#now I have to watch the episode immediately

[obsessedhoneycomb]

Heating pads

Max Verstappen x fem!reader

Summary: Your good time in Portimao being interrupted by your endo flare up again.

Warnings: endometriosis, cramps, love and care, infertility and baby talk

A/N: Wrote this last night and I poured into it some of my personal experience with endo, more this time. Surgery worked a little for me, it gave me a three months without cramps. Every body is different, every treatment works differently for us. But we’re in this together, endo sisters!

For @amberjazmyn 🧡

Don’t use my writings without my permission! Pictures found on Pinterest.

———

The weather at Portimao circuit wasn’t so pleasant as it was nearing the end of the year. F1 season was long gone and Max was able to finally avert his attention to his other hobbies (not gonna mention it’s still racing, but for his kinda own team).

Meeting with all the people around Verstappen.com Racing was a great one, especially with Thierry Vermeulen, because he was so funny, but humble at the same time.

You were always amazed how Max was so good at handling his many duties and hobbies at the same time. He was a great mentor, passing his legacy and wisdom and you watched how his temper calmed down a little through the years.

It wasn’t long ago when you moved to his apartment at Monaco, making your relationship more official after three years of being there and nowhere, between your job and his races. One day you decided enough is enough and you didn’t want to face your life alone anymore. That stirred some rumours through his fan base and also your parents weren’t able to hold back in their questions about you two starting a family. Truth was that you and Max weren’t exactly against having children, but the main problem was your endometriosis. Severe pain episodes, ending in ER may times, being neglected by doctors, saying it’s only in your head and that you need to sleep it off. You thought, for so many years, that you’re just insane, but after Max got through one of your endo flare ups with you, he got you through many doctor appointments, to the best specialists in the field, where you finally heard your diagnosis.

The surgery date was set after the new year’s, when Max would be still around to help you get back on your feet and mend your wounds with his love and care. But to that date your body just decided that you need to suffer.

You stood in the garage, watching how Max talked with the engineers and Thierry about some issues, his yapping always getting more and more interesting, when you felt a cramp in your lower back. It wasn’t unusual, you always had similar, and you brushed it off as some kind of back pain, most likely from standing for too long.

Watching Max racing at the empty track was always fun, he gave it his all, enjoying his time and it made you genuinely smile. But now you were pale, your forehead getting a little sweaty, same as your whole body. Feeling the need to sit down, you understood immediately, when the pain shot through your abdomen, pooling at your right side, that stretching burning sensation ghosting to your lower back. Trying to play it cool, you swallowed hard, smiling at everybody around.

About two hours later, Max was done with the testing, leaving the car to Thierry and he went to look through some performance reports, when he spotted you sitting at the bench, having that weird expression on your face like you were trying so hard to hide something, but failing miserably.

“Hey, love.. are you okay?”

His hand went to your cheek and you quickly shot him a look full of pain. He knew that look, seeing it more frequently in past weeks.

“Come here.” Without further words, he grabbed your hand and led you through the corridors to your car outside, where you had your things. Sitting you in the backseat, he quickly went to the trunk, rummaging through his bag, coming back after a while with some packages.

“Max, it’s okay, I can manage it.” You tried to protest but he dismissed you.

“Let me take care of you, I’m prepared.” Sitting beside you at the backseat, he opened both packages, shaking the contents a little with an approving hum. Heating pads. Your eyes went wide with surprise, but then your face softened, your eyes nearly welled with tears.

Warming his hands with the pads a little, he carefully lifted up your hoodie along with your top, to get to your bare abdomen, placing one pad under the waistband of your pants and the other at your lower back. You were always taken aback, how he remembered the location of your pains, where it hurts the most. After he was sure he placed pads securely, he pulled down your top and hoodie.

“Does it feel good?” Cupping your cheek, he had a concern written all over his face and you just nodded. With soft hum, he wrapped his hands around you, getting you closer to his chest, holding you tight against him, making sure you’re comfortable.

“Thank you, Maxie..” your sweet murmur made him smile, your hands hugging his warm and huge body like a teddy bear, the heating pads bringing you comfort you needed.

“Anything for you, my love.. I would go to the end of the world if it meant for you to be in less pain.” Max kissed your temple softly, letting out a soft sigh.

“You’ve done so much for me in this case, I don’t know how I deserved this.”

“You deserve the world, darling. And those pains.. I would do anything to take it on myself instead of you. I hate to see you contorted by it. Packing those heating pads it’s less than I can do for you, to make it easier.”

“You really changed my life, Max.”

“Oh, baby. You changed mine. A lot. I wasn’t this happy like I am beside you. I never forget that moment you smiled at me at that coffee shop in London, because you absolutely stole my breath.”

You chuckled softly, but the slight shot of pain made you wince a little.

“Can you please rub my back a little? It helps also..”

Max just nodded, sneaking his hand under your top, his warm hand rubbing the heat into your skin slowly and gently, making you relax more.

“You know, when we bought this car back then, I thought that it will be different action we’ll be doing on the backseat..” his voice was laced with teasing, trying to make you smile.

“Well.. I thought so too, but I can’t even imagine doing it right now.”

“No, love, I didn’t mean it like that. You’re in discomfort and never in the right mind I would try to make a move on you like this.”

Max liked being intimate with you, your chemistry being something undeniable when you two got to bed, but he respected you and your body. He would rather not have sex with you for weeks than to cause you pain.

“I know, I know, sorry. But we can try after I’m healed from surgery. And there can be a little miracle after. Like we talked many times before. Little Verstappen tapping around.”

It was true happy smile he saw on your face in a while. His heart skipped a beat at the idea of having a baby with you.

“Sure, whatever makes you happy, love. And whatever doesn’t cause you pain.”

His soft lips kissing your nose in the most lovely way was something only you could see. To the world he was that unbeatable lion on the track, dominating champion. But with you he was a caring, loving boyfriend, who would die for you in every way possible.

[mangoshorthand]

These are gorgeous and they look like what would happen if someone (let's face it, probably Luther) nominated Five for Queer Eye.

I would kill to watch that episode. OP thank you so much for this gift. My brain is now buzzing with this.

Jeremiah got his work cut out:

Jeremiah: So your apartment's covered in math...but is there a space that's just about one number? Five: Huh? Jeremiah: Where's the space that's all about Five? Five: *Immediately breaks down in tears even though they've only been here ten minutes*

Poor Antoni like:

Antoni: You're not in an apocalypse any more. Why are you still eating as if you are?

Five: *eating bug*

Antoni: .......we're going to try a kale smoothie, okay?

But Karamo would have it worst:

Karamo: So, Five, life hasn't always been kind to you, am I right?

*5 harrowing minutes later*

Karamo: This is above my pay grade.

But the fashion show would be perfect:

Tan: Guys, I've got bad news. We can no longer call ourselves The Fab Five!

Five: *Struts into the room, loving it*

Jonathan: OH. MY. GOOODDD. LOOK 👏AT 👏THIS👏 BITCH

Five: *addressing assembled siblings* Look at me, I'm serving.

Started as a quick cloth study but ended up adding Five cuz why not lol

[lion-eva61]

Saw that tweet on twitter and hated it. Because 1. people seem always to gaslight Jayce , saying : oh, you are saying Mel manipulated him? Well his fault for being so easy to be manipulated. He is a himbo ! He is like a leaf in the wind so don’t you dare point out Mel’s grey morality. Instead make more jokes about Jayce!

Even half serios only half joking : Jayce actually wanted to be manipulated by a beautiful woman!

Here is my take:

First : Mel is deep down a good moral leader who is empathetic and cares about all people. But her true potential is buried and need to get out.

Second, Mel should have teamed up with ekko in season 2. Her journey to a good moral leader was not in season 1, her vote for independence of zhaun is not enough to make me say: her dream is to help people just like Jayce and Viktor. But her journey (right at the bombing of the council )should have began to become that person.

With ekko there was so much potential for her to learn about zhaunits and make her finally believe that they are HER people too, that all that gold she wears is like blood gold when all the zhaunits suffer.

Here is why:

First I want to establish Mel’s very grey character by her interactions with Jayce:

Jayce was easily pushed into all kinds of decisions (Markus and ambessa ) and into a political position by Mel, were she gave him full power over the future of hextech, BUT, the council gave no room for him to even have time to think about it. People often say: why didn’t he just say :No actually I don’t want it!

Well watch episode 4 again : Mel IMMEDIATELY began with the voting for creating a house Talis. The council was already 3 steps ahead before Jayce could even utter a word and talking over him. No one even asked him : hey do you even want this Jayce? It shows that the council, once they have something in their minds, they will have it reinstated. In this case :Mel wanted Jayce in the council , and she got that.

Not to mention that Mel already put the seeds in his head (same episode I think but earlier) that he could be a good leader to spread hextech to the world. She made sure to put that idea in his head to achieve his hextech dream.

Also it is not altruism that Mel gave him so much power, because she actually gave herself power over hextech. With Jayce in the council she has one vote more for whatever she wants to be reinstated, because it is easy for her to convince Jayce of her opinions(for example hextech weapons).

Mel used Jayce’s lack of political and tactical understanding. I mean, she was smart enough to approach Jayce and not Viktor, because getting a say of the future of hextech would be impossible through Viktor, a zhaunits who distrust the upper piltover class.

Her journey in s1 is that she moved and used tactics like a Merdada but learns to open up to Jayce and reject her upbringing. But that journey is rocky. To remind everyone : she was(under the pressure of her mother ) the catalyst for the hextech weapons, she brought that idea into Jayce’s and victors lab and brought another dilemma into Jayce’s life : is it morally correct to use his dream to fight other people to protect your own people. At that moment she didn’t consider the zhaunits her people, planting another seed into Jayce’s mind : it’s them vs us.

Meanwhile Viktor was defusing Jinx’s bomb and reminding Jayce , that there is choice for not using violence against people. A deliberate contrast to what Mel said.

And even the final vote for independence for zhaun is rocky : she was taking by surprise with the peace deal and looked worried and unsure. It looks like a mirror how Jayce felt when she took him by surprise and made him council. Now Jayce surprised her with the decision where her morals finally really stands, and she votes for peace.

Problem is, the council already overlooked so much of the issues in zhaun, that their voting is way to late. The pain of zhaunits expressed by jinx is boiling over and the rocket hits.

A final and very good conclusion, a middle finger to the council and their half asses morality.

And that was Mel’s journey : she was just not quick enough to realize, where her morals stands. She was not fast enough to let go of her merdada tactics and work for peace instead of wealth for piltover.

She is not a villain but also not an ally to zhaun. YET

Now season 2:

In season 2 she should have cooperate with ekko, learning the people of zhaun and become the person she really is deep down but is buried under the pressure of her mom and all the years of accumulation wealth for her and piltover, ignoring zhaun.

Her journey was not over to become a true good leader, she was barely a good moral leader in season 1. she should have become one in season 2.

The symbolism to throw away the gold to help the tree of the firelight’s, make it bloom and shine again like she wanted as a child, a city beautiful that it’s shines bright: THAT IS LIERALLY THE FIRELIGHTS HIDEOUT

That’s why it is so so disappointing that Mel Stan’s never talk about her in greater depth, brush her decisions and tactics with a moral white brush, ignore all the so obvious wealth symbolism around her that point out how far away she is from the pain of zhaunits , gaslight Jayce and ignore her journey.

And make stupid tweets.

You guys should not be angry why she didn’t end up with Jayce , but why she never had the chance to show us , that of all people in piltover, she is actually the most caring. That she would have the biggest heart for zhaun. Why didn’t we see that? When it was established how much she actually cares that people don’t suffer? Why didn’t Mel not have a single chance to interact with zhaunits ? To see their suffering ? To make actual changes ?

[bwat5-blog]

The Commander: Part One

**Spoilers For All of Arcane**

Thankfully, despite being perhaps the least understood and appreciated character arc in modern media, the amount of incredible material being sent into the ether defending/explaining Caitlyn Kiramman's arc for season two has become truly inspiring. In fact, it was two statements I saw being echoed across the fandom that drove me to the point I was willing to emerge from lurkerdom, and start engaging with all of you wonderful people.

"Vi was the Jinx"

"Ku Klux Kiramman"

Now any of you who have kept up with my writing know that the first one is just about aneurysm inducing to me. And as such, I have written quite a bit about it. But the second one is no less idiotic, and while I have written multiple shorter pieces addressing various aspects of her character. It is on this subject I return to you tonight, hoping to put together a more complete picture of my thoughts on her story, and continue to support the recognition of the humanity, and heroism of Caitlyn Kiramman.

Before we begin, there will perhaps be someone who reads this, who has filed the story of Caitlyn Kiramman away under the heading of "ACAB", or "Facist" in their own mind, and chosen to turn away from what lies below the surface this tale. If that is you, welcome. I would encourage you to read ahead with an open mind and heart, and to see the humanity that lies in all of us reflected in this story both good and bad. For as Desmond Tutu once said "My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together"

______________________________________________________________

The Lead Up:

At twenty-three years old, Caitlyn Kiramman's life has been altered in ways too vast to reckon with in only a matter of days. I have extensively detailed a series of events in another document specifically with the goal of showing who she is as the story develops. I will not do so again here, but below will list both the destabilizing events, and a basic rundown of who we have come to know, following this characters story.

Who She is-

Bright and curious/ we meet her as a happy and helpful young girl walking with Jayce in episode 1

Unwilling to turn on those she cares for/sitting out in the rain to speak to Jayce when her parents turned on him

Wants to protect her people/when Grayson asks what Kiramman is shooting for, we see her look out over the city

Dedicated Enforcer (believes in the system)/ When caught investigating the airship without permission, we learn she has done this before. And later that she has an ongoing investigation into the corruption of the undercity.

Open minded toward undercity/ Many examples. Kindness to large man who Vi keeps ruining when she finds him shot, she hugs Huck without reservation for saving Vi, verbally equates undercity and topsiders while caring for Vi, stands by testimony that Jinx alone was the reason for the attack even after her mother's death.

Brave and loyal/Engages Sevika immediately to save Vi's life, trades her rifle to save Vi, tries to trade her freedom for Vi's before she learns the Firelights are allies.

Destabilizing/Traumatizing events-

Survives Jinx's theft of gemstone in which six enforcers were killed.

Helps Vi escape Silco and his goons, they literally bring a building down.

First meeting with Jinx in person, attack of the firelights.

Taken by firelights, doesn't know if they are going to hurt them or not at first.

Almost killed by the sheriff after watching him shoot Ekko.

Survives Jinx's attack.

Abducted by Jinx from her childhood home, naked, while in the shower.

Bound and gagged with smiling mask at Jinx's tea party. Listens as Jinx tries to get Vi to kill her.

Has opportunity to stop Jinx, shows mercy at Vi's pleading.

Violently knocked out.

Helplessly watches Jinx fire the rocket that will kill her mother and 2 other councilors.

Summary: So, at twenty-three years of age, Caitlyn has lost her mother, been almost killed by the leader of the system of law and order she has believed in her entire life, been terrorized, abducted and nearly murdered multiple times by the same woman who killed her mother, who she possibly could have stopped. All in a matter of days. To help keep things in perspective, let's look at a few points using USA real life application.

She has only been legally allowed to drink for two years.

Based on the average, she has not even been able to drive for ten years.

Based on the average, she would graduated high school five years ago at most.

Based on the average for American college students she would be close to finishing her bachelors degree if she was in college.

Now, moving forward we are going to discuss both the grief and trauma she is experiencing. Those who have read my material have seen my stance regarding her grief. It is not different here so by all means skip ahead. It is only thanks to an insightful user who wrote an excellent post regarding her trauma recently that I realized I had been neglecting that point, so I will try to do it justice here. But we cannot move into her "down-fall" without a proper look at these two factors.

Grief-

" Zaunites live with fear of death constantly, Caitlyn loses one family member and gets to lose her mind"

" Not gonna feel bad for the oppressor when the oppressed finally hit back. #sorrynotsorry"

" So losing your mom justified becoming a war criminal?"

Folks, I've said it many times at this point and will continue to say it. Grief is not a contest. The way in which we perceive the world has to come through the filter of our beliefs and experiences. Now it can change, as we grow, and learn, and come to understand more about the wider world around us. But it's just how it works. Of course, if you grow up with death all around you, you are not going to react as strongly to the single death of a loved one. Not to say of course that you don't grieve or feel that loss, but it will be less jarring.

But for a moment, imagine you have never felt that pain. Never known the darkness of someone who used to occupy a place in your world being gone and there being nothing you can do. Oh, and for an added bonus, add the guilt of feeling like you could have saved them...

It does not erase the pain of the people of Zaun to validate that of Caitlyn. It does not deny the history of oppression and suffering of the Undercity to recognize and validate that after days of incredibly traumatizing violence, this young woman now has to reckon with her mother's violent death that she will always wonder if she could have stopped.

Trauma-

"I want to tear that laugh from her throat forever"...

"I understand now, how easy it is to hate them. One vicious act.."

*As I have stated in various posts mostly pertaining to Jinx, I am in no way a mental health professional of any kind. So anything I share is my effort at understanding through research and observation*

To begin, we need to remember how Caitlyn grew up. Wealthy, safe, and privileged. People are determined to use her upbringing to rob her suffering of any validity, but... why? Does the fact that she was raised in wealth rob her of the ability to suffer? to bleed? No, at the end of the day it means she has known a life without danger, hunger, pain and loss. And in only a matter of days, has had each of those things violently crash into her life with no way to stop it.

As I am operating from a complete layman's perspective, I am going to try and keep this simple:

Near Death Experiences- In a matter of days Caitlyn has for the first time in her life, been through a series of events that could easily have killed her. Speaking as someone who used to do a job that occasionally placed me in violent situations, and never as severe as what Caitlyn has been through, I can tell you the effects of each and everyone are quite real. According to a report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics in 2009, "Among all victims of violent crime, the two most widely experienced emotional symptoms were feeling worried or anxious (72%) and feeling angry (70%) for a month or more". A month of heightened anger and anxiety from a single violent incident. She has been through quite a bit more than that.

2. Abduction- Caitlyn was taken from the bathroom of her childhood home. She was naked when Jinx showed up, and at some point made to put on her Enforcer uniform and bound and gagged. By this time, Jinx has almost killed her several times, and killed many of her peers. And now she is here in Caitlyn's home, in a place where Caitlyn is vulnerable and all alone. Violating her sense of safety and security to the highest degree. An article from Sage Journals by David Alexander and Susan Klein lists "intrusive thoughts..hypervigilance..anger.. and depression" all as possible long term effects in victims of hostage taking and abductions, among many others. We can see all of these manifesting in Caitlyn, but to draw attention to Intrusive thoughts:

"I keep seeing three faces... but then there's Jinx... laughing.. I want to tear that laugh from her throat forever"

SEASON 2:

Okay.... that was a lot! I know, and I appreciate you if you are still here (yes even you hashtagger). But now that we have established a proper baseline and understanding of what occured in season one we can really dig into season 2 and everything this young woman goes through.

Before the attack on the memorial, it seems as though there is a chance of Caitlyn keeping her ahead above that dark water she feels rising. Even with all that has happened, she does not blame the Undercity at this time. She maintains her testimony that Jinx alone is responsible. She protests that innocents will be caught in the cross-fire when Salo wishes for war. What she could not know, is that Ambessa Medarda was already making moves to get the war she has been hoping for, and has her eyes on Caitlyn to do it.

The Memorial Attack-

The Memorial attack is the push. it is the thing needed to tip Caitlyn over the edge she had only barely been clinging to. She and Vi share a moment afterward in which Vi recognizes that this had been done for the sake of the spectacle, but Caitlyn is angry... on top of everything else she has been through, even a day to mourn her mother's passing has been tainted with violence. Her fellow enforcers lay dead all around them, as well as the bodies of their attackers mere feet from the watch statues of the deceased councilors.

And although she was not, it is entire reasonable to assume Caitlyn and Vi would assume Jinx's involvement in some way given all that happened. Caitlyn admits she is afraid... afraid that if she goes after Jinx without Vi, one of them will die. And the dominoes begin to fall as our characters are driven to betray their principles in the name of "justice"... As Caitlyn strides into the Council meeting, announcing she has claimed the role as the leader of her house, and will be leading a strike team into Zaun with 3 objectives.

Dismantle Shimmer

Apprehend Jinx

Neutralize any agents still loyal to Sico

All according to plan...

*** Sorry folks didn't intend to have to split this in two but time ran out on me. Hope to get part 2 up over the next day or so. Thanks for reading!****

[askhezureviews]

We will all know your thoughts on season 2 of HB soon. I don’t know if you waiting was in response to people saying”you have to wait to see the whole season before judging it” but do you think there’s any ever case where this could apply to reviews?

Actually, that is typically what I prefer to do. I like to binge watch media to their completion for a more rounded review. I know my 45+ min videos are annoying to most, I can't blame them since I too have a short attention span- as well as a terrible tendency to waste half the review summarizing the plot (I'm working on fixing that for my future reviews, apologies for that) but I typically prefer to judge things on an overall basis rather than part 1, part 2, episode 12, season 3, season 6- simply for the sake of video cleanliness. The phrase of "wait until it finishes before judging" is a major player for all media. Absolutely the case with Arcane, because season 2 they had an unreliable narrator as well as a structure designed to withhold information from the audience.

The Owl House and Steven Universe didn't actually even... start their plots until their second seasons, they had a very slow start.

I'm also gonna wait for more episodes of Monkey Wrench and The Amazing Digital Circus before making a youtube review, since they're still pretty early on in production. There's a lot of character information and plot we simply do not have yet- regardless, I'm loving what I'm seeing thus far.

The reason I made an exception for Helluva Boss: They already had at least one season established, and episode 1 of season 2 completely changed the storyline season 1 was heading for. You could see an immediate change in storytelling and pacing due to the fact that the writer changed, as well as the show's priorities shifting to focus on the ship pandering.

If I had been watching Tangled the series in real time, I probably would have also made an exception video regarding Cassandra's villain arc immediately because the set up for that was nonsensical, and true to the start, it remained nonsensical to the end of the show. Helluva Boss had problems before, but the comedy genre allowed wiggle room for making mistakes because it didn't take itself seriously. But now that it has dedicated itself as a romantic drama, investing in character angst and connections, it starts dragging on as plotline traumas start repeating and becoming more dramatic. It is now taking itself too seriously.

Changing Stolitz from a business partners with benefits to childhood friend soulmates was a red flag that stood out to me, because this decision changed the trajectory of the show and omit our characters from any wrongdoing. I've never seen a show flatten their characters like pancakes in a single episode before, it was astonishing.

While some of Helluva Boss's season 2 episodes managed to redeem some nice writing or character moments, regardless, this season has continued to end all stakes for our characters through plot armor as well as humiliating the villains they introduced in season 1.

If you have at least one established season for your show, and your writing suddenly: 1. Drastically changes prior interaction & depth of characters 2. Changes the show's trajectory, focus, and genre 3. Presents the above in a nonsensical manner / no believable set up Then that's a red flag to indicate the show is gonna go down hill, as previous fans are now left confused to the sudden change. There's a high probability you'll lose views/support/money because of these changes. While the show may attempt to backtrack in later episodes, as Helluva Boss has, this creates a separate problem of contradicting itself, leaving the audience confused as to how they're meant to interpret these scenes as the tone flip flops every other episode. (and actually leads to more fandom drama)

I've been waiting for season 2 to end because the initial plot change shock was over, as they continued to double down on their decision. As well as my realization that a different writer was actually now on board, which explained a lot. Thus, I want to go back and review Helluva Boss season 1 and season 2 as a whole instead of the episode reviews I was doing, to help put things into perspective for people and actually get to talk about what Helluva Boss did right so I can lead into where it went wrong.

[llively-12]

Let Down

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Park Jihyo x female reader

Warnings: Angst, jihyo cheats (heartbreaking), relationship struggles, mentions of... a man

Story: Jihyo is behaving weird. She is growing distant, and you get a hint why.

Authors note: I'm obsessed with this song. I thought the mood would fit for this idea. Enjoy the read♥︎

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Usually, October, was your favourite month. You loved the fresh autumn air and the way the leaves changed their colours, only to fall from the branches and wrinkle until nothing but dust was left of them.

The cicle of the different seasons is always fascinating. You love going outside and experiencing this in real life. Touching the said leaves that had fallen to the ground. Laying in the grass on a warm spring day and watching the birds return after the cold. See the beauty of nature in the summer and, finally, the cold and icy days of the winter.

Winter always made you a bit sad or depressed. You never knew why, though. It is as if all of the happiness, collected by the other seasons, is just pulled out of your head and replaced with some lingering thoughts.

In all these dark and icy months, you had Jihyo. She was the only person bringing you joy when there really was nothing to be happy about. She cared for you in ways you have never experienced. You are so thankful for the relationship that has been growing between you two.

You were introduced through chaeyoung. You are friends with chaeyoung. Both of you met at an art museum. She stumbled onto you while taking pictures of the paintings. After that, your friendship blossomed, and she introduced you to Twice.

Jihyo and you understood each other immediately, though it all needed some time. You were honestly too shy to ask her out. She never really thought you were into her.

The ice was broken after the other members set you up for a date. After that, you both hit it off very well. Even though you needed to be secret about this, due to her idol status and the strict dating rules. It wasn't easy in the beginning, but you passed over every obstacle, as long as you were with her.

◇

You try to warm your feet under a thick blanket. The TV is playing in the background. One of Jihyos' favourite K-dramas is running. She told you early into the relationship about her love for K-dramas and the need for them to always be playing when she was home. You quickly took over her habit, and now, every time you're at home, some korean drama is running in the background.

You watch the episode attentively while waiting for Jihyo to come home. Twice is busy, especially during the colder seasons. New comebacks are waiting to be released, and another world tour is being planned.

You want to give Jihyo all the space and time that she needs. She could be very hectic and frustrated during those times, so she really needed the time and space at given moments. Arguments often bubbled up, and Jihyo really hated them. They always resulted in tears and slamming doors.

It's almost midnight, and she still hasn't come home yet. Late nights were occasional at the company, but you always knew when Jihyo took more time to prepare stuff for the comebacks. She would call you or message you about stuff like this.

It has happened before that she did not reply to your messages or just forgot to send a text about her being late, but in the last few days, these occurrences started piling up. She always found an excuse, and you were forgiving.

◇

Jihyo comes home, and the lights are still on. The TV is playing, and you are on the couch, fast asleep. She has seen thus sight many times before. As much as it hurt her for the relationship to be like this, she couldn't do much about it. The company needed her more than anything right now, hoping on her ideas or her presence for the comeback.

She walks over to your body and smiles softly. The sight never got old. She leaned down to give you a small kiss on the cheek, her lips leaving a small kiss mark.

Jihyo turns off the TV as well as the lights. Her arms wrap around you and carry you over to the bed. The bed is comfy and carries both of your scents within its sheets.

After getting ready for bed, Jihyo settles down next to you. Her muscles are sore from the practice. The smooth and soft feeling of the mattress eases the tension in Jihyos' body and helps her relax.

She falls asleep a few moments later.

◇

Twice did not know about someone collaborating with them. It was a last-minute decision, chosen by one of the managers. The artist is quite known in the west. The goal is to bring Twice's fame more to the Western people. More collaborations with Western artists would guarantee more fans.

The members were always a bit shy when it came to meeting new artists. Their career mostly resulted in the groups comebacks. Only a few months ago, they started with inviting over other artists and creating new songs.

Jihyo and the other members were excited for the guest. They were waiting in some room within the company. There were some formalities to go over before shaking hands and making music.

The atmosphere was slightly tense, but the women did everything in their mind to keep the tone nice and friendly. The managers were preparing everything for the meeting. Soft laughters filled the room as the Twice members joked around about the situation or past moments.

The attention is quickly fixed to the door as a relatively tall, tanned man walks in. His clothing style is simple. The smile on his face seems genuine. The Twice members quickly get up to greet the Western artist. Jihyo, as the leader, went up to him first. She bows down a bit and greets the man with a gentle smile.

"Hi, I'm Jihyo, and this is Twice."

She points to the other eight women. The man introduces himself and greets the other women, too, though his gaze stays on Jihyo. The leader of Twice does not notice this, though, being too caught up watching after her members.

The language barrier is a bit awkward but is quickly fixed with a translator. The meeting goes smoothly, and everyone is happy with the results. The connection between Jihyo and the other artist is friendly, though the man can't seem to keep his eyes off of Jihyo.

◇

The cold weather outside of the bookstore carried many people through the doors. Books were getting more popular nowadays so your job as a cashier was more active and fun. It's almost like the sells for books rise with the colder months. The aesthetic of walking into a bookstore after a fresh walk must be a nice feeling for the people in town.

You were focused on getting the newly ordered books into their shelves. The organising and refilling of books took up most of the time. You never understood customers who just left books on completely different shelves.

The ladder you were on was shaking a bit, and you had to hold onto one of the shelves. You have been working for almost seven hours now, and your shift will be over soon. You can't wait to get home and cook a nice meal for Jihyo and yourself. It has been a while since the two of you found the time and energy to have a proper meal together.

Ever since you moved to Korea, you made sure to learn Korean cuisine and master their way of cooking. This came in handy after you met Jihyo. She loves food and was surprised by your cooking skills. It was nice and loving to cook for her, and watch her eat the food with a happy frown.

You quickly make your way back home after your shift. Jihyo is already home and greets you with a loving embrace as well as a long kiss. The kissing wouldn't stop, as both of you missed each other dearly, never really getting the chance to spend a lot of time together. The food could wait, as your feet take wobbly but sure steps towards the bedroom. Jihyos arms quickly picking you up and carrying you over to the bed.

◇

His voice intrigued Jihyo. Not many artist stayed around this much during comebacks, most of them just travelling around Seoul to experience the culture and take pictures. He, on the other hand, stayed around the group, made sure to get to know everyone, and strike up small but meaningful conversations.

Was it obvious that he was mostly talking to Jihyo? Yes. Did anyone suspect or notice anything? No.

Jihyo is a charming woman nonetheless. Her aura is alluring, and she does the best at feeling new people welcome. Adding the leader card and her natural care for the other person's well-being can make quite a few people dizzy with love. She always got complimented and showered with love. The hybe around this woman was nothing new. Yet she always made sure to stay loyal.

You were a big secret in Jihyos' life. Of course, the members and her family knew, but the bigger image was always closed off with a curtain, preventing the attention on Jihyos and your relationship. She made sure that you were safe from the fans and the paparazzi. She would not forgive herself if the sharp tongues ever cut at your flesh.

And even though you're her everything, the person that supports her the most during times where she felt the worst, she can't keep her eyes off him. What makes this man so special? Is it his American accent? The way he listens attentively to everything she says? The attention she gets from him?

Jihyo's mind can not fathom any reason why she would be this interested in another person if she got the perfect one sitting at home, waiting for her. Maybe this was not romance. Jihyo was sure that she was just fascinated by the man's persona. That must be it.

Nothing could come between you and Jihyo, right?

◇

His name has left her mouth about seven times this evening. You notice the way her eyes light up while talking about him. It made you wonder. When was the last time Jihyo talked about you like this? Her members would often take chances and share whatever Jihyo was saying with you. Whether it was your appearance that day, that made her heart swell or the way you said goodbye before work. But now that you think of it. Jihyo hasn't been this affectionate in a while.

Sure, her career was demanding, and you were never that kind of girlfriend. You could never put yourself between Jihyo and her job as an idol. She worked so hard for this. Never in a million years would you ever make her change something about her job. You even admired her patience for pursuing an artist life. It was hard and often made Jihyo crumble under the stress. There were times when you cursed out her choice of work, but after all, it was something that she chose.

And now you're here. Listening to her gushing about this male artist. Suddenly, the food tastes bland, and your appetite leaves along the mood for a romantic night. The warm lights of the restaurant feel too dark, like they're purposefully pushing you into the dark. Everything seems to pull you down, and that's just by hearing his name.

You sigh and push away your plate. Jihyo stops talking and focuses on your behaviour. She frowns and puts a hand on yours, her thumb idly brushing over your knuckles.

"Is something wrong, babe?

The concern in her voice is evident. She always cared for you. Jihyo would move mountains if it meant for you to be happy. She would do everything she could to ensure your comfort.

"I'm fine, it's just, you've been talking about this one artist the whole evening. It's like I'm not even here with you."

Your answer takes Jihyo aback. She hadn't noticed the way she was constantly bringing up his name. Sometimes, Jihyo just drifts off while talking. It's natural for her not to notice the line.

"God, I'm so sorry, honey. I never meant to ruin our date night. Just interrupt me when I drift off again, okay?"

You nod. Jihyo seals the promise with a kiss on the back of your hand. After that, she goes back to talking. Yet, you don't have the heart to inform her that she is infact drifting off again. Her conversation slid over to a certain male artist.

◇

A week has passed by. You haven't seen Jihyo for three days. She hasn't entered the apartment, claiming that the company needs her. Nights are spent without her, and to your dismay, the bedsheets start to lose their smell.

Jihyo is slowly but surely drifting off. At first, it started with the conversations. She would rarely talk about common things or you anymore. All she ever talked about now was that stupid guy. You couldn't take it anymore. Then she started missing out dates. She always excused herself, but the apologies became sloppy and unreliable. At last, she forgot your anniversary. That night ended in a heated argument. She claimed that there was nothing going on while you were throwing the accusations at her like there's no tomorrow.

She left after that night, staying at the company or at one of the member's apartments. You can't remember her getting like this. This sassy and unbuttered behaviour. In the past, she would come back to you, apologise, and make up for her mistakes. Now she ignores you.

The job has been your only release. Sorting and selling books made you forget about the drama, which is displayed at home. Some of the members reached out to you. Nayeon came over and talked with you about Jihyo's behaviour. She suspicioned something, but her hints didn't get to you.

You trust Jihyo with all your heart. She would never betray you. Even if Nayeon made some convincing discoveries. Your mind couldn't handle the thought of Jihyo ever doing something like that.

You were supposed to move into a bigger apartment. Late night talks resulted in marriage plans. It had been about four years since you two got together. Why would she throw all of that away now? It all didn't make sense to you.

◇

Jihyo couldn't believe it, but the hickeys on her neck showed a fact. What had she done?

The last night had passed in a hace. Drinks were gulped down as if they're nothing. Shot after shot brought Jihyo to her limit. Her alcohol endurance is high, so it took a lot of alcohol to break that.

Back to whatever happened last night. Jihyo went out with him. At first, the plan was to just let loose and forget about the stress of being an artist, and then something changed. Jihyo can't remember when she decided to kiss him. It was a moment of weakness, nothing more. She would never do this again.

Her hands reach for some make-up to cover up the dark red bruises across her neck. She would never tell you what happened. This would be a secret, a secret that Jihyo would take to her grave.

◇

You knew. Right when she laid down beside you, you knew. The way her arms wrapped around your body differently. You just knew it.

Her hands were sweaty and warm, and her breath was slightly uneven. After being with someone for such a long time, you remember antics that even the person themselves would never notice. Her withdrawal after the male artist was introduced, the way her tone and eyes changed when she talked about him, and lastly, her not coming home after the comeback was celebrated.

The Twice members had reached out to you. Nayeon was so worried about your well-being. Everything fit together like a big puzzle. Would you ever be the same? Would she ever admit to what she has done?

You can't get the answers, and you probably never will. Instead, all you do is curl into her body, breathe in her scent, and kiss the spot on her neck, which holds the hickeys that he made.

The cold wind blows through the partly opened window, and suddenly, autumn isn't your favourite season anymore. The wind is too cold and too harsh on your skin. The leaves that fall from the branches only make a mess on your balcony. You felt like one of the leaves, falling from the tree. First, you change your colour, then you fall from the only support that you've had for the longest time of your life, and then you start to wrinkle, and everything turns into dust. A faint memory of what once was, and what will never be.

◇

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

On occasion, I swear I get undertones from the side of the fandom that liked the season 5 finale that “if you didn’t enjoy it, you must not be smart enough to understand it”…

But… that’s kind of a really stupid argument?

Is this not a TV show intended for 5-12 year olds? If the writing is too complicated for a grown adult to understand, then they have failed at writing a good kids show. Point blank period.

You can write a good kids show that has elements that go right over the kids heads, but those elements should be subtle bonuses that mildly improve the story. They should not be a key part of the overall message. A great little example is this scene from Bluey where the titular character finds an obnoxious "lost" toy hidden under the sink in the laundry room:

Adults and older kids watch this scene and immediately get why the toy was under the sink, but little kids probably miss it. That's not a problem because the sink thing is just a bonus joke that is not vital to the message of this episode. If the sink joke was vital to understanding the message, then the writers would have failed at their job because they wrote something too subtle for the intended audience.

That's why I'm so critical of everything Miraculous is doing. Even if there's ultimately going to be an amazing story here, they've failed to tell it in a way that the intended audience can engage with and that makes the story objectively bad no matter how good it is for older viewers. The lessons should be obvious. The jokes should be obvious, too. There should be no question about what the message is.*

The season five ending is a perfect example of why Miraculous is objectively bad for its intended audience. Lets say that season six is going to address all of the issues with Gabriel and tell us that he was an abusive monster. How powerful is that lesson going to be to the five-year-old who grows out of the show in the year between season five ending and season six airing? What about the kid who obsessively rewatches seasons one to five in the hiatus between seasons and internalizes the happy ending? Or the kid who only watches the show casually and doesn't remember most of the early seasons by the time their issue are addressed?

Obviously those kids won't walk away with a great lesson, which is why shows aimed at kids usually make their morals clear by the end of every episode. Complex morals told over seasons are a bad fit here. Kids in the show's intended age group are only just starting to really learn about the complexities of the world. They generally don't have the life experience to question the show's morals.

That's not to say that shows for kids can't have cliffhangers. The cliffhangers just need to be about the story, not the morals. Season four was a good example of this. While I don't think it was a great final, it did have a clear message. It ends with Ladybug stating what she'd supposedly done wrong - even if season four didn't actually have her do what she said she did - and the question was only what would she do now. There was no moral ambiguity about what happened. Every episode of Miraculous should feel that way, but the show often fails at this. There's way to much ambiguity for a kids show. The fact that many adults can't tell if Gabriel was evil or not is a terrible sign!

*I will note that even perfectly clear messages can be twisted into baffling shapes by viewers of all ages and people will read into things in ways that leave even talented writers scratching their heads. The pigeon thing comes to mind as a good, Miraculous-based example of poor media literacy. So I wouldn't go so far as to say that a kids show is always bad if adults misinterpret things. It depends on how widespread the misinterpretation is and how logical the misreading is. The season five ending is a good example of a true issue because it's played like a happy ending. It's not weird that some people took that at face value while others are waiting for the other shoe to drop. Only time will tell which side is right, which should not be the case when we're dealing with content like the widespread manipulation of an abuse victim in a show aimed at children. That should be presented as unequivocally wrong. Instead, the lies lead to a kiss and happy smiles.

[cute-little-fly]

Certainly the look of someone that doesn’t feel stomach butterflies for the other because of these gestures. There he is happy he is not mocked for the rats (I think) and the other one because he woke up with a random bunch of horses. His mood waking up surely improved because of that, even if he found it strange. (He doesn’t appreciate them fully yet, but retrospectively he will eventually and rn they work at making him feel better).

Here the scene is all funny but Stolas smiled just after Blitzø tried clothes with him ❤️

Also

A lot of the Stolas behaviour we see later (the bad humor, the crying) here is influenced by the lack of pills. That is communicated visually through this scene:

Followed by:

This is called visual storytelling. Is not a genious thing but it is well done, subtle enough to pass over our heads in a quick first watch (maybe), but that gains relevance in a second watch after the pills having relevance at the end. The pills is something that has been shown a lot of times in all the other episodes too, probably to lead to this and the ending moment.

After this moment is where Stolas completely crashes down, and is more irritable and overly emotional. As someone that dates a person that had depression and now is treated, this characterization even if cartoonish at times is actually very well done. I related too much to it. Also, I can say that a lot of the things Blitzø did actually work. I am sure he took care of an anxious Fizz or his mother had depression. Because he is too good at it.

But, about Stolas, is true he doesn’t trully appreciate all the help he is being given, taking the depression and mood swings aside… as other NORMAL people would do, because he is someone used to have everything granted for him. Literally, served in silver platter.

This is how someone spoiled would act.

For me is admirable how all the IMP crew understands that and doesn’t get mad at Stolas. Blitzø still loves him because is him, he is the most crazy person there and knows how much Stolas loves him. So, honestly doesn’t surprise me as much, he is also familiar with Stolas’s palace and environment and sees that big difference.

They probably understand is a great change for him and where he comes from but it is surely also a great shock for the IMP crew to see those differences. Is also interesting how they set this up in GF. In Ghostfuckers Millie is surprised with the office and says is too much for imps, for Stolas that is for poor people. Ups!

For some of you this makes the show bad, for me it gives depth for each character and where they come from. Is is showing and not telling. A show with this theme of social class and without this kind of conflict and contrasts would be so boring.

For me it would be worse storytelling if someone like him immediately understands everything, and again… Boooring. I think he doesn’t even realize yet that the couch was Blitzø’s bed probably because he always wakes up before. UPS again, more angst for later, because this is a series finale and there is no time for that and only a month has passed. Surely this will create conflict.

But, it will be worth it when Stolas bonds over them over time and see them beyond low-class. Maybe, just maybe he will even be happier once he adjusts… Aaand perhaps, he will need to have treatment too.

The phrase: “you saved me in return” is bitersweet, because Stolas is seeing again the relationship as an exchange. But, is good that he is reflecting that he is the one that 100% caused all of this. A step in the right direction for him.

Some general comments:

1) Helluva boss is far faaar away from perfect, but perfection is not the solely objective of art form, and is not showing how things should be irl, less in an adult cartoon. However, for a comedic cartoon HB is surprisingly deep. Maybe it fails to build up for some people but you just have to adjust that in this show they don’t show some intermediate moments to be able to progress the story more, and have all the characters they have. Is just how it is and for me this is an actual valid criticism of the show because this prevents the engagement of some people. Hopefully with 15 episodes this might improve. Just for you to see that I don’t defend it from everything.

2) Comparing HB to Bojack for me is a mistake even if vivzie is inspired in that show. For me Helluva Boss is about redemption (yes, like Hazbin), and Bojack is nihilistic. HB is about people that can heal even if they think they are not worth it or can’t do it due to their past mistakes. Bojack is about how some people just won’t change and you need to accept that and move on. For me, these two things are true irl. Some people change for the better, some don’t. Bojack changed at the very end, but the people he lost is lost forever and I think he did just because he was in jail without access to drugs. Also, he was given tons of opportunities to mend and he was never able to mend things. Here, is different. A show will always have some overarching themes. Even if the shows are of similar nature their overarching themes are almost opposite.

3) In my humblest opinion, you give the show less credit and choose to ignore a lot of the interesting elements that come from this and only focus and nitpick on the things it lacks… and turns out it will always lack something. Everything always lacks something. I like to be critical on media, but this critical crew make me don’t want to criticize this show as much because you do it more than it needs to be criticized. Of course, I am not saying to you stop doing it. You have all the right to put your post as I have to put mine.

4) Also, I didn’t respond to the post main criticism on big gestures, and the post is long enough, sorry. Sure a lot of people don’t like his rom-com troupe but I actually liked how it was handled in this series, because it helped to Stolas to see that Blitzø trully cares, but at the same time it didn’t solved anything! They still haven’t unpacked anything and the other problems are preventing them to be fully together. Usually in romantic movies these gestures solve everything, here that didn’t happen. Also; the big gesture is something that happened to communicate the other that they love him, just in Stolitz because they were terrible at communicating, and how they failed being a normal couple in everything caused the big gestures to be necessary in the first place.

5) The rest of the couples stand up for the other sometimes, but the gesture is not as important itself to let the other know that they are loved and keep the couple afloat. They actually communicate 😅, and that communication is what keeps the relationship going. The Ozzie and Fizz crooked song and Ozzie’s talk is what gives Fizz the courage to leave his abusive job, not the big gesture. The only gesture that was similar to this one a little bit maybe is when Moxxie presents Millie in unhappy campers, but he does that because he listens to her feelings and Millie constantly shows Moxxie affection, and care and he appreciates. We also see have seen them communicate effectively in other instances, so what is keeping their love strong? Small gestures, communication and care, not them saving each other at difficult situations at work. So ultimately, I feel this big gesture thing only apply to Stolitz… and is mainly because Stolas doesn’t understand love yet and how Blitzø self hatred prevented him to understand Stolas was being truthful. They are a mess and we are not supposed to see how they are as normal, just as them being a complicated and utterly mess because they are like that rn. We like the ship because of that and not ignoring that, and they will be continue to be like that for a while... But eventually Stolas will learn what true love is. The song ending with “Truer love is hard to find” is not true love, but truer. This is foreshadowing that. Blitzø is the truer love, because of all the small every day gestures he gives 🩷, all of this said while Blitzø gently hugs him. Perfect. Chef kiss.

This Show Focuses Too Much On Grand Gestures Rather Than The Little Things When It Comes To Relationships

It's a thing I see in the Sinmas episode where the focus is on Blitzo stepping in to sacrifice him for Stolas that he really becomes grateful and appreciative. It's to show supposedly how he's grown, but in my opinion the little things he did throughout the episode really are the things he should have been focused on rather than the big gesture. The writers still want to focus on Stolitz being this romanticized, ideal couple that they forgot little things like chemistry and small develops between them. However, we never see the same from Stolas to do small good gestures and instead focus on the big gestures, so that we can hammer how nice and self-sacrificing he is despite how much he still comes off as a narcissistic privileged asshole who takes Blitzo for granted.

This quote from Bojack rings true so hard because for a relationship to work you can't rely on grand gestures to hold everything little everyday stuff is the thing that holds it up. And if you think you can hold stuff with grand gestures then your relationship will fall apart. Also those who do grand gestures often do more shitty than regular good things in life, which as he said isn't enough to make up for everything. The problem is Stolas is too much of an ideologue he can't see it and will only value the big things to be truly appreciative. And I fear that will be his downfall in his relationship with Blitzo if rumors are true he will tickle a relationship with Vassago because he craves grand attention instead of one based on small everyday support.

[supersonicpussy]

Just got the boys spoiled for me on tiktok… the way I screamed so loud

[egophiliac]

bring your son to work day

[danerom]

end of episode 17 spoilers

[piratewinzer]

The amount of soup was a surprise

[lilnasxvevo]

I love you Monkey D. Luffy I love you protecting the power of friendship through the power of incredible violence

[elialys]

"When is your flight?" "I'm not going."

THE NEWSREADER | 2.06 | Helen x Dale - Failed Proposal #3 [ 1 | 2 ]

[spookyspacepixels]

oops media is taking me over again

[01tsubomi]

wow i'm rewatching tmohs seriously for the first time in a reeeally long time (usually i burn out after the first few episodes - idk when the last time i did a full rewatch was) and idk how i haven't been thinking about nagato yuki every single day for the past ten years. chronologically there's still so much to go before disappearance and yet the sense of unease around yuki's existence is already so unbearable. can you imagine. in theory you're a tool put on earth only to collect data and report back to the source but there's still some scrap of humanity in you that both keeps you going and keeps you aware that you're completely stuck within the role you play. yuki has to sit and watch no matter how much time she's forced to wait alone in an empty room, no matter how many time loops she remains conscious for - they've just gotten to the remote island where haruhi is about to will a murder to happen and everyone is enjoying the beach and the camera keeps panning to her in the shade with her back turned. or reading a book because there's still something inside of her that understands interesting and like and enjoy but she's only been given so much of it. the rest of the group are at least human beings, they at least have homes to return to and a reason to be at school during the day. she has to take care of every world-altering phenomenon while the rest of the group laughs and cries and gets closer around her and then report back to standby. you would lose it, anyone would lose it. i know this is all standard fodder for android stories but she's also just a teenage girl. despite everything there was enough in her heart that she reset the world to have some real form of connection with the boy who made her a library caaaaaarddddddd!!!!!!!!!