#who knew i'd be so into s4 this time around

[vanitasmagoria]

metamorphosis. yes there's a man transforming into a literal monster and yes it's about sam's descent into demon blood freak monsterhood but to me, above all, it's the episode in which dean's controlling codependency takes a monstrous turn.

he's petty and he's jealous and he's violent and he hits sam for lying and he hits sam again for talking back and he's trashing the motel room and he's the image of an abuser. dean is threatening to leave sam and to hunt sam and they both know he's not going to do either (i can't escape you, you can't escape me). there's dark fury and despair and panic in dean's eyes because sam (in tears, bleeding, taking it) is becoming more than he can control.

sam says "this blood, it's not in you the way it's in me" and dean can't fucking stand it. he immediately tries to write himself into this, sam's not doing this alone. that's his brother, his blood, how dare he go there. their blood not being the same is the gravest, most personal insult to dean.

sam says "i'm not doing it for you" and "this is my choice" and dean cannot STAND IT. sam still craves autonomy and dean STILL. CAN'T. STAND. IT.

[pumpkin-cake]

hi this request isn’t for S4 i hope that’s ok!

but takes place in s2 where five strands everyone?

his spouse gets stranded a year and a bit before he gets there

and they made a career for themselves as a singer? maybe they have some sort of siren power or they are just naturally talented !?

but he finds them on a billboard or something that says where they will be performing next and they have a reunion where the reader has a love hate reaction to seeing him?!

sorry if this is a lot!!!

totally okay! i like all the other seasons better than 4 anyway lmao- this is actually an idea i have for my upcoming reboot of a five story i'd written, so i'm excited to sort of test it out! this turned out a bit more fem reader coded, but no she/her pronouns are used last i checked.

also my swiftie is coming out for this story, sorry to all you non-swifties ;-;

divider credited to @cafekitsune (lmk if you'd like me to remove it or anything of the sort!)

warnings: taylor swift (i love her actually but some people don't so)

The last thing you remembered was holding hands tightly with Five, and then he was ripped from your grasp, and you were falling ass first into an alleyway. Where did he go? Where were the others?

"Five..?!" You cried, hurrying out of the alleyway and bumping into somebody, who glared at you and walked off. You looked around and spotted a newspaper box, and you were over there before you could think. Your eyes scanned the paper. Year, year, what year was it?!

1960.

The sixties?! What the fuck?! All you could do was drop the newspaper to the floor, collapsing against the building wall beside you. You were the only one there. Some of your found-family wasn't even here yet, you'd imagine. There had to be some kind of time frame. You felt bad for whoever was put the farthest. Were you put the furthest in the past? What if you were super old by the time you found everyone again?! Well, you are already old, but what if you looked like it?!

All you could do was wait. You knew Five, he'd stop at nothing to save you and his family.

Unfortunately, there wasn't exactly anywhere to go. You looked pretty young and had no identification. You were wearing strange clothes, you didn't fit in. This felt like the apocalypse in a way, loads better obviously, but being alone? The worst feeling.

You had to stealth around, stealing and pilfering where you could. Sitting in alleys in the rain, starving. That was until you were dumpster diving behind some sort of bar. The heavy door creaked open and you froze inside the green box.

"Them damn raccoons again." A heavy southern accent was muffled to you, but you could tell it was a woman. You heard heels clicking on the ground and the dumpster opened and a broom whacked you in the head.

"Ouch!!!"

"Oh my heavens, yer a person!!!" The woman exclaimed, dropping the broom with a clatter. She reached over and helped you out of the trash, her nose crinkling. The woman was wearing a scantily clad flapper dress, a cute headpiece adorning her blonde hair. "What're ya doin' inside the trash, sweetie?" She asked with worry, brushing some garbage off you like it was nothing.

"Uh...I'm so sorry, I can go." You apologized, ready to get out before she called the cops like everyone else.

"Oh no, baby, no. Here, you come in, we'll getcha somethin' to eat." She assured you, ushering you inside. Some other women (and some men) that were dressed similarly didn't seem to mind. "Most of us here, came from poor too, we'll take ya in." She smiled, taking you to the back and providing you with a meal.

"Thank you...." You said, completely shocked at her kindess.

"Oh! Right, my name's Jess, nice to meetcha." She cooed politely, and you gave her your name through bites of food, making her giggle. "Tell me, sweetie, can ya sing? Dance? Anything of the sort?"

You paused. A golden opportunity was just presented to you. 1960. Some of your favorite artists haven't even been born yet. Not to mention your power dealt with your voice, similar to Allison's. You were frequently named The Siren in Umbrella Academy material. And, you didn't have any stigma to using it like Allison did.

"I write songs." You blurted, and a wide smile came across her face.

"Do ya?! Oh, you'll have to show Bruce then. He's the owner of the place." She hummed, and soon you were cleaned up and sitting in a private room on a nice sofa with a guitar in front of a sleazy looking man who looked like he'd run some kind of club with sexy women around to exploit.

"Alright, sweetheart. Show me whatcha got." He said, a fat cigar between his greasy looking fingers.

You took a deep breath. "Um...so...this song is called...." Shit, you had to think. You didn't have much time to come up with the song to sing. You had to pick a song that was popular in the modern era, maybe it would be good here too? But maybe you should stick to country. You were in Dallas, Texas after all. Not to mention you'd need to change some words if needed.

"C'mon, don't have all day." Bruce took a puff of his cigar, blowing the smoke into your face.

"Um. It's called...Mean." You blurted, and began to strum the guitar. Taylor Swift had been a hit as a country singer, this was a good idea in your mind. You were careful to control your power, and also make it believable. A southern accent and changing the word 'football' into 'baseball'.

As you sang, Bruce stopped focusing on his cigar and was completely focused on you and the shitty guitar you managed to make sound so good.

You finished the song and had a job immediately, with a small lie that you were 18. No liquor, but you could have beer! Thus began your career in that small club, becoming friends with the women who worked there. Soon enough you had the money for a small apartment. You despised the creepy looks men at the club gave you. All you could think of to continue was Five. He'd find you, right? Surely!

But after years? It was tiring. Dancing in sexy outfits in front of men with cigars, smoke and alcohol filling the air. The harsh lights on you while you had to make acoustic country covers of Taylor Swift songs. The more sexual songs like 'Dress' and 'Don't Blame Me' were your least favorite. You'd just have to withstand it. For days. And days. And days. And weeks. And years.

Five crashed into Dallas after witnessing the second apocalypse, with his hand empty. He forgot which sibling he'd been holding onto, but he knew he had you in his other hand.

"Shit, shit, shit!" He had hissed to himself, looking around and calling your name desperately. He'd never admit how panicked he currently was, and composed himself immediately upon the meeting of Elliott, some weird nerd.

"Alright, before I do anything." Five walked up to the man, looking up at him with fierceness. "Do you know anything at all about someone by the name of (Y/n) (L/n)." It was more a demand than a question. "If I find out you've been lying, I'll kill you." He threatened.

Elliott cracked immediately, telling Five he'd seen a billboard of that name recently. He didn't listen to music much, but their name was everywhere. Five was instantly gone, and was amazed to see your face on a huge billboard. You? A star? Not that you weren't talented, you absolutely were! You just weren't that kind of person. He asked around and found the club, teleporting in without an issue.

Ordering a drink, he sat as close to the stage as possible. A sleazy man you would absolutely despise walked out with a grin, golden teeth shining under the light as he began to speak. About you. Five clenched the glass of whiskey in his hand. This asshole looked so smug. Like you were his property.

Then you walked out with a shining silver guitar. He felt his breath leave him. "My God..." he hissed under his breath. You were gorgeous. He wasn't a fan of the makeup on your face, red lips and such. But you were glowing, looking so confident in yourself. You started singing 'You Belong With Me' by Taylor Swift, and he understood the situation quick. The folks around were immediately entranced, and it made him sick. You were using your power to reel them in, keep you popular and making money.

Your eyes met his and you faltered for just a moment, but no one else noticed as you kept singing. After the song was over, you gave him a look and walked backstage. Within seconds he was back there, so relieved to finally see you again.

"A singer, huh?" He said with a lopsided smile nobody else in his family got to see. "Not what I expected."

Your face dropped a tad, tears filling your eyes. "That's all you have to say to me?" You asked, and Five panicked. He hurried over and very gently held your face.

"No no, sweetheart, I'm sorry if that came off wrong. I'm so glad to see you." He quickly said, letting you fall into him for an embrace. "How long was I gone for?"

"Three years." You murmured, and he sighed.

"I'm sorry, I'm here now. You looked really good up there." He said softly. He decided to not tell you about the upcoming apocalypse. At least, not yet. When everyone was together.

"Thanks." You said with a weak smile, not at all letting go. Last time you let go, you were without him for 3 years. You didn't ever want to let go again.

fuck im sorry that ending was so rushed, but if it wasn't i wouldn't have had this out

[vampaiaz]

— he’s mine

NOT PROOFREAD!!!

pairing: billy hargrove / reader

length: short and fast LOL

cw: neigbors, older!billy & slightly younger!reader, he's 35 and you're 20 something, AFAB reader, alternate universe (modern), use of feminine pronouns & nicknames, mention & use of alcohol, friends to fwb/lovers (?), flirting, sexual tension, resolved sexual tension, rough sex, ONLY oral sex, drunk BUT consensual sex (you are sober enough), dacryphiliac billy ( my fav...), perv billy (he's gross), praise, spitting, squirting...

synopsis: you trust billy a lot, he's a bit mean but he cares about you. what if he invites you for a ride on his motorcycle?

a/n: the title is suuuch a throwback (when s4 was out and ppl kept using ‘he’s mine’ for edits UGHHH miss those times) anyway, i’m back !!! so crazy so insane … i hope u like this !!! ty for reading <3

you watched as billy's camaro roared up to his driveway, the engine cutting through the stillness of the night. his signature smirk was barely visible in the dim light, but you knew it was there.

wrapped around him was another girl, her laughter spilling out into the quiet neighborhood as they stumbled toward the front door. it was a routine you'd seen countless times—billy hargrove, your neighbor who just couldn't stick to one.

you couldn't deny that billy was attractive. his charm, the way he carried himself, and those piercing blue eyes—he was everything that could make a girl weak in the knees. he could even make you feel that way.

but beneath all that, you'd seen glimpses of the real billy. he was capable of more than just shallow one-night stands. whenever you needed a ride somewhere, he’d be there. after a long day, he wouldn’t hesitate to share a cigarette with you, offering silent companionship.

you let out a sigh as they both disappeared into his home. billy could have anyone, literally anyone, yet he seemed determined to prove something. you found yourself wishing that this time, he might actually let someone in—really let them in.

three knocks on your door.

it was afternoon and you were still in your nightwear—lacy and pink, your favorite. you quickly put on a robe to look at least somewhat presentable.

as you opened the door, your eyes met billy's. he was in his usual getup: a white tank, blue denim, and a leather jacket. "you busy, sweetheart?"

there he goes again with the nicknames... makes it harder not to like him.

"hi billy, you need something?" you smiled at him, suddenly conscious of how you looked, and crossed your arms over your chest.

"y'look real pretty for someone that just got up." his lips curled into a grin. "just wanted to know if you want to come with me for a ride on my bike."

you noticed his eyes scanning you up and down. "in this? i'd rather not," you joked. his eyes lit up, and he laughed, the sound rich and warm. "i'll give you time to get ready if you're up for it, princess."

you chewed your lip, weighing the options of spending your morning with him or just peacefully spending it at home. "fine, where are we going?" you asked.

he flashed a satisfied smile. "you thinking about what you're gonna wear?"

"obviously." you rolled your eyes.

"just wear something pretty for me. i'll figure out where we could go by then." he winked.

he walked back to his house, calling over his shoulder, "30 minutes!" you gave him an 'okay.'

you were all dolled up—for him? who knows, but you knew you looked beautiful. as you locked your door and turned around, billy was already there, waiting by his bike. "don't you think your skirt's a little too short?" he pushed his sunglasses down to take a good look.

"i think it's just right." you smiled at him playfully. "you got a problem with it?" you raised an eyebrow.

"not at all, princess." he replied, leaning back on his bike. he patted the seat, and you rushed over, sliding on behind him. "arms around me," he instructed, and you followed without hesitation.

the two of you rode through the windy, cold streets of hawkins. your heart sped up with adrenaline, and you held onto billy tighter. he could feel you move behind him, but you couldn't see his reaction to it.

he stopped at a local pub. "we're here." he waited for you to get off before doing the same. "well, aren't you romantic? taking me out on a date, mr. hargrove?" you teased.

"want it to be a date?" he shot back, his voice smooth and teasing. you felt your face warm. "whatever."

he chuckled softly at your childishness, his arm snaking around your waist as he led you both into the pub.

you listened to the band playing as billy paid for another drink. "you like 'em?" he asked.

"not bad." you nodded, keeping your eyes on the band.

your skin prickled under billy's gaze. "you been doing okay?" he leaned closer, his voice gravelly right after taking a sip of his beer.

you turned your attention to him, noticing how much taller he was—you had to look up to meet his eyes. he could already tell the alcohol was starting to get to you. "i've been fine. my cat keeps me company." you grinned.

"adorable," he murmured.

you heard it, but you couldn’t tell if he meant your cat or something else. "i’m just more tired recently 'cause of work. where do you get your energy, billy?"

"you don't want to know the answer to that."

you rolled your eyes and playfully shoved him away. "really funny."

the night went on, and the two of you spent it talking about each other the whole time.

"you tired, princess?" he asked, noticing you yawn.

"kinda, wanna head out now," you replied.

he gave a soft smile, stood up to gather his things, and took your hand in his. his hand was rough and calloused, suggesting he did some tough work. "your hand's pretty big," you blurted out.

billy chuckled and hopped onto his bike. "hold onto me, 'kay?" you nodded and wrapped your arms around his waist. "tight, princess."

you rested your head on his back and complied. "good girl," he said, patting your hand. it was cute how considerate he was. you leaned up to his ear and whispered, "go fast, billy."

he went still for just a moment. "no can do, baby."

you pouted, "why not?"

he shook his head and started the bike. "if i go too fast, you won't like it."

you shivered at his words; he was talking about the ride, but your mind wandered elsewhere. "might like it," you replied.

billy's chest shook with laughter. "alright, but don’t cry about it."

he accelerated quickly, and the bike roared to life.

you happily yelled, feeling your arms loosen around his chest as the wind whipped through your hair. the stillness of the night was filled with your screams and the engine’s growl.

your heart raced, but you felt secure knowing billy was there, keeping you safe.

you finally arrived at your house, hopping off his bike. you waited for billy to do the same.

"had fun, sweetheart?" he asked, flashing a genuine smile.

you responded with enthusiastic yes’s, and he laughed in return. "let’s call it a night," he said.

you paused, feeling a pang of disappointment. you had hoped he might want to spend more time with you. hesitating, you reached out to tug on his jacket.

billy noticed and turned back to you. "uhm," you stammered.

"what’s wrong, princess?" his voice carried a note of concern.

you closed your eyes tightly and sighed. "don’t you want to spend the night with me?" you chewed on your lips as you waited for his reaction.

he smirked, "oh baby, i don’t think i can do that," his voice deep. "we don’t know what could happen."

your face flushed with warmth, the heat spreading through your skin.

but alcohol gave you a boost of confidence.

"why? are you scared of me?" you leaned your head to the side, feigning innocence.

"scared? not at all, baby," he shook his head, stepping closer. "for all we know, you should be scared of me." his eyes locked onto yours with an intense gaze.

you hadn’t noticed him get off his bike and move closer until now.

you challenged him with the same intensity in your stare. "do you want me to just say what i want out loud?" you asked.

he was taken aback, "what do you want, hm?" his face getting even closer.

without another word, you leaned in and caught him in a hungry, passionate kiss. your arms wrapped around his shoulders, and his hands gripped your waist. your bodies moved in sync, drawing closer with each passing second.

he broke the kiss, his breathing staggered. you watched as he licked his lips. "lead the way, baby." he breathes out.

as you entered your house, billy was already helping you out of your top. his hands explored the softness of your unclothed waist while you skillfully unbuckled his belt.

"now, where’d you learn that?" he murmured, placing wet kisses on your neck.

you giggled. "i’m not exactly inexperienced, you know."

you felt him smile against your skin. "trying to make me jealous?" he stepped back to remove his top.

"is it working?" you asked, watching him as he tossed it aside. "nah, i’m pretty sure no one else could make you feel the way i do."

with a sudden move, he lifted you, causing you to yelp in surprise. he carried you over to the sofa and gently laid you down on your back, his body covering yours.

he resumed kissing your neck, moving down to your collarbone, chest, and stomach. his gaze then fixed on your skirt.

"need this off," he muttered, his hands gripping the edges and pulling them off forcefully.

his eyes widened just a bit seeing what you had under the skirt. "pink, huh?"

"i like pink." you responded, defensively.

he bit his lip and slid the thong off you, holding it out in front of him. "you like it?" you asked, playfully batting your eyes at him.

"mhm," he said, bunching it up in his hand and bringing it to his nose. your jaw dropped as he inhaled deeply. "billy! oh my god!" you exclaimed, reaching up to snatch it from his hand.

embarrassment flooded over you.

"what?" he feigned innocence, a smirk playing on his lips. "a man can't do what he wants?" his fingers traced your inner thigh, brushing against your sensitive skin.

you gasped at the teasing touch, whimpering as you clung to his belt loops, overwhelmed by the intensity of the moment.

his fingers inched closer to your core, just barely touching your wetness. you guided his hand, trying to bring it closer to where you needed it most.

"oh no, baby. i take the lead, okay?" he said, gently pushing you away. you whimpered, "please, billy," your eyes welling up with tears.

his gaze grew darker. "you gonna cry?"

you shook your head, "please, just—please do something," you pleaded, a tear threatening to fall.

billy shushed you softly, caressing your cheek. you leaned into his touch, comforted by his gentleness. he slowly moved down, positioning himself between your legs. you instinctively held your thighs together, but he pushed them apart. "don’t hide," he murmured.

he leaned in, his tongue tracing a stripe up your folds. you heard him grunt softly, "been waiting to do that for so long," his voice vibrating against you.

you moaned at his words and his touch. he ate you out, his tongue working in and out, mixing with your wetness. the sensation of his saliva and your own desire intertwined, heightening the pleasure.

your insides were pulsing, and he could feel it. "wait—billy," you said, trying to push him away. his grip on your thighs was firm, and he remained steady.

you squirmed and whimpered, your legs trembling as he continued, but then he stopped.

"ah?" you said, surprised, as he licked his finger and maintained eye contact with you. that same finger made its way inside you, earning a gasp out of you.

he moved his finger in and out without mercy, and you cried out, overwhelmed by the sensation of something thicker inside you. "billy, i think i'm gonna—"

tears stained your face as billy observed you closely, his eyes focused intently. he added another finger, and you arched your back, your head hitting the sofa as the intensity built.

the sounds of your pleasure and your voice prompted a satisfied smile from billy. he continued his movements, his thumb now gently tracing circles on your clit. "fuck!" you scream out.

your fluid shots out as you wail. "oh my fucking god..." you cried out.

"it's just me baby." he smiled, a wide smile. he shimmied his jeans off, he was leaking.

you lazily smiled at him, "my turn?" you asked.

"you got enough energy to ride?"

you shook your head a 'no'. you wished you lied but you really couldn't get up after that, even if it would make him feel really good. your body felt limp.

"that's okay, baby," he spat on his hand and jerked himself a bit, "just need your throat." he continued.

you already knew where he was going with this. you giggled, opening your mouth, your tongue lolling out. he whistled, "so pretty like this," he spat into your mouth. "swallow, princess."

and you did as you were told.

he climbed over you until you were face to face with his long, hard dick. he was big, not even kidding. "if you can't take it, tap me three times, okay?"

you hummed a 'yes'.

he entered your mouth slowly, he filled you up real nice. your hand moved to your clit.

bily exhaled and moaned as you took all of him. your moan made his body shake, the vibrations made him weak. "i'm gonna go fast, sweetheart. think you can handle that?" he said, his hand wrapped on your throat.

before you could answer, he moved in and out. he hit the back of your throat multiple times causing you to gag and sputter. billy leaned his head back, whispering out a 'fuck..'

he wasn't going fast yet. you wanted him to go faster.

you whimpered around him, billy looked down at you. he saw your eyes, pleading for more. he smirked and did what you wanted.

he changed his pace and went faster, you felt so full. his dick made your head feel heavy and your fingers on your clit doubled the pleasure.

billy kept going until you could feel his pace slow a bit, he was getting closer and you knew just what to do. you purposefully tighten up your neck and he moaned out loud.

"fuck, sweetheart. taking me so good," he breathed out, encouraging you, "you're so good, can't believe you finally let me do this to you." he shut his eyes closed.

you were making all types of sounds hearing his words, you weren't the only one who wanted this. he was thinking about you too.

as billy pushed his hips in, you felt his cum shoot out down your throat. you swallowed, drinking it all up. "holy shit..." he exclaimed, taking out his softening dick and watched you lick your lips.

"might need to keep you all to myself."

[strangertheories]

I've been seeing people saying that platonic Stobin is only benefitting Steve or that Robin only exists to redeem Steve from past homophobia and I'd like to politely disagree. I don't think enough people realise just how crucial their friendship was to Robin's character development outside of Steve, so I'll just spell it out here in this long post for the four year anniversary of Robin coming out to Steve.

At the start of S3, Robin is deeply sarcastic and jokingly rude, but this is not entirely what she is actually like deep down and the true Robin doesn't emerge until her and Steve are talking to each other in the bunker. She says that she acts like she doesn't care and that she floats above it all (in reference to popularity) but deep down, she just wants to feel normal and accepted.

But Robin knows she could never be accepted fully because of her attraction to women. If she acts like she doesn't care and holds Steve at an arm's length, it keeps her safe. Robin can't be rejected if she doesn't let him in. She doesn't believe anyone could ever be friends with her if they knew her secrets, so constructs this personality around herself, however deep down she is just insecure and struggling with internalised homophobia.

A lot of people talk about Robin's coming out scene, rightfully so, but I think we need to talk more about what happened before. When Steve tells Robin he's attracted to her, she looks devastated. With her guard let down after a near death experience and drugs, she was finally able to bond with someone who she now has to reject.

At first, she tries to talk Steve out of liking her. She tells him that he doesn't know the real her and that if he did, not only would be not want to date her, but he wouldn't even want to be her friend. This is where it all becomes clear that Robin's sarcasm and refusal to let her guard down is not linked to her sexuality but rather because of it.

This is why Steve accepting her is so crucial for her character from then onwards. For the first time in her life, Robin let someone see her true self, knowing that she would be rejected and lose her only friend. And yet she wasn't. Robin let Steve in and his acceptance finally enabled her to realise that just because she is gay it doesn't mean that she's abnormal or could never be happy. Obviously, there are safety concerns that prevent her from running through the streets of Hawkins with a pride flag, but I believe this acceptance is crucial to the version of Robin we see in S4.

After S4, there were a lot of complaints that the Robin we saw in that season wasn't like S3 enough and felt like a completely different character. Firstly, Robin was shown to speed talk, be unhelpful and miss social ques when nervous in the final episode of season 3, so I disagree with that criticism. But most importantly, the reason that S4 Robin is different to the one in S3 is because S3 Robin was never real. It was a character she built in order to avoid dealing with the pain of rejection or accepting that she cares about what other people think of her. But due to Steve, Robin is able to realise that she doesn't have to be someone else, hence her personality shift.

That's also kind of why I dislike the idea that her relationships with Nancy and Vickie are better than her one with Steve because she wouldn't have had those relationships if it wasn't for him. Steve enabled her to open up and let down her cool and sarcastic persona. Robin is anxious and awkward with Nancy and Vickie from the get go unlike with Steve, which ends up enabling her to ultimately make more real bonds with them much quicker. She would not have been able to do that if it wasn't for the value his acceptance brought into her life.

I'm going to get a bit mushy and personal here, so feel free to skip to the end, but platonic Stobin isn't just meaningful to the fictional character of Robin. I'm an autistic lesbian and I have had a lot of struggles with making and maintaining friendships. For a while, I didn't have any friends at all and I was very depressed. But now my mental health is so much better because I was able to find a friend who fully accepted me, who I didn't have to mask around, who I easily came out to. Becoming friends with her has enabled me to become way more comfortable with unmasking my autism outside of that one relationship because being more vulnerable is what enabled that friendship to be so much better in the long term.

Robin is a character I relate to a lot, and I've written a lot of posts on autistic Robin in the past. I think seeing friendships portrayed on screen where a girl is able to let down her mask, learn to become herself and become much less distant to the point that she explicitly feels comfortable telling someone she has issues with social ques is great for all kids. So many people, especially autistic people, struggle with being themselves and with finding friends. Maybe Robin did just exist to redeem Steve or whatever, but I know seeing that friendship on screen meant a lot to me. It's so difficult to find someone who accepts you and to open up to someone, but I think that platonic Stobin shows that it can be worth it.

Sorry for the mushy side tangent at the end, but I hope this post explains the importance of Steve's acceptance to Robin's character development. Acting like she only exists for Steve is dismissive of the impact that friendship had on the development Robin has and will have, especially if you view Rebel Robin as being somewhat canon. Not to mention, clarifying a loveable character is no longer homophobic feels like a pretty good thing.

[keerysfreckles]

breaking the silence — steve harrington

pairing: steve harrington x nurse!fem!reader

warnings: s4 spoilers, canon s4 events, use of y/n and she/her pronouns, mentions of death, long fic (i got carried away oopsies)

a/n: thanks to my wifey @keerysbrowneyes for the idea :) <3

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ

"can we go to the cafeteria?"

"what if she wakes up soon?"

"can we play dnd now?"

steve groans for the hundredth time today. the kids were on his last nerve.

"guys!" steve interjects all their questions. "yes, you all can go to the cafeteria. i'll stay with max in case she wakes up. and no will, you can't play dnd."

dustin smiles, along with lucas and erica, as will frowns. the party makes their way out of the room and down the hall, all will empty stomachs.

steve can finally relax as he sits in one of the chairs placed in the room. he stares at max. her eyes are still shut, the blood has now faded to a light pink color around her eyes. she still had all the casts on her body.

steve couldn't stare at her for long, or else he'd breakdown right then and there. instead, he chose to fiddle with his calloused fingers.

however his head picked up once the door opened, revealing a nurse he hasn't seen before.

usually the nurse was male, who was much older with his grey hair. this nurse looked younger, and was a woman.

"oh hi, i didn't think anyone would be in here right now," the nurse explains.

steve stands from the chair, "i can leave if you want?"

the nurse only smiles, "don't be silly. i'm just checking her vitals."

steve nods, before sitting back down. "do you know how much longer she'll be like this?" he asks.

"well she's taking all the medicine nicely, and getting the rest she needs. so i'd say give her one more month at most."

steve runs his fingers through his hair. it's been two months since the upside down incident. all he hoped for was for max to get better as quick as possible.

"are you her primary care-taker?" the nurse asks.

steve shakes his head.

"i just figured since you're here everyday to see her," the nurse explains.

"no uh- her mom checks on her sometimes. at least that's what she tells me."

the nurse nods, as she finishes taking max's vitals, and writing down any changes.

"thank you," steve gestures towards max, "for doing all this?"

the nurse laughs, "for doing my job? you're welcome," she puases, not knowing the man's name.

"steve."

the nurse smiles, "steve."

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ

twenty four hours pass and steve finds himself in the hospitals visiting max again. the only difference being robin sitting next to him.

keith agreed to let robin go with steve, as family video wasn't busy on tuesdays.

robin was in the middle of telling steve about her and vickie's date from last week, until a knock on the door interrupted the girl.

steve noticed the nurse that walked in. it was the same nurse as yesterday, and today she had a cart filled with medical supplies.

"oh hi steve," the nurse smiles, "who's this?" she gestures to robin.

robin waves, "i'm robin, steve's friend."

steve nods, "yeah she agreed to come with me today, instead of the kids."

"you knew those kids in the cafeteria yesterday?" the nurse asks.

steve nods again, "well they were friends with max before me, but yeah i guess i-" robin hits steve's shoulder. "we look after them now."

"that's sweet of you guys," the nurse smiles.

robin turns to steve once the nurse starts checking on max. steve turns to robin as well, confused once he gets a look from her.

robin gestures her head towards the nurse. steve on the other hand just dismisses it. she was totally asking about it later.

robin's seen steve with this same look on his face before. whenever he looked at a breathtaking girl walking into scoops or family video. it was the same way he looked at nancy.

robin smirked to herself while getting out of her chair, "do you want anything from the vending machine?" she asks steve.

he shakes his head, and sends her a narrow look, knowing why she was leaving the room so suddenly.

in five seconds, it was just steve and the nurse in max's room again.

"i never got your name yesterday," steve breaks the silence.

"it's y/n," she looks over at steve.

"that really suits you," he smiles, and notices her cheeks turning pink.

the very sweet moment was cut short when robin re-entered the room, with three bags of chips in hand. steve gave her a look.

"what? i'm hungry," robin answered, before sitting back down in the seat next to steve.

y/n finished filling out the paperwork for max, and took the iv out of her arm she put in earlier.

she then walked over to steve with a few papers in her hand. she first hands him two papers, "these are the improvements she's made since last week, and the negatives."

steve gets handed another paper, and tries to ignore how his fingers touched y/n's.

"this is for her care-taker, so either for you, or if you're lucky to find a legal guardian."

steve and robin both look over the papers, happy once they read max is finally starting to have bigger improvements.

a device on the medical cart beeps twice, making y/n have to leave the room quickly to get to another patient. once steve and robin are alone, robin's curiosity gets the best of her.

"you like her don't you?"

steve whips his head to face robin, "what kind of question is that? we just met yesterday."

"i'm not hearing a no steven."

"rob, come on, don't be ridiculous."

"all i'm saying is, maybe it's good that you finally moved on from nancy. she's with jonathan in california anyways. maybe it's time to hop off that train."

steve shakes his head, "gee thanks for reminding me robin."

steve knew robin had a point. all the unnecessary pining for a girl he couldn't have. it just weighed him down most of the time.

an announcement was emitted over the speakers of the hospital, stating that visiting hours were over. steve and robin get their belongings before leaving the room. they pass the cafeteria, making steve stop in his tracks.

"do you want to get food before we head home?" steve points to the food court like area.

"no, vickie's actually picking me up for a date," robin nonchalantly answers.

steve's eyes widen, "wow, and you didn't tell me?" he laughs.

robin shoves him, before she starts walking to the lobby, "i was going to tell you eventually."

the pair shares a wave, knowing they were probably going to see each other again by the end of the week.

steve was quick to grab food, knowing exactly what he was in the mood for. a sandwich, a drink and a chocolate chip cookie were on the white tray.

he turned, and look around the tables. some were filled with parents. others had just one person, and some were empty with a few crumbs littered on top. steve however noticed on table in particular.

he recognized the purple scrubs of the nurse who he saw less than thirty minutes ago.

several thoughts flooded his mind as he walked over to the table y/n was sitting at.

what if she doesn't want to see me again? maybe she can't sit with visitors. what if she wants to eat alone?

however the thoughts don't stop him from standing in front of the table.

y/n picks her head up from her food, and sees a familiar grey jacket. her eyes reach the eyes of the person standing in front of her. she smiles, once she notices it's steve.

"hi steve," her smile never falters.

steve points to the empty chair across from her, "can i sit?"

y/n nods, "be my guest. i was feeling kind of lonely anyway."

steve and y/n both smile as he sits down across from her. they both eat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before steve breaks the silence for the second time today.

"what made you become a nurse?"

y/n takes in a short breath, which doesn't go unnoticed by steve. she wasn't sure why she was about to tell him the real reason, but she felt like she could trust him.

"before my dad passed away, i felt like i wasn't doing enough when he was in the hopsital. so when he passed, i made this like, promise to myself to help everyone else since i couldn't help him."

steve's heart breaks for the girl in front of him, "i'm so sorry y/n."

y/n can tell his voice is nothing but sincere. she only smiles, her own voice now feeling lost.

steve, trying his best to change the subject, asks another question.

"is this your first job?"

y/n nods, "yeah, i was going to work at the mall after high school, but decided this is what i want to do for a while."

"i used to work at the mall," steve laughs, making y/n gasp slightly.

"seriously? which store did you work at?"

"scoops ahoy, you know it?"

y/n nods, "i walked by it probably hundreds of times while me and my friends were out shopping," she laughs, now remembering seeing steve in that stupid sailor uniform whenever she passed by.

"but then the mall got destroyed from that fire," steve continued, "so now i work at family video. next to the arcade."

"i've been meaning to get some movies from there. but with school and work i've just been too busy," y/n sighs. don't get her wrong, she loves everything about her job, and the opportunities she's been given at such a young age. she only misses the amount of free time she used to have.

"i have a shift tomorrow, if you want to stop by whenever your shift ends, i can recommend some great movies," steve offers, in hope to be able to see her again tomorrow.

"i'll have to see how late i'm working tomorrow. i'd love to see you again," y/n catches onto to what she just said, which made steve raise his eyebrows and laugh quietly.

"i mean, i'd love to see you recommend me some movies. not that i won't be happy to see you again."

steve chuckles again at y/n's rambling, which instantly reminds him of robin.

"i know what you mean y/n, don't worry."

y/n's shoulder relax, as her and steve both finish their meals.

y/n takes both her and steve's white trays to the trash bins, and dumps the containers inside. steve grabs his car keys and wallet, along with y/n's jacket draped over the back of the chair and her purse.

y/n thanks steve while putting on her jacket. the two of them walk down the hallway together, and make their way through the lobby and out into the parking lot.

"you know you didn't have to walk me to my car right?" y/n lets out a giggle, which steve finds adorable.

"i know, just thought it'd be the chivalrous thing to do," steve chuckles, as he remembers dustin using that word a lot.

"well thank you steve," y/n sends him a smile, before reaching in her pockets, looking for her car keys.

steve realizes he's still holding her purse. he lets out a small 'oh' before handing it to her, making her thank him again.

steve waves to her as she turns her car on. he makes sure she leaves the parking lot safely, before he starts walking over to his own.

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ

steve's shift at family video the next day was uneventful and slow. only three customers have come in since steve's shift started. was it slow because he wanted to leave? maybe. did he want to leave only so he could see y/n again? absolutely.

robin noticed how bored steve looked as he played with the slinky on the counter.

"keith won't care if you leave ten minutes early ya know?" robin states, "we've been slow all day."

"you're telling me this why?" steve turns to face robin, who's stocking one of the shelves.

"you and i both know you just want to see that hot nurse from yesterday, who you obviously have chemistry with."

"i did not call her hot," steve dismisses.

"no, but you're thinking it," robin smirks.

steve just sends her a look, which makes robin laugh as she continues working.

steve contemplates on leaving early. he knew keith wouldn't care, just like robin said a moment ago.

"screw it."

steve walks into the small break room in the back of the store and clocks out. he grabs his keys and wallet, and a can of coke for the drive there, then jogs slightly through the store to get to his car.

"bye romeo!" robin yells as the store door closes.

steve's thankful the hopsital is close to fanily video, making him only have to deal with a twenty three minute drive.

he's lucky to find a parking spot. he takes notice of all the cars in the parking lot, knowing how busy it must be inside.

steve walked in and his assumption was correct. the lobby was almost filled to the brim with visitors, incoming patients, and doctors coming in and out through every door.

he walked to the front desk, and was surprised how quick he got his visitor sticker.

while walking through the hallway to get down to max's room, steve was passed by many doctors, nurses and patients. one nurse he wasn't expecting to see run by was y/n.

y/n, two doctors, and two others nurses were running by steve at the same time. he heard a certain code from the speakers as they all ran by, as well as calls from their moniters.

steve stopped walking for a moment, as he turned to see the group of five running back with a little girl on a stretcher. she looked maybe six or seven, and was as white as a ghost. her cries could be heard throughout the lower level of the hospital, even with the mask on her face.

steve got back to his original task, once the hallway had calmed down. he finally made it to max's room. he smiled when he saw the familiar room number.

"what are you guys doing here?" steve thinks out loud, as he's met with the whole party in max's room.

lucas, erica, will, mike and eleven all stood beside the bed near the window, while nancy and jonathan sat in the seats.

"mike, nancy and jonathan all came back from california this morning. we thought they should come see max," will explains.

just as steve is about to ask another question, a knock on the door makes him turn. a nurse comes in, who isn't y/n.

"oh wow, a lot of visitors in here," she smiles.

the nurse starts to take max's vitals, just like any other day. with all of the people in the room, steve's face grows hot as he starts to feel claustrophobic. he tells nancy he'll be outside the room if any of them need him.

less than ten minutes pass as everyone walks out of max's room, besides the nurse.

they all walk past steve and go down the hallway, after nancy tells steve that all the kids are getting antsy and need to get out of the hospital. steve nodded in understanding, knowing they could only handle it for so long.

steve debates on going back inside to check on max, but decides not to.

whenever he goes into that room, all he can think of is it being his fault for her condition. he always feels as if he could've done more to protect her from vecna.

steve stands from the chair and starts walking to the cafeteria. might as well get free food before i leave.

his plans change however, once he turns the corner and sees y/n sitting on the floor. her elbows are resting on her bent knees while her hands are in her hair. steve hears the soft cries coming from the girl.

he jogs towards her, before kneeling down besides her.

"hey hey, are you okay?" his voice is gentle, as he rests his hand on her shoulder.

y/n's head turns. she definitely wasn't expecting to see steve at the hospital today. "what are you doing here?" her voice was raspy.

"i was visiting max, but then was going to get food, and i found you here. are you alright?"

y/n only shakes her head, after sniffling and wiping her eyes. "a little girl passed away, not long after she came in from an ambulance."

steve listens, keeping a hand on her shoulder as he rubs his thumb along the bone.

"i've dealt with patients passing before, but this one felt so different. her parents were in the room," y/n hiccups as she tries to catch her breath, "they were in the room while her time of death was announced."

steve didn't say anything in return. he simply stood up and held his hand out, which y/n instantly took. he helped her stand up, and was quick to open his arms. of course y/n complied.

steve's arms were wrapped loosely around her neck, while her own were around his waist. the action only made her break down more, making her grip onto steve's grey jacket. he gently swayed the two back and forth, in efforts of calming y/n down.

steve kissed the top of y/n's head once he heard her cries starting to die down.

"how would french fries and milkshakes make you feel right now?" steve asks, not moving from his current position.

y/n giggles before sniffling again, "i wouldn't hate it."

steve reluctanly pulls away from the hug, "when does your shift end?"

y/n checks her watch and chuckles, "two minutes ago actually. let me grab my things and i'll meet you in the lobby?"

steve nods, watching y/n walk away from him.

just as promised, steve's waiting in the lobby when y/n walks through the double doors.

they both walk out to the parking lot, and before y/n can walk to her own car, steve grabs y/n's shoulder.

she turns with her eyebrows furrowed.

"we can just take my car," steve offers, "we can go to the diner, and if you want to you can stay at mine for the night."

y/n's heart melts at steve's offer, as he starts to ramble.

"i mean you've probably had a long day, and i know if i were you i wouldn't want to be alone right now. i know we just met so it-"

"steve," y/n cuts him off.

"yeah?"

"i'd love to," she smiles, making steve send one back to her.

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ

steve stuck to his word as he took himself and y/n to the diner nearby. they got a large order of fries, as steve got a chocolate milkshake and y/n got a strawberry one.

now the pair was at steve's house. his parents were out of town, which didn't surprise steve. which meant they had the house to themselves.

steve noticed y/n was still in her purple scrubs, which prompted him to ask, "do you want some comfortable clothes to change into?" he chuckles.

y/n nods, "if you don't mind, that'd be great."

steve motions for her to follow him up the stairs, which she does.

y/n looks around steve's room once they both enter, as steve goes over to his dresser. y/n sees the different trophies placed around the room, as well as multiple picture frames of what seems to be of himself and friends.

steve comes back to the girl, and hands her an old t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants.

"bathroom's right across the hall," he smiles. he hears a small 'thank you' as y/n walks out of his room.

he takes the time to change out of his jeans and polo shirt, and into a pair of pajama pants and old high school t-shirt.

he turns once he hears the bathroom door opening, and smiles at the sight of y/n wearing his own clothes.

"thank you steve," she places her old clothes by the wall, before standing in front of steve.

"thank you for everything actually," she admits.

"you're very welcome," steve smiles, "i just want to make sure you're okay after today."

y/n nods, "yeah, i think i'll be okay."

after a moment, steve breaks the silence, "do you want to go downstairs and watch a movie? or we could go outside and just talk?"

"i'm okay with a movie."

once y/n and steve make their way back downstairs and into the living room, a thought pops into y/n's head.

"do you mind if i call my mom first? just in case she calls and i'm not home, i'll tell her why."

steve points in the direction of the phone, "yeah of course, phone's in the kitchen by the fridge."

steve chuckles to himself when he hears another 'thank you' coming from y/n before she's in the kitchen.

steve can't help but look at the girl from the living room. he's able to see from her waist up, and still think she looks perfect in his clothes.

y/n hangs up the phone after a short conversation with her mom. she puts her head in her hands and takes in a deep breath. the last thing she wanted to do was breakdown in front of steve again.

"are you okay?"

speak of the devil. y/n saw steve standing right outside the kitchen. she simply nodded before walking over to him.

"today was just a lot," she sighs.

"i get that," steve agrees.

just by the look on y/n's face, he can tell a million different thoughts are going through her mind. he grabs her chin in his hand to make her look up at him, and then moves his hand to cup her cheek.

"are you sure your okay?" his voice is softer than before.

once again, y/n only nods.

steve and y/n mantain their eye contact, completely getting lost in each other's eyes.

y/n noticed how soft and gentle his eyes look. she believes there's a whole story underneath his eyes, but decided against asking.

as steve is doing the same thing to y/n, the girl leans up and kisses him on the lips quickly.

her heartbeat only picked up once he didn't say anything. she feared she had messed up the relationship the two had just started.

steve didn't move his hand from y/n's cheek, and he smirked slightly.

before y/n could start profusely apologizing, steve beat her to it.

"why'd you stop?"

the question immediately caught y/n off gaurd, "what?"

"why'd you stop kissing me?" steve asks again.

y/n can only stutter in response and before a full sentence can be formed, steve pulls her to him and kisses her on the lips.

his other hand moves to her waist, gripping at the skin peaking out from under the shirt.

y/n quickly responds by kissing him back, as both of her hands go to his waist.

y/n gasps slightly as steve turns to hold her against the wall that he was previously leaning on. the gasp gives steve the chance to slip his tongue into her mouth, making the two's tongues have to fight for dominance.

"screw the movie," steve mumbles against y/n's lips, making her giggle before she wraps both of her arms around steve's neck.

y/n giggles again after steve grabs her hand, and pulls her back upstairs to his bedroom.

to say robin would be getting a very interesting call from steve the next morning would be an understatement.

｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈• ｡ﾟ

[hedwig394]

The Big Sister

Derek Hale x Sarah McCall

Timeline: In S4, when Scott bites Liam Dunbar. Scott doesn't know how to calm Liam down and explain to him what just happened, so he takes him to the calmest and most sane person he knows. His sister.

Sarah's POV -

The hospital's rarely so quiet and calm at this hour. I don't remember a day where there was no crowd at 5 pm, which falls between the visiting hours. Yes, I joined as a nurse at the hospital because Stiles, while being possessed by the nogitsune, burned down my pharmacy.

He insists on paying for it, but they're already in a lot of debt. So I refused. But I do want to get it back up someday. When I have enough money. And enough time.

Surprisingly, I like it at the hospital. There's something soothing and enriching about helping someone heal and get better, though the medicines usually ruin a different part of your body than what they are supposed to fix.

Sipping coffee, I turn to the next page of the book I'm reading. Who knew I'd like to read about elves and wizards? But this book is good. Maybe I'll ask Derek to read it too.

I'm so engrossed in my book that I don't realise when someone stands in front of me at the reception. I don't look up, Mom will handle it.

"What are you doing here?" Mom asks from beside me and that makes me look up.

My brother, Stiles, Derek and a boy I don't recognise stand in front of me. They're not looking at Mom, they're looking at me. The boy looks agitated and angry. He looks like he can break something.

"Hey CeeCee," Scott gives me a smile, "Got a moment?"

"Allow me to brace myself," I say and close the book. "What do you want?" I ask after standing in front of him.

"Not here, Angel." Derek whispers in my ear after wrapping his arm around my waist, "Somewhere private."

I look at him curiously. "Der, what is it?"

Derek doesn't reply, just looks around suspiciously and gives me a wry look.

Right. Privacy.

I lead them to an empty supply room and lock the door behind me. The boys stand behind me, looking at the stranger.

"Right. What's going on?" I ask my brother.

"CeeCee, this is Liam Dunbar," Scott says, pointing to the stranger. I give him a nod and reach out my hand for him to shake. "Sarah McCall, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too." He replies politely, shaking my hand.

"You might wanna maintain distance." Stiles whispers in my ear, "He's explosive." I give him a confused look and step back.

Derek wraps a protective arm around my waist and pulls me towards him. He's not being subtle. Derek is always protective over me, but he's just a teenage boy. I can feel his claws on my shirt. I look at Liam curiously, and then it dawns on me. He must be a werewolf.

"So, Sarah." Scott begins, and Liam glares at him ferociously. That's when I know something is wrong. Scott avoids calling me by my real name, he always calls me CeeCee.

"There was a Wendigo attack-"

"Scott bit Liam."

My mouth hangs open as Stiles interrupts my brother. "What?" I look at my brother, shocked, "Why?"

"I'll explain," Scott says, scowling at Stiles, who closes his mouth. "There was a Wendigo attack here, right? Liam was at the hospital at that time."

"Oh, yes," I murmur. I've never seen Liam before, but Mom had mentioned a boy who had broken his arm or something. "What about that?"

"So the Wendigo grabbed Liam and took him on the roof. Luckily, I reached there and tried to fight him. But the Wendigo threw Liam over the edge. Liam held on just by his fingertips and I couldn't go help him because the Wendigo was holding me back. So I er..I had to use the only option I had. I had to bite him." Scott explains and sighs.

I blink, trying to digest the information. I gulp and turn to Liam. "Oh. Hi."

"Yeah, hi." He says wearily.

"So, why is he here?" I ask Scott, who replies, "We..er...we haven't...he doesn't..."

"He's an explosive grenade, and doesn't know what has happened to him, and what is going to happen to him because of what had happened to him and he also..kind of hates us." Stiles jumps in, "It'd be better if you talk to him, CeeCee."

"Er..sure." I say and whisper in his ear, "Why me?"

"You're nice, and calm and kind. He can do with kind." Scott says.

"Especially after you kidnapped me." Liam shoots at him.

I look at Scott, alarmed. "You kidnapped him?"

"To keep him safe." He says hastily. I'm about to retort but Derek says, "Point is, Angel, we need you to talk to him. Explain things to him before he wrecks the town on the next full moon."

"Let me guess, did you give him the 'we're brothers now' talk?" I turn to Scott, suppressing a giggle. Scott blushes and I look at Derek, "I remember the time you tried to tell that to Scotty, and it did not go well."

"I didn't have you at the time, now I do." He says lovingly.

I kiss him softly and then turn to Liam. "Alright kid. Let's talk."

I ask Mom for permission to use an empty room, and she grants it immediately, knowing the severity of the situation. Mom is great at picking up hints.

I lock the door behind me and turn to look at Liam, who sits awkwardly on the bed. I pull up a chair to sit in front of him. "Make yourself comfortable. Trust me, I'm not gonna do anything to you."

"It's difficult to trust you since it was your brother who bit me." Liam snaps, and I look at him with mild shock. "Hmm, now I see why Stiles called you a grenade. Tell me, Dunbar. What else is it? How do you get so angry easily?"

"What are you? A doctor?" He questions, ignoring what I said.

"No." I say, "Do I look like one?"

"Then what are you?" He bends forward, glaring at me threateningly.

"Kid," I say with a raised eyebrow, "Don't try to threaten me. My brother and my boyfriend are standing right outside and they can hear every word of our conversation. If Derek catches even a whiff of you trying to hurt me, you won't be alive to see the next full moon. And I don't want you to die. So I suggest we do this calmly."

Liam sits back and huffs. "Fine. Now will you tell me what's going on?"

"I will." I say, "After you tell me what's going on with you. You're aggressive, get angry easily. Why? What do you have?"

"IED." He says dejectedly.

Oh. Oh. Out of everyone my brother had to choose as a beta, he chose one with who had frequent anger outbursts.

I start to feel bad for Liam Dunbar. The whole werewolf ordeal is going to be tougher for him since he's much more prone to anger and aggression.

"I see," I say. My voice is even, I don't want him to know that I feel bad for him. I'm not sure if he'll appreciate pity. Best to not assume. Besides, he'll feel safe enough to open up if I talk to him with a neutral tone and perspective.

I brace myself. "You need to be calm for what I'm about to tell you."

Liam looks at me wordlessly. I can't put a word on how he's feeling or what he's thinking, so I continue. "Liam, you're a werewolf."

His eyes go wide for a second, shock covering his face. Then, he bursts out laughing. "Are you serious?" He chokes out, "Out of everything, I hadn't expected this. A werewolf? Seriously, Miss McCall? What do you think I am? A nutjob?"

"Liam, I'm not kidding." I say seriously. "Did you not see Scott's face when he bit you?"

He stops laughing. His face turns grim suddenly, all humour fading. He doesn't say anything, but by the look in his eyes, I know he remembers.

"Liam, I know this sounds ridiculous, believe me it was to me as well but - this is all real." I say softly, "My brother's a werewolf, and so are you now."

He panics, and though I'm not a werewolf, I can see that his heart rate has picked up. Looking at me frantically, "Wait...what?" He sputters, "What? You can't be serious!"

"I'm sorry," I say, not letting my voice waver. I look at him kindly, "But I am."

"Well then, what do I do?" He exclaims, "How can I turn back into a normal person? How can I undo it?"

"You can't," I say, bracing myself. I feel too bad for him. For a second, I don't see Liam. I see Scott. Scott, when he had been bitten and was learning how to control. Scott, when he was so frustrated at everything. Scott, couldn't be with the girl he loved and was failing in class because of something he didn't do.

"What do you - what do you mean by that?" He asks. His voice is shaking, he's trying his best to not get angry. But his efforts are unsuccessful.

"Liam, you can't go back to being a human again. You are a werewolf, and there's nothing you can do about that. I'm sorry." I say, and wish it didn't sound heartless. God, I sound like a manipulative bitch here.

"THE HELL I CAN'T!" He snarls, standing up. My heartbeat quickens, but I try to stay calm. "Don't get in here." I whisper, hoping that Derek and Scott outside can hear. "I'll handle it."

"YOUR BROTHER DID THIS TO ME!" He thundered, "I'M AN ANIMAL! A FUCKING ABOMINATION BECAUSE OF HIM!"

"Liam, if Scott hadn't bit you, you would've been dead," I say, looking into his glowing yellow eyes. "Would you rather prefer death over being a werewolf?"

"That's the thing!" He snaps and starts prowling around the room. "I don't even know what being a 'werewolf' means. How am I supposed to live this?"

"That's why I'm here." I say with a small smile, "To help you."

He sits in front of me again, "Are you a werewolf too?"

"No."

"What are you?"

"Human."

"Then why are you talking to me?" He asks, "Why are you risking it?"

I sigh. "Because you remind me of someone, and I wasn't able to help him a lot. He suffered, and I don't want you to follow in his footsteps. That's why I'm 'risking it'."

"Alright. I'm not gonna ask you to elaborate." He states and I smirk, "Good, because I'm not going to elaborate either."

"So tell me." He leans back and looks at my grugdingly. "What does it mean to be a werewolf? Even when you don't have first-hand experience."

"As you might know from fairytales and fantasy stories," I begin, "You're half wolf, half human. This ensures that you have heightened senses, like you can hear my heartbeat and you can also smell all of the sanitisers in this hospital. You also have the strength and speed of a wolf, you're much stronger than a normal human being. Faster, too."

He looks at me curiously. "Go on."

"You'll heal fast. Like, very fast. If I were to stab you right now, you'd magically heal and your wound will disappear within seconds, depending on how deep it is." I add, and he looks at me in wonder. Yeah, he's liking this.

"You'll never fall sick, your immunity is just too strong for that." I say, "And you'll also look better."

He grins and I smile. "It is true."

"You're not immortal. You're gonna age, but very slowly." I say, "And now let me dissolve a myth, which I also believed before my brother was turned into a werewolf."

"The thing is, you're not gonna turn into an actual wolf on full moon nights." I say carefully, "But your claws - which you have by the way - will come out, there'll be hair on your face - don't ask me why - your face will change...sorta. And you will be rabid. You will get angry, you will become a wild animal, basically. And you can kill someone."

Liam stares at me, open-mouthed. I gulp, this was not the best way to explain things to him. I let out a string of curses in my mind. This shouldn't have played out the way it did.

"Unless you learn how to control." I say quickly, before guilt overwhelms him.

"How do I learn how to control?" He asks, his eyes glassy. My heart clenches.

"You've to find an anchor." I say and keep a hand on his wrist. He's looking down, and a tear falls onto my hand. "Liam," I say, "Look at me."

He looks up slowly, "Am I going to kill someone?"

"Not if you learn how to control." I say. "To control yourself, to not shift into that primal, animal part of you, you need to have an anchor. Someone who will bind you to your human side. Or something, it'll do too."

He looks confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that-" I click my tongue, "See, an anchor is something - or someone - for whom or for which you will want to be human. An anchor pulls you towards your human side."

"Who's Scott's anchor?" He asks and I say shortly. "Himself." I don't want to spill the details of his and Allison's rollercoaster of a romance.

"Who's Derek's anchor?" He asks and I try not to blush. "Me."

Liam looks away, embarassed. "Sorry. Shouldn't have asked."

"It's okay." I say, clearing my throat.

"So...I need to get a girlfriend?" He asks, clearly confused.

I lean backwards and look at the ceiling. "No. It doesn't have to be a girlfriend." I say thoughtfully. An idea pops into my head and I look at him, "Imagine it this way. When you shift - that is, when you have claws and facial hair and all - you're gonna feel very powerful, very strong and very angry. You're gonna be fearless, and disoriented. You won't have a care in the world. So, would you like to come back to your human side after that?"

"I don't wanna kill anyone." He says uneasily and my heart softens. He's more like Scott than what I had imagined.

"That's great." I say, "So, an anchor needs to be someone who you think of - someone for whom you will abandon being that creature because you know you will hurt them, someone whose thoughts can help you shift back to your human side. It doesn't have to be a girlfriend, can be a parent, or a friend or whatever."

"So that's it? Find an anchor and you'll be fine?" He asks hopefully. I nod, "You should be. But it's not gonna be easy. Sometimes, you chase your anchor. Go towards them, because they're the only one who make you feel better. But you can harm them. Instead, you should go away from them."

"Okay, okay, wait-" He says, "So...how do I not kill someone on the next full moon?"

"You're gonna have to be tied up," I say matter-of-factly.

"TIED UP?" He yells, astonished.

"So that when you turn, you won't roam around rampant trying to kill someone." I say, "Look, Liam, it happens to everybody. You'll learn to control yourself, but it will take time."

"How much time?"

"Depends on how well you control yourself."

"What do you mean by controlling myself?" He asks thoughtfully, "Like..not going rabid?"

"Yep." I reply, liking the fact that he's finally getting it. "Controlling yourself means controlling how much you let the primal instinct inside you affect you. It means controlling how much your own anger, rage and animalistic character affects you. Basically, it means that you have to try your best to remain as calm as possible. And that can be done with the help of an anchor."

Liam falls silent. He's trying to register everything, to understand it all. I give him that time. He deserves it.

After a while, he says. "Thank you."

I smile, "For what?" Though I already know the answer.

"For explaining everything to me. And for...you know...dealing with my anger." He says uncomfortably. I lean forward and keep my hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "It's fine. You're new to all of this. I get it."

He nods and I ask, "So are you ready to go outside?" He nods again and we get up. But before we can leave, Liam keeps a hand on my elbow and says, "And thank you, once again, for being like my big sister."

Masterlist

[apomaro-mellow]

Tommy + Carol Cameo on bingo Steddie, I feel like that could be interesting

Oooh let's do a second take on this. This one's post s4

Eddie watched from the door as Steve primped himself in the mirror. Normally it was endearing, sometimes even enough to get him hot. But tonight of all nights, it wasn't doing anything for him. Okay that was a lie, it was doing something for him but not as much as it usually did.

"You promised you would be nice", Steve said, fiddling with his hair like it wasn't already perfect.

"I promised I wouldn't bite. And you know that's different."

Steve wiped any product off his hands and then stuck his thumbs into the corners of Eddie's mouth. "I know." He let his thumbs trace his boyfriend's canines lovingly. "But you know what I meant Mr. Wordsmith."

Twenty minutes later, they were sitting across a from Tommy and Carol in the booth of a diner. Steve had run into Carol in the middle of the street and somehow they'd awkward conversationed themselves into having this double date.

After a long silence, Tommy spoke up first. "What are we even doing here? He dumped us, remember?"

"Yeah, a good fuckin' call if you ask me", Eddie said.

"Hey, you were the one bitching a fit when we found out they were dating", Carol said, glaring at Tommy.

"Because he-you know that he-", Tommy started and stopped.

"Carol said you guys wanted to make amends", Steve said. "I don't really know how, but I...", he took a breath. "You guys were grade A assholes but I was too. And I miss you...us." He took Eddie's hand under the table for strength.

"Yeah, well, why'd you never come back?", Tommy asked.

"Because I can't go back to that person. And it's not because of Nancy or anyone else. I'm not that person anymore."

"No, you're the kind who hangs out with losers. And now even worse you're hitching your wagon to a-"

"Don't", Steve stopped him in his tracks because he knew what word was about to drop from Tommy's lips. Murderer. Official reports didn't do much for small town opinions.

"But you know how it looks, right?", Carol raised a brow. "You're about to be like him, a town pariah."

Steve knew they believed what everyone else did. That Eddie was responsible for the Spring Break murders. He couldn't tell them everything, he wouldn't burden them with that but... He shared a look with Eddie before turning his attention back to them.

"I wanna show you guys something."

They went out behind the diner and Steve took a deep breath. "Eddie didn't do anything. It was...someone else. I can't tell you anything, but I can show you." Slowly, he lifted up his shirt to reveal the scars left behind by the bat bites.

Carol's hands went to her mouth while Tommy stood there with a heartbroken expression.

"Jesus, Stevie. Were you, were you fighting a bear or what? Shit."

"How are you-? What happened?", Carol whispered.

Steve let his shirt down. "I can't tell you everything. But I can say that I'd be dead if Eddie wasn't there." As well as Nancy and Robin, but Steve wouldn't bring up their names now. "Eddie's a goddamn hero. Even if this town will never know it, I won't stop saying it."

"I'd jump in that lake every time, tiger", Eddie smiled.

Carol had so many questions. And she was pretty sure only half of them would only be answered. But they had come here to make amends. And there was one way she could do that.

"So, if Munson wasn't responsible...if he was out there helping and s-saving you, then Jason Carver incited a whole mob based on what? Just hearsay?"

"Hearsay, conjecture, and a healthy dose of fearmongering", Eddie said, hands in his back pockets.

Carol and Tommy shared a look. She wiped some stray tears from her face and Tommy sniffled a bit as they composed themselves.

"Well, we can't make Eddie a hero. But we can do the next best thing", she said.

Eddie raised a brow, intrigued while Steve waited, already having an idea of what she had come up with.

"Gossip is a powerful thing. And Jason's not around to defend himself anymore", Carol said.

"And as I recall, you were pretty good at spitting venom too", Tommy said. "I know you said you're not that guy anymore, but what about using those powers for good?"

Steve considered it but not for very long. "Between the three of us, we could probably run his cronies and their families out of town."

Steddie bingo under the cut

[mirai-desu]

On the MSATD News

I didn't have time to post a knee-jerk reaction (which those of you from the Downton days know I was apt to do - thank you to all my long term mutuals of my side blog for sticking with me through those days), as I saw the news as I was getting ready to head out for work and it's been… a bit of a day.

Suffice it to say… I am devastated. And my initial reaction was (well after cursing), that it should have ended with S4, but with a different (happier) conclusion. It's called Miss Scarlet AND THE DUKE for a reason. And after all that happened in S4… it really feels like… what was it all for?? Especially if they knew WHEN FILMING THIS?? "Goodbye for now" is NOT "goodbye forever." They really, really really fumbled this.

There's a lot of theories going around, and I will admit it's too hard for me to listen to Stuart's new interview, but going off what other's have said and the parts of the transcript I did manage to read… I just cannot feel like this was actually his decision unless there's something else going on with him (either in his personal life or maybe he has some secret role he's got, because supposedly he hasn't worked since he did ADR on S4). He's been the captain of the ship, and he has always been enthusiastic with discussing the show and had just great insight into playing William. It doesn't feel like he himself was ready to move onto other things (and that's not even how it's worded - some BS about how the show needed it him to be gone for ~longevity~ of the show), like I've seen with other actors are on shows (e.g. Dan Stevens). He still promoted S3 (which came out in the UK after they filmed S4), he still even promoted S4! He was an executive producer for S4!!! Nothing makes sense!

So if it's due to RN… why keep having the other characters say William was only going to be gone a year? Why bother to have the flashback? why bother to have him stay at at Eliza's to recover?? hell I'm surprised they just didn't keep in the coma then--

But really, why even bother to have Eliza write to him? Or have Ivy say what she said to her?? The time apart was supposed to be them looking at their options. They literally foreshadowed him joining Eliza at her agency upon his return. So… what happened?

If it was actually for personal reasons that Stuart left, he has a right to his privacy. But then they should have rewritten S4 to be the end then, since they knew all this time. I can't believe we are getting the full story on this, one way or the other. The more and more I think about it... I do think it was RN's doing though.

Just two nights ago I drafted up a whole meta extolling how one of the best things this show has done has been how they developed William and how he grew as a character. The progression he made as he not only accepted Eliza having a career but encouraging her. His mentorship of Fitzroy. How he came from nothing, from a teenager living on the streets, to become an inspector at Scotland Yard. But they have chosen to toss that all out the window.

Who knows, maybe S5 ends with Eliza deciding to go to New York. But it doesn't seem like they are handling this like Babington's absence in Sanditon. They will make Eliza quickly fall for someone else, and slap fans in the face who have been following their friends to lovers slow burn for five years (because we had to wait for S2 in the first place thanks to the pandemic). And what sucks is that we still got promo saying they are in love with each other. From Stuart, from Kate, from Rachael New herself. We have still gotten promo promoting the romance. Why not have them have a big fight then or something, idk. They gave us hope. And you know what Fellowes says about false hope.

So I'm just supposed to believe that William gives up on Eliza and doesn't return…? No, I cannot. As much as we hated the deaths on DA when they wrote out actors, at least those characters still died in love with their spouses. And while I'd still be foaming at the mouth in anger if they killed him off… yeah.

William's last lines of the show is a flashback including him saying "is it all worth it?" And the answer is… no it's not.

[casinoquartet]

okay so I would like to elaborate on a point you made on the swagdoons moments we should talk about more. Specifically the one about red knowing about the wormhole glitch. Also the whole god thing applies to this too.

Ash avoids any reference (and has lied about it multiple times IF red is telling the truth) to red knowing anything and just never elaborates when it comes to this sort of thing. Then red is just so open about it and it kinddd of sounding like he’s bragging when he talks about it. And he told no one?? 🤨 huh? Red knew sooo far back and told no one???

here is an example:

ash commented that red wasn’t in a video because his reaction to the god thing was basically: “cool.” and did not give any other details.

red has AT LEAST said twice that he knew about the god thing from basically page one (because ash told him?? I don’t know if I’m remembering right) and he didn’t hold back from the details

nothing they say lines up 😭😭😭 one of them is lying about this and either way it’s still so 🤨🤨. Why would you need to lie about it huh??? And I am 90% ash knows what red is saying and he isn’t specifically denying anything red says.

I’m sorry they are soo confusing and just making this much sense of something and to not share it with anyone feels like a felony so yeah…

THEN THE “oh I’d do so many things for you ash.” WAS JUST 😱😱😱🫵🤨🤨🤔🤨 IT WAS SO UNPROMPTED. then the SILENCE after ash said the equivalent of my reaction in emojis I just can’t anymore

also can you explain how after the matching sleeve thing ash just kept it for wayyyy too long. Is it still there??? I think it’s still there. It’s like 4am and I NEED to go to bed so I don’t think I should check. But it’s such an easy fix why is it still there it’s driving me crazy

OKAY regarding the "red knew about the plugin" thing, i'm mostly referencing this clip (51:58-52:10)

red: hold on, so did you dupe or...how did you get the crystals? ash: (hums) red: ...or did you get into creative mode, was that the plug-in? ash: no, no. (annoyed) why do you--okay just tell everyone my plan. i'm kidding, parrot just forgot to check my inventory (laughs)

if we take ash's god video at face value, he did know about the essentials plugin since august (though it is debatable if the wormhole team knew how to exploit it then, i'm inclined to believe that they did considering around a month later the comfort vod happened and ash leaked the wormhole plans 4 months early...lol). and having foresight, we do know that creative mode was necessary to get the entire wormhole exploit to work so...that's why i said it was implied red knew about the wormhole glitch the entire time

anyways, adding onto the "red wasn't in the first video" thing, here's ash mentioning it in a tweet on his alt acc, and while red pisses off (/lh) ash in the comfort vod (1:10:05-1:10:44), ash says that that is why red isn't in the video and red goes "i know"

(also i was just watching the vod where red mentions that he knew about the s3 god exploit from the very start and it's also implied here that he knew about the s4 one too?!?! he got an elytra from subz and subz, who was on the wormhole exploit team, asked him if red knew about the exploit, said never mind, and gave red the elytra anyways. red then says that he knew about the exploit the entire time so ?!?!?! clip from 1:27:51-1:28:27 btw)

ANYWAYS yeah i don't know wtf the "i'd do so many things for you" thing was about either. something is up with them. alas i'm not a mind reader so i don't know why on earth red said that or why ash keeps the cut sleeve (i'm guessing it's bc he thinks it looks cool?) but alas. swagdoons truly did swagdoons all over the place,

[alicepao13]

Hudson and Rex S02E02 - Over Ice

Eh, yes that definitely needs to be under the cut because it's long.

It feels wrong that this show had an ice skating episode before a hockey episode lol

"You should keep your dog on the carpet. It's slippier than it looks". He has four legs. And claws.

Charlie and Sarah are flirting over the body again. This is unacceptable (please continue). And we learn about Sarah's figure skating past.

"Who's afraid of little old me?"

The mom was so annoying for most of the episode.

"Enjoying" figure skating.

In the first couple of seasons there must have been about a dozen references about Jesse never going home.

I remember I had a lot of trouble finding the killer in this one. They all seemed very suspicious.

So it's not illegal to be in possessions of steroids, you just get in trouble if you use one while competing for stuff?

Julia's confession to Sarah is a nice scene. And I like Sarah's subtle reaction and support. It's not anything too dramatic, or shallow, and I honestly don't understand why some of the audience react the way they did (imdb reviews can give a hint). Not to mention that this episode gets "wokeness warning" (I can't think of any other way to put it) in backwards countries like... the US. Do you know how ridiculous it is for an episode with a minor trans character to be treated like that in the US while in countries that are a hundred years back in social issues like Greece no one bats an eye? Eh, a lot. (In Greece it aired in a major free broadcasting network and was a bit before legislation protecting trans people had passed, so I thought that we'd be the ones to cut it or we'd remove stuff in the subtitles. We didn't cut it and the subtitles were normal, plus that season was repeated like 3-4 times.)

Sarah: "I'm not a cop". You're not a cop now. In S4 you will be carrying a badge and gun.

Ah, the freezer, finally.

I am simultaneously happy and sad that this shipper moment happened so early. Happy because it was well made and if you don't put crumbs early enough, then who's going to ship it? And sad because, well, imagine this happening in S4 for example. It would have been so good and it would have been laced with an extra layer of angst.

No but Charlie was very quick to panic.

Charlie: Rex, open the door buddy! || Rex: Once again, Charlie, I don't have thumbs.

I love Charlie's detailed instructions to Rex. Sir, he's a dog. You're lucky he actually knew where to go for help. And I have to note that the most helpful suggestion came from Sarah.

Work never ends, not even when you're trapped in a freezer.

Getting to the good stuff. Couples whump, yes please.

How can anyone claim that they weren't meant to be a couple like???

"I guess I peaked early." "Hardly".

Meanwhile, Rex is trying to find the right people who will understand that when he's without Charlie, Charlie is in trouble.

Sharing body heat (and coat).

Jesse: Rex, wait up! || Rex: No, my humans are in danger! Can't those two legs of yours go any faster?

Oh, you know, just chilling.

And then Charlie asks Rex what took so long? I'd have left and locked the door again. Joking, Charlie thanks him afterwards. Just globber him in saliva, Rex, that will show him.

Random thoughts: Charlie's arm around Sarah. Also Jesse dying from all the running in the back, and no one paying attention to him lol

S4!Charlie would have at least knocked Lucas unconscious for locking him and Sarah in the freezer. At least Rex bit him and threw him on the ground.

The following interrogation scene is lookwarm and they don't mention the fact that Lucas tried to kill two more people after that. The jury is not going to like the fact that he moved the body afterwards? What about trying to kill two cops?

I like the ending scene. It ends on a high note. As for the "wokeness", just as I remembered, it doesn't present anything other than that trans people exist. It doesn't make any statements. So, I'm confused by people's reactions yet again.

[yiiiikesmish]

LOOK ALIVE PEOPLE EP 4 DROPPED.

welcome back to a live (ish) blog of my thoughts and reactions.

ofc spoilers below for s4 ep4 of slow horses. hope you enjoy me screeching about this perfect show.

also thoughts will probs be a little less than the last two times bc i forgot to eat dinner so i'm eating now

go shirley you tell them. she's the only one who really did something against army boy

paralysed but awake throughout. damn these royals don't play around

jesus christ david what the fuck did you do????? guns?? c4?? fake passports?? WHO IS THIS MYSTERIOUS LADY??

i actually kind of love first desk. he appears dumb af bc of his looks but nope doesn't matter diana successfully lied to him

go diana gaslight girl pretend you know absolutely nothing about this river doppelgänger

DADDY THERES MY BABY YOU LOOK SO SO GOOD MY LOVE

i really bad sam chapman doesn't die. i like him.

nah but fr i can now say i do know how big st pancras is and honestly gonna be shocked if they manage to spot him but also river is a dumbass so entirely plausible they see him

i like neck tattoo dog. his accent is yummy

ofc they saw him 🙄🙄

the way i'd be giving massive middle fingers to the dogs if i managed to just beat them like that

sams gonna die man. that's gonna suck. not my fave old man but he has slayed so far. BEHIND YOU YOU OLD FUCK. jesus fuck knew that was coming still scared me.

side note. the music of this show is incredible. love a good show with a good score.

what the fuck is going on. IS RIVER THIS FRANK GUYS KID???? IS HOS MUM THE WOMAN THAT BAD SAM GRABBED?????

lmao the look of fuck me when flyte appeared behind him. attic was a good spot tho i'll give him props for that.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THATS THE END OF THE EPISODE THAT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN 45 MINUTES PLEASE guys i might actually die before next week this is not good

[atamascolily]

TBF Prediction: Cheating Death is the Ultimate Trick

... or, why I think Lin Xue Ya is going to die--or at least, appear to die--in a future installment.

When a dying Sha Wu Sheng tells Lin Xue Ya he'll be waiting for him in hell in Season 1, I didn't think too much of it. Then I got to to the opening scene of Season 3, where Lin turns up with a bottle of wine to Wu Sheng's to pour one out for the departed, and says, "Knowing how impatient you are, I'm sure you're upset our promised reunion is taking so long," my ears pricked up at the unexpected callback.

Then Lin adds, "I'll have you know it's not that I'm not avoiding you, but I'll have to beg your patience for a bit longer" and my foreshadowing detector started tingling: Is he really saying what I think he's saying?? Is Lin really going to die?

Here's the thing about Lin: he never lies outright, but he's selective in his phrasing so that everything he says is both literally true and completely misleading without full context. There are so many different ways to interpret this scene, and that line in particular, and it may be that I'm seeing something that isn't actually there. And yet, I can't help wondering why he says this and what it means--and, perhaps more importantly, why the audience witnesses this. What is this scene's narrative purpose, anyway?

(Urobuchi has gone on the record saying that this scene is intended to connect S3 to everything that has come before--but while that's certainly true, I'd be surprised if that were the only purpose, especially since he also said he conceived of S3-S5/movie plots as one story, compared to previous installments, which were more episodic.)

First of all, it shows us a more contemplative side of Lin we haven't seen before--a Lin who appears to have some degree of fondness for Wu Sheng, enough to come visit his grave when he's in the area. But it also serves as a reminder of Wu Sheng's promise from earlier--and the only reason we need to be reminded about that is if it's going to be relevant later on.

When questioned by Shang Bu Huan about where he's been and why he's late for their latest dungeon crawl, Lin says, "Nothing to worry about. Just indulging my superstitious side". What does he mean by this? Does he know--or suspect--something we don't? Coupled with Lin's casual remark to Wu Sheng that he might enjoy the spectacle about to unfold, it seems like Lin either has some foreknowledge of what's to come, or he's making a reasonable assumption given the parties involved. Like so much involving Lin, it's difficult to say for certain.

Shang's angry response for Lin to quit fooling around seems especially harsh when we know what Lin was actually doing, even if it's perfectly justified from Shang's perspective. Yet at the same time, Shang invited Lin to come along on this expedition, and even asks him to take the point position and lead the way. For all Shang's bluster, he seems to have found an equilibrium with Lin, or at least some kind of acceptance of his presence and his personality even when Lin annoys him.

Season 3 sends Shang and Lin on parallel paths, with Lin targeting Huo Shi Ming Huang and manipulating events to keep Shang and company safe even from a distance. In the final episode, Lin doubles down on this, running away before Shang can confront him. We don't know what's going to happen in Season 4 yet, but it's likely that their arcs will continue to diverge, at least for a time, (as confirmed in the S4 trailer) as Lin infiltrates the Order of the Divine Swarm on his quest to humiliate its master, who is also Shang's greatest enemy.

Gen Urobuchi has a reputation for killing characters off, but it's important to note that the deaths are never random or pointless; they only occur when a character has fulfilled their narrative arc. (This is how I knew Juan Can Yun wasn't really dead in S3, even though I wasn't sure how he'd survived until the reveal.) This is especially true for a major character like Lin.

Urobuchi has commented in interviews how Lin and Shang's characters are "fixed" compared to someone like Lang Wu Yao, who is still figuring himself out; this doesn't mean they can't grow or change, merely that any shifts will be more subtle and less obvious than, for instance, Lang's magical boy power-up to signify his self-determination. Shang and Lin can and will change as a result of their interactions with each other, but only up to a certain point--no matter what else happens. they'll always be recognizably themselves.

(The question then becomes, "What is Lin's narrative arc, anyway?" which is an essay in and of itself, so forgive me if I don't tackle that here.)

Lin and Shang's fates are tied together; this is true both on a narrative level and in-universe, where Lin is able to exploit those ties for the Nendoroid communication devices. In their cameos in the Pili main series and in the Nitroplus 20th Anniversary video, the two are always depicted as companions walking side by side or sitting together at a table or having adventures together, which is especially striking given the push-pull of their canon relationship and how often their paths diverge. I fully expect that the final shot of Thunderbolt Fantasy will be Shang and Lin walking off into the sunset together as dramatic music plays, their cloaks blowing in the wind--an image that is incompatible with Lin biting the dust. Nor do I expect Urobuchi to end the series on a downer note--Thunderbolt Fantasy is his baby and he loves it, and Lin is very clearly an authorial favorite on top of that. So what's actually happening here?

Given all of the foreshadowing, I think Lin's death is inevitable as part of the show's climax (most likely in the final movie). But I don't think it means he's actually going to die--but we'll think that he did, at least for a bit, only for him to pop out at the most dramatic moment possible. After all, Lin is an illusionist and a performer, a master at making people see what he wants them to see--and what could possibly be a more dramatic trick than faking his own death?

Alternately, perhaps Lin really will die, but will somehow be saved/resurrected/restored in the end, most likely through his connection with Shang. All of the foreshadowing was correct, and perhaps Lin even believes this is his fate--but Shang doesn't believe in fate and might be able to do the impossible to prove it.

Or perhaps the death is a metaphorical one. "The Enigmatic Gale"--the persona that Lin has adopted for the entirety of the series thus far--might fall, and perhaps he will adopt a new name to suit his new role in life. As I said earlier, I don't think Lin will change completely--he'll still be a rogue we love to watch--but just as Shang became the Edgeless Blade, it's possible Lin will undergo a parallel transformation.

Or perhaps it's some combination of the options that I've discussed here--I genuinely don't know. I lean towards the first one, given Lin's personality and Urobuchi's style, but at this point, I don't have enough information for anything more informed.

I'll confess straight up that Lin is my favorite character, and I don't want him to die for good, so perhaps this is all just mental gymnastics to convince myself it is isn't going to happen. That said, while the subtle death flags are there, I think there's also plenty of evidence that it isn't going to stick. If nothing else, Lin Xue Ya is the sort who always has to have the last word, and cheating death--and looking good while doing it--is 100% his style.

[juno-box]

Okay then! Moving onto your ideas for a fix-it time travel style fic for TWDG, do you have any concrete ideas so far of what you'd want to do with it? Who'd be going back in time, how drastically things would change, plot points, that sort of thing? If you don't mind sharing of course, I'd understand if a lot of that would be spoilers should you decide to actually write it.

Would you believe I’ve spent the better part of last night thinking of this very fic idea? I couldn’t land on WHO the heck would I send back.

I’d send them back as the age they were during that time, so Clem going back to S1 from S4 would be 8-years-old all over again but with the mind and knowledge of 16/17-year-old Clem.

Clementine would be an obvious choice, right? As a character from the start to finish, she could easily make the most change. Depending on what point she travels back from in the series, she could very well change a lot of things. For starts, Clem from any season after S1 could:

Not talk to the stranger over the walkie.

Knowing her folks are dead, and probably want to avoid Savannah all together.

Be aware about the St. John’s, not trust them and campaign for them not to go. But then comes the fact that she’s a child and possibly the only person who would take her seriously would be Lee. So that could be something she might not be able to fully change.

If she doesn’t or can’t stop the event of EP2, then there could be a chance that she can intervene on Ben’s deal with the bandits. She would have to keep an eye on him specific pay attention to him whenever he leaves the inn or is on watch, which she’ll have to do w/o raising any attention.

If she can do that, and convince Ben to listen to her, even if she’s just a kid, they might be able to warn the group and get out of dodge before the bandit’s raid begins, so they could leave for the road a few days early.

If that happens, Lilly’s meltdown might not happen. If Larry died during EP2, then she’d still be depressed and in mourning of course, but not paranoid since there’s not a conspiracy going around the group about betrayal. Meaning Carley/Doug might not get headshot.

This also means Katjaa & Duck survive for now, and thus Kenny doesn’t have his complete character arc in S2 if his whole family is alive, since that loss played a huge part in his arc.

That also means that Lilly might stick around longer, and we may not get a Delta!Lilly.

They still take the train, as Clem can’t do anything about the train being in the way.

But then Clem realizes the train rolls right through Savannah, and there’s no avoid it anymore.

But Clem knew not to listen to the Stranger, so her sneaking away to meet him only to be kidnapped possibly won’t happen.

Meaning… We don’t lose Lee, which would’ve been Number 1 on Clem’s list of things to fix.

If that happens, the group has no reason to leave the house, meaning Vernon and the cancer group can’t get the boat.

Speaking of the boat… it’s WAY too small for their group.

Lee, Clem, Kenny, Katjaa, Duck, Chuck (since our group is big, I doubt they’d let him die the way he did), Lilly, Carley/Doug, Ben, Christa & Omid? That’s 11 people on this boat meant for at most like… 4 or 5.

Cue the talks of changing their plans. And much to Kenny’s chagrin, Katjaa agrees.

The group decide to put a pin in the boat plan and mull over their next move. This is where Clem chimes in and says they should head for the country, and get out of the city ASAP.

At this point, Lee would be way more trusting of Clem’s intuition and agree, so would Christa. Katjaa, Lilly, Doug/Carley, Ben would agree with the majority, and Omid would pick whatever he thought was best for Christa and their unborn baby.

They gather their bearings and plan their route out of Savannah over the night. The next day they discover the boat’s gone. So, Kenny really has no choice but to agree with their plan.

I feel like once the group is out of Savannah, and Clem has time for, well, downtime, she’ll want to think about how she’ll get back the other important people in her life like AJ, Javi and his family, and the Ericsons kids (especially if she romanced Louis or Violet). She wants to see them again, albeit not in the same circumstances as before.

On the other hand, is would I send back Lee? Another start to finish character (at least for S1), Sending Lee back from the end of EP5, Lee could make changes as well, his only hold up would be protecting Clementine even more since she really is 8-years-old:

He’d probably train her earlier, like between EP1 and EP2.

EP2 is the hardest to change, because it’s a group choice. It would probably go down similar to that deleted scene of them voting, where Lee would vote against going but be out voted by everyone else.

He doesn’t trust the St. John’s in the slightest, and when he goes back with Mark to check the perimeter, he tells him keep his guard up and watch the trees. Since Mark’s a bit more attentive, Mark gets grazed by the arrow instead of full impaled, and the scene plays out the same.

They make it back and Mark’s still a bit injured but not remotely as bad as before, so he’s able to attended dinner without having to go through Brenda’s, ahem, “check-up”.

So, who’s for dinner then?

Mr. Parker! Mmm, barbequed band teacher-

Let’s for back a bit, during the hunt with Lee, Mark & Kenny. They find Ben, Travis & Mr. Parker.

They don’t cut him out in time, but this time Lee doesn’t try to hack his leg off, remembering last time how he still bled out and died by time they made it back.

Lee instead tells Mark and Kenny to grab the boys and go. Before they can protest, the walkers are coming in, not many, but enough.

Travis makes a go at Mark’s rifle, but Mark shoots him in the leg. So now they have to carry him back.

So, Ben and Travis live! And Mr. Parker… for now.

Hypothetically, let’s say the dairy boys got to Mr. P before the walkers did.

So, he’s for dinner.

Dinner scene plays out the same, but this time Parker takes Mark’s place.

The Larry in the locker moment plays out differently. Since Mark is there, he’d help Lilly revive Larry.

Unfortunately, leaving Lee to argue with Kenny about not killing Larry. He’s trying to prevent as many unnecessary deaths as possible.

I believe Kenny and Lee would actually tussle over this, but Kenny would lose.

And by some miracle, Larry would win. As in he’d live.

Rewinding to where Lee was investigating the farmhouse, in the cabinet he found the morphine and wire in, he’d also find nitroglycerin pills. Lee kept them on the chance the moment in the locker happened.

Rest of the scene plays out the same until they make it out the locker.

Lee meets Carley/Doug, Ben & Travis outside the barn.

Since Mark’s arm is still a bit injured, Lilly shoots Andy.

Fight goes the same. Lee spares Andy and leaves him to his fate.

Interesting change, when it comes to the Stranger’s car, Lee purposely tries to distract the group from hearing the car.

Unfortunately, Mark sees it.

Lee is adamant about not taking from it, and doesn’t give Kenny the keys.

This almost prompts another Kenny v. Lee fight, until Larry steps in and argues they need it since the dairy was an absolute bust.

Lee uses Clementine’s argument that it’s more than likely someone’s car, and they might not be far. Since he knows it’s the strangers, he’d mention it probably belonged to a family.

A dreaded vote, and it’s Lee, Clem and surprisingly Lilly vs. Kenny, Katjaa, Travis, Carley/Doug, Mark and Larry.

Outvoted, Larry snatched the keys from Lee and they pillage the car. Doug/Carley comes up to Lee with batteries for Clem’s walkie, but Lee takes them instead, saying they might need them for something important.

EP2-3, Lee is aware that at this point the bandits are going to attack the inn because of Ben’s deal. So, Lee decided to nip the bud and go to Ben directly. He’d say something along the lines of “Don’t talk anyone in the woods, especially bandits who claim to have his friend.”

Sprinkle in a little, “Or else” because Lee’s DEAD serious on nothing that happened in EP3 happening twice. And Lee’s threat worked…

For Ben, at least. Because the difference between this time and last was Ben’s deal with the bandits.

He didn’t account for Travis being made the same deal.

So, color Lee terrified when Lilly comes to Lee about missing supplies.

He didn’t think she’d be paranoid, now that her dad was still alive.

He knew everywhere to check by the back of his hand, the signaling system, the chalk, all of it.

First, he trucked it over to Ben and immediately called him off the RV. Ben climbs down and Lee lays into him (well, where only he and Ben could hear) and accuses him of being guilty.

Ben’s confused more than defensive, which throws Lee off. Ben asks is it about what he warned him about a week ago, and says he hasn’t seen or talked to anyone outside the inn after he warned him about the bandits, and is generally confused as to what Lee’s blaming him for.

Lee apologizes and leaves. He checks the grate and what’s in it. Meds, of course.

He brings it to Lilly. The motel gets held hostage, but this is different; when they get held hostage, Mark taps on the window Lilly would exit from and warm them before they eventually hear for themselves.

While Lilly tells Lee to stall them, Larry does something stupid. Stubborn as an idiot, he refuses to be held up like he just was a week ago and goes for one of the bandit’s guns, getting shot in the process, causing all hell to break loose.

Lilly leaves her vantage point and goes to get Larry while Mark takes her place, the group splits up like they did before.

Lilly manages to pull Larry behind cover and tries to save him, so Mark has to deal with the bandits and keeping enemies off of her while she’s distracted.

The fending off goes the same, each group gets inside the RV, Duck is still bitten.

Lilly has to leave Larry, so now freshly mourning, and losing the inn, Lee knows all hells about to break loose.

Lilly pins it on Carley if she’s there, or Ben if Doug’s there.

Lee would defend Ben, saying he thinks it was someone else, and for the first time asks Travis.

Travis gets immediately defensive, just as Ben did before. Lee knows he did it.

But Carley/Doug would tell Lee to lay off him. Lilly would believe Lee’s claim that it was Travis since he’s helped her before.

Travis pins it on Carley/Doug.

Ben defends Travis, getting hi back under the microscope.

RV hits a walker, they’ve got to stop. Everyone exits.

Lilly shoots Travis in the head.

…

Lee knew it was Travis. But even so, the act alone caused the group to vote to leave her behind.

Katjaa calls Lee up front and tell him Duck’s bit.

Lee is angry that he’s failing to stave people this time around.

The train scene goes the same, they meet Chuck, Duck and Katjaa die, but instead of training Clem, since he already trained her a bit more and cut her hair, he decides he should tell Clem the new plan for Savannah.

Chuck compliments Lee on teaching the girl to survive.

He tells her that even though Kenny’s deadest on finding a boat, he thinks their best bet is getting out of the city ASAP and making it to the countryside.

Clem wants to find her parents, but Lee tries to gently tell her that they’ve been gone for so long that the chances of them being there or alive are slim to none.

Clem hates that answer.

“You can’t tell me what to do.”

“Clem—”

“I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

Well, at least that radio won’t be a problem.

They meet Christa and Omid. The next morning, Lee is horrified to hear Clem’s radio go off.

She’d been talking to him again.

Again.

Kenny says he thought the thing was broken, to which Carley/Doug will admit they gave her batteries for it when she’d asked.

Without a second thought, Lee angrily chucked the radio out the train. He’d be damned if that bastard gets his hands on Clementine again.

The they get to Savannah. Molly tolls the bell, they make a break for it. Ben runs from Clem, Chuck saves her and gets split from the group.

They get to the house. And get inside, Doug/Carley keeps watch. Everything plays out the same. Clem goes to Crawford with them. Carley/Doug actually gets killed instead of Brie, however.

Lee saves Ben at the bell tower.

Since Ben isn’t guilty, Kenny has no ill will toward Ben, but also threatens that if he leaves Clem like that again he and Lee will tag team his ass. Ben gets the message quick.

Vernon still offers to take Clem. Lee knew it was coming but isn’t as mad as he was at the suggestion to give away his adoptive daughter. He still declines.

I should note that Clem has definitely notice her walkie’s missing, but Lee says she might’ve accidentally dropped it while they were one the train. She’s really sad about this, and a bit anxious.

Clem asks Lee if they’re going to get on the boat with Kenny. Lee says they might. Due to him trashing the walkie, cutting off all contact with the Stranger, they may be able to all get on the boat; He, Clem, Kenny, Christa, Omid and Ben.

Clem asks if they’ll have time to look for her parents, Lee tells her what he said on the train.

She cries and leaves the room.

Since the group is downstairs, Lee lets Clem have her space. She’s probably really upset with him.

He tries not to fall asleep, but dozes off for a bit.

Lee jolts awake when he realizes. He looks around and doesn’t see Clem near him before remembering she’s downstairs.

He turns and looks out the window, expecting to see Kenny working on the boat.

Instead, his blood runs cold as he sees Clementine, standing outside the fence, talking to someone beside a car.

A station wagon.

A station wagon that looked horribly identical to the one from the woods.

From the one that was parked in front of The Marsh House.

He could’ve sworn his heart stopped beating for a minute as she willfully climbed inside the backseat.

Lee booked it downstairs, nearly falling as he slammed through the backdoor as the car peeled off down the street. Lee runs out the back yard but is too late.

And that’s all I have for now! I spent a minuuuute conjuring this all up! Keep in mind, this is all a rough idea of what I could try, not definitive!

[autistictaxidermyman]

trying to write my alternate s4 fix it fic concept and thought I'd share the first draft opening paragraphs of the first chapter, which focuses on Klaus (and his life with Allison, Ray, and Claire in the time skip):

chapter one: never was the one for loving kids

For most of his life, there were few things that were undoubtedly true about Klaus Hargreeves, especially during the periods of time where he was anything but sober. He could list them off on half a hand: he was a drug addict, he had super powers, and he was one member of the most dysfunctional family on the planet. 

Now that they had continued their escapades through time and alternate timelines, he was pretty sure they were the most dysfunctional family at any point in time, in any universe. Five was the only one who seemed to actually wrap his head around those things, so he didn’t actually know, but Klaus was all but sure that he was correct in his assumption. 

After six years in this new timeline, though, Klaus knew a lot more about himself and what he cared about. It boiled down to a few core things when you peeled back every complication: he liked being sober, he loved his niece, he didn’t have super powers anymore and he wanted to keep it that way, and he was still a part of that aforementioned dysfunctional family. 

Oh, and he might not strictly be a “he”, but they would deal with that at some point further down the line when they had a second to talk to Viktor because right now, the world might be ending again. 

Or at least, their world was ending.

[buckevantommy]

Hey! It's the first time Buck Begins anon from before!! First of all do not feel bad for rambling - that is exactly what that ask was for! I loved hearing your thoughts!

And to answer your question about how I started watching -- 911 was a show always a show on my 'to watch' radar but I didn't give it much thought? I did watch s1 of lone star tho. until then I saw bi Buck on my dash for the first time after Tommy kisses him and i just went oh??!??! 👀👀 I binge watched season 1 and 2, and then I gave up and ended up watching s7 part 2 live while also watching s3 for the first time 🤣 there were some gaps I had to fill using fanon knowledge but I think it worked? And now I'm furiously trying to watch s4 around my busy work schedule before s8 airs 😅🤣

Hasn't stopped my from reading bucktommy fic or posting gifsets tho. Tommy has bewitched me, I love him. Every time I watch a scene where Buck talks about his love life a part of me is just- don't worry, your man is coming

oh! same here! i'd known about it for years but i'd just avoided it thinking it was just a different take on the same old tired procedural cop shows, or maybe something too dramatised like grey's anatomy. i'm not sure i even realised it was about firefighters until i heard people referring to it as 'the gay firefighter show' and even then i didn't really connect the dots.. 🔥👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨🚒

one of my fave spn blogs (bc i was a destiel girlie before the gay firefighter show consumed my life) was a 911 fan so i learned about bi!buck through her blogging (shoutout to @sunglassesmish: kay, you have changed my life for the better 😚🫶). i mean, i came from spn - where bi!dean is widely considered unacknowledged canon and it's a show now several years past its finale but with a dedicated fanbase still hoping for some kind of reboot or movie or something to fix the shit they did in the finale - to a show with a canon bi character, moreover a character in his 30s who had been presumed (by some)/written as (sorta) straight for 6 whole seasons. and evan buckley.. he's so much like dean wincester: the all american heroic ladies man with a traumatic upbringing and a megawatt smile and babygirl features and a heart of gold who just wants to be loved.. honestly i could write essays about these two.. ✍️

i love that we're on the same page! i started with season 7 (i watched 7x05 and onwards live) and got through seasons 1-3 while s7 was airing week to week, and so my buck knowledge was growing as i excitedly waited for the next ep to air with the rest of fandom (there's just something about that weeklong anticipation, i've missed it so much - the theorising, the time for fanworks, etc). 📺

i was also the same, trying to learn what i could through dash osmosis of the seasons i hadn't watched yet (i knew vaguely about the lightning strike and tried not to spoil myself too much about the family secret but reading fic and meta blew those doors wide open 😅). and even in season 1 i was like: i'm so glad he'll grow to be that person in season 7 one day, that he'll get to be vulnerable and open and earnest and loved and also get kissed by a handsome guy. 🥰

OMG WE ARE BOTH ON SEASON 4!! 🥳 i mean, i knew that, but it's still so exciting to know there are folks out there in the same boat! ⛵ i don't think i've liveblogged any other ep besides Buck Begins, but i think i'll probably do a lightning strike/coma liveblog when i get to it.

omg the amount of bucktommy fics i've consumed since april.. i remember in those early days i was consuming every single fic that got posted on ao3 - about a dozen 1k fics a day - until eventually there was 60+ fics a day and i couldn't keep up, but i'm still reading about 2-5 fics (mostly short ones) a day. this fandom is hella talented. 📚

our love for tommy kinard knows no bounds. 🤝💖🤝 and YES- omg- the way he is just craving love and a partner on the same page as him, someone he can be himself with.. lightning boy will meet him flying into a hurricane and i just think that's neat. ⛈️😘

[dayonnight]

HI YES I'M THE ANON WHO ASKED ABOUT ARMIN TYBUR AND NOW I AM THINKING THOUGHTSSSS AND HAVE QUESTIONSSS

Do you think Armin had a nice reunion with his extended family or a sour one (before he got the Warhammer, I mean)? I'd like to imagine Mum Tybur(Armin's Mom) came from a rare sector of the Tyburs that is very much against the war and would try to protect Armin from having to take the Warhammer before ultimately failing and still supporting him however they can anyway. Lol imagine him learning about the different parts of himself that he got from the Tyburs but had written off as "oddities" in the walls(ex. his love of reading, his love of the ocean, his intelligence) and bonding with a cousin or something he never knew he had. Or they’re all horrible people and he decides to run for the hills lol. Ugh I just want him to find people who love him in a place where everyone around him wants to use him but aot is determined to make me weep😭😭

ALSO now that Armin is running around with the Warhammer, how would Erwin react to everything? Do you have any head canons on how he would be in this hypothetical s4??

I'm sorry ik that's a lot so feel free to ignore!! You have made my mind rot in all the best ways with this au😭/pos

-🦋

I WILL NOT IGNORE THIS I LOVE YOU 🥺

Armin and his Tybur Family

When Armin first meets the Tybur i think he might be scared and a little excited, he thought that he lost all of his family and now he knows he didn't, but of course, not everything is perfect.

I feel like most members would be a little passive aggressive to him as his mom pretty much run away from her destiny, comments about how similar he is to her (Besides his eyes) and how they expect him to be better than "her" are common.

(In fact, he is considered better since he "never runs away")

I do think that the family meeting will be sour, but as you say, him discovering that the oddities he had were common by his Tybur family side makes him feel a little of comfort. And it would be nice that he gets a cousin to bond with, after all, he will have a rough time and deserves a nice time.

The main reason why William also looked out for him or his mom, is also because he wants to make things right, and he is sure war is soon so they need to actually train a Warhammer titan/holder to fight back.

So is not like Armin is too welcome in the family as much as just a pawn to use, and he kinda gets it, they are petty that his mom escaped.

"The sins of the mother, must be payed by the son"

Erwin's destiny

Without Armin, Jean and other's needed to make way more than in canon, more active leadership and planning i mean.

Eren is really filled with rage this time, and just like his last fight with Annie (He let himself go wild to a point were he lost control) he defeated Reiner easily and was capable of holding Berthold back better.

And also, if Reiner and Berthold left early along Annie to take Armin to Marley. Then, Ymir ks there too.

She might fight only because Historia asked her to do it, and that helped as she was able to climb the Colossal fast enough to take Berthold (The heat doesn't affect titans as much as a human)

So, the choice was easy and Erwin got the Colossal Titan.

And with Erwin alive, he gets to make his dream come true and discovers that, in fact, there are humans outside the walls, humans that might be enemies or allies.

This messes up with Eren, because he is sure that Armin is alive, but not in the world they wanted to see (An empty world filled with nature wonders).

The 4th Season

I'm not gonna lie, i am still working on what would happen in the hypothetical 4th season.

• For once, i already said that i am sure Eren will still be with the survey corps. Zeke tries to contact him, but either he ignores him (Angry against him as now that Erwin has Berthold memories they know Armin was captured thanks to Zeke) or he tries to earn his trust to know about Armin.

I am not completely sure if Erwin will reveal the part of Armin being the Warhammer, because it would mean that Eren and Mikasa will push harder to rescue him and that the higher ups will want him because he is a new weapon to Paradis.

• Reiner is doing better, he grieved Berthold a lot, but Annie is still there so he isn't completely lost.

Annie, however, feels extremely guilty about Armin, having time with her father made her realize how much she wants to escape from fighting and the wars, and she took everything from Armin, just how she felt when she had to go to Paradis.

• Sasha will live. This might sound weird but i just kept thinking about this, and yes, she will live, just as Armin gets to their airship, Connie, Jean and Sasha will leave their place to go to see him, which means Gabi will not be able to kill her when she climbs.

Sasha living will mean that Gabi's arc will need to change. She will no longer have to see how others suffer because of killing (Kaya, Sasha's family, Niccolo, none of them will grieve because of her), but she will see how Marley hurts them so much.

At first i imagine that, while she still wants to kill Eren, she is more focused on Armin as he is "A dirty traitor who turned on his country and family for demons". No one knew Armin was from Paradis, and suddey learning how they took him from his home and transformed him into a weapon might be a crash of reality.

And Falco is there too, love the boy he might not change much to be honest, but he did bonded more with Armin back in Marley (Both are nerds who enjoy reading, with a hot headed friend/crush, even if Falco still doesn't get who Eren is, he bonds with Armin and understands him)

• What about the Rumbling? To be honest, i am not sure.

I can see Eren wanting to use it against Marley (He HATES Marley, they hurt Armin, they took him away, and crushed their dreams), but once Armin is back, i am not sure what will happen with Eren.

Without the Warhammer, there's also problems with his plan of the Rumbling.

And there still needs to be a plan to destroy the curse of the Titans, but i still need to think on it, sorry :(