#this is why we can’t have nice things betty.
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candlelitvermillion · 9 months ago
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this is the face of someone who even a public website can’t handle for more than a single day.
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chosetherose · 2 years ago
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Updated as of 6/30
The Eras Tour *Surprise Songs*
Taylor said her goal is to not repeat each show’s surprise songs so I thought it would be fun to track them as the tour goes on! Black strikethrough is included in the main set list. Purple strikethrough are included in the main set list but have been switched up at some show/s. Blue songs Taylor played but might be repeated due to messing up.
Taylor Swift
Tim McGraw (3/17) • Picture to Burn • Teardrops on My Guitar (5/5) • A Place in This World (4/22) • Cold as You (4/23) • The Outside • Tied Together with a Smile • Stay Beautiful• Should’ve Said No (5/19) • Mary’s Song (Oh My My My) • Our Song (3/24) • I’m Only Me When I’m with You (6/30) • Invisible (5/20) • A Perfectly Good Heart
Fearless
Fearless • Fifteen (5/6) • Love Story • Hey Stephen (5/14) • White Horse (3/25) • You Belong With Me • Breathe• Tell Me Why• You’re Not Sorry (4/21) • The Way I Loved You • Forever & Always (5/13) • The Best Day (5/14) • Change • Jump Then Fall (4/2) • Untouchable • Come In With The Rain • Superstar • The Other Side Of The Door (4/28) • You All Over Me (6/3) • Mr. Perfectly Fine (6/16) • We Were Happy • That’s When • Don’t You • Bye Bye Baby • Today was a fairytale (4/22)
Speak Now
Mine (5/7) • Sparks Fly (5/5) • Back To December • Speak Now (4/13, Taylor restarted part of the song but did not confirm it could be played again) • Dear John (6/24) • Mean (4/15) • The Story Of Us (6/17) • Never Grow Up • Enchanted • Better Than Revenge • Innocent• Haunted (6/9) • Last Kiss • Long Live • Ours (3/31) • If This Was A Movie (6/23) • Superman
Red
State Of Grace (3/18) • Red (5/21) • Treacherous (4/13) • I Knew You Were Trouble • All Too Well • 22 • I Almost Do (6/9) • We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together • Stay Stay Stay • The Last Time (6/16) • Holy Ground (5/27) • Sad Beautiful Tragic (3/31) • The Lucky One (4/2) • Everything Has Changed • Starlight • Begin Again (4/23) • The Moment I Knew (6/4) • Come Back… Be Here (5/12) • Girl At Home • Ronan • Better Man (5/19) • Nothing New • Babe • Message In A Bottle • I Bet You Think About Me (4/30) • Forever Winter • Run • The Very First Night • All Too Well – 10 Minute Version
1989
Welcome To New York (5/28) • Blank Space • Style • Out Of The Woods (5/6, Taylor confirmed it might be played again) • All You Had To Do Was Stay • Shake It Off • I Wish You Would (6/2) • Bad Blood • Wildest Dreams • How You Get The Girl (4/30) • This Love (5/13) • I Know Places • Clean (4/1, Taylor confirmed it might be played again, 5/28) • Wonderland (4/21) • You Are In Love • New Romantics
Reputation
…Ready For It? • End Game • I Did Something Bad • Don’t Blame Me • Delicate • Look What You Made Me Do • So It Goes… • Gorgeous (4/29) • Getaway Car (5/26) • King Of My Heart • Dancing With Our Hands Tied • Dress • This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things • Call It What You Want • New Year’s Day
Lover
I Forgot That You Existed • Cruel Summer • Lover • The Man • The Archer • I Think He Knows (5/21) • Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince • Paper Rings (6/23) • Cornelia Street • Death By A Thousand Cuts (4/1, Taylor confirmed it might be played again) • London Boy • Soon You’ll Get Better • False God (5/27) • You Need To Calm Down • Afterglow • Me! • It’s Nice To Have A Friend • Daylight (6/24) • All of the Girls You’ve Loved Before
Folklore
The 1 (replaced IS multiple shows) • Cardigan • The Last Great American Dynasty • Exile with Bon Iver • My Tears Ricochet • Mirrorball (3/17) • Seven (spoken, 6/17) • August • This Is Me Trying (3/18) • Illicit Affairs • Invisible String (replaced by T1 multiple shows) • Mad Woman (4/15) • Epiphany • Betty • Peace • Hoax • The Lakes (6/2)
Evermore
Willow • Champagne Problems • Gold Rush (5/12) • Tis The Damn Season • Tolerate It • No Body, No Crime • Happiness • Dorothea • Coney Island (4/28) • Ivy • Cowboy Like Me (3/25) • Long Story Short • Marjorie • Closure • Evermore (6/30) • Right Where You Left Me •It’s Time To Go
Midnights
On 4/14 Taylor changed the rule: ALL SONGS ON MIDNIGHTS MAY BE REPEATED. I’m adding the dates to the midnights surprise songs but they will remain in black text since they can be repeated.
Lavender Haze • Maroon (5/26) • Anti-Hero • Snow on the Beach (3/24) • You’re on Your Own, Kid (4/14) • Midnight Rain • Question…? (5/20) • Vigilante Shit • Bejeweled • Labyrinth • Karma • Sweet Nothing • Mastermind • The Great War (4/14) • Bigger Than the Whole Sky • Paris • High Infidelity (4/29) • Glitch • Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve (5/7) • Dear Reader • Hits Different (6/4)
Other
I don’t wanna live forever (6/3)
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striderepiphany · 2 years ago
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My favorite reddie fics masterpost
I have an absolutely insane number of reddie fics saved in my bookmarks for how recently I joined this fandom so I decided to share my absolute favorites with you. Please give these authors some love and let me know which ones are you've read and enjoyed!
the year of the goat and your kid back by derryfacts2
1 chapter, 14,838 words, No Archive Warnings Apply. Summary: The day you get the most important email of your life, there’s a new black skidmark on the wall of the stairwell, and you know exactly whose fault it is. “Margaret,” you intone to the harried, wild-haired woman in the lobby. She sighs at you as she tries to jimmy her mail key loose. “I know.” It wouldn’t even be that bad if the kid would just skateboard outside. Or get good at skateboarding. Either of those things. Maggie’s a nice lady, though, and she’s had “trying my best” scribbled all over her since they moved into 6B maybe eight years ago. So you try not to be a dick, even if her son is a gold-standard pain in the ass. He’s good for three things: smells, noise, and reminding you how big Eddie must be by now.
The first It fic I read that made me go "holy shit, this is fantastic" and remains one of my all-timers (hence why its first in this list). Really fun and unique outsider POV from Eddie's estranged gay dad, and tells a very sweet story mostly through dialogue. Young adult Eddie and Richie are very cute.
i think the clock is slow by derryfacts2 (again)
3 chapters, 15,815 words, No Archive Warnings Apply. Summary: So there was that reason that work wasn’t boring, too. There was Richie’s soppy campaign of making cow eyes at the back of Eddie’s head as he passed, gently pressing Betty for details about his personal life (“I don’t think he has one. He had this awful fiancé a few years ago, but we’re all glad that’s over”), and chasing the incomparable high of a quiet, muttered “Thanks, Rich” whenever Richie picks something up for him from the copier.
Richie is a wannabe stand-up comic daylighting as the receptionist at Eddie's office. Eddie is a tightly-wound corporate asshole. They are both disasters. Or: five times Richie watched Eddie and one that Eddie watched him back.
I really enjoy workplace dramas and this one satisfied the itch so well. So many good scenes and dialogue, this author characterizes them in a way that really works for me. The perfect read-in-an-afternoon fic.
listen to my heart (can you hear it sing?) by vampirerising
12 chapters, 137,708 words, Major Character Death. Summary: "You need to wake up now,” Stan says softly. “This isn’t real.”
“I know, but I can’t,” Richie sobs. “I don’t want to be here.” Not again. Never again. It is dead, why is It still haunting him?
Stan fixes him with one of those looks of his, the one where he can see his every thought as if it were written on his face. “That’s not true, Trashmouth.”
Alternatively: We all know Richie gets caught in the Deadlights, but do we really know what happens after?
(Deadlights, timelines, Stan’s ghostly meddling—oh, my.)
This one is fucking weird in a way that I absolutely adore. Kind of like a sci-fi novel in that it requires you to pay attention to figure out what the fuck is going on but its so good and worth it. The MCD is Stan, not Eddie, and the last couple chapters are actually a very normal domestic Eddie lives AU. One of the first reddie artworks I made was fanart for a scene from this fic that I really enjoy.
a strange sense of familiarity by Katranga
21 chapters, 103,571 words, No Archive Warnings Apply. Summary: "So Eddie, what brings you to the bar tonight?" Richie asked. "Gonna rebound from the divorce? Pick up a hot young twenty-something to feel young again?” “Fuck you,” Eddie said, jutting his chin forward. “What a terrible way to ruin the mood.” “I’m sorry, all my moods are poorly cultivated. What mood were you looking for?” A nervous lump grew in Eddie's throat. He threw back his drink to get rid of it.
Hand wrapped around the glass he’d just slammed back onto the bar, he said, “The mood that gets me leaving with a schlubby forty-something.”
Pre-chapter two, Eddie and Richie meet and don't remember each other, but have an instant connection anyway...
This one is just... so fucking good. Decently long without ever feeling like it's dragging. Part 1 is them developing their totally-casual-I-swear relationship, which blows up right when Mike calls them back to Derry. Part 2 is them navigating both killing a nightmare clown demon and the awkwardness between them. Also everybody lives! So that's nice.
change partners by avacadomoon (with podfic available)
1 chapter, 30,453 words, No Archive Warnings Apply. Summary: "Rich," Eddie says heavily. Meaningfully, and Richie holds his breath, both afraid and hopeful that Eddie is about to say something really sappy, like I always knew and it didn't matter to me, or you know I support you no matter what. Eddie takes a deep breath before he speaks, and Richie closes his eyes, braced for it. "I didn't look at your dick pics."
"Well hey, Eds, thanks," Richie says, laughing incredulously. "Thanks for that."
I LOVE THIS ONE SOOO FUCKING MUCH. I urge you to consider this as a rec for this author as well, as they have a bunch of other reddie fics I think are fantastic. I have a weakness for any reddie fic that lets them be just a little mean to each other. As a treat. (Also the podfic is very well done, you should check that out too.)
check raise by avacodomoon
1 chapter, 15,061 words, No Archive Warnings Apply. Summary: "Eddie, not a fan of stand up comedy, not a fan of his beer," Rich says, leaning back on one elbow and squinting at him, like he's lining him up in a camera lens frame, "but what is he doing drinking alone?"
"I was alone, and now I'm not," Eddie says. "Some prick sat down next to me and started yapping."
"Ah, unpleasant to talk to," Rich concludes. "Explains a lot."
I know I meant the last rec as a blanket rec for all this author's works but I'm including this one specifically because it has a twist ending that is well-foreshadowed and it slapped my dick clean off.
Things that Happen after Eddie Lives by IfItHollers
11 chapters, 107,947 words, Author Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings. Summary: In a world where Richie manages to save Eddie from It after the deadlights, they still have problems on their to-do list. Featuring everything from Derry to Los Angeles—Richie Tozier's murder trial, Eddie Kaspbrak's divorce proceedings, bedsharing of the platonic and non-platonic varieties, an investigation of magic, a truly disgusting séance, the quintessential morosexual road trip, and OH MY GOD THEY WERE ROOMMATES.
Definitely NOT your average Eddie lives AU. Drama! Mild peril! Psychic abilities! The ghost of Stanley Uris collect calling from beyond the grave via Richie Tozier's vocal chords! Fun and freaky and weird. Three things that make any fic a Josh favorite.
I'm going to stop there because I'm sleepy but let me know if you want more! Like I said I've got like 70 of these lovingly tucked in my bookmarks and I'm happy to share with the class.
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starseneyes · 5 months ago
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MINI Meta - Daniel x Betty - Detty - Ugly Betty - Series Finale
Right now, my brain can’t take in much new in terms of entertainment or consumption. When I am writing, I don’t process new things as well as I do when I’m on a break, for whatever reason.
I feel like I miss too much because my brain starts working on some problem or hitch in a chapter, and too late I realize I’ve missed vital dialogue on the screen.
So, I tend to put things on in the background that I already know. Ugly Betty was such a fun show, and I truly thought I wrote about it at one point way back when. It’s possible it was so long ago that it was on my LiveJournal.
I was always a huge fan of the Detty, but I had no idea this show was part of a series of spin offs of a telenovela when I started watching it. I found out much later that in all the spin offs the handsome boss and Betty eventually became an item.
There was always a lot of debate back in the day about that final episode. For those that don’t know—Ugly Betty found out they wouldn’t be coming back for a Season 5 while they still had some episodes to film, so they were able to wrap as much as they could.
That means, there were some stories that were wrapped up nicely, others that were open-ended, and some that were the subject of much debate—namely, the future of Betty and Daniel.
Nobody can know for certain except those in the know, of course, but I’ve been rewatching that final season and especially that final episode. We all pretty much know what Claire knows by then—Daniel is head over heels for Betty.
I mean, c’mon, he talked about what a great team they made not only because they are a great team, but because some part of him has been getting louder.
I don’t tend to think of it as an awakening—he knew Betty was special to him pretty quickly. But I think he took it as a given that she was always going to be there. And as her determination and talent are taking her elsewhere, he has to reckon with why it bothers him so much.
Claire is quick to point it out, and he tries to shake it off. But, Daniel, honey, nothing in your behavior in that second half of Season 4 came off as remotely platonic. And your neon "I LOVE BETTY" sign was already flashing way back in the day, or Gio wouldn’t have mentioned you when he ran into Betty in London.
So, by the time of the party, Daniel has put together the pieces, realized his mother was right, but he is still stuck, in some ways.
And he thought the promotion/raise would be enough to keep her there, but it’s not. Because that isn’t what Betty wants. She wants to move on, and Daniel has trouble separating, "Move on from Mode" from "Move on from me" because the two have been so intertwined.
When Claire insinuates to Betty that Daniel has a thing for her, she shakes it off. It reminds me of, "I was so stupid to think that he would like me... I should’ve known that when he said I was beautiful, he meant on the inside."
That time, she believed it and got hurt. So, of course she has armor now against believing someone who would like Amanda (Connor and Daniel) would like her. But Daniel does. And Claire knows it.
But, remember what Daniel said to Betty way back then. "Men are stupid. They go for the obvious. Trust me. I know. I’m still doing it and I should know better."
He knows better, now. But Betty shakes it off. It’s just not something she’s ever considered. Daniel wouldn’t be interested in her.
They haven’t spoken since he signed her release. Since she walked in the room and he knew with one glance that he’d lost her. And they both knew it ached in a way they couldn’t soothe. But Daniel also knew that he had feelings for her, and there’s a block in his mind that keeps him from saying anything.
She’s leaving. She’s going. And even as her friends are toasting her goodbye, he isn’t there.
As Claire walks away, Betty thinks it over, trying to connect the dots. That can’t be right, can it? She picks up a glass of champagne and takes a sip, as though alcohol will somehow clear her vision.
It’s not long before Betty steps away from her own party to call Daniel.
"Daniel, this is Betty. It’s my going away party, and you’re not here."
Her voice cracks at the end. No matter what they are to each other, they’re something. And now her mind is whirring.
"I really hope I get to see you before I leave. Okay, bye."
She rushes off the line, because what is she going to say? Your mom insinuated you’re in love with me and now I gotta know if she’s right? No, she rushes off the phone because she has no idea what she is going to say.
Part of her is terrified that she was right that Daniel hates her, that he will never want to see her, again. But the other part is terrified that Claire is right, and she broke his heart and he will never want to see her, again.
When Daniel finally arrives at the party, he’s on the outside, looking in, a glass separating him from Betty. He can see her, and if she looked over, she would see him. But she doesn’t.
Instead, he watches Betty alive and celebrating. She’s a phenom, and he always knew it. He just didn’t imagine a world where she would be so far away. But he doesn’t want to say anything—because she’s moving on and he’s still stuck in place.
"I think I need to let her go."
Because he doesn’t want to hold her back. Because he thinks he isn’t worthy of her. Because he wants her to have everything she’s dreamt of.
Damn, Daniel loves Betty.
And what seems like the very next day, he makes a move. Not for Betty, but for his life. And, to be honest, he needed to do this first. Because he is to the point where he feels like everything has been handed to him, and he wants to go out and earn something.
"And what are you going to do?" "I’m gonna start over."
Because he needs to try a few things. He needs to see what the world holds for him. He needs to get his head on straight and get himself in order. I think Betty leaving really pushes him to do that.
Because Betty so often pushed him to be a better version of himself. And in her absence, he needs to learn how to do that for himself.
Now, that doesn’t mean she (and others) can’t positively influence him in the future, but Daniel needs to learn how to hold himself accountable. Stepping away from Mode was the first step.
We don’t know how much time passes between that and Betty and Daniel’s London meetup. My gut says a few months. But, that is strictly conjecture.
We see from the montage that Betty has created a life for herself, here. She has friends. She meets up with folks. She works hard. She loves her new life.
Presumably, she and Daniel haven’t spoken, still, since he walked out of his own office to avoid her after his heart was broken. That is a huge break in communication for these two.
But, I think by now Betty has assumed Claire was right about Daniel’s feelings. And the last thing Betty would ever want to do is hurt Daniel, so she respects the silence.
Daniel has been working on himself, and after some soul-searching, he is ready to see her. He is ready to take the chance. He crosses the whole bloody ocean just to be near her.
My brain goes a thousand different direction on how he found her, but I love that she’s there, living her life, and accidentally walks right into his arms.
Sitting on the steps together, her legs are crossed toward him. He sits open, and I strangely feel like it reflects his openness toward whatever life brings his way. He’s trying a different approach to things. But he’s still angled towards her.
"I know there’s a lot you can do, Daniel."
It’s their usual rhythm of her encouraging him or him encouraging her. This is part of their thing. As much as casual flirting is her and Gio, Daniel and Betty’s is an endless chain of being each other’s greatest cheerleader.
"Goodbye. And good luck, and have a safe flight." "Thank you, I’ll call you when I get there."
He is thoroughly charmed. He didn’t know how she would react, but here she is, still open to him showing up in the middle of her life without warning. Still smiling at him. Still bringing out parts of him he didn’t know existed.
"So, that’s it? You’re headed back to New York?"
She’s fishing. Rachel of 2010 didn’t catch it, but 2024 Rachel totally sees that she is fishing, here. She wants to know if there’s another reason he is there, but she doesn’t want to get her hopes up.
Because while she has been content these past few months, she is elated he is here, and she isn’t ready for him to leave.
He considers her question for a second.
"No, I think I’m gonna stay around here for a while. See what I can find."
Look. At. Her. Face! Look how she brightens at those words, how a smile plays across her lips.
"Maybe take you to dinner. Tonight, if you’re free." "I would love that."
Ah, my babies! She is nearly blushing as she smiles. Because she knows what it took for him to ask. She knows, now, that Claire was absolutely right. Daniel is down bad.
And look how satisfied he is with himself. That little smile is clearly, "Hell, yeah, she said yes!" Because, at this point, they both know what they are saying. They no longer work in the same building. They are friends, but this is different.
Daniel told Wilhemina that he was starting over. And he is.
It’s too short a shot after his little, "f*ck, yes" smile, but Betty’s face before the bell tolls and she realizes how long she’s been sitting on the steps is something to behold.
She’s smiling. She’s holding his gaze. She’s seeing him in a new light. Because she is allowing herself to see him in this light, and to imagine how he sees her. Years earlier, he told her she was beautiful.
She knows he thinks she is truly beautiful. She knows he thinks she is smart, capable, talented, hard-working, and so many other things. Now she knows he crossed an ocean to take her to dinner.
Not only that, he let her know that he’s not going anywhere anytime soon. This isn’t some knee-jerk reaction to her leaving. He’s had time to think it through, and process. When he told her he couldn’t live without her, that was within the former paradigm of their relationship.
Here, as they sit on these steps, all the hierarchical elements are gone (well, at least until a few lines later, but we’ll get to that). This is Betty and Daniel—two people who know each other better than they know themselves.
And Daniel knows he adores Betty. And as she looks back at him, she sees possibilities she’d never considered before. And she is almost surprised to realize she wants to explore them. With him. With Daniel.
With the clock chime, she stands, awkwardly holding her bag in her left hand. As she stands, she remarks on needing to get back to work, and that could be the end of it. But Betty gives us a little more.
"I’m really glad you’re here."
And then she reaches up for a hug. She reaches for him first. She didn’t have to do that. But she wants to hug him. She wants him to know she means it. She is so glad he is there.
Because Betty’s life no longer revolves around Mode and her family. It’s a different—but still beautiful life—and she wants Daniel in it.
He wraps his arms around her, and as he does, Betty closes her eyes. She’s savoring this. They’ve hugged before, but this time is different. The next time they see one another, they’re going to be on their very first date.
When she pulls away, they’re both just a touch awkward. Because this is real, now. He mutters about calling her later while she pulls her arm away a little too quickly. They can both feel the shift in their relationship. Subtle, but there.
But she only gets a few steps before she has to turn back around, to see him, again. To smile at him, again. To talk to him, again.
And the framing here on him is great because he is still in the same shot from the hug—same camera positioning. Like Daniel is still hanging there in that moment, and I just love that.
"Hey, if you want something to do, I am looking for a new assistant." "Well, maybe I’ll submit my resume."
They’re both smiling. They’re enjoying this. The awkwardness left as quickly as it appeared. Betty chuckles, leaning toward him as she does.
She turns to leave, and even as she takes the stairs carefully, pushing her windblown hair from her face, she is still smiling.
Daniel watches her go. We see Daniel of old in his face—smiling in appreciation of the woman Betty is. But he also ever-so-subtly looks her up and down as she walks away. Oh, yeah, boy is down bad.
And Betty, though she really needs to get back to work and knows she’ll see Daniel in a matter of hours... she has to sneak one more look back at him. And the smile on her face could rival the sun in its brightness.
So, while there is a lot of debate around how things ended for these two, I think the clues are there for us to surmise they are both excited about that first date.
And while I wish there was more Ugly Betty to tell us for sure, I like my little head cannon that they were happy together in the new life they built.
Thanks for reading this random mini Meta I didn’t intend to write. It just got stuck in my head and I long ago learned I need to write it out it I’m going to get through. See ya on the next!
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kingofmyborrowedheart · 1 year ago
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girliemattitude · 4 months ago
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Taylor Swift songs that remind me of the triplets (Based on my opinion and the vibes they give off) :
Nick:
- Mirrorball 🪩
-picture to burn
- Tied together with a smile
-Long live
-State of grace
- Welcome to New York
-Nothing new
- New Romantics
-I know places
-Now that we don’t talk
- I did something bad
-This is why we can’t have nice things
- Getaway car
- It’s nice to have a friend
-Daylight
- Seven
-cardigan
-Dorothea
-Long story short
-ivy
-Midnight Rain
- Anti-Hero
- Snow on the beach
- Mastermind
- I can do it with a broken heart
-who’s afraid of little old me?
- The albotrass
- Cassandra
Matt:
-This is me trying 🩶
- I hate it here 📝
-Our song
- Fearless
- Jump then Fall
- Hey Stephen
- Sparks fly
-Begin Again
-Starlight
- The very first night
- Everything has change
- Stay Stay Stay
- Wonderland
- How you get the girl
-Out of the wood
- Wildest Dreams
-you are in love
- Slut!
- Suburban Legends
- New Year’s Day
- Delicate
-call it what you want
- So it goes
- Dress
-I think he knows
-The Archer
- Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince
- False God
- All of the girls you’ve loved before
- Paper rings
- Cardigan
- Peace
- The lakes
- Coney Island
-Willow
- Right where you left me
-It’s time to go
-Paris
- You’re on your own kid
-Labyrinth
- Sweet Nothing
- Dear Reader
-Hits different
-TTPD
- Guilty as sin?
- The alchemy
- I look in people’s windows
Chris:
- Gold rush 🍂
- A place in this world
-Should’ve said no
- Fifteen
-Today was a fairytale
- The way I loved you
- The lucky one
-Style
- I wish you would
-Is it over now?
-King of my heart
- Gorgeous
-Endgame
-Afterglow
-cruel summer
- Betty
-August
-Cowboy like me
-Maroon
-Glitch
-But daddy I love him
-So Highschool
-The Bolter
- The prophecy
- I can fix him (No really I can)
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yourthoughtsjim · 9 months ago
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Spin the Bottle
Jughead Jones x reader, afab/femme
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Warnings: daddy kink, praise, slight overstimulation, fingering
Word count: 2.9K+
It had been seven years since you last saw the town of Riverdale. Seven long years of rebuilding yourself after the horrors that you experienced during your residency. 
Pulling into the familiar light yellow house that was the Andrews’ residence, your heart pounded. Things between you, and the group of people you had once considered your friends, went in a not-so-savory direction. 
Last time you saw them, you got caught cheating on Jughead with Sweet Pea. You had no intentions of doing anything with Sweet Pea except to go undercover in the Ghoulies, but something in you snapped when you saw him in the pale moonlight. 
Taking a deep breath, you raise your hand to knock on the door. You start to fidget and look around nervously. It didn’t take long for the door to swing open. On the other side, you see Archie Andrews, who didn’t look much different from when you saw him in high school.
He gives you a polite smile and escorts you inside. That’s where you’re led to the dining room. That same dining room where you and the rest of the gang came up with plans to stop Hiram or The Farm.
Memories flood your mind of the countless times where the five of you would sit around the table after Mary had made a delicious meal whenever she was in town. It was almost surreal being back here, and not just in Archie’s house but in Riverdale as a whole. 
As soon as you walked in, you got Jughead’s attention first. His face went from one of a smile to one of sorrow. He remembered what you did to not only him, but his fellow Serpent. All of that pain resurfaced. 
The rest gave you sympathy smiles as they went on about their own conversations. You sit awkwardly across from Jughead. 
Finally, after the talking has died down a bit, you look at the beanie wearing comic book writer. “So, why was I called back? I thought you hated my guts.”
“Oh, y/n, I never truly hated you. Was I a little hurt? Absolutely, but you ran off before I could get a chance to tell you that.” He responds.
“I… oh.” Your voice drops to a whisper.
“Yeah…”
“What about Sweet Pea? I really honestly cared for him. I don’t know why I hurt him the way I did.” 
“He was beat up about it for a while but eventually, he learned to forgive you, just like you should forgive yourself. We were in high school. We all did and said some stupid things.” 
“Yeah, I guess.” 
Betty then reenters the room. “So, the reason I had asked everyone is… yes everyone…” She pauses looking at you. “There’s something brewing here. I don’t know what it is but we need to find out. I do, however, have an inkling on who’s behind it.”
Veronica rolls her eyes. “My father. Of course it is. You know, he can never have enough. He’s so selfish and narcissistic. I should’ve put a hit on him a long time ago. Maybe that’s what I’ll do. I am tired of him thinking he can get anything just because of his name.” Sighs are shared between all of you. 
“Okay, how are we going to find out more info? I want him out of my town.” Cheryl more or less demands it. 
“That’s what we have to figure out but for right now, we need to lay low. We can’t let Hiram know we’re planning something.” Archie says.
“That’s fair.” You respond.
“So, what do we do in the meantime?” Betty inquires.
Cheryl’s eyes lit up, “We all go to Thornhill and relive the glory days of our youth with a rousing game of spin the bottle, mayhaps?” 
There was a look shared between the group before your gaze landed on Jughead. To which you give a small smile. 
Later that evening, after a nice meal at Pop’s, you arrive at the mansion known as the Blossom residence. The smell of maple syrup filling your nose as you exit Archie’s hot rod. 
The sweet aroma had you feeling nostalgic for the old times. Where you would help them solve the mystery behind Jingle Jangle or Fizzle Rocks. You remember the times you spent at this very house just so Cheryl wouldn’t be alone with her family, much to her mother’s displeasure. 
“Well, hello, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight, we will be having a spectacular evening filled with stories from when we were young. Now, please, follow me.” Cheryl instructs you all to the gathering room. 
There, candles are laid out precisely around the room, as is the Cheryl Marjorie Blossom way. On the floor was a large round red carpet. The same red the HBIC herself always wore on her lips.
Gesturing, she implores you all to take a seat. You sit across from Jughead and in between Cheryl and Betty. In the center was a glass bottle. 
“We will be pulling names out of a hat to determine the order.” Cheryl announces.
She holds the hat out in front of her and with a slow turn of her hand, she pulls out the first card. Dramatically, she turns it around before quickly reading it. “Kevin Keller!” She proudly shouts.
The son of the local sheriff leans forward and gives the bottle a whirl. He looks at the rest of the gang nervously as the bottle comes to a slow stop, pointing at Reggie. “Come on, Mantle, show me what you got.” Kevin states. The kiss was a decent one. Not too long and not too short. 
Of course, you were the last one chosen. You had already received kisses from Veronica, Betty and even Cheryl. Cheryl’s having the most passion behind it, naturally. 
Your hand was shaky as it landed on the bottle. Your heart raced as you spun it. You had hoped it wouldn’t land on anyone you didn’t really care for. 
Eyes widening, you see who it came to a halt on. Your ex, Jughead Jones. A chorus of “Ohh’s” roared around you. Your vision tunneled a bit, focusing on just him.
You timidly scooch closer to him. He had a smirk on his face. He tucks a piece of hair behind your ear. “You’re just as pretty as I remember you being.” He comments. 
A blush crosses your face. “Jug…” You playfully smack him. 
You feel his hand on the back of your neck before he pulls you into the kiss. It felt as if the rest of the world melted away and it was just the two of you. A heat formed where it hadn’t in quite some time. 
Betty and Veronica had to practically rip you two apart before you got too into it. You wipe your mouth of the saliva that had gathered there. By the time you regain your composure, you realize just how heavy you were breathing.
“Talk about a blaze of glory. It seems like an old flame just got rekindled.” Cheryl remarks to Archie. 
Some of you had planned on staying at Thornhill that night. It was mainly the core four and then you. You make your way to your room for the night. The rooms you were to stay in had been randomly, or as you would come to find out not-so-randomly, picked by the bombshell herself. 
It was then you turn the knob. Entering you see your belongings on the bed to the right as you look to the left, you notice a familiar looking duffle bag. After looking at it for a few more moments, it clicks as belonging to Jughead. 
“Damn it, Cheryl.” You mutter under your breath. 
“Why are we damning a Blossom family member? I’m not opposed, I would just like the reason.” You jump at hearing Jughead’s voice. 
“O-Oh, it’s nothing.”
Jughead knew otherwise, however. “You know you can’t lie to me. You’ve never been able to.”
“I’m not lying.”
“Yes you are. I’m the only one who can see through that innocent exterior you shell yourself with. Now, tell me, what is it?” His voice was soft but stern.
“It’s… Cheryl knew what she was doing when she put you and I in the same room together.” You respond. You then sit on your bed awaiting for Jughead’s next statement. 
A soft chuckle came from him, “Maybe, but that doesn’t matter. Let’s talk about that kiss, shall we?” The question was spoken in a teasing tone. 
Your body temperature rose as each of his hands found the bed right next to your thighs. Your heart pounded in your ears as you went a tad lightheaded. You accidentally giggled when he lowered his head to yours so you were eye to eye. 
The Serpent King looked at your plush thigh before sliding his hand over it. He doesn’t do much, just rests there. He remembered how you like to be teased. It got you off almost as much as the sex itself. 
“It was almost as if you were desperate to kiss me. I could feel the pout in your lips against mine. So cute. Your desperation, that is. I also noticed the little whimpers you were letting out. Yeah, those ones. The ones you thought nobody could hear, but I remembered just how to pick those up even in the loudest of rooms.” He states as he gets closer to your ear.
His hand had reached up higher by the time he was done talking. It was sitting dangerously close to your clothed heat. A heat that was surely escaping. After all, you had decided to wear a skirt tonight. 
“Come on, remember how it felt for me to reach my hand in these, always soaked, panties.”
Your breath hitched as you felt his touch on your clit once again. “It’s pulsing against my fingers, just like it did before. Tell me, y/n, have you been with anyone else after me?” He inquires.
“Mhm, I h-have, a few actually.” You stutter out.
“Have they made you feel as good as I did?” His fingers were now circling your sensitive bundle of nerves. 
“N-No, they… You were the only one to truly satisfy me.”
“That’s what I thought.” The circles got faster, but only slightly.
Your legs had spread, unbeknownst to you. Your brows furrowed as you looked at your former lover in the eyes as he touched you like he once did. You tried to keep your wits about you. He was your ex, you really shouldn’t be doing this but at the same time, couples don’t stay apart forever in Riverdale.
“You’re so wet, princess. You must have gotten worked up earlier, or was this more… recent?” 
“B-Both.”
“So you’ve been sitting around in wet panties this entire time? Dirty girl.” He teases.
“Y-Yes.”
“Poor little serpent. Sat there so wet and sticky. You could’ve just come to me immediately.”
Serpent… that was a nickname he loved to use on you during your time as the Serpent Queen. It always made you feel special when he used it. Like you were his prized possession.
Jughead never let up pressure once. He knew how you like to be touched and that’s what he was going to do. 
The pleasure got to be too much and your mind snapped. “Daddy… I missed you.” You whine.
“Oh, you remembered my title. Good girl. Daddy missed his little princess too.” His voice is a touch raspy. 
That’s when he inserts two fingers in your cunt. You fit around them like a glove. Almost as if your cunt was made to take his fingers. As a writer, his fingers were quite nimble. He knew which spots to hit and how much pressure to give.
Your hips rolled into his hand, grinding your clit against the palm of his hand. “Desperate little bunny. Humping my hand like that. God, you’re so fucking hot when you get like this.”
“I just want my Daddy to make me feel good.”
“Of course, you do. That’s all you ever wanted. I bet you thought about me over the years when you were touching yourself or even when you were with other guys, huh?” He teases. 
You would be lying if you told him no. You thought about all the random hookups where you would accidentally moan out Jughead’s name or late at night, when your wand was on your clit and you were pressing down so hard while you grinded into it. You also remember how when you would hump your pillow, you sobbed wishing it was him.
“I did, Daddy. I thought about you so much. I just wanted to be your little girl again. I’m sorry I h-hurt you.” 
“I forgive you. Now, why don’t you show me that pretty face you make when you cum?” 
Your mouth hangs open slightly and you squeeze your thighs around his hand. “There it is. So gorgeous. Just like I remembered it.”
He slowed to a stop as your orgasm finished. It was intense. It almost left you gasping for air. You had forgotten just how good he could make you feel with just his fingers. 
“Did you know we were going to get back together tonight, or did you wear this pretty little skirt just because?” Jughead keeps teasing you.
“I-I… please. I’m sorry, I just want you back.” You plead with tears in your eyes. 
“Shh, it’s okay. Daddy forgives you. Now, just lay back and spread those pretty legs for me.” He gently commands. It was like you two had never broken up with how easy it was to remove each other’s clothing, save for your skirt and of course, his Serpent jacket he always liked to fuck you in. 
Legs spreading easily apart so that Jughead can take his rightful place in between them. Your eyes get blown wide open when you see him above you at long last, after all these years. Thinking back, you recall those nights when you had your vibe on your clit, pretending it was him controlling it.
Just like before, he slid every inch of his thick cock inside you at an agonizingly slow pace. Again, he fit inside you like a glove. Your insides curved perfectly with his cock, which made it easier for him to hit your g-spot every time. 
“I missed this sweet cunt, baby girl.” He growls. 
“I missed your cock, Daddy.” You whimpered. 
A quick passionate kiss was shared. Jughead also loved the way you moaned into his mouth. He drank up each and every one of them.
“That’s it, good girl. Fits around me so well, just like a good serpent should.” There he goes with that nickname again. You could cum right then and there but you held on. You held on until you wanted to drench the writer in your juices. 
Your mind flashes back to a nickname he liked to be called. “H-Hellcaster!” You scream out. 
He almost stops dead in his tracks but instead, he speeds up, fucking into you with reckless abandon. The name really got to him, made him feel powerful. 
“Call me that again.” The command comes out in a growl.
“Hellcaster! Fuck!”
A wicked grin appeared on his face. “That’s right.”
His thumb made its way to your clit and rubbed roughly, sending your legs spasming. You were so close it was bordering on painful.
“D-Daddy! Please, gonna cum.” 
“Cum all over my cock like a good girl.” He grabs you by the back of the neck and forces you to lock eyes with him.
Your vision blurred slightly when your orgasm rushed over you. You stayed true to your word and coated him in your squirt. Jughead followed suit not too long after you. “Shit!” He growled when his warm cum spurted into your swollen cunt.
“Messy, messy girl. Just how Daddy likes it.” He comments. 
The next several moments were spent on the two of you coming down from your highs. He even gave your body some small massages. 
Getting dressed in your pjs, you decide to head to the kitchen to get some water. As you open the door, your face drops when you see Betty, Archie, Veronica and even Cheryl standing there.
“U-Uh, how long have you been there?” 
“I can’t believe Jug likes to be called Hellcaster in bed.” Veronica states. Shit, a while then. They all heard you call him Daddy. This takes the cake for the most embarrassing moment of your life. 
“I do wonder what it’d be like for this pretty one to moan out Mommy.” She follows up. That sent a heat down to your already throbbing core. 
“We’ll have to find out one day, now won’t we?” Jughead comes up behind you and snakes his arms around your waist. 
“If you two are done, we would like to go to bed peacefully.” Cheryl almost demands.
“I don’t know, it has been a while since I’ve gotten to fuck her tight cunt, I might have to do it again.” Jughead teases. 
The red head rolls her eyes. “Goodnight.” Was the last thing she said before practically storming off. One by one the rest followed.
“So about that water?” Jughead lightens the mood.
“Yeah, yeah, come on… Hellcaster.” You purr in his ear.
“Keep it up and I’ll fuck you over the kitchen counter.”
“I’m counting on it.” You end with a wink.
67 notes · View notes
allamericanb-tch · 11 months ago
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taylor swift songs that aren’t about her exes
mean - regarding people saying she doesn’t write her own songs 
long live - dedicated to her band and her fans
never grow up - dedicated to her younger self
you are in love - written for jack antanoff and his partner
blank space - satirical song written about the media painting her as a serial dater and insane woman
shake it off - ignore the haters
a place in this world - feelings regarding fitting in 
mary’s song - falling in love and settling down (not personal experience)
fifteen - dedicated to 15 year old taylor and abigail
change - bringing change to the world
the best day - about her love to her family
epiphany - dedicated to her grandfather
closure - feud with her old label
marjorie - dedicated to her grandma
miss americana & the heartbreak prince - uses the metaphor of high school to represent the american political situation
me! - just a fun song
the archer - anxiety (represent by the lack of a beat drop)
the man - double standards and misogyny 
tied together with a smile - her friends eating disorder
forever winter - about her friend who overdosed
ronan - dedicated to a little boy who died from cancer
22 - a fun party song
champagne problems - mental health
no body no crime - fun murder mystery song
the lucky one - fame and the struggles that come with it
starlight - dedicated to ethel kennedy
nothing new - insecurities and feeling unwanted
cardigan - made up love triangle from betty’s perspective
betty - james perspective
august - augustine’s perspective
mad woman - female anger / when women are angry they’re painted as “crazy” by society
mirrorball - changing yourself to fit in
this is me trying - burnout
dorothea - presumably about selena gomez
ivy - a story of unrequited love
exile - a story for folklore
cowboy like me - story for evermore
tolerate it - unappreciated love
look what you made me do - feud with the kardashians/jenners
this is why we can’t have nice things - kardashians/jenner feud backstabbing
i did something bad - feud
seven - childhood friends
you belong with me - friend in a toxic relationship but with a romantic twist
hey stephen - a fun love song she wrote as a kid
enchanted - about developing a crush on the guy from owl city
the other side of the door - not about her own love life
willow - casual love song
gold rush - crushing on someone everyone is crushing on and romanticizing them and the idea of a relationship and then ultimately realizing it’s just a fantasy and it fading away
happiness - looking forward to happiness even if there isn���t any right now
evermore - mental health
right where you left me - story for evermore
it’s time to go - encouraging people to leave toxic situations
you need to calm down - gay rights
afterglow
it’s nice to have a friend - having a friend
the 1 - story
my tears ricochet - leaving her old label and breaking ties with scott borchetta
illicit affairs - aNoThEr story
invisible string - story
peace 
hoax - possibly about her old label
the lakes - want to leave the toxicity of social media and run away/escape
superstar - being starstruck
jump then fall - having a crush 
untouchable - cover
love story - romeo and juliet but happy ending
ready for it
delicate
gorgeous
i wish you would
bad blood - feud with katy perry
how you get the girl - tutorial basically
clean - parallels between coming clean and leaving a toxic relationship
new romantics - fun song / youth experience
innocent - kanye / response to his song about her (“i made that b**** famous”)
i’m only me when i’m with you - dedicated to friends and family
christmas tree farm - childhood
call it what you want - reputation
new year’s day
only the young - used for political campaign for democrats
today was a fairytale - for a movie
sweeter than fiction - for a movie
both of us
beautiful ghosts - for a movie
renegade - hurting someone when they try to help you
breathe - growing apart from friends
eyes open - for a movie
safe and sound - for a movie
crazier - for a movie
the last great american dynasty - rebekah harkness (previous owner of her rhode island home)
i don’t wanna live forever - for a movie
the way i loved you - inspired by the notebook
teardrops on my guitar - about a crush
better than revenge
speak now - story
everything has changed
run
better man - wrote for little big town
ours
wildest dreams
message in a bottle
death by a thousand cuts - based on a movie (someone great)
soon you’ll get better - moms cancer
dancing with our hands tied - about how she didn’t want to put joe through the harassment she gets from the media but him refusing to break up with her
carolina - for a movie
lavender haze - addressing public opinions and rumors about her relationship with joe
you’re on your own kid - takes you through her life
karma - scooter braun
bejeweled — confidence
dear reader — advice
sweeter than fiction - written for a movie
only the young — political injustice
when emma falls in love — emma (stone)
castles crumbling — september 2009 vma’s 
timeless — written about her grandmas first love
clara bow
i hate it here
thanK you aIMee
cassandra
the bolter
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ju1cyfru1t · 1 year ago
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assigning rottmnt 🐢’s taylor swift songs
tehe 🤭 this is just my opinion (the right opinion /j)
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Donnie:
- Better Than Revenge
- Back to December
- Long Live
- Treacherous
- Style
- Out Of The Woods
- I Wish You Would
- I Did Something Bad
- Getaway Car
- King of My Heart
- I Forgot That You Existed
- Afterglow
- august
- peace
- ‘tis the damn season
- tolerate it
- Karma
- Lavender Haze (obvi)
- Mastermind
- Labyrinth
- Midnight Rain
Leo:
- I just want to say, this man is a Taylor Swift stan for life and ONLY refers to her as ‘TayTay’ or ‘T Swizzle’ (headcanon)
- Should’ve Said No
- The Way I Loved You
- Mr.Perfectly Fine
- Sparks Fly
- Long Live
- Electric Touch
- I Knew You Were Trouble
- Stay Stay Stay
- I Bet You Think About Me
- Style
- Wonderland
- Shake It Off
- …Ready For It?
- Look What You Made Me Do
- Gorgeous
- Cruel Summer
- The Archer
- Cornelia Street
- illicit affairs
- betty
- epiphany (🥲)
- hoax (🥲)
- cowboy like me
- You’re On Your Own, Kid
- The Great War
- Karma
- Anti-Hero
Mikey:
- Picture To Burn
- Fearless
- Mine
- Enchanted
- Long Live
- I Can See You
- Starlight
- Everything Has Changed
- The Very First Night
- Welcome to New York
- New Romantics
- Don’t Blame Me
- Delicate
- This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things
- Lover
- Paper Rings
- champagne problems
- mirrorball
- seven
- cardigan
- no body, no crime
- Karma
- Hits Different
- Glitch
Raph:
- Red (obvi)
- Maroon (duh)
- Never Grow Up
- Long Live
- State of Grace
- Message in a Bottle
- I Know Places
- Wildest Dreams
- End Game
- Call It What You Want
- New Year’s Day
- Lover
- Daylight
- exile
- willow
- gold rush
- Vigilante Shit
- Sweet Nothing
——————————————————————————
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wavesoutbeingtossed · 1 month ago
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You've surely answered this many times, but what would you say are your favorite Taylor songs? It's impossible to say, considering her catalogue, but which came to mind first? (I love hearing you talk about her music!!!)
Oh fun!
I don’t think I have actually answered anything like this! The short answer would be: almost all of her music lol.
There are too many to choose from so let me go album by album to pick out my faves (which I am not committing to because my faves can change at any given moment). The ones in bold are like my extra top tier, elite, would have loved to be in the room to listen to it live and/or has spent many hours on many playlists of mine over the years:
Tim McGraw
Picture to Burn
Should’ve Said No
Stay Beautiful
Hey Stephen
You All Over Me
We Were Happy
That’s When
Don’t You
Speak Now
Dear John
Mean
The Story of Us
Last Kiss
I Can See You
State of Grace
All Too Well
The Last Time
Holy Ground
Better Man
Run
Safe and Sound
Style
Out of the Woods
This Love
Clean
You Are In Love
Say Don’t Go
Now That We Don’t Talk
Is It Over Now?
I Did Something Bad
Don’t Blame Me
Getaway Car
This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things
New Year’s Day
Cruel Summer
Lover
The Archer
Paper Rings
Cornelia Street
Death By A Thousand Cuts
It’s Nice To Have A Friend
The 1
Exile
Mirrorball
August
Invisible String
Betty
Peace
The Lakes
Champagne Problems
‘‘Tis The Damn Season
No Body, No Crime
Ivy
Marjorie
Evermore
It’s Time To Go
Right Where You Left Me
Carolina
Renegade
Lavender Haze
Anti-Hero
Sweet Nothing
Bigger Than The Whole Sky
Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve
Hits Different
You’re Losing Me
So Long, London
Guilty As Sin?
Loml
Clara Bow
The Black Dog
Imgonnagetyouback
Peter
The Bolter
Robin
The Manuscript
I’m sure I’m missing some but anyway!
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incorrectsibunaquotes · 1 year ago
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House of Anubis Characters + Taylor Swift
Every character and their song off each album
Nina:
TAYLOR SWIFT: The Outside
FEARLESS: Bye, Bye, Baby
SPEAK NOW: Long Live
RED: The Lucky One
1989: Wildest Dreams
REPUTATION: Dancing With Our Hands Tied
LOVER: Soon You’ll Get Better
FOLKLORE: the last great american dynasty
EVERMORE: it’s time to go
MIDNIGHTS: You’re On Your Own Kid
Fabian:
TAYLOR SWIFT: Stay Beautiful
FEARLESS: Fearless
SPEAK NOW: Last Kiss
RED: I Almost Do
1989: Wonderland
REPUTATION: New Year’s Day
LOVER: It’s Nice to Have a Friend
FOLKLORE: cardigan
EVERMORE: closure
MIDNIGHTS: Hits Different
Patricia:
TAYLOR SWIFT: Tim McGraw
FEARLESS: Untouchable
SPEAK NOW: Dear John
RED: Stay, Stay, Stay
1989: I Wish You Would
REPUTATION: Getaway Car
LOVER: Afterglow
FOLKLORE: mad woman
EVERMORE: no body, no crime
MIDNIGHTS: Anti-Hero
Amber:
TAYLOR SWIFT: Mary’s Song (Oh My My My)
FEARLESS: Love Story
SPEAK NOW: Never Grow Up
RED: 22
1989: Welcome to New York
REPUTATION: So It Goes…
LOVER: ME!
FOLKLORE: epiphany
EVERMORE: dorothea
MIDNIGHTS: Bejeweled
Alfie:
TAYLOR SWIFT: Invisible
FEARLESS: Jump then Fall
SPEAK NOW: Electric Touch
RED: State of Grace
1989: Shake it Off
REPUTATION: Endgame
LOVER: Daylight
FOLKLORE: the lakes
EVERMORE: long story short
MIDNIGHTS: Snow On The Beach
Jerome:
TAYLOR SWIFT: Should’ve Said No
FEARLESS: You’re Not Sorry
SPEAK NOW: Back to December
RED: Better Man
1989: You Are In Love
REPUTATION: Delicate
LOVER: All Of The Girls You Loved Before
FOLKLORE: betty
EVERMORE: cowboy like me
MIDNIGHTS: High Infidelity
Joy:
TAYLOR SWIFT: Tied Together With a Smile
FEARLESS: You Belong With Me
SPEAK NOW: Foolish One
RED: Nothing New
1989: Clean
REPUTATION: Call It What You Want
LOVER: The Archer
FOLKLORE: august
EVERMORE: tolerate it
MIDNIGHTS: Question…?
Mara:
TAYLOR SWIFT: Picture to Burn
FEARLESS: Mr. Perfectly Fine
SPEAK NOW: Mine
RED: Babe
1989: Bad Blood
REPUTATION: I Did Something Bad
LOVER: Cornelia Street
FOLKLORE: this is me trying
EVERMORE: happiness
MIDNIGHTS: Mastermind
Eddie:
TAYLOR SWIFT: A Place in This World
FEARLESS: The Other Side Of The Door
SPEAK NOW: The Story of Us
RED: Message in a Bottle
1989: Out of the Woods
REPUTATION: Gorgeous
LOVER: Cruel Summer
FOLKLORE: mirrorball
EVERMORE: coney island
MIDNIGHTS: The Great War
Mick:
TAYLOR SWIFT: Our Song
FEARLESS: We Were Happy
SPEAK NOW: Superman
RED: We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
1989: How You Get The Girl
REPUTATION: Don’t Blame Me
LOVER: I Forgot That You Existed
FOLKLORE: the 1
EVERMORE: ‘tis the damn season
MIDNIGHTS: Midnight Rain
KT:
TAYLOR SWIFT: Cold As You
FEARLESS: Tell Me Why
SPEAK NOW: Innocent
RED: I Knew You Were Trouble
1989: New Romantics
REPUTATION: This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things
LOVER: The Man
FOLKLORE: seven
EVERMORE: marjorie
MIDNIGHTS: Karma
Willow:
TAYLOR SWIFT: A Perfectly Good Heart
FEARLESS: Today Was A Fairytale
SPEAK NOW: Sparks Fly
RED: Starlight
1989: Style
REPUTATION: King of My Heart
LOVER: You Need To Calm Down
FOLKLORE: invisible string
EVERMORE: willow
MIDNIGHTS: Sweet Nothing
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angelofthenight · 1 year ago
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Playlist for Last Man Alive
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( This just a playlist of random songs that go with/relate to my fic,, if u think of a song that u think should be here feel free to comment it and I’ll add it! Songs in green are the ones that suite the most perfectly )
~
Closer - Nine Inch Nails
Don’t Blame Me - Taylor Swift
Boyfriend - Dove Cameron
Dear John TV - Taylor Swift
This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things - Taylor Swift
Never Ever Getting Rid Of Me - Waitress
Meant to Be Yours - Heathers
Karma - Taylor Swift
Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne
I Did Something Bad - Taylor Swift
The Red Means I Love You - Madds Buckley
Lotta True Crime - Penelope Scott
Invisible String - Taylor Swift
Dead Girl Walking Reprise - Heathers
Jealous Girl - Lana Del Rey
Haunted TV - Taylor Swift
An Unhealthy Obsession - The Blake Robinson Synthetic Orchestra
Love Story cover - Sarah Cothran
You’re On Your Own, Kid - Taylor Swift
Somebody’s Watching Me - Rockwell
Gods & Monsters - Lana Del Rey
The Beast in Me - Bonnie Pointer
Right Where You Left Me - Taylor Swift
Until I Found You - Stephen Sanchez
Thriller - Michael Jackson
Oblivion - Grimes
Yo Girl - Heathers
Always Forever - Cults
Hey Lover - The Daughters of Eve
Get Out Of My Head - Tryhardninja
Tag, You’re It - Melanie Martinez
I Wanna Be Yours - Arctic Monkeys
Paparazzi - Lady Gaga
Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor Swift
Tonight You Belong To Me - Patience & Prudence
Cool for the Summer - Demi Lovato
Pacify Her - Melanie Martinez
Bad Romance - Lady Gaga
Knee Socks - Arctic Monkeys
Christmas Kids - Roar
You Don’t Own Me - Lesley Gore
You Don’t Own Me - SAYGRACE
Illicit Affairs - Taylor Swift
Smoke and Mirrors - Jayn
Enchanted TV - Taylor Swift
Little Girls - Annie 2014
Hellfire - Hunchback of Notre Dame
Call Me Crazy - Gabbie Hanna
MONTERO - Lil Nas X
Strawberry Shortcake - Melanie Martinez
You Belong With Me TV - Taylor Swift
Senpai Notice Me - Random Encounters
I Can Hear The Bells - Hairspray
All Men Are Pigs - Studio Killers
Gorgeous - Taylor Swift
Take A Hint - Victorious
Play Date - Melanie Martinez
Our Love is God - Heathers
Better Than Revenge TV - Taylor Swift
Ready or Not - Bridgit Mendler
Teacher’s Pet - Melanie Martinez
Norman fucking Rockwell - Lana Del Rey
August - Taylor Swift
Cake - Melanie Martinez
The Archer - Taylor Swift
Bloody Mary - Lady Gaga
Clean TV - Taylor Swift
Hopelessly Devoted To You - Grease
Final Girl - Graveyardguy
My Tears Ricochet - Taylor Swift
This Little Girl - Cady Groves
Obsessed With You - The Orion Experience
Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve - Taylor Swift
Lay All Your Love On Me - Abba
EVIL - Melanie Martinez
I’m Still Standing - Elton John
Using You - Mars Argo
All I Want For Christmas Is You cover - Chase Holfelder
Betty cover - Chase Holfelder
Michelle - Sir Chloe
You Are My Sunshine - Jimmie Davis
The Wolf - SIAMES
Obsession - Animotion
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! - Abba
Head Over Heels - Tears For Fears
The Point of No Return - Phantom of the Opera
You’re the Inspiration - Chicago
I’m Just Ken - Barbie
Don’t You Want Me - The Human League
I Want You (She’s So Heavy) - The Beatles
Sunshine Superman - Donovan
Don’t You Ever Leave Me - Hanoi Rocks
Oh! Darling - The Beatles
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taylor-swift-bracket · 5 months ago
Text
Battle of the Bridges!
Round One
Debut Era 🦋
Tim McGraw vs. Picture to Burn
A Place In This World vs. Cold As You
Stay Beautiful vs. Should’ve Said No
Mary’s Song (Oh My My My) vs. Our Song
I’m Only Me When I’m With You vs. A Perfectly Good Heart vs. Invisible
Bea utiful Eyes vs. I Heart ?
Fearless Era✨
Fearless vs. Fifteen
Love Story vs. Hey Stephen
White Horse vs. You Belong With Me
Breathe vs. Tell Me Why
You’re Not Sorry vs. The Way I Loved You
Forever & Always vs. The Best Day
Ch ange vs. Jump Then Fall
Come In With The Rain vs. Superstar
The Other Side Of The Door vs. Today Was A Fairytale
Mr. Perfectly Fine vs. We Were Happy
That’s When vs. Don’t You vs. Bye Bye Baby
Speak Now Era 🎆
Mine vs. Sparks Fly
Dear John vs. Mean
The Story Of Us vs. Never Grow Up
Enchanted vs. Better Than Revenge
Innocent vs. Haunted
Last Kiss vs. Long Live
Ours vs. Superman
Electric Touch vs. When Emma Falls In Love
I Can See You vs. Castles Crumbling
Foolish One vs. Timeless
Red Era 🧣
State of Grace vs. Red
Treacherous vs. I Knew You Were Trouble
All Too Well vs. 22 (Taylor’s Version)
I Almost Do vs. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
Stay Stay Stay vs. The Last Time
Holy Ground vs. Sad Beautiful Tragic
Everything Has Changed vs. Starlight
Come Back…Be Here vs. Girl At Home
Ronan vs. Better Man
Nothing New vs. Babe
All Too Well vs. 22 (original version)
Forever Winter vs. Run
The Very First Night vs. Safe & Sound vs. Eyes Open
1989 Era 🏙️
Welcome to New York vs. Blank Space
Style vs. Out Of The Woods
All You Had To Do Was Stay vs. Shake It Off
I Wish You Would vs. Bad Blood
This Love vs. I Know Places
Clean vs. Wonderland
You Are In Love vs. New Romantics
Slut! vs. Say Don’t Go
Now That We Don’t Talk vs. Is It Over Now? vs. Sweeter Than Fiction
Reputation Era 🐍
I Did Something Bad vs. Don’t Blame Me
Delicate vs. Look What You Made Me Do
So It Goes…vs. Gorgeous
Getaway Car vs. King Of My Heart
Dancing With Our Hands Tied vs. Dress
This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things vs. Call It What You Want vs. New Year’s Day
Lover Era 💘
I Forgot That You Existed vs. Cruel Summer
Lover vs. The Man
The Archer vs. I Think He Knows
Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince vs. Paper Rings
London Boy vs. Soon You’ll Get Better
You Need To Calm Down vs. Afterglow
ME! vs. Daylight vs. All Of The Girls You’ve Loved Before
folklore era 🌲
the 1 vs. cardigan
the last great american dynasty vs. exile
my tears ricochet vs. mirrorball
seven vs. august
this is me trying vs. illicit affairs
invisible string vs. mad woman
epiphany vs. betty
hoax vs. the lakes
evermore era 🍂
willow vs. champagne problems
‘tis the damn season vs. tolerate it
coney island vs. ivy
cowboy like me vs. long story short
marjorie vs. closure
evermore vs. right where you left me
Midnights Era 🌌
Lavender Haze vs. Maroon
Anti-Hero vs. Snow On The Beach
You’re On Your Own, Kid vs. Question…?
Vigilante Sh*t vs. Bejeweled
Karma vs. Sweet Nothing
Mastermind vs. The Great War
Bigger Than The Whole Sky vs. Paris
Glitch vs. Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve
Dear Reader vs. Hits Different vs. You’re Losing Me
The Tortured Poets Department Era ✒️
Fortnight vs. The Tortured Poets Department
My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys vs. Down Bad
So Long, London vs. But Daddy I Love Him
Fresh Out The Slammer vs. Florida!!!
Guilty As Sin? vs. Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me?
I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) vs. loml
Clara Bow vs. The Black Dog
imgonnagetyouback vs. The Albatross
Chloe Or Sam Or Sophia Or Marcus vs. How Did It End?
So High School vs. I Hate It Here
thanK you aIMee vs. The Prophecy
Cassandra vs. Peter
The Bolter vs. Robin vs. The Manuscript
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived vs. The Alchemy
Other 🎸
Carolina vs. Beautiful Ghosts
Christmas Must Be Something More vs. Christmas Tree Farm
Crazier vs. I Don’t Wanna Live Forever
Renegade vs. The Alcott
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padfootagain · 1 year ago
Text
Something Good (VIII)
Chapter 8: Denial
Hi everyone! Here is a new chapter for my Ben Barnes series! I hope you all like it, tell me what you think about it!
Things are about to get serious ehehehehhehehe!!! (Also, it features the biggest lie ever written in a fanfiction, let me tell you, the title of this chapter is very appropriate…)
****
Pairing: Ben Barnes x Reader
Warnings: none! Slow burn, professor AU.
Summary: Coming out of a divorce and trying to get used to being a single mom, while teaching your classes at University, you thought your life could not get more complicated than it already is. But when you are asked to take care of the theatre club with the colleague that you really can’t get along with, you realize that everything can still get ten times more complicated in your life. And when you start actually liking Professor Barnes, the troubles only grow exponentially…
Word Count: 2993
Masterlist for the series - Ben Barnes's Masterlist - Main Masterlist
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Maybe, just maybe… this idea of yours with musicals was a little bit more complicated than you thought it would be.
As you stared at the long list of questions you and the students had written on the blackboard, you kind of wondered how you could manage all this.
By your side, Ben was getting a little nervous as well, although he remained calmer than you were. Maybe it was because he wasn’t the one who had had this idea of musicals in the first place, and so he didn’t feel as responsible as you did. Or maybe he was used to asking himself all these questions after working on the club for several years.
No matter why, Ben was staring at the blackboard, rolling a pencil between his fingers, thinking hard.
“I think the most important issue we need to tackle is the music, though,” David said, sipping on a coffee.
“I reckon there’s a choir and a band in the school, right?” you asked, thinking hard. “Perhaps they could help?”
Ben nodded.
“We can ask them. If any of you have friends who would like to join, that could be great…”
“But this… all of this would work for the performance, and some repetitions along the year, but I can’t imagine that we could gather everyone on a weekly basis. And anyway… there are weeks during which we’ll have to work on the staging, on the acting… we can’t ask people to come for two full hours if we only need their help for ten minutes,” you argued. “We need musicians with us, part of the group.”
“Does any of you play an instrument?” Giselle asked the group.
Nathaniel raised his hand.
“I play the guitar.”
“And I play the clarinet,” added Betty, one of the new students.
A couple others played the guitar.
“What about you, Y/N?” David asked, but you shook your head.
“I don’t play any instrument. I can sing, that’s pretty much it. Ben?”
Your colleague looked up at you again, as he had seemed lost in thought for a couple of minutes.
“I play the drums and the piano, some guitar too. I can play during our repetitions.”
You grinned at him.
“Awesome!”
“We should try singing, and decide which roles we want to play,” Giselle proposed.
“Before that, shouldn’t we choose the songs?” David asked.
“Well, I reckon we should keep most of the songs of the musical, but… the whole project was based on the idea to use popular songs and to integrate them in a story. We could add our own, for sure,” Ben proposed, and all were enthusiastic.
“We must keep El Tango de Roxanne though,” you argued. “I am using my authority to save this one.”
“And what an authority, huh?” Ben teased you, making everyone laugh.
“Clearly, you’ve never seen me ask my daughter to clean her room,” you fought back.
“I bet she doesn’t do it.”
“She doesn’t, you’re right.”
You heaved a dramatic sigh, while your colleague let out an earnest laugh.
It was nice. The whole session with the club was nice, and… you hated to admit it but… spending this time with Ben was nice too. Very nice, indeed…
“Let’s make a list,” Ben said, grabbing his notebook and pushing his glasses a little higher on his nose.
He did every time he started writing something, you had noticed that… you found it… endearing, for some reason…
You hurried to push the thought away, and cleared your throat instead.
“Elephant Love Medley stays,” decided Ben. “I’m using my authority on this one. El Tango de Roxanne too…”
“Come What May,” added John, one of your new recruits, who seemed very shy, his voice barely audible at all.
Ben added a few songs to the list, but there was some room for new ones. You spent some time thinking about it.
“Hey, didn’t you want to play The Sound of Music?” Nathaniel said, pointing at you. “I remember there are references and stuff in the movie, but we haven’t kept the song. Maybe we could add a song from that.”
“Which one?” asked Ben.
But Nathaniel shrugged.
You took a look at the list. You didn’t have many highly-romantic songs. You had only kept Come What May and Elephant Love Medley… but you reckoned that another romantic scene could work…
“Something romantic?” you asked.
“Why not?”
“Or maybe that one where she likes stuff!” Roberta proposed, struggling to remember the title of the song.
“Favourite Things?” Ben offered, and the girl squealed in approval.
“Yes! That’s it! That’s a fun song!”
You shrugged, a few people nodded.
“You were thinking about something romantic?” Ben asked, turning to you. “We could add a romantic scene. Some of the most intimate scenes will be difficult to stage, we don’t have the same set or anything of the kind, we’re much more limited on stage compared to cinema. We could replace some of these scenes with one of our own, around a new song. What did you have in mind?”
He was staring at you, gaze intense and unwavering. You liked that about him, the fact that whenever he listened to someone, it was with his full attention. You felt like your opinion mattered. You couldn’t help but draw a comparison with your ex-husband. It was a nice change…
You thought about it for a second, before answering, crossing your arms before your chest and leaning against the table behind you.
“We could do a romantic scene… quite similar to Something Good. They could dance, get closer, and kind of confess this way. That’s romantic.”
“This scene is so cute…” Roberta nodded, a dreamy smile on her face.
Ben couldn’t refrain a chuckle at her reaction, and he pondered the question for a moment. But he ended up nodding, writing the title down.
“That’s a good idea, it could work.”
The alarm on your phone rang. It had been two hours already, it was time to call it a day.
“Alright,” Ben said, closing his notebook and offering the group a smile. “We’ll appoint the roles next time. We’ll try some singing, we should all prepare for the same one, let’s say… El Tango de Roxanne, as it’s apparently Y/N’s favourite…”
“Yes!” you cheered, making everyone chuckle.
“And remember that we’ll only see each other in November now! Because next week, no repetition.”
“Really? Why?” Giselle asked, disappointed.
“Y/N and I do have a job outside of this club, you know?” Ben answered, amused. “We’ll be off to London to work on our research. But then again, this classroom is still booked for us, you can gather here and work on the play if you want. As long as you don’t break anything…”
He turned his gaze to Nathaniel, who raised his hands as if innocent, the glimmering black polish on his nails catching the neon light.
“It happened once… and it wasn’t even really my fault.”
“Oh… I’m really curious to hear about this one!” you chimed.
“Let’s say that Nathaniel is not allowed to go anywhere near stage lights anymore…”
“Woops?” the boy said, making everyone laugh.
“Alright, all of you need to go to class,” you admonished, standing straighter again. “And we have to go back to our regular jobs, so, off you go!”
The students left, chatting excitedly and already making plans to gather the coming week even if their teachers would be away. You erased the blackboard while Ben was waiting for you to walk back to your offices. He seemed hesitant and you weren’t sure why. He was blushing, even. It was kind of… endearing…
You really had to stop your brain from making this kind of thoughts…
“Have you eaten before coming here?” Ben asked as you turned back towards him.
“No, I had classes this morning. I’m starving to be honest. I’ll eat something before our meeting, okay?”
“I haven’t eaten either. Would you like to join me?”
You were quite surprised by the offer, but you realised that it wasn’t an unwelcomed one.
“Okay, sure. I’ve brought something to eat.”
“I did too. Cafeteria?”
“Sure.”
You walked out of the classroom together, shy smiles on your lips, and both of you a little confused, a little hesitant. Still, when Ben looked at you, you seemed content, and it made him happy, for some reason…
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Jasmine and Miles could barely believe their eyes.
You and Ben were sitting together, at a table, in the cafeteria, and… you seemed to be actually eating lunch together.
You were clearly chatting, and instead of shouting at each other or anything of the kind you just… laughed.
They exchanged a wide-eyed look.
“Since when do these two get along?” Miles asked, confusion painted all over his features. “I’m leaving for a couple of weeks, and all of a sudden everything changes around here?”
“Don’t look at me, I have no idea! Y/N hasn’t told me anything.”
“And Ben hasn’t told me anything either…”
“What happened to them?”
“It is a good thing though, if these two can finally get along.”
“Should we… leave them be, then?”
Miles pondered the question, still hiding with Jasmine in the corridor, right before the cafeteria. He peered inside once more.
“We should… but I’m too curious.”
“Me too… I bet your husband is going to be asking for details, anyway.”
“Oh, yes, George will love this!”
Miles walked inside the room with an excited grin, Jasmine on his heels.
Ben welcomed his colleagues with a bright smile, happy to see Miles again.
“So… what do we have here?” Jasmine teased, sitting down next to you and stealing some of your bread.
“One researcher who’s supposed to be working, and a retired man who’s supposed to be enjoying his husband?” you proposed, making Ben chuckle.
Miles looked at his younger friend with wide eyes and a raised eyebrow.
“Many things have changed since the last time I came,” he said, ignoring your sarcasm.
“What do you mean?” Ben asked, although he was perfectly aware of what Miles meant.
“None of you is frowning, looking desperate, or shouting… You almost look civilized!” Jasmine answered, and this time you swatted her hand away when she tried to get more of your food.
“We are civilized.”
“Together?”
You and Ben both rolled your eyes, but you didn’t fail to notice the way Ben was blushing. Colour spreading across his nose, his cheeks, and all the way up to the tips of his ears. You found it adorable…
“We had a bad start,” Ben conceded. “But we’re… okay now, right?”
You nodded, taking a bite of your salad.
“Real colleagues. Professional.”
“Good! That’s a lot of progress already for the two of you.”
You kept on chatting together for a while, until both your and Ben’s plates were empty. You were to have a meeting to prepare your stay in London, but you both agreed to take a twenty-minutes break before that. You would meet up in Ben’s office to go back to work.
Miles didn’t lose a second, as soon as he was alone with his younger friend in his office, he sat down and bombarded him with questions.
“Ben, I want to know everything that has happened between you and Y/N in the past few weeks! Every detail! Fire away!”
Ben laughed at his friend’s antics, taking a seat as well.
“Nothing interesting happened, I can assure you,” answered Ben. “We simply… spent more time together, and… buried the hatchet. That’s all.”
“You couldn’t stand each other at the beginning of the year, and now you’re having lunch together! And nothing happened?”
“No! I mean… I don’t know. We didn’t get along at the beginning, it was a bit hard but then we had to work together and… we’ve found that we…”
“That you?” Miles encouraged him eagerly.
“That we… are not so dissimilar after all.”
Ben let his gaze get lost over Miles shoulder, staring at nothing while his thoughts drifted back towards your shared moments through the last few weeks.
“I mean, don’t get me wrong, she is… insufferable, sometimes. She is… disorganised most of the time, and always making silly jokes, and she is clumsy as hell, although… that’s kind of… adorable, to be honest…”
A dreamy smile appeared on his features, before he would shake himself, and look at his friend again.
“But nothing has happened, really. We’ve simply become professional around one another.”
But Miles was staring at his young friend with a wicked grin.
“What?” Ben frowned. “Do I have some food on my face?”
“You like her.”
Ben rolled his eyes.
“She’s competent. More than I thought she would be. And she’s great with the kids at the club, which is all that truly matters.”
“No, Ben. You like her.”
“What?!”
“You like her!”
Ben scoffed, crossing his arms before his chest, suddenly defensive and looking at his former colleague as if he had gone mad.
“Absolutely not! Are you crazy?”
“You do seem… infatuated.”
“Infatuated? Me? With Y/N? Retirement really doesn’t suit you. Are you alright?”
“Ben… you’ve literally zoned out as you were talking about her with the most idiotic smile on your lips – no offence. And you’ve just said that she was -and I quote- ‘adorable’.”
“I did not… that was not what I meant…”
“So you don’t think that she’s adorable?”
“Well… no! I mean… she’s very clumsy and that’s… quite… cute…”
Ben heaved a frustrated sigh.
“You were blushing at lunch,” Miles went on.
“I did not!”
“You did.”
“Only because I felt embarrassed. Because of you. Not her. I do not blush because of Y/N.”
“Don’t you think she’s an attractive woman?”
Ben rolled his eyes.
“I am not blind, Miles. Even you can’t deny that she’s quite… pretty. Beautiful, even…”
He cleared his throat.
“Anyone with two functioning eyes would notice that, it doesn’t mean I’m attracted to her.”
“You’re not?”
“Don’t you think she’s a beautiful woman?”
“I do believe she is beautiful. Because as you said, I have two functioning eyes. But as a gay man, and a happily married one, I do not feel the need to stare at her and to blush every time she looks my way.”
“I do not do that!”
“Yes, you do. You did throughout the entire lunch.”
“This is ridiculous.”
“So you think she’s adorable, you think she’s cute, you think she’s beautiful…”
“Miles…” Ben glared at him.
“But you’re not interested?”
“No, I’m not.”
Miles nodded, clearly unconvinced.
“You know what professionals call that?”
“What kind of professionals? Matchmakers?”
“Denial,” Miles answered his own question, ignoring Ben’s sarcasm. “That’s pure denial we have here, Ben.”
“Absolutely not. I am happy on my own. I don’t want to have a relationship. I don’t want to be infatuated with anyone. I don’t want to think about Y/N this way. Is that clear?”
“Crystal clear.”
“Good.”
But Miles shook his head, heaving a sigh.
This boy, really…
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“Jasmine!”
You were sitting in her office, staring at her with wide eyes and a shock painted all over your features that almost looked like outrage.
“Of course, I don’t fancy him!”
“Why not? He’s super hot…”
“He…”
You took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm down. Because this couldn’t be happening.
A few weeks before you were tempted by actually cutting Ben’s throat, how could Jasmine think for a mere second that now you fancied him!?
Outrageous. Absolutely ridiculous.
“I do not fancy Ben Barnes.”
“You do, though.”
“I do not! I barely know him at all! I’ve just started actually getting along with him… what… three weeks ago? Maybe even less!”
“Do you not find him attractive?”
You let out a frustrated grunt.
“Of course, I find him attractive, have you looked at the guy?! He is gorgeous. Yes, I do find him attractive. Doesn’t mean that I am actually attracted to him! And you’re forgetting how annoying he is! Like he is always so… organised, and he plans everything out, and he… always pushes his glasses up before writing something down and that’s… okay that one is kind of cute, actually, but… he blushes all the time. And that’s quite adorable. But he’s also very… He was very mean to me at the beginning! He isn’t anymore, that’s true. And he’s great with the kids at the club. He’s actually a lot of fun… But no! No! He is insufferable with his idiotic humour and his bright laughter and… argh!”
You threw your hands in the air, Jasmine still staring at you, sipping on her coffee.
“Wow… you’re so far gone,” Jasmine commented.
“I. Do. Not. Fancy. Ben. Barnes.”
“You’re infatuated.”
“Absolutely not! Besides… my life is a mess. And I have a daughter, and an ex-husband who drives me crazy and… no, no, no! I don’t want a relationship, or a fling, or anything. I am very happy and content being single. No, thank you!”
“You’re in denial. I’m surprised you’ve managed to convince yourself for so long…”
“Jas!”
“Alright, alright… as you wish.”
You checked your watch, and stood up.
“I have to go my meeting with Ben now.”
“Try not to snog him too hard.”
“One more word…”
“Alright! Alright!”
You strode outside the room, passing before Miles as he was heading towards Jasmine’s office.
When he entered, he had a raised eyebrow.
“What’s wrong with this one?” he asked, pointing at the corridor where you had just disappeared, a murderous look on your face.
“She’s in denial. Want to know what I’ve just learnt?” Jasmine asked the retired man, overexcited.
“Oh, you will never believe what I’ve just learnt!” said Miles, sitting down in the chair you had occupied a moment before.
They spilled the tea at the same time, excited grins on their faces.
“He likes her!”
“She likes him!”
Their shouts and laughter could be heard all the way down the corridor.
**********************************
Taglist: @reg-arcturus-black @idek-what-to-put
76 notes · View notes
darkwing-katy · 2 months ago
Text
The Spider and the Fly Part III
Pairing: Eventual Leland x Reader (sorta? You’ll see what I mean)
Word Count: 4,737
Summary: All you want to do is get through your online courses and keep your best friend from making bad choices in men. But there’s this creepy therapist who is absolutely insisting on you making an appointment with him. Who the hell is this Leland Townsend, and why won’t he leave you alone?!
Part three of seven. Takes place sometime around seasons one and two.
The series is inspired heavily by my favorite poem, “The Spider and the Fly” (1829) by Mary Howitt. This poem is in the public domain.
Tagging: @primosflowergarden; @vi-er
Part One
Part Two
——————————————————————————————————
Said the cunning Spider to the Fly, “Dear friend, what can I do
To prove the warm affection I’ve always felt for you?
I have within my pantry good store of all that’s nice;
I’m sure you’re very welcome—will you please to take a slice?”
You stare up at the brick building in front of you, a scowl etched onto your face. This is ridiculous. Why the hell are you here? Just because of a measly threat?
You flash back to that day in the kitchen, the cheeriness of Leland’s voice as he talked about how easy it’d be to flat-out murder Betty and hide the body. The memory of it makes you shudder. As upbeat as Leland had been, he had left little doubt that he was capable of doing such a thing. You couldn’t risk it…at least, not yet.
But Betty’s leaving this weekend to go to her parents. So all you have to do is fake it through this single appointment, make Leland believe you’ll be back, figure out why he’s so obsessed with you in the first place, and then you can be out of here. Easy enough, right? 
You’d done so much research on him but turned up nothing. He set up his practice a few years ago, but there’s nothing else on Leland Townsend. No court records, no social media, no newspaper articles. It’s like he didn’t exist until a few years ago, and that bothers you in a way that you’re not quite sure how to articulate. Who the fuck is this guy?
The mental image of him licking his blood off of his finger pops into your brain, and you feel yourself flush before you can banish it. We are not attracted to that, you tell yourself. He’s a psychopath and we’re gonna get the hell outta here the second our stupid appointment is over.
You suck in a deep breath, glance down at your green shirt and blue jeans, and head towards the door. Your breath quickens with each step closer the door, and you despise the trepidation that fills your veins with adrenaline. You have your phone ready to record in your pocket, and you’ve got a bottle of pepper spray easily reachable in your other pocket. You’ve timed yourself to see how quickly you can get to it and spritz it right in the bastard’s face if he lunges for you again.
It occurs to you that you’re willingly putting yourself into what could be a very, very dangerous situation, but what else can you do?
Besides, you can’t deny that you’re intrigued to know why he’s so fixated on you, so desperate to have you as a client. 
The interior of the building is white. Very white, almost blindingly so. It makes you feel exposed, naked. Would a painting on the walls really be so bad?
Then again, you suspect that it’s intentional, meant to evoke that feeling that you’re being watched. You wonder if you should’ve worn something more neutral to lessen that feeling. Maybe next time, you think, then shudder. No, there won’t be a next time. Where had that come from?
You’re led down a hallway with glass windows, all of which have blinds hiding their interiors. You stop when you see the brass plaque on the door that says LELAND TOWNSEND. You glower at the name before stepping into the room, your heart racing. Leland isn’t in there; you’re left alone. You glance around. It’s just as white as the rest of the building, save for the grey couch, the grey chairs, and the black desk. Even the carpet is grey and bland. There’s a painting on the wall behind Leland’s desk, an abstract of blue, black, and white with splashes of red that adds to your internal disquiet, though you’d be hard pressed to explain why. In one of the corners of the painting is a strange symbol that you study for a moment before turning back to the rest of the room.
The couch is probably where Leland expects you to sit. Like hell. Then there’s the two chairs that face each other, but which one? They both look the same, so you can’t make a guess as to which one he prefers. 
There’s another option: his desk. It’d be a hell of a power move, wouldn’t it?
You sit in the swivel chair behind his desk and, after a few seconds of consideration, prop up your feet on his desk as well. There’s a closed laptop that you’re tempted to open, but you have no clue when he’s going to appear, and it’s best if you don’t do anything too suspicious. Your palms are sweaty, and you hate how your body is betraying your nerves. You wipe the clammy digits onto your jeans and take in a fortifying breath, counting the beats as you breathe in and out. You will not allow this man to scare you. You are the one who scares, not the other way around. You will not be afraid of Leland; it is Leland who should be afraid of you.
The seconds tick by, then minutes. You don’t allow yourself to think of how long you’ve been waiting—you’ve employed this strategy before. Making people wait to catch them off guard is an old trick, one that has often given you excellent reactions when done to the right people. Instead, you study the space, memorize every detail of it, no matter how pointless it might seem. You make plans for what you’ll do if Leland tries to physically attack you, how you’ll use the sparse furniture to take cover, how you’ll use the lamp to knock him unconscious if you need to. He will not get the best of you.
You also go over the possible ways you can scare him. You have little information, but you’ve made that work before. How many times have you gotten back at Betty’s exes, or Taylor’s, or Marina’s? In college, you were a pro at this, and you’ve only gotten better with practice.
You still jump when the door opens at last, and you mentally chastise yourself for it. Leland walks in, an apologetic look on his face. It falters momentarily when he sees where you’re sitting, and you wonder how he’ll react, but all he does is blinks before striding forward. “(Y/N)!” he greets with a smile. “I’m glad you made it this time!”
You return his smile with one of your own. “Yeah. It’s amazing how well threats work at motivating people to be on time. More people should try that,” you deadpan as you raise your eyebrows at him. 
Leland steps further into the room, the door closing loudly behind him. He eyeballs you in the chair. “That’s my desk,” he comments. 
You flash him a smirk. “I don’t see your name on it,” you reply as you shift so that your legs are pointed at him. It’s not the most comfortable position, but it says what it needs to. You see a flicker of annoyance cross Leland’s face as you fold your hands over your stomach and fix your eyes on him. “Aren’t you gonna sit, Doctor?”
He angles his head at you, considering his options, then he rotates the chair nearest the desk so that he can face you and sits in it. “Whatever works for you,” he mutters, and you feel your smirk widen. He’s not on edge or anything, but you’ve managed to mildly inconvenience him, and you’ll take that as a small win for now. “So…(Y/N)…let’s talk.”
“About what?”
Leland shrugs as he leans back into the couch. “Whatever you want,” he replies.
“Why am I here?”
“Except that.”
You purse your lips at him. “Are you stalking me or something?”
“I just said we’re not talking about that.”
You sit up in the chair in annoyance, moving your feet back to the floor. The chair squeaks with the movement. “Yes, we are,” you insist. “You went through all the trouble of getting me here, so you’re gonna tell me why the hell you care so much.”
Leland scoffs as he looks away from you in derision. “I don’t care about you,” he replies snidely. “I care about what you’ve done, what you’re capable of, but not you.”
“I seem to recall you saying we could do great things together.” You don’t look away from his face. “You were pretty damn adamant on that particular detail.”
His lips come together in a pinched smile as he looks back at you, but he’s not really looking at you as much as he is sneering. “And I maintain that position. But make no mistake, it doesn’t mean I care about you. If you wanna jump off a building or shoot yourself in the head just to spite me, I won’t lose any sleep over it.”
Well, that’s a bit extreme. You hate the guy but that just seems like giving in too easily. You value yourself far too much for that. “Alright. Guess we’re not talking, then, and this is a waste of time.” You don’t rise from the chair, though. If he wants to waste your time, then you’ll waste his by sitting here and saying nothing. This appointment should end at 6, and you’ll get up then. You put your feet back up on the desk, though you’re careful not to knock any of his things over.
Leland allows you to sit in petulant silence for a grand total of one minute and fifteen seconds before he starts again. “Tell me about yourself.”
“Nope,” you reply, popping the ‘p’.
“Why not?”
You don’t deign to answer. He’s goading you, and you’re not gonna fall for it. You look away from him but keep him in your peripheral just in case, your hand lingering near the pocket with the pepper spray.
“Oh, come on, (Y/N). Talk to me. Tell me about yourself, who you are, what you want in life.” He gives you a toothy grin. “Tell me your desires.”
You hate the way he drags out that word, mainly because it once again reminds you of him licking the blood off of his finger. “I desire to get the fuck away from you,” you snap before your traitorous body can blush at the memory. “I desire to leave this place knowing you’re gonna leave me and my friend alone.”
“Come on, there must be something you want to talk about. Something that’s weighing you down, something that’s pissing you off, something that’s making you feel…something.” Leland makes a little motion with his hands.
“I believe I just told you something that I wanted, something that makes me feel something,” you reply, irritated. “I want you far away from me and Betty.”
“Why?”
“You know why!” Dammit, he’s managing to pull the words out of you. You gotta shut up now before he gets anything else. “
“We could talk about Jordan.”
“Uhm, how about fuck no?”
“Ryan? Matthew?” He leans forward. “Brittany?” He raises an eyebrow at your ex-girlfriend’s name, but you have decided that no matter what names he drops, you’re gonna remain impassive. You’re the one with the power here, not Leland. It may be his space, but you can control how you react to him, and if that’s the only thing you can control, then by God, you’re gonna act nonchalant.
He blinks and purses his lips, clearly annoyed that you’re refusing to respond. Good, you think. Maybe he’ll call it quits early.
This time, the silence lasts a little bit longer. Maybe as long as four minutes—Leland seems like he’s content to let you sit, and you’re content to let him marinate in his annoyance. The next time he speaks, he says, “Maybe we should start on something simpler. Find some common ground. Liiiiiike…what’s your favorite scary movie?”
What is this, Scream? you think with some amusement. You’re tempted to respond, but you know that if you do, he’ll just ask you another question. And another, and another, and then the next thing you’d know, you’d be talking up a storm. 
“I’m personally prone to movies with the occult. They can be a little unrealistic at times, but sometimes, they get their stuff right! I mean, just look at Event Horizon! I hate when they try to make horror movies some sort of commentary on morality, though. Look at Saw, for example. Great moments. And what kinda movies do we have nowadays? A Quiet Place. That new M. Night Shyamalan movie.” He sighs. “We’ve forgotten what it means to really scare people, what it means to keep them up all night.”
Okay, this is weird, because you kind of agree with him. Some of the latest scary movies haven’t been meaningfully scary—they’ve been gory, but gore is pointless when it’s used for shock value. But there have been others in recent years that you enjoyed, and you open your mouth to point those films out, but then you catch him watching you, the light reflecting off of his glasses, and you slam your mouth shut.
Dammit, he almost got me there.
Leland looks like he’s waiting for your response, but you bite your tongue to hold back from everything you want to say, and you’re rewarded with a look of disappointment. You wait just long enough for him to look away from you in exasperation before you finally talk.
“What do you want from me?” you try again. “Why are you trying so hard to get to me? I’m not special.”
“No, you’re right. You’re not special at all,” he agrees lackadaisically, and his words are like a stab in the gut. For a therapist, he has no bedside manner at all. Then again, can you really be surprised by that? “I’m…investigating, I guess. Evaluating.” His face twists into a sneer. “Though I have no clue why they’d choose you when there’s much better candidates out there.”
“Who are ‘they’?” you ask before you can stop yourself, and you grimace because you know Leland wanted you to ask that.
He gives you a strange smile. “You’ve been noticed by some very important people, (Y/N). They’re intrigued by you and no matter how much I’ve tried to tell them otherwise, that you’re just a regular ole human, they insisted on this…” he waves his hand at the office. “And I’m not gonna defy them and risk the consequences just ‘cause some stupid little bitch wants to try and make me miserable.”
“You suck as a therapist, dude,” you reply as you cross your arms. “Pretty sure you’re not supposed to refer to clients as bitches.”
“I call it as I see it,” he says with another shrug. His glasses slide down his nose just a hair and you can see the remnants of the cut from your headbutt. The sight makes you smirk without meaning to, and he notices it. “What?”
You shake your head, but the smirk remains steady. “Nothing,” you say. 
Leland gives you a thoughtful look, then reaches up to his nose, his finger lightly tracing the cut. “You know, I think we got off on the wrong foot. This isn’t working.” He stands, and you tense as he takes a step towards you, towards his desk. “Get out of my chair.”
“No.”
He glares down at you. “Get. Out. Of. My. Chair.”
You don’t take your eyes away from him. Your fingers dance over the pepper spray, ready to whip it out and spray him right in those beautiful eyes of his. “Make me.”
He’s closer now, right at the edge of his desk, his knuckles grazing the smooth wooden edge. “Is this really the silly hill you want to die on right now?”
You raise your eyebrows innocently. “Someone’s dying on this hill, and it isn’t gonna be me.”
There’s a flash of amusement on his face before he places his palms flat on the desk and leans down, possibly hoping to convince you to move by invading your personal space. He hasn’t done anything aggressive, but he’s almost close enough that you’re willing to spray him anyways. You just need to egg him on a liiiiiittle bit more. “Do you really think you can take me on?” he asks. The words come out slow, dramatic, a challenge.
You bat your lashes. “Hell yeah,” you reply, and when he inches his face closer, you’re ready. You practiced for a reason, after all, and he needs to learn a lesson about messing with you. You flick the cap off with your hand, suck in a deep breath, and raise the other arm to block your own eyes from any spray-back, and then you hold the trigger down, blasting him with a solid jet of the stuff.
Leland jerks back, but it’s too late—your aim had been pretty true due to his proximity, and his eyes squeeze shut immediately as he lets out a strangled yelp of pain. He gropes at his eyes with one hand while reaching for you with the other, but it’s easy enough to avoid his flailing hand and duck under the desk as he thunks into it. You dive around his legs, giving him a kick in the back of the knee for good measure, which sends him into the table again. The table flips, everything on it sliding off and crashing to the ground, including Leland.
You should make for the door, but you linger, wanting to relish the angry pants coming from him, the rapid floundering as he tries to grab you again. He can’t see you, which only makes it more fun as you tilt or skip away from him. He’s pulled himself back to his feet now, but he can’t still see you at this point. It’s kinda hilarious, in all honesty.
Your throat burns with the taste of the pepper spray, but the Internet had warned you about that, so you’d been wise enough to hold your breath for as long as possible while you got away from Leland. Your reaction is minor compared to his, even if your eyes are stinging and watering as well. At least you can still see. You’re backed against the wall opposite the couch now, the door in easy reach when you’re ready to ditch the scene.
“God! What the hell was that for?!” he yells at you as he spins around in search of you. His face is red and puffy, his eyes are swollen shut and streaming, and his glasses are propped up as he angrily swipes at his face. 
You’d feel a little bad for the guy if he hadn’t, you know, threatened to murder your best friend a week ago. 
Your throat is irritated, even though you’re away from him, and you can’t conceal the cough that’s scratching at your throat. It escapes, and Leland’s head whips towards you. “You little bitch!” he growls, and you actually feel a pinprick of fear at the fury in his voice. “That was extremely fucking uncalled for!”
You shrug, even as you cough again. “Then maybe you should leave me the fuck alone!”
“I can’t!”
You roll your eyes, causing a tear to trickle down your face, but you ignore it. “Can’t or won’t?!”
His mouth is wrenched into a grimace, but he’s facing you, even if he’s not able to look at you. “Alright, so it’s a little bit of both,” he admits, and his honesty is so startling that you snort.
You’re about 90% sure he’s not a threat to you currently, which is the only reason you’re still here. It’s also strange how much the pepper spray doesn’t seem to really bother him. If anything, he seems humored by it. “Well, I don’t give a shit about what your bosses say or whatever. Leave me alone.”
Leland takes a stumbling step towards you. “I wouldn’t if I were you,” you warn, retrieving the pepper spray again. “You can’t see it, but I’ve got more spray and I’m not afraid to use it.”
He freezes. Cocks his head at you. And then he laughs, of all things. “Oh, (Y/N), you’re feisty. That’s fun. I am definitely gonna enjoy breaking you down.” He forces his eyes to open. They’re red and squinty, and there’s still fresh tears dripping down his face. His glasses are off, and he’s cleaning them as best as he can with a microfiber cloth that he produced out of what seems like nowhere. It’s a bit scary to see him still up and moving and so calm. “Starting with your little friend Betty.”
You glare at him. “You stay away from her.”
“Oh, I’m gonna have such a good time with her, too. You know, I think she was kinda into me when we met last week.” Leland’s voice has a mocking tone to it, dangerous and almost…seductive. “She was batting her eyelashes and shoving her breasts in my face every chance she got. No wonder she’s got all those guys coming after her—she’s a hottie ripe for the picking, if you know what I mean.” 
The hairs on the back of your neck rise, but you’re not focused on that right now. It’s hard to be scared when you’re angry. “Don’t fucking touch her,” you hiss.
“I’m gonna seduce her just to piss you off, and then after we’ve had wild sex—‘cause you just know she’s into that kinda stuff—I’m gonna strangle her in her sleep and leave her naked body in the bed for you to discover in the morning.”
You’re seeing red now. How dare he talk about her like that—about sleeping with her and murdering her—how darehe! You lunge at him, forgetting the spray is still in your hands, but he’s ready—he grabs you by the shoulders and slams you up against the wall before you can remember the spray even exists. You cry out as your back and head hit the wall with enough force to make you dizzy. Your hand struggles to get to the nozzle again, and he uses one arm to pin you in place while the other grabs your wrist and twists it until you drop the canister. Then he twists it a little more until you cry out again. “I’m only gonna say this once, (Y/N),” he says, his voice low and menacing. “You’re not in charge here—I am, and you’d better realize it if you want your friend to stay alive.”
“Fuck you,” you spit back at him. You try to shove yourself at him in a poor attempt to knock him off-balance, but he just chuckles.
Your ears are still ringing from the way your head slammed into the wall. You fight the pain, but he’s won and he fucking knows it. “You know, usually this kinda thing is a turn on for me, but right now, it’s just plain irritating.”
That bastard, you manage to think through the haze of agony. Your face is hot with embarrassment. You want nothing more than to punch him, slap him, bite him, but you’re stuck. “What the fuck do you want?” you snarl.
“Cooperation,” Leland purrs. “I want your cooperation.”
You want him off of you, but he’s bigger and he’s still pinning you in place. “Let me go.”
“Are you gonna try to hit me?”
“No,” you lie.
Leland scoffs. “Make me believe it.”
You gather everything you have, using pain and rage as fuel. “I won’t try to hit you,” you say through gritted teeth.
Leland squints at you, then takes his weight off of you. You don’t give him a moment to react before you’re swinging at him, your fingers curved to scratch his cheeks. All of that agony, all of that fury propels your hand forward, but he must’ve sensed that you were lying because he side-steps your hand and you stumble forward. He spins, one hand on your shoulder and the other on the small of your back. In a frustratingly fluid movement, he shoves you and sticks out a foot at the same time, sending you crashing to the floor. “Fuck!” you exclaim as your forehead smashes into the edge of the couch, winding a fresh wave of pain across your head.
You roll yourself over to fix your eyes on Leland, who’s now towering above you and chortling. “That’s more like it!” he says with a wide grin.
You sit there in a heap on the floor, staring up at him, flabbergasted and scared. Good God, why the hell is he laughing?
Unexpectedly, he extends his hand to you. You’re not sure if it’s because you’ve got a concussion or you’re afraid of what he might do if you reject it, so you reach up and let Leland pull you up. Your forehead is gonna have a bruise later, your ears are still ringing, but he looks just as bad—if not worse, after tumbling into his own desk. His face is still red, though it’s fading fast, and while his eyes are still puffy, they’re focused on you with enough intensity to make you squirm.
“How come you never fought off any of the exes like that, huh?”
“What?” you ask dumbly.
Leland shrugs like you didn’t just try to attack him. “You never attacked any of the guys like this. You used other methods instead. How come?”
“Uhm.” You don’t know what to say. You two just had a scuffle and now he’s chatting amicably, like the fight put him in a better mood? “Because it’s not as fun?” It’s the only answer that comes to mind right now.
“You’re gonna tell me that none of that was fun?” He waggles an eyebrow and you’re even more confused now than you were five seconds ago. “You wanna tell me that you didn’t enjoy any of that? You didn’t like lying to me and then lunging at me? You didn’t like letting that anger, that temper of yours take over?”
You feel your forehead scrunch. It hurts, provoking a grimace from you. “I mean…no?” But that’s not entirely true, is it? You did enjoy it. You liked striking out at him, liked the feeling of submitting to your rage and letting it take hold of your body. It was almost freeing. Usually, you channeled your anger into the psychological attacks, but this physicality was…satisfying in a completely different way.
“Oh, come on, don’t lie to me.” His face is more pink than red, and he doesn’t seem bothered by the residual pepper spray at all anymore. “This is a safe space, after all. You can tell me how it really made you feel.”
“I—,” but you’re hit by a wave of embarrassment and shame. This was not how you worked at all. Everything that had just happened was a direct result of him goading you, nothing more than that. You weren’t a physically violent person. “It’s not my style,” you say instead.
God, your head hurts. 
“Stop worrying about how you’re supposed to feel and start acknowledging how you really feel,” Leland says, and there’s just something about the way he says it that chips at your resolve.
You want to tell him the truth, tell him how much you liked it. How much you wanted to watch him bleed again. How much you wanted to bite his hand until you broke the skin and then lick the blood off of him and—wait, what? Where the fuck did that come from? you wonder. Can concussions alter personalities?
“Tell me, (Y/N). How do you feel right now?”
“I feel like…” the words are slow to come out. You don’t want to admit it even though you do. “I feel like hitting you again,” you say at last. It’s not the whole truth, but it’s the closest you’re willing to say for now.
Leland’s face cracks into an eerie grin. “Good.” He looks behind him, his eyes no longer streaming, then sits down in the chair next to him and motions for you to sit on the couch. Stunned, you do so, unsure of what else you can do. “Let’s talk about that some more.”
“Oh, no, no,” said the little Fly, “kind sir, that cannot be!
I’ve heard what’s in your pantry and I do not wish to see.”
Part Four
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armageddon-generation · 1 year ago
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Justice For MCU Hulk: Everything cut from The Incredible Hulk (2009) that saves its characters
After She-Hulk renewed criticism of Bruce Banner’s characterisation in the MCU, I looked back at The Incredible Hulk. It’s the shortest MCU movie (1hr 52 mins) so this extra 25 minutes of footage would bring it to about the same length as The Winter Soldier, vastly improving Bruce’s characterisation, his romance with Betty, and General Ross as the villain. 
Alternate Opening in the Arctic (2:16)
The most famous cut, Bruce’s attempted s*icide referenced in The Avengers. Strong, shocking character beat to open the film
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Hulk’s origin
The film’s 3-minute title-sequence condenses “40 minutes” of Hulk’s origin & its aftermath. This was mostly unscripted (Norton contributed a lot) with “points of entry” for flashbacks throughout the film that unravelled the mystery of what happened..  
In an interview, director Louis Leterrie explained:
“[the Arctic was] a few months after the incident … afterwards we were flash forwarding to Brazil … a few years later ... then afterward you were getting flashbacks—that’s the way the script was structured—to tell you the story … everything you saw in the credit sequence. People hated it … what the hell is this? Is this a sequel? Is this a re-boot? We don’t understand anything.”
Building the Lab (1:07)
Most of the cut Brazil footage is filler, but I like Bruce dumpster-diving to make DIY lab equipment
General Greller (2:28)
Ross’ motivation. He’s the true villain! 
I’d cut the 1st exchange between Ross & Greller, moving straight from the plane to Blonsky entering the office. 
Nice character-building (‘is there any medal you haven’t won?’)
Greller criticizing Ross’ supersoldier program ties into the wider MCU (Hulk as a supersoldier attempt was only later established in The Avengers) & makes Ross more culpable
Bruce Delivers Pizzas (0:36)
The girls’ dorm should stay cut, but Bruce helping students with an experiment at his old university is a lovely character beat
Betty and Leonard (0:30)
Doc Sampson!
So the love triangle doesn’t seem quite as lopsided
Bruce and Betty Talk (3:18) 
Sets a clear timeline for Bruce
Sets up an ‘ethics cloud’ around Sterns/The Leader, and suggests he turned Bruce over to Ross in Brazil
Betty is proactive. Her arc becoming disillusioned with Ross starts here. Her keeping their data in an ornate jewelry box builds the Bruce/Betty romance
“Hope comes back so quickly” is a strong character beat
Dinner with Bruce (1:30)
“It’s been a long time since I’ve felt a light” is a nice character beat: Betty’s house is the eye of the storm in Bruce’s journey
Leonard characterisation!
The Orchid (1:27)
Betty is proactive again!
The Orchid as a metaphor for their love
Bruce and Leonard (4:17)
Leonard: I’ll confess something to you if you clear up some things for me. First, I confess as a man, Betty’s lover, that I’ve always hoped you were dead. Not because I don’t like you but because I love Betty. And I’ve known that unless you were really gone, or she believed that you were… there’d always be three of us in this relationship. I dreaded the thought of you walking through the door. But… now that you’re here, I have to admit I’m very happy about it. Because I’m also a psychiatrist. And I’m very committed to putting light into dark corners, so to speak. Betty has a very dark corner that I’ve never found my way into, despite considerable careful effort. And the only thing that I know about her dark place is that you’re in it. So… Why are you something that she won’t talk about?
Bruce: There are aspects of my personality that I can’t control. And when I lose control it’s very dangerous to be around me. I hurt Betty in a way that I will never forgive myself for.
Leonard: You don’t drop your career and fall off the face of the Earth for 5 years because you have an anger management issue, Bruce. You see a shrink.
Bruce: It’s a little bit more complicated than that.
Leonard: Trust me when I tell you I’ve heard them all.
Bruce: Not like this.
Leonard: Completely honest and yet avoiding the heart of the matter. Exactly like her.
Leonard’s big moment! He’s an actual character! Learning Bruce hurt Betty motivates him turning Bruce in
Chatting to a psychiatrist about the Hulk like a real-world personality disorder is gold
Lots of work on the romance, the ‘Dark Corner’ in Betty’s mind that Bruce inhabits.
Justification for Leonard ratting Bruce out. It's implied Leonard deliberately drains the car battery to discourage Betty going with Bruce
Motel Room Conversation (1:14)
Bruce: I’m sorry.
Betty: It’s okay. It’s so mysterious, this thing inside of you. All the other scars have healed.
Bruce: Not mine. His scars heal but mine don’t
Betty: Yes they do. They leave a mark, but they stop hurting [exposes a scar under her fringe, from the Hulk accident. Bruce turns away.] Look at me. That pain didn’t last. Not knowing was so much worse. I looked for your face everywhere. I never stopped.
Proactive Betty again. Real meat for the romance, addressing their shared trauma & Bruce’s guilt
Nature’s Mystery (3:02)
Ross: Major, a great writer once said, "There are clefts in the rock, where we see the back part of God, and tremble." There's no training for what you saw out there because it's not an enemy that confronts us, it's a new power. Let loose through a crack in the cliff of Nature's mystery. How many times do you think that's happened in all of human history? Fire. The splitting of the atom. The universe unveils a secret and people recoil, cowering in fear and awe. And then comes the person who stops trembling. Who steps forward to face the flame, and seizes the burning stick and says "This will I master and use."
William Hurt gets to act. This monologue is the best dialogue in the film. Ross’ motivation is so well-expressed here
On the Hulk Hunt (1:07)
Builds Blomsky’s frustrations with Ross and motivation to become Abomination
Ross and Sparr (1:40)
Betty: I will never forgive what you've done to him.
Ross: He's a fugitive. He made choices.
Betty: You made him a fugitive. To cover your failures, and protect your career. I know what you said to him after the accident. Before I woke up, what you proposed? That's why he ran away and gave up.
Ross: His work, his blood is the property of the United States Army, and my duty precedes my personal feelings in this matter.
Betty: Freedom, democracy, our way of life.
Ross: Something like that.
Betty: You believe in so much. But we have to start with truth or the rest of it doesn't work. Don't ever speak to me as your daughter again.
“If you took it from me I’m gonna put you in a hole for the rest of your life”. Ross is the villain!
Cut the Major, but Betty confronting Ross re: weaponizing the Hulk is a strong cap for her arc
Bruce Confesses in the Helicopter
In the novelisation:
“on the helicopter, prior to jumping … Banner admits to Betty that because he thought he killed her when he first became the Hulk, he tried to kill himself. The Hulk wouldn’t let him, which is why he thinks the Hulk will save him from the fall.” 
Leonard Calls Betty (1:40)
Follow-up on Leonard and Betty. Nice moment for her
Tldr; This extended version still wouldn’t be *great*, but it’s a significant improvement from mediocre to good, especially in hindsight with how Hulk has been treated since AoU. 
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