#which it makes sense he wants to impress both of these men and he doesn’t believe the book will ever be published

[heartshpedfx]

I support Armand's fanfic

(I think he fucked Lestat but not in that way he described necessarily)

he ABSOLUTELY fucked lestat but i don’t think it was in one of the theatre boxes in front of nicki, to me that just doesn’t seem like lestats style

[handyowlet]

Believing all women means hearing them out and taking all evidence into account. It means you don’t automatically assume they are lying, but it also does not mean you should automatically assume everything they say is 100% accurate always and everything their alleged assaulter says is 100% a lie always, no matter what any other evidence may suggest (and yes, I have been assaulted in my lifetime, before you come at me).

We have so little information at this point that it’s impossible to know what happened. We will likely never know because we weren’t there.

I agree that it is problematic to sleep with your kid’s nanny but it is not impossible for such a situation to still lead to a consensual relationship. It is not impossible for someone to want to work for and then possibly sleep with a celebrity. I also believe her when she said it started out weirdly but was consensual, and when she told Neil multiple times that it was consensual. It would make sense for him to have the impression that it was consensual based on those exchanges.

I’m not a fan of large age gaps in relationships because one or both of the participants are so often in it for the wrong reasons, but an age gap alone does not make it not consensual. An adult is an adult and they can make their own choices. I don’t hear anyone calling Michael a rapist because Anna is 25 years younger than him. Also, fans sleep with celebrities all the time. Groupies are a thing for a reason. Yes it is possible for celebrities to take advantage of that, just as it is possible for fans to seek them out. Doesn’t mean it can’t be consensual. She also said over and over that their relationship was consensual. She did mention one time when she said no due to a UTI and he didn’t listen- that is the only clear cut nonconsensual act noted and is indicative of our society’s insistence that your partner is owed sex in a relationship (which doesn’t make it right, but it does make it harder for people, especially men, to understand that it isn’t right).

I’m also not into rough sex or BDSM (I’m grey ace and happily married), but it’s also not my place to judge anyone for their tastes. There is nothing wrong with either of these, but of course they should be properly negotiated.

It is also important to note that the podcasters appear to have sought out as many women as they could and these are the only two they came up with, both of whom noted over and over that their relationships were consensual.

If you haven’t listed to the podcast, find Not Becky on Twitter. She summarized the whole thing so you don’t have to.

Not saying Neil is perfect or that he didn’t do anything wrong, but I’m also not jumping on the “Neil is a monster and should kill himself” train that roared out of the station yesterday.

[faithtrickedhope]

curious abt ur interpretation, but why do u think zeus turned on athena so suddenly after she completed the games?? a lot of people say it’s just because he’s a sore loser, but i think there’s more to it!! :0

hi, hello !! i do have some feelings about this !!

for me, i think it’s sort of, like, less about the fact that she won, and more what she stood for in winning? so, like, the fact that she managed to convince five other gods to set free a mortal man, the fact that she won for the sake of a mortal man - that’s what zeus can’t reason with

so, zeus does say:

No one beats me, no one wins my game!

which gives the impression that he is, just, a sore loser. that he cannot handle being beat. and, okay, i think there is like some truth to that. he is the god king, he does not lose at things. i think he expected that this would be a lot harder for her, that the other gods would care a lot more than they probably do. it’s the shock more than anything, then, that gets him. he didn’t expect to lose

but, also, before this line he says:

You dare to defy me? To make me feel shame?

and i think this part is important to consider. let’s look at it line by line. he use the word “defy”, which seems odd, because athena did exactly what he laid out for her to do. but i think in this case it’s more, that she’s defying him by aligning herself with a mortal. it really doesn’t help that the specific man in question is one that zeus himself punished personally. in his eyes, odysseus is weak and pathetic, he isn’t worth the mercy of the gods. athena had abandoned him at one point, and i think that shows her father’s will being reflected in her. if she - someone who has befriended odysseus, taken him under her win - was willing to turn her back on him, then the likes of zeus would have no sympathy for such a man, and thus it is a defiance that athena would suddenly turn back to helping him

she defies his will by getting this far in the game for the sake of odysseus. actually, i think zeus had hoped the game would change her mind, show her the “godly” perspective. the fact she still holds her ground after it, then, is defiance

okay, and then zeus talks of “shame”, athena making him “feel shame”. again, this ties a lot back into what we just covered - zeus is ashamed that his own daughter would fight this hard for a mortal whom he hates. that she would face five gods who try to sway her opinion and still come out standing by odysseus. athena is zeus’ favourite daughter, after all. he would surely then expect that she would always align herself with him or his morals, so to see her stand before him after playing his games, games designed to force her hand, and for her still want his help - that is a cause for great shame for the father

now, looking at the wider context of the musical, we see that zeus is “fair” (at least by his own standards). he gives odysseus two choices across the course of the musical, in regards to the baby and in regards to his men. in both cases, he doesn’t force odysseus either way to choose, and when he does make his choice, zeus doesn’t interfere any further. at the start of god games, he gave athena a choice. to face the other gods OR face him. by his own standard set before, when athena chooses to face the gods and wins, zeus should stand by that. it is fair.

but he doesn’t. and for me that’s what shows that this is so much more than just a sore loser. this is a god who is going against his agenda in order to punish his daughter - that’s something that runs a lot deeper than “aw, i lost”. he didn’t expect athena to win, no, but that’s because he always expected her to come back to her senses (his reason) before the game was up. she didn’t. that is a great defiance of his will, and that is a great shame on him as her father

zeus is all about pride, we see that most clearly in thunder bringer. his daughter - his favourite, perfect daughter - has essentially just embarrassed him in front of all these other gods by beating his game for the sake of someone he has previously sought to punish. she has, in front of all these other gods, shown that his faith in her was misplaced, because she is willing to defy his will. this is a god king who could not bring someone around to see his reason. this is a father who has realised in that moment that his daughter is not who he thought

so, okay, yeah, this is very long and ramble-ly (i just woke up, so i do apologise) but TLDR, it’s about pride and shame and zeus’ sheer fury that the game he designed for athena to lose - or to, at least, bring her back to his reason - did not work. she still stands against him for the sake of one, mortal man, and that is a defiance he cannot have

[lightningidle]

A thought about Gerard’s scene in Episode 18, which is: Elody watches the conversation between Gerard and Rapunzel.

                                                    ——————

Princess Elody is a tactical motherfucker, so even when these cool young women approach her and say all the right things, things that make sense, she doesn’t fully buy in. Not at face value.

When they talk about princes, it’s somehow both completely flippant and with caustic derision — like these young men were props meant to move the plot along, sole owners of agency in stories that weren’t even titled after them. (Elody wonders about their treatment of the princes as the fairies’ deux es machina, wonders about how easy it is to “kill a lot of princes” as Snow White explains. And by their own logic, how likely is it, really, that the princes are cardboard cutouts if Cinderella is so sure her stepmother, not even royalty, has her own book?)

There’s evidence to the contrary of this in her story specifically, which she has no trouble recounting. There’s no way her prince was meant to pacify her into an idyllic life, because he’s a layabout! He’s unreliable! And sure, he’s charming and fun, yes, he tried to pull her away from the war table, but that wasn’t because of any scheming to get her to stay in line, it was just because he wanted attention. He’s frivolous, he’s not a monster, she says. She’s so passionate in her defense of Gerard’s personhood that she almost misses the shared look of the princesses, the glint in Rapunzel’s eye.

Let us show you, Rapunzel says, what a monster looks like.

The scrying ritual is completed quickly and without fuss. Rapunzel stares into a mirror that ripples like water, and then, on the other side, there he is. More froglike than he’s ever been.

“You’re a prince, friends are probably pretty expendable, right? How many friends have you really had, other than Elody?”

Now hold on, Elody wants to say, that’s goading him. That’s not fair. Cinderella puts a firm hand on her shoulder and shakes her head no, to stay quiet, to wait it out. Elody bites her tongue and waits for Gerard to prove one of them right.

“Your friends seem to really value you as a person. I’m sure it’s a comfort to know that they’re not just sort of putting up with you because you’ll tag along and swing your sword, prove a little bit useful.”

Gerard has snowball fights with his friends. He has friends? He has a dedicated workout buddy? She’s not sure he’s ever been dedicated to anything, except for gossip... or her. Now that she thinks about it, he has always been unquestionably devoted to her, hasn’t he?

“I have seen some titanic feats of strength from my companions the Beast, Cinderella, Snow White. Truly impressive acts of heroism.

I do not think I have seen any of my sisters strain more greatly than the Princess Elody to find something kind to say about you.”

Elody does open her mouth to speak this time, which turns out to be a huge mistake when a writhing mass of knotted hair wraps around the lower half of her face. Not to constrict, only to silence. A pit forms in her stomach at the thought that Rapunzel might not be lying, that in trying to defend Gerard she only condemned the worst of him.

“Yes... I don’t... I don’t doubt that.”

Her heart breaks for the second time.

“But I haven't seen the Princess Elody in a while, and I think it's telling that I'm seeing you in this lake and not her or any of the other princesses. I think you’re... manipulating people, or not telling them the full truth.”

Her eyes dart to the other princesses. Snow White’s expression remains unchanged, though Cinderella’s darkens slightly. When Rapunzel speaks again, it does not escape Elody’s notice that she doesn’t acknowledge what Gerard pointed out; she deflects. Elody is getting angrier, now, tugging at the hair around her jaw, hardly even hearing the next bit until a third voice speaks up, says the Princess Elody cares for you deeply.

“Not quite the same thing.”

“It's not, but seeing as the last thing she saw of me was me running away after I had already done that, I’m grateful that she still cares for me at all.”

The hair gathering around her tenses. Elody was brought here to see that, when Gerard thought nobody else could hear, he would prove himself to be just an agent of the fairies, or an empty vessel, or a selfish monster. What she’s seeing is none of those things. But she’s also not seeing the man she knew as her husband: he’s grown and changed, almost become someone else entirely. She wants to call out to Gerard. She wants to get to know him all over again.

“Gerard,” Rapunzel hisses, “what do you think the odds are that it got into Elody's head that the virtuous thing to do was to fall in love with a cold and slimy frog, and that every kindness she has paid you in your life has been a testament to her charity, rather than anything about you that would bring her joy?”

Elody freezes.

“I don't know that I can answer that.”

“It doesn’t seem very fair to Elody that you can’t.” 

“... I agree.”

The image in the mirror of the man who will never be a man again ripples and vanishes. Elody’s hands have fallen away from the hair around her face, which is convenient, as she finds herself suddenly holding a book. The hair recedes, and she doesn’t register what it is Rapunzel is saying to try and placate her, because the book in her hands is a slim volume, bound in her favorite shade of green and embossed in golden ink.

On the front is the title — The Princess Elody.

[roronoaswifey]

𝐂𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐇𝐂𝐒, monster trio

summary. inviting the monster trio to your annual family cookout

pairing. monkey d. luffy, roronoa zoro, vinsmoke sanji x black!reader

warnings/tags. slight foul language, alcohol consumption, implied weed consumption, wholesome meeting the family content, reader is black but fic can be applied to all races

wc. 2.9k

kazu’s note. tee helped inspire me… even if the idea was all mine xo 💋 @sanjisblackasswife

𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐊𝐄𝐘 𝐃. 𝐋𝐔𝐅𝐅𝐘

“let’s fucking go!”

→ he’s oddly excited to go, mainly because of all the fun stories you’d told him in the past and food

→ wherever there’s a fun time and food, you know luffy’s down

→ the second you stepped in, you lost your boyfriend. in the overwhelming swarm of greetings and hugs and kisses, luffy was nowhere to be found

→ you were asked by all family members where was this boyfriend of yours and your left brow twitched in suspicion, cause where else would the bastard be at this ripe hour?

→ ding ding ding, the kitchen of course.

→ he leaned over the counter, eyes shimmering in want as he drooled over whatever seemed to be cooking in the crockpot

→ your mother eyed him suspiciously, lost and completely confused as to who this clearly non family member was doing in her kitchen

→ you found him and easily, smacking the back of his head while scolding him on proper etiquette, to which he pouted and argued that,

→ “but i’m hungry!”

→ “dumbass, where are your manners?”

→ your mom didn’t take it to heart, however. she appreciated how he could distinctively spot a good dish from away

→ after poutingly introducing himself, luffy beamed at the premade plate in front of him, thanking your mom endlessly with hugs before diving into his meal

→ though stunned by the way he inhaled his meal down, your mom was also impressed by his go-lucky nature, going as far as ruffling his hair affectionately

→ luffy’s definitely best friends with the younger cousins. he keeps up with their games, laughs along at anything and agrees when they ask him to bring them to a nearby park

→ they ask for story times of adventures when he’s at sea, and listen with heart eyes as he tells them about the amount of sea kings he’s slaughtered and bad men he’s defeated, going as far as re-enacting the situations

→ he’s also at the center of the mosh when adults ask the kids to dance for money. he isn’t even doing it for the money, he’s just so full of energy and everyone loves his vibe so much

→ he definitely makes money off it though

→ dinnertime is horrendous. he’s got a big appetite, and you warned your family beforehand, but naturally they’re still in shock at the way he basically SWALLOWS the table.

→ your mom is a huge fan, prepping beforehand containers of food so he doesn’t go hungry

→ even if he’s basically gobbling down his and other people’s share of food, luffy is known for his outgoing and warm personality, so of course he’s the center of entertainment

→ he’s cracking jokes, singing off key, dancing ridiculously and your family seems to be eating it up. they laugh like he’s the funniest man, sing along as if he was making sense, even hype him up when he dances foolishly

→ at some point in the day he’s so stuffed he ends up knocked out with some random kid in one of the rooms upstairs, snoring with the child snuggling into his torso, damn near rolling over him

→ nighttime falls before luffy wants, and eventually it’s time for y’all to go back, but lemme tell you this man is so bummed out

→ not only does your family bash you for “gatekeeping” him from them for so long, but luffy’s pressed because not everybody seems to have left but now you’re forcing him to go too??

→ “lu, we gotta set sail tonight or else nami’ll have both our heads on a platter!”

→ “i don’t care! i’m captain, and i decide we stay!”

→ you’re so ready to shove your fist down his throat when your mom shows up, containers full of food in her hold as she offers a simple solution that has luffy obeying uncharacteristically easily

→ you rolled your eyes, grabbing the packed food as your mom smothered luffy in kisses, thanking him for having shown up and expects to see him more often

→ she also gives him the sentimental “look after my daughter” speech as if he’s not the one that needs to be looked over

→ luffy replies with his infamous laugh, hugging your mom back as his answer makes your chest bloom with warmth,

→ “of course! y/n’s the love of my life.”

𝐑𝐎𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐀 𝐙𝐎𝐑𝐎

→ “uh…”

→ that’s the face he made the second y’all entered the house, greeted by your skeptical dad who gave him an offish look

→ “so you the thug my baby’s dating?”

→ “dad.” you gave your dad a pointed look, and he rolled his eyes, waving off as he claimed he was joking, but the way zoro was frozen is fear (?) suggested otherwise

→ so, rough start, but zoro decides he’s gonna try his best to make your family approve of him. i guess it helps he brought a bottle of wine (selected by sanji ofc) to woo the fam

→ he follows as you make your way towards the backyard, greeted with love and hollers as everyone chants how it’s been so long since they last saw you

→ you get hugs and kisses from uncles, aunties, grandparents, family friends and cousins, whole time zoro stands behind you like 🧍waiting for you to finish

→ “gonna introduce us to your hunk of a man?” some thirsty auntie practically ogles zoro and he’s frozen to pieces again at the attention on him

→ you roll your eyes and nudge zoro forward to introduce himself, and he inwardly curses you for setting him up like that

→ “roronoa zoro… ma’am.” you nearly decked him up the head for the unneeded formal greeting, but your family laughed it off, amused by his sternness

→ “your name roronoa?”

→ “no sir. i’m japanese.”

→ “well that’s new.” you glared at the same thirsty auntie, hoping she wasn’t somewhat shading you for your taste in men

→ regardless, zoro went through the crowd and attempted to present himself, though it was unnecessarily stiff, you rubbed your hand on his back for his efforts

→ zoro finds it really hard to find peace and quiet at events like these, though he doesn’t hate it but isn’t exactly used to so much familial love in one place especially with the lack of family growing up

→ he does find peace in the normality of everything, no piracy or wild government issues involved

→ your dad manages to find him and challenges him alongside the other uncles to a drinking contest, but because you know you have an advantage, you decide to place bets on winners

→ bets are predictable enough; everyone besides your mom and you bet on the undefeated champion that was your dad. joke’s on them cause naturally zoro won

→ he swipes his hand over his mouth, smirking at your dad across the table as you stand next to him, arms crossed over your chest and smirking tauntingly back you guys looked so badass

→ your dad eyes you both saltily, and zoro fears he fucked up yet again by taking the challenge too seriously, but when your dad breaks out in laughter and gives his hand to shake, a sweat dropped from his hairline in relief

→ you made about 350$

→ your (single) aunties cannot get over how good looking he is. they swarm around him, praising him for his out-of-this-world visuals and smother all over him, pulling at his cheeks and tugging at his biceps

→ and in returns he’s just like “uh, thank you.” while giving you a look to save him, but you’re evil and let him suffer alone

→ now when the kids get ahold of this man, just wish him goodnight at this point cause you’re not seeing this man for the rest of the night

→ they love this man ☠️ is it the fact that he seems so unappeased and stoic, or the fact that he’s a new piece of meat to bother, he really couldn’t tell

→ they tug on his arms, sit on his lap, play with his hair, and ask for stories of what it’s like to be at sea while being such a strong pirate

→ “you got three swords?!” “i do.” “can i use them?! please?!” “i’m pretty sure y/n would kill me.” “no she wouldn’t! she lets me play with swords all the time!” “uh…”

→ when you caught him giving piggyback and airplane rides to your very happy younger sister, you leaned against the doorframe and teased him about how well they got along to which he bluntly denied

→ you saw the fond smile on his face tho

→ still you drag him downstairs to meet up with your older cousins and family friends, slipping on some slides as your dad corners y’all at the entrance

→ “we’re gonna go take a walk.” you smile sheepishly, kissing his cheek and your father gives you a look, seeing easily past your lame excuse but does nothing to stop y’all

→ “we are?” your confused boyfriend mumbled, tugging your sundress and your cousins and friends laughed at his naivety, saying something along the lines that they’d get along just well

→ the walk taught him a few things; weed is definitely not for him nor his throat, you get overly affectionate when you’re high and your one short friend is hilarious when he’s hungry

→ he gets along well with other significant others of family members, all in the same “freshly arrived” boat. he and your sister’s boyfriend actually bonded over the kendo matches airing on the sports channel

→ when night comes, he’s almost drained by how much social interaction he was put through. you wish everybody a goodnight and they threaten you to bring him back to the next function “or else”.

→ you’re at the door with leftovers and drinks, and when you leave the door, zoro realizes he probably should privately share his goodbyes to your dad, and so he goes back when you don’t notice

→ you noticed you were talking to yourself for a while, so you frown and wonder if your man got lost while you were busy ranting about how happy you were

→ you head back to the house, ready to search for a lost moss but you halt your step when you hear familiar voices talking

→ “you take good care of my baby, roronoa. she better be in one piece next time y’all come ‘round. got it?”

→ you roll your eyes at your dad’s usual protectiveness, ready to counter on his behalf but you’re cut to the chase by your boyfriend,

→ “i love her, sir. nothing bad’s ever gonna happen as long as i’m around, i swear.”

𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐌𝐎𝐊𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐉𝐈

→ “sounds like a good idea, my love!”

→ sanji blends in with your family alarmingly well. it’s barely been a few minutes since y’all got in, and he presents himself with bouquets of flowers and wine, and the whole house has fallen head over heels for him

→ sanji used to be a waiter alongside a sous chef, so his conversational skills are flawless. he knows exactly what to say to make your members feel listened, nods when they speak and engage in their stories

→ your mom is in love with this man. when he presented himself, he reached out his hand and when she laid hers in his, he kissed her knuckles all gentlemanly and gave a wink, and she was weak in the knees

→ you had no worries about sanji meeting your family, you knew they’d fall for his charms just as you did

→ unsurprisingly, most of his time is spent in the kitchen with the ladies, even though they tell him he can go relax elsewhere with the men. he presses that he’s fine and he’s willing to help with the preparation, as he is the chef’s cook

→ you find him minutes later wearing an apron cutting up vegetables, laughing brightly at whatever story your mother had to share

→ while he spends his time in there, the tipsy aunties spill and rant all the family’s tea, from unplanned pregnancies to cheating scandals, and sanji’s nosy ass is all in for the business, going as far as asking questions and throwing in his own opinions

→ like imagine “you’re joking! is that not her sister’s ex man?! what a low blow!” “i know right? she’s been shady as fuck.” he gasps dramatically, hand on his hip as he pauses from mincing the garlic

→ dramatic bastard

→ he offers to help set up the table as he’s used to doing it on the ship, and your mom almost feels bad for making her guest help her with everything, but he expertly holds plates in his hands as he winks, “anything for my mother-in-law, mademoiselle.”

→ he’s so used to eating last, making sure everyone’s gotten a good taste before he can sit back, so he’s taken aback when your mom slides him a plate on the counter

→ you’re rolling your eyes playfully as sanji tries to push the plate back respectfully and offers that your mom eats before he does, since she did make everything

→ “give it a rest, she’s as stubborn as you are.” you nudge your shoulder against his, and he straight up pouts, before nodding and thanking her for the meal

→ he was stunned at the outburst of flavours, not having ever tasted anything as unique as soul food in his life. he has literal hearts out of his eyes and his mother mentions warmheartedly how cartoon-like it was little does she know

→ though you underestimated sanji’s stubbornness when you caught him doing the dishes, claiming he was unloading the amount of work your mom would have to do

→ she was baffled by his kindness, wrapping her arms around him and planting a kiss at his temple, chanting how he was her new favorite and you teasingly scoffed at the bashful blush that crept at sanji’s face

→ your younger sister is in love with him. like, actual love. she wants to marry him and keep him in her room for the rest of her life, so she says.

→ when nobody wanted to play dollhouse with her, he felt his chest ache at the way she seemed defeated, instantly reminded by his own childhood, so he offered to play with her and she was immediately crushing

→ “sanji, i love you! be my husband!”

→ he chuckles sheepishly, “but what about your sister, darling? it wouldn’t be room nice if i left her alone.”

→ your sister pouts and has tears swelling in her eyes, and sanji is such a sucker he gets swept in by her manipulative tactics, that he leans forward on a knee and holds her hand reassuringly.

→ “how about you get older first, then we’ll talk, okay? you’re still my favorite after all.” he ruffled her hair and revelled in the way she looked away so shyly, nodding before running away

→ “i’m wounded, sanji.” you flatly spoke, a smirk on your lips as he rose to his feet, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment

→ while you laid in the living room and digested dessert, you suddenly missed the presence of your boyfriend as he was hogged by your mom all day

→ you got up and made your way to the kitchen, to which you saw sanji sat across the counter, notepad and pen in his hands as he scribbled on the paper while your mother rambled

→ “what’s going on here?” you eyed the two suspiciously, who both froze mid-action, before turning to you like a deer caught in headlights

→ they both denied that anything was happening, that they were just catching up on their lives as if that wasn’t what they’d been doing all night. you sighed, letting it slide as you beckoned him over, complaining you missed him

→ eventually the night came to an end, and everyone was bummed that he was leaving. it almost made you feel like they could care less about you ☠️

→ everyone sent sanji kisses and hugs, forcing him to come by and visit, and to bring something he made next time so they can ogle at yet another skill of his. he promised he’d blow their minds away, with a kiss at their knuckles ofc

→ your little sister was so bummed, tearing up at the door as she watched you guys get ready to leave, and sanji desperately didn’t want her to be mad with him, so he told her to turn around, and he unclasped her necklace and slipped one of his rings on her chain, before putting it back on her neck.

→ her eyes mimicked his similar heart eyes expression, dropping her teddy on the floor as sanji kissed her knuckles. you thumped him up the head and told him to hurry up so y’all could leave

→ deep down you were happy that he was getting along with your bitter baby sister you were just tired

→ your mom was the last guest to watch you off, and after hugging you goodbye, she moved onto her new favorite and hugged him too, before pulling away and holding his hands affectionately

→ “i’m so glad y/n found you. keep her happy sanji, you’re a great boy.” she had tears swelling in her eyes, and when sanji tightened the hold on her hands, you watched him with hidden admiration,

→ “i’m the lucky one, mademoiselle. i’ll do my damn hardest to give her the happy life she deserves.”

i gave up halfway leave me alone 💀

[ninetqs]

TRICK OR TREAT MINAH do you have more chalex <3

they're lesbians. surprise

This isn’t the first time they’re being corralled pre-race into some silly PR stuff, and it won’t be the last. Alex expected it the moment she read the headline saying Charles would be moving up that year. Two girls on the grid—two talented girls on the grid—was unprecedented. Hell, if Alex were a marketing intern, she’d milk the shit out of them too.

That doesn’t mean she has to like it, though.

“You’ll be playing against—oh, here they are now,” the staff member begins, and is promptly cut off by Charles’ gasp.

“Antonio!” she shouts, clapping Antonio on the back. He flushes slightly, but manages to get a greeting out before she launches into hasty Italian. 

Behind him, Artur waves at Alex. Alex waves back.

“Ferrari drivers, am I right?” Alex jokes. Artur only makes a noncommittal noise back, his eyes shifting back towards Charles every few seconds.

Alex can’t help but snort at how obvious he is. The staff member waits patiently off to the side as Antonio and Charles chat; Charles is loud, all dramatic hand movements as she discusses what Alex imagines is her earlier wall tap, judging by the sound effects she makes. Antonio laughs at that, which makes Charles laugh even more, and something in Alex sours.

“The game?” Alex prompts, nodding to the staff member.

“Oh, yes!” She stands up straighter and herds Charles back in Alex’s direction. Charles falls into line without complaint, and Alex soon feels Charles’ eyes bearing into the side of her face again. “Okay, so as I was saying, you guys will be split into teams and…”

The game is simple. She’ll ask them a question and they’ll have to write down their answer. Whichever pair has the most matching answers wins. 

Charles’ face scrunches up. “We are going to do terribly,” she grumbles. 

“No faith,” Alex says, but she privately agrees. She doesn’t know how much she and Charles have in common, other than being girls, but it can’t be much. 

“If only our partners were swapped,” Charles laments, picking up her whiteboard.

“You each need to pick a team name too,” the staff member says. “Pick while I set up the camera.”

Alex is content to let Charles decide, and decide Charles does: “Let’s be… Team Guys.” 

“Team Guys,” Alex repeats in a deadpan. “Is that a French word?”

“No, no. Like, Team Men. Guys,” Charles repeats, with emphasis, as if that makes any more sense. “Since we both have guy names. It is about the irony.”

Alex’s head whips around, and she makes proper eye contact with Charles for the first time that day. “Excuse me, I do not have a guy name,” she huffs. “And neither do you.” 

Charles’ real name is Charlotte. Everyone knows this. The Sharl comes from the first syllable. It’s easier to say in a hurry.

Charles pouts, hugging the whiteboard to her chest. “My male cousin is named Alex, you know,” she argues.

“Alexander, probably.”

“No,” Charles says, stubborn. “Just Alex.”

Alex rolls her eyes. The last thing she needs—or wants, really—is to draw more attention to how she’s not a guy. It’s an objectively stupid name anyway. Everybody already knows why they’ve been paired up.

“No, Charles.” She uses the name to soften the blow, but keeps her voice firm. “Let’s just use… I don’t know. Team Art.”

“Team Art,” Charles repeats, like the very word makes her sick. “Fine.”

She’s sulky for all of five seconds before the staff member calls for their attention and she brightens back up. Alex finds it impressive how quickly she can move on from disappointment. She’s never seen her sad for more than a few minutes.

To Alex’s private relief, Artur and Antonio pick Team Trident as their name. It sounds better because of the alliteration, but it’s objectively just as uninspired as theirs.

The game proceeds smoothly enough, and by that, she means it goes exactly how Charles predicted: terribly.

Favourite season to race in? Charles says spring. Alex says fall.

Favourite Italian food? Charles says pizza. Alex says pasta.

Favourite track on the calendar this year? Charles says Monza. Alex says Silverstone. To be fair, they would’ve never agreed on this one even if they were given a thousand retries.

The end result is a total demolition. 9-2 in the Trident’s favour. Charles buries her head in her hands when she sees the prize: a signed Sebastian Vettel driver card. Originals, not photocopies.

“You’re going to be driving with him in a few years anyway,” Alex consoles her, patting her back. “I’m sure he’ll give you all the signed driver cards you want then.”

“I did not want it for me,” Charles huffs, then adds matter-of-factly, “My brother is also a Ferrari fan, you know.”

“Of course,” Alex says, and notes how unsubtly Charles dodged the rest of her comment.

[silversodas]

What Happened Between Crimson and Moxxie’s Mom?

The flash back Moxxie had paints an interesting story, and it also gives Crimson a more interesting motive then “because he’s an asshole” the first thing I noticed is that he is definitely jealous of Moxxie

Moxxie can’t cut his stake on his own so Mama cuts it for him

Crimson has this odd tension about him, which could be read as him being annoyed that Moxxie couldn’t cut his own food, but this tension is held inward it’s not projected out to Moxxie, which is why Moxxie doesn’t even notice.

He is glaring at Moxxie’s mom but the tension is still held inward, showing he is conflicted about something.

People have mentioned that him getting angry at her pulling away from this is a sign of aggression and it is, but it’s also interesting that the initiation of the touch was not, it’s almost timid, it’s careful. All this together gives the impression that Crimson is jealous of the affection she shows Moxxie and he wants her to want to give that to him and she turns him down flat.

It’s possible that when dating the relationship was not working out, but then she gets pregnant. It’s often herd that women use pregnancy to tie down a guy, but men can do that too. Did he threaten to take Moxxie? I mean it’s possible, but maybe he didn’t have to. When guys try to keep a girl through pregnancy he doesn’t have to threaten with responsibility, it’s actually easier just to make it more appealing that she won’t have to do it alone and that he’s gonna be there for her and the baby. And if he was already rich that probably made it a much more attractive option then being a single mother in literal Hell.

But unsurprisingly, trying to keep someone who might not even be that into you makes for a vary unhappy marriage.

This is possibility #1 possibility #2 is “I love you, but I never should have had a kid with you”

It’s possible that Moxxie’s Mom is a morally gray person that was perfectly fine with her husband’s work, her being a woman, in crimsons eyes, ment she didn’t have to get her hands dirty. I also think it’s a possibility because she was never afraid of Crimson, hinting at a trust that he wouldn’t hurt her even though he has the power to do so with a snap of his fingers, but that could be because she was trying to stay brave for Moxxie both are plausible. What I am getting at is that having children can change you and your relationship drastically, so it’s possible that they were on the same page and she was still in love with him, until they became parents. Like the shooting range for example

She was fine with Moxxie learning to use a fire arm, what she wasn’t ok with was Crimson teaching Moxxie to kill people.

If you look closely you see Moxxie’s moms silhouette in the background, Crimson is looking to her first before teaching Moxxie. Almost like he is making sure she is watching. And she never felt powerless to do anything, she didn’t hesitate to shove the gun back into crimson’s hands and walk off without a word. So it gives me the impression he is looking for her approval, that he is contributing to Moxxie’s shooting lesson. And him being angry at her taking Moxxie and leaving the shoot range tells me one of two things

1) His Mom has been rebuffing Crimsons attempts to teach Moxxie the family business for years and it’s frustrating him that she wont see it his way already

2) Crimson doesn’t see where being a better person gets you, so it makes perfect sense to make Moxxie like them. And it pisses him off because before Moxxie was born, to her, this was the good life, before she got pregnant she would happily sit in his lap while he talked to her about his day as long as he didn’t bring work home and get blood on her carpet. But NOW she has a moral compass? NOW that life isn’t good enough for our son?

I admit I like possibility #2 because it would be relatable, my brother used to run with people who liked drugs and a little after high school too, and it’s heartbreaking to learn who is actually your friend and who was only your friend in a certain circumstance, like he was just part of the indulgence. I work at a bar and that’s happened to a couple of regulars too. They had more drinking friends then actual friends.

It would also be interesting if she was ok with her life with Crimson, but wanted her son to be better then them, not be like them. And this difference in priority caused her to fall out of love with Crimson, but there is one more thing that makes me think of possibility #2

It’s when his mother is gone and it’s just them now. Crimson is full on hate glaring at Moxxie, I think it’s to show he blames Moxxie for their relationship going bad, to me this glare says “everything was fine until YOU showed up”.

But then again He could just be blaming Moxxie for his relationship issues simply because he can and her loving Moxxie more is also Moxxie’s fault, the alternative is blaming himself and he isn’t about to do that.

And as for Moxxie being born in the Wrath Ring, his parents either 1) didn’t get married till after he was born or 2) she already tried leaving Crimson once because she wanted her baby away from that life style, straight up Kill Bill style but he found her and either threatened her or convinced her to come back by convincing her he was a better financial option for the baby

But it’s just a theory

[meetinginsamarra]

My fave Sherlock BBC tropes: Enemies to Friends to Lovers

Around mid-month I’ll do a fic rec list with my fave AU genres or tropes. Summaries are taken from OP on AO3.

Enemy Number One by lookupkate

When Anderson finally crosses a line and gets fired a new pathologist takes his place. Sherlock isn't happy to find that the new doctor is almost as good at his job as Sherlock is. Said new doctor, John Watson, wants to woo the genius until he finds out what a prick he can be. Then he's just amused. And maybe a bit fond. And kind of smitten. Then he falls in love with the prick. Bloody hell.

Oscillation by lookupkate

John and Mary have been together for two years and John thinks they should probably settle down. John is happy with Mary. It's the only way their situation makes sense, so it must be happiness. Sherlock sees a flaw in that logic. What does John do then, when the strange man brings parts of his life into question and refuses to just bloody go away? Well, fall in love with him, of course.

Roommates are for little people by alexxphoenix42 @alexxphoenix42

John was looking forward to seeing his friends back at uni, but a new year brings new complications, not the least of which is a dorm room with only one bed, and a stroppy roommate with an utterly spectacular arse. God, John doesn't need the headache.

Mistletoe and Misdemeanours by Robottko

When Victor Trevor backs out of the Holmes family Christmas at the last minute, Sherlock panics because he has no way to impress his parents. Thankfully there is a handsome army doctor with nowhere to go in his coffee shop, though it would be more helpful if he were a bit more willing.

An Everlasting Inferno by thatawkwardfriend

Sherlock and John are both men who operate outside the law. John works for Mary and her hitmen in order to keep a roof over his head. Sherlock does anything his drug dealer asks of him in exchange for free drugs and housing.

They meet one night in a darkened garage to negotiate a deal. But they soon find out that neither of their bosses are being entirely honest with them about their goals or motives. With a little poking around, they stumble upon something much bigger than themselves and discover that perhaps, it might be in their best interests to work together.

(Loosely inspired by StartUp and Little Favour)

The Key to Castles in the Air by LadyKailitha

John is a clerk (and writing a book on the side) at a bookshop run by Mrs Hudson. The one downside to this perfect job is Sherlock Darling, Mrs Hudson's friend who loves to rile John up. About everything.

All that changes when they are forced to spend a week together in the country when bad weather hits. Sherlock's got secrets. What will John do once he finds them out?

Pencil Through My Heart by elwinglyre @elwinglyre

What’s worse? Sharing a byline with an arrogant consulting reporter or falling for him? Seasoned section editor John Watson faces this impossible choice. But first John must find him. Of course Holmes is out chasing the story of the century without him! In the process, Watson must reassess who and what he is, and even worse, admit he cares.

Aim for the Head by Breath4Soul

Sometimes you don't really find yourself until everything has ended. A fic about finding love, healing, and purpose after everything has gone to hell.

As if the doctor can read Sherlock's thoughts, he holds out a protein bar in the space between them. Sherlock’s eyes narrow on the man and flick to the bar with an expression of disgust. “You're at least one stone underweight,” the soldier states matter-of-factly, confirming for Sherlock, in yet another way, that he is a doctor. “Eating slows me down,” Sherlock grumbles. “No, fainting does.” The army doctor smiles kindly, patiently. Sherlock looks at him with confusion. “What do you care?” Sherlock snaps. The soldier’s smile deepens and he gives a casual shrug, turning his eyes to the road a moment. “You faint; we crash.” The soldier’s eyes slide back to Sherlock with their placid expression.

A Further Sea by i_ship_an_armada, ShinySherlock @ishipanarmada

(also on pirate and mermaid AU rec list)

Here be a tale of adventure for both body and soul, but beware if ye be not of stout heart, for this be piratelock, ya savvy? Luckless ship's surgeon John Watson takes a chance, and finds himself eye to eye with The Ghost, the scourge of the seven seas and a definite thorn in the side of the blaggard, James Moriarty. But when John finds there's more to this most cunning pirate than be meetin' the eye, he has to choose--is it a pirate's life for him?

Dive by FinAmour @finamour

It’s John’s third year of studying abroad at Harvard, and he’s still struggling to fit in. On a cold night in December, he finds his girlfriend with another man—and meets a tall, gorgeous bartender with horrible manners that he can’t stop thinking about. Just as John falls for him, madly, swiftly, deeply—the bartender disappears, and the bar unexpectedly shuts down. Unexplained occurrences begin to happen to John and his friends, and he slowly discovers the truth about the one he loves. Will he find him in time to tell him how he feels, and more importantly—can he keep him safe?

Synchronicity by Calais_Reno @calaisreno

Excerpt: John is just muttering some nonsense about bit different from my day when they enter the lab. A tall fellow with dark, curly hair is using a pipette to drop some liquid into a Petri dish. Hearing John’s voice, he looks up. Sherlock Holmes. They both freeze for a moment. He stares into those grey eyes that haven’t changed, still seeing every detail. Holmes gives a tiny smirk. “Afghanistan or Iraq?” It’s been years, and he is surprised at how much it still hurts. Realising that he’s staring, he clears his throat, shuffles his feet, and mumbles something about an appointment he’s forgotten.

OR: John and Sherlock meet again, years after they were school boys together. John hasn't forgotten why he still hates Sherlock Holmes.

The Company He Keeps by wibblywobblytimeywimeystuff

At his lowest point, John Watson met Sherlock Holmes. And Sherlock saved him. At Sherlock's lowest point, he met Greg Lestrade. And they saved each other. This is how Greg met Sherlock, how he met Mycroft, and how he became important to them both.

Toe to Toe by standbygo @blogstandbygo

(also on soldier and spy AU rec list)

Sherlock Holmes is an international ballet star. After a favour for his brother goes south, he finds himself trapped in a foreign country, with a man named John Watson who could be an enemy... or an ally. A crossover of sorts with White Nights, the 1985 film with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines.

If Baker Street Could Talk by a_different_equation @adifferentequation​

There is a thin wall between 221b and 221c. As if by fate, it has separated two sitting rooms that now are almost morphing back into one. One of the sitting rooms belongs to Sherlock Holmes (43), a pianist, while the other one belongs to Dr John H. Watson (45), whatever he might be after everything. John is a war hero, an ex-surgeon and a widower; John tells everyone that he is developing a game that might take a lifetime. There might be a wall between them, but Sherlock Holmes and John Watson cannot be separated.

[primewalker]

i want to talk about jay’s voice change

in the first 7 seasons, jay’s voice was lower and a lot of people prefer this voice and get mad that they changed it. but i want to say that i DO NOT BELIEVE THEY ACTUALLY ‘CHANGED’ IT!! and here’s why:

i personally think that jay is trans and autistic. with these two things comes a lot to do with the voice. autistic people typically have a naturally higher voice compared to neurotypicals, and when you are both trans AND autistic (like myself) it becomes a huge point of dysphoria.

even if he isn’t trans or autistic tho, it doesn’t exclude that he could have dysphoria around his voice! a lot of cis guys have it, especially in their teen years, thinking that their voice ‘isn’t masculine enough’ because they don’t have as low of a register as other men do

bc of all this it would make sense that jay lowered his voice on purpose in the earlier seasons, especially considering that he was younger and trying to impress everyone (esp nya) constantly. another reason i think he lowered it on purpose is because he still uses that register in the later seasons!

there are many times after the reboot of the show where jay will be very focused on something or trying to come off seriously and drops the pitch of his voice to that lower register again. even in season 2 of Dragons Rising he does it, during the flashback with Nya.

I just think that Jay was able to be more comfortable with his voice after a while and finally stopped trying to hide his naturally higher tone. It’s also not annoying or stupid or anything like a lot of people say and i’m not even going to get into that because it pisses me off.

Lastly, if i recall correctly, Michael Adamthwaite said that he made the choices about Jay’s voice himself, no one told him to changed anything. So I would believe that Michael made the decisions for Jay’s voice based on his own interpretation of the character development arc. which further makes me believe that jay’s current, higher pitched, voice is just genuinely who he is!

whoever doesn’t like his voice, whatever, i always get pissed talking about it because it’s like the main point people use to hate on jay and he’s my favorite character so obviously i’m gonna get mad, but this is just what i think about jay’s voice change

[ad0rechuu]

★ MILKY WAY. ━━ (050) I’m alright, I promise

WORD COUNT. 1346

WARNINGS. none just fluff, a lot skinship tho!

credits to @ari-shipping-stuff for being my beta reader / writer <33

THE MOMENT YOU WALK INTO THE DANCE STUDIO, THERE ARE EIGHT GUYS CROWDING YOU, BOMBARDING YOU WITH QUESTIONS AND GREETINGS.

And in San and Mingi’s cases, apparently, affection too. They immediately throw their arms around you the moment they see you, showering you in praises and compliments while the leader tries to get them off you in a protective fashion.

“Please let her breath!” Hongjoong yells, holding both of the men by their collars. Chuckles echo trough the large space. San looks embarrassed while Mingi looks mildly displeased, at most. It never fails to surprise you that someone of Hongjoong's stature could control the seven individuals just like that. It’s honestly impressive.

He walks up to you and places a hand on your shoulder.

“It’s nice to see you again Yn.” He nods with a polite smile.

Rolling your eyes, you push his hand off your shoulder, only to engulf him in a tight hug. He groans like it’s a chore but he returns it almost right away.

“Why do you sound so formal, Joong? Are we strangers?”

“So much attitude. I feel Seulgi’s pain.” Hongjoong moves away from you and flicks your forehead.

You stick your tongue out at the older boy, rubbing your forehead as you turn to the others.

Jongho is the first to come into sight, and you greet him.

“Took you long enough!” He replies, not meeting your eyes.

You completely ignore the youngest's words, only focusing on their underlying meaning.

“I was right you are pretty cute!” You laugh, ruffling his hair. He begrudgingly accepts, much to the others shock (and maybe a little bit of envy).

“Our Maknae is adorable, isn’t he?”

You hadn’t even noticed Wooyoung creeping up next to you. His voice gets louder as his head moves to rest on your shoulder, startling you.

“He never lets us do that though.”

Yunho joins your other side. “This feels like favoritism.”

You look up to him. While he’s about the same height as Mingi, he has a more innocent face. Which definitely doesn’t translate to his body.

The two of you share a quick side hug before you go over to meet the reserved boy who hasn't said much, thus far.

He’s a lot more timid in person compared to over text. You offer your hand to him which he gladly shakes as you two exchange pleasantries.

“Did you find any blackmail content yet?”

A unique giggle erupts from Yeosang's lips as he shakes his head.

“Nah, you deleted all the good stuff.”

His deep voice compared to that angelic face surprises you, but at the same time, it also makes a lot of sense.

Not even a minute later, you walk with determination to the eldest. He kept his distance the most, mainly just watching you interact with his younger brothers. The first thing that you note is that his hair grew quite a bit. You had your suspicions during the call a month ago, but it was more noticeable now.

“Your hair never fails to take my breath away.” You said, still eyeing the hair. Pink truly suits him.

His brown eyes met your own, a glimmer in them as you connected your hands in excitement.

“Only my hair?” He jokes shyly, making you laugh.

“I lied! All of you does actually!”

He wants to laugh at your comment but his breath gets stuck in his throat the moment he realized the close proximity you two were in. If only you knew what you did to him. While you were busy giving him the prettiest smile he’s ever seen, he worried his heart was going to beat out of his chest.

Sadly, he didn’t have enough time to respond in a cool way like he wanted to as Mingi interrupted.

Mingi is someone with a lot of natural confidence. Not in a cocky way, but rather in a way that he radiates it to those around him.

That same confidence seems to disappear the moment you turn to him.

“Hi.” Is all he could muster, the wide smile on his face growing even wider as you cup his cheeks with adoration.

“Did you forget about me?” The voice behind you that you recognize as San asks. You turn to him to meet his pouting face.

“Of course, I didn’t, Sannie!” He nearly tackles you with the hug when he hears his nickname leave your lips.

His cheeks turn a warm color when you whisper some encouragement about his crush in his ear before he can even respond. The guilt of lying to you hits him but he also knows that now isn’t the time to come clean. Instead of saying anything, San opts to hide his face in the crook of your neck, leaving you to stroke his hair as you laugh.

You aren’t laughing at him, the opposite actually. The fact that you feel so carefree with these guys makes you laugh. Suddenly, happiness doesn’t feel that far away anymore.

As you part, you shoot a smile at everyone. “So, you guys wanted to show me something?”

And they did. You reminisce about the intricate dance moves and impressive facial expressions they just showed you as you’re sandwiched in between Mingi and Seonghwa in the booth everyone has settled down in.

You expected them to be good but not to this extent, you bet that they would make it big if they chose the idol career instead of the dance crew route.

You let the phone fall on the table after watching the dance video for the nth time with a loud sigh in admiration causing you to get some weird stares from the patrons of HanuelSan on accident.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you guys are this good!” You whine, looking at Hongjoong specifically.

Yunho, Yeosang, and Jongho, who sit in front of you chuckle at your enthusiasm. Seonghwa and Mingi exchange a look that you can’t really decipher.

“Did you ever ask?” Hongjoong says simply as he reaches over the table to retrieve his phone.

An offend look replaces the previous emotions on your facial features.

“I did! Many times! You just refused to show me anything!” You quip back.

You let your head fall on Mingi’s shoulder dramatically as you slump back in your seat. You feel his shoulder tense up at your action. Just as you’re about to lift your head back up his hand pushes you gently back to your previous place.

Your pouting doesn’t last long when San returns from behind the counter with your drinks. 'Thank you's are thrown to the dark-haired man in response.

A silence falls over the group as everyone enjoys their drinks without a word, clearly tired from the dancing. It’s not awkward though, not at all! It’s strangely comforting. Just as you push your mask down and lean forward to sip at your own drink, a familiar voice reaches your ears.

Only it’s not actually speaking to you, instead Taegyu’s warm voice fills the cafe. The group exchange worried glances as you search for the speaker that the song is coming from.

“I’m so sorry, my sister must’ve added this song to the automated playlist.” San stands up quickly, apologies spilling from his mouth. “I’ll change the song, don’t worry, Yn!”

You reach for his hand, making him stop in his tracks.

“No, let it play please! It’s alright.” You insist, your other hand also wrapping around his as reassurance.

San still looks unsure, regardless of your words. Judging by the looks he shares with the others, they seem to share the sentiment.

Seonghwa places a consoling hand on your shoulder lightly. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

You nod. For the first time since you’ve met Taegyu, your heartbeat doesn’t speed up when you hear his voice. The idea of him doesn’t make you want to throw up with sadness. And when you picture him, you feel positive feelings but none of them heartbreaking or romantic in any way.

You’re finally over Park Taegyu.

“I’m alright, I promise.” You smile.

‹ PREVIOUS ᜊ NEXT ›

NOTES. i’m a terrible writer and writing this was really fucking draining but im glad i did! 10 more chapters hehe

TAGLIST. @bunnystrm @seongwin @aestheticsluut @meginthebuilding27 @gaebestie @stopeatread @pr1ncessm1ng1 @persphonesorchid @se0nghwaswife @seonghwasslytherin @leeknowsnothing @alixnsuperstxr @bluehwale-main @miriamxsworld @tocupid @rieuvie @sunoo-bby @jcngh0-hq @dudufodd @nikisbf @mrowwww @end0rchans @qtdenks @mintgki @dear-dreamie @leo-seonghwa @legohwas @evilsailorsenshi @seonghwaddict @choichaeyiul @sunshine1438 @iw4milf @yunstarz @cvberidiot @tubatu-wari-wari @not2daym8 @jaehunnyy @brrrkdslek @whippedforbeomgyu @amara-mars @crvzy-fujoshi @hyuk4ngel @atinyinateezverse @nickiminajleftasscheek

[therealslimshakespeare]

That’s the thing! How does Gale react to it? We know he has objections (ignoring which is a bad thing to do -thats obvious) but I always was under impression that he was fond of her and would welcome a lot more of her advances if it wasn’t for their situation (first army protocols and later on stalag). Her ignoring or dismissing his boundaries is not a good thing to do, but it’s clearly not as easy as it may seem. They end up in love, there must be something there to build upon (even if it’s not easy due to their respective traumas). If they are able to build rather happy life post war that speaks volumes on how well they must end up understanding one another (because we must remember that this is a generation which was denied proper therapeutic care and were expected to just move on from killing people on daily or being tortured to being stand up civilians, mothers and fathers. On top of pre existing traumas connected to often lacking parenting care). So my question is how does Maureen end up opening up to Gale about her past, both her traumas and her own wrongdoings and how does he take it? And how much she reveals (purposefully or not) to the rest of the crew?

Excellent points all and the questions posed here are totally on my list of things to be woven into fics because they’re essential for their story making any sense, ya know? So, love this.

First off. One hint we have in Gale’s POV (in First Night) is that from the first time he saw her in the nose of Our Baby, he adored her nose. Tiny detail, doesn’t mean he was in love, doesn’t mean he was asking for a hand in his lap. But as we will learn, Gingerale had a rather startling attraction to her right away.

Why was it startling? Because Gale Cleven hadn’t felt attracted to a woman since…well, couldn’t remember when.

Not strongly, at least. It had been sometime early in highschool when a dreaded presentment settled over him that he was odd, and that worsened into knowing he was outright queer by college.

No like really. He liked men. In that way.

And that wasn’t something he was going to pursue, not if he was gonna rise up in the world, make a better run of it than his daddy. But it was something to acknowledge and he had to finally. Then he moved on.

And then he met Bucky, and he almost wanted to think Bucky felt the same hot gut devotion he did, but Bucky was like that with everyone.

Including a new girl named Candy. Or Maureen, to be proper. She was a new girl among many new girls who came flooding in with the war on. And Gale got along with all of them just fine. Used to them all, used to the batting eyelashes or the pink cheeks, the slipped phone numbers and the not so subtle attempts to bump into him in a corridor. He was used to that.

Plenty of them were really capable. Shockingly so. Among them, Kendeigh.

What he wasn’t used to was being watched by a woman across the bar, being hunted down by her, laughed over his stringent lack of alcohol, have her buy him a Gingerale, call him by the same name in a voice that suggested nothing good, like she knew he wasn’t as good as he pretended anyway. He felt a hot gut longing for that.

If only they’d met before all this. Before he was her Major and she was feuding with the new Lady Colonel over being demoted to bombardier. She was ferocious in her own way, very good at getting a party going, could make anyone forget how many folks they’d lost in a practice crash last week. She was good to have around. He asked if she might get put as his bombardier when they shipped out.

There weren’t any objections. He almost wished there were, to knock some sense into him for wanting to keep her so near. It diluted all his half hearted protests to the contrary. But soon she wasn’t just a a friend, someone to help wrangle and occupy Bucky, she was also his deputy. As missions got worse and the stakes got higher, he needed someone like that. When Curt went down, she felt like the closest thing left. It was her and Benny, and it felt wrong to have both eggs in one basket, as it were, but he wanted them with him all the same.

That’s a brief, but rather long all the same, fly over of my vision for some this.

One other addition: Maureen has a gay brother. One of those Ivy League homosexuals who wasn’t at all out but lord knows he wasn’t in either. And she knew it. Liberal in many ways, she accepted it, easily, and didn’t think much of sniffing another out when she found one. Much to Gale’s horror and then relief. It’s a dangerous to admit to a woman he’s not sure he fully likes, even if he rather adores her. But what she does with that trust -it’s like watching a flower bloom.

She’s oddly touched by it. Almost rises to the occasion under it. And for Gale, it’s good to be known.

Having that aspect known, by the time he gets to the stalag, goes through what he’s been through, proceeds to go through more once there —Maureen already knowing some of the most intimate details about him, he can’t manage to fully push her away when he begins to spiral. Meanwhile she is on a learning curve about how on earth to help. Since all the selfish ways she used to extract his attention would only be harmful and -selfish. And she rises to that occasion. She does it for Brady, too. And might be the only one tangibly keeping those two men’s morale’s afloat.

You can imagine after all that, how utterly ingrained and intertwined they are by time of liberation.

Before then. Before Gale leaves her behind in the escape. She tells him she loves him. And I think she tells him more. Now she’s learned there is a more to her story.

[cqthqrtic]

A, J, and O for Mori and Kunikida?

sfw alphabet.

mori ogai.

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Mori’s affection depends on how busy he is with work. If his mind is preoccupied with the state of the mafia, the most you’ll get is a chaste kiss on the lips. On days he’s free from the fast paced happenings of the mafia, which are rare, he’ll be pretty loving and somewhat clingy. Overall though, the most common ways for Mori to show affection is through quality time and gift giving. When he has the time, he likes to take you on relaxing dates at nice (and expensive) brunch cafes, shopping at those luxury malls, and walking through quiet art museums on a weekday afternoon when few people visit. Mori’s actually a pretty good gift giver. He’s very observant and takes time choosing gifts for you. He’s not a particularly sentimental man though, so it won’t seem very romantic in the moment. He won’t write love notes in the books he buys you or engrave his name in a necklace but he’ll buy your favorite book he knows you’ll be excited to talk about with him and he’ll buy necklaces he thinks will look good on you. Mori’s a lot more subtle but he’s practical and his feelings get across.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Mori is like,,, insanely jealous and possessive. To the point where it can be a legit cause for concern. He’s mostly needy when he’s jealous and he doesn’t really see most men as a threat. So 90% of the time, he’s just pouting and whining for your attention or glaring at people who stare at you a bit too long. But when he does feel threatened, he gets quiet and sweet. There’s a dangerous glint in his eye. Next day on the morning news, there will be a report of the guy’s head found on a stick at a random park. God save us all...

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Mori keeps his cards close to his chest. Depending on the information, he’ll tell you whatever it is he thinks is appropriate to tell you over a period of time. There’s a lot he won’t tell you, regardless of how close you are to him. Especially if it’s concerning his work. Overall, Mori doesn’t view openness as a testament of love and his secretive nature will remain throughout the relationship, regardless of how you might feel about it.

kunikida doppo.

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Kunikida is actually pretty affectionate, he’s just not affectionate in the typical sense. He shows his love by almost “mothering” the people he cares about and remembering the little things. The most common form of affection Kunikida gives is looking after your diet. He often makes lunch for you in the mornings while you get ready and makes sure that it’s both delicious and well balanced. Kunikida is also pretty observant of the people he likes. He’s often checking in on you and while he can be brash while doing so, he has good intentions and takes care of you. He wants to lessen your burdens and shoulder them with you. That’s Kunikida’s way of saying he loves you. He’s quite a romantic!

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Kunikida is comical when jealous. He thinks of himself as being above jealousy and that it’s something only mentally weak people succumb to. So when he experiences it himself? Oh, he is suffering. Kunikida’s coping mechanism is mostly through denial and distraction. Of course, Dazai picks up on this and riles him up by saying “Oh that other man is just so strong, isn’t he?” or “Doesn’t the other man have such impressive ideas?”. After some torment from Dazai, Kunikida will become very snappy and sulky. Please baby him a bit when he comes home. Kunikida won’t act on his jealousy though. He’s too ashamed for that and he’ll avoid taking it out on you. So there’s not much to worry about on this front.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

Kunikida has a lot of pride and a lot of shame. He wants to look his best in front of you. He wants to be able to stand tall and never let you see him falter. But obviously, that isn’t realistic. It will take some time but not too much time. The pressure to seem perfect and unbothered around you will cause him to break down and all of his worries and burdens and weaknesses will come flooding out. He’ll be greatly ashamed when it happens but after consistent assurance and love, Kunikida will feel more comfortable being vulnerable. He’ll still be a little embarrassed though. 

[league-of-blorbos]

So, on a reddit post I made (it was on potential Arcane seasons) someone in the comments convinced me to write a whole essay on Rhaayn and despite writing it in an hour long hyperfixated haze I like how it came out so I'm posting it here too for the people who want to read my analysis on why their relationship could work:

Ok, so for myself my favorite thing about ships is when you can see what each member offers to the other, or you can see why they fell in love and chose to spend their life with that person specifically. And what Kayn and Rhaast have in common is that they are both lonely men that have been traumatized by war. Swain even says in a voiceline to Kayn that what he really wants is love, since as a child soldier Kayn has only ever known hate. On the other hand, the darkin have all lost themselves from their war with the Void and from being isolated for centuries in their weapons, and the other darkin we see all remedy their isolation in different ways: Varus’s heart is changed by Kai and Valmar, Naafiri embraces being a pack mother and wants the darkin to come together like a pack of wolves, and Aatrox calls his darkin brethren to him so they can have one last war together. Rhaast would never admit it, but I think him toying with Kayn instead of spending all his energy trying kill him is his remedy, he’s the only form of interaction he’s had in so long and deep down he knows he’d be isolated all over again without him. 

From there, we know from their Odyssey voicelines Kayn is much more susceptible to getting attached to Rhaast, he still tries to talk to him after he’s killed Rhaast off and reminisces on the fun times they shared, which makes sense. Kayn is much more of a serious edgelord while Rhaast is still edgy as hell, but more in a Dante from DMC and always joking around kind of way. Kayn could use someone less serious to balance him out and keep his mood from getting too dark. Kayn is also someone who desires praise, he wants to impress Zed any way he can and in Odyssey he wants the galaxy to bow down to him as emperor. What I’m saying is Kayn has an obvious praise kink. And in his own way, Rhaast praises Kayn for being both a worthy opponent and a worthy vessel.

Which brings me to Rhaast, and I have an idea for how he would fall for Kayn which relates back to his desire for a worthy opponent. Rhaast rejected many possible vessels back in Noxus because he knew they wouldn’t give him a good fight, and were therefore too weak for him. But he respects Kayn’s power and wants to fight Kayn head on for his vessel. But what would happen if someone other than Rhaast brought Kayn near death? Rhaast feels like the type of character who wants to fight Kayn as his full power and have a fair battle before he would slay him (back with the DMC references, a very Vergil thing to do). I could see that turning into Rhaast being very protective of Kayn and even using his hemomancy to heal him during fights, as he can’t have someone stealing his kill, he needs Kayn to stay strong and healthy for when they have their epic duel to the death! Then once the time for that duel comes, Rhaast finally realizes he doesn’t want to kill this man he’s been protective over, who is just as bloodthirsty and lonely as he is, and who he sees as an equal. 

And from there, there are so many ways their dynamic could go that doesn’t involve them killing each other and they could spend the rest of their time together doing whatever they want and bickering over the dumbest shit imaginable. (may have strayed a lot from the rom-com idea and got too into character analysis, but that’s the beauty of this ship is that there’s a lot of different parts of their dynamic you could focus on and find the romance in, they just work so well together.)

[alicepao13]

I wanted to rewatch S06E09 before writing this, preferably with subtitles and a better rip, but someone's dragging their feet, so maybe I'll write another post at some point. Some good parts, some I didn’t care about, some that I personally wish they were different (not really bad but I had other thoughts).

So, in this NCIS Hudson and Rex episode:

The first shot seemed like kind of a small ship, it probably wasn’t but the shot made it that way. Sorry, Canada, I’ve been spoiled by all the aircraft carrier shots through the years lol. The one where it turns from day to night, I hated that. It seemed so fake.

The way Charlie’s dad kept criticizing him about everything got on my nerves. I also don’t love the casual sexism of him implying that it’s best if a wife stays home. Definitely shows that Charlie barely had meaningful interactions with this man. And to mention Sarah as Charlie’s “office romance”? Ugh.

This is where I decided that Charlie was raised by Aunt Miranda. It was a good thing that his dad probably missed quite a bit of his childhood.

“Charles” makes me feel like they should be inside the Buckingham palace. And truly, this is the only place I’d ever think they’d feed a dog using a toothpick. Poor Rex had to eat off a toothpick to satisfy that man! I kept hoping that he’d bite him.

Imagine this show having any continuity at all. Charlie would have to explain some of his latest adventures, the poisoning, the jail, etc.

I like that Sarah touches Charlie as soon as he tells her that the killer could be one of his dad’s sailors. She understands what this means for him.

Classic “found the killer the moment they appeared on screen” episode.

Sarah, we have chairs. (Nah, just keep doing that, actually.)

I didn’t know that Canada also had JAG officers. Now I can't help wondering who investigates crimes committed against Navy personnel lol

Here’s where Commander Hudson’s possible motivation doesn’t make that much sense: In most Navy ships, the higher ups barely know their sailors. So, he wouldn’t feel like he needed to protect them. He would most likely feel like he needed to protect the Navy's reputation from possibly harboring a killer. Having said that, I have no knowledge of how big this ship is. And the initial footage was kinda terrible. Understandable, because this isn’t that kind of show, but still terrible.

I love Rex's defensive reaction to the Commander throughout the episode. He can sense how much he unsettles Charlie and makes him change things about himself.

Charlie’s dad implying that Rex has an attitude problem when he is trying to cover up a crime… the nerve…

“...my boys” Oh no he did not. I know how much that can hurt.

The hilarity of the justification of sending troops in the other side of the world, to “keep the peace”… I expect this from military shows, I don’t expect it from shows like Hudson and Rex. And the triumphant music in the background… we get it.

Rex’s barks as Charlie puts the guy in handcuffs could mean nothing other than “suck it, asshole”.

Charlie was a bit… I’m not sure how to put it… Not exactly himself during that interrogation. I imagine he knew his father was watching, but he seemed like he’d jump the guy, or his JAG lawyer, or both.

How did we get from “office romance” to “my son is a lucky man”? Who knows. I mean, Sarah is quite impressive, but this seems like some kind of witchcraft.

Well, at least they didn’t make the bad guy be the Lieutenant in an episode full of men with bad behaviors. Also, I didn’t know they pronounced "Lieutenant" the British way.

Charlie is learning Rex’s language (growl). I find nothing weird with this.

The scene with Joe was nice. But Joe, just put a damn pillow on that couch. You know that none of your subordinates actually sleep in their homes (which is one more reason we’ll never see a bedroom set *sigh*)

John Reardon’s voice drops another half octave when he’s lying down. Good lord. Also, I started praying for his poor neck in that position, at least he didn’t stay there for long. That would have incapacitated me if I stayed like that for even ten minutes.

“I let my issues with my dad…” Which are…? Please, elaborate.

Charlie beckoning Rex when neither of them has slept for a day. Leave the poor dog alone, you sadist. Dogs don’t understand the meaning of overtime.

So, I guess when Hudson men have sorrows, they literally run?

I wanted to keep hating his dad a little more. Why’d they have to reconcile them so fast?

Good episode. I’d have liked if Charlie said a bit more about what bothered him in his father’s behavior, and not regarding the case. It seemed like his father just wasn’t around as much and possibly considered his sailors as his children, maybe even more than his actual children, and Charlie seemed to resent him for that, understandably. But we were also already at the part where the two men were trying to mend fences, and although all the effort seemed to he made by Charlie at the start of the episode, it shifted towards the end to his dad making the effort.

Promo: The dreaded (by me) golf episode. Let me get this straight: The team went golfing and found a body? We can’t take these guys anywhere. 

Poor Rex! If that's a serious head injury, I’ll sue. That’s what we have Charlie's head for. But also, please allow Charlie to lose it a little.

Charlie Hudson is having such a bad time in this season, and I’m loving it.

[hannahwatcheshorror]

WHITE ZOMBIE (1932)

This film has a lot of heart and good special effects, especially given the time in which it was made. I would say it is certainly worth a watch, a fun classic horror perfect for Halloween and for those who aren’t into very scary films.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

We open on a burial taking place in the middle of a road, apparently they do this so that grave robbers are less likely to rob graves. Before we hit the five minute mark the driver of our horse drawn carriage spots and immediately recognizes zombies (who were politely walking down the hill in a single file line). This is just about as quickly as we see a Zoombini in NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD but never has a Z-boy been identified so quickly or correctly.

Our doe eyed and unwitting femme fatale reminds me of Joan of Arc from THE HOUSE OF WAX (but that doesn’t mean I’m going to murder her for ill-gotten means, someone else will). Madeline and Neil are our two lovers who have come to Haiti to get married for some inexplicable reason and they met a strange man who is going to pay for their wedding and give Neil a big job back home or something so they trust him completely (wack). Once the couple arrive at Mr. Beaumont's place things start to get a little strange (well, more strange than the buggy driver telling them about Zambonis).

Beaumont has fallen wildly in love with Mads (calm down dude, you just met) and wants to take her from Neil so he talks to Wacky Eyebrows who is a witch doctor and the guy in control of the Zombo-mombos. Wacky Brows kinda also has the hots for her… I can’t believe these men are so wild that they fall in love with this woman after just meeting her and then decide that killing her is the only way to win her. WACK. So they kill her with some special poison and Wacky Brows whittles a candle to look like her and then burns it and WHAM she is out like, well, a candle.

Neil is beside himself, he just barely married her and she passed away in his arms! The special effects of him seeing her in the shadows around him were pretty top notch, especially for the time, I was very impressed.

The two baddies get to work on reviving Madeline but she is still just a stone cold Zomb with no feelings, no life in those big doe eyes, and Beaumont is forlorn. He goes to Wacky Brows to undo what has been done, but Beaumont has been double crossed, there is dangerous thinking behind those twisted eyebrows! Beaumont is slowly turning into the living dead while Neil storms in, very sick, trying to find Maddie.

Mads is not herself, she is pulled forward by an invisible string and controlled by Mr. Eyebrows himself, she is almost made to stab her beloved before a mysterious hand makes her drop the knife and she runs off. The army of undead come for Neil as he tries to remind Madeline of who he is just as Beaumont, in his last and perhaps only moment of grace, pushes Wacky Brows off the ledge to his death. They both fall, and the spell is broken so once again Maddie can sense her beloved, even after being undead! A wild tale but fun and charming all the same.

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball Super 089

Remember that girl from Tien’s past who comes back in this episode?  No, I’m not talking about Launch.  Don’t be silly.  I mean Yurin!  She’s much cooler than Launch and-- ow!  Quit throwing trash at me!  Those beer bottles hurt!

So Goku plans to round out his team with Master Roshi and Tien.  Luckily for him, they’re both in the same place, as Tien has invited Master Roshi to his dojo to receive an honorary position as Grand Master.  I just want to say that I like the students’ uniforms a lot better than Tien’s Dragon Ball Super outfit.

Master Roshi is bored by all this, because all of Tien’s students are men.  “I can’t fap to this!” he whines. 

That all changes when Chiaotzu brings a new applicant into the dojo.  She claims to want to learn martial arts to keep her girlish figure or something, and Tien turns her down, because her motivations aren’t serious enough.  But Roshi wants her in the school so he can sexually harass her, if you know what I mean. Wink wink.

So he just picks her up and carries her into the other room to get her fitted with a uniform.  And Tien just stands there like an idiot.  What the fuck?

Yurin gets dressed and objects to her outfit featuring a miniskirt and thigh-high leather stockings.  I mean, yeah that’s pretty different from what the other students wear, but you’d think she would have said something before she put all this on. 

Then Roshi says he senses a “darkness” within her, and Yurin starts to worry that he’s seen through her ruse, but no, he’s talking about her ass.  You know, they really toned Master Roshi down through most of this series.  He doesn’t appear much at all until now, and when he did appear, they managed to keep his shtick from being too creepy. But this is episode is giving me whiplash.  It’d be like if Oolong just out of nowhere started talking about stealing child brides again.

Anyway, Yurin manages to get away from Roshi and goes to work on her true scheme.  First she enchants some paper to make talismans.

Then she puts them on all of Tien’s students and places them under her mental control.  While Goku tells Tien about the Tournament of Power, she sends the students to attack the city.

Meanwhile, in Universe 6, Cabba approaches Caulifla about the Tournament of Power.  She isn’t interested until he turns Super Saiyan and offers to teach it to her. 

Caulifla doesn’t get along with Cabba or the Sadala Defense Force he works for, but she is impressed with his power, so she decides to play along...

Back in Universe 7, Tien asks Yurin why she would want to ruin his dojo, and she reveals that she was the little girl he once knew from the Crane School. She wanted to fight Tien, but he had already gone on excursion with Chiaotzu.  This would be roughly 26 years ago, so Yurin must be in her mid-30′s now.   

I’ve never been too clear on her backstory.  Was she a student in the Crane School, like Tien and Chiaotzu?  It would make a lot more sense if she was one of the people they pushed around back in the day, but oh well.  Anyway, Yurin gave up martial arts after that snub, and devoted her life to witchcraft, so that she could become powerful enough to defeat Tien and have revenge.

But this plan of hers seems pretty stupid, since all the good guys have to do is rip off the talismans.  They’re protected by force fields that repel ki blasts, but you can just pull off the talismans with your hands, no problem.

Roshi tries to take the fight to Yurin, but he gets distracted by an upskirt shot, and she kicks him in the balls.

Then she puts a talisman on Roshi and that’s supposed to raise the stakes.

Tien tries to stop Roshi with the Four Witches Technique, but it doesn’t work for some reason, so Goku prepares a Kamehameha.  But in order to bypass the force field around Roshi, they need Chiaotzu to keep Yurin distracted. 

So Chiaotzu uses his telekinesis to flip her skirt.  Oh come on!  This somehow allows Goku to zap Master Roshi, which I’m pretty sure should have worked all along. 

So Yurin’s plan is foiled, but she vows to train hard and come back for super-extra-crispy revenge later on.  And as she threatens Tien, he invites her to join his dojo.  I mean, if she’s planning to train, she might as well do it with him, now that he’s satisfied with her motivation. 

Of course, Tien tells her to apologize to the townsfolk first, which she does. 

Tien then tells Goku he wants to enter the Tournament of Power.  He wasn’t hot on the idea before, but he believes he can use the prize money to help rebuild the town.  And Roshi wants in as well.  That prize money could sure buy a lot of hardcore pornography, if you know what I’m saying. 

Meanwhile, they’re still putting this fighting stage together.  I honestly can’t make heads or tails of this thing.  Sometimes I think it’s going backwards. 

As for Yurin, I’m of two minds about her.  On the one hand, I like seeing female characters in this show.  And the witch angle is cool, and Tien having a sidekick is kind of neat. 

On the other hand, she looks and acts like a dopey teenager, which doesn’t make sense for her backstory, and this whole episode treats her like a joke.  This is her only appearance to date, and she barely manages to be the third most interesting female character in this episode. 

And where the fuck was Launch?