#younger: 4x02

[runningupthatvecna]

get the peach(es)

bestfriend!eddie munson x reader

it's the day after chrissy got vecna'd and you and the gang decide to check up on eddie at rick's. he's still in so much distress that you can't help but selflessly stay with your best friend (who you've been harboring a crush on for quite some time) and keep him company. 6k words, not proofread.

cw: the good old friends to lovers trope, eddie is an anxious bean who just needs to be held (by you, ideally), mutual (and not so secret at all) pining, i wrote this with fem!reader in mind (she/her pronouns) but can also be read as gn i guess, fluff, hurt/comfort (for eddie), pet names, mentions of chrissy's death, there shall be kisses and a lot of softness. nothing too explicit but minors are still advised to LEAVE

a/n: totally not self indulgent, that scene of him being so terrified in 4x02 ripped me to shreds so this is my fix-it attempt, trying to still my need to hold him and scratch his head. disclaimer: this piece of writing is based on the ending of that episode, meaning all credits for the setting go to the respective writers. sources to the header images here, here and here. lovely divider by saradika. ok thank you so much for reading byeeee love y'all <3

–––––

The overwhelming need to befriend the satanic metalhead found you at that party at the Wheeler house. You had almost said no to Nancy when she invited you, knowing damn well how the night would end. Steve passed out with a girl on his lap, Robin silently pining after Vickie from some corner of the room while clinging onto the red plastic cup in her hand, Jonathan getting higher than a kite with his old school mates, the younger kids asking you every five minutes if you could give them a ride since you usually were the one staying sober.

Additionally this time, there would be Eddie Munson. This familiar stranger Dustin, Mike and Lucas had met and somehow befriended over the last months, due to them joining his DnD club. "He might come off as a bit intimidating ... but I promise he's super chill and easy going!", Mike had tried to convince his sister, poking the tip of her shoulder repeatedly with a bunch of pleases during lunch break in the editing room of the school's newspaper. Until she rolled her eyes theatrically and agreed to let the ambiguous stranger, which the whole town collectively perceived as not really fitting in (and who you both certainly knew under the not so chill reputation he carried around), attend the celebratory events at Casa Wheeler. Occasion: Karen, Ted and their youngest leaving the house for more than one day, off on vacation.

You'd always kinda stayed out of his ways, used to observe his antics back at school with a silent laugh and this .. intrigue poking at your guts. To you he always stood out, and if anyone asked you'd be hesitant to admit it, but his willingness to go against the flow and not conform to the acceptable standards set by society was honestly impressive. And besides, surely this whole mysterious drug dealer rockstar image must just be a fassade and deep down he's just a dork, right?

His eyes follow you through the living room, an echo of your name crossing his mind repeatedly after having pulled Dustin into a corner for a brief interrogation. He finds it endearing how quickly and almost bashfully you look away every time your curious gaze meets his. As you redirect your focus to the conversation you're becoming engaged in, there's a soft smile creeping onto your lips. Little did he know it would soon start to haunt him in his dreams at night.

"Anything specific you're looking for?"

God, his voice. The close proximity invites your nose to inhale a mix of fresh cigarette smoke, bergamot and sandalwood, allowing you to sense what can only be him standing behind you as you skim through the cabinets of the Wheeler kitchen. You turn your head for your eyes to confirm your assumption and what they find is the deepest brown of round baby cow eyes they've ever met, up so much closer now. The paring of his gaze and plush smile somehow manages to dissolve every little prejudice you've been involuntarily harboring about him. Eddie Munson, the town's freak. Prime reason for the existence of the satanic panic. Drugs. And then you realise that you should probably do the polite thing and give him an answer. "Yeah uh, I was just trying to find the peach syrup", holding his gaze with a small lopsided smile, lost in its warmth which you wouldn't have dared to expect from it, before facing away from him again. He snorts a little, "peach syrup?", pauses to bring a thumb to his upper lip, lightly scratching the skin above as if to wipe something away, before he removes it again and the dimples appear around the corners of his mouth, "that is oddly specific." His response spreads a smile over your face, and the next thing he says widens it, "looks like you have taste though."

You move one step to the side, about to investigate the insides of the next cabinet, the kitchen itself almost empty of people with only three others chatting away in the corner across the island. He follows, undoubtedly trying to stay close, and the heat from the fire he just ignited somewhere inside of you rises to your cheeks. "Thanks, I really like peaches. Especially in my drinks. It adds a little ... kick to my sobriety", you explain, Eddie now quirks an amused eyebrow paired with a lopsided smile at you, and as you get to the last cabinet it dawns on you (and also Eddie) that this household severely lacks peach syrup. An atrocity. Thanks Ted.

After he helped you rummage through the entirety of the kitchen without success but under a lot of small talk, the metalhead vanishes from the function for an hour or so. At least that's what your brain concludes when your vision fails to spot him among the people who are in attendance. Maybe he's selling out of Nancy's bedroom. Maybe he's puking up his insides in the bathroom because he had too much of that weird beer he's been downing all night. Maybe he's banging some random girl in the bathroom upstairs. Or summoning a demon. Or both. At the same time. You once again try focusing your attention back to the conversation you are involved in. Munson already feels so dear to you that the lack of his presence is starting to form an ache in your heart. It's tugging on those strings with how much you already want him near you. Yeah. You're gonna be in trouble with this one.

And then he stumbles into the room from the direction of the front door, an event you're totally unable (and unwilling) to miss. He doesn't look like he just puked, nor sold a whole lot of the stash since you notice it still bulging out the left ass pocket of his black jeans. Instead, as he pushes past the small groups of people socialising – and towards you – while you notice a red net of round fruits dangling from his right hand, and you start to think that his disheveled hair and that rosy tint on his cheeks might actually not be from shagging either. He meets your gaze again as he approaches you with a grin and your heart dares to swell at his attentive gesture (you think you might as well pass away on the spot).

"Have some, peach."

It's not syrup, but you'll take them anyway. And with your next drink, you swallow down not only that peachy sweetness on your tongue, but also whatever this tingly feeling in your chest is.

"Chchhrhch.."

Pause.

"Hey, uh– chrhchhr.."

Silence in your bedroom, the only thing illuminating the space is the moonlight softly falling through the window.

"Chrch– a-are you there?"

You stirr awake from dozing off in your bed, trying to piece together the information your senses are giving you.

Eyes gone dry, you have to blink a few times. Figure out which year it is and so on.

Confusion lies between the static crackle for a moment. That nap after your shift at the diner was necessary. God, you need to fucking quit.

"No I'm sure she'll pick right up, just– hey pleeease b-be awake, goddamn it!–"

Is it already past midnight?

You don't know and you can't tell, the clock on your nightstand still broken. What you do know though is that the familiar voice belongs to your friend Dustin and it's desperately trying to get ahold of you.

They must have found him.

"Dustin? I copy, where are you? What's going on?", you finally grab the device from the nightstand, fully awake and aware of your surroundings now.

You need to know. If he's okay.

There's that all too familiar instant tingle in your chest again, an ache that made itself familiar to you for the first time when he was introduced to you at the one and only Wheeler party several months ago. The dungeon master of Hawkins High's Hellfire club, the lead guitarist of Corroded Coffin and a super chill and easy going guy, to put it in Mike Wheeler's words.

What you didn't expect back then was your heart starting to develop that feeling, that tingle you'd always get to feel when you were in his presence, or like now, when his name is threatening to spill from your friend's lips on the other side of the connection at any moment.

"Aha! See? I told you she'd respond in no time."

You can practically feel Dustin's shit eating grin through the frequency, basking in being correct over Steve Harrington once again. It never gets old between these two.

"Oh my god", Steve's muffled voice is what you can make out vaguely from the off, he's probably palming his face.

"Dustin!", your voice disappears into the device, and your impatience grows with every passing second, hoping he gets the hint.

There's the sound of a door falling shut, leaves rustling under shoes, he must be outside now.

"Alright, okay yeah, so we found him at Rick's and he's really upset and he's been asking for you. I know it's late but can you meet us out here? And maybe, uh, stay with him?"

It's not even worth questioning. You're already wearing shoes. Your biggest hoodie in tow, you stumble into your kitchen with the intention to raid your own snack drawer. Pulling out Eddie's favourite, which you of course had stocked up on ever since hanging out with him at your place had become more of a weekly routine for the both of you.

Ten minutes, you told him. You'd be there in ten.

The drive feels like forever. The longest ten minutes of your life, you think.

You know the route like the back of your hand, having driven along the gravelly road leading from the last intersection before Hawkins' border to the outer world, to the serene woods surrounding Lover's Lake countless times. Eddie would take you here ever so often, for picnics, an occasional smoke after picking up a new delivery from Rick's, cloud or star gazing, listening to Metallica and Tears for Fears on Wayne's old walkman.

The gravel crunches underneath your white reeboks as they land on the ground. You close the door to your car as quietly as possible after you've taken out the bag and your hoodie.

Dustin and Steve are stood outside the boathouse, waving like madmen in the darkness once you come into their periphery.

The younger boy hugs you tightly.

"So glad you could make it", he gets out, the relief palpable through his voice as well as the grip he holds you in for a brief moment.

You look at them both after Steve presses you against him cordially, and breathe out through your nose, making your nostrils flare.

Dustin cracks open the case to you as he starts to ramble about the state in which they found your best friend, "well first he attacked Steve with a broken bottle, we had to put in great effort to convince him that we'd be on his side, and we came to the conclusion that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, basically."

What you want right now goes without saying. Everyone here knows how close you and Eddie are. As friends, of course. No one would think anything different.

Without wasting another second, the boys lead you inside where Max and Robin are knelt on the wooden floor. Heads turning towards the entrance of the room where you're now standing.

The sight of what's offered to your eyes, sitting opposite of them, breaks your heart.

You can see that he's slightly shivering, eyes glassy in the dim lit room. A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips though once his brain grasps your presence, and he can't help anymore but let the water fall once his eyes lock with yours.

The pain that is swimming in those two deep warm brown oceans hits you like a dagger to the chest. Over the months of being friends with him you'd seen him various different states, none of them comparable to this.

"Peach", his shaky voice announces your arrival and the sound of your nickname spilling from his lips cracks through your bones. The bag that's slung around your shoulder drops onto the wood with a dull thud.

Wobbly legs carry him towards you with a gentle shove past Robin and Max. You're once again reminded of your best friend's sheer physical strength as he wraps his arms around you, instantly burying his face into the crook of your neck.

One arm of your own sneaks around his torso, pressing him against you as tightly as your own strength allows you, while your other hand comes up to bury itself underneath the mane and to end up scratching soothingly over the scalp above the nape of his neck.

Eddie lets out a muffled sob, sniffling into the collar of the sweatshirt you threw on in a haste. He doesn't really want anyone to see him like this, certainly not Steve Harrington, so he clutches onto you so tightly that he thinks you might just feel his heavy heart beating anxiously against your chest.

And you do. How could you not with the amount of world he means to you? Like an automatism your other hand rubs slow circles over his back. Comforting him in the best way you could. Not a conscious decision you make.

"Okay so, m'not meaning to ruin the party, in fact I'd love to stay for another round of doom talk, but I really should get home soon, guys", Robin scratches the back of her head after she gets up from her huddled position next to the wooden crate Eddie had been sitting on. Max joins in and agrees, mumbling something about having to move her mom from being passed out on the couch again into her bed.

"Yeah me too, actually. My dad's gonna be fucking pissed. We'll see you tomorrow, yeah?", Steve's voice echoes through the room and you can tell he's already shoved Dustin back outside, itching to drive the kid home.

As Eddie processes having to stay in hiding, added the possibility of everyone leaving without him, his grip on you tightens even more.

"It's okay, Eds", you speak softly, head slightly tilted so your cheek rests on the dark frizzy mop you could call his hair. The skin on his neck and scalp so warm underneath your fingertips as you keep scratching it, emphasizing your presence, "I'll stay."

A soft muffled whimper is what you get as a response, and the way he lets you see him in this state melts your insides to a puddle.

You just need him to be okay.

They wave their goodbyes behind your back, accompanied by mumbles of "see you in the morning", and you can't even bring yourself to turn your head around, fully focused on making the young man in your arms less terrified of the world. A world he was sure was now going to come for him with all its force – in deep conviction of him being responsible for Chrissy's misfortunate end.

The door falls shut and Eddie muffles a quiet thank you into the fabric of your sweatshirt. The skin on your neck is damp with his tears, wet eyelashes tickling every time he blinks.

"It's okay, Eds", you softly keep repeating your words to him while continuously rubbing over the denim of his signature Dio vest in a slow motion, when he feels the urgency to claim the truth into the collar of your sweater about what has happened, "I– I didn't do it, I swear."

As if you would need any convincing.

"Oh no of course you didn't, I know that", you're looking for a way to ease the distress this entire situation is causing him, his quivering voice adding to your desire to soothe him to inner peace, "can I make a suggestion?"

Eddie nods with another sniffle against your collarbone, the round wet tip of his nose brushing against the column of your throat lightly. To his ears, your voice sounds like silk right about now.

"How about we head over to the main house and get ourselves a little more comfortable? Since we're gonna be here for a little longer? My god you probably haven't slept or eaten at all, have you?"

You can feel him nod his head again with a hum this time, and you start to think that the tears might not just be pouring because he just witnessed someone suffer a gruesome death right in front of him, but also due to physical exhaustion.

It makes your heart ache even more, that tingle still present, even more so now. It hurts to see your best friend hurt.

He just needs to be okay. And in that heart of yours there's that little spark of hope that leads you to believe you could be the one helping him with that.

You'd really want that. Be all his to find comfort in, to hold close, to kiss stupid

Stop.

A sigh escapes your lungs at the thought. That tingle, that longing, it's selfish. It familiarly pools in your belly and slowly drips downwards. You push your brain aside. This is about soothing your best friend now.

"C'mon then", you utter softly, encouraging him with your hand to lift his head from where it leans against your shoulder.

For your heart it's almost too much to look at, the hurt still swimming in the glassy big brown irises, his waterline red and puffy. The soft smile returning to his lips causes the wet apples of his cheeks to push up slightly, reflecting the dim light coming from the one torch Robin left you, placed on one of the crates.

He really hadn't been able to close an eye for a single second since he he'd gotten up for school the day prior.

You smile back at him almost bashfully as you slowly create space between your bodies.

Eddie is grateful that it's you who grabs his ringed hand next.

He squeezes yours, hoping to get the message of this meaning something to him across.

And he closely trails behind you as you lead the way.

The house feels empty, like no one's really been here in months. You'd never been inside. The few times you'd accompanied Eddie grabbing stash you'd stayed in his van, waiting. But as far as you now can make out in the darkness, there's a couch with knitted blankets, a little TV with a whole stack of VHS almost rising as high as the screen itself, spilled and spluttered empty cans and papers and wrappings littered all around. Maybe this is why he never let you come inside with him. Keeping you out of this definitely not sterile mess. Along with keeping you out of the business.

In the middle of the living room, you let go of his hand and shuffle one step away from him. He's inside now. Safe. Job done. Doesn't need physical contact. You shouldn't, he's your friend. You feel like something between you would break if you'd go there.

Eddie thinks otherwise, regarding close proximity at least. He promptly follows you into what you believe to be the kitchen where you hope you might find a tea bag or two. He comes up behind you and encases you in his arms as you rummage through the cabinets (feels familiar, hm?), not at all ready to say goodbye to the warmth of your body pressed against his own just yet.

You giggle at the silliness of him putting weight on you just to make it harder for you to reach into the cabinets. It's endearing. And very Eddie.

Twenty minutes later and there's two mugs – cleaned to your best ability – with steaming hot liquid on the sixties wooden coffee table. Next to them a plate filled with the almost equally hot insides of a ravioli in tomato sauce can. Thank Rick for a still functioning microwave.

You drape the knitted blankets over both you and Eddie as you settle into the cushions. The only light existent coming from two lit candles on said coffee table. It wouldn't be too wise setting up the torch you think.

The side of Eddie's face glows in the orange yellow, his wide brown bambi eyes dried after the first grand storm, and there's this tug on the corner of his pink plush lips again. He exchanged his leather jacket for the freshly washed hoodie for comfort and a small part of you hopes he doesn't spill his dinner onto any of it.

You lean back into the backrest of the worn out couch and watch as he eats, a domestic thing you've done a thousand times already, yet you still find comfort in knowing that he's nourishing himself.

Or well, in this case, inhaling the raviolis.

"Thank you Peach", he moves to put the empty plate back on the coffee table and it makes the spoon chink and glide along the edge, "I really needed this."

His voice is a little hoarse, probably from the emotions of the hours behind him. Maybe he has indeed calmed down a little. His hand moves down to your thigh, squeezing.

You give him the most empathetic smile you can bring yourself to display, painfully aware of the blaze that is transpiring through your leggings and seeping into your bones, "it's no big deal, really. I mean it is– uh, being there for you, is."

And he can't bring himself to look up at you. Instead, he stares at the empty plate on that coffee table in front of him.

"And to me as well. It really helps that you're here."

He doesn't bother moving the calloused warmth of his hand from the soft warmth of your thigh. It lights your entire nervous system on fire. In a good way.

And that's when you begin to wonder if everything that has just happened and is still happening right now changes anything.

"I'm so glad it does", is all you're able to get out.

Eddie decides that it's time to lean into your side and wrap his arms around your torso once again, drop his head back to its favourite place with a soft content little hum.

He just needs physical comfort. Of course. Just that. Nothing more, nothing else.

The words are redundant but your mouth articulates them anyway, "try to get some sleep, yeah?"

His back already lifts and falls evenly. You place your hand on the back of his head that rests in the crook of your neck again, scratching through the curls lightly, searching to help him shut off even deeper.

–––––

The candles have gone out by the time your eyelids slowly open. It takes you a moment to recall the location you fell asleep in, and you hope that the nightly darkness the whole room is now filled with hasn't invited any stranger to take advantage of your unconsciousness.

There's a warm hand holding your face, the pad of a thumb tracing over the apple of your cheek softly. It makes its way from the bridge of your nose to the outer corner of your eye, and back. And forth. And back. And forth.

You must have moved to lie down on your back in your sleep, with Eddie's weight still on your body, legs entangled. It's not the first time you've slept like this, there had been movie nights that had ended similarly.

His hand caressing your cheek though, yeah that is new. There's something unspoken in the air this time around. Your stomach is doing flip flops when you realise that he is propped up on his elbow, just .. looking at you. With eyes that don't require light to hint at whatever it is he is trying to say, or maybe not trying at all.

"Eds, what are you doing?", you ask almost in a whisper followed by a lopsided smile, expecting an unserious answer, because he always tends to make a joke whenever he tries to avoid conversing about emotions regarding his heart.

His thumb stops its acrobatics on your cheek, comes to a halt.

"I'm–", he takes a deep breath before he continues, "I'm just so grateful it's you that's here right now."

Your hand comes up to cup his. Brush over his rough knuckles with a thumb of your own. Enjoying the warmth that is seeping from his palm into your skin.

"Yeah, I figured you were gonna be a little opposed to spending the night with Harrington", you laugh, an attempt to turn your nerves into humour.

Eddie snorts a little, "yeah right, it's almost like you know me", he grins and pushes himself even closer to your face than he already is. It doesn't necessarily help in extinguishing the fire that's consuming you whole at this point.

"It's almost like we're best friends and I know what you think of him because every time Dustin or literally anyone else mentions his name around you, you're not necessarily secretive about it."

"Hey, my own worldview is not my fault, it's just– ... he just kinda seems like a douche of the highest order."

"He's quite alright, Eds. Try giving him a chance, I think he'd look great as Coffin's tambourinist."

He snorts again and you feel his breath on the column of your neck next when he dips his head down, nose pressing against the soft skin, his small giggle being swallowed by the collar of your sweatshirt.

Your favourite sound. Ever. Followed by the relieved moan Eddie lets out at the way your other hand is softly rubbing over his shoulder blade. The vibration against your neck makes you twitch as much as being pinned into the couch cushions by his body allows you.

It's soothing as much for you as it is for him.

When he lifts his head, the soft gaze he eyes you with is enough to let the goosebumps erupt. Even in the darkness of the room you can still make out those round buttons that could melt the entire north pole.

"Thank you, Peach, really. I'd be goin' mental right now and probably tryin' to counter that by smoking an equally mental amount of the stash I've been hiding here."

Your heart aches.

"I'm just glad I can be that kind of comfort to you, Eds. You don't have to go through whatever the fuck this is alone."

"I know I'm never gonna be alone as long as you are there."

You almost cry yourself now, his words making your hand travel from his own to his cheek, almost passing out from the way his eyes bore into your own once again.

Eddie isn't sure what it is that is making him feel lightheaded right now. The whole rollercoaster of events of the past hours. Or your words of affirmation. Or mayhaps it is your cute soft hand with that little ring on your thumb which is gently swiping over his damp skin.

That cute soft hand he'd been imagining countless times at night, silently yearning for your eyes to look at him differently, to finally see him in a different light the next time you'd hang out.

Probably a combination of just everything.

You reciprocate his soft half-lidded gaze, hand moving from his cheek to tuck some of his hair behind his left ear, revealing that delicate silver hoop earring you'd gifted to him for his birthday, after having talked your ear off about getting his ear pierced for literal months.

He'd insisted you join him for the appointment, "another metal moment for the books", as Eddie had called it, the need to have his hand held during the stab comically urgent in the way his voice sounded when he called you that day. And in the pace in which he picked you up.

"I'm here no matter what", you respond to his sentiment, that hand that brushed his hair away resting on the side of his neck while leaning the weight of your head into his palm that is still attached to your cheek.

Eddie's confidence reaches a new all time high with the admission of your unconditional support being stirred into the cocktail of hormones and emotions that's been circulating in his bloodstream for a generous amount of time now.

Because then he goes on by saying impossible things.

Impossible things with a slightly less platonic undertone.

"You're so fucking sweet, has anyone ever told you?"

You smile as you shake your head, heat rising to your cheeks once again and you're sure he won't be able to see just how flustered he's getting you (joke's on you he does).

You're also sure he's out of his mind for saying that. Now.

"A shame, honestly. You should scold your best friend for not telling you sooner. Tell him what a fucking idiot he is."

Eddie earns another giggle from you. Music to his ears. Better than Metallica. Okay maybe not but .. pretty fucking close.

"I'll let him know next time I see him", you say with a grin, playing along with pleasure, and you ask yourself why it is only now that you realise just how fucking close his face is to yours.

There is a moment of silence in which Eddie hesitates articulating whatever is seemingly bugging his mind.

"Do you, uh, still like him?"

If you lifted your head just a little your noses would be touching. A silly and utmost redundant question, and yet, Eddie dreads your answer. If the circumstances were different, less dystopian and tragic, you'd seriously wonder what would spark the doubt in your friendship in him, but considering that everyone else would be going to pour their judgement over him, you understand.

Every word exchanged between the two of you at this hour is soaked in mutual infatuation, something the idiots in both of you are slowly starting to fathom as well.

"Of course I do, he's everything to me."

As you say it, you can't help the grin which reappears reliably each time you finish verbalizing your thoughts. It's contagious, you notice.

"And do you think – just hypothetically of course", it's only then he breaks eye contact to clear his throat, "of course", you interrupt him still smiling and cocking an eyebrow at him, "d'ya think it would be okay for this best friend to, uh, maybe...", Eddie pauses, internally watching the ship containing his confidence set sail slowly and ultimately letting the irrational thoughts win for tonight, "would you let him..."

Eddie generally wasn't someone who lacked confidence. It showed in the way he boisterously wandered the halls of Hawkins High, the way his demeanor never changed, his mask never faltered no matter who was around. Except for you. You who he had always granted a look underneath the impulsive, extroverted surface.

"Eds", you try everything in your power to stay calm even though everything inside of you is screaming right now and you're certain you can feel your pulse in your earlobes.

"Would it be just insane of that best friend to kiss you right now?"

You want to squeal and kick your feet, pull him into your face, pinch your own forearm, pass away, leave the house and never return, and stay right where you are forever, buried underneath your favourite metalhead, the parts where your bodies are touching practically on fire, cosy and content.

Instead, the most fond smile spreads over your lips as you try to contain your internal overwhelm.

It's still dark, the only light source being the full moon outside. Eddie's so hopeful of your reciprocation and even more terrified of ruining his entire life at the same time, those deep doe eyes at this point pretty much resemble the shape of the space rock orbiting earth. Rejection from you, his pretty Peach and the Bonnie to his Clyde, would be unbearable.

"I think so," you almost whisper, the hand that's been rubbing over Eddie's back coming up to lightly trace one of his eyebrows with your index finger because you just can't seem to not touch him in some way, "but you should know that I love his insanity."

Your small giggle is being silenced by a soft and cautious kiss from Eddie Munson. Like he doesn't want to break you. Or he's afraid you'll snap out of a haze, slap him and leave if he starts kissing you like he really wants to.

And then it's you who goes for it, you feel at home, right where you belong, you don't think you've ever felt this good. The hand on his jaw tugs him closer softly, pressing your lips to his with a bit more urgency.

It gives him all the confirmation he could possibly need.

That tingle, it grows and fills up your chest and shoots through your entire being, goosebumps and all. Eddie moans and breathes against your lips, tongue dancing over the thin skin, asking for permission.

His ringed hand digs deeper and slowly moves to the nape of your neck, intending to hold you in place, afraid you could slip away from him if he didn't. This blossoming thing between you could slip away from him. If he didn't.

It's so soft, the way his lips touch yours, and before you know it they move to your cheek, to your jaw, down your neck before Eddie comes up again, smiling from ear to ear, to gently bump his nose against the tip of yours and his lips return home with a soft and deep hum escaping from his lungs into your mouth.

Relief floods his veins along with whatever it is you're doing to him. The ability to shut out the insanity of the past hours is what he so desperately wants to cling to for as long as you allow him, even if the dawn will remind him of the horrid reality he's involuntarily become subject to live through now.

"You're making things so much better, Peach, you're so sweet, so fucking cute, so fucking good for me, do you even know for how long I've been dreaming of this?"

Eddie greedily pulls your face into his again, not even giving you a chance to reply and not nearly getting enough of your affection it seems with how fervently his tongue searches for yours.

A gentle collision of skin.

The soft whimpers you let out only spur him on. You not backing away from him, staying with him, letting him be this close to you?

You, the only constant source of consolation Eddie's ever really had.

Life changing.

Soft touches follow soft touches, your thumb traces his jaw repeatedly.

"You don't–", kiss, "for how long–", kiss, "I've been dreaming–", kiss, "of you as well", you breathe against him and Eddie thinks he might be about to resort to sniffling into your collar again with the amount of relief he is experiencing.

You'd let him.

"Yeah?", he presses his nose into your cheek with his eyes closed, smiling from ear to ear, relaxing his entire body into yours as you let him slide inbetween your legs.

"Yeah, you know how much of a sucker I am for peaches", you grin, another peck to his cheek, his jaw, his neck, your hips slowly finding a rhythm against his own.

Eddie groans at your allusion with a wide grin on his face (and the feeling of your warmth against his dick), before pressing his lips against yours again lovingly, "me too baby, me too."

–––

taglist (thought you might be interested): @josephfakingquinn, @ghost-proofbaby, @analogkraken, @wroteclassicaly, @songforeddiemunson, @joejoequinnquinn, @somnambulic-thing, @trashmouth-richie, @eddddiemunson, @ceriseheaven, @userchai

comments, reblogs and other forms of affection towards the author are greatly appreciated thank youuuuu <3

[goodwhump-temp]

Ray Palmer Whump | Legends of Tomorrow / Arrowverse

LEGENDS OF TOMORROW 1x02 Punched, bleeding, imprisoned 1x03 Reckless, hit by a rock (unphased), sad, worried 1x04 Knocked unconscious, captured 1x05 Gulag, beaten, weak, bruised/bloody, annoyed, restrained, tortured/electrocuted, sacrifice/beaten by hammer, weak, unconscious, carried 1x06 Bruised 1x07 Losing oxygen, passes out, heart attack, betrayed 1x08 Psych ward patient (brief), stranded 1x09 Stranded, upset 1x10 Guilt, shot out of the sky, sad 1x12 Thrown, dying, severe internal injuries, past self attacked, bleeding, weak, comforted, heartbroken 1x13 Gut punched, shot unconscious, heartbroken 1x14 Manipulated, heartbroken, choked unconscious, arrested 1x15 Imprisoned, fated to die, knocked unconscious

2x02 Imprisoned, attacked, weak, captured, restrained 2x03 Punched, knocked out, stranded, knocked unconscious, restrained, interrogated/punched, bleeding, angry, knocked down 2x04 Sad, unconscious 2x05 Identity crisis 2x08 Body slammed, protected (26:55) 2x09 Memory loss, kicked x2, hostage, thrown in trash compactor 2x11 Arm twisted 2x12 Fated to die, 1v1 swordfight, shot, unconscious 2x14 Punched x5, crash landing, stuck with Thawne 2x16 Memory loss, punched, pinned 2x17 Choked, killed, punched x2

3x01 Knocked down, painfully pinned 3x02 Allergies, imprisoned 3x03 Drowned unconscious 3x04 Younger self killed, dissapears, bullied, shaken, emotionally hurt (17:10) 3x07 Captured 3x08 Electrocuted, unconscious, mourning 3x09 Therapy, tackled 3x10 Table pinned 3x12 Shock (34:15) 3x13 Captured, leg (indirectly) hit, pain, choked, restrained/gagged, knocked down 3x15 Severely injured, dying/unconscious 3x17 Thrown, unconscious, choked

4x01 Nervous, hallucinating, lovelorn 4x02 Turned into a pig, carried 4x03 Lovelorn, undercover, pinned, knocked out (offscreen) 4x05 Lovelorn 4x06 Mean Constantine (15:25) 4x07 Knocked unconscious, choked 4x08 Shot (16:30), "dead" 4x10 Bug of truth, scared, arrested 4x11 Guilt 4x12 Thrown, unconscious, emotional, possessed 4x13 Tempted, stabs himself, pain, upset, fully possessed, missing 4x14 Possessed, missing, body threatened, throat cut, knocked down 4x15 Possessed 4x16 Possessed, Hell therapy, hit (lightly), collapses, upset,

5x02 Shaken, knocked unconscious, 5x03 Handcuffed, framed 5x05 Mind controlled, choked 5x07 Choked 5x08 Emotional goodbyes, crying

ARROW 3x10 Annoyed 3x11 Punched 3x15 Obsessive, insomnia 3x17 Jealous, trust issues/'betrayed', kicked, bruises 3x18 Shot by Arrow, bleeding out, hospitalized, weak, blood clot, seizure 3x19 Punched multiple times, choked, crash landing, pain, beaten/choked, more pain 3x20 Heartbroken 3x22 Intense crash landing, imprisoned, poisoned, unconscious 3x23 Restrained, caught in explosion

4x06 Caught in explosion, trapped, 4x07 Sad/angst

5x08 Memory loss, knocked down, kicked, trapped

FLASH 1x18 Crash landing 3x08 Brain pain, abducted, mind controlled 6x09 (Superman version) literally dies/destiny changed

[atamascolily]

Lily liveblogs: Thunderbolt Fantasy 4x02 "Demon Realm Banquet"

In which a member of the Dong Li imperial family is a fanboy, Lang Wu Yao is really Going Through It, and the plot thickens.

Lin puts on his Mantis shell to go visit the Big Bad. Yi Piao Miao has resting bitch face, so his sneer is probably just the usual and not, you know, Lin's disdain for Locust, but I can't help reading it in anyway.

It's very rare for Lin to outright lie, so his statement that he killed one of Shang's comrades and took his form is striking. It's necessary for the con, and I guess it's true from a certain point of view (it's 100% what Piao Miao would have said), but it still feels a little weird because I'm so used to pointed half-truths from him and this is a bit beyond his usual spin.

"He didn't even suspect my real identity" is classic Lin Xue Ya double-talk, though--Shang certainly saw through Lin's illusion but he doesn't know Lin is playing both sides at the moment in an effort to troll Locust.

Even if Lin's descriptions of Shang are not 100% accurate (is he really drinking all day??), they're accurate in spirit; Shang is depressed and isolated, and Locust seeks to take advantage of that.

Lin is bluffing when he tells Locust he could take the Index immediately, but Locust doesn't call it, saying that he wants to avoid Xie Ying Luo's mistake. This suits Lin fine.

"Be careful what you wish for"--Locust, like Lin, is acutely aware Shang is ill-suited for remaining on the sidelines and seeks to wear him down through ennui. Never mind that Shang is probably a drunken master, given his skill set. But this hesitation is Locust's mistake, even if he doesn't realize it yet--either that, or he's caught on to Lin's true identity and is deliberately sidelining him.

Locust telling "Mantis" that he knows what he was up to with Jun Po is hilarious… too bad Lin has zero interest in actually doing his "job".

Once the Zoom meeting is over, Lin transforms back into his real self, correctly identifying that Locust has something else going on.

confirmation that Lin uses his sleeves for storage!!! yes!! (I mean, I was pretty sure he did, because I would store everything in my sleeves if I had his outfit, but it's nice to see it on screen)

Lin saunters off to give Shang a pep talk… his wording suggests he's going to tease him and also brew some sort of power-up to get him back into fighting form. Damn it, these two aren't even on screen together in this episode and their dynamic gets me every time. GIVE ME SOME COMEDIC HIJINKS, please, I need this in my life.

meanwhile, Dan Fei meets with the Dong Li emperor's younger brother, who is a huge Hu Yin Shi fanboy. He's basically Chao Feng's counterpart--flightly, vain, and preoccupied with his obsession--but more benign. I wonder if those two will end up getting hitched when Dong Li and Xi You are reunited.

he tells Dan Fei he'll organize a bishounen convention so she can recruit all the pretty people to join, hahahaha

unfortunately, our fanboy royal isn't interested in helping Dan Fei by taking her request for aid seriously, and his more level-headed advisor explains after he's gone that Xi You is sending spies for an invasion so there are no troops to spare (Huo Shi Ming Huang pondered as much in the S2 post-credits scene, so it isn't a surprise he's decided to go for it). War is brewing on multiple fronts; this is the calm before the storm.

love how Juan Can Yun skips when he sees his wife; those two are so cute. also love how Bo Yang Hou has now taken up residence there as the stern uncle.

Dan Fei decides they will go on a quest to retrieve… wait for it… a super-powerful legendary magical sword personally forged by Bai Lian himself (although not named directly) 200 years earlier. This was why Shang name-dropped this guy in the first episode, huh--it was a callback so we'd be primed for this beat.

(due to a linguistic quirk, the fansubbers translated "lotus" as "rosemallow", in case you're wondering why the sword's name seems so random)

anyway, new macguffin alert! love how no matter what the problem is in this show, it always involves a sword.

between Lin and Dan Fei, Shang's retirement isn't going to last, and that's probably a good thing if he's actually day drinking as much as Lin claimed to Locust. We all joke about letting him rest, but Shang's personality and temperament are ill-suited for just hanging around doing nothing… he's gotten what he wanted (sort of) but it's making him utterly miserable. Good things he has friends to drag him kicking and screaming back into the narrative… oh, wait, they won't even have to do that, all Juan Can Yun and Dan Fei have to do is tell him they're marching off into certain danger and he'll cave instantly because he's a huge softie and these are his kids now. Works every time.

in the demon realm, Lang Wu Yao is fighting the han jiao. Interestingly, Xing Hai wants to intervene; I guess even she has standards of fair play?? Instead of her whip, though, she pulls out her fulu (paper talismans) that she uses to control/paralyze people, which tells you a lot about how dangerous she considers the han jiao. (She did the same technique with Shang in S3 rather than fight him directly.)

Azibelpher continues to be a gloating dick, as usual, but we need him to deliver the necessary exposition.

the demons really love living weapons, huh… first the demon gods, now the han jiao, and only the Shen Hui Mo Xie can consistently stop either of them. Really makes you wonder what Azibelpher has planned for Lang, since he is clearly manuevering him towards some unknown end beyond merely becoming a demon…

I didn't notice this earlier, but the han jiao don't have back legs… they're just muscular worms with bat-like membranous wings (and we know from the opening credits they can fly). They're so cute it's hard for me to take them seriously as a threat. I also really want to know how they did the puppetry for them; it's incredible work.

love how Ling Ya can talk in sword form even though he doesn't have a mouth

Ultimately, Lang is right - the only way out for him is forward into the unknown… even if it means descending into his personal hell and forsaking his humanity. His pride and his rage and his pain won't allow him to back down, especially not after everything Azibelpher has done to him. Without Shang and Tian Ming, Lang is especially vulnerable to this kind of manipulation; Ling Ya tries, but he is all too easily overruled.

the moment where the triumphant music as Lang kills the monster abruptly cuts out and we have this awkward and grotesque segment of Lang taking out decades of frustration on its corpse, intercut with Azibelpher's triumphant gloating. ... it's so painful

further confirmation that Lang's powers are fueled by his emotions and that all of the suffering he's endured in his life are fuel for him now. (In other words, he might be half-demon by blood, but he's full demon now, as his hidden heritage awakens and overwhelms his human side.) Ling Ya is able to call him back to himself, but it's too late…

Lang Wu Yao's gasp as he realizes what he's done, staring down at his bloody hands… my heart… In that moment, he believes that everything bad he's ever thought about himself is true, that he truly is a monster… and that, more than anything else, is what triggers his transformation… that final piece of self-loathing and shame and disgust.

and he literally becomes the image of his father, who represents everything he hates about himself!!

meanwhile, Spider and Wasp arrive in the demon realm, and it's clear why their boss gave them magical weapons or else they'd be toast. Wasp is so happy to just kill things, I love that for her.

even with all the squabbling, these two are getting along better than I expected, honestly. Spider gets points for clever use of his chains, and Wasp is in heaven because she can slaughter everything in her path.

oh, and we meet a new demon, Ansarto, who is part deer, part spider, 100% nightmare fuel in the best possible way and I love him. In keeping with the "eyes" motif, he's covered them. I really want to know how they did his puppet; it's fantastic work.

because Might is Right and Wasp and Spider each killed a han jiao, they get special treatment, lol. Presto, instant banquet!

they re-used the dishes and cups from Seven Sins Tower for this scene, and either Mie Tian Hai imported his tableware from he demon realm or all of the TBF villains shop at the same Evil Wuxia Target, take your pick.

Spider is trying to play it cool and negotiate, but the question is who is really manipulating whom here? meanwhile, Ba Wang Yu just wants to kill people and doesn't give a shit about the details, so it's all the same to her. I love her so much. But I think this scene really demonstrates how, despite their differences, they arrive at the same conclusions--they're really not so different after all.

(also it's so refreshing to watch a female character just chow down with gusto on screen, even if demon food is a little heavy on the eyeballs)

of course Ansarto wants them to take down Azibelpher, which puts them squarely in the line of fire as plot threads converge. Either they're gonna get killed or Azi is going to convince them to join his side instead, and I honestly don't know which.

Oh, and the Murder Princess is going after Tian Ming in the next episode, so that should be interesting. does this mean a catfight over Lang hahaha

Preview shows a new character - a female demon with purple hair and armor - stomping on a han jiao corpse, a close-up of Demon Prince Lang, Juan Can Yun wearing some kind of mask (??), Shang looking nonplussed and Tian Ming playing her guzheng at sunset as soldiers arrive. Can't wait!!!

[katarinas-redemption]

The mystery of Red’s connection to Elizabeth Keen was solvable in Season 4. The key episodes are Mato, Adrian Shaw Conclusion, and Requiem.

The Blacklist first look: Mr. Kaplan's ties to Red revealed — first look

Source: Entertainment Weekly, Natalie Abrams

“In the episode titled ‘Requiem,’ we get to step back in time and see Reddington through the lens of what is essentially an origin story,” executive producer Jon Bokenkamp tells EW. “It’s a really compelling hour that involves Young Liz, her mother Katerina, her adopted father Sam Milan and, of course, Mr. Kaplan. In this photo, we see Mr. Kaplan putting on her ‘cleaner gloves’ for the very first time.”

The Blacklist unveils a shocking amount of backstory

Source: Entertainment Weekly, Natalie Abrams

"It turns out, Kaplan was more than just a cleaner for Red, but once acted as the caretaker for a young Masha, a.k.a. Liz Keen (Megan Boone), working for Katarina Rostova (Lotte Verbeek) and eventually uncovered that she's a Russian spy and becoming her cleaner."

In 4.02 we learned for the first time that Mr. Kaplan’s history with Red went as far back as to when Liz was just an infant. This was the episode where Red shoots Kate for betraying him. During the episode and before he shoots her which she knows is coming… Mr. Kaplan explains to Red that she only betrayed him because of an agreement they had made back when Liz was a baby for which Red insisted she always put Liz first. She mentions an incident that happened with “Annie” way back when. At one point Red tells Kate that he “was away”. All of this backstory dialogue was pretty vague and didn’t give too much insight. But in the episode Requiem, all of this is explained. We get to see Baby Liz in Kaplan’s arms. We see the promises made to keep Liz safe. We saw the incident with Annie and Kate. We learned how Mr. Kaplan got her name. We saw Katarina call Kate from Cape May to tell her she was going "away". Etc...

In short, the episode of Requiem will MOSTLY feature Katarina and Mr. Kaplan. The younger Mr. Kaplan is played by Joanna Adler. Susan Blommarert of course plays the Mr. Kaplan we all know.

Susan Blommaert 

And just like the episode of Nachalo, the story in Requiem is ABOUT RED in the flashbacks but who we see onscreen is Katarina played by Lotte Verbeek. This is because Red was formerly Katarina Rostova who took on the identity of Raymond Reddington.

The lines:

4x02 - Mr. Kaplan: Do you remember what I looked like that night? Lying in the street, my head torn open… Annie’s body in front of me. Red: You know I don’t know what you looked like. I was away.

The explanation: 1. The episode Requiem will introduce the story of Annie and how Kate met her. The episode will feature the very scene that Kate referred to. We see her lying in the street, head torn open… Annie’s body in front of her. Bonus: We finally learn how Kate got her name “Mr. Kaplan”. We are also shown the tragic scene of both Annie and Kate being shot. Annie dies. 2. Red’s line about him being away is explained by the scene where Katarina calls Kate at the motel from Cape May and tells her she is “going away”.

4x02 - Kate: Do you remember…? Red: You know I don’t know what you liked like….

When Kate said: Do you remember…? Red’s response wasn’t that he did not know her back then. Instead, he told her he was away. They knew each other. Also, there is no reason for Kate to ask Red in the first place if he remembers anything unless she knew Red during this time frame. What is important here is that the event of Annie and Kate getting shot at Little Nikkos happened BEFORE Red approached Mr. Kaplan to work for him. And yet: Kate to Red: Work for you? I don't know you. She thought he was the real RR. But anyway, the part where Red said he was away is explained by the phone call from Katarina to Kate from Cape May. She tells Kate she's going away.

4.17 Mr. Kaplan: Work for you? I don’t know you.

Red: I’m not as unknown as you might like to believe, Ms. Nemec.

Kate believes that Red is the real Raymond Reddington. That is who he is presenting himself as after all. The explanation for Red’s line that he’s not as unknown as she might like to believe means that Kate does not yet know that Red is Katarina disguised. Red is known to her. Afterall he did put Baby Liz in her arms 10 years prior.

4x02 - Kate: I’m not sorry for what I did. I betrayed you for the same reason I just betrayed Nikos– to keep Elizabeth safe, just like you asked me to all those years ago, when you first put her in my arms as a baby girl, only now she has a baby girl of her own, and your existence in their lives puts them in constant danger.

- to keep Elizabeth safe, just like you asked me to all those years ago, Requiem explains this line in the scene where Mr. Kaplan is in the nursery with the baby and Katarina walks in. 1. Note: that the song Kate is singing has the lines: You are safe, you are loved. You are wise. I think this was an intentional little nugget by the writers. 2. The scene ends with Kate telling Katarina that she would do anything to protect her baby. Kathryn: I told you. I have a pact with your daughter. I will do everything in my power to keep her safe. And her mother.

- “And her mother”: aka Red. 

- when you first put her in my arms as a baby girl, This line is explained by the same scene when Mr. Kaplan is in the nursery. Though we do not see Katarina handing the baby to Mr. Kaplan's arms and asking her to keep her safe, (that would be TOO obvious). Perhaps the show decided to do the reverse as a clever clue to cover the handling of the baby. That said, in the scene, they do show Baby Liz in Kaplan’s arms. In the scene, Mr. Kaplan even mentions “in my arms”. 

- Baby Girl, We can infer by Mr. Kaplan’s reference [“only now she has a baby girl of her one”] to Agnes being a baby that Liz was not a little girl but a baby when Red put her in Mr. Kaplan’s arms.

The timeline

30 years

Mr. Kaplan: Wrong. You have me. Raymond thinks he out maneuvered me today, but he underestimated my commitment. I’ve been his cleaner, keeper, and confessor for 30 years, and I’m prepared to tell you everything you need to know in open court.

(2017 - 30 = 1987. Liz was born in 1985 though she looks under a year old in Requiem.)

Two decades

Mr. Kaplan: For the last two decades of my life, you had me convinced I was helping keep Elizabeth safe. But in reality, I was helping you become a monster.

(2017 - 20 = This is when she started working for Red.)

This wasn't a part of Mato but the messy situation Red talked to Kate about in Requiem is about the "mess" in the kitchen. Red knows about it because he's Katarina.

Also not a part of Mato but Requiem revealed Katarina was burned on her back.

“Ultimately this is a ‘chosen one’ story. Elizabeth Keen is clearly incredibly important to Red. Why? That’s what we’re slowly revealing over time, and trust me, the answers are all there. - Jon Bokenkamp interview with EW post episode 4.08;

[transmutationisms]

so do you think kendall was genuinely upset in both instances (when logan was ill/dying) but felt that he had to take on the “CEO role” and take care of the best doctors and shit? cause it seems that there definitely was a thirst for power involved, specifically in season 1 and maybe less in season 4? i don’t know, i guess i’m trying to say his reactions are sometimes a bit confusing to me. he seems to have a sort of love/hate relationship with logan and waystar (?) but does he actually want to kill logan? does he want to take over at this point? it’s all confusing to me tbh

oh i see yeah.

well, this is maybe a trite thing to say about the characters having multiple motivations show, but i do think kendall has multiple motivations. i'd agree there's a grab for power, both because he wants to secure the family legacy in general and because he wants to take over as an individual. but he does also care about his siblings, even though he has a tendency to see them in a two-dimensional way because he's so self-absorbed lol. like, he's trying to take care of them in a very genuine way, especially roman and shiv and especially in 4x03.

the ideal scenario for kendall would've been, like, he business-kills logan, logan admits kendall is better than him and crowns him the new prince of waystar, and then logan retires somewhere quiet and stays out of the way forever. obviously this was impossible for multiple reasons. but it makes sense on an emotional level for kendall because for him, wanting to kill logan is not in tension with loving logan or wanting his approval. he recognises that logan is domineering and sees him as cruel and immoral, but at the same time, logan is the centre of kendall's universe. i'll be broken when you die.

so, above all else i think what kendall wants is his 'rightful place,' ie, what was promised to him as the designated heir: power, but also his father's respect. because logan withholds these things throughout the show, kendall feels wronged, and like he has no choice but to beat him at his own game, ie kill him. but even at his most patricidal, he's never able to shake the centrality logan has to his life or sense of identity, meaning that when logan actually dies it's massively destabilising at the same time that it appears as a certain sort of business opportunity.

and yes i do think that kendall still wants to take over; i think he never actually gave up hope of doing that, especially after matsson called him and threatened to walk out on the gojo deal in 4x02. so his reaction in 4x03 is a mix: guilt (this is a day after the karaoke scene), fear (the sun just went out), shock, worry for his younger siblings, and also opportunism: he's aware of his own position and sees a possibility that he could strengthen the company and take it over.

[imminent-danger-came]

Are there any clear parallels between Mei and Macaque other than they are/were the 'hero‘s closest friend'?

Like- MK and Wukong have similar storybeats and personality traits.

Same with Mei and Wukong.

(Even Azure and Mei have parallels. Containers for power. Azure‘s sword inspired her to make her own. There was a scene where they had the same battle ready pose. Azure‘s goal was to use the power of the emperor for something good, Mei thinks that power should be used for good whenever possible. Azure‘s first priority was trying to reunite the brotherhood, friends/family are very important to him too. Both willing to make sacrifices -like Wukong- to save the world, though Azure‘s method was admittedly less permanent than outright killing him.)

But other than the "Ugh, this guy." Facepalm Mei and Macaque did (at Ao Lie and Monkey King) in season 4, nothing springs to mind for me for this particular pair.

Macaque is cautious, Mei is the polar opposite of that. Macaque acts out of his own interest for the most part, for Mei, her friends (and the world) are priority.

Even looking at younger Macaque, from what little we‘ve seen, he was bit of a grouch, grumbling and half heartedly rolling his eyes at Wukong‘s antics. Whereas Mei is right there alongside MK being silly and goofing off.

(I‘m sorry for dragging the Warrior/Hero stuff back to the table, but with how often Mei is labeled as the Warrior in the fandom I would have thought there‘d be more. So I was wondering if I am just not very observant 😅)

First of all: never apologize for bringing up the Hero and the Warrior motif! I'd also like to thank you for your other thoughts, Azure and Mei parallels are always delicious.

Second of all: to quote my own Hero and Warrior meta, (mainly because I'm too lazy to rewrite anything):

"We know that the Warrior is someone who follows the hero, someone who is the moon to the Hero’s sun, someone who loves and looks up to the Hero. In this sense, the role of the Warrior is completely defined by the role of the Hero. [...] During the night, the Warrior is the moon that brings light to the world in the sun’s absence."

So, in regards to Mei being a Warrior to MK's Hero, I'd say she fits the bill pretty perfectly! "Together, there was nothing that could stop the two of them", and together MK and Mei are always going to be able to "figure it out". Even when MK isn't there or they're separated (particularly in 4x10), Mei and the gang are still going to step in and try and help (or be that light when the hero is absent).

Moving on: Mei and Macaque parallels.

I think the way Mei is treated by MK in s1-3 is reminiscent of both how Wukong treats MK during s2 and how Wukong treated Macaque in the past. MK ignores Mei—often letting his own reach for power affect his relationship with her, especially in episodes 1x06, 2x03, 2x06, and 3x03 (and honestly even 2x02). I'll just put shit MK does to Mei over Macaque dialogue lol:

Macaque: "Still the same Wukong—doing whatever he wants with no regard for others!" (3x14 Destiny Fulfilled)

-

Macaque: "Look Wukong, I get you're excited, I do! But- crossing the Jade Emperor's going to have consequences—aaannnd you're not even listening." (4x02 New Adventures) (Thank you 2x03 for stating that MK doesn't listen outright. We owe you a lot.)

-

Macaque: "Wukong didn't think so—he always felt he had to be stronger, more immortal." (4x11 A Lifetime of Mistakes)

-

Hopefully that demonstrates my point!

I'm also banking on whatever went down between Wukong and Macaque paralleling 3x10 (Ending with SWK choosing to leave Macaque while MK refused to leave Mei), but we'll have to see!

Ultimately however, I'd say that rather than parallels, Mei and Macaque are foils. They have some similarities, but there are also a lot of key differences between these two characters. Like anon mentioned, Macaque is cautious while Mei is foolhardy, Macaque looks out for himself while Mei works to protect others, Macaque prefers to watch and wait while Mei believes in taking action, Macaque turned against Wukong when Mei could never turn against MK.

But, in that same vein, I think they're in the process of becoming more like each other. Mei is learning to slow down and focus, to "harness the wild energies and emotions burning within" her—essentially to be more cautious. Macaque on the other hand is learning how to be a team player, and is starting to put himself on the line for other people:

While MK and Wukong have always been pretty similar/have made similar mistakes, it's interesting to watch their counterparts slowly become more like one another, but instead with their virtues.

Speaking of, Macaque's 2x07 line-

"As time went on, the hero obtained power beyond comprehension. As the hero’s light grew, so too did his shadow—and soon, the Warrior was cast into that shadow."

-has uh, started to worry me, mainly because I'd say that now, post-s4 MK has quite literally obtained power beyond comprehension:

And while 3x10 will always be important because of MK's choice to stay by Mei, I wonder if we're due for another ultimatum where MK doesn't make that right choice (*cough cough* he leaves in 4x08 mainly because he's afraid of hurting the people he cares about—something that is going to come back later *cough cough*). Or perhaps it's a role reversal, where Mei and the Gang have to decide whether or not to "abandon" MK (aka destroy the "harbinger of chaos", al la 3x04 Macaque Flashback).

[bylrlve]

hello, it's me

i was wondering if, after all these years, you'd like to meet

to go over everything

they say that time's supposed to heal ya, but i ain't done much healing

hello, can you hear me?

i’m in California dreaming about who we used to be

when we were younger and free

i’ve forgotten how it felt before the world fell at our feet…

hello from the other side, i must've called a thousand times… at least I can say that I've tried

to tell you i’m sorry for breaking your heart

but it don't matter, it clearly doesn't tear you apart anymore

hello, how are you? it’s so typical of me to talk about myself, i’m sorry

i hope that you're well

did you ever make it out of that town where nothing ever happened?

it’s no secret that the both of us are running out of time

so hello from the other side, i must've called a thousand times

to tell you I'm sorry for everything that i’ve done

but when i called, you never seemed to be home

hello from the outside,

at least i can say that i’ve tried

to tell you i’m sorry for breaking your heart

but it don't matter, it clearly doesn't tear you apart anymore

Hello by Adele, Mike Wheeler and Will Byers in Stranger Things 1x01, 1x02, 3x03, 4x01, 4x02, 4x08, 4x09

Edits Masterpost

[bellaswan-kinnie]

succession characters as colors

now that I've graduated college and I have time I wanted to apply some color theory to the baby girls and silly little guys of HBO's Succession before the finale sends me to a mental institution :)

KENDALL ROY: BLUE

represents: melancholia, water, transparency, isolation

All the sad music girlies are always singing about being painted/colored blue and I'm convinced they're specifically talking about Kendall Roy. This little girl has such deep sadness in his eyes, he reminds me of a wet dog.

Speaking of wet this man is always near or in water. Water has obviously been an important recurring narrative setting for Kendall ever since the incident with the waiter's drowning, so whenever Kendall is shown near water we are reminded of his inner turmoil.

The color blue's association with water also carries themes of reflectivity and clarity. In his relationships, all Kendall wants is to be seen, known, and truly understood (i.e. the Naomi watch fiasco).

Kendall is often framed by vast expanses of blue, typically in the form of the sky or water. This visually evokes a lonely ship isolated at sea, representing his tendency to push others away and retreat into himself.

SHIV ROY: RED

represents: rage, hunger, initiative

As we saw in 4x02 during the final confrontation with Logan, Shiv is the Roy sibling who gets angry (and I love her for it). Being the only girl in the family meant she was always left out of the family business, leading to a lot of anger and frustration.

Logan's nickname for Shiv is "Pinky." The color pink is a lighter version of red and is strongly tied to femininity, reflecting how Shiv's strengths and capabilities have been diluted and downplayed by her father.

Red is an intense color, often associated with strong emotions like lust, rage, hunger, and ambition. Shiv wants to be CEO so badly, and we see her struggle and sacrifice for it even more than her brothers do, likely because she was never told before season 2 that she even had a chance.

Shiv's hair is also red lol.

ROMAN ROY: YELLOW

represents: mania, frivolity, naïveté, cowardice

There are lots of things wrong with Roman Roy. It is heavily implied that Roman was abused by Logan as a child, possibly the only one of his siblings to suffer physical abuse. This has left him stuck in his childhood in many ways, still hanging onto the idea of familial love. Yellow is commonly assigned to children.

To be "yellow-bellied" is to be cowardly, and Roman often backs down during confrontations with his father, like during the board vote in season 1.

Roman's comical nature also relates to the color yellow, which is seen as jovial and vibrant.

CONNOR ROY: GREY

represents: neutrality, somberness, age

Famously in the Switzerland camp with Bella Swan, Connor prefers to stay out of the conflicts between his younger siblings. The color grey itself is a neutral, just a mix of black and white, often carrying ideas of emptiness and somberness that align with Connor's resolution to give up trying to win the love of his family.

Connor is excluded from the trio of primary colors, his siblings. He has less vibrancy and ambition than them (except for the presidency lol) but he's never taken an interest in Waystar. He's also much older than the other Roy kids, the offspring of an earlier marriage, marked by his completely greyed hair. This visually separates him and further evokes the role of father he's taken on in the younger kids' lives.

LOGAN ROY: BLACK

represents: wealth, dominance, severity

Before the invention of synthetic dyes, black clothing was among the most expensive to produce. Nowadays, black is the color of "stealth wealth," reflecting the severity of corporate America and the desire to appear sophisticated and classic.

In color theory, the combination of the three primary colors (represented by Kendall, Roman, and Shiv) in equal proportions creates black. This represents how each of the kids have adopted different aspects of his personality.

The darkness and harshness of the color black perfectly captures Logan's energy. He often sucks the life out of every room he's in like a black hole, consuming the people in his life with his pessimism and capitalistic priorities.

TOM WAMBSGANS: GREEN

represents: lack of experience, greed, envy

Babygirl Tom Wambsgans craves money and status, commonly associated with the color green, but he comes from more humble beginnings than every other character. Shiv and other members of the family often remind him of this, making "farm boy" related jokes, associating him with the dirtier, earthier parts of life rather than sophisticated corporate New York.

Additionally, calling someone "green" means they're a newbie, a label that applies to both Tom and Greg.

GREGORY HIRSCH: NEON GREEN

(pretend it's a different green pls)

represents: artificiality, childishness, attention-whore tendencies

Greg is very closely linked to Tom, but he's far more transparent in his desire to climb the social ladder. Personally, neon green is offensive to my eyes, which I thought was in line with Greg's characterization within the show and how he's perceived by everyone else.

Greg is also the youngest and least-experienced character, while also being physically largest, making him stick out like a giant sore thumb.

[gregorygerwitz]

more 2011 au thoughts pretty please? or just cozy trio thoughts in general thank youuuu

⚡

Hi again, nonny!

I don't have a lot of thoughts about the 2011 AU this week because I kind of... stopped thinking about it? I spiraled into a new cozy trio AU that I'm still fleshing out a bit. But! I have thoughts about... I guess "general" cozy trio. It's not my main cozy trio 'verse that I write in, because it follows canon a bit more, but I have been thinking a lot about how Hailey and Mouse would react and cope with Jay leaving in 10x03 if cozy trio was established instead of just Upstead?

First of all, the three of them would have talked about it, there would be no Jay making this decision and telling them on his way out the door. He'd recognize how he feels and what he wants is so similar to what Mouse did back in s4, and the two of them would have a separate discussion about it and what a decision like that means. Obviously, Mouse isn't going to stop him from going if that's what he wants, and he's there to be supportive when Jay explains it all to Hailey, too - because there's a lot of thought and reasoning that went into it, and it requires a lot of discussion, and communication. yes, they all sit in the big bed for this discussion because it's comfortable and it's their safe space even when Jay is hurting and has to leave them for a little while

also the idea of Jay starting his initial conversation with Mouse with "I've been thinking about going back in" the way Mouse started it with him in 4x02... thinking thoughts and feeling feelings

and he absolutely doesn't extend his rotation he keeps it to the 8 month timeline they originally discussed and agreed upon because I understand why canon did it but that doesn't mean I have to adhere to it too

Mouse is very worried when Hailey works so much and rarely comes home. he recognizes that it's how she's coping with all these feelings, but it's still worrying. he definitely lingers at the front desk "to talk to Trudy" for a while every night until he knows what unit Hailey's working with and where she's gonna be so he can listen to a police scanner when he gets home and keep an eye on her, that way.

The stuff with O'Neil still happens, just slightly different because having Mouse there adds a whole new layer to all of it in a really fun way (for me, not for him).

During the initial case that brings O'Neil to them, before anyone realizes he's up to something. Mouse is definitely intrigued by Safe Place and its purpose - because he's kind of... been in the same place as most of those kids? he wasn't a teenager when he was on the streets and doing drugs and needed help, but he was still young, and the idea of kids even younger than him being in that position hurts. so, if Hailey is going to be out at all hours throwing himself into work, he can spend one evening bringing some of the extra blankets and non-perishable food from the house to Safe Place (with a check, because he was raised by Thelma and Gregory and the Gerwitzes fix everything with money and he has disposable income again which is probably dangerous but it's fine he has good intentions)

The night he's over there talking to Sean and dropping everything off is, in fact, the night Hailey is in the garage (and his tech cage) back at the district putting all the pieces together. The next day, when Hailey and Voight find out where he was (because Mouse is still concerned when she doesn't go home and he definitely mentioned getting home late, himself) he kind of gets... pulled into the more dangerous side of the investigation.

Mouse is very used to the "safer" parts of cases - checking digital trails, finding information, just sitting in his cage with his snacks and his computers - but now they're asking him to act in an undercover capacity to get information on/from Sean and what he's doing. Because he established himself as a face that has a reason to be seen around the building because he may or may not have offered his time if they need an extra volunteer on his days off from the CPD.

*muffled Vigilante Shit by Taylor Swift*

at least they'll have a fun story to tell Jay when he gets home??? that definitely won't give him an anxiety attack because both of his partners decided to put themselves into a really dangerous and extremely risky situation??? I'm sure he'll be fine with it.

[reyesstrand]

fic origin story

thank you for the tag @welcometololaland and @carlos-in-glasses <3 this is such a fun idea, lola!!

1. what was your first fandom (reading and/or writing)?

reading wise….probably teen wolf AJDNSKS and as for writing, i dabbled in fic for the magicians and movies like the old guard, but 911ls has been my first big love with creating content (and consuming it too!)

2. what was the first story you ever wrote (even if it was never posted) and what made you decide to write it?

i was one of those kids writing stories in dollar store notebooks at like seven or eight, and in high school i took every offered english class including a writer’s craft elective, so a lot of my early “stories” were just for school or for fun.

3. what’s a piece of advice you would give to your younger fic-writing self?

don’t feed into the monster that is imposter syndrome, create what you want to create, don’t get caught up in your idea of perfection, and read read read! i’ve always got both physical books and tabs upon tabs of fic waiting to consume, and i feel like it only helps you as a writer—whether it’s original work or fanfic—to absorb yourself in other people’s stories.

4. what’s an early fandom interaction that stuck with you (be it a nice comment, a friend you made, a fic that got a lot of feedback, etc.)?

almost every interaction i’ve had in the ls fandom has stuck with me and allowed me to curate the best experience possible, both just as a fan of the show and as a creator. my first lone star fic was a little spec fic written i believe right after episode four aired, and the fandom was still relatively small then and getting some of the sweetest comments from people i’m still mutuals with today makes my heart warm. those early comments definitely fuelled me to keep writing, just as much as those on my newer fics do. i’m also so thankful that me posting my silly little fics have allowed me to meet and talk with some truly amazing people every single day.

5. post a sentence or two from one of your older fics, and a sentence or two from a newer one (if you want).

from my very first lone star fic:

TK shrugs, though his mind starts racing. "We've...hung out a couple times. We're seeing where it goes, dad, I don't know if I'm ready for much else. It's just dinner."

Owen gives him a knowing look. TK sighs. He wants to open up to his dad and tell him about how Carlos was so unexpected. He wants to tell his dad that he has this way of seeing right through him, and they've known each other for two months and already feel in synch. There's that numbness that just clouds over him and being with the team and being with Carlos seem to be the only sparks of light he feels, but he doesn't want to let himself get hurt again — and he doesn't want to bring Carlos down with him.

from my latest, a 4x01 coda/4x02-4x04 spec fic:

TK sets his shoulders and shakes his head at himself. He slides the door open and steps inside, kicking off his shoes and dropping his backpack by the door. He hears Tommy's words in his head as he stares at Carlos' back, his fiancé focused on stirring the contents of a sizzling pan. You love him. He loves you. It's the undercurrent of everything they've ever gone through together, isn't it? That magnetic pull; that invisible thread that held them together. A love TK never thought he'd find but can't imagine existing without now.

tagging you back, @welcometololaland! and no pressure tagging @strandnreyes @iboatedhere @marwani-strickland @sunshinestrand @doublel27 @tailoredshirt @maxbegone and anyone else who wants to do this!

[ramblingdisaster73]

Trying to distract myself so to make the wait for next episode go faster but unable to completely shut down my 911ls monkey brain... How long do you think the owen&nazis storyline will span? We know it will be till at least ep6 but will it be the last? Will that storyline be wrapped up by ep8 when supposedly him and tk will talk? Or it will be a season long thing?

Personally I hope it will end soon, I dislike when specific villains drag on for an entire season. And I also would like lighter and funnier stories for Owen, like wedding shenanigans. I'm also hoping to see again his brother Robert, ideally with tk too,but I know I'm probably asking too much on that front.

I am seriously hoping it is all tied up by the end of 4x06 – I am also hoping that we don’t see a lot of it in 4x05 – that the truly focus on the Marjan & Grace storylines for the bulk of that episode.

I kinda think there might be some kind of cliffhanger at the end of 4x05 – to lead us into the end of this Owen is so desperate for friends his age that he almost joined a group of Nazis for a cool new nickname arc (sorry that is pretty much how I refer to it in my head.)

There are some things I really have liked about this arc:

Showed how easy it is for groups to entice new members – Make them feel like they have a place they can belong – but that the groups will do so while they hide their true intentions. *Owen is WANTS friends his own age – he doesn’t tend to look below the surface of people until someone else (in this & a lot of other cases – that is Judd) open his eyes.

Showing how these types of groups want to appeal to & add first responders to their numbers – it gives them a sense of legitimacy in their actions & goals (at least to themselves). – O’Brien being a founder is something that didn’t shock me at all – I said all along he was higher in the hierarchy than we were being shown at first. While he may have gotten out – It's not really easy to leave a criminal organization – even if you are a cop.

BUT – I think it would be great to have an Owen arc where he realizes he CAN’T always be the ‘hero’, the one in the thick of it. Where he doesn’t save the day.

They have this weird obsession with making him this big hero type character – but, they do it in a way that makes him look so incredibly stupid and naïve about how people are. Every time I watch these first 3 episodes, I just think he is more and more stupid.

In 4x02 Owen asked the FBI agent if it was him, that when it came to him making male friends his own age & shit inevitably goes wrong – Is the problem him? I yelled “Yes, it is you.”

He needs to look around him – see that what he is looking for while he fucks shit up with people like O’Brien, Billy, & Red – he already has – just with a guy that is a bit younger (Judd), a woman who is closer in age (Tommy), and the twenty-something that he practically adopted (Mateo).

Owen/Rob absolutely kills the comedic scenes –I love those scenes – the one in 4x02 of him & Tommy in his office makes me tear up from laughing so much. For me, these are his stronger scenes/performances. But they built the character up as this huge hero – a lot from being a 9/11 survivor – that they keep throwing him in these plotlines that have nothing to do with being a fire captain – just a naïve adrenaline junkie – and they keep making them longer and longer.

I understood why they stretched out the ice storm in season 3, there was so much going on – FOR EVERYONE – that they had to stretch it out. But, for season 4, they started with 3 main storylines:

Tommy & Reverend Parks – This was one of the focuses for the 1st two episodes – and will be coming back – this I think is one of the 2 season long arcs – Tommy really moving on after Charles

Carlos is married/Iris & Carlos getting kidnapped – This arc will be wrapped up this week (TOMORROW!!!) – but it only a piece of what I think the other season long arc is – Tarlos wedding (I am really leaning into it being at the end of the season). We will be getting pieces of this arc until the end.

Owen & the nazis. – I don’t know why they had to stretch this one through six episodes – unless they are running out of ideas for Owen – which, if that is the case, I have some they can use.

*The stills for 4x06 show Owen, O’Brien, the male FBI guy in the hospital room of Red (that is who it looked like to me) – So I do think that ep ends it. (Or at least I am trying to convince myself that it does).

Owen being desperate for male friends in his age bracket that will instead, just help him fuck up his own life is the series arc. Really all this rambling to say that I really hope the nazis are gone by the end of 4x06 – like really hoping.

I don’t think I will ever be able to trust a dude that is roughly Owen’s age that wants to be his friend – his track record is not encouraging.

[itsjustafia]

So I started shipping Dickkory in the 2003 animated series. Never got a chance to read the comics because I just wasn't into that. Although, I have read some issues and panels since. And I have to say that Titans' version of these characters and the relationship are my favorite.

Although her story hasnt gone the way most expected, especially when it comes to Blackfire, I've really enjoyed Kory's journey to finding freedom and growth as a character over 4 seasons. Crashing to Earth and being able to finesse her way into getting a mobster to fall for her, taking all of his money and living off of it to this day is not only iconic but also shows how intelligent she is. I'm glad the show went that route instead of having her be ditsy like in the cartoon. Kory still has a naivete to her but it's better adapted with AnnaKory. I love that she's one of the strongest and confident, but at the same time people treat her with such respect and delicacy. And her being the voice of reason and wisdom, but also being comedic relief makes her such a well balanced character. I will always say she's the most well written character on the show.

I never really cared for Dick as a character before this show. The animated series made him a very serious and closed off person without a real explanation why. Titans actually gave a reason, and I learned and realized how sad his story is. I like that despite all the trauma he's faced, all he wants to do is help people and not have younger ones go through what he went through. Which leads to him adopting all of them. Went from a loner to a dad real quick. And even though he's an idiot when it comes to emotions you can see that his heart is in the right place.

Now what I love about these two together is:

How they are with each other. Dick and Kory have a lot of patience when it comes to each other. They've allowed each other to make mistakes without judgment. And they've also given each other space to figure things out when needed, despite not wanting to be apart.

They'll get mad at other people for doing something but once it's each other, the favoritism comes into play and suddenly it's not a big deal. Dick saying Kory's not a killer knowing she's killed people will forever be hilarious. And then there's Kory learning that he went to prison and helped people escape, but still going to break him out.

They genuinely like being in each other's company. That kitchen scene from 3x08, the bowling alley scene, and the scene with them in the RV at the end of 4x02 are some of my favorites because they're just talking, teasing each other, and having a good time together.

There's also never been any petty arguments or disagreements that lead to trying to hurt each other's feelings. Not only do they desire to be open with each other, but they also listen to and really take in what each other says. Especially Dick. Kory's words mean so much to him that you can instantly see him make changes after they talk.

Then there's the heart eyes they give each other and the looks of sadness on their faces when the other has to leave.

They compliment each other so well, and make each other better.

This is all I can think of right now. But I just really love these two 💜💙💜💙

Hey Guys! In celebration of Valentine's Day I want to challenge you all to share why you ship DickKory. Would be a fun way to flood the tag if you arent busy doing the fic challenge. What do you like about the characters as individuals and why you think they are better ~together~ ?

I'll start

I started shipping DickKory when I read some of the New Teen Titans run. But it's the TV version that really made me fall in love with them.

Dick comes across as mean and standoffish when we meet him. In reality, he was just sad. He thought he was a screw-up who deserved to be alone and his "friends" agreed. Every time they saw him they reminded him that he wasn't good enough and that he was a danger to others. But Kory told him sure you have issues but so does everyone else. We can figure it out together. She brought him out of his shell and he's always able to smile when she's around. Even during his lowest moments being near her makes him happier.

Kory on the other hand was completely lost when we met her. But even with amnesia, her first instinct was to protect Rachel and later Gar. When she got her memories back she tapped into an almost robotic state which we find out later is a result of her being trained to operate without emotions. But that's not Kory. As Zadira explains she's always rebelled and has always been emotional, kind, and empathetic. It makes her a terrible assassin and soldier but an incredible friend. Dick could have turned his back on her when she attacked Rachel; instead, he ran after her and defended her. Because he knows Kory. Dick gave Kory the space to be herself and be free. No one else in her life let her do that.

Their similarities are why they clicked so quickly despite being at odds when they met. Kory saw through Dick's tough-guy act and knew he just needed someone who cared to offer him help. Rather than shun him or allow him to push her away, she offered him genuine friendship. With Kory she got the to be herself around him. She got to exist without any rules or expectations. 💙💜

Tagging all the homies: @d-grayson58 @blackloislane @graysonfamfan2021 @tarotofbadkitties @allthingsbeautifullydone @feaap @shrutithemisfit @meerakory @lady-stirling @meetmeunderthestarrynight @ablogthatishenceforthmine@spaceprincessem @itsjustafia @ash-n-cole @amberpride @northvillegirl2020 @amazon85centaur @reddborn @stardumb17 @nightqueens-world

[aflawedfashion]

Younger 4x02 | Josh and Kelsey Dancing (requested by anon)

[bowie-boy]

NOTES: For the first eleven episodes of Community I wasn’t keeping track of trans Jeff moments but I will when I rewatch. I also starred the key trans Jeff episodes (imo of course)

Without further ado...

Every transcoded Jeff Winger moment (I can remember) because he’s a trans man:

1x12*

getting punched in the face is his “male rite of passage” according to Pierce

1x14

“I’ve never been someone’s dirty little secret” the fact that he is now?? Transcoded

“I’m afraid of things getting official. If you say it you might later have to UNsay it.” Jeff was definitely terrified of coming out and realizing he was faking it huh

1x17*

Jeff is uncomfortable wearing short shorts in public and wants to wear his own clothes, he gets very uncomfortable when questioned about it

Abed says Jeff is 30% the trans guy from Boys Don’t Cry

Once again! Gets very defensive when accused of being panties

Coping with hypermasculinity is so trans

1x20

“What is THIS Jeff?” “My chest????” “What are you packing in these pants” “guys-“ this entire exchange is trans

1x25

Jeff being so done with tr*nny dance

That moment of him and Troy with the trans cookie in the same frame >>>

2x01

“An old drinking buddy who may or may not have had a sex change” makes Jeff cut Abed off and ask questions, I think he got nervous

2x03*

Blood test at a physical! Testosterone

2x06

Jeff is very protective over his suit

2x07

Jeff and Troy laughing about Y chromosomes because they don’t have them 😌 (yes Troy is trans too)

2x08

very proud of his chest, doesn’t want to cover it up at all

Jeff is very quiet during the period conversation

(I’m actually writing a fic about Jeff’s coming out that takes place during this episode)

2x10*

Jeff looking so confused and annoyed when Pierce said “I broke my legs not my gender”

Jeff giving Troy a manhood experience for his birthday!!!

2x12

all the women enter the same bathroom as Jeff

2x15

Pierce reading a supportive speech in case Britta is LGBTQ+ and telling Jeff to “wait for the one” he has for him

2x17

Jeff uses nipple guards when running

2x18*

“Abed...can I tell you something I’ve never told anyone else?”

Jeff had to wear a girl’s costume for Halloween

“Everyone kept saying what a pretty little girl. After a while, I stopped correcting them. What was the point?” Wow TRANS

2x21

“You disqualified yourself from this conversation [about women] the second you decided to grow a wang” “I regret nothing”

3x04

Jeff keeps his toiletries in a safe

3x05

Jeff being a vampire is transcoded I don’t elaborate

3x06* (this is just a great Jeff ep in general)

Threw a gay party and it was great

His dad fucking DISOWNED HIM?????

3x09*

“foosball was just masculine enough to get by without throwing it catching”

Jeff had a pony tail as a kid

“I changed my clothes, my hair, my personality”

“Foosball is how I defined myself as a man”

Jeff wearing a hoodie at the end of the episode?????

3x12*

Jeff “has bad posture and sometimes looks like he has boobs” according to Britta, a statement which made him uncomfortable and deflated his self esteem

Jeff really wants the award for most handsome young man

3x13-14

Flannel

3x17

“A man’s got to have a code. I can only assume a woman has an equivalent to that, like a codette or something” okay trans

3x19

Jeff really doesn’t like being separated from his jackets

4x01

I just think Jeff leading a dance with another man who is in drag is very trans coded okay

4x02

Jeff is so obsessed with his body that he must be a trans man proud of his transition

4x05*

“Jeff’s at the point in his life where he needs a strong father figure to come out to” is this not canon trans man

“You seem like a self made man.” “I mean, I kind of had to be.”

The entire scar thing

Jeff’s stepbrother or half brother or whatever being too “soft” for his father to like?? But Jeff who is hypermasc still not being enough????? Okay canon trans

4x07*

Jeff is really enjoying his manly barber shave

4x10

everyone bought Jeff a hoodie for Christmas

4x11

Jeff is really scared of commitment to things regarding permanent choices or his own identity, maybe he struggled with this for his transition when he was younger

5x04

Jeff “would rather look at himself naked than the people he sleeps with” because he’s proud of his transition

5x07

Jeff and Duncan did a boys’ night! Maybe Duncan knew him before he transitioned and it made Jeff uncomfy until now

5x08

“my penis needs no enlargement” proud of his transition af

5x11*

Jeff is/was obsessed with GI Joe which was like Thee boys’ cartoon

He can’t visualize his future which is trans

They bought him an it’s a boy mug 🥺

6x04

Jeff is really supportive of the dean’s sexuality, literally trans

Like Frankie is basically canonically a lesbian or at least queercoded

The dean is canonically queer

Why else would Jeff be there if not for the fact that he’s trans

6x05

Jeff getting mad when someone says he hits like a girl and taking his shirt off

6x06

Jeff is stressed about his emails being leaked —> he got outed?

6x08

Jeff is really proud of his scenes in the movie, he wants the world to see him fully transitioned and how manly he is

6x10

Jeff hoodie trans

He won’t shut up about cars because he wants to seem big and manly

Also in general his halloween costumes are all hypermasc. I think the study group really helped Jeff feel better about his gender identity and really made him feel safe. Thanks for reading!

[stahlop]

Once Upon a Time 4x03 “Rocky Road” Review

Reviews 1x01 1x02 1x03 1x04 1x05 1x06 1x07 1x08 1x09 1x10 1x11 1x12 1x13 1x14 1x15 1x16 1x17 1x18 1x19 1x20 1x21 1x22 2x01 2x02 2x03 2x04 2x05 2x06 2x07 2x08 2x09 2x10 2x11 2x12 2x13 2x14 2x15 2x16 2x17 2x18 2x19 2x20 2x21 2x22 3x01 3x02 3x03 3x04 3x05 3x06 3x07 3x08 3x09 3x10 3x11 3x12 3x13 3x14 3x15 3x16 3x17 3x18 3x19 3x20 3x21 3x22 4x01 4x02

So the ice cream lady is apparently the Snow Queen and she’s cursed Marian to become frozen! And she’s also, apparently, Elsa’s aunt and was trapped in the urn before Elsa was. Interesting that Elsa’s mother never thought to tell her scared daughter that ice powers run in the family! And Emma finally pushes past some of her trust issues with Hook!

Summary: Marian becomes frozen and True Love’s Kiss doesn’t work when Robin tries to save her. Hook resorts to blackmail to find out who else has powers like Elsa. In the past, Elsa and Kristoff fight Hans and his brothers and end up discovering a long-lost relative.

Opening: Any Given Sundae

New Characters:

Will Scarlet: He’s apparently an outcast from the Merry Men. How he’s come to be in Storybrooke is a mystery. He’s a thief and will always be a thief. The most helpful thing he does is show Emma and David that the ice cream shop doesn’t use anything to keep the ice cream cold. (For those that don’t know, Will was a favorite on the spin-off Once Upon a Time in Wonderland)

Character Observations:

The Snow Queen: She doesn’t have a name in Arendelle or Storybrooke yet, but Emma refers to her as the Snow Queen, so that’s what we’re going with. In Arendelle, she is revealed to have been trapped in the urn Hans was going to use to trap Elsa. Instead, the Snow Queen freezes Hans and scares his brothers away. She is revealed to be Elsa’s mother’s sister.

In Storybrooke, she is determined to make people think that Elsa is behind all the freezing mayhem that is going on. She does some kind of magic to Marian’s ice cream cone which eventually makes her frozen. She attempts to kill Hook in order to make it look like Elsa did it. Luckily, Emma comes and saves him. But the Snow Queen clearly knows Emma somehow, even if she doesn’t remember. Elsa also doesn’t remember her, but the Snow Queen tells her the Rock Trolls took her memories like they did with Anna when she was younger. She eventually disappears. We later see her talking to Gold. He offers to help her, which she rejects. He also warns her about Emma remembering her.

Regina: How the hell did she run a kingdom when she is terrible at subterfuge? She attempts to hook Henry in by buying him comic books and then makes obvious comments about how the storybook doesn’t have an author. Henry sees through her immediately. She goes on about finding the author and getting her happy ending. Henry, instead of telling her that’s not how this works, tells her it’s her best idea yet. Oy vey! Meanwhile, Marian has been frozen and Robin asks for her help to reverse whatever curse has been put upon her. It’s interesting that she automatically blames Elsa, when she, herself, has been unjustly accused of magical things happening in Storybrooke that ended up being other people (Cora in The Cricket Game).  She claims she’s trying to change, but she still jumps to conclusions at the first chance she gets. Elsa says only an act of true love can save Marian, so Robin kisses her, which doesn’t work. David claims the ice is acting as a barrier like when Frederick was turned to gold in What Happened to Frederick, but Robin later tells Regina it didn’t work because he’s in love with someone else. Regina takes it with grace, since he and Marian are technically still married. They decide to take Marian’s heart so she’s not frozen completely, and Regina can work on reversing the curse.

Emma: Her magic is acting wonky, but she won’t admit it. Regina calls her out on it when she goes to try and figure out what caused the freezing spell on Marian. Emma thinks she’s still mad about her bringing Marian back in the first place. Which, she’s not wrong, but also, neither is Regina. Hook wants to go with her, but she tells him to take Elsa to the sheriff’s station to protect her from the townspeople who think she’s responsible for Marian. Hook doesn’t want to leave Emma, but she gets angry and asks him to just listen to her for once. At Robin’s tent, Emma comes across former Merry Man, Will Scarlet. He runs when he finds out she’s the sheriff, but is taken down by David. Will gives them information about the ice cream shop’s ice cream still being frozen hours after the blackout happened. Will attempts to pick the lock of the ice cream shop to show them, but Emma gets impatient and does it for him, much to David’s surprise. They discover that Will was telling the truth when they see the back room is frozen. And also Will takes off and steals money from the till. Emma wants to go after him, but David says they have more important things to do concerning Marian and she can go after Will another time. Emma expresses self-doubt about her abilities, but David tries to lift her spirits. Emma and David arrive to the Snow Queen trying to kill Hook. The Snow Queen taunts Emma that her magic isn’t stronger than hers, but Emma knocks her back with a blast of magic and manages to magic David and Hook out of the way of the falling icicles. After the Snow Queen disappears, Emma tells David and Hook that the way the Snow Queen said her name sounded familiar, like she’d heard it before. Hook offers to help look for her lair, but Emma gets pissed at him for not following her directions and almost getting himself killed. Emma talks to Elsa who is upset that the Snow Queen told her that Anna put her in the urn. Emma thinks they’re all pawns for something bigger, since Emma brought Elsa there accidentally, but the Snow Queen was already there. Emma doesn’t think the curse brought her to Storybrooke. Emma runs into Hook outside of Granny’s and she’s not happy with his shenanigans. He accuses her of not trusting him, but Emma tells him the truth. She does trust him, but she’s afraid he’s going to get himself killed since every other guy she’s been with is dead. Hook promises her he’s a survivor and they start kissing in the middle of the street!

Hook: He certainly does not like being told what to do, which gets him in trouble with Emma, but not for the reasons he thinks. We start with him, Emma, and Elsa questioning Gold about how Elsa and the urn ended up in his vault. He claims not to know. Hook isn’t buying his BS about turning over a new leaf for a second. Even when Belle compels him to tell the truth with the dagger, you can tell he’s not buying it. Emma, Elsa, and Hook go to the mayor’s office when Marian has been frozen. Emma goes to look for whomever is responsible and Hook wants to go with her. He’s very upset when she asks him to take Elsa to the sheriff’s station instead. Immediately, Hook and Elsa decide not to follow Emma’s orders and take the investigation into their own hands. By going to Gold’s shop and blackmailing him. Can I just say how much this pains me to see Hook stooping so low when he’s trying to prove to Emma how trustworthy he is? To secretly go to Gold and blackmail him because he knows Belle doesn’t have the real dagger to get what he wants is the opposite of everything he’s trying to prove to Emma. I mean, I know it does help them find out where the ice cream lady/Snow Queen is, but using a way that harkens back to his villainous days is not the way to go about it. Sigh. Gold changes a piece of Marian’s frozen hair into snowflakes that leads Hook and Elsa to the Snow Queen. Hook attempts to call Emma, but she doesn’t answer and has to leave a message (the crux of which is, why did she get him a phone if she never answers it, lol). When Hook and Elsa attempt to leave to go find Emma (since she’s not answering the phone), Hook’s feet are frozen by the Snow Queen. Luckily, Emma saves him before the Snow Queen’s plan to kill him takes place. Later that night, Hook is drinking at Granny’s and Emma’s still pissed at him. He accuses her of not trusting him, but she says she does trust him. She’s just afraid of him getting killed. He tells her he’s a survivor before kissing her. And, this is the first time Hook has initiated a kiss with Emma, she’s initiated it every other time. Hot! Hot! Hot!

Elsa and Kristoff: In Arendelle, Elsa is freaking out over Anna. Kristoff is trying to calm her down by relaying all of Anna’s heroic feats, but Elsa is stressing big time. She then gets a report that Hans has an army and is heading towards Arendelle. Kristoff wants to go see what’s up, but Elsa won’t let him, using his status as Anna’s groom as her reasoning. He goes out anyway and overhears Hans telling his brothers about a magical urn. Kristoff reports back to Elsa that it can contain magical beings like her. He wants to bring some soldiers to go destroy the urn. Elsa wants to avoid war. She suggests just she and Kristoff go. Elsa almost walks herself off a cliff while she and Kristoff have a heart to heart. They get to the cave with the urn and Elsa goes to destroy it, but then some runes show up on it, and she’s trying to decipher them when Hans and his brothers enter. Elsa fights off two of them with her ice powers, and Kristoff dispatches another with a sword, but then Hans gets the drop on Kristoff and threatens to make Anna a widow if Elsa doesn’t hand over the urn (and Kristoff, with a sword to his neck, still makes a joke that he and Anna aren’t married so she wouldn’t technically be a widow). Elsa ends up giving Hans the urn, despite Kristoff’s protests. Hans continues to be the worst person ever by telling Elsa that she doesn’t belong anywhere so he’s going to put her in the urn like she doesn’t exist, which plays on all of Elsa’s magic insecurities. But surprise, surprise, when he opens the urn to put her inside, the Snow Queen comes out instead. And she freezes Hans and his brothers run off. Elsa is in heaven meeting someone who has ice powers like herself. They compare stories about making snowmen come to life and building ice castles. The Snow Queen sees the painting of Elsa’s parents and lets her know Elsa’s mother was her sister, making her Elsa’s aunt. Elsa is understandably confused as her mother never mentioned a sister. Elsa lets her know her mother was lost at sea and it’s just her and Anna now. She tells her how scared she is that Anna is missing, and the Snow Queen promises she’ll help her find her, because that is what family does.

In Storybrooke, Elsa is accused of using her powers to freeze Marian. Emma wants her and Hook to stay at the sheriff’s station, but they go looking for whomever actually froze Marian. They eventually find the Snow Queen in the woods. The Snow Queen wants the town to turn against Elsa and she doesn’t understand why. She tells Elsa the Rock Trolls stole her memories of when they met in Arendelle, but doesn’t say why. She also tells Elsa that Anna put her in the urn. Elsa is adamant that Anna would never do that.

Mary Margaret: She attempts to have a ‘fireside chat’ as the mayor to go over items in the town (complete with baby Neal in her arms), but all anyone wants to talk about is Elsa.Things go south quickly when Marian starts literally turning to ice. After the meeting, Mary Margaret gets some unsolicited advice from Archie about needing to let things go, meaning she doesn’t need to have baby Neal with her constantly and she’ll be better if they aren’t attached at the hip. Mary Margaret is obviously afraid she’ll miss something if she isn’t there with him constantly because of missing out on Emma growing up.

Questions:

Why isn’t Emma’s lie detector blaring when Gold says he’s decided to turn over a new leaf? Or when he says he’s given Belle the dagger? There should be sirens going off in her head.

Exactly how far away is Misthaven from Arendelle? With all the magic going on in the Enchanted Forest, how have they not heard of it in Arendelle?

Since the Snow Queen acknowledges Elsa is queen, why didn’t she realize her sister would have to be dead for that to happen? She seems genuinely shocked when Elsa tells her.

How did Elsa’s urn end up in Gold’s vault? Did the Snow Queen give it to Rumple since we know they know each other?

Have Gold and the Snow Queen been talking since the curse broke? How does he know that she knew Emma once? Does that mean the Snow Queen has been out of Storybrooke?

Observations:

This is the most casual we’ve ever seen Regina. Her hair is in a messy ponytail and she’s wearing a t-shirt and vest!

Emma looks amazing in this episode also. She’s letting her freckles shine through, and she just looks cute as a button.

The two comic books we see Regina get Henry are Thor and ShenLu.

Regina and Henry decide their search for the author will be called Operation Mongoose.

Hook tells Gold that he could have Belle summon him with the dagger and when he didn’t appear she’d have proof the dagger isn’t real. We’ve seen plenty of times when all someone had to do is say Rumpelstiltskin's name (even in other realms) and he’d appear.

The cage that Kristoff puts his torch in is already lit when he and Elsa enter the cave. Then he lights it again. Or there is another cage already lit, which should be a red flag that someone is already in the cave.

Hook now has a cell phone and it has an ‘Emma’ button.

Once Upon a Time Firsts:

Magic can change form but never be destroyed.

So, we find out a little bit more about the Snow Queen, but not what her end goal is yet. She is obviously very bitter about something having to do with her magic and people fearing it, and she doesn’t seem to care if people are okay with it like they are in Storybrooke. I am not happy about Hook blackmailing Gold as it just goes against everything he’s worked so hard to put in his past. But Emma and Hook seem to be getting on the right path for being together despite that! Yay!

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[outrunningthedark]

Can you make a list with the writers and directors that have made *those* buddie scenes (and storylines) come true? 🥺

2x01 - Under Pressure [Eddie's introduction] Directed by: Gwyneth Horder-Payton Written by: Tim Minear + Brad Falchuk 2x02 - 7.1 [Buck finds out about Christopher + gives Eddie assurance his son will be safe during the earthquake] Directed by: Bradley Buecker Written by: Zachary Reiter 2x03 - Help Is Not Coming [Buck watches the Diaz boys reunite] Directed by: Bradley Buecker Written by: Zachary Reiter + Tim Minear 2x04 - Stuck [Buck meets Pepa/Christopher spends the day with the 118/Buck introduces Eddie to Carla] Directed by: Sarah Boyd Written by: John J. Gray 2x06 - Dosed ["Yeah, he gets that a lot. You should meet his kid, though. // Eddie watches Buck talk to T*ylor] Directed by: Gwyneth Horder-Payton Written by: Juan Carlos Coto 2x10 - Merry Ex-Mas ["You two have an adorable son."] Directed by: Bradley Buecker Written by: Christopher Monfette 2x18 - This Life We Choose [livestream comment that reads "OMG thos two are So CUTE together!" // Eddie holds Buck's hand as he's stuck under the firetruck // Buck tells Maddie attending Eddie's firefighter ceremony is "more important" than staying home to rest his injured leg // Buddie hug] Directed by: Bradley Buecker Written by: Tim Minear 3x01 - Kids Today [Buddie hug at Buck's welcome back party // Christopher gives Buck a card to congratulate him // Eddie lets himself and Christopher into Buck's apartment so Buck can spend the day with Christopher and have a reason to get out of bed // Christopher tells Buck "You're gonna be okay, kid."] Directed by: Jennifer Lynch Written by: Kristen Reidel 3x02 - Sink or Swim [Eddie shows Hen + Chim a photo of Buck and Chris on his phone // Buck and Chris have a heart-to-heart while sitting in a firetruck surrounded by water] Directed by: Bradley Buecker Written by: Juan Carlos Coto 3x03 - The Searchers [Buck collapses in relief after Eddie and Christopher reunite // Eddie brings Christopher back to Buck’s place and tells him “There’s nobody in this world I trust with my son more than you.”] Directed by: Chad Lowe (Rob’s younger brother) Written by: David Fury  3x05 - Rage [Confrontation in the supermarket] Directed by: Jann Turner Written by: Lyndsey Beaulieu (first episode!) 3x06 - Monsters [Eddie forgives Buck for filing the lawsuit and creating distance between them, they hug] Directed by: Tina Mabry Written by: Christopher Monfette 3x09 - Fallout [The Kitchen Scene™ + Buckley-Diaz game night]  Directed by: Marcus Stokes Written by: Juan Carlos Coto 3x10 - Christmas Spirit [Chris asks to spend Christmas with Buck // Buckley-Diaz fam celebrates the holiday at the firehouse] Directed by: Alonso Alvarez-Barreda Written by: Andrew Meyers 3x11 - Seize the Day [”Are you boys single?” // “Uh, this is Eddie’s house. I’m not really a guest.” // Buck and Christopher “fighting” on the sofa] Directed by: Sarah Boyd  Written by: Lyndsey Beaulieu 3x12 - Fools [Juxtaposition between A*a’s handling of the skateboard incident vs. Buck’s] Directed by: David Grossman Written by: Andrew Meyers 3x15 - Eddie Begins [...literally all of it???]  Directed by: Robert M. Williams Jr. Written by: Robert M. Williams Jr. + Christopher Monfette 3x18 - What’s Next? [Buck worries about Christopher going to summer camp // Eddie comes face-to-face with Buck’s ex and does not want Buck to risk his life to save her fiancé // Buckley-Diaz adorableness at May’s grad party] Directed by: Jennifer Lynch Written by: Juan Carlos Coto + Kristen Reidel 4x01 - The New Abnormal [”Eddie and Hen went back to their kids months ago.” // “At least it’s not a tsunami.” // Eddie is in charge of Buck’s rope as he makes his way to the bus that crashed into a building.] Directed by: David Grossman Written by: Juan Carlos Coto 4x02 - Alone Together [Eddie attaches Buck’s rope before a rescue // Carla teaches Christopher about the idea behind invisible strings] Directed by: David Grossman Written by: Lyndsey Beaulieu 4x03 - Future Tense [Eddie “I can know weird stuff, too.” Diaz makes an appearance // adventures in co-parenting // Buck buys Eddie the expensive coffee maker he wants as a “prank”.] Directed by: Marita Grabiak Written by: Andrew Meyers  4x04 - 9-1-1, What's Your Grievance? [Eddie tries to help Buck deal with his anger after meeting with his parents] Directed by: Brenna Malloy (The Queen has arrived!) Written by: Nadia  Abass-Madden 4x05 - Buck Begins [Eddie tries to reassure Buck that it’s not his fault he couldn’t save his brother - “That’s not on you.” // Eddie is the first one to see Buck after he is cleared by the doctor to go back to work // “I had to do it.” “I know you did.”] Directed by: Jann Turner Written by: Juan Carlos Coto 4x06 - Jinx [Banter at the firehouse // Eddie is not a fan of Buck 3.0 // “It’s like the universe is screaming at you and you refuse to listen.” // “I was wondering why Buck had a book in his hand, but now it all makes sense.” // “Ana who?”] Directed by: Jann Turner Written by: Taylor Wong 4x08 - Breaking Point [Eddie and Buck talk after Eddie returns home from his date // Christopher sneaks out of the house and takes an Uber to see Buck] Directed by: David Grossman Written by: Bob Goodman 4x10 - Parenthood [...I think we all already know.] Directed by: David Grossman Written by: Lyndsey Beaulieu  4x12 - Treasure Hunt [Eddie asking Buck to look for the treasure together // Eddie on the outside looking in as Buck + T*ylor brainstorm // Eddie is concerned when Buck says he doesn’t trust anybody] Directed by: David Grossman Written by: Bob Goodman 4x13 - Suspicion [Eddie is shot right in front of Buck. Time stops.] Directed by: Brenna Malloy Written by: Lyndsey Beaulieu & Andrew Meyers 4x14 - Survivors [YOU ALREADY KNOW.] Directed by: Robert M. Williams Jr. Written by: Kristen Reidel    - It’s a damn shame that John J. Gray and David Fury only wrote one episode each that was Buddie-centric (and those are two of the most memorable) - This Grossman fella has directed four episodes that feature one of the current “love interests”. Look out for that.  😶