#these scenes come one right after another

[thegamingcatmom]

@groovestrawberry Thank you so much for your words. They mean a lot. Especially because I'm prone to taking stuff way too seriously, so I really appreciate the reminder to just chill tf out. 😅❤️

Right so, onto your questions!

1) the last sentence you wrote

"It didn’t take long for your heart to pick up its frantic rhythm once more, terror seizing you anew at the horrible realization that, who…whatever was chasing you, it had been close enough for you to feel it."

Wrote that only yesterday. 💪

6) the word that appears the most in your current draft

(This is Chapter 4 btw.)

17) talk about your writing and editing process

Oh boy, what to say. Where to start.

I mean, I tend to take things a bit too seriously, as mentioned before. Which means I'll sometimes go over a sentence or paragraph until it no longer makes sense to me, lol. I know it's probably fine as is and ppl are gonna enjoy it anyway, so this is a habit of mine I'm working on. Also because, in my experience, whatever your brain comes up with after you first get your thoughts on paper, it most likely won't be as good as what you first came up with, so you end up going back to the OG anyway. 🤷🏻‍♀️

So ye, editing ain't fun, but it must be done because I'm really not happy with some of the stuff my old self has come up with. 🙃

As for the writing: This goes hand in hand with editing, actually. First things first though: Music. Most important. If I have a song I can vibe to and it fits the mood and all, then it's going rather smoothly. But, even then, I'm by no means a "fast" writer. Even when vibing, I'm still hyper focused on not making mistakes and especially using the correct tense (something I find surprisingly difficult when you're actually focused on it, lol). So, just like with editing, I'll read over a section a few hundred times before I proceed. I know some say it's more important to just get that first draft done and correct any mistakes after but, honestly? When a chapter is done, I wanna post it, not spend another few hours/days/weeks editing stuff. 🤷🏻‍♀️

So ye, writing and editing is more or less the same for me because it happens simultanously. Or it will, once I'm done with editing TBRH (The Bumpy Road Home) and things go back to "normal." 😅

What else to say...hm, I guess a few other "quirks" of mine when writing are:

Writing out a piece of dialogue and putting it somewhere on the page to use later because I just know that if I don't do that, whatever I come up with instead (because my ass forgot half of what I originally came up with) won't be as slapping. OG always wins and all. 😉

Pausing to take a breather because I get so immersed in the scene, I actually need a moment to process it. (I read somewhere that someone referred to it as "zoomies." This was more in the sense of reading a fic and coming across a section so damn good, you need a moment to process it. But, sometimes, this is very much the case for writers too. 🫠)

Looking up images, videos etc. of the ppl or things I'm writing about. For Chapter 4 of TBRH, the Denali house was my trusty companion. Just chilling in the background (aka: another tab), lol.

Starting on another scene even though I haven't finished the current one because I just need to know what happens next. (Yes, I'm aware I'm the writer.)

Well, that's all I can come up with for the moment. I'm sure there's more and maybe I'll post it at some point. ✌️

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Thanks a lot for your questions and your lovely words! 💋

✍️ more fic writer asks!

reblog & your followers can send asks with the questions they’d like you to answer!

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first sentence of the fifth paragraph of an unpublished WIP

the word that appears the most in your current draft (wordcounter.net can tell you)

your preferred writing fonts

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[sunsetmaidenwrites]

An Essay on SamBucky

Just got back from seeing Captain America: Brave New World and am full of thoughts. The following contains Sambucky-centric thoughts, head canons, and spoilers based on the movie. (I have a separate post that includes my overall thoughts on the movie but this one is solely Sambucky.)

Sambucky nation--we rise! No divorce era for us! (Though it did provide for some awesome, angsty fics). I hope the trend continues with Thunderbolts*. Bucky is obviously looking rougher there than he did in this movie, so we're not out of the woods yet, but I'm feeling pretty good about our chances.

There's so much to say here. Multiple Bucky mentions (Sam alluding to Bucky when he talks about having a friend who was controlled by trigger words.), a picture of SamBucky prominently displayed at Sam's headquarters, Bucky showing up as emotional support when Sam needs him most, the hug, the "Buck" and the "I love you, Buddy." All of these have already been mentioned a lot, though, so for this post (who am I kidding this is an essay!), I would like to highlight a few points pertaining to the movie. I haven't really seen discussed in the Sambucky tag yet.

First, Sam says the following to Bucky at the hospital:

"Joaquin’s in here. Isaiah’s in prison. And Sterns…I had him. I had Sterns right in my hands but he got away." Bucky is given no additional backstory here, which means he already knows who Sterns is and what Sam is dealing with. This indicates Sam and Bucky are in regular contact with Sam keeping Bucky filled in on what's happening. This isn't just a case of Bucky seeing news footage and immediately going to Sam. Bucky is an active part of Sam's life and support system.

Then we have Bucky's line:

"Steve gave people something to believe in, but you give them something to aspire to." Bucky's admiration and devotion to Sam here is quite evident. I fully believe Bucky Barnes is all in for Sam Wilson and has been probably for longer than even he realizes.

Then toward the end of the scene where we get our iconic "Thanks Buck" and "I love you, Buddy" moment:

We have a wealth of unspoken communication here. Sam and Bucky seem to have a whole conversation with both their eyes and body language before they speak these words. Sam looks at Bucky. Looks down at (presumably) Bucky's outstretched hand. Then his eyes cut back up to Bucky. Then they cut back down as he shakes Bucky's hand, then he looks back up at Bucky. For Bucky's part, his eyes never leave Sam's face during the entirety of this. It's only right before he says "I love you, Buddy" that his gaze cuts down from Sam's face. After saying the words, Bucky proceeds to back away and Sam watches him go. The way this scene plays out, and the choices Mackie and Stan make leave a lot of room for subtext and interpretation, imo.

Right after this scene, we also get the female agent coming in with questions/comments about Bucky to Sam, alluding to a possible interest which Sam shuts down with "He's 110 years old." Look, it might make sense for Sam to try to nip a Bucky/Sarah potential connection in the bud like he did in TFATWS and it not mean anything (that's another essay for another day. I wasn't on Tumblr back then to share my thoughts on that.); after all, that's his sister and Bucky was riding on his last nerve through all the previous episodes at that point. It does not, however, make sense for Sam to insert himself into the narrative at this point and try to dissuade a random CIA agent from showing interest in Bucky if Bucky is just his friend and/or Sam's interest in him is purely platonic. It just doesn't. I cannot come up with a logical explanation for this besides the obvious 'that man is mine, step off' conclusion.

And for my last point:

During Sam's final showdown with the red hulk, with the outcome uncertain, and defeat (and therefore death) potentially eminent, Sam proceeds to bitch about Bucky under his breath. "Bucky is full of so much shit..." I know this is supposed to be funny and snarky, but it's also quite telling. We know that the signature of SamBucky's relationship--whether it's platonic or romantic--is the bickering. Not only is Sam spending his potential last moments ranting about Bucky (again, the staple of their relationship), he's also spending them thinking about Bucky. He's going out there facing odds that seem insurmountable and it's Bucky that's on his mind.

So, in conclusion, they're in love.

[scarletwinterxx]

if ur taking requests ~ could i ask for a svt fic where the members are out drinking, then one of them keeps mentioning “baby” and the boys are like ??? who - only for him to lead them to y/n and basically discover their rs!

hellooo had fun writing this one, hope you like it!🤍 i added the morning after hangover 😅

for my other svt fics, check them here

All works are copyrighted ©scarletwinterxx 2025 . Do not repost, re-write without the permission of author.

(pics not mine, credits to rightful owner)

It wasn’t every day that Mingyu got absolutely hammered. In fact, it was so rare that when it did happen, it became an event.

An event that Seungcheol, Soonyoung, Seokmin, and Seungkwan were currently witnessing firsthand.

“Cheol,” he mumbled against his shoulder. “You smell good.”

Seungcheol shoved him off with a look of pure disgust. “Get off me, you drunk idiot.”

Mingyu pouted, rubbing his cheek dramatically. “That was mean.”

Mingyu was draped over the table like a man who had fought in battle and lost. His usually sharp eyes were unfocused, his head swaying slightly as he lifted his glass. “To my baby,” he slurred, raising it to absolutely no one before taking another wobbly sip.

Seungkwan blinked. “Your what?”

Mingyu slammed the glass down (a little too hard) and sighed dramatically. “My baby. My love. My girl.”

Silence.

Seokmin leaned forward. “Since when do you have a girlfriend?”

Mingyu squinted at him. “Since…forever?”

Soonyoung gasped. “Forever? You mean you’ve been dating someone this whole time, and you never told us?”

Mingyu groaned, leaning his heavy head onto Seungcheol’s shoulder. “Cheol knows.”

Seungcheol, who had been silently observing, suddenly stiffened. “I what?”

Mingyu nodded aggressively. “You know. You’re her brother.”

Mingyu blinked up at him, slow and dazed. “Your sister.” he repeats

Seungcheol froze.

Seokmin spat out his drink. Soonyoung choked on air. Seungkwan just screamed.

“My what?” Seungcheol growled.

“My baby,” Mingyu repeated, dreamy-eyed and completely unaware that he had just signed his own death certificate.

Mingyu, oblivious to the chaos he had just caused, fumbled with his phone. His fingers moved with all the precision of a newborn deer as he typed something, grinning as he hit send.

“What did you just do?” Seungcheol asked warily.

“I texted her to pick me up,” Mingyu said proudly, holding up his phone like a trophy.

Seungkwan, Seokmin, and Soonyoung immediately turned to Seungcheol. “YOU KNEW?!”

Seungcheol ran a hand down his face. “I did not know.”

Right on cue, his phone buzzed, and he clumsily held it up. “She’s coming to get me,” he giggled, looking way too proud of himself. Seungcheol, meanwhile, was experiencing every stage of grief in real time.

“HOW LONG?!” he suddenly demanded

Mingyu shrunk back, blinking owlishly. “Uhh… a while?”

Seungcheol’s eye twitched. “Define a while.”

Mingyu thought for a second. “Maybe a year?”

“A year?!” Seungcheol exploded

The entire bar turned to stare, but no one dared to intervene. This was a war only they could fight

“You mean to tell me,” Seungcheol seethed, jabbing a finger at Mingyu’s chest, “that you’ve been dating my sister for a whole year, and you never told me?!”

Mingyu hiccupped. “To be fair, I thought you knew.”

“I DIDN’T KNOW.”

Mingyu giggled. “Well, now you do!”

Seungkwan leaned over to Soonyoung. “He’s got about five minutes left to live.”

Soonyoung nodded solemnly. “I’d say three.”

But before anyone could interrogate him further, the door to the bar swung open, and in walked you. The table fell silent.

You sighed, scanning the scene. Mingyu was grinning like a fool, Seungcheol looked ready to murder him, and the other three looked like they were watching the best drama of their lives.

You sighed again, hands on your hips. “Which one of you let him drink this much?”

Mingyu immediately perked up, his entire face lighting up like a puppy who just saw its owner come home. “Baby!”

He tried to stand up, but his knees gave out immediately, forcing you to catch him before he face-planted.

Mingyu is now clinging to you like a koala. “Baby, tell them. Tell them you love me.”

You rolled your eyes but patted his head. “I love you.”

Mingyu beamed. “See? She loves me.”

Soonyoung looked like he was about to pass out. “I can’t believe this is what takes down Kim Mingyu.”

Seokmin clutched his stomach. “Oh my god, he’s so whipped.”

You sighed, adjusting Mingyu’s weight. “Alright, I’m taking him home before he does something stup—”

“You’re not taking him anywhere,” Seungcheol cut in, arms crossed like an angry father. “Not before we have a talk.”

You raised an eyebrow. “A talk?”

“Yes.” Seungcheol turned to Mingyu, who was happily nuzzling into your shoulder, completely unaware that he was about to get a verbal beatdown.

“YOU,” Seungcheol barked, pointing at Mingyu like he was scolding a misbehaving puppy. “HOW DARE YOU DATE MY SISTER AND NOT TELL ME?”

Mingyu blinked, startled. “Uh… sorry?”

“SORRY? YOU’RE SORRY?!” Seungcheol scoffed. “DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY GUYS I’VE SCARED AWAY FOR HER? DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I’VE HAD TO BE AN OVERPROTECTIVE BROTHER? AND YOU, OF ALL PEOPLE, SNEAK IN UNDER MY NOSE?”

Mingyu let out a nervous chuckle. “I mean, it’s not sneaking if—”

“SHUT UP.”

Mingyu immediately clamped his mouth shut, looking like a child being scolded by their teacher.

Seungcheol exhaled sharply. “Have you been treating her well?”

Mingyu straightened up, suddenly serious. “Of course. I love her more than anything.”

Your face warmed, but before you could say anything, Seungcheol narrowed his eyes. “Do you open doors for her?”

“Yes.”

“Do you pay for her meals?”

“Obviously.”

“Do you make sure she gets home safe every night?”

“Always.”

Seungcheol squinted. “Do you let her carry heavy things?”

Mingyu gasped in offense. “NEVER.”

Seungkwan wiped away a fake tear. “I respect it.”

Seungcheol exhaled, rubbing his temples. “Fine. But if I hear you’ve done anything to hurt her—”

“I never would,” Mingyu cut in, looking serious despite his drunken state. “She’s my everything.”

You sighed, adjusting your grip on your very drunk, very affectionate boyfriend. “Alright, I’m taking him home. You guys deal with the emotional damage.”

As you dragged Mingyu away, he suddenly turned back, eyes barely open. “Cheol, I love your sister. She’s so pretty.”

Seungcheol groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m gonna kill him when he sobers up.”

Seungkwan leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. “Nah, man. He’s too far gone.”

And judging by the way Mingyu was nuzzling into you as you struggled to get him through the door, they were probably right.

Come next morning, Seungcheol woke up bright and early to drive at your place. Still in his sweatpants and hoodie, eyes narrowed in suspicion. He had one goal: interrogate his sister and make sure that drunk idiot Mingyu had made it home safely.

He wasn’t even mad. He was just disappointed. the two of you kept it a secret.

Actually, no. Scratch that. He was mad as hell.

But the moment you opened the door, rubbing sleep from your eyes, he knew something was wrong.

One, you looked way too tired for someone who should’ve had a peaceful night after dropping Mingyu off. Two, the moment he stepped inside—he saw the lump on your couch.

A very large, snoring, familiar lump.

Seungcheol froze. “No. Way.”

Mingyu, completely unaware of the incoming doom, was sprawled out on your couch, mouth open, one leg dangling off the side. His shirt had ridden up slightly, exposing his stupidly toned stomach (which, if Seungcheol was honest, was annoying in itself).

The worst part? He was hugging one of your pillows like it was you.

Seungcheol’s eye twitched.

“KIM MINGYU.”

The apartment shook from the sheer force of his voice.

Mingyu jolted awake so hard that he nearly rolled off the couch. “H-HUH?”

“What. The. Hell. Are you still doing here?” Seungcheol growled, arms crossed.

Mingyu blinked, looking around like he was trying to remember where he was. His eyes landed on you, then back on Seungcheol, then back on you.

Then he grinned.

“Good morning, baby.”

Seungcheol lunged.

You barely managed to step in front of him, placing your hands on his chest before he could grab Mingyu by the collar. “Choi Seungcheol, relax.”

“Relax? RELAX?” Seungcheol looked personally offended. “You told me you were taking him home last night! You lied to me?!”

You sighed. “I tried to take him home, but the moment I parked in front of his building, he whined about how he didn’t want to leave me. And then he passed out.”

Seungcheol slowly turned his glare toward Mingyu. “Are you kidding me?”

Mingyu, still groggy, only shrugged. “Sounds like me.”

“YOU HAVE A WHOLE APARTMENT. WHY DIDN’T YOU GO THERE?”

Mingyu yawned. “Your sister’s place is comfier.”

Seungcheol took the deepest inhale of his life. “I will kill you.”

You groaned, stepping between them again. “Seungcheol, nothing happened. I put him on the couch and went to my room. Alone.”

Mingyu pouted. “Unfortunately.”

Seungcheol saw red.

“YAH!” He smacked Mingyu on the back of the head.

“OW—HYUNG!”

“You—” smack “—better—” smack “—watch—” smack “—your—” smack “—mouth!”

Mingyu ducked, shielding himself with a pillow. “Why am I getting attacked?!”

“Because you’re a menace! You’re dating my sister and you didn’t tell me! And now you’re sleeping over?” Seungcheol threw his hands in the air. “What’s next, huh? Marriage? Kids? Am I gonna wake up one day and suddenly be an uncle without any warning?!”

Mingyu rubbed his head. “I mean, we talked about kids once, but—”

“I SWEAR TO GOD, KIM MINGYU—”

You smacked Mingyu’s arm. “Stop instigating!”

Mingyu chuckled, holding up his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. No kids yet, hyung.”

Seungcheol sat down, head in his hands, muttering to himself. “I need a drink.”

“It’s 8 AM,” you deadpanned.

“I don’t care.”

Mingyu sat up properly, finally looking a little guilty. “Look… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, hyung. I really am. But I swear, I love her, and I’d never do anything to hurt her.”

Seungcheol lifted his head just enough to glare at him. “You better not”

Seungcheol leaned back, rubbing his temples. “I need coffee.”

You sighed, heading to the kitchen. “I’ll make some.”

Mingyu got up to follow you, but Seungcheol yanked him back down by his collar.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Mingyu blinked. “To help?”

“No. You stay right here,” Seungcheol ordered. “We’re gonna have a little chat about what it means to date my sister.”

Mingyu paled. “Oh, no.”

“Oh, yes.”

From the kitchen, you could hear Seungcheol start another lecture while Mingyu whined like a scolded puppy. You just sighed, shaking your head. This was going to be a long morning.

Mingyu was sweating not from a hangover. Not from embarrassment but from sheer, soul-crushing terror because Seungcheol had officially entered strict, overprotective brother mode—arms crossed, gaze sharp, eyebrows furrowed like he was a detective about to crack a case.

Mingyu, on the other hand, was sitting on the couch like a kid in the principal’s office. He wasn’t even allowed to sit comfortably. No, Seungcheol had made him sit up straight, hands on his knees, like he was in military training.

You, the supposed love of Mingyu’s life, were casually sipping your coffee in the kitchen. Not helping at all.

Seungcheol cleared his throat, flipping to an imaginary new page in his mental interrogation notebook. “Alright. Let’s start from the beginning.”

Mingyu gulped. “O-Okay.”

“When did you take my sister on your first date?”

Mingyu straightened up. “Uh, last summer! I took her to—”

“What date?” Seungcheol cut in. “Day, month, time?”

Mingyu blinked. “H-Hyung, I don’t even remember what I ate yesterday—”

“WRONG ANSWER.” Seungcheol slammed his hand on the coffee table, making Mingyu flinch. “If you really love her, you’d remember the exact moment you took her on your first date.”

You rolled your eyes. “Oppa, even I don’t remember the exact date.”

Seungcheol turned to you dramatically. “That’s fine. You don’t have to. He does.”

Mingyu’s jaw dropped. “Why am I the only one being interrogated?!”

Seungcheol shot him a glare. “Because you’re dating my baby sister.”

You scoffed. “I’m the same age as Mingyu—”

“Baby. Sister.” Seungcheol repeated, emphasizing each word with another slam on the table.

“Alright, next question,” Seungcheol continued. “Who confessed first?”

Mingyu hesitated. “Uh… technically, she did?”

You gasped. “EXCUSE ME?!”

Mingyu panicked, hands waving in the air as if it will magically turn back time and undo what he just said “WAIT, NO—I MEAN—”

Seungcheol’s glare deepened. “So you tricked her into confessing first?”

Mingyu looked horrified. “NO, NO, HYUNG, IT’S NOT LIKE THAT—”

“You’re telling me you had months, maybe years to confess, but you made her do it first?!”

“I WAS NERVOUS!”

Seungcheol scoffed. “Nervous? Nervous?! You’re six feet tall and built like a tank, but you were scared to tell my sister you liked her?”

Mingyu pouted. “Feelings are scary, okay?”

Seungcheol shook his head in disappointment before jotting something down on his invisible clipboard. “Alright, next question. When did you first kiss?”

Mingyu finally perked up, smiling fondly. “Oh! I remember that one! It was when—”

Seungcheol raised a hand. “SPARE ME THE DETAILS.”

Mingyu immediately shut up.

You sighed. “Oppa, you’re being ridiculous.”

“No, I’m being thorough.” Seungcheol leaned forward, eyes narrowed. “Next question, Mingyu. What are your intentions with my sister?”

Mingyu hesitated. Then, with full confidence, he said, “I want to marry her.”

You nearly choked on your coffee. Seungcheol? He nearly flipped the entire table.

“WHAT?!”

Mingyu threw his hands up in surrender. “W-Well, not now obviously, but one day—”

“ONE DAY?!” Seungcheol looked personally offended. “You’re already thinking about MARRIAGE?! HAVE YOU EVEN MET OUR PARENTS?! DO THEY KNOW”

Mingyu blinked. “Yes? No? I mean I haven't asked them ofcourse but remember your dad went out for drinks with us...”

Seungcheol’s eyes widened even further making Minyu stop talking

Seungcheol exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. “God, I need another coffee.”

You snorted. “Need some alcohol instead?”

“DON’T TEMPT ME.”

Mingyu sighed, rubbing his temples. “Hyung, please. I love her, okay? I swear on my life, I would never do anything to hurt her.”

Seungcheol looked at you, eyes softening just a bit. Then he turned back to Mingyu with a sigh. “Fine. But if you ever—ever—make her cry…”

Mingyu gulped. “You’ll kill me?”

Seungcheol leaned in, voice dangerously low.

“No.”

Mingyu blinked. “No?”

“I’ll make sure you wish I did.”

Mingyu turned pale.

You just sighed, shaking your head. “Okay, enough. Oppa, go home. Mingyu and I are going back to sleep.”

Mingyu’s head snapped up. “Wait, together—”

Seungcheol grabbed a cushion and threw it at Mingyu’s face.

“DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT FINISHING THAT SENTENCE.”

[ryanthel0ser]

Alien Stage is about love. Wiege solidifies that.

It's about the importance of that human connection of love. There tends to be a focus on the romantic love but when you step back and look at the series, Vivinos and Qmeng look beyond just romance. There is a spotlight on companionship. On how love manifests itself in other just as beautiful and just as important ways.

Weige shows us Luka gaining his first human connections with Hyuna and Hyunwoo, it shows us Hyuna gaining a family with the resistance, it shows us the Anakt Garden kids working and playing together, it shows us that mother feeding her children, it shows us those kids drawing on the glass between them, it shows us Mizi, Sua, Till, and Ivan spending time with each other. These are all examples of human connection, the love shared between each other that we take for granted.

What we seek out inherently, something displayed through the way Luka is alone after Hyuna escapes. The way his room has posters of her everywhere, how he stares at one and kisses it, he craves that connection to come back. And when he does see her again, he's the most human we've ever seen him be. His smile is genuine, there's color in his face, his heart monitor is red. He walks towards her completely ignoring the gun to his head because that connection is right there.

Because to love is to be human.

We're shown another world. One where the characters aren't in the Alien Stage, where they're free and happy. While they aren't with each other, except Luka and Hyuna, in these scenes they aren't alone either. Sua is laughing with a friend, a picture of someone on her phone case. You can see someone in the background as Mizi is smiling like she's doing an activity with others. Someone is in the foreground as Till draws, implying he's in an art class with others. Someone walks up to Ivan as he's reading a love note. Hyunwoo is riding a bike with another kid. Someone is taking pictures of two little figures together. Because even if you're not in a situation where a human connection is all you have, we still need it. We still want it. Its importance does not lessen.

And we carry those connections, that love with us even after someone is gone. Hyuna cries for Hyunwoo, she thinks about him and Luka even as she's with her family in the resistance because she still carries that love for them with her. Mizi weeps as she holds Till and remembers Sua because she still carries that love for them with her. It's something so deeply ingrained within us, so natural that we can never part with it. Because it makes us human.

The song itself is composed like a waltz, but the lyrics and the name tell you what it really is. It's a lullaby. In a story reliant on music to add even more detail to what it's presenting to its audience, the video most centered on love and human connection has a lullaby. One of the first pieces of music you hear after you're born. A piece of music often associated with the first human connection anyone has. One of the first times music is an expression of love. A mother singing to her child.

[deadly-diminuendo]

A little smut compilation...

Hello, darlings! I was originally hoping to have something new for Valentine's Day, but alas, I still have much writing to do! I can say though I've officially reached the start of writing the smut scene for A Fitting Reunion. 👀 For a bit of fun today (and absolutely shameless self-promotion), I've put together some of my favourite bits from my published works.

CW: both UA and AA, mention of breeding, inappropriate use of tadpole, somnophilia, oral sex + piv sex

Those Three Little Words | Tumblr | AO3

You settle between his legs, and you wait for that final nod that grants you this gift, this chance to give to him what he gives to you so fervently. And when he offers his assent, hungry eyes heavy-lidded with lust, you take him into your eager mouth. You stroke and you suck, swishing your tongue to work the underside, seeking out those sweet sounds that signal his satisfaction. You revel in the way he loses himself in pleasure, head lolled back, jaw open, groaning, moaning, trusting in you.

The Ascendant Takes a Bride | Tumblr | AO3

You reach up for a kiss, eliciting from him a growl that rumbles down your throat as you taste his tongue. Never have you felt this close to another person, and you long to get even closer. You touch his face, his chest, his shoulders, wanting to explore every inch of his skin as you take every inch of his cock. When you throw your arms around his back, the scars your fingertips find there briefly distract you, but you quickly decide that is a story for another time. Experimenting a little, you pull your legs back and angle your hips, the slight adjustment to your position an even better fit than you thought possible. You squeal when he presses into a delightfully sensitive spot—and so he does it again, and again, and again, repeatedly, rigorously, relentlessly. You concentrate hard on your impending climax, your mind conjuring up an image of him filling you to the brim with come night after night. “You are mine. Mine to treasure. Mine to fuck. Mine to breed.”

You Were My First | Tumblr | AO3

“Last night, when you went back to bed… You touched yourself, didn’t you?” Oh. You were less covert than you thought. “Yes,” you admit, struggling to maintain your composure as he begins to trace slow, soft circles around your clit. “And you were thinking of me?” “Yes,” you sigh, a little more sheepish about this confession than the first. “Good girl. I want you to show me what you did. Show me how to please you.” You feel a tingle in your mind as he seeks to open the connection between you. So you let him in.

EDIT: Tumblr link for the above now fixed!

You Will Know | AO3

He climbs up to join you, pushing you flat on your back, crawling over you. You freeze in place, hopelessly pinned between the solid surface below and his strong frame above—and yet all you can think about is how badly you want him to plunge inside you. “Too long you have kept me waiting,” he says, halfway between a purr and a snarl, the glide of him along your folds making you feel wild and hot. “Too long you have denied me. But you’ve also denied yourself, haven’t you? This is where you want to be, isn’t it? Right here under me?” “Yes,” you admit, and with that one simple word, Astarion buries himself inside you.

Sweet Dreams, Darling | Tumblr | AO3

Astarion continues to rock his hips against yours, moving faster now, taking full advantage of your kindly offering. You feel delicious wrapped around his cock like this, your body perfectly conforming to his shape. He does miss your adorable little moans—you have always been enthusiastically vocal for him in bed—but he must admit the endless creaking below and the wet slapping of his flesh meeting yours make for pleasing sounds in their absence. Barely a second passes before a pretty noise escapes your open mouth—only a faint whimper, but it makes him throb with the feral need to fill you. You little minx. Even in your sleep you know just how to rile him. Well, if you are to tempt him with such provocative encouragement, then he has no choice but to fuck you harder.

My Masterlist | My AO3

[okaysonny]

Saw that your reqs are open, so I wanted to ask for a platonic one-shot, hope you don't mind! I have this headcanon where the reader is Daniel's younger twin who is mute and whose behavior is very much like Vasco's. Maybe that's why Daniel could understand Jay without a problem— because he grew up with us and knew exactly what we wanted before we learned how to write or even any form of sign language (and also why he seems very patient and a bit unfazed by his friend group's silliness, if I'm not mistaken-).

a/n: i like very much 😍 you can chalk their communication down to TWINK TELEPATHY but this is a better explanation

headcanons bc anon said in another ask they dm👍🏽

★ daniel knowing sign language because of his twin is saur cute...him picking up on little gestures when they were both small </3

★ in the beginning of lookism, he was lowkey a pos. (yelled at his mom + blamed her for his life) so with his mom working all the time, daniel has to take responsibility in minding them. thinks his sibling is a bit of a nuisance, especially because of that bubbly, enthusiastic energy that vasco has.

★ buuut, he doesn't realise how much his experiences - the sign language, the (although reluctant) patience and care - sets him apart. not everyone has those skills, even if he thinks it's normal.

★ there's this scene at the start where daniel yells at his mom for putting an egg in his ramen 😭 i see his twin giving a judgmental look after, and daniel feels guilty. still, he does have a what would they know? attitude.

★ when daniel was transferring schools, he felt bad about running away from his problems and leaving his mom by herself. so i also think he'll feel bad about leaving his sibling by themselves too. they'll be on their own when his mom is working.

★ he’d sit down and have this so...i won't be here with you anymore. you'll be fine, right? conversation. daniel ask a bunch of questions for his own reassurance, and they just nod at everything.

★ cue emotional moment where his twin suddenly hugs him...and daniel realises he'll actually miss them. he starts crying, overwhelmed by the thought of leaving everything behind.

★ as daniel goes through his character growth, his connection with jay makes more sense now. his understanding of jay’s nonverbal communication comes naturally because he grew up doing the same with his sibling! in a way, with jay's friendship, he wants to make up for those early moments when daniel was dismissive with them.

★ thanksgiving arc reunion (the first one) would be heart tugging! i can see his sibling's appearance changing slightly. maybe they sign something like i knew you’d be okay and he tears up all over again.

★ his twin is looking after their mom now. daniel is grateful and proud, it's something that he never did before he moved away.

★ i don't think daniel really reveals personal details to his friends? so if his sibling visits him while everyone's around...it would be really funny. if the twin is a guy, everyone's like why are there two of them? if it’s a girl, it’s…why is daniel in a wig?

★ because his sibling has vasco's traits, i can defo see vasco having these intense conversations with them through gestures and nods. vasco doesn’t question it at all — he just asks more questions, completely fascinated. everyone else is like ermmm wtf

★ JAY AND HIS TWIN INTERACTING WOULD BE SO CUTE!!! they’d be communicating with quiet excitement :') a heartwarming moment for both of them, realising they aren’t alone in their experiences.

[2-old-to-guard]

Yusaf, Joe, Al-Kaysani

Hi guys, and welcome back to TOG Analysis!! Today we shall be deep-diving into the incurable romantic himself, Joe!! Fair warning, Joe is my favorite character and it hurts my soul that so many people mischaracterise him. So this one is personal!!!

First Impression:

Like Nicky, Joe is mentioned before he's seen. He's used by Booker to convince Andy into agreeing for the mission.

His first scene is quite odd because unlike the other characters, the first time you see him is blurred in the background. This is the most reserved Joe is for the rest of the film. Also, the way that Joe and Nicky move in synch is adorable.

His first proper introduction is hugging Andy. Out of all of Andy's hugs throughout the movie this is most affectionate. Joe picking Andy up makes her laugh and it's clear from the beginning how close they are. Which makes sense, from the little we've seen from Andy in the past they are very similar people so it makes sense they are seemingly the closest immortals. Also his first dialouge is telling Andy, she looks great which is sweet!!

Relationships:

I've done a whole analysis on Joe and Booker's relationship here. But to summerise, from the beginning of the film Joe and Booker are shown to be very close. Even though Booker is doing the bet with Nicky, he looks to Joe as he pulls out the money. Later on, when Booker wins, Joe celebrates with him instead of siding with Nicky. This shows the strength of Joe and Nicky's relationship as Joe is able to confidently tease his husband over his loss.

Unlike Nicky, who is more spiritual when it comes to his immortality, Joe is more of down-to-earth. The first time he mentions Andy's break, he tunnels it through the lens of her missing them as a family. This breaks down Andy's walls and Joe's expression after she agrees is so soft. They share many silent looks of agreement through the movie (I'll bring up a couple) and I believe this is because that Joe is Andy's second in command.

Sudan:

The Sudan mission, pre-ambush, serves to display the skill of the immortals. Like Nicky's double kill, Joe's kills here are meant to show how good each of them are at their given role in their team. The pants clean, like catching the bullet, shows the subtle things each of the team do to ensure the success of the mission.

As the team revive, Joe is shown grabbing his gun before showing his face.

This is the first sign of Joe's protective nature, specifically around his family. His first thought is to grab his gun. He also uses it to prop himself up so he can stand up quicker then anyone else. Finally, he is the first to charge into battle and runs immedietly over to Nicky. This is a reacurring trend of Joe's first nature post-death is to check on Nicky. This is the first hint we get that something is not right with their immortality because if they truly don't die, why is he so scared after dying?

Unlike the rest of the immortals, Joe activly cracks jokes.

I love the fact that his jokes make perfect sense for his character, as of course the artist would note the 'touch' of the ambush. He also looks to Nicky after the joke, clearly trying to make him laugh. On another note, I love the look Booker gives in this shot. He's like 'oh god not again'. But on a deeper level, it's clear that Joe senses Andy's frustration and is trying to descalate the situation and make people feel better.

The Dreams:

Joe is shown in the dream with Nicky, as they are two parts of a single whole. Also, I didn't mention this at the time, but when Joe and Nicky are shown the tempeture of the camera goes from red to blue as the dreams as slowly morphing to Quynh's imprisonment, possibly symbolising that they knew her.

I like the detail of Joe's finger tapping during the dream, as if he's itching to draw her. Unlike the other immortals, Joe grabs a notebook and begins to sketch Nile. As stated previously, Joe is focused on the people involved in the dream recognising their faces. He struggles more with the none people parts of the dream, failing to remember her name. His optimism makes him assume that she is a part of a 'medical team'. Joe and Nicky see more than Booker because they've done this more times than Booker but they still miss important peices.

Joe is the first person to suggest finding Nile. He doesn't do it for any spiritual fate-driven reasons but insted wants to find her to protect her. Again, Joe values his family (even someone he's never met before) and wants to protect them.

The Dinner Scene:

During the dinner scene, Nile asks Joe the most questions.

Like all the immortals, he's very honest about their circumstances but he's quite vague with the details. Nile and Joe are the only people of colour in the room so his immortal life is a lot different than Nicky, Andy or Booker. Joe is the one who can prepare her the most about what to expect. But also, was this a subtle joke about Nicky's time in the crusades? He does look at Nicky before saying in and finishes the line with a smile.

This was a very interesting way to reveal Joe and Nicky's past. Referring to killing each other over and over again as just a meeting shows how far both of the characters have come. And when he talks about that, it's seems more an inside joke then an actual gripe. Even without the romantic angle, Joe holds no rage for what Nicky's done and doesn't hold a personal grudge. Their relationship over the whole is a really unique way to explore immortality as without undeath, they never would have fallen in love. Without meaning to, Joe is showing Nile the way immortality shifts how you view the world which is probally more mind-blowing than anything else.

Quynh:

After the group realise that Nile is dreaming of Quynh, Booker immedietly seems to look to Joe.

There are many ways to interpret this look. The first is pain over being reminded of Quynh showing how much he loved her. The second is realisation that Nile will be dreaming of Quynh over and over for an undefined legnth of time. Both explanations serve to highlight how much Joe loves his family and how strong his empathy is. His empathy is also prevelent in what he takes away from Quynh's story. Without Andy telling him specifically he knows she feels guilt for Quynh, another moment of Joe and Andy' relationship being close. He also expresses empathy to Quynh as he imagines what she is going through:

"Five hundred years in a box... at the bottom of the ocean... would make anyone insane".

The Van Scene:

Joe risks his life, with little care for it, to check on Nicky in the van. His love for Nicky overpowers his self-preservation.

I've decided to do a quick yap on the van monolouge seperatley as I cannot put all of my thoughts in this post. But to put it subsequently, Joe explains his love for Nicky in the practical things Nicky does rather than his physical appearance. His kindness is what Joe loves, a stark contrast to the invader he met 900 years ago.

The Merrick Confrontation:

I think it was a nice choice to have Joe be the one who clashes with Merrick in this scene.

Joe doesn't care about all the things Merrick brings up in this monologue.

"Our work here is all about balance. How do we push the scientific frontiers whilst also turning a little profit?"

Joe doesn't care about scientific frontiers or profit. His primary focus is on his family and Merrick is putting them in danger so he responds violently. It also shows that Joe is very outspoken and voices his anger and disagreements without fear of the consequences. After the stabbing, Joe initiates the headbump to comfort Nicky who is clearly stressed about his almost death.

Having Joe stabbed right after we learn that the immortality isn't infinate works well to build tension and shows how sadistic Merrick is. Merrick is a really interesting character as he is doing the 'right' thing in the wrong way and for the wrong reason. He stands in direct contrast to the immortals, who are doing it right for the right reasons but getting no response (that they know of).

The Lab Scene:

Once again, we have a scene where Joe wakes and his immediate response is to find Nicky.

He checks on Nicky, double-checks on Nicky, then makes sure Kozak isn't hurting him anymore before he relaxes against the table. His next move is to make Nicky laugh, something he has a habit of doing.

Joe, again, is trying to lighten Nicky's mood in a horrible situation. Unlike Nicky, who is trying to disasociate from reality, Joe is grounded in reality but is trying to make the most of it. Possible a microcosm of his approach to immortality.

The Lab Scene Continued:

Like Nicky, Joe is devestated to see that Andy is mortal. His reaction is more dramatic, possibly just because his head is higher than Nicky's but I think it's his more outspoken nature that he is more reactive.

He doesn't talk a lot in this scene because it's discussing the spirtual meaning of immortality, which I have stated he isn't focused on. Instead, he's shouting at Booker for betraying his family.

Joe's line "you are a very pathetic man, Booker" serves to highlight his familial love. Booker viewing himself as alone makes Joe laugh because he understands that not all love is romantic, he's been surrounded by family and therefore he is not alone.

His line in the escape about leaving Booker behind is probally impacted by this notion. 'If Booker thinks he's alone, let him be alone.' But he clearly loves Booker still as he turns towards him and waits for him to get up.

The Final Battle:

This is a quick one but this is the scenes I mentioned of Joe and Andy sharing looks.

Joe double-checking with Andy before making moves show the hierarchy of the team wth Joe being her second. It also shows how much he loves her as he hesitates for the first time in the movie because he is scared she'll get hurt. He cares not for himself but for others (mostly his family).

The Keane Scene:

Joe's scream in this scene breaks my heart everytime I hear it.

I've seen some people act like Joe is this violent man who hunts Keane down and kills him. This grave misunderstanding of Joe's character makes my tummy hurt as it is so much more complicated than that. To start, Keane was being weirdly personal in the fight (kicking Nicky insted of just capturing him). Furthermore, he kills Nicky in a very violent (and controversial) manner. From Joe's P.O.V he's just found out his closest friend is now in danger of being killed, she's currently missing, and the love of his life was just brutally murdered in front of him!!! If he was this violent man, he would've chased after Keane immedietly, but he didn't. He immedietly ran over to Nicky to make sure he's ok.

Credit to Marwan, he conveys Joe's panic and despair followed by immense releif perfectly. You can see Joe's utter terror at the idea that Nicky is gone. Having one member of a couple exact revenge on the murder of their love is a common movie trope and it's PERFECTLY fine then but when Joe who has loved Nicky for NEARLY A MILLENNIUM kills his murderer it's not ok?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Revenge:

Another small detail, Joe seemingly volunteered to jump through the window showing his willingness to put himself in danger to protect his family. Just like in Sudan.

Of course Joe wanted to kill Keane and furthermore, breaking his neck isn't a painful death (though he does do it in a rather dramatic manner). Gina Prince-Blytheood is quoted wanting to explore "What it talks about is that the act of taking a life is as damaging to the psyche as your fear of losing your life for soldiers”. Each of the characters have a moment where they comprehend the violence they have done and this is Joe's moment. He takes no pleasure in killing Keane and Keane had to die as he knew what they were and would come after them.

Booker's Banishment:

While we don't hear what Joe is saying in this scene, it is clear from his previous statements that he wants to banish Booker. He probally pushed for the hundred years. As discussed, Joe and Booker were really close and he feels intense betrayel over Booker's actions.

But the final shot of Joe and Booker is him looking over his shoulder. Joe's familial love outweighs his anger and he will probably forgive Booker during/by the end of the sequel if the group shot in the trailer is anything to go by.

Conclusion:

Overall, Joe shares many of the same motivations and beleifs as Nicky but tunnels them in a different way. Joe's motivations are based on his intense love for people, romantic with Nicky and familial with the others. He puts himself in danger to protect his family. Despite what people believe, he does NOT enjoy violence but will fight and kill to protect his family. All of this is perfectly portrayed by Marwan Kenzari and I hope to see more of him in the sequel.

[dejavew]

precis: some of the infinite things that levi does that will never make you question the feelings he has for you. (bulletins)

content: fluff, just simple little things that levi shows how he loves or likes you

warnings: none, except for the fact that your friends are questionable in some of them.

⁠

❥ Walks to the park was always a part of your weekly routine. It wasn’t the walk itself that made it fun for you, but it was the scene that would entertain your eyes. Watching dogs, carelessly run around fetching frisbees, and tennis balls to return them back to their owners, and seeing people enjoy their time with the small little family that you hope you’ll be gifted one day.

However, these weren’t the reasons why you came.

It was the guy with the undercut who sat right under the shade, sipping what it look like to be tea in his hand, wearing his reading glasses, and scanning the contents of his book that kept you coming back to this very park every week.

You’d walk countless times around the park over and over for at least within an hour at least but under an hour and a half at most.

It made you feel like a creep. You couldn’t stand to imagine if a stranger did what you were doing, whether a man or a woman. That thought alone gave you an unsettling feeling. However, you couldn’t help the longing feeling of him being so familiar to him.

Still, it felt wrong.

You scrunch up your face. Resisting the urge to continue on being a creep, you let out a sigh. As much as you wanted a chance with this stranger, you knew that it shouldn’t happen this way. Please, give me a sign—you begged to whoever was writing your story.

And as you pass him once again, you got your answer.

Just beside his own cup of tea that he bought from the tea shop not too far, sat another cup of tea sat right beside him. Something your eyes were heedless to catch. It’s safe to assume that he’s waiting for his partner to arrive.

Instead of making a fuss about it, you nodded your head all while you continued to walk along the path so he wouldn’t know that you were staring. You accepted that maybe this wasn’t meant to be, and so instead of turning to go around the park a couple more times, you walked towards the entrance.

“Hey miss!” A light jog can be heard behind you.

You turn around, attracted to the sound and the sound that was addressing to you.

The guy with the undercut that sat under the shade. Was now the same guy who was face to face with you—only a couple feet in front of you.

“Fuck, I thought I’d have more time to think about what I was going to say.” You catch his mutter. “My names Levi. I noticed that you’d stare at me every time you took a walk here.”

Your face burns red. “I thought it was weird. But when I saw you do nothing but stare, so I became content with it.”

He lets out a frustrated sigh when nothing was said back to him. Just you and your dumbfounded face. He didn’t know what he was doing, he wasn’t confident in his skills of flirting, but yet, he persisted. “Look, I’m not really good at this, so let me make this short and simple. I bought you tea.” He points to where he sat, and sure enough the tea was still sitting next to his.

“I know it’s not smart to take things from strangers, but there’s something about you.” If possible your face reddens even more.

“If you’re not going to talk at least take the tea. I can save it for later, and we can go back to the tea shop to get another one.” He awkwardly sticks his pretty hands out for you to take.

This could be the sign that you were looking for, and so you take a leap of faith.

You place your hands in his, and you let him guide you back under the shade.

“My name’s Y/N.”

With matching shy and goofy grins, the two of you walk back to the place where he would catch you staring, and he would stare discreetly back too.

⁠❥ Nights out with your work friends were always the one thing you looked forward for on Fridays. You don’t have to worry about working the next day, or the day after.

It seemed like everything was going as planned. A karaoke room reserved for the six of you, everyone participating in the imaginary singing contest that was being held, the winner getting an imaginary one million cash prize, and the food, as well as the booze, was filling up all your stomachs.

Until it wasn’t.

“It’s alright guys, just make sure she gets home safe, and she doesn’t throw up anymore.” Worry etches on your face, you peak into the car and your sick friend was slump over the window, with the support of your other friend—who was rubbing her back.

They all say their quick goodbyes and tell you to be safe as the uber pulls out onto the main road, along with the owner of the karaoke spot, panicking about the vomit that was marinating the floor.

You were now alone.

Just hitting 1 am in the morning, you were now aware that you were standing under lamp spots that provided very limited light.

You knew Levi would be grumpy if you woke him up. With his luck, he’d be able to get at least four hours of sleep, but you also knew he’d be upset at you if he found out if you were transporting back home all by yourself.

After a couple of minutes, conflicted in your situation, you decide to call your boyfriend, Levi.

“Hey baby. I know it’s really late, but everyone left. Is it alright if you pick me up? I’m only about ten minutes away?” You chew on your thumb, nervously.

With no reply, you took it as a sign as annoyance. “I’m sorry Levi, I know I should’ve went—“

He cuts you off mid sentence, surprising you. “You don’t have to apologize, brat.”

“I’d rather you call me to pick you up late at night, than for you to try to get home, all alone.” You hear him get out of bed, sheets dancing as he moves out of them. “Also, who are your friends? Aren’t they supposed to make sure that you get home safe?”

“One of them got sick.” You let out a sigh remembering the different emotions everyone went through. “The uber that pulled up only had four open seats left.” You explained to him.

“I thought there were six of you.” You hear his car unlock, and the car door closing a few seconds later.

“One of my coworkers left an hour ago.”

He lets out an annoyed sigh after hearing where your coworkers were. “You’re gonna stay on call until I get to you. There’s no good reason why you should be by yourself at night baby.”

“I know. If I knew that tonight was going to end up this way, I would’ve planned way more.” You kick your legs trying to busy your body.

“Or just get new friends.” He teases.

You roll your eyes, smiling. “Maybe I should.”

Somehow, his car got to you within six minutes, instead of ten.

As he rolls down the window, and you capture his pretty face, you can’t help the giddy feeling you always get when you see him.

You get into the car, and buckle up. “Have I ever told you that I love you?” Trying to hide his shy smile, he looks away and coughs.

“I’m glad that you’re with me now, and not with your inconsiderate friends.” You smile at his words knowing that that was his way of saying I love you back.

⁠❥ ”Ugh I know! I haven’t ate some in a while.”

You were engaged with a phone call with your friend. The call was at least reaching twenty minutes old, and you just so happened to be in the same room as Levi.

Who was trying to do his work.

“I think it’s been-“ You try to calculate in your head. “Two months?”

“I’ve actually been craving for it recently.” You twirl the ends of your hair standing weirdly leaning on the wall.

Ever since you walked into where Levi does his work, which was ten minutes ago, his progress had slowed due to the constant and loud replies that your friend received.

“No, I used to—“ A small object hits your shoulder. “What the hell!”

You turn to face your boyfriend, giving you looks that could kill you. “Would it hurt to keep it down. Or at least go to another room?”

“Are you okay?” Your concerned friend asks on the other side of the line.

“Hold on girl. My boyfriend wants attention from me. Give me two minutes.” You mute yourself on call.

“Yes, it would hurt if I quieted down a bit. You should know.” You reference to the time you gave him the silent treatment for not even a full five hours, and he was bothering you every second, minute, and hour.

Knowing that you weren’t wrong, he scoffs. “What were you guys talking about anyways?”

Forgetting the fact that your boyfriend threw a pen at you, you get excited immediately. “Oh this one place that sells the best pastries! I haven’t had them in a while and—"

You squint your eyes at him, thinking you caught him in his little scheme. “Actually, I was talking to my friend about this bakery not my boyfriend.”

His eyebrows slightly rise, amused, as he watches you unmute the call, bringing the conversation to your right ear, and walk out the room.

You find yourself in the kitchen now, ready to continue on the conversation, letting Levi to finish up his work.

“I’m sorry about that. My boyfriend—who doesn’t know how to have fun.” You said that loud and clear and on purpose for him to hear. “But anyways it’s these little buns called warm bears because they feel warm, as if someone was giving you a bear hug.”

You pause to hear your friend’s question. “No, I just made that up. But they’re really called warm bears.”

The next day, after a long day of work, you celebrate quietly as the keys to open up to the apartment your shared with your boyfriend.

You mindfully place your work bag where it belongs, and take your shoes off by the door, knowing how Levi gets on you for the lack of tidiness you have compared to him. You walk past the living room, and head towards the kitchen, your stomach ready to eat.

But before you could check out the fridge, a familiar looking box, with new, updated designs on them, was sitting patiently to be open. Attached was on the top was a little sticky note on it with Levi’s handwriting.

‘For you brat, Levi.’

You open the box, and there, the aroma and the sight of warm bears stare right back at you.

Unlike all the other times, it wasn’t the warm pastries that warmed you up, but rather the little act of love your boyfriend continuously pulls off.

⁠❥ You felt awkward watching your friend show PDA with her new boyfriend. Is this how they all felt when you would invite Levi to tag along? Well, it’s not like Levi was one to be into extreme PDA. Anything that involved making out, sensual eye contact, dirty innuendos, or anything that should be kept private wasn’t his thing. He could handle hand-holding, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear, having you walk inside of the sideway—to put it simple, the softer kind of PDA.

You were sat at a food court sitting across your friend, trying to get some rest from the two hours of walking around the mall. What you thought was just going to be you and her, turned out a thirdwheel trip for you.

So as you watch your friend maul her boyfriend’s face off in front of you, you couldn’t help but feel slightly embarrassed.

So naturally to avoid letting your friend know that you were repulsed, even though there was no way she would notice given the fact that she had her face smushed against his, you go and text your boyfriend.

Hey babe. You desperately wait for his reply. And in an instant your phone goes off.

Hi sweetheart. You smile, completely forgetting—what you consider—live porn in front of you.

Your fingers excitedly type back, I’m really bored.

Bored? I’d be annoyed if my friend who asked me to hang out with her was making out with her boyfriend.

Confused on how he guessed right with the lack of information that you gave him, you look around the area for his figure.

Where are you? You text him, after failing to do so.

You wait for his reply, that now suddenly stopped die off. You kissed your teeth, closing the app, to scroll endlessly on social media. Eager to ignore the third wheel feeling, you wanted to see people’s stories. Unfortunately, your face cringes, seeing that the first post you see, was the same exact friend who was making out in front of you.

You let out a defeated sigh, close the app, and turn your phone off. Only to gaze off into the sidewalk wondering where your boyfriend could be.

A pair of shoes shows up in your field of vision. But too involved with your daydreaming, and your goal of avoiding at looking at your friend who was now flirting shamelessly with her boyfriend, you ignore whoever stopped in front of you.

“Are you just gonna stare off into oblivion or are you going to take my hand?” Your head snaps to Levi.

Now filling your heart up with relief, you take his hand, and stand up to greet him with a tight hug. Unlike the couple across from the two of you, you gave Levi a quick kiss on the cheek as a little thank you, and he gives a small smile.

This gets your friend and her partner to look at the two of you.

“What are you doing here?”

“Well, I was with one of my friends who wanted to buy something for their partner.” He points to his friend, you recognize them as Hange, who in return waves back with a gigantic smile. “And I just so happened to see you.”

“Perfect timing.” Your friend’s boyfriend chimes in. “That means we won’t need to get you home.”

Your friend who was a little embarrassed by his comment hits his thigh. “Babe you don’t say things like that.”

“It’s alright, we can drop her off.” She says to Levi, with a polite smile.

With a deadpan, Levi looks at the boyfriend, and it’s clear that he already made the decision that he doesn’t like him. “No it’s alright. Thanks for considering it though.” He says only to your friend.

“Just remember for future reference.” He glares at the guy next to her. “If your girlfriend was hanging out with me and Y/N. She wouldn’t need to worry about her ride bailing on her, whether you show up or not.”

Levi turns back to you, his expression now soft, and his hand grabs yours. “Let’s call it a day then darling.”

And with that, he walks off—not wasting another second talking with a guy who couldn’t even do the bare minimum—with you towards his friend, backs now turned to the couple as he whispers, “she deserves way better than that guy.”

You giggle, agreeing with his statement.

⁠❥ “I promise I’m not going to fall.”

There you stood confidently a few feet from the floor. You so stubbornly wanted to grab a book that was inconveniently stored at the very top of a bookshelf in Levi’s office. Your arms were stretched out to its maximum length, but with no use, you barely touched the base shelf that the book sat on.

“Hold on.” Only looking up at the book that was calling your name. “I can grab it I swear!” Levi was next to you, worried that you could fall at any moment.

I mean look at you. On your toes of the highest step of the stool, with one leg trying to push you to somehow go higher.

“Babe you can seriously get hurt.” His arms were angled in a way where you would fall bridal style in his arms if you were to fall.

“Let me get the damn book for you.” His words filled with stress.

He was stressed even more when he sees you, still on your toes, but now jumping like it was going to help you at all. Miraculously, it was working. You managed to swipe the book your way, and with each small jump and your hand swiping continuously, it inched towards you.

You feel a smile grow on your face, knowing that you could prove that you could do it yourself. As the book got closer to the edge, where you could grab it, you swear you felt like you could conquer the world. You were almost there!

Yes! The feeling of accomplishing something so small made you feel good.

And then you landed wrong.

Eyes now wide, pride now spilling out from you, you feel your body slowly pull towards the ground. You swipe at the air, hoping that you could grab on to something, but of course it was too late.

You were about to hit the ground.

Twenty minutes later, here you two are at the hospital getting both your injuries checked out. The whole car ride you couldn’t even look at Levi. Not because you were scared that he was going to crash into something, because he did hit his head when you landed on him. But at the fact that he was silent the whole car ride not even bothering to hum in response.

Seeing an ice pack on his head, and your foot naked—for the doctor to check out—while you sat on the hospital bed. You knew you fucked up big time.

Instead of admitting to your mistake to your concussed boyfriend, you instead let the pride sit in your chest, and wear your head high.

“Babe, why would try and catch me?”

Levi looks slowly to you, as he sits next to you on another hospital bed. The two of you looking hopelessly.

“I’m asking myself the same exact thing.” His face cringes after finishing off his sentence.

Of course now fully observing him, your pride shamefully hides somewhere in you. Feeling a bit foolish at the situation you got you and your ever so loving boyfriend in. Over a damn book too.

“Don’t give me that look.” He says. He adjusts his position, facing the ceiling, and he closes his eyes

“You look pitiful.”

Scratch that. It looks like your pride was starting to show itself again. “Alright then. As soon as I start to say my wrongs, you want to comment on how sad I look.”

He doesn’t reply for a couple of seconds. Letting his beating head calm down, and his eyes open slowly. He looks back at you, lips in a pout and your arms across your chest.

“That’s not what I meant brat.” He hisses at the sentence.

“I meant you shouldn’t apologize, because no matter what the outcome was going to be, I was going to be right beside you the whole entire time.” Again he moves his head back to face the ceiling.

“You did alright trying to get the book.” You almost laughed at his stubborn semi compliment. “But next time. Let me do it.”

“So what I'm hearing is that you’ll be there for me through any life crisis that I go through.”

“That we go through. Also getting a book is not a life crisis. But you know what is? Hearing any more talking. Now shut up.” He cringes again turning away from you.

You smile at his grumpiness.

“I love you too.” You whisper just loud enough for him to hear.

What he was able to hide from you was a big fond smile that matched yours.

In the end, whether Levi had enough or ran out of patience with you, he knew that you were made for him. Even when life threw constant obstacles at you, none of it mattered, because what truly mattered to him was the fact that he was with you to experience it all together.

As well as the next lifetime, and the next, and the next…

[respectthepetty]

I apologise in advance since this is going to be ramble-y but it's past my bedtime and I have to be quick...

I'm hoping you can throw some insight on something which I feel like I'm seeing but not really getting.

So, I was first intrigued by Sei's phone case - it's a version of Van Gogh's Starry Night, right? - and the light/yellow and dark/blue it contains. And then I was noticing a lot of scenes in which Hagiwara is in a light/warm colouring/filter and Sei is in a cooler/bluer colour/filter. Many of your screenshots in this post of yours show this (notably pics 5, 8, 9, and 11 counting from the top).

I also noticed the yellow and blue posters behind Hagiwara and Sei in the second photo of that post.

And then I was intrigued by light and shadow...because in ep 1 (I think), in bed Hagiwara is lying in the shadow cast by the lamp that is between his and Kaori's beds. And that contrasts to Sei lying in the glow of the lamp that's between his and Fujisawa. But this confuses me because sometimes Hagiwara is in the shadows and Sei is in the light (as in pics 10 and 20 in that post) and there are other times when Hagiwara is illuminated and Sei is in the shadows (like in pic 11).

Does this all just come down to what you were saying in that post - that they balance each other out? Because sometimes they're both in cool/shadowed light together (pic 4) and sometimes they're both in warm/light colouring together (pics 7 & 15) - and not to mention the two bedside lamps being on in pic 22... Or is there another reading into this? Maybe that they're depicted light/warm or cool/dark at different times depending on what's happening in or the mood of the scenes?

It feels a bit like maybe the message is that they're both stuck, trapped in the dark but also that they're each the light and happiness for each other...but that feels too simplistic for this complex show.

Anyway, sorry to pose what feels like a difficult question but I'm looking forward to a possible 30 pic explanation post from you if you have it in you!

I think the show is telling us nobody is just one thing.

I thought this back in the third episode, but after seeing the discourse on the sixth episode, I feel confident this is part of what the shows wants to say. For example, a point of contention in most posts after the breakup scene in episode six focused on if Kairo is avoidant and homophobic or if Kairo is ace and hasn't realized it. But why can't Kairo be both?

This thought stems from the statue since Sei and Hagiwara couldn't agree if she was sexual or sad.

But why couldn't she be both?

I made this point with the other pieces of art as well since all of them played into this evil/good, angel/devil theme.

Because none of them were just one of those things. The devil flowers had wings, and the devil figure had a halo, while the angel flowers still had thorns, and the angel figure had a horned tail.

So Hagiwara, the darker-coded character, is the warmer one with his trees and greenery, while Sei, the lighter-coded character, is the colder character with his metal and rock.

And they are also cheaters.

Which, once again, is why I believe the story is telling us that nobody is one thing. Because cheating is bad. But these men?

They aren't bad.

Just like Fujisawa isn't all good.

Sei and Hagiwara did something bad but they aren't bad because they cheated since people are neither completely one thing or another.

That is a false dichotomy.

So just like the toe was not about the toe, and the TV was not about the TV, and the coffee is not about the coffee, and the rain is not about the rain, and the sex is not about the sex, nothing is just one thing, so the series continues to reinforce that.

Sei is light and should be warm, but he is cold, and by his own admission, rough. But Hagiwara, who should be the dark and emotionally-guarded brooder, is the more open and happy one of the pair.

The colors and settings emphasize this. Hagiwara's apartment is colorful. Sei's is dark.

But those apartments don't really represent the men either.

Fujisawa and Kairo both commented that they like Sei and Hagiwara, but they only like a single aspect of them. They reduced them to one characteristic, and never wanted to deal with the complexities of their partners.

And that's what happens when we focus on one single thing.

We lose sight of the bigger picture.

The questions Fujisawa and Kairo ask aren't "Why did you cheat?' but "Why a man?" because they are reductive. To Fujisawa and Kairo, the problem wasn't a lack of communication, lack of intimacy, or lack of a partnership in their relationships; it was sex. So why sex with a man?! Why not a woman to fulfill the sexual urge?

During their email exchange in episode two, the men chat about the purpose of sex since for animals, it's to mate and reproduce, which comes up later when Hagiwara's friends ask if he'll marry Kairo when she is pregnant, and again in episode four when Ayako says that Hagiwara is lucky that Kairo will have sex with him for the sake of kids. Fujisawa and Sei can't have kids, so then there is no need for sex. Yet in that initial conversation in episode two, Hagiwara and Sei end the conversation with saying the purpose of sex is complicated.

Everything is complicated. Everything is layered. Everything is multifaceted.

Van Gogh painted The Starry Night when he was an a psychiatric hospital in 1889 after he cut off his ear during a maniac episode, so due to the time period and the timing, it was probably a horrible experience. The scene is based on his view he could see outside of his barred window. And yet, despite all the dark reasons he was there and the night setting, the painting is bright. It blends the darkness with the light to bring hope.

So despite the darkness of his cage, there is light. And it comes in the shape of a phone that allows communication between two lost souls going through a horrible experience.

And Fujisawa destroyed it.

Nothing is one thing.

Yin and yang are meant to reside in everyone because good and bad are part of everyone. Therefore, nothing is simply black and white.

Hagiwara is rejected yet full of warmth. Sei wants affection but is cold toward others. One is dark coded and the other is light coded. One is warm colors and the other is cool colors. Sei comes off as polished, but he is rough. Hagiwara comes across as fun, but he is serious. They are layered, which is the key to balance because balance could never be about just one thing; balance is about bringing several elements into harmony.

But first, we must acknowledge that different aspects exists.

Because nothing is one thing.

[jbaileyfansite]

Interview with The Guardian (2025)

The actor Jonathan Bailey sits at a large table in an otherwise empty room: charcoal cable knit sweater, loose pinstripe trousers, hair neatly coiffed. He is chewing gum, sipping coffee, talking through his recent career, and a certain serendipity that has rendered him reflective. At 36, he’s fresh from his turn as likely-lad love interest Fiyero in Hollywood’s blockbuster adaptation of Wicked; as a child, seeing the stage show was a milestone for him. “I remember thinking Fiyero was such a good part.” Later this year he will star in Jurassic World Rebirth alongside Mahershala Ali and Scarlett Johansson. “I saw the original Jurassic Park with my family, aged six, at the cinema,” he says. “It was the first time we all went together to something like that. It was seminal, but so rare for us.”

And this month, Bailey will star in Richard II at the Bridge Theatre, directed by Nicholas Hytner. Bailey is its protagonist. It is another example of full-circle career moment. In 2013, he appeared on stage in Hytner’s Othello. Same playwright, same director, same city – Bailey can’t help but consider all that’s changed in the intervening years. “Back then I was too young,” he says. “I came into the rehearsal process not mature or confident enough.”

Landing the role of Cassio, one of Othello’s lieutenants, had been so important to him then. “I didn’t go to drama school,” he says, “and there was a common belief that if you hadn’t, you wouldn’t be able to do classical texts, or perform in the big theatres. There are all these stories we are born into that we have to unpick. For me, one of those was how limited I felt.”

Bailey remembers the day that changed. “It was late December,” he says, “and I was walking along London’s South Bank.” He was on his way to the National Theatre to meet Hytner for a callback. “I’d worked so hard and for so many reasons it felt…” He cuts himself off, then goes on, “Working at the National was beyond my wildest dreams.”

Bailey performed the two scenes he’d prepared. Then, Hytner unexpectedly suggested a third, which Bailey hadn’t rehearsed. “I’m not very good at just reading and going,” he says. “I can’t really come up with… Anyway, I went with instincts. He offered me the job in the room. It was a defining moment in my career.”

All sorts of opportunities followed for Bailey: American Psycho at the Almeida; Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s TV debut Crashing; King Lear opposite Ian McKellen; BBC satirical sitcom W1A. He was made very famous for playing a leading Lothario in Bridgerton, the Netflix behemoth. “Now being back with Nick,” he says. “I have a much fuller and more cherished understanding of him as a human as well as a director. Getting back into a room with him now, with all that’s happening, just felt obvious.” Hytner’s praise for Bailey is just as high: “He can speak Shakespeare like it’s his first language… The stage is his element.”

It’s Wednesday lunchtime, early January, in a central London studio space. We’re meeting halfway through five weeks of Richard II rehearsals in full swing a few floors below us. He’s sitting at a large table. In front of him is a bulky script covered in yellow highlights. “It’s only half,” he says, flicking through, playful panic in his voice. “Not only that, I’ve thinned it, and taken out the scenes I’m not in, which feels very Richard II.”

It’s Bailey’s first stage production since 2022. Through Bridgerton, he has been exposed to a global audience. But theatre is where it all began. “So returning to the stage, now, just felt so right. And I don’t think I’ve changed at all, even if certain things around me have.” It has taken some adjustment, this new level of “Black Mirror-esque” notoriety that he’s experiencing. It’s why he likes the intimacy of these rehearsals, after months spent on sprawling film sets. And he’s enjoying being based in London for an extended period, close to friends and family.

Bailey is charming, handsome and self-effacing as we talk, but doesn’t seem entirely at ease. That gum chewing is fervent now; he’s fiddling with what’s in front of him. He habitually self-edits as he speaks. There’s a vagueness that, at times, feels purposeful. At regular intervals, he simply stops mid-sentence.

Take the play itself. “It’s such an incredible, searing interrogation of power, government and monarchy…” he says. “You have someone with the cast-iron right to rule, who is absolutely unfit to lead, emotionally underdeveloped… And Shakespeare wrote to be played, not published. There are so many references and nuances to what an Elizabethan audience would have understood… It’s about translating it from that, and delivering it to a modern audience, so the effect hopefully has the same vivid fervency and front-footedness especially politically and especially in this instance with monarchy and leadership.”

It sounds interesting. So where is he turning to for inspiration for his tyrannical overlord? I ask. Trump? King Charles? The Saudis?

“That’s for the viewer to see. I have very clear ideas and I hope the audience will, too…”

He won’t be drawn. I’m curious as to why. He shakes his head.

“You’ll have to come and see it.”

Later, over email, Hytner is more forthright: “The play wonders what happens when an entirely legitimate leader is set on ruining the country he leads. No good options. Submit or resist – either way you end up with chaos.”

Ahead of Wicked’s late-November release, there was a preview screening in Sydney. “It was part of this massive press tour, but for me it only lasted two weeks. The girls are incredible,” Bailey says of his co-stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, plugging the project for months on end. “And they’re still at it, still shining.”

In Oz, Bailey went along with one of his sisters and her two daughters in tow. It was the first time he’d sat back and watched the film properly. “I was so overwhelmed,” he says. “Even now, it makes me quite emotional. If there was the purest form of joy I had as a kid, it was singing and dancing.”

His family was based between Reading and Oxford. Bailey has three older sisters. As a child, he’d be dropped at basketball club at the local village hall. “From outside, I could see my sister’s ballet lessons through the window. I wanted to be in there with them. I’d go and wait at the back of their class in my Velcro trainers.” He enrolled. “I was obsessed and loved it. Dancing and singing felt like a vocation.”

Music also filled the family home. By the time Bailey was 10, his sisters would go out clubbing. “The next morning, they’d come back, and I’d get them, hungover, to do impressions of their different friends dancing.” It was a family affair. “We loved 90s club classics. Me, Mum, Dad and my sisters went through a phase of going into the new room – we had an extension, then called it that for 20 years – and we’d put on vinyls and dance, all of us.”

One day, he stopped. “I don’t know what happened,” he says, “for whatever reason, I didn’t confidently carry through the dancing. I got self-conscious in my teens that it was signalling something else. It just didn’t feel… I probably just knew it was better to be playing rugby than dancing. I became really self-conscious. There weren’t other dudes dancing.” One teacher called Bailey a “fairy” in front of his entire class. “In your teenage years it’s so raw. You lose your skin. And there are certain things in life,” he says, “that allow people to think they know something about you, and those assumptions mean you stop doing something you love. You curb or you police yourself. You don’t make the joke, or say the quip. You don’t stand up and advocate for yourself or your friends. And you start to slowly crumple. That’s purely on the basis of this idea of signalling. These stereotypes.”

One becomes fearful, he continues, of the immense hurt that others can cause. “Even more pain than binding yourself up slowly and creating a space of safety and refuge in your own mind or heart. That’s where it gets dangerous and people stop doing the things they’re supposed to. And how brilliant that we…” He pauses, surprised, concerned even – it seems – by how much he’s sharing. “It’s a scary time, isn’t it. On the one hand, I do think there’s such a… People are so much more open-minded about what defines masculinity now. What defines heterosexuality. What defines gender. But on the other hand, there’s a swing, obviously, towards… Anyway, that one will have to be a dot-dot-dot for you.”

It’s not that Bailey dropped performing as a child, only that things took off in a different direction. Back in ballet class, there’d been a callout from the Royal Shakespeare Company. “They needed young boys to play Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol.” He was seven years old. “My parents weren’t sure. It was so outside their world.” His mum worked in the NHS. “And Dad was a DJ, basically, in Piccadilly Circus at [70s nightclub] Snoopys.” But a child actor? “It’s a big ask, from a kid. I was really protected by them, but they gave me this opportunity.” He was cast, and continued to be through school. “It was extraordinary, really. I didn’t miss any lessons. By 13, I’d done three productions for the RSC, and a stint in the West End. All before I hit puberty.” Then came his first Shakespeare production: Prince Arthur in King John at the Barbican with the RSC. “I was 12 or 13, and that set me on another course. ‘Fuck, OK, you can also do this.’” The memories are visceral, even now: “The sickly, sweet smell of fake blood. Dry ice. All those senses. I was taken. That’s maybe where my creative juices were channelled more, over singing and dancing.”

He has worked solidly since his teenage years. Bridgerton, though, catapulted him to stardom. Afterwards, says Bailey, “I was contending with how things would change in my life.” The press introduction, a growing, global fandom, interest in his personal life and sexuality… “On one hand,” he says, “the success of Bridgerton, being able to play that role, and for who I am not to affect people’s perceptions; the love story between a man and a woman.” He pauses, again. Oh, actually.” Some nervous laughter. “It’s just, I’m cautious. I’m who I am and always will be. It’s an extraordinary thing to see and hear the word ‘gay’ next to your name all the time. It’s something I’m incredibly proud of, but it’s also not something anyone else would be defined by. So to go straight from Bridgerton, where inevitably that was talked about, to do a series like Fellow Travellers? It came along like some sort of beacon.”

Fellow Travellers, a Showtime series in which Bailey and Matt Bomer star, follows the romance between two American politicos, from the 1950s to 1980s. Production started as series one of Bridgerton started streaming. Among a predominantly queer central cast, cocooned on set, Bailey’s sexuality was entirely un-noteworthy. “All with our own experiences,” he says, “coming together. And learning about the history… The men who endured and experienced such horrendous and extraordinary things.”

Simultaneously, he was inundated with requests from charities following Bridgerton’s success. “I felt frozen by wanting to help.” The sheer scale of what was being asked and what he might do with his platform, connections and cash felt overwhelming. So, he founded the Shameless Fund. “Raising cash and erasing shame to support the global LGBTQ+ community. We’re giving grants this year. I’m so proud of it. It was all in theory. It seems so obvious and clear. We’ve raised a lot of money for initiatives that need cash and a platform. “And the thing is,” he says, “I can’t be a mouthpiece. I’m an actor.” As is clear through our conversation so far, he’s impassioned and engaged, but being outspoken doesn’t always feel comfortable. It must be challenging, I say. So many eyes and ears pointed in his direction. “The noise is turned up,” he says. “And when it’s about your family, or your identity… And nobody is going to question that headline, in a different outlet with their own agenda. That’s what’s left and it isn’t true. That’s why I’m really protective. I’ve seen something so specific about my identity be twisted. Ultimately you want peace within yourself, because the world is wild enough as it is. It’s too important now, with rights being stripped away. What’s so obviously looming…” Back to Wicked, I suggest.

“OK,” he says, relieved, “so I was doing Cock [his West End stint in Mike Bartlett’s comedy about sexual identity] and I knew a film of Wicked was happening.” In the dressing room before curtain up one night, Bailey recorded a self-tape. “As I was singing, doing a karaoke version of [Fiyero’s big number] Dancing Through Life, I got called to stage on the Tannoy. Fuck it, I just sent it.” There were some positive noises. “Then the dates didn’t look to be working out. Wicked said they couldn’t be sure about what they wanted…” Bailey made other plans. Then, out the blue, dates shifted: the part was his. The months that followed were hectic: during one stretch, while juggling Fellow Travellers, Bridgerton and Wicked, he was filming for 34 days straight.

“I’d come from set, sleep on a flight, go straight to a Bridgerton ball, then the next day be dancing with Ari and Cynthia. Everyone else for Wicked had three months of rehearsal. I had three days.” There’s a knock at the door: Bailey is being summoned back down to rehearsals. “The conclusion to that,” he says, “is Wicked happened and I’m so proud. Before I knew it I was Dancing Through Life…” Suffice to say, he’s thrilled to be.

Richard II is at the Bridge Theatre until 10 May, bridgetheatre.co.uk

Source

[bullet-prooflove]

Could you please do a Mike Franks with prompt 15. “I fell for a boy who could never ever let me walk home that way 'Cause you gotta be safe”?

Tagging: @kmc1989 @ilovemark1951 @love-affair-with-fandoms @clarasmoon @star017

Prequel to:

Life Lessons (NSFW) - Mike and you don't play the games other couples do.

Count To Five (NSFW) - Mike comes home to a naked woman in his bed.

Pool House (NSFW) - You and Mike steal a moment alone at the LA Law Enforcement Conference.

Shirt (NSFW) - Mike turns up to a crime scene to find you wearing his shirt.

Love Is A Strong Word - Mike confesses his feelings after a disagreement.

Baggage - You confront Mike after he says another woman's name in his sleep.

The Written Word - Mike's world is turned upside down when he discovers a letter written by Violet before her death.

The Way of the World - There's a reason Mike's been teaching you all those life lessons.

There has always been chemistry between you and Mike, right from the first moment he stepped into one of his crime scenes and discovered the old NIS liaison Barry Gilford had been replaced.

Truthfully he wasn’t sad to see him go, the position was a power game to that asshole. He’d withhold support or information, using it instead as a bargaining chip. You are much more amenable and if he’s honest a lot easier on the eyes too.

Over the months he starts to like you, really like you. You used to be a master of arms before you left the Navy because it was too structured, you have your own C.Is you’ve cultivated from that time and an insight into the inner workings of the military that comes in handy on his cases. You’re smart too and wicked funny, the kind of humour that makes him laugh despite the gruff front he tries to enforce. You give him a run for his money and Mike, he hasn’t experienced someone who can do that, not for a long time.

It comes to a head over drinks. The team are celebrating the closure of one of their cases, he’d invited you along because without your invaluable expertise they’d still be dead in the water. It starts with the accidental nudge of his knee against yours under the table, he tilts his head to apologise but you have that look in your eyes.

Mike, he knows when a woman’s attracted to him, he can feel it on a visceral level.

Next it’s his arm around the back of your chair, an invitation you take to shift closer. The scent of your perfume floods his senses, something light and floral that reminds him of Texas in the spring. He drinks it in as his thumb traces a light pattern across your shoulder. Your hand comes to rest on his thigh and it feels like electric dancing under his skin as your fingers trail up the inner seam of his jeans. He spends the next thirty minutes struggling to follow the conversation as he adjusts the woody in his pants.

When he offers to walk you home you both know where this is heading, all that tension, all that build up, it feels like he’s about to combust as you link your arm through his, setting off into the night.

“So now you’ve walked me home, what’s next?” You ask as you stand on the doorstep toying with the keys in your hand.

You look so tantalizing in the glow from the street lamp, teeth biting your lower lip as you look up at him through those dark lashes of yours.

“I should take myself home like a good boy.” Mike says, his voice rough as his hands coming to rest on your hips as you lean in close.

“But you’re not a good boy are you Mike?” You tease, your fingertips chasing over the buttons of his shirt.

“No.” He says, his mouth brushing over yours. “No I ain’t.”

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Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[nameless-jamie]

Mornings

Drabble - Jamie Tartt x girlfriend reader

Masterlist

Pairing: Jamie Tartt x girlfriend reader

TW: cursing, suggestive scene/language, kissing

A/N: Just something small I've written in between fics. Some fluff to clear my head.

Y/N woke up to the distinct scent of something burning.

Her first thought was that maybe it was a dream. The second was that, no, this was very real, because the smell was getting stronger, and there was an alarming amount of clattering coming from the kitchen.

Then she heard Jamie curse. Loudly.

Throwing off the covers, she hurried out of bed, her heart thudding as she rushed toward the kitchen. “Jamie?”

There was a crash. A bang. And then—

“Shit, shit, shit—”

She turned the corner just in time to see Jamie standing in front of the stove, a fire extinguisher clutched in his hands, looking guilty as hell.

A thick cloud of smoke hung in the air. The toaster was charred beyond recognition. Something that might have once been eggs was sizzling ominously in a pan, and there were eggshells everywhere—on the counter, in the sink, somehow even in Jamie’s hair.

Y/N blinked.

Jamie stared at her, wide-eyed, like a child caught doing something very stupid. Then, after a beat, he cleared his throat.

“…Mornin’, love.”

She didn’t even know where to start. “What—” She gestured vaguely at the chaos around him. “What the hell happened?”

Jamie shifted on his feet, looking sheepish. “Right, so. I was makin’ you breakfast.”

She gestured harder. “With a fire extinguisher?”

He glanced down at the canister in his hands like he had forgotten he was holding it. “Bit of an overreaction, in hindsight.”

“Hindsight?” She gaped at him. “Jamie, I woke up thinking the flat was on fire!”

“Yeah, well, technically it was only a small fire,” he muttered. “Barely even counts.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Jamie.”

He sighed dramatically and set the fire extinguisher down on the counter. “Look, baby, it was meant to be a nice thing, yeah? Breakfast in bed, all that. But then I might’ve, uh… forgot the toast was in the toaster. And then when I cracked the eggs, I thought they looked weird, so I added another one, but then the shells kept fallin’ in, and I tried pickin’ ‘em out, but they was slipp’ry, and then—” He waved a hand at the crime scene that was now their kitchen. “—y’know. This.”

Y/N just stared at him.

Jamie gave her his best please don’t be mad at me, I swear I’m adorable smile.

She exhaled. “I literally don’t even know what to say to you right now.”

Jamie perked up. “So you’re not mad?”

“Oh, I am mad,” she assured him, stepping over what looked like a broken egg carton. “But I also don’t trust you alone in here anymore, so move.”

He grinned and obediently shuffled aside as she grabbed a pan and started cracking fresh eggs into it.

Jamie watched her for a moment before sidling up beside her, chin resting on her shoulder. “So, does this mean you’re makin’ me breakfast now, baby?”

Y/N shot him a look.

He held up his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, I’ll just… set the table or somethin’.”

She turned back to the stove, shaking her head as he started humming behind her, making a big show of fixing up the plates.

Despite the absolute disaster he had caused, she felt a small smile tug at her lips.

Jamie Tartt, domestic menace.

Maybe, just maybe, she was in trouble with this one.

Y/N sighed as she cracked an egg into the pan, carefully avoiding the war zone Jamie had left in his wake. From behind her, she could hear him moving around, clinking dishes together in a way that made her deeply concerned for the well-being of their kitchenware.

Jamie, being Jamie, couldn’t stand the silence for long.

“Y’know,” he mused, sidling up behind her again, “this is kinda sexy.”

She raised an eyebrow but didn’t look away from the stove. “Me, cooking?”

“Mmm.” He hummed, sliding his hands onto her hips, warm and steady. “More like you, bossin’ me around first thing in the mornin’.”

She huffed out a laugh. “Oh yeah? You into that?”

He squeezed her waist playfully. “Oh, so into it, babe. ‘Specially when you’re all feisty, throwin’ your hands around, givin’ me that look.”

She twisted just enough to glance at him over her shoulder. “What look?”

“The one that says, ‘Jamie, you’re a menace but I still fancy you,’” he teased, grinning.

Y/N rolled her eyes but didn’t pull away. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Oh, but I live to be flattered, love,” he said dramatically, pressing his lips to her bare shoulder.

She shivered but kept her expression even. “Well, in that case, you’re rubbish at cooking.”

Jamie gasped, clutching his chest like she’d just wounded him. “You take that back, angel.”

“Not a chance.” She turned off the stove and plated the eggs, shooting him a smug look. “You should stick to what you’re actually good at.”

Jamie smirked, stepping in close again, voice dropping into that lazy, knowing drawl. “Oh yeah? And what’s that, sweetheart?”

She scoffed, but her breath hitched when he ran a hand up her side, fingers trailing along the hem of her oversized sleep shirt.

“Dunno,” she mused, feigning nonchalance as she carried the plates to the table. “Football, I guess?”

Jamie let out a deep, exaggerated sigh. “Football, she says. Football.” He followed her to the table, arms crossed, shaking his head. “Here I was, thinkin’ you were about to say something else, but no, just football. So disappointin’, babe.”

Y/N set the plates down and gave him a slow, deliberate once-over. “Well, you are good with your legs.”

Jamie’s smirk was instant. “Oh, now you’re talkin’.”

She rolled her eyes and plopped down into her chair, grabbing a fork. “Eat your eggs before I change my mind about feeding you.”

Jamie plopped into the seat across from her, watching her with far too much amusement. “Y’know, if I was thinkin’ straight, I’d be proper offended by all this slander.”

She arched a brow. “And if you were cooking straight, I wouldn’t have woken up thinking the flat was on fire.”

Jamie just grinned and took a bite of his food, kicking her lightly under the table.

“Whatever you say, babe,” he said, voice muffled from chewing. Then, with a wink, “But you did fancy wakin’ up to me, though, yeah?”

She threw a piece of toast at his head.

[reblogandlikes]

Sometimes I sit back and think about how the IC holds Nesta's "mean words" against her during their time in poverty. A meanness that Feyre herself stated she gave back.

Sometimes I sit back and think about how the IC hates on Tamlin for "ignoring Feyre's needs" despite the BOTH of them deciding to not express too much. Or when they're mad at him for "locking her up" when it was a way to prevent her following him into a ongoing danger that required him to help his people against a direct threat, but she was too stubborn and even refused to take the other options he was presenting to her. Or when he "abused" her due to a magical outburst; ya’know, the same one Feyre had during the HL meeting. Ya'know, the same one Azriel had to protect humans from because Rhysand was mad at Nesta for giving away HER weapon.

The IC, and particularly Rhysand, holds others' actions they view as a slight against Feyre as the worst sin. It doesn't matter the reason. Because "abuse is abuse" and "failure is failure" as many IC stans would probably wholeheartedly agree with and swear before the Mother with that statement.

And then, sometimes I wonder what the IC would do or think if they found out what Rhysand did the Feyre UTM. Because THEY DON'T KNOW. Not once has anyone been told and I find that to be an interesting choice, because why exactly don't they know. The shadow twins were there and literally painted her and yet they didn't inform Azriel? Weird. What's wrong with physically coercing another into a bargain with violence and getting them drunk until the point of blacking out and body being weak? For Feyre to be sexually exposed in front of Amarantha and everyone trapped night after night for 3 months straight? Well, I guess the sexual exposure wouldn't be a big crime for them; I mean, look at the recreation of the scene when they all went to HC and no one bat an eye lid.

All this to say that bad actions, no matter their intentions from other characters are unnecessarily dragged out. But the very bad action of Rhysand in that single moment (nevermind the rest - he has a lot) is never brought up or made public knowledge to his "Family." I'd want them to react. To be disgusted. But whats sad is that they'd probably just excuse it away anyway. I could already predict it. "He had to." "Rhys had a plan." "There was no other choice that could have been made." Know this for certain because look at how they all defended him when it came to knowing that Feyre would literally DIE during pregnancy and how DANGEROUS a non Illyrian carrying an Illyrian child IS. But I bet if they knew about that death pact earlier they'd be more up in arms - because then HIS life would be at risk, Feyre would want to know and should have a CHOICE when more would seem to be at stake. I think she'd risk shifting, ultimately choosing her mate than just willing to risk herself in a "complicated pregnancy."

The IC irritates me. And if someone comes to talk about grey morality, I'd like to remind them that for that to be true, the narrative would treat horrendous behaviour the same across the board. Not try to retcon or openly minimise it in a pointless monologue while simultaneously not giving the same grace to others. All or nothing, baby. Otherwise, I can't take anything presented to be as "right" seriously. Especially when it comes from a hypocritical camp.

He didn't have to do that to Feyre UTM, he chose to. And Feyre wouldn't have died due to infection, because though Tamlin couldn't physically help, he had Lucien do what he couldn't. LUCIEN would have helped Feyre, but Rhysand just got there first and scared her. She agreed to a bargain under duress. Rhysand wanted something to irritate Tamlin with. Not just to "get him angry" (Rhysand's help was not required for that), but to overwhelming punish him over his mother and sister's deaths even he doesn't have the full story of, nor us as readers. Rhysand is petty and didn't care about Feyre at all - he didn't know her to care. They didnt have lovely sit down conversations during the time of her recovering from a drunken stupor night after night to build a beautiful connection they always knew was there, let alone anything to fall in love with, tf. I don't know why SJM has him lie this badly. I don't know why some fans get angry when you point this out.

Anyway, the IC holds everyone else accountable but each other.

[sillylilsquid]

Late Night Apology

✨summary: when thanos shows back up at your place after four months of no contact, you learn information you never thought you would. and he shows you truly how sorry he is. ✨word count: 2.8k ✨18+, mdni! sexual themes, mentions of fighting/verbal abuse. ooc thanos.

Thanos and you were destined for failure from the start. His drug addiction and party lifestyle was the exact opposite of how you lived your life. In fact, you’re not even sure how the two of you made it work for as long as you did. You first met him at Club Pentagon when your friends dragged you with them, but soon left you alone to get drunk and dance with guys they’d met. He approached you at the bar rambling on about how you were so beautiful, blah, blah, blah. His words were slurred, body language and pupils blown out indicating he was obviously high off something. You gave him your number anyway. You didn’t know why exactly, but something drew you to him. For months the two of you would hook up and even though the two of you weren’t dating, you had vowed not to sleep with anyone other than him. You knew it was a one sided promise. Thanos always had a new girl with him; he was never shy about it either. He’d post them on his instagram, or snapchat like it was no big deal–yet he’d always find his way back to you.

There were countless nights when you had to pick him up from some party because he was too fucked up to figure out how to get home. You’d receive incoherent phone calls from him and you never questioned it. Always showed up, brought him back to your place and let him sleep it off. He tried to get you to join in, but you stuck true to your word that the party scene wasn’t your thing. Whatever type of “relationship” you had was toxic. The fights between the two of you became constant. Arguing about him not taking care of himself, him telling you that you don’t know what was good for him. He’d throw stuff and punch the walls. Get in your face and scream as loud as he could muster, just to get under your skin. Call you names that cut deep into your soul. It never scared you though. You knew even in his drunken or high stupor he would never hurt you, not physically at least. You rarely fought back. Mostly just listening to him, but sometimes you couldn’t help yourself but raise your voice. Try to stick up for yourself. The last fight the two of you had ended with you throwing all of his stuff outside into the rain, telling him never to come back. A few neighbors in your apartment building came out to see what the commotion was, while others peeked through their windows.

He laughed at you. Right in your face. Told you how you’d come crawling back to him; saying he never cared about you. To him you were just another fuck; girls threw themselves at him and he wouldn’t be lost without you. It embarrassed you. But you still didn’t cry, not wanting to give him another excuse to make fun of you. So you slammed the door in his face, locking it and that’s when you allowed the hot tears begin to stream down your face.

That was four months ago. You hadn’t heard from him since. No texts, no phone calls. In fact you had not seen a social media post from him either. Yes, of course you still stalked his accounts because even if he treated you like nothing more than the dirt on his shoe…you still had feelings for him. And you hated yourself for that. It worried you seeing him so silent. What if something bad happened? You were sure you’d hear about it somehow, or see his friends post about it. During that time you tried to go on a few dates, and even slept with a couple guys but nothing compared to Thanos. You never called any of those men back. They didn’t know your body like he did. Didn’t know the right words to say to make your knees weak. As much as it pained you, you knew going back to Thanos was never going to happen. You couldn’t let it happen. You grew to enjoy your own company and stopped feeling lonely after a couple weeks. Other than leaving for work you would sequester yourself in your apartment.

It was winter now, and you sat in the warmth of your tiny apartment watching how it snowed outside. The television provided a comforting noise in the background while you tried to read the book you held loosely in your hands. Your friends tried to get you to go clubbing with them, of course you turned them down. They hated how you turned into a homebody, but you didn’t care. The time on your small wall clock showed it was getting late, almost 10pm now. So when you heard a knock at your front door you froze. Who would be knocking this late? Maybe it was a neighbor who needed something, you thought. Or a delivery person who accidentally had the wrong apartment? 

Slowly you stood up from your comfortable spot on the couch, tossing the blanket on the back of it. You wore only a pair of panties and a sweatshirt that hung low on your thighs, you were sure it was one of Thanos’ but you didn’t care. It was comfortable, you slept in it almost every night. You walked towards the door when the mystery person knocked again. It was times like this you wish you had a peep hole in your door–maybe you’d talk to your landlord about that. Reluctantly you opened the door just enough to peek your head out. You stopped breathing, your body froze when you saw who stood on the other side. Thanos. He wore a pair of baggy gray sweatpants, and a hoodie. The hood was pulled up tightly over his head but his faded purple hair stuck out some. He was damp and shivering from the snow storm outside.

Thanos kept his eyes glued to your feet not daring to look up at you. Once you snapped out of your trance you went to slam the door shut, but he quickly stuck his foot in to keep it from closing. Your name rolled off his lips, “listen, I need somewhere to stay.” he muttered, his voice as silky as you remembered it. But his words were clear, no slurring. His eyes still never met yours. You let out a short laugh. “No fucking way.” you responded, trying to continue to close the door even with his foot in the way. Again he repeated your name. Your hands shook as you tightly gripped the door. “Can I at least come in to talk? It’s fucking freezing.” his tone growing irritated. Shaking your head you replied, “Leave or I’m calling the cops.”

He laughed at that, knowing it was an empty threat. You stood tall trying to show him you weren’t fazed by seeing him–but you were. Your hands were clammy, your heart pounded in your chest, and you felt that familiar tingle in between your legs. How could this man still have this effect on you? You swore you had gotten over those feelings. “I just got out of rehab,” he admitted, his eyes finally locking on yours. It was the first time you saw his eyes without his pupils dilated. “I was staying with Nam Gyu before, but I just…I can’t go back there right now.” you hadn’t expected to hear him so hesitant. It wasn’t like him. Thanos had always been so sure of himself. So bold, but now he stood before you like he was embarrassed. You were surprised to hear he went to rehab, that must’ve been where he was for the past four months. Maybe he hadn’t actually been ignoring you. No, don’t think like that. This is the man who always made promises to you and always broke them. Men like him never change.

The two of you stood staring at each other for a few minutes. His shoulders were slumped, his hands stuffed in his hoodie pocket to seek any warmth he could. Silently you stepped to the side, opening the door just enough for him to enter. You couldn’t believe you were doing this. Stop him now, a part of your brain told you. Don’t let him in–he’ll just hurt you again. Once inside you closed and locked the front door but didn’t leave your spot. It dawned on you that you were standing in front of him in nothing but your panties and hoodie. His fucking hoodie. You felt so exposed, wrapping your arms around your middle to cover yourself. Meanwhile Thanos kicked off his wet shoes and pulled his hoodie off. His shirt briefly lifted up revealing his tattooed back before falling back down. He shook his head like a dog to get the snow out of his hair.

You stood in the same spot, not daring to move. Realizing he was probably still freezing you decided to offer your help–after all, he was still a human being. “Do you wanna shower?” you mumbled, eyes glued to the floor. Thanos responded and waited to follow you towards your bathroom. He knew where it was, but he waited for you to lead anyway. Once you heard the water running and you were sure he was behind the curtain you dropped a set of clothes on the counter for him. You allowed him to shower and you waited for him in the living room. A blanket wrapped snugly around you with your knees tucked into your chest. His footsteps against the hardwood floor caused you to tense up. Thanos plopped down on the couch next to you, thanking you for the shower. You nodded. What the fuck were you supposed to do now?

“Did you really go to rehab? Or are you just trying to use my kindness against me?” you muttered, your voice sounding ruder than you intended. He frowned, shoulders slumping. “I checked myself the day after our fight,” he admitted. “Got really fucked up that night…it was scary.” you sat, completely silent as you listened to him. “And I stayed there for four months because I was terrified that if I left, I’d just go get high again. That’s why I came here–you were the only person I could think of that wouldn’t have any drugs.” he chuckled lightly, and it made a tiny smile come across your face. You took a deep breath and tried to think of what to say. “I’m proud of you.” you finally said. His eyes widened, not expecting to hear that from you. “That’s a really hard thing to do…and you did it. So, I am proud of you.”

Thanos cleared his throat, shrugging as if it was no big deal. There was the smug man you knew. “Baby, I–” but you cut him off. “You don’t get to call me that.” you whispered. “Sorry.” he mumbled, shocked that you stood up for yourself so quickly. “I am sorry about–well, everything. You’re a great girl, you never deserved the way I treated you and for that I am sorry.” it was the first time you heard him say those words. Thanos was never one to apologize to you. A small “thank you” was all you could muster up to say. You felt his frame inch closer to yours and as much as you tried to resist the urge, you leaned into his side. He placed his hand lazily on your exposed thigh, tracing small circles on your skin. “I’m sorry too,” you whispered, face buried in his neck. You could feel his pulse quicken. “I knew you needed help, and I never offered it.” slowly, you placed your hand against his chest. Thanos stiffened underneath your touch. He explained how you didn’t need to apologize, but you weren’t really paying attention. You were too focused on his hand now gripping your plush thigh. As much as you tried to tell yourself to stop, tried to tell yourself it was a bad idea…you couldn’t stop yourself.

Slowly you slid yourself off the couch, kneeling in front of the taller male. His eyes watched your every move. Your hands slid up his thighs and rested upon his waistband. He whispered your name. You shook your head. “Let me,” you whispered, pulling his sweatpants and boxers down just enough to expose him. “I have missed you more than words can explain.” you took his length in your hand, slowly pumping it up and down. Thanos’ breath hitched. “Baby girl,” he groaned, and you didn’t correct him. You couldn’t. Because hearing his sweet nicknames for you made you feel so special. You sat up on your knees to take his cock in your mouth. Your head bobbed up and down, using your hand to pump whatever you couldn’t take in your mouth. His tattooed hand roughly tangled in your hair, but you felt him correct his. That made you smile.

He helped move your head and you removed your hand to grasp onto his thighs. You let him thrust his hips up, forcing his cock deeper in your mouth. Your eyes locked on him which made his breath falter. Your nose was pressed against his skin before he pulled you away and allowed you to catch your breath. Tears welled at your eyes but your head moved back down on his cock. Thanos writhed and groaned underneath you, whispering praises and curses. “That’s it,” his tongue shot out to wet his lips. “I missed this, I missed you.” he admitted, your hands squeezed against his thighs. You never expected him to say that to you. “Such a good girl, you miss me too?” Thanos asked, and you hummed while his cock hit the back of your throat. He hissed, using your hair to pull you off him. Drool ran down your chin and you stared up at him with wide, needy eyes. 

Thanos gently tugged your hair to force you to stand up. Quickly you stood in front of him, watching as he reached to lift off your sweatshirt. He admired you momentarily before standing up and throwing you over his shoulder. You squealed, always finding it hot how he could toss you around like a ragdoll. One hand rested on your ass as he made his way towards your bedroom, dropping you on the bed. He slowly pulled your panties off along with his own shirt. The two of you now fully naked just stared at each other. Your breath came out in pants as you needily reached out for him. “Please,” you begged him. Thanos flipped you over, pulling your ass towards him and pushing your face into the bed. “You fuck any other guys while I was gone?” he questioned, hands kneading your skin. You hesitated but finally nodded. “Not as good as me, huh?” Thanos teased, gently pushing the tip of his cock against you. Your hips shot backwards trying to rush him, but he held you still. “Answer me.” he leaned down to whisper in your ear.

“They never made me cum,” you mumbled, straining your neck to turn back and look up at him. He let out a playful gasp, pushing himself inside you barely. “Don’t worry, I’ll make you cum.” Thanos assured you, smirking down at you. You knew you looked like a needy mess underneath him, but you didn’t care. You knew he loved to see it. Thanos thrusted his hips to push the rest of his length inside you. Your walls tightened against him momentarily before relaxing. It made him moan in response. As he began pounding into you he held your waist tightly, knowing it would leave fingertip sized bruises on your skin. Oh how you missed this. The both you panted and moaned as he fucked you into the mattress. You whined, feeling how Thanos pulled himself out of you. Then he did something he had never done before. He flipped you over to lay on your back. 

Positioning his cock again he thrust back inside you, keeping his pace quick as he leaned down to kiss you sloppily. Your hands didn’t know where to go. They scratched down his back, gripped his biceps, and ran through his hair. He never fucked you while facing you. It was always in a position where you couldn’t look at him. This made the whole act feel more intimate. Thanos’ eyes never left yours as he moaned out your name and you knew he was close. You were too. “I love you baby girl,” he whispered against your lips. You felt your orgasm take over, screaming as you pulled him down close to you. Your legs shook ever so slightly when you felt him feel you with his seed. The two of you stayed still, sweaty bodies pressed together. “I love you too, Thanos.” you replied, fingers tangled in his hair. You knew in that moment things would be different. He really had started to change. He came back to you. He apologized to you, and you believed him. Thanos was finally yours again, better than ever.

☆*:..｡. .｡.:*☆*:..｡. .｡.:*☆*:..｡. .｡.:*☆*:..｡. .｡.:*☆

✨a/n: thanos really does things to me omf. feel free to send in fic requests!

[tobiasdrake]

Still thinking about Brave New World. I should note that the film had five writers and extensive reshoots after test screenings. It even changed titles at one point during the re-re-rewriting process, originally being Captain America: New World Order. So that explains why there is some jankiness where things it sets up suddenly go nowhere or certain things seem... oddly handled.

Ross is the biggest victim of this, sometimes feeling like he's flipping back and forth between different creative intents for his character from scene to scene.

That being said, I've seen some criticism that the film repeats TFATWS's problem of having Sam take a position of obnoxious centrism, and I don't think that's true. I think Sam takes a very clear and unambiguous position.

It's just that it's not necessarily about what the fandom might be more interested in talking about. Here we go with spoilers.

Sam doesn't engage much with the adamantium treaty in the film. He does briefly engage with it. He takes the position that going to war with Japan over resources would be bad and Ross should not do that.

But Ross is positioned as being in the right about the treaty from the start. He wants to enact a global agreement between nations to share adamantium with the world rather than any one country hoarding it to themselves. It's a startlingly progressive position both for Ross and for the United States, and makes up the bulk of the film's attempts to make us sympathize with what is otherwise a complete fucking monster of a human being.

Sam, for his part, only really engages with the treaty insofar as trying to hold Ross to what few principles the man has and keep him from being provoked into ruining it.

But Sam Wilson's deal in this movie isn't about international treaties for natural resource allocation.

Sam's deal is about a criminal justice system that is disinterested in justice. It weirdly dances around the topic of race; Isaiah Bradley and also four white guys, it's not about race, there were four white guys too gets arrested for a crime he didn't commit and then the four white guys are immediately killed by the villain so we don't have to ever talk about them again. Uh. Okay.

No reason is ever given why they didn't kill Isaiah too. It's like those guys were literally just there to downplay the optics of a black man being arrested and scapegoated for a crime he didn't commit. Arrested, I should note, by a white authority figure who then tells Sam he's not good enough to wear Steve Rogers's mantle and calls him "son".

You can feel one creative intent trying to talk about a thing and another creative intent going "Oh no but this isn't actually THAT. We don't need to talk about THAT, right?" But we kinda do because that is what the movie's about, for Sam.

That is the unambiguous position that Sam takes. From the moment a bunch of cops surround Isaiah with guns drawn and it's really tense because we know just how bad this can go, that is the political space that Sam occupies.

This man has been arrested for a crime he didn't commit, and even when the truth comes to light, the government is going to let him be put to death for it because it's more politically convenient than the truth. That is what the film wants to talk about. You can even see the throughline between what is being done to Bradley and what was done to Sterns.

Sam tries one time to talk to Ross and say, "Hey man, let's actually investigate this thing properly and find the truth." And when Ross responds by throwing a racist tantrum and telling him to go fuck himself, Sam responds in kind and breaks into government facilities to find out what they're going to kill Isaiah to keep hidden.

Sam takes a very clear position. Isaiah is innocent and Sam's getting him out of there whether the government likes it or not. He is determined to expose the truth and hold power accountable.

It's just that it gets lost in the five-scripts-frenzy of Ross's many conflicting interpretations. Ross's racist tirade? Never comes up again. In fact, at one point, one of the writers has Sam stand there and sympathize with him, saying in a moment of pathos that he knows what it's like to be prejudged by people.

Which is a wild position to write into your script. Like. Yeah, being a black man in America, that's the same as people hating you for the many awful crimes you've committed in your rise to political power. Weird thing to have a character say in an awkward bid for sympathy towards Ross's misguided redemption arc.

But Isaiah's innocence? That the government is about to do something abominable to him, and Sam needs to get him out of there no matter what it takes? The film never wavers on that point.

The movie is basically Captain America: Civil War if the fandom got what they wanted and the Accords were presented front and center above the Bucky story.

[thatfeelinwhenyou]

hey girlie! just wanted to come on and let you know that there's an author on here that's plagiarising your work. well, she claims she's never heard of safe & sound before that's why she didn't give you any credits. but before that she said she knows about it but never read it, and only know the synopsis. which i find kinda weird? she also mentioned your fic in her authors note but never actually tagged you or anything.

she says that she was inspired by a story she read on wattpad? but some of the scenes are literally identical, and almost word for word.

her disclaimers and warnings are almost same as yours too... thought that you should know about this!

i'll link the fic in another ask because i'm not sure if you'd want to post it out there or not!!

hi anon! first of all, thank you so much for alerting me about this matter. and also to the many other anons who sent in an ask telling me about this 🥹🫶

i'm only replying to this specific ask because it's the only one that didn't explicitly state the blog of the writer. rest assured i saw all your asks, and i really really appreciate it!

i will just say my two cents here. i'm not even going to engage with the author of that particular fic because there's no age indication on their blog, and god forbid i'm beefing with a kid 😂

i went to check out the fic and thought to myself it can't be THAT simila—i am dumbfounded!

fic in qns s&s

it's not word for word but personally, i think the idea is there.

next, to address the point where they claimed they never even knew my fic existed until someone commented to let them know (this conversation with the user that brought it up took place on 13 Feb). i took the liberty to scroll through my notifs and found their username liking part 4 & the masterlist of s&s on 11 Feb...

it's definitely understandable that ideas overlap or are inspired—after all safe & sound was also inspired by The Walking Dead and The Hunger Games. and personally, i think it's okay to express the same ideas in one's own flair. but i find it hard to wrap my head around the fact that they found it necessary to claim that they didn't know that s&s existed.

they did end up mentioning safe & sound in the author's note. but only to reiterate that they weren't inspired by it, but by a story they'd read on wattpad. and because s&s and said wattpad story are "exactly the same" they gave credits to me (no tags or anything of sorts). which i find it so weird because shouldn't you give the credit to the writer of that specific story you were inspired by and not... me?

the user that was engaging with them also requested for the wattpad story link but they "deleted the app" 😅

my intention is not to be petty or put myself on a pedestal, but with the indications right in my face i think i have the right to be concerned. i also want to clear up the confusion among my readers that's taken the effort to alert me about the issue!

if you have coincidentally come across this fic, and have read it. could you let me know if you think it's similar? who knows maybe i'm just insecure or smt 🤡

however, this is not in anyway insinuating anyone to go onto their blog and spread negativity. please do not engage! i'm only here for opinions and to prevent anyone else from engaging.

lastly, if you're the author of this particular fic and you think you've been wronged and that i've misunderstood, please do not hesitate to reach out to me!

thank you.

-nat