#probably I must admit that I haven't watched that much of that show

[oldtvandcomics]

Happy Queer Media Monday!

Today: Runs in the Family (2023)

Today in amazing movies from Netflix you haven’t heard of.

(The thumbnail from Netflix of the three protagonists in the car. River is sitting in front next to his mother, his father is in the back.)

Runs in the Family is a 2023 South African movie about a young transgender man who days before an important drag race accompanies his father on a spontaneous road trip with the mission of breaking his estranged mother out of a hospital. When his drag partner hurts his ankle and has to drop out, the father proposes to take his place, and they prepare for the performance while on the road.

This movie is notable for its incredibly healthy father-son portrait. The father is 110% supportive of his son, his queerness and his transition, and they openly talk with each other about it, as well as the ageism, racism and toxic masculinity they encounter while on the road. As a former con artist, he has been living a more rebellious, easy going life before he retired to take better care of his son as a single parent. But he has visibly never abandoned that mentality, and is so able to say things like “oh yes, we used to mess with gender too, here is an old song I like about it”. It is a message of parental acceptance that many people all over the world very much need to hear.

You can find the trailer here.

Runs in the Family is on Netflix. Just make sure you don’t confuse it with other movies with nearly identical titles.

Queer Media Monday is an action I started to talk about some important and/or interesting parts of our queer heritage, that people, especially young people who are only just beginning to discover the wealth of stories out there, should be aware of. Please feel free to join in on the fun and make your own posts about things you personally find important!

[aennasan]

Jealous Papa to Baby Emi (Kenji Sato x Reader)

Synopsis: Yep. The title is basically the fic. I had so much fun with this that it became a bit longer than my usual drabbles and imagines.

🎀🩷🎀🩷🎀🩷🎀🩷🎀🩷🎀🩷🎀🩷🎀🩷🎀🩷

Kenji Sato would never admit it but you know him well enough to say that he is a very jealous man.

However, right now, you are 100% sure that he would never admit it, especially because his number one source of jealousy is his very own kaiju daughter, Emi.

He is not even discreet in showing it. Watching him opening his secret fridge and pretending to count his coco water but his eyes and mind was never even tuned in on the task he had at hand.

His eyes kept straying to you and Emi while you're teaching her about human things. Scowling, lip pouting, and his body emitting a vibe yelling, “When’s me? I want to be next.”

You do your best not to notice or smile as his scowl deepens, he is so funny when he is like this.

At first, you thought he was jealous of Emi becoming a Mama’s girl.

The baby imitating the way you will put your hand on your hips if she’s being sassy, raising an eyebrow if his Papa overreacts about something, crosses her arm and rolls eyes if she's rebelling and the best of it all, is copying your crossed legs whenever you sit on the floor.

Yet, you found out that you were wrong when he suddenly wrapped his arm around your waist, nestled his face on the crook of your neck and asked, “How about Papa, Mama? When are you going to spend your time with me?”

It took you by surprise. And all his actions for the past few days are starting to make sense. His intense clinginess, to the point that he would find you wherever you are alone and wouldn't stop touching you. The way he wouldn't let go of a chance to have you sitting on his lap. Cuddling to the fullest before the baby wakes up crying. He would pout and grumble whenever you remove his hand from you.

Your mind goes “Ohhhhh” finally putting the puzzle pieces together, of his out of pocket intense change in showing his affection.

But before you could even answer, Emi is already throwing a tantrum because you turned your back on her while she was practicing and showing you her dance.

“Must be hard being so popular.” Professor Sato joked once when Kenji was busy scolding Emi for prying his arms away from you. She is scowling, head held high, as she crosses her arms, not looking at his Papa who is now yelling, “Bad girl! You don't act like that in front of your Papa!”

“It is harder knowing that the supposed to be eldest is the one who is acting like a kid.” You gave out a heartfelt chuckle and replied.

“Oh! For sure. He is used to having all the attention only to himself. He probably didn't expect that his competitor would be her own daughter.” He smiled as you two continued to watch their exchange which started to get hilarious the longer it takes.

“Baby, how about dinner, just the two of us, this weekend?” You asked the moment you caught his eyes, your hand resting on your hips, lips curved with a sly knowing smirk.

At first, he whipped his head down fast, immediately pretending to still be counting, while mouthing “Oooooh! I must have drunk a lot of augh….coco water.”

But when he heard the magic word, his head whipped up so fast and he started walking towards you like a dog being told “Do you want to go out?” by its owner.

“Really?” He asked. Purple eyes practically shining with hope and excitement.

“Yeah. I missed you. We haven't gone out together on a date for a while.” Your smile softened when he instinctively leaned forward on your hand when you reached for him to cup his face with pure longing and affection.

“Emi?”

“Professor Sato and Mina would take care of her for us.” You cannot help the way your heart flutters when you see his boyish grin which makes his whole face glow with happiness.

You swallowed the twinge of guilt in your heart when you realized how much he must have felt left out and neglected by you these past few days.

You promised that this weekend would just be about you two. The both of you will enjoy the time of your lives, alone together as you two watch the sun dips on the horizon, your head resting on his shoulder, back pressed comfortably on his chest, while his arms wrapped around you, and his hand playing with your palm. It will be relaxing and you melt just by imagining it.

Or so you two tried your best to compromise.

When Emi saw the both of you dressed to the nines— the plan was to just tell her to be a good girl and bid her goodbye before leaving, she probably felt something was wrong, and the moment the two of you stepped on the glass elevator, preparing to leave, she screamed and threw the biggest tantrum.

The whole building shook from her roar. Her feet kicked the floor so hard that you swore it felt like there was an earthquake.

You and Kenji tried to console her but she didn't stop until Kenji promised that you two are not going to leave and Mama and Papa are going to have a dinner date with Emi.

As if knowing she had won, the baby kaiju stopped immediately and gave out the biggest smile.

Yep, you had been fooled.

So now you found yourselves at the side of the beach. Sitting in front of each other with a candlelight dinner. The sky is a beautiful mix of red, orange, and yellow as it slowly dips on the horizon. The perfect color and atmosphere for a romantic dinner date by the beach.

Except, beside your table is Emi’s own table with her fish, who was happy and chirpy as she looked around. Just content to be with her Mama and Papa. Cheery to be included.

“Come on now. Stop scowling. You're going to age faster with those deep frowns on your forehead.” Joking, you cupped his cheek, reached out to his forehead, and ran your thumb to the lines formed from frustration wanting to smooth it out.

With a deep sigh, he leaned on your hand and his lips formed a long pout.

“But how about a dinner date with just the two of us?” He grumbled.

“Hmmm…I guess maybe we could do that once Emi grew a bit more.” You smiled.

“That will be too long.” He sighed. Exasperated.

“How about sneaking out whenever she is sleeping or busy watching your games?” You compromised.

“We can do that.” He hummed, grabbed your other hand resting on the table, squeezed and kissed the back of it.

Sensing that your attention is not on her, Emi stood up, and started clapping and dancing to the new dance she learned. Mina instantly played one of her favorite songs.

“Show off. Mama’s mine either way.” You let out a laugh when you heard Kenji speak in a hush tone not wanting the baby girl to hear it and had another of her tantrums.

[hawnks]

Takami Keigo doesn't want to see you.

Of course, he's too well trained to say it in so many words, but when he 'forgets' his session this afternoon, you get the message.

Unfortunately for him, you're stubborn. You show up at his apartment in the dormitories, ring his bell until your fingers numb.

Only then does he crack open the door, just enough for you to catch his forbidding smile, a caustic gleam to his eyes. "What can I help you with, this fine evening?"

"You missed our appointment," you say pleasantly. "This is the third time."

"Oh, must have just slipped my mind," he says with a dismissive little wave. "I'll catch you next time."

The door slams in your face.

Being so curtly dismissed by a top ranking officer should probably send you into a panic, but the stats you pulled up for him after his no-show are even more concerning. This is quickly turning into an emergency, and unfortunately it's your job on the line if he succumbs to corruption.

Who would blame the second most powerful Sentinel alive, when there's a feckless guide as a scapegoat.

"I'm going to ring the bell again," you say, loudly.

After a moment of silence, you think he must not have heard you.

Then the door swings open. "Fine," he snaps.

You follow him to the living room, watch as he drops himself on the couch with a sigh, eyes squeezed shut.

You'd never known guiding to be this much of a chore for Sentinels. Most of your roster is rather clingy and covetous of your time. None of them has ever been late to an appointment with you.

"Well?" he prods. "Get on with it."

You hesitate. The tension he seems to be holding will make this a lot more difficult, strenuous for you both. "Do you maybe want to talk for a bit? Or I could put on some white noise."

He opens his eyes just enough to give you a cutting look. "No."

You surrender with a sigh, coming to sit next to him on the couch. Every Sentinel prefers contact a different way; some want you to hug them, pet their hair, a few have even asked you to kiss them, fuck them, though you've never fulfilled that type of request, your boundaries in this job too firm for it.

You want to ask him what would make this easier for him, but you're sure waiting any longer will only set him off. So, delicately, you take his hand.

The first draw is always the hardest, the corrupt energy being nullified by your own. Some outside force reaching in, invasive despite the relief.

Takami flinches.

You go slower, a soft steady ebb, pulling the poison from him in silken thread.

His hand relaxes in yours.

You reach deeper, welcoming the full flood between you, warmth and light suffusing you both. And it feels how it's supposed to -- natural.

When your watch chimes, signaling the sessions end, Takami blinks out of his stupor. He'd melted during the thirty minutes you worked on him, body curled toward yours, face falling onto your shoulder.

He pulls away swiftly, shocked by his own willingness to lean on you.

You rise, marking off the details of your appointment on your tablet. "I can come back tomorrow, to finish up. You haven't been guided in a long time, so I couldn't get it all in one session. Does 2pm work for you?"

He's not prepared for the question. "Um. Yeah?"

You mark that down as well, then see yourself out.

It takes three more sessions for you to fully clear the corrupted energy from his body. In his haze he admits to you the reason he's so standoffish to Guides, why he dodges his sessions with such fervor.

"It's never felt good. Always felt like I'm being held down, trapped. Made me feel antsy, nervous." He buries his face against your throat, inhaling deeply. You'd started off just holding his hand again, but now he hugs your entire arm against his chest, your fingers twined. "It's not like that with you."

"I'm glad, Mr. Takami," you return. "Please don't ignore my emails from now on."

As you make your notes, you ask him his availability for next month.

He blinks at you. "You're not coming back tomorrow?"

You check your calendar. You'd had to push back several of your regular appointments to make room for the past few days. "I'm booked solid for the next two weeks, at least."

You glance at him, taking in his appearance, his general well being. You reach a hand out to cup his cheek, urging him to meet your eyes. He startles, first, before leaning into your touch.

"You seem fine," you decide, pulling away, already heading for the door. "I'll contact you later about our next session."

He trails after you, linger at the precipice as you take the elevator back down to your floor.

...

He never ignores you emails, after that.

In fact, he sends many of his own. He gets your phone number, somehow. Some days he shows up with coffee, or snacks, sits with you on the couch while you eat.

He's always touching you during those times, brushing hair behind your ears or straightening your shirt collar. Mostly he just holds your hand, playing with your fingers or clutching it in his own lap.

You don't guide him during any of these impromptu visits, too weary from the rest of your overfull schedule -- but you've heard of this type of attachment from other Guides.

Sentinels tend to imprint on guides they have a decent connection with. Part survival instinct, part status seeking. A Sentinel without a guide is doomed. A Sentinel with a high match-rate is likely to be stronger than their peers.

But that's the thing about un-bonded Sentinels, they're always on the lookout for a better Guide, their perfect mate.

Takami is overly attached to you now, but it will pass.

...

Or so you thought.

You're sent out into the aftermath of a battle that rocks the city. Dozens of Sentinels pushed themselves to the breaking point, on the brink of corruption, about to turn into the very monsters they fight to suppress.

You spot Takami in the midst of the wreckage. Exhausted, but giving you a shakey smile when your eyes meet. He limps toward you, so glad to see you, so ready for the safety and warmth of your arms--

Someone calls your name. Urgent, an emergency. Another Sentinel with no one to take care of them.

You turn away from Takami, and you go.

He'd fought hard, but his body has grown used to the abuse over the years. He's in bad shape, but it's not life-threatening like some of the others you help today.

It's hours before you can see him.

Slumped on a curb, hands folded neatly in his lap. Like he's been waiting so patiently for you this whole time.

You come to your knees before him, letting him take your hands, draw you closer. "Why didn't you go to another Guide?"

Surely he could have found someone else, despite the chaos of the scene. If not you, one of the high ranking Guides, slotted exclusively for S-rank Sentinels.

He looks at you, trembling, confused. "I don't want another Guide."

When he asks if you'll hold him, you do. You take him in your arms, let his weight settle on you. Feel his warmth all around you, his breath against your shoulder.

"And I don't want you to guide anyone else," he murmurs.

You stroke his nape. "I know. I'm sorry. You'll find your Guide soon enough, and then you can have each other all to yourselves."

His grip tightens. He braces you against him -- instead of a heady tightness, you're constricted.

"I already found my Guide," he whispers into your throat.

Then he bites.

[lipringlrh]

“I told my mum about you.” | mm19

summary: mason’s not your boyfriend, but he might as well be. Especially when his mum thinks he is.

pairing: mason mount x fem!reader

an: in honour of the recent news. i’m glad he’s doing what best for him but it’s still sad, even though he’s (most likely) moving to my team!!!

word count: 1.1k

warnings: dodgy kissing bit xxx

feedback and reblogs appreciated!!!

…

It was a cold Friday night, you were led on the couch with Mason like most nights, cuddled up under a blanket, a film muted in the background. It was like every other evening: the two of you sharing constant kisses and compliments and talking about your future plans together, but neither of you would have it any other way.

You were led against him this time, his arm round your shoulders. You were close enough to lay your head comfortably on his neck, where you would probably end up falling asleep later, but just far enough away that you had to lean over to kiss him, stopping you from doing just that the whole night.

He was quieter tonight than usual but you didn't mind. Silence with Mason was comfortable, you could sit by him for hours and not speak. You were both perfectly content with just being next to each other.

You knew something was on his mind but you weren't entirely sure what. You knew he'd tell you when he was ready, so you didn't mind and carried on focusing on the muted film, trying to grasp any idea of what was going on.

"I told my mum about you - us." He mumbled, a mix of pride and guilt flowing through his words. He didn't mean to mention you at all, not that he didn't want to but for the reason your situation was complicated: you both liked each other and knew that, both acting on your feelings for each other but with no label or exclusivity. He got just a little too tipsy at a family meal but could help but gush about you to everyone.

"Mum, have you seen her? She's so pretty and perfect, Mum. Look." He demanded, wobbling over to her, ready to show her the fourth picture of you tonight.

"Why haven't you told me about her before if you love her this much?" She was quite confused about the situation herself. She figured if he was with someone he would've told her like he usually does, but she'd also never heard him talk about someone this way before.

"Because she's too special, Mum. I don't want to lose her. Don't you think she's beautiful? You have to meet her. Have I told you how kind she is? Or about that time when we-"

He droned on about you for hours but he didn't care, he loved talking about anything to do with you, whether it was your plans for the week or how he watched you do your hair in the morning and couldn't fathom how you did it. His mum didn't mind either, not fully knowing the situation but knowing fully you were extremely special to him.

"You've told me twice, love."

"You have to meet her, Mum. I think I might love her- I think you'd love her. You have to meet her: my girl. My girl, Mum."

"How about you bring her over next time you come round? Next Sunday, or whenever you feel like it, she sounds lovely."

"She is lovely, she's just-"

"Mason, what?" You looked at him in shock: wide-eyed and mouth open. You didn't realise he would talk about you to people other than his close circle that barely had an idea of what was going on, let alone his mum.

"She thinks we're dating, she just assumed by the way I talk about you, and I really didn't want to correct her." He didn't really know why he admitted it but he also didn't regret it after looking at your face.

"Oh." You were shocked but smiling. The fact that he didn't correct her must be a good thing, right? You didn't really know what else to say - you wanted to know every detail of what he said about you but you were now also worried about what his mum thinks.

"She wants to meet you."

You didn't really know where he was taking the conversation - you weren't his girlfriend, why would he let her think that? And how were you meant to answer him when it could all get confusing and awkward with one slip up.

"Shame, she won't," you murmured, looking away from him, trying not to let him read your face - for signs of what, you didn't know.

He grabbed your chin, gently, pulling your face up to almost reach yours. "She is. This Sunday," he whispered against your lips, barely making a sound, then attaching his lips to yours before you could speak.

You let him kiss you for a moment before registering his words and pulling back, leaving your hands on his cheek and chest.

"What do you mean she is? Mason, we're not even-"

"Not yet, we're not. I promised her she could meet you, she's so excited please, baby. I'll promise you anything."

"Mase," you whined, letting him grab your face again before pulling you in to kiss him.

He was confident but soft, neither of you taking the lead, just letting your lips brush over each other. He was grinning more the longer you went on, and you could feel it making you more giddy and eager.

One of his hands moved down to your waist, pulling you in more towards him whilst the other moved under your jaw, holding your head up. Your hands were moving from his chest up to his hair, ruffling through it. He was tender and familiar, and you felt more comfortable than ever before.

You both were eventually forced to pull away but you stayed close, resting your foreheads close to one another. His hands was still holding your head up, keeping you close, as you both listened to the others heavy breathing.

"I love you," he confessed, tightening his grip on your waist, not letting you leave. He was still trying to get his breath back but couldn't resist staring at your lips, silently begging for more.

You moved your head back as far as his hand would allow you to take a proper look at him and take him all in. Your hands were still in his hair and it wouldn't take anyone long to notice how messy you've made it, along with his slightly swollen lips. He looked like the prettiest mess.

"I love you too, Mase. So much."

"Yeah?" He broke out into a massive grin, similar to you. "You do?"

"I really do." You felt warm all over, the joy bubbling up from your stomach. It felt like a moment from your dreams.

"Kiss me then." You couldn't help but comply, leaning back into him impatiently and sealing your lips together.

please please please drop in my inbox (or whatever it’s called) on what footballers you want me to write for!!!

footballer masterlist (coming soon) |

[gerogerigaogaigar]

Phineas and Ferb fascinates me from a structural standpoint. I'll admit I haven't watched the show front to back, but I've caught the odd episode here and there and I certainly get the gist of it.

The first time I saw P&F it seemed charming but unremarkable, the second and probably third time it became obvious that it was a clever but formulaic show. At some point it clicked. Children's shows are usually formulaic, Dee Dee will destroy Dexter's invention, Elmer Fudd will fail to hunt the Wabbit, He-Man will defeat Skeletor, and Sisyphus will roll that boulder up that hill. Phineas and Ferb asks not just that we imagine Sisyphus happy, but that we imagine that he is ecstatic to see that boulder roll down the hill.

Where the status quo is an unspoken rule of older cartoons it is the explicit law of the P&F universe. There is a roadmap to every episode, you probably already know it but I will spell it out regardless. Phineas will say the phrase "I know what we're gonna do today" thus kicking off their project for the episode. Candace will try and fail to get them "busted". There will be a musical number. Meanwhile Doofenshmirtz will have made an -inator that Perry will be called upon to destroy. Perry will get caught, Doofenshmirtz will explain his plan, Perry will escape, destroy the -inator and the ensuing chaos will clean up Phineas and Ferb's backyard shenanigans just in time for their mom to get home. Ferb says something at the very end, often his only line in the whole episode. The end.

There are stock lines that must be said. "I know what we're gonna do today" "I wonder where Perry is" "Busted" "🎵Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated🎶". The show doesn't just have a cartoon status quo, the universe operates off of the laws of cartoon status quo to the extent that characters actively notice when the cycle doesn't complete correctly. The characters seemingly know that their world operates on cartoon physics, but to them it's just physics. In P&F a giant whirlwind carrying away a giant backyard amusement park is as natural as gravity.

Candace's place as the character who knows this is all insane must be a tortuous existence considering the whole world is conspired against her. Not out of a cosmic meanness but a deep thematic kindness. Candace is the only character whose intent is to cause purposeful harm and the universe will not let her get away with it.

Truly this is one of the most unerringly kind shows I've ever seen. It is unreal how much faith it puts into wordplay, running jokes, and raw absurdity to carry itself while never stepping into the realm of cartoon cruelty.

You know cartoon cruelty. It's why Tom gets punished for Jerry's actions and why the Trix rabbit can never eat his own damn cereal. At its best cartoon cruelty manifests as Ed, Edd n Eddy or the Looney Tunes short Duck Amok where there is catharsis in seeing the characters hoisted by their own petard. At its worst you get CatDog which is so intensely cruel to the character of Cat that I can't comprehend what the writers were going for.

The confident lack of irony is part of what makes Phineas And Ferb work. The show is a parade of cartoon cliches and dad jokes and it never it never winks at the viewer or lampshades how silly this is. It just has absolute faith that the corniest jokes ever really are that funny. And so they are. I actually laugh out loud every time they do the "Aren't you a little young for this?" "Yes, yes I am" bit. Maybe it's the delivery, maybe it's just the confidence in the bit. Probably a bit of both. I am smiling to myself just thinking of this dumb running joke.

But what this all amounts to is what every bit of fandom wankery amounts to. I am of course talking about shipping. For my money the best bit in the show is the romantic framing of Doofenshmirtz and Perry's rivalry. This is where the show's cartoon logic and unrepentant kindness synthesize perfectly. The homoerotic undertones of the spy/supervillain dynamic are an extremely tired observation and are usually only emphasized in an ironic sense to poke fun at pieces that never intended the gay subtext. P&F flips this joke by not being even a little bit ironic about it, but still adhering to the unspoken nature of the gag.

The end result is that Perry and Doofenshmirtz's status as a romantic couple is tacitly understood to be part of the shows status quo, but never commented on. The world of P&F is too inherently kind to be homophobic (homophobia being a key component of the joke) but it still has a joke shaped hole to fill. So it does the funniest possible thing and fills the hole with nothing. The joke is the lack of a joke. The expectation of a joke that is met with a shrug from the show's own internal logic. And that's really funny. An evil scientist and a platypus are in a loving relationship that happens to also be a hero/villain rivalry. Don't worry about it. It's not the weirdest thing happening in the tri state area I promise.

[idkwhatimdoinghere1655]

New Years Resolutions - Carlos Sainz

<word count - 1345>

warnings - not proof read

If it were any normal New Years Eve, you'd be at home by yourself, with the comfort of instant noodles and the talk shows that were on TV with singers and everything like that. But, this year was different. 

Your parents had loosely known the Sainz family, so you were among the many on the list invited to their New Years party. You decided saying no was a slightly stupid idea, so you said you'd be going and got all dressed up. 

When you walked in, you instantly realised that you didn't know a single person there. Before you had the chance to slip back out the front door unnoticed, you heard someone call out your name. Looking around the space, you didn't see anyone but crowds of unfamiliar people. 

You figured that there was another Y/N there, and the person was looking for someone else. You began to back out of the door a second time, but then you saw who the calls were coming from. "Y/N, hey! I didn't think you'd be coming," a familiar voice said, parting through the crowds. 

"Hey, Carlos. I thought I might as well show my face," you smiled at your old friend. Seen as your parents were friends, you and Carlos had interacted a few times over the years. You liked him, he was nice towards you and hadn't given you any reason to dislike him. 

It would also be pointless to deny that he was very handsome and easy on the eyes. "I'm glad you're here, I can finally have some fun. It's been pretty boring, I must admit," he grinned, taking your coat from off your shoulders. "We ran out of room on the coat rack, so would you mind if I put it in my room? I don't want it getting lost," he said. 

"Yeah, that'd be fine, thank you," you nodded as the two of you walked into the packed living room. I mean, you looked around and the room felt bigger than the entirety of your house, and there were definitely a couple hundred people here.

"You wait here, I'll be back," he said, disappearing through the crowd with your coat. There were a couple of people you recognised, but you didn't know any of them. You stood, rooted to the spot so that you didn't have to spend a second more than necessary without Carlos. 

"You wanna get a drink?" he asked, reappearing right next to you. 

"Yeah please," you nodded, and he placed a soft hand on the small of your back as he gently guided you through the crowds of people towards the bar that they just casually had in their house. 

"What can I get for you?" he chuckled, rounding the bar and acting like a bartender. "Whatever you want, I can do it for you," he smiled.

"I'll take a tequila sunrise then, please," you said as Carlos instantly got to work. He found all the ingredients he needed, and poured the grenadine into your glass before shaking the tequila, orange juice and triple sec in the cocktail shaker. 

Pouring it out into the glass, he topped it with ice and a mini umbrella to complete the drink. "Thank you very much," you smiled, sipping away at it. The measurements were absolutely perfect, and it was a very good tequila sunrise. 

"No problem, it's my pleasure. How about we go somewhere a little less crowded? We can catch up," he asked, coming back around to your side of the bar. 

"Yeah, sounds good," you said, picking your drink up and following him where he he was taking you. The room you went into only had a couple of people, all crowded around a pool table as they played. 

"So, how've you been? It's been ages since I last saw you," he sincerely asked, sitting down next to you on one of the plush couches in the room. 

"I've been good, yeah. I mean, we probably haven't seen each other because you've been off being Carlos Sainz, and I've been working and stuff," you said, as he intently watched you. You didn't have to see him all the time to know that the two of you were friends. 

"Yeah, I guess Carlos Sainz is a pretty full time thing," he lightly chuckled, his smile instantly putting one on your face. He had a certain quality about him, something that allowed you to calm down and relax. "Tell me, what's your New Years resolution?" he quizzed.

"Right, don't laugh at me if it's corny, OK?" you asked, and he simply raised an eyebrow at you out of curiosity. 

"I say the same thing every single year, but I want to find someone, you know? I've been single for long enough, I want a relationship, I want to be loved," you told him, and he wasn't going to laugh any time soon. He found it endearing, even if it was one of the last things he expected to come out of your mouth. 

"Well I'm sure you will, you're a good person, and to top it all off you're stunning, so I don't see why you won't get a boyfriend," he said without missing a beat, as if it were a normal thing he said to everyone. You blushed lightly as his comment, your cheeks heating up. 

"Thanks Carlos, I really appreciate it," you blushed, unable to make eye contact with him.

"I'm serious, someone would be very lucky to have you," he continued, noticing the red flush to your face. "I'm just saying what someone else should have told you a long time ago," he finished, checking his watch as he noticed people filtering back into the living room. 

"God, you're such a flirt," you laughed, nudging him. You also noticed that people were leaving the room, and you figured it was because you were getting close to midnight. 

"Come on, let's go into the living room, it's nearly midnight," Carlos said, standing and holding his hand out for you. You took it and let him lead you into the crowded living room, both of you having to stand closely in the corner. 

You were squashed between this random guy and Carlos, and you could barely breathe because of how tight the space was. Carlos noticed the slight discomfort on your face, and pulled you in front of him by the shoulders. You were now stood so your back was lightly brushing against his chest whenever either of you breathed. "Better?"

"Yeah, thanks," you smiled, looking up at him over your shoulder. Looking around, you saw that all of the boyfriends and girlfriends, fiances, partners, husbands and wives, were all stood together, undoubtedly getting ready for their New Years kiss. Maybe next year you'd get yours.  

The people who could see the TV started counting down, and before you knew it, it was 2024. Somewhere outside, you could hear the fireworks booming, as the couples around you embraced with a kiss and others cheersed. 

You turned around, shouting a 'Happy new year Carlos!' over the noise. The smile on your face was absolutely priceless, and the lack of space between you was causing him to sweat. He bit the bullet and went for it, "Can I kiss you?" he shouted back, and you just looked at him for a moment.

A kiss wouldn't hurt, right? There was nothing for you to lose by kissing Carlos, so you replied with a simple 'yes'. That was all the confirmation he needed, as he closed the small gap between you and captured your lips with his. 

It felt like the sparks between you were bigger than those of the fireworks outside as neither of you pulled away. He realised that everyone else was just celebrating now, while the two of you were practically making out in the corner, so he begrudgingly pulled away from you.

"I think you'll fulfill your New Years resolution earlier than expected," he smiled chuckled, the euphoria that was surging through his veins not wearing off in the slightest. Now this was the perfect way to start the new year, no doubts about it. 

A/N - Happy new year my loves! Here's to a 2024 of more writing, and hopefully less Ferrari pain... :). Thank you for sticking with me this year, and I'll see you all next year! Have a wonderful day/night, and I love y'all 💖🍾

|masterlist|

[respectthepetty]

Nick is a green boy.

Anon, I would categorize Nicolas as un pendejo, but I haven't really put any thought into his color. Not really at least. None. Not even a little. I haven't really thought about colors for Only Friends.

*makes direct eye contact with you because I'm about to get creepy while you stare at the picture of Nick in a green and blue striped shirt*

But if I were to really think about it, which I haven't, not at all, not even a little, Nicolas would a Blue Boy, not a Green Guy.

He just masquerades as a Green Guy since they are chill and laid back

and that's what he wants Boston to believe he is.

Like Top!

Boston is a "No Drama Llama" type guy. Green is cool for him!

Which is why that hypocrite has the green car.

So Nick is trying to be a chill Green Guy like Top.

And it works for a bit when he changes his wardrobe and hairstyle.

But, really, Nick is loyal, sensitive, inspirational, and just a teeny tiny bit sad, you know, like a Blue Boy.

Because when he finds the pictures of Boston and Top in Boston's room, the lighting turns blue.

And now that I think about it, which I haven't, not at all, not even a little, I've never seen a Green Guy and Red Rascal do well together romantically. It's usually a Green Guy paired with a Blue Boy.

So it has to mean Nicolas is really a Blue Boy since Blue Boys usually partner well with Red Rascals, but oh, darn it. Sorry, you're probably confused because I forgot to mention who the hell the Red Rascal is! It's Boston, you know, because he is confident, sexual, aggressive, and vengeful.

Which would make sense because when they first started sleeping together, the colors were Boston's red and Nick's fake green that we saw pop up in the first pictures mixed with his actual blue.

Because the more they slept together and Nick developed feelings, his true blue color started emerging.

So it makes sense that they both show their true color around each other.

Or more like they both see each other's true color.

Even though Boston tries to act like a Green Guy also.

Nicolas sees him for what he really is - a Red Rascal trying to masquerade as a Green Guy too.

Because when no one is watching, Boston is truly a Red Rascal, and Nicolas KNOWS this because Nicolas was allowed to go into Boston's real space, his red photo room.

Yet no matter how much he stepped into Boston's red, he couldn't merge their colors.

So it must have really hurt that just when Boston was possibly coming around to Nick's love (Boston is wearing a blue shirt with a green and blue checker board on the back that states "Make Love Not War" while Nick wears a blue and green striped shirt), just like Nick said to Sand, Boston got the rug ripped right out from underneath him.

I know it sucked since Boston sits at the bar in Nick's blue, drinking and looking at pictures of him and Nick.

So when they see each other at the Halloween party, all pretense is gone. They finally can admit that they see each other, as they stand there wearing their true color, yet standing in front of the other's color.

Which is funny because right after, Boston fucks Atom and turns the reddest he has ever been. The audience probably hadn't even noticed how much Nick calmed Boston's red when he was in the photo room, but I noticed! Scroll back up! Look at the pictures. Wild, right?

And Nick is, once again, trying to play the cool Green Guy with Dan as he wears his green shirt, yet Dan seems more than willing to see Nick's true color and merge.

Because a Blue Boy can't really hide his color, mostly when Nick follows Boston into the bathroom to remind Boston that he sees who Boston really is and loves him because of it, you know, like a Blue Boy would.

So maybe, just maybe, when they are sitting outside together next week, Boston will acknowledge that he, too, sees Nick for who he is. Not the guy wearing a green shirt across from him, but the sensitive Blue Boy who actually likes him for the Red Rascal he is.

But I mean, I haven't really thought about colors at all for this show, so who knows?! Not me!

[putschki1969]

YKL vol.#20～Japanese Seal 20th Special～ Kanagawa Performance Broadcast

2024.06.09 Kanagawa・Kenmin Hall The second concert of this year's Yuki Kajiura live tour was broadcast last night on TBS Channel 1. The tour is titled “Special Japanese Seal” referring to the fact that no Japanese songs are performed. This exclusion does not apply to the encore section. User 蓝原延珠_ on Bilibili kindly provided their recording of the broadcast, you can watch it HERE. I was only able to download a 720p version (~1GB) of it but for the time being, it will do. I am eager to watch it and write a little report. Hopefully an HQ version will pop up in a few days. Without further ado, let's get going〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→

overture〜アンチヒーロー〜Main Theme〜: Right off the bat, I'm noticing that the audio is quite dull and maybe even slightly tinny? Might be the specific recording but it's probably more a matter of the TV broadcasts generally having bad audio. That was clearly noticeable when you compared the Kaji Fes TV broadcast to the BD release. Anyway, we are off to a great start. Glad to see rito and Lino on stage from the get-go and not just for a couple of songs here and there. It always feels a bit awkward for them to have the status of "regular" members but only appearing on stage sporadically. I haven't listened to any songs from the Antihero soundtrack so this is all new to me. Classic YK, the type of song I will always gravitate towards. Beautiful harmonies. Enjoying the slight whine in Eri's voice, so emotional. Love when the epic part starts and you can hear an entire chorus in the background (maybe a bit too much studio magic going on here but I don't mind for grand sections like that). Must have been a real goosebumps moment at the live.

the four rings: Wow, this one is so good. Don't think I've heard it before. Not too familiar with the Heaven’s Feel OST tbh. Really getting goosebumps now. Although I will say that here, the post-editing is a bit overbearing, it seems to almost drown out the vocals of our songstresses. Don't get me wrong, it still sounds amazing and I am enjoying the hell out of it but I wonder how it was like at the venue (with presumably less studio magic). With six singers on stage, they can certainly achieve some powerful choral work but of course it would still pale in comparison to a larger choir. Nonetheless, this is an instant favourite. Hope they will perform it during the Asia tour leg. Although I kinda doubt it since they said that the setlist would be very different. But who knows, it's Fate/stay night so it's probably among the more-likely pieces to be performed among Yuki's huge repertoire. My guess is that they will stick to the most popular anime stuff because they know that will get the audience excited.

absolute configuration: Perfect transition. Never getting tired of this song. And I'm glad we are back to a more natural sound with less studio magic. Solid performance as always.

E.G.O: Have they ever performed this live for a home video release? I don't think so. It was included in one of the live complication albums (Fictionjunction 2010-2013) but I don't recall ever watching a live performance. I have to admit that I haven't even listened to the live audio track, must have dismissed it when I first got the album. I can understand why because it's not really my type of song. It's not bad but not my favourite either. Very old-school YK so that's fun. And there are a couple of nice Keiko parts, that's always a treat.

キッチン革命〜Main Theme〜: A completely new track from one of Yuki's most recent works. Definitely a perfect fit for a show called "Kitchen Revolution" XD Especially the percussion at the beginning. The harmony between Yuriko, Lino and rito works really well, they sound good together. Other than that, it probably won't become one of my favourite songs. Generally not a huge fan of Yuriko as main vocalist. No one does those gorgeous operatic higher harmonies like her but when the spotlight is on her, it's typically not my cup of tea.

voyagers: As far as I know, we only have the studio version and live audio from the compilation album as reference. No official live footage. The song has never really stuck out to me, it is okay but it's a bit too derivative of much better tracks from Yuki. Will keep it short so I don't trigger anyone. But it's definitely one of those songs where I prefer the version with Wakana. Joelle's vocals don't do anything for me here. But since I am not super invested in the song anyway, I can't say I care much.

Historia: opening theme: Beautiful rendition. Love that they brought all six vocalists back on stage for this. Naturally, I'm quite fond of Wakana's version once again (not least of all because this song will always have a connection to Kalafina) but Yuriko does a fanstatic job of singing her parts, admittedly, she has much better control so her voice sounds very crisp and lovely. Joelle provides great support here and their voices blend well together.

forest: Never been a fan. I didn’t like it when Wakana sang it and I don’t like it now that Joelle sings it. It’s not a bad song at all and Joelle sounds fine to me but it’s just not my cup of tea. Next.

My long forgotten cloistered sleep: Now THIS on the other hand I have always loved. I still remember everyone hating Wakana's live version during YKL Vol.#9 but I enjoy it quite a lot. It's true that it's probably not the best she has ever sounded but her vocals here certainly don't warrant all the nasty comments she has received throughout the years for that performance. Of course, I am also obsessed with that WaKei combo!! And you know me, I have a weakness for "lalala"s so this has definitely always been among my favourite YKL songs. As for this performance, I think both Wakana and Joelle are trying are little too hard to emulate Emily Bindiger's timbre. I personally don't think Emily Bindiger has a particularly nice voice so if anyone tries to sound like her, it's always a slight downgrade in my opinion. I'll just say this, if you are one of the people who say that Wakana sounds like a chipmunk in her version, you'll have to say the same thing about Joelle(¬_¬) Long story short, I don't mind this version with Joelle and Keiko. Still very enjoyable. Will definitely be listening to it on repeat.

I swear: Probably one of my least favourite Keiko songs but this is a decent performance. I might even like this more than some of the previous live rendition since it's a bit more delicate(?) I think.

fiction: Another song I could live without…The chorus is solid but it's not one of those songs I'd ever actively listen to.

I reach for the sun: Forever sad that they made Joelle the lead of this song. Keiko does a better job in my opinion and I like the song quite a bit more than "I swear". Overall, the English section has probably been the weakest so far, at least for me. I actually ended up fast-forwarding through most of it.

MC: This MC is quite interesting since Yuki asks her singers to share a story of something they are taking a break from right now. To explain the background of this question, it's a reference to the title of this year's tour: Nihongo Fuin = Japanese Seal ("fuin" basically means to seal up something. You are excluding it/taking a break from it/quitting it/etc). Lino says that despite being a huge lover of the sea, she has been taking a break from going to the beach and swimming in the sea during this summer because it might affect her voice negatively. Yuki has a funny response to that because she says that most of her songs have never really had a summer vibe and actually don't work very well in a summer atmosphere but for some reason, they have ended up always holding their annual tour during the summer time. Keiko has stopped drinking her beloved lattes for the past three months to prioritise her water intake. Gladly, she has overcome the worst parts of quitting already and is getting used to water. Yuki admired her stoic nature. Yuriko would typically refrain from certain things in preparation for a live tour but this year she has completely forgotten about that. About two weeks ago, she decided to quit ice-cream but she only did it half-hardheartedly because it was so hot that she ended up eating it anyway. So yeah, this is a big fail and it's really a "story of NOT taking a break from something" XD Joelle has stopped waking up early. Usually, she is the type to rise together with the sun but in order to increase her sleeping hours, she will wake up later when she is on tour. A restful sleep will help her body heal up and improve her voice. rito has quit chewing gum (and stopped eating certain chewy foods such as squid) because it's bad for your jaw and facial muscles. Kaori has taken a break from watching the drama "Anithero" (for which YK is composing music, the main theme having been performed as the intro of this live). Seems like the song is haunting her a bit too much and the story is getting to her. So once the tour is over and she is no longer singing the song, she will have an easier time watching the episodes. Yuki agrees that the main theme is quite haunting. Especially when she hears one of the singers rehearsing in the dressing-room right before a performance. Eri doesn't really have anything to tell the audience but she and Yuki briefly talk about the difficulties of learning so many songs with coined words.

Gaia: Wow, what a lovely song. Instant like. Really adore Eri here!! Such gorgeous high notes.

Credens justitiam: What a great team-up with Keiko, Eri, Yuriko and Joelle. Eri sounds great together here with Keiko. Does Yuriko sound a bit off here? I don't know. Not 100% into some of her parts.

hepatica: First time actively listening to this song. Very beautiful and tender. I feel like some of Yuki's KnK work might have been inspired by this song. Some parts immediately made me think of "Seventh Heaven".

godsibb: Waaah! Yes!! Always a joy to listen to this song. Glad everyone is on stage for a powerful finale.

Alone: I knew I would love this Pandora Hearts medley. I always do and this one is no exception. Flawless start.

Bloody rabbit: Some squeaky parts at the beginning but overall, solid.

Contractor: OBSESSED. One word. Perfection. There's a reason this is the performance I'm using for this post. I'm forever a slave to Keiko's solo part XD. Also, Eri is such a queen here! So cool!

zodiacal sign: This is the song where you can really tell that they are taking great care of Kaori's condition. No strenuous movements at all. How funny is it to see Rie joining the girls in their little dance?! Cute!! Super fun performance as always.

open your heart: Ughh, I do not like this song at all. They did "Sweet Song"/"paradise regained" for most of the other performances. Would have killed to get either of those two instead of "open your heart". Obviously, "Sweet Song" would have been perfect. From what I heard, the final concert with Kaori in July had an amazing and heart-warming performance of "Sweet Song".

En.Prologue〜このとほかやわらかい: Wish I could grow to love this song. It deserves my love, I know it. But I just can't get into it. But hey, it's a cool performance, I can't deny that. During her solos, Kaori sounds a bit nasal in my opinion. Nothing that takes away from the performance but it's certainly noticeable (throughout the live to be honest - at least during the few songs where she has a substantial solo part. I think you can also hear it during the main MC. Either she had a minor cold that day or it's just a symptom of her pregnancy. Lowered nasal resonance is actually a very common thing for pregnant women.)

En.Parade: Beautiful. No notes.

En.蒼穹のファンファーレ: Solid. Not a huge fan of the song though.

[flickering-nightfall]

So, your Infinity Train crossover got me to watch the show, and... woah. Woah. I would love to know if you had any more ideas, blurbs, thoughts, anything about that crossover, because now I can't get enough of imagining the viciously murderous cat and accidentally-fratricidal robot on the train.

I'm glad you liked Infinity Train too! (and thank you!) More on the crossover... I gotta admit I haven't thought of much other than the initial "haha what if" idea. Maybe I can speculate though:

Spoilers ahead!

There were many hilarious and thoughtful takes on how Pebbles could possibly end up on the train, in the notes of the initial post. I joked that it'd just tear a hole through his structure, but there are more (and less) sane options than that.

Since we only see human passengers on the train, a lot of people would probably mistake Pebbles and Arti as denizens. Simon and Grace would probably not take to them having numbers well. I feel like they'd most likely think it was a trick, but it could shake up their perspective too.

Man humans look kind of similar to ancients maybe. That doesn't mean much to Arti - and I think humans look dissimilar enough from scavs to be spared by her wrath. But to Pebbles...

Also, iterators haven't communicated with another civilization-era sapient species in a quite a while probably. Some interesting stuff can come out of that.

How many migraines do you think Pebbles gets from trying to figure out what the hell is up with denizens? Or the train itself? I feel like he'd have an aneurysm if he had to interact with Alan Dracula. If he goes home and tries to tell the others what happened without any proof, they'd think he'd had a rot-induced fever dream.

Numbers are dependent on how close a passenger is to solving their problem. Arti, having already killed the scav chieftain, according to Rain World has hit the point of no return. So her body is completely wrapped up in numbers. But like Amelia, with enough time and determination it might be possible. The main problem is... Arti has to want to fix her problem first. The setup for her to do that is there. She's with Pebbles, so she has less of a reason to go off on a rampage unless she's being threatened. The lack of scavs wouldn't stop her from resorting to violence at this point, but the pure strangeness and unfamiliarity of her surroundings should at least baffle her into a different mental state.

I think in order to get an exit, Arti needs to make peace with herself. She must acknowledge what she has become, and to truly believe that she needs to change. It has little to do with the death of her children at that point. She needs to escape the self-perpetuating circle of violence.

Pebbles' number is much smaller (but still huge) because he's entrenched in rage and isolation and frustration on a massive timescale, but we see him eventually come to a resolution in Rivulet's campaign. How would the train define his problem though? It could be his anger at Moon and Suns, blaming them for his current state (even if Suns is partially at fault). It could be his tendency to close himself off, his refusal to talk to others or accept help. It could be his denial, believing he can handle and fix everything by himself. It could be his overall arrogance or ego. There's a lot of options there. Ultimately I think whatever brings him to think similarly to how he does in Rivulet's campaign would do the trick.

The sad thing is that Pebbles would probably be better off staying on the train too. I'm not sure if he'd be affected by the rot there, but he'd at least he could (literally) get out of his own head. And he has no choice but to touch grass interact with new people and situations. But to deny his exit would be to deny responsibility for what he's done. If he's really gotten better, that means he knows he can't run away anymore.

If Pebbles went to the train without Arti there's a chance he'd get killed or ghom'd two days into the trip. We are assuming his puppet is capable of walking for this AU, but also I do not think he knows how to walk. Good luck pink guy!

On the flipside. Pebbles could... probably take over the train even more than Amelia ever did, especially as a (bio)mechanical being himself. The only thing that could limit him are taboos maybe. Any iterator could do this, really. Lots of potential paths with that one.

Something something, One-One and iterators both solving people's big problems with varying amounts of success, and both engineering weird organisms...

...does a RW character that gets ghom'd return to the great cycle? Their soul gets devoured, or their life essence, it's not clear. I guess which one could determine what happens. But also they are in another universe where there is probably no cycle. Are ghoms a triple affirmative? Is crossdimensional travel? The latter wouldn't fit the "portable and generally applicable" part but still. This is a whole rabbit hole and a half, isn't it!

The train is dangerous and all, but that just makes Rain World characters a hilarious fit for it. Like this is just their daily life. Honestly I think their home world is more dangerous than the train, just in less wacky ways.

Lastly: I haven't even touched upon what introducing other characters could do for this narrative, or how they would react. So many possibilities!

If anyone wants to do more with this, please feel free!

[tillthelandslide]

Go Get Your Man - Ross Macdonald One Shot

A/n: welcome to something that randomly got stuck in my head after watching that Livestream... Now I'm not going to talk about Finsbury too much because it hurts too much because I really wanted to be there but the tickets should out in like seconds.... Buttttt I wrote this (not to do with Finsbury but that show just had ideas boiling, mainly because I realised I love Matty but like NEEEED Ross). I mainly wrote this as it perfectly describes how I feel about Matty and Ross. Anyway rant over, enjoy or not. Love you regardless - L p.s I have not proofread this so heads up

The house is loud, far too loud for her liking and despite the demands from her friend for people to smoke outside, a cloud drifted through the room, smoke visible in the air. The music was still audible over the voices of everyone in the room.

She's sporting the same glass of champagne as when she arrived, constantly being pulled left right and centre by people who wanted to talk to her.

The party was thrown on her behalf by her good friend Amber. They were celebrating the release of her new album (which she found a bit silly considering Japanese house had just released their own album too).

She was insistent at first "why can't we celebrate you too amber?" She asks and she remembers the eye roll her friend gave her before she went on about how "you know id hate that... That's not me... Besides I want to celebrate you".

She was worried at first when she arrived, knowing a certain someone would be here. She wasn't worried about seeing him, more worried about what he would say, afraid of upsetting him or making him angry.

She felt overwhelmed at one point, excusing herself from the conversation and walking outside, lighting a cigarette as soon as she steps through the doors.

"Still smoking I see?" She hears behind her, recognising the voice and almost immediately turning around and seeing a tall man, hair tied back in a bun, adorning a pair of black slacks, a black button up shirt, of which the top two were undone and a jacket.

"Ross... You came" she says, smiling a huge wide smile. She drops her cigarette instantly, walking over to the tall man, wrapping her arms around him and sighing into his chest.

"Wouldn't miss celebrating you for the world" he says, smiling a wide one which matches his. He missed having her in his arms. Now I know what you're probably thinking, but they were not in fact together. She pulls back, smiling up at him before her face drops.

"Weren't you guys at Finsbury... Like literally yesterday... And then Sweden before that?" She asks and he nods down at her.

"You must be shattered..." He doesn't let go of her just yet, still holding her in his arms.

"As I said... Wouldn't miss celebrating you for the world" he says, making her heart flutter, her eyes glinting with sheer happiness.

"sorry I wasn't there yesterday... I wanted to be... To support you... And g... And Hann and amber and everyone... Just didn't know if I'd be welcomed you know?" She asks and Ross nods, understanding completely.

"He would've been fine y'know?" Ross asks, the pin finally dropping.

"Really? I haven't seen him... At all to be honest since everything went down" she says and Ross sighs.

"You didn't do anything wrong..." He says and she nods.

"I know... But... We broke up a long time ago but... I promised I'd still see him and then I didn't... And then I still saw you and G and the rest and .... I dunno, just kind felt like a bitch" she admits and Ross nods.

"Well he came tonight... So you can't be that much of a bitch" he says and she laughs.

"oh thanks" she jokes making him chuckle. They finally pull away from each other (much to his dismay).

Ross' hand presses against her lower back, leading her back into the room and she immediately spots him, his curls tamed by gel, dressed in black suit trousers and a white button down shirt, standing with their friends. George smiles and waves at her as she sees her, drawing Matty's attention to her too. She's surprised to see that he smiles widely too, the conversation the group were having, immediately halted.

"There's the woman we've all been waiting for" George says as she draws closer. Ross' hand drops and she feels sad that it does, it leaves a tingly sensation in it's wake and that alone makes her breath falter and her head turn to check he was still there.

"Hello G" she says as she turns back to the group, the tall man pulling her into a tight hug.

"Oh I missed you" he says, squeezing her, her face being squished into his chest. She mumbles a "missed you too" before they pull away.

Hann is next to hug her saying a simple "really good to see you. Missed you. Congrats on the album" before Carly hugs her and then Charli and then she's face to face with Matty.

"Hello stranger" he says, but she smiles when there's no sense of bitterness in his words. He pulls her towards him and the two hug tightly. She thought it would feel weird to be in his embrace again but she just feels comfortable.

"Missed you" he admits and she smiles, closing her eyes she breathes him in for the first time in years.

"Yeah... Missed you too" she admits. They pull away and she feels herself get teary.

"seriously guys you really didn't have to come... You must all be so tired" she says, referring to the events of the previous days.

"We wouldn't miss it" she hears Matty say and she smiles at him. The group then get talking, catching up on everything that had been going on in each other lives. Of course she knew about parts of it, having still been seeing the guys and their partners when she could.

She goes for another cigarette at some point, leaning against the balcony, she hears the door open behind her and once again Ross is at her side.

"You look beautiful tonight by the way" he says as he stands next to her, placing a hand at her lower back again. She turns her body slightly so she's open to him, her waist pressing against his side.

"Thank you Macdonald..." She adorns a black dress which has a criss cross back and a cowl neck front, she wears boots as always. His hand is pressed against the crosses, the warmth of it radiating her bare skin making her shiver, realising how cold she was. His hand disappears for a moment and he shrugs off his jacket, draping it over her shoulders. She leans her head into him, which with the height difference leaves her leaning against his arm.

"Really missed you, you know" he says and she lifts her head slightly, eyes finding his soft brown ones. She sees immediately that he's sincere.

During the time Matty and her dated, her and Ross became very close, the closest out of any of Matty's friends, which was saying something because they all adored her. Ross was her go to person when Matty was being a bit mean or withdrawn. Looking back everyone is aware of why that was but at the time no one quite understood.

Ross found himself often angry at his friend for treating her the way he did, he knew Matty was fighting his own demons but Ross believed she deserved better, better than even he could give her.

"I really missed you too... When was the last time we saw each other... Seems like ages ago now" she says, trying to think back to when it was.

"the week of the London show? We went for ice cream and looked in that hidden record shop" he says and she smiles at the memory.

"oh yeah, you bought my album... 4 months is an awfully long time to go without you macdonald" she says and he smiles down at her.

"Won't happen again, I promise" she feels hopeful at that.

They then begin talking about all sorts, laughing at old memories. She jokes with him and teases him about this and that.

"The ross girlies were going absolutely feral for you yesterday... Finally giving them what they wanted when you let that hair loose" she says, they had somehow gotten even closer, her back was against the railing of the balcony and he had his hands either side of her. Her hands were resting against his collar. They didn't know how they got themselves into this position and she wishes she could pull herself away from it, not because she wanted to but because she felt guilty. He was her ex boyfriend's best friend, but he was also more than that, he was her best friend too, her go to person, her safety net, her comfort blanket, the person who in recent years had been the reson her soul was alight and she secretly wanted him to become ever more.

"You're ridiculous" he laughs, shaking his head down at her.

"Dunno Ross... I'd have to agree with them on this one... You looked good" she admits and he smirks down at her, one hand leaving the balcony to rest against her waist. His eyes scan her features, a shit eating smile pulling at his lips, cheeks and eyes creasing and the dimple she had missed a little too much making an appearance.

"I'm interested in you" he admits, and her smile drops. She scans his features now, trying to make sure he was deadly serious. She thinks it's an odd way to word it but it's appropriate for the circumstances. Saying he liked her would be too obvious, saying he loved her (although the truth) would be telling too much too soon and he truly couldn't think of another way to say it.

"Ross... We can't" she says, hands dropping from his collar , her stomach and heart sinking.

"Matty knows...." He says, the words leaving his mouth before he even had time to process them.

"Know what exactly? What is there to know?" She asks and it was a genuine question. Sure they flirted, spoke for hours on end after shoes, shared things that couples shared but neither of them had made their intentions obvious or clear.

"That I like you... That I've always liked you" he admits and she opens her mouth at the confession,lost for words for a second.

"liked you before he did... Before you even got together" he says. Amber had known Matty for years and she had introduced her to the group several years ago, she then became friends with the group so this piece of news was particularly shocking for her.

Matty was always flirty but at the beginning they were just friends, she did actually fancy Ross but she didn't think he liked her back. Matty started showing interest and she found herself falling for him, one thing led to another and they started dating. Never did she know that Ross had a thing for her.

"And Matty knew that?" She asks and Ross nods.

"That prick" she chuckles, hands finding his shoulders again.

"Yeah what a prick..." Ross says making both of them laugh "Na I'm joking... Wouldn't have changed anything if he didn't try with you and would you have wanted it to?" He asks and she ponders his question.

"Na you're right... I loved him" she says, no sadness, no reminiscence to her words, just the truth.

"Exactly..." Ross says.

"I did fancy you though" she says and he laughs.

"Fuck off... As if" he says, pulling away slightly before she pulls him back.

"I did!" She says raising her eyebrows at him "ask Amber if you don't believe me"

"Na I don't need to... I believe you" he says and they stare at each other for a bit, neither knowing what to say or do.

"Always wondered why it didn't work out with Matty.... Don't get me wrong, it was amazing, I loved that man so much... something always felt off though" she admits and Ross nods.

"Matty said the same thing... Sorry if that's a dick thing to say" he says and she shakes her head.

"Na don't worry... He told me" she says and that makes Ross raise his eyebrows.

"He called me once, last year... Drunk... Said he was sorry that he couldn't love me the way I deserved back then but he did love me... Said that it never felt quite right and that I was meant for someone else" she explains and Ross nods.

"So Matty knows you like me huh?" She asks and Ross nods.

"How did that conversation come about?" She asks and Ross chuckles, sighs and then begins to speak.

"Remember that night you called me on tour... Think we were in... America? Somewhere in America. You called and you just started singing these lyrics and i was thinking... Why is she calling me and singing? And then I realised that you were running the lyrics by me and I thought... You know what? I always wanna be the person you run lyrics by" he admits and she smiles at that, heart fluttering.

"I got off the phone to you and we were about to go on stage and I had this huge smile on my face... And Matty knew we were still friends at this point but he asked me why I was smiling so much and for some reason I couldn't tell him" he sighs, her grip on his shoulders tightens slightly before she eases her hold.

"And then this really good mood was just ruined and I was in a shit mood the whole show and then the next day and I was being so grumpy and tetchy with everyone and Matty just sat me down at one point and was just like man what the fuck is up with you and I just... I spilled. Everything" he explains. She could listen to him talk for hours and often did. He'd call her on tour or she's call him on the road or in a studio somewhere and they'd talk for hours until eventually they'd have to go to bed.

"What did Matty say?" She asks, but as she does, the door is opening and Ambers face is peering round the corner.

"sorry to interrupt... We want you back in here if that's okay... Your manager wants to say a few words" she says, not before raising her eyebrows at the two of them. Ross peels himself away from her, entering to room, leaving amber and her on the balcony.

"You look good together" Amber says before she leaves too.

She sighs before following behind them, everyone in the room cheers as she enters and her manager does a speech, everyone raising their glasses.

"Thank you... And don't forget to stream the album" she says making everyone laugh.

She drinks with a few of her friends, eyes always managing to find Ross'. She's back on the balcony soon enough, this time the door opens and Matty is revealed.

"You've been out here a lot today" he observes as he comes to stand next to her and she nods.

"Feeling a bit overwhelmed?" He asks and she nods again, taking a puff of her cigarette.

"But also look at that view" she says, gesturing Infront of her. They can see most of London from where they stand, the lights twinkling as the sun sets, casting hewes of orange and pink over the skyline.

"You always loved a good view" he says and she smiles at him. After all this time, he still managed to see right through her.

"I did... I do, that hasn't changed" She says, looking back out over the skyline. His eyes hover over her features, her eyes, the beautiful green ones that used to make his heart flutter were glistening in the sunlight, her lips turned up into a smile, painted a nude colour, different from when they were together. Her hair was longer and was in loose curls, she had her nose pierced now, that was new. She had a fair new more tattoos, and he smiles as he slots her box tattoo, directly opposite his. He remembers the day the band begged her to get it. She had changed in some ways: she was more confident, happier. But in some ways she was exactly the same.

"You look lovely" he says and she smiles, not look at him.

"I'm really proud of you" he says, noticing that she's wearing Ross' jacket, something that makes him smile.

"Thank you matty... I'm proud of you too, you guys are smashing it still"

They're silent for a few moments, the both of them staring at the view.

"So Ross tells me he had a thing for me before you" she says, thinking it's better to just come out with it rather than tip toe around it.

"Yeah... Still feel awful for that... Didn't mean for it to happen... You kind of just captivated me" he admits and she can't help but blush. Matty always had a way with words and although they don't make her heart flutter anymore, she still feels privileged that they're directed towards her.

"Wouldn't change it though right?" She asks, properly looking at him now. His hair had sprouted some grey's and he looked more mature than when they were together but he was still the same old Matty.

"Never" he says and it makes her smile.

"Only thing I'd change is the way I treated you..." He says, fiddling with his thumbs.

"I wouldn't" she admits and it confuses him.

"You were an arsehole sometimes sure.... But you were also the best boyfriend I had ever had... I broke up with you not because of the way you treated me when you were going through hell but because it wasn't right... For either of us" she admits and he nods agreeing with her.

"Think Ross is right for you?" He asks and she shrugs.

"I don't know... But I want to see" she says "would you be alright with that? Won't hate me for it?" She asks, turning her body so she's fully facing him. She looks sad and scared she'll hurt him and it reminds him of the days when they used to fight.

"Of course not. Could never hate you' he says and he can't help but pull her towards him.

"I think he's right for you... That man will love you exactly the way you deserve that's for sure" he says as he hugs her. She pulls back to look at him and her hand finds his face. It doesn't tingle like it used to, electricity doesn't strike as she holds him, her hand is soft and instead he feels a dull buzz, not completely fizzled out (both of them knew it never fully would). He can't deny it feels nostalgic and comfortable though.

"Thank you Matty. Really... Thank you" she says and he smiles.

"I'll always love you. You know that right?" He asks and she nods. She would always love him too, not in the way they once did, but they'd always have a piece of there souls entertwined.

"Now go get your man" he says making her chuckle. They share a look and Matty leans down to place a gentle kiss against her lips. A farewell, a thank you, an "Ive missed you", a platonic kiss. They wouldn't ever be able to describe why they needed it, maybe it was years of not seeing each other, maybe it was closure.

She leaves him to finish his cigarette, a huge smile resting against her face as she finds Ross, who smiles down at her as she comes to stand next to him.

His hand finds her waist as she tugs him towards her, making him tumble into her hold.

"You okay?" He asks and she nods. The people who he was having a conversation with were looking at the pair of them, almost expecting something to happen.

"Kiss me" she says and he smirks down at her.

"Right here? In front of everyone?" He asks, looking around the room, but he knew as soon as she said, he'd be leaning down to her.

"right here" she confirms, sighing a blissful sigh when his strong hand grasps her jaw lightly, leaning down towards her slowly. His lips hover over hers and she closes the gap by standing on her tip toes ,lips now flush against each other. His were soft and full against hers, the kiss was firm but undeniably soft, she felt him against every fiber of her being. The whole room seemed to be silent and all she could focus on was him.

She didn't notice their friends cheering them on, or the fact Matty was smiling at the two of them. She just felt Ross pull her closer to him, his hand holding her face gently as his other hand hooked around her waist, practically pulling her off the ground. She notices the way his lips move against hers, taking in her bottom lip, tongue peeking out to run across it before he's fully pulling away, their foreheads touching.

"I've been wanting to do that ever since I met you" Ross says, pressing another peck against her mouth.

"Me too"

"What changed?" He asks and she pulls away, turning to find Matty. Ross sees him, sees the way he smiles at them, raising his glass towards them.

"Thank you" Ross mouths to him before she turns back to him and she's caught his attention again.

"What did he say?" Ross asks and she smiles.

"Nothing I didn't already know" she says, pulling him back to her, their lips meeting again in another passionate kiss.

Note: I'm well aware this will probably get 0 notes but I dunno... This fic makes my soul happy and I love it so please reblog if you love it too, it would mean the world to me.

[waywardangel-wilds]

In tonight's episode of siblings or dating... both!

Okay so the girls in my Everlark discord said some very funny things and I had to write a one-shot about it:

[AU where hijacked Peeta fully forgot about the romantic tension between Gale and Katniss and he truly believes they are cousins -- using the real book dialogue as a base then going off on my merry fanfiction way-- I will be adding this to my 'cellar conversations' collection (I finally made the funny one!).]

“Thanks for the water,” Peeta says.

“No problem,” Gale replies. “I wake up ten times a night anyway.”

“To make sure Katniss is still here?” asks Peeta.

“Something like that,” Gale admits.

There’s a long pause before Peeta speaks again. “That was funny, what Tigris said. About no one knowing what to do with her.”

“Well, we never have,” Gale says.

They both laugh.

“She loves you, you know,” Gale says. “The way she kissed you in the Quarter Quell… well, she never kissed me like that.”

Peeta frowns. Kissed him? He must have misheard. “It was just part of the show,” Peta assures him, although he can't help the edge of trepidation in his voice.

“No, you won her over. Gave up everything for her. Maybe that’s the only way to convince her you love her.” There’s a long pause where Peeta wonders what the hell this conversation is about. “I should have volunteered to take your place in the first Games. Protected her then.”

“You couldn’t,” Peeta speaks somewhat slower than usual. “She’d never have forgiven you. You had to take care of your family. You matter more to her than her life.” You. Her family that you are a part of. Because you're cousins. Close cousins who look like siblings. Cousins.

“Well, it won’t be an issue much longer. I think it’s unlikely all three of us will be alive at the end of the war. And if we are, I guess it's Katniss’s problem. Who to choose.” Gale yawns. “We should get some sleep.”

“Yeah,” Peeta slides his handcuffs down his support. Maybe this is one of those normal things he forgot were normal. But whatever, who cares, he's probably going to die tomorrow anyway. This is really not his most pressing concern.

"Night," Gale rolls over and he's left to stare at the ceiling.

[Several months later, before 'so after' during 'Peeta and I grow back together']

Peeta picks up the stack of unopened mail that sits precariously on Katniss's mantle. He shuffles through the letters and sees a variety of names, including his own. Katniss sits patiently on the couch, watching him without speaking a word.

"Why haven't you opened these?" He asks with a smile as he waves some of the letters around with one hand. "Looks like everyone and their mother wrote to you."

Katniss tries to hide it but she lets out a little laugh. She rolls her eyes. "I don't think everyone wrote me a letter, Peeta."

He shrugs and goes back to shuffling the letters, taking care to tuck his own at the very bottom of the stack. No use reading those now. He pauses his shuffling when his eyes land on a familiar name. A name that's been bothering him for some time now, in the back of his mind, with an old question.

He clears his throat and attempts to appear casual. "Hey, you have a few here from Gale Hawthorne. You two got along well, right?"

Katniss visibly tenses. "Yeah." she offers nothing more.

"Well, maybe you should open those first." He smiles and offers the three envelopes to her. "Should be easy."

Katniss purses her lips. "I'd rather not start with him, thanks."

Peeta nods rapidly. "Oh. Okay, yeah that's fine." Remain casual he reminds himself. He doesn't want to offend her or anything like that. He holds the letters in one hand and reaches up to scratch the back of his neck. "Hey, um, is it okay if I ask you something?"

Katniss raises one of her ebony eyebrows. She smiles at him quizzically, "Uh, you just did."

"Ha," Peeta smiles and rolls his eyes good-naturedly. "Right. Yeah. But um it's a bit of a dumb question." He pauses. Katniss doesn't do anything other than stare at him expectantly. "Um, so, no judgment or anything like that, I mean, I'll still like you of course, but uh, was Gale actually your cousin?" He frowns almost with embarrassment as he asks. Katniss raises both her eyebrows in surprise. "I mean, ah, maybe that wasn't that big of a deal back then? I don't actually remember. I mean, well, I think I do? But uh, maybe your family was different, I mean, not that your family was different bad or anything but--"

"Peeta," Katniss interjects but he's already on a roll.

"I mean, I guess there weren't that many guys around our age who were visually interesting--"

"Peeta!" Katniss is laughing. She covers her mouth with her hands and shakes her head, but he can still see the laughter shaking her frame and lighting up her eyes. "No. No. Gale and I aren't cousins. That was just something the Capitol made up. Not real."

"Oh." Peeta nods. He presses the stack of letters to his chest and nods again. "Well, okay."

Katniss drops her hands back to her lap. She's still smiling. "Is there something else?"

"Well, I know you kissed him. He told me," he admits. "Um, was he your boyfriend or something?"

She shakes her head. "It was... complicated. Nothing ever really went anywhere. We were barely friends at the end. Probably strangers now."

Peeta takes a moment to absorb that and feels a deep sadness for her. He looks down at the letters. Maybe not strangers.

"Why don't you read these?" He insists gently, extending Gale's letter towards her. "It looks like he wants to talk."

Katniss frowns but takes them. She places the closed envelopes in her lap and pats them gently. "Maybe," she concedes. "Sometime later. When I'm ready."

He nods, "Sure." He smiles at her and walks around the coffee table to join her on the couch. "Sorry about that dumb question by the way."

Katniss laughs again, her eyes crinkling, "No it's okay. I mean I would want to know."

[and that's it! I didn't know what else to write to end it, but this was kind of funny to me]

[sanityshorror]

Aside from ASF, what are some of your favorite extreme horror films?

This reminded me, I've actually been meaning to make an extreme horror film tier meme thing lol.

I actually talk about other extreme horror films very often, but I guess ASF becomes what you're known for when people don't understand the reason I watch extreme horror over Hollywood horror. The reason is because I WANT to be disturbed, horrified, and feel uncomfortable when consuming horror media. So with that said. I'm going to list some of my favs that I recommend as well for people who are interested in getting into extreme horror or have yet to see.

Warning SPOLERS

Irreversible is absolutely one of my top extreme horror films. It's an absolute masterpiece and I feel like it truly portrays the reality and trauma and effects of sexual assault. As a victim, I appreciate traumatic things like SA being portrayed realistically, because it's important for people to understand the full extent of the suffering a victim experiences.

Cannibal Holocaust, as stereotypical as that may sound to say, my reasons are probably deeper than one would expect. I appreciate the film because of the political commentary, how it essentially flips what one goes in expecting on its head by showing that the group of Americans who go to make the documentary are actually the true monsters. I also think it's very impressive (and rather rare) to find extreme horror that delivers such a kick to gut without using or heavily focusing on child abuse. I think Irreversible is great for the same reason. The kick to the gut is much more out of left field given how much child abuse is used as a trope.

Trauma (2017) [nicknamed A Chilean Film]. I went into this blind and OH LORD I WILL ADMIT I WAS CAUGHT OFF GUARD AND EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE MORE THAN ONCE. definitely lived up to the nickname it's been given. There's an endurance test scene that is Irreversible tier and the fact the girl puts the gun in her mouth after experiencing that (only to be shot by Juan instead), shows how truly horrifically SA affects victims. I also appreciate the fact that Juan's own trauma was shown in flashbacks, giving an explanation but not an excuse of how he ended up the way he did. The end scene smacked me like the hand of God. Its a movie that does a good job at showing the cycle of abuse.

Salo, I wouldn't say is one of my top extreme horror films, but I'd say it's a must watch at least once. The commentary on fascism being horrid... 🙏

Now, this last one I'm going to mention, is not extreme horror but by far the movie that has left me the most disturbed and to this day: Threads (1984) you will be left very, very, very numb and never quite the same: "You cannot win a nuclear war!" -Threads, before nuclear war.

On a final note, I also am looking forward to rewatching August Underground again soon, I haven't seen it in YEARS and it's recently been officially distributed by the AMAZING @unearthed-films !!!

Psst if y'all like extreme horror books, you should check out The Man with the Scarred Neck (splatterpunk genre) you won't be disappointed ;) (I don't apologize for mentioning this)

[eriexplosion]

I might be able to finish tonight so I'm doing The Summit. We're getting closer to The Episode.

I haven't rewatched this episode since it aired so this should be interesting knowing the ending of it.

I'm curious about Echo's contact specifically that apparently knows what Hemlock is doing but doesn't know where Hemlock's base is.

The thing is that I didn't realize at the time obviously but this whole thing is a complete side mission, it doesn't need to happen in order to move the plot. They don't manage to complete the mission, so it didn't need to happen to find Mt Tantiss, it literally is a two episode side trip dedicated entirely to dropping Tech off a tram car and injuring Omega, so the whole 'there had to be consequences!' simply doesn't hold up to me.

Also I just don't think we're going to validate Hunter's opinion that they simply shouldn't go

Love how aggressively NOTHING gets resolved by this moment with Phee and Tech. If they had spoken to each other about their feelings and decided that they felt something and wanted to explore it when he gets back that is evidence that he would be doomed immediately.

"Don't run off with any pirates or smugglers while you're gone" come on this feels like the most heavy handed foreshadowing ever. But the way that they had a full bit to... NOT resolve the narrative line they started with him is insane to me.

Also still remembering how much people lost it over this extremely tame scene because no one can just be normal about Phee.

"Just like old times" Wrecker it's been probably a couple months not 5 years

Every part of Eriadu that we actually see the ground of is covered in trees, so it's probably similar wherever Tech landed - notable mostly because we saw that Hunter slowed down significantly when he fell due to the tree cover.

This is I think our only glimpse through the clouds and most of what's directly underneath them is obscured by... more clouds. Looks rockier down there but they could have some further trees down there.

"We must be precise" *EVERYONE LOOKS AT WRECKER* I love when some of the most devastating plots have the funniest moments.

Love to see them infiltrate when they know there are no clone troopers because suddenly they begin to MURDER INTENTLY.

GOD I HATE HEMLOCK. HATE. THE WAY HE TALKS ABOUT CLONES.

I admit it is a little harder to watch this episode knowing all they accomplish is tossing Tech off a tram car.

LOVE ECHO'S IDEA OF A DIVERSION and also Wrecker stomping that poor mouse droid

Saw time!

One thing I find interesting is in Aftermath the only two that Saw talks with directly are Hunter and Tech, and here Saw only encounters the two of them. I really am growing more and more attached to the idea that Saw somehow found and got a hold of Tech, leading to Hemlock only finding the glasses. Saw challenges their viewpoints, but Tech could challenge him back I think.

Interesting that Saw's view is 'sacrifices are necessary for the greater good' too given what Tech does shortly after. Literally I want to see Saw and Tech throw things back and forth without the imminent risk of death or capture.

Human shield is fine but again, can't show Tech's body, because kids, sure.

We do see Saw blow the place from the shuttle but I don't think we see where the shuttle goes from there, not in this episode at least.

It's getting late so I guess I'm actually doing Plan 99 right after work tomorrow, which is probably a good thing I do need to sleep tonight.

[searchingfortheuniverse]

Side A - I Hate To Hear That You Won't Come Home

Part One of my gift for @terresdebrume! This one sort of snuck up on me because I wanted to make sure I'd written as much as you deserved for your gift after I'd already finished writing Part Two, so you get surprise bonus Webgott. I hope you like it!

Rated T, mainly for swearing. The title comes from Listen to the Man by George Ezra and the fic can also be found on AO3. This one is intended to be read first, but it doesn't really make too much difference.

Pairing: Joe Liebgott/David Webster, referenced Bill Guarnere/Babe Heffron Summary: After the war, Joe Liebgott seems to have disappeared; Web isn't letting him go that easily.

When the door opens in front of him, David flinches.

It's not that he's actually afraid, or startled, or any of those things. It's just that this is a deeply uncomfortable situation and he doesn't really know what to say.

"... Webster," Grant says, and it's hard to tell if the delay is a result of shock or the brain injury.

"Sergeant. Grant. Uh... Chuck?" David can't help the way he cringes at his own inability to decide how to address this man he's known for years.

"Jesus Christ," Grant says. There's a slight hesitance and a mild slur in his voice that never used to be there, almost a hitch allowing for extra time to think, but other than that he's doing pretty well for a guy who got shot in the head. "I'm embarrassed for you at this point. Come in."

David follows him in the door, shrugging off his jacket and hanging it on the coat hook Grant directs him to. He finds himself guided to a small kitchen and he watches as Grant makes him a cup of coffee. It's noticeable that one hand can take less weight than the other but David keeps his mouth shut. Eventually, there's a mug in front of him and Grant sits in the chair opposite him at the table.

"So, uh... How's the recovery going?"

David hits himself mentally. What a stupid question. Grant must be sick of being asked that by now.

"It's fine," Grant says, "Living the fucking dream." He sticks a cigarette in his mouth and lights it, then offers one to David almost more out of habit than deliberate choice. David takes one anyway. "What are you really doing here, Webster? You haven't come all the way out here to ask me that. It's not like we were close."

After a moment, David sighs and admits it. "I'm looking for Liebgott."

He's never seen anyone look less surprised than Grant does right now, which... Well. It feels almost like it should be insulting but he's not quite sure why.

"I don't know where he is any more than the rest of the company," Grant says, "So showing up here was sort of a stupid idea." His speech is worst on the S sounds, David notes absently.

"You must have some idea, though," David argues, "He wasn't that far from you. You must have at least an old address or something."

Grant shrugs with just his good shoulder. "Nope. All I know is he definitely went back to driving his cab. Outside of that, nothing."

"I'll leave you in peace, then," David says, because it's not like he and Grant were ever actually friends in a way that wouldn't leave this as the world's most uncomfortable conversation, "You want me to grab you anything? For your hospitality?"

"It was coffee and a smoke, Webster," Grant says, unimpressed.

"Still..."

"If you want to bring Liebgott round when you find him, I won't object," Grant adds, "And you can bring a pack of cigarettes at the same time if you want. Or some more coffee. I probably actually have a harder time with the coffee."

"Sure thing, Sergeant," David agrees, and he leaves as Grant rolls his eyes.

From the moment he leaves, his quest begins in earnest. Grant's confirmed two important details for him: Joe really did come back to San Francisco, and he's driving a cab. So David starts hailing cabs.

It's like the most ridiculous vacation in history. David climbs into a cab, asks the driver if they know Joe Liebgott, gets a negative response, and then asks them to drive him to a popular tourist destination so he can at least make the most of his stupid search for a man who doesn’t want to be found. He's giving up on the third day and about to ask to be taken back to his hotel when the answer changes.

"Liebgott? Shit, I know Joe Liebgott."

It's almost embarrassing how fast David finds himself sitting up straight in the back seat. It would be embarrassing, even, if not for the fact that this is a much smaller step in the search for Liebgott than crossing the whole damn country and so this is probably not at all embarrassing in comparison.

"You do? Do you know where I can find him?"

"Sure do. Saw him not ten minutes ago heading to the Third and Townsend Depot to see if there were any fares down there. If he hasn't had one, he'll still be there."

"Jesus," David says, "Thank God. Can you take me down there?"

"Pal, as long as you're paying, I'll take you wherever," the cabbie says with a shrug and a grin.

Once they've arrived, he flings more notes than necessary in the driver's direction, throws a hasty "thanks" over his shoulder, and disappears into the throng of pedestrians. He emerges again with a better view of the taxi rank, squinting even so slightly as he tries to see—

His breath leaves him in a rush at a flash of a half-genuine smile on sharp features as Joe Liebgott reaches for a woman's suitcase. David doesn't even notice his feet carrying him forward until he's there, saying words that are probably the biggest social faux pas he's ever made (which is really saying something) but which he can't regret because Joe is there.

"Hi, sorry, can you find a different cab?"

The woman stares at him in astonishment.

"What the—?" Joe starts.

"I'll cover the cost of another one for you, I'll pay you extra, but I need this one."

Dumbstruck, the woman blinks. Then, to David's blessed relief, she nods, clearly deciding that arguing with this insane man isn't worth the hassle. He thrusts more of his money in her direction, and she shrugs at Joe before reaching for her case and backing away.

"What the hell is your problem?" Joe asks, clearly livid.

"What the hell is your problem?" David retorts. "I'm not the one who vanished and stopped talking to everyone!"

"No, you just stalked me and cost me a cab fare!"

"Alright then, I'll pay you to drive me somewhere!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

As a final act of defiance, David sits in the passenger seat rather than the back, tilting his chin up stubbornly as Joe glares at him from the driver's seat.

"Where the fuck am I driving you, then?"

David snaps out the name of his hotel, then folds his arms. It's silent in the car for a good few minutes, which for them is quite impressive. Eventually, though, David caves.

"You never wrote to me."

"You never wrote to me either," Joe retorts.

"You never gave me an address!"

"Yeah, and anyone else would think that was a clue!"

"I did write to you," David admits quietly, "I just... didn't know where to send it."

"You– What?"

"I wrote to you, Joe, it's not that hard to understand!"

"Fuck you," Joe says, but it sounds more like a filler, something reflexive.

Once again, that uncomfortable silence fills the cab, and David's reminded forcibly of a jeep in Europe. All they're missing in this awkwardness is Skinny in the back.

The drive seems much longer than it should be. It quickly becomes apparent that that's because it is; a few landmarks pass that David knows are in the opposite direction to his hotel. Instead, they end up on a residential street. His confusion must show on his face, because Joe rolls his eyes.

"Fucking Christ, Web, are you coming or not?"

David blinks at him. It's only now that he sees the house key in Joe's hand. He scrambles out of the vehicle, hanging back slightly until the door's open and then practically bolting inside. He's... Well, he's not surprised. A little incredulous, maybe. He's definitely not surprised that Joe's house is tidy and... normal.

"This is a nice place," he says, and then, almost unable to help himself, he adds, "It's yours?"

He's willing to admit that he deserves the flat look he gets in response. The words he hears next, though, are tired, not accusatory as he'd half-expected.

"What are you doing here, Web?"

Now that it's come down to it, all his words have left him. He hesitates, lips parted as if his mouth has started trying to speak while his brain is still considering, and then manages weakly, "I didn't want to lose you."

"We've been through this," Joe says tiredly, "There's nothing to lose. It was a war thing, Web. Nothing else. It can't be."

"I don't believe you," David snaps, that familiar will to argue with Joe bubbling up inside him.

"Alright, fine, you don't believe me. Now what? It doesn't change anything!"

"Sounds like it's working out for Guarnere and Heffron," David counters.

Joe blinks. "What the fuck–?"

"They're living together," David says, and– There. A flicker in Joe's eye, a hesitation. "They're making it work."

"How?"

"I… I don't know," David admits, "But we can figure it out, right? I want to figure it out."

There's a long moment. David's heart is in his throat, watching as Joe's gaze flicks down to his mouth in a way it usually does when he's about to kiss him. And then, finally, Joe says, "Fuck. Okay."

And then he really does kiss him.

[akwolfgrl]

The matchmakers match

Vivi!”

“Nami!”

Sanji watched as Nami and Vivi embraced as if they hadn't seen each other in years and not a few hours, like long lost loves. Like Odysseus seeing his beloved Penelope after twenty long years. It was sweet, if not a little painful. He yearned for a love like that. They were always like this, Sanji could vividly recall the way Nami mooned after Vivi when she would leave. It was like watching the sun vanish behind the clouds. This was before they even started dating.

Vivi and Nami, along with Usopp and Kaya, were his first matches. All he had to do was give them a nudge in the right direction, but the feeling of helping people find love stuck with him. It wasn't long after he started to work with Eros. He had been doing his own personal practice for only six months and had assumed he'd go down the kitchen witch route like Zeff. He probably could do both if he wanted to.

“Happy Birthday, Sanji,” Vivi parted from her wife to give him a hug.

“Oh thank you so much, Vivi darling,” Sanji happily hugged the blue haired woman back.

“Happy birthday, Sanji!” Usopp cheered, sliping into the both with his soom to be wife.

“Are you looking forward to tomorrow?” Kaya asked him, sweet as always.

“Of course I am, my dear Kaya,” Sanji informed her. “I've been eager to try the Don Angie lasagna for myself, and anytime spent with my lover ladies and dear friends is a good time,”

“What's Zeff making?” Usopp asked.

“No idea, the old geezer wouldn't tell me,” Sanji admitted.

Nami giggled and smikered. “I know what he's making,”

“Oh Nami sweet plase tell me!” Sanji begged and pleaded reaching across the table hands claspsed together. “I'll happily pay any amount you wish me to!”

“Hmm tempting but nope,” Nami patted his head false remorse in her voice. “I'm sorry, Sanji-kun,” Sanji pouted as he sat back up.

Sanji shiged. “Well if Zeff entrusted the secret to a beautiful lady, I must respect it,” If it had been Usopp, he could have pushed further, Luffy would have told him. “Well I'm going to get a drink before Luffy shows up,” Sanji left his group and headed for the bar.

“Sanji!” A familiar voice greeted him as he approached the bra.

“Ace, I didn't know you worked at Ivas place,” Sanji remarked as he slid into an empty stool.

“I just started the last bar shut down after Pops died,” Ace explained, his eyes filled with sadness as he remembered the man that took him under his wing. “Well, I have a new job now, Ivas been great to me! So what can I get the birthday boy?”

“Hmm, surprise me. Oh! By the way, are you and Law still coming tomorrow?” Sanji asked.

“Yup! Law doesn't have any surgeries scheduled for tomorrow, I'll be bringing the alcohol Nami already gave me a list. Law said he'd take care of the gift.” Ace began pouring vairues liquids into a large shaker cup.

“Good to hear. I don't want the bloody rice I made this morning to go to waste, I haven't made it since we broke up,”

“Oh man he's gonna love that, you need to teach me how you make his onigiri one of these days,” Ace poured in ice, topped the cup with another cup and began to shake.

“It's really simple. You just take the normal amount of water and replace half of it with blood. Mix well before adding it to a rice cooker, unless you still don't know how to cook?” Sanji asked, watching Ace strain the liquid into a martini glass.

“Gilty, and here we go! I call this Mr. Prince,” Ace presented the glass with a flourish before topping it with a sugar flower. The drink was a bright blue, it smelled delicious, and Sanji knew it would be strong.

He took a sip. “Mmmm prefect,”

“Yes you are,” Ace told him with a flirty wink.

Sanji rolled his eyes fondly. “Save that for your boyfriend,” Ace laughed at him. There were no hard feelings between him and his ex boyfriends, Sanji had set the two of them up after all. He took a sip of the drink and hummed. “This is wonderful, Ace!”

“I am to please, now tell me about your newest client,”

Sanji happily talked about his newest clients as he drank the cocktail Ace made him.

[greenofrain]

Only Murders In The Building Murder Board

I watched episode 1 last night and I can't wait for next week, so I just wanted to compile a list of people I think could have done it. I'll probably come back and reblog this when new episodes and new clues come out.

1. Bev Melon

It must be terrible to be named after a fruit.

Bev, the producer of the film, is passive aggressive to our crew and aggressive about filmmaking. Would she go so far as murder to close a film deal? My best theory is that she tried to non-lethally shoot Charles in order to convince him that New York was unsafe to get him to come to LA for the meeting. Once she found out that she actually shot Sazz, she took her to the incinerator so that nobody would know. Of all the film crew, I think she's the most likely. The brothers sisters are oddballs, but a misdirect, and the screenwriter and VPs don't strike me as suspects... Yet.

2. Howard Morris

I'll admit, I didn't really buy into the "Howard is the Mastermind" theory until this episode. But there are too many weird coincidences to ignore. How did he let himself in to Charles' apartment? Why does he text Mabel as soon as they've broken into Sazz's apartment? Why does he need a cadaver dog in the first place? Much to think about. Maybe he tried to kill Charles to usurp his place on the podcast? With all that said, I don't think it's Howard for 2 reasons. Firstly, if he's the mastermind and we know the show has five planned seasons, why reveal it in season 4? Second, he was way too helpful with Gravey to find a body that he killed. But then again, who knows? This murderer is much more aggressive and confident than the others, anything is possible.

3. Emma (Lucy's Mom) OR Lucy's New Stepdad

It's the return of a recurring character from a few seasons ago! I think that maybe in the year between seasons 2 and 3, Emma got a new boyfriend who tried to be a father to Lucy, but she liked Charles more than him. After Ben Glenroy's death, they forbid her from seeing him again because "he's too dangerous," and she protests like teenagers do or runs away, so they take matters into their own hands. This is a long shot, but it could be possible. We know the next episode is about two figures from Charles' past returning, and this is about the only thread from Charles' past that we haven't touched on in some capacity, so we might see Lucy return or Emma make an onscreen debut.

4. Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, and/or Eva Longoria

Hear me out.

One or all of them wants to take over for their respective podcaster. Eugene Levy has the clearest motive, wanting to become Charles in real life after playing Brazzos in Quebec and now Charles in the movie. Zach Galifianakis is clearly the most hostile to Oliver, and that may transfer over to Charles as well. Eva Longoria described Mabel's age gap with the guys as "creepy," so maybe she's trying to get the guys out of the picture so Mabel can get her "shit ton of money and build something with it." It's a crackpot theory, but a theory none the less.

And that's what I've got for now. Please let me know what you think, I'd love to hear other people's theories!