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starry-eyed-steve · 11 months

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I've been thinking a lot the past couple of days about the friendships of Stranger Things, especially the teen/adolescent group, and how people just come together with no problems, avoiding the personal conflicts that should come up. The major problem is that unlike the kids who were friends before, the teens are only together because of trauma and romance instead of friendship. The initial trio, which is the basis, didn't like each other before. Steve and Nancy were not friends. They were romantically interested in each other. Jonathan and Steve hated each other, Nancy and Jonathan were sorta friends, but not really. So that's already complicated and not ideal because Steve and Jonathan still didn't like each other after everything, and then Nancy left Steve for Jonathan, which left Steve alone until he found Robin. So that's the core dynamic of the older kids group. And because there is not enough time in the show, we get a watered-down version of those characters working together to save the world. Sometimes, they even act OOC just so we can focus more on the overall plot. You know when you watch a scene and you go no, they wouldn't say that or no, they wouldn't do that? That's how I felt the majority of time for s4. And as much as I love the found family trope and I understand why people just want everyone to get along, I genuinely believe the teen group realistically would dislike each other. And I need more fics exploring that lmao.

Stranger Things really robbed us by not giving us 20 episodes to develop characters and explore their complicated feelings to others. Like 3/6 (7 if you count Vickie) have beef with each other, there is just too much tension between Steve and Jancy it would totally affect the others. I also think if we had more time, those groups could venture out and meet more people who later become their friends. Like I'm curious about Nancy's two friends that were mentioned in s2, it would be nice seeing the main characters outside the group interacting with others. People act like the teens can only find friends within their little circle.

(Disclaimer: This is not a dig on any character, I just find it interesting exploring dynamics like this. Like give me the drama)

Steve wouldn't want to hang out with Jancy. He is still hung up on Nancy, and it hurts him to watch them together. Between seasons, they already don't hang out because why should they. And when Steve finds out or realizes Nancy let him in the belief that he was the only one who was wrong in their relationship despite the major reason for her to break up was she wanted to be with Jonathan for a long time, I think Steve, I wouldn't say he would be pissed, but he would definitely be hurt when it clicks. His entire world view would shatter, like his love life already suffers because he thinks he was a bad boyfriend, so he developed attachment issues and trust issues (hence the serial dating in s4). Nancy really did a number on him, and he never got closure from her, and we still see the aftermath years later. I also don't see Jonathan and Steve be best buddies because of that. Jonathan just doesn't want to be friends with his girlfriend's ex, who potentially still has feelings for her. Same with Nancy, why would she want to hang out with her ex, who is clearly hurting because he is still into her.

It's also implied that Jancy shit talks about Steve behind his back in s4, by Jonathan bringing up the Steve comment unprompted to make Nancy laugh, and he was genuinely shocked when she didn't this time. I mean, they don't really care about Steve's feelings. They slept together 2 days after the Stancy fight and never showed remorse for it. I genuinely don't see them being bffs, lol. I also don't see Jancy wanting to stay in touch with the others, especially Nancy, who just wants to move forward, go to college, and heal from the past few years. Her ex and his bff would be unpleasant reminders. If Jancy breaks up, both of them would go their own ways. Nothing would hold them in Hawkins. Jonathan would still have Argyle, and Nancy would make new friends at university, but both wouldn't really stay in touch with the others.

The whole monster hunting trio had so much potential to become friends if the show hadn't done Stancy and Jancy. But I can't ignore it and if they make Stonathan friends in the last season, idk if I want this because too much happened between them, it would seem ooc for both to want to spend time together outside of the UD shit.

Robin would be on Steve side. If he wasn't cool with Jancy, she wouldn't be cool with them either. She's your ride or die buddy. If you hate someone, she's like no WE hate them. Robin is also a person who would hate people for Steve, like him still trying to be civil towards Jancy because of his feelings for Nancy, but Robin is like no fuck that you hurt my bff you're on my list, I'm side-eying you. She would encourage Steve to move on by not interacting with them all together. After he receives closure, he should move forward.

With Eddie, I don't think he would vibe with Jancy either. Jonathan wouldn't like Eddie being obnoxious and loud. Yes, he might agree with him at some points, but Jonathan hates the attention, and Eddie loves it. If you think Jonathan would be at his side when he gives his little speeches during lunchtime, no way. Same with Nancy, as soon as she sees Eddie climbing that table, she immediately goes the other way. She would pretend not to know this man. Eddie's personality is too loud for Nancy to handle over time. Maybe I'm projecting on her a bit here because she reminds me a bit of me. Like she's more serious and reserved, someone like Eddie would drain her quickly, and she would snap at him sooner than later. She wouldn't find his antics cute. She would be annoyed. But there wouldn't be any bad blood between them. They just would simply find each other annoying over time so they don't really hang out. Each of them has their own thing.

Eddie would rather hang out with Stobin, I think they could handle his personality better. Like they are not as serious than Jancy and could joke with him from time to time. But he also has his band mates to hang out with, so he's not around that often.

Vickie would have no hard feelings for Jancy, but because she's dating Robin and also likes Steve I think she doesn't want to make things awkward by hanging out with them.

Argyle, I think, is the only person who is absolutely cool with everyone. He is such a chill guy who doesn't care about the drama. So in the beginning, after Vecna is defeated, he would be like hey let's all get together to hang out, smoke some weed, and party to celebrate our win. Everyone would be excited at first, but slowly, they realize it was a bad idea. Steve would say some shit that would trigger Jonathan, which causes him to roll his eyes. Nancy then would maybe make a joke about Steve that has a mean undertone to it, which would set Robin off because only she is allowed to make jokes about Steve like that. All those microaggressions would compile until everything explodes. It would mostly be Jancy vs. Stobin with Eddie absolutely loving the drama and egging them on. He has the time of his life at that moment. Poor Argyle doesn't know what's happening and tries to calm them down with more weed, and Vickie just sits there, not knowing what to do but trying to talk Robin down.

Ever since that night, the group has split up and only comes together for important things, like the kids' graduating party, birthdays, weddings, etc. They would have civil conversations but mostly avoid each other. They all found their own circle over time with people they can hang out with without any drama. They would set all their differences aside if the world goes to shit again but hanging out afterward? No, thank you, lmao. They would fight literal monsters and would even die for each other, but friends no way.

The kids would try to get them together, but it's no use, sometimes things just don't work out, which is okay because people don't get along all the time. That also doesn't mean a character who hates another one is suddenly bad or the enemy. Or a character can only be good if they get along with everyone.

#steve harrington #robin buckley #nancy wheeler #jonathan byers #eddie munson #vickie stranger things #argyle #argyle stranger things #stobin #platonic stobin #stranger things #sandra says stuff #another long take nobody asked for

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yungbludy · 4 years

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the hills have eyes

plot ↬ being attracted to one overwhelming person known as yungblud is alresdy too much for you. adding mgk in the mix is even worse.

warnings ↬ there’s tension here yes yes, smut!! threesome!! fingering & handjobs, writing colson is so fun i didn’t realize how hot he was lol 😳, hint at something going on between colson & dom, dom & reader like each other, maybe a pt 2?

a/n ↬ i know y’all have been wanting this for the LONGEST, and it’s easily my most requested fic. enjoy it!

When you left college with a degree in music production, you never would’ve expected to land in the studio of Yungblud, a young but upcoming artist with his own charm to set him apart from the rest. He was easily the most hyperactive artist you’ve worked with, someone with a truly pure heart that cared deeply for his music and his fans. It was a breath of fresh air, because out of all the artists you’ve worked with—big and small, you don’t think you’ve ever come across someone so genuine.

It was almost fate how you went from being in the studio with him every other week to nearly every day. He loved your presence; you made him see things differently, made him hear things he had never heard before. You made him feel smarter, more experienced.

A friendship blossomed. It was nice, because you didn’t have that many friends when you left college. Dominic introduced you to other people too, such as his band mate Adam, and they adored you. You were the calm before the storm of Dominic in their eyes. You balanced each other out, like some rock n’ roll version of a Yin and Yang.

Before you would hang out in groups. You, Dominic, and maybe a few other friends attending concerts or going to a restaurant together. You liked it—these people knew you and liked you, and you felt like you had a place.

You didn’t know when the... shift started. When it started becoming just you, and Dominic. When he texted you if you wanted to hang out at his place, (not a date or anything, just hanging out lol 🖤). When you still saw your friends, but you were seeing Dominic’s face more and more.

But you knew as soon as that started happening, that the feelings you had for Dominic—as a friend and as a partner, started becoming way too deep way too fast.

And honestly? It scared you. Your last relationship was in college and that didn’t go so well because you both had different outlooks on how you wanted to continue your life. You weren’t ever a relationship type of person and barely found yourself developing fucking crushes on people.

But you were crushing on Dominic. Hard.

As cliche as it sounds, being around him gave you literal butterflies. Seeing texts from him made you smile, and when his arms wrapped around you and he looked at you with all his teeth out, his eyes clenched shut—God. You were falling, and you were falling hard.

That was, until, Colson came into the mix.

You liked some of his music. You weren’t a big fan of “MGK”, and only really knew about him because of the whole beef he had with Eminem. You remembered that one song—fucking Wild Boy, being played in a few clubs and parties during college, but you didn’t have any liking towards him.

But... wow. He and Dominic together were a force to be reckoned with.

Colson was a good person. A loving father and a talented individual—not to mention he was also fucking hilarious too. Having him around in the studio guaranteed no bad days, because he could also make you feel better with a corny joke or a funny assortment of curse words.

You liked him, over time. Not to mention he was drop dead gorgeous, tall and tatted and pierced and just... fuck. It would be a lie if you said you weren’t intimidated by his presence.

But in reality, he was a sweetheart. A gentleman.

So why did you start feeling butterflies for him too?

Having a crush on two people just seemed so out of this world to you that you didn’t even understand it. It made no sense. You and Dominic had known each other longer, and you weren’t dumb—you knew he liked you back. But with Colson.. you didn’t know if those butterflies were in your stomach, or if they were somewhere were they definitely, definitely shouldn’t fucking be.

You were good at controlling yourself when it came to these two. It had been a few weeks since you’ve met Colson and two months since you met Dominic. They were working on music together—a song, that they didn’t know what to title yet, and you were right there, helping them with everything.

This also meant that they were together. All. Of. The. Time.

Having two extremely attractive men, men that you were also extremely attracted too together all the time was going to be very bad for your health. But all three of you had a main goal at the end of the day, and that was to make a song together. They wanted to make a song that pertained to them, that took both of their struggles and related them to each other. Being Dominic’s right-hand-man at this point, you were more than happy to oblige in helping.

But you just didn’t know what you were getting yourself into.

“Maybe some shit that’s like, kinda emo, kinda not?”

“Kells, man... you need to /make/ that make sense.”

You can’t help the laugh that leaves you, smiling when both of their heads turn towards you.

“Y’all are just cute when you bicker.”

“Y/NNNNN,” Colson whines a little, his arms stretching to drape over your body. God, he has so many tattoos that you couldn’t possibly count them on your two hands and feet. “Help us. I’ve never been this stuck on a song.”

“Well, a mix of punk and rap, right?” You asked, humming as you scoot up to your monitor, going through a list of sample beats you always stored when songs were being made.

“That sounds ‘bout right,” Dominic spoke, both of his elbows being placed on his knees as he looked up at you. “Think that’s a perfect mix of us two, yeah?”

You picked out some beats—layering some, taking some away. While this process could be therapeutic to you, it could be also quite annoying, and it would’ve been if it wasn’t for the two grown men looming over your shoulder.

“What about this one,” you almost jumped as you heard Colson right near your ear, his voice powered into a whisper. He reached over you, his skin brushing against yours and you had to force yourself to look at the screen. Jesus Christ, you really needed to get laid. “How’s that?”

“‘ts good. I like it fo’ now!” Dominic joked, and a laugh rumbled in you stomach. “If we don’t like it, we could always change it tomoro or somethin’.”

“Okay, well, beats settled... now we need some lyrics.” you spoke, backing up a little—you would’ve backed up farther if Colson’s arm wasn’t on the back of your chair. “Got any?”

Silence. You rolled your eyes—you had told them days prior to come with lyrics. Nothing had to rhyme, but something to make an idea off of.

“Too busy clubbing to write lyrics-great.” you huffed, shaking your head as you stood to leave, but two hands reached out to stop you.

“Sorryyy, that’s our fault, really.” Colson spoke, locking eyes with you when you turned to look at the both of them. “Let’s make some together, yeah? All three of us motherfuckers. You know we couldn’t make up good lyrics without you anyway.”

You caved. Goddammit, he was so good at charming you and so good at fucking /flirting/. You found yourself sitting back down with a notebook out in just a few minutes of playful begging from the two of them.

“Since I watched The Hills Have Eyes for the first time yesterday with you two wankstains, I think that should be incorporated into here~” Dominic giggled, scribbling down the title of the infamous horror movie on a piece of notebook paper. “Where did all that shit happen, by the way? New York, Cali, Las Ve-“

“No, dipshit, Nevada. Did you watch the movie at all?” Colson huffed, reaching over to flick Dominic in the center of his forehead, in which the British male playfully bit down on Colson’s finger. The blonde grinned, and your eyebrows furrowed. What the hell?

“Nevada’s by Cali so we’re using California.” Dominic shrugged, scribbling more words down. “How’s... I wunna hide in the hills of California—but these hills have eyes, and I have paranoia?”

It took you a minute but you eventually nodded at it. “If we revise it a little bit then—yeah, that could work!”

“Awesome! Maybe you should get on your shit, Kells.” Dominic teased him, pink tongue pointing out at Colson, and your lips twitched.

“Fuck off.” Colson continued that grin—that little smirk, like they both knew something you didn’t. The day dragged on—more lyrics, more laughing, more inside jokes. By the time the session ended you were exhausted, your head kinda hurt, and you wanted nothing more than to head home and sleep, but Dominic stopped you before you left completely.

“Are you alright?” he asked, your hand in his as he looked at you with slight worry. His hair was pushed back, so he looked just too adorable with his forehead out and crinkled. He was worried. Worried about you, and that made your heart flutter.

“I think I’m good, just a little tired,” you offered a reassuring smile, lifting your bag up to your shoulder. “Why?”

“You seemed a little out of it,” he remarked, keeping your hand in his as he started to walk next to you. This was normal—Dominic walking you out to your car, then watching you drive to your apartment after he gave you a kiss goodbye, of course; some of them were on your forehead, some cheeks, and most recently, he’s teasingly brushed his lips against yours, only to see you blush and frantically push him away. “Just making sure you’re alright.”

“I’ll be okay, Dom,” you snicker, but you just love the fact that he can see through you. See when you’re uncomfortable or feel weird. “Thanks, though.”

“Of course darlin’,” his voice has dropped in volume and when you look at him, his eyes are boring into yours. You blink. “Drive home safe, yeah?!”

Both of his hands grab your face, squishing your cheeks—and you sputter a laugh as he kisses all over your face. Covering your forehead, your nose, your cheeks—and finally resting at your lips.

It’s like time has stopped. You smile, feeling warm—his hands haven’t left your face and you can feel his warm breath against your mouth. He leans in closer, and you feel that familiar thrum in your chest, his lips brushing against yours one, two, three times, before he only pecks you and pulls away.

You don’t even remember closing your eyes, but when they open, he’s walking back into the building, leaving you feeling lost.

To make it up for you for yesterday, the dynamic duo wanted to spend the entire day getting a good portion of the song done. This meant you had to wake up at nine am to be at the studio, something you were definitely not looking forward to, but you couldn’t complain about it. You three had a pretty good work ethnic, so you knew once you would get there, time would probably fly by.

You came to the studio in some fuzzy Hello Kitty pajama pants and a long sleeved shirt, not bothering to dress up too much since you would possibly be here all day. You didn’t look your best, but by the way Dominic’s eyes scanned you when you walked into the studio, you doubted he really cared.

“Well hello kitty-kat,” you heard Colson’s amused tone from the small couch by the door behind you, his body approaching yours to walk past you. His hand slipped over your waist, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake. “Doesn’t Y/N just look the absolute cutest.”

“Shut up, asshole.” You grumbled, your cheeks hot as you ditched your slippers and made your way to your seat. You stretched, hearing some bones crack in your back, a tired yawn leaving your lips before returning to your sitting position and opening up your notebook. “So. Where are we starting today?”

When you looked up, both of them looked a little dazed—but the expressions disappeared in just a few seconds. That was weird.

“Welllll, I think I’ve got a title,” Dominic grinned cheekily, standing up with his hands clasped. “I liked what ya said yesterday... I think I’m good. That sounds pretty—American, doesn’t it?”

“Eh...” you started, but quickly took it back when Dominic’s face fell almost comically. “No! It’s not bad, but, I don’t know... how about another word, other than good?”

“Fine?” Dominic asked, looking at you with a smirk. Confusion racked through you.

“Okay,” Colson spoke up, reading over the page of lyrics with narrowed, concentrated eyes. “I think I’m okay.”

You contemplated it. It reminded you of My Chemical Romance, but there wasn’t anything wrong with that... their fans would probably like that, too.”

“I think I’m okay. Yeah, I like that.” you smiled, moving to your monitor to title the beats you already had. I Think I’m Okay.

“Perfect.” you beamed. “Now let’s get to work.”

The day went by pretty smoothly. Dominic and Colson worked better than you thought, and in your opinion, you were the icing to their cake. Being a producer meant you were there to perfect things—add something to make them sound just a tad bit better, to make the song flow just a little smoother. Perfecting the beats was something you absolutely adored to do, especially when you felt them both staring at the side of your face as you did it.

They admired you. And that sent shivers down your spine.

“Jesus fuck, ‘m hungry.” you grumbled. The clock above your head read two pm, meaning you had been here for six hours total. It wouldn’t have seemed like that if your stomach wasn’t grumbling like crazy.

“We can tell.” Colson joked, his fingers poking at your tummy. “Kitty’s talking to us.”

You knew it didn’t mean to be an innuendo, but you took it that way, and you’re sure Dominic probably did too with the expression that crossed his face.

“I’ll order some pizza.” Dominic sung out, British accent flowing through the air as he stood to grab his phone and leave. You had been alone with Colson once before, but that was before you recognized your attraction towards the male. Now, you were very, very aware of the fact.

“Cmon kitty, you’ve been sitting in that chair for hours and I know that ass hurts,” Colson smirked knowingly, grabbing your hands to lift you out of your seat. “Lemme help you stretch~”

“I don’t need help, you damn skyscraper.” You said stubbornly, but Colson paid no mind to you, grabbing both of your arms and lifting them above your head. It did make you feel much better, and you would’ve stayed in the position if his long fingers didn’t suddenly dig in your sides and under your armpit.

“I-get off of me!” you laughed loudly, squirming in his tight hold as he squeezed you even closer to his body. You could feel his chest press against your back, but you weren’t focused on it, just how much you were laughing from his antics.

“Hell nah! I’ve barely seen you laugh today, kitty~” he purred into your ear, and your thighs clenched. “Keep on fighting, nothing will happen babe.”

“Fuck you!” you shouted, successfully finding your way out of his grasp, but that didn’t stop him at all. He grabbed you again and while he did so, you were moving backwards—eventually landing you both on the small couch in the room. You wiggled your arms through his grip, letting your fingers dig into his sides in a similar manner—and your smile hurt with how loud he started laughing afterwards. You were sure after the short five minutes the tickle attack took that you were all over the place, and so was he—panting on top of you with both arms over your body.

“You’re an asshole.” you murmured against his shoulder, since his body was draped over yours. You wished it would’ve stayed that way, because he lifted himself, and you turned into jelly with how he looked at you—and that stupid fucking grin that spread across his face.

“Got you to laugh, didn’t I?” he asked, rolling off of you. The warmth that left your body—from your stomach, ribs, and a few inches below your bra, told you that the tickle fight was much, much more than that.

A month had passed since that day. It was more then enough time for more tension filled encounters—more of Colson’s hands on you, more of Dominic’s teasing kisses. It had gotten so bad that you needed to excuse yourself in the middle of a session to calm yourself down in the bathroom, because holy hell. Those boys were a lot—and the fact you had the audacity to think about taking both of them at once. You literally could never.

The song wasn’t that hard to make. With a few more helping hands, plus your expertise and their work as well, it was nearly done. Final vocals just needed to be recorded and some cleans up—and then, I Think I’m Okay would be released to the world.

This Friday would be a night that all three of you would go out clubbing, but you decided to visit the studio to listen to the rough draft the two had recorded previously. You were in matching all black outfits which definitely wasn’t planned. The dress you were wearing was a bit out of your comfort zone, but you decided—why not? You wouldn’t be the only girl there and you knew you looked decent, at least.

“Wow,” you murmur, a little speechless as the rough vocals of I Think I’m Okay fill the studio at full volume. The lights are off because it’s dark, so the only source of light in the room is your monitor. “Wow. We fucked this up.”

“What?!” Dominic shouted, eyes wide. You laughed.

“Not in that way! I mean, we fucked this, in a really good way.” you said, excited, bouncing a little in your seat. “Fuuuck, can’t wait to release this shit.”

Colson’s hand is hot and heavy when you feel it against your thigh, playing with the hem of your dress. “Couldn’t do it without you, kitty.”

You swallow. No, not tonight. You were going to have fun tonight. Not be in a state of sexual frustration because of these two.

“Right,” Dominic hummed, and you freeze when his arm wraps around your waist, his chin on your shoulder. “Y/N, I never really thank ya properly for all you do for me, do I?”

“Huh? Of course you do.” you tell him, but you’re a bit distracted by Colson’s wandering hand. It shifts, moving to the inside of your thigh, rubbing softly at your skin. His thumb is close, too close to your pussy, but you don’t push his hand away, because you don’t want to.

You like it. You want his hand to come closer, just a little closer—

“I don’t,” Dominic whispers, those thick lips brushing against your ear, and you almost jump out of your skin. “I should.”

“Dom...” you whisper nervously, eyes widening when his hand slides to the middle of your back and up your spine, fingers locking at the zipper. The slide of your dress being unzipped goes along perfectly o the tempo of the song, and so does Colson’s molding of your thigh, his hand eventually finding way because your closed legs, pressing right up against your underwear.

“Think the kitty wants me,” Colson sighs huskily, and your jaw drops. Holy fuck. “Am I wrong?”

“Is he?” Dominic presses when you don’t answer, his hand somehow making its way inside your dress, finding its way to your sleeves and yanking them down. Oh, fuck. “Ya want us both, don’t ya darlin’?”

“Oh my god.” is all you can whisper, earning chuckles from both of the men who play so deviously with your body. Colson finds your clit with no help at all, pressing against the little bud, right as Dominic takes both of your breasts out of your bra and palms them hungrily. Two sets of hands touching you makes your head roll back, and you can only comply as one of Colson’s hands presses against your left thigh, spreading your legs open.

“Put your legs on the desk for me, pretty,” he whispers and you do so, heels still on your feet. “Mm, yeah, that’s good—damn, look at you. So fucking hot.”

To your surprise, it seems like Colson is doing most of the talking, since Dominic’s mouth finds itself on one your perked nipples. He sucks it into his mouth, making it all pert and wet and your toes curl against the velvet surface of your shoe.

“When I had you on that couch, I wanted to ram the shit out of you, even if you were wearing those stupid ass pants,” Colson tells you, slipping your panties to the side and dragging his fingers up your slit. You’re almost embarrassed from how wet you sound. “Had to remember the British cunt has a little crush on you, though. Didn’t wanna break his heart.”

“Fuck off, ya asshole.” Dominic’s mouth leaves your breast, cheeks red at the fact that he was just exposed like that. “I was gonna tell her that my fookin self!”

“You’re telling me she didn’t know?” Colson chuckled, one of his hands grabbing your chin to roll your head towards him. “Did you?”

“Mmf—I-I knew,” you murmured helplessly, your back aching as two long, thin fingers push inside of you, spreading themselves. “Always knew.”

“But I like you too, kitty, maybe like you even more than him,” Colson smirks, his mouth pressing against yours, and you bite down on his lip when Dominic bites down against your nipple. “Now we’re both gonna make our girl cum.”

Our girl.

You could cum from those words alone.

Colson’s fingers work magic inside of you, pressing further until you feel lightheaded, then easing themselves out and repeating the process. Dominic’s fingers find your clit, rubbing it quicker then the pink vibrator you used before even getting dressed. Your hands are against both of their thighs as your body grinds down against them, both of their mouths meeting yours at different times, kissing you or letting you moan out against their mouths. I Think I’m Okay plays over and over again with no one to stop it, hiding your loud sounds.

You’re close. So, so close, but you don’t want to cum without giving them some type of pleasure—so, to the best of your ability, you start to unzip their pants, bulges very angry underneath the fabric.

“Ooh, fook yeah,” Dominic whispers, taking his jeans off quickly and wrapping your hand around his cock, going cross eyed at the feeling. “Yeah, jerk my fuckin cock.”

Colson isn’t too far behind in revealing himself. You try to stroke them both, but you’re so overwhelmed that sometimes your pace quickens on one and slows on the other. Their bodies are pressed as tightly as they can be against yours, and sometimes wet fingers find their way against your neck, or grabbing at your chests—with wide open mouths against your face.

“I-I think I’m gonna cum,” your pant out, your hips rolling in circles and your grip on their cocks growing even tighter, causing them to make their own sounds of delight. “So close-“

“Cum, kitty kitty,” Colson tells you, his lips wrapping around your earlobe. “Soak this fucking chair, pretty.”

And that’s exactly what you do.

Dominic busts right after you, feeling your clit spasm against his fingers was enough to send him over the edge. Colson isn’t too far behind, getting extra leverage because of both of your cum covered hands jerking him off until he shoots his seed out as far as it can go. It’s a heavenly sight, and for the first time you hear him whimper—a sound that’ll be engraved in your mind for days.

You three sit there, panting, covered in sweat and cum. You lick your lips, your hearing picking up the two shifting to clean you up and dress you, much to your confusion.

“What? You think you were gonna cum once tonight and that would be it?” Colson chuckled, already helping you out of your chair.

“Just wait till we get to this club,” Dominic continues, his hand tightly groping your ass. “You’re gonna have the night of your fucking life.”

And you’re certain that you will.

#dominic harrison #yungblud #yungblud fanfiction #dominic harrison fanfiction #yungblud imagine #colson baker #mgk #mgk smut #colson baker smut #mgk fanfiction #mgk imagine #mgk x reader #yungblud x reader

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shoichee · 3 years

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teiko manager anon back ~ my juicy part 2 will disappoint bc guess what: we're skipping two years into the future. akashi never found out what happened, and by third year the gom were the epitome of cruelty. so reader picks a fight with them after meiko game, only to collapse out of stress after. they graduate, she follows kuroko to seirin and they train to defeat gom. but why is she so insecure and easily sad when gom is mentioned? they get their answer when they catch her overworking

oh teiko anon, so so bold.... really out here stirring the pot of chaos with this part 2 huh KEK alright folks BUCKLE IN YOUR SEATBELTS IT”S TIME FOR PART 2 and part 1 is right here ! part 3 will be here ! update: part 4 is here !

Akashi x Reader

Part 2

[Teiko!manager Headcanons]

remember how I said in part 1 how Akashi would find out sooner or later? this would normally be the case, but in this exception…

you came back to school pretty quickly and restored, only to be in shock when Akashi himself confronts you about where you’ve been… like hello? YOUR CRUSH?? is? talking? to you? about your wellbeing?

here’s the thing, Akashi can easily detect lies through body language because he has an extraordinary sense of kinetic vision and critical thinking, but he’s still a human, not to mention… a middle schooler, and he’s not a true mind reader as some teammates would wholeheartedly believe

still, after some easy sleuthing he easily drew out confessions from some teammates who badmouthed you, although every single one were some type of half-truths and inconsistent testimonies that didn’t really make sense in painting a big picture

instead of incorrectly assuming things, he wanted to hear what’s been going on from your own mouth (keep in mind, this is still Oreshi, the guy who’s still cordial and wants to confirm this with you out of respect)

when he asks you some questions, he doesn’t detect any physical signs of lying from you, which only makes him believe that there wasn’t anything wrong to begin with other than you being under the weather and the other teammates saying utter nonsense either out of fear in his presence or using you as a scapegoat to cover up other delinquencies that he may have yet to discover

“(l/n)-san, I take it that you’ve been resting well? I heard from Kuroko that you were absent due to the seasonal flu.”

“Ah, y-yes! I’ve actually gotten plenty of rest and proper meals, so I’m back on my feet quicker than expected.”

“I actually also wanted to ask you something, if you don’t mind?”

“What is it?”

“Has anything odd happening to you lately? Anyone who has given you trouble or has been uncooperative with you as head manager as of late?”

at the question, you only frown in genuine confusion before you answer no; you genuinely believed that these teammates weren’t in the wrong for “speaking their mind” and if anything, you felt like you were the problem in not being capable enough in managing your own job and your health in the process (despite being knowledgeable in health yourself)

because Akashi saw that you weren’t lying, he dropped it completely out of respect and asked you that if there was anything troubling you that you could reach out to him

oh how he was so, so close to finding out the truth

this wouldn’t be brought up ever again because you and Akashi only continued to grow busier and busier with your own duties; eventually, your fears came true when the Generation of Miracles had in fact “left” you behind when their talents blossomed too fast and left unchecked

honestly, you developed a horrible habit of overworking despite Kuroko’s and Kise’s constant checks on you

what do you know? of course the coaches and faculty members would ignore your opposition against putting the GoMs in every game; after all some of them had been quite dismissive of you already

it’s kind of ironic because if Bokukashi was the one interrogating you back then, he would’ve either easily (correctly) assume based off of the teammates’ testimonies alone, or he’d be a lot more insistent in discerning the truth of the situation and nipping it right in the bud to stop the “nonsense”

but at the same time, Bokukashi has a lot more pressing priorities than a few poor-attitude teammates when he has the entire reputation of Tekio’s legacy on his shoulders; anything pertaining to you never crossed his mind ever since his domineering side emerged

you were really excited for Kuroko since he was gushing about playing against his old friend, since his friend couldn’t make it to finals the first time // needless to say, you were also Kuroko’s mental support when he felt really down at that time

after Kuroko sustained an injury in the game before Meiko, you immediately accompanied him to the infirmary

there, Kuroko requests you to go watch the game and you only reluctantly agree because you wanted to see the game just to relay back to Kuroko just in case if he couldn’t make it, and you were still a manager with a job to fulfill; you’d figure leaving Momoi to watch over was sufficient enough

when you walk out the door though… you bump into Akashi, which is the first time in a while where you two were face-to-face like this; your heart sank when you realize that you had to accept the fact that he’s changed and allowed the distance to grow between you two

but a small part of denial makes you quickly turn and flee out the hallway, but you really begin to evaluate your crush on him as you scurry away; Akashi just stares at you for a moment before he enters into the infirmary where Kuroko is

you’ve distanced yourself from other people (GoMs in particular) in basketball out of denial of the fact you were really left behind (plus, you already dread attending to their games because it’s always a cruel reminder that you’re not working hard enough to achieve results of the same level), which is why reality slapped you in the face after the aftermath of the Meiko game… when you witnessed the full extent of their cruelty on the court

you were really hurt—in fact, you looked more distraught than the Meiko teammates themselves

especially, since the fact that Kise himself, who you thought of him as someone you can trust in, partook in this as well (this is actually your first time in seeing his cruel side in action, since he’s always been very sweet and helpful to you because he respects you)

you first confronted Kise when he was alone for a bit, sounding absolutely heartbroken and on the verge of tears; you shocked him out of his cold side and he immediately becomes a mother hen and asking if you needed water or a seat to calm down before you overexert yourself

after telling him your feelings about the game and your growing distance in the friendship, he sincerely apologizes for making you feel in such an awful way and tells you to let him know next time before a game, so that he wouldn’t suggest this type of entertainment for the game again.

you were in complete disbelief… the fact that your best friend suggested this himself? You dumbly asked for his reason, and he only says that you wouldn’t understand it because no one ever gives the GoM a proper challenge

even though he didn’t intend anything bad when he said this, it just made you feel worse, but you still accepted the apology to get it over with

the other GoMs come and you immediately become angry again and tension just skyrockets; Midorima simply looks away and says nothing, and Murasakibara and Aomine do most of the talking back/arguing… and Akashi only impassively stares at you

later, when Kuroko himself confronts them while everyone was walking in the hallway, you completely lagged behind on the group, tearfully staring at the backs of the GoMs and how you felt really alienated and unmotivated to continue being a manager for a team you don’t even recognize anymore

you grew dizzy again, and you knew your body was dealing with too much at once but you willed your body to at least last the trip

at least you gave a warning when you assumed that you were away from the GoMs at Teiko before you went unconscious; Kise happens to catch you before he brings you to the school infirmary

he does stay with you the entire time, knowing the reason for your collapse was all the extreme emotional and mental toll accumulated in such a short time; he feels absolutely guilty, and when you were about to stir awake, he simply leaves a lighthearted note and a cutely shaped bread before he leaves, knowing that you’d be stressed again if you saw him (around this time is when Kuroko confronts Akashi to quit the team, which is why he was nowhere near you at the time of your collapse/rest)

you felt better that at least Kise still sees you as a close friend when you see what he left behind

you still feel awful, to say the least

it felt wrong of you to quit mid-season, since you felt that you were simply giving up and further perpetuating the fact that you weren’t doing the most that you could

but you didn’t feel like staying for the rest of the season, so you decided to overwork yourself again to get the rest of the paperwork and training plans out of the way for the remainder of the games; you even left detailed instructions to Momoi in how to relieve certain pressure points and muscles for instant relief in case someone hurts themselves

a little timeskip where you decided to tag along Kuroko in attending Seirin High, but you were more reluctant in joining basketball again because you didn’t want to re-experience the stress and burdens in Teiko

well, until you made friends with Riko, and her story in how she was skeptical about basketball at first too inspires you to give it a try again

Kuroko feels really happy that you’re at ease again for the first time, but he definitely notices how you grow gloomy when the Seirin teammates praise the GoMs

you slowly relapse into the habit of overworking to “compensate” for your lack of contributions to Seirin’s team, but this time, every member DROPKICKS you to stop working and relax sometimes (Riko and Hyuuga are the main culprits)

even though you never tell them the reason for your poor habits, the Seirin team members just SENSE and KNOW what to say to make you feel like you’re doing more than enough to support the team in their own unique ways (Mitobe giving really cute shoulder pats and thumbs-ups… Koganei giving you slaps on the back and high-fives… Riko bluntly telling you to relax and giving you encouraging winks… Hyuuga being a roundabout in his praises… Teppei openly praising you… and Kagami telling you that you were doing too much LOL)

Kuroko gives you the SOFTEST SMILES (everyone freaks out every time he does that, it’s hilarious)

however, wounds slowly reopen more once again every time Seirin goes against schools that the respective GoM plays for

after every win Seirin achieves against the GoM’s respective school, each GoM would eventually learn a little tidbits here and there about your tendency to overwork and collapse and possible speculations of why, but you never confirm anything with them

even though you easily forgive Kise after the Seirin vs. Kaijo match (seeing how he interacted with Kagami and Kuroko in the park), for the others… you weren’t so ready to confront…

… particularly with Akashi

#knb #knb x reader #knb headcanon #knb headcanons #teiko #knb teiko #akashi x reader #akashi seijuro #akashi seijuro x reader #kuroko tetsuya #kise ryota #kise ryouta #aomine daiki #midorima shintarou #midorima shintaro #murasakibara atsushi #teiko middle school

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purplesunrisefanfic · 4 years

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A long-ass defence of the unsexy sex scene between Abby and Owen.

(No pictures of it are included here because gross)

So, at the risk of alienating pretty much everyone who follows me, I actually think **that** scene with Abby and O🤢🤢n is a worthwhile storytelling element, and I see why that scene was included but not a Dina/Ellie one. (Even though “I wish things were different.”)

With Dina/Ellie, they love each other, they have a fairly healthy relationship, they have chemistry. Everything that, story-wise, needs to be shown can be (and was) shown without needing a full sex scene. Yeah, I would really like to see a sex scene between them, for sure, but I can’t pretend that because I think there’s vital story elements hidden in there. Not at all because, let’s be honest, we KNOW they had great sex. No one who wants that scene wants it because they’re wondering if they had good sex or not, we want it because we wanna see some great sex.

You‘re not seriously doubting that I’m good in bed, are you?

I’m not dissing us for that, representation matters, and I think Neil made a HUGE error of judgement when he spoke about a sex scene in a context where we’d all assume it was Dina/Ellie. (And that was a moment of terrible judgment that I would be classing as queerbaiting has it not been for the SO FUCKING MUCH groundbreakingly excellent representation in Part 2. In this case, I think it was an example of how even when you work really hard at things you can still make mistakes, still be thoughtless to how much impact you can accidents have on a representation-starved group. And yeah, it’s not easy to let him off the hook for something that important to me, but I do think he’s done enough overall to earn an assumption of good faith here. Not least because I don’t really don’t think anyone’s purchase actually hinged on whether we saw a Dina/Ellie sex scene vs a make out scene and a well-developed queer relationship, and the whole point of queerbaiting is to manipulate us into buying or consuming things we otherwise wouldn’t.)

But to get back to the main point, I think it’s important to recognise that we don’t wish we’d had that scene because we feel like there’s something vital to the story that we don’t know for not seeing it. We have good reasons for wanting that scene, but thinking that we missed out on some vital characterisation, relationship or story elements isn’t one of them.

Now, the sex scene that we do see is very different. First thing I wanna say is that this isn’t a sex scene that only lesbians or people who dislike Owen find to be uncomfortable. I’ve seen some critiques where I feel like a gulf might have opened up with that. Where it’s maybe kinda of assumed that if you are into that type of sex and don’t hate Owen, then that’s an equivalent to the Dina/Ellie scene that we didn’t get, and it’s NOT. Dina and Ellie having sex for the first time is a situation that opens a door (a door which then walk through with them in other ways, such as the small moments of love and bonding that we see portrayed so beautifully) while Abby/Owen having sex for the last time is a scene about reaching a dead end. It’s about realising that the past is a dead end. It’s a scene that I’ve not seen anyone, even people who didn’t find it uncomfortable, describe as sexy.

Abby has dwelled on the past for four years. She trained herself up to kill Joel. She took no notice of what she was doing and who she was becoming in the present because all she thought about was the past. She ended up “top Scar killer” without really noticing (though that point is more my subjective opinion than the other points here, but I see no evidence she was proud or that or even really trying to achieve that). She killed kids and parents ruthlessly without paying any mind to her own morals or whether she even wanted to be a Wolf at all, because she was living in the past, getting whatever the job in the present was done without asking any questions because her head was never there. Everything she did as a Wolf was just a means to survive long to find Joel and be in a position to kill him when she did.

Eventually, as we know, she does find and kill Joel, and the experience doesn’t give her any of the closure she imagined. Her friendship groups fracture, her self-image is damaged, and she’s now both without closure and without purpose. But she still hasn’t quite figured out why. She hasn’t yet realised that dwelling on the past is the problem. Her ex is still in the picture, an ex that she lost “because of Joel” (in the sense that the main tensions we see in their relationship are linked to Abby’s dedication to revenge).

So caught up in revenge through 4 formative years of life, she’s not had the space to develop in ways she likely would have otherwise. She hasn’t moved past the idyllic childhood sweethearts idea, she’s not moved on to thinking about what she actually wants and needs in a partner. She’s not even noticed that her friends have moved on to more adult relationships, relationships where you might settle down with children, until she’s shocked into that realisation by the news that Mel is pregnant. (This is similar to a point Druckmann has made in an interview.)

Even then, the way she talks about suggests she’s still struggling with seeing the present clearly. She talks about it (especially to herself in Jackson) as if they are still teens, as they are 16ish and should have been more careful. There’s ample evidence, in my interpretation, that Abby’s ability to notice the present, to notice change, and to grow up herself has been near-stunted for the 4 years between Jerry’s death and Joel’s death.

So when she has sex with Owen, it’s another way of looking back. It’s another attempt to look for a future in her past, and I think that to really see and understand just how much she has tried to find a future in the past, and how much that has led her to betray her own values, betray her friends, and to be blinkered to the consequences of her own actions and how she finally realises all of this herself, we need to see the sex.

Because the sex is like the receipts. Like the death certificate for the long-overdue passing of her idea that her future can be made good by a fixation on the past.

Say they had had a shitty kiss instead. Well, that could be Owen holding back because he’s torn about Mel. They could be Abby holding back because she’s torn about Mel. If they do anything less than completely betray Mel, then there’s still room for Abby to believe that, if Mel were to suddenly never had existed or whatever, that her and Owen would be 16yo idyllic sweethearts forever.

So they have to totally betray Mel, they have to have clearly and totally disregarded her, for us (and for Abby) to see their relationship clearly. So it has to be sex. And for us to share in that process in Abby’s mind, the realisation that life has moved on, the realisation that her love for him is based on assuming nothing much has changed in 4 years when it has, the realisation that the past is dead end, we have to be with her for that.

Then we can see how she’s gotten to where she is and how she finally realises that there’s nothing that the past can give her. And then, she’s finally ready to see the present for what it is. She’s finally ready to see that what she does in the present matters, that she can chose whether or not two children live or die, and that she should focus on that. She’s ready to see that Owen was a guy she loved 4 years ago, not a guy she loves today. She’s ready to “Let It Go!(sorry, couldn’t resist!). She’s ready to question whether she’s actually this person who wants to be “top Scar killer.” We’re able to see just how much of herself has been lost on her revenge journey, how she can get on a better path, and why we think she’s worth having that chance. I don’t think that story could come together so richly without the visceral discomfort and the layered realisations that seeing her having (imo terrible, some folks have gone as far as “mediocre” and I’ve genuinely seen no-one rate it any higher) sex with Owen.

Abby: I’d rather watch 10 live amputations and have my own arm amputated than ever have sex with Owen again. In fact, I’d struggle to choose between sex with him and sex with the Rat King at this point.

Yara: I think you should try your luck with fucking the Rat King, can’t be any worse, can it?

Side point: This argument also touches on why I don’t believe that Abby is categorically canonically straight, because her whole arc relies on her being too stuck in the past to consider who she’s actually attracted to in the present. Normally, it’s kinda on the people making the media to show us queerness and not expect us to be satisfied that “well, they could be bisexual because we’ve never said they aren’t,” but I think TLOU does enough in terms of active representation to merit an exception, especially when there’s a strong storytelling reason why we never see anything of what she’s into beyond her childhood sweetheart. (I’m not saying she’s def bi, just that I think saying she’s canonically straight is dicey and that, unlike with almost any other form of media where I’m with y’all in the “straight until otherwise proven” approach, with Abby specifically I find it does give me some of the bi erasure feels that I get all the time irl when people describe her as canonically straight.)

I’m gonna pick Lev up from Scar Island, then find myself a hot woman who likes big arms, boats, and my precious adopted children.

#tlou #abby anderson #the last of us #tlou2 #the last of us part 2 #tlou2 spoilers #spoilers #discussion #opinion #my thoughts

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psychicmedium14 · 4 years

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Your 2020 September Horoscope

September is the ninth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, the third of four months to have a length of 30 days, and the fourth of five months to have a length of less than 31 days. September will reveal all the layers of your multifaceted personality. You’ll be genuinely happy to be absorbed in a new engaging activity. What else will the month bring you?

♈

Aries:

At the end of June, your ruling planet, Mars, entered your sign. This has offered the benefits of enhanced energy, motivation, and drive, not to mention a boosted libido. From September 9 until November 13, Mars takes a break and moves backward. You might feel like a marathon runner, forced to come to a standstill. Progress might feel as if you walk through waist-high, wet concrete. But, until November, you have a chance to assess what or possibly who is worthy of your continued efforts. Try to connect with what's helpful about this need to pause and reflect.

♉

Taurus:

During September, much in your world could be subjected to two things: secrecy and reflection. The two go hand in hand because you could call a personal 'time out' to reflect upon what your efforts are bringing in every area of your world. You could be aware of where results aren't forthcoming or possibly where a particular 'spirit' has 'flown.' Whatever you decide, any action you take will likely be supported with plenty of necessary thought. But be prepared to distance or detach yourself to come up with answers or solutions.

♊

Gemini:

Where friendships or group efforts are concerned, you probably bring a unique brand of energy and enthusiasm that others appreciate. But from the 9th until November 13, you could show less willingness to interact or involve yourself. If you're tired of reaching out to or supporting others, then you could be keen to see who makes an effort for a change. You also have two powerful lunar influences affecting your career, home, and family. A Full Moon on the 2nd could have marked a professional turning point. A New Moon on the 17th offers a new beginning related to your living space or domestic setup.

♋

Cancer:

Since the end of June, Mars has blessed you with increased energy and enthusiasm that you've been able to focus primarily on professional pursuits or career advancement. From the 9th until November 13, Mars goes retrograde. This backward motion could result in you feeling more deflated than elated where career prospects are concerned. You might sense momentum grinds to a halt, or effort hasn't paid off in ways you hoped it would. But regardless of how your professional mojo dips, by November, you'll regain your focus and 'give your all' to what truly inspires you.

♌

Leo:

A backward-moving Mars is a weakened Mars, and you could find your enthusiasm and motivation to pursue an educational or mind-broadening goal diminishes or nosedives. 'Mind-broadening' can cover quite a list, but is primarily associated with anything connected with law, studying, travel or media. But it's your financial picture that could have you punching the air with joy. A Full Moon on September 2 targeted money, income, and monetary gains, as will the New Moon on the 17th. It looks like your patience and diligence have paid off - literally!

♍

Virgo:

September is bound to be a revealing and decisive month. A Full Moon on the 2nd targeted partnerships and commitments. Depending on your personal circumstances, this can mark the start of a new beginning or bring a necessary ending. A New Moon in your sign on the 17th offers a clean slate where a new and improved 'you' is concerned. Self-development and self-improvement could be increasingly important. Finally, with a backward-moving Mars influencing finances, you have a chance to assess your monetary position and make improvements or cuts where they're needed.

♎

Libra:

September is all about taking steps to make you feel better on the inside and outside. A Full Moon on the 2nd and New Moon on the 17th encourage you to take your physical and mental health seriously. It could become clear what changes are needed to your diet and lifestyle to help you to be the best you can be. But a backward-moving Mars from the 9th could reduce your energy and enthusiasm toward a partnership or commitment. From this month until November, you could assess whether the effort you invest is worth continuing to make - or where it's not reciprocated on someone else's part.

♏

Scorpio:

You can certainly shine this month, my Scorpion friend. Venus can help bring pats on the back and praise that you and others know you've earned. The coming weeks offer a chance to showcase and remind others of talents you possess. But support or adoration you receive won't allow time to rest on your laurels. A backward-moving Mars affects your work and service to others. You could feel unsupported or left to your own devices where tasks or projects are concerned. But, by November, you'll be able to shine once again having demonstrated your ability to knuckle down, work under pressure, and persist where others may have given up.

♐

Sagittarius:

September looks set to be about finding a necessary balance between home and family matters and making professional progress. A Full Moon on the 2nd could have brought a domestic matter into the spotlight and possibly require you to assist or support a family member. But it's the New Moon on the 17th that offers a clean slate or a new beginning with a career-related goal. Whether a promotion is on the cards or you decide to branch out on your own, what culminates on or around mid-September will be the result of your faith-driven efforts.

♑

Capricorn:

September is brought to you by two keywords: stability and harmony. With Venus influencing what you own, owe, or share with others from the 6th, money disconnected from your earnings could arrive or indicate that a financial risk taken could come up trumps. But with Mars moving backward from the 9th until November 13, you could find an increasing amount of effort is required to keep things sweet on the home and family fronts. It may be your Capricornian grounding that is needed to keep disruption, delays, and conflicts at bay or at least manageable.

♒

Aquarius:

To say that September has a strong financial slant is an understatement. You had a Full Moon on the 2nd that influenced your income and valuables, and this could have created tension, disruption, or anxiety related to monetary matters. But see what transpires on or around the New Moon on the 17th. This offers a fresh start or clean slate connected with money that you don't earn. This is about windfalls that come from inheritances, grants, rebates, or loans. You could find that any cash-related chaos you experience at the start of the month diminishes from mid-month onwards.

♓

Pisces:

September could have commenced with emotions running high, due to a Full Moon that was in your sign on the 2nd. This could have brought a powerful emotional release that had been building for some time. But in whatever way suppressed feelings or emotions emerge, you can be certain that the experience was healing or cleansing. You also have a backward-moving Mars affecting your income and possibly your confidence in a money-making pursuit. You could decide that what has generated cash in the past requires too much effort now. Use the time between now and mid-November to decide where your income is most likely to reflect your passionate or creative efforts.

#horoscopes #september 2020 #spirituality #zodiac signs #astrology

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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High-Rise Invasion Review: Bloody Anime is a Satisfying Character Study

https://ift.tt/2ZTPpfk

This review contains no spoilers and is based on all 12 episodes of High-Rise Invasion season 1.

“I refuse to die. I won’t lose to a world like this.”

There’s nothing quite like a good, heightened mystery, especially if it’s working in tandem with something like the horror genre. Audiences have become increasingly savvy towards and desensitized by even the most extreme examples of each genre, which pushes entertainment to go even further.

This isn’t always the right approach, but it can sometimes be just the right kind of crazy and High-Rise Invasion succeeds in finding that balance. The new Netflix anime initially feels like Rob Zombie’s animated take on The Most Dangerous Game or Battle Royale, but it soon becomes far more than a parade of blood, guts, and lunatics. High-Rise Invasion has a complex message that it wants to convey and the anime cuts much deeper than the simple flesh wounds that cover the cast of characters.

Yuri Honjo is a typical teenager who wakes up in an abstract prison reality that consists purely of the tops of skyscrapers and pits regular humans against deadly individuals in intimidating masks. It’s a lot like if John Wick’s assassins consisted purely from the serial killers in The Strangers. It’s a chilling scenario and Yuri is running for her life too quickly to be able to properly question what’s going on. Yuri learns that her brother, Rika, is also in this strange scenario and her goal becomes to reunite with her sibling and find an escape together.

Upcoming Anime 2021: New and Returning Series to Watch

By Daniel Kurland

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Aesthetics are a major factor in anime and High-Rise Invasion tries its best to present visuals that are as engaging as central mystery and story. High-Rise Invasion comes from the more recent anime studio, Zero-G, but it’s definitely one of their most polished works. There’s a strong art direction here and the animation style even feels reminiscent of a grungy anime OVA from the ’80s. The anime’s soundtrack beautifully taps into this energy and it’s full of electric guitar rock riffs that honestly feel like they could be Queen tracks. They intensify and become more wild during the anime’s more chaotic moments.

At first it appears as if the objective in High-Rise Invasion is rather cut and dry, but Yuri learns something radically different each time that she digs deeper into her surroundings or the murderous individuals who wear masks. The anime does a good job with how it illustrates that the masked antagonists are victims in their own ways and that there’s an even higher power that’s using everyone as tools to fulfill a twisted game. The complications and layers behind the new “realm” that Yuri is stuck in are what give the anime such life and make it more than some edgy hack-and-slash action series.

The ideas that High-Rise Invasion poses turn the anime into a larger meditation on what humans will do to survive and how far they will sell their values in order to secure their safety. This isn’t exactly an original idea, especially with how some mysterious and shady benefactor is behind the whole operation, but the execution is at least very unique.

It becomes a creative character study that does manage to say something new on these themes. Some of the most entertaining material that’s tackled through this is Yuri’s struggle to find a way to survive, but to not become worse than the monsters that hunt her. It’s a struggle that’s present from the very first episode and High-Rise Invasion explores it in a pseudo-realistic manner that doesn’t feel overly rushed for Yuri’s development.

A major source of tension in the series stems from how Yuri is trusting and wants to see the bests in others, but this makes her a major liability in the process. This is a game where no one should be trusted and allies are collateral damage in the making, but Yuri finds a real sense of purpose and security when she meets another lost soul in this world, Mayuko Nise. Mayuko’s aggressive personality is quite the contrast to Yuri, but there’s immediately a palpable chemistry between them.

Mayuko gets introduced as an ally for Yuri, but Sniper Mask gets brought in just as quickly as a formidable opponent. He’s treated as a parallel figure to Yuri who also wants to figure out the basics of this world, but he comes at it from a different angle than Yuri and Mayuko’s necessity for survival. Sniper Mask ultimately becomes the most fascinating of High-Rise Invasion’s characters since he exists in this fractured state where he has some level of awareness that allows him to question the rules that govern this realm.

High-Rise Invasion unpacks this larger mystery with three separate series of events between Yuri’s party, Rika’s group, and Sniper Mask’s team. These three narratives all cover different aspects of this universe and it’s an effective strategy that builds real excitement once these disparate objectives get to align and come together. It all helps contribute another layer to how the true goal of this situation may not be to escape and that there’s actually something more appealing to those within the universe.

People will likely come into High-Rise Invasion for the murder and trippy concept, but they’ll leave talking about the friendship between Yuri Honjo and Mayuko Nise. Yuri explodes with joy whenever Mayuko shows her appreciation and they form a sisterly bond that’s truly wonderful, as is Mayuko’s embarrassment every time she opens herself up to Yuri a little more. These two have somehow brought out the best in each other in this twisted world and the growing bond between them is one of the highlights of the series. They’re the new reigning Murder Wives.

No one in the cast feels like a waste, but Yuri and Mayuko grow into especially entertaining protagonists who have a surreal sense of humor and empathy that add a lot to each of them. Mayuko’s romantic love towards sharp blades is a good example of High-Rise Invasion’s wild mix of sensibilities. The dynamic between Yuri and Mayuko is a consistent delight, but High-Rise Invasion develops strong character dynamics across the board and there are multiple pairings of unlikely figures that blossom into endearing friendships by the end of the season. Sniper Mask is often played in juxtaposition to Yuri and his bond with Kuon Shinzaki is also genuinely sweet.

The vocal performances in the English version are also exceptional across the board and add a lot to the characters. Suzi Yeung as Yuri and Jonas Scott as Sniper Mask are the best of the lot, but everyone makes a strong impression. The Mask characters are by nature caricatures and all have generalized names that speak to their weapon of choice like Sniper Mask, Axe Mask, or even Masked Rider Mask. Baseball Mask and Chef Mask are some of the most creative of the lot and are also highly terrifying. High-Rise Invasion at least seems to be aware of how absurd and exaggerated all of this is and is in on the “joke.”

It’s common for series with an overarching mystery as dense as High-Rise Invasion to drag things out or for there to not be enough content to sustain the entire season. High-Rise Invasion very carefully parses out details where different characters collect disparate nuggets of what’s going on in this “realm,” while the audience is allowed to piece all of this together and try to get a little ahead of the game. The anime is also a case where it only improves as the season goes on and it doesn’t run out of ammunition after the first few installments. If anything, it uses this time to work out its more awkward impulses and really find its groove with the characters and structure.

Once everything does come together there’s a considerably different story being told than what it initially seemed. The answers that High-Rise Invasion provides are satisfying and still leave plenty to be discovered in subsequent seasons. These episodes do feel like the end of a first chapter and that the anime and its world are about to get considerably bigger in its second season, yet there’s still enough of a full story being told that the ending doesn’t feel incomplete.

High-Rise Invasion is a very satisfying journey that’s thankfully more than the sum of its parts. It’d be easy for this series to coast on some creepy imagery and boatloads of violence, but there’s a more intricate story that’s in play here. It does give in to some of its baser instincts at times, but this first season delicately builds a gripping mythology and solid foundation to fall back on.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

This is an anime with dozens of murders across its 12 episodes, heightened brainwashed assassins, and those that want to ascend to a level of deity, but it’s really about finding independence in an oppressive world and how the right friend can change someone’s universe. High-Rise Invasion manages to make its gonzo murder party somehow feel relatable and spill just as much empathy as it does viscera.

All 12 episodes of season one of High-Rise Invasion are now available to stream on Netflix

The post High-Rise Invasion Review: Bloody Anime is a Satisfying Character Study appeared first on Den of Geek.

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laruna · 4 years

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What was Laruna’s friend ship like with the other bts members?

I’ve discussed Yuri’s relationship with Namjoon a lot and detailed their beginnings extensively in Epiphany… and I’ll do it again! Namjoon was her first love on top of being one of her first friends. It took her time to develop feelings for him, but from the start she found him to be a very magnetic person. She’s always loved him a lot, to the point of even idolizing him at times—in turn, he lived off of her validation because he was a teenage boy with low self-esteem and it feels good for a nice girl to be constantly complimenting you.

If there are moments in my writing during the Glass era where it seems like he’s leading her on or that their relationship is ambiguous it’s because he truly does not know, either. He just knows that she’s nice and makes him feel nice. Because of that dynamic, I feel like her leaving South Korea and them separating for a hot minute was good because they grew into their own fully-developed beings before they had the chance to really become co-dependent on one another and complicate their relationship further. I’m excited for when they reunite and I can develop on that relationship more!

Yuri’s relationship with Seokjin is very sweet. It may not seem like it at first glance, but they’re two people who relate deeply to one another. I think one of the points they relate on the most is that they’re both very well-off? Like I would peg Jin as upper class and Yuri as upper middle class? Anyway, class is obviously a topic that’s touched on and criticized a lot among the boys (especially Yoongi) in their discography with songs like Baepsae and Spine Breaker. At times, Yuri and Seokjin can feel awkward discussing what they feel to be first world problems with the rest of the boys when they’ve all struggled so much, so they’ve kind of learned to share their problems with one another and it’s nice.

She tends to talk to him about her problems and ask his for advice more often than he does with her. He can definitely baby her at times and has the tendency to not take some of her advice seriously since she’s so much younger than him—he really doesn’t like when people younger than him try to tell him what to do, after all. Post-reveal, he has a lot of trouble with connecting Laruna’s sexy, mature image to Lim Yuri because? That’s a baby? That’s his baby and seeing her objectified or overly sexualized in any way makes him super uncomfortable. Overall, she’s his baby and he appreciates what she does for him and the group a lot.

I’ve also discussed Yuri’s relationship with Yoongi very extensively in Interloper but let me talk more about them because I love them a lot! Yoongi was the second Bangtan trainee to arrive at Big Hit so him, Namjoon, and Yuri are kind of considered the original three? The rest of them refer to their trio as the poltergeists of Big Hit because of how they were just allowed to run rampant in that place for the first three years. They definitely had a rocky beginning, with him kind of seeing her as a vapid little rich girl, but he eventually lets up with her because she’s just so nice and he doesn’t want to be an ass. They come from different walks of life and don’t always see eye to eye, but at the end of the day they care about one another a lot.

I think she likes that he’s so blunt and believes very strongly in what he says, whereas he likes that she’s very genuine and easy to read. They grow close just because they’re both very honest people so they know it’s going to be an honest, productive conversation without any bullshit. Things get complicated when they start having romantic feelings for each other that they don’t know how to put into words, so they act on them, instead. They don’t really talk about it at first, but things will get messy when they do. More on this when I write for them later so I can avoid spoilers!

Yuri’s relationship with Hoseok is also a positive one. They’re similar in that they’re both people who are very serious about music and their work, but are sweet and bright when they’re off the clock. He tends to toe this line of trying to be professional since she’s their producer and a senior in the company who arrived before him, but also wanting to tease her because she’s so easy to fluster. He sees her as mature and very talented in her craft, so much so that there are times where her age really does just slip his mind. He still tends to milk the ‘oppa’ thing with her because he enjoys messing with her.

Despite this, he’s very observant and understanding to her and her more serious problems. He knows not to touch upon the topics of things like her family life and the complicated dynamic between her and the other two rap line members, and even steers others away from the topic if he can tell that the conversation is headed that way. In turn, she’s very kind to him and often showers him in compliments not only about his kindness, but about his skills and looks, and they often jokingly flirt with each other. Overall, she’s a good friend who feels more like a peer than a junior to him.

Yuri has a very turbulent relationship with Jimin, but it’s one that gets better over time. Just like her and Yoongi, they have rocky beginnings, but there’s also the element of this going unresolved because Jimin is too soft and passive to touch on the tension. She reads this as him being fake, so she doesn’t quite trust him. It’s because of this mistrust that she meddles in his affairs quite a bit. It doesn’t help that Jimin was added into the group’s line-up really late compared to the others, so they didn’t quite have enough time to bond. Underneath it all, I think Yuri was also somewhat resentful that they softened to Jimin so quickly and so late into the game.

She envied his abilities to make friends really easily, especially since it was difficult for her to make friends throughout their childhood. Secretly, he envied how easily she was able to speak her mind. When things are finally resolved between them, they learn that they have more in common than they thought, with both of them having a lot of insecurities that stem from their appearances. They eventually come to care for each other very much, but definitely express their friendship in a very teasing, playful Tom and Jerry relationship. I touch on their relationship a lot in Beholder so once I stop being so busy and finish that I will be able to scream about their complicated bond a lot more!

Unlike his best friend, Yuri has a peaceful relationship with Taehyung, with the only strain on it being her rocky relationship with his best friend, Jimin. Other than that, they get along really well! He looks up to her a lot and sees her as a very smart, mature person due to her production skills and good music sense. For a good chunk of his trainee days, he referred to her as a noona because he really thought she was older than him and she didn’t bother to correct him because she doesn’t like being treated like a little kid when she’s been present for so much longer. After that’s corrected, their friendship with one another remains very friendly and casual, despite him being older. They tend to refer to one another by name and don’t really bother with honorifics and such.

While he treats her as an equal for the most part, he also tends to dote on her because of how small and easy to fluster she is. He treats her in a way that’s very gigil? I don’t know how to explain it in English but basically: she’s tiny and cute and it makes him lose his shit! He just wants to squeeze her and pat her head and squish her cheeks! They’re both very affectionate people, though, so it works out. He’s a very gentle and forgiving person and she knows this, so he’s one of the first people she reconnects with when she returns to Korea, despite her not being as close to him as some others during her time as a Big Hit producer.

Yuri considers Jungkook to be one of her favorite people in the world, but that’s none of your business. In all seriousness, with him being the only trainee younger than her, she enjoys doting on him a lot. She definitely treats him like a little brother, especially since she’s already an older sister. With Jungkook’s arrival to Big Hit, she quickly fell out of the company maknae role and assumed a much-preferred mother or older sister role in the group. She’s prone to ‘going too easy on him’ when compared to how she treats the others and going out of her way to comfort him when he’s upset. She considers herself to be not only his producer, but his unofficial vocal coach.

As any older sister, she’s no stranger to teasing him and often affectionately referred to him as ‘big nose’ during his trainee days. She has also definitely made him pinky promise to buy all of her meals and carry her around everywhere once he’s big and strong and successful enough. Their closeness in age and similar dispositions made it easy for the two to share their feelings with one another, so the two grew rather close. He was probably the most hurt when she left Big Hit, but also one of the quickest to forgive her. Their friendship is very sweet once they patch it back up. She coos and giggles about how handsome he’s become and how he’s grown into his nose and asks if he can carry her and buy all her meals yet!

#thank u for the ask lovely!!#i love them so much so this made me really happy to write aaahh #esp right after bangbangcon hehehe #laruna.asks #laruna.conn

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isabvllas · 4 years

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♡ . * ( jennie kim, cis female, she / her ) have you heard ? it seems like the heir of the MUN dynasty was very close to liam yu too. they go by ISABELLA and they were liam’s FAMILY FRIEND. their networth is of 82M and they’re only TWENTY-THREE … what a burden it must be. i heard they can be very COQUETTISH and VIVACIOUS. but these last few months, their DISINGENUOUS and VAIN personality has been showing more. the media is sure having a field day with them ! i hope this road trip with friends will help them. did you know that CHEWING BUBBLEGUM AFTER LUNCH, WHISPERING SECRETS TO A LOVER, CANDY HEARTS and PILLOWS STAINED WITH TEARS really show their true persona ? maybe liam was the only one who knew that ...

hi everyone, i’m so happy to be here !!! my name is diana, i’m twenty, go by she / her pronouns, and reside in the est timezone. some quick facts abt me: i’m a libra and girl group stan !! below u can read a bit abt my muse isabella hehe if u like this post i’ll hit u up for plots !!! my discord is missing blackpink hours#5522 if u wanna message me there, but if not, im’s work just fine <3

♡ . * 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔 !

full name : isabella grace mun

nickname(s) : bella, isa ( by liam only )

age : twenty-three

zodiac : libra sun, scorpio moon ( click )

sexuality : bisexual

alignment : chaotic neutral

pinterest : click

♡ . * 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 ! ( drug tw )

keeping up appearances has always been the mun family’s main focus. everything they do is an attempt to better their public image. her parents marriage was merely another business agreement between two powerful families

her father’s side works in finance and investments, while her mother’s side owns one of the wealthiest PR firms in the world

her parents got married because there was nothing the public loved more than family. you could get away with almost anything with the illusion strong family values under your belt. isabella’s conception was just part of the arrangement

her mother was not particularly maternal. her husband was a few years to her senior, so she was still fairly young when she got pregnant. however, they had already been married for two years and a baby was part of the deal

isabella was passed along through a string of nannies. none of them stuck around long enough to give her the emotional support she so desperately desired. she clung to adult figures throughout the majority of her childhood, from boarding school teachers to private tutors

as she grew older, however, she began to understand the way of things. she barely spent any time with her parents, but the one thing she learned from her father was how to look out for herself. no one else was going to do it for her

throughout secondary school, she perfected the art of getting what she wants. she’d put on a sweet, helpless act to manipulate those around her. she became fluent in lying, and it always worked to her advantage that she had a face people could trust

she spent her teen years growing a social media following, becoming a beauty influencer. she was seen as an it girl, credited for starting various fashion trends

without anyone looking after her, isabella was able to do whatever she wanted. however, she also learned from her parents the importance of maintaining a pristine image. so, she partied and had her fun out of the public eye, or so she thought

at seventeen, isabella had her first coke scandal after pictures of her were leaked to the tabloids. it was like a rich kids right of passage. her parents were furious with her. for a moment, isabella felt hopeful. they were furious because they cared, right ? unfortunately for her, it wasn’t because of what she was doing. they were only angry she was stupid enough to get caught

isabella’s mother took care of cleaning up her image. after all, damage control is what she knew how to do best. isabella was forced to take a break from social media. according to the statement her family put out, she was under a lot of stress from running a social media empire at such a young age. as per her mother’s instructions, her social media blackout lasted a year. by the time she was back in the public eye, she had graduated high school and was started the next chapter of her life

however, the year she took away from social media was the most time she had ever spent with her parents. she was forced to stay with them so they could keep her from further tarnishing the perfect image they had created for themselves. during this time, she found out she hated her parents. they were cold, and completely emotionless

she felt alone most of the time. her friends were almost always fake, and so was she. she was always putting on a mask too, so it’d be unfair to even judge. but the only person she could ever trust was herself. except liam was different

she knew liam her whole life through familial connections, but she only got closer to him over recent years. he seemed to be the only person who could understand her. she started to confide in him with a lot of things. he made her feel less alone, a true friend. it was unlike anything she had ever experienced before and she wasn’t used to anyone genuinely caring. he would let her sleepover whenever she was going through something

his loss hit her hard. even though she tries to appear like she’s grieving his loss healthily, she isn’t. isabella has convinced herself she’s cursed, like his loss was her fault just because he was associated to her. like everything she touches falls apart. she kinda started using drugs again more heavily because of everything, where before she mainly only used in social settings

♡ . * 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 !

isabella appears to be an extrovert on the surface. even though most of it is an act, she has a lively presence. she likes to be the life of the party and the center of attention, but when it comes down to it, it’s just part of the persona she puts on for others

she’s playfully flirty with almost everyone. it started as a way to manipulate people, but she also finds amusement in it now. to her, everything life is a game and she wants to win

she is always trying to manipulate people for her own selfish gain, however, she’s extremely careful to be lowkey about it so no one really knows. she appears to be very sincere and considerate of others. most people view her as harmless, which is exactly what she wants. she wants people to underestimate her

isabella can be quite full of herself. she obsesses over her appearance like 24/7 partially due to her social media presence. she won’t leave the house without looking presentable because she refuses to be spotted looking bad

but aside from obsessing over her looks, she also has a superiority complex. she thinks she’s better and smarter than most people, but she doesn’t show this side of herself too often

she loves to go out and be in the presence of strangers. she feels closer to them than to the people she actually knows. but it’s one of the reasons she loves parties so much. asksjhkjsh like that part in great gatsby where that girl was like large parties are much more intimate !!! that’s bella

her life is ultimately unfulfilling tho, because the way she masquerades around pretending to be one way just to use people for her own benefit has left her completely alone. she seeks real friendships and relationships deep down, but she does everything in her power to bury this side of herself. she also seeks validation but doesnt care enough about anyone’s opinions to ever receive it

♡ . * 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 !

partner in crime - someone who she can scheme with, someone who will play these little games with her, someone she has fun with

ex-lover - there could b more than one of these !!! they could have ended on bad terms or good terms, still have lingering feels or tension maybe they’re friends or maybe they just try to stay away from each other

unrequited crush - ur muse could have a crush on her and maybe she’s oblivious or maybe she uses it to her advantage. OR we’d have to plot this out well but maybe she has genuine feelings for your muse and doesn’t know what to do about it because this never really happens

requited feelings - speaks for itself, but our muses have feelings for each other. ik isabella would make things complicated just because it would be hard for her to accept that she actually cares about someone that isn’t herself

will they, won’t they - there’s tension between them, but nothing has ever come out of it yet. maybe something has almost happened, maybe they’ve kissed once, but either way the tension lingers in the air whenever they’re together

flirtationship - they flirt with each other constantly, but nothing has ever come from their flirting. maybe they have good chemistry, but haven't done anything about it and maybe they don’t want to. maybe they don’t want to ruin a good thing

current fling/friends w benefits - someone she is currently seeing. it’s most likely no strings attached, but maybe it’s someone she genuinely cares about as a friend

enemies w benefits - imagine the tension !!! they started out hating each other but ended up hooking up. maybe it was a one time thing, or maybe they can’t stop going back to each other. maybe they keep it a secret and don’t want anyone else to know. this could develop in soooo many ways pls this is so sexy !!!!

party buddies - they always go to parties together. maybe they don’t see each other outside of parties, maybe they met at a party and started hanging out more afterwards

drug / alcohol buddies - someone she gets fucked up with. maybe they’re not that close when they’re sober, but are way closer when under the influence

ex-friends - someone she used to consider a close friend, but they had a falling out for whatever reason n maybe they strongly dislike each other now, which means isabella is probably trying to plot their down fall

sibling-like friendship - someone she sees like a sibling. since she’s an only child, i’d love a friendship that feels like family

unlikely friends - a pair you wouldn't imagine would be friends, but for whatever reason, they get along well

cousins - they could get along well, or maybe there’s family drama that makes them hate each other

take care - someone who looks after her when she drinks to much !!! someone who keeps her out of trouble when she’s under the influence. she would probably feel extremely weird like when she’s sober bc someone taking care of her ??? feels fake 2 her

confidant - someone who confides in her or someone she confides in, or they confide in each other. they don’t necessarily have to be the closest friends ever, but they get along and maybe they talk more in private

rivals - they don’t like each other for whatever reason, which we can plot. maybe it’s jealousy or their personalities just clash, but for whatever reason they do not get along

frenemies - they’re great friends to each other’s faces, but when they’re not around each other, they act questionably

bad influence - someone she is a bad influence on. maybe she’s manipulating them, or just encourages them to do bad things and they listen to her for whatever reason

that’s everything !!! i’m soooo sorry this got a lil lengthy, it wasn’t my intention but also idk how 2 shut up AJKDSHDJH anyway i’m so excited to plot with u all and start interacting, so hit me up on discord or im’s or i’ll come to u <3

#♡ . * 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒏𝒂 ╱ ooc.#mytime; intro #im sorry this took me kinda long for no reason ADHSJDHD but im excited 2 be here <3 #also i didnt proof read so im sorry for any mistakes KJASJDHSJHD

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songcall · 4 years

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Ichiyanagi Hibana [KNB OC]

BOOM. aNoThEr OnE. Aomine never stood a chance. This one was actually specifically asked to be uploaded by a friend so- . ;w; hdegwdbhwjde. I just really love her okay.

Name: Ichiyanagi Hibana (Last name, First name)

Age: 16

Birthday: June 9th || Gemini

Height: 5′ 5

School: Tōō Academy || First Year

Clubs/Committees: N/A

Occupation(s): Student

Personality: Ichiyanagi (Often prefers Ichiya for time’s sake), is a relatively bubbly and outgoing person. She’s talkative, and always up to date on the latest news. Her demeanor with new people can be questionable, depending on first impressions. Sometimes she can become a touch snarky and rude, as she’s definitely not opposed to letting people know how she feels about a situation.For the most part, she’s very open to new friendships, and can almost seem overenthusiastic. In cases when confronted with something she’s not interested in, she becomes preoccupied and bored, letting it be known that she’s not interested in the least. This behavior can honestly change on a whim, but typically directly relates to how much respect and affection she has for a person. Many of her old friends would have her undivided attention, despite talking about something she knew so little that she couldn’t even understand it.

Ichiya is obsessed with cute things, and will often get so excited over things along those lines that she will gush for hours. She definitely can carry a conversation by herself, even with minimal input from the other person. She tends to get offended easily, and though her default would be to immediately throw a fit, she’s been working on assessing and appropriately handling her emotions so that she can think before she acts or speaks. It doesn’t always work, but... hey, there’s progress..(?)

Backstory/Story: Ichiya had always been a little of a problem child, though the problem was much worse when she was a young child. She was given anything she ever wanted, as well as a lot of attention from her father, effectively turning into quite the spoiled brat. She demanded attention from her peers, and when she didn’t get what she wanted, she resorted to being rude and mean to force it out of them. This behavior stayed relatively constant, only changing in the manner that it became more covert as she grew. With her mother remarried after her parents split, Ichiya became turbulent, but was forced to be more well-behaved at home with her father not present to condone her bad behavior.

Come middle school, she had befriended two girls that each shared the struggles of a chaotic background and home situation, introducing her to a wider perspective and scope of people. Though they were practically a small-scale gang, what with all the members they assembled and their somewhat questionable activities, the group satiated her craving for rebellion, and helped her vent out her anger, stress, and frustration.

Her mother and step father, voiced concerns over her behavior, deciding to try and remedy the problem by reaching out to the parents of her friends to get them involved. As a result, the gang was disbanded, and the three ring leaders now all attend different schools. Without her friends and followers, and having her fill on large-scale rebellion, Ichiya began to slowly cool down. After attending Tōō with her step sister, Sasai Miu, the most pressing problems for her became her grades and conduct.

Her sister, a part of the school’s student council, decided to try getting her assistance, by asking her friend and council member Imayoshi to try helping her. Reluctantly, Imayoshi agreed, and began with simple tutoring and attempts at keeping her near to keep her out of trouble - varying degrees of success... mostly failures. During practice, he kept her on the sidelines, where Ichiya would be preoccupied with her phone -instead of her homework-, and socializing or occasionally watching. She trailed Aomine out when the coast was clear, considering it seemed he was also ditching his responsibilities, and adapted his rooftop space as her hideaway.

They could talk, and she was satisfied with someone that didn’t immediately judge her behavior, as well as him satisfied with someone similarly not chastising him for skipping out on practice. Due to one of her friends from middle school, Kuroda Yoruko, having an interest in basketball, Ichiya asks Aomine to teach her after noting his place with the team. She persistently pesters him until he agrees, though she reasons that she only needs to know enough to bluff out her friend, should they meet up again. This continues almost in the form of lessons like a routine, and when Aomine resumes practice, they continue playing on the off time. It becomes therapeutic for Ichiya as well, and gives her something to focus her attention into, helping her to be overall more relaxed and less volatile.

Relationships:

Sasai Miu: Ichiya’s step sister. They got off on a rocky foot, and even now their relationship typically is one built on comedic jabs and refusal to honestly state their attachment to each other (Honestly, just Ichiya). Ichiya typically pokes with and teases Sasai for her naive and innocent demeanor, hammering in that with her stature as well, no one would ever guess that Sasai was the older of the two of them. Even though Sasai wants the best for Ichiya, and the latter will often reject her attempts at expressing love for her sister, Ichiya actually cares deeply for her step sister. She looks at Sasai as one of the few people that never gave up on her, nor tried to outright change who she was. For that reason, she is actually intensely protective over Sasai.

Kuroda Yoruko: One of her close friends from middle school. Both of them related to each other regarding their turbulent home lives. They met initially due to an argument, one which they state out of embarrassment that they simply can’t remember the details of. It immediately turned ugly, and was interrupted by Yuda Ren, who later became their other friend. Though tension stayed between them for a time, they developed a mutual respect and a sort of kinship. By the end of their time in middle school, they were practically inseparable, though it didn’t have the chance to last into high school, as they were all separated. Kuroda’s parents, who are less involved with her life, didn’t actively move her away as the others’ did. She is attending Seirin, meaning she and Ichiya have the opportunity to catch up, and just simply haven’t yet had the opportunity. They still text often, and call when they can. Kuroda’s interest in basketball stuck out as a big point, enough for Ichiya to want to surprise her by learning a little.

Yuda Ren: Not what you’d expect from your typical image of a borderline-middle-school-gang-leader with a turbulent home life. Yuda was academically excellent and typically well-mannered, coming from a fortunate background. She had a surprisingly confrontational personality, lining her charisma with snark and rudeness. Her contrast to Ichiya and Kuroda helped diversify their group and create a surprisingly balanced union. Yuda acted more as the mother figure, mediating between them when necessary, but actually genuinely enjoying their company. She found it a breath of fresh air that they weren’t immediately judgmental, and that she could be more relaxed with them. Her parents were incredibly disapproving however, and rather than just being sent to a different school, she was sent outside of Tokyo to attend Yosen. It’s a lot harder for Ichiya and Yuda to keep in contact outside of phone calls and texts, but Ichiya fears that too long of it will cause them to grow apart.

Imayoshi Shoichi: He was put in charge of assisting her by Sasai’s request. Ichiya didn’t initially have much of an opinion on him, though she was disappointed that she couldn’t convince him to just do her work for her. She overall has more respect for him because of his standings with Sasai. Sasai highly respects him, and Ichiya is certain that ‘mutual respect’ isn’t the only way to describe their relationship standings. Save for Aomine, and later Momoi, she gets to know Imayoshi the best out of the Tōō team.

Momoi Satsuki: She didn’t really get the opportunity to know her well in the beginning, especially because she ditched the practices a lot. She had assumed that Momoi’s demeanor would put her off, and that they wouldn’t get along, but much to her surprise, Ichiya admired the amount of spunk Momoi possessed on top of her more girly attitude. The two hit it off before too long, and sometimes would completely leave Aomine out of their plans to hang out together instead. It still drives him crazy.

Hashida Kaiyo: Hashida was more of Momoi’s business than Ichiya, so considering the two had their issues, Ichiya stayed out of it. after Hashida and Momoi managed to repair their differences, they occasionally began to hang out together along with a few others, though it was a tough effort to eventually pull them together. Ichiya and Hashida get along rather well, though more than Momoi, Hashida fuels Ichiya’s need for the darker side of socialization, and is never short on gossip.

#knboc #oc #knb oc #kuroko no basket oc #kurkonobasketoc #aominexoc #aomine #ship #canonxoc #ocart #fc #fancharacter #fan character #kuroko's basketball #kurokosbasketball #animeoc #anime oc #oc bio #oc profile

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twicebled · 4 years

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✿

@leveilleurisms inquired !

FRIENDSHIP. childhood friends / work buddies or coworkers / family friends / friends with benefits / smoking buddies / adventure buddies / fake friends / recently friends / party buddies / friendship of need / dying friendship / circumstantial friendship / partners in crime / old friendship / [ your muse ] is the good influence / [ your muse ] is the bad influence / [ my muse ] is the good influence / [ my muse ] is the bad influence / opposites attract / ride or die / frenemies / roommates or flatmates / penpals / exes to friends / enemies to friends / other.

I’ve always seen these two as being a bit of a yin yang deal, balancing out the other’s flaws. Alphinaud has the calm sense to keep Johri’s impulsive temper in check, whereas Johri has the experience to know when action needs to be taken ( though sometimes they both get impulsive, lbr ). They help each other grow, always bringing out the best in one another and facing challenges together, but don’t need a reason to spend time together. They likely know a lot of each other’s quirks and such from spending a long time under the same roof in Ishgard.

I also love the idea of them teaching each other a bit of their respective vocations. Johri would be particularly thrilled to compare the inherent magic of a bard to the more direct arts of an arcanist. They can drag alisaie and urianger into it. study group, let’s go.

FAMILIAL. siblings [ half ] / siblings [ step ] / [ my muse ] is an older sibling figure to your younger sibling figure / [ my muse ] is a younger sibling figure to your older sibling figure muse / [ my muse ] is a parental figure to yours / [ my muse ] is a child figure to your muse / guardian figure / legal guardian / adoptive child / foster child / [ your muse ] is taken under mines wing / [ my muse ] is taken under yours wing / other : found family !!

I always talk about how Alphinaud is like a younger sibling to Johri, but I don’t think that does it justice. On many occasions he has been an anchor to her the same way everyone else expects her to be for them, acting with a wisdom beyond his years. She would not have come this far without him and confides in him the doubts she never dares speak to the world. He may be younger, and she will dote on him as such, but they absolutely are equals and she acknowledges this.

ANTAGONISTIC. dangerous to each other / dangerous to others / unpredictable / rivals / petty / developing into sexual or romantic tension / based off family matters / based of off circumstance / based of professional matters / based off misunderstanding or lies / conflict of ideology / betrayal / hero - villain dynamic / enemies / fight club / friends turned enemies / lovers turned enemies / exes turned enemies / other : lightwarden / 14th au. coughs.

Even the best of friends argue, and these two in particular have a strong clashing point between Johri being the Reluctant Hero trope & Alphinaud’s idealistic hopes. She does not care about people or the world as much as he does. She is kind, yes, but also somewhat apathetic outside her circle of friends. And particularly in SHB, with the things brought to light by Emet-Selch, she becomes quite bitter regarding the grand scheme of it all.

This bitter apathy is something very few get a glimpse of and only Alphinaud knows of in detail from her own mouth. She trusts him enough to drop the carefree hero act around him.

𝙵𝙸𝙽𝙰𝙻 𝚃𝙷𝙾𝚄𝙶𝙷𝚃𝚂. This turned into a bit of rambling, woops. It’s all very flexible if something doesn’t fit your portrayal or you prefer something different for them! I’m always up for plotting! Just figured I’d throw in some context as to why Johri cares so much for Alphinaud.

Johri comes from a patchwork family with a lot of younger siblings. It’s become an instinct to watch over youths, and this is something she projected onto Alphinaud from the start, but it took the events of Heavensward for her to genuinely care beyond a sense of duty to keep those younger than her safe.

This is also where Johri significantly diverges from the WoL’s canon behaviour.

After Ul’dah, all they really had was each other, a solidarity between them from their experiences and predicament. For Johri, this was a huge “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone” moment, and her grief manifests as anger. Unfortunately, she took it out on Alphinaud. She used his guilt to keep herself grounded, taking an already bad atmosphere and making it worse. Their beginnings in Ishgard were incredibly tense as a result of it.

There was a lot of damage control from Haurchefant. But in the end they came out stronger for it because I very much believe they sat down and talked it out at some point, likely after Haurchefant’s death. It sobered her up quite a bit. She only just realized what friends are worth, and she did not want to loose Alphinaud to her own folly or something worse. She was determined to make up for it.

Heavensward was the first time Johri truly felt the personal consequences of the path she was thrown onto, both good and bad, and Alphinaud is the one who walked with her through it all. They always call her a beacon of hope, but for her, that was Alphinaud. He kept it together when she could not. This was a defining point in her journey, and she won’t forget the people who walked besides her. It is why she considers Ishgard her home.

Ever since, she has gone to great efforts to make sure Alphinaud does not dwell on any failures or blames himself for them, like some meager sentiment to make up for the things she said, taking whatever burden she can to make it easier for him. She still thinks of it sometimes, to keep herself honest. It reminds her of what is at stake.

The Scions’ disappearance prior to SHB absolutely broke her. Thancred had to hold her back from throttling Gaius when she saw him carrying Alphinaud’s unconscious form. She carried him back herself and no one can tell me otherwise, thanks. There was a lot of hugging when they reunited on the first.

ANYWAY. johri stans alphinaud, thanks for coming to my ted talk.

RELATIONSHIP MEME 2.0 / ACCEPTING !

#I could write an ESSAY on how much Alph means to Johri.#BUT !! if you're interested in something different let me know !!#I'm absolutely up for canon divergent stuff !!#* MOOGLE DELIVERY .#leveilleurisms #long post /

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alternislatronemhq · 4 years

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Congrats, Jessie, you have been accepted to AL for the role of Molly Weasley (FC: Christina Hendricks). Yes, Jessie, our favorite mom figure in the series! Molly is just such a gem, and I’m so excited that you’re bringing her here to this group! You have an excellent grasp on Molly as a character and that really shines through in our application. I love the concept of Molly as a social worker, and even though she’s currently a stay-at-home mom, I have so many thoughts as to how those skills could bring her into play in the broader plot. Well done, and hopefully we’ll get a Fabian soon so that we can see Molly deal with the death of Gideon alongside his twin! Please send in your blog (no sideblogs for first characters, please) in the next 24 hours and be sure to take a look at our new player checklist.Welcome home, we’re so excited to have you join the family!

OOC

name — jessi age — 26 pronouns — she/her timezone — pst activity level — 7. i just started back at work this week after 3 months of shelter in place, so my activity might be a little bit lower over the next couple of weeks while i get back in the swing of things, but once i’m back in the routine, i’ll be fairly active.

IC Overview

name — margaret “molly” olivia weasley age — 36 gender — female sexuality — bi patronus —

An Elephant: A witch or wizard with an elephant for a patronus can be extremely strong and not just physically, they are often wize and have strong spiritual connections with their communities and know where they lie within them.

Being part of a herd, in no way, means they are just like everyone else, they do things their own way and will only use brute Forse is necessary, usually choosing to consider others and mind what they say.

This patronus indicates a kind an gentle caster who if not careful can drift into anxiety leading to aggression if they don’t have their herd near by. Often, they spend hours trying to look after everybody else and forget to take care of themselves.

The elephant has strong family ties and has great perception, empathy and sence of self. Although they may take longer to develop their skills they will flourish to a greater extent than others.

Bonus fact: the elephant herd Is a matriarchy and the bulls go off on their own when they reach maturity. The elephant is a sign of strong femininity and affection. [x]

boggart — her family dead. The idea of losing loved ones (and this doesn’t include just blood relatives. It includes close friends as well) terrifies her. She loves so deeply and the idea of losing loved ones and being left alone in a world where this war is getting worse terrifies her.

IC In Depth

personality traits —

positive:

Maternal - If there was one constant personality trait that had followed Molly from when she was younger, it was being maternal. By the age of five, she had twin brothers to take care of and she flourished in the mothering department. She was always doting on them - making sure they were warm enough, making sure they weren’t hungry, making sure they had the attention they needed, which is something that she can still be found doing now that she has children of her own.

Passionate - Molly has always been passionate. Whether it be about her children, her education, or by the simplest thing like knitting. There’s no in between with Molly - she’s either not interested or immensely passionate.

negative:

Stubborn - One could say her children were already taking after her in this department. When she believed in something, she didn’t step down. Her and Arthur have gotten into plenty of arguments because of her stubbornness. She hates backing down, even if she knows she’s wrong.

Overbearing - At times Molly can come across as overbearing, though that’s not her intention. She only wants the best for everyone and her idea of what’s best might not line up with their idea of what’s best. It’s the maternal instinct in her that tries to push them into doing what she believes is best.

character biography —

Molly Weasley’s family life growing up was your typical 50s and 60s home life. It was straight out of a movie - a doting mother, a hard working father, a redheaded daughter who was as innocent as the next child. Her father, Carl Prewett, worked for the Ministry of Magic in the Improper Use of Magic Office and her mother, Margaret Prewett, was a primary school teacher for children of witches and wizards.

It was often said that there was no doubt that Molly was Margaret Prewett’s daughter. She was a spitting image of Margaret with a personality to match the older, fiery redheaded witch and because of this, they were often at each other’s throats (much like Molly’s future relationship with her own daughter). There were, however, minor differences between the two. Where Margaret was more abrasive and unwilling to stand down, Molly was a more diluted version of the older woman. But that didn’t take away from how close the two of them were. Molly went to Margaret for just about everything.

Then there was Carl Prewett. Many people were often surprised to find out that Carl Prewett had married Margaret. Where Margaret is very abrasive, Carl is gentle. Where she is very hot-tempered, he is very level-headed. While Molly picked up most of her personality traits from her mother, Molly had picked up her love of vinyl records, hard work, and compassion from Carl.

Being the oldest daughter had been a blessing in disguise for the Prewett parents. When they brought home not one, but two brothers for Molly, she instantly went into maternal overdrive. But that isn’t to say it was always rainbows and sunshine. Molly often found herself outnumbered two to one with various jokes about poop, farts, and burps. Then there was the constant prank pulling. They gave her hell, but she loved it.

Getting her Hogwarts letter wasn’t much of a surprise to the Prewett family. Molly had showed signs of magic from an early age. When she finally made it to the castle she had heard so much about from her parents, Molly flourished. She met people who would become life long friends. She met people she thought she would grow old with, but no longer would grow old with. But through all of that, she met Arthur Weasley. Over the years, they became close. Through that closeness, Molly fell in love with the redheaded man that reminded her so much of her father. He was the gentleness to her abrasiveness, he was the level-headedness to her hot-temper. He was her best friend and when they became an item in their late years at Hogwarts, she was over the moon.

When the pair of them graduated, they moved in together and both started their paths to start their perspective careers. Arthur went into the Ministry and Molly started training to become a Social Worker. Within a year, the pair of redheads were married and a year later Molly was a certified Social Worker and within another year, she was pregnant with their first child. Over the next eight years, Molly and Arthur welcomed four more children, the latest being a set of twins. During those eight years, she decided to become a full-time-mother - her way of Sticking It To The Man™. She loved being a Social Worker, but she loved being a mother more. But now that tensions are rising, she’s afraid of what might happen. She would do just about anything for her family.

plot ideas —

i would love to explore how molly dealt with the death of her brother, especially when she had kids and his twin brother is still alive. whether it be another family member, someone she vaguely knows, or someone she thinks of as being family.

extra —

“Freshly Baked Bread: warm, inviting, kindness. you are the definition of cooking as a loved language and are at your strongest when creating something. others find you soothing to be around and feel at ease due to your genuine warmth and nurturing nature. you can be a mix of gentle and passionate, but it’s that intensity that lives at the centre of your spirit that draws people to you most. compatible with: candle smoke, coffee, rosewater.”

“GRASS.The Grass type is all about life. Whether you’re watching nature grow, or allowing the seeds of a newfound friendship to blossom, Grass-types focus on the creation of things, rather than the destruction. Like a study oak, you’re a patient individual, though sometimes your relaxed demeanor can border on inaction. You enjoy personal relationships, and always are one to give a gift to a friend, or jump for joy at the smallest display of kindness. You truly like to believe in the best of people, it seems. This attitude is noble, but it can get you into trouble, Grass-type. You need to remain in control of your day-dreams, and make sure that your emotional compass doesn’t lead you to harm. If you can maintain a smile through the grit of the world,”

#al:accepted #molly weasley

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nicolinocolino · 5 years

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thoughts on skamit season 2

(warning: this is long af and a little messy!!) 👇

(warning #2: I do make comparisons to the og; not everything I have to say is sunshine and smiles but I DO have a lot of praise to give as well: if you only want to read that just skip the first part 💛)

Things that made me go ???

Niccolò playing the piano. This just ended up being more disappointing than anything. Why introduce something so unique and special only to never mention it again? This could have easily been the passe på meg scene.

WHICH while we are on the subject, why was there NO PASSE PÅ MEG SCENE?! I do not understand this at all, unless the point of the clip flew right over Ludo’s head. (When did Niccolò notice Martino?? Why did he follow him into the radio booth?? Why did you deprive us of this information Ludovicoooooo)

Oh and: Ludovico Bessegato — I do not trust you and I think you’re a dick but also you’re kind of brilliant. I don’t even know what to think of him, tbh. Ok for real: I’m going to talk about the end of episode 2 for a second and more specifically, his reaction to the responses. Playing the victim? Deleting his Instagram? Not apologizing? He acted like a straight up child, and if he didn’t do that, I think I’d see him in a much brighter light. But instead, we got a glimpse of the person he really is and it doesn’t paint a pretty picture. (I am not the kind of person to see things in black and white and I’m also not the kind of person to base my opinion of others on one act — which is why I’m so torn on him. However, helping to develop Martino’s story and making creative choices I could praise forever doesn’t make up for this particular action and it also doesn’t make him a good person.)

AND YET — between all of the brilliant direction choices he DID make... why was the lighting so bad? This is not me being like ~wAh I WaNnA SeE tHeM KisS bEtTeR~ I just want to... see their expressions?? I keep reading in interviews how emotionally tolling the fight scene between the boys was and,,, I can hear it in their voices but damn I wish I could have seen their faces. Would have been nice.

Also: one directing choice I also didn’t quite understand was the lack of focus on Martino’s face in some scenes? Granted, I don’t expect the camera to be on him ALWAYS but there were some key scenes that just didn’t focus on his face at all when I thought it should: in the first episode when the boys are outside and Marti first notices Nico, Marti tells Luca he doesn’t want to hear his nasty clitoris story, to which Gio turns to Marti and tells Luca not to listen to him. And then... did that hurt Marti? Did he laugh? Guess we’ll never know because the camera just ignored him. Gio is his best friend and his opinion matters a lot to Martino, so why didn’t we get to see his expression? He’s the only member of the boy squad not wanting to listen to Luca’s story and he gets shut down. Does he care...? Also: the cabin scene in the morning. Marti introduces Nico and then.... we never get his reaction to the boys sleeping on the floor, to Nico inviting them to breakfast, to Luca hugging Nico... the camera literally forgets his existence after Nico meets the boys. These are just two examples off the top of my head but I know as I watched there were more.

The dialog choices regarding when they did and didn’t follow or deviate from the og. I’ll get more into the characters in the next section but it’s no secret that Martino and Niccolò are not Isak and Even and therefore, when the dialog was close to or a carbon copy of the og, it felt kind of forced into their mouths and rather rushed. My personal least favorite line they kept was the whole “your mom pays me” gag between Marti and Nico in the kitchen of the last clip. Just seems... very out of character for them (given the fact that Nico just got done being in a rather manipulative and controlling [she’s always managed to put me on the spot, to twist things, to make me believe everything she wanted me to believe. <— his own words!!!] relationship). When Marti and Niccolò had their own original banter (some notable examples include chatting about the radio [did you have something better to do?], before the pool kiss [are you dumb, are you stupid?], their entire talk in bed in 5.1, and “studying” together [yeah, that’s the idea]) it really really shined and, of course, felt totally in character. I love the choice to make Marti and Nico so different than Isak and Even (again I’ll get to that in more detail soon) but within that choice, the dialog needs to adapt to fit them and I feel like they either nailed it or totally missed the mark.

HOWEVER — there was one exception to this: I loved loved loved loved loved the coming out scene between Marti and Gio, despite it being almost word for word. I’d go as far to say I liked it more than the one in the og for several reasons: 1. Fede’s acting holy shit. (While this situation always has a lot at stake, the stakes felt very high for Martino here. I could feel how nervous he was not just to reveal a part of himself he’d been keeping hidden for so long, but how nervous he was to potentially lose his friend. It made my heart race!) That little swallow he did? God. I could feel the nerves. 2. Their surroundings and actions were not random. Marti invited Gio to play FIFA for a reason! It’s basically a ritual for them at this point and a very comfortable setting. Marti choosing this as his comfy place to come out to Gio reinforces the idea that he still likes “dude things” and that Marti is still the same guy Gio has played the last 100+ games with. 3. The! Cheering! Of! The! Crowd! In! The! Video! Game! After! Marti! Says! ‘It’s not a girl’!!!!!!!!!! POETIC CINEMAAAA. All in all, again, despite the dialog being just about the same, this scene still felt very in character for both Marti and Gio and was executed flawlessly. A+

The social media was good content wise but that didn’t make up for the inconsistency. Part of the appeal of SKAM and the remakes are how it brings viewers into the deeply personal lives of the characters. We read their text messages for god’s sake — that is so personal! Social media, yes, does make way for some good character development (catch me never being over the selfie of the boys in Bracciano) but mainly, it just humanizes the characters. Teenagers, mind you! Show me a teenager not glued to their phone. I don’t believe for one second Silvia didn’t have like, 7 Instagram stories every day. (Not that I expect that but at least one social post from one of the characters every day would have been MUCH more realistic.) (I’m not even going to get into how the skamit team just... uh, forgot the password to Marti’s original Instagram...? Is that even what happened? Why did they make him a new one lmfao. So messy.)

Things that made me go !!!

The change of characteristics and dynamic as a whole between Martino and Niccolò. A.k.a. the approach to the mood of the story was a genius idea and a brilliant way to “remake” the season. I loved how comfortable they fell into each other — never hesitant or afraid or even nervous. They genuinely enjoy each other’s company and immediately I could tell why they were so drawn to each other. Some people complained about this “lack of tension” but in the end, their dynamic was so important to lead up to La Grotta and make their story theirs: Nico chose Marti and Marti chose Nico. There was no saving each other — that’s Isak’s and Even’s thing!! That works for them and this works for Marti and Nico. Honestly, Isak and Even in every universe deserve something unique to guide their story to the same conclusion, and I’m thankful SKAM Italia did what they did with the characters to make this happen in their own way.

The contrabbandieri and focus on Marti’s friendships as an equally important part of his character as his relationship with Niccolò. All other squads are now held to the standard of the Italian boy squad because!! Wow. Such great chemistry between them all. I truly believe that they are all equally friends within the group as well as individually? Like, of course Marti and Gio have this special ~bond~ but I never got the feeling that if Luca and Marti or Elia and Marti hung out one-on-one it would be awkward. They are all so supportive of each other and while I hate the way they generally treated women, the way they treated each other is peak friendship: affectionate, honest, silly, I could go on forever; and I could watch them grilling coffee/dancing in a kitchen/eating disgusting pizza crusts/wrapping ties around their heads/sucking at table football forever.

On this note, I would also like to say that the inclusion of Niccolò into the boy squad right away in Bracciano was the content we deserved. I loved how this wasn’t random or fan service, either — Nico’s loneliness wasn’t ignored; it’s no secret he’s at a new school with no friends, probably being bullied or at least talked about behind his back by his classmate Marco Covitti, and recently broken up with his girlfriend he feels manipulated by. He needs friends right now and the fact that Marti’s friends are becoming his friends is so wholesome and important. Love love love this.

The introduction and inclusion of Martino’s mom. I thought their relationship was very realistic and instead of being like “oh, in the og Isak moved out so Marti needs to as well...” the skamit team was just like, no. That’s not realistic for a teenager in Italy so we’re just going to have to change some stuff. AND it gave some resolution to Marti and his mom (something I wish we got a little more of in the og) without sugar coating it. There are still problems, of course, but now Marti is stronger and wiser and more empathetic. Things are going to get better but he knows that not everything will always be good. Also, his mom needs someone?? I don’t blame Isak at all for getting out (and let’s be real his mom seemed like maybe she had some more intense issues) but I love the fact that Marti and his mom are working on it.

The last men on earth story / the symbolism of the giraffe and how those details directly intertwined to fit the difficulties and fears in the change of Nico’s mental illness. Once Maddalena said borderline personality disorder I did exactly what Dr. Spera said not to do and went right to google. But really it was only after some lovely people on here with bpd stepped forward to share their stories and enlighten us that I truly understood (to the best of my abilities) the nuances of Nico and his actions. Looking back, all of the details that seemed to change from the og just for drama or angst’s sake (like Nico completely ghosting Marti for example) were actually there for a reason and I think when Ludovico told us “you think you know what’s going to happen but really you have no idea” he was talking about this. Giving Nico’s character a different mental illness did a few positive things for the story: 1) it opened up all of the possibilities for beautiful new symbolism which the skamit team executed flawlessly. This, in turn, gave Marti and Nico their own things and their own story instead of copying the idea of parallel universes and the Romeo and Juliet storyline. 2) It shed awareness for an underrepresented and highly stigmatized mental illness. By showing us Nico the character (who is a lovely, lovely character: silly, talented, extremely thoughtful, loving) before showing us his mental illness, we see him as a human first. So important! Often characters in media with mental illnesses are reduced to their illness and can often fall into the ‘loveable asshole’ trope. We learn to love Nico right alongside Marti first — and while this is all the og’s brilliant idea, we now have this same story for a different mental illness and that’s beautiful.

The music! This was like, Marti’s soundtrack. We even get him explicitly saying he likes “indie and electronic” music — it adds a level of depth into his perspective as if he picked the soundtrack himself. I love this because there is no SKAM Italia music mood, it’s all based on the characters and their POV. (Skam season 3 did this as well, obviously, but more of a mix between Isak and Even with Romeo and Juliet thrown in there as well.)

The cinematography. I think this one goes without saying haha. While less “real” than the og, I’m a sucker for aesthetics and symbolism. And yes yes yes the wide shot in the pool and the open shots of Rome are beautiful BUT: the cinematography in skamit did more than make it beautiful. It helped tell the story. One perfect moment (in my opinion) that beautifully emphasizes this is when Martino and Niccolò are walking around in Milan without a single other person in sight. Was that realistic? No. Did that symbolize the last men on earth reference and heighten the audience’s empathy into Niccolò’s dissociative state? Absolutely.

This one is rather vague but the major (and not so major) changes — everything from swapping kosegruppa and biology class with the radio group to the scene where Martino meets Filippo. Every change was brilliant and is 100% where skamit shined. I’m actually most critical about the things they kept the same, and if skamit ever wanted to create their own original season beyond the 4, I have a lot of faith they’d write a good one. 💛

#skam italia #im probably forgetting stuff tbh #both on the ??? and !!! sides #but this took me like 4 days to write lmfao #i need to do a proper binge rewatch now that the season is over #if you read all of this you are a trooper

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yehet-me-up · 6 years

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Disqualified

Pairing: Kyungsoo x Reader

Word Count: 5,978

Genre: Fluff, friends to lovers

Rating: PG13 (swearing, vague references to sex, in pun form 😂)

Summary: You’re ‘accidentally’ paired with one of your best friends, Kyungsoo, on your group’s annual Scavenger Hunt. The challenges get more and more insane as the night goes on but the most heart-stopping challenge will be admitting the feelings you’ve had for him for years.

It's going to be a long night, you think to yourself with a sigh, looking around the large grassy area of the park at your circle of friends.

Everyone has paired off for the scavenger hunt except you and Kyungsoo. He scratches his neck awkwardly, meeting your eyes for a brief moment before tilting his head up to the large swath of blue afternoon sky above.

Baekhyun and Chanyeol are paired together like always. Their girlfriends, Ali and Kat, grab their list and start strategizing as they walk to their car. Minseok and his soon-to-be wife stand next to Jongin and Yixing, patiently waiting for Baekhyun to give them the list for the evening.

You usually do these scavenger hunts with Jongdae. Soo's been partnered with Sehun for years. But this year they paired up with each other, grabbed a list from Baekhyun in a flash, and ran off to their car before you could blink.

A knot of fear and excitement forms in your gut as you think about an entire night spent with just Kyungsoo. When you’re in larger groups it’s easy to pretend you haven’t thought about him as more than a friend since… oh, probably the day you met him. But a long night, just the two of you, is going to be exquisitely painful.

Baekhyun holds up the last of his lists and looks over, noticing you and Kyungsoo standing there on opposite sides of the circle with a mischievous smirk. You restrain yourself mightily from rolling your eyes and stare him down instead, silently begging him not to make a scene.

Of course, he ignores you, sauntering over to Kyungsoo. He throws an arm across Soo’s shoulder and points to you.

'My friend, you know, it helps if you actually stand NEXT to your partner,' Baekhyun says loudly and gives him a gentle shove in your direction, handing him the list.

Kyungsoo grabs the paper with more force than necessary and glares at Baekhyun before walking over to you with a nod and a tight smile. In his typical manner, Baekhyun is unphased. He blows you both dramatic kisses before grabbing Chanyeol’s arm and running off to their car, the other teams already in their cars heading out.

Now that you’re alone the awkwardness is amplified, the air thick with tension. It's been like this for weeks, months even. Ever since New Year's Eve, you think.

'Do you want to me to drive?' he asks carefully, giving you a full smile this time. He comes to stand next to you and blows out a deep breath. He’s determined to be calm, even if his heart feels like it's about to beat out of his chest.

'Sure, that would be great, thanks,' you answer, moving closer to him so you can read the piece of paper he's holding.

You’ve all been doing this for years now, ever since became friends in college. Baekyun and Chanyeol’s annual School (now replaced by Work)-Is-Boring-Let's-Have-A-Crazy-Night Scavenger Hunt is a tradition. The items on the hunt Freshman year were fairly tame.

Steal a tray from the dining hall without Clarence the night guard catching you.

Climb to the top of the stadium and yell 'penis' as loudly as possible. And get it on video.

Get a photo of one of the girls from Kappa Kappa Alpha kissing you.

That one was a piece of cake for you and Jongdae; one of the KKA's was in your English lit class and she happily gave you a smooch on the cheek. Baekhyun and Chanyeol were paired together and apparently had to do all sorts of begging and pleading to get one, you remember with a laugh.

Every year since then the tasks have become more over the top and harder to achieve. There was the memorable year Jongdae almost got arrested for running across the intersection of Pike and 5th in only his boxers. The time Baekhyun almost set himself on fire while trying to start a bonfire on the beach near campus. Two years ago Yixing and Jongin almost went to the ER after attempting to eat ten entire bags of marshmallows for the chubby bunny challenge, completely missing that it said ten INDIVIDUAL marshmallows.

Last year Minseok and his girlfriend Jess had dropped out of the hunt, due to the fact that he proposed to her during the challenge to break into the music conservatory downtown and sing on stage. No one minded in the least though, the hunt just morphed into an all-night impromptu engagement party instead.

Every year, Baekhyun and Chanyeol go down to their favorite dive bar, have an insane number of shots, and come up with the list of things to find and do. They normally try to keep it fair and impartial, but this year you know some of the list is directed specifically at you and the man standing next to you.

Given the adorable pouting face he’s making at the list, you know he’s picked up on that as well.

In the years since you've known Kyungsoo there's always been the question of whether you liked each other. An unspoken tension that neither of you have ever acknowledged openly or acted on. Many times you’ve convinced yourself it was just you, pining away for him.

But you’ve caught him looking at you. Across parties, dinner tables, front seats of cars. Caught him looking at you with something inscrutable in his eyes that could be merely warm friendship, or could possibly be something more.

This isn't to say that your group of friends haven’t picked up on the attraction you’ve had to him for the past seven years. At various points they've all asked you about it. Every single one of your group has told you that he’s attracted to you as well.

But he’s never said anything, or tried anything, and you’ve followed suit.

In the many years since you met him, there's only been one time when you thought something genuinely might happen. New Year's Eve, a few months ago, at Baekhyun's apartment.

You were standing out on the balcony, watching the fireworks along the skyline as it ticked closer to midnight. Even though it was far from freezing cold, Kyungsoo had still shrugged out of his jacket and silently put it over your shoulders as he joined you.

Neither of you were in a big talking mood that night, preferring to exist silently together in your observation of the world among the revelry.

It always seemed to be your way together. Quietly discussing the latest books you'd both been reading, tucked away in the corner of bars while your friends played pool. Enjoying music together as you wound your way through roads on the way home, your friends passed out with exhaustion in the backseat. Meeting up for lunch at a cafe equal distance between your two offices.

Neither of you were big on dramatics, though sometimes you wish that one of you was willing to take a big leap for once. If he was interested in you. Which you still were absolutely unsure about.

For years you've been wondering why you didn’t just ask him how he feels, finally ending the long years of back and forth. Sure you'd both dated people here and there over the years, but it seemed that the two of you kept getting thrust together by fate. Randomly being on the same dorm floor in adjacent rooms Sophomore year. Both majoring in sustainable development and having almost all of the same classes.

And now, being Scavenger hunt partners by ‘accident’ with all the other couples paired up. Perhaps the last one has to do more with my friends interference than the vicissitudes of fate, you think wryly.

His hand brushes your shoulder and you come out of your thoughts. 'Shall we tackle the uhh... ‘adult’ challenge first?' he says with a laugh and you could hug him for not making this more awkward than it has to be.

You take another look at the list and smother a laugh as you see that indeed the first item on the list is to acquire 'the most hilarious sex tape title you can find.'

'Sounds good to me,' you reply with a shake of your head, motioning toward the car lot next to the park. You pull out your phone to send a message to Jongdae while you walk.

Y/N 3:17PM: i hate you guys, just so you know Y/N 3:17PM: i know what you did JONGWAEEE 3:17PM: sorry!!! JONGWAEEE 3:17PM: everyone kinda decided that you guys needed some alone time *shrugs* Y/N 3:17PM: ???????? Y/N 3:17PM: SERIOUSLY? JONGWAEEE 3:17PM: sehun wants it known that he had no part in this JONGWAEEE 3:18PM: and yes JONGWAEEE 3:18PM: seriously

You sigh and get in the car. The two of you spend the drive discussing Kyungsoo’s latest project at work, carefully skirting around the fact that you two were obviously put together on purpose. Both of you are more than happy to discuss neutral topics.

A few minutes later you see a notification pop up on your phone and resist the urge to whine out loud.

JONGWAEEE 3:26PM: it’s time Y/N, don’t you think? JONGWAEEE 3:26PM: it’s been 7 years JONGWAEEE 3:26PM: you deserve to know if it can work 🤷🏻

After pulling into the Lover's Oasis parking lot, the nearest 'adult' store you could find, you and Soo get out of the car and look at each other and roll your eyes.

‘I can’t believe they’re still picking things like this,’ he sighs.

‘True. But we’re all the ones that go along with it,’ you reply, shutting your door.

He lets out a laugh that turns into a groan as he takes in the garish pink and white building. ‘Let’s just get this over with.’

The store is filled with couples and the occasional solo person browsing. The woman behind the counter has a shock of fuschia hair and looks up at the bell when you step inside.

'Oooh aren't you two a cute couple?' she says in a strong Midwestern accent. 'What can I help you find?'

You wince at the implication, feeling raw and exposed in such a place. Giving her a friendly smile you turn around to face something, anything, rather than have this woman walk you and your ‘partner’ through their selection.

With a noise of surprise you come face to face with a wall of handcuffs. Well, that’s not helpful, you think dryly.

Kyungsoo saves you, reaching over confidently to grab your hand, as though he’s done it daily for years; the easy intimacy of a couple who doesn’t feel whole without touching in some way. The thought sends a shock of longing through him as he walks, subtly feeling the skin of your palm and committing it to memory. He smiles to himself, thinking that the night will be bearable if it gives him moments like this to break up his undiluted longing for you.

With a small wave to the clerk he leads you back to the videos section. Desperate to get out of here as soon as possible you both scan the titles quickly, giggling to yourselves at their hilarity. The Dark Knight Comes. Raiders of the Lost Vagina. The perennial favorite: Assablanca.

He reaches forward to grab one from the back; he holds it up so you can read: Lawrence of A Labia. You make eye contact and both break into grins as you struggle around your laughter. He takes it up to the counter and pays quickly and you both jump back into your car.

The scavenger hunt is mostly an excuse to let loose and have fun, to take a break from everyday life. But there is actually a grand prize: the winning team gets to decide what movies the group watches for Friday movie night for the entire next year.

Normally Chanyeol and Baekhyun or Kat and Ali, the two most competitive teams, trade off winning. There was a memorable year in which you and Jongdae won when most of the other teams were held up by attempting to get a photo with a giraffe, but a friend of your father's happens to work at the local zoo, so you were able to accomplish that task easily.

Once you’re back in the car you and Soo look at the list. The first was definitely humiliating so you choose a more low-key challenge next: heading down to your group's favorite Denny's and convincing Pearl, the ancient, grandmotherly waitress you all love, to give you an extra serving of ice cream with your oreo sundae. She's always friendly with her customers, but ruthlessly stingy with her ice cream supplies.

Kyungsoo’s phone beeps as he holds the door open for you to go in first.

sagittalius 4:18PM: are you guys making out yet Soo 4:19PM: umm Soo 4:19PM: no, wtf? Katthegreat 4:19PM WHY NOT Soo 4:19PM: you two have met me before Soo 4:19PM: right? Katthegreat 4:19PM: okay fair Soo 4:20PM: did everyone just get together and decide to force me and Y/N to be alone tonight Soo 4:20PM ? sagittalius: yeah basically haha Soo 4:20PM: i’m- Soo 4:20PM: friendship cancelled Katthegreat 4:20PM: rudé sagittalius 4:21PM: its like a bandaid my friend sagittalius 4:21PM: just rip it off Katthegreat 4:21PM: we believe in you Soo 4:21PM: *deep sigh*

The restaurant is fairly empty on this late spring afternoon. It doesn't get crowded often, aside from early mornings and late evenings. Taking a seat at the counter Pearl greets you with her usual gravelly hello and asks what she can get you and Soo. In a masterful move he asks about her grandkids, somehow remembering their names from the times you guys have come in here before.

After ten minutes of hearing about Jackie and Crystal's elementary school progress and oohing appropriately over the photos she has in her wallet, she doesn't even bat an eyelash when he asks for extra scoop of ice cream with a warm smile on his face. You happily snap a photo of him with his victory sundae and each shove a few bites in your mouth before paying and dashing out the door.

Next you decide to choose an easy one. Or at least, you assume that to any other team this would be considered easy, but you know that Baekhyun and Chanyeol intended this one for you and Soo. ‘get your photo taken carrying your partner bridal style over the entrance to the famous Xavier Hotel by the doorman.’

When you point to that task Soo glances down at your legs, tastefully revealed by the red patterned romper you're wearing on this warm day. After a moment he swallows and nods before starting the car, asking you about a seminar you’re both attending in a few weeks to distract himself from wondering how the skin behind your knees will feel.

He parks on the side street and you approach the easily 6'5" doorman, clad in a fancy looking navy uniform. His expression is so stony you hesitate before speaking to him, trying to come up with some believable explanation for what you're about to ask him.

'Excuse me, sir?' you start, trying to catch his attention.

'How can I assist you, ma'am?' he replies in a booming voice.

'Would you mind taking a picture of me and my... husband?' you continue, purposely avoiding Soo's gaze. 'We stayed here on our anniversary last year and wanted to recreate a photo that was lost when our computer crashed,' you ask with a friendly smile.

He raises an eyebrow at you and looks around. The lobby and sidewalk aren't crowded, so he’s not needed for a moment. He thankfully shrugs and says sure. You hand him your phone and finally turn to look at Soo and find him giving you a knowing look, impressed at your quick thinking.

He holds out his arms to you and you step close, smelling his aftershave. You pause for a moment, distracted as always by his presence. But before you can think he bends down and lifts you into his arms so swiftly that you let out a squeal.

You throw your arms around his neck to steady yourself, meeting his intent stare, feeling heat spread through your limbs where his arms hold your knees and back. The moment stretches and you try to think of the last time you were this close to him; close enough to see the flecks of amber in his eyes. New Year’s Eve… you think sadly, yet again.

The guard coughs and breaks the silence. You both turn back to him, putting wide smiles on your faces as you pose for the camera. He holds you as long as he feels he can, the seconds stretching on after the click of the photo. With a sigh he sets you down, smoothing his pants down in an effort to compose himself back into a person who can pretend he doesn’t think about kissing you every second you’re together.

You grab your phone from the guard and confirm the photo is there, giving him a thank you before heading back to the car.

You quickly tag out two more challenges: finding a stranger willing to let you post ‘BYUN BAEKHYUN IS GOD’ on their facebook page, thanks to a friendly 7-11 cashier who ‘really doesn’t post much on there anyways so whatever,’ and grabbing a quarter out of the top of the Smith fountain at the center of campus. Thankfully you’d both packed towels, prepared for anything.

The setting sun casts a warm glow in the car as you lean over to look at the list he's holding while you dry off your legs. His breath catches in his throat at your nearness. Once again he wishes he’d kissed you on New Year’s, or any of the hundreds of times you’ve been close since then.

He considers it for a second while you scan the list; considers just burying his hand in your hair and pulling your lips to his. Considers telling you that you’re his perfect match, the other half that makes him whole. Considers asking if you want to be more than just best friends.

But then you speak and he curses himself for missing yet another moment to act.

‘Shall we do this next?’ you ask tentatively.

He nods and holds open the door so you can get in the car, raising his eyes skyward, cursing Baekhyun and Chanyeol. Have someone take a photo of you and your partner dancing to a busker on the Devon Ave Boardwalk, thanks guys.

In college it was one of the best outings on a weeknight. Buy cheap wine and beers and pre-game before wandering along the boardwalk and dancing while tipsy to whoever happened to be playing. Following the musical procession down the popular promenade as the night went on. He’d danced with you countless times, living for the smile on your face and the feeling of his hand on your waist.

‘Let me just find a good place we can park,’ he says into the open window, pulling up his phone. ‘I haven’t been there in years.’

Soo 5:38PM: i am Soo 5:38PM: so INCREDIBLY pissed off carlosCHANtana 5:39PM: you got to the dancing part didn't you carlosCHANtana 5:39PM: baek says 'sorry not sorry' Soo 5:40PM: i'm going to kill you both carlosCHANtana 5:39PM: or carlosCHANtana 5:39PM: you'll be thanking us carlosCHANtana 5:39PM: 😘

~~~~~

Y/N 6:14PM: that was such torture :( HYUNstoppable 6:14PM: chanyeol yelled 'I BET HE HELD HER CLOSE AND STARED AT HER LOVINGLY' Y/N 6:14PM: i mean kind of???? Y/N 6:14PM: idk???? Y/N 6:15PM: it still doesn't mean he has any feelings for me beyond friends!!! HYUNstoppable 6:17PM: oh my god HYUNstoppable 6:17PM: will you just tell him you've been in love with him for years HYUNstoppable 6:17PM: its like watching a horror movie and watching the protagonist trip every 2 feet Y/N 6:18PM: 😡😡😡 HYUNstoppable 6:18PM: you know we did this because we love you guys right? Y/N 6:18PM: sigh Y/N 6:18PM: if i look beneath the 52 layers of WTF Y/N 6:19PM: i know you guys did it from a good place HYUNstoppable 6:19PM: good luck buttercup HYUNstoppable 6:20PM: we're all rooting for you 💜

'Do we want to go for the Deschutes Hill one next?' you ask once he’s back in the car. You take a deep breath to steady yourself, still shaken from having his hands on your waist during the dance. You chose an adorable college student who was singing ‘Sweet Caroline’ enthusiastically, if horribly off-key.

'Sounds good to me, we should do that one before it gets too dark,' he replies, his eyes lingering on your hand resting on the center console.

He asks about your sister and her new husband’s honeymoon and you catch up on each other's families on the drive through your old college. There's a large, wooded hill behind South campus and the boys have tasked you all with climbing to the top of the hill and taking a photo with the enormous tree that grows there.

After parking in the visitor lot you and Soo both take large drinks from the water bottle. You swap your flats for the tennis shoes you packed and head out into the growing evening. At the entrance to the Deschutes trail you pass Kat and Ali coming out both looking happy to be out of the thick trees.

'How is it in there?' you call out. 'I haven't been up there in ages, is it still a hot mess getting up the trail?'

'Ho boy, it’s definitely less well maintained than when we were in school,' Kat says, pursing her lips and pulling some leaves from her hair. 'Good luck getting up that last slope, I swear Ali and I both fell a billion times.' She gestures to the dirt smeared on her black leggings with a wry grin.

'Thanks,' you laugh and look down at your nearly bare legs anxiously.

Soo motions his head to the trail and you start walking. Ali and Kat both give you knowing looks as they pass by. In the years that you've all been friends they've heard the entire saga of your feelings for Soo. The missed chances, the 'almost' times, and everything in between.

The early evening is nice and cool as you wind your way along the nature trail, both content to enjoy the setting and the walk. After about ten minutes you come to the final incline and you blanch at how steep it is.

'God, how did we used to do this?' Soo asks in amusement.

'We were young. And often drunk,' you laugh. 'I remember we used to take this at a run? Or was that just Baekhyun when he'd had too many shots?'

'No, I think there's definitely some velocity required to get up there,' Soo says with a sigh, rolling up the sleeves on his shirt. 'Why don't I go first and I can give you a hand at the top?'

You nod and agree, watching as he eyeballs the best footholds on the slope. Steady and sure, that's always his way, you think as he sprints and manages to get up over the final rise successfully. He breathes deeply and beams down at you, clearly invigorated from the challenge.

Much less confidently than him, you take off and manage to get within a few feet of the top before you feel yourself start to slip. Kyungsoo plants his feet and manages to grab both of your arms in his and pull you over the edge. He's stronger than you realize, and you fall on the grass together in a heap, your leg between his and your face buried in his neck as you cling to him.

You feel his hand run along your hair, pausing briefly to cup your head. Lifting yourself up you look down at him and give yourself a shake, pulling back. You already know that the image of him looking up at you, pressed together, will be burned into your mind for a long while. It helps that he seems just as shaken by the moment as you and he quickly eases himself up to standing and holds out a hand.

He pulls out his phone as you walk over to the gnarled, sprawling tree. Generations of students have carved their names into its trunk, a record of loves and would-be loves spanning decades. You lean in together and smile for the camera as he takes a selfie of you both with a clear shot of the tree in the background.

'Did you ever come here with anyone?' he asks softly, looking at the carvings and running his fingers along an indentation.

'You mean did I ever carve my initials in?' you reply incredulously, assuming he knows your sparse dating history like the rest of the group.

'I know pretty much everyone has, at one point. I never had anyone I dated that seriously, but I'll admit I thought about it; the times we'd all come here to drink and celebrate,' he says quietly.

'Me neither,' you admit with a shrug, staring up at the leafy branches.

The unspoken words hang in the air, the thing he’s dancing around and carefully not saying. That if he had carved anyone's name into this tree, he’d want it to be yours. In the silence he thinks back to New Year’s Eve.

The cheers of the people in the living room were getting louder as it gets closer and closer to midnight. With a start he’d realized how close he’d gotten to you, your shoulders nearly touching as your elbows leaned against the railing. When he's this near to you everything else floods from his mind; worries about work, plans with friends for the weekend, endless lists of trivial things that need to be done.

The world seems to shrink to your warm eyes and the way they seem to see all the way down to his soul. He meets your gaze as the time ticks lower, a fire spreading along his veins, a warmth growing low in his body as his mind runs wild with thoughts of finally kissing you. Reaching out his hand to rest on top of yours, he turns to face you.

'THREE! TWO! ONE!' the group inside called in unison.

The cheers rose to a fever point as everyone yelled excitedly, welcoming in the new year with clinks of glasses and kisses between loved ones and friends. But Kyungsoo was still standing, frozen.

He’d stared at your lips for a flash before meeting your eyes, moving his thumb across your hand. But before you’d even had a chance to enjoy the moment he’d turned and walked back inside.

As he disappeared into the crowd you realized that you still had his jacket on your shoulders, but by the time you finally convinced yourself to move, he was gone. The mixture of longing and sadness in his eyes still leaves you confused all these months later.

In the five months since that day things have been fine; achingly, painfully normal. As if the tension of what almost was that night didn't drive him as insane as it did you. As if you don’t want to scream ‘WHAT WAS THAT??’ at him non-stop.

You’ve thought about just asking, but you perpetually sigh and shake your head, never seeming to find the words when face to face with him; preferring to find comfort in his steady friendship instead of pushing for something more.

The two of you would be amazing together, everyone says so. With how similar your personalities are and how diverse, yet complimentary your interests run. The trust and friendship you’ve built over the years would be the perfect springboard into something… more.

You shake your head, dropping your hand from the tree. Before you can get lost in this familiar train of thought you motion back down and he nods. The two of you carefully get down the slope and start the walk back to the car. Evening is falling fast and it gets harder and harder to see through the thick trees. Kyungsoo pulls out his phone and turns the flashlight on so you can follow the path.

As you walk, you realize the night is almost over. You only have a few challenges left to go. Maybe it’s all the crazy things you’ve done that night or the fact that your friends are right, you are tired of waiting and wondering. At the very least you want an answer for what happened a few months ago.

You can see the entrance to the car park, illuminated by street lamps, just up ahead. It feels desperately important to act now, as if stepping out of the woods and into the real world would rob you of your bravery. With sudden boldness you find his hand in the dim light, turning him to face you.

'Can I ask you a question?' you start, voice surprisingly confident.

'Always,' comes his reply from the darkness to your left. You can see the outline of his smile, the intimate one he always seems to save just for you.

'Why didn't you kiss me?' you ask in a rush, before you can chicken out.

'On New Year's,' you add unnecessarily, feeling the need to fill the space.

You can feel his shock and watch with amusement as his jaw drops. After a beat he finally replies. 'We’re friends Y/N, I’d never do anything to risk losing that,’ he says, his voice low and thick.

‘Oh,’ is all you can reply, dazed. ‘Okay.’

Taking a step back, you drop his hand. Well, at least I know, you think despondently, fighting the ache that feels like it’s burrowing a hole in your heart. Before he can say anything else you turn and start walking as fast as you can back to the car. You reach the door with a shaky breath, tugging on the handle, willing this night to be over as fast as possible.

He runs to catch up with you, gently reaching out a hand to turn your shoulder as he steps next to you. The depth of feeling is evident on your face when you meet his; every line of your face radiating a love and desire that’s a perfect match to his. It takes hardly a thought for him to position you fully in front of him, to cup your face in his hands.

With a quiet laugh he finally realizes suddenly how utterly ridiculous this all is. He’s been yours and you’ve been his since day one. He decides it’s high time to make it official, leaning down, sure and steady, to kiss you full on the lips.

You freeze for a beat and he can almost taste your surprise. Fear mixes with the adrenaline in his blood as he waits in limbo to see if you’ll move and take him up on the offer he’s so clearly made; an offer to give this a real go. Or if he’s just ruined the best friendship he’s ever had.

But gratefully, after a second, you begin to move against him. Your hands coming to hold his hips as you step closer, sighing at finally getting to know what it’s like to experience all of him.

Eventually you pull back slightly, looking instantly down, a blush coming to your cheeks at the realization of what just occurred. But his hand on your chin guides your eyes back up to meet his.

'I'm sorry,' he says on an exhale. 'I just... wanted to finally know.'

Your face breaks into a warm grin. 'I'm so glad you did. I've had feelings for you for years, but I didn't want to pressure you or ruin what we have.'

He nods, feeling his whole body light up. 'I can't believe it took us so long to finally give this a shot, we really are a perfect match,' he laughs, leaning down to kiss you again.

When you finally break apart a considerable time later it's fully dark. He seems to be unwilling to let go of you, only allowing you a few inches of space left for you to pull out the list. Neither of you care much about the hunt anymore, but you take a look just for fun. He scans the few items left and grins when he gets to the last one.

'How about we skip to this one instead?' he offers.

'Sounds perfect to me,' you reply. You're more than willing to drop out of the race and go straight to 'have a champagne toast at the Aldrich Club.'

Y/N 9:17PM sorry guys, we're bailing on the scavenger hunt HYUNstoppable 9:17PM what happened?? are you okay?? carlosCHANtana 9:17PM crap carlosCHANtana 9:17PM did we mess up putting you two together? *Y/N invited Soo into SASS AVENGERS CHAT* Y/N sent a photo at 9:18PM Soo 9:17PM does this answer your question? HYUNstoppable 9:18PM NO WAY HYUNstoppable 9:18PM DID YOU GUYS FINALLY GET TOGETHER??? HYUNstoppable 9:18PM god i can't wait for everyone to see this HYUNstoppable 9:18PM they’re gonna die *HYUNstoppable invited sagittalius, Katthegreat, JONGWAEEE, Hunnie, sLAY, NiNi, Minmin, JaYES into SASS AVENGERS CHAT* carlosCHANtana 9:18PM ABOUT 👏🏻 DAMN 👏🏻 TIME 👏🏻 *carlosCHANtana has set photo as announcement* sLAY 9:18PM no way! sLAY 9:18PM i thought i’d be in my grave before i saw soo and Y/N kissing Y/N 9:18PM yeah we kind of figured it out 😂 Minmin 9:18PM: congratulations for finally getting your shit together you two lmao NiNi 9:18PM: FINALLY NiNi 9:18PM: ayyyyy NiNi 9:18PM: congrats you crazy kids JaYES 9:18PM: AHHHHHHH 💕💕💕💕💕 carlosCHANtana 9:18PM i'm so happy for you guys carlosCHANtana 9:18PM i guess i have to do the dishes for a month now though ughhhhhhh 😖 Soo 9:19PM kat bet you that we'd get together, didn't she? Y/N 9:19PM i can’t believe you bet against us i’m so offended carlosCHANtana 9:19PM ..... i mean carlosCHANtana 9:19PM maybe carlosCHANtana 9:19PM IT WAS ONLY BY THE END OF THE YEAR carlosCHANtana 9:19PM we all knew you guys would get together eventually lmao it was just a question of when Y/N 9:19PM good its what you deserve for betting against us lmao HYUNstoppable 9:19PM hahahahhaa sagittalius 9:19PM sorry there was ZERO service sagittalius 9:19PM OH MY GOD YOU GUYS ARE SO CUTE Katthegreat 9:19PM CALLED ITTTTTTTTT JONGWAEEE 9:2PM we emerge from the basement of the library, that was exciting JONGWAEEE 9:20PM /NOT/ JONGWAEEE 9:20PM HOLY SH- NO WAY JONGWAEEE 9:20PM i haven't seen Soo blush since 2014 this is incredible Hunnie 9:20PM legit been waiting for this since 2011 Hunnie 9:20PM what am i going to do for entertainment now that Y/N and Soo finally got together?? Soo 9:20PM 😑😑😑 Soo 9:21PM okay we're going to go now Y/N 9:21PM sorry for abandoning the scavenger hunt guys 🙏🏻 Y/N 9:21PM i think we won though 😘 HYUNstoppable 9:21PM GROSS HYUNstoppable 9:21PM I LOVE IT HYUNstoppable 9:22PM you're still disqualified from the scavenger hunt for dropping out but i don't think either of you mind lmfao Soo 9:22PM if you'll excuse me i have a gorgeous woman to kiss now *Soo has left the chat* carlosCHANtana 9:22PM AYYYYYY 🙌🏻 Hunnie 9:22PM 🎉🎉🎉 sagittalius 9:22PM EXCELLENT sagittalius 9:22PM we still have several teams to decimate in this hunt Katthegreat 9:22PM btw Katthegreat 9:22PM we're on the last item on our list 🤘🏻 Katthegreat 9:22PM you snooze you lose, suckers Hunnie 9:23PM: WHAT Hunnie 9:23PM: oh my god Hunnie 9:23PM: we’re going to have to watch movies with subtitles again for the next year Katthegreat 9:23PM: hehehe NiNi 9:23PM: nooooooo JONGWAEEE 9:23PM: COME ON SEHUN WE GOT THIS HYUNstoppable 9:23PM OH SH- HYUNstoppable 9:24PM CHANYEOL WE GOTTA GO

#prettyboysnetwork #kpoptrashtag #kwriterskollection #kfluffnet #kpopwritingnet #kyungsoo x reader #kyungsoo fanfic #kyungsoo fluff #kyungsoo imagine #d.o. x reader #exo fanfic #exo imagine #exo scenario #exo fluff

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thawedpatriot · 5 years

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okay, my e.ndgame thoughts are below the cut. beware, they’re somewhat incoherent at times mainly just because my brain is still trying to wrap my head around some stuff. also it’s really really long. like 3k words long. major spoilers ahead!

-okay so the whole beginning felt. really rushed, if that makes sense? like, i’m glad that tony got back to earth fairly early on but that was very sudden, having carol show up and carry the ship to the compound. however, i can’t complain too much because watching steve book it to tony’s side as he was coming off the ship gave me life. the fact that he just hovered the whole time and was there to support him and show he cares just. pleased me.

- tony had every right to blow up at steve. i mean, god, the man’s been through so much. he’s lost so much and is still recovering from everything that happened. he’s frustrated and angry and hurting and steve pressed for information too callously too soon, and it set an exhausted tony off. totally valid. and tony was right, he saw all this coming and no one listened to him, even though half of that was just bc aou was a fucking mess writing wise. but steve told him ‘together’ and because they weren’t together when shit went down, they all lost. would it have killed either of them to call during the two years they had to do so? no, probably not. that probably would’ve been a step towards working back to that ‘together’ thing. because there’s years of unresolved tension and conflict between them at this point, none of it ever got resolved between them, so it’s finally coming to a head now that they’re properly in the same room again.

- that said, the ‘you weren’t there when i needed you’ bit rubbed me the wrong way. because it was bruce who ended up calling. tony never made a call, never asked for steve’s help. never let him know he needed him, even though he had that ability to. so yes, steve is at fault here too, but it’s not 100% on him that things went down the way they did, if that makes sense.

- tony shoving the arc reactor into steve’s hand???? killed me on the spot, thanks.

- the devastation steve must be feeling when they figure out the stones are gone??? gutting. he was so sure they would be able to bring everyone back wit the stones once they’d taken care of thanos. he was so ready for a fight, so ready to get his revenge and make things right, and there just. was no fight, no way to bring his friends back. he’d lost bucky all over again, and now he’s lost sam, too. sam, who he dragged into all this. that kind of guilt festers in him for those five years, no doubt.

- i wanna know what steve did for those five years. because, yes, we see him talking in that small therapy group, but not only is he giving advice he’s not taking himself, but he’s just not shown doing much of anything else. he’s holding on to all his trauma and grief and not dealing with it, just like he’s been doing since he left the ice. so what is he doing all that time??? but also seeing him in a therapy group setting made my heart swell a little bit because you know he did that for sam. he misses his friend and is doing that for him, i will not believe anything otherwise. sam was and is so important to him.

- this is unrelated to steve but is important to me as a bi: carol’s hair looked so good i made a noise when i saw it and my friend hit me in the arm

- god i wish we saw more of steve and nat interact. because clearly they’ve been in contact with one another for the past 5 years and that’s probably the longest running friendship he’s had going besides bucky so. it’s nice to know he didn’t lose everyone in one way or another for those 5 years. they just know each other so well and recognize the similarities between one another and i’m just really glad he wasn’t all alone all that time.

- steve is so done with everyone throughout this movie, including himself. it’s beautiful.

- sidenote, i could not take bruce seriously as a character the way he was and i don’t know why. also they did thor dirty. they did thor so dirty. he was a joke until they needed him to fight. the level of guilt and trauma thor is dealing with is immeasurable and they turned it into comic relief by leaning into fat-shaming and joking about alcoholism???? nah man, that’s not okay. not at all. address that he’s dealing with ptsd, show that he’s using unhealthy coping mechanisms, and help him. don’t make fun of him, don’t just let him keep doing that to himself, help him. the only scene in the whole movie i genuinely liked with him in it was his scene with frigga. because she took him seriously, she was willing to listen and offer advice and tell him what he needed to hear. that scene was so important.

- another sidenote, as much as i disliked p.epperony in the past, this movie made me appreciate them more. because i’ve always loved them both as individual characters, pepper potts owns my whole soul, but as a couple they were just written in a way that made me not love it as the movies went on. however, this movie really showed growth in their development as a couple, in pepper accepting tony for who he is and the needs he has to do good. also tony is an amazing father and it’s just so validating to see a character who grew up with an abusive parent break the cycle and become soft and kind in any interactions he has with his daughter. you can tell how much he loves his family, and it’s what he deserved.

- okay so i hope we can all agree the time travel science in this movie was fucked and they did a really bad job at explaining how it works. it was not clear, did not make sense, and following standard time travel laws there were a million paradoxes happening and it makes me angry. nebula killing her past self? bullshit bc she should not exist after that. steve’s whole ending??? also bullshit but i’ll get to that later because that’s an essay in itself.

- tony giving steve the shield back was such a big deal okay. the fact that tony has acknowledged that holding onto the resentment was detrimental to his own health and being was so important. we got a handshake and i really thought they were gonna go for a hug but noooo that’d be too much to ask for i guess. but steve hasn’t seen or held that thing in like 7 years it has to be nice to have it in his hands again, seeing as he always refers to it as an extension of his arm and all. and to be getting it back, nice and polished, from tony probably means a great deal to him as well.

- okay now let’s get to the actual time travel bit. steve and tony being the ones to zap back to 2012???? my god its like everything i ever wanted was handed to me on a platter. that movie was what got me on this marvel train and as even with its issues, it holds such a dear place in my heart. so you know the second that ‘2012′ popped onto the screen i was ready to combust. and then it just got better because it felt like an extension of the movie, like we were seeing deleted scenes, which was just. really nice??

- god okay “america’s ass” gave me so much life as dumb as the whole joke was. because tony blatantly checking out steve’s ass?? my dude thats the gayest thing i’ve ever seen with my own two eyes. but then tony commenting on how his ass looks in the suit???? i was living, okay. living. and the fact that he checked out his past self’s ass and was like ‘yeah, damn straight’ amused me greatly.

- ngl the ‘hail hydra’ bit made me uncomfy initially, but honestly i’m just gonna appreciate how clever my boy is and how stupid hydra is. his ‘i’m clever and i know it and i just outsmarted piece of shit nazis’ smile as he walked away from the elevator with the case???? priceless. i was half expecting another elevator fight but i guess that wouldn’t really make sense sfdghj

- steve fighting himself? past steve reacting to the compass appearing and getting super fucking pissed over the concept that someone might’ve taken it or something??? the fact that it was ‘bucky is alive’ that had him going full stop???? oof. also, the ‘i can do this all day’ and ‘yeah, i know’ was funny initially but oh my god is my boy exhausted. he’s so tired. he’s been fighting for decades. someone let him rest. please.

- also unrelated, i wanna know where the fuck loki fucked off to when he grabbed the tessaract. like is this where the concept for his spinoff show comes from???? what did he do????

- steve and tony being on the same wavelength and trusting each other??? steve trusting tony wholeheartedly even if he didn’t fully know what it was tony was planning?? important. so, so important.

- steve in camp lehigh. oh my god. why did no one recognize captain america???? it’s been twenty years, sure, but y’all slapped ‘birthplace of captain america’ on your sign and there’s probably pictures of his face around in more places than peggy’s desk. you’re telling me no one would recognize him standing in the middle of the military camp??? nah, i don’t buy it. y’all had poor disguises and didn’t even get him sunglasses or anything. c’mon guys, you’re better than this.

- okay look this isn’t a tony blog but what the fuck was that scene with howard,, i understand it in terms of why they included it when looking at the narrative. because of tony’s whole ‘resentment is corrosive, didn’t like it’ thing and the need for closure on that front before his story ends, but he didn’t owe howard jack shit, let alone a ‘thank you’. that man, even if he had the best intentions and wanted tony to succeed in the future because he knew he had potential, was neglectful and abusive. he was not affectionate, he did not make tony feel as though he were loved, and it deeply affected tony as a person. the fact that he doesn’t know how far along his own wife is with their firstborn child??? big red flag right there, friends. sure, it’s good to show kids with bad relationships with their parents that its possible to work through negative emotions and resentment and move on with their lives but this was not the example to give. tony did not owe his father anything at that point. he’d moved on, made himself better, became a better father than howard was to him. i’m just. so angry about it okay.

- steve looking through the glass of peggy’s office at her, believing this was the last time he was going to see her again??? broke my heart but i called it as soon as i knew time travel was involved in this movie. i knew they’d throw a ‘steve sees her while traveling and is really sad about it’ bit in there somewhere. and i would have been content if that was it, if that was all he got. if that was the closure he got, one last glimpse of her. the fact that twenty years later she still has the picture of him, before he was captain america, on her desk??? erases any of the development and growth we know she went through in her series and whatnot, but it’s a good reminder that peggy carter was one of the few people that saw steve for who he was. she saw the skinny kid from brooklyn and knew he had what it took to be a hero, she saw him for the good man he was. she loved him for who he was. that means a great deal to steve, who no doubt struggles with the line between steve and cap a lot. but by this point, peggy would have moved on. in the series, she had moved on. erasing all of that development is detrimental to her character and i refuse it.

- seeing jarvis again was a treat. i squeaked.

- what the fuck was that with natasha??? what kind of man-pain fuel was that??? and why didn’t she get the proper funeral/mourning she deserved??? she’s been around since im2, she was the one who united the avengers, she was the first female avenger (bc they swept janet van dyne under the rug but thats a whole other rant), and that’s the end of her arc??? as soon as i saw where her and hawkeye were headed i just knew. i knew what was gonna happen and i was hissing internally. because i knew there was no way she’d be like ‘yeah you’re my best friend, you have a family, you go ahead and jump’ and on behalf of all the mcu writers i wanna apologize to all c.lint.asha shippers for the mess the mcu gave y’all. i’m so sorry j*ss fucked it up for y’all bc he wanted something for two characters no one else wanted. she deserved to be mourned. she didn’t deserve to be forgotten for like the rest of the film after that initial ‘she’s gone’. she deserved a funeral, too. steve just lost one of his closest friends???? on top of everything else he’s lost, let him express that. please.

- so back on my s.tony shit, the ‘that’s my man’ when tony nudged steve awake to hand him back his shield after the compound blew up??? not heterosexual at all. y’all aren’t even trying to hide it anymore u bastards

- STEVE ROGERS USING THE HAMMER. Y’ALL. Y’ALL. MY BOY IS WORTHY AND I KNEW IT AND THIS MEANS HE SPARED THOR IN AOU BC HE’S A COMPASSIONATE LOSER WHO DIDN’T WANT TO HURT HIS FRIEND’S PRIDE AND FEELINGS. BUT GOD THAT WAS THE COOLEST GODDAMN THING I’VE SEEN ON SCREEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. HIM USING BOTH HIS SHIELD AND THE HAMMER AT THE SAME TIME, MAKING COMBO STRIKE OUT OF IT??? USING THE LIGHTING???? MAN I CAN TELL YOU WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT I HAVE NOT SCREAMED SO LOUD IN A MOVIE THEATER IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. GOD I LOVE HIM SO MUCH.

- all the ladies fighting together?? shielding peter???? kicking ass together??? gave me life. that was the most beautiful scene in the entire mcu,,, it made my bi heart burst,, all it was missing was nat, but it was a nice way to be like ‘this is what she started’. and seeing pepper out there as rescue was just the cherry on top okay i love her sm she’s so cool and finally fighting out there alongside tony and rhodey. my wife carol danvers is also the coolest??? not even flinching when thanos does whatever head-butt thing he was going for??? god i love my wives.

- ‘on your left’ god damn yes let sam wilson be the one to announce that they’re all back my boy deserves it. i wanted a proper reunion between steve and sam and/or bucky. we didn’t get that. we didn’t get that!!!!!! we didn’t get anything like that!!!!! steve was primarily on his own for 5 years because he lost his two best friends and we don’t get a reunion scene??? i call bullshit, marvel

- also rocket trying to shield groot with his own little body during the aerial attack??? broke my little heart??? like he just got him back and is terrified that he’ll lose him again,,,

- no one talk to me about tony stark i can’t handle it, he deserved to be happy and live a long life with his family. he deserved that happy ending, but i’m so grateful that pepper just. understood what he needed. she knew what he needed to hear and was there for him and could just ‘we’ll be okay, you can rest’. and give him that peace of mind. he did it, he saved the universe, he brought everyone back, he can rest. but god he really deserved to be able to rest with his family, happy and alive, okay.

- steve’s small exchange with bucky was like a nice reference to the first cap movie, but that was all we got. steve has spent multiple movies trying to get bucky back and help him, and we don’t even get a reunion scene and then just this one little bit of back and forth. a soft ‘i’ll miss you’, even though its technically only supposed to be seconds for them?? like,,, does that means bucky knows??? like, he has a feeling he knows what steve’s gonna do??? idk man, idk. all i do know is that they deserved better in this movie. i’m also summing up bucky’s telling sam to go talk to steve as bucky’s ‘i don’t know if i can handle that’ admission tbh.

- god bless sam wilson. between being the one to be like ‘bring him back. where is he? get him back.’ the second something seemed to go wrong with the time travel was,,, really nice. like, thank you for caring about my boy. thank you for always having his back. i love you so much sam wilson. and anyone who thinks sam shouldn’t be the one to get the shield can meet me in a back alley okay, this man has earned it, he’s the right pick for the cap mantle. the cap theme playing when he was given the shield? Iconic. did i cry whenever the cap theme played during this movie?? Absolutely.

- time travel in this movie is a fucking joke but i wanna know if steve had to see the red skull when he returned the soul stone because can you imagine??? that interaction??? like, did anyone warn him??? did anyone tell him the red skull was there or was it only implied when clint said something about a red man or whatever after coming back and being upset about natasha???? but also where did steve travel back to in order to start his new life??? were there just two caps in the universe??? one in the ice and one living his life w/ peggy???? none of it makes sense. none of it. where does the shield go/come from???? guys??? guys.

-okay now we address the end of steve’s arc. i’m gonna start by saying i see both sides of the discourse it’s stirred up. i understand the intention behind it, not wanting steve’s story to just be one big tragedy. because that’s where it was headed. if they killed him, he would have been fighting for decades on end without rest, without knowing peace, and that would’ve been it. that’s not the end people want to see for their heroes. he deserves to be able to put down the shield and rest. he deserves that ending for himself after fighting his whole life. However, the way they did it not only flattened his entire arc, but it flattened peggy’s entire character as well. she built a life in his absence, she moved on, and he knows this. he knew this, and i refuse to believe that steve would selfishly go back and disrupt that, take that away from her for the sake of his own personal happiness. that’s not steve rogers, a good and compassionate man. because think about the life he’d have to lead, knowing all he does. because if he isn’t supposed to disrupt the timeline, he has to let everything with hydra happen and infiltrate shield, something he knows peggy’s dedicated to, he has to let everything with bucky happen and be okay with not stepping in and rescuing his best friend from that horrific life/killing tony’s parents, he has to watch both tony and sharon grow up knowing everything about their lives??? (not to mention how fucking weird everything with sharon would be considering the mcu just forgot about her after they made out in the parking lot???? sharon deserved better.)

- this wasn’t an end of an arc, it was the flattening of an arc. he didn’t actually deal with anything that he’d been through. tws was all about how he needed to move on, peggy herself told him that the world was changing and he had to move with it instead of lingering in the past and what he lost. he was supposed to be building himself a new life, addressing what he lost and the trauma he’s been through and work through it all to push onward. that’s development. he got away with not working on himself or anything he went through, the group therapy was never actually beneficial because he didn’t take any of his advice, he clung to his emotions and grief and wasn’t able to move on and says as much. giving him this easy way out just feels lazy in my opinion. like they didn’t know what to do with him, wanted him to end up happy, and this was the only way they saw that happening because he wasn’t properly developed over the course of the mcu. i’m happy my boy ended up happy, don’t get me wrong, i was very close to sobbing over him finally getting that dance, but it was highly unsatisfactory in terms of a story and character arc.

#sir that is my emotional support canon divergence ( ooc )#long post #endgame spoilers #avengers endgame spoilers #a4 spoilers

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night-filled-mountain · 6 years

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So the Labenda Swamp/Berleben episodes, while they had plenty of stand-out moments (KIRI! CALI! Shaving with a greatsword! Awkward hug!), weren’t exactly my favorites this campaign. Intra-party tension, lots of combat, lots of single-minded focus on their job (...their purely mercenary job for a crime boss, with no element of emotional investment or even a whiff of heroism). Basically, they had the generally grim atmosphere that you’d probably expect from a shitty swamp town. By the end of ep. 23, I was really craving some downtime for the group, some richer, softer interactions, juicy character development, and maybe an altruistic side quest that would help me really root for the Mighty Nein (much as I adore their shadiness).

...I cannot express how hard Hupperdook delivered on all of this. I loved this episode so much, you guys. SO MUCH.

Highlights:

There was so much goodness that I think I’m going to have to divide this up based on characters. Starting with...

CALEB

This episode was like the grand payoff for all of Caleb’s conflicts with the others about his inability to integrate with the group. Practically every little thing he did confirmed his affection for them and his determination to be kind and playful and fully present for them, to shed his sad-loner persona and become a team player:

-Magically lighting Beau’s firecracker for her with no hesitation, even though they’re both well aware of his issues with fire

-Encouraging Nott in her dance plans with Jester--i.e. encouraging her to enjoy herself with someone other than him, which feels incredibly healthy for both of them

-Hasting Jester to improve her piano-playing, and tossing gold in the “tipping hat” for her

-Having a civil (and hilarious) conversation with Fjord about the hazards of rooming with Molly in a party town--and actually inviting Fjord to share a room with him and Nott, which I kind of wish we got to see, although the way things actually turned out was equally satisfying

-Telling Yasha he was sorry she wouldn’t be going out with them because he counts on her as his social-anxiety buddy

-Gently checking up on Fjord re: his flirting anxiety (more on that later)

-Participating in the drinking contest--again, with no hesitation (and killing it!). This went against so many of Caleb’s usual scruples (not spending money frivolously, avoiding crowds and social interaction), not to mention making him extremely vulnerable, both physically and emotionally. He had to know that some of his closely guarded secrets might come out, and he had to extract a promise that they wouldn’t let him pass out in the gutter...but he went through with it anyway, trusting the group to take care of him. And they (specifically Jester) justified his trust.

-THE DRUNKEN SINGING. Counting and singing both seem to be compulsions for Caleb, especially in stressful situations (we’ve seen him sing a version of that “Mighty Nein” song on the battlefield, haven’t we?), but even after the heartbreak of the waltz scene, nothing can quite beat, “One of those things is true...aaand you are blue.”

-Speaking of which...

JESTER

-That waltz honestly might have been the saddest (and sweetest) scene of the entire campaign. In a situation that would normally be ripe for high comedy (the most awkward, inhibited member of the party gets super drunk and agrees to dance with Jester, trickery cleric and perpetual agent of chaos), we got a quiet slow dance and a line so poignant in context and delivery that I’m tearing up just thinking about it. The way Laura/Jester’s face instantly crumbled (even though Jester knows nothing of Caleb’s backstory). Her instantly softened tone, the complete lack of teasing. Caleb’s broken little “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m...I’m sorry.” His sudden reversion to Sad Loner Eternally Punishing Himself, as he walked away to seek out solitude in some filthy gutter. Jester’s determination to Not Let Him Do That, to keep her promise and get him into bed. “I’m sure Astrid loves you very much.”

...Yeah, I’m not sure how to do that scene justice other than crying about it.

Moving on to somewhat lighter tidbits...

-“I go over and give Caleb a kiss on the cheek.” 😊 (I need to make a whole separate post at some point about Caleb and touch.) (...About everyone and touch, for that matter.)

-Jester has never been drunk. I always kind of figured that her habit of ordering milk was just an in-joke about Laura’s pregnancy, like the pickles--but no, it’s a legitimate character detail stemming from her sheltered upbringing. I felt sorry for Jester and Laura when she was the odd tiefling out in the drinking contest, but in retrospect, it’s really good (for Caleb’s sake as well as their finances’) that they had a Sober Friend on deck.

-Her conversation with Caleb about “hidden skills” made me wonder, not for the first time, whether she’s actually had a lot of sexual experience as she often implies, or whether her childhood surrounded by courtesans (and her habit of spying on their clients) has simply made her feel qualified to speak on the subject. Passing the written exam but not the practicum, as it were.

-Her frantic (and mostly futile) attempts to get her teammates to say who they’re attracted to while under Zone of Truth were good fun, but her frantic attempts to get them to say whether they like her held a bit more weight, I think. Jester is, without a doubt, the best-liked member of the Mighty Nein--I don’t think there’s a single teammate who couldn’t have truthfully answered that question with a resounding “Yes”--but Jester, with her history of isolation, her social inexperience, her lingering fears of being left alone again, still feels insecure about whether her friendships are sincere. Give Jester hugs, is what I’m saying. Give her ALL the hugs.

-Jester’s concern for Kiri gets more adorable each episode. I especially like how emphatic she is about the fact that Kiri is a person, appearances notwithstanding (“She’s like you, she’s a little girl, not a pet”). Laura said in a Talks episode a while back that Jester thought of Kiri like a doll, but I definitely think her views have evolved. There was something especially touching about the music-box scene. Hupperdook seems to present several options for safe and wholesome environments in which they might leave Kiri, but I’m kind of rooting for Rissa and her father to take her in.

-Jester got to throw around her magic a lot in fun, non-combat ways this episode. Loved the Thaumaturgy cheers for Beau, and the Infernal whispers surrounding the blacksmith kids. But that Locate Object spell not only single-handedly saved their asses, financially speaking, but also changed the entire direction of their current adventure when it led them to that final scene, with the kids in the boarded-up shop.

-It was kind of amazing to see the different ways and specific moments in which each member of the Mighty Nein was affected by the kids’ story. For Jester, of course, it was when they said their parents were thrown in jail for “idol worship.” It is killing me (in a Very Good way) how we’re gradually finding the cracks in the Nein’s cynical, mercenary armor--the emotional buttons that can be pushed to lead them to propose (or support) an actual altruistic quest, despite their much-cherished self-identity as “a bunch of assholes.” Which, of course, leads me to...

FJORD

Holy cats, did this episode radically transform the way I see and feel about Fjord. I haven’t done such an intense 180 on a character since Beau’s one-on-one scene with Dairon back in the day. That was the scene that 100% hooked me on Beau. I went in feeling lukewarm and iffy about her, and came out finding her lovable, secretly vulnerable, and generally fascinating...and this episode had the exact same effect for me re: Fjord.

-His flustered reactions to flirtation have always seemed funny before, and they were funny in this episode too, up to a point...and then, as Travis played it up, it began to feel like something more. I love that it was Caleb, of all people, who sensed Fjord’s genuine discomfort and asked if he was okay. Whether that discomfort just stems from virginity/inexperience or from some kind of bad experience, it makes Fjord’s relationship with Jester--who defaults to flirting as a standard form of social interaction, because of her upbringing--a lot more interesting to me than it’s ever been before. Her offer of sex lessons would have felt like simple comedy in an earlier episode, but now it felt like a case of fundamental miscommunication, a clash between two people with very different backgrounds and worldviews when it comes to sex and romance...and I am All About It, I am so on board for that ride, it appeals to me so much more than Jester’s simple romance-novel-fantasy version of their relationship.

-In my notes on last week’s episode, I forgot to even mention Fjord confiding in Molly about the eyeball on his sword (and Molly’s poorly-timed and poorly-executed Charm Person spell), but Fjord and Molly’s relationship always intrigues me. In this week’s installment of their roommate shenanigans, we got Fjord’s rather jaw-dropping line “Half of me’s interested, the other half is terrified” (I could just hear the fics being written on the spot). My shipping compass is all over the place at this point. On the one hand, Fjord has low wisdom and an occasional tendency to jump on board with crazy scenarios just for the hell of it. On the other hand, I could swear sometimes, looking back over the whole campaign, that the only people in whom he’s shown anything like romantic interest are Caleb and Molly. (If you want to get all metaphorical-innuendo with this, they’re the only two teammates he’s almost allowed to hold/examine his sword...yet, in both cases, he decided to refuse/hold off.)

-Fjord coaching Beau on behavior and facial expressions never, ever gets old. And for once, instead of trying to help her be more courteous and less off-putting, he got to help her ramp up her intimidation to a whole new level (for a couple of teenage punks! 😂). Molly and Caleb doing good cop/bad cop last week was a delight, but Fjord and Beau pulled it off just as brilliantly. (Are we ever going to hear what became of those kids, as they spent a day frantically searching for the thieves the Mighty Nein had already found? ^_^)

-And finally...HOW ABOUT THAT BACKSTORY, THOUGH!?

No, it’s not the first backstory drop we’ve gotten for Fjord; in fact, it’s one of the briefest. We knew about the kids who made fun of him for his tusks and drove him to file them down. We knew about his sailor background, the shipwreck, his near-drowning experience, and that he presumably made a shady deal with his patron (whether he remembers it or not). We knew about his mentor, Vandren, whose fate is still up in the air. Yet somehow, none of that had anywhere near as much impact on me as that one little line, that achingly hesitant response to the question of whether he’d ever been in an orphanage: “Yes. I was. They’re terrible fucking places.”

I’ve actually thought a lot over the course of this campaign about why I’ve had more trouble connecting to Fjord than to the other characters, and I realized that a lot of it boiled down to the fact that he’s just never seemed to have the same vulnerability. Yes, his backstory was painful, even traumatic, but there was a certain macho romanticism to it--explosions, shipwrecks, a shady kraken-esque magical patron, even the fact that the loved one he lost was a surrogate father. It was all a little bit too “classic hero” for me to really feel it down to my bones...and honestly, that also applied to Fjord in general. He was always so smooth, so polished, so badass and confident and leader-like. I never heard the same raw desperation in his voice as I did in Caleb’s when he talked about his parents, or Nott’s when she talked about her goblin heritage, or Molly’s when he talked about rejecting his forgotten past, or Jester’s when she begged the Traveler to appear, or even Beau’s (downplayed as much as she could!) when she was seeking Dairon’s approval.

But with that one line about his childhood, regardless of the specifics, Fjord has joined the club for me. I’m all in. I’d die for him as soon as I would for any of the others. ...And this turned out waaay longer than I expected. 😳 Moving on!

-Everything about Fjord during that last scene (and actually, everything about that scene in general) was pure gold. Fjord was so soft toward those kids; he gave us the gentlest rendition of the line “I’m the one asking questions” that I’ve ever heard. His quiet, eloquent, persistent appeal to the others to join him in a dangerous, unpaid, purely altruistic rescue mission did such a number on my heart.

-Also? “I would really like the opportunity to leave this place better than we found it” was a direct quote from Molly when he talked about his circus days under Zone of Truth--and Molly definitely noticed. I love, love, love that the members of this chaotic-neutral trash group are learning to appeal directly to each other’s backgrounds, issues, and specific values, not just to get a rise out of each other, but to activate the compassion that every one of them has buried beneath a hundred layers of cynical self-interest.

-Of course, Fjord and Molly weren’t the only people having their buttons pushed in that discussion, and Fjord’s wasn’t the only big backstory drop this episode! Which brings me to...

BEAU

-Though I was initially disappointed that the gang didn’t set off a whole bunch of them in the streets of Hupperdook, I am now thrilled and terrified at the thought of all the firecrackers she still has in her possession.

-Everything about Beau and Jester’s friendship is pure as the driven snow, and Beau getting Jester a flower necklace was no exception.

-Beau: *tries to snatch Molly’s tip for a dancer out of midair; rolls a natural one* Dancer: *grabs the coin, kicks Beau in the face, and winks at her* Beau: “I wink back. You know, I kind of liked that. That was kinda hot.” Me: This is the most quintessentially Beau moment I have ever witnessed, and I love her more than air.

-Low-charisma Beau and Molly leaning on the bar, totally ignored, for 15 minutes, was beautiful...but Beau’s “Sorry to interrupt your incessant flirting, but can I please have a drink?” is everything I have ever wanted from Beau and Molly’s frenemyship. I feel so fulfilled.

-Beau’s brief involvement in Jester and Nott’s dance plans (“Yeah, I know, I’m your second choice” / Nott: “No, third” 😂). Beau gets a lot of flak for arrogance, but honestly, her self-deprecation game is almost as strong as Caleb’s, and it is both hilarious and kind of poignant every time.

-Her defense of Nott from the racist (species-ist?) firecracker salesman. “Hey, don’t ever apologize for who you are, man.” Also telling her that Caleb is “a good guy”--which, coming from the one person who (a.) knows Caleb’s full backstory and (b.) isn’t Nott, is kind of huge.

-BEAU BACKSTORY DROP. BEAU BACKSTORY DROP. I wanted it SO BADLY, and I got my wish!! There was nothing about it that I didn’t love, starting with the fact that she confided in Nott. Out of all the Mighty Nein members, they’re probably two of the people with the fewest interactions, but it makes sense that the weird Caleb/Beau/Nott bond formed during Caleb’s backstory drop continues to strengthen.

-“Are you evil? Are you a bad guy?” / “No. I don’t...I hope not. I think it differs from day to day, depending on what I’m doing. Do you think I’m a bad guy?” This said so much about Beau herself, and also Beau’s self-image--and how heavily it depends on how other people see her, despite how vehemently she’d like to claim otherwise.

-Beau’s story wasn’t shocking or even surprising--it basically just tied together a lot of the hints we’ve already gotten--but there were so many little touches that killed me:

Her painfully realistic reluctance to pronounce her father a bad person

The fact that he hired the monks to straight-up kidnap her like some kind of horrific “scared straight” stunt (which is a thing that real parents do to real children, and that’s all I’m going to say about that)

The pained sarcasm of her, “Sure. Great,” when Nott asked if she was okay...and the brief dropped eye contact when Nott asked, “Was it hard?”

The looong pause and deeep breath between, “He was hoping...” and, “...they were gonna beat my indiscretions out of me.”

“I think all of the things that my father saw in me that he hated, the monks saw as a potential advantage.” I’ve always known that Beau’s first scene with Dairon felt raw and emotional and Important, but this scene finally gave us the context to explain why.

And, more than anything, the way her voice broke and dissolved into pained laughter when she said, “In fact, he told me he never wanted to see me again.” ...If this guy is still alive, the Mighty Nein had damn well better hunt him down and give him the full Syldor Vessar or Howaardt Darrington treatment.

...I have to note that amid all those dark emotions, something about Beau’s deadpan delivery of “I worked at a library” sent me into hysterics. (Also, “That had to do with the job that I had before the job that I had--”)

In short: For her first big backstory drop, this was deeply satisfying, but there are still so many things we don’t know! Why was her childhood “meant for someone else”? What about “I came to hate the town I was in and the system my father was a part of”? That seems related to her previous confession to Caleb, that she watched her father give up everything for the Empire and get screwed over somehow. And what about her comment to Dairon ages ago about how her father’s money (for her upkeep) must not be coming in anymore? Is he dead? Missing? In prison? I WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING.

Still not the end of the Beau moments, though:

-Beau getting Fjord out of awkward sexual propositions by pleading erectile dysfunction on his behalf. Best/worst anti-wingwoman ever. (Bonus: Fjord’s Very Southern, Very Offended, “She doesn’t know me like that.” 😂)

-She finally followed through with her long-ago threat to slap Caleb! (Caleb, luckily, was not in a state to care.)

-“I will fucking punch you if you try and kiss me.” Literally could not ask for more with Beau and Molly. Could. Not. Ask. For. More.

-Her anguished “NOOOO!” when Molly literally pulled the alcohol out of her body...and of course, ”Did you touch inside of me!?”

-Despite finally dropping backstory of her own, Beau is still #1 when it comes to digging out other people’s: “I mean, Nott’s over here trying to pull my heartstrings, but it seems like you should be the target. Do you have a thing with kids in orphanages?”

Speaking of heartstrings...

NOTT

-So happy to see more of her friendship with Jester (“Do we need choreography!?”), and an attempt to revive their Detective Duo dynamic.

-It’s been a while since we saw Nott deal with racism (species-ism?). Still as much of a gut punch as ever.

-I loved seeing her gratitude to Beau for taking care of Caleb, along with her determination to make sure Beau is doing it right. I’m still not sure how I feel about Nott’s whole “I am the parent” attitude, but she’s certainly a better ‘parent’ than most of the Mighty Nein have ever known.

-She did a fantastic job bringing out Beau’s backstory without overshadowing Beau, but she still got off some great lines in that scene: “So wait. Little townsgirl, her parents are wine-makers, now you’re a brutal assassin martial artist who can kill anything...what happened in between those two things?” and “You were bootlegging your old man’s hooch!?”

-“I never thought of you as an optimistic person, but that’s a very positive way of looking at it.” Okay...I may finally, finally be letting go of my cherished image of Scrappy Urchin Child Nott, and warming up to Maternal Nott. Watching her earnestly encourage her ever-growing collection of adopted children is kind of the best. (She was also great at “pulling Beau’s heartstrings” during the final scene, though I couldn’t help thinking that a lot of her “Don’t you think the children should be with their loving parents!?” rhetoric would’ve hit home for Caleb as well.)

-The drinking contest was a delight from start to finish, but Nott’s match was probably my second-favorite. (Nothing could beat “little Caleb” triumphing over his mild-mannered opponent.)

-It was a small moment, but it made me inordinately happy to see Nott and Molly profusely congratulating each other after the contest and then DANCING TOGETHER. They’ve barely exchanged a word since (1.) Molly wrenched deeply personal confessions out of Nott with Charm Person, (2.) They clashed in the aftermath of Scrollgate, and (3.) Nott offended Molly pretty seriously during his Zone of Truth backstory. Every single moment of Mighty Nein friendship/concern/camaraderie in this episode gave me so much life, but these two were a highlight.

And, speak of the devil...

MOLLY

It’s been quite some time since Molly got a big chance to shine. I’m mildly concerned about that, but that’s a matter for another post. (And it will probably get cleared up soon anyway--I think Tal just has a somewhat quieter play style, and takes a while to settle into his characters.) That said, the Molly moments we did get in this episode were absolute gems:

-Straight-up knight-in-shining-armoring Rissa with the punks who were harassing her. Nothing will ever be quite as gloriously creepy as blood maledicts.

-“Do I have masculine wiles!?” / “You have...pan wiles.” / “I’m into it.” (There’s this very specific voice Molly uses once in a while, this tone of pure childlike wonder, that sends my Molly love into overdrive. The lines that come to mind are, “Can I!?” back when Fjord joked that Molly could take the mirror from Pumat Sol’s shop, and “I won a strawberry!” back at the Harvest Close festival. I love that I can now add “Do I have masculine wiles!?” to the list.)

-Drawing alcohol out of Beau with his blood-hunter powers to ease her hangover

-“Whatever team you’re on, I don’t think I play for that one...It’s Team Fuck-Off, I’m well aware.”

-Throwing up on Fjord, and then tenderly bringing him to bed (...not that way)

-His “Say no more, I’m in” as soon as Fjord made it clear that the quest to break the kids’ parents out of jail was personal for him. In perfect accordance with his carnie past, Molly often walks this delicate line between “keep your head down, don’t make trouble” and “be the chaos you want to see in the world,” and I love that a friend’s Strong Feelings can single-handedly push him from one side to the other.

-I feel like there are probably more Molly moments I’m forgetting because I’m at the tail end of a post the size of Mt. Everest here, and I am most sincerely sorry.

BONUS

Yasha was barely there this episode, for obvious reasons, but I still desperately want art of her cuddling with Kiri!

IN CONCLUSION

This episode was amazing and I cannot wait for next week.

#critical role #c2e24 #caleb widogast #jester lavorre #fjord #beauregard #nott the brave #mollymauk tealeaf #yasha nydoorin #kiri #caleb #jester #beau #nott #mollymauk #molly #yasha #beau and caleb

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