#hence his relationship with Greg

[tinylilvalery]

Shiv weaponises her vulnerability to victimise herself to force Tom into forgiving her [1][2] + doesn't respect his boundaries [3][4] when he needs space from her.

1. In 1.10 Shiv comes clean to Tom on their wedding night about her cheating on him, AFTER their marriage (despite Tom asking her beforehand and giving her a chance then). Shiv weaponises her vulnerability into forcing Tom to forgive her, bringing up how when they met she was a "mess" and in a "very bad place" and how she needs him and also tries to gaslight Tom about their relationship never being monogamous. He forgives her because he's in a difficult position (divorce on the same night as marriage?? She didn't give him an out to call off the wedding beforehand and waited until after he was secured), he loves her, and he's forced to sympathise and accept things.

2. Shiv only apologises to Tom when she sees how cold he's being with her in 4.8. There's real danger he's actually done with the relationship. The kicked dog isn't returning to heel. She apologises. He doesn't accept it (you don't have to accept an apology, especially if you're still upset and someone is tryna force an apology on you because THEY feel bad and want to alleviate their guilt and return things to something that THEY'RE comfortable with). She uses the fact that her dad just died, which doesn't change the fact that everything he said in the prior fight was true. Their relationship had been shit for ages prior to Logan's death, therefore Logan's death doesn't excuse the rest of the relationship, and he's still immovable. Damn, he's always comforted and folded to her before, he's not doing that right now. Shit. Bring out the heavy. I'm pregnant and it's yours! The ultimate card to reel him back. He wanted a baby right? But he doesn't even believe her now... Why should he care anyway? How much has she ever cared about him?

3. In 4.7 Tom walks away from Shiv and goes to the balcony, needing space, telling Shiv he's tired. She doesn't respect this need for space and corners him on the balcony, literally not allowing him any reprieve, and actively mocks him for being exhausted, pressing and pressing him until he snaps, despite the fact he didn't even want to fight in the first place. He needed space and wasn't allowed to have it.

4. Tom is exhausted and stressed out of his mind in 4.8 with his job (something that means the world to him and yet also something Shiv has never taken seriously - and how could she understand the importance it holds for him when she's a nepo baby). He asks Shiv to talk about this another time and that he can't do this right now. She doesn't respect his request and presses her needs above his and takes him aside again and isolates him, and then acts surprised and offended when he doesn't respond how she wants him to. Ironically if she had actually respected him asking to talk another time when he wasn't so stressed, she might have gotten the results she wanted: Tom back in her pocket.

[whyisstarkidfollowingmeshoo]

I'm reading a lot of things about Hidge's sexuality canon wise. So taking account on what Nick and Matt Lang said (as much as I remember it without rewatching the video proof lol) my argument on why the canon sexuality of Prof. Henry Hidgens is that he is bisexual and Objectumsexual.

Well I think canon wise he is not polyamorous. I can accept that (i have no problem with him being poly canon wise. I am not anti-poly, just faithful with canon) but I remember Nick Lang or even Matt did not specify it. They said, within along the lines/paraphrasing: Henry loves his six boy friends, they are special to him, but Chad IS the apple of his eye. The last sentence they meant romantically.

So why bisexual and not gay? To make it clear, I have no problem with him being gay. I'm willing to be corrected. But since I'm arguing that he's bisexual, well let me start. Of course we haven't seen Hidge talk about or falling in love with specific women characters in the saga so far, however he did say in TGWDLM " Alexa, I love you like every woman flesh and bone", so there ya go. If he can find a woman that is subordinate to him like Alexa and Siri, then he can have a relationship with a woman. Come to think of it, i think he loves Chad the most because I hypothesize Chad always goes along with his plans/ideas. Yes I believe if I were to analyze his relationship personality, he wants to be the dominant in the relationship. He's very controlling and spirals when he doesn't get his way. Which why this is a good segway to...

And with the mention of two famous AI virtual assistants, I think it's enough to say that Hidge has objectophilia. More so in NMT episode Time Bastard where he shared his sexual rendezvous with either one of them to Ted and implied how he did it (some imagination and a little elbow grease or any lube lol). Not to mention that he talks to Alexa and Siri like they're humans. Fun fact, I read somewhere that people who have this sexual orientation cant handle keeping a relationship with another human because they're too controlling hence having a relationship with an object is easier because it has no thoughts, no opinions to consider. Also, this can also be a result of a trauma. Him losing his friends, especially Chad, during a lightning strike attack did not just lead him to isolation and practicing survival instincts, but also drove him to loving objects instead cause at least they won't experience terrible human deaths. Here is the source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/sex-and-relationships/decoding-objectophilia-5-reasons-why-people-fall-in-love-with-objects/story-LMvWWzhs257dD47yxNGC9H.html UPDATE: these facts are more connected to the character that is Prof Henry Hidgens whose personality reflects the generalizing views of the orientation better. Real life Objectums are a lot more complicated than that and can act against stereotypes/generalization. Thanks @fork-bork for reminding me.

Also further explanation:  ur friends can be ur life partners (hence there are old people living with friends in their twilight years) and some people like calling their friends as boyfriends or girlfriends. Hidge is just comfortable with his sexuality and closeness with his friends that he can call his male friends as his boyfriends. I think that's just Jeff's word play and humor going on as he wrote the song. And according to the song "it takes balls": Steve was a priest, Leighton was in a relationship with a person named Gary, and Greg was seeing/dating Steve's mom. Plus all of the boys, sans Chad and Henry, were attracted to females while at college based on their locker room talk acted by the Workin Girls cast.

I'm not like Unhidge Hidge, so tell me about ur thoughts/opinions/rebuttals as long as ur taking account of what I wrote here. Especially proof from the Langs with ur rebuttal. Of course in head canon or fan fic world, anything is free reins and you can experiment with Hidge's sexuality there. Just make sure to specify if it's canon or head canon so to avoid confusion and arguments.

Update:

I have the urge to check my HHP Working Boys screen recordings where Nick and Matt discussed Henry's relationship with the boys if it's poly or not. Update 2: Okay I watched it and Nick just says that Chad is his favorite so get out of that as you wish. But since the boys did their locker room talk about girls without Henry and Chad, I don't think the boys were making out with each other unless maybe just Henry and Chad if it's not unreciprocated from Henry's side.

I can understand if most fans think Henry is gay and not bi since Nick and Matt have not given more concrete proof of his attraction to human females. My only arguments with him being bi is that he loves and has done sexual acts with Alexa and Siri, AI virtual assistants with female names and voices. (NMT episode: Time Bastard).

[addictedtostorytelling]

Hi aj! Ive been rewatching gsr moments from csi Vegas and it just got me thinking about grissom and sara’s current relationships with the old members of the team. Brass is obviously there (love sara basically scolding him for not telling them about his condition in the beginning of the season) and they mention catherine often enough. There’s the fact that grissom and sara apparently are in california most of the time now, so it makes me wonder if they see nick now and then. And then there’s greg who I’ve always thought of as sara’s closest friend besides grissom. What do you think of their status now given that the show hasn’t really given us much?

hi, anon!

since the show doesn't really give us much information to go on besides the few implications that you mention, this issue is a matter of headcanon.

and i'll be honest with you: i don't really have a headcanon on this one.

the main reason why i don't is because the whole "grissom and sara ride off on a boat" ending is one that only comes about as a result the s13 divorce storyline, and the s13 divorce storyline is one i completely ignore in my own imaginings of the show, so i just haven't spent a lot of time thinking about the everyday ins-and-outs of the nautical lifestyle for grissom and sara.

i prefer to devote my brainpower to thinking up an au where the divorce never happened.

however, the other reason why i don't have a headcanon on this issue is because i don't really think the scenario lends itself to a happy outcome where "continued team contact" is concerned.

the reboot didn't actually specify that grissom and sara spend a lot of time in california—that's just where they happened to be at the time when they got called in on the hodges case.

while they may occasionally dock there, the impression i got was that they more often tend to move around, following the animals they're researching (like the jellyfish sara sends grissom to collect off the coast of panama in csi: vegas episode 01x01 "legacy").

and if it is the case that grissom and sara are truly "science nomads of the sea," then chances are they don't actually have a ton of contact with their friends.

the maximum distance for ship-to-shore calls is about 15-25 miles from shore, and cell service and wifi out at sea is often of poor quality/unreliable/prohibitively expensive, which means that unless they are close to the coast and/or in port, grissom and sara's options for making contact with their friends/family are likely fairly limited.

then, even when they are close to the coast and/or in port, logistics such as time zone differences, roaming charges, and the unpredictability of their travel schedule could further interfere with their communication with their old teammates.

it might be difficult for them to fit in more than a few facetime calls a year or an email or two every few months.

while nick lives in a coastal city (san diego) and might therefore be able to more easily meet up with grissom and sara when they sail his way, brass and presumably catherine are landlocked while living in vegas, as is greg living in chicago, so they might only very rarely get to catch up with grissom and sara in person.

personally, i don't much like the idea that the found family the team built during their 9+ years of working together completely dissolves once they all no longer are employed at the lab; however, any scenario where grissom and sara spend the majority of their time living on the open ocean seems to point toward that outcome.

hence, i just don't spend much time thinking in that direction.

i stay in my little au world, where team graveyard stays close for life, even after they start to move in different professional directions.

so.

all of the above said, if i have to bend my brain around the scenario canon presents us with, then i'm going to be stubborn about it.

and unrealistic.

i think sara—who already lost her bio family and isn't about to lose her found one, too—absolutely refuses to fall out of contact with catherine, nick, greg, and brass, seagoing lifestyle be damned.

she puts in the work and makes sure grissom does, too.

every time she and grissom dock somewhere, she's sending postcards and letters from both her and grissom by snail mail, firing off emails, making arrangements for phone calls—which she will stay up until ungodly hours to facilitate (depending on time zones).

she also arranges things so that she and grissom are in san diego no fewer than four times a year to see nick, and if she ever gets word that catherine or greg is attending a conference anywhere within 100 miles of a coastline, then she makes that place the ishmael's next port of call.

at least once a year—usually while the boat is being maintenanced—she and grissom make a trek inland. go on a "grand tour" for a couple of weeks at a time, visiting brass and catherine in vegas and greg in chicago, putting in quality "family time" while also running their "land errands" (like getting their driver's licenses and passports renewed, having their annual physicals and dental appointments, in her case completing continuing csi education certification courses, etc.).

she also will go out of her way to attend big events in her friends' lives—like when nick wins some big award from the city of san diego, she and grissom are there, front row, at the ceremony, cheering him on; and when greg graduates from his phd program, they show up to see him walk.

while grissom would perhaps be more naturally inclined to just let socialization fall by the wayside, she encourages him to make time to zoom with catherine and even—if you can believe it—keep up his correspondence with heather, and he (ultimately) is grateful that she does, because even though he tends toward reclusiveness, he does still love his people and realizes that staying in contact with them makes his life richer.

anyway.

it's not very realistic, given the actual logistics of their life, and neither is it very well thought-out, as, like i said, i don't spend a lot of time mentally inhabiting the post-s8 canon story world, but that's what i've got.

thanks for the question! please feel welcome to send another any time.

[gregoftom]

I love Greg, but if I was Tom I would have teared the bitch to pieces with my teeth if I saw him having a ball of a time with the fascists, after having agreed to go to prison for him. He did the same thing with boar on the floor and the proposal of a business open relationship afterwards. Which in retrospect is very fucking crazy. Dude had to stand in an empty pool and got pissed on, but still didn't talk because of a little 'pls 🥺' only for Greg to break-up and blackmail him. Love them, fr.

JASJAKSJAKJSAS yeah i'll be honest that hurt me too.

it's kind of crazy the way that greg reacted then compared to now and you make a good point - twice tom makes these big proposals of love and twice it's kind of thrown back in his face. this is something he's used to so it makes sense that he goes off and pelts bottles at greg. you can kind of understand tom, LOL.

but he keeps pursuing him! like a lovesick little bitch! it's so..... A. there are probably multiple reasons why greg reacts the way he does to tom at the start; 1. he thinks that's the way this world works having observed the family acting that way [tom even praises him for the blackmail, in the end greg is mostly satisfied with being treated better and respected and being given a sense of belonging. tom knows just how to seduce him right back in] 2. he's not sure, like i was when i first watched boar on the floor, just how long these kinds of gestures could and would last so he doesn't take it quite so seriously hence trying to leave after [also up to that point tom had been uh. pretty mean to him!! and he gravitates towards niceness, it's only then i guess that he managed to pluck up the courage to ask to leave bc tom had this sudden burst of kindness and greg felt like he could leave without getting Killed lol.] 3. he's just being selfish - he takes these gestures and runs with them, esp the getting out of jail free card. he's like, oh thanks! then thoughtlessly celebrates his freedom with a bunch of. dudes. anyway.

BUT THEN LATE S3-4?????!?! WTF HAPPENED HASKJASAS this bitch was like minnesotan dick got me acting unwise. "prove it" shut the hell up slut!!! tom can't even react properly cuz he's like HUH?????? i thought you didn't even like me back!!!!! and it's just so fucking fun bc it pairs up very nicely with how much tom acts like a schoolboy around greg. these mfs be acting like high school idiots and it's so entertaining. it's like i said somewhere else on a post; one of them will take steps forward while the other steps back. the nero sporus scene was greg's "oh!" moment, i think. that was the moment he was like, oh wait, this is for real? bc ever since then he's been glued to tom's side and in the latest s4 episodes been singing his song like hey hi i'm greg of tom, i'm tom's mistress, how is everybody, hi mr president did you know i love that country boy. also i am here. like he mentioned himself second!! not exactly a huge thing like botf, but it's still a gesture! just a shame tom wasn't there to see it; maybe it'll be addressed in some way in the finale or he'll bear witness to greg doing the same thing for him in kind and we'll either get a break up as a response [touche greg] or... not?? which!!!!! A but i'm kind of expecting something within the former range. but i don't think it'll be an easy decision for tom and tbh, i'll take that. it at least means greg is important to him.

something happened between s3 and 4; they became friends, the trust grew, they must have spent a lot of time together. the disgusting brothers [which atp could just be them fucking each other and calling it disgusting bc they're fucking dumb and internally homophobic] bullshit, which sounds like something some idiot frat bros would come up with. "DIGUSTIBUS" GREG U WANNA FUCK THAT SENIOR CITIZEN SO BAD IT MAKES U LOOK STUPID. like. we had tom acting like that, now it's greg's turn. the scales tipped the other way and now tom is like. whadda hell... he likes it for sure we can see it here and there. but he's taking the step back now. i just think that's interesting!

ANYWAY SORRY I MADE THIS INTO A HUGE POST LOL but the point is. i also love them fr and tom should've [redacted] whenever greg was a little unappreciative asshole.

[frogofshadyorigin]

Okay, it's time for an unhinged and probably completely dumb fan theory. Maybe someone else has even thought about it before me. I'm sorry if I copy anyone.

Spoiler warning for The Magnus Archives, especially season 2.

Okay. We all know the not!them. Like not!Sasha.

I have a theory based on nothing really that explains who can see the person that changed as the not!person.

But first, let's look at all the people we know of that got changed.

There is, obviously, not!Sasha. Changed at the end of Season 1 while hiding in artifact storage.

Then there is not!Graham who got changed because he owned the table that trapped it.

We also have not!Rose, the mother from MAG77 who got changed before the not!them was bound to the table.

And lastly on my list, not!Greg, the cousin from MAG78. The not!them also got bound by Adelard Dekker in that statement.

Now, let's look at the people that knew they were replaced.

We have Melanie, who met Sasha whilst coming to the Archives the first time and later met not!Sasha.

Then, there's Amy, who met Graham and lived opposite of him, watching him but never really doing anything with him.

Next, we have Lucy, the daughter who had fallen out with her mother after they never really got along and only came back when her father had an accident.

Lastly, there's Lawrence, who never really did much with his cousin and they became estranged.

Now that the groundwork has been laid, let's look at what they have in common. What do all of them share?

They knew the person that got changed but also somehow they didn't know them.

Melanie had a long talk with Sasha about ghosts, where they probably also talked about other things. I mean, Melanie was interested enough to want to say goodbye to her when leaving for India. One could argue that she knew Sasha, but only on a surface level.

Amy watched Graham for a long time. She knew of his habits, how he looked, maybe a bit more, but like Melanie with Sasha, she didn't really know him. They were not strangers but also not really friends or anything.

Lucy hadn't talked to her mother in 10 years before visiting them again. Her relationship with her mother beforehand didn't seem like a good one where they would tell each other important stuff and they definitely were distant for a mother/daughter relationship. And even after Lucy started visiting again, it was not because of her mother but because of the way her father always lit up. I think it's fair to say she didn't really know her mother that well. (Granted, this one is a bit of an outlier and kinda hard to fit in the narrative, but I think it still works. More on that later).

Lawrence hadn't seen his cousin in years, only sporadically and they never really did anything. They were related by blood but that was about it. Once again, he knew him but didn't get close to him.

So. And here's my final thoughts that kinda wrap it all together.

The Stranger is often described as tapping into the 'uncanny valley' effect, where things don't look like they should, are slightly off, but you don't really recognize why. And only when you start looking closer at it you realize.

Now, if I didn't know a person beforehand, I wouldn't know that they were changed. Hence why unaffiliated people don't realize someone was changed.

If someone knew that person really well, they'd probably just wouldn't realize if something minor was out of shape. They'd push the thought away or ignore it because they trust the person they think is in front of them. Their brain fills up the non-fitting parts.

But someone who only knows them a bit, who's relationship with them is not good but also not nonexistent, would recognize something like that. And they would start to take a closer look and realize that this is an entirely different person. (Or, more accurately, instantly see it, because their brain doesn't fill in the blanks and mistakes)

Just like, as from my experience, if I know something really good and am familiar with it, I don't realize errors as much as I do with things I know only a little.

For example, if I write a text, I definitely know what words are. But it's so much harder to find mistakes in my own writing than in someone else's writing. Because I know my writing and I know what it's supposed to say and so I overlook the error. If I read someone else's text, I find mistakes much easier because I don't know what's supposed to be there so my brain doesn't just fill the blanks in. And if I didn't know writing (or the person that got changed) at all, I wouldn't be able to recognize any mistakes, since I don't know how to write.

So yeah that's my theory on who can see the not!them for their true form. Someone who knows them for more than a fleeting second but never got around to developing a proper relationship with them.

I hope this makes sense for someone else as well and doesn't just sound like the ramblings of a mad person. And if you have any ideas on this, feel free to interact. I'd love to hear other people's opinions in this.

[whatsnewalycat]

Just Dumb Enough to Try

Chapter 10: Take Me to Church

Word Count: 3.6k

Pairing: Javier Peña x F!Reader

Rating: Explicit (18+ only)

Content Tags / CW: swearing, smoking, pining, mental health spiral, cheating/infidelity, lying, catholic church, oral sex (m receiving), church sex, bathroom sex, dirty talk, making shit up about Javi's origin story, parent death, car accident death, establishing relationship expectations

Chapter Summary: Our heroes have a fun time at church.

Notes: Chapter title from "Take Me to Church" by Hozier. We've officially made it into the second act of this story- yay! I'm going to take the series summary off of these posts going forward, but if you'd like a series summary, click first chapter. Comments, questions, concerns? Let me know :) I like receiving feedback. OK, THAT'S ALL, THANK YOU FOR READING!

[ First Chapter ] [ Previous Chapter ] [ Spotify Playlist ] [ AO3 ]

St. Mary’s Church, Laredo, TX

June 21, 1998

The pew creaks beneath your weight as you shift in your seat between Dan and Cheryl. As far as Baker family outings, going to church is both your least favorite and the most frequent. They’re Catholic, and mass lasts almost an hour and a half most Sundays. This gives you ample time to daydream about anything, as long as you stand, sing, and sit when everyone else does. Overall, you’re there because it makes Dan and his family happy, and (ever the people pleaser) you want to stay on everyone’s good side.

It’s almost always incredibly boring (hence the daydreaming). Today though… you and Javier are stealing glances at each other. Each small glimpse makes your heart skip and cheeks blush. A fluttering feeling creeps across your chest, then liquefies into heat that pools in your center.

You just saw him yesterday afternoon up at the Pour House, but you were there with Dan and his friend, Greg. When Javi entered the bar, he came over to say hello to everyone, then sat down next to you and chatted with you while Dan talked with Greg. Dan didn’t pay the interaction much mind, but on the way home he asked what you two had discussed, to which you answered vaguely, “We were just catching up. You know, wedding planning, how the ranch is going, movies, all that.”

“He hasn’t been trying anything with you, right?”

“Javi? No,” you grimaced, “He’s never been inappropriate with me. We’re just friends.”

“Better not,” he said sternly.

Never mind the fact that his hand was resting on my bare leg the whole time, fingers drawing sweet nothings onto my skin.

You’re in this now. Actively lying, sneaking, cheating.

“Doesn’t he have a thing with Kim, anyway?” you asked, looking out the window. You didn’t think that was still happening, but the question (which you only asked to cause misdirection) churned your stomach with anxiety. Even if they were still seeing each other, it’s not like you’ve established exclusivity with Javi. You’ve barely established a romantic relationship with him.

“Yeah, but you never know with guys like that,” Dan squinted over at you, curling his lip.

The word yeah dug into your skin like a sliver.

What does he mean yeah? Is there something I don’t know? Not that I'm the boss of Javier or anything. He’s free to do what he wants. I'm cool with whatever. I'm cool as a cucumber.

You shrugged, “Not my circus, not my monkeys.”

So why do I feel like this is my circus and my goddamn monkey?

You’re jostled out of your thoughts as you realize the people in the row in front of you are rising to go get communion. Once they file out and start towards the sanctuary, everyone in your row rises. You excuse yourself to go to the bathroom.

When you flush the toilet, you hear the heavy bathroom door open and close as someone enters, but doesn’t go into the other stall. You pull up your underwear and straighten your turquoise dress before emerging, the click clack of your heels echoing around the room. You jump when you look up and see Javi is leaning up against the tile wall, looking up at you, arms crossed expectantly.

“What are you doing?” you ask in a hushed tone, whipping your head around to make sure there’s no one else in here.

He pushes himself off the wall and advances towards you- eyebrows drawn together, lips parted, gaze hot. He’s on you at once, hands cupping your face, guiding you back into the stall, locking the door behind him.

“I can’t stop thinking about you,” he breathes onto your mouth. A grin spreads across your face and heartbeats like a bass drum start thumping in your chest. You run your fingernails through his hair, gazing up into those mischievous dark brown eyes. He keeps eye contact with you, running his hands up and down your waist affectionately. His whispers continue, “I don’t know what you’re doing to me, I… I need to touch you, I couldn’t stop myself from following you.”

“You’re such a trouble maker,” you tease, then raise yourself up onto the balls of your feet and brush your lips against his, back and forth. He inhales sharply and mimics your motions. The feather light touch sends shivers up your spine. His mouth curls into a smile and you can’t resist any longer. When your lips meet his, he savors the feeling for just a moment before running his tongue along yours. A small gasp escapes you when he bites your bottom lip, then starts trailing kisses down to your neck. You tilt your head back and thrust your hips into his. He runs his tongue in circles down your throat. Your knees go weak and you involuntarily let out a moan.

“I th-thought public bathrooms were o-off limits?” you pant, untucking and unbuttoning his dress shirt until you can reach up and splay your fingers across the tender warm skin of his abdomen. A shudder racks his body, then he presses his lips back to yours.

“I can’t wait any longer. Look at you- fuck ,” he pushes you up against the wall and starts pawing at your dress, trying to get his hands underneath without moving his lips from yours. You shake your head at him coyly, then swap positions with him so he’s the one against the wall. Your hands travel down to his belt buckle, undoing it with a deafening jingle that ricochets off the bathroom walls.

“Must be a special day if you’re wearing underwear,” you tease, tugging at the tight material of his boxer briefs until they’re down to his ankles. Pointing a finger at his mouth, you instruct him to suck. He grabs your wrist as he gladly accepts the digit into his mouth, enthusiastically rolling his tongue around it.

All the air whooshes from his lungs as you crouch down to look at him. His cock is engorged and thick; he is deliciously well-endowed. You look up into his wild eyes as you place your wet finger tip onto the thick bead of pre-cum hanging off of his cock, then drag it down his length. He looks down at you, pleading, desperate for more stimulation.

Javier lets out a small cry when you follow the same path with your tongue, then back up again. You slide the head into your mouth and swirl your tongue around it, then seal your lips around his girth, bobbing back and forth, taking a bit more of him each time. He holds himself back from interfering with your process, watching you graduate his cock to a deeper level with each thrust. Hushed grunts and whines fall from his mouth, seeming so much louder than they actually are as they reverberate off the empty walls.

When the head hits your gag reflex, it gets triggered, and you let out a choking noise. You take it out and catch your breath, stroking him attentively as you try to relax your throat. The sound of you jerking him off is obscenely loud. He groans, “That’s so good baby, h-holy shit yes , you’re such a good girl.”

Sinking down from your crouch onto your knees, you adjust so you can get a better view of him coming undone. Your lips wrap around his cock and you start working faster, relishing the feeling of him rubbing against your lips, your tongue, the roof of your mouth, dipping into your throat when you can handle it. You bring a hand to his balls and cup them, rubbing your thumb across the sensitive sack gently. He shudders under your touch and it only makes you more ravenous.

“Look at me,” he rasps, and your gaze shoots up to him as he chokes out, “That’s perfect, baby. Can you take more?”

Your eyes water when you try, but you’re able to relax enough to start taking him deeper. He nods in approval and you continue working enthusiastically, finding a steady rhythm that makes his eyes flutter. His hands grab onto your hair and you moan, taking him in as deep as you can. “H-holy shit. Can- can I fuck your face?”

You pull off of him, saliva stringing from his cock to your face as you gasp for air, “Fuck- fuck yes, you can do anything to me.”

You take him into your mouth again and look up at him. His lips are puckered, brow furrowed, sweating through his nice dress shirt. He puts a hand on either side of your head and slowly thrusts forward, testing the waters. You relax your throat and jaw enough that on his next thrust, his cock slides deeper into throat. He starts to go faster, at which point you’re sure you could fucking drown someone in your panties with how wet you are. He’s using your mouth as his fuck toy and it’s everything you could ask for in this moment. He whispers sweet affirmations, telling you how good you’re taking him, how fucking sexy you are, how crazy you make him, how you’ve been making a home in his brain, living there, nesting.

The squelching and moaning coming from your mouth is echoing off the walls of this church bathroom, but it’s like you’re the only two people on earth. His lip curls up and his rhythm starts to grow more frenzied. He whimpers, “I’m- I’m gonna cum, baby. In your mouth?” You nod and bat your eyelashes up at him.

He’s looking down at you, tears brimming your lust-blown eyes, cheeks hollowed out, lips swollen and wet as his cock thrusts in and out of your pretty face-

A series of small moans leave his lips. His hips reach a fever pitch, then jerk forward a few times as cum spills into your mouth. You swallow the load while his cock is still submerged. His chest is still heaving when the death grip he has on your head softens and he pulls himself out with a pop . He pulls his boxer briefs up before helping you rise from your knees. Once upright, his thumb runs along your tingling, swollen lips, then he kisses you, coaxing your mouth open with his tongue so he can be inside you one more time before parting.

He pulls himself together and re-enters the chapel while you review the damage in the bathroom mirror. You look… like you just sucked someone off, honestly. Hair mussed, red puffy lips, mascara transferred onto your cheeks… and is that a fucking hickey ??

I’m going to murder him.

Once you fix yourself up the best you can and exit the bathroom, you realize the recessional hymn is playing, and decide that there’s really no point in going back into the chapel.

So, you grab your sketchbook and cigarettes out of your car, then open the hatchback so you can sit in the cargo area. Thankfully, your dress is long enough that you can cross your legs and prop the book up onto your thigh without the world seeing your soaked underwear. Cigarette in one hand, pencil in the other, you look around for inspiration; an out of place willow tree catches your eye, so you start to draw it. You hear a familiar gait approach and peak up from your paper to confirm it’s Javi. He lights up and sits next to you, observing your work in progress.

“Hello there,” you grin.

“Long time no see,” he winks.

A hum buzzes off your lips, then you point to the new marking on your skin with your pencil and scold him, “You gave me a hickey.”

His eyebrows raise and eyes widen; he winces as he inspects the enflamed skin, “ Shit . I got a little too carried away, I’m sorry.”

You look over at his apologetic face and wave it off, “I’ll just say I burned myself with my curling iron or something,” then continue sketching. Truth be told, you like the marking because it’s from him. If it weren’t for your scandalous predicament you’d wear it like a badge of honor. He leans back onto his elbows and casually watches you work, puffing away like a chimney. The silence that settles is comfortable. It’s so easy to spend time with him.

The other day, the two of you laid in the bed of his truck, bodies tangled in some configuration or another until the sun set. You exchanged ghost stories and urban legends. He told you that he believes in ghosts, which is shocking, but forbade you from telling a soul. Even after the cold set in until it made your fingertips numb and your bodies ached from laying against the hard metal ridges of truck bed, you were playing chicken, seeing which of you would say they have to leave first.

His presence is like a blanket, warm and comforting. But you sense that you have barely skimmed the surface of this man. You suppose he could say the same about you, too, and he’d be right. It seems that both of you have built a fortress around your hearts. With each talk, laugh, kiss, touch, comfortable silence… you allow yourselves to disarm it a little more.

Javi sits up and reviews at your progress. You tell him, “Did you know that if you plant a willow branch, a new tree will grow from it?”

He turns to look at you, raising his eyebrows, smiling at this fun fact, “Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Probably not this one, though,” he bites the inside of his cheek for a beat, then continues, gesturing to the huge shaggy tree, “It’s completely illogical that this tree is growing here. Weeping willows don’t grow in Texas.”

Your face screws up in confusion, “They don’t? Then how…?”

He looks as bewildered as you, “I have no idea. It’s why my abuela chose this church, though, because it’s a miracle that it exists here,” his gaze drops to his fidgeting hands, “Funny enough, my parents ended up meeting here when they were kids. Pop was homeschooled, so I don’t even know if they would have met otherwise.”

You set down your pencil and turn to him, “That’s how your parents ended up meeting? A freak willow tree brought them to the same place?”

“It sounds ridiculous when you say it like that,” he laughs.

“It’s like a fairy tale,” you giggle, placing your hand on his arm, “So, yes, it is ridiculous. But also… romantic. I love it.”

You rub your thumb affectionately against his arm through his suit jacket, hesitating to ask the question on the tip of your tongue. Speaking softly, you ask, “I’m sorry if this is out of line, but… is your mom…?”

“She died in 1982,” his gaze flicks to yours, you suppose he’s gauging whether or not to continue, “in a car accident,” he takes a deep breath and looks off at nothing in particular, “I uh… I was the Sheriff’s Deputy here at the time and first responder on the scene.”

“ Fuck , Javi,” you whisper, limbs falling limp at the implication.

He doesn’t say anything for a while, just stares into the distance with that haunted look upon his face. When he opens his mouth to continue, his voice is raspy, “Seeing her… that’ll stick with me forever. She was already dead, couldn’t do anything, but I tried. My dad hasn’t been the same since then, you know. We uh… we miss her a lot.”

“Javi-“ you squeeze his arm and he turns towards you, eyes somber and watery. You pull him in for an embrace, cradling his head on your chest. It doesn’t matter who sees or what they think about this moment, that’s not what’s important. You brush your fingers through his locks, holding him close, breathing in the scent that’s so perfectly him. You wish you could take away all the pain, but know you can’t. His body becomes less rigid as he melts into you and wraps his arms around your torso. Quietly, you tell him, “I’m sorry that happened to you. And… thank you for trusting me with your story.”

“Thank you for listening, cariño.” he mumbles into your chest. You release him. The pet name he’s given you tightens your chest and makes you blush every time it rolls off his lips.

“Anytime,” you try to wink. It doesn’t work.

“You ok?” he raises an eyebrow at you while leaning back onto his elbows.

“Yeah I was um… winking at you,” you hide your reddened face.

He snorts, amused smile breaking out on his face, “Oh yeah?”

“Mhmm,” you clamp your lips together, stifling laughter. Then look back up at him to demonstrate your wink again, which is more like one eye clenching shut while the other twitches uncontrollably.

Laughter erupts out of both of you. He asks between breaths, “You- you know what a wink is, right?”

“Oh my god shut the fuck up,” you cackle, smacking his chest, “I was just trying to be charming, like you!”

“You’re plenty charming. Maybe not good at winking, but you are charming,” he grins over at you and winks perfectly.

“You’re lucky I like you so much or I’d kick your ass,” you tease. Your heart lurches in your chest when you see the endearing way he’s looking at you.

He mumbles, “I’d like to see you try.”

You roll your eyes at him playfully and turn your attention back to drawing the freak of nature willow tree. Javier observes you occasionally while watching people, particularly keeping an eye out for either of your families. Eventually, you start thinking about Javier and Kim again, and curiosity gets the best of you. It just keeps gnawing at your mind and you can’t stop yourself from asking.

“I- I have a question,” you squeak.

He furrows his brow and looks over at you expectantly.

“Are you… seeing Kim?” you stumble, “Like, too? - I mean- obviously I have no say in that or whatever but-“ you clear your throat, “just, like, so I know.. you know?”

He seems to freeze up as he’s processing this. Your heart beats faster, tension builds in your shoulders, and you literally cannot stop yourself from continuing, “Because I know you two had uhm… kissed, or whatever, and you were her date last weekend…”

His expression doesn’t change, his eyes just search your face. You wriggle in your seat nervously.

“But we started uhh,” you swallow hard, trying to pantomime, “I guess, this… thing. And I just want to know.”

At this point, your heart is pounding so hard, you feel dizzy and you’re practically panting.

Am I sweating? Am I having a panic attack?

“No, I’m not involved with Kim. Or anyone else. Just you,” h e looks down at his hands, “I actually talked to her- Kimmy- after last weekend. We both agreed it would be better if we’re friends.”

The festering bundle of anxiety in your chest dissipates with a heavy exhale, immediately replaced by embarrassment and relief, “Why did you let me keep rambling like that? Jesus Christ.”

He raises his hands in the air defensively, “I was waiting for you to finish talking!” Then chuckles and smiles at you, “Besides, you were pretty cute, getting all flustered like that.”

Your face burns scarlet and you try to hide it by looking down at your paper and letting your hair cover your face. You feel him watching you.

“Hey, look at me,” he says softly. You sigh as you look up and let him see your beet red face. He tucks the hair in your face behind your ear, “Tell me what’s on your mind.”

You bite the inside of your cheek, then look down, “It’s just so silly because, you know, I’m fucking engaged. Why do I care if you see someone else? How is that even fair?” you confide, then throw your head back and groan, “It’s not. It’s not fair. But I think of you with someone else and, fuck , it tears me up. But what if you’re holding off on pursuing someone because of me? What if that person is the one you’re supposed to be with? What happens when I-” you stop and shake your head.

What happens when I fall in love and you leave for someone better?

He takes this opportunity to cut in and stop you from rambling into oblivion, “I’m pursuing you because I want you. I wouldn’t normally entertain the idea of being a paramour, trust me. It wouldn’t be worth the hassle,” your eyebrows draw together, you look over at him. He meets your gaze and smirks, “For anyone else, it wouldn’t be worth it. But you are.”

You realize you haven’t been breathing, so take a sharp inhale. Your heart hammers in your chest and you can feel heat rising in your face again. Every part of you feels a magnetic pull to him, aching for his touch.

“Why would you say something like that to me when we’re in public and I can’t kiss you?” you chide.

He grins at you so wide you can see his dimples and goddamn him .

“Can you wait until tomorrow?”

“If I have to.”

“I’ll pick you up around 3?”

You nod, biting your bottom lip.

You look down at the willow tree doodle, tear its page out, and hand it to him before you scoot out of the car, “I should go see what’s taking them so long. Bye, Javi.”

“See you tomorrow, beautiful.”

You don’t look back as you make your way back into the church, but by the time you and Dan come back out to leave, the trunk is closed and his red truck is gone from the lot.

[ Next Chapter ]

[breaksomegreggs]

I keep thinking about that beginning scene in 'All the Bells Say', were everyone is sat around playing Monopoly. Maybe I'm over reaching but I can't not focus on the contrast in dynamics between Shiv and Greg.

When Tom gets up to leave, explaining that he has an interview with Forbes regarding how he was able to make ATN profitable, Shiv makes a disparaging comment rather than being supportive or wishing Tom good luck. Greg, meanwhile is a lot more encouraging. He's smiling brightly at Tom as he's leaving and and even calls out, "Talk about me!" Surprisingly, instead of insulting him or questioning why he would talk about Greg in his interview, Tom replies with "Will do," almost as if it was a given that he would. It's like Greg has taken on the role of 'wife'.

Considering how head over heels Tom was with Shiv once upon a time, it doesn't take any stretch of the imagination that he would gush about her in an interview. Instead, while unlikely to do the same with Greg, he's apparently happy to mention Greg who is becoming more and more of replacement for his actual wife. Shiv on the other hand comes across as that asshole friend who rather than congratulating you finds a way to mock and belittle your achievement. Tom defends himself by pointing out that her statement is 'reductive and unfair', but seems otherwise unfazed, which given how eager he's always been for his wife's approval is also surprising.

It's quite clear that by this point that Tom is well aware that Shiv will never support him the way he wants her to, hence his comments several episodes prior about 'pushing her down the stairs and marrying Greg' instead. With Greg he gets the kind of support he doesn't get from Shiv. Even if Tom has to persuade or even bully Greg into going along with what he wants, Greg almost always does. We see this later on in the episode when Tom asks Greg to come with him and despite Greg on his way to securing his dream Parks job and initially reluctant, after some push back and guilt tripping from Tom, agrees, even telling Tom, 'Of course' as if it should be obvious he would.

With Greg in his life, Tom's betrayal of Shiv seems inevitable as Tom has found a replacement 'wife' - one who will both support him and who Tom also has power over, something which he has never had with Shiv. It's also clear how happy and relieved Tom is when he hears the words 'What am I going to do with a soul anyway?' from Greg. With Shiv's reluctance to have a child, Greg's rejection would have been devastating for Tom. Even way back in the safe room episode in season two, Tom practically has mental breakdown when Greg suggests him going somewhere else. Greg refers to it as 'a business open relationship,' quite clearly mirroring the one that Shiv established for them on their wedding night, which Tom reluctantly agrees to for fear of losing her. Of course, unlike with Shiv, Tom has power over Greg to get him to stay with him completely. (or at least until the end of S2 when Greg gives Kendall the papers)

Interestingly, I think if Greg had rejected him, there is the possibility that Tom might not have gone through with his plan of telling Logan what his children were up to. Knowing that Greg was going to be coming with him made Tom feel secure as Greg's support inspires confidence in him. Greg is the only person in the family who has any respect for him and without that anchoring him, Tom would arguably not be as successful at Waystar as he is, or even drown. A need to dominate someone is likely why Tom quickly latches onto Greg. Of course, he ends up quickly developing Feelings™. Tom needs constant reassurance, and Greg is the only one who gives it to him, even if at times Greg may do so to serve his own self interests.

idk I went on a slight tangent there but I think that brief interaction is an interesting precursor to both to Tom's betrayal of Shiv and his 'marriage proposal' to Greg later on in the episode.

Greg/Sporus as Tom/Nero's 'wife' will, at least in Tom's mind, give him the support and fill his emotional needs in a way that he knows that sadly he realises Shiv never will.

[catinfroghat]

Thinking about the "you've ruined it" scene in a different light now because what if he wasn't just saying that Greg ruined his happiness/freedom in terms of him being jealous of his date or even jealous of Greg being happy whilst his own marriage is falling apart but it was Tom actually blaming Greg for his failing marriage? It would make sense for Tom to blame Greg for him falling in love because he's not ready to take responsibility for that yet so it's easier to shift the blame even if he knows it's not true. Maybe he thinks if Greg never came along he could have continued being happy with Shiv. But now he has seen something he wants more but knows he can't have and it's ruined everything.

I can see Tom as bi or gay but if you read him as gay and deluding himself into believing he's romantically in love with Shiv because he's so enamoured with the lifestyle then falling into real genuine love with Greg could have been a nasty wake up call to the fact his love for Shiv was never like that. There's no going back from the realisation that you don't truly love the woman you shaped your entire identity around and that instead you fell so easily and completely for another man. He would feel guilty about deceiving Shiv (who he does care about a lot) and start to blame himself for their failed relationship and would want to shift that blame onto Greg instead. Hence "you've ruined it".

[thedarkangelpuppet]

oh, it's a pity that so little time is given to the parents themselves. it's always interesting what they do.. we know a lot about children

my guess is this question is related to the cambion kids...you want to know more about the cambion's parents so sure

BillDip:

Dipper still does what he did before the cleaving and acts as a peacemaker in gravity falls. He resolves issues any citzin if human or nonhuman has.

Bill has a tragic backstory and is still practically a god that suprisingly in this AU has a good end where he gets his dream of equality

Bill sorta became Emperor through he never actually does his job his reason for wanting Weirdmageddon was already furfilled.

Bill used to be a Slave or atleast very low in society where he was just seen as a servant with any other triangle (see the book Flatlands )

So bill went from zero power to godlike amounts of powers due to a deal with the Axolotl (aka the God Xolotl)

I may have wrote a plot of a cult in their backstory . Long story short The Pines and all the parents of the people in the zodiac are actually part of a secret society/cult workshipping the Axolotl the zodiacs were specifcally not told due to a prophecy but things went diffrent as they should due to the Axolotl mendeling and regarding his previous Prophecy

Bill and Dipper are soulmates and got married by Jheselbraum and the Xolotl

Parent wise I think Dipper sorta became a bit of a helicopter parent he tries not to but its mostly his anxiety getting the better of him.

Bill meanwhile is the overly chill parent which lets their children get away with everything

Poetree:

Wirt became pregnant very early in his life because the Beast forced/tricked him into a relationship. Wirt sorta dropped out of school to take care of the baby and became a stay at home parent.

Beast and Wirt have a very unhealthy toxic relationship theres no yelling or anything but Beast is abusive to Wirt

Willow was just sorta a means to an end to get Wirt to stay with him

The Beast does love his daughter and Wirt through and is not at all abusive to his daughter he is sorta more of a dotting parent

Beast is the one providing the family with shelter,food etc. through Wirt's parents help alot

Wirt's parents absoultly hate the Beast meanwhile Greg likes the Beast but he is also blissfully unaware of what the Beast is doing to his brother.

Wirt didn't have the best childhood. When he was younger his mom cheated on his dad and his dad left. Hence his mom marrying the new guy (Greg's dad). Wirt blamed Greg's dad and Greg for his true father leaving. Wirt loved his dad. He felt like maybe his mom never loved his dad or him for the longest time.

Wirt had to practically raise Greg too since his parent's were always away. He learned to cook that way (See the OTGW comics specifically OTGW Hollow Town where Wirt mentioned he had to take care of Greg to the point where he breaks into tears saying Greg always gets him in trouble and he barely has time for homework)

Stomco:

now on to the Heart royals well they each had a on and off romance before ending up all together as a poly couple.

Both Tom and Star grew up as spoiled Royals so they don't know how to do more normal stuff

they mostly have servants to do their stuff because thats how royals and rich people used to grow up hence the stomco kids having alot of servants raising them more than their actual parents to uncomftable degree the only time when their alone with their parents and have their parents interacting with them is when their on vacation so everyone looks up for vacations

Both Tom and Star tend to be busy with Royal duties while Marco does knight duties and sorta is in charge of their army.

they all try to be a normal family but sadly being royal ends up being the thing that causes problems as they are always bothered by servants or guards or even citzins

[tomwambsmilk]

To be honest, I have mixed feelings about the first three episodes - even having seen the show more times than I'm willing to admit, I do still think "Celebration" and "Lifeboats" are Succession's two weakest episodes. "Shit Show at the Fuck Factory" gets a slightly higher ranking, but it's still a bottom ten episode for me. And admittedly, a big part of that is that these three episodes need to do a lot of heavy lifting in terms of establishing characters, dynamics, and setting, which doesn't leave much room for the kind of interesting and engaging storytelling that really makes Succession a good watch. One thing that highlights this is that there isn't a single wasted scene in "Celebration" - every scene, line, and interaction tells us something important, something fundamental, about who these people are, the world they operate in, and their relationships to each other. But as strong as this is from an economical-storytelling standpoint, it's a big part of why so many people (myself included when I started watching) really struggle to make it past the first three episodes - especially considering you don't truly understand the importance of what you're seeing until you've finished at least the first season, if not the third.

But, all that being said, I can't think of another show that does such a good job of efficiently and effectively establishing what it needs to. Aside from the Kendall and Logan scenes, we have the aforementioned baseball scene with Roman, as well as his introductory scene, which establishes him as not caring about being in the business - and then his one-on-one with Logan, which shows us that he does care very much about his role (or lack thereof) in Waystar, despite pretending not to. We have Shiv's first scene with Tom, which establishes the tenor of their relationship and the degree to which Logan hangs over it; and her own one-on-one with Logan, which tells us how badly he wants her in the business, the fact that he doesn't have much respect for Tom, his lack of respect for her work, and her own disinterest, not necessarily in the business, but in playing second fiddle to her brothers (hence needing 'the top job'). We learn that Connor is disconnected from the rest of the family (the ranch, not realizing that 'old bread' is not a good gift for Logan) as well as his chronic need to avoid confrontation (I'm water, I flow).

Tom's scenes with Logan further highlight both Logan's lack of respect for him and the keen desperation with which he wants that respect, even though (as we'll soon learn) he's been dating Shiv for quite a while; his scene with Greg simultaneously establishes his twin desires for power and friendship when he currently has neither, as well as his failure to live up to the (highly sexual and to a certain extent sexually violent) ideal of "masculinity" prized by other members of the Roy family. And Greg's scenes communicate his status as a chronic failure and his discomfort with nepotism (he 'doesn't want to get into it' when his mom asks if he told the park managers who he was) as well as the desperation that causes him both to push forward with Logan despite that discomfort (and the ambition that makes him ask for much more than is reasonable, given his situation) and to tolerate Tom and the incredibly confusing and borderline abusive conversation the two of them have at the baseball game.

Of course, the first time we watch, we don't realize that's what we're seeing. That's because one of the rules of filmmaking is that you generally need to communicate something three times before the audience understands it - so while certain things (such as Kendall's relationship with Logan) are readily apparent from the get-go, a first-time viewer doesn't yet have enough information to properly interpret most of what they're seeing. But that doesn't change the fact that the screenwriters do an incredible job of throwing a lot of important information at us in the course of an hour without making it feel overwhelming.

The other really interesting thing about the first three episodes is that they do a good job of establishing the characters in certain archetypes - which they then spend the rest of the season unravelling. Coming out of the first episode, Logan is a well-meaning but misguided father and a brilliant businessman who has disappointing children; we understand that he's not a great father, but his frustration with his children feels somewhat earned, given what we know about them so far. Kendall is the heir with great potential but also substantial flaws who is cut down by Logan and will (probably) have to learn to overcome those flaws to assume his rightful place. Roman is the irresponsible and childish son who isn't meant to be taken seriously and doesn't have the emotional depth of the other characters. Shiv is the responsible and sensible only daughter, not as susceptible to her father's manipulations, relatively innocent by virtue of removing herself from the company, and ultimately supportive to Tom. Connor is the harmless, oddball son whose impact on the family is negligible. Tom is the sycophantic and power-hungry asshole who cares more about Logan than Shiv. Greg is a wide-eyed, innocent burnout who has no idea what he's getting into.

But then, over the course of the first season, Succession slowly unravels all of these archetypes. While there is some truth to each of them, nothing is truly as it initially appeared to be. As the show progresses, the characters develop in ways that are simultaneously unexpected, and yet, in hindsight, perfectly in line with what we've learned about them so far. And in doing so, the show gives depth and nuance to those archetypes and engages us in these people and their lives and their relationships, making us empathize with them, despicable as they may be - and the fact that our initial assessments were somewhat off only makes the gradual reveal of their true characters more impactful.

[gregorygerwitz]

Hello! Big Fan! You have a Death of a Bachelor idea 👀 ✍✍✍✍

Hi there!

Because I have no idea when or if this fic will ever exist, I'm not actually going to start writing it yet (hence why it's in the "fics that may or may not happen" category on my wip list), but I'll happily share 12 sentences of babbling about it?

Death of a Bachelor started as an idea from a made up fic title meme, which... almost immediately changed around as I started thinking about it and combined it with an older fic idea I've been thinking about on and off since December. So... chaos.

It's a spoiled rich boy AU, because I love rich!Mouse chaos, and it has all the fun fake dating from the original idea but I changed it so Jay isn't the fake date. Jay and Greg have been friends for a few years, so their friendship is very established when his parents start throwing their fit. Greg has to have a date for his birthday party in June, and clean up his reputation, and because of the timing (I'm thinking Thelma and Gregory give him this condition after a December holiday gala) he has about 6 months to find someone his parents will approve of. But he's Greg, so he procrastinates until a month before his birthday and he isn't in a relationship and he knows a brand new relationship definitely won't survive his mother, so a real date is not an option.

The thing is... he's still in the closet. So he can't bring a guy and out himself to his shitty parents who already have these crazy high standards. Which means, as much as he wants to bribe Jay with fancy alcohol and free food to be his date for a night, he can't. But, Jay does have a girlfriend who Greg has known just as long as his best friend, and his parents would approve of a pretty young blonde (because they suck and yes they are that shallow). So he bribes Hailey with fancy alcohol and free food to be his fake date for his birthday party. And she agrees because she's a good friend, and it's not like they're leaving Jay at home, he's already invited to his literal best friend's birthday party.

And it's just this chaotic situation where Greg is pretending to date Hailey for a night to get his parents off his back, while low key pining over Jay even though he'd never do anything to break him and Hailey up because they're good together. And the details are wild but it does end in Cozy Trio because Jay has two hands.

[ send me a writing emoji and a wip for 3 sentences ]

[gregoftom]

omg the norwegian wood exactly!!!!! like it was a moment where it seemed greg was being his hetero playboy persona like "some hotties...the arctic foxes...bit of norwegian wood" but like norwegian WOOD??? that's suddenly so explicitly Not Straight??? HE ALSO LITERALLY TURNED TO TOM AS HE DECIDED TO MENTION NORWEGIAN WOOD???? and with a dopey fucking smile too

he's also then so tender when he's with tom asking "but you're not worried, right? you're good" with a gentle touch. it's!!!

I totally also buy that they've been intimate. and it's changed their dynamic but there's also this boundary to it because it hasn't had them be Together as an actual couple so they're just like orbiting this thing. and I bet greg's like soooooo in his own head rationalising it. like they're just Buddies. buddies that sometimes give each other release when they haven't scored a woman but are still pent up. and I just Know that tom's so tender in it and also so horny but then Also just puts these walls up like it's Nothing like there's not emotion involved like it's not a Thing, greg, it's not weird. (don't overthink it.) and greg's like...along for the ride, but probably also got fucking whiplash lol. and probably his whole comphet, gay dad issues got him thinking in denial like you can still be straight while fucking around with a man

like I feel like they Do have the vibes of having been intimate and it's like unlocked this level of affection and touch and cheeky playfulness they sometimes have. and like there's now always the option that they Could do a little something, so there's a thrill there that it's like...maybe available, at any opportunity. but it's also Not Properly Spoken About or acknowledged so it's like dancing on the edge of something. like I'm sometimes aloud to have you but I know I don't actually have you...but you are mine...we're each other's we're linked we have little secret private in-jokes, and I'm your cheerleader your champion I care about you I want to protect you and you protect me...but there's no Relationship, there's no talk of it being a relationship.

I feel like if greg even reminded tom that they'd held each other's dicks tom would shut him down instantly. ...but then later inexplicably touch him so tenderly or sexually...and not even acknowledge the disconnect there

YEAH LIKE. like i said, there’s sequoias there so it seemed to be greg having a little inside thing with tom like i GET it!!! being real i think they Did Something even before norway like hand on heart i think somewhere in the 3-4 gap was the first time. the way they act in 4.02, way tom finally opens up to greg in 4.03 and says he’s not okay, the way greg is like. blatantly eyeing tom at the wake [and they arrive together?! oh they fucked the night previous] it like. all hints to me they’ve stepped over a barrier into intimate territory of i guess fwb [but they absolutely both feel more than that, hence in 4.08 greg’s finally like, so where are we at in terms of us? and bringing up matsson and the way he treats him but enjoying the trust as though referring to him and tom and where they started and are now at, bc he doesn’t want that anymore, he wants to be tom’s lover.]

LORD don’t even say that to meeeee it’s true like. greg wants to look out for tom esp after what happened last time he was on a flight like that :( he’s worried about him! and lmfao hugo being like UR ON A DIFF FLIGHT TO TOMand greg being like ok and? see if i give a fuck i need to check on my man 🔪

and yeah like that is tom’s way, i think. i think he desperately tries to be this like detached guy with greg, and this kinky guy with shiv and he just can’t keep it up bc his nature is being romantic as hell so he’d slip up a lot with greg just like he always has like I AM MEAN AND NASTY GRRR but then forehead kisses and i’ll look after you. and as you say he’d be so tender and gentle in bed like i stand firm by my belief that tom was greg’s first real fuck And it was amazing simply bc tom was so tender and giving during bc he can’t really be anything else, that’s just how he is and why sex with him is so good. but if greg tried to bring it up or mention he’d absolutely dismiss it lol. probably again what led him to being bitchslapped in the bathroom LMFAOOO tom step it up!!!!

[thesunlightmuse]

I like to joke that Dumbledore fell flat on his face so Rose Quartz could run, but in all seriousness, I think that that sentiment captures the show pretty well. Spoilers for both ahead. (Note that I haven't finished SU Future nor have I watched Fantastic Beasts, so I will try to keep my references to those at a minimum.)

For most of the series, we’re led to believe that Dumbledore is a hero, “the greatest wizard who ever lived,” blah blah blah. The general consensus is that JKR basically wrote the series on the fly, inventing the plot book by book (hence why there are so many contradictions), but you could argue that the first few books do foreshadow (even if unintentionally) the reveal that Dumbledore had planned for Harry to sacrifice himself the whole time and intentionally spent the entire series manipulating him into feeling so grateful for Dumbledore and the Wizarding world that he’s willing to die for them at age 17.

Granted, there are some characters who try to challenge this and encourage Harry to just be a child. Sirius is the most prominent example, but we also see it in Lupin, the Weasleys, McGonagall, even Aberforth—all of whom are brushed off, die, or for whatever reason can’t/don't stand up for Harry until it’s far too late. What we’re then left with as an audience is ultimately a pretty one-dimensional character who wasn’t even one-dimensional on purpose (as proven by JKR trying and failing to rehabilitate his image via Fantastic Beasts). It’s frustrating and it’s poor storytelling.

On the other hand, Steven Universe gives us complexity right off the bat. At the beginning of the series, we see everyone in the show trying to shield Steven and let him be a child, albeit a magical one who helps collect corrupted gem monsters. Greg, Amethyst, and Garnet are obviously much more successful at this than Pearl, but they are all actively trying. As for the veneration of Rose Quartz, nobody purposefully tries to force that veneration onto Steven - they say nice things about her, they make it clear that she was wonderful (at least in their eyes), but Steven is given the space throughout the entire show to form his own opinions about her.

As the show progresses, Steven takes on more and more, but not because he’s part of some grand plot to defeat the Diamonds. Rather, the (metaphorical) shield that the Gems created for Steven becomes harder and harder for them to maintain as they are forced to confront their past. Again, if we look at Pearl as the most extreme example, we can very clearly see that she is determined to separate her feelings towards Rose from her feelings towards Steven. And this isn't a new thing that she realizes she has to do following Sworn to the Sword—the flashback episode of the Gems first meeting Steven as a baby shows that she's been trying to do this since he was born.

Meanwhile, the characters who try to encourage Steven to not take on so much and just be a kid—Greg, Amethyst, Connie, the other kids/teens in Beach City, arguably even Lapis, in her own way—aren't brushed off, they aren't killed off before Steven can think about what they're saying, and Steven even tries to listen to them. The reason Steven ultimately can't take that advice to heart isn't that Garnet and Pearl are trying to force him into becoming the means to an end in order to save everyone from the Diamonds. He already was the means to an end: the means by which Rose could finally fully escape the consequences of her actions.

A Single Pale Rose works because, by the time Pink Diamond is revealed, we as an audience already know that Rose Quartz wasn't a hero by any means. Even if we had assumed that "Pink Diamond" was evil and that Rose was justified in shattering her, we've learned enough about Rose's actions on Earth at that point to know how deeply flawed and selfish she was. And when that reveal does happen, it's clear that the Gems want to take this new information and begin to heal and become closer as a family (notice how nobody turns on Pearl for keeping Rose's secret). Had the Diamonds not attacked in the middle of the wedding, they probably would've succeeded at that.

It makes me sad when people come after Steven Universe. I'm not saying the show is perfect; no show is, although most of the critiques of the show I've seen pop up are either Cartoon Network's fault for intentionally screwing up the pacing, especially at the end, or are "SU crit" chronically-online please-touch-grass nonsense.

In reality, Steven Universe is a masterful exploration of generational trauma, of the way that those in power are quick to manipulate those underneath them in order to keep their hands clean, and the dangers of uncritically putting someone on a pedestal, while also teaching children about healthy relationships and the value in avoiding violence in favor of communication in an unusually effective and honest argument for "the power of love."

Expelliar-my-ass; Harry Potter could never.

[thesquidkid]

thesquidkid's masterpost

Here you will be able to find all the fics that I've ever poster under this username, whether it's here on tumblr or on my ao3

I mostly write for Roswell, New Mexico, but I also have an ongoing Fast & Furious fic, a post No Way Home fic, and two original works.

I also have some RNM projects which don't really count as fics, but that I am still very proud of: a three part science meta (where I break down the science episode by episode) , and three lego short films (1x01, 3x01, 3x06)

Feel free to sent me a prompt anytime! I'm always happy to write more and procrastinate my wips

All the links will be under the read more, divided by fandoms, with the newer fics on top. I'll also provide a summary to make it easier to navigate (bc rn it's not easy, even for me 😂)

All of my fics are tagged with #thesquidkid writes (the tags under this post are my personal ones in case you wanna see my original content)

Roswell, New Mexico science meta: a project I did (and that I will update for the upcoming season once it's aired), where I tried to break down the science used in the show (please note that I wanted to preserve my sanity and hence only looked at the 'real' science. I am however a huge nerd and will very likely dive into the 'alien' science some day). Here are seasons 1, 2, 3.

Roswell, New Mexico finished fics:

the clock is ticking, the flame approaches the end of your life's wick: angsty malex fic, with major character death (please watch the tags) (ao3)

I don't see us ever being together ever again: malex week 21 day 5, lost decade (ao3, tumblr)

It's where you go when you're alone: malex week 21, home, flashback to 2008 (ao3, tumblr)

My ambition was a vision I had built in my dreams: malex, alex wears nail polish for the first time in years (ao3, tumblr)

Where I follow, you'll go: echo first meeting, they collide into each other (ao3, tumblr)

Burn the world down (keep him warm): Maria talks to Michael about fire and Alex, RNM Week 2021 day 4 (ao3, tumblr)

Different: Max and Michael talk about Jones, RNN Week 2021 day 2 (ao3, tumblr)

Under the stars: malex proposal, with a wedding (6 chapters) (ao3, tumblr)

Save me I become // Pure evil behind the charade: angst, hurt/comfort where Jones manipulates Michael (7 chapters) (tumblr, ao3)

I was the match and you were the rock: the airstream explodes, Michael lost more than just the place where he lived. (ao3, tumblr)

Have you tried knocking: 3 times isobel interrupts her siblings + 1 time she gets interrupted + 1 time she isn't (ao3, tumblr)

Matching: Isobel gets the tattoo, deleted scene from Pause sur mon épaule, tes peines et tes plaies (tumblr)

Together we can quiet all the noises: 3k of pure malex fluff, following 3x09 (ao3, tumblr)

Pose sur mon épaule, tes peines et tes plaies: Isobel reflects on her life and figures out what she likes (ao3, tumblr)

Make it purr: 3x09 missing scene, the conversation between Sanders and Michael (ao3, tumblr)

Crazy life, crazy family: 3x09 missing scene. Kyle wakes up and learns about everything he missed while in a coma (ao3, tumblr)

Through the clouds I see love shine: pre 3x09, malex talks about love and their relationship (ao3, tumblr)

Unnamed delmanes 3x08 coda: Greg calls Maria after she woke up and she invites him over to the pony (tumblr)

Lately I've been feeling so alone: Michael makes gifts out of alien glass for the people he loves (5k of pure fluff) (ao3, tumblr)

I guess it’s been a long way home, trying to face the world alone: coda for 3x07, Alex meets Jones for the first time, who gives Michael a choice he had always dreamt of since he was a kid- his family coming to earth and taking him with them back where they came from. But things are different now, Michael isn't alone on Earth (tumblr)

Remember the time you drove all night: Malex through the years, and their connection to music (ao3, tumblr)

To protect: Max is rethinking the life choices that lead him to being a cop, Forrest helps guide him on the path of books (ao3, tumblr) (part of my friendship series)

Highschool Reminiscents: Maria and Rosa have a chat at the Pony one evening, remembering their high school days (ao3, tumblr) (part of my friendship series)

A new beginning: Alex gets filled in on what he missed during and until 3x05, and that includes Michael's decision to take care of the ones he loves (tumblr)

Unnamed delmanes story: Maria DeLuca is her own saviour, but she lets Gregory Manes in when things get bad (tumblr)

Fight like a girl: Isobel opens a self defense class for young girls and Alex is an instructor there. Michael stumbles upon it (tumblr)

Roswell, New Mexico ongoing fics:

J'avais les yeux occupés à regarder l'passé: Nora (the child of Maria/Michael/Alex) finds herself in 2008, meeting her parents, and living amongst them (ao3) (8/?)

You're gonna be the one that saves me: ongoing coda for 3x08, a look at the different conversations that happened at the Pony that night (ao3) (2/?)

And I, I am feeling a little peculiar: rnm/sense8 au with Max, Isobel, Michael, Alex, Liz, Maria, Forrest and Cam as a cluster and Deep Sky as the enemy organisation (ao3) (5/?)

Marvel fics:

Everything Spider-Man touches, comes to ruin: Spider-Man and Daredevil crossover, post No Way Home (ao3)

Fast and Furious fic:

Agent Pearce and the tiring chase of one Owen Shaw: Roman is an FBI Agent, Owen is a criminal, they end up working together (ao3) (6/?)

Original Works:

The House with Blue Shutters: 10 years ago a little girl disappeared from a mysterious house with blue shutters. 10 years later, the investigation continues (ao3) (5/?)

Pale Death Knocks: Paris is in flammes. But the next day, no one remembers. Ace, a nonbinary young adult finds themselves in the middle of a crisis, with only company Tom, a 5 year old, and two agents from a secret organisation, Arthur and Marceau, working for HATS (ao3) (1/?)

[greywindys]

How has Kendall changed your perspective on 2D? I can kind of understand where you are coming from, but I'm genuinely curious to see what parallels you are drawing here because I agree with your parallels between 2D and Greg. Current 2D wants what Greg has. (TomGreg anon here, btw.)

TomGreg anon! If you're still checking, I'm sorry this has taken so long. I haven't had a lot of extended quiet time to just sit down to think and type out super niche fandom reflections though I love to write them. I'll try to illustrate this the best that I can without the use of the Venn diagram because I don't think it applies.

To preface, I'll be talking about two relationships here: Murdoc and 2D, and Logan and Kendall. Though I'll be referencing 2Doc, I'll only be talking about Kendall and Logan as a familial (father/son) relationship. Shipping ethics is fun to talk about too, but that's not what this discussion is about, so we're *not* going there lmao.

So, anyhow...

In terms of personality, I don't think Kendall and 2D have much in common, but there are some similarities in their respective roles, though they respond to them differently. Both of them start out in a position where they're singled out to occupy high pressure position in some way - Kendall is preparing himself to take of his father's company, 2D is thrust into the role as the face and voice of a famous band. The stress and overall demand of their roles exacerbates their personal issues, most notably their substance abuse (though Succession’s portrayal or Kendall’s addiction is so much more nuanced than Gorillaz’ portrayal or 2D or Murdoc’s addiction). While Kendall's role is more dynamic in the sense that he, at least initially, really wants to inherit Waystar, only to be denied it and later fight against it, I see a connection in the fact that he likely experienced the same pressure 2D felt. Which leads me to the next point...points.

Most of the parallels I see are between Kendall's relationship with his father, Logan, and 2D's relationship with Murdoc. TomGreg is the obvious comparison, of course, but I think you could draw similarities between a few Succession relationships (I'll throw TomShiv out there as well). Tbh, I hadn't considered Kendall and Logan until my re-watch.

First, I think it's pretty obvious that Murdoc is most concerned about having 2D in the band. He can replace or adapt without Russel and Noodle, but he can't and won't move forward without 2D. He both despises him for being everything he couldn't (the frontman, the lead singer, his mundane background) and cherishes him as his only friend who seems to love him back, and as the person who essentially saved him by being an instrumental part of the band that got him away from his old life. He's jealous of him, he's wary of him, but he also can't separate himself from him.

This is very similar to how Logan treats Kendall, though personally, I think their relationship will always be more, well, everything simply because it's a parent/child dynamic vs two random guys lmao. I won't get into the attachment theory part of it all, but we as people have evolved to bond to our parents because our survival depends on it. Even when they're abusive like Logan, it's bond that's extremely difficulty to break (hence how he continues to manipulate all of his children throughout the show). While I don't think he has an obvious favorite child the way Murdoc has a favorite colleague, it's clear he wanted (and still wants? maybe?) Kendall to be his successor and views him as knowledgeable, skilled and beneficial to have as part of the company. Similarly, he resents Kendall because he thinks he, along with his other siblings, had it "easy." He seems to resent Kendall the most because of how competent he could be, and how, up until the end of S3, he was the only one who would make big move against him. I believe Kendall even calls him out for being "jealous" at one point.

Additionally, Logan uses/manipulates Kendall with little concern for his well-being the same way Murdoc uses/manipulates 2D in earlier phases. He pulls Kendall out of rehab when he hasn't even been there 2 days so he can do a TV interview to give Waystar positive press. He uses his connections to make deals, he uses his knowledge (context - I believe Kendall is the only one of his siblings who actually like, studied business, at Harvard no less) to make business decisions and testify in front of the senate. I couldn't list the entire show here, but hopefully you get the idea. And like Murdoc (P3 Murdoc to be specific), he doesn't let Kendall leave the company when he finally asks to.

Okay, I'm way beyond simply typing "too much" at this point lmao, but I want to quickly touch on Kendall and 2D. They both hold onto hope that Murdoc and Logan will genuinely show that they care at some point. They see-saw between loving them and hating them. Kendall does a lot more with this as a character. We see him take action and self-destruct and try again and slowly come to the realization of who his father really is. His character arc is a lot more emotional and satisfying and well-written for these reasons, but the similarity is still there. And where Logan doesn't changes, Murdoc arguably does, and his relationship with 2D begins to mend.

To be clear, I still don't like who 2D is now. If anything this only illustrates his wasted potential to me even more. I don't root for him or care about him the way I do Kendall, but in knowing Kendall, I can put myself in 2D's shoes...or my version of 2D's shoes, a little more easily, and have some empathy for him.

And yes, 1000% 2D (and Jamon for that matter) WISHES he had Greg has.

[faelapis]

what i mean when i say i like jasper’s ending a Lot in terms of “what the character needs”, rather than what the audience needs, is that the transition from “fragments”, to “homeworld bound”, to finally “the future” shows, albeit quickly, a pretty interesting commentary on “want vs need”.

“want vs need” is a pretty basic storytelling concept of, basically, writing flawed characters who have some growing to do as people. they “want” one thing, but they actually “need” another thing.

so let’s talk about jasper’s “want” vs “need”.

cont: but you are not my diamond. if you think you’re hard enough to tell me what to do, fight me and prove it.

she makes her “want” clear in every episode she’s in SU future - which is that she wants to subjugate herself to a diamond, because that’s the only worthwhile purpose in life she’s known.

but we, and steven, don’t actually want that to happen. we know it’s not good for her health. we’ve seen that it’s not, both because hierarchies like those are toxic and because we’ve been shown, specifically for jasper, that it causes her to self-destruct over and over again.

so when it does happen, it’s very fitting that it’s in the worst circumstances possible. she begged for steven to fight her with all his might, over and over again, so he could prove himself a worthy diamond - to the point where he ends up shattering her. and when she’s brought back to life, she’s not even mad at him. he’s proven himself a “worthy” superior.

so we’ve been shown very clearly that jasper’s want is pretty, well, unhealthy for her. she would literally die for it, and get nothing in return except unhealthy, oppressive structures around her. getting everything she wants, at long last, fills her with a kind of void and fragile happiness... which only lasts so long as steven embraces his role as diamond and stays with her. 

hence we, and steven, only see her act at peace with her circumstances without complaint for a couple minutes, and it always (both in fragments and homeworld bound) ends in her own heartbreak. that’s the fragility of her “want”.

basically, it’s bad because, albeit she would know what to do with these structures... it would be at the expense of her own agency, character growth and health. it would always end badly for her.

this is a good time to point out the parallels to steven in “mr universe”.

much like jasper, steven doesn’t care if the structures around greg were cruel or oppressive. he never looks closely enough to notice how much greg hated his life. he just wants things he sees as “normal”. he wants guidance, certainty and authority figures to tell him what he’s “supposed” to do in life.

so. how is jasper’s “want” inverted?

much like rose would eventually do with pearl, the unhealthy attachment is cut by giving your subject a very bitter pill - disappearing from their life. by leaving them behind, you’re essentially forcing them to grow.

that’s NOT the main / only reason rose has steven, or steven eventually leaving beach city... but both serve the purpose of making someone who idolized you “deal with” your absence. and that’s certainly at least a part of their intention - rose thought of herself as stuck and likely holding pearl back. steven is horrified by the diamond role and wants jasper to do “something better”.

and that leads us to jasper’s “need” - to be free from these oppressive authority structures and find her own path in life. this would both improve her health & happiness, as well as making her stop engaging in unhealthy behavior towards herself and others.

now. is she fully “there” yet? no. 

but i think that as much as her trying to persuade steven to take her with him into the great unknown mirrors pearl - ie “i should be fighting for you, because you’re too important”, her reaction to steven’s reassurance that he will be fine shows that she’s already done more growing than pearl had at that point.

she’s likely been taking classes at little homeworld (where she was confirmed to currently live, NOT just visit to say goodbye to steven) for the preceding months between “i am my monster” and “the future”. she’s somewhere near accepting that her diamond doesn’t need protection. it’s also likely something she started thinking after “fragments” - if your diamond is truly so wonderfully powerful... why would they need your protection? what is your “purpose”? steven defeating her + leaving without her in “homeworld bound” both lead her to the same conclusion - she can’t fail or succeed in protecting him, because he doesn’t need her to.

thus, her role isn’t warranted.

“i can protect myself”. “i know... farewell, my diamond”.

it’s pretty significant to me that at the end of their little scene, steven doesn’t run away or give jasper any orders to stop following him. SHE leaves, albeit sadly, because she agrees with him. he can take care of himself.

jasper’s still framing steven as a diamond / superior, but... i think a big point here is that she’s someone who was so firmly stuck at the bottom of a pit of self-hatred, isolation and meaninglessness that she couldn’t unstuck herself - not without being pushed to do so. which ended up also being true for steven.

that’s the irony of the double-edged sword of her “want” - in a way, she’s right about one thing. she can’t just magically get better on her own.

i think the episode “guidance” illustrates an interesting balance between steven and amethyst’s philosophies - amethyst would rather gems do whatever, even if they end up slipping back into their old patterns. steven would rather guide them towards challenging themselves, even if that means dismissing their autonomy.

jasper... kinda gets both? her “want” and “need” play into each other in interesting ways. i’ve been framing her want as a negative a lot, but it does have an interesting silver lining - she had to get what she wanted (to be defeated, to be given a diamond), to be pushed to what she needed.

and in turn, steven needed to listen to and adapt to HER, in order to help her. only after doing that, after being pushed by jasper in turn and truly giving her what she wants, even if it tears you apart mentally... would she ever listen to you. as steven is probably used to by now.

and despite the tragedy of it, i think that’s... kind of an okay thing to show? because not everyone will seek help on their own. it’s not the uplifting message of “anyone who needs help will eventually realize it entirely on their own”, but it IS the hopeful message of “even people who refuse help, deserve help”. 

there’s horror in steven ultimately adapting to jasper’s desires, because it shows them both the fragility of their wants - for steven, being able to control jasper was a horrifying consequence. he got what he “wanted” in the worst way possible. for jasper, getting what she “wanted” meant being forced to let it (steven) go in favor of staying at little homeworld. 

but honestly... we already knew that jasper would never seek help on her own. she’s too “selfless”, in the toxic sense. purpose matters most.

and she’s not alone in that.

“pearl took pride in risking her destruction for your mother. she put rose quartz over everything; over logic, over consequence, over her own life.”

pearl taking rose down from that pedestal was a slow, elaborate, exhausting process that took years of actively working on herself. the majority of that work was only done after rose was gone.

jasper’s gonna have all the same tools - a genuine support network, people who are willing to both empathize and teach a better way, distance from her romanticized superior, and her own desire to get better. 

the latter point, at first, because she’s told to. but as we saw in “little homeschool”, leaving her to her own devices without any “worthwhile” path forward wasn’t ideal. her “want”, much like amethyst said... still deserves to be listened to, even if she still thinks like a homeworld gem. 

but the seriousness of such an effort is, as pearl taking care of steven “for rose” and then “for him” and finally growing to do things “for herself” shows, a good avenue for REAL growth. jasper may soon yet grow for her own sake.

and the results... again, pulling pearl as my example, can be remarkable.

as i’ve said before... i am pretty sad we won’t actually get to see more of that. that’s what “the audience” may have felt they needed from jasper. the same way i’m sure rose would find it bittersweet to know how much pearl has grown without her. the same way you’re sad whenever you don’t see a character you love find love and happiness onscreen, even if it’s implied...

but in a show told from steven’s perspective, i think there is some point to that.

i’ve come around to the following: she couldn’t go with him. any forgiving hugs steven & jasper could’ve given each other at this point would’ve been hollow. that power dynamic would’ve been in the way. what they “need” is not each other. they need people who really, truly understand them, and to figure out what they want in their lives when steven doesn’t have someone to save emotionally (jasper), and jasper doesn’t have someone to sacrifice herself for (steven). 

(...and it’s at this point you realize i made you read ALL OF THAT mainly to justify why pearl and jasper’s relationship is gonna be such a central thing in my post-canon fanfic. lol. anyway here’s the link again.)