#stranger things wardrobe analysis

[ladyfromaspookyforest]

This is in response to this post by @cluelessbees which was in response to this post by @howtobecomeadragon (this is so annoying of me, I'm so sorry). But I love to talk about the clothes in shows, so I couldn't stop myself. Both posts are good reads if you haven't already seen them. The gist of the first one is that Will's clothes in season 4 blend into the background and the gist of the second is that despite blending in, Mike is always aware of Will.

And I was thinking about framing. Here's the scene when Mike comes to talk to Will before leaving Lenora. This is the first time he manages to articulate since he's arrived that he misses Will and still wants Will in his life.

As that scene goes on and the camera focuses more closely on both Mike and Will's faces, we see less of the yellow wall and the dresser. As Will begins to feel more and more seen, he is positioned further in front of the white door.

When we get scenes of Will and Mike connecting, Will is contrasted against the background from Mike's POV, but he still matches the color scheme. It's like Will is intentionally trying to disappear but Mike can see him anyway.

He's also generally more visible in scenes when Mike looks at him versus scenes where we don't see him through Mike. Take these two. Mike never fully turns around to face Will in Suzie's room. In the second shot, he is fully facing Will and Will is contrasted against the blue sky.

And sticking out more as the scene goes on and Will begins to feel more seen doesn't only apply to Mike.

When he's feeling sad and left out in the pizza kitchen, he's standing in front of this yellow wall, but when we're seeing him from Jonathan's POV, he's in front of grey. He's more visible.

And some of my personal faves:

Once he returns to Hawkins, Will's yellow doesn't blend with the landscape anymore. He's surrounded by greenery and almost everyone else in the final shot is wearing blue. Because now that he's back, Will is being seen again. By the Mind Flayer (or Vecna idk). This is a great way to signal to the audience that Will's brief stint as background/B Plot is over. He's Important again. He's someone to be looked at.

#will byers #byler #stranger things wardrobe analysis #my dumbass post

[spring-picnics]

just had the craziest thought (one that has probably been said before) but el's last outfit, is reminiscent to her first new outfit, except if she took mikes jacket off. her rebirth as a character and her new claim to her identity have been there all along, they were just always covered up by mike...

#no mike hate ofc #i love babygirl #byler #mike wheeler #el hopper #sunny.has.spoken #stranger things #wardrobe #byler analysis

[givehimthemedicine]

wait eleven's s4 outfit is actually brilliant hear me out

Throughout the show Eleven has worn almost exclusively other peoples' clothes. Raised with no identity of her own, she exists as a chameleon who wears the colors of whoever is currently caring for her materially or emotionally. She's a walking hodgepodge of all the people who have ever been important to her and it hasn't really gelled into her own distinct identity yet.

So I've just suddenly understood this disaster of a why-are-you-wearing-three-layers-in-the-desert outfit:

This look is Eleven archaeology. This is what she wears to go Find Out Who She Is, and she has wrapped herself in chronologically ordered layers of her identities.

Top layer is a plaid shirt, huge on her, obviously Will's or Jonathan's. Current strata. She's trying to find a stable home life, sense of belonging to a family, and identity as a Byers.

Middle layer is Lucas's shirt (thanks @malewifesteve for pointing that out). It is adorable that she brought this with her to California (it was totally joyce's suggestion and el asked each of her friends for a comfort shirt). This shirt is the middle of her journey. Her first stop in the real world, seasons 1-3, when her primary sense of identity is of belonging to her friends.

The Byers shirt covers up the Lucas shirt like she's covering up who she was last with who she is now. The Lucas shirt, in turn, covers an interesting bottom layer.

It's new to us, as far as I remember, and one of the few things she's ever worn that looks like it's actually hers; it fits too well to be Joyce's. (El is actually grown enough to reasonably share a shirt with Joyce, but if they meant us to understand this was Joyce's they would've made it oversized.)

I thought dang, she finally got out of that lab gown, and now she's spending the rest of the season in a shirt that actually kinda reminds me of it. In certain framings and lightings, especially with the shaved head, I kept thinking she was still wearing it. Kind of a weird wardrobe choice? Girl's finally got her opportunity for some individuality in life, you'd think she'd be triggered by owning anything that looks remotely like a lab gown.

Then it hit me... she IS triggered. She puts on this outfit the morning after the roller rink, when she's started to have the massacre flashbacks. The first time we see her in it is the scene where she cries to Mike about feeling like she isn't loved, doesn't belong anywhere, and is looked upon like a monster.

Subconsciously, she puts on a lab-gown-looking shirt as her innermost layer because the lab, her starting place, might be the only place she "belonged"... because deep down, she believes she really is the monster :(

#analysis #el hopper #eleven #jane hopper #i hate tagging all your stupid aliases #stranger things #four for you wardrobe department you go wardrobe department #mine #character analysis #givehimthemedicine analysis

[hongcherry]

pretty please (stay with me) || c.sc | 6 (m)

“After being assigned a fashion show for your big senior project, you set off to find volunteers to make it successful. However, when you meet Choi Seungcheol and his unfriendly clique through your volunteers, you realize they��re an unwanted package deal you can’t escape from. Can you handle Seungcheol’s obnoxious friends, and can he handle your brash behavior?”

🍒 Pairing: businessMajor!Seungcheol x fashionMajor!Reader (afab)

🍒 Rating/Genres/AUs: M(18+); Slice of life (!!!), slow burn, drama, fluff, angst, smut; Unrequited enemies to lovers, strangers to lovers, college au

🍒 Warnings: General tws + the big talk 🫣, mentions of slut-shaming and degradation (not in bed) -> plz lmk if im missing any! | [Smut warnings] protected sex, oral (f.), multiple orgasms, fingering, cum play, cum swallowing

🍒 WC: 12.6k

🍒 Betas: Sarah, Indi, Kelly, Freya 😻

🍒 Author’s Note: It's always so exciting and saddening when a series ends! It's been over a month since this series started! Special appreciation and thanks to those who have given me feedback and/or were here from the beginning! I really enjoy reading your reactions and analysis!

As I said before, this is the longest fic I've ever written, so this fic holds a special place in my heart for that reason alone. Anyway, thank you again (no this won't be the last time I say it!). Please enjoy the last chapter of "pretty please (stay with me)" 🥹❣️

also read here: AO3 | Wattpad

seventeen masterlist | main masterlist

previous chapter \\ series masterpost // the end

You haven’t stood still in the past hour—buzzing around to everyone in the dressing room to make sure everything is being executed correctly. From last-minute wardrobe alterations to doing makeup and hair touches, you’ve been moving non-stop. Overseeing a fashion show is not easy, or maybe you’re just overthinking the tiniest details.

You aren’t getting a second chance at this, so you want to reduce the possibility of mistakes.

“Everything looks great; take a rest,” Mingyu tells you gently.

You glance up from your clipboard, having printed your to-do list and notes prior. Mingyu stands next to you with a kind smile. Your eyes scan him briefly. You reach forward to fix his outfit for the nth time, but he carefully grabs your wrists.

“It looks fine,” he chuckles.

“Exactly. It looks fine. I need it to be perfect,” you huff.

“You have twenty minutes before the show starts. Let’s go get some fresh air,” he says.

Despite your several headshakes, Mingyu pulls you out of the dressing room and toward the lobby.

“…doing here?”

“You weren’t answering my text or calls. I’d figure you’d be here.”

“We should talk another time.”

You strain your hearing when the voices register in your head. Mingyu glances at you and slows in his steps. From how clear their voices are, you figure Hajun and Seungcheol are around the corner.

“Let’s go out the other way,” Mingyu says, stepping in the other direction. You put a hand on his arm to stop him. You’re too curious to not eavesdrop.

“I’ll be quick,” you hear Hajun say.

Seungcheol sighs. “I already told you over the phone that I didn’t want to be around you when you’re being disrespectful.”

“I know, I know,” she says. “I’m sorry I said all those things to her. I just…I just wanted to look out for you.”

You have no doubt who she’s talking about. If she wants to apologize, she should apologize to you.

“I appreciate the thought, but I’m fine. She’s fine. She’s not as bad as you think,” Seungcheol replies.

“I think you’re just too kind, Cheollie,” she says. “She’s not very nice. She’s not been a good influence on you.”

“That grade wasn’t because of her,” he reasons as if he knows what she’s referring to.

Your eyebrows scrunch at that. What is he talking about? What grade?

“No? Then why have you been so distracted in class? Or why do you show up exhausted?” 

“Those have all been my choices, though,” Seungcheol argues.

“Perhaps, but does she know the world doesn’t revolve around her? She should be considerate and stop being so clingy,” Hajun explains. 

Maybe if you viewed her neutrally, you would think she genuinely has his best interest at heart. But with how she’s treated you, it’s difficult to believe that. 

Mingyu tugs on your arm gently.

“You have ten minutes until showtime,” he whispers in your ear.

You close your eyes, listening to Hajun give more reasons for why you aren’t fit for Seungcheol. You want to stay and hear it all. You want to know if he will keep defending you. However, you’re not about to let all your hard work go to waste.

You nod, tearing yourself away and striding back to the room. You roll your shoulders back, head held high as you channel your attention on doing another round of adjustments.

When it’s three minutes until the show, you discreetly peep your head around the curtains. The theatre is packed, mostly with faces you don’t know. Though on one side, you can see your dad and sister. On the other side, are your new friends. Though the one person you are hoping to see isn’t there.

Seungcheol’s seat is empty.

You know he’s here. You hate how your mind starts forming negative thoughts. Perhaps Hajun has succeeded in making him hate you. Maybe he left with her.

You move away from the curtains and stare at the floor. There’s a tightening in your chest that’s a painful discomfort. After the argument, you were prepared not to see him here. Yet after the brief conversation and learning he had still gotten tickets, hope had risen. Even if it was just a sliver, you wanted to believe you could go back to where you were. Part of you even wished you were blissfully ignorant of his assumptions of you—even though they’re wrong and a “joke” to him.

You have the sudden urge to stand him up tomorrow. You don’t want to see him knowing he was here for you but left with her. However, you need to stop running away. You know you will be happier in the future if you have closure.

Before you can take another glance at the audience, Dr. Lim’s voice sounds.

“Alright, everyone, you’ve all been working hard this semester, and I’m very proud of you all,” he starts, “Remember, you’ll all give a quick introduction of your collection, and then once all your models have walked, you’ll give a final statement.”

You feel a hand on your arm. You turn to see Dae beside you. She’s smiling at you, wiggling your arm as if to say, “We did it!”

You offer a small one, trying to focus on the show again. Too much is going through your mind, and you need to narrow it down.

“You look nervous,” Dae whispers in your ear while Dr. Lim keeps speaking.

“I am, a little,” you answer.

“Don’t worry, I am too. At least we’re done, though. Well, we will be in a few hours,” she giggles.

“Okay, everyone is free to watch from anywhere backstage except for the person on deck. If you’re next, you must be here and ready to go. Everyone ready?”

You nod along with the rest of your class.

“Great, George, you’re first. Siwon, you’re on deck. Don’t forget your order, everyone!”

With that, people start moving. Dae guides you to a corner backstage that has a decent view. It’s angled so you can see your family more than your friends. You crane your neck to check the seats again. This time, two seats are missing. Jeonghan isn’t there anymore. Odd.

“Good evening, all,” Dr. Lim greets as he walks onto the stage. There’s faint music playing in the background, and your heart starts to race knowing there’s no going back now.

“Thank you for coming to support our designers. I am eager to show you the student’s work. Please keep in mind that each student was in charge of their theme, hair, makeup, music, lighting, promotion, and of course, their clothes,” he explains. 

“There won’t be an intermission as the show is rather short, so if you need to go, please exit quietly. With that, also please turn off your cellular devices. Now that I’ve rambled long enough, let’s get started!”

The audience claps as the lights dim. You and Dae watch your peers conduct their shows, both commenting on them quietly every so often. The themes range from specific colors, to movies, to holidays. Although you don’t like most of your classmates, it’s nice to see the variety of art being presented. Soon, it’s yours and Dae’s turn. You wish each other good luck before tending to your models.

You’re on deck, going down the line of your models as you listen to Dae’s introduction. 

“Hello everyone, I’m Dae, and my collection is titled, ‘Limitless’.”

You smile when you hear a few familiar hollers. You’re glad she befriended all your new friends too.

“My theme is space as I want to learn and grow endlessly. Although our space is dark, I want to be one of the stars that shine.”

Dae’s voice fades out as you continue your inspection.

“Take deep breaths,” Mingyu says when you approach him. You reach up and shift a few pieces of his outfit. He stands still as you do so.

“Thanks,” you murmur. “No funny business out there, okay?”

Mingyu smiles. “Of course. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“Good, because I know where you live,” you threaten. It’s meant to be told jokingly, but you both know you’re serious.

“Always so charming,” he laughs.

“So I’ve been told,” you smile and pat his chest. “Thanks for agreeing to do this, Mingyu.”

“I could never say no to showing off my handsome features,” he replies, tilting his chin up with confidence.

“Maybe I should have asked Jeonghan instead,” you tease.

Mingyu scoffs playfully, opening his mouth to reply but stops when Dr. Lim appears.

“Yn, ready?”

You face him and nod. “I’m good to go.”

“Excellent,” he pauses, “It was nice having you in class again. I’m wishing you a bright future. You have talent, and I’m excited to see what you do with it.”

“Thank you, Dr. Lim,” you reply. He gives you a grin before leaving again.

Mingyu’s thumbs raise in encouragement when you glance at him. The small smile you offer fails to hide your nervousness.

“People are going to love your designs,” Mingyu reassures. “Now, go get yourself ready.”

“R-right,” you say.

You make your way to the front of your model’s line as you hear Dae give her ending speech. You want to listen to what she’s saying, but you’re too anxious. You glance at yourself in the mirror that is situated backstage, quickly adjusting the outfit you made yourself.

It’s all red—not because of Seungcheol, you tell yourself, but because you needed to match the fabric Jeonghan had bought you—with the top being covered in rhinestones and fading out. The dress hugs your torso and then flares into a flowy bottom with a slit. Over your neck and shoulder blades is red lace that is attached to the fabric Jeonghan got you, giving you a cape that pools on the floor a little. The space between your dress and the cape shows enough skin to be sexy but not overly so to be inappropriate for a school event. 

Although the fabric was meant to be used for one of your model’s outfits, it wasn’t the blue you wanted, and you had already switched your design after Tori took the original from you. You had already planned to make your own dress for the event but hadn’t decided on the design. Since you didn’t want Jeonghan’s fabric to go to waste, you created a design based on it—using your original idea meant for the blue fabric but tweaking it.

Applause erupts, cueing you that you are next. Although you aren’t able to watch Dae’s show, you know Seoah is recording, upon your request, so you can watch it later.

Dae walks backstage as Dr. Lim goes to introduce you.

Dae is beaming, eyes crinkling and mouth open in utter happiness. She goes to you and wraps her arms around you.

“What a rush! That was so fun,” she gushes. “You’re going to do great.”

You return the hug quickly. Her energy bleeds into yours, and your heart races with nervousness. After years of being a spectator of the show, it’s finally your turn to be a participant. You feel all your years at the university have led to this moment. 

“Please welcome Yn,” Dr. Lim says.

Dae gives you an encouraging pat on the back before she steps away. You take a moment to inhale a deep breath, rolling back your shoulders and stepping out onto the stage.

The stage lights are blinding, making it difficult to see out into the entire crowd. You take the mic from your professor and curl your fingers around the object a little tighter than you should. Your eyes dart across unfamiliar faces as your eyes try to adjust to the lights.

“Good evening. My name is Yn, and my collection is titled, ‘Pinwheel’,” you start, voice wavering to show how anxious you are. As you take a quick second to recollect yourself, your eyes snag on a face you’re keen to see.

Seungcheol.

He didn’t leave.

Normally, you would question why he took so long to be seated, but you’re too jittery with the show. You don’t have the energy. Rather you focus on his eyes. They watch you fondly. His hair is pushed from his face like he put some product in it. You feel honored he dressed up for you.

He tilts his head and stretches his lips into a reassuring smile. Although it makes your heart pump quicker, it also gives you the push you need to continue.

“You’ll see an array of colors and designs that represent the four elements—air, water, earth, and fire. I wanted to try different styles that still coordinated together in some way. I hope you all enjoy,” you continue.

The crowd applauds, and amongst the noise, you can make out a few hollers from your friends. It eases your nervousness as you walk off stage. The lights adjust, and the track Jihoon created begins to play.

You motion for the first model to begin walking. You stay in the same spot as your volunteers ascend the runway. You fall into a rhythm as you time your models. When it comes to Mingyu, you expect him to sneak in a joke. However, his face is set in stone and is serious. You smile softly and lightly touch his arm to signal him. 

You glance beyond the curtain to watch him for a second. As Mingyu promised, he doesn’t do anything to ruin your show. If you didn’t know he was a photography major, you would suspect he was an actual model. A goofy part of your brain wonders if he practiced his walk in his apartment.

Two models left and then everyone will do one more walk. That’s all you have left. Despite the already short time of your portion of the show, it feels a lot shorter. Everything has been going well so far. No models slip, your outfits stay intact, and there aren't any technical difficulties.

You appear in front of the audience again as your models finish their last trip around the stage. Your models stay on the stage, allowing the audience to associate the designs with the designer.

“As you’ve heard many times tonight, thank you for coming. This project was challenging, but the reward was worth it. If you have any questions about my collection, please don’t hesitate to ask me after the show. Thank you,” you conclude, giving a bow.

Each clap from the audience chips away at the weight on your shoulders. You can breathe easier knowing that that is it. The project you’ve been waiting to do since before your freshman year has finally come and gone. And gone well nonetheless.

You watch as your friends and family stand, big smiles on all their faces. Although they all mean a lot to you, you can’t help but look for Seungcheol out of all of them.

He stands tall, hands clapping together, with a huge grin on his handsome face. His eyes shine with pride, and you can feel that familiar warmth spreading across your chest again. It feels like you’ve just given your first fashion show as a big-name designer, but in reality, it’s simply a senior project. Seungcheol makes it feel more than it is. And that makes you feel all the more confident.

There are only three more students after you. You and Dae go back to you where you were originally seated, this time accompanied by Mingyu—now dressed in his own clothes. As the show ends, all the students file onto the stage.

“It was a joy to witness the progression of the student’s works. Thank you for another successful show. Seniors, you should all be proud of your work,” Dr. Lim pauses to glance at you all. “Please enjoy the refreshments in the lobby. You’re welcome to mingle and network for at least another hour. Now, please give another round of applause for our talented students.”

The sound fills your chest with a bittersweet feeling as you take your final bow.

“Your designs were gorgeous!” Seoah exclaims when she finds you in the lobby. She runs into you, wrapping her arms around you in a tight hug. Your father comes next, joining in a three-way embrace.

“You did amazing, sweetheart,” he compliments. Your heart is swelling from their kind words. They have seen some of your past designs, but this is different. Even though it’s a school production, it’s still the biggest fashion show you’ve ever been a part of.

“I need you to make me that green one! The one that looked like it was made of leaves and vines. That was my favorite. You get to keep your clothes, right?” Seoah speaks quickly in excitement.

You laugh softly, nodding. “I’m afraid family relations only grant you a five-percent discount.”

“What?” she huffs. “I should get it for free for being the best sister.”

“You’re my only sister,” you argue.

“Which makes me more special!”

“Alright, girls. We can arrange a business deal at home. I’m going to take Seoah to get some ice cream. We’ll see you later,” your father says. You give them each a last hug before waving them goodbye.

You don’t even get a minute break before you feel arms wrap around you.

“I told you you would do great!”

Soonyoung’s loud voice rings in your ear, causing you to flinch. He tears himself from you with a big smile. Your friends gather around in a semicircle, all showering you with praises and words of encouragement. However, like before, one face is missing from the crowd.

“Even though I just met you this semester, I’m proud of you,” Yejun says. You thank him before watching as he leaves to go to Dae. He’s more her friend than yours, but you’re still grateful for his words.

“Does Mingyu get to keep his outfit?” Vernon questions.

You shake your head.

“Good,” Seungkwan chimes in. “He doesn’t deserve such nice clothes.”

“Hey!” Mingyu gasps, offended.

“Excuse me?” an unfamiliar voice interrupts your crowd. All heads turn to see an older woman, dressed professionally. “Yn, right?”

You turn away from your friends to greet the stranger. “Yes, hello.”

“My name’s Park Quinn. I work for a local agency and wanted to give you my contact information. I loved your collection,” she says.

Your eyes widen. “Oh, that’d be great.”

You take the card she gives you.

“I don’t want to take time away from your friends, so please contact me whenever you can. We can try to arrange something if you’re interested.”

You nod, trying not to seem too enthusiastic and eager at the proposal.

“Of course. Thank you, Ms. Park.”

She smiles and then turns away. Before you can dive back into your friend’s bickering, which you can hear faintly in the background, more people come up to greet you. Many of whom you don’t know. Some are prospective students; others are more recruiters.

You’re talking to different people for what feels like ages before the crowd finally slows down. Your friends left a few minutes ago, telling you they’ll arrange a time you can all hang out. 

You’re backstage to gather your belongings and clothes when there’s a soft knock on the open door.

“I’m almost done,” you announce, figuring it’s Dr. Lim coming to tell you to hurry so he can lock the theatre.

“Take your time, Cherry.”

Your hands pause in reaching for a garment bag, gaze whizzing to see the person.

Seungcheol stands in the doorway with a small bouquet of flowers. They’re a mix of reds, pinks, and greens. It’s beautiful. 

Too nervous about the show earlier, you finally take in his attire. He’s wearing an all-black suit, the undershirt being a turtleneck. You saw his new hairstyle while on stage, but it still surprises you to see it up close. 

He looks stunning.

“What are you doing here?” you ask, a little shocked to see him.

He smiles, walking farther into the room. “I wanted to give you these.”

He holds out the bouquet. You stare at it a little too long because Seungcheol starts to chuckle.

“Not the ones you like?” he teases. He begins to set them down on a nearby table, but you stop him. You take it in your free hand, the other occupied with other items.

“They’re pretty,” you reassure. “Thank you.”

He grins when you finally accept them. In exchange, he grabs your belongings from you. You tilt the flowers to your face, breathing in their fresh smell and grinning slightly.

“Your collection was incredible,” he says.

“You think so?” you hum, eyes glancing at the clothes which are hanging in bags. 

“The best out there.”

You smile. “You sound a little biased, Seungcheol.”

“Maybe,” he shrugs, “but I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks so.”

Silence fills the room as you both stare at each other. His eyes drift to your body. You feel a little shy, and the need to fill the silence grows. You want to ask what took him so long to come into the theatre, but that would mean you were actively looking for him. It would also mean Hajun would most likely be mentioned if he decided to go into detail. That topic could wait until tomorrow. You’re enjoying being able to talk to him like you used to, albeit a little more consciously.

“D-do you like it?” you ask in lieu.

Seungcheol’s eyes move back to yours.

“You made this?” he asks, gesturing to your dress.

You nod.

“You’re very talented,” he praises. “Though that was evident earlier… You look beautiful, Yn.”

Something about hearing your real name from his mouth has the compliment’s meaning more impactful.

“I do?” you ask, shifting your weight.

“I’ve never heard you so doubtful before,” he observes with a gentle grin. “First about your designs, and now about your looks.”

He reaches out to you, and for a split second, you think he’s going to caress your face. Instead, he grazes his fingers over the cape’s fabric.

“You do look pretty,” he hums. His eyes scan the material, gaze softening as if recalling something bittersweet.

“Jeonghan bought it for me,” you state. You’re not sure why you disclose that information. Why does it matter to Seungcheol if Jeonghan gifted the fabric to you? He probably doesn’t care. The air just felt too suffocating to stay silent. 

“That’s nice of him,” he mutters before pulling away. Maybe you’re imagining it, but he sounds more monotone than before.

“Y-yeah.”

Another pause.

“Actually, I should probably change out of it. Do you mind?” you ask. You expect him to make a joke of “having seen it all already,” but he doesn’t.

“Oh, yeah. Of c-course,” he answers, turning around.

You wait a few seconds to ensure he isn’t going to peek before finding your bag with your spare clothes. The dress you don is too long to wear outside. You don’t want it to get snagged on anything; plus, you’ll probably get your foot tangled in the fabric in the car later.

You quickly change into a simple dress and sneakers, stuffing your red dress in another garment bag.

“Okay, I’m done,” you announce.

Seungcheol turns slowly. He takes in your new outfit, and if you didn’t squirm and look away, you would’ve spotted the little smile on his lips.

“Do you need help cleaning up?” he asks, glancing around the room. It’s mostly empty. You just need to carry the clothes back to your car.

“You don’t have to stay. Thank you for the flowers,” you say.

“Well, I’m not letting you walk to your car alone,” he replies.

“I’ll be fine. The campus is well-lit.”

Seungcheol eyes you, mouth pursing to tell you he doesn’t care.

You sigh and hold out the bouquet, knowing he isn’t going to leave. “Hold these.”

He does so and watches as you drape the garment bags over a table. You start to dissemble the clothing rack.

“I could’ve done that,” Seungcheol says.

“I’m sure you’re capable, but it’s quicker if I do it. I know how to take it apart,” you reason. You place the pieces in the bag they came in, zipping it and placing the strap on your shoulder.

“Let me,” Seungcheol offers.

“I don’t know,” you say slowly, stepping away. “You look awfully pretty holding those flowers.”

And he does. 

His dark clothes and hair contrasting with the bright colors of the flowers, create a pleasing sight. 

Upon hearing your teasing tone, he grins. “You look prettier with them, so take them.”

He holds out the object, but you shake your head. You hang the clothes over your arms despite his second protest.

“I need a good view on our walk to my car,” you explain and start to move to the door. He follows reluctantly.

Somehow along the journey, you end up swapping items anyway. You now hold the bouquet, unable to stop taking several whiffs. You can’t remember if you’ve ever gotten flowers before. Maybe one or two, but never a whole bouquet.

Seungcheol packs your car carefully, ensuring he doesn’t accidentally destroy any of your outfits. They’re all protected in bags, but that doesn’t make them invincible.

“Are we still meeting tomorrow?” he asks when you’re seated in your car; your window is rolled down to talk to him. He has one hand resting on the roof of your car as he peers in.

“If you’re still willing to,” you reply.

“I am,” he answers.

“Okay.”

A pause.

“Will you text me when you get home?” he asks.

“You don’t need—”

“Or I can tail you. It’s your choice, Cherry.”

You exhale audibly.

“I’ll text you,” you decide.

He smiles. “I thought so.”

He stands up to leave, telling you a goodbye you barely register as you debate something in your head.

“Wait, Ch-Seungcheol,” you call and peek your head out.

He pauses in his steps to look back.

“Will you… text me when you get home, too?” you ask hesitantly. The question shouldn’t make you nervous, but it does. Maybe because it’s a hint that you still care about him. 

The corner of Seungcheol’s mouth rises, a gentle chuckle escaping into the night.

“Yes.”

The simple word has you reflecting your own grin, giving him a final wave as he walks to his car, which is easily visible due to the nearly-empty lot. You wait for him to get into his vehicle before you leave.

You [10:48 PM]: Home.

Choi Seungcheol [10:56 PM]: good

You [10:57 PM]: Are you texting and driving, or are you home as well?

Choi Seungcheol [10:57 PM]: home (:

You [10:58 PM]: Did you forget to tell me?

Choi Seungcheol [10:59 PM]: no i just got home

You [10:59 PM]: Okay.

You [10: 59 PM]: Thank you for coming and for the flowers.

Choi Seungcheol [11:00 PM]: u dont need to thank me. i enjoyed it

You [11:01 PM]: Still… Goodnight, Seungcheol.

Choi Seungcheol [11:01 PM]: sweet dreams cherry

The trek to Seungcheol’s apartment door is grave.

As much as you try to push away the last memories you had here, they’re difficult to ignore. Each step makes the feelings resurface. You just wish this visit won’t end in the same way. His words from that day still sting, but you’re tired of staying in the past. The short interaction with him last night reminds you of how nice it is to be around him when you aren’t fending off his business friends. It spurs the hope you once felt that you could somehow make it work with him.

Seungcheol had messaged you earlier that something had come up and asked to meet at his apartment instead of the café. You were hesitant at first, but he reassured you he wasn’t going to offer a ride. It’s a bit silly that the decision is based on whether he is driving you, but you feel more comfortable knowing you don’t have to rely on him if things go awry.

Seungcheol opens the door with a kind smile.

“Come in,” he greets, stepping to the side.

You move past him and take off your shoes while he shuts and locks the door.

“I’m sorry about the change in plans, I—”

Your scream has him halting.

You hastily push yourself behind Seungcheol, shoving your back against the wall and clutching his shirt roughly. 

The abrupt yank on his clothes has Seungcheol stumbling backward. His hands come up to steady himself on the wall, trying not to crush you. 

You hold him close to your body as a shield.

“Get it away! Please, Cheol! Make it leave!” you yelp frantically.

“W-what? What’s wrong?!” Seungcheol asks, completely startled by your sudden outburst. He tries to turn to face you, but your strong grip on his shirt limits his range of motion. “It’s only… Oh.”

Seungcheol laughs.

A chorus of “ha’s” that has you hitting his back in frustration.

“Cheol!” you whine when a loud woof sounds in the room.

“I didn’t know you were scared of dogs,” he muses.

In front of Seungcheol is a big, furry dog. The breed is unknown to you, but that’s the least of your worries. You truly don’t give a fuck. You just need it gone.

“Well, I am, so make it go away!” you cry and give his muscular back another thud. 

“Okay, okay. Let go, Cherry,” he chuckles. You slowly release him, keeping your body one with the wall.

“Come on, Cho, let’s give Cherry some space,” he says cheerfully to the dog; the pitch is higher than before. Why does the beast get to hear that tone from him?

“It’s staring at me,” you huff, eyes on the animal carefully.

“He’s just interested in you,” Seungcheol chuckles, hand rubbing the dog’s head. He moves away and tries to call the dog to him, but it doesn't listen.

Another yelp comes from your lips when it starts to walk toward you again. Seungcheol kneels down and holds onto its chest instead, almost as if he’s hugging it.

“Go to my bedroom; I’ll be there in a second,” he instructs kindly.

“It’s going to chase me,” you say.

He laughs softly. “I’m holding onto him. You’re safe.”

“Are you sure?” you ask cautiously.

“Yes. Go on,” he smiles encouragingly, nodding in the direction of his room.

Slowly, you push away from the wall. You stay a good distance from the beast in Seungcheol’s arms. As if it wants to tease you, it barks at you. That lights a fire under your ass that makes you break out into a sprint.

You shut his door in a hurry.

You step away from the entry in case the dog decides to knock it down. As you unwind, your eyes scan his room. Nothing has really changed—not that it should’ve. While his bathroom door is ajar, his closet is on full display. You don’t think anything of it, but then your eyes catch on to something red. He has red in his closet, so the color isn’t what intrigues you. What catches your attention is that it’s a dress.

A red dress in Seungcheol’s closet.

You shouldn’t be touching his stuff without his permission, but your hand reaches out on its own. You carefully graze your fingers over the material. The silk is smooth under your touch. It feels good against your skin.

There’s a bag hanging off the hanger. You should stop while you can—snooping never ends well for anyone. Yet, that doesn’t halt your hands from removing the bag and peering inside. It’s empty except for a receipt.

You figure it’s for the dress; however, the name of the place at the top isn’t a clothing store.

It’s a fabric store.

Seungcheol’s door suddenly opens, jolting you from your spot, paper still in hand.

“Are you okay? I would’ve put him in another room if I had known you were scar—”

His eyes fall onto your hand. They grow slightly, and he stands still.

You take the moment to look back at it, scanning the item to try to figure out what it’s for. Before you can examine it for long, it’s pulled from your grasp.

“What’s that for?” you ask as he stuffs it in the pocket of his jeans.

“Nothing. Why are you looking through my stuff?” he questions back. His tone isn’t unkind, but it’s not as cordial as it was before.

You can lie about it, but it was in a bag you deliberately opened. Unless he forgot where he put it, he would know the truth.

“I was curious,” you answer truthfully.

“It’s not polite to look through people’s things,” he scolds and walks to his closet door. He starts to shut it, but you can’t move past the mysterious dress.

“Are you seeing someone?” you wonder. There’s something sharp prodding your heart at the possibility. Perhaps it shouldn’t matter. Maybe you’re just here to mend a broken platonic friendship rather than a romantic one. You were never his to begin with, but something breaks in your chest at the idea of the opportunity being taken from you.

Suddenly, “Are you dating Hajun?”

All those times you pushed him away… Were you pushing him into her arms instead? Is that why he never let go of her? But he didn’t sound like her boyfriend in the theatre’s lobby.

Seungcheol finishes shutting his closet door before he focuses on you. His eyes dance across your face for a moment. You can’t tell what he’s thinking.

“What makes you think that?” he asks. He moves to sit on the bed, patting the space beside him, but you shake your head. You don’t want to be close to him right now.

“The dress,” you trail off, “in your closet.”

He releases a dispirited exhale.

“It’s not hers,” he says.

The grip around your heart loosens an inch but still holds on tightly.

“Hana’s?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“Let’s resolve our other issues before we get into another, okay?” he suggests.

Your eyebrows furrow. “So, the dress would cause another issue?”

“Hasn’t it already?” he sighs. “You weren’t meant to see that.”

You scoff, arms crossing. “I would’ve never guessed.”

Seungcheol frowns at your sarcasm.

“We can talk about it later.”

“Why dance around the topic? Just tell me if you’re seeing someone,” you argue.

“Why?” he replies, eyebrow quirking.

“Because—” I want to know if there’s a chance for us. “—that would explain the dress.”

“Just dro—”

“What’s the big deal?”

“It’s—”

“Just tell me.”

“Cherry,” Seungcheol groans.

“Yes or no. It’s simple.”

“No.”

“No, you’re not dating, or no, you don’t want to answer me?”

“No, I’m not dating anyone.”

You narrow your eyes at him. Some relief floods in your chest, but there’s still something odd about the wardrobe addition.

“Then—”

“It’s yours,” he finally huffs out, irritation laced in his tone.

That shuts you up successfully.

“It’s for you,” he sighs, voice softer, and stands up. “Or, it was for you.”

He pulls open his closet and takes the garment off its hanger. He grabs one of your hands and places the item in it. Before you can get a proper grip on it, Seungcheol lets go which forces you to clutch it quickly. 

“Wha-What do you mean? I-I didn’t leave this here. I’ve never worn this. I—”

Seungcheol shakes his head. “It’s new. I got it before… before our fight. It was supposed to be a surprise for you.”

Your eyes drift to the dress in your hands, lifting it up to see it better. It’s nothing too flashy, but it’s still beautiful with its simplicity.

That pang in your heart comes back but for a different reason.

“You’re not just saying this as an excuse, right?” you ask, the thought bubbling in your mind.

He gently takes the dress from you, laying it out on one side of the bed while guiding you to the other. He sits you down.

“No,” he answers. “I’m telling you the truth. It’s yours if you want it—no strings attached. If not, I can donate it.”

Your eyes move back to the clothing item.

“Why did you get it for me?” you ask and look at him.

Seungcheol rakes a hand through his hair, ears turning a light pink. “I was going to ask you on a date.”

“Y-you were?” you stammer, eyes wide. You’ve always wondered if what he told you while you were crying in his arms was true or if it was all just said in the heat of the moment. Your heart races knowing he meant them. He really did like you then.

“And I was going to ask you to wear this,” he explains, eyes moving from yours.

You continue to stare at him, flabbergasted. His plan was sweet, and part of you feels bad for having ruined it. Though, that wasn’t entirely your fault.

You’re not sure how to respond. You feel utterly honored that he got you a dress for your potential first date with him. However, you don’t know where you stand right now. Unresolved issues still hang in the air.

“Let’s talk about something else, then get back to this, alright?” he tries again.

This time, you nod.

“I know I already apologized, but I truly am sorry for what I said here last time,” he begins.

“Were you really just joking?” you wonder.

“It was a mix, honestly. I was a little shocked at the thought of you never having sex before.”

You frown but try to keep your emotions in control. “Why?”

“Because I’ve heard you’ve gotten around.” He winces as the words come out. You glance in your lap for a second, grabbing the hem of your skirt to play with it.

“From who?”

You aren’t too surprised to hear this information. You have plenty of “enemies” on campus. One of them was bound to start rumors. Hell, you have a few exes that go to the university, so they could’ve spread false information too.

“Several people,” he speaks softly so he doesn’t hurt your feelings. “I actually knew about you before we met at Jeonghan’s.”

“Really?” you question and look at him again. 

“Yeah, but I heard about you a lot more when Hajun and Hana realized who you were,” he explains. “I guess their words stuck without me knowing.”

Your lips dip down. “Did you believe them?”

You hold your breath as you wait for his reply. You already have a feeling Hajun and Hana have talked enough shit about you to fill two whole toilets, but their opinion of you isn’t the one that matters.

Seungcheol sighs, gaze drifting from you and then away.

“I’ve never seen you act the way they described, so not completely,” he answers.

“Not completely?” you repeat.

“There was always that thought in the back of my head… Wondering if you just wanted to sleep with me.”

A scoff. “You thought that even when I kept pushing you away at the start?”

“Maybe you were playing hard to get,” he attempts to reason.

“No, I was genuinely annoyed,” you say.

“Ouch,” he frowns.

“Also, need I remind you that you were the one that kept approaching me?” you add.

Seungcheol leans back on one hand, the other running through his hair again.

“I know,” he says. “I think I just heard Hajun and Hana talk so much that the thought was just always there because of them. I never saw the person I heard about… Well, you weren’t always nice, which I also heard.”

You roll your eyes, not truly irritated at his last comment since it isn’t entirely false. “I’m not one to play along if I don’t like you.”

“I’m aware,” he answers, a small smile on his lips.

“Why did you stay friends with them when they said bad things about me?” you question next.

“Like I said that day, I had known them a long time, and we were in a project together.”

You recall his reasoning, but you still want to ask. “That’s it?”

“Why do you think I did it?”

“Because you agreed with their views on me,” then you mutter, “or maybe because you liked Hajun.”

Seungcheol’s eyebrows angle downward. “I’ve never felt anything romantic toward Hajun, and I didn’t believe them.”

“Did it not bother you when they said that stuff?” you ask.

“It did. I really did tell them to stop when you weren’t around,” he answers. “It’s not easy to let go of people you’ve known for years.”

“I beg to differ,” you huff.

“Would you ditch Dae if she spoke badly about me constantly?” he questions.

You tilt your head. “That would mean I have to care about you a lot.”

“Don’t you?” he teases lightly, leaning toward you.

You smile small. “More than her? No.”

“Breaking my heart, Cherry,” he chuckles and pulls away. He inhales deeply and then continues. “I was hoping something would change, and you would all get along.”

“I told you it would never have worked out,” you reply.

“Wishful thinking,” he shrugs.

You nod, moving your gaze again. An important question lingers in your mind. You want to ask, but you’re truly nervous about his answer. At one point, you would’ve found a way for it to work, but now, you don’t know if you can.

“Ask me,” Seungcheol coaxes softly. You glance at him, wondering how he knows you have a question for him.

He chuckles. “I know there’s more running in that pretty head of yours.”

Taking a deep breath, you nod.

“Are you still talking to them?”

He was just talking to Hajun yesterday, so you aren’t going to be surprised if he says yes.

“No, I’m not,” he answers sternly.

That shocks you more.

“Y-you’re not?”

He chuckles, shaking his head.

“I realized I care about you more than I do them,” he says, echoing your earlier words. “I choose you. I’ve always chosen you in the end—even if it didn’t feel like it.“

You’re on the edge of inwardly celebrating. It’s relieving to finally hear he has cut ties with the people who made your life miserable.

“I-I saw you… I mean, I heard you yesterday with Hajun at the theatre,” you confess.

It’s his turn for his eyes to open bigger. “Nothing happened between us.”

“What was she talking about with your grades?” you ask, recalling how she used that against you.

Seungcheol rubs his temples. “I just got a low test score. It really isn’t a big deal.”

“Because of me?” You frown.

“No,” he’s quick to reassure, “it had nothing to do with you.”

“But Hajun said—”

“She was just finding excuses for me not to be there,” he explains. “Her words didn’t mean anything. I’ve gotten low grades before.”

“She seemed serious,” you argue.

“Because she was,” he sighs.

“Do you really think she was looking out for you?”

Seungcheol rubs at the back of his neck. “Sort of, but I also think she was exaggerating things to make you seem worse.”

“I’m sorry if I distracted you from your studies. I should’ve left you alone,” you apologize, averting your gaze.

Seungcheol reaches out to grab one of your hands. You look at him when you feel his touch.

“Even if you tried, I would’ve kept bugging you,” he replies. His words make you feel a little better, but you still feel guilty despite him saying it isn’t your fault.

“Why would you have?” you ask.

He smiles kindly, eyes softening at the thought of his reply.

“Because I liked you and wanted to get to know you more.”

Your face heats at his words, or maybe it’s because your body is tingling with his skin against yours. Regardless, you feel the butterflies awaken in your stomach.

“Do you—do you still,” you trail off, feeling anxious at the question.

“Do I what?” he presses gently. His thumb glides against the top of your hand.

You stare at his floor when you continue slowly, “Do you still like me?”

There’s a moment of silence before you feel his fingers against your chin. He guides you to look at him; he’s staring at you as if he cherishes and adores you. 

It’s the same look he had when he was watching both of your friends at the restaurant. It’s difficult to believe he’s giving that gaze to you now. 

You can’t tear your eyes from him.

“I like you very much,” he declares confidently.

Your mouth twitches as you try to suppress your smile, but it’s pointless. Your lips stretch until they hurt.

Seungcheol mimics your grin. “Do you like me?”

At one point, you would’ve profusely denied it. You’ve been pushing away those tempting thoughts for so long that you can’t do it anymore. There is something about Seungcheol that you can’t shake off.

It could be the way he always holds the door open for you. It could be that he always takes care of you—carrying you so you won’t hurt your feet, offering his home when you need it, holding your belongings so you have to lift as few fingers as possible. Or perhaps it could be the way he makes you feel like your head is in the clouds. 

You always thought you’d want a partner who you didn’t constantly argue with, but you found the light bantering between you two entertaining. Sure, it does get under your skin at times, but you never stay truly mad at him.

Seungcheol makes you feel special. He makes you feel wanted.

He makes you feel loved.

So, with the smile still etched on your face, you answer, “Yes. I like you.”

Seungcheol’s eyes go from quarter moons to waxing crescents. Small wrinkles form as his mouth widens to a gummy smile. The happiness on his face has your heart skipping.

“May I kiss you?” he asks, eyes hopeful.

You nod without hesitation. “Please.”

Seungcheol’s lips still have the same effect as before. It takes your breath away and makes you giddy.

He moves a hand to the back of your neck, pulling you closer until you are nearly on his lap. The position doesn’t offer you much balance since you’re trying not to knee him in the jewels.

You start to pull away when you feel your body slipping off the edge of the mattress.

“Wait, Cheol—” you try to warn, but it’s too late.

You tumble to the floor, dragging him with you.

You both land with a thump as you’re pulled from each other.

Seungcheol’s booming laugh echoes in his room, causing your own stomach to hurt from giggling.

“Are you okay?” he asks between breaths while sitting up. You stand from the floor, straightening out your clothes. He follows you up.

“Yeah,” you reply. “You?”

“I’m fine,” he reassures.

You jump when the dog outside barks at the noise. Seungcheol smiles at you and reaches out to give you a comforting pat.

“Relax, Cherry. Cho isn’t going to hurt you. He’s a big baby,” Seungcheol soothes.

“It didn’t look like one,” you huff, recalling the size of the animal.

Seungcheol guides you back to the bed.

“Do you have any more questions for me?” he asks, easing back into the somber conversation.

You pause as you think. When nothing comes up, you shake your head.

“Do you?” you offer.

“Three,” he answers.

You breathe slowly, preparing yourself for them. “Okay, what’s your first?”

“What else did Hajun tell you by the restroom?” he wonders.

“Oh,” you mumble, not expecting that. You go back to that memory in your head. “A-are you sure you want to know?”

Seungcheol's face grows serious, head nodding curtly.

“She said you left me because I was a slut. She told me you said I was the ‘worst fuck you’ve ever had,’ and she called me worthless,” you pause as Seungcheol’s jaw clenches and eyes narrow. If you weren’t talking about someone else, you would be worried to see such an intense stare. 

“She said you were trying to get rid of me, and the only way you could do that was to sleep with me… Since you know, I just need ‘something between my legs to be satisfied’.”

He’s quiet for a moment. Usually, it doesn’t bother you, but combined with his stare makes you shift uncomfortably.

“I didn’t say any of that. I hope you know that. She made that up,” he says, expression easing when he speaks to you. “I wasn’t even going to say anything, but she kept wondering why you weren’t around. I just told her we had a falling out, and that’s it.”

From the look in his eyes and the tone of his voice, you believe him.

“I believe you,” you voice aloud.

His once-tensed shoulders relax at your words. “I never wanted you to leave. I never wanted to hurt you. You’re not any of the names she called you.”

“Thanks,” you murmur. Although you’ve been trying to ignore Hajun’s words the past few days, you feel better knowing Seungcheol’s true feelings.

“I’m still sorry,” he says.

“I know. I forgive you,” you respond, hand resting on his thigh.

“You don’t have to. I know what I said was disgusting and rude.”

“It was,” you concur, “but I’m willing to forgive you because I don’t think you mean what you said.”

And now he won’t have those toxic people whispering lies in his ears.

“I don’t,” he repeats. “I think people are intimidated by your confidence. You know what you want, and you know your identity, while some people don’t. It scares them, so they take it out on you. They’re jealous of you.”

“It sounds like you're buttering my biscuits, Mr. Choi,” you hum as you listen to him analyze the people who dislike you.

“I’m just being honest,” he says, a slight frown on his lips.

“I appreciate it,” you reply more earnestly. You’re grateful he confirmed he didn’t think those negative thoughts about you. You feel you can circle around the topic for hours, so you ask for the second question.

“Do you like Jeonghan?” Seungcheol asks.

That takes you by surprise. “No, why do you ask?”

You almost laugh at the idea of dating Jeonghan, but you refrain from it. You don’t want Seungcheol to think his question is stupid even if it is.

“You two just seem close,” he says.

“I tolerate him more,” you explain. “I only like you. Now, next question.”

“Wait, I want to make sure you don’t like hi—Hmph!”

Your lips meet his to stop his sentence. He melts quickly against your mouth, a hand reaching out to your waist. You pull away before it can go any further.

“I would never kiss Jeonghan like that,” you smile.

Seungcheol grimaces at the image you put in his head. “That doesn’t mean you don’t like him.”

“So, I would like that fool, but not kiss him?” you wonder. “Okay. Then I like you, but we can’t kiss anymore.”

“What?” he asks, startled.

“If I can like Jeonghan and not kiss him, then I can like you and not kiss you.”

The corner of Seungcheol’s mouth pushes down. His lips purse slightly when he speaks, “Alright, I get it. I believe you. Kiss me.”

“No,” you say defiantly.

“If you like me, then you’ll kiss me,” he explains.

“But you just said—”

“I lied. You have to kiss the people you like,” he corrects quickly, leaning toward you.

“Is that so?” you ask, a mischievous smirk forming on your lips.

Not having a good feeling with the look on your face, Seungcheol sulks, “You only like me, so that means you can only kiss me.”

You smile at hearing his dragged-out words.

“Is that the rule?” you tease.

“Yes,” he huffs.

“Then I guess I can kiss you,” you say. However, you don’t move from your spot.

Seungcheol fusses, “Now, baby.”

“Oh,” you giggle. “Fine.”

You move in closer, smiling when he meets you halfway. The kiss doesn’t last long as you pull away to ask for his third question.

His tongue darts across his bottom lip as he stares at you. His gaze is solemn, and you mentally prepare yourself for what he has to ask.

“It hurt me to know I caused you pain,” he starts slowly. “I never wanted you to think I believed the rumors about you, but I guess they had an effect on me that I wasn’t conscious of. I regretted everything I told you that day the second it came from my mouth. I was so desperate to fix my mistakes that I didn’t take the moment to think.”

You watch him intently. Each word is taken in with great care, trying to push aside the initial feelings of anger and hurt to hear him objectively.

“I know I made a mistake by keeping them my friends for so long. I just wanted things to work out, and I wanted you all to see the good in each other. I know that sounds a little cliché, but it’s true… Maybe I just didn’t want to choose between you all,” he pauses to take a breath.

“Though, most of all, I wanted to know you more. Despite not having the best first impression, I realized quickly you weren’t what people made you out to be. Along the way, I started to see you as more than a friend, but I had trouble finding the right moment to see things through. Then I fucked it up, and I didn’t think I could fix it… but you’re here now. And we’ve talked things through.”

You nod to show you understand what he’s saying.

“So, where do we stand?” he finally asks.

“I’m sure we could go around each other for days, but I’m ready to move on. I was fully prepared to never talk to you again, but I couldn’t,” you stop gradually, not sure if you want to disclose your next thoughts.

“You couldn’t talk to me?” he asks, confused.

Sighing, “No. I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

“Oh,” he replies, a small smile on his lips.

“Don’t get too happy now. They weren’t all good thoughts.”

“I know,” his smile faltering, “but there were some good ones?”

“Yeah… There were good ones too,” you reply softly.

Seungcheol takes your hands in his, shuffling closer.

“What were they about?” he ponders.

You squeeze his hands. “Your smile.”

At your answer, his lips begin to lift again.

“How you held me,” you continue.

Seungcheol takes that as an invitation to push you back against his pillows. You smile, raising your arms to wrap around his neck as he presses his body against yours. One of his hands snakes under your back while the other rests on the mattress so he doesn’t squish you completely.

“How you kissed me,” you whisper.

The man above you grins wider, pecking your lips tenderly. You chase his lips, and he grants you a lingering kiss before pulling away.

“And most importantly, how you made me feel.”

Seungcheol rubs your back gently. “And how did I make you feel?”

“Like I was yours,” you murmur as your face warms at the confession.

“Will you be mine? Officially?” he asks, gaze darting back and forth between your eyes.

You wonder if he can feel your racing heart against his chest.

“Yes,” you say. “Officially.”

He chuckles, pressing his mouth on yours as if to really make it official.

Your mouths move languidly. You can feel his hair fall around your face, tickling your cheeks. Smiling, you tuck the strands behind his ears and then keep your palms cupping his cheeks.

When you adjust a leg to wrap around his lower back, he moves the hand under you to rub your bare thigh—exposed by your skirt. His hand trails up and down your skin for a moment until it goes lower. He grabs your ass, massaging it over your panties. His lips slip from yours to kiss along your jawline until he finds your neck. You have no doubt that you’ll end up having to hide a purple mark later.

Both your clothes are off in a matter of seconds. Seungcheol’s hands move across your body, exploring each bump and crevice as if it’s his first time. However, you’re no different. You feel like you’ve touched every part of him, yet you still want more.

Your soft moans fill the room when he scatters kisses down your body before latching his mouth on your clit. His hair quickly becomes tangled as you grab it. Your hips roll against his face, chest rising and falling as you get closer to your high. 

His fingers accompany his mouth, pumping and scissoring in your wet hole. His raspy voice sounds sexy as he praises you when you come, but his moans are sexier. His eyes are hooded, drinking up everything you give him until you lax on his mattress.

You don’t even realize he put away your new red dress and slipped on a condom until a dip in the bed catches your attention. Your vision is coming back to you gradually. Seeing Seungcheol with messy hair and his lower face covered in your juices has you pouncing on him. 

His laughter rings out, grabbing your face and slotting his mouth against yours while you straddle him. You don’t care that you can taste yourself on his tongue. You just need him to fill you.

You slide your dripping folds along his thick length, making sure it’s coated so he can sink into you easily. And easy it is.

Both your sighs and strangled moans permeate his room. You stare down at him, mouth open as you move your hips. His brows meet; he’s trying to control his breathing. Each drag of his cock against your walls feels heavenly. Although the pace is similar to the first time, it feels different. There’s more meaning with every circle and rock of your hips. Maybe you’re making it up all in your head, but when Seungcheol pulls you down on top of him to hold you as he begins to thrust his hips up, you know you aren’t.

The way he kisses you tells you he feels the same.

There’s less desperation in his movements now. You don’t have to worry about this being the last time. You don’t have to worry about him hooking up with another person. He isn’t available to anyone anymore. He’s loyal. He’s kind.

He’s yours.

Your legs press against his sides, a loud cry tearing from your throat as he pushes you over the edge. Your walls flutter around his cock that’s still gliding inside you.

“Just for me,” he pants. “You’re just for me.”

You nod, spewing a variation of agreements as you cling to him. Your body rubs against his while he keeps thrusting up. Mewls fall from your mouth as you start to become overstimulated.

Seungcheol coos in your ear, telling you he’s close and that you’re a good girl for letting him use you for his pleasure. His hips stutter each time you clench your walls around him.

By the time Seungcheol pulls out, you are a moaning mess. He flips you over, pulls off the condom, then comes onto your stomach and breasts. You’re sure the sight arouses Seungcheol as he fixates on your body.

His fingers run through his seed, spreading it more across your skin. His tongue darts out against your breast. You watch as he trails the wet muscle along your skin, his cum gathering on it until it’s full. Before you understand what he’s doing, he brings his mouth to yours. You open your mouth, greedily drinking what he’s giving to you. You don’t even stop to think how filthy the act is.

Even though you can tell Seungcheol is spent, he still cleans you with a damp towel before snuggling back in bed. You both fall into slumber a few minutes after.

You wake to a sudden cold breeze.

Whining in your sleep, you roll over to snuggle closer to Seungcheol; however, you’re met with empty space. You peel your eyes open reluctantly, leaning up on an elbow to see where he is.

Seungcheol sits on the edge of the bed with a sweatshirt and sweatpants over his body.

You crawl closer until he’s in arm's reach.

“Where are you going?” you murmur as you snake your arms around his wide frame.

He jolts at your abrupt touch but quickly relaxes once he realizes it’s you. He places his arms over yours, craning his neck to see you.

He pecks your lips. “I have to go walk Cho.”

“Can’t it wait?” you ask.

“He,” Seungcheol corrects, to which you roll your eyes. “And unless you want to clean his pee or poop, then no.”

He carefully pulls your arms from around him and stands, leaving you shivering as the cold air hits your bare body.

Seungcheol pauses by the bed when his eyes see your naked torso.

“You do make it hard to leave, though,” he sighs.

You smile and put a hand out for him to grab. He does, and you instantly tug him back onto the bed.

You kiss him quickly, bringing his hands to your chest, covering them so he can’t move away.

“Stay,” you say between kisses.

“Baby,” he protests while squeezing your breasts. His lips purse every time you lean in for another kiss. You grin in hopes you’re convincing him.

“I have,” a kiss, “to go,” a second kiss, “walk the dog.”

You finally stop your torrent of smooches to pout at him.

He chuckles at your expression. “You’re welcome to join.”

“I rather not get mauled,” you scoff and try to pull him closer, but he resists you this time.

“Why are you scared of them?” he wonders.

“I got attacked by one as a kid, and they never are friendly to me.”

“My poor baby,” he coos as he brushes your cheek. “Don’t worry, Cho is really sweet. Why don’t you meet him? Let him sniff you and then I’ll go walk him quickly.”

You shake your head frantically. “I don’t want it—him anywhere near me.”

“I promise you’ll be fine, but I understand. Maybe another time, okay?” he replies. 

You nod and let your arms fall when he pushes off the bed.

“I’ll just be a few minutes,” he informs while walking to the door.

“Okay,” you mutter and pull the covers over your body. He smiles at you before pushing open the door. Your body freezes when you see black fur at the entrance.

“Hey, sweet boy,” Seungcheol greets the animal happily. He stops the dog from coming inside the room, giving him a few pats and ruffles of the fur before easing him backward. “No, she’s not ready to say hi yet. Come on, let’s go out. You wanna go for a walk?”

Your body relaxes at hearing Seungcheol’s light voice. You’ve never heard it before, and you realize there’s still more to learn about the man.

The door shuts softly. The last thing you see is the dog jumping excitedly as he runs out of view. You hear Seungcheol laugh.

It dawns on you that you don’t know when he got the animal. He definitely wasn’t here the last time you were here. Does this mean you’ll have to stop coming to his apartment now? He spoke highly of the dog, and you trusted Seungcheol to keep you safe, but animals can be unpredictable. Still, you can tell how much Seungcheol likes him.

As instructed, Seungcheol comes back ten minutes later.

“So, how much did you miss me?” he teases while raking a hand through his hair. He takes off his sweatshirt, giving your eyes something to stare at as he walks toward you.

You stop him when he begins to climb into the bed. “Wait.”

“Did something happen while I was gone?” he questions, playfulness replaced with concern.

“No, I just,” you breathe in slowly, “I’d like to meet your dog.”

His eyes grow. “There’s no pressure to do so.”

“I don’t want to be run off by your dog anytime I come here,” you grumble. “Just a quick sniff; that’s all he gets.”

Seungcheol laughs and raises a hand to rub circles against your back. “I forgot to tell you that Cho isn’t mine. My brother had an emergency and needed me to look after him for a few days.”

“Oh,” you hum.

“So, you want to come back here?” he asks, recalling that part of your sentence.

“If you want me here,” you bashfully answer.

He leans down to kiss your forehead, easing your nerves.

“You can come over whenever you want,” he offers. “I would prefer it actually.”

“Why?”

You expect a sweet response, but instead, he just smirks and says, “Because I need someone to clean the place.”

You scoff, smacking at his chest and rolling your eyes.

“Kidding, kidding,” he laughs. He grabs your hand when you go to hit him again. He tugs you closer for a playful kiss, nipping at your bottom lip. “Do you still want to meet Cho?”

“Are you sure he won’t bite off my hand?” you ask.

“I’m sure,” he replies confidently.

Hesitantly, you nod. “Okay then.”

Seungcheol smiles and leaves you with a kiss on the cheek. Like before, the dog greets Seungcheol as soon as the door opens. His tail is wagging, and his mouth is open as he breathes.

“Cherry wants to say hello,” he tells the dog, slowly guiding the animal closer to the bed. Your body is rigid, and you clutch the sheets to your chest. You just hope this isn’t going to be your end.

“Sit,” Seungcheol commands. You watch as Cho does so.

“Okay, hold out your hand, palm down. Yes, just like that. Breathe, baby, it’s okay,” Seungcheol instructs you softly. You glance away but quickly look back. Maybe you can pull your hand away quickly enough before he chomps.

The dog leans his head close, nose wiggling as he sniffs your hand. The few seconds it takes feels like half an hour. Suddenly, the dog’s tongue sticks out. The act coats your hand in slobber, and you screech as you tug your hand to your chest hastily, thinking he bit you.

“It’s okay, Cherry. You’re okay,” Seungcheol soothes you, sitting on the bed. He puts the dog between his legs as he rubs your arm softly. You pull your hand back, sighing with relief when you see it still intact.

“Cho just licked you,” Seungcheol explains.

“S-sorry,” you say, eyes searching for the dog. He sits staring up at Seungcheol with his tail wagging. The pet isn’t lunging at Seungcheol or nibbling off his flesh.

“It’s okay. You did good, baby,” Seungcheol praises, giving you a kiss on the cheek as a reward. “I’m going to take him out, okay?”

You place a hand on his arm. “Has he ever bit you?”

Seungcheol glances at Cho and shakes his head. He gives the pup a loving head rub. “He’s just a big baby. He’s well-behaved. He’s even good with kids.”

“Has he ever bit your brother?”

“I don’t believe so,” he replies.

You peer down at Cho once more. You’re still scared of him, but seeing how much he likes being around Seungcheol, you feel a little bad kicking him out again; especially, since he doesn’t have anybody out there to keep him company.

“H-he can stay if he doesn’t come close to me,” you say cautiously.

“He’ll be fine out, it’s okay,” Seungcheol reassures.

“I trust what you say about him. He seems… okay.”

Seungcheol grins, slowly letting the dog go before climbing into bed. “He is.”

The dog stands, shakes out his fur, and then does something that has you clutching onto Seungcheol. Cho jumps on the bed.

“Oh god, he’s going to eat me,” you cry. Seungcheol wraps an arm around your body, pulling you close. He rubs your arm tenderly.

“No, he’s not,” he laughs. You watch as the dog walks around himself once before plopping down. Luckily, he’s on Seungcheol’s side. Cho rests his head on the bed, watching you both. His tail wags a little, but not as much as before.

“He just wanted to sleep up here. Is that okay?” Seungcheol asks you.

“You let him up here?” you question, knowing some people don’t like their pets on their beds.

Seungcheol shrugs. “The covers are dirty anyway. Might as well let him have a comfy place to nap. Speaking of, do you want to stay the night?”

“That’d be nice,” you smile at him.

You reach for the purse you brought when you first ran from Cho. You tap on your phone to see it’s nearly four in the evening. You didn’t realize how long it’s been since you arrived at eleven.

“Unfortunately, I’m not the best cook, so we may have to do takeout,” Seungcheol says shyly.

You giggle, sending a quick message to your sister that you won’t be home tonight.

“I can cook,” you offer.

Seungcheol looks at you sadly, hand coming up to rub at his neck. “Actually, I only have ramen. I haven’t gotten groceries yet.”

“Oh. I like ramen,” you reply and put your phone down once Seoah replies. Your phone keeps buzzing as she tries to get more information from you, but you simply put the device on Do Not Disturb and place it back in your bag.

“I wanted to treat you to something better than ramen,” Seungcheol says. There’s a faint frown on his lips.

“I don’t mind,” you reassure. “Now, can we sleep a little longer?”

You carefully guide Seungcheol down until his back hits the mattress. After pulling the covers over the both of you, you snuggle against his body.

“I guess I don’t have a choice,” he chuckles as he lets you lay him down. He holds you close, eyes staring at the ceiling as he rubs your back.

“Hm.” You close your eyes, letting the gentle rise and fall of his chest hypnotize you.

“Baby?” Seungcheol asks. You’re on the verge of sleep, but you hum again to let him know you heard him.

“Will you go on a date with me?”

You smile, forcing your eyes open to peer at him. “Can I still wear the dress you got me?”

“You can wear whatever you want, Cherry.”

“Can I pick out an outfit for you, too?” you ask.

“While you have great fashion sense, I’m not sure—” he stops when you begin to plead with your eyes.

“Fuck,” he curses more to himself.

“Please, Cheol?” you ask, voice soft and lips pouting.

“You know I’ll eventually become immune to this, right?” he grumbles. 

The way he words it makes it seem like you’ll be around long enough for that possibility to occur. You nuzzle closer at the thought.  

“Maybe, but right now you’re not,” you smile wickedly. “What do you say?”

“Fine, alright,” he caves.

You lean up, giving him a big kiss as a thank you. He hums against your mouth. You feel his hands go south, but you quickly stop him.

“It’s sleepy time, not sexy time,” you scold light-heartedly when you pull away.

Seungcheol sighs dramatically but yields. “Hurry and sleep then.”

“You’re not going to run away, are you?” You narrow your eyes.

“Never,” Seungcheol smiles down at you.

Your gaze lingers on his eyes, quickly scanning his face. Finally, you let your mind wander freely. You let yourself indulge in how comfortable you feel around him. You don’t have to ignore those illusions you had produced, nor do you have to convince yourself that you only see him as a friend. You can fulfill those fantasies little by little. You don’t have to hide from your emotions. You already feel lighter at letting go of those conflicting thoughts.

Although Seungcheol jokes about keeping you around to clean, you wind up doing it without being asked. You suppose he knows you won’t be able to handle the clutter.

You’re picking up his discarded jeans when something flutters to the floor when you do so. You bend down to grab it.

It’s the receipt from earlier.

While Seungcheol is in the bathroom, you finally have the chance to examine it.

You notice the fabric store name, having only been there a few times since it isn’t local. Your eyes trail down to the item's name. Although it’s a shortened version of the name, you know what it is. 

That brat.

The sound of the bathroom door opening has your eyes snapping up and hand lowering to your side.

“Why did Jeonghan lie to me?” you ask him before he can take two full steps.

Seungcheol looks at you, head tilting and eyebrows knitting.

“What did he lie about?” he questions.

“He didn’t buy that fabric for me,” you scoff and hold out the receipt. “You did.”

Seungcheol’s gaze drops to the paper in your hand. He releases a small exhale.

“It’s not a big deal,” he replies.

“You always say that,” you huff. Your eyes fall back to the receipt, glancing at the price. That makes more sense as to how Jeonghan got it.

“Because it’s true,” he says. He moves to stand in front of you. He carefully takes the receipt from your hand. “I just wanted to give you something you wanted.”

“Why? How’d you even know?”

He folds the paper as he answers, “Dae mentioned it at dinner that one time and Jeonghan told me about it.”

“You didn’t answer the first part,” you call out.

He chuckles softly. “That’s because it should be obvious. It’s because I liked you… I still do.”

“You can like me without buying me expensive things,” you reason.

“I know,” he says. His eyes fall down to the sweater that you wear—it’s his. Your legs are bare and have ankle socks on. “But I still wanted to. So, deal with it, Cherry.”

He gives you a smile before walking away and into the living room. You follow, still weary of Cho and huddling against Seungcheol if he gets too close.

“Hey, wait, you didn’t tell me why Jeonghan lied to me.”

Seungcheol takes two glasses from a cabinet and then shuffles to the fridge. “I asked him to.”

“You? He didn’t steal it or something?” Although you know Jeonghan likes to con others, he isn’t one to steal. Yet, you still want to ask since the whole situation puzzles you.

He laughs, filling the cups with ice as he replies, “No, he’s not like that. I wanted you to have it before the show, but I knew you wouldn’t take it after our fight.”

“You let me think he got it for me,” you state; your lips begin to dip down as you ponder on the thought. 

You remember feeling so thankful to Jeonghan for getting it for you. There’s a pang of guilt knowing you were thanking the wrong person. You finally understand the look on Jeonghan’s face when he gifted it to you.

Seungcheol sets the glasses on the counter, grabbing your chin gently to make you look at him. His fingers are chilly, but they feel good against your warm skin.

“I’m just glad you used it, baby,” he says kindly. He lets go of your chin with a smile.

“Cheol,” you call, a hand reaching out for his bicep. He pauses in turning back to the fridge.

Once he is staring at you, you speak, “Thank you.”

“I’m sorry it wasn’t the blue you wanted. It was out of stock, and it would’ve taken too long to ship,” he explains.

You shake your head. “It was perfect. I liked the red more.”

Seungcheol smiles, though one side is lifted as if it’s a borderline smirk.

“I did too. Red looks good on you,” he compliments. One that takes you back to that cursed poetry lounge night. It was the first time he called you Cherry, and you called him Cheol. The first time you were alone with him for longer than fifteen minutes. The first time your body reacted in ways that went beyond the line of friendship.

“So I’ve been told,” you murmur.

“Have you?” he teases. “Whoever said that must be really smart.”

“Yeah, sure—” you begin, only to jump and knock into Seungcheol when Cho unexpectedly rubs his nose against your leg. 

Seungcheol’s laugh doesn’t drown out the sound of your thudding heart in your ears, but at least it offers some (annoying) comfort. Cho is going to take some getting used to.

previous chapter \\ series masterpost // the end

A/N: Although the series is over, I would love to continue writing this couple in the future! Please look forward to some bonus scenes... Perhaps from Cheol's POV? My ask box is open for any questions or comments about this series! Thank you for reading!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😭 omg *trying not to freak out that it's over* (also wattpad says this fic's read time is 6 hours and 11 minutes LOLOLOLOL... nice 😅 but if you're a slow reader like me, that time is prob way more haha. this being said, ty for ur time while reading!)

For my “shy/silent” readers, I’ve created a feedback form where you can share your thoughts on my fics in a more anonymous and private way. ^-^

taglist: @iammisstora, @christinewithluv, @lithelust, @musingsofananxiouspotato, @yoozuku, @lockburn-castle, @mystikhal-blog, @oncloudvii23 (cant tag :c), @cheolcherries, @mingyublues, @maknae00, @morklee02, @kittyhui, @comounlunar(cant tag :c), @minhui896, @doom-fics

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#svt fanfic #scoups fanfic #svt angst #svt fluff #scoups angst #scoups fluff #scoups x reader #svt series #seungcheol fanfic #seungcheol angst #seungcheol x reader #seungcheol fluff #svt slice of life #scoups x you #s coups fluff #s coups angst #s coups fanfic #seungcheol x y/n #seventeen fanfic #scoups x y/n #scoups series #svt smut #scoups smut #seungcheol smut #kvanity #kdiarynet

[wheelbyers]

So I watched this whole video (Amy Parris, Stranger Things costume designer breaking down the costuming of season 4. Which by the way, is so fascinating and you should give it a watch if you have time.)

And I’m sure this has all been pointed out by Bylers before, but it’s just SO TELLING, the very deliberate choices for El’s and Mike’s airport/rink-o-mania outfits.

Here’s what she had to say about El’s wardrobe:

“It felt important to make her feel mismatched, because she's trying to figure out who she is in this new space. You know, being in California, let alone being in a new high school, you're trying to fit in and so you definitely try different outfits, you try different friend groups, you try different things to see where you fit. And so it was important to show that she'd have pieces that might have been hand-me-downs from Joyce, might have been borrowed from Will, maybe even hand-me-downs from Jonathan, and she doesn't have Max there either so she may have some leftover pieces from the mall like the milkshake dress, but she doesn't know that it's weird to pair it with Will's old shirt, you know? So it was important that even in the frame with Will, she'd kind of look like she was wearing his clothes, but then also throw a dress on it that's like, “Well, this goes, right?””

Why was it so important to show that in the frame with Will (and Mike) that it looks like she’s wearing Will’s clothes? That Mike’s 1st love interest is literally wearing the clothing of his 2nd love interest, only with a dress thrown on top that completely clashes with it, as she’s unaware how the two pieces don’t fit together?

That El’s trying to figure out her place in the world, in school, in society, in friendships, in her new family...And a lot of the stuff is hand-me-downs that were worn/loved by someone else first, that don’t necessarily match with the person she started discovering at the mall in s3 (when she got to decide what SHE likes for the first time.)

Huh? Why is all of that so important for the audience to pick up on? What is it telegraphing to us about the individual character arcs and the love triangle?

And then, here’s what Amy Parris says about Mike’s wardrobe:

[clip of Argyle tag-checking Mike plays first] Argyle: “Oh, no, no, no. No, it's a shitty knock-off, yeah.” “So Mike Wheeler's outfit was written into the script that way, and it was written that Argyle would go, "Oh, hey, cool shirt." So we knew we wanted something that felt like an outfit maybe he would have bought at the airport before he got there. So it's kind of hokey, you know? It says "Surf" on the back and there's surfboards, and it's bright, it's not a color that Mike normally wears. And he would have accessorized it with a hat, and sunglasses with Croakies, knowing he was gonna be outside in the sun. He wears flip-flops. And the outfit was actually manufactured by Quiksilver. We had a collaboration with them, which was really helpful, because during pandemic we couldn't make clothes fast enough. We had made two colorways, we had made orange and teal, and he's worn teal before, so it felt like orange was the best color that was different from his closet, that felt like he was trying to make it work in California.”

We’ve beaten the “Mike dressing up in a shitty knock-off in California as he’s putting on an act of a picture perfect happy relationship with El” analysis into the ground by now, but it’s just that....it’s literally CONFIRMED by the costume designer that this was the intention.

And the line “he was trying to make it work in California” is so blatant it’s astounding. You don’t say “trying to make it work” about relationships that are going well.

But also, the fact that they showed pictures of Mike in his teal shirt on screen while she described this made me consider the contrast between the two outfits and situations. While he’s “trying to make it work” with El, he’s dressing unlike himself, whereas when El has gone to the NINA project and Mike is alone with Will again, he’s wearing a color that’s more like himself. He can be himself around Will instead of pretending to be something else.

(This is why I also believe that the pocket pointing to Will in most scenes was so intentional, because everything else about the costume design on this show is, and they don’t just add details like that and have it mean nothing. If you watch the full video, there are so many specifics in each character’s outfits that prove EVERYTHING you see is so meticulously designed and intentional.)

#byler #analysis

[0aurelion-sol0]

(Answer to an ask sent by @lalli00035-blog that Tumblr prevented me from editing for some reason & I do not know why.)

First off, I want a sense of actual direction & good writing throughout the story at large & for all the characters' story arcs. It needs to have the same type of consistency that Season 1 had. We've had three seasons, with a fourth season that was extremely inconsistent with its different storylines.

I want a consistent tone, a more realistic, grittier tone in Season 5. Closer to the first two seasons.

We're going to be in a pre-, during, and post-apocalyptic Hawkins, where threats will be everywhere & in different forms. Whether humans, supernaturals, or both. It needs to match what the characters will experience and go through. Speaking of characters:

→ An actual exploration of the characters this time around, it doesn't need to be a character analysis of the characters & their tropes in your face with extra long monologues, but have them have actual depth, or use the depth they have & explore that plus make them have an actual growth. It's been 4 seasons, and so many characters are stuck or go back to how they were in Season 1 or 2.  No more of that. Put certain characters forward & others in the back, some characters need to have more screen time and story elements compared to others who have completed much of their arcs & potential by now.

And finally, actual interesting answers for the story that are compelling for 5 seasons worth of content & better explanations about what has been going on, whether it has been on the human side or the supernatural side. (Finish & bring back some of the plots that have not been finished in the previous seasons too, some have no reason to not have been finished by now unless they want to do something about it in Season 5.)

Plus, be, let's say, daring. More political, go there. Finally, explore what you want to talk about instead of throwing progressive words around and barely scratching the surface of them about what outcast, conformity or morality are. Etc...

After that, I expect the overall same creativity in the set designs, the wardrobe & monsters/supernatural elements, Stranger Things, and even Season 4 (which I thought didn't use its budget the best way possible for every element), has always been of quality about that. The music and filmmaking as well are always rather good, which is to be expected given the people working on it, the budget and now the experience that has come after 4 seasons of material. Actors will also all do their jobs well, regardless of what's given to them at this point.

That's all I have to say for the moment. As I said, I will elaborate on those thoughts in future posts, but I hope it answers your question in some way. Also, there will be a long theory/prediction post that I will do that will summarize everything that I think will happen or could happen in Stranger Things 5 & other content coming from the Stranger Things franchise as a whole.

#stranger things #stranger things 5 #stranger asks #stranger asks things

[fudgetunblr]

Stranger Things 4 volume 1: a Character Analysis 

(for the second to last time besties, let's go)

Jane/Eleven: deserves a nap. should be compensated for all the shit she does for others. Victor Frankenstein, is that you ???

Will: gay™ & an artist™. "turn arooouund,, looook at what you seeee" - still has the worst haircut in the show (they've done you dirty my man). I'm not saying Alex Standall,, buuuut....

Mike: has the worst wardrobe in the show (affectionate), asshole (affectionate), bad friend (derogatory).

Dustin: apparently the smartest person in this show apparently. has a tone problem. still funny :)

Lucas: has the best hair on the show :) jock™. Trying to do other things than just play D&D, good for him. Shot the final shot, v proud of him <3

Max: trauma™ - also deserves a nap fr. she was a skater girl™, we love her ok ??? she's great

Steve: babysitter (derogatory)™. Still trying to find a girlfriend ??? (take a break king). hairy™.

Nancy: gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss™

Robin: disaster lesbian™ (love the representation)

Eddie: looks like he's 30, why are you in high school my good sir???

Jonathan: in his Zach Dempsey era <3 pothead™

Joyce: couldn't even be gone for like two hours before everything went to shit. deserves a break !!! has now been to Russia

Murray: rat (affectionate)

Hopper: so in season 1 they played on 80s archetypes and turned them upside-down blah blah, but my dude is in is 80s hero era, they've completely lost the thread of what they did in the beginning.

Erica: amERICA ! ! ! still playing into that sassy black girl stereotype I see. loved when she played D&D with the gang though <3 "it's a club for nerds" she's not wrong

Henry/One: *it was Agatha all-along*

Victor: :(

Doc B (not me shortening his name): no comment.

Argyle: Netflix owns Eduardo Franco at this point, so it was only a matter of time before he joined Stranger Things. Good to have you here king. Pothead™

Mr. Wheeler: you may hate him, but he speaks the truth. "A club for people who won't graduate high school" cut to a bunch of people who've continuously repeated their senior year.

Mrs. Wheeler: you flirted with an underage boy last season, I have not forgotten mam.

Barb: still haunting this show I see.

Enzo: he's a cool dude, I'm glad you're not dead king

Suzie: tech™, mormon™, like lowkey the coolest person on this show

Other characters: *exists*

BONUS!

Ships:

Mileven: you know when you date someone when you're like twelve and it's cute and then suddenly you're older and it's not that cute anymore? yeah. Girlboss + Stick vibes :))) (sorry Mike, not my words)

Byler: currently a one sided affair, let's be real, the writers never intended for this, but it's cool that they're doing something now, and if Will does end up not being queer, at this point it will be queer baiting.

Jancy: "We're fine" cut to them not being fine

Stancy (this can not be their ship name): god, this again ??? we can't just switch every season it's exhausting

Mucas: they still care about each other and that is all that matters

Joyce x Hopper: that hug sustained me for another year

Suzie x Dustin: couple goals™ (fr though, they're like the healthiest relationship on this show)

Squads:

LA Crew: yells in unison. buries dead bodies ?? is perhaps the saddest crew I've ever seen, like I know they're going to El, but God they haven't been plot relevant for a few episodes. They're fun though so I'll accept it. Vibes > Plot.

Hawkins Gang: making a bunch of progress. plot relevant™ - off saving lives and shit. Dustin has no one told you to respect your elders?

The Adults™: off on a trip to Russia, just casual things you know. Still keeping the Soviet storyline alive even though that should've died last season.

The guys™: lmao they haven't been a friend group since like the beginning of season 2 :'(

The Hellfire Club: I'm ngl, if I was Lucas I would also bounce

#if you remember the other two I've made you've been around for a while #stranger things #stranger things 4 #st #stranger things spoilers #dustin henderson #el hopper #Jane hopper #eleven #mike wheeler #nancy wheeler #lucas sinclair #erica sinclair #will byers #jonathan byers #joyce byers #jim hopper #robin buckley #steve harrington #mileven #bylers #jancy #stancy #mucas

[bugsbenefit]

all the analysis on colourcoding in stranger things I’ve seen here is so awesome. but while looking at the insane details put into things like bg lighting etc i also don’t want to loose track of the bigger picture, because there is colour coding so Blatant in the show that my GA family picked up on it.

the idea that costume design has deeper meaning in st has already been confirmed. all the costumes are handmade, details, colours, all deliberately chosen. I’ve seen people speculate that the colour someone is wearing reflects who the character is focused on for years. there have been a lot of moments where this seems to be heavily supported by the show but I’ve not seen a more direct example of it than Will’s wardrobe in s4.

I’m sure a lot of people noticed but I just want to point this out again, because it really is so on the nose:

start of the season. it’s just the Byers (and EL <3) in California. Will wears red, yellow, and white. his jeans are light blue but are so washed out the colour doesn’t stand out anymore, basically gray. El has been associated with pink/purple and variations of it throughout the show. here she wears red. Will is spending the episode supporting her, which we learn he does a lot in Cali. Will’s clothing choice is aligning him with El here to reflect that, they really do look like a sibling duo.

now This is where it gets interesting. Mike shows up to Cali, who Will is in love with and incredibly excited to see again. so Will wears blue. literally just blue. no other colour, his pants are white gray. it’s really uncommon on the show for a character to only wear a single colour, especially if it’s not their own colour (yellow for Will). but oh well. his focus IS solely on Mike here so it makes sense. he wears this for the airport and Rink O Mania scenes.

after the disappointment of the last day he reigns it back in again. still very blue (ha literally, poor guy) since his jeans also are a more noticeable blue than in the first episode. but the yellow, white and a single streak of red are back.

and for the rest of the season he wears this. which. actually crazy of him. again, neutral beige-ish pants. yellow shirt, his own colour. but then he comes back in with the blue. and it’s not just any blue. it’s the exact same shade of teal Mike is wearing. he really colourpicked the exact hue of the shirt Mike put on and said wait let me get in on that too (not exaggerating btw, in the scenes with sunlight you can see it’s the exact same colour).

TLDR: there’s many instances proving that clothing colours correlate with character focus and intention... and it has never been as blatantly on the nose as with Will in season 4, they really went all in here.

I have some things to say about Mike’s (will link in a few hours when i get to writing it) costume design here too. we know Will loves and supports El and is in love with Mike, so his wardrobe just solidifies this. with Mike it’s a bit more interesting, since we don’t see his thoughts or motivations this season and get his clothing choices presented without context.

#seeing will at the airport in his all blue fit is just really sad. he had all his hopes crushed by mike's half assed no homo back pat #luckily for him mike is also colour coding himself the whole season #unfortunately he isn't picking up on it #but i'm gonna get to that analysis in a bit #byler is canon #byler is endgame #it's so endgame it's unreal #will byers #byler #stranger things

[mollytatlisu]

Primary Survey Analysis Pt.1

As I began to explain on my first primary survey post; I am going to research into the various characters / films ‘ / musicians that my magazine target market currently view as being in the gothic spotlight, to identify if, how and why they are going to be influential in the future of goth.

Wednesday & The Addams Family

The first appearance of Wednesday Addams on our screens was in the 1964 sitcom the Addams family, which followed the lives of a dysfunctional family, their unusual lifestyle and supernatural abilities. Although this was revamped with a new series in 1998 named “The New Addams Family”, the spin off thats really drawing peoples attention is Netflix’s 2022 show “Wednesday” which as you can imagine focuses on Wednesday, daughter of Morticia and Gomez in The Addams Family. The first and only series tells the story of Wednesdays expulsion from her “mainstream” school, forcing her parents to send her to Nevermore Academy, a school for all types of outcasts; where she uncovers the mystery of the monstrous “Hyde” . But why has this show and Wednesdays character gained so much traction? Based on my research on our societies current landscape, I think the polycrisis state we are currently in is causing young people to strive for an outlet to escape, with Wednesdays mysterious, rebellious, lone wolf portrayal acting as the perfect way for youths to express themselves in such confusing times. This is furthered by my primary research in which I asked why people think they associate, Wednesday in this case with goth. Most peoples reasoning was based around her attitude and the way she holds herself, with some mentioning the indisputable theme of black throughout her wardrobe. The combination of peoples association of Wednesday with goth and their allure towards her means traits of hers could begin to present as a trend.

Evidence that Wednesday has become an influential pop culture icon for Gen z is not only proved by my primary research, but also by statistics on applications such as TikTok and Netflix. For example, according to WGSN, the hashtag #WednesdayOutfit on TikTok has 20.8 million views, and includes thousands of videos in which people attempt to style themselves like Wednesday, using items they have available in their wardrobes. Not only this, but the show itself has broken Netflix streaming records, overtaking the fourth series of stranger things with it racking up a whooping 27 million views just 12 days after its release Campione (2023). This demonstrates how known her character is, increasing the likelihood of her long term influence; and this generations longing to mirror her.

Wednesday does exemplify gothic traits such as her taste for the colour black and her uninviting demeanour, but the scene that was most favoured by it’s audience was what she wore at the “raven dance” this amongst the rest of her outfits illustrates a more glamourous goth aesthetic, that encompasses the staple goth attributes such as chunky boots and … but is less rough around the edges.

In conclusion, based on Gen Zs fascination and glorification of Wednesday Addams fashion choices and attitude demonstrated by her popularity and the millions of videos on TikTok imitating her i believe she is going to be a key driver of my gothic trend; with her character informing a portion of gen zs interpretation of future goth. Based on the comparison of Wednesday Addams and a traditional goth, i think this will translate to dark looks that are much cleaner and almost formal, such as the elegant dress Wednesday wore to the dance which took the internet by storm. Something crucial i also noticed was the similarities between Wednesdays fashion and the mourning attire of the victorian era. Not only are the two connected by fashion but the shows typical gothic scenery such as the school is reflective of the scenery in gothic literature as well as the gloomy industrial wasteland of Britain at the time. Therefore i think that Wednesdays added glamour and the victorian periods inherent romanticism with lead to dark but hyper feminine looks, which is furthered evidenced by gen Zs gender awareness that i explored previously. More specifically, i think this will result in a fixation on dresses amongst all genders, and delicate, sheer materials such as organza and lace; with elements seen sported by Wednesday and Victorians.

Monster high, hex girls etC

Combination of nostalgia, looking back to simpler times & trying to escape current societal landscape

Twilight

Still a huge emphasis on peoples association of vampires with goth dating all the way back to the Victorian period and gothic literature

[toongrrl-blog]

Stranger Things Season One Color Theme

Pink and Blue: What does it all mean? Femininity? Vulnerability? Any thoughts?

#stranger things #eleven stranger things #Eleven #Millie Bobby Brown #barb holland #Shannon Purser #Holly Wheeler #price twins #Karen Wheeler #Cara Buono #Nancy Wheeler #Natalia Dyer #Blue and Pink #Color Schemes #Color Analysis #Wardrobe Analysis #color symbolism #Color Meaning

[ladyfromaspookyforest]

Wheeler/Byers Wardrobe Analysis

Season 1 Part 1

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

This has probably already been looked at in depth because hasn't everything? But I looked up potential tags that I’ll be using and didn’t see anything (without scrolling for a year), so forgive me if I’m repeating what’s already been said, but I'm new here (Hi. Hello). I’ve seen a lot about the Will/Mike/El color theory. What I haven’t really seen is colors assigned to other characters. So as I am starting a rewatch, I thought I’d take a look at the color palettes for other major characters and I noticed pretty immediately that there are trends, though it’s less about one assigned color than it is about color palettes and how they are worn. And these trends present themselves a lot in regards to an overall family aesthetic for both the Wheelers and the Byers. So they will be the major focus of this analysis, plus a few relevant others like Steve or El who have a heavy influence on members of these families.

So here’s the first shot of Nancy in the show. She’s in her bedroom (blue and pink pastels everywhere, blue pastel PJs, blue pastel phone)

And here’s the first shot of Karen along with a shot of her and Holly the following morning. I found this really intriguing that right off the bat, we’re shown Karen dressing Holly in EXACTLY the same outfit she herself was wearing the day before. This really sets the trend for how the Wheelers are presented. Karen dresses Holly like herself and a lot of what Nancy wears emulates her mother.

Nancy’s outfit that day once again consists of pastel blues and pinks, just like Karen’s, including a checkered element, just like Karen's. She’s also matching Barb (though Barb is in bolder shades, red versus pink) and Steve in pastel blue. Later that evening when Steve sneaks into her bedroom, Nancy is no longer wearing the pink sweater, wearing only the blue button down and matching Steve even more.

And here is the whole family. Very pastel. Very aesthetic. Very nuclear. Except for Mike, wearing bold primary colors and stripes, as he often does. I’m not going to talk about Mike’s outfits much independently because so many people already have. But in comparison with the rest of the Wheelers, here we can clearly see that he contrasts. He is the outlier and the outcast. He’s the only member of the family not trying to conform (or in Holly’s case, being shaped to conform). Even their placemats match the color palette. But then look at Ted. He’s wearing clothes he probably wore to the office (what office? I don’t know. He seems to always be sitting around watching TV or complaining, but he does leave for work at some point, so…) All of the female Wheelers are matching in their blue and pink while Ted is lacking any color or personality whatsoever and Mike is popping out in his primary colors, though there’s also a lot of soft grey on his shirt that allows him to blend somewhat. Karen, we know, has settled in this marriage and Nancy, we know, is beginning to struggle with fitting in. She’s been a "good girl" her whole life and this really shows in the way she dresses in early season 1. She is a reflection of her mother.

And then here are the Byers. Brown, dark blue, dark green, beige, tan, denim, shearling, corduroy. These are trends for the Byers family. Muted earth tones and strong texture.

EPISODE TWO

We see Nancy and Barb coordinating again, this time Nancy in lavender and Barb in coral (both in delicate sweaters). I think it’s interesting that Barb wears bolder colors than Nancy. Her outfit from episode 1 and this one are both brighter than Nancy’s very pale ensembles. This seems to really demonstrate how much more confident Barb is in her social status than Nancy is. Barb knows who she is and who her friends are. She doesn’t care about being popular. In a way, Barb is a lot more like Mike and the party than Nancy. So Barb wears bolder colors. She’s not ashamed to be a labeled a nerd or a goody-two-shoes. Nancy has been shown to wear a lot of blue and pink, but here, she’s wearing the combination of the two in purple. Steve, throughout all four seasons, wears a lot of blue. I’m just starting this rewatch and closely looking into the wardrobe, but that is something I remember pretty easily. And here, Steve’s whole crew is all dressed in blue. Is the purple Nancy’s pink beginning to blend into Steve’s blue? Or is it Nancy’s own duality beginning to blur as her previously separate colors have merged into one? (or is it a sweater someone picked up and said “yup looks like Nancy”) I think it’s the second one. I think it has nothing to do with Steve, actually, and a lot more to do with Nancy figuring herself out because purple is a color I know Nancy wears again in later seasons as well (to be examined closer further down the line). Nancy in this scene is conflicted about whether or not to lie to her parents and go to a party with the popular kids on a weeknight, all very out of character for her, and she's still clinging to Barb, begging her to come along and trying to force these two crowds that don't mix together. Barb is in pink. Steve and co are in blue. Nancy is in the middle in purple. And like I said, I don't think this is so much ABOUT Steve as it is about who Nancy wants to be. She doesn't know.

And then we come to that fateful party. Nancy changes her shirt in the car before they go to Steve’s house. She’s wearing bold red stripes, completely out of her usual color palette or style. The texture is different, the pattern is different, the colors are different. It’s not Nancy. And in a few episodes, Nancy tells Jonathan she and Barb went shopping for a shirt she thought Steve might like. It feels safe to assume this is the top.

I also want to note that Barb has not changed her clothes from earlier in the day, nor has Steve. But Barb is now wearing a blue jacket over her bright sweater. She doesn’t want to be at this party, but she came anyway for Nancy. She’s hanging out with people she doesn’t like and she’s now wearing the color they are all also wearing. Except for Nancy. Because she tried to pick out something Steve would like, but there’s a disconnect here. Nancy chose something red, a bolder variety of one of her usual colors, rather than something blue, Steve's usual color. This could be a way of demonstrating that Nancy doesn't actually know what Steve likes or wants (and the obvious that she's trying too hard).

Karen’s outfit in this episode is again very close to Nancy’s. It’s actually very similar to Nancy’s outfit from the last episode where Nancy wore a light blue button down with a pink cardigan. Here, Karen wears a light blue button down with a pink and grey sweater vest. And once again, Mike’s outfit contains a LOUD and nonconforming color palette.

Meanwhile, in this Byers flashback, Will is dressed in Byers colors, but he, like Mike, is also wearing pops of primary colors. Mike’s outfits have contained bright colors but also reflect, stylistically, the Wheelers. His shirts are preppier and he's wearing khaki pants here. Will is similarly reflecting his own family stylistically with a T-shirt and jeans, but brighter.

I also want to note that this (episode 2, the day after the party finds El) is the first time we see Mike in red. Mike and Will's shirts in this episode are actually really similar, both containing blue, yellow, white, and stripes. But the top portion of each of their shirts reflects the person they are seen interacting with most in the episode. For Mike, this is El. For Will, it's Jonathan. And I don't know if I can declare brown Jonathan's color, but he wears it a LOT.

This is long and it will only get longer as I continue this silly adventure, but I'm sharing my observations for fun.

#stranger things wardrobe analysis #nancy wheeler outfits #wheeler family #byers family #byler color theory #nancy wheeler #mike wheeler #karen wheeler #joyce byers #jonathan byers #will byers #my dumbass post

[animeomegas]

Who is the most needy while in heat?

I decided to write for a few characters for different categories: Clingiest, Horniest, Territorial and Requires Support. Enjoy~

Who is the clingiest:

1.     Itachi – Itachi has only ever had soft heats in his life(heats that are not sexually, but instead emotionally charged). He didn’t have his first heat until he was already part of the Akatsuki and didn’t feel safe enough for a proper heat. His health also isn’t the best, so his body knows to have soft heats rather than normal heats. Because he only has these types of heats, they are very strong. He feels a constant urge to be by your side, ideally with you touching him at all times. He can’t take suppressants because they mess with his illness, so he can’t minimise the effects. He spends the two days holed up in his room, the door locked and sealed shut. He won’t let you leave his nest much, growling and whining if you try. His instincts are screaming at him that he has to protect you and that you have to protect him. He can get a little addled and confused because the impulses are too strong. He’s extremely clingy in heat and he hates it. He always feels embarrassed afterwards.

2.     Izuku – Izuku is prone to crying and feeling very rejected if you neglect him during his preheat or heat. He feels the sting of rejection very strongly and feeling abandoned during a heat is… not good for omegas to put it lightly. It can make them sick if it’s serious enough. So, Izuku will definitely try and keep you in his nest as much as possible, asking wordlessly to be carried with you if you need to leave for a moment. Going to work or leaving the house during his heats (even when he’s on suppressants) is a no-no for him. He will do anything to get you to stay with him, including but not limited to hiding your keys, seducing you, and begging.

3.     Mammon – From the second he’s in preheat, he literally will not leave you alone. He’s very attention starved, but his slight tsundere tendencies keep him from acting on his need for affection. His heat and preheat remove the tsundere tendencies and make him even more desperate for attention. He’s hanging off of his Alpha constantly, following them around and sleeping in their room. He enjoys laying on top of them while they stroke his hair or rub his back. Will growl away anyone who tries to take you from him. If the growling doesn’t work, he’ll whine at you to stay with him because he knows you can’t refuse him when he’s like that.

4.     Kaoru – He doesn’t like how clingy he is, but it’s very uncomfortable for an omega to ignore their heat urges, so he doesn’t bother trying to resist it. He’s very prone to loneliness when he’s in heat or preheat, so he likes it if you’re with him as much as possible. He will spend most the time sitting on your lap, innocently and not so innocently.

5.     L – He isn’t particularly fussed about constant physical affection, but he wants you to be in the same room as him at all times. He constantly turns away from his work to make sure you’re still sitting in the room with him, and in the evenings, he likes if he can sit on your lap while he works. His heats are reduced from suppressants, and his libido is very low generally, but he still likes to make sure his alpha is safe and with him during his heat and be surrounded by his alpha’s scent.

Who is the most territorial during heat:

1.     Sasuke – Will straight up growl at anyone who gets too close to you both, and it won’t end well if someone shows up at his house when he’s in heat. Sasuke immediately views whoever it is as a threat and would likely try and attack them, especially if they were a stranger or someone he didn’t like. He is a lot less stressed during this time if you both just hole up at home for his preheat and heat. One of the reasons he makes his nest in a walk in wardrobe is because it’s an easily defendable place.

2.     Shikamaru – He has to have an arm around you or vice versa at all times. He makes sure you always smell like him during his preheats, just as a warning to other omegas. In heat, he gets very intense and caught up in the feelings, so interruptions from outsiders will be jarring and he’s likely to react aggressively.

3.     Shinsou – Is very paranoid when in heat and preheat. He gets nervous about people coming to try and hurt him and his mate while he’s weak, so he doesn’t like anyone he doesn’t know around you or him. Shinsou is fiercely protective of his family and his alpha. When he’s actually in heat, he would probably try to attack anyone who got too close.

4.     Belphie – Likes to just lay down and sleep with you when he’s in preheat, and whenever any of his brothers (or anyone else) try and get you to move, he growls them away, wrapping his arms around your chest to stop you from going anywhere. Would definitely bite someone if they were brave enough to try and remove him from you by force. When he’s in heat, he uses compulsion charms to keep people away from the attic where he likes to spend his heat with you.

5.     Diavolo – He can’t keep his hands or lips off of his alpha during preheat, but not just in a horny way, mainly in a ‘they’re mine’ kind of way. He likes to show off his relationship to others as a warning to stay away. He is delightfully smug if you return the treatment.

6.     Kusuo – He pretends he isn’t being territorial when he’s in preheat, but whenever you end up in conversation with someone, Kusuo is just suddenly standing next to you, I wonder how that happened? He also makes a way greater effort to ditch anyone who might interrupt his alone time with you. He turns his friends away if they show up at his door when he’s in preheat. When in heat, he gets off on the ‘you’re mine and I’m yours’ aspect.

7.     Light – This boy in greedy for your attention when he’s in preheat, and very bitter if he doesn’t get enough of it. He directs most of his anger at anyone who he perceives as taking you away from him. He will lie and manipulate others away from you both during this time with zero hesitation or regret. Would be possessive if you gave too much attention to a book while he’s in heat.

Who needs the most support:

1.     Alois – I headcanon that Alois has some specific heat related trauma, that I’m not going to get into right now, that impacts him greatly. His alpha is his protection. He only feels safe during his heat if you’re there with him. If you leave him alone, even just for a minute, he will panic, fear mixing with his already heat addled brain. For that reason, he needs a great deal of support, he needs a gentle touch and a constant presence.

2.     Shouto – His father paid to have him on illegal grade suppressant without him knowing just after Shouto’s quirk came in. Endeavour got the quirk he wanted, but not the dynamic he wanted, so he tried to change that. He experiences similar heats to Neji when he first comes off of suppressants. He’s so sensitive everywhere that it hurts. He wants to be touched so badly, but it hurts him. His alpha needs to work with him slowly to help him overcome the sensitivity.

3.     Neji – I mentioned before that due to the suppressant abuse that was inflicted on Neji as a child, his heats can be very painful, especially at first, much like Shouto. For a more in-depth analysis, I have headcanons on Neji’s suppressant abuse listed on my pinned masterlist.

4.     Keigo (Hawks) – He suffers from really bad paranoia during his heats. At first, it’s unclear what’s triggering the paranoia, but eventually it becomes clear that his treatment in the hands of the Commission have left him some nasty mental scars. When Keigo is in heat, he needs to have the door locked and bolted, the windows lock and covered with thick curtains and blinds, he needs to be rid of all technology or anything a person could use to contact him, and he needs all supplies to be in his nest with him so that neither you nor him have to leave that one room. It’s why the room he nests in must have an ensuite. He tends to have soft heats (emotionally charge rather than sexually charged) because his paranoia makes his body think he’s in too much danger to have a proper heat. It’s lucky that his heats normally only last for a day.

 (N-sfw under cut~)

Who is the horniest:

1.     Sebastian – He barely manages to keep it together during the day when he has to serve Ciel, but at night? You better be fucking him so well that he can’t stay coherent. He needs a full eight hours of sex before the heat withdraws enough for him to focus. A demon’s heat is very intensive after all.

2.     Kakashi – Every little thing sets him off when he’s in heat. Maybe you knotted him and the heat is subsiding a little, but then you bit your lip or stretch in a certain way, and immediately he’s consumed by his heat again. He struggles to keep it in his trousers long enough to hydrate and sleep. Sometimes he needs to cockwarm his alpha just to be able to calm his instincts enough to sleep.

3.     Tamaki A – He gets so horny at the peaks of his heat that any and all nervousness completely vanishes. He will beg his alpha shamelessly to get what he needs. He cannot control his voice at all, so you better hope your neighbours are forgiving, because Amajiki shouts some filthy things when he feels really good.

4.     Asmo – No one is surprised that he is completely and overwhelmingly horny for his entire heat. Most omegas have down moments for resting and hydrating while their heat isn’t so bad. Not Asmo. His heat lasts for three days (a maximum amount) and is intense for all of it. You have to make him to eat and drink something while he begs and writhes on your lap for you to fuck him.

5.     Kiba – Has a very high sex drive in general, even when he’s not in heat, so it’s no surprise that he’s basically insatiable when he’s in heat. He jumps his alpha five times a day when he’s in preheat, and every hour when he’s in heat. If you can’t provide for him as often as he needs, he will absolutely buy a knotted dildo and use it while he’s on top of you. Most of the time that convinces his alpha to help him get off.

#heat #abo #omegaverse #alpha!reader #alpha!mc #gn!alpha #n-sfw #reader insert #x reader #kiba #asmo #omega tamaki #omega kakashi #sebastian #naruto #obey me #bnha #black butler #hawks #keigo #neji #shouto #todoroki #alois #light #kusuo #saiki #diavolo #belphie #shinsou

[1mechanicalalligator]

Hey so how do you compare Spencer Reid and Abed Nadir in terms of autistic rep? What do they get right, what do they get wrong, what is less of a flaw and more of showing the spectrum... idk, I'm curious to hear your thoughts.

Okay my brain is still mush but I'm gonna try to write a coherent answer to this anyway!! And I'm so sorry it took me like 3 weeks!!

Both Spencer and Abed are interesting in terms of autistic rep because both of them are written such that they are never explicitly confirmed as autistic in the text, which, I'm pretty sure, is just the writers trying to cover their asses instead of worrying about doing something wrong or offensive.

We have Jeff tell Abed, "Well, you have Asperger's," but then it's left at that, and later in the Christmas rap Abed says "On the spectrum? None of your business." Neither of those is a confirmation of anything, but the fact that it's mentioned at all I think is significant.

Same with Spencer -- allusions to "the autistic leanings of Dr. Reid," Blake implying that he has Asperger's and him not getting it (and therefore not confirming or denying it), and the fact that he knows exactly how best to approach every autistic person they encounter (I want to say there's 3 or 4 throughout the series?).

In any case, I do think both Spencer and Abed are autistic-coded and do fairly well in terms of representation, especially in that I don't see them as caricatures of autistic people (Sheldon Cooper syndrome, if you will). I see a lot of myself in both of their characters, for what it's worth, and it's nice to see that represented in media.

The thing I really love most about both characters is how they handle emotions. So often, the stereotypical autistic character appears to have no emotions, show no emotions, and doesn't care about anyone except themselves. Which is in no way the universal autistic experience (if there even is one, which there is not).

But both Abed and Spencer have emotions -- they have big emotions, even -- and often don't know how to handle them. We see Annie lamenting that she "broke Abed" in Virtual Systems Analysis, and in Nelson's Sparrow Morgan tells Reid, "Sometimes you put up these walls, and you can't do that, not right now."

And that, I think, is something that is important to show, and I like that it is shown with these two characters. Especially since at other times both are compared to robots or non-human beings (Abed by showing him as an actual robot in Aerodynamics of Gender, Spencer when Emily says, "He's so lifelike" in The Angel Maker).

One of my favorite things is that we see both Abed and Spencer stimming throughout both of their shows, often in the background, which I think is very nice. Have a couple gifs:

Both characters also display a big fear of change. This is explored especially with Abed in History 101 when he's nervous about graduating and not knowing what to expect in the future, and he's able to eventually talk himself down and get through it. Spencer shows this particularly when people leave the BAU for various reasons, but I don't want to get too far into that because I don't want this to be spoiler-y.

Each character has their own individual characteristics, of course, that I just want to touch on briefly because this is getting really long. But with Abed, we have his special interest (TV), we see occasional meltdowns and shutdowns, he wears a very limited wardrobe of comfy clothes, he really likes his buttered noodles, and he has trouble with things like reading analog clocks, tying shoelaces, and telling left from right.

With Spencer, we see him struggling to get jokes or idioms on occasion, he doesn't really like touching (particularly handshakes with strangers), he will talk forever without realizing he should stop, and he misses other social cues. You could maybe argue that his high IQ, reading speed, and eidetic memory make him an autistic savant, but I don't really know how that is diagnosed or what the criteria are.

Anyway! This got really long! But the point is that I think both characters are pretty good autistic rep, even if the showrunners are too scared to make them explicitly autistic, and I find them both very relatable and also very awesome, and I hope this answered your question <3

#autistic spencer reid #autistic abed nadir #criminal minds #nbc community #autistic representation in media #ask

[kaypeace21]

Do I plan ( when I get the time) to do a whole huge analysis about what the clothes of the stranger things characters signify narratively or what films they reference . Cause I'm that much of an extra b*tch- after people made fun of me for pointing out a few clothing similarities between karen/ Mike's and Hopper and el's shirt and bracelets . 🤣That i will double down and analyse the clothes even more. Yes.😌

You're welcome followers . XD

I will always analyze the little details in st- cause the duffers care about them. That's just the Facts :P

But seriously the little details in the character's wardrobes I find really interesting. And I think you will too!

#stranger things

[dreamlover31]

Love Will Find a Way: Chapter 32

While stretched out on the examination table, Alexa twirled the small sterling silver band that was wrapped around her finger, tiny diamonds surrounded its outer core with three medium sized ones as its centerpiece.

She smiled softly as they sparkled via the lighting in the room, meanwhile, the events of the other day, when Rafael proposed marriage, still resonated within; slowly, her train of thought deepened. Alexa envisioned a small gathering with only close friends, especially Olivia, who had become like a sister to her ever since the day they met, and of course Rafael’s mother Lucia, who overtime became more of a mother to Alexa than her own.

The wardrobe for the affair would be traditional on the part of the groom, however, the form of Alexa’s dress would consist of something simple but elegant with a touch of class, as she continued to lay out the details of the upcoming wedding; the faint sound of a door being opened broke her concentration. The focus quickly shifted to the young woman clad in a lab coat holding up a clipboard.

“Hello, so how are we doing today?”

“Well I’m about to push a human bowling ball through my pelvis and I can’t see my feet anymore, so all in all I’m doing alright”

The doctor chuckled as she walked towards the table, “Well I’ve got your test results and overall you and the baby are doing exceptionally well, blood pressure is a little high but it’s nothing serious”

“Well that’s good”

She took a moment to look around the room and found that Alexa was shy of one person, “Will your husband be joining us today?”

Alexa’s face softened, “He’s not my husband…yet, but he said he’d try to make it…he’s in the middle of a very important case…”

Suddenly, the door creaked open at that very moment, Alexa and the doctor looked forward to the person that appeared through the doorway, her face lit up when it was revealed to be Rafael.

“I’m sorry I’m late, I tried to be here as fast as I could,” he joined Alexa at the opposite end of the table where he placed a small peck on her forehead, she reached for his hand, to which he was more than happy to interlock with.

“It’s ok, the doctor was going over my test results. She says the baby’s doing fine but that my blood pressure was a little high”

“Is that something we need to worry about?”

The doctor chimed in, “No, it’s pretty common among pregnancies, she just needs to maintain a healthy diet and avoid any kind of stress” Rafael nodded as he held Alexa’s hand, the young woman stepped towards the sonogram machine where she informed them that she was going to check the development of the baby.

During its initial setup, the ultrasound gel was dispensed onto Alexa’s stomach, once the machine was up and ready, the ultrasound wand was pressed on top of her rounded figure. As the wand spread out the conductive gel, Alexa and Rafael watched the monitor, within a few minutes, an image formed…one of their fully developed, yet to be born daughter.

The grip on Alexa’s hand tightened as they continued to gaze upon their beautiful child, after the doctor made a few notations on the clipboard, she concluded that per her analysis that little Nadia was due any day now. Before, she exited the room, the young woman handed Alexa a paper towel to wipe the gel from her belly then passed pictures of their daughter. When they were alone, she straightened her blouse and let out a small breath, just then; Rafael’s warm hand began rubbing against her back…with that, their eyes linked.

“You ok?”

“Yeah, I can’t believe that any day now…we’ll be bringing a new life into this world”

“I know,” he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss upon her lips.

They checked out at the reception desk, Alexa was scheduled to be induced a few days after her due date, the couple walked out the front door and headed towards the parking lot. Halfway towards the SUV a man’s voice called out:

“Mr. Barba”

Alexa and Rafael turned around to find an older gentleman, from the look of things, appeared to be the same age as Rafael if not older; he wore a navy-blue suit with a trench coat draped over it. He stepped towards them, but while his face expressed friendliness, something about him sent shivers up Alexa’s spine. She looked upon Rafael, whose joyous expression faltered into one that masked the feeling of dread and aggravation that ran deep beneath his veins, it was then her attention shifted back to the mysterious stranger in their midst.

“Excuse me, but do we know you?”

“Barba…aren’t you going to introduce me to your fiancé?”

Rafael turned towards Alexa and calmly explained: “Alexa, this is Robert Davalos…my boss”

Davalos extended his hand only to be met with a sense of distrust disguised by a small nod on the part of Alexa, the older man grinned as his hand slipped into his trench coat’s right pocket, then the focus was redirected back to Rafael.

“I noticed you leaving the doctor’s office, is everything alright with the little one?”

“She’s fine, thank you” Rafael responded curtly.

He raised up his hands and said, “Now there’s no need to get all defensive, I’m just expressing genuine concern over a fellow employee’s loved ones…nothing wrong with that is there?”

“Why are you here,” Alexa steadily grew uneasy at the way the situation was escalating.

“I was hoping that the father of your child and I could have a little chat”

“I’m sorry…but we have a busy day ahead of us, now if you’ll excuse us…” the two of them turned on their heels to walk away until…

“You know I was quite impressed with the way you handled your most recent case”

The comment seemed to stop Rafael dead in his tracks.

“Even after I asked you nicely to walk away…you stood your ground. I mean that really struck a chord with me, reminded me a lot of when I was an up and coming DA…I aspired to make a difference in the world and had a big ego to boot. Until one day I realized that to get ahead, you have to play the game…and I’m afraid it’s a lesson that you might have to learn the hard way”

After that last sentence, Alexa whirled around and gave him a look that shot daggers through his eyes.

“Are you threatening him?!”

As soon as she began to charge forward, Rafael put his hand up on her chest to prevent her from inflicting any kind of bodily harm on either party, the response towards this display of aggression was a snicker from the amused older gentlemen.

“Careful now, wouldn’t want to go into labor early, now would we?”

“Alexa, go wait in the car”

“Why, I’m not afraid of him”

“Alexa, just please do as I say”

She refused to let this man intimidate her, but ultimately decided to heed Rafael’s insistence and climbed into the SUV, Rafael shifted Davalos’ direction back to him without wanting to land a punch at the smug little grin he was showing.

“My, my, she’s quite the little spitfire, isn’t she?”

“I’m going to say this once…you leave me and my family alone, do we understand each other”

“Mr. Barba…I don’t think you’re in any kind of position to make threats, especially when you have more important matters to attend to. It was a pleasure meeting Alexa, hopefully I’ll receive an invite to the wedding…until then, enjoy the rest of your day Mr. Barba and be safe out there”

He winked then walked away and disappeared among the vast rows of cars in his wake, while in the SUV, Rafael turned on the engine and pulled out of the parking space. During the ride, back to the brownstone, silence enveloped the vehicle, but when they made entry; Rafael made haste towards the kitchen where he grabbed a bottle of scotch and a small glass.

He poured the amber liquid and brought it over to the living room along with the bottle, then placed it on the coffee table, Alexa trailed behind and sat across from him on the couch; Rafael picked up the glass and gulped it down in one shot then poured himself another drink. He doused the second and third one in quick succession, as he was about to go for a fourth, Alexa set her hand on the side of the bottle and slid it from his grasp.

“That’s enough”

Rafael sighed as he slumped backward, she looked at him saddened, it pained her to see him shaken up especially by a man with delusions of grandeur and drunk on power. Her hand reached over and palmed his knee, from the corner of his eye, he met her sympathetic stare at his haggard appearance.

“Don’t let that asswipe get to you”

Rafael faced Alexa, and with a serious look, he grabbed a hold of both of her hands and declared, “You know that I would never let anything happen to you, right?”

“I know”

Alexa rested her head on Rafael’s chest, his arm wrapped protectively on top of her stomach, she held onto him just as tightly. His lips peppered her forehead with soft kisses, however, on the surface, he put on a brave face but Davalos’ words replayed over and over internally, for the first time in his life; Rafael felt a twinge of fear at the pit of his stomach.

Suddenly, it was as if she could read his thoughts, Alexa tilted her head upwards to where their eyes met then the tips of her fingers grazed along his cheek as a sign of comfort.

“Nothing’s going to happen…not when I’m here…safe in your arms”

“I love you…you and Nadia are my whole world, if anything were to happen to either of you…I don’t know what I would do”

“Listen to me, that prick doesn’t know who he’s messing with…you are the strongest, bravest man I’ve ever known. Plus, you have one of the elite squads of the NYPD at your side…trust me, we’ll rest easy”

Rafael felt more at ease from the sound of her words, his face was reanimated with new life as he smiled, their lips became one filled with unsurpassed bliss and warmth. Alexa lowered her head back on to his chest, the beating of his heart lulled her into a deep sleep, not long after; Rafael’s lids began to weigh and within a matter of seconds, his mind drifted off to a restful slumber.

Tagging: @madpanda75 @laceybellerain @southern-magnolia @tropes-and-tales @madamsnape921 @teamsladsandgents @beccabarba @thatesqcrush @glimmerglittergirl

#rafael barba #raul esparza #love will find a way

[joecial-distancing]

2019 in review in review:

A few years ago I started tracking yearly goals, books read, movies watched etc in a year, along with overview blurbs, in private posts. End of 2019/beginning of 2020 I was really frazzled/burned out about a lot of stuff and just never finished up making the thing. 8 months later, got the urge to read back what I’d got done, then figured I’d maybe go ahead and see about finishing. 

Media tracking below the break. thoughts/blurbs written in 2020 italicized, 2019 not.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_____________________________~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Didn’t do so hot on explicit personal goals, but had a lot of stuff go ok around them this year.

School’s been fine/better than fine.

Job’s probably the biggest failing. Still with same job, haven’t made the firm moves to jump off, dragging my feet too much on exploring stuff w/ Columbia/NASA GISS.

Did not get better with covid, lol

Dating life still non-existent, but I’ve registered on apps, gotten more comfortable with selfies, improved general social life dramatically, been flirted with, updated my wardrobe, and generally started to get comfortable accepting that I’m a hot person.

Somehow got extremely better during covid.

Books

Grant (finished)

We stan a taurus legend

Guy was good at exactly one job, and was fortunate enough to have been in the right place/right time to get to do it.

Mort (discworld)

Definitely best discworld I’ve gotten to so far.

Don Quixote p. II

Really entertaining in a way that part 1 wasn’t; I was shocked how much the meta element landed for me.

Consider the Lobster (DFW collection)

had zero context on who DFW is/was when I read, and still don’t exactly tbh. Wanted to wait for a pause in The Discourse before diving into more of him, but dunno if I’m ever going to get that.

Crime and Punishment (revisited)

Weirdly didn’t get much more out of this than I did the first time I’d read it

Better Than Sex (HST Gonzo papers)

Xerox/widespread fax accessibility opening citizen access to mass media in a manner really reminiscent of what social media would go on to do at a much larger scale. Has a much more deliberate narrative arc than the other gonzo papers collections, also has that excellent HST richard nixon eulogy

The Brothers Karamazov

SPQR

Slouching Towards Bethlehem (Didion collection)

Pet Sematary

Not my favorite King, but not bad

Sourcery (discworld)

still funny/charming, but Mort really made clear/reminded me how much the hapless sadsack Rincewind mold of protagonist wears on me after a while.

The Devil's Teeth

My Year of Rest and Relaxation

Liked it a lot more once I realized it was doing a Fear and Loathing thing.

Homage to Catalonia

This should be the Orwell that gets taught in schools. Make it a followup to All Quiet on the Western Front or something, jeez.

Lyndon Johnson I

Having now finished all of them, this one’s probably the least-interesting but sets up a bunch of important context that the others still then feel the need to retread.

The Razor's Edge

Recommended to me as a “white guy discovers eastern mysticism” book, but also is more interesting in its treatment of that than I’d expected (helps it was written in the 40s). 

Cat's Cradle

There’s a part in this where Vonnegut’s making fun of people who try to bond with strangers over being Hoosiers, and my dumbass immediate thought was “ooh, Vonnegut’s a hoosier? Me too!”

Lyndon Johnson II

Robert Caro felt compelled to apologize for spending so much words lionizing Coke Stevens, segregationist opponent to Johnson’s senate run. His goal was pretty clearly to show lbj’s lack of campaign charisma by contrast, definitely definitely overcommitted in his own narrativising.

Libra

I want to go back to this after reading some more De Lillo.

Gravity's Rainbow

This book absolutely kicked my ass

Overstuffed and referential in a specific way that really keeps me hooked in instead of put off. When I learn about some piece of cultural context that I retroactively recognize as being referenced in this, I want to go back and reread the entire thing.

From Caligari to Hitler

Kind of fails both as film criticism and cultural analysis, but absolutely made me want to run for the hills when considering current relationship between mainstream movies and demands of pop culture.

I took a class on Weimar cinema in undergrad that I now realize was probably biting pretty heavily from this and never once referenced it.

Movies

Venom

Movie itself is not as fun as the Tom Hardy hype coverage. PG13 was the absolute worst space to aim for, PG- or R- versions of this could have been a blast.

Harryhauser Argonauts

Was tripping when I put this on, and it was all kinds of fun.

2001: a Space Oddyssey

First time seeing this, all-time classic for a reason!

A Good American (the NSA doc)

Dr. Strangelove

Mel Brooks History of the World p. I

Not my favorite Brooks, best joke was at the beginning.

In Bruges

Had been a while since I saw a proper dark comedy.

Spiderverse

Fukkin awesome!

Visually great, and extremely better than usual superhero stuff for being aimed at PG instead of PG-13.

You Only Live Twice

Highlander (Revisited)

I watched The Old Guard on netflix recently and it mostly just made me wish I was watching Highlander instead, because at least Highlander knows exactly how goofy it is

Moonraker

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Much like The Shining, I though this would have been 100% spoiled for me by cultural osmosis, but turns out it wasn’t, and even the scenes I had seen *totally landed* in-context still.

Kung Fu Hustle

Ichi the Killer

Really gross, really fun

Matrix Reloaded (watched thru highway scene) (Revisited)

The highway scene was not nearly as cool as I remembered it being.

John Wick 3*

Probably dumbest plot of all of them, best choreography. I like how every single fight had its own distinct flavor. “Knife museum fight” “horse fight” “halle berry dogs fight” 

Akira

A classic

Pet Sematary * (ugh, bad)

Why can’t john lithgow be in good movies anymore

The Revenant

MCU Spiderman

Fuck this was awful.

MCU Spiderman 2*

Really weird, complete Rorschach Test of a movie: it’d be totally valid to read into this that global warming is Fake News, for instance.

Lmao this was completely awful

Rites

Dredd (non-stallone)

oh hey Lena Headey’s in this

For All Mankind!

Watched in honor of moon landing anniversary

Lion King *

Watched it way too stoned, was like dark side of the moon + wizard of oz except instead it’s a lion king script reading + nature footage edited for lip syncing.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood *

Many scenes of very long setups for really stupid shaggy dog jokes, which sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t. I do kinda want to rewatch now knowing more about manson, which I knew pretty much nothing about beforehand

Blowout

A good john lithgow movie

also I think I like travolta in things.

Lord of War

A Good cage movie

I like when Eamon Walker shows up in stuff.

Taxi Driver

A classic

Snowpiercer

Watched in a bar with only one speaker working, which is the correct way to watch. Weirder and funnier than I thought it was going to be, which still doesn’t make it good, but,

dbz big green dub

Exorcist III

Brad Dourif just tearing it apart

Deep Red (argento)

Suspiria (1977)

Watched the remake in 2020, which was ok, but nothing tops the Goblin score.

Elf Bowling

Thanks, Gnome

Parasite *

Interesting to me that this one seems poised to hang around people’s good esteem for a while

TV

FMA: B

Rick & Morty

Saw some episodes, generally pretty funny, some misanthropy that’s probably appealing to a certain type of teen al a something like House, but ultimately I don’t totally Get the intensity of discourse about it.

Leterkenny

Mob Psycho 100

One Punch Man

Deadwood

Watchmen

Only watched like half of it. Was playing around with a lot of hefty imagery/thematics, but didn’t really seem ready to rise above playing (tho also I feel like it’s weird on some level to *expect* them to rise above that in the first place)

Music

New Avantasia

HEALTH/ show

lol remember concerts

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard/ show

Just learned about King Gizz in 2019 and got completely obsessed with them. I don’t tend to expand my music selection very readily, and a lot of what I currently *do* know is old/inactive stuff, so it was/is incredibly exciting to have an active group with good momentum just immediately win me over like that.

Mistimed the edibles and ended up with a really good finale and a really long subway ride home.

New Yeasayer

Sad they split up

Steve Wilson Tull remixes

Aqualung’s a good album and the sound mixing’s kinda bad, so I liked this project.

Stonefield

Opened for Gizzard. Really good as studying music

Video Games

Civ VI: Gathering Storm

Hades

Turns out Supergiant’s design proclivities all work *extremely well* on a roguelike

Baba is You

Untitled Goose Game

Cute, if maybe a bit overhyped

finally fucking finished Pillars of Eternity

Had fun with it, but too long, and really dour for how long it is.

Pillars II

Kinda drifted off it eventually, but I do genuinely like that the flavor of the fantasy is colonial era rather than medieval.

There’s a Balancing Bastard Factions element where it’s like the writers are just being smartasses after a while. Having to go extremely out of their way to make siding with colonizers seem like a competitive option.

Pokemon shield

Cuphead

pisses me off, which was a nice outlet when I was stranded by flight cancellations during thanksgiving

Celeste

Also very difficult, but really easy to stay patient with, which is nice.

Disco Elysium

None of the discourse made me want to play this, but people talking about the mechanical stuff it did got me extremely interested. Mostly Delivered IMO.

Breath of the Wild

You can approach the nodes of the main quest in the order you choose, and the second one I chose made ninjas start fucking spawning everywhere when I’m just trying to explore, and there’s no way to make it stop. May go back to it one day.

Podcasts

Relentless Picnic Patreon feed

The treats really helped me start distinguishing individual personalities, compared to the regular eps.

Picnic Discord!

<3

FatT Counterweight

Fun, but also I think Mechs are not my shit.

FatT Spring in Hieron/ end of that particular world

8 months since I’ve last tuned into FatT. ah well.

Law School

He’s in everythiiiing!

You Must Remember This: Manson family

*There’s* the context

Misc.

Kindle train guy

Times Square sleeping guy + kids taking selfies w/ him

toddler singing along after Psycho killer (a, ya, ya ya, ya)

drunk and dragged to a drag show

Central park football family

Soft Steel Drum Subway Busker

Weird old lady going to grand central for oysters

2018 in review (cards):

MySelf (CC)

Self: Tower

Blocked: 10 Cups

Ethereal/subconscious: 8 Swords

Material: 3 Swords

Past: Justice

Future: Page Wands

Attitude: Sun

External: King Swords

Hopes/Fears: 5 Coins

Trajectory: High Priestess

Also Self:

Hierophant

7 Cups

7 Coins

Blind Spot:

(self & others): 5 cups    ||    (others not self): High Priestess

(self not others): Moon   ||    (nobody): 3 Cups