#that way it REALLY hits me once i reach i final episode

[miikanui]

to the stars and back is my roman empire <3

[earlysunshines]

thief!

minatozaki sana x fem!reader

synopsis: everything you own is actually sana's, obviously. she's your girlfriend after all.

warnings: nooone ; pure fluff ; lovebirds homos lalalalla ugh sana my love ; not proofread

a/n: HAPPY SANA DAAYYYY how could i miss it?? here's my once in a blue moon sana fic loool

long, acrylic nails gently scraping against your scalp earn a soft hum from your lips.

sana feels your hand snaking around her waist further, tightening your hold on her as if she were your personal teddybear. a small smile forms on her lips, her eyes open just a bit more, and her fingers work to move your bedhead away from your face.

"cute," sana mumbles, turning ever so slightly just so you can rest your head on her shoulder comfier.

your lips are parted just barely, your nose buried in the hoodie sana is wearing, and the only thing in filling the silence is your slow breathing. you mutter something incoherent, and sana hums confusedly as if you'd really answer. she laughs, massaging your scalp just a tiny bit harder.

"mmm," you groan, enjoying the feeling even as you're asleep against her. she feels your leg moving over one of hers and under the other, then feels you tugging her closer.

wow, she really is your teddy bear, huh?

sana blinks hard, shutting her eyes tightly before rubbing them with her free hand. she looks outside, the sunlight shining brightly through the blinds. it seems to be noon—maybe if you two hadn't binged three episodes of some kdrama last night you'd be awake earlier.

"baby," sana says softly, her voice like honey. "it's late, let's wake up."

"mmmmmmm," you drag on your groan, clinging to her tighter. sana knows you heard her, but sana is sure that you did not process a single word from her.

"baby," sana giggles quietly, "gosh, you're gripping onto me like i’ll run off."

"what if you do," you mutter tiredly. "it's too early for this..."

sana pats your head twice, then checks the small digital clock on the bedside counter. the clock reads 12:21 pm. early would be... well, incorrect to a general consensus.

"it's noon... c'mon, we can cuddle more after we run some errands."

"sanaaaaaa..." you drag out sleepily, shifting so you can rest your nose in the crook of her neck. you breathe in deeply, taking in the scent of roses and something sweeter. "it's your birthday..."

"and we're already halfway through."

"are you saying that me clinging onto you isn't enough? is this not the best way to spend your morning on your birthday?"

"well no..." sana starts, then kisses your head before continuing, "but i would love to do a little more than just stay in bed like this with the love of my life—as much as i love her."

"you're evil."

"you're just like a koala, always so sleepy." sana chuckles before pinching your cheek. she pulls away just a bit to examine your face, eyes still closed with a smile on your face. she presses a kiss to the tip of your nose, then to your cheek, and a quick peck to your lips. "five minutes... birthday girl says no longer than that."

"fine, fine." you sigh, opening your eyes (finally) and blinking a few times to focus your view. wow. you must've fallen asleep next to an angel, because she's still in the same bed as you and looking as cute as ever with her puffy morning face and soft smile.

your hand reaches over instinctively to rest on her cheek, knuckles dragging against her soft skin.

"awake yet?" sana asks.

"has anyone ever told you how gorgeous you are?" you say in awe, sounding like a fool in love. "because you look beautiful miss minatozaki."

sana rolls her eyes, then pinches your cheek again. you chuckle weakly, still groggy from sleep.

your eyes drift to the hoodie she has on. the shade of gray and the design look oddly familiar, so you use your hand to rub the material. the hoodie also looks a little large for sana, and then it hits you:

"is that my hoodie?" you question.

sana blushes. "what are you talking about."

"that's my hoodie... isn't it?"

"well technically it's our hoodie."

"and who declared that?"

"the universe, obviously." sana says through a smile that leaves your whole body feeling all tingly. "ever since we became girlfriends it was basically in the contract."

"i don't remember signing any agreement saying that you can take my clothes whenever."

"you don't? because i do." sana has that stupid grin on her face, the same one she always has before she says something both idiotic and heartwarming. "remember when we kissed for the first time? yeah, that was the signature."

"really now?"

sana nods. "and when you kissed me again it renewed the contract. and when we makeout with tongue and share saliva and all that—"

"grrrooossss!" you say, knowing you quite literally did everything the night before.

"—it basically sealed that contract through the exchange of dna."

"so you're saying french kissing is what makes it acceptable for you to steal not only my hoodie, but also my t-shirts, jewelry—i even saw you in my socks! is that really—"

"well not just french kissing. normal kissing too."

"you're such an idiot." you push her away and sana makes a high-pitched noise that's in between a groan and a squeal. then, you scoot over and pepper her face with kisses. "i love you, now let's get up, you've convinced me." you mumble, "i can't take all this kissy talk in the morning."

"afternoon." she corrects. sana pushes you away so she can hold your face with both hands, squishing your cheeks like she's pressing a sandwich in between her hands. she smiles, eyes crinkling at the ends and all that.

—

the birthday girl had requested that you give her a piggyback ride to the bathroom. after being set down on the counter so gently, brushing her teeth with you in between her legs as she sat down near the sink, and being able to kiss you so easily after she finished her skincare; sana had requested that you carry her everywhere the rest of the morning, both on your back and bridal style.

now she's being placed gently on the couch while you head back to the kitchen to grab the cups of teas for you to enjoy as you cuddled close on the couch catching up with messages. sana let you rest on her shoulder throughout the whole ten minutes of responding to friends and family, even sneaking a picture while you were focused on some game you've been into on your phone.

in the midst of it all, both of your stomachs growl at the same time.

you and sana glance at each other before bursting out laughing.

"someone's hungry," you tease, poking at sana's stomach. sana rolls her eyes before you add, "i guess that means we should go out for brunch, huh?"

"maybe..." sana kisses your forehead and finishes her tea. "let me fix my hair and get changed, i'm too lazy for makeup."

"you're already so perfect without makeup."

sana snickers. "stop being so smitten, loser."

"hey!"

—

"is that my—"

"maybe." sana says, zipping up the puffer jacket that's not only oversized on her but also the exact same model as the one you had bought the month before. it's definitely your jacket, but sana looks cuter in it. maybe the contract is real.

"thief." you roll your eyes before putting the hood up on her, it falls over her eyes and right above her nose. "you'll catch a cold."

"you're so caring, what a lover."

"gross." you groan playfully, earning a disgustingly adorable pout from sana. you glance at the beanie on her head after she fixes the hood, it looks oddly familiar. "is that...?"

"contract."

you giggle. "right."

sana puts her shoes on, then reaches for your hand before she opens the door. you zip up your work jacket before intertwining your hands and heading out together.

maybe your girlfriend is a thief. throughout the day you start to notice that the tinted lip balm she uses after brunch is most definitely the same balm that momo had gifted you a few days prior. you also notice the t-shirt under her, scratch that, your jacket that is also yours. you let her have that one, though, it was too small for you anyway, and sana rocked the perfect fit.

you don't think on it too much, that your girlfriend is an experienced clothes stealer borrower, because one: it's her birthday, so you might as well give her today. and two: she looks ridiculously good in everything that's yours.

maybe it's not stealing if she belongs to you too. she's your girlfriend, and with every kiss shared throughout the day it makes you realize that maybe that contract isn't just something stupid made up from the lingering drowsiness after waking up.

whatever it is, you could really care less. it's sana's day and if sana has a smile on her face—who cares if your wardrobe is shrinking day by day.

[anacdoce]

Home at last

Pairing: Astarion x you (f!reader)

Rating: T

Word count: 1.9k

Warnings: comfort/angst; feeling fear.

Summary: “This is your home now. Our home. I won’t need to invite you in anymore.”

You give Astarion a home. A safe place to finally live the life he deserves.

But is he really safe? Can you keep him safe?

a/n: This oneshot episode is somehow connected to my long fic "I Wish" and it can give you some insight to the 4th chapter ("Haunted by a wish"), but it can perfectly be read independently.

Hope you enjoy it 🖤

Read on oa3

After bidding farewell to all your companions, you leave the Elfsong Tavern and make your way to your cottage near the woods on the outskirts of Baldur’s Gate.  

The past few months have been chaotic, and all you want now is peace, at least for a time. 

But you are not alone. Your lover is with you. He is part of your life now, and you are part of his. And Astarion will not pass one more day alone in his life if it depends on you. So you asked him to live with you, and he promptly agreed, as if he had been hoping for the invitation.

“Darling, you could have chosen a better place for your house. Why so far away from the city?” He asks, swatting at a cloud of mosquitoes on your path. 

“I like the woods. It's peaceful here. You’ll like it too. Give it time.” 

“Hurgh… I doubt it, my dear.” 

After a long while, you arrived at the place. A beautiful cottage in a field of wheat, illuminated by the moonlight. You smile at the sight. How you missed this place. You can't wait to take a bath in your tub, and preferably with the company of the irresistible pale elf standing beside you. 

You approach the house and start pulling out the weeds that have grown up in front of the door.

Astarion stands behind you, scrutinizing the surroundings. “Huh… Sweetheart, are you sure it's here?” 

“Well, I lived here for a long time, so yes, Astarion, I'm sure.” You open the door and step inside, trying to remember where you left the candles to light them.

Astarion reaches the door, but stays outside, leaning against the door jamb, with his arms crossed against his chest, waiting.

Once the candles are lit, you start rushing around, putting things in order. You don't want Astarion to think that you are a disorganized person. Well, maybe you are… just a little. But first impressions are important, are they not? 

But didn't he share a camp with you for the past few months? So he must know, mustn't he? Will he enjoy living with you? Just the two of you, day and night? 

He clears his throat, catching your attention and interrupting your thoughts and your sudden need to put everything in order, after being months away.

“Why are you still outside? Is it that bad?” You ask, thinking that maybe this was not the best idea, bringing him here. Too modest and simple for his taste, for sure.

“Darling, you have to invite me in.” 

“Oh…” The realization hits you. “I'm sorry. Right. Please, come in.” You extend your hand to him, and he accepts it, stepping inside. Close to him, you kiss his cheek. “This is your home now. Our home. I won’t need to invite you in anymore.” 

He looks at you, surprised. “My home?” 

“Of course! We are together, are we not? I really meant it when I said I wanted to share my life with you, Astarion.” You stroke his soft, curly hair before turning away, leaving him with a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he admires you tenderly while you return to your affairs in the house.

Gods! How is it possible to have so many spider webs!

You run back and forth again, and Astarion stays put, right next to the door, uncomfortable, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, you notice him and you stop beside him. You take his backpack off his shoulder, setting it down, on the floor, near you. “Please, make yourself comfortable. You’ll have all my attention in a minute, I promise.” You gently push him toward your bedroom. “Why don't you go in there and choose your side of the bed?” 

Once again he looks surprised with your words, but walks into the room, slowly examining everything around him. You give yourself the pleasure to watch him for a moment, while he wanders around. Astarion stops in front of a small vanity, facing the bed, and he touches your things – your comb, some necklaces hanging from the mirror, an open book covered in dust. It’s as if your life was on hold, and he has the honor to be there, to resume it with you. 

“Is this supposed to be you?” He holds up a small rag doll that resembles you, in a way.

“Yes. It was my father’s. He made it for me. It's lovely, isn't it?” 

“It is.” Then he brings the doll and sets it on one of the night stands beside the bed. “I’ll take this side.” 

“It's a great choice.” You smile at him and leave, returning to your house chores that need an urgent attendance. 

After some time he is in the living room, studying your bookcases. He stays there for a while, and then you catch him rearranging some things, swapping and replacing, giving his touch to the place. In that moment your heart swells with affection for this man – your man – making your house his. 

He sits in an armchair, next to the fireplace, shifting his body as he tests the seat. “It's not so bad after all.” Astarion concludes.

“What isn’t?” 

“This house. I think I can live here.” He says, smirking.

“Thank the Gods!” You laugh, and he joins you.

“You know, your laugh was one of the things that helped me get through our previous adventures. I love hearing you laugh, my darling, and I’m committed to making you laugh for the rest of your life.” Astarion taps his thigh, inviting you to sit on his lap. And who are you to refuse such a request?

As soon as you reach him, he embraces you, nestling you against him. His hands on your back, brushing gentle circles over your shirt. “Thank you. This is nice.” He kisses you. The silkiest lips you ever felt. A lingering soft kiss. Then you feel his fingers searching for the waistline of your shirt, pushing it upwards, caressing your skin beneath. His grip tightens, and his kiss grows hungrier. 

His enthusiasm is rising, and yours is too. You hear his softs moans as he pulls you closer and closer. Gods! How does he have such power over you? Your body is already screaming for him, and he knows it. His mischievous grin doesn't fool you. 

He unbuttons your shirt, caressing your breast while doing it, and when he is about to do the same to your trousers you suddenly remember something. Something urgent. Your breath trapped in your throat.

“Astarion, my love, this will have to wait, I'm afraid…” The words are dragging from your mouth, but you can’t let yourself get lost in his arms just yet.

“What is it, Darling? Can’t it wait a little longer?” He purrs, leaving a trail of kisses down your neck to your collarbone.

“The sun won't wait for us, Astarion.” He stops and looks at you as you point to the windows without any kind of sun blocking throughout the whole house. 

“Oh… I see.” He clears his throat, shifting your body on his lap, loosening his hold. “Maybe we should do something about that first.” 

You nod your head and reluctantly lift yourself from his lap, arranging your clothes and catching your breath. 

After a while, both of you try to cover all the windows in a rush, because the sun is almost rising. You use everything that could be useful – old thick blankets, some unused wooden strips that you had saved.

You do your best to hurry, but panic starts to set in. The sky is getting brighter outside, and you still have windows to cover. I should have remembered this! How could I forget? But no… all I could think were those stupid spider webs! Because I wanted everything perfect for him, to make him feel at home. Safe. And I forgot the most important thing… “Astarion, we’re not going to get all the windows covered in time.” 

“I guess not. Maybe we can close the doors and minimize the daylight in the house.” 

“Yes we can do that. And if what we did isn’t enough? What if the sunlight still gets in? What then?” 

“Well… I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.” His face, worried.

“What? No. That won't do.” 

You remember when the effects of the tadpole had abandoned him, how his flesh started to burn, and how he fled from you, running through Baldur’s Gate docks, trying to find some shadows to hide from the sun. 

You remember how you chased him in panic and you remember when you catched him, curled up behind some crates, shaking. 

You won’t let that happen again. He is your whole world, and you are his safe place. You won’t fail him. Ever. 

You swallow the fear that grows inside you, and know what you have to do. Your heart aches with the thought, but it's the only way. You have to be sure that the house is safe. “You will have to wait inside that closet, please.” Your hands, trembling.

“What? Are you asking me to lock myself in there?” He asks incredulously. 

“Please Love… I know it's not the perfect plan, but I’d never forgive myself if something happens to you in our home…” He looks at you with some sadness. “Please, Star… just let me make sure everything is okay.” 

He walks defeated to the closet, his curse robbing him, once again, one of the happiest moments of his life. He curls up inside it. “It will always be like this, won't it? Running, hiding, being afraid?” 

“No it won't. I promise. We just have to adapt. I will give you the life you deserve.” You lift his chin, leaning to him and kiss his lips, wanting nothing more than to hold him in your arms. But that will have to wait. “I’ll get back to you as soon as I make sure it’s safe for you to come out.” He lowers his head, hiding it between his knees, enveloped by the shadows. Your heart shatters at his sight, and you know you will be haunted by it for a long time.

You leave him, closing the closet’s door behind you. You breathe deeply once and then you move on to continue the unfinished work. Shortly after, the sun is shining outside. You close the doors from the rooms with windows still uncovered, and where you stand, only darkness remains. No sunlight can reach you. Astarion is safe.

You run to the closet, opening it, and leap into his arms, holding him, satisfying your craving to embrace him once again. “I’m sorry, my love. I’m so sorry!” Your voice trembles with anguish.

He holds you close, his hand on the back of your head, burying his face on your neck crock. “It’s alright, my sweet. Everything is alright.”

“It’s not! I wanted it to be perfect. But I keep forgetting important details. Maybe I can’t keep you safe after all.”

“Darling, you’ve given me more than I ever imagined I deserve. And I’ve never felt safer than with you by my side. It can’t be more perfect than that.” 

“I love you.” You mutter, feeling your heart soothing with his embrace.

“And I love you, my treasure.”

[enha-roza]

SOOYOUNG AND NIKI SWEET BICKERING MOMENTS

Niki x 8thmember!oc

synopsis : Iconic times where Sooyoung and Niki bickered.

wc : 1k

Sleepy : Sooyoung and Niki were sitting on live with the other members, Sooyoung sat on the edge of the couch next to Niki, fighting sleep. Eyes closing half before snapping open again. Niki watched in the mirror in front of them, right as Sooyoung's eyes closed half way once more Niki burst into laughter. “What?” Heeseung questioned as Niki fell to the floor. “Sooyoung Noona… ahahahah” He continued to laugh. “What did I do?” She quietly said as the other members looked at her.

“Her eyes were half closed, she looked possessed.” Niki laughed as Sooyoung covered her reddening face. “Why'd you tell everyone… ahhhh” Sooyoung scream of embarrassment made the others laugh as well. “Sorry Noona but you looked really funny. She was like this.” Niki tried imitating Sooyoung as she hit him on the arm. “Stop it!”

After calming down Niki pat his shoulder signing for her to rest her head on him. “Here you can sleep on my shoulder, Noona.” He whispered. “Thank you, Ki.” she whispered back.

Cheater : It was the 100th episode of En O’clock and the members were getting competitive as they took turns throwing the balls into the pool. Sooyoung was going last and Niki made it very clear he was going to make her suffer. “Ready Noona?” Sooyoung could just tell by the glint in his eyes. “Niki go easy on me, please.” “No promises!” He laughed.

Soouyoung’s round started and her limbs just started swinging trying to block as many balls as she could. Niki was throwing the balls in two by two, Sooyoung noticed and her eyes bulged. “Niki’s cheating!” “It's not cheating, it's strategy.” Sooyoung shouted as she tried defending the final balls flying her way.

“That's not fair, Niki was throwing them two at a time.” “you're just bad, Noona.” Niki teased and Sooyoung swang at him. “You brat!” She laughed as Niki ran away from her. “I'm just kidding… you're not horrible, just not good.” “yah!” Sooyoung shoved Niki as he grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her. “I'm sorry, Noona. I didn't mean it.” “It's okay, I forgive you, idiot.”

Goodnight Kiss : The duo were on live together, sitting in Niki’s bed. “It's getting late… I'm so tired.” Sooyoung yawned. “Noona’s too tired to stay up for engene.” Niki said, watching as Sooyoung’s eyes widened in shock. “Yah, that's not true. I promise!” Niki laughed as Sooyoung pleaded with Engene’s. “It's true, she told me before the live.” “Oh shut up!”

Sooyoung rolled her eyes and started to think of something to get Niki back with. “You wanna know something Engene…” “what?” Niki said, confused. “Niki only goes to sleep at night when I give him a goodnight kiss.” She laughed as it was Niki’s turn to widen his eyes. “What!” She nodded her head to further confirm her statement. “That's a lie!” “No it's not, every night Niki begs for a kiss on his forehead as I tuck him in.” Sooyoung giggled before getting up to leave. “Bye bye, I'm going to bed!” she shouted as Niki got up to chase her before remembering to turn off the live. “She's lying, I swear. Bye!”

What about me : “Yes! I won!” Jake yelled as the Engenes at the fan sign cheered. “You're still not better than me.” Pouted Niki as he pointed his finger at Jake. “You did pretty good.” Sooyoung announced into the mic, giving Jake a thumbs up. “Thank Soongie~” Jake teasingly winked at her. “Omg, you're gross.” she fake threw up. “What about me?” Niki questions too quietly for Sooyoung to hear. “Noona?” Again, this time tugging on her sleeve, like a toddler. “Huh?” “Did I do good?” “Yes, Niki, you did good too.” She said, reaching her hand to pat him on the head. “Don't even think about it!” He said dodging out of the way.

No space : It was a behind the scenes practice video and the members had just finished a grueling choreo for an upcoming award show. “10 minute break and will go over everything once more.” the choreographer said, the members grabbing their waters and taking a seat. “Move over.” niki said to Sooyoung. “No, there's no more room.” “Yes there is, move over there.” Niki pointed to the small space next to her. “No, you sit there.” “I'm not gonna fit in there.” “and? Sit on the floor.” “no, I wanna sit on the couch.” the other members laughed as the two bickered.

“And Sooyoung Noona and Niki are going at it again.” Jungwon said, pointing the camera at the pair. “I don't think anyone bickers with each other as much as they do.” Sunghoon said from behind the camera. “You and Sunoo bicker a lot?” Jungwon panned the camera in Sunghoons direction. “It's not bickering if he's the only one teasing me!” Sunoo said. Sunghoons jaw drops in a fake surprise. “I do not.” Sunoo laughed at him.

“Anyways, Sooyoung… wait what?” Jungwon said, confused as Niki was now sitting on Sooyoung lap, eyes closed as she hugged him. “I thought they were arguing… nevermind.” Niki, eyes still closed, smiled at the sound of Jungwon confusion.

Ice cream juseyo : It was late at night when Niki and Sooyoung decided to film a vlog of them going on a walk. “Let's go this way.” “You only wanna go this way because the shop is this way.” “and? I deserve an ice cream.” “Do you though?” Sooyoung teased as Niki rolled his eyes. “Actually I think I do.” “with what money?” Niki stopped dead in his tracks. Hands patting down his pockets. “Oh no…” “yeah how are you gonna get an ice cream now?” “Noona…” His eyes going big like a kitten, Sooyoung burst into laughter at his attempt at aegyo. “Please…”

“Say it one more time.” Niki rolled his eyes but complied. “Ice cream juseyo.” Sooyoung laughed once more as Niki covered his face in embarrassment. “I'm sorry. But yes we can get ice cream.” “Okay hurry let's go!” He shouted as he dragged Sooyoung with him.

a/n : this was so fun to write!! love this duo <3

[sevensoulmates]

Buddie 7x07 "Ghost of a Second Chance" Meta

So sorry for the delay! This one took me a minute due to life/work stuff happening, but here it is! A doozy! This episode had a lot of parallels with the other characters storylines happening so bear with me here! This is mostly going to be about Eddie.

This episode deals a lot with past trauma, specifically bringing up stuff that some of the characters haven't dealt with in a while or seemingly had already dealt with in the past. Maddie with Doug's abduction, Bobby and the apartment fire, Eddie and Shannon. All of these are re-introduced in this episode, but it's important to note that they are NOT resolved, mostly Bobby and Eddie, and will likely continue into the rest of the season. Maddie reacts the most noticeably to her trauma being triggered, and of the three, she's the only one who has actually managed to work through that trauma from the past, so while it does affect her, it does not cause her to self-destruct like Eddie and most likely Bobby will.

As many of us predicted, we theorized that it was going to get much worse for Eddie before it would get better. And this episode has put Eddie on that path that will likely take him towards rock bottom if Ryan and Tim's interviews and teasers for his 7b arc are to be believed.

The first big parallel to Eddie's storyline is the woman and her baby being abducted by a man with mental health problems who allowed a past trauma with his ex-wife/child to reach a dangerous point. While Eddie's actions in this episode are not placing a woman's life in danger, it does parallel how in pursuit of soothing his own pain, Eddie and this man, are prioritizing their own feelings, over the feelings of a woman stranger (Kim) and an innocent kid.

I was already anticipating many many Shannon call-backs in this episode, but the writers dive in immediately by having Chimney intubate Catherine. This is the same heavy choice Chimeny had to make when Shannon was hit by a car, and Chimney was interim Captain. He had to make a choice to either intubate Shannon, effectively taking away her last chance to say dying words or to not intubate and allow Eddie and Shannon to exchange final words. With Shannon, Chimney does not intubate, but with Catherine, he does. This could possibly indicate the need for Eddie to make different decisions this time around if he wants to survive this new catastrophic plotline.

This was an interesting way for the writers to give us a kind of "speedrun" of introducing us to Marisol a bit more. I know that the ENTIRE fandom has been bugging over the fact that we "hardly know anything about Marisol other than DIY and Nunnery", and now they're giving us more information, but notably it's all very surface-level information. It makes the scene feel like Eddie's trying to get to know her for the first time instead of this being a woman he's been seeing for about six months at this point.

While 7x05 did indicate to us that Eddie is trying to get to know her all over again, it really does drive home how little effort Eddie has put into trying to build a relationship with her, which is then further proved by the rest of the episode. All of this demonstrated very clearly just how little investment Eddie has had in ANY of his relationships after Shannon's death. It's probably supposed to make us think "Oh, that's because he only ever truly loved Shannon!" but in reality, the Eddie-Shannon onscreen relationship was very tumultuous, and they spent most of their relationship (even during their time pre-military) away from each other. All in all, the topic of how well Eddie knows the women he's with, and how much effort/investment he puts into his relationships (including Shannon) are being pulled into question here. And I think it's being done to show the audience that Eddie has only ever dated and married women as a duty and not something he actually does because he wants to be with the women as people. Once again, this includes Shannon.

Before Marisol can even finish her two truths and a lie, Eddie interrupts, starting to dictate the conversation again, and Chris is the one who has to step in, reminding Eddie that this moment is about Marisol. Eddie has been the one to lead his relationships with both Ana and Marisol, almost to the point of steamrolling over them. A similar thing happened in his relationship with Shannon, where Shannon notes that Eddie is always making decisions for them without consulting her, including going to the military, or moving Chris to a new school, etc. and how that was always a giant issue in their relationship. While this moment is not Eddie purposely steamrolling over Marisol, it does show that again, Eddie has a myopic view of relationships with women, where he's constantly trying to steer them towards something that he wants without really letting the woman have any agency. Shannon had to physically leave him in order to get any agency of her own.

Additionally, the choice to have the get to know you game be "two truths and a lie", inherently implies dishonesty, or at least makes us think of lying. And considering that becomes a theme for Eddie this episode and likely in upcoming episodes, it's also indicative of the general theme of not knowing someone and not being honest with them. It could've been "twenty questions" or something not involving purposely lying, but instead it's two truths and lie, and Eddie is now about to be involved in a whole bunch of lies.

I've seen others point out that this line is clearly meant to compare Marisol and Shannon. Shannon, Chris and Eddie had a tradition involving smores, one that Chris and Eddie were trying to keep alive only last season when they visited Shannon's grave. This line is meant to show us that Marisol is not Shannon, and as Eddie actually gets to know her, this is more and more evident. It's no fault of Marisol's, but it's likely what is sticking in Eddie's head, right before he ends up meeting Kim. Eddie, once again dictating what he wants Marisol to be rather than accepting the truth of who Marisol is, exclaims that obviously Marisol has had smores because Shannon loved smores. But Marisol is not Shannon, and Eddie is always comparing his partners to Shannon in unhealthy ways.

While this line is clearly a joke, nothing is done without purpose in TVland, and this is another one of those times where even though Eddie's joking, it's actually telling of how he actually feels. He's already had one foot out the door with Marisol for the last 3-4 episodes, and now it's the smores that makes him say "we can still leave her" because who Marisol is, does not align with who Shannon was. But the thing is, I have a hard time believing that Shannon was even who Eddie truly wanted, at least not without expectation or pressure. Shannon is an Ideal, and no one, not even Shannon herself, can live up to it. No woman is supposed to or can reach this Ideal, because (in my opinion) a woman is not really what Eddie wants deep down in his most hidden of unconscious desires.

"You two aren't going anywhere". Oh, the dramatic irony is killing me here. Because not even a couple of minutes later, Marisol has lost Eddie for good when he sees Kim. The death bells have already been ringing from the very beginning, but this is the final death knell that has been rung. Even if Eddie stays with Marisol through most of this arc, their relationship will end, as will his relationship with Kim.

Eddie and Kim lock eyes and he's reminded of Shannon instantly. Because of that, this relationship is dead before it even begins. A moment later, Christopher calls out "Dad!" just like he did when Shannon and Eddie were on the beach, interrupting Eddie's thoughts.

Marisol notices Eddie acting weird, asks if he's alright, he says he's fine, and she calls him out, asking "is that the truth or a lie?" He promises he's fine, but we as an audience know that's a big ole lie. This has been the case for years, and it's interesting that it's coming at this point in the season. The early half of the season we saw Eddie the "happiest" he's ever been. And I can't help but wonder how much of that was true happiness, and how much of that was just putting off thinking about it. It's easier to lie and say he's fine, that his relationships are fine, that his relationship with Shannon was fine. It's harder to admit the truth, that he's not okay, that his relationships with Marisol and Ana were unhealthy and his relationship with Shannon was the unhealthiest of all. It's easier to place the blame on his unhappiness on missing Shannon, instead of admitting that it's his own choices that are making him unhappy.

Another theme of this episode is internalized biases and misunderstanding the current situation due to being blinded by the past. Maddie misses crucial details of her call with Catherine because she was looking at it with too much bias about her own situation with Doug. Eddie also misremembers his past with Shannon, but instead of recognizing his mistake like Maddie, and trying to look at it objectively, Eddie lets that bias from the past effect his current decisions, which is already resulting in a mistake by cheating with Kim and will likely result in more mistakes the rest of this season.

Maddie heard what she expected to hear. Eddie is seeing in Kim what he expects to see from Shannon. Both lead to really bad outcomes.

Eddie goes back to find Kim/Shannon, and they meet. She looks similar but not really the same (btw, kudos to the makeup team, wow). She has similar facial expressions (nose scrunches, giggles, etc.) and she asks him if he's looking for something specific. And the answer is yes, he's looking for Shannon in Kim, just as he was looking for Shannon in Marisol and Ana.

This is very obviously a sexual innuendo, which is interesting because their first real interaction is showing more of a "sexual" chemistry, than anything really romantic, or soul-connecting. It's a clear harkening back to how Eddie would use sex as a way to stop fights between himself and Shannon. It's also one of Eddie's biggest distancing tools. He used sex to distance himself from Shannon and from Marisol, as an excuse to not address problems, or just simply to not get to know them. And given that Eddie was having sexual dysfunction issues in his last major episode, this is meant to provide a juxtaposition to that. Sort of a "Hey look Eddie couldn't get it up for Marisol the Nun but he can get it up for the Shannon look-alike". On the surface, this might be to show us that Eddie really only has sexual chemistry with Shannon, but if you look below the surface even a little bit, you'll realize that his sexual relationship with Shannon was also deeply dysfunctional, but in its own way.

The answer is no. Eddie does not trust Kim because she's a stranger, but this line is meant to remind us that Eddie very much DID NOT trust Shannon for most of her arc in season 2 and even up until her death. It's a callback to the line in season 2 Merry Ex-Mas where Eddie says he "forgives Shannon but doesn't trust her" and Shannon says something along the lines of "Eddie trusting her enough to have sex with her, but not enough to let her see her own son". Kim is hitting all the lines that are meant to remind Eddie of rose colored "Good times" but are meant to remind us, the audience, of all the issues he had with Shannon.

This moment of Eddie and Shannon on the beach is meant to represent Eddie's "happiest" moment on-screen with Shannon when she was alive. Eddie remembers it that way, as kissing Shannon and finally having his family back together. But in actuality, it was the start of the end for them. Shannon thought she was pregnant, paralleling the time when they accidentally got pregnant as teens and both of them had to put their lives on hold and commit to a marriage that might not have been the ultimate right choice for them. If any of you remember, this is also the moment where Eddie and "signs" and the "universe" are connected for the first time. Eddie asks for a sign, and Shannon says she's pregnant. In my personal opinion, this was supposed to be a sign for Eddie to not get back together with her, given how traumatic it was the first time around, but he ignores it and tries to push down his feelings. "Life is like a vat of chocolate, it pulls you down but it's comfortable". And when Shannon very clearly stated she wanted a divorce, Eddie did not really seem to accept it...and the universe took Shannon away permanently. (Again, I want to reiterate this is all about fiction I'm talking about here not irl, okay? This does not apply to real life) The universe tried to warn Eddie, to bring him a sign, and when he ignored it, as he always does, the universe decided it needed to take Shannon away permanently.

And now here we are again, 6 years later, with Eddie ignoring ALL the signs over and over and over, and setting about down this path with Marisol that literally everyone knows will not make Eddie happy, and what does the universe do? It throws him the biggest wrench it could by bringing someone who looks/acts like Shannon back into his life. Kim was brought in by the universe (the writers) to show Eddie that his relationship with Shannon was not as wonderful and amazing as he remembers it....and he ignores all of the signs yet a-fucking-gain. I get the feeling that this arc with Kim is going to end VERY. VERY. badly for Eddie. I think we should all be preparing ourselves for that.

Eddie is making active duplicitous choices here. He's lying about being in a relationship with someone else, lying about being a single dad. And it's not the first time he's said something like this (see the "taken for now" line in 7x04), further demonstrating how he's always had one foot out the door with Marisol.

I also want to point out that Eddie lying and deceiving Kim and cheating on Marisol is not meant to be the show saying "this is good! this is who Eddie's supposed to end up with!" The writers know how most people feel about cheating. Most people are 100% aware that cheating is morally wrong, and by Eddie making these decisions, they're not supposed to show that Eddie is inherently a cheater or a bad guy. He's acting OOC on purpose. The writers want us to see Eddie lying and cheating and want us to clock that Something is Very Very Very Wrong and that has to do with Eddie's romantic relationships, Shannon, his perception of Shannon, his perception of his past marriage, and his expectations of himself.

We, as an audience, are not supposed to be enjoying this. We're meant to be uncomfortable.

911 is doing something really interesting lately with their pointed use of Full First Names vs. Nicknames. When I heard this my first thought was actually of Ana and how cringe it was to hear her calling Eddie Edmundo all the time. Shannon actually never once called Eddie by his full name. If anything, Eddie calling himself Edmundo here, introducing himself by it, is once again supposed to trigger the audience's "Something Is Wrong Here" mode. I was also going to mention how this is also something a lot of people have felt with Tommy's constant use of "Evan" instead of Buck. Some people like it, some people don't, but everyone can acknowledge that it's odd and unusual.

Even as he's flirting with Kim, talking more about "stimulation", Eddie is holding an "S" for Shannon. I think when Kim told Eddie her name, a sharp K, very far away from the soft S of Shannon, it was a slight shock to him. If her name was something similar like Sherri or Sheila or something, Eddie could've lived in the fantasy more. Her name being Kim momentarily broke the illusion, hence him looking down at the S for Shannon.

Eddie is remembering the first time he slept with Shannon after she came back into his life while he's sitting at the table with Marisol, completely ignoring her. But not only that, as many people have pointed out, he's misremembering. The walls in the background are recent, with the new teal color and his new bed. Shannon's hair is a cross between dark and light, almost like a mix of Kim and Shannon, and--and this one rocked my world--they had sex right side up.

Many have pointed out how it's odd that Eddie and Marisol's sex scene harkened so similarly back to his one sex scene with Shannon, where they both ended up at the tail end of the bed, upside down. People have often discussed Eddie and his upside-down sex as a metaphor for unhealthy sexual connection, for misconnection, and right side up sex to be healthy sex. To find that he is thinking of him and Shannon in his memory of being right side up has been pointed out by others to be yet another example of Eddie's rose-colored memories of his past with Shannon. In his memory, he views his relationship and sexual relationship with Shannon as this Amazing and One of a Kind thing, hence the right-side-up sex, but in reality, it was upside down, it wasn't healthy.

He's looking at his relationship with Shannon through a veil of the present, chock full of regrets, would've/could've/should've's, and two almost-failed relationships. Not to mention that he literally was just having extreme sexual dysfunction with Marisol not even two episodes ago it's very likely that his remembering this passionate, voracious, unquenchable thirst for Shannon is also brought on by the fact that he's having sexual issues with Marisol. It might also be him wanting to remember that he does and did have desire for sex with women...as long as they're Shannon or reminding him of Shannon. This is not at all supposed to be something that is represented as healthy for Eddie, and I don't believe the show is trying to put across that message.

Eddie remembers his sex with Shannon, and when he decided to "bring Shannon home for Christmas". Even in this scene, the focus is not on the two of them as a couple. He doesn't talk about how much he missed her, or how it feels good to be close to her again. He talks about how he wants to reunite her and Christopher. "Santa" in this present day and age is bringing "Shannon" home for Christmas, by bringing Kim into Eddie's life.

Bringing it back to Maddie's storyline, with the Big Bad Kidnapper of this episode. He was encouraged by his sister to move across the country for a fresh start after his wife and baby left him due to his own abusive actions (assumed, but the sister did say they were "afraid of him"). We don't know too much of the details of this man's story, but it does show a clear parallel to Eddie too, with his wife leaving him to move across the country too (though she left their son with Eddie because obviously, Eddie's not abusive like this man). But the man's sister was hoping that this move would mean he would "stop looking for them". Eddie ends up doing the same thing with Shannon metaphorically. He never stops looking for her in all of his romantic relationships, hurting other women like Ana and Marisol, in the process.

The man is so clearly a parallel to Eddie but in the worst most devolved way. Eddie has been seeking out a Mom for Chris for years, even when Shannon was alive. It was never about Shannon, wanting her, loving her, needing her because he's so deeply in love with her. No, it was, and still is, always about the mother she could be for Chris. It's the same thing he did with Ana, and with Marisol. I'm not sure if this thing he's doing with Kim will eventually lead there too, or if it won't make it that far before it gets blown up in his face. But Kim cannot be a new mother for Chris, even if she wants to be. Christopher would clock that she looks like Shannon, and might feel betrayed, like Eddie is actively trying to replace Shannon, which I doubt Christopher would take well. So what is Eddie's endgame here? In my honest opinion, I don't think he has one. I think he's acting on pure emotional hurt, and desperately seeking out a balm, and not considering the consequences of his actions.

Just like that man was hit dead on with the literal consequences with the police, I think Eddie's gonna be hit HARD as a result of these mistakes. I feel like it might be something really bad, possibly involving Christopher. If "isolation" is going to become the thing he might have to contend with Christopher being really really angry with him in whatever way that takes form, and the rest of the firefam not being happy with him either. I think Eddie's going to be going through another arc similar to where he was emotionally in season 3a with the streetfighting arc.

Just how like the man who abducted her was a parallel to Eddie, Catherine herself is also a parallel to Eddie. She's clearly in pain, but she refuses drugs that will make her feel better. She feels she has to stay awake and endure the pain as a comeuppance, similar to how Eddie felt he had to endure his pain like a man because he deserved it. She feels her husband will hate her, just like how Eddie feared Shannon would hate him for what he did. He fears Shannon would never forgive him, but just like Catherine, even worse is the fact that Eddie has yet to ever forgive himself. No matter how many times people tell her it's not her fault, no matter how many times people tell Eddie he's a good father or a good person, they will never believe it. That guilt still rocks them, and for Eddie, it's been the monkey on his back every day LOONNGGG before Shannon even passed. Likely he's been dealing with it from the second he found out he got her pregnant. Even though Catherine's daughter was returned to her, she will still likely feel guilty, just as Eddie's guilt has lingered and festered and turned to rot the longer it's gone unchecked.

It'll only be once Eddie can let go of that guilt, let go of Shannon, and forgive himself, will he ever be able to actually start healing, and making the right choices for himself.

Many people have pointed out how this parallels the scene in 3x03 with Christopher and Eddie coming to Buck's house after the tsunami. That was a moment where Buck was feeling "lost at sea" and Eddie and Chris came in to be his "life raft that gets you home." And now Eddie's the one lost at sea. He thinks he has to find Shannon when really all he really needs is here with Buck and Chris. Eddie and Chris are "late", but eventually, they will find their way home to Buck.

Have y'all ever heard the phrase "where there's smoke, there's fire"? It means that if there's a rumor or something being said about a topic, there must be some back story/truth in it. It's what I point out every time the show "jokes" about Eddie's sexuality or lack thereof to women, Eddie ready to leave Marisol, etc. They're in the script because there's a kernel of truth to them, even if it's still nebulous (or smoky) at the moment.

Additionally, Buck is making a new lasagna recipe (a metaphor for his new found bisexuality and MM relationship with Tommy) and something about it is not working. In the same way that I've been theorizing that there is misalingment in his relationship with Tommy, we're now seeing that lasagna (like in 6x01 where the couch theory was introduced) is yet another metaphor for Buck's relationships. He had 3 at that point in time (as well as 3 failed attempts at lasagna) and now he's here in a new relationship, and something about it isn't working, he just doesn't know what. I'll reiterate, it's not the bisexuality, but rather the person he's in a relationship with. This being told once again to Eddie, in Buck's kitchen, with Chris present, is driving home the point once again.

Eddie, on the other hand, is aligned with Buck. He knew ahead of time to order a pizza for them. This isn't usual, given that Buck's a good cook, and has cooked for Chris and Eddie many times. Eddie being attuned to Buck right now is meant to show that he can sense these things about Buck, even when it's not conscious.

"To be seen… to be found… isn't that what we're all searching for?"

Buck assumes Eddie's meeting with Marisol, and Eddie does not correct him. I've seen other people mention how this feels like Eddie is cheating on Buck, and not really on Marisol, and in my opinion, that all comes down to who is Eddie more emotionally intimate with. He already feels super disconnected to Marisol, even more so in this episode, but we've spent the first half of this season establishing how Buck and Eddie are closer than ever. So Eddie lying to Buck feels like the real cheating here, because Eddie has only ever given himself fully to Buck, in all his messed up glory. He's never given that to Marisol, or Ana. And he most definitely never gave that to Shannon.

Side note, I loved the cologne line because it implies that Buck knows how Eddie smells, and that smelling him now is something Buck is enjoying. Him saying they won't wait up for Eddie further cements the domesticity of the scene. Buck has a full relationship with Chris outside of Eddie, but they also have a strongly established bond all three of them. In an episode where Eddie assumes Marisol must love smores despite her never having tried one, Eddie inherently knows that Buck's struggling with lasagna and needs to order a pizza.

Eddie and Buck's flirting--because that's what it is-- feels natural. More so than the flirting with Marisol in the beginning of the episode, and more so than with Kim-Not-Shannon that was moored down by the reality that Eddie is severely projecting all of his major issues onto her. Buck and Eddie have an easy rapport filled with mutual support, inside jokes, gentle ribbing, synchronicity and above all, friendship and trust. THAT is why the betrayal of Eddie with Kim only a few moments later feels so stark and like a huge blow to the audience.

Eddie sees Kim, and all he sees is Shannon's face, but I have to give MASSIVE kudos to the hair, costume, and makeup department here because they couldn't make Kim look ANY more starkly different from Shannon. In the scenes at the store, Kim is dressed more professionally, in lighter more inviting colors. And then here, when Kim can take off the customer service mask, and be fully herself, we see that she dresses in darker clothing, pants, and jackets with her hair up in almost an alternative-punk style. It's a MASSIVE contrast to Shannon who was almost always dressed in lighter, warmer colors, in shades of orange, yellow, and warm pinks, with minimal makeup and long flowy dresses or soft sweaters. Shannon's hair was almost always down and flowing around her face with her bangs. Kim's hair is completely up, totally out of her face in a severe bun look, without any bangs. She could not look father from Shannon if she tried. And yet, Eddie is not seeing Kim, he's not seeing the individual woman who's probably really lovely, the woman he's inherently hurting by using her to be reminded of his dead wife. No, all he sees is Shannon, and he's 100% willing to tank his whole life just to get a bit of that feeling back.

Eddie is on his way towards rock bottom, and this episode is only getting started. The glass is going to shatter extremely hard, and I worry for what the consequences will be for Eddie for all this, because there's no way he's escaping this without deep cuts. He will likely lose Marisol and Kim in one fell swoop. As for Buck, Chris and the rest of the 118, that's yet to be seen. But we know Eddie's parents show back up later on, so they could be coming in with the steel chair, likely to hit Eddie harder when he's already down. After all, the originator of "Don't drag him down with you, Eddie" is none other than Helena Diaz. This season is giving very strong season 3/4 vibes, and if that's the case, it's possible Helena and Ramon are going to pose a problem by the end of the season like they might've done in season 4 if things had gone as originally planned.

I'm worried, scared and excited to see how this ends up for Eddie. But I'm also hopeful. I see a light at the end of this tunnel. After all, it's always darkest just before dawn.

Thanks for reading my meta!

[reticent-writer]

Hear me out. Hear me tf out. A reader who is Tomioka’s fraternal twin and got separated from him when he ran into the mountains, with the relatives failing to find him but catching her. Anyway, she suddenly jumps out of the infinity castle during that one moment in the first episode of the Hashira training arc. Like, just as the door is about to close, this lady just appears and uses the demon as a stepping stone to jump out, and once it closes the momentum has her slamming onto the ground and rolling a couple of feet. And she just kind of lies there before rolling over and staring at the sky, before starting to laugh and cry at the same time, babbling about how she made it, she’s alive, she’s out of that place. Now, Sanemi and Obanai have no idea who this lady is, but they want answers as to why the hell she just jumped out of that place. She’s covered in scratches and had torn her kimono to knee-length for more mobility in there. Anyway, the Kakushi bringing her to headquarters to get her treated and during the Hashira meeting Sanemi or Obanai just mention this girl who was there in their mission and who is getting checked over by the butterfly girls, but she might have important information. Pls make a fic of this.

I liked writing this it was fun. Thank you for requesting ヾ(≧▽≦*)o

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It felt like an eternity since you were kidnapped by Douma but you remember your life before. You remember running with your sister and brother, only stopping when reaching a clearing in the forest. Your sister urged you and your twin to keep moving but when you tried to stand you found yourself in an unfamiliar place.

The Infinity Castle.

It's been years before since you've seen the sun but you didn't lose hope. Your sister and brother were out there, hopefully. They become your reason for living.

------

"Awww look at you. A rare beauty but so playful... please come out, I'm not gonna hurt you." Douma laughed.

You held your breath as you hid from the demon. Quietly maneuvering through the infinite rooms in vain. You've been playing hide n seek for hours, without food or water your body is sure to give out any minute now.

"I think I really lost you. Come out please, you'll be dead if Master finds you. Besides all that I know you're hungry, you haven't eaten in a few days. You won't last long if you keep with up." He pleaded, his voice becoming quieter the more you moved but you couldn't tell if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

As you walked through one of the rooms you saw a demon falling from what seemed to be different from the rest of the castle's terrain. It was an opening. Something that you had been tortured with, he would make an opening far enough way so that you would have to run to get to it. Of course, he was always faster and he wouldn't even let you get close.

But this time he didn't know where you were plus he didn't open it.

This was your chance to escape and you didn't waste it.

luckily for you the room you were in was close enough to make it even with your limited stamina.

You ran as fast as you could, taking the demon by surprise and using your momentum, propelled yourself through the opening right as the demon slayer stabbed the ground.

You made it.

You got as far away from the opening as you could. you laid on your back looking up at the moon. It finally hit you, You really got out. After years of being in that horrible place, you finally escaped.

You start to smile as tears welled up in your eyes. You gasped for air but a strained laugh left your lips when you exhaled. It quickly developed into deranged and uncontrollable laughter as the crocodile tears wouldn't stop.

The two demon slayers stared at you not knowing what to do.

"Hey, what were you doing in there?" Sanemi questioned as he pointed his sword at you.

It took you a moment to calm youut as you were about to speak you passed out.

---------

*two weeks later*

"Her injuries are minor but she has so many of them that she lost a lot of blood. Judging by her physical condition she's malnourished and has been sleep-deprived for a while. It's better to let her rest for now." Ubuyashiki's son read out Shinobu's note at a hashira meeting.

"Sanemi, you and Obanai found her while in pursuit of a demon correct? Was there anything unusual about her?"

"Yes sir, she jumped out of the infinity castle as a demon went in. She was hysterical before she passed out." Sanemi explained as everyone listened intensely.

"When she wakes up I would like to talk to her with all of you present."

The rest of the meeting was uneventful.

----------

Shinobu personally looked after you while you were recovering. You didn't wake up for another week and when you did, Shinobu ensured you were healthy enough before bringing you to a meeting.

She gave you new clothes and a nice meal before leading you to the demon slayers' headquarters.

You were met with a kind smile from the master which you returned. You sat on the gravel in front of the master.

None of the hashira had arrived yet.

"How are you feeling?" Ubuyashiki asked.

"I'm feeling much better. Thank you."

"That's good to hear. Do you have any plans after this is over?

"Hmm... I haven't thought about it. I have no home to go back to and my fam- I don't know what happened to my family." You muttered the last part.

"That's ok, we can talk about that later."

One by one the hashira arrived and sat in their usual positions.

"Hello, my children it's nice to see all of you in good condition. Now to the matter a hand, Ma'am can you tell us how you got into the demons domain." Ubuyashiki opened the floor for you to talk.

"I honestly don't know, one minute I was running with my brother and sister then the next I was in a room."

This caught Giyuu's attention.

"What was it like in there."

"Torture. I could barely eat, sleep, or even breathe without being watched. And the place was never-ending and constantly changing."

"DID YOU SEE KIBUTSUJI?" The wind hashira barked.

"Kibutsuji?"

"Muzan Kibutsuji. The demon king." Ubuyashiki explained.

"Oh, Douma kept me away from him. He said if the master saw me he'd kill me. Douma is a demon with long blonde hair, a golden fan and colorful eyes."

"Did he have a number engraved in his eye? If so what was it?"

"Number 2."

"Forgive me for being so rude but I forgot to ask for your name."

"It's Tomioka Y/n."

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i hope you like it

[mono-blogs-art]

The Loyal Pin Ep. 13

This episode was peak. Truly.

I needed to gather my thoughts for a while to talk about this episode because there was just so much. It's a whopping 75 minutes long, compared to the normal ~60mins that the episodes do, and they spent every minute of it cashing in on character work and payoff from the previous 12 episodes. I was pleasantly surprised because I didn't even think they would handle their breakup this well. It was so fucking good.

First and foremost this was a very Anil-focused episode, with Pin popping up here and there for some scenes but we didn't get much of her perspective - which I believe is true to the novel, and also my only "criticism" of this episode. At the same time, I wouldn't want to give away any of those minutes we spent with Anin to something else, it was really perfect the way it was.

And that is definitely deliberate. Because now that the cat's fully out of the bag, we have an open battlefield with almost nowhere to hide. And Anin has all her supporters come to see her. Her brother comes to apologize and comfort her. She visits her mother and has a heartfelt scene with her, once again making her feelings clear. Although Princess Alisa is not on board with the relationship, she still wants to support Anin - the problem is just that Anin is asking for the one thing she cannot get. Prik comes to apologize to Anin and they hug. Anan comes to see Anin again to comfort her some more. Everyone is on Anin's side, even if they don't agree with her, she has a whole following and family that just want her to be happy.

And Pin? She has no one. The only person she has, she has to sacrifice in order to not cause her harm. Within the hierarchy of the royal families, Pin's feelings, her body or even her life don't matter to anyone. The difference in scenes of Anin grieving VS Pin grieving really illuminates how alone and powerless Pin really is. A literal bird in a cage.

And that's the excellency of the episode for me: I feel deeply with both of the girls, and I understand exactly how they are feeling and why the breakup was inevitable. From Pin's perspective, her dating Anin was always going to be temporary, because she knows that if the time came, she could never defy authority and choose not to marry. As an orphan and "noble commoner", a noble of the lowest rank in the palace, she's been keenly aware of her powerlessness and rank etiquette her entire life. She's basically a servant. Although she made a promise with Anin and dared to dream about their future for just a bit, Princess Patt made her remember her place. So the only way to protect the person she loves is to sacrifice herself. Anin on the other hand is the King's favourite child, a high ranking Princess and the only daughter the family has. She was never going to marry for love, just like her oldest brother wasn't allowed to. And in this episode, the reality of that finally hit Anin. She's a woman, and although everyone loves her, in the end, she's expected to marry a man and have children, and that is the top priority for her. Her job, her studying abroad, her passion, her mannerisms and shenanigans don't matter and are always policed by the rest of her family. The power she thought she had by cleverly playing people to her advantage, and being just so damn kind and sweet that people will just naturally be on her side, that power has its limits, and she has reached it.

That's the core of the tragedy. Anin loves Pin, and Pin loves her, so ardently and deeply that they would give up everything for each other. And they know that the other is sincere about their feelings. Anin doesn't even hesitate to renounce her title, and Pin gives up her body and heart to marry Kuea. All just so the other doesn't get hurt. But that's where the two of them are different: Anin gives up her privilege, because she thinks she can be with Pin that way. No princess title, no princess responsibilities, right? But it's simply not true, and the hardest realization Anin has this episode is that she's been just stupidly naive this whole time. Pin on the other hand is extremely aware of the consequences Anin would face if she gave up her title, so the only way to prevent that is to take away what Anin wants, which is her. Anin gives up everything to not lose Pin. But when Pin gives up everything, it's only to not have Anin lose herself.

It drives me so insane how they care so deeply that they are willing to sacrifice it all but still it ends in heartbreak, no matter what. The reality of misogyny and class discrimination came in full force, something the show up to this point has only vaguely alluded to with Patt's disciplining and Pin's general worrying about, well, everything. But now even Anin is aware of her position, and her responsibilities, where before she was living in her own little dream world she thought she could expand forever and everyone would just go along.

The confrontation between Anin and Pin after Pin agreed to marry Kuea is just so good and heartbreaking. "I'm just a human, like you, made of flesh and blood and a heart that can break." Pin's betrayal hit deep and Anin doesn't understand it. Pin can only see what she sacrificed, and not that from Anin's perspective, she has given up and betrayed their love.

And truly: Anin is better than any of us. Certainly better than me. Because she is ugly sobbing and quietly fuming with anger but she doesn't lash out. Not at her dumbass middle brother, not at her mother, not at Princess Patt, barely even at Kuea. She is not petty, she is not hurting anyone, she's not even dropping any of her responsibilities as a princess. She even fucking shows up to the engagement party, performs her duties as Princess, and gives Pin back the silver hairpin. Oh my fucking God. You are so good and kind and any lesser show would have made you do something so messy and reckless but she didn't. She's minimizing the damage as best she can, while also trying to leave as much room for her own feelings as possible, isolating herself to her room above the others. Giving back the silver hairpin to Pin's golden hairpin? That's even a declaration of hope. If we can't be together, then at least let our hairpins be together, like they were destined to be. YOU ARE CRAZY!!!!!!!!!

So really, these are some (but definitely not all) of my thoughts, because there's just so much to talk about that came to fruition in this masterclass in angst of an episode. The acting was top-tier this episode from every character. You could even see cracks showing in Auntie Patt's facade - I wonder which route they will go with her. I hear exciting things about next episode and that it might focus on Pin more again, so I'm really excited! This show just gets better every week, only 3 episodes left - what will I do when it's over?!

[seaofwine]

What do you like about the Odyssey? Besides some entertaining episodes (e.g. Circe or Calypso), I've never really been able to get into the Odyssey as a whole (I find the first 5 books especially dull). The Iliad really speaks to me more.

It's hard to really pinpoint what I like most about it but I love to talk about the Odyssey so I hope you like long posts hahaha

The first five books act as the exposition. When the Iliad ends, there's a general understanding that most of the surviving characters made it home. Menelaus and Helen have reunited, the catalyst for the Trojan War has been resolved. Agamemnon traversed the sea and made it back, and although he was killed by his wife Clytemnestra, there is no question about where he is; unlike Odysseus.

Telemachus has spent his entire youth without a father. When he finally decides to set out from Ithaca to find any leads on where Odysseus is, he is confronted with the fact that most everyone else has been accounted for. He sees Menelaus and Helen, the order of their kingdom, the comfort they have in each other and the bonds they have restored. Telemachus has known nothing but uncertainty, while his mother is forced to weave lies and deceptions to keep the suitors that plague their home at bay. The first five books really show how important one man can be when he is utterly lost, and what it would mean for everyone who loves him should he be found. These books also show the close interest that Athena, as patron of Odysseus, takes in his family. She steps into the chaos of Ithaca and gives Telemachus the inspiration to embark on his own journey, chasing the ghost of his still-living father.

When we finally reach Odysseus, he is not the same man that those who knew him in Troy described. They are the closest Telemachus can come to knowing what came of his father, but even they are separated by nearly a decade and the breadth of the sea. Penelope hasn't laid eyes on her husband in twenty years, there is no overestimating what that can do to a person's memory. Odysseus's first action is to cry. When finally Calypso is forced to allow Odysseus to leave, by order of Hermes, he makes his own raft and leaves at the first possible moment. He is fighting against the will of Poseidon, against the wrath he incurred, all alone. He has lost every single one of his men, every single person who could ever vouch for his identity, in a world where no one could recognize him, is gone. Despite this, he is still fighting to get back to Ithaca.

Odysseus is so utterly human in the text. When he is hosted by Alcinous, Odysseus asks the singer there to recount the story of the Trojan Horse. It's like landing at the doorstep of a stranger who graciously allows you to stay and immediately asking his DJ to play *your own* greatest hits - which in turn only upsets him. This also sets up the dramatic reveal of his identity (I like to imagine him looking around like, you guys remember this one? Yeah that's Me, I pinkie promise. Please give me 4000 drachmae and your best oarsmen (: ).

He recounts the story of how he got so utterly lost on the way back and one thing the Odyssey will tell you, to your face over and over again, is that Odysseus is a big time liar. But for some reason, his tale is so compelling it's hard to remind yourself of that when hearing it for the first time. Some points are so beyond baffling (like striking Polyphemus in the singular eye the poor sod has, and then once to the safety of his boat (which is on open water, the domain of said cyclops's father) loudly announcing his full gods-given name and mailing address, just in case anyone missed who it was) that it's like, yeah that was probably exactly what he did. This is the section of the story where we see Odysseus as he sees himself. This is his own reflection of the actions he made and the troubles that befell him because of it.

Odysseus is such a complex character that one of the epithets he is given is "polytropos", the many-faced or many-sided. Odysseus and his relationship to his own identity, which he can shed and don at any point that's convenient for him, is one of the main reasons I am obsessed with his story. This, and the exploration in an ancient text about what a close relationship with a deity, is something I am constantly thinking about.

[squiddy-god]

overstim shigaraki

This is lowkey an older fic/hc set and I hate it now but I'm still posting because I love shigaraki-

CW : smut, a fab reader, mean shigaraki, over stim

Shigy is a sadist what’s new, and while he gets sexual pleasure from pain being inflicted on him he knows you aren’t the same

So he saves if for the bedroom

Really really likes over stimulation, 100% gets off knowing that he’s fucking you into near painful orgasms and the tears in your eyes are almost enough to make him cum on the spot

This man has a corruption kink and it’s not even a question, this is a hill I’ll die on. Period 🥰💅

Eats you out and finger fucks you into a needy mess and he’s more then Willing to give you his cock and won’t stop giveing you his cock

Go’s absolutely feral and you clawing at his back only urges him on more because jokes on you he’s into that shit

Bite him, scratch him, make him bleed, he’ll cum on the spot but won’t stop

You : omg I’m sorry I clawed up your back 😔

Shiki :

Likes to think he’s corrupting you and causeing you to fall into depravity with him

Your his pure adorable little human and he’s going to fuck you until your just as dirty as him

Calls you his sinful little rabbit, letting a fallen angel mark you up

Has broken a bed and he’d do it again but you get mad at him

Because of the insedent above if he feels like he’s gonna snap and go feral he quickly moves you to the floor because he cant break that

I like to imagine he likes to flaunt his wings like a peacock so his wings are definitely out

By the end your going you to be screaming and sobbing, marked to hell and back, and unable to walk

Shiki is going to be clawed to hell and covered in bite marks and bruises from you griping onto him

Gets super soft after this because he knows aftercare is important and that it takes a lot out of you

Wraps his wings around around you like a cocoon and holds you in his arms for a while, then draws a bath because 1) your covers in cum 2) he’s coved in blood(or At least his back is)

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊☆.｡.:*　.｡.:*☆

You smiled and looked up to the baby blue sky, it was a beautiful day out and even better your boyfriend had asked you to come over to his house. You waited outside the school gates for shiki to be done with his council work so you could walk with him. It wasn’t long before you saw the familiar sight of his messy violet hair and striking bloody orange eyes, you waved his way and he came walking twords you. He smiled and planted a kiss on your nose before wrapping his arm around your shoulder and pulling you in close to him.

“How was you day y/n? ” He asked as you walked down the sidewalk. “It was pretty good! Lots of tests tho, that sucked” You said with an adorable pout, “what about you shiki?” “Oh my day was good, I pissed of mage and he hit me in the gut” A twisted smile pulled at his lips as his cheeks flushed cherry pink at the thought. His body shuddered against yours and his eyes held a dark glint. You shook your head at his antics “so you had a good day antagonizeing the other council members?” He nodded snaping out of his episode.

You finally reached his house and walked through the large gates and up to his front door, he opened his door and walked in behind you. You walked in and looked around, his house was nice and it always amazed you when you walked in. So many old paintings on the walls, of angels and clouds, demons and brimstone set ablaze with sins and lemantation. Bright burning eyes watched your figure like a hawk circling it’s pray, such a pure little bunny you were, such a cute little thing so close in his grasp and so tempting. He’d make you fall just as he once did. He’d drag you down into depravity as he tainted whatever purity he hadn’t already taken from you.

He was determined to paint your soul with sin and make your body a canvas for his love and sinful desires. Two pairs of ebony wings ripped through the blue fabric of his school jacket, soft black features scattered fluttering gently to the ground before long legs carried him to were you stood, willowy arms snakeing around you and traping you against his chest. Eyes half lidded and grin warped in a devious smirk, his hands trailed down to grip your waste and pull you flush against him. His breath was hot against the shell of your ears, his voice was shakey and dark, dripping with lustful excitement as he spoke, whispering into your ear. “Y/n~ let me have you, I’ll break you so beautifully, again and again~” He shuddered at the thought. Your face was stained with a lovely red and you swallowed the lump in your throat, nodding you head ‘yes’. He grin got wider as his fingers taped in gentle trails down your thighs before shoveling up the lacy white ruffles of your underskirt. His hands groped and squeezed your thights and brought you flush against him as he ground his erection against your ass. A shuddered groan sounded around the room as his head buried into your hair Inhailing deeply.

Black feathered wings closed out the light of the large windows, sweraling darkness clouded your vision and your body felt light and weigh less.

Light floded your vision and your body once again felt weighted and shikis wings left your vision to sit comfortably behind him. He spun you around and pressed his lips to yours, his tounge invaded your mouth as he took heavy steps backwards until you fell onto the bed. Breaking the kiss he looked into your (e/c) stained glass eyes. So bright and pure, such a lovely contrast to the dark glint of his orange eyes shrouded in sin. He striped off the deep maroon blazer before nimble fingers pryed open the buttons of your blouse. His eyes drank in the sight before him, your lovely (s/t) flesh a perfect canvas for the marks he would leave, your lacy (f/c) bra that sat so perfectly on your breast. Your face was so red as he ripped off his own Navy blue blazer and white dress shirt, it lay there now ripped and discarded on the floor leaving his slender but toned chest exposed. You undid your skirt and slid it down your legs, kicking it off you sat almost completely exposed to his hungry eyes.

He moved you to the center of the bed before crawling over to you and admireing the way your (h/c) hair spread against the cushiony pillows. His hands reached around and uncliped your bra tossing it to join your other discarded clothing. Next he moved to strip off your panties. His fingers toyed with your clit rubing circles and rolling the sensitive bud between his fingers. Your moans were music to his ears and his twisted grin only grew as two slim fingers slipped past your folds and caressed your walls, twisting and wiggling inside you as his thumb rubbed your clit. His other hand groped your chest as his mouth latched onto your neck sucking and Nipping at your skin leaveing dark bruises in his wake as he traveled across your soft skin and down the valley of your breasts marking them with bite marks and hickys.

Your body felt as though it was on fire as shiki continued to toy with you, your hands tangled in his hair and tugged at it roughly. He groaned and his fingers burried deeper into you causeing you to moan out, he slipped in another finger causeing you to stretch so deliciously around his digets. You unconsciously clenched down as his fingers curled inside of you, your legs shuddered as you came but his fingers didn’t stop even after he had fucked you over the edge with them. He applied more pressure as he rubbed your clit and traced shapes along the walls of your dripping cunt. He moved down and removed his fingers but before you had a chance to complain they were replaced with his tounge. His tounge darted in and out of you before sweraling around your sensitive bundle of nervers. You shuddered and shaked as another orgasm crashed over you.

Wasteing no time he stripped himself of his pants and boxers, tossing them aside before teasing your folds with his cock. You wined a little and looked at him with pleading eyes as his perverted smile only got wider. “Such a sinful little rabbit~ so willing so be defiled by the likes of a fallen angel” As he uttered those words he sunk into you, your walls stretching around him so tightly. He groaned pushing into you all the way before pulling back and snaping his hips back twords you. His mouth once again started to suck and bite at your neck as your arms wrapped around his torso underneath his wings, your nails raked down the space between his shoulder blades and wings down to his lower back leaveing angry red marks along his pale skin.

He groaned at the pain spuring him on to pound into you faster. You were moaning his name as his cock dragged against your velvet walls hitting your spongy g-spot when his hips met flush against yours, his hand came down to toy with your puffy clit makeing your legs shake. You were on fire as the coil in your stomach tightened. You cried out as your pussy clamped around him and your legs shaked while he fucked you through your orgasm. He groaned at the feeling of your nails digging into his skin and you creaming around his his cock.

Without stopping he continued with his relentless pace, your legs wouldn’t stop trembling as tears pricked your eyes, the space between your legs burned and tingled as shiki continued. His hips only stuttering when he neared his own release before continuing his pace and makeing a mess of your cunt.

He cold tell he was loseing himself to you, your pretty face so twisted in the pleasure he brought you and so stained with tears as he made you cum around him over and over. He stopped suddenly and you thought you were getting a break, oh so foolish. He was going to break you. He scooped you up, dick still throbbing inside of you, he layed you down on the floor and pulled out of you. You were confused as to why he had layed you on the floor when he suddenly pushed up your legs so your knees met your chest before quickly slamming into you. He hit even deeper inside you and you cried out as your mide whent blank of all thoughts other then his cock filling you up to the brim.

His orange eyes we’re wide and crazed, shrouded in a feral kind of lust, mouth open and spewing moans as the sound of skin meeting skin floated in the air alongside your moans and crys. Your pussy ached and clenched around his member and he moaned at the added friction. You had bitten into his shoulder so stop your strangled moans but it was in vain as your choked sobs mixed with the moans that spilled from your mouth. Lewd sloping played like a symphony as shiki thrusted in and out of your over stuffed pussy.

Finally his hips stuttered again but this time he pushed inside you and stayed and he once again spilt his seed inside you. Leeking out as he pulled out of you, cock stained white with his own cum as he once again moved you to the bed. He layed you down and wrapped his arms around you holding your trembling body against his, large black wings draped over you, covering your body in a blanket of soft feathers as it lay limp ontop of you. Gentle lips kissed away the trail of tears and those that brimed your glossy (e/c) eyes. He sighed and took a deep Inhail of your sent mixed with his.

You were trembling like a Leaf in his arms, your legs no doubt almost numb yet still aching and painted white. He rubbed gentle circles on your body and whispered sweat nothings into your ear. “I’ll go start a bath so we can wash off my lovely little rabbit” His wings desipered, only leaveing scattered black feathers as proof of there excitance, his arms uncoiled for your body. You didn’t have the energy to protest as you lay exhausted, limp, and trembling. Kissing your head softly he stood up and walked to the bathroom that was connected to his room.

Blood orange eyes looked back at your form with a soft fondness. He had fallen for you and you had fallen for him, he would choose to fall from the heavens for you and he knew that you would fall together.

[stolasbuckzo]

Theory Time: I Love You

I’ve been thinking more about the theory that Blitz was about to say “I love you” to Stolas at the end of Mastermind, and honestly, I still don’t think that’s what he was going to say. To me, it feels too soon for them to reach that milestone, especially when so much unresolved tension is hanging in the air. They haven’t even talked about what happened at Ozzie’s or the grimoire situation, and I feel like those issues need to be addressed first. With the season finale coming up, I wouldn’t be surprised if those conversations mark the turning point where Stolitz shifts from semi-canon to fully canon.

And let’s not forget, earlier in the episode, Blitz was so quick to say, “You can stay with me,” the second Stolas told him he had nothing left— not even his clothes (which were soon dirtied, like come on Viv, you’re breaking my heart here 😭). That moment felt raw and real, a reflection of Blitz’s instinctive care for Stolas even if he struggles to express it openly.

Now, I do know that Blitz is capable of saying “I love you” to his found family and employees now, but I think it’s a bit too soon for him to say that to Stolas specifically. Stolas is in a really tough place right now—he’s been banished, he’s figuring out how to live like a commoner, and on top of that, he’s dealing with the loss of Octavia’s companionship. That’s a lot of stress and grief to process all at once. Adding a love confession into the mix might feel overwhelming or ill-timed. Blitz is pragmatic, so I think what he was really going to say was something like, “Hey Stolas, I want to hire you as part of I.M.P.” This would give Stolas a way to support himself while also bringing them closer together in a meaningful, practical way.

Also the man was not blind; if Blitz WAS going to say it to Stolas in that moment because he’s on a “ILY” path 😂 — he knew with the way that everything happened and with the way how emotionally exhausted Stolas was who basically passed out from the occurred events — he knew then wasn’t the right time to say it, so instead he kept to himself and smiled at him.

Conclusion:

I can see Viv setting it up so Blitz says “I love you” at the end of the next episode, tying it to all the growth he’s been building toward. It’d be a huge moment for him and their relationship, and it feels like the kind of emotional payoff that’s been brewing for a while.

Or maybe Stolas says it first, which could throw Blitz off and force him to really face his feelings. That could shift the dynamic in a big way and make his eventual “I love you” hit even harder.

Although Stolas had already said it once before but Blitz quickly shot it down by mocking him about it, thinking it was part of the role play. So, Whilst I would LOVE to say that it could also come from Stolas but honestly I think it’s probably more important if Blitz — the one who did it in the first place — was the one who said it first and with the way things are going now? I think he just might.

Either way, I think Viv will find a way to make the moment land. Whether it’s emotional, awkward, or even funny, it’s bound to stick with us and make their relationship feel even more real.

[just-my-latest-hyperfixation]

Too hot to be true

Written for the @steddieholidaydrabbles, day 16

Prompt: Modern AU

Rated: T

CW: none

Tags: Modern AU; Podcaster!Eddie; Steve and Dustin are brothers; sexual tension

Eddie almost snorts his morning cereal through his nose when he checks his messages, because - yeah, right.

Eddie pls answer me, the message starts. 

If that wasn’t enough, it is decorated with a veritable explosion of red exclamation marks. 

As if that wasn't enough, the guy in the profile picture looks like he walked right out of a wet dream. Big, hazel eyes and a beaming smile under a shock of wet, windswept hair. He's leaning on a surfboard, tanned chest sprinkled with shiny droplets of water. Eddie absolutely wouldn't mind pushing him down into the sand, tracing those glorious pecs with sun-warmed lips - if he were real, that is.

"Nice try, big boy," he mumbles and hits the block button. "Can you believe how persistent these scammers are getting? I dunno what they think you earn making podcasts and vlogs for video game nerds, but- … sorry, did you say something?" 

Chrissy scowls at him for a second longer, but then she shakes her head and sets down her coffee. 

"Just asked when that kid will be here." 

Eddie checks his phone. "Any minute now, the flight arrived an hour ago." 

She picks up her bag and they walk into the hallway together. 

"You really think it's a good idea? Him staying here?" 

Eddie shrugs. "It's only for the con. And Dustin’s a cool kid. Way smarter than his age, and his podcast slaps. Maybe we can record an episode or two together, that would- … what?" 

Chrissy still has this unhappy look on her face. 

"Eds," she says. "He's a fifteen-year-old you met online. I'm surprised his parents allowed this." 

Eddie laughs and holds out her coat. "Don't worry about it. His brother is chaperoning him, so it'll all be perfectly prudent. Dustin said he'd reach out, but somehow- oh, that'll be them." 

If Chrissy was going to say anything else, it's lost under the sound of the doorbell. Eddie opens and is promptly tackled by a curly-haired blur in a baseball cap. 

"Eddie!" Dustin cheers, "So cool to finally meet you in person, you won't believe what happened on the flight. That one guy…" 

But Eddie doesn't hear what the guy on the flight did, hardly processes how Chrissy pushes past them, mumbling something about needing to catch her bus. He's too busy gaping at the guy standing in the apartment door. Because he saw him just a few minutes ago. 

Granted, he's carrying a bulging suitcase instead of a surfboard, and he's wearing decidedly more clothes, but Eddie is pretty damn sure he'd know that ridiculously handsome face anywhere. Even though those pretty eyes are narrowed in an impressive deathglare now, and instead of a smile, those plush lips are twisted in a vicious scowl. 

"Oh," Dustin says offhandedly, shouldering past Eddie and into the apartment as if he owns the place. "This is my brother Steve. I don't think you’ve talked?" 

"No," the guy drawls, spearing Eddie with his gaze. "We haven't." 

If Dustin notices the tension hanging in the air, he masterfully ignores it. 

"Cool," he chirps. "Where do we sleep? I promised Mom I'd call once we're here."

"Chrissy's room," Eddie mumbles. The collar of his flannel is feeling too tight all of a sudden and when the fuck did it get so warm in here? "She's staying with her girlfriend over the weekend."

Dustin doesn't even wait for him to finish the sentence, just bustles down the hall and into Chrissy’s room. Eddie is left alone with the brother. 

The very hot, very mad brother who's still leaning in the open doorway, looking at him as though he just kicked a kitten. 

Well, shit. 

"Sooo," Eddie tries. "Steve, is it? Would you like to come in?" 

"Oh?" Steve’s eyebrows climb all the way up to the roots of his hair - neither wet nor windswept, but so absurdly floofy Eddie wants to bury his fingers in it and yank. "Can I? You're not gonna, like… block me on sight?" 

Eddie winces, even as his stupid, smart-ass mouth answers. "Don't think that's how it works in real life, dude." 

Steve's scowl deepens. Eddie wants to simultaneously cringe away and throw himself at him. It's a very weird feeling, to say the least.

"I dunno. I've been trying to contact you through every available platform for days, and you've been doing a pretty impressive job of it." 

"Yeah, sorry about that," Eddie blurts. "In my defense, I thought you were a scammer." 

The annoyance on Steve’s face is joined by confusion. He cocks his head. It makes him look like an upset puppy. 

"A scammer?" 

Eddie nods, brain-to-mouth filter rapidly eroding. "Or a pornbot. Real users usually aren't that hot." 

Steve opens his mouth. Lets out a strangled sort of croak. Shuts it again. A blush is rapidly creeping out of his shirt collar, pink and pretty.

"Told you," Dustin hollers from stage left. "Not a good profile pic." 

"Shut up, dipshit," Steve retaliates and finally pushes into the apartment. Eddie's grin drops off his face as the suitcase is pressed into his hands and he sags under the weight. 

"C'mon." 

Steve, already half on his way to the kitchen, turns, and Eddie is treated to a smile. It's just a ghost of the one from the profile picture - which is probably just as well, because if Steve unleashed the real thing on him here and now, he might as well go blind. 

"I got up in the middle of the night to catch that flight. You can fix me a coffee, and then you're gonna unblock me. If you're nice, I'll maybe let you follow me back." 

Eddie gulps as he trails after him into the apartment. It's gonna be an awkward weekend.

All my holiday drabbles

[riacte]

subjective + critical (NOT CRITICISM) wild life thoughts (no spoilers for winner, spoilers for finale gimmick)

Sorry for being back again. Anyways after watching Wild Life, I came to the conclusion that it's very... Grian. THIS IS NOT A BAD THING. In a way, it's always been very Grian (understandably so because it's his server and he picks the cast)— server wide event that gives everyone an opportunity to be involved, mechanics that toss you around haphazardly, random factor for funsies— I've watched Grian's minigames since HC6 Tag, Demise, etc, and there's a Grian-ness that I can't explain but I feel and recognise with my soul. This isn't Grian crit, I respect him massively for coming up with engaging gimmicks, I loved Demise 1, he definitely changed the scene of Hermitcraft 6, etc.

I previously talked about the experimental nature of Life series and how the emotional investment in Third Life was somewhat unintended. Wild Life is an experiment that's giving the expected results of Third Life— Grian-esque experimental gameshow about hanging out with friends and reacting to insane shit flung at you. The finale gimmick is all of the wild cards (seemingly individually chosen because of fun factor, no wider theme that connects them) together at the same time. It's fun! It's dramatic! It... doesn't have to have a deeper meaning!

Then comes the fandom's Swiftie tendency to connect everything (it's me, I'm the Swiftie), which is an inevitable and fun part of engaging with media. Famously, the LimLife winner symbolism debate. Coincidentally, the first three winners fit into celestial symbols, but it starts to fall apart with Martyn. But we love connecting stuff and making up symbols/blessings/curses, so we stuff Martyn and the following winners in anyway to honour them.

But there comes a point in which hyperanalysing everything sometimes feels like a stretch. This is a natural part of the life cycle I suppose. You can't recatch the lightning of 3L in a bottle, much like how All Stars Blue Bats doesn't hit the same as MCC9 Blue Bats. Wild Life is perfectly entertaining on its own, but to me it feels weird that it's tacked onto the Life series, like it's an afterthought. It has all of the cast so far, we get a lot of nostalgia bait, existing duos, but... it personally, subjectively doesn't feel like The Life Series TM. Like, it sure is A Sequel and Continuation of the plot but it feels like a Beach Episode. It's fun to watch! And... yeah!

And then you start to think. So maybe it's us who've been assigning a lot of Meaning to the first generations of Life series and now with Wild Life, it's finally reached its intended vibe of Fun Experimental Grian Gameshow. I remember someone said "what you're missing in the OG Life series was never there in the first place" and I see that viewpoint, it was like a collective hallucination. I'm gonna spitball if Wild Life was written by the fandom with attempts to "script coherent themes":

Fixed six sessions, first five gimmicks refer to previous five seasons, sixth sessions is every gimmick all at once

Clear "wild life" theme, which would keep the snails and superpowers probably, add possibly Origins, and cast members are encouraged to play into the theme (like BigB this season)

Dice theme, something about rolling 1-6, ties in with people starting with 6 lives

And we got the Gameshow. Individual gimmicks are quirky but don't seem really tied to each other. And there's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes you just have a bunch of fun ideas and throw them into a pot. But the fandom expects to have something to work with due to the meta starting from 3L. Even if it doesn't fit perfectly, it's fun to make it fit! That's why we do analyses and symbolism! It's the bread and butter of fandom!

This is where I bring up the Life Seriesification of Hermitcraft, which is probably related in ways I cannot fully explain. The Life series isn't just a fun gameshow, it's a JOB. It brings you clout and views and fandom relevance and fandom propaganda which brings you views and income. The Life hermits have generally become a closed circle, with exceptions like Ren who hangs out the most with non-Lifers. The fandom's desire to connect Life series meta becomes so overwhelming that it seeps into non-Life series stuff, prominently HC, and the non-Life hermits start to get sidelined. Okay, it's more like Life series meta is interesting, so your Lifers become more interesting, so you care about them more, so you care about their HC POVs more. It's a weird reinforcing circle. And if you step out of it for a while (Ren), your clout decreases (Ren), and even when you come back, you kind of.... don't get the same level of mainstream attention anymore even though your personal fanbase is going insane (Ren). (BigB also gets sidelined, although that is a different discussion.)

Anyways it Isn't That Deep and the main reason is probably The Novelty/Interest Is Gone. That and the segmentation of the HC fandom, which I am absolutely guilty of. I don't "need" to post or watch popular POVs because I get to know about them through osmosis anyway. So I end up only "caring" about a few POVs.

I am aware this doesn't make a good deal of sense and I'm sorry for being a party pooper of sorts. This is not criticism, just trying to analyse it through a critical lens.

Life series can keep on being a gameshow. It can be whatever it likes at this point. I'm just sick of it invading Hermitcraft fandom and tilting the balance overwhelmingly in favour of the Life hermits. It's suffocating.

Final reminder to myself, but replace "yourselves" with "Life series fandom":

[strangegardendelusion]

andres dumb plan hinges too much on the idea of "stolas will come save blitz because he loves him and then hold himself accountable so i can take his legions! obviously!" when theres like. no implication that anyone really knows what blitz and stolas's relationship is, or that they even care about each other, especially not when stella said, "he finally realized that filthy little beast was only using him to gain access to his grimoire", like, what about that implies that stolas would give a shit if anything happened to someone who was "using him"? thats right - it doesnt! if andres plan had been properly executed in the stupid ass way he set it up in the episode, then blitz wouldve been executed, and fuck all wouldve happen to stolas after. if anything, hed be treated like a hero who was used unfairly by some low life, who was then slaughtered on tv to remind the lower citizens of hell not to fuck with the upper crust. imagine if that had happened, forcing stolas to go back to his home by himself; no stella since they divorced, no via since shes turning 18 soon, and no blitzy, ever again. maybe they shouldve just done that tbh, that way he could take over the show completely, since thats obviously what viv wants so damn bad. (also, stolas possible redemption arc when he realizes his actions actually DO have consequences!) or, i dunno, if she had the maturity to let other people look at her 3 year old script without surrounding herself with yesman, she mightve realized that she couldve kept EVERYTHING she wanted and still had the same ending, at the price of having stolas do the bare minimum and say, "he didnt force himself onto me, i.. forced myself onto him." the ending with all the imps hating stolas would make sense (because they know hes a rapist), blitz being able to even acknowledge any care he has for stolas might make more sense if he'd even SAY what he did wrong to blitz in front of EVERYONE important in hell, being a way to make up for his manipulative behavior and him hiding his face at ozzies, especially if stolas said, "i'm so sorry, blitz. for getting you into this mess, for everything ive done to you.." after blitz says thank you when they return home. (thats just the way i'd write it, because i cannot fucking stand that blitz says, "thank you, stolas, for saving my life," when blitz, at minimum, has saved stolas's life 3 TIMES AND HAS NEVER GOTTEN A THANK YOU ONCE BEFORE THIS POINT and was even INSULTED over saving him the best he could, because blitz needed to be there for his DAUGHTER first like a good dad, which is obviously something stolas has never comprehended since his sacrifice and willingness to die for his former forced sex slave in mastermind proves that, but stolas saves blitz twice, the second time being when hes holding himself accountable for his own actions that nearly got his "lover" killed to begin with? oh, heres a gold star, a thank you from the guy you forced to have sex with you to keep food on the table for his family, and a free imp to wash you just like when you were 12 i mean a totally not trauma bonded bf!)

Honestly, anon, interesting points all around! I didn't even think about all you said before you mentioned it.

Now, having blitz died is a very interesting idea

I mean, it would be very cool to see how each character reacts to his death, like having loona experience her sadness by turning it into anger and having millie and moxxie grieving with each other the best they can.

It would also be very interesting to see stolas hitting the deep end as he realized how his life is falling apart

I could see stolas trying to reach out to everyone blitz knew, and nobody wanted to do anything with stolas

From then on, the series would follow stolas as he deals with everything

[janetkwallace]

Gutsy doesn't have the guts, or how to screw up a season finale

(Warning: Spoilers of Moominvalley Season 4 ahead)

The hell was that ending.

How come no one at Gutsy, from the storyboard team to the artists to the 3d animators to the writers to the editors to the directors to the executive producers looked at the Comet in Moominland episode and said "that ending could be better" or something, or actually anything, did they just nodded in approval as it was done?

It baffles me that they thought it was a neat idea and didn't question how odd of a choice it was to end the series that way. So, In case you don't care about spoilers, well, here it goes:

A big comet approaches Moominvalley, oh no! Everyone (with the exception of a few characters who never appeared again, like Emma, Misabel, Ninny, Fillyjonk's nieces, Teety-Woo, to name a few) goes to Sniff's Cave.

Moomintroll is like: "We must face our fear instead of hiding from it!", despite said fear being a freaking comet that will fry everyone as soon as it reaches Moominvalley. They leave the cave so everyone can die together, which sounds silly but whatever.

Not even once they contemplate their mortality, despite the episode pretending they are. How do you expect the audience to care if not even the characters show any concern to the looming threat on the horizon? Is it too much for children to experience the fear of death or any existential thoughts? I mean, this is Moomins, a series with frozen squirrels, Fillyjonks craving all sorts of disasters and sad pinwheel on the beach episodes. Oh, and a story about child abuse and how we need to listen to the downtrodden to aid their healing, but the 2019 series somehow found a way to screw that up, and I'll probably talk about it later.

What matters is that the Groke appears, and like a fly attracted to a bug zapper, she heads towards the comet, something happens (I don't know exactly what, did she froze the comet, did she ate it, did she explode, it's unclear), but everyone is happy.

Really, everyone just leaves and goes to a party. The comet, as it seems, was just a fleeting glimmer. And the best part, the one that made me laugh to myself because of how dumb it is in retrospect: The Groke dies for everyone's sins and becomes a force ghost that only Moomintroll can see.

The end.

I'm not kidding. This is the season finale's final act. This is how the 2019 Moominvalley series ends. Moomintroll looks at the viewer and we hear the Groke's moan off-screen. She is okay! But where is she? Is she alive? Is she dead? Is this a Schrodinger's Groke? Are we, the audience, supposed to be the Groke? Nah, that would not make any sense.

The Groke, of all characters, sacrificed herself for a bunch of people and it has no impact whatsoever. Like, do you expect everyone to know the symbolism behind the Groke, how she represents loneliness and a desire to feel something she can never attain? And that symbolism isn't even properly established in the series, to begin with, so what's the point of getting rid of the Groke? And she isn't even dead because Gutsy won't say that, and if you can't do something that Shin Moomin did five decades ago and better, then something is wrong. If you can't do something Tove herself did in one of the novels, then something is utterly wrong.

Although, to be fair, why the Groke? Is it so the comet would be gone? How does "the Groke freezing a comet" (I guess) is a better option than "the comet is about to hit the valley but it changes course"? This is like Moominvalley attempting to be its own unique adaptation by taking choices and u-turns in the narrative in order to stand out from the rest, but the result is this convoluted mess that either gets unnoticed or is just strange.

Overall, it was an okay episode. As someone who has seen the worst of humanity through MST3K, Comet in Moominvalley is mostly competent. Eh, at least the music was nice, but the episode could have been a lot better, and who knows, someone may have liked it as it is. I did not, and that's why I wrote all of this.

[classicanalyzer]

What If Season 3 - What If... 1872? Thoughts

"Alternate realities, parallel universes. You get it at this point. Small choices, big changes, etcetera. But, out in the farthest reaches, of the Multiverse, well, things can get a little weird. Here, anything is possible. Really. Anything. Think less 'What If?' and more 'What the hell?' In this universe, Ultron was actually programmed for show tunes. But even in the Multiverse's most far-out worlds, one thing sadly remains a constant. Injustice. Shang-Chi's universe was no exception." Uatu

What's there to say, yet again, this is another peak episode, surprisingly tho, this one has a lot of themes around the reality of the Wild West period. I personally connect a lot to this episode with the themes presented. In some ways, this episode feels like a Shang-Chi sequel. It's a great episode before we reach the two-part finale.

Seeing Shang-Chi (in a major role this time as I'm not counting Episode 1) and Kate (again in a major role) after so long feels amazing, and I love to hear Kate being called Hawkeye. This John Walker variant is getting off lightly, to say the least, given his racist, callous, and asshole behavior toward Chinese immigrants.

Shang-Chi's drive for justice and family connection really hits home even in another universe. He's always someone who wants to fix wrongs and help people, even if they don't seem to deserve or even want it. He was willing to die believing his sister wouldn't kill him which is an admirable testament to his love for his family, especially since he sees his sister as his hero. Similarly, Kate Bishop also experiences tragedy relating to her parents with her dad dying and her mom becoming involved with criminal forces, in a way, it's a great pairing of two heroes with similar backgrounds.

"My sister has always been my hero. She's always been stronger than me. Braver than me. She's my life. And I know she's still in there somewhere." Xu Shang-Chi

"You're a fool." Xu Xialing

"No, Lin Lin. I'm your brother. I love you, Xialing." Xu Shang-Chi

An Ultron programmed to sing tunes is so hilarious. "What the hell" is a very accurate description of some universes with incredibly wacky and ridiculous concepts. The Multiverse is a weird place and literally anything can happen with no rhyme or reason.

Sadly as Uatu points out, the 1800s were not kind towards immigrants in the US, and on the West Coast, Asian (Chinese immigrants in particular) immigrants were heavily discriminated against and exploited. The American Dream has sadly never existed, especially for anyone who isn't White. For all the stories and myths the Wild West holds in the imagination of the US, there's a lot of dark history behind all of the wonder. And of course, there's Capitalist exploitation of immigrants. This episode contained heavy themes about the reality of the Wild West period. One can understand why Xialing wanted to burn it all down and create a nation that truly promises a better life for immigrants, even if it doesn't justify her horrific plan and methods to do so, and her plan and methods would only create a new kind of injustice towards immigrants.

Even in another in the past universe, Stark still was able to build advanced technology far ahead of his time haha.

It's pretty dark to realize that similar to Riri's Emergence universe, this universe might've ended up with the Hood and Burch winning if it hadn't been for Uatu once again being tired of seeing injustice win and giving a little helping hand. You have to love Uatu's growth over the seasons as someone who is willing to only intervene when a Multiversal threat arises but has now grown as someone who can't stand for yet another tragic outcome after seeing it so many times.

Leave it for Sonny Burch to play a corrupt Capitalist businessman, that's a great use of the character. Yet another series where Walton Goggins plays a character in a Wild West story haha. His and Xialing's plan to hypnotized the Chinese immigrants is truly horrifying and the way we see it from Kate's perspective is full of nightmare fuel. Also goated Kate for not killing him because it would've been a mercy to let him die, but rather there are other ways for someone who killed her parents to suffer.

The fight choreography of this episode, especially the fight between Shang-Chi and The Hood, who would later be revealed as Xialing is simply amazing. Shang-Chi’s theme is great to hear in the Wild West style. The tragedy of seeing Xialing being driven to similar horrific methods as the first Hood shows how easy it is for one to lose their intentions of trying to help people. At least, she died as herself. I also really like how Shang-Chi didn't blame Kate for killing his sister, realizing it wasn't her fault and it was the Hood's fault. The Hood may not be a person, but the way it is shown with Xialing makes it a representation of injustice. The Hood brings about a new kind of injustice in its new wearer.

I really love that Kwai Jun-Fan is this universe's Iron Fist! This hits even more considering that the creators wanted to do an episode about Shang-Chi and Iron Fist that would've been on a Kung Fu episode. And of course, we got the classic riding off into the sunset.

A happy ending in what could've been a pretty dark universe... unfortunately, the three Watchers disagree with Uatu once again intervening. We are now approaching the endgame of this show. The ending has me pretty hyped for the two-episode finale. It is time to see how Uatu will be tried by the three Waters. I hope similar to the Bad Batch S3 finale, it'll be 44+ minutes long since they both had one episode less than the previous seasons but a longer finale as a result.

This was a really great episode with a lot of themes around the hard truths of the Wild West period. The What If team once again hit it home. I really felt the plotline between Shang-Chi and Xialing felt like something in a sequel and the dynamic between him and Kate was great.

"The Old West has always been a myth of endless adventure and new beginnings. But the truth was, at times, something darker. Still, one person's tragic fall is often just the origin story of a new hero's rise... And so long as there are heroes who ride for justice, hope will always be on the horizon. Wow. Another one that ended up better than it could have." Uatu

"Because of you. You swore an oath, but so did we. And we can no longer allow your interferences to go unanswered." The Eminence

[hellosweetart]

Speaking of those asks where Nacha finds out about his scars and Francis’s final meal, I think the only way Nacha would find out about them is if she truly loves Francis for who he is, warts and all. It’s in the ending where Francis finds unconditional love for the first time with his wife and daughter.

So let’s just say Nacha got an inkling what her husband might be doing behind the scenes due to the various murder weapons he had hidden and the people who harassed her had magically gone missing the next day. One day, some rando was hitting on her but even though she kept bringing up she was married, the rando keeps harassing her. Obviously Francis didn’t take it very well but Nacha caught him in the act. She was initially frightened but Francis calmed him down by saying “I did it to protect you! He was giving you so much trouble. I don’t want anyone getting in the way of our marriage, sweetie.”

But Nacha was certain that this wasn’t the first time her husband killed. Once they were alone together, she asked, “is this not your first time?” Francis wanted to deny it at first but now that he’s caught in the act, he confessed all of his murders to her. Obviously Nacha was terrified and distressed, thinking he will kill her next but Francis stopped her from leaving, “Nacha! Please don’t leave! I know I’m not a good person. I’m far from a saint by that doesn’t mean I’m going to hurt you. I love you. I have so much love for you. I know that you’re frightened but please don’t leave me…”

Nacha hesitates but she stayed by his side, both out of fear and a part of her still does love him. As they went to sleep that night, Nacha looks at her husband’s sleeping body thinking, “what am I gonna do? What if he kills me and Ana? I know I shouldn’t stay but I still wanted to…” she knows that if she leaves, Francis would be heartbroken so in the end, Nacha still stuck by Francis the whole night. Francis still does love his family so as long as she doesn’t leave with Anastacha, everything could be fine. She gave him a kiss and whispered, “if only I could understand you, Francis.” And went back to sleep. Little did she know, Francis heard the whole thing and is disappointed in himself because he can’t tell her everything yet.

Much later on, Francis is having a mental breakdown in the bathroom due to a ptsd episode. Nacha went to check on him and Francis cried and told her to not open the door. Nacha respected his privacy but still stuck around. Once Francis cooled down, Nacha politely opened the door once Francis allowed her to come in. Much to her horror, Nacha found Francis naked on the floor. She saw every scar and burn mark on his body. Everything in the bathroom was wrecked. As Nacha reached out to her husband, Francis recoiled and wrapped a towel around his body screaming “Please! Don’t look at me! Don’t look at me! I’m so disgusting…”

Nacha let Francis have his space before sitting by him and hugging him for support. It was one of those days Francis couldn’t hold his emotions anymore so he exploded. After comforting him, Nacha took him to their bed to cool him down.

“Do you wanna tell me what happened Francis?” She asked. Francis hesitates at first saying “but if I tell you, you’d be more disgusted by me.” Nacha didn’t want to pry so she let him rest. After contemplating in his shame and grief, Francis slowly tells her everything about his past and how he got his scars. After telling Nacha everything, Francis asks her, “Tell me the truth Nacha. Do you think I’m a monster? I know I am one but I need to hear it from you. I won’t get mad at you, I promise.”

Nacha couldn’t respond at first. She was horrified but she felt really bad for what her husband went through. In short, she sympathised with him but that doesn’t mean she approves of what he’s done. She hugs Francis, “I don’t know the answer to that. I don’t like what you’ve done to those people but that doesn’t mean I hate you.”

Francis was surprised at her answer as he expects his wife to hate him, “What? You don’t hate me? But I’ve done so much wrong! How could you ever love me?”

“I can’t explain it. I don’t understand why either. But…I still love you Francis.”

“You…love me? Even if I’m a hideous monster?”

“Yes. Yes I do.”

Out of vulnerability, Francis hugs Nacha very tightly and cries into her arms. He finally found someone who accepted him for who he is, flaws and all, “Thank you Nacha, for everything. I’m damaged, I’m broken, but you made me feel human. I couldn’t be any more grateful that you’re in my life, sweetie. I love you Nacha.”

So the couple embraces each other, with Francis’s body fully exposed, no longer fearing of hiding his scars from his wife. And then…they pork. But they weren’t alone. Anastacha had heard everything from the other side of their room. From her father’s murders to his past. Anastacha began to reevaluate what she knew about her father. She knows what he has done is wrong but in the end, she just couldn’t hate him either. In fact, she sees her father in a new light but that doesn’t mean she’ll follow in his footsteps.

The next day, Anastacha didn’t tell her mom that she heard everything but all she asked was, “is dad gonna be ok or whatever?”

Nacha smiled at her daughter, “don’t worry. He’ll be fine. He’s been through a lot but he’s getting by.”

This brings a smile to Anastacha’s face. The ending is when Francis’s birthday is around the corner. Nacha and Anastacha wanted to make something special for him so they cook his favourite dish (you guessed it) beef stew and strawberry cheesecake. When Francis got home, his wife and daughter surprised him and wishes him a Happy Birthday. Francis didn’t understand why anyone would celebrate his birthday. He hasn’t done that in a long time but he feels so touched that his own family remembers his birthday. Francis cries tears of joy, the family does one big group hug before celebrating Francis’s birthday together. The end.

~ SK Francis anon 🔪

And this is best ending! Its like the best ending you will get in a horror game if you chose the right choices. It's very much incredible!

Also, I can't help but to make sketches of this heartfelt moment.

After Francis told her his past and trauma, Nacha showered him with full support, and was very happy that he opened up to her. They felt the same feeling like the first time they have fallen in love.

The loving embrace that night is so... Out of this world. Its so unforgettable.

(Ana will probably have a baby sibling lol)

A month passed, and Francis' birthday is already here. Nacha and Ana greeted him and they are the happiest family ever