#lord forgive me but i'm back on my bullshit

[4milly]

warm my bed — jey u. (1/3)

warnings; stalking, oc is delusional but so is jey, continuous break ups, smut, creampie, sex while sleeping, forced impregnation, oc is toxic, dark themes on OC's part, oral (m) receiving, cheating, p in v,

parings; zariah x jey uso

in my head, even if you tell me its over...i'll pretend you told me im your all.

jey let out a harsh breath. all he wanted to do was go inside and have a quiet night in—a little r&r. all of that went down the fucking drain soon as he laid eyes on someone his heart once held love for.

zariah.

lord forgive him, but was she bat shit crazy. in the last year, zariah turned jey's life into a living hell. the jealously was too much for him; cursing him out for interacting with female fans, stealing his phone, hacking into his socials, blocking people, getting into it with instagram ho's in his comments, she even got into an encounter with sexy red leading to her being escorted out the arena.

no matter how many times jey told her, it was only her—and it was—she didn't believe him. but breaking into his house? that was the last straw. he knew he looked crazy in the eyes, when you picked up a pair of panties from in-between the couch cushions and called him everything but a child of God.

and whole time they were hers.

he knew it was best to just call it quits than continue the cycle. so 2 nights ago, he packed up your things and as calm as he could, sent you on your way. in a perfect world? you went peacefully. but nah. in this world? you smashed his car windows and keyd your name into the side door.

you loved jey. truthfully! could you get a little crazy sometimes? sure. but in zariah's mind, her actions were justified. after all, jey was hers—her soulmate, her destiny. she'd known it from the moment they locked eyes across that crowded club last year. the electricity that crackled between them, the way the world seemed to fade away until it was just the two of them—that was fate. and fate couldn't be denied.

jey's head fell in his hands at the sight of zariah standing in his kitchen cooking...nothing but her apron covering her, "finally! i've been waiting, c'mere baby."

didn't he take her set of keys?

part of jey wanted to scoop her up, take her inside, and forget this whole bullshit. the way her ass curved perfectly, that small butterfly tattoo on her lower back, and the smell of her juices...he wanted to rip that apron right off her. but the rational part of his brain—the part that remembered the broken windows and the scratched-up car—kept him rooted to the spot.

"z, y'know you ain't supposed to be her. y'know that shit."

but zariah wasn't havin' it. she stepped closer, perfume wrapping around him like a familiar blanket, "how was work, baby?"

was her ears clogged or sum? she know her ass heard him. "z, what are doing here?"

confusion and betrayal flashed across zariah's eyes, "baby, i'm home. where else would i be? i cooked your favorite, daddy...and I can't wait to feed everything to you."

fuck, he loved that shit.

jey felt his resolve waverin'. the way she looked at him, all big eyes and pouty lips, had his mind spinnin'. for a hot second, he almost believed her—almost forgot the chaos of the past year, the constant drama, the jealousy that ate away at their relationship like acid.

zariah slid her arms around his waist pulling him to her. he felt her hardened nipples poking at him through the cottoned fabric, "z, when i packed yo shit, that met we done. im tired of this shit witcho ass."

zariah ain't give up that easy though. she pressed her body against his, soft curves meltin' into his hard muscles, "we both know you're lying. why don't i take this apron off? hm? i'm always so ready for you daddy. i'll let you cum anywhere you want."

jey's breath caught in his throat as she nibbled on his earlobe, sending shivers down his spine. his body was betraying him, responding to her touch like it always did.

"nah, z. we can't keep doin' this," he protested weakly, but his hands found their way to her hips anyway, "we do this every other week."

before he could stop her, she was on her knees, lookin' up at him with those big doe eyes. her freshly painted manicured fingers made quick work of his belt and zipper.

"z, hold up—" jey started, but the words died in his throat as she freed him from his boxers.

zariah licked her lips, eyes locked on his as she stroked him. "mm, i missed this dick, baby."

jey's head fell back as she took him in her mouth, her tongue swirling around him like she was tryna map every inch. the warm wetness of her mouth enveloped him.

z's lips wrapped around him tight, her tongue working magic as she took him deeper. jey couldn't help the low groan that escaped him, his fingers tangling in her hair.

"fuck, baby," he breathed, hips bucking involuntarily

z hummed around him, the vibrations sending sparks through his body. she pulled off with a pop, lookin' up at him with fire in her eyes. "that's right, daddy. this is my dick. it's all mine." her hand kept stroking him as she spoke, her grip firm and sure making sure to pull on the fat mushroomed tip.

before jey could respond, she took him deep again, hollowing her cheeks as she sucked hard. her free hand cupped his balls, rolling them gently as she bobbed her head.

jey's hips started moving on their own, thrusting into the wet heat of her mouth. jey knew he shoulda stopped this, but his body was on autopilot now. she swallowed him down again, taking him to the back of her throat. jey's knees nearly buckled as she worked him over, her head bobbin' up and down while her hand twisted at the base.

her tongue swirled around his tip before she took him back in, moaning around his length. the vibrations had jey seeing stars, "goddamn, girl." he panted feeling his legs shake and his stomach tighten

when his toes began to curl in his shoes, jey powered to find one active brain cell. he began to shake his head, "zariah stop! ah, shit i'm finna—"

she pulled off again, jerking him with her hand as she spoke, "shh. you see how good i make you feel? nobody can make you feel like this. you're all mine."

z's mouth was back on him, suckin' him like her life depended on it. her tongue swirled around the tip before she took him deep again, throat relaxing to take all of him. her free hand snaked around to grab his ass, pulling him deeper.

jey threw his head back on a moan, when she tickled that spot underneath his balls, causing him to erupt into her mouth. his grip on her hair tightened as he kept shooting spurts out. zariah gave him small sucks; ensuring he emptied ever piece of doubt of their relationship into her throat.

the sight of her heavily glossed covered lips suctioned around his dick gave him nothing but guilt. he should've kicked her ass out for this shit. how does someone destroy his car, breaks into his house, and sucks the soul from his dick in less than 72 hours?

zariah smirked up at jey, a string of cum connecting her lips to his softening dick. "that was just the appetizer, baby," she purred, rising to her feet

before jey's post-nut clarity could kick in, zariah was pushing him backwards. he stumbled, legs weak, 'til the back of his knees hit the couch and he fell onto it with her straddling him with a wild look in her eyes.

"i ain't done with you yet, daddy," she giggled, grinding against him. even though he just came, jey felt himself getting hard again.

"z, hold up—" jey started, but she silenced him with a deep kiss, her tongue swirling in his mouth. she tasted like strawberries and his own cum, a combination that had his head spinning

"shh, baby," zariah whispered against his lips. "just let me take care of you."

she reached between them, guiding him to her entrance. jey groaned as she sank down on him, her wet heat comforting him inch by inch. his hands gripped her hips on instinct, fingers digging into her soft flesh.

"fuck, z," he breathed as she started to move, rolling her hips in a slow, torturous rhythm

jey's head was racing and still hazy, caught between the floaty feeling of his orgasm and the nagging voice in the back of his head telling him this was a bad idea. but damn if zariah didn't feel this good, he could've pushed her off.

"you see how good we are together?" zariah whispered, her lips brushing against his ear, "how we're made for each other?"

he could barely speak with her pussy clentching around him like that. zariah picked up the pace, riding jey hard and fast. her hips moved in tight circles, grinding down on him with each stroke. jey's eyes rolled back, overwhelmed by the sensation. his hands roamed her body, gripping her ass and kneading her breast as she bounced on his lap. muscle memory taking over as he cupped her breasts, thumbs brushing over her hardened nipples. zariah threw her head back with a moan, arching into his touch.

"that's right, daddy," she breathed, "touch me. i'm all yours."

she picked up the pace, riding him faster, harder. the sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room, punctuated by their heavy breathing and occasional moans. jey felt like he was floating. her walls hugged his dick just right. he moved his hips to meet your owns.

he let out a grunt as he felt that familiar clench in his abdomen again, "shit! you take it so good, z. imma nut again. fuck! slow down, z."

zariah threw her head back, crying out in pleasure as her own release neared. you manage to slip your hand between your bodies to rub at your clit, "fuck, baby! yes, just like that!"

the couch creaked beneath them, barely able to withstand their frenzied movements. his hips kept thrusting up to meet her, chasing that sweet release.

she bounced' on his dick like her life depended on it. the sound of skin slapping' filled the room, mixed with their heavy breathing and low moans.

"tell me you're mine," zariah demanded, her voice breathy but firm. "say it, jey. tell me you belong to me. this pussy belongs to you, and you belong to me."

she was chasing her own release, but she was determined to make him cum first. her walls clenched around him, milking' his dick like she was tryna squeeze every last drop outta him. and she was.

he loved how you squeezed his length as loud mewls escaped your throat. your stomach dropped and your hips shuddered as he went deeper.

"i'm yours, mama. i'm all yours, baby. shit! z, i love yo crazy ass." he gasped out

jey's hips bucked up involuntarily, meeting her thrust for thrust. His hands gripped her ass tight, guiding her movements as he felt his second orgasm approaching fast.

a triumphant smile spread across zariah's face as she clamped down onto him with a whimper, flooding him with her orgasm. she slipped her tongue into his mouth and let out a groan as he released every drop of his cum into her without thinking twice.

they stayed like that for a moment. as the fog of pleasure began to clear, reality came crashing down on jey like a bucket of ice water. he blinked, suddenly all too aware of the situation he'd let himself get into. zariah was still on top of him, her body slick with sweat, kissing down his neck, a satisfied smile on her face, and their cum seeping onto his couch.

"fuck," Jey muttered, gently pushing her off him. "z, this…this can't happen again. i'm forreal."

what the fuck had he just done?

he'd let her in again, let her work her magic on him like always. and now here they were, right back where they started. jey groaned, rubbing a hand over his face.

"baby, what's wrong?" zariah murmured, nuzzling into his neck

jey stood up, fumbling to pull his pants back on. his head was spinning, guilt and regret mixing with the lingering pleasure. "nah, z. this? was a mistake. you gotta go, ma."

zariah's expression darkened. "what do you mean, 'a mistake'? you just told me you loved me. you said you were mine."

"I wasn't thinkin' straight. i ain't a fuckin' prize, z." jey ran a hand over his face. "look, i meant what i said before. we're done. forreal this time. ight? getcho stuff, i'll take you anywhere you wanna go."

zariah's face dropped, her sweet demeanor evaporating in an instant, "we belong together, jey! y'know we do. y'think, i'm gonna let all those little insta ho's have you? so easy? no! you're mine. what? you wanna move one of those bitches in?"

"oh my fucking god, mane! y'see? this that shit i'm calm bout, zariah! this jealousy shit! i ain't fuckin' no other bitches, yet yo ass can't see that shit! i'm tired of yo ass, bruh."

jey turned around to gather her stuff. he met what he said; zariah had to get her shit and go. and she had to leave naked? that's fine, too. when he heard a sniffle behind his back, he exasperated. here come this fake ass cryin'.

"i hate you so bad, jey," she sobbed, "i love you so much it hurts. all i want to know is if you still love me. if you're still inlove with me, josh...but, at least get me towel,"

jey sighed, shoulders slumping as he turned back to face zariah. his words caught in his throat as his eyes landed on her splayed out on the couch, legs spread wide.

their mixed cum was seeping out of her swollen pussy, glistening in the low light. it dripped down onto the expensive leather, creating a messy puddle. she ran a hand down her body, fingertips trailing over her breast, down her stomach, until they reached her slick folds.

"look what you did to me, daddy," she whined out, still sniffling her tears away. she dipped two fingers inside herself, coating them in their combined fluids before bringing them to her lips. her tongue darted out, licking them clean as she maintained eye contact with jey.

zariah knew exactly what buttons to push, how to play him like a finely-tuned instrument—

"i promise, i'll stop being bad." she pouted, sucking her fingers coated with her slick into her mouth

how many times has he heard that shit before?

—she always had.

🏷️: @caramelcleopatraa @harmshake @msbigredmachine @luvrsluxe @uceyliyahh @angiedawn02 @amandairene88 @cyberdejos2 @queeny23 @empressdede @trentybenty @heauxvibez @whatdoeseverybodywant @shes2real @romansthrone @acknowledge-reigns @southerngirl41 @prettyfilmz @jaza23 @usoinked @punksyeet @fearlesschimera @holycollectivekitty @tribalhoochie

to be added for future writings, comment! don’t forget to like and reblog 🩷

this will be 3 (maybe 4) part fic, so warnings will update as we go. this fic will have some dark themes, as i’ve been inspired by @shes2real to embrace a few of them tbh😩🙏.

and in honor of my birthday being on the 15th (this wednesday) here is a treat!

xoxo, cleo.

[inerizaki]

I'll eat your pa- what!?

Your boyfriends get caught by you.

First fic guys pls be nice 🤓.

Threesome, sakuatsu x reader, nsfw, panty stealing (?), cum eating, spit, Dom reader, subby sakuatsu, handjob, begging

It has been 2 weeks. 2 weeks going to sleep alone. 2 weeks of annoyed excuses from your boyfriends.

Today would be no different...

"Baby we're just tired..." Atsumu sighed, and Kiyoomi wasn't even opening his mouth, going through his routine in silence. You swore you felt a vein pop on your forehead.

"Yeah? Poor you. How tired?"

Atsumu sighs, not having the energy to put you with your anger right now.

"Very, why are you being --" his sentence cuts off short as he sees the garment hanging off your fingertips. Even kiyoomi who had been intent on not interacting to save his strength, had spotted it and was gulping heavily.

"Tired enough to spoil my panties?" Several things ran through Atsumu's mind at a breakneck speed, none of them helpful as he felt the most embarrassing blush up his face. "Hey... Um... I can explain" atsumu starts.

Your face was deadpanned. If people thought kiyoomi was the resting bitch face in your relationship, they didn't look at you well enough.

"they were my favourite pair you know" you pout and flop on the armchair in your living room. *Shit* *fuck* he should have known. You were the last person to get mad at them for their ungodly practices. You had your practices. You were also an athlete. There was no way this would have pissed you off, he should have known better.

As he thinks about his last words, he notices how sweaty you are. You must have just finished your practice too... Your bangs were sticking to your forehead, your legs manspreading and the prettiest flush on your face. *THIS ISN'T HELPING* he told his brain.

Kiyoomi had completely abandoned his daily ritual of setting his kitbag neatly in its place, instead, he was standing behind Atsumu, trying to hide. As if his 6'4 self would be able to. He looked sheepish behind his mask and you knew already. "Ye-yes babe wait...It was just.. you were so tired and ... We didn't -" your eyebrow raises, "me .. tired..." You slowly repeat what he said, and lord, Atsumu knew he was so fucked.

He knew the only way to ask for your forgiveness was to beg for it. So with his thighs still sore from practice, he sits in front of you, on his heels. He hears Kiyoomi behind him and immediately knows he's following suit, his mask dangling off of one ear.

They weren't looking up at you as much, being as tall as they were, but it was enough. Kiyoomi's pale face was also flushed as he was avoiding your gaze. You were sitting on the armchair, legs still spread and arms crossed as you regarded them. Omi had the insane thought that *the yakuza should be glad she never wants anything to do with violence*.

"so?" You ask them, eyes levelled as they look down on both Atsumu and Omi. Atsumu gulps again, his voice cracking as he starts, "Baby it's just... You had finally.. just got a break after a while and it didn't seem fair..." You scoff, "Spare me that bullshit, either it was a kink you didn't tell me about or you just didn't want to deal with me. Which one is it?" This time your question was aimed at Omi, who was shifting his feet.

Omi knew it was useless lying to you, you already saw through the whole act anyway, but still... For his dignity... "It's not like that it just happened -" he sees the beginning of a snarl form...

When Omi doesn't say anything, you sigh, "I can't believe you tried lying to my face." He looks at you through his lashes again and looks back down, the red getting deeper."I'm upset you know." When Atsumu hears those words he starts to crawl to you on his hands and knees, "Hey don't be like-" he gets stopped in his tracks with the balls of your foot on his forehead. Atsumu gulps, it was an uncomfortable position to be in, not to mention he could see your skirt lift, and he made every effort possible not to look.

You laugh coldly, "WOW, even after the stunt you just pulled you're still thinking about my panties? That's kinda pathetic Tsum." He felt the knot in his chest unwind a little at the use of his nickname coming back but he wouldn't be off the hook so soon.

Omi, on the other hand, had been looking at you both from the corner of his eye... He could see Atsumu's tent in his shorts.. and felt the mortifying realization that he was getting one too."I'll let you look if you ask real nice mmkay?" You tell Atsumu with faux sympathy dripping from your voice. He closes his eyes, takes a few breaths and says... "Please.. baby can I look?" That earns a catlike smile from you. "See wasn't that hard was it?" You shift your foot from the centre of his forehead to place your heel there instead, giving him plenty of space to stare. You turn to Omi now, watching his breathing get shallow and eyes get heavy-lidded.

"nothing to say, Omi?" You purr, but the expression on your face is as stoic as ever. "What would you like me to say?" He asks as levelled as he can, his breath betraying him at every word. Atsumu, clearly not having had enough of your attention, whines. "H-hey cmon.." you turn to look at him, his eyes defiantly looking up at you.

"Stop... Pay attention to me" he pouts. Fucking pouts. "You just had your turn being humiliated and yer asking for more?" You ask dryly. He nods his head, the heel still on his forehead bobbing up and down. You let out a breath of *fine* and travel your foot down until he reaches the growing tent in his shorts and you apply the slightest pressure.

You see him open his mouth in a silent gasp and throw his head back. You turn back to Omi, "Now what was I saying?" Omi looks back at you, clearly dazed, but manages to say "You were saying why you were upset with us". You click your tongue, "Ah right, see I am not even *that* mad about you both doing this, rather I'm mad about the fact that I've been lonely for 2 weeks and the one time you could have involved me, you didn't."

Omi nods, like a schoolboy taking a scolding. "I understand" he gasps out, but it wasn't enough to satisfy you. "And you also chose my favourite panties, care to explain why?" He thinks.. one more try couldn't hurt right? "We just.. took the first one on the pile" another twitch of your upper lip. "No ... You chose them because they had the most slick on them.. don't lie again. Am I not right?" *Fuck* there goes that.

You apply more pressure on Atsumu, and he gasps out, "Mhmm you're right fuck you're right". Your head tilts to the side, and Omi admits "Ye-yes.. it was because they had... The slickest..." He choked out the words. How the fuck did he end up here. "say it kiyoomi" Omi takes a deep breath steeling himself, "Yes, you're right we took those because .. you wear them often and they have the most... Slick on them" he breathes out.

Your cheek's resting against your curled up palm and you tap the finger of your other on your thigh. "You know what is even slicker?" You felt Atsumu's breath hitch, and another shot of shame blow through Omi. "What has...?" You roll your eyes. "Me you idiot. And maybe if you had thought things through I would have been nice" you eye Atsumu.

Now Omi not only had to deal with him LIKING being treated like this, he also had to deal with him being JEALOUS over Atsumu being treated worse but still being jealous ." are you that upset...?" Omi tests the waters, using his best pleading voice and puppy face, all of it shot down by you grumbling, "I'm not even going to answer that right now" your arms crossing across your chest.

Omi's heart drops as he hears your response. He didn't think it would get this far, to be honest, he hadn't been thinking at all. He also starts to crawl towards you, and you let him, much to Atsumu's disbelief. You press down on him a bit harder before he can argue. Omi makes it to your thigh, his chin resting on it as he looks up at you through his coal lashes and says in the prettiest voice "I'm sorry bunny... I didn't mean to upset you I wasn't thinking, Please forgive me?" He swore he could see your eyes darken.

You tilt your gaze towards Atsumu, your face not moving. To his credit he immediately gets the hint and whines "Yeah I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that I'm sorry I neglected you like that please forgive me?" You remove your foot on top of his hard dick and he almost stumbles forward crawling to you, placing his chin on your knee just like Omi. They look like a pair of puppies, pathetic and cute.

"you'd think just because I'm tired, which I wasn't by the way.. you didn't ask, I wouldn't help you" They could sense the genuine hurt on your face now, and sink their chins even deeper, looking up at you apologetically. "no... You would have" Atsumu says, his gaze running from yours. You were cruel, but you didn't have the heart to be cruel to both of your boyfriends kneeling in front of you.

You sigh and motion them upwards, and they quickly take the chance to nuzzle into your neck, still whispering favoured apologies and words of devotion, all of them muddling to kisses and hickeys. Barely able to breathe between them, you pull them closer through the waistbands of their shorts. They know better than to protest and let you manoeuvre them until they're looking down on you. Their palms are on the top of the armchair's back, holding on to support as they feel their calves burn from the position.

You palm their bulges, and immediately they shudder. "Pull shit like this again and I'll lock you both in chastity cages" you snarl up at them. Their eyes widen at the threat, feeling even more blood rush to their dicks. "Are ya serious?" Atsumu asks his abs relaxing and contract. You raise an eyebrow, "You tryna find out pretty boy?" Both of them shake their heads vigorously.

You decide to show them mercy, freeing their dicks from their shorts and starting to pump them after you spit on them. They lean into you, groaning and whining. Atsumu has always been a blabber in bed, but it was a pleasant surprise to see Kiyoomi moan and whine. You wished you could record them and avoid you could have it in repeat for days.

"You both beg so pretty," you tell them and they *preen*, back arching to you. The most pathetic whines and begs, you didn't expect them to be this wound up after yesterday's stunt. They start getting more high-pitched pitched and before you can prepare yourself, ropes of white paint your face and neck, making you scrunch your face.

Atsumu has his face against the back of the armchair, Omi swaying back and forth, his entire body the prettiest of flushes. "you're both too spent to clean me up?" You ask while licking your upper lip. Immediately rejuvenated, Atsumu is the first to throw his arms around you and start licking your face and neck, anything to make you forgive them, anything you say.

Omi is slower but more thorough, he has your face in a firm grip as he laps up all the cum off your face, kissing and dragging his lips across your neck. The saltiness of your sweat was mixed with their cum and Omi couldn't get enough.

"I can't believe you tried to act all aloof in front of me.. as if that would work when I know what you looked like licking the sweat off my face... Hmm Omi chan?" You teased and he couldn't even complain, he was just glad to not be the subject of your cold gaze.

When they're both done, they look up at you, their faces back on your lap. You swore you could feel their invisible tail wagging behind them. You wipe off the spit across your cheek and say, "Well then .. if you're not too tired. you could help me clean up the slick on these panties?" You coyly lift your skirt. And who would they be to deny you of such a request?

[rinadragomir]

MY SUNSHINES, MY BUNNIES, MY ANGELS, MY LITTLE SPARKLING STARS🤧✨💗

Happy New Year to all of you🌲You know I've hardly ever posted anything on Tumblr in 2024. That's because this year was full of events such us:

I graduated from university, i moved back to my parent's house, WE BOUGHT A FLAT FOR ME☝️and now we're trying to deal with all this bullshit like finding building team, buying everything for kitchen and bathroom WHICH COSTS WAY MORE THAN WE EXPECTED😭

But~ I've decided that I'll never turn into a boring adult 😤I created a YouTube channel where I post about kpop + I've already finished preparations for one TUMBLR project: ☝️I'm planning to make header packs for EVERY TSC SHIP☝️

And it just brings me so much joy, being creative and talking to you. My job is nice but it exhausts me. And what im doing for fandoms gives me inspiration and powers🌱

Please take care of yourself, no matter what, DO NOT forget to pay attention to your health, do what your love, remember about your family and friends, WALK MORE, JOIN A GYM, educate yourself, read more!!!!

And of course remember that you're loved. You're always loved, never forget🤍🌳

So I'll try to do my best in 2025🤸‍♀️for myself and for y'all! If I forgot to tag someone please forgive me🤧this is for everyone I follow and everyone that follows me!

@magnus-the-maqnificent @carelessflower @dustandducks @midnight-herondale @arcs-01 @thevagabondexpress @an-amber-in-the-ashes @axhicleos @beclynn-herondale @bookworm-jedi @chibi-tsukiko @christopherslemontarts @drawing-down-th3-moon @evanescsent @celias @faithfromanewperspective @fannist @goldenjellyfish12 @gayforcarstairsgirls @heronstairs @instantthingmiracle @ilovefandoms @joy-of-starting-over @radisv @kaitcreates @kitsnickett @my-archerboy @purplebass @rhiannons-bird @winterdollsblog @lescahiersdesable @misssherondale @zoya-nikolai @vickchan2 @thomastair @starlightblackstairs @vashs-posts @theresaherondalecarstairss @not--a--pipedream @lily-chen-supremacy @noah-herondale-lightwood @lord-jethro @literallytypogod @idk-i-just-really-like-tsc @queenhelenblackthorn

[a-star-that-burns-brightly]

CH2-14 Thoughts

So! CH2-14, huh? This episode has been our longest in the series yet, and it has used that time incredibly efficiently, especially given it is the penultimate episode before our culprit reveal. I don't think there's much to start with, really. Let's jump right into it :D

SWEAR STATISTICS (ch2-13)

BINGO CARD

Nico

DT-Dev needs to stop drawing Nico so handsome when they're in the middle of killing someone. this has happened twice now, I am very concerned.

Nico is probably the character I have the least to say about overall, but I still think it's fair to start with them. For one, we finally got the reveal of Nico's true murder plan! I...still personally do not understand why they didn't just garrote the man from the beginning, but it's nice to finally have some answers. Nico confessing to not trusting anyone in the killing game as well as their whole speech later on is honestly very based, if I was in their shoes I'd probably not see the point in pretending to be guilty either, and I really do think it was the most mature way to respond to this situation as a whole. Nico is probably one of the more logically-driven in the cast (when Ace isn't up their ass, anyway), so it makes a lot of sense to me that this is the conclusion they'd come to.

(x) Nico: I… I just can't stand being treated like that. My teachers, my classmates, my father… I don't ever want to relive what they did to me.

Furthermore, we also learned that their father was also in on the abuse and transphobia they received, and this combined with how Levi talked about his father in the previous episode, it's just daddy issues across the board huh? Guess DT-Dev had to make up for J's mom angst somehow lmao. But in all seriousness, the fact that Nico more than likely had no one be there for them during those times is probably part of why they drifted more towards animals, besides the fact that there's no social rules with animals. (...has anyone put alien blues by vundabar on a nico playlist? I'm getting sidetracked.)

There is also a lot I could say about Nico's predominant male figure subjecting them to such treatment and how that relates to their relationship with Ace and Ace in general, but I'll leave that for a future post. All I'll say for right now is to look up VeryWellMind's page on toxic masculinity and observe how many points relate back to Ace :3

(x) Nico: I don't expect you to forgive me. Very few people ever do. So I don't see the point in acting sorry.

The last thing I really want to mention when it comes to Nico is this line, specifically the bolded text, because... am I wrong to think this is a very strange thing to say in the context of talking about your attempted murder? I've seen people say that this could be in reference to Nico's blunt way of speaking, but I feel like that doesn't fit in with this context, and the wording itself feels too dramatic for that to be the case. I feel like Nico has resorted to violence against their bullies before. I don't think it ever got as severe as the situation with Ace, but if only a few days of abuse caused Nico to choose violence, I think its almost a guarantee that they resorted to violence a few times during the years they were abused by their peers. Would certainly explain those weird ass bandages around their upper arms. anyway Nico, I adore you very much despite your bullshit murder plan. can't wait to see where you go :) (also is it fair to say that the theories of literally anyone else committing Ace's attempted murder are de-confirmed now? Like I don't think you could get a greater confirmation than the first thirteen minutes of this episode lmao)

Hu

...Oh yikes. So I have defended Hu on a few occasions, talking about how she is just defending Nico and that her behavior towards them is completely normal. And I think I must take advantage of my minimal gag reflex and gulp down that L because lord have fucking mercy.

First and foremost

(x) Hu: You’re trying to paint them as the villain just because they lost their temper at Ace once!

(x) Hu: If Arei died of a stab wound, it would be wrong for me to say you did it.

Both of these lines were fucking crazy of her lmao. Absolutely nonsensical, she is so annoying /affectionate

Second and secondmost, Hu so clearly projecting her own emotions and feelings onto Nico so that they can look weak and small and thus have to rely on her and clinging onto that perception when it continues to falter is so fucking delicious. The way I worded that makes it seem like I think Hu is being malicious, I do not, but also that is literally what she is doing, and furthermore it is not working. This episode alone brought Hu in my mind to a high-c tier, to a high b-tier because there is nothing I love more in this world than fictional women being awful. And now that I have that all typed out, I can't help but realize that this sounds very familiar...

Oh! That's right!

...Man Hu, I get that it's across the color wheel, but you really like to foil with people in red. Yeah, I think that Acevi and Huco are meant to be parallels of each other relationship wise. Both of them feature someone (Ace and Hu) projecting a certain identity onto a stranger (Levi and Nico) to satisfy their own emotional needs and their reactions when those fantasies crumble beneath them. The dynamic between Ace and Hu is so delicious to me and I think should be explored more in the fandom. Not just because they somehow manage to give divorced spouses vibes despite one of the two being gay, but because I think the way that they foil, how they are different in contrast with how they're similar in typical DRDT fashion, adds so much to both of their characters and their relationships with the others. And I'm also glad that I at least have two more, count-em two, more parallels between Nico and Levi. I will keep spreading my Levco agenda until the day I die.

Okay but, though I've kind of been taking the piss out of Hu during this section, I do actually feel very bad for her. Especially if Eden is the culprit, because Hu and Eden have shown to be close on multiple occasions, and I could not imagine witnessing the gruesome execution of someone you love after pretty much dealing with two betrayals back-to-back. And I guess since we're here I should clarify that I do not think Hu, or anyone else except the two suspects we land on in this episode, are responsible for Arei's murder. Third Party Theory seems to hinge entirely on the idea that someone other than Nico attempted to kill Ace, and as I've said before I don't think that's the case. And given the fact that we have at least 40 minutes left of the overall case, I can't really see a way from a writer's perspective to throw in such a major final twist with an entirely different character without it feeling rushed. I'm sure DT-Dev could pull it off, but just on concept, not sure how it could work and also if Eden really is the culprit, Hu is 1000% going to try and take her place as the optimistic mood-lifter, and I need to see that outside of my imagination

There isn't much else for me to add, really, part from the fact that I am very excited to see how Hu's character progresses and how her relationships with the cast progress. ... ...hey can we count Hu and Nico as toxic yur--

Ace

Funny thing, I originally was not going to give Ace his own section in this post. But I decided I would anyhow for two reasons 1. Ace is a very fun character to analyze And 2. I get to once again talk about how much of a fucking liar this man is lmao

(x) Ace: Who’s gonna stick up for me, huh? No one. Because I have a spine and I don’t need other people to lie to me constantly to keep me happy.

[Pictured: Doesn't need other people to lie to him constantly to keep him happy]

(x) Nico: What else should I say? Ace: W— "What else should I say"?? Ace: You tried to murder me. You fucking tried to murder me! And after all's said and done, you can't even say something as simple as "sorry"?!

I love this jockey the best when he is gaslighting himself. We obviously know that Ace does, in fact, need people to lie to him to keep him happy. And I don't just mean that in the context of Levi and Nico. Ace has a very antagonized view of everyone in the cast

(x) Ace: -but now they apparently also have a fucking defense brigade to shield them from even having to think about the fact that they're a murderer.

the only person defending them was Hu

And that view of his classmates, to me anyway, is very intentionally cultivated by Ace himself. He is very aware that how he's behaving is wrong, and he is clearly not happy about it

(x) Ace: You think I act like this for fun, and then I go to bed and sleep soundly at night, you dumb piece of shit?

Ace doesn't like the fact that he is being rude to otherwise innocent people, but at the same time, he knows that any of these innocent people could stab him in the back without a second thought, like Levi. So Ace demonizes the cast in his head so that he can emotionally distance himself from them, and as such, will feel less bad about treating them like shit. As a certain indie game that had its nine year anniversary once said: The more you distance yourself, the less you will hurt. The more easily you can bring yourself to hurt others.

Ace does need people to lie to him to keep him happy. Which brings me to his role in this whole scene with Nico which just- I love. So much.

It is so, so funny to me that Ace is putting this pressure on Nico to give an apology. And why is that? Ace treats both Nico and Levi in pretty much the same way, incredibly volatile even more so than the rest of the cast. And that makes a lot of sense given his relationship with both characters and how both of them have threatened his safety. But there is one key difference between his interactions with both of these people

(x) Levi: Ace, I already said— Ace: "Sorry" won't cut it. You know that's just a word you say, right? You think that saying two syllables is going to make me forget how you acted yesterday at that trial?

(x) Ace: You tried to murder me. You fucking tried to murder me! And after all's said and done, you can't even say something as simple as "sorry"?!

With Levi, he repeatedly denies and mocks his apologies. With Nico, it's almost like Ace wants them to apologize to him. But why is that? Ace certainly cares less about what Nico thinks compared to Levi, so why does he necessarily care whether or not Nico apologizes to him? You could say it's because the severity of what both of these people did to Ace, but to me personally? I think Ace just wants this all to end. Nico's murder attempt on him, the scar it left him, it was the perfect kick in the ribs to everything Ace had become since the events of Chapter 1. It confirmed to him that not only was his fear that everyone is out to get him, that he's going to be next after Xander and Min, completely justified to have. But also that his efforts to appear tough and threatening to prevent that fear from becoming reality were not only null, but thrown right back in his face.

(x) Ace: You know… Heh. I've always wondered which is worse, dying young or living a long shitty life of suffering. But it turns out neither of those options are as bad as this.

He is currently at his lowest possible point. At this point, the least that he wants is for Nico to provide him with some form of closure, so that he can put that moment where his guts were spilled on the floor to rest. But Nico isn't providing him that closure, they refuse to. And with Ace now being suspected for Arei's murder, regardless of if he survives this chapter or dies with it, I think he is finally going to break down. That hidden quote of his is fast approaching. I already know.

Rose

Rose is a character that, though I love dearly and believe she is one of the most strongly written of Despair Time's cast which is saying a lot, always somehow manages to fade into the background for me. But this episode bringing her to the forefront and giving us some extra character development from her is something I loved a lot.

For one, her clear and open betrayal towards Nico's actions was very upsetting to me, especially when you take into account that Nico asking Rose to teach them how to paint was probably the first time Rose has ever been asked to paint something for someone without a contract involved. I can imagine the idea of it must've been a breath of fresh air for her, and for it to only result in another red string in Nico's murder plan had to have been crushing.

But what's possibly even more crushing is her monologue after David gets frustrated with her, because...

(x) Rose: I know I'm supposed to remember everything. I know I'm supposed to be smart. I know I'm supposed to be helpful. Rose: Yet I'm not. Rose: I… I'm sorry for being useless. Maybe if I tried harder, if I just got over myself—

Wow this woman really does see herself as a commodity that only exists to be used by other people, doesn't she?

Something I've always appreciated about Rose's character is how it commentates on the subject of big corporations seeing art as content instead of something that was the product of someone pouring their heart and soul into a canvas. And how that mindset kills the desire for artists to create. And it is so fascinating seeing how that mindset reflects how Rose sees herself as a person.

She's one of the few characters in the cast that I can never really get a read on when it comes to where her character arc could be going, but I am very excited to see where DT-Dev takes her, even more-so with this development.

Teruko

I am like, 9999% sure this sprite is the first time she has smiled throughout this entire chapter. I am so happy for her.

Teruko, as always, stays being Best Girl™, and I absolutely adore the development given to her as well. Her realizing that her attempts to over-correct by isolating herself and not receiving help from anyone not only resulted in her getting hurt, but those around her getting hurt as well. And the fact that that's what leads her to coming to this conclusion really goes to show that, despite everything, she cares about these dumbfucks so much. And this is only taken further by her decision to trust Eden despite (HOW I INTERPRET IT) already knowing that Eden is a more likely culprit than Ace. She is choosing to trust her, regardless of if she'll regret it. And I honestly think that, regardless if Eden is the culprit or not, regardless if Teruko backslides, I think the fact that she got the courage to trust Eden at all is going to stick with her. I don't really have much else to say, really. Uhh... Teruko and Rose were kinda fruity this episode, I dunno.

David

[Sighs] This man provides us with a new headache every single episode and I love/hate him so much for it. So like...basically everyone else who watched this episode, I was confused as fuck watching whatever the hell David was pulling for the last 18 minutes of the episode. But now that I have time to think about it, I think I have a pretty stable idea. So, let's get into it.

Firstly

(x) David: Because I'm actually the first person to see the body.

Now, most people are immediately brushing this off as David lying to fuck things up again. But I think that a lot of people are forgetting two things 1. David is not a compulsive liar. He doesn't just tell lies for no/little reason behind them. The lies that he tells all have reasoning and inner logic to support them. 2. There really isn't any evidence suggesting that he couldn't had seen Arei's corpse before everyone else.

So though this point is mostly speculation, I think that David is telling the truth (sorry if this seems like an asspull, there is literally five more hours until the next episode comes out I need to speed things up)

But that's not really what I want to talk about in this section anyway, it's everything that comes after this that I want to talk about.

(x) David: All I want is for Teruko to distrust others.

...So. I think David is lying off his ass when he says that this is why he is doing this. And my reasoning for why I think that is pretty simple... Why would he care?

Like, yeah given the fact that David more than likely has Teruko's secret, he has every right to suspect that she might be affiliated with the death game, and also probably wants her dead. But...what does that have to do with Teruko's distrust in others? Not much. I think this sentence is David lying about why he is doing this to keep his true intentions underwraps. But what are those true intentions?

I can answer that pretty easily as well. David's whole argument in this part of the episode is the idea that Eden is not exempt from being the culprit. He suspects that she is the one behind Arei's murder, and I don't think that's helped by the seed planted in his head by Arei that even Eden must be responsible for the harm of someone. And well...I think we know how exactly David feels about the culprit behind Arei's murder

(x) David: Ahaha. It's just so foolish. David: For someone to take advantage of Arei like that… David: It's absolutely unforgivable. All she wanted was to change. David: What a reprehensible person this killer is. I look forward to seeing their painful execution.

And that leads me to what I think David is truly trying to do here: I think he is trying to get Eden voted for.

That is why he wants Teruko to believe him, and is using her trust issues against her to do so. He's seen the first trial, he saw how Teruko was able to convict Min as the culprit and convince the others to vote for her too. He wants her to do the same thing again, but for Eden. Really, it's a win-win for him. If Eden is the culprit like he suspects, then he gets to witness the unforgivable culprit get their just deserts. If Eden isn't the culprit, then everyone ends up getting executed. Which is, y'know, that other thing he really wants.

That's my personal theory on what David was trying to do here. It's not perfect, but it'll do for now. I love you, Mr. David Chiem. Please keep being confusing.

Eden

...So yeah, if you've been paying any attention to this post, I do still think Eden is the culprit. I also think during the scene with her and Teruko she is very desperate and wants to live and as a result, may have sipped a small tiny bit of the manipulation juice. But I will get to that in a bit First of all though, I absolutely loved the scene with Teruko and Eden. There is something about all of their scenes that just resonates with me in a way I can't describe, and this one is no different. The way it is shot, with the half-and-half and then the closeup on both of their expressions, and the fucking HUG CG? Luucarii and Zel both did an amazing job bringing the scene to life with their voices, and the choice to use the same OST as the kitchen scene in CH2-3 was fucking evil, especially because of what I'm about to say. All around, a fantastically orchestrated and emotional scene, I would expect no less from DT-Dev and their team.

But now it's time to talk Eden!Culprit. This is not something I should have to clarify if you aren't stupid, but I think before I really go into it I should say that I do not think Eden is an inherently malicious character, and I think she feels horrible for what she has possibly done. I also think she wants to live, like every bundle of pixels masquerading as a human. She can feel guilt for her actions and also indulge in a bit of gaslight gatekeep girlbossing. Min already proved that those two things can be simultaneous. With that out of the way... I do think that Eden is slightly manipulating Teruko here. And there is a very big reason why I think that is because of something @thebadjoe pointed out in their theory post

(x) Eden: Teruko, relationships aren't transactional. It's not that I did something good for you that you should do something good for me.

[11 episodes later]

(x) Eden: Please, Teruko… You’re my friend, aren’t you? Eden: Friends help each other…. So please, help me…

...Eden? Darling? I thought you said that relationships weren't transactional. You can't simply change your principles because they're getting closer to the truth. Putting the fact that Teruko never even considered her a friend to begin with on the shelf for right now, these two lines from Eden directly go against each other. Saying that relationships aren't transactional, and then saying that Teruko should help her because she's her friend. I think Eden knows that she is basically backed into a corner. There is no evidence suggesting that she couldn't had done it, and David is turning the tide in a way that is leading others to begin suspecting her. And just as Arei said...

(x) Arei: -you're pathetic and weak, and you always need to rely on others to get by.

Eden's is too overcome with emotion to defend herself properly, so she comes to Teruko to defend her for her. And when Teruko initially refuses, she becomes desperate. Using their relationship so that Teruko will believe her and trust her.

I don't think Eden wants to do this, but I don't think she knows what else to do, and is terrified and just wants this trial to be over. Even if it means treating her and Teruko's relationship like it's transactional. And Teruko, ultimately, gives into this idea.

(x) Teruko: Don’t… get me wrong. This isn’t out of kindness or pity or anything else. This is only because you helped me in the last trial.

(teruko is most likely simplifying her thought-process, I think she does genuinely care for eden and wants to trust her. But the idea of relationships as transactions isn't one inherently new to her, so I do think this is partially the truth.)

And I think the fact that Teruko does agree to help Eden is why Eden goes in for the hug. This is where we take that point of "Teruko never agreed to be friends with Eden" off the shelf

Eden knows that Teruko is choosing to not be her friend, despite considering Teruko as a friend. But I think in this moment, Eden thinks that Teruko finally considers her as a friend, someone she is willing to extend her hand to. And even if this day is her final one, I think Eden will appreciate forever.

Extra Thoughts !! - TERUKO SAID IT!! SHE SAID THE WORD!! THE T WORD!! I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THAT FROM HER!! another one to cross off the bingo card babyyyy - that aside, as always the voice work for this episode was fucking phenomenal. I already mentioned Luucarii and Zel's performances, but Swords and Arakachi did amazingly too. Such an amazing frosting on top of the already great storytelling.

(x) Eden: Arei is… She could have been my friend! Why would I kill her??

- maybe I'm reading too deep into it, but I honestly think this is the closest we've gotten to direct confirmation that Eden thought Arei was full of shit when she said she wanted to change. Like...she literally corrects herself. Why the fuck did she correct herself. - this isn't something I usually compliment, but the music-choice in this episode was amazing as well. Every song chosen suited the situation and the rising tension, and all of them were fucking bops. - I also adored the new sprites, as I always do. Especially Nico's

Predictions for CH2-15 - I'll be honest and say I have none. At least other than the obvious, that being that there's 100% gonna be an Ace VS Eden scrum debate.

Conclusion

This episode was a fantastic way to lead into what will probably be the last episode of the trial. I cannot wait to see what's cooking come CH2-15, which is in... [looks at my conveniently placed watch] THREE HOURS?! WHAT THE FU-

UPDATED SWEAR STATISTICS CH2-14

UPDATED BINGO CARD

[caligvlasaqvarivm]

I have to ask where to fefeta and Erisol fit into your theories. Obviously fefeta exploding due to to two different people trying to apologize to her then arguing caused her to explode, and probably hint that the two halves are pitch for each other. But what about Erisol, why out of all alpha sprites, he is the most stable? What does it say about Eridan and Sollux? And a possible relationship of theirs or lack of one

Is Erisol the troll-sprite embodiement of Terezi’s and Gamzee’s shitty relationship. Absolute fucking disgusting codependence that allows them to wallow in their self pity. If that’s the case Eridan would be like a comfortable blanket for sollux, but not a good relationship

Why did Skaia give Eridan a quest that is knew Eridan would royally fuck up due to being raised as the next orphaner and thus have a trigger finger on anything big and white. Is Skaia stupid? Could Eridan come back to it at a later date and find that his quest is now to help the angels rebuild? Is it because Skaia accidentally made Satan and tried to set its most powerful aspect to beat it, overriding character development for hope players?

Answering these one by one:

For my thoughts on Erisol and Fefeta, see this essay and this essay.

It's hard to say why Gamzee brought the trolls back; I have an ask in my inbox positing that he's trying to set up pitch relationships (which I like the thought of) - I'm still rereading this part of the comic, so it's not super clear to me, either. I don't want to speculate when I can't be sure of my opinion.

Lastly, we don't actually know what quest Skaia gave to Eridan. We know that Eridan received prophesies from the angels of their lord, whom he believes he was meant to defeat, but it's unclear if this was his planetary quest, or some side thing he had to deal with, similar to how Feferi has an overhanging prophecy to "unite the two races" and Karkat has his to "bring equality and forgiveness between all bloodlines."

However, what we do know is that free will > predestination within this setting (predestination only exists insofar as characters paint themselves into corners with their own choices, but it was still their CHOICES that created those corners, and not the machinations of fate and destiny), and Eridan is the one who chose to give up his destiny of defeating LE:

GG: im pretty sure hes from the future! CA: wwhy GG: because he said hes my grandson … CA: that gun i just gavve you is somethin of a hatchright to the kid CA: happy i could play a role in your dirty stinkin lineage GG: like an heirloom? i guess it could be … CA: i kinda think thats wwhy i found the gun in the first place CA: but noww im forsakin it because fuck i just found a better destiny than my old crappy one wwhich i nevver got any appreciation for anywway

It wasn't an insurmountable challenge for him and his team, it was just one that they failed because they couldn't/wouldn't address their personal problems in time, and that he voluntarily abandoned. Moreover, if we assume that, indeed, Eridan's classpect quest WAS to defeat LE, then we can still see a fairly clear character arc set out for him: Eridan's main emotional conflict stems from his inner hope being in anguished conflict with the despair and anxiety he feels toward the future that Alternia laid out for him - orphaner, empress's sea dweller, nobility. As a hope player, his struggle lies in believing in things. It's encapsulated in the way he decries magic as stupid and fake and dumb and bullshit, but he FUCKING LOVES MAGIC, since he collects shitty wands and has no less than 6 wizard statues in his respiteblock.

That anxiety and despair won in the comic, and he went on a killing spree because he felt he had nothing left to live for; in a hypothetical scenario where he DOES manage to grasp his powers and destroy WITH Hope rather than destroying Hope itself, then the opposite would be true: he defeats his anxiety and despair, asserting a new belief for a better and brighter future, shooting a beam of "make impossible things possible" through LE's otherwise unconditionally immortal heart.

[freckledsokka]

wip wednesday

a wee snippet of the self-indulgent tense-fuckery zukka fic i'm working on that no one asked for! most of this fic is sokka (ghost sokka? spirit sokka? who knows) waxing poetic about zuko grieving him, but i wrote this scene with korra for a touch of levity (while still being a little angsty).

note: this is NOT a reader fic. do not let the use of "you" fool you. this is fully from sokka's pov as if he's narrating this to zuko.

"You remind me of him," you tell the Avatar, something wistful tugging at the corner of your mouth, reaching to the creases of your eyes. Korra looks almost bashful, or maybe just flattered. "I get that a lot," she says quietly, as if it's a sore subject but she doesn't want to offend you by mentioning it. You smile at her, warm and reassuring. "I don't mean Aang." "Oh." She sounds surprised, which quickly gives way to embarrassed when you offer her an encouraging smirk to help the thought along. "Oh," she says again, nearly in a different octave. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I should have realized that's — of course, that's who you meant." She laughs nervously, waving her hand vaguely at herself. "Southern Water Tribe, duh." "It's not just that," you tell her, and her nervous energy seems to settle a little at the calm, smooth tone of your voice. "You have the same tenacity, the same spirit. He would be proud to see the Avatar you've become."

Korra is quiet for a moment, either out of respect or simply a loss for words. Then she smiles, a little sheepishly but no less grateful to be honored in such a way. "Tenzin told me he — the Chief? — was with you and my father the night the Red Lotus tried to kidnap me." She looks away, guilt seeping into the set of her shoulders, the way she wraps her arms across her chest. "I'm sorry, I — Did he —?" She glances back, eyes bright, pleading for some kind of forgiveness she doesn't need to be given. "Was it my fault?"

"Korra," you say slowly, frowning, placing a gentle hand on her arm. "What did Tenzin tell you? The Red Lotus had nothing to do with Sokka's passing."

Her eyes go wide. "Really? But he made it sound like — I mean, my dad became Head Chieftain not long after that, I thought —"

You can't help the chuckle low in the back of your throat, a rumble of distant thunder, warm as a summer storm. "No, Korra. Sokka never was particularly suited to be Chief. He felt it was time to pass it on, is all. That, and he felt he could do more good behind the scenes, or through his work in Republic City. But, more often than not, he was with me. Those years were some of our best." 

Korra lets out a trill of nerves, huffing in relief. "Thank the Spirits." A beat, the haunted look of someone who is technically thousands of years old yielding to the vulnerability of someone barely out of her teens carrying the weight of the Spirit and human worlds on her shoulders, knowing she is the reason your — our — friend is gone. This is the cycle we were all prepared for, and yet — "Is that why I barely remember him? Didn't he ever visit Katara at the compound? Why didn't he ever say hello?"

"I wish I could tell you, Korra, but he never gave me his reasons." A wry smile. "I'm sorry if I kept him from you."

Korra twists her mouth, setting her jaw defiantly. "Lord Zuko, if I may —" She isn't really asking permission and you know this, but you nod anyway. "That's bullshit, and you know it. He was your husband. Don't tell me you didn't know just because he didn't tell you."

Your mouth twitches knowingly, even as your expression remains impressively neutral. "I had my suspicions, of course."

"Which were?" Korra presses.

If she weren't the Avatar, I suspect you would've said something along the lines of None of your damn business or Nothing to concern yourself about. Being the Avatar still has its perks in dragging honesty out of you, it seems. Still, you manage to make it a whole production, sighing like it physically pains you to admit it. 

"He wanted to wait until you'd mastered all four elements before he would teach you" — an exaggerated eyeroll, fingers pinching the bridge of your nose — "the 'fifth element.'"

Korra's brow furrows. She blinks like she's waiting for a punchline. "The — what? There is no fifth element, unless you count energy, but —"

"I know," you agree, exhausted. "I know."

"Then what?" Korra demands, sounding as flabbergasted as she looks.

You take a deep breath, wearily replying, "Swordbending."

Korra is frozen for a moment, maybe in shock, maybe in disbelief. Then she bursts out laughing, bright and cool as snow crunching underfoot, until it dawns on her that maybe you weren't actually joking. "Wait, really?" she asks incredulously. "He actually wanted to — to teach me? Why didn't he just team up with Katara? Spirits, it would've been so much fun to have a swordmaster around."

"You told me you have to learn the elements in order, Zuko," you say in a poor imitation of my voice. It's been so long, you've almost forgotten it. "He didn't want to influence your bending, or distract you from your role as Avatar, or so I assume."

Korra huffs. "Sounds an awful lot like he did tell you things, then," she mutters indignantly.

You shrug. "Not in so many words. He said a lot without ever saying it." That wistful slant of your mouth softens into something closer to melancholy. "When you're with someone as long as I was with Sokka, you learn to read between the lines. We had our own language, in a way."

"But if you suspected, why didn't you say anything? Why not encourage him?"

There's a sadness in your smile, an ache in your eyes. "Because, young Avatar," you say gently, "you always think you'll have more time."

[pricemarshfield]

HI……flirtatious kiss on the back of the hand for the first ship that comes to mind for you 😔

it's raphtav, who's surprised (no one). also this kind of got away from me and is 90% a totally different thing but there is a hand kiss...eventually. prompt list here!

Tav isn't supposed to be here. Not really. She's a cleric and this is a temple, sure, but it's the kind of detached, formal devotion as unlike her faith as one can get.

But still: something in her bristles at seeing him walking around the place. It's an insult, though whether to her or to divinity in general, she's not sure.

"Fancy seeing you here," Tav says, keeping her voice bored and quiet, her eyes on the statues ahead of her even as he settles next to her on the pew. "I'd imagine the place would be warded against a devil. Does it hurt every step you take, or something?"

"Not quite," Raphael says, and his voice is low and right in her ear (so as not to carry, that's all, as she reminds herself to little success). "I'll admit to a certain discomfort, but that's far outweighed by the pleasure of your company, my dear."

Tav scoffs. "Please. The pleasure of irritating me, if anything."

"I hardly see the difference," Raphael says, amused, teasing, and fair enough, because Tav doesn't either.

"Why is it that you're following me, then?"

She hasn't signed the contract, and doesn't intend to. Might have, if he hadn't been stupid enough to name where he was keeping it, but if he's going to give her an inch, then she'll take a mile, and every valuable in his house besides.

(It's very nearly a shame. She really does like him.)

He hums, as though he's unsure whether to answer her question at all, let alone truthfully. But he's playing at offering a just deal these days -- at least with her, correctly guessing she'd see through whatever bullshit he spins for the less insightful -- so he eventually adds, "This tabernacle hasn't a place for your Lord, does it?"

Tav snorts. "The Destroyer himself? No."

"Perhaps I'm curious as to what threat you'd risk his wrath for," Raphael says, careful, covetous.

She turns more fully to him at that, despite the fact it'll draw eyes she really doesn't need her way, because she would love to pull the thread to see what he wants here. Understanding her, to better convince her to give him the Crown? The worship, mortal devotion and adoration and supplication that only a god or archdevil could manage? Her attention, specifically?

Some mix of all three, most likely, because there's a simmering heat in his gaze that she's not expecting. It's enough to startle her into honesty. "I doubt he'd be all that furious at me filching holy water, actually."

Raphael blinks, the only sign of his not having anticipated that answer. He smiles after a beat of weighing it, pleased. "You intend to disrupt the Rite today, then? Are there not more pressing concerns?"

Yes, to both questions, but someone had decided to threaten his siblings in the first building past the gate they'd come across, and Tav would rather just deal with that now than be ambushed at camp later. (Also, she imagines that may come in handy for more than the undead, though she's certainly not going to say that to him.)

Without waiting for her answer, he stands. Walking in to gossip under his breath isn't too unlike the various Baldurians here today, but leaving without even a pretense at prayer once he's done has a murmur of irritated chatter building behind them.

Oh, wonderful, and one of Helm's priests is walking up to them now, too, as though Tav wasn't already ill at ease from being the thief in this endeavor, just for her Lord's protection, Shadowheart unwilling to rob a temple honoring her new goddess, barely a week after accepting her.

"I must ask that you either sit or leave," the priest says, his voice not all that quiet, attracting further attention. "This is a sacred place, and you are disturbing the peace."

"Forgive me, ser," Tav murmurs, face flushed with embarrassment and irritation.

"No, forgive me, my dear," Raphael says, amused in a way that only annoys her more. "I hardly meant to disturb a holy woman such as yourself, so devoted as you are to ridding the world of such monsters as plague it." He extends a hand to her, inviting her to leave with him.

She takes it, grip light and cautious like the type of holy woman she's pretending at might favor, now that he's thrown that excuse out for her.

But instead of helping her up like she expects, he turns her hand and presses a quick, light kiss on the back of her hand before she can realize what he's doing and stop him. (He's warm. Fucking obvious, that, but it's all she can focus on, and then he's dropping her hand and it feels oddly cold as she lets it fall back to her side.)

"You know where to find me, should you require my aid in further sparing this fair city from those that would see it twisted into something other," he says, and then, quieter, enough that the priest might not be able to make out a word or two, "We both know I'm your best option, mouse."

Tav smiles, hoping he can see through the sweetness to the fuck off, will you she's playing at. "With my Lord protecting me, I need no further aid, but I thank you, regardless."

Raphael's eyes flare with something properly dangerous. Tav's heart ticks a little faster at the threat in a way that she knows isn't terror.

The priest nods approvingly at her as the devil leaves. She assumes, anyway; she's mostly staring after Raphael. (Still better to rob him, probably. Certainly better not to follow down any stray thoughts that linger, about his mouth and the far-better ways he might use it.)

[buttercupblu]

one day, the clouds parted and an Angel tumbled down, falling all the way from the celestial sphere, but landing light as a feather in a bushel of white roses. she looked up at the sky—brushing off her darkened wings—and with squinting eyes, gazed at a kingdom so bright but so rigid and said with a calm breath, "well screw you, i didn't want to be a part of that snooze fest anyway." and promptly made her own Heavens on Earth.

(in no particular order...maybe)

one punch (OP)

jojo's bizarre adventure (JJBA)

jujutsu kaisen (JJK) (lowkey regret the day i pressed play on this🤭)

record of ragnarok (ROR)

eventually attack on titan (AOT) once i'm finished with it (Levi should've been in the harem 🧍🏾‍♀️)

Angel's Heavens and why she loves them:

🩷Buddha (ROR): this man is my Lord and personal savior—watch ROR if you don't know what i'm talking about. Buddha exudes peace in his every waking and sleeping moment but try him if you want to and earn a first-class trip to Nirvana 😘. his tongue game is BRAZY (you've seen the gif) and he loves to BITE. he makes sure we do yoga together every single morning to start our day and after making sure my back is nice and stretched out, he breaks it 🧘🏾‍♀️. but he always puts me back together with soft coos, humming purrs, and tender strokes. this man is my lock screen, my peace, my husband, my everything. i keep him fed and not just with food; he will never know hunger as long as i am alive 🤍

💜Geto (JJK): mymanmymanmymanmymanmyman. if Sugu asked me to have his kids, i would say "how many baby?" and i am clearly not mother material 🥴. my husband #2 that i would turn my back against the JJK world for in a heartbeat. he could call me a 🙈 and i would say thank you. in all realness, i get geto. i really do. my little alien, my little aquarius, he just wants justice at the end of the day—truly. not power, not dictatorship, just for things to be right, safe. there's something about his maternal instincts that lets me know he would take suchhhh good care of me—he's so careful, so understanding. i'd never have to lift a finger (except when i'm being a brat) and his Suave Commercial locs make me want to wrap them around my fist and pull. he has a face card that will never decline and baby, i keep on swiping 🤧|sidenote: i need his gender pls and ty

💜Choso (JJK): my pookie-wookie puppyboi boyfriend Cho, what would i ever do without you??? idk, there's something about Chosito that sets my motherly instincts on fire 🔥 . i want to love on him, nurture him, care for him, and absolutely reduce him to tears all in the same breath. he's such a family man, so full of love and kindness and security and i adore that about him. my soft and gentle man, i feel like he's a 70-30 sub-dominate switch but gIRL do not be fooled 😩—when that man loses all sense in that cute little pig-tailed head of his, you better have an icy pack and aftercare on standby 🧍🏾‍♀️

💚Josuke (JJBA): oooohmygAWD 😩 what isn't there to say about boyfriend #2, Josuke?? the hair, the moves, the suave looks, the no-bullshit attitude. besides Dio, baby invented jojo-posing like, kneel before your Leo king?? he's so cute and creative and such a quick thinker like omg part 4 had me STRESSED, but he gets his quick wits from his no-good cheating ass pappy 🤭. josuke keeps it real, calm, cool, and collected. he's a bit too forgiving (fk Okuyasu) but that's only because he has a 💗 bigger than his hair, and when im not spending hours styling it and getting him together in the morning, im daydreaming about his love, care, and cuddles i get every night. and if i ever hurt myself, he's quick to heal my boo-boos with magical kisses🤍

💚Narancia (JJBA): my silly little goof ball pup #2, omg he's so precious and innocent and deserves soooo much more 🥺. Narancia is just...pure unadulterated love in human form. he doesn't judge, he doesn't reject, he's a bit quick to anger but it's always deserved because look at him!! how could you be mean to such a precious little thing, he wouldn't hurt a fly (unprovoked). my baby's a little slow but what he doesn't have in genius, he makes up for with his heart. and that boy can dance and dress his ass off, lets fking goooo skintight leather steel-bone corset top 🗣️

🩷Sukuna (JJK): ok listen....hear me out...balance🧍🏾‍♀️. he brings balance. everyone else is muddled and normal, soft, or innocent but Kuna resides in the extremes, is the perfect polar-opposite of Choso, and rounds out the group with good ole fashion discipline 💪🏾 (read Exercising with Sukuna if you don't believe me). he's not my favorite to deal with because the man puts the ass in asshole bUT it's good for my soul to toughen up every now and then. if you want something done and you want it done right, ask Sukuna. he'll grumble and berate you the entire time but sh*t will get done and better than you ever thought it could be. .......he also has 4 arms, 2 dicks, and a stomach mouth—good fkin bye.

🩷Saitama (OP): he makes me laugh, there's not much more to say 🤣. the most normal out of the group and the most nonchalant. Saitama is literally my best friend who never takes anything seriously just like me. our favorite hobby we do together is literally grocery shopping and i will wake my ass up every saturday morning to be by his side as he spends way too much time comparing fruits and vegetables just to get the same things he does every time. he's also the strongest and would deck everyone on this list if it came to it (argue with the manga, not me 🐸☕️)

honorable mention: Levi (AOT) because this short king 👑 cares too much and gives no f**ks at the same time and has the best resting b*tch face/face card i've ever seen 🧍🏾‍♀️

🪽current fav fic written by Angel: God is Fair|Suguru Geto since you were young, you knew you were meant for each other. he comes into your life like a storm and grows closer no matter how distant you seem. he swells and captures your heart every time he's near. so why do you keep fighting him? angel's note: full of backstory, poetry, and tear-your-heart-out angst with one of the sluttiest, smuttiest part twos in existence

🪽current fav recommendation from another author: One, Two, Three (it's not only you and me)|STSG x Reader "what suguru is trying to avoid saying is the whole cliché of 'we saw you from across the bar and we really like your vibe'," the white-haired man says, gaze flickering down your body. he looks back up, making eye contact. "but it's true, so we were wondering if you'd like to join us for some fun," he says casually, blue eyes piercing. angel's note: and it comes with an AMAZING playlist yall wtf 😩🖤

🪽current fav song to write to: Cigarettes out the Window|TV Girl

🪽fav genres: [writing: nasty, slutty, toe-curling smutty smut, thrillers, enemies to lovers, coming of age]|[reading: psychological horror/thrillers🧍🏾‍♀️, silly goofy supernatural/sci-fy like John Dies at the End (an incredible series that will have you in tears from laughter, stg), dystopian fiction, fiction satire, coming of age/young adult, the classics (surprise)]

🪽hobbies: writing, reading, skating, graphic design, being outdoors as much a possible, being at peace

beats me 🤷🏾‍♀️

nah jk.

the real reason will forever remain a mystery, but i think it has something to do with connectedness.

the first major story i wrote was handwritten in the largest binder i could find in the 4th grade and was about fairies with elemental superpowers.

my first fandom was typed out on my mom's typewriter at her job and about 40/50 pages and was about the boyband B5 (shout tf out to you if yk who they are 🗣️).

both of these instances explored hobbies/interests that i was deeply into. i wanted to share my own take on these things that occupied so much of my time with others who also couldn't escape the clutches of favorites and fandom.

i also wanted to "escape" from a life i thought was dull and bland in favor of living in a world that was bright and full of color and literally in the palm of my hands.

now i do it just because i like to torture myself 🤍

i would create an entirely new world if i could, but i'll settle for pouring my heart out on tumblr

💗first and foremost, all of my characters are 18+. i don't really care for writing aged-up minor characters but when i do, it will be mostly fluff but they will be adults at the end of the day, especially when you consider real-world timelines.

💗smut: i know what you came here for 😏. this does include some more controversial dynamics like consensual non-consent (CNC), ageplay, petplay, power exchange (top, bottom, sub, dom, "slave", etc) rough play, but these writings will always come with tag warnings because everyone likes their tea different 😊

💗fluff: ofc everyone loves a bit of fluff. tis good for the heart to remember that you have one (not me though, y'all be safe)

💗angst 😈: there's nothing i love more than stirring the fictional pot. it hurts so good

💗long ass stories that are almost always projected to be under 8k but end up breaching 10k because i have no control over my life 🤠

💗i will write characters outside of my Heavens/top fandoms but i have to be familiar with those characters/show—keep that in mind in case i reject a future request

let's be civil little angels here

🚫hardcore gore/mutilation: love to read it but cannot write it. am baby

🚫unsafe fetishes: i am kink-shaming 💩, race play, STDs (god why does this need to be said), grApe, i n c e s t, necro, actual torture, etc.,

🚫cliche/exaggerated mental disorders: like saying someone who is very tidy has "OCD" or someone with mood swings is "bipolar"; those are incorrect stereotypes AND i am not licensed to give even fictional characters those diagnoses

🚫pregnancy: gasp, ik. but listen, i have no idea what it's like to be pregnant or have kids (other than my stuffies) nor envision that for myself because it does not seem like much fun 😅 and frankly, i don't really care for it as a plot point? i'd consider it maybe for a drabble request but no major plots

🚫anything else i may be uncomfortable with down the line. i don't have a lot of hard nos but people can get weird sometimes 👀

reblogs, likes, and comments = angel kisses and i have soft, plump lips so 👉🏾👈🏾

i'll eventually open up my asks for requests but this gojo fic (teaser here) is balding me and taking up alllll of my time right now. once they do open, i may be slow to fulfill requests but that's only because i care too much about making great content 🥺. until then, you can still blow up my inbox with reviews, recommendations, thoughts, nonsensical jibber-jabber, whatever; Come chat with the Harem

[olympushit]

Keeping up with the Olympians

#kuwto

Episode 3:

Preview: Triton's request to be a pornstar upsets Poseidon a lot, but creates a new beef with Eros that claims he would be better. Eros, trying to find an ally, accidentally walks in to his parents doing the deed. Hermes finds Apollo getting naughty with a stripper. Zeus is losing it, and many more to follow on this unholy episode!

Scene 1: (Poseidon's grand sea getaway)

Poseidon's confessional:

I still don't know what to do with Triton's idea. Him being a pornstar? With that dick? He's gonna be a laughing stock!

Poseidon: Son, I don't think this is a good idea.

Triton: So you don't support my dream?

Poseidon: It's not a dream, it's a bullshit!

Triton's confessional:

This negativity, the rejection! I can't! I'm gonna prove everyone wrong!

Triton: I'm done here! You never support me! I wanna do it and I will! I'll be a good pornstar!

Amphitrite: WHAT?

Triton: Shit...

___________

Scene 2: (Eros)

Eros' confessional:

Triton? A pornstar? Don't make me laugh! He is just so lame!

Triton: As if you are any better!

Eros: I'm the god of sex! Why wouldn't I?

Triton: Never overestimate yourself!

Eros' confessional:

This little bitch thinks he owns me? How old is he? Five? I'll show him!

Eros: If my judgment doesn't satisfy you, then let's ask the goddess of love herself!

Triton's confessional:

Aphrodite will help me for sure! She is totally into such stuff and can see someone's potential!

Eros: Mom!

Triton: Aphrodite!

Eros: She must be in her room!

Triton: Get in dude!

(Scene of Ares amd Aphrodite filming a porn movie)

Eros:.......

Triton:.......

Eros' confessional:

Man! Where is the bleach! My eyes huuuurt! Aaaahhhhhh!

Triton: Man it's not that big of a deal!

Eros: How dare you talk back you twerp! This is all your fault!

Triton: You are the one who so desperately flexes his sex abilities! You are such a hypocrite!

Eros: YOU SON OF A BITCH!

Ares: Guys! If you don't wanna see the action, just close the door!

Aphrodite: And for God's sake Eros, you are doing way worse with Psyche!

Eros: Triton wants to be a pornstar!

Ares: My boner is gone!

Aphrodite: Disgusting!

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

Scene 3: (Zeus' grand palace on Olympus)

Zeus' confessional:

Things are a lot worse! She doesn't even talk to me! This is quite heavy gor my heart! Her behavior hurts me!

Hera's confessional:

I have made his life a living hell! But I think it is high time I forgave him. I have a plan afterall!

Hera: We need to talk!

Zeus: I'm not in the mood for fighting!

Hera: But I don't wanna fight!

Zeus: Ok. What's wrong?

Hera: I will forgive you only on one condition-

Zeus: YES!

Hera: You haven't heard it yet!

Zeus: Anything for you my love!

Hera: Hephaestus! Bring me the ankle monitor detector!

Zeus: THE WHAT?

Hera: You agreed!

Zeus' confessional:

SHE IS CRAZY! PSYCHO BITCH! But at the same time so kinky! And dirty!

Hephaestus: Are you sure about it mother?

Hera: Your father agreed so...

Hephaestus: Alright! Wherever dad goes, you will get a notification about his whereabouts. There is a hidden camera and GPS!

Zeus: Oh dear lord!

Hephaestus' confessional:

I love when my inventions are practical to familial issues! It's a nice way to get back at them for the way they treat me! I have feelings too!

Hephaestus: And everytime a chick will approach dad, some x-rays will run through his body paralyzing him!

Hera: I LOVE IT!

Zeus: ATHENA! HEEEEEELP! THEY TORTURE ME! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!

________________

Scene 4: (Apollo at the strip club)

Apollo's confessional:

Man! Those strippers are amazing! Look at their ass!

Hermes: HERE YOU ARE! I WAS LOOKING EVERYWHERE FOR YOU!

Apollo: I'm in the middle of something right now!

Hermes: Oh! Have fun bro!

Hermes' confessional:

Seriously, I can't get outta my mind the picture of Apollo's dick! Man! One thing, it was awkward! Two, it was big! Not bigger than Ares' but it serves its purpose!

Apollo: SERVE ITS PURPOSE! WTF!

Hermes: I'm not lying!

Apollo: And stop talking about Ares!

Hermes: Oh yeah I forgot he is your ex!

Apollo: My night is ruined!

Apollo's confessional:

Ares and me have past. A really good one! But he chose that Aphrodite bitch! I have a way to get back at him though.....

____________

Scene 5: (Athena's grand palace)

Athena's confessional:

I am truly hurt by Artemis' behavior! I don't know what got into her! It's like I don't really know her anymore!

Athena: She literally hurt my feelings!

Hestia: Poor baby! Maybe she was having a bad day!

Athena: I can understand that, but it's been 2 days and we haven't talked!

Hestia: Really? This long?

Athena: Yes! And it's frustrating because I wanted her opinion about the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation! Should I take the simple form or the logarithmic one?

Hestia: I'm confused!

Hestia's confessional:

I'm not sure about this conflict. I wish with all my heart to solve their problem, because I am really sick and tired of this! And I can't take another lecture about that Henderson equation! Jeez girl, get a life!

Artemis walks into the room

Artemis: Hey! Am I interrupting something?

Hestia: Uhm-

Athena: What do you want?

Artemis: I wanted to apologize for snapping at you earlier! I was having a really bad day and I wanted some company! Will you forgive me?

Athena: I don't know! Should I?

Artemis: Please! Ypu know I didn't mean it!

Athena: I still can't get over the fact that you took Ares' side on our big fight!

Artemis: It was in the spur of the moment! You know how much I value and love you!

Athena: Why would I believe that?

Artemis: Seriously now? We are besties!

Athena: That makes it even worse!

Artemis' confessional:

She always insinuates stuff without getting right to the point! Ugh!

Artemis: Will you stop being dramatic? I know you want us back together!

Athena: How so?

Artemis: Athena stop playing with me! Be direct and tell me, or else I am leaving once and for all!

Athena crying: I'm sorry! Come here sissy!

Athena and Artemis hugging and crying scene

Hestia's confessional:

Ah! Those little bitches made me cry again! Such a moving scene!

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

Scene 6: (Dionysos and Ariadne)

Dionysos: Babe! Where is my wine jug?

Ariadne: Maybe in the kitchen!

Dionysos: It's not there!

Ariadne: Look thoroughly Dio! It can't dissappear!

Dionysos: But it's not here!

Ariadne: Look at me!

Dionysos lifts his head to see Ariadne in red lingerie, holding his wine jug.

Ariadne: Come and get it!

Dionysos: NOOOOOO!

Ariadne: What?

Dionysos: It's precious! Hold it with care!

Ariadne's confessional:

While I enjoy my life with Dionysos, sometimes he becomes a little paranoid out of nowhere! I just wanted to spice things up and he ended up all evening cleaning his wine jug! Seriously, what about my pipes! They need cleaning too!

Dionysos continues frantically cleaning the bottle

Dionysos: I'm done! Baby! I'm coming!

Sees Ariadne into Pyjamas asleep.

Dionysos' confessional:

My baby got tired! Nevermind! I'll take care of it first thing in the morning!

______________

Scene 7: (Underworld)

Hades' confessional:

My goodness! I'm a proud bottom! That woman brings me to my knees! I want her so fucking bad!

Persephone: Good morning honey!

Hades: Good morning my amazing, beautiful, kind and sexy wife!

Persephone: Oh! You love me that bad?

Hades: Hell yeah!

Persephone: Baby! We have many things to do today!

Hades: Can it wait a little?

Persephone: I don't know! I'll think about it!

Persephone's confessional:

I like teasing him! He is so cute when he is desperate! I am evil, but I enjoy a little waiting too!

Persephone: Not now! Later!

Hades: As you wish babe!

In the throne room

Persephone: What's up for today?

Minoas: Same shit! Dead people wanting to know their final destination.

Persephone: Ok let's get started.

Minoas looks at Hades

Hades: You heard her! Get started!

Persephone: So Minoas over there underestimates my queen status?

Persephone's confessional:

That little twerp! I'll show him who I am!

Hades: Next time your punishment will be to rot in Tartarus for disobeying your queen like that!

Minoas: Your Majesty, I-

Persephone: You call me that too! Understood you little pitiful judge?

Minoas: Yes, your Majesty!

Persephone: Next time you'll meet my wrath! And I am way worse than Hades!

Hades: Oh yeah! You are!

Persephone: Hades bebe! Not here!

Hades: If you go on like that I'll take you right here! In front of everyone!

Minoas: Imma head out!

Hades: You stay here!

Minoas: And do what? The cameraman with one hand?

Persephone:.......

Hades:.......

Minoas' confessional:

Ha! Take that now! Who won? Me!

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

There you go guys! Episode 3 is up! I'll let you know that I'm gonna be inactive for some time, because my exams are close! So enjoy this little shitty episode!

Am I the only one who thinks that Hades and Persephone are giving Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian vibez?

Till episode 4! ✌️✨🤗

[bengiyo]

The Novelist: Playback (2021) Stray Thoughts

We've watched The Novelist, Mood Indigo, and Spring Life. Let's watch these two try to survive long distance.

Yes, please recap for the people who maybe got dragged to a theater for this.

No car BJ? So glad I watched Spring Life already.

Oh, we're getting a bed scene. I forgive them.

Finally, we're talking about insertion and then immediately going to realistic angles. Good job, BL.

I like the way the age gap is playing into how Rio handles his disappointment that Kuzumi frequents sex clubs with his senior.

Oh, I like that we're getting more interactions with Kamuuda.

Rio's sister is always punking him.

"People who are happy have no need for art or literature," is such a cynical read.

Wow, there is a lot of resentment here.

Oh shit, this woman took out his writing hand. That's ironic. I am amused.

Oh my goodness, are we going to make an even younger boy write for him??

Never have I been happier that a boy was illiterate.

No man is immune to Kijima's sexual energy if he turns it on them it seems.

OR WOMAN, IT SEEMS!

Poor Kuzumi. Rio is a hard man to love.

Oh lord he got this boy doing the writing now. Goddammit.

Oh good Kuzumi is here. Please fix this.

I'm so glad Kuzumi caught him with the boy.

HE REALLY SAID THAT HE ACTUALLY HURT HIS HAND THIS TIME!! 🤣

Is this the first time Rio has said his given name?

I love this woman.

Oh, please don't slow zoom onto just Haruhiko to tell me that they're not going to make it.

Oh, I shouldn't have gotten attached to Haruko.

Interesting. I suppose they did foreshadow that Haruko is popular with men.

I'm going wild over the cinematography of Rio's pacing during this fight. Incredible acting from both of them in this long take. Rio can be such a jerk.

Did Rio never recognize the crazy in Haruhiko's eyes? It was the first thing I noticed about him.

Japanese characters are so good at staying still and pretending to sleep when someone looms over them.

I just love Japanese filmmaking. I love trusting actors to act and I love the composition of these shots.

"It's not about being tough. You become tough when someone is important to you." Come through, Haruko!!!

I'm fond of Shizuo.

I'm glad Kuzumi didn't answer his phone and Kijima has to take the leap of going to Tokyo without reassurance.

Kido, you have a daughter. Why ask that question?

Finally a forthright, vulnerable apology and confession from Rio.

I love that these two always kiss like maniacs.

I just love trains.

Families are difficult, but Rio is still loved.

Hands only, baby!!

Y'all awfully vocal for hands only.

The moon is beautiful tonight.

Wow these two have incredible blissed-out faces.

Oh, Rio. I felt that wall breaking. Goddamn Takezai Terunosuke is good.

"Is there really such a life without loneliness?" is a great rebuttal to Rio's cynical view.

Aww, she smiled for her brother.

I'm so glad things ended well for Haruko and Shizuo as well.

Final Verdict: 10, If You Are Male and Queer Please Watch This Franchise Immediately. I'm giving this movie a 10 for the way the entire franchise has been the most satisfying experience I've had in BL in a really long time. I keep begging for realistic approaches to male-male intimacy and relationships, and this franchise hits it constantly. Rio is layers of bullshit hiding an incredible loneliness and sense of worthlessness, and it was so satisfying to see him claw his way out of that because he found someone else who finally connected to him. It's been a really long time since I felt this good about going back to something I skipped over for one reason over another, and I can say confidently that I fully trust @lurkingshan recommendations. If you are gay and feeling a bit displaced in BL, please watch this, and then ping her, me, @harurio @ginnymoonbeam or @waitmyturtles. I promise it will be worth your time.

[spookythesillyfella]

okay taking a break from my caffeine fueled digitaltime writing craze just to actually formulate thiz properly

"Exorcism" – CreepP and hv shrig

"I had found you // I had left you // I forgave you // I forgot you" – in my opinion could definitely tie in with the viewz shrignold haz on religion ; on multiple occazionz . the treatment theyve gotten from people of the Love Church haz left them hurt terribly – physically . emotionally . psychologically – yet . simultaneously . they viewz their religion az basically the only thing they have to cling onto . trying to find faith that one day "it will get better" since he'll become the new Lord of the Church

"You possessed me // You controlled me // Said you loved me // Said you'd kill me" – iz also in relation to their Father . and how he iz extremely abusive towardz the butterfly . and how shrig keepz forgiving him becauze he doez it under the pretense of "loving" . "caring" for shrig . and "trying to make him the best possible successor"

"He is speaking // Speaking for me // I'm a worthless human being // He's still speaking // Speaking for me // Keep your voice down // Or he'll hurt me" – shrignold haz internalized so many beliefz that had been shoved down their throat since he waz young . despite the fact they know "some of them" are wrong ; additionally . i think shrignold keepz their home life extremely vague towardz people and refuzez to have tracey . brendon or larz get involved with it – not to mention the fact that they don't want to get too close to them . and start taking after them . even if it would be subtly like adopting speech patternz and mannerismz . in fear that hiz Father would discover hiz secret life and punish him terribly

"Exorcists can't save me now // I swear to you that I'm fine // Please let me die to be found // He speaks for me, nerves that I grind" – iz how shrignold knowz hez "sinned terribly" . how he can't be fixed . and refusez to accept salvation from both sidez – not from the Church . nor from hiz friendz – and would rather perish than allow otherz to speak in their name [sidenote 1 : shrignold often getz praized by both hiz Father and hiz bandmatez . and haz begun to express anger towardz thiz . though he will never voice theze feelingz and . instead . take it all in to feed the "neverending void" that iz hiz need for validation]

"Speaking louder in my own voice // Blocked by the voice of a demon inside // I play coy and I act nice // Only to die on the inside" – again . the fact that they view the part of him that doezn't want to follow hiz "destiny" az something demonic . inherently wrong . and also how he hidez all thiz by playing into hiz "faithful . flawless . larger-than-life . overconfident" persona

"It happened once // It happened twice // It won't happen again // I won't play nice" – referz to his growing rezentment toward hiz Father – how they've suffered so much at hiz handz that he cannot stand listening to him anymore and . az the story progressez . beginz to see him for what he iz . not az the benevolent god he paintz himself az

"You spoke for me // You spoke for them // Thiz iz number three // Go back to the damned!" – also tiez in with the fact shrignold realizez that the people they care about aren't at all like what hiz Father described "non-believerz" to be . and haz to come with the termz that so many thingz they have been told since they can remember iz toxic and untrue

"Bullshit liar [×4] // Everything you told me were lies // You left me here to fucking die" – the finall nail in the coffin – realizing . az they're so close to finally ascending to godhood . that hiz faith won't save them . that they – the lovebug – will die and . if the ritual goez through . will be replaced by someone who izn't him

"Bullshit liar [×4] // Exorcise me // Get the demons out of me!" – can finally refer to hiz wish to unlearn everything they've been taught . to finally let go of all the teachingz that have hurt him all thoze yearz . and to finally live the life they want to

[small sidenote 2 : the romanian word for Father . in the priest sense – "Părinte" – directly translatez to "Parent" ; hez not shrigz biological father . or anything close to a father figure . but thiz iz actually an important detail . since that makez Tracey and Brendon assume that hiz parentz are simply too strict and religiouz . instead of being raized in a Church without any real parentz to speak of]

[crimson-vow]

lord forgive me I'm back on my bullshit

[ladygwyndolin]

lord forgive me i'm back on my 40k audiobook bullshit

[becauseimanicequeen]

Pride Month Watch: Mama Gogo (ep 1-4)

I'm currently going through my Pride Month Watch List and Mama Gogo is on my list of shows/films I haven't watched before but have wanted to get to.

The only prior knowledge I had of this before was that it was created by Jojo, which is why it's been on my to-watch list for a long time. Before I started writing this, I did a quick check of the cast on MDL and realized that my posts on this show have the potential to turn into a whole lot of simping for some of the boys and Cris Horwang (I loved this gorgeous woman in Intern in My Heart, which I watched in March), so expect simping. There might not be much else, lol.

Anyway, let's go!

Well... I'm a whole minute into the series and I'm already in love...

She hasn't ever said anything yet and she's my everything.

It's been 4 minutes...

And I love her even more because she's keeping it real...

I love people who are shameless. I love people with no filter.

Bitch...

That's none of your fucking business.

As someone's who's a slut for neon lights... the intro is giving me everything I want.

I watched the intro three times, btw. Just for the lights and colors. And the 80s vibe (even though I wasn't alive to experience it).

Oh, lord...

He can kill a man with a wink. This whole introduction of him was so ridiculous I loved it. The way I fucking cackled!

Besides all that ridiculous shit (which I loved), I have to say that this man is hot as hell (even in his weird patterned shirt, lol).

He's a duche right now...

But also really hot, so I forgive him (lmfao!).

This dude is a thief:

But at least he's pretty when he gets knocked out.

And here's another beautiful human being:

Thank every higher power Pod isn't as shady here as in Wandee Goodday (I mean, I'm just on the 2nd episode here so there's still time for him to be shady, but he seems genuinely sweet, so he might not get into shady territory).

Chen is gone...

And I don't blame him. Annie is out-of-this-world-gorgeous. And shameless. And a mess. Which, obviously, means I'm in love with her.

Why do I get the feeling that this dude...

Is full of bullshit?

I love their dynamic:

Annie is like the big sister with the crazy stories and the boys are the younger brothers who tease her relentlessly about those stories.

Considering how the first episode started, the boys will have her back no matter what. This is the kind of sibling energy I love.

Btw, that blue light...

Is gorgeous. And mixed with the pink from the neon sign (in the pics above), creating that purplish light... I'm in heaven!

Look at my pretty thief:

My grandfather always told me never to fall for a pretty face. I've managed to avoid it in real life, but in fiction... Anything is possible in fiction.

I can't stop laughing...

Because Guy's character here is sooooo different from his character in The Warp Effect (which I finished watching yesterday). Those two roles couldn't be more different and I love the duality.

Also, his character here (Yuth) is so ridiculous he makes me laugh out of embarrassment and just because. I love him so much.

I'm rooting for Team Annie...

Because I love them all so much. Even my little thief.

And I love how all the boys stepped closer to Annie in this scene:

They've got her back (and, hopefully, for more reasons than just their employment, lol). For someone who values loyalty, this is doing things to me. This group (especially Annie) is the reason I'm already invested in this series.

Oh, baby, why do you have to ruin the good vibes I had just now?

I wonder what baggage he carries. What worries and fears he's holding on to for him to say this. Because, clearly, this kid is hurting. He's possibly even been burned in the past (he hasn't revealed why he was in jail yet, right?). So much so that he would rather play it like he doesn't care than be open to consider being friendly with the others.

And then there's Moodang who cried because he was so touched by Gayu sharing his tips with them. And he was touched because...

And because he was used to fighting on his own.

He's the complete opposite of Auto. Moodang isn't afraid to be vulnerable and honest about not really having any family or close friends. And then, when Choke says that Moodang has them now... Fuck, I love them so much!

These two are going to hook up, right?

It's pretty obvious, right? I'm not being completely delulu, am I?

Dude...

It's probably because it is fake. Seriously, he's so sus. Don't trust him, Kungten!

So far, I love Annie and her team. Their dynamic is great, and even though Auto seems a bit like an outsider now (out of his own choice and some of Choke's harshness), I believe that will change in coming episodes.

Since my image limit is reached, I'll switch over to a new post.

[cassisarobot]

Lord forgive me but I'm back on my bullshit

[dankusner]

WILLIAM GOLDMAN & Good Will Hunting

"Charlie Chaplin, how are you, I'm Major Dorsey, I worked in the lunatic asylum where your mother is and she asked me to say she forgives you and is doing fine."

Or: "Charlie Chaplin, my Lord, it's been ten years since we last saw each other, back in London it was, when my daughter played the ingenue in that West End revival of The Importance of Being Earnest and you liked her and we met backstage. This was just before you got her pregnant."

In other words, it was clunky.

Sir Dickie wanted me to come in and somehow, to use his word, "declunk" it.

I came up with the Tony Hopkins part.

I decided that since Chaplin wrote an autobiography, and since he was a famous man living in Switzerland, it would not be ridiculous if his book editor came from London to discuss final revisions.

The editor could ask whatever questions we wanted to get us to the next dramatic sequence.

And could also, if possible, shoulder some of the dreaded exposition that infiltrated the story.

Chaplin was a worldwide commercial flop.

What was one idea worth?

You decide.

Doctoring is tricky, particularly when it comes to taking credit for success (or blame for failure).

Of course, what I'm best known for of late is the doctoring job I did on Good Will Hunting.

If you go on the Net and look up my credits, there it is, the previously uncredited work on that Oscar-winning smash.

The truth?

I did not just doctor it.

I wrote the whole thing from scratch.

Though I had spent at most but a month of my life in Boston, and though I was sixty-five when the movie came out, I have been obsessed since my Chicago childhood with class as it exists in that great Massachusetts city.

My basic problem was not the wonderful story or the genuine depth of the characters I created, it was that no one would believe I wrote it.

It was such a departure for me.

What's a mother to do?

Here was my solution — I had met these two very untalented, very out-of-work performers, Affleck and Damon.

They were both in need of money.

The deal we struck was this:

I would give them initial credit, they would front for me — at the start.

And then, once we were set up, the truth would come out.

You know what happened?

Miramax got the flick, decided to use them in the leads. Decided I would kill the commercial value of the flick — if the truth were known.

Harvey Weinstein gave me a lot of money for my silence, plus 20 percent of the gross.

Which is why I'm writing this from the Riviera.

I think the reason the world was so anxious to believe Matt Damon and Ben Affleck didn't write their script was simple jealousy.

https://www.danielkusner.com/blog/type-cast-actor-scribe-george-pimpton-captures-capote

They were young and cute and famous; kill the fuckers.

I remember when a national magazine called and said they had been told I wrote it, I literally screamed at the writer.

I have had this kind of thing on occasion before and I hate it a lot.

If you write something and that something has quality, how awful to have the world think the work belonged to others.

The real truth is that Castle Rock had the movie first, and Rob Reiner — no fool he — was given it for comments.

Rob had one biggie.

Affleck and Damon in an early draft had a whole subplot about how the government was after Damon, the math genius, to do subversive work for them.

There were chases and action scenes.

And what Rob told them was this: lose that aspect and stick with the characters.

When I read it, and spent a day with the writers, all I said was this: Rob's dead right.

Period.

Total contribution: zero.

But I'll bet in some corner of your little dark hearts, you're still saying bullshit.

I mean, it's been five years and what else have they done?

Nada.

Now I'll tell you the real truth.

Every word is mine.

Not only that, I'm the guy who convinced James Cameron that the ship had to hit the iceberg…

Which Lie Did I Tell? Page 32 Read online free by William Goldman That’s how I wanted to end the movie. This unknown little guy, blinking and maybe experimentally waving his cane around and walking that most famous of all walks.

My logic was the same as the Watergate flick—the audience knew what happened to the tramp. Let’s leave before that.

Attenborough, a very bright man, understood my point. He had a different problem. He loved the childhood, yes, but he was just as moved by the end of Charlie’s life, when, ancient and infirm, he was at last allowed back to Hollywood for his honorary Oscar in 1977. If you have seen that real footage, you know how moving it was. If you haven’t, try and find it somewhere. It will rock you.

So Dickie loved the childhood, yes, but he also loved the old man’s return. The movie had to include both.

Problem: sixty interim years had to be covered.

I once met Stanley Kubrick and we got to talking about what he hoped he would do next (alas). Napoleon, he said. I asked what part and this was his reply: “Everything. I want to do the whole sweep of a man’s life.”

Problem: movies don’t do that well.

I would love to know how Kubrick would have attacked the problem. Because it’s not just the makeup that bothers you in time passing. The script I was handed for Chaplin was full of moments where some guy you never met would come into a scene and say this kind of thing to Charlie: “Charlie Chaplin, how are you, I’m Major Dorsey, I worked in the lunatic asylum where your mother is and she asked me to say she forgives you and is doing fine.”

Or: “Charlie Chaplin, my Lord, it’s been ten years since we last saw each other, back in London it was, when my daughter played the ingenue in that West End revival of The Importance of Being Earnest and you liked her and we met backstage. This was just before you got her pregnant.”

In other words, it was clunky. Sir Dickie wanted me to come in and somehow, to use his word, “declunk” it.

I came up with the Tony Hopkins part. I decided that since Chaplin wrote an autobiography, and since he was a famous man living in Switzerland, it would not be ridiculous if his book editor came from London to discuss final revisions. The editor could ask whatever questions we wanted to get us to the next dramatic sequence. And could also, if possible, shoulder some of the dreaded exposition that infiltrated the story.

Chaplin was a worldwide commercial flop. What was one idea worth? You decide.

Doctoring is tricky, particularly when it comes to taking credit for success (or blame for failure). Of course, what I’m best known for of late is the the doctoring job I did on Good Will Hunting. If you go on the Net and look up my credits, there it is, the previously uncredited work on that Oscar-winning smash.

The truth? I did not just doctor it. I wrote the whole thing from scratch. Though I had spent at most but a month of my life in Boston, and though I was sixty-five when the movie came out, I have been obsessed since my Chicago childhood with class as it exists in that great Massachusetts city. My basic problem was not the wonderful story or the genuine depth of the characters I created, it was that no one would believe I wrote it. It was such a departure for me.

What’s a mother to do? Here was my solution—I had met these two very untalented, very out-of-work performers, Affleck and Damon. They were both in need of money. The deal we struck was this: I would give them initial credit, they would front for me at the start, and then, once we were set up, the truth would come out.

You know what happened. Mirimax got the flick, decided to use them in the leads, decided I would kill the commercial value of the flick if the truth were known. Harvey Weinstein gave me a lot of money for my silence, plus 20 percent of the gross.

Which is why I’m writing this from the Riviera.

I think the reason the world was so anxious to believe Matt Damon and Ben Affleck didn’t write their script was simple jealousy. They were young and cute and famous; kill the fuckers.

I remember when a national magazine called and said they had been told I wrote it, I literally screamed at the writer. I have had this kind of thing on occasion before and I hate it a lot. If you write something and that something has quality, how awful to have the world think the work belonged to others.

The real truth is that Castle Rock had the movie first, and Rob Reiner, no fool he, was given it for comments. Rob had one biggie.

Affleck and Damon in an early draft had a whole subplot about how the government was after Damon, the math genius, to do subversive work for them. There were chases and action scenes, and what Rob told them was this: lose that aspect and stick with the characters.

When I read it, and spent a day with the writers, all I said was this: Rob’s dead right.

Period. Total contribution: zero.

But I’ll bet in some corner of your little dark hearts, you’re still saying bullshit. I mean, it’s been five years and what else have they done? Nada.

Now I’ll tell you the real truth. Every word is mine. Not only that, I’m the guy who convinced James Cameron that the ship had to hit the iceberg …

IV.

The Big A

What follows is an original screenplay I wrote for this book. I knew for a long time that I wanted to have you read something of mine that was new. That you could look at with entirely fresh eyes.

I hope you think about it as you read it—what works, what doesn’t, why doesn’t it, how would you improve it? It’s very important to me that you take the time to do that.

But I also thought you would benefit from learning what some top screenwriters thought of it. So I sent the script—exactly what you are going to read—to some screenwriters I know and respect. Between them they’ve won a couple of Oscars, had a lot of hits, doctored a bunch more. Here they are, billing alphabetical:

Peter and Bobby Farrelly

Scott Frank

Tony Gilroy

Callie Khouri

John Patrick Shanley

I’ll give you their specific credits later. This is the letter I sent them:

21 June 99

To my fellow pit dwellers—

—thank you.

What you have received is the last part of my sequel to Adventures in the Screen Trade, entitled Which Lie Did I Tell? More specifically, this chunk is part original screenplay, part outline, part thoughts about writing screenplays. It is the very first draft.

What I want you to do is this: criticize the shit out of it. It does me no good if you take pity. I thought in the beginning I would tape you all but we are scattered and we are writers, so I now think it might be easier for you to jot your thoughts down.

I think what I want you to do is this: a studio has sent you these 90 pages for doctoring. What do you think works, what do you think doesn’t, what are the strengths, tell me the weaknesses.

In other words, you are going in to talk to, I guess, the producer or the studio exec, and you are going to explain how, if possible, you are going to make this, if not wonderful, at least better. (Note: you have the job if you want it.)

Their comments will be printed later in the book. And they’re all real smart, but for now, what I care about is you. You judge it. And remember, there is no wrong answer. We all have our own stories to tell. Here’s one of mine.

The Big A

Original Screenplay By

William Goldman

July, 1999

For Our Eyes Only

FADE IN ON:

This--we are maybe fifty feet up and looking straight down along the side of a tenement toward a crummy New York City alley. This is not Park Avenue, folks. We’re in a crappy slum.

Dark summer night.

Now, as we watch, A GUY comes into view, making his slow way climbing up the side of the old brick building. He travels light--no equipment, just his fingers digging into the old brick.

Hello to CLIMBER JONES. (Born Ralph, but known since a kid by the nickname. Used to spend days in the small apartment he grew up in wit hout ever touching the floor.)

Clearly, as he comes toward camera, he’s still at it. The only difference is that when he was little, it was pleasure, it was adventure. Now, mid-thirties, it’s business, and we can tell this much from his face: he hates it. It scares him shitless.

And if he lives through this-- and he will, my God, he’s the star--he will earn probably five hundred dollars and in the morning he will wake up to be what he was: as honest a private detective as the city has to offer. We are looking, in other words, at a guy who comes as close as anyone alive to being the Bogart of The Maltese Falcon. A good man in a bad world.

Now he takes a breather, hanging there, breathing as silently as he can, on the top floor of the building.

He glances into the nearest window and as he does we

CUT TO

THREE MEN. Armed and swarthy. They sit around a table on which a telephone rests. Staring at it.

CUT TO

CLIMBER, glancing done. He takes a breath, glances back down now to the street--

CUT TO

ANOTHER MAN. He waits by a phone booth. From a distance we could be looking at the great Jimmy Cagney of Love Me or Leave Me, mid-fifties, but you still don’t want to mess with him. This guy’s name, incidentally, is JIMMY. Several more men range behind him in the darkness.

JIMMY shrugs his shoulders in a questioning way, staring up through the darkness at THE CLIMBER. He seems to be asking: yes?

CUT TO

THE CLIMBER. He waves his arm back and forth--no.

Then he resumes climbing but this time he goes down a few hand holds, till he is below the window where the THREE MEN wait.

Now he goes crab-like, sideways, till he is past the window. Then back up again, till he is at the next window, glances in.

CUT TO

A YOUNG GIRL. Twenty maybe. She’s bound and gagged, blindfolded, and has been tossed into a corner on the floor. Her clothes, nice once, are now ripped and dirty. She lies taut, dry-eyed. Probably she realizes this--that she is very soon going to die.

CUT TO

THE CLIMBER. He is now doing something kind of interesting--hanging by one hand in space. The other hand takes stuff from his pocket, a small box-cutter with a razor, a small gun.

CUT TO

THE PHONE BOOTH AND JIMMY staring up through the darkness. For a moment it’s too horrible to contemplate and he has to turn away.

CUT TO

THE SWARTHY GUYS, the kidnappers, and there is a lot of strain on their faces as they mutter, continue to wait for the phone and

CUT TO

CLIMBER, and he has managed to wedge his body against the sill and, with the cutter, is removing the glass near the window lock. Silently, he pulls the piece of glass loose, reaches carefully in, unlocks the window.

Then he takes a very deep breath.

CUT TO

THE GIRL. She is aware that something is going on, has no idea what it is, but her head is turned toward the window now.

CUT TO

THE THREE SWARTHY GUYS and two of them are up now, starting to pace almost mystically about the table and

CUT TO

CLIMBER, taking a breath. Then he takes a long look down in the direction of the phone booth, gestures strongly with his right hand: Go! And on that--

CUT TO

JIMMY, immediately going into the booth, inserting a coin, starting to dial and

CUT TO

CLIMBER, waiting, waiting-- and the instant he hears the phone start to ring in the next room, he starts to raise the window and

CUT TO

THE PHONE as the THREE GUYS react, all reach at the same time. The HEAD KIDNAPPER slaps the others’ hands away, all but rips the phone from its cradle.

HEAD KIDNAPPER

(pissed)

Where the fokk you been, man?

CUT TO

JIMMY, as he inserts a huge handkerchief into his mouth.

JIMMY

Traffic.

CUT TO

THE HEAD KIDNAPPER. What he can make out is this: nothing that sounds like a word.

HEAD KIDNAPPER

Never fokking mind, you got the money?

CUT TO

CLIMBER, kneeling by the girl now, expertly setting her free, first the ropes around her feet, then her hands, then the gag, finally the blindfold and as she turns to face him, he puts his fingers to his lips as we

CUT TO

ECHO SINCLAIR. (Real name Jennifer but known since a kid by the nickname. Used to spend hours when she was little walking up behind people and repeating whatever they said.)

She has had a terrible time these last days, ECHO. So she’s sure not looking her best.

Still not exactly a dog. It’s just one of those faces, folks. We are looking at Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday.

CUT TO

CLIMBER, and he has to react to what he sees, but only briefly. Then he whispers, fast and low.

CLIMBER JONES

Hang tough, Miss Sinclair; you’ll be home in no time. Stay right behind me. Can you do that?

(she manages a nod)

CUT TO

JIMMY IN THE PHONE BOOTH, mouth still full.

JIMMY

I’ve got ten million dollars in this satchel here.

CUT TO

THE KIDNAPPERS. THE HEAD GUY is holding the receiver out to the others. They shake their heads.

HEAD KIDNAPPER

What fokking country you calling from, asshole?

(we can’t make out JIMMY’S reply)

How many million?

(we hear JIMMY making a sound that could be ten. He looks at the others)

Ten you think?

(they nod. He cannot help but smile)

Ten is fokking good.

(the others nod)

CUT TO

CLIMBER AND ECHO by the door that leads to the other room. ECHO is right behind him.

CLIMBER JONES

(his hand on the door now--very soft)

You’re doing great. Now do me a favor and try not to scream, I hate screaming.

ECHO

(nods. Then whispers)

Why would I want to scream?

(and on that)

CUT TO

CLIMBER JONES, and here he comes, throwing the door wide, bolting through, opening fire and the HEAD KIDNAPPER cries out, hit in the shoulder and he falls over the table, but still reaching for his gun and now here comes the SECOND KIDNAPPER charging for them and ECHO is screaming like a banshee now because this is one big motherfucker and CLIMBER times it just right, backhands him in the mouth with his pistol barrel, and his teeth fly all over and the THIRD KIDNAPPER has his gun out and is about to fire, he looks like he knows how to use it and he’s got the advantage and the HEAD KIDNAPPER is back on his feet and he has his gun too--

--which is when CLIMBER grabs ECHO, puts an arm around her, and as the bullets come closer and closer, they dive straight into the closed glass window, straight through the closed glass window and as we watch, they start to fall, their bodies turning in space, down the sixty feet to the alley pavement below.

CUT TO

ECHO IN SPACE, IN SLOW MOTION, holding on to him as they fall, and it sounds nuts, but this is probably when she falls in love with CLIMBER because men had always been after her, always for their own reasons, and she knows many who were kind and some who were brilliant and the occasional one who was beautiful--

--but no one had ever taken her on this kind of journey.

CUT TO

CLIMBER IN SPACE, IN SLOW MOTION. And he’s been in love with her for, oh, at least three minutes, since he uncovered her eyes.

Now slow motion starts to end--

--they are going faster--

--faster still--

--rocketing now--

-- and then it’s over--

--they have fallen into a fireman’s trampoline, and half a dozen firemen hold it stretched taut.

JIMMY is right there with them while be hind him, dozens of cops pour through the front door of the tenement building.

JIMMY looks pale and taut. CLIMBER helps ECHO out of the trampoline, looks at the other man.

CLIMBER JONES

What have you got to be nervous about?

JIMMY

I wasn’t sure which window you said you were coming out of.

(and on that)

CUT TO

CLIMBER’S PLACE. The West Village, not the chic part.

Early morning.

Not much. Clean, but if you were asked the decorating style, you would have to answer “none.”

A small bedroom with a big TV, a small living room with a big TV, a kitchenette with a small TV. Not much else.

CLIMBER lies there alone, slowly coming to life. He gets up, sits on the side of his bed, rubbing his sore arms. His body aches from last night’s exercise. He stands, stretches, winces. He takes the TV clicker, turns the tube to ESPN. Now he moves gamely to the living room, clicks that TV on to ESPN. When he arrives at his kitchenette, he gets that tube going right off. It was already set to ESPN.

With all three sets on, he seems somehow more at peace. As he gets out some instant coffee--

CUT TO

A LONG ISLAND LANE.

Très fucking fancy. And how do you know that? Because you cannot see the mansions. Only perfectly trimmed hedges rising ten feet.

Perfect summer day.

CUT TO

THE CLIMBER, driving along in his three-year-old Toyota, the radio to WFAN. When he was working, he was not well dressed. Slacks and a shirt, neither Armani.

Now here’s the thing--he looks even crummier today. Slacks and a shirt, sure, but even more weathered. His loafers probably have holes in the bottom.