#elora rambles

[mysticmunson]

can we have a blurb about reader returning to school and being cornered by jason? 🙃

so funny enough i almost wrote this in the original post but i decided not to last minute so this is perfect. i hope you enjoy this darling! i wrote this in one sitting so just let me know if i fucked something up lol.

tw: language, a/o/b dynamics, unwarranted touching (not assault)

word count: 2.1k

Waking up just as the sun peeked behind the huge oak trees in the yard, you woke to an empty bed for the first time in days, Eddie returning to his place before you both made your return to school. 

Nerves had kept you tossing and turning, wondering who knew or who would notice. You felt different, physically and mentally, and when Eddie came back from presenting, most figured it out, although an alpha’s transformation is more drastic visually.

The warmth of your sheets comforted you as you stared at the popcorn ceiling, making shapes from the ridges. The birds outside chirped to each other, rustling by and landing on a branch. Your smile at the peaceful scene was cut short by your alarm clock, jumping out of your skin before slamming it to snooze.

Applying makeup with shaky hands and putting on a blue, cotton dress with sneakers, you tried to regulate your fears before they got the best of you. Grabbing a snack on your way out, you took a long exhale once on the opposing side of your front door, wishing you could hide for a bit longer.

Your stride gained momentum as you neared Hawkins High, grateful to see Robin being dropped off by Steve, rolling her eyes at something he said from the inside of his BMW. She caught your gaze and let a grin spread across her freckled cheeks, signaling you over as Steve drove away.

“Hi Rob, thanks for your help last week.” You said as you approached her, feeling blood flood to your cheeks at your compromised state. She snorted, swinging an arm around your shoulder, her jean jacket rubbing against your bare arm.

“Anytime, just owe me a movie night this week since it didn’t happen on Friday.” She compromised, making you laugh and agree, knowing she didn’t say this with accusation. The tiled halls were bustling with students, not taking much note of who was coming in and out of the doorway.

Thankful for the busyness, you felt a significant weight being lifted from your shoulders, but still kept your eye out for Eddie. He was notoriously late, so you figured it would be awhile till he returned. 

Robin rambled about her movie night with Steve and how he hogged the popcorn and burnt it, something you always managed not to do. As she continued her rant, you saw a quick glance of a basketball player whose name you couldn’t recall. He quickly disappeared into the sea of teenagers.

Trying to shake it off, you figured it was awkward eye contact, knowing you usually cowered away with awkwardness yourself at that. You bid goodbye to Robin as you entered your first period, taking a seat at the end of the middle section, attempting to garner as little attention as possible.

As class went on, you could feel sets of eyes lingering longer than usual, blaming it on your heightened nerves and that it would all calm down soon enough. The math equations scribbled in your notebook were barely legible, foot bouncing beneath your metal seat until the first bell rang. 

Grabbing your bag, you took one step out the door until a hand grabbed you, yanking you into their chest. While the action startled you, the recognition was instant as you saw his curls, smelled his potent aura, and the lips pressed to your cheek.

“Hey pretty girl.” Eddie greeted, intertwining your fingers as you both descended down the hall. He was in an Ozzy Osbourne tour shirt from ‘84, a pair of black ripped jeans, and bracelets on his wrists with one dangling cross earring in his right ear. You wanted to bite him.

“Hi Eds.” You smiled, quickly wrinkling your nose, “Did you skip first period?” Your question made him scoff, shooting air as if he couldn’t care less. While you did care about his education and making sure he graduated this year, you both knew this past week was eventful to say the least. 

Forcing glares to anyone giving less than a smile or not looking at all, Eddie was on high alert with you on his arm, his chest puffing in authoritative nature. He had the urge to stay by you in every class, but knew the teachers would either give him detention or kick him out. 

So he dropped you off at every class, racing back when class finished to repeat the action. The only time he didn’t was when they were going to lunch as the cafeteria was right between both rooms, a bit of distance between it. 

The fluorescent lights felt more intense as your exhaustion settled, rubbing your upper brow as another scientific theory was explained poorly by the P.E. teacher who was brought in to substitute. As he began to describe Newton’s laws, the bell signaled lunch, your stomach grumbling as if on cue. 

Filing in with the array of overly energized underclassmen and chronically stressed upperclassmen, you went in the direction of the lunch room until someone called your name. Walking to the side to fully turn around, you didn’t see anyone looking your way besides for quick glances, making your brows furrow. As soon as your back turned, you heard it again, this time closer until a majority of the students were down the walkway, getting their daily dose of cold meatloaf.

“Well hi there sweetheart.” You heard a chilling voice, not belonging to the one shouting your name previously, only to notice Jason and two of his teammates beside him. Their looks made you feel two feet tall, biting the inside of your lip to avoid crying which made you even more frustrated. 

The influx of emotions were too much, if this would’ve happened weeks ago, you’d just walked away with no comment. However, your feet now felt cemented in place as he loomed over you, a few strands of his blonde hair falling out of place.

His friend backed away, continuing a conversation aside from you as Jason smiled, leaning against the lockers beside you. His eyes sparkled with mischievousness, unable to read his direct intentions.

“So a little birdie told me you had a life changing weekend…” He trailed off, his fingers trailing against your elbow, “I could take care of you, would never have to lift a finger or be scared ever again. I would keep you safe.”

Swallowing the lump building in your throat, you could only muster up a whisper, barely recognizing your voice. “Eddie takes care of me.”

This made him chuckle, rolling his eyes as he grabbed your arm lightly, his golden skin warm against your tricep. His rough fingers brushed against your dainty dress, feeling much too thin at the moment, making the tears come to your waterline.

“I could truly take care of you, want you to be my omega,” He cooed, his free hand catching the stray tear, “No need to cry, I’ve got you. I’ll drive you home today.”

As he finished his sentence, you felt your feet be lifted from the figurative quicksand,  turning on your heels. A burn blossomed within your ribcage providing you a shortness of breath as you wiped away the dampness on your cheeks. Breezing through the now empty lunch line, you bought a lemonade and treat from the end cart, the older woman giving you a look. One that meant you better eat something better tomorrow, you smiled at her in appreciation, knowing her for years.

Eddie was looking amongst the crowd before he met your sight, shoulders relaxing visibly as you walked to him, sitting at the seat saved beside him. The boys of Hellfire gave you a kind smile and a hi before going back to their campaign talk. 

“Where’s your lunch?” Eddie questioned as you popped open the plastic covering the small rice krispy treat. You shrugged, taking a bite of the sugary snack as Eddie began quietly reminding you how important it was for you to eat well, particularly after heats.

The anxiety didn’t leave as you took a sip of your drink, nearly choking on it as you saw the basketball team sitting at their typical table, including their MVP. His touch taunted you, his voice grating as he spewed false promises, but nothing felt worse than seeing his false smile and almost trusting him. 

You didn’t like Jason, but the nature aspect of alphas and omegas was irrefutable in the beginning stages. He was telling you what you wanted to hear, things Eddie didn’t have to directly vocalize because you already knew he was your alpha, knowing he would provide for you.

“What’s wrong? You’re scared.” Eddie interjected your psychoanalysis as you twisted a sticky piece of puffed rice in between your fingertips. Shaking your head, you tried listening to Gareth describing their next attack, but Eddie reigned you back in.

“Hey, talk to me, please.” He whispered, his hand grabbing your knee in a comforting manner, the best feeling you had experienced all day. Yet the whiplash of feelings made the tears resurface, opening your lips to speak before clamping them shut and scurrying out of the lunch room.

You didn’t look back as you went straight to the parking lot, inhaling the fresh air intensely as if you hadn’t breathed in a minute. The sound of sneakers followed behind you, feeling Eddie behind you mentally until his hand reached your lower back.

“It’s nothing.” You muttered, wiping your black stained tears, sniffling. It was naive to believe you could hide things from each other anymore as every interaction was more intense than the last, feeling your bodies mush into one cohesive response system.

He didn’t need to edge you on, only raising his eyebrows and staring down at you. Damn those soft, brown eyes that always made you melt, enticing you with every blink. He hugged you close to his chest, hearing his heartbeat evenly. 

“Jason talked to me in the hallway,” His body instinctively tensed, “S-said he wanted to be my alpha, drive me home, and take care of me. I don’t want that, you’re my alpha.” Nuzzling deeper against his band tee, his jaw clenched in an attempt to reign in his anger.

“He’s not going to lay a hand on you, baby doll, but let me pay him a visit.”

The final bell rang to signal everyone out for the day, escaping as fast as you could for the gravel filled parking lot. You waited near the steps for Eddie as cars sped off, blasting the newest Billy Joel or Soft Cell record, much different from your alpha’s taste.

Peace only lasted so long though as Jason drove around the road, looping back to pull up in front of you. His car purred to a stop, hopping out and pushing his sunglasses to his hairline. 

The green letterman jacket on his arms squeaked as he outstretched his arms, waiting for you to come closer until he saw your hesitation, sauntering a few inches closer. His breath fanned against your face, tickling your lower lashes to make you blink harshly.

“You have two seconds to back the fuck off, Carver.” Eddie all, but growled at the shorter man before him, leaving the double doors a foot behind you. 

Anger was laced with every word as his disdain for the spoiled rich kid interfered with his newfound alpha protectiveness. His knuckles cracked as they clenched at his sides, only opening a hand to push you behind his frame. 

“How about you learn to treat your girl right-” Jason began until Eddie grabbed him by the collar, lifting him from the ground. 

While they both were newfound alphas, having an omega meant enhanced results, like an increase in strength. He saw the flash of fear in his light colored eyes, making his brain produce serotonin. 

“Say one more thing to her and you’ll never speak again or be able to have children, got it?” He ordered, watching as the boy in his grasp rolled his eyes before he slammed his body into his car, grunting in pain.

“Eddie, please.” You begged softly, not wanting to risk suspension or a crowd of people who couldn’t give less of a shit of his well being. Thankfully Jason nodded, making Eddie release his firm grasp before walking you back to his van.

The ride was quiet as he drove down the winding roads of Indiana, the leaves going from green to orange, some scattering the ground. His hand rested on your upper thigh, tight as if you would vanish right beneath him. A part of him feared you would really leave him for Jason, someone who could take care of you financially and not have the town's eyes on them in a negative light.

“I wouldn’t dream of leaving you, handsome.” You spoke as if to his thoughts as he smiled, eyes still trained on the black road before him, lifting your hand to put a gentle kiss on your soft skin. 

[stbot]

We’ll do it together.

[thecsquirrel]

Absolutely happy that Warrior Nun rose from the dead. Great effort all around. (Really hope they bring back Shotgun Mary because I miss her energy.)

As this development bolsters my hope for Willow, there's work to be done. There's no secret that the Warrior Nun campaign got crazy attention and buy-in, and not just from queer folks - who led the charge.

Willow has the base to grow from the og fans who loved that campy ass film and love this show (it me!) and the young folks who fell in love with the whole Willow gang. That's a great loud and lovely base and it needs to be bigger and louder.

But how does one do that without the damn show! Warrior Nun grew because we had a whole season to rewatch, and then folks picked it up. And petty-ass Disney has taken the show off the platform. (Like f*ck them forever for that. Seriously.)

As always the fanfic and the art and the edits keep this whole thing going. Social media fans those flames. Keep up the word of mouth. Sign petitions and harass your friends. Also, harass Disney. Let's get Kasdan and the crew back on board.

Finally, to the youth, piracy is your friend! 🏴‍☠️ I still have all my burned dvds and cds from college. Yes, there are sites (with spamware, blerg), but torrenting is a good way to go. There are good torrent sites and programs like Utorrent.

Download the whole season. Put it on your drive. Share that drive. Burn it to a dvd. Maybe make copies and just hand them out. Whatever it takes. This show needs eyeballs! I truly believe that Disney et al are choosing to deplatform shows because of the WGA strike and residuals, however, the fact that the majority of the canceled/deplatformed shows are Queer-led, Black/POC led, and often have female leads or focused on women is no coincidence. (Male-centered queer shows are not only being renewed, but if they are canceled, they are easily finding new homes. NPH's show is a prime example.) So, yes, the data suggests that there is a bias against shows about queer/lesbian women and nb folks.

Anywho, mount up Team One Braincell aka Questies, and let's do the thing. Maybe Kasdan can stop his placating approach and get pissed off. It worked for Simon Barry, so who knows.

Let's go storm a castle and whatnot!

[yourstrullyme]

okay but why was the training montage so effing horny? for what? the tension between elora and kit? between kit and jade? the finally working togetherness of elora and graydon?? these kids man

[whiteheart7]

i really really really like that elora, bear, willie jack, and cheese are all still friends in the end. none of them got together romantically. theyre really close and they love each other so much and theyre friends. i was so afraid that when bear and elora had that moment in the chapel they were going to confess feelings for each other but they didnt. theyre friends and they love each other and arent afraid to say it. they hugged!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and theyre friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mirconreadzztuff22]

Class Of 09 Quotes As Arcane Characters:

(these are all silly jokes 😊)

Younger Mel: “I told you yesterday, if I skip any more my Mom’s gonna start giving me disciplinary tattoos.”

Younger Elora: “How does that even work? What does she write on you?”

Younger Mel: “It’d be some weird shit like “I LOVE SCHOOL” on my fingers.”

Younger Elora: “Isn’t that like.. abusive?”

Younger Mel: “She’s the only mom I’ve ever had, how the fuck should I know?”

Jinx: “Awh, if I didn’t have PTSD I’d be blushing right now”

Caitlyn to Vi: “..Y’know what’s fun about us is our priorities are drastically different.”

Deckard: “Ha bitch, sucks to be you.”

Vi: “Sucks to like lacrosse you fucking field hockey reject.”

Jinx: “Finally in one place to build a steady reputation.”

Jinx: “and then life said FUCK THAT”

(Because I don’t think this guy has an official name, others have called him Dustin, so I’ll call him Dustin too)

Sevika trying to tell Dustin to do anything: “Oh yeah he’s fucked up, I forgot.”

[knight-princess]

The way Kit looks like she’s got one foot inside deaths gates for like a good chunk of episode 7, but she wants to set off across the sea right away, she doesn’t want wait, she wants to get there now and rescue her brother. She and Airk love each other so much I can’t. And the way she’s glaring at Elora the whole episode. She feels so much. Like she’s bratty and mean and tries to act tough but that’s because she feels so so much and is trying to hide it and bury it and redirect it and it’s so beautiful that Elora can tap into that side of her and go “it’s alright to feel all this it’s cool to love and it’s cool to make love your superpower” like I think that was something that Kit was really needing

[terapsina]

Are they even an OTP if they don't have a visually stunning training sequence against the background of a colorful and inspiringly gorgeous sky?

[landfilloftrash]

wow my mental state is normal huh. anyways (hurls these into the abyss)

[psalm40speakstome]

The small but elusive we’ve kissed but also haven’t club:

Just noticing both are a blonde and her dark haired loyal heart eyes boyfriend 👀

[hunteroftruffles]

Some thoughts (ramblings) on ep 3 of Willow (spoilers) - mainly on Kit and Jade

I’m liking that Kit is the only one who saw the bush that Elora’s magic grew, it sets Kit up nicely to learn to swallow her pride and admit she sees something in Elora.

The Kit and Jade dynamic is really working for me, I appreciate rather than a slow burn we’ve got more of a romcom ish element of two people who clearly love each other continuously fucking up with miscommunication. I

But I did kind of hope Kit would have stopped Jade from killing Valentine and done the job for her. I understand why they went with Jade having to be the one to take out her surrogate father as an act of mercy, but it was honestly pretty upsetting to watch and I felt like after accusing Jade of hesitating and then getting that conflict scene that I would have liked to see Kit block Jade’s killing blow to mirror Jade blocking the blow that could have killed Kit. And then Kit could have told Jade that this is one burden she shouldn’t have to carry and could have killed Valentine for her. Because everyone (Sorcha and Valentine - is his name even Valentine because my ears sometimes heard Baletine, but that’s not a name right?) does seem to look to Jade to look after everyone and she’s just a little baby who needs a hug.

In terms of everyone else I was sad Silas died, I like him but I will probably get over it. Boreman is suspicious and I love him. Elora is lovely and I need her to stay her perky slightly dumb self because I love the lightness of it. Graydon is definitely hiding some dark magic related elements of his life, I did briefly think his dad was abusive in the first episode when we saw all the scars now I’m more thinking along the lines of either Graydon or someone in his family experimented with dark magic. And there’s no way his brother fell out of tree. And finally Willow - I just want him to do some fake magic or have some acorns or something. Where is his whimsy you know?

Also I love butch lumberjack lesbians as much as the next person but why were their hats and clothes so modern??? I normally don’t mind chaotic costuming but if just felt really off to me. Also I swear the lighting really switches in that scene so that Elora runs from a foggy dark forest bit into a much brighter scene (and I know it’s not because this show wants me to be able to see because some of the scenes in ep 3 were dark). Anyway I spent the whole of that scene convinced Elora had ended up knocked out or in a pocket dimension or something in the forest. I was sure the lumberjack lesbians were magical in some way. But no they just had modern hats, and seemingly a pretty narratively pointless appearance. It kind of felt like that scene was added much later to bulk out the episode almost, it was just weirdly incongruous to me.

[mysticmunson]

based on a text post by @justsheerfilth1 @mantorokk-writes and @edsforehead

eddie munson who just got a job as a school bus driver as he plans his music career. he only did younger kids as the older ones annoyed him too much, usually just taking his route in the mornings and afternoons.

you’re a kindergarten teacher, just a year or two out of college, but having been a teachers aid for years before that.

when eddie got the call for a field trip to the aquarium, he was bummed at the thought of sitting in the food court without being able to leave, but felt lucky when his middle aged coworkers said they had to go to a farm for the 4th graders and a trash yard for the 3rd graders.

still, as much as he tolerated the job with his headphones in his walkman, he tried to grit through the drive to the school at 6:30am.

the small children were in scattering groups of excitement, with some jumping up and down, listing facts about puffer fish, as some yawned with the cheek pressed against the leg of a chaperone.

the principle walked towards the bus door, tapping it as eddie put it in park, pushing his blaring headphones down.

“good morning, eddie,” principle matthews said, his dress shoes tapping on the steps, “i know you’re scheduled to be at the trip all day today, i wanted to thank you again and note we did provide an extra ticket if you’d like to walk around with the students.”

he resisted the scoff, politely nodding and thanking him for the ‘generous’ offer. he wished he’d packed an edible beforehand, the fish would’ve looked like they were from space.

the school was small, only having two kindergarten classes, with an older teacher, mrs kingston, who had been there since eddie was small, and you, who he had yet to meet.

mrs kingston lead her small army forward, helping them sit in their assigned seating. as the number of kids on the bus outweighed those out, eddie examined the sea of bopping heads, feeling the energy of their wavering emotions.

“good morning everyone!” your voice rang, standing at the front of the bus, making all eyes avert to you, including eddie’s.

“now, i see a few friends here, but let’s make sure we’re all here.” you crooned, voice gentle, but not baby-like, “when i call your name, raise your hand and tell me one type of fish.”

as the children listed off, he couldn’t help but look at you, your eyelashes kissing your upper cheeks and pen tapping the small clipboard.

you had turned to eddie to introduce yourself, shaking his hand before taking your seat at the front of the bus beside a girl much smaller than the rest. her eyes were like saucers at the noises and sights, fidgeting in the worn plastic seats.

the chatter turned to shrills of excitement when you all pulled into the aquarium parking lot, sprinting towards the workers who lined everyone in groups.

eddie watched as you guided the kids throughout the exhibits, kneeling down when one had a question or seemed frightened by the creature. the small girl from before shrieked at the sight of the squid, running to hide behind eddie’s legs.

“darlene, i don’t think mr. munson appreciates being used as your hiding spot,” you smiled, “squids are friendly, this glass is out here to keep them safe.”

he blushes at the official name, “it’s alright, i was scared of squids too.” he laughed, making darlene smile, slowly removing herself from his knee and holding his hand.

he walked silently, not sure what to do with his newfound ‘friend’ but was too focused on you to contemplate it too much.

“you’re really tall,” darlene stated, looking up at him while rocking on her mary janes. he nodded, pursing his lips with a shrug, swinging their joint hands gently back and forth.

before they could enter the petting section, it was lunch time, a fine assortment of sandwiches, goldfish, and small sea animal shaped cookies. the adults got food from a local fast food joint.

you and eddie strikes up conversation between bites of fried chicken, finding more similarities than you intended. born and raised in hawkins, lived with relatives growing up, and loved music.

“my music taste is messy,” you giggled, dipping a fry into honey mustard, “i like everything from beethoven, madonna, sam cooke, to metallica-“

“you like metallica?” eddie asked in shock, noting your floral dress and flats made him suspect everything, but that.

nodding and wiping your mouth with a napkin, you swallowed your bite, “i lived with my grandparents and older siblings, they were fans from the beginning and a lot of their songs have memories. i saw them on tour in ‘88.”

“no shit!” eddie gasped, covering his mouth when he received a glare from an employee, “i was at that concert too, had to get tickets pretty far away, but so worth it.

“it was an incredible show!” you agreed, smiling, “i got pit tickets from my eldest sister, but she said it was only because the only man i talked about was kirk hammett and she didn’t want me to die an old maid.”

he grinned, heart fluttering at the revelation that he had much in common with the rockstar.

the rest of the day, he snuck in side conversations with you, finding out your favorite movies, songs, jokes and books. he hadn’t had a crush since high school, usually getting rejected and/or laughed at.

he had almost given up, but when you walked off when the kids were long gone, slipping your phone number into his palm, he was glad he didn’t. as his shaky hands pressed the numbers in his small apartment, he couldn’t help, but chuckle.

only he would find a girl in fish tanks and bus stops.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

i wrote this in one sitting on my phone so sorry bout that

[stbot]

Kit’s Uncle Al: The World’s Last Greatest Troubadour

[thecsquirrel]

Me, undoubtedly, next week watching the final ep of season 1 (cause there will be more, I am manifesting!) will be like a coach watching their star gymnast complete a complicated routine, with my eyes focused on the screen, edge of my seat, and repeating like a mantra:

Stick the landing. Stick the landing. For the love of Kenneth, stick the motherforking landing!!!

[yourstrullyme]

king hastur out there thinking his boy is getting it on with the Butchest Princess Out There meanwhile his soft soft boy is telling the kitchen maid he loves her even if she loves someone else

iconic

[greencheekconure27]

Thinking about Sorsha and how terrified of magic she must be (even if she'd never go as far to admit it) and how it impacts her decisions in the show.

Bavmorda was her mother.I don't know if she was already too far gone when she had Sorsha or if Sorsha witnessed her slip further and further into evil .Either way I do think she sees magic as a corrupting force that pretty much destroyed the first half of her life. She watched it ruin Tir Asleen, her mother*, Nockmaar, just everything around her as she grew up.On top of that, from what (admittedly little but it's there) we've seen of their interactions in the movie it seems likely Bavmorda used her magic to punish/force Sorsha into obedience, either directly,by proxy, or both.

Sorsha isn't magic herself (probably another way she disappointed Bavmorda) but she did inherit the potential as well as the knowledge of just how dangerous and powerful and messed up it can be.She loves Kit and Airk, but she's also afraid and constantly looking for signs of their grandmother's evil in them.I think protecting them from that is one of the main reasons (other than the stated one) she decides to ban magic in her realm.Because by doing so she also prevents her children from studying it and thus getting corrupted even if they do turn out to have magical talent,or so she believes.Willow already told her that magic dissipates if not trained and encouraged, and we know she was willing to do that to Elora (and she does love Elora!)for the sake of her having a *normal* life, so why not the twins as well?

Which also brings me to her interaction with Willow in episode 2. I think there's more to her telling Willow he's not a great sorcerer (rude !!!) than meets the eye.It's not just her not believing in him or trying to win the argument about Elora's fate.I think that for her, Willow's is a great man Despite, not Because of him being a sorcerer.And yes she refuses to believe her friend, whom she definitely admires, is a "great sorcerer" because who had been the main and only *great sorceress* in Sorsha's life? Right.Bavmorda. Maybe Fin Raziel too but a) she was past her prime at that point and b) we'll probably never know,but I suspect she didn't trust Raziel much either.So I think that deep down she both can't really reconcile "good man" and *great sorcerer* in her mind (and since Willow is definitely a good man in her eyes he can't also be a great sorcerer) and is trying to discourage everyone around her (the twins, Elora, Willow himself) from what she genuinely believes is a dangerous path.

(* and presumably her father as well- he was supposed to be the king of Tir Asleen whom Bavmorda cursed in the movie but those scenes got cut)