#that these three would be the most chaotic triad

[rev-wrath]

*slamming into your inbox to continue the very long reblog chain with my thoughts on not only triads including Bruce and Knight but also quads*

Jonathan leans more towards Knight whilst Eddie leans almost equally to both. The latter however, leans slightly towards Batman (the cowl stays on during date night/j). The two of them do have a separate, chaotic B plot going on in the background but it is not mentioned at all to the others (it's probably a full on criminal telenovella let's be real). The two of them are one of the most messy and confusing relationships in the Rogues gallery. (None of the Flock members like the idea of this quad. Maybe except Steph for shits and giggles and Babs. But like Babs is also very hesitant.)

At one point, there's a rumour going on that Knight and Bruce are in a secret relationship with Batman. The people who are in the know just call them cackling. It's absurdly funny and Knight decides to kiss Batman at one point. Bruce is fondly exasperated.

Clark, Diana, and Gotham's darlings could potentially form a quad. But as you said, the two of them don't spend much time in close proximity. With Bruce, maybe, bc of the whole JL thing. But with Knight? Not much. It still has a higher chance of working compared to some of the other potential quads. (Most Flock members are okay with this quad I think. Jason firmly disagrees bc Wonder Woman is way too good for Bruce.)

Potentially, Harvey, Selina, and Gotham's darlings could make a quad. But like. I don't know too much about the dynamic between Two-Face and Catwoman beyond a couple comic panels and the Arkham games.

Hm. Talia would not form a quad. I don't think she'll like the idea of sharing the two of them. But my interpretation may be completely wrong so idk. On the same line, neither would Johanna if she ever gets around to liking Bruce at all, and Khoa probably doesn't give a shit about Knight, let's be real.

Truth be told though, I mightily prefer Bruce and Knight being the power couple they are and flirting with/ seducing everyone whilst not taking on a full on third ('it could confuse the pups'. 'one of your children is nearly thirty').

I like the mental image of slamming. We had also greatly strayed from your original point.

The odd thing with Eddie is there’s Knight, Bruce and Batman. For Eddie, Batman and Bruce are a little different. One is a high society member who hid away and did (seemingly) nothing, all while reaping the benefits of his family. The other is an intelligent, fun vigilante he can tease in a way more similar to banter than taunting (which is more similar to how he would’ve approached Bruce). (Yeah, the cowl was me. I’ll admit it.) And honestly I would love for him and Jonathan’s relationship to be talked about in the fic, even if it’s in the interlude, but I think it’d also be nice for the most it gets mentioned is if Knight looks at them and goes “Ah.” or Eddie explicitly is talking to Knight about it over lunch. (Barbara sort of supports it because Eddie gets everyone he wants and Knight likes all of them.)

Knight kissing Batman happens all the time, of course. But this time they make sure there’s a camera there. Bruce is so in love with them.

The three different cities is hard. And so is the whole space thing. It’s a little more stable because they’re a little more adjusted and definitely more cared for, but again, Knight. (Jason is staring down Bruce and Bruce asks if there’s something wrong. Jason says “Diana Prince, the Wonder Woman, is too good for you.”)

There could be some potential there.

I don’t think Talia would be very open to sharing them with anyone else either. Johanna, if she gets around to liking Bruce, wouldn’t. She got both of them and knows how good of a thing that is and desperately wants to not fuck it up. Khoa only cares for Bruce, most of his feelings regarding Knight is indifference. The rest is tension and a little respect.

Honestly, I like that for them too for most of their lives. Maybe the entirety of it. Everyone knows it, and knows to play by the rules, not nice, but by the rules. Nice is not the same for everyone involved so.

[takerfoxx]

All right, this is probably one of the more cringy shipping things I've posted, but eh, who cares?

Now, I've mentioned a few times that for as ride or die as I am for the Israfel Special (Shinji/Asuka/Rei) triad, there's no way it would work given their personalities and hang-ups in just about every canon depiction, and some stuff would have to be altered if it even has a prayer of having a chance. Which got me thinking. In the healthiest possible version of that ship, what would their personalities actually look like, and how would they interact with one another?

Shinji? Malewife. Okay, I kid, but c'mon, it's basically what he does. Even so, he would definitely be the most grounded of the three, the one having to reign the girls in before they got into too much trouble. Despite this, he really does enjoy his partners' antics, and will allow himself to get swept up in them, so long as they're not trying something too illegal. And while he served as the superego in the original show, here he would probably be the ego: the calm, rational one that serves as a comfortable stabilizing force.

Asuka? Basically Haruhi Suzumiya. Still energetic and impulsive, but since she doesn't feel threatened by the other two and isn't constantly trying to compete with them, she instead turns that energy into this proactive force of personality, the one that keeps encouraging the others to get out there and try new things. Her insecurities are definitely still there, but she masks them with overcheerfulness instead of aggressive hostility. Loves pushing her partners to try newer and more daring experiences, but feels absolutely rotten whenever she goes too far and gets them hurt. Despite her impulsive nature, she is the superego of the group, as she is more chaotic than Shinji but also, surprisingly, has more inhibitions than Rei.

Rei? Autistic as fuck. I'm working off the assumption that she still had the same life up until meeting the other two and they're the ones to draw her out of her shell, so she's not exactly the most socially adept. Still, now that she's had a taste for actually having a life, she's boundlessly curious and quietly down for pretty much anything. Enjoys accompanying Asuka on her hijinks while also having Shinji teach her various creative outlets in equal measure. Basically, Rei Q from that heartbreaking slice of life montage from the last Rebuild movie. Also, in a change, she would be the Id, in that she comes into actually experiencing a sense of self and what she wants and enjoys very late and hasn't learned about things like, you know, a sense of restraint and a filter for her intrusive thoughts.

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

I was thinking, perhaps too deeply, about The Man Who Would Be King and October. This because both seem, to me, to have one very important aspect in common: at the beginning there is a clear relationship that is central, and possibly romantic, but is later deplaced by a completely different one (yet, the first one still holds some importance, enough to cause some jealousy or friction). Because in The Man Who Would Be King there is an obvious interest, at the beginning, to explore the relationship between Tom and Lily. I wasn't sure if it was to be a romantic one, and if it was from the beginning is arguably the slowest slow burn imaginable (since Lily has to forego her ideals, forgive Tom murdering and being responsible for the deaths of friends and her husband, as well as some other issues). Yet, while that potential romance has not died entirely, it has been replaced by one I prefer and find more interesting, this time the one between Tom and Alphard.

And, here is the thing, it made me think of October. Where you were very blatant about being a Tomarry fic on the author notes, yet, the fic itself made it very clear the most important romance was between Lily and Tom. Harry, or Azrael, slowly lost relevancy, and became far more antagonistic and less, well, passional. Their romance seem to dwindle a lot, even if both of them accepted it as something inevitable (as they were both immortals).

And is an interesting parallel for both fics to have, because I'm not sure it was intentional for neither. After all, while Alphard did appear on the fic quite early, he was a background character until the assassination attempt, after that he stole the readers' hearts. And while I see Tom, as Alphard does, having an oblivious crush on Lily, I also feel like the inclusion of Alphard did make the fic change its focus from Lily and Tom potential romance to the one between Alphard and Tom. Mostly, because the romance is more viable (for the characters, at least), since the one between Lily and Tom requires a huge transformation of character from them both, while the one between Tom and Alphard seems already finding some soil to stand on (although I'm very well aware there is a lot to be done before they get together for real, if they ever do).

There is, however, an interesting contrast between the two fics: Tom. Tom is completely different in both fics. In one he neve gains political power, and stops doing things that could be considered evil. On the contrary, he is a very reputable citizen, or would be of it wasn't for his lack of status and because he married his 40 years younger student. While on the other fic Tom is Voldemort, has killed willingly and repeatedly, and showed little to no remorse about it. The Lily romancing October's Tom and The Man Who Would Be King's Tom are completely different women. But it begs the question, perhaps, how different would October be if you got to rewrite it or to write it now? Because I strongly suspect Alphard would be a part of it, and the whole romance dynamic of the fic would change entirely. It would be, at the very least, more angsty and chaotic for sure. Yet, it does make me wonder how it would go.

Now, given what I know of your and Vinelle's fic repertoire, it could be possible this time it could end up as a poly. An impossible thing on October (not just because of the incest, but also because neither Harry/Azrael nor Lily would ever allow it), but scaringly likely on The Man Who Would Be King. After all, the romantic tension between Tom and Lily is there, as well as a potential betrothal between Alphard and Lily has been discussed. Of course, I feel like Alphard is gay on his entirety, not bisexual, so I see the poly being more of a V kind of relationship rather than a true triad if it ever came to happen.

All of this to say, I'm very curious about what is going to happen with the three of them on the fic. I must admit, however, that Alphard won my heart so strongly I prefer him over the other two, which surprises me since he is barely canon to begin with. I guess it does speak of how good you write him, since he is very dear to my heart (not only on this fic, I also love him on Amulette d'Amour).

Maybe this is a very mistaken analysis, but I wanted to share it nonetheless, just to hear what you think (of course, I do recognize that some aspects of this analysis involve predictions, so I understand you not expanding on those points because of spoilers).

In an unrelated note, the mystery aspect of the fic is really good, and all my theories end up being proven wrong at some point, or in some manner. I'm seriously intrigued by how the mystery (or mysteries) is going to be solved, at the end.

October by me and The Man Who Would Be King by me and @therealvinelle

Very interesting analysis, anon! I don't think I'm going to confirm or deny anything (not the least because of potential spoilers).

Look, @therealvinelle, a lot of praise!

[lurkingshan]

10 Things I Love About 3 Will Be Free

I am very late on this one, I know it! But this week I finally sat down with @wen-kexing-apologist and binged the whole thing, and had a grand ol’ time doing it. @waitmyturtles the verdict is two enthusiastic thumbs up. This was such a fun romp, and here are a few of the things I loved most about it:

SHIN MY BELOVED

Guess who has a new blorbo!! In hindsight it is absolutely absurd that it took a Tay Tawan girlie like me so long to watch this show, because Shin is an instant entry on the all-time fav characters list. I love his sad gay ass. He’s sensitive, he’s lonely, he’s repressed, he’s far too susceptible to Stockholm syndrome, and I would protect him with my life.

Mae

A working class trans character with an actual plot?! Thank you for your endless gifts, P’Jojo. Sure, my girl Mae made some questionable choices (just a little light murder!), but listen, I support her, in the words of @wen-kexing-apologist, embracing her feminine rage. And in the end, she figured out exactly the right target for her rage and lived her best life.

Miw

A Survivor. Gets shit done. Absolutely will kill a man if he forces her hand. Loyal to her boyfriends even when it would probably be smarter to ditch them. Also, she so pretty.

Neo’s tanks and crop tops

I never claimed not to be shallow.

Neo and Shin’s backstory

Episode 5 was my favorite of the show and the moment it really clicked for me. I loved getting a glimpse of Shin’s lonely and dejected teen years (I just wanna talk, Ken 🔪🔪🔪). I loved that the basis of Neo and Shin’s relationship and initial attraction was the way they played together. Shin laughed more in his few days with Neo than he probably had in the several years preceding them. I loved that Neo gave him his first kiss and that Shin treasured those memories so dearly.

The Worst Criminals Of All Time

Truly remarkable these three are still alive by the end of the show. Their ideas were half-baked and their execution was severely lacking. They never had a plan they thought all the way through and they never had a single scheme that went off without a hitch. Luckily, the bad guys chasing them were also thoroughly incompetent, so it all evened out. The only smart person in this show was Miw’s mom, who knew the only prudent move was to stay the hell out of this mess.

Miw and Shin’s friendship

I just love that these two developed their own bond, even though they’re not into each other the same way they’re both into Neo. They both risked their lives to save the other. They tease and joke with each other. Shin literally wanted to bring his new bestie home to live with him. They’re adorable.

This weird little guy

Toptap. My guy. What are you doing here and why are you being so strange? Are you good, are you bad, are you chaotic neutral? Who can tell! Certainly not me. But I enjoyed every moment your weird ass was on the screen.

There's a polyamorous relationship, and it’s depicted onscreen!

Okay, here’s the part where I admit my expectations for the poly romance in this show were a liiiiiiilttle off base. I must gently rib the fandom for leading me to believe this show would have any actual sex in it (or really a focus on romance at all) and once again recite to myself a universal truth: gifs removed from context are so misleading. At the same time, I also must acknowledge how groundbreaking it was at the time to depict polyamory at all. I would have loved a bit more time spent on the actual relationship dynamics and the emotional complexities of this triad they formed, but I recognize that’s not really what this show was about and appreciate they included a polycule in the first place. Now that it’s 2023 and he’s been give a lot more freedom, I look forward to Jojo’s further exploration of sexy polycules in Only Friends.

Against all odds, these crazy kids got their happy ending

When this show started I did not see any way for them to come out of this in good shape. I was going to be happy if they simply survived. But not only did they survive, they are thriving! Shin has inherited his dad’s legitimate business and discovered he looks hot in a deep V. Neo and Miw are living that beach life they deserve. Everyone loves each other and everyone is at peace. A+, 10/10, would watch again.

[rowanthestrange]

Someone have fun and play brain tennis with me. Brain squash it’s more dangerous and shouty and done in doubles. Stupid name for a solid idea for a sport. Hit things off walls with me until it gives us points. Just want to run things. Stream of consciousness it.

What are we doing with ‘Triad’? What are we doing with three?

First thought: the same thing we did last time with Chibs, this is a god trinity in three parts thing. Back then that was a physical Doctor, child Doctor, and spirit-projection Doctor.

Doctor as God. Fine. Got the Pantheon, haven’t shied away from it. Probably a mirror, we emphasised the Doctor recognising mirrors this time.

Second thought: Triplets? We’re talking about changeling children, does three rather than the usual two get us anything? We’re solving Ruby’s story this finale. Is she one of three? That’s what being a foundling means you have no idea of your family - we focus on parents but what about siblings? You could have whole maybe identical versions of yourself you don’t know, separated off? Maybe bringing them all together is a harbinger of The End, that’s what we did with the Maestro. Changeling girl, she should be magic. The trap was a triangle - the three together could be a trap.

But more importantly what would that hypothetical do with our “The Doctor literally recognised a character as a mirror in-universe pay attention” situation? What would it mean for the Doctor down the road?

First obvious equivalent that comes to mind - the Timeless Child baby Doctor was originally a trigeneration?

First thought - Stupid dogshit basics: The Doctor and the Master being bigenerations seems rational and neat and organic fine. And I mean we do three, we’ve done three before with them, we do the Doctor, Master, and Rani. Generally keep them together. Sure on paper it’s the most fandom history appropriate option sure, but probably literally impossible rights-wise and eh. Just eh. The idea of it is the psychic equivalent of a soggy digestive. Doesn’t feel good it feels too nerdy in a bad way. Not that my feelings matter, but it doesn’t feel like something Russell Tussell Davies would vibe with.

So who else would you have? You’re not going to be able to pull off a new OC idea for something so essential, I don’t think. I can’t think how you would anyway, and you’d really need the fandom to get on board with the idea.

Would Fourteen, Fifteen, but wayyyyy back the Master count? Bigeneration then bigeneration again is kind of three. But it was bi-generation cus they split in two, tri-generation would have to be split in three surely. It wouldn’t feel like three otherwise. And fuck me we can’t get Tennant for long work anyway.

The thing is the Doctor and Master (who’d makes sense, we know he’s coming back) are already so in balance. The Rani is more amoral selfish so manages to sort of fit in a place with them, but even then she’s villain material. Wonks it. What do you do outside that? You’d need a neutral I suppose. Chaotic Good, Chaotic Neutral, Chaotic Evil.

We ball and do Iris lol. Hey the Thoschei’s making it in/selfcesty anyway.

…Could you do normal? Like not a freak? Trigeneration implies by its nature the capacity for future regeneration though. …Or does it actually? We don’t know Fourteen can regenerate. Actually makes life harder if they can.

Wait that could work actually right?

Kid comes through portal. Human/Whatever Vinder and Bel are which seems basically the same/Not-thing that copies a humanoid/Whatever, kid comes through portal. Is altered by ‘the vortex’ (Radiation? Sentience? Who cares) like River was, which gives them the ability to regenerate. They fall hundreds of feet and probably do so immediately.

We know there’s a second boy, but the story never explains why he’s suddenly in it, the Master shows him and the accidental murder, but never explains who the kid is or why he’s there.

The fandom default is the other kid was probably the Master, and experimented on by Tecteun using the Child’s regeneration energy to start creating what we’d eventually know as the Time Lords. Frankenstein.

Perfectly logical that the kid could have been a bigenerate that didn’t have the ability to regenerate, but Tecteun’s experiment gave it to him.

The Doctor and Master being changelings for each other, obvious, again I definitely argue Chibs’s intent was the Division would just swap them over, it makes Martin!Doctor’s handholding-without-blinovitching and the Doctor!Master beating the Master!Doctor thing work nicely. And Rusty has wanted to carry on Chibs’s themes and work. So… what if originally there were three? Maybe one got saved? Save the baby, literally finish Chibs’s theme but in an unexpected way.

What if you said fuck the mirror? Maybe that’s literally just Ruby.

They act like siblings. Didn’t we say that from the start?

alright your serve.

Triad, three, go.

[matenrou-fan]

hi hi ! congrats on getting all those requests done:D

i habe a request for hypmic if its okay, could you write some headcanons on dating both samatoki and sasara at the same time? especially with the uh rough end to mad comic dialogue, i think it would be interesting having them getting along again and dating the same person. and if its not too much, maybe both sfw and nsfw headcanons for the threesome?

thank you !!❤️❤️ hope u have a great day btw !

Samatoki x reader x Sasara General HC (SFW + NSFW)

ooh hii star!! thank you for all your kind words <3 I wish you also have a great day!!! writing for poly is so fun and hard in the same time..

NBreader, fluff, swearing, just wholesome stuff;; also teasing, fingering, oral (giving/receiving), threesome;;

SFW:

-Fuck. Samatoki has no idea how he ended up in this shit. And the stupidest thing here is that he actually likes this shit.

-Let's be honest, he was feeling something for Sasara due to the Mad Comic Dialogue era. Even if they don't talk all this time he was still thinking about why his friend changed his behavior so suddenly back then.

-But now here he is. Not only talking with this airheaded clown but literally sharing his precious lover with him! Maybe it's a great opportunity to finally shed some light on the rough end of their duo.. But honestly all Samatoki can't think about is burning jealousy inside him.

-He would be so so envious in the beginning of this polyamorous relationship, as it's all kinda new for him and he still can't understand what he's feeling now.

-When Sasara is so chill about it..! Well if you love them both then why not? He's kinda open minded so he doesn't mind trying something like this.

-"Maybe back then me and Samatoki didn't work out together.." - he sighs, then this casual goofy smile appears on his lips - "But you know what they say? If at first you don't succeed, try triad again..!"

"The heck do you mean?! I'm gonna kill you..!" - Samatoki mumble with soft blush while you start laughing.

-Sasara will always try to cheer up Samatoki with jokes, reminding him of good old days when he annoyed Yakuza the same way. But now you are also here, helping comedian come up with new jokes.

-Your life has become a little bit more chaotic because now almost every day something funny is happening with you three and Sasara's terrible puns adding fuel to the fire.

-So you were a little afraid that Samatoki would soonly lose his patience and just leave you two but one situation changed your mind.

-You were on a little cute date in the library. Bad decision, really, especially how loud Samatoki can be and how Sasara can't keep his mouth shut for more than five minutes.

-So very soon the young Yakuza showed his hot temperament and accidentally hit one of the bookshelves, too angry. Various encyclopedias and journals fall down to your legs.

-"Woah, buddy! You have no shelf control…!" - Sasara whistled but you froze in place, thinking that it's gonna be the last step before Samatoki snapped. He looks at you two with the most angriest annoyance in his eyes, and then..

-.. he laugh. To your (and Sasara's) surprise he just burst out laughing, his pale face softened almost immediately and a slight blush appeared on his cheeks.

-You were kicked out of the library anyway. But as you walk away, Samatoki gets between you two and hugs you by shoulders, still with a wild smirk on his amused face.

-"Hehe, they're such sissies..! Don't let us have some fun.." - he mumbled while Sasara sigh nervously.

-"Aren't you the one who ruined everything..?" - you chuckle without malice but your boyfriend just scoffs.

-"Blame this funny fella, not me."

-He becomes more chill after that, and less jealous. After all, Samatoki can see that Sasara also really loves you and him and all his worries about being abandoned again disappeared.

-And honestly, it's hard to be angry at someone who shows his love and care with such goofiness. Brilliant comedians always have a bunch of half compliments - half puns about your appearance, or just some joke to light up your or Samatoki's mood.

-He's just so silly, you absolutely love to tease him a little. The way Sasara's face becomes hot and red when you interrupt his chatter with a sudden kiss is so cute. Extra points to his shyness if you do this in front of Samatoki who's now smirking at him, asking what's wrong.

-It goes in a circle - these two men teasing you, sitting on both sides of your trembling figure, kissing you passionately, arms roaming around your body, as they can stop to touching you, their pretty darling.. then you and Sasara keep making Samatoki blush with stupid jokes and quick sudden kisses there and there, your arms in his white hair while comedian stroking his trembling hands, and Samatoki tries to act like he's just annoyed, not embarrassed. But you two can hear how fast his heart beats.. And then, finally, you and Yakuza confuse this poor goofy man with more smooches and strokes, his face almost lit red when Samatoki kisses him roughly and you keep squeezing his waist. He even has no single thought or pun to calm down himself.

-But actually every one of you can say that two others enjoy that really much.

-People get so confused sometimes, when with one hand you hold such a cheerful and funny young guy, so many puns break out from his mouth.. when with another one you are holding such a big cold well-known member of Yakuza who keeps piercing at strangers who dare to look at you three strangely.

-But who's give a fuck when the main thing is that you all so happy now?

-You didn't expect but your relationship has become much softer and calmer now, as you three support each other. It even looks like Samatoki becomes more chill with you and Sasara around and Sasara looks more at ease now, as if he wants everything to be like that for a long time.. And your own confidence has risen as now you have not one, but two men who're always ready to listen to your vent and take care of all your problems.

-It's like a comeback of Mad Comic Dialogue, but only for you to see, darling. And for you to reward these boys..

NSFW:

-Your time in bed would be a little bit messy the first few times.

-Samatoki has a habit to get too passionate during sexy times and prefers some rough fast pounding when Sasara likes to be playful, teasing you for some time until you start begging in a whiny voice and only then give you some deep long thrusts.

-So you all have to talk a little first, before you want to have a threesome. And oh god you feel like it was a mistake.

-God know what these two were talking about when you were not with them, but now they both suddenly get down to you, Samatoki keeps your legs spread as Sasara starts teasing you with such light strokes to your crotch, sending tingles to your already heated core.

-You never saw them with such smuggy smirks, Sasara's jokes took such a playful mocking tone and Samatoki got along with that so quickly, also threw in a few teasing comments about your blushing face and pathetic gaze.

-Having one man go down to you is good, but two? It was the best orgasm in your life as you keep squirming around, voice so high pitched as you grasp sheets around you, almost tearing it from intensive pulsing waves of pleasure between your legs.

-Samatoki would like it if you would go down to him together with Sasara. He doesn't want to admit it but the view of these two blushing faces with needy eyes and hot tongues around his dick sends him to heaven. And vice versa, as Sasara also would like a double attention to his throbbing cock from his lovers, he quickly becomes a whiny moaning mess so you two need to hold his trembling legs tight while sucking him.

-And what do you think about trying to take them both, as you kneeling in front of two smirking men, both dicks in your hands as they cooed to you how good and obedient you are?

-If we start talking about oral, why don't you try the daisy chain too? Cause it would be such an interesting experience due to the fact that you all have different paces.

-And to the main act: most of time Samatoki is the one who's preparing you, his fingers so deep inside your wet hot hole while Sasara keep playing with your body, squeezing nipples and leaving hickeys on your collarbone (Samatoki doing the same on your thighs).

-The tower bridge, golden classic. Their favorite position, it doesn't matter who is in what place, as it's just perfect thing to have fun and pleasure to y'all in the same time.

-Sasara learn Samatoki to play with you longer and Samatoki learn Sasara to love fast and aggressive sex so now be prepared for a long night with these two men teasing you in such different but pleasuring ways..

[neonskullboyz]

I posted 354 times in 2022

That's 354 more posts than 2021!

7 posts created (2%)

347 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@skullrockdreamer

@prettyboybillyhargrove

@wrecked-fuse

@grey-sides

@neonponders

I tagged 353 of my posts in 2022

#fanart - 237 posts

#harringroveson - 104 posts

#mungrove - 85 posts

#steddie - 80 posts

#eddie munson - 44 posts

#skullrock boys - 31 posts

#avedanyash - 29 posts

#s4 - 29 posts

#ficlet - 28 posts

#wrecked-fuse - 27 posts

Longest Tag: 67 characters

#because all the eddie fans who are also chill or in love with billy

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I actually want...to write...harringroveson 🧐 ??

Send me fic/au ideas! 

11 notes - Posted November 23, 2022

#4

The Stranger Things fandom doesn’t deserve Eddie Munson.

The Stranger Things writers don’t deserve Steve Harrington.

All of us deserve Billy Hargrove, but for vastly different reasons.

12 notes - Posted October 21, 2022

#3

This might be a bit sappy but I want to thank everyone for not only shipping Mungrove and Harringroveson, but like...immediately throwing Billy and Eddie together.

Thank you for not leaving Billy behind.

78 notes - Posted August 15, 2022

#2

I’m keeping your Harringroveson prompts in my ask box so I don’t lose them, but at the moment I like thinking about a fusion of ideas (from Anonymous🌹 and @a-redharlequin 🌹) : 

• a/o/b where they genuinely are a/o/b. we do not get enough of alpha/beta/omega triads in my professional opinion.

• Billy and Eddie became friends and went on a trip from Hawkins to Indianapolis for Billy's 18th birthday. They go to a popular bar at night and find out Steve sings there.

.

My spin on it is that Steve is alpha but he’s asexual. Eddie and Billy are very sexually involved with each other and overall, these three defy their gender stereotypes. Eddie’s a beta who swings wide in both soft omega and domineering alpha territory. Billy’s an omega, but no one can really tell because Billy Acts Like That, the chaotic boy.

They find Steve being a romantic hunk on stage and lay the moves on him, but they’v encountered Steve in a rough patch. He’s tired of being a service top and just tired of sex in general because the boy needs romance. He wants to be in love.

Billy and Eddie are swinging and missing in their attempts to get with Steve and it would honestly be hilarious because this is still King Steve, for crying out loud. He’s the prettiest alpha within fifty miles, probably more. He knows what they’re doing. Hell, he even likes it, having two groupies show after show. He likes Eddie’s gangly movements and clumsiness. He likes the way Billy looks at him, makes his tummy go all molten; especially when those groggy blue eyes shock comically awake at something Steve said so the bravado vanishes.

Maybe Steve swats at Billy’s dangly earring because he feels a compulsion to touch.

Maybe Steve licks the candy necklace Eddie wears during the Valentine’s show.

Basically just because Steve is ace, doesn’t mean he isn’t King, and Billy and Eddie have their work cut out for them when it comes to learning affection outside of the bedroom.

80 notes - Posted November 28, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Thinkin’ about a Steve who just doesn’t understand why Billy and Eddie are friends. Steve and Billy have finally established something like friendship, but right as Steve is finally itching for Billy’s attention, affection, anything - Billy starts spending more time with Munson.

Billy’s not giving up the goods, and Steve is starting to think that he looks as pathetic as he feels, vying for Billy’s attention. Maybe Billy finally understands, or at least takes pity on Steve after Steve makes a nasty remark to/about Eddie. Billy always liked King Steve, but Steve’s put the crown to rest, so the venom is really out of left field.

Somehow, Steve finds himself in Eddie’s trailer. He probably went to apologize, but Billy shows up for some weed. Eddie is a forgiving person and offers Steve some shrooms as a token of peace. Steve isn’t a psychedelics kind of guy, which prompts Eddie to be like, “Then you have to enjoy them here. The big guy and I will watch over you.”

Eddie fails to inform Steve that shrooms are more than an hallucinogen, they take a person’s emotional dial and crank it up to a hundred.

Fast forward to Steve being extremely emotional over the amount of mugs in the trailer and disappearing to Eddie’s room to try and sleep it off. It’s a small place, so even blitzed as they are, Eddie and Billy exchange looks of wonder at King Steve crumbling into a puddle. They give him a few minutes before following into Eddie’s room, where Steve’s crying and whining about how Billy doesn’t love him, just led him on and then left him out to dry. How, if Eddie just liked sports, he’d have the whole school eating out of his hands and is far more King material than Steve has ever felt.

The metal heads realize they have a steaming pile of a bisexual crisis on the bed and Eddie chimes, “How’d you guys do in geometry?”

Steve only buries himself under a pillow and Billy squints at him like, What the hell are you talking about?

“Well a three-way takes some expertise in angles.”

“Does that look ready for his first time with dick, to you?”

Eddie sighs as he climbs over Steve to take the side of the bed against the wall. “You can be the light he sees after a bad trip, or you get hit the road. Sounds like that’s what he’s used to already.”

That gets some possessiveness out of Billy, and they both sandwich Steve on the bed, like bowling alley bumpers while his body finishes the trip.

It’s like waking up from a dream. A terrible dream that has Steve’s body feeling like he was in a car accident. Crying is hard work, but Billy’s lips are soft. Eddie’s hair is softer, and he smiles when Steve blurts as much.

“All mine, sweetheart. No crunchy curls here.”

“Hey,” Billy growls, but he can’t be mad with the way Steve shivers.

196 notes - Posted October 24, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[beedreamscape]

Hi beloved, thaaanks for the insight 💕

her family historically worshipped The Arch Heart

This info felt specifically made for me, I'm obsessed.

#okay time to get nerdy in the tags#so beyond just a veeeeery subtle shout out to the Clay family#I went with the arch heart for a couple reasons #1. historically the AH does not fuck with the Spider Queen specifically and I thought that was funny since she’s my favorite betrayer#(shout out to the crownkeepers) #2. the DnD version of the AH has a strong connection with the Seelie Court #3. one of their domains is arcana so there’s alignment and ALSO i think there’s a moment in C2 where Caleb grabs one of their symbols#so again gotta connect all the wizards!#of course it never got close to coming up#but it was always on deck

Can we also mention that the fact Corellon banished Artagan back into the feywild during the AoA would be a funny thing to have mentioned? To keep Loquatius on his toes...

(Personal fic rambles incoming)

Funnily enough, the Archeart info marries a time-travel(?) fanfic plot of mine where she gets picked by the chaotic good triad (Corellon, Sehanine, and Avandra but mostly the Moonweaver bc of her connection to the Feywild in CR) to represent them against whatever's happening on the moon as compensate for *gestures widely towards the Calamity* and bc she's very capable. I thought out most of it bc I really like the Jewel of Three Prayers plus the idea that Sehanine is fascinated with Quay.

And amongst that she's asked to hunt down Lolth's champion but then she learns that she's basically a baby and she's not gonna do it. Anyway, this was very lighthearted and obviously before the Crown Keepers departure eps 😢

But remember everyone at the heart of it all is a great demon Bolo from Aeor, we wouldn't be here without her.

I know I've mentioned Bolo being cake in Portuguese (and the mispronounced Bola being Ball) but Idk if people know Porco, from Patia's surname, means Pig in Portuguese (and other romantic languages that use it as an alternative word for it) and I wish Marisha had talked more about it, if it was intentional or not.

[beybladefanboy]

My brain: Polyship them :)

Me: ...why?

My brain: You gotta.

[uozlulu]

Black Clover chapter 332 reaction and spoilers

Aw yiss. It’s finally here. It’s finally time.

sI like Yuno’s green cuffs and Asta’s new shirt collar style.

I like the retcon of Lucius harvesting Luciferio’s heart, but I leaves me with questions since Adrammelech also brought Lucius Lucifierio’s heart in the previous chapter. Is this a ret-con or is it a Dante’s heart is one heart and Luciferio’s is the other? Or perhaps Luciferio is in the process of regenerating yet again and so Lucius decided he needed two hearts? I’m leaning towards possibly two hearts, but if it’s a ret-con I like the enhanced creepiness of this version of events.

Lucius says as he extracts the heart, “…in this world, we are the ones with the most brilliant magic, we humans.” This is an interesting statement because while the other three Zogratis siblings seemed to look down on the humans around them. It’s a good way to establish that Lucius is going to be different from his siblings right off the bat of this new arc.

We’ve hopped fifteen months ahead of the war with Spade. It’s great to see the church family in the capitol to honor Asta’s accomplishments. Looks like they’ve got a new orphan with them too.

Still wishing Liebe got to like be out and about in his big form, or maybe he’s at the hideout wince the capitol probably wouldn’t be into seeing a devil just wandering around. [edit: Saw Liebe on an enlarged image of Asta. Still a little chibi devil. Still a little sad he has to always be a little chibi devil. I want to see them get to be equals more]

I like that part of the time jump is explained by Asta’s trial resolution, because that’s pretty realistic. Also interesting that only Damnatio is mentioned as being missing rather than Julius too

Yuno’s a Grand Magic Knight, which is to be expected after all the stuff we saw him do to help defeat the Dark Triad. That would also explain the green cuffs on his uniform. I’m curious what his squad will be called if reaching that rank means you also receive a captaincy.

Everyone’s really chill about Julius just disappearing, but they seem to think it’s a whim. I wonder if Lucius wrote up a resignation letter or something. There’s something lulzy about picturing Lucius like messing around with devil hearts and then being all “Hold on, Adrammelech, I’ve got to write this resignation letter before we proceed.” But also strangely Julius of him which would make sense if Julius’ existence is just Lucius inverted (that’s at least one my theories but that’s another post in itself).

Sounds like Yuno might not be captain yet with that “other members of the Golden Dawn” statement. Also Rill only mentioned Yuno beating him as youngest in the rank, but didn’t mention Yuno being captain yet. Maybe Yuno decided to wait a bit longer for there’s more to earning a captaincy than achieving the final rank before Wizard King. I also want to see Yuno having to deal with the Black Bulls especially since he’s probably with the more chaotic and eccentric members right now.

I’m glad that we’ve established that Asta can move on from Sister Lily for now especially since there’s no reason to keep up that shtick since he can illustrate he’s a determined stubborn person without constantly asking a nun to marry him alsfjsalkdfjl. This was such a long time coming. It’ll be fun to watch how these two interact from now on without this nonsense hanging over them..

Lucifius has a flair for the dramatic and I love it so much. I think he’s going to be a fun villain and I’m looking forward to it. I’m also curious what exactly he was waiting for all this time. Whatever he’s up to seems to be contingent on Asta reaching rank possibly more than everyone being together like this (or he could have just crashed a captain’s meeting or tangled with Asta prior to today). I wonder if he needed Asta to level up a bit more for the next step of whatever plan he has or he needed Liebe to be away from Asta (although Liebe might still be living in the grimoire). Although maybe he’s just being dramatic and the real reason it’s taken this long is Lucius himself had to train a bit and skip capitalizing on the potential chaos immediately after the war. It’ll be interesting to see what happens next week. Looking forward to all the potential paths this could take.

[aiiwa]

hi pretty baby 🥺 for fmk -> oikawa, iwaizumi, tsukishima. i’d marry iwa of course loml <3. and then probably fuck tooru and kiss tsukki

celeste baby this was hard for me to choose from hehehe, but you have great taste <3

FUCK - iwaizumi hajime. i saw this head cannon that iwa can’t do fwb because he’d already be in love with the person and i just- yeah.

after a triad of back to back failed relationships, you were officially taking a break from romance. but you still had needs. so when one of your girl friends had suggested having a friend with benefits you weren’t necessarily opposed. though you were surprised iwa was quick to offer himself when you had briefly mentioned it to him - he wasn’t necessarily your first choice, only because you thought he wasn’t into anything like this, but you’d be lying if you said you hadn’t thought of sharing a bed with him.

you found iwa to be a passionate lover; so much different than other guys, so much better. he wasn’t afraid to take his time with you, to savour you; it was so clear your pleasure, was his pleasure. but i guess you should’ve realised much sooner than three months in, that it was deeper than just friends who have sex.

“iwa, fuck, feels too good.” you panted out, nails digging crescent shaped moons into his forearms.

he was holding himself up on top of you, your knees by your head, as his arms were tucked against the underside of your thighs. you were basically folded in half, and as you glanced down, you could see the connection between you two. his thick cock sliding in and out of you, coated in your juices - a bulge poking into your belly with each stroke. you can feel he’s near when he starts hitting deeper inside, twitching.

“gonna cum.” he groans, and just as both of your orgasms peak, lost in the high you still manage to make out what he says next. “fuck, i love you, y/n.” you gasp, eyes shooting open to meet his looking down at you. a panicked expression taking over his face, as he tries to cover up his confession. “shit! uh...i love this, i mean- uh, yeah…”

he’s still buried inside you, cum leaking out; that all you can do is laugh at the situation. “how about you try that again later.” iwa’s just nods sheepishly.

MARRY - oikawa tooru. another chaotic marriage.

when you had asked your husband what he missed most back home, aside from his best friends and family, he had said milk bread. it wasn’t common here in argentina, but nonetheless, you were determined to give your husband a piece of home. so calling your sister-in-law had been the first option for retrieving the recipe, and although your japanese was a tad choppy, you had the recipe and you begun preparations to have it ready before tooru returned home.

everything had seemingly gone well. when tooru unlocked the front door, announcing his arrival;you were quick to greet him with a lingering kiss, before dragging him into the kitchen.

“something smells good, mi amor.” and when his chocolate eyes catch sight of the warm milk bread on the countertop, you swear you see sparkles in his eyes. “you made this for me?”

nodding your head, you serve him some milk bread, watching in anticipation as he has his first taste. when he freezes, and struggles to gulp down the first bite, you feel your heart sink. of course, tooru is quick to notice, and offers you the brightest, most painful looking grin you’ve ever seen.

“don’t even try to lie to me, tooru.” you cut in before he has a chance to speak. having a taste for yourself - you’re quick to spit it back out into the trash. “oh god! where did i go wrong for it to taste that bad!”

your mortified expression is quick to turn morph into laughter, as both you and your husband keel over. and then your laughs turn into sobs as you groan about how you wanted to do something nice for him. tooru only pulls you into his chest, peppering kisses across your face as he comforts you.

“mi amor, just the thought of you doing this for me, is enough. i love you...but please don’t ruin my favourite food again.”

KISS - tsukishima kei. i used to wanna fuhhh this man so bad (still do) but me and him would sass tf out of each other.

your time in college was dedicated to two things - keeping your streak record of top grades and pissing off tsukishima kei. and just your luck you got to do both at the same time. it couldn’t have been a coincidence that the two of you were taking all the same courses this semester, or the fact that all of your professors had seemed to come to a mutual agreement for placing you as partners for each group project.

which is how you found yourself sitting in the library, with a salty blondie sitting across from you, golden-brown eyes glaring daggers into your relaxed form.

“do you plan on actually doing any work today?”

stretched out on the table in front of you, the side of your face pressed against your open textbook; your voice come out muffled. “nah.” tsukki continues to stare at you, grip on his pencil tightening, when a random though pops into your head. “hey, tsukki?”

“stop calling me that.” he grumbles, looking back down at his worksheet. when you don’t start talking again, he speaks up. “what? don’t know how to talk anymore? thank god.”

rolling your eyes, you sit up a bit, resting your chin on the flat of your palm. “why don’t you have a girlfriend, yet?” the pencil between his fingers snapped. you hated to admit it but over the years, tsukki really started to fill out his tall frame. he was handsome, though you hadn’t openly admitted so, but by third year of college you would’ve thought a girl would be attached at his hip.

putting down the broken pencil, he pushed his glasses up his nose, staring at you with an undecipherable look. “there’s...someone i’m interested in.” at his confession, you perk up. “she’s one of the most intelligent people i know, but she’s too dumb to even realise.”

“oh? maybe you should just confess then?”

“alright.” he agrees easily. “y/n, you’re the biggest idiot, and i like you. there, how was that?”

it takes a moment for his words to process, mouth agape in shock, before you’re leaping up from your seat, pointing an accusatory finger. “you like me?!” he only rolls his eyes, clicking his tongue. “ooh, tsukki, you wanna kiss me!”

and it’s mid teasing that he too stands, leaning over the table to grip your jaw, and press his lips to yours. he tastes like the strawberry shortcake he’d eaten earlier, and when his tongue slowly teases against yours, you felt yourself melting into him. when he moves back, you shouldn’t be surprised when he mocks you for being so dense.

“shut up.” you grouch. “i’ll be your idiot, just kiss me again.”

FMK CLOSED.

[heresmyfiddlestick]

Here I'm gonna compile the shots we have for each episode

Episode 1 "Space Babies"

This one is clearest because we already know which outfits the cast will be in, as it's most likely the ones we've last seen them in in The Church on Ruby Road. There are some discrepancies with when the Doctor's jacket are on or off, but I suspect he only has it on for the start of the episode, when he's showing Ruby a bunch of cool random places, including the dinosaur past. He'll take it off when they get to the Space Babies station.

Episode 2 "The Devil's Chord"

We know a fair bit about this episode too, and it makes sense for them to put more clips of it in the trailer because a) it will be airing at the same time as the first episode and b) they both look so fucking good (and c) jinkx monsoon and d) the beatles in that order). No real question marks here, aside from what that devastated London hellscape is, and what exactly the Doctor is singing. This has to be a musical episode, right?

Episode 3 "Boom"

We don't know too much about this one, except that Steven Moffat has written it and Julie Anne Robinson is directing (same director as episode 1). The title is evocative, and the YouTube short gives us some clues as to matching these clips. The outfits do the rest (including giving me pretty solid confidence in the dustbowl shots, since we can see what Ruby is wearing - though I could be proven wrong there...). The Doctor makes reference to destroying a "silly little warzone", and he makes a face of horrified loss. So I expect he and Ruby will get separated at a certain point and he'll have a big hero moment. The implosion in the bottom right screencap is probably centred on the Doctor and the landmine underneath his foot. The cuddle on the left hand side must be right at the end, probably.

Episode 4 "73 Yards"

Genuinely no clue about this one. I tried putting all the "snowy" scenes together, but then I noticed the costumes match a different set of clips much better. It would be on brand for RTD2 to keep one episode more or less completely under wraps, so I'm going to assume that's what's happening here.

I'll include some of the composited clips I couldn't place here, though.

We've got all the clips on Rocky Outcropping #1 - though note Ruby has two different outfits here, so either one of them takes place on a different Rocky Outcropping, or she changes. Note the tree and mysterious figure and the Doctor's lobster fisherman cosplay. Also note the TARDIS looking two very different ways.

Then we've got all the clips of them in their white t-shirt and black tank-top get-ups. Still don't know why he's got a whistle on, and more importantly why he loses the whistle.

Then there are three wildcards that I simply couldn't place or match anywhere. Monk Doctor, bubble city, and glitchy lamppost. I could maybe see the bubble city and Monk Doctor being connected, since they both have bright sunlight. And perhaps the lamppost is part of Dot and Bubble (because of the glitchy title card)? We'll just have to see!

Episode 5 "Dot and Bubble"

A bit more guesswork here. The column of screencaps with the slugs and the lady are pretty certain. The old lady screaming just seems to fit the vibe. I suspect this will be a tech-based villain, so I'm including the UNIT scenes because of the "S TRIAD TECHNOLOGIES" line on the screen behind the TARDIS. The scenes in UNIT and the snowy place all seem to connect through Ruby's outfit, and the scene with Mel on a moped connect through the Doctor's outfit. The big cloud racing through London is also probably what they're speeding away from, also attested by the chaotic traffic on the road. Kate also has a line in one of the trailers, "here it comes!" - which is either the TARDIS (more likely) or the big dust cloud. The Doctor screaming into the void just feels thematic for an episode likely centred around technology. Lots of potential problems here, of course.

Episode 6 "Rogue"

This is all very clear with the period costumes. I was reminded while putting this together that there's a theory Jonathan Groff is playing a re-cast Captain Jack. That would be very funny but I really hope it's not true.

Episodes 7 & 8 "The Legend of Ruby Sunday" and "Empire of Death"

I've just put all the Ruby-connected clips together here, though I fully admit the initial TARDIS landing in the Sundays' flat could come from the earlier modern-day episode "Dot and Bubble" (we suspect Carla appears in that one, since we see her in UNIT). The hooded figure pointing at the camera is clearly outside the church on Ruby Road (peep the decorated tree behind them), and Carla's line about "still" being Ruby's mother makes me think something has happened to Ruby, and that'll most likely happen in a two-part season finale that includes her full name in an episode title.

Okay this is now the actual end of this big analysis post. Thanks to anyone that has read all this way, I hope it's been helpful in unpicking what we know so far about the series, and I hope you're getting excited!

i've been meaning to do a short-by-shot breakdown of the trailers for the upcoming season of Doctor Who, and with full-length trailer #2 out today it seems like a good time.

this will cover the teaser trailer (dropped after the christmas special), trailers #1 and #2 (dropped March 22 and today respectively), and the YouTube short they've released with all the episode titles. I've previously looked at the premiere date teaser released March 15.

Title Drop Short

I'll start with this because it is the shortest and gives some helpful hints to identifying other clips.

The accompanying audio here is some babies crying as the lights flicker, showing the monster's shadow. Is the monster hunting the babies? Is it supposed to be protecting them?

What this screencap doesn't convey is the music notes lifting off the page on the far right. When looking up "The Devil's Chord" (aka the tritone) I find on Wikipedia that "George Harrison uses tritones on the downbeats of the opening phrases of the Beatles songs "The Inner Light", "Blue Jay Way", and "Within You Without You" - I'm clearly not big up on my George songs, and I think it would be hilarious if the Beatles-centric episode of Doctor Who winds up being specifically George Harrison-centric.

I can find no info on who Timothy Drake might be (besides Robin, but that feels like a long shot). There is a piece credited to Beethoven behind the book.

"Boom" - clearly The Moff trying to bring back the spooky one-word title steez of Blink and Hide and Listen and so on. This clip has falling rubble and a bit of lazer fire, and above the door we have written "Entrance 3"

We have a cawing corvid behind this one, as snow rushes past what looks like a sign for a pub. Pretty creepy sign!

The words appear in sequence with some electronic chimes here, before the whole thing glitches out. Social media episode?

Here we have the title for the episode that was provisionally known as "Regency", written by Kate Herron and Briony Redman. We have reference to "The Duchess of Pemberton", who is presumably "The Duchess" played by Indira Varma. 8 May 1813 is in fact in the Regency period, but I can't find any other historical significance to that date.

The multiple screens and tech set up here gives me the vibes of a television studio. Will Ruby turn out to be a Sam Jones situation, a companion orchestrated perfectly for the Doctor? I'd say that's unlikely but I'm not ruling it out.

Now THIS is a Doctor Who episode title. Go off king give us nothing!

Alright bearing those aesthetics in mind, let's move on to the teaser trailer that premiered after the Christmas special

Season Teaser

This trailer introduced us to the great, kinda creepy music that recurs throughout the rest of them. And a powerful gaze from Dr. Who themself.

I think I can connect this shot to a scene we'll see later.

We then pop to another stare, in a shirt we've already seen in the Christmas special - so this is probably Episode 1 ("Space Babies").

Lots of good stares this episode, as we also see him looking through a window in the premiere date teaser. Who is that behind him with Ruby?

Then he's running down a corridor, and I'm so glad they've chosen to give him loads of different outfits because that makes this job much easier.

This is undoubtedly in Episode 2. Is he racing to stop "The Devil's Chord" from being played? Or maybe he's going to find Ruby ensnared somewhere. More on that later.

Why is he wearing a whistle? Why are the lights so low?

Were they working out? I love it.

A TARDIS design has to have some good levers for yanking on. This one has that and a jukebox AND mood lighting. good for her!

"I have the whole universe at my fingertips" - this is only part of a quote, which we'll get more of in a later trailer. I like this spot on a cliff's edge that they end up on, and I've just noticed the silly little tree near the TARDIS. The Doctor fell deeply in love with Dingle's Door when they regenerated from 13 and now their go-to spot is gonna be precarious rocks overlooking the sea. Just my prediction. This is likely Episode 1 "Space Babies", given other clips we've seen of them popping out here in their Christmas special outfits.

A door opens, casting a shadow on Ruby as she looks somewhat dumbfounded at what lies on the other side. Judging by the costume, this is probably Space Babies too, and yeah it looks like there might be babies in jars behind Ruby there...

It really looks like he has fangs in this screencap. Again, probably Space Babies given the costume. But who knows!

He's slamming on a button. Possibly to "Reset Port B"?

Here is the Doctor dancing with Jonathan Groff in Episode 6 "Rogue", and nobody seems too interested in them, but then:

The Duchess (and those around her) have taken note of something.

Mr Groff glancing at the Doctor's lips lmao

I love his wig! Everyone has taken notice now, and there's clearly something that has interrupted their dance.

Here we've got the pair strutting along the TARDIS walkway, probably having just changed into these sweet outfits before heading to:

"Abbey Road Studios" in Episode 2 "The Devil's Chord"

They're freaking out I love them. This is a great second-trip in the TARDIS historical. The Doctor has fallen back on their old tricks, but at least they didn't end up in Cardiff again. They're in the recording booth here during a Beatles studio session.

Where is Ringo?!!!

There he is (:

The Doctor has stepped on something he shouldn't. This is presumably is "gonna be a minute!" in the other teaser I've looked at. Shot in the dark, this is from Episode 3 "Boom". Because of land mines. (And the rubble and lazer blasts in the Short seem to match the "warzone" vibe)

"I've really stepped in it now". This looks like similar lighting to the very first "intense stare" shot from the start of this trailer.

Continued in reblogs...

[floret-botanica]

Had some unexpected free time today, so it’s time to do my Oxventure and Ox BitD* shipping ranking/thoughts breakdown!

*predictably, this got long so I’ll do BitD in a different post.

I really started this so optimistic that I’d finish it in two hours but it took me... quite a while.

Ranking

I originally tried to do this as a numerical ranking, but all I got was:

Corazón/Dob

Polyguild

Everything else

So that didn’t really work. Corazón/Dob is the only pairing I ship independently of polyguild, and everything else is either a dynamic within polyguild (ie, would be a specific focus of a fic) or a lead up to polyguild. I also love an AU so there are, at minimum, three different settings to think about and they all have different ships leading up to the polyamory. Basically, there’s a lot to keep in mind, so instead of doing a numerical ranking, I’ll just write my thoughts on all the ships (this will only be pairings and The Whole Lot of Them polyamory, because as soon as I think about doing more than a pairing I want them to all be in love). Okay that was a lie I did one triad.

My Semi-Detailed Thoughts

Dob/Corazón

I’ve already done a pretty substantial discussion of my Dobazón thoughts, but I will say that it’s a tough call between this and polyguild as my favourite. I’ve just spent so long loving this ship, and I also have a few fic ideas which are pushing it ever so slightly to the top. To be honest, this will be (and sort of already has been) absorbed into polyguild in my mind, but for now, I will still respectfully separate it. 

Polyguild

[Slaps roof of ship] This baby can hold so much love and support.

I mean, it’s so good. It’s literally the best of all worlds. They’re chaotic and ridiculous and in love and I adore it. As previously mentioned, I have three four different polyguild scenarios/settings in my head, but at the end of the day it’s five weird, ridiculous and slightly hopeless people who find home in each other. What’s not to love about that?

Also as a point to both this and polycrew, you can make their relationship diagram look like a pentagram, which I think Prudence would approve of.

— From this point, it is not organised by how much I like the ship —

Merilwen/Egbert

This. Really snuck up on me. OKAY @intheseautumnhands WHAT THE HELL. I went and looked for the fic that made me love this dynamic, because I wanted to link to it and I’d forgotten that YOU WROTE IT. The end of Something In the Air is Giving Me Bad Ideas kicked off all of my Merilwen/Egbert thoughts I cannot believe it. How have you invaded my brain so completely? (/pos)

But yeah, I think they hit the exact level of Wholesomeness™ that I enjoy. (I’ll go into later but I haven’t gotten fully into Dob/Egbert because in that sense it is a bit much for me). I also like to think of Egbert and Merilwen being the most “life sensible,” i.e. marginally more willing to talk about their feelings than the other lot. It’s not super accurate to canon, but honestly, if you do an “Egbert’s happiness is a facade” kinda thing then he ends up with the same arc as Dob and that isn’t super interesting to me. I will say that the two of them have the most examples of good relationships in their lives (because I am firmly pro-Le Dragon D'or and most of the elves were pretty chill), and consequently it makes sense that they’d be better at having those and doing good communication. Sometimes you just want some people to act like goddamn adults, and this is where I turn.

Also, I was looking through some notes, and found my Merilwen & Egbert relationship description, part of which is: “Welcome to the Endless Self Confidence in My Ability and Desire to be Nice to My Friends squad.“ Which is still pretty accurate to how I perceive them.

Dob/Egbert

As mentioned in the previous section, I struggle a little bit with this ship for a number of reasons. Dob and Egbert were, for a long time, the characters I had the least fun* watching because I found the sheer volume of chaos distressing. (Look, I’m boring and I like rules. It’s fine). Basically, it never occurred to me to ship them until I went to Tumblr and saw all the enthusiasm, and even then I still didn’t really get it. I really like them as an aspect of polyguild, just getting a quick dip into their dynamic, but the combination of the chaos and the sweetness would get a Bit Much for me all the time. They're a little too similar for my liking, which is the same difficulty I have with Corazón and Prudence. But it is lovely in small doses. I have a little scene of them in my head based on the song Tokyo by emily the band, which I may eventually write.

*comparative to the massive enjoyment I got from watching the Oxventure in general.

Merilwen/Egbert/Dob

I honestly don’t go for triads or quads with Oxventure, but there’re just. Really nice. And I have to talk about this one because there’s a version of polyguild in my mind where, through a complex sequence of horny, awkward and friends to lovers, the three of them have a sincere, loving and well discussed relationship. (Then they entangle themselves with Prudence and Corazón and the good communication suffers for a bit lol). While I really enjoy the sort chaotic-falling-together which normally happens in the “D&D time period” polyguild fics, in an urban fantasy Not Adventurers AU™ I’ve had a lot of fun thinking about a foundation romantic relationship which just keeps accidentally expanding.

Prudence/Egbert

Since this has accidentally become the Egbert section, I’ll do the last two now.

Generally my thoughts on these have come from how easy I find it to imagine (or write) their dynamic, and these two are a little difficult. There’s a lot of potential there, but I think I’d need more (canon or fanfic) interactions to really get into it. Wait fuck it’s also really good? Okay well rule of the Oxventure: it’s all good. All the ships are good.

That being said, I really enjoy the idea that as polyguild happens, some of the pairings are like... side-eyeing each other and trying to figure out how the hell this is going to work romantically and navigating that together. Prudence and Egbert are good for that.

Corazón/Egbert

People. Kept writing stuff about this ship. And then I thought about it a lot. And now I’m obsessed with it. I feel like they’d both be very confused and/or annoyed* about falling for each other and I fucking live for that shit. I also really like the idea that Egbert has his shit together and forces Corazón to deal with his feelings (Merilwen would also do this, and I also really like that ship! I clearly have a type). The banter is impeccable. Admittedly, I’ve only really focused thought on it in one AU, but I’ve really thought about it for that one. Also in the two fics where it’s been given focus (at least the ones I remember) it was extremely good. 

More please.

*Bemused is the word that comes to mind for Egbert.

Corazón/Prudence

I don’t really know how to categorise my feelings about this ship. Best shot is that I love it as a friendship, love it as a part of polyguild (or it’s vague enough that I can imagine), generally don’t like it as a standalone. For me, there’s just not enough there for a complete, compelling relationship, and all the best bits of it are covered by ships I like more.

Some of my eh feelings are very likely due to how demonpirate quite popular, and there is consequently quite a lot of it Going Around. It’s like when a song that you kind of like goes viral and you hear it everywhere to point that you don’t really like it any more.

This is a long winded way of saying that it is very sexy when the scary lady is mean to the pirate bastard but I’m otherwise not super fussed.

Merilwen/Corazón

Extremely fun. Crackship energy, which is extremely my bag. A similar deal to Egbert and Corazón. I will always have time for their friendship, so moving it into a romance is also very nice. Neither of them like people very much (is that a controversial Corazón opinion? I don’t know) and I just think that they’d end up chilling with each other a lot. They’re less chaotic than the others. There’s definitely a lot of mutual respect there, below all the jokes. Merilwen comforting Corazón is a confirmed banger, and I think that it would work equally well in the other direction. They get each other.

Yeah so shipping this really started as a joke but more fool me I guess.

An addition after having a sleep: they’re are concerned about you, but they will be very intense and probably mean about it.

Prudence/Merilwen

Let’s go lesbians.

I kid, but then that is also a big part of the attraction. Sapphic tropes are amazing and women are very cool and just. It adds something. I love their friendship and I love thinking about them both being very dysfunctional. Like, the boys are absolutely fools, but these two are only doing better at them because they’re good at faking it. Poor communication in a very different way. Prudence would be kinder around her than the others, I think, and that makes me happy.

Prudence/Dob

There is one inherent problem with this ship: Christmas colours.

Despite this almost insurmountable obstacle, I have devoted quite a lot of time to thinking about this ship, and what I have decided is that I have no interest (as much as I “have no interest” in anything in this fandom) outside of polyguild. Cue someone writing an incredible fic for it that completely changes my mind.

It’s nice. The idea of them (mostly Prudence though) changing under each other’s influence is really interesting. I’ve thought about incorporating the “Jane doesn’t like music” into Prudence’s character (more? It’s already there a bit) and having Dob introduce her to it. But yeah. Only in polyguild.

Merilwen/Dob

Should probably have put this up in the Dob and Merilwen and Egbert section but to be honest I forgot about it. That probably says more about my opinion than this paragraph ever could, but I’ll try it anyway lol. I really like Merilwen and Dob in the same way one likes the primary couple in a romcom: generally good, but unless prompted, they don’t really stick in the mind. That’s probably a little harsh, given that I do find good ol’ team nature very sweet and lovely, and I enjoy thinking about it. I just need something more.

Also I think a lot of fanwork of this ship makes Merilwen less mean and I really like the nasty streak. My preference for her is blunt/unfriendly low charisma rather than awkward/quiet low charisma (though there’s probably more of the second in the actual Oxventure).

Final Ranking

Dob/Corazón

Polyguild

Nothing, those two are the ultimate.

Corazón/Egbert

Merilwen/Egbert

Merilwen/Prudence

Merilwen/Corazón

Dob/Egbert

Merilwen/Dob

Corazón/Prudence

Prudence/Dob

Prudence/Egbert

Hm. Lots of Prudence at the bottom of the list. She’s just evil friends. She’s evil and I find it difficult to get over that and see how she’d be a good romantic partner. To be fair though, this list would have been completely different two months ago (way more Egbert at the bottom) so who knows how it’ll look in the future. Probably just polyguild lol. Always good.

I hope that I’ve demonstrated throughout this that I really like all of the ships, so this is more about roughly how excited or apprehensive I would be opening a fic of a particular ship.

[many-gay-magpies]

@honeyseungz @loabivey so that uh. that mini au that you had like a very small rb thread about yesterday (well over a few days ago now that im posting this). well uh. um . actually you know what im just gonna let you read it yourselves

so. heeseung, jay, and sunoo are all brothers. wether its actual brothers or just "brothers" by blood bond or whatever idk. but, regardless, they're brothers. im thinking that like, at first they aren't vampires, theyre just regular dudes yknow? (and just a forewarning, a lot of this isnt gonna be as compliant with the enhaverse theorizing we've done so far, it's just a little brain worm i wanted to play around with, throwing a little bit of enhaverse crumbs in here and there)

but anyway. they're not vampires, im thinking theyre just like... adopted/found family brothers, probably orphans or something. regardless they love each other a lot and its great. personality-wise everything is super different, but just for plot conveniences, heeseung, jay, and sunoo are the yunmeng trio (heeseung as wwx, jay as jc, and sunoo as jyl respectively), and jungwon is lwj.

the three brothers meet jungwon, probably brought together by this Big Fantasy Evil, maybe something involving the vampire queen as a character? idk. there's some big evil shit going down, and the three brothers somehow end up with jungwon and HIS big bro, who im imagining is jake (basically the lan xichen in this situation—very soft, kind, gentle; the vibes are right). both of them are vampires, not that our three orphan bois know that. they get caught up in the danger, and vampire bros jake and jungwon coms to the rescue.

now, a little bit of personality-mapping here: jay is outwardly very loud, fun, temperamental, and sarcastic, generally very much like he is irl; but inside, he's intensely loyal, protective, and loving, with a HUGE soft spot for the people closest to him. sunoo is very sweet, sensitive, and kind—the walking hug of the three brothers, who is certainly not without his bite and wont hesitate to talk back to anyone who hurts them. aggressively and without mercy. also he makes them soup for comfort and is generally best boy. heeseung is very goofy, playful, free-spirited, and bright, but insecure and sensitive underneath it all; generally a loud annoying mess of a boy. pure chaotic neutral and a gremlin if there ever was one. jungwon, on the other hand, is... not. he's nervous, quiet, cautious to a fault and intensely righteous, always standing up for what's right and refusing to waver from his chosen path. very lawful good vibes. he, naturally, is more than a little put off when jay, sunoo, and heeseung's chaotic ass come crashing into he and his brother jake's once-peaceful (ish) lives. and it doesn't help that heeseung is a... huge flirt, and apparently deadset on making jungwon his friend. fuck.

jungwon... doesn't know what to do. and it would all be so much easier if heeseung were dumb or stupid or unattractive or just a total asshole—but he isnt any of those things. he's beautiful, smart, insanely witty with a brain faster than any jungwon's ever seen—he can't help but admire him. but on top of that, he's wreckless as hell, unpredictable, and pushy, and gives jungwon heart attacks way too much for his liking. he doesn't even have a heartbeat. he's fucking dead.

it eventually comes out that jake and jungwon are vampires; the brothers are surprisingly cool with it. not the craziest thing that's happened to them.

the five boys get closer, staying together as they fight their foe (which im becoming increasingly inclined to make the werewolves), and through a series of convoluted events, jungwon learns that heeseung is not only gorgeous, smart, talented, and funny as all get-out, but also sensitive, caring, insecure, and thoughtful... and heeseung, who's only goal had been to break through the nervous and straightforward outer shell of his young dongsaeng, does just that. and jungwon, naturally, starts to fall in love.

somewhere along the line, though, things go wrong—as they were bound to do in an au loosely based off of the untamed. something happens to heeseung; he's fatally wounded after saving jay's life, and disappears, nowhere to be found. his brothers eventually assume the worse; that he's gone forever. but the queen finds him, takes care of him, nurses him back to health. turns him.

when he comes back, nothing's the same. the war is still going, and his brothers thought he was dead—but he isn't. but he's... different. jungwon and jake are quick to realize that he's been turned, how, they dont know—but they talk to him, teach him, try to help him, jungwon especially. of course he does; he's in love. heeseung, of course, is dismissive; doesn't take it seriously. ill be fine, whats so bad about this? or, perhaps, he doesn't let on just how hard he's taking it; fearing vulnerability more than he fears being a vampire.

inevitably, though, heeseung's wrecklessness leads to doom—he lets his bloodlust overtake him, relishes in it, no matter how much jungwon had warned him against it, pleaded with him to take caution. he says it's usefull—says he can help them take out enemies, help them win this war. jungwon warns him that he could end up getting more than he bargained for. heeseung doesn't listen.

heeseung helps them win the war; practically wins it for them. hes happy, bitterly, until he isnt. he's happy, until he sees his brother—sees sunoo. blood-covered, pale-skinned, drained.

no.

heeseung is broken. jay even moreso. jay yells at him; yells and yells and yells and yells. curses him out, tells him he hates him, tells him he's nothing but cruel evil—he doesn't mean it, of course, but no one knows it then, not even him. now he is only angry; so, so angry. heeseung, wrought with guilt and shame and grief, flees—hides himself somewhere secluded, does the closest thing a vampire can possibly do to death, the equivalent of a thousand-year hibernation. none can find him, he's made sure of that. in his guilt and shame and anger he stews, asleep, for hundreds, thousands of years.

after the anger passes, jay is more than anything in mourning—for heeseung as well as for sunoo. he has a realization, that being that, when, inevitably, heeseung comes back, he doesn't want him to be alone: even if he'll have jungwon and jake, it won't be the same as having his brother. so jay pleads, cries, begs for jungwon to turn him—so that they can search for heeseung together, so that when heeseung comes back, he'll have jay waiting for him, too. so, reluctantly, jungwon gives in and turns jay—after which he helps him deal with his newfound immortality and vampiric status—helping him handle his bloodlust and helping him learn how to feed. over the centuries that heeseung is gone, jay, jungwon, and jake grow even closer (j line eyyy), inseparable as they search for heeseung and even outside of that. jungwon and jay are the closest, jay growing a colossal soft spot for the boy and not hesitating to take him under his wing and protect him with all he has (initially, sort of as a replacement for protecting heeseung, but eventually jay's affection for jungwon grows into something all it's own). to be clear, no love triangle bullshit here, only sickening-sweet platonic soulmates jaywon and a jungwon that is still achingly in love with heeseung.

(okay for anyone thats actually watched cql/read mdzs, yes i KNOW lwj and jc did not get along at all and kind of hated each other but. this is my au i do what i want, and if i want to add soft jaywon into the mix then im fucking going to, goddamnit)

OKAY TIME FOR SOME WACKY SIDE-PLOT MADNESS

so. sunghoon. how does he fit into all this? how does he end up being the one to trigger heeseung's "resurrection"? how does heeseung GET resurrected in the first place? well, not to worry, you're about to find out! and i am too because i'm just figuring this out as i go along baybyyyy

sunghoon, im thinking, is a friend of jake's (lets throw some jakehoon in here too bcs why not), either from before everything went to shit and heeseung went and isolated himself, or sometime during the numerous centuries jakewon spent looking for heeseung with jay. either way, sunghoon is this boy who jake is friends with and cares about a lot, and is also maybe kind of in love with. while jaywon spend most of their time looking for heeseung, jake spends his with sunghoon—finding himself often alone, now that his little bother is going off on his own adventures.

in a situation quite similar to heeseung's, sunghoon probably gets fatally injured somehow and is near death, but jake, not wanting him to die, decides to turn him instead. niki is also involved, and it's a sort of package deal, because before meeting jakewon, heeseung, and everyone, they were their own little thing; not unlike jay, heeseung, and sunoo's brother's triad. they were both probably orphans, niki being the much younger one, and as such sunghoon took him under his wing and never looked back. when jake turned sunghoon, niki was basically like "m8 what the fuck" and demanded he be turned too, not wanting his sunghoon-hyung to live on forever while he grew old and died. jake, also having a soft spot for niki, was like "fine alright" and turned him too. so, now their little vampire coven numbered five, and all was (moderately) well.

or not.

the thing was, jake hadn't anticipated how powerful sunghoon would be—there's nothing in life that anyone's found yet that would indicate a person's level of power once turned, so jake had... pretty much no way to see this coming. but, anyway, sunghoon was... really, really powerful. like, insanely powerful. all the abilities vampires were said to have in legends, the likes of which were previously reserved for just legends, he had them; flawless teleportation, mind control, shape-shifting, the whole bit. and on top of that, he was controlled—insanely good at monitoring himself and keeping tabs on his own instincts. one of the most self-sufficient, well-mannered vampires jake had ever seen. it was... frankly insane.

the problem? the queen. this is where she comes in, because she's played a part in all the boys' transformations, albeit indirectly—when jake and jungwon first turned, it was she who turned them. she could sense sunghoon's power, and she wanted it for herself. jake and jungwon had done well at avoiding her, even forgetting about her for a while; but what she wanted, she took, and take she did. it was sunghoon she took: luring him to her in small increments and then all at once, taking control of him, turning him into a mindless puppet. sunghoon had always prided himself in control, and without it, havoc wreaked: bodies dropping left and right, people being killed seemingly at random, their only purpose being to instill fear and paranoia.

now, niki had heard tales, before, from his hyungs but also from regular townspeople to whom the legend had gotten passed down, of heeseung, and how great and terrible he was. heeseung, the townspeoples' folktales said, had been insane, unstoppable: a mad genius far too gone for redemption. niki also knew from his hyungs' fond stories that heeseung, more than evil, was kind and caring; he was loyal, and powerful in his loyalty, and niki thought that if anyone could save his sunghoon-hyung, it was heeseung.

so niki went on a journey. without telling jaywon or anyone else (and thus causing quite the panic), he spent years searching for heeseung, everywhere jaywon had thought to look and everywhere they hadn't, and twice more for good measure. and, by some stroke of luck, either due to his own sheer force of will of something else entirely, niki found him: locked away in an old castle that never quite seemed to stay put, constantly phasing in between realities. it made sense why no one had found him before then—he didn't want to be found. desperately, in fact.

but niki, too, was desperate. he enacted a ritual that was said (by jake, so of course it was to be trusted) to wake any vampire that had gone into hibernation, and, miracles continuing to work for the bitter young boy, it worked. heeseung awoke—startled to find himself staring into the face of a very teary, very angry (visibly) sixteen-year-old.

confusion passed, things and motives were explained, and heeseung (although bitter at having been woken up, and still riddled with enough guilt to last 1500 lifetimes) attempted to patiently tell niki that he had no fucking idea how to help sunghoon whatsoever. niki pretty much said "well you better fucking find a way because you're not going back to sleep now, the world's about to fucking end. also jay and jungwon-hyung have been looking for you for literal centuries, do you know how pissed theyd be if i went out looking for you, found you, then came back empty-handed? really fucking pissed is how much. also sad. did i mention sad?" and heeseung, notoriously weak and also kind of (read: very) in love, is just like "...jungwon? jay?"

so niki brings heeseung back to the others, the return journey taking a long enough time that the two become significantly close to each other, heeseung's long-forgotten big brother instincts (tm) kicking in around the younger vampire. niki has to basically drag heeseung out of the castle by his teeth, because as much as he misses his brother and jungwon, he's still so incredibly guilty, and completely convinced that he isnt worth love or life whatsoever and that jay still hates his guts. and, jungwon... he doesn't even want to think about jungwon. how he failed him. how he let him down. but, niki slowly works through the insecurities, bit by bit: assuring heeseung that, no, even though jay will definitely rip him a new one once he sees him again, he'll also cry and hug him for at least 24 hours because he misses him like hell and heeseungie hyung you have no idea.

they weather a lot together. storms, mental breakdowns, bouts of blood-starvation so severe heeseung thinks he'll lose it again: but they're there for each other. they hunt, talk, keep each other warm, and in it, form an unbreakable bond. niki had heard tales of the legendary lee heeseung, who wiped out entire armies in two seconds flat and comforted his friends when they were sad and annoyed jay to the very ends of the earth: but what he's faced with is a man with more insecurities than niki has hairs on his head—and he has a lot of hairs on his head.

by the time they make it back to the coven's home, heeseung has grown sufficiently attached to the enigma that is niki, and has almost completely but it out of his mind that he's here for his old friends, too. he's only doing this for niki: it's a fact he's comfortable with. so when they reach the front steps he just... freezes.

i have a very clear image of it in my head—jungwon, jay, and jake sense niki's presence, in some weird vampire-y way. it's been around 10, 15 years since he left at this point, so of course they rush out to greet him, ready with scoldings and lashings about how stupid he had been (after, of course, making sure he's unharmed and alright)—but it all dies on their tongues as soon as they see who's with him.

frozen. everything is frozen.

i imagine it's a lot like lulu and artzyy's post. jungwon is the first to move, stepping forward and whimpering out a broken "hyung", and all heeseung's guilt and avoidance is forgotten in favor of cradling jungwon to his chest, holding him close and whispering reassurances into the crown of his head, wonnie, im so sorry, hyung's so sorry; i didn't mean to leave you for so long, i'm here now, its okay. and of course then jay comes in, crying and screaming about how the fuck is it okay, how can it ever be okay, how could you just not mean to leave us alone for 1500 years?! how the fuck do you just expect to waltz back into our lives like nothing ever happened and pretend its all okay?!? and then he hits him, and hurts him, tries to make him feel even an inkling of the hurt he was made to feel for the past fifteen hundred years—but then punching him turns into fisting hands into the back of his shirt and sobbing into his neck and holding him so tight he wouldn't be able to breath if he had the need to and please, please don't leave, why would you leave, you asshole, why did you leave?

so yeah. things happen. reunions are had, tears are shed. some indirect heewon love confessions probably happen later on in the form of very intense devotions of life and self and all that. "walking on the single-log bridge in the dark really isnt so bad" you know the whole shbang. meanwhile jay salty in the background just like "cant you just say you love each other like normal human beings jesus fucking christ"

jayseung's relationship (or the reigniting of it) is, well, rocky. they're both conflicted—jay even more than heeseung. because, the thing is, heeseung killed sunoo. as regretful as he is, that doesn't make it any easier to forget. but he's back, and alive, and in one piece, and he isn't leaving, and jay knows it wasn't really his fault, he wasn't in control—but he killed him. he killed their brother. and it WAS his own stupid fault for losing control in the first place, for not listening to jungwon, so what the hell is jay supposed to think? he flip-flops between being intensely grateful that heeseung is back and okay and finally with them again, and then remembering what he's done, giving him the cold shoulder and not speaking to him for hours on end. and all the while, heeseung is riddled with guilt, and shame, and grief he'd suppressed for far too long; niki's stubbornness combined with jungwon's unwavering support being the only things keeping him from bolting into oblivion all over again. all in all, it's a difficult time—but they get there. eventually.

naturally, they save sunghoon. what else is there to do? they defeat the queen, break her control over their friend—and then jakehoon have their own teary reunion, not unlike heewon's, and sungki have theirs, not unlike jayseung's (although with a... considerable decrease in cursing and conflicted emotions, and a lot more immediate sobbing). they're a mess—sunghoon is traumatized, heeseung is traumatized, jay and niki are traumatized, they're all just fucking traumatized. jayseung will probably take a long time to get back to the way they once were, if it's even possible—there'll always be an empty space there, something gone, something missing, and it's one that can't be filled. jungwon barely lets heeseung out of sight or touch alike, and heeseung isn't much better off. jay's always been the more touchy one out of the three of them; but after years of missing, of longing, there's plenty of time to be made up, and heeseung is just... so, so soft, and warm, and being held by him is the loveliest thing jungwon's ever known.

AND NOW A SUNOO THING, BECAUSE THE IDEA OF ENHA LIVING HAPPILY EVER AFTER AS OT6 WITH SUNOO JUST FUCKING DEAD DOES. NOT WORK FOR ME

so like. sunoo isn't dead, or he doesn't stay dead, or not the soulless-unmoving kind of dead anyway. you know how necromancy and fierce corpses exist in donghua and shit? well they exist here too because fuck you and also i said so. i made myself sad and now im making it happy again goddamnit.

anyway. after he dies, sunoo gets found by the queen, too, and because she's all-powerful and whatnot she fucking necromances him—figures he'll be useful later. as he is, though, he's basically nothing more than a puppet; like wen ning and song lan were when they were being controlled. his soul isn't... gone exactly, just imprisoned, prevented from being able to come forward and command his body.

so. sunoo is still partially alive, and the boys (jay, jake, jungwon, sunghoon, niki, and whatnot)... don't know that. i imagine that for pretty much the entirety of the centuries that heeseung is gone, sunoo's status as a necromanced fierce corpse goes entirely unknown to them, and it's only after heeseung is brought back by niki that he starts to resurface. i imagine they realize it in a sort of tense, action-filled scenario: the boys have gone to investigate another attack, thinking it's sunghoon, but as it turns out the queen has had TWO undead corpses running around doing her dirty work instead of one. and one of them is sunoo.

heeseung and jay, of course, are stunned. they cant believe it's real; it isn't real, it can't be—and yet.

a lot of angsty plot stuff happens—i dont have the energy or enough shits to give to figure out what. the thing is, the queen only kept sunoo this long and brought him out as a tactic to lure heeseung, make him weaker; and it probably worked. in the midst of both fighting against sunghoon and fighting to SAVE sunghoon, heeseung is bent on saving sunoo as well, and there's probably a lot of very angsty talk wherein there are disagreements about who's life, really, is more important in this situation, and if heeseung is just trying to make up for what he did to sunoo. regardless, heeseung ends up saving sunoo and bringing his soul back to the surface. what he doesn't expect is for sunoo to forgive him—fully and wholeheartedly. and it feels wrong, because no, you should be angry with me, you should hate me and want to hurt me like i hurt you; but sunoo is just... happy. happy that he's back, happy that heeseung is back, happy that they're all together again. and its conflicting, to say the least. even moreso because sunoo isnt stupid—he didnt just act like heeseung was an innocent who did no wrong; he knew he had been wreckless, knew he was at fault, and he forgave him still. loved him still. that was something heeseung... hadn't been prepared for.

like i said in the last part, they save sunghoon; how, im not sure, but they save him, probably with a fair bit of sunoo's help, and they're together again. only the tiny difference here is that sunoo is with them too. sunoo is back, and the gang has yet another undead bestie to teach the ropes of being a vampire to. things are awkward, obviously, especially between the original brother's trio of heeseung, sunoo, and jay; because sunoo is his usual sweet and kind self while jay believes that he should be more angry at heeseung for killing him, heeseung agrees, and jay has some very conflicted feelings about how self-depricating his hyung is being (because like... yeah you killed sunoo and im supposed to hate you but you're not supposed to hate yourself, you idiot, what the fuck?)

(also like. if we're gonna take some more crumbs from cql canon here im gonna go ahead and say sunoo's death was at least somewhat self-sacrificial, even if it was heeseung that ended up causing it in the end)

(i kind of love how jiang cheng-y i made enhaverse jay here to be honest)

(okay this has been in my drafts WAY too long because ive been waiting for some miraculous Other Detail i need to add to pop up in my mind, but honestly i can just add anything else i think of in a reblog afterwards, this bitch just needs to see the light of day)

[sanstropfremir]

Hey, in honor of A.C.E. coming back soon would you mind talking about their outfits and makeup in their Favorite Boy comeback (or really any of their outfits/make up cause their stylists is a god and deserves a kiss on the forehead)? They have some of my favorite styling of any boy group currently. Undercover Byeongkwan in the black and yellow crop top with the pony tail lives in my mind rent free and I’m not complaining. I especially loved the mesh of modern and traditional in Fav Boys.

yes!!!! ok be prepared people this is basically a love letter to a.c.e's stylist, whoever you are please my dms are open i just wanna talk (and maybe also get married, your choice)

(also this is really long because there's a lot of pictures, so sue me)

ok there's three main things i want to touch on here that are all contributing factors in a.c.e aesthetics hitting every time: colour theory, silhouette, and pattern matching. alright let's go!

colour theory

so i won't explain all of colour theory because i’m not as good as i should be with the actual theory, but here’s the basics. colours are divided into groups: primary, secondary, and tertiary. here’s a fun diagram i stole from google:

in centre you have the primary colours (red/blue/yellow), then you have the secondary colours, made from mixing the primary colours (orange/green/violet), and then the tertiary colours are made from mixing the primary and secondary colours (yellow orange/red orange/red violet/blue violet/blue green/yellow green). there are some commonly associated schemes that are known to ‘look good’ to the human eye:

complementary, where you pair two colours directly opposite each other on the wheel (red/green, blue/orange, purple/yellow)

analogous, which is a base colour with accents from the colours directly next to it (red base, orange/violet accent),

triadic - either base colour with accent colours equidistant from it (green/orange/violet), or base colour with split complementary (violet base, yellow green/yellow orange accent)

tetradic - this is essentially a combination of two or more of the previous, usually a double complementary or an analogous triad with a complimentary accent (red/green with red violet/yellow green, orange/blue with yellow orange/blue violet)

now there’s a lot more getting into tone, value, and saturation, but these are the basic hue combinations that we most commonly see. kpop styling sometimes veers wildly from these rules, but they aren’t hard and fast so it usually isn’t a big deal. plus a lot of styling is supposed to be a bit visually overwhelming anyways, so i’m not exactly counting it against anyone. but what makes a.c.e’s styling look so nice, even though it often isn’t that complicated, is that they always stick to a specific palette. like i went all the way back through their instagram and ALL their public appearances are coordinated:

even their dance practice videos, of all things!

this is especially true with their performance costumes:

i'm not saying anything really revolutionary here, most groups get colour matching down correctly, but a.c.e's stylists have really nailed down matching the tone and saturation as well as the hue. here's a couple of examples from concept photos:

complementary - full saturation green base, desaturated red (pink) as accent

analogous - full saturation violet, pink, and magenta with desaturated and black accents

triadic - all desaturated

complementary - full saturation red base, varying degrees of desaturation for accent colours

this is fun, let's do some more! this time from their performance costumes:

analogous (monochrome) - full saturation yellow green, desaturated accents

tetradic (analogous with complementary accent) - full saturation red, desaturated violet/red/blue, desaturated green as accent)

triadic (equidistant) - full saturation red/blue with desaturated yellow, desaturated accents

tetradic (double complementary) - full saturation red/green as main pair, desaturated blue/orange as secondary pair, full saturation yellow as accents

starting to see it? you can do this with pretty much any of their styling; i've watched a lot of their performances and i don't think i've seen a single one that didn't follow a really strict colour palette. (ok there were like two savage stages that were not quite as good, but you can tell the stylist was trying to bring them in line with the current 4th gen styling and it didn't work so it didn't last).

costume colours and lighting

this is an important aside in relation to the mvs. whoever edits their mvs is really good at colouring. a big part of colour theory is tone, which is how 'warm' or 'cool' a colour is. it's super important in lighting; the colour wheel is split in half, with yellow through red-red violet categorized as warm, and yellow green through blue and violet as cool. a really easy way to visualize this in lighting is through the light from different types of lightbulbs: led lights are cool toned (they are often slightly bluish), and old style halogen lights are warm toned (they are amber tinged). tones are a thing that kpop videos seem to have a fleeting relationship with; sometimes they're used effectively and sometimes they are not. a big thing that a lot of kpop mvs do is really quickly switch tones in colouring, without connecting the intentions of the colours. here's some examples: ateez's fireworks mv, and oneus' no diggity mv. the fireworks mv has this really weird desaturated balance between warm and cool tones specifically in the interior shots, where they somehow managed to overblow both at the same time, which ends up making it look like they were trying really hard to make a cool tone yellow. you can actually feel your eyes relax in that first shot that takes them outside, because the balance is much more natural. and the no diggity mv.... i love it but it's so chaotic. everything is on high saturation all the time and there's no real limitation on the palette, established connection between colours or arc in the colour story, so the cuts between colours and shots feel more random than intentional. now lets look at some a.c.e mvs in comparision, first: undercover. for starters there's an immediate establishement of red and white/black, with a mild green accent. then it continues to a stronger green/teal, with brown as an extension of red (same undertone). there's a colour shift at the first chorus, where they are in the analogous full saturation violet/pink outfits that i mentioned previously, but they actually desaturate and de-value the hues with edit in order to have it match the tone of the room. the second colour shift is for the second rap break, with byeongkwan and wow in yellow main on black and white backgrounds, but that same level of yellow saturation only appears at the rap break specifically, it's absent from the rest of the mv. and then there's a third colour shift on the last chorus, where they pump up the blue and magenta in order to emphasize the climax of the song.

second, for something a bit crazier: goblin. it follows almost the same pattern as undercover; starting with a strong establishment of red/white/black, but then it jumps into full saturation green and teal as the other main colours. again there's a colour switch at byeongkwan's second rap break, and after than we start to see that deeper saturation blue and pink/purple more, but the main colours are still red/white/black.

ok that's enough about colour, now let's talk about

silhouette

this is maybe a little bit more vague and difficult to describe, but whatever. silhouette is pretty much exactly the way it sounds, it's the overall shape of the body. clothing and body type play equal roles in how silhouette is perceived, but clothing can do a lot to either disguise or transform the body. now there isn't really that much variation in body type in kpop; it's a microcosm of small differences between a lot of very fit people, which has been normalized as "default" by society at large for the last while. i'm not going to get into body politics here, because we all know that kpop dudes are not the median average male body type, but they are for the sake of what we've been socialized to think of as looking attractive so the rest of this is going to operate from that assumption. and when you have five dudes who are pretty smack in the middle of that slight variation (none of them are the largest nor the thinnest, they're all about the same middling height), you've got pretty much free reign to put them in whatever you want and they'll still look hot. kpop styling has a dubious relationship to actual wearable clothing, but it is all costuming so it's not necessary for it to be wearable everyday clothing. but since view in 2015 there's been a dramatic increase in "normal" clothing as performance costume, and the thing about normal contemporary clothing is that it's actually very difficult to style in a convincing way. because it's the trends that the general public is the most familiar with, it's the easiest for them to pick apart where the flaws are. this is all preface to say that there are often common silhouettes that are popular with specific trends. in 2012-2013 there was that sweater tucked into circle skirt with big scarf trend, in the 2007 was like baggy everything and layered tshirts, etc, and 2018-2019 was big colourful patterned shirts. sound familiar? it should, take me higher came out in summer 2018! now there's a debate here (like with most pop culture and celebrity) whether or not kpop is following trends or setting them, and both points are true, but personally i'm of the opinion that kpop is kind of a median between the two; it's not setting trends because it's often taking directly from the fashion industry and/or other popular culture, but it is popularizing them in a way that said trend may not have otherwise. there's a lot of digressions in this section but i'm hoping this will help you see my point.

using take me higher as a specific example, you can clearly see that a.c.e is sticking to a specific silhouette within the group, which is a boxy/loose upper with a fitted lower. which you can see really clearly in this stage, this stage, this stage, this stage, and honestly pretty much every stage for this comeback. sometimes they'll have a slight variation where one of them is wearing a longer shirt, but otherwise it's pretty consistent. this is actually a really common silhouette for them, because it puts emphasis on their specific style of choreo, which is fast footwork. you can see it to the extreme in their main cactus styling, which goes the whole nine yards, fully making their legs the focus and going so far as to embellish them:

this silhouette also shows up for callin', where they're wearing boxy hip cut bomber jackets, and for the majority of the undercover styling, which is cropper military(ish) jackets. and it's shaping up to be similar for higher, so i'll talk more about it when i get there.

they have a consistant look for the goblin stages too, which is hanbok over a tight fitted underlayer. each of their hanbok are different cuts, which you can see with wow's cropped jacket and skirt combo, but it makes the same shape as the others. and in the goblin mv, most of their looks take a traditional silhouette and pair it with modern fabrics and patterns, and combining modern accessories with modernized traditional ones.

sticking to an internal silhouette is not the common mode for most boy group stylings at the moment. there's usually an adhesion to a specific colour scheme, but i have not noticed the same kind of care taken to silhouette. there's usually an adhesion to a member specific shape, but the general shape of the group is not usually as considered. you can see it in ateez's fireworks styling (yes i'm going to use it again, the styling was very weird and i never really talked about how weird it is). in the intro you've got tight pants, loose pants, short jackets, suit jackets, AND a long jacket. and then it's the same kind of variety in the rest of their outfits. if anyhting i'd say the emphasis was meant to be on shoulders, because of the point choreo; and yunho, hongjoong, san, and wooyoung all have some kind of shoulder padding, but that's only half the group. and the stage outfits are not any better. there's the infamous ketchup packet outfit, this naruto themed styling, this inexplicable bdsm football themed styling, and whatever this snakeskin theme is meant to be. it's all over the place! there's some performer specific shapes (hongjoong with the shoulder pads and hip length jacket, san with crop top, yeosang sleeveless) but if you were to just look at the shape of the outfits regardless of colour and pattern, you'd have no way to tell if they were all in the same group.

ok now lastly, let's quickly talk about

pattern matching and texture

this section won't be as long, but i wanted to cover it because even though it's a small and subtle thing, it does a lot in the visual long run. the general rule with patterns is that you don't combine patterns of the same size. this is kind of hard to explain without a visual reference so here's a few examples:

(not my photos, these are from scott schuman's blog the sartorialist)

small check, even smaller pinstripe

mid-size print on pant, large print on scarf

small shirt stripe, mid-size print on tie, mid-large print on scarf

small print on zip jacket, mid-size on scarf, large plaid on jacket

like all fashion and like everything else i've talked about here, this isn't a hard and fast rule, but it does generally look the most harmonious. a.c.e really nails this in the take me higher stages, which you can see here:

(in addition to using different pattern sizes, they're using different colours as well to make it less visually busy)

(bonus! see if you can name the type of colour stories!)

the goblin stages utilize a combination of texture and pattern matching, where the hanbok are a mix of different fabrics (raw silk, embroidered satin, organza) with different patterns, overtop plain underlayers, or when they aren't in hanbok their outfits are very heavily embellished to add visual interest, but are unpatterned fabrics.

in conclusion: good and cohesive colour stories, emphasis on uniform silhouettes and variety in patterns and textures. they also are very specific with accessories, and use them to emphasize key features.

ok! i think that's all i want to cover for this post, because this is already so long. but i've started on the write up for higher already, so i might get into some of my points here in more detail because i'll be talking about one specific thing instead of like......all of it.

[welcometophu]

The Meaning of Home, Chapter 3

The Meaning of Home Chapter 3

Tags for all Welcome to PHU novels will be available at the PHU tag list on Pillowfort. This list is under construction as of Sept. 5, 2021.

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“You could have mentioned.” Pawel fills a bowl with chili from the slow cooker, then adds a scoop of spiced chicken and cheese, and tops it with sour cream. He hands it to his dad and points to the table. “There’s salad, too.”

“More meat, Dad,” Conor says, handing him his bowl. “Beans are weird. They have a really strange texture.”

“They’re also good for you.” Pawel doesn’t skimp on his son’s bowl; he’s seen just how much his kid can pack away. “And you need to eat salad, too.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Conor mutters. He slides into one of the chairs at the tiny round table that sits between the kitchenette and living room. When all three of them sit down, there’s barely room to move. Pawel’s afraid he’s going to take a bite and end up elbowing his father in the nose.

Still, it’s good to have real food with them, and know that both of them are eating something healthy.

Pawel sits back a bit from the table so he doesn’t knock knees, and holds his own bowl in his hands. The chili isn’t as spicy as he usually makes it at home, but that’s probably better for his father’s stomach anyway.

“Could’ve mentioned what?” Dad asks.

He sounds so innocent.

“That the guy who takes in fosters and happens to work with you is Leo Papa. As in my ex-boyfriend Leo,” Pawel says dryly. “We bumped into him and Emma and another one of his fosters—”

“Jennie,” Conor supplies.

“—At the grocery store,” Pawel finishes, as if Conor hadn’t interrupted. “And oh, funny thing.” He glares at Dad, who blinks back at him, calmly eating. “Turns out Leo’s married to Colt Harrison. My other high school ex.”

“Emma’s dads are the guys you dated in high school?” Conor asks. “They’re really cool. Why didn’t you keep dating them?”

“Leo graduated and left. Colt and I went to different schools. I met your mom.” There’s a lot more to each of those stories, but Pawel doesn’t want to get into the details right here and now. He’s not sure he wants to talk about the drama of his teen life with his son in general.

Conor already knows enough of the details, like the fact that he was born while Pawel was still in school.

“Colt’s really calmed down,” Dad muses. “He used to have a lot of attitude when he was a kid. I remember when you first started dating him, and he’d look down at our house. He thought everything should be served up on a silver platter. Being a dad’s taught him a lot more about reality than anything else did, I think.”

“Are you telling me he doesn’t drive a Porsche anymore?”

Dad barks out a low laugh. “Where would he put five kids in a Porsche? They’ve got practical cars. Although if they take in any more kids, they’ll need one of those big vans, or a miniature bus.”

“Emma wants Dad to find her parents, so she can go home,” Conor reminds them. “She says she’s not staying. I’ll be sad when she goes, though. And her house is fun. It’s kind of chaotic. I mean, Duke’s quiet—he doesn’t talk at all—but Matt’s always saying stuff, and he keeps changing into different animals. And Duke and Matt fight, even if Duke doesn’t yell. He still seems to get his point across, and then he chases Matt, and yeah, it gets messy. You met Jennie—she’s cool, for a little kid, but she’s always eating. Nevaeh’s really pretty. She’s learning how to drive.” 

Conor shovels food into his mouth, a spoonful between every sentence. His spoon clatters back into a mostly empty bowl, a few beans lingering in the bottom. “Can I go call Alan? We’re going to game tonight. I got my homework done while you were cooking.”

“Salad,” Dad reminds him, and Pawel’s thankful for the backup, even if Dad himself hasn’t taken any yet.

Conor puts just enough lettuce and vegetables into his bowl to satisfy the requirement, and finishes it quickly. He drops his spoon on the table. “Gonna go call Alan. Bye!”

The place is small enough that even though the door to the guest room bangs as it bounces closed, then open again, Pawel can still clearly hear Conor shouting a hello to Alan.

“How the hell do they have five kids?” Pawel can’t imagine trying to wrangle more than one.

“There are two of them. There’s a better adult to kid ratio, plus you know Leo’s family helps out.” Dad pulls the salad towards him, heaping his bowl full. “That’s what family does, and you know it. Ours is just smaller than most.”

Him, his dad, and Conor. Yeah. It’s a pretty small family.

Which reminds him, he should probably tell his dad about Chelsea.

Dad points his fork at him. “I’ll agree, though, I didn’t see it coming,” he continues. Pawel stays silent; Chelsea can wait if Dad’s going to tell him more about what the hell’s been going on while he was absent. “Leo and Colt were good together; have been since they first met. But when Leo came in and said he needed a few days off to go pick up a foster kid—almost four years ago, now—it was a hell of a surprise. Matt had a tough time of it, too. His parents gave him up, put him right into the foster system because he’d Emerged as Clan. If Lucy hadn’t gotten him out….” Dad trails off, shaking his head.

“Leo said something about Lucy and Rowan,” Pawel says slowly. “I have two students whose parents are in a triad, and two of those parents are Lucy and Rowan. I’ve spent time with their family in Vermont.”

“Likely the same,” Dad says. “Lucy’s a teacher, and she keeps an eye out for Talented kids who might slip through the cracks otherwise. Apparently she’s been doing it since before the Emergence; it’s just easier now. She’s got a network of teachers, and one of them knows Colt, and that’s how it all came together. Matt did so well with them that when Lucy found out about a thirteen-year-old girl who’d run away from her family with her baby sister, she brought them straight to Leo and Colt, too. Rowan’s a lawyer, and he’s the one who works to make sure the kids are safe, and aren’t going to end up back in bad places. Nevaeh and Jennie’s parents didn’t want a little girl who sparkled all the time, and they were a danger to her, so they were declared unfit.”

“Conor thinks they’ll adopt them. Since Jennie’s grown up with them.” Pawel’s still trying to assimilate it, putting “parents” into the same box as “ex-boyfriends” in his brain. He still sees them both as the awkward teenagers they used to be.

Colt would say he has never been awkward.

He might even be right.

“They’ve thought about it. I think Colt’s looked into it, but even with the parents out of the picture as they are, they’re still alive, so adoption becomes a tricky thing.” Dad picks up his empty bowl along with Conor’s and takes them over to the sink.

Pawel uses the freedom to stretch his legs under the small table. He’s barely eaten anything yet, so he starts working his way through his chili, letting his mind spin.

He should get in touch with Lucy and Rowan. They’ve talked before, more than once actually. Maybe it’d be good to let them know he’s aware of their efforts. That he knows Leo and Colt.

No, not like that. That makes it sound like he knows them better than he does. Until he ran into Leo in the store, he hadn’t seen him in more than a decade. It hasn’t been quite as long for Colt, but close enough.

Still. This sounds like something he should offer help with. Even if he can’t foster, he can help with Lucy’s ability to network down in Unity. He’s sure she could use that, and well, he owes her family for all the help they’ve given in the last year.

He scoops up the last mouthful of chili. That’s decided then. He’ll give them a call later. Or text them. Reach out, anyway.

“Bring me your bowl.” Dad waits until Pawel brings his dishes over before he adds quietly, “Never did figure out if you ended things on good or bad terms, but I know you moped about both of them enough to figure they weren’t easy breakups. They’re both doing well now. They’re good for each other. Leo’s a valuable part of my force, and Colt’s a voice to be reckoned with in the courtroom. They fight for Talented folks to be safe. So if you’re thinking of somehow getting in the middle of this….”

Dad’s voice trails off and he gives Pawel a look.

Pawel has no idea what Dad’s thinking. “Get in the middle of… no. What? I was just going to reach out and offer to be a liaison in Unity, if Lucy and Rowan don’t already have one. And thank them for all the help they’ve given us. And maybe talk to Colt and Leo about whether I can help Emma out. Since apparently people disappearing has become my specialty.”

Dad huffs and turns away. “Fine. Just don’t go making any trouble for them. They’re good folk.”

“I won’t. I’m just going to—” Pawel gestures at the couch, but that’s not really helpful for getting any distance or privacy. “Actually. Why don’t you go put your feet up. I’ll finish the clean up.”

“You cooked.” The protest is half-hearted.

“And I was home all day, so I can clean, too.” Maybe being home support is a good way to thank his dad for everything he’s done. It’s something Pawel can do, anyway.

The TV goes on loud enough that Pawel can hear it clearly over the running water. Pawel takes a moment to tap out a quick message to send to Lucy.

Heard you help find foster homes for Talented kids in need. My son’s met a few of the kids you placed in my home town. If you ever need a contact in Unity, I’d be happy to help.

He leaves his phone face up on the counter.

He’s up to his elbows in suds, scrubbing the inside of the slow cooker, when his phone buzzes. He glances over to see a response from Lucy.

I’ve actually got folks in Unity and Valiant, but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk. I already know you’ve got a vested interest in keeping Talented kids safe, and a larger network means more help. Just like we’ve been telling you with our family in Burlington: lean on people when you need them.

Even people who barely know him are giving him advice. 

He lets the screen fade; he’ll reply later when his hands aren’t soaking wet. Instead he finishes filling up the small dishwasher and gets it started. As soon as the rumbling begins, Dad turns up the volume on the TV so he can hear over the rattling of the dishwasher.

It’s just too much noise for Pawel. He makes his way to the guest room, knocking on the half-open door before he nudges it wide enough to step inside. Conor waves a hand, and Pawel takes that as meaning close the door, so he does.

“What are you playing?” Pawel looks at the screen, but all he sees is Alan, who waves at him.

“We haven’t started playing yet.” Conor’s voice is too loud, his headphones still covering his ears. Pawel taps at them, and Conor removes them and switches the sound to the speakers. “We’ve just been talking. Alan was telling me about all the things happening at home. I really like my class and my teacher here, but I really miss home. Except for Marjorie. I don’t really miss her.”

“But you miss me,” Alan says, grinning. “Hi, Mister Szczek.” 

They’ve known each other long enough that Polish names, along with the random few words Conor knows and has shared, roll off Alan’s lips like he’s part of the family. Well, he and Conor are schoolyard married, so maybe he is part of the family.

“Hi, Alan. Actually, I’ve got a question for you both.” Pawel sits down on the bed next to Conor, leaning in so he’ll be on camera. “I picked up tickets for SongFest out in Buffalo this weekend. I was thinking you could join us if you boys want.”

“You got us tickets for SongFest? Do I get to see Rory and Thorne on stage? What about that girl? Trish? Is she doing music there, too? You changed your mind! You said I was too young for concerts.” Conor bounces on the bed enough that the laptop wobbles. Pawel reaches out to stabilize it as Alan laughs.

“You’re too young for clubs,” Pawel says. “And this is going to be a long day, out in the hot sun, assuming it doesn’t rain on Saturday. But I figured we could give it a try, and since it’s outside, the music won’t be quite as bad on your ears. You already don’t listen to half of what I say.”

“Mom says my dad and me have selective hearing,” Alan volunteers. 

“She’s not wrong. Sometimes it’s better to just not listen. Can’t get in trouble if you don’t hear it,” Conor agrees. His gaze slides sideways, as if he forgot Pawel is sitting there. “Soooooooo,” he draws the word out before his gaze locks back on Alan on the screen. “Can you go with us?”

“We’d be driving out on Friday,” Pawel clarifies. “The actual festival is in Buffalo on Saturday, and it goes late. We’d have a hotel for both nights, and come back on Sunday.”

The smile falls away as Alan shakes his head. “I can’t this weekend. It’s my cousin’s birthday next week, and we’re doing a big family thing this weekend in Boston. She’s my aunt’s miracle baby, and we always get the whole family together to celebrate her. She’s three this year. She’s my oldest aunt and my youngest cousin. I’m youngest, before her.”

Conor ducks his head. “Oh.” He pulls his blanket onto his lap, picking at the fuzz on it.

“We’ll have to find a different weekend for Alan to come out and visit then,” Pawel says firmly. The boys have been apart for two months, and that’s a long time in a nine-year-old’s life. “Then you can introduce Alan to Emma.”

“We’ve met.” Alan sounds cheerful about that. “She’s pretty cool. She and Conor call me sometimes. I think she should come live with you guys when you come home.”

Conor makes a low scoffing noise. “She’s not like a stray dog. We can’t just keep her. She’s already got foster dads, and besides, my dad is going to find her parents. Then she’ll have to go wherever her home really is. Which will suck, because I really like hanging out with her, but it’ll make her happy, so that’s cool.”

“Yeah, that’s really cool you’re going to do that, Mister Szczek,” Alan echoes.

It’s very cool, right up until the moment Pawel thinks about how that means figuring out a plan, and then interacting with Leo and Colt to enact that plan.

“I’ll do my best.” Pawel touches Conor’s shoulder. “Why don’t you guys do your game for a bit. It’s a school night, so you still need to get to bed.”

Conor shakes his head, as if he can shake off the blues. Maybe it works, because he’s smiling when he reaches for his laptop. “Okay, Alan. Let’s do this.”

Pawel is clearly dismissed.

He exits the room, leaving the door propped just enough that he can hear the rumble of Conor talking as he puts his headphones back on, and nothing else. Dad’s half-asleep on the couch, watching a show through his eyelids, so Pawel sinks down there and joins him. As Dad snores softly, Pawel grabs the remote and stops the show. Dad can get back to it later, and he won’t notice Pawel channel surfing while he snoozes.

Time passes in a haze of snippets of comedy and drama. Pawel can’t seem to find anything he really wants to watch, and Dad has no opinions as he naps. Pawel keeps one eye on the time, and he’s just about to call out when he hears Conor yell, “Got to go! Bye!” The sound of the laptop closing is clear enough to make Pawel wince, but he knows that machine has put up with a lot from his son already.

Conor emerges a few minutes later, already in his pajamas. He heads straight for the bathroom, and Pawel can hear the water running as he brushes his teeth and gets ready for bed. By the time Conor makes it into the living room, the noise has disturbed Dad, who sits upright and yawns.

“Bed,” Pawel says firmly, not entirely certain which one of them he’s talking to. Probably both.

“Goodnight son.” Dad squeezes Pawel’s shoulder as he stands. He reels Conor in for a long hug on his way by, then disappears into his own room.

Conor stands there, hands clasped behind his back, his lower lip drawn in between his teeth.

“You want something,” Pawel says.

“Since Alan can’t go and you said you already bought a ticket, can we bring Emma with us to the festival this weekend?” Conor blurts it all out in a rush, biting his lip again when he’s done. “I know you don’t know her really well yet, but she’s nice and we won’t be trouble and it would really be a lot of fun.”

If Pawel takes Emma all the way to Buffalo, he can’t see her foster parents letting her go alone.

Pawel slides his palm over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. He hears the soft, defeated exhale from Conor.

“Okay,” Conor says softly. “I get it.”

“That’s not—” Pawel hesitates, peeking between his fingers at where his son stands there, waiting for an answer. “I can’t promise anything, but I’ll talk to her fathers. Foster fathers.” Even without Emma there to correct him, he corrects himself. He understands the importance of terminology. Sometimes you have to make sure you say things the right way. Words have power, even when you’re nine.

Words might even have more power over children. That’s why it’s important to acknowledge the ones they want to use.

Conor darts across the room, plowing into where Pawel is still on the couch for a flying, tackling hug. “Thanks, Dad. I love you. Can I tell Emma you’re going to ask? Should it be a surprise? When are you going to ask?”

So many questions.

So many complications to this one simple request.

Pawel wraps his arms around his son, choosing to just hold on for the moment. He pats Conor on the back, and Conor slowly disengages from the hug, bouncing on his toes as soon as he’s upright.

“I’ll talk to Leo and Colt,” Pawel promises. “But you need to give me time.”

“It’s already Tuesday,” Conor whines. “You said we’re going on Friday. That’s not a lot of time. Wait, what about school? Are you taking me out of school?”

“That’s one of the things I’ll need to talk to Leo and Colt about.” One thing among several. And this is coming out of the blue, after all these years of silence. Because of course Pawel’s son has managed to dump him into chaos. It’s what the Szczeks do.

“For now,” Pawel adds, “go to bed. Let me take care of the adult things, okay?”

“Okay. G’night, Dad!” Conor slams the door to his room behind him.

Pawel’s left on the couch—his bed for the summer—alone with his thoughts. 

So. They’re taking Emma to the festival. He promised. If her foster fathers allow her to go.

There are so many ways in which this could get awkward.

It’s up to Pawel to take the first step, so he opens his phone and brings up a text to Leo’s number.

Okay. Dinner. When?

He presses send. There, that’s started. It’s in the hands of his exes now.

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