#ok i think this is the final bit of the episode where i've been like MUST GIF THIS

[expelliarmus]

[pali-and-proud]

ok, I am relatively new to this little fandom but I binged Cinderella boy and I'm just wondering... did everyone forget about that one part where buddy has this dream and he's in ragged clothes in a fancy manor house? Like, no wonder the man likes looking fancy. if that's Ex Libris and that's how they keep him, of course he likes looking good. maybe it's because he doesn't have the chance to otherwise?

also did everyone just forget that bit existed because I'm scrolling through and I'm seeing nothing on buddy seeing chase in the mirror, shattering the mirror, and jumping through. That was deeply impactful and yet I can't figure out what and i've been hyperfixtaing on that for a while now. Can you give me a rant about that bit because I know there's something up there I just cant figure out what, am I the only one who read that part?

This is so funny to me. I'm so happy you got into CB! And I'm so happy you enjoy it! But LMAO I think the Dreams episode broke tumblr--there were so many speculations and it's the basis for like 80% of our Buddy theories! (People analyzing the episode is what caused me to make a tumblr account in the first place, actually!)

(Which! Since you're new to the fandom, I can understand how it might look like we missed it, but I promise--this fandom soaks up Buddy content like it's water and we're in the Sahara)

So since it's a dream, we have to assume a lot of symbolism--we know the outfit Chase wore in his dream was a representation of himself (likely a nod to his repeated selfless, angellic actions, like trying to save Buddy or trying to save his mom), so we can assume the same for Buddy.

He's likely not actually dressed in rags--although we don't have that confirmed, but based off of Chase's fit--but it's possible that he ISNT dressed in the fancier outfit we saw him wear earlier. It's really likely, actually, although we shouldn't discount the possibility that Punko wanted him dressed so simply to reflect how dim/bare his situation is.

Someone (I cant remember who, but if anyone does know, PLEASE @ them bc this was life-changing) pointed out that if that's the case, then Violet would have been making outfits for Buddy the whole time, which would cement Buddy having a good relationship with his key well before Chase. We can assume Buddy has a good relationship with Violet anyway, since she makes him outfits he likes, but still.

The rags also serve another purpose: it reminds us that Buddy is ALSO a protag. That's what Chase realizes, in his dream, and it's what we have to keep in mind when we read the chapters. Buddy's not a side character, nor an antagonist. This is his story, too, and he's trying to secure his own happy ending, just like Chase.

(The title of the Webtoons is Cinderella Boy--and in that episode, between Chase and Buddy, only Buddy looks like Cinderella. Another nod to his true role as a protag, and another reason why we need to treat his attire with caution.)

What the dream DEFINITELY confirms is that Buddy has a bad relationship with Ex Libris. There's really no plausible alternative--from how frantic he is to escape, and how afraid he is of being caught. Beach Boys set the question of whether or not Buddy's in a bad spot with Ex Libris, but we didn't know how truthful he was.

We still don't, really, since he still hasn't told us, 'cause he's a paranoid asshole that we tragically love. But this episode laid some facts: Buddy is definitely in a bad situation, regardless of the specifics.

Plus, the final scene of him throwing the clock at the mirror, effectively destroying the reflection of Chase--clocks are often a representation of time. He's running out of time. There's a time limit, somewhere, but we don't know anything except that the clock's ticking.

(Someone else pointed out the clocks/time thing before me. I swear, I will hunt these @s and give proper citations.)

His escape via the mirror likely refers to his real motive: Buddy wants to escape, and he's aware his escape is going to involve, to some extent, harming Chase. From here, it's pure speculation: does Buddy need the keys to escape, thus betraying Chase? Does Buddy know something important? Is the mirror, or Buddy's escape, in any way tied to how he finds Chase in the books?

It's VERY likely that the keys are critical to Buddy's escape, due to the lock with 12 keyholes. This would also ensure the plotline of Buddy's strive for the keys remains intact, and would give us another reason for why Buddy was so desperate for Chase's key. HOWEVER, this isn't the only theory, and we know Punko's always two steps ahead.

The episode feels symbolic and important because it IS, but until we know more about Buddy's actual situation, it's hard to really break down what the episode means. I promise, though: the more we learn about Buddy's backstory, the more people (including myself, because i cannot shut up) will refer to that episode to swoon over the foreshadowing Punko brilliantly laid out.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - All's Quiet on the BL Front

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

May 2024 Wk 3

Ongoing Series - Thai

Wandee Godday (Sat YT) ep 3 of 12 - I love how were getting a solid depiction of two queers just genuinely enjoying sex with each other. That’s actually rare in BL. In this case, it manages to also be weirdly adorable and cute.

Dee is such a tease. I guess Y likes a brat? 

LOOK at those bedroom eyes!

Linguistics corner: when these two are being serious, sweet, or flirty with each other they use rao/nai which is kind of old fashioned and charming and not common in BL. They move pretty seamlessly into gu/mueng and back depending on the style of convo, tho. It's FUN to hear them talk.

Let the fake relationship commence!

My Stand-In (Thai Fri iQIYI) ep 4 of 12 eps - I HAVE THOUGHTS. I'm really enjoying the sinister backbone of this show. I hope they have the courage of their convictions in that regard and lean into a kind of sexy evil revenge narrative. It was a pleasure to watch the break up and I do not want a redemption arc for Ming or a romance for us. Fuck 'em, let’s just ride a revenge train, okay Joe baby?

That’s said, I totally sniffled at the ending scene where Ming (for two years!) has been paying penance cooking for two and waiting alone. Excellent pathos. Now, I understand how they're gonna make this a full 12 eps. And I’m excited about it. Carry on!

We Are (Weds iQIYI) ep 7 of 16 - I wasn't a fan of Winny & Satang in My School President but I'm loving them in this. The thing with Q, Toey, and Chain had me hooting with laughter. I think I’m finally just easing into the relaxed absurdity of this show. The key is not to expect anything from it. Just them being tiny gay idiots.

Two Worlds (iQIYI) ep 10 fin - Someday I’d like to really enjoy a MaxNat show, but today was not that day. (I feel like ever since Between Us I’ve been generally disenchanted with established OG pairs and what they’re bringing to the table. Perhaps that’s a discussion for another day. Cherry Magic excepted, of course.) 

OK, so this final episode, they sure tried to fit a lot in. But that made the pacing better for me. So I kinda liked this weird cliff notes resolution to the story.

In conclusion:

MaxNat do a credible job with a messy script about parallel worlds, gangsters, and strange diseases cured by forest fruits. It sounds confusing because it is. The chemistry is excellent the side pair is entirely forgotten about, and one could drive a Tardis through the plot holes. Still, I found it modestly enjoyable if not at all rewatchable. 7/10 

Only Boo! (Sun YouTube) ep 6 of 12 - I do love how bold and brash Moo is. He’s truly a great character, such an utter outgoing sunshine puppy focused on his pursuit of his older boy. I'm charmed by his utter harmlessness. They gave us a sweet coming out scene, and an awesome supportive mom. Frankly GMMTV has a good track record with moms. (With a few noted exceptions, of course.)

That said, I do keep forgetting this is a GMMTV offering. It just doesn't FEEL GMMTV. Just me?

OMG Vampire (Thai Sun ????) ep 1 of 10 - Starts tomorrow, will report on sitch next week. LeeFrank are back - not unlike the undead. But how do we feel about it? Unsure given their track record.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

At 25:00 in Akasaka AKA 25 Ji Akasaka de (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 5 of 10 - I like it. I like our sulky 2nd lead. He’s pouty, adorable, brash, and adding some much-needed tension to this narrative. The blurring lines between show within a show is a lot of fun. Probably the best I've seen done in BL so far.

Living With Him AKA Kare no Iru Seikatsu (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 6 of 10 - I like that we got backstory, but we also sort of already knew it. So this ep felt a bit like filler. They are wonderful when they’re on screen together but when they aren't it's a bit dull. I hope we just get them together for the next 4 eps. But this is Japan, so I doubt it.

Blossom Campus (Korea Thurs Gaga & iQIYI) ep 1 of 6 - The image resolution on this show (via Iqiyi ) is terrible. Meanwhile, awkward crush. Jock nerd pairing. Dorky. Maybe a bit too much awkward/dorky for me? I'm not sold on this one.

Meanwhile the ordering then not eating or drinking of food continues. Very upsetting.

Boys Be Brave (Korea Viki) eps 5-8fin - This show was just never sure what it wanted to be. Slacker sunshine KiSub moves in with nerd JinWoo, mostly because he knows JinWoo likes him but won't confess and that's never happened to him before. It reminded me of some earlier KBLs like Behind Cut, yes is had bones but not much flesh, so it only just hung together and progressed through not very much plot in a jerking rattling fashion like an animated skeleton. All the story and chemistry was with the side couple and none of the screen time. That just annoyed me. What did this BL want to BE? Who tf knows. I, for one, don’t care, and resolve to think no more on it. 6/10 

Blue Boys (Korea Sat YouTube) - This ended at 4 eps on a cliffhanger. Since this is a very small studio I don’t have a lot of faith in there being a part two. But they have bundled both this BL, and the GL, bingable chunks on YT. So if you want to binge it, it’s there. Just be aware that it ends on a cliffhanger.

My thoughts?

Promising reunion romances full of class and coming out struggles but I grade with what we got, not on expectations, and you know I HATE a cliffhanger. So yeah, it HAD promise but as of now it gets a 4/10 - fatally flawed. I reserve the right to change my mind if they amend for damages.

It's airing but...

You Made My Day (Thai YT) ep 1 of 5 - mini series staring the I Will Knock You couple Tar & Bom, started but I couldn't find it. I also didn't try very hard.

Lady Boy Friends (Thai WeTV grey) 16 eps - reminds me a bit too much of Diary of Tootsies only high school. Not my thing. DNF unless it turns a corner and is truly amazing.

A Balloon's Landing (Taiwan movie) trailer - A frustrated Hong Kong writer, Tian Yu, meets a Taipei street gangster, Xiang (Fandy Fan from HIStory2: Crossing the Line), and the two of them embark on a journey to find the Bay of Vanishing Whales. Along the way, they discover unexpected twists and turns and close bonds, which brings out the message that "there is always someone like you in this world who is waiting for you. This released to cinemas in Taiwan, no word on international release.

In case you missed it

A really really thorough and fascinating article on 2 Moons 2 and what happened.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

May Releases

VBL (Taiwan) is releasing 4 'Special Episode' epilogues to their 4 2023 shows every Friday this month on Gagaoolala, Viki & Viu. Not sure on search terms or how to find these. (Or, frankly, if we need them.)

5/10 – You Are Mine

5/17 – VIP Only

5/24 – Stay By My Side

5/31 – Anti Reset

5/25 The Time of Fever AKA Unintentional Love Story 2 (Korea movie) trailer - HoTae & DongHee are back but unfortunately not in a cinema near me. Side couple from Unintentional Love Story, same actors, same character names. I love them. I NEED TO SEE THIS.

5/28 My Biker 2 (Thai movie YT?) - trailer

5/30 Knock Knock Boys (Thai Thurs WeTV) - I'm hoping I can get it elsewhere since my WeTV account is inactive, but I do love Best and I'm interested in seeing him in a new pairing. That said, I'm not wild about Seng... so I won't be too cut up if I can't get hold of this. More here.

5/31 The Time of Huannan (Taiwan movie) - May not be BL

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

I'm a sucker for this king of casual claiming. (Only Boo)

It me! (Wandee Goodday)

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @sunflower-positiiivity @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious

If ya wanna be tagged each week leave a comment and I will add you to the template. Easy peesy.

[sixpennydame]

Make. Believe. ❖ Act 3

Actor!Levi x Fem!Reader

The AoT Premiere approaches, but all Levi can think about is you.

Warnings/Content: NSFW, Minors do not interact, fingering, unprotected vaginal sex, creampie, infidelity (Reader has a boyfriend as first), mentions of AoT final season episodes

A/N: There will be a final drabble that highlights more of the AoT episode premiere event; I wanted this part to focus more on our two main characters, but I've been having so much fun with the extra details in the drabbles. I hope you've enjoyed my take on AoT Actor AU!!

Act 1 | Act 2

Levi can’t keep track of what country he’s in, what time zone or even what day it is.

But he knows it’s been 186 days since he’s seen you.

Japan had been a whirlwind of promotions for the last two parts of the Attack on Titan final season, with meet-and-greets, commercial shoots, and talk show appearances. Europe had been much the same, and although it was exhausting, it was also fulfilling, being back with the cast, traveling with his old friends. He was sad to see it end, but he was also excited about other projects that were coming up. And next month, he’ll be going to the Cannes Film Festival, where the movie you and he shot together will finally premiere. After eight months, he’ll see you again.

But before that, he’s returned to Japan for the premiere of the final two episodes of Attack on Titan. Jet lag is still hitting him hard, and he sighs when he looks over at the clock and sees that it’s only two o’clock in the morning. Another sigh escapes his lips when he looks over at the naked body beside him in the bed. He can barely remember her name - was it Jessica? Jessie? All he really knows is that she was sitting next to him in the bar of the Tokyo Grand Hotel and that she looked as lonely as he was. He feels guilty - he’s never been one for one night stands - but he was yearning to feel your body again; and if he couldn’t have you, then this was good enough.

These days, your face is everywhere. You’d recently contracted with Christian Dior and were now the model for Miss Dior cologne. As Levi had arrived at Haneda airport, there was a giant poster of you tangled up in silk sheets with your hair cascading down one bare shoulder. “What Would You Do For Love?” the poster asked.

When he walked in a posh area of Shibuya, there was another advertisement of you; this time you’re lying across a sofa in a black silk dress, the pink bottle of cologne pressed against your chest. Your eyes are half-lidded and sultry - the same kind of look you’d give him when you’d make love, all those months ago.

He reaches over and grabs his phone, the light from the screen illuminating his face in the darkness as he scrolls mindlessly through Instagram. He stops when he sees that you’ve posted a picture.

“Just finished filming season one! Now for a much needed break.”

You’re surrounded by your other cast members, all of you smiling. A man has his arm around you and Levi squints to look closer at the picture. He wonders if he’s just a friend, or if it’s something more, then he laughs at himself.

What is he doing? Why can’t he forget you?

He’s the one that made this choice, and he’s the one that pushed you away. You’re smart, ambitious, and beautiful - of course you’d find someone else to be with. But he can't help but wonder what it’ll be like to see you in person again, and with you on his mind, he eventually falls asleep.

Hours later, Levi’s phone is buzzing and chiming erratically and it jolts him awake. He turns off the alarm, then checks the time. “Shit, I gotta get up.”

He’d promised Erwin that they’d do a run this morning around the Imperial Palace Gardens. As he gets out of bed and grabs a t-shirt, an arm from the woman next to him reaches over.

“Hey,” she says softly.

“Hey.” Awkwardness and regret drip from his voice. “This was fun but you’ve gotta go - I mean I - I’ve gotta go. I have somewhere to be.”

“Ok…let me just go clean up a bit,” she replies as she picks her clothes up off the floor and makes her way to the bathroom.

Putting on his running clothes, Levi shakes his head. They’re two consenting adults, but he can’t help but feel embarrassed about it all. He hates these kinds of awkward moments, especially when he knows he has no feelings for the woman.

He grabs his phone from the nightstand and notices there’s an unread message. When he unlocks his phone, he sees that it’s from you and his heart starts to beat fast.

“Hi. Have fun at the premiere tonight.”

That was it, but Levi reads it a few times. He types out a simple, “Thanks,” not wanting to be rude, but also not wanting to seem too eager.

He puts the phone down but after a few seconds, picks it back up again and types another message.

“How are you?”

He doesn’t realize that he’s grinning from ear to ear.

“Got some good news?” The woman is out of the bathroom and dressed.

Levi looks up from the screen then puts the phone down quickly. “Yeah. Maybe.” He walks over to her and kisses her tentatively on the cheek. “I’ll text you later.”

“You don’t have my number.” She’s seen right through his lie.

“Look I’m sorry, it’s just that I -“

“It’s fine, I wasn’t expecting more out of this anyway.” Before she opens the door to leave, she stops to look at him. “You’re a good man, Levi. I hope you find someone who makes you happy.”

—-

Erwin stands at the entrance of the Imperial Palace East Gardens, looking at his watch. “You’re late.”

“I know, I know, I got held up. Sorry about that.”

“Still jet lagged?”

“A bit,” Levi answers as he messes with his smart watch. “You?”

“Not really. Cold showers in the morning really help me to adjust.”

Levi laughs. “Of course. I forgot you did that.”

“Every morning. Let’s go.” Erwin and Levi start jogging down the path that leads through the East Gardens. It’s early spring and the cherry blossoms are at their peak in Tokyo, pink petals falling down around them.

When Erwin and Levi were on set for Attack on Titan, they would jog together every morning. It was something that Levi had always done alone, but found having a running partner comforting, even if they barely talked to each other. Erwin had a perpetual aura of calm around him, which was difficult to find amongst other actors. Levi hadn’t seen much of him since his character died, and both had been busy doing other projects; these past weeks doing promos for AoT made him feel like it was old times.

They finish an hour later back where they started, sunglasses on with the hope that no one will recognize them. “You ready for tonight?” Erwin asks as he walks up to a vending machine to buy a bottle of water.

“Yes and no. It’s bittersweet, to see something you worked on for so long finally end. But I’m proud of the work we’ve done on it, and I’m excited to see how the final episodes turned out.”

“Me too. It was good to be on set with you again, even for just a short moment.”

“Yeah, those were not fake tears coming down my face, let me tell you,” Levi admitted with a laugh.

As both men walked through the park, Levi reached into his pocket to check his phone and sure enough, there was another text from you:

“I’m doing good. :-)”

It elicits a smile from Levi and Erwin laughs. “What?” Levi asks defensively.

“Oh nothing,” Erwin replies, “that’s just an awful big smile. Must be someone special.”

“Someone I was trying to forget, actually.”

“And why would you do that?”

“Because I’m an idiot and I thought it’d be better that way for her.”

“Ah, I see.” Erwin sits down on a bench under a sweeping sakura tree and Levi follows. “Levi, in all the years I’ve known you, you’ve always put others ahead of yourself. It’s one of the things I admire most about you. But sometimes, you should be a little selfish.” He puts a hand on Levi’s shoulder. “And it’s ok to go after the things that you want. When you do that, life finds a way of working itself out.”

Levi smiles. Even off-screen, Erwin had a way of saying the wisest thing, right when he needed it most. “Yeah. Maybe you’re right.”

“‘Course I’m right,” Erwin grins. “And as your commander, my final order is for you to go after this woman with your whole heart.”

They both laugh and talk as they make their way out of the park and to the busy streets of Tokyo. When Levi returns to his hotel and enters the elevator, he feels his phone buzz. It’s another message from you, and Levi’s eyes go wide when he reads it:

“I’m in Tokyo to attend the AoT premiere. I hope you don’t mind.”

——

Iceland was cold. And lonely.

The last six months shooting the series had been an incredible experience. The cast was a mix of seasoned actors and newbies just starting out, and with a young, emerging director looking to prove himself, you knew that you were a part of something great. The days were long and sometimes exhausting, and often ended up with you collapsed on your bed looking over lines into the wee hours of the morning. For the most part, you were happy.

But god, you missed Levi.

That last night you saw him, you couldn’t understand why he thought it would be better for you two to be apart, but you pretended to be ok with it. And it had taken everything in you not to knock on his door the next morning when you were leaving. You’d seen the jealousy on his face that night - you knew he still cared for you. But your pride had you walk away without so much as a goodbye. It’s what he wanted, right?

So you tried to move on and forget him. You’d even started dating someone on set; a feeble attempt to prove to yourself (and to Levi, in a way) that you could be a working actor and keep up a relationship. He was nice enough and the sex was good, but it just wasn’t the same. Something was missing.

You knew Levi hated social media and never updated his Instagram account, so you started following his AoT co-stars, hoping to get just a glimpse of him. Every once in a while, a video would come out on YouTube of him in an interview with other cast members, and you’d smile at how awkward he was at being himself in front of a camera.

When the date of the AoT premiere was announced, you immediately contacted your agent to get you on the guest list. You’d loved Attack on Titan for years - you had to be there. And to be honest, you wanted to see that dark-haired, brooding man again, even if from a distance.

Filming was wrapped for the next several months, to give you all some much needed rest, but you only had one day at home before you were back on a plane and headed to Japan. As you arrived at your hotel in the darkness of the early morning, you got your phone out of your bag. Somewhere, in this sprawling city, Levi was sleeping. You wonder, does he ever dream of you?

You find his name in your contacts and send him a quick text. He probably won’t respond, you think to yourself.

When you wake up late that morning and see that he has, your heart skips a beat.

You can’t help but smile as you send him a reply. Then another. You fall asleep for an hour or so and when you wake up, he’s answered you:

“Of course not. I hope I’ll see you there.”

——

The area around the Toho Cinema Roppongi Hills is starting to fill with people as the time for the Attack on Titan, Final Parts 1 and 2 premiere approaches. A red carpet has been rolled out and barriers put up; press and media have started to set up in their usual places, in preparation for pictures and interviews with the cast. Premieres are a huge event, and something that Levi has been involved in more times than he can count, but this one - the final AoT episodes - makes him feel emotional.

Now that he knows you’ll be here, he’s glad he didn’t bring a date - not that he was looking for one. He, Erwin, and Hange had decided to be each other’s dates months ago and frankly, he wouldn’t have it any other way. The three of them ride in a limo to the cinema, along with their publicists and agents. All of them are silent, feeling the weight of this moment, until Hange breaks the silence as they pull up to the entrance.

“Ok, boys…the last ride of the three amigos..”

The three get out of the car and the cameras instantly start flashing. Hange gets between both Levi and Erwin and takes either arm in theirs, walking the red carpet and taking pictures before they separate for individual photos and interviews.

Levi usually likes picking his own clothes out for premiers, but he let a stylist do it this time. He walks down the red carpet in black pants and jacket, with a black mesh collared shirt underneath, which gives just the faintest view of his toned chest. Silver rings adorn his fingers, and he’s slicked back his hair, which he’s been growing out the past few months, just for fun. Photographers are yelling at him from every direction, asking him to look their way, or to take a picture with Hange, Zeke, or Erwin. All around him are the smiling faces of people he’s known for over 10 years, and soon, other celebrities and guests attending the event follow behind them. He looks through the crowd and sees you having your picture taken. You catch his eye and smile; he tries to make his way toward you but he’s whisked away by his publicist.

There are seats reserved in the front of the theater for the cast, with guests sitting in the rows behind them. He takes out his phone and texts you almost immediately upon sitting:

“Come to the after party? It’d be good to catch up.”

He sends you the address and a few moments later, receives your reply:

“I’ll see you there. :-)”

As he puts his phone in the breast pocket of his jacket, Hange reaches for his hand. “Are you ready for this?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” he replies with a sigh, squeezing their hand tightly.

The lights lower and the screen lights up to cheers from the crowd.

—-

Watching the final episodes was emotional, to say the least, but the mood at the after party is joyful and energetic. Everyone is drinking, eating, laughing, and reminiscing. Levi is sitting at a table with Petra, Ulou, and Eld when Zeke runs up.

“Levi, Levi, Levi, I just heard the greatest idea!” He forces his way between him and Petra. “Cast tattoos!”

“What?” Levi laughs.

“Yeah! Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and the others are doing it - we gotta do it too. They’re leaving soon, so let’s go!”

“No, no, there’s no we in this,” Levi protests as he resists Zeke pulling him away from the table. “Besides, I’m waiting for someone.”

“Oh?” That stops Zeke immediately. “And who would that be?”

You thank your driver in your limited Japanese as you leave the car and enter the stylish restaurant. Walking through the crowded space, you see Eren and Mikasa laughing and drinking with a group of other young actors. As a fan of the show since its beginning, you are feeling like a total fangirl as there are cast members from every season around you. But as you walk around the room looking for Levi, you suddenly get nervous, thinking that maybe this was a bad idea; you’re not even sure what you’re expecting from this night.

Just as you think about leaving, you see him sitting at a table with the Levi Squad cast and Zeke, who has an arm around him. He looks up, sees you, and smiles, throwing Zeke’s arm off of him.

As he walks towards you, you admire how good he looks. He’s so sexy, you can feel yourself blushing.

“Glad you could make it” he says, pulling you in to kiss you on the cheek. His lips are soft, just like you remember them.

“I wouldn’t miss it. Attack on Titan has been my favorite series since forever. To be honest, I am so excited to be surrounded by the cast.”

“Come on, I’ll introduce you to some of them.” He places his hand on the small of your back as he leads you through the crowd. Your hunter green silk dress swoops down low in the back, so when his hand touches your bare skin it gives you goosebumps.

He takes you from group to group, introducing you to people you’ve only known through a screen. You laugh with Jean and Connie as they talk about the practical jokes they used to pull on Levi off-set; you sing Red Swan (your favorite opening song) with Armin and Sasha, Levi refusing to join in no matter how hard you all try; you take shots with Hange and gush about how much you loved their character.

Levi watches you and can’t stop smiling. He’d forgotten how good it feels to be around you, to talk and flirt with you. Your hand grazes his and when he weaves his fingers through yours, you don’t resist. Your eyes shine as you look at him; you don’t have to say a word but he knows you’re feeling it too.

The two of you eventually make it over to Erwin and you blush when Levi brags about the film you made together and your acting skills.

“No, no,” you interject, “Levi is the real talent. His acting on set was some of the best I’ve ever seen.”

Erwin smiles. “I’m sure you both complement each other well and that the movie will be spectacular. I’m looking forward to seeing it.” He gives Levi a knowing smile and lifts up his champagne glass.

“Levi! My buddy!” Zeke comes crashing through the group, clearly inebriated. “And who is this? It’s Miss Dior herself.”

“Oh you’ve seen those?” The way he says it brings a blush to your cheeks.

“Of course I have. You look absolutely mesmerizing in those ads,” he moves closer to you, “just like you do tonight.”

Zeke leans on a nearby table and gives a playful smirk. “How long are you staying in Tokyo? I could show you around, if you’d like.”

“She doesn’t need you showing her around anywhere.” Levi’s voice is forceful for the first time that night. You put a reassuring hand on his arm - you have to admit, you like seeing him a little jealous.

“Thanks for the offer, Zeke, but I already have extensive plans in Tokyo.” You give Levi a smile that lets him know that ‘he’ is the plan.

Erwin comes to the rescue of both of you. “Zeke, what’s this I hear about tattoos? Are we doing this tonight?” He puts an arm around Zeke and leads him away, giving you both a wink.

The restaurant is large and sprawling, built in the old Japanese style, but is an interesting mix of East and West, old and new. There’s a garden in the center with the main area and smaller, more private rooms surrounding it. Wanting to escape the noise and commotion, you lead Levi outside, “It’s a bit quieter out here.”

“And more beautiful,” Levi replies, as you walk across a small bridge crossing a koi pond.

“It really is beautiful out here. I’ve always loved Japanese gardens.”

“I wasn’t talking about the garden.” He moves closer to you as you lean against the banister of the bridge. “You look stunning.”

“You know why I chose hunter green, don’t you?” He shakes his head. “Because it’s Levi’s color.”

“Oh really?” He is in front of you now, his hand grazing your arm ever so slightly as he looks you up and down.

“Mmmhmm, he’s always been my favorite character.”

“Nice to know I have a fan.”

“I’m just one of many.”

“But you’re the only one that matters.”

That makes you giggle. “So flirty. Is that how you get the ladies these days?”

“I don’t want anyone else. I just want you.” He looks at you with his piercing eyes. “It’s always been you.”

His words are like music to your ears, but you’re determined to stand firm. You can’t let him off so easily. “That didn’t seem to be the case six months ago.”

“Because I thought it was for the best, but I was wrong. So wrong. And I’ve regretted it every day since.”

His hand moves around your waist and he pulls you close. The lights of the garden shine in his dark grey eyes as his lips softly press against yours. You can’t help but return the kiss, your mouth opening slightly, inviting his tongue inside. When he moves away slightly, you realize you’d been holding your breath.

“I never should have let you go.”

“Levi, I..”

A few noisy and slightly drunk guests amble outside, ruining the moment. Without a word, Levi takes your hand and pulls you to a far corner of the garden, toward the private rooms. He pulls back the heavy, velvet curtains separating the room from the garden and gestures for you to enter. The room is small and intimate, decorated in a western style with a large, ornate mirror. You walk around, admiring the wingback chairs and gilded furniture, and then you feel Levi’s presence behind you.

His fingers lightly skim your bare arms, leaving a trail of heat coursing through your body. You close your eyes when you feel his warm breath against your neck, followed by soft kisses.

“Levi..I’m seeing someone..” you manage to say.

“Oh yeah?” He responds gently in your ear before kissing your earlobe. “You sure about that?”

When you open your eyes, you notice that you’re in front of the mirror and can see Levi kissing along your neck and shoulders. He looks up and grins.

“Right now I only see you and me.”

He continues kissing along your shoulder until the thin strap of your dress falls down your arm. You can’t resist him, you never could, and so you give in to your desires. You lean your body until your back is pressing against his chest. One of his hands is holding yours while the other is moving the fallen strap down lower, exposing your breast.

“God, you’re so beautiful,” he says as he looks at you in the mirror, his hand moving to cup your breast. “I’ve wanted to touch you like this all night.”

You guide his other hand lower, to the high slit of your dress, urging him to touch your thigh. “I missed you, Levi. So much.”

For you, it’s always been him as well. As much as you’ve tried to deny your feelings for him these past six months, all it took was one touch from him for it to all come back. And now you want more.

His hand finds its way between your thighs as his other hand massages your breast. “You’re already so wet for me,” he notices, as his fingers begin to rub your clit.

“You’re the only one who knows how to make me feel good,” you reply, then your breath catches as he pushes your panties to the side and sides a finger inside you.

It’s a beautifully erotic sight, watching yourself in the mirror as Levi pinches your nipple and pumps his finger in and out of you. You can’t help but let out a moan.

“‘Shhh, you don’t want someone to hear, do you?”

“I don’t care. Levi, I need you so badly.”

You turn around to kiss him, taking his jacket off and throwing it on the floor. Almost immediately, he has you pressed against the wall and is lifting your dress up to your waist. He’s unbuttoning his pants as you slide your panties down, but only get so far as taking them off one leg before he lifts that leg up and rubs his cock against you.

Levi has tunnel vision right now; all he can see is your perfect body, all he wants to hear are the moans of his name from your pretty mouth. And that’s exactly what he gets when he thrusts inside you. You bite your bottom lip as he pounds into you again and again. “I thought you didn’t care if someone heard us?”

“I’m trying to be good,” you reply breathlessly.

“Oh I think we’re well past being good.”

He pins your arm over your head as his other hand is still lifting your leg, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of your inner thigh. You kiss and suck on his neck, leaving a small mark.

“Careful there..”

“What? Makeup can cover it up,” you tease seductively, referring to the first time you and Levi made love.

He lets out a soft growl. “Then I suppose now we’re even.” He picks up the pace, watching as your breasts bounce up and down with each hard thrust. You’re driving him wild; every nerve in his body feels completely alive.

“Levi, I’m…”

He knows. He’s feeling it too. He kisses you long and hard, then feels your walls spasm around him. It’s just what he needs to push him over the edge, and as he cums inside you, it’s as if the whole world has stopped; only your uneven breaths mark the time passing.

You continue to spasm around his cock as your mind goes completely blank. You can’t explain it, but Levi elicits the longest, most intense orgasms from you. It’s just how your body reacts to him - you can’t explain it.

He says your name in your ear, his voice deep and raspy. “Will you forgive me? For all the time we wasted apart. I don’t want to do any of this without you.”

“Yes. Yes, I forgive you.” You run your fingers through his silky hair. “I know we can make this work.”

Of course you forgive him. You’d forgiven him the moment you laid eyes on him tonight; maybe even before that.

The bottom of your dress falls back over your legs and Levi gently pulls the straps back up on your shoulders. You are his, and he is yours - it’s always been this way, and now both of you know it. As you fix your hair and touch up your lipstick in the mirror, there’s a commotion in the garden.

“Leeeeeviiiiiiiii! Where are you? We’re getting tattoos!”

He’d know that yell anywhere: it’s Hange.

“Yeah, come on, Levi! We’re all getting tattoos!”

And Zeke is with them.

“Goddammit. Let’s stay here a little longer.”

You laugh. “You should do it…for memories.” You cup his cheek and give him a kiss. “Get it on your ass, so then only I can see it.”

At that, Levi rolls his eyes. “Don’t make this weirder than it already is.”

He takes your hand in his, then meets the screaming duo in the garden. “Ok, fine, let’s do this,” he resigns, as he leads you along to join the group.

“You want me to come too?”

“Of course.” His face is serious, but there’s a joy in his eyes. “I don’t intend on letting you out of my sight.”

“Yes!” Zeke exclaims. “Eren, Levi is in! Let’s go!!”

And so you walk, hand in hand, out of the restaurant to find the others.

——

“There’s no denying that the two of you have an incredible chemistry in the film. Did that come naturally?” the interviewer asks.

“I think I felt that spark between us almost immediately. Wouldn’t you say?” Levi answers.

“Oh yes, absolutely,” you reply fondly.

It’s the week of the Cannes Film Festival and you and Levi are on the interview circuit. After the AoT premiere, you broke up with your boyfriend and stayed with Levi in Tokyo, then went with him to Singapore and Seoul as the cast traveled from city to city. The month flew by and the next thing you knew, you were both traveling to France.

You’re together everywhere, and the paparazzi have quickly deduced that you're an item. It’s been a hot topic of all the celebrity and gossip sites, but neither of you care - a rare occurrence, for Levi especially, who has always valued his privacy intensely.

“And you’re actually a couple in real life, correct?”

“We are.” You answer tentatively. “He tolerates me, anyway.” You make light of it, but answering this question always makes you nervous, since you’re not quite sure how much Levi wants to share.

“More than tolerate,” Levi squeezes your hand, “she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to my life.”

He knew this question would come up, because it always does these days. But he’s realized, he’s not concerned with the gossip or the naysayers; he knows that whatever challenges come your way, the two of you can ride it out.

He believes this will work, because he’s in love with you. And after this interview is over, he’s going to tell you exactly that.

Join my taglist!

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[slutdilf]

A Quick Break

Paring: pedro pascal X male reader

Warnings: Smut, blowjob, dirty talk (a little?), established relationship

Note: I put them in a established relationship just to make it a little easier to write. Also had pedro speak Spanish a little because I’d be a puddle on the floor if he spoke to me in Spanish

Request by: @pedropascal111 : here’s an idea I’d say during the process of filming their was a kiss scene with him and someone else but he’d always make eye contact with you every time, then they have like a little break from filming say 10 minutes or sum and yknow stuff goes down but you gotta keep quiet then go back to filming like nothing happend 🧍‍♂️😭

“Ok and action!”

The director's call snaps you to attention. The scene has started. Pedro and the costar you've been trying hard not to compare yourself with move into position. They start talking, and even through their character's bickering the connection between them is apparent.

You catch Pedro glancing over at you- was that on purpose? Did he mean for you to see the smile in his eyes? You're not sure.

A few minutes pass. The scene is ramping up. They're moving closer together...

They're practically chest to chest now, the tension in the air as thick as smoke. You bite your lip, watching anxiously. Pedro is looking straight into the costar's eyes, but even as the other actor returns Pedro's gaze, you notice your boyfriend's eyes flick in your direction again.

The scene reaches its climax. They're nearly forehead to forehead, and it's almost as if the pair don't remember that the camera is there, that other people even exist. As their lips touch and the kiss begins. You feel the jealousy in your veins building up each time you see the their lips interlocking. Thinking of you wanted to just walk onto set, grab pedro and slam your lips into his to make sure the entire crew knows that he’s your boyfriend.

The director calls, "Cut, perfect, let’s take 10 and we can rendezvous for the final take of the episode. " The costars disengages fading into her dressing room as Pedro almost instinctively makes his way over towards you.

"Hey," he grins as he reaches you. "You alright?"

You nod, but you don't really know how to put into words the mix of emotions you're feeling.

Sensing your unease, Pedro takes your hand in his own and raises it to his lips, kissing it softly. "Come on. I've got a little break before the next scene. Let's go somewhere private."

He leads you over to a small room and closes the door behind you. The room contains little more than a couch, small table, and a mirror set up for makeup.

Pedro takes a seat next to you on the couch and tugs you into his lap. Pressing a kiss into your shoulder, he murmurs, "You looked so unhappy watching that scene. Jealous, perhaps?"

You freeze, not quite knowing how to respond. Pedro chuckles, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you closer against him.

"Don't be mad, cariño. Acting isn't real. I love *you*."

He nuzzles your neck softly, his lips caressing your sensitive skin.

Despite his reassurances, a little ember of jealousy still smolders in your chest. As Pedro continues to kiss along the column of your throat, his lips finding the spot just behind your ear that he knows you’re sensitive to, you pout a bit.

"It looked real," you mutter petulantly.

"Yeah, like I said, I'm an actor," he replies, nipping gently at your earlobe. "But it's all fake, I promise. I don't feel this way about anyone but you."

With a light movement, he rolls the two of you so that you're lying lengthwise on the couch, your head resting back on the arm rest as he cages you beneath his body.

He lowers his mouth to your neck once more, this time focusing on the junction where it meets your shoulder. You let out a soft gasp as he mouths the sensitive skin, his lips leaving a trail of heat as they move down towards the collar of your shirt.

Between kisses, he asks, "Am I going to have to prove myself to you?"

His lips have found the hollow of your collarbone, and he begins biting and sucking in a way that you know is going to leave a mark. You moan, the sound escaping from your lips before you can control it.

"*Yes,*" you reply in a strangled whisper.

"That's what I was hoping you'd say."

Pedro lifts his head just long enough to flash you a cocky grin before he dives right back into his work, his mouth closing over yours. The kiss is hot and hungry, his tongue pushing impatiently between your lips. He slides his hips forward, pressing his body down against yours.

The weight of his body on top of you, the pressure of his hips against your thighs- something about it is making it hard for you to think straight. You feel your hands slide up into his hair, your fingers wrapping around the dark strands and pulling him closer.

Pedro groans into your mouth, the sound more growl than anything else. He pulls his mouth away from yours just long enough to pant out, “can’t wait to get you home tonight”

His face lowers again, this time finding its target further down on your body. He mouths down your neck, across your chest, and when he reaches the V of exposed skin above your collarbone a shiver runs through you.

He tugs at the hem of your shirt. "But right now I’ve got 10 minutes so let’s make this quick."

The word comes out as a command, and the authority in his voice has you complying almost before you know what you're doing.

Your shirt hits the floor, and then his mouth is back on you again, teeth and lips teasing your skin. He drags his tongue along each rib, leaving a burning stripe in its wake. When he reaches your stomach he pauses, glancing up at you through his eyelashes.

"You still mad at me, mi amor?" he asks, his tone slightly mocking.

You open your mouth to protest, but can't manage to form any words when his tongue traces a slow line just above the waistband of your pants. The only thing that comes out is a breathless moan.

Pedro's eyes flash with satisfaction at the sound. "Thought so."

With a lazy smirk he sinks to his knees between your legs. His hands slide along your thighs, pushing your legs apart.

You gasp as he tugs you forward as much as the edge of the couch will allow, settling himself between your legs. Your hands tighten into fists around the material of the couch cushion as his fingers make quick work of the button of your pants.

He starts to ease the material down over your hips, and you lift them to help him. Soon your pants fall to the floor, and you're left in only your underwear and whatever will be left of your dignity.

Pedro grins as he takes in the sight of you. "Mi Carinõ," he exclaims, his Spanish voice melting you. He knew how much you melted into a puddle when he spoke in his native tongue. You didn’t know what about it made you so turned on, but Pedro knew it did and used to his advantage at any given moment.

Still keeping eye contact with you, he leans forward, his breath hot on your stomach. He places a small kiss on your abdomen, just below your belly button. And then another just below that. And another.

He continues the slow line of kisses all the way down to the edge of your underwear.

Pedro's hands are moving up and down your legs, caressing your skin like it's the most precious thing in the world. Every touch is sending sparks through your body, and you can feel the heat building between your legs.

"Pedro," you gasp, "please-"

He looks up at you again, one eyebrow raised. "Please? Please what, love?"

His tone is innocent, as if he's trying not to laugh, and you want to strangle him for acting like you weren’t completely at his mercy right now you wanted to strangle that teasing smirk and then kiss his stupid face so badly.

"You know what I mean," you whine, and immediately curse yourself for how pathetic it makes you sound.

Pedro chuckles darkly, his hands still roaming up and down your thighs. "Do I?" he teases. "I need you to use your words, cariño."

In response, you grind your hips up against him, desperate for any friction. A groan falls from his lips as the movement pushes your aching need against the line of his jaw, and you can practically feel his smirk on your skin as he nuzzles your bulge

He begins mouthing at the shape of you through your underwear, applying just the *perfect* amount of pressure. You let out a moan, unable to keep quiet anymore, and instantly one of Pedro's hands is over your mouth.

"Shhh," he hisses into your skin. "We're supposed to be being quick, remember? You don't want the whole crew to hear you, do you?"

You bite down on your lip, determined not to let any more sounds escape. Pedro grins. "That's a good boy."

With those words he hooks his fingers over the top of your underwear, and slowly, slowly begins working them down over your thighs.

“Mmm…” pedro hums burying his face into your groin and taking a deep breath as he looks at you with almost puppy dog eyes as if he’s just completely enamoured by your presence. You run your hand through his fluffy hair his brownish black locks tangling in your fingers.

Pedro moves his mouth down to your length taking you in his nose touching your abdomen as he takes you in whole. His tongue swirling around the head of your cock.

You were biting your lip hard you were sure you could taste a small amount of blood from just how much. But that was the least of your concerns right now. Soft small muffled quiet whimpers escaping your mouth as you try to keep quiet while Pedro works his mouth on your dick.

You wanted to scream in pure ecstasy and pleasure but you couldn’t you were doing everything you could to muffle those moans biting your lip, burying your head into the cushions of the sofa, biting the edge of the cushion. But nothing could stop the small little whimpers. As pedro bobs his head up and down pumping your hard length with his mouth. Your hand gripping his hair tightly tugging at him more and more as you could feel the pressure of your release

With almost every nerve your body has to stop the sounds from leaving your mouth. You let out a whimper that echos the room. As you cum. Followed by a deep groan from Pedro and then a small little gulp.

Pedro extracts his mouth from you and looks at you with those enamoured puppy dog eyes again. The remnants of your release on his lips.

So lost in the moment of both of your pure joyful and blissful thoughts you snap your head to the door as it knocks and the voice of a set boy is heard “Mr pascal we start in 30 seconds.”

“Be right there.” Pedro says back in a voice so nonchalant like he wasn’t just giving you the most wild blowjob you’ve gotten.

At that moment Pedro stands up and wipes his mouth and looks in the mirror “you ruined my hair.” He grumbles in a slight teasing tone. You got up and raised your hand into his hair ruffling it messing it more than it already was.

“You cheeky little-“ Pedro says in a laugh as he tries to comb it back to how it was prior to the break. With what little seconds you had to spare you both quickly got yourself into a normal looking state to head out.

Pedro heads out his hand intertwined in your hand as he walks to the set he looks at you as he raises your hand to his lips “be right back.” He whispers as he lets your hand go.

You saw his facial expression almost immediately change into his acting face as the director yelled “Action.”

You watched the rest of the filming process with less jealousy this time around knowing that pedro did indeed love you and that the work on set was just a fake experience.

[sankta-wraith]

Daemyra and terms of endearment

I was rewatching 1x07 and realized that Rhaenyra calls Daemon “my love” in front of Alicent and it sent me down a rabbit hole. Long story short I know have a list of all the terms of endearment (in High Valyrian and Common) I think they use for each other. It goes in order of the ones I think are most frequently used starting at the top.

My love (ñuha jorrāelagon) and My heart (ñuha prūmia) I think they like these two the most because of the possessive particle. After spending so many year apart I think both of them really enjoy being able remind people of their claim on each other. When it comes to High Valyrian vs Common I think both are used pretty interchangeably, although High Valyrian is probably a bit more intimate. From a more political standpoint, using High Valyrian could also be a way of alienating anyone who doesn’t speak it (so most non-Targaryens) and a subtle reminder that they are blood of the dragon and whatnot. On the other hand, using Common could also be a somewhat political move, because it would ensure that everyone understands them. For Daemon it would probably be a way of saying “she’s mine don’t fucking touch her or I’ll feed you to Caraxes,” whereas for Rhaenyra it would be more like “yeah I just called the Rogue Prince my love, what of it,” because remember most people are still terrified of Daemon.

Husband/Wife (Valzȳrys/Ābrazȳrys) Their reasons for liking this one are probably similar to their reasons for liking my love/heart. I could totally picture them going through a phase at the beginning of their marriage where they almost exclusively refer to each other as husband and wife, because they're just so happy to finally be together and married. I think eventually they do start using my love/heart more because it's slightly more personal than just husband or wife, but they do still use it from time to time. As for the language, I think this is also pretty interchangeable.

My Queen (Ñuha Dāria) Before Viserys's death, he probably never called her this except in private since it would be ever so slightly treasonous, but I feel like he would definatly use it in the bedroom. After Rhaenyra actually becomes Queen he probably starts to use it in a more official capacity. Language wise I'd say High Valyrian in the bedroom and Common in public.

Princess In the first few episodes of season one, Daemon calls her princess quite often, but it seems to fall out of use after their ten year seperation. He might use it a little bit, but it's mostly been replaced. The High Valyrian word for prince/princess/heir is dārlilaros, but from what I can tell, Daemon never uses this. As for Rhaenyra, I can't really picture her calling Daemon by his title in a non formal setting. I can however picture her teasing him about his "Rogue Prince" moniker.

Zaldrītsos (little dragon) Personally I think Daemon only ever called her this when she was much younger (like 5 or 6) but I've seen lots of people talk about it so it's on this list. Even if he did keep using it as she got older, I think he definately stopped after they got married, because I can't imagine that he would call his wife "little dragon." They could use it for their children though.

Ok, well that's my list of Daemyra terms of endearment. Let me know what you guys imagine them using.

[lewis-winters]

Hey you possibly have answered this already, but what’s your take on why Nix jumped in the lake, and the symbolism/meaning therein?

So sorry I didn't see this earlier! Here's some new bob meta for you!!

What's important here is this: the water (and to some extent, the act of swimming), is a symbol for Dick's acceptance of the end of the war, his life now that the war is over, and the acceptance of a future he can finally allow himself to dream of having.

I mean, water in and of itself is already a regular symbol or allegory for the passage of time, change, and acceptance anyway. River water eroding a boulder into a pebble. The way water carves out new paths for itself, even with obstacles in the way.

Or the ritual of baptism and how it symbolizes rebirth into a new faith/perspective, and therefore a new life.

Austria's mountain water is no different. And it's no mistake that the narrative of episode 10 has Dick swimming in the lake basically bookending the whole episode. The episode is a bit like episode 1, in that you have present day, and then flashbacks to scenes that took place a few months prior, before cutting back to the present day again, where now we the viewers, have better context for the opening scene and the character motivations of those within it.

Which, on a larger scale, also works for the whole series, ya know? It's bookended by episodes similar to each other in narrative structure, which I find to be very clever!

It is also bookended by Winnix!

Which is. Very important. To me, personally, and to the analysis of Lew's actions later on.

Anyway. I digress. Dick swimming in the lake in Austria is his baptism and rebirth.

First, the episode opens on him standing at the beach of the lake with the intention to swim, before he's approached by Nix, and they share that moment together before Dick gets in and, literally, swims into his flashbacks-- no. I'm serious. He's swimming, and then we fade into his narrative of the events leading up to Germany's surrender and the end of the war in Europe (and maybe the beginning of their war in the Pacific).

And then, when that narrative ends, Dick emerges on the otherside to Lew waiting for him at the dock. And then it gets really on the nose, when Lew shows him a photo of them together at the very beginning!

Like. Alright. Another water symbolism: Water and moving through water as a stand-in for the passage of time. Got it.

And then the Water as a tool for Rebirth Into New Life part of the symbol is further emphasized by Dick going "oh, New Jersey huh?" "yeah think about it" "I am" when just a flashback ago, he was planning on jumping into Japan. Which tells us, the audience, in so few words, that Dick is now letting the war go, and is finally allowing himself to dream of a future.

And Lew throwing himself into the water is him following Dick into that future.

Like. Think about it. Lew asks Dick for his plans for after the war on the banks of this lake, then offers him a place with him in New Jersey. Just for them to be together. Then tells Dick to think about it before answering, and literally waits for Dick's answer at the dock of this lake. Almost like he was waiting for Dick to be ready to be rebirthed into this new lease on life.

But while we, the audience and Lewis both, await Dick's answer, we're treated to flashbacks where Lew, repeatedly, says: if you jump into Japan, I jump into Japan. I'll follow you. Even if it means possible death again and again, it doesn't matter to me, so long as we are together. Ok. That's his perogative. That's what he plans on doing, and Dick isn't going to stop him. In fact, he's delighted.

But then, this is where that flashback helps supplement the scene we got at the very beginning (again, much like the narrative structure of episode 1), because then we get a moment, where Lew goes. Actually. Maybe our life doesn't have to be about war anymore. In fact, I think you and I can go home, Dick. We can go home together. I've been thinking about it. Will you?

And Dick DOES!! He doesn't just brush it off. He thinks about it so hard, in fact, that he goes through this whole journey of a baptism, to emerge on the otherside to go: Hey. You're right. And it's my turn now. This time, I'm going to be the one to follow you back home.

And Lew goes, yeah. Ok. Great. I was waiting for you, metaphorically, to come to that conclusion and choose me, just as I was literally waiting for you to come join me at this dock. Cool.

Let me throw myself into this symbol of Rebirth so I, too, might be baptised into this new life with you. We'll go together, like we always have, from the very beginning.

And that's why I think Lewis throws himself into the lake.

[the-sinister-story-teller]

Can i request some more angel dust x !male reader? Perhaps during the later part of the final battle in episode 8, readed is severely injured but still alive, angel isn't present as he and reader got separated during the chaos, angel only finds him AFTER adam and the rest are defeated and angel runs to get aid (i was thinking lucifer, i bet he can heal somebody), then later when reader is in bed resting/sort-of-coma angel comes into his room to tell him how much he loves him? And reader hears all of that so after he gets better they have a party at the hotel to celebrate, and later that night reader confesses to angel that he heard him? Yeah that would be cathartic

A/n: OMGGG YESSS! I haven't really gotten a request like that yet and I'm SO excited to do it!! It's gonna be so cute oml🥺

Angel Dust x M!Reader ~ I've Got You Now

Topic: request above ^^^^^

Mentions: Male reader, angst, violence, fluff, switching between using 'Y/n' and 'your/you're'

Angel let out a sigh, hugging Fat Nuggets close before straightening up, looking around. Charlie went to his aid in a worry.

"Angel...? You ok? There aren't any angels-" She said, reaching to him, before he cut her off.

"I know THAT but where th' hell is y/n!? H-He isn't anywhere! FUCK!!" He hisses. The angels had been slaughtered, and so was Adam (via nifty), and despite the hotel being nothing but rubble, everything turned out relatively ok...except for...Y/n that is. Angel and Charlie both scoured the debris, huffing and puffing. Mainly Angel however as he was terrified something bad had happened. The two had gotten separated and Angel at first thought Y/n could handle himself but now, he was paranoid that something happened. "Sh-Shit I can't find 'im!! Charlie anything!?" He called out the the princess, as she lifted yet another piece of rubble.

"No Angel!" She called back as Angel was on the brink of tears, on the near edge of a panic attack. That was until he saw something in the corner of his eye. Turning that direction, he gasped.

"Y/N!!!" He shouted, running to Y/n's body, tearing up from joy, going to his side, realizing you were unconscious. Panicked, he set you down gently. "Don't worry, I'll be back ok..? Just...Just stay with me." He spoke, before running off to Charlie. "Where the FUCK is Lucifer!?" He snapped and Charlie stammered before noticing her father, simply pointing before Angel ran off to him, desperately explaining the situation to him, rambling and stammering constantly along the way. Lucifer understood and rushed to Y/n's unconscious body, and taking him into care.

"Until the hotel is rebuilt I'll keep him at my living space...Don't worry, I'll keep care of him." Lucifer assured and Angel HATED the idea of him not being able to check up on you, but reluctantly agreed. It took a bit, but the moment the hotel was rebuilt, Y/n was moved into his new room, now healing there. Angel sat by your bed with nuggets, sighing softly. A knocking erupted from the door, and he lifted his head to look at it.

"Come in.." Angel muttered, seeing Charlie and Lucifer walk in. Lucifer went to Angel, patting his head.

"You don't need to worry for him Angel. He's healed, just unconscious at the moment. He'll wake up soon, I know he will." Lucifer assured and Angel sighed, fixing the sheets that were held around your body.

"I know it's just...I hate seein' him hurt.." Angel murmured and Charlie hummed.

"We get it Angel...But hey! He'll wake up in no time! Ok? Just have some hope.." She muttered, taking Angel's hands as he sighed with a light smile.

"Thanks princess...It...Means a lot.." Angel said. The three conversed a bit, before Lucifer and Charlie exited, leaving the two of you alone. Truth was, you weren't unconscious anymore. Actually, you had just stirred awake from it all. Though, you wanted to stay at rest, because the lights hurt your eyes.

Angel sighed, sitting back down, brushing hair out your face. "I...I need to get this off my chest...I know you're unconscious, but I can't continue keeping this a secret...I love you Y/n. I love you a lot...Flaws n all. I should've told you sooner...In case you don't...make it.." Angel muttered, his voice cracking from the tears he held back. "I just wanted you to know that I love you so fucking much...I don't know if you feel the same, I don't know if you will tell me when you wake up, but...Even if you can't here me, I still want to tell you that I adore you.." He confessed. Your heart was racing. You weren't expecting this. He...confessed his love to you!! God you were thrilled to have known that.

About a day later, not even, you stumbled out your room, going to the lobby. Everyone was sitting down, either drinking coffee or eating, that was until you spoke.

"So...what's for breakfast guys?" You asked with a lighthearted chuckle. You could hear your name from every person in the room, except for one. "Angie? Ya missed me?" You joked, as Angel welled up with tears, rushing to you and hugging you, before lightly punching you.

"Don't scare me like that again ya fuckin' asshole!! I thought you DIED!!" He scolded with a laugh wiping his tears softly, hugging you again.

"Nah. You'd beat my ass if I died." You sarcastically joked, hugging him back.

"We have to celebrate this!!" Charlie exclaimed as Vaggie smiled from her girlfriends enthusiasm. So, as per the princesses request, a celebratory party was indeed thrown. Husk handled everybody's drinks, actually enjoying his job like this. Alastor, Charlie, and Lucifer were all handling food. You, Angel, and Nifty set up decorations. Once everything was done, it was lively in the hotel, despite the lack of recipients residing there. But that was just fine by you. You laughed with Charlie, before venturing off to find Angel.

"Aaaangie! I got cha' a pastry! Alastor made it. I'm honestly shocked he could bake." You joked, going onto the balcony with Angel, handing him the baked good.

"Thanks tootz." Angel hummed with a laugh, leaning on the railing while eating, as you reciprocating his actions.

"Hey Angel...You ever consider dating?" You asked. You weren't curious. You were starting a way to also confess to him like he did to you.

"Huh? I mean...I guess. A couple times, why?" Angel perked, blushing a bit. You simply shrugged.

"I guess I just need help, that's all."

"With?" He raised a brow, looking at you. He was losing hope, that maybe you liked someone else.

"With confessing to my crush. He's super fucking pretty, and out my league." You said with a soft chuckle, blushing. Angel felt a bit hurt, overthinking this all.

"Ok well...Tell me 'bout him! Knowing a person you love makes it easier to confess ya'know!" He laughed.

"Alright well...He lives here, uh...again, he's so fucking pretty; not even pretty, GORGEOUS. Great taste in clothing, he's the best pet dad ever, and let's see..." you thought. Angel sat there, bright red. Nobody else fit those things besides him...He was really curious on what the next thing would be.

"...oh, and I think he confessed to me the other night." You said softly, coy. Angel went wide eyed.

"Wh-Wha?" He nervously chuckled, tapping the railing sheepishly. You turned to him, holding on of his hands in yours.

"Angie...I heard you...and-" Angel was quick to cut you off.

"Oh shit I'm so sorry if I sounded creepy I didn't know you were awake and I just wanted to tell you but-" he stammered, before you laughed, shushing him.

"Dude, relax...I was going to say, that I feel the same...I love you to, Anthony." You muttered and he teared up before pulling you into a tight hug. You returned it, as you both shared a quick, loving kiss.

"I thought you were gonna reject me!" Angel laughed, as you snickered, resting your head right above his chest, gazing up at him.

"I could never...I'd never forgive myself if I did!" You joked back as the two of you shared a sweet chuckle, before Angel sighed.

"I'm so fucking glad I went to hell and got you...It makes everything so much more worth it.." He muttered, "I love ya Y/n.."

"I love you too, Angel."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/n: I hope you enjoy!!

[nientedal]

Is it worth watching Megamind rules? I know I’m not the target, but I’m curious yet also really really nervous. I know it’s for a younger audience but I’m still very on the fence and nervous. Also, love your writing

Omg, thank you, and thank you also for asking and yes yes yes 100% it's worth watching! It got crapped on by a bunch of people who decided based on the trailer alone that it was going to suck (how fun, a movie about a guy who everyone decided would be bad despite not knowing him got a spinoff show that...everyone decided would be bad despite not watching it, lol), so there's a lot of hate out there for it. I'm assuming you've caught wind of some of that, and that's why you're nervous? But for what it's worth, I was staring at the screen like :D basically the whole time.

Some more specific notes below the cut, but the tl;dr is please do give it a chance, if you can find the time. A G-rated direct-to-stream spinoff show wasn't what a lot of people were hoping for, and there were some folks who watched it and didn't care for it. But from a writing and storytelling standpoint, I think it is genuinely good! If you go in expecting a cute kids' show with some silly jokes and social misfits finding their way forward together, and keep an open mind, I don't think you'll be disappointed-- in fact I think you may be pleasantly surprised.

Just a gentle heads-up on some stuff because I'm not sure what you've heard about the show yet, and I'm also not sure what your existing expectations are!

The show was given a shoestring budget and not a lot of time to go from writers' room to final product, and yes, there are places where you can tell. But that was always going to be the case-- Dreamworks was absolutely not going to be spending big bucks on a franchise they've barely even acknowledged in more than a decade-- and it wasn't the fault of the people making the show. And even with the low budget, I think the animation is still genuinely solid, especially in later episodes! The people who worked on it really did a great job with what they were given.

And the writing!!! Holy shit!!! My skin is clear my crops are watered etc. The original writers handled this project and they absolutely delivered. Megamind & Roxanne's whole Thing progresses and grows and blooms in a really sweet and realistic way. Roxanne & Chum have a great dynamic. (Minion's name needed to be changed for legal reasons, but the writers worked that into the show and I gotta say, as a trans person, it was really lovely to see everyone else respond to "actually, because of [spoiler], my name is Chum now" with "oh! cool okay" and just keep rolling. I love that that was modeled for kids.) The character development is tangible; we get to watch Megamind really grow as a person and come into his own over the course of the series. And the new characters are really fun-- I genuinely enjoyed Keiko and everyone else.

Even if you never watch it (it's OK if you don't!) please just know: this was not a cash grab; Megamind Rules was made by people who truly cared about this world and these characters.

It's also worth noting that Megamind Versus the Doom Syndicate (the extended pilot) recaps a bunch of the same lessons as the original movie, so it can feel a little bit "...didn't we JUST do this??" but I'm pretty sure that was because Dreamworks didn't want to rely on kids to watch a 13 year old movie rated PG instead of G in order to get context. So like, I get it. And it's still cute! But it did mean I was nervous about what the rest of the series would be like until I was laughing my ass off halfway through Episode 2. If you're nervous, you can probably skip MMVtDS.

But yeah. I truly do think Megamind Rules is worth watching, and I've been so sad about the reception it received. Thank you so much for asking about it, and not just deciding it sucks and moving on. I appreciate you.

[captainuranium543]

My thoughts on gruvia

So I wanted to make this post because I've been rewatching gmg recently and I wanna talk about it a bit.

Before I begin I know gruvia is a very polarizing ship so I'll make my own opinion clear, I don't hate gruvia but I also don't think it was very well executed in cannon. If you love gruvia this isn't against you at all, my intention with this isn't a hate post just to look at a weird decision made in gmg for gruvia from a writing standpoint and talk a little about it.

The biggest issue most people have with gruvia is that juvias obsession with gray is taken WAY to far sometimes and ends up feeling more creepy then funny or romantic. I agree with that point but also I do try to keep in mind that gags aren't really meant to be taken seriously. There is a limit to what I can write off as a gag but for the most part early on juvia fell within that limit, from my perspective I tend to take things as seriously as the characters around do meaning if their reaction is mild annoyance, I won't take it to seriously. While their reaction is genuine discomfort, I will. Early on, all of juvias romantic advances/creepy moments had been gags that where within the reasonable range that I could laugh off. This changed though in gmg.

Ok so starting off mid gmg gray has a very serious talk with erza. I disagree with a lot of people on this conversation because a lot of people seem to think this is her tell gray to love juvia. Gruvia lovers and haters alike seem to think this but I really don't see it that way. I think she's quite literally just telling gray to be direct with her about how he feels.

Up until this point because everything has been gags we've never really taken juvia seriously, gray has never had a moment where he has actually acknowledged and confronted her feelings for him and told her how he feels in return. Erza is basically telling him to stop just brushing off or avoiding her advances and just be direct with her, whether you like someone back or just want them to leave you alone being direct is good advice.

It's advice that gray takes to heart as we see here in the final episode of gmg

I really don't understand where people get the idea that erza was saying he needs to accept juvias love because this scene is literally him taking her advice and his answer is "no I don't like this leave me alone please". This would be fine but what happens next is just downright confusing

She just, doesn't care?? I genuinely don't understand why this scene was added in at all if it wasn't gonna matter. Like I said I can write off most gags but this was NOT a gag. Gray had a very serious talk with a close friend where he got the advice to be direct, he had a very serious moment where he very seriously took that advice and told juvia exactly how he feels, why does she just ignore it??? It's such a weird decision to make because it makes all of juvias future advances come off WAY creepier then they did before even when they are just gags because gray has already very seriously told her to stop.

I've heard some argue that gray actually does like juvia he's just afraid to admit it and he's forcing himself to say he doesn't like her in this scene, but regardless of whether he secretly feels something for her a no is a no and it's reaaalllyyy creepy to just not accept that. Hear me out here, what if right after gray did this juvia listened.

She did back off of him and gave him his space, then if you still wanted them to have a relationship maybe gray starts to miss her? Give him some autonomy and room for us to actually see him develop genuine feelings for her rather then having her force them onto him because without seeing Gray's side it just feels one sidedly obsessive. I know people argue he's just afraid to confront his feelings but you need to actually show us that, give him a scene where he's thinking about her or actually missing her in some way when she's not around if you want to show us that gray isn't just being forced into things he doesnt want. If juvia had backed off here I would have probably liked the ship a lot more A) because it would give gray room to develop on his own and B) it would show that juvia has restraint and genuine respect for Gray's feelings even if he doesn't like her the way she likes him.

Rant over, again no hate to gruvia fans. It's fiction I don't actually take it to seriously if you love gruvia live your truth🙏🙏. I like gruvia in theory it's just poorly executed sometimes and I could fix it fr fr

[littlegaybean1]

HOLY HGCTSHFJCGS

OK

OK

OK

I AM NOT OKAY.

So I'm watching 9-1-1. The wonderful, silly, light-hearted gay firefighter show. So silly. So light-hearted.

I just watched Season 6, Episode 10: In A Flash.

HOLY FREAKING GOD. WHY MUST THEY DO THIS TO ME.

THERE'S SO MUCH TO SAY

IT WAS SO FREAKING GOOD OMG

I'M GOING MAD SO I'M GOING TO RANT ABOUT ALL THE COOL THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN THE FINAL SCENE.

First things first, you should know that my favourite character is one Mr Evan Buck Buckley. So naturally this is the most invested I've been in an episode since Survivors.

I love the decision to make Buck take Chimney's place so much. The idea that Buck wasn't originally going to be there, but ended up in harm's way in another's place just makes so much sense. Plus, I'm really excited to see what this means for Chimney and any potential survivor's guilt he might face because of it.

I love how it had such a short build up directly before the incident, but still felt like it had been perfectly foreshadowed. It reminded me a little of Suspicion, but that could easily be because I love that episode so much. The space between Buck getting on the ladder and actually getting struck is quite short, but also gives you just enough warning that something is Very Wrong. It focuses on the banter between Buck and Chim, it gives shots of the sky and then the final indicator - Buck himself tells you that things are going south quickly.

Then there's the actual strike. It's so beautiful. It's over and done so quickly, which makes everything much more realistic. There's nothing that anyone could have done, no way for anyone to predict it or prevent it. It just comes all of a sudden, striking quickly then disappearing but leaving behind so much damage. I love that you see it from below, as if you're actually on the ground watching it happen. It's so shocking and you think "Oh my god - did that actually just happen!?" because it was over in the blink of an eye.

A really amazing cinematic moment is the mirroring. Two falls, both falling a similar distance. Buck and Eddie. Best friends. Two sides of the same coin. Two people that would absolutely fall apart without the other. Again, I am reminded of the ending of Suspicion, where Eddie gets shot and falls to the ground then Buck is shot at and saved by being thrown to the floor. Except this time the roles are reversed. Eddie is the one who is fine after the fall and Buck is the one whose life is in danger. Eddie is the one screaming his name and Buck is the one who cannot answer.

This might be my favourite bit of the entire scene: the hanging. Lightning cannot be seen for more than a second, but its aftereffects are so much longer. He's just hanging there. It was almost reminiscent of Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spiderman 2 (sorry if you haven't seen it, but it is a very old movie and a common pop culture reference), although the spinal curve was obviously less unnatural. It was so sickening and impactful, him not moving at all but his body still swaying slightly. It's a little bit gruesome, not because there's anything graphic shown, but because of the implications and where the mind goes.

Eddie's screaming there was freaking guttural. I have to give a massive amount of applause to Ryan Guzman because the acting there was phenomenal. You couldn't see his expression clearly because of the angles and lighting, but the emotion was still perfectly conveyed. I also have to mention Aisha Hinds, because even though most of the focus was on Eddie, her line and the tone in which she delivered it really set the scene and the panic that everyone was feeling. I also loved the different reactions - Eddie ran straight to Buck's side (or as close as he could get), which would tell anyone, even a first time viewer, that he is Buck's closest friend; Hen keeps the people moving, clears the scene and lets everyone work and removes all the potential obstacles she can; Chimney goes straight to work and lets Buck down, being the calm one because he knows that Eddie can't be and that he needs someone else to take on some responsibility; and finally Bobby, completely professional, calling ahead, doing his job first and organising everything possible but also showing how afraid he is and the care he has when he holds Buck as he reaches the ground, saying "Come here kid, I've got you". It's all beautifully written and acted, such an emotionally charged scene.

Another thing that I'm going crazy about is Eddie trying to physically pull Buck up with his bare hands. When he reaches the top of the ladder, he tries to pull Buck up by the rope himself, before telling Chimney to lower it. It's impossible, it's irrational and it's desperate. It wasn't something that anyone thinking logically would even bother to try. Eddie tends to be a clear headed character during emergencies, with Buck generally being the more reckless of the two. But this situation is so horrible panic-inducing that he forgets logic and acts completely on instinct - to get Buck close to him, to help him, to keep him safe. Their relationship is one of my favourite elements of the show, they have so much chemistry and I have been waiting for them to get together since the moment they laid eyes on each other (I'm being genuine here, I shipped it the second the jealousy hit).

And Oh. My. Goodness. Buck is actually dead. His heart literally stopped beating. I know he's not going to stay that way, but for now, as of the end of this episode, Buck is dead. He's in the back of the vehicle, surrounded by firefighters, with a stopped heart. It's madness. I cannot imagine how people watching it live must have felt, to have to wait an entire week before finding out what happened. Luckily for me, I will be watching the conclusion as soon as I post this, but it's such an evil, insane decision to make - and it's perfect.

The final, final thing I want to talk about is the very last image. The helmet. They decided to reveal that Buck's heart had stopped, drive away and then leave you with nothing but his fallen helmet, lying in the rain, with a flash of lightning illuminating the scene. Cinematically alone, it's an incredible shot. But speaking purely about its emotional impact on the viewer, it's such a powerful decision. It really drives the stake deeper into the heart. The person who directed and planned that shot is an evil genius and should be recognised as such.

This ended up being much longer than I intended, but I want to add on my final thoughts, even though I doubt anyone will read them.

I absolutely loved this. The episode before the ending had been good, but nothing special and I didn't exactly love the attempted redemption of the Han and Buckley parents (I despise them both for what they did to my beloved characters). But the ending sequence immediately shot it from a 7/10 episode to a 9/10. I enjoyed it so much, both as a fan of the show and as a fan of cinematography in general. I also mentioned before that Buck is my favourite character. Whenever Buck is in pain - whether physical, mental or emotional - it always has the greatest impact on me. So of course, the scenes where he is in pain are my favourites! That might be why I love Survivors so much, because it goes really in depth into his self worth issues and self sacrificial tendencies. So I will be needing many more episodes with scenes like this, please and thank you. Happening to literally any character.

[d3sertdream3r]

I really don't know how to feel about the ROP finale... I feel like we shippers got baited a bit and I really don't like that. Like did he even actually care about galadriel at all? And WTF was up with the heal yourself line? What does that even mean? I want to like the episode but I don't know it felt off to me like it wasn't emotional enough.

I think we all have personal preferences that are influenced by our own experiences, so it's perfectly normal to like something others don't or not like something that others do. It's ok if you didn't enjoy the finale as much as you were hoping to. You don't have to try and force yourself to like it, and it's totally valid to feel upset and baited if you were hoping for things to go differently.

That being said, I enjoyed the finale! I personally didn't feel baited at all, but I was expecting it to be like this. I find it interesting because I saw a lot of people nervous the end of season 2 would be too much like the end of season 1, and now a lot of those same people are upset that it wasn't enough like the end of season 1.

From my perspective, Sauron made it clear that "not all of it" was an illusion, and he wanted to place a crown on her head and make the world worship her. And honestly, the scene where Sauron turns into Halbrand and Galadriel instantly drops her battle stance made me cry. Especially with Halbrand's theme in the background... curse you, Bear McCreary!!! (In a good way, lol). I feel like Halbrand was the closest to pre-evil Mairon we've seen in an adaptation. Definitely more depressed and prickly than Mairon would've been, but I think he was still just as snarky and charming before his corruption by Morgoth. I feel like Galadriel saw Mairon inside of Halbrand (unknowingly) and that's who she developed feelings for. For me, Halbrand's theme is Mairon's theme before he went to the dark side. So from my perceptive, it was really emotional to see what he could've been and what the two of them could've had.

Ironically, Sauron was trying to show her exactly that; what they could've had. But what he doesn't understand is what Galadriel truly wanted was his light self all along. It reminds me of the scene in TROS between Rey and Kylo Ren/Ben Solo when he asks her why she didn't take his hand when she wanted to. She says she wanted to take Ben's hand, not Kylo's. Galadriel wanted to take Halbrand/Pre-Darkness Mairon's hand, not Sauron's.

However, that doesn't mean that she isn't drawn to Sauron in all his dark glory at all. She was absolutely tempted to become his evil queen at the end of season 1. I just think what she ultimately wanted was his light, even when she's drawn to his darkness. I don't know if that makes any sense, but it does to me!

The "heal yourself" line was something I loved, though it looks like most people weren't as fond of it as I am. I love the idea that for Sauron to truly be able to achieve his goal of healing the world, he has to heal himself first. He literally can't heal the world until he himself is healed, he isn't capable of it. All he has in his soul to draw from right now is poison, so that's all he can give the world. I've seen a theory floating around about Sauron one day being redeemed during Dagor Dagorath and helping the good guys defeat Morgoth, and I'm obsessed with it! Helping them fight his old master could help him find the light again and become Mairon the Admirable once more. Only then could he truly heal Middle Earth.

[theawkwardanglophile]

Ranking The Rookie's season finales

I tried to be fairly objective, but yeah, that didn't really happen. Oh well, here we go!

6) SEASON 2 (The Hunt): When this first aired, it felt like huge stakes and was so stressful, but now, it just doesn't hit as well. I hate Armstrong was a dirty cop. Nolan was just acting dumb in this ep (shocker, I know). 😂 I didn't like Tim's sudden change of heart to make things work long-distance with Rachel, although we all know how that worked out. So yeah, it goes in last place.

5) SEASON 1 (Free Fall): They definitely weren't going as big with the finales yet, although this is a great Chenford episode, and there was a little cliffhanger with whether Tim would be ok. I wasn't as invested with the show yet when this aired. Tim was still my least fave character at the time, and I almost didn't come back for S2. I'm so glad I did, though!

4) SEASON 6 (Escape Plan): I might feel differently over time ranking it here, but for now, this is where it lands. It was...good, I guess. The truck scene was *chef's kiss*. But SO MANY VILLAINS. I couldn't keep up because every two minutes there was a new name or new character. I still don't know how it ties back to the beginning of S6. 🤷‍♀️ And while I never expected Chenford to get back together here, I'm still sad they're broken up in the first place. The elevator scene was sort of hopeful, but I think we deserved a little bit more.

3) SEASON 4 (Day in the Hole): If it wasn't for the insanely boring Nolan desert plot that went on FOREVER, this one would be higher. Because the Dim & Juicy doppelganger plot was the most delightfully unhinged story they've created, and it was so much fun. And our very first Chenford kiss! That kiss saved my summer that year. I had butterflies for weeks, and was just so giddy.

2) SEASON 3 (Threshold): This is how you do a season finale. I love this ep so much. Lots of high stakes. I loved the flirting scene. And even though I've never been crazy about Lucy being UC, she does an incredible job throughout the ep. I love Tim being Man of Honor and trying to save Angela's wedding. And of course, SAVE ME A DANCE. GEEZ, that scene is everything. 🫠 Then Angela being kidnapped at the end as the cliffhanger. I literally threw a pillow at the tv when this ep ended because those last few minutes were just SO MUCH.

1) SEASON 5 (Under Siege): This one has the highest stakes out of any of the finales, and a huge cliffhanger. So many scary moments for the squad, especially not knowing if Aaron would be ok. Tim and Lucy's hug was beautiful, as all of theirs are, and their fight scene was incredible. "I'm happy it's you at my six." ❤️ This finale just feels the most cohesive, and it works really well.

I'd love to know your rankings, too!

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Big fan of you and your blog 👋🏼 you have such great analysis on everything ❤️

Do you really think Tommy will be gone before the mid season finale? Don't you think there's a chance he'll be there the whole season like Taylor? I'm sure he's not staying but what if Tim decides to give him more screen time for the plot?

I hope you're having a wonderful day!

Hey Nonnie

I'm so flattered you enjoy my blog and find my analysis interesting! I don't know what to do with having a fan - how exciting - I've never had one before 🥰🥰🥰

I really really do think Tommy will be gone before we go on mid season hiatus and he definitely won't be there all season like Taylor was. The Taylor lasting an entire season was created by a variety of things going on all at once - JLH was going on maternity leave, which left a gap in things that they needed to do something with and the network was actively blocking the show from telling the story it wanted to tell, so they were forced into a situation that they tried to make the best of, and tried to do something different with - the entirety of season 5, but especially the first half, was a mess from a production perspective - they reshot a pretty sizeable chunk of ghost stories and lots of discussions were going on behind the scenes and Tim had also stepped back as a show runner (because he was throwing his toys out of the pram because Fox wouldn't let him tell the story he wanted to!) Fox didn't really want to fund the show and didn't really care about it. Things are very different now were on abc - the network is really excited about the show and are giving Tim and the writers room the freedom to tell the story they want to - hence the fact we got Bi Buck last season and as the 100th episode no less.

The other aspect to this is that I don't think Tim is all that impressed with LFJ's behaviour - there are rumours that he has apparently been difficult on set and refused to play some scenes out how they were written. He was also making all those cameo's and making borderline to definitely not ok comments on other platforms. He's clearly damaged his standing in the industry and I think it likely that he won't get much work come his way from the disney studios going forward!

The show clearly took action on the sm front as he went entirely silent for the entirety of the summer and even now his sm presence is next to non existent - unless its been carefully curated on the 911 sm platforms. This is very likely because they are managing him and his access (even to the point of ensuring he isn't taking pictures and video when on the lot so he can't post to his pages). We've also had only the 1 singular tv interview outing for Lou - with Oliver (because he couldn't be trusted alone as much as the fact that its Bucks arc) which is a clear indicator of things - because this was a pretty big thing when it happened - for not just bi representation, but for the queer community more widely - this is prime time network tv showing someone coming out later in life - thats perfect fodder for

My impression (very much from the outside of things but based on what I've seen and experienced over the years) based on some of the things Tim said both at the end of s7 and the beginning of s8 (which should always be taken with an entire vat of salt!) is that he has made some changes to his plans for the show - because he decided to get rid of Tommy earlier than he had intended to when s7 was still airing.

The impression I was getting from the subtext of what he's been saying, is that he had plans for the bt arc which were a bit more substantial that would've lead to a bt break up sometime in the last 2 episodes before going on mid season break. But we're now in a situation where its looking like he'll be gone by roughly half way through 8a (well it would've been half way through had he not made the plane emergency in to a 3 parter rather than a 2 parter) and that other storylines have been shifted around to accommodate this.

so yeah - I don't think there is any risk of Tommy being given more screen time for plot purposes - Tim is clever enough to have figured out how to reduce it without it impacting the story he wants to tell. So trust the process and just know it won't be much longer (and I'm sure Oliver will be the one throwing the biggest party when he's gone!)

I hope you've had a wonderful day as well 💜

[morsesnotes]

I found this interview from when Shaun Evans was promoting S3 of Endeavour in 2016 and thought it was one of the more interesting ones as he gets asked some different questions. I particularly liked seeing him talk a bit about his peers and how he views his career.

Shaun Evans talks Endeavour series three, Hollywood and whether he'd star in Doctor Who

As Morse returns, the star of the hit ITV drama reveals what's next for his career By David Brown - Radio Times

Falsely accused Endeavour Morse was last seen languishing in a prison cell after being framed for murder. But fans of the hit ITV drama needn't despair - Shaun Evans is back on the case for a third series beginning this evening. Here, the actor talks about life as the Oxford detective, why Morse has endured for four decades and what the future holds...

So what has brought you back to Endeavour for a third series? I didn't feel like we should have left it where we did last time. It would have been odd. As a viewer, I would have been dissatisfied to have left it there because you'd have only been telling half the story. Luckily enough, we had the opportunity to come back to do some more and I think the stories are really good - particularly the final one. It goes along at a lick. It's a bank heist but it's also a love story. And it's heartbreaking. I think it's great and it ends in a really satisfying way.

The character of Morse has now been around for 40 years - why has he endured? A good story well told will stand the test of time. And if you throw in an unusual character - someone who is in a world but not of that world - then that's intriguing.

The original series of Inspector Morse did episodes in Australia and Italy - would you like to do an overseas Endeavour? Well, they keep telling me that the character is going to Spain. But I can take myself to Malaga. I'm joking, but I'm being honest too. There is a Spanish idea, but I'd want it to be right. I don't want this job to be a jolly or something that we take for granted and phone in. There are so many variables to that kind of thing: would the locations be as good? Or the actors? Granted, it would be a laugh to go away with Roger Allam, but would it serve the show?

Does Endeavour Morse become more like you as the series goes on? I think that’s a danger, definitely. The more comfortable and confident you get with something, the easier it could be to be less diligent about creating a character. But then you’d be taking shortcuts that you might not have done three years ago. So I try not to be complacent about it. I want to be even more diligent than I was when I started. But I admit that it's a tricky one.

Having a two-hour slot for a drama seems like a privilege these days - do you worry that viewers' attention spans could be too short to cope? I don’t worry about it at all. I feel like the work we’ve done so far has been very good. Some have been better than others - as would be the case. But I feel pleased with it. Now if audiences change and they feel that the episodes are too long, boring or complicated, then we’ll just stop. That’s OK. But I've seen some crime dramas that try to tell the story in an hour and, for me, it just doesn't work.You’re tyring to set up a killer, set up a world, solve it in an interesting or dynamic way and put in some character stuff as well. It’s nigh on impossible to do in an hour. I don’t think you can do it in a satisfying way. That’s my impression as an audience member.

Fans would be up in arms if you decided to stop Endeavour! No. I don't think that'd happen. It's just work. And they'd just fill it with something else. There'll be another brilliant show.

I think you'd make an ideal Doctor Who - would you like to play that role one day? I’ve never seen it! I think Matt Smith is a brilliant actor. And David Tennant also. But it just wasn’t my thing growing up and I feel like I’ve missed it now. I was in Moscow a few months ago and someone asked me about Doctor Who. And she thought I'd make a good Master. So if you’re offering me a part, then I’ll play the Master.

What about playing James Bond? Well, everyone wants to play James Bond, right? He always gets the girl at the end. And in the middle. And at the beginning, come to think of it. But I think that Daniel Craig would be a tough act to follow. He brings something really interesting to it.

Do you ever look at contemporaries like Benedict Cumberbatch and Eddie Redmayne and think, 'I'd like top billing in a Hollywood movie'? I know both those lads and I like them. But I never really think of my career like that. Of course, you want people to see your work, but I'm not interested in being the next so-and-so. It doesn't attract me. Mainly because it's short lived. It's better to keep working and do interesting stuff.

So being a big Hollywood star isn't all it's cracked up to be? I don't know. I suppose if you had enough clout to guarantee finance for a story you wanted to tell, then that would be a good thing. From a business point of view. But I don't spend my time being envious. There are so many variables in all that bollocks! When you desire fame or fortune - which are ephemeral things - you're building your house on sand, aren't you?

Do you have a dream project that you'd like to do? I'd love to do something about poets or photographers who have done interesting things and left an impression on their portion of the world. Someone like the American photographer Walker Evans. Or the French poet Arthur Rimbaud. 

So what's next for you? I'm purposefully having some time off. I've been busy and I'd like a bit of time to read some books and just study. I want to educate myself on writers, photography, filmmaking and poetry. I'm very lucky that I've now got enough money to have a bit of time to myself and study. I'm very lucky to be in that position.

[raayllum]

stop the episode is making me lose my mind ok

it will never not be funny to me the way rayllum has literally taken on a life of its own. like between aaron being like "we didn't want this they just made it happen somehow idk" and the writers being like "we don't even ship them they're teenagers" despite the fact that they are the ones writing them (or so you think) to be digustingly in love. i'm fully convinced that the spirit of rayllum has possessed the entire cast and crew and it's amazing

"he needs to be murdered, she needs to learn how to murder someone, they're perfect." HUHU HUH HUHA WHAT MR EHASZ SIR HUH REPEAT THAT WHAHT

terry arc + pure of heart trope??? consider me gagged

you mentioning ez/runaan conflict and aaron just being "THATS A VERY INTERESTING QUESTION 😈😈"

aaron ehasz fanboying over you???? as he should. as he should

Listen it was so fun and I've always wondered that about Rayllum for a Long time (like 4+ years) so getting to finally know (within reason, who knows about the story boarders / animators sneaking stuff in) is immensely satisfying.

Between "he needs to be murdered, she needs to learn how to murder someone" & "we'll see [Rayla's conflict between love & duty" manifest again" from another interview it's like. yeah dark magic + possession plot line in s7 let's goo

"True Heart" is super intriguing as an episode title since we've seen pure of heart be referenced (hi s3 Amaya) and I could see any of the trio having it, but I'm Pumped for the Terry focus and confirmation he's gonna have a bit more outright inner turmoil next season over his relationship to Claudia vs what he thinks is Right. Makes me nervous it's spell ingredient adjacent but maybe not (TDP loves its "hearts as ingredients/symbols" in particular after all, I wonder if we'll see why Laurelion got his heart stabbed/pierced)

And listen I was not prepared aah!! Aaron has always been gracious/appreciative over twitter and we'd talked a bit in DMs where he'd been very kind (stuff like character analysis from this video being "spot on") but I was of course floored and very flustered, it was incredibly kind and like getting to write/analyze stuff is its own reward, but knowing that my love/appreciation for the show is also seen and appreciated in turn is a very positive feedback loop that is very validating/affirming too of course! ("I was a little bit intimidated" will always live in my head rent free bc What The Fuck truly aaah from the bottom of my heart forever & ever)