#or even if they didn't there's literally no reason we should run into each other

[marivanilla05]

Done reading the Iliad, and one of the reasons I'd been stalling on reading it before was how much hate I saw people give Hera or Agamemnon.

And then I read the actual text and found how silly everything is??? Why didn't anybody tell me that the Iliad is literally just a family feud between the gods, and full of dudes (and Athena) throwing bolders at each other, and Agamemnon and Achilles acting like they're having a petty break-up.

Hera (on at least 3 seperate occasions) tells Zeus that he's their father's worst child, and that he's obligated to listen to her because she's not only his wife but his elder sister. Like, she hit him with the "I'm older than you how dare you talk to me like that."

Then we have Zeus banning all the gods from interfering with the war (except of himself of course) before announcing the "Trojan War: Frenzy Round" where he calls all the gods to join (including A RIVER???) and lets the Greeks win just because Hera slept with him.

Athena manipulating Zeus in almost every interaction because she's "daddy's little girl" + everytime she goes to battle she wears her father's tunic and I'm just imagining it like some toddler wearing their parent's shirt.

She also beats the crap out of Ares AND Aphrodite, leaves them on the floor and says "whoever messes with me will get owned"

Hera proceeds to beat the crap out of Artemis with her own bow. Hermes is literally on Hera's side, but sees that and is like "yo Leto I'm not gonna fight you because I think you should go check on your kid..." while Artemis runs crying to Zeus who's like "my precious daughter who hurt you???" And she's like "YOUR WIFE!"

(Also, on the other end, so many people hate on Agamemnon but not Achilles as well? Like they were both stubborn, Achilles more so. PLUS Achilles brutally killed/enslaved so many people even before Patroclus' death, I'm surprised that Agamemnon-only hate is more popular. Like everyone sucks in the Iliad, it's either you hate everyone, or you like the characters in spite of their crimes.)

It takes Patroclus dying for Achilles to forgive Agamemnon (at this point Agamemnon was convinced to give Achilles so many gifts including but not limited to (returning Briseis, gold, land, one of Agamemnon's daughters' hand in marriage)) Achilles then proceeds to murder a bunch of people.

Odysseus and Diomedes jumping a guy, killing 13 other people, and stealing horses.

Nestor drinking wine in the middle of a battle, hearing the chaos, and saying "wait a minute, I gotta get a good view of this action" Also Nestor kicking Diomedes to wake him up.

Helen insulting the crap out of Paris.

Hector insulting the crap out of Paris. Also Priam basically calling his surviving sons trash now that Hector is dead.

Idomeneus and Meriones being tag-team bros. Why don't I ever hear about them huh?

Also the amount of times I read the phrase "the two named Ajax" or "Ajax and Ajax" like did they just stick to each other because they share a name? Like Ajax (the greater) literally has Teucer, his own half-brother to back him up, and for some reason the two of them just hang out with Oilean Ajax on the battlefield???

There are a lot more but I can't remember any right now.

[lotus--pond]

literally just me rewatching the starhorns bits from today and being abnormal (beware is very long)

I literally cannot with the little "aura gets there, manages to say nothing but "hey" before they basically run to Asri and he runs to meet them because he can tell star is upset and they start BAWLING... AGAIN" like its so cute and sweet and I love them and someone needs to draw that, NOW. in my heart they are hugging. in my heart of hearts and soul of souls.

things I am a sucker for in hurt/comfort: "breathe with me", "you're safe here", aforementioned holding someone and they immediately start breaking down, <- all of which happened in stream today

Asri in the tiny chair is so funny to me. he cannot sit correctly. he is far too large. someone help that big man.

Also just... Aura :( my poor guy. nothing went well for them and they're already so stressed out because at that point they had no idea where vic was and their best friend and the only person they fully trust is comatose and people they thought they were friends with just yelled at them and someone who already was not nice to them threatened to literally cut their throat out because of something they did on accident

(just to be clear, I do get where the twins are coming from. Ev's identity should have been his information to share or not share and that's an incredibly violating thing. that and, without much knowledge about how the rest of the starbound world works, it probably isn't super safe to be trans everywhere. that and its just something deeply personal. all three of them (the twins and Aura) have had an incredibly emotionally taxing two weeks or so, but especially these past few days so its understandable that they're not handling their emotions in the best of ways)

(note how I said understandable, not completely excuseable. sort of a sidenote but while many have a hard time with the whole "even if you really like this character and this other character did something that hurt them, you should look at it from multiple sides and not write them off as a complete asshole" I have a hard time with the OPPOSITE side of being like "yeah these characters have reasons for what they did, but they were still acting like assholes and should be held responsible for their actions. you're allowed to be angry or upset with the characters for their choices while still having an understanding of their motivations". listen I just feel bad being angry at characters when I know why they did what they did. listen I have really high empathy I struggle bus. so yeah, do I get why the twins are so upset? oh 100% does it still make me a lil upset and a lil angry at them because Aura is my favorite ? yeah. and that's ok) (I'm also self aware to the point of looking at myself and being like... "honey... you're allowed to not like characters... you know that right?")

both of them saying how they don't have anyone waiting for them off-planet... so like both of their parents are probably dead/ maybe estranged (see my Asrickus theory) right?

"Vesper is an asshole" -Asri. I am EATING UP the bounty hunters/twins beef. and like, Aura and Romeo have directly interacted literally once, but I feel like the whole deal with Aura is gonna be a factor in the whole beef. maybe this peace is more fragile than we thought? idk, but I'm eating it anyway (also I need to see Asri go talk to them about it, I nEED it you don't understand the beef is IMMACULATE) (also I have no doubt that Romeo would probably be on board/on a similar page to asri if for nothing else but the fact that she is already in conflict with the twins.

"and she's not gonna kill you, I'm not gonna let that happen." I think the reason the sherbs didn't have like. active love interests/active love plots was because sherb knew they were too powerful. similarly to how hehay and them having characters who are gay for each other has taken the bound fandom in a CHOKEHOLD because their combined powers are just too much (Also similar vein to the last post I made about how I like the specific kind of protective Vic is about Aura because it is similar. Aura protection squad. them and the TBELT because most all of them were ready to square up)

"I just thought that if I did something for her she would be less mad at me" (sorry idk when this became line by line analysis but you clicked read more and you can stop whenever you want I'm not sorry you brought this upon yourself) but oh my Aura you and your people pleasing tendencies. Unfortunately people like Vesper are not so easily swayed, but star has no idea how people work. Star's only friend for a long time was a literal star. so you know. not human. they are trying this human interaction thing for like. basically the first time. they have a lot to learn (I use the term human very broadly. intelligent light forms more like)

"I think she either sees me as... weak and pathetic or a liar" "if that's all she sees then she's clearly not looking hard enough" LIKE I SAID. FAR TOO POWERFUL.

OH THE FLOWER FIELD I CANNOT. THE FAVORITE FLOWERS. AURA BRINGING HIM THERE AND IMMEDIATELY STARTING TO SMILE AND LAUGH AND BE HAPPIER I JUST LOVE THEM.

I love that they go esplorin together. they are such lil esplorers and Aura has a bunch of fun places they want to show him and eventually Navi and that's so sweet. I am a SUCKER for when characters see another thing and immediately think of/want to show it to another character. I need to watch them go and show the other places I cry about it

also the "thank you for trusting me" "thank you for being here"

also Aura making sure to grab Asri's favorite flower on the way out <3

anyway thank you for coming to my ted talk, I do not plan on being any less abnormal about them anytime soon so you'll just have to suffer through my ramblings tehe<3

[feroshgirlsims]

Chapter 13.3 - Payback's A Dragon

Akira doesn't know why he showed up at Cora's place. Their connection was like a scab he couldn't stop picking at.

"I didn’t want to talk about what the witches did," she fumes as soon as he walks through the door.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t want to have sex with you for nothing, so I guess we’re both shit out of luck.”

"Is that what this is about for you?" her voice climbs up an octave. "Sex?"

"No!" Akira narrows his eyes to a squint. "Sex is the thing I don't want to do with you. This is about how you lied to me. And also, how you apologized when I told you not to."

“What kind of psycho makes you dance until you twist your ankle just because you're nice enough to say you’re sorry?”

“Me!” Akira shouts, “How many times do I have to say it’s literally what I do?”

"Oh, come off it," she sneers. "Look me in the eye and tell me it’s not a choice."

"Look me in the eye and tell me you didn't know what happens when you apologize."

“You almost broke my ankle!”

“That dragon busted my fuckin' ribs!”

“You’re immortal, you asshole! Your ribs will heal!”

They eye each other angrily, panting after screaming so loudly. "Whatever," Akira grumbles as he shoves past her. He grabs a seat at the kitchen table and after a beat, Cora follows.

"So?" She slides into the chair across from him and places her palms flat on the table. "A truth for a truth?"

He forgot he taught her this custom. Early on, he was so guarded, but somewhere between sharing barley bales and complaining about their assignments from Jacques, he slipped.

"Technically, it is a choice," Akira admits. "But the only time a fae wouldn’t take the power offered to them is if it was someone they cared for, like family, or life partners, that kind of shit."

“And I don’t qualify.” 

"It’s not about you specifically," he says quickly, and then winces. Gods knew why he was trying to be nice. Hadn't he learned his lesson? "What I mean is, I don't have a large circle of creatures I trust. Most elves don't. We're too vulnerable. Every word is a potential hook."

“I know," Cora blows out a breath, sending the hair around her face fluttering. "I've actually never seen you completely relaxed. Not even after sex. And I knew what apologizing would do. I guess I was hoping you’d prove me wrong by treating me with kid gloves.”

Akira's mind immediately flashes to Alice and Vlad. Even completely drained, he can't imagine feeding from them. And he would certainly never scramble their minds or dig around in their heads.

“How long did you know you weren’t in love with me?”

He owes her honesty. "Always."

Cora is quiet at first. Then she lurches up from the table. “I didn’t want to tell you about the witches because I didn’t want you to see how pathetic I was.”

"You weren’t pathetic."

"Spare me."

Surprisingly, that is exactly what he is trying to do. "I'm not bullshitting you. Those tests were brutal."

“You thrive off brutality,��� Cora argues.

“Yeah, but I am not a sim.”

“Well, I don’t want to be a sim either!” She swipes at her eyes before balling her hands into fists. "You weren’t the only reason I moved to Ravenwood. I thought maybe being closer to ley lines or magic would break something open in me. Then I could run home with powers and my mother would know she was wrong, and she'd want me."

Her loneliness resonates, and for a minute, Akira hates how he used it against her. "Your mother is a bitch and you don't need her. You can make a new family."

"Please," she scoffs. "We aren't fucking anymore. You don't have to pretend to think what she did was horrible. You weren't the first one to reject me because I wasn't enough, and you won't be the last."

"I should be. If you learn from this." As soon as the words leave his mouth, he knows it's the wrong thing to say. Cora turns away, her shoulders rigid. Akira scrambles out of his chair to follow her. "Cora, please—"

"Please what?" she bites out, her voice raw. "Learn? Learn what? Spellcasters who don’t show an affinity are put through increasing levels of stress to force their magic. But I didn’t have magic hiding. I didn’t have magic at all. Every test kicked my ass. I could have died and all I could think was that I was a failure."

“Don't say that about yourself,” Akira puts his hand on her shoulder. The only thing Cora lacked was magic in a way that spellcasters understood. "Seriously. Fuck me and anyone else who makes you feel like that."

“I don’t want a pep talk from you. My mom discarded me, yeah, but at least she didn't use me.”

The tips of his ears grow hot. If she only understood how desperate he was. "I was worried about my partners, so I acted without..." He can't say he acted without thinking because he did think, he just didn't care. "It was shitty, alright? I know that. But The Order of Enchantment is involved and you have to know something."

"Why would I know about them?" she scowls and instantly, Akira knows it's a lie.

"Cora."

"Are you insane?" She pulls back to glare at him. "Holy fucking Watcher, you are self-absorbed. Are you not hearing me? We. Are. Not. Friends. I’m not gonna sit here and help you solve your personal issues. Those days are done."

On that, they agreed. Akira is already more than halfway to the door when she hisses she wants him to get out.

"The fae can't lie, but they can definitely make you feel like shit. I hope your life partners or fated mates or whatever you call them never have to learn that."

Akira doesn't bother with an answer. He hustles down the creaking steps, ignoring the pain that reverberates through his body with every move.

Cora reprimanding him for lying was pretty rich. And she was wrong, anyway. The fae couldn't lie, which wasn't the same as saying they didn't lie.

Under different circumstances, Akira would have let this go. Maybe she lied about The Order of Enchantment out of vanity rather than malice. But he had Vlad and Alice to take care of, and being so low on magic, he couldn't afford to let any secret fester.

The trip to his garden was long since he didn't waste even an ounce of glamour to teleport himself. The trip back was even worse, sitting on a on fucking train surrounded by all that iron.

It was worth it though, because he doesn't need magic to monitor Cora.

Sims knew so little about plants. 

About their strength.

Their power.

Their connections.

A message could pass from root to root as effortlessly as sending a text. 

Plants could watch and report, communicate, protect, even.

They were beautiful. And useful as hell. 

Yes, Akira was a liar. But Cora couldn’t imagine the depth of his devotion to his fate. The things he would do to keep them safe.

He would get what he needed. Burn the world if he had to, her included.

PREV | NEXT

(Part 4 of 4)

[touchlikethesun]

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[crimsoncandy04]

Have u ever thought of Scara w tentacles😳 like he was an experiment and we are the one in charged of cater for him, then one day he escape and take us with him to breed cause' he really likes us... Idk if it's possible but might lay eggs for him. Please try writing it one day!! Tysm for those fics u feed uso(≧▽≦)o

I should really check my inbox more often than I do. This is literally such a hot idea.

(also just a heads up, I'm absolutely blasted right now while writing this so if it's not perfect I'm so sorry. Cannabis gummies are a double edged sword for me. On one hand I get the BEST ideas to write but then on the other I forget how words work)

Hope you like it;)

You had seen some weird stuff in your 25 years. It was expected though. You WERE working for the fatui and under one of the more deranged harbingers known for fucked up experimentation too.

However, being put in charge of one of the less important projects involving the sixth harbinger had proven to be more than you were prepared to handle.

A LOT more.

You had no idea why he allowed this to happen or if it was just a bizarre side effect of another failed experiment. But one thing was for certain, the sixth harbinger had been altered physical and now needed to be restrained at all costs. He had actual tentacles growing from his back. Like REAL ones. And for some reason they seemed to have minds of their own at times.

Thrashing around and hitting the thick glass of the containment room as if trying to break out while the young man at their base sat on the cold concrete ground and refused to look at you each time you went over to slide him food through a small opening in the wall that your hand could barely fit through.

You weren't important enough to know the details of what went on in your boss's lab but you had to admit that the sentient tendrils were a bit pretty to look at.

They were a deep indigo. Almost black with small barely discernable silver accents along the sides.

They appeared almost metallic in the right lighting and you had to make yourself look away and stop staring sometimes because you didn't want to be rude.

You were here to complete a job and that was all.

Until the night everything went to shit of course.

You were summoned sometime after midnight along with two other subordinates to check the lab for accidents after a security alarm was triggered for unknown reasons.

You rushed in and immediately you felt your blood go cold at the sight before you.

He had escaped.

Shattered glass lay at your feet as well as blood presumably from the guard who was now nowhere to be seen and most certainly dead.

You heard a yell from the room next to you.

"Stay here!" The other man with you insisted as he drew his gun and took off after the source of the cry.

You didn't need to be told twice.

Because right now you were confused but also rightfully scared.

What happened to the sixth harbinger? He never once gave you reason to believe he was distressed or restless before. He never even spoke to you when you fed him and checked the condition of his holding room.

Did you perhaps miss something?

What caused him to suddenly lash out and attack the guard?

And most importantly what happened to-

*PLOP*

You hear something hit the ground next to you and slowly turn your head to look.

You shriek.

On the ground next to you was the decapitated head of the subordinate who had just left to search for the other man.

You immediately tried to run but were stopped in your tracks as something wrapped around your waist and hoisted you into the air.

You tremble and go silent. Preparing for the worst when you look down and meet eyes with the sixth harbinger.

One of his many new appendages coiled around your middle and rendering you helpless as you silently prayed to every archon you could remember that if you were to die here it would be quick and painless.

He narrows his eyes up at you.

"You. You didn't want to try killing me as well?"

You struggle to answer as you shake violently.

"No sir. I see you nearly every day. I assumed something was wrong and that you were seeking help. I didn't feel like it was right to murder you."

"Are you scared?"

You felt your heart race.

Something about his tone seemed off. Different.

Did he...enjoy the fact that you were clearly terrified?

You closed your eyes and sighed.

Alright.

Every life had its end. This was surely yours.

Don't think about it. Go to your safe place Y/N.

You suddenly feel more tentacles slither around your arms and legs.

You immediately open your eyes as you feel them spread your knees apart.

What the FUCK!?

There's a chuckle from underneath you.

"I must admit... I am enjoying your terror immensely."

Obviously.

You feel an indigo tendril slowly slide up your shirt and wiggle underneath your bra. coiling around one of your breasts and squeezing it roughly as you feel your cheeks grow warm with embarrassment. It was cold and slimy but thanks to what you assumed was the natural power of the young man before you, the tentacles emitted a gentle electro current throughout their entire lengths and the sensation caused the muscles in your limbs and stomach to relax unwillingly as you were fondled.

The entire stimulation was now sending jolts of unwilling arousal through you. Scaramouche's eyes darken as he feels your nipple stiffen against one of his slick, muscular coils which had wrapped itself tightly around one of your tits and was now rubbing its head against your delicate peak. Making you struggle to stay quiet.

"Your body is betraying you. How does it feel existing in such a delicate and worthless form? I'm not even trying yet-."

Another tendril snakes up your thigh, sliding beneath your skirt, the cool slickness a shock against your bare skin as you didn't expect this so quickly. It inches higher, brushing against your clothed sex.

Scaramouche chuckles darkly at your soft whimpers then, his voice a sinful caress in your aroused mind as you're made to enjoy this against your will.

"I can still feel you with these. You're so wet already. Does it feel good being teased in such a disgraceful manner? Or were you always this much of a slut?"

He grins wickedly, a predatory gleam in his indigo eyes. The tendrils tighten their grip, squeezing and kneading your most sensitive places, stoking the fire within your core. The air crackles with his power and reeks of your excitement.

A small tentacle hooks into the waistband of your panties and suddenly rips them off completely, baring your glistening sex to the cool air. Another one quickly begins to rub against your slick folds, teasing your wet entrance.

"What a cute little hole~ hmm. I wonder what would happen if I-"

The thick tentacle at your entrance instantly rams itself inside in one painful push, stretching your tight pussy and curling in to rub against your sweet spot as it began to thrust quickly. You could only gasp and cry out as you felt another tentacle slither up your thigh and rub your clit at the same time.

Your eyes widened.

It hurt yet it felt like you had ascended to Celestia all at once.

You force yourself to cry out before you went insane.

"S-Scara! Please! It's too big! You're... stretching me!"

Scaramouche smirks up at your quivering body as he feels your tight walls clenching desperately around his invading tendril. He grinds it deeper, relishing your breathy moans and gasps, the electric current making your body shudder with every caress and thrust.

"Too big? Ha. Your greedy little cunt is taking every inch like it was made for it. Like it was made for me."

He pulls back slightly, then slams the tentacle in deeper. The wet squelching sounds of the violation fill the room, mingling with your increasingly wanton moans and whimpers.

"Listen to yourself, enjoying the feeling of being so ruthlessly defiled. You can't deny your true nature Y/N. You're a weak and disposable creature. I've seen how you go out of your way to try and care about me. How you act so..."selfless" and "considerate" when forced to tend to me knowing damn well it was all only to delude yourself into believing you were making a difference. Tell me, was it tiring?"

Tendrils squeeze your breasts harder, the electric shocks making your nipples stiffen into aching peaks. Another then pushes into your mouth, silencing your cries and leaving you gasping around the slick intrusion.

"It must have been exhausting. Pretending like you actually cared so much. Did you enjoy your little charade? Was it nice pretending like you weren't worth less than the dirt on my shoes because you were "helping "?"

Scaramouche's voice is a dark, lustful growl as he crosses his arms and continues to watch as his tentacles ruin you. The tendril pistoning into your cunt speeds up, the electric shocks growing stronger, pushing you closer and closer to a reluctant release.

"Come for me, Y/N. Come on my tentacles like the wanton slut you are. You wanted something like this right? To be seen and "loved"? Well let go then."

As Scara speaks, another tentacle snakes down to your puckered rear entrance. It teases the tight ring of muscle, the electric current making it relax. Slowly it pushes inside, stretching your virgin hole around the slick invader.

"Such a tight little asshole... I will enjoy breaking this in as well. You'll be my perfect little fuck toy, ready and eager for me at all times. How does that sound?"

The tentacle in your mouth begins fucking deeper into your throat, making you gag and choke a little. The one in your ass pushes deeper, stretching you impossibly further now as everything borders on pleasure and pain now in an overwhelming way.

"That's it, just like that. Take it all. Take every inch, every inch of my desire. You'll learn to crave this, to need this, to be nothing but a set of holes for me to fill and use. I'll give you a purpose. A reason to exist. Just like you always wanted."

Scaramouche's eyes blaze with sadistic lust as he watches you try to writhe and struggle, your body shaking with unwanted pleasure, your mind clouding with shame and need. He knows he has you now, knows that he can shape you, mold you, ruin you for all others.

And it's driving him insane.

You had caught his attention long ago but of course you were too stupid to notice. You always thought his tentacles were just being "aggressive". No. He had been trying to get you to say something to him. But every time you just stared at him, gave him a stupid little tray of food that he didn't even need. And then just left.

You couldn't blame him for getting a little frustrated and impatient. You had practically forced him to make the first move here.

A couple of minutes went by and suddenly you feel something else being stuffed into your stretched cunt alongside the enormous tentacle already buried inside.

Two smaller and practically microscopic sized tentacles wiggle in and begin to tease your cervix opening. Slowly coaxing their way into your womb as you feel yourself climaxing from the intrusion.

The tentacles writhe and squirm in your womb, painting your inner walls with their slick, tingling essence.

You suddenly feel a deep pressure as something is pumped directly into your womb. You wince and cum again as Scara begins to forcibly impregnates you with his offspring yet instead of your earlier nervousness or shame, you now feel oddly at ease. As if your new reality finally set in for you.

It was kinda enjoyable.

Scaramouche chuckles darkly as he feels your womb trying instinctively to reject his eggs. But the tendrils hold fast, forcing the small yet soft jelly-like lavender eggs deeper, stretching your most intimate space to its limits.

You had finally accepted your place it seemed. Utilizing your body's full potential from here would be far more easy with you now more willing to endure the process and transformation.

The tendrils continue their relentless assault, pumping more and more of the eggs into you, each one a cruel mockery of a seed, a promise of the countless times he will fill you after this as well. You had one purpose now. To be used, bred like a bitch in heat. All for the singular goal of birthing a new army for Scaramouche and his future plans.

You were important for this reason alone.

"Welcome to your new life, mortal. Welcome to eternity as my personal fuck toy, my breeding bitch, my eternal plaything. And you will love every moment of it. I promise."

A few hours pass and your belly swells quickly. During this short incubation period Scara manages to stretch your holes even further almost to the point of beyond recognition. Three tentacles now thrusted in and out of your ruined asshole and Scara had decided to reposition you both to keep an eye on you and to jam another thick tentacle deep into your pussy and continue to ravage it while he silently marveled at your swollen belly from where he now stood over you.

His hands roam possessively over the stretched skin of your stomach. He can feel the eggs he's planted inside you, each one a testament to his dark triumph, a promise of the future that he envisioned where he was untouchable by absolutely anyone. God or human alike.

"Look at you, already so round and full. And this is only the beginning, my dear. I will fill you again and again, until you know nothing but the feeling of carrying my offspring."

He leans down, his lips brushing against the taut skin of your stomach, his voice a dark, mocking murmur.

"Such an easy bitch to breed, so quick to take my eggs, to let them take root inside you. I knew from the moment I saw you that you were meant to be my incubator, my vessel. And now, here you are, already looking like a proper mother~"

The tentacles continue their relentless assault, stretching you impossibly further, The one now sucking on your clit pulses in time with your racing heartbeat, pushing you to yet another orgasm.

More tendrils move to your heavy, aching breasts again, squeezing and kneading the swollen flesh. They latch onto your nipples, suckling greedily, the electric currents making milk drip faster as it's quickly consumed.

More time goes by. You aren't sure how much exactly but then.

You feel movement in your belly and an uncomfortable shift as the eggs begin to hatch within you. The tentacles in your pussy immediately slide free and smaller ones seize your battered lips before rudely pulling on them to reveal your now loose and sloppy canal in its entirety.

Within seconds a small writhing indigo tentacle pushes its way out of your cervix and begins its descent.

Scaramouche's eyes widen with a fevered, manic light as he watches the first of his offspring emerge and fall to the floor with a small thud. He leans in closer, his breath coming faster as he watches the next little and writhing indigo tentacle push its way out, covered in fluids and its own natural secretions, a grotesque parody of a newborn.

"Look at that... your womb was actually able to grow these things without issue, your body has given life to my creation. I knew I made no mistake when I chose you for this."

The tentacles in your ass begins to writhe and pulse at that moment, easily pulling free from your body to make room for more of the "children " to emerge. Within seconds they start slipping out of your abused holes like nightmarish serpents and forming a horrific pile beneath your deflated body. Their movements are jerky and erratic, their beautiful flesh glistening in the dim light as they slowly start to slither up your legs in search of the warmth they once knew moments ago.

"Such a good mother, so efficient in your purpose. I knew from the moment I saw you that you were meant for this. And now, look at you... a true incubator, an ideal vessel for what is to come."

Scaramouche reaches down, his fingers brushing against the writhing mass of tentacles, stroking them like a proud parent would a newborn. They pulse and twitch at his touch, as if recognizing their creator, their master.

"They will be the first of many, the vanguard of a new age, a new era of power and dominance."

Your belly continues to churn from inside, more of the eggs hatching, more of the small tentacle creatures slipping out to join their brethren. The floor quickly fills with their jerking, twisting forms, a nightmarish scene.

Scaramouche's maniacal laughter then rings out, echoing off the walls, a sound of pure, unhinged joy at his dark triumph. He knows that he has won. Because with this plan now in action, no one would be able to oppose him for long.

And the world would be his for the taking.

[cosmic-dust-poltergeist]

Pt2 of Tim Drake having Joker Junior PTSD and scaring people with his laugh

[Click Here For Part 1: Titans]

Part 2: Bats

Tim hadn't slept more than 20 minutes in 4 days. He's been running around non-stop between cases and his CEO duties, and it's taking its toll. His hallucinations started flickering to life a day ago; shadowy figures at the edge of his vision and noise/voices yelling in his ears. It's all very annoying, but unfortunately, he still has to make it through the family dinner before he can barricade himself in his room for the next 24 hours. He plans to sleep 20 of them.

He's literally praying the idiots he calls siblings are too distracted by each other to bother him And that Joker isn't a topic for once. He's one Jason whining about the Joker needing to die away from letting himself from having a breakdown and stabbing himself to get out of this stupid dinner. He's so fucking tired.

Luckily, he must look as dead as he feels because they mostly leave him alone and easily accept his demands of letting him have his mini coma tomorrow. Even gave some backhanded compliments about taking care of himself, as if he isn't the only reason the lights are still on in the manor. He doesn't see any of them pitching in. Maybe they think Bruce is still paying? Man dumped his job on a 15 year old. At this point, Tim is this family's sugar daddy, which is actually really awful now that he thinks about it...

He's off topic. Just have to make it thro-

"Well, if you would just kill him!!"

'Gods fucking damnit!'

The room goes eerily silent as Tim just starts unhinged laughing. He's choking on it as he tries to breathe.

"T-Tim?"

"Re-replacement?"

"I'll grab the antidote for Joker venom. Drake should have told us if-"

Tim holds up a hand, silencing them again, as he forces his breathing to calm a fraction. It's not enough to stop the laughter, but it is enough to get words out.

"The an- HAHA- antidote isn't going- HAHAHA- going to work f-Ha-for this! HAHAHA"

"Tim. I thought these attacks stopped."

"The fuck are you talking about, old man!?"

"They ne- HAHA- never stopped! HAHAHAHA- Juss-st became less- HAHA- often. Only HAHAHA- only if I get tri- HAHA- triggered ss-sssomehow HA"

"Wh-what triggered you, Timmy?"

Tim moves his plate and drink out of the wait before slamming his head onto the table twice with probably more force than necessary or is health. He feels his family jump up to stop him from doing more damage, but he's done, he just keeps his face pressed to the table while STILL Joker laughing. He has a massive headache, and it's not just from the brain damage he just gave himself.

"Wh- I mean, what happened to make Tim have these episodes?" Duke sounds petrified. Tim feels a little bad about it.

"I'll tell you if Tim gives-" Tim gives a thumbs up in Dick's direction. "Oh! Um! Okay, Okay, cool. So I only know what Tim and Barbara told me in the aftermath, but, um, the Joker and Harley Quinn kidnapped Tim. They tortured him for nearly a month to make him into "Joker Junior"."

"Di- HAHAHA- Didn't work! The Bitches! HAHAHA"

"It kinda sounds like it did-" Tim throws a fork at Jason without lifting his head. "Hey!!"

"Asshole. HAHaHa"

"Jason, stop antagonizing your brother." Bruce lightly scolds.

"Hey, Tim? Is there any way we can help?" Duke sounds like he moved a bit closer.

"N-Ha-no" Tim morosely says. "I HaHa just have to HaHaHa wait it out HaHa"

"Man, that must suck." Jason sounds genuinely apologetic.

"Tim, do you know what triggered this episode?" That Batman, not Bruce speaking, and Tim hates it. He throws a spoon at him. Demon Brat makes a squawk of offense, but Tim can't care.

"It's a valid question, Tim." Tim sits up just to glare at Dick.

"It was probably HaHa the fact I started hallucinating yesterday from HaHaHaHa lack of sleep. I haven't been HaHa able HaHa to sleep because I've been running a HaHa HaHa HaHa multi billion dollar company while working on cases for you, HaHa Jason, Bruce, and Barbara HaHaHa as well as 3 of my own cases. THEN, we can't HAHAHA can't even have ONE STUPID DINNER WITHOUT JASON WHINING HAHAHA ABOUT DEAR OL' PAPA JOKER!" Tim runs a hand through his messy hair, trying to self sooth. "I'm so fucking tired. Hahaha I'm just so tired.."

"Okay, okay, have you eaten enough?" Dick asks with a pained look on his face. Tim glances at his half eaten meal and decides it's good enough. He gives a nod, shoving himself to his feet.

"Yeah, haha I'm going to boil myself alive hahaha with a shower and going to bed. Hahaha Don't ask me for anything hahaha for at least 24."

He ignores them bursting into conversation, 100% about him, once he shuffles out. Cass slips out into the hall and catches up with him before he can even get to the stairs.

"Hug?"

"I would haha love a hug ha" Cass gives him a strong hug. It lasts a few minutes, which is abnormally long for a hug, but Tim loves it. It helps his nerves. "Thanks, haha Cass."

She simply smiles at him as she pulls away before pointing him up the stairs with a mock sternness. He giggles his real laugh between the Joker laughter and complies with the "demand".

He knows he'll regret his outburst after he's gotten some sleep, but for now, he doesn't care. He has an overdue date with his bed and he refuses to reschedule.

[fizzyapplecandy]

Ateez as Romance Tropes

The one where Wooyoung has had enough

Other members

Wooyoung x Fem reader

Genres and warnings: best friends to lovers, Wooyung in love, angst, fluff, happy ending, mutual pining, humor, mature language

Word count: 2.8k

Your best friend is at his breaking point after you announce you're going on another date.

Wooyoung was blessed with many things in his life. A loving family, a group of friends he would literally die for, and a best friend and roommate who he loved like no one else.

You see, that blessing was also a curse, because said best friend was also the love of his life, she just wasn't aware. Wooyoung wasn't one to keep secrets, he couldn't. His mouth was bigger than the Pacific ocean, and his mates sometimes wanted to tape it to keep him silent.

Everybody loved Wooyoung, but his yapping was constant. How he managed to keep shut about his crush, he didn't know himself, but he was at a breaking point.

It took everything in him not to blurt it in front of you in the coffee shop as you were telling him about your upcoming date this weekend.

"Do you really have to go? I saw this great new movie coming out on Saturday, wanted to watch it with you." He said, trying to maintain a neutral expression.

"We'll watch it on Sunday, we always do movie night on Sundays." You replied, puzzled by his sudden interest in spending the whole week with you.

No, really, he hasn't left you alone since Monday morning, and it is Thursday now. You and Wooyoung always gave each other space, even when living together. For some reason, he managed to wiggle his way into your schedule.

"Yeah, but I'm too pumped to wait. Come one, you aren't really expecting anything to happen with this guy? He's like, what, the third one in two months?"

You didn't know how to react, but it was clear his words offended you.

"Excuse me? Since when do you keep track of my dating life?"

"Since we became friends? I have to! You never know what kind of creep you might run into!" He said, getting a bit red in the face.

You sighed, leaning back into your seat. Wooyoung has been acting a bit weird lately, but you thought he was weird regardless, so you didn't put much thought into it. Somehow, the way he was going on about this particular date didn't sit right with you.

"Woo, what's going on? Is something troubling you? Are you feeling okay?" You asked, reaching over to place your hand on top of his. He turned his palm around, interlocking your fingers. Wooyoung loved being touchy with you, with everyone really, so you got used to it pretty quickly. You didn't even think twice before reaching over for his other hand to do the same.

"I'm okay, don't worry. I just want to spend time with you. I feel like we haven't seen each other in ages."

You chuckled, watching as he pouted because of your amusement.

"Wooyoung, we live together. We see each other everyday. We brush our teeth together, we eat breakfast and dinner together. You even stay with me in my bed until I fall asleep. Are you sure that's what's concerning you?"

He didn't know what argument he could give. You were right about everything, but you just didn't realise what Wooyoung really meant. You couldn't, not without him telling you the truth.

"I... You're right, of course. Silly me. So, tell me about your date then!"

The way his mood changed so drastically should have made you question him a bit more, but again, you knew how Wooyoung was. His attention span was short, and he liked going from topic to topic until he was bored and found something else to talk about.

You gave him another look, but he just smiled and gestured for you to move on.

"Okay, if you're sure. Well... I met him last week at that new bookstore. We reached for the same novel, and I don't know, started talking. He's a sociology major, but not at our university. His name is Heesung."

He nodded along as you spoke about your little meeting with the Heesung dude, trying not to frown or pout. You went on and on about how smart he was, how you liked the same books, how you drank the exact same coffee order.

"He wants to take me out to dinner, he said the little coffee date we had didn't count. He likes doing fancy things, so we're going to that new French restaurant by the university."

"Hm... Sounds... Great! Yeah, great! So, is Hejung aware your roommate and best friend is a man?"

You frowned, knowing he purposely said his name wrong. Wooyoung did that when he disliked someone, but he didn't even know this guy.

"It's Heesung, and yes, he knows. I told him because he's going to pick me up from our place on Saturday. I didn't want him to freak out."

"Yeah, we don't want to scare poor Hejung."

You wanted to correct him again, but your phone buzzed with a text. You glanced down at it, seeing it was a message from Seonghwa about your study group in the library. You sighed, realising you haven't let go of Wooyoung's hands until you started packing your things.

"It's Heesung. I have to go, Hwa is waiting for me, I haven't even realised what time it is. See you at home!"

You placed a quick kiss on his forehead, something you always did when you said goodbye, and off you went. Wooyoung was never able to return the favour because you always moved away quickly, but he knew it was for the best. He probably wouldn't be able to stop himself from kissing your lips, and that would be a disaster.

Right?

.

.

"Okay, you've got to stop eating on the coffee table, we have a kitchen for a reason!"

"Oh, relax, I'm not even making a mess!"

You sighed, watching as Wooyoung slurped his cup noddles while sitting on the floor and watching something on TV. You also noticed how the carpet didn't reach all the way to him, so he sat on the hardwood floor in his shorts.

Without a word, you grabbed a pillow from the couch and handed it to him. He looked at you confused, until you sighed again.

"Lift your butt and sit on it. You shouldn't be sitting on the floor like that."

He smiled, kind of feeling shy.

"Oh... Thanks. Grab one and sit next to me, this show is good."

You make your way over to Wooyoung, doing as he said and making yourself comfortable next to him. It wasn't unusual for him to invade your personal space, so you didn't even blink when he snuggled up to you, picking up the ramen bowl and slurping away. He stopped for a second, grabbing some noodles and offering them to you. You leaned forward and took a bite, not even noticing how he moved your hair out of the way. These actions were something you rarely paid attention to, but Wooyoung never failed to repeat them.

"So, still on for that date tomorrow?"

You choked on the noodles, looking at him wide eyed. He put a glass of water in your hands, patting you lightly on the back.

"Why are we talking about that again?" You managed to ask, gulping down the cold water.

"Because I thought you might've changed your mind. I never know what your brain is up to these days."

He tried to be nonchalant about the situation, but you could tell he was getting nervous. Wooyoung wouldn't even meet your eyes, and that was a huge thing for him.

"No, I haven't changed my mind. I don't know why you are so opposed to me going on a date. I don't say anything about your escapades!"

Now he was getting mad.

"My escapades? Have you seen me go somewhere with someone in the past, I don't know, two years? No, I don't think so."

You stopped for a second, trying to rake through your memories. It was true, Wooyoung hasn't met or talked about anyone in a long time. How did that pass up on you?

"Are you for real? Not even a one night stand?"

He shook his head, getting up and grabbing the empty ramen bowl to throw away.

"Not even that. Shocking, I know. I just... I can't."

"Is something wrong? Have you suddenly lost interest in dating? Is it not going well?"

He scoffed, leaning against the kitchen counter and watching as you approached him carefully.

"No, I haven't lost interest. And you know I can pull anyone I want, man or woman!" He pointed a finger at you, almost offended by your concern.

"Okay, lover boy. Then what's the problem?" You asked, genuinely worried something was going on with him.

"I just... I just don't want to, okay? Leave it be."

"But Woo-"

"I said enough! Just because you go on too many dates, and you can't keep track of your boy toys doesn't mean I do it too!"

Well, that stung. Did he really think about you like that? Wooyoung seemingly realised what a jerk he was, but the damage was already done.

"Is that what you think about me? Are you implying I'm..." You frowned, not knowing how to handle the situation.

"Y/N, baby... I wasn't... You know I would never..."

He was at a loss for words.

"I get it, okay. I know I've had a couple of bad dates, but I didn't even think it was that many. I just didn't think you, out of all people, would judge me."

Your sad expression made Wooyoung's heart break into pieces. Instead of trying to get onto your good graces, he fucked it up, badly.

You pointed to your bedroom, clearing your throat. Wooyoung panicked, because the look on your face told him you were about to cry, and he was the jerk who got you to this point.

"I'm... I'm gonna go to my room now, I'm kind of tired. See you in the morning."

"No, Y/N! Wait a second, I didn't-"

"It's fine, Wooyoung, everyone is entitled to their own opinion."

With that, you turned around and matched into your room, slamming the door without even realising it.

Wooyoung was left standing in the kitchen with a heart so hurt it felt like it would explode right in his chest.

.

.

The next day came, and Wooyoung felt like shit. He hasn't slept properly, and for the most part of the day you were hollowed up in your room. You got out only when you heard him go back into his.

Your dinner date with Heesung was approaching, and suddenly you didn't feel really up to it.

He was a good man, his credentials astonishing, his looks even better. He just wasn't...

You didn't even know what the hold up was. Maybe you were used to loud, rambunctious boys, always trailing after you and making you laugh until your stomach hurts.

There weren't many on the list who did that, no. There was only one you could think of right now, probably beating himself up about the way you spoke yesterday.

But Wooyoung was never an option for you, because you were best friends. Your silly little crush on him was pushed aside somewhere deep into your brain and heart, just to make living with him easier. You knew he'd never look at you like that, so you made up with the fact a long time ago.

Now, as you were putting your makeup on, you thought about what it would be like if he was the one taking you on a date, not Heesung. You'd probably be at a burger joint, after thoroughly criticizing a movie tight in the theatre. You always did that anyways, so there wouldn't be a major change.

Come to think of it, you did almost everything with Wooyoung that you would with a boyfriend, except kiss. One time, you almost did that as well, but your drunken brains somehow knew it wouldn't be right.

You curse yourself for not being spontaneous enough, because Wooyoung looked like he would've devoured you in that moment.

There's no point in thinking about it anymore, because neither of you addressed it, and life went back to normal afterwards.

Sighing, you looked at yourself in the mirror, satisfied with your outfit and hair. Heesung texted you saying he was outside, and that you could take your time if you needed. You didn't even check if Wooyoung was out of his room, wanting to get out as quickly as possible.

That's why you practically ran into him in the hallway.

"Oh, sorry."

"Yeah, no worries." You replied, trying to move around him.

"You look beautiful, Y/N."

Your head snapped up, looking into Wooyoung's eyes and seeing how tired he actually was.

"Oh God, have you slept at all? You look horrible!"

He chuckled, rubbing at his eyes to keep the tears at bay.

"Yeah, thanks. I tried... And failed obviously."

"You... Wooyoung..."

He shook his head, motioning for you to go.

"Come on, Heesung is waiting for you."

You froze, eyes going wide.

"You got his name right."

"Sorry?" He asked, confused.

"You never get the name of my date right, it's your thing. Why the sudden change?"

Wooyoung stiffened, deciding it was now or never.

"Well... I have to know the name of the man who is about to take you from me."

"What?"

He shook his head, leading you towards the door.

"Come one, off you go."

"But Woo-"

"Y/N!" He said, voice unusually calm. "You have to leave now, please. Don't make this any harder for me."

"Wooyoung, if you're implying what I think you are..."

"It wouldn't change anything now, would it?"

He asked, already making up with the fact he let you slip out of his fingers.

"Wooyoung, I'm giving you a chance to tell me before I walk out of this door. Once I do, there's nothing I can do. Please, just be honest."

Wooyoung though about his options, but he'd rather have you as a friend than not have you at all, so he chose to stay silent. He was confused by your mad expression.

"Is that how it is? Fine."

You opened the front door, turning to look at him again.

"I really thought you'd man up after all these years I spent waiting."

You were gone before he realised what you said.

.

.

"So, I heard this place has really great reviews. They say we can't skip out on the deserts, so be prepared."

You smiled, albeit a bit forced, at Heesung's effort to keep the conversation alive.

The date was a disaster. Your table was nice, a window seat looking out onto the busy street. People were walking hand in hand, with big smiles in their faces. You wish that was the case with you, but the events of the evening were replaying in your mind over and over again.

"Hey, Y/N... Is this about Wooyoung?"

Your head snapped towards Heesung, eyes going wide in shock.

"What?"

He smiled, a bit sad about being right.

"You like him, right? I kind of figured it out the first time we met, but I wanted to shoot my shot."

"I... I don't know what to say."

Heesung looked over your shoulder, smiling at you again.

"I think you don't have to, somebody else will."

You looked at him confused, wondering who he was talking about.

"I've had enough! Hejung, sorry buddy, but I have to take my girl home."

Your head whipped up to see a frantic looking Wooyoung standing beside your table. You gasped, frozen in your seat.

"Wooyoung?"

He looked at you, face red and panting, probably from running towards the restaurant.

"Y/N sweetie, I'm about to pass out. So please, before I do, just tell me you love me like I love you."

You stood up, putting your arms around Wooyoung's neck and hugging him tightly.

"Oh my God, only you would do something like this. Come one, let's go before we cause a scene."

"Tell me you love me first!"

"Wooyoung!"

"Tell me!"

You sighed, glancing at Heesung who had a smile in his face.

"I love you, you idiot, now walk."

Wooyoung cheered, turning to look at the man sitting at the table.

"I lied. I'm not sorry. But it was nice meeting you!"

"No worries, nice to meet you too!"

You wanted to talk to Heesung, apologize for the inconvenience you've caused, but Wooyoung wouldn't let you go.

"I love you, Y/N. You know that now. Ah... I'm feeling so much better."

You giggled, letting him wrap his arm around your shoulder and pull you close.

"I can't believe you just did that."

"Why? You know how insane I am, it's worse when it's for you. But now you're stuck with me forever!"

"That I am. Can't say I'm complaining."

Wooyoung turned to look at you, finally feeling the weight lifting off of his chest.

His girl was now where she belonged, right by his side, and he'd never let go of her.

.

.

[wheeboo]

mine | joshua hong

SYNOPSIS. in which joshua is the best thing that's ever been... yours. PAIRING. joshua hong x gn!reader (ft. cheol, jeonghan, soonyoung, mingyu, chan - they don't rlly have dialogue tho lol) GENRE. fluff, some angst, hurt/comfort, friends to lovers, established relationship WARNINGS. a very very brief shirtless joshua moment LMAO, implications of reader having a toxic ex, mentions that reader's parents have a rocky relationship and separate, kissing, terms of endearment, reader and joshua have a lil argument WORD COUNT. 3.6k

requested from @staranghae: joshua + mine by taylor swift for the 2k followers event please 🩷🎀

notes: i am fluent in this song!!!! whenever my love playlist comes on and this plays i literally scream lungs out!!! and shua fits this vibe so much <3

join the 2k celebration!

ONE. "i was a flight risk, with a fear of falling / wondering why we bother with love, if it never lasts..."

Maybe you've always underestimated how the feeling of fresh air hitting your lungs makes you feel so replenished, free, like a single whiff blows away those gusts of worry in an instant.

Your fingers carry a tight, secure grip on Seungcheol's surfboard𑁋you volunteered to carry it for him so he could unload the other things from the van𑁋soft sand meeting your toes the second you step onto the beach for the first time of the summer season. Salty air tingles at your nose, the late afternoon sun baring down on your shoulders, and the expanse of the ocean opens up right before your eyes.

This place had basically watched you grow up. It carries a lot of memories that you hold dear to your heart.

You see Soonyoung already digging into the sand with an abnormally large stick, and Mingyu carrying a bunch of firewood in his arms before dropping them down onto the ground (and accidentally one on his foot, but you won't say anything about that).

However, your eyes drift and land on a figure running up from the beach shore. His dark hair is wet and sticking to his forehead, chest and arms revealed in all its glory before quickly covered up by a white, somewhat lacy button-down shirt that still doesn't do much in concealing the muscles underneath. For a moment, you nearly loose the grip on Seungcheol's surfboard.

Joshua Hong seems to spot you from even a mile away. He's running up to you before you even have the minute to breathe, a grin splitting his face that's as warm as the setting sun. Sand clings to his damp flip-flops and the hem of his black shorts as he nearly skids to a halt in front of you, chest heaving and out of breath. His shirt isn't even buttoned, dammit.

"Hey," he greets you breathlessly, letting his eyes take you in for a second. "Glad you could make it."

A soft smile of your own blooms on your face. "It's good to see you too, asshole."

A flicker of feigned hurt plays across Joshua's features. "Come on. That was so two years ago! I didn't want to push you in the water. You should know that by now."

"Wow, you care so much about me, don't you?" You nearly swing Seungcheol's surfboard playfully in his direction. "You listen to Jeonghan more than your own little brain."

"I swear, it's changed. Everything's changed since then," Joshua reasons lightly. "You have my ears for the entire night, I promise."

His words hang in the air for a moment, and there's perhaps a sliver of fondness in his eyes that you catch when your gazes meet. You feel a certain warmth spread through your chest that you try so hard to ignore each time he's around you.

You brush it off with a roll of your eyes before strolling past him, hoping that Seungcheol's surfboard was enough to cover up the slight flush creeping up your cheeks. The smile to your face still lingers as you walk towards to where Soonyoung and Mingyu are, whom dash up to you the moment they see you to engulf you in a welcoming hug.

Mingyu is almost done setting up the bonfire by the time you and Seungcheol bring all the food and supplies from the van. Jeonghan and Chan had arrived by the time the fire is lit up and crackling, casting a warm, inviting glow on the beach scene. And it isn't long when the yearly traditions of a group bonfire and beachside barbecue commence.

The smell of grilled food fills the air, mixing with the salty breeze and the crackle of the fire. And just for those moments, you forget these fuzzy feelings swirling around you as familiar laughter and camaraderie take over instead.

You've known all of your friends for different amounts of times, but being here with all of them makes it feel like time hasn't passed by at all. Inside jokes are exchanged, memories from as far as childhood resurface, and stories are told that leave you all doubled over with laughter (and Soonyoung nearly choking on a marshmallow).

It's almost natural in the way your eyes seem to search for Joshua's every single time that feeling of happiness threatens to overflow within you. The fire flickers upon his face, his eyes crinkled deeply when he smiles. Happiness looks good on him, you think. It always has.

...does his eyes search for yours too?

By the time the fire dies down, you find yourself sitting near the edge of the beach, with your legs stretched on the sand and the waves barely lapping against your feet. Seungcheol and Mingyu are already out on the ocean on their surfboards, then there's Chan and Soonyoung struggling to get their sandcastle to stay up, and Jeonghan is already knocked out on a beach towel. It's just you, and wherever the hell Joshua is.

"Something's bothering you, isn't it?"

The voice snaps you away from your thoughts, and you pick your head up to see Joshua walking up to you. A cool breeze flows through his strands of his hair as he approaches.

You blink at him. "What?"

He sits down beside you on the sand, close enough that the warmth of his body brushes against yours. "You were too quiet earlier."

You face back towards the water, cowering your head down as if guilty of some sorts.

"Oh," You murmur, somewhat to yourself. "Sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Joshua asks, nudging you lightly on the shoulder. "I told you earlier that I would be all ears for you."

You smile faintly at that. Would you still be all ears if I told you that I've been such a coward with my feelings for you?

"It's... just boy problems, I guess," You respond, though you feel a twinge of regret for wording it like that. It's more than just simply boy problems.

Joshua's jaw seems to tighten at that. "Did that jerk contact you again?"

You know who exactly he's talking about, and you let out a sigh. "No, not him. I... I blocked him a few months ago when he tried spam calling me again. Sort of gave me a good scare, to be honest."

At the corner of your eye, Joshua's hand digs aimlessly into the sand, clenching and unclenching a fistful before smoothing it out again.

"I'm glad you're okay," he says softly, gaze fixed on the grains of sand slipping through his fingers. "You deserve someone way better than him."

You chuckle at that, and a bittersweet pang shoots through your chest. It's true, you deserve better. But really, the problem isn't just jerks and bad relationships. It's the thought of falling for someone again and it all comes crashing down... again.

But it's not like you could hold back from falling when you've already fallen. The truth is undeniable at this point𑁋your heart already beats a little faster for the boy right next to you.

"Guys! Look at the sunset!" Chan's voice rings out into the cool, evening air, pointing an excited finger towards the horizon.

Simultaneously, you and Joshua bring your eyes up tot the sky together. The last rays of the sun are painting the sky in a breathtaking display of fiery oranges, pinks, and purples, like a fleeting masterpiece before nightfall takes hold.

"Wow," You mutter out in awe. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Joshua cocks his head to the side, a low hum leaving his lips. "Hmm, I could think of something more beautiful than that, honestly."

You scoff, hitting him lightly on the shoulder. "You ruined the sentimental moment, idiot."

Joshua lets out an amused laugh, a sound that sends those flutters blossoming in your stomach, one you haven't realised you've missed until this very moment. A small giggle of your own escapes your mouth as you bring your eyes back to the sunset together.

Then a low yawn stifles out of you. Maybe everything that has happened the past few hours are finally catching up to you. You let out another yawn, hoping Joshua doesn't notice. But of course, he does.

"Getting tired?" he asks you.

You give a small nod. "Just a little."

A few moment pass, before you feel an arm drape casually over your shoulders. The scent of Joshua and his warmth seeps within your bones. You almost want to protest, but the words get caught in your throat, and you lean your head on his shoulder, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest with each breath.

Perhaps you could spend a long time staying in this position and hope the silence is able to spill all the words you've been meaning to say for all this time, but you know it's easier said than done. Because what's the point of confessing anymore if you know it won't ever last? That you know it'll ruin everything you've built up to get this far?

You've seen it happen around you𑁋with you, your parents, hell even strangers online. It's taught you nothing but to run. That's what your mind tells you to do, but not your heart. And maybe you listen to your mind more often than not.

"Yo, Josh!" Mingyu's voice hollers out from the ocean, and you feel a certain pressure be lifted up from your head (when did he lay his head on yours?) as you catch the sight of Seungcheol and Mingyu motioning to their surfboards. "Wanna hop on?"

Joshua briefly glances down at you, and you meet his gaze, seeing the indecision in his features.

"I don't mind," You tell him. "I'll be fine here."

He hesitates. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, don't worry about me." You pick your head off from his shoulders. "Go have your boy-fun."

Joshua gives you a small smile, though there's a hint of reluctance in his expression. He shouts back to Mingyu and Seungcheol before standing up and brushing the sand off his shorts. You could hardly pull your eyes away from him as he does so.

He starts trotting away as you face back toward the ocean with a sigh, relinquishing the moments you get to have to gather up your thoughts.

"Hey, Y/N?"

You pick your eyes back up to Joshua marching back towards you. He stops in front of you, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

"You look beautiful today, by the way." Then he gives shoots you a wink before turning back around. "Just wanted you to know."

The kiss you leave to his cheek later on was really worth the risk.

TWO. "you learn my secrets and you figure out why i'm guarded / you say we'll never make my parents' mistakes..."

A picture frame of a four-year-old Joshua is staring back at you. He still has that same silly grin on his face, the one that has his own eyes smiling as well and makes your heart feel lighter every time you look at it. You reach out to touch the frame, tracing the outline of his little face with your fingertip.

Sometimes, you wish you could experience what he was like at this time𑁋to grow up with him, to know what exactly led him to meeting you. But then again, he's already here with you now, and maybe that's all that matters.

"All ready for bed?" Joshua's voice popping in makes you swiftly place back the picture frame back on his desk. You turn around to see him leaning against the doorway with a soft smile playing on his lips, clad with a simple white t-shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants.

"Mhm," You hum out in response as you settle back under the covers of his bed.

It isn't the first night you've spent with him at his place, but you seem to seek the feeling of his comfort more often than sleeping in your own bed. Jeonghan has been kind of nagging you the two of you to move in together at this point, but that's a leap you're a bit hesitant to jump right now. But the drawer of your own clothes in his wardrobe is a bit of an argument that's hard to defend.

Joshua crawls his way into the spot right next to you, slipping under the duvet and wrapping an arm around your waist to pull you more into his embrace. You feel his breath meet the nape of your neck, warm and soothing against your skin, and your eyes flutter to the feeling.

You shift your position so that you're facing him. His eyes are already closed, lips pursed up slightly, and even then he still looks absolutely stunning. But you know he isn't asleep. Not yet, at least.

"My parents had uh... another argument today," You confess lowly, hesitantly.

Joshua's eyes open up slightly, adjusting his head so he can look at you better. A faint crease of concern appears between his brows, the arm around you tightening imperceptibly.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

You bite at your bottom lip anxiously. There are times you feel as if the only thing that could get you talking is always something revolving your parents, and you wonder if Joshua ever gets tired hearing about all of it. The thought courses insecurity to crawl in your veins, tightening your throat.

But Joshua's patient gaze towards you cuts through the uncertainty bubbling in your chest.

"Just same old, same old, you know?" You attempt to explain. "It just feels like they can't see eye-to-eye anymore. There's like... I don't know... nothing left between them, I guess. And it scares me that... it'll happen to us."

The last sentence suspends thickly into the air. Even then, you know it's more than the truth𑁋you've grown up witnessing and overhearing arguments from your parents that laid down this pessimistic view on the world around you.

You could feel your heart racing from all the anticipation. There's a wave of emotions that washes over Joshua's face, then he takes a deep breath and squeezes you tighter in his hold.

"Hey," he mutters. "Look at me."

You hesitantly meet his eyes.

"We're not like them, okay?" he assures you simply, bringing his hand up to cup your face oh-so gently in his hold. "We may argue sometimes. But the difference is, we communicate. We listen to each other. And we may not have all the answers to everything, but we'll figure it out together, alright?"

You swear you can feel the way he's holding your face also on your heart, like he's protecting you in a way from any doubts that might creep in. A small sigh escapes you, the tension leaving your shoulders as his words wrap around you comfortingly. The faintest, appreciative curve appears to your lips as you feel Joshua's thumb brush against your cheek.

He dreamily smiles at you as well, despite his face being half-buried in the pillow. And the thought of being able to wake up to this sight every single day suddenly feels a lot less like a leap and a whole lot more like a promise.

Somehow, the gap between the two of you disappears as your lips meets his. He kisses you so tenderly, mouth moving against yours with a delicate urgency, and the tiny sound that leaves you brings that smirk you could feel forming on his face.

You feel almost dizzy when you pull away, nothing but a shy look gracing over your features.

"Feeling better?" Joshua asks softly, brushing a stray strand of hair away from your face.

You could only gaze at him, wondering to yourself how he's even in real, how someone like him could exist with his sleepy smile, messy hair, and perfect features carved by the angels above, yet cherish you so dearly.

"Can you..." Your eyes flicker from eyes to his lips. "Can you... keep kissing me?"

It feels really silly to ask that, however Joshua just chuckles, the sound rumbling from deep within his chest as he peers at you with nothing but adoration.

"Of course," he replies, leaning back in. "Whatever you want."

THREE. "braced myself for the goodbye, 'cause that's all I've ever known / then you took me by surprise / you said, 'I'll never leave you alone...'"

The tears streaming down your face burns through the concrete below like acid.

"Y/N, wait𑁋"

"I told you that I-I can't do this right now."

The leaves crunching at your feet echo in your ears as you walk away from Joshua, each step feeling heavier than the last. It's around two in the morning or something, and you can't remember the last time you felt this lost and broken ever since your parents' separation. It's like the ground beneath you has crumbled away, leaving you suspended in midair, grasping for something𑁋just anything𑁋to hold onto.

You've been here before, standing at the edge of this cliff of vulnerability. It's easier to leave before you get left, easier to build walls than to let someone in only to watch them walk away.

But you've come to understand that Joshua isn't one to give up easily. He catches up to you quickly, his hand gently grasping your arm to stop you in your tracks. You try to shrug him off, but his grip only tightens slightly as he turns you around to face him.

"Talk to me," he pleads insistently, and the subtle tremble to his voice has your chest clenching. "If you're just going to keep pushing me away, then𑁋"

"Then leave." The words leave you before you can stop them, fueled by the ache in your chest and the fear in your heart. "You don't have to stay with me when all I-I do is push you away. Don't you think you deserve someone better?"

Joshua's grip on your arm loosens at your words, but it doesn't fall. His eyes scan over your tear-stained face, the quiver to your lips, and all of it has you bracing yourself for the inevitable, final blow𑁋for him to turn and walk away like so many others before him.

But instead, he just steps closer to you.

"This isn't about me staying because I have to, Y/N," he explains. "It's about me wanting to stay because I love you. I knew what I was getting into the second I realised I was falling for you. So no, I'm not going to leave you. And I'll never leave you alone because I know you're worth fighting for."

Your breath catches in your throat, his words piercing through you like a bullet straight through the heart. Even Joshua appears out of breath himself, as if he's poured his own heart out to you in those few simple sentences. The silence stretches between the two of you.

With a quiet sigh and a faint smile, he lets the tension simmer down by trailing his eyes over you.

"When I look at you, I think... I think I fall in love with you all over again like the first time I saw you," Joshua admits shyly, followed by a sheepish chuckle to himself. "It's cheesy, I know. But I can't help it. It's hard not to look at you."

You feel the heat crawling up your face as you blink away your tears clumsily, peering up at him inquisitively. "Really?"

This just draws another laugh from him. Joshua steps closer to you, trailing a hand to cup your face and the other to slide to your back to shorten the gap between the two of you even more. He places a soft kiss to your forehead, his lips lingering there for a moment before he pulls back slightly to meet your gaze.

"Really," he confirms, voice gentle yet firm. "I meant every word I said, darling."

This brings a genuine smile to your face as if it was the first one that night. You instinctively lean more into Joshua's touch, letting your eyes close for a moment to the simple feeling of him holding you.

"I'm sorry," You mumble, voice barely above a whisper. "for pushing you away like that. It's just... I'm scared."

Joshua takes one of your hands into his own to bring up to his lips, pressing a reassuring kiss to your knuckles.

"It's okay," he assures you. "We can be scared together."

FOUR. "do you believe it? / we're gonna make it now / and i can see it / i can see it now."

A pair of arms snake around your waist from behind, the relaxing melody of a piano floating through the air of the kitchen. You take in a deep breath, leaning back into Joshua's embrace as he rests his chin on your shoulder.

"Smells amazing, honey," Joshua murmurs, pressing a soft kiss to your temple.

You smile contentedly, feeling the peace of the moment wash over the two of you. The enticing smells of the pasta you were cooking waft around the kitchen, mingling with the scent of fresh herbs, garlic, and Joshua's presence right behind you.

"It should be ready soon," You say, clutching the wooden spoon in your hands to give the sauce a final stir.

Joshua's eyes arms tighten around you, pulling you even closer as he sways gently to the music. You hear the sounds of his hums hit your ears as you turn to the heat off to the stove. And as you attempt to pull away from him to grab for some plates, Joshua's grip on your waist hardly budges.

You groan exaggeratedly. "Shua, I need to𑁋"

"Marry me."

You freeze immediately, and you swear time halted right at that moment. Turning around in his hold, you're met with the sight of Joshua's eyes on you. You try to pinpoint any doubt in them, any sign that this is some sort of joke, but his gaze remains unwavering, dark eyes serious yet painted with a shine of hope that tugs right at the strings of your heart and the walls of your hesitation.

There's always that fear gnawing at in the back of your mind. But beneath it all, a warmth spreads through your chest, a certainty that feels as natural as breathing.

And perhaps, you see nothing but forever in him.

You can see it in the way his eyes soften, in the way his hand trembles anxiously against your waist, in the way his lips part ever so slightly as he waits for your response. You can see it all in him. You've made it.

You kiss him just seconds later. It's a question your heart has already answered long before the words left Joshua's lips. You lean more into his touch, feeling your heart overflow past the brink of joy, and the feelings all melt together into the singular realisation that he's the best thing that's ever been yours.

When the two of you finally break away, a single word escapes your lips, "Yes."

another note: sorry this ending was slightly rushed T-T

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[weefers-x2]

It's so interesting seeing all the protagonists flaws so clear and seeing the consequences of them right in front of us. Also I like analysing things and people

Wemmbu doesn't care about people except for Eggchan, and he has close to no allies now because he prioritises himself over anyone he's made connections with. He became close with Wato from their time together, and mind you Wato hates talking to people. They had trust in each other, Jaron gave him the mace out of trust, Pangi was Pangi, and he just abandons Skyblock Civilization when given the option to escape danger. He only cares about Eggchan, and maybe debatabally Zam because he was worried about Zam being completely alone against Clown's goons and prioritised Zam's safety in the end

Spoke on the other hand cares too much. He puts so much faith and trust into the people he meets. He was easily tricked by Ashswag because he trusted Ash so heavily that the only thing that made him lose that trust was the fact that Ash blew up the farms for no good reason. Minute saved him one time and his reaction was to put so much trust in him, and he lost Minute to the Mafia. And literally Planet was spying on them while invisible but then was so quick to be like "yeah he's nice we should team". Similarly with Bacon, he put a lot of faith in him to be an excellent teammate and Bacon runs at the first sign of danger

Parrot doesn't care about himself. He cares about himself so little that he forgets to care about anyone else, and it caused him and Wifies to have a falling out. He didn't care enough about how Wifies felt. He's reckless with his own life and it fully contradicts what Wifies wanted. He watched Luigi die at the hands of the mafia, and now the only thing on his mind was to get revenge even if it killed him. He's so selfless that he's selfish. He was willing to keep Dean on the team even after finding out he has been the reason the mafia kept finding them and putting them in danger, evident from the fact that he was running around trying to find Dean for a good few minutes because he didn't want Dean to be by himself. When he was being chased by Clown is put Wifies in danger, and he thought the only way for everyone to be safe was to disappear of the face of the earth. And that still put Wifies in danger because Clown threatened his life if he didn't tell him where Parrot was. He cares about himself so little that he tunnel visions on anything self destructive and forgets to think about how it would affect others because he thinks it's better for everyone

They're all so flawed and I think that's so beautiful. This was also an essay that I did not expect to become an essay

[utilitycaster]

I've been thinking about this since watching the C2E2 panel but Marisha said something about the value of coming in with other characters and having pre-existing relationships and actually? I somewhat disagree for longform campaigns.

I think for shorter stories, it really doesn't matter because in a very brief game, you have to come to the table with a very complete character idea. Candela, Thresher, and the Calamity/Downfall/Divergence trio have all managed to have consistently excellent character work regardless of whether people have known each other since literally before time (Downfall), whether they have a longstanding but not infinite pre-existing relationship (several relationships in the Circles of Needle and Thread or Tide and Bone; Calamity; Fiedra and Crokas in Divergence) or whether it's something relatively recent or even a first-time meeting (some Candela relationships; some of the Divergence relationships; Thresher). A nebulous "yeah, we've worked together" also works well for lighter series (ESO Blackwood, Wildemount Wildlings, The Menagerie) in terms of quickly getting to the story.

For longer stories, a longstanding pre-existing relationship can be strong; but it can also keep those characters from branching out and mixing, and unless that's explored it can really limit the story. I think the CR fandom especially tends to put a certain degree of weight on how good the twins were without realizing that they work not because they are twins and family, but because a big part of their story is realizing that they have people other than each other now. [I keep thinking about this actually w/r/t my thoughts about Veilguard - there are a number of reasons I consider my first run to be the "canon" one for me, but a big one is that romancing someone out-of-faction made me feel more integrated into the team because I suddenly had two really strong connections rather than just one.]

Part of why the Mighty Nein, in my opinion, are so compelling is that everyone ends up with an interesting and deep relationship with everyone else. And a big part of that is that we don't come in with any relationships longer than about 8 months, and indeed, that relationship barely ends up influencing party interactions because Molly is very outgoing, Yasha is frequently absent, and then Molly dies. So we have Caleb and Nott/Veth, who are also very much a story of people realizing they have more than each other now (and that neither of them really knew each other that much going in!); and Fjord and Jester, who have known each other for like 6 weeks and who spend some significant time apart (and both of whom are also fairly outgoing and quick to interact with other people). Beau and Caduceus being free agents did quite a lot as well. We don't just see an existing relationship continuing; we see relationships grow and change onscreen as the players find not just the relationship but the characters themselves, and that's what makes it compelling.

As mentioned with Vox Machina, the twins are great, and so are Pike and Grog; but Pike's absence means we see a lot of Grog and Scanlan (who don't have a very longstanding relationship prior to Vox Machina's formation), and the romances are all between people who didn't know each other well beforehand. Even the conflicts are ones that grew from people who met relatively recently (Keyleth and Percy's friendship and arguments being a prime example).

I think the twins were great and you should revisit Campaign 1 if you want that again, but as someone who felt Campaign 3 really struggled in terms of mixing up the pre-existing relationships to the detriment of party cohesion/conflict and an interesting dynamic, I'd much rather see strangers or near-strangers in longform campaigns, and save people coming in together for shorter works.

(I also, iirc, think this came up in the context of session zero, and that might be a factor because again the main campaigns seem to not do the same level of session zero as the shorter ones, and if they did that might fix the issue and make a pre-existing relationship better; part of why the twins work so well is that Liam and Laura essentially did their own mini-session zero on their own.)

[miriadalia]

About Keenry and how the CK writers ruined one of the best relationships of the show...

I'll try to keep it short.

These are the reasons why I think Tory and Robby shouldn't be endgame in Cobra Kai anymore:

Their miscommunication will only lead them to more heartbreak.

Back in season 4 I became a fulltime Keenry shipper, especially after the Prom scenes. And the main reason was because we could see how they understood each other, talked things out and worried about the other... After the season 5 breakup nothing was the same for them anymore.

With Tory wanting to solve her problems always on her own and with Robby escaping and assuming things before talking with her properly... They made it pretty clear they have communication and trust problems. And I get it, they both have had hard lives. But I hoped that after they made up in the last episode of season 5, they both had learned their lessons...

Flash forward to season 6 and instead we had more of the same but a thousand times worse.

Their SECOND break up

Listen. I know many couples go on and off for years and then end up getting married anyways, especially when they started their relationship pretty young... But I don't think that's healthy at all.

If you feel the constant need to resort to a break up or pause to fix your problems then that probably means you don't actually go well with that person.

And that's fine. That doesn't mean one of the parts is a horrible person. Just means it doesn't work and even if it's hurting it will be for the best in the future.

And yeah, I think the same about Sam x Miguel in case you're wondering.

The "love triangles" they used to kind of made them up again

They really run out of ideas in the writing room. We already had the drama: Tory mom died and she had to fix her relationship with the Miyagi Dos. She could have been forced to fight Robby in the tournament because of the rules, not because she was angry at him.

Why did Robby had to go through literal SA with that freak of a girl while thinking his second girlfriend had also cheated with another guy??

Why did Tory had to be captain with a guy that was made to be just a cartoon villain instead of an actual companion? And why did she also had to experience watching the boy she loved kissing another girl for the second time??

Kwon and Zara were such a wasted potential it makes my blood boil. They had multiple time Taekwondo champions with really good acting skills and they just went with the psycho gang freak and the superficial jealous bitch (ahem, abuser). But that's for another post...

The solution to these "misunderstandings" was... Pushing their respective freaks to defend each other

I'm talking about Tory pushing Kwon in the hall and Robby throwing Zara like a potato bag during the brawl.

"You really choose her over me?"

"It's not even close"

WTF was that?? It wasn't a choice in the first place!! Robby was drunk to the point of unconsciousness. Who on earth wrote that?

And are Tory and Robby supposed to be back together just because he said that?

He also said: "I know you better than that. I shouldn't have let Kwon get into my head" Well........ Your actions didn't show, honey, you immediately accused her of hooking up with him during the last fight.

Kwon's death and its impact in both their lives

Even if they didn't like him and Kwon made things even more difficult between them, he was still a teen like them.

Look at Tory's face in the picture above. Do you think she can handle any more death after what she had to go through with her mother? Do you think she will be magically cured by the power of Robby's love and fight Zara to "get revenge" in part 3?? Please, don't.

Even if a year has passed between the Sekai Taikai and the new tournament, this kid is traumatised. I don't think she should be fighting at all for a long, long time.

Robby, I can see him fighting, but I'm really disappointed on how his character arc went... Yes, he has finally gotten over his second place complex and understood he is a good leader if he wants to... But I can't see how that can improve his relationship with Tory.

So, lastly, I hope this is what one of the CK creators meant when he posted that "some high school relationships last forever, other don't". It makes me sad if it has to be Keenry the one that doesn't end up being endgame. But at the same time is the only solution I see to this poor writing...

[theseerasures]

A Theory on the Periodization of Wicked: Part Two

FEB 2007 (LA Opening) - OCT 2013 (10th Anniversary): WICKED IS DEAD (LONG LIVE WICKED)

*rubs hands together* hooooo boy now we're getting into it

setting aside that there wouldn't be a Wicked without the previous era, this is probably the most formative period in the show's production history, and certainly my personal favorite. the most obvious reason for this is just the sheer amount of Wicked happening during this time. from 2007 to 2010 there were no fewer than four contemporaneous versions of the show running; after the last sitdown in San Francisco closed in 2010 this got pared down to three, but still: that's a lot of Wicked.

and EVERY one of these productions was doing something different. a lot of this can be attributed to changes made by higher-ups: as alluded to in the previous section, 2007 brought about sizable script and staging changes, which include but are not limited to:

adding a scene before Dancing Through Life where Fiyero almost runs Elphaba over and banter ensues

altering Fiyero and Galinda's dialogue at the Ozdust when Elphaba arrives to accommodate for him already knowing her

adding the dramatic moment where Elphaba stands up with her cloak during Defying Gravity

adding "to Fiyero," at the end of "announcing Glinda is engaged" in Boq's lines in Wicked Witch of the East

changing Elphaba's stated motivation for returning to the Emerald City from "i have unfinished business" to "i have to set the monkeys free," and having Nessa in turn accuse her of actually going back for Fiyero

altering the conclusion of Wonderful so that Elphaba interrupts the Wizard's attempt to woo her

shortening Elphaba's lines after she discovers Dillamond's fate so she immediately starts threatening the Wizard

i occasionally miss a few things from Wicked 1.0, but Wicked 2.0 is overall a much stronger show, with tighter character relationship and motivations. (it's especially astounding to me how Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzmann decided on a Fiyeraba endgame but didn't realize until years down the line that Fiyero should probably meet Elphaba FIRST.) so some of the unique flavors of Wicked we got during this time came from the actors literally saying different lines and adjusting their performances. the script changes also had the side benefit of releasing incoming casts of their obligation to be faithful to the original, because they were now doing some things the original cast (with some exceptions) had never done.

attributing this period's innovation just to script changes giving the show a much needed jolt, however, obscures how much the casts--and particularly the Gelphies--were here for it. the ambition to give unique portrayals was such that in one evening (and an especially fast jet) you could be getting four radically different interpretations of the same character, each of them in conversation with their peers. it likely helped that the hierarchy among the different productions wasn't strictly asymmetrical during this time. the sitdown shows were often led by Broadway alums: Megan and Eden left Broadway to open (and then close) LA, Kendra left Broadway to open San Francisco, Annaleigh Ashford left Broadway to close Chicago, and so on. 1NT could have turned out to be the runt of the litter, but. uh

then some absolute unit put Carmen Cusack and Katie Rose Clarke onstage with each other, leaving Wicked to forever reckon with the consequences

between the two Carmen is the less volatile game changer, but like i discussed in the previous part Elphabas don't tend to evolve so dramatically anyway. she's definitely more of a shit-stirrer (see: teehee perhaps i shall end TWAI on the DG battle cry, perhaps i shall tuck mineself within Derrick Williams' bosom during ALAYM) than people give her credit for, but Carmen's most significant contribution, imo, was a) fostering innovative and unconventional acting choices in both herself and her castmates (something Katie and Donna Vivino have talked about in interviews), and b) absolutely mcfucking committing ONE HUNDRED PERCENT to those acting decisions, no matter how apeshit they are.

Carmen is an Angry Elphaba, and so can be considered an inheritor to Eden and Julia; but while those two at least tried to mask their rage, or worked their way up towards it, Carmen's Elphaba is almost entirely just raw untempered emotion. she says "something just comes over me sometimes" when trying to explain what happened with Nessa's chair, and spends the rest of the show proving just how true that is. where other Elphabas try to make meaning out of how they feel, Carmen's Elphie just...lives in every feeling she experiences. the reason she's an Angry Elphie is because Elphaba is textually angry for much of the show, but Carmen is equally uncompromising when it comes to other emotions as well. when she's disdainful it oozes out of every pore of her body; when she's touched she has no reservations about showing it; when she has been pushed to the brink you are genuinely afraid of her--not because she means you harm, but because she has no control of what she will do in that moment, either.

and when she loves Glinda she'll KISS HER ON THE MOUTH okay that's probably just Carmen nvm

in terms of sheer feral rage no Elphaba has matched Carmen before or since. even Mamie's Elphie, who shows up arguably angrier in her first scene, presents her anger as a performative defense mechanism (in contrast to Carmen, who ends up scarier precisely because there's no pretense). yet Carmen did end up contributing to a reading of Elphaba which would increasingly gain traction, which is an Elphaba who either lacks self-awareness or is truly incapable of regulating her emotional response. earlier actresses developed their Elphabas from things that Idina still might plausibly do; Carmen ended up pushing this beyond the brink, demonstrating that an Elphaba without restraint could still be recognizable and compelling as Elphaba. this expansion of Elphaba-the-character paved the way for a slew of Elphies with unique acting vision AND those classic belts--including those who had never done the role before but made an impact anyway, like Nicole Parker and Lindsay Mendez.

and then there's Katie, who...

actually you know what? Katie makes talking about the development of Glinda during this time very straightforward! because she was there THE WHOLE TIME.

literally!!! literally this is true. Katie was a principal Glinda for at least a part of EVERY SINGLE YEAR from 2007 to 2013. this alone would put her in the running for most influential Glinda of this era (if not the next), but it goes deeper than that. Katie did not invent Weird Glinda; between Hilty's "dumb pubby" Glinda, Kendra's "hit hit hit hit hit hit hit" Glinda, and Annaleigh's "expressive prancing gazelle" Glinda the character was already pretty far removed from her alpha bitch origins. in this context Katie showing up and behaving as if each of her individual limbs were independently autonomous shouldn't have been so beyond the pale, except for how--just like Carmen--bloody-minded she was about playing that weirdness to the hilt, particularly in dramatic moments.

it can be tricky to navigate the transition from Mostly Comedic Glinda in Act 1 to Mostly Dramatic Glinda in Act 2. even the three luminaries of Weird Glinda mentioned above had trouble with it, because they still felt somewhat compelled to serve Glinda-the-Entertainer from the show's earliest days. their Glindas were weird because Glinda being Too Much is the cornerstone of getting laughs, and the oddness faded to the background as the show's overall tone darkened in Act 2. the strangeness of Katie's Glinda, by contrast, remains both consistent and pivotal throughout Wicked's dramatic shifts. she is still impulsive in Act 2; still sensitive, still emotional, still physically expressive. it's just that...those things really aren't funny anymore after the timeskip, and even prior there are moments where Glinda feels--and wants--so much and so deeply it's almost uncomfortable to watch her. the Glinda who is hysterical in Act 1 is the same, hysterical, Glinda in Act 2, but the world around her has changed so drastically it upends how we perceive her as a person. and because Glinda sets up the frame narrative of the show, an Act 2 Glinda who is distinctively recognizable as her earlier self tightens Wicked's overall tonal consistency.

it's difficult to say how much immediate impact Katie had on her peers during this time, since afaik the Midnight Bark Gelphies have with each other now hadn't been established yet. Glindas did begin trending towards dramatic seriousness as a whole in 2008--the most prominent example of this is probably Hilty, who in returning to close the LA sitdown chucked pretty much all her Glinda's previous ditziness in the bin. a lot of this undoubtedly has to do with the fact that Megan, Kendra, and Annaleigh were all coming to the end of their tenures, and all determined to finish at the top of their games; at the same time, i find it interesting that these previously very disparate Glindas were now overlapping quite a bit in when and how they chose to depict their character's tragic vulnerability.

in any case, the combination of all four of these performances meant Serious Glinda was here to stay. Katie, obviously, was the Glinda Who Would Not Leave, but it's not like she was singlehandedly maintaining this darker read of the character either. the interpretation struck a chord with a lot of Glinda Girlies, several of whom ended up in the bubble dress themselves. and by 2013 Playing Glinda for Drama had so become the norm that when Alli Mauzey (whose tenure perpetually circled Katie's, and vice versa) returned, it felt like a nostalgic rarety. her Glinda--Glinda the Entertainer, here to excite the audience with opt ups and make them lose their shit during Popular--which had once been the ONLY version of the character imaginable, was now being left behind.

[ranna-alga]

I admittedly got into RDR2 five years late and I remember being confused seeing older comments of fans completely dogpiling on Mary Linton (née Gillis - a character who I interpreted much differently than these users did), but assumed maybe people would have grown up a bit since then and understand Mary better. Unfortunately, I still see so many people completely misunderstand and shit on Mary's character and I want to talk about it (this meta will be my opinion AND biased as a Mary defender, but idc)

I cannot stand it when people, particularly male fans, call Mary "manipulative" or someone who just "uses Arthur when it's convenient to her" because that just isn't true, and it really shows that a lot of the people who just trash on her have no idea what they are actually talking about.

Labelling her as someone who uses Arthur just for her own personal conveniences makes no sense when you consider the fact that so many other characters, including members of the Van der Linde gang, have also asked Arthur to do things for them, including requests that are much worse than anything Mary could have asked for (you know, like Strauss for example?). Not only that, but if Arthur rejects Mary's help, she doesn't get angry - if anything, she understands why he may be reluctant to help her. If Mary truly only wanted to use Arthur, she wouldn't have shown how grateful she was for his help and how much she truly did miss spending time with him by asking him out on a date to the theatre.

And to those who criticise her for not being able to leave her family sooner: do you... not remember the time period this story is set in? All of RDR2 (1899 - 1907) takes place before women got electoral equality with men (1928) and during the main story's time, women were very much under the control of their husbands - or their fathers if they were not married. A big reason as to why Arthur wasn't able to marry Mary in the first place when they were courting each other was because her father didn't approve of his outlaw lifestyle.

Even if she had more of her own autonomy, we must remember that Mary is part of an abusive family unit. She often tries to excuse her father's terrible actions even though she knows how awful of a man he has become over the years. She is isolated and is hopping from one temporary shelter to another (Valentine, Saint Denis, etc) - she is a widow, she cannot depend on her father obviously, she cannot depend on her mother since she died, nor could she depend on her brother Jamie since perhaps she thought that she was meant to be the source of dependency as the older sibling. Mary said it herself in her goodbye letter (if Arthur rejects to help her) that she truly had no one else to turn to. Arthur was literally the only other person she could ask help from and even then, it seemed like a last resort after not interacting with each other for many years before her first mission and her being apologetic for taking up his time.

Mary holds a lot of regret and remorse for how things ended and it is clear she still thinks about what could have been between her and Arthur. When she fully accepts that she doesn't want to continue living such a miserable life because of her family, she makes a big leap in suggesting she and Arthur run away together, a parallel to Arthur's proposal years before, showing that she has grown and no longer wants to accept a life she feels trapped in.

People who criticise Mary for not being able to leave her family + the life she has always known behind should also consider how Arthur is the exact same. He is as much of a victim of this unfair circumstance as Mary is, but we have seen how he couldn't leave the gang life behind. It was what he died for, after all. He failed to meet the promise he made to Mary that he would run away with her after getting some money and ensuring the gang members' safety - which technically isn't his fault since this was pre-Guarma, but Mary couldn't have known about that. To her, he kept making promises he couldn't keep/getting dragged into violent crime life and she couldn't bear to continue having false hope anymore.

It's a shame that Mary has been given such a bad rap by certain fans who have mischaracterised her. Her story is a sad one and so is her love story with Arthur. I will always love and defend Mary (+ the other main female characters of RDR2) and I truly wonder how different her and Arthur's lives would have been if they managed to run away and get married (TB ideally excluded) and how happy they would have been.

[badaziraphaletakes]

I have some questions

Hi... Aziraphale had no way of going to hell in search of Crowley??????

Oh wait that's not a question, that's a statement. Lol nvmind.

And how would Azi even get him back out? Stop blaming her for what the heaven/hell apparatus is doing to Crowley and to her. (Y'know what, I'm gonna be referring to Azi as "she/her" in this post, because we all deserve more of that. So deal with it.) Do you think she hasn't been racking her brains trying to think of a way to save Crowley ever since the Fall, and even before that?

Also - If Aziraphale went to hell and got stuck there, she'd probably be forced to torture people and that's not cool. (She probably wouldn't get a job on earth like Crowley.) Whereas there is no evidence whatsoever that Aziraphale has to actively do harm as part of her current role on earth. There are very good reasons Crowley doesn't want her to go to hell / become a demon / whatever. He doesn't want Aziraphale to suffer the same moral injury that he has.

Also also - Aziraphale mouths "Crowley" instead of screaming it because she knows it'll only get them both in more trouble if heaven/hell finds out they have an acquaintanceship, let alone that they care about each other. As an ab*se survivor, it's one of the most painful moments in the series for me, seeing Aziraphale distraught and having to hide it.

Azi mouthing "Crowley" while frantically trying to keep a straight face is the equivalent of Charles immediately trying to run after Edwin. It's arguably even more loving, I'd say. Aziraphale loves Crowley so much that she saw her worst nightmare come true (or rather, didn't see it? you know what I mean lol) and still managed to keep her "We don't know each other" mask more or less intact. Utterly devastating. This was the ultimate test of her love for Crowley, and she passed it.

*** Side note: If Aziraphale behaved the way fans want to demand she behave, hell would have killed Crowley so many times already lmao. And then of course the fans would be blaming her for that instead. << Babygirl can't win. She's damned (ha) if she does and damned if she doesn't. ***

You can see the horror and terror and devastation in her eyes.

Here's a really good post about it:

But even if we didn't have that glimpse of her face at that moment... FUCK thinking Aziraphale wasn't worried about Crowley then. There is literally NO reason to assume she wasn't upset about seeing him dragged to hell to presumably be killed. (And yes, Azi knew hell was ab*sive and violent to Crowley, even back then. I'd argue she's known since NLT Uz. After all, she knows Crowley didn't "kill" the goats and the kids because he wanted to. She knows it was because hell made him do it.)

Also also also: She literally did go to hell to save Crowley, later on?

And wtf is wrong with what she wrote in her diary? "That was the last I was to see of Crowley for some time" is (so far as we know) a factual statement. She's writing about an upsetting experience. Journaling is a healthy coping technique. But apparently that's bad now lmao. (Not to mention there were so many things about that diary entry that were so blatantly weird that it's clear we can't take anything about Aziraphale's journals at face value anyway. But I guess we're just ignoring that.)

OH AND ONE MORE THING! That's "husband" or "wife" or "spouse" to you, not "friend"!

[erwinsvow]

Can’t stop thinking about reader when Rafe heads off with the cross at the end of s2… like imagine he doesn’t tell her anything and she thinks he’s ghosting her🙁 poor girl stuck through everything and (naively) believed he was innocent (I would too it’s ok we all have our moments) and now he just leaves her life without saying anything??

- 💓

wait this hurts!!!!! especially with a pogue reader or just a super sweet kook reader who literally has been defending him to everyone! even her parents who do not want her seeing rafe anymore... i can just imagine that heartbroken feeling and then when he comes back with a buzz and honestly soo different too, his personality changed so much in between 2 and 3. and the first time they see each other...

"you look good," rafe says, glancing over you like he always used to do, the same pretty, short dresses and cute shoes. there's a few things missing, the RC necklace you used to never take off, even when you're showering, the bracelet he got you when you two first started dating, the anklet he would always play with. it's all gone, a different necklace in its place. he can vaguely make out a new initial.

"thank you," you say quietly. you both stay silent for a minute, wondering what to say next. "your hair, it's different."

he runs a hand through his buzz, mind automatically floating back to how you used to run your fingers through his longer hair at any given opportunity-in bed about to fall asleep, on the couch watching some stupid movie together, in the back of his truck when he'd get between your legs and make you cum until you cried. then anger filters in, boiling his blood, wondering if some other guy is getting to see you like that now.

"yeah. s'hotter there, this is easier."

"i liked your long hair," you comment, smiling sweetly the way you always did towards him. you turn around, looking at some friends waiting for you. he doesn't notice a guy standing there, and he's thankful, because he doesn't think he could hold himself back if there was. "um, well, i should go." before you can turn around, he speaks again.

"i missed you. really, i did." you turn back, looking at him through watery eyes.

"really?" your voice is all choked up, which he hates. hates that you're crying and hates that he's the reason for your tears. "you missed me? that's why you didn't call or text? you disappeared."

"i had business to take care of, kid. i didn't-"

"you didn't have a phone? you couldn't write me a letter? you know how long i was here, waiting for you? everyone said i was stupid and i still waited-"

"y'not stupid-"

"yes i am rafe. i waited this whole time for you. i'm so stupid."

he gets closer, and you wish he wouldn't.

"not stupid. y'just a good girl. i'm sorry. i am, i am."

tears spill down, he wipes them away. you're sure your friends are staring, embarrassed if they see all your resolve caving in like this.

"can i ask you somethin'?" you look up, nodding. "you still waitin' for me?"

from this close, he can make out what your necklace says, the tiny little r pendant he once got you shaking as you nod your head.

[couldpolyamorysavethem]

ELIZABETH BURKE, PETER BURKE, and NEAL CAFFREY from WHITE COLLAR

Justification:

"okay listen this might already be in the queue but i sincerely believe the last three seasons of the show would've gone in a completely different direction if peter got that last little push away from his bullshit cop behaviour by neal pulling some grand romantic gesture for him + el. like, come on man, you've already come to peace with legality not being the same as morality after you ran all those cons and let neal cut and run, but he's so convinced the ONLY way to do good in the world is being an fbi agent that he like, actively makes things worse for neal (AND HIMSELF? AND ELIZABETH?) over and over again just so he can preserve the status quo of neal being his CI + while peter's an active field agent. would kissing about his devotion to their dynamic and neal's rehabilitation and peter's complicity in neal's dehumanisation by the state solve that? maybe not! but considering the alternative is neal fucking dying (he got better) about it i think we should give it a shot!

that previous paragraph was more or less me preaching to the choir wrt this relationship but still here's my pitch:

neal is essentially already the third in elizabeth + peter's marriage, with how much he lives in peter's brain during pre-series sequences, how INVESTED he is in their relationship (reminding peter of anniversaries), and then IN the actual series that only increases when he's coming around to their place all the time

each pair within this trio have supporting but distinct relationships w one another that they all benefit from (and they often need the support of all three dynamics to get through Issues™)

that one episode where peter ends up on the run w another fbi agent and neal gets paired up with that guy's CI, and there's just an unbelievable amount of parallels between the two pairs and their relationship, even after its established that those two are in a romantic relationship and peter and neal 'aren't'. like peter says he'd go to neal first if he was ever in trouble LIKEEE

fucking everything about the run up to the finale of season 2 where we hear over and over again that the only two ways conmen end up are with 'one last score' (which inevitably leads to the next, because they can't help themselves), or going to prison. OR, the 'true love' option, where an ex-conman is able to genuinely settle down and go straight (more or less). this 'secret third option' is literally even spelled out to us IN an episode about a trio of thieves (byron june and ford) who meant the world to each other!

neal uses the engagement ring he was GOING to give to his TEXTUAL 'true love' in order to pay for peter's ransom that one time and isn't even cut up about it??

also like the episode before that neal and peter switch identities (very well) and neal acts like elizabeth's wife, and the only issue peter (or anyone) has with it is that he's also committing the crime of impersonating a federal agent.

season three finale where peter asks why neal didn't run when he just got the score of his life and the first thing he says is 'you, elizabeth', before listing literally anything else. INCLUDING HIS CURRENT ROMANTIC INTEREST?

also the scene before that where neal immediately folds from his season long cat and mouse game with peter and hiding the treasure because elizabeth's in danger! and peter only believes he's not lying abt any of it bc it's elizabeth!

that one shot in the pilot where neal and elizabeth look up at peter and you can so clearly see he has a type.

literally everything about elizabeth + neal's interactions in s1. get you a girl who sneaks you into her house past dozens of fbi agents so you can talk to your handler personally about being framed for a crime that she has no reason to suspect you didn't do other than believe in your and her husband's relationship!

im losing track of my argument at this point. anyway can someone please knock peter upside the head with some kind of bi awakening for the love of god this homoerotic 'partners' situation has an unbelievably high body count not to mention all the violation of civil liberties and frankly you could've all moved to paris and started a detective agency YEARS ago and this show would become slice of life" - @time-is-restored