#not in that stage of their relationship at least.

[skepticalarrie]

That anon that talked about Louis wanting to create his own identity away from Larry. I agree and just wanted to share my interpretation of something and see what you and others think?

I know most people think there was some weirdness or off-ness during the end of 2022 and 2023 in regards to Larry. At least that's the period people usually point to when discussing a break-up or lack of signalling or whatever.

Up until Louis' first album release and then first tour, all Louis had to hold on to was the support from mostly Larries. During the years between 1d ending and his first tour, I think Louis was still operating on SBB mode a lot because that's all he really knew - all the signalling, clues, hints, etc. That was the fanbase he was accustomed to.

So his tour starts and it's very Larry. It's in a lot of his outfit choices (one that comes to mind is him wearing the red trackies with the embroidered butterfly ONLY ONCE amongst all the black jeans and the day was either harry's bday or valentine's day I forget now), it's in the screaming of the Princess Park line, it's in the Larry posters and Larry dolls that people brought, the rainbow lights and pride flags to an extent.

I think once it really set in for Louis that he could have a successful music and touring career and this wasn't just going to be a once off, he decided he wanted/needed to make some changes. He didn't want his whole identity to come down to Larry. I can imagine the support being nice but equally if not more frustrating. And I think that's when he started pulling away and creating boundaries and shifting the vibe of things. Because the vibe of fitf tour was quite different to walls tour. And some of that can be attributed to different fans coming in but it's also people taking their cues from Louis.

Anyway I don't love the way he's gone about some things and it hurts like a bitch to know that he had some of the most loyal and hard core fans that saw through a lot of the bullshit and were there for arguably "the real louis tomlinson" (or at least more real than the public narrative version) and he essentially saw us and was like "Yeah...thanks, but no thanks. Don't need you guys anymore."

On a side note, I'll never understand how it can be fulfilling for an artist like Louis and Harry to have all these fans that are fans of essentially a made-up version of them. Like if I was up on a stage and I had all these fans that cared a great deal about me but they cared about the person that is straight, and a womaniser, and a father, etc. That would feel a little empty but I'm not them so.

If you read all this, bless you.

I see where you’re coming from, anon, and I understand your points. But honestly, I feel like this discussion is missing the point. IMO, it’s not really about IF Louis is trying to distance himself from Larries, or even WHY he might be doing that. It feels broader than that.. it’s about how it’s being done for me.

In my opinion, it boils down to the fact that I fully believe both Harry and Louis likely want to keep their relationship more private. And I think that has been there since the band ended. If we look back, Harry has been criticized A LOT by larries for years because Louis seemed more “engaged” in the scavenger hunt of larry clues for a while now. Since Louis released Walls he’s taken on more of that role in the dynamic, while Harry built an entirely new fanbase away from that.

And here’s the thing: it’s perfectly fine for them to want to rebrand, attract new fans, or disassociate themselves from certain parts of their image. I don’t see it as a bad thing, it makes sense, especially if they want to keep some things private and you know.. considering all the mess with their closeting during the band. The issue, for me, is how it’s being done. The way this shift is happening feels like gaslighting, and that’s where my frustration lies.

Let’s face it, Harry went through similar criticisms when he made his changes, and Larries tore him apart at the time too. But maybe it didn’t sting as much back then because Louis was still “feeding” us little clues. Or maybe it’s because babygate is harder to swallow. Perhaps it’s the difference in their approaches.. Harry has remained silent on Larries entirely, while Louis has made shady comments and leaned heavily on Larries for support for much longer.

So regardless of the reasons, the way things are unfolding feels like a slap in the face, especially given how much they’ve both benefited from Larry speculation over the years. For Louis, it’s particularly upsetting because of babygate and it really creates this massive cognitive dissonance that’s hard to swallow. I’m definitely curious about their new eras when the time comes, especially Louis’.

[sparklypinkflightsuit]

Love To Watch You Leave: Part 4

Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x Reader

Warnings: Slow Burn, Enemies to Lovers, Swearing, Fluff, Angst, Bullying, Eventual Smut, Grieving, Pining, Alcohol, Military Inaccuracies

- Part 3 Here -

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18+ Only

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You grew uneasy as Angie pulled you around the back of the guest house, away from the noise of the party and away from prying eyes… away from anyone who could help.




“Angie, is this really necessary?” You huffed, your arms crossed over your chest as you inspected your surroundings.




She was quiet for a moment, and in the dark you couldn’t make out her expression. Suddenly, startling you, she exclaimed, “Oh Y/N, I am so sorry! You’re gonna hate me, and I don’t want to be the one to wreck something good, but…” her lip began to tremble and her fingers clasped together as if in prayer.




Your eyebrows creased together, “Angie are you okay?”




“I’m a home wrecker!” She suddenly wailed, loudly. “I didn’t know he was in a relationship! I had no idea you existed until today, but he… that man, he slept with me a little over a week ago. I’m so sorry.” She was full on sobbing at this point, her high pitched cries carrying far.




You tried to shush her, not wanting to draw attention to this situation, “Hey, no, please don’t cry. Uhm… please, it’s okay… shhh…”




You tried to calm her down and you even rubbed her back like your mom used to do when you were a kid, to calm you down, but nothing worked.




“I s-swear, he never ever mentioned you.” She cried. You internally rolled your eyes at her need to state that.




“I wouldn’t have ever gone near him if I knew.” She sobbed, and then another high pitched wail escaped her lips as she cried into her hands.




“Angie, please, shhhh. Angie… ANGIE! Bradley and I aren’t even together, okay?” You blurted out.




Suddenly you clasped your hand over your mouth, and Angie stopped crying, looking at you in surprise.




“What? But I thought-“




You shook your head, “Okay, look, you can’t tell anyone, but… Bradley and I need to pretend we’re together, just until Sunday. I can’t explain why, but it’s so important nobody finds out.”




She sniffled, “Why? What’s happening on Sunday?”




“We’re staging a break up, we just have to pretend while we’re here, so… you’re not a home wrecker.” You have her a sympathetic smile. You suddenly felt sorry for her, you hadn’t expected her to have this side to her. At least she was honest.




“Okay… I feel so much better now.” She giggled through her snotty nose and tears. “So… does that mean Bradley’s available?”




You took a deep breath in through your nose to calm your sudden pang of annoyance, “Yup. He’s all yours… after Sunday, okay?”




Angie nodded and threw herself onto you for a hug. You awkwardly rubbed her back.




“Do me a favour, Angie? Give me a few minutes to tell Bradley, I don’t want to throw this at him.”




She nodded, and you both rejoined the party.




Bradley came jogging over to you, “Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick.”




“I was gone like 5 minutes, possessive much?”




“Anything could have happened, I was just scared you’d run off with Bob or something.”




You suddenly laughed, a bit surprised, “Brad, are you a little jealous of Bob?”




“No.”




“You sure? You seem a little jealous.” You poked a finger into his side teasingly.




“Shut up. You’re being a child.” He flinched away from you, but you kept poking him until he cracked a smile.




“Hey, I need to talk to you.” You admitted, “Can we go somewhere?”




Bradley eyed you up suspiciously, “Okay sure, where to?”




You dragged him back around the same corner, and Bradley was now beginning to worry.




“Look, if this is about the kiss earlier…”




“No.” You cut him off by shaking your head, “Nothing like that. Angie knows.”




Bradley almost did a double take, his jaw ticking, “I’m sorry, what?” He hissed.




“She started crying, like really really crying, saying she was a home wrecker and that she was sorry, and I couldn’t just let her believe that. She won’t tell anyone.”




Bradley rubbed his face in frustration, “Y/N, you can’t trust Angie. That’s why we broke up in the first place.” He sighed.




You were about to ask him to elaborate when Angie popped around the corner.




“There you guys are! Not fake kissing again I hope?” She winked comically, “Dinners starting, come!” She beckoned for you to follow, so you looked at Bradley expectantly.




He took a deep breath and nodded, “We’ll finish this conversation later.”




You sat down at the same long table and fell into easy conversation under the decorative lighting, relaxing slightly. Your eyes kept straying over to Bradley who was already looking at you, but you couldn’t figure out his expression. Frustration? Maybe. Anxiety? Probably. Annoyance? Definitely.




You felt bad for telling your secret, but you would have felt worse if Angie had thought she was the bad guy all weekend.




Once all 3 courses had come and gone, you were free to mingle and everyone changed seats to have conversations with other people. You stayed put, not really feeling up for being told off by Bradley. You sipped slowly at your drink as you watched everyone mingle. Bradley was on the other end of the table talking to Harris, probably spinning more yarn on your tall tale, when you felt someone’s presence next to you.




You looked over at what was previously an empty seat to find Bob, he smiled over at you.




“Hey, I’m sober now.” He announced with a chuckle. He really was quite cute, a traditionally handsome face and stunning blue eyes.




“Ah, pity, I thought you were quite a funny drunk.” You joked with a grin.




“I’ll go and grab some wine in that case.”




You laughed lightly at his humour, “Nice to meet you, Sober Bob.”




“Likewise.”




You spoke to Bob for about 10 minutes, getting better acquainted without giving away too much yourself.




“So do you work with Bradley?” You probed.




Bob nodded, pressing his lips together.




“What?” You chuckled curiously.




“Nothing, he’s just… how long have you two been together, out of curiosity?” Bobs eyebrows were ever so slightly drawn together in concern.




“Uhm… 6… 6 months.” You nodded, “How come?”




Bob took a deep breath and thought for a second, before nodding back slowly and giving you a sympathetic smile.




“I don’t think it’s my place.” He mumbled.




“Come on Bob, whatever it is, you can tell me.” You poked him light heartedly to lighten the mood.




Bob shifted uncomfortably in seat, eyeing up Bradley on the other end of the table, as he bit his lip, before turning back to you and leaning in close.




“I’m so sorry in advance for any hurt this is gonna cause… but Y/N, Bradley’s been cheating on you. Kinda openly too, he brings dates to the bar we frequent all the time, the last one being no more than a couple of weeks ago.”




You tried to force back a grin, you were very taken by how kind Bob and Angie had both been trying to make you aware of your fake boyfriends antics, but you knew you had to play the part of heartbroken girlfriend, and you thought for a second, Bingo, this was what you and Bradley would break up over.




You sat up straight, forcing a frown. “Oh wow.” You said, feigning surprise. “I… I can’t believe he would do this to me, after everything.”




You wiped at dry eyes and stood from your seat, putting on a broken voice, “Thank you for telling me, Bob. You did the right thing. I just need a moment.”




Bob watched you with sad eyes as you walked down the end of the table, partially regretting his actions.


You reached the end where Bradley stood in heated debate with Harris over some recent football game.




“Honey can I speak to you for a moment?” The question was only out of courtesy, you were already grabbing his lapels and pulling him towards the guest house with you.




“We’ll…finish this conversation later.” He said as you dragged him away.




“What are you doing?” He hissed at you.




You let go of him and as soon as you were sure you were out of everyone’s sight, you grinned.




Bradley cocked his head at your new expression, “Y/N…”




“We have an out.” You grinned proudly, summoning him to follow you back to your bedroom.




You closed the door behind you and urged him to sit on the bed.




“Can you just spit it out already?”




“Ok fine, fine! So Bob just sat me down and-“




“Yeah I know, you two just can’t keep your hands off of each other tonight can you?” He interrupted you, his eyes rolled as he leaned back against his elbows.




You looked at him with a deadpan expression, “Brad, come on, focus.”




“Sorry.” He mumbled.




“So, Bob kindly informed me that…” you held back a snort as you tried not to laugh, “that you’ve been cheating on me. He was very surprised that we’ve been together 6 months because you’ve been bringing girls to the bar, and I can only imagine doing obscene things with them.”




“That little snitch.” Bradley sat up right.




You rolled your eyes and ignored him, “So now we have a legit excuse to break up on Sunday.”




“I’m gonna kill him.” He was huffing now, not even looking at you.




You walked up to where he sat on the bed and placed your hands on his shoulders.




“Look dickwad, we’re not actually together so he didn’t really snitch you out. I mean… he did, but he did the right thing so you can’t really blame him.”




Bradley looked up at you with big brown eyes and nodded glumly. “I know, I know.”




“So, how do you wanna do this thing? Wanna pretend tonight and tomorrow that we’re working through things? And then Sunday I can throw a hissy fit and end things?” You wiggled your eyebrows at him playfully.




He chuckled, his hands landing on your waist. You held your breath for a second.




“You never used to be this funny.” He stated, his smile returning.




“Actually, I’ve always been funny.” You grabbed his hands and removed them from your waist as you stepped back and walked over to the mirror. “You’ve just never given me the time of day.”




Bradley’s eyes followed you and he grinned back at you in the mirror as you smirked at him.




“I’m sorry.” He said.




You turned your head to look at him properly, “What?”




“For what it’s worth, I never actually hated you.”




You turned back to inspect your makeup, “Well, I hated you. But… that’s faded more to an intense dislike now.” You joked.




Bradley stood up and walked behind you, eyeing you up in the reflection. He stood silently for a few seconds, so you stopped what you were doing.




“Brad, are you okay?”




He nodded, his jaw clenching, and one of his hands moved your hair to adjust your dress strap again.




“Was uneven again.” He mumbled.




You weren’t sure if it was the wine or if you were just losing your mind, but for some reason you turned around to face Bradley, the space between you already too tight, and leaned against the dresser under the mirror.




You could feel Bradley’s hot breath fanning down on your face, literal inches away.




“I don’t actually hate you. Not anymore.” You admitted softly as you looked up at him.




“I thought you said it was an intense dislike?” He chuckled softly, and again that damn hand landed on your satin waist.




“You’ve really grown up, Brad.” Your hand flattened against his chest, whether to feel him under you or to push him away you weren’t entirely sure.




His hand squeezed your waist gently and your heart began to thud.




“Y/N I-“




Suddenly he was rudely interrupted by a loud pounding on the door and he stepped back quickly, you took a deep breath, regaining some sense.




Bradley walked to the door and opened it.




“You guys! I might have accidentally maybe told Bob.” Angie walked into your room like it was her own, biting her rouge nails, her big blue eyes like a puppy dog that knew it had done something wrong.




You looked at Bradley with wide eyes, and then suddenly at the door when you noticed Bob standing there, awkwardly.




“Ah fuck.”




——————————




You now found yourself standing awkwardly next to Bradley in front of Bob and Angie, trying to explain how you’d gotten yourself into this predicament.




Bradley glared at Bob, still pissed off that Bob had ratted on him. Angie stared lovingly at Bradley, biting her lip at how his neck veins strained under his clenched jaw. Bob stared at you, wondering how soon would be too soon to ask you out.




“Guys, is anyone listening to me?” You moaned impatiently.




A chorus of “mhm” and “yep” came from the group.




“Ok so we’re clear on the fact that no one can tell anyone else about this? Or Bradley and I are toast.” You we’re starting to stress now, and you clasped your hand over your forehead in an attempt to cool it down.




Bradley looked at you, worried, and then at the clock on the wall that read 11:15pm. “Maybe we should call it a night, guys. It’s been a bit of a long day.”




Bob and Angie said goodnight and Bradley closed the door behind them, his forehead resting on the closed door as he sighed.




He turned to watch you pace up and down the room.




“Hey, can you calm down, please? Everything’s gonna be ok.”




“I dunno, I have a really bad feeling.” You bit your thumbnail nervously, and then sat down heavily on the bed and plopped your head in your hands. “God, what have I done?” You groaned.




Bradley quickly moved to sit next to you and he wrapped an arm around your shoulders. “Would you just relax, please? Nothing bad is gonna happen, I promise.”




You looked up at him through your fingers, “Not gonna lie, this side of you is kinda freaking me out.”




Bradley chuckled a sorry and removed his arm, and you sat up straight and huffed. “Ok, I think maybe you’re right. I’m gonna have a bath and get into bed, need to use the bathroom before I get in there?”




Bradley shook his head and made a start removing his shirt and pants to get into bed, which you quickly looked away from as you gathered your pyjamas from your bag.




You mumbled a ‘goodnight’ to Bradley, fully expecting him to be asleep by the time you were done, and you locked the bathroom door.




You drew a bubble bath and slid out of your dress, climbing into the warm water.




You sighed in relief as the water calmed stiff muscles and sore feet, and you quickly fell asleep.




The next thing you knew, you were waking up to the sound of someone banging violently on the door, the bubbles all gone and the water ice cold.




You shot out of the bath and wrapped a towel around you just in time for the door to fly open, the lock on the hinges breaking with a loud snap.




You let out a squeal of surprise, “What the fuck, Brad!”




Bradley’s expression was visibly relieved and his shoulders slumped. “Fuck, Y/N! I was calling you for like 10 minutes. You’ve been in there for 3 hours.”




You glanced over his shoulder at the clock that now read 2:25am.




You looked back at Bradley and pressed your lips together as a giggle tried to force its way out.




Bradley’s eyebrows creased, “That’s not funny.”




Too late, you were full on laughing now, doubled over and struggling to breathe.




Bradley had to stifle his own laughter, and he rolled his eyes. “Seriously who the fuck falls asleep in the bath for that long. Thought you died. Now I’m gonna have to pay for a new door.”




You managed to stop laughing eventually, wiping tears from your eyes, “I’m sorry, I was tired.” You explained.




You realised you still had a full face of makeup on, so you quickly washed it off in the sink and moisturised. You realised the door was not staying closed, and even with it pulled to, it would spring open a few inches without the lock in place.




“Don’t look.” You said to Bradley, who was back in bed around the corner. “I just need to put my PJ’s on.”




“Wouldn’t wanna anyway.” He said, regaining his breath and waiting for his heart rate to slow back down.




You discarded your towel and turned your back to the door as you pulled on your underwear and pyjama shorts.




Bradley caught a glimpse of your upper back and shoulder blades in the mirror opposite the bed and quickly diverted his eyes. He couldn’t help but look back every couple of seconds, admiring how your skin glowed in the yellow bathroom light.




You pulled on a white tank top and walked out of the bathroom while you brushed your hair.




“No, this isn’t gonna work.” You stated as you looked down at the bed, Bradley’s large frame taking up more than half of it.




“I’m not sleeping on the floor.” He stated.




You rolled your eyes, “Can you at least move over then?”




“To where? I’m already on the edge.”




You huffed, “No you’re not, you can easily move over a few inches, look.” You knelt on the bed and pushed Bradley’s side, trying to shift him further.




He would not move, the big oak heavier than you’d expected.




“What are you doing? Get off.” He tried to swat your hands away but you kept coming back and pushing, straining to get yourself a little bit more room.




“Move.” You grunted.




“Stop, you’re actually tickling me now.”




Frustrated with being tickled, he grabbed one of your wrists quickly, and you lost your balance, landing on top of Bradley with a ‘ooph’.




You quickly looked at him with wide eyes, something hard pressing against your hip.




“Sorry.” You whispered, and made a move to get up, but you were surprised when you felt his hand on your thigh and he pulled your leg over him.




“Brad, I don’t think… maybe I should sleep on the floor.” You stuttered, but you made no effort to move. Your face was so close to his now, even in the dark you could see how his heart pounded against his chest, and the veins in his neck pulsed. You gulped.




“Did you just gulp?” He chuckled lowly, his voice a husky whisper.




You nodded, and Bradley’s hand brushed your hair back over your should, his long fingers gently stroking your jaw.




You were acutely aware of his other hand which was still clasped around your thigh, and you wondered for a second how that hand might feel on other parts of your body.




You suddenly realised who you were thinking about, the man you hated for the better part of your life, and you gasped out loud, throwing yourself off of his torso and onto your back next to him.




You stared at the ceiling in horror.




“I think we should go to sleep.” You said maybe a fraction louder and more assertive than you needed to. The last thing you needed or wanted was to be Bradley Bradshaws newest plaything.




“Yeah, you’re right. Got enough room if I turn on my side?” He sighed.




“Yup. Goodnight.” You said quickly, turning away from him.




It took you forever to fall asleep that night, because all you could think about was how you were hot and flustered for your worst enemy, and how his boner was pressed into your lower back.




———————————

- Part 5 Coming Soon -

Taglist:

@dizzybee03 @cheyrenee @flowery-mess @wildxwidow @residentb1tch @championemmie @mycrofthomlesumbrella

[lilou-0401]

Welcome to the writing community girl!! Can I request a cute Top x Fem!Reader oneshot where you’re Top’s gf and also a very well known dancer in the industry. No one except the boys know you and Top are dating. He’s been on tour with the group for a few weeks now and as a surprise, you teams up with Ji-Yong to visit and surprise him during one of his shows.

Ji-Yong and the boys think it would be hilarious for Top to be taken by surprise on stage so they convince you to join them during their performance of BaeBae. You agree, loving the idea of playfully surprising your man.

It’s the night of the show and you’re so excited. You’ve been dodging places Top might be to avoid getting caught, texting him throughout rehearsal so he thinks you’re still at home. You’re being extra flirty with your texts and he loves it, blushing and flirting right back while the boys tease him and pretend to steal his phone to see what he’s blushing about.

When time comes to perform BaeBae, instead of the dancer Seunghyun is expecting, you jump in and latch on to dance with him, a smirk on your face. You’re swaying your hips a bit more against him than any of the other dancers have and he is SHOCKED.

Think the fans will catch on to your relationship? How will Top react to seeing you and being put on the spot on stage? And what happens when he finally gets backstage and can give you a proper welcome? 😉😌

Choi Seunghyun, Center Stage Surprise

Boyfriend!Choi Seunghyun x fem!reader

Summary: As one of the most renowned dancers in the industry, you’re used to keeping your relationship with Choi Seunghyun under wraps, known only to the members of Bigbang. With the group away on tour for weeks, you secretly collaborate with Ji-Yong to plan a special surprise for Seunghyun. Disguised as part of the show’s backstage team, you make your way to the venue. When the moment finally comes, you reveal yourself mid-performance, leaving Seunghyun speechless and overwhelmed with emotion in front of the roaring crowd.

Warnings: sexual tension, making out

The steady hum of the jet engine was a soothing backdrop as you leaned back in your seat, fingers tracing over the edge of your phone. Ji-Yong's message from earlier still glowed on the screen:

"Everything’s set. Can’t wait to see his face when he realizes."

You couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Seunghyun’s reaction. It had been weeks since he’d left for the tour, and though you were used to the distance, this time felt harder. Maybe it was the way he sent those late-night texts about missing you or how his voice softened over the phone whenever he said, “I wish you were here.”

Well, you were about to change that.

The plan was simple: arrive at the venue in secret, sneak backstage with Ji-Yong’s help, and time your entrance perfectly. You’d even cleared your schedule, something that wasn’t easy given your packed days as one of the most sought-after dancers in the industry. But for him? It was worth it.

Your legs were bouncing up and down in excitement and you couldn't wipe that stupid grin off your face. Even though you spoke on a call every evening and he texted you as much as he could, it couldn't compare to his presence, his hugs and his gentle kisses on the forehead. It wasn't the same without him, especially since you had to fall asleep without his cuddles every night.

After the plane landed, you got off the plane with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. Your bag was light, just the essentials for this spontaneous trip, but your heart was pounding with excitement. Ji-Yong had sent you detailed directions on how to get to the venue without being noticed.

As you entered the concert area, the energy was palpable. Fans stood in long lines, their voices mingling in an excited murmur. You pulled the hood of your sweatshirt further over your face so as not to be recognized. No one should know you were here, at least not yet.

You weave your way through the excited crowd, looking at the dirty floor covered in confetti and everything else the fans were throwing around, past the two seemingly trustworthy security men who recognized you immediately and let you through with a smile. As you walked past, you give the two dressed in suits a smile as well, before you went up the small steps, a small red carpet was laid over it before it is rolled out down a long hallway-like corridor.

The deeper you went in, the faster your heart started to beat, sweat formed on your palms and you swallowed hard when you heard the loud voices of your friends. A thin black curtain separated you and what was going on behind it, so your hand carefully reached for the fabric and pulled it slightly to the side to reveal just half of your face, hoping not to be seen by the wrong person.

Slowly your eyes slid through the chaos where stylists were drying and styling the band members' hair, hoping to get it done in the time they had before the performance. An amused smile twisted your lips as you noticed how the guys were just messing around and how Taeyang was swinging his head from left to right to annoy his stylist, a wide grin on his lips.

As if by itself, your eyes searched for a certain person for whom the surprise was planned and they stopped when you saw him sitting in the corner on the black leather couch, his hair already styled into a handsome hairstyle, his elbows resting on his knees as he swiped at his phone in his hand, his lips decorated in a small dimpled smile while his brown eyes gave off a certain sparkle that you could still see well from the distance.

Your own smile spread into a crescent, your previously excited heartbeat slowed down to a calm rhythm at the push of a button and you didn't even notice how all the nervousness left your body as you watched him. It seemed as if your body switched to rest mode as soon as it saw Seunghyun. You couldn't explain how happy you felt, finally seeing him in person again after weeks, and you would have preferred to just forget the surprise you had planned with Ji-Yong and just jump into his arms, but you knew that this wait would be worth it in the end.

Your eyes followed his every move and for a moment you seemed to have forgotten everything else. At least until Ji-Yong appeared behind Seunghyun on the couch, his hip leaning against the armrest as he looked over Seunghyun's shoulder at his phone.

"Aish, you are so whipped, guys he looks at pictures of y/n in his free time!" A laugh escaped him as he ruffled Seunghyun's hair, with Seunghyun leaning forward cursing, his cheeks now barely pink as he placed his phone next to him and adjusted his hair with a grumble. "Shut up!"

Your eyes widened before you placed your hand over your mouth, and you were sure your cheeks were just as pink. You found it cute how obviously Seunghyun missed you and you couldn't wait to talk to him.

But before anything else could happen, Ji-Yong's gaze wandered in your direction and discovered your head hidden behind the thin curtain. His lips began to grin as he pointed a finger at you secretly behind Seunghyun, indicating that you should get away from the curtains.

Your hand dropped loosely beside you as you nodded in agreement, giving a thumbs up before you took a step back and discreetly closed the Curtain in front of you. You looked around briefly and discovered a clothes rail with a coat hanger next to you. You slowly opened the zipper of your black jacket, which was supposed to protect you from being recognized, and slowly took it off before hanging it on a coat hanger. Your light gray, skin-hugging V-neck t-shirt now appeared, the silver chain with a 'T' as a letter, which stood for T.O.P, Seunghyun's stage name, hung flawlessly down between the neckline.

Your hands smoothed down your black miniskirt before you brushed your homemade curls over your shoulders and pressed your lips together to thoroughly spread your pink lip gloss. You felt good about the way you looked, pretty, and could dance well in this outfit too. You weren't worried about what Seunghyun would think of your outfit because first of all, this skirt was one of his favorite things to wear on you and secondly, he always told you that you would look good even in a garbage bag.

But before you could think about anything else, the curtain behind you opened a crack and you turned around in shock. Ji-Yong was already looking at you with a broad grin as he closed the curtain behind him, his right hand on his hip. "You're on time," he said quietly as he pulled you into a secluded area. "Seunghyun has no idea. He's been bugging me all week about how much he misses you."

You couldn't help but giggle softly, your eyes shining with anticipation. "That makes it all the better." You whispered back with a wide grin, your fingertips tugging at the end of the fabric of your skirt, a nervous habit . Well, actually, you would take Seunghyun's hand in yours and play with the rings he wore every day on his thumb, middle finger and ring finger.

Ji-Yong briefly looked at your broad grin, your excitement was transferred to him and he couldn't help but be extremely happy for you and Seunghyun, after all, you were both his friends and he would do anything to see you both happy. He nodded his head, a glint in his eyes as he clapped his hands. "Okay, here's the plan: you stay near the stage until the second song. During the break, I'll take you out and you go straight to him. Trust me, he'll freak out."

Everything seemed even more real now and you could slowly feel the excitement rising in you again, your heart was pounding in your chest and your mouth felt dry, which made you swallow hard as you wiped the sweat off your t-shirt. You were so excited, but what actually made you nervous was the fact that his fans would freak out, especially the female ones, and a wave of rumors would sweep you away.

You knew what a big step you were taking and you also knew that you couldn't just make such a big decision without Seunghyun, because they were still actually his fans. But you had thought everything through carefully and secretly tried to smuggle this topic of 'bringing the relationship into the public eye' into conversations between you. You would never take this step without Seunghyun's permission and he had told you often enough that he was ready when you were and that after two years of a secret relationship he wanted to tell the world who he was proudly with.

But it hadn't really happened yet, so you decided that today would be a good time to do it. Well, at least that's what you hoped. But with all the support from the guys, you were sure you were doing the right thing and you had a very good feeling about it.

"Got it."

And so here you were, near the stage, hidden among the crowd, your eyes fixed on Seunghyun, who was holding the microphone sideways in the air, the tip of the mic placed near his mouth as he sang his part of the song 'BLUE'. His deep voice vibrated through the speakers, sending goosebumps up your arms.

The show was in full swing and the energy in the arena was electric. Fans were screaming, singing along, and the lights were dancing to the beat of the music.

Without realizing it, your lips moved to the lyrics he sang, nothing more than a soft whisper, a small smile on your lips and your eyes focused on no one else but him. As your eyes followed every little movement he made, it felt like you two were the only people in the room, like he was singing the song just for you, because secretly you knew that it was actually only directed at you. He has confessed to you many times that he's thinking about you in every song he sings and imagined that you were the only one listening to him.

Your body was burning like fire, partly because of the cold, but also because the surprise was about to begin any minute, when Ji-Yong spotted you in the crowd and pointed his head back to the backstage. A lump formed in your throat as you exhaled shakily before you set off, nodding to yourself while encouraging yourself.

Before you got ready for the performance, you grabbed your phone again to send Seunghyun one last message to make him believe that you missed him from home.

"I miss you so much Tabi, it's so lonely without you here. I'm watching you from the TV, you're amazing!"

Grinning, your eyes watch the three dots in the corner, which meant that he texted back immediately, knowing that the first performance was now over and they were getting ready for the second one.

"Oh Jagiya... I miss you so much, you can't even imagine. I hope the day ends quickly so I can hear your voice on the phone tonight. The second performance is starting now, wish me luck ♡"

You slowly bite your lower lip to stop yourself from grinning. You felt silly, like a teenager who had just fallen in love. But at the same time you could hear your heart pounding so loudly, you were sure the others in the next room could hear it too.

The next moment you heard the transition into the second song, and that was your signal. The stage was briefly plunged into darkness while Seunghyun and the others changed positions for the next part. The crew quickly helped you into position - right behind one of the props so you were invisible. No one except the guys and the crew knew you were here. There was no turning back now.

When the light returned, you heard Ji-Yong's voice rapping the first words of his part. The fans immediately started singing along loudly and the dancers next to you started dancing their choreography. You, a professional dancer, of course knew the koreo, due to many dance practice in which Seunghyun had dragged you along and asked you to help with a few dance steps. Of course, you had the koreo down immediately and moved your hips in sync with the rhythm and with the other dancers, who gave you a smile while doing it.

Your hair swung with each smooth movement as you danced the steps with passion, with each step your movements became more confident and slowly but surely the nervousness disappeared as quickly as it had come. Your breathing was rapid as you danced each movement with precision, while your gaze slid to Seunghyun, who stood unsuspectingly with his back to you, occasionally doing one of his silly dances and singing into his microphone when his part came.

His presence on stage was as overwhelming as ever, but you could see the slight tiredness in his eyes. You knew the tour was exhausting for him and that was exactly why you were here.

A broad grin spread across your face as you stopped for a moment as the main part of the song came, the part where each of the boys would dance with one of the back dancers, but in which you would replace the partner that was for Seunghyun, who was already looking at you with a broad grin, both thumbs up.

You breathed out deeply before squeezing from the back corner to get to the front like the other girls, you heard your heart pounding loudly as the spotlights shine on you, you sneaked up on Seunghyun from behind before you grinned broadly and stroke your shoulder with his to stand with your back in front of him, pressing yourself firmly against his chest and immediately swinging your hips from left to right in time.

Instantly, Seunghyun's eyes widen in shock, his lips part a crack, a shaky breath escaping him as your right hand reaches behind you to cup his neck, your head pressed against his chest as you continue to move in time, forcing him to move in sync with you as your sweet scent fills his nose.

In an instant his hands moved from behind your hips to your front, to your stomach, his touch slow and gentle, causing your body to relax further into him and goosebumps to spread throughout you. Slowly but surely he pulled you even closer to his body, so that you could feel everything from him behind you, your eyes closed and you tilted your head back more, giving him a complete view of your face.

"Jagiya." He breathed shockingly, but still with a hint of something loving underneath as he buried his face in your neck, not stopping swinging his hips in sync with yours as his lips brushed against your soft skin, his warm breath making you exhale shakily as you opened your eyes to look up at him. When your eyes met, the world seemed to stop. Just you and him. Just you. You drowned out the screaming fans completely as they saw how closely Seunghyun was dancing with his dancer, knowing that he normally didn't like touching and always sought distance, but not knowing that it was you and that he loved nothing more than your touch.

His eyes sparkled as he looked down at you and his touch tightened around your hips. He was afraid that he was dreaming and that he would soon wake up again and you would no longer be there, but alone at home, waiting for him. But when your scent filled his nostrils and you pressed your hips tighter against his, and when you looked into his eyes as your lips curved into a small, sweet smile, he knew that you were really there. You had come all the way here, just for him, and were really here on stage with him. It was all real.

"Shh..." Was your answer, only he should hear it, the loud music drowned out everything and slowly you pulled away to stand next to him, your hand pressing against his chest, a soft touch as the beat changed and the next part continued. You continued to swing your hips, only now no longer with him but next to him.

His body leaned forward a little after the loss of contact, his upper body tingling, longing to feel you again. Sweat ran down his back as his eyes followed your movements, the loud music blared in his ears, but he seemed to forget everything else for a moment as he let his hand with the microphone fall beside him, his full attention focused on you as your hands pressed harder against him, forcing him to move his hips in time with you.

Without breaking eye contact, you continued dancing in sync, the bubbling tension so high you could cut it with scissors and each one of you could surely feel it. Seunghyun's breathing became shallow as he clenched the fingers that weren't holding the microphone into a fist, tickling and tempting to touch you, so instead he held them in the air and swung them to the beat to appear more relaxed and so no one would notice how shaky his knees became when your hand slowly and unobtrusively stroked his chest for a brief moment before you slowly walked away from him as the next beat changed and the partner dance was over.

Without breaking eye contact, you walked backwards back to your position as he took a step forward, almost forgetting that it was his turn to sing next before he stopped. His breathing was heavy and his entire body was covered in goosebumps like a blanket. He licked his dry lips as he watched you move your body smoothly, dancing the dance steps with care and precision before he slowly held the microphone up in the air at an angle before singing his part in his deep voice without even looking away from you.

Your eyes close as your hands run down your body, your hips moved passionately to the beat and your breathing became heavy as you remembered his hands on you just seconds ago, your body on fire as you do everything you can to keep from losing your composure.

Seunghyun, still hypnotized by the sight of you, your appearance, simply by you, seemed to forget his text for a split second as he stumbled over his words, before he forced himself to look away from you with pink cheeks as he moved his hands up and down in rhythm, at the same time as the clapping of the crowd, who seemed to have forgotten the little incident for that brief moment, as Daesung took over his part when he saw the overwhelmed look in Seunghyun's wide eyes.

The crowd went wild while the other boys watched in amusement as Seunghyun tried to regain his composure. When the beat finally dropped at the end and the lights went out, the clapping and screaming really started.

But Seunghyun finally ripped the in-ear monitors out of his ears, his heart pounding as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand before blindly making his way back to you in the dark and chaos. He squeezed through some of the back dancers with a quiet apology before finally arriving in front of you. His eyes wide as he looked down at you, a bit taller than you, his breathing heavy, almost as heavy as yours after all that dancing.

An excited giggle escaped you without you being able to stop it as his large, warm hands reached for yours, his fingers wrapping around yours and a warm tingling sensation ran down the back of your neck. You have waited so long for this moment and now the time has come.

"Aish, it's really you. Gosh, y/n, I've missed you so much." He didn't wait for an answer, he pulled on your hands, let go of one briefly to push open the large curtain for the two of you, before he pulled you backstage, further to a white door with his name written there in black. Without hesitation he opened it and you didn't even have time to take a closer look before he had already closed the door behind you and pulled you into his arms.

You blinked in surprise against his warm chest as his arms wrapped tightly around your chest. He carefully took a few steps forward and gently closed the door behind you with one hand on the back of your head. Your body relaxed in a second as your hands slowly moved up his back. "Surprise, I guess." You whispered with a small smile against his chest, your eyes automatically closing and your heart settling into a relaxed rhythm.

Seunghyun's lips, pressed against your scalp, twisted into a wide grin, his breathing shallow and the tension on his body completely gone. "You sure did, surprise me, Jagiya." His hand on your back circled with his index finger little hearts on your t-shirt, a sign to say 'I love you'.

"That was the goal." With a smile you pressed a small kiss on the cotton of his sweater, while he exhaled deeply with a dimple smile.

He slowly lifted his head, his brown hair tickling your forehead as he pressed his forehead against yours, your lips brushed and his breath warm breath ran over lips like a warm breeze, and your lips opened a crack when you saw that warm look in his eyes. He swallowed hard as your fingertips slid up his arm, to his chin, which you gently grasped. Your index finger slowly ran over the edge of his chin, his eyes closed for a second, and he broke the minimal distance between you.

You let your body fall into his when you could feel his soft, warm lips on yours again after such a long time. Your eyes closed automatically and a sigh of pleasure escaped you. Your body tingled from head to toe as he moved his lips so lovingly and gently against his. His rhythm was passionate, yet pleasant. You couldn't get enough of the way he kissed you, the way he touched you, the way he treated you. He was addictive. You were so addicted to him and you never wanted him to stop.

His scent hit your nose and your whole body relaxed, just like his. As your fingers slowly ran along his shoulders, you noticed how all the stress and tension left him as he devoted himself completely to you. You couldn't help but smile against his lips as your hands slowly moved up his neck to his brown hair before you gripped tightly and could clearly feel the goosebumps on his neck. Something between a sigh and a moan escaped him, muffled by your lips.

His hands moved slowly and carefully along your body, in some places more than others, before finally reaching the bottom of your thighs. He easily grasped them and lifted you up, your legs automatically closing around his waist, the distance between you only decreasing further. A gasp of surprise escaped you and he took the opportunity to slowly push his tongue into his mouth.

You hadn't even noticed how he had walked a few steps with you in his arms until he carefully placed you on the table with all the skincare products, his hands resting flat on your thighs. You felt his fingertips slowly glide up your skin before he stopped his two fingers just before your miniskirt and moved them underneath, which caused a tingling sensation in your pelvis. Panting, you slowly pulled away from his lips, where you immediately noticed how he tried to follow your lips.

His hair was now messy and his lips were a little swollen, smeared with the pink lip gloss you had previously worn on your lips. He slowly licked his lips to taste the strawberry flavor and a sound of pleasure escaped him.

You bit your own lip as you looked up at him. "So what are you gonna do with your surprise now?"

[thepartyishere]

I cannot stop thinking about all of the dads listening to Dave matthews band so I'm talking about it!!

I need to establish some credibility and set the stage first. ignore everything the dndads cast says about dmb (the Chicago River shit dumping incident, have a clear mind and heart about the band). my parents are so insanely into dmb and have been going to multiple concerts every year since they were young adults and I've been to a lot as well. I was raised on Dave matthews. its the one thing my family is known for. dmb fans are notorious for being incredibly loyal to the band, it's a well known thing for people to follow them around the country on tour.

Henry Oak:

I've talked about henry and mercedes being into the band several times, it's the most obvious one. they're the target demographic, middle aged weed smoking hippies. before they had lark and sparrow they spent a summer road trip following the band's tour around the country. now with kids they had to settle down a bit but they're still as big of fans as ever, going to at least one concert every year. lark and sparrow were raised on the band (they're just like me fr) and find it very nostalgic

Glenn:

glenn would go not bc of any particularly strong allegiance to Dave matthews band but bc he loves smoking weed at concerts in general. you are in good company smoking weed at a dmb concert. to say the least. also I think he'd have a few of their songs in his repertoire that he can play on guitar. if you want to make it angsty maybe something about not going to one in years bc it was more of Morgan's thing

Darryl:

Darryl and Carol would have the most similar relationship to dmb as my parents do. Carol has the hots for Dave Matthews and Darryl lowkey does too. they'll go to a nearby concert almost every year and it's their go to band to listen to. it's definitely romantic for them. a core shared interest. maybe they played some of his songs at their wedding.

Ron:

ron is the hardest to picture doing anything. just a weirdo. I think Samantha could be into it and he bought them concert tickets as a gift once. I'm not funny, someone better than me could probably come up with something silly

Jodie:

It's stated somewhere that Jimmy was super into dmb at one point, even went to see them play at the gorge. Therefore, bc there is but a thin veil between players and characters, jodie obviously also loves dmb. maybe it's the same thing as Jimmy. he used to be super into it and has lost a bit of interest and become a more casual listener in his middle aged fatherhood

[manglechan1204]

I can't stop thinking about that old grumpy man. Why do I like Swansea so much when I know I would hate it if an old man talked to me like how he talks to the crew.

Obviously there is the fact that he is the only one actually doing something against Jimmy which I gotta stan.

But more than that I find his story really touching and tragic in such a realistic way. The fact that he went through getting ride of an addication, being sober for multiple years, getting a steady job and building a family. All of this hardship to get somewhere in his life that should have bring him happiness and it just left him feeling unfulfilled. So much so that when looking back, the highlight of his life was his time passing out drunk on his couch with his only concern being the empty bottle in his hand.

More of my incoherents thoughts on why I love the old man below :

His situation happens because he took the path that was given to him by society without thinking twice since everything told him to do so, as we can see in one of the video on the Tv that shows capitalist propaganda of the perfect man, balanced between his job at the factory and his family. This is what was shown to him as how to achieve happiness, how to be a good man. So he started to work to get there and every achievements he reached, getting a jobs, a credit card, a family, which didn't bring him the feeling of fulfilment he has been promised. So he just thought that it wasn't enough and kept working toward the next goal because the clock is ticking. He never took the time to sit and think about his life because of that, or even to appreciate what he already had. To realise at the end, that he never once felt the content this life was supposed to bring him. This tie into the critics of late stage capitalism of the game because we can imagine that maybe he would have been happier if he didn't force himself into that mold after getting clean.

Next, I want to say that it's so unbelievably hard to get completly ride of an addiction all by your own ( which seems to be swansea case ) and the fact that for him it wasn't even worth it. The fact that for him in his last moments, getting ride his alcoholism was the wrong path because being an alcoholic is the only other option he ever known since he never had the time to consider that there was other options ( also maybe he would have never ended on this ship if he hadn't stop..). It's horrifying to me. I don’t think he has been living his whole life thinking that, maybe a thought here and there, but the fact that it's the fear of dying alone in some ditch that makes him take this turn in his life and that at the end he realise, after all of that, he'll still die alone in some shitty crashed spaceship, must be why this is his last thoughts.

To finish, there is the fact that Swansea is not a good guy, and he knows it, he acknowledged that he is still a drunkard at heart, that to some degree he prefer the carefreeness of being an alcoholic that having a loving family. Yet he still always try to do good things for other and put effort into it. He regret his drunk past and yet never get back to it because he knows people relay on him now, the devs even said that he celebrates his soberversary by buying himself expensive snickers. It shows that even if his heart say otherwise, he knows that this decision, at least, was the good one. The most telling example is how he wanted to give a way out to Daisuke by hiding the only working cryopods for him. The fact that the only regret he choose to voice on his death bed is not being able to save this "annoying kid" even though he has a whole life of regret before meting him. That he is willing to do the horrible but necessary act of putting Daisuke out of his misery himself while reassuring him when doing so.

And this is were his relationship with Daisuke is even more tragic to me because what he meant by Dai "could have a taught him a thing or two" is he could have taught him about enjoying the little things that you have in the present moment. Daisuke is described as someone who didn’t have anything going on for him, "no vision for the futur, no talent" but it didnt prevent him from having a blast learning something new, being helpful or just eating something sugery. Since Swansea strikes me as the "it's too late to change" type of person, I don't think he would do something drastic to change his lifestyle if he had the opportunity to do an introspection. This is why I think the kind of mindset Daisuke had, could have brought some peace to Swansea mind's in this late stage of his life.

anyway

[long-song-a]

the whole ‘blind faith’ turning into ‘restored/realistic faith’ in the god complex is genuinely one of my favourite moments between the doctor and amy. (in my portrayal) nine out of ten times, the doctor will always refer to her as amelia at any point before that episode. amelia pond, the name straight out of a fairytale, the name of the little girl who wasn’t scared when he crash landed in her backyard, who wasn’t scared of the crack in her wall. the name of the first face his eleventh face saw. of course, this changes for symbolic reasons, and i do think that shift is one of the best things they could’ve done for their relationship. i don’t specifically think their relationship was unhealthy per se, but her going from amelia pond to amy williams in the doctors point of view, is one of the last things needed to conclude the fairytale theme that had been running throughout their era, and their perception of one another. it became realistic for both of them, and afterwards, their relationship was able to grow rather than be held back by her fairytale perception of him, and him still seeing her as that little girl.

[crustyfloor]

[kitsquared]

I love that in alien stage Sua and Till have the least interaction/ awkward relationship in their friend group

But in off the record theyre both senior actors while the rest are juniors and thus you can make them have the most amicable if not lowkey bestie relationship among the actors

[macksartblock]

Normal take my hand we’re going to therapy

[go6jo]

rin will hastily tag along with you when you tell him you’re shopping for swimwear that afternoon and while you’re skimming through the racks of clothing you loose sight of him for a bit and you think he must have decided to sit down to let you wander around freely but then he returns with a pile of all different kinds of bathing suits in his hands telling you a bit bashfully that he thought those would look good on you. (you’re a little surprised when you notice they’re all the skimpiest two pieces you’ve ever seen btw… it swells your ego that he wants to see you wearing those, that he wants to show you off… also i think hes particularly keen on those bikinis that you have to tie together. he absolutely loves it when you ask him to help you tie the back of your top also thinks they’re a bit risqué and it makes him a little crazy… is constantly playing with the strings of your bottoms that look so good digging into your thighs…) goes inside the fitting room with you to help you tie the bikini tops and kisses your shoulder before standing behind you with his hands on your waist and you’re trying very hard to suppress a smuggish smile from showing because he’s staring so intensily and he’s so tense, his hands are digging at your waist and it’s kinda amusing “so?”

“look so fucking good.” it's so characteristically blunt and you chuckle softly because he’s said that about all the bikini sets you’ve tried on so far. and he means it. you tell him to help you pick one but he's sooo far gone and he feels a little guilty because he's not being much of a help but he's only thinking about hurrying back home where you'll model your new purchase for him like you always do (a way to show him your gratitude, you say, for spending his money on you yet again. he thinks it’s a fair exchange.) he'll close his eyes as per your request as you walk out of the en-suite bathroom of your shared room - doesn't matter he bought it for you, that he's seen you in it and that he's been thinking of you in it ever since. he's thinking of beckoning you closer to him sitting in bed and kissing your exposed tummy. you'll smile, knowingly, because you know how he gets, because you’re all too aware of what he wants yet is too reluctant to put into words, when he begins to play with the strings of your bottoms, his face still buried in the plush of your stomach - a bit too embarrassed to let you in on his desire, scared that it is too flagrant on his features. he feels his greed might be inadequate. you'll smile and guide his hands to your waist, it's okay, you can touch me, and he will trail his hands up your spine and strip you slowly, starting at the knot on your back, followed by the knot on your neck and then the ones on each side of your hips...

he's rushing out of the fitting room with the pile of different bikini sets you couldnt choose from and goes straight to the register to pay for all three of them despite your protests that three new sets is excessive and completely unecessary.

[tv1xx]

I will continue to spread Cecil and Debbie propaganda, he would treat her right. (Sorry Nolan)

[visions--of--collisions]

miles in the pit getting buffeted around like a sweet wrapper bc he doesn't know what tf he's doing and doesn't want to hurt someone or give himself away as enhanced .... hobie having to wade in there to help him out or watch it happening from the stage without losing his shit .....

[teagrammy]

I love how Paris toys with Helen's sense of her own destiny and her sense of humanity as a demigod, especially in relation to her own feelings toward Paris. She implies that she's seen visions/had premonitions about Paris since childhood

In "Perfect Stranger" there's a sense that Aphrodite has guided her to the beach to engineer this meeting with Paris. However, in a less supernatural sense it could indicate that since she's a child she's had an underlying desire for someone who encourages her to be emotive and give into the desires of the heart.

She establishes in both "Long Time Coming" and "Thoughts of Love" that she's lived as a figurehead for her whole life, and in "Chorale" the chorus outright states that she is fashioned in the image of the gods. She feels like she cannot be human, and in a way she's correct because even at the point Paris meets her she's already mythologized. Paris on the other hand is human to a degree that she finds embarrassing, but also intriguing and endearing. It helps that when they meet, Paris doesn't know her identity as the Queen of Sparta, but just sees this beautiful woman Aphrodite has promised to him. He worships her, but in a way that seeks to prioritize Helen's comfort and feelings and make her feel loved. It makes her uncomfortable because she's been worshipped in a way previously that distances her from her humanity. Menelaus outright states this in "Thief in the Night."

Menelaus clearly adores Helen, but in a way that makes Helen feel alienated. She's admired but in a way that makes her more symbol than human. Yet at the same time, Helen has this deep sense of dread that indulging in this human part of her will bring ruin for everyone involved. If she's seen visions, she understands the fate of her relationship with Paris is not going to end happily. But what Paris ultimately argues, and she ultimately accepts is that these sacrifices are needed for her to actually progress and have some sort of fulfilment as a human. In a twisted way, even though Paris dies, the whole affair shifts Menelaus' perspective of Helen and makes him more attentive to her human needs afterward.

Anyway, it's just wild an 80s rock opera gave Helen better characterization and more depth than she's gotten from supposed feminist retellings in the past ten years, but that's neither here nor there.

[bleue-flora]

idk if this is the correct place but i wanted to talk a bit about this and wanted to see you opinion bc I like you analisys on canon a lot.

A big question people have with the lore about cstagedduo it's that if cpunz actually cared for cdream or not- The same with crivals after prison break but that's for another day- and if cpunz would have helped cdream out the prison if he took too long.

I personally think it's a more grey anwser. We know cpunz cares, yeah they are small moments but he does care for cdream. He wouldnt be defensive over the fact they are friends in the ending and let cdream speak to ctommy without protesting to him and still be worried he and cdream both escape the nuke together if he didnt care for him. But it is true he left cdream make his crazy plan of making everyone hate him and insolating himself for god knows how much time they expected the imprisionment to last. And that he left cdream alone a lot in the prison after the prison break while everyone on the server wanted him death. But i think this is more of a fucked up vision cpunz has than signs of lack of care. He cares about cdream but he also trusts his plan is working and he can handle himself just fine and that he's totally not in a bad mental state. He's also on board with the plan so of course if he wants to recolect knowledge and power and trust his friend to know what he is doing, he will in favor of this even if we know as viewers this is a bad idea in all aspects.

Cpunz has flaws as a friend and characther but I do think he cares about cdream. It would have sense if he didnt for me. At the end there's lots of friendships that are pretty grey and imperfect on the dsmp, Like c!clingyduo exist

As far as the prison goes, it is hard to say. How long would have been too long? And how did he not know about Quackity’s torture when it was’t like he was trying to hide it or anything. I think it comes down to trust. Specifically, Punz’s trust and faith in Dream. I’ve talked about it before, but in the stream we get of the two by themselves, Dream is filling Punz in on his plans, but not all of it. Just enough for Punz to understand what his part to play in it is. So, I don’t think Punz really knew what Dream was subjecting himself to, not to mention that things did not go as planned. Sure, while Dream considered all the possible things that could go wrong, like losing two lives and someone coming to torture him, that doesn’t mean Punz knew that and allowed Dream to go through with it. I feel like the perception a lot of times with Punz is that he is like a viking helping an older person up a mountain only to have him jump off. I think we give Punz too much credit to say he saw the big picture just because Dream did. I more so get the impression that he’s by Dream’s side and helping him climb or go wherever he needs to go not necessarily focused on where they are going, because he believes in what Dream believes, he wants what Dream wants, and be trusts Dream as his friend, who is clever and has never given him reason to question him before. 

Because of this trust, there is also an element of betrayal. If he pulls the plug and makes plans to rescue him from prison, he is going against Dream, he is doubting him. If he makes a move to end things without Dream’s support, he is expressing that he doesn’t believe in Dream and not only does that seem like something Punz would not want to risk, but also the reason he looks so bad is because of the conditions of the prison. But see, I don’t think he got to see it before Dream’s incarceration, so he isn’t aware of how inhumane it is. Sure, he likely heard from Bad, but Punz is probably also aware that Dream could be just manipulating Bad so how trust worthy is he. 

We as an outsider perspective can see Dream breaking at the seams, but the other characters certainly aren’t aware of it, so it’s a little unfair to say Punz would either. Dream has been formidable, always prepared, planned out, 10 steps ahead, why would Punz have any reason to doubt Dream in prison? Punz is also one to follow orders, he’s a mercenary after all. You pay him $10 bucks to log off and he will, why would he defy orders, especially if he didn’t know how bad it was. Hell, maybe Dream was supposed to use Ranboo to send a message to Punz if things went wrong, but after Ranboo stopped visiting that was no longer an option, but that Punz necessarily knew about that. So maybe Punz was just sitting on his hands waiting for the go ahead to do something. 

Now after prison, when Dream is such a wreck, is when we see Punz more so go off script. We see him give a passionate, detailed proposition to Purpled (that there’s no way Dream signed off of as it makes him look bad) and we see him reveal he has the revive book to clingy duo and bring Dream back in front of them. Because after prison, when it is revealed just how “south” Dream’s plan went, Punz more takes things into his own hands, especially when it comes to Dream’s well being as Dream can clearly not be trusted to look after that. 

A lot of people seem to get the impression that they did not spend a lot of time together, but see I don’t think that’s true. For starters, there is the "we" in this [clip] where it seems to me that Punz is helping to lead them to the saw trap room almost like he helped make it. Secondly, according to the map [post], placing Vik and Lazar’s experiments after prison this leads us to figure they at least spend a lot of time working together on that. If Dream is to be believed in the finale, months even. And Punz’s protective behavior seen no clearly than this moment [post] makes me more so inclined to believe Punz doesn’t leave him alone for long, especially with everyone out to kill him. I mean he can’t stay at the prison full time, he still has a cover to maintain, but just because he’s in his house in the finale, I don’t think means he kept his distance from Dream, especially after everything with Las Nevadas.

Then as far as the plan goes, we really don’t know even what it is, nonetheless if Punz fought against it. I think Punz stayed by his side and he had the same goals as Dream and they did things together, but that doesn’t mean that he trusted Dream fully after prison or didn’t push back on Dream’s self destruction or that if they survived the nuke that he would continue the plan without Dream. Like I mean this in the nicest way possible, but Punz to me seems to be more so a follower, akin to Tubbo, loyal even if maybe they should hold their friend back from doing something stupid (except Dream is a liar and good at making his stupid seem smart lol making the situation worse). Punz isn’t like Techno, who will call out Dream’s bs, he isn’t the mastermind or thinking 10 steps ahead or seeing the big picture, he’s following Dream who does. He and Dream have been friends from the start, he and Dream want the same things, and he trusts and believes in Dream...

And yes, I think this is apart of what makes their friendship flawed, unbalanced, and tragic, but as you said, so are the other friendships on the dsmp and honestly, so are friendships in real life...

(anyways... I've talked a lot about staged duo, so if I didn't say or explain it here I may have said it somewhere else like in one these other posts: [<> <> <> <> <>] though their dynamic has been shifting in my brain a bit since noticing the map so...)

[imminent-danger-came]

continue being a little mean to toh fans please it is really irritating how some act like its got the best writing of any modern cartoon

Daawwwww I don't have it in me. TOH fans love it for a reason, and there are legitimately good moments! It's just not the most complex or well-written show out there—which it doesn't need to be—but I also totally get your exhaustion. It gets tiring seeing people praise it so highly over and over again when it's just like...fine. It didn't do nothing but it also didn't do something, you know? It's main couple is cute and queer, but that's pretty much all there is to them. It has a fun cast of characters, but they all tend to fall into archetypes. Luz is a sweet main character, but she doesn't have any real flaws and kinda takes a back seat to Hunter and Eda (the white people lol). Her foil with Philip was interesting...but then they kinda backed off and went the "you and Belos are nothing alike" direction.

((I'm also going to answer this anon with another: ))

And It's not that an unsympathetic villian is bad, or that Belos would even be sympathetic with added backstory, it's just that...there were a lot of interesting things to explore with his character that were left hanging.

Like, while he's definitely not at all a good person, it's intriguing that he would bother to recreate his brother over and over again knowing that each time the grimwalker was going to betray him. It's intriguing that he was even willing to kill his brother to begin with (though Caleb was super underutilized in general). Like, you can give a villain depth without justifying or victimizing them (hi Finnegran from tdp, I'll also add Spider Queen & LBD here). So it just feels like a missed opportunity all across the board. It's still surprising to me that we got a confirmation on the Wittebane backstory through an unrelated background character, rather than Philip himself (who had literally possessed a main character, and mindscapes had already been well-established....the pieces were all there me thinks).

And obviously it's like, people can love something despite it's flaws, and they can cherish it for the good it has, but they still don't need to praise it as an ultimate form of media, you know? We don't need to pretend toh was this dark and complex story—it was just a story a lot of people liked and resonated with. Which I'm glad it's there for those people, and I'm glad there are options when it comes to queer pieces of media!

That said the show with the best writing of any modern cartoon is The Dragon Prince (streaming on Netflix).

[ladylilithprime]

Day 19: Dark & Stormy Night

(Set in the werewolf!Sam universe, after Day 9 but before Day 13.)

THE ONLY MOTEL for miles around had a no pets policy, so Dean bit his tongue and smiled charmingly while checking himself in with his "boyfriend", and used a role of duct tape from the Impala's trunk to tape the curtains tightly over the windows once he and Sam were in the room. It wouldn't do anything to stop what was coming any more than the thick cloud cover would, what had them taking the room anyway just to be settled in and safe behind a locked door before moonrise, but it would keep any nosy or unsuspecting people from getting an eyeful of more than just a couple of naked men in a compromising position.

Not that Dean planned on getting naked unless it was in the shower, but Sam had already stripped off his shirts and was working on his shoes and socks now. "Dude, you can't even wait for the door to be locked?"

"You didn't do that already the moment we were inside?" Sam shot back, eyebrows raised. "Don't forget the salt tapes!"

"I'm not going to forget the salt tapes," Dean lied, taping down the final edge of the curtain and digging into his duffle bag. He had forgotten them for a moment, more worried about someone seeing than something getting in, but he wasn't about to admit that. The huffed laugh from behind him let him know that Sam didn't believe him anyway, but his brother kindly didn't call him on it. He even stopped his undressing long enough to help Dean unroll the clear cellophane tape "ropes" filled with salt and secure them along the bottom of the door jam and the bottom and top of the curtained window. Really, Sam's friend Jess had been incredibly helpful to them with this suggestion, among other things. They may have been more bulky and noticeable than a basic salt line and taken more time to remove when they needed to bug out, but they were more secure and solid than loose salt and they ended up with much less salt wasted. "How come nobody else among hunters ever thought of doing this, anyway?"

"You'd think Dad at least would've considered it, given how paranoid he was," Sam agreed. "Or even Rufus or Bobby."

"Rufus would be checking them constantly for breaks or gaps," Dean snorted. "And Bobby went and laid down permanent salt lines under the paint around every door and window in his house, so who knows if he ever thought of something like this for a temporary measure. Betcha if Dad had thought about it, he still would'a put down regular salt lines even with the ropes!"

"Yeah, that tracks," Sam snickered. His hands dropped to his belt and Dean averted his eyes back down to his duffle bag, still not a hundred percent comfortable actually watching his brother getting naked even if he was starting to get used to seeing it. Every bit of it, since Sam didn't exactly flaunt himself but he also wasn't nearly as shy and selfconscious as he'd been as a gangly teenager before he left for Stanford. Dean sometimes wondered if it had been college that had boosted Sam's confidence or being turned into a werewolf, but he hadn't worked up the courage yet to ask. Either way, his little brother definitely wasn't so little anymore, and he had nothing to be ashamed about.

"Wind's picking up outside," Sam murmured, making Dean look up again. His brother was looking at the covered window, his expression troubled. "Smells like the storm that was rolling in is picking up speed."

"Tornado?" Dean asked, tensing. On a full moon night, they couldn't risk leaving to try and outrun it or get out of the path and still be safe before moonrise.

Sam paused, closing his eyes and cocking his head to one side, listening. He sniffed, then breathed in deeply, his bare chest expanding with it and distracting Dean briefly with the play of light and shadow across his smooth pecs and abs and the dusky brown of his perked nipples. He wrenched his eyes away and tried to focus on the lurid wallpaper in the room before Sam's super sniffer caught something they couldn't just keep on ignoring for a little while longer.

"If it is gonna form up into a twister, it's not likely to go over us," Sam said at length. "Not impossible, mind, but unlikely. Not ruling out a thunderstorm, though."

"You gonna be okay with that?" Dean asked, looking at Sam again, his concern overriding the awkward. Sammy had never dealt particularly well with thunderstorms as a kid with the flashing lighting and loud rolling thunder. Dean didn't know how being transformed with his hearing dialed up to eleven was gonna go for Sam now.

From the sardonic look on Sam's face, he'd probably guessed at least half of where his big brother's thoughts had gone.

"I'm an adult now, jerk," he drawled, flopping down on the bed in a lazy sprawl, drawing Dean's eyes inexorably down the entire adult length of him. "I'll be just fine."

"We'll see, bitch," Dean retorted as he turned to stow his duffle under the warded window.

The pillow to the back of his head was expected, and probably deserved.

JUST FINE MY ass, Dean thought three hours later as another loud roll of thunder crashed about over their heads, making Sammy whine and burrow closer against Dean's side. He held the words back and just carefully stroked a hand over his brother's thick fur from the top of his head to the base of his tail, over and over, steady and slow, his other arm stretched out and curled around Sam to bracket him without restraining him.

It still amazed Dean that Sam was willing to let him close like this when he was all wolfed out, that even in the grip of the full moon his brother still knew and trusted him enough to let him close, and trusted himself enough to be close. Probably helped that Dean made a point of divesting himself of anything silver beforehand and only kept the standard gun and a salted iron knife under his pillow just in case. Because Dean absolutely trusted his brother not to lose control or hurt him, no matter what form - he'd more than proved that over the last year they'd been on the road together - and if something ever slipped and they both ended up going furry once a month, well... Dean was coming around to the idea that it might not be so bad so long as he had Sammy with him.

Assuming that Sam would even want to stick with him, once this thing with the demons was really over and his brother could go back to Stanford. That he'd even want Dean's emotionally constipated ass and ever-growing arrest record near his shiny college life and future law degree.

...That he'd want to keep Dean in his life at all.

The wet nose and furry snout jabbing him in the ribs dragged him out of his head and he grunted, looking down at Sam in annoyance. "What was that for, bitch?"

For someone with a wolf's face and limited range of expression, Sammy still managed to give him a remarkably unimpressed stare with amber-green canine eyes. With a deep huff, the wolf levered himself up a few inches, just enough to shift over and settle down again with his huge head resting on Dean's chest, his nose an inch away from the amulet just over his heart. Dean swallowed and reached up to scratch behind Sam's ears, earning a softer huff that sounded closer to a contented sigh and a wagging tail smacking gently against his leg.

"Yeah, okay," Dean murmured, burying his fingers in the thick fur as the thunder rumbled again, a little further away now. "Love you, too, Sammy."

No matter what.