#the whole point is that they shouldn’t be here and generally aren’t here) and that leads to this discourse

[whitmore]

hm. i think acting like the current discourse is a first reaction to one misstep is a little reductive and misinformed, and i think there have clearly been underlying issues for a while now, dating back to the french joining and being ignored at every turn or the eggs going missing arc or purgatory or whatever view-changing event you want to begin your analysis from. it’s reasonable for fans to be frustrated about it, especially if it’s dismantling a section of the media they enjoyed the most; and as much as you can say sit back and let the admins work their magic, i think over the course of the past few months and mistakes a lot of viewers have lost faith solely bc there have been a lot of missteps and on top of that missteps without reconciliation, and there is a fear and very real possibility that it will not get resolved. and that’s ok too! people are also allowed to blog about that though like this is the blog site

[riality-check]

More roadie shenanigans, keeping feedback from this post in mind! part 1, part 2

ao3

It’s before the second show, and they’re already fighting.

“You can’t chicken out,” Gareth says.

“I’m not gonna chicken out!”

“Good, because I’ll tell Wayne if you do,” Jeff says.

Eddie glares at him. “You’re an asshole.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“Shut up and get out of here!” Archie says, pushing Eddie toward the tech booth. He complies, but not without another scathing look over his shoulder.

His friends laugh because of course they do. They’re assholes, but, luckily, they’re the same kind of asshole that Eddie is.

He straightens out his shoulders, breathes, and prepares to grovel.

Robin and Steve are setting up just like they were at the last venue. It looks like a mess of cables and boxes from Eddie’s perspective, but Steve and Robin work with ruthless efficiency, alternately talking and signing when their hands aren’t full.

“Um,” Eddie says. G-d, he’s never been this awkward in his life. But this matters, like, really matters to him, and he’s gotta do right.

Neither of them pay him any attention.

“Excuse me?” he says a little louder.

Robin turns around. When she sees him, her expression instantly sours.

“Hello?” she drawls, sounding bored out of her mind.

Steve turns around, too. When he sees Eddie, his face-

Well, Eddie isn’t sure what that expression is supposed to mean. If he had to guess, he’d say mild annoyance.

Mild annoyance shouldn’t look that hot.

“I just wanted to say again that I’m really sorry,” he says, making sure to talk clearly and loud enough to be understood. He’s not an idiot, he knows that shouting is rude, but he makes sure he can be heard over the general chaos of setting up for a new show. “It wasn’t any of my business, and even if I meant well, it’s not an excuse.”

Steve’s face softens a whole lot as Eddie stumbles through his apology, and then he reaches up to his ears to take out ear plugs.

Huh?

“Mind saying that again?” Steve says with a smile.

Eddie is. So confused.

But then Steve laughs. “You should see your face, dude. I got the gist. Apology accepted, we’re cool.”

Okay, that makes Eddie feel better. A lot better. But he’s still confused.

And his mouth always moves faster than his brain.

“Why are you- why do you have- what-”

Robin rolls her eyes fondly. “This idiot,” she says, pointing at Steve, “always tries to do the first show without the ear plugs he needs-”

“Not this shit again,” Steve mumbles.

“-because, as it turns out, your ears do a lot more than just hear. Like balance-”

“You’re one to talk about balance, Buckley,” Steve says, giving her a light shove. She nearly topples over if not for the fact that he immediately grabs her arm to steady her.

Eddie thinks he might know even less than he thought.

“I want to make it up to you,” he says, and Steve and Robin stop bickering.

“You don’t have to do that,” Steve says, and Robin elbows him.

“I want to,” Eddie insists. “What’s your favorite song? We’ll play it at the end of our set.”

Naïvely and terribly optimistically, Eddie hopes Steve might say something that’s already in their set list, or maybe another one of their songs.

From the way that Robin and Steve are looking at each other conspiratorially, he doesn’t think that’s the case.

“No,” Steve says, laughing and shaking his head.

Robin sneaks a glance at Eddie, smirks, and starts signing at Steve.

The only thing Eddie understands about the conversation as their hands move is their facial expressions: Robin with a smirk, and Steve trying desperately not to laugh.

He’s so cute. He gets this little crease on the side of his mouth that Eddie wants to smooth out with his thumb.

Slow the hell down, buddy.

“Fine,” Steve says, throwing his hands up in the air. He turns back to Eddie. “Pretty Fly.”

“Are you fucking kidding me,” Eddie blurts.

Steve’s eyes narrow. “Didn’t you just apologize to me?”

“Sorry,” Eddie says. “It’s just that my bassist and lead singer have been gunning for this song for, like, 6 months. Archie chomps at the bit for fun bass lines, and Jeff just thinks it’s funny as-”

“Slow down,” Steve interrupts.

Right. He talks too fast.

“I’ll play it, but it means caving to my asshole friends,” Eddie says.

Robin cackles. “Told you it was a good idea.”

“Yeah, I love a good bass line,” Steve says. His face is softer again, and Eddie thinks he loves that expression.

He checks his watch. “Soundcheck is soon, so I’m gonna head back. Sorry again.”

“Eddie,” Steve says, and oh.

Eddie loves how Steve says his name.

“We’re good, okay?” he continues, small smile on his face.

“Well,” Robin chimes in. “After the apology song you will be.”

Eddie laughs. He really likes her now that she’s warmed up to him.

“Noted,” he says.

He heads back with a final wave and ducks backstage, where the band is tuning their instruments.

“Well?” Gareth asks, tightening his snare.

Eddie grabs his guitar, closes his eyes, and sighs. “He wants us to play Pretty Fly as an apology.”

“Let’s fucking go!” Archie roars, and Jeff gives him a high five.

“No way-”

“Gareth, I know-”

“You dick-hungry traitor.”

“Hey!”

“The fucking Offspring, Eddie? Punk? Are you shitting me? Punk just because you want a shot with a hot guy?”

Archie starts plucking out the bass line. Gareth throws a drum stick at his head. Jeff beams it back at him and misses.

“It’s one time,” Eddie says.

“Unless your cute roadie likes it enough,” Jeff teases.

“He’s not my anything.”

“Not yet,” Archie adds.

“Not ever.”

“Fucking pessimist,” Jeff says.

A tiny crashing sound makes them all turn toward the drum set, where Gareth is lightly thumping his head into the hi-hat.

“I’m gonna have to do the backing vocals for Pretty Fly,” he mutters.

“Your fault for sounding like a pre-pubescent chihuahua.”

Gareth throws his other drumstick at Jeff. “I’m not begging you for shit.”

“Do it for the bit,” Archie says. “You love doing it for the bit.”

Gareth picks his head up. “I do love doing anything for the bit.”

“Soundcheck in five!” someone calls.

“Thank you five!” Eddie yells back. Shit, he’s gotta tune his guitar.

Soundcheck is a breeze, and, after that, the time flies. Before he knows it, they’re out onstage, playing their usual set list.

Eddie doesn’t think he’ll ever get enough of this. The energy, the lights, the sounds, G-d, all of it. There’s nothing like being onstage and playing until his fingers hurt, nothing like joining in on the backup vocals, nothing like hearing the crowd roar with them.

It’s perfect. Touring is everything he dreamed of and more.

Eddie wants to do this for the rest of his life. They’re gonna headline one day, he knows it, but this is an amazing start.

What Eddie doesn’t want to do is talk, at Jeff’s request.

“Okay, okay,” he says, getting the crowd to quiet down. “We’ve got two more songs. The first one is one we’re playing because I fucked up.”

“And because he finally caved to us,” Jeff adds.

The crowd laughs, but it doesn’t feel mocking. Eddie laughs with them.

“So, Steve, consider this the final part of my apology-”

“And my peak embarrassment!” Gareth adds.

The crowd laughs again, and Eddie sighs, fondly long-suffering. “Let’s do it.”

The backing vocals are fucking embarrassing. Eddie’s with Gareth on that one. They suck, and he feels himself flush for reasons other than the heat.

But he imagines Steve smiling as he watches the show, and Archie is clearly having the best G-ddamn time on the bass, and Jeff is basically cackling his way through the song, so it’s worth it.

They get through it and then their closer without a hitch.

“We’re Corroded Coffin!” Jeff tells the crowd. “Y’all were amazing, so keep that energy up for the other opener and for the main act!”

The crowd roars, the lights black out, and they make their way backstage.

In the green room, on Eddie’s guitar case, is a note.

Apology more than accepted. Here’s my number in case you want to apologize again. Or maybe grab a coffee.

Text, don’t call. In case you haven’t noticed, my ears don’t work.

-Steve.

Eddie has never added a contact faster in his life.

I think I saw a 24 hour diner down the road. Hopefully they have good coffee.

Steve’s response is immediate.

Do you really think I care about the quality of the coffee?

You could be a coffee connoisseur for all I know, Eddie types back.

I don’t know a lot. Hence the date.

Date.

Woah.

Eddie tries to get his heart rate under control and text Steve back. He’s never been good at multitasking though, so by the time he’s able to formulate words again, the lights have gone down and the second opener is on. Steve’s working, and he shouldn’t be bothered.

Besides, Eddie should probably use the time between now and the end of the show to think before he speaks for once in his life.

Yeah fuck it I’ll keep the tag list (or you can follow the shiny new tag #gi;pe au): @vampireinthesun @paperbackribs @littlewildflowerkitten @estrellami-1 @messrs-weasley @lifeisnotsobadonceyoustopcaring @omgshesinsane @bestwifehaver @marklee-blackmore @gleek4twd @steddiestains @chaoticvictorianspirit @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme @alienace @7shrewsinatrenchcoat @punctualhowell @pluto-pepsi @voidpacifist @sunfloweringstories @anaibis @evillitteguy @hallucinatedjosten @avi17 @b-u-g-g-y @shinekocreator @l0st-strawberry @brassreign @abbiecadabi-blog @rainbow-freckle @gregre369 @rehfan @just-a-tiny-void @weirdandabsurd42 @satan-is-obsessed @honeysucklesinger @coyotepup345 @gayafmermaid @thegingerrapunzel

[dollarstoreartsupplies]

OKAY here is the completely nonserious percy jackson npmd au thats been taking up space in my brain for weeks now because it simply needs somewhere to go:

New campers-

Stephanie Lauter:

I'm not overcomplicating this one: Steph is a daughter of Aphrodite

Solomon Lauter saw the hottest woman at some party where he was campaigning, and he’s is nothing if not ‘passionate’ and successful (by design) so it worked out

As far as Steph knows until her teens her mom ran off on her dad when she was a baby, and that’s fine, she doesn't give a shit, she’s never looked into it

Until, when she’s sixteen (because somehow she’s made it this long) Grace Chasity starts a rumor, her dad sends her to Abstinence Camp and the monster in the woods chases her right into camp halfblood

She gets claimed pretty promptly and Is Not A Fan

She’s thinks it’s pretty sexist and conceited and stupid and problematic for a whileeeee and refuses to look into it any more than ‘pink and pretty and misogynistic’ which like, doesn’t go well for her but she’s nothing if not stubborn

She’s fluent in French because of her mom but she doesn’t know that until she gets to camp and is genuinely so pissed off that the one school subject she thought she was good at isn’t even on her own merit

She’s got some vague appearance manipulation stuff, and once she realizes she does she exclusively uses it to change her hair color and make her eyeliner look good

She’s probably like camp way more if she knew about it earlier but the combo of her had having kept it from her and who her mom is and all the stupid games/worship expectations piss her off and she bails on most of the events/training/campfires out of spite

She definitely uses some close up weapon like a dagger or short sword

Grace Chastity:

Grace is a daughter of Ares 

(Her finding this out goes very poorly)

Im ngl i feel like somehow Ares ended up with Mark Chastity, I refuse to examine this thought but i think Mark Chastity had his first gay experience and woke up the next morning with a baby there somehow because Ares thought it would be hilarious and wanted to see what would happen

She gets chased to camp with Steph from Abstinence Camp and is fucking livid, the whole thing is insanely scareligious and ridiculous and everyone there is going to hell and she is so heated that Ares, once again thinking it’s really funny and slightly proud, claims her on the spot

Grace Chastity is out here with her sacreligious two gay dads

She really resents specifically who her dad is because in her head she is made for peace and love and spreading the word of god, she hates the idea of war or violence on principal, so she spends a lot of time at the strawberry fields or Pegusus stables because she does really like the flying horses :)

She refuses to take place in any camp activities or training and all her siblings hate her

At a certain point she’s able to harness a level of odikinesis (enhancing feelings of hatred and war) and it doesn’t go well

Chiron honestly is forcing her to stick around because he’s REALLY so very nervous about how the fuck it would go to have Grace loose on the mortal world right after she finds everything else

Her weapon is an axe

Obviously

AND THEN we’ve got the established campers-

Peter Spankoffski:

Okay so forgive me for my special little blorbo-fication of my guy but:

Pete’s a son of Nyx

He super fucking shouldn’t be, there aren’t demi-god children of Nyx, just monsters and minor gods, but him and Ted were kind of just… thought experiments? Like she was bored and very curious so she took a really shitty human and had a child with him (Ted) and then, in what Nyx’s head was barely any time at all but in human years was straight up 18 years, has another one (Pete)

Ted raises Pete for a couple years, but children of Nyx in general are just bad omens, and human children of Nyx who probably shouldn’t exist are no exception, so they get hunted down by monsters hard

Ted dies or disappears by the time Pete’s ten or eleven and he ends up at a camp

He’s a year round camper and lives in the hermes cabin because obviously Nyx doesn’t have a cabin (look okay i know that percy fixed that, but that bit of lore where any unclaimed or minor god children live at the hermes cabin is so fucked up and rife with angst and hurt/comfort potential is too much for me to resist so this is a universe where percy jackson does not exist)

His luck is horrible, like it’s a magical demigod ability how horrible his luck is and he’s well on his way to systematically having broken every single one of his bones one by one, they know him so well in the apollo cabin

NO ONE (and I mean NO ONE) likes him and he’s considered a camp wide jinx so he takes one for the team and personally exempts himself from any team events like capture the flag because no one is willing to have him on their side

A lot of newer campers generally assume he’s an Athena kid because he really enjoys learning/strategy/by-the-book stuff because it’s a lot easier than trying to get involved with the more dangerous athletic shit 

Because his mom is the goddess of night he’s very into outer space

His weapon is a bow and arrow, but he’s pretty good with most range weapons/anything that he can calculate aim for 

Ruth Fleming:

Ruth is a daughter of Demeter and she’s pissed about it

Her dad told her about being a demigod a couple years before she went to camp but he didn’t know who her mom was so she got very very into greek mythos and shit and was convinced she was a daughter of Athena or Aphrodite or someone else nine-year-old-girl-cool and was fucking devestated when it was the goddess of farming

Like, she’ll do all the things she’s expected to (helping in the strawberry fields, weeding, etc..) but she’s going to complain about it

She doesn’t even have any cool powers to go with it!!! it’s so unfair >:( 

She’s also involved with the camp’s theater department and is convinced it’s rigged against her because of who her mom is in favor of Apollo and Dionysus kids (in fairness…. it probably is) which is why she’s always stuck on tech 

She’s definitely got a crush of Richie’s dad

She’s a summer only camper for sure, monsters don’t hunt her down for any reason in particular or en mass so she can get away with it and fight off the ones that do, but she does kind of take offense to the fact that even monsters don't want her (even if they’d just kill her) 

Her childhood greek mythology obsession carries over so she knows every dumb little detail about every myth and will bring it up unprompted

Her main weapon is just a celestial bronze sword but i feel like when she first got to camp at 12 she bribed a child of Iris to change the color of it so it looks like… rose gold lmao

Richie Lipschitz:

Richie is a son of Dionysus

And sure, okay, I know what you're thinking: that doesn’t really fit…?

But to that I say oh boy it does, just not for Richie

For his twin brother Trevor however– 

Richie is kind of like the black sheep of his cabin, not that there is many of them, because his brother is perfectly cookie cutter what a Dionysis kid should be (he’s a theater kid, he throws good parties, he’s generally popular) and Richie is not

They both started camp at probably 10-ish, a little earlier than traditional because there were two of them which drew more monsters

His eyes are violet though which he thinks is very cool so he dyes his hair purple to match them

He sorta-kinda has chlorokinesis, specifically for grape and strawberry vines, which a. he also thinks is very cool, and b. he uses as an excuse to get out of training so he can hang out with Ruth

He's also really good at swimming and trying to work up the courage to ask his dad if he'd possibly be able to grant him the ability to turn into a dolphin but just like... only when he wanted tot and he could turn back

He really wishes his was an Apollo kid (though, obviously he’d never say that out loud) because of the artistic stuff, so he sort of just tries to gaslight everyone that because his dad is the god of the Arts that includes physical art like drawing so obviously that’s why he’s good at it

He’s a summer-only camper too but for the dumbest reason; their parents gave the twins a choice, but Trevor wanted to be able to go back to school to do school plays and Richie can’t watch anime at camp so they chose summer only

His weapon is just a normal sword but he’s campaigning to get a child of Hephaestus to make him a Katana

(They’re all three kind of outcasts in terms of their own godly parents, because Ruth and Richie don’t really fit the mold of ‘normal child of [blank]’ and Pete’s kind of just generally disliked because of his parentage, so they all sort of came together as friends out of necessity but now they’re just actually buddies and they hang out)

anyway who knows if ill do anything with this but its FUN and id love to talk about it forever they're just little demigod losers I love them

[idkiwasntsupposedtobebackhere]

ok so since people didn’t cut my head off for my unpopular opinions i’m gonna expand on the second one. so for people in the gilmore girls fandom it’s pretty much the general opinion that luke is a saint for taking jess in and that jess screwed things up and that it’s his fault luke kicked him out. ”he got himself kicked out”. even people who like jess seem to think this is fair. so as someone who watches gilmore girls mostly for jess i have a different perspective that i’ve never actually vocalized but i figured maybe this little corner of the internet wouldn’t hate me for this, as long as it doesn’t make it out of here.

so i also first of all think that the fact that jess has to work at luke’s and graduate in order to stay there is a bit sad. like everyone around him his age has somewhere they can stay without conditions, and people wonder why he’s the only one worried about making money. and yes, it’s a fine idea in theory, he has to change his ways if he wants to stay with luke bc that’s the point of him being there, sure, but luke could stand to NOT always bring it up to jess during fights that can’t stay with him if he violates the conditions.

bc the thing is that luke very clearly makes it known that he doesn’t want jess there and that the whole situation is kind of a pain in his ass that he’s doing out of obligation. a minor is entitled to a place to stay where they can be an asshole unconditionally, actually, and they shouldn’t have to be constantly grateful to have that. and if luke didn’t want to fully commit and be that place, he should have said no to taking jess in. you don’t get to get all the praise for doing a good deed and then get all pissy about actually following through with it.

like i know luke and jess aren’t the main characters and that their scenes and dynamic are for comedy. but then they play off jess leaving as serious so i should be allowed to analyze their scenes seriously. and my conclusion is… luke is not that nice to jess LOL. like i can’t think of a single scene where he responds to him in any other manner than pissed off or annoyed. he never stops treating him like a bad kid. we know luke cares about jess but does jess have any reason to believe that? or does he think this is all for liz? like i know their scenes are jokes but for someone who complains so much about what a difficult person jess is to connect with, i think luke missed a lot of moments to do it.

luke taking jess in in general is nice, YES, but i’m not talking about just good intentions here. and i know that it was a very good intention but i, again, just super dislike the whole ”you wouldn’t have anywhere to stay if it wasn’t for me, so watch it”-attitude. even in season 4 luke basically said that jess had to come to liz’ wedding because he was there for him when no one else was. and i think that’s a shitty thing to say to someone who deserved more. i know luke didn’t have to do it bc he’s not his parent and that’s why people forgive him and not liz, who is his parent and did have to do it. but i think luke agreed to be jess’ parent and if he didn’t want to, he could have said no to his sister for once in his life. anyways, i think i’ve made my point.

also, i love you luke, my world just revolves around your nephew. i know i’m putting a lot of unrealistic expectations on a guy who’s pretty emotionally constipated. and he did come through with the big things, like giving jess money in sesson 4. but i’m talking about the little things that could have made even more of a difference. just don’t get it twisted ok, luke and jess’ relationship is my fave on the show, i may like it even more than rory and jess’, but when i enjoy something i analyze it. so don’t think i don’t love them, because i do! i just want to squash the idea that luke did everything he could but that jess ultimately was too difficult, because i disagree with that.

[mjso-soupp]

Meet me in the South

(Subaru Sakamaki/American!FemaleReader)

Word Count: 3.5k

Summary: Reader begs Subaru to escape.

Notes: This might just be like the introduction to the story? There’s no major plot points and more of just a feel. Also shoutout to @fangsforiris for creating the beautiful moodboard above!!!

I’ve dreamed since I was four years old

That the house is slowly on fire

And I can’t get you to leave it

—Alice Notley, In the Pines

————————————————————————

The weather back where I lived was blazing and relentless, the sun would cast an unbearable warmth and all I could do was sit inside, sighing while hoping my ride to the pool would be here soon enough. My hair was always frizzy from the humidity and skin burned a bright red, I had also developed white lines running along my back from the overused swimsuit I wore every trip to the pool.

My last memory of being there was of walking down the road to the convenience store with my friend. We grabbed a couple of cokes and sat on the park bench talking about what my life in Japan would be like. She claimed I was the one who had finally gotten out of the old, small town life. When I gave her my last goodbye, I felt the twinge in my heart knowing it would be a while before I could talk to her like this again. With the warmth clinging to us, to our bodies. At the airport the choking feeling just grew, my mama drove me, she was silent the whole way but when we arrived she eventually started talking.

”You’re sweating bullets, have you been wearing the lotion the doctor gave you?”

”Yes, but it doesn’t really work that well. I’ve been applying it more than often.”

“Maybe you aren’t applying it like you’re supposed to, it says on the package counter clockwise—make sure to rub counter clockwise!”

“Mama, it’s okay, I hear where I'm moving to, it's cold anyways.. “

My mom looked at me and gave me a sad smile, the wrinkles on her cheeks made my heart throb, I also wouldn’t be able to see those wrinkles till I came back.

”You’re nervous, aren’t you? It’s going to be okay,”

”Yeah, a little—I'm okay though, It’s gonna go away when I'm settled over there, I hope.”

She squeezed my shoulders and took a deep breath,

”Smell the air one last time, maybe it’ll calm you.”

I took a breath of the air around me, I could smell strong gas leaking from the taxis, freshly cut grass and the yeast smell from the bread factory I would drive past everyday to and from school.

“You’re safe here mama, I feel a bit better though.. I'll be back soon, just gotta finish my studies… When I'm back, I’ll take you to get some ice cream.”

I could see the tears in her eyes form, she pulled me into a tight embrace—It was short but it eased my nerves for the duration of the trip. My mom didn’t like to cry in front of me, but I guess it was one of those times it was acceptable to. I pulled away and gave her one last look,

“I have to go now, I have everything—don't worry, bye mama.” I kissed her on the cheek before reaching for the handle of my suitcase, “Ice cream, mama.” I smiled before walking away to my gate. That was the last time I talked to my mama.

When I arrived in Japan, people stared—a lot. I could feel their eyes judging me, they definitely knew I was an American. Who could blame them though? My appearance didn’t help my case either: My skin was red and tan as opposed to the glossy paleness over here. My hair was also crazy from sleeping on the plane, and I was in pajamas. I struggled to walk in the airport without getting bumped into for more than a couple of seconds, everyone was moving so fast I couldn’t keep up, back home everyone was more relaxed, but there really wasn’t anywhere to go. The drivers refused to take me to the address that apparently was in the middle of nowhere, I bet you they also thought I didn’t have any money. Eventually, an older man agreed to drive me the hour long way, I thanked him profusely and tipped him a generous amount after. I shouldn’t have thanked him, he probably worked for them. I didn’t realize the danger I was stepping into then. I believe that was the last time I was truly happy— I smiled, laughed, and imagined what my life here would be like the entire plane ride. Now, I want to go back to that very moment and tell myself to run—as far as she can and fast.

Introductions were far from conventional: Instead of my host greeting me, a young blonde girl named Yui—who’s eyes were so red I could feel my arms forming goosebumps, welcomed me with open arms. She had this anxious demeanor about her which should’ve alarmed me, and then there they were, all six of the brothers residing in the entry hall. The only one that really stood out to me was the pale, silver haired man in the back who’s face seemed to always be locked in that scowling, annoyed expression—again, with the blazing red eyes.

I attempted to focus on my studies but after the realization they were indeed vampires, it was hard.

Eventually winter break, the relief for everyone in the household had finally arrived—the brothers spent it like normal. Subaru and Ayato were fighting like always, Reiji was still annoyed with Shuu and the triplets wouldn’t give Yui up. No one really bothered me, unless it was to bleed me and I had gotten used to being alone in my room doing whatever I could to keep busy, I took comfort sitting on the alcove in my room, watching the endless amount of flakes fall from the sky. They fell so gracefully—like they were dancing, but I forgot what it felt to be like that. Laying next to the window also reminded me of the time when my friends would fling pebbles at the panes, waking me up earlier then needed on a summer day just to go run off to the community pool, and to get a couple of cokes for the walk back home—I would always forget to bring a towel so my sandals would squeak loudly when I strolled back home on the pavement, in that hot summer town, I dreamt of when I rested my head against the now still, freezing panes.

“You’re always sitting there, looking so helpless.”

It was Subaru, the brother everyone avoided because he was just too aggressive. For being so strong, he sure had soft features: His hair was like a white rose, the cleanest pick from the bouquet, he stood tall and composed, and his eyes were like early picked cherries, not ripe, but still so red and bright. He was hungry. I started to pick up on that glint in their eyes whenever they were hungry: Their eyes normally had that abnormal gloss that stole all reflection from light near, but when they were hungry—all signs of that were gone. Beautiful orbs were dulled and fogged with their lust for blood or just to satisfy their sadistic needs. The first time one of them tried to feed from me, it was him. He was angry I didn’t comply, leading to purple bruises forming around my wrists that ached for days.

“I like sitting here, it's comfortable.”

“Tch, you know what I’m here for, you should hurry up and get over here so I can get this over with,”

He glared at me from the door with his arms crossed waiting for me to come to him, I knew standing my ground wouldn’t help so I just obeyed him. I hesitated but eventually took step after step to meet him, I unbuttoned my shirt down just above my bra.

“It’s no fun when you don’t fight back…” He grabbed my hair in his fist whilst tilting my head to the side. “I’m too thirsty to complain though.” My heart beat would just race whenever he was with me, him. Just him, feeling his tongue travel on my neck would send shivers I hadn’t previously known of. Even to the sound of his fangs digging into my neck, I wasn’t used to being held so closely by someone—much less a man.

“You’re.. enjoying this? Of course you are, I should’ve expected this… Nn…” My knees were beginning to buckle under my weight, my entire body felt numb I couldn’t see straight—or think.

“Subaru—I think that’s enough..” I placed my hand on his shoulder,

“Damn it! Just let me fucking have this,” The grip on my hair became stronger, he was tugging on it with an even greater strength.

“It h-hurts Subaru!” I pushed against him once more causing him to grab both of my arms,

“I won’t let them get to you—from now on you’re mine.” The grip on my hair eventually loosened, my heart was racing and I looked into his eyes, they weren’t back to that abnormal gloss though: His eyes were still foggy but this time with rage— or sadness, I couldn’t tell.

“The fucks that look for? Tsk, I’ll make sure everybody in the house knows that you’re my property now, and you have no say.” Subaru always dragged that sad presence around him no matter where he roamed, sitting alone on the rooftop, when he stared at Yui smiling with Shuu. Right now I didn’t feel that sadness, instead I could feel him shaking from anger, the anger everyone in the house avoided but I had just gotten myself caught into. Causing me to get pinned down on the hardwood flooring of my room, getting bit over and over again that night.

Later, when I had gotten one of those rare moments to speak with Yui, she told me Ayato convinced everyone for a darts game. Shuu had won the prize—Her and all the brothers watched Shuu bite her to mark his territory, including Subaru. Yui told me she saw Subaru storm out the back door when Shuu sank his fangs into her neck. Yui had been claimed by the vampire who could care less about titles, or existing, she was claimed by a dead man—with no lust for life, instead a hatred for the world he was born into.

“He came into my room, I suppose after, and he just… bled me dry that night. It just feels.. Wrong, I feel something is changing.” I paused for a moment,

“He’s always been sweet on you Yui, I hope you notice that.”

Her eyes saddened and lowered her head down to the ground. Her blonde locks shielded her face, she began sniffling quietly. I just placed my hand on her shoulder, hoping that would soothe her. She didn’t ask to be in this situation, nor did I. Yet, she was always so poise, her will never faltered. Whilst I would lay on the bathroom floor sobbing— grieving the life I had, and lost. She was the spitting image of ideal for the brothers and I trailed behind her, collecting the bits and pieces each one of them had broken—hoping to grasp some of her femininity and hope.

“I don’t want any of this..” She spoke quietly, her voice cracking.

And the break ended. When we returned to school, Subaru made a case of being near me at every moment. A fellow male student had made the simple mistake of bumping shoulders with me in the hallway and apologized profusely when he saw Subaru lurking in the back. He also kept count of which brother had taken blood from me that week or day. Yui was officially Shuu’s so she was out of commission, that left me. A new bride was sent to the mansion—except this one wasn’t under protection like Yui. She was like me, patiently waiting to get murdered by one of these bloodthirsty vampires. Shaking in bed at night from every creek the flooring would make, hoping it wasn’t one of the brothers for their feeding, trembling, knowing they could snap your neck with ease—if they even cared enough to do so, they would’ve much rather watched us writhe in agony on the floor then spare us mercy. She fell under the hands of Laito. He filled her head with false promises anyone would have trouble turning from, I didn’t see her again after he had taken full possession of her. Lord knows what happened to that sweet girl, what a shame, she was so beautiful too. I just remember hearing a wailing cry from the balcony a month after, and a quick snap.

I assume Subaru also heard it, he came into my room demanding blood again—I knew why he was upset, he was wondering what would happen if that instead was Yui. He couldn’t run to her of course, asking if she was okay. So he ran to me, the second choice. I felt like I could read his mind when he mumbled those words under his breath,

“Idiot, could’ve been you…”

I had to accept the fact I would never be Yui. She was the one I needed to model after, but could never be. In reality, she was the missing part of the equation while I could be factored right out. If you asked me why Subaru gave me a chance, I couldn’t respond to you. But if you compared us like how I had compared Yui to myself, I would be Yui, and he would be me. Back in town I had a handful of friends, we would always spend time together in the back of someone’s pickup truck, or in the basement of church after sleeping through the sermon. I was out all day and alone at night, and I liked it that way. Meanwhile, Subaru was alone all day. He was the type to stand by, watching us laugh with our tongues blue from the slushies someone had bought for all of us, excluding him. He would scoff and question why we were laughing at a joke only we would understand. Subaru is someone the boys in my group would call a freak, and whisper to us why we should stay away.

That was the conflict between us: He knows how different we are. When he would blow up in my face about how stupid and delusional I was, I would just admire such passion and emotion. The type everyone suppressed—he wouldn’t, he was real in all ways. He picked up on it, I wouldn’t lower my gaze in fear, or disgust. Just keeping eye contact, analyzing all his little quirks and habits. Truly falling for him.

“You have to leave, it’s not safe here—eventually, they will kill you.” His face was sullied with worry, yet another sacrificial bride was sent and this time, she was Reiji’s.

“N-no, I’m not going to leave you here. I want to stay here with you!”

“You’re not listening! You will die. Here, take this.” He pushed the knife into my hands, I couldn’t react—except for just standing with my mouth agape.

“What is this for?”

“To kill me,”

“What?! Why would I do that! No—take this back, I won’t do that.” My heart was shattered, how could such a beautiful person want to end their life—or have someone just end it?

“Come with me, we can leave—I’ll show you a new life.” His face lost all emotion, he just stared at me—he wasn’t expecting that response.

“It’s not that easy.”

————————————————————————

I jolted awake, it took me a couple of seconds to realize just where exactly I was—I fell asleep watching the snowfall from the sky from the alcove again, It was pitch black aside from the moon shining over the view of the white garden, and Subaru’s pale face peering through the window.

“About time you wake up, open the damn window! Before I break it down!”

I stared at him groggily for a second before fully snapping into reality,

“Oh my… Why are you outside my window?”

I crawled to the other side and unlatched the lock, this was the first time he did this—he liked making appearances. He slid the window open, allowing the night chill in,

“Hurry—get in, the cold air is getting in.”

I watched him crawl through the narrow opening and closed it immediately after,

“I have a door…”

I sat back down in my spot across from him, I huddled in the blanket in an attempt to warm myself from the cold.

“It’s easier through the window, besides it’s a full moon.”

Even after a year of living here, I couldn’t adjust to the chilling air and cold corners all around the mansion. I had begun wearing an extra layer of cotton to keep my fingers and feet from falling off.

“Weakling, it’s not even that cold outside, you’re just too dramatic.”

“You’re not human how would you understand?”

His face dropped, he wasn’t expecting that response from me.

“Are you on your fucking period or something? You’ve been acting all different this past week, and I’m sick of it!”

He pulled the blanket away from me, I shivered from the sudden cold air once again and groaned.

“If you were as cold as I am, you would understand.”

I moved closer to him and draped the blanket around the both of us, I felt the cold pane slick with condensation press against my back and dampen my sweater.

“Tch, you didn’t answer my damn question. What’s been up with you?”

I got quiet for a second, I wondered if he thought it through—or if he was up for it.

“Would you ever leave Subaru?”

he was bothered I avoided his question but I needed to get it out of me.

“Tch, not this bullshit again. I already told you, it’s not that easy.”

He went quiet for a moment,

“What a stupid question, why are you still even thinking of this? I don’t know… I don’t have much here to hold onto— But I have nowhere else to go.”

I listened to him mumble, he did that when he was conflicted. I laid my head against his shoulder and sighed, I closed my eyes thinking of my next question.

“But what if you did have somewhere else to go?”

I opened my eyes and looked up at him, he looked down at me confused.

“What do you think… That man would never let me leave.”

I grabbed both his hands and held them, turning to face him fully.

“But imagine if we left! Just took a plane…and never came back? It would work—we could go to America! I k-know where we could stay—“

“No, you’re fucking crazy, we’re not leaving. I mean why would you even wanna leave with me? You had your chance to escape that one night. You were just too much of an idiot to not listen to me.”

I frowned,

“Please, just think about it. None of your brothers would have to know..”

He scowled and turned his head away, he snapped his hands back from mine.

“Who the hell are you to tell me to do stuff?”

He grumbled, I wanted to beg him—on my knees to come with me but I knew he would just scoff and walk away. I figured another way of persuading him would work maybe, quickly getting up, I reached under my alcove and the hidden compartment under. I was scrounging for the box of stuff I had hidden for so long.

“Where is it…? Here.”

I returned to my spot and looked at him.

“What is that…? You're hiding stuff from me now? Give me that.”

He snatched the box from my lap and ripped the lid off. The look on his face changed when he realized what it was, I stared at him intently watching for a reaction.

“It’s photos… of my life back there.”

He reached for the photo of me and my friends swimming, I had my arms propped onto the deck with my sunglasses on, I was smiling with my face red. You could see the white lines from the pattern of another suit. My hair was stringy from the chlorine but that didn’t matter, I was happy. My friends were photobombing in the back of the photo. What a cheesy photo.

“Look at how tan I am, you can see the pattern of my bathing suit—those are my friends.”

“You’re just trying to convince me to. You’ll get tired of me quickly and just leave to fulfill your plan.”

I frowned, he didn't trust the idea—or me even.

“I’m just showing you what it was like, look at how clear the sky is.”

I gestured toward the blue sky, as opposed to the cloudy night sky with specks of ice falling slowly.

I smiled looking at the photo. It was one of those days you couldn’t forget, the heat—It was hot, so hot, and I was awakened in the early morning by those rocks being thrown on my window. I scrambled to get ready but I eventually caught up with them, of course leaving my towel behind.

“You’re crazy, we can’t just… leave.”

“Do you really want to live here for the rest of your life? With your brothers? You’ve never even traveled, Subaru..”

I squeezed his shoulder and stood up, “Atleast think about it.” I left the box on his lap, the next picture facing up was a motel, The Safari Inn.

[eddiediazismyhusband]

I totally get you with the bait vibes and I am apprehensive about buddie/its timing this season. My only thing is that Oliver has spoken so much in the past over worrying about baiting people with buddie and Ryan has spoken with so much care about these characters together that I just can't see either of them suddenly going all in on baiting with buddie without knowing that there are good things coming for them. Not saying they'll go canon in episode 2 or anything but they likely know the general arc/storyline for the season and knowing how much we and they care about buddie, I don't see Ryan or Oliver toying with the fans for fun and being careless or meanspirited about it unless they felt assured about where things might be going this season

this is why the fact that it’s on the official 911 account worries me. because it’s not just ryan and oliver posting, it’s olvier filming a video he was told to for the official account that ryan was also in, and the conscious decision for that video to be posted was made by someone who knows all the attention buddie brings in. if it was for olvier’s personal instagram then maybe id be a little less concerned about it, but the simple fact that it was for a video on the official 911 account doesn’t give me good vibes

i think often times in fandom we view the actors as having a lot more say in things than they actually do… obviously i don’t know what rules and regulations regarding social media involvement the cast have to follow, but i think the fandom automatically assumes that ryan and oliver get veto rights on things just bc of how involved in the show they are, when that’s often not the case— most of the time in show business, actors have to get things approved before they post them to keep from accidentally spoiling things.

that video wasn’t just ryan and oliver goofing off on set (i mean it was); it was intentionally chosen by someone on the 911 team and approved for the official account. it was chosen and approved bc ryan and oliver together means fandom interaction. it’s the same reason we had so many ryan and oliver interviews before s7 with all this pr talk of “they get closer than ever” and “they have such a strong bond” just for buddie to have very few actual meaningful moments onscreen. it’s textbook baiting, and tim has shown he’s not afraid of that.

i know oliver and ryan both feel strongly about buddie and both want to be careful about not baiting, but they’re not the issue here; the issue is that they are both employed by this production, and that means that sometimes they aren’t allowed to say “no” to how something is promoted.

(small addendum)

in regards to the “general storyline of the season” thing you mentioned (and i do not meant this to come across bitchy or rude at ALL) but tim has also stated that he doesn’t plan out seasons. he may bring up storylines he has ideas for and have an idea of where he might go, but he himself has said he doesn’t plan out full seasons (which is….. kinda what his whole job is supposed to be but i digress) and on top of that, we saw in s7 how quickly he made the decision to completely scrap his original ideas for 7b, scrapping a storyline w abuela that was mentioned, as well as bringing e*y and l*u back for more episodes than they were originally supposed to appear in, and creating that god awful “vertigo” mess…

im sure ryan and oliver are told “oh yeah we’re aiming for buddie canon this season” just like the show tries to do to us with the interviews and bts content, only to change their minds a few episodes in because they intentionally convolute/switch up the plot and say “ohhhh it just didn’t go there naturally :/“ (which is complete bullshit for reasons i shouldn’t have to explain to anyone)

overall i think fandom is too disconnected from how the show works/has worked in the past, and that we often ignore things that have been said in favor of the shiny buddie bait from the production (which is the whole point of the bait to begin with) and all that does is sets us up for disappointment in the long run because we convince ourselves that buddie is happening based on oliver and ryan talking about it, when oliver snd ryan most likely are also being strung along, and don’t have any veto power in that.

[writingsbyzuzu]

Don’t Get The Blues

Sheriff!Ted Nivison x Outlaw!Reader

if I made a typo on this one sorry pookies I tried my best to proofread

I’m glad y’all liked one, here’s two, I hope you enjoy

two- from a dream I’m waking up

Ted brushed his clammy hands on his pants, watching you for the longest time. Eddy approached, still scribbling in his notebook, before seeing you, children running around you as you laughed. “Do you know her?” Eddy asks. Ted jumps at the sudden approach, and blushes. “She and I grew up together at the orphanage. Thick as thieves back then, never left each other’s sides.”

“Then what?” Eddy asks. “I got adopted, and left her there. Left all of them there. We drifted apart, I grew into my new father’s money, and she stayed here. Nowhere else to go.” Eddy nods, as the two of them watch you.

“Things don’t have to change, peach.” Ted looks at you, earnestly, as you tie his tie. “I’m going to come back for you, once I earn money. He’s rich... We’ll fix this place. I’ll marry you and you can do whatever you like, and no one will look down at you for being poor and unmarried. Whatever you want to do with your life.” You look at Ted, his eyes full of naivety even at 15 years old. You knew better. His whole life was about to transform. The six of you didn’t fit in that new puzzle. Especially you. You shake your head. “It’s no use Teddy. You aren’t going to come back for us.” Ted looks at you incredulously. “Of course I will. You’re my best friend. You- you’re all my best friends. They’re like my brothers. I cannot live without you all.” You shake your head once more, finishing the knot. “I think you and I both know that the rules are going to change for you after this, Teddy. You can’t marry me.” You hold his hand for a minute, and there’s a knock at the door. You drop his hand as the orphanage caretaker and Ted’s new adoptive father step in. You step away from him, clearing your throat, before saying “Farewell, Theodore.” Ted gains a pained expression on his face like you just scalded him with hot water.

“Ready to go, son?” The banker outstretches his hand. The banker looks at you with a look of slight disdain, before smiling at Ted. It all but confirms your feelings. It puts a nail in the coffin of yours and Ted’s childhood dreams. Ted nods, handing him his suitcase, and walks with him. He turns to look at you one last time, mouthing “I promise.”

Theodore Nivison never kept his promises. Not ones to you, at least.

The two men stepped forward, but were stopped almost immediately. “Theodore Nivison.” Hasan stood before them. His eyes were dark, hardened by an anger Ted recognized. “It’s Sheriff,” he responds coldly. “Oh I know. Where do you think you’re going?” Hasan crosses his arms, and the two men stare each other down. “We have to interview everybody,” Eddy chimes in, a smile on his face. He puts out his hand. “Edward Burback, deputy. Nice to meet you.” Hasan shakes his hand, but his gaze never leaves Ted’s. “Mind telling us where you were this morning?” Ted asks through gritted teeth. He was kind of hoping, praying even, that Hasan would just somehow confess that he did it so Ted could just move him out of the way.

“I was with that young lady over there.” Hasan points in your direction. “Helped her round up what little cattle we have.”

“I’ll ask her that,” Ted murmurs, pushing to move past Hasan. “Don’t.” Hasan almost growls. “She shouldn’t have to talk to you, she doesn’t want to.” Ted keeps going, shaking his head. Hasan scoffs, turning on his heel to go back to where Schlatt stood. Before he stalked off completely out of earshot, Ted heard him mumble. “It’s just like you to ignore what we want regardless.”

Ted approached you, Eddy directly behind him. “Hello. It’s good to see you.” Your laughter had died as Ted approached. “What do you want?” If looks could kill, he swore he would be on fire at that moment. “Mr. Barker of the main General store was robbed. We believe a young lady was kidnapped by the robbers not far from here. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I think I would perish if something bad happened…happened to you young ladies and I couldn’t do anything to stop it.”

“How about perishing regardless?” You forcibly smile at him before shutting the book in your lap. It pissed you to no end that he was here. He didn’t really care about seeing your lives after your adoption, he didn’t come when something bad happened to the lot of you, but he’d come when a rich man got robbed two miles away. You knew it was his job now, but seriously? Eddy butts in. “Deputy Burback. Say miss, you didn’t see or hear anything did you? I would like to reiterate that this robbery happened about a mile or two from here. Anyone stand out?”

You shake your head at Eddy. “I brought in the cattle and then I’ve just been with the children all day. Not really any opportunities to see something amiss. I apologize.”

You felt bad for the poor deputy. His first day and he was stuck with Ted, who in turn, was stuck in your pasts. “I don’t think you’re going to find what you’re looking for here, Sheriff, Deputy. I’m sorry,” you said softly, before scooping up a young boy who had begun to cry. Ted watched you for a moment. And for a moment, he had felt like the one robbed, not Mr. Barker.

✩⭑✩

It was nighttime now, Ted and Eddy had long since gotten their horses and left. They didn’t find anything, and even if the other outskirters knew it had been the six of you who had done the robbery, they wouldn’t have said anything regardless. The people have the same thought process you did. The six of you stand around the fire, as you stirred the pot of beans. “When’s the next one?” you ask, looking over at Hasan and Kurtis. Kurtis thinks for a moment before responding. “There should be a carriage coming in to Mr. Barker’s store in a few days.” Schlatt, who was moving to pass you the bowls, looks over at Kurtis. “Do we really want to target him a second time? It’s going to seem like we’re targeting him.” You pour beans into the bowls, before speaking. “Good. It’ll throw those idiots off.”

“That Burback fellow didn’t seem like an idiot, thank you,” Hasan murmured, grabbing his bowl from your hand. “Well, Ted is an idiot and he’s Burback’s leader,” Schlatt said. “Don’t call him that, We are not his friends, he is nothing to us. His name is Sheriff Nivison.” You shove Schlatt’s bowl into him, and he looks at you with pity, before taking his spoon and beginning to eat. “I need to go to town next week, buy some supplies,” Charlie says in between bites. You sit next to him as you begin to eat. “I’ll accompany you,” you reply, smiling at him before eating. “None for me?” You hear a callout, as Ludwig approaches. He takes off his gloves, looking at the five of you. “I just worked the whole day and you didn’t even plate me a bowl.” He shakes his head incredulously. “She might be a woman but she’s not our wife, plate your own damn bowl,” Schlatt retorts before shoving a large spoonful of the beans into his mouth. “You’re one to talk, I’ve been plating your bowl since you were 14!”

The six of you laugh.

✩⭑✩

Hasan watches you as you pull back the blanket. “I tried to stop him. I know you don’t want to see him.” He spoke so softly, that you would have all but missed it if you weren’t used to it from sharing a room for ten years. “I don’t know what you mean,” you murmur, removing your hair pin and combing through the strands. “You know you don’t have to pretend with me. You don’t have to lie to me.” You sigh, putting the hairpin on the dresser, before looking at him. He gazes at you, and you can’t tell if it’s pity or sadness or mourning or what have you.

You’ve never been good at reading Hasan. But he would argue he knew you second best behind one person. “You love him. You love him, and you need to stop pretending you don’t.” You raise your eyebrows before moving to get on the bed. “Hasan, I don’t want to discuss this.” He lays next to you, and the two of you lay in silence for a moment. “Tell me Schlatt is not right. That you aren’t doing it out of spite. I, Charlie, and the rest of them, will follow you to the ends of the earth if you ask. This was your idea. If it’s spite, your anger is going to escalate and get us killed. And if I was going to die for you, that’s not how I’d want to go.” He tucks your hair behind your ear, and the two of you hold a look. “My anger is not going to interfere. He isn’t going to help the people where it matters. We can if we do this.”

“Say it.”

“I love him. But I was never meant to marry him, and I am not doing this out of spite. I want to do more, but we were thrust into this world without the ability to do more. This is what we can do.” He lays there in silence, staring into your eyes.

“To the ends of the earth,” he whispers. “To the end, old friend.” He rolls onto his back, staring at the ceiling. “I’m sorry you couldn’t marry him. But we could marry, if you wanted. Or Charlie. We’ve always taken care of each other. You’d be safest with one of the two of us.”

You turned onto your back as well, taking a moment. “I’ll think about it.”

✩⭑✩

Ted lays next to you on the grass, the two of you staring at the stars. You’re 11 years old, sneaking out of your orphanage bedrooms to look at the sky, an activity you’ve done every week since you befriended Ted. “If we see a shooting star-“

“When, Teddy. When.”

“When we see a shooting star, what are we going to wish for?”

“We get money. Not a lot, but enough to help. Enough for everyone not to be hungry. For everyone to be happy.”

“That’s a far shot.”

“What do you mean?” You turn your head to look at him.

“I don’t think there’s enough money in the world to keep everyone happy. Those men in town, they have all the money they could need and they are still unhappy.” He turns to gaze at you.

“Well. Then just enough to keep us happy. And enough to help as many people as we can. Until we can’t do it anymore,” you give a decisive nod, turning back to the sky. “Any other wishes?”

“One. But I won’t tell you.”

“Can I tell you mine?” Ted asks, his small hand grabbing yours. You nod. “You can’t tell anyone. But I picture us. In a house. We get married, and we’re happy.”

“I like that dream,” you whisper. You squeeze his hand. And then the two of you see it. A shooting star. “Make a wish,” Ted whispers. And you do.

Ted sits up in bed, rubbing his face. It’s been a week since the robbery, and he’s no further in determining anything than he was when he saw you. He gets up, getting dressed. He figures he’ll get breakfast at the local saloon before meeting with Eddy, so he steps out of his home. When he arrives, he sees you, walking down the road, arm in arm with Charlie. He takes a deep breath in, and decides to approach. You and Charlie stop, seeing Ted approach. Charlie looks at you, and you squeeze his arm with your hand. “Hello,” Ted says quietly, his eyes flitting between you, Charlie, and your hand, still on his arm. “Interesting to see you both.” “It’s good to see you, Sheriff.” Ted’s eyes widen at your matching soft tone. “It’s good to see you too.”

“What are you-“

“What-“

You speak at the same time. You gesture for him to go first. “What are you doing in town?” “Oh. I can’t go alone, and I didn’t want Charlie going alone. It doesn’t look good for an unmarried woman to be unchaperoned, even if she is lower class. Between that and the robbers who took that poor woman, it’s just not safe.”

“Well,” Ted began, “Needless to say, I’ll find them and bring them to justice.”

“I’m sure you will,” you say harshly, an almost sarcastic tone to it. You seem…almost hostile again, and Ted’s stomach drops, before your shoulders soften as you look at him. “I’m sorry, Sheriff. People are giving us looks. Maybe we should be on our way, lest the people think we’re suspicious. We barely get them to serve us our necessities to begin with,” Charlie suggests. Ted looks disappointed, but he nods, stepping to the side. “Until I see you again, Miss. Mr. Dalgleish.” Charlie steps forward, opening the door for you. You turn back to look at him, offering one last smile to him, as you step into the general store. And Ted allows himself to hope. But he also feels confused. Why the sudden hostility by saying he’d catch the robber?

✩⭑✩

“You look familiar.” Mr. Barker eyes you up and down suspiciously, as Charlie is telling the clerk exactly what he needs. “I’d hope so sir, I'm here twice a month to buy beans and salt pork,” you flash your brightest smile at him. “I’m not quite sure that’s it. Say. You’re that girl that’s part of that sharpshooter’s act!” You let out a small breath, unaware you were even holding it, before nodding. “Yes sir, Hasan Piker’s act. He performs out of town usually but he’s done some shows here in Red Oakland.” You continue to smile, as Charlie approaches. “Not bad for a couple of…outskirters like you. Talent may get you out of the slums. That’ll be 4 dollars.” Charlie furrows his brows as he pulls the money out from his bag. “More money than it was last month.” “Pork prices have gone up in the last month. What, you can’t pay? Do I need to bring the sheriff in here?” Charlie shakes his head. “No problem sir, we hold our own.” He puts the money on the counter, before the two of you exit. The two of you walk home, Charlie carrying the sacks of beans and rice, as you hold onto the bandages. As you climb down the hill on the path outside of town, you turn and mumble to him. “I’m glad we’re gonna rob that son of a bitch again.” Charlie throws his head back laughing, and you giggle alongside him.

✩⭑✩

Hasan aims his pistol carefully at the cart barrelling along the path, the sun slowly peeking over the horizon. He shoots, and the bullet hits the wheel, jostling the cart. As the driver stops and gets down from the cart, you and Schlatt sneak up to the driver, the two of you pointing your pistols at his head. Schlatt looks at you and then looks at the driver. He clears his throat and the driver drops what he was holding, startled. “Don’t make this difficult, sir. Give us the money you have and the vials of penicillin. And we’ll let you live,” Schlatt says, as the man slowly rises. The man looks at both of you, before tackling you to the ground, trying to wrestle for your gun, and you cry out. You hear a click. “Get off. Or I’ll shoot.” Hasan is standing over the two of you on the ground, and the man rises. You pick up your gun and also point it. The man gulps, before tossing the money and the vials into the bag. Kurtis, who had snuck up to the cart, pistol whips the man as soon as the bag was handed over.

Hasan examines you for a moment, your elbow bleeding. “Ludwig, give me a bandage.” Ludwig is busy, digging through to see if there’s anything else worth grabbing. “Ludwig!” Hasan raises his voice. Ludwig looks up, having grabbed one, tosses it to Hasan, who gingerly grabs your arm to wrap it. He wraps it quickly, clumsily, before hissing out “We need to move. Now.” The five of you scurry down the path. As you make it back to the cabin, Hasan slams the door. Charlie looks up from sitting at the table, startled. “She cannot come with us anymore.”

You and the others look at Hasan, startled and confused. “I beg your pardon?” you ask, your brows furrowing. “That man heard you cry, he’s going to know you’re a woman and that you’re part of this, and I won’t let you stand by and-“

Charlie walks over to you, examining your arm. “What happened to you?” He goes to adjust the bandages, growing concerned.

Hasan gestures to Charlie, still holding your elbow. “See that’s what I mean. She was hurt today, because that man perceived her as smaller and less of a threat, and now he knows she’s a woman. And she was hurt. We can’t let her get hurt again.”

“If Kurtis didn’t kill him.” Schlatt puts his head in his hand. “This was a bad idea, we’re going to get fucking hung.”

“Alright then, I’ll just fucking not go! I’ll not go anymore and I will just stand back and do nothing right? Just sit there and smile and be the happy little woman baking. You want me to do fucking nothing?”

Hasan looks at you, his eyes pleading. “If it’ll keep you from getting caught and it’ll keep you from getting hurt.”

You look at him, then at the others, and at Charlie. They all look to be in agreement. You look at Hasan, picturing the little boy he once was, who used to compete with Ted and Schlatt and Ludwig in boyhood races, the one who always wanted to beat Ted. And without even thinking about it, it slips out of your mouth, pulling your elbow from Charlie’s grasp. “You sound just fucking like him. You’re no fucking better.” And with that, without even looking to see their faces, to see Hasan’s face, you turn your heel, stomp into your room and slam the door shut.

✩⭑✩

Ted buries his head into hands as the cart driver slams his hands on Ted’s desk. “I was robbed by a woman during sunrise! You must do something!” Ted nods, groaning. “Yes, I understand that Mr…?” “Linus! Linus! I told you. Oh it was those forsaken outskirters, I know it was. So grimy, no money. Only they would have a woman robber.” Ted lifts his head, nodding, before having the man escorted back to the general store. “What do you think, Eddy?” “I think we ought to go back to the outskirts, push around more.” And with that, the two men headed off again. But as they arrive at the outskirts, seeing your cabin, Eddy calls out to Ted. Ted turns. “I don’t want to disrespect you. I don’t want to disrespect your past.” Ted looks at Eddy, before motioning him to continue speaking. “But thinking of the logic so far. There are five robbers. We know one’s a woman. They’re probably very close in relations.”

“Edward, don’t say what I think you’re about to say.”

The two men look at each other quietly, before Eddy speaks again. “I hope I am mistaken.”

Ted looks at the cabin, seeing his childhood friends working around the land. “I hope we are too.”

[samcarpentersgirlfriend]

i have a request for wes hicks, so make a fic where it’s wes last day and like they have a date and all before he gets killed and then after the reader finds out he’s dead the next day, if that makes sense 💀

sorry this one took so long!!

YOU’RE ALL I WANTED || WES HICKS X READER𖤐₊˚.

summary: above

word count: 3k

warnings: fluff to angst (non happy ending), swearing, use of y/n + y/n/n in some places,

⨯ . ⁺ ✦ ⊹ ꙳ ⁺ ‧ ⨯. ⁺ ✦ ⊹ . * ꙳ ✦ ⊹

“Can I open my eyes yet?”

“Nope.” You dont have to be able to see Wes to know that he’s smiling that boyish smile of his.

“But Wes, I can’t see.”

“Huh, it’s almost like that’s the point,” he replies sarcastically, laughing when you swat at what you guess is his arm. “Come on, we’re almost there, I promise.”

“You said that five minutes ago!” You all but whine, a pout on your lips. You were willing to humour whatever Wes was planning, but if you had to stumble through darkness any longer, the anticipation was probably going to kill you. You’d gotten out of the car what felt like an eternity ago at a place you didn’t recognise, and Wes had been leading you ever since then. And you had no idea where you were heading - or what you even were supposed to be doing.

You open your mouth to speak once more again, but before you can, Wes takes his hands from over your eyes with a flourish.

“Surprise?” He says hopefully, pointing towards something that you can’t quite see yet. It’s a beautiful day today, and you squint as your eyes adjust to the bright light. But once you see it, you can’t hide the grin that appears on your face.

“Wes!” You gasp, “You shouldn’t have!”

It’s a cliché thing to say, you know that, but he really shouldn’t have. He’s led you to a field - a beautiful one, with flowers of all kind blooming off to the side - and in front of you lays a blanket with all your favourite snacks upon it. Fruit bowls, chips, cupcakes - the fancy ones that Wes knows you love even though they’re totally overpriced. It’s completely and utterly perfect. And without a doubt, the most thoughtful thing anybody has ever done for you.

You tell Wes as much as you throw your arms around him and and press a kiss to his temple, and you don’t miss the adorable way that his cheeks flush in response.

“It’s nothing,” he says nonchalantly, even though this whole thing must’ve took a hell of a lot of planning and most definitely not nothing. “Honestly. And you deserve it - all of it.”

He says that casually too, like it doesn’t fill your chest with warmth and make your heart skip a dozen beats. It’s like Wes doesn’t realise that he’s too good; too good at this whole date planning thing, too good at being your boyfriend - too damn good in general. You’ve only been together for a couple of months, but honestly? It’s the happiest you’ve been in a long time. It’s like you’re in a constant state of bliss with Wes, your whirlwind romance lighting up your days in way that puts the sun to shame. Texting with him alone is enough to make you practically giddy, so being here with him now is your own little idea of heaven.

“So,” you ask in between a bite of a cookie once you’ve sat down,“what made you think of all of this? I mean, it’s seriously like something out of a movie!”

“Just wanted to do something nice for you.” Wes replies with a smile and a shrug. “I didn’t know what, but then I remembered this place. I haven’t been here in years, but it hasn’t changed a bit.” Wes pauses, and you notice his expression falter for a moment. “I used to come here when my parents argued - when I needed to clear my head, you know? I don’t know, it’s probably stupid, but…”

Wes trails off awkwardly, dropping his gaze. You know that his parents aren’t together - haven’t been for years - but Wes barely talks about his sorry excuse for a father. In fact, you think this is the most he’s ever spoken on the issue to you.

“Hey,” you say gently, pressing a hand to Wes’ cheek and carefully turning his head so that he’s looking at you once more. “It’s not stupid. Not in the slightest. I get it. It really is a beautiful place.”

Wes nods and his eyes gain their light once more, and he places his hand over yours. Wes had never really been big on public affection, but it seemed as if the two of you were the only people around. It doesn’t matter anyway - it certainly feels like you are. You could stay here forever like this, the sun on your skin, legs messily interlocked. It’s all you’ve ever wanted.

“Thank you for this, for today.” You say quietly. You’re still trying to make sure that you remember it all - the food strewn across the blanket, all of the different types of flowers and all their different hues, the smell of strawberries and your boyfriends’ coconut shampoo - it’s something you never want to forget. In fact, when the two of you pull way from each other, you take out your phone and snap a picture of the setup just in case, before taking one of you and Wes too - the two of you smiling, the photo slightly blurry but still somehow perfect.

Even though you’ve been out for most of the day, you still can’t help but be disappointed when the sun sets and the two of you have no choice but to leave - especially when Wes’ mom tells him it’s way past his curfew and sends him one not - so vaguely threatening text about the dangers of staying out past dark.

Still, it feels as if you’ve barely stopped smiling today - but you haven’t had much reason to. Even as Wes drives you home, his free hand loosely interlaced with yours, you still can’t shake the butterfly feeling in your stomach. Maybe it was just the “honeymoon” stage of your relationship, but it felt like it was so much more than that. Maybe this was just how dating Wes was going to be - constantly feeling like you were on cloud nine. You’re more than okay with that.

“You know, you don’t have to to walk me to my door,” you tease as Wes exits the car when you reach your destination what feels like far too quickly.

“I want to,” Wes responds simply. “Besides, you never know what could be hiding in the bushes.”

“It’s a thirty second walk,” you laugh, letting him trail besides you nonetheless. “But thank you, my knight in shining armour.”

Wes simply chuckles. “Thanks for coming today. I had a really great time with you.”

You frown in disbelief. “Are you kidding? Thank me for coming? Wes, you set up this whole thing? I need to be thanking you. I loved it - I love you. It was more than perfect.”

Wes’ eyes widen ever so slightly, and you belatedly realise that you don’t think you’d ever said those words out loud before - I love you. Not because you didn’t mean them, but because you were worried that you’d look too eager, too desperate. It wasn’t something you said early on in a relationship, it just wasn’t.

Oh, to hell with it. You meant what you said, societal rules be damned. You love Wes, love spending time with him, love the way he makes you feel. Love his beautiful blue eyes and his infectious smile and just how damn thoughtful he is. You love Wes Hicks, plain and simple.

And by the way he wraps his arms around your waist and presses his lips to yours, you’re left to assume that he feels the same way. Well, you don’t even have to assume, not when he tells you as much when he pulls back, tells you that he didn’t want to scare you off by saying it before and isn’t that just ironic?

The whole thing almost makes you forget that Wes has to leave, and you can’t contain your sigh when he reminds you that he’s already late back. “I’ll text you when I’m back,” he assure you, “promise. I love you, okay?” Now you were both ready to say it aloud, you had a feeling you’d be hearing those three words a lot from now on

“Love you too. Night, Wes.”

Wes simply grins as he walks away and gets into his car, sparing you one last glance before he waves and drives away. You stare at his empty spot on the road for a minute, before you realise that staring into the empty sidewalk in the dark probably makes you look like a complete creep and make your way inside your house and up to your bedroom.

You receive your promised text almost twenty minutes later, just after you’ve climbed into bed. It reads:

wes: at home now

wes: are you still awake?

y/n: yeah

y/n: glad you’re home safe ♡

wes: thanks baby

wes: I’ll call you in the morning, okay?

y/n: okay

y/n: night wes

wes: goodnight y/n/n

wes: sweet dreams <3

Sighing in contentment, you put your phone down onto your bedside table and flick off your lamp. It’s like the events of today have suddenly caught up with you all at once, and you feel your eyes start to flutter closed, consciousness slowly slipping away. You briefly wonder if you’ll dream tonight - although you doubt anything your sleeping mind could conjure would top your date today.

⊹₊┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ✿ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈₊⊹

 It feels as if you’ve only just closed your eyes - although the light shining through your curtain tells you otherwise - when you’re awoken by the sound of buzzing. It’s strange, you think to yourself, you didn’t set an alarm - although you cast your mind back and remember that Wes did say that he would call you in the morning.

Blinking blearily, you pick up your phone to see that it’s not ringing at all. No, instead you’re greeted with a plethora of message notifications from all sorts of social media platforms. That’s even stranger; your phone never blew up like this, especially not this early on a Sunday morning. It freaks you out a little bit, but you’re more curious than anything.

Especially when you see some of the names of the senders. Liv. Amber. Chad. Tara. Mindy.

Your boyfriend���s friend group. That’s not to say you’re not friendly with them, but they were still definitely more Wes’ friends than they were yours. And they rarely messaged you - especially not all at once.

And from what you can tell - all your of them are basically saying the same thing.

liv: oh my god

liv: i heard the news and I can’t even imagine how you’re feeling right now I’m so sorry

chad: hope your doing okay after everything

chad: i get if you need space but if you need anything, you can call me.

tara: i know there’s nothing I can say to you to make this better but god I’m sorry, if you need anything, we’re all here for you, always.

Your eyebrows knit together in a confused frown. I’m so sorry? Sorry for what? Everybody was sending you well wishes, but you had no fucking clue why. Had Wes broken up with you without even knowing? No, he couldn’t have. Not after yesterday. Why go through all of that effort to dump you the next day? It didn’t make sense. None of this makes any sense.

You decide that the only way to clear any of this up is to call Wes yourself. Sure, it was still early, but he was a light sleeper and the ringing of his phone would be more than enough to wake him. You unlock your phone and click on his name in your contacts and wait expectantly for him to answer.

Except he never does.

“Hey, this is Wes. I’m probably doing something, so, uh, leave a message.”

Groaning in frustration, you try again. And again. When Wes doesn’t pick up the forth time, you send him a message instead.

y/n: call me right now

y/n: it’s urgent

y/n: you need to explain everything to me now

Unlike usual, typing bubbles don’t appear within a minute. Not even after five. Sure, this is probably all just a misunderstanding that Wes will clear up for you when he’s awake, but if he’s done what the ugly voice in the back of your head is telling you that he’s done, then he owes you answers immediately.

Growing frustrated, you start to type a reply to Tara, asking her what the hell is even going on, but your phone chooses that exact moment to die and power off. It makes you want to scream.

You feel sick. You feel stressed and irritated and like you desperately need to punch something. You find your charger and connect your phone to the wire, bouncing your leg as you anxiously wait for it to turn on. You need answers.

Within the space of a minute, it feels like centuries have passed. And it’s not doing anything to help your nerves. In an effort to calm them, you reach for your remote and turn your TV on, flicking through the channels until one catches your eye.

BREAKING: TWO FOUND DEAD IN WOODSBORO - SUSPECTED COPYCAT ATTACK.

Your initial thought to that headline is again, really? You still remembered seeing almost the exact headline when those two highschoolers tried the same thing almost ten years ago. Your second thought is much more macabre. What if it’s somebody you know? It had to be: Woodsboro wasn’t a huge place, everybody practically knew everybody anyway. It was bound to be- no.

No.

It couldn’t be.

It’s all starting to make sense now, but you desperately wish it wouldn’t. Wes’s friends messaging you with their condolences. Your phone blowing up. Wes not picking up his goddamn phone.

No.

You turn up the channel, wishing the fucking reporters would just get to the damn point already and tell you what you needed to know. You listen to them ramble on about how horrifying and utterly tragic the whole thing is but you’re only half listening - will only be half listening - until they utter that name. His name. You need your phone to turn on. You need to call Wes, hear his voice so you can laugh and tell him how paranoid you were and how much he scared you. How much you need him. You need to breathe.

But you can’t. You’re feeling like you’re suffocating and it’s stupid because you don’t know anything, not yet, except you do. You can feel the dread deep in your bones, the horror in the out of your stomach. It’s Wes.

Like some twisted coincidence, it almost at that exact moment when two pictures pop up on the screen. You don’t hear the accompanying words, not over your sob. Because it’s him. His yearbook picture, the one that hung in his living room, the one you helped him get ready for and assured him he looked absolutely beautiful in. His mother’s is the second, the same picture that was on her badge. The badge she was so proud of.

No. It isn’t true. This is all some twisted nightmare and you need to speak to Wes and he’ll tell you everything’s okay because he always does and your phone is finally on thank God and you call Wes again and why won’t he pick up he needs to pick up and you can’t breathe-

The tears streaming down your face make it hard to see anything. You don’t want to look anyway. Not at Wes’ smiling face because he’s not smiling, not anymore. He’d never smile again, you’d never hear his voice again, because he was dead. Wes, your Wes, who was the kindest person you had ever met and had never done anything to anyone, was dead at the hands of some psychopath fulfilling his sick fantasies. It’s not fair. None of this is fair.

You can’t wrap your head around it. Wes is - was - so alive. You saw it, in every crease by his eye when he smiled and the way his whole body shook when he laughed and the way he kissed you like it was the most important thing in the world. He was the most important thing in your world.

A world that was plunged in darkness now, because how were you supposed to live out the rest of your life after Wes? You knew how happy your felt with him, how much you adored him and felt adored, and how were you supposed to carry on knowing you’d never feel that again. You can’t. All you can do is cry, your body shaking with the efforts of your sobs. It isn’t fair. It isn’t fair. It isn’t fair.

Your phone starts buzzing once more, and although know it’s not him, can’t be him, you can’t help but check anyway.

Your naïve hope is stupidly misplaced. Of course it isn’t Wes. Just an influx of messages from family and classmates whose names you only half recognise telling you how sorry they are. You don’t fucking care. Sorries don’t bring your boyfriends back to life. They won’t let you be able to hold him again, tell him how much he means to you. How much you love him.

You can’t deal with them. Not now. You go to turn off your phone, and it freezes for a second on your lock screen before fully shutting down once more. The lock screen you changed on the car ride home yesterday, the one where you’re looking to the camera and Wes is looking half to the side but it’s okay because he’s still smiling nonetheless.

Still alive.

[madisonfilmss]

I Am Yours - austin x reader

Inspired by I Am Yours by Andy Grammer 

You would always be proud of Austin for chasing his dreams. You were proud to have a front row seat to his life changing. Most of the time. It was days like this you feel unworthy to be loved by Austin. It’s currently 10:30 your time which means it’s about 6:00 am Australia time. You haven’t been able to talk to him since yesterday morning due to your conflicting schedules. You would have gone with him to Australia but you had business back home you had to be present for. 

You have a tendency to overthink the littlest things, not just with your boyfriend but in general. If someone’s tone is off, you notice it and then think about it for the next month so not talking to Austin for as long as you have makes you believe the worst. 

He’s found somebody else. 

I should have gone with him. 

He forgot about me. 

Your phone rings and you look to see Austin’s contact photo flash on the screen. Your mood is ruined now. He’s gonna pick up on it. You can’t do it right now. You decline the call hoping to pull yourself together but Austin doesn’t give you the chance because he calls you back immediately. 

There’s nothing you can do because you know if you decline it again, he’s gonna be upset with you because you aren’t answering his calls. 

You slide your finger across the screen, his bright smile lighting up the screen. You decided to keep the phone laying on your desk, hoping to gain your composure before having Austin see you upset. 

“Hi love.” Austin says as the phone call connects. 

“Hi love.” you reply 

“Where’s my girl?” he asks curiously

“I have a lot of work to do tonight, babe. I’m so sorry.” 

Honestly you were doing whatever possible to get him to hang up. You wanted to overthink in peace. Maybe even sob into a pint of ice cream, 

“I know you and I know that’s a lie. You always make sure to have your work done just in case I call you.” 

Damn it. He knows you too damn well. 

“Not to mention, you haven’t made eye contact with me once. You only do that when you’re thinking. When you’re thinking, I lose my girl.”

“Austin, I’m fine.” you say trying to get him to focus on something other than you. 

“Hey, no, we don’t do that. Talk to me.” 

“It’s stupid.” 

“That is the furthest thing from the truth. If it’s on your mind, I would really like to be let in so I am able to help you. I understand if you don’t want to tell me everything right away. All I ask is for a little insight. It doesn’t have to be much.” 

“I understand.” you say. You take a moment to finally make eye contact with him. You realize what people mean when they say “Eyes are the windows to the soul.” As you look at Austin, you realize that his soul is made up entirely of you. 

What are you doing? Why aren’t you talking to him? He’s here for you. 

“If you need a minute, I’m happy to just sit here with you. You are allowed to tell me as little or as much as you would like. Take all the time you need.” 

You nod before closing your eyes and taking a deep breath, 

“It’s just– I’m not there with you and the time difference and the headlines and gossip. It makes me feel like you’re going to forget me. I’ve seen the paparazzi photos, Austin. You and Olivia look pretty damn cozy.” you take a breath trying to calm yourself down. 

You didn’t realize how upset you actually were about this whole situation. 

I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten so upset.” you say as you make eye contact with Austin. 

“Love, you have every right to be upset. I completely understand. Would I like you here by my side every minute? Yes. Do I wish when I got anxious before press and events you were by my side? Yes. Do I wish afterwards it was just the two of us? More than anything.” 

“Austin, please.” you practically beg him. You already feel bad enough not being there with him. 

“Just let me finish. There is a point to this. I promise.” he says. 

You look at him, waiting for him to continue. 

“I also know that you are kicking ass back at home and as much as I wish you were here with me, I could not be more proud of you.” 

Your eyes were welling with tears. 

“For years I have been lost. Lost without you. I didn’t understand what my purpose was in this life. But I know who I am now. I am yours.” 

You were full on sobbing now. 

“I am yours now and always. I wouldn’t dream to be anything more. You take my breath away every time. I honestly still can’t believe it when you say you’re mine.” 

This distance was hard on both of you but moments like this makes you stop and realize that you don’t want anybody else. 

“Love, I don’t think you will ever truly know how much you saved me. It was the first time that you smiled at me. I knew right then that I was put on this earth to love you.” 

“I will tell you that as much as I need to in order for you to believe it. I love you so much.” 

“I love you more than you know.” 

You were going to bed that night wondering how you got so lucky to be loved by Austin. 

[tamersa]

The shitiest translation of a book (known to me) aka why Polish translation of Good Omens sucks hard

Let me take you on an adventure! Sadly it won’t be  one during a nice and sunny day with happiness and laughter but rather a dreadful and containing mad giggles. What is that adventure you may ask? Why it’s an official Polish translation of Good Omens! Look at the photos below:

See all the plastic markers? Those are the mistakes I found in the book. But let me tell you. Those are not all of them! Just the major ones or ones that offends me the most.

You may ask: why did I use up most of my free time for over 2 months to do this?

Many years ago when I read the book for the first time I felt slightly disappointed. The book wasn’t as good as I thought it would be. It was weird, because I really liked T. Pratchett books from Disc World series. Maybe because there was other author? Or maybe the whole concept how the world was built? At that time I couldn’t even know that I would quite like the book in the future, and it wasn’t my younger mind fault that it was so confused. But the translation. Years later after watching the series I was wondering, why the book felt a bit off to me. And then my friend opened the book at a random, it was page no. 382, and found a mistake there. I thought it would be fun to compare both the original and the official translation. Oh what ‘fun’ it was.

THE HISTORY

First few facts to settle it in the time line.

The book was first published in 1990. T. Pratchett was 42 then, and N. Gaiman - 30. They co-wrote modern book settled in more or less the same time as it was published. It is important information to take here, because it might explain some of the terrible translation errors.

Polish version was first distributed in 1992. It had 2 translators Jacek Gałązka and Juliusz Witold Garztecki. It’s hard to tell more about the first one, but the other was 70 when he translated the book. Yes 70! And in his biography you can read, he was mostly rewarded for his books about army thins. My point is, while I don’t know much about this person I don’t think he was the right one for translating a book such as Good Omens. Maybe I’m biased, but just because there are some army men and some war themes in the book  doesn’t mean it has the right vibes.

But let’s dive into the errors and just wrong stuff I found by getting Polish book, English version paperback and pdf version for faster search of phrases.

There are 2 major types of errors:

“Editors” (errors that are not based off wrong translation per se, just lazy editing and some weird choices of the redaction).

Prologue and 2 part switched – the book should start with Eden scene not the character names introduction. Yeah in many old fashioned books it was other way around but this is author decision! You shouldn’t switch it because it looks better for you that way!

-        Chapters with numbers that not correspond with the parts in the book – yep in PL version chapters have numbers. What for? I don’t know, because there isn’t any table of content. And some chapter begin randomly not like bigger parts of the book.

-        Lack of days of the week – It is important for the flow of the book yet we can’t read it like in the original at the begging of some pages 130-        Lack of the dividing signs between paragraphs – sometimes there aren’t any. Because why to bother.

Lack of starting dialogue in a new line – there were few cases where someone didn’t drop a new line for dialogue and I was so confused who said what.

Lack of dialogue lines – in few places whole dialogue lines are missed

Interpunction mistakes, fast speaking with the comas not the dots – so pacing, that changes the flow of the book

Splitting text in general was terrible.

The capital letters, cursive and normal dialogue – in this book it is important what kind of font property we use – normal dialogue is different than Death speaking or Aziraphale talking in different bodies. But in this translation it is messed up. The angel speaks with capital letters like Death. That so not cool for me… and take those small pleasures reading the book.

You can also see PL version of the book has distinct change of tone in the middle. Why? Because you can tell almost exactly when the other translator started to work. And well, I think they didn’t communicate (don’t know the reason) because same stuff ,same words, even same names aren’t corresponding! You will see it later in the text.

story errors:

The first translator: looks like bitter man, who wants to correct the writers, adding 234532 not needed words, have sexist wording, and sometimes archaic speech. Makes one good joke and his translation of Agnes speech is nice. Maybe because he is closer to her times than to the times the book was written.

The major mistakes: too many words even for Polish version; Polish words are generally longer than English ones and sometimes you need to add words to have the same context. But this man goes so far with it is ridiculous. He takes 2 lines of good, easy translatable text that in PL would make max 3 lines and makes it to 5 lines. Why to add unneeded stuff?

Weird figures of speech that are not funny - those are really strong point in the Disc world book and in the original Good omens too. But the translation butchered those, drowning the wit and throwing random, sometimes even archaic, lines.

Crowley name – context mistake – Crowley name was Crawly first, the demon changed it later. Not in PL ver. Form the first line he was always Crowley.

Changing the text so context is changed too: like making an island form the a mountain, or changing a word that we don’t know if it’s a flame because the description is so vague. Or sometimes it is just translated wrong in general, changing the meaning.

Archaic words – like I’ve said it was modern book in the 90’. It wasn’t written in the 60’. Also new version of the book could be upgraded. Like in the 90 word ‘weekend’ wasn’t popular in Poland but now it is. So why do we have Saturday-Sunday and not just weekend…

The vulgarisms: bit too hardcore for a book that was co-made by terry Pratchett. Real Polish language has best vulgarisms and I love them but this book is not the place for most of them. Also because when they are there we could feel the impact. But you know what? Azz didn’t say his ‘Fuck’ line in PL version when being called back to heaven if page before it in translation he swears quite badly ( which also changes context…) Yep no “Fuck”… why the translator didn’t write “noż kurw…” or something? I don’t know…

Added words like “black Bentley”. In the original that phrase was used once or twice not like 10 times. The reader remember this car is black I can assure you…

Added whole sentences: sometimes the translator adds whole sentence without a reason. It is not his book… really…

Billion in Polish is not billion or million it is MILIARD – yep, those people are not great with numbers.

Lack of sentences: too many lines before? Let’s cut some of them out… I don’t know why but such a thing happens here too. Example is the Crowley pen scene.

Context mistake with the Bentley bullet holes – one of most confusing paragraph in PL version. I didn’t know what the hell (or heaven) is going on. So I read the original and everything made sense. Crowley put new window glass with holes. It was that easy. In PL version it sounds somewhat different.

Mr. and ‘Pan’ – mister in Polish is ‘Pan’, but somehow the book uses the Mr. shortening and sometimes Pan. Why not Pan all the time? Why to use Mister word in Polish version?

Spanish Inquisition – this scene is so butchered I just can’t… in Pl version it sounds like someone told him it was fun not that the hell congratulated Crowley for the inquisition

Lack of consequent translation: Asmodeusz I Wormwood – names: this is same name in English version. Also sister Mary’s surname once is translated and later is used as it was in the original (in my opinion it should be translated so the reader would understand it better)

Kraken!! – do you know that first translator didn’t knew that Kraken is a name of underwater past and thought it is some kind of light vulgarism? I couldn’t make that up myself…

Ineffable – this word is translated on many occasion in a different way, sometimes changing the meaning like Az said it is ineffable and in PL version is “Azz couldn’t find a way to explain this” really. Only later in the book the word is translated better. And as it is a running joke in the book it should be translated consistently in my opinion.

No food joke with deviled eggs and angel cake. And it was completely spoiled. The translator either didn’t know what deviled eggs are or thought it is overcooked food and made Aziraphale not like it.  Even after one drink I thought out how to make food pun and not spoil the part…

Fell’s name – I like the small pun that Az took last letters of his name to make a fake family name, however in Polish version translator didn’t see the joke and put there some weird ass cringe pseudonym.

And of course homophobia…– and not one that Az look like a stereotypical homosexual man no… also the “southern pansy’ is translated each time differently and at least once so much more vulgar and offensive.

Killing the joke about healing the bike – I love this joke. It is silly and light but in PL version Crowley says it like it was some offense.

Snowballs in hell – Polish has equivalent idiom “hell freezes over” but translator somehow didn’t  use it and instead wrote “there are no chances for it in hell”… the meaning is lost

Being mean – translator makes some characters mean without reason

What is a bully? The translator apparently didn’t know and messed up by saying it’s same as a loser

Recycling paper is same as recycling toilet paper for the translator – disgusting

Famine – the 6 letter word. In PL translate as “głód”. So a 4 letter word. Yet the character wrote his name in 6 letter in PL version…

Pepper reads erotic magazine for teens in PL version, not some stuff like Bravo… really? Pepper is 11.. she reads about boybands and shit…. Really…

Racism - the joke about men’s underwear (when Newt answered the phone) was changed to literally “painting Chinese people white”….

Shadwell - and his hate of southern people was changed to him hating English people… why? Also his “southern pansy” saying, is translated as “ English fag” but also “funny guy”… yeah

Pollution - powietrze morowe and skażenie – one translator gave Pollution a super weird name, the other one gave a proper one. That means book holds 2 names and people will be confused reading the second ‘chapter’ and later parts of the book.

Second translator was bit better. He didn’t add so much from himself and didn’t make as much mean comments and mistranslated. His errors are mostly literal translation of the words. That means whole sentences and even paragraphs sounds at least weird but in the long run, some doesn’t have much sense at all  and sounds AI generated. But it was written in then 90. Well I don’t have the 90 copy but the translators are the same on both covers so I think it is a very sloppy translation, or one was a complete amateur.

Also the translator doesn’t understand the difference between chips and crisps. I don’t know why he thinks kids eats fries and not thin potato snacks all the time.

I really can’t write how the translation of the second part of the book is stiff and  not flow enough. Look at this:

read the yellow part… it sounds so off..

Sometimes the translator is too lazy to find a word in Polish so he uses an English one and then puts description bellow…. Why do that when there are Polish words for it?

Also why are most numbers written with letters and not numbers? Maybe it is normal to do so but for me reading the name of a number is more confusing than just seeing the number ( like writing five hundred and not just 500)

Also they had to explain what sushi is :D now really in 2019 the this book was re-release most people know what sushi is. Besides, even that description is wrong…

There are also places when you could use Polish names for stuff or people. Like the painters to describe Tadfield. Most Polish people don’t know ones in the original book. But when you use famous Polish painters the parallel/joke would be better.

The translator doesn’t know or remember proper Polish idioms like kopnąć w kalendarz (kick the calendar - in English it would be “kick the bucket”) means to die, using weird ‘punch the calendar’ why?

Again sometimes when there are citations from the song one translator keeps the original, while the other one translates it. It’s confusing but in the end the reader should know what the words means.

Translator doesn’t know that sometimes you can’t turn back(?) on the  road and for sure doesn’t know how to translate it.

Second translator sometimes also used the language calque and not proper words.

The first translator wrote too much. This one cuts sentences sometimes.

And why is there explanation what Beelzebub name means?

Ending – where is forever? – ending of the book has a warm and slightly philosophical ending. With word ‘forever’ as the last word. I don’t know why Polish ‘na zawsze’ wasn’t written there? it really takes away from the ending…

There are hundreds of small and big mistakes really… ( movie clip if I can)

To sum it up: someone had bright idea to give a modern book to 2 older men to translate, when they weren’t really good with translation, or vibes etc. The book has been butchered ant that’s super sad. It could make potential reader to not like it even if they read the original it would be fine.

I wish the publisher would hire someone re-translate it in or give it to another publisher.

I’m not someone with a degree in English language but when someone like me can ‘catch’ all the mistakes and errors, I wonder what professional would say. Good for me I can read in English enough to enjoy  the original, for all the others: better watch the series.

[mspaesthetic]

Tidbit: Font Size Incongruities Due to PPI/DPI Resolution

Frequently, an individual will ask what font was used in a certain panel and another person will answer along with the font size to use. And just as frequently, the inquirer will then later assert that they must be wrong, because the text doesn’t match up at all. The problem usually lies within whether they had specified the font size in pt (points) rather than px (pixels), or if the inquirer uses pt without even realizing it or knowing what it means.

You see, using points as the unit of measurement for your font size hinges on what your document’s PPI/DPI resolution is currently set to. I can’t be assed to go into further excruciating detail because the technicalities get a little abstruse and I just really don’t care, so here is a handy Wikipedia article I screenshotted that you can read instead:

TL;DR:  Basically, a point is proportional to the pixel density value that is Pixels Per Inch (PPI), or Dots Per Inch (DPI) (the latter of which is only relevant for printing, but otherwise they both mean the same thing). For displaying images on the web, it absolutely does not matter what you set this as, but for creating text in your graphics editor, it may or may not matter depending on whether or not you can use pixels instead of points and inches (you shouldn’t be using these units anyways unless you’re in the business of printing things out).

Here’s a text layer with a font size of 12 pt and a pixel density of 72 PPI:

Now here’s the same layer, with the same font size, but a pixel density of 96 PPI:

No, nothing’s been zoomed in or scaled up, no trickery here. The image document is the same size in pixels, but if you were now to translate it into real world units such as inches, it would be slightly smaller than before. One-third smaller, in fact.

If we chose to resample (i.e. “resize”, scale up or down. Technically, changing the PPI resolution is called resizing. It’s distinct from resampling which adds or removes detail/pixels to the image) the image while changing the PPI resolution...

The image’s dimensions in pixels are now one-third larger, but would still physically be the same size printed in the real world.

If you’ve ever foolishly used MS Paint to make your own fanventure believing Hussie actually did (he didn’t), you’ve probably used the text tool at some point. If you aren’t painfully aware of this already, the program as a whole is too severely limited in its options. 

You have the option to change the 𝒇𝒐𝒏𝒕, bold, italicize, underline, and strikethrough your text, as well as the size, but no option to change whether to use pixels instead of points, which MS Paint uses by default. You’re unable to change its default DPI resolution of 96, too.

Paint.NET, being slightly better than MS Paint (although by not much), you’re at least able to change the DPI resolution, but are still forced to use pt. Changing the DPI to 72 will make the sizing consistent with px, though.

Generally, changing the DPI resolution shouldn’t have to be a concern in most other photo editors/drawing programs (for desktop applications. No idea how bullshit mobile apps are). Any editor worth its salt will allow you to choose whether to use points or pixels for text. I urge you, though, to please use pixels when you can. 

[kvetchinglyneurotic]

ok i just finished season 1 of daredevil and i will have articulate things to say about it at some point but for now here's the stream of consciousness notes i took while i was watching:

-I like Jack Murdock as a portrayal of a loving but flawed parent — like he clearly cares for Matt so much and he’s doing his best but there’s some parts of a “normal” childhood he just doesn’t really have the resources to provide. That being said being stupidly self-sacrificial clearly runs in the family. Just take the dive and collect your money my guy 

-“you shouldn’t be sneaking around at night you could get hurt”/ “we need to do this within the legal system” Matthew you fucking hypocrite (affectionate)

-weirdly fascinated by the way Fisk & co. translate for their sketchy group meeting that always seem to take place in abandoned parking garages, especially with how Wesley gives the general idea of what they’re saying instead of a direct translation — ok update i suspected this was because Fisk actually understood what everyone was saying and I was right!

-I like Foggy but I disagree with him about the purpose of a defense attorney — he wants to represent people who aren’t guilty/were justified in what they did but everyone deserves representation even if they 100% did the thing and were 100% wrong in doing so 

-Honestly probably worked out better for Matt that Stick was only around for a couple of years at the most. Also symbolic that he left before teaching Matt to use knives — Matt never fully goes down the road of lethal force (I mean some of the things he does definitely would kill people in real life but in real life he’d also be dead so it evens out) or fully cuts off the people he cares about. Also are they implying that the reason Matt doesn’t permanently have broken ribs and/or major blood loss that he meditates? I mean suspension of disbelief obviously but that is. very funny 

-Fisk is, on the one hand, very detail-oriented, but he’s also impulsive and emotionally reactive, so he has to come up with plans to cover for it. Also I feel like his and Wesley’s relationship is going to implode at some point. Or one of them (probably Wesley since Fisk is like. the main villain) is going to die

-are they sponsored by Dell 

-obviously I know why they do this for cinematic reasons but it’s very funny that in-universe Fisk gives his entire speech in 1x08 without actually saying his name until he dramatically announces at the end. Although maybe that’s just for dramatic effect and in-universe he's just repeating it? Also don’t throw your computer Matt you have no money 

-Matt’s smug little smile when Karen says the man in the mask looks badass flipping around :3 

-“the whole wounded, handsome duck thing” 

-i love how much they dwell on the actual implications of finding out your friend is secretly a vigilante/has had superpowers the entire time you’ve known each other, and that knowing they go out at night to beat people up, even if it’s for the “right” reasons, would still be alarming 

-actually not bad on the nighttime colour-grading front! I can see what’s happening which is better than most shows 

-I appreciate that there’s an actual plot about/explanation of how Matt gets his body armour 

-Wow who could have guessed leaving the gun in the middle of the table was a bad idea. I kind of liked Wesley but honestly what a dumbass way to die. Do admire the bluff though “you don’t really believe I’d put a loaded gun where you could reach it?” 

-love the approach to superhero realism here — not necessarily in the abilities or the way the plot is constructed (although that’s good, too) but in the characters’ reactions (Foggy finding out about Matt; Karen when she kills Wesley, Fisk when he finds out Wesley is dead) 

-“I thought your days of being relevant were past” ouch 

-reasons Wilson Fisk is evil: murder, drug dealing, doesn’t like cat videos 

-I do like that Fisk kind of gets the power of friendship thing though? But like it makes him worse 

-I’m very much not the most qualified to make this judgement and I’d want to check what people who actually *are* in a position to judge have to say about it, but I feel like this show has a bit of an… orientalism problem, I guess? But orientalism that also includes Russians, and also I know this is partly an extension of her being a very minor character but Doris (Ben Urich’s wife) is the only character who seems like she’s *only* there to like. encourage others through her wise words and doesn’t have much of an internal life of her own (besides the priest I guess but I feel like with priests that’s kind of their job) 

-Did Foggy not go to Ben’s funeral? 

-Fisk is also going to kill Leland. Maybe stop killing all your allies Fisk 

-I think it’s cute that Matt still holds onto Foggy’s arm when they’re walking even when it’s just the two of them and Foggy already knows that he doesn’t need to do it 

-Why does Marvel keep naming wise mentor figures who die Ben? Matt and Peter Parker should make a club (is Ben Urich in the comics? I haven't read the comics)

-“while actively being arrested” has got to win some sort of award for worst marriage proposal but I guess I admire that he just went for it? 

-Ominously large number of minutes left in this episode after the seeming resolution 

-Matt’s dumbass little horns <3

-Fisk: “You think one man in a silly little costume will make a difference?” bro *you* thought one man in a silly little costume would make a difference when you were the one man. Also I hope the silly little costume protects Matt from blunt force trauma 

-I’m honestly still not entirely sure how/if Nelson & Murdock actually made any money

-I feel like that bit near the beginning where Karen and Matt both have secrets and Foggy’s like “I wish I had a secret” describes their dynamic basically

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️ AND 👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑 (are you shocked lol)

Hey!!! I’m just surprised you asked for more than one thing lol!

57 for⚡️

—-

“What are you smiling at?” Buck asks after a second, when it’s clear Eddie is more interested in his thoughts than his smoothie.

Eddie just winks. “I’ve got a lot to be smiling about.”

🗲🗲🗲

Not that Buck expected any differently, based on his conversations, but everyone at work is happy for them, too. It’s sort of just a happy time at the 118, more generally. Chim and Maddie married. Buck and Eddie engaged. Hen and Karen working to adopt their foster daughter, Mara. Everyone is doing well.

“Let Athena and I throw you a party to celebrate,” Bobby asks on their first shift after the proposal.

“A party?” Buck asks.

“An engagement party,” Bobby insists.

Buck grins. This feels like some sort of honor. He hadn’t done this for Chim. In fact, the Lees had done it for Chim. The people who were pretty much Chim’s parents. More important than his parents.

“That would mean a lot, Bobby. Thank you.” Buck tells him.

“That’s really kind,” Eddie agrees.

Bobby smiles warmly. “Good. Leave it to me. I’ll send you some dates.”

Buck feels sort of surreal about the whole thing, truly. He’s engaged. To Eddie. Probably the coolest person on earth to be engaged to. Definitely the coolest person, actually. And the people he loves beyond that are eager to celebrate him. Oh, and they are also going to have another kid at some point. Insane. Insanely, fantastically perfect. He wishes he could step back in time and tell his past self this is where he’d end up. He wouldn’t have believed it.

He wouldn’t have believed he’d get here. He wouldn’t have believed someone would want to be here with him. The fact that it’s Eddie? Somehow totally magical and entirely sensible all at the same time.

☆☆☆

The honeymoon-like bubble that follows their engagement pops after a few days. And it’s sort of Eddie’s fault.

It’s not that it pops in the way that anything bad happens. They don’t fight or anything like that. More like, Eddie makes the unfortunate but probably ultimately necessary choice to talk plans. Not just wedding plans, like Chris has been bugging them to do. But, like, all of them. What does any of what they’ve decided on look like, logistically?

Unfortunately, logistics aren’t always sexy or romantic. They’re… Logistical.

Eddie brings this up during a dinner where Christopher is not present. Hanging out at a friend’s, luckily for them.

—-

60 for 👑:

—-

“Be right there,” Chim replies, distracted. He walks away from the Christmas card, determined to forget about it.

Of course, he doesn’t.

👑👑👑

He Googles them later that day, during some downtime at the station. He shouldn’t. It makes him feel creepy. But he does it anyway.

He doesn’t Google Maddie. He’d like to make this clear. Just her parents. Really, just her father.

He, as it turns out, is the primary owner and stakeholder in a company called Castle Restaurant Group. He and another partner own a series of fine dining - really upscale places - around the state. Primarily Los Angeles. Chim searches through them. They’re the kind of places frequented by celebrities; athletes, pop stars, real housewives.

Yeah, these people have money.

Chim locks his phone and puts it away. There’s no point thinking about her.

Not that he gets much of a chance anyway. Twenty minutes later, Captain Wallen sits them down and tells them he’s leaving. After their next four off, on New Year’s Eve, a new Captain will be starting. Some guy called Nash out of Minnesota.

Chim has given up hoping that they’ll be good. The least he can hope for is that this one isn’t another Gerrard.

iii.

If he had any chance of forgetting about her, those chances are dashed on December 29th. Chimney is off work, making a pretty run of the mill grocery trip, when he runs into her again. What are the damn chances?

Chim likes going to a supermarket right beside a Portuguese bakery. It’s a bit out of the way, but the bakery makes it all worth it. The bread and pastries are truly beyond compare. Plus, it always makes Hen smile when he brings her an egg tart at the beginning of a shift.

It is at this bakery, with Chim’s groceries sitting in the car, that he runs into Maddie. He’s halfway through placing an order when she walks into the shop, bell on the door chiming to announce her arrival. Chim glances over his shoulder; nothing more than compulsory curiosity. He does a double take when he realizes it’s her, nearly dropping his debit card onto the floor.

Maddie is dressed in simple jeans and a powder blue sweater. She looks soft and striking all at once.

“Oh,” Maddie exclaims, looking at him. “I know you!”

Chim blinks. “You do?”

As if he doesn’t know exactly what she’s talking about. He’s just floored that she recognized him.

“You were the paramedic at the mall!”

“Yes!” Chim confirms. “With Santa.”

“Is he okay?” Maddie asks.

“Well, we don’t get follow ups,” Chim admits. “But he was stable when we left him.”

“Oh good,” Maddie smiles. It’s such a kind smile. “That’s good to hear.”

The clerk at the counter clear her throat, signaling to Chim that he's holding up the process.

“Right, sorry,” he mutters. He looks back at Maddie. “One sec?”

Maddie nods.

Chim turns back to the clerk and finishes his order as quickly as possible.

[coffyao]

just one of those self-indulgent nights

summary:

After Margaret breaks the news that she is going off to university, Mordecai ends up spiralling downwards, and Rigby is unfortunately left to pick up the pieces. One late night however, when he comes across a Mordecai that is ready to drink all his pains away, what better way to help to help him in his self-destruction by drinking with him too.

link to my a03: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lalaloopsyland

“Mordecai? what are you...” 

“Overdue for a refreshing and long drink.” 

Mordecai opens the fridge, and takes out a few beer bottles from it, placing them in the middle of the table. He then pulls out his chair, and sits on it, his right arm lazily placed on the top of it. 

“c’mere rigby.” 

It was the first time he saw Mordecai come out of his room in weeks, and it clearly showed through his unkempt look, where his wolf cut mullet had stuck out in the wrong places, and his crusty five-year-old boxers made a reappearance. His white shirt had dried coffee stains, and his eyes were puffy and swollen. 

Your still crying over her?  

“... you shouldn’t be drinking,” rigby said, reaching out for the bottles until Mordecai gripped his hand, his resolve for a drink, immoveable. 

“Well, I need to. So, either drink with me or go the fuck away.” 

Mordecai loosened his grip and rigby hastily pulled his hand away, nursing it slow rubs against the skin.  

Mordecai had been depressed over Margeret before, but not to the degree rigby had been aware of before. Mordecai had always been the stronger one, the one who could bounce back from any kind of trouble they got themselves in.  

But he was never resilient when it came to his lovesickness. His undeserved love for Margeret. 

And now, his obsession had started to negatively impact his life, and he's pushing the people that care the most for him. 

She really isn’t special.  

Rigby pulls his own chair, and sits down, taking the beer in his hand. 

“I guess I'm going to have to join you then,” Rigby said, unscrewing the top and taking a long sip from it. He then smacks his lips and lets out a dramatic sigh, obviously pointed towards Mordecai. 

“so, you drinking or what?” pushing the bottle towards mordecai, lifting his eyebrow. 

“... Of course I am.”  

---

“god, my life really sucks,” mordecai slurred, finishing the fifth bottle before knocking it to the side. 

“Why does it suck,” rigby asked, tipping the beer into his mouth.  

“B-because, margeret man...” 

This guy.  

“margeret isn’t the only woman in the world,” rigby said, and leaned his elbows forward, looking straight at mordecai. 

“...y-you will meet someone better.” 

Mordecai shakes his head and continues his self-deprecation. 

“no...no I'm useless with other women, I can’t...” 

which was partially true. Mordecai wasn’t great with women in general, but when he invested his time and energy into one person only, he could be pretty decent at it. Unlike Rigby, he had a lot of potential. 

“you aren’t...”  

“I m-must be if the p-people I like want to leave me.” 

what about me?  

“...not true. pops, benson, skips, high-five ghost and....” listing each with his fingers, becoming more unsure as he named them. 

Mordecai scoffs condescendingly and takes another bottle into his hand. 

“That doesn’t...fuck...count.” 

“...Why wouldn’t it? They're your friends, aren’t they?” 

If it was a year ago, Rigby would have laughed at the idea of being friends with hardcore stickler Benson, or the sheltered weirdo pops, but once he got to know the whole gang, he started to think of them as a second family.  

Not that I would admit this.  

And although they tried to get Mordecai out of his slump, he stubbornly remained in his room, and let himself succumb to his own heartbreak.  

But Rigby didn’t get it. Margeret was just a regular chick.  

She doesn’t know him like I do.

“... and I'm still here, aren’t I?” rigby mumbles, a vulnerable slip of the tongue that he regretted once he said it, as his cheeks grew hot and mordecai sported an unusual emotion on his face. 

Fuck me. Fuck...  

“Yeah. I guess...that's uf...true.” 

Mordecai lets go of the beer bottle and stands up, stumbling towards the sink until he gets a hold of the edge, and runs his face off with cold water.  

He finally turns the tap off, and turns toward rigby, as his hair blocked his eyes and his damp shirt stuck to his chest. It made for a pitiful sight. 

“so...get wasted with me all night alright? I'm counting on you.” 

but it didn't feel bad that he was only one that could be counted on.

"as long as you don't choke in your own vomit."

__

[survivalove]

There was yet another viral ATLA comparison tweet recently that went “Who winning in a fight between Katara, Toph and Azula?” and I was talking about it with some of my friends who watched the show because….

I noticed when a lot of people talk about this (and atla in general but specifically this) they talk with a lot of projection and bias of the characters’ personalities and not about their actual fighting abilities in the show?

Because, correct me if I’m wrong cuz I have Katara blinders and also haven’t watched the show in a few months so I COULD BE WRONG, but…

I don’t recall Katara losing as many fights as either of them do in canon.

Toph loses a fight in imbalance (and to Aang when they first meet) but a lot of people haven’t even read the comics so the Katara-Toph comparisons bother me less because they never truly fought in the show either.

But Katara has not only beat Azula twice, she’s also never lost a fight after season 1 from what I can remember.

And yet, people continue to act like she’s not a great fighter, especially in favor of those two when she’s literally the only one to beat one of the others, TWICE at that.

When Toph meets Azula in the invasion, Azula doesn’t have her bending and Toph is left to fight two Dai Li agents. The show never once shows these 2 in direct opposition. Toph also never has to fight Zuko, who Katara has. Never fights Mai and Ty Lee, who Katara has. Katara not only has more wins than them, but the show also shows her directly fighting more significant opponents between the three of them.

I actually wanna speak about two of those fights, yeah yeah Sozin’s Comet but also, the 1v1 in Ba Sing Se. Not only do people cry “oh Azula was breaking down in the finale” but now they claim that the fight in season 2 was also not fair? because she was too tired from fighting Aang and Katara?? And I’m like??? Aang made one waterbending move with Katara and one solo earthbending move at Azula before Zuko switched sides and started attacking him. Then Katara was left to fight Azula on her own for far longer, and throughout the whole fight, Azula literally did not get a hit on Katara once, to the point her brother had to intervene.

If you ask me, their fight on Sozin’s comet is a much stronger case for Azula as an opponent. For one, Azula was literally overpowered by a comet and was shooting lightning and fire all over the place with more intensity and speed than she ever had. Meanwhile Katara spends majority of the fight on the defensive but still impressively keeps up with Azula enough to dodge her moves until the very end when she defeats her.

All this to say, even though they’re all girls, I do feel a bit of misogyny is at play here: I feel like people are more critical of Katara as a fighter because she’s kind, girly and the female love interest. (I think this also relates to why so many people insist she shouldn’t have ended up with the mc but that’s a whole other discussion).

Katara is not the tomboy brawler or the cold blooded villain. Her femininity cannot be ignored and her strength cannot be tied to a villainous narrative. Katara not wanting to bloodbend pisses people off, because it’s “more proof she doesn’t have what it takes”. She doesn’t “have the stomach” to end her mother’s m*rderer so how can she beat Toph or Azula? “Female characters are hardly both healers AND fighters” so Katara automatically isn’t either. Even though the canon explicitly shows she is one of, if not THE BEST female fighter in the entire cast.

It does not compute. Their prejudice for kind hyperfeminine love interests in media automatically puts her down several notches and her strength is something to be contested in a way theirs aren’t. It’s okay for female characters that aren’t overly feminine to be strong because it just makes sense. It’s ok for female villains to be stronger than the male heroes because that’s what makes them badass villains. The hero’s girlfriend? eh not so much.

The more blatant misogyny starts to surface when they start talking about stuff like personality and emotion like just say it out loud at this point! It was never about “Who you want to win?” but “Who can win?”. And Katara is anything but a loser.

[a-polite-melody]

intersex transfem again! that wasn't what i was implying at all actually. generally i just think it's silly to define a group of people by their reproductive organs.

it'd be equally silly to be like "being denied prostate exams is a uniquely trans woman experience" cause like....okay....even if it was i would still think the root issue here is that reproductive healthcare is unnecessarily and dangerously gendered. it's kinda our whole bag as intersex people.

You’re not wrong.

But when my post was about someone trying to deny transmascs language, and you come in anonymously with zero context to me of why you’re saying what you’re saying, it comes across as saying “actually yes that person you’re rebutting was correct that you shouldn’t have language because your experiences aren’t unique enough”.

There are ways to get the point you’re trying to get across much better than anonymously saying “hi you’re wrong, that’s it, no restating that your language is actually important even if there’s overlap here”.

And before you cry “tone policing”, again, you came into my inbox anonymously, which was your choice, but is also a choice which carries unfortunate stigma considering how much the word ‘anon’ is followed up by the word ‘hate’ when we talk about the phenomenon of being able to message anonymously. I’m willing to give much better room for people to have an imperfect tone when they’re not hiding and so potentially not even who they say they are.