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#thinking about these 2 openly showing their protective side to each other

raven-at-the-writing-desk · 4 days

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Hello, I'm not sure if you've explained it or not but going in the depths of Malleus and Leona's character relationship? Like explaining their interactions and how they actually think of one another

Many fan works tend to depict Leona and Malleus as extremely antagonistic toward one another. However, the truth is that their relationship is more like a one sided dislike or annoyance (on Leona’s part). It’s not uncommon for them to bicker or have some tension in their conversations even when they have the same goal in mind such as protecting a harp (Beans Day) or wooing a ghost (although Malleus is not participating for the latter, Leona still insists the ghost would prefer him to Malleus to get that dig in). They’re definitely still on bad terms), but Malleus is generally pretty neutral with Leona unless he is provoked.

Leona’s beef with Malleus is story relevant and makes itself known in book 2. He appears to primarily dislike Malleus because it is thanks to his sheer power that Diasomnia crushes Savanaclaw every inter-dorm tournament, essentially dashing Savanaclaw students’ hopes of being scouted and going pro. Buuut it seems like from the way Leona speaks about his rival, he has long since held these feelings and they aren’t linked to a single inciting incident.

Part of why Leona dislikes Malleus in general seems to be Malleus’s attitude. Leona describes his fellow prince as “pretentious”, “high and mighty”, and acting in ways that show disrespect to him (like in Malleus’s Dorm Uniform vignettes, when he casted a spell meant for objects on Leona). He may also take issue with Malleus’s “incomprehensible fae humor”, which Leona references both during Halloween and in Malleus’s Ceremonial Robes. Additionally, Leona outright states that he hates people who refuse to listen (Silver) and just march to the beat of their own drum (Rook), which are traits you can argue also fits Malleus (since Malleus didn’t really listen to the upset dorm leaders in his Dorm Uniform vignettes). Leona appears to prefer dealing with Malleus to Silver though, as he says that Malleus’s ears aren’t just “for show”. Interestingly, Leona might dislike Malleus less than Rook; Leona is wary of so much as wishing Rook a happy birthday and refuses to dine next to Rook… yet Leona does sit next to Malleus at the end of Terror is Trending.

Leona is one of the few students who isn’t afraid of Malleus and has the gall to openly insult him (or is rude) on more than one occasion. He doesn’t really show any remorse or intent to apologize. In fact, Leona understands very well what bothers Malleus and often acts on those points of weakness to goad him, whereas it is very rare for Malleus to start the fights. For example, Leona tells Malleus in Malleus’s Ceremonial Robes vignettes, “You thinkin’ you’re gonna get it next time? Well, sorry to break it to you, but no one’s ever gonna invite you,” and, “You’re never gonna have a chance to wear those robes, so put’em away for good already.” This, of course, angers Malleus and leads into the two insulting one another’s physical features and exchanging threats (removing horns, declawing, calling each other animals or implying a lack of humanity, etc.). They similarly insult one another in Terror is Trending (again, Leona instigates: “Hmph, look at Mr. High-Horse over here. Were you flattered to be asked [to have your picture taken]?”) and again in Fairy Gala (Leona again: “Ever consider gettin’ off your tail and cleanin’ up your fellow fae’s mess?”). I’m sure there are tons of other instances you could come up with; these are just the immediate ones that come to my mind. Funnily enough, Lilia and Silver see these heated conversations as proof of Malleus and Leona’s friendship. I feel like this could also, in part, feed into Leona’s dislike of Malleus, as people having the wrong idea about your relationship can be irritating.

Now, Malleus does appear to care about maintaining amicable relations with representatives of other countries. Often it is he who instructs Sebek to apologize to Leona for being rude—two major instances of this occur in Malleus’s Ceremonial Robes vignettes and during Vargas Camp. He even personally (and happily) welcomes Leona to Diasomnia in his Ceremonial Robes vignettes, viewing Leona as no different than any other guest.

This goes into the realm of speculation (so please bear with me!!) but it could be said that Malleus has a very… unique view of friendship? So Lilia and Silver may not be too far off when they say that Leona and Malleus are chums in their own weird way. In Glorious Masquerade, Rollo poses a real threat to Malleus and to his people—yet when Malleus experiences genuine fear for the first time, he seems more excited at the novel feeling rather than cower as a result of it. Following the climax, Malleus still presents the song he had prepared as a gift of good will for NBC. He also proceeds to play with Rollo’s guilt to get him to agree to sharing a dance. And THEN Malleus says he looks forward to being invited again????? These are all quite friendly gestures for someone who put you and all your people in danger, my guy… 😂 So perhaps Malleus just gas a very different way of approaching friendships? Hard to say, but that’s some food for thought!

Leona and Malleus have had moments of amicability, so it’s totally possible for them to get along. This happens primarily in Leona’s Union Jacket vignettes; in them, Malleus gifts the birthday boy an antique book in an ancient language (Leona’s best subject). The two then talk about enjoying the freedom of walking around town without an attendant or some servants trailing after them. Being of a similar social status, they are able to understand one another to some extent.

This is going into another point of speculation, but I wonder if Leona and Malleus recognize their similarities beyond this interview. I certainly have; they’re both arrogant princes that deeply desire what the other prince has, and I feel that their animosity, in part, comes from this realization (whether conscious or unconscious). I certainly get the sense that some of Leona’s hatred of Malleus comes from seeing his own desires manifested in him—of being that coveted prince praised for his power, his people lavishing him with affirmations, a crown… All the things Leona doesn’t have.

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ineffectualbookseller · 10 months

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It just really GRINDS MY GEARS the way Crowley is keeping so much from Aziraphale this season but also I TOTALLY understand why he's doing it

The thing is we saw Aziraphale keep a huge secret from Crowley in season 1 after he got his hands on the Nice and Accurate Prophecies and went to heaven with the information about Adam rather than telling Crowley, but then we saw him grow from that mistake. He realized how wrong a decision that was and that's why he's SO committed to them working as a team in season 2. The way he immediately goes to Crowley when Gabriel shows up and keeps him updated whenever he talks to heaven and even calls from Edinburgh to tell him about the new Clue (and maybe to brag a little because he's feeling proud)

and YEAH Aziraphale lies. I'm not saying he doesn't. He's a liar. Lies to himself, to heaven, to hell, to god's face, and sometimes to Crowley. But in my opinion, the biggest lie he tells Crowley about the occult/ethereal goings-on this season is not telling him about Shax on the drive back to Edinburgh. And I think the reason he doesn't is the same reason he's SO nervous to tell him about Gabriel at first; he's afraid Crowley will overreact - will totally freak out when he realizes Aziraphale is being threatened. Which is, frankly, justified. He would.

But then Crowley is over here lying about SO MUCH all season. And some of the lies are about his own pride (i.e. not telling his self-described bestie that he has been UNHOUSED for YEARS during a GLOBAL PANDEMIC) but mostly he does it because he thinks it is protecting Aziraphale. Because he is so obsessed with saving Aziraphale.

Everyone knows it - Demons are using threats against Aziraphale as a way to intimidate Crowley all over the shop (a good tactic tbf, far more effective than threatening Crowley himself), and Aziraphale openly speaks it.

But the actual reason he does it is because he's so concerned about proving his worth to Aziraphale. We know Crowley has self-esteem issues. He's all smoke and mirrors - not a man (nb) just a flashy jacket wrapped around a bundle of insecurities and anxieties. He still thinks he needs to prove himself to Aziraphale, that he needs to make himself worthy of his partnership. He cognitively knows they should be equals, a team of the two of them on their own side, but he just can't shake the notion that Aziaphale needs a reason to fraternize with a demon.

And of course, Aziraphale doesn't. He loves Crowley as he is and sees just as much worth in the small acts of bringing him chocolates at the bookshop opening or clearing them a table at the Ritz. True, he does love that Crowley loves saving him, but not because he actually needs it, because it's part of the flirty game they play. But he's not honest enough to tell Crowley as much clearly (not that speaking it would solve Crowley's self-worth issues).

The thing is, "Saving me makes him so happy" is so much cuter when you're fully PRETENDING to be stuck in the Bastille and don't know any other way of asking your crush out on a lunch date. Because now the forces of heaven and hell are knocking on THEIR bookshop door and all they have is each other but Crowley hasn't been honest with Aziraphale about the seriousness of this threat and Aziraphale didn't warn him about Shax BECAUSE he knew he would be overprotective. Crowley needs so badly to be the hero he's undermined their power as a team.

And that's the dramatic irony of it all. As an audience, it is spelled out so clearly for us that they are at their best, their most powerful, as a team. They are a whole greater than the sum of its parts. The fact of Crowley's incessant need to prove himself, to be the hero, to "protect" Aziraphale from all this information that he has been choosing to lie about all season - it's just making them weaker.

TLDR; Crowley is lying to Aziraphale to keep him safe because he still feels like he needs to prove himself to be worthy of Aziraphale's partnership but this makes it impossible for them to truly work as a team and is hurting them both

#Im always thinking about how Crowley idolizes James Bond in the book #he wants to be Aziraphale's hero so badly #Good Omens #good omens meta #Crowley #And the thing is Aziaphale could absolutely do more to dispell this type of thinking by being more honest about his feelings #but the words of your partner cannot fix your deepseeded problems and insecuries - thats not healthy or sustainable #honestly I think the breakup will be good for Crowley - I hope he gets to experience Aziraphale fighting for him #even when Crowley is offering nothing in return #and it will help start his healing process #Good omens 2 #gos2 spoilers #ineffable husbands

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violetduchess · 1 year

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Obey Me! as Ship Dynamics:

Notes: I dont like how Belphagor's came out but oh well🤷‍♀️

Lucifer: Sunshine + Grumpy

1. Your Positivity:

- Your cheerful and optimistic nature often clashes with Lucifer's serious and strict demeanor, but your contrasting personalities create a harmonious balance.

- Your unwavering positivity becomes a source of fascination for Lucifer, who is initially puzzled by your ability to find joy in the simplest things.

- Despite Lucifer's initial resistance, you find yourself drawn to his mysterious aura, and he secretly appreciates the warmth you bring into his life.

2. Lucifer's Protective Nature:

- Lucifer is fiercely protective of you, although he may not always show it openly. He worries about your well-being and is constantly on guard, ready to step in and shield you from any harm.

- When you face challenges or difficult situations, Lucifer becomes your pillar of support, offering guidance and encouragement in his own gruff way.

- Despite his grumpy demeanor, Lucifer secretly cherishes your optimism, as it acts as a source of strength for him in moments of doubt or darkness.

3. Finding Balance:

- Your positivity helps to soften Lucifer's grumpy exterior and allows him to open up and show his vulnerable side. You offer a safe space for him to express his frustrations and fears without judgment.

- In return, Lucifer's grounded nature and logical thinking help you navigate through life's obstacles and provide a sense of stability.

- Together, you learn to appreciate the different facets of your personalities, finding a balance where your individual strengths complement each other.

4. Lightening the Mood:

- Your cheerful presence has a way of brightening even Lucifer's most somber moments. You often find small ways to make him smile or laugh, slowly chipping away at his stoic façade.

- Your playful antics and unexpected surprises serve as reminders to Lucifer that life shouldn't always be taken too seriously. Your lightheartedness becomes a source of comfort and relief for him.

5. Mutual Growth:

- Over time, Lucifer's grumpy exterior softens as he learns to embrace your positivity and finds solace in your unwavering support.

- You, on the other hand, gain a deeper understanding of Lucifer's complexities, recognizing that beneath his gruff exterior lies a caring and compassionate soul.

- Together, you navigate the intricacies of your relationship, pushing each other to grow and evolve in ways you never thought possible.

Mammon: Dumb + Dumber

1. Mischievous Adventures:

- You and Mammon often find yourselves in trouble due to your impulsive and mischievous nature. You are partners in crime when it comes to embarking on daring adventures and questionable schemes.

- Whether it's sneaking into restricted areas, pulling off outrageous pranks, or exploring forbidden realms, the two of you always manage to find yourselves in absurd and hilarious situations.

2. Enabling Each Other:

- Mammon and you have a unique connection where you enable each other's mischievous tendencies. You encourage each other's wild ideas and are always ready to dive headfirst into reckless endeavors.

- Rather than cautioning each other, you egg each other on, leading to even more outrageous and sometimes disastrous outcomes.

3. Learning from Mistakes:

- Despite your knack for getting into trouble, neither you nor Mammon let your failures bring you down. You view your misadventures as valuable learning experiences, finding humor in your own follies.

- Instead of dwelling on your mistakes, you focus on embracing the joy and spontaneity of your shared escapades, even if it means making the same foolish mistakes again.

4. Unbreakable Bond:

- Through your shared penchant for mischief, Mammon and you forge an unbreakable bond. You understand and accept each other's flaws and celebrate your unique brand of stupidity.

- Your willingness to go to great lengths for each other, even if it means facing the consequences of your actions, strengthens your connection and solidifies your friendship.

5. Comedy Duo:

- Mammon and you are like a comedic duo, always ready to entertain those around you with your hilarious antics. You have a natural chemistry that draws others in and keeps everyone laughing.

- Your ability to find humor in even the most absurd situations creates a lighthearted and joyous atmosphere wherever you go.

6. Growing Together:

- While Mammon and you may be known for your foolishness, you also have the capacity to learn and grow from your experiences. Over time, you develop a deeper understanding of responsibility and the consequences of your actions.

- Through your shared adventures, you discover the importance of balance, knowing when to indulge in your foolish tendencies and when to exercise caution.

Leviathan: Shy introvert + Outgoing Extrovert

1. Encouraging Socialization:

- As the outgoing one, you make it your mission to help Leviathan come out of his shell. You gently push him to participate in social activities and introduce him to new experiences.

- Whether it's attending demon gatherings, joining online gaming sessions, or even just hanging out with other exchange students, you encourage Leviathan to step out of his comfort zone and discover the joys of social interaction.

2. Slowly Building Confidence:

- You understand that Leviathan needs time and patience to feel comfortable in social settings. You take small steps, gradually exposing him to different social situations and providing a supportive environment.

- Through your encouragement and reassurance, Leviathan starts to gain confidence in his abilities to interact with others. He becomes more willing to share his interests and engage in conversations, thanks to your unwavering support.

3. Embracing Alone Time:

- While you're always eager to engage in social activities, Leviathan teaches you the importance of embracing alone time and finding solace in quieter moments.

- He shows you the joy of indulging in hobbies, whether it's gaming, watching anime, or reading manga. Together, you find a balance between socializing and enjoying personal interests, appreciating the value of both.

4. Bonding Over Shared Interests:

- As Leviathan gradually opens up, you discover common interests that strengthen your bond. You both enjoy geek culture, gaming, and exploring the vast world of anime.

- Through shared experiences, you create special memories together, whether it's marathoning a new series or competing in gaming tournaments. These activities allow Leviathan to feel comfortable and connected with you on a deeper level.

5. Mutual Growth:

- Your outgoing nature inspires Leviathan to step out of his comfort zone, while his introverted tendencies remind you to cherish quiet moments and appreciate the little things in life.

- Together, you both grow and learn from each other's strengths. Leviathan becomes more confident in social situations, and you find solace in taking time for self-care and personal hobbies.

6. Supportive and Understanding:

- You provide unwavering support to Leviathan, assuring him that it's okay to take things at his own pace. You never pressure him into uncomfortable situations but gently nudge him to explore new experiences.

- Leviathan, in turn, appreciates your understanding and patience. He values your willingness to accommodate his introverted nature and finds comfort in knowing that you accept him for who he is.

Satan: Affectionate + Not used to it

1. Uncharted Territory:

- For Satan, affection is a relatively unfamiliar territory. He's not accustomed to receiving or expressing affection openly, often finding himself at a loss for how to respond.

- On the other hand, you are naturally affectionate, constantly showering him with hugs, kisses, and heartfelt gestures. Your warmth and love are something he's never experienced before.

2. Slowly Opening Up:

- It takes time for Satan to adjust to your affectionate nature. At first, he may be a bit overwhelmed and unsure of how to react. He might even be slightly reserved or awkward in response.

- However, as he spends more time with you and witnesses your genuine care and affection, he begins to let his guard down. He starts to appreciate and reciprocate the affection, albeit in his own unique way.

3. Acts of Service:

- While physical displays of affection might not come naturally to Satan, he shows his love and appreciation through acts of service. He may go out of his way to do things for you, such as preparing your favorite book, assisting with research, or even helping you organize your belongings.

- These gestures, though seemingly small, are his way of expressing his affection and care for you.

4. Trusting Your Intentions:

- Satan's initial hesitation stems from a fear of misinterpreting your intentions. He may doubt whether he deserves the affection you give or worry about overstepping boundaries.

- It's important for you to communicate openly and reassure him of your genuine feelings. Over time, he learns to trust your affection, understanding that you genuinely care for him and have his best interests at heart.

5. Encouraging Vulnerability:

- As you continue to shower him with affection, Satan begins to realize that vulnerability and opening up are not signs of weakness but rather an opportunity for growth and deeper connection.

- You create a safe and loving environment where he feels comfortable sharing his thoughts, fears, and insecurities. Through your unwavering support, he learns to embrace vulnerability and allows himself to be more open with you.

6. Growth and Balance:

- Through your affectionate nature, you help Satan explore a softer side of himself that he never thought he had. He learns to appreciate the beauty of love and affection, slowly growing more comfortable in expressing his emotions.

- At the same time, you understand the importance of giving him space and respecting his boundaries. You find a balance between showering him with affection and allowing him the time and freedom to adjust at his own pace.

Asmodues: Drama Queen + Over it

1. The Center of Attention:

- Asmodeus is always the center of attention, whether intentionally or unintentionally. His dramatic flair and extravagant personality draw people towards him like moths to a flame.

- While you appreciate his vibrant energy and enjoy seeing him shine, there are moments when his constant need for attention can become a bit overwhelming.

2. Love Through the Drama:

- Despite Asmodeus' dramatic nature, you can't help but love him for who he is. His zest for life, his ability to turn even the simplest of situations into a grand spectacle, and his infectious enthusiasm captivate you.

- Your love for Asmodeus is intertwined with his dramatic tendencies. It's what makes him unique and keeps the relationship exciting, even if it can sometimes be exhausting.

3. Balancing Act:

- As the one who is "over it," you find yourself playing the role of the calm and grounded presence in Asmodeus' life. You provide a sense of stability and a much-needed anchor amidst the whirlwind of his theatrics.

- While you appreciate his dramatic side, there are times when you need moments of tranquility and simplicity. It's important for you to find a balance between indulging in his drama and having peaceful moments together.

4. Drama Queen Meets Eye-Roll Champion:

- You have become a master of eye-rolling in response to Asmodeus' dramatic displays. It's almost a reflex reaction to his over-the-top antics, and he knows it too. But deep down, he loves that you can keep him in check and bring him back to earth when necessary.

- Your eye-rolling moments often lead to lighthearted banter and playful teasing, adding an extra layer of fun to your relationship.

5. Supporting Each Other:

- While Asmodeus thrives in the spotlight, you provide unwavering support and encouragement. You attend his extravagant events, cheer him on from the sidelines, and offer a listening ear when he needs to vent.

- Likewise, Asmodeus recognizes your need for a break from the drama and makes an effort to support you in return. He surprises you with quiet moments, thoughtful gestures, and reminds you that he can be there for you too.

6. Embracing the Colorful Life:

- Despite the occasional annoyance, you've come to embrace the colorful life that comes with being in a relationship with Asmodeus. His drama and flair have a way of turning the ordinary into something extraordinary.

- Together, you navigate the highs and lows of the relationship, learning to appreciate the balance between his dramatic nature and your grounded presence.

Beelzebub: Gentle Giant + Feral Gremlin

1. Protective Nature:

- Beelzebub's gentle and caring nature extends to you, as he sees it as his responsibility to protect you from harm. He understands your feral tendencies and embraces them, offering a calming presence to counterbalance your occasional violent outbursts.

- He becomes your steadfast guardian, using his immense strength and size to shield you from any threats and keeping a watchful eye over you.

2. Nurturing Your Wild Side:

- Beelzebub recognizes the feral gremlin within you and appreciates the untamed energy you bring to the relationship. He understands that sometimes you need an outlet for your more violent tendencies, and he encourages you to channel them in constructive ways.

- He might suggest engaging in physical activities or combat training together, allowing you to release your energy while keeping it controlled and focused.

3. Calming Influence:

- Beelzebub's gentle and calming presence has a soothing effect on you. When your feral instincts start to take over, he knows just how to calm you down and bring you back to a more peaceful state.

- Whether it's through soft words, gentle touches, or even offering you something delicious to eat, Beelzebub's presence has a grounding effect on your wild nature.

4. Unconditional Acceptance:

- Beelzebub accepts you for who you are, gremlin tendencies and all. He loves the fierce and untamed aspects of your personality, understanding that they are a part of what makes you unique.

- You feel comfortable being your authentic self around him, knowing that he will never judge or criticize you for your more violent moments. Instead, he embraces every aspect of your personality, cherishing the wild and feral parts as much as the gentle ones.

5. Balance and Harmony:

- Together, you create a balance between your feral tendencies and Beelzebub's gentle nature. He helps ground you, providing a sense of stability and comfort, while you bring excitement and energy into his life.

- Through open communication and understanding, you find harmony within the relationship, allowing both your wild and gentle sides to coexist in a healthy and loving manner.

6. Unbreakable Bond:

- Despite the contrast in your personalities, your relationship with Beelzebub deepens into an unbreakable bond. His unwavering support and acceptance of your feral gremlin nature make you feel safe and cherished.

- Together, you navigate the complexities of your dynamic, embracing the beauty of your contrasting personalities and finding strength in your love for one another.

Belphagor: Troubled + Cutesy

1. Bringing Sunshine to Darkness:

- As the cutesy one, your bubbly and optimistic nature serves as a ray of sunshine in Belphagor's troubled world. Your infectious positivity has the power to brighten even his darkest moments.

- You have a knack for finding the bright side of any situation and bringing a smile to Belphagor's face, reminding him that there is always hope and happiness to be found.

2. A Source of Comfort:

- Belphagor finds solace in your cutesy nature. Your innocent charm and adorable quirks provide him with a sense of peace and tranquility. Being around you helps him momentarily forget his troubles and focus on the simple joys of life.

- Your presence serves as a soothing balm for his weary soul, making him feel loved and understood in ways he didn't think were possible.

3. A Shoulder to Lean On:

- Your caring nature makes you the perfect shoulder for Belphagor to lean on. You offer unwavering support and a listening ear, allowing him to open up about his troubles and fears without judgment.

- Through your gentle encouragement and understanding, you help him navigate his inner demons, providing a safe space for him to express himself and find comfort in your presence.

4. Finding Joy in the Little Things:

- You have a talent for finding joy in the smallest of moments, and you're determined to share that joy with Belphagor. Whether it's engaging in cute activities, sharing adorable trinkets, or simply cuddling up together, you bring a sense of childlike wonder and happiness to his life.

- Your cutesy nature inspires him to let go of his worries, even if just for a little while, and embrace the simple pleasures of the present.

5. Encouraging Self-Expression:

- Belphagor's troubled nature often makes it difficult for him to express himself fully. However, your cutesy persona encourages him to embrace his own unique self-expression.

- Through your love and acceptance, you inspire him to explore his own cutesy side, helping him find joy in the little things and showing him that it's okay to let go and have fun without reservation.

6. Healing Hearts:

- In your relationship, you both find healing. Belphagor's troubled soul is gradually mended by your unconditional love and adorable nature, while you find solace in his arms, knowing that you can bring light to his darkness.

- Together, you embark on a journey of growth and healing, supporting each other through the ups and downs, and finding strength in the unique dynamic that your troubled and cutesy natures create.

Diavolo: Charming Himbo + Easily flustered

1. Diavolo's Charming Nature:

- Diavolo's charismatic and outgoing personality makes him the epitome of a charming himbo. He has a way of making everyone around him feel special and valued, including you.

- His constant compliments and flirtatious nature leave you easily flustered, as his words and actions never fail to make your heart race.

2. Bringing Out the Flustered Side:

- Your easily flustered nature becomes a delightful challenge for Diavolo. He takes great pleasure in teasing you and watching your cheeks turn a lovely shade of pink with the simplest of compliments or gestures.

- From playful banter to innocent touches, he knows just how to push your buttons and revels in the adorable reactions he elicits from you.

3. Diavolo's Protective Streak:

- Despite his charming and carefree demeanor, Diavolo has a protective streak when it comes to you. He can't help but feel a sense of responsibility to keep you safe and ensure your happiness.

- Whenever you become flustered or overwhelmed, he's quick to step in and offer reassurance, soothing your nerves and reminding you of his unwavering support.

4. Embracing the Flustered Moments:

- Diavolo finds your easily flustered nature endearing and captivating. He adores the way your eyes widen and your voice stutters when he compliments you or engages in playful antics.

- Instead of making you uncomfortable, he cherishes these moments, making it his mission to create more opportunities for you to blush and be adorably flustered.

5. Unveiling a Sincere Side:

- Behind Diavolo's charming himbo facade lies a sincere and caring soul. As he witnesses your easily flustered reactions, he becomes more attuned to your emotions and wants to create genuine connections with you.

- He takes the time to listen to your thoughts, support your dreams, and make you feel truly valued. In these moments, you see a side of Diavolo that goes beyond his charming persona, solidifying your connection even further.

6. Growing Together:

- Your easily flustered nature and Diavolo's charming himbo personality create a dynamic filled with laughter, teasing, and genuine affection. As you navigate the ups and downs of your relationship, you both grow together, learning from each other's strengths and weaknesses.

- Through Diavolo's guidance and your vulnerability, you begin to embrace your easily flustered side, finding confidence in his unwavering adoration and support.

Barbatos: Oblivious + Obvious

1. Barbatos' Obvious Affections:

- Barbatos wears his heart on his sleeve when it comes to you. His actions and gestures are filled with love and adoration, making it clear to everyone around that he has strong feelings for you.

- From the way he looks at you with tender eyes to the special attention he pays to your needs and desires, Barbatos' affections for you are as obvious as can be.

2. The Unnoticed Cues:

- Despite Barbatos' clear displays of affection, you often find yourself oblivious to his romantic intentions. You may misinterpret his kind gestures as mere acts of friendship, not realizing the depth of his feelings.

- While others may see the obvious signs, you remain blissfully unaware of the romantic undertones in Barbatos' actions, leaving him both amused and determined to find a way to make his intentions more apparent to you.

3. Subtle Hints and Encounters:

- Barbatos tries to drop subtle hints about his feelings for you, hoping that you'll eventually catch on. He creates opportunities for one-on-one encounters, offering his assistance or inviting you to events where he can spend more time with you.

- From sharing meaningful conversations to offering gentle touches and warm smiles, Barbatos aims to convey his affection without overwhelming you or making you feel uncomfortable.

4. Going Above and Beyond:

- Barbatos goes above and beyond to show his care and love for you, even if you may not fully grasp the extent of his intentions. He anticipates your needs and desires, providing you with thoughtful surprises and acts of service.

- Whether it's preparing your favorite meal or organizing events tailored to your interests, Barbatos consistently demonstrates his devotion, hoping that one day you'll recognize the depth of his affection.

5. The Unspoken Longing:

- While Barbatos may be obvious in his affections, he also harbors an unspoken longing for you. He yearns for the day when you finally realize his true intentions and reciprocate his feelings, eagerly awaiting the moment your obliviousness fades away.

- Despite the frustration that sometimes comes with your unawareness, Barbatos remains patient, knowing that when the time is right, you will come to understand and embrace the love he has for you.

6. A Gentle Revelation:

- Eventually, Barbatos decides to take a more direct approach in expressing his feelings for you. He musters the courage to have an open and heartfelt conversation, sharing his emotions and intentions, hoping that his sincerity will finally break through your obliviousness.

- It is in this vulnerable moment that you begin to comprehend the depth of Barbatos' affections, and as the realization dawns upon you, a new chapter unfolds in your relationship, one filled with shared love and a deeper understanding of each other.

Solomon: Tease + Annoyed

1. Solomon's Mischievous Nature:

- Solomon is a notorious tease, always finding ways to push your buttons and ruffle your feathers. His mischievous nature brings a playful energy to your interactions, as he delights in seeing your annoyed reactions.

- From witty remarks to playful pranks, Solomon's teasing knows no bounds. He thrives on the challenge of getting under your skin and making you crack a smile.

2. The Cycle of Teasing and Annoyance:

- Your dynamic with Solomon is a never-ending cycle of teasing and annoyance. He knows exactly how to push your buttons and can't resist the temptation to get a rise out of you. Meanwhile, you find yourself exasperated by his relentless antics.

3. Banter and Verbal Sparring:

- Your interactions with Solomon are filled with banter and verbal sparring. You engage in quick-witted exchanges, each trying to outdo the other with clever comebacks and sarcastic remarks.

- While Solomon's teasing can be exasperating, there's an undeniable chemistry between you that keeps the banter going, ensuring that neither of you gets bored.

4. Testing Limits:

- Solomon enjoys testing your limits and seeing just how far he can go before you reach your breaking point. He constantly walks the fine line between amusing and aggravating, always striving for that perfect balance.

- In turn, you've developed a resilient spirit, determined not to let his teasing get the best of you. You've become adept at deflecting his jabs and even throwing a few of your own, refusing to let him have the upper hand.

5. Hidden Affection:

- Beneath the teasing and annoyance lies a hidden layer of affection. Solomon's playful nature is often a mask for his genuine care and concern for you. Despite the exasperation, he values your presence and secretly finds your reactions endearing.

- While he may not always show it, Solomon's actions speak louder than words. He goes out of his way to help and protect you, proving that his teasing is just a part of who he is, not a reflection of his true feelings.

6. Mutual Understanding:

- Over time, you come to understand that Solomon's teasing is his way of expressing affection. Underneath it all, he enjoys the dynamic you share and the connection it brings. Likewise, he appreciates your resilience and ability to challenge him.

- Through this mutual understanding, a unique bond forms between you. You find solace in the fact that even though Solomon can be a tease, there's a genuine connection and unspoken affection that binds you together.

Simeon: "We're not dating."

1. Close Proximity:

- You and Simeon are always in close proximity to each other, whether it's during events or casual hangouts. You naturally gravitate towards one another and find comfort in each other's presence.

- Your interactions are filled with subtle touches, lingering glances, and gentle gestures that hint at a deeper connection. Despite this, you both playfully deny any romantic involvement, insisting that you're just good friends.

2. Flirtatious Banter:

- Flirtatious banter is a staple of your relationship with Simeon. You engage in playful teasing and witty exchanges, making each other laugh and keeping the energy light-hearted.

- Others may mistake your banter for genuine romantic interest, but you both maintain that it's all in good fun and a reflection of your close friendship.

3. Emotional Support:

- Simeon is always there for you, providing a listening ear and offering comforting words during difficult times. He offers support and guidance, going above and beyond to make you feel loved and cared for.

- While your bond is undeniably strong, you reassure each other that you're simply there for emotional support as close friends, even though your actions may suggest otherwise.

4. Couple-Like Activities:

- You and Simeon often engage in activities that are commonly associated with couples. From going on walks together to sharing meals or attending events, you naturally fall into a pattern that resembles that of a couple.

- However, when others make assumptions or tease about your relationship, you both brush it off and playfully deny any romantic involvement, emphasizing that you're just enjoying each other's company.

5. Unspoken Understanding:

- Despite your insistence on not dating, there's an unspoken understanding between you and Simeon. You both recognize the depth of your connection and the feelings that exist beneath the surface.

- While you may not have officially labeled your relationship, you share a bond that surpasses traditional friendship. There's an innate understanding of each other's needs and a level of comfort that goes beyond ordinary friendship.

6. Fear of Ruining the Friendship:

- One of the reasons you both resist acknowledging your romantic feelings is the fear of ruining the beautiful friendship you share. You value each other's presence in your lives and are hesitant to complicate things by crossing into romantic territory.

- Instead, you find solace in the unspoken affection and continue to enjoy the closeness without the added pressure of a defined relationship.

#xreader #lucifer x reader #mammon x reader #asmodeus x reader #satan x reader #leviathan x reader #beelzebub x reader #belphagor x reader #diavolo x reader #barbatos x reader #solomon x reader #simeon x reader

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odxrilove · 2 years

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☆ JEONGHAN BOYFRIEND HABITS

pairing: jeonghan x reader

genre: headcannons, fluff, established relationship?

a/n: 2nd part of the seventeen boyfriend habits series (requested) !! sent an ask to suggest the next member! ask to be on the taglist or fill out the form!

back to seventeen boyfriend habits masterlist!

☆ playing with your hair when you talk intensely

a few months into your relationship with him, you had found out jeonghan once used to have long hair and he then openly expressed how cute he found you, with whatever hair type you had at that moment. that day ended with lots of giggles after an intense round of back and forths. jeonghan had always loved your hair, whether it was long, short, curly or straight, and he had always loved listening to you talk. so why not make the experience of listening to you even better by playing with your hair? it’s a mix of two things he loves, it’s perfect! (that were his words when you first asked him why he was braiding a lock of your hair). you soon realized it wasn’t a one time thing but also noticed the fond look his eyes held as he slowly twirled a strand of hair around his finger, a playful smile on his face while he nodded along to your story.

☆ sitting close to you whenever you eat out

jeonghan loves eating out and he loves it even more with you by his side. by his side doesn’t only mean going with him in his words. for jeonghan, it also means right next to him, knees touching and fingers interlocking under the table. it means, sitting so close that whispering in each other’s ears is a given, an arm thrown over your shoulder as you shudder in delight. and it means being able to hold your thigh in a protective manner whenever he spots a guy checking you out, it means feeling the way your skin trembles under his hand when you laugh at one of his jokes, it means reassuring you with soft brushes of his thumb on your knee when you have to order and giving you a quick adoring kiss when you successfully do so. for jeonghan, it means love and loving you.

☆ always tells you all the gossip

when you first met jeonghan’s friends and they tried to introduce themselves to you, they made it very clear that one of the younger ones, seungkwan, was a gossiper. the gossiper. you just held back a laugh and moved on but there was a lingering question in your mind, how was it possible that seungkwan was the gossiper of the group when you definitely knew nobody could be worse than jeonghan himself. it triggered you for a few days before you finally asked him, and his answer was simple; “because only you showed that you deserved to know the very precious and dangerous info i have.” you could only smile and pinky promise him to keep that info for yourself.

☆ stealing your cutlery and demands a battle when you disagree

it’s been a well known fact for years that jeonghan likes to tease and to prank people, more so the people he’s fond of. also another fun fact about him is that he loves to hold cutlery in his hands; a knife, a fork, a fake sword (if you think of that as cutlery of course), you name it. a funny joke of his ended up turning into a daily thing he does, your whines of disagreement never discouraging him. it’s kinda cute how he holds up the cutlery in his hands though, as if he was a knight in shining armor ready to save whoever was in dire need to be saved. sometimes jeonghan relents and gives you your cutlery back with a pout but most of the time you accept defeat and come back with a plastic sword he diy customized specially for you, ready to take back what was rightfully yours.

perm. taglist: @0x1lovebot @fairybinie @blaqpinksthetic @odetoyeonjun @pockyandme @soobin-chois @soobisms @junityy @kaimal @laylasbunbunny @jaeyunverse

svt bf habits taglist: @baldi-2 @soov @ggyulicious @enhacolor @shuabby1994

please do not copy, repost or steal any of my work. all content belongs to @odxrilove

#seventeen #seventeen x reader #seventeen imagines #seventeen headcanons #seventeen fics #seventeen jeonghan #seventeen yoon jeonghan #seventeen jeonghan x reader #seventeen jeonghan headcannons #seventeen jeonghan imagines #seventeen jeonghan headcanons #svt jeonghan #svt jeonghan x reader #svt headcanons #svt imagines #svt x reader #svt yoon jeonghan #yoon jeonghan #! music articles .. 💿

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marvel-starwarsfangirl · 3 months

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Crosshair and Omega's dynamic

Spoilers for episode 4

Out of all of Omega's relationships with the Batch, I have to say my favorite is the one with Crosshair (and it's not because I'm biased towards him). Even though they only had like two full episodes to work off each other, they do it so well. It's peak sibling relationship. But why I think it works so well is because of how they work off each other. In my eyes, Omega and Cross see each other as equals or at least on similar levels. This is evident with how they guide each other when fleeing from the Empire. There's no clear leader between them, the pair listen to each other depending on the situation.

Crosshair's skills are basically fighting and playing lookout. Both are very handy to have. Whenever a fight breaks out, Omega lets Crosshair take the lead and he works to protect her and himself. That's not to say Omega can't hold her own, but when the going gets tough, the tough get going (credit Lion King 2 for that cheesy line). Cross also takes a natural protective stance around her. While she does the technical stuff, he keeps watch. He might say it isn't part of his skill set, but believe me, it is.

Then, we have Omega. She's much better at hustling and seeking alternative ways to get things done. It's true that blaster fire will draw more attention to one's self. Thus, Crosshair lets her guide him in situations where they need to be more low-profile. Omega is also better with social situations imo. She's a smart kid who learned a lot from her other brothers and Cid. I love that the show gives both characters to exercise their unique skill set while not undermining the other.

The other reason why I love their relationship so much is because of how it's changed Crosshair. In the months that he and Omega have been imprisoned, he's truly grown to care for and respect her. First off, he uses her name. The only other people he does that with is Hunter and Wrecker. Secondly, he follows her lead with almost no question. He does complain and make comments. BUT, he still follows her. Crosshair in season 1 mocked Hunter for listening to Omega. Little did he know that he would follow her over 6 months later (yes, I did the math).

And then there's the emotional piece of it. Crosshair is so open with Omega in his body language, facial expressions, and words. She brings out the best side of him and I am here for it. Compare that to when we first meet him in Clone Wars. He's quiet, hangs back, and usually wears a stern look on his face. Now look at him with Omega. He's much more talkative. His face emits so much emotion from being fed up to genuine concern. There is no doubt in my mind that he loves Omega. He encourages her and openly voices his concerns. I myself struggle with opening up to others about certain except for a few people. Seeing Crosshair opening to someone who he feels comfortable with is truly beautiful and heartwarming. Between Mayday and Omega, you can see just how much Crosshair has changed.

Finally, the imperial officer casually calling Crosshair Omega's dad and her not saying anything proves that Crossdad is real. It's so on the nose, but it's so obvious that Crosshair cares for her and is good at keeping her safe.

#star wars #the bad batch #tbb crosshair #tbb omega

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badass-queer-couples-battle · 5 months

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Gay wrongs tournament, finals of the minor bracket

Propaganda:

For Root and Shaw:

Canon queers. They start out as enemies (Root even threatens Shaw with a hot iron during their meet cute), they even both kidnap each other at some points, but they end up ready to sacrifice everything for the other. Shaw is a self diagnosed sociopath, who is only on the side of ""good"" because she's bored and they've got a cute dog. She has no qualms about killing or even torturing people. Root is kind of unhinged, torturing and killing people in order to find and then protect a Machine that she thinks is a god. Eventually the Machine teaches her the value of friendship and life (kinda), but she's still a psycho at heart. They work so well together, even if they're like a four alarm fire.

For Lord Hater and Commander Peepers :

Lord Hater is the self-proclaimed "universe's awesomest evil-doer", an immature, attention-seeking manchild with electric powers and a short temper. He rules the Hater Empire with Commander Peepers as his second-in-command (technically third, after his beloved pet spider-xenomorph, but who's counting), however it soon becomes *very* clear that the cunning, remorseless, hardworking Peepers is the *real* brains behind the empire. Peepers might be frustrated at Hater's incompetence at times and isn't above manipulating him to reach an end goal, but he'd never dream of usurping him because, well, he's really gay and in love with him (as much as he can be in an early-10s Disney cartoon, anyways). Hater might take Peepers for granted a lot of times, but as his oldest friend and closest confidante he's the one who Hater is closest to. Whether it's invading other planets or kicking puppies for fun, these two are *delightfully* terrible jerks and the epitome of gay wrongs.

Commander Peepers is both Lord Hater's right hand man in villainy AND his jilted stay-at-home-wife-guy (Also in villainy. Hater is really good at getting distracted from productive and efficient villaining.) Lord Hater was the greatest villain in the galaxy thanks to how well he and Commander Peepers worked as an evil team to run the Hater Empire!

Lord Hater conquers planets and is such an edgy bastard. Peepers is the actual brains behind the operation. Peepers is often pushed aside by Hater, they are besties and yet Peepers is always pining for this guy who will never notice. Peepers is so horribly gay for him if you watch the show he wants his stupid boss so bad. Peepers is so scared of him season 1 but then starts yelling BACK in season 2 and has to deal with him like a babysitter or something and yet STILL idolizes him and that’s just such a fun dynamic. His password is H8RNP33PRS43VR (Hater and Peepers forever). They are so evil and everyone fears them and they are villains and they are gay and the side of the fandom that draws them as a married couple that needs counseling is absolutely correct. The fanart of Hater openly liking him back is wonderful but I swear you don’t even need that. They are so gay and villain you have to love them they are

Villains that conquer planets and do evil stuff, my favourite characters, not really canon but they are the best :)

#this finale is so funny to me #person of interest #wander over yonder #poi #sameen shaw #root person of interest #commander peepers #lord hater #minor bracket finals

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oshiawaseni · 1 year

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Trails of Love Hori's been paving down in the build up for the series' ending

Part II: Decoding the love story being told through other characters

Part One | II. Compress | Part Two -> KiriMina

.•° ✿ 2. Gentle & La Brava ೋღ

Gentle and La Brava are classic portrayals of the archetype known in Japan as "baka couple" - a couple that dotes on each other and are very openly affectionate. By juxtaposing the baka couple with Izuku and Katsuki, who keep their true feelings for each other close to their chests, Horikoshi is highlighting the tension and ambiguity going on between bkdk even more.

This tale is the evolution of my feelings towards Gentle/La Brava.

Their introduction was, very... unexpected. Izuku had just finished his tough fight against Overhaul. Nothing much was going on at the time and it had been quite a while since Izuku and Katsuki had interacted with each other.

Shortly after Gentle and La Brava's introduction to the series, BkDk development ramps up and Izuku's "Control your heart" character arc begins. Isn't that interesting..?

The very first time I watched Gentle/La Brava's story in Season Four, something seemed so... misplaced about them.

Their vibe felt filler-ish and because of the school festival side plot going on, their appearance was more like a filler inside of a filler. Yet, Horikoshi had indeed written them into BNHA. These two characters felt so strange when compared with Hori's usual characters. Even downright silly. They were criminals, but they weren't even that bad..? Tea? U.A? They loved each other?

I just couldn't quite work out their purpose in the grand scheme of things and I quickly gave up trying to.

Izuku has no regard for himself? He's crazy? Don't get entangled with him? These lines scream out KATSUKI KATSUKI KATSUKI and how he had felt towards Izuku for years. It seems Hori projected Katsuki's issues with Izuku onto LB/G over 100 chapters before Katsuki verbalised them himself. Going back, now knowing they were written for BkDk is a new experience in and of itself.

Around the time of Katsuki's death, a few theories were floating around on twitter, saying that Gentle and La Brava were put in the manga to highlight what's going on with BkDk. At the time of hearing these theories, I never expected they'd be making a return to the story in the final arc, it had broke my brain thinking about them the first time, so I didn't give this theory too much thought... but when they showed up a second time, in the final act, I really wish I had.

Because as I was reading the things they were now saying the second time around, and being more open to this theory about them, all I could see in my head were visions of everything Izuku and Katsuki had ever done for each other. It had finally clicked:

God, Hori did invent these characters to be the voice of BkDk.

These were the new lines in question that sent my head spiralling about the magnificent truth of this theory:

"Are you still fighting to protect someone's smile?!" It made me think of Katsuki, how Izuku was fighting for Katsuki's sake! To keep him safe, so he'll come back to him, energetic, alive, red eyes shining again with the passion that Izuku loves so much, and his face brimming with confidence and that wonderful, infectious smile of his that tells, no, shouts to everyone that he knows he's a winner.

"My only happiness was the thought of you at my side" Immediately made me think of Katsuki's last moments and thinking of Izuku when he knew, he just KNEW he was going to die. And his thoughts of Izuku - wanting to be the hero that Izuku loves, so he could feel that love when he needed it most, these feelings surrounded and filled his entire heart like a comforting, soft, warm blanket. These feelings are what got him through everything until the end.

This one made me cry because Izuku was his happiness at his very end. And I finally saw Horikoshi, the mangaka who cares about BkDk more than anyone! I saw what he was doing!

"The time we spent apart made our love even stronger." was like a ray of hope for me because every time they had a separation, BkDk's love grew even stronger. It meant that this separation caused by Kacchan's death would some day have an end too, where afterwards, they would be free to love each other for all the world to see.

Can you see it? Katsuki and Izuku were always meant to end up together, and La Brava and Gentle were meant to help show readers what they feel, without BkDk necessarily saying it themselves.

If Izuku's love of Kacchan is what got him a power up every time (OFA, Black Whip, Danger Sense), then this ultimate power of La Brava's must be the same for Katsuki too. Because it is his love for Izuku that gave him a quirk awakening. (And there's another great theory that their deep bond and immense love for each other is what connected Katsuki to Izuku's OFA, as well. So Gentle La Brava are connected via Love... and Katsuki and Izuku are connected via love!)

Let's say from the very beginning of BNHA, Horikoshi's idea was to gradually bring BkDk closer and closer, adding in little details here and there that don't make much sense on their own and are never expanded upon. Because he couldn't make their feelings known in the early/mid game... but he wanted to have them romance-ready at the end game.

Hori would have had a basic outline for the ways he was going to develop BkDk's relationship and he knew he needed a lot of 3rd party help to really spell out their relation to each other in the future. So Hori created Gentle and La Brava for this singular purpose. They exist to help verbalise Katsuki and Izuku's unsaid feelings! It's a perfect marriage between Gentle/La Brava's words and BkDk's actions.

And once people realised that Hori was doing this, they could then go back to the dialogues and connect the dots with other BkDk scenes as well, for example, Katsuki's abduction by the LOV in season three.

In a scene where Katsuki is taken away, Izuku's emotional pain is palpable. His deafening scream shocks not only his classmates, but a lot of viewers too. Because of his deeply emotional reaction and later scenes displaying symptoms of PTSD, this seemingly one-sided affection that Izuku has towards Katsuki, raised so many questions about their relationship for me. And as the series progressed, the mystery of Izuku's powerful feelings and need for Katsuki only deepened further. It feels like La Brava's dialogues were written into the series, just to verbalise what these overwhelming moments were truly like for Izuku.

This can't be just a coincidence. There are just too many parallels between BkDk and Gentle/La Brava to even count.

If you've read my twitter thread on the Gentle/La Brava vs BkDk parallels and how incredibly similar Izuku and La Brava's backgrounds are, but you're still sceptical about this theory, then going on this journey of Hori's trails with me may help convince you that Hori was going to make BkDk canon no matter what and that he's been using other characters to narrate the feelings of BkDk's actions.

In the future, I hope to show you how instrumental Gentle and La Brava were in expressing Horikoshi's vision.

Because there are more layers to Gentle and La Brava's arc than a damn rainbow cake. And I'm still not finished with these two yet, but that is a topic for a later post. Next up, KiriMina!

Part Two -> KiriMina

II. Compress Back to Part One

#bakudeku #bkdk canon #kana writes #bnha meta #op #must read meta #gentle love #what do you guys think about gentle and la brava?

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butterflydm · 8 months

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wot rewatch (book spoilers edition): 2x7

Spoilers for all the aired episodes, it will also have book spoilers through book 6: lord of chaos.

I was able to talk a lot about this episode without needing book spoilers, so this post is much shorter than my earlier one! Like incredibly short.

Thinking about this first scene in the context of Gitara and Tigraine is fascinating. Is Gitara still the person who told Tigraine to go out to the Waste in the first place, in the show's version of events? Because Gitara really is the secret mastermind of a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff.

Gitara essentially engineers the succession crisis in Andor that leads to Elayne being the Daughter-Heir, and Elayne is a very strong player for the Light in the Last Battle. Gitara engineers Rand's birth. And then she sets the threads in motion for Moiraine and Siuan's search for Rand.

The prophetic thread from Gitara (who seems to have been very reliable at figuring out the important bits of her Foretellings) to Elaida (literally The Worst at figuring out her Foretellings) is fascinating to think about. It's not the Talent that makes the woman, but the woman that makes the Talent.

And to pick up from the thread of duty that I was talking about in my earlier post --

Liandrin gave up everything for her son.

Anvaere gave up her son in order to do what is right.

Tigraine does both. She gives up her son (Galad) so that she can follow Gitara's Foretellings, abandoning her old life to save the world. But she also gives up everything for her son (Rand), fighting to the last to give birth, no matter what obstacles face her.

I do think that Tigraine (a former Daughter-Heir of Andor) definitely realized that her son would be the Dragon Reborn, once she was, you know, pregnant and about to give birth on Dragonmount. I feel like she probably figured it out (potentially much earlier than that, though it's hard to say when, exactly).

2. I am... I am genuinely wondering if we're going to skip straight to Moiraine and Rand actually being able to trust each other, and getting to be a team in the Aiel Waste. Because they have bonded so hard this season and Moiraine has made her loyalties painfully clear, especially in this episode and in 2x2 -- I choose Rand. I will protect him, I will guide him. I will trust him even when that trust is an act of faith instead of being based on reason. And that's really a point that she only openly reaches in the books during TFoH. And Rand has SEEN that she was willing to go against Tower on his behalf.

So, yeah. I am very very curious about what our s3 dynamic is going to be with these two. Will 2x8 do something to shift this dynamic or will we take it with us into s3?

3. I'm also... big ouch re: Alanna being one of three Aes Sedai in the entire world that Rand currently feels like he can maybe trust. Salt in the wound, there!

4. Could Siuan be under Compulsion, as I've seen some people speculate? I mean, I wouldn't put it past Liandrin, but we don't really see any opportunity for Liandrin and Siuan to be alone together. And I think all her choices and arguments in this episode feel pretty firmly grounded in what we know of her as a character from the show. So... you know, maybe? I wouldn't feel like the show was cheating if it told me that Compulsion was used to encourage Siuan to stick by Tower policy but I would not be surprised if this is just... Siuan making a different choice than the one that Moiraine makes.

The other possibility I've seen floated is that this was a deliberate ruse by either Siuan alone (to push Rand into trusting Moiraine) or by the two of them together but I feel like Siuan telling Leane "That boy must not leave the city" makes that theory much less likely. We have seen them performing a grand ruse before, of course, back in 1x6 but... I don't feel like the evidence is on the side of this one being a ruse. I feel like they say too many things that would need to be actual lies for this one to work, which is not possible given the Oaths.

Anyway, like I said, this book spoilers post is a short one!

my non-book spoilers post is much longer

#butterfly watches wot #wot #wheel of time #wot on prime #wot show spoilers #wot prime spoilers #wot s2 spoilers #wheel of time s2 spoilers #wot 2x7 spoilers #wot book spoilers #lord of chaos

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starseneyes · 1 year

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Chenford REWIND- Lucy Chen / Tim Bradford - The Rookie - Season 2 Ep 10, 11, & 12

This feels like a lot to put into one Meta. But, since I'm chunking these out and taking requests, it makes sense to me. Yes, "Day of Death" is a defining Chenford episode. But I feel like you need the context of what lead up to it and the fallout on the other side to fully understand its impact and discuss it.

SPOILER ALERT: If you don't want to be spoiled, you don't want to read this. While I do write these as though I'm watching the episodes for the first time and try not to let fore-knowledge come into play, I will be spoiling these episodes in their entirety and everything that came before.

All squared away? Alright, lets dive in.

The Dark Side

"The single men in LA suck. Every time I go out on a date, and they find out that I'm a cop, they just get scared off." ... "Look, those aren't men. Those are boys, okay? Real men are not afraid of strong women."

Heck, yeah, they aren't! Lucy, honey, I get that it's tough out there for you, right now. But someday there will be a single man in LA who doesn't suck and isn't afraid of strong women. You'll see.

But right now, you're looking for anyone who isn't a total dud, and I get that.

"...dating a civilian is a bad idea." "I was told dating cops was a mistake. What am I supposed to do, join a nunnery? Sister Office Lucy Chen?"

I'm so glad I wasn't drinking anything the first time I heard this line because there would have been soda everywhere. My husband heard the line over my shoulder and cracked up, too.

And you might be thinking, "Why is she going into all this? Tim and Lucy are nowhere near ready for romance". Welp, I want to show Lucy's mentality in this episode and will explain once we get to 2x11 how it feeds into the situation and the mis-read from Tim.

"Look, no, I'm saying that right now end of shift means leaving the job behind when you go home. But in success, each one of you is gonna catch cases that kick your ass, that consume your every waking thought. And non-cops won't be able to identify. Worse, they're gonna resent you for caring more about the dead than the living."

It's an interesting thought, and for those of us in Season 5, there's a lot to consider, here. I mean, Lucy was cautioned against dating cops, but Isabel and Tim were Rookies and nobody gave him crap about it, from what we know.

Look, I'm not sorry Lucy and Nolan broke up. But, I do think Lucy should consider dating another cop down the line. *cough* Tim *cough*

"Caleb." "Lucy."

It's a chance meeting at the right time. Lucy is on the hunt for a non-mutant man in Los Angeles, and she ends up at the bar with someone who seems semi-safe.

After the conversation she just had with her friends, we can see she really wants to be with someone.

"I was in college when they found the first victims. It was all anyone talked about. That, and how could a woman be so barbaric." "I worked one of the scenes, fourth victim, Lisa Cruz. Homicide detectives warned me not to look at the body. Should've listened."

I love how they're speaking to one another so openly about the whole thing. There's an ease to how they're walking side-by-side that feels lived-in. Yes, he's still her TO, but this is a glimpse at the other side of him—the one that knows how to have a conversation without screaming or scheming.

"Caleb, from the bar last night... I hope this isn't weird, but you left with your perp before I had a chance to ask for your number."

Tim is giving this guy the side-eye. Look, we are nowhere near romance for this pair, but Tim has come to care about Lucy. He wouldn't call her a friend, yet, but they're definitely on their way.

And Lucy's picking up on Tim's hovering, but I don't think either of them could pick up on the why. My husband swooped in to offer his opinion that Tim picked up bad vibes, but wrote it off because it made him look jealous. I don't think he's far off.

I think Tim was being a little protective. Not necessarily because of romance (everything with Isabelle is very fresh at this point). But, while Lucy is still his "Boot", she is crossing that line more and more towards "friend". Tim cares about what happens with Lucy.

He's trying to watch out for her, but she doesn't want a chaperone. For goodness sake, she's a grown woman, right?

"We don't call them perps." "Right, sorry. Anyway, this is my number. If you ever feel like waiting in vain for a drink, give me a call."

Tim Bradford with the save!! He snatches that tiny piece of paper so fast the camera barely catches it. That's a super hero, my friends.

"You got a last name, Caleb?" "Yes sir. Wright with a W." "What do you do? If you say screenwriter, you're going in a cell."

Lucy's horrified. This might be the worst thing Tim has ever done, in her mind.

Remember, at this point everything with Tim is a test. Everything could be used as subterfuge, and she can't trust what's he's going to do with the information he's gathering.

"I manage a medical supply company downtown." "I'm sorry about him. Things are a little crazy right now." "No problem. It was nice meeting you. Officer."

Tim gives her a "can you believe that guy" look, but she has that same energy directed at him. Tim's surprised by that. He really thought she'd appreciate him looking out for her.

She holds out her hand for her piece of paper, and Tim hands it over as she mouths, "Oh my god".

"Ten bucks that isn't even his dog." "It's been an awful day. Can't I just enjoy a cute puppy?"

Tim's getting a look into how Lucy unwinds and relaxes. All day, she's been sneaking glimpses at Caleb's socials to get a feel for him, and it's helping distract her from the no-good day.

Tim of this era hasn't yet learned how to help Lucy talk through things. But he has learned that Lucy and distractions work well for moderating her panic.

Think of the episode with the nuclear bomb and how they spent the whole episode talking about how to sabotage her ex's wedding. Distraction helps her.

"If I can be wheels up in the next 10 minutes, I might beat the afternoon traffic which means I will be in bed in the next hour."

I love how conversational they're being here. You can already tell the lines of TO and friend are starting to blur.

"That's a mistake." "What? Why?" "Look, after working a hardcore assignment like this, you need to go blow off some steam after shift. You know, give your brain a different focus. It's the only way you have a fighting chance of actually sleeping."

This isn't a Tim Test. He's trying to give her advice. Keep this in mind, my friends. It'll come back.

"As my Training Officer, are you saying that I should go get a drink?" "A strong one. Maybe even with another human."

Tim is really trying to do the right thing, here. He snatched away Caleb's phone number earlier, but Lucy's been cyber-stalking him all day and she looks interested.

"Well, I am here to distract you."

I swear I didn't remember that line when I wrote the part above about Lucy needing a distraction.

And we all know that what started as a distracting night led to a nightmare for Lucy.

Before we move on, I want to talk a little bit about Season 2 Tim and Lucy. I know a lot of people love what DOD does for Chenford in terms of progression. But I argue it doesn't cause the shift, but only expedites it.

Look at Tim in this episode, for example. He's downright conversational and friendly with Lucy. Yes, he tells her to get her head in the game instead of looking at Caleb. Yes, he teases her about her first Decomp, but that's the extent of it.

He talks with her openly and honestly about Rosalind. He tries to protect her from Caleb when he thinks the guy's just an unworthy suitor. He tries to give her advice at the end that isn't attached to any "lesson" but simply sharing what he's learned.

Frankly, I think that's what Lucy expected in a TO—someone to talk her through and give her sage advice. And then she got Tim.

Tim doesn't hand out advice willy-nilly. He's a "show" guy, right? Same thing with how he teaches. He's not much of a "talker" with Lucy when it comes to her training. He's trying to get her to think for herself by putting her through her paces.

But this whole episode, he's talking to her. Heck, he's talking with her. Tim doesn't make friends with his Boots, but Lucy is becoming the exception. They aren't there, yet, but they're on their way.

If we look at this episode separated from DOD (if we can), you can see that Tim and Lucy are already moving towards friends. The events of DOD expedites it, I argue, but they would have eventually gotten there on their own. Tim and Lucy are inevitable.

Day of Death

"My day of death."

The pain of a tattoo. The hangover of whatever drugs he gave her. The inability to move her limbs or fight back. Trying to take note of her surroundings, of anything that might be helpful if she can get away.

And that horrible fear that she won't.

"Sergeant."

It takes Harper two seconds to clock the conversation between the men, and she's the first to jump on it. Why? We'll get to that next episode.

"Lucy did not come home last night. She's not responding to texts or calls." "Did she go out with that guy? The one she met at the bar. Caleb Wright with a W."

He remembers it clearly, but he's trying not to panic. After all, his first date with Rachel was *ahem* memorable. Maybe Lucy moves at that same pace?

"Lucy doesn't do one-night stands." "And she's never late."

Her friends know her well, and Grey's smart enough to run with it. Let's be real, there are scenarios where a Sergeant might not listen, might not take it seriously, might not actually do anything.

This is television, and we're not going to let Lucy Chen go quietly into that good night. But it hits me so hard that there are so many cases where alarm bells are rung and left unanswered.

"Why are you doing this?"

Lucy's trying to keep her head in the game. That's what Tim told her to do last episode, right? Keep your head in the game.

"It's for you. To force you to face the truth of your death. It's the gift of something we rarely get in life—clarity."

Fuck you. I'm sorry. Lucy's thinking it and it needed to be said.

"... we believe Caleb is Rosalind's protege, and he took Officer Chen."

The news slams into Tim. And nobody else in the room sees it or knows why. He doesn't even wait to be dismissed. He rushes out of the room, phone dialing before he makes it through the door.

Because this is too much for him to handle. Tim has tried to handle a lot of things on his own. He's famous for isolating himself and trying to pretend he's fine. But this time he calls his best friend. Because he can't do this alone.

"Lucy's been taken. I need you." "On my way."

"Lucy". Not "Chen". Because in his mind, Lucy is already becoming more than a Boot. No, we're not talking romance, here. We're talking friendship. Kinship. Someone he cares about.

Tim Bradford has a very short list, so the fact that his Rookie is close to making the list is significant. But I'm not one who thinks Tim's romantically interested in her all the way back in Season 2. This thing's grown organically over time, though I'd argue DOD gave it a push, as did certain other episodes covered in Future Metas.

"Look, I know I haven't known Lucy as long as the rest of you, but I do know that she's a fighter."

Hell, yeah, our queen is!

"She's gonna do everything she can to stay alive until we save her."

And she does. She fights like hell and does everything she can to survive. But she's weak. She's lethargic. She's drugged. And she's isolated. Utterly alone.

Imagine that moment of fighting your way out, hoping that there'll be someone to hear your voice, to come to your aid, to get the help you so desperately need... and there's no one.

How much of the fight can you keep alive when you realize how little chance you have of surviving?

"... I can't just sit here."

Here's more of a "show" guy. And there's nobody to show.

"I'm fine. Just blowing off steam."

What he told Lucy to do. What he thought would be safe. What he thought would be relaxing. What he thought would be distracting. What he thought would be fun.

He's not blowing off steam. He's a pressurized gasket ready to explode.

"I get it, but you gotta get your head in the game." "I don't need a pep talk." "Then why'd you call me? Clearly you need to get something off your chest."

Tim forgets the power of words, sometimes. We see it a lot through the season. Maybe it's because he never learned how to use them growing up.

FAST FORWARD: We're a ways away from Season 4 and Tim's backstory episodes that help illuminate just how bad it was for him. Tim's father didn't use words. He used his fists. His mother likely didn't use words, either. They didn't talk about what he went through. He never learned to express himself that way. It takes someone coaxing it out of him, and right now that's his best friend.

"She wanted to go home. Okay? Go to bed. I told her that she should focus on something else. She went out with Caleb because I told her to."

And he's carrying the weight of that guilt. It's too heavy for him to bear. Tim Bradford has carried too many weights, and this one is too much. Did he doom his Rookie to die?

"You couldn't have known."

Angela's whole attitude shifts (how could it not?) because Tim Bradford is expressing emotions with his best friend. And that is huge and this whole thing is horrible.

"But I should have. I'm a cop. I was standing this close to the guy, okay? Right across from him and I never saw him coming. But she did, though. She... Some part of her didn't feel right about this whole thing. She hesitated. And I pushed her right at him."

He's wrong. It has to be said that Lucy might not have gone out with Caleb that night, but it could have been another night. Tim only thinks this because of his own guilt, his own pain, his own frustrations with himself for not being Super Cop.

Lucy wanted to go out with this guy. Maybe she wouldn't have gone out that night without the push. But Caleb was a serial killer, and would've put her on his list sooner or later... and more women would have died in the meantime. It's not Tim's fault any more than it's Lucy's.

He thinks he failed Lucy, but this isn't a situation where you can predict every move. We're not going to victim-blame here. We're not going to point fingers.

Because minus the serial killer plot, this shit happens every day. Around the world, there are people whose drinks are spiked, people who are abducted, people who have their choice and consent ripped from them.

And it's not the victim's fault in any way. And it's not the fault of a friend who suggested they have a fun night out. It's no one's fault but the asshole who perpetrated the crime.

Getting off my soap box, here, now, to get back to the Meta. But watching Tim go through this reminds me of how I still struggle with blaming myself for a friend of mine OD'ing because I didn't reach out to them that night.

What if I'd reached out? What if I hadn't ignored their vague Facebook post thinking that I'd only be adding to their frustrations and that they needed the night to cool off? Would they still be here if I'd commented? Or sent them a message? I'm a state away, so I couldn't reasonably drive... but could I have done something that would have meant they'd still be here?

I know I can't blame myself. But there are some days I still struggle with it. Because she's gone. And I'll never ever know if I could have helped. Cognitively, I know it's not my fault. I couldn't have done anything, but there's that part of you that still thinks... you made the wrong call, and if you'd called it the other way, it might be different, now.

"If I get that away from you, it's going right in your brain."

She kept her head in the game. She's up against life and death, here, and she's at the disadvantage. But she's a fucking fighter. Look, we know that Lucy is tough. This is something else entirely. She's staring down the murderer who wants to hear her scream, who wants to soak up her agony, who wants to get her to crumble.

And Lucy Chen's standing up to that asshole with the ultimate, "Fuck You" by not giving in.

She must want to cry. She must want to scream. But Lucy Chen is a fighter, and she's not going down easy.

Lucy Leaves a Clue

It's a long shot. It's such a bloody long shot. But she has to try. Lucy truly believes that she will be found, long shot as it is.

And that hope can be a powerful thing. Caleb tried to wield it against her, but he's no match for her.

"Any last words?" "Yeah. You're gonna be dead long before I am."

Damn right, Lucy Chen. Damn right.

"Now, I am responsible for a life that is in jeopardy, and I will do whatever I have to to save her."

And he means it. Watch Jackson's surprise to see Tim Bradford slam a guy's head against the horn. Because Tim's unhinged, here. Someone he cares about has been taken, and he doesn't give a damn what happens to him or his career.

He'll let it all fall if it means Lucy survives.

FAST FORWARD: We talk a lot about how Tim makes sacrifices for Lucy where his career is concerned. And while in later seasons it becomes their thing, I think in this case he'd have done it for any of his few friends. We later see him risk it all for Angela when she's kidnapped, too. Tim has a separate code for his friends. And Lucy's falling more under it over time. Again not romantic... yet.

"There can be charges in here that lead us to Caleb."

Did you clock that brief smile? Before Jackson walks up, Tim thinks they're at a dead end. Lucy's lost. She's gone. And he'll never get to atone for his mistake.

Jackson brings a sliver of light and hope, and it's enough that Tim actually briefly grins. It's not over, yet.

"Stars shining bright above you..."

The song. Lucy's song to keep herself calm and regulate her breathing. Yes, not talking would have been better, but she needs this. She needs light and life and love. Something bright to pierce the darkness.

Her oxygen is running low, and she's having more trouble breathing, more trouble seeing a way out. The last thing she's going to give that bastard is the satisfaction of watching her scream.

And Melissa O'Neil is breaking my heart. Acting-wise, she is literally in a barrel. There's no one to react off of. There's no one feeding her lines.

It's just Lucy in a barrel, and it's up to the actress to make us feel. No cool camera angles. No sweeping score. Melissa O'Neil had to carry us through this and she did it masterfully.

Yes, the Writers decided to have her singing this song. The script, or a Director or Editor decided to strip the rest of the sound from the overlapping visuals (there's a lot of playing with sound and its impact in this episode that's jaw-droppingly beautiful).

But Melissa O'Neil is the one who has to make us believe it. And we do.

A Glint of Light

Tim's eyes scan the miles of land, looking for some sign of disturbance to clue him in on Lucy's location. But it's something that doesn't belong that grabs his attention—something that literally catches the light of the sun and draws Tim in. Her ring.

He picks it up, still uncertain, but following the clue. A few kicks and... a thunk.

"I've got her! I've got her!"

Tim starts digging in the ground with his bare hands, the grit getting under his fingernails, the dust getting into his lungs. He registers the others, but only barely. He has to get to Lucy.

The ground gives way enough to reach the lid. Tim's hands are all over it, Nyla on one side and Jackson on the other. When they can finally see her, Tim asks for help as they pull her out. But he hovers, staying close, being certain he is the one to make sure she's alive.

Because if she's dead, it's on him.

Look, we know Tim didn't do anything wrong. But Tim Bradford carries a lot of scars and blames himself for a lot of things he shouldn't. And if he can't get to her in time, if he pulls her out and she's truly gone... he can never atone for this.

She's not breathing. Tim blows into her mouth and starts pumping on her chest. The sound drains from the world... just the discordant notes sounding off and echoing like the dying hope of Lucy surviving.

Lucy gasps, and the sound returns to the world. Each person takes a breath of relief. But then the sound zeroes in only on two people—Lucy and Tim.

"You're so strong," he murmurs, soft enough for her to hear, but no one else. But she doesn't hear anything. It's too much. It's all too fucking much. The sobs she'd held in before finally spill out as Tim pulls her close, holding her tight.

He thought he'd lost her. And, again, there's no romance here. But she matters, damnit. She matters to Tim more than he thought she would when they first met. He presses a hand to her hair, pushing his face next to hers.

It screams "I'm here. I'm here." Because in his mind, he is the one who failed her and it had to be him to save her. He owed it to her. He was responsible for her. He fucked up.

And it almost cost her her life.

Again, I don't think that. But Tim does. He truly believes he's the one who failed her. And when you have very few people in your life who care about you (and Lucy has demonstrated many times that she does care about Tim), you don't want to do anything to lose that.

But Tim believes he almost lost Lucy because he wasn't good enough. It plays so much into his childhood trauma, his trauma with his ex-wife, and everything else. Tim thinks he failed.

She doesn't cling to him, no. Her hands shake and her body convulses from the pain. But she lets him hold her there, back in the air, out of her barrel.

Tim isn't her person, yet. But she cares about him, and she knows deep down that he cares about her. She even told Rachel about his good heart.

But her not holding him is completely appropriate to the moment. It's not about him. This is about her. Her trauma. Her survival. Lucy's breaking in this moment. She spent so much time keeping her head in the game, and now she's finally releasing all the anguish she refused to show Caleb.

And she is safe in Tim's arms to fall apart.

I knew from the Pilot that Eric Winter was a tour-de-force. But in this episode we see so many damn layers. And Tim's relief at holding her in his arms at the end instead of cradling her corpse is palpable.

The way this scene is shot and performed and the sound... it all puts us in the moment. We are right there with them, and it's one of my favorite scenes of the entire series.

Here in the barren waste of sand and silence... there's life.

"Hmm. What are you reading, Teen Rebel?"

She wakes up to see Tim there, waiting. He hasn't slept. He hasn't left. We know that. He's spent the past 24 hours feeling completely responsible for Lucy, and it's not easy to leave the side of the person who you pushed yourself to save.

And the first thing she says to him isn't about what she's survived, or even about him finding her. It's about the damn magazine. And it's perfect.

After what she's survived, Lucy needs something familiar. And Tim is pretty damn familiar in her life.

Before we get too much further... I want to call out the lengths Tim went to save Lucy.

FAST FORWARD: We haven't yet reached, "Some things matter more". But Tim's already showing that in action. He's a "show" guy, remember?

Tim was willing to do whatever it took to save her. He would put it all on the line, and that's because he cares about her. No, they're not ripping one another's clothes off. It's Season 2, she's his Boot, and he doesn't even acknowledge friendship with her, yet.

But she is becoming his friend. She's becoming one of the very few people that Tim Bradford will upend the world for.

"They actually have some really insightful political articles."

Watch how fast that man wheeled his little chair over to her side. It makes me giggle with glee.

"Oh, which BTS member is your soulmate. Gotta be Suga, right?" "Totally. What's a BTS?"

Lucy laughs. Probably her first good laugh in days. And it's with Tim. Hardass, Tim Test, never-lets-up Tim.

"Have you been here all night?" "No. Mmhm. No." "Mmhmm."

Because TO Tim can't show that he cares. Not yet. I mean, he's never felt this friendly toward a Boot, and he can't go soft on her when she still has so far to go before crossing the finish line.

Remember, Tim likes rules and staying within them—whether they're the rules set out for him by a superior or the ones he's created for himself. Counting Lucy a friend is outside the lines. But much as he might try to deny it, he's showing it.

He's used to giving his Rookies what he thinks they need, and with Lucy, it's most often tough love and some manipulative tests. For him to break through his own wall of separating personal life from professional life is too much. So, he lies.

But Lucy can see right through him. Strangely, she's always had that power.

"How did you find me?"

Nolan interrupts the moment. Damnit, Nolan! But we'll all get to that later... next episode.

There's a reason I wanted to do these three together. Look, this show is still basically a Procedural at its heart with some continuous story lines. But these three episodes feel more serial than a lot of the show, and because of that, I think the whole picture is required to ascertain its meaning.

"He is a she and she is going to sleep in my bed since I am clearly never going on a date, again."

We started this whole trilogy with Lucy considering a nunnery. And, again, I think this calls attention to what it's like to be a single woman in the world. Yes, assaults can happen to anyone.

But as a woman, I can tell you I never get anything to drink but water when I'm out with my friends. I never leave my drink unattended. And a male friend always walks me to my car. Theater kids go out a lot to bars (like, after every rehearsal), so there was a season in my life where this was a nightly ritual. Trying to stay safe out there.

So, if Lucy doesn't want to ever date again after her ordeal, I don't bloody blame her, and neither do her best friend, past fling, and future husband.

"You hungry?"

Sometimes I swear this man is part Jewish mother. If you Fast Forward in the series, you see he's always trying to feed this woman.

And, yes, I'm saying this from experience. There was an old saying that if you wanted a lot more food from my Great-Aunt Mary, you said you wanted a little. If you wanted a little, you said you wanted none. And if you wanted none, you hid your plate.

"Yeah. I'm starving. You know what I really wanna eat right now?" "Veggie burger and fries. Extra pickles."

Awwwww! Remember in 2x01 when she sent him food? "You shouldn't have done that." "Well, I wanted to. And eating well is crucial to a fast recovery."

He's using the lessons he learned from her as an act of love. Again, not romantic love. But love, nonetheless.

"You know me so well." "Too well."

Look at those smiles. Alright, y'all, I'll admit those smiles put butterflies in my stomach, too.

And the fact that the director chose to take us off of the wide shot so we only saw Tim and Lucy for these last few lines. Because this is about them.

Tim is caring about Lucy far more than he should. And he's growing aware of that. But the nature of this episode makes it impossible for him to shove it down entirely. He writes it off as concern and guilt, and doesn't realize he's been slowly letting Lucy into his circle of friends.

But if we talk about who really knows Lucy in this scene? It's Tim.

Jackson brought pretty flowers, which are nice, but will die. Nolan brought the most giant, pink bear. She's cute, but eventually she'll disappear from Lucy's life because her next boyfriend's not going to want to share the bed with a pink stuffy (unless he's into that... no judgment).

Tim. Brought. Her. Food. Yes, it'll be gone pretty quickly. But I can tell you after not being allowed to eat for both my deliveries of my three kids, I was famished. Lucy hasn't eaten in days, and she wants something filling and comforting. Tim brought her the exact order she wanted without her having to ask.

As much as he tries to separate professional and personal, Lucy's blurring those lines. To me, the Season 1 finale was really the start of that. And Tim bites back against that as much as he can in Season 2 (even treating Lucy like shit because she didn't report him for suicidal ideation).

But this trilogy of episodes breaks down that wall further. Yes, he's still her TO and he's still not going to think of her as a friend. But S2-3 is where that really comes together. They were already on their way, but with these events, he softens towards her in a way he never anticipated.

We get to see him soft throughout the series with "his people". But at this point, he's not yet ready to admit Lucy is one of them. It's outside his standard operating procedure for Rookies.

But, despite his protests, he's making a friend. The kind of friend that sticks. The kind of friend that doesn't leave. The kind of friend that loves with abandon.

And someday, someday, she might become more than that. But right now, he's not even ready to admit she's a friend... but, damn, our "show" guy really showed it.

I really want to call out the coloration and choices of this episode. When Lucy first wakes up on the table (with no establishing shot, so we're as clueless to how isolated she is, just as she is), everything i s tripped back. Melissa O'Neil's makeup is stripped down and we can see her pores.

The first time I watched that scene I thought, "Wow, they really stripped out all the color". There's something about the harshness of yellows, beiges, and browns on their own that evoke old Westerns. That sense of isolation, famine, and drought.

Lucy's world is often so vibrant that the stark shift helps us feel the anxiety with her. There's nothing bright or beautiful about this world. Only de-saturated hopelessness.

Now and Then

Lucy In The Mirror

Lucy's wounds have healed. Her wrists are free of the tie marks. Her face is free of the cuts and bruises. But the tattoo remains. She can hear the sound of the tattoo gun in her mind.

Yes, Lucy has many tattoos, but those were of her choosing. This was another violation—something inflicted upon her. Lucy tries covering up, but the foundation sticks to her shirt.

And, yes, there are makeups out there that can cover up tattoos. Being the daughter of a makeup artist, I know way too much about it and have seen mother in action covering an entire chest full of tattoos for a shoot. That's not the point.

The point of this scene is to remind us (and Lucy) that this can't be covered up. It's on her. It's permanent unless she has it burned off.

"When can she have it removed?" "Four weeks. Two days. Nine hours."

Her mind is on it all the time. She knows it down to the hour. Doesn't sound like someone who's healed to me. But, duh. That's the whole point of the episode.

"Hey, so what's your plan?" "For what?" "Officer Chen. I'm sure you've got some Alpha strategy to get her back on the horse, so, what is it?"

Let's be real. Tim would be Tim, but he wasn't going to be his harshest self on her first day back. He wouldn't be capable of it. But Nyla doesn't know that.

"So basically get her into as many fights as possible." "I'm gonna remind her that she's a cop, not a victim." "She knows that she's not a victim. Look, Chen doesn't need to fight. She needs to make peace with the voice inside of her head telling her she's never gonna be safe again."

I wish someone had asked Lucy. Looking at this situation, they're both coming at it from the wrong angle for Lucy. Tim's going for how he processes and Nyla's going for how she does. Neither of them asks Lucy what she needs.

Look, these are characters who are going to do what's in-character. For the scene and the arc, this has to go this way. But as a person who has had a lifetime of people thinking they know what I need and making it a thousand times worse, I have a personal response to this.

But in character? Both Tim and Nyla want what's best for Lucy and think they're the one to give it to her.

"Okay, I've been training Rookies a lot longer than you. I know what she needs." "That's ego talking. What happened to Chen is every woman's worst fear." "I'm aware of that." But you have never lived that fear."

That stops Tim. Because she's right. Part of Tim's arc in Season 1 and 2 with Lucy by his side is discovering his subconscious biases. She forces him to think beyond what he thinks he knows.

And here, he's facing that even without Lucy present. Because she's opening up his mind to seeing past his own limited perspective.

"It's clear that you have her best interests at heart. I am just asking you to consider whether she might be better served by someone who has been through what she has been through."

This is a lot for Nyla to offer. A woman's experiences are not owed to anyone. But she chooses to give him this insight into why she really believes she's the best person to help Lucy through.

And Tim's listening. He's really listening to what she's saying.

"And that someone's you." *nods* "Okay. I'll tell Grey to make the switch."

I love Eric Winter's choices on this. He's reacting not only to the information that Nyla just shared, knowing that she doesn't want apologies or empty words from him. He didn't do it. But he's sorry it happened. He's face to face with someone in uniform who, like Lucy, thought they were safe with someone when they weren't.

And he's thinking of Lucy. The last thing he wants to do is hurt her, to make this harder, to set her back.

Lucy At Roll Call

She pauses outside the room. Much as she wants to get back at it, this is a point-of-no-return morning. She doesn't want special treatment. She doesn't want weird glances. She doesn't want whispered words.

She doesn't want the damn applause.

"Congratulations you survived but you're branded by a serial killer and still processing the emotional trauma and we want you know that we are all talking about you, and looking at you, and thinking about you."

Damn it.

"Welcome back, Officer Chen. How're you feeling? Can't wait to get on the streets, sir, just get back to normal." "We're going to mix things up a bit. You're going to be riding with Harper this week."

What. The. Fuck!? Lucy just said that she wants to go back to normal. Riding with Nyla is not normal.

Lucy looks back to Tim for confirmation and he nods. But she's still confused. She's on-edge. She didn't expect to come back to work straight into a Tim Test, and that's what this feels like.

Everything that she wanted for transitioning back to work is going wrong.

"I'm not interested in chasing tame calls today."

Because Tim needs to process his way. Look, he in no way went through what Lucy did. Not at all. But he's still carrying his guilt and frustrating, and he needs to channel that into something he can do.

Tim is a man of action, and since he can't take action to help Lucy through her re-acclimation, he's going to do what he needs to do to distract him from worrying about her—his job.

"So why the switch?" "Tim felt you'd be better served riding with me." "Yeah, right. This has to be some kind of elaborate Tim Test that he roped you into." "Do I strike you as someone who could get roped into anything? Especially by Bradford?"

Note the switch from "Tim" to "Bradford". Nyla was trying to keep it conversational at the beginning, but the second Lucy calls out perceived pliability, Nyla snaps back to put Lucy in her place.

"Fair enough. So, I'll ask you again, why the switch?" "I convinced him that I would have more insight into what you were going through and could therefore be more helpful to your re-integration onto the streets."

Look how Lucy recoils. Much as Lucy loves talking things out, she doesn't want to talk about this. She doesn't want to have to think about what she's been through while she's out here. She wants normal.

"Did you go on a date with a serial killer, too?" "Uh, no." "Well, then I'm not sure how much help you'd be. But it's fine, 'cause I don't need any help. I've already worked through the trauma using both cognitive and exposure therapy combined with mindful breathing and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. So, it's, it's fine."

Of course, we know Lucy's far from fine. But this isn't what she wanted. She didn't want to have special treatment. She didn't want to be pulled from working with Tim. Frustrating as he is, he's familiar. That's normal.

And Lucy's gone through all the Psychological steps she thinks will help her be fine. It's her blind spot, truly. Because she seems to think there's a point where you're just "fine" and don't need to process anymore.

No, that trauma will come up, again, we know. But right now she doesn't want to face it. She's trying to pretend her way to being fine.

"Need backup for a felony car stop." "You sure?" "Hell, yeah."

Everyone's surprised to hear her voice. But she wants to get back at it. She doesn't want to feel different. It's bad enough what she has to deal with in her head. At the Station, she's a Rookie, yeah, but she's a cop.

And the more I look at this episode the more it feels like Lucy and Tim have traded spots for a day. Normally, Tim's the one who doesn't want to talk and would rather bury himself in the job. And Lucy's usually the one second-guessing.

But Tim second-guessed himself this morning and let Nyla have Lucy. And everyone wants Lucy to talk, but she'd rather get in the action.

"You want me to do the paperwork?" "Oh, nope."

Tim always has Lucy do the paperwork. She wants to do what's familiar, what's natural, what's practiced. "Please let me be normal".

"That was a nice job out there." "Thanks." "So you're just not gonna let me help you at all." "I don't need any help."

Look, we all know that she does, but not like this. Nyla wants so badly to help Lucy, but if Lucy isn't ready, trying to push her like this isn't going to change anything. It's going to push her further inward.

"Did you get the flowers we sent?" "And the basket. Thank you."

Lucy really has some lovely people in her life. And look at her genuine appreciation for Abigail, here. Baskets are one of Lucy's love languages, and she nailed it.

"What the hell is this? I let you run around with Harper for half the day and you start hugging people on duty?" "Don't listen to him. He's all bark."

Tim is being his grumpy-ass self and Lucy's smiling like the sunshine that she is. This is what she thought she'd have today. This rhythm to which she's already grown accustomed.

Yes, Tim gets under her skin and pisses her off. But she knows him. She's used to him. The Tim Tests come when she least expects it, but she knows to expect that.

While there are many mysteries left to this man, he's been her biggest constant during her Rookie year. And it's nice to get to talk to him.

"All bark? She is not buying what you're selling." "Because I don't hold her fate in my hands."

They're teasing. We're to the point in their relationship where they can tease one another, and you can see how comfortable Lucy is in this.

Apart from the action, this is the most comfortable we've seen her all episode.

"Heard you dodged some bullets." "Yeah, a few. What, are you keeping tabs on me?"

The discomfort is back. Because even Tim Fucking Bradford is acting different around her. There's a softness to him that she's never seen before directed at her. Yes, she's seen it... but not with those eyes directed her way.

"Look, if you need anything, you let me know."

Finally, someone asks what she needs. All day, people (including Tim) have been making assumptions about what she needs. But here Tim is truly putting her first and trying to see if there's anything he can really do.

"You got a time machine?" "I wish I did."

Because he'd go back and take back the decision that fed her to the lion. Yes, we all know it's not Tim's fault. But he still feels like it is. And this is what Lucy really wishes she had—not some remedy or quick fix... that it never happened.

"You're not gonna shower?" "Uh, I'm gonna do it a home."

Because she doesn't want the stares. She doesn't want the questions. She doesn't want the reminder.

She's wearing concealer under her shirt because she doesn't want to see the thing. And she's tired of the comments and special treatment. Lucy wants to go back to normal.

Now, we can already see from this episode that "normal" isn't really possible. Relationships have shifted. Lucy is not the same woman she was before. Yes, she'll open up parts of her that shut down over time, but she'll never be who she was before that night of carefree drinks gone wrong.

But that's what Lucy wants in this moment. Normalcy.

"Oh, but you're not going home."

The hell?! She was just abducted and now you won't let her go home? Sorry, but that was my gut reaction watching this.

"We have plans. Girls' Night." "Oh, I get it. You've seen that I'm find on the job, but you're still not convinced." "We just thought it would be fun." ... "It's... you guys have just never asked me out before."

Think of how happy Lucy was that she was getting invited to something normal!? And with these two bad-ass women!

Lucy spends so much of her time in the first two seasons with Jackson and Nolan that we rarely get to see her with the other women of the Station.

She was going to get to have a night out with two women she trusts—something safe. And she had just relaxed into that when they pulled this shit.

Look, I'm salty at these two. I love Nyla and Angela's my number three on the show. But this was a terrible idea. Nyla was critical of Tim throwing her into work, but she's throwing her into the dating pool.

And it's no wonder Lucy was triggered. She isn't ready to date, again. And that's fine. She should be able to get out there when she is ready.

But we all experience the world through out unique lenses and experiences. And a very real mistake we make is assuming because I need it this way, you do, too.

I have twin sons. When they were 9 months old, a friend handed down a toy to us. You throw a ball into the toy and it makes a noise. Ta-da! One child giggled uncontrollable. They other screamed and broke down in sobs.

Different people react differently. They need different coping mechanisms. They need different healing paths. When we try too hard to homogenize treatment, we miss the opportunity for true healing.

And part of the problem here is the utter lack of communication. Nyla has hinted to Tim what she went through, but she hasn't given Lucy any indication.

Now, Nyla doesn't owe Lucy her story. But she has chosen to help Lucy, and it would be a helluva lot easier to get through to Lucy if she communicated with her.

"Hey, Lucy had a bit of a moment last night when we were out."

Tim. Is. Pissed. Angela can tell that's all it took for him to be ready to go into Tim-Mode on someone's ass.

"It's not a big deal. She's fine." "What the hell is Harper doing?" "Helping. Don't get all 'Tim' on me. I just thought you should know." "Lucy's okay?" "She will be." "Alright. Thanks for letting me know."

Angela is the only one who knows about Tim's guilt. She's the only one who knows the weight he's been carrying, blaming himself for what happened to Lucy. She's the only one to know he has a growing soft spot for her.

So she does the right thing and gives him a heads-up.

And note how it's always "Lucy" when he's talking with Angela in these episodes. With Nolan, it's "Chen" because Nolan is not Tim's friend. But Angela's his best friend, and he can let his guard down a little when it comes to her.

Nyla Shares Her Tale

We already said that Nyla doesn't owe anyone her story. But by keeping it from Lucy, Lucy was pushing her away. She truly thought it was another outsider with outside opinions trying to force her to be okay.

Hearing Nyla's story, she is finally able to see her differently. There's a beat right after Lucy says, "I'm so sorry," where Melissa O'Neil shifts her gaze from cynical to sisterly—Lucy sees herself in Nyla.

For the first time since she's gotten out of that barrel, there's someone who isn't an outsider who truly wants to help.

"I shut down. I didn't even tell my husband. I kept telling myself that I would deal with it when I was ready." "But with every passing week it just got worse." "Maybe I pushed you too hard last night. But I know what it is like when you do not face things head-on."

Look how Lucy has shifted. Because Nyla can relate. Lucy was pushing so hard against her from the get-go that she missed the signs on this.

She was so focused on pushing everyone away and keeping everyone out that she missed that Nyla wasn't another outsider looking in with "expert" opinions on something they know nothing about. Nyla really does know.

"You and Chen are close, right?"

"I used to be inside her on the regular, so, yeah." I'm sorry. I had to. It was the first thing that popped into my head when I watched the scene.

"How's she doing? I mean, really doing?"

Because Tim is in his phase of needing to know how Lucy is, but not being the one "in the know". He's still her TO, and going directly to her for information is outside his code. But he can't help worrying. Lucy matters to him.

"She's good. Really. I think she'll be better once she gets that tattoo removed. Can you imagine that? Walking around every day branding by the worst thing that's ever happened to you? " "You think because it's physical, it's worse? Tragedies always leave scars. Only some of them you can see."

Again, this is about perspective. Some people are visual learners. Some are auditory. Some learn by doing.

I have a weird quirk of my brain that a memory is stronger for me if I can see a photo of it. Yes, I have other memories, but I can almost transport back to the moments in my photo albums since I've had decent memory. Visuals are important for me.

To Tim, it doesn't matter if it's visual or not. But Lucy might be different. Seeing that every day might mean more to her than it does to him. He's not considering that.

Seriously, as a former Communications student (two degrees in it), this episode is a masterclass in personal bias and intrapersonal vs interpersonal communication. In the moments of actual connection there's communication that's clear and concise.

Throughout the episode, everyone is making choices that are complicating matters. They're trying to do what's right, but they're doing it without clarity.

Nyla gets through to Lucy best when she talks to the woman in an open and honest manner. Same with Tim, later.

But, I'm skipping ahead...

A Punching Bag

Remember how I said Tim and Lucy have switched places this episode? In the same place where Lucy once offered Tim perspective (on his learning disability) and a gift (the book on tape), Tim will have his moment.

Lucy wipes her face without thinking, and Tim gets a glimpse of the tattoo. It flusters Lucy as she turns. She doesn't want to talk about it.

He's come down here for a reason. After spending all day asking others about her, he needs to see her for himself.

He wants to say something, too, but he's second-guessing. Ever since he pushed her toward a serial killer, he's been second-guessing where she's concerned.

"You got no quit in you, do you, Boot?" "No, sir. I get that from you." "I don't think so. You walked in the door this way. It's what makes you so aggravating."

He's teasing her. This is their rhythm. They've found it and they've earned it, and she's been stripped from it when she really wanted something familiar.

"I'm taking that as a compliment." "It was meant to be. You have a good night." "Yeah, you, too."

Tim turns to go, shoving his hands in his pockets. As he does, his fingers graze the ring... her ring. The ring he's been carrying around because it's tangible. It's something he can hold onto and remind himself that it's true—Lucy lived.

He turns around, no longer second-guessing. He has something to say, and he can only hope she hears him.

"You know, I got half a dozen scars. Bullet wounds, knife wounds, broken bottle. Then there's the ones you can't see, Isabel's addiction, a dad who would tune me up on the regular. And whether I like it or not, they're a part of me."

I can't remember him talking this openly about the trauma of Isabel's addiction before. But, he's in the Lucy role, today. He's talking things out while she's taking it out on a punching bag.

"I know what you're trying to do. And I appreciate it, but this is different. I was tattooed by a sadist who etched my day of death into my skin." "Okay, but you didn't die. Okay? You lived. And now he's the one in the ground."

Lucy sighs, because here's another outsider telling her what to do and how to feel.

"I'm not trying to tell you what to do with it. Okay? Burn it off, keep it, whatever gives you peace."

That's a little better. Lucy starts listening at that. Because, everyone's trying to push her in a direction, and he makes it clear that that's not his intention. He's not trying to push her to do or be anything.

"All I'm trying to do is give you some hard-won perspective."

If this was Pee Wee's Playhouse, we'd all have to scream because "Perspective" is the word of the day. Because each person's perspective has been an obstacle, today. Each person's perspective has been a roadblock.

But Tim's being very clear that he's offering only that—his Perspective. And, remember, Lucy cares very much what Tim thinks of her. She cares how he sees her. She doesn't want to let him down.

"You can choose to see that tattoo as your greatest failure. But I see it as proof that you're a survivor."

"You're so strong," he'd whispered when she started breathing, again. She might have been too overwhelmed at the moment to ever remember that, but we do. He recognized her strength and ability to survive right then.

This isn't lip-service. This is Tim Bradford being completely honest about how he sees Lucy.

"It wasn't your day of death, Officer Chen. It was the first day of the rest of your life. And no one can take that away from you."

There it is. No, this isn't going to "fix" the pain that Lucy's feeling. It's not going to make the trauma disappear. It's not going to erase the memories. But this mind-flip of that tattoo is powerful.

Because Caleb made her say aloud what that tattoo meant. He told her that it was for her, for her perspective, for her to own up to what he said it meant.

And here's Tim Bradford, a man who Lucy respects and trusts, helping her look at it from a different angle.

And isn't that what Tim does so well? Lucy even calls him out on it later in the show... He's the king at coming at things sideways and seeing another angle.

What he's saying is, "YOU, Lucy, get to decide how you look at that tattoo." She's spent so much time looking at it from Caleb's perspective that she didn't consider there was an alternative.

"Thanks." "Yeah. You're welcome."

Tim shoves his hands back in his pocket, and they both let the moment pass, easily. He said what he needed to say, and she heard him. Now, they can move forward.

"You riding with me tomorrow?" "Yes sir." "Good. Get in early. War bags need restocking." "Okay."

Tim pulls the ring from his pocket and tosses it to Lucy before she can register what it is. As she opens her hands, she sees it—her ring.

The ring she tossed off her hand in hopes that someone would find it. And Tim did. He found it. He found her.

"How did you find me?" Lucy asked from her hospital bed. Now, she has the answer.

Lucy looks up at Tim in awe and surprise. He smiles at the ring at her hand, and then back at her. He'd been carrying it around for a while because he didn't yet have Lucy back. Yes, she was at work, but not riding with him.

Tim once talked to Lucy about finding something tangible to focus on instead of the intangibility of nuclear disaster. Yes, he was being figurative, but I don't put it past him to take it literal. Lucy is back, but not back with him, yet.

Tomorrow, she'll be in his Shop. And now he doesn't need something tangible to hold onto to remind him that she is coming back, because she'll be there. By his side.

This is theirs. Tim told no one how he found her. She told no one that she'd dropped the ring. Only Tim and Lucy know this part of her story... of their story.

*phew* this one was emotionally exhausting. It took a week of work. But, I hope you enjoy it. It's heavier than most, but I think it's earned.

I would argue that Tim and Lucy are already on their way to friendship at the beginning of this trilogy, but the events that happen expedite it, and also solidify their trust of one another.

Tim respects the hell out of her. He knows what she's capable of, and now he's seen it for himself. Yes, he's going to be tough on her, again, when he's ready. And, yes, she's going to be pissed at him, when she's ready.

But only Tim and Lucy know who they are in the in-betweens. When the cameras aren't rolling on their chests and nobody else is listening in—like this ending scene. This is theirs.

And as they move forward in their relationship, there are all these touchstones, these pillars that shifted things that they can look back on as guide posts or stepping stones that at the time seemed small, but proved essential to their journey.

And, oh, I can't wait to see where it takes them next.

As always, thanks for reading.

#Chenford #Lucy Chen #Tim Bradford #Melissa O'Neil #Eric Winter #The Rookie #Meta #tw abuse #tw assault #tw rape

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thebroccolination · 1 year

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Is it bad to ship couples irl?! As I reallly ship boun and prem even though they’re most likely not together but the things they do for each other is perfect!!

Hi, Anon! You're gonna get a long answer to this, because I think the subject of shipping real people is one that deserves more nuance than just "it's bad" or "it's fine"! This is something I've wanted to write about for a long time, so I apologize for using your ask as a jumping-off point!

So, okay, I think there are two main conversations to have: 1) whether shipping real people itself is moral, and 2) how one should publicly conduct oneself when engaging in shipping culture in Thai fandom.

Is It Moral?

I think the most important thing to consider when shipping real people is what those people themselves feel about it. If they've expressed or showed discomfort with being shipped, then at that point, I'd scale back completely. Part of the fun of shipping for most people is the "oooh" mystery factor, and if someone straight-up goes, "Knowing that people are envisioning me engaging romantically with another person makes my skin crawl," then I simply wouldn't enjoy it anymore. Shipping people who don't want to be shipped just isn't my thing.

Now, if they seem cool with it, then the five main things I'd consider are: how old they are, how experienced they are in their industry, whether their place of work (agency/studio/etc.) has a history of exploiting its artists, whether one person looks less comfortable than the other, and whether or not they seem to fully understand and consent to the implications of shipping culture.

For BounPrem specifically, they're both in their mid-late twenties. They've been in the industry for over five years at this point, so they're adults who are well-versed in the industry and know full well what shipping culture is and its implications. They're also both regularly and demonstrably comfortable with fans shipping them. (For example: Prem in this entire video, Boun asking fans to write BounPrem fic for Valentine's Day, taking part in the joke about people "asking for" Prem, etc.)

On the structural side of things, Prem left his agency last autumn (on amicable terms) and has been independent since, so he's very much operating on his own terms right now. Boun is under Wabi Sabi, which is a small agency whose CEO, New Siwaj, is openly queer and fiercely protective of his artists' boundaries and reputations. New has gone on record multiple times saying he doesn't require or prod anyone working for him to do fanservice if they don't want to. New has also hired legal representation to combat the consistent homophobic hate speech against his artists (including Boun, who is far and away their artist with the largest following). New and his company have repeatedly proved they prioritize and respect their artists.

However! BounPrem do have boundaries, and they've been clear about them. When asked if they're dating, their most common answer is that if they do date, they'll neither confirm nor deny. ("We won't make it public, but we won't hide it either.") They're not the only ones to say this, and I think it's the smart route to take as far as marketing and protecting their privacy if they ever do date.

Certain interviewers seem to have crossed BounPrem's boundaries in the past, and fans have teased Boun for being possessive or jealous because he won't let anyone touch Prem. However, and this is purely speculation on my part, Boun recently commented that Prem hasn't always spoken up when he encounters problems, so he's been taken advantage of, so I think Boun has often taken it upon himself to stand up for Prem. Especially if he senses that someone is using Prem's quiet nature to their benefit and touching him in a way he knows Prem wouldn't consent to.

Essentially, Prem might not say something, but Boun absolutely will. He has a sharp tongue when he needs to use it, and he's not shy about reasserting boundaries where he himself or Prem is involved.

All that aside, we're human, and humans are curious. People like love, and they like people they care about to find love. So, y'know, shipping culture, when done respectfully, can be fun and doesn't have to be invasive.

Okay, So How to Not Be Invasive About It?

I'm not actually very useful here because I prefer to employ generous use of the fourth wall. It's just more fun for me to enjoy shipping among friends, so I don't really engage publicly.

However! For conduct in Thai BL fandom, I'd defer to the advice of Southeast Asian fans. It's their fandom, and shipping is part of their fandom culture. From what I've seen and heard, shipping is meant to be lighthearted fun, and using the worst examples of stalking and poor behavior isn't especially cool of anyone. Basically, Western fans swinging in on an Indiana Jones rope to lecture Asian fans for engaging in shipping culture are disrespecting a fandom in which they're guests and detracting from the overall experience for others.

Now, of course, if one's brand of shipping involves digging into the artists' personal lives, stalking their families or loved ones, feeling entitled in any way to literally anything other than what they're freely offering up, making the pair such a part of your personality that finding out one of them is dating someone else or just flat-out uninterested in their partner will ruin your mental health, then that's a hard no. In those cases, I'd sincerely examine what Missing Aspect of one's life shipping has become a toxic substitute for. There's absolutely no shame in self-reflection, mitigating the harm that can be mitigated, and moving forward with more respect.

So, like:

• "o no, @.bb0un hasn't seen @.prem_space in two hours, someone better send him photos to remind him what prem looks like" O

(Obvious teasing tones are common both among fans and the artists themselves. BounPrem are famous for being ridiculous, so it fits the mood they themselves have established.)

• "Giant*, do you miss your parents? #bb0un #prem_space #bounprem" O *Boun's dog

(Again, BounPrem themselves have played into the co-parenting-our-pets thing, so playing along is fine.)

• "@.bb0un @.prem_space are you gay" X

(Asking anyone their sexuality is not okay, not even when they're famous. It's none of your business, full stop. Don't. Do not. Stop. Desist.)

• "i spotted bounprem together outside work in their private time and took this very creepy video of them from underneath a parked car using a telescope lens that i bought specifically for my recreational stalking hobby dm me for higher resolution videos!" X

(I feel like I could have made this a little heavier-handed for fun but you get the gist.)

In conclusion, it's my firm belief that if shipping hurts any real people, not just the pair at the center, then it's an immediate cease and desist for me. But if it's mutual and respectful fun in which everyone knows it's nothing more than a wink-wink game to spice up promotional activities, go (reasonably) wild (within reason)!

Whether BounPrem are actually dating is their business, but they've regularly and enthusiastically embraced shipping culture done on their own terms, so as long as people keep it light and fun and respect their privacy and the privacy of their loved ones, I think you're good!

Have (respectful) fun!

(I just like this photo of them. They got matching Pride nails last year! They're Very Good and regularly politically active in protecting and promoting the rights of queer people. Deep respect. <3)

#kiranokira answers #bounprem #premboun #real person shipping #rpf #fandom talk

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anjukurada-fanfic-rec-blog · 5 months

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It's rumored one of the main 6 are going to die and I'm scared!

FIRST OFF! Potential spoiler warning for the Hazbin Hotel series! Also, this is a bit of a read. My angsty Fanfic loving/writing brain is going crazy over this! Ok, y'all, I am extremely anxious right now! Since Hazbin came out, I have heard almost every day that Viv has stated that some characters were going to die in the show. No specifics, just "characters". Makes me a little nervous, but I mean... Majority of the cast are Sinners, and all of Heaven is out to slaughter all Sinners, so you figure SOMETHING might happen.

BUT THEN I have been hearing that one of the Main 6 (Al, Niffty, Sir Pen, Angel, Husk and Vaggie) is going to die. There are a lot of theories, a lot of opinions, and a lot of threats to stop watching the show if certain characters die, which is understandable!

And I have my own Theory/Opinion on this, and it's heartbreaking and it makes me anxious, but I think it would be one of the most devastating deaths as well as a pretty drastic turning point for certain characters.

Using this scene as my inspirations:

That there is a picture of Angel and Husk together (Edit: I saw somewhere else that it was actually a picture of the two of them, Niffty, and Sir Pen, but my post still stands, lol), taped to (I'm assuming) Angel's door, and Charlie is very visibly distraught by looking at it. Here are my thoughts:

If any of the Main 6 are going to die, I believe it's going to be Husk, and I believe fully that it will be at Valentino's hands. During episode 4, Angel and Husk start becoming close. From the direction of the episode, we can assume that they will begin to become friends (at least), a pair who can openly confide in each other and who can be fully open and truly themselves with each other. I can see Husk being one of the first people (aside from maybe Cherry) that Angel truly cares about and loves (either platonically or romantically), and I can see Husk having a huge impact on his confidence and his strength to fight against the life he's been dealt, making him believe that there IS actually a chance for redemption for him.

But that life is run by Valentino, who we have seen, is not one to be messed with. Psychopathic, Manipulative, extremely jealous, easily enraged Valentino. In episode 4, we get a pretty hefty glance at what he is capable of when he is angry. He was already prepared to storm the Hotel and gleefully murder everyone simply because Angel was living there and not returning his calls and messages.

Now, imagine he finds out that Angel is ACTUALLY thinking about leaving Val. Imagine he finds out that Angel is actually going to try going through with the redemption, and imagine he finds out WHO made him feel like he could actually go through with it. When Valentino realizes how close Angel and Husk are, and how much of an impact Husk has on his "property", he is not going to be happy, and he is not going to be thinking clearly, and if Vox or Velvette are too busy with THEIR side quests to keep him in line, we have a pretty clear idea of what he might end up doing.

Now, I have 2 potential ideas for this. Either Val goes to collect Angel and force him out of the Hotel, and Husk gets in the way, trying to protect Angel OR Val, in his rage, specifically targets Husk as a way to devastate Angel and remove Husk from the equation. *Quick note to add that I am aware that Overlords may not be able to fully kill other sinners, if we take anything from Velvette saying that Val tore apart her best model and she couldn't wait for her to "pull herself back together". That would imply that, although Val killed the model, she would regenerate again after some time. However, I'm certain Val has his ways to truly get rid of the people who wrong him, or else why would anyone actually be scared to be on his bad side? He has the power, I'm sure he has access to weapons, he has his ways*

Regardless, Husker dies at Valentino's hands. Everyone is horrified. Angel is devastated. But seeing Valentino, laughing over Husker's corpse, shatters Angel and pushes him over the edge. I believe this could lead Angel to finally, truly attack Val, and if not kill him, at least cause some massive damage.

But this would also lead Angel into completely turning his back on the Hotel, his friends, and any thought of redemption. Any progress that he might have made thanks to Husk would be completely trashed. As someone who struggles with trying to find ANY hope in life, I can say that it is SO MUCH HARDER to have faith that life will be good when the few good things you have get taken away. And if he were to FINALLY be able to accept that there was hope, and that hope led to the death of one of the only people he trusted and cared about, that pain and disappointment would just solidify the mentality that he doesn't deserve a good life, and trying to attain one wouldn't be worth it anyways.

There are, of course, a lot of potentials following this. Let's say Husk's death is temporary and he regenerates, or Alastor finds a way to use their contract to bring him back, there could be a whole bit where Husk goes out to find Angel and bring him back and convince him everything is going to be alright. Or if the death is actually death, perhaps the Hotel family have to go out and try to find him and bring him to safety before the next extermination starts.

WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE! I think that one of the most impactful deaths, as of right now, would be Husker or Angel. Sir Pentious, as much as I love him, he really hasn't done much yet for his death to be devastating. Same with Al, although I think that would spook EVERYONE because of just how powerful he is. I think the next most devastating would be Vaggie, honestly, because that would impact Charlie so heavily, and we already see glimpses of who she can truly be when she gets angry. And that could be a WHOLE MESS!

Anyways, I am done with my rant! I know that there are holes in the theory, I know it may not actually happen, but that's the fun of just being creative and making shit up!

#vivziepop #hazbin hotel #hazbin angel dust #hazbin hotel spoilers #hazbin hotel husk

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wheelerthefroghere · 2 years

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Season 4 Mike is super similar to season 2 Mike. No other season comes close.

1. Both start out with Mike feeling like he lost someone and acting more rebellious because of it. In S2, Mike coped by plagiarizing a paper, graffiting a bathroom stall, cursing out a teacher, stealing from Nancy, etc. In S4, he rebelled by being in the Hellfire Club and changing up his style. It might not seem like the same pattern at first, but since people are flat out accusing D&D of being satanic and causing all sorts of “problems”, having Mike openly embrace the game now is a huge act of rebellion (especially in a season where he’s supposedly trying to be normal).

2. Playing in Hellfire also showed Mike returning to the hobbies that make him happy. In S3, he was hell-bent on “growing up” and he viewed playing games as childish and against the norm. In S4, he’s not trying to deny himself from playing it anymore. In a way, Mike was holding onto “childish” passions, much like how he wanted to keep all of his toys in S2 for emotional value. D&D, the toys, and Will’s drawings are also relevant to Mike’s childhood and also a means for him to cope with the loss of Will and/or Eleven in both seasons.

3. In S2, Mike called Eleven nearly every night even though he couldn’t get a hold of her. In S4, it is implied that he made a similar effort to call Will often enough to complain about the line always being busy. In both seasons, Mike believed the other person wasn’t making an attempt to return the effort and reach out to him.

4. In both seasons, Mike had (at least one) conversations where he vented about Eleven, only for the topics to shift into Mike and Will territory. Ex: “Crazy together” and the scene where Mike tosses El’s letter in the trash.

5. In both seasons, when Mike was separated from Eleven and trouble started up, he became glued to Will’s side. Even if protecting him wasn’t Mike’s top priority, he still spent almost every scene with Will.

6. The heart to hearts in S4 paralleled the talks Mike and Will had throughout S2.

7. In both seasons, when Mike reunited with Eleven, all of the Byler build-up got brushed aside. In S2, Mike and Eleven started dating (Mike pushed Will into dancing with that girl at the Snow Ball) and in S4, Mike seemed to fall for the lie Will told him in the van and used it to confess his “love” for Eleven later on.

8. In both seasons, after Mike confessed something big to Will or Eleven, he got closer to the opposite person at the end of the season. For example, in the shed when Mike told Will about the day they met, Mike went running back to Eleven. And, in S4, after Mike confessed to Eleven in the pizza shop, he was shown closer to Will than to her for the rest of the episode. It was even established that she didn’t want to talk to Mike.

9. In both seasons, Mike showed more physical affection with Will than in S1 and S3. Some examples from S4 would include the shoulder grab in Hopper’s cabin, the phone booth scene, the hospital hug with Lucas, the shootout scene, and probably more. Their proximity in S4 was just insane even outside of these examples. They were standing on top of each other in almost every scene...

10. In both seasons, Will and Mike consoled each other. In S2, it was mainly Mike comforting Will, but it was reversed in S4. In S2, Mike made Will feel better about being possessed by telling him that he was a “superspy” and that Will could be crucial in defeating the Mind Flayer and saving the day. In S4, Will told Mike that he was the “heart” and inspired the Party (he also boosted Mike up by telling him that it was “you guys who saved me”) when Mike felt like he was useless.

This isn’t every comparison I could make, but I think it supports the point well enough. S2 and S4 Mike have very similar arcs and after the weird tension in episode 2 of season 4 (which honestly, there was tension between them during episode 2 of season 2 when they were trick or treating), I would almost say S4 Mike is the better version of the two. I mean, Mike was very sweet to Will in season 2, but like I said before, once Eleven showed up, he stopped paying Will much attention. We know Mike made the shift into spending ALL of his time with Eleven because that’s what was established in season 3. However, in season 4, after Eleven came back, it would appear that Mike is spending more of his time with Will. He could be going after Eleven and trying to talk to her more, but he chose to hang around Will instead.

This is probably a hot take, but I don’t think season 4 Mike was bad at all. His behavior in the airport and roller rink were pretty much explained by Dustin when he talked about the Byers’ phone line always being busy. Mike didn’t think Will wanted to talk to him. He didn’t feel like he was needed or wanted. There was just a lot of miscommunication between them.

But it seems like season 4 brought their relationship back to a good place (maybe stronger than before) and that’s great. So, why are we saying past Mikes would want to beat the current Mike up? Even current Will is looking at Mike with more love than he ever has before. I don’t know.

Bonus: I think a lot of the characters in S4 have story arcs that parallel the ones they had in S2. Joyce, Nancy, Steve, and Jonathan especially.

#Byler #mike wheeler #stranger things 4 #stranger things 2 #mike wheeler analysis #I can never tell if what I'm saying makes sense #I believe it though #I will always defend this boy

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hannahssimblr · 7 months

Text

Chapter Seventeen (Part 2)

We get dressed and head off to the festival grounds after that, and Claire, Shane and I agree that we want to go and see Fight Like Apes who are playing at midday. Jen opts to come with us, and I expect Jude to come too, but he decides to go with Joe and Kasper to see some DJ called Tiga, which throws me even more. Maybe I’m just overthinking. I tell myself he’s being normal, and that he’s probably just playing it cool.

The festival is so busy that day that I don’t see him around again after that, but I try my best to ignore the heavy feeling in my stomach, and the increasing thoughts that maybe I did something to annoy him, or maybe I’m a bad kisser and he’s disgusted by me. Maybe I’m too young and immature, or that he’s figured out that I’m actually a big loser with nothing interesting to say. Maybe everyone is right about me.

Claire is having fun though, and she looks so beautiful dressed all in white in the sun. Every time I think it’s impossible for her to look prettier, she somehow does, and I know I’m not the only one who’s thinking it. I catch Shane looking at her more than once with an expression I’ve never seen him wear before: pure unabashed adoration. Like she’s the sun that lights up his sky. I hope he realises how lucky he is. They’re inseparable all day, and stand together through every concert we go to with their arms around each other, him delivering little kisses to the top of her head as he holds her. Watching them like this makes my heart ache. I want more than anything for somebody to look at me like that, or to touch me like that, but instead I feel heavy with the knowledge that the boy I like is off somewhere, lost in the realm of this gigantic festival, probably with a plastic cup of Corona in each hand, listening to some mindless electronica that he doesn’t even enjoy and not thinking much about me at all.

I don’t do a good job of hiding my listlessness when Jen and I sit down for lunch together in the shade of the marquee we were just crammed into for a Crystal Castles gig a few minutes ago.

“What’s up, chicken?” She unwraps a burrito and lays into it.

“Nothing. I’m tired.”

She nods. “Have you had anything to drink?”

“No.”

She slides the cup of beer she bought for herself across the picnic bench to me and gestures to it like Bon Appetit. “Have one on me, it’ll make you feel better.”

“Won’t drinking just make me feel worse?”

“No! There’s truly nothing a drink won’t fix, right?” She nudges Shane, who’s just joined us at the table with Claire still stuck to his side. He looks at me disapprovingly and then starts to say something boring about how I’m too young to drink, even though he was miraculously fine with Claire doing it yesterday, but Jen just rolls her eyes and tells him to shut up. “You have to stop with this protective-older-brother craic, let her live her life.”

“Well I know her mam, and I know what she’d say if she knew she was drinking.”

“Are you going to tell on her?”

He knows it’d be heinous to do that, and I know that he never would. I grab the beer and I gulp it down, just to show him that I can. I’ve been drinking since I was fifteen and I know how to handle it as well as he does.

“Better?” Jen asks me, and I nod, even though I find beer to be generally disgusting. The taste transports me to days spent drinking Tesco lager in a field after school until someone throws up. I bring the empty cup over to a nearby bin where a guy with shorn hair is openly urinating. “That’s so foul.” I tell him, letting my horrible feelings seep out of me. I don’t care, he’s a stranger.

“Piss off.” He suggests, and then directs the stream towards me instead. I jump out of the way too late and it splashes on my wellies. I cry out and try to shake them dry while he cackles with delight. Everything around me seems ugly, I’m so aware of the litter all over the ground, overflowing bins, the horrible man who pissed on my boots, and the smell of distant porta-loos. The sweet, cloying taste of beer in my mouth is making me feel ill.

Claire is so happy that she’s able to buy alcohol now, so throughout the day I keep giving her money to get me cups of white wine. I drink them quickly, and eventually they do make me feel better, in an synchronously awful kind of way. We go from gig to gig, and I have drink after drink until the day blurs together into one long smear of loud drum beats and bitter wine. I don’t ever really get drunk, the time between each break and the queues for the alcohol stands is so long that I just stay in this queasy purgatory state between states of being until I run out of money and nobody wants to buy anything else for me.

The evening settles down with the smell of bonfires, and eventually we meet up with the three others under the entrance to go and see Foo Fighters, which everyone unanimously decided would be the unmissable gig of the weekend. I feel nervous in anticipation of seeing Jude, now so entirely convinced after a whole day of catastrophizing that he hates my guts, actually, and wouldn’t come to my funeral if I died.

He’s not that bad, but he’s not being especially friendly either. The only way I can think to describe him is as neutral. Like he’s not experiencing any emotions right now, and when I’m used to him being so lively and expressive it’s very unsettling to be around him. When we start pushing into the crowd I give in to my anxiety and touch Jen’s elbow. “Is Jude okay?”

She nods while rolling her eyes. “Yeah, I think he’s just in one of his moods.”

I didn’t realise he had moods. I can’t think of what to say to that, my thoughts feel fuzzy, so I just utter a dejected: “Oh.”

“Don’t worry about it, he woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I had to see him like this all the time at school. Just ignore him, he’ll be grand tomorrow.”

“Nothing happened to him, did it?”

“I doubt it. He’s just in his head about something, probably.” She leans towards me. “He’s a scorpio.” She explains, as though that’s supposed to mean something to me.

I’m still trying to remember what scorpios do when we reach the churning centre of the crowd. It makes me anxious, but everybody else is just diving right in, so I do too. I’m wedged between walls of bodies on all sides of me, but there’s a distinct excitement rising all around. I’m still holding on to Jen, the others seem to have been swallowed up by the crowd like they were never there in the first place.

The first thing I can hear is the soft plucking strings of the opening line of The Pretender rings through the air, and then I can’t see Dave Grohl, but I can hear him. The crowd starts to transform from a solid mass of bodies into something fluid, and I realise that I’m being pushed out of the way, my spot being stolen by big men shoving their way to the front, all limbs flailing everywhere, launching themselves through the crowd to try and get closer as the drums start pounding. One of them actually grabs the back of my shirt and yanks me backwards out of Jen’s grip like I have no right to be where I am, no girls allowed in the Foo Fighters mosh pit. Another one crashes suddenly into the side of my ribs and I am so desperate to escape. When a third bangs his body against me he catapults me into the man behind me and tears spring to my eyes. I let myself go totally limp and let the heaving motion of the animal spit me out to the back shoulders shaking, sobbing and alone.

When I look back at the pulsing crowd I can’t believe I was in there. It’s a rat king of testosterone, men shoving each other around to the music, hands grabbing collars and shoulders, and in the middle of it I see Joe, Kasper and Jude, gleefully participating in the chaos. I can’t help but feel dismayed, remembering how quick he’d been to save me from the crowd yesterday, holding me in front of him and shielding me from pointy elbows and stomping feet, and today when the crowd is bigger and rougher he’s left me to fend for myself. I don’t know what I did. Maybe I’m just too inexperienced, and he wants a woman, not some seventeen year old. I should have let him keep kissing me, I should have let him take me back to his tent and shown him that I’m grown up enough. That’s what a normal girl would have done.

I go and stand at the very back where I can see the band, but barely. They’re just little black smudges on a blazing stage. I know the songs but I don’t sing along, or dance, or even uncross my arms from my chest. I stand there until they finish, crying my makeup off my face. I feel like a husk. Hollowed out, nauseous, tipsy.

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#sims #sims 4 #ts4 #simlit #sims 4 story #romance #fiction #writing #sims story #sims 4 storytelling #sims storytelling #sims4 storytelling #lucky girl part 1

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my-shields-are-down · 1 year

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So what do you think of the article that came out (TVline)? I'm not sure what to think?

I take the TV Line articles with a grain of salt. They saw the first two episodes and then promoted a whole slew of things that happened in a completely different timeline than they said they would. I only really rely on TVline when they announce what shows got cancelled or renewed.

The Rookie is a dramedy -the drama part of that is way more heavily weighted and tied to the crime being fought than in the relationships of the characters. Definitely happened this season - Rosalind, Elijah, Jake & Sava, Hajek and Vegas, the Collar bomber, etc. and while yes there’s been quite a bit of angst for Chenford to work through (Chris almost dying, Ashley dumping Tim after his surgery, them finally getting their heads out of their asses and realizing they are in love with each other), there hasnt been anything insurmountable. I believe Isobel and whatever “case” she brings them will follow that pattern as well.

I think Isobel coming back could be a good thing for Tim and Lucy. Isobel indirectly had a tremendous impact on the formation of Tim & Lucy’s relationship from the beginning of the show. She’s part of the foundation of their relationship. Lucy helped Tim heal and move on. Him seeing Isobel happy and we assume thriving and vice versa should permanently silence any lingering doubts either of them have about “did they do the right thing?” Whatever that “thing” is.

I hope that Isobel speaks with Lucy about UC and speaks to Tim about loving Lucy whether she does UC or not.

Based on the episode titles, I am assuming Lucy does a longer term UC assignment NEXT episode and we finally get resolution as to whether or not she follows that path. I think something goes wrong and she ends up choosing something else. At least, I hope she chooses a different career path - she has so many options other than becoming a detective. But that’s me.

Part of me would love to see BOTH Lucy and Isobel get into a situation where they need Tim (and Metro) to get out of it. So that if there’s even a smidge of lingering feelings on either Tim’s or Isobel’s side, they are quashed permanently because Tim will always save Lucy first.

Lastly, I think the next episode will have a more direct impact on Chenford than the Isobel episode. I’m a sucker for a season long story arc with parallels. Think back to Episodes 1, 2 and 3.

Episode 1 - Tim and Lucy being drawn to each other but in denial about what they want and feel, another kiss, almost fucking and Chris being the ultimate cock blocker.

Episode 2 - Tim pushing Lucy to go to UC school, she thinking he doesn’t want her, both of them breaking their own hearts by not saying what they want

Episode 3 - Lucy is back from UC school and her relationship with Tim is in tatters. They longing look at each other across the room, Rosalind is still a threat, and Lucy is on Rosalind’s trail.

I expect the last 3 episodes to be similar but opposite. They are in a strong, committed loving relationship. They aren’t going to break up, but this will be a test. I have no proof of the following - this is 100% my guess/wish.

Episode 20 - Isobel comes back and kind of forces her way into their relationship causing both of them to reconsider this whole UC career path and what it means for them individually and together. (we are here!)

Episode 21 - Lucy goes undercover for a longer assignment. Both of them struggle with the separation. Something goes wrong and Lucy’s cover is blown. She gets hurt, Tim panicky and rushes in to save her.

Episode 22 - Elijah and Oscar (with a little lingering help from Rosalind, you know Oscar would’ve figured out how to help er in some way) break out of jail and go after Very pregnant Angela. Lucy and Aaron get pinned down in a shootout and Aaron gets shot protecting Lucy. Lucy and Aaron get rushed to the hospital. Lucy is ok. She and Tim openly declare their love for one another, and we are left hanging for Season 6 when someone (not Tim and not Lucy) and their heart monitor flatlines. Dun dun dun…. Is it Aaron? Angela? Elijah?

Oh and Bailey bails on Nolan at some point.

Isobel is here for a single episode - so I expect her to have the biggest impact on Tim, but I also expect Chenford to have a profound impact on her.

#chenford #the rookie #tim bradford #lucy chen #tvline can suck it #my hopes +dreams for the rest of the season #isobel bradford #tim loves lucy #i'm in chenford withdrawal #is the hiatus over yet #Chenford is not breaking up

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catsintei · 1 year

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Emercury for the ship meme, of course. :3c

Who’s the cuddler?

I'd say Emerald is the bigger cuddler. She is a lot more handsy compared to Mercury, and craves physical touch and affection more than he does. Mercury knows this and wont deny her a cuddle, which is why Emerald more often than not wakes up with a leg or an arm draped over her, and Mercury often finds Emerald pressed up into his side.

2. Who makes the bed?

Mercury makes the bed, if Emerald had it her way it would be an unmade blanket nest 24/7.

3. Who wakes up first?

Mercury most often wakes up first (if he does fall asleep), and Emerald follows shortly after if she doesn't manage to convince Merc to "stay just 5 more minutes". Laying in bed all alone is so boring, after all.

4. Who has the weird taste in music?

Mercury has some weird ones, but Emerald enjoys more niche and bizarre picks.

5. Who is more protective?

Mercury, he's more openly protective than Emerald, and doesn't hesitate to jump to her defense if she ever needs him (or if someone looks at her weird). However, if Emerald ever finds or thinks that Mercury requires her protection for whatever reason, she would show very little hesitation when it comes to helping him.

6. Who sings in the shower?

Emerald, usually one of her latest favorite songs, or some catchy tune she heard on the streets or online. Mercury likes listening to her.

7. Who cries during movies?

Neither, except for movies with animal death. Everyone has cried during a dog movie, and Em and Merc can't help but tease each-other with "are you crying?" while both pretending they're not. Sad movies and horror movies are most often mocked and joked about by them.

8. Who spends the most while out shopping?

Who said anything about spending money on goods and services?

9. Who kisses more roughly?

Both? I'd say its a toss-up between the two of them depending on the mood, and what led to the kissing in the first place. They can reverse the roles on each-other pretty quickly.

10. Who is more dominant?

Mercury definitely, Emerald can be as well but in more of a bratty teasing way.

11. My rating of the ship from 1-10.

11/10, the perfect ship, OTP.

#rwby #emerald sustrai #mercury black #emercury #asks #kind of nsft?

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