#music when you speak

[ml-nolan]

Postlude

Here's a little one-shot in the Layers of the Sun Dreamling AU that I've been thinking about for months. It's set shortly after the final chapter of Music When You Speak. Enjoy! 💜🖤💜🖤💜

Approx. 1156 words | Rated G | On AO3

-------

Ever since he gained the internal stability to do so, Dream started keeping an eye on the LAPD unclaimed property website. It was a choice that Dr. Gault had at first been wary of, worried that it would keep Dream trapped in a horrible memory.

"Are you sure you want that thing in your house? Would it not be triggering to see it day after day?"

"The memory will never leave me, no matter what I do," Dream had replied.

Truthfully, with the treatments Dr. Gault had administered, the ghost of electricity surging beneath his skin, the feeling of being trapped like an animal, the acute pain and indignity, had faded. When he remembers his brief but violent captivity now, it is like looking at a still life painting rather than inhabiting a looping film sequence.

"Owning it seems more like…justice. Like my due. And like what…it…deserves," he told her. 

When he put it that way, it did not take her long to understand.

This morning, he sits at the countertop, drinking black tea as the sky brightens from indigo to light blue through his westward facing windows. As the cloud cover evaporates, it reveals the texture of windswept white caps on the ocean. Refreshing the website on his laptop screen, he finally sees exactly what he's been waiting for all this time.

By the time he hangs up the call with his broker, a familiar car is pulling into the driveway, followed by a less familiar truck. Today Hob is moving in, completely and for good.

After one more long look at the photo drawn up on his screen, Dream shuts the laptop.

—

There isn't much to unpack. Hob has been slowly moving things over from his little townhouse ever since Dream bought this place. Plus, he'd unloaded a lot of his stuff on Matthew, Wanda, Martin, and whoever else wanted his old junk.

He’d brought over his cheese toastie maker, naturally. The bed they bought together so Dream would be more comfortable goes in one of the guest bedrooms. The few records Hob keeps at his house go into the listening room, and all his tacky little knick knacks go into a room that Dream has set aside especially for him. When Hob calls it a man cave, Dream wrinkles his nose like he's just smelled spoiled milk.

"We are both men," Dream says.

"Right, but here I can put up my collection of neon beer signs and taxidermy." 

"You have none of those things."

"Says you. You didn’t know me during my redneck phase.”

Dream has the most adorable wrinkle of confusion between his eyebrows. Clearly he has no idea whether Hob is joking or not.

“Just kidding, love,” Hob says. He grips Dream's waist with both hands, and Dream allows it, just the way Hob knew he would. And just because he can, just because he loves that put-upon look on his face, Hob plants an extra-wet kiss on Dream's lips. Dream wipes it off with a scowl, but he's blushing down to the collar of his crewneck t-shirt.

As the moving truck disappears around the bend in Dream’s private road, Hob cards his fingers through Dream's mess of sable hair.

“Sooooo…care to give me a tour of my new bedroom?”

Dream grins, but he shakes his head.

“I am waiting on one more delivery," he says. "I need your help making space in the workshop."

—-

A wiry blonde, possibly in her sixties (or older given the way people in this city fight the natural aging process) slides out of the passenger side of a white delivery truck.

“That took no time at all,” Dream says as she approaches. "Ethel, this is my partner, Hob Gadling."

Hob looks radiant as he shakes her hand. But then, he always looks radiant to Dream.

Ethel gives Hob a curt nod, then sighs as she fusses with the tablet in her hands. “Bit miffed they posted the thing before calling me. I told my contact months ago money was no object." 

"You succeeded. That is what matters," Dream says. He has waited patiently, and the fruits of his patience are now in front of him. All past obstacles are irrelevant.

Two men roll up the door on the back of the truck and lower a metal ramp. The instrument is even more massive than Dream remembers, but then again, everything from his state of mind, to the size of the space they inhabit, to the circumstances under which he is seeing it, is completely different. 

Better, obviously. And completely on his terms.

Hob raises his eyebrows as they roll the piano down the ramp on its study casters, but he doesn't interrupt as Dream settles up with Ethel, as the two men negotiate it down to Dream's workshop and set it in the space he and Hob had spent the last half hour clearing.

Then they are alone again. Just the two of them and Dream's newest charge. Until now, he's only worked on smaller instruments—guitars, violins, even an old mandolin. This will be a new challenge, especially given the horrible sound the piano makes when Dream strikes a few of the keys. 

But as far as Dream is concerned, this instrument was just as much a victim in the whole Burgess affair as he was. It deserves the same level of restorative care Dream has received. And as far as Dream is concerned, he's the best person to provide it.

—

Hob watches Dream take stock of the full-size grand piano at the center of his workshop.  His graceful fingers coast over the enamel, lingering on a few nasty scratches. It must not have been treated well in the last couple years, which is a real shame. The thing sounds like it belongs in the saloon of an old Western honky-tonk. But even with his perfect sense of pitch and sound sensitivity, Dream doesn't even wince.

The reverence in his touch tells Hob exactly where the piano came from. Hob had heard Dream's testimony. He had seen the crime scene photos. The entire world had. 

"So this is the piano, huh?" 

Dream nods, lowering the heavy lid and stepping back. "It saved my life. I would like to return the favor."

Moving in behind Dream, Hob wraps his arms around his middle and hooks his chin over his shoulder. The tense muscles in Dream's shoulders and back slacken, and he leans his head back against Hob's shoulder. The delicate skin of his neck is soft under Hob's lips.

"You saved your life, too, you know," Hob says softly into his ear.

"As did you," Dream says. 

He turns his head to accept Hob's kiss, and Hob has one of those moments he often does with Dream—the kind where he barely recognizes the enchanted thing his life can become.

"So about that tour…" Hob says. Dream kisses him one more time before they head back upstairs.

#layers of the sun #music when you speak #dreamling #dream of the endless #hob gadling #dream x hob #because my head FINALLY doesn't hurt anymore #thank fuck #Approx 1k words #rated g #makes more sense if you've read the original longfic #but do you bebes

[langernameohnebedeutung]

ngl, I'm beginning to take issue with how in conversations about anti-intellectualism almost automatically, the face of girls and women will be slapped on the problem.

#'all those tiktok girls who only like marvel films and' - why do you always say girls and women? are the guys filling opera halls instead? #'women in their mid 20s who still only read YA novels' okay sure that's an example and relevant discussions can be had #but it reminds me of the mocking tone in which people speak of 'chick-lit' to use women's interest as an indicator of lower value #while in fact women are reading more than men in EVERY single genre of fiction. Women are doing a lot of (often unpaid) labour #supporting libaries supporting theatres supporting cultural events #meanwhile there is a pretty big overlap between toxic masculinity and anti-intellectualism #(especially misogyny and homophobia) #especially when it comes to things like ballet or opera or musical or generally dance #in fact it is often the female investment in specific things that makes them less 'valuable' in general consciousness #for thousands of years the theatre was well-respected and a high form of art - and now it's a 'wife-thing' #the father who will teach his son that theatre and dance are for girls - how is that never an example for anti-intellectualism

[kwillow]

As an eligible young noble of no small fame, Ambroys had a number of arranged courtships and suitresses in his youth, but any nascent marriages always fell through.

It's not that he didn't try; he certainly knew how to court a lady (perhaps too well, according to many fathers and husbands), and when he lacked knowledge on the affairs of womens' hearts, he sought counsel from a young woman who was a dear friend of his (perhaps too much counsel, according to his own father). Nonetheless, all he garnered for his efforts was separation after separation.

Ah, well. Maybe it was for the best.

#been working on this for a while... was just struck by the fact that I don't have much showing Ambroys' character in his “normal” “everyday” #so I wanted to do something “short” and “quick” to try to highlight some of his... quirks #and to contrast the loverman persona I think he's garnered #like yeah he's good at romance but also he's so fucking bad at it #just like he's good and bad at everything to do with interacting with people really #no matter how well you mimic dance steps it doesn't count for much when you don't know what the music is #or something like that... #also wanted to draw Lou (the goat) his girl best friend (with benefits) #who is actually quite important to him and his history but who I haven't drawn actually speaking or having a face yet #comics #my draws #amaranthine #ambroys #anthro #fantasy #unicorn #etc

[atissi]

okay very preliminary thoughts on mitski's new album BUT i think there's something with how "laurel hell" felt like a goodbye to the music industry (can't find the source but i remember reading that it was intended to be her last album under her contract) like i'm sorry anthony fantano but if you interpret the back half of "laurel hell" as being generic breakup songs you're missing like 80% of the context. to me TO ME it feels so clearly about her negotiating her relationship with fame, how she can't love her fans the way they love her, and how she feels like she sold her soul to her job, so the only thing to do is step away. but THEN "the land is inhospitable and so are we" was created after mitski decided to renegotiate her contract, specifically because she loved making music enough to deal with the negative aspects of the work. and then all the songs are about the ghost of love she can leave behind, despite the present pain or emptiness, and like. do you see it. do you see it.

#THE NARRATIVE. #beepbeep.txt #mitski #like you can definitely interpret everything through the lens of personal romantic relationships BUT. i think its even better #envisioning that she is speaking to her actual audience. the love they have for her and the love she is trying to communicate to them #i mean especially “i don't like my mind” just feels like a response to “love me more” where she begs to keep her job #specifically so she doesn't have to be alone with all these thoughts. so she can be witnessed #but then i feel like “the deal” and “when memories snow” are responses to “working for the knife” and “everyone” where her job leaves her #feeling emptied out of all this pain and love simultaneously. hence the ghostliness of the whole album #and her coming to terms with this feeling of emptiness. or actually. the loneliness of having no witnesses at all. after the music. #being king of her own land. if one would like to use that turn of phrase #IS ANYONE ELSE GOING INSANE OR.

[ryllen]

" ... as soft as talking to a new born, the voice you dream your children would hear during their bed time stories ... "

#the developer knows we will spend a lot of time with this guy; his voice is soothing; his laboratory background music sounds like a lullaby #the way he asked what else do you want to know and said astronomy ... and that whole last sentence at the end #my time at sandrock #mtas #mtas qi #mtas builder #fanart #he is dangerous because i actually like his appearance the most #and owen also looks very charming and he is very polite #but i also like how unsuur sounds when he explained about his rocks #i literally replayed that part 4 or 5 times fhsfsdh for re-choice-ing reason #my favorite part is when i licked the rock and #FHDDHSfhshdhsdsh /////// #hngh i'm so done............ #wait until fang starts talking #maybe he sounds charming too when he speaks in a long sentence #even tho it was a mess of a voiceover project; i like portia voice casts #i think they were picked from random people who auditioned for the character; but it what makes them sound so colorful #i think sandrock uses studio's? the voices for sandrock feels too well-situated #but i'm adjusting to accept it all overtime #also if u didn't get what i meant by 'the voice you dream your children would hear during their bed time stories ' #it means u want him to be the father of your children #but he would literally refuse to tell stupid fantasy story to his children and only pick the space related ones #but the children would sleep well anyway even tho they don't understand anything because of his soothing voice

[blues-valentine]

It’s the way so many people dismiss HSMTMTS because is from Disney Plus and they associate it to being a kids show and not as deep as the other teen shows out there and it couldn’t be more untrue. The characters are better written and have a more reliable personality than most of the teen shows making the rounds right now that people believe is actual television. Not just the ships are better and are delivering more representation and buzz than Netflix or Amazon combined but the actors from this show are so insanely talented and know how to handle both emotional and comedic beats flawlessly. And the performances are clearing a lot of people from those shows. Put respect on their name.

#is this a subtle TSITP shade? yeah maybe… #because why are the fans of that show speaking about hsmtmts when half the cast can clear half the actors (if not all) on there #TSITP is messy entertaining but it’s not clearing hsmtmts I’ll tell you that #hsmtmts #high school musical the musical the series #gina porter #ricky bowen #ricky x gina #rina #kourtney greene #ashlyn caswell #carlos rodriguez #sofia wylie #joshua bassett #julia lester #dara renee #frankie rodriguez #madlyn #jetney #seblos #text post

[shima-draws]

I started watching Bluey and when I say I was absolutely fucking ENLIGHTENED.

Me: Bluey’s such a popular show and even my adult friends like it…but why?? Isn’t it just a show for preschoolers

Me, after watching one (1) episode: OH….I UNDERSTAND NOW…..

#Bluey’s SO FUCKING good oh my god. #Shima speaks #The animation is incredible the backgrounds are SO beautiful and the MUSIC??? STELLAR #And the lessons in each episode are so good and I LOVE all the games the girls play with Bandit #It feels really nostalgic to me bc I have a younger sister and we were JUST like that when we were kids #It’s really amazing how they can tell a story in just 7 minutes #I love Bluey so so much. I would DIE for every single character in that show #Bluey #Sorry Blue’s Clues you WERE my favorite show about a blue dog but not anymore 🤧

[hum--hallelujah]

the Rammys of Takeover (wouldn't you rather be a widow than a divorcee?) -> Run Dry (one more shot then I'm quitting forever) -> I've Got All This Ringing (tell the boys where to find my body) -> Wilson (I'm gonna run away and never see any of you again) is making me feel achy inside though.

#they've been talking about the hiatus more lately. #I feel like this is another one of those ''let yourself Feel the thing and then Make a thing'' moments #pete doesn't feel existential dread when he's making music with his friends... ''you need your band'' coming off the hiatus...m #etc etc do you get what I'm saying?? #this is heavy but it's healing. #she speaks! #fob #2ourdust

[reallyhardy]

have another audio gift.

lothlorien from the watermill's production of the lord of the rings: a musical tale (3rd preview performance, 27th july 2023.)

#LOTR musical #the lord of the rings: a musical tale #LOTR #lord of the rings #lord of the rings musical #you can hear when he's just speaking at the start here #legolas has a northern accent. and i really think that's funny #u always think of elves having an RP accent. he said nah. i'm just gonna keep my own accent. LOVE him for that #anyway i think georgia really sounds stunning and very like LMK #you can tell she absolutely loves the song #audio gift

[ml-nolan]

AAAAAHHHH I almost forgot! Happy one-year fic-iversary my Dreamling rockstar AU, Music When You Speak!

Rating: E  Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Hob Gadling Word count: 72,075

Summary:

"I should have asked you earlier, but I don't suppose you'll still be in town tomorrow?" Hob says. "It'd be lovely to see you again." The man truly looks regretful as he says, "We won't." It was worth a shot. They hardly know each other. There's no reason for the sick film of disappointment settling over him. "Ah, well. I'm happy to have met you anyway," Hob says, subdued. "Are you doing anything right now?"

--

When incognito rock star Dream of the Endless drifts into Hob Gadling's record store, it's instant attraction. Neither of them expected things to get this serious.

#music when you speak #the sandman #kick's fics #dreamling #dream x hob #hob gadling #dream of the endless #morpheus the sandman #rockstar au #record store au

[cozy-the-overlord]

Seeing people complain about the Speak Now vault tracks being too teenagery …. gee, you’d almost think a teenager wrote them /s

#i feel like it’s a lose lose situation #because if they’re ‘too mature’ like on the red vault people accuse her of writing them recently #but if they’re ‘too immature’ people complain about them being not as good #i for one really like the speak now vault #it may not be as deep as red but i think it’s still really eye-opening #like the kinds of things she was thinking about but felt she couldn’t share #idk maybe it’s because i was a Small Child when speak now came out #and it was really the first album i ever became obsessed with #and as a result i idolized taylor as this beacon of perfection and grown-up-ness #like obviously I’ve long since recognized that she was still a child in a lot of ways in that era #but hearing the vault tracks really made her feel like a Real Teenager to me in a way i never had before? #like the anxiety on electric touch #the insecurity on when emma falls in love #the hopefulness tinged with self-loathing/self-criticalness on foolish one #the wattpad-tinged fantasy of i can see you #idk i feel like teenage me would have related to all that a lot in a way that i never did with her other music #idk i’m rambling #i need to go to bed #taylor swift #speak now taylor’s version

[27-royal-teas]

pros of joining the fob fandom

everyone is super sweet and nice and likes what I have to say and they’re all creative and good writers and talented and incredible and kind to me and way too cool and have good ideas and and and

cons of joining the fob fandom

I get emotional over a picture of middle aged men smiling at each other. im not nearly mentally stable enough to feel this many emotions all the time and you fuckers feel the need to pull more emotions from out of me all the time

#fob #fall out boy #i should probably get off the internet for once in my life #and actually focus on my own music for once #I just have zero self control #also I feel like I have to write really good articulate stuff all the time for people to notice me and that’s a shitty feeling but #that’s how it is when you worm your way into a fandom #ill find my place eventually #mostly !!! i just want a lot of friends!!!!! #i love friends!!!!! #be my friend!!!! please! #toby speaks

[ramenwithbroccoli]

guess who finally made a fanbot after 2 years in the musical robot fandom

meet Janka!

above: Janka in to versions - a bare mechanism and a 'friendlier' folk attire

created in 1921 and commercialy released in 1936, named after a character in a famous song, Janka was intended to be the first fully inteligent record-playing machine for personal use. With her creator, Stanisław Lasota, basing its design on popular barrel organs, she was equipped with many different accesories to make her blend in with the enviroment. The most popular one was a folk-based look, inspired by traditional clothing of people of Łowicz, but many different options were available, with some owners even sewing it clothes of its own.

above: bare mechanisms, the mask sold to make Janka less 'intimidating', the most popular folk variant, a "night out" variant personally crafted by one of the owners

Although the company producing record players promised all of them would be able to change the songs by the voice command, it seems that only the original prototype of Janka retained that function. That's why, while the other copies went on to become just a fancy gimmick, Janka's value skyrocketed, providing Lasota with a great sum of money that allowed him to retire early and comfortably. After his death in 1937, the original designs were found. It seemed that there were no differences between the commercial versions and the prototype - except for the material that the top of the table was made of. In the original, an undefinable green matter has been used, that studies have not been able to replicate. It is suspected that the substance, mixed in with molten glass, was a gift Lasota brought back from one of his travels.

above: diagram of the functions of certain parts

Once an unique antique, original Janka lost value over time. The amazement over her ability to change music at request and memorising entire symphonies after playing them once disappeared, replaced with annoyance, and sometimes even horror, as it seemed the machine gained a mind of its own.

Owners reported music playing in the middle of the night, suspicious movement and the needle skipping over certain words in song, forming a new message altogether. After the last owner, Jerzy Sójka, claimed "the goddamn machine, [it] has a mind of its own, [it's] the devil! devil is speaking to me!", the fate of Janka had become unknown. Many suspect that it has been abandoned in a basement or an attic, with some even claiming they still hear her song being played at night.

#when oc lore in your head so good it gives you the ability to draw #the story of janka has been conveyed with one smartphone a pen with a touchscreen tip and a dream #not even sure if that still counts as a fanbot. we strayed so far from the path 😭 #BUT SHE DOES PLAY MUSIC! just not her own #she also technically can only speak by compiling the words from the songs she played so she really likes word-heavy ones with lotsa lyrics #also technicaly can't see? but she does get acces to camera later so she's not that disadvantaged. at least she can hear alright #spg fanbot #my art #original character #oc #janka #fanbot

[enhanced-operatives-division]

Junicrane/Starstruck Ramble

I will not be brief, all under the cut

To clear some things right off the bat:

No corpse, no proof with Juniper. Obligatory this is set in a canon where he's alive and adjacent to the agency in some way.

Reggie & Juniper are just gay to me, but I don't mind any interpretation of their sexuality

The games are set in 1967/68 to me (based on a couple bits in game) which is before it was legal to be gay in America at least (1971), which is relevant to how I interpret canon as being somewhat grounded in reality, despite unrealistic elements.

This is just an insane amount of headcanons/elements of and AU all culminated into one post. I will talk about some headcanons like they're just facts because they are established in my head, and it saves me over explaining literally everything, however I will explain some parts a little bit for clarity.

Alright. Actual beginning of the ramble:

Juniper is a character to me who had gotten so lost in his job as an actor and a social presence that in the end his whole life revolved around that 'role'. Because of this, by the time he's put into the situation where he's around the Agency, he basically knows nothing about himself, though he doesn't realise at first. Furthermore, what little identity he had has changed in so many ways. He's no longer a beloved famous actor in the prominence of public light, he's legally dead and he tarnished his career just before he was supposed to die, with the bonus of that making him lose the majority of his estate. From that, he also has horrific facial scarring from the electrical burns from literally having his face fried. I believe a friend of mine made a post about this a while ago (I also think they were the first to think it up also), but, to me, Juniper has a permanent trimmer in his right arm (aka his dominant hand) from the electrical current and it is messing with his nervous system.

All in all, he's not doing great, but he's too proud to admit that he's not doing great, because if anything, what's left of his ego is all he has as a defense since he's deep in unfamiliar water.

Before ending up around the agency (I have multiple interpretations of this, so I'm just going to bring it up generally), he'd never actually seen Reggie, and his only impression of him is a single voicemail, which was his only reference he had to later impersonate him. Juniper probably has very little feelings other than the ones he projects onto him because of Phoenix and that, at the very least, he's physically attracted to Reggie to some degree (that's like the beginning of how everything else would tumble into place in this sort of interpretation at least).

And on Crane's side? His feelings towards Juniper are probably very intense and muddled. On the one hand, he adores musical theatre, and that's his now ex-favourite actor. The thought of just casually being around him blows the bit of fanboy in him away at first because THAT'S the GUY, plus the inklings of a celebrity crush which still poke at him. And then there's the rational side of him, which knows Juniper has committed absolute atrocities on the side of Zoraxis, and hates him for that. Then there's how much Juniper comes off as an asshole at first because he refuses to cooperate with anything the Agency tried to put in place. He finds Juniper endlessly frustrating, and yet he's stuck working with him since, afterall, he's the one who knows the Agency's history with Juniper the best. I imagine him acting a lot like how he does IEYTD 1 around Juniper.

At this point, I'm just describing the pitch for a romcom.

I think the start of their relationship with one another largely started with Juniper trying to wind Crane up. It was a way of getting his attention, and I don't think Juniper knows why he's so dead set on that at first, because I don't think he realises he has a crush on 'this grump' at first. (I think that's actually the fun part about these two, because it's almost like a role reversal of the celebrity crush dynamic. This ex-big name actor has a TERRIBLE crush on an average joe and it is KILLING HIM.) But of course the Agency keeps them together because Juniper is at least conversing with Crane, so it's a start.

Through one way or another, they actually get talking casually, at least mildly at first. It takes Juniper a long time to fully deconstruct the wall he's built, and the thing is, Crane isn't the one trying to deconstruct it, at least at first, because yeah, Juniper realises if he wants Reggie to actually like him in any way, he can't keep winding him up. So they talk. Small talk at first, something rhythmic and almost easy to keep to a script. And over time that turns into actual conversations. Genuine ones in which Reggie rips out the occasional one of his jokes which Juniper is endlessly endeared about. The way he smiles just before he makes them, like he wants to chuckle at what he's about to say before he says it. That's probably when Juniper realised that he does have some vague crush on him, and that it wasn't going away.

This is what kickstarts John I can't-buy-you-things-to-impress-you-so-acts-of-service-it-is Juniper to do little things for him. It mostly starts off as him trying to make Reggie his tea how he likes it. However, the nerve damage in his arm makes that hard, as the weight of the kettle and trying to pour is hard all of a sudden. And he refuses to accept that, so he tries for a very long while. Long enough that Crane would go to investigate what was going on. And when he does see Juniper leaning over a cup with the kettle as he uneasily tries to pour it, and when Crane asks Juniper responds so matter-of-fact that his intention is nothing but genuine. And it catches Reggie off guard because Juniper hadn't done anything like that up to that point, and his very apparent vulnerability is so clearly on show.

It shifts something between them.

From that point on, conversations are longer, more familiar. Both of their attitudes soften, and Reggie makes more jokes. Juniper learns how to better use his left hand while strengthening his right back to a point where it could be used again. Slowly, they're both spending time with one another not because they have to, but just because they can. Little bits at first, not too far outside what they already were doing, but those little bits turned into long bits to a point where the other person's company was genuinely desirable.

As time passes, Juniper probably realises that he doesn't genuinely know much about himself or what hobbies he's into, because he never really had the time when he got big, and his home life in his youth wasn't bad, but it wasn't picturesque. I think Reggie would pick up on it, and absolutely try to introduce him to some things he's into. Some things stick, other things don't (corn husking very much stays Reggie's passion, and John will go with him sometimes because it's him, but it's not something he strongly cares for). Crane introduces him to a lot of music, and it's something that becomes a staple between them, with tracks they listen to more than others (tragically, I know relatively little about 60s music so I couldn't really say what). Occasionally they dance, never anything intense, think slow dancing, but the closeness is nice.

Through all of it, Juniper is battling the worst crush of his life, and he can't stand it, because I think he struggles to read people since he doesn't have anything like a script or a director to refer back to, so he has no idea if Reggie likes him back or if he's just desperate for that to be true. I think because of that any sort of confession between them would be incredibly raw, not only because of the time they live in making it hard for them to be truthful about how they love, but because it's a complete show of Juniper who's worked to be this better person. I don't exactly know how that would go, mainly because I don't have one set version of their dynamic, this post is just a generalisation of main consistent points.

Reggie does like him back, because he's gotten used to Juniper being just this guy, not a figure in the public eye, not a Zoraxis lackey, and not any sort of Agency operative (despite being under their care to some degree). He's someone he genuinely cares for, because they've given one another the time of day to learn one another, and I think because Reggie was a field agent, he was a lot better at reading Juniper than Juniper was at reading him. Eventually Juniper's company becomes something he could see around him for the rest of his life, and I think he accepts that he likes Juniper a lot more gracefully.

I think any affection directed at Juniper would at first be met with him feeling a little muddled. Reggie was a very physically affectionate person when he could be, and sure the initial flirting with one another came with the occasional little touches, but everything now was so deeply intentional. I also don't think Juniper would almost ever get over the novelty of being able to kiss him, or many other gestures, because it made the fact that they were together so very real, and it was great. I do think it comes easier to Reggie, and it's a big way of showing how much he cares, so it's important for Juniper to try and show it back because he knows how much it means to the other.

I like the idea of them eventually living with one another, too. I think Juniper would have always had a quiet little daydream of sorts where he does just live a domestic quiet life, and he can with Reggie (well, as close as they can get between the Agency and Zoraxis always being at odds), and he loves that, and he loves him, and it's immense.

I think they cook for one another a lot, it helps Juniper work on his dexterity in a controlled environment, which means a lot because it's a huge point of insecurity (that and his scars). He does improve, and Crane is proud of that and shows it and it's great. I also think they'd probably cook together too, because they can deal with being in the kitchen together and they work well with one another. It's probably a good way for them to unwind because over time they can do it in relative silence.

As I said before, I also think music is a staple in their household, and that Reggie listens to things on vinyl almost all of the time because he likes the background noise. Sometimes Juniper will catch him chuntering along to the music which he finds endlessly endearing. I wouldn't put it past his dramatic ass to also join in to fluster Reggie, but I also don't think Reggie would mind that terribly because Juniper has listened to the music enough to know the lyrics, and that's huge to him.

I don't think they are without rough patches, no relationship is, but I think the good part about them is that they're willing to talk about it (... eventually). They're used to long conversations, and while they're often less fun conversations, they're needed and they know that, and it works out.

Alright. I think I'm done for now. I haven't mentioned everything, but this definitely got the worst of it out of my system. If you ever want to hear any specific thoughts my ask box is open but other than that, behold my general dynamic for these two which has been festering in my head for years. I think they're great

#ty right-agent for explicitly telling me that this would be welcomed you a real one #i had a massive babble to my friend abt what if they all feed me to the hounds for speaking #and he said “girl that fandom is like 12 people big they need you to speak” and yeah that also helped #i have a hard time talking if I'm not asked/prompted to that's why i adding tags is great for me. that and i like the format #anyways. #THESE TWO.............dear lord can you tell I have been unwell abt them forever.. #this is propeganda (/j) for them. btw. please you have to understand the potential here. it's so good. #it's slowburn <- my (probably) demiromantic ass cannot handle romance without a build up and this set up is perfect (it will never happen) #also i find it easier to write ANYTHING between these two from Juniper's perspective because i find it easier to get into his head #idk reggie is like the gay version of the: what is he thinking of? i could take a bear in a fight. audio ive heard. #whereas with juniper i have him trapped under a microscope #im going to tag this now so i can use the remaining tags to RANT #ieytd #john juniper #reginald crane #junicrane #starstruck #i expect you to die #<- being BRAVE!!! #when I get really excited i start getting like this internal shaking feeling and uh. yeah this rant started that #the worst part abt that is it also triggers my tourettes so like. double whammy. excited about blorbos? jail :( #but. yeah I uh. yeah. sorry this IS so long..I did warn but . AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAHHHHHHHHHAUUUUUUAHHHHHHHHHHHHH #also i did this rant in 2 parts. last night and this morning so yeah uh. yeah. #god im so messed up about these two #make me a boat by the family crest came on while wroting this and while it's mainly a roxanix song to me......AUUUUUG..... #i struggle to find music for these sillies because they have such a specific vibe to me amd I've not quite managed to find something which - #- genuinely feels correct for them and it drives me up the WALL #GOD NIGHT SHIFT JUST CAME OF SHUFFL.....all my ieytd songs are coming out to drive me up the wall....... #FINISHED I've been adding tags as I've gone alonga #thank you for reading hope you enoyed and if you didn't im sorry

[god-u]

people on twitter are being real weird about chance.. that man is dead so idk what the point in some of those posts are now. if anything i’m really keeping his family in my thoughts. it’s crazy seeing anyone my age go out like that and i’ve lost family the same way. i’ve lost friends from shootings and more. it’s okay for people to feel shock about something like this. you aren’t better than anyone for saying you don’t care because he was *insert -phobic* when you probably have family who disregard your own identity for the same reason but you’d still cry if some shit like this happened to them because of the little good you experienced with them even if the bad outweighed it

#many of whom are still supporting artists who let their music and movies play in israel or constantly listen to abusers #so it’s okay when YOU separate the art from the artist but if you don’t like them then everyone has to hear it?? #saying this as someone who is trans and clearly affected by racism and misogyny #things chance was dumb enough to support before being exposed #if you don’t care just don’t say anything #but you really aren’t as moral as you think you are #if my mom passed of course i’d cry despite being subjected to her abuse growing up and her still denying my identity #that man was not an abuser even if he was shit in other ways as far as i know #it’s easy to keep quiet and literally just say nothing #you can acknowledge both things or simply not speak at all #it’s not hard but we also aren’t going to dismiss the fact that he had terrible beliefs #chance perdomo

[flamboyant-and-powerful]

YT MUSIC EXPLAIN YOURSELF THIS INSTANT

you can't do this to me. you just cant. how could you. i didn't even download them in that order. i don't even remember downloading I Forgive You. YT music whY?!

#when I tell you this emotionally destroyed me I fucking mean it #good omens #aziraphale #crowley #aziracrow #ineffable fandom #azicrow #crowley x aziraphale #gomens #good omens ost #classical music #LIKE??? #the transition from the beauty of Nocturne Op. 27 No. 2 to fucking I FORGIVE YOU to the SOUL CRUSHING PAIN of Moonlight Sonata #it's ineffable #that's what it is #fuck! #atti speaks #atti rambles #atti screams at the top of his lungs in painful anguish because he can't take it #ineffable husbands #ineffable lovers #ineffable spouses #the final fifteen #no nightingales #david tennant #michael sheen #neil gaiman #david arnold #i guess? #i guess that works