#there were so many scenes that just made me go 🙃

[berrybore]

Cotg continuity inconsistencies aside, what was the decision behind the scene where Percy asks Annabeth how she can stand using the cap of invisibility? (even though he’s had it on before without the discomfort, but I digress)

So she can sagely tell him that power has a price? The only character in the riordanverse without a magical ability is waxing poetic about the dangers of power to the human equivalent of a nuclear war head?

[spookyscarydemonbabe]

Perfect Stranger

Summary- Eddie runs into someone needing his help late at night, and like the gentleman he is, he knew he couldn’t leave you all by yourself.

Genre- Fluff

Warnings- A drunk asshole not understanding when he’s made a girl feel uncomfortable 🙃

Tag List- @thatsthewaythechrissycrumbles @munsonology @gvf23 @wheels-of-despair @goatsmcgee @flawiette

Word Count- 1.2k

Eddie took one last puff off of the cigarette butt between his fingers before tossing it to the ground, blowing the smoke up into the night sky as he began down the crowded sidewalk. Smaller shows were his absolute favorite shows to attend, he adored being able to support the local scene, just as long as they didn’t mind taking a flyer for Corroded Coffins next show.

They always ended the same: the crew would clear out their equipment along with a majority of the people in the crowd, meanwhile the band would be at the bar talking with friends and a few new fans. The only unfortunate part was that Eddie promised Wayne this wouldn’t be another night where he was out past 3 a.m. A smirk came to his lips as he checked his wristwatch. Only 1:45, so technically he was still on time.

Just as he put his arm back down, he jumped, not seeing you standing so closely to him, smiling big with a look in your eyes he’d only seen in movies. When those damsels in distress finally see their knight in shining armpit to take them away from whatever evil was keeping them captive.

He didn’t know how right he was.

“Hey!” You said, eyes wide with that same smile on your lips, “Where have you been, i’ve been looking all over for you?”

Confused wouldn’t even begin to describe the way Eddie was feeling.

There was this girl in front of him, a complete stranger, dressed up all pretty with your makeup and hair done. He started to think he saw you in the crowd at the show. Yet still, a stranger, who was clearly VERY happy to have found him. It was only when he looked up behind you and saw an irritated man a few feet away.

He was dressed up in the same clothes, another guy from the show he assumed, only this one didn’t seem like the type to not be a problem. Eddie glanced down and immediately picked up this schtick you’d begun when you looked into his eyes and mouthed ‘Help. Me.’ to him. That was enough to get anyone’s clear attention.

“Hey!” He smiled, his arm quickly going around your side to pull you close to him, “Sorry, i think i just got caught up at the bar, my bad.”

“That’s ok!” You nodded, hoping the relief in your voice translated as a ‘thank you’, “I told you he was around here somewhere,” You said to the creep, “he can get me back just fine.”

Whoever this guy was, he wasn’t going to take ‘no’ easily.

“You’re sure?” He shrugged, “How do i know you’re not just making shit up? I’m just trying to be nice, you should be thankful.”

“Hey.” Eddie said sternly, even making you jump slightly, “Don’t tell her how to feel asshole, she said she’s fine.”

“Oh come on, I’ve been talking to this bitch all night and she’s been all alone until now.” From the way his words were slurring it was quite noticeable how many drinks this guy had at the show. Another drunk asshole thinking he can creep on any girl he wants, and Eddie wasn’t going to stand for it.

“Yeah, well her boyfriend is here now so i think you should get lost.” Eddie pulled you closer into him, getting ready to shield you just in case this guy decided to get any closer.

The drunk tilted his head with a sour look on his face, staring directly at you as he tried his best to stand on his own two legs. His attention was drawn elsewhere when he saw the familiar shine of the streetlights against the red and blue siren atop the police car that just so happened to be driving by.

With an eye roll and a scoff from the drunk, you thought you could hear him muster out something, but as soon as it started it was over. He shook his head as he turned on his heel, finally leaving you alone, especially after not wanting this to get any more serious than it had already been.

Eddie watched as the drunk turned the corner, keeping you at his side just in case he decided to come back.

“You alright?” He asked you, his hands holding your forearms tightly, “He didn’t hurt you did he?”

“No, I’m alright.” You smiled with a sigh of relief knowing that he was finally gone, “He just wouldn’t leave me alone… Thanks for helping me. I really appreciate it…” You were about to thank him formally but it had finally got you that you didn’t even know his name.

“Eddie.” He said with a smile, holding his hand out for you to shake.

“Eddie.” You confirmed, taking his hand and giving it a gentle shake, “I’m (y/n).”

“Nice to meet you, (y/n).”

“Likewise.” You smiled before a quick deep breath, “Thank you again, really. That drunk asshole has been bothering me all fucking night.”

“God, i can’t imagine.” Eddie slowly walked with you closer to the bar, at least there you’d be around with people if that guy decided to come back, “I’m really sorry about that.”

“It’s alright.” You shrugged, “It wouldn’t be the first time some dick at a show decided i was gonna be his target for the night. It’s usually easy, im always with my friends, but the one night i decide to go to a show by myself…” You took another deep breath, shaking your head for letting yourself get so stupid and go to a show by yourself when you knew this would happen. Again.

Eddie gently put his hand to your shoulder,

“It’s not your fault. It’s no one’s fault but that asshole, he’s the one who got too drunk to notice how creepy he was being.”

His reassurance helped to ease your anxiety, and he seemed like an overall nice guy considering how quickly he caught onto helping you.

“Thank you.” You said with a kind smile, your eyes finally meeting his. They looked almost black in the night, but the chocolatey glare from the yellowed street lights made them seem so soft.

“Of course. If you like i’d be happy to stick around you for a little bit, or i can walk you to your car if you need me to?”

“Honestly, after all that,” You chuckled nervously, replaying the nights events in your head, “i could use a drink.”

“Hear, hear.” Eddie laughed, holding his arm out for you to take, “I’ll buy. You’ve been through enough tonight.”

You cautiously took his arm, pulling close to him as you began your slow stroll towards the still open bar. It may have a few more drunk assholes left straggling around but at least this time you had some protection.

With the combination of the yellow streetlights overhead and the music of the bar playing in the distance, mixed with the rustle of the leaves as a breeze flew by, it made the moment seem almost romantic.

You may have just met one another, just you were happy to get to know this stranger. No matter how long it took.

[lukolabrainrot]

Toronto and Ireland (Part 2)- Ireland Stops

The Ireland stops were absolutely magic and my favorite of the tour! They were the stops that confirmed to me that this relationship between L/N wasn't just work besties who had a lot of sexual chemistry. This was a relationship with a lot of depth and intimacy, and would (probably) be very serious. I am going to talk about the specific parts during Ireland that led me to this conclusion, because there were just too many things that happened in Dublin/Galway to go over everything (but feel free to send me an Ask if you want me to talk about something in particular during Ireland that I don't cover here). I'm going to say a few of my general thoughts/comments about the Ireland stops first:

I believe that L/N went directly to Ireland from Toronto (please correct me if I am wrong?), and that energy from Toronto spilled over and peaked in Ireland, which resulted in heightened emotions in Ireland. I think their emotions were also heightened because the tour was coming to an end, and it was like a homecoming for N.

I think PART of the reason we saw the type of behavior and body language from L in Ireland is because L knew how meaningful these particular stops were for N, and he was just kind of in awe/inspired/mesmerized by how people were responding to them (but particularly to her).

L/N basically interacted the whole time like they were a FREAKING COUPLE 😅 Like it was BLATANTLY OBVIOUS from their nonverbal cues and how they were talking (imo). I don't think they ACTUALLY were , but it was just VERY interesting considering the energy from Toronto (if that makes sense)🤔

Alright, I am now going to analyze particular parts from the Ireland stops (going to go chronologically):

The Freaking Head Rub (Dublin):

Posting 2 TTs because this was by far the most WTF moment for me on the tour (I have like 6 edits of this clip saved on TT 😂) So let's dive into this gem:

I'm going to start by saying this. THIS 👏 WAS 👏 THE 👏 MOST 👏 OBVIOUS 👏 SLIPUP 👏 ON 👏 THE 👏 TOUR 👏 They got caught. Period. It was obvious this type of intimate behavior is normal for them.

Now the act itself could be written off as just a kind gesture. But below is why it blew up:

1) It was CRAZY intimate. L leaned in (like she does this all the time), he closed his eyes, she gingerly rubbed his forehead (I still don't exactly know what she was getting out of his face--hair, lent, she just wanted to touch her man him, idk? 🙃), the man made a little MOANNN/PURRRR in the middle of the head rub, and then N gently carressed his cheek to signal that he looked good now (again, like she DOES THIS ALL THE TIME). 2) Then the interviewer made an impromptu "Oh" right after he made the soft moan because she was taken aback and was like WTF IS HAPPENING. She tried to correct and make a little joke about the carriage scene (which coincidentally is what they were talking about in that moment) to try and ease the awkwardness of the situation, but the interviewer was totally unprepared for that little moment. 3) L made a little side-eye look at the interviewer after she went "Oh" because he realized he got lost in the moment and how intimate it was, and was like OH S**T. 4) N BLUSHES and shyly laughs (our PR queen who is VERY aware that the public analyzes everything she does) 5) L/N try to laugh it off and say that N does things like THIS to people all the time (but you could tell they were both embarrassed/flustered, especially L, BECAUSE THEY GOT CAUGHT/SLIPPED UP) 6) And they did all of that RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE of one of the interview questions 🙄

L/N tried to come up with a lame-o excuse when they were asked about it during the London premiere, but you could tell that they really had no good explanation, because it just kind of happened and they got caught on camera. The intimacy of this moment goes wayyy beyond work besties, and I think they knew that, and there was obviously no way they were going to go there with that interviewer on the London red carpet (but they also couldn't deny it happened because it's on camera, so L got a little defensive and N came up with that silly response about getting lent off people, which wasn't even what was happening in that moment 🙄🙄).

I have NEVER seen anything quite like this before in the middle of a daytime interview of this nature, and the moment still makes me go WHATTTT JUST HAPPENED. It is THE moment that I decided 100% that L/N's relationship wasn't just friendship. That moment served as a very tiny, candid glimpse of how they are in private, and that's how I knew. Simple as that. "Work besties"... sure Jan 😂

Why they let that level of intimacy slip on camera, we will never know. I feel strongly that it probably had a lot to do with N's guard being wayyy down due to the heightened feelings I previously mentioned, and just that they were HAPPY. I definitely don't think they wanted that on camera though, but I think it speaks VOLUMES N did this publicly. N does have a tendency to be very touchy with people, and she had picked/wiped things off of L before on the tour. But NOTHING like this though. N was sending a message (just my opinion though).

Dublin Red Carpet Event/Screening

Side note before I get to my thoughts. This was my FAVORITE outfit of theirs on the tour🔥❤️ They reminded me of a couple in a Tim Burton movie (ex: Johnny Depp and Winona Rider in Edward Scissorhands). It was just sublime *chef's kiss*

I just loved this red carpet event!! EVERYTHING about it:

The way all the fans were looking so lovingly at how LUKE and NICOLA were interacting with each other

The way L was constantly looking for N when they weren't together (and every time he looked at her (particularly when she wasn't aware) he was just GLOWING AT HER 😍)

The way they checked each other out when they finally came together 🔥

How L kept checking in with N and was so in tune with her because he knew how emotionally overwhelming and meaningful this was for her

How he decided to wear only Irish designers for the Irish stops to honor her (that might not have actually been his choice, but it was really sweet he mentioned it regardless)

How happy he was that this outfit was N's favorite of his on the tour. L cares sooo much about what she thinks about him, no one can tell me otherwise 😍😭

The way you could tell L got upset when that interviewer during the Dublin screening said that comment about N being so "brave" (in relation to her body), and how in awe he was with N's effing amazing response

This red carpet event/screening reaffirmed to me just how much L admires/loves/adores/respects N. Like there is real emotional depth behind his eyes when he looks at her, like she is the moon, the sun, and the stars. Like he just looks and interacts with her like she's his person, his 🦞️ (for the Friends' fans in the group lol). Obviously, some of what we saw during this red carpet event was probably due to the heightened emotions of everything that I mentioned at the beginning of this post. However, L/N were so in tune with each other and just glowing during this event (it was palpable), and it made my heart so happy 😍

Galway/L Meeting N's Family

Galway was just something else. Let's talk first a little bit about some things leading up to Galway:

N and L brought up multiple times in Dublin about how excited they were for L to meet her family (particularly her mom who N is really close to). And this excitement seemed VERY genuine based on their body language and how they were talking about it.

N brought up a few times about how excited her mom was to meet L (I talk a little about that/her mom's thoughts on L in my post here).

I think it was just very telling by how they were talking about this introduction that it was a BIG deal for both of them (and everyone involved). Whyyyy... well because (I believe) they are going to be seeing a LOT more of Luke Newton in the future 😉

So this is how I came to this conclusion. First, these are the main things that really stood out to me from the introduction that signaled to me this was not just someone introducing her work bestie to her family:

Their nonverbal cues on the screening stage signaled to me that there were BIG feelings between L/N about her family being there (I couldn't tell you what feelings exactly, but I would guess it was a mixture of nervousness, excitement, happiness, etc.)

The WAY L was sooooo in tune with her during this screening presentation because he knew how overwhelming this all was for her. And he appeared hyper-aware that her family was there, and it appeared to me from his body language and behavior that he was very self-conscious and trying to make the BEST first impression on her family

The WAY N asked L to come meet her mom. I have like a lot to say about this little moment because I think it speaks VOLUMES. 1) L is kind of distracted talking to some fans, but N is laser focused on her family and not really paying any attention to the fans (I'm sure she was very eager to go greet her mom, but she stayed glued to him (it read as VERY connected body language wise) and she was obviously not going to go until he went with her) 2) She then gently puts her hand on his arm and asked him to come meet her mom 3) He redirected his attention to her and happily said yes 4) He turned back to the fans to say goodbye, and N was already very gently guiding him away towards her mom 5) He and her were a unit in this moment, this introduction was going to happen as a unit 6) This whole interaction just SCREAMED of two people who have an intimate relationship and are very comfortable with each other (again, the nonverbal cues 👀)

She gives her mom a very heartfelt and teary hello, and then her mom holds her arms out like "Luke come here." and N is like oh yeah "Big moment big moment" and L (who has repeatedly said he's not a big fan of hugs) comes over and gives her mom a BIG hug and is just BEAMING. And the whole crowd goes wild lol -> He also tells her mom "Thank you for being so kind (OR making her (N) so kind 😭). I'll see you after. We'll spend some time"'

There is too much to list in regards to the body language of everyone involved in this moment, but it speaks VOLUMES that this was a highly anticipated introduction and a major moment for everyone. I would recommend, if you haven't, going back and looking over how N's brother and SIL react to this introduction, it is PARTICULARLY telling.

And the cherry on top is that when her mom turns away to go back to her seat after the hug, she does this little approving nod to whoever she was sitting by like "Yup, he's a good one. I like him for her." 😭😭

Final thoughts on this introduction/Ireland in general/miscellaneous:

That family introduction was absolutely WILD...Now even if her family had decided not to go to the Galway screening, I am almost certain L would have stayed around that weekend and hung out with her family regardless. Why... Because (like I have mentioned a few times on this blog) I think they know what they have, and I think they legit see a future with each other if they can figure things out. And I think they discussed a lot of this during the tour, which is why we saw what we saw with the introduction. I am almost certain they would not have had the emotions they did to this family introduction if they weren’t serious about being in each other’s lives for the foreseeable future.

Also, this family introduction was personal (for them, not for us–AKA not PR). I think we just got lucky that we got to be a small part of this wholesome/genuine moment because N’s family made the decision to go to the public Galway screening where a bunch of fans would be able to record them. That 100% wasn’t coordinated or calculated by N or the press people.

Now she might have been lying, but I personally believe N when she said in one of those London radio interviews about L/N staying in Galway during the weekend with her family to “recuperate” before the premiere. They both talked in London about how they spent time with her family after the screening, N's BIL tried to get L drunk, N (not so subtly) implying how her mom had VERY positive thoughts on L after meeting him, etc. Again, I think this speaks VOLUMES on where L/N were at emotionally at this point.

If we go on the understanding that N is jaded about romantic relationships and really private about this part of her life, having to navigate all these big new feelings for someone on a public stage was probably INCREDIBLY challenging (for both of them tbh). It was probably made even more complicated by the fact that they HAD to play up the romantic vibes to promote the show, which made people ship them like crazy (which was super easy to do because there are real feelings between them). And I think they didn't quite realize HOW obvious they had been about their feelings, but are in NO way going to go public with these feelings right now (if they are indeed working on their relationship). Why? Because it would destroy their relationship at this point in time. However, I think they gave us SOO many crumbs (Ireland being the most obvious imo) that there is real deep love and attraction for each other. For me, if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's a duck 😉

Here are my final thoughts to tie up my timeline theories on the PR tour. I personally believe the PR tour forced them to address big feelings for each other that they had been avoiding for a while. Their feelings were reciprocated. They physically acted on their feelings at various points of the tour. They had a lot of conversations in private and determined their strong feelings and attraction went past the show and their characters, and determined they wanted to move forward and figure out what their romantic feelings for each other meant. They emotionally became a lot more connected BTS, and I think they were starting to have more conversations about a POTENTIAL serious future with each other. This led to more obvious nonverbal cues that signaled there was more confidence, intimacy, and security between them, and then it culminated in the absolute goldmine that was Ireland. However, the whole situation is quite complicated because of the whole A of it all. I completely acknowledge that she is still in his life, and they are still involved in some sort of capacity. I talked about my thoughts on that though here. Therefore, I feel like they just need time in private to cook and figure everything out away from the spotlight. L/N gave us soooo many clues though on how they were feeling about each other BTS while they were on the PR tour, and if you put them all together, it tells quite the story imo 😉

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is:  Pricklywhicket/@messessentialist ! Prickleywhicket has four fics published to AO3 -- All in the Steddie tag!

Our anonymous nominator recommends the following works by pricklywhicket:

so let's sneak in from the cheap seats, honey

it's supposed to be fun (turning twenty-one)

start by pulling him out of the fire

"Sadie is so super talented in the way she describes literally everything. She is so good at writing and it's a shame that she's flown under the radar because she's not the quickest at putting things out there." -- Anonymous

Below the cut, Pricklywhicket answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

Why do any of us write anything? Because we want the story to exist in the world, and it doesn’t yet, so we gotta hike up our pants and do it ourselves!

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

Hurt/Comfort. I’m always a sucker for the blorbos taking care of one another, in whatever form that takes. This has always been true, across a truly astronomical number of fandoms I’ve found myself dabbling in over the years.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

…actually, probably hurt/comfort! I just need to get those little dudes some validation and unconditional positive regard, okay?

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

I’m sure I won’t be the first one to say this, but: I HAVE TO PICK ONE????? Okay, alright. I can do this. I’m gonna say…Sanctuary by SpicedSage.

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

I’ve only written canon or canon-adjacent fic so far, so I’m eager to work on something that’s completely AU. I think there’s a unique challenge to keeping characters recognizable as themselves in a world that might not have all the same contexts that made them into that person.

What is your writing process like?

I would love to say it’s super organized and well-planned, but the truth is it’s mostly about routine and responsibility. I set aside time to do it every day, even if I can only tap out a few sentences. I’m not very strict about writing in a straight line - I can stop a scene if it’s giving me trouble, write a note about what I think happens in some [brackets], and move on to something that I have more fully fleshed-out ideas for. Sometimes writing the next scene helps you know more about what needs to happen in the current one. 

Do you have any writing quirks?

I'm sure my betas would say yes 🙃 I tend to write a lot of dialogue - a lot of my revision process is going back through and realizing I have two pages of a conversation with no indication of what’s physically happening in the world around the speakers.

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

Definitely when I’m finished. Prior to my ‘23 bang fic, I had never written anything chaptered. I knew going in that I could NOT start posting if it wasn’t finished, because I’ve been burned too many times by abandoned works. I didn’t want to do that to people reading my fic, and the best way to avoid it is to finish before you post.

Which fic are you most proud of?

Easily start by pulling him out of the fire. The biggest, most ambitious thing I’ve ever attempted - I still kind of can’t believe I wrote 85k.

How did you get the idea for start by pulling him out of the fire?

Like most terrible ideas, it was spawned in a fandom discord chat. We were discussing the tendency of Steddie fics to centralize the party at Steve’s house, because his parents are never there anyway. And then someone mentioned what if the parents came home and found their house occupied, and someone else mentioned Wayne being there, and it just sort of…spiraled out from there.

When writing start by pulling him out of the fire, what was something you didn’t expect?

I had no idea, going in, that I was going to write a comprehensive history of the Wayne and Eddie Munson relationship. I started writing it where I did to give some background on Wayne’s existing distaste for the elder Harrington, and then I just…kept writing. Over the course of a month or two I wrote 20k of WayneAndEddie that I had no idea was in me - it just kept coming.

What inspired it's supposed to be fun (turning twenty-one)?

@wynnyfryd. It was a gift for her birthday. We were talking about our mutual love of Letterkenny, and she mentioned that the episode was her favorite and wouldn’t it be funny if someone wrote… and the rest is history.

What was your favorite part to write from it's supposed to be fun (turning twenty-one)?

I had an unreasonable amount of fun with that one in general. But I think my favorite part was Eddie polling the party about what Steve means to them all. It was fun to sort of put myself in each character’s shoes and think about how they would answer. Plus y’know, any excuse to unironically love on Steve Harrington.

How do/did you feel writing so let's sneak in from the cheap seats, honey?

I believe my exact words upon deciding to write it were “jingles miserably to a blank google doc.” This was a classic case of saying “god I wish there was a fic where—” and having friends tell me that it was now my responsibility to write it. I’m glad I did, though. I love that story, and it proved to me that I could write sex and publish it and not burst into flames. I also just really, really love summer storms. And Wayne’s use of the singular ‘herpe.’

What was the most difficult part of writing so let's sneak in from the cheap seats honey?

Getting over the fear of publishing something E-rated. It was just something I hadn’t done, and I had a lot of anxiety that people were not going to respond well to it. I made three people individually review the sex scenes before I even asked anyone to beta the full fic. Of course I was worried for nothing, the reception for that fic was super lovely and gave me the confidence boost I needed to attempt start by pulling him out of the fire!

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

This is like asking me to pick a favorite child. I’ll say this: most of my favorite lines in start by pulling him out of the fire were taken directly from conversations @wormdebut and I had about the fic. She’s my number one cheerleader and sounding board, and sometimes she’s so goddamn funny that I just have to include it. You have her to thank, for instance, for Steve quite literally dropping his croissant when he first sees Eddie in glasses.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

I have a couple of irons in the fire, but nothing I’m ready to share just yet! I’ve been taking a breather from writing (blame baldur’s gate 3, okay) but my WIPs are still very much IP. Stay tuned!

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

Not that I can think of!

Thank you to our author, Pricklywhicket, and our anonymous nominator! See more of pricklywhicket's works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[winterchimez]

Lip Sync | Ji Changmin

pairing: ex Changmin x f!reader

genre: angst, suggestive

warnings: influence of alcohol, making out scenes, mentions of s*x, bad breakup, cheating, unrequited love (in some way)

word count: 2,751

a/n: so.... i can explain 🤡 what made me wrote this oneshot on a whim was because of Changmin's whisper from the song itself 🫠 (delusional to the max tbh 🙃) but in all honesty this is my favourite track from their latest jp album, and i knew i had to write a fic about it!! i just hope i managed to execute it well according to the lyrics (yall i tried my best ><) feedback would be much appreciated! 🩵

You watched as the clock continued to tick as it reached closer to the hour you were going to be done with this dreaded lecture you were having. 

3… 2… and finally… 1. 

The clock strikes 14:00, and everyone seemingly grabbed the belongings that they had obviously packed way beforehand and rushed out of the lecture hall. You, on the other hand, were in no rush to head to your next destination, which was your accommodations.

As you took your time packing away your things into your backpack, your phone lights up and produces a ding sound, indicating that you have received a notification. You immediately took up your phone that was lying front screen down on the table, and read the notification mentally. 

Hey Y/N, remember this time during 2022? 

Snapchat. Always with the monthly notifications that you’ve never bothered clicking into to see what it was because your college life was never entertaining in the slightest bit. You were a lone girl, and you’ve always preferred staying in the university’s library till late at night and then heading back to the comforts of your accommodations. You were never an outgoing person, so attending social parties was definitely out of the question.

However, for some reason, your brain decides to do the opposite today, as you clicked on the notification, with the thought of just having a quick glance at whatever Snapchat wanted to remind you about. 

Now, you wished you could’ve turned back time and that you’d never clicked into the application in the first place. 

A picture appeared on the exact same date from a year ago, depicting you with your former boyfriend, Ji Changmin.

Honestly, the Y/N from your freshmen year would’ve laughed if she had known that you and the f*ckboy of your university were actually a thing for a good solid 2 years. Ji Changmin was infamous, to say the least. Not only was he a good dancer that has basically contributed to winning several trophies from various dance competitions that were held annually throughout the state, but he was also the face of the university. 

Many students and lecturers admired the way he was. The manner in which he presented himself, those doe-like eyes and how he’s able to put on this adorable yet captivating look that just makes everyone swoon over him? He was a winner for sure. 

Everyone could’ve sworn he was definitely up for the job to take on the role of the president of the student council, given the good grades that he has worked so hard to maintain throughout the years. But the lad always turned the offer down, saying how there were better students up for the role, especially his close bud Kevin or Sangyeon. 

In reality though, what really stood out the most among the students was that he was the infamous f*ckboy in university. Oh, how many girls have given up anything to be able to spend a day with him, or even doing the deed with the man himself. 

You have seen how he was always with another girl almost every other day, and being the goody two shoes that you were, you decided that he was someone you’d rather jump off a cliff than associate with.

That was until a frat party that happened 2 years ago when your assignment mate at the time, Eric, was basically dragging everyone he knew to come to join him. And of course, he had to bring his newly met friend along too because according to him, the more the merrier. 

You came up with so many excuses that night, saying how you were sick or how you had way too many assignments due the next day. But that did not stop the male from actually showing up at your doorstep and basically dragging you into his car, not even letting you have a say in all of this.

So there you were, at your first frat party which you obviously did not enjoy the slightest bit. So many times you’ve tried to avoid everyone like the plague, retreating to the kitchen most of the time to be alone while having the least intoxicating drink you could possibly find. 

Of course, your demeanour that day stood out entirely from everyone else, and that has piqued the interest of the f*ckboy that was watching you ever since the moment you stepped into the party. He had his eyes on you the whole night, desperately waiting for the right moment to hit on you. 

Ji Changmin definitely had to thank the hosts of the party for organizing the infamous beer pong game, for that was when both of you truly came face-to-face with one another. During that time, all of you were split into two different teams, playing the game against each other to see who would win. He was the representative of his team, while you and Eric were the ones for yours.

Apparently, turns out that Eric wasn’t the best at holding his liquor, and he passed out after having 5 shots. Naturally, you had to take on the responsibility of continuing the game. 

You wished so badly that you’d said no that time, for you became tipsy, unknowingly chugging down more than 10 shots for basically losing against Changmin’s team that night. 

As the game ended and everyone was basically minding their own business throughout the apartment, you quickly excused yourself to the bathrooms and tried to calm your spinning head down. 

And there was when Changmin took the chance of visiting you to see with his own eyes, how the girl that has caught his attention throughout the night has become. You were a mess, and that somehow turned the male on even more. 

“Please… I don’t want any trouble….” You whimper.

“Funny you say that because you’re clearly enjoying whatever I am doing to you right now.” 

Both of your arms were pinned up against the cold bathroom walls above your head, and somehow the male ended up leaving trails of kisses all around your neck, while he shoved his legs right in between yours. 

When his lips finally met yours, you seemed to have enjoyed it more than you thought. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but you for sure did not reject that idea and eventually, it turned out to be a steamy make-out session in the bathroom. 

Changmin has made out with multiple women before, yet somehow you just felt so different from the rest. The whole experience? The soft whimpers and moans you produced? Oh, he couldn’t tell you how much they sounded so sweet to his ears, and he craved for more. 

“I just can’t get enough of you.” 

As he began to untie the pretty white lace dress that you were wearing, he couldn’t help but stare at your collarbone as he drops your clothing right onto the ground. He licked his lips, and he couldn’t wait to dwell deeper into his fantasies. 

“People say that I tend to go wild and bite when I’m drunk. Don’t worry sweetheart I won’t do that, unless you’re into that sort of thing.” 

And that was how you ended up with a hickey and a bite mark on your collarbone for a good 2 to 3 weeks. You could only vaguely remember what happened back then, you were too intoxicated to tell from your own perspective. But the male surely did remember every single detail from that session, which was what made him turn his whole interest towards you.

God, he was persistent. He always made the effort to get close to you, while the only thing you wanted was to stay far away from him. But your efforts turned out to be an utter failure most of the time, for he would always be a step ahead of you. 

He somehow got your number and began following your social media accounts and leaving comments on almost all of your pictures, texting you almost every single day, up to sending your random snaps where the male just somehow always manages to get good photoshoot-worthy shots. Honestly, at that time you insisted on blocking the male for good until your assignment mate Eric convinces you otherwise.

“Give it a go, expanding your horizons is what you’re supposed to do in university.” 

You probably would’ve thought that Eric was insane, but later down the line, you realised that you were the one going insane instead. 

Eventually, Changmin decides to get close to you in person, where he’d leave you random post-it notes in your lockers every day and purposely bump into you whenever you both cross paths during lunchtime in the cafeteria. These actions that you once thought to be annoying and intrusive, were slowly turning into ones that you actually enjoyed. 

He was goofy and flirty at the same time, which somehow always manages to put a smile on your emotionless face that clearly indicated how exhausted you were from all the lectures you were dealing with on a daily basis. Eventually, you began to enjoy his company, so when he offered to take you out on your first date, how could you possibly say no? 

Both of you were head over heels for one another, and eventually, the university labelled you both as the new lovebirds of the season. It wasn’t until the 10th date (at least from what you could remember) that both of you finally decided that you both were to become official. 

Of course, it also ended up with having a heated make-out session after having a little too much to drink in his apartment. During that heated moment, Changmin finally took the first step of asking you to be his girlfriend. Being madly in love at that point, you had no reason to say no. 

Instead of giving him a direct answer, you immediately gave him a smile and pulled his face down to your lips till both of you were merely inches apart.

“Just shut up and kiss me already.” 

A bittersweet smile was plastered across your face as you decided to take a seat in your lecture hall. After that Snapchat notification, you unintentionally find yourself to be stalking his Instagram page that you once blocked. 

As you tapped into his icon, you began scrolling through his feed while tears started to form in your eyes. You looked through the dozens of pictures that he posted, and you couldn’t help but to reminisce back on the good old days. 

And that smile of his.  

That smile was something that you’ve grown to become unfamiliar with, it was a thing of the past anyways. 

What exactly happened that made you both parted ways? None of you really knew exactly. 

As both of you eventually reached your senior year, the number of struggles and burdens that you both had to bear was becoming more and more unbearable, which has led the both of you to spend less time together. 

Unfortunately, the struggles were too much to bear for Changmin, and he eventually returned back to his f*ckboy roots, going out and sleeping with a different girl every other day. He did not want you to bear his difficulties while you were already clearly struggling to make ends meet since you provide for yourself, hence he could only vent out his burdens with what he knew best. 

You, on the other hand, were heartbroken, to say the least when you found out that he was doing what he used to in the past before establishing a relationship with you. But eventually, you had to accept the hard truth. 

At the end of the day, f*ckboys will always be f*ckboys. 

As you were lost in your thoughts, your phone suddenly dings which was where you received a new notification, this time from Eric. 

Eric ⚾️: Hey, since finals are over care to join a frat party for tonight? 

Well, since you had nothing better to do and you were basically depressed all over again after reminiscing back on your ex, you immediately took up the offer, in hopes of going for the sake of taking things off your mind for a bit. 

Y/N: Sure, pick me up at 8pm. 

As you turned off your phone and the screen goes dark, you were met with the reflection of your poker face.

Everything is going to be alright. 

So here you were, back at a frat party. You haven’t been in one since the last where your first encounter with your ex happened 2 years ago. 

You just wanted to let things off your mind and basically used this as an excuse to forget about your ex.

Or rather, actually hoping that you’d bump into the male himself. Knowing him, he definitely would not miss out on such an occasion considering his position as the university’s f*ckboy. 

As you make your way around the apartment, sure enough, you found the male on one of the couches, with a random girl he has hooked up with for the night. 

It didn’t take long for the male to notice your presence, perhaps he could feel that a pair of burning eyes were basically directed towards him for some time now.

Not wanting to create a scene, you retreated back to the kitchen, trying your best to find any liquor you could get. Basically, it was kind of an excuse to keep yourself occupied. 

It didn’t take long for the male to present himself in the kitchen, now looking right into your eyes. It has been a good 6 months since you both unofficially ended things, and the tension in the air was awful. 

Not even asking about what both parties have been up to, Changmin immediately broke the tension off by posing a question that seemed a little too harsh for your liking. “We… have no feelings anymore, don’t we?” 

No Changmin. I still love you. After what you’ve done. But, why can’t I say it out loud? 

With the quietness that you returned to him, he slumped his shoulders in defeat and gave this painful smile that you wished you could’ve helped ease.

“Honestly Y/N, you’re too good for me really, for a f*ckboy like me. If there’s someone as similar as you out there, perhaps I could’ve made it work. I guess fate has its plans and you’re just not the right one for me.” 

Don’t say that. 

As the male walks up closer to you, he returns you with a hug, one that you knew that it meant to be the last farewell. 

“I’m so sorry, Y/N.” 

You returned the male with a hug, and you tried so hard to hold back the tears that were basically going to stream down your face full of makeup that you’d done rather beautifully for the night. 

“Don’t worry about me, Changmin. I can never thank you enough for all of the beautiful memories we have made for the past 2 years. Your happiness comes first after all. I’ll be okay.” 

As you both broke off the hug, he decides to give you a quick peck on the lips, and oh how you savoured that short-lived moment. 

If this is really the last kiss, then let me remember it fully, from the shape of your lips to the scent that you gave. 

“You deserve someone better, Y/N.” Changmin pulled away and turned his back as he made his way back into the crowd in the living room. 

Right when he was gone, the tears that you’ve tried so hard to hold back finally poured down onto your face, and you desperately tried your very best wiping them away with your bare fingers. 

I wanted for us to start all over again so badly. But my ultimate decision was to put up a brave face in front of you. 

As you were done wiping the tears away, you made your way towards the exit and decided to take a breather and stroll around the area before heading back to your accommodations on your own before it gets too dark to be dangerous loitering around alone. 

With a huff, you looked up into the dark sky and tried your best to put on a sincere smile. 

Let’s both give our next love with our future significant other a shot. And may we truly find the right person to spend our lives with.

a/n: i'm actually considering to write a oneshot based on Eyes On Me & Door as well, do let me know if any of you would be interested in reading them ><

masterlist

taglist: @deoboyznet @flwoie @hokupi (join my permanent taglist here!)

[crowncrown]

i rewatched genloss episode three and I’m about to make it everyone’s problem

Rewatching this episode with the knowledge of what’s going to happen adds such a nuance to this that you can’t fully understand until you already know the ending. From the first 10 minutes Hetch repetitively tells Ranboo he’s still in control of the simulation. He says things like

“Just listen to me I’ve got everything under control”

“I’ve programmed them (the Showfall drones) to believe there’s no show going on right now”

“I’ve disabled your mask”

Even Ranboo acknowledges this, at one point exclaiming

“I don’t know! you’re the one in control!”

Ranboo has gotten very used to this routine. Do what you’re told. Try to succeed the best you can. And maybe less people will die in the process. But this times different. He’s given partial control. The veil over his eyes is lowered just enough where he’s seeing more than he’s ever seen before. But he has no control. Hetch is doing the same thing Showfall has been doing this whole time. Telling Ranboo exactly what to do to get the best show out of him.

As the episode goes on, Showfall alludes to the simulation being active as ever more and more. There’s still background music perfectly timed. The camera angles are still there. Hetch gives us a lazy excuse that he’s using it to watch Ranboo, but this is the same guy who said Ethan and Nikki are still alive and well.

But I think the most sinister thing this time around is that they’re not just feeding Ranboo the answer to the questions they throw at him. They’re feeding him a narrative. When he exclaims “why me?!” Hetch responds with no hesitation “There must be something special about you”

“It’s a show. There’s a script. You’re the hero” ***

(We will most definitely come back to this ;) )

The most CLEAR part that shows us that the simulation is alive, before of course, we are shown very obviously, is the lead up to the kill switch scene. The audio distortion times up with Charlie’s perfectly timed speech. It has its own music. So many different camera angles. Zooms. It’s the best camera work of the whole show. It’s so cinematic and that’s on PURPOSE. Showfall is winking at us through the production of this, almost teasing us at what’s to come very soon after. We should have caught this. We should have been screaming at the screen telling our beloved hero to run. But we were celebrating. This should have been our biggest sign that this is all wrong and there’s no way in hell this is right but we were CELEBRATING. Our hero had won right?!

Yet he knew subconsciously that it was all wrong. Why else would you bow at a camera that’s supposed to be turned off? Once again he’s blind. The veil is pulled fully over his eyes yet again and he is back to the puppet we’ve gotten to know all along.

His victory is nothing but a set up to add more to the cinematography of his death.

And it leads on to the scene that we all dread on every rewatch. The execution. Or the box as I like to call it (🙃) Remember that point I said we’d come back to? This scene has so many parallels it makes my head spin. Hetch reassures Ranboo less than 20 minutes before that:

“You were just doing what you needed to to survive”

“There must be something special about you”

Because he had to do what he had to do right? He was just a guy trying to survive? Or was he? Did our beloved hero really have to do the things he did? Did he betray us? It festers in our brains deciding if this man should live or die while Hetch fuels the fire.

“don’t you see there’s consequences to your own actions?!”

“We only pushed you in the right direction!”

“That was the real you! Ranboo!”

He parallels these phrases in a way that makes us question everything we think we know about him. And the final nail in the coffin hits us right in the decision making skills as he hammers in:

“The choices you made. That’s the real you. That’s what makes you a hero”

That’s. What makes you. A hero.

No valiant efforts. No conquests. Not even winning. No. This was never about being brave or bold. This was about being a pawn. An actor playing whatever part he’s told to play. “The hero” is a title only given to the unluckiest of fools. Believing they are making a difference while being tossed away the second they break script.

That’s what makes a hero.

[acourtofquestions]

I wann ask, since you've completed EoS, how do you feel about Lorcan now? he had a redemption arc in koA but honestly, I could never truly forgive him. I wanna know your thoughts on what he did

Good question @mysterylilycheeta! — (Thanks for the ask, you always have great ones & I loved thinking on this one :-) — I’ll definitely have to see how it changes over time. And can totally see your point already! P.S. I’m thinking out loud, feel free to skip to the final chapter for the cliff notes, lol🙃

As of right now, it’s kinda weird (I may still be in shock😅): I’m upset with him, but I’m also not surprised? I’m more angry, than disappointed? — What I mean is I kind of expect this from him; it’s like the old “Frog & Scorpion” tale… I wasn’t quite as shocked by the betrayal, because I never trusted him not to betray Aelin in the first place. I’m sad that he did… I’m angry… at so, so many pieces of those chapters; I want to mentally throttle him a lil bit… but I also on some level knew that he was always going to make that choice; somehow he would betray her, somehow his tether would remain with Maeve; there were just too many threads between the Cadre, Rowan, the Wyrdkeys… all of it… the situation was painful & complicated (all the while feeling a few seconds away from easily comfortable/fixable).

You had some of the most powerful players all on the field, yet completely helpless. Gavriel & Fenrys were trying (even though I was a little mad/confused by Gavriel because I don’t know what the blood oath actually does but, he was acting way more injured than he sounded? & I kinda wanted to shake him & say “GO! NOW!! GET AELIN!!!” If for nothing else, then for your son BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE HIM; YOU HAVE A SON (who isn’t this psychopath) and THEY NEED YOU)! And Fenrys who might have broken my heart most (or close to Elide; of course Aelin was #1 in that scene but as far as the “watchers” go) because he desperately wanted to help her, he was fighting with everything he had (I think he would have died for her right then & there if that was the price saving her required) and while it’s never been fully clear what his “deal” is with her, his character stands alone & says enough. I have no doubt he loves her both for his friend & for the same reason we all do; she is the future, bright, fierce, powerful, loving, joyous, & overflowing with life. How could he not want to serve a queen like that? And the fact he was trying says a lot because (invisible as it may have been in the moment) it was a high price for him; he is risking his only family, he is risking every torture he’s experienced times 10, and he is doing it for someone he barely knows (yet knows too well). Then you have Manon; who obviously wanted to help, but also knew she had to keep the keys, & get Elide out (even Aelin needed to know she would do that) and while I wanted her to do something, I don’t blame her for not; I don’t think Manon had a better option in that moment with that hand she/they were dealt. And the fact she is flinching, almost moving; it says a lot; Manon doesn’t scare easily, and even she is in pain watching. She is also already under the assumption of rescuing Aelin (even if that ending sentence of why was gutting). Elide quite obviously was impossible to watch, she did everything she could, and if she had been allowed she would have gone with Aelin without doubt on the mere whim it would spare her the slightest. And of course, I’m not angry at anyone on the boat because they literally couldn’t have gone any faster (Rowan; despite the fact he will probably regret it; made the right choice to go with the team + honestly I didn’t want to see him see it, Maeve would’ve made it so much worse… a part of me keeps wondering if Aelin was hurrying because of that? Or stalling because she thought they’d save her in time?) and oh Aelin… & then there’s that; beautiful, brave, selfless, Aelin & an idiot😂 (if you think there is a chance in any realm that Aedion & Rowan don’t come for you… honestly it’s sad… it’s sad how surprised she was to learn Ansel had tried to save her; it’s sad that she still believes that😭).

Which again, leaves us with Lorcan (in this already long “thinking out loud” kinda post😅😂 sry lol)… at the end of the day, Lorcan was bound by the oath. Maeve would have found Aelin no matter what. And eventually, he would have had no options even if he had tried. While, he could have pleaded or tried, I think we & he knew Maeve would not listen. And the real problem is in, the fact that is the queen he put his faith in and that is when he did not try. That is who/what he betrayed Elide for. That is what he paid for with Rowan (ROWAN; someone he knows to be a good man; someone he knows cannot live without Aelin… even had to know on some level; she is what the entire world needs… and his friend deserved that peace) & he chose to pay with the love of Rowan’s life, on the hope of saving Elide, the denial of the true monster he served, and perhaps the whim of possibly earning back his devout dark queen. He was full of vengeful rage, and he made a very, very bad choice (not a mistake, a choice). One that he was not bound to do. One that he was not forced to make. One that he knew on some level was wrong, and didn’t know just how true that was until it was too late… and even then, he watched. He watched Cairn maul her, and while he could not look away, he too gave up (and realized that she didn’t, she refused to count, and she would pay a heavy price for resilience, one that was his; honestly it reminded me of Elena… maybe I’m a little raw from Ch. 68, but it seems a parallel of sorts; Aelin grew & grew up, beyond the Assassin who jumped the window for revenge, but Lorcan the immortal was still too young to understand; to know such love… it’s sad… how close he came with Elide… and how he hurt her anyway) and the moment the oath broke… perhaps it did shred his soul, but he had to know right then that he had done the same to a better man and when Rowan said those words… he felt it all. Lorcan wept. He lied, and cheated, and brought death upon them. And I don’t know if anyone will ever forgive him for it, but in a way it reminds me of Chaol; it wasn’t fully his fault (though Chaol had an easier claim to innocence). But for me, in a way, it made sense? I didn’t expect more from him, now the question is will he change; I expect that. Because all cards are on the table, right and wrong is clear, and brutal as it was, he is free; he can make a decision, so… what will it be? Will he do the right thing? I hope he will… because now he has no excuses, the frog, and scorpion sank, he lost Elide, he knows it’s more than a “bitch queen”. He knows exactly what he did; to Rowan, to the world, to Elide; he knows, he feels remorse. & now it’s time to see what he makes of it.

So, in summation: Lorcan has always been complex & a dark/gray moral-based character; this book being the first time we see any other side or perspective. And he has an already long list of poor decisions, and this is one of the worst. He trusted the wrong person. He was selfish. He hurt them. He lied. Lorcan was wrong. She (Aelin) paid the price for it, and he lost Elide & Maeve & then watched Rowan lose Aelin, and Elide lost them both… everyone went down. And I don’t know if I will forgive him; I think this one will always be angering/hurt-filled. But I also don’t think I’ll hate him forever (I’m not even sure I hate him now) I think he is what he is, (not an excuse) and I want a redemption arc. I want Elide to be happy… I don’t think she will be without him. I want Aelin to be okay, and if she can come to a place to forgive him, then I can too. Like Rowan said, he has punishment enough… now is that in comparison to Aelin? No. No, not even close… but he is redeemable. Even if what he did isn’t.

[fujii-draws]

I just replayed the fifth special episode and :) the scene where dusknoir saves Grovyle from the soul sucking ice :) just gets me :) every :) single :) time :)

there’s just something about Grovyle fully confessing his trust in dusknoir, causing him an instant existential crisis, almost dying in the process, getting saved last minute, but so weak that he can’t even move or do anything

then dusknoir’s Instant Regret™️ in doing so (bc you can’t tell me that in his head he wasn’t terrified bc primal dialga showing up out of nowhere and beating him almost to death wouldn’t have made him second guess himself and his split-second, last second decision to save his nemesis)—and dialga would have killed him if he hadn’t been stunned by time starting again! Dusknoir must have known that dialga would have reacted violently, so he was absolutely prepared to face the consequences for saving him, even if he wasn’t conscious of it at first

And I just…dusknoir telling the other sableye to take care of Grovyle and celebi…while he himself was undoubtedly hurt beyond measure (combined with the other injuries he’d incurred throughout the episode)…

Imagining all three of them limping up that mountain together…

…I am too emotional about the future trio I can’t I’ll cry if I keep going but you get it right??🥺😭dusknoir just…everything he’d ever thought and done and said, his conviction, just…thrown out the window in that heartbeat of a moment right before he did something that he would truly never be able to take back…the ghost is getting to me once again as I’m certain you can tell🙃

HE REALLY DOES BECOME SELFLESS AND DROPS THE ACT THE SECOND HE’S NO LONGER WORKING FOR PRIMAL DIALGA. THE FACT THE FIRST THING HE DOES IS TELL HIS SABLEYE TO CHECK ON GROVYLE AND CELEBI INSTEAD OF HIMSELF MAKES ME INCONSOLABLE.

And not to mention how the sableye jump in for him?? Implying that it isn’t just some ‘evil villain/henchman villain doesnt care about’ dynamic???? And those 6 were actually abt to scrap w/ a crazed time god for his sake. And don’t even get me STARTED on Grovyle’s speech about trusting Dusknoir just completely breaking him.

So many tiny hints strewn out in the story. So much subtext showing Dusknoir for what he was deep down. How did they manage to write this ghost type with 15 layers of angst and emotional barriers.

[jerzwriter]

Moving On

Hey, don't blame me!🙃Thank you to @dcbbw for sending me this angsty prompt from Grey's Anatomy for Ethan x MC. This is for @choicesprompts Rewrite Event.

For those who don't know, I have two Open Heart worlds, Ethan/Kaycee and Tobias/Casey. In the latter, Casey had a brief affair with Ethan during her intern year. But they never reunited after his "reset." Later, she begins dating Dr. Tobias Carrick, unaware that he was Ethan's former best friend. This fic takes place not long after Ethan learns of Casey & Tobias's budding relationship.

Book: Open Heart (Book 2)

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (past)

Based on: This scene from Grey's Anatomy

Rating: Teen + / Angst

Words: 1,100

Summary: When Ethan left for a WHO mission without saying a word to Casey, then returned with a "reset" in mind, he told her that he wanted her to move on. Now that she has, he's not taking it too well.

A/N: Before y'all complain - I asked everyone for scenes to recreate for Ethan, and no one sent fluffy ones, so here you are. lol This actually fits into my HC for my Tobias x Casey world. I did alter the original scene to better fit this story. There is one place where you'll see italic text. Those are lines that are directly from the Grey's clip. I hope I did it justice.

Edenbrook was one of the top hospitals in the world, located in the busy city of Boston, there was never a lack of chaos within its walls. Sometimes, that benefited those who worked there and practically called it home. Many an indiscretion could go undetected under such conditions, even with an extensive gossip grapevine in place. But sometimes, things were too big to ignore. And the way Dr. Ramsey was barreling down the hall right now was one of those things.

The broad-shouldered doctor stood at an impressive six-foot-three. Standing about a head above most of the people he plowed out of the way with a mere glance. While he wasn’t known for his affability, his behavior today was exaggerated, even for him. The muscles on his face were taught, and the fire in his eyes bordered on rage.   When an intern joked that you could see steam emitting from his ears... it was only a mild exaggeration.

All eyes followed him as he flung the heavy stairwell door open with such force it bounced off the cinderblock wall, the loud crash reverberating down the hall. Overcome with curiosity, many bystanders wished to follow him, though no one dared – until Dr. Casey MacTavish appeared.

With all attention on Ethan, no one noticed the young woman flying down the hallway, making good use of the path he just cleared. Casey was the antithesis of Ethan in many ways: pleasant, charming, approachable, forgiving, but right now, none of those traits were present. The indignance on her face and every movement she made matched his ire. So when she followed him through the door, even the most die-hard gossip knew it was best to stay away.

Ethan had already climbed a flight of stairs when she entered the stairwell.

“Ethan!” She hollered, rushing to catch up with him. “Who the hell do you think you are, and what makes you think you can speak to me like that?”

He was normally a logical man, and his visceral reaction was to continue; he knew that would be best. But the best decisions aren't made when one is blinded by anger, and he turned around so quickly, Casey nearly crashed into him.

“Who do I think I am?” He growled, attempting to keep his composure, even as the throbbing vein in his temple betrayed him. “I don't know, Casey, but I'll tell you what I’m not. I’m not getting caught doing god knows what in supply closets with a different person every other week. If I’m keeping count correctly, it was Dr. Carrick last week. Now, who was this one? They’re brand new here. I haven’t even had a chance to learn their name yet... did you? Or does the name even matter?”

He quickly turned, assuming he had the last word. But if he was ever foolish enough to doubt Casey’s will and determination before, she was about to ensure he wouldn’t make that mistake again. Forcefully grabbing the lapel of his lab coat, she pulled him back to face her.

“How dare you!” She spat. “You misjudged what you just walked in on just now... and I’d explain it to you if I felt I owed you an explanation, but I don't! And how dare you sit in judgment of me for something you’ve done countless times yourself! The stories about your old days are legendary, Ethan! And before you say they’re just stories, don’t gaslight me. I haven't forgotten that I occupied those very spaces with you not long ago. So save your hypocrisy and watch how you talk to me in the future!"

His lip twitched before curling into a sardonic smirk, the logical side of his mind losing to the emotional side he so rarely trusted.

“I used to think so highly of you... even before you arrived at Edenbrook and certainly after. But your decisions... your choices recently... they’ve made me question everything I thought I knew about you. At least have the sensibility to follow my advice and contain your... extracurricular activities... to someplace outside of the hospital. If you want to be treated as a doctor who commands respect, then start acting like one!"

“Respect?” she laughed, with a voice that expressed anything but humor. “You want to talk... respect? Did you respect me last year when you entrusted me to keep your secrets? Or when I solved Naveen’s case and saved his life? Did you respect me when you carried me into your bed? Or when you led me to believe... when you told me we’d make it work... only to take off to another continent without so much as a word to me! How respectful was that! You can't sit in judgment of me, Ethan; you just don't get to!"

His hand trembled as he ran it down his face, lowering his voice to a hoarse whisper. “How long, Casey? How long before it was over between us did you hop into bed with someone else? Even if I was wrong today, I wasn’t wrong about you and Carrick. You can’t explain that away.”

“What are you saying? You don’t get to insinuate that I’m a whore! Not after all you've done to me! When I met you, I thought I had found the person I was going to spend the rest of my life with. I was done! Other men? Other women? They meant nothing. I was done! But you left me! You took it upon yourself to decide our future without so much as a word to me. And now I’m glued back together. And I"ll make no apologies for how I chose to repair what you broke. I make no apologies for moving on with my life... like you told me to do! If you're angry, you might want to examine why. Are you angry with me for moving on? Of with yourself for being w stupid enough to let me go.”

Now, it was her turn to walk away. Her body trembled, and angry tears rose to her eyes as she raced down the stairs. Ethan was motionless, processing her words, knowing they were true. He got the outcome he said he desired, and now, he was berating her for having the strength to see it through. The only one who deserved his outrage would be looking back at him that evening when he looked in the mirror. A pit formed in his stomach, he knew he was wrong.

He could tell her... try to make amends. He could ask for forgiveness and tell her that seeing her move on with someone else wasn’t what he wanted at all. But he pushed that all aside. This was the path he put them on. The road he deemed to be best, and he had no right to be angry at Casey for trying to find happiness on it.

“Casey,” he yelled as she reached for the door. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I have no right to be upset, to be angry at you. We... we’ve been over, and you have every right to move on with your life.”

“And that’s what I’m doing,” she said as she turned the know. “And I think it’s time that you do the same.”  

@openheartfanfics @choicesficwriterscreations

Other tags on reblog.

[hauntedwitch04]

I hate that I love you

Nyx Acheron x Eris’ daughter!Reader 

Words: about 2.4k words 

Warning: a bit of smut but more talking about sexy times

Author’s note: HI love! I had this idea about Nyx and I really wanted to write this down, hope you like it. I want to dedicate this to @b7717 , always so sweet with me and she helped me putting ideas down for this story.  I took inspiration from “Boyfriend” of Dove Cameron. 

p.s. I think I’ll post a second part of this, because I feel like it isn’t finished like this 

Requests are open I Ask

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Nyx playlist (yes I made a playlist about him, I'm crazy I know🙃)

You never liked dances, yet here you are, shining like the flame that burns in the deepest darkness and as powerful as the fire that burns whole cities.

A few weeks ago you received a letter where Lenox, the son of the High Lord of the Summer Court, invited you to his birthday party. You were very happy about this invitation, and even your father Eris could not help but be delighted and promise to accompany you to the party. You did not like the dances, however: too many people in a place too small to contain them, the music too loud and people shouting to be heard over the music and the general general commotion, in addition to the horrible discussions to be had with the various members of the Courts.

Another reason why you are not comfortable in this place is the presence of the son of the High Lord and High Lady of the Night Court, Nyx, or rather the "pompous playboy who thinks he is better than everyone else."

When you were little you also got along very well, so much so that your father and Nyx had begun to be more civil to each other so that problems from the past would not interfere with their children; but as he grew up he became a snooty young man who thinks he is better than others and who believes that all girls fall at his feet with one word from him. Gradually you have begun to drift apart until you move on to insulting each other every time you see each other, in fact they generally try to keep you apart because they know you will end up beating each other up, and as you have shown several times you would win and kick the night prince's ass.

Back at the party, you finally managed to escape from the clutches of an obnoxious lady from the Spring Court. That woman had managed to send you into a rage with a few simple questions including why you didn't have a husband and children yet and whether you intended to take your father's place in the future, and when at the last you answered yes, she indignantly went on to explain that a woman should only think about her husband and children and not about ruling and power because that is the job of men. At those words you felt the fire of your family burning powerfully in your veins before you smiled and cursed her and left. Your father through it all was laughing at the scene in front of him, letting you do and say what you wanted knowing that you would manage perfectly well on your own without his help.

"Dad, I'm going to get something to drink. I'll be right back." You say looking at your father, he smiles and nods, so you head to the drinks table and drink a glass of wine. You're standing there deciding whether to get a second one that you hear the most obnoxious voice ever.

"Look who shows up here. How long has it been since we've seen each other Foxy?" Says Nyx flanking you as he too takes a glass of wine. You can't help but roll your eyes and pray he would leave quickly.

"Too little time. I was really hoping not to see you again, at least in this lifetime." You reply, trying to move away, but he, like the flies that buzz around just to annoy, stays glued to you.

"Oh come on Foxy, we both know you missed me." He whispers in your ear in a seductive tone.

"How I miss daggers stuck in my eyes." You exclaim sarcastically as you turn to look at him. You can't help but mentally beat yourself up for finding him so damn attractive. Nyx Acheron has always had an indescribable charm with his violet eyes and well-delineated facial features, and because of that he has always bragged believing he could get any woman he wanted and that has always bothered you a lot, but at the same time you can't help but notice his beauty.

"Do you like what you see honey?" He says with a grin, noticing the intensity of your gaze as you look at him. All you can do is shift your eyes, blushing slightly.

"More than anything, I was thinking about how to divide and hide the various parts of your body once I kill you, so that they can't find you." You answer before smiling at him. "Now if you don't mind, at your highness, I must go to my father, who will be looking for me." You continue with a mock smile on your lips and a half bow, before turning and going back the way you came.

"What took you so long?" Your father asks once you return to him.

"I met Nyx on the street and he obviously had to be an asshole." You answer a little too loudly, so much so that some people turn to look at you. Your father gives a cough and takes you a little further away from them.

"Try to restrain yourself a little my dear, you know how these nobles are, always looking for gossip." Your father continues in a low voice.

"Fuck decorum, that guy makes me mad every time." You say, as smoke seems to come out of your ears, and a hot flush rises all over your body. You think back to those damn purple eyes and curse yourself for wanting his hands on your body. Your father seems to read your mind.

"You know the line between love and hate is very thin, my dear, it often happens that we misunderstand which way we tend to fall." Says your father, smiling, as he hangs your face in his hands and places a kiss on your forehead. "Understand early which way you are going to fall, and let go without fear in case it is the one you don't expect. Fate may surprise you."

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

You're bored out of your mind, and you can't help but let your gaze wander down the hall until you meet the eyes of the Prince of the Night, already fixed on you.

Instinctively you are reminded of your father's words, said just before, and you look away, confused by your feelings. First you thought it was sexual attraction, but what if there was more to it. As you think this and do not allow yourself to go any further, afraid of the response you might get. You see him out of the corner of your 'eye approaching you, but someone is faster than you.

"Would you do me the honor of this dance?" Asks the boy who had approached you without your noticing. He is none other than Calian, the son of the general of the Winter Court, who smiles at you and holds out his hand. You've known him all your life, too, and he's never been anything but kind and polite, as any boy should be, and you know that he's always had a soft spot for you, but you've never made it a point to let him feel that way.

Without answering, you smile back at him and take his hand, and together you go to the dance floor. You dance the whole song in silence, his hands resting on your hips with a light, gentle touch, but you feel that gesture is wrong, that his hands are not the ones you wish to be brushed against you. You feel someone's eyes glued on you, and between the twirls you glimpse that the eyes of the Sovereign of Dreams are resting on you, as an immense rage and power emanates from him like an expanding storm, ready to make lightning and thunderbolts at any moment. Once the dance is over you bow to Calian and feel a hand encircle your wrist, and all you can do is turn around. You see him in all his Nyx glory, with the stars of the night blazing in his gaze, gazing into yours that recall those of your Court. You do not realize that you have been staring at each other, saying nothing, until Calian gives a cough, and suddenly you both turn around. You see the young man laugh under his mustache, first leaving, not without first commenting.

"You better be careful Nyx, the girl has fire burning in her, you might get burned." He says chuckling, then adds. "I'll leave you to your looks. See you later my dear." He continues by kissing your hand. "Nyx."

The Prince of the Night does not respond, just makes a growl and then turns to you.

"May I have this dance?" He asks hastily, but you don't even have time to answer that he has already dragged you onto the dance floor. His hands rest gently on your hips, but his fingers cling to your dress as if they need to be certain that you are there with him. His arms and his warmth wrap around you and you feel the need to lean against his chest. Your and his eyes never stop looking at each other for a second, as if they were linked with an invisible chain. Your feet move on their own, and after what seems like an eternity, you stop dancing since the song is over, but your gaze does not fall.

"I...I need to talk to you." Says the serious boy, dragging you out of the room to a balcony overlooking a beautiful gulf. From here the party music is far away, and there doesn't seem to be a soul in sight.

"What do you have to tell me?" You ask pretending to be pissed off, so as not to give away that your body is betraying you. Every fiber, every cell in your body right now is screaming to get close to him and hold him to you, but you hold back.

"What's between you and Calion?" He asks in a tone as angry as thunder from the storm in the darkest night.

"What do you care bat? Even if I was going to marry him or take him to bed you don't have to care, it's my life and I decide what I want to do." You say in a harsh, authoritative tone as you look at him.

You get so close that your breaths become confused and before you can really understand what is happening your lips join in a passionate kiss. Your tongues entwine and try hard to overpower one another. Your hands immediately go to his hair, tugging lightly at it and making him moan with pleasure; while his hands go from holding your face to caressing your breasts and later to resting on your hips, pulling you closer to him. The kiss gradually becomes more passionate, until he brings you to have your back against the wall. His mouth moves on to torment your neck, leaving clear signs of his passage. For a long time you are silent, the only sounds are your repressed moans of pleasure so as not to give satisfaction to the other, until he lets out with a growl a phrase laden with jealousy.

"I can be a lover a thousand times better than any guy you've ever slept with princess, all you have to do is ask nicely. I'm sure I could do shit they never did, all night long, without giving up." He says whispering beside your ear, interrupting the talk with a few kisses. "What's more, I can be a gentleman, too. What do you have to lose?"

"Words, words, words. I need star facts before I can say whether a horse is thoroughbred or not dear." You comment, reciprocating with the same coin, leaving a bite at the base of his neck. You feel his muscles tense and a groan escapes his mouth.

"Sometimes I really hate that I love you know Foxy. You drive me so crazy that I don't know whether I'm about to fuck you so hard that even on the continent they will learn my name by hearing your moans, or keep myself from plugging you." He responds by stroking your face.

"Believe me, the feeling is reciprocated Starlet." You say with a grin.

Interrupting this moment is the voice of Nyx's cousin Hecate, a.k.a. the daughter of Nesta and General Cassian, and as much as she may be your friend, for a moment you curse her for interrupting you, leaving you wanting for this asshole.

"Nyx, where the fuck are you!" The girl asks aloud, stepping into the balcony. In the meantime we had split up, but it was obvious from the way we looked in our hair, clothes and various signs what we were doing. "Oh." The girl continues, looking at us with that obnoxious little smile. You give her the middle finger and the gesture makes Nyx laugh with gusto.

"What do you want Hec?" The boy asks, returning to why she is here.

"Uncle Rhys is looking for you, he certainly had no idea you were so busy." She comments.

"Okay, I think that's enough Hec." He stops her. "Go ahead, I'll follow you."

Hecate nods and leaves us alone for a moment.

"I have to go Foxy, but don't think this is the end of it, after all I am a man of my word." Says Nyx winking at me before walking away and following her cousin, not before leaving a kiss on my cheek.

You can't help but mentally slap yourself for falling into the playboy's mind, but then you remember your father's words and for a moment think about how true the line between love and hate is thin, and you really find yourself wondering if you hadn't misunderstood whose side you were on.

That boy is going to kill you, you are sure of it, as long as you are not the one to do it.

[bohemian-nights]

They're so angry Nettles is coming now they want to say she's not black oml

They’ve been saying this for months now sadly 🤦🏽‍♀️ Scratch that. Some of them have tried to whitewash Nettles for years now 😗:

Only the one made in 2013 has an “excuse” because there was no official artwork of her yet, but even then she is described as having brown skin in The Princess and the Queen so🤷🏽‍♀️

The rest 😬 You could make the argument that they didn’t know about the Dance lore DVD , but that came out in early 2016 and if you knew about Nettles enough to draw her you should’ve seen that video where she looks like this:

(Even little ole me, a person who was only able to get through Fire & Blood early last year after attempting to read it in late 2020, has known about that lore video for 7 years now☺️).

I will say that ever since the show ended, the attempted race-bending has gotten worse.

Prior to HOTD (2-10 years ago) most of the fandom(minus the people drawing Nettles as a tan non-Black woman or just straight-up white and that one fancast 🙃) acknowledged that Nettles was at least Blackish cause the actresses they used in their fancasts for her were Black or Blackish 🤷🏽‍♀️:

Hell, go on Reddit and everyone wanted Zendaya to play her:

This is a terrible pick for so many reasons, but still better than what they are doing now🫠

Now it seems like the only way they can cope with Nettles being on the show is to imagine her being completely non-Black(and insisting she’s in Blackface cause in 2023 HBO would definitely be able to get away with that without facing 0 backlash 👍🏽).

I blame this switch in large part on Dumbnyra’s deranged rabidly racist fanbase who somehow thought HOTD was going to cater to their every whim and demand, axe Nettles(or make her into a child or a sexless mammy figure which is why they cried about her potential actress wearing a dress😚), and give them their great white incest ship after they “screwed over” Jonerys 🤣🤣🤣

They are butthurt, refuse to relate to Nettles cause of her race(which is why some have tried to whitewash her for years), and they definitely don’t want to see a Negro with Daemon. So they’ve stooped to starting an aggressive race-bending campaign🤷🏽‍♀️

When that doesn’t work they’ll put all their energy into saying how Daemon and Nettles are better off staying platonic pals in s3 🙃

And if HBO does give us Dettles(and doesn't try to pull some more racist bs) then they’ll just start labeling Nettles a whore and saying how evil she is to “steal” Daemon away from his family🤷🏽‍♀️ All while having mental breakdowns every five seconds, endlessly making more gifs/edits of that dry beach scene another million times, and putting in the tags/comments “what we had before the dirty Jezebel showed up”🤣

It’s funny and sad at the same time, but besides wanting an non-Black woman to be in Blackface, there is nothing new to see here🤷🏽‍♀️

[peachjagiya]

Fri(end)s had SUCH radio potential. And it has gotten some play (Organic King) but if BH had actually pushed it for radio play, it could have been dominating.

I could even see the gimmick of playing him and JK back to back or in the same segment.

Ok lil secret about me: I have been doing radio in the UK as a side hustle since I was 15 so just under 30 years, god I'm ancient. Note: I do primarily behind the scenes stuff now. So I love radio discussion.

I gotta say I was BAFFLED but also unsurprised. I was really excited when I heard it because I was like ok yeah Layover was so niche, so jazzy but this is RADIO-Y.

The current hits stations (Capital, Radio 1 in the UK) should have been picking it up. A high profile artist with a fully English song (which unfortunately matters 🙄) that isn't like an overtly niche genre? It should really be there!

I don't think I'd have expected it to go to the A or B playlist, honestly. A playlist is usually reserved for like a couple of the HUGEST songs. Regular play during the day, once every couple of hours though it varies station to station. B playlist would be maybe three times a day.

I am not certain but Seven peaked at 3 in the UK charts and I think it was B playlist on Radio 1. Again, not entirely sure.

C playlist is likely once a day and that's where I'd expect Friends to go.

But it's currently not on Radio 1 or Capital playlists at all. 🙃

The trouble is current hits radio stations want to play what's popular and not what could be popular with support. There's no taking a chance on a great song anymore. Radio used to set the trends, now they follow them according to what's popular on tiktok. It's kind of sad.

Also kind of terrible marketing by the radio stations?! Everyone knows ARMY supports people who support us. I think they're fools not to play music with such high profiles and dedicated fanbase.

I think there's a reason and I think it's racism. Kpop artists fight a battle to be seen as anything other than kpop. I can only speak about the UK but I was literally in a store the other day trying to check prices on Face album and it took me ten minutes to realise Jimin wasn't under J. He was literally just under K-pop. As were BTS themselves. Like all of kpop was one artist! When they're fighting that kind of silliness, the songs aren't being judged on quality or voice or genre. They're just kpop and that's a niche radio isn't investing in despite kpop being made up of many genres and styles. Korean isn't a genre, UK music industry 😐

That said, Jungkook did pretty well with a peak in the top ten for all three singles from Golden. So how come he got decent play? I think that might come down to the very commercial sound - absolutely not a critique, I love it - of his music.

But I also think Tae is fighting more internal issues of general nonsense from his label. Basically it's an uphill struggle and I'm so proud of what he has achieved despite those issues. 💜

Ooh I loved answering this. Thank you, anon! 💜

[collegetennisoriginstory]

Hey Allie! The update was AMAZING you nailed it again!

I'm doing a Rayyan main playthrough first this time around, but I have been flirting with the other ROs too and reading Sam's POV when they were about to leave to visit MC, all determined to tell them how they feel kinda made me go 'OH NO' for the eventual inevitable car crash that is pining!Sam meeting romanced&kissed!Rayyan 🙈 like just imagining Sam watching MC being head over heels in love with their new rival-turned-teammate/partner hurts!!! But also imagining Rayyan watching MC being all touchy and lingering glances and inside jokes with Sam is also.... exciting???

Tobin is definitely gonna be there I wonder how they'll interact. Will G attend the game too??? This is gonna be so messy!

Anyways so, on a scale of 1 to 10 how awkward or how messy is it gonna be in the long run for MCs who romanced all of them lmao 🙃 how hurt is sam gonna be???

Ahhh thank you!! 😊 😊 Glad you enjoyed the update!!

Many ROs gonna be suspicious at that match on Friday 🤨 haha yes G will attend the game.

I think Tobin is actually a pretty chill person, and more likely to step back than step on the gas pedal and ramp things up the moment they see they have competitors. I mighttt do small POV scenes for ROs next update but... not sure if that would spoil the fun! We shall see :) But yeah, juicy!

And as for the messy question: the longer you keep flirting with each RO, the more messy it's gonna get with each of them. If you exit some routes earlier, might help subtract some of the mess.

Finally, how hurt is Sam gonna be? Well, not hurt. But hella sad. Sad O'Connelly. (But more kicking themselves for not acting sooner).

Aight, I'll leave it at that to avoid any more spoilers :) Thanks for the ask and for playing :)

[wheel-of-fics]

Ten first lines game

Rules: Share the first line of ten of your most recent fanfics and then tag ten people. Don’t have ten? Not to worry, just share what you have.

Thank you so much @emotionalmotionsicknessxx, @catcorsair and @a-partofthenarrative for tagging me!

This is actually kind of terrifying because, current fic aside, all my stories are from 2019 at the latest, and I haven’t read them since. BUT HERE WE GO

1. “The first time she saw him, she thought him a ghost.” -Red Death Riding (current multichapter, E/C)

2. "They dressed for bed separately: Raoul in his robe, Christine in her lace-trimmed peignoir, and nothing beneath either garment." -Wedding-Night Reprise (2019 oneshot, R/C)

3. "Christine would always maintain that she'd have made it down the river just fine, thank you very much, were it not for the eagle." -Out of the Woods (2019 multichapter, E/C)

4. "By the time M. Reyer called for a fifteen-minute break, the dress rehearsal for Faust had devolved into three costume mishaps, two broken setpieces, a brief fistfight, and an incident with a goat." -Old Haunts (2019 smutty three-parter, E/C)

5. "Christine squinted at the nativity scene with a critical eye." -Kindred (2018 holiday oneshot, technically R/C but with focus on Erik and daroga too)

6. "At first, he's certain he has the wrong address." -Restoration (2018 fourshot, E/C)

7. "It was a beautiful day for a funeral." -The Ivory Tower (unfinished 2018 multichapter, E/C)

8. "'I am going to die, daroga.'" -Ghost Resurrected (2017 oneshot, pharoga)

9. "The bedroom is so quiet that Christine is certain it echoes the frenetic throbbing of her heart." -Budding Flame (2017 oneshot, E/C)

10. "The trouble with being a vicomtesse, Christine had determined, was that one always had to maintain a facade in public." -The Red Scarf (2017 oneshot, R/C)

Doing this made me realize how many of my fics are not on AO3 🙃

I feel like most authors I know have been tagged already, so if you haven't and you see this, I've officially tagged you!

[bciwasinlove]

I never bothered saying anything about the new tattoo bc I found it pointless since we have no definite proof what it says and whether it says her name or it doesn't it wouldn't change a thing for me.

But now I keep seeing so many anons and shit going "maybe they were real, maybe he did love her, maybe he is straight" and I'm so confused bc did these people just forget ALL that happened during those two years and how often H made it clear he was miserable and didn't like her ??? *que ignoring her ass at the DWD red carpet event* Or all the things H has done over the years showing he's closeted [and I'd 100% argue not into women]. 🙃

Saying this tattoo is a "big deal" is 🤨. We are talking about the man who has "big toe" tattooed on his big toe. Yes he has meaningful tattoos but that dude gives no fucks and will also tattoo random shit.

I also think about the fact that Elton John was once legally married to a woman, George Michael was shown as one of the biggest womanizers of his time, yet later, we found out both were gay. The music industry behind the scenes has hardly changed since then, and they will do just about anything to make you believe these young closeted men are straight.

Plus our very own louis has the whole "I got a girl pregnant/dad" deal going on but most are still like yeah didn't happen and he's probably gay. So all of those things are far more of a "big deal" than a little thigh tattoo that can easily be removed later. *sigh*

[eemcintyre]

"Stretch" (2014) review

Aka ✨ why this movie is one of the most underrated ones I've ever seen and why it is some of Patrick Wilson's best work ✨

"If you like stories about chance and coincidence, here's one you've never heard" gives me the chills every time 😮‍💨

Patrick Wilson is one of the most underappreciated actors of his time, like, not only do his other projects demonstrate that he has drama, romance, instruments, and singing down ✨, but here he is finally given a chance to flaunt his impeccable comedic timing, vocalizations, and expressions

Idk maybe I just love movies with narration (ex., "Heathers," "Jerry Maguire," "Amelie," "Eloise at Christmastime," "Megamind," "American Made," "The Outsiders," etc.)

But jokes aside, I will defend Patrick Wilson's narration throughout the movie no matter whAT ANYONE SAYS YOU CAN PRY IT FROM MY COLD DEAD FINGIES; IT IS AT TURNS FUNNY AND RELATABLE AND PROFOUND AND WE GET TO KNOW THE MAIN CHARACTER BETTER 😤😤

It does start a bit slow, especially if you aren't as invested in Patrick Wilson as I am 🙃🫠 but if you stick with it and pay attention to the subtle comedic elements in the meantime 👌🏻

This movie is not afraid to be a bit irreverent, which is a modern and mainstream rarity

Stretch and Charlie are so cute together; I wish more of their interactions had been kept in the final cut because when I think of the quality content that we missed 😩💖

"Who gains weight in their neck?" "Sexy people." "Three months of Rosetta Stone- I HATE THE FUCKING FRENCH." "We was gettin' all romantic, watching Titan-tic..." and so, so many more

Honestly, Karl is an integral part of this film as well- he may seem overtly cartoonish to some, but again, we get to know the main character better through him, as his presence gives us a visual of Stretch's inner struggle; he contributes to the dark humor vibe, and Ed Helms was clearly having the time of his life (as was the entire cast)

Speaking of which, stellar casting all around, especially those who were cast against type; love when directors give that stuff a chance. Everyone was made for their role

Dark humor, satire of Hollywood, homage to 80s films

The Navstar scene. If you know you know

Same goes for the post-Candace club exit scene with the valet, the wannabe rapper, and the sex club exit scene (there's a man wearing only balloons. need I say more). I mean, the whole movie is basically the best part and I'm trying not to make this review me just naming every scene and going "yes. this is good" but these are some of the most standout parts

The soundtrack may be atrocious overall, but the exception is the song at the end (although I was disappointed when I read that it was originally supposed to be "Telephone Line" by ELO but they didn't have enough in the budget because that would have gone so hard) 😩💕

Speaking of the ending, why is it so incredibly pure and sweet to me that it would almost make me cry if I weren't medicated? 🥺 Something about the setting of the diner, exuding vintage charm and glowing in the sun the quiet morning after the previous night of chaos, and the serendipity of how Stretch and Charlie finally reveal how much they've obviously liked each other for a while, and after all of the danger and depravity, everything ends soft and gentle and alright 😊💖

This film is somehow so sleazy and wholesome at the same time- against the backdrop of drugs, sex clubs, threats of violence, and constant swearing, it's ultimately a story about overcoming cynicism and self-destruction, getting your "mojo" back, taking control of your life, and allowing for the possibility that things happen for a reason ✨ Honestly? 10/10