#the show can barely manage the characters it has the last thing you need to be doing is advocating for riverlands citizen no. 6

[court-jobi]

How'd You Know (I Needed This)

((banner by me! I don't own Horikoshi's (sleepy) characters/work))

Pairing: Aizawa x reader (American!Pro Hero fem!reader, set before the events of Season 1)

Words: 4.9K

Rating: T+

Warnings: Aizawa has feelings and doesn't know what to do with them, alcohol mentions, slow burn, he fell first she fell harder, the feeling is mutual TM

Summary:

Shouta Aizawa surrenders his capture weapon for the night in favor of humoring Hizashi, and is rewarded for his follow-through at his show. He wants to know you, more than he has from teaching the brats alongside you for the last few months. Wants to know the smile that reaches your eyes more intimately.

He’s happy he gets this balcony happy hour with you -out from all their eyes inside- to be able to water this sweet, small thing he feels towards you to fullness.

A/N: I've been WAITING for this one, turn it up!!! Aizawa my beloved, I've wanted to write you for so, so long and can only hope I can do you justice. The man just has such a gentle side and I just wanted to give him something nice and self-indulgent~

For my My Hero Academia Masterlist, check it out here!

Read on Ao3

Damn it, why was he thinking like this? He’s in public for goodness’ sakes, with only two sips of drink under his belt. Not two drinks- two sips of a drink.  So if that’s the case of his sobriety, why was he off in his own little headspace as if he were drunk?  

‘Put Your Hands Up Radio’ found its home recording studio attached to this lounge: a place Shouta Aizawa never frequented unless expressly invited- or when Eraserhead was needed to scout out trouble. Far too noisy, too chatty, and filled with too many grown adults losing their sensibilities for his liking. 

Through one round of begging or another, he’d been roped into joining some of the staff of UA to an evening out, in support of Present Mic. Naturally, Aizawa would go- as his presence would all but guarantee everyone else’s. Despite begrudging the plans that pushed himself out of his preferred rest mode, he kept true to his word for Hizashi’s sake.

Promise kept, and therefore, appears to have been rewarded. 

Once the show wrapped for the night, his best friend was over the moon at how things were turning into a party that Friday night. After a day of shrill, whinging teenagers he’d wrangled all week, this level of volume was honestly the last thing he needed. Yamada’s voice doubled the decibel of the entire room- and that’s without his quirk activated. He always managed to annoy Aizawa when he started fangirling about one duet matchup or another.

But truthfully? Every sound this tired hero registered around him fell to white noise while he looked at you…

Sweet Little Miss, you are; gracing the lounge with your presence. You’re a vision tonight. Insist with your lilting dip to your words they all call you by your first name, outside of school grounds and against what’s considered custom. No hero titles either, unless an emergency called for formalities- then you’d cave.

These Americans are too casual. Even down to these outfits. What’s this–  black turtleneck, necklace she won’t leave alone- moving it around her thumb like that, short skirt.. and those damn thigh highs and tights. How is it she’s driving that moped of hers, wearing something like this…

Everything on your person, down to the way you held yourself in perfect confidence and ease adorned you like a perfectly-styled pro hero. It couldn't be a more stark contrast to his tried and true wardrobe. Even this after-hours look sat perfectly around each bend and curve of you, as you listened to the group. 

You’re smiling, too. It’s subtle, but it reaches your eyes, which makes it all the more authentic.

A smile he shouldn’t want to keep all to himself. Curves he really should have no business noticing. Features that he’s actually surprised he’s labeling as ‘attractive’ in his mind because the last time he ever felt an ounce of attraction to anyone in that way, he’d barely been able to grow facial hair. 

Desire for a safe place to land his dizzying mind is driving his tired sights to look to you for relief again and again in the conversation– without you even saying a single word. 

The barely-touched drink in his hand is only a prop; something to make him blend into the scene and not something he’s actually tasting for pleasure… meaning, these are his thoughts. Nearly completely sober. Should be illegal. Just illegal-

"Yo Sho, you still with us, sleepyhead?" 

Yamada pulled him out of his thoughts. Disguising any flare of being put on the spot, Aizawa  flitted his absent gaze back to his blond friend–

"Be nice. He’s had a rough day and is a good enough sport by being here,” you chirped up catching Yamada’s pull for Aizawa to part from the fringes of your little gathering.

Now toward you? He’ll soften his edge. After all, with you sticking up for him with blind loyalty, he nearly felt guilty for spacing out and causing you to speak up in the first place.

“- yknow, I'm inclined to take a nap myself," you leaned forward to grab a few more calamari bites to tend to your seemingly insatiable appetite. Aizawa felt warm at the sweetness and straightened up at Yamada’s prodding.

From then on, he made sure to look in your direction more often when you spoke to help him pay attention. He still didn't say much, never did. But he liked the company well enough.

These nights were truly few and far between. Life as an in-demand hero left him jumping from role to role, daytime and midnight obligations. The routine split his waking hours and stretched them paper thin.  Now more than ever,  he typically shirked as much off time as he was offered. And yet, he had to remember to prioritize levity and breaks– and in this case, indulge his treasured friend’s interests and ‘take one for the team’. Good for morale, he reasoned, just this once. 

The occasion was also a way for you to integrate with the group in an informal setting– great for the transplant from the States. You’ve taken amicably to the group of alumni-turned-faculty at UA, though much still remained a mystery about you, presently being peeled back bit by bit through stories and slips of the tongue. There was only so much a dossier could truly reveal about a person- even one curated by S.W.O.R.D. to volunteer aid their Japanese counterparts in their hero work.

It couldn’t tell what kind of teacher you’d turned out to be. Even with no experience working with students, you tread the line between instilling team-centered outlooks and pushing their quirk’s limitations to their max benefit. A crafty, inventive counterpart to complement his blunt teaching style: better together, and even the principal agreed.

It couldn’t point out where your true ambitions lie or where your drive came from. There remained much to be explained as far as your hero status here in Japan– a red-tape nightmare Aizawa was still intrigued to learn about. So far, you’d shared some limitations about “immigration statuses are being vetted with a fine toothed comb, so they’re still trekking through the paperwork”, so your wings are essentially clipped down to a student’s provisional license. This doesn’t please you too much, but you’re driven as much as his finest students with the aire of a professional he’d love to see in full action.

It couldn’t explain the stillness you could dip into, that he only caught once or twice when you believe yourself alone. There’s a past was weighing your shoulders level and compliant in the eyes of the law… but an urge to push back and ‘play this out’  brought hypotheticals to your lips whenever you chatted about what hero life is like for him, and added a sparkle to the eye that he had yet to fully source.

It couldn’t give away the gentleness you hold behind a carefully guarded smile– even in this harsh hero world. Maybe it was that indomitable spirit that those foolhardy patriots overseas carried… or rather, maybe it was the way you fought against such a loud persona. So far, Aizawa has taken only a few notes, but each little mental post-it was cluttering up his headspace. You held a quiet love of tea, a comical passion for the oxford comma, and a mind to care for the little things in life– like the lizards you rescue in an inverted cup to take outside where they belong . 

Surely life must have treated you hard to elicit such softness. Something tenderized you to achieve the peace you carry around or else you’re wearing a damn good mask. No, he determines you had to have made a choice to continue on the path that’s brought you to the present– even to this table where you’re taking your fill of maki rolls while casting little caring glances his way. 

All smiles and calm surety, as he mills through his thoughts that are damn near obsessed with you.

An employee file could never record ‘heart’, anymore than it could expose anything you didn’t want to reveal.

The night progresses while Aizawa stews on these thoughts, and plenty of others… for the ones that drift to his co-teacher offer him more mental stimulation than that he finds in the club’s lights and music.

Yamada’s night of filling his social battery was made nearly perfect by the karaoke that just started. Several of the other teachers got preoccupied in round after round of song, so it left Aizawa with a moment's peace. 

Well, peace he was going to enjoy by laying back on the couch for a little shuteye–  when his gut jumped at the feeling of a hand trailing up his forearm to the elbow with a polite, companionable touch. 

Facing its owner, Aizawa caught your little smirk and nod towards the balcony. You didn't pull hard, yet he followed like a magnet out to the patio. 

From there, rather than stay by the door to listen in on their friends ‘releasing their inhibitions and feeling the rain on their skin’,  you took him to the right, where a matching lounge set positioned itself in a blind spot between the rooftop bar and the fire escape. 

"Thought you looked like you could benefit from some soundproofing~" you brushed your hair back over one shoulder to follow the breeze’s direction, and left an open spot next to you by the railing. 

Nightlife and neon didn’t hold magic for Eraserhead given as many nights as he’s spent perched on precarious heights, but through a newcomer’s eyes, he could see the appeal. This part of the city glowed at night from dusk to dawn, and you clearly loved looking out over it; Aizawa certainly didn't mind this view either. 

Your perception skills are spot on, and incredibly thoughtful as you’ve suggested some fresh air- for his sake. If he wasn’t drawn to you any of the other times he’s paid attention to the spastic moths a more romantic person might call ‘butterflies’ before…  this cements each and every one as valid. 

He likes you. He really likes you. 

Time passed with appreciative quiet until you spoke again, 

"The only thing is, you can't really see stars in the city... there’s too much light."

"The beaches have a nice view," Aizawa replied after some thought.

"Oh yeah?"

"Enough to stargaze properly,” he offered without much sentimentality. Right by the pier was the best spot he and his former classmates would go on the weekends, before their hero work took off.

"I'll have to remember to take a drive there. Y'know, sometime when I'm not in two-and-a-half-inch heels." you chuckled as you shuffled back to the rattan settee, sitting for a bit to stretch out your legs. "I don't know how Nemuri does it."

"Feet hurt already?" Aizawa snuck his hands from his pockets and came to the seat across from yours. “Night’s young.”

"Getting there,"  your laugh greeted him over, "But you know what they say, dress to impress and all that. Yamada really pitched some hype for this afterparty, so~"

Fashion was hardly something that ever swayed Aizawa’s decision-making. Utilitarian was the way to go for his wardrobe- then, as now. 

"If aesthetics are all that determine these pros’ attention, that’s horribly vain." 

You bristled in good humor, 

"He didn't mean it like that– I just meant, he said to look nice for fun instead of for work. Call it ‘girl code’ if you want. We know that means to– just– /doll up a bit/!"

Aizawa held back a snicker at how you still ran into difficulties finding the most apt Japanese equivalents in your (pretty decently executed) second language. English slang you reverted to in moments like these fell from your mouth with an odd drawl. Still couldn’t place the regional accent you carried, but it charmed Aizawa all the same. 

“//Doll up//?” he mimicked. 

"//I like dolling up//!"

Aizawa reached and pulled his glass to his lips, meant to look aloof but not hiding his interest altogether well. 

"You don’t need to put on airs to get people to notice you…" 

"Right, because the accent gives me away."

"No, it’s your-”

Finally, a coward’s streak flared deep in his belly to shut him up. A rare hesitation. Damn this. What the hell’s happening to me–

 “–nevermind."

"My what?" you’re fully  interested, knowing a secret when it's presented.

"Nothing important."

Thankfully you not-so-subtlety dropped it with a hummed ‘ok’, but kept a watchful eye for him in your peripherals. 

The pro hero mused. Better for him to be honest, right? 

Just choose your words carefully. You’ll have to look her in the eye after this, you know. 

Aizawa widened his seated stance so his knee barely breached your space. 

Your sights lifted to him while he put his best poker face on. It’s not really any different than what he’d give to a perfect stranger– the only difference here is he has to force it.

Shit shit shit you're in deep, Shouta.

"You're plenty noticeable as you are. Anyone who meets you can see that," Aizawa shared in his usual soft-spoken tone. "Give ‘em ten minutes, and you've got them wrapped around your finger. It’s a whole impression, not just the outer package. Doesn't matter if you're in a dress that costs a month’s paycheck or a black button down. You're welcoming, sincere..." 

He’s realizing he might be trailing off, but finding you listening with full attention led him on; no liquid courage required. 

"You're stunning from the inside out. Enough to get others to notice."

Aizawa heard your appreciation before he saw it, a hum preceding the a genteel smile. With the win of his walls coming down, he had to give an honest smirk back. It was only fair; you’d earned it just by being you. By your flattered look, you were touched– but your brain was still working beneath the surface, and soon showed by a fleeting expression that spit from him.

Then, you caught your bottom lip for a second, before daring to look in Aizawa’s eyes again. It’s a sneaky look– like he’d snuck a peek at a card he’d meant to hide.

"...You remember what I wore on my first day at UA."

It was half question, half amusement. So dear, but oh-so pointed.

Aizawa froze.

"Black button down. You noticed me, then?" you countered more, "And here I thought you didn't care about appearances~" 

"In professional circles, no. Personal… that's a different thing, entirely." 

He kept your  sights locked onto his, not unlike how he used his quirk in a challenge– only far softer and he could risk the occasional blink.

Even when you took his glass from his hand and placed it away on the table alongside yours, he still looked fondly after you, in fact tilting his head to the other side, studying the way one piece of your hair was caught by your neck. What he’d give to be familiar with you enough to ever-so-carefully brush it back, letting his touch send a wave of shivers across your skin and maybe even make you hum at the gesture. But he couldn’t trust himself to do it now, settling on stretching his arm around the back of the couch. Just an open move, letting you join him on the couch as close as you’d like.

Was he really doing this? He never has before, but this felt so natural. 

You smiled still– and as you sit, you’re leaning into it.  Well then. 

“What was I wearing, Aizawa?”

With free fingers, he risked some little brushes on your near shoulder, bringing a happy little eyebrow lift from you. He just took in your features in close quarters, settled in it, as he remembered that day:

Black button down, grey skirt. Biker boots -practical choice- and these damn tights.

Aizawa’s dazed in the head, but he knows he's listed it off aloud based on how your sights widen, impressed. 

"Hmmm, tights do it for ya?” you smiled, “I'm surprised you haven't jumped the darling Ms. Nemuri then."

"I know way too much about Kayama to ever consider her that way,”  Aizawa’s tempered hand twirled a finger along a blown-away section of hair, just absently enough. “You however, tease just enough." 

"Do I tease you?” you offer with a little depth, “I don't mean to."

It’s here he’s worry he’s stepping over a line- if it weren’t for the downright delicious look in your eye. You say it like you’re sorry for acting unprofessionally– but you’re urging him on, hardly apologetic for your sweet posturing.

"You may not mean it, but it's not unnoticed," 

He took second to swallow, and steps fully over it. 

"or unwelcome."

You’re pleased with this, but deflect with your trademarked humor- 

"Well now that’s saying something. You've seen me in my pjs, too- far from glamorous.  That didn't break the allure for you?"

Aizawa had to huff though his nose at that memory.

"I caught you at arguably your most real self, that first night you patched me up," His outstretched arm rubbed full circles onto your shoulder now, with the lightest touch. 

“Still have no clue why you chose me over Recovery Girl. For the harshest grader in school, that was a pretty dumb move.”

“You were closer than going to campus. It was the practical choice.”

“You didn't even know if I knew first aid.” 

“You do,” Aizawa smirked. “You're too nurturing to not have a knack for it.”

Your legs crossed over, deflecting both your words and refreshing your body movement. In doing so, you slid even closer- a move not lost on Aizawa. 

“Well, I'm still not happy about it. You needed more attending than I was able to pull off. Whatever you get into those nights,” you flitted a look to the underside of his arm that lays outstretched –where you know he sports a scar now- “It… looked like it hurt, ‘Zawa.”

Warm. Warm and cared form. Felt it then, feel it now. That's the life in his chest he gets when he’s around you. 

"Can't change the past, and I certainly wouldn't have changed that. Wouldn’t pass up seeing that sight of you for the world."

This connection, this dance, it all feels that it must be older than what it is, more rooted in a shared history than a short few months. 

Aizawa wants to ‘get’ you. Know the thoughts behind your eyes. Get you talking, even if it means he needs to give up his silent nights and muted text alerts so he can learn you.  He’s happy he gets this balcony happy hour with you, out from other’s eyes, to be able to water this sweet, small thing he feels towards you to fullness.

His eyes narrowed playfully, "Are you embarrassed right now?"

Out of this entire teasing exchange, that note seemed to surprise you and turned you shy.  Short of clapping a hand onto your cheek, you just darted your gaze away- can you be cuter if you tried?

“h-Yeah, a little!" –though you tried to snark your way out of it, "you were hurt before, and blubbery- but now that we’re y'know– awake, and talking... Pretty faces make me nervous."

Nervous? Pretty? Aizawa doesn’t like the sound of either of those.

Aizawa raised a brow and gave a look, a touch more serious.

"Hey," He tapped your chin still with his free hand, "if you want me to lay off, you say the word."

Blindly, you hold his hand from retreating away– "No. You're good, I promise."

He’s drowning in you leaning into the cool touch offered to you–

��� Heh, I–uh… I’m pretty sure ‘friends’ don’t talk about each other like this, though.”

He couldn't be a coward now– not with you melting on the spot and giving him an insane amount of hope.

“Maybe not,” Aizawa reasoned gently, “-not if they’re content to stay that way.” 

–then all of a sudden his heart soared at her next words:

"Well… I like this."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I like you, like this.” With your insistence for touch, you cupped his wrist in your own chill-tipped hand.

Hell yeah. 

Aizawa huffs another win in his foolish heart, but then watches as you keep talking–  you don’t break from your softness, but look reflective off to an absent point on his chest.

“It’s funny, y'know? Most jobs, you’d be lucky to find someone you would actually wanna talk to outside of board meetings and quarterly reports… but here in our line of work, you count on each other to save your lives.”

“That’s right.” Aizawa breathes.

“I uh.. never thought I’d be workin’ with kids- trying to keep them alive too. Teach them how to do the same. But I wouldn’t feel nearly as confident to do it, rise to the challenge, if it weren’t for you, ‘Zawa. You’re just as special. Inside and out.”

And when you look to his eyes again, fully awake and still sober, he swears he’ll say yes to any night Hizashi invites him to if it means he can have you this close. Things with you just feel lived-in. Companionable. He’s drawn to you in a way unlike others before you, because he didn’t believe he’s had the right, desire, or time to even entertain it. 

But everything’s different now. It just works, in his mind. He wants to spend his respites, his missions, everything- with you at his side, having his back. For however long you’d let him.

Touching your cheek, cursing the helmet you’d have to wear on the way home that would hide this angelic face from him once again– Aizawa curls towards you, barely tipping his head which screams ‘kiss her you ass’. You notice, and follow his lead almost halfway. 

“Yeah, I like you like this…” you sighed lightly, “--and I’d like us like this, too.” 

"Hm. Good."

...the door to the patio swinging open from around the corner startles you both. Present Mic doesn’t know his strength as he projects for the block to hear, swaggering about in his search.

You looked flustered sitting back up, but Aizawa was characteristically unphased at the sight of Hizashi finally rounding with a singsong cry of his name. 

Dammit.

"Hey kids, been looking for YOU, Miss America! There's some stateside artists on the karaoke lineup with your name on iiiiit- c’mon! I hyped you already to Nemuri– she didn't believe me that you sang with me for my English midterms!!"

"What?!” you blanched, “ Who said I was doing that?"

"I did!!” Yamada thumbed at his own brilliance, “ C’mon I'll do the first one with you!"

"First one– Dude, I don't need to be touting my Southern-ass self to a bunch of pros before I even make a name for myself here."

"This is HOW you'll do it! Come n’ wow them, break the ice- you’ll do amazing!" Yamada came to your side of the settee, tugging you up to your feet with little fight. "Tch, Sho, you're rubbing off on her, aren't you? Turning our sweet teach into a wallflower as we speak, huh?"

"She was doing me a favor- has an eye out for me when I needed an escape, unlike you." Aizawa droned, to your amusement.

"Yeah yeah fair enough. Now pleeeeeease, would you come inside?  It would be so much fun!"

From the way you’re freshening your jacket collar, you’re warmed from the neck up, caught between what just almost happened and the current situation Yamada is putting you in.

You look to Aizawa just like you did inside– a  glance, but it lingers longer than before. Like you are waiting to see what he thinks. If he’ll stay or go, should you leave. 

But Aizawa isn’t so selfish like before. He doesn’t feel it necessary to keep you to himself, because he sees your affection so clearly in your eyes now. He hosts butterflies in his stomach, yes, but they aren’t frantic and flitting about wondering what you may or may not think of him- chronically tired and a contrast to the breath of fresh air you are. You see him as a companion, too. Someone he might just get the chance to study, and learn, and adore in return.

No, he knows you like him as he is. Knows you’ll choose to meet him where he stands. He can share you, and will simply watch on as you stun him even more...

The Pro-Hero is desperate for some eyedrops in all this wind outside, but he would grin and bear it if you choose to deny Yamada’s pull on you. So instead, he merely leans forward to perch on his knees, with a hand on the lip of both your drinks. What Aizawa says in his non-answer left it open to what you wanted to do.  Stay or go, he’d follow suit.

Returning to the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed fellow teacher, you breathily gave in with your ‘ok’. 

"YEAAAAAUHHHH!"

"Damn peer pressure."

"You said yes," Aizawa smirked.

"Oh if she’s going, you're coming in too!" Hizashi was already whisking you away, and Aizawa rose on his own, following your knowing smile over your shoulder and matching it. 

With many forced karaoke and radio show nights, it’s Aizawa who braves the crowd and comes up behind you at one of Present Mic’s shows,  stepping in from the balcony where you wait by its door. He’s fresh off of work, sporting a new scar across his cheek courtesy of his day job, this time.. but you greet him with that familiar scrunch of the nose that he still finds adorable.

It’s rare he leaves campus nowadays, because he feels the stakes are higher than ever for him to remain vigilant. His students are his life, and as proud of them as he is, they are a constant effort of his mind and strength. Rest doesn’t come easy, and his rewards for a job (passably) done aren’t found in many places. 

One constant he has found helps, has been you. 

You, still alluring as ever, but who makes sure he doesn’t fixate on giving and giving of himself until he breaks– but to take his rests, reset, and even take a little jaunt over to these radio shows when he has staff coverage back at the dorms. Gives you two some time to get nostalgic, sentimental– or as close as he can get to those mushy spots in his heart about the club where he wrestled out his feelings for you for the first time.

He smooths a hand across your lower back now, when he joins you. He’s held onto your hands when they're cold, giving you whatever warmth he has. He knows each and every gap on your resume, partnered with you out on the streets, tag-teams in his classroom with this plucky 1-A Class he now leads, and is content to let you fill his thoughts when he wants to rest his eyes.

He doesn’t fight his affections now. Still would rather not simper in public too much because he’s quite averse to being the center of tabloids’ attentions, but stands by you all the same. 

"I'm surprised to not see you up there,” Aizawa greets, cool as ever. 

You lean on a hip, closer to him. 

"He's got his sets lined up today, didn't ask me-” You speak a little louder over the crowd, “I swear, your cockatoo still acts like I'm some gift from the heavens, just ‘cuz I can sing!"

"It's earned. You deserve every bit of it, and not just from Hizashi."

You turned over to him shyly, drawing his attention further– your tendencies to melt under his words encourages Aizawa to compliment you directly. Often. Whatever it is about his voice that you say you’re obsessed with, he still doesn’t understand– but he uses it to full advantage as he robs your drink from your hand,

"I happen to think you have a gorgeous voice," Aizawa speaks low to your ear. “You should sing at home more often.”

“Please. As if the kids would ever let me live it down.”

You refer -of course- to the twenty shared students between you, taking them all in stride since you’ve sufficiently bonded through fire alongside them. 

“That’s teaching for ya. Gotta push yourself beyond, plus ultra and all that.”

You chortle back in your throat, risking a kiss on his etched cheek to counter his snide remark, 

“You’re off the clock, ‘Zawa. No more hero talk, huh?” 

Aizawa cocks a brow, stealing a sip, “Sorry we can’t all turn it off like you, dear.”

The comment has you biting the inside of your mouth at the tease, and allows him a quick moment to press the glass’ condensation against his eye. 

“Want some air, hon?” you try again, softer than this atmosphere should allow.

Looking back at you -your hold on his elbow ready to guide him outside just like the first night- and Aizawa doesn’t need any more sips of the whiskey he holds.  

The retreat to ‘your couch’ is one he looks forward to any chance he gets. Bass boosted from the speakers inside becomes background noise that dulls his senses, doubled by the way you cozy up under his arm watching the skyline shift in light and color in comfortable silence. You trade roles with him: taking watch while he shuts his eyes for some restorative hydration. 

But before he gets too terribly relaxed by your weight settling his aching muscles to stillness, he registers a warm press to his mouth that he’s quick to chase after. That’s a satisfying thought, too: he doesn't have to imagine what it'd be like to kiss you anymore. 

[banefort]

"omg why arent we getting [character that was mentioned once in f&b and had zero impact on the war]"

[sexydoffyman]

Okay okay okay.

Hear me out.

What if for some darn reason, the 141 members can purr, ie, they just... Learned how to do it and unintentionally do it as a comfort thing??

For example, cuddling with simon or something and suddenly he's just.. passed the f*CK out on you and purring because he's so relaxed and happy to be all snuggled with his favorite person??

You don't gotta respond to this if ya don't wanna, I just thought it was cute!

HYBRID AU PURRING HCS

navigation

genre: fluff

characters: Simon Riley, John Price

A/N: Will write more of this eventually🐠

AU NOTE: They are like hybrids with cats and such (purring animals) they only have traits of the animals. They don't share their physical appearance with them. (IN THIS SPECIFIC AU(In case I make another one of these))

SIMON "GHOST" RILEY

-He is the kind of person who would never admit to the fact that they purr.

-"You are a cat hybrid, right?" "Yeah" "So you purr." "No" "But it's in your nature." "I don't purr."

-He is just so stressed all the time. His trust issues are really taking a toll on him.

-But if you just have that spark in you and if he notices it, he will warm up to you.

-He's very scared to ask you for anything regarding rest.

-He is just so exhausted. Too exhausted to move. Too exhausted to worry.

-He tries to walk to his room but just isn't able to. It only results in him falling to the ground. He eventually gives up, trying to get up and figures that the floor is not so bad.

-Suddenly, he felt his body leave the floor.

-You were dragging him.

-Normally, he would be ashamed, but right now, he isn't able to even talk.

-You find your way to his room and manage to get the keys to said room out of his pocket.

-He's barely conscious.

-He feels so good when you lay him on the bed.

-You dragging him made it so that you are kind of under him. So when you get up to leave, he has a perfect opportunity to instinctively get a hold of you and hug you like a plush toy.

-For some reason, his body doesn't allow you to go away. Ghost has been asleep for a while now. He isn't aware that he is gripping onto you like that.

-He's also not aware that he is purring.

-You just let him purr as you position yourself into a more comfortable position.

-When he wakes up, he will shamefully apologise to you.

-Even after this day, he insists that he doesn't purr.

"CAPTAIN" JOHN PRICE

-John is a very confident dude. He doesn't mind showing his comfort.

-He purrs on a daily basis. When he stretches his back. When he takes the first sip of his coffee.

-What he is not so comfortable letting you see is his need for support.

-He also, like Ghost, ends up way too tired to function.

-He finds it secure enough to take a smaller nap on a couch.

-It is late at night, so there is very little chance that somebody will find him.

-Unfortunately for him, you find yourself stumbling upon his sleeping form.

-You see him huddled up in a ball. A thing you'd never expect him to do. With that, you decide to comfort your captain.

-No one would be in such a position in such a place if they weren't stressed and or tired.

-You initially thought of finding a better place for him to rest at. You sit on the couch next to him to think about where to drag him.

-You can't even grab him since he is the one doing the grabbing.

-He pulls you beside him. Just your presence makes him feel safer.

-You can feel his shoulders drop and see his face rest.

-With all of that, he starts to softly purr into your ear.

-You never thought he'd be so cuddly, but you didn't mind it. You enjoyed the was he took in your scent.

-That's not the last time it'll happen.

[city-luvr]

WHEN YOU MADE THEM NEEDY | ft. jjk women *. ࿓

NSFW CONTENT － MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!

៶ ୨୧ ₊* — zenin mai, kugisaki nobara, iori utahime warning : fem afab!reader, gxg, drinking, teasing, pet name/s (my love) a/n : minor character/s are aged up! not proofread.

just when they thought they could peacefully go through their day, you come in and ruin everything.

in the morning, you wore nothing but an oversized shirt that showed off your collarbone and barely covered what needed to be. in the afternoon, you purposely spilled cold water on yourself, which made the thin fabric hug your skin and make your nipples harden. in addition to this, you kept on eating messily and licking your lips and fingers. how do you even manage to accidentally drop a pen, paper, spoon, fork, whatever it is that was in your hands almost every five minutes, or even get ice cream all over the side of your lips and chin?

she has been trying her best to keep her cool, but it's not helping that she was feeling extra needy as she was ovulating. girls just have that time where they feel so aroused by the simplest of things as if they were hormonal teenage boys.

the last straw was when you both got home from a night out with friends, and you were both quite tipsy. it's no secret that you were even more flirtatious when under the influence.

“you look so pretty, but i bet ya would look prettier under me.” you slurred while staring at them who was hanging both of your coats after arriving inside your place.

your girlfriend stopped and looked like she was lagging. in truth, her brain did malfunction for a bit. after the information finally got through her head and was processed, she couldn't help it anymore and pulled you in for a makeout session that had both of your knees feeling like jelly. it was weakening but invigorating, suffocating yet so pleasurable, fierce and impatient and strong, but gentle and careful and tender.

“you've been tormenting me, haven't you?” she whispers with flushed cheeks and swollen lips that were connected to yours with a string of your mixed salivas.

“me? i would never, my love.” you deny, uncompellingly. you put a hand around their waist that snaked its way down to their backside, softly massaging their ass.

she lets out a moan, walls broken and letting go thanks to the boost of some liquid courage in her system. “i'll make you pay for it.”

you just smile and hum, knowing full well they would cave in eventually. “let's see first if you can actually last long enough to make me pay for it.”

© city-luvr — do not steal, plagiarize, translate, and/or repost my works on any site

support banner by @cafekitsune

[babyspacegay]

Armandaniel rec list

Hello freaks and freak-adjacent! I thought it might be a cool idea to put together a little rec list of IWTV fics that I feel could be a good intro/primer to the Devil's Minion pairing for people who are fans of the show and Armandaniel-curious.

Of course my preferences won't be universal (I'm not a major gore/heavy angst girlie), so feel free to reblog with your own recs ;)

Here's my two favorite post-Dubai fics, with what a lot of the fandom imagines happens with Armand's disappearance/Daniel's turning/book shenanigans:

you ate me right up (you spit me back out) by oceaniads (M, 6.6k)

In the aftermath of Louis and Armand’s explosive divorce, Daniel manages to leave the Dubai penthouse unscathed and very much human. Now, the only thing he has to worry about is releasing the damn book and stopping people from calling it fiction. It is not fiction. There’s also the matter of the vampire following him around America, because apparently he needs a bodyguard and Armand is the right guy for the job. That’s just something Daniel will have to roll with.

eighty proof and a lifetime by doztoevsky (M, 11k)

It’s just - anticlimactic. New York Times Bestselling Blue Balls of a conclusion to the Armand of it all. He can picture the pierced graduate students at his indie bookstore readings now; their dubious, unsatisfied frowns of so, what, he just sat there? And you just left?

Here's a Daniel character study that I just really like:

krapp’s last tape by zoop (E, 4.5k)

It’s 2022, he’s in Dubai, and Daniel Molloy’s life is flashing before his eyes. Mostly, he’s irritated by the goddamn cliché of it all. The indignity not only of dying, but of having the whole of his life laid bare, his memories to be perused at the leisure of the sick psychotic fuck currently pinning him to the floor.

And finally, my actual favorites, two incredibly formatted social media fics that are absolutely amazing and hilarious (and canon as far as I'm concerned):

bloodsucker, famefucker by brewrosemilk (T, 3.7k)

☁️✨ (@babymoonlight): i’m so sorry i ever made fun of you mr vampire lestat lesander de lioncourt i love u i hope louis kisses ur lil head and tucks you in under a blanket u deserve the world idc ama 🍣 (@lilsushiroll): he should still die imo vamp stan idc 🦷 (aloevampita): he’s already dead keep UP you look like an idiot someone already went nom nom on his neck centuries ago you’re too late

The Great Daniel Molloy Discourse of 2024/25 by Siria (T, 3.5k)

The internet has opinions about Daniel Molloy’s Interview with the Vampire (2024).

[dancingtotuyo]

drabble. what's that i see?

Woman | Joel Miller x Female Reader

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Chapter Summary: a unexpected discovery brings Joel acceptance.

Tags: Joel Miller X Female Reader. Age Gap (13/14 years). HBO Characters. Mostly cannon compliant for show & game. Timeline is changed.

Chapter Warnings: pregnancy related things, grief, acceptance, fluff?

Notes: no beta, we die like Gabe, Chris, and Paul.

If you have checked out Before, I would encourage you to do so for more backstory on our dear reader! The final part is out now!

Words: 865

Series Masterlist | Author Masterlist | Playlist

The sun still sits below the horizon when a hand roams over your middle and the scruff of Joel’s beard scratches your neck. You don’t bother opening your eyes, a half-assed whine leaving your lips. He chuckles softly. “Just obeyin the rules, Sweetheart. About to head out.” He kisses your cheek. 

You crane your head back, eyes opening to small slits. He smiles at you. “Be safe,” you barely manage to say. 

Joel nods, minty breath hitting your lips as he kisses you. It’s soft and gentle. It feels like a lazy morning spent in bed, meant to lull you back asleep. “Always.” He kisses your head. “See you at dinner.” 

He stops in the doorway, looking back at your sleeping form. You're seven months along now, well rounded in your middle. Your ankles and fingers are swollen. He’s noticed the slight waddle develop in your gait as well. It all makes him smile. 

You’ve been taking things one day at a time, but neither have you made any preparations for when the baby gets here. No crib. No clothes. No discussions of a name. You still need time, even though the window rapidly is closing. 

Joel thinks about it silently sometimes, especially when he can feel them moving about, the small grunts that leave you when you get a fist to the bladder or a foot in your lungs. What will the baby look like? Will they have your eyes? His smile? Will it be a boy or a girl? 

You’re unconscious before the bedroom door clicks behind him. 

Patrol has picked this neighborhood over a hundred times in the last decade, but Joel and Tommy still stop. They still rummage through a couple houses. As time goes on, people have had to get more creative. Things that once seemed useless have renewed purpose. 

Joel hasn’t been in this house before. It’s a single story. Three bedrooms by his calculation. He rummages through linen closets and dresser drawers while Tommy goes through the kitchen. He finds a couple towels. They have a few holes, presumably from moths, but they can be cut down for rags. He finds a couple bars of soap still in boxes shoved to the back of one. 

The last door is stuck. He puts his shoulder into it twice before it gives way. His breath catches the moment he takes in the space. Dust floats around, flickering in the sunlight from the intact window. A crib sits in the corner, covered in dust. The sheets are faded with tiny pink flowers and the walls painted in pastel pink. 

He takes in a deep breath, blinking back tears. It’s eerily similar to the pink he’d painted Sarah’s walls right after her birth. He’d painted it over with purple a few years later once she expressed her preference. It brings forward a whole slew of emotions that he hadn’t realized were bubbling under the surface. 

What if you were carrying a girl? Would it feel like he was replacing her? Rationally, he knew that wasn’t the case. Ellie had carved her own spot in his heart. So had Carter. Would this be different? Would biology make a difference?

Joel clears his throat, pushing away the moisture from his eyes. It’s extra dusty in here, he reasons. 

There’s no closet in the room. He opens up the dresser. Once again, Joel freezes. Light muslin swaddles miraculously untouched by time. One has little yellow flowers against white, and the other has bouquets of pink flowers that match the sheets. They each have a solid color pair to match. He picks them up, expecting them to disintegrate in his hands, but they don’t. They only release little puffs of dust into the air as he shakes them out. 

The last one catches his eye, purple butterflies. Tears gather in his eyes again. There’s a tugging in his heart. Joel has never thought much about what comes after this life even before the outbreak when there was time to do so. So much of his life has been spent focusing on survival. Wherever Sarah might be, he knows she led him here. He turns around half expecting to see her smiling at him from the corner. 

It’s empty, but he still imagines her there. There’s no doubt in his mind you’re carrying his daughter. It’s a surety in his brain, and for the first time, he’s okay with the idea of a girl. Hell, it might be the first time that he’s truly at peace with this pregnancy. She won’t be a replacement or a placeholder for Sarah, but the little sister she spent years begging for. His heart will grow, create a new space just as it did for Ellie and Carter. He knows that because he can feel her telling him that. 

Joel nods to the empty corner clearing his throat. He wipes the moisture from his eyes, shoving the swaddles into his backpack. The drawer of clothes isn't as preserved but he manages to find a few options untouched by two decades of moths and other insects.

He carefully tucks the items into his pack. He’ll give them to you when you’re ready. 

[always-a-king-or-queen]

there are literally so many reasons why we don't need a third Narnia adaptation

first of all, while they might not be the most accurate, the Disney movies are actually so good and, in my opinion, still manage to capture the heart and soul of the series and what it's truly about. The characters are each perfectly portrayed; the Pevensies act like actual siblings and yet love each other dearly and would die for each other even through all the petty arguments; the music creates perfect atmosphere and emotion and never fails to make me tear up or get shivers down my spine; and the CGI is honestly just absolutely stunning.

I really do not feel like we need another adaptation by Netflix.

Especially not through Netflix.

Netflix has already been known to mess up so many shows and movies by completely changing the source material or adding in unnecessary things that completely take away from the purpose of the story. I can already see them warping Narnia into something that barely even resembles the books, that strips it of its purpose and simply makes it about a fantasy world, nothing more. I've already seen posts saying that the new movies just can't end the way the books end, that heaven must be explained away, that Susan never forgets and falls down a dark path, that the faith aspect must be taken out so as not to offend new viewers.

Here's the thing.

If you take faith out of Narnia, you remove the very heart of the series. you remove the entire purpose. Because Narnia is entirely about faith, and trust, and Someone greater than yourself who sacrifices everything to save your own traitorous soul. the Disney movies did not shy away from portraying this faith as openly as possible. if anyone was offended, I've never seen proof. I have seen many nonbelievers talk about how much they were affected by Aslan's death, which goes to show that you simply don't have to be Christian to understand what Narnia is about, and to love and enjoy it.

So if these new remakes remove the faith aspect, then what is the point? four siblings go to a magical land and save it from a witch and befriend a talking lion with nothing special about him and live there as kings and queens and return home and live happily ever after? there is no sacrifice, there is no "he's not tame, but he is good," there is no creation, there is no redemption, there is no last battle, there is no "in your world, I have another name", there is no sister straying down a dark path because she has forgotten how to hope, and then returning because her story is unfinished and the road to heaven is paved with flowers that symbolize her name.

so then, what are you left with? Aslan is just a talking lion, nothing more. the stone table never cracks, the sun never rises. "That by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there" is forgotten entirely, because why would Aslan exist in our world if he is merely a talking lion in Narnia? Aslan's country is changed to be something else, and there is nothing about how Aslan suddenly no longer looks like a lion, and how the things that happened after are more great and beautiful than can be described. Edmund's life is never threatened because of his traitorous deeds; Aslan never offers his own life in place of a guilty boy, is never killed, is never resurrected.

the very core of Narnia is removed, and what you are left with is emptiness.

sure, it might make for a good fantasy story nonetheless. you might still have sweeping views and epic music and an intriguing plotline, but something will always feel like it is missing. like there is an empty hole, desperately needing to be filled.

of course, I don't know that all of that will happen; it's just speculation at this point. But I am fairly sure that it is safe to predict these upcoming movies as such. I highly doubt the producers will want to include the faith that shapes Narnia, because according to them, having a faith aspect means less viewers since too many people would be offended.

but if only they would look at the already wonderful existing adaptations, they would know that is simply not the case.

[jisungsbff01]

.like i need you.4.

…pairing…Chan x reader …w.c…2.4k …genre…slice-of-life, college au! …warnings…swearing, …characters…Y/N, (OC) Lilith, (OC) June …synopsis…No one ever really knows what they wanna do in their 20s, but Y/N has always known what she was going to do. So, she began the journey to her dream and is so close to reaching it with no distractions at all. Until she is thrown into a project with Hyunjin, a fellow senior in college, and he introduces her to a few of his friends…connecting with one in particular…

Her whole plan is soon thrown off the track she’s had it on for 21 years….

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“Shhh, you’re gonna wake them up, pabo.” “Well with your loud feet, it’ll be you first.” “Ooh, go get Lilith, she’d kill to see this.” “She’s sleeping, leave her alone, I already took a picture.” “Okay, prev.”

“Han, Hyunjin, if you two don’t get out of my room, you can find somewhere else to sleep tonight. She’s still asleep and I’d like to keep it that way.” I feel Chris’ chest vibrate slightly as he threatens his two best friends.

I was too embarrassed to open my eyes and look at the man who held me while I cried for 45 minutes last night, so I keep my eyes screwed shut as I heard shuffling down the hallway. I feel a comforting weight on my hip, leading to my back and feel him pull me closer to his body. I stir slightly and he tenses up briefly and his breathing isn’t as deep as it was, but I hear the rhythmic beat inside of his chest speed up to a quick tempo. I knew that I couldn’t stay here much longer, so I weakly opened my eyes and glanced at him through my lashes.

We lay there in a silent understanding, what happened last night wasn’t going to be mentioned…he knew I was embarrassed by the sudden show of emotion I sprung on him. He pauses as he begins to pull away from me, looking as if he’s having a fight-or-flight response. For a heartbeat, he embraces me properly and plants a kiss to my temple. Feather-soft and so quick I feel as if I imagined it, “I’ll be here to catch you at your lowest.”

So quiet I barely hear it…am I still drunk? Swiftly he pulls away and gets up from his position on the bed, leaving me feeling cold. He slips out the cracked door and I begin to get up as well, knowing I need to brush my teeth,

----------

“Y/N, you know we are both not going to stop bothering you about this. What happened last night…and this morning?” June begged for me to reveal what I’ve kept from them since we left the apartment. She was right, I knew I was not going to stop hearing about this unless I talked to them about it. So, I turned around as we were approaching our dorm door, “I’ll tell you if you tell me. Where did you and Felix run off to last night?” My eyebrow so high, it was probably found orbiting the planet.

We all shuffled into our living area and they sit down, ready for a de-brief. Before I continue the conversation, I pull out a few mugs and begin to make us all coffee, knowing we each had a massive hangover and were in desparate need of caffeine. The aroma of the dark roast wafts through the kitchen and makes it’s way into the open living room.

The two of them scatter to the hot mugs that made their homes on the counter, waiting to be picked up and the contents customized. “So, in the time that you two managed to sneak out and the hour you were gone, what did you even do?” June is prodding much more than I would expect out of her.

I shrug in response, “Like I told Lils last night, we just walked to get food. I hadn’t eaten all day and he offered to go with me.”

Lilith takes a break from drinking her coffee and peers at the two of us over the rim of her purple Kuromi mug, “Both of you have a lot of explaining to do, that’s for damn sure. First, you- Miss Innocent,” she eyes June, my own finding hers as she laughs nervously, “I know Fefe over there definitely has a thing for you - I mean who wouldn’t, look at you…and you can cook. You’re like every traditional guy’s walking wet dream.”

The three of us laugh briefly before June speaks, “Honestly, Felix and I just talked, kind of just got to know each other a little better. You know, he told me he bakes as a hobby. He makes brownie batches for the rest of the kids pretty frequently.”

“Ohh yes, and they are divine!” I answer excitedly “what? Hyunjin brought some to practice once…they’re so melt-in-your-mouth good. You should convince him to make you some one day.”

We silently continue to drink our coffee and I can tell Lilith has finished hers by the way she looks back at me, “Now you, ma’am have explaining to do for the two of us. Chris?”

I shrug and slightly zone-out, focusing on a light that reflected off the coffee table in front of me, “I already told you what happen-”

“But how did you end up in his bed this morning?” Lilith interrupts me.

This time I sigh, “After everyone fell asleep, I couldn’t get comfortable and had to go to the bathroom then we ran into each other in the hall. We talked for a little and he offered me his bed because I told him I was on the couch and…” my cheeks grew warm remembering how open I was being with him.

“And…?” June was literally at the edge of her seat.

“We talked about family…how I missed mine and how he missed his-let’s just say the night ended with me crying in this man’s bed and telling him how bad of a daughter I felt like I was and how Jeongin reminded me of my little brother.”

“Definetly not the turn I thought that was going to take, but so cute for sure.I give it a month.” Lilith suggests.

I still don’t get why people keep saying things like that, “What’s that about?”

“You’ll see.”

We leave the subject as is and socialize about our finals that we have to finish taking today and tomorrow. I had three left total, my project with Hyunjin due in three days-the project I was definitely the most stressed about. June seemed to have her recipe down, just a few tweaks in the presentation of it and she’ll ace it. As for Lilith, she’s got everything on lock-down, she wants us to see it when it’s ready. All I have heard about the project has been from Chris and all I could get out of him was that it was going to be “the cutest thing ever”. Based on his hesitence to tell be and the way he told me, I really don’t believe the man.

June breaks the silence by announcing that she has to get dressed and bathed so she can go to class to take one of her other finals. As soon as she leaves the room a practically jump on Lilith and rush out a quick sentence, “Now we have to find out how to get them together, they would be so cute oh my gosh.”

Her eyes widen, “Bitchhh I was just about to say the same thing! Couple of the year type-shit.”

“Okay,game plan…”

------

Sitting in a quiet room…deafening kind of quiet is the one thing that can drive me to the brink of insanity. I always hated taking tests, not because of the pressure, but because I am unable to focus on anything but what is going on in my brain. With how quiet the room is, I feel like I can hear all the electricity moving in my brain at the moment. I put all my focus into remembering the answer of the simple question in front of me. It is literally the last question of the test and I have 30 minutes left to finish. Once I make my final choice, I to a quick double-take on all my answers and make sure everything is the way I need it before taking it back up to the professor and she reminds me that I am free to leave since I am finished. She wishes me to be safe and that she would see me next week for our last class of the semester.

As I walk out the door of the room, I hear my phone ping with a text.

H: Meet me at the studio ASAP

M: On my way now

Luckily the studio isn’t that far from the class I just left, so I begin the short trek there as I ponder on how I did on the test. I’ve been stressing this test the most, but I knew by the study guides that most of the questions had a “two choice answer” giving you a second best to trip you up.

I walk through the corridor of the university’s study section, seeing many familiar faces. Once I get to the desk, the receptionist immediately recognises me and simply says, “Studio 8.” and hands me the keycard to the door. Before I could get to the door, Hyunjin calls me.

“Y/Nnie, before you get here, could you pick up a few drinks?”

“Hyun, I’m already here…” I open the door, absolutely expecting to see this fool holding his phone against his face.

“How are you already here?” Instead I am met with a face I’ve quickly become fond of. From the other side of the room, the man speaks, “Y/N, how did you-”

“I think the receptionist may have mistaken me for someone else. So sorry, Chris.” And I just leave the room, extremely confused.

On the other end of the phone I hear Hyunjin ask, “Y/Nnie? I meant the dance studio, I probably should’ve specified.”

“You think so, dumbass?” I hang up and fumble to put my phone in my hoodie pocket, nearly being hit by the door behind me.

“Oh, Y/N I’m sorry, I didn’t think you’d be-” “No, no, Chris, you’re good, I shouldn’t have been standing so close to the door to begin with.”

A smile made it’s way to his face, “I was just finishing up, actually, did you need to use the studio?”

I shake my hand in a decline, “No, not yet, Hyunjin just forgot to specify which studio to meet him at and I guess the receptionist just got a bit mixed up with who was in each studio…I was actually headed to the dance studio.”

He scratched the back of his neck slightly, “Would you want a ride there? I’ve nothing to do basically the rest of the day and before you say ‘no’, the studio isn’t very far from the apartment any way.”

I give in probably a little too quickly, but the shuttle traffic around this time is dreadful. I give him a little warning that Hyunjin asked for drinks, which he obliged to easily.

------------

I don’t know who his mother is but she raised a man, that’s for sure…and I mean a man. As we approached his car, he opened the door for me repeated his actions of the previous time he picked me up…only that time we had the girls with us. I don’t know what came over me, but as he drove, he kept one hand on the wheel and the other on the center console between us and I couldn’t help but eye them. The human body, in a way, was such a beautiful thing. The Greeks were right to make all the art they did based off human anatomy. Which is what I couldn’t help but compare him to right now…from his veinous hands to his broad shoulders that I could still see a proper outline of through his thick hoodie, and finally to his neck. I could see his steady pulse beat at the base of it, just where his hoodie began and I knew it wasn’t polite to stare, not in the slightest but something just drew me to him. Suddenly, he turned on his blinker and stopped the car, indicating we arrived at the convenience store just a block away from our destination.

The two of us got out of the car and properly greeted the store owner once inside. I searched for the drink I knew Hyunjin always asked for when we bought from here and once found, I grabbed my a few of them. I grabbed a drink of my own as well as a snack for the two of us, Chris following me in silence the whole way. Approaching the counter, she gave me the total and before I could even pull out my wallet, he’s already inserting his into the card reader.

My head swivels to his figure and I begin to open my mouth he shushes me, “Too late, already paid for.”

“Well, thank you…you know you didn’t have to, right?” I spout.

He grabs the bag off the counter and thanks the owner and leads me back to the car, “Yes, but I wanted to.”

The bag is placed in the back floorboard and we head back on our way to the studio. The trip was short, of course…and something in me wished for it to be longer. Once he found proper parking and we both got out, I offered to carry the bag and he declined…several times. He leads us to the front door, letting me punch in the code before I lead us to the room where Hyunjin was.

The energy inside was definitely high, our song going in the back. I open the door and was greeted with a oud scream from no one else but Han Jisung, “Well look what we have here! Hyung I have tried to find you for a few hours! Now,” his voice lowers now that the music has lowered and that the pair of us were a lot closer, “ I see where you have been.”

Hyunjin snagged the bag from Chris and thanks him breathlessly. Hyunjin and I begin getting caught up in our own conversation as Jisung and Chris get caught up in their own mini-heated argument.

My dark-haired friend begins downing his first drink before he starts teasing me about walking in with Chris, which is exactly what I expected from him. “So has he kissed you, yet?” he asked me with wide eyes. “Hwang Hyunjin, we are just friends.” I hit him on the shoulder, heating up in the face slightly.

“Well, no one seems to have told him that yet. Cue the heart eyes.” He states bluntly and he begins to take another drink. Only, as he does so, I squeeze the bottom of his bottle that isn’t covered by his large hand and he sputters and chokes slightly from the intrusion of liquid that goes up his nose.

“Thanks for that…”

--------------

Thank you for reading, let me know what you all thought!

[lurkingshan]

Breaking Down the I Feel You Linger in the Air Finale

Okay pals, I got some sleep and I'm ready to dig into this finale and all its beautiful messiness. I love this show and I'm frankly a little frustrated that we got such an incomplete resolution to the (hopefully) first season when there was ample time to do it right. As ever, pacing and time and information management continue to be major weaknesses for Tee Bundit. As I said last week, the writing for this show has been undeniably messy but it's still holding together on the strength of the production and the performances and the success of some of its big themes and character arcs; that take held firm through the finale and some of the baffling choices made about where to spend our time in this final installment. So, let's dig into it!

The Long Goodbye

I'll say upfront that this is my biggest beef with the pacing of the finale. We spent all of last week on a long and painful goodbye for Yai and Jom, perfectly executed, but for some reason we did another 45 minutes of it this week, not so perfectly executed. While I loved the covering of the mirrors, the saddest sex scene ever (complete with sex moans running as the audio over a memory montage how dare you show!), and the pain of Yai realizing he drew the final picture and watching Jom disappear, we didn't need to retread them saying goodbye to each other over and over again for two entire hours of story time, and we didn't need a long, sappy, on the nose speech from Jom saying things we already knew. As I told @neuroticbookworm, this might be my aro showing but I found the series of repetitive emotional goodbye conversations and memory montages exhausting and not in a good way. If I were the script doctor, I would have kept the mirrors, sad sex, and Yai drawing as the start of the episode and cut the rest, moving much more quickly into the next phase of the story.

Back to the Future

Jom returning to his present day life, trying to cope with his anguish and loneliness and adjust back into things, and further investigating the time travel mystery to figure out a way to reconnect with Yai should have been the main narrative of this episode. Instead, we got a truncated version of it that didn't have time to breath because we'd used up so much time on the above mentioned retread. For my money, Jom's devastation upon finding Yai's letter to him was the most emotionally resonant moment of the finale and the first part of the episode where I almost cried. But we had barely sunk into that feeling before it was abruptly cut short because we were out of time and Tee needed to wrap this baby up.

Eyebrow Scar Yai

Here’s where I get actually kind of peeved, because this final (pre-credits) scene was so poorly set up and executed that to even call it a resolution is a stretch. A modern version of Yai walks into the room, asks Jom why he's crying, tells him he's been waiting for him, kisses him, and then the credits roll!

Now I've been in the tags so I know this caused confusion for anyone who has not read the novel (me too, fam!). And that's because the show had not bothered to establish:

That Yai does in fact have a modern doppelgänger

Who the heck that doppelgänger is and how he’s connected to 1928 Yai

How that doppelgänger would be able to remember Jom when no other doppelgängers in the story can remember their past lives

Based on what we know, could we piece together a reasonable theory about who this man is, how he got there, and the final pieces of the mythology that make sense of it? Sure. In fact, bookworm and I pretty much guessed exactly what the explanation for this was after watching the show, and many of the elements at play here were theorized in conversations we had last week. Book readers like @tipsyjaehyun have now confirmed the full explanation for anyone who cares to go read it.

But the show did not tell us any of this information. If you have to read the novel or have novel readers spoil you on aspects of the story that the show didn't bother to cover in order to understand the ending of the story, the execution has failed. And given the pacing notes above, there is really no reason we couldn't have gotten a better set up for this ending with Eyebrow Scar Yai (yes I know his name but no I'm not using it because the show didn't bother telling me; I am petty like that). Jom could have found this descendant during his time of processing and the ending could have hinged on us realizing this modern Yai is a reincarnation who has his past life memories intact; had we gone into a final kiss between them feeling grounded in all of that knowledge, it would have landed so much better.

Hello Commander

And now on to the post-credits scene, where Tee puts a plea into the universe to give him a second season so he can play around in another time period and explore what is evidently the origin of this soul tie between Jom and Yai. I chose to read this episode tag as separate from the actual season 1 narrative, and I think that was the intention given its placement. If they secure funding for a second season, this tag scene becomes the beginning of that next story, with Eyebrow Scar Yai's kiss sending Jom into another time travel adventure. If they don't we can just ignore it and pretend the pre-credits scene was the end (which is why I'm not happy it was so poorly done). I, for one, would love to see a second season to explore another time period and give Tee a chance to clean up some of this mess he has made of the mythology and season 1 resolution. Shouts to @clairedaring for reporting back from the live showing of the finale on what the possibilities are looking like there. Fingers crossed we get a continuation of this story some day!

Tagging in @waitmyturtles and @twig-tea who also have linked posts above. And shouts to @blmpff @cankersoregirl @pharawee @wanderlust-in-my-soul @italianpersonwithashippersheart @bengiyo @dragonsareawesome123 @wen-kexing-apologist @junghaesin @stuffnonsenseandotherthings @slayerkitty @respectthepetty @chickenstrangers @sunshinechay @btwinlines for posting about this show every week and making it such a fun watch despite having a small audience on here. It was a pleasure watching this with you all!

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

Avatar: The Last Airbender Live Action Thoughts!

-First of all, ya'll need to leave those child actors alone, they are babies and they didn't write the show, nor was it their idea to do it. I have seen way too many people body shaming children; leave them alone they all did well!

-I think Gordon makes Aang just as cute and small and powerful as I always saw him as!! He manages to joke around and be fun even when the storyline is a lot darker and more serious.

-I really wish Sokka was able to be more of his goofy and silly self. I understand why he isn't, and his humor is more sarcasm and dark jokes, but I saw glimpses of him in there! His excitement when he was with the Mechanist, engineering and getting to do something other than be in charge. Also when he has any older brother convo with Katara or Aang. I'm hopeful with time he'll be able to loosen up!

-(Speaking of the Mechanist, my boy Danny Pudi was SO GOOD, I love him, him and his little son).

-I wish Aang would practice waterbending with Katara :( those scenes of them practicing together were always some of my favorites in the series. Just beautiful kataang moments. I'm glad they addressed it but I missed those moments.

-I don't understand how you guys can't be having fun watching this, I get so excited waiting for little moments of lore, or when Jet and Katara were fighting in the forest I was sitting in front of the TV like "WHERE'S SMELLERBEE AND LONGSHOT. OH MY GOD NO IT'S PIPSQUEAK!" It's just so much fun! The colors are beautiful, the effects are gorgeous, and the plot and characters are entertaining. Think about the piece as it's own thing and enjoy it!

-Adaptations are just that; adaptations, and things will be changed! I think so far I haven't minded their changes, I understand why they've been made. There are things to criticize, but I think this is pretty well done.

-Zuko is fantastic; I think all the child actors are fairly good but Dallas' pissy attitude and the faces he makes are so so fun! I feel for Zuko and I'm scared of him when he shows up, and he's just as annoying and bratty as ponytail Zuko should be. His physical motions are fantastic!

-TEO WAS SO LITTLE?? Oh my god, like as a kid I thought the cartoon version of him was kinda hot so when they wheeled that tiny baby in I was HORRIFIED.

-Idk why YOU ALL weren't scared of Lizzy Yu's Azula, but her little smile in her intro scene gave me a lil chill. Maybe it's because I was away when the show first came out so I saw post after post about how bad she was, but I just.... Thought she'd be worse?? She did really well! Ya'll better be careful though or Gaten Matarazzo will come for you, that's his girl.

-So far the mushing of plots has made sense to me. Yes, I miss the silly filler episodes and the traveling the Gaang did, but it allows us to sit in a scene longer, and to colorize the world better, when we're in one place and one plot for longer. I think that's important for this type of medium and this amount of episodes. They might be able to justify more next season if this show does well enough.

-I am OBSESSED with Zuko and the 41st division oh my god, what a fantastic and well thought out addition. The reveal, and they're bowing for him when he comes back was DEVASTATING.

-They we're GIVING us Sokka and Katara best sibling moments, I loved all of them. They are so cute, they just mean so much to me.

-I don't feel Appa or Momo as characters like I did in the cartoon. I'm hoping this can change, because rn they surprise me every time they get on screen. I'm like "WHAT- oh it's Momo, he's here." How are we going to feel Appa's loss as much as we did in the cartoon if they continue to like barely be in it.

-Ken Leung SLAYED as Admiral Zhao, I watched him go literally insane as the episodes went on.

-Aang's imposter syndrome and feeling of failure being focused on I will always enjoy, even if I hope he can be silly next season too. His entire character arc this season just made me want to cry.

-Bro the coloring during the the Siege of the North was A M A Z I N G. The way the color faded in and out with fireballs and the monster koi passing nearby, just so pretty. It looked awesome.

-Making Yue a waterbender? The best. Her freezing Sokka in place so he can't stop her? Heartbreaking.

-Iroh and Zuko paddling off looking for bestie Lt. Jee?? Okay.

-They really grew this show up for us adults that watched it in 2005 and focused in on the really painful moments, themes, and details.

[legionnaireslover]

New Interview with BC in The Times!

Stephen Armstrong

Sunday May 19 2024, 12.01am BST, The Sunday Times

When did Benedict Cumberbatch go from aspiring actor to a star with the world at his feet? For some it was Sherlock, which started in 2010 and won him an ardent following of “Cumberbitches”. For others it was his Marvel films, including Doctor Strange, which was when the money started to roll in. But for his father, also an actor, it was a play his son did while at Manchester University.

“After Dad saw me in Amadeus at university, he put his arm around me and said, ‘You’re better at this than I ever was. I cannot wait to support your career. I’m so proud of you,’” Cumberbatch tells me. There’s a pause as he gathers himself, touched by the memory. “For a man to say that to his son is absolutely huge.” He grins. “And it’s not necessarily true … But the generosity to go, ‘Your turn now.’”

In previous interviews, for Sherlock and his Sky drama Patrick Melrose, I found Cumberbatch chatty, amusing and curious. Today, wearing a T-shirt, grey hoodie and cream cords, he is in a more sombre mood. He is prone to embarking on long trains of thought that sound as if he’s debating his answer as he delivers it. Perhaps it’s because he’s very tired, he says. When we last met, in 2018, his second son was barely a year old. Now he is a 47-year-old father of three boys, aged eight to four, with his wife, the theatre and opera director Sophie Hunter.

In his new television series, Eric, he plays Vincent, a dad in 1980s New York who loses his son, aged nine, near a dodgy disco with a history of child prostitution. He wasn’t sure about taking the job at first — filming was in Budapest and he worried about time away from his family, but he found the script compelling so flew back and forth.

Lucy Forbes, the director of Eric, says Cumberbatch drew on his own experience of fatherhood for the role. “We were filming a scene where he’s standing outside the school, he’s been drinking, and a single tear falls from his eye,” she says. “Five minutes before that he’d been kicking a football around. He stepped on set and wept. I said, ‘How did you manage that?’ He said, ‘Because I have three boys.’”

I relay this to Cumberbatch and he stirs uneasily. “I think drama can teach you an awful lot about yourself. If they knew where my mind was going in that scene, good luck, because even I don’t know. And I don’t need to play a bad father to realise my shortcomings as a dad.” He gives a brief laugh and shrugs. “I can’t escape myself completely. There’s always going to be elements of me at play.”

This may be why he loved the puppet work he had to do in Eric. His character is a puppeteer who runs a Sesame Street-style show called Good Morning Sunshine and Cumberbatch performs song and dance numbers with the aid of a marionette (he can sing well). “Puppets are like masks, they say the things that we can’t,” he explains. “They’re like jesters in a medieval court able to expose truths, lies, hypocrisies and idiocies. And they can risk things that we can’t.”

Cumberbatch is guarded about his family — “and this is where we come to my privacy”, he says to deflect any questions about his personal life. It’s something he has been careful about since becoming a father, and with good reason. He has been the subject of intense attention since he broke through as Sherlock Holmes — the former chef Jack Bissell was given a three-year restraining order in 2023 after he attacked and vandalised the Cumberbatch home while the family were inside.

Stephen Moffat, the co-creator of Sherlock, says Cumberbatch has always been conflicted about stardom and the attention that comes with it. “Stars need talent, appearance, the right role at the right age but also ambition,” Stephen Moffat, who was a writer on Sherlock, explains over the phone. “Benedict is not ruthless — but he wanted it. He was getting impatient. Everyone was saying he was the coming man in his mid-thirties. At the time we cast him, Martin Freeman was the show’s big name. And [Benedict] became a star in one night. He was on a motorcycle coming over to my house as the first episode went out and by the time he arrived he was a celebrity. Our phones were jumping off the table.”

Cumberbatch’s mid-thirties impatience was understandable. He’s from a family of actors — his father, Timothy Carlton, has a long career on stage and small screen while his mother, Wanda Ventham, converted early roles in Carry On films into regular comedy work in Minder and Only Fools and Horses. They played his parents in the third series of Sherlock.

Since Sherlock, however, his career has outstripped his parents’. He’s played Doctor Strange in six Marvel films, voiced Smaug and the Necromancer in three Hobbit movies, the Grinch in two and Shere Khan in Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle. He was never entirely of that blockbuster world, though, also playing Dominic Cummings in Brexit: The Uncivil War and Henry Sugar in Wes Anderson’s version of Roald Dahl’s story. As the superhero franchise world falters, his Eric performance delivers with the intensity of The Power of the Dog or Patrick Melrose, his 2018 drama about a posh Englishman struggling with addiction after his father abused him.

Eric is an emotional thriller written by the screenwriter and playwright Abi Morgan, whose previous work includes The Split and Suffragette. She was inspired by her time as a teenage nanny in New York and wrote it with just one actor in mind. “I thought [Cumberbatch] has got to be an asshole,” she says. “The surprise for me was that he genuinely wasn’t.” It co-stars Gaby Hoffmann (who played Adam’s sister Caroline in Girls), superb as Vincent’s increasingly estranged wife, and McKinley Belcher III as Detective Ledroit, a gay cop in a homophobic force investigating the boy’s disappearance.

The longer his son is missing, the more Vincent loses his hold on reality. He conjures up an imaginary giant puppet, Eric, to help him to find his son. Cumberbatch provides the voice for the beast and there’s rich, dark comedy in his battles with the plodding fluff monster, who trails him through the city offering dumb plans or mean critiques.

The New York we see is beset by problems, grappling with the Aids epidemic and widespread homelessness, which Cumberbatch got his teeth into.

“Mental health, homelessness, racism, sexism and a host of prejudices.” He ticks them off on his fingers. “We’re always told to arc away from that, or pivot is the term, I think, in PR talk. But drama should always have relevance, however sad.

“It has to speak to the world and have resonance. It doesn’t have to be worthy, but it has to be worthwhile.

“We may not have an Aids pandemic today, but we’ve had Covid, which created fear, it created isolation and created intolerance,” he points out, noting the battles over masks and vaccines. What’s unique to the here and now is the disconnect between us all as people welded to our phones, says Cumberbatch, who has said he subscribes to Buddhist philosophy. He sighs as he speaks about “the electric babysitter we carry around in our hands, which feeds a disconnect through the promise of connection. I mean, that’s a whole other conversation.”

Morgan based the show on her time as a teenage nanny in the city when New York looked just like it did in the movies — and the production captures that era’s look with precision. She wrote her story of “two little boys lost in the city” with just one actor in mind.

“We were pretty far down the line in terms of the scripts, and I knew Benedict had range,” she says. “He can do Doctor Strange, The Imitation Game, The Power of the Dog, Patrick Melrose. But I thought he has got to be an asshole, hasn’t he? The surprise for me is that he genuinely wasn’t. I suddenly understood why those actors get the big bucks they do because they get on stage or camera and there’s an alchemy.”

Cumberbatch has his pick of parts but says, “You gravitate towards things that mean something to you or the zeitgeist. It has to speak to the world and have resonance. It doesn’t have to be worthy, but it has to be worthwhile.”

He adds, “If there is a choice …” but he’s at that rare stage in an actor’s career where he can not only pick the roles he wants, but studios will wait for him. The Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson recently revealed that Marvel postponed the movie’s release date from the profitable summer to the less bankable autumn to ensure they could cast Cumberbatch as the eponymous lead.

Eric shows Cumberbatch slowly collapsing from arrogant artist to hopeless bum in a grinding, catastrophic arc. He passes through so many states in the six episodes — does Vincent encompass themes from his entire career?

There’s the New York heroin addict of Melrose, homelessness as in Stuart: A Life Backwards (2007), where he plays a writer creating a memoir of a homeless alcoholic, and with the complex and unlikely solving of clues from a map scrawled on a wall, Vincent even resembles Sherlock Holmes.

“I see where you’re going,” he says. “But look, at one point I was the clever outsider scientist with problems communicating. The next, I was the know-it-all arrogant lead. Next, men wrestling with homosexuality, then posh people. Around the Oscar campaign for The Power of the Dog I was giving an interview at a film festival and somebody said, ‘You’ve played over a hundred characters on film alone.’ I was like, ‘Bloody hell!’ So there’s bound to be crossover.”

Many of his roles — including Vincent — are also troubled men with unsupportive parents, but he’s keen to stress his loving upbringing.

He muses for a moment and concludes: “I suppose that’s one of the best things about my career … I love that I make my parents proud.”

Eric is on Netflix from May 30

***********************

The Haters aren't going to like this one little bit. BC as a father and a husband (as well as many more things) is heavily featured in this article. There are DIRECT QUOTES from BC and the director of Eric referencing his sons.

It's a Haters' nightmare!

[its-tea-time-darling]

things i did NOT like about shadow and bone (netflix):

the darkling looks Old. he's supposed to look the same age as all the other main protagonists. this highlights alina's future of staying the same & young where everyone around her dies. it also blurs the line between good and evil more bc 'oh he's the older bad guy' is just such an easy solve. also while ben barnes is a snack imo the darkling was supposed to have a more alluring, youthful magnetism.

making genya's scars barely a few scratches. she's supposed to objectively have lost her former self perfected beauty!!! this is a thing!!! she doesn't just have some deep scars, she's supposed to look hideous at first sight, where is show adaptation teams' courage to show characters that are supposed to be mutilated as just that???? i promise audiences can survive on literally everyone else on the cast being very stereotypically pretty/handsome 🙄🙄🙄🙄

changing wesper's storyline so that they had a one night stand before canon sets in??? what kind of bullshit is that??? fucking robbing me of the "just girls?" -"not just girls" gay ANgST will they won't they, does jesper like him too, will they ever - BAM. KISS. !!!!!!! succession??? making wylan cute and awkward does NOT compensate their book storyline At All what were those show writers thinking??? 😭😭

this one i will forgive but i still rly liked it in the books so im a tad sad they didn't manage to include it: that alina has a time where she thinks she is morozova's second daughter's descendant. in many respects she has learned she is Special, and the shame she feels when she realizes this isn't another one of these cases, this isn't a way to finally show her A Path, that in this respect she is ordinary and mal is tied to fate that way, that's just such a good touch.

malina going seperate ways. what happened to "they had an ordinary life full of ordinary things--if love can ever be called that."????? "choice is true north" my ASS 😤😤😤😤 malina have always been in love and will always be in love idc abt the firebird amplifier thing that was just sth they had to do they've always been people and they've always loved each other there is no way around it

things i DID like about shadow and bone (netflix)

david and genya. specifically the delivery of the lines "I … I don’t understand half of what goes on around me. I don’t get jokes or sunsets or poetry, but I know metal. Beauty was your armor. Fragile stuff, all show. But what’s inside you? That’s steel. It’s brave and unbreakable. And it doesn’t need fixing. You don't need fixing."

genya telling the queen how she poisoned the king, and genya spitting at nikolai how his apologies are of no use and that he needs to prove a better king. generally just genya. 💞

nikolai sending his mother away + what he says to her.

all the malina flashbacks to the meadow <33

malina last night together 😳😳 they love each other sm!!!!!

the scene at morozova's home. baghra sharing her past, all the reveals happening there, and of course the darkling weeping over his mother's body. "know that i loved you. know that it wasn't enough." like OkAY.

sankta neyar's speech. so deeply touching, and doesn't just apply to immortals but to all of us who have been hurt and suffered loss before.

the darkling begging alina to let him be her monster. A+ delivery.

"How will you have me? Fully clothed, gloves on, your head turned away so our lips can never touch? I will have you without armour, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all." generally the entirety of kanej in this show. inej's hallucination. the mirroring to the last scene. breathtaking showstopping flawless.

little rabbit.

[lapsthings]

BLLK MATCHUP EXCHANGE WITH @thecurrator

For romance, I pair you with...

🏯IGAGURI GURIMU🏯

Buddha be praised

After careful consideration, I have come to a conclusion that our favorite monk is your best suited match

I know what you might be thinking right now, but please hear me out

After reading your info, I immediately knew that Igaguri is your one and only <3

Contrary to most people's opinions, Igaguri can be a great partner, and with everything I've gathered after reading your information, I can confidently say that he is most compatible with you

After all, it's rare to find such a character in medias such as blue lock

A rarity - that's what he is

Although with the help of plot armor and favoritism, he still managed to make it this far. That's an impressive feat

Look at the picture I chose for him, massive aura right there

Namusan!

Nah jk I'm not pairing you up with this pig

Your actual pair is....

⚽RIN ITOSHI ⚽

Not gonna lie, he was the first and only character that came to mind when going through your info

Sae popped up later, but no one cares about him

“I love to talk to certain people about things I find interesting, like my fixations or a fun hypothetical situation” - He finds your hypothetical situations intriguing, he thinks through it seriously before sharing his opinion

Soon enough, you’ll find him dropping his own hypothetical situations onto you, but it only happens on occasion

Feel free to infodump him, he’s a good listener, will give small comments from time to time to show that he’s paying attention

“I daydream a lot and tend to space out” - Rin doesn’t show it because he’s a nonchalant king, but he finds that aspect about you cute, and will lightly poke your forehead to get your attention

Rin will be there for you if you ever need someone to confide in, he’s not really good at comforting, but he tries anyway

Rin is a blunt guy, he doesn’t sugar-coat anything, but that’s how he shows that he cares

I imagine him saying that it’s a waste of time to dwell on such trivial matters when you could be improving yourself to prove them wrong. Who cares about what others do or say? They’re just idiots who pick on others only to satisfy their need for superiority. How lukewarm.

“Not easily influenced by the norm and by extension social media” - He appreciates your dislike towards conformity, it’s something you both have in common. He too, is someone who’s not easily influenced by the normal ‘standards’ set by others

Actually scratch that, he’s not influenced by the norm at all

“Wasn’t going to download Instagram” - Rin barely uses Instagram, he doesn’t see the appeal. It’s only on his phone because it was pre-downloaded

“I play the role of an observer when around my friend group, not going out of my way to help them if they made any mistakes” - Rin also appreciates that you simply chose to watch from the sidelines and not making an effort to help whenever he makes mistakes

He doesn’t need help, he can take care of things just fine

“I think small talk and first conversations to get to know someone is a waste of time” - This is so Rin, he doesn’t get why people act all friendly towards each other during their first meetings. There’s better ways to make a lasting impression than something so insignificant

“My giving love language is acts of service and gift giving” - Again, he may not seem like it, but he really does cherishes the things you do/gift him

Even the littlest things, like handing him a bottle of water after training, or throwing him a towel after every game

He loves anything you give him, even if he has no use for them

He keeps them in a box hidden somewhere inside his room

It makes him feel a bit warm inside knowing you gave things to him while thinking about him

“My receiving love language is words of affirmation and acts of service” - Once more, Rin isn’t so great at expressing himself with words, but attempts to do so

He’ll give you a simple “Good job” continued by a “Keep it up”

That’s the best he could do at the moment, please be patient with him :(

I'll be real honest, if anything, I feel like you need to be the one giving him reassurance 💀😭

Of course, he’ll also do small acts of service

Bro is 186 cm tall, if he sees you struggling to reach something then he will grab whatever you need for him

If you both ever go out shopping, be it buying books or whatnot, he offers to help you carry your things, he’s built for this

“I am a very picky eater” - lol you’re more than welcome to dump whatever you don’t like, he’ll shoot you a look but nothing more

“I don’t like bugs” - Do not fear, Rin is here! He catches them in a cup and release them back to the wilderness

“I like looking at sunrises and sunsets” - You both often go watch the sunset by the ocean, it reminds him of Sae, but instead of revisiting his feelings of sadness and rage, it gets replaced by something else, an unfamiliar feeling that he only feels around you

“Preferred dates: dinner after movie” - Rin particularly enjoys these kinds of dates. It’s fairly simple and doesn’t take a toll out of him. He doesn’t mind or care what kind of movie you are watching, but if you want to maximize his enjoyment you should consider purchasing tickets for a horror film because Rin is a psychopath who watches horror movies to relax

If you get scared don’t hesitate to cling onto him for mental support, he secretly likes it

And he thanks the dim lights to hide his pink-tinted cheeks

Bro’s just touch-starved

He doesn't outright says it, but he finds your habit of getting lost in new places somewhat cute

Just ring him up if you ever get lost, and he’ll be right there to pick you up

He can't exactly blame others for complimenting your looks, he knows you're pretty, but he still gets jealous over it lol

For sibling, your brother will be...

🩷SENDOU SHUTO 🩷

Sendou Shuto our underrated king

I was originally going with Nanase, but I figured Sendou will offer a more fun sibling dynamic

We all know how he likes to brag about himself, flaunting off his achievements whenever he can. I mean, he WAS Japan’s U20 ace

What you don’t know is that he boasts about you whenever you’re not around

“My elder sibling” this “My elder sibling” that

He knows you are good-looking, it runs in the family after all, so he’s not all that surprised when he hears others praising your looks

Though, if someone ever tries to flirt with you…

Oh boy

He gets all judgemental, thinking AND telling that said person is not good enough for you

Especially towards Oliver “why have 5 babes when you can have 9” Aiku

Lil bro doing his best to keep him at least 5 ft away from you

I can see him suggesting that you audition to become an idol

His reasoning is because you have the looks for it, and since you have a nice handwriting, he thinks that your idol signature will be very cute

Quick someone tell him handwriting ≠ signature

Guess how that conversation went…

But he’ll still pester you about it, given that Sendou can be very stubborn

Sorry to say, but he blabbers about his fantasy of marrying his favourite idol to you

You’d end up spacing out in the middle of his rant and he’ll have to snap you back to reality

“One day, I’ll propose to Ai and....Hey! Are you listening?”

It’s always easy to tell whenever he’s in his own little world daydreaming about his life-long goal, but he’s always surprised when you point it out

“Wha- How did you know? Are you a mind-reader or something?”

It’s also easy to tell when Sendou’s trying to tough things out

He’ll deny it at first, but there’s only so much that he can take. Poor boy ends up seeking you out and cry on your shoulders

He has a very fragile heart :(

Most of the time, Sendou doesn’t want advice, he just wants someone to listen

You can quickly cheer him up by pampering him, even if it’s just a little

Sometimes, he invites you to watch Hollywood movies with him

Points at different actresses throughout the movie and goes “Isn’t she hot?”

Asks you if he’s compatible with his favourite idols or actresses whenever he gets the chance

You’re so done with him :/

At one point, Sendou tried out poetry in an attempt to impress you. Staying up late at night constantly in a cycle of writing and crumbling the paper until he deemed it good enough, which by the way, did not happen

He didn’t clean up properly so you found them anyway and hey…it’s not too bad!

Like you, he’s also afraid of insects; but if one ever flies towards you both, although scared, he’ll be all sacrificial and charging towards the bug headforth to give you time to retreat from it’s premise

He’s more than happy listening to you infodump, he gets genuinely interested too and asks a lot of questions. He’ll flex his new knowledge to his team

Sendou as we all know, is an arrogant guy and doesn’t hesitate to talk back, so arguments between the two of you are bound to happen

He tries to tough it out yet again, but ends up crying in his sleep :(

Sendou will eventually think back and reflect upon himself, and promises to be more mindful of his behaviour

He tones down on bragging about his achievements, and avoids cutting you off when conversing

Sendou often overhears when you get scolded for ‘not being a good enough of an elder sibling’ and will immediately jump in to defend you

He doesn’t know what they’re talking about, he sincerely believes that you are the best sibling he could ever ask for

He’s also more than willing to throw hands to those who hurt you

You can try to stop him, but he still ends up doing it behind your back

He’s the type of guy who says that scars are ‘badge of honours’

Although Sendou may not show it, especially in front of you — he really, wholeheartedly looks up to you and loves you dearly

He is so, so proud to be able to call himself your younger brother

Which is why he’ll continue to work hard and become the best football player out there, not just to achieve his dream of his ideal marriage, but also to become someone YOU can be proud of :)

Extra

Since Sendou doesn’t get along with Sae, he most definitely will not get along with Rin either.

He tries to bite back his tongue and ignore Rin, he really does

But Rin doesn’t, he thinks Sendou is lukewarm

They’ll tame it down when you’re around, but once you leave the room it’ll be a super brawl

Brawl stars, peak game

[romana-after-dark]

Blessed be the Fruit: Chapter 3

Commander!Joel Miller x Handmaid!Reader

Series masterlist Join dark!Romana's tag list Dark!Romana's Masterlist

Summary: You begin to realize everything is not as it seems in the Miller households.

AN: Sorry this is kinda a boring chapter but I felt I needed to do some building. Next chapter we will start getting debatched lololol but I wanted to focus more on Ellie if that makes sense?

Content and Warnings: DARK JOEL! DUB CON!

Although no violent rape happens like in TWW, reader is under systemic misogyny and a society of ritualized sex abuse. Everything other than the violent rape scenes, everything that happen in either The Handmaids Tale book or show are liable to happen here including but not limited to discussion of rape, child abuse, child marriage, ritualized sexual abuse, sexual abuse in general, acts of violence, major character deaths, mentions of miscarriage but never shown and never pregnancies we know of. Big ole homophobia warning, specifically in regards to lesbophobia. As for Joel, PIV sex, breeding kink, degrading (slut, whore etc but thing like Raider!joel) forced breeding and breeding kink, power dynamics, Joel is not the good guy but he’s also not the worst, slightly rough sex but not violent. Warnings are liable to be added as the story goes but I’ll always update. As always if I miss something please tell me, but i extensively label my warnings and in the end media consumption is your own choice. If you would like to know if this is a happy ending or not you can message me and I’ll tell you that way I don’t spoil for everyone but you can decide if this is for you.

Immersability: Reader has long hair, can conceive children theoretically. At one point, she has to pose as Ellie's mother and I know this can be loaded in terms of skin tone. I am no genetics expert but I know dark skinned parents can have white passing children, like Lional Richie and Nicole Richie. It's up to you to see if this is going to take you out of the story or not.

Only additional warning I can think of is sexualization of a minor but it's not from either of our Miller brothers.

Support writers, reblog and leave comments!

*****************************

Elizabeth was watching you in the doorway as you kneaded bread. All day she had been lurking in corners and hallways, eyeing you with that intense stare.

“Can I help you, Miss Miller?” You ask her, never daring to look away from your task. Like wild animals, eye contact could be seen as a challenge, and the wild, abrasive girl was not someone you wanted to test.

Looking around, Elizabeth checks the surroundings before scurrying up to you. “Did he hurt you?” She said, scanning the expanse of your body despite nothing but hands and neck being visible. 

A flush creeps up that you attempt to stifle as you think of last night, of Commander Miller stuffing himself down your mouth, but the concern in Elizabeth's eyes softened you. “No, he didn’t.”

She took your word rather quickly. It was clear that although she seemed to know her father was capable of harm, she was ready to push that thought away whenever possible. “Okay. good. I know that old man can get a little crazy.” She chuckles a little bit in a nervous manner as she looks up at you and hesitantly you smile back. She was something else. 

“You can relax a little, you know. With me anyway.”

You smile, but don’t acquiesce. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Miss Miller.”

“You don’t have to call me Miss. Miller. Ellie, preferably. Miss Ellie if you really need to.”

Brave girl. You suppose that’s what happens when you have strong protection of a man like Commander Miller. “You’re the firstborn daughter, Miss Miller is appropriate.”

“Not the first born daughter, actually” 

Oh, that was new. There was no reason you would know this information, know any information on the Miller family really. “Oh” was all you could manage.

“My mom and dad had a daughter before. You can’t say anything about it, my parents barely talk about it. I only found out because Gina was drinking a few years ago. I got in trouble at school and she drunkenly told me that Sarah would never have done this, blah blah blah.” She rolled her eyes, but her downcast face shows her genuine hurt. “I asked who Sarah was, she told me that was her daughter, actually her daughter before the handmaid system. She died from a terrorist attack, that’s all I know.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” You were. Both of the death of the young Miller child and of how cruel Elizabeth’s mother was. The girl was privileged in many ways to be sure, but she was still a victim of Gilead as much as anyone and with her mouth, will be lucky to survive her 30’s. Commander Miller must know this, of course.

She shrugged. “It’s whatever.” She watched you braid the bread to get it ready to rise. “You’re not going to tell anyone about last night, are you?” Her voice suddenly sounded so young, vulnerable. She is just a teenager after all, no matter her rank.

“No, Miss Miller.”

A sigh of relief. “Oh thank gooood”

Your eyes widen at her taking the lord's name in vein, but she brushes you off, waving her hand. “Oh please, I’ve been questioning this shit since I was a kid. That’s how I got this bad boy.” She points to her face, the scar that cuts into her eyebrow.

Could Commander Miller… no, he wouldn’t hurt her, would he? You’ve seen how protective he was of her… did she get disciplined at school?

Your questioning look must have been obvious, so Elizabeth clarifies, seeming eager for someone to talk to. From what you could tell, Riley was her only friend. Too old for the kids, too unmarried for the wives. She spoke with pride. “When I was 10, I told Gina I wanted to be a commander. Gina told me girls can’t be commanders, I said I wanted to be the first. We went back and forth for a while, eventually I said I didn’t care about gods plan, I didn’t want to have kids…” She brushed back her hair she had down. Out of regulation. “Gina backhanded me, her wedding ring cut my eye.”

You never liked Gina. Wives weren’t someone to be liked, they were to be respected… but now you didn’t have that for her either. “Honey, I’m sorry.”

“I’m not.” She wore her scar like a badge of honor.

“What did the Commander do?”

“You can just call him Joel to me.”

Now that made you laugh. “No way.”

“Can you at least call me Ellie? I hate being called Miss Miller.”

You sigh. “Fine, but only when it’s just us.”

She grinned at that. “Anyway, I ran out of the house and to my uncle Tommy’s. Gina doesn’t like Tommy and neither does Tommy’s wife, Deborah. Deb and Gina were yelling at Uncle Tommy that this wasn’t his business, Uncle Tommy yelling that I was his niece so it was his business, I was bleeding, it was a whole thing.” Ellie chuckled, clearly hiding the trauma with humor. It was not lost on you that she called her mom Gina. “Dad was gone on business that night so he took me to the hospital and I stayed with him that night until dad came back. He was so goddamn mad.” She chuckled at the memory. Only reason he didn’t hit her right there is I begged him not to. He told her if she ever laid a hand on me again, she’d end up on the wall.”

You knew this wasn’t the point, but something of the idea that Commander Miller was so protective of his daughter was… endearing? Turned you on? Both?

“He seems like a good dad.” You spoke honestly, setting the bread to rise.

“He’s fine, I guess.” Ellie jokes. “Won’t teach me how to read though. Says he’s worried I’ll read something I shouldn’t and get caught.”

As you clean up, you feel her eyes still on you. “Yes?”

“Did you learn how to read before?”

How old did she think you were? “Well, not at school-” You were about to tell her your mom did when she jumped in excitement.

“So you know??”

“Yes, but-”

“Can you teach me?”

“Ellie! No way! You dad will kill me!”

“No he won’t!” She whines. “I’ll make sure of it-”

“No.”

“Yup. You’re teaching me.”

That makes you turn around, facing the insolent girl with more determination. “I said no.”

“I’ll pick the lock to my dads office, I’ll steal some shit. He won’t even notice.” She began walking away.

“El-” When she walks out, you shut your mouth quickly as Lisa walks in and avert your eyes.

She speaks in a warning, taking the bread you were tasked with and setting it aside. “Don’t let the girl fool you. She’s not your friend. She’s got no filter and I’m willing to bet she’d throw you under the bus to save her own skin. That’s not an insult, but she is still a child no matter what Gilead says.”

“Yes ma’am”

She hesitates before relaying her message. “Commander Miller wants to see you tonight.” When you look up to her with a questioning glance, she cut you off. “I don’t know, and I don’t want to know.”

The less you know, the better.

*

Your heart was beating out of your chest as you stood outside Commander Miller’s door, trying to knock, but you couldn’t do it. Commander Miller was intimidating, and after last night, he told you he wasn’t going to waste a single drop of his cum on your mouth again…

You didn’t need to knock, Commander Miller opened the door. He seemed so different from the man you had seen last night in this very room; he was calm, collected. This was the Commander Miller you’d known before.

 “Well, don’t just stand there.” He gestured inside his office and you carefully scampered inside. When Joel closed the door, you braced yourself, wincing when he steps away from the archway. He seems to notice. “Sit down.” Commander Miller gestured to the couch, and when you sat down on the couch you expected him to lay you down, but instead he sat on the couch across the coffee table.

“You tell anyone about my daughter?”

Eyes wide, you attempt to placate what you felt was an oncoming storm. “No! No promise, please-”

Commander Miller raises a hand to hush you. “I know. I doubt you would.” He watches you for a while with that intense stare, hard eyes on you before sighing gruffly and sinking further in the chair. Arms crossed in contrast to his spread legs, black pants and a white button down; far more casual than she’d seen a man other than your husband and lover since childhood. Frozen in fear, you hand pry your gaze from his face and take in his features. Strong, alkalinen nose was always the first thing that caught your attention. He was commanding, but his soft eyes endeared trust. It was no wonder he was one of the earlier leaders of the Sons of Jacob. Commander Miller was a natural leader.

“Relax, will you?” Commander Miller brings you back to reality. You don’t respond, so he sighs, standing up as your eyes follow him. “Drink?” He asks.

This must be a trap. “No, thank you.” Handmaids weren’t allowed to drink.

Commander Miller chuckles and mutters a low “Good girl.” but sets a drink down in front of you anyway. Good girl… the term of endearment settled low in your stomach… maybe you were a harlot after all, so easy…  “You aren’t pregnant, so drink if you want.” He grabs his own drink and returns to his seat after grabbing a few items off his shelves. Books and magazines. “Listen, nothing’s happen’n tonight. You aren’t ovulating so theres no point. Let’s just… get to know each other better. I think that will make this whole arrangement less stiff.”

“This whole arrangement?”

He points his finger up and gives it a twirl, signifying the household. “All of this. I never asked for a handmaid, so I’m not exactly thrilled.”

 A small, nervous laugh escapes you. “You’re not thrilled?” Immediately you regret your attitude but Commander Miller huffs a laugh.

“I suppose you did get the short end of the stick on this arrangement.” He concedes. Still fearful, you try to keep the pose of a submissive handmaid.

“I am honored to at the opportunity for penance, Commander Mill-”

But Commander Miller waved your words away with a flick of his hand. “Joel is fine.” When he saw you about to protest, he cut you off yet again. “Joel.” He insisted. “I know my daughter’s tryna get you to call her Ellie, that’s okay too. Just don’t tell Gina.”

Commander- Joel, Joel spent the next two hours trying to get to know you here and there. He let you look at the old women’s magazines you remember your mother reading v early on and when he saw you actually reading, he allowed you to browse the bookshelves. It was dangerous, all of it, but surely this was common… Surely the commanders, wives and children broke molds sometimes… it was only human to want a connection.

And you wanted a connection. You couldn’t help but fall into him just a little bit

*

There was a big dinner being held tonight, all of the Miller’s family and friends were attending, some of which you knew. Angela had been sent over to help prepare so as to not leave it all to Lisa, so you and her were chopping vegetables for the salad that would be served shortly.

“Angela?”

“Yeah, honey?”

“The other day…” You look around the kitchen… empty… still, you speak quietly. “You called the younger Commander Miller…” another pause to check. “Tommy?”

Angela smiled and chuckled. “Yeah, I did. What about it?”

“Well… are you… and Commander Miller…” You lean in to whisper. “Outside of the ceremony?”

She turned to you, curious. “Did your Commander Miller” She mimicked your whisper. “Outside of the ceremony?”

You nod.

“I was wondering how long it would take. These men are all the same.”

A sigh of relief. “So it’s not just me.”

“No, not at all. It’s very common.”

Family began to arrive as you and Angela set up the table. Mr. and Mrs. Jones arrived along with her father and mother. Riley and Ellie attempted to run off together but Gina snapped at Ellie to socialize in the parlor. The younger Commander Miller arrived with his wife, Deborah, a mousey looking woman who never looked pleased to be here. A few others trickled in, including a man about the age of the younger Miller who Mrs. Miller promptly introduced to Ellie. 

“Commander Bedford, this is my daughter, Elizabeth, a friend of Mrs. Jones.” She glared at Ellie until Ellie curtsied.

Gina may not have noticed the man learning at Ellie, but Ellie sure did. “Do you know my dad?”

Commander Bedford began to speak. “Yes of course, but we actually have another connection, I’m your friend Riley’s uncle, I just moved back to the area, actually. I remember meeting you a few times when you were just a child.”

Disgusting. 

“Bedford!” A booming voice came from the other side of the room. Thomas Miller. “How the hell are yuh!”

Gina chastised him, but Commander Miller paid no mind. At first it appeared as if Thomas was merely friendly greeting an old friend, but the subtle way he placed himself in front of Ellie was clear to you. 

“Tommy, good seeing you.” Bedford seemed less than pleased.

“How did things go in Chicago- oh, I suppose the women don’t need to hear about this.” He chuckles.

“I suppose not.”

“Ellie sweetie, why don’t you go show Riley that painting you’ve been working on, the one you showed me last week?”

Ellie jumped at the chance, finding Riley and running away from the crowd. 

“Actually, Bedford, will you excuse me and Mrs. Miller for a moment? Joel’s birthday is coming up and we have to find a way to annoy him.”

Impressive. Bedford excused himself, and when Tommy turned to Gina, his voice was suddenly darker. “If Joel wanted her with a 40 year old man, he would have arranged a marriage months ago. Stay in your place.”

Gina didn’t back down. “My place as her mother is to find her a match.”

“You don’t care about a fuck’n match or her, you just want her out of your hair. Now knock it off before I tell Joel.”

That was enough to shut her up. You moved on to the wine cabinet to look for the wine Mrs. Miller wanted tonight, but as you are looking, Thomas Miller was suddenly leaning against the wall. “Nosy little lady, aren’t you?” and you startle at the sudden realization.

You turn and curtsy. “I’m sorry, Commander Miller, I was just-”

“You were just eavesdropping.”

“I didn’t mean to-”

“Yes you did, but it’s fine.” He had the same eyes as his older brother. Soft, putting you at ease. Kind. “Listen, had Gina said anything to you about Ellie or marriage recently?”

Now you were put in a position, stuck between a man you barely knew and the lady of your house. You should have loyalty to Gina, not the brother of your commander… but one looked at you like furniture and one seemed to have the young girl’s interests in mind…

“She um… She said Commander Miller spoiled her, and that the reason she wanted me was to uh… start over…”

Commander Miller rolled his eyes. “Bitch.” He looked back at you. “Only reason he married her in the first place was because he knocked her up when they were in college. Our parents made them get married so goddamn fast and then told everyone Sarah was premature.” Chuckling, he seemed like he expected you to laugh along, but you were. He stops, dropping the charm and turning only slightly serious. “You can relax, you know -” Tommy calls you by your name. Your real name. Not Ofjoel. “That’s your name right? Angela told me.” Angela, not Ofthomas. “It’s fine. I swear I’m not like other commanders. I’m a cool commander.” He tries to joke, but it lands flat. “Sorry, I don’t really know how to be normal about this. I know Joel is intense but I just can’t seem to fit into the whole strange new world bit.”

He seemed genuine. Thomas, Angela and Ellie seemed like the first real, genuine people you’d met in years and it was jarring… but you didn’t want to ruin it. “It’s okay. I’m just not good at acting normal. This is all I’ve really known.”

He looks sad at that. “Yeah, you’re pretty young aren’t you?”

You nod.

“I’ll let you be but… if Gina says anything to you about Ellie, wanting to set her up or something… can you please tell me? Or tell Angela to relay the message?” 

“I will.” You promise, and you intend to keep it. She was just a kid, after all.

The wine you needed was almost out so you went to the wine cellar to fetch another bottle. As you descend the stairs into the cool basement, your mind reels from the revelations of the last few days. What the hell was going on with the Miller household?

However, when you open the door to the cellar you find another secret of the Miller household and this time you thought you might be the first to find out.

Riley jumps off where she had Ellie pressed up against the shelves, arms disentangling from each other, lips unlocking in panicked gasps. Riley’s blue dress rustles as she quickly steps back from Ellie’s white, the colors separating as they did.

You watch them in shock as the two teenage girls gape at you, fear in their eyes and red flush in their face. A face that said they knew they were going on the wall.

*****************

Dun dun DUUHHHHHHH

Yeah sorry, Deborah is an oc lol I just could not picture Maria as a wife lol

Ellie, Ellie, Ellie...

And fucking Gina keeps getting worse.

Again, not a thrilling chapter but I think it sets the stage of a few relationships.

I promise next chapter we'll finally get more of Joel

please let me know what you think!

@my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction @dins-riduur-anthe @morallyinept @fan-fiction-floozyy @med494 @taliarose12 @flvrdoll @k-ra @sam-2me @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin @moriartyyouwhore @hereforthepedrofanfic @alwaysmicado @noisynightmarepoetry @kyloispunk @jenna-ortega @lunitareads @labyrinthofheartagrams @swimmjacket @magpiepillsjunior

[storm-and-starlight]

Narrative Absence in Gravity Falls

Or, the reason why Ford's introduction DIDN'T go down like the Stan Balloon

(you know the one)

Lets talk about narrative absence, character introductions, and plot twists in Gravity Falls, because honestly? There's some really fascinating things to talk about. Spoiler warning for a show that's ten years old at this point, I guess? and essay below the cut

Ford's introduction is one of those plot twists that, mishandled, would have fallen flatter than the second dimension -- a new character introduced barely a handful of episodes before the massive finale, with massive backstory that changes everything we think we know about the setting, the backstory, and one of the lead characters? It sounds like a recipe for flubbing the landing and yet it's one of the best character reveals of, imo, all time. Like... the kind of reveal I want to write an essay about. Which I'm doing!

Part of the tricky thing with last-minute reveals is not only not having the time to let the audience get to know the new person the way they know the old cast, but also getting the character's place in the narrative to feel earned. A piece of writing advice I've heard is to never introduce a new character more than three-quarters of the way through a story, and two-thirds is better if you can manage it. Ford shows up at literally the last possible second, according to that (seriously, episode thirty out of forty total, and three of those are the finale), and yet he meshes so well it's like he was always there! And it's because he kind of always was. We never saw Ford, but we saw the holes he left behind, and in seeing those holes we could see what kind of person he would be, and so he's not really a new character at all -- he's Stan's version of what Dipper is to Mabel, and he was all along.

(A really quite obvious example of the whole "Stan's version of what Dipper is to Mabel". Just look at that sweater!) (Which, incidentally, is relevant to another point from later in the meta.)

Part of why it worked is, admittedly, the textual foreshadowing, but there are already enough discussions of that (right down to the DVD commentaries) that I don't really feel the need to go into it here, and also it's totally possible for a plot twist to be foreshadowed and STILL come off as stupid, like, the stupidity doesn't rely on the fact that the audience could have picked up on it beforehand. So we'll leave the foreshadowing out for now, and talk about the other major element why the Ford reveal works so well: the space in the narrative. We never saw Ford, but we saw the giant gaping hole he left behind, and we could see the shape of him in it. He's not really a new character -- his outline was there all along.

Okay, "giant gaping hole" might not be the best way to describe it. Narrative absence might be better -- there's a... gap in the story, a place where a character should be and yet isn't. In Gravity Falls, there are three of these -- the big honking WHO'S THE AUTHOR? that's the main mystery of the entire show, and two others that are... subtler. Because WHO'S THE AUTHOR is 1.) explicitly discussed in text and 2.) a driving element of story structure, rather than a negative space in story structure, and therefore something that doesn't need to be explained like the other one does, I'm not really gonna bring it up until much later.

The other major absences -- the ones that only come about because of the way Gravity Falls is built as a story -- are a lot more interesting.

Gravity Falls as a story is structured a lot around the idea of narrative foils and counterparts. There are a lot of these in the show  -- pretty much every character who has a consistent speaking role in multiple episodes comes in a duo -- Wendy and Soos, Candy and Grenda, the tall teens vs the goth teens, Manly Dan and Tyler Cutebiker -- it's not something that was meant to be an explicit symbolic element (at least to my interpretation), but it is something that was on the writers and character designers minds.

The most prominent of these opposing pairs is Dipper and Mabel, who are outright narrative foils -- they are markedly different in every way, and their differences are complimentary, meant to help make the other character shine, or to fill narrative roles that the other one cannot. It's a very balanced way of making a pair of main characters, and it's really noticeable. Very neat, very symmetrical, very clean.

(Yeah, I know it's just a screenshot of the first episode, but it's a nice example of how their characters are opposites. First episodes are good at that.)

This is where the first absence comes in: Stan Pines has no opposite.

He's just straight up not given a foil in the show, and for someone so important to the entire narrative, that's... noticeable. Soos and Wendy aren't his direct opposites, and he and Dipper are very different people but are never arranged as opposing counterparts that fill in the holes of the other's narrative the way a proper foil does (this actually comes in later, like, Dipper is sort of set up to be opposite to Stan but it's a really weak sort of opposite -- the basics are there but the narrative never focuses on them the way it does on how Dipper and Mabel actively complement each other), and Stan and Mabel are set up not as a contrasting pair, but as a complementary pair. This goes beyond simply the fact that she's textually his favorite twin (though that is an element of it! That's a pretty darn big element of it!) -- she's shown to be basically a younger, nicer version of him. The clashes he has with her aren't about being different, they're about being too similar, or aimed at the same goals. Boss Mabel is the best example of this, with Mabel taking over Stan's job and having to become like him, but Land Before Swine also reinforces that connection with their fight being the main conflict of the episode and Dipper getting the B-plot with Soos.(Hence part of where the Dipper thing comes in -- Mabel is foil to Dipper, and Stan is similar to Mabel, and so Stan and Dipper have elements of foil-dom but aren't actually foils.)

Hell, from Not What She Seems she even gets the famous "Grunkle Stan, I trust you" line, while Dipper is placed as being the one to not trust Stan.

Stan Pines stands alone as the only character without a contrast in an entire cast full of pairs, and it leaves things unbalanced. Like, once again, the Dipper thing comes back in, because if they wanted to make a balanced set of relationships it would be set up like a triangle, with the similarities and differences between Stan and Dipper and Stan and Mabel focused on in the story itself, but instead it's just Mabel who gets the plotlines emphasizing her thematic connections with Stan, and Dipper just gets plotlines dealing with their relationship as people, which is a very different experience.

And this is the source of the second absence: Dipper Pines has no complement.

This one is less dramatic than the foil relationship, because "contrasting pairs" are just straight up a fundamental design aspect of the show as a whole, but it's still very much there. Mabel is shown as being strongly similar to Stan, but Dipper doesn't have anyone who shares his interests at the level they matter to him. There's no one with whom he clicks. It's a negative space in the story, and it makes the whole thing lopsided. Dipper should have a similar counterpart, and Stan should have a foil, and the way the rest of the relationships are structured and the characters are designed it's kind of glaringly obvious that they were designed and written with those roles in mind, and yet... there's nothing.

It leaves two very big holes in the story -- subtle ones, yes, that you probably aren't even going to pick up on at all your first time through the show (I certainly didn't, it took me a long time to pick out all the little story-structure-and-themes related stuff that generates this) -- but they're very, very much there. And, really, the place they intersect is... interesting. "Stan's foil, who is complement to Dipper, whose relationship with Stan is the same as Mabel's relationship to Dipper" (except different, because there's a whole nother essay I could write on how Stan&Ford and Dipper&Mabel are themselves a contrasting pair, in that one set of twins "got it right" when the other set "got it wrong", but that's only semi-relevant here and really requires Ford to be part of the analysis) ends up in really only one place -- "Stan's nerdy twin sibling who is connected and deeply involved in the mysteries of Gravity Falls".

And whaddaya know, that's exactly what we got. There's a big honking hole in the narrative, and Ford fits it perfectly, because he was the reason the hole was there in the first place.

It dovetails so nicely with WHO'S THE AUTHOR because that's also a big honking hole in the narrative, it's just one that's talked about in the text because, well, the characters can see it, so they can talk about it. (Gravity Fall is, alas, not meta enough to have the characters discuss the thematic implications of their own narrative arcs and character relationships.) It's the biggest absence in the story, and it gives Ford a textual place to fit in, and that gives him just that extra little bit of thematic consistency with the rest of the show, which makes his reveal that magic combination of unexpected (because holy shit Stan has a twin????) and expected the whole time (because holy shit of course Stan has a twin, it all makes sense now!), and that in turn leads to it being one of the best character reveals ever.

---

(There's one more thing I'd like to talk about here, and it's "how did Hirsch manage to write something so subtle into the story in the first place"? Because Gravity Falls, for how good and tight of a mystery it is, is surprisingly unplanned (seriously, watch the episode commentaries, it's honestly really cool how they managed to take random elements they tossed in for flavor and build up on it to enhance the mystery). I think the answer is "because he knew there was supposed to be a character there in the first place", which -- that'll do a LOT of surprising things to your ability to foreshadow and make room in a story. Knowing how it's going to end means even subconsciously, an author knows what needs to happen in that story to make room for that ending, and knowing that there was going to be a character who'd be Stan's foil and Dipper's thematic parallel, and that the most important thematic parallel in the entire show would be the one reflecting Dipper and Mabel's relationship in the older generation that didn't quite get it right. And Hirsch and the writers, obviously, have an incredibly strong grasp of the characters in the show, like I could write another entire essay on how well Gravity Falls manages to pull off "character as fate" and "character as plot driver".

Anyways, all of this really boils down to OH MY GOD LOOK HOW GOOD THE CHARACTER WRITING IS IN THIS SHOW IT FULLY FORESHADOWED FORD'S EXISTENCE EVEN WITHOUT ACTUAL PLOT SUPPORT and like. that's basically just my entire opinion on Gravity Falls anyways.)

[fanstuffrantings]

I have a theory that there was a lot more planed with Raven Tail, but it was cut. It was like hyped up so much to end up being nothing. Also can we talk about how Ivan wasn't arrest. I mean all he did was break rules in a silly little game. That isn't a thing someone would be arrested for. Right? So really Ivan can just show up when ever. I also have the opinion that after the tower of heaven to the S-class trails a lot of things weren't planned out well. The series was supposed to end at the town of heaven. I mean you see this with Lisanna randomly coming back and just nothing being done with her. We don't even see her and Nastu like being besties or bonding again. I have always seen the 7 year time skip as a soft reboot/reset for the series. That's when things were planned out better, but he had Raven Tail built up already. He had to do something with it.

I fully agree on so much, though I think Mashima did have bare bones of early arcs figured out (battle of fairy tail feels like it was intended) but the execution was figured out he wrote it.

Even with tower of heaven I feel like he threw things out there only knowing the ending he wanted. "That was the last time I saw erza smile for a while" is a foreboding line that really has no proper pay of and has always bothered me because the implication (to me) is that erza is badly effected by the event for arcs to come. But by the very next arc she's fine.

I said before that timeskips are one of my favorite part of shounen series. I love seeing how people change with the passage of time. The hype of seeing your favorite characters reappear years later always hits. But fairy tail manages to royally screw it up by not giving us any characters left behind to be properly invested in, and the status quo being pretty much unchanged despite almost an entire decade passing. It also happens so early into the series that Mashima finds time to cram yet another pointless time skip in before the series ends.

I have always felt that he writes based on what interests him and that his interest and change quickly. I say this as someone who has a similar issue of often losing interests in the things I'm working on. His writing style feels familiar. So I'd fully be willing to believe he got overexcited about doing a timeskip even if he hadn't set it up properly and rearranged things to make it work.

I think ultimately though, his flaws with rushing are not as noticeable until we get to post tartaros where you can tell not only does he not know where to go, but he also has lost his drive for the series. I remember when Alvarez/post 1 year time skip was releasing weekly I just didn't actually care about what happened. If memory serves around this same time he was releasing Fairy tail Zero chapters and the stark difference in general vibe between them was so noticeable. It felt like he was excited to write zero and had passion for it that was very much lacking in the core series.

At least in the pretartaros content you could point to some moments of foreshadowing (like tartaros actually being mentioned pre timeskip as one of the guilds in league with Grimoire Heart and Oracion Seis) but Alvarez came out of nowhere at the speed of light to end fairy tail because Mashima needed an end but didn't want to actually go through setting things up since it would take time.

Edit: honestly everything done with raventail was baffling. How exactly does a dark guild get approved to be made official just because they ask nicely????? Like maybe I could believe it if it had been something they'd been working towards for years but the implication being they only joined because makarov and Laxus were there to explain lumen histoire makes me doubt that. Mashima really didn't want to actually deal with them 😭. Arrested for cheating in the gmg is so lame man.