#but like Y'all in the fandom can miss me with that shit too

[autisticlancemcclain]

fic rec friday 60

hello and welcome to fic rec friday! where, on friday, i rec five of my favourite fics.

Dream, Seam by @ardett and @maychorian

Lance is the blue paladin. The Galra realize this before he does.

y'all....this au is insane. like genuinely one of the coolest concepts i have seen in this fandom. lance, taken by the galra as an infant and raised by them (altho they treat him like shit, obviously, so fair warning for that), as an asset, because they know he is the blue paladin, because he can See things he should not be able to see? and then he has to get integrated into voltron...yall nothing i can say can do this au justice. there's this almost ethereal feel to the entire fic, there were several moments where my chest was swoopy and my breathing was off bc i was like oh god oh god oh god. the complicated relationships, lance's struggle, and ALSO BONUS!!! das thace!!! i miss dad thace!!! do my fellow voltron geriatrics remember when dad thace was everywhere!! bc i do!! and i miss it!!!

2. five times someone didn't know keith and lance were dating, and one time everyone did by Shorty

Keith shrugs nonchalantly. “I’m still mad about the whole ‘babe’ thing.” ... Or, exactly what the title says.

there is nothing i can say about this fic that isn't in the title 💀 it's exactly what it says it is. and it hits. but some crumbs to intrigue you: 1) one of the tags on this fic is 'hunk is a hunk', 2) it's a 2016 fic, and 3) trust me.

3. Some Secrets Don't Need To Be Kept by @squirenonny

Keith finds out he's part Galra. It's not as big a deal as he expects.

look. sometimes i just want things to be soft. what if keith had it easy? for once in his fucking life? what if people chilled the hell out? for ten minutes? this is seven thousand words of people being like hey keith u know what. take it easy. we got u babes. and i am grateful

4. How to Fake an Interest in Biochemical Engineering by @squirenonny

Shiro has a crush on Matt Holt. But every time he runs into Matt he ends up embarrassing himself. Shiro's best friend Allura is no help. His little brother Keith is even worse. But Shiro is going to make his move before graduation if it kills him. (And it just might kill him.)

SHATT SHATT SHATT SHATT SHATT. shockingly, i didn't just choose this one bc of the recent discourse lol. this is another 2016 fic that i adore. it's just -- disaster shiro, whipped shiro, down bad shiro, sweet matt, cackling keith, shiro who is dying of embarrassment, gay as all fuck shiro, etc etc. it hits. i laughed.

5. Neighbors by starryeyedchar

Lance stood in front of him, but it was a Lance he'd never seen before. Granted, Keith didn't know him well by any means, but he was positive that the regular Lance would be leaning against the doorframe with a smirk, maybe a couple finger-guns. Not this. This Lance had wrapped himself in a blanket, and was still shivering slightly. His skin was much paler than usual, with flushed cheeks and sweat on his brow. He sniffled. “Um.” Or the one where Keith and Lance live in apartments next to each other, and Lance is too sick for Keith to just leave him by himself.

this one is just very dorky and sweet. i love any fic that captures the exact moment in keiths brain when he goes oh no oh shit oh fuck hes HAWT and lance looks like genuine actual shit actually. its so funny to me

that’s it for today!! i’ll see y’all back next friday for the next fic rec post!!!

[naranjapetrificada]

In this weird wonderful AU Georg fandom that is OFMD we have so many beautiful options. I was never, ever an AU type until now, but I truly can't get enough. Just last night I stayed up entirely too late because I finally got into Wave Hello to the Void, which on its face should absolutely positively not be My Thing, but the AUs we're blessed with here seem to always break that rule (especially with mxmollusca involved because holy shit have you read In Favor With Their Stars yet???).

We're so incredibly lucky y'all. I've been in fandom spaces for a long time but I've never felt this lucky.

We get different takes on time travel. We get the multiverse (and in so many beautiful forms). We get thought-provoking fantastical allegories and devastating (but often hopeful?) prequels with fascinating studies of character and fascinating takes on soul mates. We get complete fantasy overhauls that are gem-like in the beauty and precision of their prose and world-building. We get darling modern AUs and heartwrenching (but still ultimately happily-ending) modern AUs and modern AUs in basically every possible permutation, including ghost stories.

We get dystopias and apocalypses and post-apocalypses, meditations on love and existence, metafictional experiments in Not-RPF that draw even the biggest RPF skeptics (*points to self*) in, leaving us to wrestle with fundamentally altered attitudes toward storytelling that we may never be able to reconcile. Hell, even the missing scenes, canon-divergence, and fix-its hit different. Not to mention westerns with outlaws and cowboys, an archetype which conveniently also manages to scratch the proverbial pirate itch.

Even though pretty much every fandom has these things, for me at least they've never felt quite so imaginative and well-executed. We're so lucky to be here, to be writing for each other and reading for each other and for many of us, feeling creative for the first time in years or even decades. The gay pirates did that for us, because good source material can be the key to great fan works. And whether or not we get a third season, as much as they can't take the show from us, they also can't take away the gift that getting to experience all these fanworks has been. That's something I'm going to keep reminding myself while we wait.

and idk maybe tell your cowboy fanart friends that Ed can also ride horses as a steppe warrior or whatever

[gotskamstuff]

I'm gonna be honest here, words cannot describe how much I hate that Rudison thread on Twitter and how resentful I am to that person for creating it.

The whole thing is narrating fans speculations and rumors as ultimate facts on what happened to Rudy and Madison behind the scenes when in reality NO ONE knows what happened between them for certain and what angers me the most is knowing that these are exactly the type of things that make both of them (especially Rudy) even more distant and cold and detached from the show.

I might be dramatic but this shit could've singlehandedly made things catastrophic for the show, there's no way it hasn't reached them or anyone from the cast/Netflix... like, 18 MILLION views and 80k likes is insane and I know for stuff like this Rudy would lose his mind.

I honestly can't stand when the "fans" act like this towards Rudison, they're always crying about how much they miss them and how they wish they could go back to what they were and then they purposely go on social media doing and saying things that they know damn well Rudy and Madison can't stand at all, it's almost as if they do it on purpose…and then act all surprised when the two of them get uncomfortable on camera.

What good is this gonna do to them and to the show? It's only gonna make things 10 times worse and much more hostile, the only thing this helps with is creating an even bigger fracture and a more uncomfortable environment for them and the rest of the cast/crew.

If Rudy wasn't leaving the show already maybe he will now, 'cause a shit like that going viral to 18 million people AND COUNTING, I know is gonna make him (and Madison) mad.

I'mma be honest, I truly hope they sue for that thread (especially since the account is now monetizing from it with the blue check) 'cause it ain't normal how easily people think they can say and do whatever they want behind a screen about people's personal lives without any repercussions (‘cause news flesh Rudy, Madison and their partners are people whose mental health also matters).

Spreading fan speculations and rumors as real facts and creating such a malicious image for the both of them to MILLIONS is insane.

We always say "omg they're so immature" but to be honest Rudy and Madison have been far too patient for far too long, people constantly say the most deranged things to them and their partners (including friends and families at times) without any consequences...it's not normal.

On the long run shit like this inevitably has consequences on their mental health and their relationships and there’s gonna be a point when they’re gonna be TOO fed up and can’t deal with it anymore, don’t act surprised then if they leave the show, y’all did this and seem pretty happy while doing it.

That thread created such an unpleasant atmosphere right before the release of the new season and attracted so many negative reactions towards them that I honestly don't understand how anyone who calls themselves fans of the show, of Rudy or Madison can be giddy about it.

Play stupid games and win stupid prizes... don't act surprised if Rudy leaves OBX or if they don't look at each other in the face during promo when some "fans" do THE MOST to add fuel to the fire.

It’s less than 2 months since the release of a season that we've waited for almost 2 years and the fandom should be filled with excitement and positivity talking about the story and theorizing about it, yet everyone is doing the most to ruin it focusing on the wrong stuff (which are sadly hard to ignore when the consequences effect the show hence all the fans).

I hope by the time the season comes out y'all will have calmed your tits with the malicious gossips, bunch of Regina George wanna be.

[mcyt-builds-contest]

I'm not sure where that previous anon is seeing people say that Ghost's Vault should be disqualified? I haven't seen ANYONE saying that.

If they mean the 'these bribes shouldn't be allowed', we mean going forward. Ghost's Vault won fair and square (or, well, with highly coordinated voter fraud, which is allowed and we did it too. So it's as fair as it gets for this sort of thing). It wasn't disallowed, thus it's not really something we can say should disqualify them. We're not saying 'no they shouldn't get their win', we're just worried that any FUTURE bribes of that nature could end in a very ugly situation.

I think some of y'all who think it's not a big deal haven't seen any of the horrors and think we're exaggerating when we say we're concerned about potential consequences. Like, please understand; Dreblr has had people deal with serious things like stalking, doxxing, and utterly deranged shit like people threatening to kill pets over MCYT fandom darma. It can get NASTY-- just look at what happened with the USMP and QSMP. People were in literal, actual, physical danger because of fandom shit.

While Dominionblr and their ccs seem fine-- lovely, even, and excellent opponents; we think highly of y'all-- we've seen other ccs (and their fans) dogpile on fandoms and ccs that they don't like.

The concern is that someone with that kind of mindset and that kind of fanbase might see the results of the previous poll and take the wrong lessons from it-- ie, that if they dangle goodies above their fans heads they can get clout. They might actually not release that stuff if they lose.

We've seen multiple ccs decide to get involved with various tumblr polls, so I really don't think that's a huge stretch to imagine someone deciding to do those kind of bribes again but not release the goodies at all if they lose.

What happens if a less chill fanbase genuinely loses something they care about? People don't always lose gracefully, and it would be so easy to point the blame at the winning team.

Does that sound paranoid? Yes, yes it does, and I fully acknowledge that fact! But it's a genuine concern because we've seen and been through too many horror stories of hatred and harassment.

Plus, again-- adding Actual Stakes for a dumb tumblr poll feels weird! It can make the other team feel like they're bad people for voting for their side and potentially making the others miss out on stuff they really care about.

While Dominionblr knew that their prizes would eventually be given regardless of the results, WE DIDN'T. We thought that us winning would lock you out of those prizes. There were a lot of people who felt guilty for voting, and that's just not fun! It spoils the enjoyment of the poll because it felt like we'd be huge assholes for pushing to win when there were Actual Stakes Involved.

Someone in both fandoms did assure the server I'm in that the prizes wouldn't be lost, which very much influenced me deciding to commit massive voter fraud. I don't know that I would have done it without that knowledge. But not everyone saw that message, meaning a lot of people still labored under the assumption that prisonfuckers winning would mean that Dominionblr lost a lot of really cool content forever.

All we want is for the polls to stay silly. We don't want to grapple with the ethics of potentially depriving the other side of important things for a fuckin' tumblr poll. Even if it's not us who goes up against a fandom like that, it's unfair to whoever does so.

TL; DR: Ghost's Vault won completely legitimately and Dreblr/DSMPblr has zero issues saying that. Nobody wants it disqualified. We're just asking for FUTURE bribes from ccs to be disallowed out of worry it could lead to harassment & generally suck the fun out of the polls.

Yeah I understand the problem, smaller ccs will want to interact with a poll about them if they find one, you cant really stop them from doing it, and this things as been made for fun and was never supposed to be some sort of accurate classification medium, just silly polls. But we dont need more drama in the mcyt fandom so I understand where you're coming from

[htchnr]

♰ interstate love ༻ ASH WILLIAMS.*ೃ˚

✮ꜜmasterlist. ✮ꜜbuy me a coffee!

content warning Ash's scheme to get you in his lap ⋆ drinking ⋆ Ash's obsession with beer ⋆ 9 million pet names ⋆ he's kinda insufferable and awful ⋆ but he's awfully cute and we love this old man anyway ⋆ if i missed anything, lmk!

summary requested by a lovely anon ; may I please request something along the lines of older ash being soft with a younger s/o who is an painter. Maybe the reader paints him and he teases her...? wordcount 1,2k.

authors note i went with drawing instead of painting for this, as i thought it fit better — but UHG i love how this turned out 🫠😩 y'all PLEASE flood my inbox with Ash requests, i'm gonna single hand-idly revive the Ash fandom 🤠

© 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐇𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐍𝐑. 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫!

the trailer was quiet, Ash had gone out for a beer run and you were left in silence. you didn't mind, cause that gave you some time alone to draw.

your pencil sketched mindlessly across the paper of your sketch book, and in a few minutes you realised you were drawing Ash. he did have such nice features, his sharp nose and those sweet brown eyes. and since you see him daily, it was easy to draw from memory.

✮ꜜ : ❛

time flew while you drew, sketching his various features onto the paper as you hummed a song to yourself. you hadn't realised how long it had been until the trailer door swung open, Ash coming through with a few cases of beer in his arms. " heya sweet cheeks, " he calls out, setting the beer aside and grabbing two cans.

he looks up from the cases, having not heard your response. he looks around, finding you tucked comfortably into the couch, sketching away. he huffs with a smile, he always wonders what you're drawing whenever he notices it.

he cracks open one can, taking a large chug before walking over to you. you were so into the drawing that you barely noticed him coming in, let alone standing so close — a surprised sound leaving your lips as he sits down next to you with a grunt, an arm swung behind you over the back of the couch.

" oh hey, didn't notice you were back, " you breathe, closing your sketch book and holding your hand out to accept the beer. you set your sketch book aside as you crack the can open, closing your eyes as you take a large swig. it's so warm outside of and in the trailer, the cold beer is very welcome.

you open your eyes once you swallowed, finding Ash's eyes on you with that damn look on his face — like he's either up to something or literally dying to ask something. " what? " you squint your eyes at the older man beside you, taking a sip of your beer. you did not like this look.

he throws back what appears to be half his beer in one go, eyes remaining on you. " nothin', just wondering what's got you so hooked on that book, didn't even hum when i came in, " he responds, and that confirms your suspicion.

you shrug, trying to scoot your thigh over the book beside you on the couch. " just drawing, you know how concentrated i can get. " you take another sip.

now it's his turn to squint his eyes at you, " what's got your panties in a twist, dollface? " his face is mere inches from yours. an exaggerated 'thinking' look on his face. " you drawing me naked? " his smirk splits into that damn sleazy grin of his.

you shove against his shoulder and huff, " pff, you wish old man. " as you throw the remainder of your beer back, chucking the empty can into the trashcan beside the couch.

he pouts, throwing his beer back too, and missing the trashcan as he chucks the can. " damnit Ash, what did we talk about? you've got shit aim stop chucking things around. " you grumble, standing up from the couch to pick up the can and throw it in the trash.

for a moment you're expecting him to whistle or make a lame comment as you bend over to grab the can, but the moment you look back up from the floor you see why he's not — he's nabbed your sketchbook and is flitting through it.

your eyes widen, moving back to the couch. " hey! give that back! " you huff, kneeling beside him on the couch, but he merely grins, holding the book out of reach. " oh come on, " you swat his chest, one hand on his shoulder and the other trying to grab the book from him.

but his arms are longer, the book is out of reach. you let out a yelp as his right arm wraps around your waist, easily pulling you to straddle his lap from your position. " come on baby, let me see what's in it, " he pouts, his right arm tightening around your waist as he looks up at you.

you sigh, one hand resting on his chest. " if you wanted me in your lap you could've just said so, " you grumble, contemplating if you want him to look through the book or not. though, you know despite his teasing and occasionally slightly insufferable personality he'd comply if you said you really didn't want him looking through it. his hips buck up teasingly into yours.

he chuckles, chest moving beneath your hand. " oh peach, i always want you in my lap, " while that stupid grin stretches across his lips, his eyes are looking for any signs that he's overstepping. you've always liked that about him, he's very observant of the people he pesters — you especially.

you give him another second, watching those horrible sweet brown eyes before sighing, leaning forward to lay your head on his shoulder. " fine, you can look through it. " you just know his grin increased in size, his left hand coming down in front of him so he can actually see the book.

you watch from your comfortable position as he flits through the sketchbook, occasionally looking at some drawings longer than others, surprised and appreciative hums coming from him. " wow, these are amazing! " he exclaims, the arm around your waist adjusting so he can use his right hand as well, the metal hand holding the book carefully.

you just bury your face into the crook of his neck, the overpowering smell of his aftershave washing over you. you could never react properly when people complimented your work, it just felt strange to you.

he flicks through the last few pages, before stopping at the page you had just been working on. you felt his whole body tense beneath you. oh god, he hates them doesn't he? he's uncharacteristically quiet for a few minutes, and your mind is racing.

you look up from his neck, eyes meeting the side of his face, his eyes wide and this strange look between shock and amazement on his face. " Ash ..? " you poke his chest, is he malfunctioning?

he blinks when you poke him, as if you poked him back into motion. " you drew me? " and for the first time in a while you can place the tone in his voice. you think it's positive?

you swallow, " yeah, i was bored while you were out and just kinda came from my pen by itself, " you explain, watching his features slowly change. " you've got pretty memorable features, " you let out a breathy laugh.

you look between him and the paper, now that you had them side by side, even you were shocked at how well you had captured him. the drawing were nearly identical to him. " do you, like them? " you ask hesitantly.

he blinks, setting the sketchbook down and looking up at you. " do i like them? " he repeats. you swallow again and nod. " are you kidding me? " you blink, your heart starting to sink a little. " they're incredible, dollface! " he hugs you tightly, both arms around your waist.

you let out a relieved sigh that turned into a laugh, " yeah? you really like them? " you pull away, a sparkle in his pretty eyes.

he nods, pressing a firm kiss to your lips. " when they're done, can i hang them up? " his face looks childishly hopeful. you're always amazed at how young he can look in moments like these despite his age.

you shrug, " sure, if you want to, " his eyes light up. " you really wanna stare at your own mug on paper all day? " you squint your eyes, and his grin returns at your playfulness.

he pulls you in closer, his breath fanning across your lips. " you draw me so flatteringly, how could i not? " he presses a peck against your lips. " besides, it looks like i dropped a few pounds, " he laughs, causing your body to move along with his as the fit of laughter reverberates through him.

you swat his chest, a reluctant smile on your lips. " you're awful, " a breathy laugh leaving you as you shake your head.

Ash's hands move to your hips, teasingly pushing his up into yours, " ah, but you love that about me baby, " he grins, that awful, shit eating grin on his face.

you shake your head with a smile, leaning in to press your lips against his, " i guess i do, huh? "

[missmaywemeetagain]

Pink Scarf - PART 16 (Elvis/Austin!Elvis x Reader)

Character/Fandom: Elvis - Elvis (2022)

Requested: kinda

(Read more here--Pink Scarf Series Masterlist!)

Prompt: You are part of Elvis Presley's coveted inner circle, and the currently-disgruntled wife of one of the members of Elvis' famous entourage, the Memphis Mafia. After Elvis' dynamite first performance in Vegas, you find yourself in deep water when his magnetism finally gets to you after all these years.  [ Fem!Reader ]

TW: Rough SEXXX. Restraints. ANGST. Cussing. Infidelity. Historical inaccuracies in the Vegas timeline. Priscilla doesn't exist in this timeline.  

Rating: Explicit/Mature (NSFW, 18+, so minors Do NOT Interact)        ||     Word Count: 7.2k

A/N: Woo, boy, y'all. Get yourselves ready, cuz the snowball is rollin' and the shit storm is comin'. This part is a little bit of everything--a little sweet, a little salty, a little smutty. It's what y'all deserve!

For the flashback, I had E's 1960 It Feels So Right playing in my head on repeat, so if you are one who likes music to set the mood, then you might give it a listen before/during/after you read that part!

As always, to all my babies, honeys, and lil' mamas supporting me out there, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL and your reactions, reblogs, messages, asks, and comments you've given me have been a blessing beyond expression. You all are the best community a writer could ask for! Thank you so much for your support. I am loving getting to know y'all better! I love every single reaction and comment and ask, and I'm sorry if I don't get back to them all as soon as I'd like but know that I love you all and am so excited to be making new friends! And a big "Hey, Y'all!" to our friends from Elvis Twitter, Elvis Discord, and Elvis Instagram--I see and appreciate you coming over to join us! 👀💋

If you feel so moved, please let me know what you think or how you're feeling (or send me asks)! I think I put everyone on the taglist who requested it, but please let me know if there are any issues or if I missed anyone. There seem to be some issues with tagging that I can't seem to fix, so please know I'm not leaving you out intentionally! Also, if you comment on a previous part that you want to be tagged, I might not always see it, so feel free to message me if I miss you!

I imagined this with Elvis in mind, but Austin!Elvis works here, too, whatever floats your boat! 

Apologies in advance if there are any grammatical errors or TW that I didn't catch. 

(I did start cross-posting Pink Scarf to my long-neglected AO3 account (which some of you already discovered!), so if you are so inclined, you can check it out over there!)

Graceland, Christmas 1960

The mansion is finally quiet, or at least you’ve managed to find a quiet part of it in the midst of all the holiday revelry. Elvis loves Christmas, and this is his first one home in two years. And the first one without Gladys.

You had thought that maybe his grief would make the holiday a more solemn affair, but he’s gone in the opposite direction. It’s as though his loss has fueled him to make Christmas as joyful as humanly possible. Even though he’s been away filming for most of the month, he still directed the mansion should be decked out in all the Christmas finery for his return. And so it is.

You wish you were more in the spirit to enjoy it. Usually, you would be—Christmas is one of your favorite times of the year—but this year it sits heavy for you. Heavy because if all had gone well, you’d be sharing it with your newborn baby.

The thought brings you to tears again.

You’ve been hiding your grief as much as possible, sliding on a quaint smile, singing carols, and making cookies with the rest of them, but in these solitary moments, you grieve. You cannot help it. You know it’s futile and silly. How can you grieve someone who barely even existed, someone who was never born? And yet, here you are, alone, sitting in a quiet corner of the house at the piano, a couple of glasses too many of champagne in, being sad over what could have been.

So you begin to play. You know practically every carol and hymn by heart, so you just close your eyes and let the music take you away. It doesn’t erase your grief, but it does help you let it out in some way. You barely notice the tears rolling down your cheeks as you play Away In A Manger and What Child Is This?. You let the dramatic chords of O Holy Night linger in the air at the push of the pedals.

And after a bit of playing, that image of a baby in your arms feels fuzzy and faraway. Or maybe that’s the champagne. Maybe it’s both.

The air shifts. You notice it but play on anyway. You’re not sure how, but you are able to sense him, his presence, his essence, as it pushes in around you. But he remains quiet, and your eyes remain closed as your hands continue to fly over the keys.

Elvis does not interrupt, he only watches. You’re not sure why. You feel as though he barely speaks to you anymore. Yes, he is away and busy and all the usual excuses. But he used to seek you out when he returned. He’d bring you silly little trinkets and sing to you and tell you stupid, off-color jokes.

Now, since that horrible day in March, it’s as though an invisible wall has come between you two, and you don’t understand why. It’s nothing overt—he treats you kindly in the group and doesn’t outwardly ignore you. But something significant has changed, you swear it. Perhaps it is your ultimate failure as a woman that has turned him away. Or maybe with the explosion of his stardom since returning from Germany, he just doesn’t have time for you anymore. Maybe it has nothing to do with you at all; maybe he’s just a different man now.

Your tears of grief now include the loss of him, too. Losing your friend is heartbreaking in its own right, much less coupled with the loss of your child, of your fertility. It doesn’t help that Jack has been gone with Elvis on his travels and feels distant, too. You’d initially thought the space would be good for you two, but instead you just feel achingly lonely.

God, you wish you’d never been pregnant at all, as all it seemed to bring you is heartache.

You stop playing and open your eyes. The room is dim, lit only by one of the many Christmas trees in the house, but when you turn towards the door, Elvis is still there, his blue eyes shining with emotion as he leans in the doorway. The man looks ready to weep, which takes you by surprise, as he’s only shown enthusiasm and excitement since being home. You recognize the look though: it’s grief and melancholy, similar to your own.

Then Elvis looks at you unabashedly for a moment, almost like he is really, truly seeing you for the first time in months. The air sits heavy and silent. You don’t bother wiping the tears off your cheeks, though your heart races a bit. Must be the champagne, you think. It certainly isn’t the way he is looking at you now, how you are being laid bare and vulnerable by his intense gaze.

Something builds between you, though you are not exactly sure what, and he suddenly straightens and crosses the room to you. He towers over you now at the end of the piano bench and an overwhelming need to be near him comes over you. It’s as though you are both magnetized to each other, so when he holds out his hand, you cannot help but take it. The warmth of his hand surrounds yours as he pulls you up and into his waiting arms.

You fold into him, your arms tucked into your chest and your head buried into his collarbone as he wraps his arms around you. His spicy, distinct scent surrounds you and his warmth engulfs you and you cannot help the sob that escapes you at the comfort of it.

Elvis holds you close and lets you cry, and you feel his chest shudder and his breath hitch as though he is as emotional as you are. His mother, you think; he’s been hiding his grief as you’ve been hiding yours. You can feel the wetness of his tears against your temple as they run down his face and onto yours, and this prompts you to unfold your arms and wrap them around his torso, comforting him as he is comforting you.

He sways you, moving to the unheard music you assume is always playing in his mind, and pressed against him like this, you can feel the quick and steady beat of his heart pounding in his chest. You don’t remember the last time you were this close to him. He feels bigger, broader than the boy who went to Germany, but is no less Elvis. His sensitive spirit is the same after all.

You are not sure how long you sway there, crying in each other’s arms at your respective losses. But you know it’s more than just that. You know because as your tears start to ebb and you move back the slightest bit, he grabs your hand and pulls you in close, unwilling to part with you. He dances with you now, slowly pulling you back into his silent rhythm.

And you let him. You let his hand clasp yours and he draws it over his heart, holding it there. His heart beats quicker, you think. It’s too intimate now, the way his warm, damp cheek presses to yours, the saltiness of your tears mixing and binding your grief together. The air shifts again, still heavy and thick, but with a million unsaid words hanging there in the silence.

Your heart skips, flutters, and your breath catches. You’re not exactly sure what is happening. But you still let him hold you and sway you in slow circles. His hand splays hot on your lower back, burning through you, setting your body aflame in a way you don’t understand.

But you are a few glasses in and on a roller coaster of emotion and right now the feel of his strong, lean body pressed against yours makes you feel alive in a certain kind of way. You’ve been lonely and you’ve missed him more than you thought. It’s almost as if this is a silent plea for forgiveness from him.

Yes, that’s all it is.

You feel hyperaware of him and his closeness, so when Elvis nuzzles his head against the side of yours, you feel breathless. Your mouth pops open with a puff which, considering his proximity, he must feel, but he does not stop, and you cannot help the way you return the gesture in kind.

His breath is warm in your ear, and you can feel the softness of his lips brush against it, sending a decidedly inappropriate cascade of shivers dancing through you.

Oh, god.

Involuntarily, your hand contracts in his, your nails scraping lightly at his button-down shirt. Elvis presses your palm down onto his heart in response. You feel out of control, completely at his mercy, knowing this is too much, too close, too intimate but you can’t seem to stop, intoxicated by his strength, his affection, his essence.

Elvis’ still-damp cheek lingers against your own, and he presses his forehead gently to yours with a soft sigh. Then he pulls back slowly, just far enough to look at you, and you feel knocked over by his pure beauty. Honestly, you feel absolutely heady as you threaten to tip over and lose yourself in those churning, deep blue eyes of his. And, boy, they are churning, with things you can’t quite grasp. You watch as they search your face, his impossibly long lashes punctuating their every slow move. Holding your breath, your heart speeds up ever faster, and you wonder what it is he seeks in you.  

Your sadness and grief feel far away now as he plunders your soul, his gaze so alluring that you cannot even begin to piece through what is going on in any sort of logical way. You don’t understand any of it. All you know is you want more, and that feels forbidden in every way.

As if reading your thoughts somehow, his lips part. His eyes flutter down your face and land at your mouth. A shock runs through you as you think Elvis just might kiss you, and that terrifies you, not just because it would be crossing a line but because in this moment you want him to.

You want to feel his lips soft and sweet against you, then crushing into you. You want his body passionately pressed into yours as you cling to each other in the sparkling light of the Christmas tree. You want his large hands roaming your curves. You want to feel the strands of his dark hair between your fingers as you tug him closer. You want him to make you forget everything but the taste and feel of him.

These wants flash through you in an instant, shocking your system because he is so close that you almost can taste him and panic shoots through you. Never have you let your thoughts truly drift to that place with him, and opening that door feels very dangerous. Suddenly, with a wave of absolute certainty, an intuition you cannot explain at all exclaims that Elvis wants you more than anything in this world.

And that makes you gasp and pull away.

That cannot possibly be true. Nothing about the way he’s acted this past year supports that but something inside you screams that it’s real. It makes no sense. None of it makes any sense.

Elvis blinks and shakes his head as though snapping himself out of a daze. His hand falls from your waist, the spell broken. The soulful look in his eyes flashes with what almost seems like hurt, then apology, then regret. Without a single word, he turns and leaves.

Your heart plummets for reasons you don’t understand.

You must be confused. You are drunk. You are emotional. You couldn’t possibly have read the situation correctly. And yet the feelings awakened in your body surprise you and the look in his eyes haunts you as you sink back onto the piano bench, left alone in the silence.

*

Your eyes pop open at the memory. You had been very drunk that night and hadn’t remembered that moment until this very minute, yet another hidden facet of your long and suddenly complex relationship with your friend making itself known. Elvis had continued to keep his distance from you after that Christmas and had never even alluded to such an intimate moment happening, so you’d had no reason to think anything strange had happened at all. In hindsight, it seems awfully significant and feels like yet another thing he’s keeping from you.

Running it through your mind again, you swear he’d almost kissed you that night or at least had wanted to, which is shocking to you because 1960 was a long time ago. Still more shocking was that certainty you’d had about him wanting you more than anything, which couldn’t possibly be true.

Could it?

You shake off the thought. Emotions were high for both of you that night, and he obviously had thought better of it, but still…that prickle at the back of your mind keeps gnawing at you, those pieces of the puzzle attempting to slot into place. Maybe if you weren’t so damn tired and emotionally spent, you’d be able to figure out what your mind is trying to tell you. Maybe if your body wasn’t still aching with the memory of losing your child and almost dying, you’d be able to think clearly.

And your conversation with Sandy also sits uneasily in your mind. Running away ain’t gonna solve anything, her voice echoes in your head. You wish you had the strength she hoped you did, the strength to tell Jack to fuck off, to tell Elvis how you really feel, but it all feels so overwhelmingly insurmountable that you can barely even entertain the thought.

Heart pounding and wheels turning, you know sleep is out of the question and sit up in the bed. You get up and busy yourself instead. You feel as though you are racing the clock. It doesn’t take long to pack your bag, and while you are not frantic, you are determined. Mentally, you are ready to go. You have to go.

Unfortunately, things are not working out as you hoped they would. When the concierge calls you back with your fight arrangements, he informs you that there are no flights out of Vegas until 7:30am tomorrow morning. It being a Sunday night and with such short notice, there were no seats headed back east to be had. You thank him and reply that of course the morning flight would be acceptable before you set the receiver back on the hook and let out an aggravated scream.

You need out now. You are half inclined to rent a car and drive back to Memphis, but you know that is a terrible idea for a variety of reasons, namely being that you had no idea how to get to Memphis from here and being alone on the road for so long with no preparation sounded dangerous.

Fine, you think, I can make it through the night. I should tell Elvis in person anyway.

The thought makes your stomach churn because you know he will not be happy with this development. You’d rather not see the look on his face, but you also know it is the right thing to do. You just need to steel yourself to see your decision through and not be swayed by his charms.

Easier said than done.

And it doesn’t help that you are running on fumes and adrenaline. With everything that happened last night, the only sleep you’ve had was on the roof and that was short-lived and filled with nightmares. You took a shower after getting back to the room, but your mind is spinning too much to sleep, plagued with returning memories and creeping doubt.

You decide to get ready for the show as originally planned. It’ll be easier to gain access to Elvis between shows to talk if you do so. You dress accordingly, carefully putting on your makeup and doing your hair up nicely to give yourself as much confidence as possible. After repacking your toiletries, you grab your clutch and see the silky pink scarf folded neatly inside.

It takes only a moment for you to decide to put it around your neck. It’ll guarantee that Elvis will make time to see you, and you try not to shiver at the fact that the last time you wore this scarf, it led to a decidedly different outcome than it will tonight. The thought sends both warmth to your core and dread into your heart. You don’t want to leave him.

But I have to.

You shift your thoughts instead to Red, wondering and fearing whatever he might have planned. You don’t know if he is planning to sit on the information he gleaned from your leaving Elvis’ suite this morning, or if he is looking to cause mayhem immediately, though considering Jack has not burst in angrily, you don’t think anything has been said yet.

Either way, you have to warn E, and you have to get the hell out before the shit hits the fan.

The afternoon quickly turns to evening, and you pump yourself up on the way downstairs, despite the nausea in your stomach, the exhaustion in your body, and the ache in your heart. Now that you are somewhat a part of the show, it is easy to get backstage, and while you’re not sure how you are going to be able to wait the few hours the show will take, you continually remind yourself that this is what you must do. You have no choice.

But I do, I do have a choice, a pesky little voice chimes in. Stay.

Shut up.

By the time Elvis makes his way backstage, you feel like you’re about to jump out of your skin. The way his bright eyes light up when he sees you and then how they flash heat when he sees the pink silk knotted around your neck fills you with both desire and anxiety. Being near him weakens your resolve because his charismatic energy rolls over you even from this distance, and he just looks so damn good in that white suit of his, but you knew that this would test you. You force what you hope is a normal a smile, but you see a look of confusion flash over his pretty face before his usual pre-show nerves take over. But he does not come over to you, for which you are grateful.

The show begins with the usual fanfare, and you are surprised that even with everything going on in your head (or perhaps because of it), you still get swept up in the music, still sing the parts quietly that you have so diligently practiced. Regret hits you from another angle, one you did not anticipate. In leaving Vegas, you’ll also be leaving this—the show, the music.

Doubt creeps in in earnest throughout the show, putting your nerves even more on edge. You don’t really want to leave this opportunity, but the problem is you don’t think you have the fortitude to stay and to be able to resist Elvis.

The curtain closes and Elvis is surrounded, soaked with sweat, riding that post-show high that makes him nearly glow from the inside out. He wipes his face with the towel someone has draped over him, and you watch as he pulls Jerry aside with a glint in his eye, presumably to arrange your meet with him. But Jerry leans back and whispers something into E’s ear and that handsome face clouds with dark emotion. Then Elvis finds you past the crowd and his eyes lock on and you know. You know he knows by the hurt and angry look in his piercing blue eyes.

Sandy.

Goddammit.

As Elvis stalks over to you, pushing through musicians and instruments, it’s evident that Sandy has betrayed you. She told Jerry. And whether she meant for him to tell Elvis, you do not know, but your heart speeds up as Elvis crosses the backstage area in long, quick strides, with a wounded and feral look in his eyes that frightens you. It is not at all the same as the jealousy from the night prior; no, this is damage done on another scale.

You cannot help but back up as he approaches, nearly falling back over your chair, but he is on you in an instant, grabbing your arm firmly with one hand and your waist with the other, seemingly uncaring of the confused looks of his entourage that has been left behind so uncharacteristically. Luckily, Jack is nowhere to been seen, but you catch Red’s smirk before Elvis manhandles you into the hallway.

He doesn’t speak, not yet, though you see his brewing temper play over his face. Your heart drops because it is so obvious how you’ve truly hurt him, and he practically carries you back to the dressing room so quickly that you barely have time to register what that means. Once inside, he releases you and you tumble forward before he slams the door with too much force and flicks the lock.

As you straighten, you attempt to brace yourself for what you think you know is coming. Your nerves are on pins and needles, and you can’t help the lightheaded feeling that comes over you as you watch him fume. His chest heaves with both the exertion from his performance and his building fury, which makes for a dangerous combination.

You realize too late that perhaps you didn’t think this through.

“Is it true?” Elvis growls, rounding on you. “Are you trying to leave?” The pain is palpable in his stormy eyes and is layered with indignation.

The words catch in your throat. You finally force yourself to nod, attempting to find your voice in the meantime.

“What the fuck, y/n? What the fuck do you think you’re doin’?” his voice raises, as he paces the room like a caged animal. His eyes are icy now, glaring at you in such a way that you feel it to your toes. His white suit clings to him with the moisture of his sweat, which gleams off his tan skin, distracting you.

You finally find your voice. “I’m leaving, Elvis. For my sake and for yours,” you breathe out. Your heart threatens to shatter at the words.

“The fuck you are,” he flips back at you.

“Excuse me?” you huff.

“You ain’t goin’ nowhere, honey,” he points at you sternly.

“That’s not up to you,” you sputter, blinking rapidly.

“The hell it ain’t,” he glares.

Elvis’ eyes flash and he advances towards you. Your heart thunders in your ears and you counter backwards until he has your back against the wall. He grabs your chin with his hand, his rings cutting into you.

“I thought I fucked some sense into you last night, but it seems I fucked it out of you instead,” he purrs dark and low, but it is laced with threat.

You hold back a groan at his words. The sound of his voice and the look on his gorgeous face as he rakes his eyes over you sends both dread and heat through you all at once. You should have known he’d put up a fight. This is why you’d wanted to leave right away. Resisting him feels insane and futile.  

“E, Red knows. He caught me coming out of your room this morning, and I just know he’s gonna make trouble,” you ramble out, trying to skirt around him. He boxes you in with his arms.

“Fuck Red. I’ll take care of him,” Elvis spits, eyes flashing but barely giving it a second thought because his sole focus is you. Then you see him eyeing his scarf around your neck. Wordlessly, slowly, he unties it, his calloused fingers brushing the skin of your neck and making you shiver. “Now tell me why you’re really leavin’, honey,” he commands, but the lilt in pitch betrays his sensitivity to those who know him well enough. And you do.

Oh, god, the way his smokey eyes bore into you, intoxicate you, has you frozen and your mouth dry. All the words you prepared to say are gone in an instant. You can’t tell him everything (you can’t), but his hurt and his need to dominate you because of it drives his actions, and you know he won’t stop until he gets what he wants.

“Hmm,” he shakes his head, a darkness overcoming him. “Guess I gotta find another way to get it out of you. Give me your hands,” he orders. You are caught in his gaze and feel powerless to deny him. Begrudgingly, you obey, holding out your hands.

You watch as he ties one end of the silky scarf to your left wrist. It’s tight, but not uncomfortable. Your brow furrows in confusion as he pulls your arms up, and it is then that you notice the bar, which must be used as a clothing rack, attached to the wall above your head.

Your eyes widen and your heart thunders in your chest. “Elvis, what’re you doing?” you squeak out as he wraps the scarf over the bar and attaches it tightly to your other wrist. Your arms are loose and your feet remain planted on the floor, as the bar is not that high up, but you are effectively trapped.

“Well, honey, you keep tryin’ to run away from me and I need answers,” he glowers, amusement playing under his anger.

“Goddammit, this isn’t funny, let me go!” you say shrilly, yanking your arms but only succeeding in making the scarf tighter around your wrists.

“No, you’re right, it ain’t funny at all. Were you just gonna steal away in the dead of night without talkin’ to me?” he asks, the hurt back in his voice.

“No, I…no, that’s not what I wanted…” But it is almost what you did, and he seems to know it.

His eyes flash with realization at your unspoken words, then narrow as he moves closer. You look away, shamed. He grabs your chin again, his rings cold against your skin, and forces you to look at him.

“You are all I’ve been able to concentrate on, ya know that? You’re all I fuckin’ think about. I want you. I want you to be with me. Be with me.” He says it like a pleading promise and a stark demand all at once.

Oh, Jesus, it makes you ache for him in every way. You can feel your resolve crumbling around you, all your reasons for leaving melting into a puddle at your feet.

“We can’t Elvis. We can’t keep doing this. I’m losing my mind,” you say but Elvis has his head buried in your neck now, his lips and tongue dragging across your skin and setting your entire body aflame. Resisting him is like resisting gravity—an impossible feat.

“Why would you do this to me, lil’ mama?” he whispers in your ear, his hand brushing away your hair so his breath tickles against you. The sensation immediately has your body at attention, like a switch has been flipped. Your nerves tingle, your nipples stand at attention with just the temptation of that raspy baritone.

Despite yourself, despite the angel on your shoulder screaming at you, once again, that this is a bad idea, your mouth pops open with a sigh. His other hand cups your cheek as his lips travel over your face, so close that those long, dark lashes brush against you in their wake. This sends another thrill of sensation through you.

It’s agonizing that you can’t touch him, which you know is exactly the point.

Elvis presses you against the wall, and his thumb is dragging slowly over your bottom lip. It takes everything you have to not disintegrate right there and then. The way he makes you feel—it’s like you have no sense of reality when around him like this. He is your drug of choice. And you keep coming back to him again and again.

“Tell me why you don’t want me,” he asks in a boyish whisper, his bedroom eyes deadly serious, filled with anger and hurt and need and lust. All for you. Only Elvis could look so entirely innocent and completely sinful all at once.

His words cut you, as you think he intended. You wish you could make him understand, but your breathing is fast, too fast. You are dizzy from the scent of him, all sweat and musk. He’s dripping with it. Your eyes roll back.

“Dammit, E, of course I want you,” you breathe, “but when we get caught, which we are seconds away from, I’m the one who’s life blows up. I’m the one who’ll have to face the consequences. It all comes back on me, and…I don’t have anything without Jack.” You can’t let yourself forget it.

The way Elvis looks at you now is fierce. He grabs both of your cheeks roughly, his hands like fire against them.

“Baby, you have me, you’ll always have me. You’re mine, and I’m yours, and I’ll take care of you, no matter what happens.”

The sentiment hits you sideways, flooring you. He’s staring at you so intensely you feel completely gone, weak. There is nothing else but him.

“Let me take care of you,” he breathes seductively, nuzzling your nose. “Let me be your everything.”

Oh, sweet lord…

“Elvis…” His name escapes you like a hushed prayer. You are defenseless against him, your heart fluttering like the wings of a hummingbird, stealing your breath away completely.

The temptation of what he is saying is so strong that you want to give in to him immediately. It’s almost everything you want to hear, which is the problem. You think he’ll say anything to get what he wants. You love him, but you know he’s a master at manipulation—it’s how he’s so damn good at his craft. It’s how he so effectively hypnotizes the masses. You think half the time he doesn’t even realize what’s he’s doing, but knowing him as you do, you know he is too shrewd for ignorance.

But part of you refuses to believe him, what he’s saying, even now. Part of you is still reeling from the pain and the fear of your recently uncovered memories. And the fact is, he is still hiding things from you, and you are still married to Jack.

Elvis bows his head, his soft lips now mere millimeters from yours, his hot breath mingling with the heat of your own. But he does not close the gap. He’s waiting, waiting for you to decide. He’s impatient, nearly shaking with anticipation.

You came here to end it, you did (didn’t I?), but he’s like the sun, pulling you into his orbit. Desperate, you find your voice, doing your best to be strong.

“Elvis, I am still married. You know as well as I do how complicated it is with Jack, and he’s not going to take kindly to this when he finds out. And he will. We both know he will. He’s your friend. You can’t have it both ways, and neither can I. But I can’t be near you without wanting you, so something’s gotta give. That’s why I have to go. That, and all the secrets, the lies…It’s tearing me apart inside,” you plead with him. And I know you’re keeping something from me, but those words don’t make it out of your mouth.

His brow furrows and you can practically see the wheels turning in his head. Then something significant shifts, that dark look clouding his eyes once more.

“Jack ain’t shit. Fuck him. And, baby, I’ll tear your marriage to shreds and throw it in the trash, just like that,” Elvis snarls, snapping his fingers in your face, his endless eyes burning into yours. His vehemence has you shaking, your eyes going big. “I don’t care what I have to do or who I have to pay off. I thought I told you, honey—I always get what I want, and I think I’ve made it quite fuckin’ clear who I want.”

Holy shit.

A shocked beat, your breath held in a pause before it quickens again. Elvis is choosing you over Jack. Elvis wants you to end your marriage for him (or more accurately, wants to end it for you). This means that he is much more serious about this, about you, than you thought. Your heart plummets into your stomach and warmth blossoms over your body. You are both elated and terrified by what he is asking of you. All words escape you.

“Still need a little more convincing, huh?” His lip curls into a smirk, sending a coil of desire into your belly. Pushing you up against the wall, he grinds his hips into you, your arms straining against their bonds. You know now that this is his way, his way of proving to you the truth of his words. A whimper escapes your lips, causing him to grin even more. He has you right where he wants you, which is infuriating and exhilarating.

Elvis gets close, his full lips so tantalizingly near that you can almost taste their pillowy sweetness, but he still does not kiss you, only tempts you as his breath blends with yours. As much as you want to, you do not submit, you do not close the gap, your stubbornness and lingering doubt dampening your near-consuming desire.

All your churning emotions of the past few days keep you silent. Confusion, fear, anger, shock, love—all of it only fuels your passion for him, a love so consuming it eats you alive. But you also don’t want him to have the satisfaction of you giving into him. He’s right: he does usually get what he wants, but that doesn’t mean you have to make it easy on him.

Elvis watches your reaction carefully as he yanks your dress up over your hips. Then he groans, a deep, carnal sound as he grinds into you once more, his arousal evident and the metal of his ornate belt biting against your pelvis. You bite your lip to keep from making the noises that threaten to escape you, but your breathing is starting to become even more labored. There is an element of calculated control in his flaming eyes, combined with power and need. He doesn’t let you look away.

Elvis grabs the back of one of your thighs, pulling it up to his hip, running his hand over your bare flesh from your knee up to your panties, his fingers dancing just under the elastic. You hold back the hiss that wants to escape you. God, you want to touch him, to claw at his bare chest, but the scarf holds you fast and you grip its strong silk for dear life.

When he lets go just long enough to pull the zipper of his fly, pulling out his cock, your eyes widen, then fall closed. You feel as he tugs your underwear to the side, his fingers swiping through your folds. You bite your lip at the feel of his fingers prodding at you so roughly. But with your churning emotions desperately trying to keep your desire at bay, you are not nearly wet enough to take him yet.

“Look at me,” he demands, and you do. You are powerless not to.

Reaching his hand up, he looks you right in the eye as he spits in it, then reaches down to cover his cock, lubricating it fully. You gulp. A shiver of anticipation races down your spine. Taking a long moment to gather more saliva, he spits in his hand again before snaking it between your thighs to smear your pussy with it, watching your reaction carefully. You can’t help but moan at the sensation of the warm slick.

True to his word, nothing stops him from taking what he wants as he brusquely lifts your legs around his waist and enters you with a quick, hard thrust and a deep grunt.

You gasp loudly at how Elvis fills you so completely, both with surprise and with pain of the pleasurable sort. You are so tight, too tight, and while your arousal pools, it has not yet coated your walls, making his saliva the only lubrication to ease the friction. You claw at the silk scarf, trying to push back against the wall in retreat, but he chases you, pausing for only a moment as you attempt to adjust to him. He starts rocking into you, but his thrusts are not gentle—they are powerful, claiming. You continue to hold back the noises that want to escape your mouth, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of hearing your pleasure.

“Why ya gotta be so fuckin’ stubborn, baby? You really makin’ me take you this damn hard to remind ya just who ya belong to?” he growls seductively into your ear as he drives into you harder. Your head falls back onto the wall and your eyes flutter. This shouldn’t be so satisfying, but you can’t deny how it makes you feel, how he makes you feel. Your arousal pools around him at his words, at his audacity, and it gives you away as he slides more easily in and out of you. Then that damn lip of his dares to curl up again into a knowing smile.

His baritone rumbles in your ear as he fucks you more vigorously, each thrust punctuating his words, as if driving them deeply into your body and mind. “I’m not lettin’ you outta my sight after this little stunt of yours, honey, not for one damn minute. In fact,” he chuckles darkly, “you’re going on stage with me for the rest of my shows, starting tonight. Your debut performance.”

You can’t hold back your choked gasp at that.

“You’re all mine now.” Elvis’ hand comes up and wraps around your throat, just tight enough to let you know he means it. “Now, be a good girl and say it for me.”

Your brain fights against him—possession is not love! Sex is not love! it screams at you—and you don’t want to give him this, but you know the truth of it: you are his. You’ve been his for a while now. And you relish in it. You want so desperately for it to be more than that, but you are too weary of denying yourself of the obvious.

“I’m…y-yours,” you gasp out. He fucks it out of you.

The corner of his mouth briefly lifts in satisfaction before returning to his relentless railing of you and his ongoing, heated diatribe: “You’ll stay in my room, my bed, and we’ll fuck whenever we damn please, honey. I don’t care who fuckin’ knows. Let Jack try and come for you…see what happens,” he threatens, grunting as his thrusts become more erratic.

You don’t even recognize the moan that comes from you at that. The fact that he will take Jack head on for you sends an inexplicable rush through your system. The coil in your belly tightens rapidly now, but Elvis is too far ahead of you, too consumed with his lust and his need to claim you as his own.

“Tell me you’ll stay,” he says in your ear. It comes out more needy, breathless, pleading, than you think he intended, which tugs at your heart, telling you what you need to know, at least for now.

You have no choice, not anymore. Neither your heart nor Elvis’ will allow it.

“I’ll stay,” you whisper, finally conceding.

“There’s my girl,” he groans, then plunges in so deep and fast that the wind is knocked out of you. You both cry out as he pulses again and again, filling and coating you with his need, his teeth digging into your shoulder as he climaxes.

You both gasp for breath, him from his release, you from the shock of his words as they settle within you. After a moment of recovery, he unceremoniously pulls out of you, sets you gently back on the ground, and unties your hands. Your legs feel wobbly and your hands tingle with a burning sensation, rubbed a little raw at the wrists. Elvis kisses each wrist softly, making that unrelieved coil in your belly cinch even tighter as he wraps the scarf around your neck. You wince at the pins and needles in your arms as you shake them to regain circulation.

You wait to see what he has in store for you next, but he just looks a little jaded, uncharacteristically making no effort to alleviate your need. He turns and walks all the way back into the bathroom, and you follow silently.

You look at him questioningly in the mirror as he cleans off, that coil in your belly poised and ready, but unfed. He’s never left you unsatisfied before. But you also don’t want to push him right now. Things still feel too tenuous.

He finally acknowledges you in the mirror, looking over your mussed and flustered state and immediately gleaning the reason for your hovering. “Honey…I’ll deal with you later,” Elvis tuts in a reprimanding tone, his left eyebrow raising, his blues still chilly towards you.

He’s being petty, but you suppose you deserve that to an extent. You resist the urge to pout, instead choosing to wrap your arms around his waist from behind, pressing against the sweaty heat of his back. You want him to forgive you, want to be in his warmth, want him to love you as you love him. But for now, you’ll accept the relief of not having to leave him.

Let me take care of you…Let me be your everything.

The memory of his words sends warmth radiating through your chest, even if he just said it to get you to stay. Even if he didn’t really mean it.

“I’m sorry,” you say quietly. And you are.

Elvis doesn’t move for a moment, just letting you cling to him. Then he turns, bringing you close, and he finally kisses you, his pliant lips pressing hard and fierce and wanting against yours.

“Don’t ever try to leave me like that again, baby,” he says, pulling away, looking deeply into your eyes. He is trying, you think, to be as possessive and demanding as before, but the edge of his anger has been tempered, quelled, and has turned into something more imploring. Then, with that quintessentially Elvispuppy-dog look on his face, he blinks slowly and quietly adds, “I need you,” as though just realizing it himself.

And, with that, you realize for the first time that despite all your doubts, despite what he is hiding from you, despite every obstacle that wants to pile against you, the shitstorm that is coming is still going to hit hard, but it will hit you two together.

*

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[onegirllis]

So, about the new LIS trailer

It took me some time, but forgive me for the delayed response. I had to dig myself out of the fandom grave to actually look around and notice what the hell was going on. I spent another moment pondering if I still care, and with the answer "barely," I came here to write this post.

1) For whatever reason DickNein (yes, I didn't miss the scandal, who is the nazi now?) still doesn't understand what made LIS 1 so successful. It wasn't the diversity; it wasn't the same copy-paste lines; it wasn't the murder; it wasn't the superheroes from small towns with different powers. It wasn't even the lesbians (I know, shocking!). There were merely a few elements that made LIS special: - Magical Arcadia Bay with its residents - The rewind time superpower, which was one of the best mechanics in narrative games since the genre was born - Max, Chloe, and Rachel (not necessarily in that order), and you need at least two to make it work, preferably with Chloe at least somewhere there. - the specific art style and saturated colors (butchered a bit in BTS but then going full SIMS 4 for the rest of the games) - and most importantly - the soul Sure, DontNod could get away with alteration, to no fanfare and sometimes to no success, but their experiments came from the right place. This shit ain't it.

2) For whatever reason, Chloe is now a dog. I know. I know. I understand. Listen, my fellow comrades, I know how it feels when the devs pull put shit like, "Oh, they were just friends and grew apart, but now she named her squirrel after the love of her high school life".

3) Max had plastic surgery. She also decided to be entirely anonymous so that she looked like everyone else. Every model looks the same, and I hope they will have their names spelled above them as they walk around. Otherwise, I have no idea who is who. Frankly, she looks a little bit like Steph had a lot of fun with the entire cast of Sims 4 and then had a baby.

4) On top of everything, the new Max, however, probably now goes as Maxine, is teaching her Polaroid skills at a university. Now we know we are in an alternative universe all along. I hope the tuition matches the useful photography skill set you obtain there.

5) For any other reason unknown, she can dress up as Chloe, who can be dead (see the Ultimate edition). I know Max has a long tradition of dressing up as dead people, but I hoped it would go away with her Botox and other plastic corrections. But hey, we survived Chloe dressing up as Rachel and cosplaying as her dad, too, so I guess I shouldn't even be surprised. Not that it's a low-budget movie, and they have a limited wardrobe. It's a video game, but the tradition of having a mental stroke is still strong.

6) Oh no, another murder I gotta solve! I shall use my powers. Why now? Is it another girlfriend who is into printing photos? Or is it her student? Or both? Max becoming Jefferson would be a nice twist, even if not loved among the community, but I don't think it would get anywhere that dark. It just will get stupid.

7) This is supposed to be a fanservice a little too late and on the wrong foot. I know y'all missed Max. I didn't, but I understand the hype on seeing her on the screen. Although following a teenager in Arcadia Bay was interesting, simply by the shot of nostalgia with every step, here we are following a middle-aged single art teacher (or someone who looks middle-aged to the point that they decided on fixing their face). NO ONE WANTS TO FOLLOW THEIR ART TEACHERS WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.

8) The Nazi problem (well, well, well, the turntables). I know DeckNein had to do some cleanup among their staff. I hope they did, but somehow, I doubt it was done for the right purpose. Therefore, I'm uncomfortable giving them any of my money, now or ever. I know, there are worse studios. I know it's stupid, but LIS was always special, filled with this little genuine spark. It just doesn't feel right.

9) The game has the worst UI in the history of modern gaming.

10) And to finish my rant on something even worse, LIS4 is coming just before DontNod's new game, most likely to compete with it on the market. A bit sus, don't you think?

Anyway, dick move, my friends. All of it. Actually, waving dicks around in the air all along. Despite our differences, this ain't right. And God knows how much worse it could be.

[heymacy]

hello pals! it's time for a (very late) weekly tag game wednesday! (yes, it's still wednesday in chicago!) i was tagged by @energievie, @deedala, @palepinkgoat, @juliakayyy, & @jrooc - thanks pals!

about you

name: macy

age: thirty and flirty and surviving

star sign: cancer

your first language: english, the dumbest language

second language: i can take your coffee order in perfect spanish and i think that's my biggest accomplishment in the last few years

favorite lip product: aquaphor!

the best food dish you can make without a recipe: ........boxed mac and cheese

if you drink tea, what kind?: sleepytime tea, peppermint, and earl gray (depending on the time of day)

if you drink coffee, what roast do you usually get?: i drink cold brew which i think is technically a medium roast? ah shit, i'm totally getting fired

favorite thing to watch on youtube right now: i almost exclusively use YouTube for ASMR videos

favorite thing to watch on youtube in 2012: jenna marbles i miss you every fucking day

favorite item of clothing right now: a Whidbey Island, WA sweatshirt that i magically found at a thrift store here in Chicago! the world is so small and i miss home!

favorite item of clothing in 2012: my VS PINK leggings, the kind with the thick ass waistband, y'all remember those? mine were black and baby pink

fandom

three movies you recommend: i'll give y'all my letterboxd top four: Some Like It Hot, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Pride and Prejudice (2005) and Moonrise Kingdom

your favorite concert: CHAPPELL ROAN!

have you ever unfollowed someone over a fandom opinion? unfollowed? babygirl this is a blocking household

have you ever left a fandom because of the fans? not because of the fans, no. i keep my circles pretty tight and use the block button liberally. i only leave when the fixation breaks and even then i still linger about like a specter of fandom's past

the best tv show you watched last year: suddenly i don't remember a single TV show i watched last year, YIKES. now if you'd said movie...[cracks knuckles] how much time y'all got?

do you have a fancasting you just can't let go of? none come to mind!

a ship you've abandoned: i do not abandon my children, i just sometimes-occasionally-infrequently-intermittently forget to pick them up from daycare, that's all

on a scale of 1-10 how willing are you to share your ao3 history? [sweeping gesture] look upon my archive and see that i am an open book

do you have a fandom tattoo? nope!

what fandom do you wish was bigger? talk to me about Anastasia (1997)

has a finale ever ruined a show for you? ruined? no. soiled a little bit, left a sour taste in my mouth, riddled me with disdain? sure, often!

have you...

swam in an ocean? many times!

been vegan/vegetarian? yes, both at different times in my life!

gone skinny dipping? yes!

gone skiing? yes!

been to a convention? yes!

i'm tagging @gardenerian, @7x10mickey, @mmmichyyy, @callivich, @captainjowl, @sleepyfacetoughguy, @arrowflier, @too-schoolforcool, @sickness-health-all-that-shit, @y0itsbri, @creepkinginc, @pomegran4te, @sxltburn, @thisdivorce, @vintagelacerosette, @crossmydna, @michellemisfit, & @transmickey ✨

[johanna-swann]

What is it with the fandom turning every female love interest for Buck or Eddie into a downright monster? (Long post, rant)

Abby? Basically groomed baby Buck, yucky, also she got his number the wrong way.

Shannon? Terrible mother, terrible wife, we need a restraining order.

Ali? What a bitch. She only used Buck and couldn't handle the real him.

Ana? Ableist homophobe, obsessed stalker, restraining order 2.0.

Taylor? Career bitch, will literally kill innocent babies to get on prime time tv.

Marisol? Stalker 2.0 apparently, also in an incest relationship with her brother, obviously.

Natalia? Hell no, way too obsessed with Buck's death experience, that's not healthy, it's basically abuse.

Like, Come on guys. Just say you hate women and be done with it. Buck is not a helpless baby, he is an adult who is capable of having consensual relationships and standing up for himself.

No, him and Abby were probably never gonna last, but I do think that they were good for each other at that point in their lives.

Ali was nothing but kind and supportive and ended up prioritising her own mental well being. Good for her!

Taylor always made it clear that her job mattered to her more than anything. Which Buck of all people should understand and he knew this from the moment he met her. Also he treated her like shit, this isn't Taylor's fault.

Natalia is an end of life doula. Of course she's interested to hear Buck's story and of course he's relieved that he doesn't have to walk on eggshells around her when talking about the lightning. Everyone else he knows was traumatised right with him, what's wrong with getting an outside perspective?

Also the entire fandom sometimes acts as if buddie were thee most perfect parents, but they're not. Eddie missed basically the first 4 entire years of Christopher's childhood.

Shannon may have made her mistakes, but so did Eddie. And when they reconnected, Eddie was the one who made a move on Shannon, not the other way around.

Ana was a very nice and thoughtful person and, don't yell at me, she wasn't entirely wrong about the skateboard incident. Christopher has cp. Most activities can be made accessible for him, but probably not everything. In this particular case Ana was proven wrong, but the point stands.

Marisol seems like a fun and witty person and she was only in a few scenes so far. Yet here we are and people are already talking shit about her.

I don't even know what to say honestly. For a fandom than claims to be so inclusive for having disabled and queer characters, characters of colour, found family dynamics and so on y'all sure are going heavy on the misogyny.

[ice-sculptures]

hey everyone!! so, originally, i wanted to do one of these back when all of y'all were posting your 'follow forever' + favorite blogs lists for new year's eve, but at that point in time i didn't feel like i knew anyone well enough to make a full list. but now, it's been almost nine months (holy shit!!!) since i joined this fandom, and there have been so many people that i've connected with and who have made my experience on here so much fun and so special.

plus...it's my birthday today, so i thought - what better way to celebrate it than to show my immense love & appreciation for all my mutuals, followers friends, and anyone who has ever made my tumblr experience better?

this isn't really in any particular order, and also, i am so so sorry if i forgot anyone. i had to type this out at least six times over the past two months because tumblr kept deleting my progress for some reason, so i'm really sorry if i missed anyone because of it. i recognize the urls of anyone that regularly interacts with my posts, so i promise that if you've ever left nice tags in the reblogs of my gifs or replied to any of my WIPS or tagged me in a gifset or in a tag game or sent me a nice ask or anything at all, really, please know that i think you're wonderful and i love you all so much even if tumblr hates me and decided to erase all of the evidence of it 😅

okay, enough dillydallying!! putting this under a cut so that it doesn't swallow ur dash whole....n here we go :)

@fireplceashes hi jen!! i know i said like. just one paragraph above that this was in no particular order, but i immediately broke the no. 1 rule of law and lied, bc as my very first friend in this fandom you are so undoubtedly so special to me and i'm putting you first just because i Can and no one can stop me. but anyway. where do i even begin with you? you are easily one of the sweetest people i have Ever, ever met - not just on tumblr, but in my real life as well - and i really love talking to you So much. thank you so much for always listening to my rants, and checking up on me, and just generally being there for me. you're just a really soothing person to talk to and i never have to worry about being 'too much' or anything like that when i'm talking to you. and of course - you are also so, so talented, and your gifs are absolutely stunning. they always turn out so beautifully, and i'm so in awe of your editing skills. basically...i'm just Very grateful to have met you, and *mike wheeler voice* all of my other mutuals, they're great, but my fandom experience would not be the same without you ❤️

@basiltonpitch spencer!! i feel the need to echo the first thing i said to you and remind you that i think you're a genius :') fun fact that i haven't told you: when i first found your blog, even before i realized that you were That person who wrote the benvi meta that i loved, the first posts that i saw from you were your beautiful web weavings, and i was immediately like Who is this person??? and Who gave them the permission to stomp all over my heart like this?? wtf?? i just. i love ur brain So so much and i'm so grateful that i get to enjoy your creativity in not one but two of my favorite fandoms (soon to be 3 with 911 maybe?) oh also...this is slightly embarrassing but i've gone back through your blog a few times just so i can read your incredible meta because all of your thoughts are so valuable to me. you are the Only person on this site that i trust to Get devi vishwakumar and one of the biggest reasons why i'm so excited for never have i ever s4 to drop is so that i can experience it alongside you!! and even outside of your creative genius, you are one of my favorite people to talk to bc you're so kind and so supportive and such an absolute sweetheart and i really love hearing everything you have to say. so. um. basically. i am just a Spencer Enthusiast through and through 💖

@padmedala carson!! hello!! first off, i've said this to you a million times, but i want to thank you once again for writing one of my favorite pieces of byler fanfiction. do you know that one post about reading fanfics and having to stop because 'he would not say that?' well, your work is the epitome of reading a fic and feeling wholly satisfied because yes, he would say that - in fact, i would not hesitate for a minute to say that you have the strongest grasp on will and mike's characterization - especially their dynamic together - out of any writer i've met in this entire fandom. like...i enjoy your writing so much that i've read a couple of your pieces for IT despite not having any knowledge of the source material simply because i wanted to experience more of your work. you're also such a deeply kind and supportive person, and you have no idea how much i appreciate every single time you've checked up on me or sent me a sweet message or even just dropped into my inbox to say hello. you make my dash infinitely brighter, and i'm so very glad to know you and have you as a friend on here 💞

@wllbyers dani!! hi!! i have so much to say abt how wonderful you are, and i was struggling w how to articulate this for a while, but then i remembered that you once said to me that you found my presence on the dash comforting, and honestly, that's exactly how i feel about you. forgive me for the awkward metaphor, but seeing you on the dash is like coming home after a long day and having a warm, home-cooked meal. seeing your url and icon always makes me smile, and i'm so grateful that we're mutuals because of how kind, considerate, and utterly genuine you are!! i don't know if i'm describing this right, but you just feel so real, you know? i feel like your personality shines through with every post you make, and i always love seeing it. and i'm sorry if this is weird to say, but your openness and your authenticity about everything going on in your life makes me feel a little bit less alone about my own struggles. also do you remember when you started watching 911 and eventually ended up getting ahead of me, and you tagged each and every one of your posts just so that i wouldn't get spoiled? i know it seems simple, but the sheer fact that you thought of doing that just for me had me melting into a little puddle w my face looking like that one meme of kristen bell. you are just so, so lovely and i'm unbelievably glad we're mutuals 🥰

@willblogger ima i've said this many times before but i absolutely Need to say it again: you are genuinely the funniest person on byler tumblr. i cannot count the number of times that you've made me full-on belly laugh (to the point where my stomach starts to hurt) and completely destroyed my attempts to casually and inconspicuously scroll through tumblr in public places. i dunno how you do it at all but every single thing you say is such an absolute delight and i am always giggling n kicking my feet when i read the tags on all of your posts. the thousands of people on tiktok and twitter copying your jokes could never do it like you. you've also got this deep understanding of the way the text has been written and i really appreciate how your analysis honors the characters as they are instead of trying to make them more palatable them for this fandom. it's just. it's rare to find people that love these characters as they are and understand them as well as you do and i feel very lucky to have found your blog. also this is not related at all but ur plushies are cute as fuck & i love them :) OH!! n thank u sm for being my number one stevebucky enthusiast mutual n partner in rage when it comes to avengers endgame!! can't wait to have a hate party w you (if you'd like) in five days 💗

@willelfanpage SARA HI HELLO do u see me waving at you. this is me holding up a banner screaming abt how much i love you. as the resident fandom cheerleader who gives and gives and gives so much love to everyone she interacts with, you deserve someone cheering YOU back on and that is what i am here to do!! you are so brilliant and you have never made an incorrect post in your life!!! all your fics are wonderful and i've loved reading them!! you are kind, you are smart, you are funny, and you make everyone around you feel so safe and comfortable and welcome here. like. i can't tell you how much i admire how open you are with your kindness and friendship and how you give it so freely to everyone you interact with. i love talking to you so much - whether it's hearing about your life or sharing our ideas with one another or just. venting about anything i want to - and your enthusiasm is utterly infectious and makes me feel more hyped and excited to be in fandom. forgive me for being so sappy on main but i will never not be touched by your endless love for fandom, not only these characters and the works that people make, but for the people around you as well and i hope u know i love u very much too 💞

@jackietaylcrs hii marianne fellow haver of good taste!! i remember you once made a post wondering if your followers would still love you if your stranger posting went down to 0.5% and i wanted to lyk that i definitely would!! i really like reading your commentary on ST and yellowjackets, but even when you're posting about a show that i'm not familiar with, you have this Way of speaking that i find very charming and funny and entertaining, and you bring this inimitable energy to my dash that i doubt i could ever find elsewhere. i like the way you sign off your posts with 'and like i say: brf slt.' i think it’s Neat n it fits you very well. alsooo THANK YOU very very much for being the one to convince me to watch yellowjackets!! people have been telling me to watch it for a long time but in the end it was your posts that made me say, fuck it, and finally watch it. also. um. ur posts abt stephen harrison make me feel very Seen so. thank u. ok bye 💗

@emblazons hello marie my beloved mutual marie!! honestly, out of everything in this post, this message was the hardest to write because i don't even know where to begin with you!! you bring so, so much to this fandom - your thoughtful, entertaining, levelheaded commentary, your stunning gifsets, your logical and witty posts, your incredibly supportive and kind personality, and your endless passion for this show and all that goes into making it, as well as our shared love & enthusiasm for noah schnapp 😅 every time i think you've made the most brilliant observation or put out the most beautiful set, you go and top yourself by finding something new or making an even prettier gifset. if i had to pick one person whose contributions to the fandom enriched my experience of this show? more than anyone, it would be you!! and i could go on and wax poetic about your talent forever (as i have on many, many occasions bc you deserve it 🥰), but i'm gonna end it here by saying that you are a gift to this fandom and one of my absolute favorite people on here, and that i'm beyond grateful to know you.

@mikeandwillel sandy!!!! you are so so smart and your analysis is absolutely incredible. i look forward to each and every one of your analyses because you always find the most clever parallels and your deep dives into each of these characters' arcs are always written with so much care and skill. and of course, i forever have you to thank for writing The ultimate masterpiece (your s4 painting arc analysis) that finally convinced me of byler endgame and thus made my fandom experience so much more relaxing and fun. i also really love & how much you love mike for all that he is -- i feel like it's a little rare in this fandom, so seeing how much you adore his true character and how you Understand him better than anyone else i've ever met makes me really happy. and not to mention, i have no idea how you managed to get so good at gifmaking in such a short amount of time but all your sets are so beautiful!! you're a gem fr 💖

@babygirl-jonathanbyers abbyyyyyy hello!! do you know how much i love seeing you on my dash? i love your pure, unapologetic love for jonathan, jancy, and the byers brothers and it really makes my whole day when i see a post from you appreciating those characters/ships. your moodboards are also So pretty and your presence on my dash is so positive and welcoming. i hope you're doing well on your hiatus rn and i can't wait to see you back on here again 🫂

@elmaxed lumiiiii hi!!!! when i think of you, honestly, the very first word that comes to mind is creative, because you bring so much to this fandom and i'm so grateful for it. i'm obsessed with everything you write because your fics are so lively and fun and make me smile uncontrollably every time i read them, all your headcanons are brilliant and adorable, your moodboards are gorgeous and not to mention, your themes are always so beautiful!! you're just...such a ray of sunshine on my dash and i'm so happy to have followed you 🥰

@mlchaelwheeler sarahhhhh my favorite stonathan pioneer and one of my first mutuals in this fandom!! i think you already know this but your analyses were a huge part of what got me into the byler fandom in the first place and i have never looked back, so thank you for that!! i Love love love ur theories (especially the s5 spec stuff) and i love seeing u in my notifs and reading your lovely and enthusiastic tags on everything you reblog and i love your love for st's OST!! you're a really smart, sweet, and positive person with the best opinions and i am forever rooting for mike to get a sword in s5 just for you 🙏🏼

@bylrndgm dearest elz you have no idea how happy your blog makes me 🥹 you're one of the most talented gifmakers i've ever met, and i always find myself smiling so much whenever i see you've posted something new (especially your byler x TS edits 🥰) because they're always so beautiful!! i've also always felt like your blog and everything you've posted is one of the purest and most expressions of love for mike and will....it's so clear that you love them So much and your blog makes me so happy to be part of this community. you've also always been so sweet to me throughout my entire time in this fandom and you're one of the people that has made me feel most welcome here. also since i never ended up responding to your DM i wanted to say that whatever path you choose, i'm sure that you're going to crush it and i am rooting for your success always 💖

@madcleradin sierra madcleradin byhops finalgirlbyers willcoded!! ok i promise i don't mean this in a weird parasocial way but i kind of admired you from a distance for a while even before we were mutuals just because every single one of your posts that ended up on my dash had me nodding my head and tapping my brain in agreement and clapping for u like this 👏🏼 all of your takes are top tier and i love how passionate you are about everything you talk about!! you're def one of the sweetest, friendliest, and coolest people on byler tumblr and following u has been such a gift ❣

@byclairs hello emily!! your gifs are absolutely stunning and i love following you because i Know i can always count on you to have the most based takes, both on stranger things (especially ur will takes - those keep me sane fr) and on fandom as a whole. also just wanna say that you have the best taste in ships and that you've got a 10/10 banger of a url that always has me mentally giving you a thumbs up whenever i see you on the dash ❤️

@heroesbyler stav!! you're one of the most brilliant analysts on this site and i'm so in awe of all of the incredible theories and analyses you've posted!! i'm obsessed w all of your banger gay mike posts & i'm also both fascinated and disturbed by all of the dots you've connected regarding brenner, henry, & the lab. your posts are so insightful and compelling and you've made me think about so many things that i never would've noticed on first glance. i also love that you're both unflinchingly confident but also insanely kind - a rarity in most fandoms, especially this one, and i love that energy on my dash. i'm very proud to be your grandma (your words not mine -- no i will not let you forget about that 🙏🏼)

@mandycantdecide hiiiii amanda!! i love your blog so much, and even though we don't share all of the same fandoms i love seeing your posts about everything you're interested in because i can always feel your energy and enthusiasm for it no matter what :) in fact, it was actually your posts that made me want to get back into 911, and you have no idea how grateful i am to you for that because being in that fandom is the most fun i've had in a really long time. so thank you, thank you thank you for that, and for generally being so sweet 💕

@howtobecomeadragon ayla!! hello!! i know we don't know each other super well but i Really wanted to let you know how much i appreciate your posts and all of your contributions to this fandom. you were one of my first favorite blogs when i first joined in august and you have no idea how thrilled i was when you followed me back haha 😅 i looooove your theory posts so much and i think your fics are fantastic (and i am Eagerly awaiting the end of come back to me and forgive everything so i can read it). you're also super sweet and kind to everyone around you, and i love seeing you on my dash 💞

@mrperfectlyfinetv hi jake!! as my designated Swiftie Mutual i feel like i should let you know that i don't usually follow taylor swift blogs bc swifties are scary but your gifs are so gorgeous and your takes are so good that i just Had to break my rule and follow you anyway. i really enjoy reading all of your opinions on miss swift even if you are a rep hater asdkjendfcskjflejrf and i adore all of your pretty ST and taylor swift gifsets!! i also love how much you love speak now and you've definitely made me go back and give it a few more listens so that i can appreciate it more & at this point i'm begging taylor to release speak now tv soon just for you 🫶

@magentamee - hi bre :) your art style is absolutely delicious and your writing is so cute and i've always noticed how committed you are to uplifting everyone around you in this fandom. also this is random but your friendship with amanda and @/likegoldintheair is so cute and whenever you guys post about each other i always find myself smiling at how sweet your interactions are. you’re just a person who always brings a smile to my face when i see you on the dash and i want to thank you for that 💗

@paintingformike hi!! i've said this before but i really do think you've always been The strongest soldier in the byler fandom (like, ngl your posts were Carrying byler tumblr for a while there while everyone was still in their debating-over-s5-canon phase). you've always been so levelheaded and astute with your observations, and i've always admired and respected how your posts make it seem so simple and So clear how all of the overarching themes of the show are leading to byler endgame. you've got an incredible way with words and i'm so glad to have you in our fandom 💞

-

and now for the creatives in this fandom - some incredible gifmakers whose beautiful sets have been the highlight of my dash, some wonderful writers who have ripped my heart out over and over again only to stitch it back together seamlessly just one paragraph later, and brilliant fan artists who are able to capture so much and make me feel the entire spectrum of human emotion with just a few brush strokes:

@sharpesjoy - em!! you're an absolute sweetheart and such a joy to see on my dash. all of your gifs are so gorgeous and so clearly infused with all of the love that you have for everything you watch and i've added several shows to my watchlist because your gifs have made me want to watch them so badly 💞

@heroeddiemunson - kai!! your creations are so beautiful and you have this unique gifmaking style that i'm totally obsessed with!! your colorings and typography are always so pretty and i Love how special and creative your sets are, especially the D&D character sheets. like.....i have no idea how u come up w all these incredible ideas but i'm so very glad u do bc my dash is better for it❣️

@kaliprasad - hi!! your blog is amazing and i'm so glad that i found it bc all your gifs are fantastic and i love them So much. i think your talent is insane tbh, that byers brothers set that you made for me a little while ago is still one of my favorite things i've seen on this whole site, and i love that you love them just as much as i do 🫂

@kingofscoops - no one, and i mean no one, does coloring like you!! all of your sets are so vibrant and bring so much life to my dash & i think the ST fandom is very lucky to have you ❤️

@aliecenthightower - emilia!! your gifs are stunning and i'm completely in love with your song lyric edits. they're all absolutely beautiful and i'm in awe of how perfect and emblematic the lyrics you choose are, like you just Get these characters, y'know?

@mayahawkins - MADDYYYYYYY you are So talented, and believe me when i say that your gifs have been the Biggest inspiration for my own gifmaking journey. all your sets are so pretty & i love everything you make - including your playlists which live rent free in my mind!! but as a reminder i also love following your blog for You and not just your gifs :) you're an incredibly sweet person and ur presence on my dash is utterly invaluable 💗

@padme-amidala - hi erika!! okay, calling you a gifmaker almost feels wrong because that word doesn't feel like enough to encompass how beautiful your work is...all ur ideas are So amazing and you have such a natural eye for color and detail!! it is so clear that you pour so much love into all of your creations, and if i'm being honest, one of the reasons why i am so grateful to be a byler shipper is so that i can appreciate your craft to the fullest. and you're also Such a genuinely kind person that i always look forward to seeing on the dash!! thank you for being so lovely!!

@wiseatom - hi thea!! your writing is the ultimate definition of comfort. when i read ur work, no matter what i'm doing physically, mentally i am in my cozy bed with the fireplace crackling in the corner, surrounded by twinkly lights and warm blankets, sipping hot cocoa bc that is the kind of emotion ur writing invokes ✨

@byeler - irene!! your fics were my introduction to the world of byler fics and i admire you and your writing so very much 💞 i don't know how it's possible for one person to have this much skill and talent, but you do, and i'm so grateful that you've chosen to share it with us. eagerly waiting on a new heavy hopes chapter was one of the highlights of my fandom experience and that fic is a piece of writing that i will always come back to over and over again 🫶

@astrobei - suni i have been reading fics for over a decade now and i have still never encountered a writer that does emotion quite like you do, devastating me with every single fic you put out. i promise i mean this in the best way possible but you're So damn good at capturing all of that heartbreak and pain and inflicting the same agony on your readers, and it would have killed me by now if not for the fact that you're equally good at writing the sweetest fluff that has me melting into a puddle whenever i read 🫂

@hopelessromanfic - lyssaaaa!!! i've been Such a huge fan of landslide ever since you started writing it - it's one of my all time favorite fics in the fandom and i'm obsessed with the storyline and your characterization in all of your fics 😍

@artistaquinterob - hi!! your art style is so ADORABLE and your use of color in your work is stunning and i just adore everything you draw, especially your will and el art and your jargyle art 🥹

@junkoandthediamonds - your character studies are beautiful and i'm obsessed with your byler comics, your gifs and your ST x DC crossovers!!! i love your realistic style so So much and if i worked for the duffers i would 1000000% hire you to draw the official comics because i can't get enough of your work 🥰

@livsmessydoodles - fun fact: last year, when HSMTMTS s3 was airing, i remember seeing your rina art throughout the season and immediately fell in love with your style and your interpretation of the characters, and the same exact thing happened when i saw your ST work, and it wasn't until you followed me that i put the pieces together and realized that you were the same person 😅 your style is So gorgeous and your art just makes me so happy, and trust me when i say that i am mentally wallpapering all of your work to the inside of my brain so i can look at it forever❣️

and of course, a very special shoutout to all of the people that i don't know too well but are still such a comfort to have on tumblr: @miwism @yearninginblue @kittykat940 @robinsnance @jesper-faheyss @bylersheart @usergabby @achingly-shy @wheelersboy @wontbyers @stbyers @will80sbyers @watpoetry @frodohaven 💝

+ to all my other mutuals: tumblr wouldn't let me link your profiles because of some ridiculous limit, but please know that i see all of you and i am hugging you through my screen rn. thank you!! 👍🏼

[elvisabutler]

phila

summary: he was a frat boy. you were not a sorority girl. could i make it any more obvious. or how you fall for a frat boy and an incident happens that makes you realize how much he cares for you and just how much his friends do too. fandom: austin butler rating: m but not because anyone has sex more for rough content. pairing: austin butler ( frat boy ) x female reader word count: 2823 warnings: talking shit on fraternities and sororities. mild insecurity. a bit of misogyny. frat bros being heinous human beings. non consensual drug use. violence in the form of a drunken brawl. roofies being mentioned and used. dudebros being assholes. beer bottles being thrown. implied undressing while unconscious done by a trusted person. completely averted attempt at sa/sexual assault. author’s note: y'all can essentially blame @prompted-wordsmith for this one because they're the one who put the little nugget in my brain back when we talked about this. heed the warnings, please. i didn't tag this as austin's main post tag because i know it deals with a sensitive topic but it's also probably— the last frat austin piece i might write unless anyone has something they specifically want to see. same goes for my tags for all of you. which, truly i refrain from tagging when it comes to things i feel most of you would prefer not to read and this is no exception. i believe i put all the warnings but feel free to tell me if i missed any. hope you enjoy if you read and thank y'all for your support. also i know not all chapters of SAE are like this but they are known to be a— bad frat so to speak.

Going to frat parties is not your idea of fun. It's a fact that Austin knows and will usually acknowledge and allow you to just skip them with promises that he won't do anything funny with any other girls. Not that you don't trust him, but you know how touchy he can get while tipsy, and you know as well as anyone sometimes touches can be misconstrued. There are lone exceptions, though, the parties that Austin begs to have you at so he can show you off and tell everyone how much of a genius his girlfriend is. They're always held at other frat houses, and every so often, you start to wonder if you're being dragged around like a trophy only to realize that's not the case at all. If anything, it's him trying to prove to everyone that you're kind of settling for him and that you could get better guys. It's a silly notion, you think, but it is what it is and you go along with it for Austin's delight only to remind him when you're safely in each other's arms in bed that he's the only one for you. Besides, what sort of girl is supposed to go for the premed and theater guy, hm?

Tonight is one of those nights where you're in a simple black and white jumpsuit and Austin is in what you like to call party causal. Or a step up from his normal tank tops but not full formal or business wear, but it involves jeans that make his ass look flawless so you're pretty sure you're winning just because of that one sole fact. It's easier to hitch a ride or just walk with Austin when it comes to heading to these parties and tonight is no different with you sitting in the passenger side of his car as his hand interlocks with yours.

"You're going to have to let go of my hand, Austin. Pretty sure no one is going to let us live it down if we get into a car accident because we both know better," you laugh, pulling his head up to your lips to kiss it as he shrugs.

"I can drive one handed." He attempts to defend his actions only to earn a look from you that has him sighing. "Hitting the curb that one time doesn't count."

A laugh erupts from your mouth as you finally move your hand away despite his pout with those plush lips of his. "Right. Do I have to call Darce and them to get more proof or do I win this argument just because you knew I was going to mention that?"

Austin pauses and looks for a moment like he's going to present a defense worthy of a brilliant lawyer before, "I think we're at a draw."

There's a moment where you look like you're going to playfully argue before you just smile. "Drive, Butler."

Normally Austin has a tendency to stick close by to you at these parties, not because he doesn't trust you, but because he- despite being a nice and trusting person knows better than to trust a lot of the frats on campus. Most of the time any thing that happens are just rumors but he knows through the grapevine that there's a few people who shouldn't be on campus but have Daddy's money to help them avoid getting kicked out. But this particular party has some pledges he lost out on and likes to check up on from time to time. You're a big girl, though, and he knows you'll be fine. He knows if anyone tries anything they're in for a world of hurt before he even knows there's a problem.

In hindsight, he should have known better than to leave you alone at this particular party. The time before the party had been a little rushed and your normal preparation of having enough to drink ahead of time was left by the wayside. It meant this time around you were nursing a coke trying to be the designated driver at a house most people know better than to have open drinks at. You try to mingle as best you can, attempting to use this to build some connection to someone knowing that despite everything this frat is one of the richer and thus more connected ones and it shows in the talk you hear among some people. Your eyes instinctively seek out Austin more than once and are relieved that he's close enough to you that no one would dare try anything until you find yourself face to face with a guy you've met before.

"Y/N! Fancy seeing you hear. AB finally let you out?" The guy— Jackson, you think his name is— smiles, his canines being exposed when he does. He reminds you of a wolf in all the worst ways.

"Jackie," you mockingly croon, setting down your drink for just a moment. "Cute how you think Austin can tell me what to do like that. Andrew let you run around off the leash?"

You watch as a muscle in Jackson's jaw twitches and you want to laugh but you stop yourself when you see him start to open his mouth. "Funny. AB knows how to pick his bitches. He sent me over here to talk to you actually. Said he wanted to mend bridges between our two houses. He knows Aussie's a little mad about that—"

"How you sniped the kids you called charity cases in your pledge class? When everyone knew they were shoo ins for Phi Kap. But little Andy got it in his head they needed to SAE boys. Yeah, I heard the story." The words come out more vicious than you intend them to but strangely Jackson doesn't react. "What?"

Jackson laughs and for some reason you feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up almost as if to warn you of something. It's then that you remember you set down your drink and pick it back up. As you're picking it up, you miss how Jackson smiles. "You really are something else. Shame you settled for the poor white trash surfer boy. When you get tired of him, you'd fit right in here, Y/N. Fucking mean enough."

With that Jackson walks away and you find yourself wondering what just happened as you take a sip of your Coke. Austin catches your eye from across the room and winks, smiling at you before turning to talk to the freshman he was already talking to.

Austin knows that two things are wrong when he looks up thirty minutes later after catching up with multiple Freshman and being interrupted by some asshole whose name he didn't even catch. You're not where you've been for almost the entire party which wouldn't be strange except he can't really find you anywhere. He pulls out his phone to see a missed call from you, a voicemail and a text message that looks like the ones you send him when you've fallen asleep with your phone in your hand. That alone worries him and has him listening to the voicemail only to hear your voice sound wrong in a way that has him seeing red. It doesn't take him long to find one of the upperclassmen— Trey, he thinks? Maybe Trevor, Austin honestly doesn't care as long as he has some idea of where you went.

"Did you see where the girl I came here with went? My girlfriend— She—" Austin trips over his words, suddenly reverting back to that shy boy he once was when he was younger unable to order his own food. The man rolls his eyes.

"The uptight one? Dude, she went to where the bathrooms are. Maybe the bedroom?" His hand motions in the direction of a hallway and Austin shoves his way past multiple people to the third bathroom where he hears something that sounds like you groaning. Austin doesn't waste another second before he's against the door saying your name and somehow you manage to get the door unlocked.

Austin finds you on the floor near the toilet and all he thinks is that you look exceptionally out of it. Your eyes barely focus on his face and when trying to reach him you decide the under the sink counter door is his leg. "Aus—" You start before trailing off. "Why'm I in the bath'oom?"

Part of why Austin likes you— loves you as much as he does is how well spoken you are so hearing you like this makes him so terrified that he's grabbing your hands and yanking you up with a grunt. Your body practically melts into his before you hear another knock at the door and see some of the boys from Austin's frat looking at the scene. Kelvin's the one who speaks first.

"Did they—Aus, man, you know what this looks like."

Austin's grip tightens around your waist and you look up at him and press your nose into his shirt, inhaling his comforting scent even as your mind jumps and swirls and does everything in between being normal. "Tight. Too tight."

Everything feels too tight, your jumpsuit, your bra, his arms but you can't figure out how to get out those words as Austin's grip loosens just a hair when he turns to look at his friends. The boys he'd trust with his life and with yours. "I— I don't know how the fuck they did this but find whoever did it. Fucking— she can barely stand up and she wasn't drinking. You guys know that. Who does this— I'm just here to talk to the newbies not to— Not to put my girlfriend in harms way."

It's then that Austin watches Xavier and Adam already leaving the doorway and after a moment he hears a crack of a beer bottle breaking.

"Who did it to Y/N? We just want to talk, man! Take you so you can see your handiwork!" Xavier's voice silences the crowd before there's a rush of voices and cursing that has Luke joining the fray only for you to hear him shout,

"Where the fuck did you get a beer can like that?" It's a valid question but one he says while grabbing a foldable chair and brandishing it in his hands as someone— Trey? Trevor? Alexander? Someone tries to run off after laughing at the scene.

"She deserved it," he mocks as Luke steps closer to him chair still in hand. On your shaky legs Austin starts to try and lead you back to his car before Luke does something you never thought was possible outside of pretend WWE matches. He throws a chair on top of someone's head. Your ears faintly hear the cracking of wood and you wince against Austin before he holds you tighter to him.

"You're fine. They're— They're not gonna hurt you." Austin whispers against your hair and you can smell the faint traces of alcohol on his breath. "I think they're gonna hurt all of the upperclassmen of SAE but not you."

As if on cue there's a bottle that flies by Austin's head and shouts that sounds like multiple of Austin's friends trying to tackle someone.

"Fuckin' tryin' to knock him out?" "Already messed with his girlfriend!" "Your balls that small Andy??"

In another time and place you'd be laughing and while telling the boys it's not worth it but honestly you can't right now. Truthfully if you could right now you'd be joining with them, getting in hits just the same as the rest of them. It frustrates you to not be able to but at the same time there's a warm feeling in your chest unrelated to whatever is circulating in your system at knowing these boys are willing to do this for you.

Someone throws another bottle at Austin's head and it barely misses you before there's another set of shouts and more cursing and general ruckus. Austin pulls you closer once more and starts to head to the door as you hear Tom's bellow to Austin.

"B, get her outta here! We got this! Just get us some rides!" Rides home is what he means but he's interrupted by someone trying to climb on his back. "Now what the fuck are ya doin' bruh?"

Austin takes that as a cue to rush out, only stopping for a moment to shout something about not getting arrested before getting you both in the car. He knows he's not supposed to drive after he's had any sort of liquor but you're in no state to drive yourself and he doesn't trust that his car will stay in one piece if he leaves it here. The second he starts the car your eyes start to droop down and he frowns looking at you.

"I'm so sorry, babe."

You wake up the next morning to Austin on the phone sounding more agitated the more words are spoken. It's a strange thing to see but even more strange is how you're in a pair of pjs you've left in his room at the house with no recollection of how you got in them.

"I know it goes against the code of— they drugged my girlfriend. I think when comparing the two we have the moral high ground. I'll take— I'll take punishment for some of them but you're not shutting down our chapter. I'll handle— yes I can handle it!" His next words are a little incomprehensible and you just sort of stare at him while pulling a blanket tighter around you until he hangs up and realizes you're awake.

"Hey. You— How're you feeling?"

You pause before answering and sigh. "Like shit. I don't— What happened last night? I remember bathrooms and beer bottles? And a chair?"

"I— I'm not really sure. You were where you were at one point, then you disappeared into the bathroom after you drank something? I don't— I really don't know. I found you when I realized and when I did. The boys and I realized you were— uh— that you had something in you that was definitely not something you took willingly." Austin moves to sit on the bed next to you and pulls you close to him. "I got you out of there and— there might have been a few injuries? Involving fists and chairs and bottles. General mayhem."

A silence falls over the two of you before your eyes widen. "You mean they— Did you just tell me I had a bunch of frat bros fighting for me?"

Austin can't help the quiet laugh that leaves him as he nods. "And I didn't even ask them to. They saw you and some of SAE said some— very stupid things and yeah. Tom shooed me out before a bottle hit us. They're in a lot of trouble right now but no one got arrested which is a— It's surprising but I don't question the charm of some of us."

"What about the whole frat—" The words die on your lips as soon as Austin's hand touches your cheek and he shakes his head.

"We'll be fine. Fighting with another frat is bad but not nearly as bad as members drugging someone on purpose considering I think— I think they singled you out specifically. Or at least figured you'd be a fun target. I don't— It doesn't matter. We look better in comparison." Austin explains, watching you bite your lip. "It's fine, babe. I promise. Honestly, they care more about you and if you're okay. Just like me."

Which is to honestly say, stop worrying in Austin's roundabout way. You don't speak for a good five minutes, choosing instead to listen to Austin's heartbeat before you finally move to try and get up. Austin quickly puts a stop to that even as you frown. "Austin, I'm fine just let me get up."

"Future doctor's orders. You're staying in bed today just so I can keep an eye on you. Promise you can do whatever tomorrow. Just— please, babe."

After a moment you move to crawl back into bed and glare a bit at him. "Go get me food, then. I'm— I think I'm so hungry I'm nauseous? I don't know just— food." You stare at the door and swear you hear someone walking by it. "And I guess send in the guys? Are they being creepy at the door?"

The answering yell of no has you and Austin laughing as he opens the door to find Tom chilling against the door, before barging in. "They sent me for recon. Ya good?"

You share a look with Austin as you nod. "Yeah, go tell them I'm good. And that next time try and defend my honor a little more subtly. And tell Luke he's got to show me that chair trick."

taglist: none for this.

[mr-laveau]

The more responses I see to the earlier post regarding the fraction of issues regarding people's hcs and the way they enforce problematic racial stereotypes, the more I see people missing the point.

So! Let's revise the point in simpler terms!

POC: Hi! We've noticed this pattern of portrayal and we just wanted to know what's up with that? It's kinda weird as shit to see–

Fandom: You're telling us what to do! Mind your business! We were fine without this before!

POC: ...

POC: WE JUST WANNA KNOW WHY YOU DOIN ALL THAT–

No one, and I mean NOT A SOUL, gives a shit regarding who you headcanon as whatever race–not a damn soul.

We do think it's weird that these headcanons are depicted awfully similar to the racial stereotypes prevalent in the media and all we're asking is for you to examine where that's coming from because it's making the minorities who have been ever so patient about this uncomfortable. We don't need you to put on a show about how racist you aren't, validate your ethnic HCS with racist scenarios or change your shit. We just want you to consider what those headcanons look like and how they particularly affect others when done in negligence. If you're not willing to do that and you're not willing to look outside of your view point and get the idea then at least do us a favour and say your shit with your chest so you can get blocked instead of hiding behind anons and spouting your bullshit. It's disgusting and your ignorance is tiring to see. At least let me use the algorithm to take you off my feed so I can see the people who don't make me feel shit for existing and asking for consideration.

No one is calling you racist. No one has made this implication. We all just want you to unpack something because it's weird and we can't exist in a space where everyone is blatantly reinforcing damaging stereotypes and denying POC a welcoming space. But if that's too hard for ya then all I'm gonna personally say is:

It's pretty fucking hypocritical that y'all wanna consume media that discusses and critiques systemic racism enforced in schools, the media and society, but you wanna act like you're not adding to the problem those literary allegories represent.

P.S. Centrist behaviors and silence can and will be read by me as being complicit, and wanting to sweep this under the rug is telling of how fucked your mindset is.

[crestfallercanyon]

Weekly Tag Wednesday Thursday

Thanks for the game @michellemisfit ! I believe I have missed like the last three, my apologies lol. Thanks for still looping me into the fun <3 

name: crest

age: late 20s

location:  next to my cat who is sleeping like he hasn’t been a complete menace all damn morning. 

top sheet, yes or no? (I'm assuming by top sheet it means the sheet over the ones that wrap your bed that separates your body from your comforter/duvet, which maybe not everyone uses) and yes, especially in this heat, sometimes that is the only thing I have on me because it’s too warm (but I hate not having something heavier on me)

how many stuffed animals do you own? I have two that I can think of off the top of my head. Used to have several. 

the names of your pets (and the explanations behind them): I only have one cat! And I'm sorry, as I am a paranoid individual (though there are people on discord who know his name, and I know there's other pets with this name, and I give out other information I know) but I'm not going to put it here. I will say I named him what I named him because he's all angles, he's very small for a cat, and loves jumping on me.

favourite color: I gravitate toward the color green a lot. I just adore it in all shades. 

any tattoos? Yes! 

how you transport your belongings (purse, tote, hands, pockets, etc.): If it’s just like me out and about? My pockets usually, I don’t like having anything hanging off of me like a bag if I can help me because it’s distracting to walk very far with shit flipping around. If it's for work/going somewhere with stuff that cannot fit in pockets, then I have a corduroy satchel with a bunch of buttons on it.

the last movie you watched: Shrek! I was feeling nostalgic.

how long does it take you to get ready in the morning? If I take a shower? Around an hour (I have curly hair, it’s kind of a bitch to make look nice because I’m bad at that kind of thing, that and winding down my cat who wants to play so badly it’s like he was fueled with jet fuel). If I don’t take a shower and let the cat figure out his own playtime? 20 minutes, usually with a breakfast on the go situation (and leaving my cat to mourn that I did not play with him). 

favourite weather: I love a good thunderstorm when I'm able to hang out at home and watch. Or a good snowstorm. For general getting around though, low 70s or low 80s with a breeze.

relationship status: single

ice cream flavor of choice: mint chocolate chip or something peanut buttery. Which I know are two chaotic differences, but it’s just my style. 

first fandom: Fandom where I’d be aware of what a fandom was? Probably Dr. Who? (I swear I answer this question differently every time I’m asked lol). 

how many books have you read this year? Think I’m at seven? I don’t read nearly as much as I used to but I’m starting to pick it up again. 

first 4 words of your last notes app entry:  “Right out the elevator”, believe that was instructions to myself on how to navigate some building I’ve long forgotten why I was confused about. 

and finally, if you had to change your URL tomorrow, what would you change it to? If I had to? Probably something equally sort of pretentious as crestfaller, something like coppermarsh or cruisinghearse (which damn I actually love that one lmao) but I came up with crestfaller by looking into a mountain range’s peaks and valleys, finding a name that sounded interesting, and grabbing the synonyms and mixing them together until I liked it. I have adopted the name crest on all things though now, I don’t know what I’d have people call me if I changed my name now. 

And finally... tags! (I imagine since we're into Thursday most people have already been tagged and I also don't want to spam people, but here's what I've got -- hope y'all enjoy!)

@mmmichyyy @jrooc @gallawitchxx @gardenerian, @babygirlmickey, and anyone else who would like to join!

[goldentigerfestival]

seeing some of y'all talking about/have talked to some of y'all who have said to me how y'all feel like the dub forced (western especially) masculinity into Yuri, and

yeah.

I left that out of the actual posts themselves because it felt too opinionated for the actual posts (even though you know it's my blog I can do what I want, but I don't want people discrediting me over shit like that), but yeah.

it feels a lot to me like they wanted Yuri to be some cool masculine edgy dude instead of a silly, playful, dorky, emotional, caring man. as if his silliness and emotional side is something to shy away from and isn't "cool enough" for a main character.

it's sad to me because he's such a different person between versions - enough that if I'm interacting with someone who only knows dub Yuri, it genuinely just doesn't feel like we're even talking about the same character sometimes. I want to be talking about the same character, but since some people only know the dub, they only know what the dub made him out to be.

I've seen a variety of things - art, writing, memes, whatever - where there are times I'm genuinely able to be like... that's such a dub Yuri specific thing. like, the way he gets portrayed is something I'm able to look at and be like "that's literally something only dub Yuri would say/do". it's not the fault of people who don't know the original context, but that's why it frustrates me so much - because that's all some people can know contextually (listening to the audio alone gives you a pretty clear indication of how much tone isn't the same between versions, but obviously some people will still be missing context), and the dub changed the experience (and went out of its way to do so) completely for those people. again - not the fault of the people who played the game. it's the fault of the people who were in charge of context/tone and took advantage of that and changed things and made him literally behave differently (because there's... take what's in front of you and translate that, and then there's going out of your way to change what's right there so the context/behavior is no longer the same).

it especially shows to me in interactions with Flynn between the western and JP fandom. the way Yuri behaves interacting with him in fan created media is sometimes vastly different from my experience between both fandoms. again, it's not people's faults who don't know Yuri's original personality, but it is the dub's fault for portraying him that way.

for me it's heartbreaking to see how dub Yuri treats Flynn and how the dub itself narratively treats Flynn. I love the relationship they have in JP and I love them both as characters in JP. like I've said, sometimes I want to punch dub Yuri for the shit he says and the way he behaves. I've never felt that way about Yuri in his original context. I've felt worse for dub Flynn than JP Flynn because I feel like JP Flynn is better cared for by the narrative/characters, but god, poor dub Flynn??? jesus.

the thing is, this comes from a place of strong love for Yuri (and Flynn!) so I hate that they changed things. I always stand by media in its original, purest form, no matter where in the world that media came from. localization absolutely should fix things caused by language barriers and tweak oddly sounding things - sometimes there's no choice! but it's not there to create a newly existing piece of media. it's not there to create a new character plastered on the face of an existing character or to fulfill the loc team's opinion of what that character should be.

it can be difficult - usually impossible - for me to be experiencing JP exclusive content and trying to imagine dub Yuri in those situations (think like, the drama CDs or Rays' content). I know I'm not the only person who feels this way and is extremely bothered by it.

obviously I'm not the be all end all - I'm one person with feelings and opinions, but I just feel very strongly about this kind of thing and I want to share how wonderful of a character Yuri is in his original form. a lot of the clips I posted I posted because I love his silly or caring attitude. I could blab to you about him forever. so, I hope more people will give this man a chance and experience him the way I know him.

[waterparksdrama]

hey y'all so you have a masterpost of unreleased parx perhaps? is pretty much everything on soundcloud? i got the demo album, all bonus tracks, hitchin' a ride, starry eyed, and the everywhere cover. they did anoter green day one i have too. also double dare and ent 2019. anything i may be missing?

we don't have a formal masterpost but i used to have a music player on the desktop blog i had to remove bc it kept fucking with our theme's javascript but i guess i can do that for you here

every unreleased waterparks song or cover that's not a demo or alt version of a released song or a live version (i guess)

1 (A COLLECTION OF UNRELEASED HOME DEMOS, THIS IS NOT G, OR EVEN AN ALBUM, SHUT UP ENJOY): self explanatory. the waterparks demo album released bc a joke tweet of awsten's got 20k retweets and then he actually had to release something. we are probably never hearing the sequel of demos to this.

hitchin a ride (green day cover): for kerrang's covers compilation of different artists covering green day aka green day american superhits! it's a good cover

all by myself (green day cover): a green day cover for the same compilation mentioned above. it's an acoustic solo hidden track by tre cool about jacking off so this is an acoustic solo hidden track sung by otto. and still is about jacking off. he played this during their fend acoustic set (at least once) during warped 2018.

starry eyed (ellie goulding cover): a bonus track from airplane conversations that was a free download for purchasing the ep. we need whatever he was doing in this song back.

play: presumably a friendly reminder or fandom demo that was leaked on july 2019. the fake fandom tracklist suggests that the song was also called kiwi but considering that entire thing was a fucking lie it's hard to trust.

waiting (need me back): a hook of a double dare demo leaked in october 2018. goddammit this one was actually good why didn't he ever leak the rest of it why why why.

why can't i (liz phair cover): the intellectual property target exclusive bonus track. thank you to the target employee that leaked the bonus tracks on reddit and me catching onto awsten liz phair posting so i could be right about what the cover would be. it's a good cover.

double dare 2019 and entertainment 2019: medleys of the band's albums released under equal vision. after their departure from the label, they lost the rights to their equal vision releases and made the medleys to combat this. they were swiftly taken off streaming services and can only be heard through their live album, fandom: live in the uk. i can't listen to these or else an incredible wave of sadness washes through me.

what we do for fun: japanese bonus track off of double dare. literally one of the greatest songs i've heard and i will never understand why it wasn't on the album.

candy: japanese bonus track off of double dare. fun classic pop punk track that feels like it could've been in a 2000s teen movie soundtrack.

as far as i know that's it for (studio recorded) songs and covers because if i had to write down every live cover snippet they did i would be here all night trying to find random shit like their fcp remix cover to the hella good cover to the goddamn national anthem and i don't feel like sourcing all of that. - iz

[unknownteapot]

This ask might be kind of long heads up in advance!

For starters, Hi! I hope you're doing good! And happy late birthday btw + happy pride month 🗣

I've read 'a future with us' like 3 times now and I dont think I can get sick of it omg. The references to you're other fics/on camera Amangela moments are just too good and when I saw you upload i was practically bouncing off the walls, and I was not disappointed one bit.

ALSO THE SEALS UGH OMG

I feel like there's nothing better than the 'do you think we're together in every universe' thing, especially with Amangela. I think it's the whole irl platonic soulmates thing they got going on that makes the rpfs 10× better.

The way you write them though especially just makes me so damn happy when I read your stories 🫶 Definitely gonna need to go in a reread binge of your fics here soon :)

Anyways, done with my fan girling ramble, thank you for your time lmao and for the fics!

hiii <3

i will not lie, this made me tear up.

just the fact that you took time out of your day to type this out and like. just sometimes im in disbelief things i write actually like resonate with people? or are interesting? i dont know. it's so hard to comprehend but also i'm so glad i'm here in this fandom where we all share this love for talented women who are honestly feeding us like crazy recently. thank you so so much for reading and for sending in this ask!!!

and about the 'in every universe' part- you're so so right, it's so amangela, i think that's why i love writing it so much. like that one moment where angela turns to amanda with "a soulmate can be a friend" and they just immediately hug is so pure and fuels me with undying inspiration to write those two. (in addition to all the other crazy shit they pull. like amanda reposting the tincoffee artwork to her story with 'it begins' like it begins??? honey it began with 'we could kiss and go missing'. it began with you wanting more amangela edits. it began with sword af. it's been happening. it never ends. and i hope it stays that way 😌😌)

anyway, thanks for reading my fics and being an awesome moot <3 have a great day!!! HAPPY PRIDE Y'ALL 🌈🌈