#these are just some gripes my stupid mind has had

[hatchetmanofficial]

Help who would dislike the new sprites of Alan? I think they're so much better and improved (This is just me personally, the old Alan sprite threw me off bc of how long his neck was, but for the new one I rlly loved that you put a cute lil turtle neck on him!). Overall, the new sprites got me gnawing at the bars of my enclosure.

THATS WHAT I’M SAYIN’ ‼️‼️ The proportions are so off and the characters had big ass foreheads 😭

It was legit my first time making sprites idk how anyone took them seriously. Anyway, I should probably stop bitching about how I hate my old art and if you enjoy the old version of the game that’s *fine*.

I’m just asking for you guys to understand that my art changes constantly. It’s called art progress. The more I draw the less uniform it’s going to be. That goes for every artist.

[jadewritesficshere]

Slow and Steady

Steve Harrington x female!reader

Summary: You're ready for your first time with your boyfriend but are nervous based on past experiences. Steve is determined to make you feel good (3-5k words my computer broke around 1500 so I finished this on Tumblr dont know exact word count)

Contains: pure smut, reader has vaginismus (not explicitly named in the fic), talks of anxiety/nerves/doubt, fingering, cumplay, p in v, no condoms please wrap it up, creampie, pet names (Steve calls you Baby)

please note I am not a doctor. This is based on how sex is for me, not every two experiences are the same

18+ only

You sigh in pleasure. Steve is kissing your jaw, sucking lightly at your pulse that's beating wildly for him. You can feel a rush of tingling warmth spread from your spine to your lower stomach. Your hands roaming up and down his shoulders, trying to memorize the contours of his muscles. The way his hand squeezes your hip as if you would drift away if he let go.

Steve sighs, pressing his forehead into your cheek before giving you a final kiss and starting to pull back. You whine, gripping his biceps. "Steve don't! Plea- keep going!" You aren't sure you're fully making sense as your thoughts are only Steve Steve Steve. "Baby, I don't want to get carried away without talking first," Steve cups the side of your face with his hand, thumb lightly moving back and forth over your cheekbone.

"I want to make sure you're ready," Steve says looking deep into your eyes. You look away, feeling ashamed. You shouldn't be, you know this. But that doesn't stop that feeling from welling up.

You remember the first time you had sex, how much it hurt. But people told you that was normal, that it's better the next time because you weren't a virgin anymore. But that time hurt like hell too. And the next. And the next. Like you were being ripped apart, like there was something wrong.

And then your doctor told you the name of it and how some women had it. Said there were ways to work around it and work through it, but it was like cotton in your ears. All you heard was there was something wrong with you. You know there isn't, but your deceitful mind tells you there is. And now you tense up as things start to progress, making things worse unintentionally. All you could think was, 'well no one would want to work through it since no one else has before.'

But then Steve came in and tore all your defenses down. Weasled his way in with stupid pickup lines and free car rides. Rolled his eyes and gave you a 'are you seeing this?' look as he bickered with the kids before sighing dramatically and giving them what they wanted. Would wear a stupid apron when he cooked and would sneak food off his plate onto yours to make sure you had enough. You didn't stand a chance.

When Steve made out with you for the first time you wanted to cry. Thought "well this is it. He's going to leave like the rest after this." But when you stopped him, he didn't pout. He didn't roll his eyes or gripe at you, claim you led him on. Didn't try to force the issue. Steve took your no as a no and asked no questions, just pulled back smiled at you with a bulge in his pants and asked if you wanted to choose the movie now.

You broke down in tears as he tried to comfort you. And you told him everything. About how it hurt and had never been enjoyable for you. How you were scared it would hurt again. How you really liked Steve and wanted to do it with him but didn't want to disappoint him like the others. How you didn't want him to leave like the others.

And Steve let you cry into his shirt. And Steve calmed you and told you, "I'm sorry they never took care of you the way you deserve to be taken care of. If you never want to have sex, we don't have to. I love you regardless of sex, I mean yeah it would be fun and I'd like to, but like- if you aren't having a good time I don't want to do it. If you do want to try, Baby, we can take it really slow. Slow and steady. But I don't want you to feel pressured to have sex, we don't need it. If you want it we can and if you never want it we don't have to."

It was like a balm to your soul. Aloe vera on a burn you didn't realize still stung. Just knowing Steve cared enough to not call it quits made you feel desired. But that little lying voice in your head said he'd get upset and move on.

But months passed and Steve stayed. Lovely, caring Steve. Steve who held your hand and proclaimed it was a perfect fit. Steve who kissed you so sweetly, following your lead. Steve who never protested or became frustrated when you stopped things from furthering on. Steve who would help you slip your shirt back on and hold you close after making out. Steve who never once complained about "leading him on" like others have.

Steve who was the first to say," I love you," and never pushed you to say it back. Steve who bought your favorite books and tried to read them so he could have another bond with you. Steve who always knew what to say to brighten your day. The Steve who showed he loved you in every little way he cared for you.

A hand on your face snaps you back to the moment. Steve frowns slightly," You okay? You went somewhere for a minute." You shrug," Got lost in my thoughts." Steve's eyes bore into your own, as if trying to see into your mind. "If you want to stop here, we can-" "No!" You interrupt, running a hand from his shoulder to the back of his neck.

Steve pauses, waiting on you. "I want to continue. I'm just...nervous? They say relax, but then how do they expect me to relax when I know how its been in the past? And then I get tense because I'm nervous and then I'm nervous because I'm tense and then-" Steve cuts you off with a kiss. Your eyes flutter shut as he gently kisses you. It's so tender and sweet, you can practically feel the cavities forming from how sweet it is.

Steve pulls back enough to say," If anything is uncomfortable or hurts you tell me okay? If you want to stop then you say it." You nod but Steve clicks his tongue," I need your words Baby." "Yeah, okay."

Steve kisses your forehead, murmuring an "I love you". He leans back enough to help you pull your dress off and over your head. "Fuck me," he whispers, mouth falling open. Any thoughts of cowering or hiding yourself melt away as his eyes further light up with lust. "Planning to," You grin.

Steve snorts as he laughs, shaking his head slightly before ripping his shirt off. You bite your lip as you look at Steve unabashedly. Usually you try to sneak peeks, like when he lifts his shirt to wipe sweat off his forehead after a run. But now you can just look. You tentatively run a hand through his chest hair, causing him to shiver.

"Now here's what we're gonna do," Steve lightly palms himself over his jeans, groaning before speaking with a raspier tone," I'm going to take such good care of you. You're gonna take your underwear off and-"

You push your underwear down, kicking them off. Steve's jaw goes slack as he stares at your glistening cunt. "That all for me?" Steve asks. "All for you. I want you," You reach a hand out and press against his bulge, causing him to let out a whine before he grips your wrist. "Get comfortable Baby."

You lay back against the bed, relaxing into the pillows. "Now, you're gonna finger yourself." Steve instructs. You scoff," Didn't you just say you were gonna take care of me?" Steve smirks as he grabs your hand," Oh I will, but look," He holds his palm against yours," My fingers are so much bigger then yours."

It's shocking how big his hands are compared to yours. His fingers are longer and thicker then yours. You can feel yourself get wetter at the thought, but also a hint of nerves come back.

As if Steve has a glimpse into your mind, he slowly runs a hand up your shoulder to cup your face," There's no rush. I can do this all night. Slow and steady, remember?" Steve leans in and kisses you softly. You sigh into the kiss, slowly melding your mouth against his. The tip of his tongue traces your lip, leaving you begging for more.

Steve pulls back enough to whisper," Touch yourself," before trailing kisses to your jaw and neck. You can't suppress the shiver that runs through you as he hits that one spot. Steve lightly sucks on your neck as you slowly trail a hand down.

Your trembling (from nerves, excitement, or pleasure you can't tell) fingers slowly part your lips. You can feel how wet you are, starting to drip onto your thighs and under you. You slowly circle your clit, relaxing at the feeling of pleasure taking over. You moan softly as Steve continues to pepper your neck with kisses.

You lower your hand further, fingers tracing your entrance. You coat your fingers with your slick before slowly pushing your middle finger in. It doesn't hurt at the moment, but feels uncomfortable. Your brow furrows slightly, concern starting to come back. Steve is there though, kissing your forehead until you relax and using one of his large fingers to deftly circle your clit.

You pump your finger in and out, discomfort dissipating each time until you're reveling in the feeling. "There ya go," Steve murmurs reverently as your mouth falls open at how good it feels. Steve wraps his hand around your wrist, causing you to whine as he pulls your hand away.

Steve maneuvers your hand so only two fingers remain up before guiding them back to your pussy. "There you go Baby. Doing so well," Steve praises as you slowly insert the two fingers. It takes a second to adjust, to get used to the feeling.

But Steve distracts you by kissing down your chest. He reaches behind you and unsnaps your bra with one hand, the other grabbing your wrist and guiding you into a faster pace.

You let the bra straps fall down your arms, laying loosely. Steve peels your bra down and groans as your breasts sway slightly. "So fucking gorgeous," Steve groans," Doing so good." You don't even have a chance to warn him as you tumble over the edge of pleasure. You moan and gasp as you writhe against your hand. His tongue feels electrifying as he circles it around your nipple, finger circling your clit again.

You can barely hear Steve saying," That's my girl. Doing so well Baby." Your mouth is hanging open as you take in deep breaths. Warmth, euphoria, and ecstasy flow through your body freely. You come back to your body slowly, aware of Steve holding you hand, his thumb moving back and forth caressing your hand.

"My turn to touch you Baby," Steve growls out. You blink up at him a few times, still coming back down to earth. You nod as you remove your fingers. They glisten in the light from your wetness. Steve inhales sharply before darting forward, licking your fingers. You aren't sure if it was you or him who gasps, but Steve's mouth is suddenly surrounding your fingers.

Steve sucks and licks the wetness off your fingers. His eyes flutter shut as he moans. You can feel yourself getting more turned on as you watch Steve. Steve blearily opens his eyes, still sucking on your fingers. His eyes heavy with lust.

You gasp as Steve trails a finger through your folds, coating them in your release. Steve pulls off your fingers with a sudden pop, lips glistening from spit and cum. "You taste so fucking good Baby. Can't wait until I can bury my face in your pussy," Steve slowly inserts a finger as he speaks," But we'll save that for next time okay?"

His finger is definitely bigger then yours. It is slightly uncomfortable, but not painful. Steve redirects your attention by circling your nipple with his tongue again. With his free hand, he caresses and pulls the nipple he is currently not kissing and sucking on.

Steve adds a second finger once he's felt you fully relax against him. Once he's seen the unconscious tension in your shoulders go away. When he sees the clench of your jaw and your furrowed brow relax. Steve knows you have no clue you are doing this, but he is attentive and sees the signs.

When Steve adds a third finger is when you sharply inhale. Steve immediately pauses," Too much? What do you need?" "Just give me a minute," You try to steady your breathing. It doesn't hurt but it doesn't not hurt. It's a pressure and a pinch and pain but not the worst pain you've ever felt.

"I'm sorry," you whisper, looking away. "For what?" Steve frowns and grasps your chin, forcing you to look at him," Baby, it's okay! I can spend all day here with you- i want to spend all day with you. It doesn't bother me that this takes time. I love you. You're worth it. You're like everything to me. You should enjoy this too, not just me."

You can feel the tears start to form but you blink them away. You lean forward and kiss Steve again. He hums slightly against you before deepening the kiss. His tongue sweeps into your mouth, pulling moans and gasps from you. You barely notice Steve moving his hand again, pumping his fingers in and out of you.

When Steve pulls back, his lips are swollen and his face flushed," Do you think you are ready or do you want me to add another finger?" You pause for a moment to think before whispering," I'm ready, just...go slow?" Steve smiles and kisses your forehead," I can do that. That's my middle name." You giggle as Steve blinks at you," That was dumb forget i said that."

He removes his fingers and you can feel yourself clench at the loss. But your heart beat picks up in anticipation as Steve finally sheds his boxers.

Steve can't help but smirk as your jaw drops. Steve is big. Bigger then you expected him to be. There's a prominent vein you want to lick, follow all the way up to the flushed tip. There is pre-cum leaking from the top. You can see at least one freckle near the base, and another on one of his balls.

Steve crawls over you, hovering above. "You ready?" He asks, eyes staring into yours. You nod. "Want to hear your pretty voice Baby," Steve threads his hand in yours. "Ready as I'll ever be," You grin shakily.

Steve positions himself at your entrance. "Hold onto me, okay?" Steve inhales and slowly exhales. You run your hands up his shoulders to the column of his neck before threading a hand through his hair.

You squeeze his hand tight as the tip of his penis enters you. "I got you, I'm sorry," Steve murmurs as he squeezes his eyes closed. "Don't be," you gasp. It isn't painful like it has been in the past. It's a stretch, slightly uncomfortable, but not painful.

Steve murmurs praises once he's seated fully in you. You exhale slowly as you get used to the feeling. Any further nerves and tension slowly goes away. You feel so good. Full. You lean forward barely touching Steve's lips with yours. Steve chases you, enveloping your mouth with his.

"Please move Steve," you whisper in between kisses. He nods. Steve slowly moves out, it makes you want to weep at the loss, but he's suddenly filling you again.

You gasp in pleasure. It's never been like this. Felt so good. "Fuck," you gasp out, nails scratching against Steve's shoulder. He grabs your leg and positions it around his hip, driving deeper into you," Yeah, we are."

You would chuckle, but you can barely think straight. Warmth spreads throughout your limbs. Pleasure. Ecstasy. You moan wantonly as you writhe against Steve as your orgasm overtakes you. Steve squeezes your hand in his, grounding you into this moment, as he presses his forehead to yours.

Every breath you exhale, Steve inhales, and vice versa. His weight pressed against you, holding you close. His hips stutter against yours, you feel his warm wet seed paint the inside of your walls. You are wholly consumed by Steve.

You slowly come back to your senses, to Steve kissing your neck. You hum slightly, pulling back to look at him. "That was...amazing," you smile at him. Steve grins back before kissing you once more," Let me get something to clean you up, I'll be right back."

You feel empty as Steve pulls out, a slight sting at the loss that dissipates quickly. Your combined release spills out of you as Steve stands up. Steve's jaw drops slightly at the sight, stomach muscles twitching as his cock kicks back up in interest.

Steve shakes his head and returns to the task at hand. He heads into the attached bathroom, grabbing a washcloth and running it through warm water. When he returns, he carefully cleans you. You shift uncomfortably from the unexpected texture against your sensitive skin.

As soon as Steve is done, he tosses the washcloth towards the hamper. He scowls as he misses, causing you to laugh. He crawls into bed next to you," Foul play, I was distracted." "Oh?" "Mmhmm" Steve covers you with a blanket and pulls you into his side.

You curl into Steve, hand resting against his chest. You can hear his steady heart beat. You absent-mindedly trace letters on his skin. "I love you," you murmur. You pause, waiting for a response.

Your brow furrows and you lift your head to look at Steve, who remains silent. You snort out a laugh. Steve's eyes are closed and his jaw slack as he breathes through his mouth. Dead asleep as you confess your love for him. You grin as you kiss his pec, laying your head back down.

You'll tell him again when he wakes. And again that evening. And again. And again. And-

[cartoon-buffoon]

Was made aware of a new mascot horror game and—I admit the mascot horror genre is oversaturated but like... Who gives a fuck?—anyways this specific one is called Finding Frankie and it's a PARKOUR mascot horror game which I find neat. Mascot horror games have kinda tried to insert parkour that doesn't really work in their games—Poppy Playtime and it's bouncy hand things and I think BanBan has some parkour nonsense in it—but I always felt like it was stupid to insert such things because the controls and gameplay are NOT built for parkour. This usually makes those sections either really dull where your character kinda just floatily levitates from one platform to the next or really frustrating because the controls actively fight against you. But my gripes with mascot horror I'll save for another ramble as I just wanted to say this game feels like it wants to stand out in a unique way, what I did wanna talk about is the specific mascot of this game—IT'S A RUBBERHOSE RABBIT OMFG AAHHHH

LOOK AT HIM! HE'S ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE LOOKING OMFG! I wanna hold him and hug him and kiss him and AHHH!!! I absolutely fawn over anthropomorphic rabbits (Roger Rabbit, Bugs Bunny, the white rabbit, and Oswald have had an eternal grip on me) so to see ANOTHER bunny character get made—WHO HAS A RUBBERHOSE ASTHETIC MIND YOU—makes me go absolutely feral! The game is set to release this year so when it does get dropped my blog is just gonna be screen caps of this rabbit and me saying why I wanna marry him

[ii-neg-confessions]

Okay so i have multiple gripes with II (mostly with its finale, act 1 and act 2 were fine but with a little things that need to be tweaked for my sake so I don't lose my mind, because oh my god the character focus can sometimes be lackluster).

Act 1

I don't have much to say about it, pretty strong opener to the movie! The tension is set well, Cobs' song is pretty catchy, and the twist was.. well its a twist, of course its surprising. People might view it as silly but personally i like it! And its okay if others don't ^.^

Oh not to mention Pickle and Taco's moment with eachother, I really like that he doesn't forgive her it gives a good message that you don't have to forigve people and doesn't paint the person apologizing like they're stupid for trying (though i wish they'd done this with Nickel and Balloon in Invitational but that's a discussion for another day.)

Not many cons I have other than I'm confused as to why Lightbulb reverts back to a repressive attitude. Now to be fair i might just be nitpicking and this could be her just not being able to handle a serious situation well or , like she said in the act, not wanting to cause any panic towards anyone. Then again it feels alittle off? Like she reverted back to how she was early s2. She should be shown crumbling under the pressure of keeping the peace instead of being, nonchalant? Again, I might be nitpicky so my point might be silly. Other than that, not many cons!

Act 2

Okay I do have one gripe about this that I'm completely sure that "yeah thats rlly bad lol" is when Knife and Suitcase are fighting with eachother. The pacing was not this noticeably off previously in the season before they went on hiatus. Like I'm not the only one to have noticed that when they were doing Invitational, the pacing was quick and it made some moments feel unnatural (blueberry's sudden change from being a depressive pessimist to actually being this chad mastermind #notmyblueberry). With that in mind, it seeped in when they went back to season 2. It wasn't as bad in Ep 15, that was a good comeback to the season (taco's tirade my beloved) but you can tell that it has season 3's pacing in some parts.

Sorry for my ramble but my point is that the fight with knife and suitcase is paced so weirdly. Like knife and suitcase are immediately covered in wounds after one hit?? Have them get a couple of hits in, cut back to purgatory manshion with everyone seemingly preparing for something (to foreshadow knife and suitcase's plan to pull the plug), comforting one another , and perhaps a moment with taco and mic (because good god in the movie they barely had any moments except for that one in the hotel grr) and then you cut back to the fight and show them all battered and out of breath. That would feel more natural and actually make sense.

Other than that, I don't have much to say about this act other than Knife punching Cobs was cool (violence <3).

Act 3

Oh my god there is so much wrong with this one fuuuuuck.

1. Why didn't the Shimmers recognize the meeple symbol on Cobs' necklace or Mephone4's back? Not seeing the necklace I get it, its tiny and he can just hide it in his husk (but he didn't, for some reason, but still) but with Mephone4, they could clearly see it. They literally have history with eachother and call it "the symbol of the opressor"

They should act immediately defensive and Cobs try to put up this mask of "oh but I've changed my ways and I'm here to give you back your kid!"

2. Cobs whole "im going to KILL you" is so out of character man, like that is not Cobs from Act 1 or 2. Him punching Mephone4 as he lashes out would be a good character trait, that he likes to make him out to be this impenetrable guy, that he's smarter and better than you - so with everything having gone against his plan, his one chance of getting more shimmer energy practically handed out on a silver platter, that builds up into anger and he lashes out.

But it just seems so unrealistic for his character to KILL mephone on the spot, that puts the shimmer energy he put inside Mephone at risk. The most Cobs decision he could pull is taking Mephone4 back to the MeCloud and locking him in a room while he prepares this extraction machine to take the shimmer energy out THEN he can destroy mephone4, because then he's no longer useful!

But no i guess he has to go full one dimensional villain.

3. A knife?? You give Cobs a knife? The technological genius is using a knife, thats so corny. Why not have him use an arsenal of weaponry that are meeple products (because he views his products superior so of course he'd do that)

4. Killing Cobs is fine, but that being the plan A?? Really?? Thats so rushed! Have them do keep away with the shimmer energy, or something! Don't kill him immediately! Let the tension of the contestants lives being on the line last longer!

5. I really wish the character reflection and growth wasn't confined entirely within the line game and would have preferred while they're keeping the shimmer away thats when they show how much these characters have grown and the relationships they've built while also opening up opportunities for some characters who've left on bad terms to be on good terms or at least neutral terms (and no im not saying everyone should get along, im just saying that despite some of them hating eachother, they work together against a common enemy)

I have a few other gripes I have with act 3 but I've already made this long enough. This is a really nice outlet for people to let out their negative feelings, and I think people should be allowed to say their opinions on II even if it is negative! I've never seen the nasty side of the II fandom but I do believe when people say that the fandom is very not open to negative opinions. I hope one day that changes and we can actually pick apart Inanimate Insanity and have common ground when talking about what we liked and didn't like about it! Without tearing eachother's hair out!

Sorry if this was really messy, I'm not the greatest with wording my thoughts out of my brain pot. Thanks for listening!

.

[aisclosed]

Match Found ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ - 13. just Jungwon

Synopsis: Jungwon is sick of his friends' constant teasing over his lack of gaming skills. Determined to secretly improve and prove enha wrong, Jungwon sets out to learn to play, except he has no clue where to begin. Luckily for him, y/n is a girl with too much time on her hands, a desperate need for distraction and is more than happy to indulge him. Only, things are never that simple and Jungwon soon finds it difficult to explain exactly what the pair have become. college Student! Jungwon x gamer! Reader

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(3.1k) written work + SMAU :: warnings: cursing

Jungwon stares blankly at his phone screen. Hundreds of scenarios running through his mind, each one crazier than the last. Why did you suddenly want to call him? Before he can delude himself further his screen lights up with your incoming call. He only gives himself a split second to smile subconsciously at your contact picture before accepting and placing the phone against his ear.  

“Hello? Y/N?”

“Yang Jungwon, I fucking hate you, you know that?” 

Jungwon sits up slightly at the sheer frustration that drips from your tone, his brows furrowed in confusion. 

“Me? What did I do? Are you okay?” 

“No. I am not okay you idiot. I miss you and your stupid face and your annoying voice. And you sending me selfies looking cute is not helping. I am trying my very best to be a responsible friend and not take up your time, why are you tempting me you dimpled freak.” 

Jungwon can’t help but burst into laughter, it was entirely absurd, the way you sounded absolutely vexed at the prospect of not being able to see him. Any hint of fatigue from studying had been replaced entirely by an ear splitting grin, his cheeks aching and warm from your admissions. His heart swelled knowing that your time apart had affected you just as much as it had been affecting him. 

“This is not funny! Stop laughing at me you dickhead. I’m gonna hang up just go back to your work,” you whine into the phone and Jungwon can almost picture your scowling face, complete with jutted lips and knit brows. 

“No, don’t hang up. I miss you too Y/N, I wanna hear your voice,” Jungwon pleads between wheezes. 

“No. You heard my voice already and you laughed at it. You lose all Y/N privileges. Get back to studying, you gotta focus,” you gripe crossly. 

“Come on, just a couple more minutes and then I’ll let you go, hm?” Jungwon asks, smiling fondly to himself when you respond with an exaggerated sigh. 

“Alright fine, I guess I can spare you a couple more minutes since you miss me so much. How are you doing, Wonnie? You tired?”

“I'm doing alright, lowkey exhausted. I would be better if I saw you more,” Jungwon admits softly, “All I see are the guys and my textbooks. So I'm kinda going crazy, hence my messages about me dying.” Jungwon huffs, leaning back in his chair to rub at his temples, the dull ache slowly returning again at the thought of his upcoming kinesiology exam. 

“Hmm.. yeah that sounds rough. Have you eaten? Maybe you need some food in your system?”

“Yeah I ate a banana earlier. Everyone in the house has been too busy to cook or go grocery shopping so we’re living off of ramen for the week. It's not too bad though, we switch up the brand so we don't get sick of it.”

Jungwon pauses at the lack of response on your end, hearing only the rustle of you moving around the room. “Y/N? You good?” 

“Yeah, I’m here Jungwon, my bad. Just grabbing a jacket and my shoes. I'm gonna head out for a bit.”

“Oh. Okay, well if you’re busy, we can hang up.” Jungwon offers half heartedly, fiddling with the edge of his papers. 

“Uh. Yeah I'm really sorry Won, I promise I was listening. It's just gonna be a bit loud where I'm going so I don't want to disturb you. I'll make it up to you okay? I missed you a lot and it was nice talking to you, really.” 

“Yeah, you're fine Y/Nnie thanks for calling, I needed it. Be safe when you're out okay? Text me if anything happens.” 

“Mhmmm I will, good luck with studying! You got this! I'll see you soon. Byeee!!” 

Jungwon draws his phone away from his ear slowly, blinking at how abruptly you had left the call. Exhaling slowly, he turns back to his desk, engrossing himself back into his studies.

It isn't until he hears the tell-tale slam of the front door that Jungwon jolts out of his trance. He slid his gaze over to his phone to see that over an hour had passed since you hung up, his screen empty of notifications. Extending his arms above his head, Jungwon stretches slowly, his muscles groaning and popping in protest. 

He’s mid stretch when he hears faint conversation in the kitchen downstairs. Jungwon cocks his head in confusion, zeroing in on the noises outside, he could almost swear that he heard a girl’s voice. Shrugging off his curiosity, Jungwon turns back to his notes, looking over the hastily scribbled diagrams and notation. 

“Jungwonie~” Sunghoon raps on his door, cracking it open to stick his head inside. His eyes bounce around the room until they land on Jungwon, crinkling in a playful smile. “I have a surprise for you~. A very very special visitor-”

Jungwon doesn't even have time to question Sunghoon before he’s pushed aside, causing the door to swing open with him. 

“Oh my god Sunghoon, move. It's just me. Why are you acting like you're fucking Oprah,” you grumble, making your way into Jungwon’s room. 

 Jungwon lights up at the sight of you, arms flying open automatically in invitation, “Y/N! What are you doing here?”. 

“Hey bestie~, a little birdie told me someone missed me,” you chuckle, accepting his hug. Jungwon uses the opportunity to pull you onto his lap, nuzzling his face into your neck happily. 

“You guys are gross. I’m the one who actually stopped her from leaving without seeing you and you can't even give me the time of day,” Sunghoon sulks, leaving with a theatrical glare, slamming the door behind him.

Jungwon tilts his head at Sunghoon’s words, looking up at you inquisitively for an explanation. 

You roll your eyes, running your fingers through his hair gently, lightly scratching at his scalp. Jungwon preens like a feline at your touch, his eyes fluttering shut at the sensation. “I was just stopping by to drop off some proper food for you and the boys because you said all of you hadn’t eaten well. I ran into Sunghoon on your doorstep on his way out somewhere and he let me in. I wanted to just leave the food and go so I wouldn't distract you but Hoon said you’d want me to say Hi at least.”

“I can’t believe you were gonna just leave without even seeing me,” Jungwon frowns up at you accusingly, his grip on you tightening slightly. 

Your jaw ticks slightly as you struggle to justify your actions. As much as you had wanted to see Jungwon, you thought it would only make things harder. You were right. It felt wrong to act like everything was okay when it felt like your whole world was teetering on your shoulders. 

Your hands stutter slightly in their ministrations against his scalp, sliding down to rest at the nape of his neck. With his arms securely wrapped around you and the warmth of his gaze, it was so easy to be lulled into this sense of false security. 

You wanted nothing more than to spill out all of your frustrations and worries. To just cry and let Jungwon wipe your tears, and tell you everything would be okay.

No. Your whole life you’ve disillusioned yourself enough with false promises and hopes, you couldn’t guarantee anything right now. Until you spoke with your father, you had no clue of the seriousness of the whole dating situation. There was a chance that it merely a suggestion, with nothing binding you to going through with it.

You wouldn't burden Jungwon with your superficial issues, not when his eyes already drooped with fatigue, ringed with dark circles as evidence of his late nights. So you swallow back the confessions that threaten to escape from your lips, giving Jungwon an easy smirk and flicking his forehead gently. 

“Well you got to see me, so no point in sulking. I just didn’t want to take up your time, you look enough like a zombie already.” you tease softly, tracing small stars on his neck. 

“Ugh, trust me I feel worse than a zombie,” Jungwon scoffs, burying his face back into the crook of your neck, “If I have to look at another joint ligament or femur I think I’ll actually drop out and become a tik tok dancer or some shit.” 

“Aww poor baby.” You coo at Jungwon teasingly, snickering when he pinches your side in retaliation, mumbling insults against your skin. “Seriously though Jungwon, make sure to get proper rest and eat well okay? I brought some curry for you and some random dishes for the other boys. Don’t stress yourself out, you know the material, you’re gonna do amazing I know you are.”

Jungwon’s response is muffled but you can still pick apart his whispers of thanks and assent to your requests. You look down at his tucked figure fondly, resting your head against his own. 

The comfortable silence settles between the two of you, and you let yourself melt against Jungwon, exhaling deeply. Your relief is short lived as your mind soon begins to travel again towards your future with the company and Jaemin. Suddenly Jungwon’s hold feels suffocating, a slight sense of panic settling in your bones as think about the fast approaching changes to your life.

Feeling you tense up, Jungwon lifts his head, scanning your face with searching eyes. “Y/N? What's wrong?” 

Shaking your head dismissively, you smile in what you prayed was a convincing manner. “Just some company shit with my Dad that's stressing me out. I’ll tell you more once I actually know the proper details.” 

Jungwon scrutinizes you, before nodding slowly, “Okay, if you’re sure.”

You clear your throat awkwardly, shaking his arms off of you and sliding off of his lap, “I’m certain. Anyways, I should probably get going, you have to study. Enjoy the food okay?”

“What? No.” Jungwon says incredulously, your arm firmly locked in his grasp, “Stay.”

You huff exasperatedly, “Stay and do what Jungwon, you’re gonna be studying. Plus I’m tired, so I'm gonna head home and take a nap.” 

“You can nap here! Come on, I won’t get distracted by you I swear. I just want you here with me,” Jungwon pouts up at you, slumping in disappointment when you wiggle your arm free of his hold. 

"I fucking hate this cute ass man. He is the literal bane of my existence," you sigh inwardly, giving in as always. You were starting to think Jungwon had cast a spell on you, rendering you unable to refuse him. 

“Alright, fine you win. You can put the fucking pout away, I’ll stay.” You shove his head lightly, walking over to flop onto his bed, wriggling until you’re snug under his duvet. Jungwon’s comforting scent envelops you and you can’t help but inhale it slowly, already feeling the drowsiness tug at your eyelids. 

You peek at Jungwon to find him already staring back at you, a soft smile on his face as he watches you get comfortable in his bed. “What?” you ask defensively, flustering under his affectionate gaze.  “Do your work or I’m gonna leave” you threaten and Jungwon raises his hands in surrender, turning back to his work with a barely stifled smile on his face. 

It’s not long before you’re fast asleep, snoring softly into Jungwon’s pillows. Much like Jungwon, you have had numerous sleepless nights since the performance, albeit for entirely different reasons. 

It’s an hour later when Jake quietly comes into Jungwon’s room, eyes widening at the sight of you knocked out in his bed. 

“Yo, I was just coming in to say thank you to Y/N for the food. My bad, I didn’t know she was sleeping, is she good?” Jake whispers. 

Jungwon considers your slumbering form, chewing on his bottom lip in contemplation, “Yeah, I’m not sure. I can tell something’s bothering her but she’s not too keen on sharing and I didn’t want to push her. I managed to get her to stay for a bit so hopefully she gets some rest and feels up to talking about it.”

Jake looks at Jungwon’s worried demeanor, the way his eyes are trained on you and can’t help the smile that stretches across his face. “You really like her huh?” 

Startled Jungwon faces Jake with wide eyes, “Y-yeah? I mean she’s a really good friend and we just get each other you know? She's really important to me I guess,” he stammers. 

Jake snorts, shaking his head, “Yeah right, dude you know what I meant. Come on, you two are literally obsessed with each other. When are you gonna make your move bro? You never know who might try and steal her away before you even get your chance.”

“I don’t know hyung.” Jungwon pauses, his jaw clenching slightly at the thought of you with someone other than him. “I do like her a lot, maybe even more than that at this point. But I don’t want to risk anything right now you know? She’s a CEO’s daughter and I’m literally a college student worrying about midterms. I just feel like we’re at such different levels, I want to be able to take care of her,” he frowns. 

“Right now, all she’s been doing is helping me out basically, more than you guys even know. And then she did the whole makeup crew thing and now the food. I’m so so grateful for Y/N and everything she does for me. But every time, it just serves as a reminder that when it comes down to it, I’m not sure I can do the same for her. What can I possibly give her that she doesn’t have? If anything I’m dead weight, and I so badly want to be selfish and just ignore it and make her mine-” Jungwon halts as you shift slightly, he had become so absorbed in venting his feelings that he hadn’t realized his gradually increasing volume. 

Jake and Jungwon hold their breath, eyes bouncing back and forth between each other and your stirring figure before you settle down again, letting out a puff of sleep. 

Relieved, the pair exhale gratefully and Jungwon starts again, his tone lowered to a  discouraged mumble. “Anyways, I’m working on getting the confidence to actually do something. But it’s hard hyung, I’d rather be her friend forever than risk it and not have her at all. She could probably have her pick of the most successful men in Seoul, why would she pick me? I’m just Jungwon.”

“Dude, I get it. I really do. Y/N’s great and that can be daunting, but Won, there’s a reason she’s here in your bed. It’s not like she ever really tries to hide the fact that she’s whipped for you bro. If anything she’s probably holding back because you won’t let her breathe in our direction and then you go on twitter and best-friend zone her because you’re too scared to confess that you like her.” 

Jake smiles encouragingly, “She’s right in front of you Jungwon, don’t let her slip away,” with a final pat on Jungwon’s shoulder, he turns to leave. As Jake shuts the door, he spies Jungwon staring at you quietly, gently brushing away the stray hairs from your face. “Idiots in love I swear,” he laughs to himself. 

Jungwon barely registers the click of the door closing, his focus entirely on the way you lean into his fingers, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He slips his phone out of his pocket, snapping a quick picture of you swaddled in his comforters and pillows. 

As his gaze drags over your features, the slight part of your lips as you let out puffs of air, Jungwon’s mind wanders to Jake’s words. If it meant that Jungwon got to see this sight more often, maybe it was worth the risk. 

Jungwon eyes his notes and the clock, weighing the options internally. He sighs as he reaches his decision, not that he had much of a choice anyways when you and his bed looked so enticing. Truthfully, he had already resigned himself to this fate as soon as he had felt the soft flesh of your cheek against his fingers. And so, Jungwon pulls his hoodie over his head, draping it on the back of his chair. Gingerly, he slides into bed next to you, trying not to rouse you from your sleep. 

The dip in the mattress just barely tugs you from your slumber and you look up blearily at Jungwon. “Wonnie?” you slur, voice raspy from lack of use , eyes fighting to stay open.

Jungwon smiles down at you fondly, his hands slipping just under the hem of your shirt to rub soothingly against the small of your back. “Go back to sleep baby I’m right here,” he whispers softly, guiding your head back down to rest against his chest.

You're unable to muster anything but a pleased grunt in response, happily curling up against Jungwon, your legs tangling with his. In the comfort of the warmth radiating from Jungwon and the addled state of your sleep-ridden mind, your guard slips and a mumbled confession escapes your lips “Don’t wanna lose this Jungwon.”

Your words are so quiet and jumbled that Jungwon's not entirely sure he even heard them properly. He's given no chance to process them or question you before you’re sound asleep again, drooling slightly on his shirt. He mulls over your words silently, wondering if it had anything to do with what was bothering you that you refused to tell him about. 

“Why is there so much to think about,” Jungwon groans internally, “Fuck it, I give up on trying to make sense of all of this. I’m just gonna focus on passing first. I’m gonna ace my midterms and then I’m gonna figure out how to ask Y/N out without making a fool of myself.” 

With a new, steely determination set in his mind, Jungwon tugs you even closer, finally allowing himself to fully relax into your touch. He brushes a soft kiss against your forehead, making a mental note to tease you for drooling on him later. 

Jungwon’s not sure of the outcome of the changes that loom over the two of you. If he makes his move and it all goes downhill he may never have the chance to hold you like this again. But for now you're here, and having you firmly within his grasp is comforting enough to allow Jungwon’s eyes to flutter close and his mind to finally succumb to sleep. 

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a/n: rip fluff :( my poor stupid oblivious idiots. who's gonna tell jungwon he probably has less than 4 days :////

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[dinoburger]

obligatory post for my thoughts on the final comic - I'll do a summary with minimal spoilers before I nitpick

but that is to say... I don't know, I feel more elated to finally know what this section of the continuity has for us in its entirety. It was consistently inconsistent and a lot of the flaws I've already griped about remained to the bitter end.

I think in some ways, this leaves the door open for the text to be reinterpreted, because there won't be as much lingering on this thought that there might be something more just around the corner that ties everything up neatly, thoughtfully and unexpectedly. That's more vindicating than anything.

I don't have to wonder if there's something I've missed, the Team Fortress 2 comics will never be The definitive comic for me nor is it the be all and end all of what canon has to offer. And that's fine. It's easier to enjoy in this sense.

I did enjoy the ride more than I expected, but it might be because I've already experienced the 5 stages of grief with this piece of media.

Seeing Makani dive back into that 'dark Victoriana' sort of aesthetic for the flashbacks while still maintaining the comic's humour was a lot of fun. I'm really surprised that they even attempted to dig into the lore as much as they did, because in my mind I wasn't expecting that - they could've maybe had Zeph mentioned, or a short glimpse of a flashback, just to tie up some loose ends of the story and have the mercs go back to stupid antics - but it was a lot more involved than that.

I do like that we saw a lot more of Admin. Just because I've spent so long wondering at how to approach her character and what she's been set up for. I've seen it interpreted differently but, I think her obsession for the game itself being what drives her makes a lot of sense - she's too far gone, and been too far gone for a long time. Seeing her just get unhinged is a lot of fun.

I was a bit shocked to see young Gray because I've had my specific interpretation of him for a long time. He... essentially did what he always does, driving the plot forward and being a bit of a non-character, but I was surprised to see him at all.

none of the supernatural stuff was touched on at all lol - both Admin's more ambiguous stuff and... Zeph being sort-of-alive and also a ghost?

this is one of those points where I really do think the games/blog contain a different continuity to the comics.

I felt completely blindsided by that, also how strikingly similar the set up is to how I wrote the conduit was making me wig out.

Again... I don't think there was ever going to be a way for them to wrap up everything neatly. So many characters were left in the dust, even the main characters didn't get many lines, Engie was a non-character, Fred's fate is unknown, there was that hilariously inconsistent retcon with Silas no longer being Zeph's brother but still really obviously in the family picture. The whole deal with the Darlings was never explored in depth. CMedic. Maggie being a non-character. I'm sure there's more that other people have brought up.

But, I'm glad they didn't. I don't think any of those points would have been done justice in the limited frame. I'm glad that even the "definitive canon" is contentious enough and contradictory enough that we should be able to reexamine it on a basis of what it did do, not on what it didn't do.

The ending was cheesy, but not unexpected. And it's in keeping with everything else the comic was doing. Not that that's a good thing, but, now we can look at exactly what the text has to say and recontextualise it from other interpretations of the characters. I think that's preferable.

[billveusay]

I watched Gundam Zeta and...

When looking at gundam series rankings, one name always hovers towards the top. The successor that did it better. The one that solidifed Gundam as a powerhouse franchise after the success of the movies in theaters with its darker and more mature storyline.

And I really didn't like it much.

It's one of those cases where the opinion seems so unanimously positive that I genuinely think I missed something. Maybe its partly the fault of the subtitles and some stuff got lost in translation. Also, it has been a few months since I finished Zeta and I could remember things wrong. So as usual, just my opinion, influenced by likely biases and misinterpretations, don't take it as an attack if you liked Zeta.

Let's start with how derivative it is. At first, I didn't mind because it was obvious the show was building itself as a mirror to Mobile Suit Gundam. A "What if Amuro picked the stormcloaks over the empire when Alduin attacked?", so to speak. However, the more the show went on, the harder it became to maintain my goodwill. Kamille, the simili-Amuro winds up on a simili-White Base, gets a simili-Fraw Bow taking care of simili-Katz, Kikka and the other one, plus a blonde rival. You don't even get a simili-Bright because they straight up bring him back. And sometimes it really doesn't make sense, like when they paint over the Titans colors on the Gundam MkII... with the Federation colors. Look, I'm french, I know how good red, white and blue look together but pick your own identity, guys, the federation are still your enemies.

And many of those echoes felt like a downgrade. For the first half of the show, Kamille is insufferable, and while that's intentional and I'll admit he gets better, he doesn't get that much better. He's less prone to angry fits over the slightest inconvenience and elevates to being prone to angry fits over moderate inconveniences at worst. Pop the champagne. I'm actually wondering if he doesn't come off as less of an annoying, impulsive kid because they add Katz to the team as a fresh, even more annoying impulsive kid, so Kamille looks better by contrast.

Fa Yuri is also just a lesser Frau Bow, and I wasn't the biggest Frau Bow stan ever. She mainly comes accross as catty (she says "Kamille!" with the same reprehensive tone so many times I can hear it in my sleep), and while Kamille provides her with ample reasons to be annoyed with him, what I don't get are reasons for why they are supposedly close enough for Fa to act jealous whenever Kamille looks at another female character.

But my main gryps... I mean gripe with Zeta is that everyone is stupid. All the time. Do you know how many times someone makes an unauthorized mobile suit sortie in the original ? Twice, and they both get locked up in the brig after the fact. Do you know how many times that happens in Zeta ? Neither do I, I've lost count. And most of the insubordinates get away with a typical Bright slap. "My superiors don't trust me, so I'm gonna go out and fight in a mobile suit to show them" is the most common occurence, "I'm a prisoner and I'm gonna steal a mobile suit to escape" happens at least twice... and the more it occurs the more it makes me wonder why there's not a system in place to prevent unauthorized launches. Cause once someone gets in the cockpit, everyone around just goes "damn, it's too late to stop them now!". At one point Bright just gives up and says "ah screw it, this will be character building".

Far from the only moments that made me wonder how both armies can even be halfway functional. Another is the legendary exchange between Jerid and Sarah (I will transcribe the subtitles so if this is a translation error, you can blame them and not me). "I didn't expect that I'd be ordered to babysit little children like you" "For your information Lieutenant, I've had sufficient training!" "You two are newtype candidates selected by Scirocco. But look at your hands, probably never hurt a soul in your life. Are you really prepared to kill?" "No, I will never kill!" "...then what are you a mobile suit pilot for?!"

Very good question Jerid. This somewhat diminishes the status of Scirocco as a master planner if he forgot to ask candidates if they were down for killing before sending them to kill people.

You also get Wong refusing to evacuate the city of Granada even as a colony is about to drop on it, because "if they evacuate, the public to lose confidence in the AEUG's abilities". And I think we're supposed to believe that he's right. This is the same episode where Sarah, then imprisoned in the Argama, convinces Katz to let her out, give her a normal suit and lead her back to her mobile suit so she can... teach him how to pilot better. And he falls for it.

Granted, he's a kid. But if he demonstrably cannot be trusted to not free a prisoner he was told not to let out because of a little crush, despite (this will become a theme) having only met her five minutes ago, then the whole command chain of the Argama looks stupid for ever trusting him again with a mobile suit or a fighter jet. An attribute he shares with Jerid.

One of the biggest mysteries to me is how that guy can keep seemingly climbing the ranks of the Titans and being put in charge of things when he doesn't get a single W. Every single time he makes a sortie, he fails. No exception. If we're supposed to believe that he's a genuine threat and an actual rival to Kamille, then it's a complete failure. If he is supposed to be a loser, then I wonder what the point is because... well they don't do anything with him. He gets angrier and angrier, but still doesn't accomplishes anything, impact other characters or come to any realization. He just repeateadly screws up and eventually dies, and his death doesn't even get much focus.

Otherwise... well you have Reccoa "Defecting to the side of genocide because she wants to be seen as a woman and not a soldier" Londe not bringing many prizes home either. There are pretty convincing arguments to explain why she's not that badly written, but I'd still say that she's at best an interesting character concept very poorly executed. I'll probably develop my opinion on how an author has some responsibility if a character he makes is (unintentionnaly) widely hated when we get to Quess Paraya.

God, this is running too long again. Er...

Paptimus has the vibes of a great villain but it never seems like he has much of a plan beyond "not slapping people makes them more disposed towards alliances" and using his newtype powers to charm girls. And between the fact that it is always girls, and that the two female cyber-newtypes are psychological messes, while the other cyber-newtype guy seem perfectly well adjusted... it feels iffy.

And coming back to the praises of Zeta being darker... I mean yes, more people die in Zeta, but then they also have much less impact. The crew is not the same after Ryu dies, Bright gets (literally) sick with grief. Same with Matilda. And the villains deaths are also given weight. Garma's becomes a propaganda tool in the hands of Gihren, to the despair of his father, which is the first time they show us how disfunctional the Zabis are. Plus, we get a whole episode where Garma's lover tries to avenge him by sacrificing herself to destroy the white base. They even did the same thing with Ramba Ral.

Meanwhile, the last 8 to 6 episodes of Zeta are almost hilarious with how many character get unalived in a small amount of time. BOOM! Rip Sarah. BOOM! Bye Jerid. BOOM! See you Katz. BOOM! So long Bask. And theoretically, yeah, it's darker to have more characters die but I wouldn't give the show props for it if its just tying loose ends with a damn chainsaw. They all happen so fast they become meaningless.

There's probably more things I have to say but the series also has a lot of qualities. So let's talk about those.

I really like how they handled the returning cast members from Mobile Suit Gundam. They pretty much all felt like natural evolutions from their characters (the Star Wars sequels could have taken a few lessons from it). Char Quattro is definitely one of the best parts of the series, and I like how they treated my boy Kai. Making him a full-time member of the resistance would have been weird given his dislike for the army, but they show how much courage he's gained by making him a badass war reporter. And Bright is... an unmoving traffic cone in the long winding road that is the Universal Century. As for the newcomers, despite most female characters being very hit or miss, two of the best characters are undeniably Emma Sheen and Haman Karn. The series gets much better once she gets introduced. And even though the atmospheric re-entry episode was another MGS echo, the ballutes concept still made it one of my favourite Gundam episodes period.

Animation has also improved leagues beyond MSG, so did the mecha design. The Gundam MkII looks great, I love the Hyaku ✨Shiny✨, and we even get a preview of the Sazabi (one of the best looking mobile suits ever) with the Marasai.

And finally, the memes. They're probably what made the show go from ok to enjoyable for me. The neverending slaps, "I'm an autistic child", "I have never betrayed anyone in my entire life", Kamille pointing to Katz saying "he's okay" seconds before Katz explodes... the show is very generous in that regard. Okay, calling it now. Again, this is my opinion of a 40 yo anime with probably imperfect subtitles that I watched several months ago. There are so many factors independant from the series that potentially prevented me from enjoying it as much as I could, so this post is not an analysis but just an explanation of why I didn't like, and I really hope you will! But please stop leaving the keys in the mobile suits.

...OH GOD! Almost forgot the best part: half of the episodes ending in tragedy, with a character in tears screaming in a cockpit or curled up in his bed, sad music, fade to black, and...

🎶 Ooooh, I can't help believing you! 🎶

Good night!

[horizon-verizon]

Rhaenys killing smallfolk is so…. Like wtf, and then people be like “Kinslaying is the worst crime there is! She’d be stupid to do it!”, first HOTD never introduces the notion of kinslaying, and killing hundreds of people is a crime too! She is already a criminal for what she did, why stop halfway if you’re going full murderer ? If you’re gonna commit a decapitation worthy offence, then you might as well kill the people who are a legitimate threat to your future great grandchildren and granddaughters themselves.

Them coming out saying that Rhaenys didn’t kill them because it’s not her war…. Lol, it was her war the moment she agreed to betroth her granddaughters to Rhaenyra’s sons. Her family (the little that is left of it) is in legitimate danger and she passed up the opportunity to kill people who WERE ACTIVELY PLANNING ON KILLING HER FAMILY ANYWAYS. (Yes, I know it was mostly Rhaenyra and Daemon but Jace and Luke and Joff would have to go too and Daemon is the father of Rhaena and Baela, the twins have legal claim to the throne, so no ways they letting that slide either).

Yeah, this has been my argument as well. I will never not be angry about this damned episode, esp this scene.

My biggest gripe about this fool of an episode is that if Rhaenys says she doesn't want to "be involved" in "their" war is that in ANY iteration of these events where Baela & Rhaena exist without turning this into a full-fledged AU like sweetestpopcorn's "The Black and the Greens", Rhaenys will ALWAYS be "involved"...

because those girls are DAEMON'S DAUGHTERS and ONE OF THEM LIVES WITH DAEMON AND RHAENYRA!!! And this Rhaenys constantly has said she primarily cares about her own kids and grandchildren, not Viserys, Daemon, or Rhaenyra...so what gives?!

In a world where these strategy-minded people would, you know, think strategy...Rhaenys practically spoon-fed them a public reason to go to war and assume a protective-justice persona!!!

To further paint the blacks as violence mongerers or even just shit-starters, even with those killed being peasants, bc the sheer number of people killed simultaneously who live around you & around your castle who have historically been a part of some Faith-led attacks against the crown (Aenys, Maegor, Rhaena & her brother Aegon--the Poor Fellows) is astronomical. Killing that many smallfolk doesn't pay and rather makes for a larger number of angrier smallfolk with a reason to be angrier than average. You'd think she'd realize that and idk, maybe not kill dozens if not thousands of smallfolk.

Otto will always look to them as possible rivals because of that connection to the person he thinks will likely always contend with him/anyone for power, espe after he includes the younger boys' hostage-taking in his terms in episode 10. Aside from Otto--who had a grip on Alicent's decision-making until it came to Rhaenyra (as if Rhaenyra doesn't come with her kids, who Alicent has accepted the risk of exile or total ruination for 10 years, but I digress).

And Alicent--by the next season's 2 trailers--appears to go back to Otto as a consultant and guide as to how the greens will face the blacks, so we can't argue that she will not escape his influence even with her allowing herself to understand his manipulativeness. She obviously didn't want a war and has tried to stave it off by holding Rhaenys hostage and sending that damned page to Rhaenyra with Otto's terms--that is if she actually sent it--she also sets up a possible war through usurping Rhaenyra in the first place! And Alicent isn't actually fighting against Rhaenyra for the sake of "the realm" but for for her own position as the mother to a possible king/wife of a past king and the lives of her kids.

Even in the book--if you are inclined to believe that she believes this and/or has sincerely taken Otto's fear of Daemon as her own maybe bc similarly to the show he instilled in her that fear of him--Alicent brings up Daemon's supposed bloodthirstiness and inevitable murder of her kids as reason to usurp Rhaenyra ("The Blacks and the Greens"):

As for the kinslaying part, they refused to insert Rhaenyra's lines of that, instead making her grab Otto's pendant and throwing it off the bridge in a much more flaccid version of what she does with Orwyle's chains in the book. Without the context of her giving Aegon that chance to withdraw AND criticizing Orwyle taking the green side and basically going against his own maester code of following traditions and laws, show!Rhaenyra's protests against Otto is more losing the desired cool & careful, wise reservedness that HotD already favors over original "proud" book!Rhaenyra. And I think that it's to give the Dance story this faux measure of "balance" that ozymalek talks about HERE:

People often argue whether HOTD showrunners are biased in favor of Team Black or Team Green. I think the answer to this question can't be encapsulated within the context of "bias", at least not fully. They are biased for both and neither at the same time and it's difficult to explain, but I will try to articulate how I see it. The Dance era in "Fire and Blood" is something that will fundamentally cause the feelings of cognitive dissonance. I think this is why people initially disliked this book when it first came out. It did not provide easy answers, it was written as a historical account, the in-universe historians were clearly biased. People, however, had trouble realizing who the historians are biased for and against. Team Green would have you think that "F&B" is biased against the Greens, because their allegiance as maesters clearly being to Hightowers notwithstanding, they could not evade simple historical facts: that most of the kingdom supported Rhaenyra, that Greens were horrendously misogynistic and that her usurpation was clearly wrong. That's why, approaching it from the "choose your favorite war criminal" point of view, it was difficult for Greens to accept that their preferred side is so cartoonishly evil - obviously bias must have been involved, even though the only pro-Black narrator of F&B is Mushroom, the rest are Greens. The maester's anti-Targaryen bias, however, manages to sneak in and mess with the reader's balance, causing said cognitive dissonance. It's hard to deal with it as a reader, let alone as a showrunner who's trying to adapt a story in which not everything is set in stone. They incorrectly assumed that, because they are constantly forced to question what is happening in the story, the bias is with the underlying idea that there was a correct side. As such, they assumed that all the inconsistencies result from maesters not choosing to view it that way. Ryan Condal repeatedly stated that he does not want watchers to pick sides, while George RR Martin embraces it and even encourages it (and I think that he himself has picked the Blacks). Such is our nature as human beings. So they decided that they have to balance the scales. Because Greens are poorly developed, they added more characterization for them that contradicts their book personas (abused child bride meow meow Alicent who is clueless about the plans that in the books she herself set in motion, for example) while simultaneously taking the characterization AWAY from team Black members. Rhaena and Baela barely have any lines, and though this may be the case of simple racism, it's pretty telling that they ignored the fact that Baela is tomboyish and has short hair. Rheanyra herself is so toned down that she does not resemble her book counterpart in the slightest, making her seem weak, stupid and undecided. Daemon straight up becomes a villain and a wife murderer rather than a throughoutly gray character (book!Rhea Royce unambiguously dies after a hawking accident while Daemon is still fighting in the Stepstones); that's because Team Black was in a desperate need for a corrupting influence in order to balance the scales. But some Greens aren't spared from this treatment either. Otto is made much worse than he was in the books, he straight up pimps out his teenage daughter so that he can elevate House Hightower. While Aegon is also a sex pest in the books, showing him openly rape a lowborn woman was a risky decision (as was the not very subtle implication that he rapes Helaena as well); not to mention that the child fighting pits come from Mushroom, whose entire gimmick is making shit up. So neither side is really spared from being villified and whitewashed, depending on whom we look. The showrunners were fully committed to making choosing sides a confusing process, making the cognitive dissonance of this story to be even stronger. This is why they aren't really biased for or against anyone.

[beeandheroddobsessions]

Higher

Pairing: Elvis x f!reader

Summary: The reader makes a mistake and has to make up for it

Warnings: Alcohol consumption. Drug use (just marry jane fr). Reader is an ASS with her whole chest. Mmm hurt/comfort.

A/N: Now how does a 2k word one-shot get lost in the sauce? i dont know either but that’s why i hand write everything. i would’ve cried if it was gone forever because this is by far, my favorite piece. Of course, the song doesn’t need to be played, buuut you definitley should listen to it! Anywho, happy reading!- Bee 💕

This was stupid. You and Elvis were supposed to be enjoying dinner together, but every little thing bothered you. The wait time, the room's temperature, the space's volume. All of it. One flirtatious remark from a waitress toward your husband was what really set you off.

Realistically, you would never fly off the handle with Elvis. He meant everything and more. Never, on any other day, would you disrespect him to such a degree.

Both of you had been run ragged. With the stress of release dates, concerts, fans, and both of your (shitty) managers, You and Elvis were at your wit's end.

You knew Elvis wouldn't look twice at a girl like that. In your eyes, though, the kind smile and short 'thank you' may as well have been him getting down on one knee and begging for her hand in marriage.

Elvis didn't see your outburst coming. Usually, he could read you like a book, but he was distracted, busy sorting through dates and show times. Honest to god, he hadn't even registered that girl's hand grazing his shoulder.

It was so sudden Elvis had to blink to make sure he hadn't missed anything. Your hand came down on the tabletop so hard the poor man practically jumped out of his skin.

"You can't keep from flirtin' for one goddamn night, Elvis? Every time I look, you're chattin' up some new, two-bit whore."

You know that wasn't true; Elvis was friendly, sure, but he was hopelessly devoted to you. His jaw hung open, eyes widened with an expression reading, 'are you fucking serious?'. He was almost too stunned to speak, almost. Elvis clears his throat, knuckles going white as he clenches his fork.

"Little girl, I know full well-"

You huff and open your mouth, prepared to continue your tirade. But before you can, Elvis holds up a finger.

"Don't you sit up here n' disrespect me. Ya ain't gon talk to me like you've lost your mind," he asserts.

You see red. He didn't deny it and practically told you to shut up. Or at least those were the dots you connected. Any chance at a rational step forward has flown out of the window. You can feel yourself getting warm as anger pumps through your veins.

"Don't talk like I—What the fuck is wrong with you? Ya prance around with whoever in my damn face, but I'm the one who belongs in the loony bin?"

You're digging a deeper hole than you care to realize. Again, Elvis tries to get you under control.

"Y/n. I'm warnin' ya." He seethes.

Boy, does that get you hot.

"What? Don't wanna admit it? Don't want everyone to know how often you forget about your wife, chasin' skirts? Shoulda stayed in fuckin' Memphis."

You mumbled that last part, but Elvis still caught it. He'd had enough. The fork clatters onto the plate, and he clasps his hands together. His face is stern, but those beautiful blue eyes were glasses over. You had gone too far.

"S'That what ya want?" He muses. You're quiet now. It sinks in; how ridiculous you had been. Elvis lifts his brows, waiting for an answer. When the silence looms over the both of you, he rises to his feet, taking that as his answer.

"Fine then, call Lamar. Wouldn't want ya stuck with me any longer than ya have to be, since your jus' dyin' to get away." He griped.

Before leaving, Elvis tosses some money on the table to cover both meals. Then, he spins on his feet and storms out of the restaurant. You were left to sit in your shame with stares come from each direction. What did you just do? Tears burn in your eyes as you scramble to collect your things.

You fly out the door, scanning the lot for any sign of Elvis. He left. Left you stranded. What else was he to do, though? You sigh and go back inside, head hung low, shame surrounding you. Safe to say, you felt like an idiot calling Lamar in front of everyone.

The ride home was depressing. Elvis wasn't there to tickle your sides and tell you bad jokes. No one to kiss you and tell you they love you. It was just you and your thoughts.

When you arrive at the hotel, you're scared to walk through the doors. Would Elvis yell? Send you packing? Put you out? God, you had no clue. You fidget with yourself the whole way up to the room's floor. Standing before the door, you contemplate booking a different suite altogether.

Elvis is your husband; he wouldn't want that. Right? Pushing the nerves down, you unlock the door and step in.

He isn't in the front room, so he must be in the back. You take a deep breath and head that way. You find Elvis sitting on the bed, facing away from the entrance. You lean against the frame and keep your sights trained on his back.

"...Hey," you try, voice soft as ever—a clear contrast to your earlier performance. Elvis doesn't even look your way, preferring to focus on his feet.

"Thought you'd be on your way to Memphis by now." He croaked.

Your heart sinks; you truly did hurt his feelings.

"Elvie—no, I was just-"

A disheartened chuckle cuts your explanation short,

"I know, you were just so angry that ya got stuck with me. Don't need ya to tell me twice, y/n."

You shake your head, feeling a lump forming in your throat.

"El, please. I didn't—didn't mean-"

"So then what is it, y/n? Huh? I ain't never stepped out on you, and ya know it. So why the theatrics? Why talk to me like that?" Elvis booms, voice breaking as he searches desperately for an answer.

You're taken aback by the volume of his voice; how ironic. Your silence again serves as his answer. He takes a sharp breath and throws his hands up.

"Yknow what? I don't even wanna know. M'goin' to bed. Got a lotta shit to do in the mornin'."

You whimper as he buries himself under the covers. There isn't a sadder sight than watching your husband cry silently. You feel like the shittiest wife on the planet. Not bothering to change, you climb in next to him, wrapping your arms around his torso.

"I really am sorry, El. I didn't mean anythin' I said." You whisper, placing a kiss on the shell of his ear. Elvis hums, pushing you off and sliding away as far as he can.

"M'sure you didn't, y/n."

Defeated, you turn over, crying yourself to sleep just the same as him.

For the next two weeks, Elvis is cold toward you. Drowning himself in his work, barely speaking to you, only kissing you goodnight. It was torture, but it wasn't for nothing. You said Elvis forgot about you? He could show you what that was really like. Said he was nothing but a flirt? He could show you that too.

For those two long weeks, Elvis flirted with every woman he encountered. He never cheated; Elvis wasn't a dog. But he intended to make it hurt, and that he did. He'd wave you off to finish a conversation it was with a girl, and act uninterested when you spoke, only to perk up whenever a young filly caught his attention.

You had learned your lesson and wanted Elvis to understand how sorry you were. No apology you crafted was good enough; none felt right. You'd write, scratch it, cry, rinse, and repeat. Drink after drink, and two joints later, you find yourself at the piano in the corner of the room. In your stupor, you decide to sing what you're feeling, hoping to find the words you'd been looking for.

You rest your fingers atop the ivories and begin a simple melody. You clear your throat and shakily start the song.

"This whisky got me feelin' pretty... so pardon if m'impolite..."

Your words are slurred, your focus is off, and your thoughts are jumbled, so it's no surprise the door opening goes unnoticed.

"...I jus' really need your ass with me—m'sorry bout the other night..."

Elvis creeps in slowly, careful not to let you know he's home.

"...And i know i could be more creative n' come up with poetic lines..."

Your husband leans against the wall, watching his inebriated wife pour her heart out as best she can. He fights the smile tugging at his lips as you continue.

"...But m'fucked up upstairs, and 'i love you' is the only thing that's in my mind..."

Tears prick in your eyes, and as you think about how you treated Elvis, they fall down your face. You carry on, though, not wanting to lose focus.

"...You take me higher...higher than I've ever been, babe. Just come over; let's pour a drink, babe..."

Elvis's chest hurts when he hears your plea. He wants so badly to still be upset, but he can't after seeing you like this. Elvis wants to hold you and wipe away your tears; your sonata isn't finished, though.

"...I hope I ain't callin' you too late, too late..."

You take a breath; the thought of Elvis leaving you is overwhelming

"...You light my fire; let's stay up late and smoke a J..."

The crack in your voice and the way you're virtually sobbing through every line hurts Elvis something terrible.

"...I wanna go back to the old way, but m'drunk instead with a full ashtray, with a little bit too much to say."

When the last line leaves your lips, Elvis rushes to your side.

"I want that too, little." He whispers.

A loud cry escapes your chest as you throw your arms around him. Elvis does the same, squeezing you tight.

"Oh, El," you hiccup, "M'so fuckin' sorry. I never meant to hurt ya. You know that right? Pleas tell me ya know I didn't-"

Elvis nods his head frantically, smiling through his tears as you babble

"I know you were stressed. Jus' hurt to hear that ya thought i didn't care nothin' bout ya. Hurt to hear ya say you wanna leave me."

You shake your head again, feeling like a fool.

"El I— I just said all that cause it hurt seein' that girl flirt with ya, and you didn't do anything about it. Thought you mighta liked her or somethin'."

Elvis laughs from his belly upon hearing this.

"Liked her? Honey, did ya see her hair?"

"Did I?" You giggle back, "It was a mess!"

Your husband nods in agreement, "Yeah, and she had on the tackiest earrings."

After two weeks of agony, you're finally on track, gossiping about people with Elvis like you were used to. His hands cup your face, and he looks directly into your eyes.

"You're the only one for me. No woman could beat your perfection, darlin'. You could stick me in a room with a hundred of 'em, and I'd find something wrong with 'em all cause they ain't you. I love you, y/n."

You nod your head in understanding, bringing your hand to his cheek. "I love you too, Elvie."

"Good." He gushed. Elvis admires you for a moment before he decides to wrap up the night

"Now, we've got to get some sleep. We're recordin'. that song first thing tomorrow. Oh, and ya ain't never to late baby. I'll never leave your side." Elvis promises.

You sniff and give him a kiss, sloppy but still a kiss. He helps you to bed, snaking his arms around your form. Elvis was your everything; you couldn't dream of letting him go.

"Missed this," you murmur.

"Me too. Goodnight, mama."

Taglist: @prayerstopresley

[angeldreamsoffanfic]

so i had this idea and will potentially turn it into a full fic bc it’s just spiraling around and taking control of my two brain cells so just here is my brain dump of this okay

alpha!eddie x omega!steve with alpha!chrissy x omega!robin, with a modern au / dating app little twist.

follow me here okay —

•••

omega!steve who cares so much for his pups, but all six of them haven’t presented yet so while they can offer some comfort to steve during his heats— it’s not enough. (in my mind, heats/ruts aren’t a sexual thing in this universe so let’s just roll with it ok thank you kiss).

omega!steve whose pups beg him to try and let beta!jonathan and alpha!nancy nest with him, to scent him- but the heartbreak is too fresh and honestly? ever since nancy and jonathan mated, steve isn’t comforted by nancy’s scent as much anymore so honestly it’s kind of a fruitless effort.

and steve promises that nesting with the pups is enough for him for now, and all six of the pups are okay with that for now. so they nest with steve and it’s so much fun.

max, who hasn’t ever really nested before enjoys the comfort of steve’s scent and snuggling up close to him. she likes that she can tuck herself in his side and listen to him gripe about the movies they picked, and maybe she likes holding lucas’s hand too.

dustin, who only has ever nested with his mom really enjoys the comfort that being with his friends gives and steve brings. and steve let’s him watch any movie he wants, which dustin takes as a really big win.

lucas, who has nested before (he has his parents and little sister), but there’s just… something a bit different about letting steve scent him, and he’s able to hold hands with max and that’s really nice okay?

will, whose dad was a dick of an alpha and his mom and older brother are betas so they just… they don’t nest. but will likes it! he likes helping steve sort out the blankets and the snacks and he can’t really explain it but he doesn’t get why some alphas say that boys shouldn’t be omegas…

mike, who okay- he sometimes doesn’t really like steve okay? he grew up with his parents, a really traditional alpha x omega couple, and his dad had kinda flipped when nancy presented as an alpha. so maybe there is a little prejudice there because mike has listened to his father murmur things about steve being an omega, but… is it really a bad thing? mike isn’t sure, but he helps the older boy nest when will asks, because it’s will and… fuck, okay, maybe mike can picture nesting with will sometimes, okay- like a lot of the time okay?

eleven, who was trapped in the lab and doesn’t even really understand the whole alpha, beta, and omega thing— but she knows she likes when steve holds her chin and scents at her pack gland. she knows he cried when she let out a pup trill the first time. eleven knows okay, she knows even if people sometimes thinks she’s stupid.

and they slip into a pack, maybe on purpose or on accident… and it just works okay. they’re all pack. the six pups and their pack!omega.

still, the pups can’t help but be excited when steve meets robin, who hasn’t presented yet and that’s a rare thing in itself so they’re hopeful…

until robin presents as an omega and tells steve that she likes girls when steve comforts her. robin quietly explains that she only likes alpha!girls and steve shrugs and says that’s fine because he likes alpha!girls and alpha!guys so really it’s okay that she has a preference.

cue steve then formally inviting robin into his pack. steve probably explains it’s not much, just him and a bunch of un-presented pups… but it’s home, and steve promises she’ll always have a home with him if she wants. robin cries, and very quickly agrees- much to the chagrin of her alpha x omega parents who are very adamant that two omegas can’t run a successful pack.

the pups are so excited when robin joins the pack though. they like how steve and robin act around each other, they like how robin is able to get steve to calm down when the omega gets a little too protective. they like how steve helps out with guiding robin through being an omega, and they can’t help but hope that the two older teens will one day help them out when they all present.

(robin and steve of course made a pact that they’ll both help out as much as they can for their pups when they all present).

but now they’re at the beginning again and fuck.

but one day, the pups are watching t.v. at steve’s house waiting for the two omegas to get home for work, and they see an ad come on the t.v.. it’s an ad for a scenting app, where both omegas and alphas can match up for scenting purposes.

the pups then bring it to the attention of steve and robin, and while the two omegas are a little apprehensive… neither of them can really resist when the pups trill and make puppy-dog eyes at them.

so the two omegas say fuck it and they both get the app of their phones and sign up for the thing.

•••

on the other side of things, we have alpha!eddie and alpha!chrissy. and just, just follow me here-

alpha!eddie and alpha!chrissy. everyone had kind of expected eddie to present as an alpha, i mean, come on. he was loud and brash and goofy, but if you needed help he’d do anything he could to try and help you.

but alpha!chrissy? now that throws people for a fucking loop. her parents were the very traditional alpha x omega couple, who believed that omegas should be silent and small and never ever heard. so when chrissy presents as an alpha and snaps her teeth at her dad when he tries to talk down to her?

they kick her out.

but it’s fine! because alpha!eddie and beta!wayne are there, and they teach her the ins and outs of everything. eddie shows her how to make herself scent safe, how to control her emotions and not want to snap her teeth at everyone.

it’s nice, all three of them living together, really.

until, wayne starts to get a little annoyed about the two constantly wanting to scent him. he does get it, really, but he’s not their pack and he can’t keep going to work at the mechanic shop smelling like the two alpha teenagers. so, he very nicely (as nicely as he can) asks that they find an omega or just anyone to scent that isn’t him.

chrissy jokes about making a dating app for the people out there like them… and shit, okay, that actually isn’t a bad idea and eddie happens to be pretty tech savvy… so they make a fucking app.

it takes a while, but they eventually figure it out and launch it… and it does really fucking well. like eddie is able to quit his job and chrissy changes her college classes from whatever she had been doing to focus solely on a tech degree, really well.

but, the two don’t sign up for it themselves.

they feel kinda… skeezy they think? like why should the app developers sign up for the service themselves, y’know? especially since they keep omegas and their safety the priority on the app, they don’t want to take advantage of anything okay?

and the app’s popularity just snowballs (thanks to social media), and chrissy graduates with honors from her school… but they two alphas are lonely. wayne’s moved out and subsequently moved in with his beta!girlfriend, so it’s ends up just being the two alphas in their two-bedroom apartment in indianapolis. and it works, i mean, the two can offer as much comfort as they can to each other during their ruts… but even though they see and recognize each other as pack, it’s not enough.

so, after a bottle of wine- they both make profiles.

•••

steve and robin are both surprised when they match with eddie and chrissy, but they roll with it because talking to the two alphas is nice. they’re pretty too, according to their profile description and they think their scents probably smell lovely.

they talk for a while, about the small town and their pack (though they keep it light and don’t dip too deep into describing it for the pups and their own safety). it gets to a point where the four are talking every day to their prospective partners, and then eddie finally asks if he could come visit. chrissy ends up asking robin too after, and the two omegas talk and agree.

hawkins isn’t a far drive from indianapolis, just shy of two hours— and eddie books a room at the small bed and breakfast for a couple of days so they can potentially all get to know each other a little better.

the two alphas still think it’s insane and super coincidental that they found two omegas from the same small town, who are both in a pack and they hope that the two get along enough that maybe in the future they can connect their packs.

(robin and steve have both figured out that eddie and chrissy are pack, but again they don’t want to jeopardize their safety to the pups’ safety so they keep their soulmate-friendship on the down low).

steve and robin both suggest a quick meet at the local coffeehouse in downtown hawkins, just to make sure they aren’t all serial killers before the potential of planning a longer date. eddie and chrissy both agree, because yeah they’d prefer to be close by to each other anyway just in case the omegas are catfishing them or something weird.

imagine their utter surprise though when they see omega!steve and omega!robin already sitting down together. the two omegas come clean to the two alphas, and the alphas can’t help but sing their praises to the two omegas. it was a safe and smart thing to do, and no they aren’t mad at the two pretty smelling and pretty looking omegas.

and so talk and drink coffee and hot chocolate, and both eddie and chrissy keep sending each other looks because okay what is going on? steve and robin are practically one brain and one person, the way that they both kind of revolve around each other.

shortly after, steve and robin explain their pack dynamics— that is the two of them plus six pups. eddie and chrissy find this interesting and funny, and ask to meet them whenever possible. both steve and robin agree, though they don’t really put terms on it. eddie and chrissy explain that they’re both pack bonded, but it’s just them, and they’re willing to go at whatever pace steve and robin set.

the rest of the three-day trip goes by super well, though robin and steve don’t introduce their pups to eddie and chrissy just yet.

imagine eddie and chrissy’s surprise when their home phone rings a few weeks later after not having heard from the omegas for almost a week.

it’s a younger girl on the phone named max, she got their number from the yellow pages- and she is pretty sure she’s boiling alive from the inside out… oh and steve and robin have been in heat for way too fucking long and are showing no sign of coming out of it really anytime soon…

queue eddie and chrissy driving to loch nora, and being surprised when five pups stumble out- and they’re all talking over each other asking for them to help their pack!omegas and whatever-the-hell max is presenting as.

the two alphas agree and stumble inside, and are immediately hit with the scents that are running through the harrington-buckley house.

familiarity, home, belonging, and pack.

[clobertina]

I think we can all agree that HTTYD 3 is the most divisive movie in the franchise.

So I'm curious to know your personal opinions on it!

I personally have a love hate relationship with it. There's a lot of things I love while there's a LOT of things I hate.

I love a lot of it. But I'll go ahead and state the problems I had because they are easier to describe compared to the things I loved about it.

-Some aspects involving The Light Fury. She was a plot device more than she was a character and the "behind the scenes" creaton of her was problematic imo. Although it's slightly grown on me, her design is weird and I really want to redesign her lol.

-Some things involving Toothless. I LOVE Toothless, but I have a lot of problems with how he was handled in this movie. For one, he's TOO OVERPOWERED! like really? Not only can he control all dragons, but you gave the ONE ability that made the Light Fury unique and gave it to Toothless 🤦‍♀️. Although it's a result of the ending of movie 2, I don't like the idea of Toothless being able to control dragons, but this is a personal gripe that I explained in detail before and isn't a fault of the writing in movie 3. This is a nitpick but I don't like how they got rid of Toothless' subtle patterns that have appeared in all instalments (including series) except this movie. This is also a nitpick but I also found it weird that they made Toothless act so much like a dog in this movie when he almost always acted more like a cat in every instalment. Also, his want to leave Hiccup was way to sudden and is not in his character... I could explain a lot more but idc exactly how to put it to words and this post would go on forever lol.

-Kinda a nitpick but I don't like how Astrid was reduced to just moral support. I wish we had more moments of her being badass. Because one thing I always LOVED about Astrid was that she's independent and strong but also allowed to act feminine. As a woman myself, all women are different- Women can act feminine, women can act masculine, and seeing a strong independent woman character that can act masculine but also act feminine is something you rarely really see in mainstream media imo.

-The side characters where done SO DANG DIRTY in this movie... ESPECIALLY if you watched Riders/Defenders of Berk + Race to the Edge. The characters I feel got ruined the most though, where Snotlout and Ruffnut. WHAT HAPPENED TO SNOTLOUT BEING COCKY BUT ALSO HAVING A HEART OF GOLD!? WHAT HAPPENED TO RUFFNUT BEING PURPOSELY STUPID TO CONFUSE HER ENEMIES? WHAT DID THEY DO HHH???

-Grimmel was just a half baked Viggo from Race to the Edge. Nobody can change my mind.

-BIGGEST COMPLAINT. Like EVERY installment, both movie, short film, comic, and series, where built on exploration and discovery. In every part of the franchise, we saw new species and worlds. So when the marketing for HTTYD 3 came out... Naturally I assumed we where going to spend a lot of time IN THE HIDDEN WORLD (in my mind as just Toothless and the Light Fury as they bonded). But no. IT HAS SO LITTLE SCREENTIME spent ACTUALLY IN there! Even VANAHEIM was eventually explored in-depth... HHH Just kinda felt like a let-down to me, you know?

Things I personally loved.

-Toothless has his own motivations and goals completely separate from Hiccup in this movie. I really love this as it separates them as individuals more than it has been done before. Only problem is that I feel they didn't handle it as good as I wish they did.

-The very end of this movie was so beautifully bitter sweet with Hiccup and Astrid and their kids!

-Goes without saying that the animation was phenomenal! And although the soundtrack is not as memorable as the first 2, it's still EXTREMELY good!

-Adored the fact we got to see Fireworm Dragons for a few shots! Always love when a movie sneaks in series content.

-Hiccup and Astrid's relationship is still so wholesome to watch and amazing to see!

-The Stoick flashbacks where great!

-I will not lie, I am blinded by my love of HTTYD to completely disown this movie LOL.

[raamitsu]

I'm sorry if that's a stupid question (I'm not 100% caught up on all the details), but when it comes to the Yuuji and Sukuna family tree chaos, do you feel like it was foreshadowed enough? To me it kinda felt very out of left field, but then maybe we have to wait until we have the full context.

While that chapter was unironically a banger, I don't know how to feel about all those sudden reveals during the final fight. But that could just be my personal gripe with the Gojo v. Sukuna fight where new information about the whole power system was constantly introduced that we couldn't have possibly known about and it felt unsatisfying in the narrative. Doesn't change the fact that I was really invested in it when the chapters came out every week because I'm invested in what's happening/happened to Gojo, and I hope I don't come off as rude, I'm just genuinely interested in others opinions, maybe I missed something. Anyway have a good day/night and thanks for all the updates!

True, Yuji and Sukuna's relations perhaps have been foreshadowed a lot since the beginning but I believe the majority of the fandom didn't consider them to be different from what they were expecting; from twin brothers to uncle-nephew. Not gonna lie they nailed it with the twins theory but somehow Jin Itadori was and has never crossed their mind because they thought he was less relevant other than wanting to have a child at all cost.

Not just the fact that Gege added a little motive into Jin's character, this means there is so little we knew about him that Gege planned to reveal to us. I also believe we'll get to learn about Wasuke as a character because his appearance in the very first chapter was crucial, especially the advice he gave to Yuji.

You're right about the "receiving info left and right" because I feel the same way. Even so, I remembered what Tite Kubo said regarding this:

At first I expressed my dissatisfactory with this kind of writing choice Gege made to my friend but there were some truths to what Kubo said here - though I believe every author are more than capable to surprise us despite many revelations.

But with JJK, we had them already at hands and we theorized + analyzed them before we could confirmed they were canon/relevant to the plot, until Gege slowly unveiled their importance to the story.

At this point we need to stay alert with every JJK content we receive; be it merchandises, colored pages, Gege's illustrations etc. ��😭

[borisbubbles]

Eurovision 2024: #28

28. GEORGIA Nutsa Buzaladze - "Firefighter" 21st place

Decade Ranking: 105/153 [Above Andromache, below The Black Mamba]

BY THE POWER OF THE EFENDI-PEDE

The bad Barkeresque bops always engage in a tug of war between basic bitch (Cyprus) and tacky bitch (Georgia) and in this year, somehow, the tacky bitch was the less bad one. Which is miraculous given that Firefighter was - as my colleague James generously pointed it - "a very crappy song".

So yeah, let's get the bad out of the way immediately. "Firefighter" is a garbage song. Direct contender for the worst one in the year. Now here's a song intended to be a party anthem that... fails to be catchy or rhythmic or sing-along? I thought the purpose of a party song is to be interactive in some way? Firefighter proceeds along like a comedy improv sketch, pivoting into a completely different section whenever someone yells "change".

Likewise, the song was a lyrical wreck. It was almost as if the songwriters were drunking their way through an Efendi algorithm- -CHANGE- were low on inspiration and high on sleep desperation -CHANGE- were ON SOOO MUCH COCAIIIIINE -CHANGE- delegated the songwriting to an neural net. What is this garbage?

Windows are burning? Running like tigers? How does one run through "this ashes" (sic X__X) like a firefighter? if there's ashes all around, the building's burnt to a crisp and you're pretty SHITTY at fighting fire. Also, do you intent to save your relationship or are you ah-okay with letting it burn down so you can emerge stronger from the debris? Which one is it because you cannot have both. Make up your mind, and die.

However, one has to believe that a good performance can elevate even the shittiest songs into bearability, and this was one such occasion. The staging went a bit too high on the pyros (girl you're FIGHTING the fire, not spreading it) but that's my only gripe. It was well staged and well-choreographed, respecting its niche as a dumbed-down uptempo trashbop. But the star of the performance was Nutsa herself. She worked REALLY hard to make the best of a very bad song, and she -dare I say- WERKED it?

Like THIS is what "serving" looks and sounds like. Total command of the performance, as one should when you intend to queen. It could not have come at a better time (between Kenzy forgetting her cues and Mustii giving his best Marius Bear impression). Maybe Rybak was right all along, if you believe in it and just roll with it, you might be good enough to break a downward spiral of failure, if combined with a late enough draw in the semi so you can capitalize on Malta's horrible one.

However, because "Firefighter" still sucks hard as a song, there is a ceiling for how high i'm willing to rank it, and we don't go any further than this. She served, but so did Sarah and Aiko(???) with better songs so where's their clutch qual, hmm? On the axis of tacky trashbops, she lands smack dab in the middle between Elena Tsagrinou and Efendi. Regardless, Nutsa earned that qualification and I wasn't unhappy to see her there. I just wish she had broken Georgia's NQ streak with a good song, and not a painfully stupid one.

THE RANKING

[lu3ky777]

Junko has gotten complete control of the whole world, and her army of Monokumas and brainwashed minions are spreading left and right. Feeling a little revenge is in store. She decides to target and brainwash Kyoko into being her little assistant and personal plaything. She has one of her minions, luring her to a supposed hideout where she then broadcasts the brainwashing and has Kyoko under her control. Now, in her grasp, Junko has Kyoko dress in nothing but cat ears and a little cat tail as she takes her to her room and has her eat her out as Kyoko is getting plowed and griped from behind by a brainwashed servant

(Sorry for the long time to post)

Junko had a huge sinister smile on her face, it was so easy to take control. What terrible things was she going to do now? Many~ but Kyoko would make a good first victim. She was so easily baited into her trap, that's the problem with being so smart~ everyone else is so predictable. Kyoko was brainwashed, but what was she going to fill her mind with? Infinite loyalty to Junko of course! Maybe even an inferiority complex for good measure~ she could even act as a spy for her if the moment ever called for it. But at the moment she now had a mind controlled Kyoko, who kowtowed the second she saw Junko. Well Junko knew the perfect Cock hardening plan for her~

“Junko~ I did as you asked” Kyoko said as she was in nothing but cat ears and tail, Junko didn't really like cats but she also didn't really like Kyoko. “Here. Now.” With that single command Kyoko ran towards her stopping right in front of her. Junko picked her up with one hand placing her legs over her shoulders as she gave a mighty slap to her huge ass, which resulted in a moan from Kyoko along with massive jiggling from her ass. She then licked her lips obviously about to indulge herself with Kyoko's pussy and when she did oh boy~ She furiously ate her out as if she was a starving man eating at a buffet, no care for formality just devouring her entire pussy expertly with her tongue. A shirtless man, wearing a monomuma head came behind Kyoko. He revealed his large massive cock as he started fucking Kyoko's ass, all of course under the direct command of Junko. Kyoko didn't stand a chance as she came over and over.

After Junko finished her pussy and her servant came a huge load in her ass, Junko decided it was her turn to have some real fun. She picked her up with both hands while her servant left the room, Junko used Kyoko's fat ass and rubbed it against her own crotch as Kyoko could feel a massive bulge from her crotch. It grew bigger and bigger~ god it was huge from what she was feeking~ and her ass was being used to get Junko off from outside her pants. Kyoko moaned and almost came from the anticipation alone, but once Junko was mostly fully hard she took off her panties and skirt. The most massive cock she had ever seen was in front of her and she had just been fucked hard by a huge cock, but that one seemed like a joke in comparison. “Now it's time for some payback~”

Junko truly used her like a toy as she indulged herself in fucking her ass, she slammed her against the wall roughly while she continued her brutal fucking of her ass. Kyoko was talking it about as well as Junko expected her to, she had came multiple times by now of course. Kyoko was a moaning mess as her tongue stuck out in bliss, Junko spanked her ass imprinting her hand slap on her ass so hard it was still there hours later and making it jiggle wildly. “You’ll make a fine addition to my harem, though by harem I mean stupid sluts~ If I really cared about them, I'd take them out on a date and seduce them first.”

 Kyoko was screaming in moans instead of responding, unacceptable behavior to say the least. Junko slapped Kyoko's face hard to make her pay attention. Kyoko screamed as she spoke “FUCK- Oh the despair of being a pathetic fucktoy~~~” Junko smiled wide “Good fucktoy~ I broke all your hope~ proving that despair is much better~ now I'm going to finish my point~” She came a massive load of aggressively fertile and thick cum in her ass while pulling out, coating her ass in it before letting Kyoko fall on the floor like a rag. 

Kyoko moaned out satisfied “I'm completely in despair~” Junko sighed and kicked Kyoko over as she could now see Junko was rock hard “Do you really think I was gonna be done with only two hours of fucking?” Kyoko gulped as Junko grabbed both of her legs, putting her into a mating press as she teased her pussy with her tip threatening to barge in and destroy her. That alone was enough to make Kyoko cum, this caused Junko to laugh like a maniac. If this was humanity's greatest hope then despair would easily win the day~ Junko began pounding Kyoko intensely and she definitely wouldn't stop until she was full of cum, but Junko had already began to wonder who should she target next~

[penguwastaken]

On ‘Danganronpa Togami’ also, I would be of the viewpoint that most of what happened in the present in terms of actual events not merely spoken of was real (unlike the interpretation of certain others) and that the way Borges worked was essentially like a more advanced versions of the vision filters from ‘Black Mirror’, replacing what was seen/heard by Blue Ink with regards to the identities of (some of) the people who were being encountered then being obscured/replaced with others if they seemed to contradict what Blue Ink’s reality (as Byakuya’s biographer) was supposed to be, and what words they were saying. That what can be guaranteed to have been real 100% would be those scenes Borges wouldn’t have had the right context to in order to properly filter it off into something else, like most of the Ultimate Despair encounters, Byakuya calling Junko, the brief Mukuro encounter, Toko showing up and Genocide Jill going into action, etc., as well as any information given by characters in the games (like there being 15 to 108 Togami siblings). One particular fan theory building on this concept that I like being that the real Shinobu who died was the actual decapitator in the island flashbacks, Borges having switched around the identities of the major players in terms of what they did in presenting a facsimile of the past for her to look back upon. And that while the Ultimate Imposter may very well have been one of the many Togami siblings, it didn’t matter anymore to his present goals with Ultimate Despair, the ‘Kazuya’ Orvin made that way basically to see how his original plan might have gone if he hadn’t met Junko. It was a trilogy that seemed to assume one had played the other games/read the other novels, that its readership would understand what certain things would be referring to, even if not explicitly spelled out.

What would be your thoughts on the trilogy?

Ignore everything below, my mind has completely changed (lol). Read my updated review instead.

If you want a very short description of my opinion of Danganronpa Togami, it's basically this image.

I can't help but think that maybe if i read the Kagami Family Saga novels or if there were just better full translations, maybe i would have liked Danganronpa Togami more. But the truth is, I REALLY don't like Danganronpa Togami. It's honestly one of the worst media experiences I've ever had 😭

My biggest gripe is that i hate that any flaw with its storytelling can be exempt by just saying "well actually it was all fake and you don't know what's real and what isn't" because that just makes it worth nothing, if the bad stuff can be exempt then so can the good stuff. And it is HEAVILY implied that a majority of the novel is fake, the themes rely on it, it's the main point of the novel. And if they were real, that would make it actual dogshit and also just noncanon because it would contradict Danganronpa 3 and Zero.

I genuinely can't tell if I really like the twist or if I really hate it because it makes so much sense in retrospect but getting to that point was an actual pain to read, and the implications of it are also so baffling.

There's so much god awful stuff in this book like Kazuya and Suzuhiko, the weird recurring incest stuff, Byakuya's really bad and flanderized characterization, and all the absurd stuff that happens like Sakura projecting herself or the despair novel but it's all dismissed by the "it was all made up" thing which is so awesome but so stupid at the same time. If that twist was in literally any other novel I might like it but it's handled so poorly that I end up despising it.

Basically, I don't like this novel. And while parts of it matter, for the most part it can be easily dismissed because most of it was canonically made up.

I shouldn't have to read a completely separate book series to enjoy this. There was no need for all of the gross and poorly handled incest and sexual abuse stuff. Byakuya's characterization just makes him insufferable and his entire motive and actions is kind of gross. And to top it all off, NONE of it mattered. It's not like V3 where the events had an effect on the people involved or changed something, the book literally just describes it as another weekend in Byakuya's life and it's all forgotten and most of it didn't even happen. I sat through all of that for none of it to even matter. Basically what it results is self nullifying nonsense that means literally nothing as none of the events happened.

I'm sorry if you like this trilogy, I just can't find many positives. I went in thinking that maybe the hate for it was unfounded, I wanted to like it. I mean, I think Danganronpa 3 is great, I found redeeming qualities in Danganronpa S and Ultra Despair Girls. So if anyone can find something to like in an unpopular piece of Danganronpa media, it would be me. And honestly volume 1 wasn't even that bad, I remember thinking that it was kinda dumb but harmless. But my experience with Danganronpa Togami can best be described as a decent into madness. I have a lot of issues with it, but that's just my opinion.

[justcallmefox89]

Irresistible Force Paradox: Chapter Five - An Open Heart fic

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

After a tragedy, Rory and Ethan call a temporary ceasefire.

I sprint into the waiting room at Edenbrook, frantically looking around for anyone who may have answers about Delores.  I spot Ramsey sitting alone, staring down at his hands, and I rush over to him.

“Dr. Ramsey?  What happened? Where’s Delores?” I pant, bending in half and sucking in air, my hands on my knees.

He doesn’t answer me for several long moments, making me fidget impatiently.  I’m opening my mouth to repeat myself when he finally meets my eyes.

“Delores had a seizure,” he says hollowly, his eyes distant and unfocused.  “Full eclampsia.  We had no choice but to deliver the baby.  It’s 50/50 he’ll survive the night.”

“No…” I breathe out.  My knees buckles but I mange to catch myself on the arm of the chair Ramsey is sitting in.  “Where’s Delores?”

“She died.”

My blood roars in my ears, drowning out all of the other mundane hospital sounds surrounding us.  My eyes burn as small tendrils of grief take root in my chest, quickly stamped out by the heavier, more intense feeling of anger.  Anger at the randomness, the unfairness of it all.  Anger at myself for not having done more, not fighting Ramsey harder, not making Delores understand just how serious her condition was.

NO.

“Dr. Ramsey, - ”

“I’m fine.”  He stands and quickly strides away without looking back. 

A while later I tiptoe into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, clutching that stupid stuffed frog, and silently begin searching the incubators for Delores’s son.  I allow myself a tiny smile when I finally find him and read his name tag.

Ethan Hudson.  How about that…

“Can I help you?”

I whirl around in surprise to face the attending on duty.  “His mother was my patient.  She got to name him?” I ask, vaguely gesturing towards the incubator. 

“She told me just as she was rushed to the O.R.  The poor thing.  We’ll know more in the morning,” she answers, casting a sad look towards the baby.

“Do you mind if I sit with him tonight?”

“Feel free.”

“Do you mind if he has this?”  I hold up the frog.  “His mother wanted him to have it.  It’s been sterilized.”

“Go ahead,” she says, shrugging as she walks away.

I pull on a pair of sterile gloves and place the stuffed animal into the incubator, tucking it close to the baby.  He snuggles weakly against it, and tears prick my eyes.  “That’s it, tadpole.  That’s the way.”

I sit down on the couch next to the incubator and put my hand back inside, allowing the baby to grasp one of my gloves fingers.  I relax into the couch, preparing for a long, sleepless night.

********************************************** Ethan rounds the corner to enter the N.I.C.U. and draws up short as the sound of a now irritatingly familiar voice floats out to meet him.

“Can you believe some people actually think Black Jack Randall is attractive?  Like the book version, not the actor in the series?”

Ethan peers around on the doorjamb to see O’Shea seated next to the incubator housing Delores’s son, having a very enthusiastic one-side conversation with the infant.

“I know!  After everything he did to Jamie… I can’t believe it either.  How do you feel about Lord John as a character?”  Rory pauses as if listening to the baby’s reply.  “Well obviously… clearly you’re a gentleman of taste.  Can I talk about my gripe with Roger for a second?  Because honestly - ”

“Ahem.”  Ethan clears his throat and Rory glances over at him, eyes wide and cheeks pink with embarrassment.  “What are you still doing here?”

“I’m staying here tonight.”  O’Shea turns his attention back to the incubator.  “I hate the idea of him fighting for his life alone.”

“There are plenty of doctors working overnight.  If something happens, they’ll be here.”

“I know.”

The whisper is so soft Ethan can barely hear it.  “Would you mind if I joined you?”

O’Shea’s wide green eyes betray his surprise and it takes him a moment to answer.  “Not at all,” he finally says, shaking his head and scooting over to make room on the couch.

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

Ethan settles down on the couch next to me and for a while the soft, rhythmic whoosh of the ventilator is the only sound in the room.  He catches sight of the stuffed frog and breaks out into a rare smile.

“You gave him the frog.  Delores would have been…”  His face falls and his falls silent at the reminder of the loss of his friend.  “She would have been pleased.”

I bite the inside of my cheek and blink quickly in an effort to hold off the tears that have been threatening to fall all night.

“The first patient I lost… I was in my fourth week,” Ethan says, his voice more gentle than I thought him capable of.  “I didn’t make any mistakes.  He had stage four metastatic melanoma.  He just… fought like hell and lost.  I liked him.  He wasn’t much older than I am now.  I knew he didn’t have long to live, but it still hit me hard.”

I take a shallow, shuddering breath.  “I can’t let this get to me,” I mumble.

“Grieving a lost patient isn’t a weakness.  Good doctors should value life.  For itself.  I’d be more concerned if you weren’t upset.  Just know this wasn’t your fault.  Or mine.  Or Delores’s.  We all made the best decisions we could with the information we had.”

The argument that we could have done things differently is at the tip of my tongue, but I bite it back.  “I could have done more,” I say bitterly.  “I failed her.”

Ethan sighs.  “It’s important to push yourself, Rookie, but you will take a lot of losses.  We all do.  What matters is that you come back stronger.”

I glance at him suspiciously from the corner of my eye.  “Why are you being so nice to me?  Usually you’re…”

“Demanding?” he helpfully supplies.

“An asshole,” I mumble.

Other than a slight raise of his eyebrows Ethan doesn’t comment on my assessment of his character.  He stares off into space, sorting his thoughts.  “There are doctors with unlimited patience,” he says eventually.  “I am not one of them.  Energy I could use socializing, or making someone’s day better, I put towards my patience.  They’re who I’m here for.”

“Well that explains why you and Dr. Emery broke up,” I mutter under my breath.

“Rookie…”  Ethan’s tone is warning.

“You’re a teacher too,” I point out, attempting to backtrack.

“One of many, and you shouldn’t model yourself after any of us.  Idolatry among physicians is absurd.  We’re here to teach you practical medicine.  You need to find your own way of being a doctor.”

“And… how do I do that?” I ask, twisting on the couch to fully face him, ready to absorb whatever Yoda-like knowledge he’s preparing to hand down.

The corner’s of Ethan’s lips tip up into a gentle smile.  “You already are.” 

What the fuck does that mean?

The baby stretches and wiggles, and Ethan scoots closer to the incubator, offering him a gloved finger.  A soft, absent looks washes over Ethan’s face as the baby tightly clutches his finger.

“She named him after you,” I murmur.

His eyes widen in surprise as he looks down at the nametag.  His jaw tightens and his throat works as he swallows.  “I… see she did.”

“Did you know Delores a long time?” I venture.

“Over ten years.  When I first emailed her I only meant to check in.  But she was recently divorced, feeling alone, so she insisted on coffee.  And then it turned into more emails and meeting once every couple months for Sunday roast.

“She sounds like a good friend.”

“I didn’t make friends easily when I started here, so I was always grateful to her for that.”  Ethan swallows hard and falls silent, gazing intently at Delores’s baby.  His eyes are red.

Unconsciously I reach out and place my hand over his.  “I’m so sorry this happened,” I whisper, my voice cracking slightly.

Ethan glances up at me, surprise at first, and then something I can’t decipher in his shining blue eyes.  He holds my gaze, his hand broad and warm beneath my own. 

“Me too.”  He roughly clears his throat.  “I think we need coffee.”

“I can get some,” I offer, not having the heart to tell him I don’t like coffee.

“No.  I’ll go.”

Several minutes tick by as I watch baby Ethan sleep, counting each shallow rise and fall of his chest.  I start to drift off, the ambient hospital sounds soothing me. 

“Here you go, Rookie.” 

I shake my head, trying to clear away the cobwebs, and gingerly take the steaming mug Ethan’s hand me.  I wrinkle my nose as the bitter smell of coffee assaults my senses and steel myself to take a sip.  I fight the urge to gag, rather valiantly I think, and force down the drink.

Ethan attempts to hide a smirk behind his mug.  “You could have said you weren’t a fan of coffee, Rookie.”

Apparently I’m not as subtle as I thought.

I sheepishly set the mug on the small table next to the couch.  “Sorry.  I do appreciate the thought though.”

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

Ethan gazes down at the sleeping O’Shea, who’s currently curled up against Ethan’s side.  The two had talked long into the night, seamlessly bouncing from subject to subject.  Ethan had found himself truly enjoying the conversation; Rory had proven to be well-versed in many subjects, and his quick, caustic sense of humor had Ethan laughing more than he had in months.  Several strands of inky dark hair have fallen over Rory’s face, and his glasses are slightly askew.  Ethan’s lips quirk up at the endearing sight, his breath catching as Rory’s nuzzles against his arm.

“Rookie,” he murmurs, gently brushing the loose hair back away from Rory’s face.  “Come on Rookie, time to wake up.”

Rory sits up slowly, yawning and stretching his arms over his head.  He adjusts his glasses and turns to the incubator.  Baby Ethan rests soundly, still snuggled against the stuffed frog.

“He made it!”  Rory flashes Ethan a beaming smile, unable to contain his joy.

“And he’s getting stronger.”

Rory takes out his hair tie, shaking the unruly strands loose, unable to stop smiling.  He runs a hand through his now unbound hair and checks his phone, his smile falling a little as he notes the time. 

“Damn,” he sighs.  I have rounds in twenty minutes.  I need to go shower.”

Ethan sucks in a shallow breath, fighting to think about anything other than a naked, soapy Rory, hands trailing over lithe muscles…  “I’ll stay a little longer,” he quickly offers.

Rory stands, smiling at the baby one last time.  “Catch you later, tadpole.”

“Rory,” Ethan calls out as the other man is halfway out the door.

Rory skids to a halt and looks back over his shoulder.  “Hm?”

“Thank you.”