#I've been binge watching Dark and Stranger things

[soggylampshade-11]

Dead Like Me.

Hi, I've recently binged School Spirits and I really like Wally Clark. There is a criminal lack of fics written for him, so I decided to write one of my own. This includes an OC of my own creation named Sabrina. I hope you all like it!

*Just a note, this takes place a couple years before Maddie's situation happens.*

Chapter 2 Chapter 3

Chapter 1

Triggers: implications of SA, language, violence

I was walking out to the parking lot after cheer practice when someone grabbed my arm. I’d stayed after practice ended to work through some routines with Coach Armstrong for longer than I thought because it was dark out now. So I cried out when the person pulled me under the bleachers.

“Chill, Sab, it’s me!” Zach Hines said, making me relax when I saw it was only him. “Hey, why are you still here?”

“I stayed after with Armstrong to work on some routines for this season,” I explained, watching him move closer to me in the cramped space. “Hey, whoa, what’s up? Personal space is important, my dude.”

“I love how you challenge me,” he grinned, continuing to come to me until my back hit the bleachers. “You look so good in these shorts, I love watching you cheer while you wear them.”

“Dude, Chloe’s my friend,” I said, trying to push him back from me. “You remember Chloe, right? Your girlfriend? About 5’9 with red hair?”

“I don’t want to talk about her right now. I want to talk about you going to Homecoming with me,” he said, ignoring what I said completely. 

He put his hand on my hip and trapped me where I was. “Uh, Zach, I think I should leave. Chloe’s my friend.”

He only hummed, pressing his body to mine and kissing my neck. I kept trying to get him off me, but he was so much bigger and stronger than me. He was the fullback for the football team. His hands were all over me and my heart was racing, fight or flight kicking in. I couldn’t run away from him, so I had to fight. 

“Zach, stop!” I cried, hitting his chest.

“You want this, every girl wants this,” he argued, banging my body back against the wood until I stopped moving. 

“I don’t!” I cried, my adrenaline keeping the pain from sinking into me as my spine repeatedly slammed against the wood behind me. “Zach! Stop it! You’re hurting me!”

“Shut up,” he hissed, continuing to push me until my head hit the wood so sharply everything went black. 

~

There was a surprising lack of pain in my body when I woke up. The sun was shining bright and there were a ton of strangers gathered around me. 

“What happened?” I asked, but none of the people replied to me or even acknowledged that I’d spoken. “Hello? Can you guys hear me? What happened?”

I pushed up into a sitting position and then stood, but they didn’t move out of the way. It was like I slipped through their bodies. When I turned around to look at them, I screamed when I saw my lifeless body laying where I’d just been. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” someone said calmly behind me, making me turn quickly to find a guy wearing glasses and a denim jacket. “Hi, I’m Charley.”

“What the fuck is happening?” I cried. “Why can you see me but they can’t?”

“Let’s go inside, it’s not very fun to be out here with all this,” Charley said, gesturing toward the school. 

“Why would I go somewhere with you?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest defensively. "I don't know who you are."

“Because I’m dead like you,” he replied, making me look at him incredulously. “You’re dead, you died under the bleachers and those EMTs announced it.”

“I’m dead?” I asked in a hoarse whisper, kneeling down by my lifeless body. “Holy shit, I’m dead.”

I felt Charley kneel beside me and place a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry, this is the worst way to find out you died on campus. It’s, like, the absolute worst thing to find out when you wake up.”

“Sabrina Wellington, age 17,” one of the EMTs said, making me look over at him even though I knew he couldn’t see me now. “Principal’s on her way, the football field’s blocked off from students. We should get her out of here before they realize what’s going on.”

A lot happened at once after that. My body was placed in a bodybag, the EMT frowning as she zipped it up. A surge of panic rushed through my body, but Charley stopped me when I tried to follow them.

“Once you get to the end of the school boundaries, you get yanked back to where you died. That means you’d regenerate under here again and it hurts,” he said, sounding sad. “I’m sorry, you’re stuck here with us.”

“Us?” I asked distractedly, watching the EMTs carry my body away and load it in the back of an ambulance without the lights on when it drove away. 

“There’s a group of us who died here. We meet up in the gym everyday to talk,” he explained, gesturing to the building with his shoulder. “Do you want to come with me?”

Before I could say anything, I saw Trish and Ellery standing at the edge of the football field. “Can I find you later? I need to go talk to my friends.”

“They’re not going to be able to see you!” Charley shouted after me as I jogged over to them, but I just waved him off. “Okay, see you later!”

I hurried over to my friends and heard them talking. “I can’t believe she’s dead! She was at practice last night, barking orders like always.”

“Hey!” I cried, but they didn’t acknowledge me. 

“It’s like she didn’t know Alison was fighting to take over as captain,” Trisha stated with a giggle. “I guess the fight’s over now.”

“Ladies! Get to class,” Mr. Hill shouted, making us jump. “Don’t forget there’s also a grief counselor here for you if you need it.”

The two of them left me standing there in shock. I’d cheered with them since I was six years old. We’d been inseparable since then… but I think they hated me. What the hell? I walked slowly inside the building, feeling my eyes burn with tears 

I didn’t realize until I pushed open the double doors of the gym that I was going where Charley suggested earlier. There was a gym class happening, but I walked through it easily to join the group of people sitting in a  circle. 

“Is this dead kid AA?” I asked, standing behind an empty chair. 

A girl with dark, curly hair snorted at that and rolled her eyes. “Wow, never heard that one before!”

“Welcome, I’m Mr. Martin,” the man in a sweater vest said, standing up and gesturing to an empty seat. “Please, have a seat and join us.”

I nodded and moved around to sit in one of the folding chairs between a guy in a letterman jacket and the girl with dark hair. She was sucking on a lollipop and looked bored out of her mind. 

“Right, let’s go around and introduce ourselves to our newest member,” Mr. Martin said, sitting back in his seat. 

“Hi, we met this morning,” Charley said, waving at me with a friendly smile. “I’m Charley.”

The girl with the lollipop said, “Rhonda.”

“Sabrina,” I said, bringing my legs up onto the chair with me and wrapping my arms around them. 

“I’m Wally,” the guy in the letterman said, making me realize he looked really familiar. Like he read my mind, he said, “The one that the football field’s named after.”

There was a picture of him hanging in the hallway outside the locker rooms. The thought of the locker rooms made me flinch because I’d seen Zach standing by the doors last night. The feeling of his hands forcing me backward and the roughness of the wood digging into the bare skin of my shoulders.

“Sabrina? Are you okay?” Wally asked, drawing me out of the memory. “You disappeared for a few minutes.”

“Sorry,” I said, sounding a million miles away. 

“You get better at handling the memories,” Charley said gently, making me look over at him. 

I couldn’t imagine he was right, but I nodded my head anyway. The rest of the group was talking about something, but my focus wasn’t here. I was thinking about Zach trying to force himself on me and hurting me. He’d slammed my head against the bleachers so hard that it killed me. 

Then there was the way my friends talked about me this morning. My dead body was found underneath the bleachers where a guy I considered my friend killed me. A guy that I trusted tried to force himself on me then killed me. 

My chest drew tight and I knew I was going to have a panic attack. I was up and out of the gym, running until I was in the girls’ bathroom. I gripped the sides of the sink in my hands and looked in the mirror. 

I was wearing a silver moon necklace around my neck, there was a tube of abandoned cherry lip gloss in the floor, a couple bobby pins on the little shelf below the mirrors, and an empty soap dispenser on the wall. I could hear water dripping from the sink, the sound of water rushing through pipes in the walls, the sound of someone walking out in the hallway, and the distant squeak of gym shoes. 

My breath was back to normal, making me look at my reflection again. The girl in the reflection looked like me when I was alive, but I knew I wasn’t anymore. My eyes were glassy with tears and I wasn’t wearing makeup, so my freckles stood out against my pale cheeks. I busied myself with putting my hair back up to still my shaking hands. 

When I walked back out of the bathroom, Wally was waiting for me. He was sitting across from the door with his arms resting on his raised knees. 

“Hi,” he greeted, keeping the space between us. “You ran off and I wanted to make sure you were okay. I don’t want to crowd you or freak you out, but this is a lot to do on your own.”

“You mean finding out that a person you trusted tried to assault you then hit your head against the bleachers so hard it killed you and then finding out the girls you’ve known since you were six actually hate you is hard to do alone?” I asked, going over to sit beside him. “You just want to be my friend because I’m a cheerleader… was a cheerleader.”

“I’ve seen you cheer before, you’re good,” he admitted, cheeks flushing a little when I looked at him. “Not in a creepy way, in a ‘I watch the football games’ kind of way.”

A small smile found my face as I leaned my head against the wall behind us. “Thanks, I absolutely fucking hated it.”

“No way! I hated football!” he cried, making me look at him with my brows raised. “It was fun when I started, but my mom had insane ideas on what I was supposed to do on the field.”

“Same, my mom wanted me to go to nationals and get scholarships,” I explained, smiling humorlessly. “It turns out my entire team wanted to take away my captain title and give it to another girl. So, I guess I wasn’t as good at it as I thought I was.”

“That sucks,” he agreed, making me laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. “You have a nice laugh.”

“Don’t flirt with me. I just died,” I said, but I couldn’t stop myself from giggling. 

“I died in 1983, I’m allowed to flirt,” he replied, bumping my shoulder with his. “You’re going to be okay, Sabrina.”

“Brina, my friends call me Brina,” I corrected, turning my head to look at him. “And you’re my friend.”

“That’s presumptuous of you, Brina,” he said, smiling brightly when he turned to look back at me.

A genuine smile tugged at my lips, one bigger than the false one I’d used today. My life was over and I’d found out the people I trusted weren’t trustworthy. I cheered in the stadium named after the goofy guy beside me, but I think I liked him more than my living friends.

~

And that's the first chapter of my story! I'd love to hear y'all's input on it! Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, anything really. I'm working on this as inspiration hits and have another 2 chapters ready to go. I hope you liked this one!

[krisbianbitchface]

Ok so to warm my heart a little from the coldness of knowing I will have to wait 2 years to see dear Rhaenyra again I have started watching Game of Thrones,I was not very fond of it when it came out however now I am older and just desiring to binge watch anything to get myself to sleep and I have a few thoughts I need to get out of my head or maybe opinions,it might me a little over the top since of course I am a lesbian drama queen and I live to complain,im only in season 3 almost ending the season...

I fucking hate that kid bran,he takes soooo much screen time just to retell dreams and look like that snarky kid that throws random stuff on the ground in Walmart with a stupid look on his face (I really Wish Jamie would have killed his ass)

Melissandre is the most interesting character of the series,so witty and cruel in the best way,I was shocked when she killed that king with her baby demon and absolutely smitten,I love cruel women.

Jon Snow is the most boring character I have EVER witnessed in the story of television and trust me I've been there since Xena Warrior Princess graced the screens,just no goals,no path,no big dick or small dick energy,no energy AT ALL,just a big fat ugly Hero complex that I just can't stand because the actor has the same expression everytime no matter what happens,even having a boner with a cute girl cuddling his dick he is 😐 like gtfo of my face

Cersei is second to Melissandre in the scale of bad bitches,she is just so fucking resented and hot,everything she says sounds like wind chimes even if she is sending a child to his death,I cant help but want her to hate fuck me and call me a fagg0t and then tell me Im the worst fuck she's ever had and just use me again.

Dragons...Should I say more? I started the series of House of the Dragon because I just love dragons,and a particular scene is just edged in my mind like iron,Daenerys saving her little dragons from that sorcerers dungeon and their cute little faces watching her almost like trying to say "Momma! You're here! we missed you!" I think is the cutest scene ever.

Daenerys...She serving cunt,she ate and licked the plate,she served and left no crumbs,the director said cut and she heard CUNT and went with it, she caused a motherquake of 9.99 in the cunt scale,she's mother, and no other than the Mother of Dragons, I just love her,she is what Cleopatra VII was before hollywood found her and turned her into a makeup propaganda fashionista, a true strategist and conqueror.

Kal Drogo,I just mourned his death,he was so cute and murderous, i wept real tears for sweet Daenerys, I think the actor was really good and he needed more screen time, his scenes were charged with masculity and power,something we really lack these days in television.

Sansa, she is a beauty,the kind of beauty fantasy writers try to describe and there is just no way that human exists and then there is her...But she is so fucking traumatized and set aside just like every other woman in that universe,hell,even in life,I feel for her...And also wanna date her,i won't lie

Aria is a tough little woman,I think they really need to step up her action scenes because I think she serves well as a hope in the darkness kind of character however I do wish the actress was more prone to make a proper action sequence ala Eleven from Stranger Things,you can say what you want about miss Millie Bobby Brown but she is one of the few actresses willing to make many changes ln television for years to come with her characters.

Jamie Lannister is an interesting fighter and I wish it was possible to swap his fight scenes with Aria since i think it was proper giving the context,anyway he has good fighting sequences that I think were ment for someone else.

The sex scenes... This was a series HBO really set the bar high for nudity,there is so much nudity,sometimes unnecessary and cruel for the actresses involved and at the same time, is not surprising considering this series was made by two straight men,this always happens in the industry although these days is harder due to the constant intimacy coordination, but yeah in those times I can't imagine how unerving it was for actresses to bare it all for a couple of coins in a popular series.

Enough with my ramblings,I declare myself a fan of game of thrones only for Daenerys and her cute little dragons 💖

[bananamarshmallowz]

Where else would I rant?

This is my rant/review for Baby Reindeer. I binged it all today. (It's currently like 1 and I'm running on dr. pepper and skittles. I didn't edit this, don't came at me lmao)

It goes without saying that spoilers, SA (sexual abuse), stalking, and more are mentioned in the series and here as well.

Viewer discretion is advised.

Being based off a true story and being dark, I had to see what I was missing. It's autobiographical and that's part of why I think it's so well done. I definitely recommend watching some interviews afterwards. This one is the first I saw. And this was the second. It's all so surreal.

This is hands down, one of the best shows of all time. 

First off, it's not here to exploit money or more seasons out of anyone, unlike endless series today.  It's to share their stories. Yup, I said their stories. If it were all about him, it wouldn't show other people, would it? Second, it's a series that took ten years of his life to put together. He's a brilliant guy and one quote that's stuck with me, "I think my fear of making disingenuous art is greater than people judging me."

I've read some of the one-star reviews, and full offense; It's gone over heads. Some people go so far as to say he deserved it...  I don't have a response for them other than, did you watch the same show I did?

There are countless people who have been groomed and raped and abused by their partners and strangers alike. And some people still say "they deserved it." They revolt me.

He didn't make it for him to be the victim. He made it to be honest. (This is where some of the rant comes in) Think of it like this: you find comfort and solace in this person. They help you in your dream job, dream everything, they're a dream. They give you all you want and more, who are you to say no. You want to pay them back in anyway you can, but it isn't questioned until abuse or something similar happens. That's the only way you can pay them back, you hate yourself and your very skin and you want to clean every inch of you but you can't scrub that deep. So you keep going back to them because they give you comfort and everything you want. Until, in most cases, you've been broken. That's what being groomed is.

Bullshit to all the one star reviewers, "Gross I hated the fourth episode" That's the fucking point you single-celled-organism. You're not supposed to like it. It's supposed to be gross and filthy because it is. Grooming and raping another being is disgusting and abhorrent. It's not supposed to be enjoyable. It's supposed to show how nauseated and how confused he felt.

It deals with hard-to-talk-about topics and carries you through them like a rollercoaster. Because that's what SA is. It just happens and you can't control it. How it portrayed a bunch of feelings and things that don't get talked about enough is phenomenal. It's dark in the way that life is. Aggressive and passive, his feelings of struggling to cope with being a victim of rape, grooming, and stalking. It all crumples together. He never said it out loud until that moment on stage.

The acting, the script, and the filming are amazing! 

I will be honest, the first episode started so slowly, and I was wondering if that was going to be the whole series; I've seen a few that have been exactly that. It was a bit cringey and bite the lip embarrassing, but it was an honest to god hook.

I got hooked on the second episode. And things started falling into place; the story and how it was done were amazing. 

Third episode, you understand just how out of hand it could get and the weight of it.

Until episode 4. It takes us through before he was being stalked and I was not at all prepared for this episode. There is a warning on it, not on any other episodes and that stood out to me, when it's dark and only one episode has a warning on it, it's going to be DARK.

He is mentally struggling with all of it sitting in his head. He can't even describe it to others until he breaks down and it all spills out. We don't get to see any of the past yet until it is all revealed at the end.

That's why it's so beautiful in filming. It shows hardships and things people can't talk about.

It's beyond words for me; it was gorgeous. 

It all felt so real and that we were truly there with him. We were the audience, listening to his story, it took my breath away a few times.

After his breakdown, he goes and gets his dream gigs and people actually want to listen to his stuff.

Then when everything feels just right, he gets a call from his stalker, "how fucking dare you" "you're a fucking pig" a bunch of other insults and we sit in how scary it is, after months(?) of not being stalked to everything in under hours is overwhelming. She says something that really strikes him and he can't stand the thought of her going to his parents and telling them his deepest secrets.

He then goes and sits down with his parents, and he needs to tell them before anyone else does. The way Gadd portrays the feelings and raw emotion. Holy shit.

"-I didn't want you to think of me as less of me. you know, as a man-" "I just feel less of one, having let something like that happen to me."

"But you didn't let it happen. You weren't to blame."

His father's expression is still and his voice soft, "Would you see me as less of one?"

Made me sob violently.

The conflicting feelings it ended on describes life perfectly. We're all fucked up.

This is art. And Richard Gadd is a genius.

[imfinereallyy]

9 People You Want to Know Better

I was tagged by lovely @doublecherrypiediscosuperfly it meant so much you tagged me -`♡´-

Last Song: Allergy Season by Rachael Jenkins, and Figure 8 by Paramore, they are both on loop so I can never remember which played last.

Currently Watching: I've honestly been just rewatching stuff lately because I'm in kind of a lull with tv shows. Sometimes watching new shows gives me anxiety ( I am a strange person I know lol), and I have been avoiding watching the last season of Ted Lasso because I know I'm going to be sad. But I have been just putting on Catfish in the background anddddd I did watch the first episode of Heartstopper s2 today (I am trying to be slow with it because but I want to binge it so bad).

Currently Reading: I love books, but I haven't read like a physical one in so long. Like I am stuck in the fan fiction cycle. I am honestly not complaining, some of the fan fiction is top tier and are better than a lot of books, just if anyone was expecting a book published for money? well the last one I attempted to read was 'My Dark Vanessa' which was really good by very triggering so I had to put it down for a bit. I hope to finish it soon. But some really good fics I've read recently include:

Intricate Rituals by zade

I know I've kissed you before (Can I try again) by ChristinMKay

Long Live the Boy King by goldblooded (wellwished)

However Wild by Ayes

Latest Obsession: I mean, other than all things stranger things (ha) and steddie related, I always have something new I'm obsessed with (blame the adhd) and what you to get to know me a little outside the fandom. Currently, I am learning how to crochet (I am terrible at it) but it gives me something to do with my hands, which is nice! Like @doublecherrypiediscosuperfly I am obsessed with my dog right now. I don't have a picture on hand on my laptop, but message me if you want pics! He is adorable, and big and thinks he's a lapdog when he really is not. But I wont crush his dreams.

I'm not sure if this counts as an obsession but I am currently fixated on finding like a really good-smelling perfume, the lasts long but also isn't ridiculously expensive?? If anyone has a suggestion, please tell me I'm coming up blank.

No pressure tags: Really don't feel pressure, but it would be lovely to get to know yal better. You can even message me instead or add me to a discord chat (I only just made one lol). @its-steddie-time @penny00dreadful @wynnyfryd @henderdads @stevethehairington @hairstevington @steveshairychest @stevesbipanic @steviesbicrisis

[mlobsters]

supernatural s11e5 thin lizzie (w. nancy won)

🧍‍♂️🧍‍♂️🛏️

trying to keep expectations low after the highs of 11x04

DEAN What do you want to do about Cas? SAM Oh, he’s knee deep binge watching The Wire. Just started Season 2.

good choice. also funny way to not have him around but still be "around"

DEAN Whew! Working with family can be tough.

rude, dean-o :p

ahah i've definitely read a fic about them being in this room, i'm like this dialogue is familiar and one bed in a room covered in flowers 🤔

s11e5 jordie / stranger things s1e1 - finn wolfhard as mike wheeler

ha! i only got to watching stranger things in the past year. such a unique face

SAM Yeah, not the whole town. Mrs. Pensky doesn’t seem too broken up over the fact that her husband was butchered in her driveway. DETECTIVE MADSEN You saw the body. She’s in shock. SAM Still. DETECTIVE MADSEN People have freaky ass reactions to loss.

facts

...okay

DEAN Yeah, but you’re better with that whole sensitive verbal massage. SAM There is no sensitive way to tell somebody their soul’s been sucked out by a prehistoric tween!

sam makes good points

SAM Yeah. So the murders started right around the time Len saw Amara, right? Well, the wife of the last victim, Donna Pensky, had this bizarre reaction to hearing her husband ... like she couldn’t care less. It was kind of the way I felt the whole time I was soulless. DEAN Oh, yeah. You were one chilly droid.

lol okay

LEN I couldn’t shake a guy’s hand before. God, that wetness. Now I could lick the sweat off a stranger’s ... DEAN Okay! LEN Yeah. Any body part.

✨moist✨

mourning that they didn't turn this into something more developed and spooky, the darkness as a concept. early seasons spn that worked at a slower pace and had more aesthetic

hey dean how long you gonna hold out on telling sammy about your bond with amara

SAM You know I get like this pit in my stomach any time I think of her. The Darkness. Like we only know the tip of what she is. What she does to people. You know Len was freaked out by her. But Sydney. Sydney couldn’t get enough. The bliss she was talking about, you know? What was it like for you? Did you feel like that with Amara?

*staring*

why, why doesn't dean tell him. don't understand where they're going with this

SAM So that’s how we have to find her. Follow the bodies. DEAN You got a better idea? We could follow the crazy you’ve been seeing.

didn't remember what he was talking about while watching so glossed over it but occurred to me later. c'mon dude. shitty thing to say. blow him off and then call it crazy. meanwhile he's canonically had psychic visions, lucifer contacting him in dreams.. and his difficult history with mental illness from hell trauma. but sure, make a glib comment about his crazy 🤪 read the room!

[a-case-of-the-ace]

Fic writer interview :D

Thank you @eoinmcgonigal for the tag!!

Welp let's see how this goes. I've been doing the writing thing for a little over two years, I think? Time has flown and I have done... little.

How many works do you have on AO3? 21.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 57,611. None of which have reached over the 12,000 mark.

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Something, Old, New, Broken and Blue at number 1, followed by Something Precious, a Bold Beginning, My Soul Says Ouch and Match Made in Vain. The top 3 are for Stranger Things, and the 4th and 5th are for Mafia: Definitive Edition. I reckon the top ones are at the top mainly because they're a bigger fandom.

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? I do, I'm always so happy when I get them, but I worry I sound like a broken record. there's only so many ways to thank someone for reading and commenting, even though I'm overjoyed every time it happens.

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? Possibly Ready for Table for Doctor Who's The Two Doctors, since that doesn't end in a good spot for the main character, but the canon story has a good ending, so you know it's going to be ok. Probably Bon Appetit, for Mafia: DE, since it's a dark yandere cannabilism fic.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending? That's a tough one, most of mine have happy endings. Possibly My Soul Says Ouch, since the characters spend so long pining over each other before getting together? Also my only polyam fic, (or at least where it's not just implied) so 50% extra love?

7. Do you write crossovers? I haven't, none have really occurred to me. I don't usually read them either, but if it's done well, I'll read it.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic? Not hate per se, but I did have one commenter who didn't like some things, and told me I could change things, and didn't need to stick to the canon. I quite liked my choices, though, and so did other kinder commenters. I do the fic for me, first and foremost.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Not in anything I've posted, but I'm currently writing a Galavant fic that has some, for angst reasons. I did have a tad in A Bold Beginning, but I danced around the subject so much that I don't think it counts. I'm ace, which I don't think helps much, I'm basing most of it off of what I've read.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I'm aware of.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope. Wouldn't mind if someone did though.

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Nope.

13. What’s your all-time favourite ship? Mega tough one. Good Omens got me into it, but I haven't read much of them. Stobotnik, since I only watched the films for them? Two/Jamie? I read a lot of Johnlock, but that was ages ago. Geraskier? I think I just binge a ship and return to it if I really liked it. Depends if the ship's small or big, I guess.

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will? I had a mermaid!Tommy au I tried to get going for a long while, but kept getting stuck on logistics. An omegaverse mafia fic, an angsty guilt fic, and even a fic for Forever (TV show from 2014). Plus a bunch of ideas that hit while I was writing something else, and I'd lost the fixation by the time I finished. There's still a few sticky notes with ideas in my phone, from inspo at work. I think I get a lot more ideas than I manage to write :(

15. What are your writing strengths? Beginnings. I love nothing more than going "Bang! Here's what's happening." Otherwise, I dunno what my strengths might be. Writing in full sentences for the first draft?

16. What are your writing weaknesses? Hanging on to the motivation to finish a fic. Not using a variation of the phrase "All they could do was hope." Nearly put that in thrice in three chapters by mistake, I'm sure it's getting old. Motivation for sure though, I miss the days when I was writing tropey one-shots, at least they were one and done.

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? I haven't really had a need to do it, and would worry about formatting if I did. Closest I've had to this was a heavily accented character, but I didn't really know how to write an accent and so I didn't write it in. Not sure if I'd do it that way again, but it made it easier.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for? Mafia: Definitive Edition. Wrote my first fic in one of my last year 12 math classes. Also the fandom that made me switch from looking at tumblr on Pinterest to actually being on tumblr. There wasn't enough content, so I had to go searching, and then make my own.

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to? Really want to throw my hat into the ring on Wez/The Golden Youth, from Mad Max 2, but the only ideas I have for them are really long. Other ones I've considered writing include Forever, Red Dwarf, Sportarobbie from Lazytown, Johnny/Reg from SAS Rogue Heroes and Jude/Cardan from The Cruel Prince.

20. What’s your favourite fic you’ve written? I'm really liking the Galavant fic I'm writing at the moment, mainly because it's shamelessly self-indulgent. Probably one of my Mafia fics, Chosen by the Life, Choking on my Love or Bring Me Home. It's been a while since I've read my own stuff, this has been a real trip down memory lane.

Desperately trying to remember people who write so I can tag them... I'm so bad at names, if I miss you I'm sorry. And I may not know you at all well so I apologise if you find this weird.

@feline-ranger @iiep-wop @lilies-in-a-vase @somethingaboutamagpie @ihni

[zimshan]

august braindump: on the state of tv and heartstopper

the last year has been such a strange time for me and tv. i honestly cannot remember a time i watched less new tv shows. it’s not for lack of trying but every show/season i started, i was just dragging my heels to finish. some of that is because they’re older shows that aren’t as good as their earlier seasons. stranger things s4 took me an entire year to finish. the pacing was just wildly off to me, and that’s disappointing after the incredible structure of s1. some of that is because of subject matter. i haven’t been able to work myself up to watch outlander after the s5 finale because i just don’t have the mental bandwidth for a sexual trauma storyline. babylon berlin i stopped watching because they were threatening to kill another kid. i’ve noped out of so many shows because of the ratcheting stakes, something that i'm so so tired of seeing done just for the hell of it.

of all the shows, i probably watched the great s2 quickest because it was just so off the wall and the tone of s1 still fascinates me. but even that dragged and was partly guilt tripping to justify my hulu subscription, and i could never let my guard down because it was always going for the most outrageous grotesque thing. i’m stalled on s3 now that they’re killing off characters left and right.

i watched shadow and bone s2 like 15-20 minutes at a time in july because i just found it a snoozefest compared to s1. i legit just wanted to finish it to cross it off my list. how terrible is that? the moment i finished, i started the fame game, a bollywood show, literally because of one gifset on my dash. and watched that 4x faster than anything else i’ve seen all year. cementing my idea that the best of netflix is their international shows. but that shit was pretty dark too.

so beginning of august, i opened up netflix sleep deprived and looking for something to get my mind off my impossible deadline and fuel some writing inspiration. someone on my dash was recently talking about Heartstopper, and it reminded me i missed watching it last year when everyone was talking about it. so seeing it pop up on my netflix screen, i absentmindedly thought, "what the hell let’s see what the fuss is about" and started the first episode. and you know it did the impossible. it grabbed me from the first few frames, and i looked up 2 hours later like oh right sleep. and now i just want to analyze it like a bug. what the hell makes it work where others have failed?

the binging culture inherent to streaming tv is fascinating to me because i almost never do it. if there is one anti-binger out there, she is me. i miss the era of one episode a week on a certain night every day for years. my patience maxes out at 45 minutes every time. i think it’s terrible that shows need to be so bingeable millions of people have to watch an entire season in a weekend to get renewed. because even the best shows i can't commit to doing that for. where does anyone find the time or brainspace, idek.

i know most of the coverage and reaction to the show seem to be about representation and i agree. but there’s something about the elements of Heartstopper that just work where other tv shows lately have faltered and i want to break it down for parts. because on paper it does seem so simple. some of it really is just basic storytelling in tv. those first three episodes are key and the pacing is excellent, every second counts and the acting, editing, and music really drive the show and keep it compelling. on rewatch, i can see how the addictive quality is very much in the editing, in the music, to keep it punchy so that you never think to stop watching. but it’s also in the white space, the moments they give to the lead actors to let a moment breathe. i've been beating this drum for decades now but this show gave so many good examples of it.

several 5-minute sequences caught me thinking god that so compelling why how. the one that stood out on rewatch is the texting sequence in 102 after nick’s interception of the assault scene. there’s zero dialogue but the editing, acting, and music work together to feel the weight of the moment and then lift up from there.

all these essentials combine with something unique like the animations as visual representations of emotions and attraction and create some kind of magical alchemy. it’s been a long time since i’ve thought about it but “lightning in a bottle” describes the best seasons of tv i’ve seen: where it feels like everyone on set, all the actors, every one of the crew, writers, directors, care about the story and are working on all cylinders to do their best job. in the age of streaming, this seems to be more rare than ever and learning about mini writing rooms during the WGA strike has helped to understand why. so has seeing those checks to send home the overall state of residuals in the streaming era. to do the best job people need to be paid fairly. full stop.

so i started Heartstopper and watched 4 episodes in the blink of an eye. the next day, 6; the last day 4. then i did a thing i almost never do anymore: i looked up the soundtrack. music has always been a driver for me, a tv show that nails a score or soundtrack is always gonna get under my skin more than one that doesn’t. it’s part of the necessary ingredients for a good show for me. all my forever tv loves, music plays a central role, music that defines and sets the tone for the show and then becomes forever married to it. you can create a list of the songs and play it back and see the show unfurl again in your mind. its my favorite way of revisiting a show without actually watching it, after a good vid that is. but it works best when the music is a dead lock for the scene or character and typically this is sound driven more than lyrically driven. this show uses a 2012 era style sound i already have a strong affinity for, i have multiple work playlists from the last decade to drive me through a deadline with Foster The People, Fitz and the Tantrums, et al.

but it also did a thing i haven't seen in a long while: the lyrics were used as an extension of the script for internal character POV. in the first episode alone you have the following lyrical-visual pairs: -i'll go anywhere you want to go on charlie getting ben's text to meet -i wanna get lovesick with you on nick watching charlie run and asking him to join the team -right before i'm swallowed by my mind and cursing at the sky on charlie out of place on the rugby field before nick pulls him in to the group -what's the point of looking at the view? cause every time i do i just see you on elle and tao missing each other -the world ends it's you and me/in my head if we can be together/maybe we'll live forever on nick tackling charlie and the leaves animations around them -i see the signs of a lifetime on nick getting charlie's thank you x text paired with the flowing bird animations roll to the credits

this is vidding happening here.

so i spent a good two days listening to the soundtrack and related albums as i got through my deadline. and then i started getting some more questions about the timeline on the story (the soundtrack is of a style popular circa 2012 that i associate with 8tracks playlists even though the actual songs are a bit later, 2015 onwards) and looked up the books the show was based on. i started Solitaire after seeing it was the author’s first book and wanting to read tori’s POV after the glimpses in the show got me thinking about her elder daughter role.

then i looked up the comics when i realized the timeline of Solitaire was a year later and wanted to fill in the gaps. and wow, i’m in awe of how much of the show was already here, how much detail went into the show to match certain frames. the comics are basically acting as storyboards for the show. i used to do the most basic storyboarding for vidding a lifetime ago. i’ve recently gotten the storyboarding itch again the last few months after watching some BTS docs on TCM about storyboard artists and remembering how fascinating and underappreciated the skill actually is. there's some beautiful storyboarding out there, but it doesn't have to be beautiful, it's just got to be functional. at its heart, it's about the frame, the shot, the visual that tells the story. and a lot of that is already done in the comics and translated straight to screen.

i’m inspired learning about alice oseman’s story as a young author, how she started and finished Solitaire before graduating high school, writing the story she wished she saw on the shelves. then how she was taken with her two secondary characters and started teaching herself how to draw to visualize and bring to life their own journeys. it’s such a great example of how storytelling takes on a life of its own and how you are not defined by only your current skillset. there are no boundaries on creativity and curiosity but the ones we self-impose on ourselves.

the last few years, i’ve been thinking a lot about why some works fail to resonate while others succeed, especially in regard to book to screen adaptation. it probably started with the absolute fail that was GOT S8 and rereading THG next to the films and grown from there with my TCM pandemic focus. obviously it’s a gamechanger when the author is the showrunner and that alone is rare. the whole nature of Heartstopper as a webcomic first and driven by subscribers and kickstarter donations is unique as well. alice has built up a passionate audience to create for that helped promote the show and that makes a lot of difference.

but the streaming element is an added issue. by the time i finished season 2, my one overriding thought was wow, imagine society if this had aired 20 years ago. i couldn't help but think of the kids this show could have helped, seeing such an sincere example of queer community on screen. but interrogating that further, i know it’s a silly thought. it wouldn’t have gotten made at all. in 2000, dawson's creek kicked up hate over one gay kiss that amounted to almost nothing. my best friend at 15 came out as gay and felt like he had to pirate QaF asap as the only piece of queer rep around but something far outside of our age group. this story is age appropriate for the age that needs it. in 2023, homophobic parents are waging wars on the school board and libraries in our area for carrying books with queer representation including those of oseman's. no network would greenlight 22 episodes of a queer tumblr webcomic. netflix gave the show 4 hours for its first season in the middle of the pandemic. it only gets made in the streaming era. it is a product of the times, even if the story originates 10 years earlier.

[]

the picture of queer community and lifting up and supporting others is essential for the age this is targeting. i know i'm 20 years older than that target and am mindful of that. this show is not for me. but it's been a while since i've watched a teen series, probably skam, which is a big outliner in teen shows. i think from my dash i assumed the show was going to be pure teen fluff but instead was surprised how much texture it has. the love story is the focus of the gifsets, but it does sell the show short imo. the world doesn’t ignore the dark parts---homophobic bullies, abusive partners and clueless parents, trauma and its long tail, anxiety and eating disorders, the ways love and community can uplift and support but not cure. reading Solitaire i can see where it’s coming from, a dark story that starts the verse. the darkness is there not ignored but part of the journey. its presence makes the light more powerful. but its best virtue is that despite its dark parts, it’s at heart a comforting story. and i think this is an overarching reason why it succeeds as a show. the comic does right by each character and in turn cares for the reader. so everyone working on it saw the story as a comfort themselves and did right by the story. that care shows on screen.

the way Solitaire ends is a thesis statement of sorts for the osemanverse: support and lift each other up, you’re not alone and stronger as a community. it matches skam's thesis, and heartstopper continues it. that reminder is a balm to these times. it's the ethos of organizing but it got lost in isolation of the last few years. its simplicity is part of its power. part of lightning in a bottle is timing. i know some people have lived with this story for years, but after 4 long plague years, its sincerity speaks to me. i can’t think of a reminder i needed more than this story at this time. sometimes you really do stumble on the right story right when you need it.

anyway, this verse has gotten in my brain now so fair warning. heartstopper/osemanverse posting ahead.

[what-gs-watching]

This week on...

Ok gang. Here we go, I'm gonna start this thing in earnest.

I’m G. I'm a grown ass woman. With a house, and a dog and a husband, and a (difficult) job.

But I fucking love content. TV shows, movies, a good spotify playlist. Maybe my emotions are broken, but for the past few years, content has been the best way to feel something other than the everyday minutiae. And maybe we can thank COVID for a lot of that.

Because yo, once we went on lockdown, I just started binging. Basically, everything. While my husband was off doing his own thing (tiktok, amiright) I was watching literally EVERYTHING. And I wanted to talk about it.

So I started doing a thing. I'd rush into whatever room my husband was in and start talking at him about what I was streaming at the time. Spewing out these ridiculously terrible synopses of episodes with intricate plots, trying to boil it down so he could follow whatever it was I was ranting about because I had to express why the show was gnawing at me or making me feel shit. And most of the time he'd stare at me blankly and then chuckle.

Eventually I decided to start my rant by announcing "THIS WEEK, ON WHAT G'S WATCHING - " and bless his soul, he'd mostly tolerate my diatribes. (Around this time I was watching Fringe, and he'd know I was coming because he'd hear me scream "PREVIOUSLY ON FRINGE" about 45 minutes prior.)

At some point, I started doing it at my sister as well - this poor woman has two small babies all up in her house and I'd just be texting her about WTF was going on with my show, always announcing "this week, on what g's watching..." and every time she'd simply send back "unsubscribe."

So clearly, I hadn't found my audience. But honestly y'all, I think it's funny. And it's a way to get all of this, whatever this is, out. So I've decided maybe the best course of action is to just scream it into this dark and endless void. Maybe internet strangers will appreciate it. And maybe not. Either way, my sister will appreciate being removed from the mailing list.

All that to say: this week on what g's watching - Good Omens.

On repeat.

Am I literally in the middle of my third rewatch of the entire thing in only like, 2 weeks time? Yes. Should I be ashamed of that? Probably.

But fuck it. Season two punched me in the face and the butt and the heart and I went down a fucking rabbit hole. It may or may not be how I ended up on Tumblr (I guess I thought I was a grown ass woman). It may or may not be eating me alive.

Liking completely inappropriate memes? Check. Stumbled into some fanfiction? That's neither here nor there. Reading long-winded posts about whether it was Aziraphale's fault or Crowley's fault, wherein everyone has their own tinfoil-hat theory? Oh yeah. I'm in deep, folks.

I'm not gonna lie, it usually doesn't get this bad. I watched the entirety of Supernatural (all the while yelling "why are they so obsessed with each other? I don't understand why I'm still watching this!" through FIFTEEN goddamn seasons) and even still, I didn't get pulled in like this. And that fandom is so crazy.

At the time I finished Supernatural, I thought it'd be my comfort show, and I restarted it. But, just kidding.

Good Omens has taken over literally everything.

So to the actual point. A ridiculous synopsis of season 2 because I can't get it out of my goddamn brain:

A sweet looking, chubby tow-headed (kind of former? retired?) angel that owns a bookshop wherein no books are ever sold, Aziraphale, and his gorgeous, hip-swiveling (retired? disgraced?) demon companion (friend? best friend? partner?) Crowley stalk around their London neighborhood hiding a dick-faced archangel who can't remember why he is such a dick-face, from both heaven and hell, while meddling in the love lives of other shop owners and talking PAST each other about what the eff is ACTUALLY going on, and ALSO flashing back to 6,000 years worth of their own ridiculously adorable and infuriating interactions.

It's a fucking love story, kids. In the worst and most beautiful ways possible. And I just. can't.

And so. I guess, here we are? This may or may not turn into anything. But for now. Shouting into the void…

[museenkuss]

Thank you for your nonjudgmental and thorough response.

I guess you can say I started reading that stuff last summer, unplanned. I was looking thru some tags and I stumbled upon a Rey/Ben solo one. Just clicked and read it without even realizing what I was getting into.

And after I saw the tags, I was scared tbh. I felt gross but it only made me curious to know why a big chunk of authors were writing this trope. And even more people reading it. So I got into it.

After awhile it became cathartic. I read it not because I found sexual pleasure in it, but I could see my naive self as a teenager in these characters. I was sexually assaulted a lot by strangers and related men. Till the point that I didn’t even physically react after awhile. This was me growing up in a 3rd world country. Consent was an alien concept and still is.

So now my head normalizes all the dark, gore and taboo topics. For me I feel freer everytime I read some fucked up shit. But I’d KILL someone if they went after someone young IRL. I’d protect them with my life. I don’t okay that shit IRL.

I just get lost in the fictional world. And I know it’s bad, trying to get outside that mental state but whenever I read fluffy stuff I don’t find enjoyment in it.

Sorry this got a lot. And I hope it doesn’t weird you out. I just felt like sharing it with you.

Thank you for sharing! I'm incredibly sorry you've had these experiences, that's beyond horrible. My heart goes out to you and I hope you're at a safe place where you can heal and grow.

In general - but especially with this context - I just need to say again that reading dark stories (or engaging with dark topics in fiction in general) doesn't make you a bad person. Fluffy stories aren't for everyone. There's a little webcomic that came to mind that you might've come across on tumblr already with the caption "different stories resonate with different people". Maybe it's a little more focused on the writer, but it's still very relevant here I think. To me, it really summarised the whole question of "why do you read/write stuff like that????" - Because sometimes, it helps.

That's why it made me sad when you said you "know it's bad", because really, reading those stories isn't a bad thing. You're reading something, that's all. That's not hurting anyone. I know I keep repeating myself but I know we can feel shame or guilt about things we engage with or have an interest in and I don't want you to feel that way. It seems that you found yourself reading something that resonated with you based on your experiences. That doesn't make you a bad person.

Also, you're not alone in this. Finding certain tags and being shocked, intrigued, curious or scared, and then doing research, reading some more, reading a lot more - it's not uncommon at all. It happened to me, too. Sometimes, I look back at stories I was super invested in and liked a lot and am surprised at how dark they are. But then I think that at the time, they helped me in some way. I read them for a reason, maybe I needed to read them. I don't feel guilty for that. Maybe in the future I'll look back at stuff I'm reading right now and will be equally shocked, but right now that's what I want to read for one reason or another.

If you start to notice that it's actively making you miserable, I'd advise you to switch gears for a while because sometimes, we can be stuck in a downward spiral and (intentionally, maybe) make ourselves miserable. I've been there before and found myself binge watching south park (of all things) because it made me feel horrible and I was sad and stressed. In that case, I had to tell myself at some point "this isn't helping me, I just end up feeling worse about myself, also I'm procrastinating doing things I have to do or enjoy doing by doing something I don't enjoy." - if that sounds familiar, maybe try stepping away. In either case, be kind with yourself.

This got SO long again, but I hope it was still a little helpful. Again, I'm sending a lot of love!

[its-all-ineffable]

Fandom Focus #26

Interview with the Vampire 2022 - Yep so this is still number one! I've written 19 fics for this show so far, read basically most of the fics published for it and keep re-watching it like there's no tomorrow. I can't describe how much this show has taken over my life, I adore it.

Stranger Things - I've started re-watching this again recently, and I'm already up to season 4, and I just always forget how much I adore this show, and my fave ships from it. Also been reading a load of Steddie fics (yes I love Steddie, but I also love Hellcheer and I'm not one of those asshole fans so don't judge please) and I just am having so much fun being into it again! Also, Eddie is my baby and I love him.

His Dark Materials - Season 3, the final season came out, and my mum and I binged it over the first weekend it was out. It broke my heart and filled it with light, and it was the perfect, bittersweet ending. Everyone should go watch this show on BBC iPlayer or HBO Max or wherever you can find it, because it is perfection.

Also still in love with The Batman 2022 and I've been working through The Vampire Chronicles books - I'm on Queen of the Damned now! Really enjoyed The Vampire Lestat!

[makiema]

A different take on Titan Science and Paths

I know I include a lot of religious spiel in my SnK rambles but, this time, I'd like to point out some of the scientific or rather, sci-fi tropes associated with the plot. Most of the generic shows tend to pull in the same old LSD bs to try and justify that the mind can possibly access a different dimension or plane when nerves are stimulated in a certain way. Now, often these dimensions are there all along but invisible and inaccessible to normal people for a variety of reasons. It is all an elaborate theoretical physics ass pull but, SnK has actually left plenty of hints down the line. So, I'd just throw in a few proofs of conventional sci-fi motifs which indicate that all the mysteries in the SnK verse will be resolved by logic in the end rather than the endgame being a pragmatic win of humanity over the devil.

• In Episode 6 of Season 1, where we actually see the 'awakening' of the Ackerman power, we get a glimpse of the brain.

Mikasa's brain is shown to be getting 'charged'. It's indicative of greater ion activity in the nervous system and therefore, the body is now basically capable of super human actions. It becomes overtly sensitive, more aware and muscle power increases considerably. This is probably the most common method of showing how the mind can enter a state of hypersensitivity and when it does so, it can open 'gates' into a different dimension. I think something similar happens to Mikasa here. Her Ackerman instincts are activated and she can 'draw power' via Paths from a dimension where the source of superhuman powers, i.e. OG Ymir resides.

• Next, when talking about Paths, Eren comments that PATHS connects all the Subjects of Ymir but are invisible to them.

So, it is fair to assume that Paths is in a different dimension that we cannot access. But, some people are privileged enough to open a gate in this dimension and draw strength from it when in a dire situation. That'd be the Ackermans. We know Kenny went full rage mode on the MPs because he was pushed to the edge during the Ackerman oppression period. Mikasa activated her powers when Eren's words struck a chord in her. The powers cannot be accessed only when an Ackerman is in danger. They have to consciously work their brain, focus and put up a real fight in order to open the gate. It could mean that Ackermans have special sensory organs that can somewhat perceive Paths and draw strength from there, unlike other Eldians. They have inherent superior abilities, thanks to their fundamental genetic make up.

• Now, let's come to the Titan Serum. The whole act of making a person a lab rat dates back to the World Wars when the idea of biological warfare first emerged. There's a lot of controversies regarding illegal researches that supposedly took place during the War era. War prisoners were often injected with narcotics and experimented upon. So, in light of SnK that has war references galore, it can be assumed that the Titan Serum is actually a super strong narcotic; it can work the nervous system even to an extent where it is possible to access a different dimension. Hence, the Subjects of Ymir (actually subjects of Titan experiments) are connected via Paths that run through that dimension. It can be said that the serum is a drug that helps to draw tremendous power from an alternate world. Opening such a portal would need or produce a lot of energy. This justifies both the lightning striking down and the heat generated during a Titan transformation. Lightning occurs because of charge flow. If there's a big enough created potential difference in the nerves owing to the effect of narcotics, it isn't improbable for a lightning discharge to take place. And, flowing of this huge amount of charge/electricity is what emits the heat/fire.

• Also, let's examine how Titans are killed and how Reiner's plot armor was used during RTS. Titans can be killed only by cutting their napes with a clean stroke. The nape is the pivotal part of the Nervous System. Consciousness, connection, coordination- the nape governs everything. So, severing the nape is equivalent to cutting off the body's ability to work by interpreting signals given off by the brain. Therefore, the effect of the drug is lost and hence, the grotesque flesh that supposedly comes from "thin air" sublimes as nothing can sustain it in this dimension anymore.

But, here Eren confirms they don't just appear from thin air but are actually sent through Paths. The mind or consciousness, under the effect of the serum, controls this passage. So, it's natural for this transmission to stop if the anatomical structure that deals with consciousness transfer throughout the body is ripped off. We know in RTS Levi impaled Reiner's neck with his blades but, he pulled one on Levi using the "consciousness transfer" trick. This theory explains the deus ex machina Isayama employed in that arc using Reiner. After all, it's the consciousness that's only important because the serum is primarily involved with that.

• Now, how does wounds invoke the Titan Power? We know wounds are a sign that the body is in some danger and that it needs power to overcome it. So, this is a valid cause for the brain to try to draw power out of desperation. The rest is just like how I explained regarding Ackermans. However, since Ackermans don't have the serum injected, they can only awaken muscle strength. Their bodies become more agile and hypersensitive but, they cannot access the Paths or wake up in a different dimension altogether. This is because even though their genetic make up sort of entitles them with superior reflexes and great agility, the serum (which actually has the drug) is required to open the portal to the World of Titan Power.

• The World of Titan Power sounds so far fetched but , these all are already very controversial speculations so I might as well roll with it. In my opinion, the World of Titan Power is nothing but the dimension that OG Ymir opened when she first consumed "the source of all organic matter". There actually is a certain mixture that is considered a source of all organic matter. It is a composition of some gases that when charged with electricity can produce amino acids which bind to form proteins and which then morphs into muscles. So, if Ymir did in fact ingest something like that we can say that when the lightning hit, it caused her to morph into a big grotesque mass of protein chunks, namely the First Titan. In Frankenstein, something similar happened - there's this fateful lightning strike which suddenly gives life to the monster Victor created out of scratch. We cannot entirely discard the possibility of this to have occured. This also explains why all Subjects of Ymir are connected. Given that Ymir had digested something that powerful, her genes must have been permanently mutated. This led all the subsequent generations of her race to have the ability to exercise the power she gained from "the source of all organic matter".

• The non-linearity of time : I'm no science expert but in Einstein's theory of relativity he mentioned something about time being non - linear and space-time being essentially four dimensional. What I suspect Paths is, is basically the connector in this 4D realm.

This panel is further corroboration to the claim that Paths has no existence in the 3 dimensional reality we're familiar with. Therefore, the concept of time doesn't exist, at least not as being linear. Rather, there is no clear distinction between past and future. Eren Kruger can see the future, Eren can see moments into the future, there's this overriding dejá vu feeling. The relativity theory or Lagrangian logic ( which works along the lines of relativity) considers the future to influence the past. Of course, all these theories are valid only in the quantum level, but even so, sci-fi tends to accept it to work even at a normal level. This comes with a catch of course - it requires the mind to be under the influence of powerful drugs or chemicals that are associated with incredible nerve activities or the beginning of life, etc. Even besides Einstein, some Eastern cultures apparently believe in the non-linearity of time. The concept has been traditionally hypothesized for a long, long time judging from Mayan calendars, ancient tribal relics, etc. So, one may say that Isayama is drawing from all this rich history associated with time travel or time being non - linear. It is a top-notch plot device that is known to shock the readers when explained, whatever be the perspective.

• The existence of a different dimension can mean tampering with any and all known realities we find acceptable. That OG Ymir is active in that dimension isn't much of a surprise. Because, even though she's dead in this realm, her consciousness that posseses the "source of all organic matter" cannot be called dead. Rather, it can be said that it is passed on to that dimension and will live there eternally.

In fact Eren is hinting at that dimension when he talks about the single coordinate. After OG Ymir died in this world, we know her powers are divided by means of cannibalism as seen in the Season 2 ending. Now the Founding Titan, which I believe is sort of like a pure-breed member of the bloodline, is the domineering one given the closest semblance to OG Ymir's DNA. Therefore, she is established as the main overseer of Paths that allow for the inter-dimensional travel. Given that her powers are superior, it doesn't come as a big surprise that she can access the consciousness of her other descendants and delete memories and stuff. A similar thing can be said about Zeke's screams which gives him control over mindless titans. Zeke posseses royal blood and all of this is possible only because the Founding Titan, containing OG Ymir's blood, is actually the gate keeper of the gate that helps draw power from this dimension that belongs to her. Also, let us take note of how Isayama specifically talks about "spinal fluid". I mean it's not just any other body part or fluid or not even blood, but always the spinal fluid that is at the centre of the Titan transformation thing. This indicates that everything is essentially depended on the consciousness or the nervous system. So, the serum may as well be a strong stimulator that makes it possible for the mind to tread on Paths which lead to the dimension where OG Ymir is looming, where all her powers (and the Founding Titan) are looming.

• So what about Zeke's rebirth? Well, the whole rebirth or respawn ass pull is Christian symbolism at it's absolute best. It is very clearly suggestive of Jesus Christ and His resurrection. But, in the context of this being part of a time hack or dimension hack or whatever, it still boils down to the fact that "the source of all organic matter" that Eldians posses is actually dormant, parasitic life form so, when its host is in danger and about to die, it'll cause the brain of the host to take a leap into Ymir's dimension where she can give first-aid treatment to her Subject. (Lol this sounds so sketchy but anything happens in sci-fis once you can sneak into a different dimension). This, also explains why when a Titan shifter dies, another, yet unborn, baby inherits the power. The "source of all organic matter" can be thought of as the earliest primordial parasitic life form that seeks to survive no matter what. So, when one host dies, it enters another host via Paths that connect all the host bodies.

In Eren's words, distance and blood has nothing to ditch the transmission. This is even more evidence that everything has to do with consciousness and the 4D plane wherein lies Paths that can establish connections with all the Subjects that bear the same genes.

In conclusion, one of the themes, albeit minor, in SnK is Science Vs Religion. With the advent of science and technology in modern day Marley, it is very likely that the story will be scientifically resolved. We have heard Magath say time and again that they cannot depend on Titan powers forever and that there has to be other technological advancements. In fact, with blimps and everything and even the military thinking of "flying Titans" there's no knowing how greatly progressive Science was in that timeline. If we go back to the early chapters, we have the instances of the Order of the Church, the hegemonic insiders of Wall Sina, the so called peace-keepers in the MP. And then, in Willy Tybur's speech we have the story of Helos (the hero) and the Devil (the root of all evil). All of it is can be categorised under religious brain washing that is essential to veil the truth and to carry on with oppression. However, the SC has always fought against conventions; they dared to go outside the walls, both literally and metaphorically. The upper echelons in Marley brainwashed the public into believing that erasing a whole race off the face of Earth is peace. Willy Tybur can be said to have pulled in all the Helos and Devil crap to stage a fake didactic ideal for the Marleyans. They're made to believe that they'd be mini Helos-es if they supported genocide, much like how the Nick would tell the masses that the walls are apparently God's creations and humans aren't supposed to tinker with them. But, we see how the plot progressed by discarding such myths and by relying heavily on reason, rationale, logic and science the SC would finally tear down these walls that were hiding the truth of the world. So, it's very likely that the Devil plus Helos was just Willy Tybur's creation and in reality everything actually has to deal with science and reason (like warping of time-space or some shit like that). And, true freedom can be achieved only when Eren breaks down the walls of ignorance, unlocks these truths and reveal to the world the falseness in Willy Tybur's little fairy tale. Remember in Chapter 112 how Eren said that ignorance is the biggest impediment to freedom?

Well, it might have been a foreshadowing all along. The key to freedom is knowledge. As long as the world is ignorant and buying whatever bullshit is thrown at them, it'll remain a slave to falsehood and fantasies. All the problems of racism, oppression, etc. will continue if people keep believing whatever they're fed by the upper brass of the society when they're confused. Only when the world is aware, educated and knowledgeable can it tear down the walls of misunderstanding between the two races and stop the oppression. This would consequently lead to the freedom Eren has always hoped to achieve- the freedom to live in this world that belongs to them without being ostracized by anyone because "everyone is special from the moment they are born".

[spideyspeaches]

Gold Rush ↬ t.h

Gif by @parkeraul :)

A/N: I'm in love with that song 🙈 also here's my super late contribution of professor!tom 😋 cause I've been procrastinating on the wandavision au (in my defence though, it's taking a lot of brainstorming 😂) anyway here you go-

Wc: 2.6k+

Warnings: lemme know if you find one :)

Summary: He taught British History and you chastise yourself for not auditing for that subject earlier.

Pairing: Professor!Tom x Student!Reader

Masterlist || Taglist

Waking up with a start, you groan at the shrill sound of your alarm. With a sigh that was more of a grunt of annoyance, you tried to reach for your phone at the side table, hissing when you felt the corner of your elbow hit the table, pain shooting up to your shoulder. 

Great, you weren't even up yet and your day was already going shitty. You just hoped that your professor won't be grumpy about you being late for the millionth time this semester. 

You hated cultural architecture. You had nothing against the course, but You hated your professor with a passion and wished that you could burn your textbooks for all you cared, right in front of your teacher's eyes, watch him writhe in fear as you banished the very existence of your material. 

You were being dramatic, but in your defence, your professor was an old bastard who never left an opportunity to reprimand you, going as far as letting you know how uneven your margins were on your latest project. 

He wore birkenstocks with a three piece. You wouldn't trust him with your assignments. 

Getting out of your dorm room was work, hard work. But you got out, brushed your teeth and wore what you hoped were presentable clothing. 

"You look hungover." Your roommate, Stacy, commented, spitting in the sink as you scowled at her. 

She was straightforward, outspoken and somehow managed to look like one of those Victoria secrets models that you loathed, even at seven in the morning. You hated her. 

(You didn't.)

"Thanks, I hope I smell too. Want that son of a bitch- what's his name, Wilson, to suffer for giving me that C minus on my thesis." You grumbled, rubbing your hands through your hair to flat them out. 

"You really hate him, don't you." She snickered, popping off her shirt. You tried not to look, not wanting to come off as a pervert, but damn, she was fit. You contemplated her words, frowning at your own reflection. 

You looked disheveled, the dark eye bags under your eyes very apparent as you tried to mask them with foundation, setting your hair for the millionth time. Oh well, you were presentable enough. Sweatpants would have to do for your only class today, you could binge Netflix after this wretched class. 

"I do. I hope his third wife divorces him and he loses his thermos of coffee in the subway." You said, adding your look finally before wearing your shoes. 

"That's cruel, didn't know you had it in you." She snickered, patting your back and following you as you closed the door, "Well I have to go to my boring science lectures now so, see you later hun." 

"Yeah, enjoy your chemistry period with your boyfriend!" You cheered sarcastically, rolling your eyes and hugging her to tell her that you were only joking. Your relationship was this, of jokes and hugs and kisses. You considered her your best friend. 

Rushing towards the gates of your university, you hastily tightened your loosening hair tie, adjusting the straps of your bags. You were pretty sure you had broken your record of being late to your class. You may hate the professor, but you actually enjoyed the subject. 

Wheezing as you ran past the late comers, you nodded at the receptionist, hastily signing yourself in. You would blame your clumsiness for what happened next, because one second you were fixing your sande on the foot of the fountain, and next thing you knew you were crashing into a firm body, your nose hitting the random stranger’s chest.

"I’m so sorry! I’m kinda late to class and I wasn’t looking and- whoa, ow.” You rushed your words, groaning when you felt blood rush from your head to toe, nose throbbing with double vision, a reminder of your clumsiness. 

“Whoa, hey calm down, it’s okay, I wasn’t looking either.” The stranger said, his thick South Western accent snapping you out of your self pity. 

You felt blood rush to your cheeks instead, not anticipating your face in a flush this early in the morning, when you got a good look at the stranger. He was good looking, in his black high turtleneck and brown checkered pants. He had a small leather satchel clutched in his hands, face looking as flushed as you felt when you realised that you had been gawking at him.

He was probably no older than his mid twenties, making you wonder what he was doing in your university. He was too old to be a student, and too young to be a professor. But then again, you wouldn't judge him for joining college late.

Right? 

"S-sorry, you um, you must be really late, you should go." He stuttered, your heart fluttering at his dimpled chin and thick accent. His eyes were gleaming in the morning sun, captivating in a way that left you in awe. 

"Um yeah, I am." You nodded, composing yourself, hoping that you didn't look too sleep deprived or disheveled, "where are you going, if you don't mind me asking."  

"Um, the architecture wing?" He said, unconsciously stepping besides you.

"Oh, I'm going that way. Is it your first time coming here? Haven't seen you around." You asked, trying not to stare at his sharp jawline and the way the morning sun hit him just right, illuminating and accentuating his curly brown hair. 

"Yeah, it's my first lecture, so um, looks like I'm late too." He smiled. It was infectious, you noticed as you mirrored his expression. 

"Oh, you're a student?" 

"Actually, I'm a professor. Just transferred from UCL." 

So you were right, he was a professor. He looks so young though. You thought, nodding at him, your thoughts interrupted by his laugh. Looking at him with confusion, you raised an eyebrow. 

"Yeah, everyone says that. I started right after finishing graduation so, I guess I'm not much older than you." He smiled, kicking the small pebbles littered around the set grassy ground. It had just rained, the smell of wet ground still fresh. 

"I said that out loud didn't I?" You smirked, ducking your head to hide. 

"You did." 

Entering the building, you realised that you hadn't asked which subject he taught, crossing your fingers and hoping that he would replace the old bastard that taught you cultural architecture. 

"I forgot to ask, which lecture do you teach?" You asked, looking for your class in the end. The hallways were empty, it was way past your first lecture and all the students were already in the auditorium. 

"Oh, uh, British History." He answered. You didn't let disappointment show too much on your face, smiling shyly before gesturing towards the class, "that's you." 

"Oh, um thank you." He smiled, pursing his thin lips together as he walked towards the class. You could hear screaming of the students as you both neared the classroom, you still standing by the door, "I didn't get your name." 

His question snapped you out of your disappointed gaze, 

"Oh, it's Y/n. Y/n L/n." You said with a smile. 

"Pleasure to meet you Y/n, I'm Thomas Holland, but you can call me Tom." He said awkwardly, before turning back to his class, who had yet to notice him.

"The pleasure's all mine Professor." 

For the first time in your college life, you didn't feel like tearing your hair off during your lecture, your thoughts wandering around. You wanted to berate yourself for not paying attention, but your thoughts kept going there. 

It was funny, how you met him not long ago and he was already taking up residence in your brain. You could not control your feelings after all. Something akin to nausea or excitement eased into your stomach when you pictured his smile, his black turtleneck that accentuated his biceps and pectorals. The little rebellious eyebrow and the tiny scar above it. 

It made your heart flutter, everything seemingly seemed to stop around you. It scared you a bit, how You had managed to envision the little details of his face in your brain after such a short duration. 

You didn't realise that you were smiling until you felt a nudge on your side, making you nearly jump on your seat. 

"What?!" You hissed, scowling at your classmate. 

"Who're you thinking about?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows as she leaned towards you. You had known her long enough to know her name but never bothered learning, and you were too scared to ask now. 

"It's none of your business." You muttered, glancing up to see your professor scowling at a student as they stood up. 

"Well okay, but did you hear about the hot new professor? Apparently he's teaching British History, I regret not taking that as a subject now." She said, her cheeks flushed with excitement. You furrowed your brows, feeling a pang in your chest at the realisation that you were probably just another girl with a stupid crush on the hot professor, that there were already girls who would die to feel his touch. 

"How do you know about him?" You asked, raising an eyebrow as you try to act nonchalant. You weren't being subtle, apparently, because you could see her snapping her bubblegum with a smirk, leaning forward as if trading secrets. 

"You kidding right? Everyone knows about him, you got a crush on him or something?" She suggested, scooting close enough to make you squirm. 

"I literally just met him, and ew, he's a professor, why would I see him that way?" You whisper, willing your heart to stop palpitating at the thought of said professor, your gut twisting in anticipation. 

"I don't know girl, he's hot and young and so much better than this bastard." She sighed, leaning on her palm with a fake dreamy expression. 

You went back to ignoring her after that, noticing how her notebook said 'Eloise'. At least you didn't have to ask her her name now. 

Your class went surprisingly well, or maybe it was because you weren't paying attention and thinking about him again. You really needed to get a grip on yourself. 

Walking out of your class, you decided to go to the cafeteria, your stomach begging for your attention.

Setting your things on a table, you took out your phone to scroll through Instagram, before switching it off and looking around the cafeteria. You didn't know what you were expecting to see, but your stomach was gurgling with hunger and nothing made sense when you were hungry. 

Walking to grab something to eat, you pick up your bag, hanging it over one of your shoulders before getting in the line. 

Just as you were about to turn with your bun and cup of coffee, you crashed into someone for the second time that day. Cursing your clumsiness, you heard a familiar British accent curse not very colourful words, making you stumble over as you tried to wipe off the hot coffee off his shirt.

"Hey, it's okay." He said, stopping your frantic gestures by holding your wrist with his to cease any movements.

"Professor Holland! I'm so sorry, it's like, I'm just clumsy. I have no excuse." You sighed in resignation, mentally facepalming at spilling your coffee at the hot professor. 

"It's okay darling, I've had much worse spilled on me." He smirked, his hand still holding on to yours. You had started walking away from the location, and yet his hand didn't let go, "You know, I used to babysit during my college days." 

"Oh, babysitting, right of course." You chuckled awkwardly, chest heaving with the sudden close proximity with the professor, dissipating the not quite PG thought that just occurred in your mind at his words.. 

"Sorry for-" You said in unison with him, chuckling. 

"You go first." He said.

"I'm sorry for spilling coffee on You, it must have hurt and I ruined your shirt and now there's a big splotch of coffee right in the middle!" You said, circling your fingers around your palm as you walked with your back to the exit as you walked out of the cafeteria, food forgotten and him following your pace. 

Before you could continue your awkward blabber, you were standing in the garden outside, leaning against a pillar with the garden in your view looking golden in the setting sun. He was standing in your view, the shadows around his jaw making it look sharp enough to cut glass. 

Taking a breath, you looked up at his smiling form with confusion when he didn't answer, instead leant onto the pillar next to you.

"You were... gonna say something?" You reminded, smiling awkwardly as you fiddled with your fingers.

"Oh? Oh! Oh yes yes, You know, I was kind of disappointed that you weren't in my class, Mister Wilson talks very highly of you." He said, folding his arms on his chest, it made his biceps bulge. 

"He does?" You looked at him with surprise, guilt panging in your chest when you remembered yourself bad mouthing the professor not long ago. 

"Yes, says you're a bright student with a bright future." He answered, leaning his head back so that his neck was exposed, Adam's Apple bobbing as he gulped, his hair falling into place perfectly against his forehead. The arch of his neck was beautiful, tracing it with your eyeballs as you imagined which other curves of his were as beautiful, immediately dismissing those thoughts, chastising yourself for thinking such a way of a professor. 

"That's… sweet of him. I've never heard him compliment me once in the two and half years I've been in his class." You chuckle, leaning your elbow on the pillar to get a better look at his side profile. 

"Hmm, he says he's hard on you because he wants you to do your best..." 

You stopped listening past that, your breath growing more erratic the more he talked, his smooth voice washing over you like warm honey with a squeeze of lemon. Swallowing a sudden lump in your throat, your heart leaping, leaving you nauseous and in a dream like trance. 

Tom noticed immediately, noticing your slouched posture as you stared at him with a small smile, the upturn of your lips so inviting that he almost dived in, wanting to know the feeling of them what they felt like against his. 

He wasn't the kind to date his students, in fact, he rarely dated after joining uni and becoming a professor. 

He strictly believed that student/teacher relationships should end in only a professional non romantic set up. That was all up until he crashed into you that morning. 

You had been in his mind all day, stirring him crazy as he imagined your smile, the way your eyes lit up when you talked about your subject of interest, the say your fingers fiddled with the ring you wore on your index finger. 

He wondered if this feeling would last forever or become a vague memory, an attraction of hearts that didn't last but felt good till it did. If he was rushing, or if you even felt the same way. 

He was smart, of course that's how he became a teacher, but he still couldn't place your feelings. 

So when he saw you staring at him, his heart leaping in his throat at your adorable smile, the only logical answer his brain gave was that you liked him too. Temporary attraction or not, he wasn't one to look a gift horse in it's mouth. 

Next thing he knew your lips were crashing onto his, your chest pressed against his firmly as your hands reached up to the base of his neck. 

Your fingers were soft, tongue swishing against his as he opened his mouth to let you enter. His hands automatically reach for your waist, holding onto firmly as he slammed you against the pillar. 

The sun was nearly down, the last of the rays hitting the garden, lighting you both up in a golden glow that left you breathless with a fire raging in your souls. 

"What do you say that I audit for British history? I'd like to learn more lessons from you, Professor Holland." You said, breathless against his chest, hiding your nose against his sternum, blood rushing to your ears as his warm hand burned against the bare skin underneath your shirt. 

"That would be great darling, anything to see your pretty smile every morning." 

A/N: let me know what you think! :)

[cellard0ors]

Two things: 1) Does this mean you’re getting on the Eddissy train? and 2) Saw your tags on the “write the batshit crazy stuff” post about your next Hackearney fic idea and put me down as excited and slightly scared. But mostly excited.

Lol - yeah, it's a weird time for me.

If you'd told me a few years ago that I'd

A) Find Robert Pattinson and Ted Raimi attractive

&

B) Would actually find hetero ships I like.

I would've been quite skeptical.

Yet here we are!

The Batman making me dig Pattinson and my getting a chance to see Ted on his own in something dark and delicious (never did watch Xena growing up - shame in reflection, cause I totes dug guys like Joxer back then - ala - my obsession with Chandler Bing) getting me to dig A.

And then The Quarry and my breaking down and finally watching Stranger Things getting me to dig B.

Keep in mind, I don't hate on hetero ships (which I sometimes feel a lot of people now do) but I need a good story and chemistry to sign on.

Sadly there was a looooong line and time of hetero ships where they just slapped a man and woman together and considered that enough and it's not - not by any means.

And the fact that no one wanted to work at it is... frustrating. Now, granted, the two ships I've grown attached to are by no means actually canon ships - but the ideas and chemistry and excitement is there, so I'm locked in.

Lastly, my next hackearney idea isn't that crazy, it's just the kind of idea I'm not sure all people will dig. I highly think they will, but, y'know - I'm self conscious as fuuuuuuuck.

So, yeah - thanks for coming to my TED talk in response to your ask 🤣

[sscarchiyo]

dating them

paring: karou x gn!reader

type: headcanons

warnings: none

genre: fluff

🖇a/n: smhh we need more backstory's to come out, so we're not left in the dark :( THERES NOTHING FOR HIM ON THE WIKI PAGE EITHER😭hope you enjoy and feedback is always appreciated, have a good day <3

you work in a cafe, that's how the two of you met (THE CAFE AU SUITSS HIM, COME ON NOW😩)

was so starstruck when he saw you, he loved how you always had a smile when you conversed with costumers.

rlly nervous to talk to you, like he had come into the cafe multiple times to strike a conversation only to go back home :(

MASUMI'SSS TIME TOO SHINENEEE, so the next time he comes to the cafe masumi is with him. "just talk to em, whats the harm?" "uhhh i could mess up?" "thats why you have me" "yea, so im going to mess up"

finally he walked to the counter, masumi by his side egging him on and a smile thinking "i've got this, yea i'll be fine". but the moment you turn around and he's greeted with ur smile, he short circuits and can't talk. "hi! what can i get for you?" "....." "yea, he'd like a sandwich", masumi cuts in to talk. "sure thing anything, else?", you say still smiling. at this point karou wants to run away, surely you understand what your doing right? once again masumi talks for him, "nope, he's good". "okie, can i get a name?", you say shifting your glace back to karou is so doing anything but looking at you.

obviously you take notice of his state and instead of asking for his name again, you simply tell him the cost and in a flash you were gone

yeaaa, he knows he messed up :( he was so close to ditching, but masumi stooped him. "dude, the least you could do is take the sandwich😐". when you returned you handed him the sandwich and a drink? "um i-i didn't order a drink" "oh, i know", you said with a playful wink. As they were leaving the cafe, he remembered he hadn't told you his name and written on the cup read 'hot stranger ;)'...good job y/n, you broke him😒

he rlly likes cuddles, doesn't care the position as long as the both of you are cuddling

i feel like karou is a early riser, so he'll always and i mean always stay in bed for like 5 more mins just to watch you sleep. like the loving way (not the creepy kind💀)

with that in mind, he'll also make you breakfast. why? BECAUSE MANZ CAN COOK, HE'S LIKE GORDAN RAMSSEY WITHOUT THE ATTITUDE. he cooks, not because he feels like he needs to, but that he wants to. If the oni n momo weren't at war n stuff 101% he'd be a chief

karou also loves to leave you notes, all types. good luck notes, good morning notes, good night notes, notes when ur sad, notes when you forget something. he just loves them😌

HE'S A GIFT GIVER, NOT THE EXPSENIVE KIND. BUT THE KIND THAT'LL MAKE U CRY CUZ IT'S SO THOUGHHTFULL😭

he loves to plan dates too. he'll take u to the beach, but at nightime when the moon is full. maybe back to the cafe, where yall first met. or simply ordering takeout and binging some sort of tv series with you

sorry, but masumi weill be stalking ur dates. it's canon and with that being said. he'll be hiding anywhere where you can't see him or he'll simply use his ablity for the time being. oh and he'll be facetiming mudano and oiranzaka too💀

karou is also a user of corny/cheesy pickup lines. he's done his research and he's been waiting for the moment to arrive 😌

he’s a hand holder, HAND HOLDER. his hands are super warm, for like no reason and it’s great especially in cold weather. also likes to hold your pinky cuz he thinks it’s cute :)

I feel liked karou has a good sense of direction, so he’s always driving. If you’re not good at driving or you just don’t want to? Dw y/n he’d love to drive you around....but you better be paying for gas money 😒 oh and if you’re they type to get lost easily, he’ll make you wear those shirts that say ‘if lost, call the number on the shirt’

If you’re just as chaotic as masumi? then karou is no longer ur bf, but ur babysitter 💀 Masmui gets you in all types of trouble, I’m positive karou had to bail the both of you out of jail once 😣

[foenixs]

omg noo, what's this movie w kento?? I'm from another country so sometimes things don't get on my netflix after a few months or so.

i tried watching dynasty but it was too much drama for me. but stranger things!!! i love it. the trailer for the next season already came out so i think it shouldn't be too long before it drops!

and i put mad for each other on my watchlist! i recently started a kdrama, cinderella and the four knights. mainly because of park so dam. and i watched all 15 episodes but i just can't watch the last one because i don't want it to end. I'll watch one of these days. but. i just been pushing back lol. and i also really liked true beauty. like yes it's cheesy as fuck but i watched the beginning of this year when i was having a really dark time and it really helped me forget about it all. so. it's just special to me. and also was my first kdrama ever.

- 🍦

It's called "The Door Into Summer", it's a Netflix original so it should be available in most countries.

Yeah, Dynasty is not for everyone but I personally love it, I especially love the badass female characters aka Fallon and Monica! I saw the teasers for Stranger Things too but they keep pushing the release date back

Let me know what you think of the show! It's sadly super underrated (mad for each other)

And oof I know that feel all too well, I usually binge watch the first 10 to 12 episodes of a kdrama and then I can't get myself to finish it, partly cause I'll miss the characters too much and partly cause the tempo usually slows down a lot and each episodes feels so much longer. My first kdrama was Boys over Flowers xD I watched it like 6 years ago and even back then I had to force myself through it, which is kind of why I didn't watch any kdramas for years afterwards cause I thought all of them were that damn slow and cliché. But in the last 5 years so many amazing kdramas have come out that try to challenge the clichés, show more strong female characters and more diversity in general and I've been finding more and more great shows to watch.

[commanderserwin]

Hi, I absolutely love your work, I've binged your masterlist over the last few days and they're fab!

I was wondering if I could request an imagine where the reader is a tattoo artist and Erwin or Levi (or both) come in to get a tattoo and during the session they talk forever and bond loads. And then afterwards they come in more often to ask about tattoo aftercare or to book another appointment. Whether they end up platonic or romantic is up to you. Thank you so much ❤❤

✧ notes. hello there !! u love my works ??? i will now cry forever and a half as my thanks— but really thank u!! it means a lot ily already !!! but hello,,, here we go with this au!! i changed it a lil so i hope that’s still okay!! hope u like this one !! enjoy ♡

✧ more. italicized paragraphs = flashbacks (when erwin was getting his tat done!)

— with your name on it? with erwin smith.

“don’t you have someplace else to go?” you asked, pushing yourself on the swivel stool as it squeaked, “work to do— or something else?”

erwin looked up from his phone, coffee on his other hand as he smiled, “i do, actually.”

“then, why are you here?”

well, what was he supposed to say, he thought. would it be better for him to say it outright that perhaps the reason why he has been in your shop ever since he got his tattoo done months ago is simply because he likes your company?

that because he spent eight hours with you, all alone in a room with nothing but soft music and the mechanical hum of the tattoo machine as well as the needles and something called attraction gave him enough confidence and courage to visit you always?

that because those eight hours were filled with his incessant questions of aftercare that he has probably already memorized from numerous online articles mingled with your gentle voice as you explained it behind the mask and the light hands that literally painted his skin?

that even despite those questions, conversation flowed smoothly like the rivers, each question topping each other, as it builds up to a continuous childhood stories up to university ones and the now?

intimate and not— stories shared confidently and comfortably between strangers that he found himself wanting to build a relationship that goes beyond being a customer and employee?

you?

erwin smiled, placing his phone down as he handed his cup of coffee to you— bottling it all up.

with a shrug, you accepted it, moving back to your front desk as you waited for you appointments to come. you tried to avoid his stares whenever he would stay, but it has become his habit that it was a little troubling at first since panic clouded your minds that perhaps the reason why he is here is because you messed up his tattoo?

the big tattoo that you have worked on for two days— the one that covered his left shoulder and back, down to his triceps and biceps as it finishes off just below his elbow. from the corner of your eyes, you suspected nothing and something at the same time as the dark ink became a contrast to his white button down, and it didn’t help that whenever he would even turn a little, the hint of the feathered wing would greet you.

“hello, what can i do for you?”

a second ago he leaned on the desk with confidence seeping at his clean suit as his eyes twinkled with courage as his smile never wavered.

then a second after, he opened his mouth, shaking his head as he pointed back to the door— backing away from you until he got a hold of the knob, hesitation plastered on his face.

“you can come back if you’re ready,” you smiled, watching the tall man exit quickly, his bag hitting the door twice as he darted to the night with nothing but scared look on his face.

then a minute after— the bell chimed again.

this time, he stood before the desk with his clasped hands on it, clearing his throat as he looked around the small tattoo shop. it was decent, neon lights just around to make it pop, minimalistic in a way, as necessary instruments were kept in sterilized storages.

“you’re back,” you commented, standing up to meet his eyes, “what can i do for you?”

“i’m planning to get a tattoo.” he announced more to himself as he unfolded the paper from his pocket. he straightened it out on the surface, as you inspected it. “will this be okay?”

the art was beautiful. a dark feathered wing, all darkly shaded that would immediately be a huge contrast to his pale skin and light eyes. you looked back at him— your mind already working as to where he would probably want this, and with a big tattoo like this, it would simply and most likely cover his whole back or shoulder.

that scared erwin smith who once came in to get his first tattoo, his voiced laced with hesitation and nervousness— now sits smug and comfortably in the place where he showed deep reluctance in getting his body art.

“stop daydreaming, your customers might come,” erwin commented, his eyes busy on his phone as a teasing smile graces on his face.

“i wasn’t,” you muttered, flipping through the stencils as you sighed— snapping yourself out, or him out of your thoughts.

but he stayed, very much there, firmly planted and deep into your mind.

“will this be your first tattoo?”

when he stayed silent for a few seconds, you took notice how his chest rise up and down quicker than expected and it was all the answer you needed.

“with a tattoo this big— i have no problems of doing this,” you explained, pushing the paper to him as he folded it once more, still leaving it on the surface, “but you have to be sure, because once we start on it, there is n—.”

“no going back,” he completed, absentmindedly touching his shoulder blades.

he thought about this a million times always never having the time to do it or truthfully having enough courage— but as times he has walked by your small shop increased, it inticed him that probably it was time. so, he took a few days off of his work— making sure that he won’t back down.

erwin stayed there for a couple of minutes, sometimes coming over to your spot as he showed you random pictures of the most random things.

and he’s been doing it for the past months.

at the beginning it was him coming over and unbuttoning his work shirt for you to check up on his wing tattoo— always, always, even with every check there has been no problem.

at the middle, he suddenly went by to your shop numerous times while you cleaned each area, with a coffee cup as a ‘thank you.’

and now, it was just erwin and his company— him staying even for a few minutes or hours as he talked to you, asked about your day— mixing tattoo aftercare questions, possibly to give him and you enough reason and answer for his frequent visits.

but eventually all good things come to an end.

“i have to go,” erwin brushed his trousers, rolling the sleeves of his white button-down shirt, making you look up with a slight pout and furrowed brows.

“already?” you caught yourself saying, standing up as you followed himself towards the door.

“weren’t you just making me leave a couple of minutes ago?” he smiled, stopping by the door as he blocked it.

something inside you thumped— heat rushing into your skin as you shifted your weight on your other foot, placing a hand on your hip as you tilted your chin towards his tall stature.

it took approximately eight hours to do erwin’s tattoo, and now his left upper back adorned a dark feathered wing that expands down to his arm. it took him a few minutes to process that it was finished, that now he has finally gotten his first tattoo, and that it hurt so much which means that it was indeed— real.

“what do you think?” you sighed, placing the tattoo machine back on the metal table, slouching on the stool as erwin glanced up and down his back with the mirror, the blank ink and the redness fighting.

“holy hell.”

erwin sat back on the stool, it hurt to use his shoulder but it was well worth it— the feathered wing was so intricate and delicately inked down, even seeing the smallest detail that made it everything he really wanted.

“right!” you breathed, taking your gloves off as you pushed your stool towards him, plastic wrapping his shoulder as you sternly looked at him, “keep this wrap on for a few hours, wash your hands before touching your tattoo—please. and remember to only wash this with unscented soap, and apply petroleum ointment on it after. understood?”

“understood,” erwin answered, wincing slightly as you wrapped his shoulder— and once you were done, he was back with admiring it more as you cleaned the area.

“and you come back if you have any questions, all right?”

“of course,” erwin breathed, finding his shirt as he unfolded it from the table.

“here, let me,” you stood before him, hands ready to stretch out his shirt as he bent his neck down.

maybe it was the universe that stopped as your eyes met with his blue ones, maybe it was the hitched breaths from the close proximity— or maybe it was just the lighting that showed apparent pinking of cheeks, the blush coming up from his neck.

maybe time really did slow down when the cliched sparks would happen.

erwin looked back, a questioning look on his face as he matched the scowl that slightly formed on your face— before gently flicking your forehead which only made you fight down a smile that was trying to escape.

you rolled your eyes, crossing your arms as your mind ran for something, anything, to keep him here— or not, as it left you a bit conflicted on what you possibly want.

an idea is what you needed, a reason is what you needed, and when you merged those two together— you looked up with a single tap on his shoulder, “don’t you need to get that cleaned or... checked on? how long has it been?”

“five months,” erwin answered, leaning his back on the door— closing everybody off who would even try to intervene. “i do think it’s healed already.”

“...right,” you breathed, pulling away a step further with a tight-lipped smile on your face as your glorious idea and reason gloriously failed. come back again— tonight or tomorrow, you thought. “then, bye.”

erwin watched you walk away from him, slouched shoulders and all as you flopped down on your favorite swivel chair, a pencil already in hand as your busy scribbles echoed together with the beat of his heart and the perfectly fitted romantic song that played.

it took him a minute.

then a minute after, erwin called your name, making you rest your chin on your balled fist as you waited for his words.

“say,” he began, his palm covering his heart— either him feeling it rush or just because this is where he’s gathering his courage from, “i’m planning to get another tattoo.”

“oh?”

“above my heart?” erwin announced, smiled— watching you nod seriously as you took on his another project, “and i want a heart on top of it.”

“i guess we could do that,” you absentmindedly said, striding towards him as you tapped his heart with the end of your pencil. “just a heart?”

time stopped again as erwin watched your eyes twinkle against the light. the edges of your lips turned into a small smile, and erwin thought that he could burst right there and then.

“with your name on it?”