#maybe i'm just forgetting things from season 1 because i do remember VERY little

[amandab821]

am i the only one watching loki who sees like nothing between him and mobius lol

#there's hardly even anything that sticks out to me as being baity either #other than maybe the 'if i don't come back' or whatever it was loki said in ep 1 #maybe i'm just forgetting things from season 1 because i do remember VERY little #not tagging this for my own sake

[ineffably-human]

Nandor's better to Guillermo than I remember from my initial watch. It's still regressive (and it was starting to head that way in 4x10 too, so maybe this just continues from there), he still has times he's thoughtless and dismissive. But he's the one advocating the others listen, and that they do nice things for Guillermo. He's noticed something is wrong just like Laszlo, he just comes to a different conclusion. He listens to an offhand remark from Guillermo that wasn't even directed at him, just to get him a present.

Any shittiness he's engaging in comes from the very idea of Guillermo being a vampire. (The way Nandor brings that up to the others almost feels like he's been floating the idea in his head, which is a whole other thing; I'll see if I'm right with more episodes I guess and we'll take it at face value for now.) And aside from not wanting that to happen because it would change things, maybe lead to Guillermo leaving, etc it's laughable to him right now for the same reasons it would have been laughable to him in season 1 or 2. Guillermo is a little more assertive than in those years, but he's completely returned to the familiar role. He's reacting to Nandor with fear, more than he did even then.

Guillermo's big attitude change came with being a slayer, and now he seems to have forgotten that completely to the point that he doesn't even consider it as one of the reasons the transformation hasn't worked. He wasn't ready, he was in pain, this isn't how he imagined it (insert @cookinguptales's excellent meta on how it's all a big metaphor for virginity loss). And right now he doesn't know what his body is doing, and he's walking around consumed with guilt and imposter syndrome. Becoming a vampire is making him forget other real, important parts of who he is.

I think it's very easy for the vampires to regress - because of time, stagnation, etc - to an earlier point. Guillermo's regression is just as rapid-fire but it's from trauma. His intense desire to not want to talk about it, to wait over two weeks before the camera crew wears him down enough. To try and describe the turning as sexier and more intense and life-changing than it was, only to be jump-scared by Nandor and reminded that what he did was a (fully justified) betrayal. Has he forgotten that if Nandor really did want to kill him, Guillermo's kicked his ass without his now-perfect vision, and has killed dozens of vampires at a time? Or is the thought of hurting Nandor and fracturing that relationship the thing that hurts far worse here?

I'm a little insane about how, while in the process of going behind Nandor's back, while he's right about to get the thing he's ostensibly attached to Nandor for, he's insisting that Nandor will eventually do right by him and really truly cares about him. So much that Derek again asks Guillermo if he's sure about this.

Even more than the love search stuff Nandor dealt with over two seasons, all of this seems tailor-made to address the big unspoken questions of their relationship. What does Guillermo hope to gain as a vampire? How much of that involves his feelings for Nandor? What matters most to Nandor when it's Guillermo vs his own pride, especially if there were a real threat of losing him? Can they actually find their way to eternity together, and what does that look like when they do?

Which is to say, it's absolutely happening this season. And shit's going to get insane on the way.

#i haven't even started on the hypnosis runner and how the theme of this season is absolutely secrecy #that's a whole other (much better) essay #this is just me vomiting some thoughts out #fandom: wwdits #wwdits #what we do in the shadows #nandermo #otp: nandermo #i am a meta gremlin

[reeeallygood]

911 Lone Star Rewatch: 1x01

I was finally able to do my rewatch last night! I actually recorded a voice memo of myself watching so I could remember my thoughts. I briefly considered just posting the recording, but there was some annoying background noise from my radiator. But maybe I'll post recordings for later episodes.

But let me try to get my thoughts in order (I have a lot of them):

Can you believe that the thing that starts it all--that kills Judd's entire crew--is a burrito?? Insane.

They were trying reallll hard in the pilot to make Sierra look older. The way they styled her and did her hair, clearly trying to make her and Judd look like they are the same age. I'm glad they decided to just let her be younger than him. Because she was younger than Ronen in the pilot and they have her dressed like she's 45.

TK IN FIREFIGHTER GEAR

I love that they straight-bated the audience by making TK's boyfriend have a gender neutral name. I remember my dad watching this episode and he fully assumed Alex was a woman until he showed up at the restaurant.

Also was very struck by how great of a character Owen is. I know that he annoys a lot of people and I fully understand why--especially in season 2--but I genuinely enjoy him.

Real talk, what do we think TK was paying for rent in his New York apartment. They say "west 7th" in the show. I think it's Brooklyn. And it's a walk up... it looks pretty spacious.

On this rewatch I really absorbed Owen saying to TK that he promised this would never happen again. Is he referring to using in general? Or has TK ODed before?

I wonder if we are ever going to circle back to the fact that TK tried to commit suicide. Because they do talk about him overdosing, and using, and generally doing reckless things with drugs, but the suicidal aspect of it is never really discussed.

Mateo in the pilot, scrubbing down the car door handle. His journey from academy "frequent flyer" to kick-ass firefighter is so great.

I find it interesting that Owen didn't focus on hiring people from Texas...

PAUL. Why is Brian Michael Smith so cool???? His entire opening scene with the arsonist in Chicago is perfection. *chef's kiss*

Judson Ryder!!! I really thought I wasn't going to like him the first time I watched this scene of him and Owen. Especially with that "we are the world" line he has, which immediately paints him as a bigot. But of course, we get to see what is actually going on with him and how much pain he's in and how he feels like someone is coming in and trampling on the memory of people he lost.

No matter how many times I rewatch season 1, I always forget that Michelle is in it until she shows up. And even though I love Iris, I have no investment in Michelle's missing sister storyline. In my recording it's literally me saying "Oh yeah, Michelle" in the most unenthusiastic tone. I'm a fan of Liv Tyler, but Michelle was not it. And Tommy fits the vibe of the show so much better.

If I had a nickel for every time Carlos called a woman friend of his that he just arrested, and had in the back of his police vehicle, "chica", I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it is weird that it happened twice.

Side note, I'm surprised that the phrase "nut sack" is allowed on cable television.

Owen, and now Paul, have a better skincare routine than me.

GOD. Seeing TK and Carlos standing next to each other and interacting at the crash scene is crazy. CUZ THEY DON'T EVEN KNOWWWW. But also the premise of that whole emergency was so good. The second baby that they don't know about! The suspense! The drama!

Do we think TK's little speech about how he likes his new AA group and that he's glad to be in Austin... do we think he's lying? Because we know that in episode 3 he talks about everything being gray. So do we think he's just putting on a show for Owen?

I've never noticed that Tim in the background at the honky tonk!! But no Nancy?? Is she not in the pilot at all??

Would love to know more about Owen's second wife.

I love that Owen tells Judd about his cancer diagnosis. Because I think it shows that he recognizes that Judd is a good man even with his outburst in that first scene.

Gonna take my horse to the ol' town road, I'm gonna riiiidde til I can't no more.

Wow, what an episode! 10/10!

If you actually read this whole thing you get a gold star on the good noodle board.

Other episode thoughts

#911 lone star rewatch 2024 #911 lone star #This is so long #I'm going to check the recording I made for ep 2 and see if it's better quality #If it is I'm just going to post it

[coraniaid]

One of my mildly heretical Buffy takes -- only reinforced by this current rewatch -- is that Becoming Part 1 and Becoming Part 2 work better and make more sense as two separate episodes than they do as a single 90 minute story.

Yes, of course, in some sense they are telling a single cohesive narrative -- everything with Acathla and the spell to restore Angel's soul works this way -- but I've never quite understood why it's so common in reviews and fan analysis to treat them as one episode. Large structural parts of Part 1 -- most notably the framing device with Whistler's narration, and also the frequent flashbacks to Angel's past -- are dropped entirely in Part 2. This isn't something like Bargaining, where one big episode is split into two almost arbitrary halves. It really doesn't feel, to me, as if these two episodes were intended to be watched back to back.

Or maybe I was just too upset about Kendra's death to keep watching the way I planned originally and this is what I'm telling myself to rationalize that.

Of course, since this is a rewatch, I always knew Kendra was going to die at the end of Part 1. But what I was a little surprised by -- what I had somehow managed to forget -- was that she doesn't even turn up in the episode until there are about twenty minutes to go until it ends. And I'd also let myself forget, in hindsight, just how blatant it is that her only function in this episode is to be killed off. She doesn't die saving any of Buffy's friend's lives in Buffy's place -- in fact Drusilla doesn't show any sign of wanting to kill anyone after Kendra -- she doesn't really have a big dramatic last stand (we've seen Giles kill more vampires more quickly than the single vamp Kendra manages to stake in her final scene). She isn't really permitted a heroic last stand, or a dramatic final fight with Drusilla. She just dies. If Kendra hadn't been here, the only thing about the story that would change is that Kendra herself would still be alive.

And it all feels like such a stupid and senseless waste. Not because the actual character of Kendra was particularly deep or interesting, but because she wasn't ever given the chance to be. She temporarily threatens Buffy's sense of herself as "the" Slayer, she has a very unfortunate accent and (until this episode) an outfit that doesn't really match her stated background at all and she has a stake called Mr Pointy, and then -- without much fanfare -- she's gone from Buffy's life forever. Buffy won't say her name again after this season. Nobody will say her name again after we've been introduced to Faith. She won't appear in any of Buffy's prophetic dreams, or in the alternate realities of The Wish or Normal Again. The First won't ever take on her appearance in Season 7, however appropriate that would have been.

So maybe the two parts of Becoming are more closely related than I'd like to admit. Because at least, in Part 2, the show remembers that Kendra existed.

It won't do that for long.

#btvs #buffy rewatch 2023

[aziraphalestartanunderwear]

Okay so let's think a little bit about everyone's favorite danger demon.

✨Crowley✨

He's going to be a mess in season three. An absolute mess. And we have three options and I'll rank them from least likely to most likely (in my semi-professional opinion) (I'm a creative writing major for a reason).

1) Crowley will drive off and disappear and cry alone but nothing will change and he'll just die in the second coming. This won't happen because that is not the story we want to hear and season two was very people pleasing.

2) Crowley will join the forces of Hell again. I doubt this is the option Neil will take. It would make a nice character parallel, yes, but it just doesn't seem like something Crowley would do considering he specifically said he wouldn't. But y'know he could always change due to anger and betrayal.

3) Crowley's anger and sadness will cause him to literally go to the ends of the earth and beyond to get Aziraphale back. Like literally to the point of taking a bath in holy water kind of desire. Maybe he will. That would discorporate him, yes, but there has to be something at steak and what's bigger than a character's entire existence.

But no matter what option happens...

✨Aziraphale✨

...will have a great time being the top bitch for a while. Him and Metatron—who literally looks like he would be Aziraphale's dad—will have a fantastic time. Aziraphale will try his best to forget about Crowley for a while for the sake of ✨goodness✨. But he'll have some kind of sign that will trigger his little angel noggin to be like oh crap I left him and I don't feel complete without him. He'll go to Crowley in a dire moment when everything is falling apart. It'll foil the scene in the end of season two, or at least I'd hope so because that would be excellent structure. And Crowley will have the option to either walk away from Aziraphale because he hurt him, but more likely he'll accept him back because Plot.

They're on their own side and Aziraphale just has to remember that. And something will cause him to remember that. Then they'll come back together and make everything good again. Maybe Aziraphale will even save Crowley as a nice foil. One thing for sure is that they are stronger together. That's shown in both seasons in the most literal ways (the Adam Young vs his dad scene and the beacon scene).

Neil probably doesn't even know what the finished product will be. I don't know if he's even started writing it considering the writer's strike and the fact that he could be taking a break. My predictions or... or wise and accurate prophecies... are simply just analysis of pleasing story structure,

#good omens #aziraphale #good omens s2 #crowley #good omens season two spoilers #good omens season 2 #season three prophecies

[marshallfan99]

Marshall appreciation post time! (And also me telling the story of how I discovered PAW Patrol and how it quickly became a special interest)

(Look at him, isn't he adorable?!)

Marshall has been my number one favorite PAW Patrol character since day one of the show! He and I are a lot alike and I could relate to him immediately from that very first wipeout. He's basically me if I was a puppy! We're both super clumsy...I trip and fall and wipeout just as much as Marshall does... We both also love puns, and car racing (I LOVED Ready Race Rescue because it was about a car race, and Marshall being a huge fanpup of the Whoosh was adorable), and we both love having fun! Marshall never fails to make me laugh either, he's definitely the funniest pup out of all of them. He also has some amazing focus episodes, here are some of my favorites. The season 1 episode Pups Fight Fire is one that still sticks in my head to this day as one of my all time favorites. I loved watching Marshall try and break the fastest fire pup record despite losing confidence in himself in the beginning of the episode after accidentally breaking his ladder and falling off it. The phrase "Do my best, and forget the rest!" has been one of my mottos ever since that episode first aired and whenever I say it to myself it's always in my Marshall voice impression. This little Dalmatian pup has taught me a lot about not giving up when things get hard, always doing your best when you're faced with a challenge, and many other things too! I also love the season 2 episodes Pups Save A Friend and Pups Leave Marshall Home Alone! In the former, Marshall's feelings of worthlessness and that he "can't do anything right" because of his clumsiness were feelings I relate to a lot since I have similar feelings about my clumsiness on bad days like the one Marshall had in that episode. In the latter, I love how Marshall was able to use the other pups' Pup-Packs to help Katie save the kittens, he proved he's not just the clumsy one in that episode, he even FLEW, which he was still afraid of back then since Air Pups hadn't aired yet then...maybe this was actually the first step to him getting over his fear of flying! Marshall taught me the valuable lesson of not letting your fears or shortcomings get the best of you and to always do whatever you can to help a friend when they need you there for them, which is something I always try to do. Those two episodes are definitely also in my list of favorite episodes of all time because of those reasons and more (like how Marshall imitated the other pups and Ryder in Pups Leave Marshall Home Alone, which made me laugh whenever he did that because he's such a funny little pup)!

I remember the day PAW Patrol premiered so vividly in my mind...on August 12, 2013, I was away on summer vacation with my family...except I had a broken wrist caused by my own clumsiness, so my arm was in a giant cast. It was my dominant arm too, so I couldn't do any of the stuff I usually liked to do on vacation...so I just sat around the TV most of the time. When I saw the commercials for PAW Patrol, I asked my younger brothers if they wanted to watch it with me since it looked really fun and cute. So we all crowded around the TV and watched the premiere together and we all loved it! We all had our favorite pups decided right from episode 1, too! Mine was obviously Marshall, but one of my brothers liked Rubble, another liked Rocky, and the other liked Zuma! And since PAW Patrol was a brand new show, there were new episodes everyday that week! So PAW Patrol and Marshall kept me entertained during that vacation where I couldn't do anything. I started doing Marshall voice impressions which were very, VERY accurate to his season one voice (I can actually still do it nowadays but I'm a bit rusty, as well as his season 7-8 voice, and season 9 voice), and by the time vacation was over, my autistic brain could only think about PAW Patrol...it was already a special interest after just one week of being on the air, and a lot of it was because of how much I loved (and still love) Marshall. I was completely hooked, and I was eagerly awaiting the new episodes and also the toys to come out so I could build my own collection (I barely have a collection right now but I wanna build it up)! As soon as I got my cast off I made my own PAW Patrol badge out of paper and cardstock and attached a piece of tape to it so I could wear it on my shirt...I wore it every time I played with the toys, and the first toy I got was the Action Pack Pup and Badge Marshall figure! The second and third toys were Marshall's Fire Fightin' Truck, and Chase's Cruiser respectively, and I played with them everyday. I started drawing Marshall whenever I had free time (which wasn't a lot considering I had school and everything), and by the time I had to take a break from the show, I had 5 Marshall figures and 2 Marshall vehicles (his fire truck and ambulance) in my PAW Patrol collection (now I also have his movie fire truck and figure as well), and during the break I picked up a Marshall Beanie Boo because I didn't have a plushie of him yet and wanted one, plus the Beanie Boo is so adorable! Two of my brothers (the ones who like Rocky and Zuma) actually still play PAW Patrol with me, when we watched the movie together we acted out the rescues as best as we could with the limited amount of toys we had, and we all had a blast doing it! We also make up games to play with the PAW Patrol toys too, and those are always PAWsome fun! They want me to get more stuff and I wanna get more stuff too so I'm saving up my money so I can buy more, especially more Marshall stuff!

I'm looking forward to seeing Marshall again in movie form in the Mighty Movie later this year...I love his movie design so much! I really hope that after the Mighty Movie they make a movie focused on Marshall since he's the other really popular pup besides Chase (who was the focus of the first movie) and Skye (who is going to be the focus in the Mighty Movie), so it only makes sense for Marshall to be next in line for a movie. I'd be so excited if that happens, especially if we get his backstory in it, because I really wanna see a little baby Marshall like how we saw little baby Chase in the first one...baby Chase was adorable, but seeing baby Marshall would be even more adorable I think (maybe that's just because I'm a massive Marshall fan but whatever 😅).

So that's all! Wow, I wrote a lot this time...sorry about that, I tend to ramble about stuff I really like (like I said before, PAW Patrol is a special interest of mine)...but if you read all the way to the end, you're PAWsome! Also if you read all the way to the end...how'd you get into PAW Patrol...? Who's your favorite pup and why...? Is it Marshall like mine is, or is it someone else...? I wanna get to know you all and maybe find some friends here so that's why I'm asking these questions. I'd be really happy if you answered them, and that's all I have for today! Till next time, Marshall out! ✌️

#paw patrol #paw patrol marshall #marshall appreciation post #my paw patrol discovery story #long post #special interest #Marshall talks #Marshall rambles...a lot 😅

[officialaemondtargaryen]

#130 and/or #147 if you're still taking Eddie requests this weekend? After that season finale I just need to read something heart achingly sweet and tender in a declaring his love for the first time type situation. I was really caught off guard by how much I ended up loving his character. Thank you!!!

Prompts: (30) "I'll keep you safe" and (147) "Tell me again"

Characters: Eddie Munson x Fem!Henderson!Reader

Word Count: 8,712

Warnings: Spoilers for Vol. 1 of season 4 if you have not watched it yet (what are you even doing here?) though some things don’t 100% match up with the show. There’s some cursing, a lot of pining, and it is kind of angsty.

A/N: First, just thank you for this request because I truly enjoyed writing this for you. Second, I hope you love it. Third, buckle up because it's a long one. Fourth, check out the songs that were on repeat while writing this below!

Playlist: 1, 2, 3, 4

You never meant to get caught up in all of this.

But Dustin- he was your brother, after all. You had his back no matter what, through thick and thin; bullies, forgotten lunch money, a ride to and from the arcade. Whatever Dustin needed, you were there. Including when he, and all of his friends, came to you for help with a problem of the other-worldly variety.

You had your suspicions for a while that Dustin and his friends were up to no good, but you just assumed it was a very elaborate D&D campaign. You definitely didn't expect your sweet, intelligent, little brother to tell you that he had found an interdimensional species of slug that turned into a monster and ate your mother's cat and was now on the loose.

But when he did, you did what any big sister would do.

You had his back.

Still, there was always a feeling in the pit of your stomach- the waiting for the other shoe to drop when things began to feel normal again. Yet, despite everything that you and your friends had been through since then, there was a collective hopefulness that maybe- just this once- things would get better.

You had met Eddie Munson about six months ago when Dustin asked you to come and watch one of the Hellfire Club's campaigns. The eccentric Dungeon Master gave him shit for inviting his big sister along and made sure to point out that there was a very strict 'no spectators allowed' rule.

"Relax, who do you think even taught this loser how to play in the first place? I'm only here to make sure my little brother isn't getting clowned by some posers who aren't deserving of his skills."

Your friendship was pretty set in stone from that moment on, and the two of you grew incredibly close incredibly fast. The relationship that you had with Eddie was special. It was normal, grounding, and you cherished him for being able to make you forget about all the dark shit you had been through that you longed to forget about. Which, inevitably, led you to spend what was probably way too much time with him.

There was so much that you couldn't tell him, and he knew that you weren't being completely open; and in true Eddie fashion, he was a little too open to compensate for it. When he'd wake you out of a nightmare or notice you flinching when he made a sudden movement, or maybe you were zoning out again, he couldn't help but wonder what it was that you were keeping to yourself.

The rules of the party forbid you to tell anyone, it was pretty much the number one and most important rule- which was broken, quite often, depending on the circumstances. So you don't tell him. You can't. He would never believe you, anyways. He'd think you had just gotten too high again and were trying to give him ideas for a new campaign. But that was okay because Eddie didn't need to know. He was so incredibly innocent and sweet and you knew that if you brought him into that kind of world, it would only cast a shadow on the light that was him.

That wasn't the only thing you were holding back from him, though.

You remembered the exact moment that you fell in love with Eddie Munson. You remember the realization of your discovery hitting you like a tidal wave as if it were just yesterday; sitting on his bed, legs crossed underneath you, shuffling through an old milk crate of records to find something to put on. That was your typical day after school; Eddie would take you back to his trailer, he'd make something quick for you both to eat- because God knows the Hawkins High cafeteria food was not worth eating, you'd help him with his homework, and he'd get you super high.

As you thumbed through record after record, and cassette tape after cassette tape- countless metal bands, some of which you had never heard of- something caught your attention. Your brows furrowed together as Eddie's soft voice carried through the trailer and you leaned over to glance down the hallway. He was in the kitchen, making boxed macaroni and cheese and quietly humming the words to your favorite song.

The moment you saw him rounding the corner down the hallway with two bowls in hand, you snapped back to your place on his bed, pretending you had never taken your attention off of his records. The smile on your face, however, gave you away instantly.

"What's got you smilin'?" He asked, proudly handing you the top-tier mid-afternoon snack he had just whipped up.

You shook your head, "I thought you hated Journey?" You questioned nonchalantly with a shrug of your shoulders. "You said they weren't real rock n' roll."

He rolled his eyes and tilted his head to the side before shoving a forkful of macaroni in his mouth. "Yeah, well," he said while chewing. "You like them."

You weren't sure why you had never noticed it before, but when you looked at him in that moment with his hair pulled back in a low bun, sunlight streaming through half-closed blinds casting a pale, peach glow across his soft features and illuminating the silver chain around his neck, it was as clear as ever: you were in love with him. The feeling terrified you, so much so that, not only did you immediately get up and leave his trailer that day, but you didn’t see or speak to him for two whole weeks; coming up with every excuse in the book to avoid him. 

The problem was that you were, well, you. You were t-shirts and ripped jeans that were a little too long, unkempt hair, and a snarky attitude. You were the best friend, not the girlfriend, and you didn’t want whatever feelings that were blooming in the pit of your stomach to ruin what was the best friendship that you had ever known. So avoiding Eddie Munson like the fucking plague was the best idea that you had until those feelings began to subside. 

Only they didn’t. They grew and grew until it felt like you were drowning every time you were around him. And that was a real problem, because Eddie only liked girls that were way out of his league; girls that didn’t want boxed macaroni and cheese or would scrunch up their noses in disgust at the sight of his mattress. He liked short skirts and girls who wore make-up. And the pain you felt every time he smirked or batted his big, beautiful eyes in a cheerleader’s direction was going to be the death of you, that you knew. 

"Have you talked to Eddie today?" Dustin asked you after throwing open your bedroom door without even bothering to knock. Max was standing closely behind him in the hallway outside of your room. You knew them both well enough to know that the looks on their faces were anything but good.

"No, why?" You asked.

It was pretty early on the first day of Spring Break, so it wasn't surprising that Eddie hadn't called or been by your house. He was probably sleeping in. Dustin didn't say anything else, he immediately turned on his heel and started marching towards the front door with Max in tow, spewing off nonsense that you couldn't quite comprehend.

"Dustin," you said sternly, having no choice but to follow them. "What's going on?"

"I'll explain on the way," he replied and tossed the car keys towards you. "Let's go!"

Your mind was swimming as Dustin mouthed off all of the possible scenarios that would put Chrissy Cunningham and Eddie in the same vicinity. He kept prodding you with questions being that you knew him better than anyone; about his love life, did he have any other family, where would he go if he needed to get away? But your mind was scrambled, a thousand thoughts firing all at once- all you could say was, "I don't know".

Robin and Steve weren't too thrilled to see the three of you. From past experience, more than three party members busting through the doors of their workplace usually spelled trouble. Dustin immediately went to work on getting a list of the phone numbers of all of the people that he knew who knew Eddie. Max filled Robin and Steve in on the newest mission. And you, well, you sat on a step stool behind the counter and tried not to have a panic attack- or vomit, either one.

This was your best friend and now the number one suspect in a murder investigation. You knew how to handle monsters but you weren't quite sure how to get a grip on what exactly was happening. One thing was certain, to at least you and Dustin- Eddie was completely innocent. Steve mentioned that you should get the cops involved, but getting the cops involved- having Max as the last person besides Eddie to see Chrissy alive, and witnessing Eddie fleeing the scene of the crime meant certain doom for your best friend.

"We're not calling the cops, Steve." you seethed as you stood up from the step stool; your face red from rubbing your hands over your cheeks and eyes to keep yourself from crying. Everyone collectively stopped talking and looked at you. "I know where Rick lives, it's out by Lover's Lake. He's currently locked up, but he trusts Eddie so he would watch the house for him, or whatever. He would take me out there with him sometimes."

Eddie had been hiding for almost twenty-four hours. He hadn't slept, he was on edge, terrified that even breathing too heavy meant that someone was going to find him. And when he jumped out from underneath that tarp with a broken beer bottle and held it to Steve's neck, you saw the fear in his eyes. But when he looked around that dingy room and his eyes met yours, you could also see that weight being lifted off of his chest.

There you were.

He released his grip on Steve and you stepped forward, pulling Eddie into your arms and down to the floor, cradling him. He was so visibly shaken that it made your heart sink. His lips quivered as he took in his surroundings. Just moments ago, he was scared for his life and hiding under a tarp, and now he was surrounded by a bunch of people that he barely knew, still scared for his life, but now you were there and to him, that was enough.

You silently rubbed circles into Eddie's back as he recounted the events of the night before. You stayed quiet at his side as Dustin tried to explain the history of madness that seemed to loom over your small town. Eddie looked at you every so often, trying to verify if what your little brother was saying was the truth, and you'd slightly nod; knowing that you'd have your chance to further explain later.

Once the others left, it was just you and Eddie. You had been alone with him before, countless times, but this time it was different. This time, it was Eddie who was looking to you to keep him safe, instead of the other way around. You paced the floor of the boathouse, looking for supplies, things that could be made into weapons, anything useful. You were able to find a couple of flashlights, a small heater, a can of gasoline, a hammer, and a boathook; not to mention Steve's oar, which could definitely be used to knock someone out, if needed. Eddie sat on the ground in the same spot he had been for the last hour and a half. His arms were wrapped around his legs and he was rocking slightly back and forth as he fidgeted with the rings on his hands. You opened the small fridge that Rick used to store extra beer and pulled a couple of cold bottles out, handing one to your friend.

"So you've dealt with this kind of thing before?" He asked before twisting off the bottle's cap and taking a swig. It seemingly seemed to calm his nerves momentarily. 

You sat opposite him, in front of him so that he could see your face- and see your truth- when you told him. You started at the very beginning, with Will and Hawkins Lab. You told him about everything; Eleven's powers, when Dustin came to you about Dart, the Russians at Starcourt Mall, Billy Hargrove, how half of the town had been possessed and didn't really die in a mall fire. He watched as you recounted your memories, brown eyes filled with concern as you described the things you had seen. A silence fell over you once you had finished, your eyes glued to the rickety floorboards of the boathouse as you waited for his response. 

"I promise you that whatever this is, Dustin- he'll figure it out. He somehow always does." You said quietly. “In the meantime, I’ll keep you safe.” 

"I trust you," he said and shifted his body so that he was sitting next to you. "You have no idea how- how relieved I was to see you."

You looked up at him, his dark eyes gazing softly down at you through thick lashes, and hoped that he couldn’t hear the thundering sound of your heart pounding in your chest. You wanted to say something, but all of the words were getting stuck in the back of your throat and your mouth had become dry. So you gave him a small smile and took another sip of your beer, ignoring the feeling of false hope bubbling in your chest. The last thing you needed was to half convince yourself that Eddie’s words were any indication that he might have felt the same way. He had just been through a trauma, and he was happy to have his friend by his side, that was all. 

The flash of headlights passed over the ceiling of the boathouse and disappeared just as quickly. Eddie tore his eyes away from yours, anxiously looking around the dark space. You placed a hand on his thigh to level his nerves. “Hey, it’s okay,” you whispered. “You picked a pretty good hiding spot.” Your soft words seemed to work and he let out a deep sigh, leaning his body into yours and resting his head on your shoulder. "Get some sleep, okay?" You told him and felt him nod against your shoulder. "Tomorrow is a different day."

"Hey," he whispered after a few moments of silence. "Please don't leave."

"Wouldn’t dream of it."

The next morning, you were still in the same place- ass sore, legs numb, but you wouldn't have moved from that spot if someone had paid you a million dollars to do it. You were at least thankful that you were able to reach your novel out of your bag without waking the shaggy-haired boy currently using your shoulder as a pillow. He stirred softly before lifting his head and croaking out a, "good morning." It was almost nine o'clock, the sun was shining out over the lake, and you were sure that it wouldn't be long before you heard Dustin over the walkie. Eddie fingered the crust out of his eyes and looked out to the lake. You couldn't see it, but you knew that the reflection of the sun on the water was dancing across those beautiful brown eyes of his.

"D'you sleep at all?" He asked, turning his attention back to you. You shook your head and his brows pulled together, forehead wrinkling beneath his tousled bangs. "You stayed up all night?"

"My dear, Edward, I had to make sure that someone didn’t come to take you in the night.”

"Still," he replied with a small smile, crossing his legs underneath him before standing up.

"I’ll be okay,” you replied with a shrug. 

He was standing at the edge of the boathouse, staring out at the water; a gentle breeze lightly picked up the ends of his hair. You heard a small sigh escape his lips. “Do you remember when we used to come out here?” He asked, glancing back at you with lips turned up at the corners in the sweetest little smile. You stood to your feet and stretched your arms over your head before joining him at his side. “We’d stay up for hours just watching the way the wind blew over the water.”

Once again, that pesky feeling began to creep into your chest. You cleared your throat, “we should probably figure out where Dustin is.” Eddie’s smile faltered just slightly before he nodded his head. 

Almost on queue, your brother, followed by Max, Robin, and Steve flew through the boathouse door, holding bags of snacks and drinks. You and Eddie both jumped back from each other and you heard Eddie mumble something about there being beer, but being that you were the only one with a fake ID, you knew there wouldn't be any. Instead, in true Dustin Henderson fashion, there was Yoo-hoo and a hearty variety of sugary and savory snacks.

However, as great as the snacks he brought were, your brother didn’t bring the best of news. The police were looking for Eddie. He was their number one suspect, but they hadn't released his name to the public, yet. A silver lining. Yet, it was only a matter of time before they found him, and the timetable was quickly moving up.

That same day there was another murder; another student from Hawkins High. 

It was too close to the boathouse for your liking, so you all agreed that Eddie would be safer elsewhere. And for the first time in months, Steve’s parents were actually home and not on some kind of cruise or business trip. Robin’s mother worked from home, so that was a no-go. And, well, Max lived in the trailer park, so that left the Henderson residence- which, if you were being honest, it should have never been a debate in the first place. Eddie was always welcome at your house. Your mother loved him, but you knew that she probably wouldn’t love the idea of harboring a fugitive. That was okay, though, because you had snuck him into your bedroom at least a dozen times on the nights that you couldn’t sleep and she was none the wiser. 

So you all split up; Dustin and the rest of the group heading off with Nancy to follow some leads to see if they could find a connection to the murders, and you with Eddie. In the past you had usually found yourself right in the thick of whatever plan the Party had come up with, doing whatever you needed to do to save your brother and your friends, but Dustin wasn’t a kid anymore- none of you were. A part of you was thankful that you weren't going head-to-toe with about a thousand, razor sharp teeth and four-inch-long claws. You couldn’t help but worry about your little brother, though, whenever the two of you were separated, no matter how much you trusted Steve to keep him safe. 

“He’ll be okay,” Eddie whispered, nudging you with his elbow. 

You made Eddie ride in the trunk back to your house. Hawkins was a small town, and the drive from Rick’s to your place went straight through downtown- no way were you going to risk him being seen. Your mother’s car was in the driveway and the faint glow of the television illuminated the living room with a blue hue. Eddie snuck around the back of your house to your bedroom window where you’d meet him inside, it was dark, so you weren’t too worried about your neighbors seeing him. You went in through the front door, making small talk with your mom. You made some excuse about being tired before heading down the hallway to your room. She called after you, letting you know she was going to bed and reminded you of the leftovers in the fridge.  

Eddie was already sitting on your bed by the time you opened your bedroom door. He opened his mouth to say something, but you held your finger up to your lips. Seconds later, you could hear your mother’s footsteps passing by your door to her own room at the end of the hall. 

“Give it ten minutes and she’ll be snoring so loud you can hear it from outside.” You whispered faintly. Eddie smiled. “Did you want to take a shower?” He nodded his head. “Okay, I’ll go get the water started for you and heat you up some lasagna while you’re in there.” 

He held two thumbs up in agreement and you quietly snuck out of your room to the bathroom across the hall. Your mother liked everything pink; much to you and Dustin’s disdain. The towels were pink, the washcloths, the fluffy toilet seat cover, the rug, the walls, the soap, everything. You draped one of those towels over the rack next to the shower and turned on the hot water, a cloud of thick steam rising in the air. You tiptoed over to your mother’s door and pressed your ear to the cool wood. She was snoring, perfect. 

“She’s out,” you said a little louder than a whisper when you entered back into your room. “Hot water’s going for you. I think I have-” you tapped your index finger on your lips as you stepped over to your dresser, digging through the bottom drawer to pull out one of Eddie’s t-shirts and a pair of your dad’s old sweatpants. “Here we go.” 

You tossed the clothes over to Eddie. “I’ve been looking for this shirt.” 

“Sorry about that,” you couldn’t help but blush. “I was meaning to get it back to you.” That was a lie. 

“Thanks, Y/N,” He said, standing up and taking a few long strides to where you were standing by the door. He was so close you could smell the lingering scent of cigarettes and cheap cologne. “I really appreciate this.” 

You nodded and swallowed the knot in your throat, “of course, Eddie. You don’t have to thank me. I’d do anything for you, you know that.” 

“Yeah,” he replied with a smile with his hand on the doorknob. “Yeah, I do.” 

He turned the knob and disappeared out of your room and into the bathroom. You let out the breath that you didn’t know you were holding, and it took a few moments to collect yourself before you slipped into the kitchen to heat up a heaping plate of lasagna; making sure to pull it out of the microwave before the timer went off. Eddie stalked into the kitchen shortly after, and you almost laughed at the sight of his head wrapped in a fluffy, pink towel. He stuck his tongue out at you before taking his seat at the kitchen table. It didn’t take long before he had scarfed down all of the pasta on his plate, whispering in between bites how great of a cook your mother was and how thankful he was for you. 

After you had washed the plate and glass that he had used, you returned to your bedroom where Eddie had made himself a small pallet on the floor out of spare blankets and throw pillows. 

“What are you doing?” You asked and he looked up at you in confusion.

“Sleeping on the floor?” He answered in a question, because it had been what he had always done. 

You shook your head, “I’m not going to let you sleep on the floor.”

“But-” He stammered, almost as if he was nervous, as he motioned to your twin size bed.

“Just get in the bed, Munson.” You chuckled. 

“Y-yes ma’am.” Eddie situated himself behind you, stiff in his movements, not wanting to make the wrong move. There truly wasn’t enough room for his lengthy limbs. “Uh- is- is this okay?” He asked and draped his arm around your middle. 

You prayed he couldn’t hear your heart; it was beating so hard and fast that it felt as if it was about to burst out of your chest. His body was so warm pressed against yours, and he was completely pressed against you in your tiny bed. Thankfully your back was to him or you’d be instantly given away by the red hot blush on your cheeks. All you could do was nod your head in reply to him, afraid that if you spoke you’d end up confessing your love to him when all you wanted to say was, “of course”. 

Despite your close friendship with him, you’d never physically been this close to him- aside from piggyback rides or hugs. Even if it was only due to the current circumstances, you relished in the feeling of being in Eddie’s arms. Soft, warm breaths fanned over the back of your neck as he nodded off, pulling you closer as he shifted in his sleep.

The next morning, you woke up with your head on his chest and a leg draped over his; he still held you flush against him. You were awakened by the sound of the front door closing, signaling your mother had left for work. Pale yellow morning sunlight illuminated your bedroom, casting lines and shadows along your walls. You moved slightly and Eddie was stirring awake, a small groan bubbled up from his throat as he stretched his legs. He looked down at you through his lashes and smiled softly. You could kiss him, God knows you wanted to; with his frizzy hair and half-lit eyes and that stupid grin on his face that you loved so much. 

“Good morning.” His voice was a whisper. 

“Mornin’,” you smiled back. 

“That was probably the best night’s sleep I have had in a while.”

“The bed wasn’t too small?” You asked and he shook his head. “Better than sleeping on the floor?”

“Definitely better than sleeping on the floor. I can’t even believe that you would try and suggest that last night. Haven’t I been through enough?” He joked and you scoffed at him, elbowing him in the side. “I motion for sharing the bed every time.” 

You pulled your bottom lip between your teeth to keep from smiling so big your cheeks would probably split and hoped that you weren’t being completely obvious. “You want some breakfast?”

“Mm, yes please.” He replied, turning his face into your pillow. 

You got up and stretched before heading out into the kitchen. “Let’s see,” you hummed as you rummaged through the cabinets. “I’ve got pancakes, eggs, some sausage, and- cereal.” You called back to him. “Oh, there’s poptarts, too.” 

“Are there chocolate chips?” He asked, coming into the kitchen.

“There are!” You replied pulling out a ZipLoc bag full. 

“I’ll take chocolate chip pancakes,” he sounded just like a little kid as he propped himself up on the counter. “Can I help put the chips in?” 

Eddie, who really only knew how to make things that only required stirring it a few times, was enamored by you cooking breakfast. He watched, with saucer-sized eyes as you measured out your ingredients and whisked everything together. Every so often he’d ask what you were doing next or how you learned how to cook between popping chocolate chips in his mouth. As promised, you let him sprinkle the chocolate chips into the pancakes once you got a few into the pan. He carefully placed the chocolate morsels into the batter in the shape of a smiley face, or a heart, or a star. You even let him try his hand at flipping one, which he, sort of, miserably failed at given that the pancake landed on the floor. 

You spent most of the day playing board games, Go-Fish, and watching movies. You hadn't meant to turn on the news, in fact, you had been avoiding it at all costs for Eddie's sake- but after you had finished one of your movies, you accidentally switched it over to the cable; on the TV, Chief Powell and Officer Callaghan. There had been another murder. Another student from Hawkins. And to make matters worse, it was Jason Carver's best friend Patrick McKinney.

And that was when you heard tires pull into your driveway. It was much too early for your mother to be home, plus she had her book club after work today. You glanced over at Eddie whose brows were also pulled together in confusion and stepped over to the window, pulling the curtain slightly to see a black Jeep Cherokee and three boys inside, one of them you recognized to be Lucas Sinclair. Immediately your eyes checked to make sure your front door was locked, you wouldn’t put it past Jason Carver in his grief to break into someone’s home looking for the boy that he believes killed his girlfriend and now his best friend Patrick. 

“It’s Jason,” you whispered. 

“Shit.”

“It’s okay,” you assured him. “In my mom’s room, in her closet, there’s a pull down staircase to the attic. If someone even thinks about stepping foot in this house I’ve got my dad’s gun and I am not afraid to use it.” You could feel him eyeing you in surprise. “Go.”

Eddie disappeared down the hallway just as you instructed and you double checked the locks on the back door, as well, as you noticed one of Jason’s goons peeling off towards the side of the house. A fist began pounding on the front door and the doorbell rang close to fifty times. Jason, on the other side of the door, taunting you- yelling that he knew you were home and he just wanted to talk. 

You had worked for Mr. and Mrs. Carver for a few summers back, helping them with the store that they owned downtown. You might have even called Jason a friend at one point. Before he became popular, he was a nerd like the rest of you. But he had turned into this person that you no longer recognized once he became captain of the basketball team and when he began dating Chrissy Cunningham.

You stepped back into the hallway, out of sight from the windows but nearly jumped out of your skin when you heard a loud thud coming from Dustin’s room. 

“Y/N?” You heard and immediately knew it was Lucas. 

“Lucas, what the hell!” You exclaimed in a whisper so that the other boys wouldn’t hear. 

“Is Eddie here? Is he safe?” He asked.

You looked at him, apprehensive at first, but you knew that Lucas was loyal to the Party. “Yes he’s here and I’m trying my hardest to keep him safe but-” you motioned to the front door. “What are you doing here!?” 

“These guys are serious,” he replied. “They’re not going to stop until they find him.” 

“You’ve got to do something Lucas, tell them you found something- something that would lead you to believe that Dustin and Eddie are hiding out at Hopper’s old cabin. It’s abandoned, the perfect place to hide.” Lucas nodded and moved to crawl back out of the window. “And Lucas,” you added. “The second that you get the chance to get away from these guys- last I heard everyone was headed to the school, you might want to get there as soon as you can.” 

With that, Lucas disappeared out of Dustin’s window. 

It wasn’t long after that you heard the sound of Jason’s Jeep peeling out of your driveway. 

You couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief; you weren’t afraid of them, but more so afraid of what would have happened if they would have tried to hurt you or Eddie. You were, at least, thankful that you had a little bit more time on your hands with Lucas leading them in the opposite direction and distracting them for just a little while longer. Hopefully, your brother and the rest of the Party had made some headway on the leads that they were following. 

Eddie was sitting with his legs crossed beneath him, an old scrapbook filled with baby pictures of you and Dustin in his lap. He looked up at you, relieved to see your face and not Jason’s. 

He held up the book to you, “Sorry,” he muttered. “I was trying to be as quiet as possible and needed something to keep myself from becoming an absolute nervous wreck. You were a cute kid.” 

You laughed through your nose, “Am I not cute now?” 

“What? No. I mean- yes!” His face was becoming red as he stammered. “I wasn’t insinuating that you aren’t cute now, just that you were a cute kid. You’re definitely cute now.” You couldn’t help but smile. “Anyways,” he rolled his eyes. “We all clear?”

“Yeah,” you replied and motioned for him to follow you back downstairs. “Lucas is leading them astray, so hopefully that will buy us some more time.”

“Sinclair?”

You nodded, “He was with them, which is surprising, but Lucas is one of Dustin’s oldest friends. I used to babysit him and Erica when they were younger. He’s got a good head on his shoulders, so I know that he’ll help us.” 

“The more people on my side the better.” Eddie said under his breath.

You turned to face him, “You’ve got a pretty great team in your corner. We’re going to figure this out.” He just nodded his head. Concern laced his eyes and you wished that there was something more than you could do to ease the anxiety that he was feeling. “Come on, let me make you some lunch.”

“Hey,” he called as you turned towards the kitchen. You turned quickly back to him, eyebrows raised, waiting for him to say something. “Nevermind,” he muttered instead. 

Dustin finally came through on the walkie about two hours later. You and Eddie huddled around the small receiver, hanging on every word your little brother said; the connection between the murders, the possibility of Vecna being able to open up gates, the history of the Creel house, Max. A lot had happened in the last 48 hours, and they felt as if they were so close to finding the answers they needed to clear Eddie’s name. 

Lastly, he wanted you and Eddie to meet the Party at Skull Rock to test a theory that he had. Skull Rock was about two miles south of your house if you walked straight through the woods. It wasn’t ideal to go gallavanting about thought the woods with your best friend, who was also wanted for murder and being chased by a few angry jocks, but he felt like it must have been pretty important if Dustin thought they needed to be there. You and Eddie didn’t really talk much on the way there. You could tell that he was deep in thought and you didn’t want to pry. If you knew anything about Eddie, it was that if he had something to say, he would say it. He didn’t usually hold back. 

Once you met up with everyone at Skull Rock, including Lucas, your brother explained his theory about his compass. He believed that, just like before, if you all followed his compass, it would lead directly to a gate. You trusted him, of course, everyone did. If he was right, this could be your one shot at Vecna. At clearing Eddie’s name. It was a chance that you had to take. So you head off deeper into the woods, your little brother leading the way. 

A looming anxiety hung in the air as you began to recollect past memories of a monster made from your friends and neighbors, watching Steve almost get killed by what began as a slug, and witnessing your friend’s step-brother die in front of your eyes. The thought of something like that happening to any one of the people in this group- or Will, Jonathan, El, Mrs. Byers, or Mike. Or your mother. You wouldn’t be able to handle that. You couldn’t. 

As day turned to night, you and your friends continued to trudge through the dense Indiana forests.

“We’re getting closer!” Dustin yelled as he ran through the woods. 

“Dustin, slow down!” Eddie yelled after him. 

Suddenly, Dustin came to a halt with Eddie behind him, holding onto his sweatshirt to keep him from running straight into Lover’s Lake. 

“There’s a gate in Lover’s Lake?” Robin asked. 

“I told you this theory wouldn’t work,” Steve scoffed. 

“No,” Nancy began. “Whenever the Demogorgan attacked, it always left an opening. What if Vecna does the same?”

“We can’t swim out there, we don’t know what’s in there.” you included. “What about Rick’s boat?”

“That’ll work,” Steve agreed as he and the rest of the Party took off along the shore towards Rick’s boathouse. 

Eddie hung back, however. 

“Hey,” he said softly, falling in step behind you. “You okay?”

You nodded, pulling your mouth to the side and biting the inside of your cheek. It was a lie and one that Eddie could see right through, but you weren’t sure how to tell him that you were terrified. You didn’t know how to tell him that there was a very real possibility that someone could die, that this was real- it wasn’t a joke, it wasn’t pretend. You didn’t know how to tell him that you couldn’t live without him and that you would rather get yourself killed if it meant that he was safe. 

So you just say that you’re fine. Confessing your love would just have to wait until you both made it out of this alive. 

Steve and Eddie hoisted the boat into the water and Robin was the first one in, followed by Eddie. He turned and held his hand out to you, but you shook your head. 

“Someone has to stay with the kids.” You told him. 

Nancy brushed past you and into the boat. 

You could see Eddie debating staying with you but before he could make a move to step back out of the boat, Steve had pushed off from the dock and hopped in. Your heart sank knowing that if something happened, you wouldn’t be able to protect him. You watched as they made their way to the middle of the lake before slowing to a stop. Robin’s voice came over the radio to let Dustin know that his compass was spinning like crazy. If there was a gate down there, they were floating right above it, and that made you uneasy. 

With your eyes peeled, you could just barely make out Steve standing in the small boat to remove his shoes and his sweater. He was going to jump. You looked over at Dustin who’s features were plagued with worry and concern. Steve Harrington had become almost like a brother to Dustin, his role model. You silently reached over and squeezed his shoulder to reassure him that everything was going to be okay.

Seconds later, Steve dived into the depths of the lake, and all the four of you could do was watch. 

“Shit! Cops!” Max whispered behind you. “Get down”

You ducked and turned to see flashlights and uniforms headed your way.

“We can’t let them find Eddie.” Lucas whispered.

You began to panic, knowing that if they found him, you’d not only be jeopardizing the mission but also the lives of the Hawkins Police department. “I have an idea, stay with me.” Before you could explain, you jumped out from behind the tree you were hiding behind and yelled at the officers. “Officers! Over here I found the killer, this way!” 

Lucas, Max, Dustin, and the police were all running as quickly as they could after you. It wasn’t the best plan, but it was a plan nonetheless. A few more minutes of doing nothing and the cops could have spotted Eddie and your friends out on that boat, you had to get them out of there. If you couldn’t be with him, you bet your ass that you would do whatever you could for him on the sideline. That, apparently, included getting arrested. 

You turned your head to make sure the kids were still behind you when you ran smack dab into the arms of Officer Callaghan. Dustin, Lucas, and Max were all being apprehended, as well. 

“Where you goin’?” The deputy asked with a stupid smirk. 

You weren’t sure why the police would take you to the Wheeler’s instead of the station, but when the four of you arrived, your mother, as well as Lucas’ parents and Erica, and Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler were waiting for you. The look of utter confusion and disappointment on your mother’s face made you frown; she was so emotional already, you hated that she was being dragged into this. You and Dustin had tried your hardest to keep her in the dark for the past two years. 

“What were you all doing at the lake?” Chief Powell asked.

The four of you were sitting on the couch, all eyes on you as you were the oldest and- supposed to be- the one in charge. The three kids looked to you for an answer. “We- uh, we were just going for a walk.”

“A walk at 9:00 PM?” Officer Callaghan rebutted. 

“To the lake!” Dustin cried nervously. You sighed, closing your eyes as your brother made this worse for you all. “We were going to take a little swim. A little night swim.”

“Dusty!” Your mother scolded. “Someone was just murdered there!”

“Y-yeah, we didn’t realize that until we got there.” Dustin answered.

“That’s why we didn’t swim!” Lucas added.

“And Nancy,” Mrs. Wheeler interjected. “Was she with you at this night swim?”

“Yes.” 

“No.”

“Nancy was there, and so were Steve and Robin, but they all left.” You stated out of annoyance at Dustin and Max who were making this a lot more complicated than it needed to be. “And when I said that I had found the killer,” you added. “That was just a joke.” 

“Have you had any contact with Eddie?” Chief Powell asked. 

“That psycho, freak killer?” Dustin asked, you cleared your throat. “No!”

“We barely know the guy.” 

“We haven’t heard from him in ages.” 

“This isn’t working,” Powell muttered under his breath with a shake of his head. “You,” he pointed a finger in your direction and you gulped. “Let’s go, I want to talk with you alone.”

You rolled your eyes and stood up from the couch, following Officer Powell to Ted Wheeler’s office. Officer Callaghan followed closely, closing the door behind you. You sighed in frustration as you took a seat, knowing that this wasn't going to help in any way. Eddie and your friends were out there, unprepared and alone, and you were being questioned by the police surrounded by boring, yellow wallpaper and baby pictures of Mike Wheeler.

“You know we want to help you,” Powell said polietly.

“No,” you replied. “You want to put Eddie behind bars and blame him for whatever weird shit is going on in this town that you’re not equipped to handle." Powell and Callaghan shared a look. "That’s all you’ve ever done is cover it up; Will Byers, the Hawkins Lab, Starcourt Mall. Yeah, I know about all of it, because I was there. You know Eddie is innocent.”

He sighed, “If Eddie is innocent, then why did he run?”

“Because he was scared that whatever killed Chrissy would kill him, too!” You answered. "You saw her, you expect me to believe that you'd just stand there and wait to be next?"

“Where is he now?” 

“I don’t know,” you answered truthfully with a shrug and Callaghan scoffed. “I don’t!”

“You know,” Callaghan began. “Aiding and abetting a fugitive is a felony.” 

“Then arrest me,” you spat.

Powell sighed again, “We’re not going to arrest you. Just tell us where Eddie is.”

“Like I said, I don’t know.” You stood up. “So, if you’re not going to arrest me, I suggest you let me leave.”

You brushed past the two officers and out the door. The parents were huddled in the living room but there was no sign of Dustin and the others. That was until you spotted him on the stairs, peeking around the corner. He motioned for you to follow him.

“What did you tell them?” He asked in a whisper as you headed upstairs. 

“That they’re idiots,” you replied. “In more or less words.” 

“We have a plan.” Dustin opened the door to Nancy’s room to reveal Max and Erica, Lucas was already hanging out of the window. “So you know how there was a gate in Lover’s Lake?” He asked as Max went to follow Lucas. “Well, our very smart friends decided to go through it.” 

You stopped dead in your tracks. “Wait,” you put your hands on Dustin’s shoulders, forcing him to look you in the eye. “Eddie is in the Upside Down?”

“Yes, but he’s safe.” Dustin replied and you sighed in relief. “We think there is a gate at every murder site. So we’re going to get out of here and meet them at Eddie’s trailer and hopefully they can come back through that gate” 

Erica was next out of the window. 

“Do you know how cool it is to have a genius for a little brother?” You asked as you ducked between the window panes and hopped down to the roof of the garage. 

“Yeah well,” Dustin followed you. “You’re not too bad, yourself.” 

You jumped on the bikes and headed straight for Eddie’s trailer as fast as you could. It would be a long ride, but you pedaled as if your life depended on it. As if Eddie’s life depended on it. Your legs were burning as you turned into the gravel of Forest Hills Trailer Park, almost making you collapse as you stood on two feet, tossing the bike down to the ground.

When you got into the trailer, your eyes immediately widened at the sight of the ceiling, which had opened up into an oozing, red fissure. 

"Holy shit," you muttered under your breath.

"Holy shit is right," Max said sarcastically looking around at the Munson's living room. She stopped as her eyes fell onto a strip of movie theater photos of you and Eddie that was pinned to his refrigerator with a magnet. "That's cute."

“Not now, Max.” You replied.

Dustin grabbed a broom and hesitated for a moment, sharing a look with the other kids in the room, before jamming it through the thick red gunge. As you peered through the mucus, you could see the other side; a dark version of the same trailer you were currently standing in. Craning your neck, you looked for any sign of Eddie and the others, and finally, your eyes landed on Steve stepping through the darkness. You smiled at the sight of him, followed by Robin and Nancy, and finally Eddie; his giant, brown eyes connecting with yours, making your smile grow. A weight was lifted off of your chest. 

Dustin laughed, impressed with himself. 

“Max, Lucas,” you instructed, not taking your eyes off of Eddie. “Go grab the mattress in the back room and bring it in here. I don’t know how this is going to work, but if they’re going to be falling out of the ceiling, they’re going to need a soft landing.” 

“I have a theory!” Dustin exclaimed, Steve rolled his eyes; hands on his hips. 

He brushed past you, following Max and Lucas to Eddie’s bedroom and ripped the top sheet off of the bed. He then plopped down at the little kitchen and immediately began working on tying knots in the sheets. Max and Lucas pulled the mattress across the linoleum floor and dropped it in the middle of the living room. You could hear Eddie making a comment about the stains that dirtied his sheets and pursed your lips together knowing that they were from accidentally getting too high and spilling the bong water. You helped Erica move anything out of the way that might get broken during whatever it was that was about to transpire. 

“Alright,” Dustin said as he finished with the rope. He stepped into the middle of the mattress and looked up into the faces of his friends. “I don’t know how the physics of this is going to work but-” He tossed the rope upwards into the gate- to your surprise, it fell perfectly through the opening to the other side. “And if I’m correct-” Dustin released his grip on the rope and it stayed in place. 

You gave your brother a high five and a hug for his genius as everyone else cheered. 

Robin was the first to climb through, her body flipping through the air and down to the mattress as soon as she made it through. “That was fun!” She smiled, you held out a hand to help her up. 

Eddie began climbing up next. “That was fun!” He exclaimed as he came down. Robin helped him up, but as soon as he got to his feet, you wrapped your arms around him as tightly as you could. “Hey, sweetheart,” he laughed.

“Oh my God, I was so worried.” You mumbled into his chest. 

“So was I,” he replied softly, placing a small kiss on the top of your head.

Nancy came flying through the gate next, pulling your attention back to the room. She didn’t seem like she enjoyed it as much as the first two, however. Steve was last, flipping through the portal with ease, making Robin roll her eyes. You noticed that he was injured and motioned to his midsection which was bandaged. 

“Nah, I’ll be fine.” He shrugged.

With eight people now crowding the already tiny trailer, you began feeling slightly claustrophobic. Excusing yourself, you brushed past the rest of the Party and through the door to get some fresh air. The chilly, March air was refreshing as you shoved your hands down into your jacket pockets and pulled it around your frame. The trailer park was mostly dark; only dimly lit by a single street lamp that buzzed quietly overhead as moths swarmed around the light. 

You took a few steps to the lonely picnic table that sat empty in the shadows. Most of the residents were sleeping soundly, blissfully unaware that there was a portal to another dimension in their neighbor’s trailer. More than half of them would probably say that it was Eddie, himself, who opened that portal as he worshiped Satan on the floor of his living room; which couldn’t be farther from the truth. However, the people of Hawkins, Indiana weren’t very bright, instead they were incredibly gullible, listening to and believing anything that WTTV4 told them was the truth. 

This town didn’t deserve Eddie. 

You heard the trailer door open and shut. Taking your eyes off of the moon, you looked over to see Eddie. His anky figure stepped out of the darkness and into the dim light of the street lamp. 

“Hey,” he said softly.  

“Hey yourself.” You smiled up at him. He climbed up on the picnic table to sit next to you, leaning into your side as he got comfortable. “So, how was your first experience in the Upside Down?” 

“It was an experience, to say the least.” He mentioned, toying with the chunky, silver rings on his fingers. You noticed pretty early on in your friendship that he fidgeted with his rings often when he was nervous or anxious. 

You placed a hand over his to calm his nerves, “You want to talk about it?” 

“Just one thing, really.” His voice was so soft. “When I was out there, I saw something. It uh- it wasn’t like monsters or anything like that, it was- I saw- well, I realized that I- I would jump for you.” You looked at him, not having a clue what he was trying to say, but before you could say anything he continued. “Something grabbed Harrington,” he explained. “Pulled him under, through the gate, and Wheeler- she just dived right in. No hesitation. I guess what I’m trying to say is that you’re that person for me. I’m jumping off that boat.”

“Eddie,” you couldn’t help but smile. “What are you saying?”

“I love you is what I’m saying,” he rubbed his hands over his face. “Pretty sure I always have.”

“Tell me again,” you whispered and looked up into his dark brown eyes through your lashes, needing to hear him say it one more time. 

His hand moved up to cup your face and you shivered at the contact of his large, calloused hand on your skin. “I love you.” He whispered before placing his perfect lips on yours in a tender kiss. 

You pulled away, only briefly, to say one thing. “I love you, too.” 

#you know what dirty bong water could be the reason for those stains #but if any of you actually smoke you know how horrible bong water smells #but for the sake of our main character those stains are not from Eddie's escapades with random women #I kind of really want to write a part 2 to this depicting the events of vol 2 with a twist but it would take forever #Maybe once I'm finished with other requests #eddie munson #eddie munson headcanons #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x henderson!reader #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson request #eddie munson angst #eddie munson oneshot #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson fanfic #stranger things fan fic #stranger things fic #stranger things x reader #stranger things imagine #eddie munson stranger things #stranger things #stranger things x you #stranger things x y/n #steve harrington #dustin henderson #robin buckley #nancy wheeler

[roseofblogging]

Rose's Media of 2023 Round-up

Well, now this is truly going to be a Rose Rambles post

I am truly awful about remembering what I watched/read. Maybe I'll be better about that in 2024. Maybe not!

Noting that these are not necessarily all things that released in 2023 (but many are); they're just what I discovered at the time.

Favorite book: The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa I bought this book in May 2022 from the Powell's bookstore in Portland while I was there on vacation. I'm very slow getting around to books due to my TBR being so long (and I go through it slowly because my day job is book editing). I was motivated to read it when some Splatoon friends started a Discord book club, and this was our first pick. It's dreamlike and strange. Some might find the vagueness on the rules of what's going on unsatisfying, but I didn't go into the book trying to figure out exactly how their world worked. It's much more about the experience and quiet horror of forgetting things and people. I had just gotten a diagnosis for ADHD shortly before starting this novel and was already in a headspace of reconciling just how poor my memory can be (slightly different, as ADHD most impacts working memory, but still). Definitely recommended, but go in knowing that it's slow and thoughtful rather than heavily plotted. Runner-up: Lore Olympus

Favorite live-action movie: Tár This is a tough one. I really, really enjoyed both Barbie and Oppenheimer, but I have critiques of both. However, Tár (which came out in 2022) just really floored me with how intense it was and how anxious it made me (in a good way!). Runner-up: Talk to Me

Favorite live-action show: The Fall of the House of Usher Not one of Mike Flanagan's best, but still very good! I don't think I can say anything about it that others haven't said already, but it's beautiful, haunting, tragic, and very well-acted. Runner-up: Andor season 1

Favorite TV anime: Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Suletta Sundays were THE BEST! I really wish this had some tweaks, maybe a part 2 fleshing out some other things (as a lot of worldbuilding started to feel rushed), but I was a big fan of all the references to Shakespeare's The Tempest and Revolutionary Girl Utena, and even sooome similarities to Evangelion (some, not many). Guel became my favorite character for much of the show, but I also love Suletta not only for being our first female Gundam protagonist, not only for being our first queer woman of color Gundam protagonist, but because I really enjoy stories about replicas/clones of redheaded characters. (This is funny because I'm replaying Tales of the Abyss right now.) 2023 wasn't one of the strongest years for anime, though. As much as I loved Witch from Mercury, it's got some weak points. Nothing really hit the same high point of the end of the first part. Runner-up: PLUTO

Favorite animated movie: The Boy and the Heron This is not my favorite Miyazaki movie by far, but it is one of the ones to feel like a very targeted attack on my post-college life! It's weird, the pacing is a little wonky, but I love its ideas and themes so, so much. I still need to see this in the English dub (I've heard wonderful things), but the original Japanese cast is fantastic. This is a very sad movie that does not seek to manipulate a viewer's heart. You know how a lot of movies know how to cue tears with swells of music? I'm not even knocking that for being manipulative--I like it! But I was so impressed with how deeply The Boy and the Heron (aka "How Do You Live?" as the English translation of the Japanese title goes) affected me without any tricks--just heartfelt moments that might have meant nothing to others. (The bread scene made me choke back tears in the theater.) This movie is about grief, but it's also about creative legacies. It's hard to watch this and not think about how there's really no one to follow in Hayao Miyazaki's footsteps at Studio Ghibli. His potential predecessors have either died or seemed uninterested (in the case of his son, who seems content not to pick up the mantle). Runner-up: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (reeeeally only because of its cliffhanger ending... It doesn't feel like a finished story.) Honorable mention: Suzume (I gotta at least mention it, because it's my favorite piece of media about dead places).

Favorite video game that is NOT SPLATOON: Tears of the Kingdom I actually had a very fun time piecing together story beats and exploring, but I still stand by it not being one of the stronger Zelda games imo. I know some people still have not played, so I'm being vague on purpose, but I actually greatly enjoyed Zelda's presence in this game compared to Breath of the Wild.

#rose rambles #rose reviews #the boy and the heron #witch from mercury #mike flanagan #the memory police #tar #tears of the kingdom

[ia-acc-yeah]

22.12.2023

I'm sad that I couldn't bring myself to write journals lately, because fun stuff happened! But I can't write them now, it's too late and I forget stuff easly. So let's write about today.

I had silly dreams today. First one was about me, my best friend and our friend A at a book store. I was buying Noragami, Hanako and something else and one of our schools PE teachers was working there for some reason?? It was funny. Than we walked out of the store and a boy from my class was walking around the shopping mall eating icecream. He walked up to our geography teacher who happened to be there too and told her that another boy from my class works in America and that he earns 50 dolars a month. My secound dream was about me going back home from school I suppose. I wanted to take a bus to my village but I took a train??? I have NEVER been in a train before. So I sat in the free space in a train, in something that reminds me of a small room, with 4 to 5 different people and the ride had begun. I was looking outside the trains window and I was figures of deers, in different poses and they were looking like real animals, but like, frozen? It made me creep out a little bit. And after some time bizzare things started to happen. Some kind of a weird monster got in the train and we had to fight it. At first everyone froze and were scared to move but I got so scared that I bit the monster. It had multiple heads and I started to bite them off. And so I defeted this creature with help of other people. I think that the monster attack had more stages/phases after this but I woke up soon after so I don't remember much.

When I woke up I've eaten breakfast that my dad did for me and soon after that a mailman came to our house with a package for me. I was very happy because it was my package with Sailor Moon Eternal Edition volume 1. I love Sailor Moon, and it's a very sentimental anime for me. I was happy that it's avaible at my country as a manga again. I started to read it imidiately. I really liked it. I really want to rewatch first 2 seasons and continue on watching Sailor Moon but I'm too busy watching other anime right now. Maybe after I will finish Inuyasha.

I also cleaned around the house today. It's Christmas soon and I had a mess in my room so I had to take care of it. I rearranged my furniture a little bit. I like the way it is now.

I've played minecraft a little bit today too. My best friend made a server with their friends so I was invated to play with them. I wandered around a little bit and I need to start building my house tommorow.

Today was due for my school powerpoint project but I think I'm to tired to do it at night so I will just leave it for tommorow. I feel bad about it but oh well. I hope my teacher won't be mad.

#journal #manga #game

[sun-undone]

You definitely reminded me of some key points in season 3 that I definitely didn’t consider.

The château being burned down by topper seal the deal of him becoming an enemy. It would be EXTREMELY hard to see topper having a redemption story after that with some corny BS line like “ hey John b no hard feelings with the château, right?”💀💀💀

But just a warning 👀 if you hear Sarah’s voice starting off a epsiode with a reflective monologue of confusion and indecisiveness, then You know what’s coming 😂 let’s see if the pates intentionally screw us over with her character growth.

I agree with Jarah B being the stable couple as the other couples are still fresh and have some more exploring to do with their dynamic. I would love to see a bond created between JJ and Mike maybe closer to the end of season 4 to show Mike he can be the guy for kie and mike should give him a chance just like he was given one before he got accepted into the kooks.. we’ll seeeeee

NOWWWW

MR COUNTRY CLUB HIMSELF

Mark my words if Rafe does not become a Pogue by the end of season 4 he will die sacrificing his life for them with his final words laying in Sarah’s arms saying

“ I finally did something right”

( if I am completely wrong just forget I ever existed 🤣🤣)

LETS BE HONEST Ward created a monster with rafe. But rafe mistakes EAT HIM UP ALIVE which is why he is heavy on drugs. I still remember him crying because Barry didn’t have any coke for him one day and he freaked out. Rafe is a lunatic but not a serial killer. Which is why he went back to save Ward after putting a hit man on him. Rafe wants real acceptance! His problem is he always tries to fix his mistakes last minute.

Rafe isn’t a kook because of the luxury lifestyle. He’s a kook because of power and validation. Unlike topper who is a silver spoon fed kid with no siblings. Just a spoiled single child.

If the JJ and rafe fight happens. I think it’s early in the season. I don’t think they’ll make it a big ordeal. I feel like the Pogue gang will have bigger fish to fry by the end of the season if they’re on a new treasure hunt.

OK, please rip my response to shreds with your thoughts, I’m all ears.

Look at what this stupid little boat show has done to us 🥲

oooooh okay this is such an interesting topic, Rafe is such an interesting character to begin with, so i think his storyline in s4 is the one i'm most curious about. especially since we got nothing from him in the s3 finale for whatever dumb reason.

this is a very complex conversation to have, but to start, i don't think i want a redemption for Rafe! and i think they kind of closed the door on him sacrificing himself for the pogues or Sarah in particular by having Ward do it in season 3. i truly don't know how far they're gonna go with him seeking revenge on the pogues for Ward's death, or what they plan on doing with his character after this season, but whatever it is, i just don't see him turning a new leaf by the end of it. the ending for Rafe i'd most like to see is him going to jail and losing all of his assets and possessions, including Tannyhill, so Pope can snatch it up and make it a museum that tells the true story of Denmark Tanny. but i'm getting ahead of myself, let's talk about the really juicy stuff

do Rafe's actions eat him up anymore? i definitely agree that in the first 2 seasons, he was an absolute wreck trying to hold himself together with coke and by desperately seeking Ward's validation to keep himself occupied. but what about in season 3? he has that scene with Kie in episode 2 where he tries to paint himself as the victim for killing Peterkin, and i think that his denial truly runs that deep at this point. through spinning the story in his own mind, he's convinced himself that he did the right thing so he doesn't have to feel all the complicated emotions that we saw him feeling at the end of season 1 and even into season 2 in the aftermath of the murder. but in terms of Sarah, he does actually get emotional when he explains that he knows it was wrong, which is incredibly interesting to me. he clearly hasn't done the same mental gymnastics in trying to defend himself for that, so i could definitely see him genuinely feeling remorseful, which opens up that same incredibly complex dynamic that he and Sarah have had for a while now. there's a part of him that will always resent her for being Ward's favorite for so long, but now we can see that there is real guilt about trying to kill her. i think that scene really captures the pure instability of Rafe's mental state that still exists in some capacity, mainly in terms of Sarah, which we unfortunately don't see a ton of moving forward in the season since he barely has any scenes with the pogues. in general, he actually seems pretty confident and secure, maybe the best we've ever seen him, in terms of his mental and emotional state. so is the guilt really bothering him that much? the coke doesn't seem to be a coping mechanism for him like it had been before, like he was constantly using for the majority of season 2. but we just didn't see him struggling with his past actions in season 3, it was much more about his present and especially his future.

but for season 4, i'm definitely expecting a return to the more unstable side of Rafe as he plots revenge. who will he target in particular? who does he think is most responsible? will he choose to leave the other pogues out of the crossfire? if he gets the chance to kill Sarah again, would he take it? if he really was remorseful at the beginning of season 3, has that been overtaken by rage by the beginning of season 4? the year and a half time jump makes this much trickier cause maybe he's been trying to keep his mind off of it and do his own thing and resist the urge to get revenge but when he hears about the pogues getting recognition for their findings, it sends him off the deep end again? or has he been stewing the entire time? has the time given his rage the chance to simmer down a bit or has it only boiled over into something worse? now that he has the blessing of his father, which is the only thing he's ever really wanted, what are his motivations? how will he shift his way of thinking now that there's no more Ward to aspire to or to spite, and how will his mental state fare now that he believes that the pogues have taken away any opportunity he might've had to mend his relationship with his father?

there's truly so many things to consider and countless different avenues that his path could take, and i really do not know what is most likely at this point!! Drew hasn't even gotten to set yet so there's absolutely no bts to speculate about either. personally, i love Rafe as a character and i don't wanna see him killed off, and like i said before, although he expresses remorse in 3x02, i'm not sure if it's gonna be enough moving forward. i've always been interested in his character and have never shied away from the fact that Ward absolutely aided in fucking him up for life, BUT i just don't know if Rafe himself thinks he needs redeeming. and i especially don't know if he'll be thinking in that way in the aftermath of Ward's death.

but really, who knows???? i'm voting squarely against a redemption or any kind of sacrifice, but god, i am so so so intrigued to see where the pates take him.

this was really fun to think about and i could probably ramble on for way way way longer, but this is long enough already!!! thanks for sparking up the discussion! ☺️

#if anyone else has any thoughts feel free to keep the conversation going! #there really is so much to talk about and consider when it comes to rafe's character #sorry if this is all over the place i tried my best to make it as cohesive and understandable as possible #obx

[what-do-1000-swords-look-like]

So even though I watched it a couple of weeks ago, the TWD final season is still in my head. And I just had some more thoughts about two topics:

1) Leah: While I didn't like Leah as a love interest for Daryl (which they made pretty clear that she was not going to be from the outset of when Daryl saw her again), and while I thought she was...an extreme character, I actually liked this iteration of her compared to when we saw her last. She still had the same issues, wanting Daryl to choose her and be all for her, having that concern about loyalty and I daresay devotion. But, she was an actual badass, until things went to shit. I was stuck on this story I'm trying to write and it actually helped to dissolve that block because she literally physically represented everything that has been in my head for a character for ages but could never find the right visual to represent them. So maybe that's why I'm more kindly inclined towards that part of the season for Daryl (not to mention, imho that faction was way more heart-pounding-terror inducing for Daryl than the Commonwealth arc but that's just my opinion).

2) Caryl: When it comes to Daryl and Carol, I know I've said it before but I really am happy with how they left it. Tbh, Daryl was never one of my favorite characters (Carol was more so). Don't get me wrong, I like him, I like how Norman plays him, he's obviously very important to the story, but I think I personally connected more with Rick's story than I did Daryl's for example, even Negan compared to him I think. But I always loved the Caryl dynamic and it became my OTP. But, with Daryl, I never really looked too closely at his character but considering they never really gave him a romance on the show that included the physical (except Leah and we all saw how that one turned out), I do wonder, considering Daryl's sometimes still wanting to be off on his own, if perhaps the Caryl "I love you" at the end of the finale was as far as Angela Kang felt that she could go with that relationship, along with Norman and Melissa.

The reason I say that is Daryl had Beth, right? While it didn't go canon per se, there was a strong hint there. He lets her in, little by little, but they only get as far as some lingering looks basically, right? Daryl cares about Beth but then he loses her.

Connie comes along and it's obvious that he likes her. Connie cares about him and vice versa, even Carol picks up on it. He loses her but then gets her back, even with Carol encouraging him to do something about it. He never does, and it's clear by the end of the finale that while he cares about Connie, it feels like it's settled more into a friendship, especially for Connie. He's comfortable with where it's at. She's alive, happy, healthy as possible, and living her life safely. That's all he can ask for her, right?

We also have Leah. While he hooked up with Leah and possibly even fell in love with her for a time (I'd have to go back and watch this episode, I don't remember if they had this convo or not), eventually Leah leaves and he doesn't think he'll ever see her again. Even though he made the tough decision to give up his family for her as she had been demanding of him (which as a side note is obviously not healthy). He didn't want to give them up but he cared about her that much that he was going to give it a shot. (again, I really need to rewatch that episode, forgive me if I'm forgetting anything) Then when he sees her again, she's part of this extreme faction, he has to play on their old connection to stay alive and suss out the situation. When he realizes she might not be as extreme as her leader, he trusts her with the truth and very quickly finds out it was the wrong move. Leah still lives by that old ideology: you're either with me or with them, and now it's to the extreme. He mercifully lets her live and then is forced to kill her in order to save Maggie's life later on.

So all in all, Daryl has not had the greatest run when it comes to possibly-romantic (and sexual) relationships with the women he has come to care for in more than a familial or friendship way. The two women who mean the most to him on that scale (Carol, Connie - when in comparison to people like Maggie for example) are yes, still alive and he is able to do something about it, but he chooses not to.

I don't remember the exact explanation about Daryl's character back in the day but we know he's not from the comics and this is obviously not a romance-focus show. That doesn't mean romance can't happen (i.e. Richonne, Cazekiel, Glen x Maggie) but it's not the core that all other events of the show revolve around. My point being, Daryl wasn't created for that reason.

So my thinking on this, after seeing him not doing anything about Connie and thinking back to Beth, and seeing Daryl taking off again in the finale to be on his own (yes, this does set up the spinoff but it's also integral to his character I think, he's still restless, not able to settle in fully), I'm thinking that this is a make-up of his character that AK chose to stay true to. While Daryl lived in Alexandria, he still went out past the gate. He was able to live as he liked, like we see him doing in the finale. When he lived in the Commonwealth, he wasn't able to do as he liked, but he did it for two reasons: Judith and RJ. Those were the roots that were tying him down, meaning that was the only thing he was willing to put roots down for I mean. When things are made better by the end, he no longer has to do that.

How does this all relate to Caryl and their ending? Because AK took it as far as could go without A) betraying Daryl's character & B) keeping his character open for the spinoff. If there wasn't a spinoff, I still think AK would have gone this way. What Daryl has with Carol isn't sexual in nature. Which is interesting when you compare Leah to Carol, where Melissa herself talked about how there was mirroring going on between Carol and Leah in that episode where Daryl meets Leah. And there is: Dog is a big link between the two, for example. So not only do we have that connection between these two women in his life, Carol is the antithesis of Leah if you think about it. Daryl had sex with Leah, and he was giving up his family for her even though he didn't really want to. She made him choose. Carol and Daryl don't have a sexual relationship, and she has never made him choose her over the family, or even wanted him to. While Daryl wasn't happy with Rick when he kicked Carol out back in the earlier seasons, Carol never wanted to find Daryl in order to get him to choose her over the group, even after she came back.

So this ILY scene in the finale actually holds way more meaning than I think some people are giving it credit for. As we know, Carol loves Daryl for who he is, how he is. She doesn't make demands of him or insists he change the core aspects of who he is. Not in the way Leah did for example. Beth and Connie I don't think would have either, but they were never connected to Leah in the way Carol had been.

And if we go further, Carol has always been connected to the other ladies, not just Leah. Beth was stuck in the same hospital as Carol, both taken from Daryl while he was with them solely. Carol is there to see Beth die. Connie was lost due to Carol's actions/choices and she feels guilty due to it, it's why Daryl is so mad at her and it causes friction in their own relationship, and she never stops giving hope to Kelly. Carol has always been connected.

So for her to also mirror/be connected to the one woman we see Daryl get physical with and get the closest he's ever been to a verbal ILY in the show, it means exactly what we've been saying: Daryl loves Carol and vice versa. So that ILY holds way more weight than I think most people realize. Was it a kiss? No. Was it them getting married or them riding off for a makeshift honeymoon? No. But we got the confirmation. In a way that was true to Daryl's character, their relationship (who he has the most intimacy with emotionally and shares tender touches and embraces with), and having an unfinished air about it with hope for the future.

I did not see the Talking Dead so I have no idea if the actors were asked about this scene or not, but considering the story and how this occurred in that story, it completely makes sense why AK decided to go this route for them.

And Daryl being told he can still be happy too (alluding to him having to find it) isn't because Carol isn't it for him or he hasn't fallen in love yet. It's to keep things open for the spinoff while Daryl is still restless. Daryl is a guy, imho, that will always be on the move. Even if he married Carol, let's say, and they had a huge family of their own, there is no way that Daryl won't become restless during that time and still go out beyond the gate, for days at a time. He's not Rick or Negan or Eugene; that's not who he is. I think he even confirms that when telling the story of the hiding spot he used to go to when he was a kid, to hide until his dad fell asleep. While it's sad that he had to do that, it's what he became used to. Even when he had Merle, he was always on his own. I hate to use the word 'drifter' or 'nomad' but that's basically what he is. No matter how happy or settled he might be in other areas of his life. That's another reason why Dog is so appealing for his story line: Dog can go with him anywhere he goes. Dog can settle into Alexandria 3.0 or he can be on the road for days at a time. (not comparing Carol to a dog obviously but you get my point)

So for Carol to be saying goodbye to him, for them to mention how Carol has the new job now (as a reason why she can't go anywhere with him), it isn't just for the spinoff. It's because they're telling you this is why we're doing things this way; this is who they are together. And for them to have both characters saying ILY to each other (yes, even without the kiss), they're telling you all you need to know.

This is who has taken residence in his heart. And because of who he is, that ILY was as far as they could have taken it at that moment. Or else we would have seen him do something about Connie when she came back, or we would have seen more romance for him in the show. But that's not who he is.

#twd finale #caryl #daryl x carol #caryl meta #i guess? #twdposts #the walking dead #twd #the walking dead finale #sorry btw my memory sometimes gets overloaded #so if i missed anything or got something wrong pls feel free to mention it #also sorry for the rambling #i had A LOT of thoughts

[spookyrus-writes-sometimes]

Amphibia was incredible.

I wasn't going to give it a chance at first. The premise was silly to me, and the few season 1 episodes I caught now and then didn't do anything for me. But I heard talk and saw fan art, saw that so many people loved these characters dearly, and that pushed me to see the show through. And I am so glad that I did.

The story of Anne, Sasha, and Marcy's relationship is so real and so near and dear to my heart. The tragedy of their imperfect love for each other is beautiful, and that alone made me fall in love with this show. That all three would do anything for each other, whether it's make terrible mistakes or change for the better, is the true love that I so desperately long to experience. They're cartoon characters, but they're written so real. They're so, so important to me.

Of course there are things that I would have done differently, and things that I wish could have been explored more. I feel that a number of the slice of life episodes drag, especially in season 1, and it hurts the show's pacing. I vehemently loathe season 3's aversion to addressing Sasha and Marcy until it's their time to show up for the plot. I feel that Darcy was severely underutilized. I wish we could have seen more of Sasha and Marcy's calamity powers. I wish we had seen more of Andrias's relationship with Leif and Barrel. I really don't like that the day was saved by a plot device only introduced in the final episode.

And I never, EVER would have written an ending as tragic as the one we got. I'm afraid of unhappy endings, of leaving things unresolved or on an unidealistic note. Of course we all wish that the worlds hadn't been cut off. It hurts to know that Anne will never get to see Sprig and Polly grow up, that Grime will never get to see just how far Sasha has come, that Marcy will never get to have the familial relationship with Olivia and Yunan that they deserved. It's especially hard to know that even after everything they've been through together, Anne, Sasha, and Marcy still drifted apart. It's so, so hard to say goodbye. So hard to accept that not everything gets a perfect, happy ending, wrapped up in a neat little bow. That sometimes things change, not always for the better, and all you can do is remember and move on.

It's not a perfect ending. But in a lot of ways, I feel it's the perfect ending for Amphibia.

Amphibia is not and was never an escapist fantasy. It's clearly a story very personal to its creator, one that aims to share some of the hard truths he's learned in his life. Amphibia is a story about love and loss and how those things change you, how you improve and become stronger for those you love, and what you'll give for them. But it doesn't try to convince us that love can conquer anything, because it can't. Sometimes, no matter how hard it is, you have to say goodbye. I think that's a really important lesson, not just for the audience, but for the characters.

Anne will never forget Sprig, Polly, and Hop Pop, and they'll never forget her. They changed each other for the better, and their lives are better for it, even if they can't be together anymore. Maybe Anne, Sasha, and Marcy didn't get to be together forever, maybe life led them in different directions, but their love for each other still made them better people. And maybe it's enough to know that despite everything, no matter how far apart they are, their love will always find each other.

And if that isn't enough, well, we'll always have fan fiction.

I know that my passion for this show will fade, just like it did for all the shows before it. But I will never forget the feelings Amphibia made me feel, and I truly believe that Reunion, (especially) True Colors, and The Hardest Thing will go down as some of my all-time favorite episodes of television. I know that the story of Amphibia is one that will change my approach to storytelling, and hopefully me as a person, for the better.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, to both Matt Braly and the crew and all the fan creators who got me invested, for Anne, Sasha, and Marcy. And to Sprig, Polly, Hop Pop, Grime, Olivia, Yunan, and Andrias, goodbye, and thank you for all the awesome adventures.

#amphibia #amphibia spoilers #sashannarcy #calamity trio #anne boonchuy #sasha waybright #marcy wu #spooky text #sorry for getting emotional over frog show #i've been crying for twelve hours

[purlturtle]

(inspired by @maiagaru's post - not gonna tag anyone either; if you vibe with these, go ahead and do it! blank version under the readmore)

favorite time of year: spring. Like, right now. From the time when the sap visibly starts rising to the time when it gets summery warm. Never fails to lift me up as well, life reborn and all that. I like the other seasons too, it's just this bit about spring that gives it the slight edge over the others. And yes, I have allergies and it's hard, but I still love spring best.

comfort food: so many! #1 gotta be my cherry brownies, #2 chocolate toast I have as breakfast on the weekends, or any meal of the day when I feel blue. #3, noodle soup of any description: just plain broth from powder plus thin short noodles, Japanese versions like ramen and udon, pho, chicken noodle that my wife makes me when I'm ill - I love you, noodle soup. #4, fruit, especially in season - currently it's strawberry time here and I'M OBSESSED. #5, sushi. (I just love food, okay. Good food makes me happy. Good food in good company is divine.)

do you collect something: turtles? Plushies, pictures, figurines, tattoos (😅) but it's really a random thing of seeing a cute and/or pretty thing and going "I want", rather than seeking things out specifically. So, themed purchases rather than a collection, perhaps.

favorite drink: currently Yuzuka, a yuzu flavored soda that is very new to the German market - new enough that I had to email their retail service to find out where to buy it near me. Always a go: Fritz Limo Orange, an orange flavored soda. Honorable mention: milk, my trusty companion to all things chocolate. Disclaimer: I cannot stand coffee or (black/green) tea, they're all too bitter for me. I also don't drink alcohol, for the same reason. So yeah, mostly it's fruity sodas, milk, juices, and sometimes alcohol-free cocktails.

favorite song: too many to count. Love Pink Martini band (the biggest little orchestra), love a great number of soundtracks, love classical music - I can for the life of me not point to any one song.

favorite fic: same as with songs: too many to count. Like, only today I read this one, which I'm really enamored with (Bering and Wells meets Groundhog Day), and then there are fics that I've re-read a dozen times and will return to over and over again because they're just so GOOD. And I hesitate to link any one here because then there are a thousand more that I could also link, and I don't have a curated list (maybe I should get onto that), and I'd forget to link a fic that'll make me go "Oh my god how could I ever forget that", or put up a list of authors and then later remember an author friend I didn't put on there who will now be sad I didn't mention them and I don't want that- Long story short, too many to count.

This was fun! Thanks for the inspiration, maiagaru!

favorite time of year:

comfort food:

do you collect something:

favorite drink:

favorite song:

favorite fic:

#ask meme #get to know your author

[yukieyy]

°*{Insecure}*°

{Obey me x Fem Mc}

{Replaced Mc Au}

TW: Anxiety, body insecurity,mention of self-harm,

{A/n: Remember, you're beautiful just the way you are}.

Part 2

Part 1 → ♡

Song : (✿ ♡‿♡)

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

"Oi Ayla! Hurry up will you? We're gonna miss the match!!" Mammon shouted.

You were seated at the living room, with a book in your hand. Listening to them.

"eh?! Ayla didn't you say we were going shopping today?!" Asmo shouted from his room upstairs.

"Ayla, can you buy me the book I told you about before while you're out?" Satan said passing by the said girl.

It's been a month. A month. And this is your daily life now. Ayla this, Ayla that. You don't hate her. No, she's an angel, absolute sweetheart. It's just getting tiring now.

When she arrived, she came in a better state than you did. Didn't freak out, smiling, excited, and very motivated, even the brothers that were concerned eased up.

When you were showing them around... At least that's what you thought you were doing, she knew. a lot. Almost everything. Every history. Kinda made you feel like an idiot.

You never really were good at studying or taking care of yourself. But when Ayla arrived for some reason, you found yourself trying..harder. A good thing. Right?

Maybe.

Ayla hit it off with the others so well, she's amazing at magic which sparks Lucifer's pride, she's mischievous, making her a great companion for Mammon, She got immaculate style, which Asmo absolutely adores, She probably reads as much as Satan, making her a great friend to talk to for Satan. She's amazing in cooking and she cooked food from the three realms. How amazing was that for Beel? No one could believe it but she actually was also an otaku, those long, mouthful titles to an anime Levi was talking about? That had 7 seasons and 3 movies in total? Yeah. She knew every single one. Not to mention she could sew. She made a pillow. For Belphie. That's another win.

You were happy. Yes, you were!! She's not having any trouble which is a good thing, those lower-level demons didn't try to eat her anymore. Everyone loves her. A little too much you think.

Back to the current time, you sighed. Getting up from the couch, you walked to the door.

"Mc? Where are you going?"

You turned to the voice.

"oh, Lucifer. I'm just gonna take a walk and meet up with Solomon to help him make these shady potions he found in a book. Why?"

Lucifer walked up to you and place his hand on your head. Then something glows around you, he ruffled your hair and stepped back

"Stay safe and don't go too far in the forest alright? Come home before midnight okay?"

Your chest warmed up. "Of course! See you!"

"Don't forget to eat too!" He shouted again as you walked away, you turned back and waved at him.

"Wow."

Lucifer turned back to the voice.

"what."

"Didn't know you were THAT protective. That barrier is the one you always put on Lilith wasn't it? The one where even Diavolo would lose breath to crack?" Satan questioned.

Lucifer sighed, "yes, I'm just keeping her safe. She might not notice but since she arrived here till now for some reason those lower-level demons keep following her. I wonder how strong Ayla is to shoo them in just two weeks," He chuckled

"well, Ayla is amazing that's what I'll tell you, She managed to memorize this long spell in a day. I can do it because I'm a demon. but she's a human! She's amazing, I don't know why you and Diavolo decide to summon Mc first before Ayla," Satan rambles with a shrug.

"Satan. Enough. Don't say that to anyone. Especially Mc. " Lucifer frowned.

"what? It's the truth," Satan said.

You hold your breath. You turned back a minute ago because you forgot your D.D.D. but ended up eavesdropping. Your heart clenched. Tight.

You took a deep breath and shook your head and walked out of your hiding spot.

"oh hey, Satan!"

Lucifer was shocked," Mc? When did you get back?"

"just now, I forgot my D.D.D. there," You said pointing at it on the couch. Satan walked over and picked it up and threw it to you.

You caught it and thanked him. He just smiled and walked away.

"Mc, did you hear what me and Satan talked about earlier?"

You act innocent, "Huh? No, I told you I just got here, why? Is it another secret?" You wiggle your eyebrows and him with a grin.

He scoffed, "nonsense, now move along, Solomon will be waiting,".

"aight, see ya Lucibaby!!"

"I told you not to call me that!"

You laughed from afar and gave him a flying kiss.

Another week pass by, an exam was coming up. And you were freaking out. Even though you've studied like hell, you tend to forget a bunch of stuff. Which led to you being anxious most of the time.

Exam week passes. Oh, would look at that! You passed!. That's all. You just passed. Thank god you did. Well, it's better than Mammon at least.

Not until Lucifer called you to his room that night.

You entered his room with a sorry face.

Lucifer looked at you, saying nothing.

You sighed. "I'm sorry.."

Lucifer sighed, "come here. Sit down first and we'll talk."

You sat down, hanging your head low and fidgeting with your exam paper between your fingers.

"here, let me see your paper"

You took them out and place them on the table. Not looking at him.

"Mc" he called while patting your head. "I'm not gonna scold you, let's see where you're weak in and work on it together. Okay?"

You looked up slowly and nodded. The two if you then started discussing stuff that is hard for you to score in and after a few hours you were allowed to leave.

"Mc?" You heard a feminine voice called out.

"yes Ayla?"

She walked towards you, "Why were you in Lucifer's room?"

"oh we were discussing my exam marks,"

Ayla arched an eyebrow, " can I see it? Maybe I can help you?"

"oh no no it's okay, Lucifer said he'll help me study from now on, so it's okay, I don't wanna disturb you." You said with a smile.

She frowned, "Mc, just study with me. Lucifer is busy as it is. Helping you will add more burden to him. Decline it and I'll help you study okay?"

You got quiet. It's true, Lucifer is always swarmed with paperwork. How could you just accept his offer like that?

"yeah, you're right. I was too sad to remember who Lucifer actually was,sorry " you chuckled.

Ayal didn't smile, she just looked at you and sighed. "Okay, we'll study Tomorrow with Solomon and the angels, now go to bed"

You nodded and watched her walk away.

What the fuck was that?

The next day, you were huddled up in a study group along with Ayla, Solomon, Simeon, And Luke.

You were doing okay listening to Ayla but you were getting distracted now.

"Mc!" Ayla snapped. Shocking everyone on the table.

"y-yes?!" You answered

"pay attention, will you? We need to get this chapter out before going to a harder chapter!"

"Sorry Ayla, can we take a break? I can't focus anymore." You said. Solomon rubbed your back, comforting you because he knew you can't focus for a long time.

"break? We just took one like an hour ago. That wasn't enough?! Come on Mc, you've been here way longer than me, you should be better than me don't you think?" Ayla snapped

"hey hey now, that's out of the line, Calm down Ayla," Solomon frowned.

"But Solomon just look at her and us. How was she chosen?" Ayla snickered

You were speechless. You couldn't even bring yourself to say anything because you knew she's right. You knew. You just never admitted it. Afraid of falling to the dark side of your mind.

"Ayla, we should continue this another day, Luke's getting tired too, I'm sure you have other things too, let's continue this later okay?"Simeon said.

Ayla huffed and gather her stuff before stomping off.

"what just happened?" Luke asked.

"I'm pretty sure she's just moody, she's always busy these days." You explained to Luke.

"busy? But she's an exchange student too. We aren't as busy as she are we?" Luke replied.

"well..no. she's just.. busy with the brothers.. they're always looking and asking for her..."

Solomon noticed the change in tone of your voice. He hugged you, "don't mind her, she was always like that, wasn't she? Now let's go get some food. I'm starving,"

Simeon pat your head, "You're doing great, don't let what she says get to you okay?"

You nodded, sorry Simeon, it's way too late to ignore it.

You went home after dinner with them and upon entering you were greeted by Beel who were excitedly dragging you to the kitchen.

"uhh beel? What's wrong?" You asked while watching him took out bowls, eggs,flour and a lot of other stuff.

"can you teach me how to make those cream puffs you made last time?" He asked with twinkling eyes.

You can't resist but to cup his cheeks,

"aaaa you're so cute!! Of course, I can!" And then you found yourself, stopping beel from eating a raw egg, and uncooked batter including hot oil.

An hour and a half later, you were both covered in flour, but you managed to finish.

Beel asked you to pack it prettily for him, so you took out a box and some ribbons.

"Are you giving this to someone?"

Beel smiled, "yeah, Ayla, she said if I give her cream puffs she'll bake that amazing chocolate cake again for me!"

You froze. Oh. Oh... "I- I see, Well good for you now you get to eat that chocolate cake again. Here. All done, go wash up first, I'll put this in the fridge okay?".

Beel nodded and ran off to shower. You were cleaning the kitchen when Ayla stepped in with Asmodeus talking about a perfume that you don't know about.

"Mc?" She called out.

"Yes, Ayla?"

"Didn't you just get back from dinner with Solomon?"

"yeah? Why?"

Asmo laughs, "oh sweetheart you just got back from eating and you're still cooking?"

Ayla chuckled " don't eat too much, you gain weight easily don't you? And avoid sugary food too,"

"oh no I wasn't-" you hurriedly try to explain.

"no need to explain Mc, I didn't know you were a glutton like Beel too," Asmo said after grabbing an apple and walking out with Ayla.

You stood there. Frozen. Dark thoughts continue clouding. And this time. There was no stopping them.

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

To Be Continued

← →

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

#obey me story #obey me angst #obey me fanfic #obey me #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me leviathan #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me x reader #obey me luke #obey me simeon #obey me solomon #obey me diavolo #obey me barbatos #yukieyyworks✏️

[theshy1sout]

Six Eared Shadow

Do you remember the analysis about Mei and Red Son? That was me, and I'm doing this again, but now about Macaque and Sun Wukong

Because what the heck why do they hate each other so much

Ok, so this... This is such a messy chaotic really chaotic mix of a few headcanons and theories I made up and it SOMEHOW turned into a fanfic that I wrote so long that other people made many similar things in meanwhile and now this sounds not original at all, but I wrote it not to keep it in my deep hidden shelf so here we go

(It's based on what I know from the lmk series. I've started to read JTTW, but I'm still not so far to get to know anything about Macaque, but I won't change anything about this theory from now on)

Let's gather some basic information for the start.

-> Macaque is made with a shadow or even he is a shadow (kinda shadow demon, the demon of shadow). I mean, shadow is not only his power, he literally is made with shadow matter. We know that because he can not only manipulate shadows but also go through walls and turn yourself into a shadow.

-> I'm not sure if someone made him or he just "poof" out of nowhere just like Sun Wukong, but according to the story he told about how close he and Monkey King used to be, there's no doubt they had some master/student relationship which later turned into almost equal partnership. What is said, Macaque followed Sun Wukong for a long time, learning a lot from him, 'being his shadow'. They grew in power together, fought together, and (as it is said) Macaque started casting as Sun Wukong shadow, which (surprisingly) looks like he did willingly. Just look at the picture - the shadow is big and bright, it’s powerful and smiling, proud of his strength. He doesn’t look like someone forced to be Sun Wukong’s shadow. It shows how much Macaque admired Monkey King, that he wasn't just a friend for him, he was his idol.

-> We all know Macaque is a shadow demon, he can easily change his appearance, he does not have to look like an evil clone of Monkey King, especially if he hates him now or something, SO even if he used to look up at Sun as his ex-student or ex-partner, and now we know he is NOT, he would prefer to not look so similar any more.

He can choose any other look, but he doesn't. Why? Well, maybe he actually cannot. Maybe this isn't an appearance he has specifically chosen, maybe this is his 'basic' comfy form and any other form would just take too much energy to keep up. And looking at the really tiny probability of two very similar monkeys just "poofing" out of nowhere, I dare to say, Macaque wasn't born (I mean like Sun Wukong or any other demon), but he was specifically created. And here is a question: on someone's purpose or not? Maybe the power of great Monkey King was so strong so the part of it just jumped from him and formed into another similar creature, but let me say it's just weird and I prefer the theory of Sun Wukong being so bored and lonely after his master's (Tripitaka) death, and he created a brother for himself from his own shadow. Just to have someone, anyone.

So Wukong created Macaque and then what? He trained him, he taught him everything he knew, maybe even he shared his powers with him. Some great great bonding time. But as Macaque said, something drew them apart. It is visible that Macaque blamed Monkey King for this, for 'forgetting him'. Before speculation of what happened then between them, let's focus on what Macaque showed us what he wants now.

We have two episodes, both show different sides of him. In season 1, Macaque's main goal is to steal Monkey King's power from Mk, and then to very specifically revenge. He visibly does not want to defeat Sun Wukong, he wants to hurt him as much as possible. Look: when Monkey King showed up, Macaque totally forgot about Mk. And then, when he's so close to defeat him, instead of that he turned to Mk and tried to kill the teenager. Mk is just a tool to hurt Sun Wukong.

And we can't forget how Macaque constantly pointed out all the weak sides of Sun, he's basically just saying on and on "you're weak, you're weak, you're so weak, I'm so strong, I'm strong, you are so weak". Which really fits the feeling of being forgotten because he was weaker and Monkey King was stronger, better, glorious and famous. Macaque really feels like that, he really tried to make Sun Wukong feel his pain by dominating him.

On the other hand, we see that Sun constantly striked off him. He said almost nothing to him, just "Aren't you bored of keep being in my shadow? It's time to give back what you've stolen" and that was fricking all. For Monkey King, Macaque is a just shadow, always behind him, something you turn around and leave behind to not see it and to forget, like an unwanted past. An unnecessary problem, that irritatingly keeps returning to him. He does not want to interact to not make even a slight more bond between them, he wants to delete him from his life forever, and omg WHY. At this end of the ep, Sun Wukong did not even mention Macaque. He really doesn't care at all (or extremely tries to not care). His HATE is almost touchable, ouch.

In season 2, Sun Wukong LEFT US ALL ALONE. Macaque showed up again, he played with Mk a bit, and... Left? That's the thing, you see, he doesn't need to hurt or kill Mk. All we see is Macaque talking about his past and then letting Mk experience something the 'hero' in the story should have felt. The guilt. When Mk interpreted his story differently, seeing himself as the warrior, Macaque corrected him. Cause he doesn't care about Mk at all. He heard how Mk told him about what hurt him, and here is a funny point, because if Macaque needs to be understood, listening to Mk and talking with him (such a simple act of empathy, they both needed it then, guh) should have been enough. Mk really felt the 'warrior' character in the story, so he understood what Macaque felt. But surprisingly, that was not what the demon carved.

Macaque chose to make Mk feel like Monkey King at the moment something drew the demons apart. He wanted to force Mk to be sorry, to apologize, to regret his mistakes, cause he failed with forcing Monkey King to feel that. But! Maybe he is not as purely innocent and poorly forlorn. We see the flashback for a half of second before Mk hit him with Staff:

We see Sun Wukong attacking Macaque who's in his demon (true) form.

Let's repeat this: Macaque felt as if a friend left him in the past. He said a friend did this to have all the "hero's glory" for themselves. We know Sun Wukong could do such a thing, especially before he met Tripitaka, but 1. In my theory Macaque is created after Tripitaka's death and 2. If (as my theory said) Sun created Macaque to not feel so lonely, he would never leave him for such a thing. So Macaque hides something for sure, something he did, something so terrible that made Sun Wukong attack him and not want to know him anymore. How horrendous thing Macaque did that made Sun Wukong choose to be alone again and to forget his dear brother he created by himself?

Back to the great bonding time, repeating speculation of "oh maybe they even share the powers" and comparing it to Macaque wanting to steal Mk's power, my theory here is saying:

Sun Wukong taught Macaque the technique of the same powers as he knew, but Macaque overused it (probably wanting to see how powerful he is, probably showing off and killing so many harmless people) doing terrible terrible things. So Monkey King took all of the powers from him and left him alone, powerless, with the last painful words: "Dont you dare to show in front of my eyes ever again". Of course Macaque was hurt, of course he didn't see why he's the bad guy, because he did not care about people at all. And of course Sun Wukong was hurt too.

Maybe he came back to the village Macaque had destroyed and following a quiet crying he found a little baby with a heart so clear and he put into him all Macaque's powers, making them sleep until the time will be right... But back to the series!

Yes exactly. Why did he destroy the lantern and leave? Why did he suddenly lose interest in teasing Mk and stop forcing him to feel guilty?

First thing, he saw Mk is ready to fight for his friends seriously. He still cared so much about them, not like Monkey King about Macaque. That was hard to swallow, that was hard to watch for the demon. That was't the thing he wanted to see. And second, the flashback. Maybe the sudden realization that he actually did something bad. Cause Sun Wukong didn’t just leave him, he cast him out. It was hard to admit that he actually deserved this (or maybe much more), it’s much easier to blame others, not yourself. So Macaque felt “that’s enough” and left. Mk brought him to this uncomfortable point of admitting the truth. Which he didn’t want to. Maybe in the following eps, he will see it, but now Macaque just isn’t ready yet. But the last talk with Mk gives me a little hope. He stopped treating him like a tool or toy, he was actually talking with him like with a person, he even warned him about Lady Bone Demon.

Maybe (maybe) one day he'll see that humans aren't just useless creatures he can carelessly kill, maybe Mk will make him care and realize what he's done, but that's just speculation in speculation, he could die before he reaches that point, maybe he is already dead....

And that's it. That is all I wrote on ao3, but in the fanfic I put much more details and I build those characters up much more than here. This is only rough rough short-saying, I'm really sorry if you read it all

Oh and here is a link if you liked this above i'd love if you read the fanfic thank you

#monkie kid macaque #lmk macaque #lmk six eared macaque #six eared macaque #lmk sun wukong #sun wukong #lego monkie kid #monkie kid #monkie kid mk #mk #lmk mk #lmk #monkey king #monkie king #monkie kid theory #my theory #well that was something #real big thing i made #i hope you enjoy #sun wukong and macaque

[tundrainafrica]

I sent this ask to a couple of people and I really want to know your take on this.What do you think is Hanji’s love language?

Thanks for this anon!

This is such an interesting question.

I don't think there's any single person who has any specific love language, we as people just tend to have ones we prefer more than others and these are just my headcanons on how I think Hange generally was in the show, and how they are in the AUs I imagine, so... here goes!

So pretty much what I did below is just copied and pasted them and ranked them from one (most valued) to five (least valued) on what I think would be the love languages Hange values the most to the ones they least value.

1. Acts of service

The easiest way to Hange's heart is to help Hange and I feel like she would most likely notice someone if they spend their time actually working with her. What she really needs from people is someone who will listen to her and bounce around ideas with her like pretty much what Levi gave here when the anime first started and I think that was one of the reason why their relationship development.

Let's not forget how much she valued Moblit. <3

2. Receiving gifts

Although I put this up here, I do not think Hange has a particularly wide range of gifts she would have liked to receive. But she has very specific ones, maybe some extra gear for her next invention or that extra chemical or herb she would have liked to use for an experiment and if someone gave it to her, she would most likely remember that act for days.

Note: Generally, when considering the first two, I considered the fact that Hange values practicality, productivity and concrete things. She values what can be seen, observed, worked on, improved on. and I guess this is why the top two are the more concrete languages and the last three below are more... abstract if you know what I mean.

3. Words of affirmation

I probably would have put Words of Affirmation down under because Hange never struck me as the type to rely on external validation to get stuff done. When I considered Season 4 Hange though, I started to realize that maybe she did have a side of her which needed the verbal validation, especially when she became commander and kept comparing herself to Erwin, which puts this love language, at '3' instead of anything lower.

But is it anything higher? I personally don't believe so, cause if it was, 126 and 132 dialogues probably would have seemed at least a little less... emotionally constipated.

4. Quality time

Hange never struck me as a quality time person. I think it was mentioned multiple times in safe pass that Hange could literally be a hermit for days and I'm not sure if this is my own hc or it has been mentioned, but Levi did say she never really made time... outside work?

At least, I imagine, Hange would rarely be the type to invite people out for the sake of just being with the person. If she goes somewhere, and invites someone out, she has an actual concrete purpose to be at a certain place, like maybe if she wants to go to the forest to pick up something, or to the market to buy food.

Levi seems to me as more of the type of person to invite people out, like Hange, for the sake of just being with her.

Or at least, that's my hc, which puts this down there.

5. Physical touch

Hange is just not a touchy person. I actually imagine Levi to be more intimate than Hange, and we allthey're just not going to be very intimate in public.

Also, intimacy wise, I feel like Hange is more divergent when it comes to activities in the bedroom (if you know what I mean) while Levi is more intimate one who just wants a fluffy good time every time they get touchy.

Hange would probably just think, it isn't too practical to be intimate when there are a million other ways somebody could be doing, or a million other ways to stimulate themselves like you know, researching titans, pondering the secrets of the world.

So anyway, that concludes my list.

I hope this answers your questions. Thanks for this <3 It was fun to think about.

#levihan #hange zoe