#velma's such a sweet girlfriend i love it

[angorwhosebabyisthis]

i think one of the things that upsets me the most about velma and shaggy's relationship in sdmi--and boy there is a lot--is that not only is her constantly ''correcting'' him for minor, harmless, and usually completely reasonable things with physical and emotional abuse, well. abusive by itself. but so many of the things he does that she treats him that way over are very autistic things, and what she subjects him to is textbook abuse aimed at autistics in particular. (including the part where she gets more and more pissed whenever attempts at said emotional abuse fly over his head, because he's too bad at picking up cues for them to land fully.)

[cws: anti-autistic ableism, ABA, self-harm, physical and emotional IPV, victim-blaming, and abuse apologism. it's a lot and it's really fucking bad lmao]

-

like. there's a lot of examples there; shaggy's behavior coming across as autistic is worth a whole post of its own, and a lot of media depicts abuse targeted at autistic traits because ✨️hooray ableism.✨️but she straight up tries to Fix Him (read: force him to perform a Presentable Personality) by forcing him to wear clothes that are sensory hell, and trying to condition him to self-harm every time he does some small harmless, reflexive thing she thinks is Poor Socialization until he stops. and to catch himself doing it, and punish himself, without being prompted. i cannot fucking overstate how fucked up that is.

they even got down the fun little aspect of ABA where the methods of conditioning-through-pain are presented as toys and kiddish things: she gives him a rubber band to wear on his wrist, and tells him to snap it as hard as he can every time he says 'like.' 🙃🙃🙃🙃

like. this does not begin to scratch the surface of the abuse she puts him through in general. and again, characters being abused for autistic traits with the approval of the narrative is a common thing in media, which sucks. but holy fucking shit! they really took the 'violent ableism that is done to autistics irl' to the next fucking level here!

.......and it's portrayed as kind of cringey, immature teen drama on both sides. the self-harm, his dread over how much he knows it'll hurt, and the extreme pain it causes him to the point of screaming are all supposed to be funny. and her arc is all about learning to accept that she deserves better, because she was repressed and had low self-esteem and therefore putting him through fucking DIY ABA didn't make her happy.

🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃

anyway if you couldn't tell i can't fucking stand sdmi velma and i have a lot of words in me about it. when one of your main heroes would have made a way more compelling villain as they are, on a more mundane level compared to all the wild fantastical shit they go up against, holy shit go back to the drawing board you have fucked up. she could have been genuinely good representation of a marginalized person dealing with the trauma of her experiences in some shitty ways she has to grow past, and an interesting flawed character, without being absolutely despicable--hell, she'd have made a great foil to pericles if they'd handled him decently too. they have a lot of parallels, which only gain more depth when you add their respective parallels with cassidy into the mix. and it really fucking sucks that we got this instead.

[man-down-in-hatchet-town]

Hey, you!

Yeah, you!

Do you crave more ✨canon queer stories✨ in your fandom experience? Are you begging for more major character representation that you don’t have to headcanon for yourself?

Then have I got the kickstarter for you!

The Tin Can Bros (a comedy trio and makers of live theatre, digital sketches, webseries, you name it! You might know them from all the work they’ve done with Starkid—founding Tin Can Brothers Joey and Brian played Ron and Quirrell in A Very Potter Musical) are launching a brand new season of projects, most of which contain QUEER MAJOR CHARACTERS AND THEMES. These guys have got gays, they’ve got lesbians, they’ve got trans and gnc characters, they’ve got wholesome first love and Hannigram levels of fucked-up toxicity. It’s a whole cornucopia!! They’re planning to produce work in Los Angeles, NYC, London, Edinburgh, and Adelaide, but there will be digital tickets so you can watch where ever you are!

We’ve got:

-Two Rocky Horror-style concerts of the cult-hit, spy-movie parody musical Spies Are Forever. Gay protagonist who will sear himself into your heart! Seriously, his relationship with fellow spy Owen will emotionally destroy you for at least seven years.

-A concert of the developing musical This Could Be on Broadway, which follows a group of high school kids putting on a production of The Matrix: The Musical (not a show in real life) in their theatre department. A bunch of the central kids are canonically some flavor of queer, and there’s a central, very sweet lesbian romance that includes a trans character. She’s played trans actress Esther Fallick, who also worked with TCB as a consultant to make the character and show as authentic as possible. Seriously, if you want to see a trans teen thriving in their own skin, this is the show for you.

-An Edinburgh Fringe Fest production of The Solve It Squad Returns, a Scooby-Doo parody that follows the parodic versions of the Scooby Gang when they reunite as fucked-up adults to finally confront the almost-twenty-years-past traumatic murder of their dog Cluebert. I promise it’s funnier than it sounds. Esther, the Velma-esque super genius, is gender non-conforming and identifies with they/them pronouns. They also have a girlfriend WITH a boyfriend!

-A workshop reading of the QUEER SCI-FI TELEVISION COMEDY PILOT Intelligent Life. Unlike the other projects I’ve mentioned, this one is new to the TCB fans, but will follow a pair of ex-boyfriends forced to survive together in an extra-terrestrial colony. From the sound of it, there will be plenty of queer supporting characters as well. This frankly sounds like it could be tumblr’s dream show, and it’d be great to support its development.

-The Great Debate—a live comedy game show where comedians debate silly things. While this obviously won’t have narrative gay rep like the other projects, it will showcase gay talent (at the very least, Tin Can Brother Corey will participate in every show) and may include debates involving queer topics.

-Gross Prophets, in which three wannabe gurus/cult leaders lead a seminar on the path to enlightenment. This is a completely new stage musical so I honestly don’t know if it will contain any queer characters or themes. But the TCB queer track record is pretty good!

Guys, I’m so genuinely so excited by this season. But all this awesome queer art won’t happen unless we get their kickstarter funded. And they need our help! So let’s get fundraising!!

TLDR; Comedy group Tin Can Bros are attempting to fund a season positively filled with queer stories and characters, and they need help! If you want to support the creation of queer theatre and the development of queer TV, consider checking them out and giving to the kickstarter!

[dylweedwastaken]

How I would write a teen/adult Scooby Doo series

The Setting:

All over the USA. They are driving from town to town hunting/investigating monsters, ghosts, and cryptids. This is a world where the supernatural is real, but not super common.

The Gang is well-respected almost everywhere except for their hometown of Coolseville, Massachusetts.

The Characters:

The gang are all in their early 20's. They all genuinely love and trust each other. There is very little drama, but when there is, they figure it out because they are all better together.

Fred Jones:

• Large, tough, man

• Total sweetheart

• Mechanically brilliant (he can build a trap out of nothing and fix the van in hours)

• Himbo and sees the best in people to a fault

• Has willingly taken hits for the other members of the gang

Daphne Blake:

• Comes from old money and has a shakey relationship with her parents and sister's

• Emotionally/socially intelligent

• If there is anyone who would willingly get involved in a fight, it's her

• While she may not have Blake money, she has Blake resources

• Sometimes has to be reminded that not everyone is rich

Velma Dinkly:

• Enthusiastically curious about the supernatural

• Sometimes forgets to sugarcoat things to people who have been hurt by the monster

• Has alexithymia (I hope that's how that's worded) so while she may not always be able to empathize with people, she genuinley wants to and tries

• Sometimes so engrossed in her investigation she ends up in danger

• More booksmart than street smart

• In a long-distance relationship with Marcy Fleech

• Has actually supportive parents

Shaggy Rogers:

• The resident skeptic (mostly as a coping mechanism)

• The only one who can cook well

• Has a seemingly random set of knowledge and skill

• The youngest of the group

• The funny one

Scooby Doo:

• Giant dog (Great Dane's are fucking huge)

• So much love in his heart and cotton candy in his brain

• The Doos are a cryptid canine species

• Has a large family

• Generally friendly, but can bite and be protective when needed

Inter-gang dynamics:

Fred x Daphne: In a happy, healthy, long-term, relationship. Pincushion couple.

Fred x Velma: They are the most invested in the investigation and will often work on traps and plans together.

Fred x Shaggy: Fred boosts Shaggy's confidence and Shaggy teaches Fred new skills

Fred x Scooby: Great Dane/Golden Retriever solidarity

Daphne x Velma: Very similar dynamic to Fred x Shaggy with the addition that Velma often keeps Daphne grounded.

Daphne x Shaggy: Both have similar backgrounds and weirdly relate. They have rich parents who don't approve of their life decisions.

Daphne x Scooby: They are just very sweet to each other and she will often go to thrift stores to get his costumes.

Velma x Shaggy: They dated briefly in high school, and broke up on really good terms because she doesn't like guys. They occasionally bake together.

Velma x Scooby: Whenever she gets stressed or overwhelmed Scooby comforts her. She puts a lot of effort into making sure his needs are met. She often googles whether or not he can eat something.

Shaggyx Scooby: Scooby is Shaggy's best friend and psychiatric service dog for his anxiety. Shaggy is Scooby's best friend.

Other Characters:

Scrappy: Scooby's nephew who genuinely loves and looks up to him and think's he's fearless.

The Hex Girls: A goth band local to Coolsville. Mystery Inc. Were some of their first and only supporters. They have since made it big and still keep in contact with Mustery Inc.

Marcy Fleach: Velma's girlfriend of 3 years. Basically, it's just Marcy from "Mystery Incorporated".

This has been largely inspired by this post https://www.tumblr.com/inkoutsidethelines/706626597058396160/thinking-about-how-i-would-write-an-adult?source=share

and the JelloApocalypse video about Fred

Any other suggestions?

[multifandomworldsposts]

I know he's losing in the Kinkmas votes but, if we could get any reader x Michael ‘Riff’ Tamblyn (WSS) I would love it and I know a lot of the fandom would, too. There's very little fics out there anymore for WSS.

Day 10 of Kinkmas: After The Dance With Riff

pairing: Michael ‘Riff’ Tamblyn x fem!reader

warning: hickeys, protected sex, hickeys, riding

Y/N’s POV

There’s 2 weeks until the homecoming dance and I don’t have a date, which I really don’t care if I don’t because I rather stay home anyway watching TV, read books, or do my homework, like I normally do on a Saturday night.

One day, Michael Tamblyn, also known as, Riff, asks me to go to the homecoming dance, which I got so excited about because he’s the kindest and sweetest (to me) boy I’ve ever met.

Yes, I’m in the Jets but the reason why I’m in it because I met Debby in English 1 and she introduced me to the Jets. They told me that another gang name Sharks are dangerous, I’ve met María and her brother’s girlfriend they are so sweet and I try to treat them like they treat me and they appreciate it.

When I met Riff, I fell in love, but I can’t believe that he asks me to go to the dance.

When Riff picked me up we picked up some other jets including their girlfriends. We arrive at the school and the gymnasium looks pretty decorated! Riff holds my hand and takes me to the dance floor to dance. We begin to dance and our friends join in, I feel someone bump into me, I turn my head to see Velma and her date, I get excited to see them and Velma and I do this little hand gesture to each other, Riff turns us around and continues to dance but I’m hugging him while we dance.

I look around and see Tony, I tape Riff on the shoulder and he looks behind him and he sees Tony. We walk up to him and we let him join where the jets are at but he wanted to walk around.

Some of the Sharks come in the gymnasium doors, I already know what’s coming. I see María, I give her a little smile, We made an agreement that we would make little gestures to each other but we will make them not that obvious.

Riff and I kept on dancing and apparently Riff bumps into someone and then it turned into world war three, everyone yelling at each other, Riff screaming at the Shark in front of us and him holding close to me, I wanted to leave but we all hear a whistle and everyone payed attention to whoever blew the whistle.

The judge kept on telling us to behave, have you ever met Riff, he doesn’t behave at all. We do the dance but things go overboard, we ignore his orders so we danced on our own, it was so fun.

After the dance, Riff and I went somewhere, we went to West Point, where people go to make out. When we got there, he gets into the back seat and we start to make out. He gets my straps of my dress off my shoulders and he kisses my neck, I moan. He begins to give me hickeys which made me moan again. I get on top of him and begin to give him some hickeys, he holds me tight to keep me in place.

After a while, clothes on the car floor, moaning in the car, and the car is kinda rocking. Riff is going in and out of me. We’re protected don’t worry! I get on top of Riff and start to ride him. I can hear him groaning, I can hear other people screaming and groaning which makes me go faster, Riff sits up and kisses my chest.

After us making out, we get back home and my parents almost killed me because of the hickeys that Riff gave me but I don’t care, he’s so good to me that I sometimes forget that he’s done that to me before.

[twisting-echo]

Okay, great! So basically, this crossover pairing is between Minnie Mouse and Lola Bunny. Now, i know they both got canon partners, but this is in an alternate universe were they never got with Mickey and Bugs or have and it just didn't work out. I feel like they'd have a bit of a Roger and Jessica Rabbit dynamic with Lola being a very sensual character dating her very flustered and more cartoony like girlfriend, Minnie. Also Minerva Mink and Marvin the Martian vibes, if you're familiar with those two characters and the ship about them, tho Minnie isn't much like Marvin in terms of personality.

Oh my gosh! I'm a complete sucker for tall x short couple dynamics. I also love crossovers, so I throw canon to the wind.

I love this because I already ship Mickey and Bugs! 

2. I also remember that Pinky and the Brain episode where Minerva Mink and Marvin Martian were on a date, so I ship them too!

Alright, Anon, from what you've given me about this ship, all I can say is that I abso-freaking-lutely love it! They're adorable!

Minnie and Lola do work like Jessica and Roger and Minerva and Marvin in their own subtle ways. I feel like their personalities mesh really well together, and they make a very cute and sweet couple.

If we're talking about Space Jam 1996 Lola (the best Lola, in my opinion) and the classic 1980s-early 2000s Minnie Mouse, then they're a perfect match!

They also remind me of Betty Boop x Sally Swing, Kitty Softpaws x Dulcinea, and Velma Dinkley x Sally "Thorn" McKnight for some reason lol.

Thanks for the ship question Anon, I'll probably make a moodboard of this ship soon. 

I'm also down to talk more about this ship. ;3

[lemon-box]

My ideal scooby doo gang dynamic and their respective guiding personality traits:

Fred: AUTISTIC HIMBO WITH PARENTAL ISSUES & A SPECIAL INTEREST IN TRAPS! Pretty obvious, I basically think the mystery inc version of Fred is the most perfect one, minus the obsessive behavior he had towards Daphne in early season 2… I don’t think enough people talk about that side of MI Fred? It was honestly pretty uncomfortable, I think we could write it differently while still keeping the “I have abandonment/attachment issues w my girlfriend and it’s impacting us both” message. Either way, Fred is the himbo leader who owns the mystery machine, loves his friends, is reliable, and serves as comedic relief as well. He’s interested in mysteries because they’re the best way to make use of his traps & test out new ones.

Daphne: Daphne needs to be the one with social skills. That’s the one thing she has that the others don’t: she can network, has connections, and can use her parents’ infinite pool of money to just make any accommodations happen? Despite that she’s still very sweet, considerate, and one of the main 3 clue finders (them being Daphne, Shaggy, and Scooby). I don’t really mind her being in love with Fred or Velma (sorry Shaphne shippers), but I don’t think love interests should be necessary for any of the characters. In one of Daphne’s character profiles released in 1999, it stated that her life ambition is to become a mystery novel author. AND I ABSOLUTELY ADORE THAT I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH!!! That is such an easy yet clever way to not only give her more depth as a character but curiosity & motivation for these dangerous situations as well, I think it’s such a shame that no scooby doo media that I’ve seen has utilized that for her :(. Daphne is a people person, is resourceful, athletic, and the resident fashion expert. She’s interested in mysteries because they help & inspire her with her writing.

Velma: Velma is the dork nerd with a tumblr blog on mysteries/unsolved cases and is an absolute academic weapon. You KNOW she took AP chemistry in freshman year and got at least a 4 on the exam. She’s super smart, confident, her only hobbies are studying and solving mysteries, and I think she has the least social skills out of everyone which makes it a really fun dynamic with Daphne! She’s very observant, serious, and despite how hard it is for her to show affection, she really loves her friends, they’re her found family after all. I don’t really like iterations of Velma where she thinks everyone around her is an idiot and it feels like she actually hates the gang. If we can portray her as a teen with trouble showing affection instead of a teen who actually doesn’t feel it, I think the anger issues she had in MI could work really well. Velma is a nerd with sass, biggest believer in ghosts/monsters, walking encyclopedia, and dependent on her friends to get through when she can’t find a solution. She’s interested in mysteries because she is a naturally curious person who’s hungry for knowledge and for a chance to study the supernatural.

Shaggy (and scooby): Shaggy is the anxiety ridden, emotion driven anchor of the group. Yet despite his overwhelming feelings he’s the one who keeps everyone grounded. Everyone else gets so carried away with investigations, clues, and their ambition that they forget where the line is sometimes. But Shaggy is unaffected by that, at the end of the day he seeks security and safety, and he can remind everyone to stop and consider new perspectives. That makes him great at finding clues, him and scooby are always looking where the others aren’t, especially using scoob’s sense of smell and shaggy’s sense of taste. In the 2020 scoob movie they described them as the heart of the group, and in one scene daphne said “with shaggy and scooby gone there was no one to remind us to eat lunch…” AND THAT’S EXACTLY IT. THEY’RE COMEDIC RELIEF, THEY BRING EVERYONE TOGETHER, AND THEYRE GOOD AT FINDING CLUES. I also love iterations of Shaggy where he’s a chef. It’s not his lifelong passion, but he loves food so he loves making it, both for himself and everyone else. He believes food tastes better when shared with others. Shaggy is interested in mysteries because despite the dangerous situations, he feels emotionally safe around his friends, and he also likes traveling if it means he gets to add more food profiles to his palette! Solving mysteries allows him to grow not only as a person, but grow out of his very sheltered life which left him rather naive about the world, but he doesn’t know that yet :) thats where the character development comes in.

Short Scooby part: Along with Shaggy Scooby is a big part of the heart. He’s basically everyone’s emotional support dog, especially shaggy’s, and as a dog he can’t help but go where his weird nose takes him. He brings everyone together, is loyal to his empathy, and he’s interested in mysteries because he’s just happy to be around his friends. I think MI gave him a much bigger and more important role than scooby has ever had before, and frankly I think that’s an excellent use of his character, he makes for a great plot device, I need writers to utilize that.

[a-slut-for-smut]

*years later* thanks so much for the tag @lovelybeautifulpretty!! cant recall if i warned u before but i tend to go buckwild with these, sorry and your welcome :D

Here are top 10 fav films and surprise surprise, im just a hot mess of eclectic tastes 🤷‍♀️ in no particular order:

Robocop

This 80s masterpiece is a smart political satire/social commentary disguised as a comic book/action revenge movie that interweaves hilarious dark humor, ultraviolence and science fiction in a simple yet seamless plot. It will honestly SHOCK you just how much it has to say on American evolutions in capitalism, media influence, desensitization to violence, gentrification, and our perception of heroes, each in service of a greater conversation about identity and culture.

Atonement

I consider this film the pinnacle of an angsty/doomed romance executed perfectly on-screen: the performances, the cinematography, the music, EVERYTHING!! Funny story, me & the girlfriends went to see this in theaters expecting a typical period romance; left completely snot-dripping, bawling our eyes out. I shit you not, i felt the utter devastation from this film for WEEKS

Amelie

If there was a film to define the term "whimsy" then this is it!! Its so creatively rich, with such a fun and sweet art style in the characters, the way its filmed, the music, the romance- it'll make your heart ache for days.

Inglorious Basterds

I'm a big whore for Tarantino ever since Reservoir Dogs, but I consider film his ABSOLUTE masterpiece. The comedically distinct characters, the sharpness of dialogue, how he builds up the tension of scenes to the point of explosion with just a simple conversation- *CHEFS KISS*

Children of Men

This dystopian sci fi drama was made in 2005 but with all the social commentary woven into the background of the story, it is eerily topical in today's tumultuous political & social climate (which is very telling about us as a society I suppose). The director Alfonso Cuaron is a master at "show don't tell" filmmaking and it SHOWS. Also the tracking long shots in this film are something to witnessed, beheld even. Masterpiece.

Bridget Jones' Diary

My absolute FAV romantic comedy, i totally relate to this bumbling, epic disaster of a woman, even more so now that i'm 30+ like her. Fun fact, the plot is heavily inspired by Pride & Prejudice which is probably why i love it so much. Also Colin Firth 🥵 (which leads me to another fun fact- he was cast as Mark Darcy mainly due to the author's crush on him from his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1996 BBC miniseries which put him on the map, and rightly so. I know the film adaption is super popular, but any P&P fan NEEDS to watch this version, so so good)

Chicago

This musical ruined all theater musicals for me forever- the film adaptation is THAT good!!! The spectacle, the numbers, the PERFORMANCES- Catherine Zeta Jones slayed as Velma Kelly (also my ovaries), i love it so much that i watched it 3 times back to back on a flight i honestly couldnt get enough lol

Kung Fu Hustle

This film is Stephen Chow's magnum opus- an action comedy that blends kung-fu and all sorts of historical chinese references and homages of the directors favorite films, you can tell the passion and the fun that went into making this film and it really REALLY shows. I consider this a perfect execution of what a live-action anime could be, this film is an absolute blast and classic

Annihilation

I've got a bit of a cosmic/existential horror kink (where a form of media makes you question the world/life as we know it or triggers an existential crisis) and this film gets it RIGHT. It's a philosophical sci-fi thriller but is so much more with its themes of pain and identity, exploration of humanity's disposition for self destruction but also its unsettling visuals and soundtrack. Funny story, the sound design is so alien/unsettling that it spooked my cat from her nap and got her staring at the screen with wide eyes and an arched back trying to figure out what the eff was going on (me as well).

Also love how its an all female cast but its never mentioned in-film; just a bunch of capable women going to take care of business (i didnt even notice until my 2nd watch)- im a fan of this approach as it in effect "normalizes" this scenario whereas calling it out as if its special just highlights how it's an exception...anyway, its a horrifically beautiful film.

Sicario

Denis Villeneuve can do no wrong in my eyes (nor cinematographer Roger Deakins), a beautifully shot thriller that serves as a social commentary on how laws are meant to be broken, lines are drawn and then erased when convenient, as long as it serves a so-called greater purpose, that keeping a moral code is a futile effort. Brilliant performed and written, nuanced characters, glorious cinematography and a killer soundtrack (RIP Johan Johansson), A+++++

alright sorry for the long rambling post, cant help myself! Tagging a bunch a folks that seem alive per my notifs, no pressure of course!!!

@writebecauseyoucannotbreathe @nuri148 @your-lavender-dreams @warbarbie @levi4mikasa @onigiri-dorkk @helena-thessaloniki @misplacedgamer @lovely-apparitions @ally147writes @stalactice @vero-icon @mylienated @hellhorsedotjpg @magicalanchordestiny

[mxliv-oftheendless]

I Don’t Care

I dunno about you guys, but after the news from last night, I could use some levity. So here it is, with some hurt/comfort goodness! I also haven’t posted anything of StarVel in like, a while, so there’s that too. Hope you guys are all doing okay. @cosmicrealmofkissteria This one’s for you, boo. Enjoy!!

In which Starchild learns that Velma does not care.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Starchild was by nature a lively, energetic person. He loved life, and everything that came with it. 

Sometimes, though, it would happen where he would wake up in the morning and feel… not happy. Depressed. Like a dark cloud was hanging over him, sapping away any potential positive feelings he might have felt that day. He’d noticed it tended to happen during extended periods of stress, and he hated it. He didn’t feel like himself on these days; these days where he felt like all it would take was one more disaster to make him scream or cry or both. 

He tried acting like nothing was wrong. He tried to put on a smile and tried to get through the day. But sometimes it just became so difficult… 

Starchild entered his hotel room and flopped down on the couch with a heavy sigh. Today had been one of those days. He tried to maintain a facade, and he plastered on a smile and laughed and joked around during interviews and everything. But now that they were done for the day, he had nothing to distract him from the depressed, empty feelings swirling around inside him. 

Leaning his head back, Starchild closed his eyes. He just wanted to go to sleep and forget this day ever happened… 

… when suddenly his phone rang. 

And Starchild remembered; Velma was supposed to call today. They had set up a system where she would call him every week. He’d completely forgotten… How could you forget about your own girlfriend?

He reached for his phone and looked at the screen. Sure enough, there was his contact picture for Velma. He’d managed to snap a picture of her while she was in the middle of a fit of laughter. He pressed “answer” and pressed his phone to his ear. “Hello?” 

“Hi,” 

A faint smile drifted onto his face. “Hi, Velma. How are you?” 

“I’m okay. We’re in El Paso right now.” 

“Solving a mystery?” 

“Of course. Someone’s been pretending to be a ghost haunting the Magoffin Homestead…” 

Velma descended into an explanation of the mystery, going over what had been happening before and after they arrived and what clues she had found and the theories she had so far. Starchild stayed quiet, willing to listen with a small smile on his face. He just loved how enthusiastic she got about a mystery… 

Velma suddenly laughed sheepishly, snapping him out of his thoughts. “I’m sorry, I got excited,” 

“Hey, don’t apologize for that,” Starchild chuckled softly. It was the most he could give. “How is everyone? How are Shaggy and Scooby?” 

“They’re doing good. They did get thrown around by the supposed ghost earlier, but they’re fine now.” 

“And Daphne and Frank?” 

Velma sighed. “Are you ever going to call him Fred?” 

Starchild’s smile widened slightly. “Maybe someday,” 

“Fine… They’re good, too. They all told me to say hi for them.” 

“Great,” He wondered if Velma could hear how unenthusiastic his voice was. 

“Anyway, how about you? How are you doing?” 

“I’m… I’m doing all right…” his voice didn’t sound convincing. And if it didn’t sound convincing to him, then it probably didn’t sound convincing to Velma either. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yeah… Yeah, I’m sure.” 

“Were you busy today? You sound tired.” 

A good observation… He was tired. Tired of having this stupid feeling of depression keeping him from being happy. He just wanted to feel okay. He just wanted to feel normal. But instead he felt gloomy and depressed, and he hated it. 

Starchild closed his eyes and leaned his head back again. “Yeah, we were busy today. A lot of interviews… I am a little tired.” 

“You should get some sleep. You don’t have a show tonight, so it’s the perfect night to go to bed early.” 

A slight smile appeared again. He’d forgotten that Velma had memorized their tour schedule so she could figure out when to call him. “Yeah, I should do that…” The smile quickly faded, however. 

He sighed. God, why couldn’t he just feel normal? 

“Starchild?” There was Velma’s voice again. She sounded concerned. “Is everything okay?” 

For some reason, Starchild felt two conflicting feelings at once. He wanted to tell her, just pour out everything to her over the phone; but he also didn’t want to tell her, because what if she didn’t understand? What if she thought he was making it up for sympathy? But he also didn’t want to lie to her. He loved that Velma would never lie to him if she could help it; he couldn’t help wanting to do the same. 

“I… No…” He was just going to say it. “I just… felt really off today…” 

“Oh. Did something happen?” 

“I don’t know… I just, woke up and didn’t want to get out of bed. And I felt… I don’t know how to describe it, but gloomy?” 

“Blah? Daphne uses that word sometimes.” 

That suddenly was the perfect word for it. “That’s it; I just felt blah all day. Just, blah and gloomy and…” He suddenly didn’t want to say the word “depressed”. 

“Did… um��� did anything happen to make you feel blah?” 

Starchild would have smiled in any other case; Velma sounded unsure, meaning she was out of her comfort zone with asking that question. She was asking anyway, though, for him, and that was incredibly sweet. But as it was, he didn’t feel like smiling anymore. “No… But I think it might be because…” Was he really going to say it? Just confess everything to Velma over the phone? She was probably not expecting to have this conversation at all when she called. 

“Because of what?” 

Starchild swallowed. “Because sometimes I feel depressed. And I don’t know why. Just any random day I’ll wake up and suddenly I won’t want to get out of bed. But I know it’s because… years ago, I was diagnosed with depression.” 

The line was quiet for a long moment. Starchild’s heart raced in the moment that seemed to last forever as he waited for Velma to say something. 

“Oh…” finally came her response. “I see.” 

Starchild tugged on a piece of his hair. “It’s not so bad now. I have ways to handle it. But sometimes it just… comes back and takes me by surprise and I can never prepare for it. And I don’t know if that’s normal or not, for it to happen for years after getting help and therapy and everything. I didn’t tell you because… I didn’t know how you’d respond to it. I know I don’t act like I have depression or mental health problems…” He trailed off. 

Velma’s response came after another brief pause. “Are you… okay?” 

“I’m… No… Not right now. But if I get some sleep, I should be okay.” 

“Okay… I don’t care, you know.” 

Starchild’s heart froze dead. “... What?” She didn’t care? Did she not care that he had problems? Did she just think he was looking for sympathy? 

“I don’t care,” Velma repeated. “That you have depression, I mean.” 

The wave of relief that washed over Starchild at that was astounding. He sagged back against the couch. “Oh… You don’t care?” 

“No, I don’t. It’s not… you. Like, it doesn’t make you who you are. It’s only a facet of you. Part of your genetic makeup. But it isn’t your entire genetic makeup. If… If that makes sense.” 

A smile drifted onto Starchild’s face. “That makes sense.” She was trying to explain in her own Velma sort of way. “You’re sure you don’t care?” 

“I’m pretty sure. If you, um, ever want to talk about it, you can talk to me. If you want.” 

The smile widened slightly. “Thanks, Velma,” 

She sounded like she was smiling on her end of the line. “You’re welcome. You should probably go lie down now.” 

Starchild sighed softly. “I should… Thanks for calling.” 

“You’re welcome. Same time next week?” 

“Definitely. I love you.” 

“I love you too,” 

When Velma hung up, Starchild set his phone down and went to go lie down. He ended up drifting off to sleep. 

When he woke up the next morning, feeling refreshed and lighter, he went to his phone and found a message from Velma that had been sent the night before. It was a link to a Google Doc file, and when he opened it, he found it to be a document full of what looked to be webpages copied and pasted from the Internet, from several psychologists. And all of them were about how relapses of depression were common and manageable. 

Starchild smiled down at his phone and typed a reply. Just saw the google doc. Thanks :) 

To his surprise, his phone pinged a couple minutes later. You’re welcome :)

You know you didn’t have to do that for me, right? 

It’s fine. I don’t care. 

[theforgottenmcrmy]

After All (Part 8/?)

Pairing: Riff X OC Jet Girl

Warnings: Explicit Language, Mild Sexism, Racism (Schrank should be his own warning, really), Violence

Summary: They were supposed to be playing a couple, after all.

Word Count: 8200 ish.

DISCLAIMER

Please note that this is a reimagining of the film West Side Story (2021) and as a result is slightly AU.

Masterlist /// Part 1 /// Part 7 /// Part 8 /// Part 9

A/N: Thank you all so much for your support on the previous part, and for your patience while I worked to get this one out. It really means a lot, and I’m sorry this one took some extra time. I hope this part, which is the longest to date, makes up for the wait. I feel a bit iffy about this part too, but the more I write this story, the more I’m realizing two things: 1- when I’m stuck, it’s easier for me to go into the POV of one of the side characters, and 2- I’m struggling between not rushing the story while still making sure the plot doesn’t drag out. If you guys have any specific feedback about either of those notes, I’d love to hear your thoughts, and please feel free to let me know.

I also wanted to note that, although it’s probably been noticed, I’ve taken some liberty with the characters’ SO pairings and appearances, namely Velma and Diesel. When I first started this story, I wasn’t able to find a whole lot of the 2021 character pairing references, so I used what I could find on the internet from various productions of WSS and their character descriptions. Some had Velma paired with Diesel, some paired her with Ice, and I even saw one production had omitted Graziella entirely and paired Velma with Riff(?). Obviously, I know now that Velma is with Mouthpiece in the 2021 WSS film, but I hope this isn’t too confusing for anyone. Any time there is a divergence from the 2021 film, I’ll try to make it obvious what it is, like I’ve tried to do with Velma and Diesel. If I can clear anything up for anyone, please feel free to let me know.

I’ll stop rambling now. I hope you enjoy! :)

Part Eight: Something Nefarious

“So, tell me more about your friends.”

Velma and Roxie were walking through the neighborhood the following Sunday morning. She had called Roxie earlier in the morning and asked if she wanted to spend some more time catching up. Neither had gone to church on Sunday mornings since they were each a lot younger, so it was an easy request for Roxie to accept.

It was a nice enough day, but the longer the morning went on, the hotter it became. Since it was in the middle of the morning, neither of them were particularly concerned with running into any trouble, either.

The pair strolled past Doc’s, and as they did, Roxie spared a forlorn glance through the shop’s front window. The bars were pulled across the storefront, blocking most of the view inside. The store was closed, as Doc’s had always been on Sundays. Still, Roxie held a brief hope that it would be open just this once. 

She remembered the look Valentina had given her last week when she saw her with Riff. While she knew she wouldn’t be able to tell Valentina the truth about what she had seen, she was hopeful that she could come up with something in order to ease the woman’s mind.

“Roxie?”

“Yeah?” she asked, her eyes still focused on the store window.

Velma tugged on her arm lightly, encouraging her along. Roxie finally tore her eyes away from the window, and allowed herself to be led down the sidewalk. “These friends of yours- the ones visiting next week,” Velma continued, “tell me about them.”

Roxie sighed thoughtfully.. “Well… there’s David, and his girlfriend Carol.”

Roxie had had a composition course with David her first semester. The two had assigned seats next to each other. Although Roxie was glad to be given the opportunity to be in a new part of the city and make some friends, she had been very nervous about it. If David noticed that, he paid it no mind. She swore that his jokes would make even a corpse laugh.

Carol was David’s girlfriend. She was sweet and polite, but very reserved. She was almost the opposite of David, but their demeanors complimented each other. Still, Most of Roxie’s previous friends had rather boisterous personalities, so it had been quite an adjustment at first.

“Is that everyone?” Velma asked.

No. Roxie hesitated for another moment before continuing. “There’s also Carol’s brother, Michael.”

Velma smiled to herself, noting Roxie’s obvious pause. “I see… I’m guessing Carol introduced the two of you?”

Roxie nodded wordlessly.

Velma could tell there was more that Roxie was not sharing. “So you became friends with Michael as well?” she pried, smiling knowingly.

“He took me out on a few dates,” Roxie admitted reluctantly, sensing that Velma wouldn’t drop the subject. She internally cursed the fact that the other young woman was so observant. “But when the summer came around, and I knew I was headed back here,” she vaguely gestured to the surrounding area, “we mutually agreed that we should just be friends.”

“That’s a shame,” Velma commented. “Was it serious?”

Roxie laughed once. “No.”

“Did you have any classes with him?” Velma asked, her curiosity unrelenting.

Roxie shook her head. “He’s an assistant professor for a few literature courses.”

“You don’t say…” Velma mused whimsically. “Roxie, seeing an older fella. Who would’ve guessed?”

Roxie half-smiled. “He’s nice,” she pointed out. “And he’s really not that old… but it was a bit hard to find some things in common at first.”

It was true; Michael was just a few years older than the rest of them, but there were additional circumstances to consider as well. Michael and Carol’s family were in a whole other social class than Roxie and her mother had ever been in. They were raised to be prim and proper, and they spoke eloquently. An explicit word would never be heard coming from either of their mouths. Roxie remembered the one time she had accidentally let a curse slip in front of them- David thought it was a bit funny, Carol frowned at her disapprovingly, and Michael acted uncomfortable throughout dinner and the rest of the evening.

Velma merely chuckled at Roxie’s description. “Well, I’d like to meet them at some point this summer, if that’s alright with you.”

Roxie wasn’t quite sure about that idea. On one hand, Michael and Carol weren’t likely to hold Velma in very high regard, even though Roxie and her had come from nearly identical backgrounds. They wouldn’t say anything outright about it-  they’d never said a bad word about Roxie before- but Roxie would be lying if she said that she hadn’t ever felt embarrassed around them. On the other hand, Roxie wasn’t sure Velma deserved to be subjected to such scrutiny at all- even if it was silent.

“We’ll see,” Roxie replied after a moment of thought.

Velma sighed thoughtfully. “Can I ask you something?” 

Roxie nodded, eager to change the subject.

“Did you ever get around to talking to Riff?”

Although Roxie was eager to change the subject, she was not super willing to discuss that subject with Velma instead.

She knew she couldn’t tell Velma the truth. Even back in the day, the only person who knew what Riff and Roxie were up to on the nights they went to gambling houses was Tony. Maybe some of the other guys had started to form their own ideas about it, but to her knowledge, Riff never told them the truth. Likewise, Roxie had never told Velma, or the other girls, exactly what they had been up to. Maybe part of her had been embarrassed of it, but another part of her enjoyed having some secrecy between her and Riff. The Jets were a family, and they spent so much time together that it was hard to keep some things private, let alone have some guaranteed alone time with Riff. On some days, Roxie would do just about anything Riff suggested they do in just to get a few minutes of alone time with him.

Velma was looking at her, waiting on an answer.

“I ran into him a few days ago,” Roxie lied. “We talked some things out.” That part wasn’t so much a lie, but it wasn’t the entire truth.

Velma seemed surprised, but pleased. “Really? I’m glad to hear that.”

“Why do you ask?” Roxie questioned then, starting to grow a bit suspicious of her motives.

“There’s this dance next month,” Velma began. “Some local person or other organized it for the neighborhood, but I doubt any of the older folks will go. They’re calling it the Midsummer’s Dance, you see,” she informed her. “Me, Grazi, and the girls were planning to go dress shopping soon. If things aren’t awkward with you and Riff anymore, I was hoping you would feel up to coming with us when we do.”

Velma seemed thrilled by the idea, but Roxie wasn’t convinced. Roxie wasn’t so sure Riff would want her hanging around the Jets or their girls after their personal business with Asim was settled. Though Velma would insist on maintaining her friendship with Roxie regardless, she had no idea if any of the other girls had any interest in rekindling their friendship with her at all.

There was also the fact that Roxie hadn’t given much thought to how she felt about Grazi and Riff. She avoided thinking about them at all when it was possible, but it still crossed her mind more times than she cared to admit. If they were seeing each other, even if it was casual, they were likely to go to the dance together. Roxie could keep her composure in public, but seeing them together would undoubtedly stir up the complicated feelings that she’d been trying to ignore for a few weeks.

“Come on, Roxie,” Velma begged.

“I don’t exactly have the extra funds to be spending on dresses,” Roxie reminded her patiently.

“I know, but life’s too short,” Velma insisted. “What difference is the cost of a dress going to matter in the long run? I think the other girls would be happy to see you, I really do.”

Roxie looked at Velma’s eager expression, and as much as she knew it probably wasn’t a wise idea, she was in no rush to dash her hopes. “We’ll see.”

“Just think about it,” Velma pleaded. “That’s all I ask. I think going dancing would do you some good; you ought to give yourself a break.” She thought for a moment before adding, “You could even ask that fella of yours to take you when he visits next week.”

Roxie snickered to herself. She had loved going to dances in the past, but the thought of the ever-so-serious Michael escorting her to a dance and actually dancing seemed so far out of the realm of possibility that it was downright humorous.

The two had been so engrossed in their conversation, Roxie hadn’t realized that they had made their way around the block, and were already approaching her apartment complex.

Velma stopped, looked across the street towards the park, and seemingly spotted someone. Without a word, she glanced both ways down the street, and pulled Roxie along with her as she crossed the street.

“Velma!” Roxie gasped, having no choice but to allow Velma to lead her across the street as she noticed a cab coming down the block. Once they reached the other side of the street, Velma released her grip on her wrist. “What’s wrong?” Roxie demanded.

“Wrong?” Velma repeated blankly, her eyes still focused on something inside the park. “Nothing’s wrong.”

Roxie followed her gaze across the park. She immediately spotted a group of Jets playing a game on the basketball court and a few more who were lingering beyond the court in front of the large wall.

“Diesel!” Velma called across the park cheerfully. Since it was a Sunday morning, the people in the park were sparse, save for the Jets, and Velma’s voice had no problem carrying across the space.

Diesel stood up straight from his spot on the basketball court, and turned to look at the pair of them. As soon as he did, Big Deal swiped the ball he had been dribbling. Diesel didn’t seem to mind as he waved back at his girlfriend with a dopey smile on his face.

Velma looked at Roxie curiously, unable to hide her own smile.

Roxie frowned at her, knowing with absolute certainty that Velma must have planned this.

“Shall we go say hello?” Velma suggested, though she was already on the move before Roxie could respond.

————————————————————————————

Riff leaned back against the large wall in the park, watching as some of the guys enjoyed a game of basketball.

Most of the PRs were dutifully religious, and their attendance at Sunday morning mass all but guaranteed a Shark-free park for a few hours every week. While Riff wasn’t too concerned about the Jets holding their own if trouble arose, even the Jets deserved to have a rest day, too.

Action had yet to show up, and if Riff had to guess, he was still dead to the world. Hopefully, he had found a decent place to crash. Riff knew Action had been having some trouble with his father lately, and he wondered just how long it would be until Action came to him and asked for a place to stay. His apartment was always open to him, and the other Jets, if needed. Although, Riff had given some thought to how nice it would be to not be woken up by Diesel’s snoring or Gee-Tar’s middle of the night rummaging through the fridge, which was already poorly stocked.

Riff heard a call across the park, and his eyes curiously wandered over to the entrance, where he immediately spotted Velma, along with a second girl. A moment later, Velma made her way across the park towards them, all but dragging the second girl along with her.

It was Roxie.

Riff watched intriguingly as the two finally approached the group. Diesel immediately abandoned his position in the ongoing game, leaving a few of the guys to mumble angrily for a moment before the guys on the other team took the ball into their possession. Velma met him halfway, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger as the two began to converse.

Roxie stood a bit aways from them. The look on her face was one of frustration, and Riff could hardly blame her. He pushed off the large wall, and Ice, who was beside him, watched him curiously as he made his way over to her.

“Mornin’,” Riff greeted her with his trademark smile.

Roxie spared him a quick glance. Although she still looked a bit irritated, Riff noticed her composure slip, even if it was for a moment. “Hi,” she replied shortly, her eyes still focused on Velma and Diesel nearby. Eventually, she tore her eyes away from the couple, and looked up at him. “Is the shop not open today?”

Riff shook his head. “Nah… it’s the Lord’s day, after all,” he added playfully.

This earned a laugh from Roxie, who knew he had never been particularly religious. “Right,” she replied, a small smile on her lips.

Her eyes trailed back over to the rest of the playground, and she and Riff noticed at the same time just how many of the Jets’ eyes were on them. Most of them, upon realizing they had been caught, went back to their business, but a few of them, like Ice, continued to watch, and exchanged knowing glances with one another.

Riff knew the word about how Roxie swung by the auto shop the previous week had spread like wildfire. None of the guys had mustered up the courage to talk about it in front of him, but he could only imagine what their conversations entailed when he wasn’t around.

“Word travels fast, huh?” Roxie commented.

Riff nodded sheepishly. “Can’t blame ‘em- they’re just curious.”

Roxie frowned, and looked up at him once again. “You still haven’t told any of them, right?”

“Besides Action and Ice? No,” Riff confirmed quickly. “But, you did come barging into the garage last week. They don’t know why. They’re probably just tryin’ to figure it out.”

Roxie merely hummed in response. Then, a thought struck her. “You know,” she began, her tone suddenly conspiratorial, “I could give them an actual reason to talk.”

He smirked, humoring her. “Oh, yeah?” he challenged playfully.

“I could wring my hands around your neck,” she proposed as she looked back towards the guys in the distance, the smile she wore never leaving her face. “Just for good measure.”

Riff smiled to himself, shaking his head once in slight surprise. “Ya know, Roxie,” he replied, “I’m glad all those textbooks didn’t dull your sense of humor.”

“Makes two of us.”

Riff sighed, and looked over at Velma and Diesel, who were still engrossed in their conversation. It was clear that they would be busy for some time still.

“Ready for tomorrow night?” Riff asked Roxie then, lowering his voice.

The previous Thursday, the two of them had gone to the second of the three gambling houses they planned to hit. They weren’t nearly as successful as they had been at the first one- although that was to be expected. On the first night, the over four hundred dollars they’d brought back had been the most they had won in a single night. They managed to win two hundred dollars in total last Thursday.

After they split the winnings evenly, Riff still needed almost another two hundred dollars of his own in order to pay off Asim in full, which meant the pair had to win almost four hundred dollars again the next night, on Monday. Riff was still supposed to meet with Asim on Wednesday, so they wouldn’t have another opportunity. It was Monday night, or nothing.

Roxie nodded in response, though Riff noted the look of worry that crossed her face.

“It’ll be fine,” he assured her. He kept a straight face, almost painfully aware of how many eyes were on them at that particular moment. “One more night, and we’ll never have to go again.”

“Good,” Roxie quipped, finally speaking. “I’m getting more nervous the longer this goes on,” she admitted.

“Don’t worry about it,” Riff dismissed her concerns, as he had several times already over the past week or so. When she frowned at him, he added, “No one’s caught on yet, and at this point, they never will.”

————————————————————————————

Lieutenant Schrank had pulled the short end of the stick in terms of shifts for the month.

Why he, a lieutenant, could not be spared from Sunday patrol duty was beyond his understanding. Did rank really mean nothing in the department anymore? Maybe if he got promoted to captain he’d be able to have some of the scheduling administrators actually listen to his requests for once. His wife was really starting to grind on his nerves, and was always insisting that he was going to a dark place for repeatedly missing church, like it had been his choice.

His usual partner, Sergeant Davis, had called off sick earlier in the morning. ‘Sick’. As if Schrank hadn’t been going drink for drink with him in the fancy new downtown bar the previous night. He himself was still nursing a hangover, but he wouldn’t have taken back those few glasses of top shelf whiskey for anything in the world.

Today, he was riding with Sergeant Krupke. Schrank and Krupke had been in the same precinct for years. Sergeant Krupke was a good officer, and always followed the command of the organization’s big brass without a second thought. But the more time Schrank spent with him, the more he realized that Krupke’s view on the world was tinted a bit differently than his own.

Krupke failed to realize the connection between the increasing number of immigrants in the neighborhood and the rise in local crime. At least they were both on the same page when it came to the Jets.

The police cruiser came to a stop on the street just before the playground entrance.

Sergeant Krupke killed the engine. He looked past Schrank, out the passenger side window and across the playground. “It’s just like ya said,'' he acknowledged, eyeing the Jets playing on the basketball court and lingering by the large concrete wall covered by graffiti with narrow eyes.

Schrank knew the Jets would be here. Since he had been assigned Sunday patrol for the past few weeks, he had put his shifts to good use, and tried to scope out any patterns. The Jets had been populating the park on Sunday mornings more frequently recently. If Schrank had to guess, it was due to the fact that Bernardo and the rest of the Sharks made themselves sparse, choosing to appease their God in the local Catholic churches instead.

“They don’t seem like they're up to anythin’, though,'' Sergeant Krupke added after Schrank said nothing after a few moments.

“Not yet,” Schrank agreed. “But ya know what it’s like with these boys, only a matter of time before they get up to somethin’.”

Schrank was counting on it. He knew the likelihood of the Jets leaving the Sharks and other Puerto Ricans alone were slim to none, despite the fact that even if they came out on top, there soon would be no terrain left for them to claim. The Jets were almost like caged dogs in a way- barking and snarling at anything that dared to get close to the cage, all the while failing to realize that regardless of what they did, they’d always be trapped in the cage. The freedom beyond it was quickly slipping away.

He’d have felt sorry for them, if Schrank hadn’t faced similar obstacles himself. He overcame the shitty life he was born into and made a better one for himself. What was it about this lot of hooligans that failed to understand that? Maybe they had mothers who dropped them on their heads one too many times.

If the Jets wanted to continue to cause trouble until the New York Committee on Slum Clearance was done with the West Side, and they would, Schrank would capitalize on their stupidity. They wanted to cause trouble? Fine, he’d lock them up. He’d get a good ol’ pat on the back for keeping the peace from the Police Commissioner and if he was lucky, another promotion. And if he got to lock up a few of the Puerto Ricans too along the way, that would be just icing on the cake.

Watch out world- Captain Schrank is comin’ for ya.

“Doubt they’ll act up in front of the ladies, Lieutenant,” Sergeant Krupke asserted.

Schrank’s pleasant daydream was dissolved quickly at his fellow officer’s observation. His brows furrowed as his eyes rapidly scanned the far end of the park, soon noting the two figures in dresses he’d somehow missed a few moments before. There was a redhead by the basketball court who was talking to who appeared to be Diesel. Must be his girl.

The brunette had her back turned to him. She was in the middle of a deep conversation with another Jet, who was also facing away from him. However, Schrank knew the back of that head- he had put it in a police cruiser once, and had thrown it into the precinct holding cell more times than he cared to count.

Once Schrank realized that it was Riff, he only needed another moment to realize who he must’ve been talking to.

“Well, well, Ms. Thomas…” he trailed off. “Catchin’ up with old friends, are we?” Hadn’t he advised her against that when he ran into her last week?

Well, if she wanted to get caught up in trouble, again, so be it. The next promotion was practically dangling right in front of him if he was brave enough to take the chance to grab it.

“Those two,” he said, this time to Krupke directly, “They’re up to somethin’, I can feel it.”

————————————————————————————

The third gambling house was located underneath the backroom of a butcher shop.

Even though Riff was by her side, Roxie had a bad feeling as they approached the shop. It was almost sunset, and the street lamps had already come on for the night. The shop was dimly lit, but she could still see the corpse of a pig hanging on the other side of the storefront window.

Riff didn’t notice her hesitation as he held the door open for her. She entered the store quickly, ignoring her nagging feelings and the goosebumps that were adorning her arms. She let Riff do the talking to the clerk behind the service desk, as he had mostly done the past two times.

Just a minute later, they’d been shown the back room and entered the basement. The two took a moment to take in the surroundings. The room was pretty similar to the past two gambling houses- it was filled with patrons, smoke, and the rustling of chips along the playing tables.

Roxie knew that they had to come up with another decent win that night- another four hundred or so. That fact only served to worsen her nerves, which were already acting up.

She tried her best to put on the facade, forcing herself to smile at and make small, flirtatious talk with the other patrons at the table Riff was playing at. But after an hour or so, Riff excused himself from the table, and pulled her aside.

“What’s goin’ on?” he demanded once they were out of anyone nearby’s earshot, obviously confused by her nervous behavior. She didn’t blame him, she’d been able to make it through the past two nights with a cool composure.

Roxie but her lip. “I’m sorry,” she began. “I think my nerves about this whole thing are finally getting to me.”

Riff, to her surprise, seemed receptive to her admission. The frustrated look on his face fell, and it was quickly replaced with a look of concern. “Oh,” he replied quietly.

Roxie wasn’t sure what to make of his sudden change in attitude, and as a result, her eyes fell to the floor. She flinched ever so slightly as he placed his hands on her upper arms lightly, forcing her to look him in the eyes once again.

“Just… just try to keep cool, yeah?” Riff requested, a hopeful look in his eyes. “Don’t worry about talkin’. Let me focus on building up the pot, then I’ll let you take over.”

Roxie nodded in agreement, and his arms fell back to his sides.

“Just a few more hours,” he told her then, his tone surprisingly soothing. “Then we’ll be golden.”

Riff held out a hand to her. Surprised again, she glanced up at him for a moment, and waited for him to crack some joke or withdraw his hand. He didn’t.

Roxie sighed, and tried to will herself to calm down as she placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her back over to one of the tables. Business, this is just business, she reminded herself several times, ignoring the butterflies that were quickly replacing the nerves in her stomach.

They were supposed to be playing a couple, after all.

————————————————————————————

Roxie took Riff’s advice. She kept quiet, and he won many hands on his own. She had to admit that he’d always been good at poker, with or without her by his side.

She watched Riff contentedly for the next few hours; watching him strategize and bluff his way through a card game had always been entertaining to her. His brows furrowed as he contemplated his hand and potential odds. A small smile, apparently unnoticeable to the other players, threatened to crack his calm composure whenever he had a particularly good hand.

Eventually, an unsuspecting victim with a large stack of chips joined the table. Upon seeing this, all the other players but Riff left once they folded their hands.

Roxie finally felt calm, and it was a hell of a timing. She gave the signal to Riff by placing a hand on his shoulder and tapping her four fingers lightly in quick succession.

Riff seemed to have read her mind. As the dealer dealt their next hand of cards, he made small talk with the man in an effort to lower his guard. It worked like a charm.

The two played a few hands, and as they did, Roxie made a point to make her presence particularly obvious. She basically leaned over Riff’s shoulder, occasionally allowing her fingers to dance across his back playfully. When the other man gave her a curious look, she smiled warmly at him, sheepishly explaining how fascinating the game was to her, despite how confusing it all seemed.

It wasn’t but a few hands later that the man requested Riff to allow “his lady” to play a hand on his behalf. Riff put on a show of uncertainty for some time before ultimately relenting, allowing Roxie to take his seat.

Roxie lost the first hand, but she wasn’t too concerned. She only placed a small bet, wanting to test the waters. 

Besides, her immediate failure seemed to further convince the other player that he was about to take candy from a baby, so to speak. The man smiled smugly to himself as he gathered his winnings from the middle of the table, and Roxie had to remind herself that the disappointed look that would soon cross his face would be worth biting her tongue in the meantime.

Her next hand proved to be a straight flush. She raised the bet by a large amount, feeling a great sense of satisfaction when the other player called her bet. Hook. Line. Sinker.

When the pair revealed their cards, she smiled to herself. As she watched the man throw his hands up in anger, and felt Riff clap her on the shoulder approvingly, she realized that it was the happiest she had felt in a long, long time.

————————————————————————————

“Did we do it?” Roxie hopefully asked Riff as they waited in line to exchange their chips for cash at the table near the exit.

Riff looked at the piles of chips in his hands. He wanted to count them on the spot, but he felt pretty confident about his answer regardless. “Think so,” he answered her, not being able to contain the smile on his face.

Roxie smiled back at him.

Riff stepped up to the table when it was their turn, and set the chips down to be counted. As he did so, Roxie took a final glance around the room, feeling an odd sense of contentment. They had played the game, and won. Gambling may have been a vice, but it was hard to condemn it when the feeling of walking away with more money than they had brought felt so damn good.

Riff watched as the woman on the opposite side of the table finished counting the chips and began to count out stacks of cash in exchange. He felt pretty satisfied himself, and his eyes glazed over a bit as the pile of bills grew right before his eyes.

A harsh tug at his arm shattered his daze.

Riff’s head snapped up towards Roxie, who was looking at him with wide, fearful eyes. Suddenly feeling alert, he watched as she pointed across the room.

Who he saw made his blood run cold. What are the odds?

The man Roxie had beaten on the last hand was engrossed in a conversation with a man whose face Riff would never forget so long as he lived. He had a wide set jaw, and oily, combed over hair that laid precisely upon his head. Small, beady eyes watched the two of them from underneath his fedora as he sat in a seat at a table across the far end of the room. As the man who had played at their table just a few minutes before continued to speak to him, the man in the chair nodded along. His narrowed eyes never left Riff and Roxie.

The last time Riff had seen the man was well over a year ago. It was the same night Schrank had caught him and Roxie on their way back from that other gambling house. The memories were nearly entrained in his mind, and they would have been even without the occasional nightmare he still experienced.

That night, the pair had made it outside and were feeling understandably giddy about their winnings. Once they had made it out of the building, Roxie had leaned in for a kiss, which quickly got heated. Riff blindly directed them into the nearby alleyway for a moment of privacy. Once he did, they both heard voices on the opposite end of the alley. Riff and Roxie had mostly been hidden by the poor lighting, but the moonlight breaking through the cloud cover illuminated two figures at the opposite end of the alleyway. The pair had watched in silence as the two figures got into an argument. The details were a bit murky, but it had likely been over money.

At some point, one of the figures in the alleyway had pulled out something shiny and metallic from his back pocket. The sudden bang of the gun caused both Riff and Roxie to jump. When one of the bodies collapsed to the ground, Roxie had involuntarily gasped, and although Riff had put a hand over her mouth to stifle the noise, it had been too late. The man holding the fun spotted them, and when he did, they each got a good look at him.

It was the same man staring at Riff and Roxie in that particular moment. It was clear by the expression on his face that he had gotten a good look at the both of them that night, too.

“Here you go.”

The woman at the table behind them broke Riff’s racing thoughts. He turned quickly and wordlessly took their winnings from her.

Roxie was still staring at the man across the room, most likely in a bit of shock. Riff grabbed her by the arm as gently as he could, but still firmly, and began walking her past the table and towards the exit.

“Put this in your purse,” Riff instructed, determined to keep his focus. He handed her the money, and watched as she quickly put the money away. Once she was done, she looked up at him, waiting for his next move. “We’re gonna head out, now,” he informed her, forcing his voice to be steady. “Go slowly.”

Roxie nodded, and turned to head up the stairs towards the exit. Riff was right on her heels.

————————————————————————————

Just a few more hours, Schrank told himself as Krupke drove the squad car through the neighborhood.

It was early morning, and while Schrank had nursed several cups of coffee throughout the night to keep himself awake, Krupke’s method of choice was to whistle songs as he drove. If Schrank heard one more note, he contemplated ‘accidentally’ spilling some of the cup the coffee he was currently drinking on the other man.

Schrank knew that wouldn’t be entirely professional, so he quickly chose to focus on something else. The entire shift had been relatively uneventful. They’d broken up one drunken quarrel outside a bar a few hours beforehand, but other than that, they had been patrolling around the neighborhood for what felt like hours.

Although, the scene Schrank witnessed in the park the previous morning was intriguing. He had decided that Riff and Ms. Thomas were up to something, again, and this time, he was determined to figure out exactly what that was.

His mind wandered to possible theories as Krupke continued to whistle.

————————————————————————————

Roxie walked stiffly beside Riff as they briskly made their way down the  dimly lit sidewalk. Her hands were wrapped tightly around her purse in an effort to secure their winnings.

“Is he still back there?” she asked him under her breath.

Riff looked over his shoulder, noting that the man Roxie had played the hand against was still behind them. He was grateful it wasn’t the man wearing the fedora, considering he was the one they had seen shoot a man a year and a half ago, but it was clear that this man was connected to that man in some way, shape, or form. If Riff had to guess, the man in the fedora gave him the order to follow them after he learned what they had done and remembered who they were.

The man had been following them for quite some time, even going so far as to stalk them across neighborhoods. Riff and Roxie were re-entering the West Side, and he still hadn’t given up.

Riff looked forward once more and nodded a single time.

Roxie cursed under her breath. “I don’t understand,” she said, flustered. “If he’s going to do something, why doesn’t he just do it?”

Riff wasn’t sure what the man’s motivations were, either. If he had wanted to, the man could have easily shot them both by now. But he hadn’t. “Maybe he doesn’t think we know,” Riff suggested. The man had been making an effort to linger quite a bit behind them- keeping a distance of about a block or so.

“If he’s not going to hurt us, why follow us at all?” Roxie wondered out loud. “Unless…”

Riff spared another glance over his shoulder as his mind went through all of the possibilities.

He’s followin’ us to see where we live.

Roxie realized the man’s plan at the same as Riff. “We can’t go back to my apartment.”

That much was clear- even if she made it inside alright, what was to stop them from sending someone over to her apartment another day? The building wasn’t exactly Fort Knox. Someone up to no good could easily charm their way inside and have the run of the place.

“Can’t go back to the shop, either,” Riff added. 

If the man followed them back to the auto shop, he’d know where to find Riff. Riff couldn’t guarantee that the Jets would limit their trips to and from the shop, especially if he couldn’t give them a reason why. They’d be making themselves easy targets and they wouldn’t even have a clue.

“Riff, what’re we supposed to do?” Roxie asked. She wasn’t outright panicked, but she was pretty far from calm. He watched her out of the corner of her eyes, noting the way she firmly focused on the sidewalk up ahead. “We can’t just walk around the West Side for the rest of the night!”

“I know, I know,” Riff acknowledged. His concern was growing more and more by the minute as well, but allowing Roxie to see that would most likely do more harm than good. “Just keep walking; let’s give ourselves a few minutes to figure somethin’ out.”

If the guy wasn’t going to jump to violence, they had time to think things through. Maybe if Riff took the money from Roxie, and told her to split off, the guy would just follow him, and Roxie would be free to head home without being tailed.

But Ice and Action had to be nearby, Riff remembered. How could he have forgotten that he had asked them both to stake out the way back from the gamlbing houses? He’d asked them just in case something exactly like this happened.

If Ice and Action were smart, they were lingering in the alleyways, staying out of sight. No doubt they had noticed the man following them by now. Though they wouldn’t know why Riff and Roxie were being followed, he knew they’d infer that it wasn’t for any good reason. If Riff spotted Ice and Action, he wondered if he could subtly communicate with them. Whether the man following them had a gun or not, Riff liked his odds of three versus one a lot better than the idea of trying to take down the guy himself if push came to shove.

Headlights coming towards them pulled Riff from his thoughts. The car passed them quickly, and as it did, Riff noted that it was a police cruiser.

————————————————————————————

As the cruiser barreled down the empty street, Krupke’s whistling continued.

Suddenly, Schrank noticed a pair of figures on the sidewalk up ahead. He glanced at his watch, noting that it was nearly three in the morning.

“Who in their right mind would be up and about at this hour?” Sergeant Krupke asked, noting the figures as well.

Folks up to no good, that’s who.

Schrank took a gander at the figures, who were facing him, as the car passed them. When he realized who they were, his jaw hit the floor. “I knew it!” he exclaimed suddenly, causing Krupke to flinch beside him. “Did ya see that, Sergeant?”

Krupke nodded, but then his brows furrowed. “Wait… who’s that?” he asked, as pointing over the steering wheel.

Schrank’s eyes followed Krupke’s gesture further down the road where he spotted a third figure walking down the sidewalk. Schrank glanced back at Krupke, who was looking at the third figure with narrow eyes as the car passed him.

“That face…” Krupke began, “I know him from somewhere.”

“Turn the car around, Sergeant,” Schrank instructed.

Riff and Ms. Thomas were up to something nefarious, he was sure of it. The scene in the park must’ve been a meet up to hash out details- now they were in the thick of it… whatever it was.

He was going to get to the bottom of it, and as soon as he did, that next promotion would be calling his name.

————————————————————————————

“That’s the second time that cruiser has passed us,” Roxie noted.

“It’s not like we can flag ‘em down,” Riff told her firmly, having a feeling what she was about to suggest. They couldn’t exactly ask the officers inside the cruiser for help, not without explaining what they were doing out so late, why they were being followed, or why Roxie was gripping her purse like it was a life preserver and she was drowning in the middle of the ocean.

Riff looked up the block, and sighed in relief when he noticed a familiar silhouette suddenly walking down the sidewalk towards them.

As Action took long strides, he shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jacket and kept his head down low. Despite this, he managed to lock eyes with Riff, who watched him silently as he waited for Action to give him some kind of sign.

As Action passed the pair, he told Riff under his breath, “Ice is up ahead.”

Riff wasn’t sure what Action meant by his statement, and judging by the look on her face, Roxie didn’t either. 

Nevertheless, they continued down the sidewalk. Roxie was right beside him, matching his pace step for step. He wrapped his hand lightly around her arm just in case they needed to make a quick move. She allowed him to do so, and didn’t move away.

When Roxie was suddenly pulled into the next alleyway they passed, Riff went along with her.

————————————————————————————

Sergeant Krupke drove the police cruiser around the block for a third time. He was thankful for the shift’s sudden change in pace- whistling to himself to stay awake only tended to do so much.

He’d had to have to be blind for him to miss that Lieutenant Schrank was determined to bust Riff and Ms. Thomas for something. Schrank’s nose was nearly pressed up against the glass of the window as his eyes were glued to the passing sidewalks.

Krupke wasn’t so sure that Schrank’s hunch was worth the effort. Riff was a troublemaker, sure, and he remembered the girl, Ms. Thomas, used to run with Riff and the Jets a few years ago. Maybe they were up to no good at this hour.

But what exactly was Schrank planning to do? Throw the two of them in a cell just for being out in the middle of the night? Neither of them had any proof. Krupke didn’t doubt Schrank’s ability to craft some though, if he so desired.

Personally, he was far more concerned with the third figure they’d seen. He was heading the same direction as the other two, but seemed to be hanging back a bit. That face… he’d seen that face somewhere, but where?

Krupke was still racking his brain as Lieutenant Schrank suddenly cursed beside him after he turned the cruiser back onto the same street for the third time. “What?” he asked him then.

“They’re gone!” Schrank exclaimed, and Krupke knew who he was referring to. Sure enough, when Krupke looked down the sidewalk up ahead, both Riff and the girl were gone, and had seemingly disappeared without a trace.

Schrank groaned frustratedly. “Where’d they go?”

Krupke pulled the cruiser over and put the vehicle in park. Schrank could get out and look for the two on foot if he wanted to, but Krupke wasn’t going to waste any more of the department’s gasoline budget trying to appease Schrank.

Krupke ignored the Lieutenant’s fuming mumblings as he looked down the street once more, looking at the third figure once again. He could tell it was most likely a man, but the guy must have known what he was doing- he lingered close by the buildings as he made his way down the sidewalk, allowing the shadows casted by the street lamps to cloak him. Every now and then, Krupke caught brief flashes of his face, but they never lasted long enough for him to confidently identify him.

Krupke had been so focused on the man, he failed to notice a fourth figure walking towards him on the sidewalk.

“Now who the hell is that?” Schrank questioned, echoing Krupke’s own thoughts.

The two officers watched in silence as the fourth man shoulder checked the other man as he passed him on the sidewalk. As a result, the other man was bumped underneath the streetlight. That's when Krupke finally got a good look at his face.

“Lieutenant!” he exclaimed, “That’s him!”

Schrank raised an eyebrow at him. “Who?”

“I recognize him from the BOLO posters the commissioner’s office sent over last week,” Krupke informed him.

A sketch nearly identical to the man in front of them had been sent over to their precinct the previous week. Per protocol, all the local officers were expected to go through any new BOLOs that the commissioner's office sent over before they even began their shifts, just in case they happened to come across any of the individuals being sought. Krupke decided to give Lieutenant Schrank the benefit of the doubt and assume he must have just forgotten what the man looked like from the sketch.

But Krupke was sure it was him. That very man had been spotted in the area the previous month around the time someone had discovered a deceased John Doe crammed into a dumpster downtown.

On the other hand, Schrank didn’t seem convinced. He frowned as Krupke turned on the flashing lights and shifted the cruiser back into drive. “What are ya doin’?”

Krupke didn’t spare him a glance. “With all due respect Lieutenant, if we keep lookin’ for those kids who may or may not be up to somethin’, we’ll lose this lead. Wouldn’t you rather bring in someone with ties to an active investigation?”

Lieutenant Schrank huffed, not bothering to answer Sergeant Krupke’s rhetorical question. As Krupke drove the cruiser down the street once again, he placed his hand on his holster as a precaution.

Krupke won the battle, he decided, albeit a bit bitterly. But when he finally figured out what the Riff-raff was up to, Schrank would win the war.

————————————————————————————

Roxie’s heart was still racing as her back was pressed up against the brick wall, but she was determined not to let it show. It was already bad enough that Riff had probably noticed how worried, let alone scared, she was feeling. She’d be damned if Ice caught on too.

Ice, who had yanked them both into the alleyway just a few moments before, was the closest to the sidewalk, though he was mostly up against the wall as well. He slowly leaned around the corner of the building and peered out onto the street.

Riff was between them. His back was turned to her, but she could only imagine the concentration on his face as he watched Ice with baited breath. “Do ya think he saw?” Riff asked him, his voice so quiet Roxie wasn’t sure she would have heard him if she hadn’t been completely still.

Ice didn’t answer for a moment, his eyes still focused down the street.

Roxie felt another wave of panic rush over her as blue and red flashing lights lit up nearby, their reflections temporarily blinding the group. She instinctively gripped the purse in her arms tighter.

Ice remained still, watching. “Jeez,” he whistled quietly after a moment, finally looking back over his shoulder to glance at them. “Who’d you two piss off?” he asked, half-jokingly.

Riff said nothing, instead giving Ice a look that silenced him. Ice looked back around the corner, and continued, “Looks like he’s got the boys’ in blue attention for somethin’.”

“Better him than us,” Riff declared. “Where’d Action go?”

“He slipped into another alleyway about a block down after he distracted him,” Ice informed Riff, apparently having seen the whole thing. “Cops seem too focused on your guy right now to worry about him.”

Riff nodded wordlessly. After a moment, he slowly turned around to face Roxie, though Ice’s eyes remained focused on the scene unfolding around the corner.

“I told ya there was nothing to worry ‘bout,” Riff told her matter of factly, giving her a confident smile.

Roxie’s first instinct was to slap him for his cockiness, but through the darkness of the alleyway, and with the assistance of the flashing blue and red lights in the distance, she caught the glimpse of fear that lingered in Riff’s cool blue eyes that betrayed his words.

They weren’t out of the clear- the man in the fedora who they had witnessed murder another man over a year and a half ago was still at large. He would still recognize them if they ever crossed paths again. At least for that night, his goon would be taken away to the local precinct, and Riff and Roxie would finally be able to go home safely. But what were the chances of even seeing the man in the fedora again anyways, especially if their days of visiting the gambling houses were over?

Roxie had never considered herself a particularly lucky person, but she heavily debated changing her view on the subject. It was nothing but sheer, dumb luck that they had managed to escape impending doom and a bleak fate not once, but twice. So long as she lived, Roxie wouldn’t allow herself, or Riff, to be placed in such a position ever again.

Roxie was still trying to make a life for herself that was worth living for, but her mother hadn’t raised her to be a quitter.

As Riff turned to Ice once again and clapped him on the shoulder as a way of saying thanks, she realized that he had plenty to live for too, whether or not he chose to see it.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed, and please feel free to interact if you feel so inclined. :) If you want to be added to the taglist, please send me a message, comment, or otherwise let me know.

After All Taglist: @whisperofsong​ @disguisedbassethound​ @lingerasthesmokeoncedid​ 

Part 9

Masterlist

[riffheartsgraziella]

Riff x Graziella HC - Housesitting

A/N: Was this piece inspired by Mike Faist’s actions on the BAFTA red carpet today? I can neither confirm nor deny. (Just kidding. It was.)

When Velma and her parents left the city for a weekend trip to visit her grandparents, Velma secretly snuck Graziella a set of keys to their apartment. She knew how much her best friend loved the opportunity to take a bubble bath in their porcelain bathtub, and she figured it could be a little getaway for Grazi and Riff. “Just don’t let Riff break anythin’,” Velma had giggled with a wink, slipping the keys into Graziella’s hand.

“I’ll make sure he’s on his best behavior,” Graziella had assured her with a teasing smirk, excited at the prospect of a weekend of luxury with Riff. Velma’s family had more money than the rest of them put together and their apartment proved it. Riff, having never actually stepped foot inside Velma’s apartment before, was shocked when he and Grazi had first arrived, just a few hours after Velma and her parents left. “Yer tellin’ me Velma lives here?” he’d asked incredulously, looking around. “What the hell is she doin’ hangin’ around with us then?” “Just too sweet on Mouthpiece, I guess,” Graziella had teased, wrapping her arms around Riff in the middle of the spacious family room. “I know the feelin’,” she added with a smirk, kissing him deeply. They spent the time they had enjoying the comforts that life in Velma’s apartment afforded, imagining what it would be like to really live in a place as fancy as that. It might not have been much to some people, but to Riff and Grazi, whose own homes were nothing, it was a palace. Riff watched Grazi dance around the apartment to the tunes that crooned out of the record player and wished, not for the first time, that he could give her the life that she deserved. One evening during their stay, Riff came home after a few hours spent with the Jets, but didn’t see Graziella anywhere. “Baby?” he called out, wondering if maybe she had gone out with some of the girls. “In here!” Grazi’s voice floated towards him from the direction of the bathroom. Of course. She was always talking about how much she loved Velma’s bathtub. Heading in that direction, Riff stopped in the doorway and crossed his arms over his chest, smirking down at the sight of his girlfriend soaking in a pile of bubbles. “Havin’ fun, girly girl?” he grinned. “Loads o’ fun,” Grazi replied with a huge smile, playfully blowing some bubbles in his direction. “But more fun now that yer here,” she added with a wink, holding out a hand to him. That was all the invitation he needed. Stripping off his clothes, he quickly slid into the warm water behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her flush against his chest. The water felt nice, but her body pressed against his felt even better. Leaning her head back against his shoulder, Grazi laced her fingers through his and sighed contentedly. “How’re the Jets?” she asked. “Good, but not who I’m thinkin’ about right now,” Riff told her, brushing a damp curl away from her face and pressing a kiss to her ear. Her body was hot and flushed from having been in the tub for a longer amount of time. Giggling, Graziella shifted her position against him, which only drove him crazier. Glancing down, he took in the sight of her slender shoulders, slick from the bathwater and gleaming in the soft bathroom light. Bending his head, he pressed a soft kiss to her right shoulder, smiling to himself when he felt the goosebumps rise on her skin. He pressed a few more slow kisses to that shoulder before moving to her left, peppering her damp skin with affection. “Riff,” she whispered, her hands sliding over his where they still lay wrapped around her waist. Sometimes it was his most tender kisses that drove her the most wild. When he bit down on her shoulder lightly, she thought she would lose her mind completely. Not caring in that moment about the water that sloshed onto the floor, Grazi turned so that she was facing him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as her legs wrapped around his waist. Smirking, Riff leaned forward to kiss her shoulder again, earning a playful pinch for his efforts. “Yer drivin’ me crazy,” Grazi whispered in his ear, her arms tightening around him. “What?” Riff asked, feigning innocence. Then he looked deeply into her eyes. “What do ya want, Grazi?” Without saying a word, she showed him just what was on her mind. By the time they finally grabbed their towels, the bath water was cold and the bubbles had all but disappeared, but the warmth between them had them both feeling just fine. “Tell Velma she an’ her parents should go away more often,” Riff grinned, pressing one more kiss to Graziella’s shoulder. Graziella laughed as Riff carried her out of the bathroom, making a mental note that she owed her best friend a huge favor.

[auntieheart]

Velma is only gonna work if it focuses more on her character than her identity but I fear they wouldn't

My reasons?

The large majority of the marketing for this show is based around the fact that she's going to be openly lesbian within the show and has already been made openly lesbian within other Scooby-Doo media. Which is awesome

But we have to acknowledge that they are clearly trying to Pander to the LGBT audience with them not really showing anything about the show outside of the fact that velma is a lesbian.

Last I checked, Lgbt people are more than their sexuality and media has grown beyond just identifying us by that especially within shows for adults.

Outside of that the only thing we really have to go off of is rumors that Fred is going to be a evil white guy, Daphne is going to be the mean girl and I just don't like Shaggy's character design

He's too chill looking!! Shaggy has no chill he's a goofball. He is the original Todd Chavez, the Jughead of Scooby-Doo. The eventual asexual king of hotdogs!

Since this is a show that pretty much only exists because of Mystery Incorporated I wish and hope that they rely on those interpretations of the characters.

I love neurodiversion Fred, neurotic but sweet Daphne and romantically immature Shaggy. I love sarcastic and biting Velma with her adorable girlfriend hot dog water.

I want this cast within a show like daria that allows for the audience to both see the good and bad with their characters and allows them to mature and grow in their own ways and in ways they couldn't on a kids show. I just want my favorite character to get their best possible show!

[the-scooby-gang]

Us... But not quite

Part 7

Summary: After falling thought a portal while they were being chased by their most horrifying monster yet, The Scooby Gang finds themselves in a place they have never been before. A place called Crystal Cove. 

“We are here!” Younger Fred said.

Here, is a large white Spanish style building with red roofs were the front wall read City Hall in big brass letters.

The trip over here was mundane. It was a nice town, composed of small buildings, built like a picturesque Spanish village. Most buildings were painted either a soft cream or vibrant welcoming colours. If it wasn’t for the “Most haunted place on earth” sigh at the beginning of the town they would have happily stayed there relaxing a little and taking their sweet time researching until they found a way to go home.  

“I will go inside. You guys wait for me here?” Young Fred was already outside the van. He had the coffee holder in one hand, one foot on the steps of the building.

“You got it, Little Me.” Older Fred gave him a thumbs up. The gang made their way outside moving towards the young man who by now had walked up the steps, looking at them expectantly.  

“Ok, be right back” he waved at them as he went inside.

“He’s such a cutie,” Daphne said when young Fred was no longer on hearing range. “Remember when we used to be his age?”

Fred and Velma sat down on the third step, leaning against each other. Scooby laid on the sidewalk by their feet while Daphne and Shaggy perched themselves on the stone bannister. They took a deep, long breath, taking in the sea air into their lungs.

It was indeed a beautiful town.

“Like, bold of you to assume I remember anything at any point in time” Shaggy turned his head lazily towards his girlfriend.

“What you had for breakfast yesterday?” Velma’s left eyebrow disappeared under her bangs.

“That’s, like, different and you know it” Shaggy pointed his finger at the sweater-clad woman.

“Rood is unforgettable,” Scooby added from the ground.

They chuckled, a soothing silence fell over them. Scooby made himself comfortable, his head on Velma’s lap with Fred scratching behind his ears. Daphne turned Shaggy’s back to her and resumed braiding his hair. It was past his shoulders again, she noticed. They would have to decide what style they were going to cut it this time.

“What are we going to tell his gang, man?” Shaggy asked, looking at the street while Daphne’s fingers carted through his scalp.

“What do you mean?” Daphne asked, halfway through a five-strand braid.

“Well, are we going to tell, like, everything to them? Everything? ”

“I don’t see why not, it’s not like we have been the face of secrecy with him, you know,” Fred said, gesturing with his one remaining hand as the other was occupied turning Scooby into goo.

“Dude, I ain't talking about the powers and college degrees, that is a different can of worms, I’m talking about us.” Shaggy also started gesturing with his hands, pointing them towards his chest at the end of that particular statement.

“Us?” Fred was confused until Shaggy took his hand, a meaningful look on his hazel eyes.

“Us.”

“But Shaggy, what would be so bad if they knew about our relationship? For all we know, they may be right in the path of starting their own version of it.” Daphne questioned, undoing the five strand braid and starting a french one.

“And that is the problem. We don’t know anything about them. They may be us, but, like, not really us. Maybe nothing goes as they did back home. Then we parade into their lives, like, without knock or warning…”

“And you are afraid that we may accidentally start influencing their decisions or something.” Fred completed, his eyes wild when the information dawned on him.

Velma sprung to her feet, pacing furiously in front of them, her serious face on. “Jinkies, Shaggy is right! At that age, the world was new to us. If an older version of me had appeared to my fifteen old self and told me about my future, I would use all of it as a guideline.”

“But we are not even their future selves, we are from a different dimension altogether. Our lives were shaped by entirely different circumstances.” Daphne contra argued, finishing the french braid carefully to not pull Shaggy’s hair too much.

“It won’t matter. They will see in us models to follow, versions of ‘what could’ or ‘should be’.” Velma sat down once again, both hands under her chin.

“But Shaggy, if you had all these concerns, why didn’t you stop us from talking about our cases? Why expose him to your magic?” Fred asked, looking at his boyfriend expectantly.

“Because these types of things are, like, manageable on the long run, man” Shaggy rubbed his face “Dude, there is a difference between ‘things that I may do when I’m older’ and ‘My future relationship status’. What if we tell them we are together and then they, like, I don’t know, try to force it to happen between them? We,” he pointed to all of them “Clicked together after years of knowing each other, and like, late-night star seeing, but for them? I don’t know where their destiny was going to send them, man. Maybe they end up together. Maybe they would pass the rest of their lives in a harmonious platonic relationship. Maybe they will find love outside of the gang, I don’t know. We could inadvertently cause a sea of heartache.”

Silence fell between them. Fred had to admit that he hadn’t thought about it like that. Daphne hugged Shaggy from behind, her chin on his shoulder, pushing the now made french braid over the other.

“So you think we may cause them harm just by being here?”

Shaggy shrugged “That’s the thing: I don’t know. Not for sure. That’s the problem with interdimensional magic, the rules aren’t as clear cut as, like, time travel ones.” he groaned, resting his head against Daphne’s  “Dude, I hate interdimensional magic. This shit is, like, way trickier than it has any right to be.”

Velma put her finger over her chin. After a minute of silence, she turned towards the gang “I think I get it. In time travel, everything you do affects you personally because you are meddling with your timeline. But once you start interacting with a different dimension you-“

“Your timeline is no longer in the equation.” Daphne completed.

“Exactly, but we are still present in a sense, so our actions will affect the world none less.”

“Just with zero consequences to us.” Fred laid lack on the steps of the city hall entrance, dissociating after such a bomb was thrown in his lap.

“So, we could tell this younger gang about our relationship and then go back to our dimension unaffected…” Daphne turned her body away from the bannister, no longer using it as a seat but as a support. Her arms crossed and her face contorted into a frown as she looked at Fred on the ground.

“But live behind a gang that may not be compatible romantically with each other trying to force themselves together and end up with a nice bucked off emotional issues” Shaggy also turned towards the gang, but remained seated on the bannister in a lotus position.

Daphne covered her face with both hands, her voice muffled “God, I hated having this kind of discussions in Philosophy class, applying them to real-life doesn’t make them better.”

“Well, we have left the room of hypotheses and entered headfirst in an actual ‘non-consequences free’ zone, so is bound to suck harder now. Be glad that you are not being graded by this particular dive into madness.” Velma smirked at the purple-clad girl who threw one of her patented glares.

“Thank you, Velma, for your kind words.”

“I’m here to serve” she mockingly bowed.

They laughed over the girls’ shenanigans. They were giggly since they arrived in this weird new world and they sure hoped it was no psychological effect of being so unceremoniously launched into the unknown. They, still laughing, set all in the steps of the city hall, side by side. Scooby was giving them worried looks. Not a good sight.

“So, what do you guys suggest we tell them?” Daphne was the first one to sober up from the laughing fit, cleaning the tears from the corners of her eyes.

“What they ask of us. Our best tactic now is to not lie. Lies have short legs and can easily trip” Fred said, rubbing his hands over his eyes.

“Especially when you are lying to a bunch of junior detectives.” Added Velma.

“Exactly, so if they ask about something that we deem reality shattering we tell half of the truth or we find a way to change the subject until we figure out if the information could or not have lasting effects. That way we would not be technically lying to them and at the same time we avert any emotional fallout.” Fred had a faraway look in his eyes, probably thinking about all the topics that he simply didn't want to touch again even with a ten feet long pole.

This dimension Jones Sr. better not be a masked villain too or he was going to deck him in the face.

“…When I had that one dream about becoming one of the faes, these were not the circumstances that I thought it would go down.” Daphne had a disbelieving look on her face, looking at her back as if she was expecting a pair of wings to sprout from there.

“I, like, will have to explain the magic, even if not all of it. Even if I erased his memory of the van merging -with by the way I will not do- magic always finds a way of being discovered. It’s, like, better we explain to them now instead of them finding out later by other means.” Shaggy said, remembering that one memorie in Salem where he and Daphne were accused of witchcraft. He was partially offended that the thing that put her in the stake by his side was not any magical prowess on her part and it was more in the line of “Adult Woman With Opinions Are The Devil”.

“Yeah, you said something about mind magic being volatile” Velma turned to him, always curious about magic and its applications and side effects. She was dead set in proving that magic was just another form of science, albeit more flashy. Shaggy thought that if anyone was going to prove that would be the small woman.

“It’s like magical brain surgery. Like, one wrong move and I give the boy an aneurysm. This kind of spell is for casters that have, like, one-third of my anxiety and nothing more.”

The day barely began in Crystal Cove and they had all these problems to think about. The exhaustion was slowly but surely creeping on them. Fred was feeling old. They were all feeling old. Everything was moving at a breakneck pace and seemed to never stop. A new world, new people, new gang, new problems. They prayed that nothing more was added to the list.

“I can wait for this all to settle down so I can find the closest bed and bloody shut down all my bodily functions.” Fred groaned, covering his face with his hands.

“Same.” Was the unison response.

Silence.

Is either silence or laughter. That could not be healthy.

“Wait, does this mean no kissing???” Shaggy exclaimed which earned three hands flying over his mouth.

“Not in public, at least. It's a small town on the coast, isolated from major cities by some good miles, most people know each other one way or another” Fred said, removing his hand slowly.

“Yeah, and they would especially notice if the mayor's son was caught kissing all four of his friends” Added Velma, her hand leaving his mouth to find a place on his shoulder.

“Or, like, kissing said friend’s necks and behind their ears” Shaggy sighed, resigned to the ‘non-affection beyond normal friendly’ future.

“Nice just what we- Wait a second, ‘behind their ear’? Since when does Fred kiss behind ears??” Daphne turned her head so fast that Shaggy was afraid she may break her neck with the speed. When her head didn’t fall off her shoulders, Shaggy finally registered what she said.

“Like, since that one afternoon in grad year, on the roof of the culinary building. I thought he did it to all of us ” Brown eyes looked confused between blue and purple eyes, while said purple eyes were now glaring a hole thru the blue eyes owner's skull.

“Fredrick Jones, what affection partiality bullshit is this?”

“Yeah, Fred what gives?” Now pair of brown eyes was glaring at him, the glare somehow amplified by a pair of glasses, and Fred wanted nothing more than to flee towards the nearest desert to avoid vaporization.

“Ok, in my defence, none of you girls does the little shiver that he does when I kiss you guys there and believe me, I checked” He could feel the intense blush in his face and he just knew that he looked like a blond tomato right now.

“Shivers?” Daphne’s glare lost some of its intensity, her curiosity about new information about one of her lovers superseding her perceived slight.  

Velma’s glare also mellowed down, her eyes now zeroed on Shaggy, who was doing his best to turn into a strawberry from how red he had suddenly turned.

“Yup. They run up and down his spine like a bolt of electricity. He gets all flustered, the most beautiful shade of carmine I have ever seen.” No longer under fear of vaporization via death glare, Fred perked up, a smile of one thousand volts on his face. He loved talking about his loved ones.

“Like, Freddie, man, come on” Redder by the second, Shaggy’s shoulders were perked, covering his ears. God, why didn’t he study those morphing spells more? He would give anything to be a rock right about now.

“Oooooh, so our Norvy darling is a shivery shiver boy, huh?” Daphne smirked, leaning against Shaggy, one arm going around his shoulder, essentially caging him from any last-minute spring to the mountains.

“I will pay you actual money to never say that again” He turned his head in the redhead direction, officially reaching ‘completely red’ status.

“Oh? But is the truth, isn’t it? Freddie is not one for lies.” Velma piped in, a mischievous look on her face.  

“Are you lying, Freddie?” Daphne turned towards him, her own mischievous look making her purple eyes shine.

“I would never. Scots honour” Fred, the traitor, put a hand over his heart, the picture of sincerity. On second thought, maybe instead of turning into a rock, he could turn Fred into a rock.

“What do you say to me and Daph test it out? Just to see it for ourselves…” Velma gravitated to his other side. With Fred right in front of him, he was completely trapped.

Note to self: LEARN THE GODDAMN ROCK MORPHING SPELL!!!

Giggling like the villains they are, his lovers got closer and closer, their minds probably a mile a minute in all the ways they are going to make him have a cardiac arrest from the blushing alone when...

“Ah, ruys? Rhat rabout that rhing rabout rublic?” Scooby, the one that was the current owner of the brain cell of the gang apparently, commented from the ground. Those kids took too much influence from that Addams couple they met all those years ago. It had to be, because Scooby could NOT, for the life of him, remember them being THIS horny.  One of these days he was going to get a cardboard box and write ‘HORNY JAIL’ in it to live them in time out.

The trio deflated, the wind completely blew out of their sails while Shaggy signed in relief, no longer trapped in the soon to be kiss cocoon…

And he was disappointed for some ungodly reason!

Lined side by side on the stone bannister, the gang groaned in frustration.

“I hate this already,” Shaggy grumbled, his red cheeks puffed.

“Yeah.” The other three agreed.

Scooby muffled a laugh. God, these next days are going to be an amazing shitshow to watch unfold. He gave them one week before they broke down.

Another groan came from the young adults, shoulder to shoulder, their heads touching, soaking in the small scrap of contact that they could have.

On second thought, a week may be too generous.

All of sudden, they could hear footsteps approaching from inside the building. Young Fred had a smile on his handsome face, putting his phone away as he walked.  

“Hey, guys. Hope I didn’t make you wait too long” He was waving at them, smiling.

Young Fred was really happy with the presence of this new gang. They seemed so comfortable together, he hoped that they could all hang out. They could go to the beach, eat some Fruitmeir’s. They could even build traps together! He should ask them later.

“Nah, we barely noticed.” Daphne waved back “We were just chatting a little bit, nothing big.”

They had become really good liars along the years, huh.

“So, where now? Did you talk with your gang?” Fred, the older, asked his younger counterpart, making his way towards the van, Scooby softly head butting his left hand earning him a nice pat.

“I called them and told them to meet me at the radio station. It’s owned by a friend of ours that helps us from time to time”

“Groovy! Lead the way” Shaggy smiled, snapping his fingers in rapid succession, making Young Fred laugh. 

We talk about this more later after we meet their gang and take a good long nap.

Three different winks of affirmation. Morse code is coming in handy in these weird times.

“Hey, does that radio station have any maps of the town? Not that I don’t enjoy you helping with directions, but I was hoping to familiarize myself better with the place” Daphne casually hopped to young Fred’s side, looping her arm over his shoulders, a sweet smile on her purple lipstick.  

“Sure thing, Angel must have some lying around. I could show you the library too so you could look for them yourself” Young Fred suggested, lining on the embrace. He and his Daphne should do this more, it was nice.

“Really???” Her smile got impossibly brighter, bouncing in place like a child at a candy store. Young Fred soon found himself locked in a bear crushing hug, the older woman long red hair tickling his nose. “Thanks, Little Freddie, you’re the best”

He hugged her back, a soft look on his face. He had hugged his Daphne before, but this hug felt fundamentally different. Maybe it was her age difference with his best friend or the way she looked at him like he was the most precious thing she had ever seen. Maybe it was the effect of having talked with her about all his trap ideas during the journey here, her attention never wavering.

Maybe it was a combination of all of them. He didn’t know.

That didn’t stop, however, the small part in the back of his mind telling him that this is what a mother embrace felt like.

“Ah chucks, it’s nothing really. What are friends for?”

[gladiatortale]

My DEPRESSION BEATING, fandom obsessing, shit-tastic FANTASTIC year in review!

TL;DR: I’m fixing my mental health and figuring out WHO THE FUCK I AM one fandom filled day at a time! Thank you to everyone who’s been there for me along the way. xoxo

what’s up HEATHENS.

stating the goddamn obvious here, it’s been a HELLUVA YEAR. One emotional rollercoaster after another but we’re ALMOST DONE. I know things aren’t gonna magically get better the second it flips to 00:01 on January first, but I’m excited to put this year behind me, and (SHOCKINGLY) a bit sad to see it go.

It was a year where the whole world completely stopped, we realized what is really important, what is really worth fighting for, and took a GODDAMN SECOND to just breathe.

For me personally, the year (which I’m counting off from November 1st) started out UNBELIEVABLY SHIT. I had just been kicked out of the country I called home for the last four years (thank you Brexit), I had ZERO job prospects, my depression was the WORST it had ever been, and I just didn’t want to get out of bed in the morning. And in the beginning, the pandemic felt like salt in the wound, an extra kick in the teeth to my early twenties that had already “failed to launch.”

But I tried to embrace the madness, really take advantage of the world (that I always thought moved to fast) properly slowing down, and take time to try and become myself again. I wanted to figure out what I loved and try and become a bit more like the person I was before my depression got so bad.

I often say I became that Manic Trash Planet Lady™ you see in sci-fi adventure films; a bit zany to say the least, with a million ideas and a very eclectic fashion sense, but embracing the insanity as it comes...

*cough cough* audrey, get to the goddamn point!

Right. lol. THE POINT IS! 

I’m not 100% “healed”, I’m not sure if I think depression is a “oh look you’re officially cured! hooray!” type of disease, but this year I let myself ENJOY SHIT for the first time in god knows how long. I still don’t know “wHaT i WaNt To dO WiTh mY LiFe”, but I’ve got a better idea and I’m heading in (what feels like) the right direction. And most of all, I can look back and say I am better than where I was a year ago.

So I wanted to say T H A N K Y O U to the mad lads on this website that introduced me to the fandoms, shows, movies, fics... THE SHIT that made me happy this year and were there to be one (BIG) piece in my healing journey.

AND SO, with out further rambling ADO! Here are the highlights of the year marked by my ridiculous hyper-fixations and OBSESSIONS. Thanks for putting up with me ya fiends, xoxox

November 2019  The Arcana (Visual Novel)

I had just gotten home and I was in a LOOOOOOW place. Randomly decided to download this app when it came up and it proceeded to ruin my life (and my bank account...) for pretty much the rest of the year. It was exactly what I needed to get me through a tough time and I was thoroughly, horse-blinders-up-to-the-rest-of-the-world, OBSESSED. These gorgeous magical fiends ruined me and all I could say was thank you.

Joined the fandom: November 2019 Obsession peaked: Late November Obsession faded: December 2019; I started a new job AND my bank statement came in and I realized I had accidentally spent over SIXTY BUCKS on this stupid app. No ragrets, but I definitely started to phase out at that point. Fandom friends: Velma, (@lanavxds on insta) miss you girlie xx Fanfics you NEED to read: ‘Second Mistake’ by DeathBelle on AO3, because DAAAAAYUM SON. Favourite moments: Basically the whole of the Julian arc. That gangly himbo OWNED my ass for a month.

December 2019 Hazbin Hotel (TV Series)

Y’ALL okay here me out. Am I proud of this one? No. Is the show crass as hell? OOOOOOOOHHHH YEAH. Did my angsty ass love it at the end of last year? DAMN STRAIGHT IT DID. Goes without saying, but this is NOT FOR EVERYBODY, but it definitely helped me along the way to becoming more comfortable with myself and being open about being the massive geek that I always was, and watching things I enjoy regardless of what people say about it.

Joined the fandom: December 2019 Obsession peaked: Shortly there after. Fandom friends: None. Dipped one toe in fandom discourse and then promptly YEETED the fuck outta there. Obsession faded: January 2019. Still curious to see the full series if A24 actually ever does produce the whole thing, but I have def moved away from it. Fanfics you NEED to read: Haven’t read any. Maybe I’m a pussy baby piece-o-shit, but I DID NOT want to go down that rabbit hole, NO MA’AM. Favourite moments:

Discovering the Hunicast podcast. These guys are a riot and Ashley is a flustered GEM. Even if you don’t watch the show, go watch an episode of these fucking LADS just dicking about and your day will get better.

Watching the first episode with my partner and watching him realize his girlfriend is a total freak.

January 2020 Lore Olympus (Webtoon Comic)

*Officially* discovered this one thanksgiving weekend in 2019, but my Arcana phase was still raging pretty strong at that point so I didn’t really get in to it until later. EVERYBODY AND THEIR MOTHER NEEDS TO READ IT. It has everything and handles the reality sexual assault and it’s aftermath EXTREMELY well.

Joined the fandom: Late November 2019 Obsession peaked: January 2020 Fandom friends: KELLEY. MA GIRL XOXOXO Obsession faded: June-ish 2020. I’m like 10 chapters behind now, but I still love this story so much. Fanfics you NEED to read: SO MANY ON MY ‘MARKED FOR LATER’ LIST AAAAAH. I have to get to that... NEW YEARS RESOLUTION lol Favourite moments: Having a drunk conversation on New Years Eve in 2019 with one of my oldest friends from high school about how much she loved it too. Helped me see how popular fandom and fandoms, are especially after feeling like I needed to hide my enthusiasm through high school and uni. (THAT WAS A MISTAKE BUT I’LL GET THERE IN A MINUTE).

February 2020 Versailles (TV Series)

SO FUCKING GAY Y’ALL. Oh my god everyone in this show is so gay. Even when they’re not they still are a little bit. AND BEST OF ALL!! it’s very historically accurate (except for the demon satanic nonsense in season 3, what was that???)

Joined the fandom: February 2020 Obsession peaked: Like??? The SECOND I finished episode one. Fandom friends: none... WHERE ARE ALL OF YOU??? Obsession faded: March 2020. It was a fast and passionate love affair, what can I say? Fanfics you NEED to read: IF YOU HAVE RECS, GIVE ‘EM TO MEEEEE. Favourite moments: 

Showing the first episode to a friend of mine and the *ungodly GASP* that came out of her throat was... PRICELESS.

The ENTIRE throuple(???) relationship between the Chevalier, Philipe, and Palatine. PLATONIC/ ROMANTIC LOVE G O A L S.

March 2020 Yuri!!! On Ice (TV Series)

*deep breath* ...y’all knew this one was coming.

Was I ready for this show to ruin my fucking life? No.  Am I so glad it happened??? FUCK YEAH.

NEVER IN MY LIFE have I fallen off the deep end so quickly with a fandom. HOLY SHIT. This blog didn’t have much of an “identity” before, but I you said that this is a Yuri On Ice blog now I wouldn’t even be mad (nor could I really defend myself to the contrary... bc??? like??? just go LOOK at my archive). Craziest thing is I watched the first two episodes like?? a solid TWO YEARS ago, but I didn’t continue watching because I was just not in the right head space for all the love and silliness and positivity.

I could do a whole separate post about how much this show and how this fandom has changed my life (DON’T TEMPT ME I JUST MIGHT). But I’ll stick with the highlights for now ;)

Joined the fandom: March 2020  Obsession peaked: Has it peaked?? Went straight up and it still going lol Fandom friends: Sandra, my mentor, my queen @aeriamamaduck, my fandom ride-or-die. Thank you for taking this internet bby under your wing. RACHEL @idancewiththefairies I TRAPPED YOU HERE. MUAHAHAHA xxx Obsession faded: ON GOING. CAN’T STOP, WON’T STOP. Fanfics you NEED to read: jfc, SO MANY.

‘Until My Feet Bleed and My Heart Aches’ and ‘Of Bright Stars and Burning Hearts’ by Reiya @kazliin​ -- Rivals AU companion pieces. Longest fics I’ve ever read and JESUS CHRIST these two fucking SENT ME. Most popular YOI fics on AO3 for a REASON.

‘Tell Me Where Your Love Lies’ by @aeriamamaduck -- Royalty AU, trope-breaking ABO. Ah sweet, TMWYLL, how you’ve killed me over and over again. This BEAUTIFUL wip has SUCH amazing world-building idk where to start (Congrats on passing 50,000 hits!) EVERYONE GO READ IT.

‘Blackbird’ by sixpences -- WWII/Coldwar Spy Fic. I don’t have enough words to describe how amazing this is. It’s elevated to a higher plane beyond fanfic. Just go read it. Thank me later.

‘Zanka’ by rinsled05 @dreaming-fireflies -- The geisha fic that ruined me. *deep breath* AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH *gasp* I’m fine. lol I sooooo not ready for this fic. Holy hell, Aoyagi had my heart in his hands from the first chapter. “’Please’ [...] ‘Don’t give me hope.’“ FUUUUCK.

‘Echoes’ by Reiya @kazliin -- Future fic. First fic I cried at... BOI. I was NOT ready for this. Shouldn’t be surprised given the author, but MAN. “‘A love like that, a love like what they had together, it never leaves completely.’ Yuri spoke again, eyes still staring out onto the ice, lost in memory. ‘There are always echoes.’” JUST FUCK ME UP.

Favourite moments: Oh good lord, where do I begin??

Having two (count ‘em TWO) main characters with mental health issues (Yuuri and his anxiety and Victor with burn out and depression) and NOT MAKING IT THE ONLY ASPECT OF THEIR PERSONALITY. CLAPS FOR KUBO AND YAMAMOTO!!

Everything about Yurio (ESPECIALLY HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH YUUKO AND HIS GRANDPA), that tsundere motherfucker is too pure for this world.

THE KISS. THE PROPOSAL. MY HEART WASN’T READY. AAAAAH!!

This fandom *properly* introducing me to smut on AO3...

Thinking I was going to get Rachel to like the show... NOT being prepared for her to fall off the deep end and START LIKING REAL SKATING TOO!!

Staying up waaaaaay too late waaaaaay too often to plan out plot points for TMWYLL with Sandra. Love ya dearie.

The warm fuzzy feeling I get every time I think about Victor and Yuuri.

April 2020 Bungou Stray Dogs (TV Series)

I had a hunch I was gonna like this show considering ALL of the characters are based off of famous classic authors from around the world... what I was NOT prepared for was just HOW MUCH I was going to love it. HOLY SHIT. The art style? Love it. The plot?? Bonkers, but so fun. THE VOICE CAST??? AMAZING. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to get in to anime, great place to start.

Joined the fandom: April 2020 Obsession peaked: Probably this summer? But we have DEF plateaued in a VERY high place. Fandom friends: FIJI. MA BOIIIII @lil-1nsane  Obsession faded: Hasn’t. Hope it doesn’t Fanfics you NEED to read: So so so many. The smut in this fandom is *chef’s kiss*, but here are a few...

‘He Works Hard For the Money’ by CataclysmicEvent @cataclysmicevent2019​ -- Sugar Daddy AU. FUCK MAN. I was not expecting to like this one, but bloody hell. This fic grabbed me by the throat and WOULD NOT let me go. Praying for chapter 16! But the author is working on another STELLAR fic so I’m okay for now.

‘Everything or Nothing’ by CataclysmicEvent @cataclysmicevent2019​ -- University AU. FUCK THIS FIC. Started reading it as I was waiting for HWHFTM to update and BOI, this fic ROCKS. The alternating POV fits so well with the enemies/idiots-to-lovers vibe. Solid 10 outta 10.

‘The City Where Wind Blows’ by @raven-rein​ -- Cancer Death fic. *pained shriek* AAAAAAGUUUUUUUHHHH *gasp* aaaaaaAAAAAAHHHHHHHH, FUUUCCCCCCCCCKKKK MEEEEE. THIS FIC. Only the second fic I’ve ever cried to but I BAWLED MY GODDAMN EYES OUT. FUUUUUUUCK. I was not ready, never would have been ready. This is so tremendously well done, it killed me so beautifully, 

‘Haunted by Hatred’ by DeathBelle -- Canon compliant Soukoku. It is a CRIME that DeathBelle doesn’t have more BSD fics on her page, but this one is still brilliant.

Favourite moments:

THE CHUUYA-DAZAI MAFIA REUNION TEAM UP WHEN THEY FIGHT LOVECRAFT. Ooof. BOI. We love it.

The first three episodes. Soooo many break neck plot twists.

Every insane hypothetical conversation with Fiji.

Every time Atsushi or Tanizaki is on screen bc I LOVE THESE LIL BEANS.

June 2020 Trash Taste (Podcast)

Goddamn I love these chaotic lads so much.

As I became more and more comfortable with myself and my love for anime I stumbled upon these three goons, -- Joey, Connor, and Garnt, -- best known for there SUPER successful (mostly) anime YouTube channels. Even if you don’t watch anime, WATCH/LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST. The focus is mostly on their lives and the overall expat/immigrant experience, with a bit of anecdotal anime references sprinkled in. 

This show is both wholesome and heathenous in equal measure, and after having lived abroad for a significant portion of my (admittedly still quite short) life, it was such a breath of fresh air to hear people talk so openly about how living outside your home country is both wonderful and terrifying. They’re wonderfully candid about the fact that even if you love a place dearly, no where is perfect, and you WILL hate somethings about your new home even if the majority of the experience is fantastic. I cannot rate this show highly enough.

Joined the fandom: June 5th 2020, loved it from the first episode. Obsession peaked: July maybe? I was RELIGIOUS about watching the episodes as soon as they came out. Still watch every week, but less “on time.” Fandom friends: None :( but I have tricked my partner in to listening several times :) Obsession faded: It’s dimmed from where it was, but still going strong. Fanfics you NEED to read: NONE. NEVER PLAN TO. Hard and fast rule, I don’t read fics about real people. Characters played by real people, even that’s a maybe for me. But real-real people? FUCK NO. (some of my) Favourite moments:

Any time Garnt and Connor get into a big-brain-monkey-brain argument and Joey is just LOSING his GODDAMN MIND in the corner.

Bringing a retired Japanese porn star in the show for an honest conversation about consensual sex work and showing people can have more than one career in life.

Everything about the, ‘Are Online Friends Real Friends?’ episode. GO WATCH IT, it’s brilliant.

Garnt making “chotto-THE-FUCKING-matte” an expression

August 2020 Great Pretender (TV Series)

Spent most of the summer marinating in my BSD and YOI bubbles, until THIS BAD BOI came up on my Netflix recommendations. HOOOO BOI. This is some Anime Of The Year shit right here. Has a pretty original concept (Catch Me If You Can by way of Oceans 11-ish) but generally starts out like most other shounen (sans the super powers). AND THEN EPISODE FIVE HAPPENS. Not gonna spoil it but they TOOK THAT SHIT UP A NOTCH. Brilliant, even with a bit of an insane ending. GO WATCH THIS ONE.

Joined the fandom: August 2020 Obsession peaked: Pretty much as soon as I started watching it. Fandom friends: What’s up Fiji ;) @lil-1nsane Obsession faded: Naturally faded, but so glad I watched Fanfics you NEED to read: None so far! Little scared about this one, heard mixed reviews, but maybe someday. Favourite moments:

Edamame’s “madness arc” at the end of season 2. HOOOO BOY.

Laurent getting fucking WRECKED when Edamame punches him mid way through season 2, kills me every time.

Introducing my partner to anime with this show.

October 2020 Attack on Titan (TV Series)

RETURN OF THE KING. lol

In my quest to find an anime that I can watch with my partner, I turned on season 1 of this bad boi. Holy hell I forgot how much I loved this show, NO WONDER everyone lost their goddamn minds when this show first aired. I NEED to catch up before all the season four spoilers come to get me...

Joined the fandom: Winter 2016 Obsession peaked: Basically as soon as I started watching it. Fandom friends: None yet, but I know you’re out there... Obsession faded: 2017, JUST BEFORE SEASON TWO... I should have stuck around longer I know, but it’s slowly coming back. Reeeeeally need to catch up on seasons two, three, and four. Fanfics you NEED to read: GIVE ME YOUR RECS HEATHENS. Favourite moments:

Watching my partner FREAK OUT about Eren’s “death.”

EVERYTHING ABOUT POTATO GORL! lol

Getting in a conversation with a die hard fan after I hadn’t watched it in three years and saying... “Who’s that blond bitch that cries all the time?”/ “Armin?”/ “THAT’S THE ONE!”

November 2020... kind of. Figure Skating (Sport)

Okay this one is a bit hard to explain. 

I have been a DIE HARD figure skating for A LOOOOOONG time. My grandmother got me a hat from the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City and I remember watching even then. But I first became consciously aware of different skaters, my faves, etc. from about 2010. I vividly remember watching Plushenko skating in 2014 while on a school trip to Hawaii, and my friends laughing at me as I yelled at the TV.

But I didn’t TRULY get involved in the fandom side of it until this year. I had all this knowledge bottled up, but didn’t have any skating friends to talk to... UNTIL NOW. Super ironic that this happened in a year with almost NO skating, but I’ll take what I can get ;) Also did I stay up until FOUR-GODDAMN-THIRTY IN THE MORNING a few nights ago to stream Japanese Nationals on my phone??? YOU BET I DID.

Joined the fandom: Three times; 2002, 2010, and 2020. Obsession peaked: 2014? 2018? Idk it peaks any time someone does something amazing. Fandom friends: Rachel, my girl @idancewiththefairies​, WHY DIDN’T I INTRODUCE YOU TO THIS SOONER??? Obsession faded: Hasn’t. Won’t. lol Fanfics you NEED to read: NOPE. NONE. NOT GONNA HAPPEN. No fanfics about real people. Never gonna change that. (some of my) Favourite moments:

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir doing THAT routine at the 2018 Olympics.

Rachel​ sheepishly admitting to me that Shoma may have replaced Yuzu as her favourite, and me being SO DAMN PROUD of her for growing and developing her own skating opinions apart from me.

Yuzu’s 2012 ‘Romeo and Juliet’ routine and Worlds. THE RAW FUCKING POWER OF THAT SKATE.

Plushenko, cheeky bastard, changing his 2014 Team Event routine AS IT WAS HAPPENING.

The worlds friendliest rivalry between Yuzu and Nathan.

Any thing the Shibutani’s do, and all they do to break up the stereotype that all of Ice Dancing has to be rOmAnTiC and SeNsUaL to be good.

Watching my early faves become coaches and the D R A M A.

Honorable Mentions:

Coco (Film): I watched this the weekend I came home and I owe this movie a lot. It is so sweet an heartwarming, and it a roundabout way it brought me back to Tumblr (needed somewhere to vent my feelings considering I watched the movie a solid THREE YEARS after it came out, Tumblr seemed like the place to go lol). Watched in again in 2020 and it’s just as amazing.

Jekyll and Hyde (All media): Loved this book from the first time I read it in my first year of uni. But in December 2019, my fandom understanding reached its PEAK. The musical?? The comic?? YOOOOOO.

Dear Evan Hansen (Musical): I have BARELY engaged in fandom discourse, but the MUSIC. She fucking SLAPS.

Sirius the Jaeger (TV Series): This show is such an underrated gem. It literally has so much; "dead” family drama? Eclectic international group of monster hunters? Cowboys and vampires?? Yes, yes, and YES. And the main character has the same Japanese voice actor as Atsushi from BSD!

Studio Ghilbi (Films): My love affair with Ghibli goes back to when I was about 5 and BEGGED my mom to take me to the library so we could rent Kiki’s Delivery Service on DVD. But that love has been FULLY rejuvenated this year when I went to the Ghibli Film Festival in New York City (ironically in the last week in February). If you haven’t seen them, go watch From Up On Poppy Hill, Whisper of the Heart, and The Wind Rises. Spoilers, you’re probably gonna cry.

If you’ve made it this far, THANK YOU FOR READING! 

And thank you to all the amazing people that made my 2020 not so horrible. Good riddance 2020, don’t let the door hit you on the way out!

[transxfiles]

Scooby Doo? 👀

HHHHHH OKAY SO SCOOBY DOO

I CAN TALK ABT SCOOBY DOO FOR HOURS ON END BUT I WANT TO KEEP THIS ALL SOLIDLY CONTAINED TO A REASONABLY SIZED ASK SO I WILL TELL YOU ALL ABT INTERPERSONAL DYNAMICS OF THE SCOOBY GANG

a quick note before we start: I am not like a professional consultant of hanna-barbera and I am not like a scooby doo historian or anything I am just absolutely completely fixated on this goofy little television show that started with Scooby-Doo Where Are You? in 1969 and grew into the wild franchise as we know it today. I've done a LOT of research on this stuff and a fair amount of it is also my own observation of things as I have watched every piece of Scooby Media other than Stay Cool, Scooby-Doo! and Scooby-Doo and the Phantasaur. anyways please buckle up and enjoy the ride!

okay so I'd like to start off with the original concept for scooby doo in which the gang was actually in a band and scooby doo was a bongo-playing dog called Too Much! (yes with an exclamation point and yes the vibes ARE immaculate I love it so much) and also in that sort of original idea Velma and Shaggy were actually siblings (although they weren’t called Velma or Shaggy at the time - all the gang had different names in the original draft before they were changed to be more conventional and memorable to appeal to tv audiences but I digress) and I feel like that really sets the tone for their relationship?? I also feel like that’s part of why when movies or tv shows or even people who aren’t making canon scooby doo content but are just making fanart n stuff make Velma and Shaggy a couple it feels so weird. it doesn’t work, especially when they try to force it in canon, because their relationship is so much of a sibling dynamic (and Velma’s also literally lesbian in original canon - where she was purposefully lesbian coded - as well as other pieces of scooby media where it was censored, including in Scooby-Doo the 2002 live action film and associated franchise, and Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated) so anyways I don’t get the deal with trying to match those two together it doesn’t fit. 

If you’re going to make a relationship that fits in with most canon Scooby Media it’s better to a) have Daphne be one part of the pairing (don’t ask me why, it’s just a pattern that I've noticed makes sense without taking away from the main plot. the only noticeable exceptions to this are the shaggy/crystal incident in Alien Invaders - THEY WERE CUTE OKAY - and the velma/marcy incident in Mystery Incorporated); b) someone from outside of the gang cannot generally be involved in the relationship (again, shaggy/crystal and velma/marcy are exempt from this); and c) the relationship cannot overpower the main plot formula of the scooby gang solving mysteries (this is part of the reason that scooby-doo 2: monsters unleashed was considered so bad by both critics and fans, in my opinion - the studio attempted to pair velma with some outside guy we’d never heard of before for no discernible reason, and then maid it so big a subplot it was practically inseparable from the main plot. of course, this did give us some ‘Velma deals with comphet’ type scenarios which were interesting to watch as a lesbian, but I digress). 

So basically some good in-gang ships are Daphne/Fred (which is first canonized by Scooby-Doo 2002), Daphne/Velma (which was supposed to be canonized by Scooby-Doo 2002 but I digress) and Daphne/Shaggy (which became popular with many die hard fans after the release of The Thirteen Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, in which the rest of the gang is absent but Scooby, Shaggy, and Daphne are still vibing together). Another popular ship is Shaggy/Fred, although since this has no canon source material to back it up, I don’t talk abt it as much (also I am a dyke and not really big on mlm ships... but if you’re a mlm who enjoys this ship I am rooting for you dude) but I do think it’s cute!

Some exceptions to this rule that only gang member/gang member ships can work out are Crystal/Shaggy (canon via Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders) and Velma/Marcy | Hot-Dog Water (canon via Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated; lots of canon subtext, everything short of a kiss or an ‘I love you’, later confirmed by creators who said they were working to get stuff past censors). I can’t really explain why these canon pairings are so good. they just are. (also on a somewhat related note, @HANNA BARBERA GIVE SHAGGY HIS ALIEN GIRLFRIEND BACK I WILL FISTFIGHT YOU BRING HER BACK BRING HER BACK)

similarly, a piece of Scooby Media will lose its appeal if the writers take ‘Let’s Split Up, Gang!’ too seriously and completely break the scooby gang apart for more than the looking for clues piece of the episode. this is why Scoob!, Daphne & Velma, The Thirteen Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, and other pieces of scooby media in which only a part of the gang appears for the majority of the film or television series are generally pretty bad and also prone to getting cancelled or panned by critics. In Scoob!’s case, this movie shows that if you focus too much on even the sweet and simple Shaggy-Scooby friendship, leaving out the rest of the gang causes an imbalance that leaves audiences feeling unsatisfied with their lack of gang-shenanigan-related content, especially if the movie itself was advertised as being a more traditionally formatted piece of scooby media (something else that Scoob! did).

adding Scrappy Doo to your piece of scooby media is yet another way to fuck up the gang’s dynamic. because scrappy doo is a walking scrap of puppy-sized arsenic. the only time that its permissible to have scrappy doo be a part of your piece of scooby media is if he is the antagonist that the gang must fight (which is actually part of why Scooby-Doo 2002 was so successful). Scrappy doo has a tendency to do poorly with general audiences because a) he’s an asshole b) he’s annoying as shit and c) I really fucking hate scrappy doo. but also there was this big marketing campaign when he was first released onto our unknowing world and he was so annoying and over workshopped and over marketed that literally everyone who knows scooby-doo fucking. hates him. I hate him you hate him and if you don’t hate him well: 

SCRAPPY DOO FANS STANS AND APOLOGISTS DO NOT INTERACT /hj

and I think that finishes up my psa for the most part on scooby doo and the gang’s interpersonal relationships?? sorry if this makes no sense I will simply Talk About Scooby Doo for a solid hour and not realize that what I'm saying is the most incoherent thing ever, thank you for coming to my Ted Talk, Scooby snacks are at the door to your left, please only one per person. Mangy Mutts with Great-Dane-esq appearances may take two. Scrappy Doo Stans get out of my house.

(and if anyone ever wants to know anything else abt scooby doo please send an ask! I'm always here :D)

[buddietomytarlos]

9-1-1 Lonestar S2 Ep2 Thoughts *Spoilers*

under the cut are my thoughts :)

- What a douchebag… but remembering the lava at the bottom of the pool from the trailer thank you for getting her out of there <3 VELMA FROM SCOOBY DOO?? SHUT THE FUCK UP DON’T DO THAT TO VELMA. Really warm huh OH DAMN HE JUST BACKFLIPPED INTO THAT. HE’S BOILING ALIVE AHHH OH GOD NO NO NO

- OFFICIALLY IN REMISSION!! 💞💞💞

- “This is the ugliest cake…” “I gave your scans to the baker” LMAO THAT BAKER MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE “WHAT THE FUCK…”

- “Thanks for being here babe” AHH

- “You haven’t touched your tumor cake…” “It’s growing on me.” lol also that’s a big ass piece of cake

- “You know what happens if you keep things bottled up.” “Unless it’s wine.”

- fuck that… he just fell in—

- Now why he tell the kid that they’re gonna rescue the dad and that he’s not gonna die without knowing for suer……… don’t promise something you can’t keep

- AHHHHHHHHHH HE’S MELTED INTO IT. I knew it the second he said he couldn’t. Owwwwwww his skin being ripped off like that FUCK

- ooh he getting in trouble for what he said to the kid. bro don’t look like that you know she’s right

- SCORPIONS NO

- Highkey though love this scorpion scene to

- CARLOS

- “were not worried about dad, were worried about you” aggghghhggfghgh

- oof I’d hate to be in that Lava pool. Literally burning alive… melting.

- “Is she your girlfriend?” “Uh.. I wish.” imagine telling your kids how you got together

- Tim 🥺🥺 I saw a spoiler after the ep ended bc I had to stop watching the show for a friend I’m so sad. ALSO SPENCE IS NOAH FOSTER BRUHHHH

- Tim realizing that the can’t promise him he’ll be able to walk pLS his pleading voice makes me so sad I’m so

- Oh I remember seeing this scene on screen before I turned it off NOOOOO. I knew he was gonna get hit beforehand the second he looked up. But I know they save him.

- OH NOOOOOOOOO THAT’S HOW TIM DIES? NO NO NO I HATE IT HERE

- The gang 😭😭😭 “It didn’t feel like we were in trouble.” Probie why’d you be in trouble.

- “Why did we leave him there.” STOPPPP NANCY 😭😭 NANCY BEING SO FUCKING HEARTBROKEN BC SHE WORKED WITH HIM THE MOST I’M SO EMOTIONAL RN I loved Tim 🥺😭

- Captain Vega blaming herself for scolding him the day before he died :(( nooo bby. Her relationship with Judd is so amazing and sweet I love it

- NANCY PACKING UP TIM’S STUFF 😭😭😭

- OMG PLS HAVE THEM ADOPT BUSTER TOO. A FIREHOUSE DOG AND CAT YES

- It’s raining ash you probably shouldn’t be outside Cap

- At least Tim died immediately and didn’t suffer :(

- The station all letting out their anger and hurt and frustration I’M NOT OKAY.

- This Tarlos scene broke me. TK just falling into Carlos’s embrace… plus this song Jesus

- Judd scooting in behind Grace and their hands intwining.

- MARJAN BREAKING DOWN INTO PAUL’S ARMS

- CAPTAIN VEGA BROUGHT THE CAT BACK TO HER HOUSE AWWW okay i’l take that. I love that a lot 🥺🥺🥺

- What is this dumbass doing… after all that happened with lava you want to be out in the middle of the woods for why… and starting a fire wonderful. Wolves……? OH NVM A BIGGER FIRE….

[abyssfemme]

top five fics you've ever read

Genuinely not the question I expected but one I’ll answer anyway! I legitimately don’t remember all of the fanfics I’ve read so this is my most recent top five based on memory alone. This is not in order and in two cases it’s more like “top five fic authors” so bare with me for giving a little wiggle room. 1. the entire T.A.G (they are girlfriends) universe by @notaguitarfret. (Heathers, poly!heathers, specific CWs in the tags of each fic and in the author’s notes, ratings vary) Honestly the fact that they’re forty fics deep into this universe and they’re all just really gorgeously written is amazing. Collectively, this series has almost more words than the two most prominent versions of the Bible and about 50 times the length of anything I’ve ever put to paper. It’s absolutely stellar. 2. literally anything written by @thewishingdragon. (Heathers, ships, ratings, and CWs depend on story and are tagged) This dude’s basically my brother and I’ve had the joy of writing with him many times and it’s always great. He’s a whiz at characterizing the Heathers and Veronica and I’m extremely glad to know him.

3. a million lights by auroreanrave. (Riverdale, Reggie/Ethel, no CWs, rated T)

I have a lot of fondness for Ethel Muggs as a character but because of the many bad writing choices connected to Ethel, she doesn’t get a lot of love from the fandom. This fanfic, however, is that perfect little burst of rot-your-teeth fluff that we need more of in the Riverdale fandom in general because let’s be real we’re not getting anything too sweet from this coming season. It’s quick, it’s cozy, it’s well-written and I can’t ask for much more than that.

4. The Fabulous Reunion Between Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn by o_aphrodite (Birds of Prey/DC Comics, Harlivy, no CWs, rated G)

I’m a sucker for cute shit. This is cute shit and it makes me happy. I really hope Cathy Yan puts Ivy into the BOP sequel if there ever is one. Also, #BOPForBestPicture.

5. i found her, and she found me by enjolraspermittedit (Octet by Dave Malloy, Velma/The Girl from Saint-Marie, slight references to self-harm, rated T)

Fun fact: there are fifteen fanfics in the Octet section on ao3. the author of this fic has written all but three of them - I admire that dedication. This is a genuinely sweet fic tracking the relationship of Velma and her online (girl)friend from them meeting online to meeting irl and also tracking Velma’s involvement in the Friends of Saul group. It’s sweet and well-written and I love how Henry and Velma develop a friendship. Also please listen to Octet, it’s so good.

give me a top five category and i’ll give you my top five of that thing