#the way he immediately knew that this is smth i'd probably be into is so funny to me

[dumortains]

have i told you guys about this guy i was befriending irl who while we were talking about our similar book tastes suddenly opened the host/ed games app and asked me if i knew about t/w/c???

[jessoloslemons]

Been thinking...

So, because of the absence of brozone's parents in the 3rd movie, we assume that they either were killed or terrible parents, so comes in John having to raise his siblings (presumably) by himself. Their grandma probably not being much help.

We usually talk about the stress and impact it probably had on John, suddenly having to step us as the leader of the household at such a young age, but what about Bruce - the second oldest?

Bruce probably witnessed the change of character of John, watching his brother force himself to mature. From being a goofy and playful older brother who loved to sleep in, to someone who'd already be busy in the morning and somehow always tired, a sad look evident in his eyes. Especially when their younger brothers started to enter the picture.

He would notice how there would already be breakfast on the table once he awakes, how JD would immediately take action whenever either Clay or Floyd would start to cry or throw a tantrum, immediately running to their side cheering them up, and how the eldest would always be the last to sleep and the first to wake up the next day.

He'd also witnessed John start Brozone, and he'd do his best to help, just wanting to see his brother genuinely smile again. All he wanted was to see the brother who would give him piggyback rides every morning as their mom would make breakfast, the brother who'd easily laugh at his jokes and make funny faces all the time, the brother who'd chase him around the pod then proceeding to tickle him relentlessly once he caught him. He just wants his older brother back. To see him again.

But after years passed, and his younger brothers started to get involved in the boyband and a new baby arrives (Branch), that hope started to feel impossible. John was now annoying, controlling, and obsessed with being perfect. Barely thinking about the well-being of others at this point, his only goal is to please the fans and make sure Brozone is in top shape.

Bruce hated this. He hated the toxicity weighing down their relationship as brothers. He hated always being told to do better because it's always never enough. He hated John, and it hurts him to feel that way towards his first friend, and now first enemy.

And so you bet it broke his heart immensely when the boyband broke up, and that John was the first to leave. Not even leaving with a proper goodbye or a guarantee that he's coming back. Not even bothering to look back at any of his brothers, not even to him.

But even if he was so angry and tired of his shit that night, a distant part of his heart sobbed when John left the pod. If he didn't have self-control and pride, he'd probably just break down there and then. But instead, he also walked out, desperate to leave and finally be able to breathe again.

Fast forward to 20 years later, you bet it took every bit of Bruce's willpower not to tackle John in a tight hug once he laid his eyes on him again. Despite the heartaches and tears JD had caused in the past, he was still his brother, and he may not admit it out loud, but he still loves John, so much, and he missed him, so so badly.

--

Hi! So i just had an idea and knew I had to write about it right away!

John and Bruce's dynamic as siblings is totally underrated and smth we need to talk about more often ^ i love them both sm and i'd love to see them together more often and know of their relationship with one another <3

[Also i headcanon that Bruce called John Johnny as a kid, and when he calls him that now that they're older, JD is smitten and moved to tears]

Thxs for reading! Thoughts?

[kymsys]

hiii i'm obsessed with your merman au!! if it's okay i totally let it take over my brain for a hot minute so ummm here's a little gift if you will accept it 👉👈 sorry to bother, i just HAD to write something dkfdl;fjg. your art is so gorgeous btw <33

--

After weeks of secretly housing Satoru in his private garden, Suguru had devised a way to safely return him to the ocean without being caught. He'd even relayed all the information about the kingdom's fishing system so Satoru would be able to steal the occasional fish without getting caught in the nets himself. He had to admit, he would miss having his little secret around. But he knew he couldn't keep Satoru cooped up forever. Satoru was a creature of adventure. He was probably tired of Suguru anway.

After a few attempts, Suguru successfully scooped Satoru up in his arms, Satoru wrapping his tail around his waist to stay up. His skin was cold to the touch. He teased Suguru as he clumsily navigated the path in the dark, even though he'd already walked it alone several times, and Suguru hated the way his heart stuttered at the siren's breath on his ear.

Really, Suguru should've done this much sooner. He should've released Satoru as soon as he realized he was falling for the creature. It was hard not to when it was in Satoru's nature to be enticing. Suguru let himself spend far too much time with him in the garden, let Satoru flutter his fingertips over his collarbones, let him beckon him closer and nibble on his ear playfully, let him lick the blood off his wrist when he got scratched up. He was never sure if Satoru was threatening him or flirting with him, never sure if it was all a game or if there was actually part of him that was interested in Suguru.

Suguru willed his mind to stop racing as he knelt down on the rocks and lowered Satoru into the water. Satoru immediately swam away and back, did a few turns and flips, gleefully splashing in his newfound freedom. Suguru smiled, heart tugging in his chest as Satoru slowly moved farther away. He was about to turn around when Satoru came back up to the edge of the rocks, resting his forearms on them and beaming up at Suguru.

"Care to join me?" He teased with a sharp grin. Suguru huffed out a laugh and shook his head.

"What, you're not dying to get away from me?" Suguru shot back, trying to keep his smile light even though it felt heavy on his face. Satoru pawed at his ankle and Suguru obliged without thinking, sitting and dipping his feet in the water, Satoru folding his arms atop his thighs.

"If you could breathe underwater, I'd drag you in here with me." His eyes practically glowed in the moonlight, a deceptively innocent smile curling at the corners of his perfect lips.

"You'd do that regardless." Suguru let himself give into the urge to push Satoru's hair off his forehead. It would probably be the last time anyway. Satoru's smile dropped the slightest bit.

"No." He reached up to touch Suguru's cheek, lightly stroking his cheekbone down to his jaw. "Not to you."

MANGO HOW DARE YOU WRITE SMTH SO BEAUTIFUL 😭😭😭 its amazing i love it so much HNGGGGG. THANK YOU?! thank you so much, i cant believe ppl love my merman au so much, thanks for this sweet gift and thanks for indulging with me 🥺 funnily enough @kingdomofred had also written that suguru took gojo out of the ocean into a pond. ARE WE ALL VIBING TOGETHER? it seems to be a thing for sure xD okay i have to dive a bit deeper into why i love your writing so much: the way that suguru isnt sure if gojo actually likes him or he is just acting accordingly to his siren behaviour?? it breaks my heart, its so bittersweet but yet i love it so much !! it fits so perfectly and i love the resolve at the end that yes ofc gojo likes him ; u ; ♥ . the image you described of suguru carrying gojo and the way gojos tail would lay around sugurus waist?? THAT IS SO FUCKING NICE?! definitely gonna put that on my to draw list !! and gojo nibbling on sugurus ears and licking his wounds and blood....fuck thats hot. i have no other words left. truely. THANK YOU MANGO IM IN LOVE 🥰(made my day)

[viktoreznovs]

a little reznov rant i sent in a server i'm in

i love viktor reznov no one understands him like i do ( because i am him but thats beside the point ) ( will be referring to myself in the 3rd person so people dont get confused )

i love his characterization i feel like treyarch did an amazing work but i also feel like his mental issues are often overlooked . and it's so ironic because people always talk about reznov being some strong cold alpha hero or smth who doesnt need coddling and doesnt have any trauma and it's just . you fell for the character's facade meant to be dismantled by the player / viewer ! ! ! plus, their depiction of him is often way over exaggerated . like yes he is strong and sometimes cold towards his allies but he does care . he is most likely the most progressive person in the game i'd say ( these are my thoughts ) . deep down he is still a broken person just like the other characters , yet people don't acknowledge it because they can't see through his facade . they're at war , of course he isn't going to break down crying about his issues , but that doesn't mean he doesn't have issues .

think about it , he's been in that prison for 18 YEARS . there is not doubt he developed a lot of mental issues during that time period . we can already see this when mason writes about reznov and dimitri in his journal . mason knew in detail about the battles and journeys reznov had gone through with dimitri . mason says reznov often told him he saw dimitri in him . this man has been in prison for eighteen years yet he still has a perfect memory when it comes to his dead " best friend . " this attachment grows so unhealthy he starts seeing dimitri in other people . this delusion of his grows so strong he constantly puts himself in danger just to protect mason . where have we seen that behaviour before ? oh , right , with dimitri . ( he already shouldn't be putting his life on the line for one man but i digress ) . an example of this is the beginning of their vorkuta escape plan where reznov PLANNED to get beaten up by that guard just so mason could kill the guard and take the keys . plus , he quite literally admits just a step later ( step 2 : ascend from the darkness , on the elevator ) that he trusts mason with his life .

he takes the whole " victory cannot be achieved without sacrifice " saying way too seriously , but he has always been like that ( the most obvious example being mason's reprogramming done by his hand ) . another example would be when he sacrificed himself ( even though he ended up surviving ) just to get the guards off mason's back so mason could escape

also , in a cut content scene from waw , chernov wasn't supposed to die immediately by the burns and instead was meant to get shot by reznov / dimitri . reznov tells dimitri that chernov is suffering and that " he knows what to do " . if dimitri waits too long , reznov outright puts chernov out of his misery himself . in his eyes , he was giving chernov a quick and less painful way out , instead of trying to treat his wounds . it is shown so many times he believes death to be merciful .

all of this is not the mindset a " normal " or mentally stable man would have , but of course most fans will never acknowledge it because they can't even see past his whole hero facade that he puts on .

obviously this isn't to say that he hasn't done bad shit and that his trauma justifies what he has done to mason , but he wasn't some normal man who knew EXACTLY what he was doing . he was blinded by his need for vengeance . he always has been , and this behaviour most likely rose from his father's death : the undying loyalty to his motherland and the self - destructing need for vengeance .

he most likely regrets what he did to mason . will mason ever forgive him ? probably not . does mason owe him forgiveness ? fuck no . i like to think that's why reznov went along with the whole death thing after vorkuta . in his eyes it was better for mason to move on without him than for him to be a constant reminder of his trauma . did that help at all ? according to bo2 woods : not a goddamn bit .

[jack-kellys]

would u change anything about the jack and crutchie dynamic? how would u portray C? i would love to see a production where hes a little less sunshine and a little more realist (which i think uksies did well) buttttt i know thats your man so gimme some thoughts

- @we-are-inevitable ✨

how ~i~ would direct crutchie. ooough. major. hi again jac

give me some newsies issues and ill. i'll-

so i would cast him a year older than jack, or like. he turns 18 a few months before jack or smth. he just seems to understand things already that jack's whole arc brings him to at the end of the show. "I don't need folks. I got friends." takes jack two hours and a fifteen minute intermission to figure that one out. brotha.

i think making crutchie the only guy in the play who really knows what and how things are going to happen is really... just. makes him interesting. his sense of self-awareness, his personal knowledge of who he is and what he stands for- the wild thing abt him is he already. knows. crutchie stands for his friends. it's why initially he isn't for striking ("let's hit the streets while we still can") bc he knows any other action is going to get his friends hurt... but it's also why he's good with it pretty soon after- well, if they are gonna do this, he's not letting his family do it alone/without him... even if he knows what's probably going to happen to him afterward. give me a crutchie with foresight who doesn't ignore it, per se, but whose moral backbone refuses to make him a coward. (its why he and davey r like🤞🏼 to me.)

i would also let him fight. in the fight choreo. he's winning to morris delancey i do not CARE. i'm having the reason he gets caught be him shoving the jacobs out and away. because crutchie already knewwww. from the moment of "you mean like a strike?" what was goin down.

(i would also make the "romeo! finch!" not be a reaching out, but a "get the fuck out of here" wild gesture. as long as crutchie takes center, no one else is getting hauled through downtown in a police wagon.)

i also think that whenever race makes his little comments to davey crutchie is the one gesturing for him to back off, bc i think it's fun when racer and crutchie butt heads and i rly adore crutchie seeing davey and knowing his potential like. immediately. i think i'd have them be talking a lot in staging it- uksies does this already if ur looking for it, but it's so key to me.

tl;dr, crutchie is the most experienced person at the lodge, and i think it should show. and also like. u can debate me on that? that jack's more experienced or is portrayed to be since he's the leader, but... tell me why jack learns friends are equivilent to family when crutchie knew that shit at 00:00:00 in the musical. lmk. crutchie has almost prophetic knowledge in his brain ok he knows newsies the musical as well as us. i think that's fascinating.

also this is unrelated but the way matthew duckett uses the crutch as a true extension of himself is unlike any crutchie we might ever have again. go watch the boot again and just watch him. he points with it, gestures with it, sits in interesting ways, like. his comfortability with his body is smth crutchie needs to have bc he knows himself, more than the rest know themselves. im so serious.

[camels-pen]

(i haven't read Whole Cake in a while, and i never really watched it, so bear with me)

I'd love to write a fic with Usopp on Whole Cake. it'd be sooo fucking long and i'd need to refresh myself on the entire arc, but god i'd probably be so satisfied when it's done. specifically for having brought a single moment in my head to life, but we'll get to that.

On Zou, he insists to be taken along on the Sanji rescue team and has worked himself up with a whole bunch of very good reasons as to why he should go there instead of helping in Wano, but of course Luffy just immediately accepts with a "yeah sure"

With Whole Cake, I think he'd be flipping between having fun as part of the idiot trio/quartet (Luffy, Chopper, Carrot), and being terrified with Nami. There wouldn't be that many differences in the arc as a whole, though; some things would be easier/better and some things would be worse- I don't necessarily think Usopp's presence would be overall an advantage or disadvantage, just different. Like, major events would stay mostly the same, but little details would change and maybe those little details would build to a far more drastic change-

for example, maybe one of Big Mom's kids considers themself a great sniper and wants a match with Usopp, or is motivated to work harder because Usopp is around and they want to take him out and boast about it. Maybe it means Sunny takes more damage than canon, or maybe Usopp's help means less damage to Sunny. (idk if i'd really do smth like this, but it's just an example)

skjdhf fuck i'm really not equipped to try and figure this out when i don't remember shit from Whole Cake aaaa

I do know that, despite his penchant for talking and rambling, I'd probably have Usopp be dead silent after his initial shock when Sanji fights Luffy. Everything about that is the same, except Usopp is just watching Sanji the whole time- not panicking, not moving, and not speaking. He doesn't say a word the entire time, doesn't even make a sound, and that, along with Luffy's words and Nami's begging, stick with Sanji.

(Usopp is thinking of his own fight with Luffy in Water 7, he's partially wondering if this was what it was like- if it was this painful to watch from the sidelines- and partially knowing he doesn't have to say a word, because he knew, like he knew back then, that it didn't matter what was said. It wasn't quite the same, but he could tell in the way Sanji moved, in the way he spoke and held himself, that he was putting on a front, trying to be brave in all the wrong ways. Usopp didn't say a word to Sanji because there was nothing he could say that Sanji himself didn't already know. Should've known. And his quiet, direct stare, was more than enough.)

the singular moment i really wanna write, is a scene where Sanji is apologizing for dragging them into his mess- either during the big meeting in Bege's castle or some other time- and Usopp's like "I'll do what you can't, you do what I can't, right?" and Sanji pauses, a little confused, until he remembers Enies Lobby and a stupid mask and cape and-

and tears are gathering in his eyes now, fuck, but he laughs a little. It sounds wet and his face is itchy and they're surrounded by tentative allies, but he- he laughs again and he says, "Fuck, you remembered that?"

Usopp shrugs, a little smile on his face. "They were some wise words from a wise man."

Sanji laughs a third time. "You think I'm wise?"

And they banter a little more before Bege tells them to quit it since they're on a time constraint or something. Quietly, Usopp will ask, "It-it helps. On bad days. And I figured, 'what's a worse day than this?' Ah, not that you getting married would ever be bad per se-"

"Usopp," Sanji says, looking more relaxed and settled. He smiles fondly and grabs his friend in a one armed hug, crushing him to his side. "Thanks."

And yeah, don't remember much beyond that, except the whole "hiding and then busting out of the cake" bit, which would mean Usopp in a cute little tuxedo or smth- maybe with a fedora aaaaaa <- loves fedoras- helping out with the fighting and eventually sailing with everyone to Wano.

He would be so distressed about fixing up Sunny now that the whole thing with Whole Cake is over. Maybe there'd be a gag about him promising Franky to take good care of Sunny while they were gone and being confident, after being Franky's tinkering partner and learning from him over time, that he could handle minor repair work much better than he did the first time around with Merry. And so when he finally takes in all the very-not-minor repairs he has to do, he's certain Franky is gonna strangle him for not keeping his promise. Probably also try to write in some nostalgic 'repairman Usopp' vibes from pre-Water 7.

Also something something, Sanji, wanting to do more for the crew bc he still feels guilty about Whole Cake, decides to take it upon himself to help Usopp not fall into a whole anxiety spiral about the ship. In turn, Usopp ends up helping Sanji not feel so guilty- usually by handing his own words back to him on a silver platter. And, yknow, having the two of them bonding and being buddies again like they so rarely get to be in canon nowadays qwq

[themyscirah]

Emerald guyfight or hal suicide exploration

Knew you were going to do one of these two if you asked ahdjshdhs

Emerald Guyfight: my "Hal loses the fight in GL (1990) #25" AU. I've talked abt this one with you as well as publically a good deal but it follows canon divergence Hal throughout the rest of Jones' GL and Emerald Twilight, before going into New Dawn(?) Or whatever the Kyle intro era is called. This wip splits pretty clearly in two POV wise, with GL #25-50 being redone almost exclusively from Hal's pov, and then everything after being mixed pov with John, Kyle, mystery additions, etc. Not sure how this wip is set to end however, or if I'd want to leave it at the end of the Zero Hour/GL#0 timeframe and resolve it there, or stick closer to canon and do my own vers of Final Night.

A snippet from my vers of GL #25

I mainly have the Halguy fight scenes drafted, as well as a few bits of Hal's thoughts to himself as he travels to Oa in my vers of GL 49 (as well as like half an unfinished John & Hal scene immediately after the snippet above). Decided to go with a bit of the first fight scene here (despite hating writing action) because I wanted smth au specific and didn't want to spoil the best parts of the 2nd Halguy fight (a draft I which I think I also posted somewhere, but need to edit bc i added an important plot element)

Anyways yeah. Think this is an au which will probably be split into two fics between a #25-50 Hal pov fic and a rotating pov response to the aftermath and all that comes with it, from the povs of the surviving old + new GL characters.

Hal Suicide Exploration:

This is just a vague idea but I'm p sure I read GL (2011) #18 [aka Hal's talk w Tomar-Re's spirit and following suicide to escape the black ring] around the same time Knight Terrors was being released irl, which left a few thoughts in my head. While I haven't actually read the green lantern knight terrors stuff or any of the event, the vibes stuck with me, especially that one panel with Hal being dwarfed by the giant apparition of himself as Parallax. So I like to think that this idea would really focus on him being trapped in some sort of nightmare or nightmarish realm mirroring in some way GL (2011) #18 with figures of his dead friends and just following up on the threads of this pattern of suicidal behavior as well as like guilt and responsibility over stuff like parallax (Among other things). Something where he has to say what he already knows aloud in order to fight it. Quite likely literally as I may have him be hunted a bit by the figure of parallax (only to dispel it by claiming the apparition as false and parallax as his own actions

[xxskyethetiredemoxx]

Tw: mentions of suic1de and bullying

Tbh I've probably alluded to this before, but I just wanna rant about it, cause it was fucked up.

So, earlier this year, I was in this gc, with like 35 other people. I knew most of the people in it, but I only knew a few well. Anyway, some people there where absolutely fucking insane.

So for a bit of backstory, I tend to be a pretty confident, outspoken person, and I state my opinions about things, and about people, without caring much what people think about me — and a lot of people really don't like that about me (although a lot of other people do like that about me).

So a lot of people in that gc didn't like me much, and would try and annoy me as much as possible, and accuse me of ridiculous things (they accused me of saying the n word so much that I could actually dm it to someone, and no one would believe them that I'd said it, and would think that it was another person stealing my pfp and saying it).

Anyway, the main story centres around this one guy, I'll call him H. Some other people were involved, M (who would usually be involved), L (who often loved to annoy me), and E (who I'd had one argument with in the past and had barely spoken to her in my life). H didn't like me, I didn't like him. M was his friend, also didn't like me much, I didn't like him much, but neither of us were ridiculously rude about it on a frequent basis. L seemed to act neutrally to me a lot, liked to annoy me, but I'd had some funny conversations with him. He was involved in the argument with E as well. I don't have much to say about E except that she seemed like a pick me, she wouldn't care about me until the guys started harassing me, at which point she'd immediately take their side, despite not knowing me.

So one day, I changed my pfp from a drawing I'd made to a picture of myself. That was actually really hard for me to do, and I expected someone to say something negative about it. H decided to tag me in the gc and tell me to change my pfp.

I replied to him, asking why he's so obsessed with me that he cares, and he said that he wanted to "saved people from that monstrosity". This was abt when M came in, and started "commentating" (pretty much encouraging H, but in a way where he can avoid responsibility or accountability).

H and I went back and forth for a bit (I told him a could draw him with my left hand and it'd still look better than him, cause if he's gonna insult me, idgaf about insulting him more). L joined in, and was basically kissing H's ass, being like "you're so cool and funny and original and blah blah" (not what he said, just the vibes I got). E joined in, tried to aggravate a reaction from me for no reason.

When I told H to get a life, he told me to lose mine, pretty please. When I responded to smth he said with 🤓, he went on a rant about people using that emoji so much, and oh I must be at a loss for words, and etc etc. I asked him why I should waste my energy on him, he said he doesn't know, and why don't I save that energy and go use it by jumping. And everyone was praising him for being so clever and original (and telling me to end my life, and yk being so original by recycling the same insults over and over again, and telling me to end my life over and over again) and saying I'd lost and he's so great at winning arguments. I just told them all to get lives, and they started using the basic insults that boil down to "ew cringe emo" that have been around since before any of them were born. Yes, so original.

Yeah, I left that gc, and blocked those people. It was honestly exhausting seeing texts from it every day etc. I just wanted to rant a bit about it. Mostly when it's brought up now, it's cause I'm laughing about how H was weirdly obsessed with me, and how if he hated me so much, he should've just not talked to me.

[castle-dominion]

castle 6x11 under fire

the firyspo episode liveblog

I knew immediately what episode this was. I was STOKED to watch this with all the gifs i'd seen

k not a fan of the 12 hours earlier thing bc sometimes it's misleading in a good way but this time it's misleading in a way I dislike.

But pretending I haven't seen the ep: She's just lying to jenny & tbh that's a good idea rn. oh no he's dead. or obv not bc there's more of the series after this but then again montgomery died & tory ellis got replaced with vikram. But oh no he's dead.

(yeah I've seen gifs of this ep I was so excited to watch it. I was freaking out b'y)

It's like the time my neighbour across the street was murdered & then there was an arson to cover the murder

WHAT Oh lol she's so adorable with the triple checking & kevjen is just so perfect.

Girl people are late sometimes. Especially because you don't know when the cells attached themselves to the wall.

Oh the first time I watched this I hadn't seen the baby lotto episode yet! But wait y'all decided not to know your baby's sex? RC: May I suggest … Cosmo. KR: No you may not. And rather than pick a name for my kid, you should pick a date for your wedding. RC: Pick a date for my wedding? (he gestures to BECKETT) I was planning on bringing her. XD XD (clipping)

Mark Kimball, buiilding safety. He asked the detectives if they really needed to be in here.

Oh no. Take pics, grab the body, do what you need to, & leave. Don't stay to examine the body, examine it on the slab. KR: Nope. Dude had a wallet, but it was burned to a crisp. Even if he was a dude. It’s hard to tell that. (so ryan was already here? they're always here before caskett. except that one episode in s1 where "he was here before me") RC: I see what you mean. LP: Actually, he is a dude, which is about all I could tell you right now.

KR: This is Lieutenant Delia Burton. She’s the fire investigator with the FDNY. Detective Beckett, Mr. Castle. where's esposito? I like her scarf

RC: So the killer set the fire to cover up the murder? THIS REALLY IS LIKE MY NEIGHBOUR!

"as soo n as I know smth so will you" sounds like SHE'S the killer

There’s a creaking sound and everyone looks at the ceiling. (they are not even wearing hard hats) RC: What was that? DB: The building. You guys should probably go. RC: Sounds good. (he turns and leaves the room quickly) See ya! KR gapes at him. KB: rolls her eye and sighs. KB: I’m … marrying … him. KR: Yeah. KB: Yeah. (could clip)

Art Torino: Maybe the guy was a bum or a squatter or something. Everyone else: AT: But hey, you know, human life, still a tragedy, right? (not clipping) "Who are you again?"

AT: I take offense to that. Just because I’m Italian I’m in the mob? KB: No, I think you are in the mob because you area known member of the Minari crime family and you also have convictions in racketeering, assault, fraud–

What's so special abt that x? Ooh music

Esposito's here!

RC: (sighs) Beats getting roasted alive. LP: I’m right there with you. Me: absolutely. teeth? those things are always good.

Delia Burton is amazing & I love her but oh no her poor partner. I'd watch an entire episode about them.

benzoyl peroxide, isn't that what u put on your mouth to numb it when u have a canker sore?

Serial arsonist? Ooh I like this episode! vacation days to work the case? just like beckett. just called, didn't pick up, just KNEW... Hey in my family watch we have a "the phantom" too!

RC: Sillier than the arsonist, which starts with ‘arse’? At least with The Phantom he’s got some mystique. (not clipping)

MOs about arson. interesting. I am NOT insane but I am a LITTLE bit pyrophillic.

Ferguson, do I know ppl with that name or is that a location in my area or is that smth I'm remembering from this episode?

Oh no place has been trashed rn just remembering the bloopers in the building alone? scary for me bc I know what happens. Ryan is usually written as like... skinny but he has broad shoulders babe! He just looks small compared to brick-shit-house/pos esposito missing car? I have no idea what that means.

He LOOKS like an arsonist. That's what cishet!human!Pyro looks like. But nonbinary!nonhuman!Pyro looks WAY not like that. Ah ha! But he can't be the killer that would be too easy & too soon. Unless he IS the killer & the rest of the episode is about smth else. The thing is, murder mysteries are very formula. You need to have the setup & they need to get close but then it can't be the real killer right away in the episode so obviously it is not them, you need to have a red herring, it really is formula huh. That's one of the reasons I liked the bird watching episode with the light bulb guy & the janitor dad. They got completely sidetracked & didn't have the typical "who was it who was it" thing.

Chat between friends? he put you in prison for five years or smth bro. Or u got out 5 years ago idrk. (weird grammar from castle) "fandom" not "phantom" lol

Fergs: Blake paid me for my time. Plus, uh … (he smiles) .. he let me see some of the photos of the fires. (he laughs) So we both got something out of the deal.

... It's episodes like this that make me concerned for my mental health.

Ferguson: Any idiot can slosh gas around and light a match. But this guy, he knew fire. Knew how it spread. (he leans forward) See, fires are just like people. There’s a weak spot. The soft underbelly. He would find it. Use it. Unleash an inferno with barely any accelerant. That … is an artist. (he's so right. he is genuinely right. I think I was leaning forward on my knees while watching this practically on the edge of my seat bc I loved it sm.) (not clipping tho)

Fergs: An artist like The Phantom? He wants to admire his work. It’s not enough that he sets the fire. He needs to feel the heat, to listen to the music. The roar of the flames, the moans of the buildings as they give in? That’s what he lives for. Which is why, with every fire he sets, he is there watching. (He describes it so... beautifully. Who wrote this episode again?) (still not clipping but UGH I am concerned for me mental health bc this is soooooo sexy)

RC: You know, one thing about his story that does ring true on a character level is about how the arsonist watches his own fires. Castle knows characters.

Was the... wait... the building burned up AFTER he had the files on it... Lol ryan on his phone for his wife I'm love (not clipping but funny)

(no no no no I know what is happening I am Feeling Emotions) Sure they are detectives but HOW do you tell that someone has been inside the building?

JE: Man. Look at this place. Fire would be an improvement. girl... {me: has seen the full ep. JE: is right.}

KR reaches for his phone. JE: Hey! KR: What? JE: Trust me, bro. Your ringer is all the way up. (what if they need to be quiet detectives?) KR: I just want to make sure. Jenny might call me at any minute. JE: Pulling your phone out isn’t going to make it happen any sooner. You just need to chill. KR: And you know this from your vast experience of having zero kids? (Esposito did have tommy & joey) JE: All right, you know what? You’re all emotional right now so I’m going to let that go. (reminds me of "your wife is hormonal bc she's pregnant, what's your excuse?")

If I were them I'd leave someone holding the door open. first names <3 wazoo XD (I whistled at the same tom lol)

Timer & alarm LET the ppl know that there IS a bomb or smth? but um. AAAAAAAAH SCREAMING SCREAMING SCREAMING THIS IS IT THIS IS THE EPISODE I AM DYING RN SDKFAJSLDFJKH (also just yell "run" don't spend the time saying it's not an alarm.) (but also if the explosion blasted stuff out like that I think they'd be dead)

I cannot say anything I am just so klfsdkfjsdlkj

Is castle allowed to use her computer?

How would you press the top of the spray paint if it is on a pole tho?

RC: That must have been the arsonist. Maybe somebody saw them do it. Can we canvass the area? And by ‘we’ I mean obviously somebody else. (unis or ryaposito, which will be how they figure out that they are there)

KB: What are you looking for? And don’t tell me, it’s something completely inappropriate for the workplace. RC: No, not this time. THIS TIME???

Obviously edited smoke lol (it could have been maybe he didn't KNOW what was going on & started filming just in case) How did they know to start filming then? ARSONIST FILMS HIS OWN FIRES Yeah like the metadata & all that stuff. it's like that tumblr post *deletes you* *you still exist as metadata* (but wait how did this vid get bounced around the internet so fast

Transcipt: She brings up a webpage. It’s full of hot girls and fire. Me: Oh yeah Rule 34 bro.

Is tori technically a cop? can she look up ppl & their records?

Got a warrant to enter his house babe? Lol the pyrolicious title on his door if it really is around the globe, I'd kind of expect him to be in like,,, slovenia or smth.

So you don't know who drops off the material but you can TELL it is from the same person? who sends you "choice material"? gosh his phone is starting to bug me. You need a warrant. Of course he has a fire alert lol OH NO *just run away leaving milo confused* AAAAAAAAGGHHGHDKFJSKLDF

ALSO WHEN DID IT BECOME NIGHTTIMMMMMME

becks let the fire ppl do their jobs, they know it better than you (I hate becks sometimes)

maybe the explosion blasted them out from the fire & they are just unconscious across the street from getting thrown against the wall... Becks this aint your fault OH NO. JENNY. (already 12 hours?) see? I just... I didn't like this the first time around but maybe I don't hate it as much now. Lie to her beckett. the woman is pregnant. Lie to her & say her husband got banged in the head or smth & is just walking it off but he'll probably be back tonight.

Look at all my background characters <3 Good on gates shutting off the tv & putting ppl back to work Yay speaking lines

VG, doing the recap for me: We don’t know. What we do know is that Detectives Ryan and Espozito were investigating that building for ties to a serial arsonist. And it’s possible that the explosion in that building was deliberately set by that same arsonist, a man suspected in ten other fires, as well as the murder of a member of the New York Fire Department. And if it is true, then this sick SOB has just added two of our own to his list. (I can't tell the difference between who is saying what)

AAAAAAH IT'S THEM I'M DYING I'M DYING I'M DYING IT WILL TAKE ME TEN BILLION HOURS TO WATCH THIS EPSIODE I'm quoting EVERYTHING.

How long have they been unconscious if the fire spread this much? also if u got knocked out u have a concussion.

EXT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE Fire crews still fight the fire. It’s not any more contained that it was earlier. INT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE (just stuff on ur head. & back. u'r in the debris. u'd be dead) KR and JE are on the ground. They’ve fallen into a lower floor and the fire rages above them. JE moves first, shocked by circumstances, but alive. (I'd describe this as: JE is on the floor with crap on him. there is a boom & he jolts awake, moving sluggishly at first.) also ooh yummy listen to those creaks. JE: Ryan! (love his voice crack) JE: [he scrambles up] (also my man has NO hair on his legs) Ryan! Ryan? KR coughs. JE: Kevin! Kevin, is that you? KR is alive, but he’s pinned under a beam. (he’s going to have broken legs) JE: You all right? [dusting him off] KR: Yeah, yeah. (he struggles) I can’t move. My legs are stuck. JE tries to lift the beam, but it’s too heavy. It doesn’t move. They struggle. JE: It’s too heavy. KR: (sighs) It’s an oven in here. You should get out, man. (yeah go get help) JE: Not without you, partner. (TIL THE WHEELS FALL OFF) KR looks up at the fire above them. KR: Last thing I remember is the floor giving away. How far do you think we fell? JE looks up & gets a pole. JE: At least two floors. (& u have no other broken bones?) KR: (sighs) He must have rigged this place. JE: Probably to destroy any evidence in case he was found. KR: Yeah, including us. (ha…) JE: Not if I can help it. You ready? KR: (coughs) Yeah. JE: All right. Here we go. JE wedges a metal pipe under the beam that is pinning KR down. He tries to leverage it, but it’s still too heavy. (He is putting the pole under the cement beam & levering against the floor but I feel like that would just cause the beam to slide. He is also pulling up with the lever rn I'd like u to note.)

(I totally thought he'd have the ki/chi to fix this)

I don't rly remember my time at the airport fire department but I got to shoot water. I rthink it was stronger than that.) Fire Chief Miller: Move back! Everybody back! KB: *rushes forward* girl?

Babe no wait, they are not giving up, they have plans. Oh no, it's Lanie...

INT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE JE tries to leverage the beam off KR’S leg. It’s still not moving. (the MUSIC, the drums the OH SO GOOD) KR: The ceiling’s going to give away at any minute. You need to get out of here, okay? JE: Shut up. I’m trying to save your life. (cliping) KR laughs, but it’s strained. JE looks for something else to help him. He notices an I-beam lying nearby. (LOVE the music) He struggles to drag it over to use to get the center of gravity of the wedge higher for better leverage. (different types of levers, right?) JE: Here we go. There. Ready? KR: Yeah. JE strains, but manages to get the beam off KR’S leg enough for him to move. THIS IS MY SQUEEZING OUT MOPS FOR WORK. You want to not just use your hands tho, you want to sit your bodyweight on it Sito. JE: Go, go, go, go, go! JE: drops the beam & runs to KR. KR: I’m okay, I’m okay. They take a second (& my man's legs aren't broken? seriously? Ok I need a fanfic where his legs are actually broken or at least a little bit cracked up) JE: Can you walk? KR: Give me a hand. ..I’m kind of okay. (lol kind of ok) JE helps him up and KR grunts/laughs in pain. JE: How’s it feel? KR: Oh, I can stand. (he slaps JE on the shoulder and looks up) Where are we? JE: Looks like some kind of sub-basement. (at least smoke rises...) KR: I don’t see any doors. JE: points to an airshaft. There are flames over the top. JE: Looks like that was our way out. KR: Yeah, I don’t think we wanted to go up, anyway. KR coughs. JE: We’re not going to get out without help. [He pulls out his phone. It’s shattered.] Ugh, my phone’s busted from the fall. (& they don't show him try it.) What about you? KR: digs in his pocket for his phone. It’s not broken, but it has no service. KR: Uh … yeah, I got nothing. (boring background on ryan's phone) JE: All right, well … as big as this thing is, the fire department’s gotta be other there. They’ve gotta be on scene. KR: Yeah. We should let them know that we’re down here. JE cups his hands around his mouth and starts to yell. JE: Yo! [High angle.] KR: Anybody hear us? Down here! JE: (voice breaking) Anybody up there? KR: (loosening his tie) Hey! JE: Down here! KR: Hey! There’s nothing. KR: The fire’s too loud. They can’t hear us. JE: I’ve got an idea. JE grabs the pipe he used to get the beam off KR’S leg and starts beating on a metal exhaust vent. It clanks loudly. (it is not that pipe.) (I thought he was going to try to open that twisty water thing actually & stop the firse down here) JE: Maybe the sound’ll carry up. Let them know we’re down here. (fun fact, low sounds carry farther than high ones) KR: grabs his down piece of debris and starts beating on metal. They’re trying to make as much noise as possible. JE: Hey! KR: Down here! JE: Hey! KR: Hey! Down here! EXT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE The noise KR and JE are making is faint, but the fire covers most of it up. (It is implied that the sound is coming from a pipe/shaft like those telephones in playgrounds.) It’s not really working. INT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE KR: Hey! Down here! JE: Hey! They’re making as much noise as they can. JE: Hey! KR stops. KR: Stop. JE: What? KR: (voice breaking) They can’t hear us. JE: We can’t just quit, man. KR sits & removes his tie. KR: We better save our strength. JE: For what? Nobody knows we’re down here. It’s only a matter of time before the fire sucks all of the oxygen out of the room. (right. I forgot about that.) KR: There’s gotta be some way out of here. Some other way of letting them know that we’re down here. JE: Yeah? Like what? KR: I don’t know. Something. (want to clip but I shouldn't) (helpful.) JE: Yeah? Well, unless you have an oxygen tank, a pair of wings, and a Nomex suit, we’re going to cook. (lol but also. hhhhhh were gonna cook. hatred hatred hatred. & yeah they would totally cook rather than burn.) KR laughs mirthlessly. He glances around the wreckage. It’s a bunch of broken and beaten debris, but something catches his eye. In a pile of old electronics is a corded phone. A landline. KR: Maybe not. Me: he's going to use the cords to climb out

rescue vs recovery hhhhhhsdjkfsd

Lanie is allowed thru the police barricades & also allowed to bring in a plus-one. of COURSE she's having a baby. Idk if I knew that before watching this for the first time or if I just knew it bc obviously it would turn out like this for the drama. (also castle dad moments) Girl there's nothing you can do here. Go have a baby safely. You're just making more stress here. You can lend your spiritual strength to the antifire team from anywhere. (also, your husband is schrodinger's cat rn, your baby is there.)

KB: I can’t believe that this is happening. This is like some kind of a dream. I just keep waiting to wake up but it’s like I can’t do anything. (she breaths out heavily) It’s like there’s nothing we can do. (you're right there IS nothing u can do HERE) RC: All we can do is be here for them. & being there for rysposito isn't even anything rn bc they don't KNOW you're there. unless u meant be there for the fire team. You know, what you SHOULD do is go back to the precinct & arrest your arsonist.

He’s trying to be reassuring, but she’s still terrified. He goes back to looking for answers and her phone rings. She answers without looking.

KB: (on phone) Beckett. There’s static on the other side. KB: Hello? KR tries to make the phone connect. He’s playing with the wires. (INDIVIDUAL TECH FELLOW) KR: Beckett? Beckett, can you hear me? The static starts to clear enough for her to make out words. KR: Beckett? Can you hear me, Beckett? The sound of KR’S voice makes RC look up. KB: Ryan? (she doesn’t quite believe it) Ryan, is that you? KR: Yeah, yeah, yeah! It’s me, Beckett! Listen, that building that we went into, it wasn’t the next arson target. It was his lair. He rigged it to blow. Now we’re trapped inside. The whole place is in flames. (reminds me of The Martian where mark watney didn’t know that nasa was watching him, he didn’t know how much they knew. KB: (her voice breaks) Yes, I know. Ryan, we’re right outside. We’ve got the whole fire department here. We thought – (she can’t) – you guys were dead. A beam breaks away and JE grabs the phone. JE: Well we will be soon if we don’t get some help. KB looks to RC. They need a plan. They need help. (I'd say "I lovr you i'm so glad you're ok." or not ok but not dead yet)

EXT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE fire chief miller: Exactly where in the building are you? JE: Some kind of sub-basement mechanical room. (& the mech room has a phone board?) JE: About 20 feet down from the main floor. There’s no windows, no doors. FCM consults a blueprint of the building. FCM: This doesn’t make any sense. KB: What? FCM: Well, according to these plans, this building has a slab foundation. There is no basement area. JE: Well I don’t know what to tell you, pal. We’re in some sort of basement. There’s something wrong with your fricking plans. Something clicks with RC.

I love how castle is the one to talk with gates I NOTICED that they focused on the airshaft in the first scene in the workshop! You don't need the plans tho, you just need to know where the workshop was & then go straight down. in theory.

My man would totally watch more than his own work. it's like fanfiction. Your fics are the ones perfectly tailored to you, but you can enjoy other fics too.

Firebug447, sexy name. I should make that my username.

Gates my beloved. She is so scary. I love her so much & also the music is great

Milo: No. I’d sometimes ask. He did once say why he did it. He said he couldn’t deal with the suffering. That sometimes sick and dying buildings need to burn to be put out of their misery. that's abt the building not the fire.

EXT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE They’re still battling the fire. KB: And you’re sure you don’t see another way out? KR is struggling. The heat and the carbon monoxide are getting to be too much. Both he and JE are moving slower. KR: If there is it’s covered by debris. Any idea where that way out might be? (lol he said way aight might be) KB: Castle’s on the phone with the building department. He’s trying to get ahold of the original blueprints. JE: We’re assuming there even is a way out. (KR looks at him) We’re giving this guy more credit than he deserves. JE sits heavily. KR: We’re both getting sleepy. (Panting) Carbon monoxide’s building up. KB: Ryan, you listen to me. You need to hang on, okay? They’re coming for you. KR: (tries to laugh) Appreciate the pep talk, but we both know the fire’s too hot and they don’t know where to look. KB: (adamantly) No. Ryan – KR: We’re going to lose the phone soon, (says who???) Beckett, so … there’s something I need you to do.

INT – AMBULANCE KB:looks at her phone. She looks from LP to a laboring JoM. KB: Jenny. LP is supporting JoM through labour. JoM takes in the look on KB’S face. JoM: Oh, what is it. KB holds out her phone. KB: It’s him. JoM: (brightly) It’s Kevin? (she takes the phone) Is it you? It’s really you? KR smiles at hearing his wife. (I'm dying dying dying) KR: Yeah. Yeah, it’s me, beautiful. He laughs in happiness. JoM: Oh thank God. Where are you? The baby’s coming. KR: (regretfully) I’m inside. JoM: Inside -? (she looks around like he means the ambulance) (this part KILLS ME but also is a little funny) LP looks at KB. KB gives her the slightest shake of her head, her expression sober. LP slumps. (lanie's look might have meant "where is javi?" & beckett's shake would have been interpreted as "he didn't make it" or smth. not good.) KR: I’m sorry. (on the verge of tears) I know I promised, but – (he coughs/clears throat) – I’m not going to be there. JoM understands what he’s saying. JoM: Don’t say that. Please don’t say that. RC has to turn away, doesn’t want to intrude. He moves to face KB towards him and they share a look. KR: I’m sorry. JoM gasps as a contraction hits. She breaths deeply. KR: I love you more than anything. Remember that. (he tries not to cry) Always remember that. (they have their own always) JoM: Kevin, please – (she starts to cry) – no, don’t leave me. KR: (laughs) Oh, I don’t want to. JoM gasps again, then finds some resolve somewhere. Some strength. JoM: We need a name. For the baby. We need to do that together. KR: (nods) All right. If it’s a boy: Javier. (I'd say Séamhír actually. Javier is pronounced havyed, but x can also be pronounced with an h sound. xavier is the same name as javier. mh & bh in gaelge is pronounced w or v depending on where u are. x can be pronounced like sh z or ctl too so Séamhír is pronounced shey veer, like ekseyveeur or egzeveeur but without the ek. It's all the same name.) JE: looks up weakly. JoM nods. RC and KB try to not intrude, but can’t imagine having to do something like JoM is doing right now. JoM: And if it’s a girl? KR: Sarah Grace, after your grandma. (JoM: name together. KR: names by himself.) JoM cries. JoM: I love you so much, Kevin. I love you. KR: (jumbled) – love – too. The phone cuts out and JoM is left with static. JoM: Kevin? (She sniffles & it is obvious the crying is causing her nose to get stuffy.) Kevin? Kevin! She can’t stop her tears. She holds the phone out weakly. KB sighs heavily before she takes it back.

INT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE KR hangs up the phone heavily. He tries not to cry at having said his goodbyes. He wipes his nose/mouth which is sweaty from the fire. JE is leaning against a block of cement. JE: (mumbled) Javier? You’re going to name a white Irish kid Javier? (you can name a white spanish kid javier... it is not just a spanish/portugese origin native american name) KR: What? (heavily) You’re going to bust on me now for being sentimental. (he is slurring.) JE: I figure it’s my last chance. KR laughs. They share a look & sit quietly. KR: Nah. Nah nah. We’re going to get out of here. There’s a way out and we’re going to find it. I’m not leaving Jenny. I’m not leaving my baby without a dad, alright? As he talks, JE remains slumped over. He’s passed out. KR turns to him and when he realizes JE is no longer conscious he scrambles over. KR: Hey. Hey! Javi! (he grabs JE and shakes him) No, no. Don’t you dare fall asleep on me. Don’ t you dare, Javi. Javi! (he shakes him once more) Javi! JE doesn’t stir. KR lets his head fall onto JE’S shoulder as he cries. (bc at least when he said goodbye to jenny he could still see a way out for him & javi.)

The music

& Lanie is just going to help deliver a baby? She has neither given birth nor assisted in delivery before as far as I know butok. LP: I know, Baby. Lil bro: You know baby?

DB: So I went back through the files, all of the building inspector reports, and he was right. Each of the target buildings had issues. Structural defects, wiring problems, rot. But that's for the sake of the building, not the fire...

It's going to be fire chief miller! or not they have two things in common. They were SICK & signed by kimball. Ah, makes sense. Or it could be his... idk... assistant ig. nvm. So becks didn't recognize kimball from his name & couldn't put a face to him. they met earlier this ep. I have an hour & a half before I need to RACE to work kill me. but anyway now that becks sees this guy's face on her laptop (which has nypd data on it?) she recognizes him as someone who she's seen around here before. He's here dun dun dun! well... of course he is. he records the fires. but this one was not a fire he planned on recording, this was a booby trap. (it'd be so sus to be recording here like this) his phone? srs? I feel like my man would have... a tripod or smth. but that would be sus. delia also has a gun??

Becks getting mad here babes & I LOVE it.

INT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE JE is slumped against a slab of concrete. Me: ryan isn't there, maybe he is finding a way out while his partner is unconscious! KR: *is passed out on the floor in front of him.* Me: oh Neither moves. The flames burn above them, but there’s hope. Part of the far wall starts to cave in as rescue crews try to bash it in. (practical effects my beloved) It crumbles enough for them to crawl through. They crouch down to assess the conditions of KR and JE. The camera only shows KR. It implies that either JE is dead because he is not being checked or he is physically offscreen & not present meaning he is also not present in life anymore; or it implies that KR is dead because he is the one lying on the ground not moving & it would be more tragic & dramatic to kill him & leave the baby. Why would they need to bash out the wall tho?? I thought there was supposed to be a way out. Maybe the arsonist never caved. Maybe he wasn't done setting up his escape route & there WAS no escape route yet. (the MUSIC)

also building dude changed plans of a building? makes sense

EXT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE FCM: Rescue seven, what’s your status? (they had no cell signal down there babe) There’s no response over the walkie talkie. RC fidgets with suspense. KB tries to stay hopeful. FCM: Rescue seven, do you have them? (nothing. KB keeps close watch on the building) Rescue seven, are they alive? (YEAH LIKE... RESPOND BRO) RC: (points) There. The rescue team leaves the building, emerging from the smoke. When they’re clear, everyone can see that they’ve got KR and JE with them. (WHY ARE THEY AWAKE & WALKING?) They’re banged up, but they’re alive. Everyone rushes forward to meet them. (imo it would have been better to have them over the shoulders of the buff firefighters & they start to cry bc "oh no they're limp over that guy's back, they must be dead" & then have them wave or cough. Or have them over the backs & they rush to see them like "yay!" but when they yell at them like "welcome back I'm glad you're alive" they don't respond & then it drops in your stomach & then you hear ryan say "jenny" or the firefighter says "girl get out the way these boys need the ambulance before they can wake up" or smth like that) KB: Espo! (she pushes through to pull him into a hug) Espo! (first name maybe? or the full espoSITO?) RC: You scared us. (he hugs KR) You scared us. (KR puts his dirty hands on RC's coat.) They switch so KR hugs KB and JE hugs RC. RC: You smell great. (like fire or like sweat bc they were in a fire?) KR pulls back and looks between RC and KB. (HOLD ON I DIDN'T REALIZE-- WHEN DID HE LEARN THAT JENNY WAS HERE? HE ASKED BECKS TO GIVE THE PHONE TO HER BUT WHO TOLD HIM HIS PREGNANT WIFE WAS AT THE FIRE? I mean she was preggy so ofc he'd ask abt her.) KR: Where’s Jenny? (clipping)

EXT – EMPTY WAREHOUSE (yay music) RC helps KR scramble toward the ambulance. (BECAUSE HE REALLY DID POSSIBLY BREAK HIS FRICKING LEGS) JE and KB follow behind them. KR turns to see LP helping JoM cuddle a baby. (lol that was a short af labour) JoM: Kevin! (she cries) You’re alive! KR stares at his wife and new baby for a long moment. LP: Javi! (she jumps down and into his arms) You’re alive! KR scrambles into the ambulance and lunges forward to kiss JoM. JoM: Oh. KB buries her head in RC’S neck as they watch the reunion. She pulls back and they smile. KR: You’re both beautiful. JoM: Kevin, I’d like you to meet … Sarah Grace. KR doesn’t know who he wants to look at. He tears his eyes from JoM to look at his new daughter and he strokes her head gently. LP and JE stand close together and smile, as do RC and KB. They’re family. And everyone is okay. They’re okay and it’s amazing.

ok wow

this ep was amazing. I did a stupid tho, I spent a bit over an hour & a half legit reading the transcript & quoting it the other day & then I spent over an hour & a half today & like... yeah I knew I would spend extra long on this ep but this is a bit too long. I have to go back to school soon & I'd like to finish my solo binge watch before school starts so that I can focus on school with only a little bit of fanfiction that I can read anywhen & anywhere.

& I have work in an hour. (by which I mean 2.5 ofc.) kms /hj.

[bitchlessdino]

Retracing Steps (M)

Pairing: fem!reader X collegeboy!dino

Genre: fluff, smut

Word count: 4.4k

BEWARE OF: fluff turned to smut, heavy eye contact, oral (giving and recieving), choking, hair pulling, consent, light dirty talk, spanking, soft!chan, dom!chan, tease!chan, unprotected sex, mention of toys, strangers to sex, light glasses fetish, sex with hardly plot, and maybe just a lot chan being a cute shithead.

Summary: You would think you'd remember hooking up with someone you've been cumming into your pillow since like freshman year.

author note: listen, I'm tired of my boy not getting enough fics every time I look. he so fucking underrated and I am desperate for a fic that expressed his duality and i finally did it! I finished my first fic in like 6 years or smth. I forget what my old user was but I'm back, and hopefully better than ever. I enjoyed writing so much, i intentionally dreamt of the scene over and over in my head to make sure it made sense. if anyone is reading this let me know if you guys want an alt ending that plays a bit more on a fetish I'd imagine chan would have lol.

You were woken up by the subtle appearance of the sun that peeked through the gap of the window curtains. Your upper body rose from the sheets, exposing your cool bare skin. You reached over for a clean shirt from the ground and your glasses from the bedside table. Once your vision shaped the once blurry images around you, your eyes became fixated on the sleeping attractive boy beside you.

He let out soft breaths, having a blissful slumber. You laid your body beside him, smiling at his peaceful presence. You recognized him from your English lectures back in your freshman year, and then again from your business ethics class for this semester. You didn’t really know him, but in your eyes he seemed like a good kid.

You couldn’t help but soften as he gripped the blanket with his whole body in response to the draft he felt on his bare shoulders. You grabbed the edge of his blanket and used them to cover every inch of him, ensuring his warmth. He hummed in content, making you almost let out a giggle at the sight. He was probably the cutest human being you ever had the chance of encountering.

Getting up from the bed, you left the room and scanned the items of his kitchen to salvage him a proper breakfast since it was only right after the time you had last night, but this guy hardly had any real food. Maybe a singular egg in a carton and a few bags of chips in his cupboard, otherwise his kitchen was empty. Giving up, you decided to wash up, bothered by the built up grease from the night before.

Unlike the kitchen, the bathroom was stocked with all kinds of toiletries and skincare products. It was no wonder he smelled so good even after a good night’s rest, he knew to spoil himself. You washed your face of last night's events until you got thorough results.

The boy was still sleeping when you came back to the room. Turning on his side, however, the sun immediately blindsided him. He let out a soft groan and rose from his slumber. Mindlessly scanning his room, he averted his attention to you and quickly realized he wasn’t alone in his own home.

He got stunned by the appearance of the person he’s been infatuated with since that school trip to the countryside. You looked brilliantly beautiful in the colors of the sunset and he admired how kind you were to the locals that offered homemade food, while the other kids went off to find the closest burger joint. Your usual cold demeanor was typical to everyone else around you, but he was obsessed with the way your glasses would slid down the bridge of your nose as you meticulously studied.

Now you were here in his place of residence, standing in front of him with only his t-shirt and those pairs of glasses that frame your face so well. He couldn’t tell whether he was still dreaming, but it sure felt like one.

“You’re awake.”

You approached him with a soft smile with a slight sway in your step and he instinctively brought the blanket over his body. The sun hitting you perfectly like the sunset back then on that trip and as you got close, he began to mentally trace every detail of your face, burning the memory deep in the circuits of his brain. How was he registering these exact details, he wondered. This all felt too real to be a dream, but it had to be one didn't it? There was no way you were actually here right now.

Your body dips in the empty space beside him and you could help but find how cute he was in the position he was right now. The random stray hairs, the obvious sleep in his eyes, and just how sheepish he was when he avoided realizing the lack of clothes on you. He was beyond adorable. “How did you sleep?”

“I-It was fine.” He stuttered, gulping at his oversized t-shirt hanging loosely from your body that in turn exposed the skin of your collarbone.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I made myself comfortable finding some food. Not any more comfortable than I made myself last night though.” You chuckled.

How could a laugh be so sexy, he thought to himself. He took a deep breath, attempting to tame the race happening in his chest.“...Did something happen last night?”

“A lot happened last night.” You said pointedly.

You watched as the realization crept on his face and he let out a low, “Oh.”

Your own realization came to you almost just in time, making you grip the sheets beneath you. You let out an awkward chuckle. “You...don’t remember.”

He lowered his head in shame and firmly shut his eyes, both in embarrassment and the need to think properly without the distraction of the desire to constantly gaze over at your body.

“Wow...I’m...so embarrassed.” You lifted yourself off the bed, suddenly flustered by your predicament and embarrassed by your flirting the moment when he woke up, now thinking you probably made him uncomfortable since opening his eyes.

He finally looked up at the sad tone in your voice and noticed your hurt expression. You stood there quietly, your eyes never leaving the ground and in that moment, he pulled himself together to finally say something with some substance.

“Don’t be embarrassed because I was too drunk and too stupid to remember anything.”

You gave a polite smile, but you felt yourself dying on the inside. “You’re very sweet, but I should leave before I make this situation any more awkward than it already is. By the way, you can forget, well, everything else that happened right now. I’ll get going.”

His eyes nearly fell out of his skull as he stumbled out of bed to reach out for your hand, stopping you in your place, unable to look at him without revealing your flushed cheeks. “How did we actually get the way we did? If you don't mind, I’d like to at least know so I don’t feel like such an asshole.”

“You’re so not an asshole.”

“I sure feel like one, so please for my conscious.” He guided you back on the bed, not letting go of your hand. “What happened last night? Or at least who approached who?”

You bit your lip, sadly smiling at the events of last night that you remembered so fondly. “You did actually. You started talking back at the party last night and from there, you can make some assumptions.”

“And you accepted?” He asked astonished, “why?”

You shrugged. “I’m not usually one for hookup culture, but I don’t know. I guess I trusted you.” You finally meet his eyes that lit up at the sight of yours.

Those eyes of his immediately melted away any insecurity you had in that moment. His presence was like the warmest blanket wrapped around your body in below freezing level weather. His smile emitted the purest joy and the hand that interlocked with yours reminded you of the tenderness you received the night before. He was a walking ecstasy.

“What could I have done to gain your trust?” He sincerely asked,

“Well with you, it didn’t take much convincing, other than...it being with you.”

That last line made him really want to make up for everything that happened. He was afraid of how he looked. He must’ve looked like a tomato in front of you, while being shy made you all the more precious. The rosy hue of your cheeks was enough to make him want to give the lease of the house he’d one day buy, or drown you with puppies with every breed. How could a person be as cute as you were now?

“I just find it hard to believe…” he admits.

“That I'd want to sleep with you?”

“...That you would want anything to do with me at all.”

You couldn’t help but smile at his disbelief. “Chan.”

How his name rolled off your tongue made him breathless. He didn’t even think you would know his name, let alone call him by it so simply, yet somehow made something inside him churn. “You know my name.”

“How could I not?”

You were only thinking about him and fantasizing moments like these for the past 3 years since you’ve been in the same college, giving him these almost obvious unwavering eyes that made you red just thinking about. From his infectious smiles and laughter, to the way his body moved so effortlessly in everything he did. He just didn’t feel real.

“I…” How was he supposed to say this outloud? How did anyone ask for something like this without it sounding as ridiculous as it does in his head?

“Yes, Chan?”

Goddamnit, why’d you have to say his name like that.

“I-I’d...really like to remember more than the details you gave me. Will you help me out with that?”

You breath hitched at the thought of having him top you again. Chan was an enigma. The visions of his sweaty posture handling you with somehow both consideration and spontaneity still puzzled you till now. His sweet voice was hypnotic in the way you would do everything he could ever want with a simple hum. His gaze that night was dark and he held this unwavering, domineering stance that was unlike the boy you see before you, who seems to only speak in short sentences and common phrases in the presence of nerves.

“You would…want that?”

Instead of answering you verbally alone, his body moved itself near you and clasped your cheek in his cupped palm, offering a determined, yet kind gaze. “Very much, yes.”

You blinked your eyes slowly, wondering whether your vision was betraying you, or was Chan actually making you feel like the only other person alive. He made you feel special, vulnerable, and although there wasn’t much you knew about him, he made you feel loved.

Your vision landed on his moist lips, still red and swollen. You started salivating at the memory of how they felt on yours and before you realized yourself, you reunited with Chan in a liplock. The pressure of his lips returning the kiss was just as magical as the first time. His cupped hand crept around the back of your neck and his free arm looped around your body, catching a handful of your flesh in his grip.

You were warm and soft, and this thought alone made him full. Your lips tasted of last night munchies, which in your case was hot cheetos and green apple wine coolers. In retrospect, it would’ve tasted gross on anyone else, but somehow you made him want it to be the last meal he’d have alive. Your body crawled over his, straddling his lap, and your hands resting against the either side of the crook of his neck, not breaking a moment of the kiss.

Chan desperately held you, your body molding to his like a perfect piece to a puzzle. His arms slid underneath the fabric of your clothes, and adored the skin underneath. He drew shapes on your back, feeling for every lovely texture he found. You break away from the kiss to fully appreciate his hands and how they trace every bump and curve you had. If he had been anyone else, they wouldn’t have made you protected as he did.

“Something wrong?” He looks up and meets your eyes. You reach out for his bed matted hair and run your fingers through his tangles, erupting a giggle from him in the process.

“Nothing, I just like the way you touch me. Makes me feel special.”

“I am just giving you the treatment I think you deserve.” He expressed effortlessly. “From where I’m sitting, if I offered you everything I could achieve humanly possible, it still wouldn’t be enough.”

You break out I’m a soft smile. “And why’s that?”

“To put it simple, you could ruin my life and I’d thank you.”

You bit your lip, thinking to yourself what exactly he meant by that. His hands found the hem of the shirt you borrowed and pulled the shirt over head just to toss it in the same spot you found it before. He got to see you in full entirety. It was better than he ever imagined. He pressed his cool cheek to the warmth of your chest and palmed flat against your back, breathing in the aroma of your scent. “I imagined this image probably a million times and I still am not ready to fully divulge in what's happening right now. So, sorry if I’m taking my time.”

You hummed, stroking his hair as his soft breaths calmed the pace of your racing heart for the first time today. “I don’t mind. We can go as fast and slow as you want. I’d love it either way.”

He sighed happily, pressing a chaste kiss on your flushed skin. “The words that come out of your mouth are always so beautiful. Its giving me hard time, please stop making me feel so fucking happy. My heart can’t take it.”

You have a hearty laugh, bouncing in his lap. “You’re so funny, it’s adorable.”

“Please let adorable be synonymous with the word sexy, because I am feeling very self-conscious right now.” You picked up his face in your hands and planted a feverish kiss.

“It’s very, very sexy,” you answered, “everything about you is so incredibly sexy.”

That was all he needed to hear to finally grab your form and push you back down against his mattress. With your hair flung over the sheets, you looked like a deer stuck in headlights, disoriented by his complete 180. Chan knew he could no longer hold himself back as all he found himself wanting to do was give you the pure ecstasy his body was itching to release. He shifted on top of you, arms on either side of you, and his fingertips tracing along the line of your cheek before colliding lips with you like a horny teenager.

You match his pace, pressing your lips harder against his, eager to explore him all over. You reach over for his hips and accidentally palmed over his exposed cock, feeling it’s immediate twitch. His torso bent down towards yours, grinding against the soft of your stomach where you could feel it grow the more he moved. Your hand sandwiched underneath his crotch, you thumbed over the tip, feeling the precum spread along your digits. His hands roamed around your body where they met with your chest. Balling your erect nipple between his thumb and index, fondling the rest in his hands.

Chan broke the kiss and glanced down at the situation of his lower body. He had this smug smile curled up on his face, averting his gaze back to you. “Where would you like it?”

“H-huh?”

His lips met your left ear, allowing him to intimately ask his question more specifically this time. “Would you like my cock balls deep in between your legs or down your throat?”

You were stunned the first few seconds, processing the vulgarity of his few words. With the Chan you slept with last night, he was less words and more action, which was hot itself alone, but hearing him say such obscene vocabulary within breathing distance made your throat dry.

“T-throat first, please.”

He gave a bright grin and pressed a tender kiss on the nape of your neck. “Wasn’t sure if I took you as a giver. Let’s get comfortable then, shall we.”

Chan positions himself upright against his bed frame and your body stomach down between his legs. You lowered your lips over the head of his shaft and held him inside your mouth. You looked up to meet his eyes through your gap of glasses and watched as quiet groans began to leave his lips.

He held a grip on the strands of your hair, pushing you down and capturing more of the area surface of his cock in your mouth. You closed your eyes at the impact, feeling tears blurring your already awful vision. Guiding by your hair, he bobbed your head up and down, devouring him whole. You gained balance by grabbing him by it’s base and stared off into his brown eyes as he glared down at you like you were lost prey.

“You're so pretty with my cock in your mouth. And I love how your glasses just fogs up.”

Your head lifted up from his shaft and smiled. “I forgot to take these off.”

“Don’t. Keep them on. I like how they look at you. It adds to the experience.”

“You have a thing for glasses or something?” You teased, stroking his full length.

“If I didn't before, I definitely do now.” He admitted, guiding your mouth back on his cock, where you followed suit. “Now, keep your mouth on me and I can return the favor if you want.”

You hummed in agreement, not letting your eyes avert from his. He gazed down at you similarly to how he did that night, breathless and yearning to see you bend at his will. It was a sight that differed from his typical boyish manner, but you had to remind yourself he wasn’t just some lost lamb. He was a grown ass man that not only could do adult things, but he has the ability to coerce you to do adult things to him.

Chan was really starting to regret how much he had to drink if he missed something like this the first time. Seeing you explore the taste of his cock, made him want to release all he had down there just so he could see you swallow, but he was gonna refrain, knowing damn well he had more planned for you.

“Can you do something for me?” He asked politely with a glint of mischief in his eyes, his voice a sweet in contrast to his deliciously devilish expression.

He let go of your hair and pulled out the throbbing cock from your mouth, still stroking it with your hand. “Yes, Chan?”

He could get used to hearing the same kindness returned in your tone of voice. He let out a low satisfied humming, as he ran his fingers through your hair. “I’d really like it if you laid on your stomach with your ass facing me, please.”

“Gladly.” you submitted to his request, formed yourself in the shape he desired.

Chan was in disbelief at how the sight was beyond his wet dream he’s had since the age of 13. His hands planted in either cheek, squeezing them until he can see the white indents he makes after he releases their grip. “This position doesn’t seem too unfamiliar to you, seeing that you got into it so quickly.”

“I've done maybe once or twice.” You answered nonchalantly.

“Sounds like you had a bit of fun with other guys then.” He struck a palm to your right cheek, causing you to wince and roll your eyes back in excitement.

“N-no,” you moaned, “my last partners weren’t that creative. It was by myself mostly.”

“By yourself, hm? Why don’t you go ahead and describe that to me while I have a taste.” Utilizing his thumbs, he spread your wet folds apart. Swiping his fingers along your juice and he stuck them in mouth for a sample.

He kept the fold spread and inched his lips closer to your entrance, catching the drop of fallen juices. You gasped at the sensation, eyes fluttering rapidly as the spell Chan was casting with tongue fell in effect on your spots most sensitive. He halts his actions when he notices all the words in your mouth are all incomprehensive and landed another strike to your cheek, ensuing another Yelp out of your system, to have him quickly soothe it in circles with the same hand. “I’m not hearing you describe it to me. I’m going to stop if I don’t hear you talk and you don’t want me to do that, do you?”

You whimpered at his dominating, yet smooth voice. “N-no, Chan.”

“Good.”

You grasped the bedsheets underneath you as Chan inhaled you, his jaw gripping your entrance and his tongue invading inside. You nearly choked on your drool when you tried to form words. “I have a t-toy, that s-sticks, on the m-m-mirror, in m-my, r-room.”

He rewarded your cooperation by inserting a digit inside, humming at you to continue.

“This is my f-favorite, p-position.”

“Oh, is it?” He removed himself from your entrance, your juices dribbling down his chin and continued to pleasure you by sinking his fingers in and out at a slow pace. “How dirty. You’re not, perhaps, thinking about someone are you, while you’re fucking yourself against a dirty mirror?”

His mouth engorged your taste and sinful desire to get you off. You could hardly keep your eyes open. Your abdomen tensed up as your hands fingers dug into the cushion of his sheets. His fingers held a firm grip on your thighs, spanking both cheeks repeatedly in a staccato rhythm, anticipating your answer.

“Only you!” You bursted. “I f-fuck myself against my mirror, t-thinking of y-you, C-Chan. I imagine you, p-pounding me from, b-behind. W-waiting, for y-your, c-cum, to s-spill, inside of, m-me. ”

Side smiling at your answer, he dug fingers one last time deep, inside before drawing them out. He tugged on your forearm, urging you to look at him. Meeting his eyes, he brings the fingers to your eye level. “Open wide.”

You tilted your head towards his damp digit, dulled on him. Chan lands them on the center of your tongue before you completely enveloped your mouth, ensuring you suck them dry. Chan retreats from between lips, mesmerized by your thorough job.

“I guess I should make your wish come true then, granted you’ve done everything I asked. I just have one thing to know. May I?”

“Please do.”

His hand tenderly stroked your already messy bed head, twirling a strand in his fingers. “How do you feel about your hair being pulled?”

You grinned. “If I didn’t mind it last night, I definitely don’t mind it now.”

“Good answer.”

He lined his throbbing cock between your fold, teasing you. You groaned at the damp sensation and curled your toes in anticipation, tempted to push your behind against him and have it slip inside. “Chan please, stop teasing.”

“But you’re so cute begging for my cock.” He said feigning innocence.

You whined, attempting to put it in yourself, but are restrained by Chan’s commanding hand. “Please give it to me. You said you would.”

“I did, didn't I?” He proceeded to dip the tip in ever so slightly only to take it out. “How do I know you really want it?”

“I do.” You emphasized.

“Let me hear you say it. Say how much you want my cock in you.”

“Chan please, I want it so bad.”

“I want more than that.”

You swallowed your pride, mentally preparing yourself for what you’re about to confess. “Let my pussy swallow cock whole, I want to make you feel just like how you make me.”

Like magic, Chan’s slid inside you with ease, erupting a low moan from your lips. He placed his hand flat on his tongue and swiped a coat of saliva across his palm. He placed over your entrances, harshly stimulating your clit. “I knew you would know what to say. You always had a way with your words.”

He slammed deep and hard inside you repeatedly, jerking your body as the sounds of skin slapping echoed in your ears. His dancer hips had the stamina to ram you over and over until you could see stars. His free wrapped around your full head pulled them backward towards him. Your mouth open agape, saying Chan’s name like a mantra, loving every second of him fucking you raw.

Chan was no different, feeling immense pleasure as you got tighter the faster he thrusted. His wet hand went to grab the base of your neck, cutting partial flow of your oxygen. His other hand still attached to your hair jerked your hair towards him, allowing him to land his lips on yours, furiously violating your mouth. He did not once lose his pace. He used you as he pleased to do all that's to come.

“C-Chan, I’m gonna, c-cum.” You murmured against his lips.

He nibbled your bottom lip, letting go with an evident lazy smile on his face. “I would love for you to cum on my cock, all you have to do is say when. I won’t be long after.”

His pace increases and his hands pressing deep against the sides of your neck. His kiss is hungry, loving the sensation of your tongue, moments before you say the word, “When!”

You release over him, and Chan is moving in the fastest tempo yet. Your cum moves in and out from you, spilling on his sheets. Chan soon met his own climax and released the hot load of cum inside you. Your bodies stopped all motion. His lips never left yours and he mild mannered placed you comfortably on the clean side of his bed. He parted from the kiss, emitting a sweet smile. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

You absentmindedly nodded and Chan made his way to the bathroom. Coming back with a damp towel, he tends towards the mess you both made.

Your chest heaved up and down, barely able to open your eyes. “Chan.”

“I’m here, beautiful.” Finishing up, laid in the space next to you, interlocking with your fingers.

“I should’ve asked you this before, but if you’re not on the pill, I am more than willing to pay for the Plan B. It was worth it.” He exclaimed gleefully.

You curled over to him, panting like a dog on a hot day. “Come over here and kiss me, I have no energy for this.”

He let out playful laughter and did as you asked, leaving loving kisses on your bitten lips. “That was better than I ever imagined.”

You sighed. “This was way better than last night, and last night was pretty damn amazing.”

“Well, that makes me feel a lot better,” he smiled.

You glazed over him, cupping his cheek. He looks over at you with puppy eyes. “To be honest, I was hoping we’d go get breakfast, but I like this better than breakfast.”

His arm reached over to pull your body towards him as the other hand traced your lips. “I’d have you over breakfast everyday.”

[theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin]

Why do you think muggleborns "exit Hogwarts to find 0 opportunities"? I've read your thoughts on Tom (~ no way he actually wanted to work in customer service, etc) but Lily? Yes, in canon she and James used the Potters money to live off & help the Order, but. Or is it more your headcanon because it makes sense in a pureblood supremacy society? I think it's fitting but I'd like to know if there's smth I missed... (do you think the same happen to hermione after? or is she too famous?..)

Oh, oh ho, no pretty much nothing on this blog comes directly from canon. 

It is, at best, things you can infer about canon if you tilt your head and look at it from all the right angles that JKR intended you to look at it.

So, as far as canon is concerned, this never came up. We know muggleborns are looked down upon by your general pureblood wizard, we know muggles are even more so, but Harry’s world is a very small one and it’s never implied that muggleborns have issues securing employment outside of Hogwarts. 

Dumbledore tells Harry that Tom ends up a clerk because he wanted to, because he likes dark shiny things. This is despite this having at least been Tom’s second choice in career, something that doesn’t really grant him any power over anyone, and, well, something he doesn’t appear to enjoy in the memories shown to us. But Dumbledore has a boy to convince to kill himself for the greater good and explaining, “And then Tom Riddle, the top scoring student in decades, barely managed to secure employment because of his blood status” makes Tom look less evil. No, all the shitty things that happen to Tom are things he intends to happen! What an evil mastermind!

But yes, for Tom specifically, Dumbledore makes it seem as if Tom specifically worked at Borgin and Burkes because he somehow knew about the sale of the locket. I highly doubt this on every level. I think it made for a nice story that Dumbledore could tell Harry and may even believe himself. Dumbledore, after all, is the kind of guy who thought it made him look fantastic to pretend to light an impoverished muggleborn orphan’s wardrobe and all his worldly possessions on fire to teach him a lesson. HE SURE SHOWED HIM! 

The fact that Tom Riddle, who was actively shmoozing Slughorn for years, who supposedly had all these pureblood friends, who had record breaking exam scores, was prefect then head boy, etc. cannot get his foot in the door of the ministry or seemingly anywhere... That’s very very very damning evidence to me.

It also is evidence that makes a lot of sense to me.

The Wizarding World has a hilariously small population. Take Harry’s Hogwarts class size. There are what? About seven kids in each house in his year? Let’s round that up to an even ten. That means at any given time in Hogwarts you have about 280 children. This, even, seems very generous as it seems the important wizarding families don’t have children all that often (once in a generation) and that there might be at most two or three muggleborns in a given year. Hogwarts seems to be Great Britain (as well as Ireland’s) not only premier magical institution but only magical institution. 

This seems comparable given that the other major schools we know of cover multiple populous countries in Europe. Beaux Batons, from what we can tell, seems to be the major school for Western Europe. Ilvermory covers the entire United States. Durmstrang all of Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.

I cannot emphasize how small of a population size the wizarding world must be with these numbers. Forget the size of a small country, forget the size of a large city, the wizarding world is approximately the size of a very very very small town.

This is why everyone knows each other, their major shopping district is essentially a single street, their ‘bad side of town’ is a corner on a street, etc. There are maybe a couple thousand people in the wizarding world. This is nothing.

Now, given that, it becomes clear that there just aren’t that many businesses/ventures for gainful employment around. The Weasley twins make their own business, Charlie actually goes to Romania to become a lumberjack er dragon raiser, Bill goes to work for essentially a foreign nation with the goblins. There’s one newspaper and one tabloid that really feels like a newspaper made out of Luna Lovegood’s garage. There’s a series of quidditch teams that feel like it must consist of half the population. Everyone else, if they have jobs at all and aren’t simply rolling in money and being good old lords, works for the ministry. 

Now, the ministry is huge, overbloated, and a mess. Arthur’s department, for example, should not exist. How is “Misuse of Muggle Artifacts” such an overwhelmingly large problem that it cannot possibly be absorbed by another department? What this means is I suspect the ministry a) is filled with joke departments nobody needs just to provide jobs b) is filled with coveted career positions c) even if you overbloat the ministry there’s only so many jobs. 

Given the world they live in, given the prejudice against muggleborns, do you really think the ministry is going to waste a spot on someone with the last name of Riddle or Evans? Are they really not, instead, going to give that open position to family or friends? The wizarding world feels as if it is made of rank nepotism (Slughorn’s existence even kind of confirms that). Slughorn is so influential because he gets you these networking connections you desperately need. You think Tom enjoys shmoozy cocktail parties with these assholes? You think Lily does? Please, it’s because everyone needs this. The Wizarding World is built on top of who you know.

And, of course, your last name.

Although canon never implies that Lily was anything other than happy to be married to James immediately, have a child, and not work I feel that we’re never given a job for her is very damning evidence. Lily was the most brilliant witch (well probably magic user but I’ll play nice with canon here) of her entire generation, and she either chooses not to get a job or given the above seemingly cannot do so.

I imagine many muggleborns face this bitter reality when they exit Hogwarts. The world is tiny and all jobs go to friends and relatives. Hogwarts was this insular, isolated, dream that made them think they can make it out there.

They can’t.

Even Muggle Studies seems to go to purebloods and the man heading “Misuse of Muggle Artifacts” is a pureblood jackass.

As for Hermione, I think she got very lucky and never realized it. In part because the population is so small, and those who were in power got tied up on Voldemort and thus screwed over because of him, things got very shaken up. More, Hermione by being Harry’s best friend and aiding his quest is a national hero. She gets the leg up she never knew she needed to enter the ministry and earn a very high ranking position very quickly as nearly every occupied position is suddenly vacant from the cleaning house.

Now, Hermione will tell you she earned this herself. That she simply worked harder than everyone else. But she’ll likely never realize that thanks mostly due to her friendship with Harry, as well as being in the right place at the right time, she has the opportunity to do what no one else in her situation could.

But that’s Hermione for you. 

[genshins1mpact]

okay so i know i mentioned on here before that i have a bunch of dreams when i sleep and how i had that cute one with xiao & mingxiao before right?? 👀

forgot to share it sooner bc life but anyway i had a funny/cute dream with diluc the other day (i'll try to add a read more bc this got a lil long but it doesn't always work on mobile so i'll try & fix it asap if so!) but yeah this kinda turned into a whole fic of its own lol,,

☆ the dream itself is here, under the cut! ☆

basically, to not have to explain all the lore about my oc/self insert and all that again, the tldr of it is that i landed on teyvat similar to traveler but didn't really have anywhere to go so after gaining his trust and becoming close, diluc sort of just takes me in and lets me work at the tavern + lets me stay in a spare room at the winery. so yeah we often walk to/from work together if he's working at angel's share that day, and i guess everyone just assumes we're dating?? ...except for me, that is, who still thought he was in love with jean (bc of the whole stormterror thing).

one night, kaeya's been hanging out in the tavern all night, venti's already left or passed out or smth, and then once things close up, diluc and i get ready to head off, but apparently this is the first time kaeya's seen us head off together/in the same direction, and immediately decides to start teasing. he's all "ooh look at the two lovebirds, you've moved in together already? how'd you ask her out, i didn't know you two were a thing, congrats bro so glad she likes you back" kinda stuff and then i just start laughing and telling him to knock it off, wouldn't want jean to overhear and misunderstand. and they're both just like ......wait what? and i'm all "oh cause diluc likes jean right? i thought the were like an Unspoken Thing yknow??" and both stare at me as if i've grown like 3 heads and started doing a one-(wo)man barber shop quartet. lightbulb goes off in kaeya's head that i don't know jack shit & we're not a thing (yet) and diluc is just thinking like "i can't believe you're literally this oblivious, holy shit". hence kaeya's teasing The Sequel, where he just starts complimenting my uniform and says i look like a cute little maid or whatever and diluc is silently fuming behind me. he mutters something along the lines of "how oblivious can you possibly be?" and all but throws his coat/jacket over me to try and cover me "bc it's cold" (yeah yeah sure, jealous much? haha), then asks me how i never noticed how he felt about me. so i'm there having an earth teyvat-shattering moment of revelation that it WASN'T jean he liked, and that he didn't do all those nice things for me bc i'm friends with her, but because he liked...me????

kaeya smugly walks off with a little "you're welcome", after a his shenanigans, and i'm still trying to process things bc i'd never seen diluc that way, always assuming he'd liked someone else so i never really looked at him that way. we kind of quietly resume our walk back "home" and im clutching his jacket close to me, then we both try to speak at the same time, he tries to ask for my response/reaction and i was trying to ask for some time. he's kind of confused and almost looks hurt, but agrees to give me some time to think, since i explained the whole "not seeing him in that light" and didn't want to answer on a whim. that i didn't want to mistake gratitude for all he's done for me for affection and stuff so he was like hey good point i wouldn't want you to feel like i forced you into this, and no you're not gonna get kicked out/fired if you don't like me back, it's okay. diluc mentions having to be away for 2 weeks cause of a work trip and that i can respond then.

in the meantime, a bunch happened like a trip to liyue with aether & paimon, a whole girls' talk over tea with jean & lisa over the situation, and got my own lil serenitea pot so i potentially had the option of moving out now if i wanted to. i decided to my day off from the tavern to go out on a little adventure, just journey around and test out the teapot home and all that jazz. ran into noelle and we hung out/trained for awhile together and invited her in for for a tea break and stuff, like it was just really cute and fun. but apparently diluc came back a few days early and was freaking out when i was nowhere to be found, no one had any idea where i was, and was just really concerned something might happen to me. then noelle arrives through the gates and overhears him asking lisa stuff and goes all "oh she's over by (idk where i was maybe that bit of land between mond & liyue?) and he thanks her for the info and runs off to find me. he finds the teapot (somehow) on some rock but doesn't see me and i come back out of my lil abode bc someone outside kept saying my name and then i felt the teapot shake (he'd picked it up). cue a dramatic reunion in the rain bc when isn't it pouring and trying to kill me in teyvat in true romcom fashion i guess.

diluc is all "do you have any idea how worried i was about you? all alone out here? any of the abyss mages could have hurt you or taken you away or-" just rambles on and meanwhile im having this sort of Oh You're Back and I Think I'm Feeling Things realization (absence makes the heart grow fonder lol). so there's just this kind of strong, desperate hug moment and everything's quiet, save for the pouring rain and faroff occasional lightning strike. and i whispered something along the lines of "i think i'm in love with you" and his eyes widen before responding smth like "i think i'm in love with you too" with a fond smile, the first genuine huge smile i've ever seen on him (pls picture him like in the manga and not his in game ._. face PLS-🤣). cue another romcom cliche reunion hug + kiss scene in the rain, in which we take shelter from the rain inside the serenitea pot bc of how bad the storm kept getting.

(aether has tubby but i have chummy, kinda looks like the teapot salesman, and i usually just call her chums.) so we're greeted by chums who kind of is like staring daggers at diluc bc i showed up with a guest unannounced, drenched, and we're holding hands. she's overprotective in a very Mom Friend kind of way but she just means well. we change into some baggy share clothes i have and then i scrambled up something to eat (since we can apparently cook & forge in our lil pot i love that so much-) anyway so we decide to get some rest bc it's late and have the Oh No There Was Only One Bed conundrum until we agree to just share and sleep on opposite sides bc nbd right? i turned in my sleep and essentially was hugging his back whilst asleep, and he just turned over at some point and hugged me too, and booooiiii was this fire boy WARM, he felt like a personal heater and after all that rain, i slept like a log. diluc woke up before me cause he's used to an earlier schedule and slips out quietly to speak to chummy, asking if she knew where the supplies were cause he wanted to surprise me with breakfast (and man can he cook! goodbye kfc, hello good hunter). chummy is still kind of not vibing with him, until he apologizes for "intruding" and explains everything that's happened, to which chums kind of softens up and realizes he's sweet and just wants to do something nice, not go around raiding the house. woke up alone and went to look for the source of the smell, and kinda just clung to him, making diluc blush. don't remember too much more after the cooking thing though besides going for a stroll around my teapot layout, meeting all the pets that chill there, and kinda just having a relaxing day off together. the winery staff was probably freaking out wondering where we were, but we were just kinda in our own world (literally?), enjoying the peace before returning to all the chaos that is teyvat. cutest damn dream ❤

[themikewheelers]

I love Joyce, and I understand her reasons for wanting to move, but at the same time... I just think that's a very bad idea? Like, if it were just her, I'd say go for it (and while Jonathan's upset, I think he can handle it), but like... I'm really worried how it will affect Will and El (ESPECIALLY El). He's clearly devastated by it, and El's just lost her father, home, and powers (which must be like losing a limb for most of us), all in one fell swoop. (continued)

i don’t think i received ur continuation tumblr must have eaten it :((

but yeah, i’m kinda interested to see how they explore that in s4. joyce is obviously such a good mother, but there’s def stuff that’s complicated about the decision to move. like in her mind, she’s not only doing what she knows is best for her own mental health, but she thinks getting her kids + el the hell out of this town is what’s best for their immediate physical safety, and she thinks that starting over somewhere new will probably be rlly good for the kids mentally. and maybe it will be, but it will undoubtably be rlly hard for them too. like u said, i think jonathan will be able to adjust most easily, bc besides nancy he didn’t rlly have any friends back in hawkins, but still it’s gotta be rough mentally if after living in the same town ur whole life to start somewhere new for ur senior year.

then with will, i do think it’ll be good for him to get away from hawkins. i really do. for him, his big cause of trauma is the upside down, which is literally the demonic hellish version of hawkins. so even tho he’s still not getting the visions and flashbacks, i’m sure it’s still difficult for him to walk around town and see all these places after being trapped in the upside down version of them. so i think getting will out of there will be rlly good for his recovery, but it’s still gonna be hard on him having to go to a new school and know nobody and rlly have no one but his family after having the same group of friends essentially his whole life. he’ll be lonely, and it’ll be rough

el is the most complicated tho. it’s going to be SO freaking difficult for her leaving hawkins, bc that’s rlly the only town she’s ever known, and it was a rlly big deal for her to accept hawkins as her home, and now she has to leave it. in some ways it’s harder for will and jonathan bc they’re leaving the place they’ve been for 14/17 years, but for el it’s harder in its own way too, bc even tho she’s had her home there for less time, being able to call hawkins her home was a HUGE deal for her. it’s not smth she just grew up with and naturally became her home, she actively built herself a home in hawkins. and that home includes hopper and the cabin too. it took her so long to rlly feel happy and safe and embrace this life she built for herself, and now i definitely think she’s gonna feel like the rugs been pulled out from under her. plus she’s dealing with grief, and after losing hop, it might make her feel better to run away somewhere there’s not as many painful memories, but i’m sure it’s also rlly hard for her to just LEAVE all that and leave all her memories of him that she probably just wants to cling to. and she’s losing her support system, which is the biggest problem. she’s going through so much grief and she’s losing all the people she’s always relied on when she’s upset. sure she has the byers now, and i’m sure a beautiful relationship will develop between them as a result, but she doesn’t have that relationship right off the bat, and that’s when the pain is gonna be at its worst and that’s when she’s gonna need that support system the most. in that sense i’m rlly glad the byers waited so long to move, and i wouldn’t be surprised if el was a big reason for that. joyce knew she needed some time to get out of her intital stages of grief and rlly form a relationship with the 3 of them before they bring her somewhere new.

but also with el, it might be good for her to be on her own. she’s always been a very independent girl, but in the sense that she can rely on herself for her own physical safety and well-being. she can survive the lab. she can survive the woods. she can do all this. but she’s never rlly been in a position before where she’s independent as just a part of her regular life, and now being out of hawkins, she’s gonna have to be very independent bc she’s gonna spend most of her days alone. she’s not gonna have school or anything, i’m sure joyce will pick up where hop left off with homeschooling, but she won’t meet ppl that way. and the byers will be away most of the time at school/work themselves. so it’ll be interesting to see how she deals with that. plus as i mentioned before with all her grief she might feel like it is too much to stay in hawkins surrounded by so many memories, so i think there’s a lot of different routes they can take el’s growth going forward

and not to drift a little off topic, but i rlly wonder what el’s reaction was to moving. or more importantly, how she felt she could react. bc i don’t think she was happy about the idea whatsoever, but did she say anything to joyce about it? was there any pushback? with will and jonathan i think there was some resistance, but with el? i don’t think so, just bc she doesn’t rlly have that kind of relationship with joyce (at least yet) where she WOULD be comfortable to express that. that’s smth i thought was rlly important with her relationship with hopper and it’s weird, but it’s an underrated thing: el didn’t have a problem getting angry at him. she never felt uncomfortable voicing it when he made her mad or frustrated or upset. and i think that was good, bc not only did it help her express her own emotions when she’s not always the best at communicating, but it also helped hopper bc he doesn’t know how to be a perfect dad and she’s obviously a child with a lot of specific needs so for her to be able to vocalize when she was angry with him was important for him to figure out what the hell to do sometimes. with joyce, i think it’ll be weird for el at first bc she can’t rlly express it when joyce makes her mad, and maybe the move is an example of that. but i think over time that could be a rlly interesting thing to explore to show how el kinda adapts to joyce’s parenting style which is more about just very emotional heart to hearts and sharing your feelings that way.

i also just kinda wanna know in general how all the kids feel about the move, even after the time jump. bc while i do think joyce has always been acting in their best interests, and it is good for all of them in some ways, do they feel that way? do any of them maybe hold a little bit of resentment against joyce? i would completely understand if they do, so i kinda hope that s4 goes into detail about how the 3 of them feel towards joyce regarding the move