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yannaryartside · 3 months

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Sydney Adamu; Donna's antithesis

THE BIG PARALLEL: THE QUEEN OF THE KITCHEN

Donna's introduction to the audience is in her kitchen, where she is the leader, the center of the action; all orders come from her, and the dynamic in the family is created primarily by her. She has assigned (indirectly or so) the roles of all the family members that keep the family working in the way it does. She is the queen, the leader—a role she was given by nature.

And what is Sydney's job in the kitchen? The CDC, even when she was a sous, she was already taking the responsibilities of the CDC. She is their queen, their leader in their kitchen—a role she was given by choice.

The writers had given Sydney every opportunity to be Donna so they could show us how much of Donna she is not. Here are my favorite examples of it.

Donna brings guilt, and Sydney brings grace.

Donna created her daughter's nickname after a mistake she made as a kid (probably when Nat was nervous and afraid to fail her), messing up a recipe.

Sydney gave grace to Tina when she messed up the recipe for the mashed potatoes. Sydney could have used that opportunity to get back at Tina for making her look bad in front of Carmy and all the other stuff. Sydney decided to be the bigger person; God, Sydney was not trying to make Tina own or like her. She just decided that is not what she is. She acknowledged that Tina was trying something new and wanted to be available in case Tina needed help. Sydney gave Tina clear expectations, recognized the task's difficulty, and offered help. Later, she was graceful when a mistake was made, and gave positive reinforcement when the job was well done. We learned then that Tinas was terribly afraid of being displaced or not good enough. Sydney is giving Tina all the things Donna should have given Nat.

Another exmaple of this is when Richie and Sydney are shopping for caulk. She just buys the right one; she doesn't rub it in his face or call him stupid or careless. In all their conversation, Sydney tried to understand more, not put more fire into the pile. Richie recognizes that, and I think this is when he starts to respect her, even a little.

Donna brings chaos, Sydney brings order.

Both women have the role of being the center (heart) of the kitchen. Only Donna can touch the food in her kitchen, while Sydney delegates the kitchen tasks to the restaurant employees.

Donna gives the absence of self, and Sydney brings purpose.

To please their mother, try to win her love, or just survive the household dynamics, the Berzatto siblings had to adopt behaviors/personalities that were not natural to them. Mickey was at least 18 when his father left; he took the provider position by helping her mom run the restaurant. He also took care of his siblings. He was his ultimate ally in helping the family feel like a family, particularly by always being capable of "dialing a room" to make everyone feel entertained, appreciated, have fun, and be a family. For all these reasons, he was Donna's favorite, and the other two siblings were neglected because of it. Neither Nat of Carmy felt really like she was there for them; she probably didn't encourage Carmy to draw or Nat in anything. Nat and Carmy grew up believing their talents/nature were useless because they didn't please their mom. Neither of them recognizes the things they are good at outside the kitchen: Nat diminishes her husband's compliments on her hard work, and Carmy ignores compliments on his drawings.

Sydney, on the other hand, can encourage Marcus to follow his passion for baking. She supports Tina in her culinary journey to the point of her becoming the third person in charge. She asked Nat to be the project manager because, in the few interactions she had with her, she perceived (or it was intuition) Nat's attention to detail, caring nature, and responsibility. In the climax of the second season, she trusts Richie to do the calling of the orders when she has no reason to believe he can, and he solidifies his purpose. Sydney "nurtured" everybody's natural talents and trusted them to walk independently. That is what a good parent or leader does. It is such a brilliant subtext. Important to note she doesn't do that with Carmy, because Carmy is her equal, her partner-to-be.

Other ones:

There is also to mention the fact that Sydney was a professional driver, and Donna tried to crash a car in her own house. Talking about metaphors.

Also, Sydney doesn't indulge in any of the toxic behaviors that the Berzattos learned from Donna, neither Carmy nor Richie's bullshit nor the rest of the staff. Little by little, she fought fire with water, and she won, maybe because she is more like a river than a drop. She had a purpose on her own, an identity, a past that she kept to herself, and a desire to move forward. People started to respect her the more they relied on her and the more she didn't give in to the toxic traits that were ruling them before. They saw the good and followed it.

Sydney may not rely on toxic dynamics to lead her kitchen, but she will not let others take advantage of her. She did not pick on Carmy's slack last season for him but despite him. She doesn't believe that is what she is supposed to do, not only as her employee but friend and possible romantic interest. She calls the bad behaviors/tendencies by it's name. And communicates she won't have it, while also saying she belives in him.

I think most of the audience (besides the ones in this fandom) really doesn't understand how extraordinary Sydney is. If she wasn't as well-written as she is, with defects and fears, people would think that she is the "saint woman/magic woman" archetype, making everything previously broken work in her presence. I also think it is because she is a woman, and women are expected to bring magic and be fixers and helpers. There is also the fact that she is a black woman, and everything that comes with that, but I cannot comment on that, so I am not going to. Just saying she is one of the most amazing role models I have seen, decorated with the price of also being one of the most complex female characters on screen. She is not perfect as a person and has not reached her whole potential, and she wants it. I respect and admire her so much. Even when Carmy seems to have a longer path of healing ahead, I want Sydney to win the most, not just heal. I want to know more about her, her intimate desires, and why is her heart broken. Long gone are the days when women lived on screen to make everybody around them better and happier. All the things she is extraordinary for, the ones I talked about, are not just reasons why Carmy had admired her or fallen for her. She is, for me, a champion preparing for live-defining battles. We know who she is, and we get to discover what else she could be, to grow in her self-confidence, her purpose, and what brings pleasure to her soul. She is considered now the show's co-protagonist.

And I hope in s3 we are in for a journey. She made all the difference. Thank you for reading.

#sydcarmy #sydney adamu #sydney adamu meta #the bear meta #the bear #carmy berzatto #natalie berzatto #donna berzatto #tina the bear #marcus the bear #richie jerimovich #Sydeny adamu is my champion

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skinks · 3 months

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tina fey said it all but god if I can’t get the bug out of my ass about saltburn… I think mostly because it’s become this Cultural Moment thing among younger people who seem not to have watched anything more challenging than fnaf lore explained videos until now. I hate that it fails so completely at the script level because you know there’s nothing I’d love more than to support a female director who clearly has an eye for form, but instead she uses it to draw attention to just how shitty her writing is. it’s as if someone painted a beautiful mural specifically to draw your eye to the clogged overflowing toilet at the centre of it. Listen to me. There is NO TWIST IN SALTBURN. it tells us from minute one that barry’s a bad egg. if you were blindsided by act 3 of saltburn it’s like you’re telling me you were surprised Jack Nicholson goes nuts in the Shining when his first scene involves him talking with barely concealed contempt to his son about cannibalism. IT IS SIGNALLED. the difference is that Saltburn expects you to be shocked when this turn happens. aren’t I clever and crazy and fucked up, it says. aren’t I a twisted fucking cycle path. aren’t I the jared leto joker of films. No you are not, saltburn, and the rhetoric this attitude has given rise to leads the sheltered young people to think that anyone who has a problem with the movie must be a prude who couldn’t handle how fReAkY it was. shaking in their seats at the thought of someone eating come, or period sex, get a grip. my problem is that it wasn’t even close to being subversive enough to warrant all the histrionics. it’s like an annoying 11 year old learning to swear and thinking you’re offended when really all you want is to talk to another adult. ultimately however none of this matters

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quesadillayuri · 4 months

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it's a gift! for @routeriver! for the @mcytblrholidayexchange! hi, i hope you enjoy some foolish & tina shenanigans, with quite a bit of bagina and empanada in there too, because i love those girls!

ao3 link

Foolish is a fantastic friend.

Honestly, he’d say that he’s a pretty great guy all around, and frankly, he’s been keeping it all together pretty well for a guy in his situation. He got forced into a death game, and then there were all the eggs, and the duel, and the boat leaving him behind as a meteor struck. He’s cracked to pieces, he can’t see out of one eye, and he’s more shark than he’s ever been before, which doesn’t seem like a great sign.

But, comparatively to some people, like Max who died, Foolish is doing pretty well. He looks like shit, sure, but he’s doing well.

Everyone looked like shit at the end of Purgatory, it’s part of being in Purgatory, so Foolish thought everyone would be on the same page.

Tina, apparently, didn’t get the memo.

“Okay, I really don’t think that’s necessary,” Foolish says, squinting at Tina. His vision is blurry, and he knows that he’s been going a little crazy since this started, but he doesn’t think he’s gotten to the stage of hallucinating yet. This means that, unfortunately, his very close, top ten favorite, longest known friend, Tina, is actually reapplying makeup. Tina glances at him in disdain, and makes a face.

“You wouldn’t think that, would you?” She says, looking him up and down. Foolish sputters in disbelief.

“You can’t— Tina, what? Tina, I— You cannot be serious right now?” Foolish hisses, whipping his head around like someone is going to come out with a camera and TV crew and tell him he’s on Punk’d. Tina just hums in acknowledgment, pulling at her face so that she can put a pencil-looking thing to her under eye in a way that cannot be comfortable.

Listen, Foolish loves Tina. People talk, have talked for years and years, about how they seem to butt heads, how they don’t really seem to get along, but Tina and him are friends. Like, real friends. They’re weird, in their own way, but Foolish always has weird friends. He’s friends with Bad, of all people, so everyone should really start to expect his friends to be weird. But, this is where Foolish is drawing the line, because they need to leave. They needed to leave hours ago, but Foolish couldn’t find Tina anywhere.

“Tina—” Foolish tries, but Tina shushes him, waving him off.

“Shhh,” She says, shoving her hand in his face, and he just stares at her with wide eyes. He can’t believe her, this can’t be real.

“Am I— Tina, are you real? This isn’t real, I— This isn’t real, you’re pranking me, this is a prank—” Foolish rambles, collapsing to lay down in the sand, hands over his eyes. The sun is a bright, glaring red, and Foolish thinks that he is going to be the first person to ever experience what nuclear radiation does to a totem. He’s not that interested in being a scientific anomaly, but that’s just how life goes.

Tina does not seem to care much about his crisis. When he tells her that he doesn’t want to become the Federation’s grand scientific discovery, and that his life isn’t worth a Nobel Peace Prize, or any prize, she just shoots him an absent thumbs up. Her tongue sticks out in focus, and Foolish feels a little bit like he’s going to snap into pieces.

“Tina—”

“Oh my God,” Tina hisses, “I’ll be ready in a second, just wait, asshole!”

Foolish isn’t proud of this, okay? He’s a nice guy. He’s a great guy. But, and this is important, he’s known Tina long enough that he doesn’t really need to be nice to her.

So, Foolish does what he has to do. He lassos Tina, picks her up, and launches her into the ocean.

For the first few miles, Tina just floats on top of the sea, letting Foolish do all the hard work of swimming so that she can mope around. Then, Foolish decides that he would also like to breathe air for a second, and she attempts to stay under the water so she doesn’t have to talk to him.

Foolish thinks about letting her drown. He doesn’t let her, but only because she would absolutely tell everyone that he left her to die, and he really does not want to deal with that.

It’s only on hour three that she says something, and honestly he’s regretting wishing that she would talk to him at all.

“Could we not have built a boat?” She says, spitting water out of her mouth as he speeds up. He can’t maintain the speed, but it’s good to keep her on her toes. He dives under the water too, just to humble her. It’s a little petty, but Foolish is a little petty, and she’s been so put together this whole time, that he just can’t really help himself.

She starts yelling as soon as he surfaces, which he takes as a good sign that he’s succeeded in making her angry, until he realizes that it’s actually kind of awful, because he’s the one stuck with an angry Tina for the next few hours. She starts swimming faster, just to get closer so she can yell in his ear, but she can’t keep up. He doesn’t fault her for that, because Tina is wearing seven layers of clothing at any given time and Foolish is incredibly aerodynamic. Foolish is also a shark, but he thinks the aerodynamics is what really gives him the advantage.

Once Tina has finished yelling at him, and once Foolish is done trying to get her to yell more, they drift in silence. Foolish knows which direction the island is, and the wind is, thankfully, pushing the ocean that way so he doesn’t have to work as hard, so for a little while, he’s able to chill. Tina has decided to dedicate herself to dethorning the lasso around her. It was fashioned from a vine that seemed to be pretty painful for everyone that wasn’t made of precious metals with skin that isn’t as thick as a sharks. Foolish knows Tina’s durable enough to not feel the thorns, and even if she wasn’t, the many layers of clothing do a good job at protecting her.

She’s probably just bored, being alone with her thoughts. Tina’s never liked that. Foolish doesn’t mind it nearly as much as she does. Foolish likes to think, contrary to popular belief. He used to always think aloud, but once he started living around people again, he realized that talking to yourself isn’t the best trait to have. So, he tries to keep in on lock, at least when he’s thinking about things he doesn’t want to share.

Foolish shares a lot with Tina, but it’s been a long week, and Foolish has a lot to think about for himself, so he lets her struggle on her own.

There’s something itching at him. It might be all the people left behind, by the boat they couldn’t make it to, and by Foolish who couldn’t find them: Cellbit, Baghera, Etoiles, and Bad. It might be Max, who Foolish is still trying to wrap his head around because he died and he also nuked the island. It’s not that though, because it’s something smaller. He wracks his brain, trying to figure out what’s bothering him, because he knows it’s something, someone.

He thinks it has to do with Tina.

And then Tina screams, and the thought is left behind, because holy shit, who the fuck is that?

“That’s a person, oh God—” Tina starts yelling, so Foolish starts yelling because oh, God, that is a person.

There is a person, sinking in the water beneath them, and Foolish makes the split second decision of ‘I should probably help this guy’ and dives under the water, reaching blindly for the pale, thrashing person in the water. When he makes contact, the person is distinctly furry, and Foolish recognizes the bright orange vest of the workers. The worker tries to fight Foolish’s hold, but Foolish is strong enough to get a good grasp, and he doesn’t care at all if he has to knock this guy out to stop them from drowning.

So, he does that, and he ties part of the rope around them too. The worker is... weirdly buoyant, so it’s once again, just him and Tina swimming, this time with a furry mass bobbing beside them. It’s weird, and Tina hisses every time the worker floats a little too close to her, but it’s altogether pretty alright. They make small talk, but Tina always seems half-focused on watching the guy out of the corner of her eye.

Foolish can’t remember much, but Tina being wary, paranoid, doesn’t strike him as especially strange. It should, probably, because Tina has seemed fairly upbeat and positive the whole time she’s been on the island, but it doesn’t.

Foolish puts Tina into the same category as Bad. They’re weird, obviously, and Foolish knows there’s some sort of complicated history with them, but he just can’t remember. He tries not to let it bother him. Some things he can’t change, and island-induced amnesia seems to be one of those things.

She seems happy enough when they spot the beaches of the Island, but Foolish supposes that anyone would be happy at that point.

When they climb onto land, Tina detaches herself from Foolish almost instantly, ripping the rope from around her body. They drag the unconscious worker onto land, and as Foolish stabilizes the guy, Tina scrunches the water out of her hair. Agent 18 meets them, and after a small crisis where Foolish has to confirm that yes, he is alive and yes, they should probably stop having funerals for him, they’re able to escort the other worker into the Federation building. Apparently, he was not normal, and was a worker from the other island, which makes a lot more sense.

Tina seems glad to go along with them, lamenting the ways she was rejected from the Federation as an employee. Foolish isn’t really holding out hope that she’ll actually become a worker, due to her... associations. He says as much.

“I don’t think they’ll let you in,” Foolish says, and Tina frowns at him.

“Wha— Why not?” She asks incredulously, crossing her arms, “I have all the qualifications.”

“Oh yeah,” Foolish says sarcastically, “Like being a barista! So highly qualified.” She rolls her eyes, and elbows him harshly.

“Yeah, exactly,” She says, squinting up at him, challenging him, “I’ll have you know I’m incredibly skilled.”

“I’m sure you are,” Foolish placates, before pausing. He has to figure out how to say this in a way that won’t make her yell at him. He looks to Agent 18 for help, but he is studiously ignoring both of them in favor of arranging a small prison cell around the Unnamed Freaky Eye Worker. Foolish takes a deep breath, and turns to Tina.

“Based on your...” He pauses, and Tina looks like she’s about four seconds away from smacking him, “associations, they’d probably think you’re a spy.”

“My associations?” Tina asks, and now Foolish is confused, because it seems pretty obvious. Pretty cut-and-dry, if he says so himself.

“Well, y’know, you and Bagi?” Foolish says it slowly, in case Tina is concussed and needs him to speak slower than usual. She looks a little spacey, eyes wide and mildly panicked. He continues nervously, “She’s not really on great terms with the Federation, and well— like, y’know, if she’s not on their good side, then you’re not on their good side. It’s like those people who are attached to each other and can’t be separated, like twins, conjoined twins—”

Now, Foolish could’ve kept talking. He’s pretty good at it. Tina doesn’t really let him, because Tina is Tina and Tina is a freak, so she starts coughing violently in response.

Foolish immediately stops talking, rushing over panicked to Tina because if she chokes and dies now, he’s gonna be so pissed. Tina is wide-eyed, flushed, and Foolish thinks that he either majorly fucked up his perception of events or Tina is wildly more concussed than he thought she was.

“What makes you—” She coughs again, and clears her throat. “What makes you say that?” She asks. She seems normal, but Foolish knows Tina, and Foolish knows that something is very wrong. Her eyes are sharp, and her tone is frantic, and Foolish gets the sinking suspicion that he has triggered something that he’s not sure the fallout of, but he’s sure that he doesn’t want to know the fallout of.

“Nothing,” Foolish says, turning away from Tina and pretending like he can’t feel her eyes boring into his skull. Agent 18 has, conveniently, slipped out of the room, so it’s just Foolish, Tina, and an unconscious, furry cyclops sleeping like a brick in a prison cell. “It was, uh— I was just saying, y’know, because everyone knows that you and her are like— Well, It’s nothing.”

Foolish is so good at this. He should win an award. He should win ten awards.

“It’s not nothing!” She yells, obviously not caring if their prisoner wakes up, “What do you mean everyone knows—”

“I didn’t mean anything, I just said it randomly!”

“Well, I’m just randomly telling you to continue!” Tina hisses, and Foolish feels a beat of anger in his chest. It’s a little like arguing with Bad, an age old familiarity that shouldn’t attach itself to someone that he really doesn’t have any working memories about.

“Why do you care so much?” Foolish says, like an idiot, because obviously Tina would want to know why everyone thought her and Cellbit’s cool, but kinda insane, sister were involved in some sort of... deal, or whatever.

“I don’t care,” Tina says petulantly, like an even bigger idiot, because obviously, she does.

“Obviously, you do!” Foolish says, mildly hysterical because he’s the one that’s been getting yelled at for something he thought was supposed to be obvious.

“You’re the one that cares, asshole!” Foolish’s eye twitches, but Tina just kind of glares at him, her tail lashing behind her. Foolish isn’t really paying attention to it, but if he was, he’d see that it’s less of a cat tail and more of a demon’s, with a spade tip and a sharp look to it. Tina’s eyes are dark with slit pupils, but Foolish is more focused on his own show of dramatics, tossing his hands above his head as his own eyes glow in frustration. Through the cracks in his body, a totem’s glowing light can be seen, simmering under the surface in a mildly angry boil.

“Oh my god, whatever,” Foolish groans, pushing his hood down as he runs his hand through still-wet hair. He slides down the wall to sit down, energy leaving him. He was already tired, and the adrenaline of purgatory, and having to swim for his life, and then the thrilling argument with Tina had already started to leave him. He’s just kinda tired now, and he can feel the water seeping under his skin through the cracks, leaving him feeling just kind of damp. Through just a look at Tina, he can tell that she feels similarly, collapsing down to sit next to him.

She still looks pristine, Foolish notes bitterly. Her skin is clear and glowing, and her hair has light waves from the water but no knots, and from what Foolish can see, there’s not a single cut or scar or burn on her. It’s honestly kind of frustrating.

They both just breathe, for a minute or two. Foolish lets himself wind down, but Tina seems lost in thought, brow furrowing every so often as she mumbles to herself quietly. She looks up at him, at one point, and Foolish is too tired to do anything but just kinda look back, expectantly.

“The Federation thinks we have something going on?” Tina asks, whispering. It’s a stark contrast to before, and Foolish can’t help but continue to feel like he missed something.

“Yeah,” Foolish says, and once he starts, he can’t really stop. “But, I mean, It’s not just them. We all thought something was going on, and— well, like, Cellbit said he crashed some sort of date, and Bagi told you she loved you that one time—”

“She what?” Tina interrupts shrilly, almost squealing at him. Foolish doesn’t quite block his eyes, but he flinches enough that Tina grimaces in apology, repeating herself quietly. “She what?” She says again, this time in more of a stage whisper.

“Yeah,” Foolish says, mildly amused, “I thought you were just being nice about it, but, like, I guess she said it as you were leaving. It was right at the beginning, like when teams were getting picked, and then you went to your team— and, well, like, we all knew she liked you.”

Tina looks a little shell shocked, and Foolish understands why. It’s a lot to hear that some girl is in love with you when you had no idea. Foolish has had his fair share of clueless days, so he empathizes with Tina not knowing. Tina’s very pretty, and people tend to fall in love with you when you’re incredibly pretty and kind and funny. Foolish would know. So, he’s very willing to be there as Tina figures out what to do.

“It’s okay, Tina,” He says, because he’s a great, and incredibly observant friend, “It’s just that with her liking you, the Federation won’t let you join, even if you don’t like her back. It’s very unfair.”

He’s so good at this friendship stuff.

“Wait,” Tina says, and Foolish waits, because he’s great. Tina pulls back, “You think I don’t like Bagi?”

Foolish is confused. Tina is confused. They’re both just staring at each other, as Foolish tries to piece together the puzzle in his brain. Bagi likes Tina, Foolish knew this. Tina likes Bagi, and Foolish did not know this. Together, this means that—

Something clicks.

“Oh my god,” Foolish says.

“Foolish,” Tina groans, already tired of him and his revelations.

“Oh my god!”

“Foolish, it’s really not that big a deal—”

“Tina, I had no idea—”

“You’re yelling, Foolish,”

“You’re gay?”

“Yes, I like her, it’s really not—” Tina pauses. Foolish is looking at her, incredulous. “Foolish,” Tina says, completely and utterly shell-shocked, “You didn’t know I was gay?”

“No idea,” Foolish says, “You didn’t give off any of the signs.”

“Foolish, I’ve been obsessed with her since the moment she joined. I said that she made me nervous and that she was the coolest person I’d ever met, and that I desperately wanted her to like me—”

“Oh my god,” Foolish groans, and Tina cackles at him.

“You didn’t know?” She says, breathlessly, like she can’t believe it because she can’t.

“I had no idea, I thought—” He gestures aimlessly, mildly pathetic, and Tina can’t stop laughing at him.

“What did,” She interrupts herself, laughing even harder, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, “What the fuck did you think?”

“I didn’t realize!” Foolish whines, and she doubles over, almost rolling on the ground from how hard she’s laughing. He’s embarrassed, but he’s not terribly surprised. Tina’s been obsessive over Bagi since the moment they met, but it didn’t strike him as weird or crush-y, because his mind was telling him that’s how Tina is. That’s how Tina was. Vaguely, he can grasp memories of her acting like this before, with warrior girls and tricky fairies, and he just— hadn’t thought of it.

She’s always been Tina to him, since the moment they re-met on the island. She’s indescribable, because he can’t remember anything about her, just that she is her and he’s known her and loved her for centuries. She’s his best friend, and he can’t describe her at all. Part of him is desperately, terribly sad, despite how he’s laughing with her now, because this is basic stuff. He thinks that, maybe, before the island, he would’ve known this, and he would’ve been there to meet all the girlfriends and know all the inside gossip. This time, though, he didn’t. He couldn’t remember, and then they went to Purgatory.

There’s so much about Tina that he used to know, that he should remember, and he doesn’t. It makes him a little sick, and it makes him a little sad. Mostly, it just makes him feel empty.

Foolish is a good friend, and he’s an observant guy, he really is. He can pick up on things easily, and he thinks that, maybe, in another life, he would’ve known this about Tina instantly, would’ve remembered and categorized it away in his head. The island makes things slippery, makes things harder to hold onto, both memories and objects and people.

Foolish wants to say this. Tell Tina that he’s sorry he forgot and that he misses her and that he knows her but can’t remember her and that he wants to remember.

“Congrats on coming out,” he says instead, because it’s not the time for that.

“Thanks,” Tina replies, instead of saying I know. Foolish can hear the words underneath it anyway. He wipes at the tears in his eyes, formulated from laughing so hard he almost cracked another rib, and Tina does the same, waving at her eyes with her hands, so she doesn’t mess up her makeup even further.

Oh my god, the makeup.

“Was the makeup for Bagi?” Foolish asks, and Tina stops, glancing over to him, wide-eyed.

“Um,” Tina says, “It depends. Does it look good?” Foolish groans loudly, which makes Tina flush in embarrassment, checking herself in a mirror situated on the wall to make sure it’s still good. It’s messy, from her dive in the ocean, but Tina still looks lovely, nearly sent from Heaven. The demonic influence helps, her form shifting to always look tempting and perfect compared to others, a secret invitation to Hell disguised as a welcome into Heaven, but it’s mostly her own skill and dedication to presentation.

“Looks like shit,” Foolish lies, and she smacks the side of his head with her hand.

“Oh, fuck off,” She grumbles, wiping off bits of watery mascara that have become runny due to the swim. Foolish wheezes a loud windshield-wiper laugh. Tina startles at the noise, which only causes him to laugh even louder.

There’s a grumble from the bed, and they both whip around to see the Eyeball Worker blink a bleary eye awake. This is their cue to run, and Foolish doesn’t hesitate to jump up and throw Tina over his shoulder, slamming open doors and sprinting out of the building at an unrivaled, never-seen-before speed.

“I’ll drop you at her house,” Foolish wheezes, and Tina screams in his ear as revenge.

“Put me down, asshole, I’ll find my own way home,” She says, and Foolish grins, slowing and stopping to drop her unceremoniously on her ass. He waves goodbye, as he runs in another direction, and she dazedly waves back, wobbling as she gets back on her feet.

“Fucking scumbag,” Tina says, shaking herself out, tail whipping behind her. Tina combs a hand through her hair, checking to make sure that the cat ear accessories placed over her horns are still in place, and turning around to make sure her tail is still looking like a cat tail. As she’s checking herself over, she hears a twig snap behind her somewhere, and she sighs as she fully turns to look.

“Foolish, I swear to—”

It’s Bagi. A tired, messy-looking, still kind-of-dirty Bagi, but Bagi nonetheless. It’s also a Bagi with a little girl in her arms. She’s tiny, and wide-eyed, and has tiny little horns that mimic Tina’s peeking out from under a floppy, pancake-esque hat.

“Um,” Tina says, eloquently, before her brain catches up with her and her face flares with embarrassment because, really, Tina, that’s what you say to your kind-of-girlfriend, kind-of-not that you haven’t seen for days holding a child that looks kinda like you.

“Hi,” Bagi says, like Tina’s not an idiot, and Tina falls a little bit more in love with her.

“Hi,” Tina says, because she is an idiot. She tries not to think about how bad she wants to kill herself out of embarrassment, as Bagi tries to not think about how gorgeous Tina is even with, especially with, wet hair and smudged makeup.

“Hi!” The little girl says, “I’m Empanada.” She holds out an expectant hand, and looks up at Tina with all the confidence and flair that Tina never had as a kid.

“Hello, Empanada,” Tina says, smiling softly, “I’m Tina.”

“I know,” Empanada says frankly, and Tina recoils slightly, still smiling but this time far more confusedly. Empanada clearly notices this, because she continues. “You’re my mom,” she says, “It was on my certificate. That means you can call me Em.” She rummages around in her dress pockets, squirming in Bagi’s arms before she hands Tina a carefully folded certificate that proclaims Tina as her mother, along with Bagi, Jaiden, Mouse, and Niki.

“Ah,” Tina says, “It’s lovely to meet you then, Emmy.” The nickname slips out, but Em just grins widely and holds out two arms, making grabby hands until Tina leans forward enough for her to wrap her arms tightly around Tina’s neck. She jumps out of Bagi’s arms and clings to Tina in a strong enough hug to knock her breathless.

“Hi, Eomma Tina!” Em says, head tucked over Tina’s shoulder making it so that she’s talking just loud enough for Tina’s ears to mildly ache, “It’s so, so, so nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you from Mamãe Bagi. She said that you were very nice and very smart, and she said you were really pretty, and she wasn’t lying, because you are!”

Tina turns to look at Bagi, who’s turning more red by the second. “Em,” Bagi says, mildly frantic and wide-eyed as she studiously does not make eye contact with Tina, but Em just barrels on.

“Honestly, I thought she was gonna be lying, because she clearly likes you, but she wasn’t, which is nice,” Em says, before pulling away to frown at Tina. “Do you like her too? Because she really likes you, and it’s not a normal like, but a like-like, and it would be cool if my moms were dating.”

Tina hums, and out of the corner of her eye she can see Bagi redden even further, which she didn’t even think was fully possible.

“Em,” Bagi chides, “Tina just got back. Let’s not overwhelm her with questions.” She takes Em from Tina’s arms, avoiding eye contact and physical contact by any means necessary.

“I don’t like Mamãe Bagi,” Tina says, lowering herself to Em’s line of vision. Em frowns, and Tina can hear Bagi’s breath hitch slightly, and she decides to take a risk. She taps Em’s nose, and when the girl scrunches her nose, Tina laughs softly.

“I love Bagi,” Tina says, and when it registers in her brain, Em beams with a huge smile, turning in Bagi’s arms to look up at Bagi. Tina hurriedly takes Em’s face in her hands, and when Em looks at her quizzically, Tina puts a finger up to her mouth in a shushing motion.

“Shh,” Tina whispers loudly, enough that Bagi can hear but quiet enough that Em thinks it’s a real whisper, “You can’t tell her before I do. It’s a secret.”

Em nods gravely, and makes a zipping motion over her mouth, before turning back into Bagi’s arms and giggling to herself. Tina rises from where she was crouched, and resolutely does not look at Bagi as she links their arms. She allows herself to grasp Bagi’s upper arm softly, as she walks so close to her that they’re knocking into each other.

“Let’s go home,” Tina says, finally looking at Bagi. Bagi doesn’t say much, just nods with a stupid smile on her face and lets Tina drag all three of them to her house, content to listen fondly as Em and Tina chatter quickly with each other.

#HIIII #hope you enjoy the gift i am so sorry its so far past the holidays!#happy new year i guess!!! i really do hope you enjoy heart heart #qsmp #foolish #tinakitten #oibagi #bagina #bagikitten #qsmp shipping #qsmp fanfic #my fic #holiday exchange 2023

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rogue-durin-16 · 2 years

Text

SUNGLASSES AND LIPSTICK STAINS (part I/III)

Summary: after having his heart torn in half at Tina's party, Steve finds comfort in the most unexpected person. Who would have guessed he would develop such a strong connection with someone he's barely spoken to?

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Henderson!Reader

Genre: angst (hurt/comfort)

Tags:

Permanent taglist: @elia-the-bibliophile @randomparanoid @karlthecat15722 @thebutchersdaughtersblog @amourtentiaa @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @comfort-reads

Warnings: language, mentions of alcohol, Steve breaking down because that needs a tw.

A/N: taking creative liberty to a) move the release of 'Like A Virgin' Studio Album to September of '84, and b) make Steve and Nancy fall apart a bit earlier for the sake of the plot. It does have a second part, but they can be read separately. That said, enjoy <3.

Part II

Part III

Rogue-durin-16 masterlist

Don't cry don't cry don't cry, I begged myself, stalking out of the boisterous house with my thumb and index rubbing away the tears. Don't cry here, I repeated, not at Tina's fucking pre-Halloween party.

October's sharp air cut through my lungs, making me choke up. Maybe the drastic change of temperature wasn't to blame, maybe it was the lump in my throat I was desperately trying to swallow.

She didn't love me.

Gnawing on my lip harsh enough to draw blood, I put the sunglasses back on in an attempt to hide the inevitably shed droplets of salty water spilling from my lids —though they were dried by the light yet freezing wind as soon as they fell.

A part of my mind was begging me to give Nancy the benefit of the doubt, but weren't drunk words sober thoughts?

Drunk words. As stupid as it may have sounded, it hadn't dawned on me. She was hammered.

I had abandoned a completely wasted Nancy in a stranger's bathroom, alone in a house full of people like Billy Hargrove. God, I was the worst.

"Shit."

My eyes darted a tentative glance at the house over my shoulder before being casted down to stare at my shoes. I had to do it, didn't I? Or I could just walk away.

Breathe in, breathe out.

I could just get into my car and leave.

Breath in.

"Fuck." Sniffling, I turned heel and jogged to the backyard's door I had just walked through in search of a breather.

Navigating the crowd of sweaty, intoxicated highschool students was much easier the second time. Although I was grateful for not having to shove my way back to what had been my starting point, I didn't like one bit the way everyone seemed to spare me pitiful looks when I passed by.

Gosh I didn't want to do it —I really didn't want to— but still my trembling hand knocked on the closed bathroom door.

"Nance?" I hated how my voice so obviously cracked at the nickname. "Nance, open up." I pleaded, leaning my defeated form on the door frame.

A couple of seconds passed. Still no response.

"Nancy." I tried again, my patience running shorter each time the girl didn't reply to my calls. So short that I decided I wouldn't wait for her to turn the knob. "Jesus, Nance, can you—"

I froze at the now clear entrance; my mushed brain refused to fully process that the reason why Nancy was not listening to my request was because she was, in fact, not there anymore.

And what were the odds —genuinely, what were the fucking odds— that the tiny window facing the front yard was perfectly situated for me to see Jonathan Byers helping Nancy climb into his Ford LTD's passenger seat.

That was it, that was what it took. My body allowed me just enough time to shut myself into the bathroom before breaking down.

After sitting down —or more like falling—on the cold tiles, everything was a blur of shoulders spasming and heart pounding in my ears so loud that it prevented me from hearing my own sobs.

In the span of a year, my life had changed drastically —technically for the better, but I had lost my closest friends and pretty much everything that was familiar to me. I got by just fine because I had Nancy, and now she was most likely gone too.

I was alone. Again.

My fingers tangled and tugged at my roots in an attempt to ground myself. I had to— I needed to get a solid grasp of reality, get up, and walk to my car.

I was barely succeeding in pulling myself back together the best I could when the third mistake of the night came to bite me in the ass; I hadn't put the latch on.

READER'S P. O. V.

"Wait!" Samantha's fingers pinched dangerously tight the cheap white lace of my fingerless glove, which gained her a slap on the back of her hand. "Ouch! Where you going?! You just came back!"

"I need a makeup retouch!" I yelled over the party's racket, pushing my friend's grasp off me. "I'll be back in a minute!" I assured her, walking backwards in the bathroom's general direction. "Pinky promise!" Giving the girl an apologetic smile, my digits found the knob at my back and gave it a swift twist.

I didn't even realize I wasn't alone until I was fully inside the room with the door locked behind me.

"Oh my gosh— Sorry! I-" I frowned at how quickly the slouched form dressed in black raised to his feet and transformed into a fairly put together Steve Harrington, sunglasses on, chin up and hands on his hips, as if I hadn't walked in on him crying. "Didn't know... There was someone. Are you good?"

"Yup, don't worry, I was about to get going." He mumbled in a hoarse voice, rubbing his nose as he shifted his weight from one foot to another. "Uhm can I—" his index finger vaguely motioned at the door my back rested against.

"S-sure, yeah." I stepped further into the narrow space, clearing the way the best I could manage for the boy to leave.

He didn't leave right away though; instead, he stopped before me and parted his lips, drawing in a small breath as if he planned on voicing a thought, but nothing came out.

Maybe whatever booze Tina had put on that bowl at the kitchen counter was messing with me, but for an instant, I actually felt... bad for Steve Harrington.

"You uh... Came with Nancy Wheeler right?" I recalled seeing them dancing earlier and, thanks to the awkwardness my malfunctioning mind was putting me through, I completely missed the way he flinched at Nancy's mention. "I can— I can go get her if you want."

"Good luck finding her." A weak, rueful laugh accompanied Steve's sentence as he allowed his frame to lean on the wall opposed to me.

Apparently, he had no actual plans of leaving the bathroom, and it just didn't feel right to get out and let him be on his own, so I chose to tiptoe around the topic to at least get some answers.

"The damsel in distress left without her knight in shining armor?" It was a half mock I didn't bother to hide. After all, I had never been too fond of neither Steve nor Nancy, so no matter how well-intentioned I was, some bitterness was doomed to slip out.

Luckily, the boy seemed to take it with humor, choosing to not only indulge the poor analogy, but also taking on it himself. "Oh no, she left with him actually." He puckered his lips, giving me a couple of rapid nods followed by a resentful chuckle. "Yeah he's the knight in shining armor, I'm just bullshit."

"Jesus, Harrington." I whispered, my sympathy for the boy growing exponentially. I had a slight idea of who said knight in shining armor was, and if my suspicions were correct, what Steve Harrington was playing was a losing game.

"Am I that bad?" He questioned in a reedy voice.

"I... don't know?" It was surprisingly heartbreaking to not be capable of reassure him. "I just know you're a popular kid that sucks at history."

"But I'm not— do I look like a shitty person, like, from an outside perspective?"

'Yes' would be the truth, but the truth wasn't going to help anyone. "I don't know, Steve." I shrugged, grasping onto the edge of the sink's counter behind me. "For what's worth, since you parted ways with Hagan and Perkins, you come across like uhh... Like a better person?"

"I'll take that as a compliment, I guess." He announced, running his fingers through his tousled hair before shoving both hands into his pockets. "Thanks, Y/n."

"Oh, wow." I breathed out a genuinely surprised laugh, tilting my head to the side. "you know my name."

"What d'you mean? We were in like" one of Steve's hands left his pocket to aimlessly gesture around. "What? three group projects together? And that's just this year. How could I not remember your name?"

"I mean— okay, fair, but you're Steeeve Harrington." I leaned forward while dramatically dragging his first name. This, for some reason, seemed to genuinely amuse him; I caught a glimpse of his half smile before he averted his gaze from me. "King of Hawkins High and shit. Didn't really expect you to remember my name."

He snorted at my latter quote, the tension visibly heaving on his shoulders slowly dissipating the more we talked. "You're pretty memorable. Specially considering that you yelled at me for not arriving on time. Several times." He remarked, mimicking my motions, back separating from the wall in order to briefly bend over.

"Sorry 'bout that." An apology wouldn't have been my preferred choice of words in any other scenario, but the moment didn't really call for a witty comeback.

"It's okay, I deserved it." He responded, retreating to his initial position.

What followed was an uncomfortable silence that begged to be broken, but I had only so much to talk about with Steve Harrington.

"I should head o—"

"I like your costume." Either his comment was louder, or he was too in his head to process mine on time. "Sorry, what?"

"Nothing." I found myself dismissing my own announcement in favor of exploiting another topic. "I didn't take you for a Madonna fan."

"Why? The woman's smoking hot, and she got some bangers." His genuineness twisted up the corner of my lips in a confused smile. That was certainly not how I had expected my night to go, but so far I was oddly pleased.

"I like yours." I bobbed my head at his clothing choice. "Risky Business?" He hummed affirmatively, a tinge of pride making his chest swell. "Nice. Can I try on the sunglasses?"

"Uh... Sure."

Hesitance could be read in his body language whilst handing me the glasses. As soon as I got a hold of them, he immediately casted his head down, fixing his gaze on his shoes.

I spun around to face the mirror, deciding not to bring attention to his avoidant demeanor. "What do we think?" I questioned instead in a lighthearted, almost joking tone after putting on the sunglasses. "I personally think they make me look cool."

Steve peeped at me through his still watery lashes and the ghost of a small smile fighting to bring some light to his face. "You look cool."

"Nice try but nope, it's definitely the glasses." I countered, using my middle finger to slide them down my nose enough for my eyes to be visible. "They make a pretty good job of blocking the view, don't they?"

"They do." He muttered.

After catching his eyes on the reflection once more, I did an 180 and hopped on the marble countertop.

"First heartbreak?"

"And last." Steve's brows rose as he distractedly kicked the tiles.

"You know it's completely okay to cry, right?" He huffed, so I insisted on the matter. "Everyone's wasted anyway, you don't need these." My fingernail tapped on the plastic arm of the complement.

"Y/n," Steve scoffed, pushing himself off the wall to approach me. "I have uhhh a reputation." He stated with wide eyes and raised brows and, in the midst of trying to figure out whether or not he meant it as a joke, I found myself cackling. "Are you laughing at me?" He inquired with an outraged frown that I, again, didn't know if I should take seriously.

"I don't know, am I?"

"You better not." He barely had to reach out his fingertips to take the sunglasses from me, which made me suddenly aware of how close he stood. "I'm already sensitive."

"My apologies." I whispered with an amused smile, leaning back on my hands to put some more inches between us.

"As I was saying before you decided to be rude," he made a stop to place back on his sunglasses. "I have a reputation." His hand came to rest by my thigh on the counter. "So there's no way in hell anyone in here is seeing me shed a single tear."

"I just saw you sob, though." I teased with a quirked brow.

"I'll allow that because you've put up with me for" he brought his wrist up to his face as if he was about to check his wristwatch. "A long ass while. I'm sorry for keeping you here."

"It's not like you're keeping me captive," I nodded at the door, briefly redirecting Steve's attention to it. "I could've left."

"Yeah, but you didn't."

"Because I didn't do what I came here for yet." I explained, pointing at my face. "I was supposed to retouch my makeup."

"Why?" I felt the embarrassing urge to whine when Steve pushed himself off the sink. "It looks good to me." He stated in a confused tone, pushing his sunglasses up to rest on his head.

"You need glasses. Like, actual glasses," I declared, scrunching my nose. "'cause you're blind."

He puffed out a jaunty 'oh c'mon', which made a smile creep up my visage. Had I just managed to cheer him up?

"You wanna have a laugh before leaving the bathroom?"

"What do you have in mind?"

Steve's eyes notably widened when I pulled up the side of my white layered tulle skirt, which sent me into a fit of giggles while I fished out my mini makeup palette from my thigh high, and consecutively extended my arm to hand it to him.

"Fix my makeup, pretty boy."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

STEVE'S P. O. V.

No matter how many times Y/n had assured me I could mess it up and she wouldn't mind because 'it's a Halloween party anyway', I still tried to do my absolute best, which obviously required a very slow process for something Y/n could have probably finished herself in a couple of minutes.

"Stay still."

Knocknocknock!

"IT'S OCCUPIED!" The girl shouted, making me yank her face back to me by holding her cheeks.

After the second person who walked in on me attempting to retouch Y/n's makeup, we had decided to put the latch on the door.

"I'm struggling here, Y/n," I absentmindedly informed her, words coming out muffled by the lipstick I held between my teeth while I tilted her chin up. "so if you could please stop moving—"

"Steve, I appreciate the dedication, but you're taking forever." she quipped in a lighthearted manner.

"Excuse me, but I believe you told me to fix up your makeup, not to ruin it." I riposted before blowing away the surplus dust from the brown eyeshadow I had just finished applying. "Okay, we reached the critical point." I announced, putting down the compact case to take the red lipstick bar from my mouth.

"Okay wait!" Y/n, who had until then been lolling on the countertop, sat upright and wrapped her fingers around both my wrists. "Now I want you to take it easy. This lipstick" she shook my right wrist. "Is a menace. You gotta be careful."

"Pfffft I got this," I assured her with regained confidence I had thought lost when I first entered the bathroom. "trust me."

"Alright, I'm trusting you." Her hands released mine and went to rest on her lap.

"But you can't move."

"I won't."

"And you can't talk." I reminded her, holding her jaw still with one hand while the other held the lipstick a couple of inches away from her lips.

"Okay." Our voices had gradually gotten lower until hers became a barely audible whisper, followed by a silence filled only with the distant sound of Psycho Killer playing in the living room.

Slowly but surely, Y/n's plump lips were carefully coated in a deep shade of red. Blinded by self-assurance and the incomprehensible wish to prorogue my time standing inches away from her, I resolved to do a second layer.

Not even halfway through the process, the bar slipped down. "Shit!"

"Steeeve, that's not my lip." She singsonged with a growing grin that made my task much difficult for more than one reason.

"I know. wait, I think can fix it— stop smiling!"

"I'm sorry!"

"I'll fuck it up even more! Damn it, Y/n." I took a deep breath, straightening my back in order to release some tension. "hold on."

Cradling her cheeks to make sure she was kept in place, I brushed the red beneath her lower lip with my thumb, slightly parting it from her upper one as a consequence.

The mistake was quickly fixed, but I was unable to let go. There was definitely something mesmerizing about that shade of red, I figured after finding myself repeating the previous motion with my thumb, this time with a featherlight touch.

"I fixed it." I struggled to find my voice and release Y/n's face, but I managed. Had I not known better, I'd have sworn she sighed when my hands switched her skin for the countertop. "You wanna... Uh... Check?"

"Sure." I didn't have time to take a step back before being frozen in place by her motions; instead of turning around to look at the mirror, she pulled my sunglasses down to my nose and checked herself in the reflection.

The sunglasses must have done an excellent job of blocking the view, because Y/n seemed completely unaware of how my eyes had latched onto her lips and wouldn't let go.

"I'm impressed, Harrington." She commented, returning the sunglasses to my head without a warning.

It took me a second too long to lift my gaze from the red lipstick.

"Steve?"

I wanted to voice my thoughts —I really did—, but my exhaustion only permitted me to act on impulse.

A muted gasp escaped Y/n's throat when I lunged forward to press my lips to hers, which made me realize how stupid that decision had been.

Just as I began to pull away, Y/n's lace covered palm found it's way to my cheekbone, sliding into my hair as soon as my own hands landed on her hips, bringing her upper body closer to mine.

I wouldn't be able to tell whether it lasted two seconds or two minutes, but it felt way too short.

"Okay" her soft panting fanned over my parted lips. "Okay we can't— this—" she puffed, shaking her head 'no' as she leaned back. "We can't do that."

In my haze and my neediness, I could only ask, "W-why?"

"Because" she contorted to the side to reach for a wet towel laying near the sink. "You're dating Nancy Wheeler—"

"I don't know about that."

"and" she went on, shushing me with her index finger before attempting to remove the red mess her lipstick had made on my mouth and around. "I have to see her nearly every afternoon." She might have noticed my confused visage, because, with a sigh, she explained further. "My little brother is best friends with Mike."

"Henderson." My brows raised so high they met my hairline. It had taken me a hot minute to put two and two together. "Holy shit."

"Holy shit." She agreed, giving me a soft push so she could jump down the sink. "Now, I don't particularly like Nancy, but I don't know if I'd be able to look at her in the eye after..."

"Fair point. Jesus, I'm sorry." I groaned, taking off the glasses to manually comb my hair in an anxious manner. "I shouldn't— I didn't even think-"

"No, it's okay."

"No—"

"Steve—"

A loud bang on the door made us both jolt on the spot.

"Y/N! I'M GOING HOME, AND I'M LEAVING WITH OR WITHOUT YOU!"

"Fuck— COMING SAM!" I watched as Y/n's skirt twirled gracefully when she checked herself in the mirror, trying to fix her lipstick before making her way to the door. "I... Guess I'll see you around?" She tentatively asked, sparing me an apologetic glance over her shoulder with her fingers already around the knob.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll... See you around."

She gave me a small wave before unlocking the door and leaving it ajar after sneaking out of the bathroom.

I couldnt help but let out a quiet laugh at the snippet of conversation I caught from both girls.

"He really touched up your makeup up, didn't he?"

"Shut up or I'll murder you with my bare hands."

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wintersxani · 2 years

Text

𝙄'𝙢 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙣 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 (P2) | Billy Hargrove x fem!reader

➺ Link to part one here

Warning(s): Jealousy, smut, praise, language, fluff, hair pulling, choking, p in v, oral sex (f! receiving), fingering

Requested: yes

Word Count: 1695

Characters: Billy Hargrove, Steve Harrington, mentions of Nancy Wheeler

Summary: Whilst still at Tina's party, Steve attempts to swoon you back, but you go with Billy instead.

At this point, you and Billy couldn't keep your mouths off of each other, nor your hands. You couldn't help but run your fingers through his hair as his traveled all around your waist, down to your ass.

Your lips moved perfectly together, fitting together like a puzzle- as if your lips were meant for each other's. His lips tasted like beer and cigarettes, but yours was sweet. And God, did he love it. "You taste so good." He mumbled against your mouth, softly pulling your bottom lip between his teeth.

By now, Steve had followed Nancy to the dance floor, avoiding standing helpless, watching as some himbo practically devoured you. Sure, he was jealous. You had been his, but he made the decision to let you go. Now, seeing his rival grope you with his grubby hands sent anger throughout his body. He couldn't stand watching you let yourself be man-handled in a way he'd never done, and see you enjoy it so much.

"I think we ticked pretty boy off good." Billy mumbled, pulling away from you as his hands rested on your hips. "Good." You replied, smirking at the Hargrove boy in front of you. "Do you um... do you have a condom?" You asked, a mischievous smile slithering onto Billy's face as he raised his eyebrow at you; "Do you even have to ask?" He responded, hoisting you off of the counter. "It's in my car, wait here for me."

You nodded in return, watching as he eagerly paced out of the house. Your heart was beating harder than you swore it had ever done before, an enticing thrill wallowing within you. You were smiling hard as you dipped your solo cup into the punch, the sound of a throat clearing beside you drawing your attention. There, Steve stood to your left, hovering over you like a hawk. You had nearly choked on your drink, not expecting him of all people to be next to you. "Hey y/n... can we talk?"

"About?" You said impatiently, looking over the Harrington boys' shoulder to see if Billy was returning yet. "I just... I made a mistake, okay? And seeing you with... with Hargrove is infuriating. I shouldn't have left you the way I did."

"You're joking, right?" You scoffed, eyebrows furrowing at the brown-haired boy. "Have I ever lied to you y/n?"

"Yes. Multiple times- including telling me you were breaking up with me only because you needed to focus on school. Where is Nancy by the way? Does she know you're telling me this right now?"

"This isn't about Nancy."

"Wow. You never fail to amaze me at how horrible of a boyfriend you are." You laugh, shaking your head at Steve, who looked beside himself at the fact you weren't willing to leap right into his arms. "I wonder what she would think if I called her over and told her what you were telling me right now." You spoke, glancing around the room to find the brunette. When your eyes landed on her on the dance floor, you had opened your mouth to speak, Steve quick to tell you to stop. His hand had wrapped itself around your wrist, looking to you with pleading eyes.

"She deserves better than you. Just like I did." You uttered, snatching your wrist away. You had been relieved to see Billy from behind Steve, placing a firm grip on the Harrington boys' shoulder. "What are you doing talking to my girl, amigo?"

"Your girl?" The fluffy haired boy questioned, looking from you to the teen behind him. Billy maliciously smiles, pushing Steve backwards harshly as he walks towards you, wrapping an arm around your waist. "Yeah, Harrington. My girl." He smirks, pulling your chin towards him, followed by kissing you passionately, his thumb pressing into your skin. "Now if you'll excuse us. You ready?" Billy asks, pulling his hand away from your face to retrieve the condom from his back pocket, holding it out in front of the three of you. Steve's eyes nearly pop out of his head at the sight, your lips tugging into a mischievous smile. You took the unopened condom in your hands, tugging the Hargrove boys' hand to follow after you, leaving Steve behind.

The bathroom had been the only unoccupied room; as much as it was already a mess, the two of you hadn't minded, swiftly filing inside. He locked the door behind you guys, hoisting you on to the counter.

Your lips had been swollen at this point, kissing him roughly as your fingers tangled in his golden locks. His hands gripped your thighs, abruptly ending the kiss as he kneeled to the ground, pulling your hips to the edge of the counter. He kept his eyes on yours as he slowly scrunched your dress upwards, hooking his fingers through the hem of your panties, teasingly tugging them off.

The golden-haired boy planted kisses up and down your thighs, softly biting here and there. You had begun to feel antsy, desperately wanting his attention, or some relief to the urging feeling within you. It had been like he read your mind, giving his full attention to your cunt. He worked diligently away as he licked between your folds, tongue-fucking you after running his tongue in circles around your clit. Though you didn't have much experience outside of Steve when it came to oral sex, you knew for a fact that Billy Hargrove was an expert, and was guaranteed the best giver you'd had.

A finger slid into your entrance as you gripped the edge of the counter, leaning your head against the mirror behind you. "Oh fuck-" You moaned, shutting your eyes tightly as he licked up and down your slick, curling his finger inside of you. Once he had found that spongy spot, he smirked against you, mercilessly hitting it on repeat as you jolted, covering your mouth. "The music is loud enough to hide your moans sweetheart... I wanna hear how good I'm making you feel." Billy marveled, sucking on the flesh of your thigh as he added a second finger inside of you. It was like magic, the way he knew exactly what he was doing, and how to do it.

He flashed his toothy grin, admiring your disheveled state. "You take my fingers so well, don't you?" He praised, licking your clit yet again whilst keeping his eyes locked on yours. You were a moaning mess, cursing left and right, muttering his name over and over. "I'm- fuck- I'm gonna come." You whimpered, partially rolling your hips into him as he picked up his pace, quickly bringing you to your orgasm. Your moans were like music to his ears; As you climbed down from your high, catching your breath, your eyes met his. He grinned, withdrawing his fingers from within you before moving them to his mouth, sucking your juices off of them. That had to of been one of the hottest things you had seen a man do, including the way he enjoyed pleasing you so much.

"Can I fuck you, baby?" He questions, getting to his feet between your already spread legs. You nodded eagerly, looking to the bulge in his tight jeans. The boy before you swiftly unbuckled his belt, tossing it to the ground before pulling his pants and boxers down, firmly gripping your legs. "How about you lean over the counter for me? Wouldn't want to hurt that pretty head of yours."

You nodded in return, climbing off of the counter, twisting around to lean on the counter. "Here." He spoke, tugging his leather jacket off to place under neath your chest before holding you by your hips, ripping the condom packet open, and covering his cock with it. "You ready?"

"Mhm." You obliged, legs spreading just a smidge apart, bracing yourself for when he entered you. Slowly, he slid himself inside of you, grunting at the way you took him. "Fuck-" He groaned, moving his hands back to your hips. Gradually, he picked up his pace, rolling his hips deeper into you. "God, you feel so fucking good." He moaned, one of his hands moving to your hair, pulling it in a way that you were forced to look in the mirror.

His eyes were on yours through the glass, biting hard on his bottom lip when you'd clench around his cock, throwing his head back at the sensation. "O-oh my g-god." You whimpered, mouth hung open as he pounded into you from behind, untangling his fingers from your hair before traveling to your neck, applying the smallest bit of pressure as he squeezed, placing his free hand on your back, holding you down. "Jesus y/n-" he moaned, watching as you took him angelically, looking as beautiful as you did in any other circumstance. "I'm gonna come if you keep making those sounds." He stated as you whimpered, his hands taking your wrists, holding them together behind your back.

A pressure built within you as your climax neared, feeling euphorically stunned. He seemed to have sensed that you were near as you squirmed and clenched around him; "Go on, come for me angel." He cooed, sending you over the edge. You had become unraveled, moaning his name like it had been the most glorious thing in the world. "Good girl." He grunted, releasing his grasp from your wrists, moving back to your hips where his fingers dug into your soft skin, promising to leave bruises the following day.

As you clenched around him, he neared his own orgasm, using your hips to push himself deeper within you. You had become overstimulated, your legs shaking as he let himself loose, groaning at the sensation. Once he withdrew from you, he helped you to stand, twisting you around to face him before enveloping his lips with yours, holding the back of your head. "You were such a good girl." He affirmed between kisses, smiling like an idiot.

"Forget being my distraction- I want you to be mine." You grinned as he held your face in his warm hands, blue eyes drowning you like the ocean. "Then consider me yours." He replied, kissing you tenderly with a smile.

A/N: I finally got around to writing this, so I hope it is a worthy second part. Thank you for reading and loving the first part as much as y'all did. <3

➺ Masterlist / Stranger Things Masterlist

Taglist: @beckinator7 @notomodo @smutlandia

#billy hargrove request #billy hargrove x you #billy hargove imagine #billy imagine #billy hargove x reader #billy hargrove #billy hargrove fanfiction #stranger things #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things smut #stranger things fic #stranger things x reader #steve harrington #stranger things imagine

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palettepainter · 11 months

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Sooooo Teeth and Floyd totally dated right?? how did your ocs Terri and Mick react to the news/how do they feel about Tina after episode 6?? And when Tina was at bands show at the end of s1

!!SPOILERS TO MUPPETS MAYHEM EPISODE 6!!

Episode 6 was made for the LGBTQ+ community

And they 100% dated you kidding me?? They literally ran away together and raised Animal as a pair for god knows how long till the rest of the band came along, they dated, they smooched, they fooled around, they held hands, the directors told me trust me

I like to imagine younger Teeth had such a big puppy love crush on Floyd, who he thought was so cool. He was free and uncaring of views from others, he was daring, risky - something well behaved mama's boy Teeth wasn't used to, but was drawn to. Since Tina didn't like Floyd from the get go imagining the two dancing around Teeth's parents so they could hang out (picture that scene with Flynn and Rapunzel from Tangled or Pear Butter and Bright Mac from MLP)

Tina: *entering Teeth's room* Junior?

Teeth: *plasters a big grin on his face while leaning on the wall* U-uh Yeah mama??

Tina: Just wanna let ya know honey that dinners gonna be ready in a jiff, it's gumbo night!~ And don't you forget to go wash yer hands before you come down okay?

Teeth: *thumbs up, sweating* Yep!

Tina: *smiles* I'll give you a call when it's ready baby ^^ *leaves and closes the door*

Teeth: Mhm.......*sighs* Okay she's gone

Floyd: *peeks out from the warbrode and sighs* Phew!...We gotta find a better way to get around your parents, otherwise your gonna need to get a bigger wardrobe

Teeth: I know..

Tina probably suspected something, and didn't like the idea of this couch surfin' no good muscician datin' her sweet baby boy, but every time she tried to catch them doing something scandalous or Floyd trying to convince Teeth to break rules she'd only find them doing purely innocent stuff, like baking cheesecake or watching the TV (they prolly saved their smooching for when Teeth was round Floyd's house)

As for Terri and Mick they wouldn't mind, I discussed this with Snuf on Discord but Terri would probably really like Teeth, mostly cuz there's nothing about him to hate. They probably knew about Teeth and Floyd being together cuz their was less pressure to try and keep it hidden so Floyd either straight up told them, or Terri and Mick put two and two together. If it was the later I imagine it went down like this:

Terri: *pokes her head through the door* Hey Floyd-

Floyd: *quickly straightens shirt* Uh- Yeah?

Terri:...*raises brow* Everything okay?

Teeth: *hiding behind the door sweating*

Floyd: Yep! Aaaall cool here!

Terri: Right...anyway, me and Mick are headin' out for a few drinks, foods in the fridge so help yourself whenever you're hungry okay?..*looks behind the door at Teeth* Same to you honey, help yourself *looks back to Floyd* We'll be back in a few hours, you boys have fun *leaves room and closes door behind her*

And for how Tina and Mick would feel about Tina after s1? I did have an idea of writing/drawing a small interaction between Terri and Tina of the two hanging out and starting to become friends. I imagine Terri doesn't trust her right away, but she loosens up a little. She probably senses Tina feels bad for pressuring Teeth to be a dentist for so many years and can tell she's genuinely trying to be supportive of Teeth now.

the idea I had was Terri bonding with Tina over a drink during one of the bands concerts - Terri joking that the best thing 'bout Floyd being a rockstar is she gets free alcohol at the events they play at - maybe Tina being convinced to give beer a try, she hates it, and Tina laughing (not unkindly) at her reaction

#Muppets #Tina #Tina Teeth #Terri #Terri Pepper #Floyd Pepper #Floyd #Teeth #Dr Teeth #Dr Pepper #Floyd x Teeth #The electric mayhem

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chordsykat · 1 year

Text

It's the Return of the Revenge of the Sequel to

Fanart Free For All

(Part 5... or is it 6? I lost count...)

And I got to use a lot of cool-ass inking techniques on this go-around! Let's see what you guys had me draw!

First up... WHAT IF... @catboy-bill-nye 's Cordelia got to meet the other Dethmoms? I have a feeling it'd go fine... but then again... she might end up suggesting to her son Charles he have Molly killed. Oh well!

WHAT IF... Murdertooth Records was a thing that actually happened? @claudia-nomusaabara 's Tina would almost certainly find success with the label... even if her name and the title and credits and everything else was dwarfed by the producer's credit on the front and back of the album. :P

And another request from @claudia-nomusaabara -- WHAT IF... Skwisgaar and Tyr were still close? God I miss this fuzzy little stepdad-man. I wish this happened (maybe it could still happen..?)

And so we come to WHAT IF... Toki and Teja got along for five minutes.... It's never gonna happen, @curiouslyhigh. We both know it. But at least it's funny when Teja puts a hand on his old man's younger incarnation's mouth and tells him to shush because the grownups are talking.

And speaking of Toki! @pan-flute-skeleton asked WHAT IF... he actually practiced for once? I'd say he'd be just in time to bang out some tunes with Neil! Happy April 13th to all who celebrate!

But that's not all! WHAT IF... Skwisgaar and @pan-flute-skeleton's Vivi publicly endorsed the very Swedish use of bananas on pizza? I probably don't have to tell you that such praise for an obscure topping might just be the hot new trend of our immediate futures, kids!

And now for something a little different... WHAT IF... @el-michoacano's Aurelia was getting married? But to whom is she getting married? Nacho? Domingo? Jesse? (okay not Jesse) (God I love that dress. You're right, King. So extra. But so what?)

And now for the opposite side of domestic bliss! WHAT IF... Caj was Shawn Michaels and her "Diesel" was an entire entourage of some of her very favorite chicks (Dolly @dolly-macabre - St. Cecilia @gointothevvater - Ness @failedintsave and Nita (me buuut requested by @andreaswasneverhere ) (where can I get a belt-buckle that says "DADDY"?)

And last but certainly not least, we have the best thing I've ever drawn, here... WHAT IF... Charles took some punk fashion lessons from @cruisingheightswithdragons's Kris? I'd say it's about time. The old boy could use a makeover. :9

Really really fun to doodle your babies and your brain droppings, my loves! I look forward to doing more of these as soon as possible. :D

#fanart free for all #mtl #mtl oc #dethklok #metalocalypse #toki wartooth #skwisgaar skwigelf #charles foster offdensen #mtl tyr #mtl molly #i love each and every one of you who trusts me with your babies like this #it's quite the compliment

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bittrlys · 9 months

Text

THE GOOD

Viren and Harrow scene

CRAB SHIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Young Viren

Viren selfcest (<- stream of consciousness note that I stand by, he needs to learn to love himself)

Aaravos and Viren had a baby <3 (I like that this twist about the child to save him only works for people who weren't already joking about this being their lovechild all last season)

The heavyhanded diaogue is lol but its nice to see Viren's internal journey ("DAD I'M FOLLOWING IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS" guys you really could have just shown that. But I guess Viren is literal even with his metaphors. I forgive him.)

Viren zoned the fuck out half the season still the best part of the show. But like I love the sense of crushing realization and weight of his thoughts. King of thinking <3

Nice to see Claudia also getting to do cool complicated things

Viren and Claudia literally carry the dramatic weight of the series on their shoulders -tm my friend

I appreciate that Terry continues to be down to clown

This blood elf assassin is hot ♥

I like the water elf design the coral horns are cool (and he looks like a Critical Role character)

I always love pirate towns so that's cool! And some brief actual intense stakes with the pirate captain.

Aaravos. FULL STOP. Like 10 lines of dialogue and he served with them all!

"If you see Claudia again tell her I said ..... hi" hahaa

THE BAD

The Rayllum (what was Callum even apologizing for?? Rayla just genuinely does not seem to like him.)

Janai immediately pivots in her belief because only villains are allowed to stick by their reasonable positions which oppose the desires of the main characters

Again, what changed Tidebound Tina's perspective and made her help them??? Characters will truly just change perspectives in a second if they're meant to be 'good' and not defy the main characters

Ezran is so entitled. Rayla is like oh this boat is a bad idea he's immediately like "WE NEED THAT ONE!" and then proceeds to get them all nearly murdered by pirates for some tadpoles and does not apologize at all.

That being said it seems the show just isn't that interested in Ezran or Rayla

Would it have killed them to include a scene showing why Rayla decides to show up and save the day in finale? She has no arc.

I understand the conclusion that Callum came to with ocean magic but I don't believe his process of getting there.

Can Janai do her damn job all she's ever shown doing is hanging out in her pyjamas pining and being in love. Tied with Zubeia who just hangs about talking about her husband and son all day.

THE UGLY

STOP WITH THIS DIVINE RIGHT OF KINGS SHIT (why would the Archdragon of the Ocean give a damn about a human ruler? But like Oh! We Have To Respect A King!)

They show up to the library with only FIVE HOURS TO SUNSET instead of idk camping outside the city until the next dawn and coming in then. And then leave directly at sunset instead of giving themselves like an hour of wiggle room. Unreal!

They can't even let these entitled main characters even THINK Amaya died for their arrogance Like they can't even feel guilt about it for five seconds.

What's the point of having a deus ex machina dragon you insert in every scene to save their asses (god I need Zubeia dead) if she's just going to stand there and do literally nothing while Amaya is attacked. Rewatch that scene camera never cuts to Zubeia's face to even show her idk considering it? Being unable to help? Just get rid of this dragon already she weakens the plot to an absurd degree.

Zubeia surviving. Full stop.

Thunder killed off this group of elves for the crime of uhhhh doing weird blood rituals? Moonshadow elves (Thunder's personal hit squad) do blood rituals. Thunder just loves massacring any group of people who defy his tyranny.

It's surreal that Xadians NEVER comment on the humans in their midst like the show will not draw attention to the fact that humans are othered + marginalized. It perpetually feels like the writers are backtracking on lore they previously established because they don't want to make Xadians look bad.

Like I can believe a criminal port is full of all elements but this happens elsewhere in Xadia. Even the Archdragon of Ocean doesn't address the fact that Ezran is a human.

But it's not like the differences between humans and Xadians aren't noted because humans (like Amaya) still have to constantly grovel for Xadian approval + forgiveness. Like for WHAT. Should Amaya have to apologize to Rayla anymore than Rayla should apologize for coming to assassinate a 10-year-old Ezran in season 1?

for fucking tadpoles?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Callum, Rayla, and Ezran are UNSYMPATHETIC protagonists they literally will never face any consequences for any of their actions. Nothing really goes wrong for them -- they're always saved from trouble and they get everything ultimately handed them. They are supremely privileged, entitled people. Meanwhile Viren and Claudia go through 19 layers of hell just trying to get 1 thing done.

Overall I'd say it was better than season 4! 👍👍👍

#tdp critical #*

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birindale · 3 months

Text

Bow wanders by a tea party and is opportunistically kidnapped, SweetBee steals Glimmer's gimmick, and She-Ra obliquely threatens to cut off Entrapta's head.

Transcript/Image ID below the cut

[Image Description: 14 comic pages from the She-Ra mini-comic, “A Born Champion”.

Cover: SweetBee descends from the sky, her wings glowing and sparkling as She-Ra holds a welcoming hand out to her. At the top of the page, the Princess of Power (trademark symbol) logo sits on a flat purple sky. A fuzzy orange and magenta landscape in the foreground blends into a featureless mass behind the girls. Two lumps of hard material which are probably supposed to be cliffs or mountains or something but are colored like glaciers mark the skyline behind them. At the bottom of the page "A BORN CHAMPION" is stamped in dark blue and outlined in white. Below it, the copyright text reads, "Illustrations (copyright symbol) Mattel, Inc. 1985 Hawthorne, CA 90250 U.S.A. PRINTED IN TAIWAN. All Rights Reserved. (registered trademark symbol) and TM designate U.S. trademarks of Mattel, Inc."

Page 1: A desaturated, pale pink caption box reads, "It was daybreak and SweetBee buzzed about her hive. Passing by, Bow stopped to chat. "I'm scouting Etheria for signs of trouble," he said. "Will you be back by sunset?" SweetBee asked. Bow nodded and SweetBee watched him go. "If only I could be a hero brave as he!" she sighed." Thanks for the feminism as always, Tina. The illustration shows Bow, who's toy-accurate except for having both hands, making conversation with a flying SweetBee. There's no hive around, but they do appear to be at the foot of the Crystal Castle.

A yellow caption box reads, "PRODUCED EXCLUSIVELY FOR MATTEL BY: WRITER — TINA HARRIS, PENCILER — JIM MITCHELL, INKER — TODD KUROSAWA, COLORIST — CHARLES SIMPSON, EDITOR — JOAN DUMBAULD & LEE NORDLING". God, how did I forget about Joan. Why would you keep the name "Dumb-old".

End Page 1.

Page 2: Another desaturated pink caption box reads, "Meanwhile, inside her new tree-plex in the Valley of the Lost, Catra was busy entertaining. She and Entrapta sipped their tea while Clawdeen munched a crumpet. Suddenly, a twig snapped in the woods below." Entrapta lounges on a plush teal and amethyst bed, legs dangling over the edge, Catra lying prone beside her (and actually wearing her gloves for once! Good job, Skip!) They're both holding steaming cups of tea. The room appears to be a hollowed-out tree, a window showing several strangely shaped trees outside. Clawdeen, the pink lion, is watching Catra and Entrapta with a rather crudely-drawn crumpet in her mouth. She has a sparkling blue-and-yellow collar and some kind of garland draped over her mane for some reason.

"What was that?" asks Clawdeen as she and Catra look around suspiciously. Damn, she ate that crumpet fast.

"Look, it's Bow!" says Catra. She and Entrapta peer out the window, which is honestly just a tree hollow. Bow is indeed passing by beneath them, having made incredible time on circumnavigating Etheria, apparently. Look the Crystal Castle has been out for a full year now there's no reason they couldn't consult the map sticker. I'm just saying.

End Page 2.

Page 3: ""He can tell us the secret of She-Ra's power!" Catra cried. Entrapta called to Bow from the balcony. Bewitched by her golden glow, he stepped toward her. Letting loose her lovely hair, she trapped him in its tangles." So I guess there's a tree-balcony now. Entrapta wraps Bow in her hair, which is pink and purple, and can still move on its own. Her armor is gold, although it's not really colored to be as reflective as the plating on the toy is so it's—like that would hit better if you had the doll in front of you, I think. Catra just kind of stands there. Bow has his left hand behind his back, as though he'd gone to draw an arrow.

"Ha! Ha! Good work, Entrapta!" says Catra, smiling wickedly with Clawdeen. Hm. No mask in sight I notice.

End Page 3.

Page 4: A pale pink caption box reads, "The day passed quickly and SweetBee noticed it was getting dark. Bow was late and she began to worry." Sweetbee is tending to a small garden, trowel in hand, and looking over her shoulder with some concern. A climbing vine bearing some kind of fruit snakes its way up a climbing stick beside her. The sun is getting low in the sky, though it hasn't yet set.

"Bow could be in trouble. I must find him!" she says.

End Page 4.

Page 5: A pale purple caption box reads, "SweetBee took to the air at once. She searched Etheria for many miles. Reaching the dark edge of the Valley of the Lost, she pressed on. Catra's tree-plex appeared suddenly below her." We see SweetBee soaring over a sprawling landscape, a huge forest bordered by steep mountains. Everything has an orange tint, which may indicate that it's now officially sunset, as the sky is too filled with beautifully-colored clouds to be sure, or just that Skip Simpson was really feeling orange this issue. A tree riddled with hollows stands out bright yellow in a clearing amongst the trees, in what must have been a discarded toyset, right? They're plugging it more than the Crystal Castle. Perhaps it was intended to adapt Justine Dantzer's proposed 'Topaz Tree Home' idea? But alas, it was never made.

End Page 5.

Page 6: A pale pink caption box reads, "SweetBee landed softly on the rooftop. She peered in through the skylight. Bow was trapped inside! Carefully she moved away and magically turned her wings from bright yellow into a powerful pink light…" Well, there's not really a roof, as it's a tree. But she is up above them. Entrapta has tied Bow to a tree with her hair, and Catra has one hand resting on his shoulder and the other balled up on her hip, literally talking down to him. Clawdeen looks on with a smile. There's an abstract painting hanging on the wall.

"... sending out a signal for help!" Seriously? THIS gets to be a dialogue balloon? Whatever. SweetBee is posing with her wings flared, as they flash bright pink. For context, her toy had reversible wings—one side gold glitter, the other pink and glow-in-the-dark. It's not super original, since Flutterina has wings and Glimmer glows in the dark, but they're… there. They are there.

End Page 6.

Page 7: A pale pink caption box reads, "From Crystal Castle's mighty throne, Princess Adora spotted the beacon light. Quickly, she decoded SweetBee's urgent message." Adora and Spirit are standing on top of the Crystal Castle. The throne (which is also an elevator) is up there with them, though it's gold instead of blue. If you really squint, the Crystal Castle's facade kind of looks like a skull. If skulls had big glass doors instead of teeth. And turrets. With shingles. It does seem to be getting later at least—the sky is beginning to turn this lovely indigo, and the clouds are a rosy orange. A sprite is whizzing around the castle, and Adora points at it as Spirit stands behind the throne. A slightly inaccurate flag is flying from the parapets.

"Spirit, Bow's in terrible trouble!" says Adora. "We must leave at once!"

End Page 7.

Page 8: With a big dramatic burst of light, Adora and Spirit become Starburst She-Ra and Crystal Swift Wind, refracting all kinds of colors. The throne is still gold instead of blue, and it looks like they didn't realize the shield could be detached when drawing it.

"Fear not, SweetBee! Help is on the way!" says She-Ra, from Swift Wind's back. Skip did a great job coloring this one to make Swifty look like he was actually made of crystal and not just lit from below, everyone say thank you Skip.

End Page 8.

Page 9: Another pale pink caption box reads, "Swift Wind sailed through the night. They circled Catra's tree-plex and landed with a gentle thud. SweetBee moved to greet them. Bow heard his friends up on the roof. Shuffling about noisily, he whispered to himself, "No one must know help has finally arrived."" Well, it's super not nighttime. Now I know what you're thinking, wouldn't making it dark out desaturate the bright colors which draw the children's eye? And yeah if it were realistic, but you can just make a dark blue sky and call it a night (heheh) in these things. They do it all the time in this very franchise. Anyway. We see Swift Wind landing, She-Ra on his back. SweetBee looks up from where she's evidently been hiding on the 'roof' of the tree-plex.

"Quiet, you!" says Entrapta, gripping Bow's shoulder where he's still tied to the chair. In the foreground, Catra and Clawdeen are curled up and napping on the big comfy bed. It's pretty adorable.

"Disturb my friends' catnaps and they'll have both our heads!" says Entrapta.

End Page 9.

Page 10: A pale pink caption box reads, "Crashing through the skylight, She-ra took Entrapta by surprise. "And if you don't let go of Bow, I'll have yours—with all its lovely locks!" "No!" Entrapta cried. Clutching her braids, she fled into the night."

Catra and Clawdeen are waking up, Catra angry and Clawdeen… disoriented, as She-Ra leaps down through the hole in the ceiling. Entrapta clutches her hair defensively. Her outfit is much more appropriately reflective this time, though it still doesn't scream 'metallic'. It's pretty. Bow smiles at She-Ra in apparent relief.

"You think you've outsmarted me? Just try to find your way back to Crystal Castle!" says Catra, blasting us with some kind of pink sparkle.

End Page 10.

Page 11: A pale pink caption box reads, "Catra sprang to Clawdeen's back and hissed a dire warning. "The Valley of the Lost's secrets are mine. Without them, you will remain trapped here forever!" Then, in a flurry of furry pink, she and Clawdeen disappeared." Catra sits on Clawdeen's back amidst a huge cloud of smoke and sparkles as Bow and She-Ra look on. Maybe the garland thing on Clawdeen's head is supposed to be her bow? It doesn't translate well to photograph so they may have misinterpreted it as a rope-crown thing or something.

End Page 11.

Page 12: Whoa. Okay, everything is upside down now. A pale pink caption box reads, ""What a different forest this is!" Bow cried. "Catra has turned everything upside down!" Swift Wind shook his head. "She-Ra, I can't make hide nor hair of this. I've lost all sense of direction. How will we get home?"" She-Ra, Bow, SweetBee and Swift Wind all look around them in apprehensive confusion.

"A bee's homing instinct is very strong. I can find Crystal Castle. Come on, we'll make a beeline for home," says SweetBee.

End Page 12.

Page 13: A pale pink caption box reads, "And at their journey's end, the weary travelers found themselves at home once more." Swift Wind flies after a glowing SweetBee, Bow and She-Ra on his back. It is still not visibly nighttime, and the cliff under the Crystal Castle is much higher than it was in the beginning of the issue. I feel like this would have been fixed by some rescaling. Looking at you, Tim.

"SweetBee! You saved the day!" says Bow, as they all land in front of the castle.

"I never thought that just being myself would make a hero out of me!" says SweetBee.

End Page 13.

Page 14: SweetBee kneels before She-Ra, who holds the Sword of Protection to her shoulder as though knighting her. Bow and Swift Wind look on with big smiles. A pale pink caption box reads in the red 'moral' font, "She-Ra laughed and smiled. "Why, SweetBee! Everyone has some special talent to offer. It's when you put your talent to work that you become a champion. Helping others with your power is what makes you a true Princess of Power!"" Which like, I don't think that ALL needed to be in red. Also, Bow's stomach is blue. He wears a crop top, Skip. Get used to it.

End Page 14.

End ID]

#motu #minicomics #a born champion #sweetbee #sweet bee #shrug emoji #she-ra #bow #clawdeen #catra #entrapta #adora #spirit #swift wind

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