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#The One with Phoebe's Ex-Partner
carefulfears · 7 months
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very hung up on the first thing that mulder says about phoebe being "she was brilliant. i got in over my head. and, uh, paid the price."
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nanowrimo · 5 months
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Beyond the Word Count: A Book Editor's Guide to Writing a First Draft
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Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. First Draft Pro, a 2023 NaNoWriMo sponsor, is a beautifully designed writing app for fiction writers. Today, they've partnered with Kelly Norwood-Young, former book editor for Pan Macmillan and Penguin Random House, to bring you some pro tips on writing your first draft:
In my career as a book editor, I’ve reviewed hundreds of manuscripts. I've seen the joy of authors creating compelling tales, but also how disheartening it can be to rewrite a disjointed story. I’m here to give you some strategies to address common pitfalls so that you not only reach your NaNoWriMo goal, but also lay the groundwork for a manuscript that truly deserves to be called a gripping novel.
1. Have a plan.
Even if you’re more of a ‘pantser’ than a ‘planner’, it's really helpful to have an outline. I have two favourite approaches for this: the structure-first approach, and what I call the ‘Phoebe Waller-Bridge approach’.  
The structure-first approach
There are a lot of narrative frameworks for story structure, but the most foundational in Western fiction is the three-act structure. Here’s a handy guide that breaks each of the classical three acts into a day-by-day guide to NaNoWriMo: 
8-day guide to Act 1
14-day guide to Act 2
8-day guide to Act 3
The Phoebe Waller-Bridge approach
I love this quote from Phoebe Waller-Bridge: ‘I’ve never thought structure first. I’ve always thought material first, jokes first, character first ... But knowing the end really helps. Then you just go as far away from the end emotionally as you possibly can.’  
Sketch out your major story arcs, your character’s desires and conflicts, and the world they inhabit. The more you know your story's world and inhabitants, the less you'll stray into scenes that lack purpose or create plot and character inconsistencies. 
2. Keep the story moving.
Each word needs to propel your story forward. Superfluous details or tangents that don’t serve the narrative stall the momentum you’re trying to generate for your reader. 
There’s a trick you can use to move your story forward, called the question of reversibility. Ask yourself: How difficult would it be for my character to reverse their decision? The harder it would be for them to turn back, the more you’ve moved the plot forward. 
3. Plant clues carefully.
Plant important elements early and make sure every element, however subtle, serves a purpose (i.e. Chekhov’s Gun). 
Be sure to set up necessary components for your climax so that you can steer clear of Deus ex Machina (having that strong outline will help you here), and avoid red herrings unless they serve a clear, meaningful purpose (e.g. you’re writing a mystery and your readers expect some false leads). Misleading your readers without a payoff can erode their trust.
4. Write for the reader, not yourself.
‘There is only one thing you write for yourself, and that is a shopping list,’ insists Umberto Eco in On Literature. Even if writing, for you, is a therapeutic outlet, a form of self-expression, or a way to leave a legacy, you’re still writing to say something to someone else. Your story simply won’t be as strong if you forget your reader’s perspective. 
5. Keep daily editorial notes for your future self.
While editing should wait until at least December, end each day with a brief reflection, noting any off-course deviations, potential inconsistencies, areas to research further, or moments of inspiration to revisit when you start editing. 
These daily notes will be invaluable during the editing process, helping you to remember insights that are no longer fresh when you come back to the manuscript later.
6. Embrace the first-draft mentality.
There’s a lot you can do to ensure that your first draft is the best it can be before the end of November—but just as important is to understand that all first drafts have flaws.
As a book editor, I've witnessed manuscripts transform, sometimes unrecognizably, from their first drafts. Embrace the uncertainty and creative detours—because it's from this beautiful chaos that your story will find its true voice. 
Kelly Norwood-Young is a seasoned book editor and proofreader with comprehensive experience across various facets of manuscript editing. Her background includes roles at Pan Macmillan and Penguin Books, extending into a successful freelance career working with award-winning authors. Kelly's work, known for its precision and sensitivity to the author's voice, has been integral to the success of both new and established writers globally.
Try out First Draft Pro: All NaNoWriMo participants can use the discount code NANOWRIMO2023 for 20% off a premium subscription to First Draft Pro! Offer expires January 31, 2024.
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comfort hungry phoebe x reader
rpf!!!
pls dont be mean i dont claim to be a good writer i literally just need more boygenius content and took it into my own hands, im aware this isn’t good <3
this is also extremely self indulgent im chronically single and touch starved atm
phoebe was never one for emotions, perhaps stemming from her childhood years begging to be loved, or maybe her innate fear of vulnerability. she didn't like to dwell on the whys too much, her friends had accepted her odd ways and her ever revolving partners had managed, although not without with difficulty. her favourite pet name for her ex was 'dude', a funny running joke at first but then a sad testament to the lack of intimacy within their relationship, and when her first girlfriend admitted that she loved her all phoebe could force out was an awkward smile and a quick 'you too'. it wasn't that she didn't feel, in fact the girl felt so much that it hurt, it pained her to see how her inability to express her emotions affected her relationships but it just never felt right.
that was until she met her girlfriend. phoebe was enamoured with you from the moment you were introduced after one of her shows by some mutual friends. your smile was what first attracted her to you, but it was your ability to make her feel completely comfortable with herself that made her stay. now, almost a year into your relationship phoebe couldn't get enough. she still wasn't big on being affectionate in public, but today she found herself craving your touch, catching your eye from across the room filled with people she couldn't care less about. she smiled as you recognised her discomfort, always in tune with what she needed, and made your way to her. linking your two hands together phoebe squeezed tight letting the sweet smell of your perfume distract her from the blurring noise of the conversation happening around her.
when a brief lull arose in the discussion, phoebe couldn't help but drag you away to a secluded corner. she hated these things, glorified industry networking parties, but ‘the record’ came out in a few months and their manager insisted her and the boys went so naturally you had to come along too. 'fuck's sake', phoebe muttered, resting her forehead on your shoulder, feeling you move as you giggled.
'phoebs, it's not that bad, just an hour or so left and we can leave, i promise', you ran your hands through the blondes hair, feeling her sigh before she lifted her head and held your gaze with wide eyes. she usually managed to push through these things on autopilot but she'd been having a bad few days which quickly turned into a bad week, falling back into her cruel cycle of self hatred and nihilistic thoughts and all she wanted to do was be at home cuddled up with maxine and of course, you.
wrapping her arms around your waist you couldn't help but notice that she was tugging you closer, pulling you into her despite the curious eyes that usually would send her back to her anti-pda ways. you too ignored the stares and melted into her warm body, sensing her need for comfort. 'i love you so much baby', you whispered, rubbing your thumb softly along the strip of skin where her shirt had separated from her trousers, 'we can go right now if you want, i know you're not feeling good.'
biting her lip in thought you could practically see the cogs working in her brain and she sighed before answering, 'no, i promised jb and lucy i would be here', you were about to interrupt her to tell her what she already knew, that her bandmates wouldn't care if she left and never came back once she was safe and feeling okay, but phoebe gave you a pleading look, 'i know, but i want to be here for them, they were so excited for this.'
'okay, but say the word and we'll leave' you hesitantly replied, wanting nothing more than to wrap phoebe up in your bed with a steaming cup of tea and a promise to never let anything hurt her. she looked at you with grateful eyes, lifting her head from where it had fallen on your shoulder to press her lips against yours. 
as if sensing they were being spoken about lucy and julien bounded over and took in the stance of their two friends, 'the heart eyes over here are insane’, joked julien, before throwing her own heart eyes at lucy who was instead focused on the way phoebe kept herself firmly in your hold, despite both of you expecting her to move away like she usually did. 
phoebe lightly smiled murmuring a quiet retort to her best friend, slipping effortlessly into their usual back and forth relationship. joining the conversation you tried to ignore the woman clinging to you, not wanting to bring attention to the fact that she was still attached to you but that became impossible when her hand grabbed yours and placed it on her back, looking at you with puppy dog eyes. you knew what she was looking for, and holding back a smile you dragged your nails lightly up and down her back the way she loved. she craned her neck to stare up at you and your cheeks flushed at the intense love in her eyes. 'i love you sweetheart, thank you for being here’, phoebe said, the earnestness in her voice making your heart squeeze. smiling like an idiot you kissed her forehead, continuing to rub her back.
'this is sickening phoebs', julien interrupted, a grin on her face, as much as she loved making fun of the blonde she also loved seeing phoebe so comfortable in her relationship for the first time. 'shut up' phoebe muttered, finally pulling away from you to hide her blushing face. you laughed at the look on the boys' faces as they finally saw this side of phoebe, the one which you gladly experienced every day. phoebe was so full of love. she had so much of it to give and you were on the lucky receiving end of it. 'i hate you all of you guys' she said, finally emerging from behind her hands, her red cheeks apparent.
'no you dont', said lucy, shaking her head softly at their friend.
'no i dont'
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brandogenius · 2 months
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Hey could you do boygenius x young artist who’s going through their first breakup it could be queer or straight relationship, I just got dumped and am looking for comfort fics lol 😭
oh no :( i hope you’re doing ok!!
‼️RPF‼️
HC - the boys & young artist! going through the first breakup
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- they are PREPARED
- i feel like they’d kinda know? you could post all the time about your partner but one day you just stopped. unfollowed them and stopped tagging them in your posts
- update accounts posting “READER HAD UNFOLLOWED [partner] ON INSTAGRAM AND UNTAGGED ALL THEIR POSTS CONTAINING [partner]
- your dms being filled by the boys asking if you’re ok. phone calls coming in. you just have your phone on silent however
- failure to respond to those messages in your little gc with the boys, has them knocking on your door two hours later. opening the door with the spare key you gave them
- ice cream in their hands, board games in their bags. groceries and takeout too. they make themselves at home. phoebe grabbing spoons for everyone
- “vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. but you can have some of everyone’s”
- chinese takeout on the coffee table, movies are queued up onto netflix. comedy ones.funny ones to at least take your mind off stuff
- lucy coming downstairs with millions of blankets god knows where she found them but you can’t complain.
- the four of you all huddled onto the couch, fluffy blankets and pillows sprawled across everywhere
- halfways through the movie nobody cares about it anymore. you’re crying, babbling / yapping and the boys are listening
- lucy is rubbing your back, julien is preparing to throw some hands and phoebe has her phone out, ready to sign up your ex for elephant facts twice a day spam email websites
- a box of tissues have been used within 10 minutes
- “they don’t deserve you at all”
- “if i see them, it’s on sight”
- “can we just cancel them?”
- playing games with the boys and they purposely make you win
- asking you to move in with them for the time being. totally not because they are worried about you on their own
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quokkacore · 1 year
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kyoto [h.js]
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summary: a few months after you and jisung break up, your friends rope you into going on vacation. the only issue? they forgot to mention they invited your ex-boyfriend too. (part two of the punisher anthology series)
pairing: ex-boyfriend!jisung x reader
warnings: infidelity, toxic friendships, skz (and twice, girlies im SO sorry) are huge assholes here srry :(, peer pressure, emotional manipulation, codependency, language, hurt no comfort, reader has low self-esteem, covid era, “good for her” ending, exes-to-strangers, maybe ignore the fact that japanese borders have been closed irl?, jisung at one point thinks the reader is going to hit him, suggestive content, making out
word count: a little over 6k
listen to the song here, or here for maximum devastation
a/n: this song is actually about phoebe’s relationship with her dad—but when i first heard it i misunderstood and thought it was about an ex-partner. regardless, here’s what i came up for with jisung. that being said, i do not believe the irl skz or twice would act this way and i certainly don’t condone the way jisung, skz, or twice act here.
main masterlist
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june 24th, 2021
day off in kyoto
got bored at the temple
looked around at the 7/11
"Hey, come on, there's a lot of stuff we haven't seen yet, where are you going?" Jisung ran after you, eyes wide as he leaned towards you.
"I'm going back to the hotel," You mumbled, stepping out onto the street, "I'm not feeling very well. I think... the onigiri we got made me sick."
Jisung looked down, before smiling through his mask. You could see it through the way his eyes crinkled and the tops of his cheeks puffed up. "Come on, I'll help you get back! I'll buy you something from that corner store over there, they probably have stomach medication."
You resisted the urge to groan. You didn't want to miss out on the wonder that was Kiyomizu-dera, a temple over 1300 years old (and a UNESCO world heritage sight, thank you very much), but having to be followed around by the ex-boyfriend you hadn't seen in months up until two days ago was… not what you’d imagined.
Even worse when it was very clear to you that you weren't over him, and he wasn't over you. Made very evident by how nice he was being to you.
Seeing him at the airport, with his travel pillow and packed suitcase, tumbled your stomach so badly that you almost ended up making use of those barf bags they had on the plane once you were on the flight a few hours later.
"What is he doing here?" You hissed quietly at Dahyun, who had driven here with you. She continued walking towards the group, and shrugged as she flashed you a quizzical look. As if the topic were about a close friend. Not the ex-boyfriend you'd spent months crying over because he'd cheated on you.
"Oh, Minho invited him," She answered, "Just chill. It'll be fine."
"Dahyun, I don't think I can do this," You mumbled, shaking your head. You could feel your heartbeat picking up, your voice turning watery. She stopped a few feet away from them. Her smile disappeared, replaced with a warm, comforting gaze.
"You'll be fine, okay? We just want what's best for you," She explained, adjusting her face mask, "You have your friends here with you, Y/N. It'll be okay, trust me."
the band took the speed train
went to the arcade
i wanted to go, but i didn't 
Some friends they’re turning out to be, you thought as you trailed behind Jisung into the konbini. You had initially insisted on staying far, far away from him. That proved to be very difficult once you'd landed in Kyoto. 
It started on the bus ride to the hotel. There was no airport in Kyoto. No, the closest one was Osaka International, which was just about an hour away from the city via bus. A tired, cuddly Jisung sat himself right next to you.
“I’m so jetlagged,” He said, pulling his face mask up when he yawned. You avoided pointing out that the flight lasted less than two hours. When the bus began to move, he started to lean his head toward your shoulder. “That crying baby on the plane drove me nuts, can I maybe—”
“No,” You snapped, leaning away from him. His face dropped, and he seemed to realize his mistake. The rest of the drive was agonizingly awkward, you stewing the entire time.
Your friends always conveniently left room to sit next to Jisung, rarely anywhere else. The first night at a restaurant, all of you crammed into a round booth. The idea of sitting next to the man who’d said he loved you and then promptly stuck his dick somewhere he definitely wouldn’t have if he was being honest gave you too much anxiety. So, instead of sitting on the left edge of the table, next to the man in question, you adamantly sat on the edge of the right, right next to Chaeyoung, where there was barely any room. 
And despite half of your ass hanging off of the seat the entire time, at least you got to avoid conversation with Jisung.
This morning, you’d awoken later to a text from Dahyun.
 we went to go check out namco. ik u didnt want to go so i didnt wake u up
The thing is that you did want to go to Namco Wonder Tower. You have no idea where she’d gotten the idea that you didn’t want to go, because you’d explicitly told her a few days ago. The idea of a seven story tall arcade sounded like one of the coolest things ever.
Y/N: i did want to go to namco tho??
Dahyun: oh. srry! jisung told me youd changed ur mind :(
Y/N: …..
Dahyun: srry :((
And so, you’d decided to go to breakfast at the hotel alone, and that later you’d go on your own to a place that no one in your group except for you was really interested in seeing: Kiyomizu-dera. 
Or at least, you had planned on going on your own. 
That was until...
you called me from a payphone 
they still got payphones
it cost a dollar a minute
dont answer: hey where are u going today? 
Y/N: what?
dont answer: hold on i’m gonna go to your room the roaming rates are crazy hahah
Oh no. Oh no, no, no—
A knock at the door made your blood boil and your heart splinter. You knew who was at the door, there was no pretending you hadn’t left. He knew you were likely still here. 
And besides. You couldn’t run from him forever. You’d have to face him eventually. 
You put down the laptop you’d been using to look for directions to the temple from the hotel, before getting up. When you opened the door, Jisung was standing there rocking back and forth from the balls of his feet to the tips of his toes. As if he hadn’t a care in the world, as if he wasn’t getting ready to face the person whose heart he’d torn out and stomped on months ago. 
“Hey,” He said, smiling once he saw you. 
“Hey.” Your tone held none of the affection or cheer his did. 
He picked up on this immediately, and his smile disappeared. “So… Can we talk?”
You looked him up and down, heaving a deep sigh. You had half a mind to slam the door in his face after what Dahyun had just told you. On the other hand, you could finally get some insight as to why. Why Jisung decided to do what he’d done. Why he’d decided to seek comfort in someone else.
Truthfully, the whole thing had done a number on your self esteem (as if it hadn’t been bad enough before this). It left you wondering why you couldn’t be enough.
You chewed on your lip nervously, before opening the door a bit wider. “...Five minutes. You get five minutes.”
to tell me you're getting sober 
and you wrote me a letter
but i don't have to read it
He nodded solemnly, and stepped into the room before you closed the door. “It… I’m a complete idiot. I don’t want to blame you,” He mumbled before continuing anyway, “But… you were so focused on finals, and the past year sitting at home had been so isolating, I… I just felt so alone, and I—”
“You cheated on me because you felt alone,” You scoffed, “Do… Do you hear yourself, Jisung?”
His eyes were dark with sadness. “You won’t even call me Sungie anymore,” He whispered.
“I called you Sungie when you were my boyfriend. You’re not my boyfriend anymore. You broke my heart, Jisung.”
He didn’t reply, staring at his lap in silence. You gnawed on your lip.
“How many times?” You said hoarsely. His head shot up, and he shook his head. 
“I don’t want to hurt y—”
You scoffed in a brief moment of strength. “Oh, now you don’t want to hurt me. That’s rich. I’m gonna ask again, Han Jisung, and you’re gonna tell me. I at least deserve that. How—many—times?”
Jisung’s eyes squeezed themselves shut, and he took a deep breath.” 
“Six times.”
You shot out of your seat. “Six times!?”
“It was a mistake!”
“Bullshit. It would have been a mistake once. Maybe. But six times? You’re—you're disgusting, Jisung. Really.”
“Let me make it up to you, Y/N.” He reached to grab your hand. You couldn’t find it in you to yank your hand out of his grip. “Let me take you around the city today. We’ll have fun, just like old times. Please, baby, let me do this for you. For us.”
Your eyes squeezed shut, and you let go of a sigh so deep it must have been locked away in a part of the body yet to be discovered by doctors. Your mind flashed images of him in your mind.
The smile on his face after your first kiss, on your fourth date. How he looked falling asleep in your lap. The way he’d look at you when the two of you were naked, cuddling in bed. And finally, of him on top of a girl you’d seen a few times around campus, in the bed the two of you had bought together, in your apartment.
You wanted him so bad. How your hands ached to turn back the hands of the clock, to be there for him, to be better. To smack some sense into him and to prove that he needed you just as much as you needed him. 
“...I don’t know.”
“Come on,” He insisted, “I-I’ll take you to…” His eyes darted back and forth nervously, thinking of something to say.
“Kiyomizu-dera,” Jisung declared finally, eyes widening and a smile gracing his face. “You’ve always wanted to go, I know you have. We can go there.”
You chewed on your lip, heart skipping a beat at how he managed to remember. “I was already planning on going there today,” You admitted with a soft laugh. His smile grew, seemingly proportional to how hopeful he was feeling.
“Perfect,” He murmured, “Let’s go now.”
You could do this, right?
i'm gonna kill you
if you don't beat me to it
dreaming through tokyo skies
You definitely couldn’t do this.
You almost choked on your tired sigh when you saw the car coming down the street, just as Jisung was beginning to cross.
“Jisung, look out!” You cried, pulling him back by the collar. He let out a strangled gasp as the car came barreling past, horn blaring. You pushed him gently towards the sidewalk, and shook your head, looking at him as if he had gone mad. He rubbed the front of his neck, having been choked by the fabric of his shirt.
“What were you thinking? That guy could have killed you!”
“I’m sorry!” He cried, cringing, “I’m still not used to them driving on different sides of the roads.”
You shook your head, “Jisung… Oh my god. My heart just fell out of my ass.”
He didn’t answer. The silence was tense, before you heard him awkwardly clear his throat. You could tell he was holding back a laugh. And despite your pounding heart, you found yourself holding back giggles as well. Soon enough, the both of you were cackling hysterically in the middle of the sidewalk, 
“You idiot,” You said, between gasps of breath, “I swear to god—”
“Yeah, but I’m your idiot, right?” He answered, with a muffled laugh. Your face froze, and he seemed to realize what he’d said. He took a deep breath, looking down at the floor and shuffling his feet awkwardly. 
i wanted to see the world
then i flew over the ocean
“I’m sorry.” He fiddled with the zipper of his black jacket, and you shook your head, but didn’t say anything.
The silence that permeated the space between the two of you left your ears ringing. You remembered when he used to say that, back when you were still together. 
You glanced at the road. All of the cars were now lining up in front of the crosswalk, and you cleared your throat. “We can cross now. Come on.”
When you were still together. 
then i changed my mind
december 17th, 2020 
The night you’d first declared your relationship over was just before winter break at your university was about to begin. Junior year was no walk in the park.  And finals week was definitely not a good time to be dealing with too many personal issues. 
So of course, you found out your boyfriend was cheating on you halfway through finals week of junior year.
You’d just gotten back from campus to your boyfriend’s apartment. It was cold, snow had been falling all day and the tip of your nose was still cold and a bit runny from walking through the winter air. It was nearing 11PM, you wanted to just lay in Jisung’s arms and that you didn’t have another killer exam the next day. Your entire morning had been spent going over your notes for one exam. Once you had taken that exam in the afternoon, it was off to studying for the exam the following day. 
Your eyes were heavy. Your head hurt with both the uncertainty of how you’d done on the test earlier and how tired you were. All you wanted was Jisung.
Instead, when you knocked on the door, Chan opened it. When he saw your face beneath your face mask, his eyes grew a bit wide—as if he didn’t know what to do now that you were here. In hindsight, you knew now why he looked so panicked. But at that moment, it didn’t really register. You just wanted to be let in to see your boyfriend.
“Oh. Y/N,” He mumbled, mouth pressed into a flat line, “Jisung didn’t… tell me you were coming.”
You shook your head, pulling your mask down. “I thought I’d surprise him, I guess. I brought some food in case he needed a little pick-me-up.”
He shook his head, glancing behind him at something in the corridor that led to the two bedrooms. “Uh… he’s sleeping, I think he’s pretty tired, maybe you should just head on home—”
A soft, distinctly feminine, moan burst through the air, muffled from distance and a wall. You raised an eyebrow, out of nowhere feeling anxious. 
“What was that?” You tried to look into the apartment, but Chan pressed his body between the door and the frame. He had an uneasy smile on his face, shaking his head quickly. Alarm bells were going off in your head.
“Oh, uh, Changbin has his girlfriend over. You know how he and Jooah get,” He mumbled with a soft chuckle.
Suddenly, you felt a lot more awake, and your heart sank. “Jooah’s visiting her mom in Busan. I spoke to her an hour ago. There’s no way she could get from Busan to Seoul so… oh my god.”
You pushed past Chan, ready to give Changbin a piece of your mind. Jooah didn’t deserve this. Chan followed after you, rambling quietly about how this isn’t a good idea and I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Y/N, really—
But as you approached the bedrooms, your stomach dropped when you realized that the soft grunts and moans weren’t coming from Changbin’s room, and the grunting didn’t really sound like Changbin at all. 
No, you thought, turning around towards Jisung’s room, he wouldn’t. He couldn’t, could he?
And when you pushed the door open, you had an egregious moment of epiphany. He could. He most definitely could.
sunset's been a freakshow on the weekend 
so i've been driving out to the suburbs
Of course, as every cheating son-of-a-bitch ex-boyfriend says, it wasn’t what it looked like. He could explain. The only feasible explanation you could come up with was that Jisung just so happened to slip and fall, and landed penis first into the girl’s vagina. 
And even then that still wouldn’t account for the fact that he had met her on Tinder of all places. You really couldn’t be angry with her, because once she realized what was happening, she turned pale and yelled, “He told me he was single!”
Which sort of pissed you off—some deep form of internalized misogyny wanted so badly to place all the blame on this nameless girl, for enticing a man who had a girlfriend. But if she hadn’t known, the only person squarely responsible was him.
Han Jisung.
The man currently scrambling to pull on some pants as you turned, wordlessly walking towards the door. You walked past Chan, who was dead silent and staring at the floor. Your vision was blurring, and you could feel your grip on the plastic takeout bag trembling. 
“Y/N, love, I’m sorry, listen to me, please! I’ve been with you so long, I don’t want to lose you now—” Jisung pleaded, running after you as you headed for the door. It’d been left wide open after you’d pushed past Chan, so you didn’t find any resistance until you felt someone grip your free wrist. Even though you were wearing a thick winter coat, the second you registered it as Jisung’s touch, the coldest temperature you’d ever felt seemed to sweep over your body.
When you turned to yank your wrist away, Jisung immediately stepped back, eyes wide in shock. You wondered what your face looked like, but you could never truly know. Back then, you could register it moving, contorting, but your body was so numb out of nowhere, you couldn’t feel to what degree. It seemed to be enough to shock him into silence, brows raised and mouth gaping.
You didn’t recognize your voice when you spoke. This odd mixture of despair, of rage, of bitterness came somewhere deep within your subconscious, to the point where some nights you wondered if you’d been possessed. The strangest thing was that while your voice was small, shaky and almost monotone, all of these emotions were somehow still palpable in the last words you spoke to him, before walking out the door, and not seeing him for six months.
“All I ever did was love you,” You told him, “And this is the thanks I get.”
You didn’t block his number. Looking back, you should have. Despite all of his texts and calls, he didn’t come to see you. You supposed he was also tied up with finals and everything else. 
sungie<3: baby please
sungie<3: i love you please pick uo
han jisung: i swear i can explain
han jisung: its not what it looke d like i promise
han jisung: plaese come back
dont answer: ill wait for you. you love me right?
dont answer: y/n please
By the time finals were over you were a bleary mess. You spent every night the rest of that week crying over your class notes, staying up and running on barely any sleep and way too many coffee cups and energy drinks to be safe.
And by the time finals were over, you were already on your way back home, far, far away from Jisung. Right before you boarded your flight home, you texted him once.
Y/N: we’re done. don’t text me ever again.
to park at the goodwill and stare at the chemtrails
with my little brother
december 23rd, 2020
“So, he just… cheated on you?” Your younger brother asked, sitting on the porch next to you. Heaving a sigh, you nodded. 
“I’m done with him. I don’t ever want to speak to him again.”
He frowned, before looking at you. “You guys really loved each other, though.”
You nodded, but then shook your head. Yes, you wanted him to hold you and tell you everything would be alright. But you knew that it never would be again. 
“That’s sort of true. If he really loved me he wouldn’t have cheated on me. And even if he managed to convince me that he did… I don’t know. I could never trust him again. I would get paranoid every time he talks to another girl. I don’t want to live like that.”  
He didn’t say anything. You didn’t really expect him to fully understand. He was still a teenager and hadn’t really gone through the whole relationship thing completely yet. 
he said you called on his birthday 
you were off by like ten days
but you get a few points for trying 
“He still talks to me sometimes.”
You froze. “What?”
“Yeah,” He answered, “He called me last week to tell me happy birthday.”
You raised an eyebrow. “Your birthday isn’t for another week.”
He nodded, then shrugged. “Thought that counts, I guess. But he was cool. He was funny.”
Frowning, you shook your head. “Well, don’t… talk to him. He’s a dick.”
“Maybe, but I had a good drive learning to drive with him.” 
You thought back to the time Jisung had helped you teach your little brother to drive—Jisung even let your brother use your dad’s old truck, after helping to fix it.
With a scoff, you looked down. “...It was pretty fun, wasn’t it.”
remember getting the truck fixed when you let us drive it
25 felt like flying
july 29th, 2019
“OH-kay,” Jisung exclaimed from the backseat, body lurching forward as your brother slammed on the breaks, “Maybe we should practice breaking a little bit more before you actually head out onto the road.”
You chuckled, before nodding. “You’re lucky this is just an empty parking lot,” You said, looking at your brother. He looked like such a kid, pimply and scraggly, and here he was being put in the driver’s seat of a giant hunk of metal with wheels. 
You sighed. “If this were an actual road someone would have called an ambulance right now.”
“Oh, come on,” Jisung said, “He’s still learning! He’s got plenty of time.”
“Thank you!” Your brother raised his eyebrows as he began to maneuver the car again. “Someone’s gotta be on my side.”
december 23rd, 2020
“God-fucking-dammit, whose side are you even on?” You snapped, giving the younger boy a glare. “I’m your sister. He cheated on me.”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” He reasoned, watching you get up from the porch. “Y/N, wait—”
You slammed the back door shut, before blinking back tears furiously. 
you love me right?
You did. You absolutely did. And you couldn’t stand it.
i don't forgive you
but please don't hold me to it
born under scorpio skies
Maybe you could do this. As you got onto the train, you nearly stumbled, but Jisung caught you before you fell. Your eyes met, and yours turned wide in surprise. “Oh,” You murmured, “...Thanks.”
He let out an awkward laugh, which sounded more like a loud exhale than anything. “I mean, you did the same for me earlier,” He answered, before hurriedly adding, “E-except I might have died if you hadn’t pulled me back, y’know?”
“I would have died too. But more out of embarrassment than anything else.”
This time, his laugh sounded more genuine. “That’s the [zodiac sign] in you.”
You froze as the train started to move. Suddenly, you were flooded back to times that you had read Jisung his horoscope, before he’d roll his eyes and say something along the lines of, “Oh, that’s so vague! It could happen to anyone!”
And every time, you’d reply something like, “Well, if you don’t like it I won’t read them to you anymore.”
But every single time, every beautiful, cruel time, he’d fire back, “No, it’s okay. I like how into it you are. It’s cute.”
He put up with it because he thought it was cute, because he loved seeing your reactions. Because he loved you. Or at least you thought he did.
Did he still love you?
“I-I thought you weren’t into horoscopes.”
He scratched the back of his head, before shrugging. “I, uh, I got into it after you left.”
When you didn’t say anything, he took that as his cue to continue. 
“Would it be horrible of me to say that I got into it because I missed—”
“Yes,” You snapped weakly, “It would.”
Jisung’s eyes looked at the ground. The silence between the two of you was filled by the train around you. From the sound of the rails, to the man in the corner who sneezed suddenly and gave everyone a bout of anxiety when they heard the noise, to the two schoolgirls whispering excitedly to themselves a few seats away from you.
“I’m sorry,” He murmured, “But it’s true.”
The train slowed into a station, and you did the mental math. After this stop, you could get off and walk three blocks before reaching the hotel. 
“Even if it is, what does it fix?” You murmured as more people piled into the train, causing you to force your body closer to your ex-boyfriend’s.
“Nothing,” He admitted, eyes sad, “But I needed you to know.”
i wanted to see the world
through your eyes until it happened 
During the rest of your time on the train, neither of you spoke. Those next ten-ish minutes where you were just about pressed up against each other felt unbearable. His wide, dark eyes found yours and you couldn’t seem to pull away. If it weren’t for the face masks, you would probably be able to feel his breath on your face. 
The pair of you gripped the same pole for support, and over the course of time, Jisung lowered his hand towards yours. First, his pinky brushed your index finger. The contact set your skin alight and suddenly your skin felt dry. Then, his hand grew even closer and he intertwined your pinky and your index fingers.
Pull away, you told yourself, wherever this is going it won’t end well.
The train pulled into the stop, and you lost your balance. You tumbled into Jisung’s chest, and he planted a foot behind you to stop the both of you from falling. 
When you pulled away, both from his chest and his hand, your face felt like it was on fire. You didn’t know where to look.
“Are you okay?” He asked, sounding concerned.
“Yeah,” You said hoarsely, not really meeting his eyes. 
Stepping onto the platform, you exited the station with Jisung on your heels. The entire walk home was silent once more, your body tingling with a mix of anxiety and excitement that you couldn’t quite place the origins of. Your body sped up of its own accord, first into a brisk speedwalk and then a light jog. Why you were doing this, you didn’t know.
“Y/N?”
Did you want to get away, or did you want to know if he would chase after you?
“Y/N!”
Once inside the hotel, you pressed the button to call the elevator. You swallowed dryly once Jisung caught up to you, panting slightly.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” He asked again, breathlessly. The elevator dinged, and you stepped in without answering. Jisung followed after you, watching anxiously as you pressed the button to the seventh floor several times. Your body was trembling. You felt like a live wire, but you weren’t sure what emotion was charging the sensation. 
Emotions?
Anger. You ruined everything. Despair. I never want to see you again. Love. I need you. Hate. You disgust me. Bitterness. Why did you do this to me?
“Y/N,” Jisung murmured as the doors slid shut, “Are—you—okay?”
Desire. You were the last person who touched me—and the only one who ever did it right.
You pulled your mask down, agitated. The automated female voice said, “Going up,” in Japanese, and you lost it.
“No, I’m not.”
Your hand found the collar of Jisung’s shirt, gripping it so tightly your hand cramped. Jisung’s eyes widened and his shoulders scrunched up. It occurred to you that maybe he thought you would hit him, likely due to your erratic behavior. But that was the last thing on your mind as you yanked the mask off of his face, and pressed your lips to his.
He froze for a moment, before cradling your cheeks in his hands. His body reacted a second later, pressing himself into you. A moment later, your back was pressed to the wall of the elevator and Jisung was slotting himself in between your legs. And you let him.
“I missed you,” He gasped in between desperate kisses, “So much.”
Your chest clenched, and your hands wrapped themselves around his narrow waist, coming up to fist themselves in the fabric of his hoodie.
A sensation in your lower stomach, spreading between your legs made your body feel even warmer. You wanted him so bad. You needed him.
But did he need you? Did he want you? Or did he just want you to need him?
You pushed him away as if he’d burned you. For all intents and purposes, he basically had. Jisung caught himself before he could fall against the wall, face perplexed.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” You whispered, eyes welling with tears, “I’m sorry.”
And just in time, “Seventh floor,” the automated voice said. 
then i changed my mind
Maybe you couldn’t do this, you decided as you launched yourself out of the elevator. Jisung didn’t follow you this time. You wondered if you were making everything too complicated. Rounding the wrong corner, you found yourself at Dahyun and Chaeyoung’s door.
No, the little voice of reason in the back of your brain insisted, he doesn’t get to complain about that.
After a few knocks on the door, Dahyun opened the door. Her hair was damp, as if she’d just finished showering. 
“Hey,” She said, “You look like shit. What happened to you?”
She ushered you in, and you wiped away a tear as you sat down on her bed. 
It all just sort of… came out. Dahyun listened, nodding along every few moments to make it look like she was listening. You told her everything that had happened that day—the texting, the trip to the temple, the ride back, the elevator. The goddamn elevator.
  “I don’t even know what came over me when I did that,” You mumbled once you were finished. “I don’t know what’s going on with me anymore.”
“Do you wanna know what I think?” Dahyun asked, leaning forward. You nodded.
“You clearly still have feelings for him,” She said, “I think both of you guys still do.”
“It wouldn’t work.” You shook your head. “Not after what he did.”
“Haven’t you punished him enough?” 
You made a face. “What the hell are you even talking about?”
“Come on, Y/N,” Dahyun sighed, “It’s been six months. We gave you your space, but… you guys love each other. Jisung loves you, and you still love him, right? We’re all rooting for you guys.”
“Dahyun, I… I don’t think I could ever trust him again.”
“Oh, come on. It happens to everyone at least once. You love each other! I think it’s a testament to his love that even after his mistake—”
“It wasn’t a mistake—”
“—and after the way you treated him, he still loves you. Right?”
You froze, and your mouth fell open. “After the way I treated him? Was I supposed to react differently to my boyfriend cheating on me?”
She stared at you, before huffing. She seemed annoyed at the fact that the conversation was still going. “That’s not what I mean and you know it.”
Standing, you crossed your arms. “No! I really don’t, Dahyun. You really think that I was an asshole to him after everything he did to me—”
“Maybe he did it because you’re so fucking uptight about everything,” She grumbled, “Jesus.”
You took a step back, and your heart cracked. “Wow,” You muttered, “Nice one, Dahyun.”
Turning on your heel, you ignored Chaeyoung stepping out of the bathroom with damp hair. “What is it now?” 
“Y/N,” Dahyun called, “Y/N!”
But you didn’t turn around. You slammed the door shut on the way out, and when you got back to your hotel room you locked your door. As you sat down, you felt like you probably should have felt hurt at the fact that you didn’t hear Dahyun chasing after you in an attempt to apologize to you. 
guess i lied 
You pulled your phone out of your pocket as it began to buzz. When you saw the name on your screen, your eyes grew misty.
dont answer: come to the rooftop balcony later tonight. i want to fix this, i really do
dont answer: we can get a nice dinner just you and me
dont answer: and then after we can just tall
dont answer: talk
In a fit of rage, you typed out with shaky hands. You knew it was wrong. But just once, you wanted him to hurt. 
Y/N: ok. ill be there :)
dont answer: really?
dont answer: ill make it up to you i promise
dont answer: thank you baby
You couldn’t do this. Not anymore.
i'm a liar
You realized now just what an idiot you’d been. You’d poured so much into these people, these relationships that you’d been holding on to them because of some sunk cost fallacy logic. I’ve been with you for so long, I don’t want to lose you now. 
You opened your laptop on the table, eyes brimming with tears as the monitor lit up to your earlier google search - the results displaying your previous search for Kiyomizu-dera. 
And suddenly, your entire day came crashing down even further. Your eyes shot to where Jisung had sat that morning. He’d looked so panicked when you had gotten angry with him, fidgeting and gripping your hand, eyes looking anywhere and everywhere.
Closing your eyes, you conjured up the moment in your mind. The way his eyes stopped on the table and then… 
“Kiyomizu-dera,” Jisung declared finally, eyes widening and a smile gracing his face. “You’ve always wanted to go, I know you have. We can go there.”
Of course he didn’t know. Or at least, he didn’t remember all the times you’d gushed about it. He lied. And you couldn’t stay here any longer.
Pulling up your flight information, you clicked at random looking for the option you wanted, wiping away the stray tears that ran down your cheeks.
Confirm return date change? You will be charged an extra fee for flights booked less than 24 hours before departure.
[x] Yes [ ] No
who lies
No, you couldn’t do this, you realized as your finger hovered over the mouse before finally clicking yes. As if your body had a mind of its own, you were packing your suitcases before you fully realized what was going on. 
You were wrong. If you were being completely honest, running away from Jisung sounded like the best course of action. But until that happened, he would continue to eat away at you, to chain himself to you until it dragged the both of you down and make you feel bad for letting the both of you sink. 
He cheated on you. And then when he said he didn’t want to blame you, he blamed you anyway. You were so busy. I felt so alone. Zero accountability, you realized as you pulled your suitcases into the elevator. The same elevator you had kissed him in. When you stepped into the lobby and handed them your checkout card, you knew there was no turning back.
dont answer: im already here, i’ll just wait for you
dont answer: baby?
[dont answer] calling…
one missed call from [dont answer]
dont answer: y/n?
Jisung still had your heart gripped in his hands. You needed to snatch it out of them and glue it back together. 
How you would do that, you didn’t know.
But you knew it wouldn’t happen if you allowed him to hold this power over you, you realized as you stepped into the shuttle bus. With shaky fingers, you tapped a few options on your phone.
block “dont answer”?
You hit yes. You ignored the tear rolling down your cheek. 
'cause i'm a liar
And when the shuttle bus began to move, you didn’t look back.
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taglist: @iwishihadabettername @doderyscoffee @chanluster @laylasbunbunny @emobeomgyu @always-wishing-for-rain​ 
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I truly am happy for Matty. He deserves the fucking world honestly. But it makes me realize I don't have a BF, I don't have friends and I don't get a long with my family most of the time. I'm working on myself this Year I hope something will change. ❤️ I hope for uou and everyone else too. Anyway, sometimes I treat Matty like he is my little brother, his happiness makes me so so happy truly. I love him with all my heart.
Yeah, same. It often feels like I don’t belong anywhere with anyone lmao. But I think everyone feels that way sometimes. I mean, someone like Matty, who has such solid friendships with more than one person, has a mom and a dad who are literally nothing but proud of him in Tim and Denise, a lil brother who clearly looks up to him. Thousands of humans all around the world who care for him deeply, still felt the things that he wrote about in Frail State of Mind, Nothing Revealed/Everything Denied, I Think There’s Something You Should Know, etc.
And, yeah, we see him being happy now, but let’s not forget what he just went through. Pretty much from Feb 7, 2023 right up until December 2023 was absolute hell for him. The entire universe hated him. People not only criticized the things that he did wrong, but everything he’s ever done with his entire life, called him a pedophile, brought up his addiction, wished he would overdose, wished he would die, mocked his appearance, his voice, dragged his ex partners, especially Twigs, harassed Jack Antonoff and Phoebe Bridgers and anyone who was seen being friends with him. Can you imagine what that must have made him feel about himself? I mean he literally shows us in the peanut bit onstage.
As Denise said, the show is as much about all that as it is about his fear of addiction and his fear of people leaving him. Just cuz he appears to have everything he could ever want: a beautiful and kind gf, the worlds most generous parents, and a stellar career, doesn’t mean that his life isn’t just as cold and hard and miserable as the rest of us. And, by his own admission, he only got to the place we currently see him in, where he’s happy and healthy, by going to therapy and being learning to do the hard stuff and by growing up. He’s doing his best. And he doesn’t always get it right. Sometimes he’ll go off the rails. And, unlike me and you and the rest of the world, where, our worst days are private (maybe only seen by a handful of coworkers or family or whatever), his worst days are in front of thousands. and boy do they let him know when he’s fucked up.
Don’t let his joy mislead you into being hard on yourself and don’t let it make you forget that he’s just as fucked up as we all are. He’s just really really brave. That’s all.
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crappymixtape · 1 year
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something infinite • part four
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SOMETHING INFINITE • PART FOUR T H E H O U S E T H A T B U I L T M E
part four of something infinite – a history of you and steve and your families, all the broken pieces you’re both trying to gather up and put back together are more similar than you think // warning, *18+ note: the themes written about in this piece can be triggering – brief mentions of loss of a parent, neglect, unplanned pregnancy, and other heavy content – read with caution please and be gentle with yourselves! | ( 2.3k, angst, enemies to lovers, steve x you, steve x reader – find the rest of the series and more here and find the series playlist on spotify here )
JULY 12TH, 1966 • INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 🎶 motion sickness, victoria canal ( phoebe bridgers cover )
Your aunt Joyce and her sister Ellie – your mom – grew up in Hawkins, Indiana with loving parents, a simple life, but they had everything they needed. They were like built in best friends, sisters sharing a room through high school, keeping secrets and laughter under the sheets even after mom told them to go to sleep. It all felt like it was building to something hopeful, something bigger, until the tractor accident. Your grandfather, Dell Byers, died leaving two daughters and a wife behind and everything felt fractured after that.
Joyce and Ellie’s relationship with their mom stuttered and stalled like a truck on the freeway with a flat and instead of turning to each other they ran. Ran in opposite directions from the sting of grief, from the family photos hanging in the hallway, from what had been a false promise of forever. The whole town tried to come together to support your grandmother, Bea, and her daughters, but sometimes things can’t be fixed. Bea further retreated into herself, making hermit and Byers synonymous, and the girls both coped very differently.
While Joyce stayed in Hawkins with her boyfriend Lonnie, Ellie wanted nothing to do with it and found escape in the city. Indianapolis was full of things she’d never experienced before and getting lost in the sheer size of it was intoxicating, like a drug, and Ellie went in on it full send.
As separate as they seemed though, the two sisters did finally have one thing in common after a few years. Unplanned, and kept, pregnancies. And while they could again have turned into one another, it was like any kind of contact would reignite the grief again. So they raised their children in parallel, Joyce and Lonnie struggling through everything and Ellie taking care of things on her own.
Joyce grasped at straws, wanted to hold onto what her mom and dad tried to build, happy family, white picket fence, little job at the corner store, but it was far from it. Lonnie was shitty and Ellie knew that before she’d left so she went without a man in her life, instead dumping every fibre of her being into her career. She had propelled herself so far forward into success early on that she didn’t want for much, including a partner. Your father was never involved, a lot like Lonnie, but at least it was intentional.
It wasn’t until things with Lonnie got worse that the two sisters spoke again. Joyce cracked first and made a phone call offering vulnerability and love and wanting her sister. Ellie almost hung up, but she heard the sadness in her sister’s voice. Joyce told her she finally left Lonnie, and Ellie couldn’t bring herself to put the receiver back on the hook. They talked regularly after that, and even though Ellie wasn't willing to go back to Hawkins, Joyce did visit Indianapolis a few times with the boys. They were really the only family you knew of.
But growing up without a dad didn’t seem weird to you. Normal was just you and your mom when she was around. When she left for work your grandma, your dad’s mom, would stay with you, but you didn’t feel like you were necessarily missing out on anything until your first sleepover.
Your ex-best friend Samantha York's parents had been picture perfect and despite all the junk food and movies and silly, stupid games you all played all you could do was watch them. The give and take. The shared small smiles.
Love.
After that you didn’t want to sleep over anymore and friends felt like a chore for you. The girls were mean and the boys were fine until you got older and all they wanted was to make out in the backseat of their car. So when your cousins visited it was always a nice reprieve, a moment to show Will and Jonathan something new, take them to the skate park, escape from the bullshit. From the popularity contests. And they genuinely cared and god it felt nice. You knew about Lonnie, the boys didn't mind talking about it, and for a while you thought maybe your aunt Joyce would be just as disconnected and aloof as your mom was, but you were wrong.
Joyce loved Will and Jonathan. With every bit of her heart, you saw it on full display the first time they came to visit, and every time they'd finally leave to go back to Hawkins it felt like they were taking some part of you with them.
It wasn’t as though your mom didn’t love you, she was just so focused on her career. Having a kid along the way was more a speed bump than a detour and you were just along for the ride. Conferences out of town all the time with you staying at your grandma’s, your mom’s bedroom door closed with light slipping under the crack into the wee hours of the morning as she worked. Then when you got older it was leaving a twenty on the counter with a note and a little heart, Be home in a few days, don’t just eat pizza it’s bad for you! Keep the door locked!
You remember catching her as your junior year of high school as she was leaving for another conference, bags packed and ready for the taxi waiting downstairs.
“Mom, can’t you just stay home one weekend? Call out sick? Maybe we could like, go see a movie or something, you know?”
“Oh, honey. Call out sick, that’s no way to work. I’ve been planning for this presentation for months, it’s a huge priority. I can’t.”
“But you’re never home, like, ever. One weekend won’t hurt–”
“One weekend turns into two turns into a month, it’s a slippery slope I can’t afford. The Reynolds across the hall said they’d drive you to your– was it chess thingy? So you don’t have to take the bus. Money’s on the counter. No pizza.”
“Yeah. Okay.”
And she gave you one of her small smiles, the forced kind where you wished she hadn't, and she left without a second thought like she always did.
It’s a huge priority.
But you weren’t.
She didn’t make it to your science fair. She wasn’t around to drop you off at school dances. She missed your chess tournaments.
You were the parent.
Looking after yourself. Making your own decisions and you thought maybe if it had been more like Lonnie maybe it would’ve been better. Maybe if she was meaner or something. Maybe if you had a reason to hate your mom was it would make it easier because anything would be better than the indifference you swam in every single day.
Maybe that’s why you were relieved to see your aunt.
Maybe that’s why you finally felt at home in Hawkins.
Maybe that’s why you don’t want to go back to Indianapolis.
Maybe you’re not so alone.
Maybe you share more than you think with others.
With Steve.
APRIL 24TH, 1966 • HAWKINS, INDIANA 🎶 tears in my eyes, justin caradine
Steven Gary Harrington, a semi-namesake to his father, set up to fall before he could even walk.
His dad had never wanted for anything. Given everything by his father, Gary Senior. See, money could buy you anything. It got Gary Junior good grades. It got him out of trouble at school. It got him into college. It got him his degree. And in turn he got the family law firm on a silver platter when his father died.
He had it all, down to the beautiful and perfect trophy wife on his arm at every party, every event, every gala. And much like it went with your mom – Ellie Byers – Gary didn’t find his son to be a detour, but a box to check and eventual heir to the firm. He was ‘building a legacy for the Harrington name’.
Steve’s mom, Carol, wanted to be supportive and at first she was, staying home with their son when he was little and taking care of the household, but one weekend in August when Steve was seven it all changed.
She was cleaning the cars out like she did every Saturday, a trash can and vacuum on hand to throw away what little trash there was. There was no particular reason why she decided to open the glove box, after all it needed a key, but she had it and when it clicked open a pair of panties fell out. A pair of red, lacy panties that did not belong to her fell out. The first of many indicators that she was not the only woman in Gary Harrington’s life and the first time she raised her voice to him.
Steve had heard the arguing from out in the backyard while he practiced his baseball swing. The kitchen window was open and their voices carried perfectly on the breeze so that he could hear every word.
“Who do they belong to, Gary?? Your secretary? The intern? Who is she?? Some hussy you met at the–”
“I told you! I don’t know, Carol! I don’t know how they got there. I loan the car out to the guys all the time, they could belong to anyone.”
“I found a number, Gary, on a fucking napkin and it’s addressed to you: Gary, call me next time you’re in town. Ringing any bells now?”
Silence.
Steve remembers hearing the front door slam so hard it made the screen on the back patio slider rattle in the frame and when he’d gone back inside he found his mom leaning on the kitchen counter with her back to him.
He’d tried to ask what was wrong, if everything was okay, and when she turned around she put on a big smile for him. Told him it was all okay, they’d just had a little discussion. She made him his favorite dinner and took him for ice cream. Everything is just fine, Stevie. But he knew it wasn’t and after that his mom went with his dad on every single company trip while grandma stayed with Steve until he was old enough to be left alone.
Thirteen. That was old enough to take care of yourself, and grandma got replaced by a twenty on the counter with no note and the keys to the car just in case. When they weren’t out of town, Gary tried to take Steve to company events once he was high school. Tried to get him involved in conversation with firm partners, teach him the language and the finesse it took to be in law, but all Steve wanted was to play baseball. To spend time with his friends. To be a kid. And after a gala at the mayor’s estate the summer before Steve’s sophomore year of high school everything blew up.
Gary introduced Steve to one of the firm’s biggest clients, proudly boasting how his son was going to be applying for law school in a few short years.
“Steven here is the Harrington legacy. A chip off the old block, aren’t you son?”
“Yeah, sure thing, chip off the old block.”
“Of course he’ll attend Cornell or Columbia if he wants, he’ll have his pick obviously, but if he wants to be like his old man he’ll go to Harvard. Best time of my life and man were the girls wild. They’d do anything you wanted once you told them you were in law. Still do! Am I right?”
The laughter then from the group of men lit a fire in Steve’s chest as he sat and listened to them all talk so casually about how many women they’d been with, how they got away with it. How they still did. And all Steve remembers is picking up the laughter with them, but in a disconnected and unhinged kind of way before finally chiming in.
“Totally, yeah cheating on my wife is definitely in the ten year plan. Just like you, dad.”
All sound felt like it’d been sucked out of the room as Gary apologized profusely for his son’s behavior before grabbing him by the collar and dragging him out into the hallway of the estate.
“How dare you. How dare you embarrass me like that in front of a client!”
“Mom is literally in the room with us, and you’re standing there talking about how you–you’re going around banging other women?? And-and how funny it is that you get away with it?”
That was the first, and last, time Gary put hands on Steve. A slap to the cheek that stung and sent a flush across his face and pulled tears from his eyes. Regret flashed across Gary’s face, but he tightened against it by adjusting his tie and running a hand through his hair.
“Enough, Steven. Get back in there.”
“Fuck you, dad.”
And Steve walked the two miles home knowing three things. He didn’t want to go to law school. He didn’t want to take over the Harrington Firm. And he didn’t want anything to do with his dad.
So he poured himself into baseball and swimming and lifeguarding at the pool during the summers. Into Tommy Hagan, Carol Neilsen, and Nicole Dryfus. Into working two jobs to buy a car with his own money. Into literally anything that didn’t involve being home and he made a name for himself – King Steve. No one would tell him what he could or couldn’t do.
And that’s why you confuse him.
Why you’ve turned things on their head.
You challenge him, but not like his dad. Or Tommy. Or Kyle.
You make him stop and think.
What if he changed?
And what if he liked it?
SOMETHING INFINITE SYNOPSIS: hawkins, indiana, 1987 – your mom is out of town for the summer on business and she sends you to live with your aunt joyce and her husband jim in hawkins while she’s gone. joyce works at the library and jim is the town sheriff – the kids, will, jonathan and el slowly warm up to you and it’s after you get in with them that you really start to feel at home, but there’s one person who just annoys you to no end. one person you’d love to just boot off a cliff – steve fucking harrington. ♥️ find the rest of the series and more here and find the series playlist on spotify here.
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andiover · 11 months
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Ted Lasso Wish List for S3E9-E12
(In no particular order)
Phoebe: I’ll be happy to see her again at all, but I want her adopt Jamie as her new cousin. We all know he would absolutely slay at Princess and Dragon.
Dump Jane, Coach!: For good. Even if it’s offscreen and mentioned in passing.
Trent Crimm’s Daughter: Now, please. I need to see AFC Richmond turning into a bunch of softies like they do for Henry.
Colin and Isaac BFFs: I am still beside myself over E8. If they break up as friends for good, I will have no faith left in humanity. My darling fashion-challenged boys, get your shit together and fix this.
Jamie’s Mum: I don’t even need to see her on screen - just assure me she did everything she could to kick James Sr to the curb, keep her kid as far away from him as she was legally allowed, and tell me her fate.
More Bumbercatch: That chaotic little gremlin has said the wildest shit in passing this season and I never want it to end.
Roy’s Sister.: Even if it’s just once, to make a cheeky joke at Roy’s expense, I need to meet her.
Dump Jack, Keeley!: She treats Keeley like a pet or a novelty, not a partner or a person. She doesn’t even trust Keeley to hire her own office staff or write her own PR statement.
A Full Pack of Diamond Dogs: Ted, Beard, Higgins, Trent, and Roy, not just occasionally swearing from his office, but talking about his actual feeling.
Will someone please tell Jamie why he was really sent back to Man City?: They don’t even need to be specific - just let that poor boy know his coaches/dads really did want him around and it wasn’t his fault.
Rebecca gets to be a mum.: I don’t care if Sassy dies and she ends up with Nora or she hooks up with Ted and becomes Henry’s bonus mum or adopts an orphan or just figures out she already has a couple dozen very sweet, very dim sons - give my girl her one true wish.
Dump Dr Jacob, Michelle!: I don’t care that she’s got a boyfriend, but I very much care he was her ex-therapist. Your man is deeply unethical at best and creepy and malicious at worst.
The Family Higgins!: Even if it’s just Julie that makes a return, I’ll be happy to see any and all of their lovely faces.
Miscellaneous Himbo Shenanigans: All specific himbo-related requests are listed above. I just want as much of our sweet summer children being good friends and ridiculous humans as we can get.
And, the one which absolutely will not happen, but God I’d love it:
Bex gets West Ham in the divorce.: Series ends with her redecorating Rupert’s office just like Rebecca did is S1E1.
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randomfoggytiger · 7 months
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Mulder's Love Story, S1 (Part 2): Mulder Shifts from Prizing Scully to Wanting Her to Prize Him
My meta thoughts below~
Space, Fallen Angel, and Eve were more focused on case solving than relationship building; but Fire is drenched with characterization. Mulder gets caught up in Phoebe's games, despite warning himself and Scully against them; and ends up relying on his partner's friendship (possessiveness born from protection, not jealousy-- discussed briefly here) to see him through the emotional upheaval. By the end of this episode, Mulder's delighted (as is Scully) when any attachments he'd still harbored for his ex are gone so that he and his pal Watson can continue to chum along unperturbed.
Beyond the Sea exposes how deeply Scully has gotten under Mulder's skin-- using Dana twice, following her around closely, and trying to get into her head (without trespassing) to understand Scully's swift shifts and all-encompassing grief. He also begins to employ the advance-retreat method with regards to pushing Scully's limited beliefs: accepting where his partner will or won't, can or can't believe as long as she doesn't abandon him in his pursuit Truth. Beyond the Sea also serves as THE shift in their dynamic: Mulder goes from hands-on to emotions engaged fully on Scully. This pattern continues full force the rest of the season-- though it isn't a symptom of love (yet), just deep appreciation.
Gender Bender and Lazarus are key in two aspects: Mulder's tenderness remains and amplifies; and his professional jealousy shifts from valuing Scully above all others to wanting her to value him above all others (getting irrationally peeved when she trusts a random man so quickly in the first episode and grin-and-bearing-it while she reminisces about her ex in the second.) The "Dana" from Beyond the Sea lingers, too; but Mulder tucks it away again when Scully doesn't respond more than to her usual moniker. And Mulder continues his advance-retreat, respecting and meeting Scully where her limitations are (he will soon use this in their budding romantic relationship for the next four years, except he advances to joke but retreats when the moment turns serious.)
Young at Heart serves as an excellent post-episode to Squeeze (Scully being the focused target of the antagonist in her own home) and an excellent foundation for the episode Pusher (Mulder struggling with his instinct to shoot-- in this case to call the shot; with Modell to not do so-- and he and Scully watching over their hospitalized criminal together.) It's also another reminder of how little Mulder talks about himself or his past: other than the bare essentials, Scully knows no one-- his past partners, his past work partners, his mentors, his past cases, even his family (whereas Scully keeps Mulder informed about her whereabouts-- i.e. The Jersey Devil trips, the beginning of Roland, A Christmas Carol, Chinga, etc.) Mulder also shows how much he trusts and deeply cares for his partner, convinced she could pull off the setup, keep her wits about her while getting shot, and be capable enough to enable him to recapture the MOTW.
Thanks for reading~
Enjoy!
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wizzycore · 9 months
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Nonhuman Tournament Round 3(2!), part 2
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Why you should vote for each of them and full art below!
Sierra Gale (Species: Nimbari, by @stormy-sierra)
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“I cannot say Sierra is cool because she is not. She’s kind of lame. She’s a Savior OC, but in a burnout, depressed, emo Linkin Park and Radiohead listener sort of way. She’s a Nimbari who wasn’t originally the Savior but was traveling with the Savior (A myth wizard named Phoebe) until said Savior got #Slayed by Morganthe. So she had to deal with that while continuing on her work. Also she was kind of girlbossed by Spider for a while specifically to free him. Like how Raven is the narrator, but he was the narrator for Sierra. Outside of being Spiral Burnout #1 Sierra also is pretty good at using technomancy magic.”
Darla Blake (species: Panther, @kindcolors)
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(note: i used a different photo than the one sent to me for eyestrain reasons)
“To start off with, she’s from Lemuria— she’s from HEAP, even. The objectively coolest zone. She’s drinking cocktails on a fainting couch in the upper crust of Noir City. Secondly, she tried to be hero when no one else did. Oh wait- WRONG someone else also tried and they got together and were crime fighting lesbians together. After her partner died she stopped being a hero to cope but pobodys nerfect. She went on with her life but she kept up her sense of Justice by adopting a boy she found abandoned, who’s now a nurse doing his own brand of heroism (and he’s the biological son of Darla’s ex-fiancé before she came out— the drama!!!!!!) and now, even though she never took off in heroics to a status dog and Tessa would reach, she still tries to do what’s right through philanthropist work to give back to the more struggling parts of the city. Despite everything, her hearts always in the right place, and even if she can be hard-headed, avoidant of verbal confrontation, and.. well, pun intended, catty. She still holds a soft spot for the city- and people- she loves.”
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izzielizzie · 1 year
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POVs have been released. Thoughts?
i'm unsurprised but,,, kind of disappointed? i expected phoebe and nate as narrators bc phoebe had the most going on by the end of oouin, and karen has repeatedly said nate is her favorite.
i wasn't expecting maeve because her narration has always seemed the weakest in oouin (i've noticed that karen's strong narrations in the oou world are always comparable to some other narrator in one of her stand-alones, but i've never had a perfect maeve comparison).
since nate is a narrator, i didn't expect to have bronwyn, especially since the rojas sisters have been narrating for two books in a row. also it doesn't make sense to have someone who doesn't live in bayview anymore narrate.
knox and nate are too similar. you can't have both.
coop is in the same boat as bronwyn — he's too far removed from bayview now. same argument for kris bc he lives in san diego and he really is a minor character.
addy is unsurprising. if there's an important character, they'll have a connection to her. the only other pov character i can think of who shares that trait is maeve. addy is the sister-in-law of knox's employer. she's phoebe's neighbor. she's besties with the b4 and their partners (partners being kris lol). she's friends with maeve, and she works with luis. ads just makes sense (plus the mystery is def going to revolve around her but that's for my next post).
but what i'm really disappointed about is luis. only two characters have had direct influence in both mysteries, and it's maeve and luis. the rojas sisters have had their moment in the sun (and honestly i'd be upset if it was extended) but luis has been there since day one. he got the license plate numbers, he stood up for coop, he got the video for knox. those things feel small but they had really important repercussions. i guess it's just annoying to see luis as a plot device for two books but then not get recognition.
also, luis is connected to everyone too. he's best friends with cooper and addy and kris. he works with phoebe and he seems friendly with knox (plus he's dating knox's ex). he's dating bronwyn's sister, and nate is his girlfriend's brother in every way but blood relation. plus if it really is jake who's back (see more in next post) then we need his narration. the story won't feel complete without it.
plus it kind of feels like karen has toyed with the idea of a luis narration because mateo and jonah sound a lot like luis would if he had a narration. it's really disappointing not to have him as a narrator.
and in terms of relationships, i feel like maybe cooper/kris and maeve/luis will be sidelined just because of the narrators. natewyn isn't going anywhere, they are the couple of the oou world. and phoebe and knox have a lot of development in their future. coop/kris and maeve/luis are just going to be on the sideline which is disappointing bc we haven't had a lot of cooper/kris and maeve/luis are just starting to date and there's a lot of stuff like trust issues to get through before they're stable.
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plainselfraisingflour · 9 months
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I've said it before and I'll say it again: Friends sicks but I still watch it. In The One with phoebe's ex-partner, Ross wriggles his stupid way into going to a lecture on fashion with Rachel.
Later, he claims that he wanted to go to the lecture because he wants to spend time with Rachel. However, he had first said he was happy for Rachel to go. He was only unhappy with the plan because Mark was going.
Anyway. He yells at Rachel and says his thing (being a palaeontologist) is better than Rachel's because people like watching Jurassic park.
(Because Hollywood has never, would never make a movie about only morally good things.)
Ross says that nobody watches movie based on fashion. His example is man-eating jackets inan island or something like that.
BUT. Ross is not only wrong to yell at Rachel, not only wrong to say somebody's work is invalid, not only wrong to be so jealous of his partner, not only so wrong to ask for sexyal favours in return for doing something 'nice' - but, he is also just wrong with this claim.
People's pendant so much money on and time on clothing. On looking at clothes in films. In re-creating costumes. TV shows such as friends inspire fashion directly and indirectly.
Ross sucks.
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crystalelemental · 9 months
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Alright, back from visiting family, on to more important matters. Like playing video games.
Vs. Drake I really wanted to give this one a shot, in part so Anni Steven can contribute, but also to show off his specific contribution in Weather Wipe. It's not really talked about much, but in some of these more modern stages where the gimmick is auto-weather and high DPS, it's a good solution. Summer Liza is hilarious. I love the damage this kid dishes out. I will admit, there are some gauge issues with Steven even at +6 team speed. But not as many as you'd expect. Sincerely, I think his EX might solve it.
Vs. Glacia I initially tried a few others that were not getting the job done, then shifted to this. Look, base Liza was a super good support when I started the game, and I wanted to bring it back, this time with her brother Tate, who is...kinda ridiculous. More importantly, Darach. Darach's not a bad Tate partner, given the attack debuffing sets up innate Tech nuke, and the lowering of opponent evasion allows Thunder Wave to hit consistently. No weather combined with a free Crit Shield removal allows the team to take off enough offensive parameters that Liza isn't seriously threatened.
Vs. Phoebe At this point, I messed up using H!Caitlin entirely. I had wanted to do a bit more with her but it wasn't working out with Lodge Rosa/Colress, so I gave up and tried Anni Lillie, only to find out that right, using Ghost Zone powers up Phoebe, and Lillie's weak to Dark. So that didn't happen. Instead, we went with Irida strats. I like bringing Lorelei to an off-type match to clear. It feels like justice for her frankly atrocious grid.
Vs. Sidney You know who's not Dark weak? Caitlin. Okay, so maybe C!Bede is a little overkill, but I am in fact willing to kill on this one. Caitlin's final sync was like 20k. Which is pretty respectable for off-type, I think. DPS with the moves up next effect really chunks the stage too. Big fan of this, though sincerely Bede feels very overkill, he's so stupidly good.
Vs. Steven So then I thought hey, you know what'd be fun? Emma. Only to find out that aiming for denials prevents success entirely, because Emma's sync will not handle Steven's remaining HP. So you gotta spam. Okay, spam on him then. Oh that's still actually fairly difficult because their team is boosting defense a lot? Well then. Yeah, this one took a lot more consideration than usual. Anabel needed to do some flinch work for it to come together, but nothing too terrible. Still, it was frustrating enough that I legitimately considered Head Start on Looker or Emma to get a fast-ramp in and solve for this. Looker...gets the job done with Poison Sting, admittedly, but this is going to be a very sub-optimal team soon. Oleana's going to completely change what Emma works with optimally. I think if Looker can offer anything over Oleana, it's an easier justification to just drop CS2 for Head Start 1. Not like he does any damage off-type.
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adventurecat13 · 1 year
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🎀🩷💖 My ED Playlist 💖🩷🎀
These are some songs that I associate with my ED and WHY they are here.
🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷
Greatest Enemy - The Strumbellas
* this is a pump-up song that reminds me that recovery is possible and I'm in charge of that.
I Wanna Get Better - Bleachers
* another song where screaming along "I wanna get better! Better! Better!" reminds me to keep trying to get mentally well.
Used to Be - Steve Aoki, Kiiara, Wiz Khalifa
* I am a big fan of Kiiara and I like that they use the melody from Unwell by Matchbox 20. A good reminder that I don't have to stay unwell in my ED.
Lovin' Me - Kid Cudi ft. Phoebe Bridgers
* a beautiful self-love song. "I tell myself I cannot grow without lovin' me."
Big Girls Cry - Sia
* Sia's entire discography is a trigger, but this one hits like a train for some reason.
Cut to the Feeling - Carly Rae Jepson
* included this for a laugh, but I did dance around my living room to this song when I hit a new low weight.
Surfer Rosa - Sam The Astronaut
* I have included this one because it was written by a friend for his GF and I aspire to be the subject of a love song. I find that highly motivating.
Just a Little Bit - Maria Mena
* I listened to this so much in high school. The way she communicates vulnerability so well. "Perhaps if I was smaller, perhaps if I challenged myself, perhaps if I was just a little bit thinner"
Nobody's Home - Avril Lavigne
* She's lost inside, lost inside. Enough said.
Because of the Shame - Against Me!
* I just relate so hard to this chorus. "Because of the SHAME I associate with vulnerability, I am numbing myself completely. Can you hear me right now?"
Courage - Superchick
* another old classic that is explicitly about an ED but encourages recovery
Body Better - Maisie Peters
* anyone who has compared themselves to their ex's new partner will relate
Growing up can go to hell - Marisa Maino
* love the references to my exact teen Era in this song. "I used to race to finish Popsicles before they melt, but these days I'm lucky if I wake up and still like myself."
Perfect Day - Hoku
* Because Legally Blonde is th1n$p0 and one of my favorite movies, this song reminds me to embody Elle Woods and do things people doubt I can achieve.
Smaller Than This - Sara Kays
* Sara Kays is amazing and vulnerable in every song and so relatable. "I'll always wish I was smaller than this."
I Wish - Gregory and the Hawke
* "I wish I was smaller under your sheets. I wish you told the whole truth every time you speak."
Never Good Enough - Rachel Ferguson
* another one I played to death in high school. References Mary-Kate Olsen and insane low weights because that was how it was back then.
When She Cries - Britt Nicole
* also references abus3 from family. "She wonders why... does anyone ever hear her when she cries?"
So Rich, So Pretty - Mickey Avalon
* the 2000s were CRAZY as evidenced in this song that has the word Bul1m1a in it in a very glamorous way.
Boats & Birds - Gregory and the Hawke
* I always imagine ana is the star being referenced. Don't come for me.
No Matter the Season - Sara Kays
* another great song by Sara about not wanting to be perceived
Jealousy, jealousy - Olivia Rodrigo
* "I'm so sick of myself. Rather be, rather be, anyone anyone else, jealousy, jealousy"
Carolina - Taylor Swift
* swifties, don't come for me, I am mentally ill lol. I call my ED Carolina. Listen to the song and then tell me I'm strange.
Borderline - Tove Styrke (Vanic Remix)
* "I'm borderline happy and Im borderline sad. I live my life in shackles but I'm borderline free." This song reminds me of the thin red line and the bracelet project.
Dragonfly - Fauness (iykyk)
* "Destiny, my destiny is mine and I'm a dragonfly"
Open Fire - Silverchair
* the song starts with "please die ana" so.
Stay High - Tove Lo
* the messiness of the song is relatable, it references b/p.
I always joke around and sing "gotta stay hydrated all the time, to keep yourself alive ooh ooh" haha
Head Above Water - Avril Lavigne
* this is my cry song when I feel mentally broken
Renegade - Big Red Machine ft Taylor Swift
* I like this one to remind me not to let my illness scare away the love of my life.
Learning to Breathe - Switchfoot
* I grew up Christian and this song always comforted me at a young age and continues to encourage me towards LIFE and fullness of life in recovery.
🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷
..........................xoxo.disastercat13
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Text
The most self-indulgent thing I've ever dreamed up for this fandom is an OC named Phoebe. She's 42, has three kids, and works as tech support at an early Apple-like company. Oh, and she uses the primitive early internet to be pen pals with Kitt.
His side of the story is that he got really bored waiting in a parking lot next to her work building and decided to surf some message boards. He found Phoebe's posting stating that she was looking for friends and. . . well, decided to respond. It took him a solid 72 hours of writing and proofreading, as he wanted the message to be absolutely perfect, but now he's got the hang of shorter response times.
Kitt is, of course, extremely vague about his own details- he's mentioned that he works in law enforcement, that he has a partner named Michael, and that his hobbies are unusual, but that's about it. He mostly prefers to hear about Phoebe's life and give her advice on it. She talks often about her kids and her job. She also opens up about her ex-husband, who was recently convicted for gang activity. She worries, sometimes, that the gang will break him out of prison and that he'll come for the kids.
Upon hearing this, Kitt gives her the Foundation's number, and tells her to call should she need it.
Sure enough, FLAG receives a call from a 42 year-old mom of three, and the case gets pushed through to the information-gathering stage. Kitt, however, shows up with all the information necessary, leaving Michael and Devon with raised eyebrows. Kitt insists that it was simply a lucky bit of data he stumbled upon, nothing more.
(Truth is, he hasn't told Michael about Phoebe, and at this point, he's worried that he might get in trouble. The guilt is eating him alive, so he chooses to omit. What Michael doesn't know can't hurt him.)
So Michael and Kitt roll into Phoebe's town, and Michael goes to knock on her door and introduce himself. Phoebe is grateful to see him. Then she asks, "where's your partner?"
"I work alone," Michael replies. The usual charade.
"Oh. But what about Kitt?"
"How do you know about him?" Michael comes off sharper than he intends to. He knows this woman doesn't mean any harm, but any time someone on a case has known about Kitt in advance, it's usually because they're trying to steal Kitt's technology.
Phoebe explains- they've been exchanging emails for about half a year now, and Kitt seems like an absolutely charming fellow. She'd love to shake his hand. Michael says he'll be right back, steps outside, and demands that Kitt explain immediately. Things get cleared up (and Michael forgives him, of course), but not before Kitt begs Michael to not tell Phoebe of his real identity.
Because. . . truth is, Kitt knows that people treat him differently. Even some of the nicest, most tolerant people can't seem to wrap their head around the fact that he is more than just the average computer. He likes how Phoebe treats him currently and doesn't want to risk losing that. He has trouble properly articulating this to Michael, but Michael is able to connect the dots.
So Michael steps back inside, says that Kitt is "working remotely", and the rest of the plot-of-the-week ensues. They investigate the gang and protect Phoebe and her kids. But all throughout, Michael has to pretend that Kitt is 100% a normal, ordinary car that definitely doesn't talk, adding a layer of challenge to the whole event. Kitt feels horrible for handicapping his ability to help Michael, but Michael insists on keeping the promise no matter what.
. . . and THEN Michael gets captured by the gang.
So not only is Kitt dealing with the stress of that, but he also has to worry about ruining his relationship with Phoebe by revealing himself.
He's got no other choice- Phoebe's the only one who can help. The local police have been bribed, and she's the only one who knows the location of the compound. But she's obviously scared, doubting herself, fearing for the safety of her kids. Kitt first reaches out through a phone line. She's nervous to hear a voice she doesn't recognize, of course, but he quickly proves that it's him. Her mood improves instantly. She's grateful to finally hear his voice and asks what she can do to help.
He instructs her to the cabin of the black trans am in the driveway.
And Phoebe doesn't react all that well. Lots of disbelief, lots of awkwardness. It's exactly as Kitt feared. She can't see him as the witty and charming person on the other end of her letters anymore. He grieves over this, but he knows himself too well- he'd gladly self-destruct to save Michael, and this is little different. Even if it is more. . . difficult, almost.
They move to infiltrate the gang hideout where Michael's being held. As they devise a plan, though, something interesting starts to happen. Phoebe starts to understand. She starts strategizing with him. She trusts his judgements. She even cracks a joke that only they would understand. They break in to the hideout, Phoebe and Kitt both get moments where they get to be badasses, and rescue Michael. With the power of the three of them, they take down the gang and turn them into the police.
Everything culminates in a final scene driving back to Phoebe's house. Michael, of course, is still pretending that Kitt is Definitely An Ordinary Car, Nothing To See Here. . . and Phoebe gets pissed. She launches into a full tirade in Kitt's defense, citing all the wonderful things he's said and done. She exclaims that Kitt is "more of a man" than her ex-husband ever was, and that she's honored to count Kitt as her friend.
"Thank you, Phoebe," Kitt say shyly, on the verge of digital tears.
"Ah, so the cat's finally out of the bag. Good!" Michael smiles.
And they all have a good laugh about it. Before Michael and Kitt say goodbye, Phoebe makes Kitt swear to keep writing to her, which he readily promises.
Needless to say, he's able to be a lot more honest in his letters now.
---
The title of this fic would be "The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known". I've been sitting with this idea for about a year now. Unfortunately, I've had other novel-length writing projects that have been sucking up my time, leaving this idea on the back burner. However, I still wanted to share it with you guys because I thought some of you might like to hear about it!
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thencd · 9 months
Text
Lucifarian Family 80s Redux: Bios:
The Demon King: Damo Lucifarian / Damocles Lyle (1984)
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He sits on his throne all day, barking orders like a true tyrant. The sword of Damocles swings above his head.
"You will never dethrone me. Not now, not in one hundred years."
Name
Full Legal Name: Damocles Randolf Lyle
First Name: Damocles
Meaning: Latinized form of the Greek name 'Damokles', which was derived from 'Damos' meaning 'The People', a Doric Greek variant of 'Demos', and 'Kleos' meaning 'Glory'
Pronunciation: DAM-a-kleez
Origin: Greek Mythology
Middle Name: Randolf
Meaning: From the Old German elements 'Rant' meaning 'Rim (of a shield)' and 'Wolf' meaning 'Wolf'
Pronunciation: RAN-dawlf
Origin: English
Surname: Lyle
Meaning: Derived from Norman French 'L'isle' meaning 'Island'
Pronunciation: LIEL
Origin: English
Aliases: Damo Lucifarian, The King of Hell, The King of Demons, The Demon King, The King of Hell Damo Lucifarian, The King of Demons Damo Lucifarian, The Demon King Damo Lucifarian
Nicknames: Damo
Titles: Mr
Characteristics
Age: 62
Gender: Male. He/Him Pronouns
Race: European (Human)
Nationality: American
Ethnicity: White
Birth Date: August 2nd 1922
Sexuality: Straight
Religion: Christian
Native Language: English
Spoken Languages: English, Spanish, French, Latin
Relationship Status: Married (4th Wife)
Astrological Sign: Leo
Theme Song: 'Sympathy for the Devil' - The Rolling Stones (1970-)
Voice Actor: Hugh Laurie
Singing Voice: Sting
Geographical Characteristics
Birthplace: Blackburn, Lancashire, England
Current Location: On The Road
Current Residence: Albany, Albany County, New York, USA
Hometown: Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Appearance
Height: 6'5" / 195 cm
Weight: 260 lbs / 117 kg
Eye Colour: Blue
Hair Colour: Black
Hair Dye: Dyes his grey hairs black
Body Hair: Hairy
Facial Hair: Goatee
Tattoos: None
Piercings: Ear Lobe (left)
Scars: None
Clothing Style: Business-Wear
Health and Fitness
Allergies: None
Alcoholic, Smoker, Drug User: Smoker, Social Drinker
Illnesses/Disorders: None Diagnosed
Medications: None
Any Specific Diet: None
Relationships
Allies: Freddie Blassie, Lou Albano
Enemies: Mr Fuji, Lord Alfred Hayes
Mentor: Adonis Lucifarian (Adonis Lyle)
Significant Other: Persephone Lyle (57, Wife, Née Marsden)
Previous Partners: Selena Tindall (66, Ex-Wife, Née Roach), Phyllis Underhill (63, Ex-Wife, Née Peak), Phoebe Sharrow (60, Ex-Wife, Née Odell)
Parents: Adonis Lyle (88, Father), Pandora Lyle (90, Mother, Née Ledford)
Parents-In-Law: Agamemnon Marsden (R.I.P, Father-In-Law), Penelope Marsden (R.I.P, Mother-In-Law, Née Knaggs)
Siblings: Ares Lyle (68, Brother), Medusa Whitney (65, Sister, Née Lyle)
Siblings-In-Law: Nemesis Lyle (70, Ares' Wife, Née Horn), Alastor Whitney (66, Medusa's Husband), Atreus Marden (72, Persephone's Brother), Maira Marsden (74, Atreus' Wife, Née Kelsey), Nyx Harlow (69, Persephone's Sister, Née Marsden), Brontes Harlow (70, Nyx's Husband), Cerberus Marsden (66, Persephone's Brother), Maia Marsden (68, Cerberus' Wife, Née Sidney), Nike Garland (63, Persephone's Sister, Née Marsden), Cronus Garland (64, Nike's Husband), Dionysos Marsden (60, Persephone's Brother), Lyssa Marsden (62, Dionysos' Wife, Née Rodney),
Nieces & Nephews: Melissa Denman (48, Niece, Née Lyle), Eros Denman (50, Melissa's Husband), Ganymede Whitney (45, Nephew), Megaera Whitney (46, Ganymede's Wife, Née Cowden), Medea Bray (42, Niece, Née Whitney), Hades Bray (44, Medea's Husband), Hermes Whitney (39, Nephew), Leto Whitney (40, Hermes' Wife, Née Jekyll), Leda Holmes (52, Niece, Née Marsden), Hypnos Holmes (54, Leda's Husband), Ion Marsden (49, Nephew), Larisa Marsden (50, Ion's Wife, Née Deering), Lamia Ayton (46, Niece, Née Marsden), Jason Ayton (48, Lamia's Husband), Kratos Marsden (43, Nephew), Kore Marsden (44, Kratos' Wife, Née Wolf), Kleio Winchester (40, Niece, Née Marsden), Leander Winchester (42, Kleio's Husband), Linus Marsden (37, Nephew), Kallisto Marsden (38,Linus' Wife, Née Wells), Kalliope Watson (34, Niece, Née Marsden), Midas Watson (36, Kalliope's Husband), Morpheus Marsden (31, Nephew), Jocasta Marsden (32, Morpheus' Wife, Née Tyrrell), Ismene Tupper (49, Niece, Née Harlow), Nestor Tupper (50, Ismene's Husband), Notus Harlow (46, Nephew), Iris Harlow (48, Notus' Wife, Née Thorn), Irene Taft (43, Niece, Née Harlow), Odysseus Taft (44, Irene's Husband), Orion Harlow (40, Nephew), Ione Harlow (42, Orion's Wife, Née Stanley), Iole Spencer (37, Niece, Née Harlow), Pan Spencer (38, Iole's Husband), Perseus Harlow (34, Nephew), Io Harlow (36, Perseus' Wife, Née Smith), Idalia Sinclair (46, Niece, Née Marsden), Pluto Sinclair (48, Idalia's Husband), Poseidon Marsden (43, Nephew), Ianthe Marsden (44, Poseidon's Wife, Née Russell), Hydra Rowntree (40, Niece, Née Marsden), Prometheus Rowntree (42, Hydra's Husband), Simon Marsden (37, Nephew), Hestia Marsden (38, Simon's Wife, Née Reynolds), Hero Pratt (34, Niece, Née Marsden), Triton Pratt (36, Hero's Husband), Typhon Marsden (31, Nephew), Hermione Marsden (32, Typhon's Wife, Née Philips), Hera Palmer (28, Niece, Née Marsden), Uranus Palmer (30, Hera's Husband), Xanthos Marsden (25, Nephew), Hemera Marsden (26, Xanthos' Wife, Née Otis), Helle Northrop (43, Niece, Née Garland), Zeus Northrop (44, Helle's Husband), Auster Garland (40, Nephew), Helene Garland (42, Auster's Wife, Née Nichols), Helena Newman (37, Niece, Née Garland), Cupid Newman (38, Helena's Husband), Evander Garland (34, Nephew), Helen Garland (36, Evander's Wife, Née Nash), Hecate Morton (31, Niece, Née Garland), Faunus Morton (32, Hecate's Husband), Gemini Garland (28, Nephew), Harmonia Garland (30, Gemini's Wife, Née Merrill), Galatea Marshall (40, Niece, Née Marsden), Hercules Marshall (42, Galatea's Husband), Italus Marsden (37, Nephew), Gaia Marsden (38, Italus's Wife, Née Lucas), Eurydice Lincoln (34, Niece, Née Marsden), Jupiter Lincoln (36, Eurydice's Husband), Liber Marsden (31, Nephew), Europa Marsden (32, Liber's Wife, Née Knight)
Children: Mercury Lyle (41, Son), Eris Kimberly (38, Daughter, Née Lyle), Neptune Lyle (35, Son), Vestus Lyle (32, Daughter), Quirinus Lyle (29, Son), Enyo Judd (26, Daughter, Née Lyle), Saturn Lyle (23, Son), Echo Horton (20, Daughter, Née Lyle), Ulysses Lyle (17, Son), Echidna Lyle (14, Daughter), Vulcan Lyle (11, Son), Doris Lyle (8, Daughter),
Children-In-Law: Erato Lyle (42, Mercury's Wife, Née Kellogg), Pluto Kimberly (40, Eris' Husband), Eos Lyle (36, Neptune's Wife, Née Jones), Electra Lyle (30, Quirinus' Wife, Née Jackson), Remus Judd (28, Enyo's Husband), Elara Lyle (24, Saturn's Wife, Née Hughes), Tatius Horton (22, Echo's Husband)
Grandkids: Demeter Hill (21, Granddaughter, Née Lyle), Adonai Hill (22, Demeter's Husband), Christos Lyle (18, Grandson), Delia Kimberly (18, Granddaughter), Jesus Lyle (15, Grandson), Daphne Lyle (12, Granddaughter), Messiah Lyle (9, Grandson), Cynthia Lyle (9, Granddaughter), Satan Lyle (6, Grandson), Cora Lyle (3, Granddaughter), Yahweh Judd (6, Grandson), Circe Judd (3, Granddaughter), Beowulf Lyle (3, Grandson)
Great Grandkids: Chloe Hill (1, Great-Granddaughter)
Wrestling
Billed From: Hell Itself
Trainer: Adonis Lucifarian
Managers: None
Wrestlers Managed: The Lucifarian Sisters
Debut: 1942
Retired: N/A
Wrestling Style: Technician
Stables & Teams: The Lucifarian Family (1942-)
Regular Moves: Body Scissors, Double Leg Takedown, European Uppercut, Frog Splash, Headbutt, Moonsault, Belly To Back Suplex, German Suplex, Sleeper Hold
Finishers: Seventh Circle (Double Ankle Lock), Keylock, Olympic Slam
Refers To Fans As: The People, The Peasants, My Loyal Subjects
Commentary Name: The Demon King
Extras
Backstory: Damocles Lyle grew up in Lancashire during the 1920s and 30s, living through war and working as both a wrestler and as a security guard. During the 50s he made it onto two Olympic wrestling teams. He's been wrestling ever since the 40s with no plans to stop.
Trivia:
Damocles is protective, like a dad, but also way too overprotective of the girls' gimmicks
Damocles is an old, old school guy, so he enjoys card games with the boys
Damocles' Role is as the Mentor and Manager of the group
Damocles is abrasive, affable, captivating, placid, stubborn and unreliable
Damocles is protective and fatherly
Damocles is able to talk people into believing most of what he says
Damocles thinks he owns every aspect of the girl's characters/gimmicks
Damocles is very set in his ways
Damocles occasionally no-shows events
Damocles likes: His daughter (Vesta), The stars, Snow, The ocean, Travelling, Road trips, The colour silver, Sports, Full English Breakfasts, Christmas, DIY, Social events, Organization, Card games, Competition, Fishing
Damocles dislikes: Hail (Weather), Books, Squirrels, Haggis, Valentine's Day, Learning, Danger, Wasps, Snow Globes, Postcards, Yoga, Camping, Surprises, Cemeteries, Math, Loneliness
His main finisher (Seventh Circle) refers back to him being the King of Hell, as well as the seventh circle of Hell (According to Dante) being for violence, and his job as a wrestler is pretty violent
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Left: Damocles in 'Human form' (With his natural blue eyes)
Right: Damo in 'Demon form' (With grey eyes)
4 notes · View notes