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mx-piggy · 10 months

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Just finished season 1 of the Afterparty and I felt like writing my thoughts about it. I'd also love to chat with other people about this show, so feel free to comment, rb or DM me! Spoilers ahead!

I'm definitely going to have to rewatch it at some point (maybe after season 2 is fully out, so I can watch them back-to-back), because I want to see how everything plays out in hindsight, and see what details I can pick up on.

I started watching this show because I saw a gif from the most recent episode in season 2 ('Hannah', I think) and it looked kinda gay. That's how I started watching the Last of Us. And many other shows. I'm a lonely, desperate queer.

Overall, I really enjoyed it! I'm a fan of all the genres it combined, and I think they worked really well together. I feel like, even if you don't gel well with the comedy, the compelling mystery and characters make it worth a watch. I loved the format of having a different sort of genre in each episode, with my favourite styles being Chelsea and Yasper. And, I adore unreliable narrators.

The only episode I went into knowing the genre (or in Zoe's case, the medium) were Aniq and Zoe, but I correctly guessed that Brett was going to have an action-style 'movie', Yasper's was going to be a musical, Chelsea's was going to be a thriller kind of movie and that Maggie's was going to be kiddie-fied. Guessing the genre's not an achievement though, despite my sense of pride.

I didn't correctly guess the killer until I did my thing of reading a reader-insert fic just before the finale, and a line in there (something to do with 'keeping secrets') made me think 'oh shit'. It wasn't necessarily a spoiler, but it did make it click for me, and I noticed things in the finale leading up to the reveal, like Yasper being absent from when Aniq woke up. Before that spoiler, though, I guessed it was probably Walt, though I did suspect he was just a red herring. Part of me also had this crack theory that it'd be a 'Who Shot Mr. Burns' thing where Maggie killed him by accident (funny how they share the same name), or that she'd witnessed Xavier fall accidentally.

Speaking of which, I think the conclusion was satisfying and made sense in the way Danner explained it. I'm hoping it'll hold up on rewatch- I'm guessing it will. It made sense, and I think it's impressive for this kind of comedy show to commit to having one of their charismatic main characters being the killer, instead of copping out and make it be someone we don't really care about. Well, I cared about Yasper at the very least. I was one of my favourite characters, and I'm very sad that he's probably rotting in prison. But, I'm glad he had his moment of fame.

Since this is fiction, I'm allowed to say 'fair enough' to Yasper murdering Xavier. I think everyone at that party should have been more grateful to Yasper for getting rid of him. (/lh) Though I think it would have been hilarious if everyone was actually grateful, instead of them all celebrating that the killer had been caught. That said, even though I love Yasper and I condone what he did, it felt kinda nice for Danner's investigation to be celebrated, even though I'm not a fan of cops.

That said, I do have a small issue with the finale that is entirely personal to me and my preferences, and this could easily be fixed if I wrote an angsty fanfiction like I normally do. So, my problem is that I wish that the revelation of what Yasper did had more of an emotional impact on Aniq. I know that they haven't spoken in two years prior to that night, but they were best friends in high school, and I think it's kind of dismissive that they went straight from 'Aniq feels betrayed that his friend would do something like this' to 'now he's kissing Zoe in the car'. I know it's a comedy and it'd be weird for the season to end on such a depressing note, especially since in the end the murder isn't taken that seriously by Yasper (in a scene I sincerely enjoyed and felt kind of happy for him in). Speaking of which, I read some analysis on Yasper and the perception of success in terms of careers that was really interesting and I'll link here, so that kind of makes that scene a little sad because Yasper would rather be an infamous killer than a guy with a successful career. But, y'know it's a comedy so I'll try not to think about that or I'll be sad.

Now I'll get onto the characters, specifically the main ones. I like them all as characters. I'll only go into depth about the characters who get an episode named after them, Xavier and Walt.

Aniq is really charismatic, and I think he's a fun main character to have even if he's not the most interesting necessarily. I think it makes sense to have such a puzzle-oriented character as the main character in a murder mystery. Plus, he's a genuinely nice guy, so it makes it so you don't want to see him get sent to prison. I'm pretty sure he's the main character of season 2 as well, so I'm happy to see him return.

I really like Zoe, too! I was worried that she would just be 'the artsy, perfect love interest' that you see in teen movies, so I really liked to see her story of struggling with who she is and what she wants. It really resonated with me, and her episode was really interesting to watch. Personally, her episode reminded me a little of BoJack Horseman (the show, not the character). I don't really understand why her episode has such a harsh rating on IMDB, because I think the storytelling and use of animation to further characterise and flesh out Zoe was really effective.

I like Zoe and Aniq's relationship too, and I think that's really impressive because of how I struggle to get on board with canon relationships in rom-coms. A lot of the time, it feels like I'm watching a kid holding their Barbie and Ken dolls in either hand and repeating 'don't you think they should kiss?' But, with Aniq and Zoe, they had genuine chemistry (no pun intended) and they both work as individual characters outside of their relationship.

Yasper is one of my favourite characters in the show, probably second to a character I'll get onto in a minute. I think he's a great subversion of the 'best friend hypeman' trope, where he actually has motivations and goals outside of his best friend. I was worried that his character was going to just be the 'oblivious loudmouth best friend', and, like with Zoe, I was thankfully proven wrong. He was a delightfully complex character who did the world a service. I can't be bothered to analyse him in the detail I'd like to, so all I'll say is that I am going to spend some time tomorrow reading some angsty Yasper fics.

So, my favourite character in the show was Chelsea, and I'm honestly so in love with her it's insane. Her character was so complex and interesting, and on a personal level she was really easy to empathise with. I knew early on that she wasn't the killer, and that she was just a fucked up woman who deserved so much better in life. It made me so happy to see her making amends with Zoe, and to see how nice Yasper and Aniq were to her, because all she really needed was to escape the high schooler judgement and be afforded some compassion and kindness. And, I found it simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming that she was so used to the feeling of being judged and ostracised that she didn't get revenge on Xavier and wrote that apology on Aniq's hand for him drinking her cat roofies. Her arc was the most satisfying to watch for me. I'm devastated that she's only in season 1 (though I get it from a narrative standpoint). Hoping she will live on through fanfiction.

Brett was also a surprise to me, because I assumed he was just going to be a total loser who thinks he's a badass and that's it. But, I really like how he was actually a decent dad to Maggie as well. Like, sure, you shouldn't leave your kid alone in a car for a prolonged period or speed when your kid's in the car (or at all), but still. It was really sweet to see the joy on Maggie's face when her dad was living out some Fast and the Furious fantasy. And, I like how the motivation of his episode was to get the koala back. It made me giggle.

Danner was a really interesting character to watch. Again, I'm not a fan of cops, but I personally feel like her character is well-done. She's someone working against a shitty system as best she can. She'll do what's right as opposed to staying in favour with her colleagues who believe in protecting their own than pursuing true justice. I like how she's very unconventional in her approach, where she knows she'll find something relevant in seemingly unnecessary details. It makes her a really interesting investigative character. Plus, I really like Danner's personality; she's also a very charismatic character, minus the being a cop thing.

Walt wasn't my favourite character but I still liked him enough. It was kinda depressing (in a fun way, though) at times to see him be so overlooked by his peers. I thought it was funny that, in Maggie's version of events, he's a puppet who just says 'Walt'. And, I liked that he's so overlooked that his designated episode (High School) isn't named after him and we don't really get his perspective as much as we did with the other characters. It fit a lot with the outcast, background role of the character, where his own party, his own story isn't even about him. It was nice that they remembered his name in the end.

Maggie is so precious to me fr. She's such a sweet kid and I want to adopt her. Her joy is so infectious.

Now onto Xavier. As a character, Xavier was really incredible. As a person, I'm overjoyed that someone took the initiative to dispose of him. His relationship with Yasper was so interesting, and I like that we got to see his origins as a kinda dorky teenager who wants to reinvent himself and is heartbroken 'heterosexually' when his best friend wants to break up their band. So much so that he gets into a fight with the guy his best friend definitely isn't in love with. But, he fucked over my darling Chelsea and my guy Aniq. He makes shitty music. The only good thing he ever did was make Maggie's favourite movie. Overall, he is basically Jamie Tartt, if Jamie was murdered before he could become the man we all know and love today. I mean, neither of them wear shirts under their suits, and Dave Franco and Phil Dunster have some physical similarities.

I'm really looking forward to watching season 2 and to rewatching the whole show. And to reading some angsty Aniq/Yasper/Xavier fanfics. And to hopefully finding some fanart to reblog. I need to consume fan content for this show and these characters. Especially Chelsea.

#the afterparty #the afterparty spoilers #long post #the afterparty season 1 #aniq adjaye #zoe zhu #detective danner #yasper lennov #i won't bother tagging the characters who don't have surnames on wikipedia

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elvisabutler · 1 year

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so i originally was thinking to myself "conceal don't feel" about my feelings about this year and basically gushing about all of y'all but everyone has been doing it and look, look, i'm trying to be better about not coming off as an aloof person when i'm really the sort of person who thrives on at least little tiny hellos from people who i know like me. despite being as old as i am i'm secretly always that shy 12 year old who has her people and wants more people but sucks at talking, alright?

anyway! none of that is the point. the point is that i haven't been in fandom for about 5ish at least years? like don't get me wrong, read fic, watched shows but me writing fics and interacting? good heavens no. and i think the last time i wrote fic was 2011 ( ironically also an rpf-ish fandom, there's something to be said about that maybe ) and so when i went into elvis i wasn't expecting much. but then i watched it and like- i had been a causal fan of elvis before- my parents were both born in the 50s so they're just about that interesting age to where my mom wished she could have been elvis's girl ( her older sisters too so clearly it's genetically a thing on my mom's side haha ) and my dad thought he was cool. point being i always knew of him and he was some at least tiny part of my life and that's part of the reason i wanted to go see the film. plus i honestly wanted to se ehow plastic looking they made austin look because baby those posters did him no justice.

and then i fell head over heels. watched it 5? times in theaters maybe 6, once with my mom who fell head over heels for austin butler which was not something i had on my 2022 bingo card and yet! and realized that oh heavens the fandom was mostly on tumblr let's boot up the old account and make a side blog and write a fix it fic ( that i am trash and still haven't finished ) and then @floralcyanide made their discord and eventually let me join and the rest was history?

not going into a lot of detail but i really cannot overstate how much this fandom and how genuinely sweet it is came to me at the right time. i've been missing having a solid and consistent creative outlet since i got married but especially since i had my daughter. and then in comes the elvis movie and austin butler and elvis in general and lord help me it's been a whirlwind. filled with stuff i'd never write and just a lot of fun times.

i wanna say thank you to all my favorite people who i either read your stuff or you read mine or i drool over your gif work or something else seeing y'all in my notifs always brightens my day just a little.

@superbatson @powerofelvis @headfullofpresley @venus-haze @cryingabtab @infatuatedharleys @areacodefan @star-shard @purejasmine @burninlovebutlerr @pearlparty @troubleinapinksuit @imperialmarchingthroughthegalaxy @karamelcoveredolicity @foreverdolly @powerofelvis @fantuhsise @flwrs4aust @she-is-juniper @elvisstyles @butlerstyles @missmaywemeetagain @bisexualwvtson @carnevol @mamaspresley @sassy-ahsoka-tano @butler-on-beale-street @dreamersparacosm @lindszeppelin @pennyroyalcreep, @slowsweetlove @blainesebastian and @ anyone else who regularly likes my stuff or engages with me i see y'all and i adore y'all. if i missed y'all don't take it personally i'm so tired today it's a wonder i remembered my own name.

and to my queens of graceland @aconflagrationofmyown @ab4eva and @butlersxbirdy y'all already know my love and to my other daily my life would not complete if i didn't say hello to y'all @blurredcolour, @eliseinmemphis and @bcofl0ve i love you guys. and @succsessions don't think i'll ever forget that one time you messaged me out of the blue when i was so stressed and wrote Some Tags ( tm ).

i'm gonna make it my mission to get to know some of y'all more in 2023 because truly i love this fandom so much and if it wasn't for this creative outlet appearing out of thin air, i think i'd been in a bit of a rougher spot than i am today and really i wanna just talk and interact more. and i promise y'all i don't bite if you're scared to talk to me, i'm an actual puppy, ask anyone who talks to me for longer than two minutes.

but basically happy new year y'all hoping all of our 2023s are fantastic and i love everyone in this bar so much. does that meme date me, i feel like it does.

#ally talks #this whole post is really me gushing about this fandom while half asleep.#i promise if i forgot you i didn't mean to but i am truly exhausted.

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lilolilyr · 7 days

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Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💗

Oh thank you so much for this ask! But this is so hard to say, which is why these have accumulated in my ask box for ages xD

I think for my absolute fav, as seen in my header gif, I'll still have to say Andromaquynh "In Your Stead", or the Just You And Me series it's part of! It might not be my longest fic but it is one of my longfics and the one I just, idk, put the most heart into? I worked a lot on that one and it's still very dear to me <3

main fic 30k M, series 50k T-E

For places 2-5 it gets way harder to decide! I guess I'll have to cheat and look through which fics I've tagged 'author's favorite' xD

Ohh I definitely adore my Star Trek University AU, it's basically my time at uni except Better and Queerer? xD

It's technically unfinished but it doesn't have a cliffhanger or anything and you can read them as standalones, idk whether I'll ever get back to actually writing for it tho I do have some small drafts and ideas

10k rated T-E, Milippa and KiraDax(Kahn)

And another Star Trek fic comes to mind, I haven't actually reread it in ages and don't remember it well but I remember that I really loved it back in '21!

Milippa, 10k, rated T, no warnings

Oh, and back to Andromaquynh, also a University AU and I think my longest ever fic even when counting series?

50k, rated T, no warnings

Ohhh and then there's my first ever GM fic! There's just something about the first fics I write when getting into a new fandom, especially when I write them right after watching the film they're for for the first time, they always have a special place in my heart!

Floreleine, 7k words, starts rated T and has a skippable E-rated part

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always-andromeda · 1 year

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teehee hiii hello! :D im very new to the danonation community, despite being an admirer of mr paul for almost a year now,,, there's so many amazing people and content they make but, it's really overwhelming and a bit scary to explore on my own! you're one of the few people i instantly felt safe to approach so, would you be so kind as to direct me a little bit? which danonation blogs are active right now, or maybe even personal friends of yours, just to start my journey in this community? i really really wanna participate, but since i don't have a single creative bone in me and can't contribute in art or writing, the least i can do is give love to all of you lovely people!! 🥰 thank you for your time 💛

p.s. if you don't mind, i might have more questions later!

p.s.s. your blog themes are always so adorable and so so aesthetically pleasing it's amazing 😭💞

Hey hi hello, my friend!! Thank you so much!! I’m gonna leave all of my account recommendations under the cut because wHOO I went a little bonkers! Other than that, you’re always welcome to shoot me an ask whether you have a question or you just wanna say hello! Super glad to have you here and I hope that you have fun getting to know everyone and everything!!

@lost-in-sokovia

I couldn’t get through a post about talking about creators in Danonation and/or my friends without mentioning Soph. Not only is she immensely talented, but her ability to shift between writing the sweetest moments and angst is basically unmatched. Shoutout to her for warming me up to the concept of having kids tbh bc wOW I did not see that one coming! She’s also one of my closest friends on here and I would heavily recommend giving her a follow and sending an ask; she’s absolutely precious to me and deserves all the love this community can possibly give her (but that’s just my opinion 🙄).

@quietsounds

Now, if we're talking about my friends, I have to drag my wonderful Storm into the conversation as well since we met through Danonation. Storm has a wiiiide range of interests and gifs a lot of different things bUT his gif sets are fucking phenomenal. He hasn't been super active on here lately but I would still recommend dropping him a follow because lmao I am hugely biased (because I love and adore him) and because he's one of the most creative people I know and his work deserves to be seen by as many eyeballs as possible and fully appreciated.

@riddlersbimbo

Okay, I should preface that Bowie is on a bit of a hiatus and they’re kind of running on a queue schedule. However. I still adore Bowie with all of my heart. I genuinely cannot explain it; all I know is that I was born to be Bowie's biggest fan. Aside from that, they are such a pillar in this community. The work they put into giffing every Paul movie?? And furthering the Chubby!Eddie agenda?? And the bimbo agenda?? Listen, on this account, we’re all Bowie stans (lmao, new mandate, friends; we’re all Bowie stans now).

@puzzlekinq

It’s only been for the last few months that I’ve been following Ethan bUT LEMME JUST SAY. I cannot fathom how my dash survived beforehand. You can be sure that Ethan will always have something either slightly unhinged, horny, or downright hilarious to post. They also write a bit as well and it’s some damn good writing if I do say so myself!! Also literally every time they post this plays in my head (but that piece of information is more for Ethan's benefit than anyone else's lol).

@riddlers-den

I feel like almost everyone in my little circle has read or at least heard of Max’s Edward fic, Disarm. And I can confirm, Disarm is fantastic. But I also adore basically everything else of hers that I’ve read. Max’s interpretation of characters (specifically Eddie and Calvin) just makes my writing brain so happy. She is also incredibly funny, a massively talented artist, and a very lovely person to talk to and I couldn’t imagine this little community without her.

@finniestoncrane

I should preface this recommendation by saying that Finnie doesn't post purely Dano content and is more in the realm of the DC fandom in general. I would also give her content warnings a once over beforehand since they might not be everyone's cup of tea! But I still wanted to include her here because, her work and her personality has always inspired me so heavily and...goodness, I love being able to call her one of my mutuals. Her sense of humor is top notch; like truly, whenever she posts her little pictures where she draws herself as a stick figure wrapped around one of the Rogues, I lose my absolute mind. Anyways, stan Finnie too, Finnie is the coolest.

@bloomdolly

If you are in the market for a cutesy, coquettish aesthetic and Paul content wrapped up in one super sweet and kind person? Look no further than Ushuaia! I swear, every time I interact with her it feels like I’ve been hit was this pastel ray of light complete with lace frills and ribbons. She’s the absolute sweetest and the bits of her creations that she’s put out reflect that entirely and I can’t wait to see what else she can think up!

@the-odd-devil

Goodness, it feels like Odd and I have been mutuals for literally forever because they’ve been there pretty much since the beginning of this account?? I always love getting a chance to interact with them and it’s been so cool seeing them start to develop their own ideas (and I swear, Odd, I will get to your dark academia college!Eddie fic as soon as I get a chance to actually sit down and read it). Also…their 70s Pornstar!Jimmy Tree headcanons…god if they ever post about them, I will actually lose my mind.

@starlightsearches

Fun fact: Star was among the first fic writers I read from when I first got into Danonation! They are a multi-fandom blog but again, I just had to include them because their writing is fucking intoxicating and I'm sorry but I'll never get over it.

@danoberry

So this serves as apology to Wren for being awful at keeping up with fics lately because ages ago I know I promised to read one of her Calvin fics and then I never did sO I AM SO SORRY. But this also serves as me taking the chance to gush over her work. Like y'all know I will fawn over anything Joby Taylor related and her Joby fic, i'm so sick...GIRL I'M SO SICK ARE YOU KIDDING MEEEE. Like truly...I lost my mind for part of a day when she followed me because hahahah I'm a nervy little guy and I am always so hesitant to make new mutuals (especially when they're this talented goodness gracious).

@jeusschrist2005

Okay, I will admit that I'm also a little newer to their work! But goodness gracious, just from the bits I've seen of both their Joby fic and their Eli stuff, I love what I've read so far and I really wanted to include them on this list as well!!

#askmeda✨#anon ask✨

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fawn-eyed-girl · 2 years

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Do Kaashi

Akaashi Keiji, you say? My favorite Haikyuu!! setter? Why YES, @roseheartwhitefox, it will be my absolute pleasure to do the Character Ask for him!

Favorite thing about them

Besides how freaking beautiful he is? (He's, like, stupid pretty.) I love how he's low-key super-skilled as a setter, but we almost never hear about how good he is (although Ukai and Takeda both note his prowess as a setter during the training camp arc). Because Akaashi Keiji's specialty is truly making the people around him better, especially his boyfriend ace, Bokuto Kōtarō. He knows Bokuto better than anyone, and always knows exactly how to help him. When Yukie suggests they tell Bokuto there's a cute girl in the stands, Akaashi's like NAH, that's not gonna work this time...when Bokuto's in emo mode at nationals, Akaashi spins their location expertly to show Bokuto they ARE center stage, and then points him to Hinata and says, "Your student is here" 😭 and it's exactly the right thing to do. He's thoughtful, methodical, analytical, and yet you get the feeling that everything he does, he does because he cares deeply for his team, and for Bokuto--even if Bokuto is a constant source of stress and anxiety for him 🤣

Least favorite thing about them

Ummm...I don't know! I literally love everything about him. So I will say that we don't get enough time with Akaashi beyond the court. Some of my favorite scenes are with him and Bokuto at school, and the scene during nationals at the hotel...places where we get to see them, outside of volleyball, and see their dynamic in those settings. I want to know everything about them, and I hate that we don't get to see more.

Favorite line

"The more I think about this, the greedier I get, and things go wrong. I just need to be methodical. Yes, methodical."

In which Akaashi fights his feelings about how amazing Bokuto is playing, and tries to focus on the bigger picture (and, yeah, he's failing).

brOTP

I want more Akaashi and Kenma, because I think they spend a lot of time texting about how much Bokuto and Kuroo drive them crazy. I love fics where we see the four of them together, and Bokuto and Kuroo watch bad movies and eat too much and drink too much and get into all kinds of trouble, and Akaashi and Kenma retreat to one or the other's bedroom and play video games and fall asleep. It's adorable, and I so love them as BFFs.

OTP

My favorite romantic trope is the sunshine person and their grumpy/ambivalent/RBF significant other, and my goodness, do Bokuto and Akaashi fit this one perfectly ❤️ No one else challenges Akaashi this much; the two of them truly bring out the best in each other. Akaashi grounds Bokuto, and Bokuto brings out Akaashi's playful side, and lets him have fun and see that volleyball, yes, is analytical, but also is a chance for them to just enjoy playing together. Akaashi takes care of Bokuto, understands his temperament, and knows exactly when and how to bring him back. Plus, when Akaashi is setting to his teammates in the training camp arc, you can SEE how distressed Bokuto is--he wants Akaashi to set for him, to high five him, to compliment him. But Akaashi also doesn't just dish out the love; he gives it as Bokuto deserves it, and that's good for Boku, too, because he knows that when Akaashi compliments him, he's truly earned it.

And when Akaashi gets to play with Bokuto, you can see the joy on his face. He truly loves to set for his ace, and you can just see how this relationship functions, on and off the court, and it's magical.

(Also this gif is them in a nutshell and it makes me so happy. Bokuto wants to please him so badly, and when he gets the compliment he seeks, he's thrilled. "AKAASHI DID YOU SEE? WAS IT AMAZING?" He wants that compliment so badly he's such a bean 😅)

nOTP

This one is tough, because it means someone I can't see Akaashi paired with. I am really on board the BokuAka train, although I have read some BokuKuroAka fics, and I do like Kuroo and Akaashi's dynamic. I can get behind it, if written in a particular way (they're both sly, and snarky, and Kuroo's an extrovert, and I think he delights in Akaashi's quiet, well-placed jabs). I think the one that I haven't been convinced of yet is Tsukishima and Akaashi. To me, they are both characters who need sunshine people in their lives, and I want them both to be just smothered in love and affection (Tsukki because he would hate it on the surface, and complain even though he secretly loved it, and Akaashi because he needs it and soaks it up).

Random headcanon

Ahhh, I have so many! Let's see...how about this one (I think you know it)?

Bokuto has been trying to get Akaashi go to to karaoke with him, Kuroo, and Kenma for ages. Akaashi finally agrees to go, and when he does, he refuses to sing. When Bokuto convinces him, Akaashi picks a song, and when he sings, his voice is deep, smooth, and amazing. Kuroo can't stop laughing. Kenma plays his video game and ignores the whole mess, even though he's smiling slightly to himself.

Bokuto…does not know what to do 😂 and has a little meltdown because this is a side to Akaashi he did not know existed and he doesn't know how to handle it.

Unpopular opinion

Maybe not unpopular, but I really wish that we had a chance for Kageyama and Akaashi to work together. We know Kageyama is jealous of Tsukki for having that chance, and I think it would have been really cool to see Kageyama learn from someone as methodical as Akaashi. He's called Oikawa's protege so many times, but I see him as a really different kind of setter; he would benefit from Akaashi's rational thought processes and I feel like he could learn a lot. And, maybe he would teach Akaashi that Akaashi could be a little bit more daring with Bokuto in his sets, too...

Song I associate with them

I immediately think of Akaashi when I think of some nice, bluesy guitar, so I'm going with Kenny Wayne Shepherd's "Blue on Black"

Favorite picture of them

Okay, you know which one I'm going to pick 😅 I can't help it! Akaashi thinking about his options if he sets to Bokuto, and what Bokuto he's gonna have to deal with, based on how Boku spikes the ball, is absolutely classic and my favorite moment, hands down, in both the manga and the anime (and the anime did a fantastic job with this moment).

Rose, thank you so much for giving me the chance to wax poetic about Akaashi! This was a LOT of fun...but you know I could talk about him all day long. I appreciate it! 🥰

#character asks #akaashi keiji #haikyuu!!#bokuaka #roseheartwhitefox #fawnie answers

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acacia-may · 1 year

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Oooohhh! Can I ask about your favorite dessert and drink?

Hi Erika! Thank you so much for the ask! I’d love to answer these questions for you! 🥰

Questions from this “Get To Know Me” Ask Game

🎂 — Favourite Dessert

So fun(?) fact about me, I have Celiac/Coeliac Disease which kind of limits the types of desserts I can have, but there are lots of wonderful desserts that are gluten-free! 😊 While I have been blessed to have some really tasty gluten free cakes, cookies, and other baked goods in my life, my favourite desserts tend to be ones that are naturally gluten free (like ice cream, custards, and jello). One of my favourite naturally gluten free desserts is French macarons (which are made with almond flour). There's a local macaron bakery near to where I live that's fantastic, but I've also baked some myself (it's just a very labor-intensive process and I'm not skilled enough to make the more interesting flavors they have at the bakery 😅). For very special treats (since it's something I can't make myself...at least not yet😅), I love crème brûlée! But my go-to dessert at home is usually something simple like ice cream or jello! 🥰 (And now I'm reminded of a scene from one of my favourite movies "My Best Friend's Wedding", so I think I'll end this with a gif 😁)

Gif from Buzzfeed

🫖 — Favourite Drink

I love tea of any kind, but my favourite is probably Darjeeling. My favourite soda pop is Dr. Pepper, and I also love apple juice and strawberry lemonade. For something a little more out of the box, I adore any flavour of blue gatorade.

In terms of an alcoholic beverage, I'm not a big drinker because I'm kind of lightweight, but I do enjoy making up my own cocktail recipes (it's a lot easier and more cost-effective for me to mix my own cocktails at home since Celiac/Coeliac Disease limits the kinds of liquor I can have too). If I go out to drink with friends (which is a very rare occurrence), I usually order something pretty standard like a Vodka Cranberry or Rum & Coke. Dirty Shirleys (Sprite, Grenadine, & Vodka) are pretty good too! 🥰 I also appreciate a good wine and prefer red wine over white though I tend to like rosés the best. There is also a local vineyard that makes wines out of other fruits which is pretty great. [I actually loved their cherry wine so much it actually inspired one of my fanfictions ("Wine Therapy")]. 😊

Thank you so much for the ask and for playing my ask game! 💖

#thanks for the ask and for playing my game dear!#weirdly enough i feel like i write a lot about cake for someone who can't really eat it 😅😂#get to know me asks #acacia's ramblings #answered asks #erika 💙

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thetomcruiseblr · 2 years

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Top Gun: Maverick is the best movie I’ve seen in years, but HEEELLLLLLL NOOOOOOOOOO to a “Top Gun cinematic universe.” I think Paramount underestimates how much nostalgia and old people coming out to see this played into its popularity--they see some young people reposting gifs from the beach football scene and go, “Yes! This is why this movie was successful!” when it’s like....bruh, you’re not going to recreate something like the Iceman/Maverick hug again for another 36 years. I adore the movie and plan to watch it multiple times again, but I personally do NOT need a sequel to this (at least for another 20 years, maybe).

Unfortunately, I feel that this mirrors what happened after Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), which still remains one of the best sequels AND movies of all time, but unfortunately spawned a multitude of cringey TV shows and follow-up movies that resulted in such an iconic series going out sad.

I hope this isn’t going to happen, but ugh, Hollywood.

#Top Gun Maverick #Top Gun #Tom Cruise #I just hope Tom Cruise isn't involved because this was an epic way to close out the Top Gun chapter in his career #don't become Arnold Schwarzenneger stomping on the T-800's legacy with every increasingly uninspired outing of the Terminator #but he's pretty smart when it comes to his career so I don't think he'll be a part of future films in any major capacity

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moonstone27ls · 2 years

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Sooo saw DC’s League of Superpets

My thoughts....

.....

....

...It was pretty good. Just writing this cause I felt some people dumped on the movie a bit harshly. No I’m not gonna say “Oh it was groundbreaking” that it “did this, etc”. I know people hate the excuse “its just a kids movie” but thats what it is and I’m not sorry I went to see it at the theaters.I’m not gonna lie there probably were some moments I could hear “Cinemasins” probably point out stuff. But nothing I’d go “Oh this sucks”. Nahhh if I had to its better than Minions (sorry guys if this offends you but those series aren’t my cup of tea.) and whatever movie people says Disney/or Pixar disappoints (not gonna name one. Cause everyone always has a different view of which one is on the bottom of their list)

I thought the pets were cute and they had some cute/funny scene moments. Even found it funny how they gave the cutest pets (aka that hamster and the kitten) the role of antagonist.

As for the heroes and designs, not bad. They were all pretty much ho I’d imagine most of them. They were at least useful and not entirely put on a ridiculous scale of “can’t do anything” like I’ve seen on a certain show (not gonna name cause it might piss off fans).

Was a bit surprised they got away with a swearing turtle, lol. But it wasn’t surprising in a bad way. I enjoyed Ace’s character probably the most just wanted to give that adorable sarcastic boxer (mix?) the biggest hug!

Just wish I could find some “gifs” or scenes to share from the movie. At least the pet adoption montages. They were cute:). Enjoyed that the Rock gave his own movie a cameo, lol.

#dc league of super-pets #league of superpets

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dastardlydandelion · 1 year

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i’ve honestly always wholeheartedly adored kirby tbh. i’ll never forget seeing scream 4 at a formative age and wanting to be just half as cool as her so bad lmaoo. i don’t know if this is really related at all but i think at least in 4, she was a little more flawed as a person than some people really pick up on. and i think those flaws genuinely make her a more interesting character. she’s a little rude, blunt, callous, whatever. doesn’t outwardly care too much about her friend getting brutally murdered right in front of her. still goes to stab-a-thon, has a good time, flirts with charlie, hosts an after party, brags about her movie knowledge. which good for her with the last one ❤️ but she does come off a little self involved. she’s also a teenager so. fair enough. but she obviously has a lot of good moments as well. she seems to care deeply for jill and shows a lot of courage, heart, and vulnerability in that final scene trying to save charlie’s life. she wasn’t perfect and that’s what makes her pretty compelling to me. i think mindy shares a lot of these qualities as well but she didn’t really get a heart and vulnerability moment like kirby did with the trying to save charlie debacle. i feel like she’ll be getting one in 6 though, not gonna lie. idk but i do love them both and i’m excited to see them again <3

agreed in full, buddy, agreed in full!!

and to be fair, as self-involved and blunt as she comes across, uh, even kirby's more callous lines don't compare to robbie tbh. iirc like, olivia's body is barely cold and he refers to her as "the girl who'll now never date me," or if not that exactly, something to the effect of it (now i have to re-watch scre4m yet again). like. fuck man.

also when kirby tried to save charlie (as far as she knew) and started shakily rattling off whatever remake come to mind, hayden panettiere's performance was so raw and compelling that on the first watch i didn't even realize it's supposed to be the film taking a crack at how derivative and lazy so many remakes are!! the commentary totally flew over my head bc i was so wrapped up in her urgency and desperation.

although my favorite kirby moment will always be when she yells at trevor after her interrupts her and charlie. her face is a whole mood, i swear if this movie had come out a handful of years later than it did kirby prolly would've become a reaction gif. 😂

and mindy! yes, ofc i adore mindy. and she is similarly kind of harsh. like when she refuses to go with richie to the basement and he goes alone and like, as soon as the door shuts behind him she's all, "well he's dead," and shoves her hand in a bag of chips. LMAO. to be fair tho, to be fair richie is irritating af and that prolly would've been my reaction too. anonymoose friend, i am sorry if u like richie but he just aggravates me, personally, he was getting on my nerves the whole movie.

i do feel we'll be getting more vulnerability from mindy come scream vi tho, more development for her character in general. jasmin savoy brown has the range!!! and already the super bowl ad heavily suggests her girlfriend is going to get killed.

i keep re-watching it (and all the other ads, ngl) trying to work out the mechanics of that scene.

it looks like anika is already wounded? she's covered in blood. yes, it could be someone else's blood but i'm thinking it's hers bc in the one shot it looks like mindy is helping her on the floor? it's blink-and-miss-it, but it's there, for the life of me tho, which trailer or tv spot was it in?? i don't remember, they're all blurring together. but also it seems that mindy gets on the ladder before anika does, that she's left her in the bloody bedroom (quinn's bedroom?) and that makes me wonder if the plan is for mindy to go first bc anika could potentially successfully play dead if ghostface enters the room, given that she's already injured. if that is the plan it clearly doesn't work, but. still.

anyway, yes, i love kirby and mindy and i'm very excited to see them both again and hopefully we'll get some good interactions between them too!!

#scream #scream 4 #scre4m #scream 6 #scream vi #kirby reed #mindy meeks martin

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delzinrowe · 5 months

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yes let's play that game 🤩

Kay so I wanna know the worst movie you've ever seen and why is it the worst in your eyes?

Favourite movie? And why?

The one movie you're planning on watching? As in heard about but not seen.

Cheesy anon 😌

Let me think about that one..

Worst movie:

I have honestly now idea. I thought of the movie "Die goldene Rute" (transl.: Hot Spanking Rod). And NO, it is not porn. It's just so stupid and silly, but then I remembered that it's literally a comedy and supposed to be like that. So honestly, I can't think of the worst movie at the moment. Might come to me when I least think about it.

Favourite movie and why: I have a few favourites

Howl's Moving Castle -> simply for the beautiful story and the slow paced comfort it gives me. The slow pace in which the story progresses is such a beautiful change to the fast pace of normal movies nowadays. It's a peaceful aura thatt makes me feel like nothing bad could happen. And I always cry when Howl and Sophie fall in love, it kills me cause that's the kind of love I want to have as well. Someone who's searching for me and eventually will find me when I least expect it.

Spirited Away -> almost the same reason as Howl's Moving Castle. It's a beautifully written and executed movie with a slow pace and some great comfort moments.

Shawshank Redemption -> I'm a sucker for this drama, like no joke. The acting and the setting is just so immaculate. The question whether Andy did kill his wife or not is always there, even if there are moments where you doubt he could ever do anything criminal. But still, I just love this movie for every reason

Fight Club -> "You met me at a very strange time in my life." Probably one of my favourite movie quotes. But then again, the entire Movie is so quote-worthy, it's absolutely brilliant with the way it shifts from a dude who can't sleep to the detailed attack on consumerism and attempted destruction of all social order.

Ten Things I Hate About You -> one of the classic movies from the 90s, I love it. I know I talked to someone about this movie recently (I forgot who), but it's one of those movies I simply adore for all the right reasons. First of all, the main girl (if you can call her that) is so headstrong and independent. The premise of her falling in love doesn't equal her being saved or finding self worth or a place to belong, which is usually the case with romance. It's simply her falling in love. Sure the guy (played by the beautiful and late Heath Ledger) screws up, but he's so honest and redeems himself, he opens up and shares things he never shared. Sometime through the movie he didn't even wanna take money anymore, I think that shows his genuine intention clear, even though he got persuaded by the amount and eventually took it (bastard). But everything about this movie is so fucking great from start to finish.

One movie I'm planning to watch:

The Boy and the Heron -> mostly cause it's ghibli but I've also seen a few gifs of it and heard bits of the story which confused me so I really wanna watch it.

Thank youuu!!

#cheesy anon #stef answers #ask game #movie #movies

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ace-beef · 1 year

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Oh my gosh. Please tell me who the guy on your header is. He looks so familiar but I can’t quite place him. I’m imagining him in a movie, wearing a suit... total douchebag, but like, seriously hot, rich douchebag so it cancels out. Also, I adore Simon Pegg, he’s such a sweetheart, you have impeccable taste! <3

hehehe why thank you anon!! The actor in the header is Tom Bateman, and I suspect the movie you’re thinking of is Cold Pursuit? I have yet to see that film but I know he wears a suit in it and that he’s the villain… at least, I’m pretty sure he’s the villain.

The gif my header is from is a tv show called Jekyll and Hyde, it aired in 2015 and there was a lot of unnecessary drama around it which led to it being cancelled after one season (which I’m still mad about to this day!). I absolutely adore that show even though it’s goofy as hell lmao

#highly recommend jekyll and hyde for some goofy supernatural fun #ask #anon

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writefightandflightclub · 2 years

Text

Once More With Feelings: (Santiago Garcia x fem!reader)

Summary: you, Santi, and Frankie have been best buds since high school, when the three of you would while away your days playing in the world’s most average metal band. But, when Frankie finds an old home movie of said band days in his dad’s garage, some memories -and some secrets- come to the fore. Secrets which recast everything you thought you knew about back then and now… and about one of your dearest friends in particular.

Genre/tropes: fluff, pining, all the good stuff.

Author’s note: this popped into my head and felt too cute not to share. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 🧡 Oh, and tell me how I did on the band name? 👀 😂 LOL.

Warnings: pining(?), kissing(?), unrequited love(?). Throwbacks to high school. Reader is the same age as the boys but you can imagine this being set when they were all younger (or older) than the canon, if you like, so I don’t think it matters.

Rating: TEEN (but my blog is 18+)

Gif by @nightofthecreeps

Your exuberant peals of laughter bounce off the walls of Frankie’s living room, and you slap your thigh as you fold forward in mirth. Beside you on the couch, Santi’s deep, scratchy chuckle sounds, tears being squeezed and planed from his eyes as the footage rolls.

On the other side of you, however, Frankie looks none too impressed.

The footage in question is an old home movie Frankie recently dug out of his dad’s garage, the VHS tape mysteriously marked only with the date: 1994. Recognising it as one of your old band practice tapings from high school back in the day, Frankie had scooped it up, and now the three of you were preparing to relive your pre-glory days.

You’d brought the popcorn, feeling extremely nostalgic and so ready to relive the golden years of your friendship with these two dumbasses; before they’d scarpered, leaving town -and you- for the army.

You’d rekindled your friendship with them since, and in some ways it felt like no time had passed at all, but you undeniably looked back on your time with them in high school as some of your happiest days (at least, so far).

You weren’t sure exactly what footage was on here (you really hoped that it hadn’t been taped over with Frankie’s parents getting frisky or some shit), but you had been so ready for the trip down memory lane - and so far it was not disappointing.

“Look!” you had exclaimed, pointing at the screen with your arm at full extension, vibrating with laughter as young Frankie had appeared on screen, flipping the handheld back towards his face. “Look at that haircut.” Then, you had batted Santi frantically in the chest with the back of your hand. “Is he wearing eyeliner?! Look at you, Frankie!”

Santi had joined you in the good-natured teasing, until the two of you had become a crumpled, giggling heap in the corner of the couch -surprise and delight responsible, more than anything, for your mirth.

“Alright, alright,” Frankie grumbles now as he rides out your mockery, even as a bright, misty smile of his own takes over his sharp features - as he contemplates his (increasingly far off) youth.

Video Frankie is gangly - his legs had seemingly grown in before the rest of him- and with his more delicate frame, his cheekbones are especially prominent. Even so, with that sharpness - all angles - he looks softer somehow. Still a little baby-faced.

“Welcome to our show!” he announces, in a pre-pubescent voice.

It’s so strange to hear him speak without the now characteristic deep rumble, and your eyes fill with sentimental tears, your hand clasping against your chest. “Frankie, you’re just a baby. So fucking adorable. I want to pinch your little cheeks.”

“We are…” -Video Frankie continues, leaving a dramatic pause for effect- “…Master of Muppets.”

Okay. Yes. In hindsight it’s not the coolest band name, but you remain defensive about the name to this day, and you personally won’t hear a bad word said about it.

From off screen, you hear Santi’s unmistakable voice - a little more gruff and deep than Frankie’s already, but definitely still possessing an adolescent timbre. Not as rich and confident as it is now. A little more goofy. “We’re not doing that today, pendejo.”

The sound of him - voice echoing in the vacant space of Frankie’s dad’s garage - makes memories of your childhood come flooding back. Things you’d long forgotten. Feelings and sights and smells and sounds.

Video Frankie swings the video camera around with little skill, the rest of his announcement pointing upward to his nostrils. “Oh yeah. Shit.” You can imagine the look he’s getting from Santi right about now - that kid took the whole band thing just a little too seriously. “Formerly of Master of Puppets, tonight we have our breakaway solo act. Santiago Garcia.” Frankie delivers his best rock face to the camera, waving his rock fist around chaotically and sticking out his tongue.

In the real world, the three of you exchange fond, face-splitting smiles.

“This is fucking beautiful. Though, I guess I’m not in this one, boys.” You pout in disappointment and Frankie pats your back in commiseration, reassuring you there’s a whole case of tapes somewhere- he’ll try and dig it out next time he visits home.

“How are you feeling in the crowd tonight, Carolina?” Video Frankie yells, before feigning distant crowd noise, and you can’t help but laugh with delight all over again. You turn towards him in the here and now, and you ruffle the pilot’s hair affectionately as he watches through his hands out of sheer embarrassment.

“I thought I was so cool.”

“It’s okay. Wait ‘til you see baby Santi,” you rib gently, earning a hey of protest from your left.

“Look. We all know I was the only cool one,” you snigger.

After a scuffle and a lot of footage of Video Frankie’s worn sneakers, the camera flips.

There Young Santi is, hopped up onto a tall bar stool, his acoustic guitar slung around his neck. The body of it is settled atop of one bent knee, his foot kicked up on the stool, and the other leg stretched out in front to steady him.

You squeal in delight when you see him, even as you hear him cringe and laugh and curse beside you.

Now, it is Frankie’s turn to revel in the throwback, a throaty, chaotic chuckle sounding to your right.

“Look at you! Both you boys are too precious for words.” Feeling emotional, you reach out and smooth your hand back and forth over Santi’s thigh as you continue to survey the screen. 90’s Santi, too, is more slight in frame compared to his older counterpart. Aside from a questionably shiny red leather jacket, he’s dressed in all black - a very era appropriate button down with a long, pointed collar and raw stitching, various beads and chains and possibly a cross or a shark’s tooth or something slung around his neck. His hair is long and lustrous, raven black and middle-parted, cascading curls framing that sharp, angled face. As ever, his strong brows and nose and jaw give him a striking, slightly surly appearance, balanced by those big brown eyes which are full of light and warmth and innocence.

It makes you tear up, honestly, and you weren’t all the way ready for it.

That kid on screen got you through a lot during your teen years. Frankie too, but Santi especially. More than you think you’ve ever had a chance to thank him properly for.

“Those eyebrows!” Frankie exclaims as Young Santi sits pensively on the stool, apparently full of teenage angst and knitting said full brows together.

“Eyebrow, more like,” Santi chuckles lightly - a little self-consciously. “Still a handsome fucker though. Kid’s got potential. Gonna really hit his stride around 40, I reckon.” He pats his own gut - a little fuller these days. He’s not wrong though - he does only seem to get more attractive with age.

You laugh warmly at here and now Santi’s commentary as you watch Young Santi strum and tune up.

“Oh, honey,” you say with a rush of deep affection, reaching out and scooping his hand up into your own and giving it a squeeze.

Meanwhile, Frankie laughs chaotically, as he studies the footage. “Why so fucking serious, hermano?” he mocks, given the kid’s sheer intensity.

“Fuck me. I don’t remember, do I? Maybe you were getting on my last nerve, huh?”

You hastily shush them both, waving your hands wildly as the Video versions of them pipe up again.

“Do you think she’ll like it?” Young Santi asks tentatively, ducking his head to let his hair flow from where it is tucked behind his ears, allowing it to obscure a good portion of his face as he grows ever more bashful.

You crinkle your nose in confusion, shovelling popcorn into your mouth. “She? Who’s she?”

You turn to real-life Santi, and you catch him looking mildly horrified all of a sudden, his expression just as serious as his counterpart from the past. You flick your gaze to the right to see if you’re missing something, but you find Frankie obliviously shovelling popcorn into his mouth, a hapless grin still plastered on his sweet face.

“Dude, I’ll give you fifty fuckin’ bucks if this works,” Video Frankie offers.

Here and now Santi’s voice cuts in, urgently, confusing you even more. “Turn it off, Frank,”

“Oh sure. Now that you’re done teasing me? You can dish it but can’t take it?”

“Frank,” Santi emphasises through his teeth, and when that plea is to no avail, he reaches (almost dives) across your lap to make a play for the remote - Frankie managing to scoop it up first and keep it just out of reach.

“What is going on?” you puzzle. “Jeez. Don’t tell me you had a crush on my mom or something. Gross.”

“Frankie,” Santi emphasises again, pointedly, and with no clues at all from the present, you try to tune back into the past for clues.

“You actually press record this time? If we get this done we can mail it to her tomorrow,” Young Santi says, clearing his throat and preparing to play as Frankie plays with camera angles - zooming and panning in a way which suggests he’s taking this approximately 20% as seriously as Santi is.

“Sing songs, get bitches,” Frankie yells enthusiastically.

Here and now Frankie, however, sucks air through his teeth at that. “Christ. That’s no way to talk about a lady, young man. You clearly still have some lessons to learn,” he scolds, and the contrast between the two versions of him amuses you greatly.

Still, you sense there’s something you’re missing here. With nothing forthcoming from your buddies, however, you opt to continue watching, captivated as Young Santi starts singing. You expect a chaotic heavy metal thrash -as that’s what he usually favoured- but this is something else altogether.

This? This is a schmaltzy ass love song.

You watch as Young Santi strums and picks his guitar gently, his voice sounding out, pure and innocent and smoother than it is now as he works through the delicate notes and falsetto of the song; clumsily, but with feeling.

With so much feeling.

“I’m serious. That’s enough now, Frank,” Santi pleads to your side, with an intensity that doesn’t quite match with what you’re seeing. It’s not that embarrassing. You’ve seen Santi do worse. Recently. At karaoke. In front of people.

You ignore him for now though, concentrating on how damn earnestly Young Santi is singing. His eyes -you can see when Frankie zooms in for an ill-timed close-up- are positively shimmering with emotion. His mouth is curling up into a gentle smile around the words as though he means each and every one so fully.

God. It’s a relief you weren’t there for this at the time, as you know this performance would have ended the 15-year-old version of you. He’s looking at the camera how you wished he would have looked at you, way back then. When your carefully buried crush on him was most out-of-control.

And now, remembering all of this, you just have to know who he was feeling this way about, while your were feeling this exact way about him. You have to know the reason you and he never-

“-For real. Who was she?”

Who is he singing about? Singing to? In all the years you’ve known him and all the relationships he’s had, you’ve never seen him look quite so smitten.

“Alright. I’m not doing this,” Santi grumbles, standing and marching out of the room in a strop. You call after him but he bundles through the house, out towards Frankie’s rear porch. And he doesn’t come back.

You turn immediately to Frankie for some explanation, completely lost off now - especially as Frankie seems so damn casual about the whole affair.

“Errr,” Frankie moves some pieces around in his head. “That’s the summer you went away with your dad, I think?” he says breezily. “Yeah. Explains why you’re not in the video. God. Santi had reached peak pining levels by then. He was so smitten with you, remember? He was fucking insufferable the whole break.”

Wait, what?

“Frankie?” you say, aghast, shaking your head and not quite understanding. Wondering if you’ve misheard him.

When Frankie looks at you and reads your expression, the ball finally drops and his expression drops in turn, to match your own. “Shit. You didn’t know,” he realises.

You swallow. You need to be very sure about this. “Didn’t know what, Francisco?”

Frankie’s mouth drops open and closes wordlessly. He looks at you helplessly, leaving Video Him and Young Santi to answer the question for you.

“It’s never gonna work man. She’s just not into you.” Video Frankie states from behind the lens.

Young Santi is still captured in the frame, the camera zoomed in almost comically close, yet somehow it isn’t funny any more. It is zoomed in close enough that you are able to capture every nuance and micro-expression fleet over his face. Every shred of fear and hope and insecurity and adoration becomes wildly apparent to you. “It has to, man. It has to. I love her, so much.” Then, as if only just realising he’s still being recorded, he looks right down the lens, a nervous, giddy, pure smile taking over his face. “Fuck. Turn that off, dipshit.”

Meanwhile, your eyes flit around the room and you feel suddenly adrift, a million and one emotions swimming in your stomach. Even all these years later, this confession -the one you had always hoped for back then- is like a punch in the gut.

Some things -looking back- suddenly make a hell of a lot more sense. Many more pieces drop into place, and so, with a rush of nerves and adrenalin, your gaze flits between Frankie, the screen, and the door. “I didn’t know,” you confirm flatly.

Frankie runs a hand through his scruff, all of a sudden looking sheepish. “Well, shit. I probably should have turned this off.”

You simply give him a look.

***

When you make your way out to the back porch the air is balmy and still, no sound but crickets lightly chirping in the yard, and now, the sound of Santi’s deep sigh as he hears you approach, the wind chimes tinkling as you swing the door.

Santi is folded over the wooden porch rail. His forearms are leaning on the bar and his hands are laced together, his head dipped down so it almost meets them - as if he wants to hide from something.

Maybe from you.

You approach him tentatively, folding your arms around your middle for comfort and keeping your footsteps light so as to be less intrusive. As if that will make up for the question you’re about to ask. A question that feels Earth-shattering, but which comes out in little above a whisper.

“You were in love with me?”

You weren’t expecting the break in your voice, but maybe that’s the thing which finally gets Santi to stand up straight and turn towards you, his eyes turbulent and mouth pinched small with some kind of emotion.

He scoops a hand over his jaw in a self-comforting gesture, before sniffing once and nodding his head almost imperceptibly - in barely there confirmation.

Okay.

Your brow furrows as you adjust to this new information. As you reconfigure just about every memory you share with him -around that time- in your head. Your eyes grow busy with a multitude of questions; but the order doesn’t seem to matter so much, and you land quickly on your first. “Since when?”

Santi swallows. Tugs in a deep breath. His expression becomes apologetic and a little more boyish, as though you’re taking him right back to those days. Making him feel awkward and lost, when he’s usually so confident. You know he won’t enjoy that. In fact, he rubs the nape of his neck nervously. Shuffles from foot-to-foot a little. “Pretty much since that first time you sat next to me in home room and passed me a stick of gum,” he confesses. “Orbit. Peppermint flavour.”

Emotion tightens in your chest at the fact that he would remember that. You don’t remember that. Your face crinkles. “I thought we met for the first time at Frankie’s house party?”

“No,” he corrects gently, with a soft and wistful smile. “That was just the first time I actually managed to speak to you.” You smile fondly. Who knew Santi was ever shy? Around you? “I spent about four months before that learning guitar to impress you; then I was finally ready to choke out a respectable hello.”

You smile softly at this new information.

“You sucked at guitar,” you tease fondly, and he finally looks up at you instead of at his boots. Against the odds, you manage to stoke a small smile at one corner of his mouth.

“Yeah. Well,” he shrugs, tilting his head to the side in concession.

You think for a moment, processing. Landing on your next question. You can’t place why, but you feel increasingly nervous, like you’re 15 again too. Like you’re barrelling towards something inevitable. Something that will shake the foundations of everything you thought you knew. “Why didn’t you send the tape?”

Santi pauses again, as if every small confession is an effort. “None of the takes were good enough.” He frowns. Always was a perfectionist. “Besides. You came back from summer break on Brandon Cheng’s arm, remember?”

You stifle an amused smile. Santi should be over this by now, right? All these years later? But his voice still contains a hostility for Brandon which sounds every bit current. Damn. You guess the man really does hold a grudge.

Still, despite his bitterness, he looks so vulnerable in this moment. So vulnerable that you are desperate to reach out to him - and yet you can’t make your feet move from the spot.

“Oh yeah,” you nod in understanding, clasping your hands in front of yourself. “Right. I forgot about Brandon.”

Your friend pumps his eyebrows indignantly, like he really didn’t. No wonder Santi had always been so snitty with the poor kid.

God. You see it now. You see it still lingering there. The same emotions and micro expressions from the video flitting over his face in turn. You really must have hurt him. He really must have loved you, for it still to linger.

“Santi,” you breathe, finally taking a couple of gentle steps closer to him, trying to capture his gaze with your own and lift it from the floor.

“Alright,” he breezes - a clear attempt to seem non-chalant. To hastily put an end to this. “That’s about enough nostalgia for me for one day. Shall we head inside and watch Predator now?”

You watch him push everything back down.

And, now that you’re looking for it, you suddenly realise how many times you’ve watched him push everything down, even if you wouldn’t have recognised it at the time. You guess he got real good at doing that. You guess he started early. Practised hiding it from you until it became second nature.

It’s all beginning to make sense.

Santi turns to go then with a whole lot of bluster, and yet you feel like something isn’t quite done here. You feel like there’s a little more of this thread to unravel, and so you capture his arm with the gentlest of touches, looping your grip around his wrist. Apparently that’s the barest encouragement he needed to stay, and you halt him in his steps.

“Santi,” you repeat, searching his eyes and finding old pain hiding there. “Why? Why did you never say anything?

“It doesn’t matter,” he says flatly, a break in his voice now too. Cracks beginning to form. “It was a long time ago, right?”

It does matter though. You can see plainly that it still matters. This clearly hurt him - and you have never wanted to hurt him.

Maybe that’s why you ask your next question. You feel like if you can map this all out, maybe you can do something to fix it. Tell him how you were pining for him too. Do something to heal the same old wounds that you carried too in secret.

But, if that’s the reason, it doesn’t explain why your heart is beating in your neck as the words slip past your lips. It doesn’t explain why you’re so nervous to hear the answer. “How long, Santi? How long did you feel that way?” The words catch on hooks in your throat, and you’re inexplicably tearing up. “W-When? When did you… stop?”

When did he stop?

Santi’s eyes snap suddenly back to yours then, his eyes wide with nerves and fear and confession. His jaw writhing and mouth pinching together with tension. His head shaking imperceptibly like he’s begging you not to go there. Begging you not to push this. Not now. Not any further.

And then, it hits you.

Hits you like a ton of bricks.

He never did stop.

He tries to turn his face away from the knowledge in your eyes, but urgently, your palm captures his cheek, feeling the rough grain of stubble beneath your fingers, and your eyes searching his with one -and only one- remaining question.

Is it true - is he in love with you, still?

Santi, for his part, reaches up gingerly upon seeing that his game is finally up, placing his warm, rough hand on top of yours where it rests on his cheek. A gulp trails down his throat and he sniffs again, his eyes shimmering with apprehension and apology, but at the same time glowing with something deeper too. He begins to nod ever so slowly, tiny movements of his head which silently answer your question as he looks up at you from beneath his lashes, his eyes big and beautiful and earnest. “I… I didn’t stop.”

It is only when he finally says it out loud that you are able to gasp in a breath, your palms coming to clamp over your mouth, your eyes brimming with tears as you reconfigure… everything.

You take two steps back from him. From your friend. From your best friend. Who all this time…. All this time has been…. Who you’ve….

Fuck.

All this time.

Your hands trembling, you lower them from your mouth and you search Santi’s face again. That handsome, oh so familiar face.

For a moment, you have absolutely no idea what to say.

“Fuuuuck,” he says hoarsely, his voice small and thin. “Please say something.” And then: “Actually, you know what,” he shuffles from foot to foot. “Don’t say anything. I… Fuck. Just forget I said that.”

But it’s too late for that, isn’t it? You see it now.

How he’s looking at you.

How he’s always looked at you.

And suddenly, even though you feel like the porch is spinning a little from these spiking nerves, like you need to reach one arm out to hold on to the rail so your trembling legs do not give out from under you, it becomes eminently clear to you.

You know exactly what it is you want to say.

“Tell Morales he owes you fifty bucks, idiota.”Santi looks at you blankly for a moment, blinking rapidly in confusion and trying to catch up. “Your song worked, Santi,” you explain softly. “You got the girl.”

Then it’s happening.

With a gasp of air all his own, Santi wastes no more time. He reaches his palm out to your cheek, and as soon as his touch is on you everything ignites. You close the remaining distance, then with a surge and a crush his lips are slanting against yours, his tongue leading and slipped into your mouth in a way that makes your toes curl and your legs weak. His broad, gentle hands are clutching at your back and he’s kissing you urgently yet tenderly. He’s kissing you like he’s already loved you -and longed for you- for a lifetime.

In truth, he has, and it turns out that’s just how long you’ve loved him back.

With his practised tongue, Santi opens you up, his plush lips working diligently against yours and sending an insistent warmth blooming through your whole body.

His song worked. A few decades too late on delivery, but still. Maybe back then would have been too soon for you both. Maybe you had some lessons to learn first; but either way, it could not feel more right that it is finally happening.

So, when Santi pulls back to look at you, spent from that toe-curling kiss, tears of pure joy are smattering his cheeks. You swipe them away tenderly with the pad of your thumb, awed that you get to finally do this with him. To show him how you feel. Awed that it means so much to him too.

You worry it’s still hurting him somehow - that maybe he’s thinking about all that time wasted. However, just as you begin to grow concerned, and before anything sad can creep in, Santi’s face splits in a joyous, self-satisfied grin. “Who’s laughing now, Brandon Cheng?”

You laugh brightly, his comment entirely unexpected, and you loop your arms around his sturdy middle. “Seriously? That’s what you’re thinking of right now?”

Santi’s eyes glow gently with awe as you hold him in the way he’s always dreamed of, and as your happiness envelops him. “No,” he admits, his hand moving to cup your cheek with an unprecedented tenderness - one which makes you ache. “I’m thinking how you were so worth the wait.”

Happy tears shimmer in your eyes but before they can fall, Santi kisses you again. And again. And again.

You have so much lost time to make up for, and you’ll be happy if he never stops.

Turns out, he never did stop; loving you.

#santiago garcia x reader #santiago pope garcia x reader #triple frontier #Santiago Garcia #Oscar Isaac

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