#But in s2 instead of just waiting around for something bad to happen like he did in s1

[imminent-danger-came]

I really need to go in depth into MK's "smartie kid" arc that starts in 1x10 and is then a consistent thread through the whole show

#The Plan Man #What's the plan Monkey Man! #especially now that I know one of the special eps is named . NOT a good sign #I'll explain a slight bit here so. Pretty much MK starts the show having no fucking plan and just winging it #Then in 1x10 not having a plan directly puts his friends in danger #Then in Revenge of the spider queen he has ''no idea what to do'' and by the end becomes more confident at planning #During s2 he is the planner. the plan guy. In 2x01 and 2x02 especially #But in s2 instead of just waiting around for something bad to happen like he did in s1 #He is actively trying to get stronger (thanks 2x06). But this fails in 2x10 #So then he follows SWK's plan in s3. #But he ALSO is the plan guy plenty of times. #And then idk in 3x13 when sandy is all like and then in 4x03 when he #figures out how to bring back tang #AND THEN GOD. ''Use your words big brained boy! Say it! What are we?" #It's fucked up y'all #Especially with how SWK's plan in s3 was a big deal but it also. Wasn’t a good plan #And so like. BROTHER WILL THAT EP BE ABOUT MAKING UP FOR WUKONG'S MISTAKES? Who is to say #It'll certainly be something #lmk #lego monkie kid #lmk rant #edit: I AM SO SORRY I FUCKED UP MY TAGS AND I'M TOO LAZY TO FIX 'EM #the ep is titled ''The Plan Man'' and sandy in 3x13 is the one who says ''What's the plan monkey man'' if that helps

[avelera]

OK, so, I have now seen Good Omens Season 2 and had a moment to muster my thoughts after binging it.

SPOILERS below the cut, if that needed saying.

--

Let's start with the good.

Loved that Beelz/Gabriel became canon. What can I say? I love stories about immortals falling in love over the course of several meetings at a pub ;)

John Hamm in general was fabulous

I cackled at the fact we were getting an actual fem Aziraphale/Crowley, human coffee shop AU running parallel with the absolute fanficciest of justifications that Aziraphale and Crowley HAD to make them fall in love in order to *mumble mumble* something plot whatever, lol

I loved the bits of lore flashbacks we got about Aziraphale and Crowley first meeting when they were both angels and I found the whole Job encounter overall charming.

I was deeply fascinated by the fact that Crowley consistently performed selfless angelic acts while Aziraphale consistently needed to learn and grow around doing the right thing. Even to the end he remained, for the most part, a good little soldier. Aziraphale thinks the system can be fixed. Crowley "knows" that it can't. Presumably, Crowley is right. More on that later.

Muriel was adorable

Loved that we got the kiss. Also, huge shoutout to the fandom that I genuinely went in unspoiled on that front after the whole trailer debacle. I SUSPECTED based on the reactions that the spoiler was a kiss, but I was able to successfully forget all about it so I genuinely gasped when they kissed.

I'm not really all that bummed by the ending. It's so obviously a "temporary breakup so we come back together stronger" moment so I was largely unbothered. I actually want MORE angst, not less, in fic after that, please and thank you.

Unpopular opinion praise for S2, but I'm glad we didn't get more of The Them, or Madame Tracy (though the recasting of the actress in another role puzzled me?) or Anathema/Newt, or any of the non Aziraphale/Crowley, Heaven/Hell stuff. I found all those plotlines hugely boring and I'm glad the story moved on from them.

Did I mention I adored Gabriel/Beelz? Loved that plotline. Might rewatch that bit again just for that. I SORT of suspected it was happening but was still delighted by the confirmation. I couldn't BELIEVE this minor ship got made canon, but along the way I was sort of side-eying Beelz's reactions through the lens of, "Wait, what if Beelz is WORRIED for Gabriel?" and it worked very well so I was tentatively *glad* for the shippers who might view it that way and NEVER guessed they'd make it canon this season with more than a few tidbits for those shippers to cling to. Wow. Whole-ass parallel instead of what Aziraphale and Crowley COULD be if they actually 1) communicated and 2) understood each other's values and valued the same things.

Truly, it was a love letter to the fandom I found that to be very sweet as a choice made by Tumblr Girlie Neil Gaiman.

H'ok, now let's get into the negative. To be clear, I enjoyed the season! A lot of room is left to explore stuff in Season 3! And I'm not a deep Good Omens fandom person, I didn't read much fic after S1 dropped, I was more of a book fandom fic person for it. So my level of investment isn't such that I'm *crushed* by any of this, these are just more things I found a bit "meh"?

I really thought we were heading to a side-swap story about Aziraphale and Crowley and I was little bummed it didn't happen, though there's still room for the possibility in S3. The whole "maybe I did the good thing and you did the bad" taken to the max. I really wanted the angst of them finding each other only to end up on opposite sides again and opposite-OPPOSITE sides of where they'd been and been comfortable up to this point. I really wanted to see IMPACT and SUFFERING and DISCOMFORT and... idk, more drama? Than we got?

Like, there were SO MANY references to Crowley being selfless and doing the RIGHT angelic thing while Aziraphale did a lot of HORRIFYING things, including all the mind-fuckery stuff he did around the ball, totally insensitive to the needs and wants of the humans involved, only seeing them as tools, that REALLY made me wonder if we were getting a swap by the end.

The fact we saw SO MANY ominous references to Aziraphale FALLING because he was tempted by Crowley, over and over, because he questioned God, over and over? I thought something would come of that! I thought Crowley would get through to Aziraphale just in time to have Aziraphale fall and for Crowley to do something truly angelic, to have Aziraphale get through to HIM at the same time so they'd swap sides officially, against their will, the same way Crowley never meant to fall. It seemed like falling was something that COULD HAPPEN TO YOU AGAINST YOUR WILL and I wanted REDEMPTION to work the same way, AGAINST Crowley's will. I wanted them to get absolutely FUCKED by the moment they finally got through to each other and swapped philosophies.

So that was a bummer. Could still happen in S3 but...? I'd be a bit surprised at this point given I think it will instead focus on (*sigh*) averting the Apocalypse again.

I thought the pacing was fucking atrocious. There was so much dead time. So many scenes that were simply *not* needed and didn't add anything. So much meandering script with darlings that desperately needed to be killed for the sake of a snappier story. So much that felt like padding. With a better editor and 2 fewer episodes, I think it would have been a much tighter, better, fast paced show.

S2 recalled with a problem I have with Neil's writing in general - he's a short story writer/comic issue writer at heart. I, personally, am a long-form novel writer. Neil is not great at writing novels, he's a novella/anthology/short story person and it shows when he so often, so consistently, fails to pull a long-form story together in a satisfying way (to me, and this is just my subjective opinion).

It shows up in so many ways with how, in my opinion, S2 seemed to flounder with how to fill 6 episodes. The flashback to the Resurrectionist stuff could have been half as long and I found much of the writing pretty awful and cliche in it.

I liked Aziraphale learning that morality is complex, truly, but that was all I really liked of that bit of flashback and it could have been much shorter. I found everything around Elspeth exasperating and on the nose. It was a short story straight out of a random issue of "The Sandman" and sometimes it really feels like Neil has never managed to break out of the same stories, plots, and themes, with a dash of horror as he did from that era. He's always, always, still just writing either 1) fanfic of another person or mythology's work or 2) an original Sandman short stories/issues with no long-form plot. In his defense, they're always COOL and have an interesting VISUAL or IDEA but these stories aren't very... good? Writing? Or rather, he tends to just do the same things over and over again. Nifty idea that don't actually really *gel* into anything more complex than a single storyline?

I felt the same way about the Nazi Zombie plotline. I found that entire story beat EXCEEDINGLY tedious and pointless except to fill airtime, not to mention a bit gross to watch. I found the Magician Aziraphale plotline in general EXCEEDINGLY pointless and tedious to sit through. I thought it added absolutely nothing and was incredibly dull for 99% of the story.

Everything with Shax was exceedingly tedious and boring to me. The fight in the bookshop felt nonsensical and poorly choreographed. That needed to be a 2x speed to feel any sense of peril or urgency at all, and not knowing where it was going, or if anyone was actually really threatened at all just robbed it of any real sense of tension.

There was just... zero sense in general of important stakes in the Shax storyline or really in the season because there was no Apocalypse to build towards, no event that we knew about to worry about.

The world wasn't ending. Shax didn't seem empowered to actually do anything or hurt anyone. They were just a random action plot for... reasons? To make the climax in the bookshop come together so we could have a Jane Austen ball at the same time as 69 demons (heh) invading? There were so many logical leaps there to make that happen and the pacing/editing being garbage just... robbed it of any feeling of importance except as a time waster of a plotline. The actress is great and all but dear lord was that plotline dull.

A lot of the flashbacks in general just felt like... padding. Yes, we got a bit more Aziraphale and Crowley but they never quite... worked for me in those. It was always pointless STUFF they were doing rather than anything that contributed to the plot or even to my sense of them being in love or working towards becoming a couple! They were just... there, a lot of the time, sitting next to each other.

Some of the script pauses were SO BIZARRE. Like as if they'd just written the script and not realized how bloody often Crowley is given NOTHING TO DO in the background so he just... stands there, waiting for his next line, or taking a nap, or observing random stuff. David Tenant in the Resurrectionist bit with all his theatrics felt, again, pointless and tedious but also the best the poor guy could fucking do to fill out this incredibly boring story with any sort of entertainment. Bless them, the actors worked their ASSES off to get some fun and excitement into huge swathes of this script.

Maggie and Nina's relationship was cute but ENTIRELY pulled off by the actresses, the story was again, incredibly tedious and pointless otherwise, as many coffee shop AUs are in my opinion. Their personal charm elevated the material but it all felt like more stalling tactics with a wink-and-a-nod at fic writers, with this entire season was stretched out to justify, presumably, Aziraphale being in Heaven after being promoted to Archangel while Crowley is on Earth and they're fighting.

Quite frankly, if the "real" sequel, which Pratchett co-wrote, just opens with Aziraphale thinking Heaven's shown up to destroy him, only to promote him on the spot, basically the last scene of S2, you actually don't need 99% of this season at all to get there. In fact, it's a pretty fun comedy beat to do quickly. Basically, "Oh shit, the cops!" then "Actually, we're here to promote you!" and boom, we've reached the same spot as we got to after 6 episodes of S2.

Not that I didn't enjoy many of the character moments! But overall, it felt like stalling for time to make it a trilogy series, since only a few plot threads had any longer term importance to anyone who isn't a fanfic-writing super fan who knows what a coffee shop AU is and can giggle over there being one in the actual show.

Basically, it was very lacking in the strengths of the story that I attribute to Terry Pratchett - like the ability to pull a long-form story together, and certain clever turns of phrase.

There were so many lines where there was a pause where it was as IF they were going to say something clever, and then they just... didn't? And the line was just another cliche or a trail-off of someone mumbling "comedically"? That's where I very much felt Pratchett's absence. It indeed felt like half the writing duo was missing in many ways. And I'm not personally... all that convinced of Neil's chops when it comes to long-form stories or romance, two things that this season kinda relied on pulling off right that I was left feeling pretty tepid about after.

Look, overall, I did like it! I'm really excited for how the fandom will run with what happened and make their own stuff with it. I'm very excited for Season 3, whenever we get it, and the return of Terry Pratchett's fingerprints on the story. I think it's going to be great!

It's not that I think my time was wasted so much as I thought places where *I* would have done things differently, which is not a fair criticism of any work. From a technical perspective, really I just think it needed a tighter script or tighter editing, and they just might not have been able to do that if they were contracted for 6 episodes when they only really needed 3. Oh well. Onward and upward!

#good omens #spoilers #good omens spoilers #good omens season 2

[space-invading-pigeon]

Had the idea of there being kind of a hive thing with cocoons attached to it somewhere in the Upside Down. Like, Steve finding it, seeing something move around it one of the cocoons. Out drops Kas/Vampire!Eddie. They fight and maybe Steve ties Eddie up with a jacket and throws him over his shoulder. Eddie is still flopping around, and Steve comes back to the group. He's kind of dirty and beaten from the fight, with little splashes of blood on his white shirt, the thigh of his jeans, his hands, possibly some in his hair, and his cheeks.

Another scenario could be that there is an opening in the hive. Steve goes in it, leaving the rest outside with Nancy, and finds Eddie sitting on a rock and twiddling his thumbs. Steve sits by him, but Eddie doesn't seem to remember him or himself. Eddie then kisses him after mumbling something like "pretty." And then, it all comes back to him. He's really confused. I haven't thought this was out entirely.

Idk just give me a hive kind of like the tunnels in s2.

That would be awesome???

Like, let's say that someone in the group gets a bad feeling. Paranoia, maybe, or maybe they're growing more sensitive to the things of the Upside Down. Hop isn't healthy enough to investigate, so Steve takes up that mantle. They find the tunnels just like they did in s2, but instead of demodogs, there's these.... Pods, everywhere. It's nasty as hell and Steve immediately herds the kids who refused to listen to him out of the tunnels.

But the kids are magnets for trouble and physically incapable of letting well enough alone, so Steve decides to run damage control before one of them inevitably gets hurt. He goes down into the tunnels alone like an idiot, armed with a flashlight and his walkie. A few hours of exploring brings him to what he thinks is a hub of some sort. It is, as I said, nasty as hell, and Steve is ready to go home, but one of the pods is glowing, something inside shifting like it's fighting to get out, and whatever it is could be dangerous, so Steve decides to hatch it himself, pop that thing open and just fight whatever comes out.

Only what pops out is almost definitely Eddie Munson. A weird, pointy-eared, fanged Eddie Munson, but that's definitely Eddie, and for a moment Steve is so shocked and relieved to see him alive that he forgets Eddie just popped out of something that belongs in a sci-fi. Eddie gets the drop on him, so there's ... An embarrassing amount of shrieking as Steve fends off the attack, followed by an awkward amount of time soothing the half-feral creature he'd tied up with his sweater. Actually, that hadn't been a bad idea- Monster Eddie seems to calm faster, shoving his nose into the fabric and making weird noises that sound like he's trying to speak to him. Steve decides that he's done dealing with this. He's just- there is a line he'd drawn, and it's somewhere behind him, and coaxing some Upsidedown Monster Version of a guy he may or may not have had a crush on out of Fight Mode is definitely crossing that line. He carries Eddie back to his car.

As soon as Eddie is mostly comfortable, Steve pulls out his walkie and radios Dustin. "Hey, Henderson, I found this weird lookin', uh, cat? Meet at mine tomorrow morning." He reports. Dustin responds immediately.

"Why are you telling me about some cat, Steve? Are you going to keep it or something? Over."

"I think we should keep it. It's kinda- uh, bitey right now though, so that's why I said wait until tomorrow."

"You're supposed to say 'over,' over."

"Oh my- fine, whatever. My place, tomorrow. Ten. Over."

"10-4, over and out." Steve snorts a little at just how seriously Dustin takes his radio chatter.

Dustin is delighted to find out Eddie is alive, as is the rest of the Party (although they are a bit shocked to see he'd been shifted into a vampire-esque monster). Eddie, now that he isn't fighting for his life- or maybe now that Steve has his arms tied securely- seems more than happy to let things happen to him. He chitters as Dustin, Lucas, Mike, and Max fawn over him, makes those weird growling noises as Robin tries to talk herself into being totally cool with the claws and fangs and subvocal communication, and melts into a puddle of churrs and purrs and happy grumbles when Steve carefully washes his hair. He does so well that the Party decides to untie him-

Eddie grabs Steve by the throat and holds him for about three lifetimes seconds, as if to assert that he did not like being tied up, and then reverts back to a mostly tame being. After that, Eddie likes to follow Steve around the house, happy to observe until something in the wind changes or whatever motivates goblin people like Eddie, and then he spends about ten minutes chasing Steve down, biting the shit out of him, and parading around the house like he'd done something praiseworthy.

El tries to offer her help, but after much talk, the Party decides to try and bring Eddie back to himself the old-fashioned way. It's a bit awkward, if only because Steve is insistent that they treat Eddie like he's Eddie. Steve becomes Eddie's Person, for a while, because they'd all agreed not to tell Wayne until they could get Eddie back to himself (or at least mostly back to himself).

#asks #steddie #stranger things headcanons #steve harrington #eddie munson #j asks

[randomfoggytiger]

X-Files Collector's Edition: My Favorite Fics and Quotes by suitablyaggrieved

These are my penultimate favorites for by @suitablyaggrieved/ScullyLovesQueequeg; and I wanted to type this post up because they're great and worthy of love~.

@suitablyaggrieved, this is for you!

Loose chronological order below~.

Main Series

Snooping - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own] 

""Mulder, please—”

“I just thought you needed to hear that because I have trouble vocalizing things like that sometimes.”

There was a silence between them, and then Scully asked flatly,

“Where were you sitting?”

“You know the booth with the potted plant, by the window? Behind it.""

S1 Mulder overhears Scully discussing him with her friend; and, when he tries to subtly fish for answers later, gets called out by Scully later.

Fictober Day 4 - Post Tenebras Lux (tumblr.com) 

""One day, I won’t be around and you’ll miss it. You’ll feel bad saying that, Mulder.”

He scoffed. “Fat chance.""

S1? Mulder can't stand how Scully picks apart her burgers.

Fictober Day 14 - “Your information was wrong.” - Post Tenebras Lux (tumblr.com) 

""She knew it would be a dead end. It always was. It was the journey that interested her.

“I hope we can, Mulder. For her sake and yours.""

S1? Mulder's lead on Samantha yielded him nothing. While he retreats to lick his wounds, Scully vows to help him regardless.

#23 - I'll Wait - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own]

""Oh Mulder, I really would love to see what you had in mind, but a friend of mine invited me to watch her play, and she's holding me seats in the first row.”

“I'll wait,” He said, moving to sit up, and reaching for his Rolodex. Scully watched as he flipped through it.

“For what?”

“The play to be over. I'll pick you up. Give me a call.” He said, selecting a card, and taking the phone’s receiver in his free hand.""

S1 Scully realizes that Mulder is the first person to say he will wait and truly wait, forever if needed.

 Fictober Day 10 - Post Tenebras Lux (tumblr.com) 

""The words hostile environment came as a shock. Him and the others butt heads occasionally, but he had never gotten to the point where he actively sought to antagonize everyone—he had to put up with the constant quips and snide remarks about little green men. He had to deal with people taking his things, and then blaming it on an alien or something else equally as juvenile. He was the one who had to eat alone.

“That’s news to me, considering I just removed a dead rat from my desk about an hour ago. I’ve been finding all sorts of nasty surprises on my desk lately. My favorite was the vivisected frog,” Mulder said, folding his arms over his chest.""

S2 Mulder is being bullied by his coworkers in surveillance. While Skinner might not back him, Scully does.

Tagging: @today-in-fic ——— Mulder hears the door... - Post Tenebras Lux (tumblr.com) 

""Mulder hears the door creak open, but he doesn’t look. He already knows who it is.

“Scully, you’re late,” he says, and the reply is,

“I’m not Scully.”

Mulder glances up. Instead of his partner, Skinner is there, looking serious, looking sad.""

Post Ascension Mulder always forgets Scully is gone. Skinner tries to give as much comfort as he can.

Decided to write up this hc I shared. Tagging:... - Post Tenebras Lux (tumblr.com)

""As she made her way out of the therapist’s office, she paused and smiled to herself when she spotted Mulder’s car waiting for her. Mulder was occupying himself with a crossword, something that Scully herself suggested when his nervous foot bouncing drove her up the wall. She approached the car and tapped on his window, startling him.""

Post One Breath Mulder supports Scully through her exacerbated fear of flying, suggesting a professional for her traumas and supporting her when she gives it a try.

(11) Post Tenebras Lux on Tumblr

""The anger doesn't come out of nowhere. It happens after he catches a glimpse of Scully sitting quietly with a cup of coffee and reading. She's absorbed in her own world. She wasn't expecting the company, despite the fact that it's a Saturday afternoon in February--Valentine's Day to be precise. Around her, couples make eyes at each other, whispering sweet nothings to each other, and Scully is oblivious to it all.""

S1-S2? Mulder is angry that Scully has to celebrate Valentine's Day alone. He tries to make it up to her.

Jealousy is an Ugly Color - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own] 

""Lunch was uneventful, save for the few missed calls from Scully. He ignored them. He hadn’t been lying about the meeting he had later but he didn’t want to spend his lunch with Scully. However, much to his dismay, Scully managed to find his table and join him.

“If I wanted company, I would have asked for it,” Mulder said, but Scully reached over and took a bread roll off his plate."" 

War of the Coprophages Mulder is having too much fun pitting Scully against Bambi. Scully Uno Reverses the situation; and Mulder turns into a pouty pants.

Something's Gotta Give - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own] 

""Yeah, I know. But the chocolate," Mulder said, bringing the card and the box of chocolates to his desk. "--somebody up there must like you. This ain't Hersey."

Scully didn't even bother to stop him, as she examined the card with a magnifying glass that she had gotten from her drawer.""

S3-4 Scully is bombarded with Valentine's Day's chocolates; and Mulder descends into petty jealousy as he helps himself to her stash.

#4 Come Here, Let Me Fix It For You - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own]

""It’s alright,” Scully said, her arms folding over her chest, as if to protect her heart. Maybe, in her own way, she was protecting her heart from him. “I’m sorry that you weren’t able to finish your vacation. For what it’s worth, I know how much going to Graceland meant for you, and if you wanted to ever go back… I wouldn’t mind coming with you.”

Mulder gave her a smile, one that was dismissive in nature. “Nah, don’t worry about it. I’m just glad you’re okay.""

Post Never Again Mulder finally leaves off picking at Scully, turning his frustration into focus as he repairs her broken cross. Both apologize to each other.

7. You’ve gone to the bathroom fifty times today.... - Post Tenebras Lux (tumblr.com) (Ao3)

""It’s not what you think,” She said, but Mulder stood and followed after her. Normally, she would have protested, but she did not this time, leaving the door to the water closet open. Mulder waited outside, leaning against the wall so he couldn’t see inside, since she had kept the door open. Scully turned on the faucet.

“So what is it then? I thought you might have been pregnant, but you were losing weight,” He explained, and Scully inhaled sharply.""

AU-- Post Never Again Mulder notices Scully keeps rushing to the bathroom. She debunks his pregnancy suspicions, voicing her fear about cancer.

Creeping Distress - Chapter 1 - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own]

""Get dressed. I have an idea.” This is all he says, before he heads out of the apartment. She is confused, but hurries to make herself decent.

When she arrives downstairs, Mulder is already in the car. She joins him and he begins to drive. It’s dark, and quiet, and she wonders if he does this often. Twice, she opens her mouth to speak, but the silence that has enveloped the car is nice and comfortable, and so she does not break it, content to just take in the scenery.""

S4 Scully can't sleep post her cancer treatment; and Mulder willingly and quietly drives her around until she does.

Funeral For A Friend - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own]  

""Honey, I know he cared about you a lot. When you were unconscious, he came by everyday and stayed as long as the nurses let him. You said he doesn’t believe in God, but he held your necklace for you. He wore it all the time. When he spoke about you, his eyes lit up, the way people’s do when they’re in love. I didn’t know much about him, but I know he cared."

"I know he cared," She says, lowering her eyes, and using a trembling hand to wipe away the tears that streaked her face. "I cared about him too. But I don’t think he knew that he was more than just someone I worked with…"

"Oh Dana—""

AU-- Post Gethsemane Scully attends Mulder's funeral.

"I think I'm sick again" X-Files starter, MSR? - Post Tenebras Lux (tumblr.com) 

""We don’t know that it’s cancer, it was inconclusive,” Mulder started, and Scully’s hand curled into a fist.

“The nosebleeds… that’s how it began last time…”

“Yeah, but don’t you remember the memo about the mold in the air? It could be that… I’m just–let’s not jump to any conclusions here,” Mulder said. Scully smiled at him, despite herself.""

AU-- Post Redux II? Scully thinks the cancer is back. Both she and Mulder are panicking.

The Reticulan Roadhouse - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own] 

""…seemed perfectly healthy, though that’s not so unusual…" She continues, engrossed in what she is talking about. She has autopsy reports on the table and is going over the data, uncaring and unaware that they are in a restaurant. Mulder smiles, because though Scully calls him dedicated, she has her moments too, and they are just as endearing to him as his are to her.

"The waitress is coming with the food," Mulder reminds her, and she looks around, and remembers they’re in a diner. She puts the file away, just as the waitress sets their plates down. A steak for Scully, and a burger for Mulder. They thank her when she leaves—at the same time—and go right into eating.""

Post Dreamland II Mulder takes Scully to the Reticulan Roadhouse where he gifts her earrings for her birthday.

 #60 - Happy birthday. - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own] 

""When the flame was extinguished, he removed the candle, and gently peeled away the wax paper that held the cupcake together. Carefully, he pinched about half and then gave it to her.

"--Mulder, no, that's for you..." She said, looking it over, and using her hand to catch the falling crumbs.

"Yeah, yeah I know but--I don't get to share things with you all that often. Besides, I'm watching my weight."" 

S6 Scully surprises Mulder with a birthday celebration.

Cancelled Plans - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own] 

""Scully wanted to laugh, and maybe, if she hadn’t just seen Agent Fowley saunter out of the office, she would have. But she couldn’t force herself to. She knew Mulder could probably tell regardless.

“No, I don’t have any plans for that day. I think you’d be the first to know if I did,” Scully answered, her gaze straying to the waste bin by his desk. It was dented, probably from all the times he had accidentally kicked it over when coming around the desk to show her something. That thought made her smile.""

S6 Diana invites Mulder out for Valentine's Day. Scully carefully dissects her own feelings, letting Mulder make his own choice-- and is so happy he chooses her.

Not really a ficobter fic, just wanted to write... - Post Tenebras Lux (tumblr.com) 

""Almost as if she had heard him, Scully glances in their direction. Mulder gives her a subtle nod. She walks over, her heels clicking loudly on the tile.""

UST Part 1-- Mulder is questioned by a witness by he hasn't asked Scully out yet. He's able to pluck up the courage to do so.

Continuation from this. I don’t normally write... - Post Tenebras Lux (tumblr.com)  

""I’m willing to give it a shot.”

“Alright."”

UST Part 2-- Scully rejects Mulder's offer. He's able to talk down her fears and make a move; and both are willing to try.

Avoidable Feast - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own] 

""I… Well, I want to ask you something. I’m afraid how you’ll react. I mean, I don’t want you to think we’re moving too fast but… I want you to come with me to my mother’s house for Thanksgiving. I know you don’t celebrate holidays, and I know it’s asking a lot,” She says, looking everywhere but him, her fingers playing with each other nervously.

“–I’ll come. What time should I be here tomorrow? And should I bring something?” Mulder asks, and she looks up at him, surprised.

“I—I didn’t—I mean—oh Mulder,” Her tone is soft, genuine and heartfelt."" 

Newly dating Mulder and Scully almost miscommunicate over joining or not wanting to join the Scully family Thanksgiving.

Day 20 - There's Nothing Wrong With You - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own] 

""I’m feeling okay, I’m still a little sick,” He said with a smirk.

“There is nothing wrong with you.”

“No, I really don’t feel good but… you know what would make it better?”

“Bed rest?”

“No, a kiss to build a dream on,” He sang, and Scully couldn’t help but laugh."" 

Scully is surprised that Mulder is actually sick. She lures her boyfriend to her bidding with the promise of cleaner, comfier environs.

31. When’s the last time we went on a date? - Post Tenebras Lux (tumblr.com)

""C’mon Scully, when is the last time we went on a date? It’s been a while. The three stooges’ll be there. It’ll be fun,” Mulder urged his partner. She regarded him in full, her eyes landing on his jacket. She gently picked off some lint and discarded it.""

Mulder lures his girlfriend on a "date" to TLG's.

Sleeping Together - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own] 

""He wasn't sure how to comfort her, so he began to read again, allowing her to make her own choice to join him or not. It had been something that they had agreed on, that he would not push her if she was not ready, and she would do the same.

It only took a few minutes for her to decide, and he could feel the couch move slightly when she climbed on it, and moved to lay against him. He moved his book to allow her to settle, and brought his other arm around her. Her frame shook, ever so slightly, and he was taken by the overwhelming urge to protect her. She hung on to him, not out of fear, but of desire, wanting desperately the human connection that they had only shared in fleeting moments.

They said nothing. Mulder continued to read as though she had not been there, and Scully found her comfort in the steady beating of his heart—a heart that was impossibly too big, and far too scarred to be of any use, but working as hard as it could.""

AU? IVF-- Mulder is calmly reading, soothing Scully's concerns, and wheedling his girlfriend to enjoy the moment with him.

#39 - Don’t Cry - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own]

""Mulder didn’t even know what happened, one second he was driving, the next there was a loud crash somewhere above him, and then suddenly there was a half dead man hanging out of his windshield, and a piece of rebar that came from the ceiling of car, down through the back of his seat, through his chest, just below the left side of his rib cage. He probably would have lived if the airbag didn’t come next, just making matters worse. When he finally was able to move the bag out of the way, Mulder was left with the rebar sticking out his chest, another impaling the front hood of the car, and still another through the back window. It was a gruesome sight, the other driver was bleeding like a stuck pig and Mulder soon realized that he must have injured himself after falling.

The other driver was clearly dead. Mulder had watched him die, holding his hand, listening to him explain that he was sorry, so tired, a husband with two kids, a wife on the way out. Mulder gave him that absolution. It was the least he could do. Actually, it was all he could do because he couldn’t move that much. He couldn’t feel his legs, but he knew that he was a mangled mess.""

AU-- Mulder is dying from a car accident. He calls up his Scully to confess his feelings; and she her worries over the conversation are confirmed hours later when he's found.

 #1 - Pull Over. Let me drive for awhile. - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own] 

""Do you?”

He looks over to Scully, unsure what she means. She steals a glance at him and answers his gaze with,

“Do you resent her?”

“No.”

“I think she knows.""

Sein und Zeit Scully comforts Mulder about his mother's loss, convinced that Tena knew her son loved her.

Et Tu, Brute? - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own] 

""She opened the door for him and he started to leave but when he crossed the threshold, he stopped and turned to face her.

“Yes?”

“There’s going to be a movie… on TV? I was just wondering if maybe you’d want to see it with me.” Scully smiled a little to herself and opened the door wider.""

Post En Ami Mulder is still crackly after Scully's road trip; but her explanation helps get them, slowly, back to normal.

Ignorance - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own] 

""There was a noise from the backseat, and he reached over to adjust the mirror so he could see the source. Though he already knew it, each look he gives always has the same quality; that of surprise. And that surprised her because she never, in all her years, thought that he would be so keen on this newest venture of theirs.

The backseat occupant made a noise of delight upon making eye contact with Mulder, and Scully steals a glance at her partner, to see a small smile on his otherwise somber features. It was gone as soon as it had arrived, however, and his eyes shift out the window again. The backseat occupant was satisfied with this outcome, and he too turned his attention to the slow moving blurs that paint the window as the car moves along the side streets.""

AU-- S8 Mulder is returned after Will's birth. Scully watches him observe his new family with suspicion tempered by reacclimating trust and maturity. (LOVE this one.)

I agree with you about Mulder’s softness; chiseled... - Post Tenebras Lux (tumblr.com)

""Long day?” He mutters sleepily into her ear. It sends shivers down her spine, and she turns in his arms to face him, her hand tracing the faint impression his figure gives off through his undershirt. Yeah, he’s soft, but it’s perfect. He’s Mulder shaped, and it makes her forget, just for a while that the world beyond their door is evil, cruel and uncaring sometimes.""

IWTB era Scully has a day that almost makes her lose hope; but having a cozy Mulder at home, quietly chipping away at his own demons, encourages her to keep going.

Holiday Apologies - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own]

""...I want my whole family around for the holidays. This includes you, however I may feel about it. I didn’t really understand it then, and to be honest, I don’t think I ever will. I don’t know what goes on in your head, and to be frank, I don’t know what Dana sees in you."

"I ask myself the same thing." I muttered, and the joke caused Bill to chuckle. He put a hand on my back, and continued,

"But she loves you. I thought she felt obligated to you in the past because she worked with you, but now I realize that she loved you then too. You were there for her at times when none of us could be, and you’ve seen her at her worse and her best. I just want to hold on to what’s left of this family, and I realized now, that I couldn’t really do that if you hadn’t been there.""

Post IWTB Mulder tries to integrate into the Scully holidays, barely keeping his enveloping depression in check. Bill sees his efforts and buries the hatchet.

Hello? (It’s Me.) - Post Tenebras Lux (tumblr.com)

""I’m what, Mulder? You said I was your partner, your soul mate, and something else.” Scully said, approaching him slowly. He paused, and faced her in full, his body language closed off and defensive, like an animal trying to hide an injury.

“…my everything, Scully. You’re my everything. I wish you knew how much it hurt when you left… like an empty, hole. As stupid as that sounds… you mean a lot to me. I didn’t think that you had it in you to walk away. And you did.""

Break Up-- Mulder avoids Scully's calls, furious and wounded she left. He gets a final barb in when she drives out to check on him.

Flowers - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own]

""I’m happy to see you, Mulder. I’d like to come to visit you, maybe just before Thanksgiving. I’m going to my mother’s this year,” Scully said, and Mulder sort of shrank away from her.

“I hope you have a good time,” Mulder said quietly.

“You should come too. She enjoys having you there,” Scully said, beginning to walk back towards the hospital. Mulder walked alongside her, considering her request.

“It’s probably better if I don’t, I don’t want to ruin things,” Mulder said, putting his hands in his pockets. He slid his thumb over the keys, feeling reassurance that they were there. A means to escape.""

Break Up-- Mulder drops in to Scully's work with flowers. She's happy to see him, but insists he call someone to help him get better.

Assorted Fics

Number 1 or 48 for the bad end prompts if you... - Post Tenebras Lux (tumblr.com)

""A few minutes later, it would have been you,” Mulder managed to say, and impulsively, Scully thought, I wish it would have been if it meant you were OK.""

Scully follows her gut feeling, cutting her run short and making it in time to help prevent Mulder from bleeding out after a robbery-gone-wrong.

#21 - You Might Like This - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own] 

""As Mulder predicted, he spent more time waiting to order than he did waiting for the food, but regardless, he came back into the car with a burger, some fries, and a soda. He also had a coffee, an extra bag, and when he was inside the car, he handed over the coffee and bag to Scully.

“I figured you might like this,” Mulder said, with a smile, which was doing very little to hide his delight.

“…Thanks,” Scully spoke, opening the bag and looking inside. Her expression softened, and she glanced over at Mulder, considering him in full now.""

Mulder supports Scully after a rough case with a nice little donut.

Tw: blood. ———— Mulder glanced up at the door as... - Post Tenebras Lux (tumblr.com) 

""What happened?” Mulder asked, standing fast enough for his chair to fall over with a loud thud. He headed over to where she was, taking her forearms and examining them for any wounds. When he saw none, he glanced at her person, and saw a large spot of blood coming from her pocket and dripping onto the floor. She noticed it too and pulled out the gift.

The gift was dripping blood, and with shaky fingers, Scully opened it, and nearly dropped the package in fear and revulsion. Mulder turned away and gagged, trying to suppress the urge to vomit.

Scully is handed a mysterious gift... that begins leaking blood.""

Day 17 - This Is Going To Hurt - ScullyLovesQueequeg - The X-Files [Archive of Our Own] 

""I hope you know what you’re doing,” The chief said, moving the barricades and lifting the cautionary tape. Mulder gave him a wry grin.

“Not a single clue,” He said, heading back for the building.""

Mulder, despite being shot and rescued from a hostage situation, persuades Scully and his superiors to go back in.

Mulder heads down to the cafeteria a little late... - Post Tenebras Lux (tumblr.com) 

""He stalks down the row of food, glancing at each tray, silently deciding on what he wants when he spots it: Lasagna.

He makes a beeline to the spot, his mind already recalling the taste. It’d been so long since he had some. It isn’t his favorite but it is a top contender.""

Mulder wants lasagna for lunch, disheartened when he's too late to eat some. Scully surprises him with a slice she had grabbed for him.

Something, something, the power of... - Post Tenebras Lux (tumblr.com) 

""They didn’t get time to process the scene when the culprit, a large animal of some sort entered the scene. It was tall, bipedal, some kind of strange cross between a bird and a lizard. It had small forearms, a pair of smaller legs coming out of its back, and a large pair of legs that carried it. It screeched at them again, and Mulder and Scully gave chase, running blindly into the dark forest, away from the creature that seemed to be straight out of a horror film.""

Mulder's horrible directions get he and Scully lost in the woods; and they hide out in a cabin after they hear a horrendous, inhuman noise.

Something always happens in the forest. Either... - Post Tenebras Lux (tumblr.com)

""Yes, we’re fine but what is wrong with that child?” Scully asked, and the others began to do the same, hissing loudly and baring teeth—more teeth that were needle-like and sharp, extending beyond the throat and possibly all the way through. Just teeth. The children—if they could be called that—were inhuman, and the ranger stepped out from the cabin and closed the door on them, ignoring that one child had latched on his ankle and was gnawing on it, drawing blood.""

Mulder and Scully "escape" one threat only to find a creepier and more horrifying one. (LOVE this one.)

The Fics That Moved Me The Most

Something always happens in the forest.-- This, no joke, "haunted" me for a long time.

Ignorance-- This fic is perfection. I love to read it all the time.

Holiday Apologies-- This fic is just as perfect but in a completely different way: no fluff, lots of angst, but Scully the guardian angel peeking through behind the scenes. Bill is a great guest star.

Pieces of those fics float constantly through my brain.

Thank you for reading; but a bigger thank you to suitablyaggrieved for writing these pieces. I cherish them and reread them often.

Enjoy!

#txf #fic #Collector's Edition #mine #suitablyaggrieve #ScullyLovesQueequeg #My Favorite Fics and Quotes #x-files #the x files #xfiles #xf fanfic #author shoutout!

[ladymelisande]

You don't have to post this! But I'm at a point where I'm going to lay off watching S2 of IwtV until all the episodes have been released. I don't trust where the writers are going with Lestat, and I have a feeling he won't be "vindicated" like others are making it sound. He's still going to be made out as an abuser and as a cheater, and worse by those new to the VC fandom--what do you think? I love Loustat in the books, but I'm honestly not rooting for them at all in the show. Louis is a completely different character in all but name, so he just comes off as an original character to me. I also want him to just piss off and leave Lestat alone already😅 At this point, I'd rather have Lestat run off with Armand as a big FU to Louis' holier-than-thou ass. How do you do it? I'll just wait for your posts to see what happens each episode before I decide if I'm going to watch it.

Oh, don't worry, nonny. I'm the fandom's black hole of negative space. If anyone wants to vent, my inbox is always open.

Oh, I'm focused on finishing the first trilogy now, that's how I do it. I don't know if I'm going to watch the episode tomorrow either. I think I'm just gonna use that time to finish QOTD and work in my own vampire writing.

To be honest, I'm kind of bored by the show now. There isn't much left to build tension when we know the trial is coming. Or maybe I'm just burned out by the idiotic fandom and their whining about how Louis and Armand can't possibly be liars about Lestat. Two years just to get to the most boring part of IWTV and Season 1 wasn't even that good. Ironically the only episode I have liked so far is Episode 8 because it actually contained something from Anne Rice's main themes: the tragedy of her vampires' search for connection.

In Paris, the only entertaining character is Armand. In Dubai, the scenes are better when he and Daniel are alone.

And yeah, I don't trust these writers either. So I'll wait until/if they pull the rug in the last episode. Though even then, the changes they have made to the TVL timeline (even if they were completely unnecessary) just smell bad to me. Plus certain writer's beef with Lestat makes me dread how the whole shit with Akasha will be handled in the future.

And yeah, Show Louis is a completely different character. I don't mind him but his fans are so damn annoying and reactionary, acting as if not liking him or even pointing out he has *gasps* flaws is some moral failure... Just makes me appreciate Book Louis more, because at least he was allowed to be character. Liar and all. Can't say the same for this one who is held in the big pedestal of The Character You Have to Like No Matter What™.

I'm a firm believer that Lestat is gonna reject Louis in NOLA (if you see the scene again, Lestat looks kind of rigid and his face is not buried on Louis' neck like it would be) and that's why he is so bitter and hateful towards him (plus the trial). And honestly I hope that happens. It was one of Anne Rice's ideas for the movie and it will make more sense now instead of Lestat dragging himself for Louis attention. In the novels as much as people want to go around about how Lestat chased Louis' attention,... Lestat did keep his distance after QOTD and it took years for them to actually get together. I don't know, I'm not exactly a shipper when it comes to this series but our man is about to go through hell and back (literally), I don't think this relationship is going to be the biggest priority. It shouldn't be.

But hell, the show maybe won't even want to touch that. They are clearly not interested on Lestat as a dynamic protagonist as much as they are interested on him as a walking chekov's gun and scapegoat.

#may answers

[nxghtlxxght]

It’s not that late this time

Honestly, if mike told El that he loved her, in a way that would suggest he was IN love with her ( there’s a difference ), it would seem unreasonably forced. Like I can’t for the life of me think of a scenario in which that would happen and it would seem natural.

The fact of the matter is that over the course of 3 seasons ( 2, 3, and 4 so far ), Mike hasn’t been able to tell El that he loved her, to her face at least. I personally would only partially count when he said he loved her to the others, because it’s not as authentic.

I’ve heard people say that s2 doesn’t count for the amount of time Mike’s had to tell El that he loved her, but I kind of disagree. Throughout season 2, Mike had a full 353 days to consult and figure out his feeling for El. I get why people say it doesn’t count though, he wasn’t near her for the relative entirety of the season.

Back to the point, I said this in another post here, but Mike maturing ( which he isn’t doing great at ) would be a shit excuse at trying to get m!lvn back on track. First, in my very humble opinion it would just be bad writing for Mike to suddenly tell El that he loves her. That in and of ITSELF is bad writing. 

Second, Mike maturing into a healthy relationship isn’t healthy, aka Mike maturing into being in love with Eleven. If he wasn’t sure when he started dating her, then he should’ve waited. He’s essentially dragging El along and she doesn’t deserve that. Maybe instead of trying to fix an obviously broken relationship, he could work on his internalized homophobia and talk about something other than his relationship

Kind of beside the point, but both Mike and El have a mild co-dependency issue because neither of them have been in a healthy relationship ( as explained here as well ). Mike admitted it, he’s been too focused on El to figure out that he’s been completely ignoring Will and their relationship. He’s kind of obsessed with her, he immediately took an interest in her the moment they met and hasn’t been able to pull his attention away from her for enough time. He has no idea what real love is, he can’t even take an example from his parents. So he finds comfort in El and what they have.

 El, like Mike, has no image of what a healthy relationship is either. She’s been stuck in a lab where she was abused and controlled for years, she didn’t have a real family until Hopper, Joyce, Will and Jonathan. Along with that, she has an unhealthy obsession with Mike. Sending letters, having a Mike themed box, being a perfectionist about meetings in s3, her anger when she couldn’t see him. ( + her up front rejection of Max due to jealousy )

Because of their shared co-dependency, they look for comfort and love in each other, which in the end only led to an unsteady relationship and both parties becoming upset in one way or another. They were better as friends, they had no unhealthy co dependency, they had meaningful conversations and a good time together, and all around they were happy.

Also beside the point, but if Mike wasn’t ready to commit to a relationship where he could be sure of his feelings, he shouldn’t have gotten in one. I get the concept of finding yourself through relationships, but that’s only okay if you have your partner’s consent. Everyone saw how hurt El was when she confronted Mike about not loving her, and I bet everyone was as equally pissed off at mike when he suggested only loving her because of her powers. Without letting El know that he wasn’t 100% positive about what they were doing, he’s dug a really deep hole for himself that’s going to be hard to climb out of. He also has really bad wording in his encounters with El. 

He couldn’t even say that he loved El to WILL, his best friend. Once again proving my point Micheal.

He needs to get his feelings figured out before jumping into something he doesn’t understand.

Good night <3

#Byler #i will die on this hill #mike wheeler is gay #gay mike wheeler #stranger things #will byers #byler is endgame #i hope #gay #good night #10:23 pm #<3 #this one is longer than my other posts #kay rants

[kinetic-elaboration]

January 22: Miller/Bellamy, Five

I don't know why I keep gravitating to this universe but here's more of this thing. Not sure what I'm doing with it. It's probably hit the end of the road in terms of ideas but like... we'll see. I love being repetitive.

Miller/Bellamy, S2/S3 hiatus, not-quite-500 words, ~18 minutes

Semi-explicit.

*

Miller's gotten Bellamy off four times and they've never even kissed. It's barely even sex--more like part of his lieutenant's duties or something. Stress relief, or boredom. As long as there's no romance and no intimacy, it's not cheating. He's got a man out there he wants to marry someday.

After the fifth time, Bellamy reciprocates. It's pretty obvious he's never been with another guy before: he's trying to replicate what he likes as if he's looking in a mirror, and the touch of his hand is uncertain, awkward. Still works though. Miller closes his eyes like he's somewhere else and wraps his palm around Bellamy's hand to help him and the worst part is that he can feel Bellamy's breath against his shoulder and hear the little sounds he's making, in that voice he could never mistake for anyone else.

"You don't have to, you know," Miller tells him after. His voice is still sex-rough. He's not got enough air in his lungs. "I mean, it's fine."

"Know it's fine," Bellamy says, which isn't really an answer.

No one told them that after the war would be so boring. No one told him that all the hard labor in the world--building up the camp and securing the perimeter, scavenging food, scouting--won't ever be enough to stop the bad thoughts in his head. He needs to be so fucking tired at the end of the day that he collapses on the mattress and just feels himself ache. And it's not just that Bellamy's there on the other side of that mattress, but that's part of it, and the rest is that he still loves him like a leader, he's still trying to give him loyalty or maybe thanks or maybe peace. The good kind that buzzes out the brain.

Real peace. Not Bellamy pacing at night, peering out between the slats of their window shade, watching and waiting and missing.

This feels more like infidelity than even fucking would: how he wants to call come back to bed, how he's imagining Bellamy with those Dropship girls and then with someone special on the Ark and then with him.

Every time it happens, he needs it more.

The better way of seeing it is that he's not in the aftermath of anything, that life is just like this: sometimes a fight for his survival and sometimes just the bleak ground and dustings of snow and a horizon line he cannot see. He watches the others, recovering, retreating. He tells himself that, personally, he's doing fine.

They've never kissed.

Bellamy asks him if he had someone on the Ark, meaning, someone who was yours, and he almost lets himself get choked up about it--the horizon line he cannot see. But instead he answers, "A boyfriend on Farm," and the words come out so even it was as if he didn't feel at all.

#the 100 #miller x bellamy #nathan miller #bellamy blake #idk this started strong and then got really all over the place #like you can see the moment i lose the thread and it's when the sex stops and the generic hiatus angst begins #i'm just trying stuff out though #my writing #mine #the year 2024 #2024: free write

[askavpau]

can I have a summary of what happened in s2?

cuz I am new

(Howdy!

We're on Season 3 right now but, oh boy, Season 2...

Mango and Purple have stolen Green's Ralts, forced it to evolve into a Gardevoir, and then they ran away so the Color Gang wouldn't catch up to them. CG tracked them through Halftone Volcano, where Green gets his "soul" stolen by a Litwik to give to a Chandelure. Second finds his lifeless body and his powers activate. He punches the Chandelure into oblivion and all the stolen souls go free, including Green's, and weaker Pokemon around the volcano.

Mango reveals his tragic backstory in which he used to have an Axew named Elise but, while trying to force-evolve her with the staff, her file got corrupted and now she's gone forever. Meanwhile, a wild Slugma watches over Second and soon becomes un-wilded because Second caught him and Slugma quickly became everyone's favorite character. CG hates math.

The gang arrive at a generic forest and a rather southern Oddish steals Yellow's Keystone. Yellow chases after her while she gives it to a cursive-talking Sceptile. Turns out Sceptile runs a cult called the "Children of Kartana" in which they plan to bring Kartana to their world. Whoops, turns out the cult leader lied to everyone, big surprise, and Mega-Evolves instead. CG battle the Sceptile and Oddish is kicked out of the cult for questioning the leader. Second catches her. Red revives the Sceptile and it walks off.

Soon, they arrive in Moonbleach Field, where Blue catches a Flabebe and Perry, his Rowlet, evolves into Dartrix. Blue eats grass and Yellow, Green, and Second finally find Purple and Mango. MT, however, just gives Gardevoir back. Hugging!

Party time, CG and Purple have their own separate parties. Braixen is feeling pretty jealous of Perry recieving all of Blue's attention. But, uh-oh! Purple can't find Hellfire, his Charmeleon. Everyone panics but Green is suspiciously nonchalant about it all. Plot twist, Green stole him. Purple swears at Green and they fight like a couple of preschoolers over a stuffed animal. Eventually, Green gets to take Hellfire back, but Purple cries over it, so Green feels bad and gives him back and they may or may not be friends now.

Ooooo, there's a spooky mysterious hollow-head swearing revenge on Second and Green! Oh, it's just victim. Turns out the Chandelure was a plan all along, to steal code from Green and give it to victim so he'd have a physical body again. But Victim is visited by a mysterious figure! Who's that Pokemon? Iiiiiit's a dead Hisuian Zoroark! He wants revenge on someone but is being annoyingly vague. Yellow's Zorua and Cottonee are sent on a mission from him to retrieve a ghost type so they can steal someone's code. They find the second-best thing, a Nincada that can evolve into a ghost type. But who cares, Second's Totodile evolves into a Croconaw and Slugma and Heracross bond. Oh wait, I guess someone cares, because the focus is back on Zorua and Cottonee. The Nincada flees from them and Zorua chases it into a hole. Cottonee appropriately calls him stupid and they fight. But the tunnels are about to collapse! Nincada-ex-machina, they survive. Plot twist! The Zoroark is Zorua's Dad!

At around this time, Note Block Universe just came out so of COURSE the first question after the episode released was "Hey Purple! Parents!" or something like that. Mango and Purple bond. Then filler.

Filler over, a scarred Absol is running away from something. She crashes into the PC and Red takes care of it. Apparently, she was attacked by a monstrous Luxray! Plot twist! It's the same Luxray that killed Blue's Wooper's Mom! Blue's Wooper's Dad finds out the Luxray might be near and is reasonably upset so he tries to take her back to his home, but Wooper gets rebellious and Wooper's Dad gets character development.

Blue's Wooper and Red's Mudkip, Pie, are training. Yellow becomes Admin Arylide and acquires The Drip. Purple and Mango are training and they bond more. Victim gets a Misdreavus plushie. Remember when I said Wooper and Pie were training? Well suddenly after that there's a BOOM and two pairs of red eyes glare at them cliff-hanging-ly.

Welcome!)

[moca-de-led-ger]

Throwing out my thoughts of amphibia and my funny journey with it is that I didn’t fall for it on sight. I remember watching the first two to four episodes coming out with “that was fine, albeit maybe not for me.” It’s good for a children’s show on the Disney channel but don’t know if it had anything to offer me beyond that. I wasn’t expecting anything more deep from Anne and sprig nor like them as much. It’s funny because I thought the exact same thing of gravity falls after watching like the first two episodes.

I would’ve respectfully dropped it if it weren’t for the fact that not only was I keen on watching as much of the 2010’s era of cartoons as possible, but want to expand my palette and watch/experience as much media as I humanly can. I think I recall hearing sort of good things from it so I got around watching more and came out of s1 with “that was okay, I’m glad I watched it.” Reminiscent to something like Wander over Yonder, which is a different flavor of a show but shares the same kind of quality. And I do have a soft spot for WoY even if it doesn’t get as much recognition but would be lying if I said it was as great as the big story driven animated shows people are talking about. The main cast and their swag grew on me, I appreciated the frogs of wartwood, and the slapstick has a strange charm that hits that sweet spot of entertainment value I kind of yearn haha. There’s even this innovative execution with the way the characters deliver their dialogue. I dig it. (they’re basically like the gravity falls s1 eps though only half as clever). The only real nitpick that may bog the show down for others is too much screen time of mayor toadstool (like the writers had an easier time making a conflict for an episode relating to the mayor doing something shitty and not giving any continual consequence just to excuse making him do something bad again for story material). It’s at the very end when he’s finally the only wartwood member left to respect Anne/have a form of redemption that the season reaches a sense of gratification. Though the show also has this weird formula of characters being told not to do something, only for them to do something, and end with them learning to not do the thing, which hilariously could be nearly every episode of the show.

After the way s1 ends I immediately jumped into the 5 available episodes season 2 had. And despite them being more of what the previous season is like anyway, they’re a little wackier and establish the world a little more. Those s2 episodes in addition make the show feel worth while and fun as heck. It’s probably the fact that it goes in a direction I would’ve wanted them to do earlier, to move away from wartwood. But since I finally started warming up to characters like Wally and Mrs. croaker, it just so happens that Anne and the plantars leave. Left me like “wait…what…but I like them now 🥺”

After time went on and s2 and half of s3 had been out i decided to hop back in. But instead of continuing off of s2, with how much I liked season 1 and know how it generally goes, I decided to rewatch from the very start. And I absolutely loved it, so much more than I was expecting. I wouldn’t love this show as much without Sasha, Marcy and the story threads of season 2 and a bit of s3. But the show’s main appeal to me is Anne Boonchuy and the Plantars.

#thr- #three-hundredth tag already!?! #amphibia #can you believe if I hadn’t rewatched the show and just continued s2 I would’ve met Marcy and enjoyed her much more than I probably do now? #well who knows

[slynbarnes]

Embers: Season 2 Episodes 1-10

S2 E1:

(Previously on Embers) 

L: You’re hiding something from me, I can feel it. 

B: Is he? 

L: Wait? Is that why we are here? Is he my father? 

(You place your hands on his cheeks) 

Y/N: It's not why we are here, but yes. Bucky is your father. 

(Lucas pulls away from you running away angry that you didn’t tell him. Tears stream down your face and Bucky is in complete shock) 

(Now) 

B: (Runs his hands through his hair looking stressed) 

Y/N: Bucky…?

B: I have a son? (He pauses) I am a dad…

Y/N: Bucky…

B: I missed so much of his life. 

Y/N: I’m sorry.. I wish that-

B: I know it wasn’t your fault. Hydra told you I was dead… I just can’t believe he is really mine. I just wish I could have brought your memories back sooner and-

Y/N: We will talk about everything and work things out I promise but right now Lucas shouldn’t be alone and I am pretty sure he hates me right now… Buck, do you mind…uhm… 

B: Of course. I will go check in on him. (He kisses your forehead and leaves to check in on Lucas) 

S2 E2: 

(Bucky finds Lucas sitting at the park down the street from the tower.) 

B: Hi Lucas… (He starts carefully.) 

L: So you’re my dad…

B: I guess so… 

L: My mom didn’t tell you either? 

B: Don’t blame her, she didn’t know until very recently and I know it hasn’t been easy for her. 

L: She told me you were dead. 

B: She thought I was. The people you grew up around were really bad people and they did some bad things to both of us. Your mom loves you so much and I know she would never do anything to hurt you. She loves you so much. 

L: I guess…

B: She does. Trust me, I have seen it. And now you have another parent who loves and cares about you. I wish I could have been there all of these years for you. But I want to have the chance to be in your life now if you will let me?

L: I suppose that would be okay. (Lucas smiles at Bucky) 

S2 E3:

(There is a knock at your door) 

Y/N: (You wipe your tears and gather yourself a moment.) Who is it?

Leo: It's me, Leo. Can I come in.  

(You get up and open the door) 

Leo: What’s wrong baby? 

Y/N: (You start to cry again.) Everything. My memories came back.. And now everything is messy and- (Leo cuts you off lifting your face to him) 

Leo: Slow down.. What ever it is we can talk about it. 

Y/N: (You take a deep breath.) We need to talk…

Leo: (He can tell something is really wrong and his face falls into concern.) 

Y/N: Lucas’s father is alive… Hydra lied to me saying he died. 

Leo: Oh…

Y/N: It’s Bucky… we were training like we used to in Hydra and all of my memories flooded in. Bucky would have told me and brought my memories back sooner but he and I made a promise to each other that we would always remind each other of the other, unless what felt like the impossible at the time happened and we got out. If we got out without our memories, then we didnt want to trigger the horrific memories even with the good. We promised to only hide the truth if it meant protecting the other so instead he and I ended up fighting all the time. But… (You pause) 

Leo: But…?

Y/N: When the memories came rushing back so did the feelings and Bucky and I.. we.. we slept together… (You start crying again.) 

Leo: So I guess that means I should go.. 

Y/N: I understand if you want to (You pauses hesitating a moment.) ….but Leo… I can choose to keep living in the past or I can move on with the present and hopefully my future. And I want to see where things go with you. I made my choice, I choose you. I know I messed up but I got caught up in a moment when I was vulnerable with a man I have always loved.. Honestly I think I will always love him. He is my first love and the father of my child but the thing is, I love you now. 

Leo: I love you too. And I get it… I will always love my wife, we were highschool sweethearts and If I were in your situation and had a moment to be with her I would. So I understand, but as long as you are faithful from now on I want to see what we can be too. 

(Your face softens at this, because this right here is why you fell in love with him in the first place.) 

(You both find yourself falling into each other, lips crashing together feeling a sense of relief for the first time in days.) 

S2 E4: 

(You lay in bed with Leo who is asleep next to you until Bucky and Lucas are home.) 

Y/N: (Opening the door sure to be quiet not to wake Leo.) Hey… 

B: Hey… 

Y/N: Lucas, baby can I talk to you?

(Lucas slams the door in your face) 

B: He just needs some time. 

Y/N: (You nod slowly and rub your forehead.) 

B: Can we talk? 

Y/N: Yeah, Let me get dressed and I will meet you in the training room.  

B: Okay. (He hugs you) 

Y/N: What’s this for? 

B: You look like you need it. 

(He was right, although talking to Leo helped so much you are still hurting about Bucky and Lucas. You hold on for a moment before letting go and heading back into your room.) 

S2 E5: 

(In the training room) 

B: So, I’m a dad now. 

Y/N: (You smile) I’m sorry.. I know I should have told you when I remembered but I was scared you would want to be in Lucas’ life and I wasn’t sure about telling him and if he found out from anyone other than me-

B: Y/N, I know you… I understand why you did it. Although I hope you would have at least eventually planned on telling me if this hadn’t happened.

Y/N: I mean I would have some day. But now I guess that doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t expect you to want to be apar-

B: Apart of our sons life? I lost 9 years y/n I plan on being there for him every step of the way. I’m not ging to lose out on knowing him. 

Y/N: Well if that’s what you want I have no problem with it. Honestly, Lucas asks about you all the time and he always wanted to know you so I know he will be happy to finally have you around.

B: I am happy to finally have him in my life. Y/N I need you to know that I never stopped loving you. Not even for a moment. I know you said you needed time to figure things out but no matter what I am going to fight for us. We had just started our relationship to have it all ripped away and I know that you feel it too. 

Y/N: Bucky… I-

B: No matter what. 

Y/N: I need to move forward, and I am not ready to give up what I have with Leo. I love him, Buck. I need to see where this goes with him, but I will always love you. 

B: I love you too. And that’s okay, I can be patient and I know that one day somehow we will have our time again. For now we can focus on our son.

Y/N: You seem so sure. 

B: When you know, you know. You are my other half, doll and I knew that from the moment I had you-

Y/N: Pinned to the floor and you couldn’t look away?

B: And that is why I have no doubts. 

S2 E6: (Mia is played by the little girl in Upload) 

B: Do we need a schedule or am I able to just take time with him?

Y/N: I need to know before you just take Lucas but you are welcome to spend time with him just about any time you want. He is your son too. If need be we can make a schedule but I think we both can manage to work together so that we both have time with him and it’s not like it will be all that hard with us living under the same roof.

B: That’s f-

Leo: Y/N, there you are I was looking for you. 

Y/N: Leo, hey…did you get the note I left?

Leo: I did, I just thought I’d come find you. I have to go pick up Mia from dance rehearsals but I wanted to ask you something first.

Y/N: Right, I completely forgot she was out early today. Sorry, what did you want to ask?

Leo: I was wondering if you and Lucas wanted to go to dinner with us? I thought we could tell them together. I know Lucas has been struggling with everything lately so I thought maybe some back up on things would help. And Mia hates the idea of me dating, but I think maybe it's time to tell her you're not just my friend anyways. 

Y/N: You’re the best because honestly I think Lucas might just try to murder me for this so not doing it alone sounds fantastic. 

B: I can always talk to him too if you think that will help. 

Y/N: Buck trust me he needs you. He should only be angry with one parent at a time. And right now that would be me. I appreciate you trying to help though, plus I should be the one to tell him that I am dating Leo. 

B: Okay well just know I am here for you just as much as I am for our son. (He says this trying to make Leo feel some sort of way, which works but you can see his little game and roll your eyes at him) 

Y/N: Anyways, I should go talk to Lucas then and start getting us ready for dinner. 

Leo: Okay, I love you. I will pick you and Lucas up in about an hour.

Y/N: Sounds perfect. I love you too. (You kiss him.) 

S2 E7:

(You knock on Lucas’ door.) 

L: GO AWAY! 

(You knock again and harder.) 

L: I SAID GO AWAY!

(You knock again and much more annoyingly this time) 

(Lucas opens the door) 

L: What? 

Y/N: (Walking past Lucas) We need to talk buddy. You can’t slam the door in my face now, so sit. 

L: I don’t want to talk to you. You lied to me.

Y/N: Lucas, I didn’t lie to you. I thought your father was dead. 

L: You saw him everyday and still told me he was dead!

Y/N: Lucas, please come and sit down.

L: (He does) 

Y/N: Hydra took my memories of your dad. I had no idea who he was all I was told is he was dead and that I was to care for you myself. I truly didn’t know. I never meant to hide it from you. 

L: Then why were we with Hydra if they were so horrible? 

Y/N: It’s a long story for another time. I promise I will tell you when you're older but just know I didn’t want to be there. Neither did your dad. But right now I need you to get dressed into some nicer clothes. We are going to dinner with Leo and his daughter Mia. 

L: I don’t want to go. 

Y/N: Well you don’t have a choice Lucas, it’s important that you are there.

L: I’m not going, I want to stay with Bucky. 

Y/N: No. You are coming with Leo, Mia and I. End of conversation. Now get dressed.

L: No! 

Y/N: Yes! 

L: Why?

Y/N: Because I am your mom and I said so. (You say sternly. Lucas rolls his eyes at you) Roll your eyes again and your grounded for a week.

L: Mom! (He whines) 

Y/N: Lucas! 

S2 E8: 

(At the restaurant) 

Leo: How was rehearsal Mia? 

M: It was okay, Hanna bumped into me and almost knocked me over again and Mrs. Lee didn’t see so she didn’t do anything about it. 

Leo: I will have to have a conversation with her. 

M: No daddy, it’s okay. 

Leo: I’m not going to let that little girl bully you. I will talk to your dance teacher on Monday. 

M: (Sighs) 

L: Why are we here? 

Y/N: Lucas! 

Leo: It’s okay. I guess now would be as good a time as ever while we wait for our food to talk to you guys anyways. 

Y/N: Lucas, Mia…

Leo: Y/N and I really enjoy each other’s company. 

Y/N: And we really care for each other. (You say meeting Leo’s eyes) 

Leo: We decided we are making things official. We are dating. That’s why we asked both of you here with us. 

L: No! How could you do this now? To our family! We just found my dad! 

Y/N: Lucas, I love your dad and I always-

L: What? You always will? Then why are you not with him? 

M: Dad! How could you do this to momma? 

Leo: Mia, I-

(The waiter brings out our food. The whole table goes quiet and not another word is spoken, even the whole way back to the tower.) 

S2 E9: 

(You all walk in together.) 

Leo: If you need anything, just let me know okay? 

Y/N: Thanks, same to you. I knew it was going to be bad but this was…

Leo: Worst case scenario?

Y/N: Exactly. I have a feeling we will have our hands full. If there is anything I can do to help just let me know. 

Leo: I will, you too. Goodnight y/n. (He kisses you) 

L&M: Ughhhhhh! (Lucas storms off) 

Y/N: Lucas!

Leo: It’s okay, go, I will see you later this week. 

Y/N: Bye, Leo. 

(You go to Lucas’ room but don’t find him in there.) 

(You call Bucky) 

(On the phone) 

B: Hey. 

Y/N: Is he with you? 

B: Yeah. (He keeps it short, trying not to tip Lucas off that you're looking for him) 

Y/N: Training room?

B: Yep. I will see you soon.

Y/N: Thanks Buck. 

B: You're welcome. 

S2 E10: 

(In the training room) 

Y/N: Lucas can we talk now?

L: I don’t want to talk to you, you traitor. 

Y/N: (You laugh a little at him calling you a traitor.)

B: What if I stayed? (He offers.) 

L: Maybe.

Y/N: (You sit next to Lucas, now in the middle of you and Bucky.) Lucas, your dad and I love each other and we always will especially because we have you but, I also love Leo. He is a really good guy, who I would love if you gave a chance.

L: You can’t replace Bucky… We just found him. (Lucas gives you sad eyes.) 

Y/N: Baby… I’m not trying to replace Bucky. Trust me he is irreplacable. (You look to Buck.) I just…- 

B: Lucas, your mom is happy with Leo. She deserves to be happy. And I am not going anywhere even if your mom and I are not together. I will always be here. Leo seems like a really nice guy, maybe just be open to the idea. 

Y/N: Exactly, I don’t plan on running off with him or getting married. We just enjoy being around each other. There is no guarantee’s for anything right now.

L: But why can’t you be happy together?

B: Sometimes we don’t get to choose who we find ourselves caring for. I love your mom and she loves me but life took us in different directions for a while and by the time your mom had her memories back she already loved someone else. I know it’s confusing but we are happy. And we both love you and plan to work together to raise you. 

L: (Looks to Bucky) You promise you won’t leave? 

B: I promise. I am here to stay.

Y/N: Are we okay bubs?

L: (He hesitates) Okay.

Y/N: Okay?

L: Yeah. 

(Even with this you still feel him distancing himself from you.)

[ivyblossom]

Stede’s Trauma, and Why Being Sorry isn’t enough

Fandoms are often in these situations where their show has given them a terrible cliffhanger, where beloved characters have been rent asunder by the choices they made, and we are left for years to ponder the horror of it all. And we dig into who needs to do the apologizing, who made the mistake that caused this, etc. etc. It’s fun because it’s so painful! We love fictional pain, it’s just so delicious. Yum yum! Please sir, may I have some more?

And here we are with Stede and Ed: they made an agreement to run away together, and Stede chose to go home instead and leave Ed waiting with no goodbye and no explanation. Pretty clear cut, really. Stede made a bad choice and should apologize, so the story should now be about Stede apologizing.

I mean, yes, Stede should apologize for ghosting Ed in the worst way, sure, but an apology from Stede just isn’t the question or the answer, I don’t think. It’s not enough, for a start, it doesn’t address why any of this happened, and it’s obscuring all the misunderstanding going on just under the surface. 

What we have here, my fannish friend, is a fundamental miscommunication between two complicated people who have big feelings they can’t recognize or cope with, both of whom believe they have done the absolute right thing for the right reasons, and that is literally my favourite situation in the world, so I am in a delirious haze of delight right now, and will probably stay in this fog of fannish delight until s2 airs.

But I wanted to write about Stede, and why I believe he’s also in a tremendous amount of pain, and why his choices make sense. And why apologizing for it isn’t enough.

I think people want an apology from Stede because he doesn’t look like the one who’s hurting. Ed is the one who’s hurting. So we want Stede to go fix his mess and comfort Ed, who is currently falling apart in all the worst ways, until Ed is happy again.

What’s so delightful to me in this story is that I’m pretty sure Stede and Ed are suffering roughly an equal amount. It’s just that Stede has such strong trauma bonds that he’s very adept at embracing and powering through his own nightmares with minimal disruption, which is frankly kind of terrifying.

I’ve only come to understand this later in life, but here is a frightening thing. 

In the face of a psychologically dangerous situation that actively kills your soul, you’d think the healthiest people would be the ones who can withstand it and keep going, the ones who stay in it with a smile and keep on ticking no matter what. You’d think the ones who feel destroyed by the misery fall apart, run from it, the ones who can’t take it, are the most damaged ones. It makes sense. But it turns out, backing away from a soul-rotting situation is a healthy act, not an unhealthy one. It’s a sign that you have enough awareness left of the outside world and of your own self-worth to feel the pain of the damage you’re incurring, but still to reject abuse and reach for something else. It means there’s some distance between your sense of yourself and your sense of this abusive situation. There is a level of psychological abuse where you just give in to the torment, because you know in your heart that it’s where you belong. It is a truth and a reality that you accept, and whatever pain it causes you is what you’ve earned and deserve. So you can stay in a horrible situation that is literally killing you because your head is too turned around for you to be able to even consider getting and staying out. 

The first time Stede runs from something, I think that was the healthiest thing he’d ever done. It was completely ridiculous, but it was honest and true and brave. Life is short, and he’d rather have a short life he loves than a long one he hates. It’s wild, but I think it was the right thing for him to do. He could have done it more gracefully, and not shocked the heck out of his wife and children, sure, but leaving was the right and healthy thing for him. His life had been killing him since childhood.

When Stede runs from Ed, he is willingly running back into his own trauma. His trauma bond is so strong that it come to life and talks to him. He fights against it as hard as he can, but so much of him knows that what it tells him is true. He has come to believe that he isn’t a victim of an abusive situation, he is the cause. 

Stede is willing to give up everything beautiful in his life because he believes the garbage his tormenters told him about himself: that he is worthless, he deserves nothing, he destroys everything good in his world by holding on to it. And in that night when he should have been running to Ed, he saw all the evidence laid out before him. He destroyed his family by leaving them, and he’s destroying Ed by staying. That is so objectively true to Stede in that moment. Stede is willing to walk back into the jaws of his own personal hell, because that’s where he believe he’ll cause the least damage. But it will kill him.

I get that he definitely hurt Ed, and he should make amends for that, but I think we can’t ignore the level of damage Stede’s working with.

It makes sense that Stede thinks he destroyed Ed. Ed was at the top of his game when Stede meets him. Sure, he’s bored, but he appears to be in full control of his life, as far as Stede can tell. He’s emotionally connected to himself and he follows his dreams and desires. By the time Stede walks away from with Ed, he’s lost everything, even his namesake beard, and he is fully prepared to keep on paying. As romantic as that is, it’s also dangerously codependent. Being with Stede appears to require an immense amount of sacrifice, and Stede clearly feels a lot of guilt about that. He doesn’t want to die, but he accepted that the bill had come due when the English came for him, and he has seriously mixed feelings about Ed binding his fate to Stede’s to save him. It’s gloriously noble, but it seems like Stede is carrying a lot of guilt about the damage he’s causing Ed. It’s too big a price, and Stede knows he is not worth that price.

It clearly makes Stede sick to see Ed make himself so small, and he must remember that he told Ed that he doesn’t like him when he’s like Calico Jack. He is shaping Ed to be what he wants Ed to be, just the way Stede’s father shaped him. And Ed is letting Stede do that. That is not a good feeling to Stede. But he doesn’t blame Ed for that. He doesn’t look down on Ed for giving up so much of himself and for being willing to continue to do so. Ed remains lovely. Stede blames himself for requiring this much.

I get why Stede walked away. But I also get that he didn’t do that lightly or as a statement of rejection or a lack of care for Ed. It’s not because he feared running off into the wild unknown. He not rejecting Ed, he’s rejecting Ed’s sacrifice. Stede is seeing this entirely from his own perspective, naturally, and not Ed’s at all. They didn’t talk about this. Stede has said very little that is completely emotionally honest. He wouldn’t even know how to say any of that. 

He can be sorry, and he should be sorry, but the bigger question as far as I’m concerned is how Stede is going to build back enough self-worth to let himself be loved. That’s the bigger challenge, it seems to me.

#our flag means death #once again no one asked

[subspencer]

perv spencer (ESPECIALLY s1-s2) would literally spend entire briefings daydreaming about you while staring right at your tits and hotch would be like “reid what are your thoughts. reid. reid?” and gideon would have to put a hand on his shoulder to snap him out of it and he’d go like BEET red after realizing what he’d done. imagine what would happen if you confronted him about it later when y’all were alone ✋🏾✋🏾✋🏾 down bad

-🍭

oof okay. spencer daydreaming about you, then without even thinking drawing you naked (to the best of his imagination) or exactly as he saw you in that meeting. and can you imagine finding his sketches? also i know it’s subby baby spencer but in his dream scenario he gets to be on top <3 he likes to think he’s strong <3

wc: 1.4k

cw: sub!spencer, baby!spencer, glasses!spencer, perv!spencer (aka Criminally Horny spencer), fem!reader, titty sucking <3

Hotch is running on about the details of the new case, and Spencer has no idea what they are. He’s technically aware that this stuff is important, but there are more… pressing things on his mind.

Specifically, the way that your chest stretches your blouse taught over your body, where your chest is just slightly too full for this size of a top. The fabric between two buttons right there gapes apart, just enough that he can see a sliver of your bare skin through it. Bare skin and the dainty lace edges of your bra. 

Since he made that discovery about five or ten minutes ago, his gaze hasn’t moved past that little peek. It’s been etched into his memory already, but what good is a memory when he can look at the real thing right now, be completely entranced by you, right now. 

“Reid…” he hears. He pictures you saying it, whispering it into his ear in the dark. The lights are off but he can still see your face, twisted in pleasure as you lay under him. “Reid!” It’s louder now. You’re screaming it at him as he thrusts his hips into you, faster as he approaches his high. 

“Reid!!” He feels a bump on his shoulder and suddenly that image is gone. He snaps back to the present, completely unaware that he was lost in his own dream world as he looks around at the room full of people. He doesn’t even know when they all got here.

While Gideon starts to lay into Spencer for losing his focus, you feel a heat creep up your neck. You caught him looking; you thought he was just staring into space, spurring theories in his mind, until you saw the way he turned red and stuttered through his words. He was definitely staring at you.

His eyes catch yours as you begin to smile and he shifts in his seat, readjusting to hide the obvious tell in his trousers. 

Hotch can’t dismiss the meeting fast enough; Spencer waits for the room to clear out so no one sees him as he runs off to the bathroom to… handle his situation. 

He returns to his desk still slightly flushed, even after splashing cold water on his face post-release. He’s positive the shame is splattered all over his expression as he slinks back to his seat, ducking his head and burying his nose in case files to avoid looking at you for the rest of the day. 

You want to say something, but you never get the chance. Each time you look over to him and think of approaching, something else requires your immediate attention. Whenever you see him heading in your direction, he immediately turns around and walks the other way once he sees you there. It’s a game of cat and mouse, and you are losing. 

Until the end of the day, that is. You wait him out. Spencer doesn’t want to leave the office because he knows that the second he does, you’re going to head out, too. You’ll ask to join him on the metro for some company, like always, and he’ll be stuck talking to you for forty minutes with the painful knowledge he just got himself off in the office restroom while thinking about you. 

He figures if he waits long enough, you’ll get tired and go home, and he’ll slip out twenty minutes later to make sure he doesn’t see you. Instead, you play his game and wait as long as it takes for him to finally go home. 

It’s now nine p.m. The last remaining agents on this floor left thirty minutes ago, and Spencer is still pretending to be working. You’re well aware he finished his paperwork around six or seven, but he’s scribbling away in some journal to keep busy. 

As quietly as possible, you slip away from your desk and creep up behind him, hoping to corner him like your prey. As you get closer, you see what he’s scribbling on his paper. It’s a drawing. It’s a drawing of you. 

Specifically, it’s a drawing of you from the neck down, in the exact blouse you wore today. The buttons are undone and, to the best of Spencer’s imagination, in addition to the little preview he got earlier, you’re drawn sitting in your lace bra with the sides of the shirt laying open to show it off. His memory served him far too well, he has practically every detail of your body’s shape drawn accurately. And he even knew the exact pattern of the lace. 

“Wow… that’s really good…” you whisper before you’re even aware. 

Spencer jumps in his seat, slamming his sketchbook closed as he drops his pen in shock.

“Was that me?” you blush. 

“N-no. That–that was nothing,” he swallows, shoving the book into his desk drawer. He shuffles around the objects on his desk, scrambling to pack up his bag with whatever he sees so he can make a quick escape. You grab his hand to stop him, taking a seat on the edge of the desk in front of his chair. 

“It looked pretty good.” Spencer looks everywhere but directly at you. He fiddles with his tie, his sweater, anything in his hands as your gaze burns holes into his head. Seeing him squirm like this is entirely adorable, so you tease, “Wanna see how close you got to the real thing?” 

His head snaps up, eyes bulging out. He says nothing, so you start to work the buttons on your blouse, and his eyes follow the movement of your hands. He pushes the bridge of his glasses back up his nose, clearing his throat as your fingers undo your buttons from top to bottom. 

“Your drawing looked pretty accurate to me, Spencer,” you smile, popping open the last button and moving your shirt to your sides. “Did you get the lace right?” 

His Adam’s apple bobs up and down his throat. He’s entirely focused on your chest, filling out your bra, rising and falling as you breathe. 

“I- I think so,” he stutters, shaking his head to remind himself to speak. 

“Why don’t you look closer?” You place a hand behind his head, bringing him a little closer to you. His tongue darts over his lips. Even under the dim overhead lighting, they glisten. His lips part slightly as he gets close, eyes roaming all over your exposed skin. 

“I–I…” Spencer trails. 

“You what, baby?” you giggle quietly, scratching his hair gently. He’s rock hard, clear as day, and his mind is completely blank besides thoughts of you. 

“I want you. So bad,” he whispers, barely audible. 

“I know,” you chuckle, stroking his locks with both hands now, letting your fingernails graze his scalp and send goosebumps all over him. Your thumbs rub his cheekbones, bringing his face to look up at yours. His big, brown puppy eyes are boring into yours, wide and waiting for you to say something. 

You dive down, giving him a quick peck, and he chases your lips with his own, eyes still closed, as you pull away. Your hands leave his face for only a second but still he whimpers at the loss of contact, opening his eyes to see why you’ve left him. He looks at just the right time to watch you reach around to undo the clasp of your bra, shrugging it off along with your blouse, now completely bare to him. 

“You know, your drawing is off to a good start...” you take his cheek in your palm again, guiding him to your chest. He instinctively runs his tongue over his lips to wet them before placing a reserved peck against your sternum, above your breast. Encouraged by your smile, he places another. And another. And several more, running down the valley between your breasts. 

“Maybe you just need to get a little more familiar with the subject,” you sigh as he finally moves to one side, kissing over the swell of your breast before finally attaching his mouth around your nipple, sucking softly. His glasses shift up his nose, at risk of falling off his face as he buries himself into your chest, losing himself in memorizing your skin. He carefully bites down with his teeth and pulls gently, laving over the bud with his tongue at the same time, and another whimper escapes him as you moan. “So next time, just ask me to pose for you.” 

#spencer reid smut #spencer reid x reader smut #spencer reid x reader #mgg smut #matthew gray gubler smut #criminal minds smut #blurb #sub!spencer #perv!spencer #baby!spencer #🍭

[dameronology]

wait on {din djarin x reader}

summary: boba fett is a good therapist, and din djarin is spectacular at being nosey. the result? a much needed conversation. perhaps there’s a silver lining. {kinda based on this song}

warnings: angst, language, swearing, s2 spoilers

this one hurts a lil bit but i promise the ending is happy. enjoy!!

-jazz

The air between you was thick, not unlike the beskar that the Mandalorian was wearing. 

It was funny, really, because you’d never minded the armour all that much before. Your ability to see straight through it and see Din Djarin for what he really was had been what made him fall in love with you, and you with him. Now, it felt like a barrier between you. Inches of thick metal and fabric, shielding him from the world around him. From you. The one person he usually held closest to his heart; the one person he’d let see his face for the first time in years. The man was hardly a conversationalist at the best of times but he’d opened up to you. Shared his world with you and intertwined it with yours. Built something with you that you'd both protect with your lives. 

Now, he was straying away. Forever attached by an invisible string, but with galaxies and galaxies between you. Even though he was mere inches from you, sat two seats over, there was a chilly air; if your relationship was a warm, welcoming house, the atmosphere he’d plunged you both into was the cold winter’s night on the other side of the glass. You wanted to go back, to drag him inside and slam and bolt the door behind you. Instead, you were forced to watch through the windows, knowing what was there but never quite truly getting close enough to let it envelope you. 

You couldn’t hold it against him. The last few weeks had been rough on you both, and it only come to a head today. Grogu had been taken by the Imps and the Crest had been blown up before your very eyes. It was one of those times that truly and wholly showed the difference between you and Din: you sought him out and he pulled away. You’d learnt a long time ago not to follow him. You wanted to. Fuck, you wanted to, but you’d learnt the hard way that it was a bad idea. 

Despite the icy silence and ache for your kidnapped toad son, you were still grateful for the fact Boba Fett had offered his ship as transport and shelter. You weren’t entirely sure what his deal was, but Din seemed to trust him, and so by extension, you did too. Things were a little cramped in the hull of the ship, but there was a spare sleeping quarters for you and the Mandalorian to squish into, assuming he’d let you. You didn’t want to ask him, because you were scared of the answer. 

Instead, you found yourself sat out on the dusty plains of...wherever the hell you were. Boba had parked the ship up overnight so that you could rest; it seemed to be some kind of desert planet. Not too different to Nevarro or Tatooine, but perhaps a little colder. The sky had long faded to black, casting a darkness over the sandy plains ahead of you. The chilly air was a welcome contrast against the stuffiness of the bedroom - it wasn’t even hot in there, just filled with some kind of inexplicable tension. And not the sexy kind; the regular, all-consuming type. You could feel it slowly etching into your frontal lobe, sinking in its claws and giving you a stress head-ache. Letting out a few deep breaths, you let the gusts of cold wind blow over your bare arms. 

‘A little cold out here, isn’t it?’

The voice was gravelly and unfamiliar, but one that you knew belonged to Boba Fett. 

‘Yeah, maybe.’ You didn’t turn around to look, instead letting your eyes stay focused on the distance. There was nothing ahead. Just darkness and sand. ‘Fresh air is nice, though.’

‘Or maybe the air inside is bad.’ He countered. Boba took a seat on the rock beside you, jokingly whacking his knee against yours. ‘What’s on your mind?’

‘Just...what happened today, I suppose.’ You replied. ‘We lost the kid, and our ship.’

‘You’re handling it better than your Mandalorian.’ He replied. 

‘I don’t think he’s my Mandalorian.’ You snorted. ‘He’s just...he doesn’t normally deal with so much at once. I think he just needs time to process it all, you know?’

‘Perhaps.’ Boba said. ‘And do you always make excuses for him?’

‘I beg your sweet pardon?’ You turned to look at him. 

‘Forgive me if I’m overstepping, but I’ve always been an observant man.’ He began. ‘I saw how you immediately went to him, to check on him, and how you fought beside him,  yet he’s barely even looked at you.’

‘Ouch.’ You muttered. ‘You might be observant you but certainly do not tread lightly.’

‘My apologies.’ He curtly nodded. 

‘It’s not always been like this.’ Your words felt forced. You were making excuses. ‘And it won’t always be.’

‘You know him better than anyone, or so I assume.’ Boba reminded you. ‘But don’t be afraid to remind him what he has, despite what he’s lost.’

He was right. Din could be distant, and he could be fucking ignorant without even trying, but you hadn’t strayed from his side once. Not for a second. It could be frustrating to deal, with but you loved him with your whole being, in a soul-consuming sorta way, and you knew he was capable of coming around. Your mother had always preached songs of love being patient and kind but as you saw it, it was frustrating, and at times the most inconvenient thing in the world. You must have had the patience of a saint to deal with him. He was just lucky he made it worth it (and that underneath all the armour, he wasn’t too bad to look at. It certainly helped his case). 

You let out a sad laugh. ‘I couldn’t. Di - Mando already struggles to express his feelings and I’d only make it worst if I said he wasn’t doing it well enough.’

‘You know your worth.’ Boba said. ‘Only you can decide if he appreciates it enough.’

‘He does.’ You quickly replied. ‘I know he does.’ 

He gave you a doubtful look, one that said I think you’re bullshitting, but I won’t disagree. He was simply sharing his observations, even if they were a little much. But the man hadn’t had any proper social interaction for a long time, so you could hardly blame him - and he had a sort of wise air to him, like he’d been round the block a couple times. He certainly seemed like the sort of person you should listen to.

‘I’ll leave you with this: the life of a Mandalorian is complicated.’ He dusted off his knees, before standing up. ‘You should make sure it’s worth it before you fully commit.’

‘I-’ you tried to speak, but you were cut off by the sound of a twig snapping under someone’s boot. Why the fuck were there twigs in the desert? More to the point, why was that your immediate thought? 

You both sharply turned around, coming face-to-face with a Mandalorian. Not a Mandalorian, but the Mandalorian. The one you’d just been talking about. The one whose heart would have been broken into a million tiny pieces if he’d even a word of what you just said. And, from the way his helmet tilted ever so slightly to the left, you figured he’d heard more than enough. Fuck. 

'Don’t let me stop you.’ His modulated voice wavered ever so slightly. ‘I’ll see you inside.’

He turned on his heel, heavy steps taking him back towards the Slave I. To anyone else, his body language hadn’t changed, but you could read him like a book. A complicated book, and one that was missing more than half its pages and was in a dozen different fucking languages, but one you’d read a thousand times. Understanding Din Djarin was hard, and you’d only just begun -  barely touched the surface in fact - but it was more than anyone else could say. 

‘Wait!’ You leapt up, almost comically falling over as you rushed after him. 

Sensing that his presence was probably not welcome, Boba returned to his seat on the rock, silently hoping that Fennec Shand was either a) asleep, or b) had enough common sense to stay the fuck out of the way of whatever was about to go down. 

‘I swear to maker if you shut that door -’ you were cut off by...the door shutting in your face. Djarin: 1. You: 0.

You let out a small groan, slamming your fist against it. 

‘Okay, maybe I deserved that.’ You quietly muttered. ‘But will you please listen to me?’

Silence. 

‘Fine.’ You splayed your fingers out against the metal. ‘Ice me out, Din Djarin. I’m more than used to it by now.’

There was a gruff hmm from the other side of the door. Had he really just taken offence to that?

‘It’s funny, really.’ You continued. ‘Because the part of that conversation you didn’t hear was me defending you. Like I always fucking do, because I know that despite everything, you’re a human being and you love me.’

There was a small thud, as though Din had placed his hand in a similar position to yours.

‘But Boba has a point.’ Your voice fell to a whisper. ‘I keep giving and I get nothing back. Instead of letting me in, you just shut me out and I know you’re upset at what he said but for the love of everything holy in this shitty world, do not prove him right.’

It was a risky ultimatum, and not one you’d seen coming. Your chest had tightened as soon as the words left your mouth, because you knew that if Din stayed silent, that was it. You’d have to let him go; to accept that you would never get back what you putting in. Before, you were able to convince yourself that you were okay with that but maybe, just maybe you weren’t. Waiting around for something that had no guarantee of happening was like beating a dead horse that had no guarantee of coming back to life. The only thing that was promised was emotional exhaustion and then eventual death. You would have liked to have found something between those two waypoints - whether Din Djarin could be the one to give it to you? You didn’t know. 

After a moment of silence, the door finally opened, and you came face to face with him. Like actually face to face with him; no helmet, no armour. Just a loose tunic and tired brown eyes, matched with lazily-shaven facial hair and knitted brows. That was Din. Your Din. 

‘Can I just...can I just talk for a moment?’ He asked. ‘I have something to say and I want to get it right.’

‘Of course.’ You nodded. 

‘I’m not hurt by what you said.’ He stated. ‘I know I don’t show you enough love and it hurts that I don’t know how, but I am trying. I promise you that much.’

You gave him a tearful smile. ‘Yeah, I know.’

‘I just wish that you could say it to me and not to him.’ He murmured. ‘I don’t want you to hold back on anything, ever. You can always come to me. Even if it’s about me.’

‘I get that.’ Your eyes fell to the floor. ‘It’s just that I know you’re trying your best and I’m scared you’ll think that your best isn’t enough.’ 

‘It’s not.’ Din’s words took you by surprise. ‘It’s not enough, but one day, I hope it will be.’

‘I don’t know what to say, because if I deny it-’

‘- you don’t have to say anything.’ He cut you off. ‘I want to give you the world. And I will, if you’ll be patient with me.’

You took every word as gospel as he said it. The Mandalorian was a lot of things, but a liar wasn’t one of them. And to his credit, every promise he’d made to you before, he’d delivered on. You didn’t doubt for a second that this one would be the same. It wasn’t even naivety or wishful thinking. 

‘I mean, I’ve come this far.’ You tried to crack a joke. You finally looked up from the floor, his brown eyes meeting yours. 

‘I love you.’ He took your hands in his, words firm. ‘That’s all I can give you right now. I’m sorry.’

‘Din.’ The words barely come out as a whisper. ‘Never apologise. Please never apologise. I just...it’s nice to hear it, you know? A little more often than every time you almost die.’

‘Are the words enough on their own?’

‘Yes.’ You squeezed his hands. ‘Because I know you mean them.’

Din wrapped his arms you, pulling you tightly against his chest. It was warm and soft, miles away from the cold armour that so often greeted you. He held you tightly and with a new kind of might you were previously yet to experience, clinging onto you as though it were the last time. It wasn’t - it was far from the last time. Rather, it was the first time. The first time that he’d spoken of a future with you, or fully promised himself to you. You knew you would get there one day. You’d just needed him to say it himself before you could believe it. 

Din Djarin was giving you tiny little pieces on himself each day, and one day, you would have all of him. 

tags: @meshlababy @bo-kryze @poestardust @aqueencomplexx @princessxkenobi @cosmic-rich @captn-andor @buttercup--bee​ @maharani-radha​ @kat-r-in​

#din djarin x reader #din djarin x you #din djarin imagine #din djarin imagines #din djarin angst #mandalorian x reader #mandalorian x you #mandalorian imagines #mandalorian imagine #mandalorian angst #star wars x reader #star wars x you #star wars imagines #star wars imagine #star wars angst #mandalorian fan fiction #din djarin fan fiction

[literatikoo]

Jess Mariano's alleged communication problems

If there is one thing the Gilmore Girls fandom agrees upon, whether you're team Jess or Dean or Logan, it's that Jess isn't great at communicating. There's just a consensus that he's not great at discussing his problems and that's the number 1 reason why his and Rory's relationship blew up in their face in season 3. But... this is a (somewhat) unfounded complaint? Don't get me wrong, I know Jess can be harsh and rude and really knows how to hit the nail on the head sometimes but there are also multiple instances where he talks after being pushed a little. Like every single time he's talked to Luke about Rory problems ("The girls I like don't give a damn about me," "I told her I loved her" and the infamous swan episode) or when he tells Rory, a girl he barely knows, that his mom doesn't want him back for Christmas.

The problem with Jess is that he picks and chooses who to communicate too. He definitely doesn't talk about Liz to Luke because he knows that Luke just doesn't believe that Liz is a bad person and a neglectful mother. And seriously, we've seen Luke enable Liz' terrible behaviour multiple times on the show, do you really think he would've believed whatever Jess had to say about her? He talks to Rory about Liz that one time and she doesn't believe him either and both we and Jess know that she has a right to that because she's never met Liz, but this is still enough for Jess to never bring her up again (at least from what we see) because he's a 17 year old kid with a terrible relationship with his parents. NO 17 year old kid who's been treated bad by their parents would want to open up about it because it's pretty strongly ingrained in us that having negative emotions against your parents is WRONG. On the other hand, Jess knows that Luke sees his and Rory's relationship and may even help because he has his own unique relationship with the Gilmore Girls, which is why he's much more open about Rory and even seeks advice on occasion.

Now, let's talk about Jess' less than stellar communication moments:

1. Lying about school and Walmart: Jess skives off school a LOT to work at Walmart and save up money. He doesn't tell anyone about it. Why? Because for everyone else in Stars Hollow, and for most of us too, school is important and education is a positive thing needed for growth. But who knows how often Jess went to school before SH, we already know he has a bad relationship with the educational system but why? When he goes back to NY in s2 it's obvious he's not going to school and we know Liz moved around a lot so he may be a lot more behind in school than we know. Yes, he's smart and he reads a lot but that's not enough to do well in school; you need to be able to conform a fair amount and I don't think Jess even went enough to know that. Jess already wasn't planning on going to college and he knows that living with Luke is temporary, which is why he puts more importance into saving up money. He was already working for the future, just in a different way from everyone else. It's obvious that he also wasn't planning to flunk out of school, it happened because he wasn't attending enough not because he was failing (which pisses me off so much don't even get me started). He was going to graduate and then he was going to use the money he saved up while looking for a job that suited him. And that's a pretty solid plan honestly, especially since he didn't have the luxury to suddenly decide to go to 4 year college because his girlfriend told him too like Dean. But this is something else he just couldn't talk about to Luke or Rory, who both think he's capable of great things within the academic sphere. Mind you, once Luke found out he was skipping school he didn't deal with things in the best way either. He stole his car, effectively cutting off Jess' last bit of independence. I really feel like Jess was just waiting to graduate before he had THE talk with Rory about their future, and it was obvious he was thinking longterm ("22.8 miles"). That is before everything goes to shit.

2. Keg! Max!: Let me preface this by saying that Jess definitely made irreversible mistakes in this episode... but it wasn't for the lack of trying. This is the episode that he finds out he's not graduating and we can see him struggling with this information, he's tense and angry and his emotions are simmering. His interactions with Rory, which are usually so easygoing, are surrounded by this air of finality. At this moment, he knows he's going to lose her and his home with Luke because that's what the deal was. But he still goes with her to that party and he still does the bare minimum of mingling. Throughout the party he tells Rory that he wants to leave, I'm guessing to talk to her about what happened. But they don't (this is NOT Rory's fault btw, she had no way to know what happened either) and instead Jess' emotions get the better of him. This is the first of the two instances where we really see how non communicative Jess can be. However I still maintain that if Dean hadn't gotten involved, Jess and Rory would've been able to talk. (fuck Dean)

3. Jess leaves: This is the second case where we see him being truly non communicative, and unfortunately I don't have much to say in his defence. Except that he probably was still reeling from losing his home and meeting his Dad and just didn't know how to put that insane amount of emotion into words. He also probably thought that Rory just didn't want to talk to him anymore because of how terribly he treated her, especially since he was just going to give her more bad news. He could see himself self destructing, and didn't want Rory to be collateral damage.

4. Smaller instances (Swan song, Not calling Rory, fighting with Lorelai): Okay, I think the swan incident was Rory's fault, because he was telling her the truth and just didn't want to get into it in front of Emily. But she wasn't ready to hear it until she talked to Dean, which honestly was a sucky move on her part. The not calling her when he said he would while they were dating in that one random episode was also a similar misunderstanding. The thing in common with both of these instances was that he was ready to learn afterwards; he said he was willing to go back to Emily's house and he bought them tickets to the Distillers and from what the show tells us they had a lot more consistent date nights after that. This was Jess' first proper relationship and he was really trying. Now the Lorelai thing... he just didn't want her in his business. They had no relation to each other and she was very condescending to him the first time they met, he wasn't great either but when an adult talks to you the way she did after you've just been uprooted at your mothers whims, you tend to hate them a little. And honestly I always thought that Jess being weirded out by Lorelai's involvement in his and Rory's relationship was more normal 17 year old behaviour than Dean being overly friendly with her.

So, in conclusion, because he made two big fatal communication mistakes, he's labelled as the broody non talking type. When we see most of the characters actually do the same (Rory drops out of Yale and cuts off ties with her mother, Lorelai sleeps with Christopher after months of miscommunication with Luke, Luke doesn't tell Lorelai, his fiance, that he has a daughter), seriously, they've all made mistakes and this doesn't diminish the mistakes that Jess has made and the hurt he has caused, but he also doesn't deserve to have non communicative as a personality trait. If it was seriously that big of a problem, he wouldn't have been able to grow from it that quickly (by the end of s4) and by reading self help books of all things. I also think it comes off like that because he was in the show for so little time, and that's what the writers chose to focus on.

So tldr, Jess isn't as non communicative as the show wants us to believe and he definitely isn't broody.

#gilmore girls #gilmore girls meta #jess mariano #rory gilmore #luke danes #liz danes #lorelai gilmore #literati #character meta #jess mariano meta #anti dean forrester #not really but my entire blog is anti dean forrester so

[casa-amor]

Hey! So I saw this post you made about the leak thing. What if, Will goes and says all that and comes back to Thabi, thinking he wants to better for Thabi, but in reality it's actually mc? Hence he went back to Thabi first before going back to mc. Because after Thabi ends whatever going on between them, he comes back to mc, right? But then, when he comes back to mc, mc is already coupled/paired up with someone else. Now he's forced to watch mc having fun and vibing with an LI knowing how fun and how easy it is to be around mc. Like he remembers how fun it was to just chill with mc, talk with mc, have a laugh with mc-- those kind of things. Then, he realizes that he could've been that LI instead. Will to will, he's like, "why am I thinking of mc?" Bc yk, it should be Thabi who's flooding his mind and not mc. And that's when it sinks in that he didn't want to be better for Thabi, he wanted to be better for mc, so he comes back to mc.

Ngl, that's fanfic material right there 😂. It also fits that selfish persona fboys have. It's very cliché when considering the story, but cliché happens for a reason, yk? Anyways, I just wanted to share my wild thoughts with you after reading the post.

THIS IS THE BEST WAY THEY COULD DO WILL'S ARC. (given that, yk, they dont wanna rewrite the whole thing)

MEGA SPOILERS BELOW

it makes sense that he backs off from MC because MC is already coupled up like pretty seriously. we're like the power couple this season (not by choice lol we're kind of forced to be in love with james/bruno/najuma for most of the season) so it makes sense he keeps crawling back to thabi.

but also for something like this to happen (and for it to be satisfying), they'd have to put in little "hints" that will was thinking of MC throughout all this, like side glances or random chats that kinda make you go "wait...👀" they do this a lot in s2. like you can tell noah is kind of interested in MC even if you dont do a noah route.

from what i've seen there's really none of this in s4, which i chalk up to bad writing. i mean i sympathize with the writers because it seems like they were put under really stressful situations while writing s4. unpopular opinion but i think the "spirit" of s4 is really good, you can tell the characters were crafted with a lot of love, and the outline of the story was pretty promising, but when it came to the execution (actually writing the episodes, the dialogue, etc) that's when they came up short. it seems rushed and... like it was written by someone else who doesn't really know what's supposed to happen

then again, to be fair the leaks only go up to chapter 33, so we dont really know how will acts after coupling up with MC yet. maybe later in the game we get a solid conversation with him that explains everything. (i mean we do get kind of like a confession from him, but it doesn't really cover much, like if MC was coupled up with him before there's no mention of that, it's sort of more like a "hey, now that things aren't working with thabi, i think i like you, bye" and thats it)

sooo yeah. fingers crossed it gets better🤞 i think there is still time for a more serious "i wanna do better" epiphany later on in the game. ugh i just hope it's written well. thats all. thanks for coming to my ted talk

#litg #litg s4 #love island the game 2 #love island the game

[the-ferocious-kittyrose]

My complicated opinion on Keith Kogane

Keith Kogane is definitely one of the more popular characters in the VLD fandom. People love brooding emo bad boys.

My feelings on Keith are... complicated. I definitely don’t hate him. I have a lot of problems with the character but I don’t think I could ever bring myself to actually hate him. Mainly because I kinda relate to him. We both have problems controlling our emotions, interacting with people, and making friends.

And we both have trouble believing there are people who truly have our best interests at heart and won’t abandon us because we’re a burden.

What I do hate is the way his character was written and the way it negatively impacted the characters around him.

There are definitely a lot of factors that contributed to VLD ending up the way it did. But to me, Keith and the writers insistence on pushing him to the forefront was the poison that killed the show.

Ok, before we get into this whole rant I feel like I should talk about the things I do like about Keith.

I like the premise of Keith’s character. He’s half Galra and never really fit in on Earth. He didn’t act like the other “normal” kids so kids made fun of him and adults didn’t want to deal with him. So in order to protect himself from the pain of rejection he would put up a tough angry facade and push people away and reject them before they could reject him.

This is something that really resonates with me personally having grown up neurodivergent. It’s awful growing up in a world that isn’t made for people like you and not knowing how to interact with or connect with your peers. Especially when you don’t know why you’re like that.

You learn to avoid social interaction because it always ends up negative. You put up walls because you don’t feel like anybody understands you or what you’re going through.

I know the writers probably didn’t intend to code Keith as neurodivergent. They just wanted Keith to be a hothead with abandonment issues, but nonetheless, this interpretation means a lot to me.

I also really like his relationship with Shiro. Keith is so used to being left behind and abandoned that when he meets someone like Shiro who’s patient and genuinely cares it’s new and strange. He’s so ready for Shiro to abandon him, even telling Shiro to send him back to the home, but Shiro refuses to leave him and tells Keith ethat he’s never going to give up on him.

It’s also interesting to see how their relationship develops over time. It’s clear Keith trusts Shiro, but you can tell that that fear of abandonment is still there deep down. In S2, Keith tells Shiro that he’s like a brother to him, and then in season 6, he takes the extra step and tells Shiro that he IS his brother and that he loves him. And for someone like Keith, telling their friend they love them is a big scary thing.

And also it’s just great to see a platonic “I love you,” especially between two guys. Don’t be afraid to tell your bros you love them!!!

Now let’s talk about the stuff I didn’t like.

Keith doesn’t have much going for him in terms of personality. He’s just sorta brooding and serious all the time. He does make jokes occasionally but it’s rare. The writers were more focused on making him cool and badass rather than fun.

I always loved the idea of Keith as a cocky carefree asshole who doesn’t give a shit about rules/laws and is kinda rude/aggressive but has a heart of gold deep down and would do anything for the people he cares about. (Just like a cat.)

I would also make him more alien esc. In terms of design I like the idea of Keith having red eyes with narrow pupils and fangs. And also just small things like the way he walks and holds himself. He growls and bears his teeth when he’s angry, his hair puffs up when scared, he’s fast and agile, disappearing and reappearing without making much noise, small things.

Then you have his race and sexuality. I have no doubt in my mind that Keith was intended to be a straight white dude. A lot of people see him as gay and Asian but there’s no evidence for this in canon. Acxa was originally intended to be his love interest and his race was never mentioned in canon. His name isn’t even Kogane in canon. (And the race of the voice actor doesn’t equal the race of the character. If that was the case Shiro, Hunk, and Lance would be white.)

They should’ve totally made Keith Japanese like he was in the original. It would’ve been so easy! Just canonize Kogane as his last name and have the book say he’s half Japanese half Galra. They could’ve also done what they did with Shiro and keep his og GoLion name. Just have him be Akira Kogane. Definitely cooler than “Keith.”

And as for his sexuality, I definitely think they should’ve had Keith be gay. But well get to that Later...

I also don’t like how they handled the whole Krolia thing. Not only was it crazy rushed, but it completely goes against the shows theme of found family.

Keith’s arc should’ve been about overcoming his abandonment issues and learning to accept the paladins as family. But instead they just get rid of the abandonment issues by just giving him his mom back.

I know a lot of people love Krolia but I don’t feel like she should’ve been introduced in anything other than flashbacks. Because Keith’s mom isn’t really that important. The show is about found family and friendship, not blood relation.

You can definitely have Keith learn about his mom and his family, but I feel like giving him his mom back was too much.

Personally, I always headcanoned that Kolivan was Keith’s grandfather or just a close friend of Krolia’s, and when Keith showed up at the Blade’s base Kolivan recognized the blade as his Krolia’s. Keith could learn about his mom through Kolivan telling him about her, how she was a great person and warrior who died fighting to make the universe a safer place for her son.

Another thing I didn’t like was the whole Keith leaving the team for the Blades thing. I know why he did it, he felt like the team was gonna reject him, he wanted to be more useful, and wanted to learn about his family, but I feel like you could’ve touched on all that without having him abandon his team.

One of the biggest problems with the show is that they did a bad job at establishing the paladins as friends, they feel like coworkers more than anything, and I feel like Keith being absent for two seasons contributed to that.

And his absence is hardly addressed. The team forms Voltron perfectly without him and no one ever says they miss him. Keith doesn’t even seem like he missed them after being gone for two years.

And a lot of the weight was taken out of that Keith v Kuron fight by the fact that Keith and Kuron hardly interacted.

That whole thing amounted to four things, Keith meeting Krolia (which I don’t think should’ve happened), them finding the colony (which was a dumb plot I don’t think should’ve happened), Keith aging up two years (which was weird and unnecessary), and Keith meeting Kosmo (which is... complicated).

I don’t think this plot was necessary. Keith should’ve stayed with his team.

Then you have his relationship with Lance. I know people are very sensitive about this topic. People have very strong opinions about whether or not Keith and Lance were intended to be romantically coded.

Personally, I do like Klance but I don’t believe they were romantically coded. I think if you want them to get together some things would have to go differently.

For example, the bonding moment. In canon, Lance tells Keith, “we make a good team.” I don’t see this as referring to him and Keith. I think he was talking about the whole team. If you want it to be about the two of them, I feel like it should be Lance telling Keith something like, “ya know, you’re not so bad after all,” and then Keith smiles and responds, “you’re not so bad yourself.”

Another example could be the scene where Lance comes to Keith with his insecurities. (Whether it’s as a leader or a friend.) This scene was weird in canon, Lance comes to Keith for advice and Keith basically tells him to just stop thinking about it.

I would prefer if Lance brought up to Keith how he doesn’t feel like he’s good enough or that he doesn’t have, “a thing,” and Keith is completely dumbfounded like, “what are you even talking about?” He goes on about all the good shit about Lance. Talks about how Blue chose him, how he’s a great shot, how he’s good at dealing with people, meanwhile Lance is standing there in shock as Keith says all these nice things about him.

Over all you would just have to develop their relationship more. More meaningful interactions. And if you want the relationship to be romantic you would have to establish that early on. Establish that one or both has romantic feelings for the other in like S1/S2 because if you wait too long it’s gonna feel forced/out of no where.

And then... you have the Black Paladin arc... I’m gonna be real with y’all, this is the arc that killed the show for me, for a few reasons.

One, even ignoring the whole quintessence bond thing, it makes no sense for Keith to be the bp. He doesn’t fit the role. I adore Shiro but choosing Keith as his successor was a dumb move. I get that he saw potential in Keith but they’re are fighting a war, there’s no room for favoritism.

Shiro should’ve chosen Allura as his successor. Not only does she have actual leadership experience, but you would only have one paladin in a new Lion instead of three.

If a lifeguard breaks his leg and can’t work, he should choose an experienced swimmers to take his place, not his little bro that’s still in water wings in the hopes that it’ll teach him to swim.

Two, Keith being the bp doesn’t help his arc. Keith’s arc is about overcoming his abandonment issues and learning to be a team player, he doesn’t need to be the leader for that.

VLD should’ve been about the paladins growing into the best versions of themselves they could be. Their development shown by unlocking new abilities in their respective lions, new forms for their bayards, and new Voltron bayard power ups. They shouldn’t have to change lions and themselves.

Keith and Red have a strong bond and work great together. Keith and Red are both temperamental, unpredictable, and have issues with trust. Keith having to fight to get Red to trust and open up to him mirrors how others have to fight to earn Keith’s trust and get him to let down his walls.

It would’ve been interesting to see them grow together. Keith has no emotional connection with Black.

We never even get to see them bond. Keith just suddenly becomes the “perfect” bp/leader because he got over his mommy issues

Three, it’s a MASSIVE disservice to Shiro’s character. Shiro put all the work in earning his position as the bp, he literally fits fought Zarkon on the astral plane to earn her trust, yet Keith is the true bp? What?

It sucks. Sendak told Shiro that a monster like him could never be a paladin and the writers went and proved him right. Hell Shiro didn’t even get to kill Sendak, Keith got that too.

And don’t tell me, “but he got the Atlas!” REALLY!? A massive Deus ex machina that required absolutely no effort from him to acquire!? Filled with a bunch of rando background characters no one gives a shit about!? You’re totally right, that 100% makes up for it.

I could go on and on about how the treatment of Shiro in this show (and fandom) is blatantly ableist but that’s a rant for another time.

It sucks. I want to like Keith! He had the potential to be an amazing character but the writers just kept on trying to turn him into something he wasn’t and it ruined him for me.

They kept trying to turn Keith into the main character and ignored that ALL the paladins are the main characters. It’s an ensemble cast! You don’t have to have everything come back to one guy.

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