagonist (Beomseok and Co).

WHC2 is a little confused with its pace; sometimes dawdling, sometimes fast. I found myself watching along at some scenes only because Sieun was there. Characters entered and left scenes whenever they liked, as though the writers weren't sure what to do to start or end the scene with purpose.

WHC2's quiet scenes don't hit as hard as WHC1's. The lack of in-depth characterisation for the new cast and too much needed world-building in a short span is the cause. WHC1 spent a lot of time only with Suho, Sieun and Beomseok + their antagonists, while WHC2 is rushing to explain all about the Union, the Eunjang Boys and Sieun's continuing trauma. Hence, when they go all quiet and accompany each other, there's not much emotional attachment going around. Imo, a 10 episode season is really needed for an improvement in the pacing and writing, which will make their quiet moments hit harder.

This is even a harsh comment for my standards (because I genuinely love Suho and Sieun's relationship): If the writers wanted to keep to 8 episodes, they should have removed some scenes of Sieun with Suho/reminiscing about Suho. Ultimately, there isn't enough pay-off for all the pining Sieun does and the ending is still the same (Suho returns for 3 minutes in the last episode). Removing one or two scenes would have greatly improved the focus and cohesion of other active characters who matter more in determining the finale of WHC2. Definitely a fair bit of fanservice going on.

Overall comments:

I won't say WHC2 is the worst. On its own, it's fun. It definitely does a more than decent job at reconciling WHC1 with new characters and plot of WHC2. The action scenes are its best features, which is a bummer for me, as the characters were the stars of WHC1. But we're comparing to WHC1 here — WHC1 is unbearably gentle where it needs to be and achingly harsh where it needs to be. Many aspects are concise but well developed at the same time. As a writer and someone who loves films/tv series, I find that WHC1 is truly a masterclass in nuance and writing, especially in the action genre. WHC2 unfortunately, isn't able replicate the delicate balance that WHC1 achieved with the story's highs and lows.

[perotovar]

i binge-watched s2 of tlou yesterday in the hopes of coming away with a more positive outcome...

i've been a fan of these games for years, going on 10 now. i've played each of them like 5/6 times, they're some of my favorites. i've been an active participant in this fandom for many years, read reddit thread after reddit thread and analysis after analysis. this is how i joined this fandom. i was watching the game awards with a friend in 2022 before s1 premiered and bella and pedro went out on stage with ashley and troy and i was like "oh, they all seem excited, this is a good sign".

what i'm saying is, i was going to watch this show if it was good or bad because i've been in love with the source material for so long.

i know, another game fan complaining about s2. but i like to think i'm a little different than a lot of game fans (for a number of reasons....... those people SUCK) because i actually welcomed and really enjoy bella and pedro's performances. in fact, i prefer pedro's joel over troy's, which is like blasphemy to those people. this is also why i'm even a part of the pedro fandom at all.

however, i think something changed from how fucking good s1 was to what we got in s2. in the hopes of not making this post terribly long, i'll try to narrow down why i thought s2 was just "fine".

1. craig mazin fundamentally misunderstands ellie as a character.

ellie's entire arc in pt 2 is about her grief over losing joel. she's lost everyone she ever loved and this is like, the final nail in the coffin, so to speak.

there's a huge shift in ellie's personality from game 1 to 2. her voice is monotone and devoid of a lot of the childlike silliness and wonder. even before joel dies this is the case because she feels betrayed by him for lying to her.

the problem i have with season 2 is that ellie still feels like she's 14 because that's how craig mazin sees her. he sees ellie as a child and even refers to her relationship with dina as "parent/child" which is fucking WEIRD. he sees her as someone that's incapable of intelligent thought.

ellie is reckless, that's true. but i never once questioned ellie's abilities in this world that she's been raised in. she spends a lot of pt2 alone because of dina's pregnancy and she handles herself exceptionally well. season 2 ellie makes me feel like she needs someone holding her hand the whole time and that's disappointing as fuck.

2. the studio had too much influence and it fucked up the tone.

this part of the story is supposed to feel different to the first game. "why do you want the depressing tone to stay?" because i thought that writing was great? because i think the show-only fans are getting an inferior experience than the one that i got.

changing an interactive experience to a passive one is hard, and i know that was always going to feel different, but they managed it in season 1! they did that so fucking well. it's some of the best tv in recent memory imo.

i don't even want a 1:1 recreation of the game, because i want to explore this world as much as i can. i can just turn the games on if i wanted that, but i'm only going to get bill and frank's story if i turn on that episode.

cutting this season down to 7 episodes takes away a lot of the meat of the story for pt2. the studio obviously didn't want to spend the money on the resources it needed to make a lot of what makes this story compelling actually work. but they had no problem wasting a fuckton of money on giant sets that didn't even get used/seen, because idk.... why not? idk, i'm annoyed.

they hit the main story beats and went "that's enough, right?" also despite wanting them to explore more, it's a problem when the best parts of the season are the 1:1 recreations.

final thoughts:

pedro, bella, and the rest of the cast do an amazing job in s2. despite the questionable writing/dialogue, there are some standout moments.

but overall i don't feel nearly as excited as i did with s1. i don't like being led by the hand in order for someone to tell me a story.

it's fine and that's... not good, imo.

i'm gonna go replay pt2 as a cleanse.

[cintasvel]

there's a lot of things that frustrate me about cinta's death, but i think ultimately it comes down to how cinta isn't really 'seen' as a character worth investing in or thinking about in any way but a tool for others. whether that be vel (who i love dearly btw this is not to hate on vel) or samm, who saves cassian and is now considered redeemed because of that one singular act.

and i get it. cinta is not a main character (alyssa wong give me a cinta kaz star wars comic and my LIFE is YOURS) but neither was brasso. brasso was given the time and investment (and care!!!) to have his life showcased before he died. cinta was portrayed as this ruthless, cold and pragmatic warrior and when we finally, finally get the opportunity to see her in a light where she chooses vel over the rebellion, it's snuffed out solely to give vel pain. for as much as cinta acknowledges her and vel being tools to luthen, cinta herself is a character that ultimately gets tossed aside so quickly that i'm still flabbergasted people genuinely think that this was a narratively satisfying death.

what's worse is that vel's monologue really hits home for me because cinta really was THE rebel, you know? she was dedicated to the cause in ways that not even cassian is (or was, but i have my own thoughts about cassian's development in this season... spoiler: they are not good) and it's wild to me that tony gilroy had a character like that and just chose to waste her potential for vel/samm. the former who barely has her own scenes as it is. maybe i'll feel differently about this once i finish the series, but i can't lie, andor s1 felt so character-driven that s2 just doesn't come close to comparing. i feel like this is yet another issue with andor being just 2 seasons and gilroy cramming 4-5 years of development into 1, but it's hard not to be annoyed by it.

and again, because i feel like i have to say this every time i talk about cinta's death, the issue isn't killing her off, it's doing it in the most uninspired, downright lazy way because queer women of color's stories are not worth investing in outside of white people's pain. the execution is bad.

anyway no. i'm still not over cinta's death and i fear i will never be. i still love andor, i'm just so disappointed at the same time.

[sixstepsaway]

so here's the thing

i've seen a bunch of people say on twitter and stuff how... ed's behavior is very abusive and his anger is dangerous and he isn't romantic lead material because of it

and i get where they're coming from

but to me the main issue isn't putting ed in the position of a romantic lead, but not crafting the narrative around his characterization so that it allows for a spicy romantic pirates-in-love narrative instead of...whatever this is.

i'm going to try and explain this. idk if i'll do well but i'll try

the way she show presents stede is as an innocent baby who isn't really equipped for pirate life. he goes into a fugue/disassociative state whenever there's any real violence, apparently, and needs protecting by other characters when things get too rough - for example when ed is telling ned lowe not to take the poker to stede.

that's fine! it's honestly adorable to see a masc character being so soft around the edges and being protected by other characters this way.

(i'm not going to touch on stede's... eh... not great characterization this season rn)

then there's izzy, who is shown as a bit violent, a bit rough around the edges. he's more likely to draw a sword or throw a punch or hit someone with a chair or take a punch like a champ. violence is just part of life for him and that's okay, it just Is, from small things like smacking stede on the ass to bigger things like being wall slammed, it's not all that big or bad for violence to happen around and with him, he tends to give as good as he gets (there's some nuance here but i'm talking the macro themes not the micro of what izzy does vs is done to him)

and finally there's ed

ed is presented as violent (stabbing knives at guys, telling fang to use the snail fork etc) and used to a life of violence, and then in season 2 he's presented as really violent, his anger coming out in dangerous and terrifying ways

and frankly, i'd be super into it if he and izzy were the main ship and that twisted dynamic from the first two episodes of s2 was explored and fleshed out into something deeper

friends to enemies to lovers who fight and fuck. angry pirates who lay hands on each other, who break the whole ship with each other in the heat of passion.

except instead, s2 gives us... abuse. it gives us izzy cringing and lowering his head and trying to protect the kids crew from ed's angry outbursts.

so when stede comes back and he's still soft around the edges and ed headbutts him and it's deliberate, it's... not a great look, and the vibes are a bit skewed

if stede fought back, if when ed struck out at him he struck back, if they fought rather than it being one-sided, if it was friends to enemies to lovers and not presented as healthy, but maybe they can work their way there, who knows, maybe even more like anne bonnie and mary read because hey, they were doing something very similar?

except they were both into it. they were both enjoying the fighting and the fucking and the burning down the house.

stede's not enjoying it.

i cannot describe how much i hate this sequence just because of the way stede flinches

anne and mary don't!! mary jumps at the unexpected bang but she doesnt flinch, she doesn't cover her face like she thinks the vase will be coming for her not the wall and anne? looks so into it

and the thing is that in real life, no, you don't want to date someone who throws shit around, or headbutts you

but in fiction when it's two fucked up people doing this shit together like anne and mary?

that can be fun.

but instead what we've been given is stede flinching and apologizing to ed and then all of ed's...what, semi-redemption???? is done away from the other collection of people he abused, and then he spends some time on a fishing boat wearing a dog collar and everything is fine because he's good now and won't be doing anything bad ever again

and it's just... poor writing. the vibes are rancid.

i spent a really big chunk of time between s1 and s2 defending ed. i kept saying how what he did to izzy by making him eat his toe wasn't abuse, it was a one-off and abuse isn't a one-off thing it's a pattern, and then s2 made it a pattern.

explicitly. explicitly a pattern.

not just one toe but three.

jim saying "you're in an unhealthy relationship with blackbeard"

and all ed offered izzy was a "sorry about your leg" which might've been fine if izzy survived and they could work on this more, but instead that's all the apology and closure izzy will ever get

ed threw a chair and a vase and made stede flinch in fear and stede was right to do that. what part of any of this implies this will never happen again? that stede won't press the wrong button at some point and be on the receiving end? none of it

and if we'd been presented with a s2 stede bonnet who could handle himself and stand up for himself and fight back, then maybe i could imagine that turning into a weird sexy fucked up anne/mary like thing and maybe that could be why they put that episode in, but instead it feels like that episode was going, "look, see, ed's violence is fine because these two are fine with it with each other"

but stede isn't

ed and izzy or ed and stede in an unhealthy battle of a relationship could be such a fun, interesting and downright sexy thing to watch unfold on tv, and could honestly end somewhere far more down the chill end of the spectrum, but that's not what we've been given here

i cannot argue that ed isn't an abuser anymore, and not just of izzy but of the whole crew. he terrified frenchie.

it's not good writing to try and lean into the idea that ed and the pirates are violent and live a life of violence, so it's okay that ed's been violent, while simultaneously presenting his violence as traumatic and abusive, and then less than three episodes later saying oh it's fine now, he's just a little meow meow who can do no wrong, see?

especially considering they had him murdering people at the end of the season. and sure, you can say the english are just cannon fodder and they dont 'count', but they did before. ed explicitly did not kill before, and that included the english, or the spanish, or anyone else. so either they count or they don't, but flipping him on a dime makes no sense.

ALSO

having ed be the son of an abusive man who threw plates at his mother and made her cringe and then having ed kill his father to protect his mother and then a season later having ed become the kind of man who throws chairs and vases and makes his love interest cringe is, again, not bloody optimal

i want to say again i dont CARE about tv always presenting healthy relationships or tv always giving us aspirational goals. i want messy fucked up dynamics and terrible people making terrible choices, and still, to this day, i fucking love ed teach. i would honestly love to have seen them continue with ed's darkness and bring stede into it and see where they went with that, to have stede kill ned lowe and not just bury his feelings in ed but get off on it, enjoy the violence, and see where that led, but no

and so instead all we end up with is a protagonist who is being set up for a lifetime of abuse from an intimate partner, and a romantic lead who abuses his love interests (and yes. izzy is a love interest, he is set up like one and positioned like one and treated like one), frightens his love interests with his violence, is erratic and most of all inconsistently written. he was so sorry about scaring fang as though he hadn't been deliberately terrifying the whole crew for fuck knows how long? what?!

the whole fandom has spent so long saying, "no no, i know stede bonnet irl was a slave owner, but ofmd is using the names and not any real piracy, it's more disney piracy, you know? so that kind of stuff doesnt exist!" and then they flipped around and went "blackbeard is blackbeard and so he is evil and does all these horrible things" and i dont know how to rationalize the two sides of that because it feels so out of place

i'm getting rambly, this isnt a particularly well constructed thought process, i just feel like we were robbed both of a toxic, violent relationship that could be fun to see explored on tv and a soft and sweet love story between two middle aged men exploring their first loves in one fell swoop and there's no way for s3 to bring either of those things back because they got utterly torpedoed by making ed a horrible person

ugh