#the third season was a little boring I liked the first and second better

[wosowrites]

Greece and Wives (Patri Guijarro x Reader)

warnings: none

a/n: based off this request here

prompt: little moments on vacation with your wife Patri.

Vacation with Patri meant different things. It meant some late, late nights walking the streets of Greece, and some early, early nights cuddling in bed and watching a movie on of the limited channels on the hotel TV. But it mostly meant just feeling good. You both shopped together, having fashion shows and figuring out what to buy. You would bicker on where to have lunch and eventually, you would win because she just could not say no to you. You would swap shoes with her when she decided mid walk that the ones you were wearing worked better with her outfit. Everything was perfect.

Day one:

Patri woke you up bright and early by opening the blinds with one big movement and then jumping on top of you in the bed. By bright and early, it meant more like 9:00, but it felt like 7:00 am and you most definitely were not an early bird. "Wake up, mi amor," Patri said to you, brushing hair out of your face and kissing you. "Mhm im awake, i’m awake," you groaned. She smiled down at you and before she knew it, you had thrown your arms around her and pulled her back down onto you. "We should just stay like this all day," you said to her, playing with the hair on the nape of her neck with one hand and dragging your nails up her back with the other. "We’ll get hungry," Patri laughed. "Room service," you said to her. "Baby… it’s Greece! I love you but-" your spanish girlfriend started saying. "I know, I know. Let’s go," you groaned.

Eventually you guys managed to leave the hotel and head out to a little café. Your hotel was a ten minute walk from the water, and the terrasse you ate at looked upon the ocean. You had planned out you four day trip perfectly, only having a small amount of time before needing to return to Barcelona to pack to leave for your individual training camps in preparation for the World Cup. The first day would be spent doing guided tours, looking at architecture and parks. The second day you would do traditionally fun things, like go to arcades and have a picnic. The third day would be a beach day and then the last day would be spent shopping.

"I knew Athens was old, but this old? And this… historic. It’s weird," you told Patri, hand in hand as you listened to a guide tell you about the history behind the Acropolis of Athens. "Barcelona is pretty historic, you know?" Patri said to you, smiling at you. "I know, I know. But i’m Canadian! Seeing cities with ruins and the ocean and cool architecture is always shocking to me. The most historical thing we have in Canada is like… the parliament," you sighed. "Hey, don’t hate on your country now, gotta represent them at the World Cup soon," she said, squeezing your hand. "I love Canada! It’s just boring," you defended yourself, pointing absentmindedly to one particularly well kept piece of the Acropolis.

After that tour, you walked around the city with no specific goal in mind. "Ooh! Gelato!" Patri said, pointing at a cute little shop with a pink gelato sign. "Woah… gelato before lunch? I like this version of you baby," you said to her, jokingly running your hand up her abs and kissing her quickly. "Oh shush. What harm will it do? The season is over, we’ll be under so many rules before the cup… let loose mi amor!" she said to you.

And so you did. That day, you had gelato three times.

Day two:

Needless to say, you and Patri were extremely competitive... which only made arcade games more fun. Once you arrived to a popular but pretty empty arcade due to the fact that it was Monday, you had an idea. "How about we make this interesting?" you said after choosing your first game. "Hmm... what do you have in mind mi amor?" Patri asked. "The person with the most tickets at the end of two hours has to pay for anything the other wants when we go shopping," you proposed. "Oh easy!" Patri exclaimed.

She was so wrong. Growing up with four brothers made you extremely good at video games, and somehow, luck was always on your side. By the hour and a half mark, you had almost twice as many tickets as Patri. "How the hell are you doing this?" she groaned, pulling out ten tickets from the machine as you watched about 60 pour out and into your hands. "You shouldn't have underestimated me," you shrugged. "Okay. I give up, you win! Im calling it quits," she groaned. "YES! I WINNNN!" you exclaimed as your girlfriend watched you throw your hands up in the air. "Yeah yeah," she said, rolling her eyes. "How about we put our tickets together and buy the rainbow monkey," you said, pointing at a pretty big prize hanging from the ceiling. "Hmm... okay. Do we have enough?" she asked you, pulling out a couple tickets. "Well with your 300 and my 1300, yeah, we do," you winked at her.

You bought the monkey and then headed outside. Patri swung her arm around your waist and then pulled out her phone. She asked a woman if she would take a picture, and your spanish girlfriend kissed you and held you close to her as the woman smiled and took pictures. "You guys are beautiful," she smiled at you both kindly. You both thanked her multiple times before continuing your walk. The next stop for the day was a picnic. You stopped at a deli to get cheese, bread, charcuteries, pastries, fruit and drinks for the picnic. When you arrived at a park with blossoming trees and tall green grass, you set up your meal and ate, laughed and drank, all underneath the watchful eye of an old oak, and the monkey you had named Zeus.

Day three: Beach day! This was easily the day you were most excited for. You had already gotten a tan from just walking around the warm city, but you couldn't wait to even it out on the beach. That morning, you woke up at 8:00, quickly put on a black bikini and white beach pants, did some light makeup and put on gold jewelry before taking your turn to pull Patri out of bed. You had smoothie bowls for breakfast along with coffee and a danish and then you headed to the beach. The day could not have been better. Patri took hundreds of pictures of you, and you took thousands of Patri. She looked so cute in her bikini, you felt as though you would melt.

After an hour of tanning on the surprisingly quiet beach, Patri sat up and placed her hand on your back. She gently rubbed her hand up and down your spine, making you smile. "You want to go swim don’t you?" you laughed. You turned around to face her and she smiled at you with puppy eyes. "Okay, let’s go baby," you said, jumping up and grabbing her hand. You both started running madly. Sand flew up, your laughs were heard throughout the beach and your smiled were so bright. But when you reached the water, you had to uphold your girlfriend duties, which meant stopping your run and pushing Patri into the water. Your girlfriend fell forward with a huge splash. The water got strangely deep very quickly so she stayed under for a couple seconds.

The spaniard came back up, spluttering and coughing. "Y/n!" she yelled, looking at you with a shocked look as you smiled innocently. "Yeah?" you smiled.

Before you knew it, Patri had grabbed your waist and lifted you over her shoulder. You kicked your legs and screamed all while laughing but the spaniard was strong, and your efforts did nothing as seconds later, you were submerged in the water. When you came back up, you wiped the hair off of your face and laughed loudly. You pushed against the current to stand in front of your girlfriend, your body pressed to hers. Her hands lay lazily on your hip bones as yours wrapped around her neck. "Truce?" you asked gently. "Mhm… how could I say no to that face," she said, kissing you lovingly.

Day four:

Shopping. You had been so excited to shop, it having always been something you loved to do. And so, after sleeping in until 9:00 and leaving the hotel at around 10:00, you had a quick breakfast and then headed to the busiest street in Athens. The whole day was spent walking into shops and buying souvenirs for your friends and family as well as trying on hundreds of different pieces, mostly payed by Patri. But she didn’t mind, some of the things you bought she would have killed to see you wear every day, so she didn’t have a care in the world about paying.

You were currently in a small boutique that sold very original and colourful suits, and as you would both be attending an award ceremony soon enough, you thought that there was no better place to buy an outfit. Patri chose a purple suit to represent barcelona, and to match with her you chose an off the shoulder silk purple dress. You were excited to wear it with her.

By the time you returned to the hotel, you both had five bags of clothes and souvenirs.

You dropped the bags into a corner of the room and plopped down on the bed. "This was the best vacation ever. Thank you baby. Thank you," you said to her, turning your head and smiling at her. She was laying down next to you and her smile was wide. Her eyes traced your features and then she close the gab between the both of you. You kissed her lovingly, slipping your hand under her shirt and passing your hand on her abs. "Cant believe I need to leave you for two months now," she said sadly. "I’ll call you every day my love. Deal?" you said gently. "Deal, mi amor," she said sweetly.

#woso fic #woso imagine #woso x reader #woso #patri guijarro #barcelona femeni

[faithshouseofchaos]

i’m sending you more requests because i have so many ideas haha

lando and reader they are both wolf and are mated and they both are drivers for f1, so maybe lando gets his first win or something important in f1

Going for the Singapore win 🏆

Big wins— werewolf!Lando Norris x werewolf!reader

Tagged— @80sloverry @toasttt11 @charmisticdisappointment @lollypop90907 @wolfsbanesbite @norizznorris

This was the last Halloween/supernatural thing related I had in my inbox feel free to send more..

Also I had trouble writing the race part it took me like two in a half hours to say fuck it and do it the way I did I hope y’all can understand it 🤞🏻

Big wins

You and Lando had been together since your karting days. You were both werewolves and mates. It was a pretty rare thing when werewolves met the person whom they’d spend the rest of their lives with at an early age. You were there for him when he first signed for McLaren and he was there for you when you went into F2 prema with your brother Logan.

Three years later Landos in his third year in F1 finally got your first F1 seat with AlphaTurie the sister team of Redbull when Pierre Gasly moved to Alpine your brother Logan got the second William's seat. Lando was proud of you. All your hard work was finally paying off.

You were doing pretty well for your first Rookie season in F1 better than what people were expecting from you.

You were now into your second year of F1 and you got the second Red Bull seat when Checo left to spend time with his wife and kids helping them out with their karting career.

It was time for the Singapore GP. You were starting in P6 and Lando was starting in P3. Once everything was squared away you and everyone else took off for the formation lap.

(Ok so bare with me I don’t know how to write a race but we all know what happened so please be patient with how I’m gonna write this 👀💀)

“It’s lights out and away we go”

Carlos sainz takes off with the lead followed by

Charles Leclerc

George Russell

Lewis Hamilton

Lando Norris

Y/n Sargent

Ooh there goes Lewis who was knocked off the track he’ll have to give up two spaces for that.

Carlos sainz

Charles Leclerc

George Russell

Lando Norris

Y/n Sargent

Lewis Hamilton

Ferrari screwed over Charles with the pitstop

Ocon DNF along with Logan and Yuki

Lewis passes y/n Sargent

Carlos sainz

Lando Norris

George Russell

Lewis Hamilton

Y/n Sargent

On the last lap of the race George hit the wall and DNF losing out on p3

Carlos

Lando

Lewis

Y/n

(Hopefully y’all got the gist of this it took me two hours to figure how to write this little section 💀)

You were proud of Lando he had gotten P2 and you were also proud of Carlos he deserved P1 as he had been busting his ass off at Ferrari. You were ecstatic at the fact that they got P1-p2 something they’ve wanted since being teammates and they finally got it.

You went around the paddock congratulating the guys and then made your way back to Lando who just finished hugging his father. You went up to reach over to hug Adam Norris.

“Good job kid” he told you

“Thank you,” you said and walked over to Lando helping him take off his helmet and Balaclava.

You kissed him on the lips and gave him a big hug.

“Omg, good baby I’m so proud of you” you yelled over the roaring crowd.

“Thank you love I got to go to the cool-down room I’ll see you after the podium celebration,” Lando said kissing you.

(Y/ns after race interview)

Int— so y/n what was it like out there?

Y/n— pretty fun a little intense though oh and sweaty very sweaty

Int— how are you feeling about Red Bull losing its consecutive win streak?

Y/n— uh well it’s exciting honestly it was getting boring seeing Max win all the time I’m just glad the fans and myself can hear a different anthem for once.

Int— one last question did you tell Christian to tell Max to hurry the hell up and help you defend?

Y/n— yeah, I did because I had Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso riding my ass for half the race and I lost out on P3 but it is what it is and I’m sure next weekend Redbull will dominate.

Int— alright thank you for your time.

Y/n— no problem

It was time for the podium celebration. The whole track went silent listening to the National Anthem of Spain when Carlos' National Anthem finished, Ferraris's Anthem played and everyone in Ferrari red sang along to the Anthem.

When the Anthem finished playing the guys popped their champagne bottles and sprayed it everywhere. You watched as Lando poured some onto his head and looked down at you winking.

After the podium celebration, the three left presumably to their driver rooms to change and to have a quick shower.

You did the same; you opened your door only to be pulled into the room and pushed back up against the door. Laughing, you looked up at Lando.

“You looked good up there baby,” you told Lando wrapping your arms around his neck.

“You think so?” He asked like the cocky little shit he was.

“I know so,” you said, kissing him.

After party

You and Lando went out to a club with Carlos and his girlfriend to celebrate their big win.

Despite not being drunk like the rest of the people surrounding you, that didn’t stop the pair of you from getting bold and grinding on each other. If it wasn’t for some of the guys being there to pull you both you would have fucked each other right then and there. So you and Lando left, going back to the hotel room.

Once the two of you got back to your room all bets were off and you both were all over each other.

The morning after

You woke up in your hotel room and you found a trashed Disaster. There were feathers from the pillows everywhere, the nightstand beside the bed had claw marks from you scratching it, the bed sheet ripped, and you noticed some blood under your fingernails.

“Oh you're awake look at what you did to my back y/n I’m still not healed all the way,” Lando said.

“I’m sorry baby,” you say, feeling your face heat up.

“Hey I wanna talk to you about something,” Lando said

“Yeah sure what is it?” You ask

“I wanna get married y/n I know we have our whole lives to do that but I want to just get it out now—“Lando rambled before you cut him off.

“You know Vegas is in a few weeks, let's do it there,” you said.

“You wanna go ahead and get married even though we’re only 24?”

“Lando we’re mates we’ll be 24 years old for a long time remember”

“Oh yeah I forgot about that”

#lando norris #lando norris x y/n #lando norris x oc #lando norris x reader #lando x reader #lando norris x you #werewolf!Lando Norris x reader #werewolf!Lando Norris x werewolf!reader #faiths supernatural f1!aus #faithm120601 asks

[artemisthewh0re]

Can I request a Joel fic? Maybe Tommy makes a flirty comments towards the reader which leads to Joel becoming jealous ? & touchy with the reader? Can it also be a smut if possible I appreciate it !! Your fics are amazing

Darlin'

Warnings: Unwanted flirting, possessive bf (kinda), sleazy Tommy

A/N: I was going to add smut but as I kept writing I couldn't figure out where to put it so I'm sorry. This turned out way different from what you asked for so prepare to be disappointed 😭

A cool breeze grazes the back of your calves as you wait outside of Joel’s door. Your flowy yellow sundress was a new purchase for the spring season. Joel had made a passing comment about yellow being your color, so you thought wearing a yellow dress to meet his family would make a good first impression. The neckline of your dress dips ever so slightly, just barely showing your cleavage. You knew the dress was a little teasing, but it’s not too risque for meeting your boyfriend’s daughter. Cicadas hum around you as the sun sinks lower in the sky. You think about knocking on the door one more time, but it swings open before you can open the screen door. Joel stands in front of you in a casual shirt and his work jeans. 

“I feel a little overdressed,” you say shyly, looking over your outfit. Suddenly you wish you had gone with your first choice, a graphic tee and shorts. 

“No, you look beautiful sweetheart,” Joel assures. His eyes can’t help but scan your body, lingering on your chest for an extra moment, before he ushers you inside. 

It wasn’t the first time you’d been to his house, just the first time you had been there at night. The house looks homey and warm, laughter radiating from the kitchen. It was almost like another house compared to the quiet house you were used to visiting. You stand awkwardly in the hallway second guessing every decision you had made that day. Is my hair too frizzy? Is there lipstick on my teeth? Is my dress too showy? You’re dragged out of your thoughts by Joel’s calloused hands on your shoulders, gently guiding you to the kitchen. You round the corner to see a young girl and a man. You can tell that the girl is Sarah based on the photos you've seen, but you didn’t know the man. Joel quickly introduces you before they make their introductions.

“Hi, I’m Sarah,” Sarah says with a wave.

“And I’m Tommy, Joel’s younger brother,” Tommy says, shaking your hand. His hand holds yours for just a bit too long, but he lets go before it gets too awkward. “Joel, how’d you manage to get a girl this gorgeous?”

Joel ignores Tommy’s question. You sit down in a chair next to Sarah, leaving a chair next to you for Joel. Your boyfriend heads to the stove to prepare plates for everyone. Based on the smell, fried chicken is on the menu. You try to look over to the counter to get a better look, but Joel’s large frame obstructs the food from your view. 

“Don’t worry,” Sarah whispers, “I helped make it, so we won’t get salmonella.” 

“God knows you’re not helpful when it comes to eggs Sarah,” Joel responds from over his shoulder.

“It was one time!” You can’t help but laugh at Joel and Sarah’s dynamic.

“So what do you do for a livin’ darlin’?” Tommy asks. You turn to face him so you can answer his question, but see that he’s sitting in the seat you had saved for Joel. His brown eyes bore into yours with a strange intensity. 

“Oh um, I’m a teacher. I’ve been teaching third grade for about four years now,” you say, slightly scooting your chair away from him. 

Joel calls Sarah to the stove to help bring the plates over. The food looks amazing as the plate lands in front of you. Crispy fried chicken, mashed potatoes with potato skins mixed in and gravy drizzled on top, and some seasoned peas made you practically drool onto your plate. 

“Damn Joel, this looks amazing,” you say in awe of your boyfriend. You would have never guessed he was a talented chef. “Thank you too Sarah,” you say, remembering she helped. 

“You’re welcome,” Sarah smiles. 

Sarah sits down next to you, quickly chowing down on her food. Joel comes to the table with his plate, but notices Tommy has taken the spot next to you. You almost think about saying something but Joel just sits across from you without saying a word. There’s an awkward moment of silence as everyone takes bites of their which is broken by Sarah.

“Do you like Destiny’s Child?” she asked with her mouth stuffed with potatoes.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Joel scolds. Sarah smiles at him, showing off all the food in her mouth. Tommy chuckles and Joel groans in response.

“Yeah I like Destiny’s Child. Do you have a favorite member?

“Obviously Beyonce!”

“Really? I like Kelly more.”

Sarah gasps and looks at Joel. “Dad, you have to break up with her. There’s no way we can get along now!” 

“If one of you is hittin’ the curb tonight, it’s gonna be you,” Joel says, pointing his fork at Sarah. You laugh along with Tommy at Joel’s teasing. All the nerves you had built up dissipate from your mind. 

“They’re always like this and it never gets less annoying,” Tommy whispers. He leans closer to you and puts a hand on the back of your chair as he continues. “So, how did you and my brother end up datin’ anyways? Big brute like him ain’t much of a talker…or a looker.”

“What was that Tommy?” Joel asks. 

“Nothin’, I was just makin’ conversation. How did you guys meet?”

You and Joel both look at each other momentarily. The truth is that you hooked up through a dating site, but admitting that in front of a person you barely knew and a kid would be beyond embarrassing. You two had never discussed a fake scenario, so you’re both stuck looking like fish with their mouths hanging open.   

“Uh…we…um,” Joel begins. His ears turn red as he remembers the real way you two met. 

“We met at a…,” you try to think.

“Gas station, we met at a gas station. The Texaco just up the street,” Joel vaguely gestures to the right with his fork. Texaco was the other way. You try your best to quickly think of a meet cute. 

“Yeah, I was short on change, so he bought my gas for me.”

“Is that so?” Tommy says, skeptically.

“Mhm,” Joel squeaks out. “We kept running into each other after that and eventually I asked her out.” 

Sarah eyes the both of you, her bullshit detector is no doubt going off, but she chooses not to say anything other than, “The perfect rom-com meeting.”

“Ha, yeah totally,” you say nervously. 

“Well Joel, I’m impressed. I didn’t think you could manage to get not one but two gorgeous women to date you,” Tommy laughs. His hand moves from the back of your chair to your shoulder. His thumb swipes over your shoulder and you want to recoil away, but sit still to not cause a scene.

Joel’s demeanor changes in a split second at the mention of Sarah’s mother and the site of Tommy caressing you. His once relaxed shoulders tense up and his eyes fill with anger.

"Tommy," Joel says, his eyes piercing into Tommy. "Get out!"

Sarah stops eating and watches her dad. The room is silent from a moment, no one daring to make a noise in fear of Joel snapping at them.

"What? I didn't even do anything!" Tommy breaks the silence.

"You heard me. Get. Out."

Tommy stands up from the table in exasperation, knocking over a glass in the process. He gives Joel a last glance before heading towards the door. The door slams and a stillness comes over the house. The only sound you can hear is blood rushing through your ears as your heart pounds in your chest. You barely notice Joel guiding you out of your seat and taking you outside. His hand wraps around yours, his thumb gently swiping over your skin. 

“I’m sorry about my brother. He’s never been like that before,” Joel mumbles, walking you back to your house. 

“It’s okay. This surprisingly isn’t the worst thing that’s happened when it comes to meeting my boyfriend’s families,” you laugh, trying to ease the tension. 

“I can’t imagine anythin’ worse than this.”

“A fire started and half the house burned down.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah, it was a very eventful Thanksgiving to say the least.”

The street lights barely illuminate your house at the end of the cul-de-cac. It’s smaller than all the others and looks out of place with all the uniformed homes. You stop in front of it and turn to Joel.

“Maybe we could start over. You guys can come to my place this time and you can even bring Tommy if he promises to keep his hands to himself.”

“I’d like that, but I doubt Tommy’ll be comin’.”

All my writing ability left the building once I got to the end of this piece.

******

Taglist:

@hatterripper31

@aiyaaayei

@vipersecret-blog

@kelly-fushiguro345

#black reader #reader insert #chubby black reader #black girl reader #black!fem!reader #fanfic #chubby reader #joel the last of us #joel miller smut #joel tlou #joel miller x poc!reader #joel miller x plus size reader #joel miller x black!reader #joel miller x reader #joel miller #joel miller x chubby black reader #joel miller x plus size black reader #joel miller x black plus size reader #joel miller x chubby reader #pedro pascal fic #pedro pascal smut #pedro pascal imagine #pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #black fanfiction #plus size reader smut #plus sized reader #plus size reader #plus size black girl #chubby black reader smut

[sparkanonymous]

Let me ramble about my ship opinions real quick. I gotta say something to somebody while my siblings procrastinate watching what's available.

⚠️ Total Drama Reboot Season 2 Spoilers ⚠️

We're gonna talk about the canon ships this time. It makes it easier to talk about.

Caleb x Priya

They might not have gotten together yet, but Millie said that Priya has a crush on him. I really don't see this one. She showed no interest in him the first season - probably didn't help that he was only in one episode - so the first sign of interest from her was when Priya had mentioned looking him up on social media. I don't like Caleb as a character very much; I think he's kind of boring. Plus, it still feels like the writers don't really know what to do with him since he's barely done anything yet, besides literally carrying his team in the third episode. The writer's paired them up as the strong couple and haven't really gone beyond that yet. I personally would've wanted Damiya because there was a more interest last season and because Damien is just a better character, in my opinion.

0/10

Raj x Bowie

This relationship is by far one of the more nuanced ones we've gotten out of Total Drama as a whole; Gwent and Duncney were great in their first season, but after that, they made it so painful for me to like them. If you look at my profile, you can tell Rajbow is one of my favorites. I think they're cute, and I hope that we get to see them be assholes to other people together at some point. Maybe even with Wayne included. Hell, I'll just take fanfiction if the writers don't provide. I like that they're spending more time together doing various things and that Raj isn't afraid to scold Bowie when he thinks he's doing something wrong. I think they have an easier time discussing things, even if Bowie is technically lying to Raj right now about not cheating. A lot of their bonding felt a little rushed last season. There was the scene where they were going to talk by the lake, right before Julia found out about the video posted on her social media account (does she still have that account?). That was only a ten second scene. There were so many quick moments, blink and you'll miss them. They're more obvious now, longer too. I like that.

10/10

MK x Julia

I know I said canon ships, but... but COME ON. This is canon. I'm not taking any other opinions. Anyway, I did notice when people started shipping these two last season, and I'll be honest; I didn't see it. This new season, though, has made me see a new light. I think the writer's felt like they had more leeway and like they had a better grasp on these two's personalities. MK was always a bit of a troublemaker and thief, and she would definitely take the easier way of winning than to actually try if she had the choice. Julia doesn't want to get voted off, so she'll take cheating to win, knowing that she's always on the chopping block when Bowie has both Raj and Wayne on his side. The writer's are really playing up their flirting, too, so whether they actually get together in the season or not, their relationship will not be forgotten.

9/10

Ripper x Axel

I'm gonna be so for real right now; this caught me so off guard. Out of all the characters they wanted to pair up, I didn't think Ripper would be an option. I do like him more this season, but he still makes me kind of uncomfortable, especially in the second episode where he butters himself up while only wearing his swimsuit. I cringe. Axel being into him? For why? I don't know what's going on up in that brain of hers, but this is awesome! I didn't expect to like their relationship as much as I do, and when I found out it was canon, I was buzzing. I don't know why I was so excited, but I was, and that's all that matters to me. I don't like poetry, and neither does Ripper, but the fact he put that aside to impress Axel is really sweet to me. Ripper has officially gotten himself good points and is no longer my least favorite character. I hope these two get along well and don't do the thing Emma and Chase did, where they constantly try to get a rise out of the other and break up every twenty minutes. I do believe we should've gotten more interest in them last season, but I think the only interaction they got was when Axel kicked Ripper off the ship.

7/10

I do feel bad for the Axel x Nichelle shippers, but just because it's not canon doesn't mean that you should stop shipping it. Both Axel and Ripper are a bit fruity anyway, so even if they hadn't gotten together, they would've been shipped with other characters by the fandom regardless.

#total drama #total drama reboot #total drama spoilers #td spoilers #rajbow #ripaxel #caleb x priya #mkulia #spark speaks

[chronicowboy]

must feel nice to abandon buddie for a fucking plot device that isn't gonna be around for long. i can't with buddie fans, where's the f'n loyalty to the story and relationship being told for 6 seasons. It's disgusting how quick you all are to throw them in the trash and for what!? The dude from season two, are you fucking kidding me?

oh anon ive been waiting for you. you're so fucking funny, i'm giggling away over here oh my god.

first of all, what about any of my recent posts makes you think i've abandoned buddie??? just a couple of examples LOL:

second of all, i'm incredibly loyal to the story and buddie, to quote the wonderful ash call me crazy but i love to watch the story unfold. sorry i don't want buddie just getting together immediately in the most boring "hey i think im gay and in love with you" "hey i think im gay and in love with you!!!" way, sorry if i like a little drama, a little conflict, a couple of twists and turns. actually not sorry. only sorry you don't know how to enjoy shit anon it must be a very sad little life you lead!!

third of all, that dude from season two is about to help buck figure out his sexuality and is also himself a great example of a complex queer character on a prime time tv show. we've got barely anything of him but his character is so rich. his growth from his bigoted attitudes in season 2 to this man who is willing to put everything on the line for the 118, who had to face homophobia in his workplace as a queer man and obviously his own internalised homophobia, and has come out of it so confident and ready to help facilitate someone else's realisation and treat them so well.

sorry i'm just a better buddie fan than you 🤷‍♀️

#sami answers #honestly surprised i didn't get one of you sooner but you did not disappoint on the entertainment #really had to reel myself in though with this one or i might have needed a read more #can't wait for tommy and buck to fall in love and fuck nasty on our screen #can't wait for buck to realise he's been in love with eddie the whole time and have to face up to that #911 spoilers #anyway bye anon hope u hate the rest of the season 😘 i'll be enjoying watching buck's beautiful story unfold!!!!

[xoxoladyaz]

Steddie Bigbang #177: Infernally Yours is HERE!

Finally, after months of work I am SO HAPPY to start publishing my contribution to @steddiebang, a post-Season 3 AU in which Hopper doesn't go to Russia, the Byers family stays in Hawkins, and Steve Harrington finally agrees to play DnD with Hellfire. Chapters 1 and 2 are up today, chapters 3 and 4 will go up on the 9th, and the last two chapters (and the epilogue) will be posted on the 16th.

Here's the link to the story on Ao3 and a preview below :) I can't wait to see what you all think!

Listen. Steve Harrington knew that he had some sins to pay for, okay? He was kind of a stuck-up shit for most of high school and while he didn’t go out of his way to, like, ruin anybody’s day – cough, cough, Tommy Hagan – he also didn’t really reach out to anyone who needed help either. He’d led on a lot of girls before Nance, too, and if judging by the fact that the only girls he dated these days wanted a good time and not a long time, well, he had some work to do on the whole “relationship” and “finding everlasting love” front. But he’s done the work to be better! Granted, a lot of the work consisted of him getting beaten up and/or tortured by other people while protecting a group of unthankful little shitheads, but it’s still progress. And, not to brag, but he got Robin Buckley as a best friend out of the whole thing, so really, Steve Harrington’s not doing so bad on the whole “redemption” thing, thank you.

So why, why does the universe continue to torment him?

“ – and that’s when Lorcan Fairwood used Horde Breaker to fire into the pack of gnolls, dealing five points of damage to Kazar, the gnoll pack leader, and then Eddie said - ”

“Dingus,” Robin hissed, knocking her elbow into Steve’s and dislodging him from his thoughts. “Get Dingus Junior to knock-it-off with this dork talk before I knock him into the recent returns.”

Groaning, Steve rubbed his palms against his dry eyes and braced for impact. “We got it, Henderson, Munson’s the best thing to ever happen to Dorks and Demons - ”

“ – Dungeons and Dragons, Steve, I know that you know that’s what it’s called - ”

“ – and as much as I like hanging out with you, dude, these multi-hour play-by-plays aren’t convincing me that this nerd shit is, like, fun or whatever,” he finished with a sigh. Robin shot him an exasperated but grateful look and then slid her newest stack of freshly rewound returns his way.

“Shelving time, doinkus.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Steve rolled his eyes and reached for the stack.

Dustin snorted and kicked at the front of his desk, which, the attitude on this kid, seriously. “Guess Eddie was right.” 

Steve froze. What the hell does that mean?

“What the hell does that mean?”

Dustin snorted again before spinning to face Steve, his hands falling to his hips. “Eddie said says that jocks only care about other jocks. And jock stuff.”

“Hey, okay, first of all, there’s only one of us that’s actually saved your life multiple times and it’s not Eddie Munson, so jot that down,” Steve snapped, dropping the tapes back onto the counter (and ignoring Robin’s yelp as they tumbled everywhere). “And second, just because we don’t have the same interests doesn’t mean I don’t care about you, man. That’s a shit thing to say.”

Henderson folded inward, his eyes dropping towards the ground and voice losing its normal intensity. “Sorry, Steve.”

“And third – look, Henderson,” Steve sighed at Dustin’s drooping. (Look, he was a little shithead with the biggest ego in every room, but he was Steve’s little shithead and he hated to see him upset – even when it was his own fault.) “Maybe it isn’t like, totally boring in the moment or whatever, but getting a two-hour play by play after your game every Saturday isn’t doing a whole lot to convince me, man.”

“Well,” Dustin perked up slightly and cleared his throat, “we’re always looking for new members - ”

“Nope, no way.”

“Steve,” Henderson’s whining was out in full force now, “it would be so much fun! You wouldn’t even have to do that much work; I could help you get started and - ”

“No.”

“ – seriously, I can make you a character sheet so fast, and our party could really use another fighter anyways - ”

“No, Henderson!”

“ – besides, we haven’t gotten to hang out with you as much now that school started, and you know that Will’s having a hard time because everyone keeps calling him ‘Zombie Boy’ and he would be so excited to have you playing with us - ”

Shit, he’s pulling out the Zombie Boy card. Shit, shit, shit.

“Henderson - ”

“ – and, you know, I totally believe you and everything but Mike is pretty convinced that you’re still an asshole, especially with everything Eddie’s said, and this could be your chance to prove him wrong!” Dustin finished emphatically, his chest puffing with exertion.

Steve shot an exasperated look over the top of the Horror section towards Robin, who was pouting in mock-agreement with Dustin.

Traitor.

Sighing, Steve shoved Friday the 13th onto the shelf and dropped his gaze towards Dustin. “One game.”

Dustin let out a loud whoop, hopping in place and punching wildly at the air. “YES!”

“Just one game, Henderson, that’s it.”

“I’LL TAKE IT!” Letting out an even louder victory cry, Dustin raced for the door. “I’m going to get working on your character sheet right now – Wednesday, 3:30 in the drama room,” Dustin said, whirling around to point at Steve. “You’ll be there?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be there.”

“YES! Don’t worry Steve, you won’t regret this!” Dustin beamed and then he was out the door, disappearing into the October sun.

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie fanfic #steddie big bang #steve harrington my beloved #hellfire club

[bluedalahorse]

Philosophies of Justice and Narrative Catharsis in Young Royals

Do you ever just have… conversations with yourself at 2 am?

Me: Wow. August did some bad shit. I want him to get therapy and help, but I also want him to face some kinda legal punishment.

Also me: Oh, self. You don’t trust cops or judges or prisons. The legal system would be way harsher on Simon about the drugs. Doesn’t that give you anxiety?

A third me, thousands of words in and possessed by a hyperfocus demon: Well fuck. We might be doing a meta about it. It’s okay, this can just be building blocks for our graduate school thesis on YA literature. Ahaha it’s fine.

The following meta looks at philosophies of justice, both retributive and restorative, as they appear in the worldbuilding Young Royals. This is a monster of a meta, like ~6500 words long, so be aware of that going in. Content note for discussion of all the usual crime topics in YR, as well as the injustices present in real world legal systems.

Intro: Shifting the Focus

Fandom loves discussing—and disagreeing about—the redemption arc. Who can blame us? As human beings, we’re wired to notice novelty, and redemption arcs involve a character experiencing some sort of dramatic transformation. This transformation could be gradually built up to for a series of chapters or seasons, or it could be sudden and jarring. It could involve one big dramatic gesture or a series of small changes. Whatever happens, fans end up debating what they see onscreen.

Now, I love a good discussion. I also love stories that poke beyond simple notions of good and evil, where characters are capable of change in multiple directions, And yet, as someone who has spent years in fandom, I increasingly find the discussion of redemption arcs unsatisfying and even boring. Everyone seems to have their own definition of what constitutes “enough” good deeds for a character’s redemption, and even their own opinions of who is worthy of redemption in the first place. It seems we can’t entirely agree on what the term means, and everyone gets bogged down in discourse.

At first, my dissatisfaction prompted me to ask what I considered a well-written redemption arc. Well, no, that’s not accurate. There was a little arrogant voice inside me telling me that I, the great bluedalahorse, who has devoted many hours of academic study to various literary texts and even made complicated spreadsheets to track ideas in my favorite books, could use my genius analytical skills to find out what a perfect redemption arc is supposed to look like and develop a formula for it. And then I stepped back and laughed at myself. Since when did good writing ever follow a formula? All the best writers know how and when to break the rules. Also, I am not as much of a genius as I think I am. I’m literally just hanging out here and overthinking my fictional faves like the rest of fandom.

A lightbulb moment switched on when I attended a workshop focused on restorative justice in schools, back in the summer of 2022. As I listened and processed the things I was learning, my storyteller brain kept poking me. Hey, it was saying to me. Heyyyy can we use restorative justice principles to write better character arcs? Particularly redemption arcs? I talked to my MFA adviser about this as we began to workshop ideas for a critical thesis in Young Adult literature. We started to explore the ways that restorative justice principles showed up in books like Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay and All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. I got a little further along in my theories, identifying techniques authors used to show characters confronting their privilege, unlearning old behaviors, and making amends for harm that they caused others. Still, something was missing. I just wasn’t getting where I wanted to with my analysis.

A few weeks ago I had a second lightbulb: what if we stop looking at justice in relationship to character arcs alone, and start looking at worldbuilding?

That clicked. Oh, boy, did it click! You really can’t talk about characters without understanding their world. Once I attended a panel on writing villains, and one of the panelists asserted that you can’t develop your villain as a character until you’ve developed your world. (Whether villains are outcasts hellbent on revenge, or oppressive tyrants at the top of their society, their world plays a role in shaping them.) Since what we call redemption arcs so often involves taking a character out of a villainous space and into a more heroic one, naturally worldbuilding has to be a factor in that kind of story. I also realized that the framing of the “redemption arc” frustrates me because on some level, it’s still tied to the Western Christian idea of individual salvation. I didn’t want to necessarily focus on what what one character does or doesn’t do individually without also focusing on that character’s relationship to other characters and their communities.

So I decided to experiment with shifting the focus of my thesis research. There were only two things left to do: come up with a framework for exploring my ideas, and test those questions out on Young Royals. Because it’s my favorite show, and it has a lot to say about justice. That said, a lot of what I say here and the methods I use could be applied to other shows as well. I’m curious to hear what it might have to say about your other favorite works of fiction!

The Framework

After some drafting during early morning bus commutes, I came up with three questions I wanted to explore when looking at Young Royals and other texts. These questions are:

What is the authorial philosophy of justice? What principles of justice are at play in how the author constructs the characters, world, and storylines?

How is justice enacted (or not) through the legal system(s) in this story’s setting? To what extent do the ideals of that legal system match up with its reality? To what extent should they?

What are the individual characters’ experiences of justice in their day to day life? What social norms do they end up creating in their smaller communities to enforce their ideas of justice?

What I like about this series of questions is that it allows a text to speak in multiple voices. There has been a lot of fandom discourse over the last ten years (and even longer, honestly, this shit goes back at least to Plato’s dialogues) about authorial intent and whether depiction equals endorsement and so on. I don’t think I’m going to end those debates today. Still, I do think it’s worth pointing out that a TV show or a book or a movie is able to tell a story and make a point in a different way than an essay or campaign speech does. You can have different characters own different parts of the truth. A particular setting can be positive for one character and negative for another. Fiction is really good at exploring paradoxes, contradictions, and tensions. I created these questions because they force me to tease out the tensions in a narrative and where there might be meaning in them.

Come on, Blue! you say. We know Young Royals has a lot of tension in it. When are you gonna start talking about your fandom? Okay. Fine. I’ll get to the sad teenagers now. Put on your school uniforms, everyone. We’re going to Hillerska!

No Good or Bad People, Only Good or Bad Actions

The title for this section comes from me paraphrasing Omar paraphrasing Lisa in an interview.

Two questions you may have about this section are: 1. What makes authorial philosophy (a term I am pretty sure I just made up for the purposes of this meta) different than authorial intent? 2. What’s the relationship between the author’s philosophy and their worldbuilding?

To answer question 1, I am defining authorial philosophy for the purposes of this meta as what the author intends + how effectively they convey that through their storytelling and craft. So like, authorial intent, but we’re also holding the author somewhat accountable for how their message comes across. Generally I read Lisa and the rest of the team as pretty intentional in how they craft their stories, and I can see how their ideas play out in practice, so I am more likely to give credence to authorial intent. I might not do that for other authors. As someone who reads heavily in the YA novel field, I’ve seen plenty of books with surface progressivism that end up being kinda reactionary when you scrape beneath that surface. Usually it’s a craft issue or the author not being intentional enogh. Young Royals, so far, has not been that kind of text.

As for question 2, authors can use their worldbuilding to reinforce their authorial philosophy, whether that’s through having characters in the story espouse said philosophy, or by using the story’s plot and character arcs to test their story, or by some combination of the two. Lisa is a writer who affords her characters a lot of grace, but I also see her as willing to test that grace and our her personal philosophy on trial. She’s very aware that ideals don’t always match up with reality, and those tensions are part of what she explores so well in her writing.

Now that we’ve addressed those questions, let’s address the authorial philosophy of Young Royal.

Young Royals stands out from other school dramas because it handles nuance so well. But how do Lisa and her team achieve that nuance? Part of it is the way their approach to characters resonates with the philosophy of restorative justice.

Restorative justice can be defined as “a system of criminal justice which focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community at large.” This website has some additional information about what restorative justice looks like in theory and practice. (Plenty of other websites do as well.) Restorative justice is really hard to pull of IRL, but philosophically it does ask us to think about the ways in which more retributive and punitive justice systems are failing people.

Now, before I get too far into my explanation, I don’t know if Lisa chose a restorative justice approach to her writing on purpose, or how much she’s read about the subject. But a lot of what she prioritizes as a writer lines up with certain RJ principles anyway. For example, RJ practitioners believe that every human being has worth and dignity, and that leaning too far into a retributive justice model (more on that in the next section) can be dehumanizing for both victims and offenders. In Lisa’s writing, each character is humanized, there are no characters who are caricatures. Everyone in Young Royals has their own reasons for behaving why they behave—even when they make choices that harm others. There aren’t excuses, but there are explanations.

Two other important ideas in RJ are accountability and dialogue. Season 2 of YR deals a lot with the question of accountability. Wilhelm’s positive growth is signaled by his willingness to be accountable for his actions; August’s more tragic arc is characterized by his baby steps toward accountability followed by his dramatic backflip away from it.

Regarding dialogue, Wilhelm’s growth is fostered by important and vulnerable conversations with others. Sometimes these conversations are with the people he harmed or impacted in a negative way. He and Felice have to talk their way through the weirdness of that kiss, while he and Simon have to talk about… well, everything. TBH they’re not done talking yet. But they’ve started, and that’s where the progress and catharsis is happening. Other times, Wilhelm’s conversations with other members of the Hillerska community—Nils and Boris come to mind—help him to see things in a new light and clarify his ideals. When we cheer on Wilhelm as he comes to better understand his privilege in the world and the weight that his actions have, we’ve been enlisted by Lisa to support restorative justice philosophy.

No one character represents Lisa’s philosophy entirely, because she’s so committed to all characters being fallible in their own ways, but I would say that of the main cast, the Eriksson siblings and Felice are the most likely to express different parts of restorative justice philosophy. All of them strive to look for people’s human side instead of relying on stereotypes. They want the people close to them to be accountable for their actions. They talk things through. They recognize the needs of multiple people in a situation. This doesn’t happen all the time, with every person, in every instance. They get distracted and led astray. There may be times where it would benefit them to get outside help and they don’t. Sometimes their efforts blow up in their face. But they’re trying, and I think Wilhelm has definitely joined them by the end of season 2.

So sure, all the characters in Young Royals might brush up against the principles of restorative justice, but they still “live in a society” as we may or may not still say on the internet. In order to understand more, let’s talk about the legal system as it’s presented in the show.

Call Your Lawyer Stepdad

As a writer, Lisa may believe in restorative justice principles, and this likely guides how she depicts the characters in her story. The legal systems she depicts in her work, however, are not restorative. What’s more, they are applied unequally based on the identity of the person who breaks laws or rules. Young Royals is very clear about the distinction between the ideals of the law and how the law actually gets enforced.

Obligatory disclaimer: I’m not a law student or someone who’s studied much comparative politics, so I can’t say for sure whether Sweden’s legal system leans more retributive or more rehabilitative. I also can’t say whether the ideals of its legal system match its reality, but I am making a safe guess that they don’t entirely. (Sweden, my ancestral homeland, I love kanelbullar and ABBA, but your current right wing government and your response to the COVID pandemic and your history of colonization, among other things, shows that you are just as capable of bullshit as any other nation. Forgive me if I approach your legal system with caution. If anyone from Sweden or another Nordic country has more info and can weigh in, feel free to weigh in.) It’s also worth mentioning my own preconceived notions here. I live in a country with a massive mass incarceration problem and a legal system that was specifically created to reinforce white supremacy, so my trust in law enforcement and courts and the like is… not high.

What I can say about the legal system in Young Royals is this: the writing of the show primarily focuses on the retributive aspects of the legal system. In a retributive justice system, those who break the law are criminals, and they are punished for their crimes. Punishment is seen as a way of deterring crime and keeping it from happening in the future.

We see the impact of a system like that when legal consequences motivate characters and the choices they make. Simon is afraid of getting caught and prosecuted for bringing drugs into school, while August fears being put on trial and imprisoned for leaking the video. What’s interesting to me, though, is that it isn’t just that both characters fear punishment. They also fear the stigma that comes with being publicly convicted of a crime. Simon doesn’t want to be stereotyped as the poor kid who comes into school and pushes drugs on the rich kids. He knows how dangerous drug addiction can be from witnessing his dad, and he brings the drugs into school out of financial desperation. August, meanwhile, wants to think of himself as an untouchable elite who is discreet about secrets, and probably (more sympathetically) also wants to think of himself as a relatively helpful guy who showed Wilhelm around school and took care of him the way Erik would have wanted. I think it’s very clever how Lisa had Simon and August each break the law in ways that betray their respective core values, because it brings this issue with a retributive justice system to light. Once someone has committed a crime, how do they move past that stigma and make themself into the sort of person who doesn’t do a crime again?

This leads to another issue with retributive justice. We often equate legality with morality subconsciously, but these two ideas are not the same thing. In August’s case, leaking the video is easy enough for us to label—it is both illegal because it is against the law and immoral because it violates Simon and Wilhelm’s right to sexual privacy. Simon bringing in his dad’s drugs—that’s against the law, sure. But is it immoral? Simon is up against a corrupt teacher who rewards students who can pay more with better grades. He needs to pay for tutoring if he want to succeed. He’s at a disadvantage because of his socioeconomic status, and he also probably hasn’t had time to process trauma around his dad’s addiction. From the point of view of a Hillerska parent, however, they’re just going to see Simon as a threat to their kid’s well-being.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Simon’s reasons for breaking the law are absolutely more sympathetic than August’s reasons. I cannot stress this enough. We see the way the system screws Simon over, and how it drives him to do what he does. Simon gets drugs to students who consent to take them, but when August films him and Wilhelm it’s without their consent. Moreover, August is complicit in Simon’s lawbreaking because he ends up being the guy who sells drugs on Simon’s behalf. (Jesus, August, sell a painting or something.) But who is the legal system in the YR universe more likely to give grace to? August. Who is it more likely to come down hard on? Simon. Simon does not have the wealth to afford a trial. He doesn’t have a lawyer stepdad on speed dial. He doesn’t have an in with the media like the royal family does, so he can’t control the public narrative of his life the same way that they can.

On a purely literal level, August dangling the threat of the pill bottle in front of everyone is the most textbook example of August being a little shit. On the thematic, level, however, this reminds us who the justice system really serves. It’s a caution against relying on the justice system—or at least relying on the justice system alone—for narrative catharsis in this story. Instead, we should be looking for narrative catharsis elsewhere. And, we should definitely be looking at more than one character arc if that is the case.

The Only Person You Can Truly Control Is Yourself

While season 2 includes the retributive justice of the legal system as part of its worldbuilding, we also see Wilhelm embody the philosophy of retributive justice through his actions. Wilhelm starts his arc in a place where he wants to punish August for what he’s done by taking away everything he cares about. He justifies this by pointing out the problems with the legal system—rich kids never actually face the consequences of their actions. While Wilhelm is correct to call that out, he ends up transforming himself into a more extreme agent of the retributive philosophy in order to pursue what he sees as justice.

Now, this is a writing gambit that could have failed spectacularly. We’ve all seen versions of the “if we are awful to our enemies, we’re just as bad as them” story that end up reinforcing an icky status quo. But that’s not exactly what happens in Young Royals. The first thing to notice is that Wilhelm’s approach works… initially. August has lost a lot at the beginning of season 2, part of it due to Wilhelm’s efforts, and that’s made him more willing to reflect and be vulnerable and listen to Sara when she tells him he can preserve his self-respect by turning himself in. I actually don’t think Sara’s being entirely naive when she points out that January August would have turned himself over. The problem is that as January August becomes February And March August and starts to gain new things to protect (an in with the palace, a new relationship with Sara) he becomes afraid of losing everything again, and starts to go back to his old ways.

The other thing to notice is that Wilhelm mostly acts alone. Felice is his confidant, but she’s not working alongside Wilhelm, suggesting they swap out August’s hair products with toothpaste. (I kinda wish she would have, though.) In spite of the fact that the video probably hurt Simon even more than it did Wilhelm (reminder: Wilhelm has access to a press team and hired security that let him walk away at first) Wilhelm doesn’t center Simon in the process of doling out punishment. He does it with the best of intentions—he doesn’t want Simon getting hurt—but that moment where Simon’s like “You did ALL THIS TO HIM when we could have reported him together???” Yeah. That’s extremely valid. And it hints at one of the central ideas of s2—yes, dealing with August is important, but priority number one for Wilhelm is Wilhelm taking accountability for his own actions (denying that it was him in the video) and making things right with Simon in that way. With that relationship restored (see what I did there? restorative justice?) they can lean on one another as they slay their next monster. At the end of the day, the person who Wilhelm has the most control over is himself. That’s why we end season 2 on him making the speech and publicly acknowledging his relationship with Simon, not with the arrival of cop cars at Hillerska.

Speaking of the choices Wilhelm decided to make, I invite Young Royals fans to consider how Wilhelm’s role as crown prince give his actions symbolic weight. The royal family may not have real lawmaking power, but they’re still supposed to represent Swedish values and traditions to the general public. If Wilhelm starts pursuing a kind of justice, then he’s making a statement about what justice looks like in Sweden whether he wants to or not. If he had shot August in the field, that would have been more than a murder—symbolically that would have been an execution, in a country that banned capital punishment in the 1970s. (Then again, Stella and Fredrika would probably be okay with that.)

I want to make one more point here as I transition into the next section. I don’t think Lisa is necessarily saying that August shouldn’t be punished or face consequences for his crime. But I do think she’s being very clear that a retributive justice philosophy is going to hit marginalized people without the resources to defend themselves—people like Simon—a lot harder. And that opens up the question of where we’re supposed to find catharsis. Can we really exhale at the image of jail cell doors clanging shut, knowing that this same legal system can come for Simon using the same tools? If Simon somehow manages to evade prosecution, can he ever really find relief? How long will that last? What’s to say the system won’t screw him over in other ways, and what’s to say that other rich kids won’t get away with what August did, or worse?

It would be one thing if a crime only harmed the individuals involved, but restorative justice philosophy reminds us that this harm also impacts communities and involves communities. So, without further ado, it’s time to zoom in and examine how justice plays out (or fails to) in the Hillerska community.

Snitches, Stitches, and Scapegoats

In the microcosm of Hillerska, students have organized their own justice system in miniature. Conformity gets rewarded, while open nonconformity gets ostracized. While there is some understanding among the students that individuals will deviate from heterosexual, traditionalist, rich kid norms, this deviation is generally only tolerated when students do it in secret. In this climate, Hillerska students do a lot of self-policing. Stella and Nils cover up their sexualities in ways that may not work for them long term. Felice frets about her physical appearance and how people will perceive her if she pursues boys a certain way. You get the picture.

Because of the pressure to maintain a pristine image of the school (gotta make those admissions brochures look sparkly clean!) the student body as a whole sweeps crime and “deviant” behavior under the rug by closing ranks and agreeing not to snitch on one another. The elite status of Hillerska students allows them to get away with a lot their public school peers would not. While gossip flourishes within Hillerska’s walls, woe betide anyone who lets it escape into the outer world.

On occasion, there are crimes that can’t be covered up, and it may be that more than one student is involved. We’ve seen what happens in this case. Hillerska students do not collectively assume responsibility, but instead agree upon a narrative about what happened and choose a scapegoat to pin the problem on. We see this most clearly in episode 1.5, when Alexander is found with the drugs that the Society used for their party. August suggests they pin the drugs on Simon, while Wilhelm breaks with tradition and says Alexander should take the fall, because Alexander can easily bounce back from an accusation like this. Sure enough, Alexander is back at Hillerska next season, far less innocent than before and far more likely to engage in political intrigue. Wilhelm’s considerations about how Alexander can more easily absorb the blame for the drugs are well thought out and in some ways compassionate—and we’re happy to cheer him on for defending Simon and to some extent we should. However, Wilhelm’s willingness to participate in the scapegoating system backfires on him nonetheless, and also entrenches him in one of the most toxic parts of Hillerska culture. He’s cut off one hydra head and two new ones have sprung up to take it’s place.

One obvious danger of scapegoating is that innocent people are often blamed for things they have nothing to do with. We’ve seen this negatively impact Simon on the rowing team and elsewhere. Vincent makes Simon the scapegoat for the rowing team’s loss in episode 2.3 and uses it as an excuse to bully him. Simon doesn’t get to sing his solo because people will recognize him from the video and that will affect the school’s image and the royal family’s image. Simon is innocent in these areas, but he’s being made to take on blame for situations that are a lot bigger than him. Of all the individual students at Hillerska, Simon’s probably getting the shortest end of the stick, and that’s directly related to the fact that he lacks privilege.

Feeding the Myths

There’s other ways to make people symbols of crime or deviance, however, that can damage the fabric of social groups in other ways. Since scapegoat isn’t quite the right term here, because it tends to presume innocence rather than superlative guilt, I’m going to borrow some season 2 language and refer to this as the Worst Person in the World Phenomenon. Now, this is where I’m going to go out on a limb a bit and ask a question the show might not engage with in season 3. They might do it. They might not. It may be beyond the scope of the story Lisa feels she is able to tell. I’m going to ask this question all the same:

If August faces public consequences and punishment for leaking the video, what impact will that actually have on the culture of Hillerska students? Will it prevent such a thing from ever happening again? Will it at least encourage self-reflection?

You could argue that a high profile case like August’s could deter his classmates from engaging in harmful behaviors. He may affect some students that way. I mean, what he did is Very Bad on the Bad scale. You might even call him… the Worst Person In The World. Who would want to be like the Worst Person In The World?

The flip side of the Worst Person In The World phenomenon is that can actually discourage people from taking responsibility and holding themselves accountable. Because gosh, what I did isn’t that bad. It’s not serial killer bad, or Vladimir Putin bad. Do we realistically believe that other students at Hillerska aren’t doing problematic things? That the rowing team has zero boys who will show a topless photo of their girlfriend (without her consent) to some of his bros while they chuckle over it? That some of the girl groups aren’t spreading wildly inappropriate and homophobic rumors about classmates that seriously damage reputations? That kids aren’t paying one another for test answers or putting pressure on one another to unsafely experiment with alcohol and drugs, even when students express boundaries and don’t want to? That kids don’t collectively work to bully teachers at times? And generally the kids aren’t getting in trouble because they’re the children of rich, elite parents, who will grow to be the rich people who run the systems and structures in society for the next generation.

Now, none of the Hillerska kids (that we know of) are doing bad things on the scale that August did when he leaked the video. This is important to stress. But it’s also important to stress that this “getting away with bad behavior” culture of Hillerska and rich people in general is part of what made August who he is. Are the other participants in that culture willing to reflect on that and actively work to change the culture in question?

Again, this does not mean that August shouldn’t face consequences or punishment, or that he shouldn’t go to prison and undergo some sort of rehabilitation. There are excellent reasons for him to face consequences. He did revenge porn FFS. But I think it’s worth acknowledging that the punishment of a very obvious, high profile offender can feed the myth that the legal system is finally working toward justice when in fact the system is continuing to perpetuate injustice. We can see how this works when only a few select predator men were convicted to placate the #MeToo movement, we can see how this works with corrupt cops when only a few who kill are ever convicted but most get away with it, and we can see how this works with political parties taking advantage of the fact that other political parties are, well, worse.

And yes, don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good, no ethical consumption under capitalism, etc etc. I think we can keep that in mind while also keeping in mind that we still bear a responsibility to Do The Work in whatever way we are able. This is wandering off of Young Royals a bit. But I’ve given a lot of thought to the way we point at glaringly bad examples of human behavior and say “at least I’m not that guy” while not really doing the reflective work about what we can do to be better and how we can change our culture and systems. This kind of rhetoric is what allows people, especially people like the Hillerska kids who are at the top of society and the peak of privilege, to sleep at night. And maybe they shouldn’t be sleeping so well.

I think a lot about how the scene with Sara warning August that Simon is going to call the police (which is about Sara giving August one more chance to embrace accountability) is followed by a scene of Henry showing up to his group project meeting with no work done. Henry might not have done his work on a literal level, but as a symbol, he’s doing a lot of work. Not only is Henry foreshadowing that August isn’t going to do the right thing and turn himself in, he’s also lampshading the broader culture of Hillerska itself. For all the fancy plaques about responsibility, the students use their privilege and power to avoid doing what’s right and keep the status quo going. This is who they are. This is what they are going to have to overcome to be ethical humans who make their world better.

Working for Catharsis and Healing (A personal opinion section)

I don’t make predictions. The idea of making predictions for season 3 is in fact pretty stressful for me. But what this intellectual exercise has opened up for me is a question of where I would find catharsis and healing in the narrative. It’s not in the sound of police sirens. Maybe that’s different for you. That’s okay. I think we can learn a lot from the discussion in question.

Let’s start with the obvious jerkface himself and the question of him facing punishment. I think it’s worth separating August from other people for a time, to prevent him from doing additional harm to others. If we’re going to call that prison, then sure, let’s call it that. But let’s unpack what that separation looks like. In order for Wilhelm and Simon (and Sara and Felice for that matter) to heal, they’re going to need to be away from him. They should not be the ones responsible for his rehabilitation. As a restorative justice nerd deep down (at least, mostly, but fictional teenagers are well within the broad spectrum of people I’ll offer grace to) I still think he deserves a chance to heal from at least his drug addiction and his eating disorder and his trauma over his dad’s suicide. I also think he needs to understand accountability and the impact his actions have on others, and needs to learn to act in ways that repair the harm he’s done and prevent future harm. This is what he owes the world. There’s not time enough for us to see that whole journey, but I feel like the writers could show us the first few steps.

I’ve seen some people try to argue that August can’t change because he didn’t respond enough to Sara treating him like a person. I can see their point, and I can see the show using the Sara subplot as a shorthand for the idea that August can’t change. Writers often have to use that kind of shorthand to make a point about a character. (The relationship between redemption arcs and romantic love is one of my ongoing problems with redemption arcs in fiction, just for the record.) The way I see it, though, Sara is just one neurodivergent girl with a family history of abuse experiencing her first romantic love. She’s not a team of trained mental health professionals and social workers and other help-minded adults who’ve studied up on how to de-program systemic nonsense. After all, we can accept that although Simon loves Wilhelm very much, Simon’s efforts alone weren’t enough to fully dislodge Wilhelm from his place of privilege. Wilhelm needed Boris and therapy, and a mom who made him go to therapy (Kristina often does more harm than good, but her making Wilhelm go to therapy is the broken clock being right twice a day), and Felice as a friend and confidant, and Nils as a different sort of confidant, and a literature teacher like Fröken Ramirez who’s assigning him books with queer representation. Wilhelm’s journey is still ongoing. Romantic love may be transformative, but individuals in love don’t change people on their own. Communities change people. I am an aromantic relationship anarchist and I will die on this hill.

Speaking of the Eriksson siblings, I want Sara and Simon to have a chance to repair their relationship and build it anew. This would be another point of catharsis for me. I’ve seen a lot of people saying “Sara needs to do xyz tasks…” like we’re in a confession booth and a certain number of Hail Marys will save the day, but step one is that Sara and Simon just need to start communicating again, and communicating honestly. I think it’s easy to point to August as being the root of their relationship struggles, but there were a lot of unspoken tensions between the Eriksson siblings long before he entered the chat. They would have had some other falling out even without Hillerska. Simon’s been led to believe he should parent his sister, and Sara’s been convinced she’s a burden to her brother forever. They both are still reeling from trauma related to their dad, and it may need that they need different things to heal from that. Even without all that, they’re both maturing and defining their values and exploring romance for the first time, and Sara’s getting friendships of her own without always tagging along with Simon and Rosh and Ayub. Simon and Sara are getting to the age where they may not always be the most important people in each other’s lives, and they need to learn to grow up without growing apart. That doesn’t always happen automatically; it takes self-reflection and commitment and listening. I don’t think we’ll ever be back to the innocent days of Sara teasing Simon about his fairy tale prince. But I do think they can move their relationship forward in a new direction, and bounce back stronger.

I also think both Eriksson siblings need to come to terms with the fact that they violated their own values. Sara didn’t do anything illegal, but she did do something that violated her own morals, and you can tell that she feels pretty awful about that when she’s alone on the bus and driving away from school in 2.6. As for Simon, I don’t know if he’s fully gotten a chance to sit with the fact that he violated his own values when he brought his dad’s drugs to school. Again, I don’t want Simon to have to go through legal trouble, or deal with the prison system. The legal system is stacked against Simon in ways that are not fair. But Simon values accountability, and Wilhelm basically rescued him from being held accountable in season 1. I imagine that’s caused cognitive dissonance for Simon he’s still sorting through. I wonder what that’s going to be like for him.

On Wilhelm’s end, I’d like him to continue growing in the ways he’s grown in season 2. He’s learned not to be a symbol of extreme retributive justice. What would it look like for him to model restorative justice practices instead? (Note: this doesn’t mean that he personally has to forgive August. That’s entirely up to Wilhelm.) How can he encourage his community to act differently?

For Felice—well, one of my few issues with season 2 was how they handled Felice, and how they made her ancillary to others’ arcs instead of having her own, but that’s a post for another time. All the same, I think Felice is learning to trust her instincts, push past her biases, and take a unique point of view on things. She’s able to look at the video and see the broken pixels rather than the scandalous gossip scene everyone’s talking about. She can sense Sara’s hiding a secret from her and knows Sara needs to talk. Even if the conversation they end up having is deeply upsetting for her, it brings truths to light that need to be shared. Felice doesn’t have every tool in the toolbox yet, but what she observes and how she interacts with people can be helpful in delivering justice.

I don’t have meta space to consider every parent and adult on the show and things they can do differently. But I expect in season 3 we’ll start to see some adults (I don’t think it’s likely that we’ll see all of them) consider the roles they play in perpetuating systems and cycles. At least, I hope so. It shouldn’t be all on the young people to achieve change in society.

As for the Hillerska culture, it needs to change too. It’s worth asking if a place like Hillerska should even exist. Every secondary Hillerska student is going to act a little bit differently in response to the events of the plot, and I don’t know if I’d buy it if the show tried to tell us the Hillerska culture changed overnight in a magical ripple of self-consciousness. We might see individual students taking baby steps toward responsibility and liberation here or there. We might just see status quo as usual. I think of all the threads in this story, this is the one I would be okay with seeing Lisa Ambjörn leave things unresolved or in a place of tension, as long as that tension feels intentionally placed. Because changing the world is hard, and not everything changes all at once.

Young Royals doesn’t have to tie up every loose end by the last episode of season 3, but I do think it’s already raised a lot of questions about the relationship between justice and storytelling and where we find catharsis in fiction and our own lives. These questions are worth us considering, even if the answers point toward all the work that still needs to be done for the future.

#young royals #young royals meta #my meta #simon eriksson #wilhelm young royals #august young royals #sara eriksson #felice ehrencrona #long post #holy crap this is long thank you if you read it

[alloftheimagines]

eddie munson | livewire

masterlist | request | ko-fi

words: 2.2k

warnings: 18+

sexual harassment, alcohol, mentions of drugs, general horniness but no smut, bassist!reader x smitten!eddie, mostly just mutual but hidden pining and some jealousy

prompt(s): Can I PLLLEEEEASSSEEE request something with Eddie Munson and a Fem reader who is really punk rock, and is in her own band!

BASS PLAYER FEM!READER IN EDDIES BAND AND HES JUST OBSESSED WITH HER PLEASE🤤🤤🤤

Eddie and y/n just started talking at a party and they’re both interested in each other. The girl’s pretty popular so every guy wants to date her but she’s not really interested in any of them. They’re a bit drunk and one guy try to kiss her and everything and when she turns him down, he tells her the thing Daniel said to Cassie in the season 1 of euphoria (you’re so fucking boring… every guy who’s interested in you beyond just fucking you is full of shit) and Eddie comes at her defense. Maybe you could make them get close in the end idk.!! I hope you think it’s a good idea and thank you for your work ☺️🥰

Eddie Munson’s life has been a little more difficult than usual since you joined his band, Corroded Coffin, three months ago… for several reasons.

The first: you’re the worst. You scoff at his jokes. Make sarcastic quips about his haircut, how he’s an Ozzy-wannabe, how he missed that chord in the last run-through.

The second: he’s completely fucking obsessed with you. Partly because of your carefree, deadpan attitude and bone-dry wit, but also because… well, there isn’t enough paper in the world to write down all the things he loves about you. You’re super hot, for starters, all grunge with piercings, tattoos, and an attitude. The type of woman he’d elope with at the drop of a hat because he knows there’s nobody in the world cooler or more metal. But there’s also the way you strum your damn bass guitar. The way you get so lost in the music that your eyes close and your face does this thing that, fine, he might imagine as your orgasm face when he’s alone in his room at night, thinking of you.

And your fingers. They move roughly and produce magic. The band was shit before you. Now, it’s pretty damn rad, and he’s not afraid to admit you’re the reason.

Tonight he finds a third reason as to why you make his life more difficult, and that’s the way his stomach burns hot when he sees you talking to the stagehand before your gig. The place stinks of stale beer and weed and he’s certain that, behind the curtain, there are probably less than twenty people waiting to hear them play. And it’s pretty obvious you don’t belong in a seedy bar just outside of Hawkins, talking to a sweaty stagehand with an oily smirk that leaves Eddie unsettled. 

But there you are. And there Eddie is, on the outside. You laugh at something the stagehand says, and Eddie’s jaw clenches. You’ve never laughed with him like that, no matter how hard he tries to match your humour. He goes back to tuning his guitar, hoping it might tune you out, too. He hums the lyrics of their first song just to make sure he remembers them. Only he doesn’t, and he ends up mumbling some bullshit instead. He can’t fucking concentrate on anything but his tight chest. The want he feels for you, and the want you’ll never feel for him.

“Get a grip, Munson,” he mutters to himself, yanking his guitar off with a huff and propping it against the amp. He scratches his jaw roughly, restless, and not in the usual way he is before gigs. This isn’t excitement. This is plain old jealousy. He hates himself for it. 

And he can’t help it. He looks over his shoulder again, just once. You’re not laughing anymore. In fact, the look of disgust on your face is clear, because it’s usually reserved for him. He frowns — until the stagehand brushes his hand up your arm, right to your neck. Your chin. 

You step back. “What are you doing?”

Eddie moves closer so he can better hear the conversation.

“Oh, come on.” The stagehand runs a finger through the ends of your dyed hair. “You don’t want to get warmed up before the show?”

You pale, and it’s all it takes for Eddie to spring into action. He marches over, hands balling into fists. But it happens in slow motion. The stagehand tries to corner you, his wandering hands inching towards your breasts. And you… well, you do what Eddie had intended. You slap him. 

“I didn’t say you could touch me, asshole,” you ground out. Eddie comes to a stop in front of you, speechless. 

“Fuck. Are you okay?”

The stagehand’s nostrils flare, his face full of contempt. A man who isn’t used to being fought back. “Wow. Didn’t take you as a boring fucking prude.”

Eddie sees red, not just at the words, but the way they’re said. He shoves the stagehand back, wedging himself between you and him. “Don’t fucking —”

“Eddie. Let it go. He’s not worth it.” You yank him away by the sleeve of his leather jacket, but Eddie is reluctant to let anything go. He’s shaking with anger, even if you don’t seem rattled in the slightest. You might be a pain in his ass, but you don’t deserve this. Nobody does, but… god, not you. 

“Eddie.” Your tone becomes terse: a command rather than a plea. Eddie sucks in a ragged breath, scowling at the stagehand a final time. 

“If I see you talking to or laying a hand on her or anyone else like that again, I’ll fucking make you wish you hadn’t. Asshole.”

Your tug is tough now, and finally, he stumbles away with you. “What the fuck? I’m not going to let him talk to you like that. Jesus Christ.”

“I can fight my own battles, Munson.” Your eyes are stony as ever as they run across Eddie. “You’re not my knight in shining armour. Now let. It. Go. He’s learnt his lesson.” You survey the stagehand, a shimmer of pride in your eyes at his venomous scowl across the room. And that’s it. You cross your arms; walk away to join the rest of the band. You sling the strap of your bass guitar across your shoulder, and Eddie watches like a lost puppy. He can’t even help you right, it seems. 

But he does as you say. He lets it go, not without a final narrowing of his eyes at the slimy bastard. And he can’t pretend that he isn’t a little bit turned on by the way nothing fazes you, even when it bugs him to no end. He just wants to be the exception, but he’s found nothing is. You walk around like nothing ever bothers you. Like you feel nothing.

And he… he feels everything.

***

Eddie always feels like a livewire on stage, and tonight, he most definitely has some excess energy to burn. He slips into his own bubble as he plays, jumping on the stage so hard he wonders if the wood might collapse under his feet. It’s easy to forget about you until the riff of one of his favourite songs comes, the part where the two of you always compete for the best runs. He sticks his tongue out just like he’s seen on MTV, muscle memory pulling him towards you as his riffs grow in pitch and tempo, his fingers dancing along the length of the fretboard. His fingers will be torn up tomorrow, but he doesn’t care. Not when he glimpses you joining in, bathing in the golden spotlight like you’re the only person in the world. You’re slick with sweat, your heavy eye makeup running, but it only makes you more metal. Sexier. And god, he can’t help it. Watching you get so into your music gives him a damn hard-on behind his guitar. You lift your gaze, stepping out of the spotlight to square up to him. A small grin curls across your face as you play louder, faster. It’s like fucking foreplay, this part of the show, and when it reaches its climax —

You meet his gaze, and he’s certain it’s hunger he sees there. Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking. Either way, his smile widens as he writhes and squirms with the notes, licking hips lips before pressing his back to yours. His shoulders and spine tingle with the contact, even through all the layers of leather and denim keeping you apart. And he swears to god, there has never been anything better than this. It’s the only time he can truly be allowed into your world, when he plays with you. It’s the only way you communicate with him without barriers or glares or barbed insults. He soaks up every minute of it, because he finally feels as though he knows you in these moments. As if he sees you. And you see him. And he lets you.

So you keep playing together, and the rest of the world becomes nothing.

***

Performing gives you a better high than any drug you’ve ever taken. You leave the stage trembling and sweaty and raw, somehow. Your entire body is just nerve endings, sparking, an electricity cable chopped in half. 

But there’s something more tonight. The guys cheer as they get backstage, high-fiving and hugging, because you all know it’s the best show you’ve ever done, even if not many people were there to see it.

Eddie is the last, and his cheeks are swollen and dimpled with a gigantic grin, his eyes wild and his hair mussed. “Fuck, yes!” he shouts, sticking his tongue out and lifting his arms in the air. “Fucking. Epic. Best show yet!”

You scrape your hair back, still breathless. Your core is still burning from that riff off. It always turns you on, the way Eddie strums. You can’t imagine how well his deft fingers would run across his body. How his thrusts would turn as manic as they do in the song’s climax if he buried himself inside you.

God, you crave him. You chat with the guys a few moments longer before packing up your guitar and taking a sip of the lukewarm beer you’d opened before going on stage. 

“You were pretty fucking awesome onstage tonight.” Eddie is beside you suddenly. “Not that you’re not always awesome, but… the energy was just electric, huh?”

“Uh-huh.” 

“We were gonna go get a drink or two at the bar. Are you coming?”

You’re not sure you can. You need release. You’re throbbing with how badly you need it. All that pent-up energy. Playing usually gives you what you need, but you’re more wound up tonight, still thinking about how Eddie’s tongue reaches his chin when he’s really concentrating. And the way he was so quick to defend you earlier.

Not that you needed him to. But still… having someone fight your battles for you isn’t something you’re used to, and it felt… okay. 

“I don’t know, Munson. Got some things to take care of.”

Eddie’s brows draw together. “Is it about earlier?” He glances across the room. The stagehand is nowhere in sight, though, thank god. “Look, I’m really sorry if I stepped on your toes or whatever. I was just trying to help. That guy was an ass, and —”

“I’m over it,” you lie. “Honestly. I just have some things to take care of.”

“Like what?”

Like my raging fucking lust, you almost spit, but the last thing you want to do is boost his ego. Give him ideas. Even if the thought of pulling him into the nearest bathroom and ripping off his clothes crosses your mind. 

“Just stuff.” You feign nonchalance, crouching to fasten your guitar case. 

Eddie sighs and scratches his head, leaning against the wall with one foot crossed over the other. He looks… hurt. “Is it always gonna be like this?”

You freeze finally. “Like what?”

He motions between the two of you. “You know. Like this. Like, I’m trying to buy you a drink and you want absolutely nothing to do with me outside of the band.”

You shake your head at that. “You used to getting your own way, huh, Munson?”

“With you? Never.” A smirk crosses his face, and you can’t help but return it. “I just… I was sort of hoping you might let me buy you a drink one of these days. Feels like you don’t really want to be part of the band.”

“I don’t. I’m just biding my time until a less suckier one comes along.” You’re teasing, and you smile up at him to make sure he knows it. Corroded Coffin might be mocked and ignored, and you might always be destined for grimy bars and small audiences, but playing bass with the guys, with Eddie, is the only time you ever really feel… anything. Like you’re flatlining, and the music revives you. It’s not the same on your own. You’ve tried it. It’s the way everything comes together when you all play. The way you and Eddie dance around on stage, bouncing off one another and being as dramatic, as metal, as humanly possible while you headbang and pull those fucking guitar faces, your hips always pointing towards each other as though wanting to meet. 

“I’m hurt.” He clutches his chest, rooting you to the spot with those puppy dog eyes of his. “Devastated, even.”

“You’ll get over it.”

“Corroded Coffin won’t. You’re the best bass player in Indiana.”

“Trying to climb up my ass now, Munson?” Still, you try not to blush at the compliment. It’s not that you don’t know you’re good. It’s just that the idea of him thinking so… it takes you right back to that stage. Your place in the world. One you get to share with somebody when you spend the rest of your life alone. 

Eddie lets out a “Pfft.”You’re gonna like me one of these days, Y/N. Just wait.”

You bat your lashes at him innocently. “Don’t hold your breath.”

But he smirks, and he clasps his hands together, his silver rings glinting in the light. “Just one drink. C’mon. Doesn’t even have to be here.”

Right. Because the outskirts of Hawkins are rife with nightlife. You roll your eyes, tucking your hair behind your ear. “Fine. One drink.”

He beams like you’ve given him the best gift in the world, and then he takes your guitar case and yanks you along, his hand in yours.

And you think, oh, fuck, because your stomach still swirls and your heart still pounds, and maybe it’s not performing that does it. Maybe it’s just him.

#eddie munson x female reader #imagines #request an imagine #fandom imagines #imagines masterlist #multifandom imagines #x reader imagines #masterlist #multi fandom imagines #multifandom #x reader #eddie munson #eddie stranger things #eddie munson one shot #stranger things season 4 #stranger things s4 #stranger things season four #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson x y/n #stranger things one shot #stranger things #stranger things imagines #stranger things fanfiction #strangerthings

[doukeshi-kun]

I infinitely hate what the anime did with Nikolai, Fyodor's stupid and ridiculous death and even the collaboration with Skk. I think the only thing I liked in the entire chapter was Fukuchi (sort of, I couldn't empathize with him), Teruko, and Fukuzawa. But the rest leaves too much to be desired. Moments like Aya saying goodbye to Bram felt so empty, others where we SHOULD have felt tension just felt flat. I love Skk, but the way they tell you that everything was an assumed plan???? DO YOU WANT TO MAKE ME BELIEVE THAT THE DEMON FYODOR ATE THE STORY OF A VAMPIRE COSTUME? This seems very insulting to the character. The only thing that keeps me calm are two things; The first is that the manga can still go in a different direction, that even if it didn't, Asagiri would do a 100 times better job than that shitty chapter. The second thing is that they tried too hard to show you that Fyodor is dead, it's even ridiculous at some point to think about it. I mean, they stabbed him maybe in a vital organ, he has poison in his system, they crashed his helicopter and then it exploded. THAT SOUNDS TOO RIDICULOUS. I don't know if it's because Fyodor is my second favorite character, but I feel like he was taking a quick and easy route to do that to her. They're definitely going to pull the typical "I didn't really die, this just happened..." card. On the other hand, the way he acted seemed very pathetic and anxious to me. I'll say it again, I don't know if I'm misunderstanding his character or what, but it all felt very out of place. Another point I loved and hated was Nikolai's reaction. I have the problem that Nikolai is my third favorite character, so I don't know if my love for him and Fyolai blinds me in trying to understand his character but I feel like his reaction could go that way, but maybe a more subtle way. . . . shape? I don't know, it felt a little ooc. Although I have to admit that he devastated me to see what the anime did to him. Another thing that bothered me was when he mentioned that they spoke very little, I feel like they let him relapse more, it's a kind of obsession, I felt like it was very superficial (? It's true that they never specified until now how long they knew each other. I don't know if I'm partially blinded by the fact that I like Fyolai, but I always had the feeling that they talked more than a few times. Surely Fyodor used his words to get Nikolai to join DoA. but I feel like he is able to understand Nikolai, What's on his mind, who he is. I have a feeling that being who they became was more than just talking a couple of times. And now I write this with all the fury in the world. I'm also starting to think that according to the Fukuchi's words, Fyodor was the one who made the plan, who had to send him to a high security prison in another part of the world so that he wouldn't interfere. ARE YOU GOING TO TELL ME LIKE THIS AND A VAMPIRE COSTUME ENDED UP LIKE THIS STUPID? I don't know, Every moment of the chapter seems done without enthusiasm. I didn't feel it or it felt boring, too rushed. I hate what they did, especially as I already mentioned, to Fyodor and Nikolai, even to Dazai, although I really don't like him. And I guess it's just me, but I really wanted to know what happened to Sigma. They practically left it lying around and forgotten. It's obvious that Sigma isn't going to die anytime soon, but Fyodor isn't an idiot and probably stabbed him somewhere deadly. He surely he must be trying to process a lot of information too incomprehensible for any of us, I NEED SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING. I don't really like what the anime did with Sigma, I don't know if it's because that character touches the most sensitive fibers of my heart, positioning himself as my first favorite. I feel like they could have done more with all the characters, and I don't even want to think about how they skipped important panels in the last two seasons like Nikolai's reaction to hearing Fyodor, the Tachihara panel, or how they gave a different take on scenes. like Akutagawa's smile.

And yes, it should be noted that I don't even speak English because anger plus my elementary school English must make everything read strange. I'm sorry.

I sincerely hope Asagiri fixes all of this. And this is an aside, but I feel like I didn't understand Fyodor and Nikolai as characters, I also feel like I didn't understand the strange friendship they had.

hi, first of all, don't worry about the english!

i do think the ending could've been done so much better. i kinda have the idea on what's going on with fyodor and nikolai's friendship but i am not sure if i understand them clearly since, well, the only character i'm in too deep is nikolai.

i hope all of these confusions will get answered in the manga tho. like, the strange note sigma got, what'd happen with sigma and nikolai after all of this. most importantly i actually hope chuuya is still infected with vampirism and not just any cosplay because i feel like his interactions with dazai while he's out of control with his own mind brings more depth and tension to their dynamic.

also, bones have been rushing things, sure, but this ending feels unjustified. regardless, i hope everyone can move on and cope because i am coping for something else entirely on jujutsu kaisen lmfoa 💀 let's wait for next chapter to see whether we'll go through a different path or not

#道化師-says❃ུ۪

[woozapooza]

The Sopranos: The Verdict

Wow. That was a show. A very good show. Very cynical and depressing, very funny and endearing.

Early on, my impression was that the show was sort of poised between episodic and serialized storytelling. But ultimately, one of my favorite things about the show ended up being how continuous and coherent a story it told. Characters remain relevant long after they die. Lines spoken in season one are deliberately echoed in later seasons: in the pilot, Carmela tells Tony that he’s going to hell, and in “Whitecaps” he throws that back in her face; in the season one finale, Tony tells his kids to “remember the little moments like this that were good,” and in the series finale AJ reminds him of that advice. I love stuff like that. It makes the story feel so alive. 

Favorite character: without a doubt, Dr. Jennifer “Toodle-Fucking-Oo? What the Fuck Was That?” Melfi. I love her dedication to her work; I love her stubbornness; I love her professionalism; I love when her attitude gets in the way of her professionalism; I love her composure with her patients; I love how fiery and messy she can get when she’s not with her patients; I love her emphatic way of speaking; I love her thrill-seeking streak. I love her moral compass. She doesn’t always heed it, and you can disagree with how it’s calibrated, but it is calibrated nonetheless. Am I mixing metaphors? Can you “calibrate” a compass? Whatever. I love her. I could go on and on about her, and I will do so in future posts (for example, I WILL be making a post about The Blue Comet at some point because oh boy do I have thoughts about that episode), but to wrap up this bullet point: she’s one of the greatest characters I’ve ever met. 

Second favorite character: Christopher “I’ve Been Totally Fucking Ostrafied” Moltisanti. Nearly everyone on this show gives glimpses of who they could have been if they’d grown up in a different environment, but in few characters are those glimpses as tragic to me as they are in Christopher. He has a great capacity for violence and recklessness and selfishness, and the life he’s lived has nourished these traits, but there are many signs of who he could have been. There’s his passion for screenwriting. There’s the fact that, however briefly, he considers running away with Adriana in “Long Term Parking.” There’s his fight against addiction, which might be the most impressive effort anyone on this show makes to change for the better when everyone and everything around them is dragging them down.

Third favorite character: It’s gotta be Tony. It’s just gotta. He’s despicable, but he’s not evil. If he was evil, the show would be boring and pointless.

Johnny Sacrimoni is a serious contender for fourth place, and I don’t even know why. I just couldn’t get enough of him.

It’s hard to rank the characters because almost all of them are just SO fantastic in one way or another. The one main character I just didn’t care about was Junior. He just wasn’t interesting to me. But his last scene still made me really sad.

In my mind I have a small canon of Dynamics, which is the word I use for relationships that are (1) extremely important to both the characters and the story and (2) too complex to be given a simple label such as friends, enemies, lovers, coworkers, etc. I am officially declaring Tony and Dr. Melfi a dynamic, so congratulations to them. Tony and Christopher are something very close to a dynamic as well, though they’re disqualified due to being family. (I have a bunch of arbitrary rules for what counts.)

Two most confusing things about the show: 1. The interstate mob politics were often hard for me to follow. 2. There were soooo many characters, I could never keep them straight. I actually have no idea when certain major characters made their first appearance because it took me such a long time to learn their face and name.

I hope Carmine held on to his realization that happiness is worth more than power. He could be the one person to actually change their life. I hope he’s thriving. I hope he’s got more films under his subspecies. 

EDIT: One thing I forgot to say: I don't think I ever cared about a single one of Tony's mistresses.

I could have used less gratuitous nudity, especially since it was almost always women. Honestly, the gender disparity was more annoying than the gratuitousness. Either the women shouldn’t have to take their clothes off so often, or the men should start pulling their weight!

Overall grade: I really, really wanted to give this show an A+. Even after it moved my beloved Melfi to the sidelines, I was still going to put my personal feelings aside and give it an A+. But then in one of the show's few instances of clumsy storytelling, it fumbled her last episode, and I can’t excuse that. It's possible one day I'll forgive it for its sins and bump it back up to A+, but for now, it gets an A.

#The Sopranos #x #verdict #Anna watches The Sopranos #Anna watches tv

[kiynania]

Ranking every ninjago season and why :3

(Yall are gonna 100% hate me for this)

(Spoilers for Dragons rising kinda)

I hate it sm, it literally could've been one of the best seasons in ninjago history, but there was WAY too much filler and was so underwhelming and predictable. Didn't even feel like a Zane season during the second half it felt more like a Lloyd season. ALL of the ninja should've fought Zane + Pixal, and she should've come as well. AND THE FACT THAT ZANE'S TRAUMA WAS NEVER BROUGHT UP. LIKE HUH????? I will forever hate this season with a passion no matter what anyone says.

18. Forbidden Secrets of Spinjitzu

17. Prime Empire

I really can't care for it at all it just feels like the ninjago writers ran out of ideas(which I completely understand, but still) you could literally skip the entire thing and the whole plot line would STILL make sense. The only time I genuinely rewatch this is if I'm THAT bored. Really should've stuck the to idea with Jay's mother running away from something(which they 100% should've done in the first place)

16. Skybound

Before yall come to my house and beat the shit out of me, HEAR. ME. OUT. Kinda the same situation with Prime Empire. You could skip it, and the show would still make sense. It's never addressed after the season, and all of it is just...wack. Nadakkan is a fucking creep towards Nya, like mf BACK OFF. And Jay isn't any better. He's constantly disrespecting Nya's boundaries throughout a majority of the season, and I do NOT understand how Jay fans justify that. And the amount of sexism in it??? I just don't like this season in general and would very much like to stay away from it.

15. The Island

It felt like it was just there for the purpose of being there. It's important to the plot the next season but I felt like that could've been resolved with a little b plot. Ik it's technically not a season but idc. That's it. Nothing else I can say abt it.

14. Crystalized

It had sm potential, but the second half felt so rushed. The first 12 eps were really well paced, but the last 18 felt like a whole other season. The entire ending was rushed, and it was so hyped as well. I was at the edge of my chair waiting and waiting but....nothing. I never really believed that Pixal was gonna die, but I 100% expected Wu to die or SOMEONE to make a huge sacrifice. The original ending wouldn't have been much better bc at that point, there would've been only 2 eps left. AND NO ONE BROUGHT UP THE FACT THAT ZANE DEFEATED THE OVERLOAD. NOT EVEN LLOYD???? "Third time's the charm," MF ZANE DEFEATED HIM THE THIRD TIME FOR WAY LONGER THAN YOU DID AND NOT EVEN THE OVERLOAD MENTIONED IT LIKE WHAT??? AT LEAST REFRENCE IT OR SUM.

13. Hands of Time

To get something out of the way, the animation reminded me of Miraculous Ladybug.(IM SORRY) The season felt odd but in a good way. And knowing that Pixal was in that Samurai X suit makes her personality in s7 10× more funnier. I don't hate it but I don't love it at the same time. It's a 50/50

12. The Pilots

Since it's the start or it all, it's going to get a decent ranking. I really like it and it did just fine for a pilot ep(s) But other seasons are just better :3

11. Master of The Mountain

It's a really nice season to get back at I fricking LOVE the little flashback of Cole's mother. But at the same time it's a bit forgettable.(don't come for me) That's it. :3

10. Legacy of The Green Ninja

One of the classic seasons. It's good enough to make it to the top 10. This was where ninjago was originally supposed to end. Its really nice and seeing Lloyd battle his dad was sad :,) All the episodes are really fun and entertaining but other seasons are just better :3

9. Rise of The Snakes

The first season of ninjago where it all truly started. Much like s2 all the episodes are really entertaining. It's really heartwarming to watch all the ninja grow up and change throughout the rest of the seasons. It's always a classic you can come back to. But other seasons are still just better

8. Possession

It's a really nice season and the pros outweigh the cons but I really don't like Morro(atp yall finna hate me) He's like Kai if his "I'm supposed to be the green ninja" phase never left. His redemption arc was so fricking boring and forgettable that I don't even REMEMBER what happened and i'm too lazy to go back. But the episodes are also really entertaining and a bit funny.

7. Rebooted

TOO MANY PPL DONT LIKE THIS SEASON AND IDK WHY. Okay the love triangle was extremely unnecessary and didn't help progress the plot at all. But all the good really outweighs it. It's the birth of the best Canon ship(which is pretty much all I post abt here) Really entertaining. AND HAS ONE OF THE BEST SCENES IN HISTORY. Ik yall were in TEARS after the last ep.

6. Dragons Rising

It's a really well paced season and MASSIVELY improved from crystalized. THEY ACTUALLY GIVE ZANE A PERSONALITY AND I AM HERE FOR IT. It gives off a really well based story, and it's really entertaining. Ik a majority of Jay fans were upset bc he only got like 14 seconds of screen time if that, but with everything going on and at that point there were 3 eps left. The story pacing would've been extremely rushed, so I'm kinda glad that happened. Nothing else to say.

5. March of The Oni

Really great season. Just really hits you in the feels. Nice season you can always rewatch. I love the Pixal/Cole/Zane interaction in the first ep really funny. The rest of the season is pretty self explanatory

4. Tournament of Elements

This season is one of the best in the show. Like S10 it's pretty self explanatory. Introduces us to a bunch of new concepts. GARMADON SACRIFICING HIMSELF WAHHHHHHH. The only thing I genuinely have a problem with is the Zane amnesia part. I really wanted it to last the whole season like make Zane have little flashbacks bit by bit. That could've been really interesting. The rest is amazing.

3.Sons of Garmadon

SO MANY PPL WHO STOPPED WATCHING AFTER THE REDESIGNS MISSED OUT OMG. It's so good. Good characters. Good villains. Good story concept. GREAT execution. Just mwah. Crystalized kinda ruined Harumi's arc. Like I would've been fine if she stayed dead. HER ARC WAS PERFECT. I love her sm. Also has one of the best outfits/weapons. THE REDESIGNS DID THEM JUSTICE THEYRE SM BETTER THAN THE OLD ONES(don't find me pls.) It's great would recommend :3

2. Seabound

ONE OF THE BEST SEASONS JUST MWAH. Nya's arc was really nice, and her merging with the ocean pulled on my heartstrings istg. HER INTERACTIONS WITH HER MOTHER JUST...*cries forever*

1. Hunted

MY FAVORITE SEASON OMG EVERYTHING ABT IT IS FUCKING PERFECT. The music. The characters. EVERYTHING. Has one of the best intros in ninjago. I love how Lloyd was trying to cope with his friends being "dead" and being so relieved that they're actually alive. The designs are so good. The story progresses really smoothly and just...*chefs kiss*

Okay bye now.

#ninjago zane #ninjago #ninjago pixal #pixane #dragons rising spoilers #ninjago lloyd #ninjago cole #ninjago kai #ninjago nya #ninjago jay #pls dont hate me #pls

[k-s-morgan]

Many people share recs with their favorite TV shows, movies or books with me. I'm moving through them slowly, sometimes in a random order, but it's happening, so in this post, I'll cover the shows that were recommended to me and which I’ve watched. I hope you won't get upset or offended if I didn't like the show you recced: after all, such things are impossible to predict! We all have our unique preferences and perceptions.

Now, on to the list and my thoughts:

Stranger Things: Unfortunately, this show didn't work for me. I watched all seasons, but I only enjoyed S1. I appreciated its atmosphere, I liked the characters, and while I didn't think it was anything special, the plot kept me engaged. Other seasons bored me, though, and I found the arcs getting more and more impossible while also staying repetitive.

What We Do in the Shadows: At first, I couldn't get into it, but with each season, my interest increased, and by the end, I grew to love the characters and adore their dumb adventures :D I ship Nandor and Guillermo and I can't wait to see what they do with them in S4. The humor is too sexual for me at times, but once I became fond of these idiot vampires, I started to dote on everything they do. Watching them do nothing but bicker is fascinating now, lol.  

Succession: Oh, this was a hell of a ride. I got second-hand embarrassment so many times that I had to constantly hit pause to scream. Contrary to what I expected, I didn't end up shipping Tom and Greg. I'm interested in their relationship, but Greg is so shallow and his entire personality is basically centered on being embarrassing and greedy - I think Tom deserves better. The complexity, the music (ooh, the music in it), the twists and turns are brilliant, though. I think the show got a little repetitive, but I still enjoyed it a lot and I anticipate the next season.    

Wednesday: Loved it! Which is strange since I was never a fan of the Addams Family. I loved the idea of them, but the execution never appealed to me much. This show is enjoyable, has very good acting, and it presented me with a surprise ship. At first, I thought I’d end up shipping Wednesday with Enid - they have an excellent dynamic of opposites attract, but with each episode, I grew increasingly interested in Wednesday/Xavier. Loved the obsessive element of it and I hope to see more of it in S2.    

Luther: I watched only S1 because unfortunately, this show didn't appeal to me! I felt like it was very disjointed and that there were three writers working on it without consulting each other. Each arc is potentially interesting: brutal crimes, Luther as an explosive, clever, protective but abusive character, and the arc of him and Alice becoming frenemies & perhaps more. But together, they just didn't work in my eyes. Alice's involvement in Luther's life felt awkward and forced; the crimes were astonishingly violent and epic, but their resolutions seemed rushed, trivial and unimpressive; Luther's decisions often made little sense to me, and these three elements didn't seem to mix well. I watched it with my family: my Mom shared my thoughts, but my Dad loved it and he’s watching other seasons right now. 

Interview with the Vampire: YES. I'm a huge fan and I'm thrilled to have found this show. It's clever, intense, and relationship-focused; it has an obsessive, dark romance at the center and every main character is delightfully toxic, twisted and damaged. I only worry about S2 and beyond, but I have faith that everything will remain great.  

Versailles: Absolutely loved it! The first two seasons only, though - I prefer to think that the third one doesn't exist. This seems to be a common opinion among the fans. The music, the characters, their dynamic, the plot and of course the captivating atmosphere of those times... An actor who played Mordred in my favorite 'Merlin' being one of the protagonists was a surprise and made me even more in love. His dynamic with his brother was delightful to watch: it's complex, toxic but also deeply loving. This show is unique in that my most favorite thing about it is a solo character. I grew obsessed with Fabien, a torturer and executioner working for the king. He's perfection, and I would gladly watch a spin-off with him as the central character.

If I forgot some of the shows I watched by accident, I'll make a separate post later on.  

Also, just so you'd know: I don't usually post asks with recs that I haven't tackled yet - they serve as a summary of why I should watch something, but please rest assured that if you sent it, I saw it and added it to my list. When I get to it, I'll post your ask! I'll also start answering questions about the shows you recced and which I've already watched soon.

#recs #tv show recs #wednesday #versailles #luther #interview with the vampire #succession #stranger things #fabien marchal #nandermo #personal

[scorphargrove]

Bite Back ~ Billy Hargrove x fem Reader first four chapters now on AO3

Chapter Two here.

Chapter Three here.

“I’m crazy, but you like that, I bite back

daisies on your nightstand, never forget it

I blossom in the moonlight, screw eyes

glacial with the blue ice, I’m terrifying”

this fic was accidentally loosely inspired by the song Daisy by Ashnikko which my sister was playing a lot at the time of me writing. anyway, here’s chapter one!! this is my second full length fic so please be nice. :’) chapters 1-3 already on AO3 tonight. will update daily <3 no photos used are mine, I take no credit for them. thank you for reading.

Summary:

When you were fourteen you lost your mom and found yourself in Hawkins, Indiana with your uncle Jim Hopper. Having always been an outcast, you find a best friend in Steve Harrington, and the two of you are doing your best to cope with everything that’s been left behind from the Upside Down entering your lives. You think that you’re handling it pretty well, all things considered. When Billy Hargrove rolls into town and you notice the same pain in his eyes as yours, he turns your life Upside Down all over again.

Billy Hargrove x reader, best friend Steve Harrington, set during season 2 and on. angst, fluff, smut to come, a bit of a slow burn, friends to lovers, The Party is also hanging around. warnings for references to abuse, minor injuries, violence

Chapter One-

You didn’t know it at the time, wouldn’t really put it together until years later, but the day that your life changed forever was just like any other Tuesday. Now, looking back on it, you should’ve known sooner. Should’ve realized your path had been altered; a shift in your direction, a change that would effect every day that came afterwards. But you didn’t, because it was just a random Tuesday.  

The days before the day were mundane, normal even. You’d gone to a party with Steve and Nancy over the weekend, content to be their third wheel once again. Gotten a little drunk, had walked back to his house with him afterwards and crashed into his big guest room bed. You’d slept half the day away on Sunday, finally rising after noon to the smell of bacon and eggs, stuffed your face with greasy hangover food and headed home to finish your chemistry homework before school on Monday.  

You heard it just like everyone else had that morning. Rock You Like A Hurricane announcing his arrival, drawing every eye in the parking lot to his Camaro. You’d barely glanced at the car at the time, too engulfed in your conversation to grant the new kid with anything more than that, remembering your first day at Hawkins High three years before. You definitely hadn’t had such a grand entrance. In the back of your mind, you had inwardly hoped for a split second that whoever was inside the car was different than most of the other people here. The boring population of Hawkins with their judgements and their pastels and their fucking pop music. Whoever it was, their music taste was at least alright, maybe they wouldn’t be so bad. Then you’d turned back towards the door and gone about your day, because your life hadn’t changed yet.   

 

 --------------- 

 

“Hey! Y/N! Breakfast is almost done and you’d better be awake!”  

The pounding on the little trapdoor of the attic made you jump; having just opened your eyes when your uncle knocked. You glanced over at the clock and jumped out of bed cursing under your breath, having slept through your alarm. He would be pissed if you were late again .  

“I’m up! Almost ready!” You lied, and you knew he was in the living room likely rolling his eyes along with a little girl who was definitely giggling. You threw on the first clothes you could find, slipping into your black bell bottoms and an old Metallica t-shirt that had seen better days. Running into the tiny little bathroom he’d installed in the attic for you, you winced again as you caught a glimpse of your hair in the mirror, a rat’s nest that probably could not be saved. You brushed your teeth quickly, grabbed your backpack and your black denim jacket and threw the trapdoor open, descending the ladder into the living room and racing into the kitchen. 

“Good morning! Don’t you look positively well rested.” You could hear the laugh hidden underneath his words and threw him a mock glare, just as a small shadow appeared behind you with a brush and gave you a quick squeeze. You turned to face the little girl with a grateful smile. “What would I do without you, El? Truly. I’d be stuck with this guy.” She giggled, glancing at Hop and sliding into her chair next to yours at the kitchen table. You brushed roughly through your knotted hair as he turned around from where he was standing by the fridge, two plates in hand and a frown that made El’s giggles even louder on his face. “Hey! This guy made you breakfast and got you up before you were late again, so maybe don’t bite the hand that feeds you, smartass.” You laughed and stood from the table (hair as good as it was going to get at this point), smacking a kiss to El’s forehead, grabbing an Eggo from the plate in Hop’s hand and making for the door.  

“Yeah, yeah. I love you, you’re my hero!” You said the words with a hint of sarcasm but you knew every word was true, and so did he. The two of you had what maybe seemed like an odd relationship, one built on quips and jokes thrown back and forth, but one you wouldn’t trade for anything.  

“Forgetting something?” He yelled just as you reached the door and you squinted at him.  

“I’m eating breakfast Hop!” You said the words with your mouth full of Eggo, just to hear El giggle again. You looked over to her and she was smiling in the way that only she can, the smile that looks both innocent and incredibly mischievous. 

“What?” You questioned, taking another bite of the Eggo and checking your watch, knowing your ride would already be waiting.  

She hid a laugh behind her tiny hands as Hop pointed down at your feet, a shit-eating grin on his face, too. Glancing down at your socks you huffed, shoving your feet into the black Converse by the door and heading out into the cold morning. Just before the door shut behind you, you echoed your statement from earlier, shouting “Okay, fine! What would I do without either of you?” And smiling at the laughs you heard from them both.  

You meant it, of course you did. Hop and El had changed your life, in all the best ways. You’d only just turned 14 when your mom had passed and left you on your own. She was an angel of a woman. You’d had no idea at the time what would happen from that point on, had been so lost and confused as you sat in a hospital hallway, trying to figure out your next steps. She had died peacefully, or at least the doctors said so. The cancer had come almost a decade before, and they said your time with her had been a miracle. You’d never looked at it as anything otherwise.  

As your tears had fallen, a bone deep exhaustion taking its hold on you, a strong hand had landed on your shoulder. You remember flinching, feeling terrified and vulnerable as you looked up to see Hop’s face for the first time in person. You’d seen it grainy in photos, but your mom’s brother lived across the country in a small town and had suffered his own losses, his own pain that kept him holed away and private. You understood then, something you never could before, how pain could do that to a person. But at your call he had jumped in his truck and made the long drive at lightning speed. Sadly, he hadn’t made it in time to see her, but he had made it in time for you. He’d helped you with funeral arrangements that you didn’t understand, helped you sell what you didn’t need and pack the rest, seemingly in no rush to return to his own life until you were ready, and brought you back here to Hawkins.  

He took you in, no questions asked. Every day since then had been spent building trust between the two of you, and having never known your real father (or your sperm donor , as your mom had liked to call him) Hop had quickly filled that role.  

You smiled as you sprinted to the car that was waiting for you, hoping he’d turned on the heater when he left his house. Inside the Beemer was none other than Steve Harrington himself, your unlikely best friend.  

You knew, just as well as the other people in Hawkins did, that the two of you were nothing if not complete opposites. His polos and crappy music had made you scrunch your nose the first time you’d caught a glimpse of him, new to town and trying to find where you fit in. Definitely not with him , you’d thought at the time, but you’ve come to realize that life in Hawkins is funny in the way that the most unpredictable things usually make the most sense.  

It had been purely by chance, a call made to Joyce’s house hoping to catch Hop. Trying to let him know you’d be coming home late, being filled in on an emergency, one you didn’t understand the depth of yet. You’d scanned the parking lot quickly and your eyes had landed on him, bloody and bruised from a fight you didn’t have the time to ask about. You knew he was dating Nancy Wheeler, someone who had been mentioned in the quick, chaotic phone call. So, you’d taken a leap of faith. Walked right up to the King of Hawkins High (gag) and demanded a ride to the Byers.  

A baseball bat full of nails, a monster from another dimension, and many late nights spent cowering together after nightmares later, and you two were inseparable.  

“What took you so long? Dude, we have fifteen minutes!”  

“I might’ve slept through my alarm.” You answered with a sheepish smile as you buckled in and warmed your hands.  

“Again? El has superpowers. Can she not like, I don’t know, throw something at you when you’re going to make us late?” You reached over and smacked his arm lightly at this, turning up the radio with your other hand and fixing him with a look of disgust at the Tears for Fears tape that was always in the player.  

“Don’t even start with me. You were late, I get to choose the music.” 

“Fine, but one of these days I swear I’m going to toss that tape out of the fucking window. Besides, we’re not even going to be late. You’re just dramatic.”  

“Me? Dramatic? Should I just sit here as you hurl these disgusting words at me?” He held his hand to his chest in mock disgust with a playful grin on his face, always making jokes about what he called your potty mouth, but in your defense you lived with Jim Hopper. At that moment you noticed the crumpled papers in his lap.  

“You finished your essay for your college apps?” 

He grimaced and threw you a look out of the corner of his eye, smile quickly fading from his face. “Yeah, I guess. I got Nancy to go over it yesterday. She… I don’t know. She didn’t think it was too good.” 

You rolled your eyes skyward. You liked Nancy, really you did. You’d fought for your lives together, had a bond built from necessity and trauma. The two of you tolerate each other, greet one another with quick hellos and coexist just fine. You know she thinks your relationship with Steve is weird, but you truly couldn’t care less. It’s not like there’s any reason for her to worry. You’d never looked at him as anything more than your best friend and never would. He had needed someone after everything who wouldn’t judge him, and so had you.  

After Barb had gone missing, Nancy had blamed Steve, and you understood the need to blame someone for all of the bad things that had happened. But you’d be lying if you said you liked the way she treats Steve because of it. Having been their third wheel too many times to count, you also couldn’t count the number of times you’d silently stewed in the backseat, knowing her words were only damaging his self-confidence even further. Wondering why she stayed with him if she seemingly disliked so much about him. Your best friend may not be the smartest person in the world, may not always say the right thing, but he’s kind, and he tries his hardest. You don’t think she recognizes that, don’t think she ever will. It wasn’t Steve’s fault, but as much as he tries to show her he’s changed, you don’t think she’ll ever stop seeing Steve for who he was at that time. A completely different boy than the one he is now, one untouched by evil and monsters. It isn’t fair. He could see it on your face, your eyes darkening, and was quick to change the subject. He droned on about some asshole in his gym class, but your thoughts were far away. You were thinking of Demogorgons, of El and Will and flickering lights, when he shook you out of your horrid daydreams.  

“Y/N, hello? Anyone in there?” He tapped on your forehead a few times and your eyes cleared, meeting his from the passenger seat. He had that look on his face, like he already knew where your mind had gone, but he didn’t say anything about it. What is there to say that hasn’t already been said a million times? He just reached over, squeezed your arm lightly, and waited for you to grab your bag. Then the two of you made your way to class, and you weren’t even late ( thank you very much ) - as you slid into your desk you found his eyes across the room and stuck out your tongue. A silent, told you so.   

 

--------------- 

 

The day passed slowly after that, a darkness in the back of your mind that you couldn’t quite shake. You often thought that the Upside Down had broken you a little, already cracked and splintered from pain that had come long before. You and Steve, unlike the party, Nancy, Jonathan… you struggled more than the rest, except for Will of course. Not that they didn’t all have their struggles too, you knew that they all had their fair share of nightmares and carried around the same darkness that you did. But it was harder for the two of you to pretend, especially on the long nights spent flinching at every shadow. A comfort next to one another as you rode out the memories, getting high at the quarry and both secretly hoping that nothing would come for you then and there, the ghost of a monster always looming in the trees. Steve had Nancy though, a reason to pretend during the days that he wasn’t drowning in darkness too. That he didn’t lean on your shoulder and hide his tears, and that was fine. You’d happily be his comfort when he needed it. Although lately it seemed she brought him more darkness, and you couldn’t help but notice those nights had been happening less and less, Steve tagging along to see Barb’s parents, even though you knew it made him panic each time he faced them, brought the nightmares back full force. Knew he blamed himself when he sat across from them, listening to them holding on to hope. The absence of him on those nights made the days harder.  

You tried not to think about it too much. 

On days when the darkness got especially bad though (more and more lately, another thing you tried not to think about) you found it hard to care about your classes. Learning trig felt entirely pointless when you knew what you did, and you’d often slip out during lunch, hide in what you privately considered your spot. A bench out underneath the old bleachers behind the field, right on the edge of the woods, where you knew no one would find you.  

A bright side of living with the Chief of Police? No one bothered you, always assuming he had it covered. And he did, he knew the darkness you carry just as well as you do. Knows that sometimes you need to run from that pain just like he used to. Doesn’t fault you for it when you smell like smoke, when you trudge into the house late at night with red rimmed eyes, or when you sheepishly confess to skipping a few classes. As long as you keep your grades up and stay safe, follow a few rules, all of which you do, he lets you cope the only ways you know how.  

Which is why by lunch, when everything feels a little too loud, when Steve is sitting across the cafeteria with Nancy beckoning you over, but you can’t stand the thought of it today; of sitting with them while everyone at the table ignores you and you ignore the stares. Eyes looking at your hair, your black clothes. The looks that say you don’t belong with the two of them, the looks that feel like they slice right through you straight to your core and spill you open along with all the trauma you carry on your shoulders; you shake your head at Steve and slip out the side doors. He knows where you’re going, where to find you if he needs to. Knows you need it. Knows that right now, he can’t chase away the darkness.  

Sometimes, nothing can. 

You find your bench under the bleachers empty just like any other day, long forgotten here after years of no one to use it. A little oasis for you, one that grants you silence other than the sound of the wind in the trees. It brings you peace just as much as it brings you fear, to sit out here all alone scanning the shadows. But sometimes anything is better than the crowds of students who don’t understand.  

You pull out your Walkman and kick up your feet, laying down and staring at the sky. Sometimes in these moments you can’t help but wonder if El is watching you. If she knows that you sit alone out here during the day, wonder if you’re causing her stress that she doesn’t need. She’s made so much progress since coming to live with you and Hop.  

Last winter had been especially long for the two of you. A winter spent hoping you’d find her, slipping Eggos into Hop’s jacket pocket for him to leave in the woods. Hoping against all odds that she’d come back after saving Will but knowing that she probably wouldn’t.  

The day she’d finally shown herself, you’d had an idea. You’d sat alone in your room thinking of her like you always did, but in a fit of desperation you’d called out to her. Said all the things you’d been thinking, out loud. How you’d recognized your own pain in her eyes. How you and Hop were a little broken, but you could help her. You could give her a home and keep her safe . You would do anything to keep her safe.

How you weren’t alone, but you were lonely. 

When Hop had come home that day with a tiny shadow, she’d given you a knowing smile and you’d wrapped her in a hug. He never did ask how or why, but you suspect he knows there’s more to the story. The two of you had been attached at the hip ever since. You’d never had a sibling but El was the closest thing to a sister you could ask for.  

Just then, as you were lost deep in thought, movement out of the corner of your eye caught your attention. Your senses were instantly on alert. Trained to know when you weren’t alone, when someone or something was nearby. You sat up just as a figure rounded the corner and you flinched, preparing yourself for anything.  

Instead, you were met with bright blue eyes, and you saw the moment he clocked the flinch and those eyes narrowed. Inwardly, you sighed at yourself for giving a Hawkins High student yet another reason to make fun of you behind your back, something you didn't necessarily give a shit about, but something that was exhausting nonetheless.

On second glance you realized he wasn’t a student. Or at least, not one that you recognized. The two of you were locked into what seemed like a stare down and you weren’t going to lose regardless of who this stranger was. You reached up and pulled off your bulky earphones, letting them rest around your neck.  

“Who’re you?” You questioned the boy, which now that your heartbeat had settled, you realized was… actually, really handsome. You were far from the type to let that simple fact bring your guard down but it was worth noting. He had blonde curls that reached his shoulders, cut into a mullet, clad in all denim, tight denim, and those piercing blue eyes were still locked on you. You felt like he was sizing you up the same way you were doing to him, and you wondered what he was seeing. Most likely guarded eyes, just like the ones looking back at you, ones with pain just under the surface. You wondered what made his blue eyes darken like yours.  

He coughed and averted his gaze, effectively ending your odd stare down and saying, with a hard edge, “Sorry. Thought I could get some peace and quiet out here, but I guess that’s impossible in this fucking town.”  

You couldn’t help the small laugh you let out at that. Poor guy, if he only knew. His eyes swung to yours, a surprised look on his face before it hardened once again. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes, realizing it was empty with a frown as you replied.  

“You’d think with such a small ass population there’d be more room to brood in silence, but no dice.” You reached into your backpack and pulled out your own pack as you spoke, tucking one for yourself behind your ear and holding out another to him. He eyed it and then your face with suspicion. You smiled at him with all your teeth, the expression Steve called your scary bitch face on display. The one that was a tad too much to be believable, you knew full well. 

“You can take it. I don’t bite. At least, not hard.” You joked, thinking maybe he’d take one look at you like the rest of these hicks and scurry off. You were (kind of pleasantly) surprised at his answering laugh. It was a nice sound, and it looked like it surprised him too. Again, you wondered what had happened to this boy. What darkness he carried on his shoulders because whatever it was, it was as obvious as yours. He reached over and took the cigarette, mumbling a quiet thanks and pulling out a lighter at the same time you did. You moved to the other end of the bench and he eyed you before sitting down, smoking next to you in silence.  

His body lost some of its tension, and you settled against the back of the bench as you scanned the trees again. You knew he was glancing out of the corner of his eye at you, maybe judging you, but you weren't bothered. You understood, you didn’t look like the other girls at this school, didn’t dress like them, didn’t care to hold up an appearance of someone you aren’t. Prided yourself on being you instead of being one of them , in fact. In your opinion people could take it or leave it. Most left it, and that was fine with you.  

Being you had saved you from a monster from an alternate dimension, after all. 

“I’m Billy.” He broke the silence and you glanced at him, but he wasn’t looking at you now. Rather, he was looking out at the trees too, a contemplative look on his face and you took a long drag before replying.  

“I’m Y/N.” He smiled at that, an almost imperceptible twitch of his lips, and that was it. He finished his cigarette and stood, walking away without so much as a wave. You shrugged to yourself, content to go back to your silence as you pulled your earphones back to your ears and laid back down on your bench.  

 

As he walked away, Billy couldn’t shake the tiny desire he had to glance back at you. At the girl on the bench, the girl with the pain in her eyes and the Metallica t-shirt. The girl who flinched, who looked scared for two seconds before she’d looked at him like he was a challenge. It was fucking refreshing. That glint in her eyes that said, your move. A look he recognizes in himself, saying, try me, I dare you. The first person in this town who didn’t immediately shy away from his hard edges. When he looked back, you were laying down, head bobbing along to whatever you were listening to, peaceful like his intrusion hadn’t bothered you at all. He shook the thoughts out of his head and marched back into hell. Or, as the locals called it, Hawkins High.  

 

Your life, forever changed. All on a random Tuesday. All because of a guy named Billy, who forgot to buy a new pack of cigarettes. And you, totally unaware of the change, stayed on your bench and scanned the trees, just like any other day.

#Billy Hargrove x Reader #billy hargrove x you #billy hargrove x y/n #billy hargrove

[lordeasriel]

What don’t you like about the tv show version of Marisa

Well, it's not Marisa, for one thing. It's a very crude and poor attempt at bringing her on-screen. Talking about what I dislike about her means this gets intrinsic with the show's greatest flaws, because they are a big part of what is wrong with her portrayal.

First issue I have is that she is a very washed down version of what Marisa is. She's soft, purposeless other than "Lyra is my daughter" and overall she is a dull character. Had Book! Lyra ever met her, she would have found Show!Marisa boring.

Marisa's lack of purpose is deeply tied with many narrative problems, such as shallow worldbuilding (the non-women scholar bullshit from season 2, for one, and the lack of daemons) and even with Boreal, they played it very safe and boring. When Marisa deals with him in the books, she is power-playing and very strongly too; he isn't a nobody. In the show is very meh, Boreal is almost on even grounds with her, which makes her scheming silly and uninterested. Worse than that, she whines and cries so much in front of him (in episode 5, season 2 specifically, and this is where I left the show and I do not intend to come back lol) that it makes no sense. Marisa's vulnerability is only seen in specific moments of the book — with Asriel at the bridge, then later at the abyss, once with Lyra in the caves. There is a reason why she is vulnerable in those instances, and only then. Making her open herself to Boreal is utter garbage, plain and simple.

Second issue I have is how they set the tone for her to be a scorned mother. The show plays, again and again, the "I've always wanted you Lyra but--" card. They make it seem like Asriel stole Lyra from Marisa's throbbing chest and disappeared into the night, and oh! how desperately she has looked for her beloved child. Honestly! All the fucking books, even TBOD, show how she didn't want Lyra then and when she finally did, it was out of self interest and vanity. Only later, in TAS, is when she finally warms up to Lyra. They erased her character development for the sake of some motherly tears and I loathe it.

This pair's with Sami's latest post which just proves what I've been saying since season one: they took a great, leading character female character and they made it all about motherhood. It's insulting. Marisa is so much more than a mother. She never wanted to be a mother.

Third issue is the "She is bad because of how oppressed she has been" issue. Northern Lights, chapter four - Lyra dines with the women and the master and you have a whole discussion on female scholars and how Lyra felt pity for them and so on and how Mrs. Coulter was very different. Like, anyone who had actually bothered reading the novels could tell you that Lyra's world is a patriarchal world, but the women still find their way around, as they have since forever in our world.

Now for the show, this pisses me off on many levels, but my main issue is with how they try, so hard, to have Marisa say - and this is important, it's never shown, it's only ever said by her - how men get the better end of the deal, how she had to work so hard to get where she was and blah blah blah. Honestly, this is very true for the show; they bothered very little to write meaningful women into it, the one change I would have appreciated very much, but as in regards to the truth of the character, it's just nonsense. This whole shenanigan could have been fixed with Hannah Relf's presence, because she alone would prove that Marisa's cruelty and malice are innate traits, not a byproduct of her world being sexist. It makes no sense.

If you're looking for more insight into that, I recommend Gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss which is an analysis of episode 5, season 2 and this patriarchy business on the show. It's very good and insightful and more reasonable than I will ever be discussing the show lol

There's no excuse for Marisa's poorly written character. It's a waste of Ruth Wilson's acting and a damn shame for a studio that so often claimed to have learned from the movie's mistakes (which they, very very obviously did not as Marisa from the show and the movie are very, very similar). That's why I've only stuck with books since season 2, because while Philman sometimes does stuff I don't entirely agree with, he has a great grasp on the woman he wrote, which is why I leave you with Madame Delamare's own words about Marisa, something the show writers failed utterly to understand and therefore could never truly bring her to screen:

"Delicately and subtly," she mocked "Marisa would know how to show some force. Some character. She was all the man you'll never be."

#marisa coulter #meta by effie #hdm meta: marisa coulter #thanks for the ask! sorry for the rant!

[coopergal24]

Flurry Heart the “Worst” MLP character? Why this logic is BEYOND stupid.

So on Twitter, I came across a post that somebody made on their Twitter account, commenting on how “Flurry Heart is SUCH a HORRIBLE character!”, all because she’s the fifth Alicorn character.

Oh and did I mention that she’s a BABY Alicorn?

Yes, you read right. “Fans” are being toxic over a baby character, that’s an Alicorn....

I don’t get what their point is. 

First, Flurry Heart’s a baby. Can you REALLY call a character that’s under a year old a Mary Sue or something? I mean sure, she’s an Alicorn Princess, BUT she’s also a baby. As in SHE CAN’T CONTROL HER POWERS YET. 

In the two part premiere episode of season 6, Flurry Heart was a newborn filly, who had yet to even KNOW the extent of her abilities, let alone LEARN how to control her powers. SOOO SORRY that she’s not Stewie Griffin and knows how to do EVERYTHING INSTANTLY. (Note the sarcasm)

Second, the only excuse everyone has pointed out so far is her design, consisting of larger wings, horn and eyes that aren’t “Like any OTHER baby pony design”. Uh, that’s the point though? 

Not EVERY character in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic are gonna have the SAME designs. This goes for body types, eye shapes, mane and tails, colors, Cutie Marks, talents and more. Character designs should be unique and special, like the recent character designs for Disney characters. 

They’re not a bunch of anime characters, where the only differences is their hair styles, eye colors and clothing. (Think of Sailor Moon, where the female characters have the same body types, but different heights and such. You get the idea pretty much)

Third, Flurry Heart ONLY appeared in a total of SEVEN episodes, two where she isn’t “Talking”. And her last appearance was only in both a flashback and on a stain glass. Nothing more, nothing less. 

But everyone on Twitter are acting like she’s the Mary Sue Fusion of Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia. Once again, Flurry Heart only appeared in SEVEN EPISODES, she doesn’t even have a major role in the COMICS except maybe on a cover of one issue and a cameo appearance as a background character. 

Mary Sue? UNLIKELY. If I wanna compare her to one character, it’s Twilight Sparkle, because they both had magic that needed to be controlled and learned. Except Twilight was a school pony when her untapped magic was first revealed, while Flurry Heart’s magic was revealed when she was a baby, in her first debut. 

Four, the NITPICKING from the Twitter Weebs... I’m thinking that they’re just bored with the current MLP series and HOW AGONIZINGLY SLOW it’s going, and they’re just picking and choosing which characters from the FIM series that should be torn apart and “Hated”. 

Actually, this is JUST as stupid as when Twilight Sparkle first became an Alicorn Princess, because the ONLY thing that changed about her was the addition of the wings and a TINY smidgen of height difference. 

Everyone HATED Alicorn Twilight at first, but that died out when they figured out that Twilight’s still Twilight, but with wings and a royal status.

Overall, the hate for one of the most minor characters in the entire MLP Gen 4 series is not only stupid, but also just so like a “Brony” or something. I mean, this is so stupid, I can’t even think of a better way to say how stupid the Weeb argument is!

But everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, especially on which characters they like or not. However, I think everyone also has to have a reason on why they like/hate certain characters, in my opinion, not just say things like “Well I hate THIS character because they’re PINK, or their personality’s BAD, etc.”

Even fans of villains have reasons why they love to hate villains in a positive way without sounding like a bunch of toxic fans. *eyerolls*

#My Little Pony #friendship is magic #flurry heart #alicorn #minor rant

[weirdthoughtsandideas]

So, I have rewatched Bia...

Some good news: I liked it way more than the first time! It's something with dcla shows, they need a rewatch to be appreciated more.

They do a lot of things right in this show and I see how much they cared and what they were trying to achieve with it. But, there big thing is that a lot is left unanswered. There's so much left to explore.

I think there's been a plan to have a third season, but due to the pandemic, it wasn't possible, so they had to wrap up everything quickly. But... they just did so weirdly!!

The Helena situation reminds me a lot about the Angie situation in S1 of Violetta. We as viewers know the truth the whole time, and we just wait for the characters to know. The difference here is that, Violetta finds out in season 1, and then is aware Angie is her aunt for the rest of the show. Watching S2 you almost forget she ever kept it a secret. But in Bia... she doesn't know until literally THE LAST TWO MINUTES. Again, I think the plan was to make a third season, and in that season they'd explore how it is now that Bia knows, plus Helena telling everyone else.

But it doesn't take away the fact that

PAULA HAS NOT FOUND OUT LUCAS WAS DRIVING!! Sure, Victor DID tell her and she didn't believe him. But if he told her again, or if anyone else told her, she'd probably believe them that time.

What was up with the last scene of Victor and Helena??

"Whatever happens, I love you" to Thiago is so odd too, if Helena wasn't gonna leave anyway

DAISY AND PIETRO STILL THINK SHE'S ANA THE ACTIVIST

Extremely bittersweet ending of Fundom...

Victor so abruptly leaving

Carmín and Alex suddenly becoming endgame in the last second??

So much else I can't remember with right now!!

With Bia, for me, I feel like there's always a buildup to "bigger" events. Bigger events that never end up happening. It feels like a lot of the time I felt like "that's it? That's all they're gonna do?"

At the same time, there's a lot of good ideas here. Bia does fix a lot of problems previous shows had, and that's good! But despite doing that, I don't feel as entertained as I am with the other shows. I've discussed before that I feel like the humor in this show is more planned. They SAY stuff that sound silly and funny, but they don't act on it. And when they act on it, it's for a video where they do a challenge, where it's planned humor, where you expect someone to get cake in their face or decorate a guitar in a silly way. And maybe this makes the show more realistic - absolutely. But... I don't know, for me, I just didn't find it as funny as previous shows.

I also think that, just because a show "fixes the problems of the previous ones" does not automatically make it "better". Sometimes, a show can be TOO perfect, and then it can almost become boring because what's there to discuss? It's weird, because, of course I don't WANT stupid decisions, but... sometimes characters need to act a little stupid for something to happen. And when they act stupid here, it's either due to a pretty reasonable reason, or not so stupid as they first find it to be, or it's solved quickly.

I also do not think social media plots are that interesting. It IS relatable, because we all have seen youtubers like the ones at Laix, for example. Youtube drama like this happens. But I just don't find social media plots as interesting. I never found the social media plots as fun in the previous shows, either. The only thing interesting is that, watching the shows in chronological order, you see how social media evolves.

With all of this said, I need to say I think a majority of the characters are really charming and fun to see. They have great chemistry with each other, and I root for almost everyone to succeed. The characters I don't like are characters you're supposed to not like, and even then, they humanize most of them so you can see why they act the way they do.

Ships wise, I'm not as invested as in previous shows, but I do find most ships cute. Binuel is the most healthy main character pairing and they are adorable. Thiana has my heart, I love their progression. Daisy and Pietro are really cute, too. I think Pixie is a lesbian, but I like the dynamic between her and Luan.

I'm sorry to say, I do not like Chiara and Guillermo. I don't know what the general thought about them are, since the Bia fandom is significantly smaller than the others, but I get uncomfortable with their age gap and I didn't really feel it between them at all.

I don't think any relationship Alex had was that fun either. Carmín and Mara should've dated each other, thank you.

So... this was how I felt about Bia after this rewatch. A lot of missed potentials that I am not sure if I could blame the writers, because I think they WANTED another season but couldn't. IF they had another season, I think all plots could have been solved, nothing would have felt rushed and they could have brought everything together in a nice knot. As I mentioned, I always waited for something bigger to happen, and then I never felt like it did. But it's still a very sweet show and I can see the love they put into it!

#sara gives bia a second chance #disney bia