#so my opinion of it is about the final version

[kalinara]

So I was thinking about early X-Factor (volume 1) for my previous post, and it got me thinking.

I certainly understand and sympathize with the folks who don't like the storyline, especially for what it does to Scott and Maddie. But I don't really see it the same way.

I've seen the storyline called "sexist" or "misogynist", and I do get where that comes from. But in my opinion, those flaws actually predate X-Factor, and they go all the way back to Maddie's origin and how she and Scott got together in the first place.

Here's the thing. Maddie under Claremont really isn't a CHARACTER. She's a set of traits compiled into a plot device designed to facilitate Scott Summers's eventual retirement from the X-Men. And there seems to be very little thought put into any of it.

She looks like Jean Grey, because the original plan was to have Scott and Jean retire together but Jean got killed off instead. But it's not like this means anything for Madelyne.

There's no narrative reason for Madelyne to look so much like Jean. They're not related. No one ELSE seems to have any opinion about Madelyne looking like Jean. Scott reacts to the resemblance, of course, but no one else really seems to care or find this notable beyond some initial surprise. Certainly no one seems inclined to say "dude, are you sure you should date someone who could be your dead girlfriend's identical twin?" (Though, please correct me if that actually DID happen.)

Maybe she wasn't supposed to look SO MUCH like Jean - maybe it's meant to be Scott projecting a resemblance onto her because he's not over Jean. But no one calls him out for this. Moreover, we get a storyline where Mastermind basically makes Madelyne think/act like the Dark Phoenix.

And it doesn't help that Maddie never gets to react to this situation like a real person would. Okay, she gets a moment to freak out about Lockheed in a bag. But what woman, with any kind of self-respect, would hear her fiance ask her TO HER FACE if she's his ex-girlfriend reborn and not run screaming for the hills?!

But Maddie doesn't get to react like a real person here. Later, she'll get to be the neglected wife and mother, a plot device to call Scott out on the having-his-cake-and-eating-it-too aspect of leading the X-Men and being a father. In this storyline, Maddie's very sympathetic, of course. Scott's fucking up royally, he eventually gets a clue and they actually, finally retire.

I'm not saying it's not well-written. I'm not saying that Maddie isn't likable. But she's the creation of a very skilled writer to bring about the outcome that he wants.

But let's look at Maddie outside of that.

Aside from looking exactly like Jean, Maddie's other traits are pretty much there just for Scott. She's a pilot. She works for his long-lost grandparents. Does she have parents? Does she have family? Compare for a moment, Maddie and Scott's wedding to Jean and Scott's wedding later on.

Maddie's got better fashion taste, I admit. It's very classy. Jean's wedding is very 90s. Alas. But Jean gets scenes with Rachel, with her parents, with Charles. She (and Scott) get a letter from Logan. Because Jean has a past and relationships beyond what she has with Scott.

Why doesn't Maddie have ANY of that? Because she's not supposed to. Because the wedding isn't about Maddie and Scott. It's about giving Scott a happy ending. Maddie is the prize. A version of Jean, tailored to Scott's tastes and interests, that can drift with him off into the sunset.

THAT's the part that reads as sexist to me.

(Tangentially, I'm not sure how this really works as a happy ending for Scott either. He marries a woman who is the identical duplicate of the dead love of his life, while still having confused feelings about that aspect, blames himself when she is physically violent with him BEFORE realizing that it wasn't her choice, gets manipulated into a retirement that he's not temperamentally suited for, and at no point gets any kind of reasonable psychological help. At best, Maddie's a bandaid for this situation.)

--

But that's why I really like X-Factor. Because I feel like the folks behind X-Factor, particularly Louise Simonson, actually looked at Claremont's mess and went "Okay, let's make this actually make sense."

Madelyne looks EXACTLY like Jean.

Madelyne has traits designed to appeal specifically to Scott.

Madelyne doesn't seem to have a history or family worth talking about.

Madelyne does not run screaming away from her trainwreck of a relationship when any person with self respect would do so.

So there are a lot of ways that they could have gone, but I think it's fascinating that they basically just went with the idea of making the Doylistic explanation of Madelyne into a Watsonian one.

Why does Madelyne look like Jean? Because she's meant to be a version of Jean. (Specifically a clone, meant to fill the role that Jean can't fill now that she's dead._

Why does Madelyne have traits designed to appeal to Scott? Because someone created her with the intention of pairing her off with Scott Summers.

Why does Madelyne not have a history or family worth talking about? Because she basically didn't exist before getting paired with Scott Summers.

Why doesn't Madelyne run screaming away when Scott asks her if she's Jean reincarnated on THE NIGHT BEFORE THEIR WEDDING the way any REAL woman would?

Because she's not a real person. Or at least, she hasn't been allowed to be.

And THAT's when Madelyne gets to be a character. Because say what you will about Inferno-era Madelyne, at least she gets to want things. She gets to be angry. She gets to plan and pursue her goals.

Did they necessarily have to go the full demon summoning supervillainess route? Maybe not. But it's comics. And it's more fun this way.

And honestly, there's something very satisfying about a woman who was created, both in universe and out of universe, to have a baby try to then sacrifice the baby to demons for power.

I'll take the Goblin Queen over the retirement prize any day.

[kaddyssammlung]

Been having this in my drafts for some time now...

I feel like the artwork for Eucild is Vessel “killing” a version of himself. Or rather wanting the let go of a version of himself “I must be someone new”. He could not have said that in a clearer way in Eucild. And now with Damocles and Caramel we get to know [redacted]. The one who wrote all of this and he lets us in and shares his thoughts, feelings, emotions, pain, insecurities,.....

Damocles and also Caramel do feel like a goodby but more in a sense of letting go of a version of himself that no longer served him. Or healing?! Finally stepping into his power. Finally strong enough to be himself fully?! Being vulnerable and authentic in ways that he is takes a lot of courage and strength. I admire him for that! Not everyone will walk on a stage and play a song like Atlantic and sob while everyone is watching.

So yeah...idk...I'm grateful that he is letting us is, sharing his pain with us, talking about things like never before.

Caramel broke me...when a song called Caramel broke me then idk what “Past Self” or “Dangerous” will do to me but I'm here for it. I am very willing to listen to what he has to share with us.

idk...just my opinion at the moment

[seraph5]

Finally got around to seeing Nosferatu. I'm a big Eggers stan and think he really puts his whole bussy into every movie he makes so that's my bias on the table. My spoiler-full thoughts are below.

Aesthetically it is going off queen, though there is no surprise there as Eggers is nothing if not a lover of Gothic period design. I gotta say it was maybe one of the most authentic treatments of the vampire idea I have ever seen on screen. The feeding is disgusting, in dracula they liken him to a leech and this is definitely that vibe. The gore is absolutely repulsive.

Many adaptations tend to treat the influence vampires have as prominently sexual in nature but Eggers version of the influence is dreamlike, surreal and inescapable - like a kind of gravity the characters are helpless to resist and I really loved that choice. It felt much more supernatural in that way. Not that there wasn't a sexual element at times obviously but most sexual elements felt like a violation and that choice was much more in keeping with the classic horror intent. I even loved the idea that Ellen's burgeoning sexuality was what awoke Orlock - that felt so mythological and a really good edit for why Orlock is going to England and goes after Ellen specifically. Also the victim blaming of Orlock being like 'you being sexual is the fault of all this - I have absolutely no autonomy in this situation and all these people I am killing is your fault" is so appropriately villainously sexist.

Honestly I kind of really wish Eggers had just done Dracula instead of Nosferatu. I can see why he did Nosferatu, it's a much easier adaptation, but weirdly the treatment of the female characters is so much richer, more interesting and bizarrely way less sexist in the OG dracula text (not that it isn't sexist but good God do they have so much more to do and think and say in the OG). I would say the same generally of the male characters, they are so much more likeable and interesting as characters in the OG text.

I actually don't really think Eggers necessarily did anything wrong. I think he set out to make a faithful remake of an ancient black and white horror film and in that respect he killed it dead.

I think where it falls down is where most adaptations fall down and that is not imbuing the lead characters with that likeableness, the innocence, the resolve and the camaraderie that they share. What gives the story such horrifying stakes is that you care about them and only my sweet Re: Dracula has really pulled that off, in my opinion, so far.

[see-arcane]

My ADHD is acting up again, but I have some questions and insights on your Hellsing AU.

So I think what's interesting about the premise is that it's essentially a Bad End for the Novel. Though I think the thing that really drives my imagination is how it's portrayed in the manga. So if I get this right, Bram Stroker's novel events actaully happened, in a meta sense, it's less epistolary fiction and more of a true crime documentation. That said, if we go with Hirano forgetting about Jonathan, does this mean Jonathan was intentionally left out of the book due to censorship on Abraham's part or due to apocrypha, names through out the years got warped?

As well, Abraham is an interesting part in this. The way it's written is that Van Hellsing is a bit of a dick. Or is he? From the perspective of Jonathan, he's lost everything. He's an immortal cyrptid, he's wife is dead, his paternal figure whom he trusted apparently lied to him, and his friend's sacrifice was simply in vain. In a dark way, Dracula lost the battle, but won the war. Or is it?

I think the part that really helps solidfy this AU, is the ambiguity of how things when down in the end, which sets up the entire story. The years between the ending of Dracula and the beginning of Hellsing is a blackout that's interesting on how Abraham really shaped the setting. Did Van Hellsing intentionally left things out for certain events to happen? Was he a lot more sinster in his intentions? Or was there simple miscommunication that didn't allow information to be given? While Alucard does comment on Jonathan's strange anti-vampire powers came from his vow, what really is that coming from that vow or from Van Hellsings experimentation? As well, Alucard's version of what happened, while maybe it did happen, it could also be that Alucard is intentionally fucking with Jonathan on making Van Hellsing a lot more sinister than he actually is. In the end, Jonathan wouldn't know, so he might have to take Alucard's word upfront and that's the thing that might fuck with his mind.

As well, Van Hellsing naming his son after Arthur instead of Jonathan is interesting if we go with some headcanons. It could be on Van Hellsing's thought that, if we go with either version, he wouldn't name his son after Jonathan simply because Van Hellsing knows he kinda doesn't derserve that...hm not honor, but like he knows he fucked up Jonathan's life, so he doesn't want to take more from an already dead man.

While the main story is about Alucard and Jonathan, some other character exist!

I remember that Jonathan's opinion on Integra sours after Brazil, but I'd love to see more interactions afterwards. I mean, here's a guy who was alive when her grandfather was still around. Even if it ended on bad terms, I'd like to see how they talk afterwards. Maybe a sort of surrogate Uncle role later on, even if her morals getting skewed, I can see Integra have Jonathan as a sort of moral rock, she would rather have Jonathan be up in her face and tell her she's a horrible person, then to have it hidden, sort of a cold comfort that she has good people keeping her in check so that she doesn't become completely heartless.

Seras as well. I mean I can see Seras as the number one indicator that Alucard's changed in Jonathan's mind. It's one thing to vamp up a young attractive women, it's another to actually do it to save her from death and then actaully teach her about things. As well, making a pseudo-daughter relationship would at least give Jonathan some heartache as well. Apparently, Seras was also similiar to Mina in the manga, so I can see a moment, not a romantic one, but one where like Seras has a heart to heart moment on why she understands why Jonathan has such visceral hatred towards her master, maybe a connection between Seras and Jonathan, that while they are traumatized people, they do connect to a certain humanity that they see with each other.

Finally, Walter! I went online to see about why Walter betrayed the Org, with him being old and no longer able to fight Alucard, since apparently by fourteen, he was the best Vampire Hunter in the world and never got to fight Dracula. What does give me some ideas is that, while I'm not sure if Jonathan is known as the one who actually killed Dracula in this AU, either way the information probably would eat up Walter on the inside. Jonathan is proof that the "no-life king" was actaully killed and only got saved by Van Hellsing. As well, with Alucard clearly egging Jonathan on and the latters abilities to be Alucard's metaphorical guillotine, I could see Walter wanting to have an early a chance as possible to fight Alucard one last time before he dies. Though, like I said, I can clearly see Alucard dismiss Walter's ambitions as something that he can never aspire to. As well, I do like to see Walter and Jonathan chat, maybe with some heartache on Walter's end. Seras, Jonathan, and the Geese getting close to him. I can see Jonathan be clearly confused and sad that Walter would become a Vampire just to fight Alucard, when he could've just grown old with the people he loves.

Finally, I'm not sure how you end the AU, but even if things changed, the London Fight between Alucard's final release and Jonathan's strange power going head to head is would be great, just to show the people in the front row how Jonathan's Post October 3rd vow was what let him just become a Shoenen Protag and be the one to beat Alucard(With the help of Quincy, the power of friendship, love and a gun that he found.) Also, would this mean if Jonathan gets stabbed by accident on the Nail of the cross, he becomes an Angel of Death? Or does he get another shoenen power up?

Holy dang friend that is a monolith of text, thank you for all of it! In order:

-I think Jonathan never being mentioned or identified in the manga + Integra openly mentioning Bram Stoker being a thing (be it a novel he wrote or some other meta twist in-universe) + Mina clearly being Mina Harker =

Doylist: Hirano did what 90% of Dracula adaptation/spinoff writers who presumably actually read the book do, and actively plugged his ears and covered his eyes and pretended Jonathan Harker didn’t exist/unceremoniously got killed off so he wouldn’t have to deal with him canonically scarring, scaring and beheading the Count.

Watsonian: In-universe Bram Stoker (who we assume was not on the scene in Transylvania with the hunting crew) might have been tapped afterward to ‘invent a story’ to feed the public a fictional tale about how to spot and slay vampires. Or maybe he never wrote a novel at all! Could be he really did churn out something more ‘official’ about defense against vampires, not a story, but a manual treated as entertainment.

-Van Hellsing may not be evil, but he was obviously an opportunist. He and the others could have slain Dracula once upon a time. He was in charge, he struck a bloody blow…but clearly called the execution off. And decided Dracula could be put to use as a weapon against other supernatural threats. If there’s any consolation—justification—it’s that Dracula was a monster, responsible for terrible things. That he is the biggest fish in a pond of lesser monstrous fish. Put him to use. How can you dehumanize what isn’t human?

In the context of my AU, Jonathan, both before and after Mina’s cruel ending from simple consumption (blood was always going to be her undoing), does not care for Dracula’s humanity. He wants him dead. In Hell. Scraped from the face of the Earth for what he committed against so many innocents, against Mina. Van Hellsing knows these feelings; just as he knows he is the ‘occultist who knows what’s what’ among the group. He can spin something convincing to keep the very angry suddenly super strong and basilisk-eyed young man from lopping the Count’s head off and taking away a valuable tool.

“Friend Jonathan, I know. I know you wish him ended—but understand, he is the King of Vampires. We cannot end him so simply as we free the common undead. Aid me—aid us—in laying him low, and I shall commit the rites needed to eliminate him full. After, in safety, you and Madam Mina shall have your peace. Your whole life is waiting…”

(Said even as he clocks the deathly Strangeness mounting in Jonathan. The only one to lay a lasting scar on Dracula himself in centuries, using a mere spade… Another tool for later, perhaps.)

-Cut ahead to Integra interacting with Jonathan, freshly awakened from his torpor in the basement by the presence of vampires slaying mortal victims in proximity to him. If Integra was aware of Jonathan Harker at all, it was as an oddity that her ancestor and his descendants after him never managed to crack. A surreal Victorian Sleeping Beauty never rotting or rising, but radiating an odd chill from the coffin for over a century since his suicide in the face of Mina’s death. Maybe past Hellsings tried to experiment. Add things, wake him up, understand what he is. No dice. And Alucard’s version of help is never really helpful. So when he pops up and things start happening, Integra clocks a few things.

Jonathan is an anti-vampire weapon. One that can be used against Alucard, her trump card; the first thing he did upon rising—after slaying Luke Valentine—was leave a lasting scar on Alucard. Dracula’s original wounds were all healed with Abraham’s work. Whether other Hellsings’ tinkering on the unconscious Jonathan or the ‘aging like fine wine’ thing was in effect with Death stewing the psychopomp powers, he is able to truly injure and put down Alucard. …But he didn’t. Won’t. Not when he’s needed to take down other horrors en masse. A hard thing for him. The choice made for the Greater Good that he can now make, knowing that Mina is no longer at stake. There is heroism at his core—a desire to Do Right, Do Good.

Refreshing. Grounding. But not enough to stop Brazil from happening, or its aftermath. Jonathan was likely nursing a twice-worsened old wound from that, having built up trust with another Hellsing after the original lied to his face and put Dracula on a leash. In his eyes, Integra committed an even worse sin in letting that leash go. She had full control over this monster with an abundance of power, more than enough to defeat Alhambra and defend the human collateral, but she opted to meet Millennium’s bluff with open thoughtless violence. Whatever Alucard felt like. It would/will take a lot for her to regain his trust.

Seras’ presence is interesting in the way you said; the proof positive that Alucard is not the Dracula he knew. Monstrous, vicious, mocking, but with enough of a kernel of care to acquire a fledgling. Not in the old pantomime of collecting for a pseudo-harem, but just someone who is kin. Maybe out of admiration, out of fondness, out of a desire to have a True vampire exist among the growing plague of False vampires. But Seras exists as someone Alucard is teaching and caring for, as someone who genuinely cares about Alucard in turn. (Though her calling him Master distinctly worries Jonathan.) She would be the first one to reach out to him post-the Harkers taking down the blimp and Jonathan would actually hear her out.

Walter. Walter, Walter, Walter.

The biggest knife twist. He plays Jonathan as he plays everyone. Polite, charming, a wise and capable friend to lean on. Even his vernacular is the closest to Jonathan’s; most of a century old. And then, to learn that all this time he’s been setting up dominos and planning to betray Hellsing and any amount of human cattle for the sake of one last bout of fisticuffs with Alucard, has to be yet another blow to his already battered ‘I like making friends!’ heart. Bonus points if he clocks that Walter might have been outright jealous of Jonathan personally—the original nemesis, the one who would have, could have slain Dracula for good. The novelty that Alucard is now unpleasantly eager to either toy with or goad into a death battle, nettling his resolve. Jonathan is a threat against his own goal; let Millennium have him.

-OOH Jonathan Harker VS Level Zero Alucard-Dracula in all his glory! In my own AU I think Jonathan and Mina’s meddling with the blimp and spoiling the advantage = London Fight not really being necessary as the climax which also = Schrodinger Catboy not having the opportunity to poison Alucard’s blood with his liminal erasure quality. However, if we say [EVENTS HERE] happens, let’s get to Big Full Power Dracula VS Jonathan for funsies. Also for funsies, let’s say Jonathan Harker is shounen powered up in turn, Death spiking into him to make him equal to Dracula’s level (he had to grapple more with the werewolf on the blimp because, hey, Werewolf is not Undead is not Death’s Enemy) as needed. Which means =

Eldritch horror undead Dracula VS Eldritch horror reaper Jonathan, no accidental Nail-stabbing necessary.

A coin flips.

In one timeline, we see The End. Jonathan brings the kukri down and ends Alucard, Dracula, for good. As he is unmade, he smiles.

“Thank you, my friend.”

Integra and Seras are left sour, mourning. Yes, it’s what he wanted. Yes, Seras and the bones of the organization remain to handle any straggling horrors left, as do the Harkers, but… There is a hollow left behind by the bastard. The Harkers take their leave. Mina thinks a private thanks to whatever it was her husband has put out of its Limbo existence, for whatever else he was and did, it was by his power that she was able to reunite with and aid Jonathan after all this time.

The coin lands on the other side.

Jonathan witnesses Dracula/Alucard willingly--!!!—yield to Integra Hellsing, even without the supernatural collar on him. This is Level Zero, his full power in all its horror, capable of anything…but he bows his head. Anderson happens. Walter happens. The blood is rushing to him from the slaughtered masses. And Jonathan clocks Schrodinger and the poisoning plan. Before the faux boy can slit his throat and dive into the red river, Jonathan brings his kukri down on him.

He is pure Death. No more question of ‘The cat is both everywhere and nowhere!’ No. No no. The cat is in the box, the cat is dead, and Jonathan has carved it into little Nazi violin strings before he can enact Millennium’s finishing move. Against all the machinations of narrative and fate, Jonathan Harker saves Alucard’s life (or undeath, as it would have stood for so many long long years). In doing so, the Major and his leftovers are fully thwarted as Alucard and company swiftly overpower and crush them with no dignity or catharsis whatsoever. Like swatting insects.

And Alucard never ever ever ever EVER lets Jonathan live down the fact that he saaaved him~.

“I knew you cared.”

Jonathan pops a blood vessel in his eye. Cut to black.

[sasquach-scratches]

Been playing some Skyrim to get me In The Mood to do the remaining 2 Skyrim OC posts but wow I am Not feeling it lol

Maybe I should jump into the mods I installed specifically to freshen it up (Val Serano and Beyond Skyrim: Bruma) but otoh I Need a house

[themyscirah]

Reading shit comics kind of sucks but at least I get the satisfaction of proving my own point w this

[theimpossiblescheme]

I think I've finally settled on an answer to my long-standing question of "Is it better for Cyrano to simply let Valvert off with a warning at first or to kill him the first chance he gets after the Ballade Duel"? And my answer is "It depends on how good a swordsman Valvert is."

If Valvert actually puts up a good fight against Cyrano, then it makes sense to me that Cyrano isn't going to keep him around long enough to keep being a threat. And in a weird way, it feels more fitting as a conclusion to a fair fight between equals who've both gotten to show the extent of their talents. That's why the 1950 movie's version of the duel is probably my favorite--it feels like Ferrer's Cyrano is actively putting in the effort to keep Cavens' Valvert at a distance. He's not just coasting through the fight, like he would with a less skilled opponent, so the kill at the end feels more earned. But I feel like you don't see that outcome as much in various productions...

If Valvert poses no actual threat to Cyrano, then he's not going to waste his time taking the duel seriously at all. He's purely in it to teach this little pissant a lesson about messing with him, and ultimately Valvert isn't worth the effort of killing. In those cases, it also hits harder when Valvert decides to fight dirty and strike while Cyrano's back is turned--he knows he stands no chance in a fair fight, so he's not going to fight fair. And if Valvert isn't, then neither is Cyrano. I used to think that this staging was mostly to make Cyrano look more sympathetic, but upon reflection I think it shows off his more ruthless side just as well. It not only demonstrates that Cyrano could've easily ended the initial duel almost instantly, but it also shows that he's not afraid of returning the cruelty others show him.

I feel like either way, it still conveys the idea of "Cyrano is not to be fucked with, so watch what you say around him or you're next."

[moonlitmosss]

i cant. stop drawing ctechno. its a proble.m

[kavehayati]

I THINK I FINALLY HAVE AN ANSWER TO ERIS’ QUESTION AFTER ALMOST TWO YEARS !!!

[kitchensinksurrealism]

spent an hour making a list related to That Fandom, followed by an hour listening to the haunting vibe playlist, followed by an hour reading the fanfic we wrote about my band and crying actual tears bc it's the peak of comedy, followed by an hour thinking about all the things I've ever created that will never be seen by anyone either bc I don't know how to show them to people or bc people just think they're bad but either way I'll never know the true answer, and now it's 10.30pm and I've basically experienced the full spectrum of emotions: autism, existential crisis, silly, and the feeling of being unseen

[musicrunsthroughmysoul]

I am completely sure that I've posted this video on my blog before, but because of Tumblr's shitty search function I CAN'T FIND IT, so I'm posting it again to say: what human is immune to the happiness inevitably caused by watching this band play live but especially from watching and hearing June Millington play slide guitar?!

Although to borrow Nickey Barclay's overly-critical point, the vocals are a little...soft here. Like, for the absolutely gorgeous rage of that slide guitar I'd expect the vocals to be a little more...forceful? If that makes sense? Because it's an exasperated song as it is ("Ain't that peculiar?" is certainly an exasperated-sounding phrase!), and Marvin Gaye's vocals in his version (the original) are appropriately enunciated and forceful, so it seems necessary, you know?

Ah, well. Basking in the perfection that is June's slide guitar and the rest of the band's togetherness, anyway. :') (Jean Millington's bass playing on this is also DELICIOUS and Alice de Buhr's drumming here is one of my favorite performances by her!!!)

AND I also just happened to realize, thanks to this performance (and plenty of others), that Jean seems very much like a dancing bass player. Not just literally (although also yes and I LOVE IT! :'D), but like her basslines dance! I've heard of a "walking bass line" (note: I am not a bass player and know jack shit about the bass) and can understand how it'd be a desirable style, but I truly, truly feel like Jean's basslines could never be limited to just walking; they DANCE and they dance and they dance...and it's a great fucking time every time to hear it. :')

[briarlovesclara]

is this anything? (details/analysis under cut)

(closeups have more extensive ids)

EDIT: this is now outdated and made post ep 9 i believe!

UPDATED VERSION POST FINALE HERE:

Sam and Evan: need no explanation. Neither of them have confessed to each other but COME ON. whether or not you think they Should be together, there is no way at this point that danielle and brennan are unaware of what their characters are doing which is falling in love. on screen in front of us.

Sam and K: this is where it gets less obvious-- I can't remember exactly why but K in the last episode just felt so down bad to me. Even before last ep, I was starting to see a future where Evan and Sam got together and K was really fond of Sam "totally by proxy" (see K and Evan later).

Evan and Jammer: this one I struggle with if I'm being so honest, so I decided to make them struggle with it too. If you think either of them would ever know what was happening you'd be wrong in my personal opinion.

K and Evan: they're in love. I'm sorry. Not saying they're in a healthy or stable relationship but they are in fact in love. I'm part of the theory that Evan broke up with K and if you've seen his face this season he's dead in the water for them.

Jammer and Sam: he has no idea what's in his brain about Sam. I didn't put an arrow back because I don't know what she feels about him in my head so I didn't even want to make her confused.

Similarly, Jammer and K: I have no read on them. I can however see K being at least platonically into Jammer (they seemed a little too into the Weugan thing). But that's just a thought. A film thought.

That's it! This is all in good fun :) lmk your thoughts if you'd like!

[harryspet]

rough hands, soft chains [4] r. cameron

[warnings] dark!rancher!rafe x bimbo!cowgirl!reader, arranged marriage, rancher au, manipulation, size difference, jealousy, DUBCON, oral sex, rafe is HUGE, little editing, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK 18+

a/n: I posted this drabble about readers' state of mind at the end of chapter 3 if you'd like read it before this chapter :)

In which everything is perfect, it's you and Rafe’s wedding shower, and nothing could possibly go wrong.

word count: 5.5k

rough hands, soft chains masterlist

“I hate this shit,” Rafe grumbled, fumbling with the engraved silver buckle that adorned his belt. You thought he looked handsome. His shirt was crisp and white, his leather blazer a deep charcoal with subtle western embroidery, and his dark-wash jeans looked expensive but well-worn enough to look natural on him. He looked like the perfect cowboy to you. He’d sat his deep brown hat on the edge of your freshly made bed before he plopped down next to it, “We should stay up here. Have Wheezie bring us food.”

"But it's our wedding shower," you murmured absentmindedly, your focus fixed on the precise sweep of your mascara wand. Each coat was deliberate, just enough to make your eyes stand out, but not so much that it overwhelmed the rest of your look.

“I never would’ve agreed to let Rose plan this if I-I …. if I knew there had to be an engagement party, bridal shower, wedding shower, and a rehearsal dinner before we even got to the actual wedding.” 

“But you only get married once, right?” 

“Yeah, yeah, baby,” Rafe continued, waving a hand dismissively, “But that’s not the point.”

You spent another five minutes adding blush and bronzer, then you spent a full ten minutes doing your lips, and you topped it off with a fine mist, locking everything into place. Your armor for the day. Rafe had begun pacing but that wasn’t out of the norm, “How do I look?” You asked when you finally revealed your carefully designed look to match the dress you and Sarah had bought together. 

The dress was made of delicate lace, an ivory color, that gave a hint of the skin beneath. The bodice was fitted, hugging your curves, strapless and the skirt flowed softly from your waist, ending above your knees. It was completely romantic, in your opinion, and Sarah had begged you to get it. 

At first, Rafe said nothing. His expression shifted, his brow knitting together, lips pressing into a firm line. His eyes locked onto you, dark and unreadable. He scratched at the back of his head, shifting his weight from foot to foot, a sign that something was brewing beneath his surface. 

“Uh,” Rafe started, his eyes going wide, “Fuck …yeah, baby, you look fucking gorgeous.” 

You couldn’t help the smile that formed on your face, glossy lips pulled into a curve. You walked closer and Rafe placed his hands on your hips, “You think so?” You batted heavy eyelashes up at him, placing your hands on his chest. You felt his heart beating fast beneath your palm. 

“Don’t do that,” Rafe smirked, leaning down until his breath was fanning over your face, “I’ll keep you up here, I will. Tie you down to the bed.” 

“That will mess up my makeup.”

“Well, I was going to mess up your makeup either way. You can decide if it’s before or after the party.”

He didn’t wait for your response, leaning down to peck your lips. It was brief but soft and warm. You giggled when you opened your eyes, finding his lips glossy in the same shade of pink as yours. 

You liked the version Rafe you’d gotten to know over the last two weeks. It made your heart race with anxiety to even think about him pinning you down on Ward’s desk. But your heart filled up when you thought about laying next to Rafe everyday after that. You felt broken, barely able to pull yourself out of bed, but he stayed with you. He made sure you ate, kept Rose from prying into your business, and brought you flowers nearly every other day, filling the surface of your antique dresser. You did your best to care for them, but only now were they beginning to wilt.

He wiped his lips with the sleeve of his suit jacket and you saw a bit of blush rise in his cheeks. 

You pulled from him, crossing the room to your closet. You picked out the strappy heels that you’d also bought with Sarah. You came back to sit on your bed, leaning down to lace them onto your feet. Rafe rounded your footboard, hand hanging on the wood and upholstery. 

“I’m excited,” You admitted, “I’m, like, nervous still. But it’s exciting.”

You glanced at him, finding his eyes fixed on your exposed legs, his eys trailing up to your thighs. It was a hungry look. He’d grown kinder but his appetite was still there. Part of you worried that his darker side might return, that he couldn’t contain his true nature, and it was a matter of time before he snapped. He held you tight at night, his fingers slipped into the front of your panties, oftentimes when you were still drowsy in the morning. He took your orgasms from you, as he always did, but he hadn’t pushed you again like that day two weeks ago. 

“You should be excited,” He said, “We’re very close to life being exactly as it should be.” 

You gave him an agreeing look. A honeymoon in Florida and then you and Rafe would have a whole house to yourself. A home. You didn’t know what you wanted from life before you met Rafe. You knew you wanted your Dad back but since you couldn’t have that, following his wishes would the next best thing. Maybe this was the best thing your father could’ve done for you. 

“I’m excited to meet Kiara,” You said, finishing strapping your feet into your heels. You stood, taller than before, but still much shorter than Rafe. 

“Kie?” Rafe’s brow raised and your heart stumbled, afraid that you had made a mistep, “What do you mean?”

Sarah had explained that Rafe didn’t necessarily like her friends but you also understood that Rafe didn’t like many things in general.  You'd thought hard about it once. He liked you and Wheezie. He liked whiskey. He liked movies where guys raced fast cars. He liked riding his horse and working with his Dad. You couldn't come up with anything else.

"Sarah’s bringing her as a date," you said, your voice turning a little unsure. "And, um, I think her family is, like… catering the wedding? I think?"

You could feel him thinking deeply, “Interesting.” Was all he said. 

That sounded neutral, right? Neutral was good. Safe.

You smiled, encouraged. "Oh! I was thinking it’d be fun if she came to my bachelorette too! So it’s not just me and Sarah."

“What about Wheeze?” He asked, voice deep and concerned. 

“Oh,” You started, “Sarah thinks she’s too young.”

“Sarah,” he spoke his sister’s name like it was a cruse, “You know she’ll be pissed. And I don’t think Sarah should be planning anything for your day that isn’t appropriate for my little sister. I thought you guys were going to the spa or something.”

You took in all his words, beginning to feel guilty about not including Wheezie, “I can talk to Sarah,” You said, “I just don’t know what most girls do. Sarah seemed to have good ideas about fun things to do. And she said the spa ideas was, um, boring.”

“Sarah’s idea of fun should not be your idea of fun.”

Your brows furrowed. Now you were confused, “But …” Despite the time you had spent with him, you’d yet to learn how to successfully argue with him, “What’s my idea of fun then?”

Sometimes you liked when Rafe filled in all of your blanks. It kept you from thinking too much and overthinking always led to shallow breaths and watery eyes. 

Rafe exhaled, like he’d already worked this all out in his head. “Something that involves Wheezie.”

It wasn’t a suggestion. It was an answer. You nodded automatically. “Okay.”

It was a simple enough request. You’d just have to tell Sarah. And really, what was there to do in town, anyway? It wasn’t like you had a million options.

The backyard stretched endlessly, turing into rolling hills, and groves of towering pines. Edison bulbs twinkled above your head, shining light down onto long, wooden banquet tables. Dinner was over. Everyone was standing now, drinking glasses of wine, and talking in small groups. The Cameron’s knew a lot of people. People you didn’t even recognize from living here all your life. Rafe explained that they were business partners. A live band, one man with an acoustic guitar, the other with a fiddle played softly from a wooden platform. 

You were at Rafe’s side for a majority of the night. A photographer also seemd to follow the two of you everywhere. Under Rose’s direction, you took posed photos under a floral arch with white roses, Montana wildflowers and fresh greenery. In one, Rafe tilted your chin up, kissing you so deeply that you thought your heart might explode. 

The sky had darkened, the party continued to stretch into the night, and Rafe’s attention began to wander. He’d made it to his fifth bud light and now he was loudly talking into his friend, Kelce’s ear, his hand having left your hips moments before. 

You decided to look for Sarah, slipping away because Rafe wasn’t paying attention to you anyways. Some people walked up to you to congratulate you, some to offer condolences, and some just stared. 

You weren’t sure what to say to any of them. The words tangled somewhere in your throat, so you just smiled. Small, pretty, vacant.  You scanned the crowd, searching for Sarah’s familiar silhouette, but all you found were unfamiliar faces, whispering in hushed voices as their eyes lingered on you just a second too long.

Once you made your way back inside, shuffling through servers in their bright white shirts, you found Wheezie standing in the foyer, her eyes fixed down on her phone, “Wheezie, have you seen Sarah?” You asked and she barely looked up. 

“She left.” 

You stomached dipped, “What do you mean?”

“Kiara and her walked out like twenty minutes ago. Think they went to the barn.”

“Oh," You tried to hide your disappointment with a small grin, “Why?”

“I don’t know why Sarah does anything she does,” Wheezie tilted her head, studying you, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m gonna go look for them.”

“Alone?” She inquired, “Rafe’s gonna come looking for you.”

“He’s busy, I think,” You said, “I’ll be back in like ten minutes anways!”

Although Wheezie didn’t look convinced, she didn’t stop you either. She simply hummed, shifting her focus back to her phone. You walked out the front door, feeling the cool night air on your skin. You decided to leave your heels behind, knowing they’d just get stuck in the mud. Rafe would notice you were gone, eventually, but still your feet carried you forward. 

You recalled the first night you were here, when Rafe walked with you to the barn, and spread your legs on the floor of it. The other building, farther off in the distance, was the ranch hand’s quarters. You remembered that too. 

You heard them before you saw them. Laughter. Sarah’s was unmistakable and you’d gotten used to John B’s voice as well but you hesitated at the barn’s open doors when you heard an unfamiliar male voice. Slowly, you peered inside. You spotted Sarah sitting on a bale of hay next to a girl with light brown skin and curly hair. Sarah had an entire bottle of wine in her hand and sipped from it casually. 

Across from them stood John B. and a dark-skinned boy with a lean build and soft, deep brown eyes. Next to him was a boy whose sun-kissed blonde hair was kept in check by a weathered white cowboy hat. His skin was tanned and his smile was wide with mischief. 

A strong smell hit your nose too, earthy and smoky. You assumed it came from the cigarette in John B.'s hand, or at least, you thought it was a cigarette. 

It was too late to abort, because the blonde had spotted you and, in turn, all eyes turned to you. You wandered into the light of the barn awkwardly, your eyes meeting Sarah’s, her brown one’s lighting up with excitement, “Y/N!” She shouted, handing the wine bottle over to Kiara, and crossing the space to get to you. Her arms wrapped around your waist as she pulled you forward, “Guys, this is Y/N! Y/N, these are my friends I was telling you about.”

The group looked you over with curious eyes, their smiles friendly but tinged with cautious skepticism, as if still unsure of what to make of you.

She pointed them all out. Pope, JJ and Kiara. John B., you knew, of course. “Welcome,” John B. said. 

“Hi,” You waved. 

“You look so good!” Sarah exclaimed and you smelt the wine on her breath, “I was telling everyone how beautiful you are!”

“Thank you,” You smiled faintly, glancing over at Kiara, who gave you a soft, welcoming wave, “...Um, how come you guys didn’t come to the party?” 

“Oh–” JJ started but Pope quickly interjected. 

“It was a little too crowded,” Pope said, offering you an apologetic smile.

You nodded, accepting it, but your eyes couldn’t help but find JJ’s. His gaze was intense, but not in the way Rafe’s could be. It was the kind of stare that took you in without any hidden motive, no pressure. Just curiosity.

“Yeah,” Sarah chimed in, trying to ease the moment. “But I’m glad you came out here.”

“Rafe didn’t follow you, did he?” Kiara asked and you felt the tension that grew between the five of them. 

“No,” You shook your head, “I didn’t say anything,” you assured them, looking at each of them with wide, innocent eyes.

“Good,” Sarah said in approval and your mood lightened. 

JJ, however, seemed unfazed by the tension. He pushed past Pope, whose gaze had hardened slightly, as if issuing a warning that went unnoticed. JJ’s eyes were back on you, and his voice was playful as he moved closer, his grin widening. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Really?” You blinked, feeling a little taken aback.

“Yeah, word gets around,” JJ replied, his eyes scanning you again, like he was memorizing your every detail. You fidgeted with the edge of your lace dress,  “And now I see why. You're hard to miss.”

“JJ,” John B. and Pope spoke at the same time. 

“What? I was just about to offer our guest some refreshments,” He turned to look at them but his gaze was fixed back on you soon. He gestured to the makeshift bar sitting on top of one of the stall gates. A bottle of clear liquor, a six-pack of beers with only two beers left, and a dirty shot glass, “She’s the bride. Gotta make sure she has a good time.”

“You don’t have to drink anything,” Sarah said. 

“She should at least have a shot,” JJ argued, “It’s her party, after all.”

You hesitated, but something about JJ’s easy confidence made the thought of refusing feel wrong. You didn’t want to come off as boring. 

“JJ, don’t be weird,” Kiara spoke, sounding annoyed, “That’s Rafe’s fiance.”

“Don’t you think I know that? Big, bad, Rafe. I’m shaking in my boots,” You didn’t understand and your eyes darted between all of them before they landed back on JJ, “What do you say, Y/N? Celebratory shot?’

It was just a shot. Nothing crazy. Except you’d forgotten to eat in all the commotion and attention, and the alcohol immediately went to your head. Plus, it burned your throat. You coughed but JJ’s smiled wider, making you think that you’d done something right. Everyone else was watching you with interest. 

Moments later, he was pouring you another and cracking open the rest of the beers, handing one to Kiara and then to Pope, “To new friends?” He raised his glass and you glanced around as everyone raised their respective glasses. 

“To new friends,” The others answered reluctantly and tilted back their drinks. You downed the second shot, wincing as it went down, smoother than the first one but still awful. 

Surprisingly, you heard Kiara laugh, “You’re brave for drinking out of that glass, girl.” 

"You’re more fun than I expected, cowgirl," JJ said with a teasing grin, his voice low and smooth.

“That’s mean, JJ.” Kiara said.

“Seriously, you’re cool, how did you end up engaged to Rafe?”

"JJ," John B. warned, his voice a little sharp as he glanced at him.

To your surprise, Pope, who’d been mostly quiet up until now, chimed in with a serious look. “No, I think it’s a valid question.”

You froze for a second. It wasn’t like you could just come out and say, well, it’s complicated and totally a mess. You didn’t even know what was going on with Rafe half the time. You decided to shrug it off, “I’m still figuring things out,” You tried to sound casual, though your heart was pounding, “I mean, we’re figuring things out together.”

“Enough interrogating, guys,” John B. said and you were grateful.

You’d been gone for too long, anyways, “I should get back to the party. It was really nice meeting ya'll.”

“We’ll see you around then, Y/N,” Pope smiled at you and you couldn’t help but feel warm. Or maybe that was just the alcohol.

“Yeah,” you agreed. You turned to Kiara, “Kiara, I hope you can come to my bachelorette.”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” She spoke in a way that made you think she might be coolest girl you’d ever met. 

“Alright,” As you walked pass, Sarah grabbed your hand and gave it a squeeze. The warmth of her touch felt like a promise, like you’d just been accepted into something new, something different than what you were used to.

When you were back in the night, clear of the barn doors, you heard Pope’s voice loudly erupt, “Are you a fucking idiot, JJ?” 

Back inside the house, you searched for Wheezie, wanting her to break the news to Rose that you wanted to retire for the night. The party could certainly go on without you seeing as you knew barely anyone here. Your eyes felt tired, and honestly you felt a little bit wobbly, “Wheezie,” You whispered, as you peaked around corners and opened all the downstairs doors, hoping to find her on her phone, “Wheeeeezie.”

You made your way upstairs next, deciding to check her room. The teenager’s room was completely empty and you let out a tired huff. You just needed to lay down for a second. As soon as you turned on your heel, Rafe appeared, tall legs hurrying up the stairs. 

“Y/N,” His voice boomed as heavy as his steps, “Where you been?”

You tried to steady yourself but you stumbled backwards, “What’s going on, baby?” He caught you quickly, his voice softening. He held your waist, pressing a kiss to your forehead. You leaned against the wall, “I’ve been looking for you.”

“I just …wanted to get away from the party,” You spoke slowly, your head swimming, “I’m fine. Just sleepy.”

Rafe studied you for a moment longer, his brows furrowing as if piecing something together. He looked down at your feet, “You went outside. Where’s your shoes?” 

“Downstairs somewhere. I guess I lost them,” You smiled weakly. 

“Hmm,” He leaned down to kiss your lips and you accepted, your tongue dancing with his.  

He pulled away, his eyes darkening, “You taste like vodka,” he murmured, his voice low and quiet. “Cheap vodka.”

“It’s a party, right?” You asked softly, “Our party.”

“I know they weren’t serving whatever you’ve been drinking. Tell me, what have you been doing? And with who?”

“I feel like … I don’t want you to be mad at me.”

His hand reached up, cupping your face with surprising tenderness. “I won’t be mad at you,” he said, his voice reassuring, though his eyes betrayed something darker. “But I need to know, darlin’. And I need you to be honest.”

You faltered, struggling with your words. “I don’t want you to be mad at anyone else either. Can we just go to bed?”

His jaw tightened, his patience wearing thin. “Sarah,” he muttered, his voice low. “She gave it to you, didn’t she?”

“Wha–” You froze as Rafe’s jaw tightened, “It wasn’t her–”

“And you smell like fucking weed,” His face scrunched up and his voice turned low and painful. 

"I smell like... a weed?" you asked, confused, the words coming out in a dazed haze as you tried to process his words.

“Fucking Pogues,” Rafe cursed and you yelped when his fist pounded against the wall beside your head, “Stay here. I’ll deal with this.”

You reached out to grab his arm, your fingers trembling against tense muscles beneath his skin, “Wait. No, no, no, stay here with me.” 

He grabbed you next, and lifted you off your feet as he dragged you across the hallway. You tried to pull away, to get him to let you go, but his grip tightened. "Rafe, please!" you cried, struggling to free yourself, but it was futile. His hold on you was ironclad.

"Stay the fuck in here. I’ll be right back," he commanded, his voice colder than ice as he forced you into his room. The door slammed shut and then there was a wall between the two of you. The click of the lock followed and you stumbled back, your heart racing. 

You heard his footsteps retreat, a few heavy thuds followed by the faint sound of him calling out to someone. You pressed your ear against the door, straining to hear anything, but it was quiet for a moment.

You hurried towards the window, pressing your palms against the cool glass as you looked down toward the front of the house. Through the dim light spilling from the porch, you could see a trio of men walking in a purposeful, determined line away from the house.

He’ll be right back. You doubted that. You should’ve laid down then. But you did your best to undo the zipper of your dress, needing more room to breathe, before you wandered into Rafe’s closet. You pushed a mountain of clothes to the side, settling in the corner, and cried your makeup away. 

How did you manage to mess up everything with Sarah, her friends, and Rafe all in one night? Why did you have to ruin everything?

It wasn’t the first time Rafe had blown up at Sarah. She often stood in the way of everything he wanted in life. Ward loved her more than him, for some unknown reason that baffled Rafe the more he tried to understand it. This night was about him and you and yet Sarah and her pogue friends had to crash their party. Rafe couldn’t have one thing that was just his. Now she was trying to corrupt you, his sweet and clueless bride. 

“Where’s the rest of your friends?” Rafe asked when he and his friends found just John B., Kiara and Sarah in the barn, “They run? Huh?” 

Sarah rolled her eyes, hard, “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t mess with me, Sarah.”

“What? Did you snort too many lines tonight?” 

Rafe imagined his hands around her throat. He squeezed his fist tight, examining the scene before him, assessing what exactly he could get away with in this moment. Soon, someone would notice that both Rafe and his future bride had disappeared from their own party. He was on thin ice with Ward already.

Kiara shifted, stepping in front of Sarah like some kind of shield. “Back off, Rafe.” Her voice was steady, but he could see the way her hands clenched into nervous fists.

Rafe let out a cold laugh, pointing straight at his sister, his gaze razor-sharp. “I’ll make every last one of your little Pogue friends miserable, you hear me?” His voice was low, dangerous, a promise rather than a threat. “I’m gettin’ the company, the money, the influence, every goddamn thing. Cameron Ranch pays all their fucking bills, and you know it. You think Heyward’s could run without us? Kie, your parents buy their beef from us, same as every other rich asshole in this town. Y’all survive because we let you…and you …”

Rafe turned towards John B., “You know better. No one else in this town would have you on with your history. And your friend, JJ, if I find out he put one finger on her. I’ll fucking kill him.” His voice dropped to a whisper, seething with a quiet rage. 

It was a promise. His blood boiled at the idea of JJ’s eyes on you. He would’ve killed him if the pogue hadn't been smart enough to run. That’s why he left you in his room, he knew he wouldn’t be able to control himself if he saw him. 

“That’s enough!” Sarah shouted, her expression twisted in frustration, “Stop, Rafe. You got your point across.”

“Nothing even happened, asshole,” Kiara said. 

“Like he should believe that,” Topper scoffed, speaking up, “Dirty pogues.”

“Let it go,” John B. said, “Before you do something you regret, man.” 

Rafe nodded, jaw tight. He considered them lucky. Damn lucky. They were on his property, his land, trespassing, he had every right to go after them, “Keep your friends away from Y/N,” Rafe said to his sister, “I’m serious.”

“You can’t control who she’s friends with!”

“I promise you won’t like it if you push me on this one, Sarah,” With one last glance at Sarah, he turned on his heel, heading back toward the house, back toward something far more important, back towards you. 

Rose ripped into him, of course, after the happy couple completely abandoned their own wedding shower. He would’ve preferred his father’s yelling over hers. She cornered him in the foyer, before he could climb the stairs, and Rafe started to feel a headache coming on. It was then he remembered the beers and the fact that he was not even close to sober. It wasn’t his fault the night ended in disaster. He’d done his part, networked, kept up appearances, and even posed for a million photos. The Pogues showing up and manipulating his fiance into getting drunk was out of his control. 

From the corner of his eye, he saw Wheezie peaking from the bannister upstairs. She was eavesdropping, of course. He apologized to Rose instead of raising his voice. She continued. He apologized five more times. She didn’t accept, he didn’t expect her to. She threw up her hands in exhaustion, said she was going to talk to Ward, and then stormed off. 

With a heavy sigh, Rafe climbed the stairs.

His nosy little sister asked, “Why is Y/N crying in your room? She sounds like a kicked puppy.”

Rafe’s jaw clenched. Great.

“Ask Sarah,” Rafe spoke curtly, annoyed. He reached into his pocket for his keys. 

“Sarah?”

“Goodnight, Wheezie.” Was all he said before he unlocked his bedroom door, pushed inside, and slammed it shut. 

He understood immediately what Wheezie meant by you sounding like a kicked puppy. You weren’t where he expected you'd be but it didn’t take long to narrow down where you were. He gave himself a few minutes to collect himself, bracing for your torrent of emotions, bracing for the anger you probably felt towards him. 

Being mad at him would be useless in the end. Rafe had decided the two of your belonged together. He certainly didn’t believe in soulmates but he understood ownership and possession. Whatever it was, the two of you would work for it, because you belonged to him. 

He found you, head in your hands, shaking like a leaf. He kicked off his boots, lowered down to the ground, and moved next to you, “Y/N?” 

“I’m sorry,” You said immediately, your voice pitiful. 

“You’re sorry, baby?” It wasn’t the reaction he expected from you but he leaned into it, “You’re sorry for what?”

“I’m sorry for,” You hiccuped, “For drinking. I don’t know why I did it. I just …” 

“You want Sarah to like you,” Rafe filled in your often incomplete thoughts and you finally looked up. Despite the streaked mascara and smudged lipstick, he thought you looked gorgeous. 

“Yeah … I shouldn’t, right?” You asked hesitantly, "You know, sometimes it feels like everyone knows what’s going on except me. I think she thinks I’m stupid and she’d be right.. I can’t even take care of myself.” 

“Look, I’m not happy with Sarah but I know she doesn’t think that,” Rafe assured you, but made sure to add on, “And you shouldn’t care what she thinks. She hangs out with a bunch of lowlifes. She’s going nowhere. You, baby, have so much potential. So what, you don’t know everything, but you don’t need to take care of yourself. How many times do I have to tell you? That’s my job.”

Rafe watched you nod your head, eyes still watery, “My Dad wanted it.”

“He did,” Rafe agreed, “I don’t like to see you like this …things will be better when we have our own house. Our own family. I know it will.”

“Was she upset?” You wiped your own tears, “When you went out there…” 

“You’re too sweet for your own good.” 

He was watching you closely now, scanning your body language, gauging whether you were on the verge of a panic attack. This moment, it was an opportunity for him. Somehow, despite everything, he wasn’t the bad guy in this situation. Maybe it was the trust he’d built with you over the last two weeks, maybe it was something else entirely. Either way, he wasn’t about to let it slip through his fingers.

“C’mere,” He reached for you, fingers wrapping around your wrists, guiding you toward him. You shuffled forward onto your knees, letting him pull you closer. His hands slid to your hips, gripping firmly as he positioned you over his lap, your legs straddling his. Now, you were right where he wanted you, face to face, eyes locked, nowhere to hide.

“She was upset,” he admitted, his thumbs smoothing slow circles against your sides. “But not as upset as me.”

You blinked, lips parting slightly.

“It wasn’t just the drinking,” he continued, voice low and steady. “It was who you were drinking with. You were with them. Without me.” His jaw tensed. “Knowing that those dirty Pogues got to look at you, be near you-” He inhaled sharply, shaking his head. “You’re the most beautiful thing in my life. I don’t think it’s selfish to want you to myself.”

Shame flickered across your features. 

“I wasn’t thinking,” You murmured and part of Rafe’s mind, the sick part, rejoiced, “I’m so sorry.”

A weak smile tugged at his lips, “I forgive you, baby. I’m not mad anymore. At all. “

He kept his voice reassuring, his words gentle, but his touch was anything but. 

“What makes them so bad, Rafe?” You asked curiously, your voice barely above a whisper, “They didn’t look that dirty to me.”

“Not tonight, I don’t want to talk about them,” Rafe ran his hands over your thighs, traveling beneath the skirt of your dress, before he gripped a handful of your ass in his hands, “I wanna teach you something.”

“Mhm,” You hummed as Rafe leaned into your neck, kissing you softly. You were so responsive, even in this fragile state. 

“I know how you can make it up to me.”

Rafe felt you tense when you felt it, the growing hardness that was currently being restrained by his zipper. Barely contained. He leaned his head down, just as he moved his hands to your breast. He squeezed tightly, savoring the handful, “Rafe …I-I–I don’t know.” 

He did wonder how far he could push you before you couldn’t take it anymore. But he remembered how much further he’d gotten with you being a little more gentle, “Don’t worry,” He assured you, “I’m going to teach you how to use your mouth on me. It won’t hurt at all.”

“It won’t? But …. But  it can’t fit in my mouth.” 

Patience, he reminded himself. 

“I’ll show you,” Rafe pressed his thumb against your soft lips, “Open, baby.”

Rafe saw it in your eyes, the hesitance, the fear but he kept his touch soft. He brushed your tongue, “Suck on my finger,” You closed your mouth around his finger and when he felt your teeth scrape his skin, he added, “But don’t bite. No teeth. That’s lesson number one.”

He moved his thumb slowly in and out of your mouth, allowing you practice. The way your wide eyes were fixed on him, looking for his approval, was probably the sexiest thing he’d seen you do. And you were his, “Good girl, darlin’” he praised, and your lashes fluttered at the words.

He promised to take it slow and was a man of his word. He gave you plenty of practice before the real thing. You were right, he couldn’t fit inside your mouth. Most of him. But he taught you how to hold him, how to stroke him, how to keep touching him in the moments where your mouth got too tired. That was lesson two.  Just the tip this time, you could handle that. He had been holding off for two weeks, and it wouldn’t take much.

And when the moment finally came, when his release spilled hot and thick onto your tongue, Rafe taught you lesson number three.

“You never spit, baby,” he murmured, his thumb grazing your swollen lips. “My cum is your reward for all your hard work. You swallow all of it.”

And when you did, although your face scrunched at the unfamiliarity of it, Rafe pressed a slow, claiming kiss against your lips.

hope you enjoyed!!

[collectedbooks]

i've poked around and added a slightly canon-divergent season 2 verses to my about / verses page!

[wuntrum]

can you speak on your severance s2 opinions? i promise this isnt in bad faith or anything, im just anon bc im shy lol, im genuinely curious

i'm gonna put this under a read more because it's gonna be long but...yeah [scratches head] if YOU the person reading this looooved this season and see nothing you didn't like about it, thats awesome and i'm happy for you. i also liked things in this season, and also its normal to be able to critique things you like, love and light <3 its literally just television

generally, yeah, i found myself disappointed with it. i think the writing this season, both the dialogue and then the actual character/world writing, fell flat and/or seemed like it was completely incongruous with the characters and world that we had seen in season 1. i think something i really appreciated about season 1 is that yes, mark was our main character and the lens we got introduced to both the inside and outside world, but both felt so much BIGGER than just him.

season 2, the entire plot and world and characters bend and contort to make mark like, the center of the universe lol. it's kind of ridiculous, the extent to which the world revolves around him now. it makes the world feel SOOO small. parts of my favorite worldbuilding aspects are seeing how the outside world feels about severance--i think the part where we see how working as a severed employee makes it almost impossible to work anywhere else is great! and in concept i like seeing other towns that have been devastated by lumon's industrialization, though i don't love the execution that we got. so like...everything lumon does is about mark? ALL of it? i know we don't know exactly how long lumon has been operating but like...they've been working on this stuff for longer than two years, lol. like, how many files have dylan completed? irving? petey? that girlie who wrote the lexington letter? is all of their work literally meaningless? like i get that there were people before gemma who failed the tests and they died, sure, but what about when mark started working there? what about the files that irving started and didn't finish, why don't they care about those? ohhhh right, because that's not the one that mark's working on. i get that it'd be a big deal if they got it to work fully once, but surely they'd want to make it work AGAIN, right??? like a science experiment?? i just wish we got like, A nod to other people on the testing floor, because i think the implication is that all of them are working on files connected to…different people, but maybe they're all just different versions of gemma?

honestly all of the innie stuff this season just felt so…idk, aimless? it feels like parts of the building only exist when the writers want them to, and just generally are not interested in exploring anything outside of the romantic aspects for all of these characters. like sure, after the season 1 finale, their asses are not gonna wanna work (EXCEPT FOR WHEN THEY DO? TO MOVE THE PLOT ALONG?), but where's the camaraderie? what about all those other people in O&D, they literally export things to the testing floor, maybe they know about gemma? fundamentally i think the thing that's the most frustrating about innie mark is that they keep telling us that he doesn't care about gemma. which, sure, outie gemma, he doesn't have that same connection with as helly, whatever. but also, he DOES care about her, he literally knows that that's ms casey and that lumon was just going to do what they always do when they fire people????? like s1 mark cared soooo much about his coworkers, ALL OF THEM, even the ones that weren't there anymore—seeing petey and then ms casey get removed was like, a HUGE deal and vital to his growth as a character!!!! and the way that they constructed this whole season basically to remove everyone that isn't mark and helly by the end. lol. i'm honestly shocked that they didn't make a new version of the desk that was just two chairs, like dylan was just excluded from the finale except for when they needed him to come in and hold the door against mr. milchick. again. lol

i don't inherently have a problem with exploring the romantic stuff, i think that could have been done well, but i just don't think it was. and that's primarily because, i think the writing this season for helly was ass! they took away her agency and subjugated her to be just the love interest for mark! especially with the finale, i just feel like the helly i know would've been like mark, what are you doing??? go?!? like she wants to take down lumon, THAT's what will take down lumon! like whatever, mark made the choice that he did, but helly playing along with it makes no fucking senseee. like they want us to think that it's the same ol helly we know and love, they give us crumbs of her anger, like when she's rallying the marching band people or whatever, but again, only when it's plot convenient. WHY WOULD SHE NOT ATTACK JAME? he's like 90???? and helly doesn't like this man???? she has nothing to lose???? fucking THROW something at him helly!!!! the helly that tried to chop her fingers off and hang herself and gave that speech in the s1 finale is not in the room with us. and i don't mean this in a way where i think it's helena again, it's not. they've just completely fumbled her character because they want mark and helly to be together at all costs. and honestly, i think it's so reductive to make this show just about ships, but textually it feels like that's what they want us to do, and i think that's sad. again, it makes the show feel so SMALL, when the world within it used to feel so BIG and like we would want to learn more about it. i care about mark and helly--before they kissed!! i think it was rewarding to see the ways they challenged each other and grew as people!! them as a romantic thing could work but they haven't put in the work to MAKE it work. and, it feels like of redundant even to say, but i do think it's fucking ridiculous to write a story where we get kissing and fucking for allllll the straight characters and then the one gay couple doesn't even get a kiss before separating them completely and writing irving out of the show, basically. like what are we in, hayes code era television?

but yeah, the information they chose to reveal vs what they didn't was also frustrating. i honestly wish they revealed less! there's so much TELLING this season. it feels like they think we're stupid (which, i can't speak for the entire population watching the show, maybe some people literally do need mark to look at the camera and explain everything, idk). like there's sooo much clever storytelling in the first season that just, completely gets snuffed out from overexplaining. i understand in the finale that oMark needs to tell iMark about why he did all of this but like, WE as the audience already know??? we don't need to see this?? and cobel confirming stuff i feel like we already knew about how the numbers work and like, i just don't knowwww. like you can just show me it, i was picking up on it. like we know about the four tempers, you show it to us all the time, cobel having to look dead in the camera and explain it just made me feel like there was a better way we could've done this. i do think some stuff benefits from a "hard" confirmation. like i'm glad they confirmed the helena thing, BECAUSE it backs up and supports all of the lovely and subtle things they had already shown to prove that it WAS helena! like i've known since the first episode LOL, so they do KNOW how to do subtle storytelling. and i think the gemma episode was great, i loved seeing her as a character and thought it gave her so much depth. but again, i think allll of the explaining they do this season not only snuffs out the fun of speculating on the viewing end, but from a writing perspective it just kind of writes them into a corner. i think they're focused too much on making these elaborate set pieces and events take place without thinking of how they fit together, not only on like a writing/episodic level but just the world of lumon at large.

i think a great way they showed story in the first season is through the paintings, and through irving and burt bonding over the paintings! like it not only establishes the lore of kier and then we get to learn more about them as characters through their reactions to the paintings. the paintings this season, honestly, were weak, they were so heavy handed. love and light to whoever painted them, but they were nottt doing the job for me.

(this is a small thing, but like…the intake questionnaire asks them to "name a US state or territory," so they KNOW that delaware is a state. so why would they think the equator is a building? again its just like. a cutesy moment for mark and helly to banter but they could've done it in a way that isn't contradictory to like, our understanding of what information crosses over the sever and what does not).

i keep thinking about the ORTBO, and it just seems fucking CRAZY to me that they aren't freaking out about SEEING THE SKY? BREATHING FRESH AIR? FEELING FIRE? SLEEPING?? WASN'T THE WHOLE THING THAT THEY COULDN'T FALL ASLEEP???? i guess my impression of how the chip works is that the technology doesn't know how to handle when they enter a subconscious/asleeep state, so the innie and outie memories begin to bleed together, hence why dozing would be a bad thing on the job. but again, they clearly had this idea of how they wanted irving to reveal that it's helena in the waterfall, and yes, i did enjoy the spectacle of the episode, but its another example of how they'll build these moments and only focus on what they want to see. like there's so much interesting stuff that they could explore and just choose not to, because (usually) it doesn't involve mark, or mark and helly.

also, i'm just gonna say it, i feel like the writing for the women this season all was kinda bad! it's, again, a byproduct of the world revolving around mark now. reghabi is brought into the story when mark needs her, and cast aside when he doesn't want her anymore. devon has been completely reduced to mark's lackey, like i guess ricken and the baby are fucking fine or whatever??? because she only exists when mark is around, and her only job is caring about mark (which obviously yes, they're siblings, of course they care—but s1 devon had a life outside of mark as well). cobel is only brought back into the story to explain to mark how cold harbor works. i said this before but honestly i like the concept of her little solo episode, though the execution wasn't great, because at least she was doing something on her own (except for when she needs that guy to help her. heaven forbid a woman does something of her own accord without a man to help). and again, helly is completely flanderized to be mark's love interest. i think there's a way to have mark and helly be together and them be their own people, but for the length of the season they did not have the proper time to unpack all the shit from the ORTBO episode so everyone just…conveniently gets over it very quickly, like in the span of a day. like i do think it's a jump to go from "i don't trust you, are you even you?" to missionary under plastic tarps that quickly, i'm sorry. and i think even gemma suffers from this fate as well. i think with hers it makes more sense, like she fucking loves her husband, but i wish she was given opportunities to like…want things for herself, too. like she hasn't been outside in two years! i bet she misses her job, her students, her family, devon, ricken, like anyone outside of mark? but she has to be the tragic love interest that can't be with mark but can't run away from mark, either. she's reduced to set dressing for mark and helly by the end.

they constructed this season i think, with the hopes and knowledge that they'll likely get a season 3. which yes, we know now that it's been confirmed and approved or whatever, but they didn't know that when making season 2, and it feels like no one got a full character arc. it's all start and no follow through. we've had the same "mr. milchick experiences racism in the workplace" moment like what, five, six times, and yet we haven't even started to see him DO something about it yet? like sure he told mr. drummond to eat shit, but then to play along with the minstrel show cold harbor shit, they just didn't care about giving that plot line any action so it'll just get brushed along to season 3. (and while there's intentional commentary about race in the show, it also feels like there's unintentional consequences to their writing choices that upholds the whiteness. like, natalie is just forgotten about, reghabi is dropped as soon as mark doesn't want to play with her anymore, ms. huang barely gets to do anything before being written off and sent away, and yes, i do think having gemma suffer as mark and helly skip away is part of it. it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, sorry!). i think dylan is maybe the closest we get to an interesting arc, and i enjoy the inclusion of his wife, but even he's reduced to JUST this story, only getting to talk to mark or helly when the writers need him to, i guess. and the stuff with burt and fields is so nothing, like it feels like it should be going somewhere but they're just leaving it open for season 3 (i guess??? even though it seems like irving isn't going to be in it at all, so why would we be following burt and fields??? and also don't even get me started on how the outie irving stuff is just NOT EXPLORED AT ALL. like whatever sure who the hell cares, sorry for wanting to see that go somewhere or whatever).

it's too early for full reintegration to happen so, we'll just finish that in season 3. (then why introduce it so early in season 2? ohhh right, we need cliffhangers to end every episode on). it almost feels like they don't have faith that people will keep watching without introducing these dramatic moments, but it's all just gasps of breath, there's no actual momentum. like, i've already watched the first season, you don't need to bait me with the prospect of seeing meaningful progression and then take it away from me when the next episode starts. the structure of how episodes speak to each other is that they…don't? like obviously i don't need every episode to pick up on the exact moment the last left off, but the timeline of this season is just soooo strange. the first two episodes are in the same span of time, and then there's gemma and cobel's episodes back to back…it genuinely just feels like they didn't consider the season as a whole which, considering how much money and time it took to make it happen, makes no sense.

and to continue on the timeline aspect, it feels so confusing as to how much time has really passed. it feels like the wanted the structure of the first season, but the pacing mechanic of the first season (working up to the end of the quarter to get to the waffle party) makes the pacing of the second feel even worse. like a.) mark's completed like 3 files a quarter (if we assume he's worked there for 8 quarters, i.e. two years), so making THIS file the super special final one truncates the possible time by at least a third.but then also, b.) he's been at like 95% complete since like, episode 5..? again, i just think it should've been considered more during the planning stages. and it kind of boggles my mind that the creative team views the marching band in this finale to be analogous to the waffle party in s1 when, it's way closer to the music dance experience? (they said this in the like behind the scenes for the finale ep). and in that regard, it really does kind of feel like a retread that doesn't work as well because, again, it's all about mark! especially after the shit with the kier statue, why would mr. milchick play along with the song and dance, like it just feels like they wanted to use tramell tillman's dance experience again, and they wanted to use the colored lights again. he could've just stood by the door to make sure mark and helly stayed there, which was obviously the goal of having all those people there. and yeah, i get the work is mysterious and important or whatever, but the implication that they have ALL OF THESE PEOPLE whos sole job is to be a marching band makes no fucking sense, i'm sorry. i find it hard to play along with the worldbuilding, again it makes lumon seem like its run by like dr. doofenshmirtz or something, it's so cartoony. like are they a global and successful company, or are they incompetent and leave gaping holes for their employees to undo everything? this is THE MOST IMPORTANT DAY IN LUMON HISTORY and they couldn't…shut the door to MDR like they had before? the goat sacrifice room is directly outside the exports hall door? the music dance experience works so well as a catharsis moment because everyone has their own shit going on, and we get to see the guy who hasn't really disobeyed yet (dylan) finally snap, and we see the others come and support him as a TEAM. it's just spectacle for us, the viewer. and especially the thing where they make the panels with mark's face on it—HE CAN'T SEE IT???? i don't need fan service winking moments like that, i dunno, that just annoyed me lol.

anyway, i feel like i have more to say probably but i gotta go do things so, i'm gonna leave it here. in conclusion, i'm missing my friends from s1 MDR sooo so bad, i feel like i haven't seen them this season at all. i did like parts of this season, but overall it was not what i was hoping it would be. (i don't even really KNOW what i wanted it to be, and of course it doesn't matter what i "want," but i feel like what i "want" lined up with what they wanted to do explore with season 1 so…maybe that's where the dissonance is coming from). and whereas at the end of s1, where i left it being like "where are they going to go from here?? (as in, theres so many possibilities", this season finale has left me asking "…where are we gonna go from here?" because i'm left like, inherently incurious about the people we have left and the choices they've made. and, i feel like THEY (as in the executive team making it) must feel this way too, because apparently they've completely scrapped the writers room from this season and added on two new showrunners. good luck to whoever that executive story editor is LOL

[cherry-coffees]

Roommates!Caitvi x reader hcs ♡

Caitvi version of my roommate!Caitlyn AU as requested by @chaos1stuff! Take some pure fluff while I cook up some more academic rival!Caitlyn for y'all ;)

roommate!Caitlyn who wakes early every morning without fail. She claims it's because she doesn't like to waste the day by sleeping late, but it's really so she can have some quiet moments with her tea and the sunrise before she has a hectic day of classes and studying and whatever else she has to do in her schedule

roommate!Vi who sleeps late every day. She rolls out of bed with messy hair and a raspy voice, putting on her headphones before doing anything else. She'll just throw on a hoodie and some sweats, barely pausing to brush her teeth before she's out the door and off to her classes or the gym

roommate!Caitlyn who finishes her classes and heads off to the library to study. She has a cute pencil pouch with all of her different colored gel pens and highlighters, and her bag is extremely heavy because she carries around all her books. She's always at the silent floor of the library because "if I wanted to study with noise, I'd just go home and listen to Vi yelling at her video games."

roommate!Vi who does, indeed, love yelling at her video games. Her room features a specific gaming PC that she finally got after wanting it for ages, an ultra-comfortable gaming chair, and good-quality headphones that Caitlyn gifted to her for her birthday (half as a gift for Vi, and half as a gift for herself so Vi wouldn't play her movies so loudly)

roommate!Caitlyn who mothers you just a little bit. She'll make you tea in the mornings if she's still at home when you wake up, give you opinions on which outfits she thinks you look the cutest in, and ask you what happened the second she sees your expression drop. She sits with you quietly until you're ready to talk about what happened, listens when you tell her about your day, then holds you for as long as you need. Her heart breaks a little if she ever sees tears streaming down your cheeks. "Hey, what happened? Don't cry...please don't cry. Whatever it is, I'll fix it for you."

roommate!Vi who gets home from the gym in a happy mood most days. Working out makes her feel good, and she always tries to rope you into her workout sessions in hopes that it'll make you as happy as it makes her. Regardless, she'll set her phone down and play some music when she gets home, rummaging through the fridge to see what she can make. Vi's a good cook, though people may not expect that of her. When you come out of your room to greet her, she twirls you around the kitchen just to make you giggle as she whips up something for you and Caitlyn

roommate!Caitlyn who insists that you, Vi, and her have dinner together every night. She thinks of the three of you as a little family, and therefore, your dinners together as like family dinners. She and Vi will sometimes bicker over whatever they disagree on today, but it's always lighthearted. It usually ends with Vi leaning her chin on her palms and teasing her with a: "you know you love me." Caitlyn, for her part, rolls her eyes instead of saying anything back because she really can't argue with that

roommate!Vi who loves pissing Caitlyn off. You hear a soft knock on the door of your room one night, and when you open it, Vi's standing there with a bottle of black hair dye. "C'mon," she whines, and you can't deny her when she gives you those puppy eyes that always make you go weak for her. "It'll be so funny, and she deserves it for vacuuming the apartment at 8am on a Sunday. She knew I was sleeping!" And, because you're also kind of pissed at Caitlyn for doing that, you're painting Vi's pink hair with the black dye in the bathroom twenty minutes later

roommate!Caitlyn who always surprises you with gifts. Whatever you want, she's already ordered it for same-day delivery to your shared apartment. You're watching TV together one night, and you see expensive sunglasses from a designer brand that you make a passing comment able. It's as simple as: "oh, I like the shape of those." It doesn't matter what you say — there's a wrapped box on your pillow the next morning. You recognize Caitlyn's wrapping because it's all smooth and neat, the corners tucked in perfectly and a navy ribbon that ties it all together. You protest the first few times, citing that you really don't need all the things she's buying you. But Caitlyn just shakes her head. "Nonsense. It's my money, and I can buy whatever I please. If I want to gift you something, then I will." Though, despite how matter-of-fact she is about it, you see the soft smile that graces Caitlyn's features when you try on whatever she's bought you

roommate!Vi who adores touch. She's constantly seeking out physical contact in small ways: throwing an arm around your shoulder when you're watching a movie together, leaning her head on your lap when she gets tired, pulling you into a hug when she's all sweaty after the gym. She laughs when you whine in protest, telling her at least take a shower first. Sometimes, when Vi's past memories get brought up, she gets extra clingy. It's not her fault she's touch-starved. She'll come into your room and stand awkwardly by the doorway until you notice her. When you sigh and open your arms, already knowing what she needs, Vi is more than happy to embrace you to her heart's content. She's muscular and strong when she holds you, but she's like an eager puppy at heart, and the contrast makes her really good at hugging

roommates!Caitvi who start acting weird one day. You catch them mumbling to each other a few times, though they immediately stop and smile when they notice you, asking about your day. They look at each other a little too long sometimes, exchanging thoughts with just glances. You don't understand how they do it. This, combined with their increase in being touchy with each other, leads you to the conclusion that they're in a relationship. They must be trying to figure out how to tell you, is the thought that occurs to you while laying in bed one night. Your heart sinks a little, and you can't fall asleep for a long time after that

roommates!Caitvi who immediately get concerned when you start avoiding them. You come home late most nights, citing various excuses like studying at the library or grabbing coffee with a friend as reasons to why you've been out of the apartment so much. You don't hang out in the common area as much, either, preferring to stay in your room and watch movie on your laptop. It's easier than worrying about if they're making out on the couch or exchanging secret whispers that you never seem to be in on

roommates!Caitvi who corner you one day. After you get home from yet another late night out, they're both sitting at the kitchen table with their arms crossed, both pairs of blue eyes trained on you. "You want to tell us why you've barely talked to either of us the past few weeks?" Caitlyn narrows her eyes. She's not one to be afraid of confrontation. Vi's slightly softer, though her expression mirrors Caitlyn's worry. "If we've done something to upset you, princess, just tell us. You can't avoid us forever."

roommates!Caitvi whose jaws drop when you finally let your thoughts spill from your lips. "Fine!" you huff. "I'm sick of you two pretending you're not hiding something from me! I've seen all of your secret conversations and how touchy you are with each other! Why won't you just tell me you're together? Do you— do you not trust me?"

roommate!Vi who's the first to cut you off. "Woah, woah," she holds both her hands up. "We're not together. Just give us a second to explain, yeah? We have a good explanation for the secrets."

roommate!Caitlyn whose expression immediately softens. "We're not together. Well, we want to be—" she pauses when your face falls. "But we actually just weren't sure how to tell you that we want you, too. That we've fallen for you just as much."

roommates!Caitvi who don't leave your side for the rest of the night. They sandwich you in between them the second you return their confession with your body crumpling in relief. The three of you sleep in Caitlyn's bed that night: the king-sized canopy more than big enough to accommodate them on either side of you. Caitlyn, true to form, wakes up early the next day. But instead of getting up, she pats a sleeping Vi's cheek and brushes some loose hair out of your eyes. Vi, also true to form, wakes up late. Only this time, she pulls you closer into her chest and falls right back asleep. And when Caitlyn wakes you two up with cups of tea and a kiss to each of your foreheads, you've never felt happier.

My first time writing a Caitvi x reader sooo hope you guys enjoyed! I wrote this at 2am while doing a sheet mask teehee <3

~Cherry 🍒