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stevie-petey · 5 months ago

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hello m i hope you are well. would you believe this was an excellent time for me to read your fic, truly what i needed tonight!! not to get #intoit #toodeep but a blowout fight with my mother puts me right in the headspace to ruminate on childhood and how to carry it inside of you in a way that doesn't hurt.

One thing before i start crying, i love this line so much, "Passenger seat is reserved for girls I’m dating.” passenger princess bug iktr!!!

Steve and bug finally, FINALLY being in a stable place with each other is so beautiful <3. i love them so much. them actually talking about what is happening between them, finally trusting each other enough to be open and vulnerable is tooooo good, espcially since we've seen what it took for them to get here. i am terrified for how this will break down in s4. Steve offering to come back to weathertop when bug is thinking about how she used to come with jon as she's about to lose jon......i love that he's doing that for her and with her <3333. i love that nancy promises bug to take care and keep jon safe. i love that nancy and steve do that for bug and jon. i love that they reassure to be their new person responsible. i also love that weathertop is a special place for both bug and dustin's first loves <3. i love how they keep making places more comfortable for each other. steve making the beatles a beautiful memory again, bug making the flower field into a nice birthday date with her joy about his best birthday gift in the world is really what love is all about. i also really, really loved their conversation about luck and love, and i have a nagging feeling in my mind it will come back in s4 to confront bug as she finally exhales the mountain of grief she is holding onto. i am trying to find the words, because i don't really believe in luck very much, but i do believe in counting your blessings, and the i find the act of counting the blessing of how many people love you, and you get to love back, no matter how it ends in circumstances out of your control, a very brave thing to do. Joyce asking bug to live the life she decides is so special <3. a mother figure who actually knows bug to her core and knows the totality of bug's circumstances and then tells bug that she deserves a happy life is soooooo special and beautiful <33333. i love that joyce gets to be the person who tells her that, especially since joyce herself is so kind despite everything she's been through. i always thought bug would be like joyce when she grew up.

I also really shortly would like to also talk about bug and her guilt. i'm sure this will come up terribly for her in s4, but it really fascinates how much bug takes everything on herself, and i also don't really understand it either, but it does make her very interesting. even taking on the guilt of billy's death when it truly wasn't her fault at all in any way, jesus christ she's like a catholic saint. guilt isn't very logical and i really, truly get that, but i just idk, feel very sad that she feels that way at all, i wish i could talk to her about it.

i also loved this part, "Nancy screams back at you now, insulted that you truly believe she would ever leave her brother behind willingly. She wouldn’t do that. She knows that you know this." st has always been bad at handling the emotional consequences for their characters, but i really wish we got more nancy and mike. they're a complicated relationship because they weren't close before the upside down but obviously they love each other and are siblings, and like bug said, siblings are too strong of a bond to shake off in the worst cases. i wish they got more time in the show to breathe.

Finally i love the way bug's childhood ends softly and not the violent end she was sure of. "Time stands still. You’re seventeen and your childhood is coming to a close." Bug is so lucky to know she's in the good old days when they're happening to her. I don't like jonathan very much, but i appreciate they were kids together. they were almost girls together. having to figure out how to be adults apart is difficult for friends with less complicated histories.

This was a really beautiful story. I hope you know how much richer you make this story, and how much life you breathe into this world.

hi darling <333

passenger seat line ,,, i was DYING to write it for MONTHS !!!! my god it makes me giggle thinking about it. like yes steve pls dub me ur passenger princess <3

you understood the luck and love monologue perfectly. i also really do believe its brave to continue loving everyone and everything around you even in the most grim circumstances. its brave to keep loving even if the love itself has faded. to try again, to be human in doing so, its my favorite thing ever. its why i adore steve n bug so much. theyre trusting one another to love again, to try once more to accept the love theyre scared of. its raw and its tender and its terrifying. loving someone after your first love is i think, personally, the most authentic type of love. its the most vulnerable you will ever be and lowkey why im scared to love again as well.

the joyce and bug scene <333 theyre so special to me. bug really is the daughter joyce never had. she sees so much of herself in bug (and i also 100% picture an older bug just being joyce) and bug loves her like a mother as well. claudia is wonderful, but as you said: she doesnt know what bug has been through like joyce does. all claudia can do is patch up bugs wounds afterwards. its what made the scene so special to me: joyce reads bug so well, shes watched her take care of her boys the whole time shes known her, so for joyce to tell bug that she doesnt blame her ,,, its huge. to be told to live the life you deserve by the woman who you admire heavily is such an impactful thing.

bug and her guilt ,,, whew. youre so right that a lot of her guilt is irrational, thats the whole point. she piles so much on herself (we saw this more in season 2) because she physically cannot help it. its in her bones. she has to help, and in her eyes when her help fails, its her fault regardless of the circumstances. its such a #healthy way to live LMAO (season 4 will ruin her)

JUSTICE FOR THE WHEELERS UR SO RIGHT !!! its always bugged me that we never really see mike and nancy being siblings. nancy wasnt really concerned for mike (who had just lost his best friend mind you) in season 1 until WAY after he had gotten into so much shit. i hate the way the siblings are written, we so rarely get to see them be concerned for one another :(

and finally the goodbye scene. sigh. ive had her in my mind since we started season 2. i love her dearly, and the line with bug saying her and jon were more than just kids will stick with me forever. for some gnarly m lore: my first love and i were childhood best friends. when we broke up and severed all contact (because im insane), it truly did feel like my childhood had come to a close. it was terrifying. there i was, 19 and grieving, and i didnt know how to be someone without my ex. i wanted to portray that fear with jon and bug. when you grow up with someone, when this person knows everything about you, and they suddenly leave, its the most painful and confusing thing. i cannot explain it. but knowing that my childhood lives in my ex boyfriend, the same way his lives in me, even though we havent spoken in almost two years ,,, it haunts me, and yet oddly its comforting.

i was a kid with him. somewhere, a piece of me still is. im still that kid he met when we were 14, and hes still that kid to me, and i think its beautiful :)

#procrastinationprincesses #ask #m speaks #nyas insight #m lore #LMAO

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fandomshatefatpeople · 11 months ago

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Hi. I'm sorry for bothering you. I just. Need a place to put my thoughts. I am fat and disabled and trans and I'm so. So tired. I'm exhausted. I'm tired of my dad's no carb diet, and all his comments making my anorexia come back in droves. I'm tired of being scared to use a mobility aid despite the fact I can't walk more than 20 minutes without blacking out. I am so scared of going to the doctor even though I have symptoms of POTS, or seizures, pr whatever the hell is wrong with me, because all they're going to see is that I'm fat. I'm so tired. I have maybe 2 friends who are my size, everyone else is skinnier. I'm tired. Everything makes me tired. My dad's favorite show is Mike and Molly and I know it's probably stupid but that show is starting to trigger me because of all the weight jokes. I'm tired of people who are never going to be see me as a man because I'm fat. Clothes don't fit. They only carry up to an XL in hot topic. Im tired. I just need to get it off my chest. I just want to exist. Why aren't I allowed to exist? I'm 19 years old, is this gonna be the rest of my life? I'm sorry again. I just. Needed someone to hear me

You are valid, worthwhile, loved, and deserve happiness! Not only that, you will have happiness! I am going to offer some suggestions with the caveat that I know I don't know your full situation and you've probably already tried these and other suggestions, but I want to offer what I can to help.

First - you are completely valid exactly as you are!

Second - look online, WPATH World Professional Association for Transgender Health is a good resource, for finding trans-friendly doctors. If you have POTS or anything else, you deserve healthcare that is gender and body affirming! Find Size Friendly Doctors and Specialists | Bare Health lists size friendly doctors and some of them also indicate that they are gender affirming as well.

Third - please use the mobility aid! Some people are horrible and will make shitty comments, but they don't know you, they don't know your circumstances, and they have no right to comment on your life. Mobility aids are for those who need them. Full stop. People have no right to be assholes about them.

Fourth - Can you go elsewhere when your dad is watching Mike and Molly? Do you think he'd be open to a conversation about how the show makes you feel? Do you think he'd be open to a conversation about his diet talk and how that impacts you? Is moving out an option? (I recognize that everything is so expensive and this is a very hard decision to make sometimes).

Fifth - finding clothes that fit you, both in size and aesthetic, can help you to feel like yourself. Depending on what you like about Hot Topic clothes (goth, anime, band tees) look online for a size inclusive alternative. Perhaps being able to dress in a way that feels like you can help give you the confidence to tackle some of these other things.

Finally - you are worth so much. The world is better because you are in it. Life does get better and I can't wait for you to experience it with joy!

#mod amelia #asks #fat acceptance #trans positivity

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sleepis4theweak · 1 year ago

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Hi Mama,

I just want to let you know how much I love you and how much you mean to me. You make every day better. Everything seems to be brighter since I met you. You love and kindness for everything and everyone and flooded into me, making me feel better about the world. You make me happy to wake up!

Every time you most and I get to see your WONDERFUL art, I actually smile, I feel happy. Actually happy. You have inspired me in every way possible, from your art, your kindness, your love. You make me happy to be alive cause I get to be alive in a world with you.

They way you help everyone makes me want to help more, seeing you be the nicest person I know. Being able to say "I love you" and get an "I love you too" back and feeling like you mean it makes me feel more loved than I've ever felt.

I've never felt this loved in my life, I've never cried of joy like this before. I haven't been this happy in over 7 years... It is crazy to think how my life was before I knew you.

I want you to feel the most amount of love you ever felt, I want to give you the most happiness I can. You deserve the world! I thought I could never be this grateful for a human to exist, yet here you are. Shining your love and warmth, warmer than the sun could.

I love you, Mama. So much more than you could imagine. 🧡🧡🧡

(also yes I did cry writing this, but it was happy tears 🥲)

Mike,

First of all- WHY WOULD YOU KILL ME LIKE THIS AHHH <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Second of all, I want YOU to know how much I love you and how much you mean to me. I adore you to bits. You are so incredibly talented, and amazing, and brilliant and so so so wonderful. I'm so so so happy you are in this world, and that I was able to meet you. You make ME happy to wake up.

I am so absurdly lucky that I was able to meet you. That I have been able to share space with you and talk with you. I can't even put into words how happy it has made me.

I hope you know that I mean it. I truly, honestly mean it. I LOVE YOU!

You deserve the world as well, you deserve happiness and love and joy and I am so insanely glad I was able to give you even a sliver of that. You deserve so much.

I'm sorry I'm not good with words, but I hope you know that I love you, more than YOU could ever imagine. I hope that comes across <3 <3 <3

I love you so so much.

#I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU #*POINTS* THATS MY CHILD AND I LOVE THEM #AHHHHHH #im literally dead #im sobbing #AHBSW XHCwieduk #I love you #<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 #answered asks #and mike!!!

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reikunrei · 2 years ago

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I don’t chide people who are understandably keeping their guard up about the possibility of byler not becoming canon, bc I also will never fully trust any showrunner ever, but any true, deep doubt about it kind of cracks me up because like. when I think about byler for just a second, I think “that’d be crazy if they actually made them canon. how wild would that be? I can’t hold out hope though”

but if I spend any longer thinking about it it’s like. holy shit. there’s so much here. like text and subtext in their interactions with one another, the trajectory of mike’s character (learning to love himself for who he is because someone else shows him he’s worthy of love), the message deeply tied into will’s character (you’re allowed to hope for things, and characters who go through hell deserve love and happiness), the message of the show itself (accepting the outsiders, finding love and joy in all the darkness of the world, being proud of who you are). like. the longer I think about it, the more convinced I am that it’ll become real

#like I watch the show and especially season 4 and I sit here like holy fuckass. they’re gay your honor #byler #stranger things #will byers #mike wheeler #i say things

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nothingunrealistic · 1 year ago

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review roundup: billions 7x12 “admirals fund”

here we are at the end of all things billions! at least until the spinoffs start! what did reviewers think?

New York Times: ‘Billions’ Series Finale Recap: The Last Battle

Am I at a loss for words over the series finale of “Billions”? That depends. Do hooting and hollering count as “words”?

REAL.

There’s no other way to put this: In its final hour, “Billions” delivered, and delivered, and delivered. It saw what it needed to do — spend 45 minutes beating the living snot out of Mike Prince, and the remaining 15 minutes depicting beloved characters being really nice to each other for a change — and by God did it.

i think it could have delivered a little better on both fronts, but good efforts were made.

It’s clear from the confidence on the faces of Taylor, Bobby, Chuck and Wendy in the first shot that things are nowhere near as dire as they seemed at the end of the previous episode. Kate’s arrival on the scene moments later only confirms what I’d come to suspect last week: The forces of good had an inside woman, who for two months has been undermining an oblivious Prince. But wait, there’s more! Philip, too, is a double agent, and has been from virtually the moment Prince ruined Philip’s mentor. His big show of distancing himself from Wendy’s scheme was just that, a show. And while Kate really did ferret out the anti-Prince conspiracy on her own, she ratted it out to Mike as a way of furthering it, not destroying it. Every move Kate and Philip have made since — most importantly allocating sole control of investing power to Philip, then outsourcing all investing decisions to Winston’s algorithm — has been made with the destruction of Prince in mind.

and we love that for everyone involved! …except winston. who was, inexplicably, not involved despite being essential to the success of team kill prince.

Prince’s subsequent meltdown, climaxing in tossing a printer through Wendy’s glass wall — a scene teased in the season premiere — is an absolute joy to behold.

yes!!! it was a printer!!!

Even Scooter’s bacon gets saved. Following Prince’s defeat, the man Wags calls the best second-in-command he’s ever seen quits the ex-candidate’s employ to go it on his own, leaving Mike completely alone. He now finds himself with $100 million — the exact same amount left to Prince — thanks to his nephew Philip. The two men patch things up before Scooter leaves to pursue his dream: to become an orchestral conductor at last. All our heroes get that kind of emotional send off. In pair after pair, they make their peace and call it a job well done: Axe and Taylor, Axe and Wendy, Wendy and Taylor, Scooter and Wags, Wags and Axe — and of course Chuck and Axe, who shake hands and agree that while they may once again cross swords in the future, they’ll do their best to keep it clean in the interim.

hmmm seems to me like there’s a pretty important pairing of two characters mentioned in these paragraphs that Didn’t get a much-deserved sendoff!

Chuck and Wendy are happy. Axe and Wags are happy and possibly moving to Miami for a spinoff.

😏😏😏😏😏

You could complain that this is all too pat, too easy. You could say it’s not reflective of how things work in the real world. You could make an argument that Prince should have won, or that Axe and Chuck should have gone out in a metaphorical murder-suicide situation, like Will Graham and Dr. Lecter at the end of “Hannibal.” You could say all of that, and I’d simply ignore it. Long one of the most sheerly entertaining shows on television, “Billions” closed out its run by doing the most entertaining things it could. If we in the real world have so far failed to defeat our Prince-style villains, so what? The central conceit of “Billions” is that Chuck Rhoades and Bobby Axelrod are, each in their own way, the cleverest people in the game. The game is over, so let them sink that battleship, let them connect four, let them pass go and collect $200. The message of “Billions” is that you need great people to defeat Great Men.

fair enough. i can respect that brian & david decided to end things by making the fans happy rather than making them mad, whether for Realism or for schadenfreude. i’m just annoyed that their mental picture of True Billions Obsessives Who Deserve Fanservice is so narrowly drawn.

The awful compliance officer Ari Spyros gets a big reward from Axe, despite never having done a single decent thing in the course of the series. (Or in the course of his life — am I the only one who remembers he weaseled his way out of sexual assault charges in college?)

you’re not the only one! really makes you wonder how the writers chose Which characters, exactly, deserved to be in the finale and become fabulously wealthy about it.

In this cameo-heavy season, were there any characters from the past you wanted to see again but didn’t? I missed Lara Axelrod (Malin Akerman), who was initially a quarter of the show’s core foursome; Dr. Gus (Marc Kudisch), the bombastic performance coach I once thought was as valuable an addition to the cast as Taylor, introduced at the same time; Oliver Dake (Christopher Denham), the officious government watchdog who seemed every bit as canny as his quarry right until the moment he was beaten; and Catherine Brant (Julianna Margulies), the Chuck Rhoades love interest lost to pandemic logistics.

this list manages to miss out my entire list, which boils down to “every previous character primarily or solely relevant to taylor.” oscar! sara! douglas! lauren! winston once he was fired and in a context that let him interact with taylor again! (also, lol and lmao at sean having once thought dr. gus was as valuable an addition as taylor.) OH ALSO: i would have loved to see the return of savion, the kid who lived in axe’s former house and whom axe promised to be there for if he ever needed help.

I adored the way Axe revealed that his destruction of Mike’s fortune was a fait accompli: “Not doing, Mike. Done.” It reminds me of “Watchmen,” and (spoiler alert) Ozymandias’s jaw-dropping statement at the climax of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’s seminal superhero comic: “I did it 35 minutes ago.”

yeah, that was fun.

Watching Philip emerge from the rubble of Prince Cap intact while his superiors fled in disgrace, I suddenly realized what the purpose of this character is in the context of the larger Mike Prince story line: He’s the guy who wins. In the end, he’s simply smarter and cannier than his uncle Scooter and would-be mentor Mike. I suddenly find myself hoping he sticks around for one of the rumored “Billions” spinoffs.

philip is a winner because he wins! he motherfucking wins!! (of course, if the writers knew what was up, he could have been “the guy who’s a Peer / Partner / Equal to taylor in a way no one else really has been,” and maybe even “the guy who goes with taylor as they walk away from the rest of their life.” i would love to see him in a spinoff too, especially if taylor is there.)

Vulture: Billions Series-Finale Recap: Take the Money and Run

five stars!

Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the warmest and fuzziest episode of Billions ever!

hey, could you say that first part again?

Ladies and gentlemen,

yeah. that’s what i thought.

Sure, co-creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien, who wrote the series finale, gave us the expected tension-filled hour featuring a super-elaborate scheme, a Steve Miller Band soundtrack, and no shortage of double-, triple-, and quadruple-crossings.

i don’t think it went beyond double-crossings. triple- and quadruple-crossings would only really come into play if we got something like the fake reddit spoiler ending wherein, quote: “Chuck arrests Axe and from prison Axe uses a burner phone to have Wags leak the contents of the flash drive to that reporter guy. Chuck gets arrested and disbarred and ends up in the same cell as Axe.” but the warmth and fuzziness didn’t really allow for any of that.

While Wendy and Taylor demonstrated evolution by forging new career paths — with even Wags hinting he won’t stick around Axe Global for long — Chuck and Axe are literally back to doing the same things they were up to when Billions began: Axe, for all his talk of freedom at the start of the season, is now … the head of his namesake hedge fund.

i do enjoy the irony that the three people who were desperate to bring axe back at the start of the season are all leaving, or looking for ways out, now that he’s back on his throne. not so great when he’s sticking around long-term, is he?

After seven seasons of selfish, mercenary plays, this was the one time when (nearly) everyone worked together for the greater good, proving the season’s overarching theme: Nurture your friendships because you never know when you’ll need those friends to help vanquish your enemies.

which is almost exactly what axe told prince at their first standoff in 7x10! and prince should have listened, because his failure to focus on his supposed friends and allies brought him down!

Taylor hacks into Michael Prince Capital’s risk-management algorithm (thanks, Winston!) and reprograms it to “zig when it’s supposed to zag.” Philip then merely follows his boss’s orders by deploying all capital and insisting that the algorithm do its work.

here’s how taylipton can still win

As part of the tension build-up, we get more warm and fuzzy farewells between Wendy and Taylor, and even Chuck and Dave Mahar, the latter of whom is also part of the Mike Prince takedown: The New York State attorney general played a key role in ensuring the SEC didn’t let Prince or Scooter put a stop (or reversal) on any of the trades made by MPC that day.

dave & chuck’s last interaction > wendy & taylor’s last interaction.

Philip may have turned on Prince, but Scooter will always be his family: He protected his uncle’s account while draining Prince’s coffers, leaving Scooter with about $100 million and a fitting term of endearment: “Maestro.”

:')

It is a rare feat where one of the most abhorrent characters in recent television history can make me cry. So I have to give the highest accolades to Koppelman and Levien for writing such an impeccable scene — and to Jeffrey DeMunn, who managed to get my tears flowing without losing one hint of Senior’s repugnant essence (comparing Chuck to Phil Spector? Typical Senior).

skill issue.

Axe gives both Wendy and Taylor the hard sell, but neither will be swayed. The one consolation is that this version of Axe lets Wendy and Taylor go with grace. He even offers Taylor the old Axe Global office for a philanthropy organization. When they arrive at the empty location, there’s one last gift waiting for them: a placard reading “The Taylor Mason Foundation” with a familiar TM logo. Stop making me cry, Billions!

yeah, that got me. especially when i figured out it had to have been axe who had that sign put there.

It took seven seasons, but Billions eventually got the memo: Work doesn’t have to be the center of your life.

that’s not the impression i got from this episode, lmao. basically everyone is either returning to their old job or moving on to a new job. the closest we get to anyone going “fuck this, i’m quitting and going to hang out on the beach” is wags’s plan to Maybe go down to miami for unspecified purposes.

So much for my theory that Dr. Mayer was secretly working with either Axe or Prince. But I agree she’d make a great Wendy replacement at Axe Global.

i would be shocked if she even accepted the offer to work there. after all that about wendy keeping her patients imprisoned on a hamster wheel, why would dr. mayer take up that baton? and how many of the axe globetrotters who’d had her as a therapist and been dumped by her in favor of wendy would want to let her back in?

Fan Fun with Damian Lewis (Damianista): Billions on Showtime, Season 7 Episode 12: Admiral’s Fund (Series Finale)

We now go back to eight weeks ago: Kate invites Wags to a meeting after their elevator talk in Episode 6 The Man in the Olive Drab Tshirt. Wags arrives at his favorite burger place Joe Junior with a big appetite but loses it as soon as he sees Wendy there also waiting for Kate! And Taylor joining them in a few minutes means they have been busted. However, thanks to Wendy’s super human persuasive powers, Kate decides to put her country before her personal interests and joins them.

wendy’s superhuman persuasive powers that we had to imagine for ourselves since the writers didn’t show us one word of sacker Actually Being Convinced to join team kill prince! for some reason!

And, lo and behold, Philip is in! Wendy just makes sure that the two of them have a meeting in Wendy’s office in which Philip openly says he would not participate in whatever Wendy, Taylor and Wags are plotting against Prince and so Prince keeps him close.

correction: philip says he won’t participate in “Whatever [Wendy], and Taylor, and I don’t know who else are thinking about doing” — no mention of wags, likely because there’s no plausible way for philip to have theoretically sussed out wags’s involvement on his own, and mentioning him would give away too much. (i still wish we’d revisited the waiver that philip allegedly signed, whether or not it was real.)

Remember Season 4 Episode 12 Extreme Sandbox where Axe sends Rebecca on a retreat with Wendy and destroys her business while she is off the grid? And now the rebels are doing the exact same thing with Prince.

well that’s also tied to prince and scooter going off the grid earlier this season at the killer mike listening party. which is how wags and then philip acquired the signoff power that’s central to destroying prince's billions while he’s off the grid again. bit more relevant.

As MPC is taking major hits, Philip says that their “the infant car seat of algos” will protect them.

while you were studying the blade i studied ISOFIX so i could make you the very best infant car seat in the world <3

And the two of them, finding their way back to who they were when they first met, make Bryan’s dream come true and have his law license reinstated. I remember that Orrin Bach is Bryan’s professor from law school and, who knows, his law firm may have a spot for him!

not sure if it’s “his” law firm now that bach is officially axe’s general counsel, but hey, maybe!

When Prince gets into the office yelling at Peach to find Wendy fucking Rhoades for him, he realizes that she is actually here. And he grabs a printer and throws it through Wendy’s glass walls!

yes! it was a printer!

Remember that Prince had Winston change the algorithm parameters in Episode 11: Axe Global to reduce profit temporarily as an objective to protect the downside.

sacker had winston do that, actually, though on prince’s orders. seems like a relevant distinction knowing that sacker was on team kill prince at the time.

Prince finds his way to see the one man whom he still trusts. I admit I was wrong about Scooter. I think I have read too much into the “Murder on the Orient Express” reference that Wendy made to Wags in Episode 4 Hurricane Rosie.

YA THINK?

That is why I firmly believed that Scooter would join the rebels, but he did not. He was loyal to the end but now he wants to go find his own way. And when Prince insists that their mission was righteous and they just hit a snag, Scooter has a few words to say: “I can’t say I committed blindly to it but I was blinded along the way by my sense of fealty. Loyalty to you.” So he knew there was nothing righteous about the mission. He was just loyal.

billions characters (and writers. and actors.) love to emphasize Loyalty as one of the highest possible virtues, and billions fans love to go right along with that in their assessment of who is or isn’t Worthy. this is a great illustration of why i disagree. what’s admirable or virtuous about loyalty to a bad actor or a bad cause?

And here is the dozen I believe that have actively participated in taking down Prince! [PHOTO GRID: Taylor, Chuck, Wendy, Axe; Wags, Dunlop, Philip, Sacker; Dave, Mafee, Ira, Senior]

once again you are reading too much into the Murder on the Orient Express reference and it’s making you forget, or leave out, people who actively participated in taking down prince! allerd! hall! derek! bach didn’t do much but he was at the team kill prince extended edition meeting at chuck’s house in 7x11! winston didn’t deliberately participate but his work was crucial to taking down prince!

So the plan is to siphon the employee money into the Admirals Fund and buy the natural gas stocks when the price hits the bottom. I believe this is the algo that Taylor works on when Axe enters their office and tells “the kid” to work with him going forward.

no, that was winston’s risk management algorithm that was reworked to put prince’s money at risk. moving employee money to the admirals fund was mafee’s job. see, right after the news about collusion in natural gas starts hitting:

TAYLOR: The account’s available to you. You poised and ready for when it’s time? MAFEE: Hell yes, I’m ready.

and this is shortly after spyros confronts philip over a long-dormant account that mysteriously contains cash.

With the Admirals Fund play, Taylor has probably exceeded their $1B target so they are determined to leave the world of finance to go into philanthropy. So putting aside his dream of “you and me, together again, kid” and, as a last act of charity, offers his protege the Axe Global HQ in the city. When Taylor arrives there they find “Taylor Mason Foundation” written over itAxe and Wendy has been the most intriguing relationship in Billions. I know that a lot of fans wanted them to get together as a couple, and they were close in Season 5. But I have always admired their deep friendship and written a 10-part series on their relationship – go figure!

i copied and pasted this paragraph exactly as it appears in damianista’s review. she started talking about axe & wendy quite literally in the middle of discussing taylor’s ending. great work. now everyone brace yourselves for a terrible sentence written about this show that isn’t about rian, amazingly.

I believe that a man and a woman can have a relationship based on care and trust without any sexy time.

straight people are really something.

Dr. Mayer. I was wrong about her. I thought she was sharing information with Scooter. And I also thought Rian would use the fingerprints she collected from Prince somehow. Billions has made me such a cynical person! 😀

once again: skill issue. there were no fingerprints!!!

While I am happy to report that the final season has granted almost all of my expectations, wishes, and fantasies, the scene that makes me the happiest is to see Wendy and Chuck say these words: WENDY: I hoped you’d be here. CHUCK: I’m always here. As they have a family dinner at the Hibachi complete with Bryan’s show their smiles are genuine. These two belong together.

can anyone out there conceive of the most important relationships in wendy’s life not being with chuck and axe? or any other shitty men? hello? it’s so dark in here

Entertainment Weekly: Billions recap

yet again no entertainment weekly recap. anticlimactic!

Fan Fun with Damian Lewis (Gingersnap): The Unbeatable, Unstoppable, Unparalleled MVPs from Billions Season 7 Episode 12 Series Finale, “Admirals Fund”

Gingersnap Honoring Our Fathers Award – I don’t know whether to bequeath this to Charles Koppelman in memoriam, Brian Koppelman the writer/showrunner, Jeffrey DeMunn and Paul Giamatti the actors, Charles Sr. the character, or all of the above. It is not lost on me that the scene between Chuck Rhoades (Giamatti) and his father Charles Sr. (DeMunn) could be a nod/final send off – a hug to and from the beyond, so to speak – from Brian Koppelman to his father Charles Koppelman whom he lost in November, 2022.

please don’t besmirch brian’s dead father’s memory by comparing him to chuck senior. (according to brian, people often assume chuck senior was based on his father. he was not. but brian did put one (1) thing his father had said about him into chuck senior’s dialogue.)

Breaking the Fourth Wall Kudos – Wags when he seemingly sent a good-bye message to us, the viewers, but said it to Prince: “Hey man, endings are tough. Someone always ends up unsatisfied.” This one, however, wasn’t tough; this viewer is satisfied.” I’d almost bet a billion dollars the writers and showrunners were telling us fans and Billions‘ Obsessives good-bye through Wags.

they absolutely were.

Terrific Tune – Take the Money and Run by Steve Miller Band.

cosigned!

The Heinz Ketchup Walk of Shame Honor – Prince for throwing a printer through the glass walls of Wendy’s office after learning she and The Avengers have wiped out the company portfolio, locked him out of his company account and sealed the fate of his presidential run.

yes! it was a printer! (the ketchup thing is explained by the rest of the paragraph, but i don’t care enough to copy and paste it.)

The Sopranos Finale Kindred Award – This award goes to the Billions writers and showrunners for the final scene where Wendy, Chuck and their children enjoy a meal together, along with hibachi chef Bryan Connerty. Fade to black. This gave me all the feels of the The Sopranos final scene of the series where Tony, Carmela and their children enjoy onion rings together at the New Jersey diner. Albeit, no mafia hits.

just like the sopranos finale without the deliberately escalating tension or the abrupt cut to black or the implied mafia hit! so, people in a restaurant! groundbreaking!

Damianista […] Dangerous Dozen – The Revolutionaries [PHOTO GRID: Taylor, Chuck, Wendy, Axe; Wags, Dunlop, Philip, Sacker; Dave, Mafee, Ira, Senior] These men and women have actively participated in the successful revolution against Mike Prince, beating him at his own game, collectively impoverishing him and finishing his presidential campaign. I do not think anyone in their right mind wants to mess with any of them.

hey, could you say that first part again?

These men and women

and remind me who that first picture is of?

[PHOTO GRID: Taylor,

🤔🤔🤔

The Ship – Chuck and Wendy No other words needed. These two belong together.

[EXTREMELY LOUD INCORRECT BUZZER]

Lady Trader The Great Nephew Award – I think Scooter will certainly make sure that Philip gets an extra piece of pie at the next holiday get together! Philip making sure Scooter’s account was out of the fray and kept whole shows that sometimes blood is truly thicker than water.

the BEST nephew!!!

TheTailThatWagsTheDog Most Poignant Wendy-Chuck Connection? – The very first “Previously on Billions” intro was spoken by Maggie Siff in season 1, episode 2 (they obviously wouldn’t need it for the pilot). For the final episode, it was spoken by Paul Giamatti. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if that was done purposefully.

incorrect! the first “previously on billions” was spoken by lara! i double-checked just to be sure!

Time Travel Award – To Spyros, who apparently went from Manhattan to Camp David to confront the Marines and try and warn Prince and then got back to Manhattan all in the course of an afternoon. It’s 240 miles one way – even if he had Prince’s helo he couldn’t have done that in time.

the antics of the episode spanned several hours. spyros left mpc in the morning, while prince & co were still At camp david and oblivious to team kill prince’s scheming. chuck’s press conference probably happened around 1:00, since the stock prices of the companies under investigation rebounded shortly after that time, and that was after prince & co had to travel all the way back from camp david. spyros then returns right around the time axe tells everyone about the admirals fund and philip turns the tv to cnbc’s closing bell, which airs from 3:00 to 4:00 on weekdays. a cursory google for “how fast does a helicopter go” gives a range of answers that, for civilian helicopters, roughly center on 150 mph. if spyros had managed to secure a helicopter, he could have traveled the 240 miles there and back (so, 480 miles total) in 3.2 hours. up it to 3.5 hours to account for driving at both ends of the journey and getting beaten up by marines, and that’s still doable in my opinion.

Best Film Homage – I know our fearless leader Bahar likens the plot of this season to Murder on the Orient Express since Wendy references that film early in the season, but I wonder if it might also relate to other, “gather the troops to thwart a common foe” film like The Sting or Oceans 11. I could definitely see Koppelman being a fan of, and inspired by, The Sting. I half expected to see Chuck and Bobby do a little nose swipe at the end.

[brian koppelman tiktok voice] no, not Ocean’s Eleven, dude. Levien and I made the movie Ocean’s Thirteen with Steven Soderbergh.

Best Sci-Fi Reference – Taylor with the mind-meld comment to Bobby. You would figure they would be a trekkie. I assume Taylor is Spock in this case and Bobby is James Tiberius Kirk.

you don’t understand spock or kirk or vulcan mind melds and should never speak about any of them ever again.

Fan Fun with Damian Lewis (Lady Trader): “From the Trader’s Desk” All’s Well that Ends Well Billions S7E12 “Admirals Fund”

I was so happy that the show got back to it’s roots and the demise of Prince was financial and trading in nature. The series went in a political direction this season with Prince running for President, and it really wasn’t my cup of tea.

heaven forbid the show about power politics in new york get political! (frankly i wish it had gone harder on that. show us one specific policy prince wants to implement! one plank of his political platform! any part of his recurring televised speeches that isn’t just Both Parties Are Bad For Unspecified Reasons! show us a prospective prince voter and tell us why they’re voting for him!)

Kate joining the conspiracy was key. Once she was on board, she was able to let Wendy, Taylor and Wags know about the video taping Prince was doing in the office.

another thing that was implied that i wish we’d actually seen!

Mafee is ready to buy the names at the bottom, because he knows that Chuck will hold a press conference to tell the world that there is no collusion, and the stories were just rumors. Those nat gas names will take off and Axe Global will make billions. As an aside, if I had been in on the plan, I would have shorted the names before the open, cover them before Chuck’s press conference, then buy them up at the lows of the day. That way you would be making money both on the downturn and the upswing.

i would think shorting the names beforehand would open you up to allegations of insider trading, but i’m not sure how much that matters when the outcome here is already “sure there were a bunch of crimes involved in taking prince down but what’s he gonna do, sue everyone? with what money and what lawyers?”

Because Kate had Winston recalibrate the risk management of his algorithm to focus away from profit, the algorithm most likely stopped the accounts from closing the position earlier. In my strategies, I have hard stopped built into the trades. For example, if I have a position that takes a loss of 8%, it closes the position, no questions asked. It protects me from scenarios like what was going on at MPC. However, I also have a way of manually closing positions if I see a news/event that would cause a sharp decline in my position. Something Bill and Victor would have definitely done once they saw the stories around the sector. As active managers they see things that quantitative algorithms don’t see.

the algorithm did that because taylor actively reworked it to make damaging decisions, not just because Algorithms Are Insufficient.

I really loved the callbacks to earlier seasons/episodes. Whether it was Axe jumping on the desk, his wearing a Metallica t-shirt, the Talyor Mason logo, or just the whole “caper” feel to the episode, I enjoyed the nostalgia!

talyor mason. sigh.

This season Taylor has talked several times about just wanting to keep making money and keep building their reputation. That Taylor would have jumped at the chance to do amazing and vicious things with Axe at Axe Global. But Taylor must certainly remember the last time they worked with/for Axe, and not with the fondest of memories. There was a reason Taylor stole Axe’s clients (and $3.5B of possible client funds) in Season 3. They both know that things start off well between them, then take a turn for the worst (which is usually Axe’s fault). They both have changed, but not enough to make it work. Taylor has always wanted to make money and do good. Axe just wants to make money. They both realize it, and I don’t think it was a surprise to Axe that Taylor wants to do their own thing. Why else would the Taylor Mason Foundation sign already be up at the old Axe Global offices? Axe knows people, and he didn’t have to mind-meld with Taylor, who I’ve compared to Mr. Spock many times, to know that was the path Taylor would take.

again: you don’t understand spock or kirk or vulcan mind melds and should never speak about any of them ever again.

Axe will always be my spirit animal,

don’t say that again either.

but the character of Taylor will always be the one I want to have on my team. I will really miss them.

i’ll hand it to you. once.

#billions #7x12 #review roundup

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joons · 2 years ago

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What's your opinion on each beach boy individually?

I adore this question, thank you.

Brian Wilson: My forever boy. Talented, funny, adorable, strong. When I was first getting into the Beach Boys, I was just mainlining Brian interviews and sobbing because of how much I related to him, and he made me feel like I could get through just about anything. His entire story, his outlook, is about finding joy in the simplest things in the darkest times. It's such a beautiful thing to see reflected in someone. I got to see him live a few years ago, and it was overwhelming to be in the same room with him and see so many people just thanking him for his music. I love how unapologetic he is about what he loves and how he expresses it. He puts so much of himself out there in his music that it just reaches through and grabs hold of your heart. It's unmistakably him, from the plaintive loneliness in Pet Sounds to the cheeky weirdness of Love You, because music was always his safe space and the best way he could express himself without anything between you and him. He brings me such joy.

Carl Wilson: An angel. Sweetest boy, sweetest voice, grew into a whole hottie. I feel like I am very close to him as well, we are both kind of conflict-averse and quiet leader types. His voice is magic, and I love the more R&B influence he brings to songs. Wild Honey is one of my favorite albums, and I feel like it has so much of him in it. He is so gentle in life but fiery in the studio, I don't know. I'm always so happy listening to him.

Dennis Wilson: Dennis' songwriting is so impressive to me, there's so much soul and emotion in his voice, and I love the rawness of his vocals paired with the lush, classical beauty of his instrumentation. He went through so much, and I wish he could have gotten more help and time to heal. All the Wilson brothers just break my heart. They deserved the world. (I forgot to say I got to sit in one of his cars at a museum! <3)

Al Jardine: Such a cinnamon roll. I trust him wholeheartedly, like, if Al isn't on your side or doesn't like you, then I don't like you either. He's so supportive and kind and it means so much to me that he and Brian are still so close.

Mike Love: So annoying and frustrating that it almost feels like parody. Every time I come around to him, I find out something else about him that sends me through the roof again! He just should not be around sensitive people, he is hazardous to their health, and sometimes he says things that I just--!!! Despite all that, I love his voice and "Big Sur" and I have an ironic love for how much he tries to shoehorn Transcendental Meditation into everything. Respect the grift! Also "Student Demonstration Time" slaps, I don't care!!!!!!

Bruce Johnston: He's fine. Some of his songs are almost too sweet for me. Points lost for touring with Mike.

David Marks: He got totally shafted early on and led a very hard life, but he is talented and a real sweetheart.

Blondie Chaplin: Such a fun guy! Points gained for touring with Brian.

Ricky Fataar: Really don't know anything about him, sorry. I have just recently gotten to listen to the albums he is on, so I don't know much.

John Stamos: Literally, why are you here. Go away.

#messages #Anonymous #the beach boys

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purpleshadow-star · 2 years ago

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Choose

TWs: Major character death, check tags for other triggers (because they're spoilers so I didn't wanna give it away up here, but I also didn't wanna leave it untagged. If there are things that you know trigger you, PLEASE check the tags. If not, happy(?) reading)

Also on Ao3!

Alright ~enjoy~

"It's your choice."

Will stares at Henry, horror in his eyes. Henry has Mike kneeling on the ground in front of him, bound up to his mouth tightly by vines. El is slumped on the ground next to him, also wrapped in vines, but unconscious. Behind them is a gaping, glowing pit.

"One must go." Henry continues. "In order to save your precious town, in order to close the gates, one life must go into the pit. Now, choose. Who will it be?"

Will looks between Mike and El. Henry is telling him to choose one of them. He's telling him to choose one of them to kill.

Will shakes his head.

"Why?" He asks, voice cracking. "Why are you doing this?"

Henry just looks at him. "Choose," he repeats, "before I throw them both in."

This is their last chance. A last-ditch mission into the Upside Down, which failed spectacularly. Everyone else is tied up around him in a similar fashion as Mike, forced to watch helplessly.

They were almost successful. They found the answer to pushing this other dimension out of their own, but Henry found them. He found them and defeated them, but he's injured. He knows he won't survive much longer, and he's making sure to ruin Will's life that much more before he dies.

Will, the only one unbound, walks up to the pit, looking down to gauge the depth, the likelihood of survival. It's endless. All he sees is a bright red-orange glow coming from the bottom, no ground in sight. There's no telling what's at the bottom.

"So," Will turns back to Henry, who is watching him patiently, "so if someone goes down there, that's it? This dimension is closed off forever?"

Henry nods. "There will be just enough time for you and your remaining friends to leave, but once a life goes in, this dimension dies, me along with it."

"Why are you telling us this?" Will asks, suspicious. "Why, if you know you'll die? Why help us?"

"Is it helping? I will die either way. Now, I can ensure that my passing leaves a permanent mark on Eleven’s life. Either she dies, or her friend does. Or maybe they both do. Either way, it will be your fault."

"Why me?" Will questions, desperate to keep him talking, to stall for more time, and also out of morbid curiosity. This man, if he can still be called a man, has ruined Will's life over and over again. He thinks he deserves to know why.

"You are her brother." Henry says simply. "She trusts you. Will she, after this? If she is still alive? Will anyone trust you after this?"

Will looks between Mike and El and thinks. One way or another, he has a choice to make. He can't let them both die, no matter what, so he needs to choose.

He looks at Mike, his best friend. Mike, a natural born leader. Mike, a boy he has loved for as long as he's known what love was, maybe even longer.

Will looks at El, his sister. El, a certified superhero. El, who came into their lives and brought monsters and alternate dimensions with her, but who also brought love and joy and light and who helped bring their little family together.

He thinks of the future. This might not be the end. Who knows what else is out there in the world? His friends and family will need protection only El can provide. They'll need leadership and ideas only Mike can give.

Will thinks of Nancy and Hopper. Will thinks of the family waiting at home for Mike. He thinks of his family, El's family, with them right now, watching.

It's an impossible decision, but one he has to make. Will thinks not about who he wants to save, but about who will be needed in the future. He thinks about who has the most ahead of them in life. He thinks about who deserves to live more.

He makes his decision.

"Okay." He says, softly.

Will turns and looks at his family, his friends, spread out and bound to the ground before him, watching with tears and fear in their eyes. He turns and looks at Mike. He looks at El. Tears spring to his eyes.

"I'm sorry." He whispers.

He looks up at Henry.

"Once I choose, you'll let everyone go?"

"Once one of them goes in, I will be powerless. Nothing will be keeping them here." Henry confirms.

Will nods. "Okay then. This is my choice." One last time, he looks at Mike. He looks at El.

Then, he turns and jumps into the pit.

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briamichellewrites · 1 year ago

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Jon spoke to his band members about the situation with Richie. They agreed to meet him at his place to talk more about it. Addiction was one thing. Sexual assault was another. They gathered in his backyard studio. He looked like he was stressed out and struggling with his emotions. How was his girlfriend? What was her name? Bria. She was doing better. Her suicide attempt had been impulsive. She was going to be discharged the following day because they could only hold her for seventy-two hours.

She was cooperating with the staff and her treatment. Her friend, Mike was checking in and visiting her. They were relieved to hear she was doing better. That brought the discussion to Richie. He gave them all the information he had. Richie manipulated her into sleeping with him. He admitted to having done it to hurt him, though he didn’t know it was assault.

Legally, she couldn’t press charges. He didn’t think she would want that, anyway. Why? Because she wouldn’t want it to affect them. Bradley hadn’t heard from Bria in twenty-four hours. He suspected she was going through an episode, so he called Mike. When he heard she was in the hospital, he asked what happened. She tried taking her own life. He fell to the floor, as he tried to comprehend what he just told him. Was she okay? Thankfully, yes.

A staff member caught her with a handful of pills. She stopped her right before she could put them in her mouth. It was a struggle but she was able to grab them from her hand. Her attempt was impulsive. Thank god! Could he see her?

Bria was told she had a visitor, so she got up from where she was working on a puzzle. She followed the staff member out into the visitor’s area and saw Bradley. He hugged her tightly. They then sat down at a table. He took her hand and kissed it. How was she doing? She was okay. Did Mike tell him what happened? He confirmed he had, though he didn’t tell him why.

Did something happen or was she having a hard time with her sobriety? No, something happened. She told him about Richie and what happened when she went over to his place. He was upset, but not with her. It wasn’t her fault. That’s what she had been told. It was true. Why didn’t she believe him?

“Because I’m not used to being treated like this. I get so used to people hurting me that being treated well feels weird. Like I don’t deserve it.”

“You deserve all the happiness in the world. The only person who doesn’t see that is you. I love you. Your friends love you. We see the woman you are.”

“I thought you were only going to be a hundred-dollar date. I’m glad I was wrong.”

He laughed. It was more than worth a hundred dollars. The following day, she was visiting with Mike in her apartment. He could tell something was bothering her, so he asked what it was. Could she tell him the truth? He got a little nervous because he wondered what she had lied to him about. Yes, she could. She was in love with him and always had been.

That was not what he was expecting. Why didn’t she say anything? Because she was afraid of being in a relationship with him. She didn’t want to mess things up by dating him. After getting up, she went to her desk and grabbed the letter she had written him. She sat back down and read it out loud to him. Every word was written with sincerity. He could feel every emotion. When she was finished, he took her hands into his making her look at him.

“Thank you. I never wanted you to feel like you have to choose me. You are not hurting me by not wanting to be in a relationship with me. I promise. The only thing I have ever wanted was for you to be happy. Love is complicated. You’re still learning how to love and be loved. The past thirteen years have been the best years of my life. You have taught me how to find joy in the smallest things. One of the greatest moments has been watching you grow into the woman you are. Nothing can change our friendship and I don’t want it to. Please don’t feel guilty because I’m not in pain. There are guys out there who will love you like I love you and I don’t want you to miss out on them.”

Thank you. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her in. You’re welcome. He kissed her forehead. She looked up at him. Was he okay? Yes, he was able to put his happiness aside for hers. He joined her for her therapy session. They talked about her suicide attempt and everything they had been working on since she moved in.

Her attempt had been impulsive. She didn’t want to die anymore. In the moment, she thought she did. She was angry and she felt disgusted by what Richie had done to her. Did Mike know about that? He confirmed he did. It wasn’t the first time she had been taken advantage of by men. The first time was when she was sixteen years old. She had met a much older guy and he showed interest in her. They started secretly dating. Until she discovered he was engaged to another woman.

She confronted him about it. They were kissing and touching each other. That led to them sleeping together. How old was he? He was in his thirties. They had an on-and-off sexual relationship since. Did she know that was rape? Yes, she did. Though, she never called it that. Who did she have as parental figures growing up? Nobody. She was born in the foster care system.

She became emancipated from the system when she was sixteen. So, she had always had to rely upon herself. She didn’t know what a family was until she met her friends and she was still learning how to be loved. What happened to her parents?

“I’m the product of childhood sexual abuse. My father is in prison for possession of illegal photographs of children, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and sexual assault of a minor. He gave my mother drugs and abused her until she became pregnant with me at sixteen. She surrendered me after birth and then disappeared. I found out that she died from a heroin overdose.”

She had her mother’s trauma. The therapist was used to hearing about all kinds of abuse from her patients. Every time, it broke her heart. Bria was no exception. She wasn’t abused, but her mother was. Did she ever get help?

She went into rehab after finding out she was pregnant, so she could stay off of drugs. What was her addiction? She was an alcoholic for five years. It was a miracle she was still alive and she still had all of her organs. Did she have any children? No, just two demanding cats. They laughed. What were their names? Cookies and Cream.

She had a third cat named, Bon Jovi but she died a few years ago from leukemia. That was extremely heartbreaking because her cats were like her children. They were assholes sometimes, especially about food and attention. But that’s why she loved them. How long has she and Mike been friends? They looked at each other. Thirteen years. He knew her better than anyone. That made him laugh. Yes, she was his best friend.

“It’s funny because when I was in rehab, I kept talking about him in therapy. Then he visited me and I introduced him to the therapist. She was like ‘You’re Mike! Bria has told me all about you!’”

They laughed. Yeah, he remembered that. Their friendship had its ups and downs, but they always managed to come back together. He taught her what being a friend meant and he was teaching her about love. They would be friends until they were old and in nursing homes. He would always remember her and the lessons he taught her about resilience and never giving up.

@zoeykaytesmom @feelingsofaithless @alina-dixon @fiickle-nia @boricuacherry-blog

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butterflysonnets · 7 months ago

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personally, i’m pretty ambivalent when it comes to whether or not i think byler is endgame. i believe it could go either way. i think narratively it would be most satisfying and that the set up is there if the writers want to take it that direction, but i'm still a bit uncertain that they want to take it that direction, especially regarding mike. it's totally reasonable for you to have doubt and be reserved about getting your hopes up, as you say.

that said, you lost me at "[we] should be taking the wins." first of all, who's to say what other people should or shouldn't be doing lol. second of all, there aren't many wins here thus far other than yeah, there're some queer characters. but i don’t think it’s fair to say people should just be satisfied with lonely, pining, heartbroken will byers, just because he’s queer and at least we're getting an explicitly queer main character. it’s not enough that he’s an explicitly queer main character in a mainstream show for me. lgbtq+ people have witnessed and lived enough storylines where we are sad, othered, falling in love with straight people who will never love us back, and frankly i’m sick of it. i don't want to settle for just having gay characters present, only to have them be constantly miserable. where's the queer joy? if we keep accepting the bare minimum, we'll only ever keep getting the bare minimum.

was being gay in the 80s suburban america hard? undoubtedly. but stranger things is a fantasy show. there's no reason not to root for a happy love story for our queer main character, when we don't always get to see them. so many queer romances in mainstream media are shrouded in tragedy. in a fantasy world, why not try for something else? why not show queer teens watching that a happy life and beautiful love is possible for them? we've seen will's struggle with being a closeted gay teenager in the 80s, having feelings for his best friend who is dating someone, and being shunned for being different — we got 4 seasons of that experience. in season 5, let's see him develop confidence. let's see him stand up to his demons, both literally and figuratively. let's see him get the love story he deserves. i like to think the creators/writers want that for their beloved character, too.

as for mike, he reminds me so much of myself as a closeted and deeply repressed bisexual struggling with my feelings, living in a place that didn't really accept it, trying so hard to "be normal" but having the cracks show. i'm not the only person who sees themselves in mike. i would love to see a character like him — like me — have a journey to acceptance, authenticity, self-understanding, and joy. it took me until i was 22 to get there for myself because there was hardly any genuine representation in mainstream media. all i saw was gimmicky bisexuality, erasure, and angst. i thought that's all there was for me. i don't want other young people being constantly shown the same story that i was.

as i said, i'm still unsure about whether or not they'll actually take the time to do it (and if they do, if they do it justice) just as you are, but hey... that ending's what i'm rooting for and speaking on behalf of, whether or not i think it'll actually come to fruition. i'll still speak about it and work to show people that it's valid to see that and want that. people already invalidate queer stories and happiness all on their own — i'm not about to do it for them.

if shippers get their hopes up, then they do. that's on them. shipping has been like this forever! but why not talk about those hopes? why not root for them to be canon, and show the world that we want to see stories like that? at the very least, people can find community, support, and likeness within it. it's not all for nothing to hope and be vocal about it. as silly as it seems, it does help influence change and build a better future.

as badly as i want for byler to happen i just don’t see the writers actually taking time to give mike a queer storyline in season five. and seeing some of the byler proofs on here just makes me sad because you are getting your hopes up so much and being so sure of this and you’ll only be disappointed if mike and will didn’t get together when you should be instead taking the wins of having such a main stream show having its main character be queer and having a storyline about that. queer stories are not only important when they involve couples that you can obsess over.

#you're valid op i hope you don't feel a bad way because of anything i said!!! i respect your opinion. just wanted to share some thoughts :)#most of my posts about byler are for fun but hey... i'm still hopeful for some queer joy in my stranger things s5 watchparty!#we'll see how it pans out #until then i'll stay on my bullshit with y'all hahahaha we're here we're queer and we're having a great time #byler #long post

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wayward-sherlock · 2 years ago

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feeling weirdl random splurt of love and happiness rn and decided to share the feeling

Wayli you are super awesome and talented and I'm honored to be your mutual! I remember losing my absolute mind when you first followed me back, and every interaction since has brought me joy

-Mike/Zap <3

hi sorry i didn’t reply to this earlier!!

zap you deserve all the love and happiness in the world <3

awww :3 you’re so sweet!! i’m honored to be your mutual, and i’m glad that we’ve grown to be such great friends :) you’re wonderful and amazing and i’m giving you the biggest hug <3

#asks #💌#zap!🤩💕#🫧🪴

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clericbyers · 3 years ago

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mike asks, “why didn’t you write?” but communication is a two-way street so “because you never did,�� feels like an answer well deserved. there is quiet for a moment in the space between their bodies. the world continues spinning. laughter carries through the park and the sounds of wheels on hardwood flooring and childish laughter echo through the building. silence simmers between their mouths, seeps deep into the pores of their skin as what is one to reply with concerning such an accusation? a truthful one but painful all the more for the recognition.

still, the world is spinning and time continues onward. nothingness has no right between them. neither does awkwardness or discomfort—what is there to be discomforted by when reunited once more? yet escape is quickly hinted at by a glance beyond the plastic barrier toward the skaters on the rink. she skates by laughing, joy lighting up her face in ways so rare on the best of days. a glance back across the table shows him smiling as his eyes follow her blazing trail, hypnotized by her mere presence. or no, simply her happiness. it is addicting, seeing her enjoying herself in ways she never could in hawkins.

if only mike could see that such happiness could be his if he let himself have it. he doesn’t have that despite this trip across the country. even when he twines his fingers with hers and shares a vanilla shake and laughs as if everything is alright when the seams are unraveling at all the edges. happiness could be his by reaching out a hand in the space between their bodies—so silent and charged and nothingness and everything—arm long enough to extended past half the table, leaving an opening for another hand to join it. side by side of course and never touching as is wont for people like them when under the public eye. but instead he sits on the other side of the barrier, settled in awkward tension wishing for something to give but unwilling to put down enough weight in action for it to give, which means it’s up to will now.

but perhaps such a public venue is not the location for tearing open one’s chest and passing the remains of a battered heart into the hands of a boy already known for breaking it.

yet.

it is tempting.

if just to no longer feel the way said heart slams against love-bruised ribs whenever will spills from between those lips.

#yams writes #byler #don’t look at me the roller skating rink photos set me off…#st4 #st4 spoilers

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its-deputy-caleb · 3 years ago

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Hey hey!!

I pretty sure you know what I'm here for, so I'll give two options, that way there is no pressure and you can choose whichever you feel in the mood for!!

Soft Micah, where he's drunk and feeling insecure and tells the reader why he loves them and how much they mean to him, ending with the reader being the big spoon and cuddling the rat man as he cries himself to sleep.

Soft Sadie, where she confides in the reader about when she first joined the gang, how she felt when her husband was murdered, and how she never thought she'd find love again until she met the reader.

No pressure to do either! I will leave it in your talented and capable hands.

Don't forget how amazing you are and how much joy you bring with your writing.

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

sksksks you know i'm gonna do both bc i love both these asks and soft clingy micah is my literal favourite. this is a total unedited mess but its my total unedited mess and i'm just the biggest sucker for making him all mushy so pls enjoy whatever the hell this is <3333.

(ill do the sadie ask in a different post and put the link here!)

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

Today was particularly strange, not because anything extraordinary happened but because your sweetheart, Micah, was nowhere to be seen.

Sure he had a tendency to run off on jobs and you couldn’t spend all hours of the day together but it was unlike him to leave you to wake up alone in your shared tent.

All day he’d avoided you. Normally you’d get a coffee and slowly wake up together, planning out your day which usually involved planning your next job together but Micah was no where to be found when you woke up with nothing but blankets around you.

He wasn’t loitering around the outskirts of camp, nor was he by the campfire cleaning his weapons. It was if he well and truly disappeared, but you knew who Micah was and you knew if he didn’t want to be found he wouldn’t be.

With that you left your search, busying yourself with chores and helping around camp and knowing that Micah would make his appearance when he wanted to be found. It was merely a matter of time, nothing more.

The first thing you noticed when you were returning to camp from doing a late night run into town for ammunition was that Baylock had been hitched with the other horses, something that wasn’t there this morning.

Your eyes scanned around camp, noticing instantly that the flaps to your tent were pulled shut which only happened when either of you were in there. You placed down the crate of ammo you were carrying, dusting your hands before walking over and slowly opening the flaps to let yourself inside.

The first thing you noticed was Micah sitting up abruptly with that sounded like a sniffle. He shuffled around, clearly trying to make himself presentable. Slowly, you held your hands out to him, clearly reading the almost heavy feeling to the room.

“Hey now… been looking for you, where’d you go?”

You sit down beside him, keeping your voice soft as if you were calming a spooked horse. You notice amongst the pillows and blankets the empty bottles of whiskey and his green neckerchief which was stained with his tears.

“Oh Mikes, c'mere…”

You wrap your arms around him, hearing a choked sob slip from him as you run your hands through his stringy hair. Your other hand slips under his disheveled and unbuttoned shirt to rub slow circles along his back as he cried into your neck.

Sobs and little whimpers leave him as you hold him, littering soft kisses in his hair and shushing him as best you could.

“It’s alright Micah... I’ve got you now.”

You pull him back slightly, holding his face in your hands as your thumb wiped away his tears that kept falling from his eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere, just let it out sweetheart— I’m here.”

You watched as his bottom lip quivered and other rush of sobs fell from his mouth. He buried his face back into your neck, his arms wrapping tightly around you as if you’d ever let him go.

“You should go somewhere...anywhere but here— don’t know why you put up with an ugly old sod like me. Yer too good for me— deserve someone better— don’t waste yer time with me.”

Micah’s voice cracked at least twice, his words broken up with sobs and cries as he spilled out exactly what had been bothering him all day.

Your heart broke when you heard him, wrapping your arms around his back as you held him flushed against you.

“Hey hey don’t you say that, you are enough for me okay? I love you and there’s no one I love more in this world than I do you.”

Micah shakes his head, burying his face in your shoulder even further as tears soak your shirt.

“Look at me Micah…”

Slowly and reluctantly he pulls away, resting his elbows on either side of your legs as he still attempts to hide in your chest. You brush the hair from his temples that had been stuck down by streaks of tears, gently tucking his hair behind his ears as you waited for him to look at you.

“I want you to know that you’re not a waste of time… every day I get to spend with you makes me happy— you make me happy Micah.”

The look Micah gives you is one of pure hope and adoration. His crisp blue eyes are wide as you speak, the colour deepened from all the redness surrounding them. More stray tears fall from the corners of his eyes although they’re much softer now, his sobbing slowing to something more tame as he listens to your soothing voice.

You lean down, placing a gentle kiss to his lips and you note how he’s obviously chewed at his bottom lip sometime today. Micah practically melts into you, clearly in his softer clingy mood which always followed him whenever he got emotional and insecure.

Sitting up, you trace the scar on his chin as he leans into your hand like a scared little cat caught in the rain.

“And you’re certainly not ugly.”

Micah instantly shakes his head, sitting up and trying to pull himself out of your embrace but you don’t let him get far. You come up behind him and wrap your arms around his tummy, resting your head over his shoulder as you watch him intertwine your hands together.

You kiss his cheek, leaning your head against his as you cuddle him.

“Yes you are— you’re my pretty boy, my sweetheart, my Mikey.”

You can hear him smile although he tries to hide it under his hair that’s flopped in front of his face that also served to hide the blush he had.

For a while you sit together just like that. Micah aimlessly fiddles with your fingers in his lap while you watch from over his shoulder, occasionally leaning down and pressing kisses all over his neck and shoulder.

“Love you too ya’know…ya always know the right things to say and ya always know how to make me feel loved. I’m real lucky to have you— even when I don’t deserve you, I’m a real lucky man indeed.”

Micah practically fidgets with your hands through his whole little confession and you squeeze them to reassure him, something he happily returns with desperate squeezes of his own.

“I love you more than you could kno—“

A yawn cuts through Micah’s words, his exhaustion (and whiskey) finally catching up to him as he leans into your hold. The sound makes you giggle, his yawn always making you smile at just how adorable it was no matter how badly he denied it.

“Common sleepyhead, bet you’re real tired.”

Again he looks at you with those wide hopeful eyes, although this time they’re much more sleepy as you roll him to lie down with you. You shuffled the empty bottles to the corner of the tent, placing his neckerchief beside his hat so the two of you had more room.

“You’ll stay?”

You smile, giving him a soft kiss before draping the blanket over the two of your and spooning up behind him. Usually he’d protest at being the little spoon but not today. Now Micah is nothing short of exhausted and you knew, without him having to say it, that he just needs to be cuddled and littered with affection.

“Course I am, won’t find me anywhere else but right here with you.”

You kiss the back of Micah’s neck before burying your face into his shoulder blades. Your hands ran soothing circles over his tummy and chest, waiting and feeling his breath even out. You didn’t move until you heard his soft snoring, finally allowing yourself to fall asleep too with a smile on your face and your arms wraps protectively around Micah.

Eventually, at some point in the night Micah had rolled to tuck his head in your neck and you woke with a large amount of dribble stuck to your shirt (something that made Micah go the colour of a tomato) but you didn’t mind a bit as long as he knew just how much you loved him.

#soft micah is my FAV #micah bell #micah bell x reader #soft micah hours #soft rat 🥺🥺🥺#micah bell imagine #rdr2 #rdr2 writing #rdr2 headcanons #red dead redemption 2

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