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#i think a lot of that stems from her never feeling like she had people of her own
jazzsonly · 7 months
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ᴜꜱᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪꜱ
pairing(s): Sam Carpenter x g!p!stem!reader
warning(s): none. very very brief kiss. not proofread. lowercase intended.
summary: sam might have said no to your date but you get something even better
part two. coming soon!
masterslist.
it would mean a lot of you checked out my other blog!
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when you met chad, you’d never thought you would become best friends with a guy like him. he was an idiot jock, who liked to party and be shirtless.
you were a smart tutor, a somehow homebody who liked to party. so i guess, you could say that’s what you guys had in common,
partying.
you tutored chad every wednesday but one weekend at a frat party you bumped into the jock, surprisingly ending up having a drinking contest. you found it a little odd to be drinking with the same guy you’re tutoring but chad found it cool, he found you cool. he had never met anyone as smart as you but now he had never met anyone more fun than you.
as much as he loved his friends if core four, he couldn’t deny you were down for things with him they wouldn’t be. after, the partying and drinking contest together, you both got more comfortable together, setting up study dates at each other’s apartments.
those study dates eventually became call of duty battles, checking out the girls on campus together, sometimes hitting the gym together. there was no denying you and chad were newly best friends, despite ethan’s sulking jealousy.
now, you were glad you met chad but even more glad when he introduced you to the core four, more importantly sam.
sam.
you were no better than a man when you first laid your eyes on the girl, you stared at her like she was a piece of meat. it was so bad that now everytime she entered room and you were there, chad just had to joke telling you to close your mouth.
you were sure sam sorta kinda had thing for you too, from chad she was super uptight with new people, definitely not a trusting person but with you, she was chill. she sat next to you during movie nights, shared the popcorn with you, sometimes she even laid her legs in your lap.
this enflamed your crush even more, well until tara claimed it was only because she thought anyone chad brought around was just as dumb as him. and no dumb person could be ghostface.
but she was wrong, you were top of all your classes, well almost all.
fuck chemistry.
“chad, focus.” you slap the back of the boy’s head who had dozed off at the sight of tara.
“ow! i am focused!”
“stop being a baby, i didn’t even hit you that hard. now, how many vertices are in this problem?” you point at the math sketch in the textbook.
“uh…7?” you pinch the bridge of your nose.
you had been at the kitchen counter for hours trying to tutor chad but he had only gotten two questions right.
“look, don’t get mad at me you’re the one who supposed to help me know this stuff.”
“you’re impossible to teach!” you throw your hands up, dramatically letting them fall back down.
“what are you doing?” you turn your head a the familiar voice, your favorite voice.
sam who had just emerged from her room from a hibernated nap.
“trying to tutor this idiot.”
“hey!” you ignore chad, all you energy engorged with sam.
“you? tutor?”
“uh, yeah, i’m top of all my classes…well except for one.” stupid chemistry, you thought.
“you are?” you nod.
“then why are you friends with chad?”
“hey!”
“i ask myself the same thing.” sam just nods at your words, making her way to the fridge.
“can we take a break now?” you flag chad off and he takes that was his leeway to take the couch with tara.
“soo…sam?” you move your way around the counter.
“yea?” she answered despite her back away from you as her eyes scanned the fridge.
“i was thinking, i mean if you want to uh go to a movie with me?”
you watched as her movements paused and she turned towards you, you couldn’t pinpoint what she was feeling or her facial expression but there was something there.
“sorry but i can’t…” she trailed off, closing the fridge and seemingly retreating back down the hallway into her room.
you stood there, dumbfounded.
dumbfounded yet unphased, if sam carptener’s love was a challenge the nerd in you would gladly accept it.
“she’s not gonna give up, just watch.” you hear chad mumble to tara, which you flipped him off.
in the coming weeks after that you expected sam to avoid you like a plague but she did the opposite, it was like everytime you were over she went out of her way to be around you. making sure to touch your shoulder when she moved by you, hugging you as a greeting, hell she even cuddled with you on movie nights and to say the least, you did not mind.
but what you did mind was when you asked about her rejecting your advances, she would avoid it.
once again the nerd in you would not allow this, you would get to the bottom of it and right now was the perfect timing. everyone had left to the store to collect snacks for movie night, minus chad who was in tara’s room doing god knows what with the girl.
it was just you and sam, empty and open apartment, side by side on the couch while family feud played.
“so, you’re really not gonna tell me why you won’t go out with me?”
“you don’t give up do you?” the carpenter turned you, resting her hand on the back of your head, fingers getting tangled in your hair.
see.
“you’re so clingy when i’m here, so why won’t you go out with me?” you watched as she bit her lip, suppressing a taunting smile from you.
“you’re cute, you know, i think you’re cute.”
you smile, “i think you’re cute too, so go out with me?”
a breathy chuckle came from the girls lips, and she moved close to you.
“kiss me.”
“what?” you were taken back.
“kiss me before i change my mind.” and then you didn’t hesitate. you closed the little space that was between you two, landing a soft but stern kiss onto her lips. your hands finding her hips, pulling her closer and her arms found their way around your neck.
a sigh of relief and satisfaction somehow escaped your lips, while a hum escaped hers. her kiss was candy mint, it tastes good and you didn’t wanna stop but unfortunately air became an issue and you reluctantly pulled away, “so does this mean i can take you out?”
“stop asking me out.” she scoots away just in time because the door flew open and in came ethan with bags on bags while anika and mindy came behind with empty hands.
“thanks for the help.” ethan mutters sarcastically.
━━━ part two (coming soon!) take it easy on me, it’s my first time writing in MONTHS.
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s1mpl1fe · 8 months
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i feel like a lot of (the majority of?) misreads of jackie's character stem from people taking everything shauna says about her in her journal and during their last fight at face value. she is an unreliable narrator people!!! that's literally the point that's exactly what makes it so tragic. that jackie died because of it and it wasn't even true it was a build up of shauna's character flaws and her unhealthy ways of coping with both her insecurities and her feelings for jackie that became so intertwined she didn't know how to deal with either of those things because of their conflicting nature. because shauna was 1) a teenage girl 2) not a very good person.
i think the general audience really, really underestimates the weight of the scene where jackie reads the journal for the first time. you have to understand, she genuinely thought that everything between them was fine until that point, because shauna gave her literally no reasons to think otherwise. like, "maybe shauna is dealing with some personal things but it's nothing we can't get through together". and then she reads it and it turns out their whole relationship has a giant fucking crack at its' foundation she had no idea of and shauna was the one who made her believe everything was fine for god knows how long because she never once communicated these feelings to her. jackie is realizing her only lifeline is fake, she is realizing the person she loves unconditionally hates her. which, again, shauna actually doesn't, but remember the words in that journal and try to imagine how would you have reacted to your best friend saying something like that about you behind your back when you were seventeen. like, think of your absolute closest person in the world, and imagine finding a journal of theirs where they say all the things shauna says about jackie about you. and they also fucked your boyfriend but they don't even like him. and they double down on it when you confront them and they find even worse things to call you in person, somehow. once again, you thought everything was completely fine before this. yeah.
shauna was the calculating one in this relationship, which is what got jackie killed, while jackie was nothing but sincere in her feelings for shauna, which is also what got her killed. because shauna isn't the kind of person who can process these kinds of feelings when they come her way.
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cubitozinc · 4 months
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y'know, the thing about q!jaiden is that a lot of fans tend to portray her in one of two ways, where she's either she's naïve and ignorant of cucurucho's wrongdoings, or unnecessarily malicious when it comes to the hurt cucurucho or even she herself are capable of doing.
and to an extent i do understand that—she's not around nearly as much as some other characters are, and No one has time to watch Every Pov anyway 😭 BUT, here's why i think those interpretations aren't quite right:
qjaiden is anything but naïve, and she is Not malicious. all those months ago when she first decided to get close to cucurucho, she stated multiple times how she knew it could end badly, and she knew she could get harmed in the process. but she decided to do it anyway. she felt that someone had to do it, and, well, if you've seen me talk about qjaiden before you'd know she has absolutely NO self-worth. if she were to get hurt in the process of doing quite literally anything, she would not care in the Slightest.
but there's also sometimes a sentiment that she Maliciously ignores all the bad things cucurucho has done. and, to an extent, it's true that she DOESN'T treat the bad things he's done with the appropriate seriousness. but that's because, stemming from her atrocious self worth, qjaiden believes cucurucho and osito bimbo are the only people on the island who truly care for her. she thinks that they're all she has, and they have genuinely made her feel more loved than anybody else on the island has. cucurucho was there for her after bobby died, at the very lowest and loneliest point of her life thus far... and who, in her position, could ever forget that?
qjaiden refuses to face the realities of what cucurucho has done because she thinks she has nothing else. hell, qjaiden also knows that cucurucho and the federation are the only ones who know the truth about her past, and if she leaves them she'll Never know anything about her missing memories.
and most importantly, if there's one thing qjaiden loves to do more than Anything, it's live in denial. her very home is a monument frozen in time of what she felt was the happiest day she'd ever had, where she says "nothing dies," where she believes she can relive that happy day forever as long as she's in that home. where three chairs are positioned in just the right position to watch the sunset.
deep down, qjaiden Knows she should be far away from cucurucho. she knows her arguments for him don't hold up, she knows he has never had her best interests at heart, she's said HERSELF she knows cucurucho is manipulating her. but why would she ever face reality when reality is just so bleak? when it's so much easier and she's so much happier living in the reality that she believes in?
thus, she makes excuses for the bad things cucurucho has done, and she assumes nothing but the best and most innocent of him. she rationalizes what cucurucho does because it's the only way she can keep comfortably living in her fantasy.
and lastly, obviously even with all of this notwithstanding qjaiden Does do and think some dicey things sometimes. Because, surprise, she is a complex and multifaceted character. she does not have a strong moral code—she doesn't really care what happens in life, or what people do, as long as her loved ones don't get horribly hurt. she also genuinely likes to cause mischief and chaos because, well, that's what she likes to do! she finds it fun and she likes being a little devil sometimes.
really, qjaiden has a very "go with the flow" attitude. she chooses to do things largely in the spur of the moment. she does not concoct Grand Plans of mischief or discord; if she sees an opportunity to cause some momentary mischief or funniness, she'll just go for it! and i do not think any of this makes her as horribly malicious as she can be interpreted. she's an agent of chaos who doesn't want anything bad for any of her loved ones, but she refuses to face reality and thus makes excuses for the things that threaten to break her reality. sometimes she'll even make excuses for her own dicey behavior: this makes her complicated and morally gray, NOT a horrible villain.
i hope this all makes sense, it's just something i've been thinking about lately, i suppose. qjaiden's always a very fun yet challenging character to talk about because of the sheer amount of layers she has—i hope this maybe helped out anyone who doesn't know her as well :D
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upon-a-starry-night · 2 months
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Number Neighbor Pt. 16
Natasha Romanoff x Fem! Reader
Natasha Masterlist Series Masterlist
Word Count: 1k
Summary:  When you catch sight of the newest trend going around you know you’re all but bound to at least try it, it was harmless anyway. What could possibly stem from something so little?
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Nat knew from the moment the coffee machine broke that morning that something was off about today. Tony had bots clanging in the kitchen all day and every member of the tower was on the verge of strangling him. She didn’t feel up to going out though so she was forced to stay in her room all day. However, she didn’t expect her evening to go from 10 to 100 in a matter of minutes. And it all started with a text from you at 11 pm.
Not unusual for you but the message lacked your usual humor
Y/n🍦:
Nat.
No attempt at guessing her name, no witty quip to go along with it, no extra letters or emojis. 
Something was going on and she didn’t like the pit forming in her stomach. This was a situation she’d never found herself in. Did she act calm? Did she… call you?
She shook her head, she could be freaking out over nothing, maybe you just had a long day and you were tired. The voice in the back of her head scoffed, Nat knew she was only trying to convince herself that these next few moments weren’t about to happen.
Nat🔪:
Y/n.
What’s going on?
Y/n🍦:
Help i-
I think I’m being followed.
Nat🔪:
Think or your sure
Y/n🍦:
You’re*
Nat rolled her eyes. Of course, you were trying to be funny right now, humor was your biggest coping mechanism. She knew your humor was a defense against coming across as weak and vulnerable- it was an attempt to make the other person less aware of just how scared you were, but she knew. She knew you were probably shaking as you texted her and there was nothing she could do about it.
Y/n🍦:
Fuck.
I’m sure.
Nat’s heart sank. 
She could get your location from your phone but could she arrive in time? You lived in Brooklyn and she was in Manhattan- 12 miles away, at her fastest, she could probably get there in 30 minutes. Not enough time. Stalkers will only follow for so long before attacking. You didn’t know this man's intentions.
For you, this could be a life-or-death situation.
Still- she called Peter, he was on patrol tonight, hopefully, he was in your area. He picked up immediately, his boyish voice ringing awkwardly through her silent room. She didn’t give him the time to speak more.
“Peter there’s a girl in Brooklyn being followed” Her tone was solid, she couldn’t let the vulnerability she felt slip through either. It’s been many years since she’s felt this helpless about someone she cared about. And that was not a wound she was ready to reopen. God you were bringing out every part of her. 
Peter didn’t ask a single question, all Nat could hear was the thwip of his webs and the rush of wind against his phone. 
“I sent you the address, how close are you?” She heard the faint sound of him mumbling before Karen’s robotic voice repeated your phone’s location
“I’m 20 minutes away” It wasn’t fast enough but it was as good as she was going to get.
Nat🔪:
It’s okay Y/n
Have you called the cops?
Y/n🍦:
No, I tried calling Leon
He lives nearby i thought maybe-
fuck I’m so stupid
Nat🔪:
No, y/n, you’re not stupid
You’re scared.
You’re not going to be perfect at handling 
This kind of situation. No one is
Nat🔪:
Do you have any weapons in your bag?
Y/n🍦:
Nat listen-
If I don’t…
Nat🔪:
Don’t.
Y/n🍦:
Please.
Nat🔪:
No, i’m not listening to any requests you have
You’re going to be okay
Is he still there?
Y/n🍦: 
Yeah
I’ve walked around the block a few times
I don’t know where to go
Nat’s fingers itched over the call button, she would be a lot better at reassuring you over the phone. But her voice was raspy and recognizable, would you realize it was her as soon as she said hello? Would that be a bad thing? Could she risk telling you her identity? Could she trust you? After so many years and so many people were you finally going to be the one to break down her carefully constructed walls? She sighed frustratingly, now was not the time. You needed her. 
Y/n🍦:
Fuck 
I think he’s getting closer
Nat🔪:
Y/n go to a house with the light on
And knock on their door.
Or look for a large group of people.
Find a public space.
She was growing more desperate by the minute. God if she ever got her hands on the bastard that’s making you this petrified she was going to do more than just kill him.
“Peter, how far away are you?” 
“Five minutes Miss Romanoff” She could hear his breathlessness, she didn’t imagine it was easy to swing across buildings at that speed.
Nat🔪:
Y/n, keep talking to me okay?
Y/n🍦:
I don’t know why I decided to go out.
I just wanted some ice cream
I’m so stupid
Nat🔪:
No.
You are not stupid
This bastard is. Trust me.
Do you have high heels on?
Or your keys?
Y/n🍦:
No-
I walked to the store
Nat🔪:
Look for anything on the ground
A glass bottle or rocks
Y/n🍦:
Nat
I’m scared
Natasha waited for you to keep texting. Waited desperately for something witty to come across the screen, anything to let her know you were still safe. Peter was close now, close enough to hopefully make it before any irreparable damage is done but- if this guy has a weapon. She sucked in a sharp breath.
Nat🔪:
Y/n?
Y/n answer me.
y/n c’mon
Y/n. please. 
The dam broke. She hit the call button. She couldn’t pretend she didn’t care about you even a little bit. It rang and rang, stone cold silence filled her room between each shrill toll of her phone. Don’t panic. 
She stood and began pacing back and forth, running a shaky hand through her hair.
Each ring was torture- and she knew torture. Come on Y/n. Another blare of useless noise before the line connected. All she heard was a brief 'umph' before the line went dead.
Fuck.
Pt.17
A/n: giving Y/n more trauma 'for the plot' ;P ~ Starry
---Taglist--
@marvelwomen-simp @cd-4848 @wandanatlov3r @rebeltombraider @ctrlamira @fxckmiup @aliherreraaa @natsxwife @la-douler-ne-finite-jamais @romanoffsgal @moistblobfish @natashaswife4125 @elenimoris @how-to-disappearrr @screechcat @toouncreativeforausername @ordelixx @autorasexy @blacklightsposts @vmpnano @jono723
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strayerthings · 6 months
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I. An unfortunate meet-cute (3 years earlier)
Miscommunication (18+)
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Hyunjin could not stop staring at you in that dress. The way the black silk caressed your curves and how the slit showcased your toned thigh made him grip the couch he was sitting on. He was scared he would do something he might regret if he let go...
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Synopsis: Having a burning need to travel, you end up in Korea where you are pushed into Stray Kids' lead dancer's line of vision. After a traumatic turn of events you two part ways...only to run into each other on the other side of the world. Will there be anything left to salvage?
Content info: Hyunjin x afab reader, idol!au, teacher!reader, South Korea, Mexico, reader has anxiety, smut, travel au, angst with a happy ending
Word count: 6k
Miscommunication (18+) Masterlist
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General Warnings: Reader has anxiety, slight violence.
a/n: Hey readers! Welcome to the first part of my fic, I really hope you enjoy it. The way it is written is more action-based than my previous fic because a lot happens. Find out for yourself! Also, please comment if you want to be added to my taglist and reblog/comment if you can because it goes a long way to help writers. Have fun! 🌻🖤
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3 years earlier...
"Are you sure my fit is appropriate?" you yelled at your best friend, Evie, whilst twirling in front of her mirror. 
"It's a concert, you're not meeting the new king - I think you'll be fine!" your friend yelled back from the bathroom where she was heavily lining her eyes. You snickered at the thought of your posh relatives seeing you and went back to choosing jewelry. You caught the shimmering lights through the window and marvelled at the sight of buzzing Seoul, South Korea. 
Your wanderlust knew no bounds and this stemmed from your childhood. You were raised between two countries - Mexico and the United Kingdom. Your father had been travelling through Guadalajara when he met your mother and they settled in the capital when you were born. You experienced a happy six years, running through the rain barefoot and shouting expletives at the neighbors. When your mother died in an accident, you were taken to London by your heartbroken father and put in a girls' boarding school. Here, you experienced being the social pariah for a number of years due to your interesting complexion and lacking English. You had, thus, adapted quickly by picking up a perfect accent along with some impeccable table manners. You managed to keep your head down to avoid scrutiny and because of this, you picked up social anxiety. If the spotlight was on you for too long then the feeling of cloying claustrophobia would kick in and you needed to run. You hated how the upper class judged everyone and how nobody was confident enough to voice their actual opinions so, as soon as you had graduated secondary school, you said goodbye to your father and moved back to Mexico City. You had never felt freer - the vibrant culture pulsed through your skin and the honest people gave you a big sense of security. You stayed and pursued a teaching degree at the local university and then, finally, went on to teach at a high school. 
Despite being ostracised in the UK, you had managed to make some friends and one of them was Evie Tate, your spirit animal. You remained close and she went on to teach English in Seoul. As soon as you scraped together enough money, you got on a flight to visit. You had already spent a couple of days sightseeing and you still had around a week left.
You played with the belt around your waist and scrutinised yourself from head to toe. You had never really gone out of your comfort zone because of your anxiety but you wanted this year to be different. You had bought some beautiful dresses and tighter clothing, set on wearing them on your trip. Furthermore, Evie had gotten you expensive tickets to see the band, Stray Kids, where each member looked like they had based their image on sour Skittles for the Maniac Tour so you decided to go along with it, wearing a bright purple sparkly crop top and ripped black jeans with fishnets hugging your waist. You had to admit, you thought the combination would be too much but, whilst studying yourself, you actually felt the slow seeping in of confidence.
Evie emerged from the bathroom with her enormous makeup collection and attacked you, pinning you to the chair facing the mirror. She kept your hair as it was but applied bold, black and purple strokes to your eyes. Lastly, she applied a dusty rose to your lips. Evie, with her bright blue eyes and cheeky smile, sat back and admired you. 
"Are you ready to see eight beautiful creatures contort themselves for our benefit?"
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You were dragged by Evie towards the very front of the stage - the platform in the middle of the arena to be exact. You grumbled the whole way because you didn’t see the need to be right in the center of it all. You knew their music - Venom and Easy being two particular favourites - but as you were new to it you hadn’t had much time to watch their music videos so you were perfectly happy to dance along in the outer ring, away from the screaming fans and booming speakers. 
The crowd surged forward and ear-splitting screams pierced the air. The lights dimmed and the strobes pulsed over the auditorium. Then, what your eyes were confronted with erased any resentment you felt towards your friend. A neon green screen lifted and in the darkness eight men, dressed in silky black suits, strode forward onto the main stage. Their suits had delicate silver chains sweeping across them, giving the impression of spiderwebs caught in the morning dew. 
They launched furiously into their titular song, Maniac, arms thrusting forward meticulously and expressions murderous. The crowd went berserk. They were not even properly visible yet but their power over the massive audience was incredible. It only increased when they ran forward, down the catwalk and onto the main platform where you were stationed. You were finally able to see them clearly and gasped when your eyes focused on a smaller, raven-haired boy. How could this creature have such a deep voice when he sang the chorus? You remembered what Evie taught you and realised he was Felix. But the real kicker came when they performed Venom straight after. You forgot the people around you and fully felt the music. When you looked up, however, you were entranced by their smooth, slower moves - the way they carefully navigated around each other, looking almost like mannequins. You noticed the tall boy in the middle, he had electric red hair and a dominating stage presence. The lights were still too dark to make out his features but the way he moved encaptured you. When the lights turned red and he thrust his hips forward slowly, you lost it. The light shone on his face and the way his expression turned fierce, almost painful, had you screaming.
A few minutes later, after the leader (Bang Chan) made his opening speech, they came towards the crowd to interact with them. When the captivating red-haired boy (Evie said he was Hyunjin) approached, the fans around you swarmed forward and pushed you from all sides. He crouched in front of you and smiled, cheekily posing for some photos. You were so close that you could see the droplets of sweat run down from his neck onto his newly changed white t-shirt. His contacts were a deep blue which only emphasised his hair. He was simply beautiful and you would have gone into a trance had it not been for the claustrophobic circumstance. Girls were shouting obscenities from right next to you and you could feel your panic rising. When he reached out for a fan’s phone near you and twisted to take a selfie with you all, you couldn’t stop your arms from reaching up to cover your head. You tried to drown out the harsh noise and the sensations but it was no use. You gripped onto Evie’s arm and shook violently, fear evident in your eyes. When Hyunjin was done he handed the phone back, eyes passing briefly over you and moved on. The crowd calmed a little and when the new song started, you breathed a sigh of relief. Hyunjin, meanwhile, had decided to make that spot on the stage his.   
The rest of the concert was a fantasy for you - you quickly got swept back up in the music and danced as if your rent was due. You were so in your own world, in fact, that you hardly registered the looks that Hyunjin threw your way. Of course, you were mesmerised by him and his fluid movements but you never could have imagined that he had noticed you too. You would be staring at the way he controlled his body in Charmer when he would throw a smile your way, only to be met with total ignorance. This happened again in Thunderous and God’s Menu. When Cheese started, however, he moved to right where you were and bent down, rapping the lyrics. You loved this song and you were so into it that you hardly registered when Evie sharply elbowed you in the ribs. You startled and looked up, only to be met with Hyunjin’s piercing blue eyes. He smiled brightly when you gasped and jumped along, mirroring your movements. He nodded his head and moved on. Now, you realised something was up because for the rest of the concert he constantly caught your eye and kept returning to your spot. The fans around you who had started off by trying to get close to him, started whispering and looking at you. You took no notice as you were too busy interacting with him. 
At the end of the concert, the members took turns thanking the crowd. What was shocking was that they all really appreciated their fans - to the point of tears. Covid had really hindered their new career and the fact that they had so many supporters really hit them hard. When Felix cried, everybody cried with him, when Seungmin tried to run away and cry by himself, the crowd laughed at how Changbin brought him back to be cuddled. When Jeongin cried, they wanted to wipe away his tears. When Hyunjin cried, the mass went silent. Hyunjin had been struggling the most, having been put on a four month hiatus due to false bullying rumours. This was his comeback and he could not believe that most fans had stayed by his side. He spoke for a time and Evie, who knew basic Korean at this point, translated for you. He asked the crowd why they loved him and could not understand why they would want to support him - he broke down in the middle and your heart clenched in your chest. You knew they were strangers but there was something in his raw vulnerability that you could relate to. 
As you left the hall, you felt a pang of sadness that it had ended. You felt strangely hollow inside - you would never be able to meet Hyunjin's gaze again and be the reason he smiled. Evie noticed your silence and smiled wryly at you, guessing your thoughts.
"Cheer up, sweetness, what you accomplished tonight was any fan's most heated desire. Be happy with that. Also, the Hyunjin you ‘connected’ with onstage? Yeah, he’s not real. He put on a show and we bought it - he’s probably great in real life but you wouldn’t feel the same pull if you met him outside of the show.”
You grumbled but nodded and moved to the main doors that opened to the outside. All of a sudden, a group of girls blocked your path. They had mean expressions on their faces and were eyeing you up and down. They spoke in English since they could see that you were foreigners.
“You look like you enjoyed the show? Did you have fun pulling his attention away from us with your slutty outfit? You ruined our experience and we can never get that back”.
You took a step back, the familiar panic beginning to rise. Evie, however, stepped forward and fiercely shot back.
“She didn’t do anything wrong! It’s not her fault you guys looked too boring to grab anyone’s attention.”
You pulled Evie back, stuttered out an apology and tried to turn around to the other door. The girls, fired up, grabbed you by the hair and spun you back, landing a solid slap on your face. You tried to claw your way out of their grasp but it was no use. A crowd had gathered around you and started filming. All of a sudden, men dressed in black stormed the scene, yanking you apart. They started yelling and gesturing wildly. Not understanding and panting, you slid to the floor while Evie’s arms encircled you. Your soft, strangled sobs caused your friend to apologise over and over for the night’s events. What had turned out to be one of the best nights of your life had turned into something sour. 
"Come on, y/n, let's go home..."
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Hyunjin sighed in frustration and chucked the phone across the room. Realising what he had done, he retrieved it and then blew on it. This was a weird habit, indeed, but it was a step up from apologising to it (which he had done in the past). He lay back down on his bed while the sound of your sobs rang in his head.
 Moments before, Felix had run into his room with wide eyes. Hyunjin, who was busy finishing his latest painting (after Hugh Jackman had praised his previous piece, the pressure was on), turned around with a welcoming smile … which faltered when he noticed Felix’s panicked demeanor.
“Hyun, you need to check your phone! Shit went down and our manager wants an explanation before he does damage control. I’ll leave you to it as I’m currently battling for glory in my game.”
Before he left, however, he turned around and said with an impish grin, “You really should watch where you smile - your face could launch a thousand ships.” 
Confused, Hyunjin reached for his phone and clicked on the link. At first, he had no idea what he was looking at but then he recognised you and your friend. Judging by the fear on your face, he surmised that you were defending yourself - his chest tightened in anger as he watched you get pulled about and when you were slapped he let out an involuntary growl. When he heard the words they threw at you the guilt tore through him. “Hyunjin”. It was his fault you were being punished. It was him not thinking that caused you pain. If he had not been so drawn to you then this would never have happened. He could have stopped himself… right?
He thought back to what had first caught his eye. He was taking a selfie with that crowd when he noticed a terrified girl on the screen. He was confused - why would you be at their show if you didn’t like it? His ego took a knock and he wanted to make sure you enjoyed yourself so he moved to your side of the stage to check on you every now and then. When he stopped there for the third time and saw you letting loose, the freedom tangible on your skin, his heart skipped a beat. He had done it! When your shining eyes met his, he couldn’t contain his smile - you were beautiful. Your energy, infectious. He felt himself being pulled in and for the rest of the show he couldn’t control himself. He felt his eyes linger on you - your silky hair, the shape of your eyes, your top that accentuated all your curves. He drank you in and forgot everyone else around him. Which is where the problem came in. It was his fault and he was helpless. He couldn’t even protect you from people who claimed to love him.
He took out his phone and called his manager, explaining the situation. He got a light scolding (“you can’t control Sasaengs but you can control yourself”) and the manager came up with a solution. Luckily for them, you were VIP so they had your contact details. They would send you and Evie tickets to the next concert on the following night, followed by backstage passes where he could apologise to you.
Apparently the boys had been listening because as soon as he hung up they fell into the room. Chan righted himself and rubbed his neck awkwardly. Jisung didn’t even have the grace to look guilty - he strode right in and flopped down onto Hyunjin’s bed. 
“Yah. Pabo. What did you do now? I thought Chan was broken when he kept yelling that you were too handsome.” 
Normally, Hyunjin would have knocked his head against the wall whilst giggling but there was still a lump in his throat that he couldn’t shake. Jisung noticed and rushed over to him, almost knocking him over. Changbin jumped in too and pretty soon Hyunjin had a lump in his throat AND two boys draped across him. He tried to roll them off but he just didn’t have the strength. Chan cleared his throat and straightened.
 “Jinnie, we know it’s not your fault. There are gorgeous people in the crowd, even I notice them. But, as performers, we need to know how to handle the situation. Look at me - I’m the leader so I know not to have favourites. If you picked up on something like that it would be the Hunger Games in here.”   
Jeongin cut in with, “Lies, we all know you prefer Seungmin - you were so excited to share a bed with him last week. I think he’s still hiding in the cupboard under the stairs.”
Chan shook his head saying that was not true then Jisung reminded him that he had called Felix “literal sunshine” to which Chan merely shrugged his shoulders. When Changbin cut in with, “No, I’m Channie’s favourite - he loves to hug me every chance he gets.”, Chan aggressively shot back with: “That is me RESTRAINING you from doing the worst possible thing in every situation.” Changbin gave him a knowing smirk and settled more firmly against Hyunjin who had momentarily forgotten his sadness.
Minho, who had been leaning against the wall, walked forward and said, “The point he is making is that you need to make everyone feel like you are there for them. Remember that tomorrow night.”
Hyunjin nodded and spent the rest of the evening wielding off Jisung and Changbin who thought that he needed kisses to feel better. 
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As Hyunjin skipped down the catwalk he scoured the audience for you. Surely you had accepted the invitation? He blew kisses absent-mindedly, dancing around the stage to cover all the bases. When his eyes rested on your familiar face he couldn’t stop himself from giving a little wave….before moving on. Minho’s words echoed in his head. He didn’t want to make the same mistake and cause you pain again. Anything but that. So he would force himself not to stare at you. Not to smile at you. Not to dance for you. You looked stunning - hair loose and flowing, curves hugged by a silky black dress and bright eyes accentuated by smokey makeup. God, this was going to be hard. 
Your heart skipped a beat when Hyunjin waved. You had hesitated to come to the show - but, funnily enough, it was Evie who had encouraged the idea of avoiding the concert altogether. She very much wanted to meet her bias, Chan, but did not want to see her best friend in tears again. She also felt guilty for dragging you to the front of the stage during the first concert - had she not done that, you would never have caught Hyunjin’s eye. And it was for this precise reason that you had chosen to come. You wanted your friend’s guilt to disappear and, for that to happen, you figured the best way was to show Evie that you were enjoying yourself and to finish the event on a high note. So you showed up, VIP again, but were to the right of the stage this time.
You were secretly hoping that Hyunjin would notice you again - you knew it was a big risk but you were absolutely besotted, especially when you noticed what he was wearing. The sexiest shirt - black with bold letters that stated, “hotter than your ex, better than your next ''. The shirt was almost entirely open on the sides, showing his taut muscles rippling as he danced. You were mesmerized. So, when he sauntered down the stage, you couldn’t help smiling when he threw a cheeky wave followed by a wink in your direction. Your smile dropped, however, when he suddenly did a 180 and ran the other way - throwing kisses to other fans. He didn’t look at you again. Surely, Evie couldn’t be right? Was your connection not real? Was it all an act? You could have sworn that your chemistry was palpable - it had even led to you being attacked and your humiliation going viral. Luckily, nobody was able to recognise you. Hiding your disappointment, you squared your shoulders, put on a bright smile and focused on the other members instead. You wouldn’t show him that he had gotten to you.
It wasn’t hard to admire the other members, their talent was indescribable. Changbin was recently named the fastest rapper in South Korea and he had ‘short king’ energy on the stage as well; Lee Know was a powerful dancer who had a knack for grabbing butts at the right time; Han had the most electric voice and the snarkiest attitude to match (you could have sworn there was something between him and Lee Know); I.N had the sweetest voice and a baby face… until he sang Maknae on Top (he must have learned those body rolls from Hyunjin); Seungmin’s voice belonged on every Kdrama soundtrack - he was slow to smile out of shyness but resembled a puppy when he was excited; Felix was the very picture of an ethereal pixie with his delicate features and small frame… until he opened his mouth. The rumbling voice that tumbled out was definitely a side effect of possession. Lastly, the leader and Evie’s ult bias - Bang Chan. He was probably the most talented individual that you had ever seen in person. He wrote many of the songs and you could tell the other members practically worshiped him - and the other way round. He was quick to run after them, fixing things, or just hugging them from behind. You thought Lee Know was going to bite him at one point, however, when he picked him up against his will and slung him over his shoulder. 
So you had fun interacting with the other members. You cheered when Changbin flexed his pecks, completed a heart with Felix and laughed when Han tried to strip Chan. Speaking of, when Chan revealed his abs in Victory Song Evie lost her mind…causing you to join her and scream your head off. Yet, even with all this, you couldn’t ignore him. His presence filled the stage and everything around it, you were aware of his every move no matter how hard you tried to suppress it. He seemed extra hyped tonight and the fans were drinking up his energy. You fumed with jealousy every time he threw a kiss at someone or did a body roll whilst grinning at the crowd. Nevertheless, you soldiered on.  
Why were you so into Chan???? Hyunjin grit his teeth as he saw you and your friend fangirl over his leader…so much so that he was sure he had cracked a tooth. The jealousy licking at his insides spurred him on to being extra ‘needy’ - he craved more attention and more validation than ever. He bounced and rolled all over the place, drawing admiration from his squealing fans. Normally, he would have basked in all this but the glory felt cheap. He looked over at you (he knew your name now and it was gorgeous) and that’s when he’d had enough - you were gazing at Chan’s chest with a dopey grin on your face. He dragged the chair he was currently holding to your side of the stage, flopped down onto it and took his blazer off - exposing his muscles. He knew he looked a mess - he was panting and his temporary red dye was mixing with the sweat at the base of his neck but he was aware of the effect he had on his fans. He pointedly did not look at you but since you were so close, he was able to notice from the corner of his eye how you were studying him with wide eyes. Smirking, he threw his head back, raking his fingers through his hair and jumped up again. It was the end of the show and he very much looked forward to meeting you. You had to give him your full attention if he was standing right in front of you.  
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Shaking with nerves, you followed the guard to a room further into the building. Luckily, you were not the only one. Evie was right beside you but there were also around ten other people who had purchased backstage passes. Judging by their appearances, the passes must have cost a fortune. These fans all stood out in terms of wealth or looks - there was a guy decked out in Balenciaga whilst an absolutely stunning Korean girl with lilac hair had customised Stray Kids nails. In fact, all the girls were tiny and elegant with killer fashion - you and Evie felt quite out of place with your curves, international features and off-brand clothing.
You entered the room and found that your group was alone. There were drinks and snacks on a table and massive couches in the middle. You chose a couch and, while you waited, you got to know each other. Some of the others were kind enough to translate or chat to you two in English. You learned that the lilac-haired girl was called Jiyeon, she was the daughter of a CEO and that she had her designs on Hyunjin.
“I made sure I looked perfect for tonight so that he would notice me and he certainly did! Did you guys see how he stared into my eyes during Muddy Water?” she sighed dramatically and crossed her legs, letting her skirt ride up her thighs. “I’m going to make sure he remembers me…”
You shifted in your seat when you heard this because you thought there was a very real chance that Hyunjin would take the girl up on her offer - how could he not?
The others all had various biases but most were into Hyunjin, Felix or Chan. The guy who was dressed in Balenciaga (Min Jae), however, was obsessed with Changbin (“I would give ANYTHING to be in his chokehold”). There was also a girl, no more than 18, who exclaimed that Lee Know could chain her up anyday. After Evie had confessed her admiration for Chan they all turned to stare at you, silently questioning your reasons for being there. You were trying to think up a lie because you still felt ridiculous for thinking about Hyunjin in that way, when the doors opened and the men in question strolled in, followed by a few other people.
As soon as Jiyeon (lilac girl) spotted the red-haired devil, she leaned down to ‘pick something up’. Her chest was on full display and you tried hard not to laugh. You failed and a small giggle escaped your lips. Hyunjin turned sharply, eyes on you, and chose the couch opposite you and Evie.
Chan started addressing the fans and he was just as easy-going in person as he was on stage.
“Welcome, welcome, ladies and gentlemen. We are so grateful to have the chance to speak to our cherished Stays! For the next hour, we’re all yours - let’s get to know each other.”
He noticed you two and repeated it in English. He asked the other bandmates to introduce themselves using some interesting facts.
He started, "As you probably know, I’m Australian, I love Bungee Jumping and we will be enemies if you buy me spicy food.”
“Hi, I’m Felix - I’m also Australian, I only learned Korean a couple of years ago and I am very flexible”. (Some of the girls went crazy at that last one). One by one, they introduced themselves until only two were left.
“You can call me "Quokka" because of these bad boys” (Jisung poked his chubby cheeks with a wink) “I know you’re here because of me and me only so I’ll keep you entertained for the rest of the evening - just kidding, let’s hear it for the twelfth sexiest man in Korea, Hyunjin!”
 “Hyunjin? Yah, Hyunjin!”
Hyunjin could not stop staring at you in that dress. The way the black silk caressed your curves and how the slit showcased your toned thigh made him grip the couch he was sitting on. He was scared he would do something he might regret if he let go. He wondered if the fabric would feel as smooth as he imagined it to be. You were wearing a cardigan over your shoulders, probably out of shyness, and he longed to take it off.    
You felt his stare acutely and your cheeks reddened in response. Did you do something wrong? Was he playing you again? Trying to prove a point? Somehow you didn’t believe that because there was something in his gaze that entranced you, it seemed real. Raw. You stared back and almost forgot to breathe. He was even more beautiful up close - his golden skin shone, his lips were plush and the mole under his left eye looked so delicate. It had been so long since you had felt an attraction to anybody - you had a terrible dating history and the last one had been a crippling blow to your self-esteem. Thus, this bolt of heat in your core shocked you greatly. You crossed your legs to hide the involuntary clench and noticed his eyes following the movement.
“YAH!”
Lee Know’s incredibly loud voice cut through the air, startling you both out of your reverie. Hyunjin cleared his throat awkwardly while you mentally berated yourself for having a schoolgirl crush on a celebrity. Hyunjin started to speak and you all leaned in to hear better, “Hi everyone, I’m Hyunjin and I have three passions in life apart from music: Kkami, art and Kdramas.”
Everyone started cooing at how adorable he was and since he was last, they started firing questions.
Chan shushed everyone and asked that they tell them about themselves. Jiyeon, the Lilac stunner, started telling them her life story in a sugar-coated voice while keeping her eyes on Hyunjin. At one point she hitched her skirt up even higher. Hyunjin, however, smiled tightly and kept looking around him. Next up was Evie who talked about her passion for writing and the reason she was in Korea. She also proudly indicated to you, saying she was so happy her best friend came to visit after all this time. This signalled the start of your introduction. You, who were suddenly very interested in the buttons of your cardie. You shyly looked up to see everyone smiling at you encouragingly and took a deep breath.
"Hi, I’m y/n -  I live in Mexico City where I teach high school kids. That’s basically it."
Evie nudged you and said, “Tell them about your music!”
“Ah, yes, well I grew up in a musical household so I play a couple instruments and sing occasionally.”
Hyunjin leaned forward and asked gently, “What kind of voice do you have?”
Just as you were about to answer, Jiyeon cut in with, “I sing too! Mostly pop like Taylor Swift.” You said nothing and just sat back as the girl started firing questions at the group. They tried their best to answer and to field off any inappropriate questions/comments. Jiyeon tried her absolute best with Hyunjin but it was like talking to a polite brick wall. He answered her questions but as generally as he could and with no feeling. His eyes kept straying to you who were listening to the different conversations intently despite knowing no Korean. 
When the fan meet was over, everyone stood up to leave. One of the people at the back approached you and Evie, quietly asking you to stay behind. It was time to address the issue. When everyone left, the manager, you, Evie, Hyunjin and Chan, sat back down. 
The manager spoke, “We asked you here today because we heard about the terrible treatment you received at the last concert. We do not condone violence of any kind, especially between loving fans. Hyunjin understands the error he made and he would like to say something.”
Strangely, Hyunjin looked at Chan, who threw him a stern look, before turning to you. He had an odd, stony look on his face. “Y/n, I’m really, deeply, sorry for what happened to you.” His brow furrowed in concern before his features went back to their blank state, “As a performer I got caught up in the energy of the crowd too much and interacted with a fan for longer than I should have. Other fans misconstrued this and acted out in response. I am sorry that I gave you the wrong idea, I will work on my behaviour and I hope that tonight gave you some comfort.”
You sat there in disbelief, cheeks aflame. So it was an act! You were so worked up that you didn’t notice how his hands had balled into fists or how his jaw was clenched. You stood up quickly with a, “Don’t worry about it”, and made your way to the door. Hyunjin was quick to follow you and after you smiled, thanked and greeted everyone else, you made awkward eye contact with him. He stared at you with an unreadable expression - Was it regret? No, it couldn’t be - and as you made your way out, his fingers brushed against your wrist. Shaken, you carried on towards the door. As you were leaving you heard Chan say, “All right, kid, the others are waiting for us on the dancefloor.” Hyunjin muttered something in response.
You blinked back tears of embarrassment and, without looking back, left.
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penelope-kat · 6 months
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So I'm a little dissatisfied with the ending of F&C (btw totally fine to disagree, this is just my opinion. Also it's just a show ok let's all be mature here).
Let me be clear: I don't hate the ending; I think the rest of the show is amazing, AND while I LOVE the message of Simon and Betty moving on from each other and being able to be ok without each other, it felt really disingenuous for the show to say that Betty was more obsessed with Simon when they're clearly both complete freaks for each other?
Simon's whole thing in the original show whenever he was lucid was about how much he missed Betty, how fixated he was on her, and how he'd do anything to get her back, or at least be able to talk to her one more time. Marceline is always talking about how Simon was constantly obsessed with finding Betty again when she was little, and Ice King's whole character and obsession with kidnapping princesses stemmed from Simon desperately wanting to find Betty again.
All relationships have flaws, but I feel like this wasn't the right flaw to give their relationship. Simon and Betty's relationship was flawed because they were super obsessed with each other, not because Betty was more obsessed with Simon than Simon was with her. I guarantee that Simon would have done all the same shit Betty did if the roles were reversed and Betty had put on the ice crown instead, like I have not a single doubt in my mind.
It also makes Simon look a lot less emotionally intelligent and empathetic, which is like yeah, people don't always see how they hurt their loved ones, but you're really telling me he NEVER ONCE did anything Betty wanted to do? Never?? And Betty is a strong-willed woman, we always see that. She's unhinged. I love her. I feel like Simon would have picked up on her wants, too, especially since they were implied to have been together for a long time given, you know, they've co-written books and explored the world together and all. Simon ADORED Betty, and he's always been shown to be very empathetic and insightful, even at his worst during F&C! I highly doubt after all that time with Betty he would have never even considered doing her stuff. Do you really think Mr Semen Peggtricock over here, the final-boss of pathetic submissive twinks, took the reins on every aspect of anything they did together? I know that man gets his bussy destroyed three nights a week by Betty's 12 inch strap and whimpers under her weight m'kay there's no WAY he never ever once listened to what she wanted to do.
I do appreciate that the show doesn't make Simon or Betty out to be monsters or bad people or anything, and I do think in the context of Simon and Betty's stories, them going different ways makes the most narrative and thematic sense since their obsession with each other did end up severely negatively-impacting both their lives. Also, it was heavily implied that Betty reincarnated after blowing Simon sending Simon back to Ooo, so she won't be fused with Golb for all eternity in infinite loneliness. Uh that also makes me feel way better about the ending too lol.
But the specific point of "Simon didn't appreciate Betty enough".. it just doesn't sit right. That man spent collective decades mourning the loss of Betty, his princess, and all he really wanted was to be with her. He understood how brilliant she was, he loved her for it. Yes, he almost gave up her sacrifice that made him Simon again, but can you really blame him for that? He was super depressed and genuinely believed it would be the best thing to do in order to protect the little gay people in his head. He wasn't doing it to punish Betty, he'd never do that. Tbf I haven't seen many people claim he did it to punish Betty, I can just see that being a reachable conclusion for someone watching who already wasn't too keen on how their relationship had been portrayed thus far.
Betty was right: they did make their choices. And that means her choices too, choices that she literally took ownership of in the same breath, so it's weird for the show to imply only she would have gone to the lengths she did in their relationship.
Honestly the topic of overcoming obsession makes perfect sense to explore for BOTH of them. Betty having had time to think about it for 12 years as a chaos god, and Simon still being hung up because he blames himself for everything that happened. They were both equally obsessed with each other, and that mutual obsession destroyed both their lives. Now they need to be able to move on and, in Simon's case, keep living, even though Betty isn't around anymore, because his life as Simon Petrikov MATTERS.
Also before anyone brings up Temple of Mars that episode SLAPS it's GREAT and yes it is about Betty's obsession with Simon, but I always found it to be more of a "wow things became so screwed up. It's a shame Betty didn't go on her trip but the happiness she had with Simon was clearly worth it to her, it's just crazy how something like her missing a trip to be with him evolved into her time traveling into the future and losing her mind trying to save him". It wasn't really an episode about how bad Simon was for her in the beginning, it was like "holy shit girlie we need to get you on mood stabilizers ASAP cuz this shit is CRAZY".
Yeah I dunno how to wrap this up. Didn't mean to make anyone upset: I'm still shaky about how I feel on all of this and just wanted to get my thoughts out there. Opinions are valid! Even if you don't agree, I hope you can see where I'm coming from :)
Have a good night!
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antianakin · 5 months
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@assaultmech71 I'm putting this in a separate post because it IS a little off topic and that particular post is becoming fairly long and unwieldy as it is.
Part of my dislike of Luxsoka (and Lux in general) stems from my dislike of the episode he's introduced in. Heroes on Both Sides is supposed to show us that there's genuinely good people with legitimate grievances on the Separatist side and that Ahsoka is like... being kind-of ignorant by assuming all of the Separatists are evil assholes. However this is done SO SO BADLY the entire way through. I've talked about Mina Bonteri's whole sob story about her husband on some sort of base that got attacked by the clones and how unbelievable it is that the clones apparently just attacked an innocent base full of innocent people or something. There's NO WAY that Mina's husband wasn't involved in something either war-related or just sketchy and evil.
Lux on the other hand is sitting there being paralleled with Ahsoka where they're supposed to recognize that their lack of knowledge of the other side has caused them to be a little prejudiced towards each other. But while Lux has never actually met any Jedi and is making his entire opinion based on a lot of propaganda, Ahsoka HAS met Separatists, they just come in the form of military generals usually. Lux I think specifies "any Separatists who AREN'T military leaders" which is pretty unfair because those military personnel are STILL military leaders and effectively Ahsoka's counterpoint within the Separatist organization. Ahsoka has seen these people who claim to fight on behalf of the Separatist government do some absolutely heinous shit to actual innocent civilians (she's there for the incident with the Lurmens, the Blue Shadow Virus, Ryloth, and the Holocron Heist arc at this point). Ahsoka has genuine evidence to believe that the Separatists are, at best, ignorant of what's being done in their name, and at worst complicit in these actions being perpetrated by their military. Ahsoka isn't naive or ignorant the way Lux is, it's not a fair comparison. So their entire connection here is based on what amounts to a lie.
Lux also literally gives Ahsoka a once over when she bandies his own words back at him and asks him if she looks evil, which is juvenile and gross. And yes, he IS juvenile and Ahsoka does call him out on it a little, but still. It's not exactly a GREAT first impression here.
So basically a large part of the reason I hate him is because his entire introduction is just really really stupid and he represents this radically unfair perspective on the Jedi at this point just to make a point that isn't even ENTIRELY true.
Then we come to their second meeting where the whole episode ends with them saying they were a "good team" except that Lux fucks up approximately 20 different times and Ahsoka has to keep saving his ass and doing all the work. And Lux also betrays her like 4-5 separate times, he slaps her ass and acts like a misogynist to keep up an act with DEATH WATCH, apparently doesn't know or just doesn't care that Death Watch are literal terrorists, and is just overall completely awful and useless the whole time. They're not a good team, he's just a massive fuck up with delusions of grandeur who Ahsoka has to keep bailing out of danger over and over again.
He's better by their third meeting during the Onderon arc, but by then whatever feelings he may have had for Ahsoka seem to have faded and he's got a new girlfriend he's focused on and Ahsoka ultimately lets him go. But she's also JEALOUS of Steela for a while and it's impossible to figure out what she's even jealous OF. Like babygirl, I'm so frustrated with you right now, but you can STILL do better than Lux Bonteri. At least she decides to just move on by the end and we never see him again.
So yeah, Lux is a terrible person, a terrible love interest for Ahsoka, and Luxsoka is a fuck awful ship and I'm just so glad it got abandoned before it actually went anywhere and never came back.
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melonteee · 2 months
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Just saw someone’s wacko take on Whole Cake Island and I want to see your thoughts, as I get everyone had their own opinions but damn theirs made me baffled
Basically they said that Sanji being forced into marriage was completely unnecessary and was Oda’s terrible attempt to “fix” Sanji after the time skip. That we didn’t need to see how good of a person Sanji is as that was something already seen pre timeskip but was completely ruined post apparently
They then also claimed that Sanji’s blood family has no point of existing, and they questioned why he needed more story when his original backstory was enough. They claimed that this was a terrible attempt by Oda to make Sanji seem as broken as possible to apparently excuse his gross behaviour post time skip
They said that Sanji’s family being emotionless monsters shouldn’t mean anything to Sanji as he’s a pirate and faces cruel people all the time, they don’t think it added anything to his character. They believe Oda only did this to get people to like Sanji again after apparently assassinating his character post time skip
They also brought up Pudding being 16 (which we don’t know is true or not) and how that makes Sanji seem more gross and Oda gross by extension
Again I believe everyone can have their opinions, but when an opinion is as jaw droopingly awful as this it makes me want to slam my head against a wall, it’s also annoying that they’ve turned off comments to prevent any discussion really showing how stubborn they are on this
Anyway I wanted to see your thoughts as you are the no.1 Sanji fan
Sighssssss I cannot stand this "Oda wanted to 'fix' Sanji" idea these people have, because that just tells me...they literally do not pay attention to Sanji at all.
As always, yes, Sanji has pervy gags. Yes, he was a bit much in Fishman Island SPECIFICALLY, but he IS the same character.
Fishman Island showed his fierce care and love for Nami as a CREWMATE by telling Jinbe what the fuck Arlong did to her, because he was LITERALLY there for Arlong's defeat and nearly died with the others fighting for Nami! He spoke up for Nami as FAMILY and that means a LOT to her.
Punk Hazard showed his kindness towards Kinemon and the kids by helping Kinemon - a dangerous stranger - and helping the kids per Nami's request.
Dressrosa showed Sanji's kindness is so valued due to Viola breaking down and feeling safe with him, to the point she told him the truth about Dressrosa and Doflamingo.
Zou showed JUST how kind Sanji is by helping save an ENTIRE island, Pedro valuing his kindness SO MUCH he risked his life to help get Sanji back to his crew.
Sanji has never needed fixing, what Sanji NEEDED was an explanation for why the fuck he was a kid by himself on a sailing ship. He NEEDED an explanation for HOW he could be a kid from the north but somehow be in the east. He NEEDED an explanation for why he was so self sacrificing to the point he thought of giving his life - not just for Zeff, but for ANYONE - seemed like the best choice to him.
Yes, it wouldn't be a question if it was just for Zeff and the Baratie. But it wasn't just for Zeff, he also did it for Usopp, for Luffy, for Nami, for Zoro, for Robin. Sanji's self sacrificing nature was ROOTED in him, and we had no idea from WHERE.
In fact, his self worth was so little, he asked a LITERAL ADULT why he was being nice to him - when he was a KID! And as I said in my Sanji video, WHAT kid asks why an adult is treating them nicely? NO other kid in One Piece has asked an adult that, because they're kids!
The fact it was suspected Sanji's family were powerful from YEARS ago, due to the fact his face wasn't on posters, AND Duval was being endlessly chased after, AND Sanji was from the north, AND his blood type was rare, says plenty enough that it was TOTALLY necessary.
Sanji literally finds his worth in other people, and again, that didn't stem from Zeff! Zeff treasured Sanji to the point Zeff used his HANDS on him, so WHERE does this self-hating nature come from with Sanji?
And we get it! We get it with his WCI story! We see the depths of his soul, the peaks of his kindness, and just how extreme the HATRED for himself is. He didn't even think Luffy WANTED him because his self worth is THAT low.
But, most importantly, we see JUST how strong Sanji is due to STAYING kind - even WITH everything he's gone through. WCI is about SANJI'S strength of character, through and through, and calling that unnecessary is just INSANE to me. Again, it just tells me these people do not like Sanji at all, to the point they didn't pay much attention to him. Because of COURSE when you don't look behind you, but then someone appears in front of you, you're gonna go "?? now where did THAT come from??"
But literally anyone who pays attention to Sanji expected to find out about his family and his origins, because the seeds were there!
Overall, if you want the deep dive for why it was necessary? My Sanji video explains it all :]
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My IRL ex who lives abroad now is dating my online friend who also lives there and I am deceiving them, AITA?
All of us are Asian, 29. Fake names are used.
My ex (Fred) was my childhood best friend, we grew up together in the same conservative society, people expected to see us marry since we were kids, all that jazz. At 18, we both moved away and kept up LDR. Moving meant big changes of course, I was in a huge city and I had internet access for the first time. I became a BTS fan in 2013, I started creating and reading a lot. I joined tumblr, made friends from all over the world. I was being radicalized rapidly, and I figured out I was bi too. My world was suddenly a million times bigger.
He however, didn't change much. He was scientific minded unlike most people here and his friends were all STEM kids but they were still functionally right leaning. He was racist when it came to BTS or East Asians in general. He was ignorant and happy to ignore queer existence, he used to say things like queer people needed to be shown the right path. We were turning out to be quite the opposites. Eventually we broke up. He was heartbroken, he tried to drag me back in many times and I avoided him like plague. I managed to ditch him completely when we were about 23. He left for USA to study.
Around the same time I befriended one of my closest online friends, Daphne. We lived in the same state but she was always traveling so we never got to meet. We're both hellsite veterans and keep our identities under lock & key so we don't know our real names or exact place of work, but we know each other's deepest kinks and childhood traumas, and stories about our exes. We both had the same kind of interests, politics, and fandoms, we're both bisexual. I've also come out as a trans man a few years ago and I go by a masculine name online, can't transition IRL. Daphne's known me since my girl era. Daphne left for USA last year for her Masters.
Now the wild part, by some twist of fate, Daphne met Fred who's also working on his Masters in an adjacent field. It is by no means a niche subject and USA is the fourth largest country, they still found each other. He sang in our first language at some party, he's very hot, and... he's into BTS like her. Wild. So they're now dating.
They started following each other on twitter and he followed a bunch of her friends including Me! We have exchanged pleasantries and while on his account he has his real name and location, mine is a mixed bag account with my fake name and my (sfw) queer creations all over it.
I know who He is but he doesn't know who I am, he thinks I'm just one of Daphne's dudes, and Daphne doesn't know that she's dating my ex who she had promised to drop into the Challenger's Deep (joke). My reasoning for hiding the truth is-- It's still not safe for me to be out IRL and he can mess it up. I remember his bigotry, I hate him, I have every right to avoid him and here that means not revealing my identity. But it's been years so maybe he has changed, and Daphne is my friend. So, I feel like a massive ahole for not telling her at least. At the same time she really did hate my racist homophobic right leaning ex a lot, so knowing the truth will make things awkward and I don't want to lose my friend.
So, there you have it. AITA?
BTW, no I'm not into BTS ships or reader insert fantasies, that's not what I create. I know someone would ask about it so there. I'm also Not attracted to Daphne, if I was I'd have asked her out straight away, I don't play around about my crushes.
What are these acronyms?
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yeetmeoffjueyunkarst · 6 months
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Would you by any chance be willing to do Lynette being given a flower from reader? But like instead of it being a real flower its glass? They made it themselves for her and it has all these different colors of glass to try and make it look as pretty and real as possible?
👌done.
lynette x gn!reader fluff, whether they are together or not, i leave it up to you. Reader is not Traveller, small spoilers for Lyney story quest
A flower for you.
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To say making a glass flower is a challenge is an understatement.
When you signed up for a glass flower making workshop that was held by a local glassblower, you did not know it was this hard.
It's not that it isn't difficult, it's just that... You wanted it to be perfect for Lynette. Sweet, quiet, but absolutely wonderful Lynette.
As to how that happened...
flashback 2 months ago
'Say, wouldn't this show on September 30 be your 100th show with Lyney?" You casually ask over tea, as Lynette sips her tea. Today's tea is Earl Grey tea, one of the classics. "Exiting Standby Mode. Yes, it would be. Lyney has been thinking of celebrating afterwards." She replies softly.
"How do you feel about it?"
"Much happy, actually. We've come a long way since our first show." Lynette replies simply, before eating a macaron.
You go silent at her words. Having met at a back alley while feeding some alley cats, the both of you have fostered a budding friendship over feeding cats, and over time, drinking tea as well.
"Perhaps I should take you up on your offer to reserve a ticket to a show after all." You state softly to Lynette.
"Really?"
You nod.
"Alright then, I'll pass you a ticket the next tea session."
What you don't add is the fact that you'll be bringing a small gift for her to celebrate her 100th show with Lyney.
Much thought had been put in place for the gift.
To buy it? To make it? The thoughts plague you. She can't have anything strong smelling because she's sensitive to scent, so no perfumes, no flowers...
Wait a minute...
And that's how you're in the workshop for a private studio session, trying to ambitiously make a rainbow flower.
The first time you went for a workshop, you made a decent simple flower.
And you were going along with that until...
"My brother gave the Traveller a Rainbow Rose during a private magic show for them." Lynette once offhandedly mentioned to you.
"He was probably imitating Mr Cesar, but even I can't deny that was rather smooth of my brother."
And that's how you're trying to make a glass rainbow flower for her.
Sitting down, you take in a deep breathe, trying to calm down.
After lots of money, time spent on this, and only a week left to that 100th show, This was literally the last chance.
With that, you begin shaping the petals, petal by petal. Even though you had decent practice, you still unfortunately burned your finger a little, causing you to take a short break when you were making the green petal.
After a while, all 7 petals are done, and set to cool.
Next up, the stems and leaves, in the color of silver, just to somewhat match her outfit during shows.
Slowly, slowly, you combine everything.
It wasn't the most ideal compared to what you had seen others do, but it'll have to do.
At least it wasn't like the 2nd try where everything went wrong.
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"Welcome to Lyney and Lynette's magic show!" Lyney warmly welcomes the audience, you among them.
Most people would keep their eyes on Lyney, for he is the star of the show. However, your eyes were always on Lynette, watching her throughout the show.
The first time you went to watch the show, while most of your friends focused on Lyney, your eyes always focused on Lynette, causing you to miss out the main show every single time.
Call it infatuation, but you were smitten at the start. Daydreams of hugging her, kissing her, cherishing her filled your mind.
You never thought you'll see her outside the show, that day you were feeding cats.
But ever since, you've been blessing the cats, least to say.
In a blur, the magic show was over. Your mind focused on Lynette all the time, the way she'll simply pop out of nowhere, her stoic demeanour, sharp and calculated movements aimed at being a shadow in the presence of the overwhelming light that was her brother.
The show ends, and you head backstage to find Lynette.
"Ah, and you are?" Lyney appears with a polite smile, but what it does not betray is his deep suspicions that you have insincere motives.
"Y/N. I'm looking for your sister. Do you know where she is?" You ask gently, knowing from Lynette's mentions of her brother that he's very protective of her.
"Ah, Y/N." The twins ring out at the same time.
So that's the friend Lynette has been mentioning lately, Lyney muses to himself.
"How was the show?" Lynette asks, internally glad that you, someone close to her, made it for such an occasion.
"It was great! And I, well, have something for you." You awkwardly take out the glass flower, embarrassed at giving her this in front of her brother.
"I'm sorry if it's not very beautiful compared to real flowers, but you told me before that you were sensitive to the scent of flowers, so I thought I would get you another type of flower. I hope you like it." You state weakly, feeling more and more embarrassed.
"Any.. anyway, congratulations for your 100th show, and um, all the best for future ones!" And with that, you left backstage, leaving the twins with each other.
"So... Y/N..." Lyney cheekily asks, with an underlying hint of suspicion and concern.
"They're fine." Lynette replies, stroking each glass petal of the flower. "They had a small burn on their finger." She states softly, face turning red at the realisation that it wasn't bought, but made by you.
"Sounds like you like them, sister." Lynette eggs her on for an answer.
"How about you worry on how to gain back more of the Traveler's trust first? Wouldn't want to lose their affections, would you?" Lynette rebutts back softly, still recalling your blushing face.
She knows of your eyes on her throughout the show, ever since the first one you attended. While she was initally... scared because of past experiences, her personal interactions with you, and all the things her feline friends have been telling her about you when you're feeding them...
A small smile creeps onto her face. Lyney watches, not used to seeing his calm sister a little lovestruck.
Perhaps she would ask Lyney for some advice to be more bold in expressing her affections for Y/N.
Or maybe not, I'm still not sure about how I feel for Y/N. All I know is that Y/N is special to me, friend or more.
"Still, be careful, Lynette." Lyney warns her softly, in reference to their Fatui ties.
She sighs.
"I know, don't worry. We will be alright."
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I spent 15 minutes considering what a glass flower was and googling how to make a glass flower.
You can use the link here
As always, likes and reblogs appreciated, Requests are still open as usual
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nininikki · 10 months
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𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘, 𝐌𝐑. 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓 | eren jaeger x black reader
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III. nice enough
✧ summary! — as eren is faced with an obstacle regarding his fight for the office, all he can seem to think of is you. meanwhile, your dinner at the jaeger’s goes…interestingly.
✧ warnings! — alcohol consumption and mentions of it, mentions of sexual activity (piv), adultery (eren is an aspiring cheater again), age gap—reader is 29 and eren is 40
✧ author’s note! — hello all! part 3 is finally here after what felt like years 😓 hoping that you all love it! bit of exposition & lots of head hopping (aka pov switching) in this one so strap your seatbelts. lmk if i missed anything in the warnings! 🪽💘
✧ word count! — 3.6k
12 AUGUST, THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
one could argue that there was nothing particularly nice about levi ackerman. he didn’t really like to shake people’s hands, evident by the well hidden grunts of distress under his breath whenever he had to do it and the prompt squirt of hand sanitizer into his palm immediately after. 
he also had a not so great habit of dishing out ridiculous—or, in hindsight not so ridiculous—demands that he was certain would help eren in the polls. “go get a haircut, jaeger. you look fifteen.” or, “go change that tie. never mind, just change the whole damn suit. you look like a bachelor.”
and eren had an even worse habit of listening to everything he said, because the most frustrating thing of all about levi ackerman was that he was never wrong. there was a jump in his numbers after he got rid of that “juvenile haircut” and stopped “dressing like hugh hefner.”
so, when levi deadpanned, “you two need to start acting married.” eren could only assume it was for some reason or another that he’d eventually come to comprehend in about twenty minutes.
“acting married?”
eren had come to learn that levi’s ideas tended to be the most strategic the more asinine they sounded. this fact, however, did not help the ever nagging feeling that eren might as well have been blowing levi’s ten thousand dollar stipend into the wind every month. 
levi swiftly maneuvered his way around their timelessly decorated living room, not bothering to hide the way he kept his hands from lingering too long on any furniture. “acting like you actually love each other. yes, challenging as that may sound, it could win you this election.”
however levi managed to clock the decaying spark in eren’s marriage was neither here nor there. 
mikasa sprouted from her seat as though she were the timid stem of a plant. “levi, with all due respect—”
“i mean, like right now.” right now, eren and mikasa were standing no more than seven feet away from each other on opposite sides of their living room. their respective arms crossed, unionized in their waning tolerance for the current discussion. “you two look like coworkers at best. hold her hand, kiss her on the cheek. where’s the chemistry?”
eren breathed a scoff that weighed a thousand pounds. “chemistry? we have an election to win, and you’re worried about our chemistry?”
“the numbers speak for themselves, jaeger. voters under thirty-five love you. love your policies, your look. if it were up to just them, you’d be a shoo-in. but with voters forty and up—well, you just aren’t traditional enough.”
despite the nonchalance with which levi spoke, eren’s vigorously trained ear picked up on the irritation that lie just beneath. eren could practically hear into the bubbling, cynical cauldron of brilliance that was levi’s brain and pick out the individual remarks springing to the surface. am i gonna have to hire this fucker an intimacy coordinator? for his wife of all people?
never minding the question sounding almost rhetorical in his head, eren still asked, “well, how do we fix that?” he thought back longingly, bitterly to the conversation last night. and the one this morning. a fuzzy, warm, and sugar filled feeling that should’ve been guilt enraptured his chest and abdomen. the last intelligent parts of his brain were brutally kicking him for thinking of a you—a girl that was inconsequential and, for lack of a better word, trouble. you may as well have had a big, glowing red sign floating above your head that blared DANGER whenever he dared step too close.
but, oh, how he wanted to step closer! how he could feel the delicious vines of trouble you were sure to plant into his life and how he found himself longing to be wrapped in them anyway. how he wanted nothing more than to sink his teeth into the forbidden fruit of your skin and revel in whatever nectar you were willing to give him. how he wouldn’t have minded looking danger directly in the eyes if they just so happened to resemble yours.
***
AUGUST 23, THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
eren could feel his fingers beginning to seize with a barely discernible tremor as they hesitated over his house phone. eleven long days had passed since the last phone call, and a part of him (lots of parts, actually) had started to miss your voice. it was novel that he had even found himself missing the sound of someone’s voice. their voice, of all things. but he guessed you had a knack for realizing the fantastical.
of course, he couldn’t call you just to call. he had to have some sort of reason. an, “oh, i was just wondering if you were still up for dinner” or, “i know you’ve got your premiere today. i was just calling to wish you good luck.”
he couldn’t have wanted to call for the sole purpose of hearing your voice, or wanting to know how your day was going. or for any of the simple pleasure he may have gotten from calling you, anyway. 
calling you without a reason would change things. he’d toe the already vague enough line between checking up on a totally platonic (while also coincidentally drop dead gorgeous) woman in his life and indulging in the attraction that had become so potent within him he was afraid it’d fester if he didn’t act upon it. 
eren dropped the house phone back into its holder with a pathetic clunk, and began the venture into his bathroom in pursuit of splashing some sense into his face. he couldn’t have, not for a second, thought it’d be a good idea to call you at three o’clock on a wednesday with mikasa and levi sitting perfectly conscious just downstairs. 
a noticeable chunk of eren’s resolve crumbled to nothing as he promptly realized that yes, he had considered calling you in the face of the present circumstances. and no, he couldn’t say he cared all that much without willing himself to do so.
***
23 AUGUST, THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
your relationship with jean kirschtein was something of an enigma. to the ever present and glaring public eye, to your own friends and family, hell, to yourself even. when he wasn’t pretending to be madly in love with you on a silver screen, he was sending you compliments that he didn’t even bother to deliver in a platonic tone. and when he wasn’t doing that, he was whisking you into the dimly lit area of whatever party you both happened to be attending and coating your lips in whiskey flavored kisses that lingered into the early morning.
it almost seemed inevitable the first time you slept with him. with every stolen glance or flirtatious remark, you’d find yourself thinking, any day now. any day now, i’m gonna jump his bones.
and soon enough, your desires were realized one night as he cruised down the hall from his hotel room to yours to wish you a well slumber and wash away the pre-premiere jitters with a bottle of champagne. it didn’t take long before he had your legs wrapped around the base of his spine while the two of you rutted your pleasure-drunken bodies into one another.
ironically enough, that had become your pre-premiere tradition, an arrangement that proved convenient for you last night when colorful thoughts of a certain presidential candidate ran rampant through your mind. you’d found yourself knocking on his hotel room door with your own bottle of champagne—knowing he’d be up for taking your mind off it. still, even with jean buried so deep inside you and your fingernails raking across his shoulders, you couldn’t quite seem to purge him from your mind.
that much is evident when you arrive at the cannes film festival. a steadying, custom-tailored arm snakes around your waist, and judging by the accompanying scent of bleu de chanel, your otherwise preoccupied mind can only assume it’s jean. “hey,” the sound of his voice sobers you just enough to grant him eye contact. “you okay in there?”
“always.” you reassure him with a smile and nod. “let’s go kick ass.”
***
30 AUGUST
just as your knuckles brushed against the front door, a fleeting blanket of tranquility washed over your body in the form of an evening summer breeze. briefly, you wondered if that could be a sign before knocking anyway. it was a timid graze of skin against wood that you weren’t even sure you’d heard. you were prepared to knock again—more confidently and less like you were about to vomit all over the jaeger’s doorstep—when the door swung open.
“and here i was, thinking you’d stood me up.” 
you didn’t think you’d ever quite get used to eren’s beauty. this could’ve had something to do with the fact that he was simply (by some stroke of magic) becoming increasingly attractive each time you laid eyes on him. or with the fact that you were utterly enamored with a new part of him every single time. 
on this particular occasion, it was the tiny beauty mark dotted under his left eye. one could hardly even call it noticeable in the dimmed lighting you two were standing in, but that didn’t stop you from yearning to stretch onto your tiptoes and run the pad of your thumb over it. 
an utterly delighted exhale whistled through your nose as you remarked, “never.” with a newborn shyness coloring your tone, which may or may not have had something to do with the way eren’s shadow managed to eclipse your entire as he braved a footstep in your direction to close the front door behind you. it was in that particular moment that you realized mikasa wasn’t at his side. she’d have most likely greeted you with a hug, a glimmering smile, and all the guilt-inspiring kindness in the world. “where’s, uh, m—”
eren’s eyes, once entirely focused on you, became awkward and clumsy as the last syllable started to leave your lips. “she’s in th—”
“honey, is that (y/n)?” mikasa’s voice, erupting from somewhere further back in the house while still managing to sound composed and almost soft. “i’ll be up in a sec, hold on.”
as the distant echo of mikasa’s voice dwindled, what proceeded to settle over you and eren was an almost tangible bubble of guilt. and taking your eyes off one another would surely burst it right over your heads and drench you both in the sordid feelings you harbored for one another.
of course, you don’t count on eren to have that much concern for things like guilt. because just as the sound of his wife’s voice grew to a steady quiet, you felt his palms—lightly callused and comfortably warm—cup over the back of your arms as he murmured, “you’re so beautiful.”
“eren,” you squeaked his name, a weak attempt at protest. you should’ve known you stood no chance, especially not when the lively green of his eyes bored into yours so deeply you thought you’d feel them in your soul. 
his hands grew a bit firmer over your arms, and you couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting to stay in his hold forever. “yeah?” eren answered, and you would’ve let him kiss you right there. you were so sure of the feeling that it wrapped around your bones. it was in the beating of your heart, the quickness of your breath, in the ribbons of want dripping into your underwear and effectively soiling them for the rest of the night. it was in you.
with no forewarning (although, why would there be) the tell-tale sound of heels came clicking against the same marble floor you were standing on. almost too luckily for you, eren moved into a less compromising position, and you were able to see that the heels were still clicking around the corner and not yet in the foyer. so, mikasa hadn’t seen her husband practically mounting the girl she believed to be their friend. 
this was gonna be a long fucking night.
***
sitting before you was possibly the best plate of pasta you’d ever eaten and just a foot or two across from that was possibly the handsomest man you’d ever had the pleasure of meeting. if you were deluded enough, this could’ve been a date. scarfing down a fattening amount of pasta and drinking thousand dollar wine with the man present in all your recent daydreams.
maybe if you drank enough wine, you’d slide your stiletto up the inside of his leg. back and forth and back and forth again until it wasn’t enough for you. maybe if both of you had enough wine, he’d take you up to his bedroom. or maybe he wouldn’t bother with all the extra walking and just let you have it right here on the dining room table.
but none of that would happen, seeing as just a foot away from him sat his wife, your friend. 
“is the pasta any good, (y/n)?” mikasa asked, as she herself was only eating a salad drenched in avocado and quinoa. 
mouth too full to speak, you simply raised a positive thumb as you waited for the food to go down. “amazing,” you were finally able to breathe out. “everything’s been just lovely.” and it had been. even walking through the jaeger’s home felt like something of an out of body experience for you. the ornate detailing covering the walls, marble floors smooth enough to slide across, and ceilings bejeweled with sparkling chandeliers. the place could’ve been a castle.
after a sip from his glass, eren remarked, “i think you just make lovely company.”
your neck twitched in the urge to bang your head against the table, unsure if it was rooted in being flustered or embarrassed that he would even utter those words out loud. 
after a bout of awkward silence that filled the room with the intensity and speed of a rushing tide, mikasa spoke. “so, how was cannes?” you didn’t miss the way she stabbed at her lettuce, despite desperately wishing you had. 
“uh, great, yeah. really great.” you answered, despite having to flinch whenever you closed your eyes due to the blinding camera flash that still lingered behind the lids. and despite last night being your first full eight hours of sleep after what seemed like months of preparation for this money-covered spectacle. “people liked the movie, that’s all i could really ask for.” a smile graced your features as you recalled the tumultuous, fourteen minute standing ovation. even now, through all the party noise still sticking to you, you remember the triumph burning through your veins as jean wrapped you in a spine-crushing hug.
mikasa smiled through an ear of lettuce. “that’s perfect.” seconds of chewing passed before she added, “y’know, that jean kirschtein guy seems to like you quite a bit.”
“jean?”
“yeah. i mean, the way he looks at you…” you briefly wondered how on earth she would know how jean looks at you (off-camera, at least) before remembering that cannes was a nationally publicized event, and she’d most likely seen bits and pieces of it somewhere at the very very least. “wouldn’t you say so, eren?”
you were actually kicking yourself. like, banging the heel of your stiletto repeatedly your shin and hoping to wake up from this night terror sooner than later. “i don’t know. kid seems nice enough.” eren murmured. you braved a glance at him, only to see that he was staring down into his plate of pasta as his knuckles whitened around his fork. he finally looked up at both of you to say, “let’s not jump down her throat about it.” 
“ugh, i’m so glad we got to do this.” mikasa breathed, her arms wrapping around your neck as the three of you entered the foyer. “i’ve got that women’s conference in georgia in a few weeks, so this is about the only free time i’m getting before then.”
“if anyone can convince them to vote democrat, it’s you.”
her eyes brightened as if it was the first time she’d been complimented in ages. “you think so?”
you nodded, trying to ignore her husband’s shadow burning a hole in your back. “you got it in the bag. don’t even worry about it.”
just as her smile began to widen, a phone somewhere upstairs trilled noisily, and her eyes darted to eren as she headed towards the sound. “that might be levi. will you walk her out while i…” mikasa gestured upwards, and they shared a look of mutual understanding over your head that had envy coiling in your gut.
in a matter of seconds, mikasa had zipped from the foyer and ventured up the stairs before you could even blink a goodbye in her direction. you shot eren a questioning set of eyes, to which he only wearily answered, “campaign manager.”
as eren walked you out the door, you could feel a question—the question—sitting eagerly on his tongue, so it wasn’t at all a surprise when he remarked, “jean kirschtein, huh?”
pale ribbons of moonlight illuminated his features, brightening the coquettish smile stretched across his face. “problem?” you quickly and confidently answered his question with another, even as you could feel your legs buckling under the weight of his stare. 
“no, not at all. he seems…” eren shook his head so unconvincingly that he may as well have said yes. 
“‘nice enough.’ right?”
for a brief instant, something darkened behind his eyes, and you couldn’t tell if it scared you or turned you on. “i lied. not nice enough for you.”
“oh? and are you saying you know someone who is?” a giggle slipped from your lips as you let your heeled foot briefly glide against the hem of his pant leg.
even in the growing darkness, his cheeks lit aflame in a blush. “god, i don’t even know what i’m saying.”
just then, your limo smoothed up the driveway and came to a halt where you stood at the front entrance. “well, call me when you do.”
***
your house phone trills ecstatically at around midnight, and you weren’t at all surprised by the voice on the other end. “you know i don’t think he’s good enough for you.”
throwing a nightgown over your naked, freshly showered body, you simper, “and who are you to make that judgment?”
“i’m making this judgment as someone who might possibly be good enough for you.”
“‘might possibly’ yeah, if we just remove the wife and presidential candidacy.” you momentarily considered a world where there was no wife or presidential candidacy. where you and eren met at some country club near santa barbara and could be blissfully smitten without interruption. without the glaring eyes of guilt crawling over your back whenever you so much as thought about him. “i’d say you’re perfect.”
“perfect, huh?” the cocky lilt in his tone sobered you as much as it excited you. 
“hey, grain of salt.” you teased as you threw your head back into the throng of pillows at the head of your bed and wished desperately that eren could see the way you were smiling. “very clear conditions were stated. conditions you obviously cannot meet.”
“stop that.” eren whispered, his voice half a notch sterner.
“stop what?”
“being so pessimistic.” at this, you laughed, because eren’s hopeless sense of optimism was nothing if not utterly amusing. 
“no other choice.”
treacherously long beats of silence roll by, giving you no other choice than to think about what you just said. would it really be so foolish to think that this (whatever it was you two had going on) stood a chance in the face of all the present circumstances—his marriage, the election, your reputation and career. sitting here now, listening to the peaceful whistles of his breath between his lips and soaking up the utter peace it brought you, you almost could’ve been coaxed into believing the answer was no.
“(y/n),” eren’s voice wakes you. “can i ask something of you?”
“depends on what.” you breathe, checking the clock on your bedside table. 12:06.
“there’s this, uh, dinner we’re hosting at my family’s ballroom. try to garner support and that kinda thing. i don’t know, it was mainly mika’s idea. but anyway,” the distant sounds of ice rolling around in a scotch glass graced your ears. “i want you to be there.”
i want you to be there. “oh, eren, i—” you cut yourself off, heart hammering in your chest so fervently you thought it might explode. i want you to be there. “i don’t—” i want you to be there. “i don’t know if that’s really my scene.” you tried to keep the tremor out of your voice for long enough to get the sentence out. 
“nonsense. america loves you. you’d be a huge help, if anything.” his voice was doing that thing again. that thing where it seeped from the receiver of the phone and sang to your senses in a way that made it feel like he was really there with you. “but that’s not why i want you there.”
“why do you want me there?”
“just to see you again.” it warmed your heart, and every other surface area of skin on your body, that he was already looking for a way to see you again despite having just left you today. 
“is this my official invitation?”
“‘course it is. i’ll handle everything else. just put on the prettiest dress you own and show up.” you glanced over at your walk-in closet with its double doors still open ajar and briefly pondered over which dress—out of the hundreds—might be the prettiest one you own. “can you do that for me?”
“yeah,” the word left your lips as if someone had punched it and all the air from your lungs. eren had the power to do that to you, and if at some point down the line, you got any stupider than this, you’d give him the power to do so much more. “yeah, i can.”
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tags ✧˖*°࿐ — @nyanglock @beyondsuki @westcinny @taylarxse @ittostan @rensbby @madsoncrack @shawtynoire @braxxinterlude @kai7911
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© NININIKKI. do not translate, copy, or modify my works in any way shape or form.
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panlight · 3 months
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I'm not sure if its possible to get something like pigs blood from a butcher in the US, but i feel like someone like Esme would prefer that over hunting animals.
And maybe Carlisle and Rosalie would work on a blood alternative, kind of like TruBlood, for vampires.
What are your thoughts on that?
My understanding is that it's tricky in the US to find it, but with the Cullens' money they could probably pay off some local butchers to save blood for them. Just imagining Esme being like "oh I make authentic black pudding and sell it online!" as an explanation and they make like a fake online store front for it and then people start trying to actually order it and she's like, oh crap I guess I have to make some now? Like when you read stories about restaurants that were really fronts for mob activity but someone wanders in and the mobsters have to get their mom to cook some pasta for the oblivious customers.
But, really, if SM were more interested in 'vampire slice of life' stuff AND if she had more room in her story for the secondary characters to have desires and motivations outsides of either facilitating or resenting the main romance, of course Carlisle would have been trying to make a blood substitute, and of course Rosalie and Edward, with their various STEM degrees, would be helping him. And OF COURSE they would have researched the myths surrounding vampires having children long before Bella got pregnant. It's absolutely impossible for me to suspend my disbelief to accept that the Cullens and especially Carlisle were just like 'wow we literally never thought or wondered about this until just now' when Bella gets pregnant. Esme and Rosalie LONG for children! SURELY they've researched this before!?!? I could accept that they researched it but found no concrete evidence and thought it was just a myth made up by the Volturi or whatever but just the 'literally no idea . . . even though apparently there are books in our library about it, and our groundskeepers on Isle Esme know about it, and there are websites online about it' does not make sense to me unless the Cullens have just literally been standing around like unplayed Sims waiting for Edward and Bella to need them for something.
I also think the Cullens probably should have been working on some kind of sparkle-suppressing vampire make-up. I've seen people asking why they don't just use make-up to hide the sparkle or look older, but since their skin is so different from human skin, normal make-up probably wouldn't work that well. But again, you've got Alice the fashion maven and bunch of other vampires with backgrounds in biology and they can't put their heads together and come up with some kind of vampire-friendly, sparkle-proof foundation?
Again, I get it: at the end of the day Twilight is a romance, and romances generally and understandably have a narrow focus on the central relationship. But romances don't usually have so MANY side characters, either. Realistically, I would expect the Cullens, with their various medical and scientific studies, abundant free time (no sleep!) and unlimited wealth, would have already solved a lot of living-as-a-vampire problems by the time Bella showed up.
Assuming they can be solved, of course. Maybe vampire venom on the skin really just makes any make-up lasting for more than a half hour impossible. Maybe a blood substitute just doesn't work because there's some magical 'blood is the life' thing going on here. Maybe pig's blood is just too impractical to get from a butcher in the volume they need it. Maybe the act of hunting helps them release tension and they realize they miss it.
But yeah I'd have loved to have seen more of this. There's some stuff in Midnight Sun that hints at the stuff the Cullens get up to, but it's more like, Emmett and Jasper's complicated chess game with multiple boards, or Alice and Rosalie designing clothes on the computer. I don't think SM really thought about 'what would a vampire doctor who wants to be as human as possible be researching in his spare time?' and so we missed out on some of this stuff.
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zeegaazeegaah · 1 year
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Could you write a gavi fic where reader surprises him at the first World Cup match when he thinks she wasn’t able to make it??? You write great work!
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suprise; gavi
word count: 1,339
Growing up in a lower-middle-class household while being surrounded by rich people taught her a lot. One is that she has to make money. Just not enough, but a lot, to repay her parents for everything they are doing for her to this day. Two, not make that money by any means but through work that forces people to respect her.
Witnessing both of her parents do assistant-level jobs for rich people ever since she was a kid opened her eyes to a world she would've been better off being unaware of. Perhaps if she hadn't gone to hang out with her dad's boss's daughter when she was nine, she would've never known what a bungalow looks like from the inside. Perhaps, if that boss's daughter hadn't taken a liking to her, she would've never known what the world feels like when you have countless amounts of money to dispose of.
Do something, make your parents proud. Do something, make your parents proud. She chants like a mantra 12 out of 24 hours a day since the hour she turned twelve. Unfortunately, the reality is very unlike the books and movies that preach motivation is the key to success but for that motivation, you need a goal. A goal, she doesn't have.
Certainly, she has worked extra hard to get good grades and then get into a prestigious high school with a scholarship but motivation is not what got her there. It's the desperation, it's the need. All of it stemming from the days she saw her mum being cursed at after she possibly made a mistake. From the days she saw her dad being barked at for not doing things exactly the way he was commanded.
Life is hard for her but it was harder before she met a boy named Gavi at the age of fourteen on a field, practising by himself. She knew who he was. Everyone part of the football community where she lived knew about him. How did she know? If she is being honest, even though she has no goal in her life, she has always had a passion for football since she was a toddler. Since it's easier to get scholarships with sports, she decided to hit two birds with a stone.
And that's when the friendship between Gavi and her began to bloom.
"What are you doing? It's way past your practice hours." She asked with eyes so narrow, it could be deemed as glaring. A hand rested on her waist and the other on the football she held.
He raised a brow at her. "How do you know me?"
"Who doesn't, everyone who plays football here does." She shrugged.
"No, but you don't play football. Do you?" He pressed on.
"What-"
"You practise here by yourself at odd hours knowing your parents are out and won't know. That's not playing football." He cut her off and voiced his observation.
That was certainly rude of him but then again, he was a fourteen-year-old boy who was merely stating what he had observed while living in the same neighbourhood. She wanted to rebut but the logical side of her stopped her. He was right indeed.
"Then what exactly is football?" She asked, looking concerned. Playing by herself certainly won't help with her scholarship then.
"You have to join the female football team here to know because you have to engage with others but it's not as easy. You have to be good enough to even train with other kids here." He mused before glancing at her to find her looking distressed. At the sight, he walked to her to pat her back, "But don't worry, I can help you." He said with a small smile on his face that was so contagious she had to smile back.
"Are you sure it won't be a bother?" She still looked concerned.
"It won't. Plus, it would be better to have someone to practise with this late than playing by myself."
And that's when it all began.
Throughout the years she got much better and at one point, she was the best. Gavi and her friendship blossomed into something more. They went from being buddy-like friends to stealing glances at each other's lips when talking to stealing pecks from one another. They were sixteen. Not much to worry about.
Then came the time for her to apply for university. She knew she would get in. Her grades were perfect and she played well too and so she did. It all happened so quickly at once then she had no time to think of where her future stood with football. They were both seventeen and every time she looked at him, she got reminded of how different both their futures would still be even if she chose football as her profession. She is a woman after all. Her hard work would never be appreciated the way his would be. She wouldn't receive the same level of respect and admiration as he would. He was already playing for one of the best clubs like her but she also knew this Pablo Gavi would very soon be the Pablo Gavi of the National Football Team of Spain.
If he is gonna be a world-famous footballer, then what would she be? This resulted in her dropping football to study in Med School. Gavi had once advised her, "You know you would be disrespected in almost every profession, right? We both get cursed at by our coaches when we make mistakes. Does that make you feel disrespected or does that make you feel the need to do better?" And it still sticks to her mind to this day. Playing football indeed is similar to studying to be a doctor. You get lectured for one mistake, you get reprimanded (because people's lives are at stake), and the harder you work the better and there's nothing in life she wants more than to be the best.
Gavi has always supported her in every decision she made. Though her leaving football was upsetting him, he chose to be understanding and not question her decision. So when she found out he was surely going to play for the National Team in the World Cup just as she had predicted, she couldn't stop herself from rushing to his house to envelope him in the warmest and tightest hug.
She loves football but she doesn't regret dropping it. She likes feeling accomplished. She likes it when her brain no longer forces her to compare Gavi's achievements to her own. Her future has a clear direction now and she is happy this way. However, this brings up the matter of both of them being extremely busy by eighteen.
Gavi understood but a part of him still wants her to see him on this big day; his debut in the National Team. However, it was unlikely she'd be able to manage knowing how equally busy she has been. He feels a glimmer of disappointment in him when he tries to look through the crowd only to come in sight with no known faces other than his family's but he is professional enough to not let it affect him.
When they're celebrating the win and him being the man of the match, he suddenly feels soft nudges on his back. He jerks his head in that direction and finds his eyes widening. His body stills. He doesn't have time to register what's happening until she snakes her arms around him for a hug, her head resting on his shoulder as whispers, "You did so well, I'm so proud of you." before pressing a kiss onto the lobe of his ear.
He finds his heart accelerating, blinking rapidly before he comes to reality and feels fuzzy inside. He hugs her back, kissing the top of her head before muttering, "Thanks for everything, my love."
To which she raises her head to look into his eyes then landed her gaze at his lips before quickly pecking it, "Anytime, love."
×××
A/N: To be completely honest. I hate this writing. There might be errors. I don't think i proof read it enough.
Also, do not put this under his name tag.
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sleepless-crows · 1 year
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the way greed is a big theme in the grisha trilogy. we even have the quote "what is infinite? the universe and the greed of men." and how with the crows, as much as we joke about them doing it for the money, they aren't greedy. kaz goes on the ice court heist to seek revenge. inej goes on it for her freedom and those of others. matthias and nina were bound by honor for the most part. jesper may have needed the money but he isn't greedy for it. and same goes with wylan. but we can see how much greed indirectly influenced them to be in those positions.
as much as inej said that greed was kaz's god. it really isn't. he works for justice, for revenge. against whom? pekka rollins. the one who shows greed more than kaz ever will. pekka duped two young boys and countless many others out of their money, and some out of their lives. he did all the dirty work for the money. and kaz dedicated his life to avenging jordie and later making sure people like pekka don't do it to anyone else. and he goes on the heist for the money, not because of his greed, but to seek vengeance for what greed has done to this world.
the villain in inej's story is tante heleen. through inej, we see how people like tante heleen care about money more than anything else. she makes sure the girls in the menagerie never earn out of their indentures. she physically abuses the girls and then tells them she has to take from the money that they earn whenever there's blood on their bedsheets. and the second that kaz bought out inej to work under per haskell, tante heleen didn't even care and let inej go because she was given a sum. and she even taunts inej that she'll have her back because she knows she can earn from her. she's incredibly vain and greedy and i'm glad inej stole her diamond necklace in the ice court.
jesper's encounter with greed is probably the most common in ketterdam. people in ketterdam feed off of greed and all the dirty desires of the people. jesper's fallen into a lot of debt because of the casinos scattered all throughout ketterdam. and gambling houses are such a dirty means of profit but that's what ketterdam thrives off.
wylan, on the other hand, was disowned by van eck because of his dyslexia, because van eck didn't believe that wylan could properly carry on his legacy if he couldn't read. van eck goes to such severe means to build his empire, to earn as much as he can, as it is the religion of ketterdam. van eck ordered two people to kill wylan and drive him out to keep his reputation clean because if the merchant council only knew his dishonest ways, he would be kicked out and lose everything. he manipulates kaz into thinking he wants to save the world when he would gladly bring it to chaos if it meant he would have the power and the control. and his greedy and selfish ways are how he falls. and wylan helps bring him down.
nina and matthias are the most noble of them all. they went on the heist for both their people to be saved from the dangers parem could cause. but we can trace their place in the crows back to when they met. he was a druskelle and she was a grisha. a generations long prejudice, a war they've always had to face, because of the incredibly warped mindset of the fjerdans. as matthias says, what must it feel like to worship djel, knowing that he gave gifts to another? grisha power could be djel's hand and maybe the otkazat'sya were jealous and couldn't wrap it around their heads. and so with that came greed for control, greed for their god's favor to the point that they've missed what djel truly stood for. trying to justify all inherently evil actions they had to take when it all stemmed from envy and greed.
the greed of men is infinite, ancient, and common. i just find it intriguing how the crows are always described as criminals who will do whatever it takes for the right price but they are the farthest from greedy. they were shaped by greed, not their greed, but the greed that inhabits this world. and throughout the duology, we see how they all work against it in the end.
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rainytypology · 11 months
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A view of each MBTI type by an INTJ:
Saw a few of these lately so why not? Lol
___
INTJ: My type and the best type obviously. Kidding. Not really. Healthy/mature ones are interesting and helpful, nice and easy to talk to. I've noticed immature ones try a little too hard to seem edgy and cool to fit into the "cold" INTJ stereotype when that's not a flex at all. I think a lot of us are impatient and stubborn too.
ENTJ: Often driven and motivated individuals who put in a lot of effort into what they do. I admire their hardworking nature. I've unfortunately come across a very unhealthy one before who was quite possessive and narcissistic. I did not have to deal with them personally, but a few of my friends did and their horror stories of that ENTJ will probably be stuck with me forever.
INTP: Their minds are...unique. I wonder what goes on in there. Such weird yet interesting individuals. Sometimes a bit rude, unintentional or not. My younger sister is one and I have to resist the urge to fight with her a lot lmao, but maybe that's just us being siblings.
ENTP: Love them. ENxPs in general 🤌🤌. I've never come across a boring ENTP. Often so chaotic. Never fail to make me laugh. I can have the funnest conversations with them. So witty.
INFJ: One of my best friends is one and it's kinda funny how similar yet different we both are. Ni dom things I guess. Other INFJs I've observed seem to have a lot of patience and kindness. Genuinely have a good heart and want the best for others.
ENFJ: I've only met two personally. Can be funny and witty, really approachable people. Both are very loyal and care a lot about their families, they carry a lot of responsibilities for others. Do not like to show their struggles, will probably mention it briefly before changing the subject.
INFP: Probably my least favorite type due to having bad experiences with them. Unhealthy ones can be so whiney and pathetic. Always want to cry and complain but never actually do anything about it. Can burst emotionally without warning. They can be so exhausting to deal with. I'm not gonna automatically hate you if you're an INFP though, that's just stupid lol, but I will be wary. I only have one INFP friend for now and likely because she's a lot older than me, she's much calmer and more considerate compared to the previous INFPs I've encountered.
ENFP: Some weirdos fr but I love it. Always so talkative and excited. Why are you guys lowkey kinda sad though 😭
ISTJ: I haven't come across any irl yet, but a few of my favorite fictional characters are ISTJs. One of my fav kpop idols as well. Not really sure where the boring stereotype comes from as I think ISTJs are quite nice.
ESTJ: I don't think I've met any yet and have typed a few idols as an ESTJ. I know they get a bad rep, but I honestly just think it stems from ESTJ's tendency to be direct, no bs, which can be intimidating/overwhelming for people. They can be really weird and silly only if they're comfortable.
ISFJ: I don't know any ISFJs irl, but seeing ISFJ idols/celebrities, they're just usually nice and kind people. Quiet but do enjoy being with others.
ESFJ: Honestly think my other best friend may be one 🤔 I do think she has a high Fe for sure. They seem to care the most about their presentation and other's opinions of them.
ISTP: I've only met one and they were okay. Pretty chill and had immense "idgaf" energy. But that attitude was also what made them a bit unlikeable as it extended to having a disregard for feelings and morals. Nobody's perfect, but I don't think it's that difficult to have common human decency. I do like a few ISTP characters and celebrities though.
ESTP: One of my older siblings is one and we get along fine. She has a good eye for aesthetics. Her and other ESTPs I've seen don't really seem to be super serious people, they're just trying their best to enjoy life. Adventurous and open minded. Can't seem to stay still.
ISFP: Have only met a few irl and I've also typed several kpop idols as one. From what I've seen, they are a lot calmer compared to INFPs. They're quite passionate but more realistic individuals though, always going for what they want (likely due to aux Se). Also quite blunt lol but it does not top IxTP's honesty.
ESFP: Have not met any irl yet, but from observing an ESFP I follow and ESFP celebrities, I like their straightforwardness. Passionate and expressive. Funny.
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findafight · 11 months
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This is kinda jumping off the Nancy needing to acknowledge when she's fucked up
I think Steve is the only one of the main older teens that have hurt another character and gone on to feel genuine remorse for his actions.
After the fight with Jonathan in season 1, he drops Carol and Tommy, goes back and cleans the theater sign, and goes to apologise. You can tell by his actions, his words, and his tone of voice that he knows he did wrong and wants to try to make it right.
This doesn't happen with any of the others, I'm thinking the other main older teens that have caused hurt are Jonathan, Nancy, Billy, and Eddie.
Jonathan caused hurt with the photos he took. I feel that, especially after the photo with Barb and the Demogorgon was realised, he didn't feel bad because he took the photos, he felt bad because he got caught. And with the photo of Barb, it's almost like the Dufferes were trying to justify him taking the photos, as if it made it ok. He never seems to show any remorse or any intention of apologising for invading Steve's (and Tommy and Carol's) privacy by taking the photos of a private gathering at Steve's house.
Nancy causes a lot of hurt. In season 1, it's her jumping between Steve and Jonathan. This is implied heavier when she's talking to Jonathan in season 2, "I waited" "Yeah, a month." She wanted Jonathan but defaulted to Steve because he wasn't ready, which wasn't fair to either of them. Actually in season 2, it's mostly her hurting Steve. The bathroom scene, and then in the alley the next day. She doesn't apologise for her words, she doesn't feel bad for hurting Steve, she just goes on the defensive when he tells her what had happened. And then sleeping with Jonathan before her and Seve had really broken up, one minute she's insisting to Murray that she loves Steve, and the next she's got Jonathan coming into the room and hooking up with him. She never seems to care about her relationship with Steve, or how her actions might hurt him, especially because he's already shown to be insecure about infidelity (I really think it would have been more interesting for them to show the fallout of Steve finding out about Nancy cheating in s2, and have him deal with his insecurities when Nancy had previously insisted there was nothing between her and Jonathan, alongside his issues stemming from his father's infidelity. And this could have been used into s3 and 4 for why he struggled to get dates, or can't keep a relationship, because he has trust issues and wants to try to prevent it from happening again). In season 3, she hurts Jonathan with her calling his financial worries "the Oliver Twist routine", she never apologises, never shows remorse and acts smug about it when Jonathan says that he was wrong. In season 4, she hurts Robin and Steve and Jonathan. She is bitchy to Robin in the library for no apparent reason other than jealousy over Steve, and never apologises. And again, she's stringing both Steve and Jonathan along. She's showing interest in Steve again because he's the one that is there. Then runs straight back into Jonathan's arms as if nothing had happened.
Billy is pretty self-explanatory. He scares and threatens Max. He attempts to run over Mike, Dustin and Lucas. He threatens Lucas. In season 3, he bullies a kid by calling him lard-ass in front of a crowded public pool. Even with the scene where he fights back and defends El from the Mindflayer, he's not showing remorse, he's not taking ownership of his actions and how they have impacted other people. He never shows any intent to make up for the harm he's done.
Eddie hurts Lucas. He has his biases and is so ingrained in the nerd vs jock high school clique mentality that its just fine to push out a kid that has another important event conflicting with the club. And he never apologises to Lucas for not postponing and for his attitude, I don't think we ever really see Eddie and Lucas directly interact with each other. If anything, his attitude and opinions are justified by Jason's actions, which further pushes the nerd vs jock thing.
So yeah, Steve is the only older teen to take responsibility for his actions that have caused hurt and then go on to try to make amends for the harm he caused.
(Sorry, I wasn't expecting this to be as long as it was, I just started typing it and the thoughts wouldn't stop coming)
You with this ask 🤝 Steve Harrington 🤝 me always: Robin has never done anything wrong in her life, ever. I know this and I love her.
Yaaaaa. These are the reasons that it's frustrating when someone tries to compare what Steve's done to another character when!!! Steve's apologized for that! He's changed! He was an asshole, and he realized he was an asshole and actively engaged in not being an asshole. Few else even acknowledged they were wrong. Sometimes the show doesn't even treat it as wrong! That's why I have issues with them, not that they did bad thing but that they never apologized or changed their actions to be better. And the show and narrative won't let them or address it.
I looked it up for another ask I haven't answered yet but Indiana's anti peeping law was put on the books in 1983. It basically states you can't take pictures of someone's private property or of them if they have reasonable assumption of privacy (like locker rooms) and some other stuff. Jonathan took those pictures, and then chose to develop them all at school. Where anyone could (and did!) See them! What the heck. Tommy, Carol, and Steve were all also in those pics, and even though Jon says to Nancy he never should have taken them, he never bothers apologizing to the others. (Probably because he thinks they're assholes but man if you want moral high ground actually take it?) I think it'd be one thing if he took the pictures and then never developed them, it wouldn't be right but it's be better than what he did. It's a bummer his camera got broken but uh. Tbh if I found out some weird guy took my and my friends pictures while we were goofing off in my back yard, some of which contained a topless photo of an intimate moment, and then developed them at school and I was sixteen I ALSO might break the guy's camera. (Which Steve then replaced!!) I'd at least want to watch him destroy the negatives and developed photos. Comments have been made about Steve closing the blinds but his house literally back onto the woods? Why would he when he didn't think anyone would be taking pictures of his bedroom window? Idk I don't think they should have had this inconsequential but deeply weird plot point. Have Jon taking pictures of the woods, accidentally get Barb and the demogorgon in Steve's backyard, and then another of the forest. Like. There ya go.
Nancy is sooooo messy. Let her be messy!!!!! But the show tries so hard for her to be out together badass always when he relationships are just. The messiest. She's waiting for Jonathan. She's getting with Steve. She's cheating on Steve. She's with Jonathan but she doesnt understand his financial stress. She's with Jonathan and they aren't tslking. She's flirting with Steve. That's interesting. That's messy. Show us how she deals with that. How she apologizes and grows from them! Nancy often just. Gets annoyed by people not listening to her lmao. She thinks she knows best and it bugs her when people disagree with her. She snaps at them. Doesn't apologize. Could be interesting to see the fallout of that but we won't ever! For her and Jonathan fighting in S3, from what I recall it was more of a break up than stancy in S2 fnrjkjfnd also!! They were both wrong there and both needed to apologize. Nancy was right to be angry at the misogynistic journalists. Jonathan was right to be worried about losing his job! How Jonathan apologized bugs me and how Nancy reacted to it also bugs me. Not great.
Also also. I don't think I've seen anyone actually mention this. But Nancy's shown consistently ignoring how opening up the darkroom door bugs/is actually really bad for Jonathan. He asks her to stop at least twice in S3 but she does it all the time! If he was developing film negatives, then all those photos would be blown out! They'd be ruined forever! It's not a haha quirky thing, it's something that's an active detriment to his job, and his passion! There's a reason darkrooms have their little 'in use' light, and it's so you don't barge in and wreck an entire roll of film!! It's super disrespectful of her to just. Not even care that she could be completely ruining something of his/his employer's by always shoving her way in. (I think the darkroom at the school had a little idk airlock which is a tiny darkroom before the real dark room to avoid contamination like that which is why the girl that told Steve about the pics was able to go in) And nobody ever talks about it? Idk if I had a hobby/passion/work that was very light sensitive and my partner didn't respect that and barged in when she knew I was working I'd be pissed and consider having a long talk about it.
Yeah. Billy is an unrepentant racist. Like. He didn't say sorry and he didn't learn to not be racist. Sorry for the traumatic childhood but. Maybe dont try to kill a thriteen year old when you're seventeen next time. but he did sacrifice himself. That wasn't redemption that was not letting some kids die. The absolute bare minimum when he knew he was already dead anyways. Also Billy should have been fired for calling that kid lardass actually. Literally what the hell. I'm a lifeguard and legitimately sometimes almost yell at kids on the sidewalk for running, but that instinct is to loudly and clearly call out WAAALK IINGG and giving them disappointed looks. Because everyone knows not to run on the pool deck but kids forget. You don't verbally berate a patron? Who is a child?? Why wasn't billy fired.
I've already talked about the Eddie thing but yes! Exactly! Lucas deserves an apology for getting dumped by his friends and hellfire. So much for freak solidarity I guess ┐⁠(⁠ ̄⁠ヘ⁠ ̄⁠)⁠┌
When Steve said something mean to Dustin that went too far when he was frustrated he immediately owned up to it and apologized. He's not perfect but he does apologize. King shit.
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