#I'll show you scope of practice

[pinacoladamatata]

[agreeewrites]

Charlie doing that 'a boy who's jacked and kind' trend but gets distracted having y/n on his shoulder and ends up flipping her over and eating her out while the camera still rolls.

tysm for the request love!! hope you enjoy 🫶

pair with: Charlie Weasley, James Potter, George Weasley, Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, Peter Parker, Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, or whoever you want! (MDNI 18+)

a boy who's jacked and kind...

...can't find his ass to save my life.

You took a few steps back from your carefully arranged phone, ensuring your image in the frame was centered and the space around you didn't look too cluttered. You adjusted your sundress a little, dismissing the fleeting thought that maybe it was too short.

“Babe!” You called, and your boyfriend, always eager and with the recall of well-trained golden retriever, popped his head into the room.

“You called, love? Wait--are you recording?” He immediately clocked the angled phone, a smirk sharpening his sweet smile.

“Would you maybe want to try a trend with me?” You asked, batting your lashes. “You know that Sabrina Carpenter album I've been listening too?”

“With the coffee song?” He crossed the room, still hovering just outside of the cameras scope, clearly suspicious. “I'm working laaaaate, ‘cuz I'm a sinner—or something?”

“Singer,” you corrected, giggling. As if you haven't overheard him singing that very song on repeat in the shower. “There's a Tiktok trend going around for another one of her songs."

“And what exactly does this trend involve?” He asked, eyes skirting down your body, the stretch of your bare legs with open appreciation.

“It's this one lyric, ‘a boy who’s jacked and kind’, and one partner lifts the other onto their shoulder, like—hey!”

He swooped in mid-sentence, scooping you around the middle and tossing you over his shoulder like a sack of flour. Broad shoulder digging into your guts, driving the air from your lungs. Not that there was much air to lose—his strength always left you a little breathless.

“Like this?” He asked, bouncing you a little.

You couldn't see his expression, but you could hear the smug ass smile on his face.

“No! No,” you huffed. “I'm supposed to sit on your shoulder.”

“Really? I kind of like this.” His hand crept up the back of your bare leg, kneading the softness of your thighs before swatting your ass. “We can just do this, I'll let you keep recording—”

“Hey! Put me down and focus.” You squirmed until he set you down, his lower lip jutting out into a pout.

“Alright, alright. So I lift you up onto my shoulder so your sitting right here?” He patted the bulge of his trap. “For what reason, exactly?”

“To show the whole world how jacked and kind you are,” you replied, pecking his cheek, stroking his ego just enough to push him over the edge.

“Well, I do like that…let's do it.”

You squealed with excitement, kissing him again before rushing to start the recording.

🎶 A boy who’s jacked and kind…can't find his ass to save my life.

Three tries later, he finally got you up onto his shoulder at the exact right moment, making it look borderline effortless, the cheeky grin on his face lighting up the frame while he flexed his drool-worthy bicep.

Hm, maybe you shouldn't post this. He was so hot, this was turning into a bonafide thirst-trap—

“Yay! That was perfect, now you can—woah! What are you—”

He grabbed your thigh and lifted it over his head, shifting you so you were facing him, your thighs and pelvis practically smothering him, and you squeaked in surprise.

“Shh, honey,” he soothed, hucking you up another inch to nuzzle against your blooming heat, barely covered by the thin mesh of your panties. “You know I won't drop you.”

“But the camera—”

Something rumbled in his chest, a pleased sort of purr that had your toes curling against his back. “You wanted to put on a show, pretty girl.” He backed you against the wall, your head damn near brushing the ceiling, and laved his tongue over you.

“Oh, fuck,” you groaned, fisting his hair and resisting the cloying urge to squirm. You glanced at the camera, unsure of what you were hoping for, and saw that you were still very much in the shot, the red circle still glowing as it recorded everything. The realization sent a fresh curl of desire slithering down your spine, leaking out between your legs and into his seeking mouth.

“Good girl, stay just like that,” he murmured against you, a flick of his tongue sending your mind reeling. The heady thrum of your heart found harmony with his movements, symphonic, pleasure cresting higher and higher with every press, every pull.

The sound of your own cries echoed around your head, amplified by the proximity of the ceiling, and a distant part of you wondered if you'd sound pretty in the video.

His grip was bruising on your thighs, but he didn't shake, didn't tremble, solid as a statue beneath you. Resolute in his pursuit of your pleasure.

Jacked and kind, indeed.

He gasped when you yanked particularly hard on his hair, but instead of pulling back, he buried himself deeper, tipping into a ravenous frenzy.

“Fuck, I'm gonna—fuck, fuck!” Your pleasure ballooned, then burst, bliss scattering like glitter under your skin, sparkling and ephemeral and everywhere.

Relentless, and undoubtedly self-indulgent, he continued to lap at you, groaning in the back of his throat when you shuddered and twitched. No longer having the strength to hold yourself still.

Carefully, he lowered you back to the ground, dress bunching between your bodies, and kissed his way up until he finally caught your lips. Sticky and sweetened with your honey, you sighed against his mouth, clutching those heroic shoulders to keep yourself upright.

He glanced over at the camera, then smirked down at you. “You know, we could make a lot of money if we posted that somewhere other than TikTok—”

“No.”

“Ugh, fine.”

© agreeewrites 2025. do not copy, translate or claim my writing as your own.

[ozerashome]

I'm going feral thinking about the bad kids with the "I met my younger self for coffee" poem

---

Adaine

I met my youngerself for coffee today.

I showed up 30 minutes early, and she was already there, picking at her nails.

I ordered for both of us, drinks and desserts even though she tried to insist she was fine with water.

I let her hold Boggy. She couldn't meet my eyes when she told me she was rejected from Hudol this week.

Her eyes sparkled when I told her about our friends. She was eager to wear my jacket- I didn't comment on how frail she looked in it.

She complained about her dad. I told her that he's not a problem anymore and that our sister likes us now. She couldn't believe I was happy about that.

Before she left, I made sure to tell her how to make a proper fist. I won't see her again, but I know she'll do alright.

Fabian

I met my younger self for coffee today.

I waited around the corner and after he ordered his drink I pulled around with the hangman. He immediately challenged me to a fight, and of course I won.

He noticed the eyepatch, but when he realised whose it was, he didnt ask how I got it. We had an arm wrestling match while we waited for our food. The hangman started crying over seeing the younger me, I had to remind him to chill.

Little me asked of our triumphs and I told him we're regularly slaying dragons, demons and getting our kisses in.

Before he leaves I warn him to take cardio more seriously. He stares in horror as I tell him about Chungle Down Bim.

"HE WANTS TO SHIT IN MY MOUTH"

"WELL YOU BESTED HIM RIGHT???"

"NO, HE'S STILL HUNTING US"

Fig

I was supposed to meet up with my younger self for coffee today.

I showed up 30 minutes early, to scope the place out. I chose the best table and strummed a few notes on my guitar while I waited for her to show up. I was going to tell her about Ayda so we can find her sooner. I'll also tell her to trust her hunch about creep teachers.

She showed up 15 minutes later. Hair curled and dressed in her favorite outfit. She brought a backpack with her, she doesn't want to run late to cheer practice after.

Her horns still haven't grown in.

She still only has 1 dad and she hasn't kissed older men- trying to feel any kind of love.

She doesn't look like her mother's mistakes yet.

I don't call her over. She doesn't recognize me and waits, tapping her foot with excitment.

I leave without waiting to see her dissapointment. She wouldn't understand my happiness.

She can stay oblivious a little while longer.

Other ramblings:

Kristen avoiding topics of family, mostly just nodding along to her younger self ramble praise for Sol. Her younger self notices her staff is different and Kristen casually drops that they're creating Gods now. Advising herself to get better shoes, maybe start doing some basic coordination excersises- her younger self clearly doesnt listen.

Alternate quip to young kristen noticing the different staff.

"But like... why though? I'm Sol's choosen prophet and I'm questioning him?"

"That's not the only thing you're going to question"

Riz meeting with his younger self, just as exhausted but a little more reckless. They both order an unholy concotion of caffine overload. Young Riz is still mourning the loss of his father, and Riz has to kill the urge to tell him everything. He drops a few hints, maybe his younger self can find the secret room faster. Young riz asks if the business cards work, Riz is glad to report they did, and they've even got the honor of being a shrimp king and The Ball.

(Edit; I FORGOT GORGUG)

[mostroloungeofficial]

Blazing Jewel event - Octavinelle dorm practice story

Please note I may make mistakes but I wanted to try a translation of the story of this part.

Ep 1

🐙 Today we start preparing for the music concert "Blazing Jewels"! Have you heard our dorm song, "Entanglement"?

🦈 Yeah. It's a cool song, isn't it? I'm really looking forward to singing it!

🐬 Me too. I like the jazzy melody and the mature atmosphere. But we have to come up with the choreography for some parts, right?

🐙Yeah. We have to think about what kind of choreography to use with the song... it's a part that tests our sense of style. Well, with us three, singing won't be an issue. We'll have plenty of time to come up with the choreography. I already knew our singing ability back in middle school. It saves us the trouble of improving our singing skills, so we can focus on coming up with choreography and expressing each part.

🦈 Even if you're good at singing, are you and Jade okay with dancing? It took you two twice as long as me to be able to stand and walk. You can't dance if you're bad at using your feet. I don't have any problem.

🐙 I can't say that there's no problem yet. But I'll definitely get it done. There's still plenty of time until the announcement. I can practice as much as I want.

🐬 Yes, I'll do my best too. I'm also interested in the act of "carving handprints".

🐙 Oh. I'm surprised you're interested in handprints.

🐬 When I looked up how to make handprints, it seems that you press your hand into cement made from a mixture of limestone and clay to leave a mark... As the representative of the Mountain Lovers Association, I thought I should experience art that makes use of natural materials.

🦈 Jade still likes weird stuff. I just want to beat the other dorms at singing and dancing.

🐙 Hehe... Although our reasons are different, all three of us seem to have the same desire to liven things up more than any other dorm. Let's get pumped up and practice for the live show!

🐬/🦈 Understood. / Ok.

–

Ep 2

🐙 I want to practice the dance especially carefully. Today, let's think about the choreography for the arranged parts. What kind of performance would be well received by the audience...? But it's hard work trying to appeal to the masses. The scope of the research is too broad... It would have been better if it were a competition that was evaluated by judges. If they had done that, I could have researched the preferences of all the judges and their past evaluation trends, and come up with a performance that would suit that... Well, there must have been some intention behind them asking Night Raven College students to perform. What do they want from us, the students… Let's analyze carefully and think about our performance!

–

Ep 3

🐙 ♪Now, let us hear your wish~ ...Yes. My voice is in perfect condition today too. But if I put a little more vibrato into this part, the expression of the song might have more depth. To make the vibrato resonate beautifully, it is essential to practice long tones. I should incorporate this into my daily singing practice plan... But in fact, wouldn't it be better to add a fall rather than a vibrato...? To improve the accuracy of our performance, I should try out all the ideas I can think of. Let's compare several patterns on a recording and consider which expression resonates best with the audience.

–

ep 4

🐬 In middle school, I formed a band with Azul and Floyd... but I never thought the day would come when we would all work on music together again. When we first formed, we each had different ideas about the direction of music we wanted to play, and we often clashed. Even after we decided on the songs, we just couldn't get along... it was a really hard time. I wonder what will happen this time. Hehe... I'm looking forward to it.

–

ep 5

🐬 Singing won't be a problem with our group, but I'm worried about the dancing. Land dancing is different from sea dancing, which uses tail fins. I haven't danced with human feet very often. Before I can match the rhythm and learn the movements, I have to wonder if I can move my feet the way I want to... I'm worried, but it's exciting to try something new. Let's do our best to leave our handprints in the "Groovy Arena."

–

ep 6

🦈 I've been listening to "Entanglement" a lot lately. It fits my mood right now. The eerie feel of it, like jumping out of a dark place to scare someone, is interesting so I never get bored of it.Ah, wouldn't it be cool if we incorporated that kind of feel into the choreography too? I think Azul came up with the choreography for my arranged part. Oh well. I'll work on with my thoughts in mind too.

–

ep 7

🦈 ♪ Dance, your swaying heart left and right, an illusion seen through closed eyes - Ah, maybe I sang pretty well just now. "Maybe I should do it like this?" I thought and came out of the classroom right away and it was the right decision. I think I'll sing it a few more times before I forget how it felt. When I stood up during class, Red Squid-sensei just gaped at me like a mackerel and then looked angry for some reason. The next time we meet, he'll probably give me another long lecture. Well, I'll ignore him. I'm still not tired of practicing our performance... I'll make sure I don't get caught.

–

ep 8

🦈 I want to practice dancing while looking at a big mirror, is there a good place? Come to think of it, I heard before that there is a room in Pomefiore where all the walls are mirrors... Shall I go there now? But it's a pain to go all the way there... ... Hmm? Hey, maybe this window in the hallway could serve as a mirror? Let me try stepping. ... Ah, I can see my feet clearly after all! Oh, I don't have to go to another dorm. I found a good place. Let's practice here.

–

ep 9

🐬 (Cough, cough... )

🐙 Jade... Did you just cough?

🐬 Yes. Sorry, was I too loud?

🐙 No, it's not that! We have a live show coming up. We need to keep our throats in top condition. Take these throat lozenges, they're great for moisturizing the throat. And put on a mask right now! That's right. I'll turn on the humidifier too. We need to make sure that Floyd and I keep our throats in good condition too.

🐬 This is, the best I can ask for.

🐙 If you can't sing properly during the live show, all our practice will be for nothing. Of course you need to take care of your throat, but you need to make sure you're in good physical condition too!

🐬 That's great. (Cough) Oh dear, that cough just now was just from inhaling dust while I was cleaning...

–

ep10

🐬 ♪Future disappearing like bubbles - it all depends on you - Phew... Just as I thought, it feels good to sing in the clear early morning air. It was worth getting up early. Now that I think about it, I once heard that it felt good to shout "Yaho!" from the top of a mountain, so I tried to do it... Then, just like now, I felt a sense of excitement in my heart. So it might feel good to sing from the top of a mountain. I'll try it next time.

–

ep 11

🦈 Hmmm, hmmm… ♪Let's turn here...

🐙 Floyd? Why are you practicing your dance in the middle of this hallway?

🦈 Oh, it's Azul. This window reflects your whole body, so it's good as a mirror.

🐙 I see. It certainly is a good place to practice... No, we should avoid dancing here after all.

🦈 What about it? Why? You're not going to say something lame like we'll get in the way of the dorm students passing by?

🐙 What I'm worried about is if there's a spy from another dorm. If we practice in such a conspicuous place, it's the same as making the performance public.

🦈 It doesn't matter if people see us. We're performing different songs for each dorm, so there's no way they're going to copy us. If you're really worried, Azul, prepare a different place to practice. It's tiring to move around to practice.

🐙 Let's ban the common room from entering for a few hours a day, except for the members who will be performing in the live show. Just for that time, we'll prepare several full-length mirrors in the common room. What do you think?

🦈 That's fine. Well, get it ready.

–

ep 12

🐙 We've decided on the choreography over the past few days, so today we'll try to work the dance together as a trio.

🐬/🦈 Yes. / Ok.

🦈 Haha! What was that dance of yours just now? It was so bad!!

🐙 Be quiet, Floyd! I think everyone is like this when they first start.

🐬 As I thought, the way you dance with your fins and your feet is very different. When I was turning, it was hard to keep my balance and I thought I might fall.

🦈 It's funny to see you two dancing I'll record it on my phone.

🐙 Hey... Don't take pictures without permission!

🐬 Azul, calm down. Isn't it more likely that Floyd, who doesn't take pictures even when I ask, is recording us? If you watch the recording, you can look back on which moves you're not doing well.

🦈 Right. I'll share this hilarious data with you later, so you can watch and realize how bad you guys are.

🐙 Damn it! I can't stand being left in such a shameful state, but this is all for the sake of improving my dancing... If that's the case, then let's improve as quickly as possible!

–

ep 13

🐙 It's been a week since I felt saddened by the poor performance of my dance and Jade’s... We have been working hard every day to improve our dancing. Today, let's dance smartly!

😺 What's up Azul. Were you bad at dancing? I'll laugh at your bad dancing!

🦈 Oh, it's the seal and the shrimp. Did you come to see how we were doing?

MC

-Sorry to bother you

-Please let me have a look

🐬 Please feel free to watch as much as you like.

🦈 Have you and Azul really improved in a week? If you haven't changed, I'll squeeze you.

🐙 Oh, so scary. But I don't think you'll be disappointed.

🐬 Of course, me too.

🦈 Wow, you two look so confident.

🐬 Hehe... I studied a lot about how to dance with your feet, not your fins. I promise you that I won't show you a pathetic side by focusing too much on dancing and neglect my singing.

🐙 Let's start practicing. I'll show you how much I've improved... the results of my efforts!

–

ep 14

😺 I thought I'd laugh at Azul and Jade's dancing, but... they weren't bad at all!

MC

-I was fascinated

-They were also good singers

🐙 Hehe, isn't that right? This is the result of our efforts!

🦈 Both of them were hilariously bad at dancing until recently... Your legs seem to be moving pretty smoothly today. Did you use some kind of magic?

🐙 No. I just spent all my free time practicing dance.

🐬 I also watched the recordings of my dancing over and over again, striving to improve my movements.

🐙 Hehehe... I've improved so much in such a short amount of time. If you keep practicing like this, the crowd will definitely go wild! If I do that, in the future, my name will be widely known to the world!

🦈 You don't really need to make a name at the live show... If I uploaded a recording of that crappy dance to the internet wouldn't it be a quick way to become famous?

🐬 Certainly, I found it interesting when I watched it myself, and it may actually create a buzz.

🐙 I see. Nowadays, there are ways to earn money from videos through ad revenue and support from viewers, so maybe it's actually possible...? ...No! I really don't want to make a name for myself with such an embarrassing video.

🐙 Honor must come from having your name engraved in the music hall!

😺 Hey, henchman. There's a video of their terrible dance moves. Let's get it secretly!

MC

-Let's stop it.

-I'm a bit curious...

🐙 Come on, you two! Let's practice to perfect our performance!

🐬/🦈Let's do our best. / Ok!

[diazsdimples]

hi james <3 make em swoon prompt: hugging them from behind for bucktommy

Hi Nolan!!! As you wish 🫡

Something Buck was really learning to love about having a firefighter boyfriend was how well he fit in at the station with the 118.

Granted, it helped that Tommy knew Hen, Bobby and Chimney from way back when he was a probie himself, and can provide banter with Eddie that even rivals Buck's level of teasing, but it still takes Buck by surprise at just how perfectly he nestled into their little family.

The first time Tommy came over to surprise Buck, he'd been leaning against the outside wall of the station when the engine had pulled in after responding to a 2 alarm fire. He'd had his arms crossed over his chest, with that indulgent "god you're adorable, Evan" smile on his face as Buck had dropped down from the passenger seat and strode over to him, burying his face in Tommy's shoulder.

Times after that included Bobby secretly inviting him over for lunch with the station on the 4th of July after Buck had lamented about spending their first holiday apart, Tommy showing up with breakfast after a long, arduous night shift, and Tommy hiding in a storage closet late in the evening during one of Buck's 24 hour shifts, grabbing Buck as he walked past and pulling him in for a mind-blowing fuck while the rest of the station slept.

And Buck - well Buck was pretty sure he hadn't been happier in all his life. Whenever he saw Tommy playing pool with Hen, or sparring with Eddie, or battling Chimney on the XBOX, his heart would flutter, like it had become a butterfly and grown wings, and ready to beat out of his chest. It just felt so... perfect.

It had been a couple of days since he and Tommy had seen one another, and Buck was missing him. They'd exchanged texts and facetimed a couple of times but it wasn't the same as having Tommy's arms around him, or feeling Tommy press soft kisses against his neck. He missed that physical contact.

"You seem a little down today, man," Eddie muses as he and Buck chop vegetables in the kitchen. Bobby had ordered 3 finely diced carrots and some chopped celery sticks to make part of tonight's dinner, and had put Eddie in charge, with Buck's supervision.

Buck looks up from where he's been systematically shredding the end of a celery stick with surprise. "Really? I-I'm fine, I swear."

Eddie raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. Not that Buck's entirely surprised; his best friend could scope out a change in Buck's mood before it even happens. He'd be stupid to think he could hide anything from Eddie.

"Uh, sure you are. Nothing to do with the fact that you're missing a certain 6'2 muscular pilot, hmm?"

Buck blushes, the red heat creeping up his cheeks, and he quickly drops his eyes back to the celery in front of him, trying desperately not to meet Eddie's eyes.

"That obvious, huh?"

Eddie laughs, a sound that Buck had heard so rarely over the last year and now can't seem to go a day without hearing, and pats Buck on the shoulder. "Just a little bit, yeah. I mean, you've been moping around the station the last few days, and everytime your phone buzzes, you practically pounce on it to see if it's him."

Buck's blush deepens, and he shoves the half-shredded celery stick back onto the chopping board, dropping his head into his hands. "I miss him," he says, his voice small.

Eddie softens a little, and reaches up to grasp Buck's shoulder, giving it a little squeeze.

"Yeah, I'll bet," he says sympathetically. He puts the carrot back on the chopping board with a sigh. "Hey I left something downstairs, mind if you keep doing this? I'll be right back."

Buck rolls his eyes, familiar with Eddie's get-out-of-cooking tactics.

"Yeah, whatever. I'll finish it for us."

Eddie gives him a big grin and claps his shoulder again.

"Lifesaver. Be right back!"

And with that, he's crossing the loft and taking the stairs two at a time, footsteps echoing through the firehouse. Buck shakes his head and chuckles to himself. He's pretty sure Eddie would rather step on a thousand Legos than ever help prepare dinner.

With a small shake of his head, Buck continues to chop the celery and carrots, throwing them into a small bowl together. He's been doing it for a few minutes when he hears footsteps behind him. Assuming it's Eddie, Buck doesn't turn around, and continues to chop.

"You find what you were looking for?"

"Oh, I think I did."

A deep, gravelly voice fills Buck's ears as a pair of thick, strong arms circles his waist, and Buck's heart leaps instantly as he recognises the smell of Tommy's cologne.

"Tommy? What are you doing here?!" Buck exclaims, putting down the knife and lacing his fingers with Tommy's. Tommy rests his head on Buck's shoulder, pressing small kisses into the skin just above Buck's uniform shirt.

"Thought I'd stop by and surprise you, baby. I missed you. Eddie helped me organise it."

Buck grins widely and turns in Tommy's arms, leaning forward and pressing their lips together in a deep, searing kiss. His arms wrap around Tommy's neck and he tugs him closer, revelling in the feel of Tommy's hands resting against the small of his back, holding him steady.

After a moment, they break apart, and Buck leans their foreheads together, a wide, beaming smile on his face.

"God, I've missed you," he murmurs. "This is the best surprise."

Tommy smiles back at him, rubbing their noses together.

"Yeah, I missed you too, Ev. It's good to see you."

He gives Buck one last peck on the lips, and then releases him, turning his attention to the celery and carrots Buck had been chopping. He picks one up between his thumb and forefinger, scruitinising it with mock-intensity.

"So, what you making?"

Tagging bucktommy friends

@theotherbuckley @bidisasterevankinard @watchyourbuck @neverevan @hippolotamus

@wikiangela @slightlyobsessedwitheverything @jesuisici33 @emilybahu @detectivehorror

@disasterstans @ioncedreamedaflower @bandluvr97 (mutuals pls lmk if you want to be tagged in Bucktommy stuff, I haven't quite scoped out who's okay with them and who isn't)

[ashbye]

Fashion Show

-Look y'all I know I've been gone but I had a vision ok it came to me while I was doing yard work and I had to so enjoy. There's plot guys 🤚😔

Summary: While on a run you find something that would be the perfect surprise for Daryl. You show him and are very happy with the outcome.

-It's smutty oops 18+ 🤭 and not beta read. There's swearing so prepare yourselves. I HATE THE WORD PANTIES SO IM NOT WRITING IT! Unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it)

-Alexandria era (probably) and I am a women so its she/her (sorry)

It had been a while since you'd gone outside of the walls so you jumped at the chance to go on a run. Although you had wanted Daryl to join you he was unfortunately busy. Maggie and Michonne were joining you today so you can't complain.

After gathering the needed weapons and equipment you headed with the girls to a mall nearby that hadn't been checked thoroughly yet.

You got to the mall in record time with Michonne driving. Grabbing your machete in your hand and putting your gun in its holster, you got out of the car walking to the entrance behind Maggie.

"Why are we back here again I thought some guys had cleared it out already?" You asked turning to Michonne.

"They said there was too many walkers to get too far in do we're checking again."

You turned towards the door with a hum sound and raised your machete, walking into the mall. After scoping out the front the three of you found the mall to be almost completely empty aside from a few stray walkers that could be taken care of when you came across them.

Maggie turned to you both, "I say we split up, cover more ground."

You nodded before walking ahead as you all separated. Most stores you had looked through had been cleared out over time. There was a shirt here, a pair of socks there, but other than that it was a bit of a bust.

Until you saw a sign to a store ahead of you to your right. "No fucking way..."

You picked up the walkie talkie on your hip and called to Maggie and Michonne. "You guys are not gonna believe what I just found."

"What is it?" Michonne asked urgency in her tone.

"Either of you need any new bras?"

"Obviously, why?" Maggie was incredibly confused by now. You laughed before responding again.

"Go straight and take a right you'll find me. You need to see it to believe it." You put the walkie back after hearing Michonne say she's on her way.

You turn to the approaching footsteps and laugh. "Isn't it great? A Victoria Secret practically over flowing with unused bras and underwear!" Maggie smirked at you "You wanna find something special for Daryl huh?"

Michonne laughed at your expense but you couldn't care less because you're pretty sure you've been wearing the same bra for 2 months now.

And, duh of course you're gonna find stuff for Daryl. You're a loving girlfriend why wouldn't you get a present for him when you're on a run?

"Uh hell yeah I am! If I can find something to make me look sexy for my man of course I'm gonna take it!" You speed walk into the store with the girls following you chuckling.

You hold up a beautiful red set. It's lace would compliment her skin perfectly, you think. "Michonne, if you don't take this home for Rick, I will riot." You hold up to the girls so they can look at it.

"Oh please get that!" Maggie practically begs Michonne. "Alright I'll take it!" Michonne says with a smikr on her face after holding it up to her body.

The rest of the 'shopping spree' goes similarly, with you each holding up sheer and lace bras and panties for the others to take home and wear.

You found quite a few for yourself to surprise Daryl with later. You carefully put them in your bag with a smile.

After your escapade at Victoria Secret you all successfully grabbed every useful thing you could find and packed it into the car.

You were almost shaking with excitement when you got home, the clothes feeling like a thousand pounds in your bag.

It wasn't until everything you found that day was sorted through and put where it was supposed to be that you could go back home to Daryl. You walked through the door calling out to him that you were back. "Hey Darlin'. How was the run?" The familiar gravelly voice said from behind you.

You turned to him with a smile and placed your hands on his hips. You gave him a long kiss with a smile. "It went really well. I have a surprise for you actually." You pulled away from his face with only a few inches of space between you two.

"Surprise?" He asked with a vaguely shocked face.

You hummed with a smirk on your face. "Yeah after dinner I'll show you what your present is."

"So it's an after dinner kinda gift huh?"

You nodded before pulling away from him to hide the gifts in your bedroom. "I promise it'll be worth the wait."

It's now dark outside and Daryl is sitting on the front porch smoking a cigarette. You walk up to him and sit down, leaning your head on his shoulder with a sigh.

You sit in silence for a moment before looking up at him. "Are you ready for your surprise Dar?"

He blew smoke out of his mouth before taking the cigarette from between his lips. "Hell yeah baby." He said before grabbing your hand and pulling you up with him.

You lead him to your bedroom with a laugh excitement flowing through both of your veins. Once the door was closed behind you both you turned and gave him a searing kiss. He grabbed your hips tightly with a hum in the back of his throat.

You slowly pulled away and pushed him onto the side of the bed. "I'm gonna give you a little fashion show. How does that sound?"

He looked up at you with a slight nod before you gently slid away from him. You went to the bathroom and put on the first set you got. It was white lace with a black lace flower pattern.

You slowly cracked the door to stick out your head. "You ready?"

"Been ready Darlin'."

The door was slowly pulled away to showcase your body that you had draped across the doorframe. You smirked at him when you saw his eyes slightly widen.

"What do you think Dar?" You slowly turned you body to show him the whole thing.

"Well shit..." he was almost speechless. He wasn't sure how long he'd last. And this was only the first one!

You walked toward him and placed your hands on his shoulders. "You like it?" Your smirk had yet to wipe from your face.

"I- uh yeah ya look-" he could barely even get the words out. He could only look up and down your body with lust clouding his brain.

"I have a couple more for you to take a look at." You pulled away from him and walked back to the bathroom, closing the door behind you. Daryl could barely process the fact that you even left the room.

Meanwhile, you're giggling to yourself like a schoolgirl in the bathroom at the look on his face. Once you were ready you opened the door again, looking at Daryl.

This time you're wearing a dark purple set. It had sheer lace with small lime green polka dots. "What do you think about this one? It's a little different." You said, walking up to Daryl.

"I like it." He said, eating you with his eyes like you were his last meal. You chuckled at him before doing a spin.

He nodded his head looking like his head was in the clouds. You gave his cheek a kiss with a small smile on your face. Walking backwards to the bathroom you closed the door and prepared the next one.

You walked out wearing a pale yellow lace set that had cute little bows on the front. It was less revealing but Daryl liked it just as much as the others. You could only stare as you walked up to him. Completely mesmerized with how beautiful you looked.

He wanted to worship you like a goddess. He would kneel at your altar for the rest of eternity if it meant that you would give him even a fraction of the love and elegance you grace him with everyday. You could be covered in blood and walker guts or be wearing the prettiest pale yellow lingerie he's ever seen and he would still think you're the most exquisite women he's ever seen.

"Ya're beautiful." He said, it was the only thing the connection between his brain and mouth could compute.

And you were just fine with that.

"Yeah?" You ask with a big smile on your face. He nods with a small raspy yeah that makes you chuckle. "If this one is your favorite I'll keep it on so you can make love to me or fuck me however you want."

"However I want?" He seemed almost surprised.

"However you want. We can be all slow and tender or you can fuck me so dumb I'm cock drunk. How does that sound?"

Daryl couldn't even come up with words before he stood to full height in front of you and grabbed under thighs. He turned and layed you on your back, pressing his mouth to yours in a heated kiss. His hands ran up and down your legs searching for a hold.

Your arms wrapped around his neck as a moan left your mouth. Your tongues pressed together and you gave him all control. Daryl moved you up so your head was on the pillow. He took off his vest and threw it to the side before movie his mouth to your neck. He left kisses and bites up the column of your throat.

Small sighs left your mouth and your hands ran up and down his chest. Your fingers started unbuttoning his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. You threw his shirt off to the side and it's lost to floor somewhere with his vest.

His hand made it's way up to the band of your underwear. His fingers slipped past the band and pulled it away from you skin. You yelped when Daryl let it snap back onto your skin.

His hand finally sunk past the band of your underwear and grazed your clit. You let out a sigh and brought you hand to his face to bring your lips to his. He let out a groan when you lightly bit his lip. Your leg jolted as he continued to make small circles on your clit.

You moaned again and pulled away from his lips as his fingers dipped down. "Dar please!" Left your mouth like a mantra as you gripped his shoulders and your legs pulled him closer.

"Hold on Darlin' gotta make sure ya're good and ready yeah?" His movements became faster as he felt you're pussy grip his fingers. You nod as moans leave your mouth from the feeling.

"Dar I'm gonna-" your sentence went unfinished as you felt the coil in your stomach snap. Daryl kissed you through your orgasm as your body finally relaxed. He gently slid the bottoms down your legs and onto the floor before unclipping you bra and placing it next to it. You were panting under him as his hands went to his pants. He had stripped down before you could even offer any help.

He looked in your eyes as he lined himself up with your cunt. "Ya ready baby?" You nodded as you wrapped your arms around his chest. "Yeah, yeah I'm ready." You said in a reassuring tone.

He slowly slid himself into you. "So wet baby. Taking me so good." He played his body on top of you and used his forearms to hold him over you. You sat with him for a second to get used to his size. With a nod from you he started to slowly grind his hips into yours.

Small whimpers left your mouth as his speed increased. He let out heavy breaths and groans along with his thrusts. "Fuck Dar-" you moaned as you nails dug into his back.

"I got ya baby, I got ya"

His hips got faster as you both got closer to release. Your legs locked around his hips to keep him close. "Please baby, cum inside please!" Your eyes were screwed shut tightly as Daryl's jaw hung open in pleasure.

Your pussy gripped his cock as the coil tightened for the second time tonight. "Come on Darlin' cum for me" he said to you. Your nails dragged down his back leaving angry red lines on his skin.

He let out a groan at the sting as his hips stuttered. "Holy shit Daryl!" You said as your orgasm washed over you completely. The squeezing of pussy sent Daryl over the edge as he finally let go with a loud moan. His head fell next to yours as his hips slowed, helping you ride out the wave of pleasure.

The room was quiet aside from the breaths leaving you and Daryl. He slowly pulled out of you as his cum poured out of you. He kissed your cheek and neck as his had brushed your hair out of your face. "Ya did such a good job Darlin'."

You looked up at him as you softly kissed his lips and held his face in your hand. He rolled onto his back next to you. He turned you with him so your head was on his chest.

After calming down you look up to him with tired eyes. "I love you Daryl Dixon."

He looked to you with pure love and adoration in his eyes, "I love ya too Darlin'. So much."

You layed back on his chest as you held eachother in the quiet of the night. Even though the world had practically ended, you had never felt safer and more loved than you did when you were in Daryl's arms.

[starborntales]

Burn Me Better : ̗̀➛ Harris Bowers x Reader

-prologue

-chapter 1

-chapter 3

2. HEAT HANGS HEAVY

The heat hits the second I step outside, dry, sharp, and way too bright for how early it still is. I slide on my sunglasses and head for the car without thinking twice, digging the keys out of my bag.

Ray had pushed me into showing up at the White Knuckle Run. Said if I was gonna race the next day, I might as well scope the scene early. Classic Ray, always pretending it's a suggestion when it's really a setup.

My car's parked right where I left it, still holding the heat of the pavement like a furnace. I run a hand through my hair and slide into the driver's seat, the leather scorching the backs of my thighs through my skirt.

It's hot as hell inside. I roll down the windows halfway and check my phone, nothing important. A couple of texts I don't feel like answering and a story from someone I barely remember following. I flip the visor down and adjust the mirror, fixing my lip combo. Matte liner, just enough gloss. Clean lines.

Then I start the engine.

It roars to life with that smooth, low growl I never get tired of hearing. It rumbles through the car like a second heartbeat , steady and sharp. I let it idle for a breath, soaking in the hum, before shifting into reverse and pulling out onto the road.

"Cherry Waves" by Deftones creeps in through the speakers. I roll the windows down further and let the wind rush in. It tangles in my hair, slides across my collarbone. I let the sun hit my skin and press a little harder on the gas.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

By the time I pull in, the lot's already crowded. Tires screeching in the distance, engines warming up, and the buzz of too many conversations at once hitting the air like static. I cut the engine and sit there for a second, hand still gripping the wheel.

Then I grab my bag, open the door, and step out. The sun is relentless overhead, but the sound is what really hits me. That wild, unfiltered chaos that only racing crowds know how to create.

"It's a great race." Well, fuck me. I didn't think he'd get me here so easily. I was supposed to lay low. But no, Ray knew exactly which string to pull. Bastard's good at it, I'll give him that.

As I get closer to the track, the whole scene unfolds fast. The air is thick with dust kicked up from practice runs. Quads roar like wild animals across the dirt, chewing up the ground, engines howling over the loudspeaker's half-broken static. The smell of gas, grease, and churned-up earth fills my lungs.

People are everywhere, standing on crates, leaning against barriers, shouting over the noise, drinking whatever's cold and cheap. They sizing each other up, pretending not to care, waiting for the next crash or miracle to break the monotony.

Some glance at me. Some stare a little too long. Most just let me pass.

I keep walking, until a voice cuts clean through the noise, sharp, familiar, and impossible to ignore.

"Y/N?"

I stop cold. My spine stiffens before my head turns. That voice... I could pick it out in the middle of a riot.

I turn slowly, already half-smiling.

And there he is.

"Curtis," I say, the name leaving my mouth with a grin I don't bother hiding. "Hi."

He laughs, low and surprised. It's not loud, but I feel it. Then he's moving toward me, arms open, and I don't hesitate, I let him pull me into a hug that's way too overdue.

It feels like being fourteen again for a heartbeat. Safe. Known.

Curtis is Ray's younger brother, but he's more than that to me. We were raised on the same cracked concrete and fast nights. He's always been my person, even if we drifted. Even if I left.

I pull back slightly and rest my hands on his arms, just taking him in.

"Three years did you good, bastard," I say with a half-laugh.

He grins, tilting his head. "Me? Have you seen yourself?"

I chuckle as he rubs the back of his neck, stepping back just a little, and that's when I see them.

A cluster of people behind him, lingering near the bleachers. Curtis must've peeled off from them to come say hi. They're half-distracted, but one of them shifts, and I catch his profile.

My smirk falters for half a second.

Zac.

Of course.

His eyes meet mine a second later. No expression. No nod. Just stillness.

I don't look away. I just tilt my head slightly.

Curtis doesn't notice. Or maybe he does, and he's smart enough not to push.

"Come say hey," he offers, nodding toward the group. "They're good people. Mostly."

I give a slow blink and then toss him a grin. "Sure."

We move through the noise, straight toward the group posted up near the edge of the lot. Two girls, two guys. Their heads turn as we approach, and the minute their eyes land on me, it's like I've stepped out of another planet.

They stare, not rude, just trying to figure it out. Who the hell I am, why I know Curtis, what kind of threat I might be.

It's honestly kind of funny. I almost laugh.

Curtis doesn't flinch, doesn't even hesitate. He gestures toward me like he's announcing something big.

"This is Y/N Aberra."

He says it casually, but I see the way one of the guys blinks like the name tugged at something. Recognition? Curiosity? Not sure yet.

Before I can open my mouth, Zac steps forward.

I clock the movement without turning my head, but I catch him in my periphery. That same brown hair, that steady stare. He reaches out a hand like we're strangers.

"I'm Zac."

I raise an eyebrow. Really? But he gives me a look. Just one, the kind that says: Don't blow this up right now. Just play along. Please.

So I do.

I smile, just enough to sell it. "Nice to meet you."

He nods, then turns halfway, gesturing to the girl next to him. "This is my sister, Caitlyn."

Caitlyn Maddox.

I give her a polite smile, letting that last name echo through my skull for a second. Another Maddox in the wild. Things really are getting interesting.

"And that's Marcel," Zac continues, nodding at the other guy. "And Brooke."

"Yeah, I already know her," Marcel says, smiling.

I smile back automatically, but I'm blank. Not a damn clue where I know him from.

Brooke gives me a once-over.

"Yes?" Caitlyn says suddenly, her tone clipped.

Curtis doesn't miss a beat. "Y/N's from here. She just went away for a few years."

He says it like that's all the context they need. Which, to be fair, it kind of is.

There's a short silence. Not awkward, just thick. The kind that settles when a new presence shifts the balance a little.

I hold Caitlyn's gaze for a second longer, then look at Brooke, then Marcel. Then finally, back to Zac.

The corners of my mouth lift slightly. "Nice setup you've got here."

Brooke raises an eyebrow. "You race?"

Curtis snorts, and I don't even have to answer. He does it for me. "She raced. She used to be the best."

Not past tense, I want to say. But I let it go.

I just smile.

"I still am."

"Harris is the best now," Curtis says with a crooked grin.

I pause, shooting him a look over my sunglasses, one brow lifted. "Harris Bowers? Seriously?"

Curtis doesn't answer right away, but Zac does, by rolling his eyes and turning away, suddenly very interested in the dirt.

And that's when I see him. Leaning against the fence like he owns it, half-shadowed by the sun, arms crossed, chin tilted. He's talking to someone I don't recognize, but something makes him turn. And just like that, his eyes land on me.

It's brief. Barely a second.

But I see it, the flicker of recognition. The quiet, slow sweep of his gaze. Then his jaw tightens, just slightly, and that same cold, unreadable expression settles over his face. God, I forgot how much I hated him.

I look away first, not because I lost, but because I'm bored.

Turning back to Zac, I raise a brow. "Since when is he a racer?"

Curtis replies. "Since you left. Or, you know. Shortly after. Three years is a long time, Y/N."

Brooke smiles. "He's good. Real good."

I don't respond right away. Just let that sit. My eyes flick back toward the fence, Harris hasn't moved, still watching, but now he's got that look on his face. The one guys get when they're too proud to admit they're sizing you up.

Good.

"Please," I murmur. "He's not Christian Maddox. He's not unbeatable."

That gets a reaction. Not big, just a flicker, Caitlyn and Zac exchange a quick glance, like they weren't expecting me to drop that name.

I keep the smile on my face, unfazed, and gently pat Curtis on the arm. "I'm getting a drink."

He nods, already turning to say something to Brooke. I walk off toward the counter, not looking back.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

"A Coke Zero, please."

I smile at the guy behind the counter, then turn just as Zac approaches. I slide my sunglasses up onto my head, letting them rest in my hair.

"Thanks for not saying we met yesterday," he says quietly.

I lean one shoulder against the counter, looking at him. "They don't know you train with Ray, right?"

"They don't," he says, glancing briefly back toward the group.

I nod slowly, watching his face. He's not nervous, not exactly, but there's something twitchy in his jaw, like he's trying not to say more than he should.

"How long have you been with Ray?" he asks.

I let out a dry laugh. "Like forever. Since I was a kid."

The guy behind the counter slides me my Coke, and I thank him with a small smile before taking a sip.

"You going to the quad race?" I ask, watching his expression.

He shrugs, unsure. "No... I don't know."

I nod and look out toward the track. It's complicated, sharp banks, a couple of mean turns, jumps that'll flip you if you misjudge them by half an inch. But nothing impossible.

Even if I do hate riding quads.

"Why not?" I ask, eyeing him over my drink.

We walk back together, quiet, heading toward the others. They're perched on one of the raised platforms overlooking the track, prime view for the chaos. He doesn't answer me.

As we sit, a loud crack of engine noise tears through the air. Someone's coming in hard. We all turn to look, a quad barrels over the final stretch and lands clean, skidding right into the finish line.

The scoreboard lights up. Best time so far.

A girl rips her helmet off before she's even slowed down. The crowd reacts, a few whistles, some claps, but mostly surprise. She hops off like it's nothing and struts toward the edge of the track.

And I recognize her.

Not her name, that's long gone. But the face, the energy.

She heads straight for our group like she already knows where to go. Stops a few feet away.

"Hi, groupie," she says to Zac, her voice sweet and smug like she's trying to start something.

Caitlyn turns immediately, lifting a brow. "Do you... know her?"

Zac opens his mouth, then shuts it, then forces a casual shrug. "No."

But I see it now.

The way his jaw tightens just slightly.

How he doesn't look at her or at Caitlyn.

The lie is paper-thin.

I don't call him out, but I connect the dots.

Of course. She races out where Ray runs his underground tracks. And Zac's been around Ray lately. So that's where he knows her from.

And he's not saying a word.

Smart boy.

But not smart enough.

Because now I'm watching.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

I've barely taken two sips before the crowd shifts. Heads turn. Conversations stall. That electric hum starts buzzing across the track, the kind that only shows up when something's about to happen.

Curtis leans in a little, eyes locked on the line. "That's the last one."

I raise a brow. "Last quad?"

He nods. "Harris."

I follow his gaze. Harris is walking toward the quad like it's nothing. He doesn't look nervous. He looks bored.

Phones are already up. The crowd crowds closer to the fences.

I lean back a little, cross one leg over the other, sip my drink like I've seen this movie already. From here, I've got a clear view of everything, the track, the quad, the ego.

Zac's beside me, arms crossed, jaw tight. Watching him, too.

The countdown begins. The crowd joins in, voices rising with each number.

Three.

Two.

One.

Engines scream.

He launches off the line like he's on fire. Dust kicks up in thick clouds behind him, but he's already gone, swallowing the first curve, slicing into the second like the quad's part of his body. No hesitation. No caution. Just speed and precision, fused together in a blur of dirt and growl.

I have to admit, he's good.

Too good.

It pisses me off.

It's clean. Aggressive. He hits the jumps like he's weightless, lands like gravity bends around him. The crowd is wild. Everyone's yelling, bodies pressed to the fences like he's doing something miraculous.

I watch, silent. Calculating. He's fast, sure. But I can already see the places where he's sloppy. The little corrections. The tight saves. No one else will notice, but I do.

Then he's across the finish line.

The time flashes.

Two seconds faster than anyone else.

The crowd loses it. Pure chaos. Cheers, whistles, shouts of his name.

Curtis whistles too. "Best of the day."

"Not bad," I say, even though my fingers are already twitching with adrenaline. Two seconds is nothing. A breath. A blink. I could take that from him and leave him wondering what the hell just happened.

Brooke turns to me. "No wonder everyone talks about him."

I just roll my eyes and drain the rest of my Coke.

[keegsmcclue]

I'll never get over the implications of zoro sacrificing himself for luffy and the full scope of that.

Like

It's WILD.

Cause Luffy -- he's unconscious. He doesn't even know Kuma was there. And we'd never met Kuma till he shows up after luffy has already stretched himself to his absolute limit and passed out to recover in the belief he and everyone was safe.

Then we have Zoro, who flat out told Luffy, if he gets in the way of his dreams, he'll force Luffy to commit hara kiri, which according to Google, is ritual suicide by disembowelment with a sword. It was formerly practiced in Japan by samurai as an honorable alternative to disgrace or execution. That's the stipulation he joins the crew with.

And like, yeah, after Mihawk slices him and tells him to live, to get stronger, so that one day Zoro may surpass him, Zoro doesny really acknowledged that. Instead, his only response is to pick up Wado Ichimonji, the sword of his long dead friend and of which he made his inital vow of becoming the world's greatest swordsman, to carry on kunia's dream in her honor, Zoro then proceeds to swear to never lose again because it's be embarrassing for Luffy as Pirate King.

And this whole scene is wild as well, because mans was basically on deaths door and all he could think about was how it'd disgrace luffy is he lost again. Like???

But this scene, it makes it apparent that Zoro's dream isn't just for himself and Kunia, it's shared by Luffy now as well.

Which, we know Luffy. Every crew members dream is a dream Luffy takes on as personally as his own. He shoulders those dreams and the weight of making them a reality as seriously as his own dream of becoming king of the pirates. Their dreams are Luffy's now too.

This is different than that tho. Because while the dream was shouldered by Luffy, it was still for Zoro's own like... fullflillment? Idk how to convey it. It was still wholy Zoro's, it belonged to Zoro. But by saying it'd be embarrassing for Luffy, or a disappointment, for Zoro to lose again before he becomes world's greatest swordsman-- it's now theirs in a way it wasn't. He's not JUST becoming the world's greatest swordsman, he's becoming the world's greatest swordsman because it's what Luffy deserves. He's becoming the world's greatest swordsman because Luffy's gonna be King of the Pirates and for Zoro to give him anything less than the world's greatest swordsman is a disappointment.

But that's still -- becoming the world's greatest swordsman is still his... the most important thing to him. He just has another reason besides Kunia and himself now. But you still don't get the sense that like... I dont think the zoro who loses to mihawk would be willing to sacrifice himself on the way zoro on thriller bark did.

Because while Zoro has never been afraid of dying, that was because he'd rather die trying to become the world's greatest swordsman then to not have tried at all. It's a mindset he shares with Luffy. This all or nothing mentality, right?

Neither of them have ever been afraid of dying as long as it's in pursuit of their dream.

But in Thriller Bark, he's not dying in pursuit of his dream. When he offers his head in exchange for Luffy's, he's effectively saying goodbye at ever achieving it, actually.

And he knows that, and you can see it jn the way he lays his swords down, because what use does he have for them if he's dead?

Kuma even says it here, "You have such an ambition, and yet you're saying that you're willing to take his man's place?"

He's not just offering his life in exchange for Luffy's, it's his dream he's exchanging too.

In doing this, it's made known that Luffy now holds more importance over Zoro's life, his swords, and his dreams.

Because this act, this sacrifice he makes, him dying in this way, isn't in service of dream and ambition, it's in service to his captain and king.

And idk how we're meant to be normal about this.

[cpericardium]

This is the story of the time I interviewed at Ubisoft.

When I was a teenager, I became obsessed with the Bioshock series and got it into my head that I wanted to do game design for a living. I'd never seriously attempted it nor did I know exactly what it entailed, but how hard could it be? I gamed!! I had ideas!! I said this to my teacher during a what do you want to be when you grow up talk, and she said, "Oh! My sister works at Ubisoft Singapore. I'll get you an interview."

Emails were exchanged, and someone at the company arranged a "quick chat" with me a couple of weeks later. It was for a QA tester intern position, which I reasoned was sort of like game design. After all, in the Sims 3 it's one rung on the ladder to becoming a game developer. Also I didn't want to anger my teacher. She was quite volatile.

Round 1:

I'd never done a job interview before. I put on a nice blouse and pencil skirt and heels, nervously applied and reapplied makeup which I normally did not wear, and showed up at the office building an hour early. Then as I went up the elevator I realised they never said what room it was. I couldn't very well email to ask now. I'd look like an idiot!! Fuck!! So for an hour, I just skulked around outside various glass doors peering into offices hoping there would be some receptionist around to ask, but there was practically no one there. The email only said "let's have a quick chat at 2pm on x date".

I was about to slink home with my tail between my legs when the interviewer called at the scheduled time. It was a phone interview!!!!! He didn't say that!!!!! I found a dingy secluded stairwell. As if to taunt me, one of the first questions he asked was "have you ever been to the building?"

Me, through gritted teeth: yeah! actually I'm here right now, haha... to scope it out, you know... get a lay of the land..... it's really big... Lots of glass walls...

Him: oh that's nice.

I don't remember most of the questions, but I do know he asked me what my favourite games were. I said Undertale and Life is Strange (they had come out that year), but he'd never heard of them. Maybe I should've said Far Cry or something but what if he quizzed me on it?

Round 2:

I should not have made it to this round. I was coasting entirely on the goodwill of my teacher's sister, who was high up the chain. She interviewed me next. I think her only question was whether I would be okay working long gruelling hours with little support and no overtime.

Me, blissfully unaware of crunch culture being a massive human rights issue in the industry: bring it on!!

Her: what? 🤨

Then she ushered me into a room to take a pencil and paper test. While waiting earlier, I'd frantically googled and memorised a bunch of Ubisoft games, so I could answer the one asking me to list eight of them. I figured I could have gotten away with saying Assassin's Creed and adding a random number to the back though.

The biggest problem was on the other side of the paper: a diagram of a gaming controller asking me to label the buttons. Here's the thing. I'm a PC gamer. Always have been. At the time, my only experience with console gaming was playing Little Big Planet with my best friend when I was twelve, at her house. And I wasn't very good at it! I think I fundamentally lack the hand-eye coordination for console gaming, but that's just a guess because I can count on one hand the number of times I've ever used a controller. And I can count on one hand the number of controllers I have in that hand! It's zero! I knew the wiggly antennae were for movement and the buttons on the sides did esoteric things that people will yell at you to press during crucial moments, but that was it. I ended up labelling the buttons the shapes they were (circle button, triangle button, square button etc).

The interviewer came back into the room after about 15 minutes and said I now had an hour to play an unfinished level of Assassin's Creed, identify as many bugs as possible, and record them on a spreadsheet. And even though she set me up at a computer monitor, I still had to use a controller. Are you kidding me! This was the Victorian era Assassin's Creed. I had never played any AC games before, so I didn't know what were bugs and what were features. Was "can't jump" a bug? Was "invisible wall surrounding staircases"? What was the format and lingo you were supposed to use when recording bugs? I made no progress towards the quest at all (I did not understand it or who my character was), just wandered around and wrote down things I noticed and didn't like until time was up.

Anyway, that's the tale of how I didn't get a job I was woefully unprepared and underqualified for and in retrospect didn't want all that much. Maybe what I really wanted was to be... was Ayn Rand.

[collegetennisoriginstory]

Hi! I've just read the demo and want to say that I love it so much! I never thought I would enjoy reading something about sports, I know absolutely NOTHING about tennis, but your writing makes it almost magical. I don't understand many things, besides English is not my first language (sorry for any mistakes!), so it's even harder for me 🤣🤣🤣 But all of the matches and practices are very engaging, and now I care about my MC's success like Rayyan cares about his. Thank you for showing me that tennis can be so enjoyable even if you just read about it. When I was reading the description, I was like 'OOOOHHHH, there is a HOT French man there! I HAVE TO romance him!' I mean, who wouldn't romance a hot French man, right? 🤔 But then... then I saw Rayyan and... wellllll... I guess I'm already too deep in this relationship to try something else. I'm a simple person. When I look at Rayyan, I see only him and nobody else. Such a sweet cinnamon roll, love him. Let me kiss him as much as possible and I'll be the happiest person in the world. That scene with a kiss in the locker room was amazing. There is that option when MC can tuck a lock of Rayyan's hair behind his ear and I couldn't resist its pull 😭 It's so wonderfully soft, I just... AAAAAAAAAHHHHH! I'm a sucker for such gentle moments with men, really glad we can do something like this. I wonder (and I'm sorry if somebody's already asked this) whether we'll have even a small chance of talking Rayyan into playing doubles together professionally in the future. MC and Rayyan are such a power couple at the moment considering the fact that MC's a freshman. They can become so much more together if given an opportunity and enough time. Maybe we can persuade Rayyan to try to see the benefits of this decision. I guess it can be an element of growth for him... To be able to rely on someone so close and dear to him, to trust this person with his success and ambitions. I understand that it's a terribly vulnerable position, and Rayyan's a deeply competitive person but perhaps this one leap of faith can do something good.

Awww this message is so incredibly sweet, thank you for sending it!

Definitely recommend the Hot French exchange student experience next, but very happy you liked Rayyan so much haha. Made me laugh to hear them described as a sweet cinnamon roll…

I’ll definitely wrap up the IF with conversations about the future with their ROs/friends etc, and playing doubles (or singles) professionally will definitely be brought up. So long story short, I think MC would be able to suggest this to Rayyan and get a response (and I think it’ll be fun to see this answer change over time and depending on their relationship with each other, too). But because the scope of the IF is such that it ends in freshman year, it’s by no means a definite confirmation of what MC will do post college :) that might require a DLC or a sequel…

Hope that answers your question!

P. S. very happy that you liked the locker room scene, still one of my personal faves :)

[eulaliasims]

Round 5: Wyll 5 / 8

For want of anything better to do, River has decided to start a small garden. Fresh strawberries would be nice.

River: Goat, if you eat these seedlings, mark my words, someone will be eating goat stew for supper.

Maddan: Bloody goat. Someday someone's going to break an ankle in one of these holes. Someone will probably be me.

Orla: Who's the most precious baby goat? Is it you? Is it Chewy?

Chewy: Baaaaah!*

*Transl.: Mother, I'm being threatened with violence from all sides.

Norweni has come by again to check on some of her newest residents.

Orla: What are we talking about here?

Maddan: Work.

Orla: Never mind!

Maddan set up a knife-throwing target by the wood pile to keep his skills sharp, and not all just because he was bored, and challenges Norweni to a friendly competition.

Maddan: That's the best you can do? I think you may need a new epithet, Knife.

Norweni: Some of us are working with compromised depth perception. I've had more practice with a bow and spear than knives since then anyway.

Maddan: You hold competitions at midsummer, right? Bet you two silver I can outshoot you then.

Norweni: I'll take that bet and your silver.

River: Derelei, hi.

Derelei: Hello! Is this your first visit to the mead hall?

River: Yes. Always important to scope out where you can drink.

Derelei: I could show you around?

River: There's not much to sho—I mean, yes, that would be lovely, thank you.

Don't worry! Brigid is here to ruin things!

Derelei: Brigid, what is wrong with you? Go away!

Derelei: Sorry. My sister is, um... I don't know what's wrong with her, to be honest. Are you alright?

River: I'm fine. Should we get a cup of mead now?

Derelei: Yes please!

[buggbuzz]

character dynamic and identity charts!! as well as a new character: evaria! (whoops, forgot to add it here, but nitor's pronouns are he/him!)

but also...

an announcement about my story!!

this story is no longer going to be an extended canon of the battle of giants: dragons game!

why? for one thing, only one character in the entire story is actually canon to the game (ninnurtu, who will be replaced with nitor!). in fact, this entire story takes place ~400 years before the game, so it honestly has almost nothing to do with the game already.

for another thing, i want this to be MY story. these are my favorite characters of all those i've ever made, and the most complex story as well. on top of that, i feel very stifled by what little canon world building elements DO exist and i've had a very difficult time working around them in a way that makes sense for the story.

by completely removing it from the game's world, i have full freedom to invent my own world building mechanics, instead of justifying ones from a kid's game made in 2009

(also, i feel bad for taking over the fandom tags for this game 💀)

what will change? not much!

90% of this story is already composed of completely original characters and world building elements, as well as very general concepts (elemental powers) that were not unique to the game

honestly, the only thing that's changing is how elemental dragons/powers work, because i lowkey always hated everything i came up with. i already have way more ideas that make a lot more sense and fit my own world building style! 

it's been a long time coming (as evidenced by the unexplained hiatus only two episodes in.) theres a few reasons for this:

- the main reason is that i'm primarily a biology student, not a commerical artist, and there's a reason for that! i just don't have the time or motivation for a project of this scope

- i just wasn't happy with the story or the medium for telling it

- i have very little practice in creative writing and it shows. when i realized i needed to add more to the story beyond the basic straightforward plot i got very stumped

however that doesn't mean i'm just shutting down my ocs! theyre very dear to me and i want to develop their story a LOT more

i don't know if or when i'll end up actually telling the whole story, but for now i'm just going to treating them like regular ol' ocs so i don't have to feel shackled to a project i don't want to work on

thanks so much for reading and for your interest in my silly little dragon ocs :)

especially to those of you who actually enjoyed my videos. that meant so so so so much to me!!!! i hope you'll stay tuned for more!

[skyfallscotland]

My first book of 2025! 🥳

Just For the Summer by Abby Jimenez

Sometimes the best way to show love or be kind to someone is to meet them where they are.”

I'd seen people raving about this one everywhere, and the kindle edition went on sale for $4.99, so I bought it. I found out almost immediately after that, that it's third in a series (oops!) but oh well.

A friend told me it shouldn't matter that much, and it didn't, but there were times where little call backs were obviously being made, but I didn't have the context to understand them. It wasn't a big deal, but if that would impact your reading experience, maybe read the first couple 😂

I liked all the main characters well enough, they all had completely normal names, which was nice (lol) and I'll say I enjoyed the book, though I'm not sure I think it was as amazing as other people have said, but it's well-known around these parts that I'm picky, so that probably won't come as a surprise.

Personally, I'm just not sure contemporary is really for me because I do find it a little boring.

One thing that really bugged me was that it's first-person past-tense, which just made my brain freak out for at least the first half of the book. It might be because I write in first-person present, or it might be that it is weird, I don't know, but for me, first-person past feels like you're telling me what happened to you all those years ago, and it just sucks the heart right out of it in some respects, generally. If I'm not experiencing it with you, what's the point of writing in first?

Apart from that, I also found some of the writing to be quite choppy, which...I know I write quite long-winded sentences so again, maybe it's just me, but this felt jarring sometimes. Eg:

I turned to look at her. “You could make one that does. You could always stay.” I couldn’t read the smile she gave me. I wished I could. I could ask her what she was thinking. She’d have to tell me.

and

Emma looked over at me and smiled, and I let myself hope. “You ready to go?” I asked. She shoved off the railing and we left.

Like???

But despite that, it was enjoyable, and at times there were some real gems that shone through and made me feel.

It was easier to pretend to be angry and tough than to admit to being devastated and heartbroken. And by the practiced way she wielded attitude, she’d been devastated and heartbroken for a long time.

“It’s like there’s a part of me that’s always small,” I whispered. “And I don’t know why and I don’t know what to do about it.”

“You’re not asking too much,” he said. “You were just asking the wrong person.

Maybe it's just that I'd been writing beforehand, or maybe I'm just always thinking about her, but some of these are so Remi it hurts. I often have a gripe to pick with contemporary romances that bring in trauma in such a blatant way because they never explore it properly.

There was a lot going on in this book, and as expected, they never fully explore the scope of that trauma. They do the classic FMC is struggling with this mental illness and you can see it, but she won't realise it, she does, (sort of) third act breakup, oh look, timeskip, she's gone to therapy off screen for a few months and is magically better, happily ever after.

I think it's nice for it to be included as representation to an extent, I definitely think it did well within the scope of the word count to address it, but I also wonder if we needed to throw so many different things into the one novel, given the word count. I don't know, maybe it will settle better in hindsight and I shouldn't be writing this impression so soon after finishing, maybe I'm just not experienced in what most contemporary romances are like and I'll be pining for this representation later—I don't know.

I guess I'll find out, since reading more contemporary is one of my goals for the year. For now, I'll leave it with this 🥺

“Unhealed trauma is a crack. And all the little hard things that trickle into it that would have rolled off someone else, settle. Then when life gets cold, that crack gets bigger, longer, deeper. It makes new breaks. You don’t know how broken she was or what she was trying to do to fill those cracks. Being broken is not an excuse for bad behaviour, you still have to make good choices and do the right thing. But it can be the reason. And sometimes understanding the reason can be what helps you heal.”

And this:

But if you don’t think your life would be better without them in it, then accept that they have cracks. Try to understand how they got them and help fill them with something that isn’t ice.”

Let me know what you thought if you've read it! 🖤

[marvel-starwarsfangirl]

"The Bad Batch" Series Review

Now that this show is over and I've had some time to think about it, I'll give my overall thoughts, its strengths, weaknesses, and how it compares to other two main popular animated shows. In general, TBB is a solid show with fun characters, beautiful animation/music, and moments of truly peak Star Wars. Is it perfect? Definitely not, but I love it all the same. It's probably a solid 8/10 for me. In many ways, TBB is the type of show I absolutely love. It's dark, character driven, and touches on mature themes. I love seeing how different characters came to terms with Order 66 and the birth of the Empire. At a time when hope seemed at its bleakest, seeing characters try and find it again is very compelling.

Tbh, I think one of the reasons why I love this show so much is because it really hits home for me. A lot of the themes and ideas that are explored by the characters are also things I've been exploring at the same time. TBB has been a comfort show for me as the world becomes even scarier and I grow as a person. It was the show I needed right now. Also, the Batch remind me of my own friend group. So, I might be a bit biased here.

In comparison to the other shows, I think I love TBB about the same as much as the others. Some days, I'll prefer TBB, other days, I might prefer Rebels or CW. Each show has something I truly love and something that frustrates me. For example, Rebels has a lot of emotional moments I enjoy, but Zeb was really slept on after S2. CW had an amazing scale and scope, but some arcs were just awful. You know which one I'm talking about. TBB is the same. It really depends on the vibe though. At the end of the day though, I truly love all 3 shows and all the joy (and tears) they give me.

Alright, let's get into the nitty gritty.

Weakness:

I'll start off with the flaws just to get them out of the way. I think TBB's biggest flaws are regarding balancing the character dynamics and arcs. I understand that Omega is more or less the main character since she really changes the Batch's life, but they needed to do more. I wanted to learn more about the Batch. However, sometimes it felt like characters could only grow when Omega was with them. Granted, this wasn't the case 100% of the time. Crosshair is the most notable example of this and I loved Tech's interactions with Romar and Phee. Unfortunately, it does affect the characters if they only get characterization with one character. Echo is the biggest victim of this imo. They had a goldmine to explore how he felt in the aftermath of Skako Minor, but they didn't. Crosshair wound up being the Batcher who would've understood him most, except they only exchange two lines of dialogue together in S3. That's it. Imagine how impactful it would've been for Cross if he talked to him. Echo truly understands the horrors of being turned into a lifeless machine. It was an opportunity that was practically gift wrapped for the writers. Sadly, it did not come to pass. Overall, this show just needed more Echo.

Btw, TBB wasn't the only show with this problem. As mentioned above, Zeb didn't get much to do after S2 and I'm disappointed in that. Even Rex and Kallus also got sidelined after S3. CW's format was more forgiving with this, but certain characters like Savage became more irrelevant once more popular characters showed up. Additionally, Echo not learning about Fives was a massive missed opportunity.

Branching off of that, having Omega as the centerpiece also means that the emotional moments tend to happen with her. Now, that's not a bad thing, except it only seems to happen with her. In S1, it really felt like no one cared that Crosshair was gone. This is their brother who they've known forever. Why is Crosshair the only one who seems to be really emotional about the whole thing? Since the Batch have only ever had each other, I would've expected them to be more upset/bothered when one of their own suddenly does a 180 in personality. And again, it's not like it's not there, it is, but it really needs more. I'll be honest, I really didn't like S1 Hunter at all. The man tunnel visioned on Omega.

I'm more forgiving about the rough start since both CW and Rebels were also kinda rough. However, I think the lack of clear focus did hurt the show a bit. Rebels and CW had a greater scope: fighting in a war/revolution. TBB doesn't have this since everything just got uprooted. Had the show been a bit more focused, I think it really would've helped a lot. S2 and 3 both established what the overall focus was pretty quickly. But with S1, it seemed to jump from the inhibitor chips to whatever Omega's purpose was to Project War Mantle and I was like: so, what was the Batch's goal other than survival?

There are other things that bugged me as well. Tech's death should've been handled better. I get that the Batch are soldiers so they aren't expected to cry in each others arms. Except the closure for Tech's death wasn't enough. What wound up happening was half the fandom questioning if he was really dead and searching for hints that he was alive. I covered this in my S3 review, but to summarize: the writers needed more time and more deep character moments. TBB thrived on those deep, mature conversations.

I know I just went off, but I truly love this show with all my heart. I know it's capable of so much more as shows in its strengths. It just frustrates me when it falls short.

Strengths:

Crosshair. Looking back at his overall journey, Crosshair is easily the most compelling character. I'm linking my study of him because his arc is just that good.

https://www.tumblr.com/marvel-starwarsfangirl/750696139213471744/crosshairs-character-in-tbb-a-study?source=share

What's so impressive to me about Cross is that he doesn't need to be in a lot of episodes in order to tell his story in a satisfactory way. Everything he's in is so well written that I can easily tell how he's feeling, why he feels that way, and why he makes the choices he does. In S2, not once did I have to wonder why he decided to betray the Empire or befriend Mayday despite that arc being only 2 episodes. The subtext really said it all perfectly. TBB does such a good job with his character, but I won't go on any further because we'd be here forever. Anyways, I love Crosshair and he has the best redemption arc in Star Wars. You can't change my mind.

TBB also touches on mature themes and I love that they are explored in a thoughtful way. Tech's conversation with Omega is really beautiful. It speaks to a lot of people and I love that the writers chose to take a thoughtful route instead of just having Tech say something nerdy and calling it at that. The same thing with Crosshair's PTSD. It was a genuine issue that affected him and not just when the plot needed it. I also appreciated that he was given time to actually try healing. Letting the characters sit down and have deep moments is what really connects the audiences to them because we see what makes them vulnerable. Light-hearted action is fun and all, but there is so much more to these characters than "blaster go pew." I really resonated with Crosshair's story and I know many people did the same with Tech's. I also loved how the show showed Omega adapting to the change around her; it can be very difficult sometimes and I appreciated that it wasn't still sunshine and rainbows after. Echo had a role within the Batch and his absence definitely shook the dynamics.

The animation and music are just perfection. It speaks for itself, but it's perfect imo. (yes, I'm aware of the errors, but it doesn't impact the actual quality).

The Empire was really freaking scary. TBB did a great job showing how the Empire started encroaching on the entire galaxy and began phasing out the clones. Occupations started, Rampart began his chain code system, and any form of dissent was immediately silenced. There was no question as to how ruthless they were. And there were genuine consequences to the actions of characters. Rampart was thrown under the bus for something he was ordered to do. The Empire doesn't protect anyone except Palpatine. "The Outpost" is so brutal and raw, but it perfectly shows how the Empire can drain a person until they break. Both Rampart and Hemlock are two fantastic villains that capture the true horrors of humanity. Rampart is a cold and greedy man. We all know people like him and he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Not even humble juice in prison could make him reevaluate his views. Hemlock is a monster that only cares for his experiments. He was such a different villain compared to the Sith and greedy imperials we tend to see and I appreciated that. Even Crosshair was a good example of how misguided beliefs can turn people against one another. Like with Rampart, we all know people like Crosshair. It grounds TBB that much more.

I also loved the main focus on family in this show. It's a value that I hold dearly because of my beliefs and how I was raised. At the end of the day, the Batch's greatest strength comes from the bonds they have with each other. In times so dark, it's the people they love the most that will help them get through their struggles. I honestly love that. Whether it's friends, siblings, or parents, those bonds are so important. People aren't meant to tackle the world alone. TBB does a great job showing how hard it is when you're stuck in a dark place and how impactful it can be to have people who love and support you. Overall, I really loved it.

At the end of the day, I just really love the Batch. They mean a lot to me, especially Crosshair and Omega. Omega herself is such a sweet bean and her light truly is beautiful. I've loved watching her journey over the last several years. She's a wonderful character and I love her dearly. I love Crosshair (he's really hot, ok). I love Tech's charm and quips. I love Echo's strong drive for justice. I love Wrecker's big heart. I love Hunter's... fatherly instincts.

Ok, I know that was long, but I am so grateful for this show. I love TBB with all my heart and there's so much more to say. For now though, I'll just say that TBB has truly made an impact on my life. It gave me something to enjoy when times got rough and it gave me Crosshair. I will always be thankful for him.

[brilliantorinsane]

Doomsday Machine

This was definitely my favourite since Amok Time!

Who is that white lady in the coms chair though. Yes Uhurah does appear to work all shifts at all times she deserves a break but the bridge feels wrong without her there I Don't like it.

I love when they aim for prolonged tension because they're always playing on hard mode. In this case, 'can we keep you captivated for 50 minutes about whether the glow-y space worm will kill the main character dead 1/4th of the way through the season?' When the answer is no you still gotta respect the audacity. And when (as was the case for me this episode) the answer is yes, it feels like they pulled off a magic trick.

How did it take me this long to clock that Spock is such an anxious hoverer. I mean I knew his preferred distance in dangerous scenarios was 3-0 inches, but I figured that was for practical reasons of offering protection. But then last ep when he's stuck on the ship and has lost contact with/track of the away team, he's spending every spare minute looming over the shoulder of bridge members who are just trying to do their job. In any episode where things are awry on the bridge, if he doesn't have a Task he's always drifting over to the Captain's chair (especially if Bones is there too) and placing his hand on it, never quite but always almost touching. Then in this episode Kirk returns and Spock beelines for him then trails along behind him with no clear purpose. I mean they start talking but he's trailing first. There's even a moment when Kirk sort of steps back without a clear direction yet, and Spock glances at him and quickly steps forward to close the distance.

idk, for someone whose personal space is so important to him, I find this development really endearing.

Spock's manner when he's explaining to Bones that they can't do anything about Decker taking over command is so. gentle. It got to me.

Bones had the right idea though, I was down for an immediate mutiny.

Ah well at least Spock got around to the mutiny as soon as he had Kirk's go-ahead. Love that they made it clear Kirk didn't have authority to order Spock to retake command, but the whole crew and those two random redshirts that were called in all silently collectively go right along with the mutiny.

I love the framing of Decker accepting Spock's "Vulcan's do not bluff" line as Decker whiffing it so bad. 'this dude can't command the enterprise. he doesn't even know Spock's the biggest bulshitter on the ship!'

Also this show loooves to start out with a nightmare scenario for Kirk (in this case: get this wrong and your whole crew will die but you'll be left alive to watch it) to hang over his head the whole episode. Gonna be honest I do like when they do that. Also this is one of those rare scenarios where Kirk is entirely predictable. the second Kirk was threatened with outliving his crew he was going to find some narrative justification for a scenario where if anyone is getting blown up it's him and him alone.

Speaking of I was back to feeling prickly towards Kirk the last few episodes, and this was the round where he won me back again. Specifically when he sees the fully functional Enterprise in trouble and decides, nevermind that the ship I'm stuck on is basically floating junk. I'm mounting a rescue mission.

Also love that the bare-bones crew gives Kirk scope to show off his engineering and piloting skills.

"You worry about your miracle Scotty, I'll worry about mine." That really is how this crew functions, huh. 'well we'll probably die but we might as well divide the impossibilities between a few teams and see what happens. Hey look we're alive :D'

[booksandpaperss]

How Stranger Things (poorly) handles racism as a topic compared other heavy topics it successfully tackles

before we get started, I would to direct you all to some other accounts who have already discussed this that you should check out either before or after reading this post: @wewebaggit @googoogagaeyes @elekinetic and anyone else please feel free to tag yourself or another account that’s discussed this and I’ll happily boost it

Content Warning for in show examples of racism and discussions of racism, as well as mentions of homophobia and the AIDES epidemic

.

. While we're discussing historical accuracy in stranger things and homophobia + ignorance being present even in well meaning characters, I want to point out that if the writers of the show weren't so squeamish about addressing racism in any in depth way, than this type of historical accuracy would be for racism too.

what I mean by this: in this sense, the show is not consistent. It's clear that the writers have done their research on 80s homophobia and how openly prevalent it was, if the AIDES allegory in season 2 and the way homophobia was very clearly present in seasons 1 and 2 (it still is in seasons 3 and 4 but the first 2 seasons showed it in the scope of the entire town), but racism was just as overtly prevalent, and yet the writers have neglected to address it in the same thoughtful and coded way. if the show was just as consistent about racism as it is about homophobia, than the white characters would be at the very least shown as ignorant just like the straight characters are.

and I'm not going to say that it's completely ignored, because that's not true:

-in season 2; mike makes an ignorant comment that implies Lucas should have been Winston because he's black, and Lucas calls him on it. There's also the very racist undertones (that are practically overtones) of Billy's treatment of Lucas. -There is almost nothing in season 3 except for a jokey joke when Nancy says the whole party is her family and the receptionist, who is a black woman, gives Lucas a skeptical look.

-Season 4 is a little better, with the implications (key word: implications, I'll come back to that in a moment) of Lucas's season 4 arc being that he was trying to fit in because he didn't want to be racially targeted and bullied for being a nerd at the same time anymore, that he felt like even more of an outsider compared to the rest of his otherwise all white friend group who, as far as he knows, are all cishet and giving him shit for wanting to lessen how much he's perceived as an outsider because he's automatically seen as even more of a "freak", and his friends just weren't getting it because they were white and ignorant. So the writers aren't blind to race and racism.

However. None of the examples that I've just listed are addressed later in any in depth way; not like the homophobia is. The only one that's even remotely delved into instead of simply being glossed over is Lucas's s4 arc, and even that is still very flitted around and left up to interpretation of the audience.

The writers seem to have a very "hit and run" sort of policy with addressing racism. They clearly know they should, and they at least seem to know that having a black character in an 80s setting with a cast of mostly white characters inherently creates a lot of racial subtext-

-for example, the very loud subtext of Jason (a white boy much older than Lucas) seeing Max (a white girl) in a trance alone with Lucas (a black boy) and immediately assuming the worst + Jason's white friends tackling an 11 year old black girl to the ground: subtext that I'm still not sure if the writers and directors were even aware of bc they never addressed it and their track record isn't great-

-but they hardly do anything about it.

I'm not surprised, considering this show is headed by two white men, but what really gets me is that they all truly could have tried harder. Like I said earlier, it's clear they've done research and put thought into addressing homophobia (it still could've been handled better but that's an entirely different conversation), and it's evident from Max's s4 arc that they also did research on Depression, PTSD, and the impacts on someone of their abusive family member dying. So the lack of care and thought put into addressing racism in the same way is clearly more than ignorance (which would still be bad, when you're writing a show this big in 2023 with topics like this you're actually, shocker, responsible for making sure they're addressed properly, ignorance is a choice at that point), its just fucking lazy. they don't care. And this not caring is inherently harmful on a show this big and frankly, I'm tired of so many viewers and people in this fandom straight up ignoring this fact, just like the show runners.

And I haven't even covered the complete lack of effort put into Patrick's backstory, or the fact that Erica is very much the sassy, mature for her age black girl stereotype (she deserves so much better). Oh, And we can’t forget the copaganda.

I'm glad that season 4 started to explore the dynamic between Lucas and Erica and expand on both their characters, and from the looks of things that will continue in season 5, so the writers have a chance to do their research, actually put effort more effort into the sinclair sibling’s characters, and improve, and I'm hoping they will but as of right now I don't trust them to, and won't unless they prove me wrong.

TDLR; the main issue is that Stranger Things is clearly a show that addresses topics like depression, abuse, homophobia, and racism, but the racism part is neglected compared to the others, just like how Lucas and Erica's characters are handled poorly compared to the white characters,. it's lazy, horribly insensitive, and racist in and of itself. There's a clear bias, and even if it improves in season 5 we still should be talking about it, and more white people (yes white queer people included, we are not exempt from this discussion, if anything we should care just as much about it as when we’re talking about homophobia) in this fandom need to start listening when black and brown people do talk about it instead of just waltzing through and ignoring it for your own peace of mind.

also I should clarify that I myself am white, I made sure I did research before making this post in order to talk about this accurately and consciously, but if I made any mistakes or said something insensitive or used an incorrect term or anything else, feel free to correct me and I will readily fix it

as a final note: please check my rebligs of this for links to more posts that talk abt this issue