ESCAPING INTO A SHIP
So what exactly made me latch onto the Sydcarmy ship like a leech on a water buffalo?
It was unexpected (for me)! Yes, the very first meeting between Syd and Carm did make an impact. I thought "Oooh, what's this?!" However, Carmy was/is such a mess that I quickly dismissed it. And Sydney just seemed to want his professional approval and a partner in making something great after the soul-crushing failure of Sheridan. So, the first season I personally didn't feel a mutual sexual/romantic tension, more like an automatic respect and shared goals/passions. Sydney nor Carm were obviously trying to flirt. Most slow burns on TV are 100% obvious like a Jeanine and Gregory (Abbott Elementary), Nick and Jess (New Girl), Jake and Amy (Brooklyn 99), Jim and Pam (The Office)...Until Braciole Ep. 8 that is.
S. 1 Episode 8- I won't get into everything but Carmy was desolate. Yes, he became a psycho chef and two people quit in Ep.7. However, he mourned Sydney more than Marcus. She was in his flashback/nightmare (?), then the way he told Tina that she looked like Syd (the poor pup), him texting her before opening the note from Mikey, and finally the most gorgeous locked gaze scene since Pride and Prejudice (2005). The soft lighting, the music, the colors, the mind-reading...magical. I still didn't get it initially. Silly, blind me.
Mentorship where??? Season 2 Carm and Syd's "mentorship" dynamic is pretty much over. They are true partners and spending more time together. They're dressing alike even when not in uniform, finishing each other's sentences or talking in unison. Sydney is opening up more of herself and Carm is asking to know more. They use the ASL sign for sorry with each other and no one else until ep 10. Then there's that locker scene in ep. 1 or 2, when they almost hang out just cause. However, Carmy misses the moment and there's the return of the kicked pup face. Before being on the ship I was delighted with all of their scenes and was looking forward to the food tour. They just ROCK together on screen.
Classic Love Triangle- Who's Claire? She's "Claire Bear", the prototypical "cool girl", who is willing to chase an socially awkward, wrong-number-giving man, despite being a pretty ER resident with no shortage of options. Did a CW writer get hired? Anyways, why was her presence used almost exclusively to put strain on Carmy and Sydney's relationship instead of The Bear generally? We could have had scenes with Nat, Richie, and Marcus arguing with Carmy about him being distracted due to Claire. They saved 99% of that for Sydney. They CHOSE to insert her in between or just after scenes with him and Claire. Showing Sydney's tattoos and her getting dressed with the stained chef's coat juxtaposed with them was WILD.
I LOVE that both believe their interpersonal problems are solely about The Bear/business partnership. In most "slowburns" the characters are far more conscious and actively work to keep things platonic. Jeremy might be a smidge aware that Sydney means more to him after the panic attack, but I bet he's shoved it down. All he knows afterward is that being with Claire feels wrong hence ignoring her call and recommitting to SYDNEY. He could of said "You all/This/The Bear deserve my full focus etc..." He was also nagged into greeting Claire at Friends and Family, seemed anxious when Fak brought her up right before The Table scene, and also while explaining that "she's great" to Sydney. He was at peace when focused on Sydney in the moment below.
The actors: Jeremy and Ayo's real life friendship is warms my soul and their chemistry onscreen is amazing. DON'T WASTE IT!!!
Jeremy smolders on screen. I want to see Carmy continue to stare, yearn, fall, then eventually confess and for Sydney to reciprocate his feelings. Anyhoo, does anyone else melt when Carm means business?! They do this twice in season one and it's not good for me. Whew, I need to clean my whole house or run a few miles.
Finally, there's so many other parallels between these two. They are fearful avoidants, have a missing or dead parent, jacked up stomachs, use sarcasm, but are generally very earnest, they struggle with anxiety, are compassionate, are perfectionists, peace-makers, give people multiple chances, are workaholics...so much more. A lot of that is also ME, lol.
Sydcarmy is my Roman Empire. I love them as much as you can fictional characters and they deserve the most tender, angsty, triumphant, romantic best-friends to more love story.
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Fic Pride Friday - on a Saturday!
Thank you for the tag @freneticfloetry @lemonlyman-dotcom @bonheur-cafe
@literateowl @ladytessa74 @liminalmemories21 🧡 And for giving me a reason to create a banner for non-WIP tag games.
Rules: Post your favourite line or passage from as many of your published works as you’d like. Let yourself feel proud of your creations! Tag as many people as you post snippets, so your fellow fic friends can be proud, too.
I've opted to share from three fics- Suddenly in the Silence, Where All This Love Comes From, and Wrestling Angels:
Suddenly, in the Silence:
"I think the closet is haunted," TK says, fumbling the buttons of his lapelled pajama shirt.
Carlos faces the opposite side of the room. "But it's from Ikea."
"Not that one." TK throws an arm towards the white pre-fab nothingy unit that had housed their pajamas. "I mean the old Reyes relic."
"My dad's tatarabuelo built that," Carlos says defensively.
And occupies it now, TK thinks but does not say. Instead, he opts for, "It might be fun to sleep in your old bedroom like we did that time before. Snuggled up in that creaky twin with your adorable horse comforter over us."
"My old room," Carlos breathes a laugh, "Is the most haunted in this house."
"With memories, though, not ghosts."
Where All This Love Comes From
A single tear slips from Carlos' eye. Years ago, there was a young man in New York City called TK Strand and he had no idea that in Austin, Texas, a stranger called Carlos Reyes was aching, yearning, pining for exactly him. He had no idea how loved he was going to be by someone he had yet to meet. He had no idea how wonderful he was as a person with or without a partner – but he was about to find out. That's why you have to keep living, Carlos thinks, so you can find out.
Wrestling Angels
But love is going to come into his life, and it won’t be what he’ll expect, because it’s going to be TK Strand, a firefighter who shows up in Austin from Manhattan following a relapse. He’s a little fierce and rough and moody and funny. He’ll bring disorder to the orderly life he’s about to work so hard to create for himself and himself alone. TK will cause him pain, and he’ll push TK’s buttons, and then it’s going to work out, and he’s going to marry him. And TK is going to be the one to ask.
Love is going to be powerful, runaway, gutting, enormous – yet weirdly and utterly defined by the small moments as much as the major events.
It’s going to feel physical and invisible, like storm winds that take his breath and knock him off his feet.
He’s going to have sex. He’ll have it with a few guys before TK, and every time with each of those guys, it will be somewhere on a sliding scale of outright bad, awkward, embarrassing, mediocre, good, better, great, fantastic. With TK it will be different.
Supercharged, mind-blowing, right from the start, and it will also be gentle, romantic, connective in a new way. It will always be a deeper experience than with anyone else. It’s going to mean something real every time, even from the beginning when TK insists that it’s not going to, and Carlos will pretend as much as he can that he doesn’t mind.
I know I'm late so might have missed things but open tag and tags below:
@reyesstrand @paperstorm @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @heartstringsduet
@vineofroses @theghostofashton @lightningboltreader @chaotictarlos
@goodways @welcometololaland @orchidscript @rmd-writes
@strandnreyes @im-overstimulated-and-im-sad @chicgeekgirl89
@sznofthesticks @nancygillianmvp @safeaswrites @my-little-tilly
@sugdenlovesdingle @carlos-tk @honeybee-taskforce @sanjuwrites
@alrightbuckaroo @never-blooms
@fallout-mars - If you want to share/haven't already! No pressure ever! ❤️🩷🧡💛💚💙🩵💜
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There's this thing that I see over and over that just... well, it rubs me the wrong way and I want to throw my two cents out there about it.
People get so mad about Dean dying at the end of the series the way he did because they think that he got robbed of something. Or maybe it's because they feel robbed of it and are projecting that onto Dean. Because what I see is folks upset thinking Dean didn't get to live the rest of his life, that he didn't get a picket fence, apple pie ending and I gotta say, I fundamentally disagree that Dean missed out on anything.
None of us are ever promised a long life. Our lives will only ever be the length they are. No future is guaranteed except that we will each die in the end. The loss of what could have been is not something for the dead, it's the burden of the living who are trying to cope with their grief. The fact that Dean made it into his 40's is literally a miracle since he died for the first time in his 20's. He wasn't robbed of years, he was given more of them, over and over and over, he was given more years.
And Dean was happy with his life at the end there. He had his brother happily riding shotgun as they continued saving people and hunting things. They got to do all the fun stupid stuff they wanted, like go to little hyper-specific small town festivals and eat obscene amounts of pie, and they got to do it together. Dean was truly happy. And no, he didn't end up with a romantic partner, a wife and kids, but he didn't need that. The entire point of the end of the show is that you can have a truly fulfilling and happy ending without romantic love being a part of it.
That's what Castiel's ending was about too. Cas was truly happy, enough to trigger his deal coming due with the Empty, with just knowing and understanding what he felt. He didn't need Dean to reciprocate, because it wasn't at all about Dean's feelings, it was just about Castiel's, it was about knowing and accepting yourself for who you are and finding happiness in that.
Dean had Sam with him right up until the end. And Sam was happy. All Dean ever really needed was for his brother to be safe, and all he ever really wanted was for his brother to be happy, and to actually get to have him be happy while choosing to hang out, day in, day out, with him??? That was the absolute best.
Now, I'm not getting into Sam's portion of the ending because it's messier and complicated and I don't have the spoons for it right now.
But romantic love isn't the only way to be fulfilled or to be truly happy even though the vast, overwhelming majority of the stories we are told insist that those things are essential to happiness. But, they just aren't, not always. So to have a story this epic end without any of the characters in romantic relationships, but all of them being truly happy when it's all said and done is epically good, in and of itself.
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Big Bad Wolf
Dad! Remus x Reader
It’s the full moon, and Harry came running to you for advice and help. Lupin went missing, and Harry is scared that someone’s going to get hurt. Or worse. Expelled His dad will end up shot. So, as the romantic partner to the boys father you go and help him. You both just hope to find him before someone else does
Warnings 18+, Horror, Gore, violence, fear, Whump, character death ((deserved)) happy ending
Writing Commission’s Are Open
“Dad-?! Dad!” You were startled awake, by the sounds of Harry. You were spending a few days, at Hogwarts, with Lupin. As his romantic partner it was permitted, but it sure did startle students to see someone who wasn’t their teacher in the classroom. Such as you, having fallen asleep at his desk. You were waiting for Lupin, but it seems sleep caught you first. Until now.
“Have you seen dad-?” Harry asked, as he hurried towards you. A bottle in hand, with a worried look. You did not like where this was going. You really hope that was not a full bottle of wolfsbane. As if that was needed right now. You sat up quickly and straightened up.
"He said he needed to run and talk to someone really quick, and asked for me to stay here until he came back." Now that you said it out loud, it made you very suspicious. You had a bad feeling about this. A very very very bad feeling. It seemed the feeling was mutual, and no words were needed. The two of you were soon running out of the classroom, and straight outside. Wands out.
"Great, just great-" You huffed, as the two of you were now roaming around the grounds. A worry of what happened with Remus, and if the Dementors would come your way. You made sure to hold Harry's hand, and he did not refuse it. He had a uncomfortable run in with the Dementors after all, as if he wanted another.
"Should we ask Hagrid for help?" Harry asked, as you pondered. That could be very helpful. He was a monster keeper of sorts, and more people looking could reduce casualties. Fang could help as well, but Hagrid was not the best with secrets. Still.....You had a werewolf boyfriend on the loose, and one not on potions.
"I will go talk to Hagrid; you go to the Shrieking Shack. Maybe he went there by habit?" Seems like Hermione was really rubbing off on him, because that made perfect sense. You recall a few times you could hear him, when locked in his designated room, about a shack. Along with his night terrors, and school days.
The plan was set, and Harry explained to you how to get there. Most likely knowing, in case of emergencies. The two of you would split, and Harry hurried to Hagrid's Hut. You stayed, until he made it. Just to be sure. Once he had entered the home, you would hurry to the tree, it was terrifying, but you had to. For Remus.
You had to army crawl, and enter with a few scrapes, but you managed. You hit the knot in the tree, and was able to slip through the roots. Through the dirty cavern, and across the rocks. It was a journey, but you managed. You would push at the wooden boards, and soon had your head in the shack. The stench of blood heavy in your nose. He was here.
"Moony?" You whispered, as the world went still. Even the wind seemed afraid to speak. You were terrified, but someone had to be there for him. You swallowed your biile, and forced yourself into the house. Onto your knees, wand in hand, before properly standing.
Deep breaths, that made you gag, in a vain attempt to try and calm yourself. You knew this when he told you what he was. He didn’t want you to sign up blind. He didn’t want to feel like he trapped you. The moment he told you, you tried to study all you could. Meaning you carried your own vile of wolfsbane. Small, but hopefully enough to soothe.
As you tried to follow the stench, you couldn’t help but hear something. It was someone. Someone gagging, and coughing. Seeming to be….No. No no. You had hope the blood you smelled was that of a wild animal, but no. It was of someone.
You wanted to barge in, and see if you could save them, but that could cause issues. Like him turning on you. Instead, you kept your steps quiet. Just coming closer, as the figure kept gasping and wheezing. Begging. What made your blood run cold was what the person said.
“Remus, please….You would have done the same in my place. You would ha-“ Before there was silence. Silence, as bones were snapping. Crunching, and being devoured. They were dead, and you knew that you couldn’t do anything to have prevented it. You tried to reason, at least.
Finally, you were at the door. Given quite the sight to behold. This sickly looking beast, chowing away on a dead body. Beyond recognition, except for an arm. Said arm having been torn off, and slammed into the wall near the door frame. You narrowed your eyes, as you saw it was missing a finger. Clearly before the attack, as the numb was healed over.
Before you could wonder who the figure was, you suddenly felt something bite at your leg. Not in a means to attack. It was so gentle, you almost didn’t notice. A attempt to grab your attention. It succeeded, as you looked down to a black dog. Shaggy, skinny, and struggling to pull you away from the door. A means to get you away.
Seems it acted too late, as the nawing of flesh was silenced. Just the eerie sounds of blood falling on wood, as the werewolf looked over. Blacken eyes focused on you, as it growled. Clawed, and mangled, fingers were soon on the floor. Cautiously approaching you, only for the dog to block its path. Guarding you.
You didn’t know what to do. Do you run? Do you stay? Do you move slowly? You can only read so many books, before you face a real deal. Nothing prepares you for a real life experience. Was he staring at you because he recognized you? Was he no longer hungry? Was he aware of your scent, and wouldn’t harm you?
So many thoughts, only to be silenced by an ear rattling howl. That said that, and you were trying to run for your life. The shaggy dog quick to defend you, and jump at Remus. Buying you time, as you tried to think of where to go. Leave the building? Back into the hole? You didn’t know. Before you could make a choice, the rotten wood broke under you.
Crashing through you went, only for your leg to snap in the process. You screamed in pain, and that alerted Remus to you. You tried to fight through the pain, as you held your wand up. Trying to defend yourself, as Remus tore through more of the wood. Leaving splinters to rain down on you, as you laid in the broken old living room.
“REMUS-! PLEASE-!” You sobbed, as you didn’t want to hurt him. Blood pooled around you, as the torn muscle was shreds around your shattered bone. So much pain, panic, and despair. Was this the end? Dispite it all, all you could think of was how this would affect Remus. The guilt he would hold, when the moon rises again. Only to see you dead in his teeth.
Seemed that would only be a nightmare, as he was slow to approach you. Sniffing you, before looking down at your leg. Giving it a lick, and whine. As if trying to help you. If you weren’t so delirious from pain, you would find it sweet.
“Fuck, you look like shit.” A voice spoke to you, as Remus seemed to curl around you. Using himself a pillow, for you to rest on. Just feeling his ribs, and hearing his strong breathing and heart. It was soothing, and let you catch your breath. Long enough to register where the voice came from.
A man was soon standing infront of you, in a Azkaban uniform. With long, black, shaggy hair. With a beard to match, against his gaunt face. So skinny, yet so alive. Shaggy black hair, just like shaggy black fur. That’s when it hit you.
“Padfoot….” You choked out, when you weren’t crying from pain. The name made him smile, and you could see life in his hollow eyes. It warmed his heart so much, knowing Remus told you about him. That he was still spoken so positively. That Remus didn’t believe the verdict. He knew better.
“That’s me. Now be quiet, and take advantage of Mooney having a full belly.” He hushed you, as he would begin to try and help with your leg. He would take his torn shirt off, and forced you to bite into it. Trying to make you quiet, as he popped the bone into place. Making you scream into the fabric, as you held Remus tighter. Suppose in that feral brain of his could register his mate was hurting, and soon was nuzzling his face against yours. Using his nose to wipe your tears away.
“There. Worse of it is over. Now how about-“ Before he could finish, the sound of the basement door was opening. Before Sirius could do anything, you grabbed his pant leg. Trying to get him to stay. The pain, however, made you feel to weak. Your vision was blurring, as you curled up against Remus. It was all to much, and soon…..You blacked out.
Morning came, and it was unwanted. The sunlight on your face, and making you groan. “Five more minutes-“ Was your reply to the beast, before a chuckle was a reply. A chuckle you knew very well. A laugh that made you fight the sun, and open your eyes. Remus.
“Morning, pup.” He smiled, as he set his book aside. His scared up hand was quick to help brush the sleep from your eyes, as you took in the world. Such as how your leg was propped up, and that all the blinding white was from the medical wing. Another comforting sight was that Padfoot was in another medical bed. Being treated, and not sent to Azkaban.
“Lots of questions, I know. I’ll keep it short. I had made an attempt to go check on Sirius, last night, only for the two of us to stumble upon a familiar rat. We chased him for so long, we didn’t register the moon. Suppose it was a good thing we didn’t. A lot of good has now been done, with him disposed.” Despite what seemed like good news, there were tears in his eyes. Like he lost an old friend. Suppose you’ll ask about that later. Now, you needed rest.
“I can’t believe you came chasing after me.” He tsked, as he was already using a cold rag on your face. Helping you cool off. “Suppose Harry is to blame. I could have hurt you. I would never forgive myself if I had infected you to. I could have-“ He went on and on, before you held his hand. Forcing him to stop, as you smiled.
“Then you won’t be so lonely on those full moons, would you?” He wanted to be frustrated with you, but that would be rather hypocritical. So, he just gave a defeated sigh. With a smile. “I have a type, it seems….” Was added, as Harry was soon to enter the wing. Along with his friends. Hermione, and Ron. All needing answers about why an escaped convict was in the medical wing.
Remus would give a sigh, as you scooted over. As best as you could, so he could sit with you. The trio was soon on the neighboring bed, sitting together, while keep quiet for Sirius to sleep. A snuggle into Remus’s lap, and he took a deep breath. Knowing you were there to support him.
“It all started, when three little Gryffindors thought it was wise to become unregistered Animagi….”
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The thing that annoys me is that to victimize herself yet again she's back with this stolen girlhood/youth theme, probably because she saw those "girl you should be in the club" being popular and she copies whatever is hip at the moment. And what's messed up is that she falsely misattributes it, because it's not what happened, even that first time with John Mayer.
While there was significant age gap between them, she wasn't some college freshman being led on for years by her professor, told he will leave his wife for her, to be finally simply dumped. Dating someone older for few months, breaking up and soon after dating someone else is not stolen girlhood, she still had plenty of it. I don't see Harry Styles or Taylor Lautner walking around saying she stole their boyhood, even though they were in similar situation.
And now she's back at it again, but this time with Joe, talking about how he stole her youth. "You should be in the club" line is about young adults, who pretty much immediately after highschool jump into serious, marriage like relationships and sometimes actual marriages, instead of letting themselves have fun and time to figure out who they actually are. She was 27, when she started dating Joe, that's an age when it's healthy for people to get serious about their romantic relationship. Them starting dating also didn't mean that she wasn't going to parties anymore. No one stole anything from her, what happened was she wasn't honest with herself on her life priorities and what she can compromise on, but she doesn't like accountability, so she puts the blame on Joe.
Besides even when relationships ends, simply because of different life goals and nothing abusive, I find it really weird to consider time that you've spend with your ex partner as wasted/stolen IF you actually loved them. While obviously there is some negative feelings about things ending, there definitely where some good times as well. I mean in her case during her relationship with Joe she even made, according to majority of her fans, her best albums with him being involved in production of those. If there is anything that she has missed out on in life, it is not because of someone stealing it from her, but because of her hyper focus on her career choices.
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