#so i will get back to you once that theory has time to cook

[akuma-tenshi]

wait how did kolya die. im p sure it was a long time ago during one of olya's stalker missions or whatever but i dont know the details. what happened to u funni man

dissolved in the grinder. in the incident where olya lost her eye and sergei got all fucked up. it's depicted in the mill n you can see sergei's scars in that one scene in punch it, punk! and some official art. i think nikita got his neck scar there too. iirc sergei saved olya instead of kolya and nikita (kolya's brother?? i think??) was upset at him for it, which.. understandable but also that's a really fucking hard decision to make.

my thing is we never saw his exact death, and we don't know if olya, sergei, and nikita saw the moment he died either (plus trauma kinda changes memories so they may remember it differently); we only know the aftermath. meanwhile with nikita we saw him get shot and like.. heard / saw his final thoughts in message lost (very underrated song btw i sometimes just go listen to it on loop for a bit). it's extremely unlikely that kolya is alive and is probably just getting attention / spotlight bc yura is becoming more entangled with the stalker lifestyle and therefore closer to both past and present stalkers, but i think it's a funky theory and fun to speculate on. i also just rlly like kolya's design, he feels like he'd be fun to chill with (i know nothing about his personality). if he's actually well and truly dead i won't be too fussed abt it but i like theorising lmao

[prncssguya]

on hwang in-ho/front man, seong gi-hun and their dynamic.

first, idk why people are getting so upset at other people calling gi-hun dumb, we were told that in the first season. lol being bright is not his strongest trait but he has a good heart and we love that about him. however, he is still an idealistic gullible idiot with a gambling problem. except this time his gambling addiction is backed by a sense of justice and righteousness and he no longer gambles with money, he’s gambling with people’s lives. front man asked a good question at the end of the season, “did you have fun playing the hero?” can we even call gi-hun the hero of the story anymore? he gambled with people’s lives and front man showed him the consequences of his moral heroics.

front man only agreed to help gi-hun with his revolution when he mentioned about "small sacrifices for the greater good". i think he reveled in the fact that the “good guy” was willing to allow a few innocent people to die for the greater good to stop the games, which is exactly what the entire VIP theory is to rid the world of 'trash' to improve the world. notice how gi-hun's moral code and belief also changed, from being "nobody should die" into "yeah small sacrifice is okay as long it's for the greater good" at this point, he just proved that front man's belief is actually valid. AND he gets more of his own people killed in the pointless battle with the soldiers that they had no chance of winning. now he gets to feel responsible for all those deaths and the death of his friend and for whatever additional torture they cook up in the next games (as punishment for the escape attempt).

now on hwang in-ho, i believe he was once a good man and the story he told gi-hun was the truth. but in the end he lost a kidney, lost a wife, a baby, lost his money, got fucked over by the wrong people and got into serious debt and had to play this game to help his wife and probably it was too late to save her. he might have played the games like gi-hun but saw how ruthless and greedy people are and resolved that they don't deserve help

i don’t think in-ho wants/will kill gi-hun, but he wants him to understand things from his perspective and show him that his compassion for the people in the games is foolish. you can tell the frontmen (the old man and in-ho) are extremely fond of gi hun. not only did he protect their original front man when nobody else did, he then won the games and thus their respect as he is now as rich as them. he's no longer "trash", he’s an elite like them. i think they both actually kept tabs on him after he won (i wonder if they do that for all winners? inserting them with gps chips?) because they knew he had not used his reward money and in-ho wanted gi-hun to get on the plane and be happy with his daughter

there’s one interesting aspect of the games that makes front man such a complex character. the fact that they’re operating a organ transplant trafficking network. in a way, he’s creating some good to come from a really fucked up situation. but is it really for the good of others who desperately need it, people like his wife, like his brother? or is it just a money making scheme?

either way, i don’t think there is going to be a redemption arc for in-ho, he’s too far gone. we may get to see more of his human side if he manages to see jun-ho again. the only time we’ve seen genuine emotions from him was when he shot his brother like he seemed distraught

the real cliffhanger for me, is will gi-hun stay true to his belief that people can be good, or will he be forever changed into a villain and become the next front man…? after the events of this season i don’t see how his will doesn’t shatter. he’s witnessed how humanity consistently chose money over survival, he’s lost two close friends, his mother, abandoned his daughter. he has gained nothing from wanting to stop the games and this clearly feels like an origin story for the next front man. it’s clear the front man has won this round and i think squid game will either die with 001 or continue with gi-hun as game master

another thing i find funny that i don’t see many mention is how gi-hun is like the luckiest guy in the fucking world. but i don’t think him being alive this long is plot armor, it makes sense. the games exist for the entertainment of rich sadists who have so much money they don't know what to do with it (remember what old 001 said in s1 about life being no fun for both people with no money and people with too much money). and i’d imagine killing hundreds of poor debt-ridden fools year after year gets boring. especially when said fools are desperate enough to gamble with their lives because they think they can beat the system by playing better than everyone else and surviving and getting the money.

gihun is different because he got the money, got out, and still came back. not because he's unfeeling or because he wants more money, but because he's still convinced he can beat the system.

if you're a rich bored gazillionaire, would you rather watch some randos die or would you rather watch this exceptional idiot fail again and again until he learns that his ideals are meaningless and people are inherently greedy and equality is a myth and people at the bottom of the barrel don't get to question the system?

if you're an asshole gazillionaire, you don't want someone to challenge you and just get away with it. you want to hand them 45.6 billion won and make them go away quietly, traumatized, after breaking them psychologically by making them do horrible things until they understand they're just powerless "horses". if they insist on challenging you and your system and your beliefs (money = boundless power), you teach them a lesson and show them their place in the most manipulative and cruel way possible. if gihun dies right away, that's boring. so he can't die, he needs to suffer. he needs to concede defeat.

also, i find it funny how people are comparing hwang inho and gihun dynamic to hannibal and will graham. makes sense, their whole cat and mouse game, front man hiding his true nature from gi-hun the same way hannibal does, trying to corrupt the righteous protagonist, sowing chaos, testing him and observing his behavior like a lab rat, the crazy tension and staring contests, the gaslighting and manipulation. and with the fact that they think lee byung-hun looks like mads mikkelsen. i never put the two of them together but now i can’t unsee it lol

[eternally-racing]

can i have this dance? | lando norris

pairing: lando x wife!reader (and their teenage daughter!)

genre: fluff

wc: 2k

summary: When your daughter goes on her very first date, it's time for you and Lando to accept that your little girl is growing up - especially when a familiar face shows up at your door.

this can be read as a standalone fic or part of the racer girl series!

---

“I’m going to need to have a stern talking with him when he gets here, you know.” Lando stands in the doorway of your daughter’s bedroom as he watches her double check her makeup in the mirror for what feels like the 20th time. 

All Lando can think about is how fast his little girl Piper is growing up as she looks so grown up getting ready for her first date.

 “It’s not even a real date, he just asked me out to prom” is what Piper said as she tried to break the news to you both gently. She knew that you wouldn’t be a problem, that you enjoyed hearing about all the dating drama that had been going on in her class. In fact, she had come to you first for advice on how to tell Lando about it, but you would never admit that to him. The two of you girls had a bit of a master plan to break it to him - it started with cooking Lando’s favorite meal for him, watching your favorite movie with him together as a family, and then finally breaking the news gently over dinner.  

Lando chokes on his food slightly when the topic comes up, trying to chalk it up to the spice you’ve put in the pasta even though you and your daughter can see right through the lie. He simply nods at the dinner table and doesn’t say another word on the topic - instead choosing to shift to discussing some upcoming vacation plans. 

While his blatant lack of reaction was a pleasant surprise to Piper, you knew there was something else under the surface. 

“That’s what I was waiting for��� quickly spills out of your mouth once you see Lando start pacing around your bedroom when you’re getting ready for bed.

“Can you believe this? She’s dating now?” Lando exclaims with his hands in the air. The British man is pacing back and forth as he keeps muttering under his breath in disbelief. 

You, on the other hand, are the complete opposite. You’re starfished out on your bed, Kindle in hand as you look like the epitome of being relaxed. It was actually a stark change for you to be the one that’s so calm and collected, and it was usually Lando who had the job of trying to comfort you. 

 “It’s prom - it’s normal that she has a prom date! Hell, you were my prom date.” you exclaim.

“True, but I’m me - and she won’t even tell me who this guy is. What if he’s one of those kids that just been repeating high school over and over again so he’s actually just in his 20s and super creepy.”

“First off, no, he’s a regular high schooler, I promise you that. I actually think you’d like the kid.” 

Lando looks at you with an air of suspicions as his eyes narrow and he stops in his tracks. “Wait, how do you know who it is?” 

The guilty look permeates on your face as Lando keeps pressing you for answers. He’s made it from being across the room to now being chest to chest with you in seconds, prodding you in the side for answers. He’s relentless as usual, as you give into his charms all too easily. 

“Okay, okay. I don’t know anything for sure so I don’t want to give you false information which is why I didn’t say anything. But me and some of the PTA moms were talking and we have our theories.”  

It’s no surprise Lando finds your answer unsatisfactory as he begs for you to tell him more. 

“Nope! My lips are sealed” you say with the gesture. “Prom is literally in just a couple of weeks, Lan. You’ll find out soon enough.” 

- - - – - - - -

Those weeks fly by and before you know it the special day is here. Lando has been on the quieter side all day, but your house stays as noisy as always as Piper’s excitement fills the place. 

The knock on the door is gentle but you can still hear it from upstairs in Piper’s bedroom. You’re helping your daughter with the finishing touches on her hair and are about to walk away to answer when you hear that Lando has beaten you to the chase. Piper’s eyes widen along with yours when you both start to regret your decision to not camp out by the door to soften the blow. 

There’s an audible gasp from your husband as you hear him open the door. 

“Samuel Sainz?” Lando stands in disbelief in the doorway as the words fall out of his mouth.

The younger boy is a spitting image of his father. He’s clutching what looks like a bouquet of handpicked flowers in his shaking hands as he looks up at your husband. He was only a couple months older than your own daughter, having grown up just a few doors down from your family when you all used to live in Monaco. There weren't that many schools to choose from when they were younger, so naturally you had come to see Samuel and his parents quite often throughout the year. It was of course only helped by the fact that both of their dads were best friends. 

“It is good to see you, Mr. Norris. I’m just here to pick up Y/N, if that’s okay?”

 It’s an adorable sight really - even from the top step of the stairs you can tell how nervous the boy is by the way that he uncomfortably shifts his weight between both legs. You wince knowing that him phrasing it as a question is giving Lando the opportunity to launch into his “protective dad” talk, which you had heard more than a couple of times from him in the shower over the last week.

“Why don’t we grab a seat and chat before Piper comes down, Samuel?” Lando sounds extra official as he guides the younger boy to your couch. 

As you watch from the top of the stairs, you can see Lando put on his intense stare as he leans forward to intimidate the younger boy. 

“So, what are your intentions with my little girl, Samuel?” 

Samuel has an equally fiery glint in his eye as he says something along the lines of “my dad warned me this was going to happen”, before launching into his eloquent answer about how he wants to take Piper to prom and make sure she has a great night and that he’ll make sure that she’s safe and home on time. 

It’s not enough for Lando, you’re not sure anyone ever will be, as he continues to dissect every single word that comes out of the younger boy’s mouth.  You can’t bear to watch the scene in front of you any longer as you cut to say that Piper is almost done getting ready so Samuel could wait by the base of the stairs for her.  The younger boy gives you a look that you know means “thank you” as he bolts off the couch at the first opportunity to do so. 

Lando’s poker face facade falls once he sees his daughter at the top of the stairs. That’s his little girl all grown up - and for a moment he forgets about all his worries for the evening. He catches your gaze at the top of the stairs and can instantly spot the similar look of pride on your face. 

“Dad, don’t get too emotional on me now.” Piper jokes as she gives her dad a hug once she makes her way down to the main floor.. 

Now that she’s getting older, special moments like this are more and more treasured by both of them.  

Lando knows that it’s just for the rest of the evening, but Lando feels his heart starting to squeeze in his chest as he watches Samuel and Piper talk to each other. You’re right by his side as you rub comforting circles onto his back. 

“Not a minute later than curfew, young man, remember that.” Lando sticks to his stern demeanor as you roll your eyes. He really is the grumpy to your sunshine in this moment as you drape an arm around his shoulders.

“What he means to say is have fun, you two.” you smile as you take one last picture of the two of them before sending them on their way. 

Piper mouths a “thank you” to you as your grip on Lando’s wrist stops him from following the two kids out to the car. 

—-

Less than 15 minutes later, luckily once the shock has started to wear off of Lando, there’s another knock on the door. 

“Well if it isn’t the devil himself.” Lando mutters as he comes face to face with his old teammate and his wife. 

“Before you give me that look, just know that I only found out about this today. Turns out our wives are the true masterminds scheming in the background with our kids now.” Carlos mutters.

You and Rebecca are trying to hide your smiles as you lazily hide behind the excuse that you both needed something to talk to each other about while the men were away at their 6am tee times. 

Carlos holds up a larger than life bottle of wine from his collection for the four of you to share. 

“Figured you could use some of this tonight too, yknow, to cope with the fact that our kids are probably at second base with each other by now.” 

“They’re having sex?!” Lando looks like he’s actually going to pass out as he grabs your hand in fear. You and Rebecca will laugh over this on your own time later, but for now you comfortingly rub Lando on the back while Carlos also tries to calm Lando down from his spiral by pouring a heavy helping of wine into a glass for him. 

The night from then on actually stays pretty uneventful. There’s a couple of rounds of board games played while you order some takeout for you all from your favorite Italian place. 

“I think I see some gray hairs in there, mate, you’re getting old.” Carlos tugs at Lando’s curls to try and find one to pull out. For a minute the two of them argue like little kids, almost finding themselves in a full cat fight while you lean back and watch it all happen. 

“It’s a Friday night and we’re playing Catan and drinking fancy wine while we wait for our kids to get back from a school dance, Carlos - safe to say we’re not in the days of closing down the club and buying everyone free tequila shots.”  Lando muses 

“AND some of these hairs are brand new thanks to your son, mate, don’t forget that.”  Lando rolls his eyes as he quips back at the Spanish man.

The Sainz make sure to leave before their son can come back, as you all had come to the conclusion to stay out of your kid’s romance as much as possible. With the promise to hang out again under less surprising circumstances, Carlos and Rebecca give you both one last hug before they’re out the door. 

In less than the time it takes for you to finish clearing away your takeout boxes, you hear Samuel’s car pull up in the driveway one minute before curfew. You know that of course, because Lando is waiting by the front door with a timer on his phone. 

There’s a ghost of Piper’s lipstick on Samuel’s cheek when he walks her back to the front door,  but you opt to say nothing to Lando.   

He’s instead focused on how happy his daughter looks - he can feel the giddy feeling radiating off of Piper as she has a little pep in her step going up the stairs. 

“Oh my god she’s in love.” Lando says in awe as he stares at the now empty staircase. 

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself, Lan. It was just prom.” you chuckle as you go back to clearing away empty dishes from your dining table. 

“No, I’m sure.” 

“That sure?”. Lando’s certainty makes you feel extra puzzled as you pause at the dining table. 

“Seriously, I’m sure Y/N.”

You walk towards him and interlace your fingers with his as you rest your head into his chest. 

“What makes you so sure Lando?” 

Lando gives you a sweet smile before kissing you on the forehead. 

“Because that’s exactly how I looked when I came home from my first date with you.” 

------

author's note: it has been far too long since i've posted something, so i hope you all liked this piece! Until next time! - Em 🩷

[squiddyfics]

squid game characters in a relationship with you

saebyeok, thanos, namgyu, daeho, hyunju, semi, the recruiter

description: how squid game characters would be as partners (au; no mention of the games)

18+ minors dni

warnings: nsfw in parts!!

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

saebyeok:

♡ you were the one to ask her out and she quite literally didn't believe it

♡ like she didn't even answer you at first because she didn't think you were being serious

♡ she has a hard time expressing her emotions. you definitely said "i love you" first and it took her a while to feel comfortable saying it back

♡ despite this, she was the one who fell in love first. she just kept that shit to herself lmao

♡ rather than being outwardly affectionate with her words, she expresses her love through quality time. she loves planning dates for you or just cooking for you at home

♡ she's not big on pda, but she'll wrap a protective arm around you while you're out together

♡ if someone hits on you, she'll get even more protective. partly out of jealousy, but mostly because she hates the thought of someone making you uncomfortable

♡ she's a generous lover. def more of a giver if you know what i mean

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

thanos:

♡ he was the one to approach you, and he was bold about it too

♡ you aren't his first partner by any means, but you're his first real love

♡ he looooves to show you off. "look at my baby. look how lucky i got."

♡ naturally, this means he's into pda. the more eyes on the two of you, the better. he wants the whole world to know you're his

♡ especially if someone shows interest in you... then he gets even more touchy, so he can rub it in their face that you're his, all his

♡ if anyone wrongs you, he'll vow to make their life a living hell. you can't even gossip about your work drama to him without him getting angry on your behalf and threatening to kill them

♡ even though he talks a big game he knows he's lowk a loser and he doesn't take it for granted that you choose to stay by his side

♡ that being said he makes you his bitch in bed. he's for sure heavily on the dominant side

♡ he also has an exhibitionism kink i just feel that in my bones

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

namgyu:

♡ he was the one to make a move on you, but he said it in a joking manner so that if you said no, he could play it off as not being serious

♡ this man's love language is physical touch there's no doubt about it

♡ his words don't match his actions.. like he'll make fun of you for crying during a movie while simultaneously cuddling you and rubbing your back

♡ he doesn't have any cute pet names for you, just insults said in a loving manner ("stinky" etc). he just can't take himself seriously enough to be sappy

♡ you've unlocked his secret second love language, which is sending you memes

♡ he wants to be seen as tough so he pretends to hate it when you call him cute (he does not, in fact, hate it) (it actually melts him)

♡ he gives the evil eye to anyone who dares to look at you for a second too long

♡ you are for his eyes only

♡ he's dominant in bed but he likes you bratty. he wants to work for it

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

daeho:

♡ you had known him for a while, and you had to be the one to ask him out because he was oblivious to all the hints you were dropping

♡ he was too much of a gentleman to risk overstepping your boundaries by asking you on a date

♡ however, once he had the confirmation that you actually liked him, he was all in

♡ he was absolutely the first one to say "i love you". that man fell head over heels

♡ he is patient as fuck and will put up with whatever bullshit you throw at him. like when you tested the orange peel theory on him and he passed with flying colors

♡ you literally have a pet boyfriend. he'll go anywhere with you and do anything to make you happy. your fav himbo <3

♡ he's prone to jealousy but tries not to show it so as not to make a scene in front of you. if someone hurts you, though, all etiquette goes out the window and he's ready to start SWINGING

♡ your pleasure is his priority in bed and he's up for whatever you're into, but when it comes to his preferences, he'd much rather be dominated by you

♡ call him a good boy and his brain will go haywire

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

hyunju:

♡ you definitely had to make the first move. this mf was way too stoic to express her feelings for you

♡ she got anxious and cancelled on you before your first date, so you had to be persistent and reschedule

♡ she was surprised by your strong interest in her, and she still doesn't know how she got so lucky

♡ it took her a bit to open up, but she ended up saying "i love you" first

♡ she's extremely protective of you. her introversion is forgotten as soon as someone upsets you, and she's giving them a piece of her mind within seconds

♡ she doesn't really get jealous, she just gets sad :(

♡ she's an acts of service girly. she'll vacuum your floor, change a flat tire for you, anything to feel useful to you

♡ she gives stone top energy (this one is more for an f!reader as it's a wlw term)

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

semi:

♡ she was the one to ask you out, and she said it so casually that you almost missed it

♡ her first "i love you" was also casual, said as she was leaving your house one morning. "bye, love you."

♡ you honestly don't know if she's prone to jealousy because no one has fucked around and found out. everyone around you two respects her quiet confidence and doesn't even bother trying anything with you

♡ she has strong opinions, but she expresses them calmly. because of this, the two of you never fight, though you do occasionally have respectful debates. you tend to walk away feeling like she was in the right after all

♡ she's not huge on pda unless it's something cute and lowkey like holding hands, or some stupid shit like licking you

♡ you def have a secret handshake

♡ she's a soft dom and she's not shy about wanting to receive. she wants you on your knees in front of her

♡ with that said, she also gives great head. that lip piercing..... iykyk

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

the recruiter:

♡ he asked you out at a bar, making a bet that if you lost at pool, you'd go on a date with him

♡ you lost on purpose so his fine ass would take you on a date, and the rest was history

♡ he said he loved you first, and he said it fast. it's not often that he feels love for someone, so he had to act on it

♡ he would do anything for you. anything. if you asked him for help burying a body, he'd tell you not to get your pretty hands dirty; he'd do it himself

♡ not that that would happen... but he's thought about it. he knows that's how dedicated he is to you

♡ this freaky little fuck doesn't feel an iota of jealousy when others flirt with you. he just smiles, knowing know matter how much they fight for your attention, it'll be his name you're screaming at the end of the night

♡ he likes to be in control in life, and that translates to the bedroom too

♡ he has big sadist energy, but if he ever actually crosses a line he'll drop everything to comfort you (and beat himself up about it)

[jadedrrose]

𝐖𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫

request: "with a s/o who pampers him after a long training session— they make him his favorite pumpkin soup, give him lots of water, wipe his sweat, tend to his wounds (if he ever has any) and give him lots of kisses!! Angeal and Genesis witness all of that mushy gushy stuff, and like to tease Seph behind his back"

word count: 1697 warnings: female reader (she/her pronouns used), non-sexual nudity (they take a bath together), pre-nibelheim seph, fluff note: I saw a tweet about a "theory" (?) that the first class SOLDIERs share a living space but have separate rooms, so I used that idea for this fic.

Sitting on the plush couch in the first’s living quarters, you read a book, keeping an eye on the pumpkin soup which currently simmers on the stove. You’ve been preparing it for the past few hours, knowing Sephiroth was having a particularly busy, and exhausting, day. Glancing up from your book you read the digital clock on the side-table, finding that it’s getting fairly late. Your boyfriend had said he’d only be training for about an hour after completing his missions for the day- so what was the holdup?

However, your question was answered upon hearing the sound of voices entering the room. Genesis, who’d been loudly boasting about how he’d beaten both Angeal and Sephiroth in training, paused, presumably taking in the scent that filled the room. “It would seem that someone’s been in here, cooking.”

The three men step out from the doorway into the main living area, and you can hear Sephiroth just barely whisper your name. You put your book down, getting up to greet him. Pushing past the other two men, you smile and wrap your arms around your boyfriend, who returns the hug. You can feel his exhaustion in the embrace. Holding him tighter, your lips meet in a soft, short-lived kiss. 

“What are we reading today?” Genesis asks, picking your book up from where you left it. 

“A murder mystery,” you reply, reluctantly letting go of Sephiroth. “Sorry to say it isn’t your beloved Loveless.” 

“Hmph. How many times have I asked you to read it, now?”

You roll your eyes, and nod to Angeal, silently greeting him. “Too many to count,” you finally reply. “I’ll get to it… eventually.”

“Perhaps you’d have more time to read it if you didn’t spend it all pampering the golden child,” the redhead laments.

“Let her do with her free time as she wishes, Genesis,” Angeal cuts in. 

Before Genesis can playfully bicker some more, Sephiroth speaks up, “did you make pumpkin soup?”

“Yep! I knew you’d be having a long day, so…” you bashfully look down, finding his warm gaze makes your heart beat too quickly. “And I did make enough for you guys, too,” you say, turning to Genesis and Angeal. “It’s ready when you all are.”

The two men rush into the kitchen, grabbing the bowls you’d placed on the table and hastily scooping the soup into their dishes. Sephiroth, however, stays back and gives your upper arm a squeeze. “Thank you,” he quietly says. “I really appreciate you doing this.” 

His gaze now tells you that he’s very tired, and so you decide you’ll run him a bath after dinner. But for now, you give him a loving smile, before sneaking in another quick kiss and pulling him into the kitchen by his wrist. 

—

Once all four of you have eaten, Angeal and Sephiroth are washing and putting away the dishes, and so you take the time to go prepare a bath for you and Sephiroth. As the water slowly fills the tub, you wait, leaning against the vanity. 

“Can the baby not even fill a bath for himself?” Someone says, and you nearly jump a couple feet into the air, temporarily scared. 

You turn to find Genesis at the door, arms crossed in front of himself. “Someone must be jealous that they don’t have anyone to dote on them,” You sigh, “what are you doing in here?” 

Genesis extends an arm, holding out a copy of Loveless. “Decided I’d bring you this so that it would be ready for you to read at any time. And perhaps seeing it will serve as a reminder.”

You shake your head, but you’re smiling anyway. Taking the book, you go to put it on the side of the dresser that Sephiroth let you have. “Thanks.”

“No need to thank me. In fact, you can keep it.”

“You don’t want your beloved book back?” You ask.

“That’s a spare copy,” he replies.

Of course he has multiple copies, you then roll your eyes at the idea of him having a bookshelf dedicated to it. 

—

Back in the kitchen, Sephiroth places the silverware back into the drawer and then dries off the counter. Just as he’s about to retreat into his room for the night, Angeal closes the fridge door- having put the remaining soup away- and turns to him. “You’ve really got her wrapped around your finger, huh?” 

“What do you mean?” Sephiroth raises an eyebrow. 

“She cooks your favorite meals, and prepares baths for you. Don’t tell me she brushes your hair, too.”

Sephiroth frowns, knowing he can’t deny that, and Angeal laughs in response. 

“Anyway, what I’m saying is you’ve found yourself a nice, honorable woman,” Angeal clarifies. “Don’t let that go.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Sephiroth nearly scoffs. You’re quite literally the best thing that’s ever happened to him, and the thought of him losing you was his biggest fear. If he ever let you go, he’d never forgive himself.

“We’ll I’m just saying… maybe you should do something to thank her. Show her how forever dedicated to her you are.”

Sephiroth contemplates what Angeal means by that for a moment, before quietly asking, “are you suggesting that I pro-“

“Your bath awaits you, princess,” Genesis announces, entering the kitchen. “Your love is waiting to pamper her baby.”

Sephiroth lowers his head, hoping his hair might hide the blush that spreads across his face. “I’m not her baby.”

The other two men burst into laughter. “I’m afraid I have to agree with Genesis. She really does mother you sometimes, huh?” Angeal chuckles. 

“Don’t keep her waiting, baby,” Genesis teases. 

Rolling his eyes, Sephiroth leaves the kitchen, heading straight for his room. He locks the door behind himself and finds you leaving the bathroom, a silky robe in your favorite color wrapped around yourself. It seems you’ve just changed into it, then.

“Um, you can… go in,” you step aside, letting Sephiroth into the bathroom. 

You’re about to let him undress himself in privacy before you remember all of the gear he has to take off. You quickly turn around and follow him into the en-suite, helping him remove all of the armor and belts. You then pull his coat off for him, tossing it into the laundry basket before reaching to undo the straps across his chest, but it’s then that you spot a cut on his chest. “Seph, you’re hurt!” You cry, dropping to your knees to get medical supplies out from the vanity’s cabinets. 

You’re stopped in your tracks as Sephiroth pulls you back up, shaking his head. “I can wash it in the bath. It’s already healed quite a bit, anyway.”

You sigh, taking a closer look at the wound. He’s right, it has already healed much faster than it would’ve if it was on you. You suppose that it’s due to the mako treatments he receives. 

Once Sephiroth is down to just his pants, you let him fully undress and get into the tub, keeping your eyes averted. 

“Don’t act as though you’ve never seen me naked before,” he calls from the bath. “Join me,” he then invites.

“But I want to-“

He shushes you with a finger to his lips, before grabbing your wrist and pulling you closer. From there, he pulls at the ribbon keeping your robe together, watching with a mischievous gaze as it falls to the floor. His slitted pupils grow wider at the sight of you, sending a shiver down your spine. “Just relax with me, love,” he coaxes, making room for you to sit in front of him. To your surprise, once you’re in the warm, soothing water with him, Sephiroth makes no move to indicate he wants anything sexual out of this. Instead, he yawns, closing his eyes.

“You seem exhausted,” you say, running a hand through his hair, dampening it. “Rough day?”

“Somewhat,” he grumbles. 

“I’m sorry,” you say, sweetly, before putting some of his floral-scented shampoo into your hand. “Let me take care of you?” 

It comes out as more of a statement, but you still wait for his permission; he can sometimes be so avoidant about these things, like he doesn’t feel as though he deserves to be taken care of. Sephiroth nods, and so you reach around him, and begin massaging the shampoo into his hair, starting at his scalp. Gently, your fingers dip under his silver locks and you lightly scratch his head, the shampoo quickly foaming up as you do so. You then slowly work your way down the long length, and finally help him rinse it.

Once his whole in-shower hair routine is done, you move to sit behind him and rub his back, working your soft hands over his muscles. He sighs as you help him relax, and after a short while of giving him a massage, you can feel- and see- that he’s nearly half asleep. You stop and wrap your arms around his torso, resting your head against the top of his back and neck, his silky hair pushed over his shoulder. You press a kiss to his pale skin, and it’s then he mumbles something you can’t quite decipher.

“Hm?” 

“I wanna hold you…” he says slightly louder, but his exhaustion is now extremely clear in his voice. Smiling, you get up. “How about I help you dry off and you can hold me in bed?”

“…yeah,” he agrees.

And so you drain the water, give Sephiroth a towel that he uses to dry himself from the stomach down, while you wrap a towel around yourself and get yet another towel for his hair. 

Many towels later, he’s in a pair of sweatpants and you’re in one of his t-shirts, dragging him to bed. As soon as he’s laid down, Sephiroth grabs your waist with a scarily fast speed, tugging you down with him. “Thank you for everything… I love you,” he groggily says. Holding you in his arms, he buries his face between your neck and shoulder, giving your skin a light kiss as he drifts off into sleep. You smile yet again, placing your hands over his own as you follow him into a peaceful slumber.

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: 𓆩♡𓆪 :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧

[withjaejae]

Caught Redhanded | PJM

In which your hot af crush/roommate catches you with your hand in the cookie jar.

parings: jimin x reader

genre: pwp, roommates to lovers, oneshot

warnings: unprotected sex, implied lots of sex, use of toys, accidental and consensual use of aphrodisiacs, p in v, ass play, use of a sex machine thing

enjoy :)

————

The strange noises are back. Sounds like someone is rummaging through the kitchen at 3am. Its not uncommon, Jimin knows this because once a week. He hears your door open, a noise is made in the kitchen and then close.

Unlike usual apartments, the walls in your shared space is thick. Formerly owned by your frind Hoseok who had a drumset and a studio in your now respective rooms.

Its basically soundproof except at 3am when the entire apartment is quiet, that’s when Jimin strains his ears to listen to you walk down the hall.

But this week, Jimin was enjoying a bottle of Soju in the darkness of the living room when at 3am, you emerge from the hall. Your tiny robe wrapped around you, he tries his best not to groan at the sight of your nearly exposed ass. He remains quiet, waiting for the opportunity to scare you shitless.

You rummage through the toolbox.

“Every damn week. Fuck. I should just keep some in my room.” You groan as you rummage. Jimin tilts his head as you frown, trying your best to remain quiet while looking for something.

Just as he was about to make his presence known, you pull out a set of batteries packed together.

“Found you.” You grin. “This will be the last time. A new player will come tomorrow.” You giggle as you pocket the batteries and speed back down the hallway. Not even noticing Jimin who watched you monologue.

A new player? Jimin knows you play games so he shrugs.

What boggles his mind is why on earth do you need batteries every week? He takes a look into your supplies and sure enough the entire case of batteries you purchased for emergencies was nearly empty. And you only bought them 6 weeks ago.

He goes to sleep on the couch eventually despite the theories he’s forming in his head.

The smell of bacon wakes him up. He cracks his eyes open and sees you dressed nicely, a black sleeveles bodysuit and some dress pants. Your hair pinned up nicely away from your face.

“Why are you so dressed?” He rasps, his throat dry from drinking last night.

“I have a virtual meeting in an hour. Wouldn’t hurt to dress up a bit even if they don’t see my pants.” You smile at him. “Come eat.” Jimin gets up and eyes you suspiciously. “What time did you get home last night?” You ask.

Jimin chuckles. “What do you mean? I was here all night.” You stop your movements for a second before resuming to pour each of you a cup of coffee.

“Oh. I thought you went out.” You clear your throat.

“Nah, I fell asleep around 2:30am. Although I did dream that you came out of your room.” Jimin lies and you nod.

“I did come out to come get some… water.” You sit next to him and start piling food up on his plate.

This was normal for you both, alternate cooking, casually taking care of each other by cooking, grocery shopping, tidying up and all. The 6 months of being roommates had been peaceful until your recent 3am habit.

You talk about work over breakfast, Jimin safekeeping the information he knows for later.

“I’m gonna go back to my room. Meeting is in 15minutes. See you later.” You put your plate in the sink knowing he’ll wash since you cooked.

Living with you has been peaceful. But also excruciatingly painful since Jimin has been crushing on you for a year. Hoseok introduced you to each other in one of his parties, here in this very apartment. And he was smitten.

Prior to living together you had always been the nurturing type, always handing him food. Staying by his side every time your friend group goes out, making sure he drinks water before leaving clubs to lessen the hangover. You even gave him some supplements that your client gives you for free. He’s unsure if you’re like that to everyone but so far, nobody talks about it.

When Hoseok offered him the apartment and said it came with a roommate, Jimin intantly said yes so he could finally leave his shitty studio type room. And he had no regrets after finding out that roommate was you.

Jimin was washing the dishes when the doorbell rang. He opens the door to a delivery man holding a huge box.

“Hi! For YN LN.” after saying that you’re disposed for a meeting, the man hands Jimin the box and signs the received note.

He glances at the clock, your meeting has probably started so its best to leave it on the kitchen counter.

He stuidies it, it could be a new CPU for your PC but it seems pretty light. There was no description and packacking was tight.

He shrugs and continues drying the utensils you both used.

After half an hour when he finally cleans up the snack and drinks from last night you rush out of the hall.

You spot the box and inspect it. Sighing in relief as you mutter a quick thank you before bolting back to your room.

Odd. You usually open your packages in the kitchen to avoid taking trash in your room. Judging by the amount of bubble wrap, that’ll immediately fill up your bin.

Still, he tries to shrug it off and focuses on some of his own work. He’s an accountant for various small businesses, he does their taxes. He offered to do yours but you declined since you’re employed by various companies as a virtual assistant/marketer.

Jimin had cooked lunch, smiling at the full table he’s set for you two. You hadn’t stepped out of the room since grabbing the package.

Jimin approached your room and knocked on your door, if you didn’t want to be disturbed, you would hang a sign on your door. But the sign wasn’t there.

As he knocked he heard a loud thud followed by a groan. Fearing you had hurt yourself he opens the door.

Eyes locked on each other, yours were glassy and looking fucked out. Mouth open with drool dripping down your chin. His eyes look down and you were sitting on something pink. You hands fisted into the sheets as you were bent over, reaching for something. Your body was convulsing on whatever you were sitting on.

“Jimin. Fuck. Thank God.” Your eyes close and your moan out his name. “Help. Me.” Your legs locked tight on whatever you were sitting on. You try your best to point at the small remote at the foot of the bed and he snatches it immediately handing it to you.

With a click of a button the humming sound stops. He didn’t even notice the humming.

You roll over and lowe and behold. You were sitting on a fucking machine. There was a dick shaped rubber dildo standing tall and wet on the middle of the saddle like seat. A bump next to it that would definitely hit your clit as you sit on it.

Jimin was frozen, your panting the only thing he hears, his eyes blur as the blood from his brain travels down to his own cock.

You turn over and don’t even bother to cover yourself up, naked from the waist below. It finallg dawned upon you, Jimin caught you redhanded.

“I’m– I’m sorry you had to see that. I couldn’t move.” You bit your lip. Your eyes landing on his dick straining in his pants. “Oh. Shit. Fuck.” You look away, your breathing heavily again.

“Are you okay?” He finally found his voice.

“I got this new client… she made toys and stuff. Gave me this as a welcome pack.” You took a deep breath and looked at him again. “She also made those.” You point at the bottle of jellies on your computer tables. “I didn’t realize I took more than the advisable amount, its like I was possesed.”

Jimin, with all his strength, looked away and picked up the bottle.

Aphrodisiacs. Take two for better experience.

“How many did you eat?” 1/4 of the bottle was missing and if you only received this today, that means you ate at least 10.

“I have no idea. But God fuck. Jimin could you stop?” You frown and so does he.

“I’m not doing anything.” He puts his hands up in surrended.

“Stop looking so fuckable right now.” You cover your face, you tug a pillow to cover your exposed lower extremities.

You take a peek at him, you watch as he puts four jellies in his mouth and takes them.

“What are you doing!?” You panic, you do your best to get out of bed but your shaky legs made you slow. Before you could reach him, he already swallowed.

“How long before I feel anything?” He reads the label again. 5 minutes.

“God you’re so hard.” His eyes snap to you, your eyes locked onto his dick. “Jimin…” you trail your eyes up to meet his. Pupils starting to dilate. “Please.”

The weight of your voice vibrates through Jimin’s body. Making him jolt forward to capture your lips in his, finally.

It hasn’t been five minutes since he took the jellies. But seeing you like this made him go feral. It was amazing how he didn’t pounce as soon as he saw you on that thing.

He pushes you onto the bed, kicking away the machine and landing on top of you. You moan into the kiss, every single touch felt like a shock of electricity.

As you kissed, Jimin felt his control slipping. You rush to get each other completely naked.

You don’t hide how you admire his body. Fingers trailing every curve, every dip, every line he has. He had to hold himself back before he busts haven’t even been inside you.

“Jimin, baby.” Shit. That does it.

He licks you from your neck all the way down to your aching core. You’re completely drenched, loved how you taste. As if he couldn’t get enough, he latches on to your clit and inserts two fingers easily. Fuck, he can’t wait.

“Jimin, please. I need you to fuck me.” Your voice was strained like you were in pain, and you were. Jimin feels it too.

He settles between your thighs and lines himself up. He bends over to kiss you as he takes his time to enter you.

And fuck, if this isn’t heaven. Jimin didn’t know what is. Your walls were clenching around him, legs already quivering from the overstimulation but you keep begging for more.

His hips snap, fucking into you like it would be the last thing he’d do. Equally grunting and moaning with you. He flips you over and fucks you from behind.

Without warning he comes all over your ass cheeks. Just as you were about to protest again he put it back inside, he drills you into the bed. Teasing your asshole as it was puckering up, begging for attention.

He didn’t know why he looked around but he pauses and sees your bedside drawer, a dildo sticking out of it.

“Baby. Please move.” Your voice cracking. “What—�� You turn your head to see him opening your drawer, taking one item he always wanted to try with someone.

Instead of protesting, you smirk and hand him the bottle of lube. The medium sized vibrating buttplug coated in a strawerry scented liquid. He chuckles and furiously fucks you again. You shriek in surprise, holding on to the beddings for dear life.

As your muscles relax, he pushes the plug into your ass. Making you legs shake and your moaning louder.

The sensation of having both holes filled and the fact that you were getting fucked by Jimin felt like a dream. Still thick in the haze of the jellies. The two of you fuck in more ways than you have ever done in your life.

You used every toy you have on each other. Cuffs, collars, clips, ropes. Jimin wasn’t even tiring.

By the evening, you were both spent.

You had no idea when you passed out or when the plug fell out. You’re not sure if it was you or Jimin who passed out first. You were so high and now you can feel every ache as you stretch within his hold.

You turn to face him. You’re going to have a long talk about this one. But you take this chance to stare at your fucking crush for as long as you’d like.

Jimin feels the peck you placed on his lips making him smile and open his eyes.

“Hey.” You greet and he kisses you deeper. It was only cut short when your stomach loudly grumbles making you laugh.

“We missed lunch.” He smirks. “But it was so worth it.”

“Definitely. Join me for a shower then we could heat up the food.” You snuggle closer, making no effort to prepare for the shower you offered.

“If you’d like we could have those jellies for dessert every night. Then you wouldn’t have to do it by yourself at 3am.” You look up at him with a shocked expression.

“Oh my god. How do you know that?”

“We’re running low on batteries. GIven the amount of toys you have, I just put two and two together.” He kisses your forehead. “If I may ask, why are there so many?”

You giggle. “All my clients are toy makers or distributors. Main reason why I can’t make you do my accounting. Their company names are awful and you might think I’m a stripper or something.” He laughs at your excuse. “Come on. Would you let your crush do your accounting if your payslips were from Pleasure Palace?” He stops laughing.

“Crush?” He pulls you closer.

“I thought it was obvious?” You frown at his cluelessness.

“if it was, I would have made a move sooner.” He shrugs. This time his stomach growls. “Okay, shower and then dinner.”

“Get up then.” You playfully push his shoulder. Your giggles filling Jimin’s chest with warmth.

“You get up.” He smiles and tries his best to push you to stand. “I feel like I ran a marathon.” You both groan.

“God, I’m so sore.” You look down and so does he, earning a smack to the chest. “Don’t look at it if you’re not gonna burry your face in it.”

“That sounds like a better dinner.” He wiggles his eyebrows. You push his face away and you both zombie walk to the bathroom.

Once dinner was set, instead of sitting across each other Jimin pulls you onto his lap. You giggle and enjoy your dinner.

You both freeze when someone starts pushing the code to your front door, only the previous owner knows the code.

“Jimin, why the fuck weren’t you picking up your—calls.” Hoseok drops the bag of whatever.

You were wearing nothing but Jimin’s shirt and he has nothing on but some boxers.

“Hoseok.” He grins. “Come in.”

Hoseok slowly walks backwards and leaves. You look at each other and laugh.

“I think we’ve scarred him.” You giggle as you feed him some eggrolls.

His phone pings and he picks it up.

“Its Hoseok, he said ‘For the love of God, please change the door passcode and please pray for my soul. I need new eyes.”

You burst out laughing again. Hopefully, Hoseok recovers soon.

[moki-dokie]

there's been a bit of a Hot Topic going around bsky (and twt too i guess) about why my age group (particularly in the US) doesn't cook at home much anymore

and there's been a whole lot of takes ranging from dogshit to good and intelligent to total confusion from folks in other countries. neat stuff right. decided to throw my 2 cents in from my own perspective as part of the demographic.

the tldr of it being: there are *several* factors that make it not worth it nor cost efficient anymore where it once was. obviously that isn't gonna be the case for everyone, but it is the case for an overwhelming majority, me included. and this isn't even including, you know, a whole population of disabled people who are physically unable to cook for themselves but I sort of figured that was a given. but maybe not, considering...

then this absolute genius comes in

thank you buddy for having no reading comprehension and missing quite literally every single point i made that it isn't strictly about the dollar amount of the meal itself. like. okay??? good for you i guess.

sure, there will be some meals where that is very true. I could make a bigass pot of ham and beans that'll last me a whole week for about $10. hence why i added there will always be some meals cheaper to make at home. but that completely disregards every. other. point.

it is not, and has never been, about the direct cost of the meal itself. that's just one of a handful of reasons that factor into the whole conversation. there are going to be times that eating out will be more expensive price-wise, but when it checks off like 5 different boxes i couldn't fulfill myself for whatever reason, that price balances out. and we really are in an age where we're having to negotiate the worth of every action we take and every minute we spend on something. i don't know why thats such a hard concept for people to grasp.

legit nobody is arguing it *should* be this way. it shouldn't. we all recognize this. in the ideal world it would be both worth it and affordable to make every meal at home and leave eating out for special occasions, as was the case when i was growing up. and i totally get it that our parents, many of whom raised us by their lonesome, managed to do it fine so in theory we should be able to as well. sometimes, yeah, it really is a matter of sucking it up and doing it no matter how exhausted you might be. that's true for all facets of life tbh. but it shouldn't be that way all the time every time.

and, i don't know about the rest of you, but for us? it really was a whole fucking To Do to clip coupons and plan Shopping Day. I'd spend a couple hours clipping from a few different newspapers and the mail fliers we collected. then we organized them by store. then mom would plan out which stores we would go to for which items,the route we'd take since sometimes it meant going outside of town, the timeframe for everything since it was typically an all-day event. like, a whole day of planning and a whole day of executing JUST to grocery shop, and that was back in the 90s/00s. Inconvenient, yes, but still actually worth the trouble. couponing saved SO much money back then, especially if you knew the stores that would double them. coupons like those don't exist anymore. period. now the ones that do are like, pennies off or bogo deals and otherwise it's app this and app that for any sort of savings - which even then might only be like a meager 10% off the purchase. in no way is it worth my time and effort today to do the same thing we did when i was young.

anyway. so yeah. for a hell of a lot of us, sometimes going out to eat or ordering in is in fact the most worthwhile way, and sometimes even the most cost efficient way, to feed ourselves anymore.

[thursdayinspace]

So I rewatched "Our Town" last night and when I sat down at my laptop this morning to do something that was not writing, I ended up writing instead. These things happen. Just a silly fluffy-ish little thing because omg that ep is so gross and also Scully has to be getting sick of being abducted all the time. Mulder feels the same way.

She can’t sleep. It’s not every day you almost get beheaded—even after everything that she’s already been through this year, it seems there are still things that can shake her up pretty badly. She rolls over on the lumpy motel mattress and tries to get comfortable. For a glorious moment, she considers quitting. Handing Skinner her resignation and walking away, finding a nice job with regular hours where people won’t handcuff her to radiators, stick her in closets, contort their stretchy bodies through cracks in her bathroom window, or drive her around in the trunks of their cars before handing her over to aliens or the government or whatever theory Mulder’s going with right now. A job where she won’t spend the end of a work day strapped into a metal harness as a guy in a mask raises an ax above her head.

In her mind she pictures a simple life: a nice house with a yard, a dog greeting her as she opens the door and walks inside after a long day at the hospital…no, a private practice? A day of teaching? Whatever she’s been doing, she walks into a kitchen that smells like home-cooked dinner, leaning up to kiss her faceless husband who’s vaguely Mulder-shaped. “Honey, I’m home!” “Dinner’s almost ready! How was your day?” “Fine. Narrowly avoided decapitation. Nothing exciting.” Fuck. Not even fantasy-Scully can escape the absurdity of this life.

The knock on her door doesn’t even surprise her. She already knows who it is. He stopped waking her unless it’s something really important, so she groans and gets up, her bones aching, weeping inwardly as she makes her way to the door. So she can’t sleep; that doesn’t mean she wants to spend the night going over their case report or whatever that infuriatingly charming insomniac wants from her this time.

But when she opens the door, he doesn’t look as if he wants to go over case reports. He looks like shit. As much as that’s even possible for him. Another thing that’s simply unfair about her life, she thinks with a sigh. Even with bags under his eyes and pale as a sheet he still looks beautiful. “Mulder?” she says.

He doesn’t answer, just steps right into her and pulls her into a wordless hug, so tight she’s a little afraid he’ll crack her ribs. She hugs him back weakly and pats his back, not quite sure what else to do since she has no idea what the fuck he’s even doing. She expects him to pull back, but he just keeps holding on, and she’s genuinely having trouble breathing.

“Uh, Mulder?” she says again, a little louder.

“You’re okay,” he mumbles into her hair, and she wiggles in his arms, trying to loosen his grip.

“Not for much longer if you don’t let go.”

“Sorry.” He drops his arms and takes a step back, but keeps looking at her like he’s never seen her before. “Sorry, I just—”

“It’s fine,” she says. “Did you have a bad dream?”

He shakes his head. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Yeah.” She grimaces. “Me neither. It’s been…a day.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks, and she laughs. She’s too tired not to.

“Thanks to your timely rescue, my head is still firmly attached to my body.” It sounds a little bitter, and she’s surprised at herself before she feels another little piece of her frustration clicking into place. Ah, yes, she thinks. There’s that too. Rescued once again. She makes a mental note: fantasy-Scully in her little imaginary suburban nine-to-five utopia will never have to be rescued. She’s gonna be the one doing all the rescuing. Except nobody needs to be rescued in that perfect little world, because nothing bad ever happens to anyone.

“You don’t sound okay,” Mulder says, and she closes her eyes for a second. She’s not annoyed with him, she reminds herself. It’s not his fault that she became part of these townsfolks’ dinner plans, and it’s not his fault that she needed him to keep that from happening.

“I’m just a little tired.”

“I’ll let you sleep.” He sounds exhausted and when she looks at him, she sees leftover fear in his eyes. “No more interruptions, I promise.”

Her hand reaches out for his before she’s fully conscious of what she’s doing. It’s just that he’s here and she’s had enough of being Agent Scully for tonight, and he really looks so much like Doctor Scully’s faceless dinner-cooking husband in her nice little fantasy home. “Come on,” she says.

“What are you—”

“Bed,” she explains, hoping he won’t ask any more questions.

“Oh. Okay.”

She gets in on her side and is relieved when he lies down next to her without another word. She closes her eyes, but she can feel him stock-still as a statue next to her, she can feel the tension radiating off of him, and, hell, it sounds like he’s even trying to breathe without making a sound. So she grabs his arm and rolls onto her side, tugging him with her until he has his back against her chest, and she holds firmly onto his hand and snuggles back into him.

“Scully?” he asks, sounding a little confused.

“Relax, Mulder,” she tells him. “Sleep.”

“Are you sure?”

“About sleeping?”

“You know what I mean.”

She laughs and squeezes his fingers. “No. Of course not. But honestly? I really don’t care right now.”

“Okay,” he says, and he gets it, she knew he’d get it. “Okay,” he repeats, and laces their fingers together. She feels him lift his head, feels his hot breath against the side of her face, and then a gentle kiss against the corner of her eye. “Good night, Scully.”

“Good night, Mulder.”

Behind her closed eyelids, fantasy Scully lies just like this with her faceless partner, who’s just as warm and smells just as good as real Scully’s friend-partner spooned up behind her. The only difference is that her own real Mulder is…well, real. No matter how perfect her beautiful little dream house with her beautiful perfect husband may be, she kind of prefers snuggling with someone who has a face and a name. And maybe she’d actually miss the mess.

Not all of it. Not the ax-swinging, homicidal maniacs or the lumpy motel mattresses. But a partner who knocks on her door in the middle of the night because he couldn’t sleep without making sure she was okay? Who sleeps wrapped around her with his breath ruffling the hair at the back of her neck, knowing this isn’t leading anywhere other than comfort and friendship? And…she kisses the backs of his fingers once she convinces herself he’s probably asleep…a vague hope that maybe this won’t always be all there is between them?

Yeah. She’ll take it.

[w1ld-wr1t3r]

could you write a cute lil drabble of reader who has anxiety (could be general or maybe something specific like being in a car) x lando norris and lando is a big comfort to the reader and then one day after a bad race the reader gets to be a comfort to him (i imagine their love language to be physical touch)!

Normally I don't like to write reader inserts, but I like this prompt so I'll give it a try just this once!

The greatest comfort in your life was Lando. He was one of the only ones who understood you, who understood what you went through. He never judged you when your anxiety got bad. He would just hold you close and whisper comforts in your ear, until you felt like yourself again.

Your anxiety often struck when you least expected it, snowballing from slight nerves to nearly immobilizing fear before you could stop it. You were more likely to have an attack when you were stressed, be it about work or your relationship or even just life in general. Lando was one of the only ones who had never made you feel bad about having anxiety, and he'd always done his best to help you through it, even when he'd been scared of doing something wrong. It was one of the many things you loved about him.

It wasn't often that you had to return the favor. He was so strong, taking steps to preserve his mental health and facing everything thrown at him with confidence. He wasn't immune to anxiety, but it struck him so infrequently that you hadn't had a chance yet to take care of him the way he'd always taken care of you. You would never wish for it to happen, never, but you did wish that you could show him how much you appreciated everything he did for you.

That time came unexpectedly after a wet race where things went completely to shit.

You'd nearly had to leave the garage halfway through the race, so anxious that you were almost vibrating out of your skin. Lando had had horrible luck today, ranging from a poorly-timed pit stop to caught in the crossfire of not one but two separate incidents on track. When a Williams collided with him on lap 42 and knocked him out of the race for good, you only breathed a sigh of relief because at least it was over now, and you didn't have to watch him try not to die out there any more.

You knew he would be upset, of course. Who wouldn't be after a race like that? You knew you had some of his favorite comfort meals on hand, and were ready to pull one of them out when you got home and start cooking. The activity would help calm your own nerves, and familiar food would hopefully lift his spirits, too.

But when you got back to your room, he was already there, and he was already crying.

You froze for a moment as you took in the scene before you. He wasn't just crying, you realized, he was sobbing. He was huddled on the sofa, curled into a ball and head in his shaking hands. Three different hoodies were strewn around him, like he'd been trying to find something comfortable and soothing to wear but nothing had done the trick. And he hadn't even changed out of his fireproofs. He must have come straight here as soon as he was free, too broken and upset to face anyone.

"Lando?" you asked cautiously, walking closer to him. He didn't stop crying, but didn't move away as you carefully sat next to him. "Are you -"

You cut yourself off before you finished the question. Of course he wasn't okay. Why ask the question when the answer was already obvious?

"Is there anything I can do to help?" you asked instead. You itched to pull him into your arms and hold him, hug him tight until the tension finally left him and he felt safe again. You wanted to ask what had made him cry, but you knew he probably wouldn't be able to tell you now, not while he was sobbing his eyes out and breathing little hiccupping breaths. You had a theory, though, that it was because he felt like he'd let everyone down today and was a failure. You wanted to tell him that that wasn't true, that he'd done amazing today, even with all of the odds stacked against him. He'd been so strong all day, and it was okay if he needed to cry now. You just wanted to help him through it.

Without looking up at you or saying anything, he leaned closer to you, reaching out with a whine. You understood what he wanted immediately, and tugged him to your chest for a hug. He sobbed into your shirt, burrowing into your arms until he felt like he was safe.

"Don't let me go," he whispered, sniffling. "P-please don't let me go."

You hugged him tight, rubbing his back soothingly. "I won't," you promised. "I'm here."

He settled deeper into your arms, clutching you like a lifeline. You continued to hold him, gently rubbing his back and occasionally whispering soothing words to him. You weren't anxious about the day's events at all any more - you were just glad that you could be here to help him through this.

Finally, after a long stretch of silence, he sniffled and whispered. "Th-thank you. I love you."

You smiled, giving him a gentle squeeze and kissing the top of his head. "I love you too."

You two had each other. And you were going to be okay.

[kacievvbbbb]

Mihawk and the Red Haired Pirates

-Look I don't know what to tell you, Mihawk's epithet is literally Hawkeyes meaning he is world-renowned for his eyesight meaning that he'd probably make a good sharpshooter. And maybe Yasopp decides to test this theory with a little friendly competition. And after giving Mihawk a quick intro into how guns work, maybe Yasopp had to pull out every trick there is in the book to narrowly avoid losing to said Hawkeyes, who as it turns out is indeed very good at hitting targets and who had literally just learned how to cock a gun not even 30 minutes ago. But who's to say what actually happened, the day of November 25th at 2:35pm? Certainly not Yasopp, the record clearly shows he is undefeated.

-Once a year Ben and Mihawk go on a little trip just the two of them. They act like it's just so they can shit-talk Shanks but actually, they just go fishing somewhere in the middle of the ocean and drink horribly overpriced and fancy alcohol. Look Benn loves his crew, and would die for them but also if he doesn't get at least a week to himself once every year he'd kill them all himself. He deserves nice things and a little peace and fucking quiet and not being constantly inundated with the whims of a man child and Mihawk's the closest he's ever gonna get to a friend with taste, and he travels alone with a bunch of fancy wine. Sue the man. Mihawk who would rather nap is fine to let someone else sail his overgrown raft against the annoyingly ever-changing grandline for a week or two.

-Wouldn't it be cute if Mihawk learned a lot of his fancier cooking techniques from Roux? Like he knew how to cook to survive but watching Roux is how he learned to like properly dice vegetables and that eating fish prepared the same way three times a day is not infact a life he would like to lead. This was of course less cute to Lucky Roux who in the beginning had no clue what was happening and only felt the weight of Mihawk's otherworldly stare on the back of his neck as he handled knives. (he defiantly for at least a little bit, thought Mihawk had a knife fetish. which, he's not entirely wrong)

-To Building Snake (who I just learned is the RHP's navigator) Mihawk might as well be a modern-day miracle. In his eyes, Mihawk's sailing is proof that god exists, because only divine intervention can explain how this man ever gets anywhere never mind on time or early even. Building Snake is pretty sure he owns neither a map nor a log pose and he has never actually seen the sails of Mihawk's pretend ship unfurled or in use. Actually, he has never seen Mihawk do anything but sit menacingly on the throne in the middle of the boat, which why? If you think about it for even a second longer that 2 minutes how Mihawk "sails" anywhere breaks every law of physics and somehow even the concept of geography. Building Snake would like to dissect him and study him under a microscope but knows the boss would disapprove.

[in-another-april]

summary/prompt + genre - just a few hcs about living together with spencer | fluff

warnings - mentions of food

wc - 385

notes - hehe i'm so normal about him *eye twitch* i have more but i didn't wanna overdo it soo lemme know if i should post the part 2

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- He’s pretty tidy overall, but he does have his things. Namely, the books. You’ve run out of space for yet another bookshelf, but his collection just keeps growing, so now they’re Everywhere. Every time you sit on the couch there’s something jabbing into your back and you just sigh and shoot him a lighthearted glare as you pull out his 3rd copy of The Illustrated Man from behind the pillow.

- His side of the closet is also a mess, especially the sock drawer, but he knows exactly where everything is and is surprisingly particular about his clothes. You ask if you can borrow his green sweater and he’s like “Which green, army, moss, or olive?” while you’re just ???? at him.

- He is absolutely obsessed with anything combining his two favorite things (you and books) whether its him reading to you, you reading to him, reading the same novel and discussing it book-club style, or just being in your general vicinity while he reads by himself.

- Speaking of general vicinity, he’s a sucker for parallel play. As much as he loves talking and interacting with you, he really enjoys the comfortable silence of being around you while you do your separate things.

- Stares at you with the sappiest heart-eyes no matter what you’re doing. You could be just folding laundry and he’s looking at you like you’re the only person in the entire world. Even if you’ve been together for years, he’s still enamored with you like a teenager with a crush.

- He cannot cook to save his life. He knows the processes and methods of cooking in theory, and can easily recite the history of practically any dish, but once he’s actually trying to make something he’s lost. He still wants to make food for you, though, so he practices up on a couple of meals he knows you like so he can surprise you with them after a long day.

- On his days off, he gets really into making elaborate coffees. The coffee from whichever local police precincts he’s working a case with is normally watered down and bitter regardless of how much sugar he adds to it, so he starts to appreciate the coffee from home a lot more and makes a whole thing of it every morning. You get him one of those fancy Keurig’s that makes espresso shots and has a milk frother and he almost cries.

[genderisareligion]

The elusive "TERF" is actually just a mirror

All its devotees know is projection. When I started this blog in late 2020 I more frequently used the tag #DARVO in action to start keeping track of the blatant lies TRAs spew that are really just a tell about their crowd (DARVO = Deny Attack Reverse Victim Offend, a strategy used often by DV abusers) and I just have to start making this cumulative post because:

They're now saying John Money was a radical feminist. Lmfao 💀 The male cracker extraordinaire (we don't even think males can be feminists let alone human most of the time) most responsible for the word gender's mistranslation as something that describes human behavior rather than the behavior of languages (most of which aren't even English), the idiot torturer who's a major reason the intersex community has to guard itself so fiercely against "normative" surgeries, who once claimed that anyone skeptical of his "girl = pink, boy = blue, I must fix anyone else" theories actually just believed that "masculinity and femininity are baked into the genes and women should get back to the kitchen" (sound familiar? What are "TERFs" always being accused of?) Like bro that's you

"TERFs are fascists who need everyone to fit into the male or the female box" actually gender abolition would mean no more boxes besides the purely categorical chromosomal ones we can't help from birth, and actually trying to force everyone to fall somewhere on a scale of femininity and masculinity and positing intersex conditions as the "middle" creates an unnecessary dichotomy amongst particularly females, where a woman born with PCOS is considered "less female" than one without regardless of how she "identifies," and the more "masculine" you are (whatever that even means) the more your body requires meds and surgery.

"TERFs align with fascists" but y'all are the ones with the Big Pharma billions paving your way so lol sorry not sorry but as a Negro it's giving the way they used to experiment on us for profit, refine their methods for research and leave us for dead or permanently disabled. And y'all think it's empowering? You think they actually care that you're personally fulfilled? You think they won't pull another Henrietta Lacks? You think all these detrans people are just flukes? They'll take your thousands of dollars until you're in debt and pump you full of more dubious "treatment" as long as it means they get to keep quietly going home to their white picket fences where all their loved ones are fine pretending they're heroes rather than profiting off others' pain. What is fascism if not allowing the medical establishment to "correct undesirables"?

"TERFs are Nazis" but the "first ever transgender surgery" on "trans woman" Lillie Ebe was performed by literal fucking Nazi Erwin Gohrbrandt who believed "mentally ill people were considered 'feeble-minded' (this was an actual, formal term) and homosexuals were considered to also be 'feeble-minded' and have inferior genes." Fun fact, Lillie was also a fucking Nazi.

"TERFs are all white supremacists" but everyone I just mentioned up there is a fucking white supremacist and not even Google agrees with you there, searches for the word TERF are done almost entirely in Western nations like the US and UK, whereas searches for radfem are balanced worldwide and in fact an African country is #1 on one of those lists, and you can't argue that those searches are by TERFs themselves because "try Googling TERF right now and seeing how many if any positive references show up"

I have more after 4 years lol but lemme cook

[anjeliquesworld]

ABC hc for Kageo or Nathaniel pls😞 take your time! I dont really see much writers for killer peter💔

Nathaniel ABC headcanon

Note: Im finally back and I've passed my exam I'm so happy y'all 😭Btw i'm also planning on uploading Kageo,Johann and Kim Soongu versions. As always hope you enjoy it✨

Cw: slightly nsfw,sadism

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A - Attention: Once Nathaniel has decided someone is "his," he would be impossible to escape from. Nathaniel’s idea of affection isn’t about giving space—it’s about keeping you close, always. You'd find yourself constantly in his presence, whether you wanted to be or not, and it might feel suffocating at times.Nathaniel’s way of loving you is intense, fiery, and unwavering.

B - Baths together: A relaxing bath together is one of Nathaniel's favorite ways to unwind after a long, stressful day. The intimacy of the warm water, combined with the closeness, allows him to be tender without the weight of his usual intensity. He loves the way your skin feels against his, the subtle way you two press together under the water, and the rare, gentle moments of quiet he can share with you

C - Candlelit dinners: Nathaniel adores planning candlelit dinners at home. It’s a chance for him to show you his softer side, where he can take care of you, cooking a healthy meal and showering you with romantic attention. The dim light, the soft music, and the warm atmosphere enchanting your beautiful face as he adores you.

D - Darkness: Nathaniel’s soul is haunted by darkness. It’s not just his profession, but also his personal demons that keep him from truly feeling at peace. His mind often goes to darker places, and he finds comfort in that darkness rather than seeking light.

E - Experiments: Nathaniel’s curiosity about life extends to dark experiments. He has a twisted obsession with the idea of improving human anatomy and testing the limits of the human body. He’s often caught sneaking away to perform experiments in secret, under the guise of research.

F- Fragility: He's surprisingly fragile when it comes to his younger patients.Nathaniel's love for children is beyond evident. He goes out of his way to make sure every child feels special and safe in his presence. Whether it's a patient who needs a check-up or just a quick visit, he has a special bond with them that transcends his professional role. His nurturing side is often seen in the way he interacts with every child.

G - Grumpy, but not to you: Nathaniel tends to be grumpy, especially when things aren’t going well. He can get snappy or irritated, but he reserves the softer side of himself just for you. When you're around, his grumpiness takes a backseat as he focuses on keeping you safe and happy. He might sulk or scowl, but he’s always attentive when you need him. You’re his exception.

I - Intellectual Pursuits: Nathaniel has a deep love for intellectual challenges. Whether it's reading philosophical works, solving complex puzzles, or researching obscure topics, he thrives on expanding his knowledge. One of his favorite hobbies is collecting rare medical texts and old anatomy books, appreciating the beauty in the history of science. He often gets lost in thought, dissecting concepts and theories, which sometimes leads to long, quiet nights of study. He also enjoys challenging you to debates or intellectual games, seeing it as a way to bond and sharpen each other’s minds.

J -Jealousy: Nathaniel’s jealousy is like a quiet storm, building slowly beneath the surface. At first, it doesn’t reveal itself with loud outbursts or obvious signs—he’s too composed for that. His patience thins, and he’s quicker to dismiss the things that don’t align with his expectations. He’ll test your loyalty, subtly pushing boundaries just to see how far you’ll go, even though he never openly admits it. And when you finally notice the shift, he’ll feign indifference, acting like nothing’s wrong—though beneath it all, he’s silently aching, craving the attention he feels slipping away.

L - Loyalty: Nathaniel’s loyalty is not unconditional. It’s based on whether his lover proves worthy of his attention and dominance. If he feels betrayed or disrespected, he has no qualms about showing just how vengeful and cold he can be. You would need to earn his trust, but once you do, Nathaniel’s loyalty is hard to break. It’s just… on his terms.

M - Master of Chess: Nathaniel enjoys playing chess, often using it as a metaphor for his twisted relationships with others. Every move is calculated, a mind game, a strategy to manipulate and control. He never plays for fun—it's always a way to exercise his intellect and control.

N - NSFW : Nathaniel would definitely enjoy a pet/master dynamic when it comes to intimate time. He would expect you to be obedient, submissive, and ready to follow his every command.He would treat you like a prized possession, and Nathaniel would relish in the control he has over you. He’s not kind, but he is always watching, always guiding, and always taking charge.

O- Ornate Jewelry: Nathaniel has a fondness for giving you intricate, one-of-a-kind jewelry. He loves to choose pieces that symbolize something meaningful between you two—these pieces are always carefully selected, reflecting your taste and style.He may not be overly expressive with words, but his gifts speak volumes: they carry deep meaning and obviously a sense of ownership.

P - Pain as Pleasure: For Nathaniel, pain and pleasure are intimately linked. He enjoys seeing you squirm—whether it’s from emotional pain, physical discomfort, or fear. He doesn’t take pleasure in meaningless cruelty; rather, he views it as a form of connection, a way of asserting his dominance and maintaining control. His sadistic tendencies are never random—they are a way for him to gauge your commitment and test your loyalty.

Q-Quite aftercare: He would be someone who would take aftercare seriously, focusing on emotional reassurance and support.He would bring you something to drink, gently caressing you hair as he tells you how well you did,how good you were for him.He values your well-being because he understands how intense and overwhelming your encounters can be for your body.

R - Rope Play: Nathaniel has a particular fascination with bondage, especially when it comes to using rope in creative ways to restrain you. He enjoys the process of tying you up, making sure the ropes are tight yet comfortable, and watching as you--all flustered and needy--surrenders to the control he has over you.

S - Sadism: To Nathaniel sadism it's a deeply rooted need to exert control, to bend others to his will, and to experience the twisted pleasure of seeing them suffer in both body and spirit.For Nathaniel, the pleasure lies in the imbalance of power, the unspoken agreement that his pleasure comes from your obedience, your pain, and your compliance with his rules. In his eyes, this dynamic brings clarity and purpose to the world around him—a world where he is always in control.

T - Teddy Bear in disguise: Though he’s often tough and unapproachable, Nathaniel has rare moments of pure softness.He might let his fingers trace your face as you sleep, his eyes softening when you smile at him. In those rare, tender moments behind the cold exterior, there’s someone who feels deeply, though he won’t say it. Instead, his affection will show in the gentleness of his touch, his eyes lingering longer than usual.

U - Underground Music: Nathaniel has an interest in obscure, underground music—especially genres with dark or melancholic undertones. He enjoys listening to lesser-known bands or artists who blend experimental sounds, industrial beats, and haunting melodies. When he’s in his private space, he often plays this music to match the mood of his thoughts, finding solace in the eerie tones.

V - Vintage collection: Despite his busy life as a doctor, Nathaniel has a love for reading, particularly historical fiction and children’s books. He often reads fairy tales or gentle stories to the kids in his care, both to calm them and to teach them important lessons about kindness and resilience. He even has a small collection of vintage children’s books in his office.

W - Water: Nathaniel finds peace in water—He often spends time near water when he needs to recharge, as it gives him a sense of balance and tranquility. It's his personal form of meditation, something he can’t quite explain but always turns to when he needs to think.

Y - Yearning for More Time Together: Though Nathaniel might not show it, he yearns for every moment he can spend with you. When you're apart, he’s already counting down the moments until he can see you again.But that's his personal secret.His quiet longing only strengthens the love he feels for you.

Z - Zero Tolerance for Failure: Nathaniel has no patience for failure — either in his medical work or his personal endeavors. If an experiment fails or a patient doesn’t meet his expectations, he can become unreasonably cold and ruthless, seeing it as a personal affront to his superiority.

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[space-blue]

A Radical Messmer Theory

OKAY so hear me out.

I think we're all on top of things regarding how much Marika used to care for Messmer despite the embivalence of their relationship.

On one hand you have the OP healing vials she created for him and him only. You have his love and dedication to her. You have her taking his eye and giving her a seal that both locks the serpent but also hides the fact that he is GRACELESS.

Then you'll have things like how he hates his flame and tried to be rid of it, yet was clearly made to fight with it, in her name. How he wishes for hate and resentment to come to him and not her, yet she seems to have abandoned him.

BUT CONSIDER THIS!!

What if Marika sealed him away to keep him safe?

Because... If you are of the opinion that Marika has orchestrated the entire thing. That she exiled Godfrey and his people asking them to come back stronger because she was laying out a plan... That she hooked Ranni up with numen warriors to engineer Godwyn's death, then broke the Elden Ring purposefully...

And then took her punishment and set out to *wait* for the Tarnished to return and free her from the control of the Elden Beast...

Then it's possible that she veiled Messmer and exiled him to protect him FROM US. From the Shattering War.

After all, we can completely skip the DLC. Killing Mogh is completely optional. And the only reason we enter the shadow realm is because Miquella has discovered something of the gate of divinity and has been cooking up a plan for ages as well.

Miquella got thwarted and has been forced to wait in stasis until someone killed Radahn AND Mogh for ages. The moment he does, we have the opportunity to enter and follow, and because of that we have to kill Messmer.

But Marika's grace leads the way! you argue. Not until a certain point though, and most importantly: once Miquella is on his way to become a god (partially through your actions freeing the tower from shadows) then he becomes someone you need to kill because he's threatening the old order.

Marika is gambling on us, and when Miquella rises, she leads the way towards us defeating him and his consort, and then back to the main purpose.

But there's no reason to go kill Messmer. And if we don't, we can easily stipulate that Miquella's happy go lucky band of misfits also wouldn't have managed to bring him down, trapping Miquella's soul in the of shadows, once more in stasis waiting for a hurdle to be overcome for him.

It makes sense then, that the land of shadows, all considered, is the safest place for one of Marika's children to be. Out of the way. Without a great rune. He protects something she wants to keep secret, but maybe the secret itself protects him.

She sent him on that crusade around the time she married Radagon. Everyone theorises she wanted him out of the way to either have his true nature hidden out of shame or to protect him from backlash at the time, but imo she sent him to seal him away because :

1- she knows he's endlessly loyal and devoted

2- it gets her revenge underway and keeps her secrets

3- it gets Messmer out of the public eye in the moment

4- it keeps Messmer SAFE from the dark shit she's got planned that will wreck the lands between.

The Messmer most beloved son theory! The good Tarnished doesn't play the DLC, or does just long enough to run around but leaves Messmer alive and Miquella forever blue balled.

[iphyslitterator]

I'm in a 911 group chat that includes a Buddie fan, and she was passionately defending Tommy's right to bring up his anxieties over Eddie in 8x11 (yay), and then she asked me to elaborate when I commented, "If we're not Buddie-shipping + *don't* think this was a central insecurity, Tommy is actually way more in the wrong/dumber/more excruciatingly self-sabotaging." Two weeks later, I have typed up my working theory for her and am cross-posting it here for posterity:

Let's start from the premise that "I think Evan's in love with Eddie" was not a central reason behind the breakup, which is defensible because a) the text gave no indication of it previously, at least not one that would be legible to the general audience, and b) the only piece of "evidence" Tommy offers is that Buck is living in Eddie's house.

(I'm sure the thought had crossed Tommy's mind: they're close, Eddie's hot, he went to Buck's apartment in the first place on the assumption that Buck was jealous over Eddie. I actually used to headcanon that they'd talked about it casually, but I was overestimating their communication skills 🙄)

Here are some things we learn or can plausibly infer from the 8x11 bar scene (I can elaborate upon request): he misses Buck and wants to get back together with him (urge to call him; driving by his place); he's lonely; the 118 stopped speaking to him; he has no reason to believe Buck missed him too (Buck didn't tell him! he doesn't know about the baking!).

And he has all this time to think in the morning, while he's buying champagne and cooking half a paycheck's worth of eggs, about how wow, it's weird being in Eddie's house. Like, this was a pretty intense and devoted thing for Evan to do. But, well, Evan's pretty intensely devoted to his family, and vice versa. It's a great family. He's kind of jealous. And, okay, he didn't reach out to them after the breakup either, but he'd maybe hoped.... Anyway, whatever, it's clearly not happening. They don't miss him, they do miss Eddie. Evan misses Eddie, Evan probably just missed sex with Tommy. Still, though, maybe Tommy can ask Evan to take him back. Maybe they can still try again.

(Throw in the headcanon that it was unhinged of Buck to ask Tommy to move out of a house into an apartment with no doors (we know Tommy has a car lift and a Muay Thai setup), and you also get "Evan wouldn't move out for me, but he did for Eddie.")

So my primary contention about "now that the competition's out of the way" is that Tommy feels acutely that the competition is NOT out of the way.

Part of that is an abrupt rise in paranoia that Evan is pining for Eddie -- he's living in the guy's house! And then Buck doesn't technically deny it, he just says Eddie's straight, which, come on, Tommy knows all about crushes on straight guys.

But it's not just about that. It's about Tommy once again being on the outside of the firefam's close bond. It's not just Eddie haunting the narrative. Tommy has expressed his longing to be part of that family onscreen three times: 7x04 ("I was super jealous....I wanted to be a part of that"), 7x10 ("a little jealous" of Buck's bond with Bobby), 8x05 ("It's a wonderful thing, having a crew like that behind you, even when things go wrong"). The competition's not even close (he thinks); Tommy was never Evan's priority, he won't be if they get back together right now, and maybe he never will be.

But this all comes out as "I think you have feelings for your best friend." Which, in this scenario where that's (mostly) not true or important, is uncool for at least three reasons:

a) IT'S SO DUMB, baby, shut uppppp, why are you so committed to expressing your anxieties in a way that is totally incomprehensible to your beloved and indeed to most people who aren't studying you like a bug on tumblr dot com 💀

b) He is once again hinting at his desire for a family without articulating it, and he NEEDS to stop that.

c) As in the breakup, he's constructing a narrative about Buck's feelings, without Buck's input, that fits his own pessimistic worldview. In neither case does it go quite as far as Buck denying + Tommy disbelieving, but it's trending that direction, and it's patronizing (and arguably biphobic). If Buck needs to understand Tommy more, i.e. look past the cool exterior, Tommy needs to "understand" Buck less, i.e. let go of his preconceived notions and let Evan be the authority on his own feelings.

So my thesis as a Bucktommy fan and writer is that it's part of Tommy's consistent I-want-a-family theme (and secondarily, I think the non-Buddie GA's takeaway was essentially supposed be Ryan Guzman's "lol Tommy's insecure"). Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

[fairestbeard]

Carmy Dressing Up Syd

What's the theory?

The story is mostly told from Carmy's point of view. So the ambience of the show is mostly subjective to Carmy's thought process. Sydney, being the object of his affection, is also presented through Carmy's eyes- at least the way she presents in his presence. I'll explain.

-Fans have identified that when she meets him, she is wearing Thom Browne, who is a designer he is theorized to admire a lot.

We know he got into cooking through his love for his brother but it has also been revealed (in his conversations with Claire- where I might add, that he didn't even notice the love of his life was sitting behind him. Interesting!) that he drew clothing designs when he was younger which suggests that at some point he may have considered being a fashion designer. We see how he connects to that desire by collecting and trading vintage denim as an outlet for that interest. The blue apron he choses for them in the restaurant also just so happens to be denim.

-Sydney is his muse. Whatever turn their relationship takes, we know that much. Also, we know Syd is kind of poor and likely unable to afford designer clothing. She's very resourceful so she might be good at thrift shopping for clothes she wouldn't be able to afford of the racks. They could also be from better times when she could actually afford them (having a business that failed literally from too much success?).

But what are the odds that this random person who walks into his life somehow dresses in the designer he likes? It is very plausible that she in actuality had a bunch of Thom Brownes and he recalls her mostly in them because when you like someone you notice the things that connect them to you and always connect them with the things you love.

Carmy's transference

It all started here!

Carmy was so distraught at Syd leaving that it affected his whole demeanor. He wasn't as energetic and as annoying (according to Tina) as he usually was. He seemed like he couldn't care less any more and was just going through the motions. It was so noticeable that Tina had to reach out to him and that's where it happens.

He had already seen her in the new apron at the pre-shift meeting. You could notice where he gives her a once over while she was talking to him then. But it was when she came to his office door that he really sees it because that was a thing Sydney did. This is where he first projects Sydney unto someone else to give himself comfort.

He had very much gotten used to her showing up at his office door for one reason or the other every day. So he must have found the image of Tina at his door in those aprons (remember Syd was the first person he gave them to and he gave her the one that was hanging in his apartment, I might add)- a little comforting to him and it gave him a smidge of happy nostalgia. So touched was he about that moment that he gives Tina the day off to rest.

Sydney through Carmy's eyes

While he begins to get closer to her and tries to make sense of their relationship, you also see that reflected in her appearance.

-she is dressed like him when they get to know each other better and trade career stories

-she is dressed like Fak when he contemplates who his best friend really is

His erotic transfer

This transference also comes into play when he meets Claire again and it has been brought to light by a number of fans here. I think @chefkids especially wrote extensively about this. We see Claire appearing in many ways that can be linked to Syd:

* Claire in a green jacket

* Claire in a jacket that resembles a UPS driver's while delivering mail, routing through Sheridan road

* Claire in a denim jacket

* Claire in blue and white.

Claire is someone he was known to desire in the past and who everyone has told him he wants and should be with. Suddenly here she is in front of him obviously desiring him back. And as Nat said in her monologue, who doesn't want easy? Who doesn't want to just be ok? His relationship with Syd is very complicated and delicate. It's risky and could ruin everything if it goes wrong. So he solves his desire for companionship and his desire for Syd by projecting Syd unto this woman who is clearly into him and who he knows he has been into and could still. That's why he takes her to the restaurant before he kisses her, to simulate that feeling. He probably had imagined kissing Syd in there too. That's why he made the infamous infidelity pasta. That's why he discusses the menu and fire suppression exam with Claire. He needed to find a way to connect the two.

Now this transference starts seeping back to Syd as well. We see her wearing something similar to a doctor's coat and literally handing him, of all things, medication on the day he decides whether his doctor lady friend is his girlfriend. Syd also starts wearing white tees after he sees Claire in his white tee.

At the crux of season two he literally purchases a $2000 outfit for her to wear, different from the rest of the team, directly dressing her up.

S3 is where Carmy reviews his life as a chef and has to decide what kind of chef and person he needs to be and we see that reflected on Syd as well. She starts appearing in more polka dot mirroring the chef who had had the most positive impact on Carmy - not only working with compassion and patience but also gently pushing Carmy forward career wise - Chef Terry. This is important because Syd reminds him of Chef Terry with the way she handles things with compassion and patience while also striving to push things forward. Carmy would be stagnant without Syd, even if he had opened those cans in the first episode. Syd is Carmy's muse, his inspiration and in many ways his leader.

Syd is also seen wearing short pants which he said he had been interested in designing when he was younger.

Another thing I noticed and find very interesting is Syd's reaction to him noticing her clothes. She's never passive when he comments on what she's wearing. In Omelette when he notices the stains on her whites she immediately takes it off because he noticed something negative. Also in Legacy when he says she looks nice she immediately takes off the thing that brings the outfit together (the bow hair clip), probably because the reason she was dressed up in the first place is something he wouldn't approve of?

Also, it could be alluding to his secret desire to see her in a state of undress.

Sydney has become the lens in which he views his world. The man needs that cookie so very badly on a spiritual, metaphysical level.