What do you think of people who call you ableist? I have seen that many HB fans have called you that because you minimize the character of stolas and his "Trauma" and how horrible his marriage was. what do you think about that?
So I actually explained this to someone before privately. Someone came into my ask box and said "Hey so I relate to Stolas and because you criticized his relationships and trauma, you are therefore invalidating every abused person out there including me" Which was wild to receive but
It's not about invalidating Stolas's trauma
It's about bad writing
Stella and Stolas are flat, inconsistent characters that have literally no reason to stay married to each other, let alone bully or abuse each other.
Reasons why someone stays in an abusive relationship:
1. Fear (of being hurt or killed)
2. Political Power & Status
3. Reputation within the Family
4. Love (Because you need to love the person to be in a relationship that turned sour in the first place)
5. Kid
6. Money
7. Self-confidence / Ignorance of what a healthy relationship is
Let's debunk all of this.
1. Stolas no reason to fear Stella. He has a book of powerful spells and is an important Prince of Hell. She doesn't have power like he does. He does not fear for his life in Loo Loo Land or at the Harvest Moon Festival, he can freeze an imp by merely looking at them. Even Stella herself hired someone else to do her dirty work for her for potentially one of three reasons: A, she knows she can't beat Stolas in a fight so she has to be sneaky about it through a hired assassin with an Angel weapon, B, she doesn't want the family to know it was her because she could get in trouble for killing a Goetia family member (scandalous?), C, she cares about Octavia(???) and doesn't want her to know Stella is trying to kill her beloved father so she'll get custody. Otherwise, if things were simple, there's nothing stopping her from destroying him. Stolas is annoyed with her and tries to calm her down when she's angry, but he's never been afraid of her. At least, not as an adult.
2. For reputation's sake, I don't think the populace cares about whether or not the royal family is married or not. The imps at the Harvest Moon festival looked at Stolas with contempt. It might be scandalous amongst the elite, but what are the elite gonna do outside of gossip? Marriage is more of a God and Heaven kind of thing. It seems weird for Hell to hold it in such high regard???? It doesn't make sense to me. Also, everyone already knows Stolas had an affair with Blitzo now ever since Ozzies. Both he and Blitz didn't care about being seen in public, they didn't disguise themselves or hide until Oz made fun of them for it (though he himself is hypocritical, for he loves Fizzarolli.) So Stella might think it's embarrassing, but Stolas doesn't care.
3. Both Stolas and Stella are Goetia family by default. Stella acts like divorce is scandalous to the family, but Stolas says the only thing the family wanted from their marriage was Octavia, which they'd provided. They met the requirements of their arrangement, so why would the Goetia care if they divorce? Stella literally throws a "Not Divorced" party as though it's a special occasion. Stella has a lot of connections and friends in the Goetia family. She's complained about Stolas, shouting at the top of her lungs how unhappy she is and how pathetic Stolas is. The Goetia family knows their marriage sucks. Divorcing should be a common thing in Hell. Why would the family care about them divorcing if they did what they were asked to? Produce a child? The family shouldn't give them shit for it. In fact, in political relationships, it's usually the woman who would get in trouble. Stolas is a valuable asset to the Goetias as a star studier, spell weaver, and prophet. Stella? Her purpose? She's a broodmare! She's forced to breed. Her purpose is to produce a child. That's it. Now that she's done that, she's got nothing left to give to the family. If Stolas abandons her, she's basically screwed! She's purposeless to the family now. Killing Stolas might save her the embarrassment, but she's never done what she was supposed to do: raise Octavia. She's just been screwing around throwing parties instead of doing her job. If someone is going to get into trouble with the family, it would be Stella. Not Stolas. She'd be blamed for the failed marriage. (and rightfully so, she sucks)
4. Love is why I thought Stolas and Stella were staying together. Otherwise, why would Stella go with Stolas and Octavia to Loo Loo Land? Stella would hate it there. But she went for them. But any "love" Stella and Stolas might have had was retconned in season 2. Stolas and Stella never loved each other. They were an arranged marriage forced together for the sake of a kid.
5. Staying together for Octavia doesn't make sense. Might have in the beginning, but quickly became not the case. Stolas does more of the work as a father to her, while Stella has been shown to do next to nothing for her. Octavia clearly loves her father more and would choose him in a heartbeat in a divorce. They're stuck in Hell so it's not like Octavia is going to have to travel several hours for shared visitation. Stolas was apparently retconned to be in love with Blitzo; Stella literally screams on a daily basis how much she hates being married to Stolas, and Octavia is upset her parents hate each other. Why are they staying together? They're all miserable. If Stolas and Stella never married, or if they just produced Octavia then divorced early on, there wouldn't be any need to play this dumb facade. It was Stolas's idea to try and be a "normal" family, but Stella never agreed to this, considering all the shit she'd say about him during parties. They were never a normal family. How does Stolas even have a right to lie to Octavia about her purpose? How has Octavia never come in contact with another Goetia who let slip that she's an unwanted child that her grandfather forced on her parents? Stolas was told his purpose on his birthday when he was young. Did Octavia not have her purpose and responsibility explained to her? How can Octavia live in a house with a mother who screams her head off about her awful marriage and not get a clue? If Stolas would just divorce Stella, it would solve a lot of problems. Octavia's life was never normal. It was never meant to be normal. Pretending otherwise has only caused more problems and misunderstandings in the long run for her. Sure, Captain Hind-sight here, but I'm kind of tired of the incorrect phrase of "Stay together for the kids". Kids don't want you to stay together if you guys are unhappy and making them miserable.
6. Money? Again, Stella and Stolas are Goetia by default. Stolas has his own money and palace. Theoretically, Stella should too. If she doesn't, she can just shack up with her brother Andrealphus then?? (Weird though if she doesn't have her own money. But if this were a typical political marriage, again, it's usually the woman who gets the shorter end of the stick. She at least has family and friends to fall back on, regardless of how embarrassing it may be for her.)
7. For Stolas and Stella to be ignorant of a healthy relationship is something else entirely. Usually, this means Stolas would blame himself for failing the marriage. He'd think he did something wrong, or Stella would gaslight him into feeling weak or powerless so he'd need her. But that's not the case. Stolas knows he's mistreated. He wanted to pretend to be a healthy family, so he know what a "family" should have been from day one. Which is ironic, because Stolas is in love with Blitz, but Blitz doesn't really treat him any better than Stella does. Regardless, Stolas knows Stella mistreats him, and he's never blamed himself for their bad marriage, so this isn't a contender.
Stella has no reason to abuse Stolas because neither of them wanted this. Sure, she could take out her anger on him, but Stolas has no reason to stay married to Stella as explained above. Stella is the only one who should be afraid of this, and therefore, she shouldn't abuse Stolas because she should know she can be dropped and shunned with a snap of his fingers. (but the show treats Stolas as if he'll be the one who gets in trouble as if he's gonna get the short end of the stick? As though Stella holds more power over him??? As though she's more important??? Why the fuck are they treating Stolas like he's replaceable and not Stella? She's a useless Goetia) I just can't find any logic here.
It's just not ablest. It's about criticizing a show for not making any sense.
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If it's possible, could you make a yandere enhypen story, where the reader usually goes out late at night to a convenience store for some late night snacks, but some pervert tries her, but one of the members had been following her and help her, I'm sorry if it doesnt make any sense but yeah...😀 (recently my delusions have been getting to me)
“convenient chances” 🎱
pairing: stalker!yandere!enhypen x afab!reader
cw: harassment, violence, mentions of smoking, paranoia/anxiety, language, kidnapping, bad-ish ending lol
wc: 3.1k — read part ll and lll here
LIKE A DUNGEON with fear cementing every corner, you struggle to savor the silence in your waking life.
Doubting all and believing none, your close friend Sunoo convinced you that your nervous aches and night sweats were a mere result of paranoia. He always judged the way you’d peek over your shoulder in public as if waiting to be attacked.
Clicking sounds from your window startled your rest during the night, with nightmares of seven tall hooded strangers blinding your judgement.
You're sure everyone's experienced the phenomenon of “gaze perception” at least once in their lives, in which a person might sense or assume that a pair of predatory eyes are stalking them from afar.
You didn’t like to use the word trauma to define your past experiences, but this wasn’t your first time feeling like a cloud of trouble waited to pour down on you. At this point, all you could do was hope that your intuition wasn’t right this time.
It was only a few months ago when you broke up with your abusive ex-boyfriend, Jay. The memories still linger as if they occurred yesterday, freshly cryptic in your mind. From your point of view, he started off as a charming casual acquaintance, which soon developed into a crush and then a toxic relationship. He outlined a list of rules for you to follow when he was away, ordering you around like a child. Anytime you even came close to breaking one of his orders, he’d beat the shit out of you, saying that his rage was out of love.
From Jay’s point of view, you weren’t just an obsession, but a belonging—his favorite humanoid toy to play with. He threatened that if you ever left him, he’d come back for you one day, saying that he’d never stop watching you.
And so, you moved. Not far, but a good distance away. You didn’t feel protected anymore in your usual environment. Though, there was one place in which you felt completely safe—free from watchful eyes and hostile hands. It was the tatty old convenience store a few blocks from where you live. The place hadn’t developed much since what appeared to be a decade or two ago, but they always supplied the most tasty, high quality snacks you could get your hands on.
As silly as it may sound, the fallout shop was your haven, and you grew particularly fond of shopping there late at night when it was less crowded.
You walked passed the familiar electronic doors, the fluorescent ceiling lights sparkling off of the bleach-mopped tiles. The usually uplifting radio station was replaced with the chilling whoosh of air circulating through the vents.
“Hello! Welcome to Goldman’s 24-hour convenience,” a friendly accented voice chimed. “Hello,” you returned with a nod, a bit confused by the new face. The usual cashier was an elder women by the name of Mandy. Her laughter alone could make some of your darkest nights glimmer again.
The young man wore a name tag on his dark blue collared shirt: Jake. You couldn’t help but wonder why Mandy wasn’t working her usual night shift, but you didn’t care enough to interrogate the seemingly content boy.
Picking up a hand basket, you explored the aisle's shelves in search for something savory or sweet to snack on. Your gaze swiveled ahead of you before landing on the sight of two hooded strangers blocking your path. This time, a bit of their faces showed, revealing the devious smirks that spoke so many silent words through their sealed lips:
You can run, but you can’t hide from us, ____. For as long as we live, you’re not allowed to feel safe anywhere.
Goosebumps sprouted on the surface of your skin, nerves dancing around in your fingers until they became wobbling rods. It’s almost like you forgot to breathe due to the overwhelming terror, feeling frozen from within as the plastic basket slipped from your grasp, a loud clatter echoing throughout the store.
You remembered all of the horrible things Jay said he would do to you once he found you again. The bruises you concealed with makeup that Jay referred to as his "strawberry kisses” would have nothing on what you felt was coming your way.
“Are you okay, miss?” A kind male voice asked, snatching you from your trance and back to reality. You turned to meet the man behind you, revealing his concerned yet warm features. He picked up the basket you dropped, still processing that your mind successfully tricked you into seeing something that wasn’t actually there.
“Yes, I’m alright, t-thank you,” you smiled but it didn’t reach your eyes, looking more awkward than reassuring.
He pressed three finger's against your forehead, “I don’t think you’re being honest with me,” he frowned, your hot and damp forehead telling him that something was wrong. “I’m sorry, I haven’t even introduced myself yet,” he stuck out one hand for you to shake and the other to pass you back your basket. “My name is Heeseung,” he smiled, “I’m new in town with an affinity for convenience stores.”
“____, with an affinity to drop flimsy baskets in public,” you replied, suddenly feeling at ease from the humor. You started trailing to the ramen section and Heeseung was walking behind you. If it wasn’t for his kindness earlier, you’d probably be freaking out about how close he was. You reached for a spicy udon noodle pack that came with dehydrated tofu and seaweed sheets. Meanwhile, Heeseung grabbed a can of Spam and chicken flavored ramen.
“Speaking of your liking for convenience stores, I come here almost every night and I’ve never seen you before.“
“Well, yeah, I’m usually here earlier in the day. I just happened to need some gas and got hungry while waiting, so I decided to stop by for my favorites,” he peered into your basket, "You might wanna get some milk with those, too. It's ungodly how spicy they are!"
"I know, right? They're just so delicious, I can't resist them..."
"Still, Sapporo Ichiban instant noodles are the best! They always cook perfectly. Never too soft or too firm. It's my comfort food, honestly. I wanna hug the person who created them," he replied passionately.
"Eh, you're just gonna ruin 'em anyways."
He gave you a double look, "Are you passively judging my cooking skills or fat shaming me?"
"Neither. I'm shaming that pink block of salt you're gonna punish your organs with."
He scoffed, "This anti-Spam movement is outrageous! I'm starting an online protest where you'll be the number one convert."
"As if I'd ever try that...stuff," you rejected.
"Welp. More for me, I guess," he mumbled, digging into his jacket pocket.
“Dammit, I forgot my wallet in my car,” he said, placing his basket high up on the shelf. “If you see anyone try to take my stuff, kick ‘em in the shin for me,” he said before running out of the shop.
Analyzing your surroundings, you noticed that a few groups of shoppers and some solo snackers began raiding the bread aisle. You distracted yourself by heading to the refrigerator section, considering Heeseung’s recommendation of getting a smooth beverage to accompany your spicy noodles, tossing in a pack of strawberry flavored Pocky's on your way.
That’s when you felt an arm wrap around your waist, pulling you in before giving your head a sniff, his nose was wet and cold like a dog as he inhaled your scent. “What the hell are you doing?” You barked, pushing the creepy stranger away.
He was a middle aged man with a receding hairline and a few scars decorating his thin chapped lips. You wondered how many of those scares came from women he tried that “arm around the waist” shit on.
“Sorry, doll. I’m a hugger and figured you might've needed one,” he grinned, revealing the gnarly set of teeth that lined his grey gums. You couldn't tell if it was his foul breath or filthy clothes that smelled more like smoke. Either way, you were thoroughly disgusted by him.
“Well, you should learn to ask before throwing yourself on people,” you retorted, reaching for a container of banana milk.
“You like swallowing bananas, cutie? I bet I could force four of 'em down that pretty mouth of yours,” he slithered while adjusting himself in his pants.
What the hell is wrong with this guy, you thought to yourself.
You tried to ignore his lunacy, only for him to grip your ass like a stress ball, landing a harsh slap across the curve of your jeans. You yelped at the sting, your own words being caught in your throat from the shocking act. You couldn’t believe that this freak actually just did that to you.
He met your eyes with a wink, smelling his hand as if you just provided him with an expensive perfume sample, "You got a lover at home, sweetheart?"
Tears dared to pour from your rage-ridden eyes as you balled your fists so tight, your bones might break. That's when a protective figure filled your blurry peripheral vision, stepping in front of you to block the man off as he tried grabbing you again, pushing him with such a force that he lost his balance.
“The hell do you think you’re doing, y'scrawny mother fucker,” he growled, pulling up is pants.
“You can’t do that kind of sick shit to people, pervert! Now get the hell outta here or I'll call the police,” the younger boy fought back.
“I was just trying to have some fun, kiddo. Ain’t nothin' wrong with that. I bet honey doll misses me already,” the older man went on, licking at his lower lip.
“I’ll knock every last rotting tooth from your mouth if you don’t leave in the next five seconds-"
“Hey, what’s going on over here?” Jake asked in the middle of the commotion, the older man already fleeing the scene. Jake looked at the younger boy first before eventually meeting your eyes. You wish you could hide how shaken up you felt. The container of milk was bleeding out its strong banana scent on the once spotless floor, tears finally streaming down your cheeks.
“Oh my God, Jungwon, what happened,” Heeseung came running over, asking the boy who defended you. “It was nothing,” you interrupted before Jungwon could answer, the three boys standing dumbfounded around you in a puddle of banana milk. “Do you need a ride-" “Don’t worry about me,” your voice cracked in embarrassment.
Is there any way to explain how the world made you ashamed of your own tears?
You left your basket behind, apologizing to Jake who had to clean up the sticky mess. You didn’t wanna leave just yet, afraid that the older guy might be waiting for you outside, so you went to the ladies restroom instead to call your friend Sunoo.
“____?”
You cleared the lump in your throat before answering, “Sunoo,” you began shakily, “I need you to come and pick me up from Goldman's.”
“You sound terrible, is everything okay? You’re worrying me, what happened?”
“I’m sorry, Sun. Everything’s okay, I just really need you right now.”
“____,” he sighed. You suddenly felt guilty for even calling him.
“Sunoo, if you can’t make it, I won’t be mad at you,” you said in between the silence, trying to encourage him to make a choice.
“I-I can’t, well, I can, but, not soon, at least. I’m only an hour away, if you’re willing to wait that long.” The pity in his voice made you wanna cry all over again. Looking at the time on your phone, it was six minutes til midnight, and you refused to haul your best friend out on the road this late. “No, that’s alright, Sunoo. I’ll just call an Uber.”
His side of the phone fell quiet for a moment. “____, I know how much you hate Uber's. Don't do that to yourself because of me."
"I'll be okay, Sun, just get yourself some rest."
He paused before asking, "Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Of course! Call me when you get home!”
You finished up in the bathroom, mentally preparing yourself to face the strangers beyond the not-so-comforting walls of the restroom. To your surprise, Heeseung and Jungwon were still in the store. Huddled around Jake at the checkout counter, the three of them took loud sips from steaming cups of ramen. “Hey, ____,” Heeseung began, resting his snack on the counter. “We could help you file a report against that guy, if you want.”
Jungwon met your eyes with his own sincere ones, “He should pay for the way he treated you.” Jake put your basket from earlier on the counter, dry items taking the place of the previously wet ones.
“Do you still want these," he asked shyly. After everything that happened, you felt empty in more than one way. Some warm broth and noodles is exactly what your body needed at the moment. You nodded, handing Jake a $20 bill. Beeping sounds immediately met your ears as he scanned your items with a strange haste. You looked back to Heeseung and Jungwon.
“Getting the police involved will only make it harder for me to forget this ever even happened. Thank you for your concern, though,” you smile at the humble pair before they took the final gulps from their ramen cups before discarding them.
“Here’s your change,” Jake chirped, handing you the plastic bag of goodies. “Thank you,” you bowed, heading to the exit.
“Y'sure you don't need a ride?” Jungwon asked. You flashed him your phone screen. “Uber,” was all you said before walking into the black of the night, the sliding doors closing behind you.
According to your smartphone, you should expect your chauffeur, Sunghoon, to arrive shortly in a black truck with tinted windows. The vehicle came speeding through the parking lot, a chill wind hitting your features. The truck was so dark, that it almost blended into the night. He rolled down the window, looking you up and down.
"Name?"
"Uh, ____," you said, his blunt question catching you off guard.
"Get in," he replied, directing a thumb to the back seat, unlocking the door as you slid in, bumping into another passenger. Immediately caught by his dark eyes, the boy waved slightly, muttering a deep “Welcome aboard,” before fixing his gaze out the window again. The truck sat idly as Sunghoon delayed taking off, exchanging a few hushed words to the guy sitting in the front passenger's seat.
Click.
The backseat doors opened from both ends, Heeseung, Jungwon, and Jake joining you in the black vehicle. "Scoot over, Niki," Jungwon complained, trying to get comfortable in the crammed space. That's when you saw one last person join you all in the truck, his face capturing the moonlight like a thief.
"Sunoo?! W-what are you doing here? I thought you were an hour away!" All he did was frown in response. He always made that face whenever he was hiding something from you. "Sunoo," you pressed, nudging his shoulder.
"Oh please, would you just shut the hell up already," the hostile driver growled at you.
You screwed your eyes brows in confusion, "What's going on here," you inquired, now feeling anxiety start to creep up on you.
"The very thing I warned you about before you abandoned me," the front passenger bit back.
That voice. You knew exactly who it belonged to.
It was Jay, your looney ex-lover, sitting right in front of you. An angry yet pitiful scowl contaminated his handsome features.
You pushed through Heeseung, reaching for the door handle, only for Niki, the quietest yet scariest one, to snatch your wrist, pulling you into his tantalizing grip. "Let me go," you yelped, only for Jungwon to harshly cover your mouth.
Screech.
Sunghoon pulled off at a dangerous speed, causing your bodies to shake in the truck. Heeseung crossed his legs cooly as if he wasn't just casually talking with you in the store, “So when do we get to have fun with her, again? It’s not like she did any good entertaining me through conversation.”
Jake rolled his eyes at Heeseung, “I could’ve used your enthusiasm when I had to stuff that fat old chick in the freezer. Alone. On top of that, I had to mop the floor quintillion times before the blood stains got out.”
“At least you’d make a good house husband,” Sunghoon joked.
You felt your heart sink to the pit of your stomach at Jake’s confession: He killed Mandy.
"I'm sorry, ____," Sunoo whispered, fighting back tears as he hid his face from you.
Everything was starting to make sense now.
The visions of seven hooded boys.
The clicking sounds you'd hear from outside your window at night.
The way you could never shake the feeling that you were being watched.
Jay’s past words echoed in the back of your mind:
"If you ever decide to leave me, don't ever think that you'll get very far before I catch up. I'll always be watching you."
You bit Jungwon's hand, causing him to retreat his palm from your flushed face. "Sunoo, you betrayed me! You told me that I was paranoid when you knew exactly what was going on behind my back! I felt safe with you...I trusted you! And you fucking lied to me!"
"God, I've had just about enough of her nagging," Niki said, landing a fisted blow across your face. As you faded out of consciousness, Jay tried to soothe your daze.
“Even though I betrayed you and beat you, it was only my funny way of expressing how much I love you. Can’t you see that I did all of that out of love?”
You could still hear Sunoo pleading for your forgiveness in the background as you held onto the last strand of your consciousness.
"I've been watching you for a long time, love. You always try to escape me and I never understood why you just wouldn't listen to me. All I've ever done is love you and try to protect you. This time, I’ll make sure you’ve learned your lesson.”
And that was the last thing you heard before retreating to the vacancy of your mind, floating around in the silence of your oblivion. Left in the hands of seven reckless boys who’d successfully lured you into their cat trap, you didn’t know what to expect once you’d open your eyes, but you knew it wouldn’t be anything good.
In that time, you came to the unsettling conclusion that broken toys were Jay’s favorite, and if you weren’t already broken upon being found, you would be by time he’s done playing with you.
☆ ᴀ/ɴ: in no way, shape, or form does this fanfic intend to romanticize unhealthy relationships or abusive behaviors. i simply write for entertainment and creative purposes. thus, reader discretion is always advised.
☆ ᴘ.ꜱ: special thanks to the fabulous anon who requested this piece! i played around with the plot a bit, but I hope you all enjoyed reading it! if you guys would like a version of this story with a happier ending, let me know in the comments!
☆ taglist (based off of users that personally requested to be on my taglist, my faves, and people that I've noticed interacting with my yandere content) ~
@fanficfactoryfoxxx @ashgonedash @yourmomscuntis2tighy @yngwife @03sunoos @kaykay11sworld @maryismad @gigiramirezsblog @hoonsyo @en-thralled @haechansheart @night-en-shining-armor @cutiejseong
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"fixing" the panic attack scene to be more platonic ™
im extremely active on twt and have been noticing a sydcarmy tweet go viral multiple times a week (like w thousands of interactions its crazy), and its really great to see how much people love and see it for this ship. recently carmys panic attack scene went viral again, and naturally, some ppl gave their piece about how we are all dumb for interpreting it as romantic. that sydney represents his love for his job or his duty to the restaurant (*sigh*).
this scene imo, is the most concrete proof of this ship. i can excuse (not really) interpreting every interaction between them thus far as platonic but this scene....i just refuse. this is gonna be a long post, not analyzing the scene per se because i can't possibly say anything that hasn't already been said but more "fixing" the scene to fit the narrative of antis, and i hope in doing so really shows there's no other way to interpret this scene as other than romantic. again its gonna be a long post bc im just ranting and i think i will lose my mind if i dont type this out.
lets go.
so first off i like to think of this scene as an equation/experiment. simply a problem that needs to be solved.
problem/reason of panic = ...we will discuss this...
solution # 1 = claire -> failed
solution # 2 = sydney -> worked.
Problem/Reason
s02e09 opens up with carmy and claire finally consummating their relationship, with an interesting song choice might i add and carmy dissociating, looking sad, or broken (???) after. because many have said carmy pulling memories of sydney from his psyche to calm down have to do with work i always remember that, it really doesnt make any sense?
carmy is clearly having a panic attack due to him not being "fixed" as soon as he made it official with claire. he felt pressure from his family both currently and in the past to date claire because she is amazing and perfect. add mikey also being a part of that crowd, and carmy so desperately trying to connect with him when he cannot, is why i think he looks so despondent after that scene. i truly think he thought he would be a changed person after everything with claire and when that didn't happen he flipped...
we know this is the reason bc his panic attack starts with their sex scene and the lyric "I dont know" from strange currencies by REM.
this isn't to say that he isn't nervous or stressed about the soft open but its clear that he's not having a panic attack about work nor have we ever seen him have a work-related panic attack (correct me if I'm wrong). in s1 he has one or two due to him greiving his brother.
platonic fix: To make it about work I would have added scenes like when Carmy started that stove fire in braciole, his meltdown in review, some scenes of his horrible time at EMP, and him grieving his brother. i think these would represent his fear of failure, falling back into old toxic habits pertaining his career, the fear of fostering a toxic work environment like the ny chef and also the idea of "failing" mikey
but theres a reason why none of this occurs bc its not about his job or the opening of the bear. this is explicitly about his personal and romantic love life.
Solution # 1 : Claire
carmy proceeds to try and calm down by thinking of claire through literal rose-coloured glasses...
the music is distorted, he's thinking of his abusive family, he remembers every one pushing him to date claire bc shes a #goodthing.
again...this is not about his job and wouldnt make sense to think of sydneys place in his work life as a soultion to his clear personal problem....
platonic fix: in the story of carmys love life claire and sydney act as narrative foils. they have been compared and contrasted for all of s2. my platonic fix for this would be making the NY chef this first "solution" of a work-related panic attack. he represents a horrible time in his life but also represents a time when carmy was at the height of his career. when carmy gets locked in the walk in and has his monologue, its alluded to that he will revert back to that mind set in order to not let everyone down.
NY chef abused him for so long, it makes sense that carmys psyche would readily go back to his insults and the time he himself was an isolated 'psycho' bc it yielded results.
nothing is black and white and i DO think sydney represents a healthier approach to the toxic mess that is the culinary world and does represent that for carmy. if the show was invested in that, sydney and the NY chef could be overtly contrasted like sydney and claire have been.
BUT again this isnt about his job and dedication as a chef...thus why he tries to think of claire to solve his personal problem, and it fails.
Solution # 2: Sydney
LMFAOOO.
carmy then in a crazy plot twist starts thinking of his platonic work bestie sydney adamu....the love song dedicated by the show to his relationship with his girlfriend is then made clear highlighting some pretty damning lyrics about desire and love.....all platonic btw. yes you are dumb if you think otherwise (*wink*)
I actually have two platonic fixes for this...
platonic fix # 1: if we only wanted to focus on sydney as a person who calms carmy down because shes his work bestie who represents his responsibilty to the bear and the postive change they are trying effect in the culinary world, i would add scenes where they are...you know actually cooking???
i think its pretty crazy how the memories carmys immediately jump to are ones that have little to do with their jobs. when they first meet (would also like to note that when carmy first laid eyes on Sydney, he forgot she was there for a job, so this is his raw reaction to seeing a pretty girl lol) and when she comes back after she quit and their break up fight.
i would add their scenes in carmys kitchen (even tho this is extremely damning bc they were flirting DOWN - they don't make this easy at all). this represents their collaboration skills and the way they WORK and bounce ideas off of each other seamlessly. specifically the scene about him wanting to give her a star, representing his duty to her and the restaurant.
*and no shade to carmy but if his responsibility to the bear/syd as a co-worker was bothering him this much and calmed him down wouldn't he have just immediately called the fridge guy.....anyways*
platonic fix # 2 (the best one): if i was chris storer and joanna calo and i REALLY wanted to sell it that carmy isnt in love with sydney then i would put every single member of the OG beef crew + Nat to calm him down not just Sydney.
im talking to them laughing at family, carmy giving tina his chefs knife, richie in his new suit, carmys one on one w Marcus/trying his donut, nat telling carmy shes pregnant (signifing rebirth/wanting to rid all the toxic abuse from his family), carmy trying sydney risotto, and her face when he said it was tremendous etc etc...you get the gist
and honestly?
even as i type this out im tearing up a little bit bc that would have been really beautiful. carmy is changing. he can and is getting rid of old toxic habits from his family and the mess that is the culinary industry. things are changing for the better....that would be beautiful....IF his panic attack was about any of these things lol.
and to even look at this scene without this need for symmetry and we entertain the idea of carmy thinking about his job as a solution for his personal problem...carmy has said himself (s02e01) that this isnt fun for him. i dont think that means he hates cooking i kinda disagree with the ppl who think he isnt passionate about it. i just think currently its something that doesnt bring him joy but i do think its something hes starting to or at least could have started to enjoy if he just committed to working with syd...
conclusion
theres a lot of....delusion? denial? straight up bias? yes all of that, going on.
idk what is happening bc this show is really great at being subtle. but i dont know whats more in your face, dumbed down, even a toddler could understand, than this scene. if you dont come out of this understanding that carmy is falling in love/currently in love with Sydney...and i hate using this term..but you just arent media literate.
bonus: bc it makes me laugh and connects the purpose and solutions.
i think we need a Snyder Sydcarmy Cut™ of bolognese and omelette.
the start of the episode is when sydney and carmy fight over claires inclusion in the menu, and also when sydney randomly asks him to define his relationship with Claire. the episode would continue until we get to the table scene.
i think its WILD how as soon as Sydney asks him to define their relationship, carmy starts calling claire his girlfriend. then the show proceeds to insert sydney in their romantic montage, shows her tattoo about heartbreak and someone getting in the way of your relationship...THEN proceeds to have carmy compare these two women in his mind and only calms down after seeing Sydney.
i could talk about this scene for AGES. wheres the straitjacket....
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Hello! I hope you are well!
Do you think it’s possible for you to go into Jeff and Nina’s relationship please? Like are they together or is like Jeff taking advantage of Nina liking him so much?
Sorry if you’ve already done this! I love your writing, you’re so talented 🕸️ x
its actually crazy to me that i havent actually written a thing about jeff and nina oh my god. thank you by the way you are so sweet. of course tw for manipulation, abuse, etc
OK BACKSTORY
nina is a year or two younger than jeff, and was only around 12-13 when she found out about jeffs murders and rampages. since she was like 7, she was always obsessed with horror movies, gore, eventually true crime and stuff . . just awful things that kids shouldnt have access to but thats what the internet does
she started behaving incredibly weird after her obsession with jeff began (though she was always odd). just really creepy true crime fan behavior in school, acted completely rebelious and eventually cut a shallow smile into her cheeks. her parents were livid and sent her to her to live with her grandparents in Mississippi.
eventually she realized jeffs brother moved to alabama, a state away. she was 18, at the lowest point in her life, and there was now speculation that jeff died after his most recent murder in the arkensaw household in tuscaloosa, alabama.
SO SHE MOVED. stole a ton of money and jewlery and stuff from her grandparents, barely managed to secure a dingy apartment in tuscaloosa, and she went On The Hunt.
she's constantly spamming fangirl rhetoric on creepy forums and catches jeffs eye. dunno exactly how, but he ends up meeting up with her, where he realizes she was just. perfect ? like, he found her annoying from the getgo and knew she was a weirdo, but he knew how easy she'd perfect to manipulate, how much shit he could get from her, and she immediately was like 'COME HOME WITH ME ILL MAKE U DINNER' . so he does. theyre about 19-20 here.
okACTUAL RELATIONSHIP
they never actually date in the traditional sense. neither of them asked the other out, jeff doesnt even touch her if he doesn't have to. he does not love her. but nina truly, fully, completely believes they're together. she swaps between calling him her boyfriend and fiance. she tells all her coworkers about how 'oh my boyfriend finally proposed! im engaged guys!' and 'ohh we're thinking about kids..!! he said he wants a girl:)' and all of that. which its all lies, she just lies and lies and lies all the damn time about how great jeff treats her and how in love they are. she does it to all the other creeps too for a period of time, telling toby and nat about how kind jeff is to her and they know shes lying.
jeffs not really mean to her most of the time. she'll make him food, do his laundry, she's lied to the police for him, she's probably been an accessory to murder ... definitely actually since she's cleaning and bleaching his bloody clothes... so he's Nice (?)
by nice i mean like. he'll let her sit and rest her head on his shoulder, let her hold his hand, let her say she loves him. he'll joke with her sometimes, play video games with her, bring her on walks or whatever. wore a bracelet she made for him once. (emphasis on once). he tells her she's pretty if she asks
but again, he's using her - just for a place to stay, some extra money, and he'll even send her on runs to go get weed or something from dealers that give discounts to pretty girls. he won't hug her, won't buy her things, won't help clean up, etc.
NONE OF THIS IS SHIPPING OR ROMANTIC LIKE ITS ALL REALLY SAD AND HORRIBLE. most of the creeps are inherently violent, half are murderers, almost none have any emotional regulation . . theyre just very . yeah.
which is why eventually, he kinda like, loses his shit - he starts screaming about how she's a dumbass who threw her life away for him, how he doesnt give a shit about her, he's shoving chairs around, knocking things off tables. eventually he stabs her, once in the side of her stomach, and leaves.
nina knows jane from the other creeps and calls her as she's frantically trying to fix her own wound, and jane swiftly gets her. jane doesnt like her but jane has morals and knows jeffs mistreating nina - but ninas losing her shit when jane mentions a hospital and refuses to go to the ER, so she ends up in jack's cabin getting stitched up.
theyre all kinda shocked that jeff didnt just kill her. its real weird for him to stab her once and leave, but jeff knew how far ninas devotion went and completely expected her to grovel at his feet and beg for forgiveness, and now he can continue using her just like before . but nina twisted it in her head and convinced herself 'oh its because he loves me! he didnt kill me because he loves me! BUT HE'S MAD AT ME AND I CAN'T FIND HIM AND WHAT IF HE'S WITH SOME OTHER GIRL I NEED TO FIX THIS' but literally nobody wants to help her 'get back' with him because like ...... why would they ?????
so she gets onto whitepages, finds liu, and ends up on his doorstep.
that's where my drawing of her crying on lius kitchen floor comes from
ive kinda hit a point in the story where like... this part is the 'current' plot ??? like this is where we are at in this very moment . so i have nothing concrete for the future...
but overall she does get over him, thats probably where ill put more emphasis on her friendship with nat/toby and her eventual little sister type relationship with liu... i just need to figure out how to do that without it coming off as like 'and she went to therapy and everything was fine !^_^'
i want jeff ... to be... vbery miserab;e....... basically.
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