#but seeing new people go through the exact same thing is so funny

[glade-constellation]

It’s so funny, in the most non-funny way possible, that there is an easy solution for what’s happening. The TSAMS characters are currently jumping to the wildest fucking conclusions for how to fix this situation, and they are all absolutely terrible ideas. All they have to do is two things.

First, add the magic suppression barrier to Moon’s cell, the one Eclipse was trapped in a little after V3 first came back. That way Moon can’t pull in any magic or star power. Fixes that whole problem with shocking Moon unconscious.

Second, set a routine. Yep. That simple. All they have to do is set up a routine for Moon to follow every day, and make sure that routine is actually kept.

See, I don’t deal with hallucinations. Never have. But I do deal with heavy dissociation and messy memory on a daily basis. A lot of my time is spent feeling like my world just isn’t real, and being in a weird state of emotional disconnect from everything. It’s just a part of my diagnosis. It’s definitely not the same as what Moon is dealing with — I couldn’t even begin to imagine — but I do feel there are at least some similarities.

Setting myself a routine is one of the things that helps me feel a little more grounded. Doing certain things every day at a certain time helps me feel a little more real, and also helps remind me to do important things like take my medication or feed my pets. It distracts me from thinking about other things, since I’m focus on remembering “okay, in this many minutes, I have to do this thing”.

Setting up a routine for Moon is going to give him something real to follow, and keep him at least a little more distracted from his hallucinations. Yes, it’s going to be hard to talk with him. Everyone is pretty much currently upset with him, so having a civil conversation is going to be difficult. But talking is the best thing to do right now. Set a specific time to talk with him. It doesn’t just have to be therapy talks, they could literally talk about anything. Reminisce over old funny memories together. Tell him about what’s happening with the kids in the daycare. Hell, talk about the world news. Sneaking therapy talk in there is going to be important, but distraction from the hallucinations is going to be what he needs. That routine will give him something to differentiate between real life and hallucinations. If he’s seeing something that’s not a part of the routine, he can recognize it’s not real, and then look forward to the next part of his routine that is real.

The only thing they are currently doing right is keeping Moon in a safe location for both himself and other people. Literally every other thing they are doing right now is the worst possible thing you could do for someone going through psychosis. It’s going to do the exact opposite of what they want for him. None of this is going to help him get better.

Moon needs a legitimate specialized therapist right now, not to be shock into unconscious every time he tries to get free. This is going to make him infinitely worse than he already is.

Would it take longer? Yeah. It’s going to take a lot longer. But healing isn’t instant. It’s not even linear. There are never quick and easy solutions for healing from what Moon has been through. Even doing all the right things, Moon could continue to get worse before showing any sign of getting better. But at least he would get better.

He will never get better if everyone just gives the fuck up.

[spacedustmantis]

every time i see that buff charlie slimecicle post i take a few minutes to scroll through the notes and every time there's people thirsting in there. and every time there'll be at least one lesbian questioning their sexuality

[solar-wing]

⚣ Sassy Man Jason 👏🏻

⚣👏🏻 A/N → This is not a repost, this is a new original. Once again, another idea that came to me while I was in the middle of writing out one of my Conner fics and finishing my revisions to the third installment of Primal. I saw this on TikTok about the sassy men apocalypse and the first thing that came to mind was our favorite needy soft boi anti-hero.

⚣👏🏻 Summary → You didn't know why, but Jason had been giving you an attitude all day. Rolling his eyes, giving, you stank looks, and treating you like a cold piece of pie. What did you even do? And when did he get this freaking sassy?

⚣👏🏻 Words → 1.7k

REBLOGS and replies are greatly appreciated, please! 💛

⚣ ENJOY 👏🏻

“Jason, what is wrong with you?”

For what reason you couldn’t figure out, your boyfriend Jason Todd had an attitude since he walked through your apartment door. All day you kept receiving side-eyes, stank looks, and silent treatments anytime you tried to talk to or touch him.

Which, for your boyfriend, meant something had to seriously be wrong.

Even if he was weary of physical contact, he always sought out your comforting touch no matter what. Outside of his family (who were basically only one step above random strangers), you were the only one Jason allowed free reign to hug, hold, caress, and more.

Of course, he also preferred you being the same way and not allowing other people to touch you except for him, but that was a different story for another day.

But, today seemed to be different as Jason was almost treating you like his brothers. Not in the exact same way as he didn’t want to be bothered with you or avoided you. Moreso like he’d snuff your appearance or roll his eyes when you said something.

You were both currently on your bed in your room snuggled under one of your many blankets. You had a show you and Jason were currently binging on while snacking on some popcorn.

Usually, whenever you two would sit down to watch TV, read, play games, or even just enjoy each other’s presence, he’d pull you into his large embrace, secretly enjoying how you warmed his body up. And the stronger man would keep that hold on you the entire time, even if you tried to get up to go to the bathroom or grab some more food.

None of that happened. Jason sat his entire body on the other side of your queen-sized mattress, with the blanket wrapped around him.

It was actually a little funny seeing his large body laid down on your bed, as he had to make sure he didn’t tip himself over too far with his body weight and fall off the edge.

He even kept snatching the blanket from you every time you tried to snuggle under a little more. You had to buy all bigger-sized blankets to be able to cover both you and him since the ones you had before definitely were not up to the job. They sometimes barely managed to cover you.

So, imagine your annoyance when every time you move to adjust the blanket, it got snatched out of your hand. And the culprit behind it was lying next to you while giving you the world’s worst stank-eye like you did something to him before tucking more of the soft material under his neck, looking like a furry soft plushy with only his head sticking out the opening.

When you tried to get him to give you some of the blanket, he turned away from you, while still giving you more side-eye. That’s when you had asked what was wrong with you, while he just looked back at you, before turning his head back around and opening up his phone if the sound of him opening social media was any indicator.

It was official, your boyfriend was acting like the world’s biggest freaking toddler. And you still had no idea what brought on this treatment.

You looked over at the man, his blanket-covered broad back greeting you in return. Scooching over, you tried to hug him from behind, thinking maybe that would help but he only shook your body off before scooting himself closer to the edge.

“Are you kidding me?” You asked the vigilante, who only continued to ignore you while scrolling on his phone.

Now, it was your turn to roll your eyes as you basically sat in the middle of the bed with a boyfriend who apparently wanted nothing to do with you.

“Why are you acting mad at me? What did I do?” You continue to ask, starting to feel upset at how he was treating you.

When you were still met with silence, you huffed out a breath before going to move off the bed, “Whatever bro,” You muttered before grabbing your phone and stomping out to your living room.

Plopping yourself down on the couch, you unlocked your phone and opened your Messages app, deciding if your boyfriend wouldn’t tell you what was wrong, maybe someone else could help give you an idea.

The sounds of tapping on your phone filled the quiet space outside of the muffle from your TV in the bedroom as you typed a message to Dick, figuring he could help you figure out why Jason was so upset with you.

You: hey Dick?

Dick: hey Y/N! What’s up?

You: did something happen last night? is everything okay?

Dick: um no, at least not that I know of. Why, what’s wrong?

You: idk. Jason has just been acting weird all day since he got to my place. he barely looks at me without rolling his eyes, he won’t let me touch him or even near him for that matter, and he keeps giving me this childish attitude whenever I try to talk to him.

Dick: lol

You: lol?! why are you loling me? you think this is funny?!

Dick: quite actually. I think I know what’s wrong though. Last night when we were out on patrol, Jason was acting the same way. Apparently, he kept trying to call you since according to him, he’d rather listen to your snoring than our annoying voices over the comms but you weren’t answering.

You: OMG I was studying for a final and I told him I was leaving my phone on Do Not Disturb so I could concentrate.

Dick: you didn’t put him as an exception?

You: … you can do that?

Dick: yes. you can. how did you not know that?

You: IDK! shut up!

Dick: lol

While you were typing out another response to the annoying Nightwing vigilante, you heard the sounds of heavy footsteps making their way from your bedroom to the living room.

You looked up to see your mammoth-sized boyfriend still wrapped in your blanket to where you could only see his face and hair sticking out from the top and his feet poking from under. The stank look on his face was still there even as he walked forward to stand in front of you.

There was a creeping urge to laugh that you tried to resist while staring at your big, scary, and sometimes morally questionable vigilante boyfriend wrapped in a large fluffy red and white blanket with his bed-head curls lying over his forehead while staring at you like an angry child who was told no to getting a cookie from the jar before dinner.

“Are you finally ready to talk to me?”

He didn’t say anything before he just leaned down, opening the blanket so he could pick you up in his arms before walking back to your room and jumping on the bed with his body on top of you. Your breath had been knocked out of you from your impact on the mattress along with Jason’s heavy weight on top of you.

“Ugh, seriously Jay. You’ve got too much muscle on you to be jumping on top of me like that.” You groaned.

You heard an indignant huff from him as he looked at you with a raised eyebrow, “Are you calling me fat?” He finally spoke with his gruff voice.

It was once again your turn to roll your eyes, “Oh, don’t you start with me,” You replied before using your fingers to flick his forehead, his eyes narrowing at you in response.

“Are you seriously mad at me because I didn’t answer your calls last night? I told you I was studying for a final.” You said while now using the same hand to rub your hand through his hair.

“Why is my number not on the exception list on your Do Not Disturb in your phone?” He countered, completely ignoring your question.

“Oh my god, I didn’t even know you could do that. My parents aren’t even on that list.”

“Ok, and?” He said, shaking his head at you like that was supposed to mean something.

“When did you get so freaking sassy?”

“Give me your phone,” Jason ordered, not even waiting for you to move before he grabbed your phone out of your other hand. It was hard for you to move with his body still on top of you, plus his weight and body heat added with the warmth from the blanket tired you faster the more you wiggle around.

He placed the phone in front of your face to unlock it before going to your settings, “Why were you texting Dickface?” He asked.

“Because you wouldn’t tell me what was wrong with you so I asked him.” He just let out a gruff hum before opening the Do Not Disturb section in your settings, going to the panel you’d never seen before where you could add contacts in the phone’s feature so they could still call you or text you without being sent to voicemail or silence.

You watched as Jason added his contact in there, before also adding your parents.

“Seriously, you added my dads?”

“Yep. It’ll score me more brownie points at the next family dinner at your place.” He said with a sneaky smile, before putting your phone down and placing his chin on your chest to stare at you.

“Are you happy now?” You asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Not yet. Promise me you’ll always answer my calls and texts. I don’t care if you’re studying, in the shower, or sleeping. It helps me feel better knowing you’re okay.” Jason said, holding his pinky out for a promise.

“Who died and made you boss?” You joked before yelping out in pain when Jason pinched the side of your butt.

“Ow! Fine, I promise.” You agreed, closing your pinky around his to which he smiled before patting the stinging area of your skin he just pinched.

“Good boy.”

“Alright. Are you done having an attitude now?” You inquired, wanting to go back to cuddling and watching your show.

“Almost. Gimme food and I’ll think about it.” He ordered, before laying his head down on your chest.

Your lips pulled up into an annoyed, but playful smile as you grabbed your phone to call your and Jason’s favorite pizza place, “When did you get so freaking sassy?”

“Always have been, babe.”

☀️ | Jason Todd/Red Hood | ☀️

☀️ | Masterlists | ☀️

[topperscumslut]

My Idiot (Jay Kelso x Reader)

Summary: Reader is Hyde’s daughter and staying with the Formans while he’s in jail, the new generation has a sleepover at the Forman’s house and there’s only one bed for Jay and (Y/N)… Note: Jaya (JayxLeia) does not exist in this imagine

Word count: 1k

“Okay you guys,” Leia said with a deep breath, “Grandma and grandpa actually said you guys can stay the night, so we can’t screw this up. I’m staying in my dad’s old room and (Y/N) is staying in Aunt Laurie’s old room, as usual. Can you guys all find somewhere to sleep in the basement?”

“Sounds good to me,” Ozzie popped up.

“Nikki and I can take the couch,” Nate said.

“Yeah, that should work,” Gwen added, “it just sucks that Jay isn’t here.”

You nodded half heartedly. Your best friend - and crush - Jay Kelso was working a long night shift at the video store, and you were bummed that he was missing your first (and probably only, considering how Red Forman was) sleepover with the gang.

Almost like clockwork, the basement door opened.

“Hey guys!” A familiar voice spoke up. Jay’s voice. “They let me off early,” he said as his eyes briefly floated to where you were sitting on the floor, then shyly finding their way back to the rest of the group.

“Well shit,” Leia sighed, “I mean, we’re glad you’re here! But Red let us have a sleepover for once, and I don’t think there will be enough room in the basement for you…”

“Well that’s not convenient,” Jay said with a flat face, sheepishly sitting down next to you.

“Hold on you guys, I’ll be right back. I don’t imagine in a thousand years my grandpa would let you stay in my room, but I have a couch and (Y/N) doesn’t, and I don’t want to make her offer her bed to you if she isn’t okay with it.”

You shifted awkwardly, silently hoping you could share your bed with Jay. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind if we have to…” you trailed on quietly, Jay looking at you shyly, his cheeks noticeably heating up.

The rest of the group hadn’t heard you but Jay had sitting so close to you. “You sure?” he asked and you nodded, lacking the courage to look at him.

Leia ran upstairs and it only took a few seconds before you heard the booming sound of Red yelling.

“If that boy goes even close to your bedroom, my foot is going even closer to up his ass! Absolutely not!”

Leia hurried down the stairs with a defeated look on her face. “So that’s a no go. (Y/N), are you sure you’re ok with sharing a bed with Jay?”

You shrugged, now bright red. “Yeah, sure, I don’t mind.”

The seven of you spent the rest of the night together, laughing, watching My So Called Life, and getting high, before finally around midnight you all started to crash.

“Should we call it a night, you guys?” you asked through a yawn, anxious to spend the night with Jay.

“Sounds good to me.”

“Yep.”

“I’m tired.”

“Well, goodnight you guys,” Leia spoke, “see you all in the morning.” With that you, Leia, and Jay stumbled your way upstairs while the others stayed in the basement getting comfy.

You quickly brushed your teeth and got cleaned up for bed, putting on your favorite lacy nightgown, your heart beating out of your chest before you heard your name called from downstairs.

“Y/N! I need to talk to you!”

Shit. It was Red.

You made your way down the stairs, feigning sobriety, into the Forman living room.

“Yes Mr. Forman?”

“Sit down.”

“You know (Y/N), I remember your father sitting on this exact same couch when he was your age. He was a good kid, even with all the dope he did. He was nice to people.” Red sighed, “I remember that boy’s father too, and how he used to fool around with young girls like you, even my own daughter.”

“But Jay isn’t like-“

“I know, I know, that kid hardly knows his own father. But as you’ve been staying with Kitty and I, you’ve become like another grandkid to us. I always feared I’d be raising Steven’s kids…” he grumbled. “No funny business in there, okay? You’re better than to be screwing a Kelso. I know you think no one’s caught onto your little crush on this boy, but I’ve seen these things before. And if he so much as lays a finger on you, my foot will go so far up his ass he won’t even be able to feel his fingers!”

“We’ll be good,” you smiled, rolling your eyes. “Now goodnight.”

“Goodnight (Y/N).”

You hurried back up the stairs to find Jay already all cozied up in your bed.

“Hey.”

“Hi.”

His eyes scanned your body in awe and he hid a smile as you made your way into bed.

You both squirmed awkwardly for a little while, not talking, not looking at each other, and especially not touching.

“I’m sorry (Y/N), I’ll try to let you sleep. I know you didn’t really want me in here…”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“I could tell you were uncomfortable in the basement and just trying to be nice. I can sleep in the living room if you wa-“

You shut him up by kissing him, to his surprise. Jay closed his eyes and let himself melt into the kiss. It was slow and sweet, innocent, loving.

“Of course I want you here. I was nervous because I have a crush on you, doofus.”

“Well you could’ve just said that,” he laughed. “But, uh, I’m glad you didn’t. I have a crush on you too. Have for a while,” he smirked, kissing you again.

You laughed as the kiss ended, rubbing noses together. “Go to bed, idiot.”

He cuddled his way into you, pulling you in by your waist and spooning you, nuzzling his face into your neck. “I may be an idiot, but I’m your idiot.”

You smiled, cheeks turning a baby pink, still not sure if this was all really happening. “Yeah, Jay, you’re my idiot.”

[korkorali]

I think the worst bit for me about all Those Sorts (you know the type) of fics is that they always take Della extremely out of character in order to make her the 'antagonist.'

And that sucks because it's just not necessary! It's the worst because you can have Della & Louie angst where Della's the 'antagonist,' and it's in-character.

You just have to have Louie be wrong in the end (kind of).

The reason why Della and Louie clash in Timephoon and Glomtales! isn't because Della 'disapproves of scheming in entirety' or something, it's because she's done the same goddamn thing as him.

(And side note- Timephoon is honestly an amazing piece of storytelling, because it allows us to see Della's thought process for taking the Spear of Selene by showing us Louie doing pretty much the same thing.)

She's been through it all before, and she knows how it ends.

And that fucking terrifies her! The idea that one of her kids is making the same mistakes as her, could go through the same thing as she did, and she's the only one who can see it, is terrifying.

The way to start out a story like this is simple; have an adventure go wrong. Not in a deadly way, not in a way that's caused by Louie (at least, not that anyone but him notices), not in a way that costs anyone their life- but in a way that causes them to lose the treasure. The adventure is a failure, and they have to come back empty handed, like New Gods on the Block.

Maybe some people get hurt, maybe it's vaguely Louie's fault (and even then- it'd be better if it wasn't even his fault, it's just his brain connecting patterns where there aren't any), but the most important part is that they don't get the treasure, and it's like- one of those ones that can only be found once every hundred years or something.

Louie feels responsible (I mean all of the kids do, but as it'd be a Louie story he'd be the one focused on) and upset that they want to all that trouble and don't have anything to show for it, so he tries to figure out some way to go on the adventure again.

Turns out, after a bit of research, there is a way to get to the treasure again! Louie brings it to Scrooge's attention excitedly- but Scrooge turns it down. Says it's too dangerous, that they're not doing it, end of story.

...Not end of story- everyone's still obviously miserable. So Louie decides that 'okay, if it's 'too dangerous,' then I'll just go in secret. It'll be fine, Scrooge is just overreacting.'

So he starts trying to put a plan into place to get the treasure in secret- but Della, somehow, seems to know what he's doing (hint: it's because she knows what she'd do if she was in Louie's shoes). And is consistently getting in his way.

And there you go- a perfect setup to have Della consistently and purposefully stepping on Louie's toes, getting in his way, trying to stop him from doing things, and it's even in-character! It'd probably start out with the two acting like everything's perfectly hunky-dory, even though both of them know that the other knows that they know that the other knows why they did this one thing.

As plans get deeper, it'd escalate to Della trying to actively call Louie out, but he always manages to just barely weasel his way out of it, and eventually commence his plan.

It obviously goes wrong. But Della's there to help. And finally she'd actually explain why the fuck she's been something of a thorn in his side for the past few weeks, why it seems like she knows what he's thinking: because she does.

Because she's been through the same thing.

Because she fucked up, and left her stranded on the moon for ten years, and she does not want that for her kid. (And of course everything could've been solved if she'd just sat down and talked to Louie about that at the onset, but it's Della- she only likes to bring up the moon when it's funny. She would've thought 'nah it's fine, I can handle this, I don't need to bare my soul, I shouldn't burden anyone with that' without realizing that oh yeah, no, that's the exact same thought process she doesn't want Louie to think)

And of course they'd argue, because it'd be a high-stress situation and neither of them would have the composure to pretend that everything's alright and they haven't been sniping at each other for the past week or so, and eventually it'd finally come up; eventually, they'd finally bring up that they thought the exact same thing when Louie did this, when Louie took the Timetub, when Della took the Spear.

'...And if anything goes wrong, at least I'm the only one who'll get hurt.' (Because you cannot tell me that that was not the last thought running through both of their heads when they took the timetub/Spear of Selene, you cannot convince me that they didn't think they were doing right by their families in that moment, that they hadn't done their due diligence and minimized risk down to one person.)

And Louie wouldn't understand, because he did the right thing. He minimized risk, he made sure nobody else would get hurt. But that's wrong- because if he got hurt, then Della (Donald, Scrooge, their family, her kids) would get hurt too. That they could fly into a vacuum all they wanted, but at the end of the day, they still didn't exist in one.

Eventually, they'd get out of there and abandon the mission again. Maybe they'd succeed, but probably not. But that's not important- what'd be important is that they were both safe and alive and okay.

There- a Della & Louie thing, extremely angsty, well Della as the 'antagonist,' and it's all in-character. Easy.

[fallingdownhell]

Could I request Cyno with an s/o that enjoys and tells dad jokes?

Imagine them teaming up and telling bad jokes to Tighnari and everyone else around them 😂.

I pity Tighnari in this scenario.. I really do..

Content: crack, if you want to call it that; just some funny stuff and bad dad jokes

Word count: 640 words

Hope I could deliver this the way that I pictured it in my head. Still, have fun with it!

If you are to date the one and only General Mahamatra Cyno, you WILL have to deal with his jokes one way or another

because by becoming his partner, you also gain the privilege to hear all the jokes he comes up with as the very first person

if you actually, honestly laugh at his jokes, Cyno is awestruck. He can't get another word out of his mouth for the next ten minutes straight, only stares at you

and if you were to actually share his humor and come up with such jokes on your own?

you better prepare yourself because Cyno might just propose to you on the spot

of course he would not do that, since you guys have only been together for a short time, but for him that was the moment he knew that he had to do everything in his power to keep you by his side and eventually, put a ring on your hand

After that, he was convinced that you were the one fated for him, the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with

he loves how you come to him all excited when you came up with a new joke

"Cyno! Cyno! I got a new one!"

"Oh really? Let's hear it then."

"Okay okay... I only know 25 letters of the alphabet. I don't know y."

He looks at you and cracks a small chuckle, as he gets out his notebook where he writes your joke down to make sure he remembers it

He always makes sure to take you with him when he goes to visit Tighnari at Gandharva Ville

Because, and Tighnari hated to admit that, he actually likes you and the influence you have on Cyno, even though the both of you enjoy to torture him with those terrible jokes

Luckily though, you don't have the habit of explaining said jokes, that would always be Cyno's part to take over. And Tighnari truly hoped that it would stay that way. He and his sanity would not be able to handle two of the exact same sort

and while he had build up a pretty high tolerance over the years towards Cyno's bad jokes.. there's only so much the poor fox can take, especially now that he has to deal with two people

"Hey Tighnari, did you hear the rumor about butter?", you said, excitedly looking at him, while Tighnari just gave you a blank stare. "Well, I'm going to spread it!"

While Cyno let out a quiet laugh at your joke, the fox boy just looked at you, an expression on his face that could only be interpreted as 'are you serious right now?'

Then Cyno cleared his throat and went ahead to tell a joke of his own. ""Wanna hear a joke about paper? Never mind—it's tearable."

you snicker at that, when Tighnari suddenly stands up, not being able to take it anymore

"Both of you, leave. NOW!"

Let's just say neither of you were welcome at Gandharva Ville for the next two weeks straight.

But that just gave you both ample time to come up with even more jokes, which Tighnari would all get to hear eventually

Over time, people all over Sumeru would know you for one of two reasons. Either because you're the partner of their General Mahamatra, or as his "partner in crime", as some people began to call you, seeing as you torture the people around you with bad jokes as much as he does

If other people got a say in it, they would forbid both of you from ever talking outside of work, so they can maintain their sanity. But alas, that request didn't go through, so you and Cyno continue to tell terrible jokes both to each other and every person around you currently available

I had to actually research dad jokes for this one... I require compensation for the things I had to read...

[sp0o0kylights]

 armed your words with explosive devices and put the trigger on your tongue.

I never know if a kiss will kill me. 

It's a joke. 

Or at least, Eddie meant it as one. 

He was flicking his hand out with the intention of pretending to "push" the weight off Steve's shoulders, following a joke about how he looks like he's carrying the whole world on his back.

Beyond the general air of a frazzled single mother, Harrington had been down to clown. He'd laughed at Eddie's first few jokes, even made a poor attempt at making one back.

So it surprised both of them when Steve flinches back, hard, sucking in a noisy breath.

For a moment he holds it in and Eddie mimics him, hand frozen midair. 

They breathe out almost together as Eddie slowly lowers his hand.

"Steve." Eddie starts off, voice soft. 

Steve jams his hand in his hair, face flushing red. "Sorry man, jock reflexes."

He catches the second Steve forces a smile back on his face, the way his desperate attempt at tugging on his own hair changes into a move designed to fluff it up. A laugh makes its way out of Steve’s mouth and to his credit, it sounds natural. 

This, Eddie realizes with an abrupt clarity, is Steve caught wrong-footed in public. This is Steve being off and fixing it before he breaks down. 

It’s a good cover, excellent even, and if Eddie hadn’t been watching for the signs, if he hadn’t started looking closer and closer at Harrington after finding him drunk and bloody in Tina’s bathtub, he might have brushed it off. 

Thought of it as Steve being a jerk, a jock, a guy who didn’t want to touch the filth that was Eddie Munson and was now trying to hide it.The same way so many others did, because they’d learned the hard way that a pissed off dealer won’t sell you any drugs. 

Eddie could even see him spinning this as having an off day. Maybe Steve was sore, maybe he was annoyed, maybe he was six other million things that he’d lead you to believe. 

Worse than knowing that he’d have bought Steve’s cover though, is that Eddie recognizes this. 

Has seen it before. 

Or micro versions of it. 

In class, when Steve’s asked a question he doesn’t know. In the hallways when someone tells a joke about his parents. In the parking lot when those kids snap at him, rolling their eyes and throwing their hands around.

Even the one basketball game Eddie attended, during his ill-fated attempt at joining the yearbook club before he finally started Hellfire. 

There had been a moment where Tommy had briefly turned on Steve, got some of the other boys to snap and snarl at the King in the face of a bad score. 

Called him stupid. 

Spineless and gutless. 

(Steve hadn’t even been the captain, back then.

 They held him responsible anyway.)

Eddie had thought it well deserved--even funny at the time-- considering what made up a man like Steve Harrington. 

Get big movie star hair, combine with no parents, and add tons of money. Shaken and stirred with little bits of never-ending popularity and girls swooning left and right over him, and you got Hawkin High’s most popular guy.

 Good to buy you whatever you needed, with a famously sharp tongue that he used in place of his fists. 

Grant still had nightmares over some of the names Steve had nailed him with. 

He was the school’s most desired bachelor until Nancy Wheeler took him down, proved even kings could be cheated out of their kingdoms. 

(One of the teenagers at the famed Starcourt fire, a hero in the papers for saving half a dozen kids. The pictures the news still occasionally shows often pin up those pictures of Steve, wearing this exact smile. 

It’s the same one he’s wearing now, as Starcourt burns in the background of each and every photo..)

The realization comes with a flood of knowledge--that Steve knows how to hide his issues, that he’s had issues for far longer than whatever--or whoever--is beating him up. 

Longer than Eddie himself had caught onto too--and Eddie had prided himself on seeing through people’s bullshit. 

If he does what Steve wants, let’s this drop, Steve will go on acting like everything’s fine. 

Just like everyone else does.

Eddie can’t do that. Has never been able to do that. 

"We both know that's bullshit." Eddie says, and he knew calling it out would get a reaction, but he’s not expecting the sheer strength of it. 

How Steve looks like he’s taken a punch, mask breaking fast on his face to reveal the hurt underneath. 

"Don't--" He tries to start, tries to breathe again and Eddie's not sure what caused it, but he knows the beginning of a panic attack when he sees one. “Don’t, please--” 

It’s the please that gets Eddie, the word sounding bruised. Like it hurts Steve to say it, that he only uses it as a hail mary that it may somehow help ward off whatever is coming. 

Eddie fights not to put his arms around Steve.

Protect him from whatever the hell is happening. 

"Hey." Eddie says, softly but clearly. "I’m sorry. Tell me what I did and I won’t do it again.” 

They’re in the middle of the school parking lot and neither of them can afford to misstep here. Not in a town like Hawkins. Eddie has a choice to make--to sweep Steve to somewhere safer, or to give space, back off so the younger man can regain control of himself and pick this up later. 

Steve takes a shuddering breath, hugs himself and bows his head. 

Eddie wants to go to him, to touch and comfort, but instead just hovers ever so slightly closer. “I’m here.” He whispers, just loud enough for Steve to hear. 

Steve takes the moment he needs, and Eddie knows he can at least give him that. Shield him from any onlookers with his own body. Use himself as a distraction if anyone comes up. 

His cheeks are wet when Steve raises his head. He wipes his face, bites his lip. 

It takes far less time for him to return to normal than Eddie would have ever thought, but then Steve Harrington keeps surprising him. 

“Shit.” He says, voice in a sort of croak. He clears his throat once, harshly. “Sorry.”

“I set you off, this ones on me.” Eddie says, keeping his voice smooth and calm. “I don’t want to push you, but I need to know what I said to upset you, so I can prevent it from happening again as best I can.” 

Steve looks up for a moment, away from him. Eddie allows it, acknowledges the move as Steve gathers the strength to face whatever hurt him enough to send him spiraling. This isn’t an easy thing he’s asking, and they’re in the worst place to do it--a potential audience can appear at any time. 

Eddie doesn’t want to lose this thread, though. Knows instinctively, how important it is. 

“It’s stupid.” Steve’s struggling to sound more normal, but the real surprise is that he’s starting to manage it. “It’s so stupid, but it’s--the word.” 

Short-term memory recall isn’t exactly a talent of his, but Eddie’s had plenty of practice with D&D. He runs the conversation back, and there’s really only one option that makes any sense. He almost says it again, but catches himself.

Thinks quickly on his feet. 

“Adult male cow crap?” He says, and tries to make his tone a little light. This is a calculated risk, Steve may very well believe he’s being mocked or teased.

The younger man snorts a laugh and thankfully doesn’t appear to take offense. “Yeah.” He drawls out, a tinge of embarrassment flushing across his nose.

It’s fucking adorable, and Eddie has to bite his lip to keep interrupting, inappropriate thoughts at bay. 

“Nance--when we--” Steve huffs an annoyed sigh, arms having shifted long ago to more of a defensive cross, nails digging into his sleeves while he taps his foot, aggravated. “It’s fucking stupid man, but that word got tossed around.” 

“Got it.” Eddie nods his head. “It’s gone.” 

“You shouldn’t have to do that.” Steve says, and it's got an angry undertone to it. “I need to get over it anyway. It’s been long enough.” 

The anger, Eddie decides, is self directed. 

He cocks his head. “Do people tell you to do that a lot? To just get over it?” 

Steve finally looks at him and to his credit the guy’s managed to go from actively falling apart to merely appearing cold and annoyed, as if the redness in his face itself is trying to help hide his emotions. 

That hurt thing flickers in and out of his eyes though, covered by an edge of something else, something stubborn. 

Yet again, Eddie finds himself wondering if he’s found Steve’s limit. If this is when he finally gets pushed away and threatened over all the things that have been revealed to him. Steve hasn’t made that move yet, but Eddie thinks that's mostly because Eddie keeps catching him off guard. 

To be fair, his own reactions are, at times, catching him off guard. This defensiveness of Steve, the way he wants to go slam whoever has hurt the younger man into a wall, to try and make everything better for a guy he previously hated…

Eddie knows what’s gotten into him. It’s his own personality, combined with his own inner sense of someone lost and hurting. Someone who needs to be rescued. 

He just never expected to have it pointed at Harrington. 

“Maybe.” Steve admits finally. “Doesn’t mean they’re wrong though.” 

Eddie can’t help himself. It’s a puzzle in front of him, dangled in the form of Steve and his weird injuries. Steve and his odd reactions. 

Beautiful, gorgeous, straight Steve Harrington, who once pressed his cheek into Eddie’s hands and closed his eyes like he’d found a slice of heaven. 

“Why?” Eddie challenges. He’s still close. Close enough that they’re going to have to pretend to be fighting if anyone else starts making noise. Eddie’s lost track of time entirely, can’t recall what period this is. Where he’s even supposed to be.

Hell, he never even asked why Steve was here. 

Steve’s mouth opens and closes, like he had an answer but suddenly thought better of it. 

He’s still tapping his foot. 

“Why would they be wrong? ” And at first Eddie thinks Steve is turning the challenge back on him, until he clocks the confused crinkle in his forehead, right between his eyebrows. 

Like a dog who just wants to be a good boy, and doesn’t understand why he’s being shouted at. 

‘Eddie, for once in your fucking life, focus!’ He thinks furiously at himself. 

“Because it hurts you. Because all of us “get over” things in different ways, at different paces.” He makes the quotes with his fingers, putting on a fun voice just to try and make even a small smile appear on Steve’s face.

It works, and Eddie grins despite himself and the seriousness of the moment. 

“Doesn’t matter how stupid it is, Steve-O. Our brains don’t care.” He knocks on his own to make his point. 

“I guess.” Steve says, and it’s not an agreement but Eddie will take it. 

Will take anything Steve will give him, which just shows how badly he’s screwing himself.

Straight boys, even ones wrapped up in some kind of mystery and sprinkled with dozens of other things that catch Eddie’s attention like Steve’s his own personal brand of crack, typically don’t mean anything good for him.

This time, he just hopes it can mean something good for Steve.

Eddie might not know much, but he knows Steve deserves something good.

[idrkwhatthisisimsorry]

Flying to Italy pt. 2

Description: Y/N finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her with her best friend, and decides to take the trip she had planned with him to Italy anyways, but alone. But she meets Harry along the way, and so it goes... Does she decide to stay with Harry, or is it too soon and too fast? Or will she forgive her boyfriend? Only time will tell.

Warnings: nothing, really! Just Harry

Word count: 2K

Masterlist

A/N: heyyy!! new part. I hope you guys like it, nothing really crazy happens, but Harry's finally here, stuff is going to be picking up soon, so stay tuned!

I spent the next couple days trying to get everything in order so I wouldn't be stressed out of my mind on this trip. It was supposed to be a month of relaxing by the pool, on the beach, in cafes, etc. And now I was going to have to figure out how to not cry the entire time I was there.

I met up with Collin to let him know what was going on. I didn't want to have to be the person to break the news to him, because no one wants to hear that kind of news, but I though better to hear it from me, someone who just went through the same exact thing with the same people, rather than hear it from Lily who probably would've fed him some kind of lie to portray the situation in her favor.

He was extremely heartbroken, which I knew was going to happen. We honestly both just cried together in shock about the whole situation, and he decided he was going to cut ties with her as well. I told him I was going to go on that Italy trip anyways, and he was more than welcome to come with me, but he didn't want to be reminded of what that trip was going to mean for him, so it looked like it was going to be me alone on that trip.

...

The past few days had been exhausting. I would be fine one minute, and then just break down crying the next. It's not easy losing your best friend and you boyfriend all in the same day, and it was really difficult coming to that realization and trying to cope with it. So being in the airport just three days later, knowing I was going to be on a flight from LA to Italy for about the next twelve hours was not a calming thought. I was probably going to sit next to some stranger that smelled funny the entire time, instead of who was supposed to be my loving boyfriend.

The second I got on the plane I put my AirPods in, blasting Fleetwood Mac as loud as I could, and put a sleeping mask on. I was going to sleep on this flight for as long as I possibly could to try and one the world out.

And I was very successful in doing that. Almost the very second that sleeping mask was on, I was passed out. I couldn't hear a thing, and I was happy I achieved my goal. Until suddenly, I feel someone nudging my shoulder. I couldn't hear or see them, all I could feel was them pushing on my shoulder a few times until I finally regained my consciousness. I took off my sleeping mask and took out one earbud on the side of the person who was annoying me. "What?" I said, groggily and annoyed. I immediately regretted it once I looked over and saw who it was. It was Harry fucking Styles. Holy shit. "So sorry to bother you, but they're bringing the food cart around and you've been asleep for quite some time, and I just wanted to make sure you didn't miss out on the food in case you wanted some." He said, anxiously, not wanting to upset me further. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you, thank you. Just been a rough week." I said, chuckling, and then turning to the flight attendant as she brought around the food cart, asking me my preferences.

We both ate in silence next to each other, and it killed me not being able to immediately text Lily who I was sitting next to. She was the biggest One Direction and Harry fan ever since we were teenagers. Anytime anything happened with Harry, I knew. I wasn't as big of a fan as her, not because I don't like his music or anything, because I do, but because I'm just not much of a fangirl type of person like she is. I was nervous to break the silence and say anything to him, but he got rid of that fear for me, and spoke up before I got the courage to.

"Rough week, huh?" He asked, a small smile on his face. "Oh, you really don't want to hear about it, it's kind of a lot." I said, looking down, kind of shy, because I didn't want the first time I ever spoke to Harry Styles to be me telling him about how my boyfriend cheated on me with my best friend. "I've heard just about everything, and we do have like six more hours left of this flight, I don't know how many more movies I can watch." He says, with a bright smile on his face. "Okay, fine. I'll tell you. But only if you tell me why you're on a commercial flight to Italy first." I say smiling. "That's an easy one. I don't have my own personal private jet. I have one that I use but it's not only mine, and it was in use today, but I really wanted to go to Italy, so I just booked the first first class flight I could find, and luckily there was a cancellation on this seat and I took it." He said, hesitating before he said the next thing, "I'm assuming that has a reason to do with why it's been a rough week?" I groaned a bit before looking at him to say, "Possibly... Ugh, you are going to be the first person I'm actually telling about this, so... who knows. But uh, basically I was supposed to go on this trip this month with my boyfriend, my best friend, and her boyfriend." I said, pausing so I wouldn't start crying in front of Harry Styles. He looked at me, weirdly supportingly, and said, "What happened? I get it, you don't know me, you don't have to tell me if you really don't want to. I can watch a few more movies. But if you want to tell me, I'm all ears." "Basically, I caught them hooking up in a bar bathroom like four days ago. My best friend of twenty years and my boyfriend of ten. I had to break the news to her boyfriend, who is also one of my best friends. They all canceled their tickets, but I've been wanting to come to Italy for years, and I thought it might be a good way to get my mind off of everything. We'll see. A lot of the stuff I planned for us to do was like specifically couple stuff, so I'm pretty much just going to be winging it the whole time I'm there, which isn't exactly comforting in a city I've never been before, but we'll see!" I say, the last part sarcastically.

It's gotten to the point in the breakup where I'm more bitter than anything. Yeah, I lost my boyfriend and my best friend, but clearly they're very shitty people. It just sucks having lost both of the people I talked to more than anyone else in the world at the same time. "Holy shit, it sounds like a rough week. They're assholes, I'm so sorry. Italy's amazing, though, you'll find fun solo things to do. I'm here solo, it's a fun place to be." He said, trying to be encouraging, but I wasn't a millionaire who could just rent my own private yacht and find fun things to do as easily as he could. "Thanks, it's just weird, they've been my whole life, and now they're not. Like for instance, Lily, my best friend, would have already gotten a text that I was on a plane right next to Harry Styles, she happens to be obsessed with you. Obsessed. And not in the healthy way, not that there's a healthy way. But now I have to just keep it to myself. And Jackson, too. She roped him into her obsession with you. Sorry, now I sound kind of like a crazy fan. I didn't scream when I saw you, though, you have to give me that." He stared at me, kind of looking like he was trying to hold back laughter. "You're not obsessed with me too? I would've bet money on it from the way you looked at me when I woke you up." He said, laughing bit as he said it. "Okay, I'm not going to say obsessed, but I have been told everything about you via Lily. And I do enjoy your music. But don't flatter yourself, I'm more of a Fleetwood Mac kind of girl." He throws his head back in laughter in response to my words. "Oh really? So I mean, you've got to be a little obsessed. You know everything about me! But, I understand the Fleetwood Mac thing. You were listening to them on repeat. Uh, I'm actually planning on meeting up with Stevie tonight a little after we get there, you're totally welcome to come if you want. I'm sure she'd love to meet you, and you seem chill enough." He said, a little too nonchalantly. I was not going to respond the same way. "Oh my god, are you serious? Are you seriously inviting me to meet Stevie Nicks? Oh my god. Sorry sorry sorry. I am chill. I swear. I can be chill. I would absolutely love to come if all that I just said didn't change your mind." I said, way too fast to be a chill response. He just laughed. "You're good, I'd love to have you there."He said, smiling at me.

...

The rest of the flight was like a fever dream. Me and Harry talked the entire time. About pretty much anything and everything. I talked a little too much about Lily and Jackson, probably, but Harry listened to everything I had to say, and completely hated them by the end of the flight.

After we got our baggage and went to the car pickup station, I began to order an uber to the nearest hotel to try and see if I could get a room, because we cancelled our big two-room suite, and I needed just a regular one room one now, but Harry turned to me and said, "Hey, you don't need to order an uber, I have a driver, I can give you a ride to your hotel if you'd like. Where are you staying?" He asked me. "Oh, I don't know yet. We were all supposed to stay in a hotel together, but now that it's just one of us instead of four we cancelled it, so I was just gonna try and find a hotel." He looked shocked when I said that, so I raised an eyebrow in question. "Oh, you can't be serious! Finding a last minute hotel in Italy is not a good idea, you're going to get overcharged like crazy because you're a foreigner." He said, looking genuinely worried. "Well didn't you book your trip last minute? What were your plans to get a hotel exactly?" I asked, putting a hand on my hip. "I don't need a hotel, I have a house here. I have like fifteen guest rooms. You're staying in one, not some shitty last minute hotel." He said, very matter-of-factly. "Oh my god, Harry, you absolutely do not need to do that, I'll be fine. What if I was psycho? What if this was some whole act and I actually am a crazy fan and you just invited me into your house? I'm supposed to be here for a whole month!" I said. "Well I guess I'm just going to have to take that risk, then," He said, looking over to a large black SUV pulling up to us, "Oh look, there's the car. Come on let's go. I give really good tours."

[shuttershocky]

Do you have a dislike for media universes that "rewards" people for watching/reading all of it in general?

Or do you think there is one that executes that idea well?

I'm answering this 5 months late, but I'm pretty sure I still remember this ask being prompted by a post making fun of the MCU.

Do I dislike story universes that reward people for reading all of it? Not at all. I mean, I'm a fan of both Middle Earth and Star Wars, I fucking love big, big universes with plenty of stories in them. When they intersect in some small way it's a delight to me, I love those little personal winks from the author for having read their other works or recognizing the most obscure names only a nerd would know.

However, there's a difference between a little reference in a story meant for people who can connect the dots, and making something almost required reading for your enjoyment. It's the difference between an acknowledgement from the creators that you liked the setting enough to come back for a new yet familiar ride, and a company realizing they've found their cash cow and can't wait to milk it for all its got until it's dead.

And dead the cash cow will be, eventually. It's been said before that the reason why the Big Two of western comics have ceded more and more ground to manga over the years is that Spider-Man has 10 different starting points while Naruto starts with Volume#1. That's not just a funny joke. Onboarding new readers has genuinely been Marvel and DC's problem for decades, which is why it was both incredibly predictable yet shocking all the same that this is what the MCU turned itself into.

Sure, early on you could ask the audience to watch a couple movies before the big Avengers crossover, but now they've got all these TV shows on top of the movies that you have to watch in order to "catch up", and it's not even about the cool characters anymore. More and more of their fanbase is going to stop caring once the barrier of entry gets too high, and it's ridiculous to me that Marvel went this road with their movies when they know this is what happened to their comics first.

I mean, are you serious, their next big bad is Kang? I am not watching several TV shows and an Ant-Man movie that's somehow worse than the second one all to see how the currently left Avengers meet goddamn Kang the Conqueror. He's in both the TV shows and the movies, which means they're somehow giving Kang more buildup screentime than Thanos. Why? Either I've been extremely out of touch with Marvel comics or the MCU picked a wild choice to headline their next billion dollar franchise when Doctor Doom is actually available to them now and barely needs an introduction.

Sorry, got lost for a bit. Back on topic, yeah I know I know, all art right now exists under capitalism which means every setting that becomes a wider story universe is an author trying to milk their existing fanbase. Whenever a creator makes a thing that I like, and then announces they have a new thing set in the same setting as their first thing but isn't a direct sequel so they can keep gaining a new audience while keeping their existing one, I know I'm being suckered in.

Just, don't make it so blatant. And don't make it so hard. I am the exact target audience for these shenanigans and even I'm starting to feel like it's homework because it's all fucking required now.

If I, a lifelong Star Wars fan, want to watch the newest Star Wars thing, I have to see a hundred hours of other Star Wars media first. If I want to watch The Mandalorian Season 3, I can't just have seen Season 1 and 2, oh no, I have to also see The Book of Boba Fett too, because halfway through that show became The Mandalorian Season 2.5. Well I did see Boba Fett, and the combination of my dislike for turning it into required homework AND the show itself just being kinda dogshit meant I never touched season 3 of the Mandalorian. That show used to be so great because it wasn't tied down to any existing story arcs or characters, so it stood on its own and made for an amazing watch no matter how much Star Wars you've actually seen. And then it succeeded and so had to become the new spine for the entirety of Disney Star Wars afterward. Fuck. Now if I want to watch their latest show Ahsoka, I have to have seen the Clone Wars animated series AND Rebels, because the Rebels cast are in it too! I mean I did see Clone Wars and Rebels, but that still sucks!

That makes me worried now! Andor was also really fucking good and it stood on its own so hard you didn't even need to see Rogue One, the movie that introduced Cassian Andor in the first place. But now that season 1 was a success and everyone sang its praises, it certainly means season 2 is suddenly going to get real cramped with Ahsoka and Luke Skywalker and whatever guys are currently alive in its timeframe. Shit, they're probably gonna add Cal Kestis in season 2 of Andor. The Respawn Star Wars games are still doing their own thing which means it's time to connect to something else.

I hate what all this has become. It was fun to read the Silmarillion and see what kind of fuckery one family of elves got up to that eventually turned Sauron from minion to big evil eye parked next to evil mountain, but you didn't need to read all that before The Lord of the Rings. LOTR didn't assume you knew anything at all (and oh boy did Tolkien never miss an opportunity to explain shit).

Let me repeat. I am the target audience. I live for the ridiculously nerdy habit of reading things set in the same universe as other things and connecting all the dots. If /I/ feel like it's become homework, I can't imagine what the average person thinks of all this. Make it stop. Stop running everything I once loved into the ground in the name of endless profit. Star Wars was already doing this to itself before the Disney acquisition and yet it didn't feel this bad.

[thegreenthepeacetheorange]

Everlark (Mockingjay, Ch. 23-24)

the fact that she automatically goes to unlock peeta's handcuffs when she sees his wrists are bloody even though he is still dangerous to her

i can't remember who did the analysis of katniss with gale's injury vs peeta's in this chapter but if you know of it please reply to this with the link to it!

but anyways, it's gritting her teeth, jagged stitches and smearing on cream for gale vs attending to peeta, gently rinsing, bandaging

with each page, it becomes clearer that peeta is returning to himself, for him to be able to remember the blood poisoning comment and the way she risked her life to get his medicine in the first games

"i think.. you still have no idea. the effect you can have" SCREAM. this is one of my fave things peeta ever says to katniss and he remembers it!! still!

"i don't know why his voice reaches me when no one else's can." thats LOVE baby. literally none of the others are able to get through to her, but him. not even gale. she values peeta's opinion so much. it matters in a whole other way

"but if he's right and i think he is" girl, the others said the exact same thing and you didn't wanna listen lol

cute that this reassurance and belief from peeta is what gives her "new resolve"

shoutout to gale for highlighting the QQ kiss, as he should

the doubt in peeta's voice when he says it was just for the show. because he remember it, remembers the feelings that were mutual, the desire spilling from katniss in that moment that was undeniable

gale thinking he's still part of the equation of katniss's love life at this point is so funny it's almost sad. that he thinks it's still a choice

gale's assessment of how katniss will pick really rubs me the wrong way. he doesn't know her at all.

katniss being rightfully mad at his incorrect assessment. and her contemplating his words here highlight how much passion, love, desire and compatibility are actually important to her. for him to reduce her down to survival instincts is terrible actually. because those other things actually drive her far more.

her being angry at peeta for not refuting it. girl, a few pages ago he was asking you if people can grow wings. let's give him a break, hothead

"as if in the end, it will be the question of whether a baker or hunter will extend my longevity" what's funny to me about this is that "baker" shouldn't even be part of this equation. a baker for survival for extending longevity would be out of place any other time. but actually the baker here is so important to her and her life that it works. in the end it is a baker and a hunter, but katniss doesn't pick on survival. she picks on what means the most, where her love grows and thrives the most.

katniss feeling peeta's eyes follow her and gale out of the room. she's so hyperaware of peeta at all times. has been from book 1 chapter 2

katniss giving peeta permission to take the pill be closing his fingers over the pill. like he'd been waiting on the permission for her by keeping the pill in his open hand.

peeta charming tigris and katniss picking up on it. we're so back

katniss's desperation like she's back in the QQ

peeta embraces her back

"not as steady as they once were, but still warm and strong. a thousand moments surge through me. all the times these arms were my only refuge from the world. perhaps not fully appreciated then, but so sweet in my memory, and now gone forever"

this passage highlights the significance of when they grow back together and his arms being there to comfort her. she thinks it's gone forever so how much more meaningful when it comes back to her

"thousands of moments" that many moments. moments we haven't been privy to because they were so often and so habitual that katniss didn't always need to spell it out

katniss walking and still looking back to see if she can see peeta

and when everything is going down, she holds onto the idea that he may have gone back when he felt the attack coming. even though she must know he never would have. this is an arena after all and he knows his job is to protect her

katniss clearly loves gale as a friend and she doesn't ever want to see him hurt/tortured/killed but he ultimately takes a second seat to her love for peeta. always an afterthought, never the bride

contrasting the moment that gale is captured by the peacekeepers with the moment that cato has peeta trapped. even though her and gale had talked about what to do, in that moment she's confused, doesn't know what to do, her instincts don't kick in. but with cato, she automatically understood, within milliseconds, that peeta wanted her to shoot cato's hand when he marked the x there. thinking thinking

RIP prim. honeslty still a very chilling moment all these years later

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Quickly Thought about What If...? Season Two

For those who don’t know, I’m one of the few people who actually enjoyed What If…? Season One for what it was. Did it take advantage of telling interesting tales with the MCU, giving us intense glimpses of these universes that showed us what COULD HAVE been? Not all the time. Was it still good dumb fun? To me it was. And that’s pretty much what What If…?, as a concept, was, even in the comics. Yeah, you got interesting stuff like “What if Spider-Man never became a crime fighter?” or “What if Daredevil was raised by The Kingpin?” but it also had stuff like “What if the Original Marvel Bullpen Became the Fantastic Four?” or “What if Sargent Fury Fought World War Two in Outer Space?” The comics were less about high-concepts and more about writers doing whatever the hell they wanted with the Marvel Universe and being able to have fun with it because, well, none of it was canon. The same applied to the MCU’s What If…?, as it was a chance for the writers to do a murder mystery with the Avengers or make T’Challa fix the universe as Star-Lord. They can kill characters, make dumb(er) jokes, and play around with the heroes and villains in the MCU like they were action figures. And I’m into that. Don’t get me wrong, I would love more episodes like “What if…Doctor Strange lost his heart instead of his hands?” or “What if…Ultron won?” as they DO have a lot of great moments and show off what these characters are capable of than what the movies/shows proved. But at the same time, I didn’t mind watching the big buff lady that is Captain Carter kill Nazis or watch Spider-Man and a band of heroes try to survive a zombie apocalypse. It’s a show where everyone is meant to just sit back, turn their brain off, and have some fun while occasionally getting something interesting. Again, just like the comics.

So when Season Two got announced, I was genuinely excited. I like Season One and I wanted more of it. Then when the trailer came out with an episode list, I thought, “Okay, this could be the show embracing comic book wackiness.” Now, not a lot of people were into that…In fact, the majority said that a lot of these concepts weren’t even interesting and were, instead, kind of lame. I don’t get it, maybe because I’m in the exact mindset the MCU wants me to have with this series, but I was still looking forward to Season Two. The question is, was it worth it? Well, let’s quickly go over each episode to find out.

Spoilers Ahead

What If…Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?: Ooooooooh, what a great start. Watching Nebula act as a cop/detective, but with her cold, deadpan badassery still intact was a ton of fun in this dark, gritty setting made for this new version of her. I loved watching this new version of Nebula make her way through a darkened Xandar, with her never straying from this oath and acting as it should be intended, all while teaming up with Howard the Duck of all characters. Like, I kind of enjoy seeing Howard turn out to be this sleazy casino owner who treats Nebula as a true friend despite them working on opposite ends of the law. The concept itself is funny and execution is endearing with Seth Green giving much needed charm to the character. It’s part of the fun of What If…?: Showing characters who couldn’t interact in the movies or didn’t have much screen time and allowing them another chance to shine…Unfortunately, that’s not always a good thing. Because while I love seeing a character like Howard make a surprisingly good comeback, watching Yon-Rog, one of the more boring MCU villains, show up and lack any intrigue or fun is just…no. And then there’s Nova Prime who decided to betray the entire Corp by taking down the force field…Something that was HER idea to do and, given the pull she had, could have done at any point. Why string Nebula along when Nova Prime could have just made the ruling herself that the force field needed to be taken down? A friend of mine tried explaining how it could make sense, but I don’t know. It doesn’t change this weird got while watching. But while flawed, it was pretty cool to see this new setting in the MCU, carried by Nebula as the Super Nova (Love that name, by the way. It’s perfect). The plot has a big ol’ hole, not every character return works, but it gave me a half-hour of fun so I’m not complaining (Get used to that thought process, by the way).

What If…Peter Quill Attacked Earth’s Mightiest Heroes?: And this one’s a little rough around the edges. It’s fun to see this alternate version of the Avengers form to fight a Peter Quill who has Ego’s powers, but it feels like the entire episode is on fast-forward, almost like this is what would happen if the first Avengers movie needed to be made thirty-minutes long. It’s sort of the downside of What If having a half-hour runtime, where it has to both tell a story and introduce us to this new universe in under thirty minutes. It’s the same with the comics that had less than thirty pages to do the exact same thing, only to feel longer because comic writers in the seventies and eighties don’t know how to shut the hell up. The end result is a story that’s fine ENOUGH, but it would have benefited with more time to slow down and let us appreciate this new team of old heroes. I mean, we have the original Captain Mar-Vel, T’Challa’s father, and even Goliath, which would have been AWESOME to see them play a big role. But instead, the episode focuses on Hank Pym, Bucky, and THOR, somehow, making these other heroes valued members but also a bit of an afterthought. Also, despite this being a different version of the Avengers, they somehow make MORE quips than the original team, with few of it feeling like it’s in character. It has the same problem as Age of Ultron where everyone is cracking jokes at every second as much as they can, and it HIGHLY depends on your willingness to stomach that kind of  thing if you’re willing to watch this episode. That and if you’re willing to forgive a character doing this STUPID AND RISKY thing that worked out for the better but doesn’t change how stupid and risky it is. Overall, this whole episode is a very interesting idea mixed with some very FLAWED execution that spoils the fun to be had.

What If…Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?: Now this? All kinds of fun to be had with this one. The return of Justin Hammer of all villains isn’t something I thought I needed, but I heavily enjoyed watching what’s basically the anti-Tony Stark show up and be his most despicably charming self. It was a blast to watch this scrawny little twink TRY and act intimidating as he dances all over the place. It makes him feel more and more like a cartoon villain, which is appropriate for yuletide fun. You don’t NEED a menacing presence for Christmas, you need a GOOF. And Hammer’s the goofiest with his lame catchphrases and very STUPID dancing, I couldn’t get enough of it. But the real star is Happy, who gets juiced up for an adaptation I NEVER would have expected from the MCU. The Freak is one of the sides to Happy that not many fans would know about unless they’ve immersed themselves with Iron Man lore (Or read a shit load of comics for the past two years like me), but it really is cool to see that side of him brought to life. The way Happy looks and moves like more of a manic Hulk on crack does great at setting him apart from the Jolly Green Monster we know and love, but also makes The Freak feel more unique from how he was in the comics. It was a blast of a holiday special with the only downside is that Darcy’s OCCASIONALLY annoying. Not much other than that, though, as this is the best Christmas present I could ask from Marvel.

What If…Iron Man Crashed Into the Grandmaster?: Fun fact, this was originally meant to be in Season One but was cut due to time constraints. Yeah, remember how weird it was that the Watcher plucked a version of Gamora we didn’t know? Well, now we finally know…through a story that’s primarily about Tony Stark that makes me wonder why the hell The Watcher didn’t take him.

But facts and jokes aside, I loved the shit out of this episode. There are probably going to be some cynics out there saying that the cars and the race is an excuse to sell toys or LEGO sets or some shit, but I don’t care because everything about it was AWESOME!. Not to mention that it lit up a special place in my heart and brain to watch Tony Stark be a hero again, not hesitating to save lives, putting everything on the line, and helping bring Gamora into the light, all while still being his snarky, Starky self. And huge props to Mick Wingert voicing him, who doesn’t sound like Robert Downy Jr at ALL, but still nails the energy and mannerisms. I can picture RDJ saying all of these lines and it helps make this feel like one last Iron Man story for the fans. Seeing the Grandmaster again was ALSO a plus, as he was his same goofy-self. As for the real hook of this episode, Gamora, she’s…fine. I don’t love that it’s Tony that helped her redemption arc since I always preferred how turning against Thanos was something Gamora decided for herself instead of this thing that someone brought out. It’s not a BAD idea, but it’s something that might have worked better with NEBULA, a character that could actually USE convincing, instead of Gamora, a character who would likely go to Stark to help kill Thanos. Still, I don’t HATE it, nor do I hate the episode. It was an adrenaline thrill-ride that gave us a return of Tony where he DOESN’T die in the end. I couldn’t have asked for more if I heard this episode’s title, and I’m glad it’s what we’ve got.

What If…Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper?: I…KIND OF understand the reception towards Captain Carter. I don’t get why Marvel keeps pushing her more than their actual Captain America replacement, Sam Wilson. I mean, Captain Carter showed up in three projects (two seasons of television and a movie), where Sam made his official appearance as Captain America once…and hasn’t even cameoed in any other movie or show. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like the big buff lady and it’s awesome seeing her fight the giant robot. It’s cool, I love it. I also heavily enjoyed this episode, getting into the drama, action, and seeing Peggy make a surprisingly believable friendship with Black Widow. Heck, I’d go so far as to say that this is a better Black Widow story than her actual movie gave us. So I like it, I like seeing Captain Carter and some of her adventures. I especially like that this story isn’t a direct rehash of Winter Soldier like how the first episode is a rehash of First Avenger. The writers actually set out to make something more unique and it makes me like Captain Carter a little more. I just wish we could get that same love and appreciation towards Sam Wilson, whose movie got pushed back to 2025 and will count as the only time this character has been relevant since his mini-series. If this is our new leader of the Avengers and the man who will fight to save the multiverse, we’re probably going to need more than one appearance from the guy. I don’t think people would complain about more Captain Carter if Sam Wilson’s Captain America wasn’t so blatantly shoved too far to the side.

What If…Kahhori Reshaped the World?: One of the few rare times the MCU made an ORIGINAL superhero. There is no previous comic, movie, or show that Kahhori is based on. She’s a completely original character made up for this franchise, much like Miles Morales in the Ultimate universe or X-23 in X-Men Evolution (Check that show out, by the way. It’s pretty damn good). And just like those two, I REALLY hope Kahhori manages to become such a hit with audiences that she spawns more content, because Kahhori and her world is something I would love to revisit. Her personality is fun, her motivation is inspiring, and her powers are unique enough to make her stand out more to the other heroes in the MCU. As for her story, it’s your bare-bones origin story. The whole episode is about explaining her powers, the world she lives in, and the people she loves and fights for. It does all this while proving her heroics through fighting a supervillain set out to do some damage. Only, instead of some generic supervillain that matches her powers it’s this Spanish Conquistador who…honestly still looks like a supervillain, which is kind of funny. And it works for Kahhori, proving that while she’s currently the most powerful person in the world, she’s willing to fight against oppression and the monarchy, advocating for peace instead of a continuous war for who gains the most control. Like I said, that’s inspiring and it’s why I want to see more of this character and how far she can go when fighting bigger, more evil threats than the Queen of Spain. Whether it’s a spin-off TV show/movie, a comic mini-series, or even introducing Kahhori into the 616 comics (somehow), I wouldn’t mind seeing this new, wonderful hero more in the future.

What If…Hela Found the Ten Rings?: I…did not expect to like this one as much as I did. I wasn’t the BIGGEST fan of Hela, because aside from seeing her actress having a blast to go full ham, there wasn’t much to her. Yeah, she was this conqueror alongside Odin, which is an interesting backstory for HIM, but for Hela, it’s not enough. Instead of telling me WHO she is, Thor: Ragnarok kept telling me WHAT she was. Then here comes an episode of What If…? that not only gives me that answer, but a lot more. Sure, the first half is a bit wonky, but when we get to the second, we finally get an idea of who Hela is. Simply put, Hela doesn’t know who she is beyond a conqueror, and that’s because Odin never trained nor raised her to be anything more. This episode forces Hela to face that and discover answers she never knew she was seeking, having a surprisingly decent redemption, becoming a goddess of life instead of death. I…love that. I love that WAY MORE than I could have expected to love it. It makes me appreciate Hela a lot more and maybe see that there’s a tragedy to her in Thor: Ragnarok. Hela could have changed for the better if she met someone that could bring her good side out, but because she was banished into isolation by Odin, it caused Hela to be both spiteful and vengeful, making her refuse any alternative beyond being a conqueror or a goddess of death, with her final acts of life being someone who destroyed her home because destruction was all she knew. This episode has a better, more unique story to tell than Hela and Wenwu fighting over the Ten Rings to see who can cause more destruction. Speaking of, if there’s one thing to complain about the episode, it’s how underutilized Wenwu is to the story. He’s actually one of MY favorite MCU villains and it feels weird that he’s just…kind of there? Most of the meat to the story goes to Hela, and I do appreciate it, but Wenwu could have done more than wanting to bone Hela or assisting her in fighting Odin. But aside from that, I’d still say that this is a fantastic episode that surpassed my expectations.

What If…The Avengers Assembled in 1602?: Of all the episodes, this is the one I was looking forward to the most. I’m a sucker for seeing characters in a different setting. They’re very much the same in terms of personality but their differences vary from positions in life or the skills they’re capable of. It’s no different here, as so much of this feels like a period piece fanfic where the writers seemed to have so much fun making the Avengers be in 1602. And I don’t give a shit if people hate her, I LOVE that Captain Carter refuses to leave this world until she saves it from complete collapse. It would have been the same if it was Steve Rogers, I get that, but how do you expect me to hate a hero who’s willing to fight with her last breath to save the world? Those are my favorite kind of superheroes! You want me to give up what I love most about superheroes just because you don’t like that the big buff lady fights King Thor and his vibranium thunder sword? F**k you.

Also, this comes with the added benefit of watching big buff Steve and big buff Peggy constantly being on the VERGE of wanting to rip their clothes off and f**k each other whenever they’re on screen together. And, honestly, I can't blame them. They’re both gorgeous. LET THEM F**K!

Overall, I had fun, even if there are problems. Sure, the reveal that Steve is indirectly the cause of this universe’s collapse is way too predictable, no thanks in large part to the trailers SPOILING IT! And it’s pretty weird that Scott can still shrink and grow. Like…How can he do that in this setting? Also, this universe has a merry band of misfits that’s similar to Robin Hood, and there’s not even a SINGLE Hawkeye in it? Not even Kate Bishop? COME ON NOW! Come on now…

But, yeah, this episode is the perfect epitome of what makes What If…? enjoyable to me. It can offer you a fun concept of having the Avengers be in 1602 and just ask you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Not everyone’s going to be into that, but I am and I could take ten more seasons of this if I could.

What If…Strange Supreme Intervened?: You want me to hate the big buff lady and new MCU character Kahhori fighting Strange Supreme and a whole gaggle of universe killers just because *checks notes* Captain Carter is a Mary Sue? F**k you. I don’t care if you feel like Captain Carter is forced upon you, she punched a demonic Doctor Strange in the face with the power of INFINITY. That is awesome no matter WHO the character is and if you can’t appreciate it, then I guess this show really isn’t for you. As for the finale, the whole thing is awesome as this big fireworks show to close out the season, added with Strange Supreme going back to the dark side for the sake of reviving his universe. I’ll admit that Strange Supreme had a bit of a forced redemption last season, so it is great for this finale to prove that he is, in fact, still twisted inside while allowing him to earn a more true redemption in making up for his actions. It makes his tragedy STILL feel like a tragedy, giving everyone but him a happy ending. And, again, he got punched in the face with the power of infinity. F**k all you haters, this show’s great.

Season Two is a definite improvement to Season One. Sure, the pacing is wonky, the jokes are trying too hard, and animation can look gorgeous at times but ugly at others. But the writing’s stronger, the concepts are bigger, the fun’s funner, and I got to see a woman punch a demon in the face with the power of infinity–I keep bringing that up because it is so damn awesome. And it’s the same with this show! It just fuels that part of my brain that wants to see cool, comic book shit happening. It’s not for everyone, I know that. It’s neither good nor bad, it’s just…subjectively fun. It’ll either light up your world or leave you wanting more substance than dumb fun. I enjoyed the hell out of this season, but others won’t for their own reasons (some of them being that they just hate Captain Carter). They can feel that way all they want. Still won’t change how I enjoyed the hell out of this season and look forward to more.

[rachelsfav-queer]

I can’t sleep because my nose is all plugged up and also I slept in late this morning sooooo…

Late night Wenclair thoughts? I may smooth these out into a proper fic sometime so please don’t steal any of this! Thank you!

Below the cut just cause there’s a lot lol. All sfw stuff here, don’t worry

So, I just saw this post from @barblaz-arts with some of their sketches (sorry, I couldn’t find any pronouns on your blog and didn’t want to assume anything) and one of them was a “get-along shirt” shirt. So that made me think of Enid making a two person sweater for her and Wednesday to wear and Wednesday “begrudgingly” wearing it all the time lol. So she just constantly is trying to indirectly get Enid to ask her to wear it, cause she doesn’t want to admit that she actually loves wearing it cause of how close it allows her to be to Enid. Enid of course knows that Wednesday loves wearing it and why, but lets the seer think she’s being sneaky. (Thanks for the inspo barblaz, lol)

NEXT THOUGHT!

What about Wenclair’s first time sleeping in the same bed? Like, I imagine it’s probably a bit awkward and stiff for them. But I think that it’s actually Wednesday who breaks the tension by randomly blurting out something like “I want you to hold me… please” and like, she’s blushing, thinking she’s just ruined it all but Enid just smiles rolls over, opening her arms out to invite her to cuddle close. Ugh, can you imagine Wednesday slowly curling up against Enid as she becomes more comfortable in her gentle embrace?? 🥺🥺🥺

NEXT THOUGHT!

So, y’all remember that scene where after just barely meeting Enid, Wednesday opens up about her traumatic experience as a child that literally shaped who she currently is as a person, a characterization that so many people have criticized endlessly because they didn’t actually pay attention to this scene that explained explicitly why Wednesday acts the way she does and that it’s not just “teenage whiny ‘I hate my parents’ type angsty” stuff but actually an interesting and new take on these classic characters because these characters have been around for decades and it’s hard to come up with new stories while also keeping the characters the exact same…….

Sorry, I ranted again… sorry.

Anyway, y’all remember that scene, right? Well, I absolutely love it and what it implies for Wenclair. Because it shows how Enid is the only person who Wednesday shows true vulnerability to. Not even T*ler or X*vier with the infuriating love triangle they had. She comes close to it with Eugene and Pugsley, but only with Enid do we see that raw vulnerability. And I really like that.

So, to the actual point, I think that Wednesday actually has a lot of that throughout their relationship journey or whatever you wanna call it lol. Wednesday opens up to Enid and Enid only about she struggles with certain things and how she is truly afraid that her issues will end up pushing Enid away again, and for good this time. And Enid actually talks Wednesday through all this seriously. She tells her that yes, her behavior needs to be adjusted to no longer be toxic, but also assures her that she’s going to be there for her. She won’t tolerate genuine toxicity, but she will be understanding and patient with mistakes. Because that’s what Wednesday really needs and we see that in the show actually. Enid is the perfect deuteragonist to Wednesday because she holds her accountable in a way nobody else does in the show. She doesn’t dance around anything, calling Wednesday out for her sometimes toxic behavior but doing it in a compassionate way.

ITS BECAUSE SHE UNDERSTANDS WEDNESDAY IN A WAY NOBODY ELSE DOES EXCEPT HER FAMILY!!!! BECAUSE WEDNESDAY OPENED UP TO HER ALONE ABOUT HER PAST TRAUMA!!!!!!! they’re so fucking canon it’s not even funny

Anyway, this is all just for the point of Wednesday opening up to Enid, late at night, when neither of them can sleep. Wednesday because she needs to get these things off her chest and Enid because her girlfriend is struggling and she wants to be there for her in any way she can. Gods, I love them so muchhhhhh!!!!!!

NEXT THOUGHT!

On the thought of Wenclair being awake late at night, I believe with every bit of my being that whether you think “Wednesday is the top” or “Enid is the top” either way, Wednesday will either be little spoon or will be curled up against Enid’s side with Enid’s arms around her. Whatever way they’re cuddling, Enid is in someway holding Wednesday close. This right here goes hand in hand with my next thought, which is that Wednesday is very clearly autistic-coded and it’s almost painfully obvious lol. So, this means that Wednesday really likes the pressure of being held tight. She likes weighted blankets but not nearly as much as she likes being squeezed by Enid. That is all lol.

NEXT THOUGHT!

Autistic Wednesday and AuDHD Enid supporting each other’s neurodivergence wholeheartedly. Enid is always carrying around noise-canceling earbuds and headphones for Wednesday. The earbuds are for when Wednesday just needs basic protection from background noise, which is most times and the headphones are for situations when she needs something more heavy duty. So, when Wednesday’s getting overstimulated by the world and people around her. And with Enid’s touch being the only touch that Wednesday accepts without any sort of discomfort (yes I know that Gomez and Pugsley make contact with her too, but she looks slightly uncomfortable with it when they do it, compared to whenever Enid touches her, she doesn’t even seem fazed, not even when she’s a bit more excited and isn’t touching very lightly. There’s a clear difference) I think that Enid has a sort of “escape plan” where Enid will pull Wednesday away from situations where she’s uncomfortable. She’s always gentle, yet firm. Firm both for Wednesday’s sake because she needs the grounding but also to show anyone around to STAY BACK! Mmm, Enid being instinctually protective over Wednesday when she’s overwhelmed. Along with all that, Enid is basically a personal guard dog for Wednesday, keeping a clear distance limit for anyone around them, to ensure nobody bumps into Wednesday or touches her.

On the other hand, I think that Enid probably has texture issues with foods. So, Wednesday will act as a kind of “taste tester” but for textures whenever they come across new foods that Enid may want to try. Basically, Wednesday checks first to see if certain foods will trigger Enid’s texture issues or if they’re safe for her to try. Wednesday knows by heart what textures bother Enid and so is distinctly capable of handling this task and does it happily. And for Enid’s ADHD, Wednesday doesn’t particularly understand Enid’s struggles but is by far the single most supportive and understanding person to Enid’s symptoms. Whether it’s Time Blindness or Executive Dysfunction or whatever issues she’s dealing with, Wednesday either acts as an assistant to help Enid work through it, or if she’s unable to for whatever reason, Wednesday doesn’t let Enid for even a single moment feel guilty about it, reassuring her entirely.

Basically, they’re each other’s best support and they work together to help each other!

NEXT THOUGHT!

I HC Wednesday being into like, heavy rock/metal music. More specifically, I think she loves Ghost (definitely introduced to them by Yoko, same goes for all the other rock music she listens to) and so I think that Wednesday and Enid actually influence each other’s music tastes, so Enid’s listening to some of Wednesday’s rock playlists and Wednesday’s listening to Enid’s kpop playlists. At first, both do it simply are interested in being involved in each other’s interests. But, they both find themselves relating to the music they’re listening to and actually loving it just as much as the other does.

All of this is to say,,,,,,, Wenclair going to a Ghost ritual wearing the merch and Wenclair going to a kpop show (sorry I don’t listen to kpop so I don’t know any bands) wearing the merch.

Please someone draw either or both of these I am begging on my hands and knees please please please pleaseeeeeeeeee

Whew, OKAYYYY!!! I think that’s all I got lol. It’s almost 2 in the morning and I still don’t feel even slightly tired… this is painful lol

I hope y’all enjoy my sleep-deprived brainrotted wenclair thoughts lol. Feel free to share your thoughts on any of these either in the reblogs, replies, or my askbox! I’d love to know that I’m not alone in these thoughts and I’m not just losing my mind…… pls

[peterman-spideyparker]

So, I lost an ask from an emoji anon I’ve had in my inbox forever, and I’m so distraught. The shirt and sweet of the ask was how Matt would be with a partner that is visually impaired but not blind—they can see colors and blobs of shapes, but still need a cane and wears sunglasses. What I wanted to post as a response was too long, so I wanted to put that in the response and then reblog with what I came up with. Clearly, the Tumblr gremlins didn’t want that happening, so I have to do this. 🦢anon, I adore you, and I’m so sorry

Fluffy and smutty headcanon | Matt Murdock x Visually!Impaired Reader

Matt could hear the tap of your cane over the ruckus of Josie’s.

He knows he’s not the only blind person in New York, but aside from Stick and taking down Madame Gao’s drug ring, he hasn’t really met many others.

The way that you maneuvered the crowd was extremely impressive. The only other blind person that could navigate like that was, well, him.

“Murdock!” Foggy shouts, catching his attention.

“I’m gonna go get a drink,” Matt responds, putting down his barely-sipped beer.

He feels your head glance to the side as he approaches, and you move over at then bar to make some room for him.

“I’ll have whatever she’s having, Jose,” he says.

“You sure you can handle absinthe?” you ask. You can’t even pretend to be serious, immediately laughing as two glasses are slid to you and the handsome man at the bar. “I’m kidding. It’s just scotch.”

You can see enough shape from him to cheers your glass against his.

“What brings you here?” he asks.

“I could ask the same for you.”

“My friends and I are regulars here. I haven’t heard you here before.”

That catches you off guard. “Heard?”

“Yeah,” he says with a breathy little laugh. He’s nervous, maybe even a little confused. “I’m, uh, I’m blind.”

“Oh.”

“Oh?”

An awkward sputter of sound falls from your lips, never having encountered a situation like this before. “I just assumed . . . I can’t really see. I’m not blind—I see really fuzzy shapes that are blobs of color.”

You and Matt go through two scotches, talking about your visual impairments. Neither of you go into a terrible amount of detail about how your vision came to be as it is: Matt tells you about his accident, and you tell him how you got really sick as a baby and lost most of your sight as consequence.

You’re about to order another round when a blond with long hair joins Matt’s side at the bar to retrieve him to the pool table. 

Matt introduces you, and Foggy extends the invitation to you to join the group.

You are about to politely decline before you feel Matt’s hand gently rest on yours.

“Please?”

Before you know it, you’re being introduced to Karen, doing a guys vs. girls round of pool in which you crush the two men with Juris Doctors.

It’s safe to say that you’re in the fold from that night on.

You look forward to your lunches at the office with them and your visits to Josie’s.

Even though you can’t see their faces clearly, you love the sounds and feelings you associate with the colors you can make out of them—the brightness of Karen’s blonde hair lifting even the grimmest of moods, the warmth of Foggy’s humor matching his colorful shirts and ties, and the sturdiness of Matt’s posture and the ark colors of his suits, always remaining grounded to the moment and the people around him.

And they love everything about you and how see the world around you.

You can’t believe how easy you fall in with the trio, but you wouldn’t change it for the world.

And Matt.

Sweet, darling, Saint Matthew.

He always seems to know what you need, whether it’s a hug, a glass of water, or time to your self.

And you do the exact same for him, including the occasional fix of his hair and straightening of his tie, doing little things for him with your own visual impairment to ease any of his difficulties.

“You know, it’s funny to see a brown triangle sticking straight up on your head,” you chuckle as you smooth down a clump of Matt's hair. “I can only imagine how much funnier it is with the finer details.”

“You’re brutal.”

“You love it.”

You enjoy small moments that you share with Matt, taking strolls around the block or in the park, arm-in-arm, which prompted both Matt and Foggy making a blind leading the blind joke.

Neither of you mind it, though, and while you both haven’t admitted it, you would follow wherever the other led.

But one night, Matt notices you’re particularly reserved, not talking much.

When he asks you if you’re okay, you know there’s no point in trying to lie to him—he’s like a human lie detector.

“The people at the end of the bar,” you say, tilting your head down over your drink. “Just because I can’t clearly see them staring at me doesn’t mean that I’m not aware of their gazes.”

Matt can tell this too, but he can hear what they’re saying about you, your glasses, and cane—it makes his blood boil and his skin crawl.

You push your glasses up further on the bridge of your nose and tuck your cane into your side.

His hand slides into yours, giving it a gentle squeeze. "If you want to go, we can.”

You squeeze his hand back. Without another word, Matt gets up and maneuvers you two out of Josie’s and down the familiar streets to his apartment.

With the cold winter air having nipped at your exposed skin, Matt offers to put on a kettle for tea once jackets are off and you’re settled in, holding your hand as he sits next to you on his couch.

“It sounds silly to me, to miss something that I never really had. Well, have memory of having,” you tell him quietly. “I just . . . I wish I knew what things really looked like: their real shapes, all the little details. I want to know what a peony really looks like. I want to know what my handwriting looks like, what I look like.” You dip your head, feeling tears sting at your eyes as you avoid looking towards Matt. “I wish I knew what you looked like—every crease and crinkle in your skin, the exact shape of how you smile.”

“It’s not silly,” he says, his voice tender and velvety smooth, his hands never leaving yours. “You know, I’m supposed to say I don’t miss it—seeing things. That’s what they teach you in trauma recovery—define yourself by what you have, value your differences, make no apologies for what you lack. And it’s true for the most part. But it doesn’t change the fact that I’d give anything to see the sky one more time.” He rests his forehead on yours. “It’s not wrong for you to want something that you don’t have.”

Your noses brush against one another’s, and the proximity makes you hold your breath.

“Can I . . . Can I feel your face?” he asks, his voice barely about a whisper. “It’s-it’s how I can piece together what someone looks like. I want to know what you look like.”

Without another word, you take Matt’s hands and guide them up to your cheeks. Matt moves his fingers up higher, feeling the curve of your forehead, the slope of your nose, the softness of your cheeks. When his fingers reach your lips, they move back and forth along the plush skin.

Trailing his fingers down, they capture the front of your chin and guide you to his lips.

The way that he kisses you is unlike any kiss you’ve had before.

Each kiss is soft and excited, the soft puckering noises left by the embrace like music to your ears.

Matt rests one hand on the side of your neck while the other is situated on you waist, your hands resting flat on his chest as the kisses grow needier.

The leather of the sofa crinkles as you lean back, only to make a louder iteration of the noise when Matt takes you into his lap, one hand sliding to the back of your neck while the other is firm on your waist, desperate to keep you close and melt into you.

The ways that your hands roam along one another’s bodies is unlike any sensation either of you have experienced. Where both of you have sight impairments, you both understand just how important touch is and how even the most minute sounds and shifts can mean something. 

Matt knows for sure that there is a God by the way you embrace him, because you put him in heaven with the slightest of touches and the way he can feel your heart beat against him.

By the time you both make it into the bedroom, nothing but soft whimpers and moans fall from your lips, joining the sounds of your bodies moving with each other as the last of your clothing is shed to the floor. 

There is so much that each of you want to do, but the prominent thought you share is just feeling one another in the deepest way that you can—something you’ll find doesn’t change often as you engage in the activity time and time again—both that night and the rest of your relationship.

One night, after the two of you are an exhausted mess of twisted limbs and sweaty sheets, you reach up along Matt’s face.

“These,” you start, your fingers gently tracing the lines at the corners of his eyes. “I’ve noticed the shadows of them when we’re close. These are my favorite.”

“How so?” Matt asks with a soft smile as his fingers brush against your skin, his digits calloused from the different kinds of help he gives to those of his beloved city.

“They show that the perpetual brooder and worry wart has a soft side. That he can know happiness.”

And when he’s with you, he knows nothing but happiness.

[jordanrosenburg]

Argylle - A Breath of Fresh Air

**Spoilers Ahead**

I just got back from seeing Argylle with a friend. I knew I had wanted to see it because I like a lot of the actors in it, but I had seen the trailer so many times that I felt like I had already watched it.

That trailer couldn't have prepared me for the unadulterated fun I was about to have. Every other line out of Sam Rockwell's mouth was laugh out loud funny. What kept me drawn in, though, was the editing. The splices between Rockwell and Cavill was seamless. I know with modern technology, they easily could have greenscreened a lot of it, but it still must have taken a while to film all the same fight scenes in the same exact way to make the cuts as seamless as they were.

The score and soundtrack were brilliant. Between the funky tunes used for the fight scenes, and the dramatic notes used during what would be dramatic in a regular spy thriller, had me enjoying every minute. I will be looking up the soundtrack playlist on Spotify and listening repeatedly.

Henry Cavill is no stranger to playing a spy. In between Superman movies, Cavill starred in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The latter was another movie that didn't mind being silly and wasn't afraid to have its comedic moments. Because Cavill has played so many daring roles over the years, where he's been the hero or the brute or even just the eye candy, he was the perfect fit for Argylle. You can tell he was having a blast, and not taking things too seriously. The audience isn't supposed to take it seriously either. The Argylle books in the movie are a personification of how cheesy those sorts of books and movies can be. The eye-rolling puns, the use of a femme fatale, and crude jokes.

Back in the day, that's how most James Bond movies were. They had their serious moments, but Bond was a cheeky spy who liked to fuck and crack wise with his villains. He was suave and sure of himself and a badass. But there was a transition in the 90's when the Austin Powers movies started rolling out. Now, I'm a huge fan of Austin Powers movies, I'll watch them any time, any place. But those movies, being replicas of the old Bond films but with more humor, outlandish sex, and over the top puns, made it difficult for the new Bond films to be silly. Suddenly, they were getting more and more serious, with more and more over the top action scenes and explosions.

Argylle brought back the silliness and the goofiness, and the ability to laugh at itself. Suspension of disbelief, etc etc. Sometimes you just need to sit back and let yourself enjoy the ride. Throughout the film, as the layers kept being peeled back, I kept thinking, "What is this movie?!" I can usually figure out what's going to happen, but the twists and turns in this film kept throwing me off, and that kept me in my seat and having fun.

There's a scene where Bryce Dallas Howard's character, Elly, thinks she's seen her parents die in cold blood. Rockwell is driving her somewhere in the south of France, and he asks her if she's okay. Howard, astonished, asks, "Am I okay? Am I okay?!", and then she started crying. This made me lean over to my friend and say, "all of us @ Elmo the other day", and we burst into hysterics. (If you're unfamiliar, Elmo's X account posted asking how everyone was, and there was a surge of responses of people using memes to show how not well they all are.)

A little more than halfway through, we find out that Elly's real name is Rachel Kyle. She had gotten into a bad accident on a spy mission and had no memory. The bad guys brainwashed her into thinking she was someone else, and it worked. The Argylle books she wrote as Elly, were really just memories coming back to her. We were made to believe her books were predicting future events, but really, it was the past. Samuel L. Jackson explained that to her. Rockwell then had to calm Howard down and get her to settle into the information. Slowly, Rachel remembers who she is. She hasn't lost all of Elly, but she makes it seem like she has in order to complete the overall mission.

Rockwell thinks that Howard has double crossed her, but in a very Knives Out fashion, she explains that she knew if she shot him in the chest in just the right spot, he wouldn't die. We learn that the two were lovers back in the day. Not only did he feel betrayed, but he was heartbroken. Later on, she double crosses the bad guys, finds her cat, then finds a room with all the weapons she could possibly need to get out. Rockwell finds her there, and they're able to hash things out. She assures him that they're on the same side.

This leads into one of the most incredibly choreographed fight scenes I've ever seen. You can tell the actors were having an incredible time. Smoke pours into the corridor and the two come out shooting. While throwing in body rolls and other dance movements, they take everyone out. This also included Howard lifting Rockwell up, much like how Dua Lipa was lifted up during the beginning of the movie by Henry Cavill, spread eagle. The shots used every time there was a lift like this was not subtle. We get it, it's an innuendo for sitting on someone's face. And it was funny every single time.

Then the next fight scene happened, which gave Howard a moment to shine. They were trapped in a room that was slowly filling with oil, so they couldn't shoot their guns. She remembers she's actually good at ice skating, and puts together makeshift skates. She sticks a knife into a gun, then rushes out like a hockey player. I thought I was going to pass out from laughing so hard. It was the perfect mix of hockey style skating and figure skating. Were these scenes filled with CGI and body doubles? Yes. Did it make them less fun? Absolutely not.

Everything works out in the end because of course it does. Her ending is given to Argylle and Wyatt. Personally, I think Henry Cavill and John Cena should have kissed, they were clearly in love. I thought they would have since Rockwell and Howard kissed. All of the scenes paralleled one another, so why couldn't that one? I digress.

For one last big laugh, at the end of the movie, Howard is back to pretending to be Elly the author, and is doing a book reading of the final Argylle book. She's taking questions from the audience, and she calls on a man. He stands and knowingly smiles. It's Henry Cavill, only he has a curly mullet and a southern accent. What is it with British actors and doing southern accents that brings me so much joy? He says, "I don't have any questions, but I'm sure you have a couple for me", and winks.

There was a post-credits scene. It was supposed to be the actual Argylle book's first film adaptation. The scene takes place in a bar called The King's Man. An Easter egg thrown in by director, Matthew Vaughn, who has also directed the 2021 film by the same name. We couldn't tell if it was serious or not, but I'd love to see a movie based off the fake books. I think mostly because the writer, Jason Fuchs, and Matthew Vaughn, should definitely team up again.

Even though there were parts reminiscent to other spy movies, this is one of the most creative movies I've seen in a while. This is my favorite kind of satire. There are so many movies that are just remakes of remakes of remakes these days. It feels like there are no original ideas left. So, this was a breath of fresh air. It was so funny and so brilliant with a star studded cast. I bet this movie was so fun to work on, you could just feel that energy radiating from the actors. There were some slower parts, but that's to be expected. For the most part, my attention was kept. It was one of those movies where I left thinking, "I can't wait for this to come to streaming so I can watch it again".

I don't think Howard is the strongest actor, and some of the plot between the good spies and the bad spies was a little confusing. I found a lot of that hard to follow, maybe that was supposed to be on purpose. Most spy movies aren't always clear on what the main issue is.

Anyways, if you're looking for an escape from the cold, or an escape in general, this is definitely the movie to see.

[gentrychild]

Anyone AU where Shoto doesn't want Endeavor to become Number 1 hero after All Might's inevitable retirement, so they forcibly retire him first.

1 - This is so funny because, from what you're saying, it's not even Dabi and Shouto deciding that, it's Shouto apparently waking up one going "NOOO, GOD! NO, GOD, PLEASE, NO! NO!", grabbing Izuku by the scruff and telling him "You're the reason why All Might will have to retire within our lifetime so you and I are going to fix this fucking mess before my dad gets to be number 1 hero and gets to be validated despite all the bullshit he put us through."

2 - Dabi goes to the bar and see those freaking chaos demons plotting with Endeavor as their next target and he goes "NOOOO!!! HE NEEDS TO BECOME THE NUMBER 1 HERO SO I CAN DESTROY HIS CAREER WHEN HE FINALLY THINKS HIS DREAM HAS COME TRUE! I EVEN HAVE A DANCE ROUTINE AND EVERYTHING!" and he grabs Hawks by the scruff and goes "Listen to me, you abject Endeavor fanboy! (DON'T EVEN TRY TO ARGUE! I SAW YOUR BODY PILLOW AND THE SHRINE IN YOUR LOFT!) We are going to do something so abject that I will probably cough half of my blood trying to enunciate it. We are... going... to... Oh God, I don't know if I'm going to make it... Save... ARGH... Endeavor."

3 - And of course, All for One sees this and he lives for the drama, so he tells Hawks "Yeah, the best way to neutralize Yami is to deprive him of coffee, just make sure not to get caught or he will set you on fire." so Hawks organizes a national coffee shortage. Inko immediately sends coffee to her beloved son but he will at least spend two weeks without it and Izuku can hear colors and taste sounds right now.

4 - Izuku and Shouto try to cripple Endeavor and bulldozers through Hawks and Dabi because one is Izuku in full caffeine withdrawal and the other is a very spiteful Shouto who recognizes no sibling but Endeavor is a fucking Todoroki so functionally indestructible. They shatter his legs so he can't walk again but that bastard gets through reeducation in a week. They poison him but he just gets a fever.

5 - Izuku is hallucinating at this point, he has attained a new level of consciousness, and he is yelling "Why do you want him to retire so much? I could just destroy the hero ranking! I could destroy the hero society is that's what you want!" and Shouto, who hasn't slept in a week, is "No! I want him to retire before All Might!" and Izuku is just "YOU WANT WHAT I DID TO ALL MIGHT? FINE!"

6 - Izuku recreates the exact same thing he did with All Might, using the same people, right until he is in front of Endeavor and slaps the quirk out of him, then grabs Shouto's face and headbuts him, giving him Hellfire, only to pass out because since there is now no trace of caffeine in his system, his body assumes that he has been dead for a week and it's time to turn off the lights.

7 - When Izuku wakes up, three days later and a cup of coffee in hand, he has no memory of the past week. Shouto tells him he uses afo to steal Hellfire and give it to him but Izuku doesn't believe him. Either Hellfire is a transferable quirk or AFO was the one to sneak the quirk in Shouto. Also, he concludes that it's not possible for him to be able to steal quirks since his mom can attracts small objects and his dad has a fire breath quirk. Shouto is so mad that he incoherently screams for thirty minutes.

8 - One month later, Nighteye connects the two dots, walks into UA and accuses Shouto of being the one who stole All Might's quirk. Enraged, Shouto incinerates his desk and screams "WRONG FUCKING QUIRK, ASSHOLE!"

[snackleggg]

A little headcanon I have about the Heart Pirates is that Law never asked a single one of them to join. They just did it of their own accord.

Usually, pirate captains have to seek out their crew and actively ask people to join them, but Law is an antisocial loner with a whole mountain of personal baggage and would probably avoid adding new people to his crew as much as possible.

Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo all joined the crew at the beginning. They found out Law was leaving to be a pirate and they were like "Not without us :)" so Law was like "Okay whatever, I needed a crew anyway and I've known them for a while so it's not a problem"

But I like to think this just... kept on happening.

Like, the Hearts show up somewhere. Their actions either directly or indirectly help someone, and then that someone just comes up to Law like "I'm on your crew now, deal with it" and Law just has to accept this. He never actually ends up asking a single member of the Hearts to join. They just decided they live there now. It's like the cat distribution system but with crew members. Just a bunch of strays meeting Law, going "Hey, this little weirdo is actually pretty alright" and adding themselves to his family.

This would also make Law's alliance with Luffy ten times more funny because its literally the exact same thing (Law crew member formula: Law helps them -> Law tries to insist it wasn't a big deal(frequently is a big deal like saving their life through surgery (Shachi, Penguin, Luffy) or being freed from enslavement (Jean Bart)) -> they decide that Law is a cool guy and adopt him) except this time is the only time Law actually ASKED. He was the one who proposed the alliance. He is literally not allowed to be grumpy about cause it was his idea. Of course Luffy would see the exact same thing the rest of Law's crew saw in him, only this time Luffy already has a crew and is the captain so of course he keeps going "he's part of my crew now!".

I swear Law is the most adoptable girly in One Piece, that sopping wet cat and potato sack princess vibe does not do him favours in the intimidation front. Law himself is not at all intimidating. it's pretty much all his Devil Fruit being OP. The man behind that Devil Fruit is a huge dork that likes collecting coins and reading comic books and has a soft spot for anything cute. This is not feared pirate behaviour Law, but your crew (and now a separate crew by extension) love you for it.