#How emotionally drained is he when he comes out of these scenes?

[thelostgirl21]

Help him...

[barrowsteeth]

Kit Connor on the Most ‘Heartbreaking’ Scene to Film Teen Vogue, August 2023

Then, of course, we come to the final scene of season 2, between Nick and Charlie, “one of the most heartbreaking and beautiful scenes that Alice has ever written,” Connor says. He really didn’t want to get it wrong. Nick sits Charlie down for an honest conversation, where Charlie opens up about the true extent of his bullying and how far it pushed him. It was shot over an emotionally-draining seven hour period; figuring out where to pitch it and running it again and again. “It really just hits you when you’re down I think, but also brings you right back at the end,” Connor says. “With that scene, with my relationship with Joe, who I love dearly, we've shared so many experiences that have made us who we are.” It gave playing the scene a certain ease and comfort. “With a scene like that it's impossible to really know how to do it. You just kind of have to jump in, and we did and we tried it and tried to see what felt right and I was pretty happy with what came out.”

full solo interview linked below

[princessdimondheart]

The Twins | Ghost x Wife! Reader

Pairing: Ghost x f! Reader + Their Twins

Warnings: 🔪- violence, terrorist act, blood, inaccurate medical scenes; 😭- fear, emotional stuff, family; 🥺- well deserved happiness

Edited: No

A/N: Simon’s mother doesn’t have a canon name so I decided it’s based off of a flower. You pick which one. Almost 8k words 😳. Part 2? Idk. Sorry it took so long! 😭😭

Masterlist

Character banner ©️ Me

Tommy brushed his short hair back like it would do anything. It was a standard military cut, close shaven but not exactly bald. When he had it cut- to get used to it he told himself- his twin sister, Violet, laughed in his face. Said he looked like an escaped inmate with the cut or someone from pre-Y2K. He pouted remembering it, he had yelled something about her blue-dyed hair being basic and threw a dirty sock in her face. She yelled and then grabbed his arm and proceeded to throw him over her shoulder. He really should have seen it coming. Her hard work in Tai Kwon Do really paid off. His back and ass hurt for the next few days. 

Unfortunately, his poor mother paid witness to the little altercation. She was tired from a long shift at the hospital and was laying on their gray couch munching on Doritos. She only shook her head when he whined to her about Violet. She told him that if he wanted to join the army like he dreamed about, then he would have to toughen up and not complain about things whenever they went wrong. A distant look shown in her eyes. An old memory most likely; one of their long gone father, a military man, and one of the reasons why Tommy wanted to join. To follow in his father’s footsteps despite his job being the reason he wasn’t in their life anymore. He and his twin got quiet and then went their separate ways. They knew how much the loss of their father hurt their mother and they didn’t want to bring her any more pain by mentioning him when she’s emotionally drained from her shift. 

When Tommy had told her that he wanted to join the army, his mother froze in shock before tears spilled from her eyes. A hand covered her sobs and her brow furrowed. He had never seen his mother cry before and it nearly had him spiraling. He rushed to hug his mother asking her what was wrong. When she calmed down, she pulled back and held his cheek in her hand. 

“You’re just like your father. I knew something like this was going to happen but I wasn’t sure it would be so soon.” She wiped her tears with her other hand. “It’s okay, you can go if you really want to.”

He didn’t realize the tears building up in his eyes until they were running down his face. He was only 15 but he was already a head taller than his mother. She said he got his height from his father. Tommy had to tell her his decision because her permission was what would get him into the army when he turned 16. He had no other dreams, just the army and making his parents proud. 

“Tommy! Are you done checking yourself out? We need to go to this last store before heading home.” Violet’s voice crashed his preening in front of a mirror in an H&M store. “The sun’s already set and we’re running late as it is.”

“Chill, Vi, we don’t always have to be punctual. Mom’s on shift anyways, we can go home at whatever time we want!” He looked at her through the mirror. 

She rolled her eyes at him, scoffing, “says the boy that wants to join the army where punctuality is very important.” 

Violet’s eye color was from her mother, in fact, all of her looks were from her, even her height except her eye shape was from their dad. Tommy was the one who was almost a carbon copy of their dad. There were slight variations in their looks, like skin tone and hair texture but nothing too different. He liked the fact that he looked like his dad. It made him feel closer to him in a way. 

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever, let’s go so you can shut your whining. I am in the army.” Tommy mumbled the last part under his breath. He shoved a hand in his pocket and pushed the other in front of her face, wiggling his fingers for the bags she was holding. She handed them over when he moved his hand closer to her face and she swatted it away. Sure, he messed around with his sister but he was still a gentleman. His mother would fry his ass if he was anything but. 

They were heading to Piccadilly Circus to look at the stores in search of a birthday present for their mom. It was coming up soon and they were running behind in the gift department. All other aspects of the little party they were planning were already put together, the only thing left was her gift. Now that he was in the army for just over a year, he had some money saved up and was planning on using it for her gift. That was the reason why he was here, he was on leave for her birthday next week. Violet suggested a nice pair of earrings and a necklace for her since she doesn’t really own jewelry other than her wedding bands. Tommy readily agreed. 

The walk from H&M to the square wasn’t longer than ten minutes but they took their time window shopping along the way. The square was decently crowded, it was a Thursday after all and there were plenty of tourists and locals scurrying in and out of the shops. Tommy rubbed his hands together, it was cold that night. Unusual for the time of year but he assumed global warming was to blame. He really wished spring would finish up so summer could get here. 

~~~~~

Ghost was methodically sharpening his knife on a whetstone when Price knocked on his door with a loud bang. His masked head whipped up and he gripped the knife tighter. 

“Load up, Simon. My office, yesterday!” His voice was hurried and gruff. Something was going down and that made Ghost kit up faster than normal. Grabbing his gun he was out of his room in less than a minute. 

In Prices office was the rest of 141, Gaz and Soap were kitted up in their tactical vests with their weapons slung over their shoulders. No one was sitting. 

“We just got word that a terrorist plot is going to go down tonight at Piccadilly Circus. We’re going to head over there before it goes down.” Price shook his head. “Hopefully our presence deters them or we’re able to put a stop to them before anyone gets hurt.”

Gaz was reasonably upset. He had been there for the first attack on the square a few years ago. It was actually how he got into Price’s sights in the first place and joined the Task Force. “Again? Seriously?”

The Captain gave him a knowing look. “If it’s going to be an issue, you can stay here Kyle. You don’t have to go.”

“No-no, sir. It won’t be an issue.” Gaz sighed. “I just hope it turns out better than last time.”

Soap patted him on the shoulder. Price nodded at him and then walked to his office door. 

“Let’s go!”

~~~~~

Violet had tugged on Tommy’s jacket and pointed out a jewelry store that seemed promising. Luckily it was still open so they both went inside. The clerk greeted them but wasn’t as attentive to them because of their youth. That is until they told her their budget. Typical. 

She was looking into the bright glass boxes filled with different types of jewelry in gold, silver, diamonds or other precious stones. Tommy wasn’t really paying attention to her. He fiddled with his dog tags and the busted up ones that belonged to his father. They rested over his jacket. He’d hum and glance at a necklace she was pointing to but he was rather distracted. There was a small commotion just across the street near the metro entrance. 

A black van pulled up and several men jumped out of it seemingly inconspicuous. He thought nothing of it until he saw a handgun sticking out of his waistband. Now, Tommy didn’t do that great in the section about their laws in school but he sure as hell knew that guns were illegal in their country. His brows furrowed, and Violet tugged at his sleeve once more to get his attention. 

“Tommy! What’s with you?” She voiced her annoyance. “What are you looking at?”

She peered around him but didn’t notice what he was staring at so intensely. Tommy noticed that one of the men planted something on a nearby car parked on the street. He felt something go through his body. It was a feeling of cold and dread. Dread of what was most likely going to happen. What it was he didn’t have a clue. He just felt the cold chill his blood and goosebumps ran down his arms. 

His eyes widened in shock and fear when one of the men pulled out an assault rifle from the truck. He only had a few seconds. 

“Get down!” Was all he could manage to get out. 

Tommy turned and grabbed his twin by her arms, pulling her into his body. The shots rang out directly towards them and in various directions. He vaguely remembered hearing a loud boom ring out. Screams spread around them. Tommy could only feel the burning sensations coming from his right arm, lower back and left leg. Violet’s screams were muffled by his jacket, the dog tags dug into her face. Her head had hit the ground hard despite Tommy covering it with his hand, and it throbbed in that dull way. Glass shattered around them and alarms were going off. They dropped heavily to the ground. Tommy’s body was covering Violet’s protecting her from the blaze of bullets still lodging themselves in the walls around them. 

Violet screamed again as one land near their heads. Tears ran down both their faces. He tightened his grip on her. 

“Violet- Violet, please.” He grunted. “It’s okay, we-we’re gonna be fine. Just lay down. S-stay quiet, yeah, you’re good, Vi.”

She was shaking. He was shaking. Although his body was prepared for going to war, his mind had yet to catch up. Although, Tommy wasn’t sure if it was nerves that was causing him to shake, the cold chill spilling through the shattered store front, or the blood seeping out from his wounds. 

Violet felt wet but she couldn’t figure out what it was. At first she thought she had wet herself in fear but the feeling was coming from her torso. She turned her head as best as she could and saw Tommy grimacing in pain. Her eyes looked further down and saw the blood pooling under her. She wasn’t in pain. 

“Tommy! Ta-Tommy, you’re bleedin’!” Her voice pitched high with alarm. She sobbed into his shoulder. Her hands tucked into her body pulled out and wrapped around his back. She held him tight. 

“I-I’m fine, Vi.” He stuttered out. He was feeling weak from the blood loss. 

“Don’t l-lie to me Tommy.” She hiccuped. “You’re s-shit at it.”

More explosions rang beyond the store. They shook the building they were in. Pieces of debris were falling from the ceiling, landing on and around them. Suddenly, various gunshots were fired in rapid succession and Violet worried that more terrorists had arrived. She hoped that the police or some anti-terrorist agency would arrive soon. Several minutes pass and the gunfire lessened until it finally stopped. 

“Tommy? We can get up now, l-let me put pressure on y-your wounds.” Tommy wasn’t saying anything and that worried Violet. Her breathing quickened in her panic. “Tommy!? Get up! Tommy!”

Her hand reached up to push him off of her. It was a struggle as he had gained a significant amount of weight in muscle over the last year. He weighed a ton and when she was finally able to push him off of her, Violet was huffing even with her martial arts skills. Other times she’s able to pull him over her shoulder with momentum but now he was dead weight. God she dreaded the thought. Her shaking hands scrambled to his neck. Two fingers felt for his pulse and found a faint one. It fluttered but it was still there. She sighed in relief. 

Violet tried to remember the first aid course that she took last summer that their mom’s hospital was offering to students interested in joining the medical field. She surveyed his unconscious body to find any wounds and when she found them all she got to work as best as she could. Violet took off her jacket and wrapped it around Tommy’s arm hoping to slow down the bleeding. Then she remembered that he had on a belt and so she took it off to tie around his leg. He unconsciously groaned when she tightened it. She couldn’t really put pressure on the wound on his back but she tried her best to keep a hand covering the wound. The bullet hadn’t gone all the way through and stayed lodged inside him. It wasn’t sanitary but it was the best she could do. 

Her body continued to shake and she looked around the destroyed jewelry store. There were other bodies lying around. Blood was smeared on the shattered glass display where the lady was standing minutes before. The lack of pained noises sent a pang through her chest. More tears rolled down her cheeks and onto Tommy’s shuddering chest below her. She wished she hadn’t insisted on stopping by the other store instead of going straight here. They would have been home earlier. She wished she were the one injured and not Tommy. She was the oldest by a few minutes and it was her job to protect her little twin brother. She wished her mom was there to help Tommy. She wished her dad was there to help them get through this. 

She cried and cried. Pain and sadness filling her up and boiling over in body racking sobs. Her hand gripped one of Tommy’s. 

The silence was almost unbearable, until it wasn’t. 

~~~~~

They were too late, again. The intel that they had been receiving lately was always a little too late than normal. Ghost knew that Price was gonna have a word with all the intelligence personnel when they were done with the mess that was before them. Gaz was pissed as his expression showed. They’d all seen similar scenes like this before but it always hurt more when it happens on home soil. 

The police had arrived but were not as prepared as the Task Force, so they set up a perimeter not letting anyone in or out. They had dispatched all of the terrorists within a few minutes of them being in Piccadilly Circus. A few had lingered in the square while others had gone into some of the shops. Once the area was cleared and the police had began searching for survivors, Price had them doing the same. 

“Soap, Gaz, go together and look for anyone still breathing on the north side. Ghost and I’ll stay on the south side of the square.” They split up and began their search. 

Ghost passed a few bodies that weren’t alive. He saw the Captain flinch at the body of a child but he never said anything. Children were always hard in their line of work but for him it hit closer to home than what Ghost could ever understand. 

“Hello? Is anyone alive?! We’re the army!” Price began to call out in hopes of an answer back. 

There was silence yet it was loud. Sirens, alarms, and broken glass crunched underfoot and around them. They saw that the police and EMTs had found a majority of the survivors near them so they pushed further into the square. Price called out again and a muffled cry called back. 

“Help! Help me please!” The feminine voice cried to them. Her voice pulled them towards her like a lifeline. 

They ran to where the voice came from, a rather famous jewelry store that didn’t look as nice as before. The broken glass and bullet holes would turn anyone away. Ghost made it to the entryway first but Price stopped him with his hand. He gave him a look and went in first. Then Ghost remembered his skull mask and the fear it brought to people, especially civilians, so he waited until he was needed. The familiar crackle of the radio was heard faintly. 

“Shite, get in here Ghost! They’re kids!” Great, another demographic that he wasn’t really good with. When he stood by them he realized that these kids were older than what he thought. They were teenagers. 

Then, he froze. 

Years of memories rushed through his mind in seconds. The sound of laughter… a certain hair color… the smell of her favorite perfume… her flowers, whose scent would waft up his nose whenever he came home. Things he so painfully remembered and yet chose to let go so as to not cause tremendous harm. A feeling that he had longed to never let go. He grasped at the tendrils for a short while before that dreadful night. 

Those eyes… they were her eyes. At first he thought that she was kneeling there before him, but then remembered that more than a decade had passed and she would have changed in that time. Rarely had he seen her with tears streaked down her face. Or blood on her clothes…

Her look-alike cried out a sob and reality overtook his memories. 

“Please, please help my brother he got shot.” The girl pleaded looking up as he walked closer. She wasn’t scared of him in the mask but she was for her brother. That’s when Ghost looked down. 

Was he staring in a mirror? This boy. This kid. It was like looking at a photo of his younger self. 

Clink.

Ghost’s eyes snapped to the sound of metal in Prices hand. He’d already done a glance over of the boy and decided that the girl did a good job of wrapping his wounds with what she had. 

“Are these his?” Price asked the distraught girl. 

“Y-yeah. Tommy just joined the army not long ago. Barely over a year in.” She breathed in deeply as if to calm her mind. 

Tommy… he knew a Tommy once. His own brother. Every piece was coming together. He was one, and they were the other two. Just one was left…

“…and the other?” Price continued. He didn’t need to ask but he wanted to confirm the information he held. The cheeky bastard. 

“It’s our fathers… or what’s left of him.” Those same eyes as her looked down. Sadness filled them. Sadness for himself, he realized. A father long gone. Those were the tags that he left behind in the wreckage. Now here they were… somehow returned to him. 

Ghost hardly remembered when the ambulance pulled up in front of the store. Or when the EMTs moved Tommy onto the stretcher. But he did remember the smell of his blood and the salt in the air from her tears. 

Price was able to convince the EMTs to let them go with Tommy and his sister. They weren’t happy about it but decided that armed men tagging along with them after a terrorist attack wouldn’t be so bad. He’d also radioed Soap and Gaz of their departure. They had found some victims buried under rubble and were trying to get them out with some firefighters. 

Price whispered low enough for only Ghost to hear. “You doin’ okay, Simon?”

He didn’t know what to say. What could he say? His new-found daughter was siting across from him while his son lay injured, bleeding out from wounds caused by a terror act not thwarted by his team. He felt useless. Yet, he felt grateful that he was able to meet his children in a way. The situation was horrible, but that brought them together; and it was highly likely that if it had not happened then he would have never learned about them. He’d have probably died in combat before he ever heard whispers of them. No, he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He would continue on the path placed in front of him, for now at least. 

He just shrugged his shoulders and stayed silent. That must have been enough for Price as he just eyed him for a bit before looking down at what the EMTs were doing to stabilize Tommy. 

“Oh!” Price jolted in realization. “We never got your name, love! So sorry.” 

The girl looked up at them. She glanced at him then at John. Ghost must have looked strange sitting there in his black gear. They both definitely looked out of place in the ambulance. 

“It’s fine. I’m Violet… Mister…?” She wasn’t stuttering anymore but her voice was subdued and scratchy from her crying. 

“Call me John, young lady.” He nodded at her. “And this is Ghos-“

“Simon, will do.” He had no idea why he cut him off or why he gave her his name, but it brought a grin to Prices lips. 

“Oh, it’s like my da-“ The ambulance coming to a stop cut her off and the EMTs began off-loading the gurney. 

They moved themselves out of the way and followed closely behind as he was rolled into the emergency department. There were other ambulances dropping off patients from the attack. EMTs, doctors and nurses were coming in and out, and there was a heavy police presence at the entrances. 

Inside was more chaotic. The hospital was in Code Orange for mass casualty or disasters. 

Patients lay in gurneys as nurses and residents tended to them. Many of the dead rested under blood soaked sheets, yet to be moved to the morgue. Blood pooled on the white floors, some of it was stepped on and tracked throughout the rooms. Cleaning workers did their best to mop up the evidence of the nights tragedy. Very few had minor injuries. Friends and family were there searching for missing relatives. One of the smarter police officers began a missing persons board and had them write descriptions of the missing. 

As Violet stepped through the automatic door, she saw her mom finish tending to an older lady who had been grazed by bullets and suffered a concussion when she fell over. She fiddled with her gloves. It was loud in there but when she called for her mother, the older woman’s head shot up in fear. 

“Mom!”

Hearing this, Ghost’s eyes scanned the crowd. He had to find her. A face he hadn’t seen in years, unless he counted the similarities with his daughter. It wasn’t so hard. He’d recognize her face if he was blind and only had his hands to see. 

She was older, of course, but no less as beautiful as he remembered. Her hair was styled differently, likely due to her job, but still shined healthily. Her scrubs were in her favorite color and a blood stained white lab coat donned her body. She wore blue gloves and a face mask as she tended to her patients. 

“Violet!” She speedily walked to her daughter, passing between other doctors and nurses. Fingers tugged on latex and she dumped the gloves in a garbage can filling up with similar bloody items. Her hands rested on Violet’s shoulders as she couldn’t hug her with all the blood on her. 

She gasped when she saw Tommy. 

“Tommy!” She cried and tears flooded her eyes. Her hands went to his cut up face. “You were there?!”

An EMT asked her to help them. “This patient needs immediate care, doctor!”

“I-I’m sorry. I’m too close to the patient.” She stuttered. 

She looked around her in the chaos for a free doctor. She hardly noticed the two armed men hanging back. Her eyes stopped on her colleague. He had worked as a doctor for over forty years and had done thousands of surgeries. He had been a great mentor to her since she first started working at this hospital. 

“Jack! Dr. Yates!” She called over to him loud enough for others to look over. The older gentleman startled but made a bee-line for her. When he was close, she grabbed a part of his white sleeve. “Please, doctor, help my son. I’m too close to work on him properly.”

The grayed man gave a look over Tommy and had them immediately push him to an open operating room. He grasped her upper arm. “Don’t you worry your brilliant mind, sunny. We’ll get him spick and span in no time. Take a break for a few minutes, you’ve been running around since 5 this mornin’.”

Letting go, she only nodded along as they wheeled Tommy away. She allowed a tear to fall. It dripped onto the floor, mixing with other bodily fluids that fell from their patients. She tried not to let her fear of her losing another person get to her. 

Not again. Not here. Not now. 

“Mom?” Violet called for her worried about her sudden silence. She tugged on the back of her white coat, which was still white, surprisingly. That got her moving. 

“Violet? Are you alright? You’re okay, right? There’s blood all over you!” She inhaled once. “Do I need to get you som-“

“Mom! I’m fine! Honestly!” Violet interrupted, her bottom lip wobbled. “T-Tommy protected me. He saved me, mom!”

She sobbed harder than before and her mom, now not caring for the blood, pulled her in for a tight hug. They clung to each other desperately. Violet was shorter than her mom so she was able to burry her face into her neck. Tears wetting her skin and clothes. 

Movement behind them, made her look up, unsure if anyone else needed help. It was the two men that had come in with Violet. She had not really noticed them before because all her focus was directed to Tommy and Violet; her two most important things in life. Both had some blood on, what she now realized was military kits, and they stood there in silence carrying their weapons slung over their shoulders. One wore a funny fishing hat and the other had a rather fitting face mask for the overall mood of the day. The skull plated mask hid the face underneath. Her eyes lingered and he caught her gaze. 

Ghost stared at his once-wife in the eyes. The eyes that would always making him feel like he was falling deeper into her soul. She spoke but his ears weren’t working. Price answered and his hand whacking his arm made him blink twice and their staring ended when she looked at Prices hand. 

“No, we’re fine… Doctor…?” Price answered her worries of injury. 

“I’m Doctor-“

“Dr. Riley!” A nurse interrupted her. Ghost felt his chest tighten. She’d kept his name. “We need you here! He’s code blue-ing!”

She sprang from her daughters arms. “Coming! Violet go to my office and stay there for me, please. I’ll be back soon, hopefully.”

Violet nodded before her mom ran off to where the patient had just rolled in. She jumped onto the gurney and began chest compressions. The EMTs continued to the elevator and up to the operating rooms like nothing had happened. More nurses followed them into the large elevator. Her mom pumping that mans chest was the last she’d see of her for the next few hours. 

She was still a Riley. His Riley. After all these years, he remembered her saying that she wanted to keep her maiden name for her doctor status. He was always okay with that and knew she’d never change her mind, despite her taking his name, although hyphenated, when they married. He wondered what made her change her mind. Then he remembered that he had ‘died’ several months before her graduation as a resident. He reminisced on how he snuck in to see her one last time at the ceremony before running away to the battlefield. 

Price eyed Ghost as he stood there staring at the closed elevator doors, even when they opened as another body was taken down to the morgue. He looked tense, brows furrowed, pained, and understandably so. His whole life just flipped over and over in the matter of a few hours. 

But then Ghost glanced at his hands. Bloodied hands. Tommy’s blood. Then to Violet and then back again to the dried blood. The blood of his only son. It dawned on him that he almost lost him. Almost her. Both of them could have been stripped of their lives. And so easily too. He hardly knew them and that hurt him even more. 

“Ah… let’s escort you to your mums office, yeah?” Price called to Violet, who was also spacing out. 

She wiped her face and nodded. She led them to the stairwell and they climbed up two stories. Several corridors down and they were in a decent sized office. Price told them he would get them some snacks and drinks at the vending machines he saw awhile back. Ghost knew he was giving him time to talk to Violet. He was somewhat grateful and annoyed that Price knew what he needed. 

They both sat down on the cushioned chairs. Violet flung herself down with a loud sigh. She was drained both mentally, physically and emotionally. She wanted this nightmare to be over. 

“You’re Violet, right?” His deep voice asked and Violet’s eyes drifted upward. He’d heard her name multiple times, was even introduced, but he needed the confirmation again. 

“Yeah, I’m Violet… why?” She looked a bit confused, brow raised just like her mother used to give him. 

His chest tightened and he felt like he couldn’t get the words past his lips but he forced himself to. There was no better time than right now. “I- I just know your mum… that’s all.”

“Really? Why didn’t she recognize you?” She asked but Ghost pointed at his masked face and she blushed. “Oh, right.” 

The silence was awkward for a moment before Violet spoke, surprising Ghost with her words. 

“Well… I like your mask. Kinda edgy. It’s actually pretty cool… for an old man.”

“How do you know I’m old?” Ghost tilted his head slightly. 

Violet scoffed and crossed her arms, leaning back into the chair. “You know my mom, so you’ve gotta be old.” Ghost almost rolled his eyes; she was gonna be the death of him. Then she looked contemplative. 

“Do you think Tommy will still be able to be in the army?” She looked at his eyes, her brows furrowed even more. “It’s been his dream for the longest and now that he’s in, I don’t think he’d ever get out… but if he’s discharged, I think that’ll hurt him the most.” 

Ghost didn’t say anything right away so she continued her little rant. “Mom tried to get him to go to uni, but his heart was set on the army ever since he learned that our dad was in. He held onto that dream for so long and when mom let him go, well, I’ve never seen him so happy…”

Her breath shortened as tears ran down her face. “I—I should have been paying more attention. It’s my fault. I have no situational awareness, damnit, even Tommy’s told me that before. If I’d noticed sooner or realized what was going on, he wouldn’t be hurt. I’m the older twin. I should be-be the one taking care of him!” She sobbed harder. 

Ghost came to kneel in front of her. He took her hand that was twisting her bloody shirt. “It’s not your fault. You, nor anyone there, knew what was about to happen. Terrorists have no regards for the lives of the innocent while doing things that would harm them.”

“Tommy’s hurt but I can tell that he’s strong. I’ve been hurt like that before and I healed up fine. Plus he has even greater care here. They’ll take care of him and you only need to keep your head up and know that Tommy’ll pull through.” He continued. “He’s young so he’ll bounce back well enough to return to his unit. Don’t you worry your pretty lil’ head ‘bout that.”

“Thanks.” She laugh-cried. “But it’s hard to take you seriously with that mask.” She giggled. 

Ghost huffed. “Well, Tommy pulled some heroics back there saving you. Might even earn a brag rag with the right recommendations…”

Violet’s confused head tilt made him explain the meaning. “It’s a medal.”

Her eyes brightened. “You’d do that?”

He hummed. “Captain Price might put in a good word too, but yeah, he deserves it.”

There was a sudden and somber silence. His hand gripped his knee to prevent it from bouncing. 

“Ah… any plans for uni? Or something…?” Bollocks, how the hell do you talk to a 17 year old girl, who is also your child but doesn’t know it? Improvise… he guessed?

Violet told him that she was debating going to vet school or medical school to become a surgeon like her mother. She wasn’t sure which university she would apply to. 

“Tommy keeps teasing me that I should join him in the army as a field surgeon. But… um, I think I wanna help out people in our community here.” She chuckled softly. “I told him that if he ever got hurt he could come to me to patch him up, but that I’d have to hurt him again for even getting injured in the first place.”

Ghost smiled under his mask. Mask. His mask?

Maybe he wasn’t thinking clearly. Perhaps one too many whacks to the ole head. Or maybe it was the high of meeting his long lost children for the first time. Ghost wasn’t sure what it was…

His hand reached up, curling under the bottom of his balaclava, and pulled the black cloth over his head in one tug. The higher it went, the more his chin, lips, nose, cheeks, eyes, and hair was revealed. 

Violet’s breath hitched as she took his face in. Her eyes roamed over every feature and scars. She knew this face, from the back of her mind she knows that this face is like the one going through surgery right now. Like the one in the frame sitting on her mother’s desk right in front of her. Tears began to burn her eyes but did not fall. Her lip wobbled. 

~~~~~

“Violet, I am your father…” Simon’s eyes stared into hers for a moment before closing tightly. His brows scrunched together and his lips tugged into a fine line. 

“Was t-that a Star Wars reference? Or are you being serious?” Violet asked confused, burning tears finally falling. 

“You’ve seen Star Wars?” Stop deflecting, Simon!

“What?! Don’t change the subject Mr. Simon!” She gasped, her eyes widening. “Mister… Simon. Simon. Simon?”

“Yeah?” He asked, swallowing hard. 

“This doesn’t make sense! I-I must be hallucinating. Maybe, maybe I actually did die or something.” Violet’s voice shook. She closed her eyes and moved her head side to side. There was a subtle shake to her body. “Nope! This is not fucking real! You’re supposed to be dead! Dead, I tell you!”

Oh god, she’s reverting back to her drama club days. 

“Umm… language?” Not the time to reprimand her for her words. “I mean. Sorry. It’s… It’s just a really, really long story. I actually don’t know how I’d tell-“

“Daddy!” Violet sobbed and before Simon could comprehend it, the teenager had her arms wrapped around him as much as she could with his size and body armor. 

The shock in his eyes softened with her continued sobbing. It struck him in his heart. All the walls he’d built since before joining the Task Force began to crumble. Piece by piece, chunks began to disintegrate. His own eyes burned with tears that hadn’t fallen in years. It was almost a relief when they did start to fall. They dropped onto Violet’s shoulder and rolled down her back. 

Simon didn’t know how long they held onto each other for. Hours or days could pass but he would rather still be in the newfound embrace of his daughter. Violet had settled into soft sniffles and little hiccups, eventually falling asleep in his lap. His own tears had dried, for now, leaving streaks down his cheeks. For a moment, it felt peaceful despite the chaos several floors down and a few streets away. His arms tightened around Violet. He wasn’t sure if he could ever let her go… 

His eyes staring off into the wall flashed to the door when it was pushed open. And there she was. 

~~~~~

Dr. Riley sighed as the sound of the EKG flatlining continued. They had initially brought the patient back from cardiac arrest and proceeded with the surgery. However, in the last fifteen minutes he began to show signs of another cardiac episode. The nurses and she had tried their best but unfortunately the patient’s wounds were too much for his body to handle. 

Pulling off her bloody gloves and dumping them into the hazardous waste disposal, she told the nurses to take a breather since they’d been going at it for hours by that point. Hell, her shift had long been over when her daughter and son had arrived but she had stayed. She couldn’t bear leaving while knowing that many people were suffering. She’d seen over a dozen patients when the casualties started pouring in, almost tripling her patient count for the day. 

A quick change of clothes in a designated room and she was walking back to her office. Eerily, the floor her office was on was quiet. There were other busy wards here but the chaos was concentrated downstairs. She heard her crocs squeak on the polished floors. It used to make her blush at the loudness of the sound but now she couldn’t give a fuck. Her patients needed her, damnit!  As if a squeaky shoe would hold her back from reaching her patients on time just because she was embarrassed by the sounds. 

Reaching the door to her office, she noticed that the light was on letting her know that Violet had made it in one piece. 

“Hey, Violet, are you hungry-!” Her eyes widened in mild confusion and concern at what she saw, before glaring slightly. “What the fuck?!”

Her Violet was in the arms of a strange grown man, she been crying, clearly as they stained her cheeks. She nearly lost her top and yelled more before focusing on the man’s features. 

It was like seeing a ghost. 

He said something but it was like cotton balls were stuffed into her ears. Whatever it was she probably needed to see an otolaryngologist. She felt something fall down her face and along her neck and into her clean scrubs. Her vision blurred. She wasn’t sure if it was from tears building up or her body moving quickly in their direction. 

~~~~~

Simon called for her by name. He hadn’t said it in a very long time. It honestly hurt him to. After all, he had left her alone and with his children no less, although he hadn’t known. He’d spent some time thinking about it while holding onto Violet. If he would have stayed had she been able to tell him about them. He would like to think that, yes, he would have stayed, but Simon wasn’t sure if his own insecurities and trauma related to his abusive father would push him from wanting to claim such a responsibility. 

She stared blankly at him. Her dull and tired eyes worried him. He knew she’d had a long and hard day. Simon missed the shine in her eyes from long ago. He was starting to feel strange with her gawking. He shifted in his seat as softly as he could to not disturb Violet. 

The movement seemed to awaken her and gave her the strength to move closer to him. But her knees weakened and Simon had to outstretch an arm in order to catch her. A loud sob fell from her lips. Slightly chapped due to lack of time to care for them that day. The jerkiness of his movement woke up Violet and when she saw her crying mother in the arm of her dad, her tears renewed. 

“Mom!” She tasted salt. The words were taken from her. 

Simon pulled her up into his lap too, before tightening his arms around both of them. Both of his girl’s hands were clutching him equally as tight. They were all breathing heavily and their bodies shook with each sob, with each inhale and exhale. Simon rested his head against theirs. Fingers tangled in their hair. 

After they all calmed down a bit, Simon began to explain what happened all those years ago. What happened to his family, why he left, and that if he had known that he was going to be a parent that he would have taken the time to think things more carefully before doing anything drastic. 

She raised her hand against his stubbled cheek. “It’s not your fault, Simon. I should have told you about the pregnancy sooner. I-I just wanted to surprise you when you came home, but…” 

He knew the ‘but,’ he never came home. Only a news article about a whole family dying in a house fire. Dog tags left to be found hours later. His only living ‘relative’ was his father. 

He needed to stop thinking about his father, who he believes may or may not still be around. But those fears of being like him as an adult presented as usual. It was a constant struggle to let those feelings go. Feelings of inadequacy surfaced and since his face wasn’t covered as usual, it was easier to see by his frown and furrowed brow. 

She recognized that look on his face despite the many years apart. She held his face in her palm. He leaned into it, his own hand coming up to hold hers closer to him. The look in her eyes told him all the reassurances that he craved. 

Violet watched all this in awe. Never would she have thought that she’d be witness to the love between her mother and father. She tucked herself closer to her father’s chest. Violet had grown even more tired after the attack and the crying. Her eyes drooped and a sigh left her lips as she fell asleep. Simon’s arm subconsciously pulled her closer. 

It felt like hours but only thirty minutes had passed before Dr. Riley got restless. She tapped Simon on the shoulder. 

“I should go check if there are any updates on Tommy.” She said and Simon, reluctantly, let her go. “I’ll come back if there’s any news. And I’ll bring you both something to eat. Surprisingly, the cafeteria has a decent sandwich selection.”

Ghost nodded and readjusted his grip on Violet to hold her with both arms. 

“I can have a cot brought in if you want?” She looked lovingly between the two. A soft smile tugged at her lips. 

“Ah… I think I’m fine, for now at least.” His pale cheeks flushed. He just couldn’t let his little girl go. Especially not when she’s sleeping so peacefully in his arms. 

She nodded and left the room. 

During that time, his phone had buzzed and a text from Price glowed back at him. He texted that he had the next few days off and to not come in to work for any reason other than emergencies. 

Simon texted back a simple, “Okay.”

~~~

Dr. Riley returned with food in paper bags and good news. Tommy was in post-op and was being moved to a private room soon. She told Simon that she could take them there. So, Simon stood with Violet in his arms, who surprisingly has not been awoken by the move. His arms were under her knees and back. 

They had arrived before Tommy so Simon took the time to survey the room. It was rather large with a couch on each side of the room. His love told him that they pulled out into beds if they wanted to use them. Simon lowered Violet onto the blue couch, resting her head on the pillow and covering her with the provided gray hospital blanket. 

Thirty minutes later and Tommy was rolled in by a team of nurses. The principle doctor residing over his care began to explain the next steps in Tommy’s recovery. It felt like a lot but Simon was intimately familiar to the process due to his own previous injuries. 

Afterwards, his love was finally able to rest so she sat next to him on the other blue couch. There was distance between them and Simon couldn’t get his body to melt into the soft couch. He could feel her glancing at him from the corner of her eyes. He spied her hand inching towards his. His eyes looked and then looked away. He argued with himself to just grab hers. He finally said ‘fuck it all’ and just wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her whole body closer. 

A soft squeak escaped her lips. He buried his face into her hair and breathed in deeply. It still smelled like her shampoo. She melted into his embrace. 

“Simon?” He hummed. “I don’t know how, but, thank you.”

He looked her in those eyes that kept him awake at night. “Of course.” 

~~~

Two days later… 

~~~

Bleary brown eyes fluttered open. He took several moments to blink away the crust on his eyes. The blindly white room was dark with only a soft amber lamp glowing in the far corner. He felt like his body was stuck to what he was laying on. He looked down and saw white sheets. 

A flash of dark movement caught his eye from one of the pull out beds, fully stretched out and occupied. He shifted his stiff neck to see who or what it was. 

He saw his own eyes. 

Maybe he was dead. After all, he swore he saw his father sitting there by his mother. He tried his hardest but the sedatives won the battle. His tired eyes blinked slowly before finally closing. His breath evening out in slumber. 

Wide brown eyes stared at the monitor. Only relaxing when the machine kept beeping at a constant rate. Then, Simon laid back down and clutched her closer. She sighed and moved closer to him. And damn was he happy in that moment. 

Masterlist

🔖 Taglist:

@sae1kie

[yuujispinkhair]

Great, now I can’t decide on being Yuji’s housewife or Yuji being my househusband. wuwuwuwuwuwu

Aww that is so true!! Both would be perfect!! I wrote some headcanons for both versions, so you can decide which one you prefer :)

Pairing: Yuuji x Reader (female) Genre: fluff + smut Word Count: 1.5k Warnings: 18+, some smutty scenes, oral, fingering, creampie. All characters are of age. This story is 18+. Minors don't interact.

Version 1: Being Yuuji's housewife

Being Yuuji's housewife who stays at home while Yuuji, your hero, goes on missions to keep the city safe. Either as a Jujutsu sorcerer or as a firefighter. You are so proud of your husband, and anytime you tell him, he gets the cutest blush on his cheeks and the happiest smile on his handsome face.

Yuuji is so grateful for you to be so patient and understanding of his work schedule and that he sometimes has to leave the house at ungodly hours.

His job can be tough and emotionally draining. But anytime Yuuji looks at his lock screen on his phone and sees your face, he knows that he will make it through this day too because he knows at home you are waiting for him, ready to comfort him and love him, and that gives him the strength to go on.

"I am so lucky to have you, baby. Thank you so much for taking such good care of me!" Yuuji truly means it! It's so comforting to know that you are looking after the household, taking this weight off his shoulders, and making his apartment a real home filled with love and warmth.

There are also evenings when Yuuji comes home all riled up because he encountered some stuff at work that made him angry or sad, and now he needs you so much to help him fuck all those negative feelings away. He is so grateful that you let him take you as hard as he needs on those nights.

It's the best stress relief for him to pound your wet pussy until both of you scream from pleasure. And suddenly, your usually so gentle husband is using all his strength to push your face into the pillow and fuck you so rough that you see stars.

Yuuji brings you flowers every week to show you how happy he is that you stay at home and are his sweet housewife. He is grinning from ear to ear and kissing you tenderly when he presses the bouquet into your arms and thanks you for your hard work. Other guys might not see all the work you do at home, but Yuuji knows how much effort it takes to look after a household, and he is genuinely so grateful for everything you do.

Yuuji doesn't have much time during his workday, but he still makes sure to send you short texts or pictures from work, making you smile fondly at your phone. It's so sweet to see how he thinks of you, even during his busy work schedule.

Firefighter Yuuji makes you go "aww" when he sends you pictures of the animals he rescued from trees or burning houses. "Look at this little man who got stuck on a tree!" And on Yuuji's broad shoulders sits a fluffy cat that snuggles gratefully against your husband while Yuuji grins into the camera and makes a thumbs-up pose.

Jujutsu sorcerer Yuuji sends you pictures of interesting places he visits during his missions. He knows that you tend to get worried about him, so he uses those little messages to reassure you. A sign that he is ok and will come home to you again. And there is always an "I love you, baby." at the end of every message. Because Yuuji knows that his work is dangerous, and if something should happen to him, he wants you to know how he feels about you.

As hard as his job is, Yuuji still helps so much with the household chores! That's just the way he is. You don't have to tell him to take out the trash or to please help with the dishes. Those are things Yuuji does without needing a reminder.

And there are also a lot of occasions on which sweet Yuuji tells you that tonight he is in charge of dinner and you should just take a nice bath or watch your fave show. After all, he loves cooking and, even more importantly, he loves you, and he knows how tiring it can be to do the same household tasks every single day. He did that for several years while his grandpa was too sick to do those things. So he understands that sometimes you need a break too!

Yuuji makes you feel appreciated and loved. And even though you usually just wear your ratty sweatpants or leggings and Yuuji's hoodies with no makeup and unstyled hair, you always feel desired because Yuuji shows you and tells you how much he wants you and how pretty and sexy you are to him.

You might be cleaning the sink when your husband suddenly hugs you from behind, kisses your neck, and lets his large warm hands wander under your shirt to caress your tits and then slip one hand into your pants to play with you while his hoarse voice whispers in your ear how crazy you drive him. "My sexy cutie. The cutest housewife ever. I think you should take a break now, baby. Let me take care of you now."

And your strong and sexy husband picks you up in his muscular arms and carries you to your bed, where he shows you how much he appreciates his cute little housewife by making you cum over and over again on his thick cock while telling you how good you are for him.

All in all, being Yuuji's housewife is a very nice and relaxed job. He helps so much and is so full of praise and appreciation for your work!

Version 2: Househusband Yuuji

Househusband Yuuji is the sweetest thing to come home to after a stressful day at work! He greets you with that bright sunshine smile on his pretty face and a tight and warm hug. That happy sparkle in his honey eyes is pure serotonin to you, and the feeling of that firm, tall body full of muscles and warmth is very comforting!

A yummy dinner is waiting for you every night. Staying at home gave Yuuji a chance to excel even more at cooking. He loves to watch cooking shows and learn new recipes. And he is amazing at it! You eat better than in most restaurants!

Househusband Yuuji is your safe place. He always listens to you when you need to pour your heart out. His tight warm hugs and reassuring words always make you feel better.

And Yuuji lets you be soft. While at work, you have to be strong and act professionally, here at home, you can melt into Yuuji's strong arms and use his buff chest as your pillow while he strokes your hair and lets you vent.

His growled, "I will punch that idiot if he ever rats you out to your boss again," when you complain about your asshole coworker, makes you smile. The knowledge that Yuuji, who used to get called The Tiger of West Junior High and beat up bullies in high school, would actually do that if you wanted, is so comforting. Even though you would never ask him to do that for real because you don't want your sweet man to get in trouble.

Househusband Yuuji always prepares a lunchbox for you. And your workday gets so much better anytime you find a cute little message in it. A scribbled "I love you, cutie!" or "Don't let them get you down. You got this, baby!" or other sweet and encouraging things. And you always get the best bento with cute animal faces and everything. All your coworkers are jealous of your lunchbox and that you have such a super hot and supportive husband at home.

Yuuji is good at housework! He is used to it since he had to learn how to do all chores, cook, and manage a household when he was still a teenager. He used to live alone and look after himself, so he knows what he's doing. And Yuuji is very committed to pleasing you and giving you a comfy and clean home to relax in after work. He takes his work as a househusband very seriously!

Househusband Yuuji also looks lovingly after every pet you might get. And, of course, after your kids, if you have any. He is such a loving daddy for pets and kids! So sweet and protective and fun. You come home to loud laughter and squealing when Yuuji plays games with your toddler and/or pet. It instantly manages to brighten your day when you hear those happy sounds.

Househusband Yuuji is a very caring man who knows exactly how to take care of you after a stressful day at work. You forget all your problems when Yuuji's pretty face is buried between your spread thighs, and his sweet lips and tongue make love to your pussy until you are a sobbing and happy mess.

While your boss might not praise you for all the hard work, Yuuji never gets tired of telling you how proud he is of you! He is balls-deep in you, dicking you down so good that you scratch his muscular back with your fingernails, and all the while, his sweet sexy voice moans the sweetest praise into your ear.

"You are such a good girl, so hard working. I am so proud of you, princess. Does this feel good, baby? You deserve to cum so hard, baby." And you always do. Yuuji makes sure of that. And so you cum on his cock, on his tongue, or on his fingers, moaning his name and crying from all the love and pleasure your husband gives to you.

No matter how challenging your job is, coming home to your loving and sexy househusband and getting a nice creampie almost every night makes everything good again.

Thank you so much for reading! And also thank you so much for sending me this ask!! It made me so happy to imagine those scenarios!! I am more the housewife type, so I will pick version 1 :) I know Yuuji would be so appreciative awww. It warms my heart to think about him!

Which version do you choose? :) Please let me know how you liked these little headcanons. Comments and reblogs make me happy :)

[fiendforbyler]

y’all i was recreationally scrolling through the m*leven # (no bad vibes sent i swear i just feel like getting both sides of the argument is best to cement my belief) and something i saw was someone saying how el is always at her best when she is with mike. which imo is very untrue. let’s go on a deep dive together, shall we?

season 2

at the end of season 1 we know el disappears off into the upside down. separated from mike. by the start of season 2, she is trying to understand more about herself and her powers and her origins, and all of this is done seperate from mike, on her own. this solitude allows for her to find her individuality without being ‘the weapon’ or ‘mikes crush’. i think that while the 08 stuff is kind of silly, it is important to note that during that, she did begin to understand the root and significance of her powers, as well as feeling accepted properly by like-minded people for the first time possibly ever. she also finds her mother and learns about her origins, just beginning her journey of curiosity about herself. we know that finding mama was very important to eleven, and she did all of this away from mike. while she was at hoppers, she mourned losing him, yearned for him, pined, etc, and that caused tension, upset and drained her. NOT mikes fault, btw, he is my actual child and i do not believe this is anyone’s fault, just the facts. when she is back reunited with mike, yes it is a beautiful beautiful scene i cannot deny that but she is a different version of herself than when mike saw her last and therefore this separation was very beneficial to her character.

season 3

we all know how this season goes. mike and el making out left and right, no communication just sucking face. during the m*leven breakup, mike is pretty nonchalant and uncaring about it all, and max helps el on her journey of self discovery. during this time when we’ll bd mike are broken up is the first time el is introduced to trash mags, silly games, something other than being the girl with powers or mikes girlfriend. she begins to understand her likes, her dislikes, herself. no one ever tried to help her find her individuality before, not like this. this is when el also starts ‘making her own rules’ and really coming into her own, maturing into her own wonderful person without mikes presence. in fact, the breakup is very necessary for this to occur. not to mention the fact that she also solves majority of the billy mystery without mike there, in fact she solves it while ignoring and icing out mike, with max’s help. this breakup is essential for elevens character development, and that’s not an accident, certainly not since it is a frequently reoccurring then throughout the entire series!! the ending scene with the ‘i love you too’ is an awkward way to summarise a season spelt apart and i think it may also because she is still learning what she likes and dislikes, this is all extremely new to her.

season 4

oh boy. i mean, obviously el hasn’t been fitting in at school, that’s very obvious. i mean what could mike have to do with that? directly, not much but indirectly??? everything. i believe that just the fact she is in a relationship with mike is throwing her off balance and we are supposed to notice that!! then when mike arrives i mean first of all the flowers and the ‘from’ is a whole other post but immediately her situation worsens, she gets abused by angela, ridiculed by her and her friends, then literally attacks angela with a skate, and it’s all so… out of character? and the ‘you never say it’ argument… it’s all meant to make us look at the couple and go ‘these guys aren’t working anymore’ (!!!!!) i mean, el is, emotionally but also to a point physically, hindered in this relationship with mike and it’s neither of their faults!!!! they just aren’t working!!! and that’s okay!!! they need to be seperate to develop as characters and this is proven by the separation when el gets taken to get her powers back. a great way the duffers could have utilised this plot point was by making mike go with her. think about it! he learns about her while she learns about herself, all while regaining her powers and mike gaining new understanding and appreciation of her as a person! what a great way to deepen an ‘endgame’ couple’s relationship! will also could have had great development, having self-discovery with jonothan and argyle! who doesn’t want some brotherly bonding time? but that’s is not what happened. el needed the time away from mike, broken up, no contact, to focus on her self and improve and discover. this was more than essential. el thrives on solitude to become more powerful as an individual person. she needs to separate herself from mike to be the best version of herself. and that is why m*leven is not endgame. they are a a couple who do not work, they do not make each other better, and while i think a mike-el friendship dynamic could be really effective, as a couple they clash. even during the monologue, mike didn’t really achieve anything. he was kind of just saying words. i mean he canonically lied, what kind of confessional speech by a love-struck teen would be full of lies?? it doesn’t make sense. it is not supposed to make sense. we are supposed to notice these things.

i’m not even using this as byler proof, more just as the fact that i don’t find mike and el compatible, like at all. maybe as platonic buds, but not as a couple, and certainly not as a thriving endgame one. in conclusion, m*leven bones.

thank you for coming to my ted talk.

TLDR; el needs to be seperate from mike to improve upon herself in every way.

[papirouge]

This exchange made me realize that many of you tend to forget that Carmy is a late bloomer who never had any girlfriend before Claire which actually explains his awkward behavior. I know it because I too am an awkward late bloomer (around the same age as Carmy and sharing a lot of common with him) and his behavior totally made sense to me lol

I want you all to keep in mind that when you've been closed off romantic elationships for your entire life, you're not handling them the same way people who started dating in their teens or young adult years (Carmy is most likely in his early 30s and never got into any relationships before).

Carmy, like any late bloomer, was used to never being considered romantically, which explains why he freaked out when Claire started flirting with him and stopped thinking rationally (which is very unfamiliar for emotionally avoidant type like Carmy or I - we'll come back to this later). I understand Carmy's move of giving a false number to Claire yet still accepting to go out with her later may be confusing to many people, but as a fellow late bloomer I immediately clocked it : we are not comfortable with the attention people give to us, but we *know* this behavior is not normal/unhealthy so Carmy eventually giving in may be a way of eventually getting into the mold and abide to the "if you don't open up to others and give them chances, how can you expect building actual relationships?" mantra. Because deep down we want to be like others (because being so closed off all the time can become emotionally draining) and seek to find a way to fit in.

Another thing about people like Carmy/emotional avoidant type is that by being so closed off to the world, we are also extremely deceptive about who we truly are. It makes sense to me that Carmy hides his feelings for Syd and would rather project them onto Claire. That's definitely manipulative, but we'd rather do that than get "uncovered". We tend to think very rationally and our sense of self perseveration is incredibly strong. I just know that howing his bare feelings has to be one of the most terrifying and embarrassing thing for Carmy.

We also don't mind getting confused as someone we are not in which we feel some sort of relief because it keeps our real self away from others perception (if that make sense???). Carmy passing himself as "Logan" in that party -while being quite extreme- is totally on brand actually lol. I regularly get mistaken as a male (I'm lowkey gnc) but I never bother correcting people lol I'm fine being whatever they see me as, as long it's not the real me.

Talking about self preservation: we don't ask and don't tell. Carmy sister being mad at him for never asking her whether she was okay was extremely relatable because I tend to get the same reproach from my own sisters. Very typical of us. Fleeing to the other side of the globe to cope with a family member death is something I *get* because we are avoidant in nature. We can also be insane hustlers and tend to cope with grief or unhealed emotions through work.

On the positive side, we are extremely independent and self reliant. The scene in the fridge (last episode of season 2) where Carmy loses his shit and says he was mad at himself for indulging in all "this bullshit" (= love and relationships) I FELT THAT. Countless times I prayed to God to remove from my heart my "shameful" longing for love & intimacy that I always felt hindered me in my quest for excellence & satisfaction in any other aspect of my life. Because we are very rational & practical people and lowkey despise "useless" stuff like relationships and feelings. And that's where the messed up part comes up.

I wouldn't be surprised Carmy lowkey despises Claire for being so clingy and courting him so openly. As I just said, we tend to look down on (bold) displayal of love and emotion which lowkey repulse us. I think that's why Carmy dislikes his sister's husband when he's an all around good guy. He may have a resentment (and even jealousy?) against this man that has no issue showing affection - not only to his sister, but also the rest of the family. Which Carmy still struggles to do so far.

This may also explain why Carmy is suddenly so cold with Claire when he's serving her at the table (beside him allegedly previously making up his mind to break up with her). That's why the moment he hears that voicemail of Claire saying she "loves him" he THROWS AWAY his phone. Because that's disgusting.

I think the CarmyxSyd dynamic is unique because there's a dimension of respect between both. They share the same passion for cuisine, and Sydney constantly pushes Carmy out of his comfort zone. As an avoidant emotional attachment type myself, when I think of the type of people I potentially could be attracted to, I can only think of people I have deeply respect for, and bring objective value into my life AND skills. I've seen people criticize the fact that Sydney was pretty much a "warrior worker" for Carmy (and pretty much the whole Bear crew) and that's true. But regardless it's a good or bad thing, that's pretty much the type of profile that may attract avoidant emotional type of people. Bonding through work & shared passion is our safest field to build romantic connection through. That's why Carmy made Syd sign a partnership agreement instead of a marriage contract 💅🏾 that's the safest way for him to convey his feelings.

Again, we are very rational people and in every type of relationship, we instinctively jauge whether & how this person might be useful for us. It doesn't mean we built relationship with people depending on whether they can be useful for us or not, but that's definitely in a part of our head somewhere. Yes, that's fucked up (1/because we are 2/that's why emotionally distant people can become pretty unlikable - i.e Carmy carmying), but you have to keep that in mind to understand how Carmy moves. Which tracks back to Claire's actual purpose I've elaborated just before. He definitely uses her, but most likely unknowingly.

[geotjwrs]

Can u do a Jenna Ortega x Male reader singer (Maybe music from Frank ocean or Tyler?🤷🏾‍♂️)

ivy

Pairings ; Jenna Ortega x Male!Reader

Warning/s ; angsty

Note ; hello everyone since i'm getting a lot of requests lately, i just want to clear to you that i'm slowing down the updates first since i can't think that many of the scenarios i'm mostly receiving smut requests and i'm having a hard time to write some so i hope you understand. please don't rush me with your requests I'll update as soon as possible if i have plenty of time to write tysm!

The city lights of Los Angeles twinkled below as Jenna Ortega stood on the balcony of her apartment, the cool night air doing little to soothe her frayed nerves. Inside, Y/N paced back and forth, frustration etched on his face. They had been arguing for what felt like hours, their once warm and loving home now filled with tension.

“Jenna, you know I have to go on tour. This is my career we’re talking about!” Y/N’s voice was strained, his hands running through his hair in exasperation.

“And what about us?” Jenna shot back, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. “You’re always on the road, always busy. When do we get time for us?”

Y/N stopped pacing and faced her, his expression softening for a moment. “I love you, Jenna. But I can’t just give up on my dreams. You knew this was part of the deal when we started dating.”

Jenna’s shoulders sagged, the fight draining out of her. “I know, but it feels like I’m losing you to your career. We barely see each other anymore.”

Y/N stepped closer, reaching out to touch her arm. “I’m trying, Jenna. But it’s hard to balance everything.”

She pulled away, shaking her head. “Maybe it’s not meant to be. Maybe we’re just too different.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and final. Y/N’s face fell, and he knew deep down that she was right. They had grown apart, their lives pulling them in different directions. The realization was painful, but it was the truth.

“Is this it, then?” he asked quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jenna looked away, unable to meet his eyes. “I think it has to be. For both our sakes.”

The silence that followed was deafening. Y/N nodded slowly, accepting the inevitable. He walked past her, pausing at the door. “I’ll always love you, Jenna. But maybe we need to let go to find ourselves again.”

Jenna closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I love you too, Y/N. Goodbye.”

With that, he left, closing the door softly behind him. Jenna sank to the floor, her heart breaking as the reality of their breakup set in. The apartment felt emptier than ever, the echoes of their love lingering like ghosts.

Months passed, and life moved on. Jenna threw herself into her work, trying to fill the void Y/N had left. But no matter how busy she kept herself, she couldn’t escape the memories of their time together. She missed him terribly, but she knew they had made the right decision.

One night, while scrolling through her phone, Jenna came across a notification for Y/N’s upcoming concert. Despite everything, she couldn’t resist tuning in. The livestream showed a packed venue, the crowd buzzing with excitement as Y/N took the stage.

“Good evening, everyone,” Y/N’s voice echoed through the speakers. “Tonight, I have something special to share with you. This is a new song I wrote called ‘Ivy.’ It’s about someone who was very important to me, someone I loved deeply.”

Jenna’s heart clenched as she listened. She knew this song was about their relationship, about the love and heartbreak they had experienced. Y/N began to play, the soft, haunting melody filling the room. His voice, rich and emotional, carried the weight of their shared history.

I thought that I was dreaming when you said you loved me the start of nothing, I had no chance to prepare I couldn’t see you coming…

Flashback

It had been a particularly difficult day on set for Jenna. She was exhausted, emotionally drained from the intense scenes she’d filmed. She came home hoping to find solace in Y/N’s arms, but he was busy with his own work, preparing for his upcoming tour.

“Y/N, I really need to talk to you,” Jenna said, her voice weary as she leaned against the kitchen counter.

He looked up from his laptop, concern flickering in his eyes. “What’s wrong, Jenna?”

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “It’s just… everything feels overwhelming. I feel like I’m constantly juggling my career and our relationship, and I’m not sure if I’m doing a good job at either.”

Y/N got up and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her in a comforting embrace. “I know it’s hard, Jenna. But we’re in this together. We’ll figure it out.”

Jenna buried her face in his chest, trying to draw strength from his presence. But even as he held her, she couldn’t shake the feeling of loneliness that had been creeping in. “Do you really believe that? Because sometimes it feels like we’re drifting apart.”

He pulled back slightly, looking into her eyes. “Jenna, I love you. But we both have demanding careers. We knew it wouldn’t be easy.”

Flashback ended

Jenna found herself back in her apartment, tears streaming down her face. The song continued, Y/N’s voice filled with raw emotion as he sang about the love they had lost:

We’ll never be those kids again the streetlights in the middle of your back I wish I could go back to when I was just a boy staring at my bedroom ceiling

The chorus hit harder, a reminder of the love they had shared and lost. Jenna’s tears flowed freely, the song cutting deep into her soul.

Ivy’s in my life until the end of time it's part of the plan to just keep me by your side

The audience was captivated, many moved to tears by the raw vulnerability of the performance. Y/N poured his heart out, every word a testament to the love he had lost.

As the song ended, Y/N looked out into the crowd, his expression a mix of sadness and acceptance. “Thank you,” he said, his voice trembling. “This song means a lot to me, and I’m grateful to have been able to share it with you tonight.”

Jenna closed her laptop, her heart heavy yet oddly at peace. She knew that both she and Y/N would always carry a piece of each other, no matter where life took them. Their love story, though brief, had left an indelible mark on their souls.

[sunsetconcert]

In 1994, the Muppets made one of their most bizarre films to date.

An adaptation of Goncharov, a cult classic that languished in obscurity until the 2020s. While the film was referred to internally and in public reviews of the film as "The Muppets of Naples", the actual marketing of the movie instead titled it after its main lead: "Gonzorov". This was one of many enigmatic choices made by the production crew, and has never been elaborated on by the cast or crew. The film was a gigantic flop for multiple reasons, but most agree that the source of the troubles stems from the nature of Goncharov as a tragedy and a generally depressing movie to watch.

Reportedly, conflicts among the writing staff began almost immediately due to being unable to decide on which cut of Goncharov to base the film on. Eventually, however, director Brian Henson put his foot down and forced the writers to adapt the Ambrosini Cut. Generally agreed to be a less depressing movie than the Morelli Cut, it was expected that "Gonzorov" should have been a much more entertaining and narratively adept movie than it was. As the Muppets proved just two years later in "Muppet Treasure Island", they are very capable of handling otherwise dramatic material with aplomb. This leaves the question of why this movie was such a flop.

To quote Kermit the Frog during the interviews after the cinema debut, the movie was allegedly emotionally draining for the crew to adapt. "You know, we have a script. Mostly. But we do a lot of improv too. I'd wager it's about 60% script, 40% improv on a good day of filming. But, uh… We just weren't feeling it with this one, you know? We watched the original, and… Boy, it's really sad. Goncharov's just kind of a lonely guy trying to make himself a life. And it's not a good life, but it's his to own, and it ultimately kinda falls apart. Gonzo tried to make the role his own, but I think we all realised that we couldn't really make a joke out of the movie in the way that we wanted to."

The Muppets were skillful enough to change the genre to an absurdist tragicomedy, a film where the tragic and meaningless cycle of violence is paradoxically played for laughter. However, despite this, the film is well-known for its bizarrely melancholy air and almost hopeless atmosphere. Everybody seems thoroughly certain that their improv will have little to no impact on the film as a whole, creating a strange and compelling meta-narrative where not even the actors themselves can escape the almost gravitational pull of the ticking clock. Their characters will die, and any attempts to joke their way out of it comes off as desperate, almost deluded in a sense.

The original Goncharov held a deep fascination with inevitability. Clocks are the primary theme, though it appears in other forms. It is this same inevitability that strangles the Muppets, their impressive comedic skills held captive by their own belief that the narrative is inescapable.

Of particular note is the bridge scene, wherein Gonzorov and Katya (played by the dazzling Miss Piggy) discuss the slow collapse of the Italian mafia. The original Goncharov scene had Goncharov desperately trying to hold things together, even as they slipped through his fingers, but here… Gonzorov realises that it's pointless. He can't fix it, but at the same time he can't let it go. He begs Katya to shoot him. Cut to the chase. She's going to shoot him anyway, that's how the movie ends, right? Might as well go out on his own terms. But this horrifies Katya, and she throws her gun away, accidentally saving Gonzorov in the process.

This adds a new layer to the themes of inevitability that Goncharov is wrapped up in, and it's this: Inevitability goes both ways. You're going to die, but only when you're meant to. You don't get lucky. You don't have accidents. Inevitability is a ticking clock, but that countdown is a safety net. As long as you can still hear that clock ticking down, it means you've stitll got time to burn. When a bomb is counting down, just five minutes until it detonates, you do everything you can to buy yourself more time on the clock. Even if all your effort only gains you an extra second, that's what you have to do, right? A single second is worth the blood of innocent men.

But again, inevitability. That second you earned cost you minutes, cost hours days weeks months years. The clock WILL run out.

[read more]

[vitanithepure]

Can we talk about Gale again? And Mystra, one last time? Or at least let me vent? I know it seems like I can't shut up about it, but deal with me this one last time?

It's a long one, an fervent one, and possibly the last one on their relationship because there isn't much to tell for me after this. I just want to lay it to rest on my part, it's too emotionally draining, but I wanted to do this.

Spoilers for them ahead.

It was some time ago I did the talk with Mystra and Gale as an origin character and I needed some time to process this and gather my thoughts. Because I was left reeling with how personal it felt for me and I hated seeing that to bo honest, even though I think whoever did write this scene did it... very well. I feel a lot of thought went into it, so even though it does touch a delicate subject it does it as tastefully as possible.

Okay, let's begin with a real banger.

Why? This will forever read as "I gave you a solution, explain yourself why you didn't die when I asked you to." for me. What kind of messed up question is that to ask someone?

But can I say how there is absolutely no wrong anwser to that asinine question? You can roleplay however you wish, but none of them are bad anwsers. Some of them are more heartbreaking then the others, but none are in any way making excuses. There is nothing to excuse and I'm glad whoever wrote this dialogue recognized this.

I chose the "I have someone else to live for" one here, because I felt that Gale, at this point, really found that special someone, be it a friend or lover, to live for. It's gut-wrenching that he needed someone to keep him alive in the first place, but this is what having an abusive ex does to you.

But the other choices here? All of them fair. She absolutely had no right to ask that of him, no matter the crime, that's just a fucked up thing to expect.

Being afraid to die? Valid, this shouldn't be put up to question.

Two last ones? Pure gold. I treat the fourth one as a direct jab at her own teachings, on how all magic needs to be preserved and studied? It's like him saying "Hey, I did what you expected and now your mad?".

The very last one is poetic justice. "I owe you nothing." and if that were me this would be the absolute end of this discussion. Mic drop, I'm out of here.

And okay, I did take he self-pity route with "I let you down." here becuase this is what I believe is closest to how "canon" Gale feels about this. That's the most heartbreaking thing about it, that he believes he was not worth enough before and is even less now and doesn't deserve love, of any kind.

What are the other options? Well, all in character and each seems like a valid way for Gale to feel. But me, the player, who is fortunate to know some meta knowledge? Oh boy.

"I was a danger to you." No you weren't. She is the goddess of magic, one of the most powerful out here. She is magic. All you could do is make her day worse.

"I disobeyed you." Yeah, you did. And she sentenced you to a slow death for it.

"You were threatened." Eh, not really. But what comes after that statement? "You realised you couldn't control me."? Yes, that is the only thing she felt threatened about - loosing control.

"Our relationship bored you. The orb was just an excuse to end it." I mean... maybe? Not enough is known about it but seeing how all reincarnations of Mystra are fickle lovers at best I would say it's a possibility. Even if it is just his ego speaking here - damn, what a way to end a relationship.

She has the audacity to tell him "he only thought of himself". Pot calling the kettle much?

Oooh, but I love what we can say here. The amout of vicious call outs here is superb.

We get to call out how much of a control freak she is. Then we can say how out of place was her punishment. Because I feel like it was a fucking equivalent of throwing a child into a dark cellar for breaking your favorite cup, while all they wanted to do was wash it for you. That is how imbalanced this whole thing is and I'm not taking criticism on that.

We also get to straight up ask what was the lesson if she never let him know what he really did and left him without means to make things right?

Then my favorite. Straight up ask her how many lives was she willing to sacrifice to get rid of the problem?

And last but not least - call her out on her lies. That's what she did. Why? I don't know. Was she afraid? Possibly, because the Karsite Weave + Crown of Karsus combo could potentially threaten her. Potentially, because as we saw in one of the Gale endings, she has no problem with just getting rid of a newly ascended god wielding them. That leads me to believe she is not afraid of loosing power as much as just being rivaled with. The indignity she has to suffer, truly.

Hit a nail on the head here. Who cares about mortals, if they live or die and in how many droves? Competition comes knocking, so all gloves are off. And that is what I believe to be the crux of the matter. Mystra wants to remove the Absolute (because that's the new upstart god breaking the status quo), the orb containing he rival Weave, the Crown which threatens her rule over magic all in one swoop. Oh, and that one guy who tries too hard and refuses to die. No biggie. Who cares, she has a line of followers who would replace her Chosen at any given time.

I'm a salty bitch over the fact we can't keep the Crown of Karsus, but instead of using it - just hide it away again. Stablize Gale's Karsite Weave and keep that thing around, hidden away. Let her sweat over the idea someone else might find it one day and rival her rule.

I know I'm way too emotional about it, but like I said, it's very personal - I been there, done that, and never recovered in full after it. I'll die defending anyone and any pixels who are struggling with their self-worth and trying to get over an emotionally abusive relationships.

"Be the better person, die saving the world and I'll 'forgive' you." Fuck. You.

And a bonus, for those of you who stuck around till the end, because I was totally naming the screens and yelling at my monitor while doing this.

[kidspawn]

And Now, A Comprehensive Essay I Never Thought I'd Write:

I've seen people upset with Gabe's character in the show thus far. Saying he's too toned down, too "pathetic white trash" as opposed to abusive jerkass. I do understand why people are mad, but a few words in defense of this portrayal - and why it still works.

One: "He's too nice/soft/passive"

Um... absolutely not? This dude had me cringing and tensing up as soon as we meet him. Percy tenses and goes on the defensive, starts shooting comebacks. Gabe, seeing a tense and emotionally drained child, immediately comes at him, berating him for misbehaving.

He snaps at Sally, basically loses his shit at the idea of her leaving the apartment. She has to negotiate with him to leave her own apartment? To use the car? I don't care if she's "standing her ground" more. (Which, she isn't, but that's a whole other topic.) He's still being a douche.

There are aspects of Gabe's book characterization that are lost in media translation. For instance, Percy giving him money. "Whenever I was home, he expected me to provide his gambling funds. He called that our 'guy secret.' Meaning, if I told my mom, he would punch my lights out" (The Lightning Thief, pg. 31) This is Percy's internal monologue. When Percy enters their apartment in the book, Gabe is just a dick. Yes, he's not pestering Percy for money but he's doing everything else. I wouldn't be surprised if this information about Gabe comes to light the further into the story we go. Rick Riordan isn't trying to erase the abuse, but drawing attention to the intricacies and subtleties of abuse.

Two: "Sally is too assertive/fights back/etc"

Please, kindly, screw off with that "perfect victim" line of thinking. Just because Percy and Sally aren't crying, sobbing, etc, doesn't mean they're not being abused? First of all, that would be out of character. No doubt about that.

The only thing different between the scene in the book versus the show is how Sally manipulates/negotiates with Gabe. She has a different tone here, sure, but let's face it - Sally doesn't particularly like Gabe. He is a means to an end. She doesn't care too much about hurting his feelings here. She's placating. She's leveraging what little she has to get something from him. In the books, it was bean dip. In the show, its sandwiches and watching a game together. Sally doesn't care for Gabe, but Gabe obviously has interest in Sally, or spending time with her. She's leveraging her time and her resources to get her kid to Camp Half-Blood. She knows what's going to work because she's been dealing with this for so long.

And don't pretend like Gabe using the word "please" is changing the horrid tone he uses with Sally. Neither Percy or Sally flinch when he yells. This isn't a rare occurrence. Gabe probably yells all the time. But it's been happening long enough they're both desensitized to it.

These aspects aren't that different from the book.

Yes, the abuse is subtle, a few tweaks to appease an admittedly young target audience. But it is there. It's solely disappointing to me that subtext has seemingly been lost.

Three: "He's just average white trash."

Is that not... the point? He's... just a basic mortal? He's so abysmally human, so utterly mundane that he masks Percy's smell. He's crummy, and slimy, and awful. He doesn't strive for more, he doesn't aspire for more. He's a bully. He's awful to Percy, he yells at Sally. The only thing different about him in the show so far is he hasn't hit Sally yet.

(Yet. By the way. There's only two episodes out. We find out he's hitting Sally at the end of the source material. He never hits Percy onscreen, it's stated in internal monologue.)

Details will be lost in translation, of course, but please I cannot stress enough how little of the show we've seen. We don't know how they're going to explore Percy's characterization and reaction to abuse. There will be flashbacks, opportunities to flesh out the relationships and characters. Just because Rick changed aspects to keep people from being triggered doesn't mean he's going to let audiences go on believing this kind of behavior is ok. (At least, I hope he doesn't.)

Gabe Ugliano is still a piece of garbage. He is a horrendous human being. It's baffling to me that no one's believing that based on what we've seen of him. Not once did I think he was "toned down." I had a hard time rewatching that scene. The verbal belittlement, the subtle manipulation and control he's asserting into their lives. He's awful to Percy, he's awful to Sally.

Also, I reiterate: there are only two episodes out. Give the story time to breathe. Give the team time to deal with this storyline and flesh out this aspect of Sally and Percy's relationship.

[tarotofbadkitties]

how do you interpret patrick & tashi’s scene when they are cuddling in the back of the car? Maybe it was a directorial choice but it kind of bothers me how O’Connor’s face goes through so many different emotions while Zendaya’s remains completely flat. like when patrick says “I miss watching you play tashi, you were so beautiful” and you don’t see any pain on tashi’s face or a stutter in her hand movements, or any acknowledgment at all. and how do you read her saying “what else could i want?” I’m used to reading the character’s body language and facial expressions when they say things to better understand how they feel, but with tashi there was just blankness and her voice was monotonous.

It was careless for Patrick to say that to her. I can't imagine someone telling me how beautiful I was before the catastrophic accident I suffered doing a thing I loved that I can never do again. I think Tashi is emotionally wrung out and a bit dissociated at that point; thus the flat affect and the fact she's just physically clinging to his body for comfort. "What else could I want?" was Tashi just being out of it. They had a lot on their plates emotionally with the match in the morning, the draining interactions both of them had had with Art that evening, and just the upheaval of reconnecting after all this time at all. If she was still emotionally present in that moment, I think she would have still turned down the wonderful chance to have a chat about the most painful event in her life (physically and emotionally) naked in the back seat of his car.

Earlier that evening, Art also took the opportunity to try to talk about Tashi's doomed career as a tennis player, and how that mixes into their relationship. He says he's playing for both of them, and "because you can't play for yourself anymore" is unspoken, but they both know what he's saying. She doesn't respond to that either. Further back with Art, this comes up in Applebee's. She was more willing to have an actual conversation with Art about it in that moment. That tells me it's less about that being a verboten subject, and more about the present time being a lot more stressful, and that stress making her guarded. Art says that he thinks about her injury and wonders if things would have been different had he won the Junior Open ie been her boyfriend at the time. She's visibly upset, and asks him if he's asking her to be his coach because he feels sorry for her. Had he not clarified that he was asking her because he actually believes she can help him, it's safe to say she would have told him to fuck off.

I think all three of them have trauma around Tashi's accident and the dissolution of their relationship that ensued. It's unsettling to both men that they feel like they can't atone because she won't actually acknowledge this trauma, or any lingering resentment. The story Tashi tells herself is that the end of her career and her investment in Art's career are two separate things. She also tells herself the story that her drama with Patrick has nothing to do with blaming him for that; she yells at him for everything else in the world but that in this film. She also subtly changes the subject when Art suggests Patrick was the cause of her accident. I think Tashi needs someone to tell her it's okay to admit she has resentment towards them over that accident, but she loves them anyway.

[mostofthingsmostofthetime]

My thoughts on The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie

I don’t know if I liked it as much as the original films (maybe Mockingjay 1 & 2 as they are pretty emotionally draining), but I still enjoyed it.

I think where it fell a little flat for me is 1. The beginning was a bit slow (tbh I only really started getting interested when Lucy Gray stuck that snake down that girl’s dress & even then I enjoyed the story more when the setting changed from the Capitol to the district) 2. I knew Snow would survive 3. I’d already been spoiled online for a lot of stuff that happens & 4. while I know the director did his best to make Snow as “likeable” as he could for as long as possible, even before he started getting “a little too comfortable” with killing & snitching I didn’t find him as sympathetic as Katniss or Peeta (but that is probably again down to the fact that I know what he goes onto do & there’s no real way around that), this made engaging with him difficult for me.

The world is fascinating. Getting to see all the new locations we never had access to before as well as old locations now in a totally different light (for example district 12 which, while still clearly suffering, seemed like such a bustling industrial town compared to how it is in Katniss’s time). It might have a much more retro aesthetic but there's also just a more vibrant, natural, wild & lawless atmosphere to this movie compared to the others in the franchise. The whole scope of the film just felt more cinematic then I remember the others being yet also weirdly intimate. Maybe because it was one contained story & we knew the main character’s fate from the start. I also loved the title cards signifying the start of each section of the story like from the books & wished they'd done something similar for the other films. It just added a certain flair to the whole thing. Almost gave it the vibe of a tragic play.

The costuming was great. The bright red of the academy uniforms.  Flickerman’s snazzy suits. Snow’s dapper black & white outfit. Both peace keeper uniforms (despite one of them giving very ‘1930’s Germany’ vibes) looked great. Grandma might have been a bigot, but at least she was well dressed. Everything Dr Gaul wore (except the top that looked like a used tampon, lol) was exquisite. The main ladies of fashion, Tigris & Lucy Gray slayed. Our Future Capitol stylist looked like some regal yet exotic bird & Miss Survivor was giving Bohemian, country girl realness the entire time she was on screen. Even the extras were serving (like that random couple Snow walked past on his way to the reaping ceremony).

The music was amazing. Every song that played was fantastic (shout out to Olivia for her end credit contribution). The lyrics & instrumentation were beautiful & my god does Rachel Zegler have pipes! Anyone who says the singing scenes are cringy is just stupid like I’m sorry you can’t appreciate art. Also, the words ‘ballad’ & ‘songbirds’ are literally in the title. Plus, Lucy Gray is from the poorest district, so what exactly do those people want her to do in her free time? She can’t exactly hop on an X-box for a few hours. Not too mention that (as the offspring of someone who’s musically inclined) I can tell you, it’s completely realistic for a musician to use their craft to help them deal with trauma & Lucy Gray clearly had more than her fair share of that.

The Grandma'am helped to paint a sadly very realistic background for Snow. As who among us hasn’t met at least one delusional old person who thinks that their/their group’s suffering (regardless of the severity of it or the reason behind their former/newer status in society) means that no one else are deserving of even the tiniest shred of humanity & there are some people who are unlucky enough to not only be related to these people but be raised by them.

Hunter schafer as Tigris is clearly the superior Snow when it comes to things like empathy & overall mental stability but I do kind of wish they’d been more for her to do. Credit where credit is due though her & Tom did actually look like they could be related & I did buy their familial bond (which makes her appearance in Mockingjay so much sadder in hindsight).

Peter Dinklage as Casca Highbottom was a bit of a mix for me just due to his purpose as a character & the limit of film as a form of media. Like sure the audience know that Snow’s going to become an irredeemable monster in the end but without a window into his mind it really does just seem like the Dean is just out to get him & even when we find out why it seems kind of unfair. Like sure his dad sucked but haven’t the Games shown that blaming children for violence caused by others is unjust (& like ok he hates Coriolanus & probably the grandma but Tigris hadn’t done anything to deserve living in poverty, as she can’t control who she’s related to)? Plus, it felt like he could have at least tried taking Snow under his wing at some point to try to hinder Dr Gual’s influence. Saying all of that, though, Peter Dinklage is great at playing an addict with depression & the idea that some drunken rambling could lead to such long-lasting suffering is terrifying. Also its pretty realistic that living with that kind of guilt & in such a cruel environment for that long would make most people jaded & bitter, even if they did have good intentions.

Omg we finally get a Mayor family on screen & they’re assholes! Madge would be so disappointed 😭. It was interesting to see how harsh & overall “boot licky” the mayor & his family seemed compared to decades later, which makes sense as the war wasn’t that long ago for them so the dad probably felt more incentive to align himself with the Capitol as well as not feeling very connected to the district people as 12’s decline probably didn’t fully set in until they really started running low on coal & Snow became president (oh I just know he wanted to blow that district off the map 😆). I also wouldn’t put it past Billy to come up with some sob story of how he really does love Mayfair but wicked Lucy Gray is somehow preventing them from being together. Still no excuse to try to send her to her death twice in one week, though. Definitely not a girl’s girl.

Ok, so a liar. Cheat. Drunk & someone who hits women. Is there anything good about Billy Taupe? Also, trying to get your ex back, while your current girlfriend is literally standing right next to you? Dude, have some god damn back bone! You made a choice, now stick to it. Also, fumbling Lucy Gray, for a girl like that? What’s it like having no brains or taste? Well, too bad, coz you’re stuck with her forever now, lol.

Viola Davies, the actress that you are. What else is there to say? Dr Gaul is almost comic book levels of insane. Like she is how the Right see women in STEM, on crack! I don’t know what she did to get into character, but whatever it was, it worked.

Jason Schwartzman as Lucretius Flickerman is a very interesting addition to the story despite playing such a small & seemingly insignificant role. He is strange in how unthreatening he is while also extremely blasé about the abhorrent violence he witnesses that it’s as funny as it is disturbing. Making him come across as  more human yet harsher than his son, who at least pretends to care about the tributes (in a very Capitol way, obviously but still). There’s also a polish & confidence to Tucci’s performance that I think Schwartzman did a great job of avoiding copying (despite knowing what audiences were probably expecting) because not only are their characters in entirely different stages of their careers but the whole ethos of the Hunger Games is different in Snow’s youth than it is in Katniss’s. Caesar is a well established presenter & during his time, the games have always been a success (minus the year with the tundra) that the entire Capitol is invested in & seemingly in support of. On the other hand Lucretius had the unique task of not only coming into a job like this with zero experience (I mean imagine going from announcing the weather to presenting the fucking hunger games) but also there were no vibes to try to emulate let alone guidelines to follow because he truly was the first person to do this. On top of that, the "event" his presenting has been panned for years as both boring & unethical. Schwartzman brought a slightly awkward, experimental, yet try hard vibe (like a comedian who's desperate to get a laugh) that I think worked wonderfully for the character.

Tom Blyth's performance was great & he was visually perfect for a young Snow (the power of a good wig! Who knew lol). Even having the cool, analytical stare of Donald Sutherland, down pat. While his appearance was very Eminem during his peacekeeping days, his realisation in the cabin and subsequent breakdown in the woods were crazy. There was so much tension between him & Rachel in that scene that for a second, it literally felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. I could almost hear the record scratch for both of them, & all that building paranoia finally coming to a sudden crescendo in the way that it did? Pure cinema!

Josh Rivera, as Sejanus, was honestly a mix for me. Obviously, I agree with his morals, but his way of going about it did seem a little dumb. However I do think it’s pretty realistic that a teenager, especially a rich one, would be rather naive. Also I’ve heard that he’s smarter in the book & I think at times my frustration with him is more just down to the fact that I’m seeing him from Snow’s point of view. Meaning scenes that would be portrayed as noble in any other film instead come across as almost painfully inconvenient because the focus is always on how they affect Snow rather than the actual victims of the situation. Lastly, sorry, Snowjanus shippers, I just don’t see it (especially on Snow’s end), but whatever floats your boat.

Rachel Zegler played Lucy Gray with the perfect mix of natural charm & emotional vulnerability with clear pride in her culture & a refusal to let the world around her change who she is. Yet there was also an air of mystery & a subtle resilience to her that makes her potentially surviving out in the woods for years without being detected actually believable (though I don’t buy the theory that she went on to become president Coin). Definitely the highlight of the movie for me.

PS. I'd love to know what you think of my review in the comments/tags & am open to criticism (as long as it's respectful) just remember that I'm only talking about the movie so please don't reference anything spersific to the book.

[luciddreamingcrow]

Stupid emotionally unavailable men comforting you after they were Assholes

A/n: I was craving some hurt/comfort, so I made some hurt/comfort, also if you are attached too easily to emotionaly unavailable characters but tired of reading fanfics where they are emotionally unavailable, you are at the right place boo 😘 cuz I misscharacterized them 👏just👏 for 👏YOU!!! (I hope you will be feeling better after some hardcore angst) !!!!!!!!!!Also this isn't proof read!!!!!!!!

Characters prsesent: Al Haitham, Scaramouche, Albedo.

Trope(s): Hurt/comfort, angst and in the end fluff, also it's hinted that reader is (emotionally at least)sensitive and tends to ignore their problems.

Warnings!: it isn't too serious but it's implied that reader is somewhat neglected!

--Song recommended for today is: Waterfalls by Glass animals--

Al haitham

(Pre)Scene:

From the start of your relationship with Al haitham it was expected that problems would manifest eventually and there was no way around it, from his lack of physical presence and him being "strictly" logical it made sense that having a s/o that's emotional compared to him, was only natural for a big personality crash to happen, like right now, while you were having a lot of stress due to the academia pressuring you with projects you were forced to do and having to socialize with people that drain you easily, the only thing in your mind was to go home to your lover, talk to your harts content and let all of your worries out. But the opposite thing just had to occur, because whenever you started to rant for a bit he would inturupt you and criticize your actions and give you "advice" on what to do instead of listening to your troubles, and that's the exact thing that made you break down. As he was rambling on, Al haitham turned his look at you and when he noticed the forming tears in your eyes, his rambling would slowly die down, he would slowly put one of his hands to your cheek to gently make you face him. The moment Al haitham saw your teary eyes avoiding his gaze, he felt how sharply his stomach dropped filed with regret. And the second you started to sob he in a instant embraced you trying his best to comfort you. He truly didn't meant to push you over the edge and he couldn't handle the amount of guilt he felt, but regardless of that his top priority was to comfort you

Headcanons on comforting his s/o:

☾☼☽He would keep this position for a bit longer, trying his best to comfort you by keeping you close to him and running one of his hand on your back and the other hording you close.

☾☼☽After you would have calmed down he'd make sure of how you are feeling and bring you all the things you need.

☾☼☽Of course communication is key so he would insist for you to tell him what he specifically did wrong(he most likely would have figured it out but he still wants confirmation from you specifically)

☾☼☽Afterwards you would cuddle and he'd read you books that he knows you love them.

Scaramouche (Harbinger)

(Pre)Scene:

I know EXACTLY what would cause the conflict and that would be of course the amount degradation he seems to spit at everyone that he views as lesser of. And no he doesn't view his s/o as lesser of but that doesn't save them from the teasing "insults" he spits at you without a second thought. The incident that triggered the conflict was when he came back from a tiring mission, all tired and craving some quiet and relaxation only to be disturbed by a fatui agent reporting that the said papers must be signed up as quickly as possible. After Scaramouche dismissed the the fatui agent he dug himself to more work in witch there were many other agents or butlers that filled him with more paperwork. After all night of working and getting disturbed by literally everyone did fuel him up witch ended up with Scaramouche giving of passive aggressive comments left and right just to let off some steam out of his system. And that would be for the most simple things such as: your posture, why haven't you been doing this, this, and that, why are you acting so dumb all the time, etc. Of course he didn't see anything wrong with it and kept on going and that is until he heard how you started sniffing under your nose not daring to let another sound of because you didn't what him to start degrading you again or even worse mocking you and all of these thoughts would bring you to the verge of tears. You would suddenly snap out of your mind when you felt Scaramouches hand guiding you a silent private room with a calming atmosphere. As he turned around to face you, even as he felt like he didn't even deserve to be in your presence and just leave you alone, right now he knew he had to stay with you, unless you didn't want him there. He would look at you as gently as he could and ask you what's the matter? what's wrong? Tell him. After you'd voice your concerns about how he treats you without a good reason, he would start reflecting for a second because he didn't expect you to take his "insignificant insults" actually seriously, and the first thing he would do to make things better is:

Headcanons on comforting his s/o:

⋆✭⋆Scaramouche would firstly let you cry your heart out while he's holding u tightly

⋆✮⋆After you would have calmed down he'd start to run his fingers through your hair or soothe you how you prefer, and with a gentle voice correct his previous degrading comments and telling you what you want to hear and need to hear

⋆✮⋆Of course he'd let you vent for as long as you wanted and would be right there besides you listening carefuly

⋆✮⋆Later Scara would offer you some water and food for you to calm down completely

⋆✮⋆And after this event he'd try his best for something like this to never happened again because he's a firm believer that actions speak louder than words.

Albedo

(Pre) Scene:

Ok let's get something clear, Albedo is a really good lover and is attentive in his romantic relationship but despite him being viewed as a genius he does lack communication on a affectionate level not being quite sure what to do on some social situations that involve showing affection and care for the people that he views as great companions because he believes that the said people already know that he views them positively and doesn't feel the need to express it. And that lead to him accidentally neglect his s/o. This situation took the form of the snowball effect, slowly but surely the more Albedo didn't express his gratitude, appreciation, etc started to pile up on you thinking that he was emotionally distant to you on purpose and thus you started overthinking, did you do something wrong to upset him?, and if so what would that thing be. The more you thought about it the more stressed you became and until the end you confronted him about it since there was no way around it. When Albedo heard your concerns for the first time he was really surprised to say the least, his surprise wouldn't last long because he put two and two together and it made sence why you'd have these thoughts running around your head.

Headcanons on comforting his s/o:

≲•≳At first Albedo would explain to you his thought process and reassure you that you have nothing to worry about and you should have asked him from the start try to be more vocal about praising you.

≲•≳After that he would try his best to be more vocal with you even if it was hard for him in the start.

≲•≳Eventually you would be spoiled rotten by this man and sometimes use it to his advantage to tease you, now that he knows what gets you weak in the knees/hj.

[purple-obsidian]

Wellll, since you said it was okay, allow me to analyze this fic like I'm in an English lit class.

First off, what I've been thinking about the longest is him tugging the blanket over her at the end. It's such a small gesture, but it's gonna mean so much when there's almost never any casual intimacy. I would be thinking so hard on what it means. He's offering just the slightest hint of comfort after what seems like a constant battlefield and why? He feels guilty? He wants to show her that he's there? Its the only thing he can offer her when he's so hurt himself? Those are the kinds of actions that would make you stay because he still has to love her. Or at least, that's what you tell yourself when you're alone on the couch.

Next, the scene set up to him cutting her cheek. Oof. I can only picture what he saw in himself in the mirror. I mean, doing the same thing your torturer did to you to your partner? Ouch. And that fact that she still has to try and comfort him and be strong when he's the only that literally hurt and scared her? Ugh. That was painful and she's trying so hard only to get beaten down emotionally every single time. No wonder she was dark circles cause I'm drained just thinking about it. But that would also make me feel guilty because he went through so much more.

And the fact that she had to learn how to react to him! She's only trying to do right by him and gave him space when he asked- aka leaving the apartment- and he hunted her down over it? Wild. But he probably thought she was leaving him. I'm thinking how panicked he was until he found her and then the anger set in once he saw her. I feel like he probably wouldn't have noticed she left very fast. I'm picturing she leaves the apartment very quietly to not disturb him.

On one hand I'm seeing a public scene, but I feel like he would just follow her until she was alone so there's no witnesses. Now that rooftop scene. That's where I feel like she would go to wait to go back to the apartment. Cause it's a comfort, so much so she actually uses it to dissociate. I'm not a writer so I really can't put it into words. The only problem with a confrontation on that rooftop would that any fight that would happen there would taint the memory. So maybe she goes somewhere else that used to be special?

Anyway, I really loved the fic and obviously I have lots of thought. I am still thinking about how he laughed at her in front of his men in the first part. So thank you so much for writing them!

[this is related to my ak jason x reader fic for those who may be confused]

it makes me so happy to hear your thoughts! i put a lot of thought into the little things like the blanket and other details to weave in symbolism and parallels that aren't all explicitly called out, so it makes me happy that they're noticed 💜

that mirror scene was a really intense moment for our poor jay, he had some realizations that he didn't process very well. and the reoccurring theme of 'oh he suffered more so i shouldn't complain or speak out about my suffering' is not doing reader ANY favors.

for that reference to him hunting her down, i initially pictured it to be something like reader gives him space after a fight where he tells her to leave, so she goes for a long walk or to a bodega to get food or whatever or just running a relatively normal errand, with the intent of coming back in a few hours. the only reason his men let her leave the building is because they heard him yelling and telling her to leave too. jason freaks out 20 minutes later and goes off on his men for letting her leave, maybe fires someone idk, and starts searching like reader is america's most wanted.

[i don't think he would go as far as to hurt or fight with his hired men for letting reader go, like he's emotionally unstable and very much not okay but he was still sharp enough to be the arkham knight and go through all that and plan shit out, he's still a fucking tactical genius in my opinion so i don't think he would be THAT unhinged, esp. around people who have shown him loyalty, yanno? but if reader ended up hurt or they actually got away and never came back, that would be another story, but until he knew for sure he would just wanna leave and find reader A-S-A-P like homeboy is DESPERATE to get his person back.]

i like your idea about the rooftop. like if reader needed to calm down first, that could definitely be one of their first choices. with the errand idea, i had a scene in mind where reader is carrying a bag of groceries or some library books or whatever item[s] from whatever errand[s], and rounds a corner to literally walk into the brick wall that is jason and drop their shit while he's still as a statue just fuming. or possibly, he walks up to reader while they're on the sidewalk talking to a random person about directions or the weather, and he's just a menace and yells at them to leave reader the fuck alone, threaten some violence, before dragging reader away by the wrist or even picking reader up and throwing them over his shoulder.

and the memory of him laughing at her in front of his men? i almost wrote that out as a mini-flashback in the first part, like how i did with the rooftop memory in part 2. maybe i'll have to do a little snippit or something to flesh that out some more for ya ;)

thanks for taking the time to share with me! i see your second ask, oh boy i have some thoughts 😈

xoxo sid

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

hi, hello, love ur stuff!! i have a request, an au where MC is a vampire!

how would M6 offer their blood when MC is starving?

The Arcana HCs: M6 with a starving vampire MC

~ it's been a while since I wrote for an AU!MC, here's hoping I can get this right lol. Hope you enjoy, anonymous requester - brainrot ~

- to set the scene -

You preferred not to make a big deal of your dietary preferences. Vampires are a common occurrence in Vesuvia - it's one of the main trading centers of the world, after all - but there are still a few misconceptions about the blood drinking part that you prefer not to deal with. No, you don't exclusively drink human blood. Yes, you can eat normal food. Do you still need blood? Yes, it supplements the magic in you the way meat supplements proteins and vegetables supplement vitamins. It's just an extra part of a well-balanced diet.

Normally you just request that the butcher not drain the meat of its blood when you place an order with her. But recently your beloved has been handling all of that for you, and while you can manage going several months without it if you use your magic sparingly, it's been a demanding several weeks. So the two of you are taking the afternoon for a picnic lunch and hike.

Unfortunately, the food attracts some rather aggressive hyenas, and you're reflexively using the last of your magic to whisk them away before you can think. You see your beloved turning to you in concern just as your vision swims to black.

"MC? What's wrong?!"

Julian

He's panicking. Yes, he's a doctor, but as a doctor, there's no reason he can think of as to why you just collapsed!

Not to mention that he's never been out here before, and he's better suited to fighting with his words than with his fists

Once you wake up and explain to him what's going on, his mood shifts completely

He's worked with a vampire or two. He's never given blood before, but it won't be the first time he's requested that you bite him

You're a little surprised at how calm he seems about your big reveal. You'd expected a little more of a reaction

Until you move to take his wrist and he directs you to his neck instead and you get a glance at the anticipation pooling in his eyes

You're wondering why you didn't see this coming, but here you are, feeding off his clavicle while you feed into both his pain and savior complex

You've never seen him worked up quite like this before. He would never make you uncomfortable about your species but now he's requesting that you come to him every time you need your dietary fix

He is your dedicated doctor, after all

Asra

They've had a working theory ever since they noticed your preference for dishes cooked with blood and the effect they would have on your aura

But you never said anything, and he avoids violating your privacy like the plague

Now you're telling them, and explaining that you normally substitute with the blood of whatever you got at the butcher

And he's not stupid, he can put the pieces together and realize it's his fault for not getting your regular order

They're apologizing and offering you some of their own blood to get you up on your feet. They're a powerful magician, it'll give you the boost you need

"It's not like everything I have isn't already yours, MC. We already share a heart, I think we can stand to share a little blood."

He'll cradle you in his lap and wrap his arms around you, pull your head to his collarbone and snuggle and talk to you while you drink

Somehow they're turning it into one the most magical, emotionally intimate moments you've ever shared with them

Hesitant to heal the little bite marks, he's too sentimental and thinks they're cute

Nadia

Regardless of the situation, you will never complain about waking up with your head in her lap and her fingers in your hair

That said, she's very worried about you

She's patient while you explain, asking a few clarifying questions here and there, but she's not very surprised or disturbed

She is, however, racked with guilt. She should have asked about your dietary preferences! How many other times have you come close to starving from her negligence?

Insists on giving you some of her own blood. It's the least she can do to begin to fix this

She'll maneuver you to feed from the inside of her elbow. You're a little hesitant because it feels kind of sacrilegious to bite into something so perfect and cause her pain

Until she notices your turmoil and takes advantage of your bent head to press kisses down the back of your neck

She'll croon encouragement in your ear and massage the muscles along your spine to help you relax while you drink

It satisfies her need to provide for you like nothing else does so she will offer herself as a future emergency resource

Muriel

He doesn't watch what you eat that carefully. He's freakishly observant, he knows you're not human, but he never connected the dots to "vampire"

So he is a little surprised when you tell him

He doesn't want to come across as insensitive, but now he is a little invested in what steps you take to source your blood ethically

He just needs to know if you've been puncturing his chickens or not

Very relieved to learn the truth and a little embarrassed for not picking up on why you always drain and save the blood from the cuts of meat you bring from the butcher

Doesn't think twice about offering you his arm. He's not playing a blame game, he just loves you and wants to see you healthy

He's not at all afraid of a little bite, but he'll still have to reassure you once or twice. You just hate the thought of making him bleed

He doesn't want you to feel uncomfortable but he's a bundle of awkward himself, so he'll alternate between rubbing your back and brushing your hair out of your face

Is very conscientious about keeping blood stocked in the hut from now on

Portia

You open your eyes to her squeezing you in a death grip and yelling obscenities after the retreating beasts that attacked you

Very, very worried. You're one of the strongest people she knows and you just collapsed!

Absolutely enthralled by your explanation. Hell yeah, she bagged a vampire! She has read so many novels about this

She's also read all kinds of questionable blood drinking scenes. It's hard to explain that you aren't up for any kinky business while you're this lightheaded

She's a little disappointed that there aren't any altars or ceremonial daggers or full moons involved, but she's still on board

And very curious. Will ask you what the best spot for you to drink from is that will let her see what's happening

You end up drinking from her ankle while she brainstorms food ideas that incorporate blood. No vampire goes hungry under her roof

A little disappointed that this doesn't turn her into a vampire too, but it's okay

Will regularly bring novels from the palace library to compare fact with fiction

Lucio

"MC, are you okay? Of course you're okay, you're MC! Tell me you're okay!"

The slowest to believe you when you explain what's happening. There's no way his lover was a vampire all this time without him noticing. You would have offered him immortality by now if you were

Low key offended when you tell him that's not how that works

As soon as he realizes drinking his blood will help you, he's straddling your lap and pressing your face to his neck, demanding that you bite down as hard as you want to

You can feel him trembling a little and you're worried it's all forced bravado, until you see the full body blush he's sporting and recognize that it's excitement instead

Insists you bite him on his neck where he can show it off

Will cling to you like a koala the whole time. Its hard to tell if he's in any pain or if he's playing up his reactions for the drama of it

Disappointed when you're done: "are you sure you're full? You can keep going, I don't mind. Anything for my MC."

Convinced that you only deserve the best quality blood and should only feed from him

[notalkingbusiness]

The Book of Carol & The Heroine's Journey - Part 2: The Search

The Search sees our heroine in mission mode - she's left home and she's determined to find her loved one. She'll do whatever it takes to have them safe in her arms again.

According to Carriger, The Search's beats are as followed: the heroine being isolated, the heroine using disguise, the heroine finding friends to help her in her quest, and the heroine visiting the underworld. 

Ready to find out how these beats could be used in The Book of Carol?

(1) The heroine’s loss of family yields isolation/risk.

The heroine's mission takes her far from home, far from those who love and protect her.  

We all know that Carol can handle herself, but she's still going to be physically and emotionally vulnerable throughout her entire journey.

Carol is venturing into the unknown and she's going to be extremely isolated.

She's got no-one to watch her back.

She's also got no-one to hold her back and stop her from unnecessarily putting herself in danger.

The fact that Carol has no-one to hold her back is a worry because, like most of us, Carol doesn't always make the best decisions when she's in a bad headspace. Granted, things are different this time around. She's not indifferent as to whether she lives or dies like she was at the end of S6/S10b. She's not hellbent on revenge like she was in S10.

Spoiler Alert - I think mistaking a walker for Daryl will be the ultimate moment of isolation/risk for Carol, even if the actual scene is relatively short. What could be more isolating than the love of your life being a member of the undead? All the fight would drain out of her in that split second, she'd be ready to curl up and die.

We've seen how Carol reacts to her loved ones being zombified before, but Carol cared about these individuals in a familial and platonic capacity. I'm interested in seeing how the show makes it clear that this one is different - how this prospective loss wounds Carol like no other. Obviously, Melissa's acting choices will be doing the heavy lifting in this scene. As we know, her choices are always very expressive and she pays close attention to detail. Like, every micro expression has to be *perfect* level of detail. As attested by Khary Payton: "We were going through a scene once and she started to cry and she stopped and said she was sorry because she was crying for the wrong reasons. Most actors would be like, “Who cares? I’m crying. It’s the emotion needed.” She wanted it to be specific to the moment in time."

I have no doubt that Melissa will act her heart out throughout the whole show, I'm just hoping that the script is as strong as her performance. After Caryl reunite, I think Carol and Daryl need to have a conversation about that moment when she thought he was a walker. They need to use their words and explain their feelings for one another. We can't just rely on subtext, not when there are important conversations to be had.

Carol needs to explain why she can't lose Daryl. Daryl needs to explain why he can't lose Carol.

(2) The heroine employs disguise/subversion and alters her identity

The heroine is a shapeshifter. She employs disguise/subversion to keep her safe during her journey.

Carol is an expert when it comes to disguises and subversions. We've seen this many times on the flagship show: she somehow managed to steal a grenade without anyone noticing, she secretly stormed Terminus, she infiltrated the wolves, the list goes on.

In narratives, a good disguise or mask should be speaking to some deeper truth about the character. All masks should ultimately be revealing of their wearers.

I'm not entirely sure what Carol's disguise should look like in TBOC. It could be as simple as donning camouflage like she did just before the Terminus raid, or she could adopt a persona (like when she called herself Nancy). Either way, Carol's disguise should reveal a deeper truth about her - about where she's been and where she's going.

It's worth noting that these disguises/subversions don't have to be literal/physical. I think Carol could alter her identity in a symbolic and permanent way by dropping her last name. She could refuse to provide her last name every time she's asked for it. She could insist she's only to be known as Carol. Carol's name change is long overdue, and I think it would be quite fitting to finally drop Peletier (a surname of French origin) while on a quest to rescue Daryl in France.

Of course, after dropping her surname, Carol would be free to take any name she chooses. If we're lucky, we might get to see her call herself Carol Dixon before S2 closes. I want that to be the reason why she's wearing a ring.

I want her to be wearing that ring because Carol and Daryl chose each other.

(3) The heroine appeals to and forms a surrogate network (found family)

Heroines are social creatures. They don't want to go it alone, but the initial stages of their search forces them into isolation. Until they start making friends, that is.

This is where Ash comes in.

While we don't know the full extent of Ash's role, it seems likely that he's going to help Carol fly across the Atlantic - something she wouldn't be able to do by herself. This is textbook Heroine's Journey - this framework is all about collaboration and connection. Heroines like Carol don't privilege themselves above others - they're big enough to recognize when they need help. The heroine's friends make up for skills she's lacking and vice versa.

The Heroine's Journey provides writers with a great opportunity to create a diverse cast of supporting characters because the heroine is going to be encountering lots of different people on her quest. It's also important to stress that you can't have meaningful diversity and inclusion without depth. Minority characters, such as Ash, need to feel three-dimensional. We don't want him, or any of the supporting cast for that matter, to feel like non-player characters.

I want to emphasize that diversity behind the scenes is just as important as diversity on-screen. TWD wasn't always an inclusive space for minority writers and creatives.

In Conversations with Women Showrunners, Angela Kang shows what BIPOC creatives were up against. Writers of color, particularly black writers, would struggle in Georgia because there were symbols of the Confederacy everywhere. Some symbols were immediately obvious - like Confederate flags flying. Other symbols of a segregated past were baked into the built environment. For instance, the team would go location scouting and some buildings would have four bathrooms because they were built in an era of racial segregation.

In the early days of TWD, Angela Kang "went for days without seeing another person who was an Asian American other than the actor on my show, Steven Yeun [...] When I was on staff while Steven was there, there was a year when there was another Korean American writer on staff with me and it was so unusual at the time.  Like, there’s two of us!  That sounds so horrible, but it’s very common to be “the only one.”  And it becomes your job to represent every underrepresented group somehow.”  

Can you imagine the pressure of trying to represent every underrepresented group? No writer should be under that kind of pressure.

Things did get better on TWD; it slowly became a more inclusive and diverse show. Ultimately, Kang says she was proud of TWD's on-screen diversity. And she says that things were getting better behind the scenes - "It's not perfect, but we're trying".

TBOC needs to keep trying too. It would be beyond disappointing if TBOC went backwards in terms of representation. The end product would undoubtedly be poorer for it.

TBOC needs to carry the torch and keep trying to make the show more diverse and inclusive, both on-screen and behind the scenes. Diversity makes for a better show, as does listening to a multitude of different voices.

(4) The heroine visits the underworld, aided by friends and family

Visiting the underworld essentially means the moment of confrontation with the people who took the heroine's loved one.

I think we're probably going to get two big moments of confrontation in Carol's story. I think there's going to be one big fight just before Carol meets up with Daryl. After Carol and Daryl have reunited there's probably going to be another big confrontation so we can see Caryl fighting side by side.

I enjoy seeing Carol kicking ass and taking names as much as the next Carol fan, but action scenes are not the most important scenes for me. I don't want the action scenes and the moments of confrontation to overwhelm the narrative. Heroines don't care about revenge; they just want their loved one back. Carol and Daryl shouldn't be hunting down every last kidnapper/French tyrant. They should do their bit and then leave France as soon as possible. They need to leave Daryl's Parisian ordeal behind and pursue what's important to them.

The people in power need to remember that TWD resonated because it was a deeply human story. It was about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.

I'm watching TBOC because I care about Carol and Daryl. I want to see them together in every sense of the word. I want to see their shared future.

Final Thoughts on The Search

I don't know when Carol and Daryl will reunite, but The Search is likely going to take up a lot of Carol's screentime. It's really important that The Search keeps us engaged. I definitely don't want to see a stoic version of Carol who's only there to blow things up - that's not interesting to me. Blowing things up is not character growth for Carol.

Carol's search needs to stand on its own - it needs a solid emotional core.

The Search will feel rewarding and compelling in its own right if Carol has meaningful interactions with others. Strong dialogue is absolutely critical. Carol needs to talk about her feelings. She obviously won't be an open book to her new friends, but she could make some tentative steps towards admitting how she feels about Daryl. Laying this emotional groundwork will make Caryl's reunion a hundred times more powerful.

That's a wrap on The Search!

Do let me know if you have any thoughts or questions on this one.

Do you have any ideas as to how Carol might use disguise?

Do you have any thoughts on how the aftermath of *that scene* (spoiler listed above) should be handled?

What would you like to see in Carol's new friendships?

I hope you'll join me for The Ascent where everything will be coming up (Cherokee) roses for Carol and Caryl. I'm going to be talking about Caryl's reunion and what makes a good TV reunion. I'll also be talking about what comes next for Caryl and what we ultimately want for these two characters.

Thanks for reading :)