#end scne.

[theheightofdishonor]

so obviously the pinkie hold from the last ep has spurred tinn to try his hand at being more overt and direct but like his old confession attempts, directness doesn't seem to be giving him results. I hope the next ep's from gun's pov because i have no clue what's going on in that boy's head

[pourquoiyyy]

I'm finishing my rewatch of Bad Buddy and I'm at the last episode, I remember the raaaaage I felt in January 2022 while watching this episode, starting from "4 years later" I was rage crying for a while lmao

[shinysobi]

I am pretty sure Colin didn’t cheat on Pen in the book after he found out she was LW. So it will be ridiculous and overall a stupid decision if they had Colin cheat on Penelope after he finds out. They are getting married at the end of the season. They are returning next season as well. Also people thinking Luke said he cried while filming a scene in season 3 means he found a scene hard to do, like Colin does something bad. People also cry when they are happy. Also, have you seen the Leaks of episode 5 and 6 (well more of episode 5)?

im betting that the scne luke talks about is the LW reveal (he's supposed to be angry but he is crying instead) and yes i trust the actors because atp luke and nicola have more sense of who their characters are than the showrunners themselves. and no, im trying not to spoil myself, so it is only fanfics for me!!!

[kajaono]

"Why can you not just accept that is was supposed to be subtext? Why can you not just accept that the author enjoyed playing around with tension?"

I got that question a lot recently. Two things: First at all, I think there is a huge difference between a gentle queer subtext, playing around with homoerotic tension and straight up gay jokes. Gay jokes were already outdated when BBC Sherlock aired... at least in my opinion. And homoerotic tension is nice... if it leads somewhere. You can not be surprised when people watch a show for ten years and evnetually wonder if this will lead somewhere. hell, even Castiel confessed his love in the end.

Second, I enjoy some good gay tension (Hannibal) or queer subtext (RDJ Sherlock Holmes) if it is well written. But in BBC Sherlock it wasn't subtext imo, it was literally text. From minute onwards it was like: "WE ARE NOT A COUPLE! PEOPLE MIGHT TALK!" completly unpromoted. Which is like... so bizarre. I never asked. If this show would just have had a gentle queer subtext i would have been completly relaxed and aware of it. But like this?

Maybe Mofftiss just has a really differnet humor then I have, and maybe sees the world from a completly different POV and thats okay. Nevertheless it leaves me confused. Why being so agressive about it from minute one onwards? "I asked him if he has a boyfriend BUT WE ARE NOT COUPLE!" Geez, decide for one thing, will you? Its annyoing.

Like... i have a really difficult relationship with that show. I am okay with accepting it was supposed to be just subtext, but why making sure to scream at people "NOT A COUPLE" every second scne? Even before a fandom existed. Where they so scared of a queer reading? When they themselves put the gay jokes and moment in there themselves. It is baffling me.

[rex101111]

I was thinking that, despite how relatively popular she is, Shuten has only had one extra version of her, so I started thinking of what kind of Alter she’d get and what sort of event would bring it about...and I hit upon a really stupid one that made me laugh so I wanna share it.

Ruler Shuten. Yes, I’m serious. 

Now the whole point of a Ruler is that they are supposed to be outside the conflict and make sure that a grail war doesn’t go off the rails and everyone follows the rules, a “judge” in other words, right? So, I was thinking, what sort of war or contest or whatever could Shuten possibly be qualified to be a judge of?

And then it hit me, cooking contest!

It would be a really silly event, like Oniland, and likewise spurred by Ibaraki saying something that manages to hit Shuten’s usually well hidden soft side. This time the younger Oni complains about how the food they serve in Chaldea isn’t as good as they used to have back on Mt. Ooe, and how now she has to share instead of just having as much as she wants. It’s a selfish want on the surface but Shuten can see that underneath that its just Ibaraki feeling a bit nostalgic for the good ol’ days.

The event is of course a big and bombastic cooking contest, like Master Chef but with explosions and people stabbing each other. All the famous, and infamous, chef servants fight a heated battle to satisfy the taste of The Grand Judge...Shuten Douji???

Everyone points out how outlandish it is that Shuten somehow managed to manifest as a Ruler, the loudest complaints of course come from Raikou, who is miffed both because she has to deal with Shuten and because she tried to cook something for Kintoki and it turned out awful so she’s using this chance to improve her skills and having to have her cooking judged by Shuten is seriously ruffling her feathers something fierce.

R: “How the hell can you possibly be qualified to judge me, insect?”

S: “Do you know how much wine I’ve drank? The feasts I’ve consumed? By sheer volume alone my tongue has more experience than anyone here~”

R: “You ate people!”

S: “Exactly! Thank you for reminding me! Yes! I ate people! Young and Old! Rich and Poor! Man and Woman! My tastes are diverse and well balanced! Truly my qualifications run deep! So here I am before you, as Ruler, as judge.”

R: “I-! You-!”

S: “So be sure to try your best~~”

Cue Shuten vanishing in a flash of light and Raikou gnashing her teeth and so begins the event. Tamamo and Kiyohime and especially Tomoe continue to be utterly atrocious at cooking and are the first bosses, Benienma continues to suffer as she opts out of the contest because she knows it would be unfair so she tries to train everyone else and boy is she in for a rough time, Archer and Boudica forming a quiet but intense rivalry as they battle it out in the kitchen for the title of Mom Of Chaldea, just a lot of small scenes of servants having fun and cooking like those mini-scnes in Oniland.

Shuten would be the featured 5 star limited servant of course, dressed in a mix of flowing white robes and a chef’s outfit that, because this is FGO and this is Shuten, gets skimpier the more you ascend her. The one thing that doesn’t change is that in every ascension...she has a little white chef’s hat between her horns. It only changes in her final ascension where it becomes a BIG white chef’s hat between her horns.  

The ending would be something like Raikou finally cooking something that satisfies Shuten (and beating each other up because they couldn’t resist) and she then turns around...and gives it to Ibaraki, who marvels at how this is exactly like the stew or whatever they used to have “way back when”. 

Ibaraki turns to Raikou and thanks her loudly and the samurai can only stammer a quiet, “thank you” and out of instinct pulls out a handkerchief to wipe Ibaraki’s face. Shuten just watches this with a quiet smile.   

So yeah if we can get a Ruler that’s a Casino Manger/Playboy Bunny why not Chef Shuten? Why the hell not huh???

[splendontcore]

i think the last thing i will say for this day is that huh....i have daydreaming a lot about a stupid goofy ahh plot for a obviiusly imaginary (becuase yeah nightlife has never been than deep than huuuh coloured animals dancing and singing) movie where they whole plot goes around the mayor ordens mandatory fulltime work for anyone older than 18+ and the nightlife scne fucking dies becuase evryone is so overworked and tired to ever left their houses so the 4 clubs have to come together to spit on the eye of that mf and also they sing you cant stop the beat at the end and theres the credit scene with happy boys and happy girls from aqua that is a whole sequence of reanimated htf episodes with the nightlife designs

[bibliophileiz]

Ranking the Books I read in 2022

I feel really good about my bottom two and top four, but some of the middle ones may be more smushed. Also if my Goodreads stars don't always seem to line up with my rankings, it's because I reserve the right to change my mind at any time.

26. The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay. Date reviewed: Jan. 25, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 3 (apparently i averaged it bc i thought the writing was good, though now i can't remember why) 1-sentence review: Every time I read a thriller, I'm like Jason Bateman pulling the bag labelled dead dove out the freezer, looking at it, and going, "I don't know what I expected."

25. Royal Diaries: Isabel: Jewel of Castilla by Carolyn Meyer Date reviewed: Jan. 11, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 3, but 2.5 were for Beatriz de Bombadilla 1-sentence reivew: Isabel is insufferable and I want a biography about Beatriz de Bombadilla.

24. Love, Hate, and Clickbait by Liz Bowery Date reviewed: Nov. 9, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 3 1-sentence review: The characters are terrible but it's still a good way to pass election night.

23. A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske Date reviewed: June 2, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 3 1-sentence review: Main couple great, sex scnes are steamy, plot reasonably creative, but overall moves slowly and most of the side characters are terrible.

22. Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard by Tom Felton Date reviewed: Nov. 8, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 3 1-sentence review: Hollywood is TOXIC and I hope Tom's living his best life in England with his brothers and his dog.

21: The Woman Who Would Be King by Kara Cooney Date reviewed: March 1, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 3 1-sentence review: Hatshepsut was a boss, but Cooney's writing style could be livelier.

20. Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero by Michael Hingson Date reviewed: Sept. 27, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 4 (was probably generous) 1-sentence review: Super interesting memoir that taught me way more about blindness and guide dogs than about 9/11 (which is fine).

19. Husband Material by Alexis Hall Date reviewed: Aug. 16, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 3 1-sentence review: Same hilarity, more emotional maturity, but Luc and Oliver didn't seem happy with each other's friends and somewhat traitorously (because I know this is the exact OPPOSITE of the point of the book) I kind of wish they'd gotten married.

18. Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey Date reviewed: April 20, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 3 1-sentence review: We stan one leading lady. (Dude was ... fine I guess.)

17. Graphic Classics Romeo and Julie by Gareth Hinds Date reviewed: Oct. 25, 2022 Goodread stars I gave it: 4 1-sentence review: Turns out graphic novels are a good way to read Shakespeare plays.

16: Four Queens: The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe by Nancy Goldstone Date reviewed: March 15, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 3 1-sentence review: Goldstone's historical writing is great as always, but she should have written about French queen Blanche of Castile instead.

15. Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall Date reviewed: April 25, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 4 1-sentence review: Here's to the book that made me silent-laugh so hard in a restaurant that I had to put my mask back on to keep the other customers from staring at me.

14. If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy Date reviewed: April 22, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 4 1-sentence review: Adored everything except the love interest, who seemed to have misplaced his personality.

13. To Marry and to Meddle by Martha Waters (audio book) Date reviewed: May 5, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 4 1-sentence review: My favorite so far of the Regency Vows series and I didn't even get embarassed listening to an actor read the sex scenes aloud. (admittedly i was alone in my car, but still)

12. Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake Date reviewed: June 21, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 4 1-sentence review: A lovely little w/w romance with great supporting characters and a fantastic sister-subplot that was arguably as engaging as the love story.

11. Lore Olympus Volume 1 by Rachel Smythe Date reviewed: Jan. 24, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 3 1-sentence review: Greek mythology and breathtaking artwork -- what's not to love?

10. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden Date reviewed: Aug. 10, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 4 1-sentence reivew: If you're like me and you love dark, eerie fairy tales, then this is the book for you.

9. The Bodyguard by Katherine Center Date reviewed: July 27, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 3 1-sentence reivew: I liked Wilbur and corgi-breeding stalker better than I liked Robby, which I think is what God and Katherine Center intended.

8. I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston Date reviewed: Sept. 16, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 4 1-sentence review: What starts out as a seeming scathing take-down of certain John Green novels with shades of gay Mean Girls thrown in turns into something completely unexpected and wonderful and warm and welcoming.

7. Royal Diaries: Cleopatra: Daughter of the Nile by Kristiana Gregory Date reviewed: Jan. 19, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 4 1-sentence review: Yes, I am being indulgent ranking this so high, but she has a pet leopard and insults Roman officials in their own language.

6. Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell Date reviewed: Sept. 23, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 4 1-sentence review: A thoughtful and engaging take on how language shapes cultures within communities, with sometimes insidious intent.

5. Book Lovers by Emily Henry Date reviewed: July 23, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 4 1-sentence review: Hallmark villains in love with NYC to the point of delusion make the best protagonists.

4. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna Date reviewed: Sept. 23, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 4 1-sentence review: Reading this is like walking into a sunlit room on a Sunday morning. (Note: I actually switched this to rank above Book Lovers, which is a VERY big deal for me because I love Emily Henry.)

3. Signal Moon by Kate Quinn Date reviewed: Aug. 20, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 4 1-sentence review: Combining World War II AND time travel (sort of) is like hitting all my tragic romance buttons at once.

2. The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn Date reviewed: June 16, 2022 (I don't think GR has this right -- I got an advanced copy and reviewed it not long after reading it. I posted a review on Facebook on Feb. 28, 2022) Goodreads stars I gave it: 5 1-sentence review: Amazing writing, a bombshell of a heroine, and a story that makes me see, smell and hear the Eastern front -- I'm not kidding when I say this is Quinn's best book so far. (Note: I wrote that line when I hadn't read No. 1 on the list yet.)

and finally....

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn Date reviewed: July 4, 2022 Goodreads stars I gave it: 5 Entire review because I have no self-control:

Earlier this year, I said I thought The Diamond Eye may be Kate Quinn's best book. I am revising my opinion. THIS may be Kate Quinn's best book. I read it in one day, basically didn't put it down except to do work. I think the last time I did something like that, I was reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince the day it came out. And I was 13.

The Rose Code has all the usual Kate Quinn Hallmarks -- great heroines, wartime stakes, swoonworthy love interests, engaging side characters, and cameos from real life historical figures (in this case folks like Alan Turing and Winston Churchill, plus a snide reference about Ian Fleming's womanizing) -- while also having a tighter story (unlike in, say, The Huntress, Quinn isn't having to juggle multiple flashbacks in this book) and what I felt was a slightly less over-the-top climax though ... it was still pretty over-the-top. I think by the time I got to it I was just in a jubilant state.

Anyway, just read this book.

Also, for a spoiler that will make you happy (but is a spoiler nonetheless) ... yes, Beth reunites with the dog.

[riphimopen]

I'm watching the original black christmas again and having so many thoughts and I remember you've mentioned billy is trans b4 and 1 of my readings of him is that he's actually agnes and his recountings of those events is from a third person view because he gets to make it him who did the attacking u know? and like I have a lot of readings of this guy and that's why I love him so much but also this one makes me so sick and emotional bcs I think billy's dealing with his trauma by making himself the attacker and that's also kind of why he does evertything he does int the movie u know? also I think it makes at least a little bit of sense bcs in the stories he says the mom and dad call the kid he killed "the baby' but when he talks as agnes she's clearly like at least 5/6 maybe even older bcs she can talk really well and his voice sounds like a young kid not a baby. so like billy is agnes but he still killed "the baby" who he calls agnes because he's putting it all unto her and now he wasn't hurt in those memories and he was the one with the power u know? also in the end story where the mom and dad and screaming and saying where's the baby where's agnes billy's voice is a lot younger sounding and based on the way he says evrythign it sounds like a scne where he\s holding the baby out to them like here's the baby see she's alright which is what you do with a little baby not a kid so I think billy killed agnes when he was pretty young based on that and the stories where his voice is older sounding and agnes talks are him projecting and all that. anyway sorry for dumpng all this in your inbox I just have many thoughts and I like the way you talk babot billy the most bcs ur version is great and epcially yhe way you draw him

YOU CANT COME IN HERE DROPPING THE SINGLE MOST INTELLIGENT TAKE ON THE PLANET AND EXPECTING ME TO NOT IMPLODE LIKE A SODA CAN............. transgender billy lenz regaining agency and bodily autonomy by portraying himself as having killed his past self within a third party+ reinvented himself from the corpse..... YOUR ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF VOICES YES!!!! YES LITERALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND THE DUALITY OF HIM PROJECTING AND SIMULTANEOUSLY DEFENDING TAKING STANCES AS BOTH THE AGRESSOR AND VICTIM NOT ONLY OF HIMSELF BUT OF THE PARENTS......... WHAT YOUR MOTHER AND I MUST KNOW IS. taking back control over his younger abused and trans self by killing it off actively and rising from the ashes as best he can while still so intrinsically tethered to the situation that it ends up defining his identity more than ever...... trans people who kill themselves off as two people. trans people who are their own murderer and get away with it. trans people who are haunted by their own ghost. FUCK dude FUCK. FUCK!!!!!!!! TRAUMA RESPONSE!!!!!!!!!!

[karalynlovescake]

A question about a fanfic you spoke of once.

You mentioned from the foreignerror series that you had an idea about a fanfic tied around the new folks in emergence. What was that about?

It took me a minute to figure out what this was referring to, but I assume that it must be the fic I started and did not finish which i have mentally dubbed the "Underground Mospheiran University Machimi Club" fic, which dealt with the three students that get enlisted to tutor Caejeri's associates, Artur, Gene and Irene when they come down to the planet.

They mention in their interview with Bren that they helped with translation during "the Troubles" and with the general Mospheiran sentiment of side-eying people who get really into that weeaboo atevi shit (because come on, that's what it is,) how their social experiences would have been in setting up their club, the university trying to shut them down etc.

I pulled up the doc and apparently my plan was to end it with a scne of them all getting together with their friends after the event where President Tyers was shot at, at the end of that book.

[abhi2126]

WEEK 12

screenplay and casting

Scene starts with a mid long at a low angle potraying the guy lying down ponderiing in distress, a red frame is chosen to express his feeling of rage and frustration. Then we move onto a scene jump cuts which is built up with intense audio that really creates the foreboding atmosphere. Then it transitiond to a low angel and the frame is slightly pinkish with a titnt of blue creating a pyschdelic atmoshpere, the most engaing part to me personally being the smoke surrounding across his face as really instilling the pysdelic effect.

we then take a mid angle shot at a dutch angle showing his bottol rolled over with him drunk which I have shownwith a chroma leak effect on the frame, \

Then we move onto a continuation scene where he is steggring to walk and we add a wirl effect to establish that and we use a go pro to make th audience really feel that dizzy feeling. further on there is a jerky movement when he steps and walks across the room until the audience gets sudden surprise where theres a body lying in the bag where our scne ends to grasp the attention by keeping the main plot in suspense creating anticipation and making the stroy live in the minds of the audience for a long time.

[youreyeslookliketheocean]

i need to be able to go into 2023 and say "i finished full throttle before 2022 ended"

chapter 8. i must fucking finish this. but first i just want to say tommys characterizartion and character development and all the fancy literature stuff that comes with character has been pure gold. you really popped off in this fic and i wanted to appluad you on that 👏👏👏👏👏

in what ive read so far i love how youve shown tommys insecurities and his determination to prove them wrong so well

all my homies hate tommys old chief

they repition of hazard just shows how bad his insecurities are. you are an awesome writer

oh my god micheal has a sign for tommy i will give everything for that child

bro im so bad at reading i literally thought they were racing until i read "and the race begins" smh smh :/

TWO HUNDRED LAPS GODDAMN??? why are there so many laps in racing wth??

no tommy dont panic attack now- ofc wilburs here

THANK GOD toMMY LET wil PASS i was so worried for a second.

im sorry what do you mean tommys old cheif would corner him. say it with me boys: all my homies hate tommys old chief

oh god no stop overthinking ahhahahhahahhahhhhh

pls let tommy be ok, we need some comforting words from phil now

oh tommy- :((((((((((((( ok this is sad now why is it so sad now

its so sad when tommy says wilburs right?

NO HE SAID HE WaS a FAIlURE NO TOMMY YOU ARE ANYTHING BUt that

phil is so confused this is the part where phil is gonna say tommys wrong yes!!!

when phil says that tommy doesnt have to race and does the exact opposite than what his old cheif would have done this secen is aawsome

"i could never be mad at you" ok im going to go cry "you dont have to prove anything to us" my heart is shattering /pos (im so dramatic lol) i love this scne so much favrotei scene

aww this is such a nice scen- wait why motHER FUCKING WILBUR THERE ALL OF A SUDDEN?? and he said he was wrong

bro im not even suprised technos thre whos next the us president

he just gonna drive

"they've been saying all along hits him at full throttle speed" 👏👏

this is when he finally realizes yes ive been waiting so long

bro wilbur is cracked and goated but what if he let tommy get second to last

he wants tommmy to follow him???????? if thats technically cehating idrc do it

"he doesnt care what his old cheif thinks" YEAHHHHH!!! LETS GO

i love tommy in this fic he said the thing hes not trying to prove now

Fourteenth 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 not last not last not last yeahh!!

tommys character is so well written. this fic is so great u are so good at wrting

o he gonna talk abt his old cheif ahsahdsjjkskxkamdkk

all my homies hate tommys old chief

yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh he did it he dont think he a failure yeahhhhhhhhh i love this fic so much this is everythimg so sad its over but so glad i finished it thank you for writing this its so awesome

bro are you kidding my internet is dying

ofc the second i save this into an emergency doc my internet works :/

ALL THE HOMIES HATE TOMMY’S OLD CHIEF YEAH WOOOOO!!!🎉

Thank you for the comments :’) They make my day every time, and I’m so glad you liked FT!!! Happy 2023!!!

[frisbee-camp]

Let Me Help (Complete!!)

AO3 Link//Wattpad Link)

Tj and Cyrus have been friends for a long time, but will that change after life comes crashing down and impulsive decisions catch up to them? (Angst, Ambi, love notes, slow burn, aged up so they’re all in high school, god tier ships, mental health, and like a whole bunch more ladies! Let’s get this angst.)

Chapter 18: Bonus Chapter: Why Would I forget that?

"T you gotta eat something," Cyrus gently coaxed TJ's face away from his computer screen, he had spent all day furiously typing and deleting and retyping his common app essay. He had no idea what to write about, he had told Cyrus that no college would ever accept him. He had said that he was just another white boy who wanted to study film. Cyrus hated when he put himself down like that, but he was right. TJ was just average in the eyes of the college admission process.

TJ frowned at Cyrus as he cleared space to sit on the dining room table. They had been together for a little more than a year now. One year, two months, and three days to be exact thought Cyrus. Cyrus handed TJ a plate of steaming pasta freshly ordered off of Grubhub. TJ smiled a bit as he took it.

"Thanks," he grumbled as he swirled fettuccini Alfredo around his fork. Cyrus knew college applications made him irritable and grumpy, but he didn't mind. He knew he could always get him to smile with Tyler James' favorite food group (cheese).

"And what do we say?" Cyrus pried. The last year had been life-changing for Cyrus, he had started to be bolder, less afraid of uncertainty and judgment.

"Thank you, Cyrus," Tj mumbled as he scooped heaps of the pasta into his mouth.

"And?"

"And I love youuu" Tj smiled sweetly at his boyfriend.

"Thank you T, I love you too." Cyrus grinned and hopped off the table. "Come on," he said, "take a break. Maybe we could find some inspiration outside." Tj got up and hesitated, "Yes T, you can bring the pasta with you," Cyrus added as he took his hand.

It was brisk outside in TJ's backyard, the flowers were in full bloom and the night was full of hope. They sat on TJ's grandparent's old lawn chairs, in silence while TJ finished his food. It didn't take long.

"You eat so fast, you're going to get sick" Cyrus said.

"You're the one making me sick," TJ chuckled and grinned at Cyrus. "Loooove sick" Cyrus rolled his eyes at the cheesy joke but smiled on the inside.

"Think of a better joke next time," Cyrus said calmly as he leaned into the old chair.

"What?" Tj gave a dramatic gasp and smiled wide "next time you nag me?"

Cyrus closed his eyes, "Whatever," he said as he imagined them as an old couple, lovingly annoying the heck out of each other, "I still love you."

Cyrus felt TJ grab his hand, "I know, I love you too."

They stayed like that for a long time, holding hands with closed eyes, their breaths synchronizing and the moon softly illuminating them in the grey moonlight. This was it. This was what Cyrus had hoped for when he agreed to be with TJ, this calm, this balance, this stability. It was what he felt when TJ was near, he felt invincible and calmed, like a hummingbird resting on a branch. He breathed out.

"You know," TJ finally whispered after a long time, "this is where I finally realized I liked you."

Cyrus hummed and finally said, "Liked? Past tense?" TJ lightly laughed. Cyrus would do anything for that laugh.

"You know what I mean Cyrus," Cyrus' eyes were still closed but he knew TJ was looking at him with that soft look that made his insides turn liquid. He opened his eyes and found him staring at him. He melted.

"I know" Cyrus said with a sly smile, "you're mom told me."

Tj's eyes widened and he sat up, "My mom told you?!"

"Yeah," Cyrus stayed calm, "we're friends. She said that Amber told her. Cute right?"

"Oh my God, so that's where you go when I'm doing homework? You hang out with my mom?" Tj sat with his mouth open, Cyrus thought it was absolutely adorable. "That is so embarrassing what the hell." They both laughed as TJ started connecting the dots. The coupons he found in Cyrus' backpack a couple of months back, the inside jokes between them, Cyrus coming back to Tj's room with canned bloody Mary's. Cyrus watched as TJ shook his head and slumped back into the lawn chair. "You're ridiculous," he finally said and settled into a light smile.

"Maybe so Tyler James, maybe so."

When they decided to go back inside, TJ moved his college station to the living room where he sat crisscrossed on the floor while Cyrus laid down with his head in TJ's lap. Things had calmed in the past year, Andi and Amber were the epitome of perfect girlfriends, Marty and Buffy still adored each other, Jonah and Walker had broken up but they were still friends, and he and TJ were, well, an old married couple. Cyrus had finished his homework for the week. He normally spent most of his time at Tj's house now. He hadn't come out to his parents officially yet, but they did catch him and TJ kissing on the porch a couple of weeks after they had gotten together. It was strange, Cyrus expected a sit down with lots of therapist talk but instead, they never spoke directly of it. Instead, they would sprinkle in phrases like, So how's your boyfriend and You know Cyrus, that boyfriend of yours is good to you why don't you invite him over? Tj had already known his parents, but sitting down for an actual dinner was awkward and Cyrus hated it at first until he saw his parents laughing at Tj's jokes and asking him for his pie receipt. He had focussed so much on the bad that he forgot that maybe things just sort of...work out on their own.

He felt Tj's cat Petunia sit on his chest. He was a shiny light brown cat with crystal blue eyes that glowed even in daylight. Cyrus had picked him out with Tj's mom, but TJ didn't know that. Cyrus lightly scratched at Petunia's chin, who immediately nuzzled into the touch and purred as he laid on Cyrus' chest.

"What are you writing about now?" Cyrus asked as he looked up at TJ who was now clack clack clacking away at his laptop.

"About how my boyfriend is better friends with my mom than I am."

"You'd definitely get into an ivy with that one."

"I don't need an ivy, I need UCLA" TJ frowned at his screen, the light made him look flushed out and ghostly. The essay wasn't due for another two months, but TJ had already finished every other part of the application. He had never seen TJ so set, so driven, it was nice but it terrified him. California wasn't that far, only an hour or so flight, but an hour is an hour. In an hour he could die or crash his car or fall off a cliff or worse, TJ could stop loving him in an hour. He would find himself a cute artsy film boy and forget about Cyrus altogether. Cyrus was excited for TJ on the outside, but he was horrified. Cyrus had been thinking about college for years now, but thinking is different from actually having to go. He didn't want TJ to leave him already, they had only had so much time together.

Cyrus later explained this to TJ's mom while they shopped for holiday gifts in late Autumn, a couple of weeks after TJ had sent in ten applications to colleges around the country.

"Well Cyrus, you know what I always say," TJ's mom said as she floated through the department store in her signature pink fur-lined robe. She answered herself before Cyrus could even understand the question. "There is no greater punishment than that of being abandoned to one's self," she said in one breath before sipping on a mug tumbler Cyrus knew she had filled with something vaguely fruity and definitely alcoholic.

"You've literally never said that before Dawn," Cyrus said. He loved Tj's mom for all the reasons she annoyed TJ. She was erratic and outspoken and her advice was absolutely horrible in every single way. She'd tell him to leave the country every time he was mildly inconvenienced. It was this ridiculousness that always brought Cyrus back to his senses.

She sighed and put an entire rack of clothes in her cart, "What I have or haven't said in the past doesn't matter. If tyler leaves then I know you will wallow in pain, but that's the point no? Young love and all that. If he stays you will also wallow in pain because you'd feel like you held him back from his dreams. There is no winning. No one ever wins except The Man. Do not let The Man win, no matter what." They had made their way to the shoe aisle and Dawn was now sitting trying on heels in the mirror.

Cyrus frowned at no one and nothing in particular. He hated this moment. He just wanted Tj to decide already, but he knew that decisions wouldn't be out until spring. He felt Dawn push back his hair out of his face, just like how TJ does when he wants to say something important.

"Cyrus honey," Dawn's blonde hair fell in perfect curls around her face, "I can't pretend to know how you feel, but I do know that I was in love once," her voice was softer now, genuine. She sounded like TJ during their midnight facetime calls. "And I know that it hurts, that it makes you feel like you're on top of the world one second and down in the darkest dungeon of hell the next. But you can't stop that from you enjoying it because you'll always remember it. Now please help me get this heel off my foot. It's cutting off my circulation."

So, as Cyrus sat on the floor of the Nordstroms Rack pulling a seven-inch heel off Dawn's left foot, he let go. Not of the shoe, but of TJ. He wanted him to live his life, with or without him. He wasn't going to break up with him, he just didn't want to emotionally tether him to Shadyside, this town of less than a thousand, in the middle of fucking nowhere.

The winter in Shadyside was brutal, unrelenting, and cozy with TJ beside him. Cyrus tried being less clingy, he called TJ less, only slept over at his house twice a week instead of their usual alternating schedule, and didn't dare talk about the future. TJ had been so anxious waiting for college decisions to come that he barely noticed. It was limbo, but Cyrus knew it was for the better. It would be too hard for both of them if Tj left one day and never came back.

One day, the day before Cyrus' birthday and UCLA admissions decisions, Tj and Cyrus found themselves in the park with the swings. They sat in silence, swinging slowly.

Finally, Cyrus spoke, "Tyler James Tanner Kippen, I want you to know that whatever happens tomorrow, I love you no matter what. If you get in or not or decide to leave or not I'll support you and you shouldn't stay here, no offense to Utah or whatever but this place sucks and if you go to Shadyside College I'll kill you dead with my own two hands and force you to transfer and-"

"Cyrus-" TJ stared at him.

"And! I'm not finished Tyler! And you need to freaking live your life and if that means going to California or France or the freaking Serengeti you need to go-" Cyrus was angry and blotchy and it felt like his lungs were about to burst.

"Cyrus," Tj cut in, "I don't deserve you. I haven't been there for you the past couple of months and I'm sorry I really am. I-" Tj stammered and looked down and away, "this year has been so weird, college is so weird and I don't want to leave you and I won't I promise I just, I don't know what's next."

Cyrus softened a bit, he bit his lip. "I'm scared," Cyrus said through tears. Tj wiped away a few tears of his own and grabbed his hand. It felt like Cyrus had just gotten used to the feeling, he hated knowing that in a few months the feeling could be gone and he would be stranded.

"I'm scared too," Tj admitted. Cyrus felt Tj's hand tighten, "Cy you need to promise me that wherever I go you don't follow."

"Wha- What? What do you mean?" Cyrus gave a confused look. Was he breaking up with him?

"I don't mean it like that I just mean that wherever I go you can't just follow because I'm your boyfriend. I want you to decide what's best for you not for us." Tj swallowed hard and continued, "Pinky promise."

They shook their pinkies, "Pinky Promise" Cyrus affirmed.

The next day Cyrus didn't see Tj at school. He had woken up to Andi, Buffy, Jonah, and Marty throwing balloons and confetti in his face screaming Happy Birthday at the top of their lungs. He laughed but couldn't help but notice TJ's absence. He knew today was the day most college decisions came out and TJ would probably be home refreshing his UC portal until 3:00. He understood, he felt selfish for wanting TJ all to himself.

School that day was as boring as always, but his friends had promised they'd do something fun after school.

"We're going to the freaking zoo Cyrus!!" Andi and Buffy had screamed in his ear right after throwing more confetti in his face that morning. He loved the zoo sure, but he hadn't talked to TJ all day. No texts, no calls, no facebook messenger notifications. Nothing. Matter of fact, the more he looked around, the more he noticed just how many seniors had skipped the day. None of the jocks were at school, nor the theater kids, it was empty in more ways than one.  

After the last bell, Cyrus' friends basically dragged him to the zoo. They knew he missed TJ and wanted to make up for it in the more over-the-top ways. Andi kept buying him cotton candy and Marty even bought him a koala backpack. Buffy even gave him a piggyback ride most of the way around the park. Cyrus was grateful but after an hour wandering the zoo, he was exhausted and just wanted to go home and sleep. He looked at his watch and saw 3:00 come and go. He sighed as his friends dragged him around one last corner, by now he was barely hanging onto Buffy's back. He huffed into her hair.

"SURPRISE!!!" Cyrus screamed a high pitch wail as his friends and family appeared out of seemingly nowhere. He hadn't noticed that he'd been navigated into an indoor event space, crawling with dinosaur dioramas and cardboard cutouts of kangaroos with party hats. He was still slightly panicking on the floor when someone dragged him up.

"Surprise. Happy Birthday." smiled Tj softly, Cyrus just stared at him and looked around in disbelief, "What? Did you think I forgot? "Cyrus gave him another look, "I skipped to help set it up." Tj smiled wide and gave him a quick peck on the lips and led him to the others.

Cyrus' entire family was there. Both sets of parents, uncles, aunts, TJ's friends from the basketball team, some of Walker's art friends who spoke in riddles, Amber and her friends, and even some of Jonah's old frisbee friends. They were all there for him. For him. He gave a wide smile and joined the party.

Once the excitement died down and everyone was full of chocolate cake, Cyrus pulled TJ aside and raised an eyebrow. TJ sighed and looked back at his mom Dawn and his twin sister Amber, "No luck," he said defeated, "denied." Cyrus felt his heartbreak for him, he wanted to send everyone home and grieve with TJ.

"You can always transfer in," Cyrus gave his last shred of advice, but he knew it was futile. TJ would never go somewhere where he wasn't the first choice. Tj softly smiled and held Cyrus' cheek in his hand.

He gave Cyrus a sweet kiss, "I love you Muffin," he said and walked back to the crowd.

Tj spent the next few weeks sitting quietly waiting for other decisions to roll in. The sadness from his rejection from UCLA was short-lived as he was accepted to basically every other school (except the ivy's of course). TJ even received a full ride to New York University, his second choice. He was ecstatic. He had spent so much time thinking about UCLA that he forgot that there were other universities.

"Wow," Cyrus said longingly, "New York City."

The summer went by too quickly for Cyrus' taste. TJ spent most days talking and researching what to do in New York City. Cyrus tried to be happy he really did, but Cyrus cried every time Tj said goodbye, even if he was just going home to check up on his mom. Then the day came where TJ packed up his room, and then came the day where he drove him to the airport, and then the first day he wasn't in Shadyside at all.

Amber decided to take a gap year to volunteer in a country Cyrus couldn't pronounce the name of, so he spent a lot of time grieving with Andi. It was lonely and the school year sucked but he tried to enjoy it the most he could. He would get calls from TJ every day so it never really felt like he was all that far away. He'd tell him about his classes, and the parties, and how everyone in New York was mean unless someone needed help. Cyrus had told TJ that he could break up with him to be a free college kid, but TJ refused. He even said that he was offended and that he would never do something that selfish.

Then the day came where he was writing his essays and sending in his test scores. It was grueling and he thought it would never end but then he remembered how TJ had written his essay on how his mom's relationship with his boyfriend would inspire his first film and he'd laugh to himself. Cyrus wrote his essay on the detrimental effects of having too many parents.

And then Cyrus got his acceptances and rejections. He had been rejected to every school except one: Columbia University in the City of New York. He couldn't believe it. He was going to New York too.

Andi ended up at Parsons to study design, just down the street from TJ. Buffy went somewhere in the pacific northwest where she started playing soccer. Jonah went somewhere hot and cheap, Arizona State. Walker went to Parsons with Andi and Amber decided to join the peace corps, and Marty went to CSU Long beach to learn how to surf.

Cyrus' time at Columbia was short-lived, he stayed a semester before transferring to NYU because it was arguably better for screenwriters.

He had never told anyone, but NYU was his top choice, even before he knew TJ had applied. TJ and Cyrus spent their days eating dollar pizza and basking in New York City parks. Cyrus was finally completely happy.

THE END

authors note: after high school reed goes to jail for aggravated assault and lester goes to community :) lmao

[unfortunatelyevent]

okay finally finished eXu ep 5 and wow just wow it's making me feel SO MANY EMOTIONS RN I'm just gonna try to process all that for a second ok

[violetevents]

guess who wrote a whole ass fanfic and is now stuck because she DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO WRITE THE SECOND TO LAST SCENE

[the-cookie-of-doom]

Just before the raid was about to start on the first fight, Amelia came shuffling down the dimly lit hall and nudged open the office door, rubbing her eye tiredly.

“Daddy?”

“Hold on a second, guys,” Mitch said into his mic, before taking off his headset and turning to face his daughter. “Hey sweetheart, why aren’t you in bed?” It was 10:30pm, way past the five year old’s bedtime.

“Couldn’t sleep,” she mumbled. When Mitch opened his arms for her she came shuffling forward, crawling up into his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck.

“What’s wrong, Lee?” Mitch asked softly, rubbing her back.

“Had a bad dream.”

Mitch hugged his daughter tight, the little girl clinging to him for comfort. “Do you want me to read to you for a little while?” Amelia nodded as much as she could with her face buried against his neck. Mitch pressed a kiss to her temple and said, “Go pick out a book, I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Okay, daddy.” Amelia wiggled out of his grasp and went to do as she was told, while Mitch put his headset back on to tell his guild that plans had changed, able to hear them teasing him.

“I’ve got to go guys,” Mitch said, rolling his eyes when one of the other group members cut him off before he could say anything else.

“Uh-uh, our fearless leader got kid-aggro’d.”

“Worse than wife-aggro, man. Poor Steve couldn’t get his off his back to play tonight.”

“Shut up, my kid is awesome,” Mitch defended. “And it’s Steve’s anniversary, Layla would have my balls if I let him raid with us tonight.” Just because his sex-life had been rather lacking lately doesn’t mean he didn’t want everything firmly attached.

“I can move to an alt to take over until you come back,” another member offered, more youthful sounding than the others.

“Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

“Haha,” Stiles said sarcastically. “I’m on spring break, leave me alone.” He was a high schooler back in California, and their youngest member by several years. Not that Mitch was that much older himself at 27.

“Alright, thanks kid. I’ll talk to you guys later.”

“Later,” Stiles chirped, the other group members chiming in. Mitch signed out of the chat and logged out of the game, then got up and went to find Amelia waiting in her bed, the covers pulled up to her nose.

When Mitch came in Amelia wriggled over to the side, making room for Mitch to sit next to her on the small bed. She cuddled up to his side when he did, and Mitch wrapped his arm around her to hold her close.

“What do you have for me, princess?” Amelia held up The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe for Mitch to see. He took it with a smile, the spine cracked and well loved. “Where do you want to start?”

“Where Lucy meets Mr. Tumnus.” Knowing his daughter, Mitch had already flipped to the beginnings of chapter two, the corner of the page creased from constant dog-earing. It was one of Amelia’s favorite scenes, and she listened with rapt attention as Mitch began to read.

“‘Good evening,’ said Lucy. But the Faun was so busy picking up its parcels that at first it did not reply. When it had finished, it made her a little bow. ‘Good evening, good evening,’ said the Faun….”

Amelia giggled as Mitch did different voices for the character, resting her head on his chest while she listened. Not wanting to go to sleep just yet she fought it, trying to keep her eyes open even after Mitch got to the scene where Lucy returned home through the wardrobe, her eyelids drooping heavily.

Mitch took to carding his fingers through Amelia’s hair, soft and dark like his, but with her mother’s clear blue eyes. He closed the book when she yawned for the third time before he even finished the small page, laughing quietly when she tried to tiredly protest.

“Keep reading, daddy, I’m awake,” she mumbled, words slurred into an unintelligible mess.

“We can read more tomorrow night,” Mitch promised, getting up to put the book back on its place between the rest of the series and a plush deer. Amelia was half-asleep when he came back to tuck her in.Mitch kissed her forehead and pulled the blanket up to her shoulder before pulling away. “Goodnight, princess.”

“‘Night, daddy.” Amelia snuggled into her pillow and was asleep before Mitch was closing the door quietly behind him

A few weeks later

When Mitch answered his front door Stiles looked like a drowned rat, clothes soaked through and clinging to his skinny, shivering frame. The rain was pouring outside, pat-pat-patting on the roof.

“I would have met you at the station,” Mitch said by way of greeting as he let Stiles inside. Stiles followed him through the much warmer house, arms wrapped around himself and extremely conscious of how he was dripping water everywhere.

“Lost my phone,” he mumbled sullenly. Although ‘lost’ was a relative term. He actually got jumped by someone trying to steal his backpack, and his phone got lost in the scuffle. The only thing Stiles had after the altercation was some bruises, one of which was darkening his left eye, and the $40 he’d kept stashed in his shoe in case of emergencies. That money had been spent going the last leg of his journey to get to Mitch’s house. 

Finding the neighborhood full of expensive homes, Stiles hadn’t been sure he was at the right address all the way up until Mitch answered the door. 

“Dry off, I’ll get you something to change into,” Mitch told him, indicating the bathroom on the left side of the hall.

[fedoraphe]

So... our flag means death had a cliffhanger...