#who knows when i will get these done for the other seasons

[peachylynnie]

what jewelry they like on you

word count: ~300-400 per lead contains: lads men x non!mc reader, established relationship, they all adore you, jewelry descriptions, fluff, suggestive themes (sylus, rafayel, and caleb), and did i mention fluff? make it toothrotting. a/n: it's midterm season so headcanons it is. again, these are headcanons so i'm not saying i'm right. just my silly little interpretations. inspired by my impulsive buy of a bracelet the other day. no, my wallet hasn't recovered. reblogs and comments are always appreciated! tagged: @vvintqz (a little headcanon for xavier, lmk if u want me to stop tagging) lads masterlist

sylus

necklaces all the way

has a preference for silver chains with red or black charms

it's his signature colors on your pretty neck

loves it even more when the charm rests between your collarbones

if you want his nose to bleed, wear a long necklace

yes, the one that goes all the way down to your chest

but if you really want to get him going

wear a choker

doesn't even have to be a chain type or have charms

if it's a choker, he'll fold, like dogs to a bone

you can't blame him

it enticingly accentuates the rest of your neck and collarbones, the two places he likes to leave marks on

don't worry if you're hypoallergenic (like me)

he only ever gets you the finest of materials, even if you point out the cost

not that you mind or anything

"sylus," you whine.

you're going to be late. again. all because of this silver-haired man who's refusing to leave your neck alone.

"sylus!" you gasp when he tugs down the choker, his dewy lips taking advantage of the newly exposed spot.

you're starting to regret wearing a choker (not really). you thought it went well with your outfit. and it did! it added a little pop to your look, and you were excited to wear it for the first time in a while.

"hey!" you squirm in his embrace when you feel the poke of his teeth. "no marks!"

"does it really matter, sweetie?" he asks nonchalantly before continuing his assault on your neck. he loves how his tongue occasionally meets with the smooth fabric of your choker. "this," he tugs on it some more, eliciting a soft whimper from you. "will cover them."

sighing, you make a mental note to apologize to your friends for being late when you meet them.

xavier

earrings

especially studs or the mini drop ones that come in cute graphic designs.

there's just something about the way the adorable little charms hang from your ears

really, he thinks they complement your face shape

and he loves to cup your face whenever

but when you wear the ones that are star-themed

he's looking at you as if you're the one who hung them up in the night sky

seriously, he's never seen anything more beautiful

it also strokes his jealousy (?) in a way (cuz yk he's all abt the stars)

but that's worth like...less than 1% of the experience

he just really loves seeing you wear them

don't worry if your ears aren't pierced

clip-ons are a thing, and he'll make sure to get that ones that are both high quality and comfortable

he also loves watching you put them on

his cheeks hurt from smiling too much. he tries to cover his rosy face when you lean towards the mirror.

you're adjusting the backing of your new star stud. furrowing your brows, you tilt your head to the side for a better look.

xavier swears he's never seen anything more beautiful in his life. here you are, making something so simple as adjusting an earring look so skillful and charming.

"done!" you secure the backing and spin around to show your boyfriend. "what do you think?"

"yeah," he nods softly. "i think you're glowing."

you giggle and embrace him tightly.

"thanks for surprising me with them," you chirp, peering up at him.

the stars on your ears shine. no different from your eyes.

"anything for you, starlight," he whispers, stroking your cheek with a thumb. "anything for you."

rafayel

bracelets

listen

we all know this man is a FIEND for our hands

i may not have all of his five-star cards

but tell me why it is that in all the ones i have, he's YEARNING for our hands at some point

jumps at every chance to help you put one on

has a thing for cuff bracelets

like the metal swirly ones that hold a jewel in the middle

they exude the sense of royalty in a way (he's a god so)

most definitely has designed some for you too

and by some, i mean numerous

what's really heartwarming about that though is that he collects the materials himself

the amount of seashells he has preserved for you

but back to him being down bad for our hands

there's something about the way cuff accompanies the bare skin of your wrist and gently presses against your pulse

he's in heaven whenever he nuzzles against your wrist and feels the cool metal graze his heated skin.

"wait," you squint at the bracelet rafayel just secured around your wrist. "did you design this?"

"yup," he answers with a puffed chest. "good eye, cutie. how'd you know?"

you roll your eyes lovingly.

"first of all, i'm your partner, raf." turning your wrist, you admire the intricate swirls of the cuff. "second of all, your works normally have a trademark."

"oh?" he grabs your wrist and pulls you to him, his lips already tracing your wrist. "and what would that be?"

you try not to shudder when his siren eyes meet yours.

"isn't this from one of your lemuria collections?" you shakily gesture towards the sapphire seashell crested on top. "you always reference lemuria in your works, right?"

"wrong," his tongue darts out, savoring your quickened pulse as punishment for your incorrect answer. "it's not just lemuria i always reference in my works."

he tightens the cuff.

"it's you, cutie."

zayne

rings

he loves the subtlety of them

especially the ones made out of thinner bands

they bring out the beauty of your fingers

he loves the way they shine whenever you move your hands too

let's say the two of you are at a cafe

sitting across from each other and reading novels

except he gets distracted (in a good way) whenever your flip a page

your ring glimmers in the sunlight that's peeking through the window

oh wow, not only is there a halo over your head, there's a halo around your finger too

he can't help but reach out at some point

and trace your left ring finger

imagining what it would be like to gift you one

a simple one that conveys an impactful message

one he hopes you'll say yes to

and bound not only both his and your left ring fingers

but also your souls to each other

"zayne? are you alright?"

he snaps out of his thoughts, lifting his chin from his palm.

"sorry," he apologizes as smoothly as he can. "could you repeat that?"

you smile endearingly. his heart beats rapidly.

"i asked if you were alright."

"yes," he answers before clearing his throat. "yes, of course. why?"

"oh, it's just," you giggle. "you're still tracing my finger."

zayne immediately retracts his hand.

"sorry," he apologizes again. this time profusely. "did i make you uncomfortable?"

"no, no," you immediately reassure. "i liked it. it's just you were doing it for a while..." you pause before continuing. "i thought you were checking for dead skin or something."

zayne blinks.

"you thought i was checking for dead skin?" he repeats incredulously.

you nod slowly. now it's your turn to be flustered.

at that, he chuckles with a shake of his head and returns to tracing your left finger, ignoring your amusing assurances about how you always wash your hands thoroughly.

yes, he's most definitely going to marry you.

caleb

anklets

this totally wasn't inspired by that one scene in the main story where he pins our leg down with his evol

nope not at all

i don't know what you're talking about

he likes the ones that come with dangly charms

this is because he can hear you whenever you move

interpret that however you want

but really, he loves how the sound gets louder and louder

because that means you're moving TOWARDS him

he wants to gift you a whole bunch of charms

specifically apple and sky themed

it's over for him if you wear it while your legs are exposed

that man is on the floor, his hands haphazardly roaming up and down your bare skin

and when he notices the anklet with the charms that he gifted?

it's over for you

his fingers are slipping underneath the anklet, wrapping around your ankle, and pulling you to him

where's his face at?

uhhhhh

you're trying to control your breathing. you really are. but it's hard to when there's a man, an incredibly gorgeous one with lavender eyes deep enough to engulf you whole, settled in front of you, specifically in between your legs.

thankfully (not really), he hasn't done anything yet. he's just kneeling there with his metal fingers snaked around your ankle and his eyes transfixed on the anklet you decided to wear.

"uhm," you start, nervously shifting on the couch. "is there something wrong with my ankle, caleb?"

he finally looks at you. you can't tell if he's angry. definitely not with your foot resting against his broad shoulder.

"nothing's wrong, pips." he speaks after an eternity.

you sigh in relief. eager to get out of this compromising position, you try to put your foot down. keyword: try.

"caleb, what-"

"when did you put the charm on?"

"oh, uh," you notice him looking at the anklet again, but more at the apple charm. it has a snake coiled around it. "a while ago? i think as soon as you gave it to me."

he breathes in sharply.

you think it's over when he releases you. you're proven wrong when he grabs both of your ankles and drags you to the end of the couch, his chin dangerously close to your core.

"you really don't make it easy for me, pips."

[starkwlkr]

exile | mark webber

an: hello!! guess who’s back with f1 dilfs fanfics 😫 n e ways, this might have three parts like my previous mini series with the f1 dilfs but i MIGHT do another part idk yet so enjoy!!! also this takes place during the 2023 season <3

THE MCLAREN TECHNOLOGY CENTRE

A small group of kids eagerly gathered around as Y/N stood by a whiteboard, marker in hand. She had been asked by the Mclaren media team to make a video and she gladly accepted.

“So, who here knows what a race engineer does?” she asked, grinning as a few hands shot up. “Yes! We help drivers go as fast as possible, but safely. We analyze data, make sure the car is in top condition, and—most importantly—we get to yell at them over the radio when they don’t listen to us.”

The kids giggled as she playfully rolled her eyes, mimicking a stern race engineer voice. “Oscar, box this lap. No, not next lap. This lap.”

Oscar, standing off to the side, smirked. He had expected Y/N to be good at this, but he hadn’t expected this—the way she absolutely lit up around the kids, how she made everything sound exciting, how effortlessly she engaged with them. She was completely in her element, smiling and laughing, as if she had done this a thousand times before.

“Alright, who’s got a question?” Y/N asked, turning back to the group.

A boy near the front eagerly raised his hand. “Were you the race engineer for your husband?”

The room went quiet for a split second. Y/N’s grip on the marker tightened, but her smile didn’t falter. “No, I wasn’t—”

“She was at McLaren, and he was at Red Bull!” another kid blurted out. A chorus of voices quickly followed, chiming in with facts about which teams raced against each other, completely derailing the conversation. Y/N exhaled, relieved, as the moment of awkwardness passed.

After the video wrapped up, she started packing up her things when she noticed Oscar still lingering nearby.

“Hey, Oscar,” she greeted with a small smile. “Didn’t know you’d be watching.”

“You were great,” he said simply. “The kids really liked you.”

She shrugged. “They’re fun. Easier to deal with than some drivers.”

He huffed a quiet laugh, shoving his hands into his pockets. Most people, after seeing how good she was with kids, would say something along the lines of “You’d make a great mom” or “Ever think about having kids of your own?” But Oscar didn’t say that. He knew better.

Most people thought they knew why she and Mark had divorced. That it had been the usual story—two people growing apart, life taking them in different directions. But Oscar had heard the truth from the source. And he knew that the decision hadn’t been as simple as wanting or not wanting a family. It had been about something much bigger than that. About what it would mean, what it would cost, and who would bear the weight of it.

And in the end, neither of them had won.

[witherby]

chef what are like the small things you think like consey would for the other? or like things they notice about each other that shows how well they know each other?

-🕯

I think the first question is what they'd do for each other? If I'm wrong correct me!

Things Conner does for Mouse:

Foot massages! Mouse is on their feet running a café all day, every day, and even the best orthopedic footwear money can buy won't completely eliminate pain and sore calves.

Partner in Crime! Mouse is tryna prank a family member? He's gathering the necessary materials and performing the distractions. Mouse is about to get in trouble for something they did? Conner did it actually. No he wasn't there. Yes he still did it. Mouse has never done anything wrong ever in their life.

Plus one! If everyone else is too busy to go somewhere or they're uninterested in doing something, Conner will step up. He's already cancelling his prior plans. He'll be there in five.

Things Mouse does for Conner:

Sugar Spouse! Don't think about the fact that Lex Luthor is wealthy in his own right and would obviously pay to clothe and feed Conner. Lex is doing the bare minimum, okay? He deserves to be spoiled and Mouse has cash to burn.

Non-judgement! Conner was born at the age most humans are dealing with the tail-end of puberty. He doesn't know what he doesn't know, and that means he has to learn that money is exchanged for goods and services. That means Lex gave him encyclopedic knowledge about the Justice League but forgot to teach him how to hold a pencil. That means his shoes are slip-ons because he can't tie laces, and he blurts out sensitive information not knowing that it's inappropriate, and cries a little too hard when he's sad or grins a little too wide when he's happy. Mouse takes these social faux pas in stride and corrects them without batting an eye.

Decision making! Superboy is a hero who faces world-ending dangers on a regular basis and often has to act on the fly to solve a problem. That can overwhelm even the most seasoned veterans, so when he gets to come home and take the cape off, Mouse takes charge for a while. They tell him what they're having for dinner or what activity they're doing or even picking out his clothes for the day, so that he can rest his brain and just follow orders for a while.

[mattyriddlesbitch]

Hi, Tori (*^-^*)

I hope I'm not too late with requests, but I have a few ideas.

First, how about mistletoe kiss? A bit cheesy and cliché, but I think it would be great for holiday season rn.

Second, how about learning y/n to fly on the broom? Like we know that our boys are badasses and play quidditch really good. So maybe they want to show off their skills and teach the reader how to fly, or overcome the fear of heights, or just have a lovely moment with them under the stars, something like that.

Third, magical bond thing. Like a reader or one of our favorite boys open the box with some dark artifact and make them stuck together. It could be enemies to lovers to add some juices 🤭

I think that's all. Otherwise, I'd dash out a whole bunch of my ideas. As for who should it be with, I don't know. It's totally up to you. But I'm a huge simp for Mattheo *cough, cough*.

If you would like to write something based on any of these ideas, I'd be happy. If not, it's still cool. I will just wait for your other great writings from the other's asks.

Loves 💕

I kinda chose the second one. I hope this works for you.

Vows

Mattheo Riddle x Reader

Warnings: lots of cussing and some mentions of violence and hexing

Last thing you wanted to do was spend your time in detention with the boy who annoys you the most-Mattheo Riddle. You two hated each other, always bickered, always had competitions, always had nasty remarks to say to one another. Sure, you might find him handsome if it wasn't for his asshole personality. He has nice hair and a nice face and all, but, Merlin, every word out of his mouth wanted you to either jam knives in your ears or hex his mouth closed.

You don't even remember how this rivalry started. But it's been going on for as long as you've known him. Everyone knew that. Everyone either dreaded or loved having class with you two because of the fighting.

But maybe it went a little too far when you threw a hex his way that was supposed to swell his tongue to the point he couldn't talk properly. Unfortunately, he saw it and deflected it, only for it to hit poor Neville behind him.

So now the two of you were cleaning in the Room of Requirements. It was massive and was never going to get done, even if you spent a whole year cleaning it, but that wasn't the point. It was supposed to be a little lesson for you two, a punishment. So you got assigned a section and were supposed to clean together. ‘Figure out how to work together’ or something like that McGonagall told you two.

“This is entirely your fault.” Mattheo grumbled as soon as the Professor was gone.

“You wouldn't have been sent here with me if you just took the hex like a man instead of blocking it.” You retorted before looking around the section you were assigned, hands on your hips.

“I'm not that fucking dumb, sweetheart. I'm not letting you hex me. I think Longbottom is still in the hospital wing because of your nasty hex.” He complained, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Well, sit there and bitch all you want. I'm getting this done, with or without you.” You said, walking over towards one of the piles of random things and began cleaning and sorting it out.

“Then you can do it without me.” He huffed, walking away.

You just rolled your eyes, annoyed with his attitude. You could hear him going through stuff just out of sight from where you were. You could guess he was rummaging through the random things, opening up boxes and fiddling with stuff to figure out what it did.

It was only about ten minutes before you heard him yell. “Fuck! Son of a bitch!”

It sounded like he either got hurt or stuck on something and it made you snort. Serves him right.

He came around the corner, back over to you. “Help me get this off!”

“Why should I?” You turn to look at him and see something wrapped around his wrist. It looked metal and had some carvings on it.

“Just get this thing off of me! Please!” He nearly snapped, but you could hear the small bit of panic in his voice. It was a fair reaction. No one knew what any of this stuff was or what it could do.

“Fine. Only because you said ‘please’.” You said with a slight teasing tone in your voice.

He rolled his eyes but looked a little relieved.

You reached for the contraption around his wrist, going to tug on the material to test it. But as soon as you touched it, a chain materialized from it and wrapped around your wrist as well, replicating the metal bracelet around Mattheos's wrist with the same carvings.

“What the fuck?” You used your other hand to tug at the new restraint around your wrist. It wouldn't even budge.

“Well, that didn't work.” Was all Mattheo had to say.

“What the fuck did you do to me?” You yelled, trying to fight at the metal.

“I didn't do anything!” He yelled back.

“Why did you have to go through shit instead of helping me?”

“You said you would do it with or without me!”

“And look where we are now!” You both continued yelling, just angry at each other. You sighed, bringing your free hand to your face, rubbing it in annoyance. “Okay, just-we're not getting anywhere.” 

“I thought you were smart! Get us out!”

“I'm thinking!” You inspected the cuffs, looking at the carvings. They were words. “Fides, amor, matrimonium.” You muttered aloud. “Ah, fuck. You gotta be fucking kidding me!”

“Fides, amor, matrimonium? What the fuck? Is that talking about marriage and love?” Mattheo started yelling again. The chain connecting the two cuffs started disappearing after he repeated the words that were carved into the cuffs. The metal parts around your wrists were still there.

“You fucking idiot! Do you have any idea what you just did?” You shouted at him, shoving him backwards.

“Obviously not!” He shouted back, catching himself on a random box and straightening back up.

“Those were marital vow chains!” You said like it was obvious and that's when Mattheo's face went pale. You'd heard of them, most people had, they were a very ancient tradition. The people getting married would wear them and repeat the words carved into the cuffs, just like you and Mattheo did, vowing your love and loyalty to one another. If the vow is broken, both people die. They were outlawed a long time ago to prevent any more deaths.

“Oh, fuck.” Mattheo muttered, obviously panicking again but for a whole different reason this time.

“I swear to fuck, Mattheo-if we die because of this, I'm gonna kill you!”

“I didn't mean to fucking marry you!”

“Well, you did! And you can't take it back! We'll both die!”

“Ah, fuck.”

“‘Ah, fuck.’ Indeed. Now what?” You crossed your arms over your chest.

“I-I-I don't-I don't-I don't know.” He stuttered, utterly in shock.

“This was just supposed to be a normal fucking detention!” You started pacing, so mad and upset that you couldn't even sit still.

“I'm sorry!”

“That doesn't fix this!”

“Fucking shit. We're married.”

“Yeah!”

“Holy fuck!”

“This is your fault, Mattheo!”

“Shit!” By now, he was pacing just as bad as you.

“I'm gonna fucking kill you. You just ruined our lives.”

“It was an accident!”

You finally stopped pacing and faced him and he mimicked you, stopping and facing you too. “You're gonna have to be the best husband in the world or I'm taking us both out. Do you understand me, Mattheo?”

“Yes.” He said and his face looked just like a kid caught doing something he shouldn't have.

“I-” You started but stopped just as fast. “Un-fucking-believable.” You turned around, trying to stop yourself from hitting him.

“You know, though…” Mattheo started stepping towards you slowly. “Since we're married, maybe we should kiss. Like an actual wedding. Since I'm your husband now.”

“Mattheo?”

“Yeah?”

“Shut the fuck up and walk away before I punch you in the face.” You said, not even turning around to face him.

“Got it. Too soon.” He said before you could hear his footsteps retreating.

Fuck, what were you going to tell your parents?

Taglist:

@jeannie-beannie @mixvchelle @helendeath @evaslytherpuff @leandre2006

@yours-truly-5 @hpnsfwaddict @mayamonroem @brittney-121

@dracoslovergirl @littlemadamred @acornacreacure @opheliamalfoy236

@delulugirl2000 @akira1246 @queenshu @prettypinkprincess15

@jolly4holly @st0n3dbarbi3 @kurumbukaari @whydoireadanymore @sweet-afternoon

@ilovehpb0ys @satosugu4-ever @mattiesgirl @ur-local-wizard

@alwayslatetothefandoms @satosugu4-ever @whydoireadanymore @dustie-faerie

@shaquilles-0atmeal @gillyweeds @pluto-9456

@hereticdance @cindyss @saint-marvel

@simpforromance @yours-truly-5 @kenjikishimotoswifey @fallingblackveils @simpforromance

@strxwberri-s @nickirae @esmerai-artemis @blu3b3rrymuff1ns @yootvi

@roseofsharron438 @abeoavita @rafesba @ter-luer @cminoko

[thoughtfulfiction]

Balancing Acts

Author’s Note: Anon requested this over a year ago but better late than never?

A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Some might think it too 'in your face' or 'overplayed’. They might think it too safe for a show meant to inspire awe. But to you, it seemed...right. A garden brimming with flowers and mystical creatures, tangled in romance and mischief. There's passion in it. It’s bold and colorful and…unpredictable. It's the kind of story that makes your heart beat faster, where danger dances with desire, and the outcome is never quite certain.

That’s what you wanted to capture.

Your job was simple in theory, but far from easy in practice. Research the concept, shape it into an immersive visual experience, and curate pieces that would breathe life into your chosen theme. Find artists who understood the delicate balance of whimsy and chaos, match their works with complementary pieces, and then somehow make it all flow together in a space big enough to handle the magic. Coordinate transportation. Manage fragile egos. Decide what would be shipped to the gallery in Los Angeles to stay and commemorate the moment and what would be auctioned off at a later date.

This project was your baby, your first real chance to prove yourself, not just as an art curator but as a leader. Your team here in Oregon was counting on you. There was no way you weren't about to pour every ounce of yourself into this opportunity.

Justin understood that. He always had.

He admired the fire in you, the way you threw yourself into your work with the same relentless focus he brought to football. That was what drew him in the most, the hunger you both carried. The belief that success didn’t just happen; it had to be earned. He loved that you didn’t need him to rearrange his life for you, that you both had your own ambitions but still chose to carve out time for each other because you wanted to.

It worked...until it didn’t.

During the season, your busy schedules had made your moments together feel sacred. When time was scarce, it felt precious. But now? Now that the season was over and Justin had more free time than he knew what to do with, that perfect balance you’d once found seemed to be slipping. While he was filling his days with extra workouts and deep dives into film, you were drowning in meetings, mood boards, and late-night calls with artists across the country.

You both knew what dedication looked like—but knowing didn’t make it any easier.

The arguments started small.

The bathroom light was still on when Justin walked past, and he stopped in the doorway. Your makeup bag was sprawled across the counter. Various brushes, palettes, and bottles of miscellaneous products sprawled out like you’d abandoned them mid-routine.

"Seriously?" Justin muttered to himself.

He turned off the light and walked downstairs, trying to shake the irritation. But then he saw your carry-on bag, the same one you’d left by the door three days ago, still sitting there like an afterthought.

He rubbed his hand down his face and exhaled sharply.

"Hey," he called out, louder than necessary.

You were at the dining table, laptop open again. Of course.

"What’s up?" you asked distractedly, barely looking up from your screen.

"Your bag’s still by the door," Justin said, forcing his voice to stay calm. "Can you just... take it upstairs or something?"

"I will," you mumbled, typing away.

He waited, but you didn’t move.

"And maybe put your makeup away too?" His voice had a sharper edge this time. "The counter’s a mess."

That made you pause. You blinked up at him, eyebrows pinching together.

"I said I’d get to it."

"Yeah, but you’ve been saying that since Monday," Justin shot back. "It’s not that hard to just put your stuff away when you’re done."

Your mouth opened like you were about to argue, but instead, you closed your laptop with more force than necessary.

"I’m sorry I didn’t have time to deep clean the house between meetings and emails and, oh yeah, trying to keep my career from falling apart," you snapped.

Justin’s jaw tightened. "That’s not what I’m saying."

"Isn’t it?" You stood up, crossing your arms. "Because it feels like you’ve got some things to say about everything I do...or don’t do."

"Maybe because it feels like I’m living with a toddler right now," Justin shot back, the words tumbling out before he could stop them. "It wouldn’t kill you to put your stuff away instead of waiting for me to nag. Just—” he paused, trying to collect himself. “Did you realize this is our first conversation we’ve had all week that didn’t include you cutting it short because you’re too busy? Almost forgot what your voice even sounds like.”

Your face softened for a second, like you might let the frustration slip away... but then your shoulders squared again.

"I’m trying my best, Justin."

"Yeah?" His tone a bit dismissive. "Because right now, it kinda feels like I’m the only one who still cares."

The silence that followed was thick and heavy, not angry, just…hollow.

"Right, ok I’ll just move the bag," you said quietly before walking upstairs, your footsteps fading one by one.

Justin stood there for a moment, staring at the spot where your bag had been, frustration still simmering in his chest—but beneath it, the loneliness started to creep in.

You solved the problem a hour later, uttering out a hushed apology hugging him from behind, feeling the tension rapidly ease from him.

For a few days things felt normal again, you were still busy but more present.

Dinners were less rushed, and Justin caught glimpses of the girl he’d fallen for, the one who asked about his workouts and teased him about his endless devotion to studying film. He didn’t mind when you worked late a few nights that week because when you were home, you were with him, stealing fries off his plate, or pausing in the hallway just to kiss him before heading upstairs.

Tiny but meaningful reminders that you were still with him even though you were drowning in work.

But then, the late nights crept back in. The unanswered texts. The quiet moments that used to feel warm now felt empty...again.

The living room was quiet except for the low hum of the TV. Justin shifted on the couch, glancing over at you. You were curled up on the far end, legs tucked beneath you, laptop balanced on your knees. The soft glow from the screen reflected off your face, your fingers tapping rhythmically on the keyboard.

He waited a moment, watching you, hoping you’d close it soon.

You didn’t, so he cleared his throat to get your attention.

"What are you working on?" he asked, voice low.

"Just some research." You didn’t look up.

Justin let his eyes linger on you, waiting for you to close the laptop or at least turn his way. Normally, by this time of night, you’d be tucked into his side, your head resting against his shoulder. He’d have an arm draped around you, explaining some new defensive scheme he was learning, not that you really cared about football strategy, but you always listened, always asked questions. Then, when it was your turn, you’d ramble on about artists he’d never heard of, painting vivid pictures with your words until the names started to blur together. He never minded. You could’ve been reading a thesaurus and he’d still hang onto every word.

That felt like a lifetime ago.

Justin’s fingers tapped restlessly against his thigh. He turned back to the TV, barely processing the basketball game playing on the screen. After a few minutes, he tried again.

"Hey...you wanna turn that off soon? Maybe put on a movie or something?"

"I can’t right now," you murmured. "I’ve still got a few more things to look through."

He swallowed the sigh threatening to rise. A few more things. That’s what you’d said last night—and the night before that.

"Yeah... okay." His voice came out flat.

You didn’t notice. Or if you did, you didn’t say anything.

Justin shifted again, settling deeper into the cushions, but it didn’t help. The couch felt too big tonight. He swallowed down the ache that had been building for a few days and tried again the next night.

"I was thinking about redoing the patio," Justin said, his voice casual but hopeful.

You were lounging on the corner of the couch, scrolling through your phone, half-listening.

"Hmm?" you murmured, barely glancing up.

Justin shifted in his seat, leaning forward slightly. "Yeah, like maybe adding one of those fire pits? And some string lights across the posts, make it feel more...I don't know...cozy or something."

"Mmm...yeah, that sounds nice." Your thumb kept swiping.

Justin pressed his lips together, trying not to get annoyed.

"I found this video where they built this whole setup with built-in seating, and I figured I could probably knock it out in a couple of weeks," he went on, searching for some kind of reaction. "Might even try staining the deck, too. I was thinking—"

He stopped mid-sentence.

You were still scrolling, eyes flicking across the screen. You nodded like you’d heard him, but your focus was somewhere else entirely.

Justin waited a beat longer, hoping you’d look up, knowing you wouldn't.

"Never mind," he muttered.

"Hmm? What?" Your head lifted slightly, like you were only just registering that he’d stopped talking.

"Nothing," Justin said, forcing a tight smile. "It’s not important."

"Okay." You went right back to your phone.

Justin sat back against the couch, staring at the TV—but his mind wasn’t on the screen.

A few months ago, you would’ve put your phone down. You would’ve asked a dozen questions, what color stain he was thinking of, what kind of fire pit he wanted, maybe even teased him about turning into a handyman.

Now? It felt like you were a million miles away.

He had to say something. He had to do something before all that was left of the relationship was a few distant memories and penciling each other into calendars like you were distant strangers.

Justin wanted to be surprised when he pulled into the garage and the lights were off because you weren’t home yet. He wanted his feelings to be hurt less than they were, to be less emotionally invested in you—but here he was, ready to try again, continuously feeling like you were emotionally checked out until your project was over.

He sighed, tossing his keys onto the counter and toeing off his sneakers. The house felt cold, too quiet—like no one had really lived in it for weeks.

"This isn’t how it’s supposed to be," he muttered under his breath, raking a hand through his hair.

Then—

"SURPRISE!"

Justin flinched as the lights burst to life, a chorus of voices filling the room. His eyes widened as familiar faces emerged from the crowd—Charlie, Tate and Jackson—even some friends from Sheldon who rarely made it out this way.

Confetti fluttered through the air, laughter spilling from the corners of the room. His heart was still hammering in his chest when you stepped forward, grinning wide.

"You knew I’d hate this," Justin said, his voice caught between shock and amusement.

"I know," you laughed. "But you deserve it. You’re lucky I didn’t make you wear a birthday pin."

Justin exhaled, finally taking it all in — the decorations strung carefully along the walls, photos of the two of you pinned to a board near the kitchen, and the unmistakable scent of his mom’s chocolate chip cookies lingering in the air.

"I…" he started, shaking his head as he looked around. He’d already greeted half the room, yet somehow still felt overwhelmed. "I don't even know what to say. Where did everyone even park? I didn’t see any cars outside."

You smiled proudly. "Made everyone park out back. Couldn't risk my surprise being ruined."

You took a step closer, sliding your arms around his waist. Justin hesitated for a second — not out of anger, but out of disbelief that you’d pulled this off when you were the busiest you’ve ever been.

"Happy birthday, baby," you whispered against his chest.

For a moment, Justin didn’t say anything—just held you tighter, pressing his face into your hair. The tension that had been building for weeks seemed to melt away, leaving something familiar in its place. This was exactly what he needed and he could cry at knowing that you knew that and did everything you could to give it to him.

"You’re impossible," he murmured, but there was no bite to it, just relief.

"You love it."

"I love you," he corrected, grabbing your hand and leading you to his friends so you can explain in vivid detail how you managed all of this without him catching on.

The morning light filtered softly through the windows, casting a warm glow across the kitchen. Justin stood at the counter, sleeves pushed up to his elbows, a streak of flour dusting his forearm. You were perched on the opposite side, aggressively scraping the last bit of cream cheese frosting from the mixing bowl with a spatula.

"Hey," Justin protested, reaching for the bowl. "We still need some of that for the cake."

You dodged his grab, licking a dollop of frosting from your finger. "Relax, baker boy, there’s still plenty."

"Yeah, plenty in your mouth," he shot back, grabbing your wrist with one hand and swiping frosting onto your cheek with the other.

You let out an indignant gasp before lunging for him, but Justin laughed and held you off with one arm, the other steadying the mixing bowl.

"Okay, okay!" you surrendered, giggling breathlessly. "Truce!"

He grinned, leaning in to kiss the frosting off your cheek.

By the time the cake was in the oven, slightly lopsided but full of love, you were both sprawled out on the couch in your pajamas, wrapped in blankets, a half-eaten bowl of popcorn between you. Inception was playing, but neither of you were fully committed to following the plot. Justin could probably quote the entire movie from memory.

"So," he murmured, his head resting against the back of the couch, "the baby ducks should be here in a few days."

You turned your head to look at him, smiling softly. "You ready for them?"

He nodded proudly. "Everything’s set — heat lamp’s on, bedding’s down. I even read that if you talk to them a lot when they’re little, they’ll follow you everywhere."

"Great," you teased. "We’ll have a trail of fluffballs running after you like you’re some kind of duck whisperer."

Justin’s face lit up. "Yeah, well, I’m gonna be their favorite. You’re just gonna be ‘that lady.’"

"Please," you shot back, grinning. "I give it two days before they’re imprinted on me instead."

He hummed thoughtfully, then added, "I read they like warm baths, too. Oh, and they have this little happy noise they make when they’re comfortable, kind of like a soft whistle—"

You blinked at him. "Okay, Phil Dunphy."

Justin’s head shot up in mock offense. "Don’t talk about our children like that."

You burst out laughing, wrapping your arm around his and tilting your head up to kiss him. It was almost scary how seamlessly you two fell back into your normal, cozy routine.

As the credits rolled, Justin shifted to face you. "Hey...what if we do something special the night before your art show?"

You glanced up at him curiously.

"I'll hire a private chef," he said, his voice warm and hopeful. "Just the two of us—fancy dinner, good wine, the whole thing. Relax a bit the night before it gets crazy."

Your heart swelled. "You don’t have to do that.”

"I want to," Justin said firmly. "You've been working your tail off, we should celebrate your big break. Just the two of us."

You nodded, smiling as you reached for his hand. "I can’t wait."

"Me neither," he murmured, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

You sighed happily, your fingers lacing through his. "I don’t deserve you."

Justin shook his head. "You’re stuck with me anyway."

The week flew by in a blur — a whirlwind of emails, late-night revisions, and endless checklists. The power suit collection in your closet was really running low.

You barely remembered what day it was anymore. The guest list was finalized after hours of combing through names and double-checking RSVPs. Each piece had been meticulously positioned in the gallery, sculptures casting dramatic shadows across the walls while delicate paintings softened the space. The fountain, the centerpiece of your entire vision, now flowed beautifully, light dancing off the rippling water and making the entire room feel like Shakespeare's words come to life.

It was perfect.

"We did it," you breathed, standing beside your team in the gallery’s dim light.

"We deserve a drink or something," a coworker suggested, and you didn’t hesitate.

One drink turned into two. Two turned into lingering conversation about favorite exhibits and upcoming projects, the kind of easy bonding you’d been too busy to enjoy lately. It felt good. Like you could finally breathe.

But when you pulled your phone from your purse, your stomach dropped.

9:42 p.m.

"Shit," you muttered under your breath, scrambling to gather your things. Justin’s dinner.

You’d forgotten.

The pit in your stomach only grew heavier as you speed-dialed him, the phone ringing and ringing before finally going to voicemail.

"Hey. I’m so sorry. I lost track of time, but I’m on my way now. Please just—please wait for me."

Quickly ended the call, you shoved your phone back in your bag as you hurried out the door. The cold air hit you in the face like a slap—sharp and biting—and you couldn’t help but feel like you deserved it.

You stumbled through the front door, breathless and still slightly chilled from the night air. The house was quiet — eerily so. No sounds from the kitchen, no clatter of dishes or low conversation from the chef Justin had hired. Your eyes landed on the dining room, and your stomach twisted painfully.

The table was still set. Candles flickered softly, their wax dripping down in delicate rivulets. Plates were arranged neatly with silverware untouched. A bottle of wine—unopened—sat between two glasses. Justin was there, too, slouched back in his chair with his arms crossed tightly over his chest.

He didn’t look at you when you walked in.

"Justin..." Your voice wavered as you stepped closer. "I’m so sorry. I—I lost track of time, and—"

"Yeah," he cut in flatly. His eyes flicked up to you then, sharp, tired, and unmistakably hurt. "I figured."

You swallowed hard, guilt swelling inside you. "I should’ve texted you. I should’ve checked my phone or set an alarm or something. I just...I got caught up, and I didn’t mean to—"

"You didn’t mean to," Justin repeated, shaking his head bitterly. "Yeah, I know. But you always ‘didn’t mean to.’"

You opened your mouth to argue, but nothing came out. Because he wasn’t wrong.

"I waited," Justin said, his voice quieter now, but somehow heavier. "I sat here for almost an hour hoping you’d walk in any second. The chef packed everything up and left, and I...I didn’t even know what to tell him." He exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down his face. "I can’t keep feeling like this — like I’m some afterthought you’ll get around to whenever you remember."

"That’s not fair," you said quickly, stepping closer. "You know how important this show is to me, I’ve been working for this for so long—“

"I know," he snapped, his voice sharper than before. "I know you’re busy. I know this project means everything to you. But dammit, I’m trying. I’m trying to be patient, to be understanding, but it feels like I’m just...just waiting around for you to have time for me."

"That’s not true. I promise it’s not.”

"Isn’t it?" His voice cracked just slightly, frustration transforming into hurt and disappointment. "You’re never home. You miss things you used to care about. I mean...hell, you couldn’t even set an alarm or check your phone tonight so I wouldn’t sit here like an idiot waiting for you to show up."

You blinked hard, heat rising behind your eyes. "I am so unbelievably sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you."

"But you did." Justin shook his head, pushing back from the table with a scrape of the chair legs. "And I can’t keep being the only one fighting for this."

Your breath caught. "That’s not fair," you said again, but your voice cracked this time.

"It’s exactly fair," he shot back. "I’ve been here, waiting, adjusting, giving you space. And I’m still the one left sitting at the table alone."

You sighed, trying to tamp down the irritation simmering beneath your guilt. "Yes, okay, you're right. I'm really sorry I'm so late. And I get it—you have every right to be upset. I fucked up. I admit that. But I’m usually the one waiting for you. It’s usually me sitting at the table alone.”

"What are you talking about?"

"Football season?" Your voice wavered, a little more frustration bleeding in. "How many dates have we canceled? Or ones that you literally just forgot about? Things that I want to do with you, but I have to wait until the offseason when it’s more ideal. I'm usually the one adjusting to your schedule, bending over backwards to adjust and yes, I knew what I signed up for—but I’m not gonna let you make me feel like shit when you do the same thing."

Justin’s face twisted, defensive and stubborn. "That’s different."

"Different?" Your voice rose. "How exactly?"

"Because I get paid an absurd amount of money to play football," he shot back.

For a moment, you just stared at him, disbelief washing over you. "Wow," you said quietly, your voice hollow. "So because I’m not a millionaire with endorsements, my job doesn’t matter?"

"That’s not what I meant," Justin said quickly, but you were already reeling. His words felt like a gut punch—not because you thought he believed that, but because it had been too easy for him to say it.

"It must be so hard to handle it when the world doesn’t revolve around your schedule? Right, QB1?” You utter slowly, lashing out at him like he’d just done to you. “Not everything is happening the way Justin wants it to so he's mad. But hey, you're a multi millionaire so it's fine. Right? I'll just take myself and my unimportant job with an insufficient salary and sleep in the guest room tonight." You bit out, voice shaking.

Justin’s jaw tensed. "Don’t do that."

"Do what?" you shot back, bitterness spilling out. "Call you out for acting like I’m supposed to drop everything just because you suddenly have free time?" You let out a short, humorless laugh. "You don’t get to act like I’m selfish just because I’m asking for a little bit of the same grace I give you all the time."

"You stood me up," Justin said tightly.

“And I apologized! Multiple times.”

He sighs, knowing this conversation should end but not knowing how he wants to end it. “So I’m supposed to just forgive you as soon as you say I’m sorry because you want me to make you feel better? I don’t think that’s very fair.”

"Neither is you acting like my job is just some hobby," you countered, your voice quieter now but trembling with frustration. "I love what I do. And I thought you did too."

Justin scrubbed a hand down his face. He didn’t have a comeback this time. Instead, he exhaled a sharp breath and muttered, "I just...I just miss you."

Your chest ached.

"I miss you too," you admitted softly.

But neither of you moved. Justin stood near the counter, arms crossed like armor, and you stood by the door, clutching your bag like a shield. The space between you felt heavier than it ever had before.

"I'm going to sleep," you said quietly, your voice strained. "Long day tomorrow."

He nodded, but didn’t respond. Too many emotions tangled in his head—anger, exhaustion and there was this ache in his bones that felt a little too close to heartbreak for his liking. The two of you rarely fought but this felt like popping a stitch post surgery. Everything was bleeding and he didn’t have a bandaid big enough to stop it. He’d already put his foot in his mouth once tonight, and pushing more words out felt like stepping on thin ice. Maybe giving you space was the safest option.

You didn’t look back. The sound of your footsteps fading down the hall felt louder than anything else in the room. Justin stayed at the table long after you were gone—staring at the untouched place settings, the empty wine glasses, the flickering candle that had burned halfway down.

He thought about blowing it out, ending the night for good but something stopped him. Instead, he let it burn a little longer, just in case you changed your mind and came back.

The gallery was breathtaking, exactly how you’d imagined it. The air smelled faintly of fresh grass and wildflowers, thanks to the indoor garden exhibit that stretched along the far wall. Real grass lined the floor, soft and cool beneath guests’ shoes. Vibrant blooms—deep purple foxgloves, bright yellow primroses, delicate white baby’s breath—spilled from carefully arranged beds. Guests wandered through the space, running their fingers along petals and stems, murmuring in awe at the tangible beauty of it all.

Nearby, a towering fairy sculpture commanded attention. Sculpted from twisted metal vines and glass wings that shimmered under soft lighting, she looked like she could spring to life at any moment. She stood at the heart of the exhibit, arms outstretched as if casting a spell over the enchanted garden.

Paintings framed the walls, some bold and chaotic, bursting with color and motion; others soft and dreamlike, capturing tender moments frozen in time. A large mural stretched across one wall—Titania and Oberon entwined in a dance of power and passion, their figures bathed in hues of gold and silver. The entire space felt like stepping inside A Midsummer Night’s Dream—ethereal, magical, and intoxicating.

Your boyfriend's family had shown up in full support. His parents admired the sculptures, his mother pointing out details with genuine excitement. His brothers Mitch and Patrick lingered near the drink station, sipping glasses of wine while greeting guests with warm smiles.

Justin stood beside you through most of the evening, stood being the key word. No casual arm around your waist. No fingertips grazing your back like they usually did. When guests stopped to compliment you, he smiled and congratulated you but his voice was clipped, his eyes distant. The tension between you hung thick in the air, impossible to ignore.

When his hand brushed yours at one point, you both instinctively pulled away as if burned.

Patrick noticed.

A little later, Patrick found Justin near the back of the room, pretending to study one of the paintings.

"Alright," Patrick said, crossing his arms. "What’s going on?"

"Nothing," Justin muttered.

"Yeah, right." Patrick took a sip of his drink. "You and her are acting like two people who just finalized their divorce and are pretending to be civil for the sake of the kids."

Justin huffed out a bitter laugh. "It's fine. Just... had a fight."

Patrick’s brow lifted. "Okay. About what?"

Justin hesitated, but Patrick wasn’t about to let him off the hook. His little brother had never been one for subtlety.

"Justin." His voice firm now.

"She was late to dinner last night," Justin said finally. "I planned this whole thing — private chef, the works and she just...forgot." He shook his head, frustration flickering again. "I waited for almost an hour. It felt like I didn’t even matter."

Patrick didn’t say anything at first, just stared at his brother like he was trying to piece something together.

"Look, I get why you're mad," Patrick said slowly. "But... you're not just pissed at her. You're pissed at yourself."

Justin blinked. "What? No. I—"

"Yes, you are." Patrick cut him off. "You’re dating a workaholic, Justin. And guess what? You’re a workaholic too. So last night?" He gestured vaguely. "That’s how she feels for six months out of the year. At least. And you know what? She never throws it in your face. Never makes you feel like crap for being too busy. And she still chooses you, every single day."

Justin swallowed hard, his eyes shifting back toward you across the room. You were laughing politely at something one of the guests had said, but your smile didn’t quite reach your eyes.

"So yeah," Patrick continued. "She’s been busy lately, and yeah, maybe she’s been a little distant —but can you really blame her for being the thing she’s always been? The thing that attracted you to her the most in the first place? You wanted someone with their own career and their own ambitions and life goals too, remember? Now that you have it, you gotta learn give and take. Yes, being stood up sucks, but look at the masterpiece she created. She supports you in the stands every Sunday and now you get to show up for her big game. It may not look exactly the way you pictured it,” he nudged him after his play on words and Justin hates that he laughed. “But this is the life you said you’ve always wanted. And the person you’ve always wanted to live it with.”

Justin let out a long breath, feeling that tight knot of anger slowly start to unravel and he felt something else entirely, guilt and regret.

"I’m a hypocrite," Justin said quietly. “I messed up.”

"Then fix it," Patrick said simply. "Don’t let your pride make you screw this up."

Justin didn’t answer. He just stood there, watching you from across the room looking beautiful, exhausted, and so far away.

The energy in the gallery buzzed as guests mingled, glasses clinking and quiet conversations filling the air. The night was building toward your speech, the moment you’d worked so hard for. But as you stood near the back, trying to gather your thoughts, you felt a familiar hand on your elbow.

“Hey,” Justin said quietly.

You turned, surprised to see him standing so close. His expression was softer than it had been all night—less guarded, less angry—and something in your chest tightened.

“Can we talk?” he asked.

You glanced toward the small stage where your microphone waited, then back at him. “Yeah,” you said, voice barely above a whisper.

He guided you to a quieter corner near the garden exhibit. The soft glow of the fairy sculpture bathed you both in gold and silver light, flickering off Justin’s tired eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice low but firm. “For last night...for how I acted...for making you feel like your work doesn’t matter.” He shook his head. “That was...that was messed up, and I knew it the second I said it.”

You swallowed hard, heart aching. “I’m sorry too,” you said quickly. “Not just for last night, but...for a lot of things. For being distracted, for not being around, for leaving my stuff everywhere and acting like I didn’t hear you when you were trying to talk about the patio.”

“You... you heard that?” he asked, surprised.

“Of course I did.” You gave a small, tired smile. “I know you want to put in a fire pit and string lights across the posts. I know you’ve been researching ways to keep the baby ducks warm and reading up on all the best practices. I know you’ve been trying, Justin.” Your voice wavered. “Even when I’ve been too busy to show it... I’ve been paying attention. I always pay attention.”

Justin exhaled, the tension in his shoulders finally easing. “I was just...I don’t know. I was mad—but I was also hurt. And I guess...embarrassed. Like, what kind of guy throws himself a pity party because his girlfriend had an important work thing?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I ruined your night.”

“You didn’t,” you said softly. “You didn’t ruin anything. The fact that you’re here tonight... that’s what matters to me.”

For a moment, neither of you said anything. The warmth of his hand found yours, his fingers threading through yours like they always did and you swore the Earth was healing.

“You know,” you said, your voice soft but steady, “my favorite thing about you has always been how driven you are. How dedicated you are to being the best quarterback, the best teammate, the best leader you can be.” You squeezed his hand. “You’re the blueprint, baby.”

Justin smiled—not his usual grin, but one that radiated gratitude and joy in its most pure form.

“Thank you for always being patient with me. And,” he murmured, “you were QB1 this week. Seriously...I’ve never seen a more clutch performance.” He smirked. “Might have to watch your film—learn a thing or two.”

You laughed, for the first time in what felt like weeks, and Justin leaned in, pressing his lips softly to yours. The kiss was warm, light, and grounding, like finding your way home after being lost.

“You’ve got this,” he said quietly when he pulled back. “I’ll be right here.”

Moments later, you stood in front of the room, microphone in hand.

“Thank you all so much for being here tonight,” you began, voice steady despite the emotions swirling inside you. “This project has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but also one of the most rewarding.”

You paused, glancing out at the crowd. Your parents stood proudly near the front, and beside them, Justin watched you with that familiar look, the one that said he was proud of you and would be right there to cheer you on no matter what.

“I want to thank my incredible team for bringing this vision to life,” you continued. “I want to thank my friends and my family for believing in me, even on the days I didn’t believe in myself.” Your eyes found Justin again. “And I especially want to thank my partner. Because his work ethic is a work of art—and he inspires me every single day.”

Justin’s smile stretched wide, and this time, you let your gaze linger, a quiet promise passing between you.

You were both still learning, still figuring out how to meet each other in the middle. How to find that delicate work-life balance and still make each other a priority. But tonight? The middle wasn’t so bad.

[joehillsshark]

listen👂 grian🌾

nobody🫥 touches👉 my bush🪴

you're done✅️

it all started🏁 when grian🌾 touched🖐 my redstone🔴

he played⚽️ himself like a xylophone🎹 set on automatic🚗

doc👨‍⚕️ monster👾 is a savage👹, with technical👨‍💻 skills🔧

and crazy🤪 vocal🎤 acrobatics🤸

i’m a legend📖 of the nho, with etho, beef🍖 and double o🅾️🅾️

docmc is coming🚶‍♂️ for4️⃣ you sevenfold7️⃣

got rendog🐶 and other firemen👨‍🚒

to douse🚿 the flames🔥 that you shoot🌠 at this leviathan😈

iskall can🥫 try again🔄

yo🇪🇸

you think💭 i'm in hiding😶‍🌫️, i'm just biding my time⏳️

putting pen🖊 to paper📃, coming up⬆️ with rhymes

we’re the star-studded⭐️ group👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 that got together👫 just to crush🥰 you

once☝️ we start something you know🧠 we're gonna see👁 it through💘

i'm the knight⚔️, the soldier🪖 who brings the fight🤼 at first1️⃣ light🔦

y'all had to incite✊️, so now i gotta indict👊

you're guilty👩‍⚖️ of getting murdered💀 with words📝

y'all are out-gunned🔫, go home🏠 nerds🤓

wohoo

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

if you think🤔 you can stop🛑 the symmetry↔️, that's false👎

g team🇬 is dialing☎️ for help🤝, but i'm ignoring😒 their calls📵

and when their bodies🐖 dissolve🫠, you’ll know that false’s🚫 on a killing🗡 spree👯‍♀️

try to stop my pvp🛡 and perish painfully😵

i'm the queen👑 of hearts❤️, heads🗣 and body parts🦵

your diamond💎 armor👕 can’t compare📊 to my martial arts🥋

i'll send a poison☣️ dart🎯, to make you breathe🫁 your final breath🌬

g team's name🏷 will be the only thing left🚷

yeah

caffeinated☕️, animated🎆, redstone innovator👨‍🔬

my behavior's crazy😜, can’t phase👨‍🎤 me, impulse⚡️ is never lazy🛋 (uh)

tango💃, why would you betray💔 me, now my scope🔬 is aiming (what)❔️

better run🏃‍♀️ for cover📔 from all the ghast👻 balls🔮 that i be taming🐈 (what)

without a sound🔇, without no hesitation🙅‍♀️, my creations🎨 are amazing🤩

better watch⏱️ your step🪜 or the g team will end up blazing💥

who's the better team?⚖️ there is no controversy😎

but before it's said👄 and done you'll be begging🙏 us for mercy💗 (all-right)

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

x🩻 gone give it to ya🎁, i'm gone give it to ya😼

x❌️ gone give it to ya😳, what ❓️

lyrical boxing📦, dropping💧 blows💨 on all my foes

and the g team they're looking👓 unclean🤢 needing some sunscreen🧴

getting burnt🕯 by words to hurt🤕 this herd🐑 of nerds

it's absurd🤯 how my rhymes got them injured🩸

danger⚠️, danger☢️

i got lasers💄 to cut✂️ 'em up like razors🪒

it's flexin'💪 season❄️ and i got flavor👅

their weak😫 defenses🥅 like trenches and fences🤺

that these dense heads🙄 are presenting🖥

they're presenting them alright👍, they're not very good🙌

i could walk👟 over that, i could jump🕴 over that

i could use an ender pearl🦪

i could use my elytra🪽

come on g team, jeeze✝️

yo, i don't know what to say🤷‍♂️

um, let me think🧐

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

now i'm back🔙, got some things i wanna say🦜 (yeah)

whats the letter✉️ that starts the alphabet🔤, ay🅰️

ladies🚺 gotta get in line〰️, the diggity's be on the way🌌 (cliff)⛰️

cleo🧟‍♀️ dont know who she freaking 🥴with (ooh)😯

all the signs🪧 say to notify🔔 her next⏭️ of kin👥️

this diggity🐕 dog be dropping📍 bombs💣, nothing but hits🤜 (ay)

spit💦 that rhyme again (brrr)🥶, 'cause the message📨 is

i can mumble😐 rap and still🚹 be the best🏆 there is (woo-ah)

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

hermit gang, hermit gang🐚

oh you wanted me👨 to do a verse🆚️?

i'll have to check✔️ with g team-

i mean uh🤐, i'd have to😬, i'll have to check with my schedule📅

and see if i can...see👀 if i'm able to do that sort of thing😅

i'm a busy guy💼, got lots of ....things to do😮‍💨

yeah, i mean, i just don't know🤥 if its a good idea💡 for me to be part of this song🎶 really...

[landhoe-norris]

'This guy's mega' - how Norris developed into world title contender

Lando Norris became McLaren's team leader in 2023, aged 23

McLaren Formula 1 boss Zak Brown has guided Lando Norris' career since 2015, and believed he was a future world champion "pretty much right away".

This could be the year Norris proves him right.

McLaren ended last season as constructors' champions and, barring unexpected surprises, Norris has the chance to build his flirtation with a title challenge against Red Bull's Max Verstappen last year into a full-on onslaught in 2025.

Brown is far from the only one who has long felt Norris was destined for the very top.

Stephanie Carlin, who worked with Norris throughout the junior categories and is now McLaren's F1 business operations director, also always believed he would make it.

“He was just phenomenally quick," Carlin says, "and he was able to execute it really well. There's been an underlying talent and speed and pace that's existed from the first time he got in a car."

'Everyone tells me he's the greatest thing since sliced bread'

Lando Norris (centre) after winning a Formula 4 race at Spa in 2015

Brown has been backing Norris, 25, since long before either were at McLaren.

Until Norris reached F1, the money to fund his career came from his father Adam, who became a multi-millionaire through success as a pensions trader.

Norris, who has dual Belgian nationality through his mother Cisca, was educated at Millfield in Somerset, but as his career blossomed it became increasingly hard to find time to attend school, and there was a fair bit of home tutoring involved.

Every step Norris took on track, he was a winner, but when it came time to move up to motor racing for 2014 after winning European and world karting titles, Adam Norris and manager Mark Berryman did not have the necessary contacts.

They turned to Brown - then the boss of a sports marketing agency called JMI, and well known in F1 as a deal maker and sponsor finder.

Initially, Brown felt "this is not what I do". But Norris' team were persistent. Brown says: "I thought: 'All right, everyone tells me he is the greatest thing since sliced bread, maybe I can help.'"

Brown set Norris up with a meeting with Ron Dennis, then boss of McLaren, and soon started helping him as he moved up through the ranks. "He just destroyed everybody in everything," says Brown.

'Welcome to Formula 1'

Norris (right) poses alongside Zak Brown and Fernando Alonso at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2018. It was the Spaniard's final race with McLaren with Norris replacing him the following year

By 2017, Brown was in charge of McLaren Racing, after Dennis was ousted by the other owners, and he began to lay out the steps for Norris to graduate to F1.

In January 2018, Brown paired 18-year-old Norris with then McLaren driver Fernando Alonso, a two-time F1 world champion, in the Daytona 24 Hours sportscar race in his United Autosports team.

Norris gave himself the target of setting a faster lap than Alonso - and achieved it. And stunned people with his pace in the wet at night before the car eventually retired.

"Fernando Alonso, one of the best racing drivers in the world, Lando was his match," Brown says. "Cold tyres, middle of the night Daytona, if you asked Richard Dean, who ran them, who was better, he wouldn't know."

When Alonso announced he was quitting F1 at the end of 2018, Norris was the obvious replacement, and McLaren started giving him experience in practice sessions.

Having proved faster than one McLaren race driver, Stoffel Vandoorne, in his first outing, his next was at Monza, with Alonso in the other car.

Brown recalls: "They're swapping times. Fernando has just set his time, so he's done, and obviously paying attention to what times Lando is doing.

"We come on the radio to Fernando and we go: 'Fernando, Lando's on a lap, get out of his way.'

"First sector, same 10th. Second sector, Lando is half a 10th up. Third sector, on the radio, Fernando: 'Sorry, I didn't see him.' Lando: 'Fernando just blocked me!' And we all just giggled on the pit wall, like, 'Welcome to Formula 1.'

"So when you see those things, you just think: 'This guy's mega.'"

How Norris' results have improved over the past two seasons

'You are a rock star'

A few races later, Norris jokingly served Alonso a cup of tea during a wet practice session at the US Grand Prix in Austin. But soon he was the apprentice no longer.

In his debut season in 2019, Norris was immediately a match for his team-mate Carlos Sainz, who had four years' experience, and he destroyed then seven-time race-winner Daniel Ricciardo when the Australian joined the team in 2021.

By then, Alonso had returned to F1 after two years in other categories. He and Norris swapped helmets. The Spaniard wrote on the one he gave to Norris: "You are a star - a rock star."

Norris quickly became a fan favourite, with his diffident-but-jokey personality, and willingness to show his true self on social media. His public profile built through the Covid-19 pandemic as he live-streamed himself playing video games, and he used that to build his gaming and lifestyle brand Quadrant.

Brown says: "He used to be very shy and he still kind of is a quiet, shy guy in his own way. Even though he kind of comes off as extroverted, he's actually not. But as he's become more mature, I have seen him become more comfortable in his skin.

"He has never lacked confidence. He was a young kid when I first met him, he was 14. So what I've seen outside of becoming a better racing driver, (is) a better team leader, more prescriptive in what he wants. And his on-track performance has grown with it."

It has taken time for Norris to establish himself as a front-runner in F1.

In their first few years together, the McLaren car was not fully competitive, although Norris came close to a win with a superb performance in Russia in 2021, only to misjudge the incoming weather and not pit for wet tyres in a late downpour.

Norris kept the faith, signing two contract extensions, despite interest from Red Bull. That, Brown says, was down to "relationships, transparency, visibility to what we were doing. He's comfortable here. This has been his family since day one."

Norris' career trajectory turned midway through 2023, a year that started with a restructuring of McLaren's engineering group by Andrea Stella, who had been made team principal the previous December.

The first fruit of Stella's reshuffle was an upgrade package for the Austrian Grand Prix in July 2023. It vaulted McLaren from close to the back to become the closest challengers to dominant Red Bull.

'I just could not believe his development'

Norris took his maiden pole position at the 2021 Russian Grand Prix. He was more than half a second clear of anyone else, and more than two seconds quicker than team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, who was fifth fastest

Carlin joined McLaren at the beginning of 2024. It had been more than five years since she had worked with Norris in F2.

"I sat in engineering and heard him giving feedback," she says, "and I was blown away. I just could not believe the development of this teenager I'd known, a very successful F2 driver and champion in F3 and F4. It was incredible."

Those first five years in F1 had turned a boy into a man, and a promising driver full of potential into one of the best in the world. But there was still learning to be done.

After a slow start to 2024, another upgrade for the Miami Grand Prix in May made McLaren absolutely competitive. Norris took his maiden win that weekend. He secured three further victories as it began to look as if he could challenge for the title.

In the end, the head start Verstappen established in the first five races of the year was too much. A few small Norris errors along the way did not help.

"I made my mistakes, and I learned a lot," Norris says. "The one thing I've learned is probably to believe in myself a bit more."

Norris is not one to shy away from his difficulties in public.

Berryman says: "I know he berates himself a little bit but he's always done that. We're trying to stop him doing it as much but he probably won't. He's a bit like Charles (Leclerc of Ferrari). They just say it how it is.

"The main thing from a Lando perspective is that I don't think there has been anything that he's not got considerably better at after review. On a development curve of Lando, we are not plateauing yet. We are still at a pretty high level of (growth) in terms of where he is hungry in looking at himself and helping himself."

Carlin adds: "Learning to be an F1 driver and learning to be a championship-contending F1 driver are two different things. And that's what we've talked about, in terms of learning how to win a race first of all, and learning how to win a world championship are two completely different campaigns."

There were signs by the end of last year that the lessons had been taken on board. Now it is down to Norris to deliver on them.

Source

[katnissdoesnotfollowback]

WIP Wednesday ~ WIP File Game

Um hi there. *waves nervously* Soooo over the past two months, I've been tagged multiple times by different people to partake in various WIP Wednesday posts and WIP file games. Sadly, I haven't had as much time for fandom as I would have liked recently, and I've just let those tags sit there unanswered. Thank you for thinking of me @mega-aulover, @unnamednarrator, and @thesweetnessofspring.

I'm going to use this post to answer both types of tags, and the people I tag in turn, please choose which version you'd rather play, play both!, or play neither.

First... a snippet from chapter 40 of Spellbound:

“Peeta! Let me go!” There’s the metallic thunk of a heavy round. Hands yanking on my wrists. I stare at the body. His jaw blown off, silencing him forever. Eyes empty. Hollow. Gone. “Peeta?” That’s when the trembling starts. I blink and the shadows recede. His face gone, replaced with Haymitch’s skull gleaming oddly in the flashlight on the cave floor. The jawbone fallen at an odd angle.  Fingers dig into my wrists. Deep enough that it hurts. The pain in my wrists and my knee somehow grounds me. Pulls me away from that day in the sun baked streets and back into this one. “Peeta?” Katniss asks. I can barely make out her shape in the gloom, and I shake my head. Who dropped the flashlight? When did we wind up on our knees?  “I’m fine.”

And now for the more difficult part. Here's a list of my current WIP files. If it's listed as a story on AO3, I hope to finish it this year. If it's listed as not yet posted to AO3, then I'm hoping to start posting it/finish it this year. The third list is a bunch of random ideas that may never see the light of day, but I've included them for funsies.

Feel free to send an ask to receive a snippet if I have one, a summary, a long winded excuse for why it's still not done yet... I'm working tonight but I have tomorrow off and will answer asks then!

Stories on AO3:

Outside Chance

Outside Expectations

Outside the Lines

Spellbound

Where the Stars Crumble to Life

One Last Hope

Everything You Are

Ampersand (Series)

Fickle Games

No Reason

Holiday Havoc Ensues

Smutercising

Stories Not on AO3:

Bound to Get Burned

Caught in the Net of the World

The Courtship of Lambs

Crush My Bones with Bittersweet

Grief Catches Us All

Hand porn

In the Waiting Dark (the Red Moon Rises)

Kiss Me In the Dark

Making Dents in the Wall

Septimus

Sin Bin

Small Turn Ons

Spiral & Collission / Ellipses & Ignition

Tangled AU

Through the Eyes of My Love

To Know, Not to Be Known

Turning of the Seasons

You + Me

Random Files:

Anyways

Arrive Broken

The Art of Peeling Pearls

Autumn Delight

Awkward

Bed Head

Bend Me, Shake Me Any Way You Want Me

The Cold Side of the Bed

Dear Diary

Everlark on the Prairie

Fluffy Menace

Full Zeroes

Holiday Pet Sitters

Hypocrites

Kiss Me in the Dark

Kissing Clause

Last Dance

Long Have I Waited, My Darling

Love in the Library

Nude Dude Foods

On Lockdown

Peeta POV

Scrawled Upon My Skin

Shattered Into Ash

Seven Feathers

The Strong Arm of Justice

The Touch of Time

Under the Pink Sky

Yes, Chef

And Finally, for the Truly Brave (I mean it, don't do this if you have very clear lines of what you find acceptable in fanfiction), I will answer questions about my folder titled "What Is This Shit?!?!", where I put all of the weird, dark, morally questionable fic ideas that I'm certain about 95% of you all would absolutely hate. Actually some of them are not that bad, but others really are a dumpster fire. Send a number between 1 and 66 for a potentially unpleasant surprise, if you dare.

Now for the tags! I tag @mega-aulover @unnamednarrator, and @thesweetnessofspring because it's been over a week since each of you tagged me mwahahaha. Also tagging @shesasurvivor @louezem and @burkygirl (I've seen you lurking in my notes, don't think I didn't. Hope you've had a restful break from fandom and glad to see you around here again.)

[whateverisbeautiful]

OK. What do you think...a season 2 for TOWL? Or maybe just a Richonne cameo or two to liven up those other boring ass spinoffs? Orrrrrr do you think they'll do an Avengers type thing where they close out the OG franchise with the whole Family reunited? I feel like they keep giving us a lot of mixed signals, keeping us on edge about the possibility of another season. They hint at it then deny it then tease it again....I just wann know!

Oh my gosh I really want to know too! Where before I had my doubts about if we’d see Richonne again, the way all 3 members of ‘the band’ have responded to questions about a return has led me to feel pretty confident there’s already something concretely in the works for Rick and Michonne to make another appearance. I ended up having all these thoughts to write out on this lol. But their comments, especially from Gimple recently, have made my usually cautiously-optimistic self quite hopeful about Richonne’s return:

I think about so many other shows that formally end and the way the actors talk after is usually very final as they bid farewell to characters they’ve played for years. Andy & Danai keeping their answers open-ended after TOWL S1 makes me think they know they aren’t entirely done with these characters just yet. Because if TOWL S1 was the end of their journey playing Rick and Michonne, I think they’d have just outright confirmed that and spoken of the closure they feel putting those characters officially to rest.

I’m usually so hesitant to get my hopes up and I do believe things shouldn’t just go on forever and ever, but after Gimple, Andy, & Danai’s responses, it’s changed from an “if” to a “when” regarding us getting Richonne back on our screens. It’s just a matter of which format. And as much as I’m so content with TOWL season one’s end and will be fully satisfied if that’s the final conclusion to their story, I admit I want the format of their return to be in a season 2 of TOWL so bad. 🤞🏽Just one more season - that’s even advertised clear-cut as the official undeniable final chapter for Richonne.

I appreciate that Andy & Danai only want to come back if the story feels right, necessary, and of quality. That's the only way I'd want them to return too. And I believe there’s totally potential for a final season of TOWL to have a fresh compelling story. I think there’s a way for it to still importantly center around Richonne and their Grimes family while organically incorporating familiar faces from the TWD cast. And I’d love if they got to come back for something that is definitively final so that they and us can have that official no-speculation-of-more-needed farewell. (But not because either of them dies. I only want them to come back if Richonne still gets to live long lives and have a happy ending. “Definitive closure” to me is more like they end with an epilogue of Richonne having grown old together as happily married grandparents)

A TOWL Season 2 is the most ideal route to me (and would probably perform best for AMC) over cameos in other spin-offs or an Avengers-type TWD Season 12, which might evoke a more fatigued response rather than excitement from me and the general public. At the same time, I think it’s probably more likely that Rick and Michonne return for a briefer appearance in one of the other spin-offs that I don’t watch rather than doing a whole new season.

I’d be happy to see Richonne one more time in any capacity tho. Again, so long as they still live long lives with a happy ending. Even tho I personally won’t be tuning into those other spinoffs while waiting for Richonne, I think AMC probably doesn’t mind stretching that question of “will we see Rick and Michonne again and will they reunite with core cast members?” for awhile so that it can add intrigue to their other twdu projects.

So who knows how long it’ll be or how it’ll go, but I do think we at least haven’t seen the last of Rick and Michonne Grimes. 👌🏽

[aromacaque]

I have a question for you: Do you think the narrative treats wukong and macaque unfairly when it comes to Consequence or their actions ?,like mistakes they make in the series story,how characters treat them,like how wukong got called for the samdhi fire and not macaque that hurt Mei and tang,when he forced tang to Release it.

TLDR: No.

Macaque does get called wrong for what he does?? I've seen a lot of takes and stuff that get annoyed at him for having a redemption without him apologizing first and stuff floating around, but I honestly can't even understand those because he hasn't fully redeemed himself yet. His character arc isn't over. He hasn't even gotten enough time to develop that direction yet. He's very much an anti-hero narratively, always has been, and he's only just now starting to stray from that but I'm not sure by how much.

If he apologized at all in season 4 that would've been awful, out of character, and so forced. In season 5 not only would it still have been out of character and forced, but there was no time for that with everything else happening. I do not want to see him do that unless he works his way to it properly, which he hasn't.

He's a really morally grey character and the show isn't even trying to hide that narratively because he's always treated as his own unit separate to the others. That is only POSSIBLY starting to change after season 5 since he's getting more involved with the whole group, but we'll find that out in season 6.

But also I wouldn't be surprised if he never apologizes. I think the entire main cast has started to see him as "the weird emotionally repressed monkey who doesn't know how to talk to people normally and is a little bit of a freak about it" which like, y'know. Not a conventional forgiveness by any means. It's acceptance of him being there at best. I also think his actions are meaningful too. Red Son has also never apologized, and yet his actions have pretty much done it for him. Red Son feels easier to forgive because his antagonism was always on the more comical side, but I think that point still has standing.

I think there's an unbalance in how much of Wukong's side we see, but I don't think that's a narrative issue either. For one, I think they've been building up to it. These two aren't the main focus of the story (which only has 10 episode seasons with 4 episode specials) so it's gonna take a while. They're a B-plot at best, realistically probably more of a C-plot. Macaque is more willing than Wukong is to talk about what happened between them, too. Wukong tends to shut down when he's faced with things about his past that genuinely upset him. He doesn't talk about the pilgrims because he still grieves them. He isolated himself on his mountain for 600 years after imprisoning his last "friend" (DBK) that was still alive and came out of that isolation in hopes to "retire."

There are a lot of visuals and hints/clues to Wukong's sides of things and his feelings. With the rock of their painting still being there after all these centuries, knowing that Macaque is implied to be a large part of what he was getting stronger for (and what he sees as his worst mistake), the way he treats Macaque in general which is an exception to how he treats everybody else, etc.

I think, if anything, how closed off he is regarding information about Macaque reveals a lot about Wukong as a character because he's really avoidant. Which speaking of...

The main issue the others have with Wukong has always been his lack of communication with everyone, generally. Which is only made a big deal in seasons 2-3. He had a tendency to handle things on his own if he felt like nobody else could, but he does that without telling anyone what exactly his plans are. He shoulders way too much responsibility in season 2 and 3, which ironically makes him irresponsible.

Mei's issue with him in season 3 is that he was leading them into a very dangerous plan without telling them exactly what was going on, and also while withholding information from them. On top of his negligence in season 2 causing MK a lot of issues. Both are understandable things for Mei to get upset at him for. He makes up for it by apologizing to MK and being more communicative. Their relationship seems fine after season 3.

Pigsy is the only other one who had genuine issue with Wukong, which makes sense. He's MK's dad. He also feels like Wukong let MK down in season 2. He's the first to find out Wukong is withholding information in season 3. He still treats Wukong with respect, Pigsy is just like that and is protective of MK. He also doesn't like Macaque so it's not a Wukong specific thing.

Same with everybody else, his relationship to Wukong seems fine after season 3. They all help him with his house after it gets destroyed because he's their friend and they care about him. They wouldn't do that if they had a big issue with him still. Well, Sandy would, but more importantly Pigsy and Mei help with it. Tang gives .. moral support? But he's also there.

Wukong gets mad at Macaque for what he does during the samadhi fire, but Tang stops him because there was a part of him that felt compelled to do it, which is really important because it's part of establishing Tang's powers and connection to the golden cicada (reincarnation, descendant, whatever all of them are) but also Wukong attacking Macaque there wasn't gonna help anyone in that situation. On top of being in character for Tang to stop him, he doesn't like conflict much. He also learns a bit about Macaque in Benched and I think Tang is smart enough to know Macaque is a little more complicated than just being a villain because he attempts to talk Macaque out of hunting them down because he realizes that he'd have a better shot at defeating LBD with everyone. Which Macaque literally can't agree to because he CAN'T switch sides without getting killed, but I digress.

Not to mention, I think all of the characters are aware Macaque is on his own side. MK is immediately because he knows Macaque. Tang figures it out. There's always room to work with him if the right cards align, unless he's being forced on a specific side against his will.

I personally think it's made obvious enough that Wukong has good intentions with his mistakes. The fandom villainizes him a lot for some reason. Genuinely don't know how because the show certainly isn't doing that. It's also pretty well established, in my opinion, that Macaque is an unreliable narrator and what happened between him and Wukong is more nuanced than he makes it out to seem. That's PROVEN in season 4!!

Also not sure how Macaque is always characterized as the more mature one in the fandom. In the past? Macaque was more mature. Seasons 1-3? It was Wukong. Season 5? They're kinda starting to get on equal footing more... sorta.

In season 4, the brotherhood brings up a lot of Wukong's past mistakes, because that is what gets him imprisoned by heaven, but it also makes it really obvious how much he has changed over the years. To me, the way it comes across, is that the writers are putting emphasis on how guilty Wukong feels for his past behavior. They are not telling us that he's a bad person. Wukong constantly feels like he's making up for the person he used to be before he met Tripitaka and he spends the entire series trying to mitigate any possible hurt he can cause. That's why he keeps pushing them away at first and why he doesn't want MK responsible for LBD whatsoever.

And, to be honest, A Lifetime of Past Mistakes was largely about his and Macaque's relationship more-so than it was about the other things. It just reaffirms and pushes into the viewers face that the brotherhood is in the wrong with only a little grey area.

Azure shows up claiming to help, then pulls the rug out from Mei and MK's feet because he was manipulating them the entire time, and the only reason they didn't know is because Wukong literally was not able to tell them. A Lifetime of Past Mistakes basically just shows that Wukong became too power obsessed (anybody who has read jttw already knew that) and it reinforces that the brotherhood's intentions had been misguided from the start and Azure was the main contributor to that. Wukong played a roll, but it's not like Wukong lead the brotherhood astray. They were already doing that to themselves. Wukong was the only one to break out of that and change for the better.

Azure's issue with Wukong is unfair to him too! He blames Wukong for everything wrong that has happened, but MK is the one that points out how unfair that is by verbally telling them to his face, "None of this was Monkey King's fault." Because it literally isn't. Wukong isn't responsible for his past enemies mistakes. Any of them.

Even Macaque himself acknowledges that he believed (past tense) Wukong was a bad guy because Azure wanted them all to believe that, but when Wukong "betrayed" the brotherhood he was imprisoning them most likely for what they were doing to the land. Like they literally killed the entire land around them. They're not good people they were killing the land. Macaque doesn't even like these people even remotely. The brotherhood wasn't good at all, even though Azure had good intentions.

I SEE SO MUCH MISCHARACTERIZATION ABOUT THIS IN THE FANDOM IT DRIVES ME INSANE BECAUSE THIS ISN'T EVEN SUBTEXT THEY VERBALLY TELL US ALL OF THIS INFORMATION. I usually don't bring that up in more analysis-type posts but I have never been in a fandom where I'm constantly wondering if I'm watching the same show as everybody else. I remember there was a joke a couple years ago about like "lmk fans have never watched the show" but sometimes I don't know if it's a joke ..... How are people villainizing Wukong and not Azure. I don't think either of them should be fully villainized, but if either of them are going to be how would it ever be Wukong I feel like I'm going insane over here tbh.

Also even in season 4 they are all (bar MK and Wukong, who have a dif relationship with him) still scared of (or unsettled by) Macaque, and in season 5 nobody interacts with him enough for us to really know how they feel about him. None of them really interact with him though, besides MK and Wukong. MK still has his own hold ups about Macaque, but MK is also the same guy who saw good in Macaque, because he's always been an anti-hero narratively, and convinced him to help them fight LBD.

Nobody even announces concern for Macaque after he sacrifices himself except MK and Wukong. Nobody announces concern over him when he uses too much of his power except Wukong. Nobody thinks to look back for him or include him at the end of the world except Wukong.

Macaque also shows a considerable amount of concern for Wukong in season 5 as well. It's very balanced, they just have a very complicated relationship.

Sandy includes Macaque in the group hug, but this is Sandy we are talking about. He sees the good in everybody.

Macaque did help them save MK though, it's obvious that he's trying to be better (even if he hasn't verbally apologized to anybody yet), they all are at the very least vaguely aware he was working with LBD against his will, I'm not sure if they even fully know what happened during Shadow Play, and MK has been the center of most of what Macaque does. Wukong is on better terms with him so of course they'd let him celebrate with them.

There's a lot of different relationships and it's a lot to balance in the short runtime this series has. I don't think the writing is perfect and I wish some character dynamics got more time to have focus put on them, but overall the narrative is doing it's thing and I don't think it's doing it poorly.

Macaque is an anti-hero who is slowly starting to better himself and establish himself more into alignment with the protagonists. None of them have fully forgiven him, necessarily, but they are able to understand him well enough as a person and have relationships with him that are in depth enough to know he's not irredeemable or inherently awful. Narratively he is established as his own party, clearly not a great person, but we can also see that potential in him and see it grow as the series progresses. We can also sympathize with him, he's had a rough life and it's what leads him to making some poor decisions.

Wukong is a protagonist who is well-intentioned despite mistakes he may make along the way, is doing his best to be what MK needs, is able to realize when he needs to apologize and change his behavior if he's done something wrong, and is trying his best to do justice. We can see that he cares a lot about MK and his friends and would do anything to keep them safe while being non-violent and fairly level-headed, rational, and non-confrontational unless the situation seriously calls for it.

[bonzos-number-1-fan]

TMAGP 33 Thoughts: WITTY SUBTITLE REDACTED

It's our first guest written episode of the season, and the first since all the way back at 26. I do hope the guys weren't getting lonely. This week's was written by Aaron Blanton. They're the showrunner of What Happened In Skinner, and maybe some other stuff too? Honestly, their web presence kinda sucks so I'm not inclined to go digging. However, it might be worth doing just that given this week's ep was a really good one.

Spoilers for TMA, and TMAGP episode 33 below the cut.

It's straight into the thick of it with Celia listening to another Institute statement. This one briefly mentions Dr. F Welling again, who you'll remember was mentioned in episode 17 with Welling Mutare Materia, briefly in 21, and who Sam saw turn into a skellington in 28. Probably. Welling is likely to be a very important character as we dig into the Institute more in this universe, and I'd be very surprised if we don't get a real appearance by him at some stage. Although they do leave it unclear whether or not the interviewer was Welling himself. In either case another Institute statement means another round of viabilities. Low across the board here, which I think makes a lot of sense in most of the theories I've heard about what these may mean. Given the "potential acquisition risk" there isn't much you can really do with it. Whatever those categories do mean it is more than likely you need some measure of control, Evil Blackpool Pleasure Beach is a hard thing to wrangle.

As for the statement itself, I really liked this one. The format of only hearing one side of it but knowing when the other side is talking was done very effectively IMO. This one was also pretty Archives-y which makes for a nice change of pace. Playing on some of the tropes that series made well-worn. It's a mashup of elements we've seen attributed to a variety of Dread Powers in TMA but very little we've not seen before. Although I do think this one strikes quite an interesting balance in context to the OIAR. It's specific enough that you sorta know what Victoria saw but vague enough that you don't really know what's happening. Transformation is presumably what happened but it doesn't seem particularly cohesive either. The Pleasure Beach didn't stay that way, more than just the pier changed, and it even affected her date. While you could say all those elements transformed it does seem to be lacking something. So it's a case that ends up with a heading you can't really argue with much but equally feels quite incomplete. Not that this is a problem. It's a really good statement.

Alice: Do you know anything about computer codes? Celia: No. Alice: Do you speak German?

I love that Colin is so far off the deep end with the FR3-D1 conspiracies he's learned German to try and understand it. It's not incredibly noteworthy on its own as it's a known quantity but it's not the only reference to German we get.

And speaking of, we've got a brand new voiced character, Brett Larz. He's an American by the sounds of it but the surname is German. Which isn't to say he's German but the connection is likely to be important, at least in terms of weight of references, as the series has been steeped in German before the show even aired. More importantly he's also working for Starkwall, an organisation I'm very eager to learn more about. I don't think this interaction really told us much we didn't already know but hopefully we'll be seeing more of Brett soon.

Gwen: As the new manager it behooves me to check these things and although our current security arrangements are satisfactory [bzzt]

I do wonder if Gwen is going to end up going for this. She's in a tricky spot of knowing fuck all about what she's gotten herself into while also being traumatised about all those monsters. Given she is so keenly aware of how inadequate security is, and deathly afraid of the things that go bump in the night, it'd make sense if she jumps on that. And fast. I'm also really curious to see if we're going to get Lena's side of this. Lena set that meeting up before she was fired so she clearly had some plan for it. With the OIAR's and Stakwall's history it'll be interesting to see how much more of that past we'll see.

Brett: And a secure one for you and your team. We can protect you from whatever comes your way. I guarantee it. [bzzt]

Assuming the static is a lie detector, and detects purposeful lies, Brett knows for sure that whatever is gunning for the OIAR is more than Starkwall can handle. Which does seem pretty likely given what our beloved Mr. Bonzo can manage on his lonesome.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Incident/CAT#R#DPHW Master Sheet and Terminology Sheet

DPHW Theory: 2365 all sounds about right to me. Not much to explain there. Pain might be a little higher than I'd expect but not wildly so.

CAT# Theory: 2 is another of those ones that sounds like a great fit for People/Place/Object, as a pier is a place, but it's also full of weird people. Not to mention the leviathan. So even if that is what it ends up being I think it's fundamentally flawed as a system of categorisation as it stands. Even if it's all the place that's doing it the case number and heading then fails to accurately describe what you'd actually be responding to.

I have a 2,000 word outline for an essay on why it's not Subject/Agent/Catalyst from before the season break too. I'm not sure that one is needed now. Low/Low/Low getting 2 doesn't make a great deal of sense IMO. Fairly obviously too.

R# Theory: B is exactly in line with my theory on it. A man did very likely go missing but the nature of said disappearance is outlandish in the face of more mundane explanations.

Header talk: Transformation (Pier) -/- Fear (Void) is a little interesting. I'm not entirely sure that is what this was. All of it just seems a little off to me on this one.

[nymphkoi]

During the time when Kuroshitsuji's 2nd season was done, I've seen a lot of people who liked it in general but hated the ending

It was the opposite for me lol. Needlessly to say that I disliked it, they had 2 characters and still assasinated them. But about why I love the ending

I think people interpreted it as Sebastian getting punished and Ciel being rewarded by eternal life. When its also the exact opposite. Despite his love of power and coldness, Ciel has a conscience and he absolutely despises himself, he was relieved to hear he would vanish if his soul got eaten. Living an eternal life, with his goal of revenge complete, would be absolute torture for him. Not to say I think he should be punished by the narrative, he is punished enough with his current situation (twins and demons my boy is trapped in a psychological torture manga) but I think not letting the somewhat suicidal character die, forcing him to let go of his bitterness and to live is a better message

On the other hand Sebastian, sure it sucks to be rid of such a meal, has never shown special interest in Ciel's soul in the manga. I truly think he was entertained by Ciel and his life, so to get more of him might be thrilling and to somewhat care for another being (and we know he cares in some f*cked up way) would be good character development. Ciel would go from temporary entertaintment to the first tangible presence in his life.

And about the center of the whole manga itself, which is Ciel and Sebastian, I think having their dance go on forever, however destructive, is also a fitting ending

I've seen a lot of people think of their relationship as familial. I absolutely don't agree lol. Sebastian might bathe and feed him but he lacks the familial kind of love and care. I think a far more interesting narrative is to view them as a mentor and mentee, keeping all the strange care and authority dynamics. Ciel, as he grows up seems to have picked up a lot from Sebastian (like his cruelty or mannerisms as we have seen in the Blue Cult arc before he got retraumatized) and to have him also be a demon, following his footsteps, makes so much sense to me.

I think it was a good ending. Maybe too good. I'm sure we will be suffering more in the actual manga ending

[veinspookiebear]

absolutely smitten (2,756 words)

Rating: G

Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationship: Cheng Xiaoshi/Lu Guang

Additional Tags: Post-Season 2, references aren't major but they are spoilers so be warned, Lu Guang Is Whipped, The Daily Life in Lighttime references, Cheng Xiaoshi Has Abandonment Issues, Feelings Realization, Love Confessions, Fluff

Summary: After a photoshoot for social media pictures, Cheng Xiaoshi intends to dive back and improve Lu Guang's awkward demeanor, like he's done before; only this time, he ends up completely derailed when he experiences what Lu Guang feels daily.

-------

“Come on, Lu Guang, smile for the camera!” 

His partner sighs and gives him an unimpressed look. For someone who works with photography on a daily basis, he looks strangely out of his element. Maybe it's less the camera and more the outfit—a little preppier than his usual style, a nice button-up and overshirt, stood in a sea of grass and wildflowers with a crown of blue flowers slipping down his brow. He gently pushes it back into place, careful not to break any delicate stems. 

“Are we really sure about this?” he asks, a little exasperated.

“Yeah! You look great!” Cheng Xiaoshi insists, tweaking the camera zoom slightly. 

“I meant trying social media again in general. After what it led to.” 

Cheng Xiaoshi pauses, leaning back from the camera. “Well, we gotta market somehow if we want to stay in business! And it's pretty unlikely anything will happen to us this time. I mean, what are the chances there's another set of twins with superpowers that rely on photos that are out to get us specifically?” 

Lu Guang still frowns. Qiao Ling steps over to him to adjust his shirt and position the flower crown better on his head. 

“It makes me a little nervous too,” she admits. “But Cheng Xiaoshi does have a point, unfortunately. The odds are low. And you two have rent to pay.” 

“See! Even she admits it's a good idea!” Cheng Xiaoshi grins triumphantly. “Now come on, Guang Guang, give me a smile! I know you have it in you!” 

Rolling her eyes, Qiao Ling parts with a pat on his shoulder and steps out of the frame. Cheng Xiaoshi centers the view on Lu Guang, even more handsome than usual despite his disgruntled look. “We'll be done soon, it's just yours left. Pleaaase?” he encourages. 

With a long-suffering sigh, Lu Guang adjusts his posture and attempts a smile. Though strained, it's charming enough to the average viewer, he hopes. He snaps a few pictures, Lu Guang tries some other angles and poses, and he snaps some more. 

Finally, they wrap up. Lu Guang hurries to help pack up the equipment, and Cheng Xiaoshi teases him on the way home about the sudden increase in energy. Turns out, he only wanted to curl up on the couch and read. 

“You aren't gonna help me with the photos?” Cheng Xiaoshi asks, standing over him. He doesn't look up. 

“This is usually your part, anyway, and it was all your idea. I've done enough by modeling for you.” 

“Qiao Ling and I took pictures too! We put in the same amount of effort!” 

Lu Guang slowly turns a page. Cheng Xiaoshi throws up his hands and stomps off. 

“Fine, fine, I'll do it myself!” 

In truth, there isn't much that Lu Guang would normally do. Sorting through pictures isn't that big of a deal. And even before, he wasn't much of a social media guy, so that part is left to Cheng Xiaoshi too…

Ah, well, he's not giving up on this idea now! When it works, then Lu Guang will see the sense in it. 

At the time, he thought Lu Guang’s attempts would be enough, but as he flips through the photos now, he's less certain. It doesn't make any sense to him. In college, Lu Guang had been a great model, especially in cosplay—dare he say he enjoyed being the camera’s focus then. What changed so much? 

Cheng Xiaoshi studies his face in the picture, gray eyes slightly narrowed, smile unnatural, face tense. He looks a little flushed, too, probably from the heat. Combined with everything else, he looks uncomfortable and embarrassed. He could use these, but… 

An idea pops into his mind. Something similar to what he'd done the last time they attempted to make promotional photos, before all the chaos went down and they deleted everything. Lu Guang didn't take selfies this time, but he had taken Cheng Xiaoshi’s photos immediately before they swapped for his. If he dives into the last picture Lu Guang took of him and plays through Lu Guang’s photoshoot after, he could make him look a lot more natural. 

He casts a glance back at Lu Guang, stretched out on the sunroom couch with his book. He'd be immersed in it for the next while. Cheng Xiaoshi could disappear and not be noticed.

He steps into the darkroom and sets the camera on the counter, displaying the photo he plans to dive into. Lu Guang has avoided this room even more than usual lately; he doesn't understand, but at least he knows he won't be disturbed. Fixing his gaze on the photo, he claps quietly.

Sunlight blinds him. He blinks rapidly, adjusting to his new body—Lu Guang's body. In front of him, through the camera lens, he sees himself posing with a bright smile. He grins wider when he sets his eyes on Lu Guang.

"How was that?" he asks, strutting over to see for himself.

Something warm surges in his chest as he presses close, almost brushing shoulders with Lu Guang. The day sweltered, sure, but had Lu Guang been this hot the whole time? And why so suddenly?

Temperature isn't the only factor. It reminds him of the emotions he feels when a host sees their crush during dives in the past, only… stronger. Deeper. His past self turns to look at him with a goofy smile, and the force of the feelings washing over him threatens to knock him off his feet.

"I think that's pretty good! Don't you?"

"Uh—" He knows what he should be saying, remembers what Lu Guang said to him only a few hours ago, but the words stick in his throat. "Yeah. You look great," he manages, a little delayed. Past Cheng Xiaoshi doesn't seem to notice.

"Aw, thanks! You're not so bad yourself, y'know—" His heart flutters. Did Lu Guang really feel like this? "—And now it's your turn to show off!"

"What?" Right. He meant to fix Lu Guang's photos.

How is he supposed to do that when Lu Guang feels this strongly? He can barely move, heart thumping so loudly he doesn’t know how he didn’t hear it. If he didn't already know Lu Guang was perfectly comfortable on their couch right now, he'd think he had heatstroke.

His past self giving him a little nudge away from the camera doesn't help. "Your photos! You're not getting out of doing this too, Guang Guang, we all gotta represent the business!"

"Right." His voice comes out strained. He can't tell if he's overthinking or if he sounds different than Lu Guang had. How does he hide all of this so well?

Qiao Ling distracts him, grabbing his wrist and pulling him a few steps away. "Let me just double-check you're still good to go…" She straightens his clothes and messes with his hair, leaning close. She'd worn a floral scent today; he remembered her mentioning it, but he'd hardly noticed then. Now, it messes with his head, sharper than he'd expect even with her proximity, like his senses were enhanced.

"You're so hot…" she frowns, pressing a hand to his head. It isn't cold, but it's much cooler than he feels. "Do we need to take a break?"

"No, I'm okay," he answers, relieved when his voice comes out steady. "Let's just get this over with…"

"At least drink something," she insists, pulling a water bottle from her bag.

"Uh, okay. Thanks."

He takes a few sips. The cool liquid soothes his throat and alleviates some of the heat in his body. He screws the cap back on and hands it back to her, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

With a deep breath of spring air, he heads to where they'd been taking pictures. All he needs to do is pose like he did for his own photos, and they'd come out great. His head feels clearer already; maybe Qiao Ling was right about the water, and Lu Guang had just overheated earlier.

Then he settles his gaze on himself, and those feelings flare up again. Attraction—flattering, he had tried to look good—but it's also more than that. Affection, softer, but so overflowing that his chest threatens to burst. He notices a few strands of hair out of place, and his hands itch with the urge to push them back; then to hold him, safe, and card his hands through soft black locks. Care and tenderness like Cheng Xiaoshi has never known for himself, reminiscent of the love of a parent to their child, or a husband and wife, and yet not quite the same. It's difficult to describe when he's feeling everything so fully, even just second-hand.

Then, he realizes it's directed at him.

Lu Guang feels so much for him.

His own emotions surge, complicating things even further as tears prick his eyes. Someone feels this way about him, and it's none other than the man he lives his life with.

The man who promised to stay when no one else did.

Cheng Xiaoshi knew he meant it in the moment, and it comforted him to hear. Used to getting left behind, though, he couldn't really believe him, couldn't let himself hope it would be true. Not until just now.

"Lu Guang? Is something wrong?"

The concern in his voice breaks his heart. This part isn't meant to happen. Silently cursing, he tries to pull himself together and shakes his head.

"No, sorry… just got distracted. Let's get this done."

"Maybe Qiao Ling was right, you look overheated…" he frowns.

"Just take the picture," Lu Guang sighs.

"Alright, alright… If you're sure you're good."

As soon as he glances away briefly, Cheng Xiaoshi claps out.

He stumbles forward, plunged into darkness as he returns to the present. Breathing a little labored, he braces himself against the counter, processing what just happened. He completely failed his original intention—quickly, he checks the camera, making sure nothing changed. To his relief, the photos look the same. He sighs, setting it back down and rubbing his eyes.

Did Lu Guang always feel that way? How did he function?

Cheng Xiaoshi sinks to the cold floor. Lu Guang rarely shows much emotion, so it's hard to tell how he feels a lot of the time. He's not physically or verbally affectionate unless Cheng Xiaoshi asks or he picks up on when he needs some attention. But he's always there. He kept his promise.

He thinks back to when he dived into Lu Guang in the past. The first time was to change his selfies, but he'd set that up specifically to allow a quick in-and-out dive, so he didn't pick up any emotions. The other time was when he saved himself from Li Tianchen. He remembers a rush of feelings, but his adrenaline had been high, and especially months later, it's impossible to untangle his emotions from Lu Guang's.

He groans quietly, curling up and resting his head on his knees. His heart thumps wildly, and he's pretty sure it isn't leftover from the dive. How is he supposed to function around Lu Guang, knowing what he now knows? Asking him directly would mean admitting to diving for something Lu Guang had forbidden him from doing again, and he'd rather not tangle with that.

He can't stay here either. Lu Guang would notice he's not around at some point. With a sigh, he pulls himself to his feet.

He'll have to keep an eye on Lu Guang over the next few days. Hopefully, he'll catch him doing something that will give him a reason to question him.

— — —

As it turns out, Lu Guang is even more of a master at hiding his feelings than Cheng Xiaoshi already thought. He acts completely ordinary. Even when Cheng Xiaoshi tries to push, poking him with vague flirts, he dismisses them. It reaches a point where Cheng Xiaoshi begins to wonder if he misinterpreted it all; maybe Lu Guang was ill from the heat. But he can't ignore the strength and sincerity of those feelings, more than anything he had felt on a dive before.

And for him.

Maybe that's why he's holding on. Foolish hoping. A desperate wish that someone would love him so deeply that he'd never have to worry about them leaving—

"Cheng Xiaoshi?"

He startles, looking up from his phone. It plays the same video as when he drifted off—some goofy pets compilation.

Lu Guang sits with his book closed in his lap and watches him with a scrutinizing eye. Cheng Xiaoshi squirms. "Uh, yeah?"

"Do you just really like those dogs, or is something wrong? That same video has been looping for five minutes."

"Um," Cheng Xiaoshi flails for any reasonable response and draws blank. "Nothing's wrong. Just, uh, spaced out."

"Something on your mind?" Lu Guang asks. When Cheng Xiaoshi doesn't answer, he adds, "You've been acting strange the past few days. I've been meaning to ask what's up."

"Ever-observant Lu Guang," Cheng Xiaoshi sighs. "Guess it comes with your powers, huh?"

Lu Guang says nothing. Cheng Xiaoshi wouldn't be surprised if his eyes turned blue. He sure feels like a photo being observed.

Deflating, he shuts his phone off and sets it on the coffee table. "Remember last time we tried to do promotional photos and I dived back and changed them so they looked better?"

"I do. I also distinctly remember telling you never to do that again."

"Uh-huh…" Cheng Xiaoshi chuckled sheepishly. "Well, um, I didn't! Technically. That was the intention, but…"

He trails off, uncertain. His mind wanders back, trying to name the things he'd felt. Butterflies stir in his stomach. "I've never… I mean, I've seen myself through your eyes before. But I guess not in a setting like that."

"You know."

He looks up, surprised. Lu Guang averts his eyes. When he doesn't elaborate, Cheng Xiaoshi risks that they're on the same page and murmurs, "You… you really feel all of that? All the time?"

"I do." Simple and direct, but earnest. Cheng Xiaoshi's chest swells.

"I never knew you… I never knew anyone could feel that strongly. About me." He huffs a humorless laugh, tears welling in his eyes again. "You feel so much."

Lu Guang looks over at him finally, his neutral expression cracking into something soft and concerned. "Xiaoshi…"

It's Cheng Xiaoshi's turn to not be able to look at him, face warming. No chance of blaming the dive on this one. These are his own feelings, powerful and new, but nice, in a way. To be loved so much, and to return it in full.

"Why'd you never say anything about it?" he whispers. "How do you go around hiding this?"

Lu Guang reaches for him, but stops, looking strangely conflicted. "It's too much to lose," he breathes, barely audible. Cheng Xiaoshi stares at him, confused. He drops his hand, gaze following it down, as he elaborates, "I mean… If you… weren't okay with it. If it was too much, or scared you off, or something. I don't want to lose this."

Cheng Xiaoshi's breath catches. He reaches for Lu Guang's hand and threads their fingers together. Lu Guang stiffens, then relaxes with a shaky exhale.

"You aren't gonna lose me." Cheng Xiaoshi shifts closer to him, stopping when their knees touch. "Partners for life, remember? Whether that's basketball, or business, or…"

He reaches up and lets his fingers brush Lu Guang's cheek. His lips part, but no words come out. He closes them again and leans into the touch, and Cheng Xiaoshi takes that as a good sign, cupping his cheek and pressing their foreheads together.

"I like you," he whispers, voicing it as he truly acknowledges it, breathless and awed. "And you…?"

"I like you too," Lu Guang replies instantly, tentatively reaching around to thread his fingers through Cheng Xiaoshi's hair. The ponytail comes loose easily, and Cheng Xiaoshi feels his hair fall, followed by Lu Guang's hand against the back of his neck, running it between his fingers. "I love you so much."

A breathless laugh bubbles from his chest as Cheng Xiaoshi tugs him closer, arms around his back as he buries his face in his shoulder.

He loves me. He loves me. He loves me.

"I love you too."

Lu Guang sighs, all the tension bleeding from his body as he hugs him back tightly. "I'll always stay," he whispers. "No matter what."

Cheng Xiaoshi believes him.

[magpod-confessions]

I don’t even know what it is about Martin, but I absolutely hate his guts. Like there’s nothing he’s explicitly done to warrant my hatred, but his vibes are just rancid.

He plays dumb and makes other people sympathize with him. He’s all like “I’m sorry 🥺👉👈 I’m trying my best, I just want to make you proud” you’re a grown man, stop acting so incompetent, don’t play the victim for normal criticism from your manager. (And yes, I’m talking about Jon. There is no way Jon decided to use Martin as his punching bag and yelled at him all the time, was he likely harsher than necessary? Probably, he was probably kinda rude and passive aggressive, but he definitely didn’t yell at Martin. You can tell how surprised Martin was when Jon yelled at him about Trevor Herbert, that was likely the first time Jon ever raised his voice at him.)

And here’s the thing, I feel like I should like him, I grew up having to be a caretaker for my mother, so I feel like I should be able to relate or understand him, but I just… don’t. In theory I can understand that Martin is manipulative because he had to be to his mother, I can understand that, but in practice, I cannot sympathize with him at all, and just kinda hate him.

Also he just feels very ableist to me, he gives off the impression of someone who always knows what’s best, would tell someone with depression to try not being sad, would tell a disabled person that they’re just not try hard enough, will always play the victim, especially if the other person is “mentally unstable” or something. (He’d be one of those caregivers that constantly demeans his patient, but everyone would call him so “strong” and “supportive” for dealing with them)

I always hate the interpretation of Martin that he’d be so great and caring and understanding to Jon, as if he wouldn’t 100% just tell Jon he’s not trying hard enough. I mean that’s half of season 5, just Martin telling Jon he’s not trying enough, not trying to help enough, not trying to be happy enough, not trying to be human enough. I’m pretty sure there’s not a single time that Martin tries to understand Jon and where he’s coming from. He’ll try to force Jon to say what he’s feeling, but he never actually cares to understand.

If Martin wasn’t doing his weird Lonely arc thing in season 4 he would have been right there beside Melanie and Basira telling Jon that “actually, all you have to do to overcome addiction is to stop being addicted. It’s not that hard.”

Anyways, sorry for such a long rant, also to be clear, it’s not as if I just sit around and gnash my teeth thinking about how much I hate him, I just wanted to get this off my chest. If you enjoy Martin as a character more power to you, I just can’t stand the guy.

If you want🗣️

YEA I DEF GET THIS Oh my god ok I. I like him. He fascinates me. He is a fucking cunt whos very bad at understanding how other ppl feel and thinks he knows best and this is SHOWN in s5. I like him a lot but goddamn he has FLAWS. SO MANY GOOD GOD. The fandom ignores it and it pisses me off so much bc theyre all so quick to make georgie jons horrible ex who didnt understand him for some reason WHEN NOTHING IN CANON SHOWS THAT BUT EVERYTHING SHOWS THAT MARTIN EASILY COULD FILL THAT ROLE. Sry anyways this is a frequent annoyance lol - rosette

[mustlovelou]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💗

Thank you so much for sending me this ask, Jessica! 🧡🧡

Also, thank you so much to @frogsinflannel for tagging me on this as well! 🧡🧡

I really appreciate it! 🧡🧡🧡

Now, if anyone knows me, they would probably know that it's really hard for me to recommend my own work... so this was very difficult hehe But I've managed to pick some fics:

I'll Always Remember Us This Way: One of the fics that I wrote for Bucktommy Flufffebruary. It didn't get much love but I quite like what I did with it. It's super fluffy. And this is the summary: Today is a very special day for Tommy and Buck… for more than one reason.

Go On and Kiss The Boy: Another fic I wrote for Bucktommy Fluffebruary. It has merman/merperson Tommy (I know it's not everybody's cup of tea, though!). Summary: After noticing something odd about Tommy for the third time, Buck decides to ask him about it. He never could have guessed how surprising and wonderful the secret Tommy has been keeping is.

I Wasn't Looking For You But You Found Me: I feel like I'm kind of cheating with this one but oh, well... This is actually a WIP that I started writing last year during Christmas. I kind of abandoned it because I was feeling insecure about it but I'm putting it here in case someone decides to read it and maybe likes it and maybe it motivates me to finish it. Summary: This Holiday season seems to promise a world of loneliness and heartache for Tommy… that is until someone knocks on his door in the middle of the night, changing everything.

Throw Me In The Deep End: I completely projected on Tommy on this one so this is why I like it hehe. Angst with fluff; Tommy with Depression and Anxiety. Summary: It's a great day for Buck since he will get to spend the next two days with Tommy. Unfortunately, Tommy sends him a message that changes all their plans.

When Tommy Met Evan: This was one of the first bucktommy fics that I wrote. It started with just one chapter but then some lovely people asked me for more, so I added another chapter... and then another one. I'm quite proud of that one and, surprisingly, people seemed to like it. Summary: After someone leaves a message after calling the wrong number, Tommy decides to call them back without knowing that he is going to talk with the possible love of his life for the first time ever.

I'm not sure who has done this already so, no pressure tagging: @bangpop91 @dark-alice-lilith @trombonechurchill @fake-mouthstatic and just anyone else who wants to do it.

Also tagging @louciferssacrament to do 5 of their favourite gifs and edits!!!

[noneatnonedotcom]

demi xander au episode ideas

season 1, while xander has kept his name out of the papers for the most part it should be noted that he's been a vampire hunter for effectively 5 years and his curse of living in interesting times plus his stronger scent means that until buffy showed up he was the center of a lot of bullshit going on in sunnydale. for season 1 i'd probably have the revilation that xander's been fighting vamps since he was about ten be slowly revealed with willow and Giles doing the uncovering as they see some of the more mundane things he's done. recovering stolen items for museums tracking down thieves dealing with "violent gangs" it should paint the picture of a vet of dealing with vampires but still being limited in his abilities.

beyond that i think you'd get like 2 episodes extra focusing on the "tragic backstory TM" of xander perfectly normal human vampire hunter. with the mystery of what he was doing and why deaths pre buffy were so low being a background thing.

i'd also probably add in an episode showing xander's taking over buffy's "shift" so she has more time to hang with willow and be a normal teenaged girl. overall with xander hiding aspects of himself in season 1 it's more about the mystery surrounding him happening in the background.

season two

with the death of the master normal vampires are kinda missing, xander's going insane with peace and is starting to get twitchy. episode where xander is revealed to be sleeping with several older women in sunnydale buffy and willow are jealous for some strange reason except willow she knows why she's jealous. xander almost gets eaten by the mantis demon, but since he's not a virgin buffy and willow save him before he has to reveal his skills. Giles and Xander bond in a father son moment, something rare after the issue with the hyena spirit being fought off by him. Giles poor choice of words when trying to figure out how xander did that made xander worried Giles was going to dig too deep and decide xander was close enough to a demon. because Giles is under the impression that Xander was just a normal human child going though the whole vampire hunter thing they actually have a heart to heart about how difficult it was for both of them to be warriors when no one around them could really know.

xander is seen around town with a gaggle of preteen and younger girls. buffy and willow assume the worst but are even more confused when they find out that these kids he's been hanging around with are his "half siblings" and xander tells them that he's a bastard

xander's siblings really like buffy and willow and wanna get them hooked up, they might have used some love mojo and conspired to have xander actually dress nicely for once right when the girls come by. xander has to explain to the other demigods that he's trying to find people who like him independent of his divine blessings. they head back to camp half blood after this.

xander starts dating cordelia and it's right when buffy needed his support with the whole angel thing. angle keeps taunting buffy saying that xander isn't what she thinks he is.

while trying to get buffy's mind off of angel willow takes the group to the beach for a day, a little mini vacation that xander manages to get the okay for from Giles, by explaining that he can have some "co workers" keep things safe for a weekend. giles doesn't know that his co workers are kids of Ares who are spoiling for a fight and needed an enemy they could blow steam off on. but the news that a patrol of demigods is on the hunt keeps angelus and co laying low till the slayer comes back.

meanwhile at the beach buffy catches xander shirtless and realizes that while he's built like a greek god he's also more scars than skin. giles and willow tell their version of xander's backstory and we get an over the top story about normal vampire hunter xander in a gritty urban fantasy setting with neo noir vibes.

that's all i got for now. any suggestions for xander focused episodes or background plots? keep in mind my goal is to keep buffy as the main character, xander's just the goofy best friend who seems to have a history

@weatherman667 beyond ideas for episodes i never decided what greek or roman god would be after xander and causing problems for him in an attempt to make xander theirs. suggestions would be helpful :) @heliosthegriffin i know you haven't watched buffy but still let me know what you'd do for episodes