#after season 4 it was like a switch flipped

[911bts]

i am going to be honest. i'm getting the feeling that the move to abc has been as reinvigorating for you as it has been for the cast and crew, if not more. we love to see it lol <3

I've been watching this show since season 1. I've been following it in fandom spaces since season 3 though. And I watched Fox abandon it from season 3 to season 6. And it's really sad to see such a great show get mistreated like it was. So I'm so glad to see it get treated better. I'm glad to see it get the love and care it deserves.

[th30sstuff]

Since you guys(2 people) liked that and I'm a validation seeker

OBEY ME TICKLISH RANKING FROM MOST TO LEAST

#1 Luke

He's a child, I feel like if you try you can tickle even his shoulders, he's extremely ticklish and is the kind of kid that falls on the floor and starts rolling around trying to escape.

#2 Satan

Just like Luke but not so extreme, grown ass man would start kicking giggling, he would try to threat whoever is doing this at first but if you don't feel intimidated and keeps going is not going to take long before he's either begging for mercy or in his demon form depending on how much he cares for your health

#3 Asmodeus

Fucking look at him.

#4 Mammon

Probably just ticklish at very specific spots but once you find them he melts completely, probably lasts the least before he's yelling between giggles for you to stop and run to the bathroom immediately before he pisses himself

#5 Simeon

He's canonically ticklish because season 4 but I think if he was actually THAT ticklish he wouldn't wear THOSE OUTFITS?!?!? COME ON THOSE ARE MADE FOR TICKLING!!! Also, I think he's good controlling his laughter in this situation.

#6 Levi

He's hard to tickle specially because he stops it quickly when you see it coming, the thing is, you have to do it when he least expects it l8ke when he's playing a game because HE WON'T TRY TO STOP YOU!!! HE JUST STOPS WORKING AND HAS NO IDEA WHAT TO DO

#7 Beel and Belphie

They are the same amount of ticklish, it's not THAT BAD but they are still ticklish.

Beel probably thinks it's nice when people do it because I feel like because both are the youngests they are constantly tickled by their brothers so Beel sees it as affectionate.

Belphie on the other hand probably would be "haha ok" in a second and suddenly he flips a switch and is pushing you away from him with a pout.(WAKE HIM UP WITH TICKLES!!!!)

#8 Lucifer

I DIDN'T WANT HIM TO BE THE LEAST OF THE BROTHERS BUT😭

Still ticklish but just like Levi he would stop by grabbing the wrist of whoever is trying's wrist and glaring with a stern "Don't."

BUT JUST LIKE LEVI, get him when he least expects it, when he's refusing to leave his office for the third meal in a row, when you're cuddling, WAKE HIM UP WITH TICKLES!! I need this tired grown as man ruined trying to save his pride while he obviously can't.

He'd probably scold you with empty words because he's too embarrassed to think but just give him a few kisses or ego strokes and he's sighing exasperated because what else is he going to do anyways, it's not like he can stay mad forever about something like this.

#9 Solomon

Bro is not ticklish, like he feels something if you try but he's not giggling and pissing his pants, he'd probably chuckle a little at the attempt anyways.

#10 Diavolo

Ok so hear me out,

In my head, the royal family has genetically terrible instincts.

But Diavolo is so fucking playful affection deprived that he'd be EUPHORIC that you'd try to tickle him like "OMG ARE WE THAT CLOSE OF FRIENDS??? THAT'S SO SWEET" and would start laughing specially because of it. (Do it right after a meeting and watch the entire council, I mean the brothers, stare at you with terror because WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU)

#11 Barbatos

Don't try, it's just going to be awkward, he'll stare at your soul while not changing his expression at all.

He'd be confused at first, then notice what's happening and around after ten seconds he'd just politely "Could you please stop? I'm quite busy."

PS: I HAD NO IDEA WHERE TO PUT THE UNDATABLES I AM SO SORRY, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE YOUR HCS ABOUT THEM

[number1mingyustan]

-Cuffing Season-

His Thighs

boyfriend!mingyu x fem!reader

Warnings: established relationship, cursing, explicit smut, dry humping, thigh grinding, size kink, premature orgasms, cumming untouched, teasing, begging, mentions of porn

Summary: He won’t always give you what you want, but sometimes it’s just what you need

Word Count: 1.7k

_______________________________________________

(a/n: i wanna post more but school has been kicking my ass and i barely have time to write 😔)

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Mingyu asks, popping a grape into his mouth. He’s leaning against the kitchen counter with the bowl of grapes on his left.

“I wasn’t staring at you.”

You were totally staring at him. Mingyu currently stands across from you in the kitchen dripping in sweat. He’s wearing all black, a compression shirt and shorts.

Shorts.

On leg day.

He’s spent the last hour and a half in the gym inside of your apartment building. You’ve just finished renovating the old guest room so Mingyu could have his own personal gym in your home.

He hasn’t been able to work out as much as he wants since he’s always on the job or spending time with you. So the best solution was to turn the guest room you don’t use into a gym so Mingyu can still workout and be at home with you.

One thing he didn’t take into account was just how much it would affect you.

“You sure about that? It seems like you were.” He smirks at you.

You’re going weak in the knees. He’s not even doing anything and you’re practically drooling over him. He just looks so good.

His clothes fit him tighter than they did 2 hours ago. His muscles are so prominent, especially in his thighs. He’s not even purposely flexing yet his muscles are bulging out.

“Someone just needs to check your ego. ‘M not as obsessed with you as you think.” You raise an eyebrow at him.

You’re lying through your fucking teeth right now.

Mingyu pops another grape in his mouth and let’s out a genuine chuckle. “So defensive for someone who wasn’t staring.”

You cross your arms and your legs and lean back into the chair.

He shrugs. “Saw your eyes drift down to my dick like… 4 times baby. You’re not nearly as subtle as you think you are. ‘S okay to ask for something you want, you know.”

You narrow your eyes at him. “I was not staring at your dick!”

He licks his lips slowly. “Yeah? What were you looking at then baby? Don’t bother trying to lie to me either.”

“Was staring at your thighs,” You mumble.

A cocky smirk forms on your boyfriends face. “Maybe I should hit legs every day then. ‘S cute having a secret admirer.”

“Not a secret… just your admirer,” You look up at him softly.

Your words rush straight to his head and his cock. You’re so shameless. He breathes out. “Shit, come here.”

He pulls you in by the waist, pressing his thigh between your legs.

“I saw this in a porno once,” He licks his lips.

You roll your eyes. “You and your porn…”

“Hmph.” He begins lifting up your skirt. “Complain all you want but you always love the stuff we try from my pornos. Besides…. you watch way more porn than I do.”

You roll your eyes again. “I only watch when you’re away on business trips. Besides, I watch our videos, not faceless strangers. ‘S not the same.”

“I’m just a man after all baby,” He grins, pressing his thigh harder against you. “I promise you won’t be complaining when you’re cumming on my thigh in a few.”

His words send a shiver through your body. You didn’t think the friction would be enough, but you’re already dripping on his thigh.

“You’re not gonna fuck me?” You pout, grinding against his thigh slowly.

He shakes his head. “You’ve such an attitude with me today, don’t think you deserve it.”

It’s like a flip switches inside of you every time things go sexual with him. You were giving him attitude mere minutes ago but now you’re whining desperately and begging him to fuck you.

“Please Gyu… ‘M sorry. Just want your cock…… you told me I could ask when I wanted something. I’m asking nicely,” You look up at him with desperation in your eyes. You don’t even realize how much faster you’ve started grinding against him.

“No baby, you have to learn your lesson. I can’t just give you what you want cuz you said sorry. Gotta punish you a little.”

You whine, head falling down into his large chest. He towers above you, staring down at you almost condescendingly. Your hands grip his shirt harder and you tug at the material clinging to his skin. You hold onto him, clinging tighter to him and pulling yourself closer.

“So greedy baby, begging for my cock like you’re not about to cum on my thigh,” He stares down at you.

“Can’t cum like this,” You pant. “Not enough.”

“It’s more than enough, you’re just greedy. Absolutely insatiable,” He whispers into your ear. He decides to help you out, pushing your panties to the side so your bare bottom meets his thigh.

You groan, pressing yourself harder against him and picking up the pace of your movements. “Fuck me please. Need your cock so bad.” You whine.

“No,” He tells you firmly.

You let out a whine. “But Gyu… you’re already so hard.”

You reach your hand out toward his cock. It’s so big and hard, poking out through the material of both his underwear and shorts. You’re practically salivating, aching to release him from the confines of his clothing and bounce on it.

But he stops you.

Before you can touch him, he reacts quickly and grabs you by both your wrists. He flips your position so it’s now your back resting against the counter and he holds your wrists behind your back firmly. You let out a shaky breath when your back meets the counter.

His thigh is still wedged between yours but the grip he has on your wrists is tight. His other hand now holds your chin and he tilts your head back, forcing you to look at him.

You’re violently throbbing against his thigh. He’s got you pressed so closely against the counter and his body you can hardly move your hips. The friction is now minimal and miserable.

“Keep your hands to yourself,” He grits. “You take what I give you like a good girl or you get nothing. Do that shit again and I’ll stop right now and I won’t touch you again for a week.”

You whimper in response. “You’re so cruel.”

“And you’re a brat. Gotta keep you in check sometimes, pretty girl,” He licks his lips. “You gonna be grateful for what I give you now?”

You nod eagerly without hesitation. Your obedience brings a smile to his face and he releases the grip on your wrists. You find your hands clinging to his shirt again as you begin grinding on his thigh.

You feel like a teenager again. Having to work for your orgasms and hump like a bitch in heat. But the friction is just oh so good. Mingyu tenses his thigh, causing you to moan out and whimper pathetically.

“Oh fuck,” He lets out breathily.

Your knee nudges against the underside of his cock, rubbing against it just enough to have him twitching in his shorts. Building pleasure making precum stain the cotton, steadily leaking out the tip and through both layers separating the two of you.

He adjusts himself in his shorts,lightly palming over his cock and squeezing over his cockhead to avoid cumming himself. He’s not concerned about his own orgasm, but your thigh brushing up against him might just get him there anyway.

Your knees brushes against him so lightly, but it’s driving him crazy. His cock is so big and hard, poking out through the material of his shorts. He ignores it, despite it being so hard to miss and ignore. His attention is on you.

Your hips stutter forward, desperate as you rut against Mingyu’s thigh. He can feel the way you’re pulsing, arousal dripping down his skin. It’s so wet and messy, dribbles of arousal sticking to skin and fabric. The wet noises and your small gasps of pleasure making his cock twitch with every jittery rut of your hips. Your mind feels hazy and your legs feel weak.

His big hands settle back onto your hips, pulling you forward, helping you roll your hips faster. He’s so smitten by your clit dragging against his warm skin.

Your head dips lower into his chest when he tenses his thigh again. You moan loudly and your grip on his shirt tightens. You just need something to hold onto as you feel your high approaching.

He coaxes you through it, talking down at you as his big hands continue to guide your hips. “C’mon pretty girl, that’s it. Cum for me.”

He keeps his thigh tensed, grabbing you by your hair and tilting your head back. He forces you to look at him when you cum. His gaze is lustful and hazy and it has you falling apart in seconds.

You struggle to keep your eyes open, but you know how much it pisses Mingyu off. He wants to see you fall apart and he wants you to watch him. Tears of desperation drip from your eyes as you force them open and rut against his thigh erratically.

You’re a moaning mess, hips rolling against his tensed thigh with no sense of rhythm as your orgasm courses through your body. It’s intense, way more intense than you imagined. Especially considering the way you didn’t think you could cum like this just minutes ago.

Your knees really go weak and nearly give out as you fall limp against his chest, burying your face back against his legs.

You let out a small gasp into his skin when you feel his cock throbbing against your hip. His hands grip your hips tightly and he lets out a long groan with his head tilted back. His adam’s apple is prominent as he leans back and ruins his shorts.

Your mouth opens in awe when you watch his thick release spurt through his shorts. White cum dribbles and stains the black material as he rolls his hips upwards, bringing you both down from your highs slowly.

“Shit,” He whispers.

He pulls himself away from you, looking down at the mess you’ve made.

You’re still lightly panting, looking down between the gap separating you two and taking mental note of the mess.

“Shower?” You finally ask.

“Yeah,” He breathes out. “Needed one anyway after the gym.”

You lean against the counter lazily. Your legs are still shaky. “You gonna fuck me properly in the shower?”

He licks his lips and smirks at you. He shrugs before walking out of the kitchen and toward the bathroom. “Only one way to find out.”

_______________________________________________

© number1mingyustan - Do not repost without permission.

[ladykailitha]

Never Hold Back Your Step... Part 12

Welcome back to another addition of Dustin being absolutely chaotic as fuck and Robin inserts herself into a dangerous situation because she has to out sass an eighth grader.

This story really is nearing in the end of season 3, and I don't think this story will go for much longer than that. So it will probably be the next story I finish.

What this means is that soon I'll be starting up "The Hellfire Erotic Club" as I am already two chapters into sugar baby!Steve and sugar daddy!Eddie so that one is next on the docket. And as it sounds, it absolutely will be mature. It might even be my first explicit story I've written. So let me know if you want to be kept off the list for that one.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11

~

Things mellowed out with Robin at work. She still had the YOU RULE/YOU SUCK board, but at least wasn’t throwing out snide comments and sneering glances every two seconds so Steve absolutely counted that as a win.

And he continued to flirt badly. The worst was when Eddie and Jeff had stopped by after touring the music store.

“It’s the hat,” Steve said with moue. “It’s ruining my best feature.”

Robin snorted. “Your best feature? You don’t have one.”

Steve rolled his eyes and took off the hat. “My hair is my best feature, of course. I was the Hair in school, after all.” He threw it off the side and did a mocking shimmy with his shoulders before heading to register to greet a group of giggling girls.

“Hello, ladies,” he said smoothly. “My name is Steve and I’ll be your captain on this journey on the ocean of flavor. What can I get you today?” And then to really sell it. He winked.

The girls as he expected were completely turned off and hurried to get away as soon as possible. But hey at least Jeff got the number of one of the girls. So yay, gay wingman for the win! Or whatever.

Eddie came loping up to the counter, Jeff close on his heels. “That has got to be the most depressing thing I have ever had the misfortune to witness.”

“Seriously dude,” Jeff said with a wince. “Your mojo must have got up and went. Holy shit.”

Steve just pursed his lips and waved vaguely in Eddie’s direction. Eddie and Jeff giggled, but Robin frowned in confusion.

“Why does Munson being here affect your flirting?” she asked. “Because from what I’ve seen it doesn’t matter if he’s here or not, your flirting is always bad.”

He just shrugged. “Maybe the PTA is right and Eddie can cast evil spells and cursed me.”

Eddie wiggled his fingers at her, but she just rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. If he could cast spells Mrs. O’Donnell would be dead by now.”

The three boys cackled.

“Or maybe,” Jeff said seriously, “the girls remember Stevie here hanging out with us freaks and geeks last year and think he’s suddenly beneath him. You know, now that he’s not King Steve anymore?”

Robin’s mouth open and closed like a fish before she snapped it shut with an audible click. She blushed a dark red and was grateful that a mother with her two young sons came in just then so she could avoid the awkwardness that followed.

“I’m off in five minutes,” Steve said, “if you two want to wait around?”

Eddie and Jeff shared a glance and then Eddie nodded. “Sure, we could hang out for a bit.”

“Yeah,” Jeff said with a half shrug. “I don’t have anything to do today.”

Steve moved off to the side to start scooping the lady’s order. He gave each of the kids a cone and the sundae to the mom. Then he tossed the scooper into the warm water they kept nearby to keep the scooper clean. He walked to the back and returned within seconds.

Just then the power went out. Steve sighed and went over to the light switch. He flipped it up and down.

“That didn’t work two days ago,” Robin hissed. “And it’s not going to work now.”

Eddie peered at Steve through the dark. “This happened a couple of days ago, too?”

“It’s because of how hot it is outside,” Steve said. “Which makes the AC run overtime and it blows the breaker.” He sounded like he was repeating something someone else said as he continued to flip the switch and then the lights came back on. Just as Steve was about to leave again, Dustin came running up to Steve, skidding to a stop when he saw Robin, Eddie, and Jeff standing there.

“Hey, guys,” he said with a strained smile on his face. “Can I talk to Steve for a moment? I won’t take up much of his time. I promise.”

That got Steve’s hackles up. He turned to Eddie and begged him with his eyes to understand what this meant. Eddie tilted his head to the side for a moment, before his mouth formed an ‘O’.

“Jeff and I will be at Suncoast Video,” he said, “we’ll be there when you’re done.”

Jeff blinked at him for a moment trying to decide if it was the worth the fight. Then he shrugged and followed Eddie away from the strange tableau behind them.

Robin eyed them suspiciously as the two boys went to go sit down.

“What’s up, bud?” Steve asked, a nervous chill sliding down his spine. Please don’t be the Upside Down. Please don’t be the Upside Down. Please don’t be the Upside Down.

“So because my ma doesn’t want me racking up her phone bill calling Suzie,” he said, “I put up, with a little help from Lucas, Will, and Mike, a communications tower so we could talk.”

Because of course they did. They were geniuses when it came to building that kind of shit, but not so much in why they shouldn’t.

“And there was this weird Russian transmission,” Dustin explained hurriedly. “I don’t want to show you the recording yet, not with so many people around. But I can I meet up at your place later tonight?”

Steve was about to turn the kid down. After all, he had tried the hero racket and it blew. All he got for his troubles was ringing in his ears and the biggest break up of his life.

“Just think, if we solve this then we can be celebrated for exposing a Communist plot!” he exclaimed. “We could be American heroes, Steve!”

Oh. That did sound nice. There was no chance of him putting his body on the line for a recording in Russia after all. “Sure thing, bud.”

~

There was no keeping the stupid little transmission from Eddie or Robin. The first one wasn’t a surprise, really. Eddie was attached to Steve’s hip like he’d always been right there. Robin was more of a shock, to be honest. She just inserted herself where she didn’t belong on sheer sass alone.

Because Dustin had all the tact of a bull in a china shop, he had been whining about not being able to translate the message. When suddenly the window to the back slid open with a slam.

“You do know you’re in public, right?” she huffed. “If you’re trying to being sneaky about it, you’re failing miserably.”

Dustin rolled his eyes. “Like you’re so smart.”

Robin raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “And how many languages do you speak, dork?”

Eddie and Steve shared a glance, then tried to stifle a laugh, Steve by biting his lip and Eddie by shoving his hair in front of his face.

“Two!” Dustin huffed, puffing out his chest. “Binary and English.”

“Binary doesn’t count,” Robin said, rolling her eyes. “You can’t ‘speak’ it. I speak French, Spanish, and Italian. That’s four.”

Dustin crossed his arms. “Does to and besides I didn’t hear Russian on that list.”

She tilted her head and smirked. “And how do you even know it’s Russian?”

Dustin’s jaw dropped to the floor and his eyes bulged out of his head.

“Just because it sounds ‘Russian’,” Robin said, using air quotes around the word Russian, “doesn’t mean it’s not some other Slavic language.”

Dustin’s bottom lip quivered. “And how many Slavic languages are there?”

Her grin turned feral and she leaned on the counter, looking him dead in the eye. “Eighteen if you don’t count the different dialects for each region, then you’re looking at something closer to twenty-five.”

“There’s no way there’s that many!” Dustin cried.

Steve bumped his shoulder into his. “Why don’t you let her hear it? What’s the worst thing that could happen? That she doesn’t recognize the language? It’d be no different from where we are now.”

“Come on, Dusty,” Eddie implored. “Or do I have to tell Suzie that you think girls aren’t as smart as boys?”

Dustin turned to glare at the older teen. “That’s a low blow, man.”

He looked over at Robin who was eyeing him expectantly and sighed. “Fine, here.” He handed her the portable tape deck and sat back to watch.

The message came through the small device and Robin listened to the whole thing, before rewinding it and playing it again.

“So what do you think?” Dustin asked after her third listen through. “Is it Russian?”

“Oh yeah,” she said with a smirk. “And probably in code.”

But before Dustin could answer, Eddie leaned on the front counter. He had been watching Steve the whole time Robin had been listening to the recording. When she got to the end, Steve would frown. Even with half of a banana stuffed in his cheeks like a chipmunk.

“What’s on your mind, Stevie?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.

“There’s something about the music,” he muttered, tapping his fingers and humming the tune.

Dustin huffed. “Can you please pay attention to the important part, Steve? The apparently secret coded message in Russian?”

Steve shoved the rest of the banana in his mouth and chewed silently. He swallowed roughly and asked Robin to play the music again.

“Steve!” Dustin snapped. “What did I just say?”

Eddie glared at him. “Shut it, kid.” And Eddie began to listen to the music, too. Then Steve and Eddie made eye contact as they both got it at the same time.

Steve grabbed Dustin’s wrist and dragged him out of the ice cream shop, Eddie fast on their heels. They reached the Merry-Go-Round and Steve tried to pull out a couple of quarters but they fell to the ground. He bent to pick them up, but Eddie shoved a couple of quarters from his pocket into Steve’s hands.

Steve put the quarters into the Merry-Go-Round, while Eddie and Dustin stood by. Eddie smiled, smug and Dustin stood there, glowering at Steve, arms crossed.

The carousel roared to life. And then music started.

Dustin’s jaw dropped. “Wait, what?”

Steve and Eddie shared a grin.

“That’s the music from the recording!” he continued. “How did you recognize it?”

Eddie laughed.

“Because I hear it at least two or three times a shift,” Steve said, putting his hands on his hips. “It’s hard to miss because it’s so loud and so close to Scoops Ahoy.”

Dustin frowned and pouted because he had thought that Steve was just being his usual spacy self. But he actually figured it out.

As the three of them walked back to the ice cream shop, he said, “All that tells us is that Russians like carousels.”

Steve and Eddie shared a glance over his head.

“That’s an Indiana Flyer carousel,” Steve said slowly. “As in they only make them in Indiana.”

Dustin stopped short and his eyes widened in fear. “Does that mean they’re here in the state?”

Eddie shook his head. “Worse than that, Dusty. I’m pretty sure they’re here in the mall.”

Steve’s heart sank. He had been hoping that they would be able to solve this without getting directly involved, but that had just flown away like a startled butterfly.

Now all he had to do was convince himself that the Russians weren’t in Hawkins for the gateways to the Upside Down.

It was going to be a tough sell and he knew deep down it was never going to stick.

There were Russians in Hawkins and they were most likely here for Hell.

~

Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16

Tag List: FIVE SLOTS REMAINING!

1- @mira-jadeamethyst @rozzieroos @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @zerokrox-blog

2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @messrs-weasley @kultiras

3- @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog

4- @justforthedead89 @irregular-child @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @blondie1006

5- @anne-bennett-cosplayer @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @littlewildflowerkitten @genderless-spoon

6- @dragonmama76 @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @angels-of-hades

7- @mugloversonly @y4r3luv @greeniebean911 @birbsauce @acingthecounts

8- @cryptid-system @counting-dollars-counting-stars @ravenfrog @dreamercec @sadisticaltarts

9- @clockworkballerina @bluelightsinthevoid @blcksh33p1987 @i-go-pink-in-the-night @mamafaithful

[sunglassesmish]

one thing that really annoys me and that i normally wouldn’t bitch about on main but i’m just not feeling all that great today so i’m gonna - is how some people who ship buddie but liked tommy - both in general and with buck - are acting. (editing this to say it got really long and a little off topic so proceed with caution)

before 7x10, they’d be like omg he’s so funny, so considerate, he’s so cute/handsome!! with an added disclaimer of (i still ship buddie and i think they’re gonna be endgame but i’m enjoying tommy and him with buck in the meantime!)

and then after that dinner scene, it was like a switch flipped. he’s so disgusting, insensitive, how dare he make a daddy issues joke when buck was talking about bobby basically being his father and when he was basically dying!!! how dare he!!!! i’m not gonna go into how that’s a gross misinterpretation of the scene and just plain wrong because that’s a whole other rant.

it was a drastic change. there’s all these posts hating on him, on everything they’d liked about him before. having the most negative misinterpretations of things they’d literally praised about him saying/doing before. all but rewriting canon dialogue to create this narrative of how much characters, mostly eddie, feel towards tommy.

now i see so many of these people making and/or reblogging posts saying they can’t wait for buck to break up with tommy because he either somehow mistook his feelings for eddie with feelings for tommy because they’re baSicaLly tHe sAme pErSon, or that eddie and everyone else will be like we never liked him in the first place, or some other insane post about how they’d kill tommy or rant about how much they hate him for things they literally had no problem with before.

like i’m not saying you can’t change your mind about a character, but i just think it’s crazy how much people can start to hate someone they literally had no problem with after ONE comment.

and this is another thing partially related, but seeing how the tommy hate has gotten so out of hand, i see comments on twitter and tumblr and even on instagram posts from the cast hating on him that veer towards sounding just plain homophobic. like the killing tommy ‘jokes’ ??? you’re not funny. you sound homophobic. ‘but i’m not homophobic for not liking a character and making a joke!!’ okay so imagine literally anyone else who knew nothing about the show making a comment like you’re doing. it’s not a good look.

to me, it seems clear that to these people, tommy was just meant to be a placeholder. he was meant to only be there for buck to realise his bisexuality, and then buddie was meant to be canon and so tommy is in the way somehow. because people took bi buck being shut down back in season 4 to be proof that buddie was meant to have gone canon (which i’m not saying wasn’t the case, but it’s never been confirmed or really even hinted at.)

so now anything to do with tommy just makes people so mad, because he’s still here and buddie isn’t happening. so they’re purposefully having the most negative interpretation of anything to do with tommy to make themselves feel better.

hating on tommy makes it easier to deal with the fact buddie doesn’t seem to in the cards (at least rn). so people don’t have to really consider that it may never happen, so they don’t have to shift the blame onto the actors and writers and anyone else. so they can continue to read into any oliver and ryan interaction into meaning canon buddie, anything they say in interviews that doesn’t point towards canon buddie, to misinterpret anything they do say (including ryan continuously calling eddie heterosexual, that’s a big one) because they can’t give away anything yet, it has to be a surprise!!!

tldr: people are hating on tommy after 7x10, and it’s less to do with anything he said in that scene and more to do with the fact that he’s still on the show and buddie doesn’t seem to be going canon. and that hating on him makes it easier to deal with that fact.

[lookingforhappy]

hey so has anyone else talked bout how the numbers got fucked over because of s3?

S1 & s2 it's up to the audience to contemplate what the numbers mean or how they got them or if they could change numbers etc etc

but then S3 rolls around and we get proof that the numbers do mean something, and are rankings, and can switch bc Ben was originally no.1 and got demoted to no.2, making Marcus the leader.

but this fucks up a plot point in the same season - how did Klaus know that the receipt he found for the purchase of "small recruit no. 4" was about him?

if the numbers move around then its probable that the siblings had their numbers switched as babies, toddlers or even just young kids when their powers were discovered/documented by Reginald, and their personalities began to develop (capable of leading vs not, afraid of their powers vs not, etc). The kids probably wouldn't even know how many times their numbers were switched around. they couldn't keep track of who was named what at the time of their adoption, so Klaus finding that receipt didn't actually guarantee that he was able to find his mother, as it could be one of the other's mothers.

plus Reg had no way of knowing how many kids, or even which kids (with which powers), he was going to be able to adopt even if he did proposition every single one of the 43 mothers. so the only reasoning as to why baby no.4 had a number when it was adopted is that Reg was naming the kids in the order he adopted them eg no.1 = first baby adopted, no.2 = second baby adopted etc etc

ik ik the answer is probably Klaus didn't know/think or that it was so rare that only the sparrows experienced/realised it. but that doesn't explain why or how Reginald decided that Klaus was #4 when he adopted him, or why he didn't change the ranking later in life when they were more developed.

idk it feels like yet another plothole that S3 made and didn't bother expanding on.

cos like theres interesting implications of this number system, where it literally is a ranking that's allowed to change:

Five now canonically keeping his ranking as his name aka refusing to move up or down the ranking

Luther's entire identity and name being at risk/whim of his father

Diego being thought of as a more capable 2nd in command/leader than Allison (true)

Klaus being thought of as more valuable than Five or Ben

Ben not being bumped up to no.5 after his presumed death - he's outranked/blocked by a "dead" person

Viktor not being bumped up to no.5 or no.6 after Ben's death - he's outranked/blocked by a literal dead person

or if you think that the ranking is flipped, and Viktor/Chris was no.7 due to being the most powerful:

Ben being moved up the ranking after the Jennifer Incident

Ben being originally less powerful than Marcus (super strength)

Ben, Marcus and Luther all being given command despite being the least powerful/valuable

Diego, Ben and Fei battling their siblings for the right to be considered less powerful (without realising it)

idk it just feels like there was a lot to play with, emotionally if nothing else, that wasn't even touched on let alone explained

even if the Brellies didn't know that the numbers being malleable was a thing, having it be different with the Sparrows and having the Brellies realisation would've been an interesting exploration of their childhoods & current attitudes to their powers as well as a cool segway into showing how the Sparrows and the Brellies were raised differently

also... so many plotholes made exclusively by S3..

[knoxic]

A kiss may ruin a human life.

Oscar Wilde

-Masterlist- part 1 / part 2 / part 3 / part 4

wc: 2,1k

warnings: miscommunications (but really there's almost no communication at all), self deprecating thoughts, mentions of death, ptsd, insomnia, anxiety, grief(?), angst,

i think that's it but please let me know if there's anything else!

a/n: this work implies that Hotch heard Haley's last breath. timeline is around season 6-7 but it doesn't really matter. this is heavily based on my own experience from death and hearing someone's last breath. Hotch is a little out of character but it'll get better i promise, this was supposed to be something just for myself but i decided to post it, that being said, im already writing part 2!

no use of y/n!

He was distant.

He kept avoiding you, every day, even when you got back to the hotel and had no other choice but to be around each other, he showered and said some casual phrases that he could damn well say to a stranger.

You tried to understand, he was stressed and haven't slept well in days but, fuck, wasn't it happening to everyone else? And they weren't avoiding you...

Asking if he wanted something to eat or if he wanted that shitty coffee just got you a cold and empty answer. "No, thanks.", "I've had enough for today, thank you.", "I'll just finish some files," and etc. Sure he was polite, you don't think he could be rude even if he wanted to, not with someone he was close to at least, but he was always so gentle and warm, had you done something to make him mad?

...

It started off just as every other day started, new case in a city you've never been to before. Sharing a room with your boss meant a different routine than if you shared with anyone else in the team, late nights and early mornings, the sound of pen scratching paper being the first thing you heard when waking up and the last when you were drifting off, you wondered if he even slept at all.

The answer was no, he barely ever slept during a case, especially if he could hear you breathing all night.

He was scared, scared it would happen again. It was unrealistic and he knew, it happened too many times already, but, twice, like that, was terrifying.

Terrifying to the point he was paralyzed, every night you whispered that sweet "Good night, Hotch." and it flipped the switch, he would now spend the night awake to make sure that you would tell him "Good morning, Hotch" in a gentle yet strong voice. That whisper sounded enough like the gasp he heard that one time, and it always immediately set off every trigger he had of that unfortunate day.

Every night he spent with you in the same room he tried to distract himself enough not to hear your steady breaths, finishing random files that weren't so important and sometimes even going as far as writing them twice. When he got tired enough to black out he laid out and hoped the second his head hit the uncomfortable pillow he would be asleep. That never happened.

He kept listening. You sometimes tossed and turned in your sleep and he knew it meant you were probably having nightmares but it always soothed his mind, if you were moving it meant you were still alive, and it blurred the agonizing sound of your breath.

Sometimes he slept, but even when he did, he kept listening, gun shots echoed inside his head, his aching hands clad with blood holding her body, the sound... the horrific, terrifying, agonizing sound of her last breath.

He thought it had stopped, he has triggers of course but, it wasn't always that they were set off like this, usually it happened sometimes when Jack slept on his chest and that meant carrying him to bed, but he normally allowed himself a bit of self care and went to his own room, far enough from his child to hear if he called but not close enough to hear his breaths. Being stuck in a hotel room did not allow him that. He tried soundproof headphones after the second night they spent together a couple years ago, he quickly figured it was somehow more agonizing than being able to hear.

Now, three days into the case he was desperate for a night alone, to drown in complete silence and darkness, thankfully, not what he wanted but close to it, you had gone to Emily's room to discuss something, he didn't know what it was and apparently you didn't care enough to tell him, or you just didn't want him to know.

He held himself back from sprinting to bed right after you left the room, surely it wouldn't look so good if you were to come back because you forgot something or for any other reason, he let 2 minutes pass by, anxiously, getting up quickly to take the fastest shower he could manage and jumped into bed, he almost decided against clothes before reminding himself that sooner or later you would come back, it took more time than he'd like but finally he was now in bed and drifting off quicker than expected.

...

"Emily..." you whimpered.

"Come on... it's Hotch," she rested a hand on your shoulder, "He's probably just going through something, i heard him tell Rossi last week that Jack were having some trouble with school, it might be that, right?"

"Yeah, but i feel like..." Emily was the only one who knew about your confused feelings for Hotch and still you hesitated, "i feel like it's something else... he's been avoiding me and barely looks me in the eye when we're alone."

Emily went silent for a few seconds, looking away and seemed to be deciding carefully what to say.

"Listen, you know i love you and support anything you decide to do, but..." oh god "You should talk to him, not me."

"I came to you exactly because i don't want to talk to him, even if i tried i don't think he would answer" You gave her the most pleading puppy eyes you could manage.

"There's only one way to find out, honey."

After a few more minutes of licking your wounds you gathered yourself enough to face Aaron, walking a little too fast to your shared room just to make sure you wouldn't have time to back down and run back to Emily. Thinking too many things and nothing at all just to distract yourself you ended up opening the door loudly, scaring yourself when the lights were off and you could barely make out the person under the blankets.

Had you really just opened a random door? Fuck!

Until, in your panic state your eyes caught a glimpse of Aaron's bag close to his bed, some files slipped out if it when he drastically dropped it earlier. Relieved, you slipped into the room and closed the door quieter than you had opened it, unsure if Aaron was indeed asleep or if he was pretending just so he wouldn't have to talk to you, a shower seemed to be the best thing to do.

It was weird, a part of you knew he was tired and going to sleep without someone else in the room is sometimes a lot easier, but, the bigger part of you kept thinking that he was doing this just to avoid you, to not have to force out a "Good night." when both of you knew it wasn't good for him, and it hurt.

Shower was indeed a good thing, the warm water doing wonders to your aching muscles and the sound of the water running was a good background for your mind to organize your thoughts. That same sound was what Aaron woke up to.

Looking around searching for what had woken him, he saw the light coming from the bathroom, the door didn't close all the way sometimes, you had to close it hard and he supposed you didn't want to make noise. He also searched for his phone to see the time, check how long it took for you to come back, but in his hustle earlier he had forgotten to pick up his phone, wherever it was he didn't feel like getting up to search for it.

In his sleepy state he had turned to watch the door, not really paying attention to what he was looking out for until he got a glimpse of you wrapping a towel around your body, he hadn't even noticed the sound of the water had stopped, snapping himself out of whatever this was he turned away from the door, right before he saw the light getting brighter and your quiet barefoot steps getting closer, a zipper being opened, rustle of fabric against fabric and the zipper being closed, steps again but this time going away and the room getting darker again.

It didn't take long for you to come back, he could smell the soap you always used, it only took him a couple days sharing a room and a bathroom with you to know every soap or perfume you owned smelled the same, peaches.

It almost physically pained him to not be able to smell it directly from your skin, he had hugged you and stood close enough to smell your perfume but, he knew it wasn't the same as your fresh out of the shower scent. It already smelled so comforting from this far, he was certain he'd go insane if he ever got the chance to hug you like this, out of any police department or hospital smell, just you.

He was so lost in thought he hadn't realized you had already settled in bed.

"Good night, Hotch..." he heard you whisper, so quietly he almost missed it, it made his heart stutter and beat faster.

Did you know he was awake? Did you see him looking at you through the opening door? He didn't see anything but the skin of your arms! Should he answer? No. Stop it, you idiot.

You turned again, again and again. The mattress was hard, the blanket felt like it kept scratching your bare legs, the pillow made you feel like a stone would be comfier, not to mention the discomfort of your mind telling you how uncomfortable Aaron must be to have you around that he even went to bed earlier just so he wouldn't have to see you, you must be pathetic to even have wished him a good night when he clearly didn't want you here-

"Are you okay?" There it was, his husky voice, he was sleeping and you disturbed him.

"Uh- yeah, sorry to wake you up." wow, that came out so weak, he definitely thinks you're pathetic.

The sound of his body turning and his voice that seemed to be right beside your ear made you shiver.

"You keep tossing and turning, your breath is faster than normal," he sighed. "So I'll ask again, are you okay?"

It's now or never.

"Have you- you have been avoiding me." you could hear Emily's voice saying it wasn't so hard was it?.

"No i haven't." that came out way too fast to be true, Hotchner.

"Yes you have, and you can barely even look at me when we're alone, you give me empty words and talk better to a rookie you will never see again," you were rambling but now there was no way you would stop. "If i did something to upset you, please tell me because, i can profile you but i cannot read your mind yet, and i can't apologize if i don't know what i did wrong."

"I-" gosh you were so self deprecating. "I'm sorry i made you feel that way, you did nothing wrong." he said in a weirdly soft voice.

"That- that doesn't make me feel better..."

"I'm sorry... it's... not something you did..." well, if you were talking than he should too. "It's you."

A couple seconds passed but they felt like minutes.

Your heart dropped, "What?" it couldn't be... you knew you weren't perfect but, to know your mind was right yet again felt... nauseating.

"Wait! wait," he was sitting up now, back to the headrest, his hand has making a gesture that you read as a calm down, he did that once with a child, to make them stop their rambling, you really were pathetic.

"Not you, i meant... ah fuck, it's complicated."

Now that you were already broken, you might as well just finish this, for once end what made you anxious, even if it meant losing your hopes of being with Aaron.

Your breath was harder and lost its rhythm. You could be going into a panic attack right now but Aaron was relieved, after hearing the way your voice got so... pained, he thought he ended this, that you would get up and leave him and the memories came back in a rush that made him dizzy, but you were still here, and breathing hard, unlike the breath Haley-

"Then tell me, unless you have something to do at 2am i think we have enough time, tell me. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not as complicated as what we had going on." your voice was steady, no longer the panicked and embarrassed girl who just got rejected by their crush, that was the voice of a woman who took down seral killers for a living, who could damn well talk face to face with him if they were to fight. Now he felt small, he could tower over you if you two were standing up but he knew you were the bigger person.

[thefuturewithoutus]

after 'wilson's heart' he really flipped from being the emotional/feelings-driven part of the relationship for me. amber dying really a number on him and it shows in how his relationship with house warps a little. before wilson was the lover and house was the loved one then amber shows up and house gets crazy defensive, then she dies and it makes wilson draw back enough to scare him. like after that he really fishes for wilson's attention all the time and obsesses over him and does everything to keep their relationship stable. literally after season 4 there's a visible switch from him being dismissive of feelings to being like wilson did you know i love you forever. and the dynamic switches and wilson is the loved one and house is the lover. do you get me

[theanonymousclown]

I had… a weird thought the other day, which was “Oh in Winx there are two main fairies from Earth and they have like complete opposite roles, what if they switched places” so here’s Bloom as a teenager who finds out she’s a fairy and Roxy as an adult who will have to train her. Also featuring Selina, who I remembered existed AFTER I started drawing, she’s there too but if she’s a fairy or not is a mystery in this AU.

Featuring aroace Roxy, service-dog-in-training Artu, and slight redesigns for all three of them. Selina and Bloom share star decals (I thought it was cute) but Selina is already starting to take on design traits from her older form.

This AU would take place in 2009, the same time the OG Season 4 came out, which is why Roxy’s got a flip phone.

Click to view, Tumblr fucked my quality with a cactus and called my mom a whore.

[writing-blocked-me]

Glued to Your Side

CW: Spoilers for everything past season 1, clingy Dazai, little bit of angst, brief mention of Oda, Dazai is so so smart but so so dumb, maybe OOC?, hurt/comfort, bad writing - I can’t write dialogue sorry!

Pairings: Dazai x Reader

Author’s Note: I need to stop writing angst so have a fluff piece!  Or at least what was supposed to be a fluff piece.  It turned more into hurt/comfort tbh.  Also I attempted dialogue for this fic but I am BAD at writing any form of speech so sorry for that.  Not proofread also I was very hungover when I finsihed this lmao.

Also! I have a Masterlist now! It only has like 4 works so far but hopefully that’ll change aha.

Masterlist

Ever since you started working at the ADA, your world had been turned on its head.  There was always some sort of strange job to take, or fight to have with the mafia or some other organisation.  However, there was one fact that remained constant since you had become a detective: Dazai Osamu was a flirt.

You were fine with it, even sometimes enjoying some back and forth banter with the living mummy. It was completely harmless, you knew it wasn't going anywhere so it wouldn't get in the way of your professional career. Plus, you knew you weren't the only one subject to Dazai's affectionate teasing, so you knew there would never be anything romantic between you too, meaning you were free to pursue real romance if you wanted to.

At least that's what you thought.

In the weeks following the batte against the Guild, Dazai had been clingier than usual. He made a point of always keeping some sort physical contact with you, whether it was leaning on you while you were sat on the agency's couch (after he dragged you to sit and do work there instead of your desk), or having you walk shoulder to shoulder when you went on jobs.

You guessed the close eye he had been keeping on you had something to do with meeting Q. You had been the agency member tasked with escorting Haruno and Naomi to safety. While the three of you were on the train, after escaping Lovecraft and Steinbeck, you met the small child named Yumeno. They had seemed like a perfectly normal, sweet little kid. The four of you got along and chatted as you waited to reach your stop. Getting off the train, however, was a different story. When Q bumped into Atsushi and activated his ability, your memories got a little fuzzy. It was like a flip switched in Atsushi as he suddenly became violent, lashing out towards Haruno, Naomi and yourself. You quickly jumped in to protect them, bearing the brunt of the attack and being thrown into the walls of the train station. You'd hit your head pretty badly, so you could not fully register the rest of what happened. You vaguely recalled Dazai rushing in and stopping Q's ability and watching the child wave goodbye as the train carried him off. You passed out shortly afterwards.

According to the others, Atsushi had taken Haruno and Naomi to safety, while Dazai took you straight to Yosano.

After the Guild used Q to attack Yokohama, Dazai had been stuck to you like glue. You hadn't minded, you were used to his antics and affectionate behaviour. But a week passed. Then two weeks and still Dazai was fixed at your side. You had begun to get suspicious. While he was clearly putting effort into appearing as his usual self, it was clear there was something going on. He had started flirting less and less with others, even ceasing his witty back and forths with the waitress at the cafe below the agency offices. He had gradually gotten clingier and clingier too, seeking you out even on days off, to the point where soemtimes you felt as if you were being suffocated.

Everything came to a head when your friends from home were visiting the city. You had planned to meet up with your friends in the shopping district. You had not planned on bumping into Dazai. Wandering through the shopping district, arms linked and laughing at old memories, you didn't even see the bandaged man until you walked straight into him.

“Belladonna! Fancy seeing you here!" Your coworker greeted you, eyes glinting with mischief.

You were sure he was up to something, but you couldn't quite figure it out. One thing you knew though, it was no surprise that he saw you there. You had made it known to the agency how you would be spending the day off.

"Yes, well you did know I was going to be here. I mentioned it yesterday Osamu," you remarked.

Truth be told, you'd been attempting to have a Dazai-free day. He hadn't left your side in a while and you were really in desperate need of some time to collect your thoughts. Due to his attentiveness over the past few weeks, your friendship with Dazai was slowly turning into something more, at least on your end. You were sure it was all in your head though so you needed some time away from him until you could collect yourself and sort your feelings out. His recent actions confused you.

Dazai's smile faltered at the mention of your plans. "Oh, I must have forgotten," he said, his tone uncharacteristically subdued.

You raised an eyebrow at his unusual behavior, but before you could say anything, your friends interrupted.

"Hey, who's your friend?" one of them asked, eyeing Dazai curiously.

"This is my coworker, Dazai Osamu," you introduced him, not noticing the way Dazai's jaw clenched at the mention of "coworker."

Your friends chatted with Dazai for a few minutes before you realised the time and had to rush to your lunch reservations.  Quickly saying goodbye to Dazai, you grabbed your friends and rushed off.

During lunch, your friends regaled you with stories from home, and you laughed and joked with them.  However, your mind was elsewhere, thinking of the strange actions of your fellow detective.  Dazai never forgot anything, you knew that you had mentioned coming out with your friends multiple times too, so what was he doing showing up? It was messing with your head.  At least you’d managed to escape him during lunch.

After saying goodbye to your friends, you decided you needed rest and you went home.  Shutting the door behind you, you dragged yourself over to your coush and toppled onto it, exhausted.  You had barely shut your eyes when you heard a knock at the door.  Opening the door, you came to see a familiar sight.

"Dazai? What are you doing here?" you asked, confused.

"Dropping by to say hello, of course," Dazai replied, strolling past you into the house and settling down on your couch.  “Bella you would not believe the day I’ve had.  First, Kunikida would not stop bugging me about th-”

“Stop.” You cut him off before he could finish his story.  “Osamu, what are you doing here? I mean what are you really doing here?”

His eyes softened at the use of his first name.  “I wanted to see you,” he spoke softly, barely above a whisper, as if he were afraid to let anyone else hear it.

“You see me all the time!” Your frustration started to get to you as you raised your voice.  “You literally saw me just a few hours ago, which, by the way, I know wasn’t a coincidence beacuse I definitely told you I was going out with my friends.”

“Y/N I-” he started, but you quickly shut him down.

“No.  Listen to what I have to say first. I don’t understand Dazai.  What do you want from me? You’ve been glued to my side ever since the battle with the Guild and you’ve been acting weird and I, I don’t know what’s going on but you’re messing with my head.  I was fine before, talking and joking with you, but now you’re just making me so confused and I don’t know what to think anymore.” You ranted and rambled on and on, letting all your thoughts out.  “What’s going on? Please tell me.”

“I’m sorry,” he started, as he watched you fall onto the couch beside him. He knew he had been acting different lately and he knew exactly why.  He couldn’t help himself, after all, he’d come to find he cared for you.  A lot.  Much more than he wanted to for everything that was ever worth wanting was lost the moment he obtained it.  But by God did he want you.  

When Higuchi and Gin lured him away from the station to talk, he had been suspicious.  But as he realised that Q had been unleashed, he felt his stomach drop.  He had never feared for another person so much, not since Oda.  He couldn’t lose you.  But he had been to late to protect you from Q.  So, while he knew he could not have you all to himself, he also decided he would always stay by you to ensure your safety.  You had become his top priority. 

Still, when you confronted him about his change in behaviour, he didn’t know how to respond.  He didn’t want to suffocate you, but he knew he had to protect you.  He couldn’t be with you, but he knew how crushed he would be if you were with someone else and it would no longer be his place to stay by your side.  He did not want to lose you and everything he ever managed to grasp was lost to him.  Hearing your words, he knew you had romantic feelings for him.  And now, as he gazed into your eyes, he was torn between his head and his heart.  

Noticing his silence, you began to speak again.  “This isn’t fair to me you know.  You have to be honset with me.  Just tell me the truth and from there, we’ll figure it out.”  You smiled, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.  He seemed so fragile, so delicate in a way you’d never seen him before.

The reassuring gesture prompted Dazai to once again look to the floor.  He know what you’d probably say, if he was honest with you.  You’d probably tell him it didn’t matter and that you could be together anyway.  Then you would get hurt and he couldn’t have that.  But he didn’t think he could lie to you either, not anymore.  You wouldn’t believe him.  So he chose his words carefully as he turned to you and began explaining.

“I know I've been...clingy, lately. And I'm sorry for that.” He snuck a glance at you, seeing you staring back, listening intently.  “You have to understand that what happened with Q, I just- I just need to make sure you’re safe.”

“I can handle myself.”

“I know, belladonna, I’ve seen you in the field.  But this is something different.  I have to make sure i don’t lose you.  I need to make sure you’re safe because I-” He takes a pause again to collect himself, bracing for what comes next.  “I care about you a lot.  But I can’t be with you.  Everything I ever want, I ever love, is always lost and I can’t have that happen to you.  I tried to stop it, I flirted with others, told myself that it’s no different with you, but it was.  And the thing is, I’ve come to realise, I can’t help the way I feel about you.”

“Dazai-” You spoke, but this time he cut you off.

“Please just let me get this out.” He looked at you once more and you could see the raw emotion in his eyes.  Never had he been so open, so vulnerable. “I can’t help how I feel about you, and I can’t be with you.  Not in the way I want.  But I can protect you.  If I just stay close enough, I can protect you and you won’t have to be hurt.  I know it’s selfish, but it’s the only reason to stay close to you, without ever having to lose you, because you wouldn’t be mine.”

“Osamu-” He noticed you beginning to speak, but continued on, eyes now fixed to the floor.

“I knew what you’d say if I told you this.  I know what you’d probably tell me now if I let you speak.  That it’s not true, right? I can have you and you won’t be lost to me.  Except that it is true.  Everyone I’ve ever held close has been taken from me.  I will not let that happen again.” His tone was filled with conviction as his gaze grew more determined. “I’ve been to lenient, allowing myself to flirt and joke about with you.  It’s selfish of me, to do that to you when we have no future together, but I can never seem to help it when it comes to you.  I’m going to step back now though, let you live your life, find someone who deserves yo-”

“Don’t.” Dazai’s eyes widen as he takes you in.  Your eyes are glazed over, as if tears are about to spill at any moment, lip quivering, but your determination is written all over your face.  “You told me how much you care for me and want to keep me safe, right? Well, I feel the same way about you.” You were in complete disbelief.  How could he be so dumb as to believe you would ever love anyone else?  “You haven’t lost me yet, even though you said you wanted me.  There are some things in this life that we just can’t control, like when it’s time to depart from it.  You may lose some whom you love but that doesn’t mean that everyone else we love will follow the same pattern.” You reached out and grabbed his hands.  “Osamu, have you ever considered that, given that it’s my life, I should be able to decide how to spend it and who I spend it with?”

“Of course I have and you should, but that person can’t-”

“It can be you.  I don’t want to hear anymore of this ‘selfish’ crap about how you want to protect me and love me but can only do it from a safe distance.  I feel safest and happiest when I’m around you.  I feel protected because you’re there.  You’re a fool if you think anyone else is capable of making me feel that way.  Osamu I-” You took a breath, choosing how to word your next sentence carefully.  “Osamu. You are the most intelligent person I know, so I honestly don’t understand why you’re being so stupid right now.”

Dazai let out a shocked laugh at that.  He guessed he deserved the insult.  He guessed he probably deserved a lot worse than a single insult as he remained quiet, head down.

“You’re not being selfish by wanting to be close to me, especially when I want that too.  You are being selfish by keeping me at a distance and I won’t be letting that happen anymore.” At that Dazai lifted his head, turning to you wide eyed. “These feelings go both ways.  The idea of losing you is terrifying to me, just as losing me terrifies you, but we can’t stop loving others just because we’re afraid of loss.  We have to go on.  Maybe one day we might lose each other, but that’s not either of our faults, that is life.  We have to make the best of it by staying together and protecting each other.  The most fulfilling life for me is the one I get to spend with the person I love.” 

Dazai’s hands retracted from yours in one swift motion.  Startled, you jumped back slightly.  Had you said something wrong? Touched a nerve? Had you gone too far when you called him stupid?

“You... love me?” Wait what? Did he hear you right? You loved him? He had assumed you’d had romantic feelings for him, yes, but love?  He hadn’t realised you felt that strongly for him.  He’d assumed you’d easily be able to get over him as long as he distanced himself and he was dead set on keeping that distnce after starting this conversation.  Now, he didn’t think he could.  You loved him.  Him.  After that confession, Dazai lost any resolve he had left. His body moved of its own accord as his hands cupped your face, pulling you towards him.  

His lips met yours in a soft, tender kiss, not at all what you’d imagined your first kiss with him to be like.  It was delicate and gentle, as if he was afraid of breaking you, yet still firm enough that you couldn’t escape his grasp, like he thought you may leave.  You assured him that wasn’t the case by raising your arms to rest around his neck, keeping him close.  As you broke apart for breath, Dazai rested his forehead against yours, keeping you as close as possible.

You stayed like that for while, holding each other, exchanging soft kisses, small reassurances that shared how much you cared for one another.  After that conversation, Dazai could not deny himself of you any longer, he couldn’t push you away, not after feeling your love.  You still had a lot to talk about, but for now, Osamu Dazai was happy to just hold you until you fell asleep in his arms and he could whisper his reply to your confession.

“I love you too.”

[fizziepopangel]

Fizzie’s Top 10: Hazbin Hotel Scenes & Why

These scenes are in no particular order since I’m mostly going by memory for this post. Enjoy😋

The Husk in chains scene (episode 5: Dad Beat Dad)

Ok, so this scene is one of my favorites because we get to see the full extent of the fear Alastor puts in Husk, which honestly really humanizes him, which I think is really important for us to see as an audience because outside of when we see him with Angel, there isn’t quite much to his character that reminds us of just how human he is. This is also one of the first times we see how much control the great radio demon may have over the souls he owns (since we only get to see that Husk and Niffty).... And I am a sucker for seeing my favorite characters in similar positions (or much worse ones) than the one Husk was put in, and the switch flip from “I ain’t your fucking pet” to the utter fear in his eyes when Alastor turns the his anger on him, is amazing and lives rent free in my head.

Vaggie’s backstory (episode 6: Welcome to Heaven)

Don’t come for me, but…. I’m actually part of the minority of the fandom that hadn’t realized that Vaggie was an Angel. I know, I know, looking back, it was kinda obvious, but I completely missed that so this was a big plot twist for me. This scene actually also solidified my enjoyment of Vaggie’s character too since I think this scene made her feel less like a somewhat one dimensional character since her scene from this point on seemed to have more depth without Charlie being the one to add that depth by being her girlfriend.

Angel telling Valentino off (episode 6: Welcome to Heaven)

This scene had me fucking screaming!! First of all, on this page, we absolutely stan anyone who stands up to their abusers the way Angel did! We learn so much about Angel from the original Addict music video, and the Poison music video and it’s surrounding scenes, and even in Loser Baby, but I think we learn the most about Angel as a character and his deal with Valentino, and what his redemption arc may hold… All with a simple “fuck you” to the man who’s hurting him the most in this lifetime so far. I also love that this entire scene was brough on soley by the fact that he was protective of Niffty and his other friends.

“Nice try, fuckhead.” scene (episode 4: Masquerade)

Seeing Husk fight in this scene was literally the highlight of my first watch of the episode. I love everything about this scene because I love seeing how protective Husk was of the other demon because, while Loser Baby was amazing, this was his true first show of genuine care (which led to the amazing song and dance). I really hope we get to see more of this dynamic in season two because I personally love protective Husk! And I would love to see his reaction to the tables being turned, and Angel protecting him. I don’t know, its just absolutely adorable in my head.

Niffty and Valentino scene (episode 6: Welcome to Heaven)

This just made me laugh because this shows how untouchable and uppity he is…. Despite having to pay for Prime Video to watch the show, seeing Niffty just kinda put a little bit of fear in that heartless bastard was priceless.

Niffty’s stabby scene (episode 8: The Show Must Go On)

When Charlie gave Niffty a blessed blade and told her to just stab any angel she saw, and she ended up stabbing Adam… The way I screamed when he went down! And then everyone’s reactions to the stabbing, and the way Niffty just kinda stares at them for a moment before just stabbing him repeatedly. There is just no way that this scene could not have made it on my top 10 list today.

Vaggie letting Lute live (episode 8: The Show Must Go On)

I think that this scene shows a lot of the progress that Vaggie has made, and I think it shows a lot of the good in her that isn’t linked to Charlie. I knew that she did have some good in her after we see her backstory, but it seems like most of her good from that point on seems to revolve around her proximity to the princess of hell and we were missing out on who she was on her own, but Vaggie letting Lute live during their fight showed us a side of her that had nothing to do with Charlie and then her line after that, that “Live knowing that you only do because I let you.”.... Chills. Absolute chills and I loved this scene for her!

Alastor telling Mimzy to leave the hotel (episode 5: Dad Beat Dad)

Ok, so first, I have to say that I love the difference in the way Alastor is with men vs the way he is with women… With that being said, I actually like the fact that he told Mimzy to leave the hotel, especially because he still kept his composure with her the way he seems to with most women. I think this showed a bit of Alastor’s true feelings toward the hotel and the demons residing in it, though I don’t think the man would openly admit it, I enjoyed the way it showed in this scene.

Our first look into Valentino’s hold over Angel in the studio (episode 4: Masquerade)

We all knew that Valentino was the pimp that owned Angel’s soul, but I think seeing it really solidified how bad it was, and I like the range of emotions we see Angel go through in this scene and development it set up for Angel was absolutely beautiful.

“Yay pain!” scene (episode 3: Scrambled Eggs)

Honestly this one was just funny as hell and I really enjoyed this little scene and I think this is one of the scene perfectly sums up Niffty's character.

Honorable Mentions:

Charlie’s reaction to how Valentino was treating Angel (episode 4: Masquerade)

Honestly just seeing this side of Charlie is always interesting and I love to see it come out when her friends or her people in general are being threatened in some way. Her demon form flashing in anger like that is honestly one of my favorite things cause I am a sucker for my favorite characters being hurt, but a close second to that trope is when sunshine characters break down or snap in some way.

Niffty’s “If you see an angel stab it” scene (episode 8: The Show Must Go On)

The fact that Angel had to jump up on that pole the way he did because Charlie put a deadly weapon in the little psycho's hands and didn’t specify what kind of angel Niffty was allowed to stab was hilarious to me. And then Angel’s stripper dismount from the pole made it even funnier to me.

[nofomogirl]

Metatron's manipulation step by step

Part 7: Finishing touches

Part 1 - where I discuss the significance of the coffee.

Part 2 - where I take a look back at season 1

Part 3 - from Metatron's arrival on Earth to sending the Archangels away

Part 4 - inside the bookshop after sending the Archangels away

Part 5 - at the table in the street

Part 6 - inside the bookshop after the ineffable breakup (mostly)

When Aziraphale walks to the elevator with Metatron he seems oddly serene, considering everything that had happened. Just a moment ago he was practically falling apart but now he's all polite smiles and composure.

We actually saw the moment the switch was flipped just before they both left the bookshop.

When Metatron asked Aziraphale if he wanted to take anything with him, Aziraphale answers with a devastated "Nothing I can think of". But then immediately after, he falters. He starts saying something - "I think I-" - and turns around, and for a moment it seems like he might actually drop it all and run after Crowley. But then he backs down, and that's it. The switch is flipped. He chuckles and doubles down with "Nothing at all", and leaves.

This is a very significant moment, and I'm surprised I haven't come across interpretations of those few frames yet, as I'm sure there are many ways you can look at it.

My opinion is that what's happening here is Aziraphale breaking under all the stress and defaulting to old behavioral patterns.

For millennia Aziraphale's survival depended on not letting Heaven see how much he disagreed with many of its decisions. Every now and then he was faced with something so atrocious it would break his heart, and he not only couldn't do much to stop or oppose it, he couldn't let other angels know how he felt about it. It became his second nature to shove his heartbreak aside when facing Heaven, smile as if everything was fine, and carry on doing whatever Heaven wanted.

After Metatron enters the bookshop for the second time, it's a completely different situation from those past instances for Aziraphale. But deeply embedded defensive mechanisms of that kind tend to kick in because of vaguest of similarities. Aziraphale is devastated and a representative of Heaven is expecting him to do something. That's more than enough to trigger the "sweep the agony under a rug, present a serene front and follow the high-ranking angel" response.

It's really tragic if you think that this reaction was not only unnecessary but just plain harmful.

Aziraphale wasn't given an order (considering I'm still working under the assumption that nothing important happened that we didn't see). He was made an offer that he was free to take or leave. Even if we have our doubts if that was really the case, Aziraphale was still free to demand some time to gather pieces of his heart from the ground. There was no danger in Heaven seeing how hurt he was by Crowley's rejection. And if he'd asked for that time things most likely wouldn't have ended like this.

Metatron is aware of this at least to some degree and takes advantage of it. He presents himself as relatable and understanding of Aziraphale's value but shows no regard for his feelings. He acts like there's nothing to dwell on. That, combined with his performance of authority is more than enough to push Aziraphale into those old mental grooves that had always been so convenient for Heaven.

When they leave the bookshop, Metatron's behavior also changes subtly. He's back to being nice and showering Aziraphale with appreciation. It serves several purposes.

Firstly, it "helps" Aziraphale lean into the defense mechanism I've described above. If Metatron stayed silent it would be harder for Aziraphale to keep his emotions at arm's length. Conversation in general, and niceties in particular, keep him distracted from what just happened between him and Crowley.

Secondly, it further paints Metatron in a good light. And not just in comparison to Archangels, like before, but in comparison to Crowley too! Crowley lashed out at Aziraphale, questioned his judgment, rejected his offer of a future together. Metatron speaks calmly and assures Aziraphale he is valued. It makes it really easy to walk with Metatron in the moment. He seems like a soothing balm.

Thirdly, the Metatron simply keeps selling his offer.

Interestingly, his compliments are more spot-on this time. He says he needs "an angel who is familiar with how they do things on Earth" and you can see how it resonates with Aziraphale. Not only it's true, he knows it better than any other angel, but also it caused him a great deal of pain in the past how decisions were made without a basic understanding of humanity. If Heaven actually cared about Earth, Aziraphale's expertise would indeed be very valuable. It makes sense.

Interestingly, because it happens just before the Second Coming bomb is dropped, and it couldn't have been any more obvious Metatron was stalling and trying to sugarcoat something he knew would be a bitter pill for Aziraphale.

But at the same time, it's another hook.

Metatron knows Aziraphale didn't really want to go to Heaven and only got interested in his offer when it included Crowley; Crowley rejected it, so logically Aziraphale should reject it too. The reasons why he followed Metatron anyway were feeble, to say it gently, and he could come to his senses any time.

That's why Metatron tosses him something big that would help Aziraphale rationalize his actions after the fact. Running Heaven in general might not have been appealing but Second Coming? That's something worth personally getting involved in.

There's a close-up of Aziraphale's face after he hears it and it's evident there's a lot going on in his head in those few seconds. (Yes, Michael Sheen is amazing). I'm not going to write another essay inside this already essay-length post series (maybe another day?) but I think that what wins in the end is resolve. After hearing that Aziraphale really truly has to go.

Obviously, it's not a coincidence that Metatron was vague about some unspecific great projects earlier and only gave Aziraphale specifics after his falling out with Crowley, when discussing them was practically impossible.

Still, Metatron knows how thin his net is. He acts all confident and the authority figure but we can see a sign of relief when Aziraphale actually enters the elevator and the door locks.

Metatron achieved his goal.

This is technically the end but I want to share a few more thoughts so still:

Continued in: Part 8: The offer (alternative versions)

[dragonfly0808]

So, I just came up with a little fun idea!

I realized that 14/15 chapters that have been named so far are named after songs so… I’ll give you all the names of the first 15 chapters of s4 (only up til 7 has been published and some are only named but not yet written) and if you can figure out each of the 13 songs… I’ll publish 3 chapters next week… wwwoooooooo

There are lyrics from kpop songs that have been translated that will prob be the hardest

Here goes:

Chap 1- What Was I Made For?

Chap 2- Love or Like, It’s Like Hide and Seek

Chap 3- (doesn’t apply)

Chap 4- I Know My Age and I Act Like It

Chap 5- I Envy the Leaves that grow from the trees, they’re all so carefree through the seasons, unaware of the fall

Chap 6- At a Crossroad, I Choose the Unfamiliar Path

Chap 7- My Mom Always Asking, Where Did I Go Wrong?

Chap 8- Are We the Hunters? Or Are We the Prey?

Chap 9- If It’s a Fairytale, I Won’t Tell It. I Don’t Want It

Chap 10- Switch Up, Flip Out Like a Blade

Chap 11- Kings and Queens of Gritty Face and Pretty Things

Chap 12- The Kind of Wound Doesn’t Matter, Nah, I Don’t Care It

Chap 13- Does It Worry You to be Alone?

Chap 14- Just Kids Caught in the Crossfire

Chap 8 will be posted friday and chaps 9 to 11 would be posted next week if yall find all the songs

Let’s see how this goes yall. 24 hours.

[theogmrpandabear]

Yall we have to talk about the immediate contrast in season 1 vs. Season 2 on the topic of Vampires.

Now I’m on episode 4 S2 rn (pretty early in the season) but, omg, the “Bloodlust” episode has me contemplating some things.

Mainly the difference between season 1 vs. season 2 when it comes to the treatment and depiction of vampires. In season 1 we see how demonized vampires are, they are creatures of pure evil. When you kill them you shouldn’t even bat an eye, that sort of thing right?

Now in e2 s2, we start to see that, no, not all vampires are like that. With time they have learned to evolve past killing and drinking the blood of humans, even at their own discomfort. Even so, just because they are vampires, no matter whether or not they have done anything wrong they are at the risk of or will be killed, mercilessly at that, by hunters. So much so, that the entirety of the species is almost extinct.

Now during the episode Lenore (the female vampire) while talking to Sam explains that she and the rest of the vampires in town do their best to be peaceful and stay hidden.

She then tells him to convince the others to not track them, because in her words “ i know your kind”, “ Once you have the scent, you’ll keep tracking us. It doesn’t matter where we go, hunters will find us.”

Now this line made me think back to season one ep20. John says something similar about vampires along the lines of “once they have your scent it’s for life.”

This, is when the switch became much clearer. Suddenly, the position between vampires and Hunters had flipped. Now instead of Vampires being the evil merciless killers. It was hunters who were going after them for no reason except the fact that they were just vampires, whether or not they had done any harm. Vampires had learned to adapt and evolve with the times, but Hunters remained the same, refusing to see past the world and indoctrination they’ve been taught.

Vampires were learning but Hunters (Humanity) were still staying the same, refusing to acknowledge a change or even think twice about killing vampires.

This entire contrast was so unique to me because it gives an inside look at the dynamics between Hunters and the Supernatural. It makes me wonder, same as Dean,……how many innocents were killed simply because of the fact they were different and therefore feared? 🤔

(This definitely was a commentary on society and us Humans in general. I would love to go into detail even more but my brain is fried😔)

[sistermclarens]

Hungarian GP 24: McLaren Race Radios 4

Speeding towards the end of the race is Oscar Piastri, narrowly avoiding the head on collision between Lando Norris and the McLaren pit wall along the way.

Laps 1-30 | Laps 31-39 | Laps 40-54 | Laps 55-70

Lap 55

TS: "Hamilton last lap 22.6. Gap to Hamilton is 8 seconds."

WJ: "Ok Lando the position behind is Oscar's 3.8 behind, then Hamilton and Leclerc are 12, and Max is right behind him. We need you to save more tires please, and we do wanna let Oscar through." LN: "Eh, well you should have boxed him first then, surely not?" WJ: "Doesn't matter." LN: "I mean. It does. To me maybe."

Ok. Listen. I have a bit of sympathy for Lando in that he wants those extra 7 points in the driver's championship. Yes, rationally, logically, to me especially as I am very much both of those things, it's basically impossible for him to win it. I think the estimates I've seen are that Lando has to score an average of 7 points higher than Max in every race for the rest of the season, or Max has to DNF three times, or some combination of the two. Here, tho, is I think one of those reasons I'm finding F1 so interesting: the drivers are NOT rational. They're soooooo driven by instinct and emotion and pure raw ego when it comes to their own self-assessments. They ALWAYS believe they can win; they HAVE TO always believe they can win. Lando is demonstrating exactly that in this moment. To him, the championship is in reach, and every point counts.

On the flip side this is like a half-step away from a toddler throwing a temper tantrum lol like Lando has known since his pit stop in lap 45 that he was supposed to give P1 back to Oscar. If you count the pre-race agreement that whoever lead into the last round of pit stops would be uncontested P1 after that, then Lando effectively agreed to give up the lead to Oscar before he knew he had even lost it. To suddenly act shocked like "why was I boxed first? why are you making me switch?" is just disingenuous at this point.

Lap 57

WJ: "And Lando we still think you're using the tires too much, turn 4, turn 11, and the rears at exit turn 6, turn 9. Oscar's 3.5; I know you'll do the right thing."

Andrea Stella's message to the media about McLaren drivers being penalized for disobeying team orders really starts to come into play here. It particularly gives new light to WHY Will is trying so hard to convince Lando to give up P1--his seat with McLaren could be in jeopardy if he doesn't. "Do the right thing" is in this case both "do what is best for enduring teamwork" and "do what is best for your personal career." In my broadcast analysis I criticized the team for putting Lando in a position where he had to go against his own best interest (winning in general but especially winning championship points compared to Max) in order to be a team player. But it's clear now that the McLaren has set up their internal institutional structure to punish poor teamwork, which means that Lando's personal goal of winning the championship IS aligned with the organizations focus on teamwork. As Will says in a few laps, Lando can't win a championship without the team--because he LITERALLY CAN'T, as in, he may lose his seat on the team for being a bad teammate in the process of trying to win a championship.

Now, you can either love this or hate this as a McLaren tactic. (Personally, since I'm quite literally a political institutions scholar, I love whenever an organization lines up their carrots and sticks nicely so as to incentivize the same type of behavior from either reward or punishment.) But like it or not, we have to accept that these are the rules under which McLaren is operating this season. By refusing to give back P1 to Oscar, Lando is refusing to play by previously established rules, and he is running the risk of being slapped with a previously established punishment. He knows what he's doing, and he knows the potential consequences. He's either banking on McLaren not having the guts to go through with getting rid of their more experienced (and more sunk cost) driver, or he's caught up in his anger that the pre-established rules of the game are working against him because Oscar is doing better faster than Lando ever expected him to. Or a combination of both. Never underestimate the ego on a rich white man 😂

Lap 58

TS: "Ok behind, Hamilton is uh still the car behind. Verstappen passed Leclerc. Hamilton is 10 seconds behind you." TS: "Ok there's now 12 laps, ah, 13 laps to go. Would you take a safety car here? Would cost 1 position to Verstappen." OP: "Yes."

This is a fascinating look into Oscar's mindset--he's willing to give up P2 and settle for P3 if it means avoiding the possibility of his tires cooling down/wearing out to the point that he loses even further positions after the (hypothetical) safety car. Bird in hand, etc. I think people overlook how calculating Oscar can be because he's quiet and mostly seems content to go along with Lando's shenanigans in media things. Oscar Piastri let me put you in an MRI and run scans on your brain 👩‍🔬👩‍💻

WJ: "Lando, Hiroshi is stressed about the tires energies. Got a question for you. Ah, safety car with more than 8 laps to go. Would you take it?" LN: "Yes."

Lap 59

TS: "Ok we're in the full safety car window. Full safety car only."

WJ: "And Lando the full safety car window is therefore open." LN: "Okay." WJ: "Turn 4, turn 11. It's gonna get boring."

WRONG, Will, it's ALREADY boring 😭 we're at something like 6 or 7 reminders about turns 4 and 11 to Lando but I've fully given up counting because it's seriously so repetitive.

Lap 61

TS: "10 laps to go, 10 laps."

WJ: "Ok Lando, 10 laps to go; we think both cars are using their tires too much. Just remember ever single Sunday morning meeting we have." LN: "Yeah, well, tell him to catch up please."

Ok, I think this line from Will about Oscar's tires is bullshit. Obviously I don't have all the tire data here so maybe he knows something I don't. What I CAN tell you is that Oscar has not gotten a message about his tires since quite literally lap 49 when he got scolded for running off the track again. Nor does he get any specific "manage your tires better" messages later in the race, just a constant reminder for "best pace" which does involve tires but isn't ONLY tires.

The "Sunday meetings" line I discussed in my broadcast analysis, and I still stand by that: I think it makes the most sense in the context of Lando's interview answer where he mentions that every time they have a meeting they reaffirm their commitment and loyalty to the team. The reminder from Will is both a carrot (remember how good things are) and a stick (imagine how bad things could be).

Lando's response is a lot less defensible than I found it to be in the broadcast analysis, tho. "Tell him to catch up" like what? There's a pre-established agreement that whoever had P1 going into the last pit stop would be the winner. That's Oscar. There's a pre-established agreement that whoever doesn't obey team orders is in danger of punishment from higher-ups, potentially involving losing their seat. Why is Lando testing the boundaries of that? He's known since before his pit stop that the purpose of pitting him was to cover Lewis, NOT to undercut Oscar. Will reminded him of this again directly after his pit stop. Why is he pulling this?

Lap 62

OP: "When are we planning on swapping?" TS: "Ah Oscar we'll get that done soon. We just need best pace from you, best pace from you, for 9 laps."

Another one for turning Oscar Piastri into my mad science lab rat. He asks now AND next lap AND lap 66 about when the swap will occur. He's a lot more impatient about getting the win in hand than I think people realize again because his public persona is so mild. He's 🧍‍♂️ blending into the background, and that masks a lot of the fact that he's obviously got the same competitive spirit and confidence in his own race ability that the other F1 drivers do.

Lap 63

OP: "If there's a safety car with three laps to go, then [there would be no?] swapping." TS: "Understood, Oscar, we're on it."

Again, he's polite about it, and he's smart to do so on what he knows is live & recorded radio. But it's still a subtle signal of impatience with the pit wall. They've been telling him since around lap 48 that Lando would turn the position over to him, and now he's close to the window where a safety car would solidify the final race order with him in P2. He's not, as people said post race, unemotional or uncaring about winning. This is a pretty clear sign of impatience stemming from his competitive drive, so long as you know what you're looking for. He's just picking his words strategically when he knows everything he says is going to be recorded and picked over and analyzed by lunatics like me.

WJ: "Lando, he can't catch you up. You've proved your point, and it really doesn't matter." LN: "He's on much quicker tires, and fresher. I mean I would have tried to undercut anyway. If I didn't, I would have gone long." WJ: "Mate, we did the stop sequence in this order for the good of the team." LN: [interrupting] "Yeah and I'm fighting for a championship. Am I not?" WJ: [interrupting] "I tried to protect you mate. I promise, I'm trying to protect you."

"I would have tried to beat him anyways" this is like, middle school level behavior. Although given how much school athletes tend to miss in pursuit of their careers, I guess I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of these guys were under-socialized during important development years, so maybe it literally is middle school behavior. And Will's line at the end--that was so shocking to hear on the broadcast, but now we can put the pieces together and understand that he's reminding Lando of the very real possibility of repercussions stemming from ignoring a team order.

Lap 65

TS: "Ok. Keep it really tight, Oscar, keep this really tight. Just maximum focus now, best pace. Safety car window is closed."

WJ: "And Lando the safety car window is closed."

Lap 66

TS: "5 laps to go." OP: "The longer we leave this, the riskier it gets." TS: "Understood, Oscar, we're managing it."

WJ: "And Lando there are five laps to go. The way to win a championship is not by yourself; it's with the team. You're gonna need Oscar, and you're gonna need the team."

Do I even really need to talk about these last few radios or am I just repeating myself at this point? Lando has known for a ridiculously long time that he is supposed to give up P1, and he knows (better than we do or probably ever will) what the punishment would be for ignoring that team order. And it IS a team order, even though we haven't heard it be given command phrasing over the radio yet, because they were both given it as a pre-existing order before the race even started. I do feel bad for him that the team put him in this position by boxing him first. But he's not acting mature about this in any way shape or form.

Lap 67

WJ: Lando there is no threat behind; Hamilton is 20.3, then Leclerc, then Max. If there's a safety car now it's gonna make this very awkward. Please do it now.

Lap 68

TS: Ok, three laps to go. Lando's letting you through.

LN: Yeah you don't need to say anything.

If you didn't want anyone to say anything then why did you do all of this Lando 😭 now we've ALL said EVERYTHING 😭 but at least now my brain is empty and ready for Belgium this weekend 🍻

[rebel-walnut]

Let's Do The Time Warp Again

Steddie Season 3 time travel fic, Part 3

Ao3, Pt. 1, Pt.2, Pt.4

Robin's still slinging ice cream with her usual I'm-bored-at-work expression when Steve barrels back through the door with Eddie's hand still firmly in his. Their newest customer must feel Steve's urgent glare burning through the back of their head as they awkwardly turn to leave with Eddie adding in a little shooing motion when the customer turns towards them, confused and slightly insulted stare directed between Steve and Eddie while they go. 

Steve drops Eddie's hand to rapidly lock the door and flip the sign to 'closed' before any more customers can get through.

"Harrington, what the hell? You can just leave me to fend for myself and then show up and shut down the store because you wanna play hooky with- Munson?" Robin's rapid gesturing falters with her obvious surprise at Steve's choice of companion. "I didn't even realize you guys knew each other, much less held hands and got along."

"Buckley, please. Don't be so astonished at Harrington's choice of peasant. I'm hardly the worst choice he's ever made."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" The only response Steve gets to Eddie's dig, that if he's being totally honest he doesn't entirely get, is a snarky little side smirk and a wink. Steve loses his train of thought for reasons he's not entirely certain of and can only manage a dumb stare before Robin breaks the awkward tension with a forced cough.

"So are you losers gonna tell me why we're hijacking my shift and jeopardizing my summer employment? Or…?"

Eddie breaks into a deep bow that on anyone else would look ridiculous. "Of course, lady Buckley. You wanna handle this one, Stevie?" He adds with a flourish in Steve's direction.

"Actually… I don't think we can."

"What? What the fuck did we need to talk to Robin for then?" Eddie's confused anger is palpable as Steve drags him away from Robin and into the backroom.

"Robin- give us two minutes and I promise I'll explain," Steve says as he slams the center window shut and cuts off Robin's agitated rambles, turning back to Eddie.

"Gonna tell me why we aren't getting her to help us, Popeye?" Steve's nose crinkles at the name.

"What if it puts her in danger? Like the paradox I was trying to talk about earlier- like if we tell her about the future and it permanently fucks up the rest of her life, or she fucking- explodes or something. Or we explode. We can't risk it," Steve runs his hands down his face, knocking his stupid sailor hat to the ground in the process.

Eddie is quiet for a few seconds before slapping his hands down on the table and eliciting a soul crunching screech from the legs of his chair as he stands. "Alright then, experiment time."

Eddie leaves the backroom and heads towards the main entrance for Scoops, flipping the lock but not bothering with the sign. Steve follows behind him, his questions falling on deaf ears. He watches in horror as Eddie taps the shoulder of a girl in passing, waiting for her to look before saying with the brightest grin Steve has ever seen, "Hi! We're from the future," Eddie gestures between the two of them before the girl stalks back over to her friends with a look of utter confusion plastered to her face.

"Are you fucking crazy?!" Steve grips Eddie's shoulders and whirls him around to face Steve, switching his grip to Eddie's forearms after he's turned. "That could have killed her! Or us! We have no idea what we're up against here, what follows or goes against the laws of the fucking universe, and that poor girl could have fallen victim to it! You had no right-"

Eddie latches himself onto Steve's arms, mirroring Steve's own position, and tilts his head closer to Steve's. "We had to know. We're at so much more risk staying here, knowing what we know and existing in the wrong timeline, than if we can find a way back. The longer we're here, chances are the more we change and the worse it could be for everyone else," Eddie pulls his face even closer to Steve's and lowers his voice. "Yes, maybe something bad could have happened. Another portal, or we all turned to dust- I don't know. But maybe, it would have sent us back. We don't know. We don't know anything. So we at least need to figure out what we can do here, what we can interact with, and how we get back."

Eddie gives one squeeze to Steve's arms before letting go and moving away a half step. "So, do you wanna tell Robin?"

Steve's brow furrows, but he nods along nonetheless. Eddie gives a small smile in return and leads them back to the Scoops door where Robin is already watching through the window with poorly veiled interest. She pushes off from leaning against the counter as Steve flips the lock on the door again.

"Can I know what all these dramatics are about yet?" She quirks an eyebrow at them as she crosses her arms. 

Eddie shoots a glance at Steve, some kind of check in probably, as Steve nods to Robin.

"Yeah. It's kind of… a lot? And also you probably won't believe us since the stuff that would make you believe us hasn't happened yet, but. We're- um. I can't say this without sounding bat-shit crazy. Eddie?"

"We're from the future. A year later. Well, almost. March 27th of '86, to be exact."

"When I directed that at you, I thought you were gonna try to make it sound less crazy, not just punch her in the face with information."

"Your expectations are not my problem. I got it done, didn't I?"

Robin stares that blank stare of hers for what feels like hours. Her eyes flit between the two of them, rest of her body stone still. Steve can hear his heart beat in his ears, forcing himself not to step forward and shake Robin by the shoulders, screaming please believe me, Robs! Please! It's the truth!

Robin eyes them for another moment before her stoney resolve dissolves into a fit of doubled over laughter. Steve's heart sinks.

"Of all the excuses I thought you'd come up with for your sudden friendship-" friendship being said with air quotes, a narrowed gaze, and a smirk directed at Eddie, "-And whatever that scene was outside, I did not have 'pretending to be stuck in time together' on my Harrington/Munson bingo card."

Apparently it's Eddie's turn to join in on the laughter, even wiping a fake tear from his eye. "While I appreciate the insinuation of that statement, Buckley, he's not like that," Eddie leans in theatrically for the last part as he cups a hand around his mouth to mimic telling a secret, despite not lowering his volume any. He and Robin share a knowing glance that tells Steve he's definitely missing something from this conversation. "For what it's worth though, we're telling the truth."

Robin continues her doubtful stare, but Steve's known her long enough that he can see the cracks in it. He can get through to her.

"Look- I can prove it. What day is it today?"

"Sunday."

"Date?"

"Not with you."

"Robin."

"30th, I think."

"Ok, so that means…" Steve runs through a mental timeline of when everything started going to shit. If he remembers correctly, today's the day Dustin comes in with the Russian recording.

"Just before 11:00, which is in-" Steve checks his watch, "-seventeen minutes, my friend Dustin will come into Scoops to tell me he found a secret Russian recording that he picked up on his radio. You'll help us figure out the code, something about a silver fox and a trip to China, and yellow and blue, and a bunch of other nonsense, and then we'll realize that the Russians were in Starcourt this whole time so we go find them. And then me and you get tortured by said evil Russians together and a bunch of other alternate dimensional shit happens that I don't even wanna get into right now- point being, I've done this before and I can't do it again."

Robin's expression stays still, her nose scrunching just a touch when Steve reaches forward to grab her hands. "Please, Robs. You have to believe us," Robin is silent as her face tightens and fully scrunches up, her grip steady and solid against Steve's.

"Ok. I believe you," She says in a breathy whisper. Steve's face cracks into a smile as he pulls her fully into a hug. He rocks them side to side, just turned enough to catch a glimpse of Eddie's warm smile.

"Really? You believe us?"

He feels Robin smile into his shoulder. "Yeah Dingus, I believe you. But not because of your story," she pulls back enough to look him in the eyes. "It's because you've never called me Robs. It's always Robin or Buckley, never any sort of affectionate nickname. The way you looked at me when you were explaining- it was like you've known me your whole life. You're a different person than you were when you clocked in this morning."

Robin grips his shoulders a little harder and levels him with an intense stare and a timid smile. "You can't fake that look, Steve. I trust that you know me. Or rather, you know the me I am a year from now. Regardless, obviously you know me and trust me enough to tell me what's happening to you. So I'll help. I don't know how, but I'll help."

Steve knew he could trust her. Robin always has this way about her where she'll just buy in and go with whatever's happening, no matter how crazy. He saw it the first time he did this a year ago with the Russian translation, he saw it this year (next year?) with Vecna, and he's seeing it again now. 

"Thank you," he whispers against her equally wretched sailor costume as he pulls her into another hug.

Banging on the storefront windows startles them both out of their embrace and Steve catches Eddie jumping out of the corner of his eye.

Dustin is poised with one hand hammering against the glass and the other rattling the locked door.

"Hellooooo! Your hours say you're open! Steve, I have something extremely urgent to share with you, and if you don't unlock this door right now then you'll be responsible for the disastrous fate of this country. Is that what you want? To fail your country? Harrington, let me in!"

"Good to see you too, Henderson."

"Obviously it's nice to see you too Steve, but come on! Pressing issues!"

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