#no one asked for this but here i am

[kijeu]

the 🥟 is 🥟-ing ♡

[voidvale]

Consider: Kevin is a counterpart, not a double.

(Some of this is canon, some not, so play with me in this space)

Canon:

They are both radio hosts and central figures in their respective towns

Cecil/Night Vale are purple-coded, Kevin/Desert Bluffs are yellow-coded. Opposite ends of the color wheel, complementary colors.

Night Vale is very associated with night and the moon, Desert Bluffs/The Smiling God are very much day and sun

Cecil has mommy issues, Kevin has daddy issues

Cecil was prophesized to be a radio host, Kevin is a prophet

Cecil's husband, Carlos, is a scientist, Kevin's partner, Charles, is a theologist

Night Vale won against Strex, the original Desert Bluffs did not

They both suppress their emotions, for different reasons/it looks different (a lot of denial and overriding how they feel)

Stuff about my Cecil and Kevin specifically (non-canon):

Cecil is an octopus, Kevin is a spider (both 8-limbed animals)

Cecil loves hot coffee only and hates iced coffee, Kevin is a coldbrew fan

Cecil's mother severely neglected him, Kevin's father was super controlling

Cecil never knew his father, Kevin never knew his mother

Cecil's is void gender, while Kevin is sun/orange juice gender

Cecil's psychic eye abilities work, Kevin's are severely hindered

It was Cecil's fate to be a radio host, Kevin wanted to be a radio host (because he was inspired by Cecil as a kid 🥺)

I am sure there are many more, but yeah, I think counterpart is a more appropriate word for them :)

[justasmallbloginabigklainefandom]

Guess I'll also rank all the Glee Christmas songs

I blame you, @thnxforknowingme. Although, I will switch it up a bit. First off, I am sober, second off, I am completely fucking ignoring Previously Unaired Christmas' songs (except for one) cause that entire episode is dead to me, and third off, I do want to rank the album ones as well cause I always listen to the albums.

I am also vaguely ranking them on song choice, quality of the performance, and simply whether I like it. This is very unprofessional and biased. It might not make sense.

Let's start with the two separate songs, that fall outside of the ranking.

Hounourable mention: Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah - Glee, Actually

I also think it should kind of be its own thing, since it's not a Christmas song. It is catchy, though, and Puck and Jake sound great together. And it's nice of the show to acknowledge that there are characters who do not celebrate Christmas (looking at you, Rachel!) (I mean, Tina is also canonically Jewish, but she was never positioned as the big Christmas lover, like Rachel).

(Dis?)Honourable mention: Rocking Around the Christmas Tree - Previously Unaired Crisis

Aka, the only PUC song that I willingly listen. It's not the best song, but it is fun enough.

And now, the ranking:

35. River - Extraordinary Merry Christmas

Boring. The only song that is basically an instant skip for me. It isn't even on my Glee Christmas Spotify playlist. I don't know why. It just doesn't do it for me. Even when I first heard it at the episode's FLF, it just felt like a big pot of meh. Add this to a storyline of Rachel just... showing off... and it's not my thing. Like, I know I shouldn't care about the storylines for these episodes, since it's all about album sales at the end of the day, but it doesn't make it any better.

34. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - A Very Glee Christmas (album)

This song is just kind of weird? But it's also just fine. I do like hearing everyone sing on this one. And is this the only time Dianna appears on the album?

33. Merry Christmas, Darling - AVGC

Huh. It almost seems like I have a vendetta against Rachel Christmas ballads. It's just also a bit meh to me and to be honest, I can't take it seriously cause I keep playing the SIMGM Finchel break-up scene in my head while listening to me. ("You said you'd never stop being friends with me!!!!" "I never thought you could make me feel like this." "NOOOOOO-" "Hey, town down the autotune." "Oh. Sorry. Nooooo.")

32. I'll Be Home For Christmas - Glee, Actually (album)

Yeah. My vendetta continues. I actually didn't realise it until this moment. I like it. It's just fine. But that's it. It's just fine.

31. O Christmas Tree - AVGC (album)

Same here. It's just fine. Matt sounds great, but there isn't much to say.

30. Do You Hear What I Hear - EMC (album)

And same here. Look, we've reached the section of "fine, just fine" songs. I am ranking them mostly on how much I like the voices at this point, cause at the end of the day, all are just fine.

29. Blue Christmas - EMC

Also just fine. This does that the benefit of having a touchy storyline attached to it.

28. The First Noel - Glee, Actually

Same here. Fine. Melissa sounds fine.

27. Do They Know It's Christmas - EMC

I am a sucker of group numbers and it sounds great, but yeah, the song itself is kind of questionable. I agree with Jenna that it's very white saviourism. As if people in Africa don't know the concept of Christmas exists.

26. You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch - AVGC

k.d. lang sings this as a special guest and it's never acknowledged it the episode. I don't have much to say, but I just find it genuinely funny and it fits the whole Sue the Grinch vibe.

25. Last Christmas - AVGC

This song fits the storyline but for inside-joke reasons, I cannot take any version of this song seriously. But it sounds nice and Lea and Cory sound great.

24. Joy To The World - Glee, Actually (album)

Another song that's just nice to listen to. It's better than the "just fine" category, but this one (and the next two) are also just in the same category of "I like listening to it, it's good, that's all I gotta say".

23. Little Drummer Boy - AVGC (album)

I just like Kevin's voice.

22. Angels Have We Heard On High - AVGC (album)

And I like Amber's voice the most!

21. The Most Wonderful Day of the Year - AVGC

It's a nice opener. I think from all the openers, it's my least favourite, but it's just fun. I do prefer to listen to the episode version, mainly because I think Dianna sounds great in it. Like, I obviously also love Chris's voice, but Dianna's little additions are adorable.

20. My Favourite Things - EMC

Look, Glee made it a Christmas song, now. It's just very cute.

19. White Christmas - Glee, Actually

Yeah. Here is my big unpopular opinion. White Christmas just feels fine. The main reason it's not lower is because I am a Klainer 12. I think this duet just feels a bit unbalanced, as in, it's mostly Darren, so it's not really a duet. I do like the jazzy sound, but it's just nice.

18. Christmas Eve With You - EMC (album)

Yes, they wrote another original song that year. Honestly, this one is surprisingly good. Can't believe it made me care about Wemma for once, but Matt and Jayma sound really good together.

17. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Glee, Actually

It does work in the story! That's the main reason I like it. It wraps up everything nicely. But apart from that, it's also just nice to listen to. It's really soothing.

16. Welcome Christmas - AVGC

Same for this one. It sounds nice. The chorus is great. That's it. Also, this song isn't on the album!

15. We Need A Little Christmas - AVGC

This one just makes me very happy. I also just dance along like they did in the episode. It is funny to me.

14. O Holy Night - AVGC (album), Swan Song

The triumphant return of the Rachel solo. Questionable storyline aside, I actually think Lea sounds really good here. It feels like this was the emotion she was aiming for with the other ballads. (But also... Rachel, you're Jewish.)

13. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - Glee, Actually (album)

Ah. Cory's solo. After he died, this passed around with people freaking out about a "hidden Cory solo!", but no, it was just always on the album. He sounds really lovely here, together with the chorus in the back.

12. Santa Baby - EMC (album, cut from episode)

Naya sounds great and God, I wish they had kept it in, cause the performance is really well done as well.

11. Jingle Bells - AVGC (album)

Look, this is just a lot of fucking fun. I am a bitch for upbeat songs and this is just a bop. Like, the glee ladies had that dreadful ballad on this album, but the guys got to party.

10. Jingle Bell Rock - Glee, Actually

I just like this song in general and Chord sounds fun. The accompanying storyline was... weird, though, but it's season 4, everything was weird here.

9. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - EMC

Sure. Why not. I like how Cory and Mark sound together and I really like the instrumentals of this song as well.

8. Let It Snow - EMC

This is just a lot of fun. Darren and Chris sound great on it and there's the nice instrumental and it's just jolly! And of course, I am a Klainer 12.

7. Christmas Wrapping - EMC

I unironically adore this song. Like, it objectively isn't the best song, which is partially because Hemo was never the strongest singer in the cast, but for some reason this one is really doing it for me.

6. Feliz Navidad - Glee, Actually

I am a sucker for Kevin's voice. It's weird. I know. But I think you need to see it as an intentional goofy thing. I always want to dance along to this one.

5. Extraordinary Merry Christmas - EMC

I vaguely recall Darren saying he dislikes this song, but I disagree. It's fun, it's upbeat, but it also doesn't sound like some trashy pop Christmas song (in my opinion) and Lea and Darren sound great together.

Now it's getting difficult. These four are just amazing.

4. Silent Night - Glee, Actually (album)

This is my favourite song of this album. I just remember being moved when I first heard it and that feeling has always sticked. I am usually not the person who likes ballads. I like the upbeat stuff more, which might've become apparent in this list, but this one just got me in the feels for some reason.

3. Deck the Rooftop - AVGC (album)

A mash-up! It's just a really good mash-up and it sounds like everyone is having fun while singing it. I think this is my underappreciated gem.

2. All I Want For Christmas - EMC

This song was made for Amber. She sounds so fucking good in it. It's also a great opener (even though we know it was supposed to be the closing number).

Baby, It's Cold Outside - AVGC

Come on. I am a Klainer 12, after all. But I think even without the Klainer aspect, this is just a really good cover, which is probably why stores still play it. And honestly, it's ballsy to have two men sing this universally known love song in 2010. They sound so good together, too.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Hey now, Let her cook!

[kimmkitsuragi]

oh my fucking god i don't have any clothesssss

[forgettable-au]

FORGETTABLE-AU (Page 61-64)

* I-I don't think we were talking about the same thing...

[BEGINNING] [PREVIOUS] [CONTINUE]

[hinamie]

someone asked if i had ever drawn gojo with his scars, now i have :>

[inkskinned]

the problem is that being single is seen as the consolidation prize, and not the natural neutral state of being-a-person. at the end of the movie or the book or the poetry, there is a person waiting for you at the altar, and they love you. if the play is a comedy, everyone gets married. the metaphor is about how you are not-whole. the metaphor is about how everyone is going to be happily-ever-after. the metaphor is that romantic love is the most important resource on the planet, not just all-love. all-love is not a thing, that is a disappointment. the treasure is not the friends we made along the way. the treasure is the girl you landed.

the metaphor is that you cannot be alone, that means you are broken. are you getting over someone? that is acceptable, you can be getting over someone, but not for long. you must be single because you would rather not be single. you must be single and looking to not-be-single. you must want to date, eventually.

friendship and community are never seen as being equal-to or even-better than romantic connection. that person is your one! you need to find them. you need to hunt through the sand particles until you can shift out some kind of gem. this is regardless to your own experience of the beach and the sun. you need to be somewhere with someone.

if you are taking this time alone to heal, that is so sad. everyone gives you this little pitying look. the understanding is that you are not actually happier than you were before you were single. it is seen as a sort of pity - oh, you are choosing yourself, making yourself the priority? - that isn't quite right. you must mean that you are making yourself ready for the right person. you are just laying the bed better this time. open up your heart. you'll find them, we promise!

what do you mean you're really-truly genuinely-very happy? you are probably misremembering what it was like to be in a relationship. and besides, once you meet your person, that time will look grey and bland and wasted. your person is the only way for you to see in color. so what if you have taken this time - for the first time in your entire life - to actually-for-real do the fucking work. you can be proud of yourself, sure. but the way we need to know that you got better is that you get a partner. you're healed enough for the next bad part!

people don't choose to be single, they just say they're choosing to be single - they actually mean "nobody wants to date me." it doesn't matter how many people you have gently rejected or how many times you've talked it over carefully in therapy. what matters is that you are single, and by all accounts - that means you are something worth our pity. your successes and life all seem pale in the sunlight. sure, you have done amazing things and finally found your way in life. what matters is that there wasn't a person in the room with you while you did it.

you want to tell them - that's the whole thing. i didn't know how to be alone in the room. i didn't know how to handle the silence. every moment was so sharp, and i kept choosing the wrong way to close the door. i have spent my entire life in the empty well, living in the ricochet of someone else's cruelty. for once i have built myself a ladder. for once everything i taste is all mine, every bite of sunshine and laughter. i have learned how to sleep out in the open with my memories. recently, they have started to purr.

your father rolls his eyes. listen. this isn't about you. i just want a grandchild in my future.

[originalartblog]

Apparently much-needed reminder that reposting artists' art (by saving the images or screenshotting them and reuploading them yourself) on other platforms without the artists' expressed permission and without credit is theft and an insult to their passion and craft. You are profiting (in views, in attention, in feedback) from someone else's work and ideas, who do not get that feedback for sharing their creation.

If you are an art reposter, you are a thief and I have no respect for you.

[jewfrogs]

this post sucks so bad massachusetts takes its name from the indigenous massachusett people who were genocided and whose land was stolen and that would be obvious if you would think for a single second and look up the etymology before posting. mocking a native language that was eradicated for centuries and is only now beginning to be revived is not fucking funny it is ignorant and racist and cruel

[the-phantom-peach]

can you show us all your link designs you have? Like for each game? (Only if you want to of course) if not, I wanted to ask if you would ever do a Links meet type of au with your link designs? Just curious 👀

Here’s most of the links I have so far! Their designs aren’t incredibly unique or anything, but I I like adding my own spin on pre/post game designs.

Will I ever do a links meet au? Probably not lol. I mean in little scenarios, maybe, but I could never do a full fledged comic or anything. All the works I’ve seen from other artists are so so good but I can never have that kind of commitment so I commend them “OTL Plus my designs aren’t very timeline accurate soooo ^^’

[kimtaegis]

JIN HUGS JIN HUGS! for @jinstronaut ♡

cr. namuspromised, dwellingsouls, 0613data

[djotime-allthetime]

Freaky Redheads

synopsis: interactions between you and fred hechinger at a red carpet event for gladiator ii.

wc: 2.5k+

rpf!!! don't like, don't read!!!

a/n: i love that soft, sweet, adorable man with all of my heart. my inspiration is how fred talks about sherry. the monkey. i'm down bad bro.

italics are supposed to be comments under tiktok clips of these interviews. i definitely have more in mind for these two, but we'll see how this goes. feedback is writer's fuel!

cross posted on AO3

next part>>

The flashing cameras and yelling reporters have started to become the new normal, which was so not normal for you. You couldn't believe how far you'd come.

Granted, your role in the movie was definitely more in the supporting cast territory, but you couldn't deny how massive the production was. But even as a supporting actress, you still had quite a bit of screen time as the unnamed favorite concubine to Emperor Caracalla.

The fans who knew you called out your name from behind the velvet ropes and you smiled and waved as you walked by.

"y/n! y/n! Over here!" A reporter called out. You nodded and smiled as you approached, indicating your acceptance of the carpet-side interview. Your agent had warned you that not every journalist might want to speak with you and that you should accept any interview you came by. Thankfully, as the start of your night would show, that wasn't the case.

"Hello!" You beamed, coming to a stop in front of the camera. The reporter greeted you back and handed you a microphone glued to a mini Romanesque column. "Oh, wow. I love the microphone!"

"Thank you," She smiled. With a quick glance at her blouse, you saw a name tag that said 'MTV UK: Claire'. "It was my idea, actually."

"Incredibly creative! They should give you a raise, Claire."

"If you wouldn't mind saying that directly into the camera..." Claire trailed off with a chuckle and a mischievous glint to her eye.

You shot the camera as serious a look as you could muster. "MTV, if you do not give this woman a raise, I will riot in the streets."

"Alright alright, enough of that." Claire laughed out loud with a few shakes of her head. "You look absolutely stunning!"

"Oh, this old thing?" You smiled bashfully, grabbing at your skirt to twirl it around. The styling department had made sure that all the gowns worn during press had some Roman inspiration behind them. The piece you were wearing was off white in color, representing your character's position in society. Even with your character in mind, your dress was still breathtaking. The gown was composed of yards and yards of fabric, giving it this dreamy, flowy silhouette. The neckline was so beautiful, in the cowl style and draped ever so slightly off your shoulders. To say that you loved it would be an understatement. "Thank you very much, you look amazing yourself."

"But you are on a different level!" Claire gasped, no doubt to return the topic to you. Just like you were media trained, the reporters were too. "What was the thought process behind your look tonight?"

Your eyes lit up as this was something you had wanted to talk about. "Well, the styling department and I actually workshopped this look together. Of course we wanted it to be glamorous, this is the red carpet after all. But we also wanted to show the character through the outfits, you know?" She nodded along.

"Right, your character was quite impactful even with the few lines you had." Claire added, and you smiled in thanks.

"Yeah, thank you." You felt your face heat up at the compliment. "We wanted to still be true to her, under all the glitz and glamour. So that's why we went with the understated color, to not only show her position in society but also her demeanor throughout the film."

"But your jewellery is anything but understated." She laughed.

"Yeah, I couldn't help myself." You laughed with her.

"Give us a quick tour."

You were almost dripping in gold, from your head to your toes. "We've got the hair piece." You brought a hand up to show the gold pins connected with chains littering your up-do. "Earrings upon earrings, all hoops." You pulled a strand back to show off your right ear clearly. Some were clip on earrings as you didn't have quite enough piercings to get them all. "The necklaces, of course. Some bracelets, some rings. But I think this cuff on my upper arm is my favorite."

"And these are all borrowed pieces from different brands?"

"Most of them are, yes." You confirmed with a nod. "But some are from my private collection. And some I might steal." You joked, getting a laugh out of Claire.

"Well, you really knocked it out of the park." Claire smiled, a tone of finality in her voice that showed you the interview was coming to a close. "And before we let you go, we've got one question we're asking everyone tonight. I think we can all agree that the cast of this movie is full of beautiful men." You giggled, a bit surprised at the turn in topic. "But people on the internet have separated them into two categories."

"Oh, have they now?" You asked, unaware of what she was talking about.

"Yes, they have. Gen Z has divided them into the brooding brunets and the freaky redheads." She explained, pulling up two little hand held signs. One with Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal, the brooding brunets, and the other with Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger, the freaky redheads.

You couldn't contain the surprised laugh that escaped you at the sight of their little printed faces. "Oh my goodness!"

"So, as the resident Gen Z-er on the cast, who is your pick?"

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm the only representation of Gen Z here." You mused as you grabbed both the signs from Claire. You lifted up the 'freaky redheads' sign and pointed to Fred. "My friend is right there with me in the Gen Z territory."

"Alright, as the representation of Gen Z women, which team is more your style?" Claire asked as you studied the signs. "People are saying they went into the movie for the brunets and came out converted to team redheads."

"That's actually really funny," You chuckled as you looked down at both signs. "This is hard." You mumbled. A small smirk found itself on your lips as you thought of Fred seeing this clip later. Someone no doubt showing it to him, as he wouldn't find it on his own. "I feel like- yeah." You nodded with determination. "I'm gonna have to go with Fred- I'm going with team freaky redheads." You nodded. "I think it would be treacherous otherwise."

"Good choice. You'd break Emperor Caracalla's heart."

"And then he'd have my head." You laughed, stepping back. "Thank you for your great questions."

"Thank you for your time." Claire waved as you walked away. "We're gonna have a tally going throughout the night, and we'll see who wins. Team brooding brunets, or team freaky redheads." You heard her say to the camera as you moved further down the carpet.

'She looks so pretty!!'

'i love the thought process behind the outfit, you can tell she really loved her character'

'the reporter asked y/n if she prefers lucius and acacius or geta and caracalla and this girl really said FRED 💀'

'i love seeing new faces in hollywood, give young new actors a chance!!' ↳ 'right?? im so sick of them recycling the same actors for every big budget movie'

'she mentioned fred, not caracalla, twice, unprompted. i see you, y/n. you're just like us.' ↳ 'have you seen his interviews? he's literally the cutest i cant blame her 🥺'

A few steps down, another reporter flagged you down. This time, the questions were more centered around the acting itself.

"And was it difficult? In a previous interview, you've said that your character's growth was significant, but she had almost no lines in the movie."

"Yeah, I think in the final cut she only has... three lines?" You winced, looking upwards as you tried to recall what was and wasn't cut. "Though I'm not sure."

"So there were scenes where she could've said more?"

"Oh yeah, for sure! There was a lot of experimentation with my character throughout filming. Ridley's a genius and he was kind enough to truly take in my suggestions. There were times where I felt like she would actually stay quiet during a scene, whereas other times I felt like she would speak up. But yeah," You breathed in and furrowed your brows in thought as you tried to focus your answer back to the original question. "It was definitely a challenge. I had to really work on my micro-expressions. Lots of research, lots of practice. And lots of trust, too. With a character like mine, I really relied on Fr- on my fellow actors in those scenes. So yeah, definitely challenging. But who doesn’t love a good challenge?"

"And did you take any inspiration from other people's work? Any source material that helped you out as you built your character?"

"Of course!" You smiled, a hint of humor in your tone as you thought of your response. "Yeah, I did. Actually, one of the biggest inspirations for my role, believe it or not, was Ferb. From 'Phineas and Ferb'."

"The- The children's show?" The interviewer questioned with a grin.

"Yeah, Ridley thought it was brilliant!" You laughed. "We watched compilations of Ferb scenes on youtube together. And I know that Fred- Fred Hechinger, who plays Emperor Caracalla-, he also brought up Sid Vicious with Ridley, as well as other sources like that. Sir Ridley Scott has great taste, there's no denying that."

'ferb as inspiration for a movie like this,,, gen z in the film industry really are the gift that keeps on giving'

'im just imagining y/n and ridley scott curled up on the couch watching phineas and ferb reruns. that man is 86 years old. this is brilliant.'

'bro didn't even have to say anything and y/n still brought up fred 💀'

'the gen z cast members making ridley scott watch cartoons is sending me'

'not her pretending she didn't mean to say fred when she talked about trust, we all heard you y/n'

Unbeknownst to you, Fred's interviews were going much like yours, only a few feet behind you on the carpet.

"You look amazing today!" Claire, the same reporter you spoke to, told Fred during his first interview on the carpet.

"Thank you, thank you." He replied bashfully as he tried to subtly look around for you, but he couldn't see you just yet. "Everyone looks so great, everyone."

She asked him a few questions and then came time for her ending segment.

"Alright, to close off, we've got a little game here."

"A game?" Fred smiled with raised brows. "I love games." He said softly, not realizing that the microphone would pick it up.

"Yes, a quick one. You just have to choose between team brooding brunets and team freaky redheads. We've asking everyone to join."

"Woah!" Fred exclaimed as he received the signs. "That's me." He pointed out his own face in the picture of him and Joseph. "What are we basing our choice on here?"

"Well, the internet is battling on who is more attractive."

"Oh my god." Fred chortled, not expecting that answer. "Who's played the game?" He asked, still examining the hand held signs.

"As of now, we've spoken to Joseph Quinn, Connie Nielsen, and y/n l/n." Claire recounted.

Fred's eyes lit up and his cheeks reddened at the mention of your name. "And what's the- what's the consensus so far?"

"It's two to one. Can you guess who's in the lead?" Claire asked.

"Let me think... Well, Joseph -my brother-, he definitely voted for us." He pondered aloud as he counted the votes off on his fingers. "Connie... I think Connie went for team brunets. I mean, it's her husband. She's gotta." He grinned when it came to you. "y/n chose me, right? We're in the lead?"

"Yeah, you're right on all counts! You really know your cast members." Claire laughed. "y/n didn't want to anger Emperor Caracalla."

"Oh, she couldn't. I’ve got too much of a soft spot for her." Fred shook his head emphatically.

"So, are you keeping team redheads in the lead? Or will you give us a tie?"

"No, I'm going team redheads!" Fred exclaimed. "I'm not helping out my competition, no way!"

'this man has bewitched me with his beautiful eyes and calming demeanor'

'he always calls joe his brother im CRYINGGG'

'did you see his face when they mention y/n, this man can't hide his crush for the life of him 🥺' ↳ 'neither can she lol'

'what do yall know about fred hechinger 🗣️🗣️🗣️'

'fred immediately knowing that y/n chose him, kill me right now.' ↳ 'mind you the choice was caracalla. she still said 'fred' and he said 'me'. can they be more obvious?'

'the way this man said 'i love games' protect him at all costs'

‘he said ‘i’ve got a soft spot for her’ is this the year of men yearning?’ ↳ ‘it’s just the paul mescal effect’

It was during his next interview that he saw you. He was talking about his experience building the character of Emperor Caracalla with Sir Ridley Scott as well as Joseph Quinn when he finally caught sight of you. You had spent a bit longer with a specific reporter down the carpet, causing Fred to catch up to you. 

“Of course, y/n was a great help as well.” He smiled, reaching over to brush against your elbow to catch your attention. At the perfect time, too, because you had just finished talking to the reporter in front of you.

“Oh, Fred!” You beamed, coming over to give him a hug. 

“Look at you.” Fred spoke against your shoulder. He pulled away from the hug and brought you into his side in front of the camera, almost like he was showing you off. “Look at her, isn’t she stunning.”

“Stop it,” you rolled your eyes as you tried your best not to show how his compliment affected you. “I’m sorry for interrupting, I just had to say hello.”

“No worries,” the reporter reassured you. “Fred was actually saying how you helped with the building of his character.”

“Yeah, we worked really closely during pre-production actually.” You nodded, acutely aware of Fred’s hands on you. He had one hand casually tucked into his pocket while his other arm draped across your waist, his hand resting against your hip. “My character was almost like Caracalla’s sidekick, so the motives for all her actions are really based around him.”

“I’d argue that she was more of a mirror, actually.” You turned to look at Fred, never passing up an opportunity to hear his view on these things. “She’s the complete opposite of Caracalla, but in a way she represents who he truly is under all the pressure of being in Geta’s shadow.”

“And under all the syphilis, of course.” You added, causing Fred to giggle.

“Yeah, and under the syphilis.”

‘he seems like such a sweet guy 🥺’

‘did you see his face when he saw her???  😫😫😫 theyre in love, your honor’

‘him showing her off like that is peak soft boyfriend behavior’

‘they just called me single in seven different languages’

‘his laugh is actually so cute, who is this man and why am i in love with him? 😍’ ↳ 'get in line' ↳'behind y/n, you mean?'

‘the way he’s touching her???? im just gonna go take a nap in front of an oncoming train’

‘im calling it, new hollywood it couple’

‘look at how he looks at her!!! may this love find me 🙏’

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

PD-MDZS: The Hallmark Episode.

[front-facing-pokemon]

[vaguely-concerned]

on the one hand I think inner demons could stand to have a bit more romanced rook specific content, but on the other hand the underlying in-built implication that 'yours is the one true voice of comfort and safety in my inner world' is a sentiment and intimacy so way beyond the romantic or the platonic or any secret third thing you could care to name that it makes me lose my entire poor little mind a bit. it's so big and fundamental — near-existential — that in that exact moment at least the distinctions kind of seem irrelevant.

all the people lucanis' mind conjures up along the way are relationships he has that are unavoidably mixed and fraught in some ways even when they're also full of love (they are fraught BECAUSE they're full of love) — the good in them inseparable from things that hurt him at the same time. (it's about: the basic disorganized attachment patterns this poor guy is dragging around with him. careful with those, they're dellamorte heirlooms. what you love also inevitably hurts you and you won't be allowed to have one without the other, you have to surrender parts of your soul to hold on to what little you have left: this is the story up until now.) and the idea that rook isn't that to him — that beneath the fear of wanting them when romanced (which is more its own separate thing because within this psychology, actively wanting something and not just clinging on for dear life to even a meager status quo lest you lose it is in itself dangerous bordering on catastrophic), this is a relationship where there isn't resentment, or guilt, or shame, or dread, or rage, or self-hate, or any of the other emotions that keep him paralyzed, unable to move this way or that. no debts, nothing owed of yourself and your soul's substance except what you can freely and safely and happily give. love and freedom don't coexist — but, I mean, you're almost starting to make me think........... unless...👀👀👀. the unconditional and undramatic 'you are here and I am here with you, you can be exactly how you are right now with me and it's safe for us both even though you're afraid it won't be, I'm not going anywhere' acceptance rook shows him here that he returns to them in the big romance scene, when it's rook who needs it. the way he's just. standing there in the center of it all, like a child desperately helplessly waiting to be found, hiding in the place he hopes you'll know to look first. (rook does know. it's one of the first things they say in there.)

in short the most important room in his little mind palace for the romance is the very first room — the one where rook isn't. where, in fact, rook cannot be, because they disprove the entire structure of the place with their existence and presence in his life. with everyone else he's putting words in their mouths about what they think of him, and rook is the one who actually gets to come in to speak their own words to him — and have him listen. ('he'll listen to you, he always listens to you', 'your voice is a comfort'.) of course rook isn't present anywhere else in there — at the risk of stating the obvious to a tedious degree, they aren't one of the locks, they're bringing the key. in the very finest 'the messenger and the message' sort of way.