#and a lot are things like. <3 or. i liked this chapter. other surface level things.

[three-bunnies-in-a-trenchcoat]

I need to finish this chapter so I can get my three comments but frankly I don't want to

[mvltixcc]

Girls Like Girls - Robin Buckley X Cheerleader!Reader

Summary: Robin has a crush on the new girl in town. Y/N is also a new member of the cheer squad, which means Robin sees her all the time at games and other school events. Unfortunately, Robin is put in a tough situation. She's scared to talk to her because the cheerleaders have a reputation of being mean girls and she fears that Y/N may not feel the same. Little does Robin know that Y/N does not appear as she seems. Y/N becomes best friends with Eddie, which seems unlikely at the surface due to different social circles. This leads to rumors of course and word spreads like wildfire here at Hawkins, which then makes Robin's feelings even more confusing. After hanging out with Steve and the gang, Robin starts to see a different side to Y/N. Will they end up together or will they just remain friends?

Word Count: 4.4k

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Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Things had been a little peaceful at school since the night of prom. Chrissy and everyone else involved in the paint prank got suspended for some time. Eddie was the happiest about this as the ones that were suspended picked on him more than anyone. When they were finally able to come back, they had to issue an apology to you and Robin, anyone that was hit with the paint, and the janitors as well. Their parents also had to pay for the banners to be replaced as some were splattered with paint. Everyone dreaded the day they were coming back to school. No one knew how things were going to be once they came back. Would things go back to the way things were? Would things change for the better? No one knows and that thought alone scared a lot of people. 

You knew that people could be cruel just for the fun of it or because they could be. But for Chrissy, you knew it was deep rooted. You never excused her behavior because she still treated people horribly and you always stuck up for those she picked on. Chrissy picked on people because she wanted others to feel just as miserable as she was at home. You knew of this secret, but never told a soul. While you were on the cheer squad, everyone thought you were like her and the other girls that followed in her footsteps. But the difference between the two of you, is that you would have never stooped to the level that Chrissy did by using a secret against her. While she should be punished for her awful behavior to others, it wouldn’t be by your hands. Her karma would come and that day came sooner rather than later.

A few weeks had passed before the big day that no one looked forward to. You and Robin had walked into school and were immediately met by Principal Higgins. 

“Good morning to you both, I need you to follow me into my office please.” He said sternly. You and Robin followed hesitantly. 

“Here we are.” Higgins said as he held open his office door. “Please take a seat.” You entered and saw Chrissy sitting there. You sat down and Robin followed.

“I think you both know why I’ve called you in here.” He stated looking at the three of you sitting before him. You all nod in response. “The floor is yours Ms. Cunningham.”

Chrissy let out a sigh. “I’m sorry for potentially harming you and trying to ruin your prom night by dumping a bucket of paint on you Carrie style. It was immature of me to do and it will never happen again.”

“Now that wasn’t so hard was it?” Higgins asked.

“Is that all you needed us for?” You asked. You didn’t want to hear anything from Chrissy and Robin sure as hell didn’t care either.

“Uh yes, that’s all.” He said taken a back.

“Okay then, well we better get to class. Our exams are coming up and I don’t wanna miss anything.” You say standing up. Robin followed after you as well as Chrissy. “Hey, I’ll meet you there.” You told Robin, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

“What are you-” Robin began to ask but then soon caught on as she saw Crissy at her locker. “I’ll see you in class, just be careful.” Robin gave your hand a gentle squeeze. You nodded and parted ways.

“Cunningham, wait up.” You said making your way over to the girl.

“What do you need?” She asked softly.

“I need you to do me a favor.” You stated. She nodded for you to continue. “Chrissy, I know you have shit going on in your life, but it’s no excuse to treat people the way that you do. Maybe this will teach you to be kinder to people. Now, I want you and your friends to also apologize to Eddie for they way you’ve treated him and leave him alone for good.”

“Yeah I can do that. I’m sorry once again.” She said with sincerity in her voice.

“Oh and one last thing.” You said, moving closer so that only she could hear you. “Stay the hell away from my girlfriend or else we’re gonna have some serious problems.” She nods to you and you make your way to class.

“Everything okay?” Robin asked as you walked into class. 

“It should be now.” You say giving her a small smile.

“What does that even mean?” She asked with concern. 

“Good morning class! Today we will be doing more study packs to prepare you for your final exam! This time you can pair up in a group, just make sure you are actually studying this time!! The final exams are a big portion of your grades!” The teacher stated. 

“Yeah Eds!” You joked to him. 

“Hey!” He laughed. 

You, Robin, and Eddie grouped up and started to work on the packet for the rest of class.

“Hold on, why the hell does Greg have so many damn apples?” Eddie asked jokingly. 

“Really Munson, THAT'S what you’re worried about?! Not even finding the root of X to find out how many apples he ate?” Robin laughed.

“Oh I‘m sorry, are you telling me that if someone had THIS many apples you wouldn’t question it?!” He replied.

“No you goof, maybe they really like apples. Did you ever think about that hmm?” Robin teased back. The two of them continued to banter back and forth the rest of the period.

“So are we still on for Hellfire tonight?” Dustin asked Eddie. 

“Of cour-” Eddie started to say.

“No!” You interrupted. “You have to study Edward!” 

Eddie let out a large groan. “Can’t I just wing the test like I do every year?” 

“Look how far that got you dude.” Jeff said.

“Ugh fine, I’ll study.” Eddie sighed. 

“Perfect! It’ll be you, Nancy, Robin, and myself. We’ll meet at my place after school. Just make sure you bring your books this time. Oh, and snacks too!” You say. 

“Yeah yeah yeah, I’ll bring the snacks. Don’t I always?” Eddie joked. The rest of you continued to eat your lunch until the bell rang. 

Normally you would have gym right now, but since it was still a mess from the paint they granted everyone a free period. You went to the quiet little spot that Eddie showed you when the two of you became friends. It was in the woods just outside of the school grounds and it had a little picnic table. How it got there you still aren't sure. You knew Eddie used it for his deals, but you used it to be by yourself and clear your head. Before you made your way there, you stopped by your car to grab your Walkman and your headphones. You laid on the seat just listening to your music and staring up at the trees, just thinking and enjoying the nature around you. Those thoughts were soon interrupted by a thud. 

“There you are, peach!” Eddie exclaimed as he stood above you. 

You turned off your music and began to sit up. “Here I am!” You giggled. 

“What are you doing out here all by yourself?” He questioned as he sat next to you.

You moved closer to him and set your head on his shoulder. “Just thinking.”

“Thinking about?” He asked.

“Life and how crazy it’s been.” You chuckled.

You both sat together like this until your watch alarm went off. “Well we better go, don’t wanna be late for class.” You stated standing up from your seat.

“Yeah I guess you're right.” Eddie said following you back to the school.

 For the next month, You, Robin, Nancy, and yes even Eddie studied your asses off everyday after school until it was time to take the final exams. 

“Y/N, what if I fail again?” Eddie would often ask you. To say he was nervous about taking the exams would be an understatement. 

“You won’t fail them Eds, you can do this! I know that all of this is really scary, but you’ve been doing well with the practice tests that Nancy printed up for us. I believe in you.” You always tried to reassure him. Despite what people thought of Eddie, he was actually really smart when he set his mind to it.

“I’m just scared I’ll fail again.” He said with a frown.

“Eddie, I’ll be here to support you no matter what. I’m always here for you.” You said giving him a smile to cheer him up.

Once it was finally test week, you all decided that once all the exams were done and you had gotten your grades back, you’d have a big get together of some kind. You would still have your usual traditions with Robin which helped the both of you relax during this time as well. The four of you were confident you would pass, well Eddie not as much, but he was still confident nonetheless. 

“How do you feel, Eddie?” Nancy asked as Eddie approached your group. You all had just finished the last exam.

“Relieved to be done with it.” Eddie said as he let out a sigh.

You were sitting on the hood of your car with your arms wrapped around Robin. “Well what do we do now?” You asked.

“I guess we just relax and wait to get our grades.” Nancy shrugged her shoulders. 

You wouldn’t find out about your grades until next Friday when they sent the results in the mail. Just another week, that wouldn’t kill you right? Well maybe not you, but for Eddie it would eat him alive. All he wanted to do was walk across the stage with his best friends and make those he cared for proud of him. He wanted to feel accomplished, he wanted to show those that doubted him that he COULD do it. 

“Well why don't we meet up on Friday and we can look at our grades together?” You asked. Everyone nodded and agreed to the plan. 

“Well on that note, I’m off to take my girlfriend to lunch! I’ll see you guys on Friday!” You stated hopping off the hood and jumping in the car with Robin. 

“Where are we going for lunch?” Robin asked as you drove.

“Mm I was thinking maybe I could pick up a pizza and we could just hang at my place, how does that sound?” You asked, grabbing her hand gently. 

“That sounds perfect to me.” She said, squeezing your hand and flashing you a smile.

“I do have to make a quick stop before I grab the food though.” You had pulled into the parking lot of the video store. 

“What are we doing here?” Robin questioned.

“You’ll see, stay here beautiful I’ll be right back.” You say giving her a quick kiss. Robin sat and waited in the car upon your return. 

You arrived after a few minutes with a brown bag in your hand. “Alright, you ready to eat?” You asked starting the car again. Robin, still confused as ever, just stared at the item in your lap. You noticed her looking puzzled at your lap and handed her the bag. "Take a look. It’s a gift for Steve.” 

Robin looked in the bag and let out a snort. “Oh he’s gonna hate you for this.”

It was finally the next Friday and you were on the way to the Wheeler’s residence with Robin to open the letters that held your grades. You pulled in the driveway to see Eddie had already arrived. You parked the car and the pair of you made your way to the door. Nancy was already standing there waiting for you both. “Come on, let’s go!” She exclaimed.

“Well someones impatient.” Robin remarked. 

“You haven’t seen Eddie for the past 10 minutes, he’s been pacing back and forth waiting. He’s kind of a mess right now!” Nancy continued as she led the two of you to the basement where Eddie was in fact pacing.

“Oh thank god, let’s get this over with!” Eddie said.

You all stood in a small circle and opened your letters at the same time. It was silent for what felt like forever, even though it was probably just a few seconds. 

“Yes!” Nancy cheered, she had obviously passed.

“Oh thank god!” Robin sighed in relief. She had passed as well.

You had also passed the exams. Now all that was left was Eddie’s results. He just stood there with a blank expression on his face which worried you. “Eds, what is it?” You asked him.

“I- I um.” He spoke softly.

“Well did you pass or what?” Nancy asked. 

“I passed.” Eddie said in disbelief. 

Nancy and Robin looked at him with wide eyes while you pulled him in for a hug. “I knew you could do it, Eds, I’m so beyond proud of you!” You hugged him so tight. 

He hugged you back. You could hear him sniffle and shake a bit. All he ever wanted was to make someone proud of him and feel like he did something good. And the fact that it was coming from his best friend made him feel special. You both pulled away from one another and you wiped away his tears.

“Congrats Munson!” Robin praised, giving him a high five.

“I guess this calls for a celebration!” Nancy exclaimed. 

There was a big party planned at Steve’s house later that night. After all the hard months that you all had put into studying, you all deserved this. Music was going, people were laughing, the energy was good. Everything was perfect. “Oh I almost forgot something, I’ll be right back.” You announced. You made your way to your car and grabbed the gift you had gotten Steve last week. You made your way back to the party and everyone looked at you with a puzzled expression. 

“What the hell is that?” Sam asked.

“It’s for Steve, go ahead and open it!” You say handing him the bag.

“Aww you shouldn’t have, that’s so sweet of-” He smiled as he opened his gift, that smile soon faded. “Alright, I take it back. Screw you Y/N!” He joked.

“What is it?!” Everyone asked with anticipation.

Steve pulled it out of the bag to show everyone, Eddie let out a snort and his drink shot out of his nose. It was a copy of Carrie on VHS. 

“Now why the hell would you get me this Y/N?!” Steve asked jokingly of course.

“What? You said you had never seen it before!” You laughed. Eddie couldn’t stop laughing, he found it truly hilarious. 

While everyone was inside, you pulled Robin outside to have a moment alone with her. You sat at the edge of the pool, the very same spot that you two had confessed your feelings for one another. “Hey pretty lady.” You say, giving her a small kiss on her nose. 

“Hi there, beautiful.” She giggled. “You having a good time tonight?” She asked.

“I’m having an even better time now that I get to sit here with you.” You laid your head on her shoulder. You both had your feet in the pool and just sat and talked.

Robin started to go on about a movie that she had seen the other day and you couldn’t help but just stare at her and smile. She looked beautiful with the moonlight beaming on her. You were thinking about her cute freckles and how you could kiss them for hours on end, how her eyes sparkled when she was talking about the things she was passionate about, and how when she wears her hair up like she was tonight, there was always hair in front of her face and you’d have to move it out of the way for her. She was just perfect to you and was everything you had ever dreamed of. 

She noticed you staring at her and stopped talking about the movie. “What? Oh god, is there something on my face?” She asked frantically, wiping her face. 

You moved her hands out of her face and just held them in yours. “No no, there’s nothing on your face my love.” You giggled. “I just- I just love you so so much. More than anything in this world. You’re my everything Robin.” 

“I love you too, so damn much.” She smiled and kissed your forehead. You both sat there in silence, just enjoying each other’s company in the cool night.

“And with that, congratulations class of ‘86!” Principal Higgins announced. You and the rest of your classmates threw your caps in the air in celebration. The auditorium was roaring with cheers and clapping from all the loved ones that had attended. Everyone had piled out into the parking lot and soon you met with your grandparents.

“We’re so proud of you darling!” Said your nana as she gave you a hug and a kiss, your papa following soon after. You thanked them and looked around for your friends and Robin.

 “And there he is!” Your nana exclaimed as Eddie and his uncle Wayne approached you. She pulled him in for a big hug. Your grandparents loved Eddie as if he was a part of your family. 

“We’re so proud of you Eddie!” Eddie could barely talk, he was fighting back tears all day. He just nodded in response, they knew what a big day this was for not just you, but for Eddie as well. Wayne had the biggest smile on his face all day. He loved and adored Eddie as if he were his son. He couldn’t be more proud of him. 

Before you and Eddie met up with the rest of your friends to celebrate your achievements, you pulled him aside to have a moment with him. 

“Eddie, I’m so beyond proud of you and how far you’ve come. You deserve great things in life, truly you do and I hope you know that. I’m so incredibly grateful to have met you and to have you as not only my best friend, but as someone that I consider family. You mean so much to me, I love you so much Eds.” You say to him. 

He couldn’t hold his tears back anymore. He began to sob and you pulled him in for a hug. You don’t know where you’d be without Eddie. Yes, Robin was your girlfriend, but Eddie was your person. Just like Steve was to Robin. 

“Okay, I think I'm good now.” Eddie said, pulling away from the hug. You handed him a tissue to wipe his eyes and blow his nose.. He didn’t want people to see him be vulnerable, that was a private moment for him and only a few people got to see him like this. You were one of them. Eddie trusted you more than anyone and he knew that you would never judge him or pick on him for the way that he was. He gained his composure and you both made your way to the rest of your friends to continue the celebration.

You and Robin sat in your usual spot in the field at the park having a picnic. It was her turn to pack the lunch and whenever it was her turn, she ALWAYS made sure to pack your favorites. You both had finished eating and were currently laying your head on Robin’s stomach while painting her nails. You giggled to yourself as you saw the tanlines where her rings were. 

“Can I tell you something?” She asked.

“Of course you can my love!” You say looking up at her. 

“I uh, this is gonna sound so stupid. Promise me you won't laugh at me okay?” She said with nervousness.

“I would never laugh at you baby.” You reassured her.

“Well before all of this-” She said, waving her hands around, indicating that she meant everything before you. “I used to think- oh god, I used to think that you were mean and scary.” 

You sat up from your spot and looked at her. “Me?”

She looked down, like she was embarrassed. “Yeah…”

“Now why would you think that you goose?” You chuckled.

“You said you wouldn’t laugh!” She chuckled a bit.

“I’m not laughing at you, I promise! You’re just silly is all! Was it because I was a cheerleader?” You asked.

Robin nodded.

“Well am I still mean and scary now?” You ask as you tickle her. You both fell over and you continued to tickle her. 

“I surrender! I surrender!” She laughed. You both chuckled together for a bit before just laying there. You moved a piece of hair out of her face and pulled her in for a kiss. Robin smiled into the kiss, she was truly happy. The kiss lasted for a bit longer until Robin pulled away. “I have something for you.” She said softly to you. She sat up and pulled a gift she had packed out of the basket. 

“For me?” You ask sitting up. She handed you the gift and you kindly took it from her. You opened it and gasped at what was revealed. “No way!! You didn’t!” You exclaimed quickly unwrapping the rest of the present. Robin giggled. She had gotten you the entire Lord of the Rings book collection, including The Hobbit. 

“This is perfect, thank you my sweet angel!” You thanked and gave her another kiss. 

“You’re very welcome, I wanted to get you something special for graduation. I know you’ve been wanting to read all the books and now you don’t have to borrow Eddie’s beat up copies anymore.” She chuckled. It was true, Eddie’s copies had been through the ringer, he’s read them so much.

“I may have also gotten you a gift.” You say turning to your bag and grabbing a box with a bow on it. 

“What is it?” She asked with a confused look on her face.

“Well open it and find out silly!” You chuckled.

She opened the box and her face lit up. “You remembered!” She said with awe. 

“Of course I did, I was there when it broke, remember silly?” You had gotten her a new chain since her last one broke while at a cookout at Eddie’s. 

“Thank you baby, I love it!” She thanked.

“Here let me help.” You had her turn around so you could help her put it on. “There, it’s perfect.” You say as she turns back to face you. You both stayed there for a while before it was time to meet everyone at the new ice cream shop. 

“What took you guys so long?” Sam asked as she pulled you in for a hug. 

“Yeah?! What were you two doing hmm?” Eddie teased. 

“Okay calm down, we were at the park!” Robin laughed.

You all stood in line and waited to order your ice cream. There was a good amount of people there already waiting or eating their frozen treat. “Is this place even any good?” You asked. 

“Yes!” The younger ones exclaimed in unison.

“How do you know? I thought this place was brand new?” You questioned.

“It was actually a shop in the mall before it had burned down.” Steve stated. You nodded your head to show you understood. “You know-”

“Oh hey would you look at that, we’re up next!” Robin interrupted. You looked at her with suspicion. 

Once everyone had their ice cream, you found a table and sat down. “Hey guys-” Dustin started as he motioned toward Steve and Robin. “Do you remember when you used to work at Scoops Ahoy?” 

You almost spit out your ice cream. “I’m sorry, what?!” You exclaimed.

“That’s what I was trying to say earlier before SOMEBODY interrupted me!” Steve stated looking to Robin. 

“Is this true?” You asked, turning to your girlfriend, who had embarrassment written all over her face. 

“Oh yeah! They had to wear uniforms and everything, the same as the ones they’re wearing I’m pretty sure!” Lucas said as he pointed to the workers behind the counter.

“Oh please tell me you still have that uniform!” You gasp and say to Robin.

“I may or may not still have it…” She said softly to you. “But what I DO have are photos of King Steve in his uniform!” Robin chuckled.

“Oh now that I absolutely HAVE to see!” Eddie proclaimed. 

The entire group started laughing. You all were joking around with each other and having a good time. You lay into Robin as you all watch the sunset. You couldn’t help but start to think about the year you’ve had. Moving to Hawkins, meeting Eddie and the rest of the Hellfire gang, all the drama with Chrissy, and most importantly, meeting and falling in love with Robin. You began to get emotional just thinking about everything. 

“Hey, you okay? What’s the matter love bug?” Robin asked as she noticed you getting teary eyed. She pulled you closer to her to comfort you.

You sniffled and shook your head. “Nothing’s wrong, everything is just- perfect. You’re perfect.” You say interlocking your fingers with hers. You never wanted this moment to end. There you were with the people you cared about more than anything. Life felt amazing, despite the ups and downs you faced this year. You wouldn’t have changed a thing.

“I love you so much.” Robin said, giving you a gentle kiss on your forehead. 

You looked up at her and smiled. “I love you too.”

The End ♡

[tightjeansjavi]

Cigarettes & Feelings | Part 3 | Javi Pena x f! Reader

“you got me stumbling; you never give me a break”

A/N: I am so pleased with how this chapter turned out. I sat on it for awhile and didn’t want to force myself to write when I wasn’t feeling the motivation. I appreciate your patience ♡

~word count: 4.2k~

Summary: Javi shows you that beneath his playboy exterior, he’s just a man that left everything he knew behind to pursue a new life.

Warnings: some angst from both Javi and the reader, flirting, banter, a truce is made, Javi and the reader actually connect, mentions of alcohol and smoking cigarettes, late night talking, Javi opens up about his past, the reader sees him in a new light, some sexual tension/pining in the beginning, Javi acts as true gentleman, light fluff, no age gap, reader has no physical descriptions but is from the states, pet names used: cariño and hermosa +18 minors dni!

Bogotá, Colombia 1988

You felt flustered under the DEA agent's gaze. The night air was balmy, and his distinct fragrant cologne was wrapped around your senses like a snake. Twisting, squeezing, spinning your brain like a brightly lit merry-go-round.

Javier smelled like sex. Not the grimy kind. He smelled of leather, cigarette smoke, and faintly of women’s perfume. A combination that you should be turning your nose up at, yet here you were feeling your resolve slowly begin to crumble.

“Are you trying to flirt with me, Javier?” You boldly asked.

Javi raised a brow in your direction, lips curving up into a small smirk. One that sent your stomach into a fury of butterflies. There was something so slick about the way he smirked. Something underlying with brandished provactism. Javier was expertly practiced in the art of flirting. He was a man nonetheless, and your boldness caught him off guard.

“Is a man not allowed to tell a woman that he thinks she’s beautiful without there being an underlying reason behind it?” His tone was casual, even keeled as he hid the twinge of trepidation building in the pit of his stomach. “I think you’re beautiful, and it would almost be cruel for me to not be honest with you, querida.”

Your mouth fell open as you processed his words and the sincerity behind them. On the surface level you felt like a cornered mouse about to become the street cats next lunch. On the inside? You were struggling to keep the heat pooling in your tummy at bay. You didn’t want to boost the agent’s ego by confessing that you think he’s attractive as well. No, you were going to hold up your defenses for as long as you could muster it.

“Well, thank you Javi. I’m simply gushing that you think I’m beautiful.” You teased.

Well, there goes that plan of not boosting his ego..whoops. Better luck next time!

Javi cocked his head to the side as he tried to decipher if you were just messing with him or if his words truly did have that effect on you. You were frustrating to read, and even more-so now than ever. “Shall we..head out?” He gestured to his car in the awaiting parking lot below. I need a fucking drink. He silently thought to himself.

The next thing you did was surely going to melt and rot away the DEA agent’s already fragile state of mind. You had ever-so innocently plucked the burning cigarette from between his lips and placed the unlit end between your own. You took a long drag, blowing the smoke off to the side as his jaw went slack at your actions. “I never took you for the smoking type. I would have offered you one earlier if that was the case.” He casually stated as he watched the way your lips effortlessly wrapped around the tip of the cigarette. He found himself transfixed by the way the smoke billowed around your head like a misty halo. Your lips were lightly stained with lipgloss, and he found himself pondering if the flavor would taste like cherry, strawberry, or perhaps some other fruit. They were glistening under the street lights, like glazed sugary sweets. Delectable and melting on one’s taste buds.

“I only smoke on rare occasions or in a social setting. There’s a lot of things you would never take me for, Javier.” You took one more drag before placing the cigarette back between his lips. Cherry. That’s what your lipgloss consisted of. He found himself already pining for a proper taste.

Javi knew right then and there that he had to play his cards right. He didn’t want to jump the gun and assume that you were flirting with him, but at the same time he was absolutely hoping that you were. “So, what kind of cigarettes does a woman of your stature prefer to smoke?” He asked casually.

“A woman of my stature? That’s an interesting way of phrasing it Peña. If you must know..I quite enjoy the flavor of Marlboro Reds.”

Javi brushed the tip of his thumb across the bridge of his nose. A habit he would display when he was feeling particularly flustered in a situation. Although he wouldn’t admit it, your quick snap backs and confidence had his brain reeling. He cleared his throat as he gestured to the staircase leading down to the parking lot. “Shall we?”

You stared back at the DEA agent with your brow quirked suggestively. What happened to suave Javier Peña? Perhaps you had pacified that part of himself momentarily. Javier stared right back at you, almost in a challenging stance. Neither of you blinked as the tension seemingly simmered hotly through the close proximity you shared.

“Lead the way, Peña.” You said amusedly.

Javi finished off what was left of his cigarette as he flicked the end over the railing. You were graced with another whiff of his cologne as he breezed past you, footsteps heavy along the metal railing. He was already at his car by the time you finished locking your front door and meeting him in the parking lot.

Stolen glances were shared when he held open the passenger door for you like a true gentleman. Small talk was exchanged on the short drive to the local bar. Javi couldn’t help but wonder if tonight would finally be the night that he would break through your hard exterior shell.

His hand was gingerly resting along the small of your back as he walked alongside you. This was a safer part of town, but he always erred on the side of caution. He felt the goose flesh raise along your exposed skin where his warm palm was placed. His fingertips were just light toying with one of the straps on your dress. He half expected you to swat his hand away and scold him. However, he was pleasantly surprised that you did quite the opposite. You neither leaned into his touch or shied away.

To say that Steve was surprised to see you and Peña walking into the bar together was an understatement. His jaw literally dropped to the goddamn floor and Connie had to pick it up for him. Javi was already giving him the “don’t say anything please” look with just his eyes alone.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in.” Steve raised his bottle of beer in yours and Javi’s direction. “We were beginning to think that you were going to be a no show, Jav.” He grinned at him over the rim of his beer.

Javier offered to let you slide into the booth first, following you shortly after as he shrugged his signature leather jacket off, revealing another one of his many too tight to breathe shirts. This one was purple, and he looked goddamn handsome in it. “Sorry, got caught up doing some paperwork back at the office, and wanted to invite the newbie out for some drinks.” He shot you a subtle wink.

“Oh? So that’s what I am? The newbie?” You fought the urge to roll your eyes when he had winked at you. “I’ve been here for well over a month now, Javi.” You let out a faux sigh of disappointment and usually Javier would have a quick comeback, but he was determined to be in your good graces.

“Cariño, c’mon. You know I’m just kidding, right? Besides, I meant it more as a term of endearment? Yeah..that’s how I meant for it to come across.”

You gave the DEA agent a playful shove to the shoulder, your eyes light and teasing. “Oh, I know that’s how you meant it. I was just looking for an excuse to give you shit.”

“Ohh ha ha ha. Very funny, you really got me there missy.” He softly chuckled.

“I’m just shocked to see you both here in one piece. How the hell did you not end up ripping his head off?” Steve asked with a raise of his brow.

“Javier actually isn’t terrible company, when he’s not putting all his energy into flirting with me. I actually was pretty surprised when he asked me out for drinks without any ulterior motives.”

“I told you I really am not all that terrible of a guy, once you give me a chance. I’ll take this as a truce?” Javier outstretched his hand towards you with a gentle smile.

You eyed his gesture suspiciously before ultimately offering him your hand. Much to Steve’s disbelief, you and Javi firmly shook hands.

“It’s a truce, Peña.”

You and Javi had hardly touched your beers that stood next to one another on the table. The bottles had been sitting there long enough that condensation began to form along outside. It wasn’t that either of you weren’t in a mood for drinking, it was just that you and Javi were fully immersed in a conversation. He was sitting close enough to you in the booth that his knee was lightly brushing yours, and his arm was outstretched along the backside of the worn leather. His fingers were close enough that they could have easily brushed against the exposed skin of your shoulder, but he refrained; Javier was a gentleman of course.

“So, what made you want to fly all the way out to Bogotá? Was it your first option of choice or did you have a list of places to choose from?”Javier asked with a piqued, genuine curiosity about you and your life.

“I originally wanted to go to Italy and live on the Amafli coast with my rich husband that I have yet to meet..although, I bet he’s still out there and waiting to whisk me away on his Vespa.” You sighed dreamily. “I had always wanted to go to South America because of the rich and colorful culture, and I had a few friends that have made the trip as well and they all recommended it.”

Javier was listening to every word that passed your lips with intent. His gaze gently rested along your eyes and he thought it particularly cute that one of your main mannerisms when talking was that you used your hands to emphasize your words. Your facial emotions had a depth of range, and when you were passionate about something anyone in the room could easily depict it.

“The Amalfi coast, huh? Italy is very beautiful, and I’m sure you’d have no problem getting swept off your feet by some rich Italian hunk. I think you’ll find that Colombia has so much to offer, and you’re right about the rich and colorful culture here. It’s everywhere you look. Y’know, if you’re looking for a professional tour guide, I’d happily be your man.”

“I actually might have to take you up on that offer but don’t let it go to your head all at once, okay? I would hate to miss out on an opportunity to experience all that Colombia has to offer. What about you Javier? Was Bogotá your first choice?”

“I promise I’ll be the utmost professional. I would hate for you to get sucked into any of the tourist traps around here either. If I’m being honest with you, I outgrew Texas and needed a change desperately. You know that feeling of being trapped and living in a routine that is doing more harm than good? That’s what was beginning to happen to me. Anyway, in ‘79 I got my bachelors degree in sociology, and when the opportunity arose for me to leave Texas, I took it without looking back.”

You had not expected Javier to open up to you in this manner at all. It made you feel slightly guilty for creating a predisposition on who he was at the core. You were beginning to understand that you and Javi had a lot more in common than you would have ever thought. “It’s admirable that you recognized that in order to be happy, you needed to make a drastic change. I wish I had taken the leap sooner because for months I was weighing out the pros and cons to leave the states. The pros eventually weighed out the cons, and I’m happy I made the choices I did.”

“It was..tough to say the least. I pictured my life turning out completely different, and maybe then I still would have been happy, but those what ‘if’s’ had just started to fucking eat me alive. I was losing sleep and myself through the process. I left a lot behind in Laredo, including..” he paused as he stroked his thumb across his mustache in contemplation over whether or not he should continue.

You could tell from his body language alone that whatever he was having an internal battle over was something deep and personal. You didn’t want him to feel like he needed to share all of his secrets in one go. So you hesitantly reached your hand out and gently placed it along his covered knee, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“You don’t have to disclose anything that you don’t want to, Javi. Okay?” You softly reassured him.

Javi’s eyes briefly glanced down at where your hand was presently purchased around his knee. Normally he wasn’t comfortable with any form of PDA but he could tell your intent was genuine, and for that sole reason he deeply appreciated it. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you..it’s just that you might look at me differently than you do right now. We all have skeletons in our closet though right? Mine just happened to be leaving my fiancée at the altar on the day of our wedding. If I was going to change my life, I had to let go of the people I loved the most. I did it for her own good because I don’t think she would have been happy with me for long. She’s married to a stockbroker from Dallas and from what I have heard from friends back home, is that she’s really happy. I’m happy for her. She’s a good woman and perhaps if I wasn’t so flighty, I’d be married to her now.”

You felt your mouth suddenly feel dry at Javier’s confession. You couldn’t even begin to imagine how devastating it was for both him and his fiancée. Despite this, you could also understand why Javi did what he did. You couldn’t really blame him for making the decision to leave his old life behind entirely.

“I promise you that I hold no judgment over your past, Javier. I can understand why you made the choices that you did and it sounds like it all ended up working out for the better. I hope that you were able to heal from that experience because I can’t imagine the feelings you experienced when you realized that you had to leave her behind. You're right about everyone having skeletons in their closet. I think that’s what makes human beings Innately human is the fact that we all have lived experiences, and some of those experiences may in fact be shared. You’re a brave man for letting her go because you knew she deserved better. I don’t know many people that can honestly say that.”

Javi swallowed the lump that he didn’t realize was actively growing in his throat. You were wise beyond your years and the way you spoke to him in such a genuine tone had him feeling connected with you on a deeper level. It had been years since he had ever wanted to dip his toe into getting to know someone again, but he was secretly hoping that he would get to experience it with you.

“I appreciate you not holding it against me. I know it’s a large ball to drop on someone that you’ve only just started to become friendly with, but I figured that you weren’t the type to fault someone for their raw honesty.” He placed his hand gently over yours and neither you or Javi had noticed that Steve and Connie hadn’t been sitting at the booth for at least an hour. They had quietly left the bar when they realized that you and Javi were deep in conversation and they wanted to give you both all the privacy.

“Please feel free to tell me if I’m being too straightforward, and I promise that I’m not trying to make a move on you, but you mentioned wanting to experience Colombia’s culture and that includes the cuisine. There’s this really amazing empanada place not too far from here that’s open into the early morning hours. It’s my favorite joint around here, and I was wondering if maybe you’d like to get a late night bite with me? I’m genuinely enjoying my time with you, and I don’t want it to end.” Javi was unsure where his sudden confidence boost sprouted up from, but he had a sneaking suspicion it was due to his last conversation with Catalina and treating you with the utmost respect as a person.

You had half the mind to want to reach out and press the back of your hand against Javi’s forehead to check his temperature because this was not the Javier Peña that you had grown accustomed to. “I’m always in for a late night bite, and you had me at Empanadas.” You were already reaching for your purse just as Javi had placed down a few bills onto the table.

“It’s on me, cariño. I guess Steve and Connie slipped out when we were deep in conversation. I thought they were sitting there the entire time.” He remarked as he pulled out his pack of smokes and placed a cigarette between his lips before he casually slipped out of the booth and stood off to the side so you would have room.

“Thank you, Javi. I don’t remember them leaving either. What time is it anyway?” You slung your purse over your shoulder as you slipped out of the booth with ease.

“It’s a quarter to one.” He gestured to the wall clock above the bar as he lit his cigarette and slipped the lighter back into his pocket.

The late night air outside the bar was balmy and the nightlife was still present as you and Javi strolled down the street. “So, how did you find this empanada place? Did you just happen to stumble upon it or…?” You were walking alongside each other, one arm casted at your sides.

“I was drunk and absolutely starving.” He responded with a light chuckle as he blew the cigarette smoke off to the side so it wouldn’t billow around yours or his face. “It was my first weekend here actually and I stumbled out of the club and found this little slice of heaven. It was the best goddamn empanada I had ever had.”

“I could have guessed that you were drunk.” You softly giggled. “Well, I am fully expecting these to be the best goddamn empanadas that I have ever had the pleasure of tasting.” You looked over at him with a small grin.

What Javi really wanted to say was that you were cute; he opted to playfully wiggling his brows instead. “I think I can definitely handle that hermosa.”

Fresh empanadas in hand, you and Javier found a nearby park bench that neither of you knew it yet, but this specific bench was going to hold a sentimental meaning for both of you in the coming months.

The first bite was heavenly along your tastebuds. You had experienced your fair share of delicious food in your lifetime, but this empanada was on a whole other level.

“This is fucking delicious.” You mumbled between bites as your back comfortably rested against the parkbench. “You were not joking when you said that these were the best empanadas you had ever had.”

Javi has taken a few bites of his own as he eagerly watched for your reaction. “I don’t lie about stuff like that cariño. I take my food spots very seriously.” He stated with a chuckle as his hand that wasn’t holding the empanada was gently resting along the edge of the bench, fingers lightly brushing across the exposed skin along your shoulder.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what other places you are planning on showing me Javi.”

A comfortable silence washed over the two of you as you finished off your late night snacks. Javi was the one to break it in the end.

“Before you decided to take the leap and move to Colombia, did you have any dreams that you wanted to fulfill back home?”

You looked over at him feeling the heat of his body so close to yours with your knees brushing and the sound of crickets chirping in the background. “Oh, yes..I had many dreams before I left home. The biggest one was that I wanted to pursue writing in hopes to become a published author. I actually also got my bachelors in sociology, but I minored in English as well. Writing has always been something that I genuinely have enjoyed, but unfortunately it doesn’t pay the bills.”

“You were a sociology major as well? No wonder we get along so well.” He playfully teased. “What is your favorite genre to write? I’m sure if you still had the desire to, you could put some time aside to write a book.”

“Yeah I actually started off as a psychology major but the courses were so pointed at the patients and not the outside factors. Not to mention all the fucked up experiments that went on..like the Stanford Prison experiment that happened in ‘71? Or the Learned Helplessness experiment in ‘65? That’s just to name a few. Anyway, I’ve dabbled in writing just about anything you can imagine. Romance, mystery’s, life experiences, you name it, I’ve written it. I would love to write a book someday.”

Javi turned his nose up at the psychology experiments that you had listed. He agreed that they were certainly barbaric in nature and he completely understood why you switched majors. “I do remember questioning the morals and ethics behind those two experiments when they came out, and I can understand why you were disturbed by it. I think any morally sound person would find situations like that to be disturbing to visualize. If you ever do end up writing a book, I’ll be sure to pick up a copy and be the first person in line at your book signings.” he expressed with a tender smile.

You weren’t sure if it was the glow from the overhead streetlight highlighting the DEA’s features in a certain softness, or if it was the ambience delivered from the chirping crickets, or the way that Javier showed genuine interest in having a late night conversation with on this very park bench. One thing was for certain, something had shifted inside of you positively and you wanted to nurture that feeling.

“Javi, I think this is the longest that you and I have had an actual conversation that didn’t involve you trying to get into my pants. Listen, I know that you and I got off on the wrong foot from the moment I met you, but I’m genuinely having a really nice time with you right now.” Your soft admittance had the DEA agent feeling slightly flustered under your gaze.

“Really? You’re not just saying that to be nice or anything, right? I genuinely have had a really wonderful evening with you hermosa. It’s been a long time since I have connected with a woman like this. I just want you to know that I have no ulterior motives for asking you out for a late night bite. I really would love to get to know you, and I know that I let my ego get ahead of me in the beginning. I’m more than appreciative that you have given me what I feel is to be a second chance? I won’t deny that I find you to be incredibly attractive, but there’s more to you than what meets the eye..”

“No, I’m not just saying it to be nice or to inflate your ego or anything like that. My words are genuine and if I didn’t want to be here right now, I most certainly wouldn’t be. All night you have shown me a different side of yourself, and I hope that I get to see more of you, Peña.”

Neither of you had realized that your bodies were naturally gravitating towards one another as Javi’s thumb and forefinger gently came to rest along the cleft of your chin.

“Can I kiss you, please?” He whispered through the balmy air that blanketed you in a humid embrace.

“Yes, you can, Javi.” You murmured in response.

The tip of Javi’s thumb lightly brushed across your lower lip as he leaned in. His eyes flickered down to your own as he replaced his thumb with his lips pressing to yours. It was a slow, gentle kiss that had you feeling breathless the second his lips touched yours. Javi’s kisses were delicate and sincere, with a slight edge of something deeper as his hand cradled your jaw. Your lips moved in sync as the crickets chirped and the stars above twinkled. He only deepened the kiss when you leaned in closer, grasping the collar of his shirt as his tongue swiped along your lower lip with practiced ease.

You tasted just like he imagined; cherry lip gloss with a hint of cigarette smoke that lingered on your tongue.

Tag List: @chaotic-mystery @darkroastjoel @userpedros @pedrospartner @korynnekorynne @kirsteng42 @yazsos @last-girl @amanitacowboy @lovers-liability @tinygarbage @777-wonders @dinsdjrn @myrealmofchaos @loquaciousferret @pedrostories @axshadows @dev1lm4n @cavillscurls @thetriumphantpanda @sinsofsummers @cupofjoel @morning-star-joy @soaringcloud @casa-boiardi @pattwtf @marvel-nerd-girl

[willthewise7]

Marketing Analysis of Byler

Marketing Concepts and Theory

Before I begin analysing the actual marketing content used by Netflix and Stranger Things for Byler, I’d like to mention some basic marketing concepts and theory which are used.

One of the main techniques used by marketers is Classical Conditioning, a theory originally conceptualised by Pavlov. In brief, this theory states that you can increase attention and understanding to whatever you are marketing by using associations. For example; McDonald’s use branding such as their Golden Arches and logo. When a consumer sees this logo you immediately think of McDonald’s right? You may also think of burgers, fries and just food in general. But then comes the hunger associated with just simply seeing this logo, your brain associates it with pleasure and hunger. So marketers can use key associations to help consumers understand their products through emotional connections and psychological connections. This helps to not only formulate better understanding but also to increase attention and awareness. If people don’t understand your products or have no connection, usually they won’t use your service or buy your products.

So before I begin analysing marketing conducted for Stranger Things, I just want to put the above into context. It’s clear that the Duffer Brothers have planned this story out and they have already now told Netflix executives the ending of season 5. With this in mind, they would inform Netflix and social media administrators as to which content they should produce. Note, however, that they would not tell them the plot as this could lead to unwanted leaks. They can push for certain content to be produced though, which I believe is happening.

Stranger Things and Netflix accounts therefore would publish certain content to hint to the audience as to what is happening next. Taking Classical Conditioning and psychological connections into account, they would post Byler related content to help the general audience to gain a further understanding of the potential for Byler. Over time, using a reinforcement strategy in marketing has shown to increase positive reception and connotations amongst consumers. By feeding Byler content over time, this allows them to soften the potential for a backlash and so the general audience simply cannot say that it “came out of nowhere”.

Analysis of Marketing Content

To start let’s look at some of the content that was released pre-season 3.

As you can see above this photoshoot was conducted pre-season 3. What is interesting is the couple choices above. You have Jopper, Lumax and Jancy which are all likely to be endgame couples. It’s important to note they were important pairings to each other in season 3 too. What’s interesting is Mike and Will doing a couple shoot? If that’s not intentional marketing then someone needs to be fired, because that is obvious. To me it looks like they are subtly promoting Byler as an endgame couple. Additionally, Millie was apparently available at the time, yet they still chose Byler. Those who use surface level analysis will, of course, not notice but this is not the only material promoted.

Next we have an interesting excerpt from the SFX section of a magazine for season 3. You can see it reads “boy trouble”. Interestingly, they decided to use boy trouble instead of girl trouble to summarise Mikes story arc in season 3. Foreshadowing perhaps? Clever marketing again it seems. You may say it’s a stretch but “everything is intentional”. In marketing I can assure you, you are told all of the small details to include by the creators or hierarchy. These promotions take a lot of work.

Moving on to the next piece, this is from the game Puzzle Tales (Chapter 7).

Interestingly, this part of the game was seemingly from Wills perspective and Mike is referred to as being “boyfriend material”. “Flayed boyfriend” is also used for Mike. Again this is a piece of internal marketing used inside the game to condition people to assume the possibility of Byler being a thing. You may say, do people really pick up on this? Some do, yes. Do lots of others? No, not explicitly, but perhaps subconsciously. You see, marketing is all about subconscious influence. Even if you think something has not influenced you in any way, it’s likely to have had an impact. Whilst you may think Byler will be unpopular, many will come round to the idea because of the marketing used, alongside of course clever onscreen subtext and Easter eggs.

Lastly, some more recent promotions that have really hinted at Byler.

I mean just read the caption, it speaks volumes. But the fact they are really trying to get the message across of Will being a third wheel and there being a love triangle involved, is obvious. Alongside the subtext, they are using marketing content like this to demonstrate further to the audience that something is happening here and it needs to be noticed. Ambiguous captions draw people in and get conversations started, allowing people to work it out for themselves. This allows people to start getting adjusted to the idea, especially if they have no clue about it.

This next promotion post I love because it’s subtle yet, so obvious at the same time. Just to clarify, they aren’t saying that they prefer season 3 compared to 4 in the caption. The arrow is used to show that in both seasons they are having a fight and the scenes are paralleled. Clever, using marketing to show subtext in the show for those who missed it. They are trying to illustrate to the audience that these fights are very significant and are closely associated with Byler. Both fights were based around their relationship and how distant Mike is making himself due to his relationship with El. We are being told that this relationship is causing problems not just to Mike and El, but to his friends and best friends too, but mainly Will.

Mike deflects his emotions onto Will in both of these scenes. In season 3 he says “it’s not my fault you don’t like girls” and “what did you think, really, that we were never going to get girlfriends”. This sounds like he’s deflecting his own issues and making them Wills fault and projecting himself onto Will. The girlfriends line is used in association with growing up as that was, in the 80s, seen as the “normal” thing to do. But being aware of that Mike simply knows it’s not true, so he projects. Same with season 4. He says Will is “being a douche” and that maybe he should’ve “reached out more”. Mike is scared of his feelings and so he projects them, making it seem like Will is the problem. He creates distance so he doesen’t have to face the truth. So paralleling this and using it in marketing is clever as it’s reiterating what the show wants you to see and understand, conditioning you to make these associations and realise what’s happening.

This last post I wanted to use because not only do I find this funny, it’s one of the most blatantly obvious pieces of marketing. Actors are sometimes informed by either the writers, producers or anyone with that power to hint at certain plot-lines or to make certain social media posts. By doing so, it creates hype and gives the audience an insight into the direction of the show moving forwards. This post shows Noah hinting at volume 2 having even more Byler content and that volume 1 made him ship Byler over all of the other ships. The Netflix reply, however, is pure gold dust, “Will deserves to receive the same love he gives”. They emphasise the caption with hand claps in between each word. They want you to realise that just having Will love Mike wouldn’t be a worthy story and that he deserves more than it just being a one sided crush. Reciprocation is deserved, and is highlighted with this piece of marketing.

Before anyone says that you should take Netflix Geeked posts with a pinch of salt, I do believe that they are told to hype up certain content on purpose. Whilst you can argue maybe they just have that opinion for the reply, it’s more of the fact that they are fuelling the hype that speaks volumes, not the caption itself. They didn’t have to comment at all, yet they have been told they need to hype up Byler. This is because they need to condition the audience to the idea of it happening. That way, people can slowly adjust and accept it.

Overall, I would’ve analysed more but I ran out of photo space. I picked out the most interesting marketing material that I believe hints strongly at Byler. Many are worried about queer baiting due to past experience, I totally get that. I do agree that if Byler is one-sided, then it is queer baiting. However, I don’t think Byler is queer bait. The way that all of the cast, crew and social media admins go to great lengths to emphasise Byler, that’s not a coincidence or hype scheme. They use great subtext and marketing alongside, to slowly introduce the idea of Byler, so that the general audience is not shocked and give it a negative reception. Another reason as to why it’s a slow burn. Although the Duffers did recently state that they are writing the story “that feels right” and are not giving into “the noise”. I think that just demonstrates, alongside this post, that this is not queer bait. This is different to before. Everything that is happening is intentional, we are meant to notice. Start believing, not dreaming!

[chodoyodes]

I swear I’ll make a longer and more coherent post on this eventually when I’ve finished the novel and let it percolate a bit but here’s some surface level thoughts on the Henry and Julian of it all:

1. Julian is definitely grooming him, not sure if there’s even a sexual aspect to that but my gut tells me (as well as all the other subtle Greek history/tragedy themes underlying in the book) that it’s something Platonic in the original sense of the word

1.5. The montblanc fountain pen …

2. The picture of Julian in Henry’s room, the way it’s like the only decor in his house, the way Henry tells him everything but in such a light that Henry looks good and intellectual (I.e. successful bacchanal but no mention of murder)

3. How all the aforementioned things start to unravel the deeper the Greek kids are pulled into the rot associated with bunny’s murder and it drives this wedge btwn them where Henry’s perfection and goodness are thrown into stark contrast with his darker and more callous aspects

4. The way Julian is barely in the book but his presence and influence clings to Henry in every scene and action he takes, I can dig into this a lot more once I’ve finished the novel but the omnipresence of Julian despite him maybe being Actually Present in 1/6 of the book (generous estimate) is so sinister and delicious

5. There is something to be said about the parallel of Henry/Julian and Charles/Camilla as well, made more creepy by the even more scant scenes we get of Henry and Julian interacting one on one 😨

There are a bunch of other things I could add here but I’m on chapter 6 currently and my memories of the rest of the book are hazy at best so I’m coming back to this train of thought once I’ve finished the book, either in an rb here or in a new one later

[greensagephase]

Hi Alondra!!! I absolutely love your Miguel fics; the way you write from his character to the descriptions of everything basically. I wanted to ask if it’s not that much trouble if you could share some tips for someone (def not me🤪🤪) who wants to start writing a slowburn as well? I feel like my way of writing is stiff and also English it’s my first language so I feel I’m in a worse position 😭

ALSO HOW DO YOU START A FIC ISTGGG that has to be the worst part about it. The fucking start.

Anyways I LOVE YOUR WORK!!! I LOVE YOU!!! MUAK 🩷🩷

Hi, anon!! YOU’RE TOO KIND!! Thank you!! 🥹🩷

And of course, it’s no trouble at all!! If I can offer some kind of advice or tips to someone who wants to start a slow burn (I see you 👀😌 consider me intrigued!), I’m more than happy to!!

I’m going to start off by telling you that this is my first time writing a slow burn, so I’m no expert! I’ve done a lot of writing, at this point 11 years (I feel old), and this is the first time I’ve written a slow burn, so I was hoping for the best in regards to it!! Also, I wasn't aiming for slow burn but the story decided that's what it was going to be, so I just went along with it, tbh😭💀, but I have learned some things and hopefully it helps you!!

The first thing that immediately jumps to my mind is to make the interactions between the characters gradual and small. Start out slowly by having your characters learn about each other. Maybe they’re already acquainted but they realize they’ve only known each other on a surface level, so give them little interactions to start out and build on them, making them more significant and vulnerable as time goes.

Tensions and obstacles are great for slow burn! Maybe one of your characters is oppose to relationships because they were hurt in the past and are afraid to let someone in, or they simply are not interested because they’re super busy and think they won’t be able to dedicate appropriate time and attention to a relationship. This can be anything from internal tensions to external ones, like someone trying to stop the characters from being together, or there's some big threat to take care off. This is where you think of the reasons why they can't be together right away!

Emotional intimacy! Something I’ve really loved from writing a slow burn is discovering that two characters can be soooo intimate with each other without there being physical intimacy, like, not even placing a hand on their shoulder, or a pinky squeeze. Give your characters little moments of this, make them emotionally vulnerable! This really builds trust between the characters and deepens their connection little by little.

Give sprinkles of what their future might look like! I’m very guilty of this, especially with the last few chapters of NC. I love teasing my readers with small glimpses of their future (lowkey also a way to tranquilize my need to make them be together already😭)! It adds to the suspense and keeps readers intrigued!

Let the story unfold on its own! I've mentioned this many, many times but NC was originally only going to be 3 to 5 parts, but then with the third part, the story was kind of like, "actually, there's more to tell here" and I decided to explore what that "more" was. So now we're here, and I'm satisfied with how the story has unfolded on its own. Accepting this actually helped with the slow burn a lot! So, don't be afraid to see where your fic takes you!

How to Start A Fic

As to how to start a fic - something that helped me was think about where the characters start and where I want them to end. What is the premise of the fanfic, as in what direction is it going? What are you trying to achieve? What needs to happen in order for your characters to reach all their goals? What internal or external issues do they have to face or resolve first?

I also want to add, which I’ve mentioned already in another ask, to use some sort of planning tool, like an outline! This helps keep your thoughts and goals organized!

And to end, just write, my friend! Everyone who writes started out somewhere and I think most of us weren’t immediately great at it. Tbh, even with some experience some of us still struggle at the beginning of a new fanfic because it might be a new fandom, a new trope we’ve never tried, or we’re applying a different tone and mood we’re not used to, but let me reassure, once you start and figure out where you want to take your story and you begin to feel more comfortable with writing, your writing will begin to feel less stiff and you’ll find your voice.

Also, just because it feels like that to you, doesn’t mean it’ll feel like that to your readers!

I felt like that when I first started writing for ATSV and still feel like that about some of my writing when I look back at it. The other day I went back to a post to make layout changes and let me tell you, I still feel like it was stiff, but a lot of readers enjoyed the writing! So, what I’m trying to say is, sometimes it’s just us perceiving our writing like that but it’s not actually like that!!

I hope this was somewhat helpful and that it’s not just me yapping and yapping lol!

Also, once you post your fanfic, I’d love to read it!! If you’re open to it, pls tag me!! I’ve been trying to read more fanfic these last few days because I haven’t done so in a few months due to life, and I’d love to read yours!!

Thank you so much for the ask and love!! I LOVE YOU TOO, ANON!!!! 🩷🩷 Please take care and I hope you’ve had an amazing weekend so far!!! MUAH!

-Alondra 🥰

[evren-sadwrn]

why YOU should read maybe they should add a fifth wall!!!

why you yes YOU ! ! “should read maybe they should add a fifth wall” by oneirogen !!

okay so background of the author(because seriously they rlly do deserve the applause). just in case you’re either new or you weren’t there for no bills in the mail!! this is a reader interactive fic!! MEANINGGG readers get to see where the story heads by voting polls left by the author! but not just that! It is also a cross between an ARG and actual fanfiction. yes you read that right, this thing has ARG elements!!! meaning that there is a story under this story!!! readers have to decode, decipher, and read their way through getting the fuller picture of the story! oneirogen(iconic fr) has done this with one before aka the infamous no bills in the mail still centered on reddoons and ashswag.(read it. it’s soooo good like holy shit. absolutely dreadfully and beautifully written)

okay, enough yapping. time for the actual storyline(the surface level). time for the professional stuff!! (>^_^ )> salamat sa pagbasa :3

This ^ is a screenshot of the very first chapter and yes it might not be your typical, average fanfiction but the story? The story is amazing so far centers and follows around Ashswag and Reddoons, gay businessmen canonically and people suffering…. in a lot of other things.

The story follows these two, Ash and Red. There’s only 2 chapters so far. With 632 words in total but do NOT let that deter you from reading it because the notes and the polls are worth it.

These two are in this room, stick with me right? There is a table in the middle where the two sit in. The author states that they are supposed to be in this room, and that they need to be here.

The room has no door.

They got in, yes, through a door, but they don’t know where the door has gone. It’s vanished as if it never existed in the first place whatsoever. The duo; Ash and Red are stuck in this room yet they need to be here, they’re supposed to be here. They want to get out but alas! They cannot. In fact it almost seems impossible to get out! Because while they did get in, they could not get out. They can never get out of this predicament.

Anyways read the story for yourself because holy hell is this just already a banger!! There’s only two chapters as mentioned but there’s already a puzzle to solve!! And a poll to vote on(well two actually if you catch my drift) anyways!! Happy reading this author deserves the encore!!!!!

(sorry this was long, i want to say so much yet it seems like my words feel like they have a lid on it, unable to escape)

[burnyouwithacigarettelighter]

Omg I’m so happy you replied!! I definitely have more questions.

1. What Cillian character do you like writing about the most and why?

2. What story from your master list are you most proud of?

3. Do you personally have any fic recommendations/ must reads? Other sites included.

4. What gets you inspired to write? Following that question have you ever abandoned a fic?

5. What do you think made you a better writer? If you have any doubts about your work, how do you get past it enough to continue?

6. Is there a Cillian character that you just don’t like, or aren’t interested in watching/ writing about? (Sorry if that’s a loaded question)

omg thank u so much for this!!! i srsly love interacting w u guys, tysm for the thought provoking questions😄🙌

i think i like writing most about robert fischer:) ik it probably doesnt translate considering ive written most for jonathan crane but robert fischer is just such a little sweetheart to me,,, and can go both ways in being a sassy dom douchebag or being a sobbing daddy issues sub darling LOLLL i just think he has a lot of duality to delve into and develop (which ive definitely not done so far☠️) and it helps that his characterization in inception was also very surface level— i have a lot of wiggle room y’know??

i think im most proud of “dine & dash” which im aware probably no-one has read, but getting chris o’doyle’s sassy little dialogue down was like taming a wild beast,,, otherwise, considering my more well-known work, i rly liked writing “honey, i’m home”. i go crazy for the unhinged readers (if u couldnt alrdy tell lmaooo) and seeing jackson get messed with like that was a real treat.

i seriously just recommend anything by @mypoisonedvine,,, they’re literally genius & are the reason i started writing for cillian:)!! other mentions include kitten fics by @pictureinme and, a personal fave, @floralcyanidee’s jackson rippner mile-high club fic!!! these writers are all incredibly talented and im just blown away at their work every single time🫶

my thirst is such a big motivator for writing LMAO😭i wrote “guinea pig” ‘cus i wanted to absolute wreckkk jonathan crane and have him be a sub, and i got a 6.8k words long fic out of said thirst! music & book quotes motivate me a lot too— i spend sm time digging thru my pinterest for a good quote for the beginning of my fic its actually insane☠️and yes,,, im ashamed to say ive abandoned fics numerous times,,, but thats because they were series’, not oneshots. i get bored of series’ pretty quickly, ‘cause i feel kind of trapped by the initial dynamic or mood set in the first chapter. with oneshots, its like writing one long chapter of this trope and this kink or whatever and then its done, and i dont have to exhaust myself going back to tropes or kinks or storylines ive already done.

i think reading made me a better writer. expanding my vocabulary through the words of others was a biggie; seeing something be described in a certain way in someones story had me thinking of out-of-the-box ways to describe another thing (that doesn’t make much sense but lets pretend it does😭). i have many, many doubts about my work, like constantly, but i usually just suck it up. i sound like an attention whore but seeing the reposts & comments & tags on my other work reminds me people like what i’ve written before and certain people will enjoy what ive written now, so i should just finish my work for them. i also take like 100 years rereading my stuff until i think its good enough lmao,,,

ive kinda watched his whole roster of films (atleast ones i could actually find on the internet and not gone missing as a lost piece of media lmao) and i could probably write for any cillian character given i had a good idea and proper motivation. writing for certain characters is definitely harder for me to do though, so its likely i wont write for them/will take a long time to do so. an example is lenny miller— anna was such an insufferable movie to me, and lenny’s screentime wasn’t long at all, atleast not long enough for me to properly grasp his character. he just felt like a horny hardass fbi goof the whole time i could not take his 5’7 ass seriously😭cillian is smexy as hell in anna tho, so we’ll see😈another would probably be robert capa from sunshine,,, hes beautiful and deliciously musty in that but the whole spaceship setting kinda freaks me out (considering i know 0 zilch nada about space, spaceships, or anything of the sort, so it’d definitely be inaccurate). an au with him id definitely do, though! (with that hair of his my mind is already forming a 90s band au, guitarist!capa x singer!reader story…)

again thank u so much for these questions!! i feel like i rarely get to chat to u guys so this was well appreciated😄🫶thank you so much for reading, for sending these questions in, and for being an overall sweetheart, anon!

[inposterumcumgaudio]

Uncle Jack & Foggy Jack

So if you're asking about both of them, I'm assuming that's because you're into the idea that they are one and the same.

I don't dislike the concept, but I like it much more for that the game seems to push that notion while simultaneously giving you nothing to substantiate it and, at times, even giving you details that seem to contradict it than the idea for its own sake. Good shit!

It's another one of those things you'll never have a canon answer for!

And frankly, I've never really found the question of whether Uncle Jack is Foggy Jack that interesting. It's a little contrived, a little obvious, a very basic bitch story. The most famous man in town has a mental breakdown and becomes a serial killer? And he somehow does this despite being instantly recognizable by everyone? And also he's doing this while he's still filming his show every day and looking all normal and shit?

Too, the whole Foggy Jack thing intrudes on the natural predisposition of fledging fanartists to make serial killer OC's.

Foggy Jack also exists as an urban legend in the town in a way I think predates even the toxic fog (and I was given a separate ask about this as well so I'll save my thots about that for then!)

But suffice to say, because I do not find the whole Uncle vs Foggy Jack thing compelling and I'd never really devoted much thought to it, I struggled to think of something interesting to say about it. The only chapter I ever wrote about the subject was actually about why Ollie's surface-level investigation of the crime scene in "A Pomaceous Puzzle" did not arrive at the correct conclusion. It simply doesn't fit the MO.

However... in reviewing what we know concretely about Foggy Jack from the main game, I actually did arrive at a fascinating new theory.

Because we think of this as a duality, do we not? Uncle Jack is one side of the coin, Foggy Jack the other. That's why you asked about both.

Let us go over what we know for sure about Foggy Jack, that was reported in the game, to separate out the unreliable information given in "Lightbearer". There are only two sources of "solid" information about Foggy Jack in the main game:

In "The "O" COURANT - Article 3", we learn that five Wellie women - Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, Mary Jane Kelly, and Mary Anne Nichols - have been found hacked to pieces in the streets. All of these women are named for real-life victims of Jack the Ripper.

Stated in the above and reiterated in "Interrogation Report", these murders seem to take place on particularly foggy nights. "Interrogation Report" also states that the witness, Daniel Dunglass, reported that the apparent murderer's face looked "oddly familiar" to him.

One further piece of information that we learn in Ollie's act is that Foggy Jack apparently kept a hideout in the Gardner House, at least until plague wastrels overtook it. We know this from the suitcase which contains a cleaver and the "Mystery Note" with the only the phrase "I'm afraid you've come to the end of your time" on it.

And here we learn that Foggy Jack has some interest in Margaret. And that makes sense if he's actually Uncle Jack.

But... what it's it's not a duality.

What if it's a triptych?

What if it's not Uncle Jack, but someone who would have us come to that conclusion? Someone who would want us to think Uncle Jack is avenging his murdered daughter, but is in fact trying to frame him for it?

Why, who would have motive to do that?

Who indeed.

But DJ, you say, that's crazy. You play through Ollie's entire act and not once do they ever imply that he could be Foggy Jack.

Yeah, well, there's a lot of stuff they don't imply through his act, ain't there?

And just like with Uncle Jack, the details don't say anything conclusive but consider.

Ollie is said multiple times over his act to have periods of lapsed memory, both due to the Oblivion he took and excessive drinking. Margaret mentions specifically in both "The Camp of Thine Enemies" and "Cache as Cache Can" that Ollie has trouble remembering things due to his drinking. And it's an interesting coincidence that Ollie also "vaguely remembers" leaving himself a cache of supplies in that quest and its the same sort of vague notion that leads him into Gardner House where he finds Foggy Jack's suitcase.

He's also in deep denial about the limits of his morality and how far he'll go to see traitors get theirs. Still, killing innocent women just to make Uncle Jack look bad? Surely not! Maybe Ollie ratted out a little girl and got her chased down and murdered, but he's not a serial killer!

Then again, if there's one thing Ollie hates, it's a collaborator. Deutschland Über Alles special and all. And you know who about the first people to start collaboratin' with an occupying force are?

Prostitutes.

All of Foggy Jack's not-hallucination victims are named for the "Canonical Five" of Jack the Ripper's victims, all known prostitutes. Which, sure, maybe that's just the reference, but we actually meet Elizabeth Stride before her apparent death. As Ollie. At the Jack O Bean Club, where she works as a cook serving a bunch of collaborationist traitor lovers. She has no love for them, calling them toffs and wankers as she does, but she does also muse aloud to herself about it: "Take the job, she says. You'll never have to suck another cock, she says." Which sounds an awful lot like a thing a (former?) prostitute would say, making it two separate issues to Ollie, really. And why else would a fine upstanding Wellette be out on the streets at night anyway? That's how Foggy Jack gets you!

And for my most tenuous point: remember that guy from the Interrogation Report? Daniel Dunglass. I looked his ass up and

Reminiscent!

Dunglass (the character, not the actual guy) also says that the murderer's face is "oddly familiar" to him. Uncle Jack is familiar, but not oddly so. Ollie isn't exactly a nobody in town, but he's definitely odd looking in a world that conformist.

And as long as we're drawing specious connections, Daniel Dunglass (the real guy, not the character) was a Scottish medium famous for levitation and speaking with the dead. You know who else does a lot of that?

But... even if Ollie is Foggy Jack, I don't think he killed the constables at the apple tree. Which means there's copycat killer pretending to be the guy who's pretending to be Uncle Jack pretending be urban legend Foggy Jack.

[fuckyeahgoodomensfanfic]

Good Omens Fic Rec: Old Vines

A.Z. Fell, one of the most respected names in wine and food blogging, has been sent on assignment with his assistant Warlock Dowling to spend six months in California Wine Country. Under direction (by his boss, Gabriel) to use this experience to double his blog followers and write a novel, Aziraphale is both excited and anxious about the opportunity. Anthony J. Crowley is the owner and viticulturalist of Ecdyses, a winery that unexpectedly fell into his lap eleven years ago when he hit rock bottom. He may be in debt, yeah, but he’s paying off his loans — and despite pressure from his lenders and their team of inspectors, Crowley has found a kind of contentment tending his little corner of terroir and producing extraordinary wine. Crowley’s old vines are the heart of his vineyard, and he’s never let anyone in. Crowley finds Aziraphale intriguing; Aziraphale finds Crowley enthralling. Turns out a famous wine expert and an experienced viticulturalist can still learn things from each other. The summer of 2019 unfolds.

Length: 189,706 words

AO3 Rating: Explicit / Spice Level 🔥🔥

Best for: Mostly Safe in Public, Human AU, Romance

Triggers: None

Read it here, fic by sevdrag (seventhe)

*Minor Spoilers* Now this is one well researched AU! This is wine blogger/winery owner human AU. As someone who knows absolutely nothing about wine (nor likes the taste sorry), I was blown away over the amount of detail in this story. The author clearly knows what they're talking about, and uses this knowledge to actually direct the plot not just as neat side info. This level of detail is a feature of this story and stands on it's own outside of the Good Omens backdrop. This story also has an excellent grasp on who Aziraphale and Crowley truly are, what makes them tick, what their insecurities and motivations are. It understands that what makes them so compatible is the way they push and surprise each other. They fall in love not just because they're surface level compatible, it's that they keep each other on their toes. This story also has a line that I booked marked for myself, describing Crowley as, "arrogant and yet somehow pleading for feedback," that's definitely Crowley to me.

Every 6 chapters we get a perspective flight tasting. It brings a small sampling of what everyone else in this story is thinking. I loved these chapters. There's only 3 of them so it never stops the plot, and doesn't take over the flow. It's just small interludes that are pleasant to read but also add a lot of context. We have Warlock, Adam and The Them, Anathema, Newt, and Gabriel as reoccurring main characters. I liked their inclusion a lot, particularly Adam and Warlock. Their plot line was very unexpected in a good way. It really takes a village to keep the winery running and they make a very believable sort of family.

Safe for public I'd say, there is sex in it but it's not very graphic and they're pretty short scenes. They are a part of the story, but not the highlight. This is something very casual to read, something where are you want romance but nothing heavy. I highly recommend the pinterest board the author put together for this. It really helped me set the stage and understand the wine stuff better. If you don't like jargon heavy AUs this isn't for you, but I personally found it fascinating. Who knows, maybe I'll give wine another shot after this!

Read it here, fic by sevdrag (seventhe)

[g-oblincat]

One of my favorite manga ended 3 hours ago and I must talk about it

I actually wrote this two days ago and of course, the finale comes out RIGHT when I was about to post lol

On Twitter, I used to maintain a yuri manga recommendation thread to keep track of what I read and recommend my fav works to others. Now that I'm back on Tumblr, a platform that actually allows you to write why you like something, I want to start doing more in-depth recommendations. Starting with this one!

Koroshiya Yametai (I Wanna Quit Being a Hitman!) by Tonoki Sun

Rose is a hitman who dislikes her job, but she has one thing to look forward to: dates with her girlfriend, Benika. However, not wanting to go on dates with a guilty conscious, she always confesses her sins (murder) to a priest in a confessional booth that hides both their faces. The priest, Father Shirafune, happens to be Benika’s actual biological father.

Rose doesn’t know the priest she’s told about all her jobs to is Benika’s father. Benika doesn’t know Rose is a hitman, and is also keeping her queer relationship secret from her religious father. Shirafune is curious about his daughter’s new “boyfriend”, and has no idea the “boyfriend” is the person who keeps confessing murders to him.

The initial chapters of Hitman remind me of Spy x Family, where the comedy and appeal comes from the dramatic irony and near misses of each character trying to keep their own secrets, but the tone is different. There’s definitely lightness and comedy there, but underlying is a story of Rose, a refugee fleeing her war-torn home and being forced to work as a hitman in a rich country who doesn’t care about her people. She’s a pawn for greater political powers, and the story is how she tries to break out of that.

A quick, non-spoiler list of why I like this manga - if any of these appeal to you, I beeeeg you to read this comic:

Really cute loving relationship between the main couple! But also: well-fleshed characters outside the main couple! Father Shirafune is GREAT

Plot is more political than I expected, in what feels like a very grounded, real way. The main plot of the story is about refugees that are discriminated against and mistreated and what happens in a country when that mistreatment reaches a boiling point.

I need to think more about the story to be confident in talking about this outside of surface-level observations, so I desperately want smarter people to read it so I can also see their takes haha

The writing is just GOOD and appeals to me specifically. The plot is fast-paced with no filler. There’s a good balance of comedy, lovely moments between the couple, action where you can see Rose get out of tough situations (more on this in the spoilers), and scheming and double-crossing between various political powers.

I read this comic on Dynasty Scans, translated by Gouma-Den. The site’s tags are usually good for content warnings - the main ones are violence/killing/etc. There isn’t a ton of gore though. I believe the raws are here. I don’t think it’s licensed as of me writing this, but you bet I’m buying it all if/when it is.

I want to ramble more about what I like about it below, but it will contain **spoilers**! All images are from the Dynasty Scans translation.

The precise way action scenes are written

The action scenes are super fun to read. Most of them are about Rose escaping pursuers in clever ways that don’t give out her identity, and focus on the steps she took to prepare for these situations and how she outsmarts her enemies. There is a similar appeal here to detective or heist stories where Rose is put in a tough spot, and you see how her knowledge and wild amount of foresight let her escape.

In general, I like the scenes where characters are thinking to themselves and trying to problem-solve in any manga, and this happens a lot in this manga. One of my favorite scenes is when Rose tries to figure out if Benika’s new friend is another hitman, without tipping off either of them.

I just think this is soooo cool. The story is full of Rose’s cleverness in these kinds of situations that is so fun to read.

The romance

The romance is so sweet. The girls have an adorable meet-cute and throughout the story, you really see why Rose likes Benika- she’s kind and energetic but doesn’t hesitate to give Rose a piece of her mind when needed. Rose clearly loves Benika a lot and is always thinking of her. The characters’ interactions feel cute but realistic, and they’re fleshed out outside of the romance, which makes me like them more as people and root for them more.

But also (huge spoilers ahead, please skip this paragraph if you plan on reading this at all) it’s soooo yuri to have one girl try to make a huge high-stakes emotional sacrifice for the other one while confessing that it’s all for love. And it happens in the latest chapter and I went wild.

The themes the story tackles outside of the romance

This to me is both the most striking part of the story!

The first, smaller thing that stands out is Benika and her hesitance to tell her father about her relationship because she assumes her father is homophobic since he’s clergy. Father Shirafune is not homophobic actually and the two have a good relationship otherwise, but it stands out that this is a consideration Benika has. I feel like a lot of yuri is characterized by being only about romance, not identity or society. Characters will like girls, but not be gay. I don’t think this is a bad thing- it’s a characteristic of the genre and TBH in my head, it’s the difference between yuri and LGBTQ manga. However, that’s why this aspect of the story stood out to me- it serves to show queerness plays a bigger part of Benika’s character and the world, is an important motivator in the story, and is good worldbuilding. It also is important because it adds to the grounded tone of the story- it’d be weird to have a story that is full of politics and religion otherwise but say nothing about the two main characters’ queerness.

Speaking of the politics of the story, the main non-romance plot is about how the unspecified first-world country the story takes place in (probably Japan, even though they never say?) treats refugees. There are multiple chapters about how poorly the refugees are treated, and what will happen to the country if it goes too far unaddressed (and if the country deserves what it gets).

This sequence of panels in one of the latest chapters was really good!

That’s it! The Dynasty translation is nearing the end of the comic (EDIT: It got posted right before posting this LOL that's what I get for being slow) so it’s a great time to catch up! Please read this comic and talk to me about it!!!

[freckledgeto]

this weeks chapter was very... :/

i don’t even hate the chapter this week like content wise i don’t think it’s a bad chapter i just think that the lead up (the entirety of the culling game) and the pacing and gojos reaction to everything is making it all very. meh to me :/

the whole culling game wasn’t my favorite for a lot of reasons and i don’t necessarily blame gege for it completely. i think that there isn’t an arc better than hidden inventory and there aren’t any fights better than the ones in shibuya, so following both of those really incredible arcs with another that is supposed to be equally as good or better does not seem like an easy thing. (spoilers for CG and new ch. under the cut)

one of the reasons the fights in shibuya are sooo good to me is because they are fights that are deeply rooted in character and character development. maki killing the zenin clan, megumi fighting toji, etc. the itadori-mahito fight at the end of the shibuya arc is entirely a character/meant for character development fight for itadori, with his whole "i am you, you are me" realization/acceptance, and it is arguably the best fight in the manga like it is sooo good.

but there arent any fights built around character in the culling game and like. given that gege has made such amazing, character oriented fights in the past. it is a little bit disappointing. esp since i don’t personally want to just watch/read a bunch of fights repeatedly like i WANT there to be some kind of deeper meaning/purpose to them (outside of trying to end the culling game/free gojo obv). makis fight in the CG is probably the most “character” oriented fight and i was just very eh about it :/ but i love maki <3

the treatment of the women in the CG recently has just turned me away from the manga in general too. scorpion hair remi girl was fucked, uro not having more of a role was disappointing, yuki DYING wasn’t great.

tsumiki was the reason i didn’t stop reading the manga earlier in the arc because i was looking forward to her having her moment for LITERALLY THE ENTIIREEEE ARC. just for gege to do that to her and it reallllyy pissed me off.

as much as i hate how tsumikis arc went, i think i could’ve been a liiittle bit more accepting of it if the whole yorozu-sukuna thing was done well. but i didn’t like that either LMAO. i think the whole “yorozu loves sukuna and she sees how lonely he is etc” is like. a cool concept overall and i think if it was done right it could’ve been a good addition to the plot. even if there was just a little bit more of a flashback of yorozu and sukuna from that era with more information and context i think it would’ve made it a lot better. and i could’ve been like. a tiny bit less pissed about tsumiki. but the fact that it wasn’t a very satisfying arc for tsumiki OR yorozu just made it all very underwhelming to me. esp since tsumiki was what i was looking forward to the most in this arc 🙃🙃🙃

so yeah this chapter wasnt the worst thing in the world its just very underwhelming bc everything that led up to this was really underwhelming for me too :( and gojos reacction in this chapter is. upsetting. esp following the whole yorozu-sukuna thing and the "sukuna is lonely" part of it. like sukuna and gojo are meant to be foils of each other. gojos character is built around the fact that he has those connections and relationships with his friends and the students and he fell in gay love with geto and he "wont let anyone else be lonely" like the relationships he has is WHY HES LIKE THAATTTTT. him having no reaction to nanamis death and nobaras condition and maki and megumi and ALL of his students feels like a very surface level "gojo is a funny silly goofy guy" thing to do. but i would like to believe that gege knows and cares about his characters more than a surface level interpretation but. idk well see i guess. i just would have liked to see the sukuna-gojo being foils of e/o actually being played out narratively in these past few chapters more. but hopefully there'll be more of that during the next arc.

anyways so like. the chapter itself is not necessarily bad i just think that the CG itself was really abrupt and lacked a lot emotionally/character wise (for me at least), and then the pacing of this whole thing has been really off for me so its hard to look at the whole thing collectively and actually like it lol.

i feel like gege is really just trying to speedrun the rest of the manga and move onto something else which SUCKS bc it has soo much potential to be sooooo good. whatever anyways goodnight.

[something-pithy]

Notes and an Update: This Heckin' Chonker

pictured above: Astarion's rich inner world

PLZ! SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM FOR CONTENT WARNINGS <3

A couple of posts ago, I talked about some of my Opinions on Writing Trauma. 

I’m not going to rehash all that, but what I do need to say about this chapter and the ones coming up is they're going to dig into some ugly shit within and between Tav and Astarion as they exist in an echo, a stain. 

SOOO - INTERLUDE FOR CONTEXT

Basically right after I posted Chapter 12, which felt super feckin long to me at like, idk, 5K+ words?, I went on a writing binge and ended up with in excess of twenty-motherfucking-four THOUSAND (2MF4K+) words.

Its initial title was "this fucking monster doesn't have a name." 

Subsequent monikers included: 

"Heckin' Chonker" 

"Chonkerville" 

"Oh My Fucking God What Have I Done" 

"There's No Way Out, This Is a Cursed Chapter"

"Sweet Lordt Baby Jesus in Whose Divinity I Don't Actually Believe, Please Help Me Anyway" and 

"Komo Is More Than I Will Ever Deserve as a Thought Partner, Collaborator, Co-Gremlin, and Beta" 

You may have noticed I've ended up in a posting rhythm of, typically, two chapters a week. (WARNING this will change if this long COVID ever ends.) 

You may also have noticed that last week, there was just one.

This is because over the past week, we figured out (kinda) what this chapter would look like. There are still probably 20K+ words of story that need carving and shaping. 

This, in turn, is because there are a lot of elements of Tav and Astarion’s past and current relationship surfacing, and I think I’m being kind of fussy about getting them right. And yes, trauma is one of them, but that’s just a part of the bigger picture – an important part, but no more or less important than the many other reasons why these two people affect each other so deeply or whether the jokes land.  

I can’t promise you I got it right. What I can promise you is that I tried my level best, and both Komo and I put a lot into the attempt.

CONTENT WARNINGS: 

Canon-typical violence manifests in this one as traumatic memory. 

One of the conversations includes straight up emotional abuse. As I said in the Author’s Note on Ao3, if you disagree, that’s totally OK, but I’m not really here to debate it. 

On the other hand, if you have questions, feel some (any) type of way, or just want to unpack / talk about some of the stuff that Chapter 13 surfaces with kindness and empathy, please, by all means, hit me up in the PM or with a Ask Me Question Thing. 

All messages and questions will receive responses in kind. 

OK that’s all I’ve got for now; I’m exhaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuusted. 

Coming up very, very soon: those goddamn Alignment Notes. Looooooooool  

Live in jooooy!

OH! P.S.: There's a soundtrack. This is the link. :)

[citadelofmythoughts]

Here’s a tough question. Top 3 favorite and least favorite things about each RWBY volume?

Sorry for the delay, this is something I've had to really think about.

V1 Faves

The initiation/Nevermore fight. Let's be honest this is where these legends started.

Blake & Yang meeting for the first time

Weiss and Blake coming to terms with each other

V`1 least faves

The animation. I know it was Poser, they had no budget, etc. That doesn't make it any easier to watch

That one line from Yang about boys that has haunted the discourse for nearly a decade.

TBH barely anyone had a character any deeper than surface level

V2 Faves

Yang talking to Blake in Burning The Candle. This is where their relationship became more than partners, deeper than just friendship

The talk between Weiss, Blake and Yang at Mountain Glenn. Something that would be directly referenced much later in V9

"Best Day Ever" - the food fight between RWBY and JNPR is just big dumb fun

V2 least faves

Jaune and his pursuit of Weiss. Obnoxious to the extreme.

Sun - that's it

"Breach" in general was kind of a mess and really was there to have a giant fight scene.

V3 Faves

"Heroes And Monsters" - It feels weird listing something so horrible and tragic as a favorite thing but what happened between Yang, Blake and Adam in this chapter would define these characters going forward all the way until almost the end of V6 and was a significant point in Blake & Yang's relationship

Also from "Heroes And Monsters" - Velvet unleashing Anesidora with "I May Fall" blasting is still so amazing to this day.

Yang being framed for injuring Mercury and Blake deciding to trust in her.

(I really could go on about V3 with many more positives.)

V3 least faves

SSSN vs NDGO - I DON'T CARE

Might be controversial but Pyrrha's death. I understood the narrative need for it but it doesn't mean I liked it

Same for Penny

V4 Faves

Meeting Blake's parents. Ghira and Kali are treasures.

The fight with Tyrian

Yang getting her new arm and starting her healing process

(Honorable mention to Blake, with Sun's help, starting to understand that sometimes you have to let people in and it's THEIR choice to want to be in your life. Also honorable mention to Ruby's letter in "No Safe Haven")

V4 least faves

Tai's "advice" both in "Family" and "One Step Forward..."

Sun. (I didn't start to be able to tolerate him unti V5)

Not nearly enough Yang

V5 Faves

Yang and Ruby reuniting - I always cry

Weiss' talk with Yang in "Alone Together" (which is also when I'm convinced she realized that Yang loved Blake)

"Yang...?" *Dumbfounded stare from Yang

(Honorable mention to Yang reading Raven for filth)

V5 least faves

The pacing wasn't great and yeah the big fight was lackluster

While the animation was fine the colors always felt very muted to me

Lionheart (not that I resented his use in the story, I just hate the dude)

V6 faves:

The Bees Vs Adam (was I gonna say anything else?)

The Brunswick Arc (why is CRWBY so good at horror?)

The fight with the Leviathan.

V6 least faves:

These are mostly really minor complaints

Dee and Dudley - annoying

The big lore dump, while not BAD was a LOT

Oscar vanishing and getting a new set of clothes off camera not that I care that much but I think it could have been handled better

V7 Faves

The makeovers, with the possible exception of Wess I thought everyone looked great and TBH Yang never looked better

The Bees getting ready to go on a date

Nora spilling the tea ABOUT the Bees

(Honorable mention to RBY standing by Weiss when she confronted Jacqass. Also honorable mention to Yang/Blake VS Elm/Vine)

V7 least faves (not writing critical just characters getting on my nerves)

Harriet is annoying

The AceOps being Ironwood's unthinking lapdogs

Ironwood coming out as a complete dumbass.

V8 Faves

Beeunion 2.0

Yang, Jaune and Ren infiltrating Salem's HQ and the fight that ensues. Especially Yang getting to talk smack to Salem and blowing her tits off.

Penny frying Cinder

(Honorable mention to Maria kicking Neo's ass)

V8 least faves

Ironwood continues to be a complete and total dumbass

Ren being a jerk. Thankfully he gets over it

Yang's fall. (not bad on a value level but it HURT)

V9 Faves:

The Bees confession - absolutely perfect. Could not be improved on

The fight scene in Rude, Red and Royal

Ruby getting her groove back and showing CC just how powerful she really is.

V9 least faves: (and I'm allowing for what I know was a difficult production)

We could have used at least another two chapters because some scenes and transitions were way too brief and as a result didn't have the emotional impact they should have

We didn't get the prologue that was shown at RTX

Minor complaint but in Chapter 1 I wish Blake had been shown as being a bit more worried about Yang since she saw her "die"

Wow, this was a LOT!

[leviadraws]

helloo i must ask you. your thoughts on yuki (the dra one)

Oh boy, he's a tough one for me, so I'll try to splruge some thoughts. (Sorry I've been slow with asks lately, I promise I'm working on them, also I really need to rewatch DRA at some point but I am tired atm so there may be some inaccuracies).

(under the cut, DRA and some SDRA2 spoilers throughout).

So DRA Maeda is honestly my favourite protagonist in canon and another. Due to the whole reveal at the end and the divine luck factor there's quite a lot of layers to him that you don't think about at a surface level but then you scratch it a little and it's all like "hey this is kinda clever" whether it was intentional or not. But a lot of that would be talking about Utsuro, not Maeda so I'm not really gonna cover it much.

I will say I do love the system headcanons that have been covered by yourself, Nikei, and Dragon (I was going to link posts but jesus finding posts on tumblr is so goddmn hard). I haven't researched the topic well enough to comfortably talk about it myself, and I think you guys have done a pretty thorough job already.

I would like to talk about something that has always bothered me a little, and that's how Maeda/Utsuro are portrayed in the flashback. During the flashback and when Kinjo references their time at Hope's peak, he's referred to as being more Utsuro. But then that doesn't line up with the picture found of the class, where he's clearly appearing as Maeda. I'd like to think that they existed together before the real Yuuki's memories were implanted onto him.

(This is 99% me wanting to have both Maeda and Utsuro in pre-canon haha, but it is interesting). As I said before I've not done adequate research and I don't want to accidentally offend, happy to remove this section entirely if necessary.

So I like him a lot since he's kinda just a kid, yanno? He gets annoyed with the other classmates, he's downright mean sometimes (he's kinda brutal to Satsuki in her FTEs, iirc), and he's kinda bitter in places (him refusing to help Kinjo in chapter 3). It just makes him feel more, real? If that makes sense.

And like in trials, since none of the trials are that hard that we don't get totally baffled, him leading doesn't seem that off. The "smarter" kids of the class are either unhinged (Kinjo) holding information for no reason (Rei), underused by Linuj (Kakeru, Kanata, Kinji), or have a chapter 5 plot device in their head (Mikako). I'd probably want someone like Maeda to lead trials too.

I guess there's that kinda lingering thing that due to divine luck, any leap of logic would always be correct, but it didn't feel jarring since he'd always come across as kinda pragmatic. That and the leaps in logic aren't the level of crazy that SDRA2 chapter 2 and 3 had.

He's also flawed, he doesn't always say the right thing. He doesn't give out hope speeches (that I recall at least, I could be wrong on that one), he succumbs to the motive in chapter 4 just as much as the others do. He holds grudges over the course of the game, he's devastated over Kinjo's actions in chapter 5. Actually his relationship with all three survivors + Taira are really good.

I'm not hugely fond of some of the FTEs with him tho, I sometimes get the impression that they were written earlier? He feels more like the generic protagonist is some of them. Rei's feels like one of the worst offenders of this, like earlier in the game Maeda doesn't really put up with Kinjo's or Rei's bullshit in their attitude to others, but in her FTE he puts up with her shit to hear her story? Idk it felt weird to me.

I do however love his interactions with most of the rest of the cast in the story itself, mainly Kinjo because kshkjefnad they are disasters and I love them so much.

One little thing, I really would've liked to see him snap a little more in canon. There's obviously the part with Mikako, but like so many fucked up things happen and there were like at least three other opportunities off the top of my head?. Can you imagine the slight change in his expression, but his whole vibe just becomes so much darker and the reactions of the people around him?. Kinjo and Akane's reactions (both pre and post chapter 5) would've been so interesting.

Imma probs get on that rewatch now and realise that I missed a load of stuff and feel very silly. But hey, here's a tired mess of thoughts that yous are all free to rip apart and tell me I'm wrong haha.

Also give him a hoodie he a tired boi let him be comfy.

[roaldseth]

Is triangle strategy good cause I've heard mixed opinions

My biased opinion: absolutely yes.

My unbiased opinion: absolutely yes.

But, just so you don't just jaunt about your day saying "well that wasn't helpful at all!" This is a more thorough breakdown below to why I like and recommend Triangle Strategy, as well as going into some common reasons as to why people say it's bad or have mixed feelings.

First and foremost as a disclaimer: I am not an SRPG enthusiast. I don't Fire Emblem or Tactics Ogre or what have you. However, I will address things in a broad sense and not things specifically for the genre.

>>STORY: The game opens you into a rather standard medieval-esque fictional setting; its land divided into 3 major powers: the Kingdom of Glenbrook, the Grand Duchy of Aesfrost, and the Holy State of Hyzante, each conveniently color coded for easy recognition and also have their own purposes and ideals. The farther you travers through the paths, for multiple routes await, and its history, the political and martial machinations quickly unfold from easy-going times to one absolutely engulfed in harrowing accounts stemming from no right answers. Despite any preset allegiances, the player, as a young newly appointed lord of the most acclaimed High House of Glenbrook, sits in-between the 3 forces and becomes the epicenter of the continent's, Norzelia's, fate.

Triangle Strategy is a game about harsh wartimes, the impossible decisions needed to make and end them, and the many results that you have directly and indirectly caused. Recently, I had made a post on other social media in which I noted that this game took me a very long time to complete because I had, at point, become physically unable to play from choice aversion and the dangers of outcomes. This is not a flaw of Triangle Strategy. This is its purpose. In those times, the game had done exactly what it was meant to do, so that aspect or level of anxiety while playing a first run-through is not appealing, then it might be something to reconsider with entertaining. However, I will say that eventually you can get accustomed and it can become easier to make those less than desirable choices. The common consensus that I also agree with is to play through your first run as blindly as possible, moving forward with your instincts and gut and even emotions rather than a guide or walkthrough. This is greatly reinforced with the Convictions mechanic, and baby virtually everything counts towards conviction. Pet that cat. You will feel better about it, trust me.

Throughout your path(s) you are presented with a variety of situations. Thought the main story is dire after the first handful of chapters, there is reprieve with character stories that range from silly to heartwarming to melancholic and just an all around fun way of knowing a little bit more on who certain characters are and how they interact with others and the world around them. The script itself isn't difficult, not written in an unintelligible old english, but in just enough way to get the feel of antiquity without being completely lost, making things seem more colorful. There's even a differentiation between characters who'll say "aye" as opposed to a more modern "yes," which is just delightful in my opinion.

The world-building however is understood enough to serve its purpose, but the exact details of many things are left up in the air for question if you look slightly below the surface. Though I personally am left wanting more because I fancy lore, it's very "a piece of a fiction novel" about it. It owns a lot of things it doesn't explain and that's what any writer would do if they were to create a fantasy novel with complex systems and history. It knows what's important to make it move.

As a close off, I would like to note one thing that I think was very bold of Triangle Strategy and that was its endings. Though there is a coveted ending that many strive for, even then the options you are ultimately given are all the results of the ones you hold closest giving in to their lowest selves, and because they are at their worst, the endings reflect that. That one specific, coveted ending is often remarked as "ill planned" and not necessarily thought out well from attempting to neatly tie everything back up into a happy present in contrast to the others, but as someone who's delved through the trenches of the MegaTen (Shin Megami Tensei) franchise and fandom, there is something to be said about "keeping the status quo" and it is that its delaying an ultimate inevitability. "Neutral" isn't always best or superior or a "happy ending."

>>CAST: Triangle Strategy truly is a game that has a character for everyone. It is large, but it is not skimping for quality. You will see literally any flavor of war veteran old man to pretty young adult boys that could've been a boyband in a different time to strong and independent battle women, many good and bad strong battle women, to peepaw who is probably in his 80s but is everyone's grandpa and a sniper. Each character feels like there was a level of care given into them, and even some all the more revealed after they are no longer able to. The world interacts, it breaths, and so does Norzelia's inhabitants.

For playable characters, there are 30 playable units to acquaint one's self with, each with their own unique class, weapons, and aptitudes. No one unit's development tree is interchangeable, which falls more into the category below (Gameplay), but it's also important in a way to see them as individuals. You will remember everyone's names, even with units that aren't your favorites or play style.

Outside of playable units, there still is a hefty list of important NPCs that are not any less composed, orchestrated, or of variation than our playable characters. Sometimes you will be in an instance struggling to remember what the fuck Clarus had done or who Patriette is or that Tenebris is still one of the Saintly Seven, but... the magic is in the fact that Triangle Strategy is designed to be experienced more than once to get the full effect. They too have their needs and reasons.

If you as a player want to do one run-through and call it quits, you will certainly still have an impressionable experience, but it will only grow the more invested. I didn't find it that hard because I had fallen in love with everything Triangle Strategy has to offer, so I had my own compulsion to keep moving with it, but if it doesn't ultimately strike you in that way, it is a part you will miss. But that is still okay though.

>>GAMEPLAY: Triangle Strategy is accessible for any level of strategist to stumble through with its difficulty settings. There is an Easy, Normal, and Hard mode. It's common for players to even try their hands at Hard, Deathless runs (I don't know if this is a trophy on Steam. I played on Switch). Battles have a staggering variation of difficulties and difficulty spikes, but there are ways to mediate trouble battles you can't seem to get right. Besides difficulty settings, the game also offers a Quietus mechanic which act as a one-time, additional maneuver without taking a units turn up. Quietus has limits but there's many different actions that you can always implement to save your ass. Personally, 99% of the time I forgot Quietus existed and really only used them on mock battles and final battles mostly to see what they did or save me from having to do another 1+ hour of battle or whatever. But, most battles, you can absolutely pull off without Quietus. You can pull off a number of things a first run-through that many people struggle with and/or guides will tell you to use [character or ability you don't have] or certain strategy you can't get right or whatever.

I will touch upon this again below because it is a common comment, but Triangle Strategy's main course is narrative. To experience it, you need to be ready and understand that it has a story to tell. It has multiple stories to tell, and for that you will have long sections that are mainly dialogue, meaty dialogue too. The type of player that just wants to experience battle and "raw crunch gameplay" is not going to have a favorable opinion on the game format because not all mechanics are tied profitably into battle (if anything it's the other way around). You will have battles, and you can mock battle all you want at the tavern, but story battles are sparse to keep point and potency. That being said though, voting and persuasion is a major, at the heart concept of Triangle Strategy which ties into the aforementioned Convictions mechanic because we love democracy in this House until we don't and is not convenient! Play Triangle Strategy as a story and experience, the gameplay is mainly there to support and accentuate it.

If I tried to point out every little thing about Triangle Strategy this post would be miles long. The game explains and leans into everything very well so enjoy the stuff that isn't mentioned as much in their natural habitat in a relevant way for your own interests.

There is a great "divide" amongst players on wether or not Triangle Strategy is a "good" or "bad" game, and ultimately it boils down to understand who you are as a player, as a gamer. Note your interests and what you enjoy in a game and then gauge, because despite "oh it was bad," "oh it didn't do this," "oh it didn't do X thing that's better," "oh let me romance the blorbos together" the game pulled off a lot of executional aspects really well in its own ways to be its own identity. But, to comment about the common comments:

>>"The game doesn't have enough battles"

The game has an amount of battles actually. There's one battle a chapter, which is probably the hubbub on why people might think there "aren't enough." But most routes are 20 chapters, so that's 20 battles. It's just that chapters also vary in length and some can be long. Then, there's 35 mental mock battles available in the tavern of the encampment, realistically likely only seeing ~21 of them on a first play through though.

But, battling as a mechanic I consider a secondary mechanic to its main purpose: Conviction. Because there also is a certain thing that happens also in chapters, sometimes before battles, sometimes before votes, and that's exploration. This is a way to 1) gain a sense of a map that will likely be used as a battle map somewhen in your run, but also to 2) gain more conviction. Exploration is just as much of a thing in Triangle Strategy as combat.

So, in the end, I don't think the problem here is the battles, but rather the pacing the game presents. The player will be met with an interesting experience of feeling everything is dire and needs to be handled right away, while simultaneously moving rather slow and leisurely with no way to course correct because it's not side quests holding you down but the actual main event.

>>"The demo was slow and boring"

Unfortunately, I did not play early demos, because if memory serves me correct there were multiple versions. From friends, they have said that the early demos and final products are two separate games. Do not trust.

Then, the final demo which you can probably still download on the store (I haven't checked), is its final form, but much like Octopath Traveler, the demo presented is the beginning, it's the opening. If I remember correctly the demo goes to Chapter 3, which is ironic because after then is when things start spiraling downhill really, really fast. So by then you are introduced to the major components of Triangle Strategy. You experience the dialogue storytelling, you get through exploration, there's battles, there is a voting point in which you are introduced to the infamous Scales of Conviction, so it really touches upon all of the moving bits that make the game move. You get brief understanding of the state of Norzelia, its last major conflict, and the future prospects and direction it is moving in; none of which goes in any manner on how anyone wants it to move.

>>"The story is just Game of Thrones"

There's a special secret: any medieval fantasy setting is just "Game of Thrones" because Game of Thrones is the most recent rendition that is popular among the masses. Besides general, not-at-all-surprising political maneuvering and scheming, there really isn't one point in which it's overtly cumbersome as "ripping off" the award winning novel series, because a lot also stands to fact that history is just like that too. "There's powerful Houses that everyone has to watch out for and [other thing that I won't disclose because I think you'll get a better experience not knowing]" yeah and so did regular Europe back in the day, but now it's fictional and maximized to make an interesting story. Actually, Houses and clans are still a thing, I'd imagine, but have mainly been reduced to icons (but don't quote me on that).

Conquest, wars of successions, religious wars, whatever the Boston Tea Party is, power hungry individuals, people abusing power, puppet states/nations, and a lot of other things are historical events and writing tropes to be used as narrative devices. Whatever media you have consumed beforehand effecting your vision and enjoyment is unique to each individual and only influenced by that individual.

>>"The game has terrible voice acting."

Well, first off, show some pity on the voice actors. I don't know their full conditions but also note that the artbook lists that Triangle Strategy's art production was from 2018-2022, and well, a certain pandemic happened in early 2019. It was likely by at least September 2021 that they had finalized voiced lines because teasers were going out with used tracks and lines. I don't remember when the first teaser went out, I was only alerted by several people when Benedict happened because of my character brand, and that's the moment it was over for me to be honest.

But, disregarding that, I'm no expert, but I love how some voices were done. I can still distinctly hear what Erador sounds like, like Mr. Wingert's voice greatly helped define Erador. Sure, I do recall originally opening Triangle Strategy for the first time and listening to Benedict speak and he was very.... flat, but in a very specific way. However, now in hindsight, I have a great appreciation for that because now knowing Benedict, what else was he supposed to sound like? It has a different interpretation and understanding when seeing what's attached to who and how, and in early game with a lot of characters to keep track of that doesn't always click. But, damn, if I do not mimic Lionel every time I say "yes, ha ha, yes" like that's voice acting, it sticks like a tv commercial.

Even though I have thoroughly went off in a lot of directions, I just cannot cover everything. I am absolutely open for engagement if anyone would like further discussion about anything I didn't cover or did cover. Thank you for the ask, and I hope this helped in some manner.