#it's honestly very surprising. i see hate towards him almost every day since Remake came out and i wish i was kidding | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

navollidiot · 4 years

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i know there is and will continue to be a lot of controversy about the hate crime scene, so if you don’t want to read this post because you won’t agree with me criticizing it, then don’t read it, don’t clown on it, just don’t interact and move on with your day, i’m not taking names and hunting people down for their opinions especially when i do not personally know most of you.

obligatory statement: i’m not cis, not het, not white. do not be a bigot on this post :)

i remember very clearly the night that clip dropped + literally spending the next 2 or 3 days scrolling through the tag to read every single post in there to gather all of the opinions that i could find, everything from people who had been following the season from the very first second of the first episode, to people who were only casual viewers, who had not offered commentary before that point and only came out to share their opinions after the enormous shock wave that clip generated throughout the fandom. i don’t even think that sander running out of the hotel in episode 8 caused nearly as much of an uproar, mostly because the majority of us knew that was coming (though i do remember the outrage that we didn’t see robbe find him until it was past midnight, which is also completely understandable).

over those next few days and the following weeks, i saw the full spectrum of opinions continue to expand as more and more people gradually processed what they had seen and began to come to their own conclusions about it, especially those, like mine, with many layers of conflicting emotions. some even shared their own stories that were deeply personal and brave and heart-wrenching and hope-giving. what was pretty universal, however, was that no one saw the hate crime coming. it wasn’t in og, it hasn’t been done in any other remake, there was no hint or warning whatsoever that it was imminent. i know part of that is probably the production thinking that was an appropriate way to show how something like that can unfold in real life. do i agree with how that decision was made? ultimately, no. i’m sure that plenty of you also share that opinion to some extent. i’m sure that many of you also excuse, turn a blind eye to, or even defend the hate crime’s necessity and importance. i’ve said before that it’s not a black-and-white situation and i continue to stand by that. i also stand by the opinion that the writers handled the execution poorly even if they had good intentions. intention ≠ impact. there should have been a trigger warning. there should have been a better and more assertive resolution in the following episodes, like there was for zoë’s season (which was very well done and makes me confused why they didn’t give robbe the same treatment but i digress)

“but iT’S REALISTIC—” yes, it’s realistic that gay people experience violence for being gay. no one is denying that this stuff happens. but the aftermath of the incident, which robbe discussed only briefly twice with milan (and senne, but robbe never told him the full truth of what happened) and then was not addressed further, even when it was at some points clearly mirroring zoë’s struggle with testifying against viktor? that was not realistic. i recognize the very real possibility that they are going to drag the assault into s4 to show how robbe’s storyline impacts however they’ve written yasmina’s arc, but whatever they have planned for her honestly terrifies me to no end because we have never had an adequate sana season that does the muslim main justice. i am including og in this, for those of you who have not seen it. i’m sure that many of you who have seen skamfr s4 and druck s4 agree with me. it goes without saying that i believe they should have addressed the assault before robbe’s season actually ended in order to minimize the amount of interference that he would cause in yasmina’s season. don’t mistake this as me hating on robbe; he is one of my favorite isaks hands down. i can simultaneously love his character and hate what the writers did with him.

“but wiLLEM SAID—” first of all, if you yourself are straight and you are pulling willem’s words from the article to defend your opinion, i want you to step back from the situation and examine the details a little further. willem herbots, for all the speculation that has gone on, has now stated outright with no ambiguity that he is straight. i do not deny his talent as an actor; anyone who follows and reads my tags knows that i have many times before praised his skill in portraying robbe as intimately as he did in s3. but the hard pill to swallow for a lot of you is that by being straight, he lacks the inherent nuance that only personal experiences and struggles with sexual identity can bring to a character whose arc literally revolves around internalized homophobia and coming out. no amount of research can help him understand robbe’s character the way a gay actor would. and to be clear, this is not a moral condemnation against him; i’m not blaming willem for being straight, which is a wild thing to have to state lmao but you never know with tumblr. i do harbor the same sort of apprehension that i harbor towards any straight actor who plays gay roles regardless of their reasoning behind it (most of it falls somewhere along the lines of “i wanted to challenge myself” which honestly is such bullshit to me). but, to my knowledge, we have never had a single male isak who was played by an actor who is lgbt+ irl (i’m not counting skamesp because lucas doesn’t fit the original mold since he’s both isak and eskild, sorry if you have a problem with that), so i’m not exactly surprised that wtfock hasn’t broken that mold. saying all that, i do think he is incredibly sensitive and compassionate for his age and amount of experience, and it is rare to see someone answer questions with the kind of sincerity that comes through even in what appears to me is a fluff piece that is meant to please readers rather than present the most objective truths.

i will link a post here that pretty succinctly sums up my view on what willem stated about the hate crime and about how this interview happened in the first place, but something that i did notice that no one afaik has talked about: notice how willem uses I-statements to answer literally every single question in the interview up until he’s asked about the assault, where he slips almost too obviously into the royal “we” that is often characteristic of pre-fabricated answers: “The only moment we really showed... but we really wanted to show the harsh reality of being out... it’s not something we wanted to ignore in WtFOCK.” in the same paragraph, he uses “we” 3 times, where at no point before he had done so. of course, it’s possible that he did say it at other points and those sentences simply didn’t make the final cut for the article, but i still think it’s pretty telling that all of his other answers are so grounded in his personal, individual thoughts and experiences, but that specific response is so stilted and formal it’s almost awkward. it’s very likely that he was regurgitating an answer that was fed to him from higher up, precisely because the production knew from fan responses that it would come up in any self-respecting interviewer’s questions. these are very basic PR procedures within the industry; willem, at the end of the day, is a paid actor on a show that is still in production and is bound very tightly by his contract. do not expect at any point that what he states about wtfock is fully his own opinion, as whatever he says will reflect on the show’s reputation. this is also, more importantly, why you cannot automatically associate the words and actions of a production with the words and actions of its actors; i seriously doubt that willem h or any of the other cast members personally agree with everything the show has done, but i can tell you with absolute certainty that they are contract-bound to not share their full opinions while the show is still in production. he nor any of the other actors wouldn’t be allowed to criticize writing decisions even if they wanted to. finally, please note that i am in no way trying to lessen the impact of willem answering this question in this way, fabricated or not; i am only trying to present all the facts as objectively as i can because i’ve seen 50 posts today worshipping him for giving answers that likely did not come from his own actual brain. i am asking for a little of the same objectivity in return from you all.

finishing on a personal-ish sidenote: but i have never been more aware than in this moment how completely at odds the druck and wtfock fandoms are, like i knew during the run of robbe’s season, from some replies i was getting on posts and anons in my inbox, that it seems impossible to some people that people can like (and criticize) both shows. but now in the wake of this article, it really goes to show that both sides are ready at a moment’s notice to fight each other over matters that do not need to be fought about. we can all just talk through things and try to see each other’s perspectives and, sometimes, yes, agree to disagree. for a show that preaches “everything is love” left and right, certain people really do not seem to take that message to heart. just to be clear, im not saying that you should lie down and take people’s bullshit, but i am saying that we should hear each other out more instead of jumping to conclusions based on thirdhand information.

in conclusion: no show/film/book/other form of media is perfect and we should be allowed to bring attention to their problematic aspects without being accused of blindly hating on the aforementioned medium overall.

tl;dr criticism ≠ hate, take what willem said with a grain of salt, the assault scene is not black and white, im fuckin exhausted

#wtfock #wtfock cast #willem herbots #i was gonna put this under a read more but i need yall to read this whole thing lmao #also if there are weird mistakes or jumps it's bc i jumped around from bullet to bullet writing this and only read through it once #there are also things that i did not include here bc i thought they would be called ~drastic~ but if u wanna dm me or something #trust me i have More Opinions

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fangirlshrewt97 · 5 years

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Scars from Ghosts

Author(s): Fangirlshrewt97

Fandom: Anne with an E

Pairing: None

Characters: Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, Marilla Cuthbert, Matthew Cuthbert, Diana Barry, Josephine Barry, Cole Mackenzie, Gilbert Blythe, Bash LaCroix, Mary LaCroix, Rachel Lynde, Ms. Stacy, Jerry Baynard

Rating: Teen and Up

Warnings: Reference to past child abuse

Additional Tags: Whumptober 2019, Whump, Past Child Abuse, Scars, Hurt, Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Whumptober Prompt: Scars

Summary: At a dinner party, a small accident reveals an ugly ghost from Anne’s past she would rather forget existed.

Link to A03: archiveofourown.org/works/20908724

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It happened when Anne was least expecting it. Or rather, it happened because she got careless and stopped paying attention. Being in Avonlea, being in Green Gables, she had gotten almost used to the feeling of safety and genuine love from other people towards her.

Green Gables was filled to bursting with all their friends: Gilbert, Bash, Mary, and baby Delphine. Diana, Cole, and Aunt Jo. Ms. Lynde and Ms. Stacy. Matthew had even convinced Jerry to stay over for the party. It was the end of the harvest season, and due to a fruitful season, Matthew had suggested to Marilla that maybe they should celebrate their luck. Marilla had been stunned her brother was the one to make the suggestion, but Anne had been over the moon, squealing and jumping on Matthew, throwing her arms around his shoulders.

After that, Marilla didn’t really have a chance against them both, not that she was actually objecting to it. Ever since Anne had come into their lives, she had brought new life and joy the siblings had not known for a long time. So they sent out the invites for their friends to join them for dinner at the end of the week, and Anne helped Marilla prepare all the food while Matthew went to town to indulge in a small bottle of wine.

The party was in full swing, everyone having enjoying the food and company, happy to take a moment to appreciate the bonds between them all. After dinner, all the guests were gathered in the adjoining living room. Anne and Diana were playing with baby Delphine while Ms. Lynde and Mary looked on, the former giving her (unsolicited) advice on raising children with affection but a strict hand. Marilla and Ms. Stacy were talking about Anne’s progress in school and how Ms. Stacy was adjusting to live in Avonlea after being here for nearly four months. Aunt Jo was nearby and contributed every now and then to give her input on city life. The three boys were all gathered together and talking, though given the differences and minimal interactions, that conversation was the most awkward one in the room. And Bash was asking Matthew a seemingly never ending series of questions followed by fresh optimistic sighs as he learned more about farming and resigned himself to the foreign cold.

Delphine chose one of the quiet lulls to start crying, making Anne chuckle as she picked up the baby, carefully swinging her in her arms. She completely missed the obviously fond look Gilbert threw her way. When Delphine finally settled, Anne handed the baby off to Mary so she could put the baby to sleep upstairs while the rest of them continued to chat.

Anne was speaking excitedly to Ms. Stacy when it happened, she tripped over a crease in the rug and couldn’t get her balance back fast enough, sending her sprawling on the floor.

“Anne!” came the cry from several directions as Marilla, Diana, and Ms. Stacy all rushed to help the girl up, her face now as red as her hair. They all missed Gilbert’s aborted jolt forward, as well as his clenched fist.

Cole came to lend an elbow while they led Anne to sit beside Aunt Jo.

“Are you alright dear Anne?” Diana asked, worried her friend had been hurt.

Anne, who had suffered much greater physical pain, was more hurt by the embarrassment than the slight sting in her knee from the impact of the wooden floor. “I’m fine Diana.”

“Honestly Anne, how many times do I have to tell you to watch where you walk!” Marilla scolded lightly as she straightened from her crouch beside her adopted daughter.

“I’m sorry Marilla.” Anne apologized.

“Oh Anne, I think you may be hurt!” Ms. Stacy said as she lifted the skirt of her dress slightly to see Anne’s calf.

Anne panicked and shouted “No!”

The scream startled Ms. Stacy who immediately dropped the skirt and took a step back.

“Anne!” Marilla yelled.

“Oh! I am so sorry Ms. Stacy, I didn’t mean - I mean - you just surprised me,” Anne ended weakly, “I’m sorry I scared you.”

“Oh it is fine Anne, I just thought…”

“No, no I’m fine really.” Anne insisted. Marilla crossed her arms and squinted at the redhead, honestly, this girl was more trouble than she was worth some days.

“Can I just check to make sure?” in a tone that indicated she wasn’t actually asking.

“There’s nothing to check!”

“Anne Shirley-Cuthbert!”

“Marilla please…” Anne pleaded, though she knew that Marilla could be just as stubborn as her when she pleased.

As a last effort she looked at Matthew for help. Matthew squared his shoulders before saying “Marilla may just leave her be, since she is fine?”

A silent glare from Matthew got him to back off though, sending Anne an apologetic shrug. Anne yelped when Marilla grabbed her ankle, lighting the hem slightly and turning her calf. Anne closed her eyes and hoped Marilla would just see that there wasn’t anything interesting and let it go. She had never been that lucky though.

“Well you don’t seem to have any scrapes at least…Anne was is this?” Marilla asked as she spied a small area of bumpy skin she had never seen before.

Anne tried to tug her leg out of Marilla’s grasp but she had a tight hold of her. “It’s nothing.”

“Want to try again?” Marilla asked as she moved Anne’s legging slightly up get a better view. She inhaled sharply when she realized the bumped area was actually a scar. A burn scar whose shape was too perfect to have come from an accident.

“It was just an accident at the orphanage…” Anne said, but even she could hear the desperate lie in her words. Matthew had come closer to see the scar for himself.

Feeling self-concious and realizing the boys were also watching her, Anne roughly brought her leg underneath her, brushing her skirt over the edge of the couch.

“Anne...” And oh, how Anne hated hearing any kind of sadness in Diana’s voice. Turning to see her was a mistake, seeing the sadness was also in her eyes make tears well up in Anne’s own eyes.

“Mr.HammondhadatemperandIdidn’tdomyjobcorrectlysohepunishedme.” Anne said in a big exhale, wanting to get the words out.

“What?” Marilla asked, not having caught a word.

Biting her lips, Anne closed her eyes and inhaled before breathing out and enunciating slowly “Mr.Hammond had a temper and I didn’t do my job correctly. That day. So he punished me.”

The hall was so quiet, the only sound was the crackling of the wood in the fireplace.

“He what?” Marilla asked, voice quiet and stunned.

Anne kept her eyes lowered focusing on her clenched fists which were on her lap.

“He had asked me to have dinner ready by the time he came back home. But one of the kids knocked down the stew from the stove, so I had to clear it and remake it. I didn’t finish in time…So Mr. Hammond decided I need to be punished.”

“By doing what exactly?” Marilla’s voice was cold. Anne bit her lip and crouched into herself as she squeezed her eyes, willing herself not to cry.

“He took the fire poker and… struck me.” Anne said, voice barely audible on the last word.

Diana’s grip on Anne’s arm had loosened, and Anne could feel the tension in the room suffocating her. God, had it been this stuffy a few minutes back. Marilla’s own hand was shaking slightly from what Anne could see through her parted eyelids.

“Oh my dearest Anne…” Aunt Jo said as she broke the tension, moving to tug the young girl into her lap, tucking her head below her own chin. She softly pet her red hair.

That small act of affection was enough to break the dam Anne had been trying to valiantly to keep upright, and Anne burst into sobs, shoulders shaking violently as she fell apart in the older woman’s arms. Aunt Jo, for her part just tightened her grip and held her through it.

It felt like forever, but in reality was only a few minutes before Anne’s sobs became gulping heaves and she finally stopped crying. Slowly, she pushed herself out of the comforting embrace, and raised her her head with trepidation.

Marilla was still half-kneeling on the ground, pale and shaking slightly. Matthew’s mouth was open, and was looking at her with a mix of horror and fear. The boys were all staring at her with wide eyes, while Bash looked on with a clenched jaw and Ms. Stacy had a grim expression on her face. Ms. Lynde and Mary were still upstairs with the baby. By her other side, Diana was silently crying.

“Oh Diana, why are you crying?”

“Why am I? Anne that was so cruel of that evil man to do. I am so sorry.”

“Sorry? Why are you sorry? Does that mean you aren’t…?”

Anne’s fear filled voice seemed to break Marilla out of her trance to ask “Aren’t what?”

“Ashamed…” Anne whispered, shrinking from the older woman’s view.

“Asha- Anne why would I possibly be ashamed of you?” Marilla asked, voice tinged with horror at the thought. Well, mainly because she was still disgusted and furious at this stranger who had harmed her child in such a horrid manner.

“I don’t know.” Anne said, still quiet.

Marilla felt her heart breaking as she saw her stronger and brilliant Anne reduced to this anxious wreck. Moving slowly, Marilla wound her arms around the trembling girl, leaning down to kiss her forehead. The shaking increased as Anne gripped her dress tightly.

“I am not ashamed Anne, and absolutely not of you. I am thinking that if I ever met this Mr. Hammond I might have to do some very unladylike things to him. I am sorry that you had to suffer at his hands though.”

“It’s fine, I’ve had worse.” came the reply, and oh, didn’t that break her heart all over again.

Pulling back just enough to tilt Anne’s head up towards her, Marilla smiled kindly. “I am so proud of you. And I promise that no one will ever hurt you again if I have anything to say. Do you understand?”

Anne’s eyes filled with tears again, but didn’t fall this time. She just nodded quietly.

“Good.”

Mrs. Lynde decided to come back down at this moment with Mary, the two women talking jovially about something. Coming to the bottom of the stairs, they took in the quiet atmosphere. And since Mrs. Lynde wasn’t known for being tactful, she asked bluntly “Well what’s all this then?”

Anne wiped her eyes subtly before jumping up, “Nothing Mrs. Lynde, just took a small fall. Are you guys still hungry? Because we still haven’t had any dessert and Marilla helped me make pie with fruit from the farm” Anne said as she bustled towards the kitchen where the pies where.

Mary raised her eyebrows but Bash just shook his head discreetly. Not the time or place. The rest of the group decided to take the cue from Anne to return to the mood from before.

Of course, no one who had been in that living room was able to sleep that night without the scene replaying in their head.

Anne was still scared that one day a ghost from her past would rear its ugly head and it would be more than her new family could bear. But until then, she slept peacefully with the feeling of Marilla’s hug and promise of safety warming her more than any blanket ever had.

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marshlightningrass · 6 years

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FALLOUT → MUFFY

TAGGING → Buffy Bubbles (@buffybubbles) & Marsh Lightningrass

TIMELINE → Friday, November 3, 2017

SETTING → 1128 Wizard Way

SUMMARY → Gwen drops off a little present for Buffy and Marsh.

Marsh was relieved to have a night off from Pizza Planet; all the younger kids who hung out there were probably still apeshit from whatever drama they'd caused on Halloween night, and he'd much rather chill than have to overhear all the bullshit serving pizzas all night long. He had no idea where the fuck Kitten was and he was happy to keep it that way, and with Hattie off with her boyfriend or something, that left the house to him and Buffy. He didn't have free food for her like he would have if he'd worked today, but he did have his excellent company, and hopefully that was more than good enough. Plopping down on the couch beside her, he pointed to an unmarked DVD on the table, asking, "What's this? You got a surprise movie for me or something?"

Buffy looked up from her phone as soon as Marsh sat down and shrugged at his question about the mysterious dvd that she'd gotten in the mail. "I don't know actually. But someone delivered it in the mail for me today and I didn't want to watch it myself in case it was something scary. Wanna see what this is with me first and then binge something stupid on Netflix? I can make us some edibles after this is over of you want?" She offered, picking up the DVD to stick it in the player

Marsh quirked an eyebrow. Who even still watched DVDs these days? It seemed a little weird, but he was definitely intrigued by it. "You better make lots of edibles 'cause if this turns out to be some kind of 'The Ring' shit we're gonna die in seven days anyway," he teased, leaning back on the couch and spreading his arms out across the back of it, kicking his feet up to put on the table while he waited for Buffy to put the movie in. "Should we take bets on what it's gonna be or just hit play?"

Buffy rolled her eyes at Marsh and kicked him softly before getting up and putting the dvd in. "Don't jinx us, jerk! But it's probably not a Ring tape, this dvd looks petty new." She remarked, sticking the dvd in and then picking the remote up before sitting back down on the couch longways so that she could put her feet up in Marsh's lap. "I'm not letting you guess anything after that ring comment, so lets just watch it already." Buffy laughed, turning the video on.

Marsh shrugged, pointing out, "They make new Ring movies all the time -- or they could, at least. I'm pretty sure they just made a new Saw and there was no way that shit needed a sequel, they could do anything." Marsh rolled his eyes fondly at her as she decided to use his lap as a foot pillow; he didn't mind being pinned to the couch like that, it wasn't was though he had anywhere better to be than hanging out with one of his favorite people. Now all that was left was to squint at the TV as he waited for the video to actually show something... although he was sure some of the color drained from his face as it started playing and he recognized the start of the Shiggles interview he'd agreed to do with Gwen. He snuck a glance towards Buffy, worried about what her reaction might be. It wasn't a secret; it was on YouTube and all, but he doubted she was a big fan of Lui and Gwen's show.

Buffy was trying to think up a response to Marsh's comment about the saw remake when she was suddenly distracted by the screen. Even though Marsh was the only one on the screen, she knew exactly who's voice it was interviewing him and it was not a voice she'd been expecting in the slightest. Buffy wasn't really one for having people that she actively disliked very much, she considered such negativity to be way too toxic but Gwen Shell was a MAJOR exception to that and she was sure Marsh knew that very well. "Oh. Since when are you friends with Gwen enough to do an interview with her?" She asked, in a monotone that gave away absolutely nothing about her emotions as she continued to stare at the screen almost passively as Gwen's voice giggled and cooed and the camera moved in a way that clearly meant that Gwen had moved to sit on Marsh's lap.

Marsh shrugged, pointing out, "I've known her forever, we just started running in different crowds in high school." He was sure he'd mentioned that to Buffy before, although it had probably been more of a complaint than a comment at that point in time; being in Walt at the same time and in the same kind of bodies hadn't exactly gone the way he'd always hoped it would. Still... Gwen wasn't as terrible as she'd made herself seem, he saw glimpses of the girl he'd always liked all the time now that he wasn't too stubborn to look for them. He just doubted Buffy would want to hear that, though. "I figured she'd leave me alone if I just agreed to do her stupid show," he added, trying to keep his voice level and act chill about the whole thing. "It's no big deal, there's really nothing interesting on here, we can just turn it off." Marsh tried to lift Buffy's feet off of his lap so he could shut the thing down as a horrible thought crossed his mind -- what if this wasn't just the YouTube edit? He knew exactly what came after that part but if it was on this DVD, he was screwed. He just didn't know how to get the DVD stopped without making Buffy really, really suspicious, so he prayed that she wouldn't put up a fight and would just shut it down now.

Buffy shrugged, only vaguely remembering Marsh's complaints about the other girl. And continued to watch the video with absolutely no expression on her face, even as it got kind of uncomfy to watch with video!Marsh clearly turned on by the girl in his lap while talking about their other roommate Kitten. Even though it wasn't technically that bad, just hearing Gwen derisively refer to the shy band geek as Pussy and Marsh not even reacting to it, irritated Buffy to no end and made her want to actually reach out to the girl who's only crime had been not wanting to get married at 18. "Actually, I'm super interested, Marshmallow. Or wait, do you prefer Dewdrop?" She asked, pinning Marsh down hard with just the strength of her legs.

Marsh grimaced to hear the nickname rolling off of Buffy's tongue like that; he already didn't like it, but it felt even more off coming from somebody who wasn't Gwen. Like it was their private thing -- not that he cared, because since when did he need private things with Gwen Shell? Except apparently rooms... which he really hoped that Buffy wasn't about to realize with her very own eyes. "Actually, I fucking hate that nickname," he said offhandedly, narrowing his eyes at her when she pinned him to the couch. "Damn, have you always been this strong or does Gwen hate make you go Hulk mode? This thing's been on YouTube since we filmed it, you were never interested before, it's not suddenly more interesting now," he lied.

Buffy flicked her eyes over at Marsh at his response about the nickname and then returned her gaze to the screen, not even bothering to reply to his question about how strong she was. If the video really wasn't more interesting than the video that was apparently online, then it made no sense why someone would purposely deliver the tape to her cottage and Marsh would have no reason to want to turn it off the way he did. "Shut up already. Can't you see I'm trying to watch something here? Don't be rude."

Marsh was filled with dread as he waited to see if the tape kept going after the interview or not... but with every second the DVD creeped forward, he felt more and more sure that Buffy was about to get a real eyeful of something she did not need to see. As nonchalant as he'd acted about the whole thing, he didn't really want anyone to see it, besides maybe him and Gwen. It felt like a private thing between the two of them, and he wasn't prepared for it to turn into any kind of deal. "I'm not being rude, this was dropped off against my will, I don't need the world seeing it," he grumbled, not sure what to do. He didn't want to physically force Buffy to get off of him, but... Shit. Even if he had, it would have been too late anyway, and he cringed as the screen before him started to play the beginning of his and Gwen's hookup. "Seen enough now?" he asked feebly, wishing she'd grab the remote and shut it off already.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I'm not the whole world, Marsh. Why's it such a big deal?" She asked, almost too late when it became intensely clear that it wasn't just a recording of Gwen interviewing Marsh. Someone, more than likely Gwen, had sent her an actual sex tape of her best friend and her mortal enemy. Completely ignoring Marsh's question, Buffy tightened her hold on Marsh while keeping her gaze locked onto the screen. "You know, I never took you for such an easy lay, Marshmallow."

Marsh groaned as Buffy tightened her grip on him; it wasn't a big deal, not really, and they were all pretty open about their sexual experiences with each other; it was just what friends did. But he'd hid this one from her because he knew she hated Gwen, and maybe he'd hidden it from everyone for other reasons he couldn't quite explain. "I didn't make it easy for her," he snapped back instantly. He'd been kind of an asshole to Gwen for months before he'd caved, honestly; but he didn't talk about that with Buffy, either. Shrugging, he said, "It happened one time, it's no big deal, right?"

Buffy crossed her arms and glared pointedly at the screen. "Really? You sure could've fooled me. I'm pretty sure I just saw her get your shirt off with verrry little difficulty." Buffy hated how slut shamey all her words were coming out, but she was still trying to figure out how to properly express how upset she was about what they were watching. "She also fucked my boyfriend one time and that was a pretty big deal to me too. And you KNOW that, Marsh. Why did you do this and not even bother to be honest about it?" Buffy's voice began to crack on the end of her sentence and despite her best attempts at not displaying too much emotion over the situation, tears began to well up in her eyes as well.

Marsh chewed on the inside of his cheek; he didn't know how to explain it to Buffy. How could he explain something that he didn't even understand himself? "That was a long time ago, Buff," he said feebly, but he doubted that changed anything. He was pretty sure Gwen would still do the same kind of thing now; he couldn't make excuses for her actions because what she'd done to his friend sucked. But it was Lui's fault, wasn't it? Lui was the one who owed Buffy something, not Gwen, but somehow he didn't think that would go over well, either. He opened his mouth and shut it... once, twice, three times, unsure what to say. "I'm sorry," Marsh said finally, hoping that that would be enough. "No excuses, no bullshit, just... I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking about how you'd feel."

Buffy finally turned her attention fully from the screen to glare daggers at Marsh. "I know it was, but what about this video, Marsh? She sent this today. She likes hurting people and you clearly don't give a shit." Buffy yelled, her statement almost hilariously punctuated by a particular loud sound from Marsh on the tv. "But you know what, Marsh. It's fine. I completely accept your apology because that's the kind of loving amd forgiving person I am." Buffy sniffed once and released Marsh from her grip as she rubbed hard at her eyes. "But maybe this is a sign that our friendship has reached it's conclusion. It's not good for my energy to hang out with people who don't care about my feelings and you and your new bestie Gwen just did me the courtesy of showing me how much you don't. Thank you for letting me know."

Marsh 's jaw dropped at Buffy's statement. She didn't even want to be friends with him? Because he'd hooked up with Gwen one time? Because he had some weird, lingering attachment to her from when he was a kid that he didn't know how to get out of his system? It felt like an overreaction to him, but then again, Marsh didn't let much get under his skin... but he'd let Gwen get under it, hadn't he? How could he expect Buffy not to do the same? "Buffy..." he protested feebly, but he wasn't sure there was anything he could say right now to make her feel better. She just needed time to cool off. "I don't want to not be your friend anymore," he told her. "And I'm not going anywhere, but if you need a break or whatever, I guess that's... cool." The word rolled awkwardly off his tongue, but he didn't know what else he could do right now as she let go and rubbed her eyes. "I care about you a lot, I'm sorry I screwed that up."

Buffy opened her mouth to respond to Marsh's apology not entirely sure if she was going to accept his offer for just a break in their friendship or to deny it, when the front door of the cottage opened and Kitten walked in, clearly fresh off her shift at Pizza Planet. "Hey Kitten! How was work today?" Buffy called out, getting up from the couch to speak to the other girl in the cottage rather than respond to Marsh any further.

Marsh gaped at Buffy as she got up off the couch to greet Kitten of all things. That was a pretty blatantly obvious sign their conversation was over; none of them ever talked to Kitten, she was like the silent roommate that didn't exist. Sighing, Marsh got up from the couch, took the stupid DVD out, and put it into his bag, not sure what to do with it, as he headed for the front door rather than his room. It was pretty obvious Buffy didn't want him around, so he'd just... wander Walt until something felt right or until he was sure the coast was clear to go home.

#buffybubbles #para #para:fallout #para:buffy #buffy

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