#i will always point to the first movie and the fact that his plan involved zepp potentially shooting ten year old diana

[hidingoutbackstage]

Siddd as a fellow Sawtual how did you like Saw X :)

GOOD FUCKING MOVEY

[ironunderstands]

All of Aventio’s implications that I can remember because someone has to compile them 

Massive disclaimer: the purpose of this slideshow is not to prove that Aventio is canon (even if I personally think it is), but rather to demonstrate the relationship these two have in canon, as well as disprove the misconception that they hate one another, because no, they absolutely do not. This list is also in no particular order so expect a lot of jumping around in the story. I hope you enjoy reading! 

Dr. Ratio added gambling to his update for the Simulated universe, and said a certain gambler would enjoy it, despite Ratio’s known dislike of gambling. 

He put his all into carrying out Aventurine’s betrayal plan, and Aventurine trusted him to execute it correctly, despite the plan/going to Penacony having no obvious gain on Ratio’s end.

Dr. Ratio gave Aventurine this note urging him to keep on living despite the pains of his past and the agony of the present, wishing a man who is already known for his luck the best of it, something which helps Aventurine survive the manifestation of IX. I am insane about this note and could yap on and on about it, but I will spare you the delusions for now haha. 

Dr. Ratio wears his headpiece around those he finds to be unintelligent and not worth his time, but he has never once on screen worn it around Aventurine, signaling that he finds the man to be both intelligent and worthy of his attention. 

Aventurine doubts his own intelligence and worth in his voiceline about Dr. Ratio, believing that the scholar doesn’t care for him. However, in Ratio’s voiceline about Aventurine, he commends Aventurine for his competence and skill, pointing out that his success is not in-fact just due to his luck, and if he keeps doubting himself he will meet the fate of those praying on his downfall.

Aventurine is also the only person to actually have voicelines about Dr. Ratio so far, despite Ratio having interacted with many others, meaning he’s the closest in canon to Aventurine, seeing that he’s the only one who talks about him. (Hopefully Screwllum has a line on Ratio when he comes out bc I am starving for Ratio content lmao). 

Aventurine’s first eidolon name is Prisoner’s Dilemma, which refers to a game theory in which two people can only achieve the best outcome of their situation if they put their faith one another while being unable to communicate/physically separated, and it mirrors the dynamic Ratio and Aventurine had on Penacony while acting out the betrayal plan. Which could mean nothing. 

His 6th eidolon name is Stag Hunt Game, which refers to another game theory based on trust, and is again, reminiscent of Ratio and Aventurine’s plan. Basically, they trust each other a hell of a lot, to the point where his eidolons are named after similar games of trust, which is no accident, as well, there’s countless game theories, and hoyo went with the ones specifically centered around trust between two people. For example his E4 is another one of those theories, but has nothing to do with trust, so they specifically selected his first and last eidolon to be about it, interesting.

The name of the 2.1 quest that just involves Ratio and Aventurine is Double Indemnity, which not only refers to the legal matter but also a famous romance and thriller movie in the 1950s by the same name. Notably, it shares a lot of plot points with that of the 2.1 quest as a whole, and the fmc is always portrayed as blond, just like Aventurine. 

There is also a scene within Double Indemnity that shares a lot of parallels between itself and the Final Victor lightcone. However in the movie scene she is holding the gun, whereas in the lightcone Ratio is, even if Aventurine is holding it to his chest.

Also if you want a more in depth analysis on how this movie relates to them, this person made a great one on tumblr :@anominous-user. (without the period, also it’s long as hell though be warned). 

You receive the track “Spellbound” after completing the Double Indemnity mission.

It is also the name of a 1945 film by Alfred Hitchcock, which is a Thriller, Noir and you guessed it, features romance as a major part of the plot. Its story also seems to have parallels to Aventio’s, but I’m not gonna get into that for now.

Notably, spellbound also means to hold the complete attention of someone, which is more often than not romantic, as only people you love/admire can captivate you like that. 

The bathtub couch Aventurine gets Ratio during his demo (and is the only time the seating ever changes in demos) is reminiscent of the bathtub couch from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and you guessed it, its another romance.

He constantly flirts with Ratio in the pinball section of the Double Indemnity trailer, even going so far as to a) have the “Doctor you’re huge” line become a massive meme in the community b) he literally says the view is breathtaking when the only view is the giant Ratio he’s staring at. Honestly this entire section is so chock full of romance tropes (seriously what writer let their size difference kink into the story) that I have no idea how it passed censorship.

Aventurine also flirts with Ratio in the 2.0 scene by asking where his alabaster head is, which means he’s seen him wear it before. However, even when Dr. Ratio is acting, supposedly yelling at Aventurine for being a useless fool, he doesn’t wear the mask meaning he doesn’t truly feel that way.

They also have designated nicknames for one another, that are exclusive to them only. Dr. Ratio only ever calls Aventurine “gambler” while in his presence, and although Aventurine calls him Ratio sometimes, he often refers to Ratio as Doc/Doctor (Professor too in the CN) when talking to him. What’s interesting is that nobody else seems to refer to either of them with these names, meaning they made them for one another.

Despite the fact that throughout Penacony, Dr. Ratio’s job is to sell the betrayal plan, he still apologizes to Aventurine in the 2.0 argument scene, and looks away during Aventurine’s sentencing presumably out of guilt/to not break his poker face when the other looks at him. He also not so kindly tells Sunday to visit a shrink (therapist), which should tell you how much his actions concern and upset Ratio.

He also breaks his act again to check in on Aventurine. Hmm. 

Anyways time for the Aventurine keeping up with starrail speedrun because OH LORD, I’m gonna number these by image so I don’t exceed the count LMAOO. The first few are numbered by image, and the next are numbered by the columns of images, and I can clarify in the comments if you’re confused!

1) Owlbert calling them good friends (which Mr. Tsundere denies, although he says Aven isn’t awful to work with) 

2) PRAISE OWLBERT

3) This line is very significant because only 3% of Dr. Ratio’s students ever pass his classes, in which they become experts in their fields. So, if Aventurine earns a passing grade in Dr. Ratio’s book, that means he’s exceptional to him as almost nobody does. 

1) Ratio says his flashy outfits just make his job harder which ??? What do you mean by that sir do you not like seeing other people lay eyes on Aventurine serving cvnt? Why are you so worried about how his jobs go? Hmmm? Throughout the whole video he also keeps saying Aventurine shouldn’t take up fights in the first place, and the more logical thing to do would be to run away. Worried about our dear gambler Ratio?

2) How well do you know this man that you know his personal motto 😭 look genuinely idc if you leave this shipping them or not, how the hell are you gonna deny their friendship after this at the very least. 

Ok homoverse/j Anyways basically what’s going on here is that the little showcase of Aventurine’s kit ended and Ratio gave him a compliment. Owlbert says it seems like there is some mutual respect between them. Interesting, instead of denying it, Ratio asks, “What did he say about me?” implying that Ratio respects Aventurine, but he did not realize the other respected him back. 

1) Which causes Owlbert to spill this, which speaks for itself, Aventurine believes Ratio is the person who knows him best, so he invited him to be on the show. 

2) Which results in perhaps the greatest display of Ratio’s tsundereness to this day, also Owlberts face I can’t 

1) It seems Ratio didn’t think Aventurine knew him so well, but oh boy it gets better (worse for Ratio though LMAOO)

2) Caught your ass in 4k, also please just go and listen to this demo again I don’t think Ratio could sound more flustered if he tried. 

Apologies for the fuckass title card getting in the way no I don’t know how to remove it, but if you look closely in the first one, you can see a little sweat drop by Ratio’s face, which is again, another common trope with Tsundere’s when they get called out on their bs. “I really can’t tell what the deal is between you two,” me too Owlbert, me too.

Aventurine knows Ratio is in the council of Mundanites, information that is only a rumor to the rest of the galaxy, and Ratio trusts him with this information.

Acheron calls them friends, thank you Queen louder for the dumbasses in the back! Apparently there’s also a note somewhere in Penacony that talks about her, Argenti and of course Ratio being the ones to save Aventurine, so if I can find it, I’ll include it in the next part. 

Oh and don’t you think I’m done w this ridiculous lightcone for one second. I’m  well aware it’s a display of Aventurine’s su1c1dal tendencies, hell I was and still am the biggest supporter of that, however I also have eyes and yeah this fucking thing is really h0rny oh my god. “He provocatively looks at the man before him,” ok, could have picked any other wording but you picked that one 😭.

Also, a key detail of this lightcone that people miss is that it’s, well, a lightcone. A lightcone we get in 2.0 as soon as it drops, and since lightcones are canonically condensed memories, this happened way before the events of 2.0, and is likely how Aventurine convinced Ratio to join him jn the betrayal plan. 

Moreover, Aventurine says “remain amicable,” meaning this isn’t their first meeting, and him and Ratio had at least been talking to one another for some time before this, which could mean their friendship/partnership/whatever the hell this is has dated back to perhaps even prior to 1.6 when we meet Ratio for the first time, but ultimately that’s just speculation. 

Lastly, for this mini lightcone rant: the animated version of it. Oh lord. 1) Camden and Jordan put their all into it istg 😭 2) Ratio pulls the gun back but Aventurine stops him, meaning that a) Ratio didn’t want him to get hurt, but he b) accepted Aventurine’s provocation, 3) Aventurine LEANS CLOSER to him while teasing him with his whole “why not doctor~,” sh1t and 4) if you look closely at both the animated and still versions of it, there’s a tiny spark of light in Aventurine’s normally dead eyes, which is just, yeah. 

Ratios party voiceline for Aventurine. This is a complicated one because it is meant to be b1tchy in both languages (this is a tumblr post on it by @devxoid which goes over the nuance surrounding it. The TLDR is: directly translated, it means “take care of yourself, gambler, I need not your worry/concern,” but its actual meaning is far closer to the “fuck off” vibes in the CN. However, two this complicate this, 1) he sounds far calmer/neutral in the CN and 2) Ratio is the biggest goddamn tsundere on this planet, so even if he sounds mean, he does genuinely want Aventurine to take care of himself, as Ratio’s tried and true method of getting people to better themselves is by being rude to them, so it’s actually fairly in character, it’s just I think the way the line was directed in EN was a bit too harsh and threw some people off 

Finally, here’s some more silly ones that don’t really mean anything on their own until you put them into the context of everything else:

Their status as package deal do not seperate in both the data bank and the profile pictures is extremely funny because they have no reason to be next to each other like that, they just are.

Their kits are also designed to synergize perfectly with one another, and in the livestream Ratio was put in the team to demonstrate Aventurine’s kit because well, they are made to work together. Aventurine is by far Dr. Ratio’s best sustain unit due to the debuffs he provides (alongside everything else) which only gets better with eidolons + his signature lightcone, and if you have ever played Ratio you know how much he likes debuffs. As for Aventurine, his arguably  best team is the FUA one with Robin, Topaz and well, Ratio, who is the main dps of the team. Honestly besides trying to zero cycle MOC there is no reason as to why you would run Ratio with any other support unit if you have Aventurine. 

I hope you enjoyed reading! Also, this is absolutely not everything, just all the stuff that’s easy to point out, and I’m not even getting into an actual analysis of the plot and how that demonstrates their relationship. Moreover, I don’t expect you to leave this shipping them if you don’t already like them, but I at least want to demonstrate that they are without a doubt close friends in canon, and there’s no denying it. I definitely missed some so feel free to point out more, as I might make a part two, as these are just all the ones off the top of my head. Continually, for the people who like Aventio, hopefully this serves as some sort of guidebook/reference to their implications/interactions, and if you have any moots who love this ship, I’d recommend tagging them in this bc I think they would love it! Have a good day :D

[melodyatlas]

Hello, in honor of your JayTimRoy post, I bring you the idea of Jason and Tim interacting like two feral cats in the same space, constantly sniping at each other or getting in each other's way, stealing each other's stuff (clothes) and cases, pranks that are deeply concerning to everyone involved (Jason shooting in Tim's direction with real bullets and shooting him with rubber ones and Tim hacking Jason's helmet and making it 'lightly' tazer him sometimes), stalking each other and regularly complaining about each other, just clinically incapable of leaving each other the fuck alone.

With Roy in the middle, able to interact with both of them completely normally. Tim is a weird kid, sure, but he's brilliant and good with tech and planning and contingencies, and if Roy calls him up for help on something Tim is there for him no questions asked. He's also weirdly sweet, like yeah he's a stalker but he uses it to send Roy his favorite foods and drinks when he's feeling down, or keeps an eye on Lian for Roy and sends him initially creepy but reassuring updates about where she is at all hours of the day.

(Tim DOES understand boundaries, honestly, and he doesn't literally watch Lian 24/7, but if she's at school or daycare or with someone else, Tim usually has eyes on her just in case. There's probably been a few kidnapping attempts that barely got off the ground before Roy or Jason were notified, or Tim just showed up himself if they weren't close enough.)

Jason is Roy's best friend and yeah he's rough around the edges and has his issues, but he's loyal to a fault and deeply protective. Like he'll bitch about Roy being an idiot and getting into trouble but always while he's patching him up and making him food and tucking him into bed and forcing him to rest and recover.

So Roy can see that Jason and Tim's animosity and weirdness for each other does not come from hate or dislike but from a deep feral NEED for each other, they are just completely incapable of being normal about each other. He can ALSO see that they are both completely unaware of it in themselves, like completely blind to the fact that for all their hissing and spitting and fucking with each other, they have every opportunity to just... NOT interact much, they COULD just leave each other alone, but even suggesting that makes them both glitch out because what? Leave each other alone?? Impossible.

And much as Roy would like them to figure it out themselves (and maybe chill, a little bit) he likes them both, they both like him, and he would like for the three of them to have a movie night in or go out to dinner together or go to the park with Lian sometimes without the two of them starting to bite each other.

And for as smart as Roy is and as good at planning as he is, he leans more towards Jason's "apply molotov cocktail to problem" brand of planning over Tim's "4D psychological chess with seventeen built-in contingencies" brand of planning (which to him is all the more reason Tim should join Team Red, because honestly they could use that level of planning and consideration for their missions. you can only throw so many molotovs at a problem before your problem is 'too much fire' at which point the molotov does NOT help)

So Roy invites Tim over ostensibly to help him design new weapons, confirms Tim is interested, and then bends him over the work table (once the explosives are cleared off) and fucks him nice and relaxed and stupid, then cleans him up just enough before depositing him on the couch and calling Jason home. When Jason comes home and sees Tim, naked except for one of HIS hoodies with clear bite marks on one side of his neck, and Roy wearing some loose sweatpants and no shirt, his brain glitches out long enough for Roy to say "he's still pretty relaxed from when I fucked him, you wanna take round two or can I go again?"

(He MAYBE could have introduced the idea a little more delicately, and admittedly he DID have to chaperone their first few times to smooth out the misunderstandings (things like Tim wants/needs to be held down and made to submit a little and Jason is terrified of pushing past someone's boundaries but also needs to bite Tim, hold down and SHAKE), but it all worked out in the end. He gets them to chill out enough that they can go on normal dates, and on movie nights Roy gets Jason as the perfect body pillow and Tim as the perfect weighted blanket and it rules.)

Roy is living his best life with his two feral boyfriends and really only has to hide from Batman that he's fucking two of his proteges since the rest of the Bat colony are basically like "fucking THANK YOU jesus CHRIST", because Jason and Tim are still unhinged about each other but at least they're AFFECTIONATELY unhinged now instead of constantly toeing the line of actively trying to kill each other. They work on cases together, Jason practically shoves Tim into his own (and Roy's) clothes, Tim steals Jason's tech (and Roy's) to upgrade it, they still bite and obsessively stalk each other (and Roy) but it makes them both feel reassured and loved.

aaaaaaaahh i have been thinking about this ask All Day, now that i'm finally at my computer i can respond with the time that it deserves 😂

you're so right, this is the exact dynamic they exude in spades. if someone didn't know them, its easy to assume that Jason and Tim do, in fact, hate each other, but Roy /does/ know Jason, and he's gotten to know Tim pretty well too from how much time he's been spending around them. so /Roy/ knows that they don't hate each other- if they hated each other, then Jason wouldn't miss when he shot at Tim, and he sure as hell wouldn't let Tim spend so much time in their safe houses, let alone the apartment Jason and Roy unofficially share in their off-time.

and if Tim truly hated Jason then he wouldn't bother with all the effort he puts in to work cases together, and he wouldn't spend so much time working to repair Jason's bonds with the other Bats. he probably still would rig up Jason's helmet to give him the occasional jolt or alter the voice modulator to make Jason sound like he just inhaled helium- just to be a little shit. but he definitely wouldn't make it so easy for Jason to fix.

Roy just gets so tired of getting caught in the middle of all of their little tiffs though, he's had to stop himself from just pointing out that Jason trying to strip Tim in the middle of their apartment because Tim stole his t-shirt isn't really "mortal enemies" behavior and clearly Jason just wants to see Tim naked. but /god/ did Roy want to point it out. especially when it happened more than once. Tim clearly doesn't realize the attraction either, because he never lets Jason catch him when they fight like that- always rushing from the apartment when Jason gets too close to pinning him. it's /probably/ a good thing, because Roy isn't sure Jason is at the point where he would know what to do once he actually catches Tim and takes the shirt off.

Roy wants to find out- wants to see Jason finally pin Tim down and strip him of all his stolen clothes and see what Jason decides to do with the bare Robin beneath him- but it hasn't happened and the longer it goes on the less patience Roy has with them.

Roy /likes/ Tim, /likes/ Jason, /likes/ seeing how they treat each other when they aren't exchanging blows (and sometimes when they are- but goddamn theres a limit to what he can take). he likes how Tim has inserted himself into their lives. Tim just /fits/ with them in ways that Roy wouldn't have guessed before he saw it himself. the way the little stalker genius helps them upgrade their equipment, the way he brainstorms with Roy about his projects, how he brainstorms with /Jason/ over cases, the way he plays with Lian is terribly heartwarming. he's stopped two kidnapping attempts with his stupid stalker tendencies, and after stopping the second one himself, Roy added Tim to the list of emergency contacts at Lian's school. he picks her up sometimes at /her/ request- and damn if that wasn't a blow the first time it happened. but Lian says Tim is funny and that he's better at coloring than Roy is.

so yeah, Roy wants Tim to stay in their lives, and he wants it to be in a calmer manner than currently because of this imagined beef with Jason due to them just being so infuriatingly obsessed with each other.

when Roy's patience finally runs out he decides to do something about it. invites Tim over under the guise of wanting a second pair of eyes on his latest weapons design project. the way Tim gives all of his focus to the project, clearly stating what he thinks should be changed and improved- it's cute how into it he is. there's something about the focus of a little genius like that- even when he's kind of dissing some of the work that Roy (who is also a genius) already put into it. Roy finds it funnier than anything else.

they finish the weapons talks and while Roy is cleaning up the work table he casually strips off his sweaty work shirt, using it to wipe his face and carefully checking Tim's line of sight and expression. bingo. Tim has a good poker face, but he's not hiding his gaze at all, eyes glued to newly exposed spanse of Roy's skin. so Roy tests his luck, shoots Tim his most charming smile, and takes him by the hips to draw him in. there's the barest moment of hesitation before Roy brushes their lips together and Tim melts into the contact.

it heats up quickly from there- a blur of touching and kissing and stripping each other until Tim is bare and bent over the work table, cheeks spread around Roy's length as he buries himself into the little bird. Roy digs his teeth into Tim's neck, sucking and biting and purposefully leaving marks because he /needs/ Jason to see the evidence later.

Tim thrusts back into his hold, meeting him thrust for thrust, until Roy makes his way up to mutter filthy words into Tim's ear, telling him how good he looks, how good he's taking it- how good it'll look to see him take Jason later and Tim /loses/ it when Jason is brought up. his noises had been soft- held back- but at just the idea of getting railed by Jason, Tim's voice ratchets up in volume and he somehow melts even further against the table, whining and rutting unevenly.

it doesn't last much longer, both of them having been building up to this for so long. and the idea of getting to go again when Jason gets home urges them on even faster. so they finish up and Roy gets Tim all cleaned up, handing over Jason's hoodie for him to wear instead of the clothes he came in with.

Roy is a little worried he broke Jason when he freezes at Roy's invitation to fuck Tim, but the animalistic noise Jason lets out when he finally moves make him realize this was probably best case scenario. it /is/ hard for Jason and Tim at first, going from having been in such denial for so long to finally having each other is a shock. and with Jason being a little scared of how roughly he wants to treat Tim- of not wanting to push /too/ far but wanting So Much from him. and with Tim not being able to just /say/ that he not only /wants/ the rough treatment from Jason, but really /needs/ it, makes it even harder on them. Roy personally thinks how lucky they are to have him there to smooth out the bumps as they start out, but then that makes him think about how lucky he is to have them in his life just the same.

he didn't expect Dick to practically /thank/ him when they finally talked after Dick found out he's been screwing both of them, but the relieved way he talks about how much easier theyve been to work with makes it easy for Roy to read between the lines.

[xomakara]

Exploration

SUMMARY | When you stepped into an adult store looking for new toys, you didn’t expect to step out of one with your office crush, Jungwoo. PAIRINGS | Jungwoo/Fem!Reader GENRE | smut, unprotected sex, oral sex (both male and female giving/receiving), dirty talk, sex toys RATING | Mature LENGTH | 3,696 words AUTHOR’S NOTE | Here’s one for you Jungwoo stans. I really couldn’t think of another title but oh well LOL. Enjoy!

You did not go into that shop intending on having sex, and certainly not having sex with the kind of big cock stud you just met. You went in to pick up a couple of new dildos, maybe a few porn movies, but you never imagined running into Kim Jungwoo, a colleague at the company you worked at.

Jungwoo was widely admired in the office. He was well liked, funny, a great worker, always there when you needed him, and incredibly good looking. Everyone talked about how he looked, but no one really knew anything about him outside of work. Everyone knew he had a 4 year old son that he clearly loved very much, and everyone also knew he was single.

You knew he wasn’t married because he was upfront about it, saying he wasn’t ready to commit yet. When asked if he was seeing anyone, he would smile and shake his head. There were rumors going around the office that he was gay, and that he had been briefly involved with another guy while in college, but no one really knew what had happened between them or why they broke up.

You only ever heard stories like this from co-workers who felt jealous of Jungwoo, as he was well off financially and got to do pretty much whatever he wanted. It seemed to be part of his appeal; you saw it all the time, people trying to get close to him, asking him out for drinks after work. Some would even come on to him right in front of you! He seemed to enjoy the attention, though, flirting back sometimes, giving people compliments or friendly nods.

But you were sure he was straight, as you had seen him around other women plenty of times. In fact, he made a point of being extra friendly whenever he ran into any of your female friends. He was respectful and sweet, not trying anything, just making conversation. It wasn’t until tonight that you realized just how close to Jungwoo you actually are.

After a day of training for a project you two were working on together, you walked down the street to an adult toy store near your apartment. The plan was to grab a few videos, maybe try something different in bed, as well as some anal lube and vibrators. But when you entered the store, your plans changed.

Your first stop was a section of toys labeled “For Her Pleasure Only.” This is where you usually stopped, picking out things that looked interesting. But tonight, as you picked up a few items, you noticed a few men staring at you. At first you thought it might have been due to you wearing an outfit that showed a lot of skin, but soon you began to wonder.

You were annoyed by their leers and were about to lash out at them but you felt a muscular arm wrapped around your waist. "Did you find what you wanted, babe?"

You turned to see who had grabbed you and was stunned to see that it was none other than the object of your office crush, Jungwoo. You noticed that the other men looked away immediately, embarrassed. "I…uhm..not yet."

"Ah. Well...let's look for something together."

As you stood there in disbelief, you began to notice that the other men in the store had backed off, leaving you alone with Jungwoo.

"Finally they backed off." Jungwoo said, taking his hand off of your shoulder. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Why are you here?" You asked him instead.

"Well, I live a few blocks from here." Jungwoo answered. "And I needed to pick up some supplies before heading home."

"You live around here?" You said, impressed. "I'm surprised we haven't run into each other before."

"I don't leave my house much these days." Jungwoo laughed. "My son and work take up most of my time, so I tend to stay at home. Are you here alone? You should be with your husband or boyfriend when you come to these stores. There are creeps around."

"Ah..." You bit your bottom lip. "I'm single. And I'm just looking for some stuff for myself since I obviously don't have anyone at home waiting for me."

"Oh...well then..." Jungwoo looked you over. "So, what kind of stuff are you looking for?"

As you tried to think of something sexy to say, Jungwoo interrupted you. "Come on, I know you want to look. What's stopping you?"

Suddenly, it hit you. Why was he here, shopping at an adult store with you? It was almost as if he knew you were checking him out, as if you two had planned this beforehand. You couldn't help but feel your cheeks flush with embarrassment as you remembered his hand resting on your bare hip earlier.

Your eyes drifted down to his crotch, which was bulging through his jeans. As you watched him shift slightly, you could make out the outline of his hard cock pressing against his zipper. His breath caught in his throat as you continued to stare at his crotch. It wasn't long before your curiosity got the best of you.

"So...are you interested in me?" You finally blurted out, feeling a little bolder now.

Jungwoo chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose you can say that. I mean, I've definitely had those kinds of thoughts. We work together, you know? We spend a lot of time talking, laughing, joking around, you know? It's hard not to notice someone like you."

You blushed. Was he flirting with you?!

He must have realized your confusion because he added, "I know what guys at work think of you. I guess I'm the same way. Maybe not quite so obvious, but you definitely turn me on."

"Wow..." You whispered, unable to believe your ears. "Are you serious?"

"Damn straight I am." He smirked, walking closer towards you. "Let's just say I like watching you walk around the office in those skirts."

"That's crazy!" You laughed nervously. "No one has said anything like that to me before."

"Have you really never noticed how hot you are?" He smirked again. "Maybe you're not used to guys thinking that about you."

"What do you mean?" You gasped, completely taken aback by what he was suggesting. "This is a strange conversation for us to be having."

"Maybe it is, but then again this is a strange place for us to meet outside of the office, isn't it?" He winked.

You suddenly became aware of the fact that you still hadn't looked away from his crotch, and realized what you had been doing. Your face burned red as you looked away, wondering if he noticed.

"I…" You started to say, but trailed off as Jungwoo placed his hands on your shoulders, pushing you gently towards the vibrators and dildos.

You looked back up to see him holding the biggest dildo you'd ever seen. "Um...what about this one?"

You stared at the huge thing, unsure if you wanted it. "It looks too big." You replied.

"Nonsense." Jungwoo shook his head. He grabbed your hand and placed it on this clothed crotch. "This is a good size to stretch you out so that you can take on the real deal later."

You bit your bottom lip, eyes darting back to the front of his pants.

"That's why I like you." He smiled, as he watched you. "You're adventurous enough to give it a shot, aren't you?"

You nodded quickly. "Yeah...yeah I think I am."

"Good girl." Jungwoo leaned forward and kissed you lightly on the lips. "Now, let's check out these movies, shall we?"

You nodded slowly, a grin growing on your face. "Yes sir."

He pulled your arm and led you towards the movie section. After grabbing a few movies, you headed towards the checkout counter. Jungwoo paid for everything without a word, smiling politely at the cashier.

Once he was finished paying, Jungwoo moved to stand behind you. "So, where are we going now?" He asked.

"Uh..." You took a deep breath. "My apartment. It's nearby."

He put his arm around your waist once again. "Perfect."

As you followed him out of the store, Jungwoo let go of your arm and tucked it under his arm. He held onto it tightly, turning your body so that your breasts were pressed up against his chest. With his free hand, he squeezed your ass cheek, causing you to shiver with pleasure.

"Mmmmmm...you're getting awfully horny, aren't you?" Jungwoo smirked.

"Mmmmmm..." You moaned. "Maybe it's the fact that you're practically groping me in public?"

"Maybe." He chuckled. "Or maybe it's just that I've been imagining fucking you for the past hour."

"Oh god." You breathed, not able to resist his charm anymore. "You have no idea how badly I need you."

With his hand still holding yours firmly, Jungwoo guided you across the parking lot and down the sidewalk. Once you reached your apartment building, he released your hand and helped you climb the stairs. As you opened the door, he pushed you inside.

"I've been dying to fuck you ever since we met." He groaned, lowering his mouth to yours.

His kiss was intense, and you were shocked to discover how talented he was at kissing. His tongue swirled inside your mouth, exploring every inch, as his other hand explored the curves of your body. Before you could respond, he pulled back, breathing heavily.

You gazed at him, surprised by his sudden retreat. Did he just reject your advances? Before you could ask him about it, Jungwoo dropped his bag and pinned you against the wall, slipping his hands underneath your shirt, cupping your tits. You moaned as he began to squeeze your nipples between his fingers, biting your lower lip to keep from moaning out loud.

"So sensitive." He growled, as he worked your nipple into a rock-hard peak. "Goddamnit, I can't wait to get you naked."

Before you could answer, Jungwoo gripped the hem of your shirt and lifted it over your head. His eyes widened as he surveyed your bare body.

"You're so beautiful." He sighed, reaching out and running his hands down your stomach. He paused briefly at your navel, massaging it lightly, causing you to gasp softly. "Is this okay?"

You trembled with desire, overwhelmed by his passion. “Yes…”

“Touch yourself for me, baby.” He urged, helping you get your pants and panties off. “Do whatever feels good. Use any of the toys we bought if you want. Just touch yourself for me.”

His words sent a thrill through your entire body, causing you to shake uncontrollably. Before you knew it, you had reached into the bag of toys that you bought and pulled out the small black vibrating bullet.

Slowly, you brought it to your clit, sliding it in between your lips. The cool silicone sent waves of pleasure radiating throughout your body, making your pussy throb. When it finally slipped inside, it brushed against your swollen g-spot, sending chills throughout your entire body.

“Tell me how good that feels.” He demanded.

You moaned as you ran the vibrator up and down your wet slit, circling your clit as well. “It feels amazing…so good…”

“Keep going. Do whatever you want with that toy. I wanna hear you moan for me.”

As you continued to tease your clit, squeezing your muscles, you could feel the familiar tightening of your body. A low guttural moan escaped your lips as you cried out, falling over the edge of climax. The pulsing vibrations filled your pussy as you came all over the toy, forcing you to clamp your thighs shut in an attempt to hold back another orgasm.

After a minute, you began to relax, letting go of your grip on the toy as your orgasm subsided. Jungwoo watched you carefully as you regained control of your breathing, mesmerized by the sight of you riding the high of climax. He couldn't believe how incredible you looked as you fell apart right there on the floor.

Without warning, Jungwoo dropped to his knees, positioning himself between your legs. With a wicked smirk, he grasped your hips and positioned them directly above his head. He spread your pussy open with his hands, licking his lips as he stared at your dripping pussy.

“Oh god…” You gasped, feeling lightheaded at the site of him staring at your pussy. “Why are you doing that?”

He smiled. “Because I want to taste you. Because I've been dreaming about tasting you all day.”

With that, he buried his face between your legs, sticking his tongue out and dipping it inside your moist slit. The pleasure almost caused you to come again as he teased your clit with his tongue, nibbling on it lightly. He continued this until you were shaking with pleasure.

"You taste amazing." He panted, looking up at you. "You're such a dirty girl. So naughty."

"Fuck…that feels good." You moaned, unable to help yourself.

“But first, I want to eat your pussy some more. Then I want to fuck you so hard that you scream my name.” He whispered, taking a slow lick up your inner thigh.

You felt like you were going to die from the delicious sensations. “Please…oh god…do it. Fuck me. Eat me. Fill me with your cum. I want you to fuck me so bad.”

Jungwoo sucked on your clit harder, moaning as he devoured you. Finally, after several minutes, you screamed out as an orgasm ripped through your body. Your body shook violently as you struggled to maintain your balance, letting out muffled cries as the pleasure kept shooting through your body.

Finally, the tremors died down, leaving you weak and breathless. Jungwoo didn't stop sucking on your clit however; instead he increased the pressure of his tongue, coaxing another powerful climax from you.

Jungwoo licked his lips, panting. “Oh god…baby…I love how dirty you get when you cum. That was so damn sexy.”

You ran your fingers through his hair as he looked up at you. "Jungwoo...let me return the favor. Let me suck your cock before you fuck me."

His eyes lit up, as he nodded vigorously. "Are you sure?"

"God yes!" You cried. "Let me suck your cock. Please."

The look of lust in his eyes caused a chill to run down your spine. "Go ahead."

Jungwoo stood up and began undoing his belt. Once it was undone, he undid his zipper, pulling his pants and underwear down to his ankles. He grabbed the hem of his shirt and threw it off. He stepped out of his clothes, allowing you to stare at his muscular form. You saw his balls hanging beneath his dick, his thick shaft curving downward slightly. He was so incredibly gorgeous.

Jungwoo walked over to the couch and sat down, spreading his legs so that they were wide open.

"Suck it, baby." He encouraged, opening his eyes.

Taking his cock into your mouth, you swirl your tongue around his shaft while you slid your hand up and down his length. You licked the underside of his cock, tickling his balls, teasing him with each stroke.

Jungwoo moaned loudly, digging his fingers into your hair as you pleasured him. He closed his eyes, moaning quietly as you slid your tongue up and down his hard cock. His arousal was evident, causing his cock to swell even larger in your mouth.

"Mmmnnn." You hummed, bringing your mouth to the tip of his cock. You flicked your tongue over the soft skin, stimulating his sweet spot. Jungwoo gasped, his body shuddering with ecstasy. He grabbed the back of your head, holding you in place as he began to thrust his hips.

With his hips bucking rapidly, you bobbed your head faster and faster, covering more and more of his cock with each stroke. Soon enough, you had wrapped your lips around the base of his shaft and sucked it deeply into your mouth, eliciting a throaty moan from him.

"Do you like that?" You breathlessly asked, licking the tip of his cock with your tongue.

"Yes…" He grunted. "Yeah…yeah…yes."

You brought your mouth back to his cock, swirling your tongue around his soft skin. At this point, you were giving him one hell of a blowjob. His cock felt amazing in your mouth. It was warm and hard, and you felt like you could do nothing but please him.

"Fuck, swallow my cum, baby." He moaned, grabbing your head.

Tightening your grip on his cock, you quickly swallowed every drop of his cum. After he finished coming, you gave his cock one last kiss, allowing his hot seed to coat your tongue. When you released his cock, it was glistening with your saliva and his cum.

"Jesus fucking christ..." He moaned, laying back on the couch, resting his arms behind his head.

Reaching out, you touched his chest gently, causing him to turn his head toward you. You leaned forward and kissed him softly, trailing your tongue along his lips.

"Did you enjoy that?" You asked, smiling seductively.

Jungwoo groaned, as he slowly moved his hands down to your ass. He gripped your cheeks, pulling your body closer to his. "You have no idea what you do to me, Y/N."

Grabbing your waist, he began to grind against you, sliding his hard cock against your dripping pussy. "That feels so good."

Your legs began to shake, trembling as he pressed himself against you. "I need to be inside of you." He groaned, moving his hips.

Jungwoo pushed his hardness inside of you, burying himself deep within your tight warmth. Your walls gripped his cock tightly, welcoming him. It felt amazing. He felt incredible. You couldn't help but let out a satisfied sigh as he began to pump his hips, fucking you deeper and deeper with each thrust.

He bit your neck, nipping it softly, causing goosebumps to cover your entire body. Every time he did this, you felt as though your insides would explode. It sent shivers throughout your body, causing your heart to race.

"You're so fucking tight, Y/N." He moaned, gripping your ass tighter.

"Ahh…god Jungwoo." You whimpered, your walls contracting around him. "This is so good."

He squeezed your ass cheeks tightly, grinding against you roughly. "Look at me, Y/N. Look at how much I'm enjoying this."

His words sent shivers throughout your body. Suddenly, his lips met yours, tongues intertwined as he fucked you hard and fast. "Tell me what you want, Y/N. Tell me how much you want me to fuck you."

Gripping his ass harder, you clenched your teeth as you tried to focus on his voice. "I want you to fuck me so hard that I forget everything but you."

With that, Jungwoo slammed his hips into you, slamming you onto his cock as hard as he possibly could. It was enough to make you scream out loud, moaning his name. The sensation was so intense, that you wanted to cry out. As soon as the word left your lips, Jungwoo began to increase the pace of his thrusts, thrusting himself deeper and deeper inside of you.

He stopped kissing you, his mouth remaining pressed firmly against your neck. “Do you like that, baby? Does my cock feel good? Is it filling you up nicely?”

Wrapping your legs around his waist, you dug your nails into his back, moaning loudly. "Fuck…god Jungwoo. This feels so good."

Your body trembled, shaking violently as Jungwoo's relentless thrusts became too much to bear. "Ahh…I can't take it anymore! Jungwoo...oh god!"

He held your hips tightly, ramming himself as deep as possible, his moans becoming louder and louder as you began to scream his name over and over again.

"Come for me, Y/N." He growled, pushing you harder against his hips.

"Jungwoo!" You cried, as your pussy contracted around his cock, milking him dry. You heard him grunt as he came inside of you, coating your insides with his hot load.

After a few moments, you felt him begin to pull out of you, releasing you from his grip. A small amount of his seed remained trapped inside of you, seeping out of your hole and running down your thighs.

"Y/N, you okay? Did I hurt you?" He asked, leaning down to press a kiss to your forehead.

You smiled softly, pressing your face into his chest. "I loved it. And no, you didn't hurt me. I just need a minute to catch my breath."

"Are you sure?" He asked, cupping your cheek.

"Absolutely." You assured him, pressing your lips to his chest.

"I'm glad." He said, rubbing your arm. "I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did."

Smiling widely, you hugged him tightly. "I did. It was better than I ever imagined it would be."

"We should definitely do this again sometime." He whispered, wrapping his arms around you.

"Are you saying that you want to keep seeing me?" You asked him. "What will our coworkers think at work if they see us together?"

Jungwoo smirked. "If we're being honest here, I've been wanting to date you since day one."

Shocked by his words, you raised your eyebrows. "I never realized that you felt that way."

Jungwoo pulled you close, wrapping his arms around you once more. "Don't worry, Y/N. We'll figure something out. For now, I just want to spend some quality time with you."

Your body relaxed as he continued to hold you. "That sounds perfect."

Jungwoo cleared his throat, breaking the silence between the two of you. "Speaking of spending time with you, I really don't want to go back home tonight."

"What about your son? Won't he be worried about where you are?"

"He's with my parents tonight." Jungwoo told you. "Besides, there's no way in hell I'm leaving you alone tonight after all that happened."

A small smile spread across your face. "You want to stay the night?"

"Absolutely." He answered, bringing his hand up to caress your cheek. "If that's alright with you."

Smiling brightly, you nodded. "It's more than alright with me."

[keeksandgigz]

a shot in the darkest dark

steve harrington x commitment issues! fem!reader

i fucking love writing angst and this is also my very first steve work! tiny little blurbie for now cause I've been obsessed w Steve and this song

cw: unrequited love, reader has committment issues, one instance of self deprecating language, no physical description of reader, just lots of rly sad stuff

word count: 1.5K

"Awww, Steve, look! It's such a nice desk" you'd said, pointing at an oakwood desk while absentmindedly looking at furniture at a big Indianapolis mall.

Steve seemed to be in his own world, as he paced around the aisles, looking at tables, chairs, patio decor. He'd taken you out of Hawkins for the day, a little date that didn't involve movies or aimlessly walking around the small downtown area.

You hadn't been dating for too long, and to your wishes, he was taking things slow with you. You'd been so lovely to him, though and him to you.

He'd take you out on dates and pay the bill, drive you around when you needed to clear your head and kiss you goodnight at your doorstep. It was too good to be true.

For the past six months, Steve Harrington had been at your beck and call at every hour of every day, eager to see you, be with you, literally do anything as long as it was with you.

His only flaw was falling in love too fast.

"Oh yeah, it's really nice. I can get it for our first apartment" he dug into your side, smiling. The future was all he worried about, his beautiful picket- fence dream that he'd always wanted.

It made you uncomfortable, how easily he was able to talk about moving in together, starting a family, getting married. Your mind didn't work like that. You took a step away from him, an awkward laugh escaping you.

"I need to get a scarf, it's starting to get cold in Hawkins, come with me?" you'd said, swallowing the guilt that came from dismissing his dreams.

You'd thought you could have made it work. Steve was a lovely guy, so devoted to you he'd damn year kiss and worship the ground you walked on. But everything was too good. It wasn't something you thought you deserved.

You'd paid close attention to him, for any flaw that could have given you an excuse to go, but he was too perfect.

"Yeah, uh- of course, honey. Maybe we should come here during Christmas, I heard they do some really nice markets. I could get you something nice" he'd suggested, putting his arm around you. You breathed through your nose.

"Yeah- yeah that sounds nice." You whispered, as you walked over to Sears.

The day went about the same after that. He'd come across a little baby onesie with stars on them.

"Look honey, isn't it so cute?" he smiled. You had to hold back a grimace at his implication.

He looked at the window of a real estate agency, taking account of what a four bedroom home in Idianapolis would cost. Planning to save his money from his shiny new accounting firm job.

"Ooh" he cooed "that house is real nice, don't you think baby?" he pointed at a white picket- fence light blue home with a big front yard.

"Yeah, it's really nice" you said "Steve, I'm kinda tired. Can we go home?" you'd protested, hoping he'd just drop you at your house and you could cry it out, wondering what was wrong with you for not wanting what many girls your age wanted. Stability. A family.

"For sure, honey. Want to stay over at mine's? We can grab a movie and get some pizza or something" he said, kissing your temple.

The fact that he was okay with you taking your time didn't mean that he took his. He was a speeding train running at full speed ahead, while you felt like you were biking behind him, feeling left out from this feeling of love and devotion that he continuously showed you.

"Uh, no, thank you, Steve. I have work in the morning" you lied. You didn't want to see him. The guilt would have only grown stronger, until you could not have taken it anymore.

The drive home was surprisingly quiet. Steve chalked it up to you being tired. He knew crowded places overwhelmed you.

After an hour and a half of complete silence, he pulled up in the street where you lived.

"Oh look, baby, a dog! I've always wanted one like that, maybe we can get one-"

"Steve just fucking stop it!" you'd interrupted him, banging on the dashboard. He braked hard in the middle of the empty street.

"Jesus, babe, what's wrong?" he said "Sorry for braking this hard" as he parked up the curb.

You breathed "Sorry, Steve. I-I can't do this." you whispered.

You breathed "Sorry, Steve. I can't do this. This is moving so incredibly fast” you exhaled, letting the boulder weighing on your chest slowly crumble, and you with it. 

“I’m sorry, I’m- I’m not sure I understand. Can’t do what?” he said, nearing his head towards yours. Wanting to be close to you, wanting to hear your thoughts. You retracted from him, now heaving.

The air in the car felt so incredibly stuffy as you unfastened your seatbelt and got out, heading towards your front porch. He followed you suit, cursing yourself for wanting to let him go.

You were leading him on with false hopes of a future you didn't want. You needed to free him before it was too late. The crisp November air turned your breaths into vapor, tinging your noses red. He'd forgotten his coat in the car.

"I just- I can't do this. I can't do us. This is... too much. The moving in and the house and the kids and the dog and the family stuff. I can't Steve I don't want this" you rambled. And that's when the waterworks started. Mascara running down your cheeks, loud sobs populating the otherwise quiet cul de sac.

He got closer to you, but you backed away once again. He didn't need to be that close, not when you were trying to let him go.

"Baby... what- I- I had no idea, I just- I" he was helplessly stuttering. Your chest was aching watching his eyes gloss over ever so slightly, you swore you could hear his heart break.

"I'm so sorry, Steve. I tried. I tried so incredibly hard to see what you saw and I fucking hate myself for not being able to. You're so great, you've been such a lovely boyfriend and I need you to know, because I don't wanna lead you on. I care so much about you but-"

"You don't love me" he interrupted you. A whisper. Barely audible, but loud enough that you could hear the hurt in his voice "It's been six months. You don't love me?" he continued. A breath caught in your throat as you tried to answer that you did try, you did care for him.

You just didn't love him how he did. You knew you were doomed since you'd started going out.

The world went quiet, but not in your ears, a loud whistle kept you on alert, wishing you could crawl inside and hide under your bed forever.

Steve's eyes became clouded with tears as the silence between you became the loudest response he could have ever gotten.

He didn't want to let you go, but being led on for six months had hurt more than he'd expected. He wanted you to tell him that this was just a silly joke, to come inside, cuddle and watch a movie.

Steve waited. He waited for a negation, for an I love you, Steve. An affirmation that never came as you looked at him. You felt embarrassed and he felt like you'd stabbed him.

He was the first to break the silence.

"So I guess it's over then" he croaked out, a burning ball lodged in his throat that didn't allow him to speak. Or breathe for that matter.

"I'm so sorry, Steve. I just- I didn't want to lie to you any longer. Even if I loved you, I'm not good for you. All I'm gonna do is pull you back from this great dream you have. You can't have a picket fence with me, I'll only tear it down. And you can't just put it back up, Steve" you said, taking as many steps back to get away from him. From the guilt of losing him.

"I'll put up as many picket fences as you need. I just want you" he pleaded, one last prayer. Don't go.

"I'm sorry, Steve. Please go home. You're gonna get sick" your voice a thin iron string settled in between your throat. You loved him, but didn't deserve it. Didn't deserve him.

And so Steve turned around, grabbing his broken heart off the floor. You watched him from your driveway, quiet, with his head hung low. A love like his should not have gone wasted on someone like you.

Steve reached his car door, looking at you for one last time, eyes watery and dark. Hoping, praying for your thin voice to speak up, to tell him to come back to your driveway. Tell him to stay.

Don't go.

[rotten-corpses-blog]

If you're familiar with the nickelodeon show Victorious, can you do a Billy Loomis x reader who's a lot like jade west. They meet and become close and deal with her savagery, and tell about ghostface cause he has a crush. At one point she breaks up with her boyfriend (Beck) like in the show, and Billy tries to comfort her. Then they become high school's scary couple.

I watched this when I was like 10 so it has been a while, so it may not be exactly what you meant lol. I still hope you enjoy tho! I changed some stuff around to better fit the plot of scream and the cannon violence of the movie.

(Contents: cursing, smoking, drinking, violence and murder)

We were made for each other darling… 

Y/N knows she’s an asshole, mean, snarky, whatever you want to call her she doesn’t give a shit. She’s the school's bad girl and she’s proud of that fact. Her boyfriend, Beck, is down to earth and a good person all around. Nobody knows how you two got together and why on earth someone like Beck would be dating the antichrist of Woodsboro High School. She has a few friends, she usually keeps to herself anyways so no need for friends. Y/N was doing her usual teen delinquent stuff when she caught the eyes of Billy Loomis. He’s the hottest guy at this god forsaken school with his bad boy attitude and pretty brown eyes. Any girl in their right mind would have the hots for him, Y/N included. The bell rang to go to first period, Y/N could have sworn that she felt Loomis’s gaze on her as she walked to her history class.

(Billy’s POV)

Billy has had the hots for Y/N for forever it feels like, he has always had vivid daydreams of them just… existing together, holding and loving each other. But, two things stood in the way of his dream. Sidney and Beck are like a road block for him and he doesn’t know how much longer he can go without your love. His plan involved Sidney, so he needed her and cheating was off the table because he knows Tatum would draw blood and Y/N would fight right back. And Beck? Well he could kill him whenever he feels like it, the murders have put everyone on edge for days so he knows if he gets close to you, you would come to him for comfort because you're scared. God, He wishes it was easy to get what he wants.

(Your POV)

It’s lunch time and you're sitting with Beck and his friends, when you feel Billy staring at you again. You have to admit he’s cute, but this is getting a bit creepy. “Hey, you ok? It’s like you're on a different planet.” Beck said, putting a hand on your shoulder. “Oh yeah, I guess I'm tired or something.” you said, deciding to ignore the staring Loomis behind you. Beck smiled at you and gave you a squeeze, then continued talking with his friends.

After school you were walking home when you felt someone follow you, when you turned around you saw the figure of Billy Loomis. “I didn’t know you were into stalking Loomis, are you some kind of creep who's obsessed with me or something?” you said stopping in your tracks and putting your hands or your waist. He just chuckled “No, I didn’t know it was a crime to walk behind you though. I’m just trying to be friendly, that’s all.” You just rolled your eyes, “You have a strange way of making friends, Loomis.” Billy ran his hand through his hair and got closer to you, “How about I walk you to my house and we watch a movie? Then you can decide if I'm worth your time.” you smiled and started to walk, “Deal, but you're buying the pizza Loomis.”

It’s been a few days and you could say that you and Billy were good friends. Watching movies, smoking a cigarette or two together made up most of your evenings. You two just clicked, it’s like you were made for each other, and you could say there was something besides friendship budding between the two of you. Your time with Beck was replaced with time with Billy and Beck wasn’t happy about you hanging out with another guy so much so he dumped you. You were heart broken, but Billy was there with open arms to comfort you. That event only made the two of you closer and the spark between the two of you burned brighter. Now you were going to Stu’s party, school was canceled because of the killings. But hey, no school and a night of free booze? You can’t complain about something like that. You were currently in Stu’s kitchen drinking your bodyweight in alcohol, mostly because Billy was paying more attention to goddamn Sidney Presscott instead of you. As much as you would like to say you weren't jealous, you totally were. But all you can do right now is try to let loose and try to forget about your feelings for your friend. You poured yourself another drink when Beck walked up to you, “Y/N? Why are you here?” he asked with a stupid look on his face. “What does it look like dumbass? I’m trying to get drunk.” you said rolling your eyes to show your frustration. “Look, you don’t get to be mad at me, I have the right to be upset about you and Billy. There is something going on there.” Beck said with more anger in his voice. “Are you calling me a cheater? I told you we are just friends, nothing else. You're the one being irrational!” you yelled getting more and more sick of this conversation. “Oh please! What else were you doing with him? It’s not like anyone would actually be frie-” He didn’t even get the whole sentence out before you punched him square in the jaw, as you walked away you heard yells and cheers from your drunk classmates. You sat yourself down in a random room and just tried to catch your breath. Then you felt someone sit on the bed beside you, you could tell just by the cologne that it’s Billy. “Heard you punched Beck, sorry I wasn’t there to see it.” Billy said putting his hand on your thigh, it may have been the alcohol or the anger and want pulsing through your veins. But Before Billy could say anything else you smashed your lips on his pulling him into an aggressive makeout session. When you two parted you looked at Billy’s face and said. “I think I’m in love with you.” Billy ran his hands through your hair and said “Me too, I always had a thing for you.” then it dawned on you, “Oh god what about Sidney?” Billy had a dark look in his eyes. “Don’t worry about that doll, she won’t be alive long enough to know about us.”  “Billy, what do you mean by that? Wait, were you the one killing all those people?” you asked looking into his eyes. “I was, and Sidney and her friends are next. Stu and I have been working on this for years.” Billy rubbed his thumb on your bottom lip. “Are you scared of me? Gonna call the cops?” he asked in a low husky voice. “No! Don't worry about that Billy.” Billy looked at you with a smirk. “I always knew you were like me, god you were made for me.” he said “I have one request though.” you said, “Anything you want dear.” you giggled darkly “let me help slaughter some bitches.” Billy smiled wide, “Deal”

[fallingdown98]

FHJY Called Shot

Mostly making this post so if this is right i can say I called it. Obviously, thanks to the preview we know that the Bad Kids are gonna have to do the "Last Stand" exam. I'm aware that on a meta level, this was always going to happen because of how production works but I think this may also relate to some of the Teachers being in on the conspiracy w/ the RatGrinders + Ankarna. In on the conspiracy in this case, does not necessarily mean bad guy though because I have an inkling based on absolutely nothing that this conflict may involve more than just one conspiring group. Might even be willing to think the teachers may be the ones putting the RG up to the shit theyve been doing. Specifics under the read more because i have a lot of thoughts. Listed in most sus to least sus but worth noting

Porter - First to mention the Last Stand, Warhammer = Akarna’s Scales theory, Rage, his Giant lineage (Through Earth Genasi), Ancestral Paladin relates to prior point, Steering Fig away from Cass, “Barbarian” healed Ragh post prom before he was able to see Kalina (Also, didn’t use Lay on Hands which we now know he would have had access to), Paired with Jace Stardiamond (AKA another sus mf), unsurprised at the carnage on the first day of Freshman year

Jace - Current VP so has power even if he keeps claiming he doesn’t want it, Seen most w/ Porter (See above), Ragh saw him talking to Arianwen (And Kalina) post prom (Aka I think Spy’s tongue curse will lead to this), first to inspect the hellmouth magic FY and recognized both the divine and Nightmare King stuff, Yolanda specifically said she would go to Jace over Grix with the Lucy Info, Speculation: Divine Soul Sorcerer, Of Note: Would have had most contact with FY Villain Penelope Everpetal as she was also a sorc, Also also I DO NOT trust the fact that he put Riz on the faculty we still need to check those school Bylaws

Henry HopClap - Not on OG FY Faculty Roster, Grix’s hard drive, His connection with Ruben, Could have encouraged Gorgug w/ the intention/assumption he’d fail and thus would have to take The Last Stand, Frosty Faire Fest had some clearly evil artificing with the wires thing and would have the most knowledge in this regard

Zara Sool - Also not on OG FY Faculty Roster, Showed up at Mordred during Baron’s Game (I know they said in AP that it was a riff on Horror Movie Monsters but she was still the only one without a direct connection to the Manor), Lover of Celestial (Could be either pro or anti Ankarna), Also seen with Sus Porter, Agreed w/ Porter against Cass

Rogue Teacher - Sometimes the simplest answer is the correct one, Maybe the Rogue teacher has put KLCK up to some amount of her plot or assisted in some way leading to Teach finding Student rather than Vice-Versa. 

Bobby Dawn - This mf is last just cuz we already know he’s up to some shady shit and I can’t wait for the Bad Kids to murder his pompous ass, Probably the one to expel Kristin which gives him both satisfaction but also leads to Last Stand

TLDR: I think there’s a conspiracy within the Faculty and that it’s possible Porter, Jace, Henry, Zara, and/or the Rogue Teacher are all working together. If they are pressuring the RatGrinders, that would give added motivation to fuck over the Bad Kids for a good grade. Also think something catastrophic will happen at the Last Stand and that it was part of the plan since day 1 (Im aware on a meta scale this may just be me overthinking and we just needed to give a reason to use the cool battleset)

[echoes-in-blue]

Mark Hoffman x Original Character AU - Canon Divergent Story. +18 Readers only.

Summary: What if Mark always had someone behind the scenes, watching his back and helping him out. What would happen after his death and resurrection? When lovers become partners in crime, there will be no stopping their revenge. Tags: Dom/sub, breath play, teasing, language, dirty talk, restraints, spanking, knife play, fear play, injury, gore, violence Notes: This story is fan fiction derived from the universe of the Saw movies and takes place at the end of Saw VI, diverting the canon from there and adding in a bit more of a Hoffman backstory. If you aren't fond of this idea, then feel free to skip. This story is not meant for anyone under the age of 18. Read at your own risk.

Chapter One: Backup Plan

“If you don’t hear from me, by midnight I need you to open this envelope.” “And if I do hear from you?” “Burn it, like the others.” 

Typically, when he left things like that, he did contact her before midnight. It was funny to her that he believed she had no idea what he was doing or where he was going. At first, it hadn’t been so obvious but over time it became clear. Possibly because she was an FBI agent and a profiler. Did he underestimate her ability to figure it out or was he with her because he was very much aware that she knew who he was and what he was doing. The fact that it turned her on even though it shouldn’t and she was just as aware as him that she’d never turn him in. They were in love and had been since well before he’d become the Jigsaw apprentice. Things had only gotten more intense since that point. It was never explicitly stated between them what he was involved in but that didn’t matter. He knew she knew. It was why sometimes when he returned home he still had blood on his clothes, his gloves that gripped her chin so firmly. Forcing eye contact to make sure she knew her place. Sending chills down her spine into her very core, leaving her unable to deny how much she wanted him. He knew that too. 

That night, though, it felt different. The way he told her the instructions. Almost as if he knew that something wouldn’t go right. She wished he’d tell her more, or at least let her help. The thing was that not speaking of these things in detail gave her the plausible deniability she would need should he get caught. The first person they would go to was his wife. Much like they had gone after Jill Kramer. The less she knew, the better she’d be able to fake it when they came around to interrogate her. No matter what, she’d never throw him under the bus. It wasn’t that she was blind to what was wrong with the situation but she could see, through his eyes, why he did what he did. As someone who worked in law enforcement herself it was easier to justify handing out such punishments to criminals who had skirted the law and never learned the value of their lives or impact of their behavior. 

She couldn’t pretend like there weren’t suspects, perpetrators, and guilty men and women she had to deal with every day who she’d like to see maimed in one of those traps. She’d insinuated as much when she could get away with it. While watching the news, making sure to mention to him that some people just deserved what they got. It was not the correct stance for her to take as an agent of the law but nor was it correct for him as a detective so at least they were on the same page. 

As she sat there, the clock ticking down, she realized that he had not contacted her. No text on her phone. The one she had as a burner just for these messages from him. It hadn’t rang either. The midnight hour drew closer, and closer, and when the old clock in their penthouse chimed twelve she knew for the first time she was going to have to open that envelope. It was something that excited her as much as terrified her because she didn’t know what she would find. Obviously, she was the failsafe in all of this and since she was a forensic psychiatrist that also made her a medical doctor. He had her as a life preserver because she could preserve life. She’d treated his wounds before when he couldn’t properly seek care for them lest they raise suspicion with local hospitals as to how he’d gotten them. As an heiress, she had connections and money to buy or find anything he could need to treat and hide the injuries until he was good as new. They were a perfect team because between the two of them they could get rid of anything that they didn’t want seen. 

From the hidden safe in the wall she removed the instructions packet and opened it up. There she found only one thing. GPS coordinates. There was no explanation otherwise. Though he was smart enough to know that she would be aware that this place that he wanted her to go to was dangerous. Not that it mattered, since she always carried her weapon with her now thanks to being an FBI agent. She punched the coordinates into the burner phone and came up with a location. A warehouse in the middle of nowhere just about. Outside of New York City where they lived, near some docks in New Jersey right across the bridge. As far as she could tell, the property had been previously owned by John Kramer. Hopefully, she wasn’t walking into a death trap, nor would she arrive to find Mark’s dead and dismembered body somewhere on the premises. 

“I may hurt you but I will never harm you, do you understand the difference?” He asked as she sat there, hands cuffed behind her back to the post of the bed that they shared. The concept of the dom/sub relationship was one she knew plenty about academically since she worked in sex crimes but she hadn’t put it into practice herself. They’d discussed it here and there but he knew more than she had. Especially that she was ready to start. “Look at me, Leila.” He put his fingers under her chin to lift her head up, forcing eye contact between them. 

“I understand, sir.” She said, “Hurting means pain and temporary suffering but harm would be permanent and detrimental. I trust you not to harm me. I trust you with my life.” 

“Are you sure about that?” He asked quickly pulling a knife from his pocket to flick the blade up and brandish it within her line of sight. “It could be a foolish decision if you aren’t absolutely sure of what you are saying.” 

“I know what I am saying and I know what I want.” She confirmed. He smirked and licked his lips slowly. Bringing the blade down he started to cut away the buttons of her blouse one by one until it fell open, exposing her bra. Then he brought it back up to cut the bra between the cups, splitting it to reveal her breasts. Her heart fluttered in her chest. The adrenaline rush combined with the arousal and the idea that she was completely helpless to his every whim was overwhelmingly erotic. Slowly, he ran the blade over her right breast to where her heart would be positioning the tip there to press into the skin enough to cause pain but not actually pierce it. 

“I could kill you, if I wanted.” He said. 

“But that isn’t what you want.” She replied. He smirked, sliding the knife over her skin enough to leave a scratch but not a cut until he got it to her jugular, resting the blade there where she could feel just how sharp it was against the vital area. 

“What I want is for you to never know what I may or may not do but trust that ultimately this is a game we play and you will not come out of it harmed. As I said before.” He moved the knife from her neck to her lips, pressing the flat of it there. She looked at him, kissing the metal that she was presented with. He laughed softly and folded the blade into the handle before slipping the knife back into his pocket. 

“So you want me to be afraid?” 

“In a sense, yes, but I want you to trust me as well. Expect the unexpected.” He smirked and then pulled her into a hungry kiss. 

She took care to be sure that no one had followed her where she was going. It wasn’t typical that anyone would follow her but she knew there were some eyes on Mark so that meant it was possible that people had eyes on her as well. When she pulled up to the place she found that it was indeed a warehouse. Hopefully, it was not one that involved any of John or Mark’s games. Though she could deal with dead bodies, gore, and mutilation since crime scenes were part of her everyday job, she did not want to leave any evidence that she’d been there. If that were the case. From her back pocket she pulled out a pair of gloves and slipped them on before grabbing onto the handle of the sliding door in front of her. Amazingly, it wasn’t locked, but she knew that potentially could mean bad news as well. She only opened it enough to look inside and then enter before shutting it again. The area was dark but not pitch black and in the back she could see a light, kind of in a corner. 

Pulling her gun, she headed in that direction as quietly as possible, also making sure she wasn’t accidentally going to touch trip wires or step into a trap. This place had to be rigged with them. That much was obvious. She could see all sorts of things that would constitute as evidence from all of the Jigsaw games. When she got closer to the one light that was on she looked through one of the nearby mirrors to see if she could spot anyone in the room as she paused and held her breath. There was a groan and she turned her head towards it. In the corner she saw Mark holding a blood soaked wad of fabric tightly to his face. Holstering her gun, she hurried towards him and got down by his side. 

“Mark, what the hell happened?” She asked. He looked at her, his eyes kind of glossy. There was no way he hadn’t lost a lot of blood but he was still conscious so that was good news in itself. Slowly, he pulled the fabric away from his face to show her that half of his cheek was split open. “Shit. We need to fix this.” He nodded, it was clear why he hadn’t called out to her when she’d arrived she doubted he could do much but groan and scream in that condition. She hurried to look through the warehouse to find something that could stitch his face up. The sooner the better. If he showed up at a hospital like that then he’d be caught immediately. There weren’t any real medical supplies in there, not any that would help with this specific injury but she did manage to find fishing wire and a hook. She could close up the wound and worried about infection later. It wasn’t like it would be hard to get antibiotics. Bringing the supplies over to him she got down and threaded the line through the hook. 

“This is going to hurt a lot, but it will save your life. I can get you antibiotics after if you need them.” She said as she reached to pull his hand away from his face again. He let out a small groan and almost the moment she touched the hook to his skin he yanked away. “Mark, this has to be done now and…what happened to your hand?” She had only just noticed that it was broken, she could see bone. 

“I can do it.” He said, or more accurately she was sure that’s what he meant to say with a huge flesh wound in the side of his face. If he had survived this far he probably could stitch up his own face, she didn’t doubt that. 

“It will be faster if-” 

“I’ll do it.” He snatched the hook away from her and very carefully got to his feet. She sighed, knowing there was no way to stop him from doing something he was determined to do himself. He hobbled over to the mirror she had been looking into before and pulled the lamp closer to it. Then he took in a deep breath and started to stitch up the wound in his face. 

“Do you have any idea what I’m going to do to you now?” He asked. This was after she’d been blindfolded in such a way that she couldn’t see anything. Usually, when people messed around with blindfolds there was a lot of room for error. Letting light in or the ability to look down and see shadows. She wasn’t surprised that he knew what he was doing when it came to this sort of thing. “Answer me.” 

“Anything you want.” She replied, “Master.” 

“That’s a good girl.” He chuckled darkly and patted her on the cheek. She sensed movement around her, first on the bed shifting and then some kind of fabric around her neck. It wasn’t rope, it was something else. Perhaps one of his ties. The weight of the bed shifted again and she was still left sitting there with her arms handcuffed behind one of the posts. There was a pause and she heard a click then felt the cuffs release. There was no moment to recover from this as she was immediately yanked down and out of the bed by the tie around her neck. She yelped as she fell to the floor, with hardly any time to brace for impact. Somehow, she did manage to catch herself but just barely. “Quick thinking, I like that.” 

“Thank you, sir.” She replied. The makeshift leash was tugged on again forcing her to crawl forward a bit then another sharp tug indicated that she needed to stop. She could hear him as he walked around behind her then felt his hands on her hips as he shoved her skirt up to reveal her panties. There was the swish of the blade from the knife popping up and the sensation of cold metal against her inner thighs. She gasped, shivered, and groaned softly as he started to cut the fabric of them away. 

“My pleasure is your pleasure, your pain is my pleasure, anything I want is for me. Anything you are rewarded with, is just that. You have to earn things here, understood?” He asked then without much warning gave her a rough slap across the ass. She squealed and then nodded her head. 

“Yes, sir.” 

“You’re a faster learner. I wonder what else I can teach you.” He said, sounding very amused as she felt his fingers between her legs moving over the wet folds of her cunt. She groaned, knowing she was far more aroused than she should have been given the situation. He continued to tease her perfectly, as if he were playing an instrument that he was a master of. Working her closer and closer to climax before pulling his hand back to give her ass another slap. This was done in such an oddly timed way that she could never predict it and threatened to drive her insane. She didn’t know how long he had kept it up before she lost enough control to scream. 

“Please!” She yelled, “Sir…please…” 

“Do you even know what you are begging for?” He asked, “Fucking tell me what you want, Princess.” She whined and lowered her head, it was humiliating and so very fucking hot to hear him speak to her like that. She licked her lips slowly and took in a deep breath through her nose, letting it out through her mouth. 

“Your cock, sir.” 

“And what do you want me to do with it?” 

“I…I want you to fuck me with it.” 

“Why?” 

“For your pleasure, I…I’m your naughty little fuck toy and I’m only here to serve you.” She breathed, her heart pounding in her chest. 

“That’s what I like to hear.” He chuckled and gave her ass another slap. From behind her, she sensed more movement until she could feel the tip of his cock rubbing against her cunt, teasing and touching in all the right places. As she was about to yell out again for him to just hurry up he thrust into her and she moaned loudly. She’d have collapsed forward except for the fact that he had grabbed the tie around her neck and yanked back, keeping her upright lest she wanted to choke. From there he started to pound into her with reckless abandon. Every so often the fabric around her neck would restrict her airflow then release again. When she could draw breath all she could do was let it out as a moan. He’d never been so primal and dominant with her before, they’d dabbled in it sure but it hadn’t gotten this far. She knew she was already addicted to this and would never want it any other way. “Are you going to cum for me? Huh? You naughty little girl…” 

“Y-Yes…Yes, sir…” She panted, when he allowed her the air to do so. 

“Go on then, cum all over my cock.” He growled. She moaned again, her eyes rolling back in pleasure as his words triggered her climax. He moaned then as well, almost louder than her. The walls seemed to shake with the passion of it and she could nearly feel it vibrating through her as she hit her second climax then a third. Suddenly, the leash around her neck was released. She fell forward, unable to keep her weight up any longer. Then he was on top of her, pulling her close to him as he moved them both onto their side. She could do nothing but lay there basking in the afterglow of her orgasm feeling the rapid beat of his heart against her back. She silently hoped she’d never have to face a moment where such a motion ceased to exist when his blood would eventually run cold. 

“You did a good job.” She said, once he was finished working on his face. It was quite impressive actually. Using just that dirty old mirror and some fishing line. She didn’t think she could have done it to herself even if it also meant the choice between life or death. “I have a first aid kit in my car. I can use that to see what I can do about your hand.” 

“Be quick,” He said, “I don’t suppose you brought any painkillers with you.” 

“Nothing heavier than tylenol but you know we are well stocked at home.” She stroked the side of his face that wasn’t injured and stood up. ��Why did you need me to come here, this does seem like something you could have handled on your own.” 

“I could have.” He said, reaching out to take her hand with his good one. He gave it a squeeze, “But that had nothing to do with it.” 

“Then what else could it be?” 

“Things didn’t go exactly according to plan and I’m going to need your help.” He replied, “Get the first aid kit. I'll explain more when you get back.” She nodded, knowing that his immediate care took priority over something he could explain after. If he seemed to think there was time to sit and talk she wasn’t worried about that before making sure he was stable and in as good of health as he possibly could be. As she exited the warehouse again, to get to her car, the gravity of the situation hit her. She had to pause for a moment, catch her breath, and try to stifle the tears that were threatening to fall. In all of this time, though she’d seen him injured, she had never seen him come as close to death as that. She’d also never in her wildest dreams expected for him to say anything about his plans not going as he’d devised them. How bad was it that he wanted her involved? She didn’t know. What she did know was that if someone had done this to him with the intent to end his life, she wanted revenge. Possibly even more than he believed he did at that moment.

[tvlandofficiall]

When do you think the release date will be?

if i'm being honest, i don't really think all that much about that. toby fox and his team have been pretty clear about laying out the process for us and have all but doubled down on that now, and i feel it's best to just trust that process as it happens. it's also just tricky to announce a release date this soon as it is — we've seen how the gamemaker team's schedule has bumped up a bit against what the newsletter team's schedule was initially planned to be, and that was only in a few weeks' worth of time. production of anything — be it games, movies, animation — takes time and involves a lot of moving parts. i have no idea what most of those moving parts look like for the deltarune team.

aside from that, i still feel like there are so many things about ch1&2 i want to just sit and think about before ch3&4 come out! swatch and spamton and the neo body, queen and the old card court, queen and everyone post-snowgrave, seam as a character in general — all of these things i feel i still haven't gotten to the point of disinterest with yet. far from it, in fact — i don't post about them very often, because a lot of my thoughts are very disorganized and i tend to be poor at wording them without prompting like this, but i'm almost always thinking about them. the characters and relationships in this game are a large part of what drew me to it in the first place, and they're always there whether or not ch3&4 come out. in fact, i wouldn't be looking forward to those new chapters at all without them!

[spicybylerpolls]

In response to that anon about how sex couldn't possibly have always been heavily tied to and the natural narrative arc the Duffers had in mind for Mike and Will -

Well, for one (and correct me if I'm wrong), if the pandemic hadn't happened, they would've filmed S4 throughout 2020 and likely wrapped post-production sometime in spring/summer of 2021 (possibly later). This means we would've got a late summer or fall of 2021 S4 rather than summer of 2022.

This also means filming for S5 would have likely started in Spring of 2022, or even later if we consider the fact that S4 actually finished in July of 2022 and production PRIOR to the WGA strike was supposed to start in Spring of 2023 (IIRC) That's nearly a year gap. Not only that but if you go onto the wikipedia page for S5, you'll see that because of the pandemic the Duffers were able to completely outline and rework S5. So if the pandemic didn't happen, they would also have to do an outline as well as actually write S5 post S4's drop in the late summer/fall of 2021 (in this magical, theoretical timeline).

Honestly, with this in mind, I wouldn't see filming for S5 commencing until mid 2022, possibly even the early fall.

So basically the theoretical timeline without COVID and the WGA strike would be:

2020: Film S4

End of 2020 - Mid/Late 2021: Post production

Late 2021: S4 Drops

Summer/Early Fall 2022: S5 Filming begins

This would put Noah's age at 17, almost 18 and Finn at 19 almost 20. And presumably the hypothetical sex scene wouldn't happen until the later episodes so by then Noah would be 18 and Finn would be a full 20 years old, and likely almost 21.

Like, say the scene happens in Episode 7. This would be the very tail end of production, as we know they pretty much film in blocks. This would be June of 2023 or around there... Noah nearly 19 and Finn 6ish months away from being able to legally drink anywhere in the world. Lol.

Also, Finn literally has a scene in WYFSTW where his character masturbates, and he was just 18 when he portrayed that. Why are people so disgusted by the idea of him portraying something extremely similar to this but as Mike?! In my opinion this proves it's not just about the actors (and seeing them grow up) because I haven't seen anyone say it was weird for including that scene in that movie ...

BUT REGARDLESS, like spicybylerpolls said - there are a ton of examples, WELL RESPECTED examples at that, of underage actors portraying a storyline involving sex. I mean, look no further than Degrassi. Almost all of the actors are cast as teens (sometimes pre-teens) and almost all of the characters have a storyline to do with sex at some point, most of them when they're underage.

This is a perfect example because the point of these storylines are to educate teens on sex (the same thing Mike and Will's storyline would be doing for many queer kids btw) and also to represent their many, many confusing feelings about sex. And yes, all of the actual sex scenes in Degrassi are implied - which, although people have explained how an explicit scene would be important for Mike and Will's storyline, ultimately it's not absolutely necessary for them. (Although I don't think an implied sex scene in the same vein as Degrassi (or even Jancy) is going to work within the darker tone of S5 but I digress...)

Anyway, there's a ton more examples beyond just Degrassi [Skins is the first that pops to mind] but no I don't think it would be weird for a 17 year old to have a make out and then *implied* sex scene when it's already been done and accepted in the past with absolutely no issue (as long as the actors are comfortable of course).

But this isn't what's happening so who cares. And we have already heard the Duffers state that, although they have had a lot of it planned out, they do write for the actors too. I can even recall them saying how when they got back on set for either S3 or S4 they realized the kids ... weren't kids anymore and they were going to have to write to that.

So yeah, I think it's totally possibly the Duffers imagined that in the end, Mike and Will would overcome their shame about their sexuality by ... having sex together, however that looked on screen, since there are a myriad of ways to do this without showing sex at all.

[suspicious-of-simple-answers]

I know that Barbenheimer was mostly a meme but I did actually go watch Barbie and Oppenheimer on the same day and... They kind of actually complemented each other really well. I'll elaborate on that, but major spoiler warning: stop reading right now if you don't want spoilers for either movie.

Oppenheimer, by itself, was about the atomic bomb and the man who led its development. But in the context of Barbie, Oppenheimer was about what a world ruled by men has done. And, just like in Barbie, the fragile male ego was a big motivator of evil in Oppenheimer. I know that it's a bit silly to compare Barbie to a very serious movie based on an actual historical tragedy, but these are just my thoughts after watching them.

In Oppenheimer, the movie spent a lot of time on the development of the atomic bomb, of course, but also a fair bit of it focused on Oppenheimer's life. In the last 45 minutes of the movie we slowly found out how Lewis Strauss tried to destroy Oppenheimer's life and reputation. And that wasn't because of his involvement with the bomb: no, it was because Oppenheimer had been mean to him. Strauss had all these other reasons he claimed, stuff about communists and whatever, but really the reason was that Oppenheimer had humiliated Strauss.

And in Barbie, Ken turned Barbieland into a patriarchal nightmare world because Barbie had been mean to him. He had all these other reasons too, like finding horses cool, but the real reason was that Barbie had always taken him for grantedand always left him out. It's different from humiliation, but still. Idk, I see a parallel.

Barbie made fun of the meeting room full of men in suits talking about empowering girls (by selling more Barbies). In Oppenheimer, we saw meeting rooms full of men in suits deciding what city gets obliterated, making plans on whether to make bigger bombs or try to work on diplomacy, and so on. The depiction of what happened in Barbieland when the Kens took over - a world where a bit of jealousy, tiny bruises to men's egos, can start a war - wasn't so far off from reality. In reality we have big important men in charge making big important decisions about who lives and who dies - and sometimes the real reasoning is as superficial as "I had my honeymoon there."

Oh and about the women in Oppenheimer: I can only recall five. There was a communist seductress, an alcoholic wife, a friend's wife, a secretary and a female scientist (and some unnamed students but I won't count them, they were barely characters). The one feminist quip the scientist lady made does not make up for the fact that frankly, the women had zero agency. One got killed, one just turned a radio on once, one was just someone to cheat with, and one was passionate and made some great points in a crossexamination (but then that amounted to nothing). This, sadly, is historically pretty accurate, so I won't blame the movie for this. Tbh I'm happy about any little bit of presentation women in science get, and I liked the little quip from the chemist. But still, not a lot of women in this movie.

So, to anyone who might want to complain about the representation of men in Barbie (a movie that is just as much about a woman as Oppenheimer is about a man), I'd like to point out that Barbie had far more (and more complex) male characters than Oppenheimer had women. There were Ken, the other Kens, Allan, the Mattel CEO, Aaron Dinkins, Sasha's dad... and the men in Barbie actually got to do things and affect the course of the movie. In Oppenheimer, just like most movies, women were just a fun accessory with zero real impact.

That's my two cents. Overall both movies were good, very much recommended. But don't go into Oppenheimer expecting much more than a biography. (And if you watch both, watch Oppenheimer first or you'll just ruin the good mood gained from Barbie).

[snowydragon10]

‼️‼️‼️

I think we're approaching this... "Chapter" of the Showgrounds Saga from the wrong direction

Theory Time!!

(It's a bit of a long one, so take your time)

Ok, so we've all been thinking - most of us at least - that this would be SMG3's Focus Arc and his turn to get character development and/or Trauma via a big movie event, but it's not what we expected. When I asked myself why, I came to some questions and theories

So, we've seen the pattern so far, SMG4's Perfection, Meggy's Idolization, and then WotFI happened, which I think was SMG3's Chapter.

I think what happened was that WotFI was his main event. Instead of building up to the tension, they swapped it and had the big event first with the development after, henceforth all of the focus episodes after WotFI regarding his shop, his selfworth and his place with the Crew.

So, "If SMG3 already had his fair share of Puzzle/Adware interference, then who's the focus for this chapter?" You may be asking, and I have the theory:

It's actually Us the Audience

Think about it! There's always some kind of connection between each Movie/Chapter moving towards the next one! In IGBP, while rescuing SMG4, how did Meggy fight off SMG3? Her splatfest skills (Former Splatfest Champion Wren)!! In Western Spaghetti, what did SMG3 have that added to his character from that point onwards? His bombs (Coffe n' Bombs Cafe)!!

So now, what's one connection with WotFI and this one? We the *Audience* are allowed to add our input based on the situation! (The Heist Plan Votes and the Video Reviews!!)

Not only that, BUT when WotFI finished and we got that post credit scene, Mr. Puzzles didn't address just anyone. No, he wasn't talking to SMG4, he wasn't talking to Luke, Marty, or SMG3; he was talking DIRECTLY to us the *Audience* at the 4th wall!

Adware KNOWS that we're finally picking up the hints and pieces!! He finally acknowledged that we're ready for our turn!!

When the first movie came out and he appeared as that keyboard malware virus (when we dubbed him Adware), we didn't think much of it. We thought it was a one-off, a fluke, something to further the story via typical SMG4 Weirdness.

It wasn't until the Western Spaghetti movie hype was building up that everyone realized that there's a pattern happening. That was when fans started pointing out, "Hey! There's something Fishy going on (Ha), and here's the hidden clues to prove it!!". We became suspicious of that damn symbol, and became more vigilant... and then WotFI happened!!

(Addition: I feel like Adware was beginning to test how ready we were when we got that one Steam Link with Tari in an empty room and the TV at the front of the train. Yeah, it was to hype up the movie, but it was also almost like a... puzzle, you could say)

Which could explain why this time it isn't a movie event that lasts for one week, but instead nearly over an entire month! I theorize that Winston wants to test us for some reason, and for that, he needs to collect information. Information like maybe a certain interactive website with reviews. You can't get the audience involved with just a single movie, just saying. Plus, the fact that he said endless entertainment all Saturdays forever? Who's the most involved in that specific detail, hmm?

Also! The theme! Granted, I don't have much proof for this one, but the theme I've noticed is Nostalgia. Blue's Clues isn't something very important to any of the characters that got kidnapped (minus 4 hating content farms) but it can be something that a lot of us have a fond attachment to! Which Adware could use to his Advantage! What better way to get good reviews than to target what the audiences like?

(4th wall sidenote, after that TV song jingle, Winston glances over to the screen directly at Us)

Also, notice how weird it is that the Crew Members that got kidnapped are popular among the fandom? You know, characters that we've gotten attached to? (Don't tell me Bob doesn't have a fanbase of his own). Every time a "Victim" is targeted, their close friends end up getting dragged into the mess.

SMG4 (3, Megs and Mar)

Meggy (Tari, Mario, Axol, DESTI)

SMG3 (Eggdog got a Cameo, 4, Bob??)

Us (Our favorite characters)

....

So, all of this to say, we need to stay on our toes, especially for this chapter. Be wary and all of that. I may be overthrowing it, but hey, theorizing is fun!! What do you guys think?

[wangjiclub]

Zo chose Nita first. But he started to choose Joke somewhere along the way.

i've been trying to post this since yesterday but somehow the gifs are not uploading so i had to make some changes on the text sorry if it got confusing

One thing we know about Zo is that he's serious about his thoughts, convictions, and dreams. When his mind is set on something, he goes after it with full force. That can be good, but sometimes it stops Zo from thinking about other perspectives, and other ways.

For example, whenever the debate club is brought up, we can all see how dedicated and enthusiastic Zo is about its activities, and his desire to conquer the NOVA trophy. Zo is also very upset about Pok not telling him about his relationship because Zo thought there was something wrong with himself.

But when it comes to Joke and Nita things get worse somehow. Knowing now how Zo feels about this whole situation, we can go back and reanalyze his behavior.

gif by @mantrisanu

"Do you think if your heart races whenever you're around someone, does that mean you have feelings for that person? Even if it was never part of your plan."

gif by @gunsatthaphan

"I felt bad about kissing you, avoiding you, and being the idiot I've been. Despite all that, you still helped me. […] [This time] My feelings are involved. I thought I was into Nita. But I couldn't figure it out why I kissed you. […] I'm feeling like such an idiot. I'm so confused about my own feelings. I feel guilty about Nita and you. Is it because I like you?"

In fact, Zo is someone who wears his feelings on his face. The thing is he doesn't have a mirror 24/7 in front of him, so his brain is blind.

Getting straight to the point, I believe that Zo has been feeling attracted to Joke for years now, since before they fought in the past. But since it has always been weird between them, and he did feel a pull towards Nita as well, he chose Nita. From the moment he made that choice, all thoughts and feelings about Joke were not correctly processed by him. Zo chose to be oblivious to his feelings. He never intended to act on them.

Yet, in the first scene of the show, we have Zo almost panicking at how close Joke was, at how he had no escape while cornered into that wall.

gif by @chinzhilla

Zo's reaction to all the times he gets too close to Joke says it all. He has no control over his expressions, his eyes don't know which part of Joke's face to look at. Zo gets so nervous. And this keeps happening: the two times he tripped and fell right into Joke's arms; when Joke was training him and the book fell in a scene that came right out of a teen movie... We understand why Joke stares, but Zo should be the one who's starting his path towards liking and feeling attracted to Joke.

gif by @justafriend-ql

Another default "Zo around Joke" behavior is the "letting go of all thoughts and living in the moment." When Joke is around, it is so easy for Zo to be himself, to laugh, to bicker, to run around and smile, to talk and enjoy their time together. The world outside of their bubble suddenly doesn't exist.

gif by @ayan-sukkhapisit

But something always brings Zo back to the earth. It's when he realizes something is not going how he planned. What do you mean my heart races when I'm this close to him? Why the thought of touching his hand scare me? Why do I feel all weird when he places his arm around me? Why is he here, in front of me, when I'm trying to run away?

The truth is Zo is fighting against himself. All those years back, he chose Nita. He focused on getting to her, and that's why asking for Joke's help wasn't that much of a burden. But Zo didn't realize his body and mind were working independently from him, doing things his rational side wasn't even suspecting. Zo started to choose Joke instead.

Joke is the one whom he's comfortable with. Joke is the one who makes his heart race. Joke is the one who helps him when Zo needs the most. Joke is the one who pushes Zo out of his comfort zone and makes him discover all these parts that Zo locked inside of himself.

When Joke is honest and open about his feelings, all of Zo's walls, which were already crumbling, go down for good. Zo can't help but let Joke win him over.

[rocknrollsalad]

stranger things writer's guild daily prompt (date night) stargyle with mentions of buckingham

Most of Steve’s “dates” with Argyle involved a movie, pizza, and sitting in the living room. It’s fun and fine, sure, but it’s the same way Steve hangs out with Robin, the way they both hang out with Jonathan, or when everyone crashes Steve’s place. This sort of stuff was supposed to be romantic and special, not what one does with Mike Wheeler in the room.

Too cold to plan a picnic and too conservative of a town to go to a fancy restaurant, the choices were limited. Or Steve wasn’t creative enough. There hadn’t been a need for creativity in the past, as Robin was quick to point out. Repeatedly.

A quick bite to eat and back to Steve’s place, have her out before morning. It was practically a routine and just as boring. Things weren’t boring with Argyle and it certainly wasn’t difficult to get him back to Steve’s place but when that’s where the dates were limited to, he wasn’t even sure he could call it bringing a date home. Never mind his reputation, it wasn’t what he wanted for his life.

Meanwhile, Robin had been bragging since the night of her and Chrissy’s first date. Turns out it’s a lot easier for two women to go to a fancy restaurant and share dinner or go play mini golf together. They look like friends making the best of life. Not that they get to hold hands or kiss but Robin said they could share bites of food across the table and not even get a glance their way.

No way Steve could do that. There could be a medical emergency happening in one end of the restaurant but if he held a fork out for Argyle to take a bite of his food, the place would swarm to mock them.

Deep down, Steve was happy for Robin. She and Chrissy were cute, and Steve loved them both, but it was also unfair. Plus, Robin was only sharing this to rub salt in the wounds not so Steve could be happy for them.

Even as he helped Robin decide what to wear for tonight’s dinner (listening to nothing he said), he couldn’t help but sulk. She couldn’t help but dance around her bedroom about it. It was the way they got along and Steve knew for a fact if the tables were turned he would be as insufferable. It was all in good fun.

Robin still wasn’t getting a date, she just got more variety than pizza in her bedroom. Something Steve so desperately wanted. He sent her off with ridiculous tips on how to score that weren’t needed, they were meant to offer what torture he could and settled in at home for the night.

When Argyle came in, unexpectedly, with two pizza boxes hoisted above his head, something in Steve snapped.

“I feel like my mom,” Steve growled, standing up and offering no further explanation.

“Is this, like, something bad?” Argyle asked, putting the boxes down and pulling a tape out of his pocket.

“Okay, but like, my mom always complained to my dad about, like, collecting dust here. All day, she stayed at home and it was going to be the death of her or whatever.”

“Theatrics run in the family, got it.”

“But it makes sense. I don’t want to sit at home and watch movies and eat pizza. There’s so much we could be doing. This is so stupid.”

Argyle continued to stare confused and Steve didn’t know what to add next. If he said anything more it would start to be personal attacks. Ones he wouldn’t mean and would spend weeks repairing. Instead, he deflated. This was it. He wasn’t any more creative than this and Argyle was happy so why not watch another movie? At least if they got distracted they could rewind.

Before Steve could trudge off to get plates, though, an idea popped up. Deliciously fun and could only work once but it was worth a shot.

“Big question but do you trust me?” Steve asked, trying to offer a smile.

There wasn’t a second of silence before Argyle said “Of course!”

“Then let’s have some fun. Robin and Chrissy are over and Enzo’s right now having dinner and rubbing it in our faces they get to do all the stuff in the movies we’re left at home to watch.”

“Right on,” Argyle said, not yet seeing the vision.

“C’mon, just come with me. It’ll be fine. This is going to be so good.”

Steve had all the time in the world to explain, there was something of a deadline but nothing so urgent he couldn’t spare five minutes, but it was way more fun to act like there wasn’t any time for that. This was a mission they’d accepted, the clock was ticking!

With that, Steve took off to his room. Standing at his closet, he knew what he was going to wear but sizing up the…slightly taller man he’d be going with, the broader shoulders, in general they were not the same size and that would be a problem.

Deep in the back, Steve found a plain gray sweater. It was a bit too big on him and would be too small on Argyle but would work. Tossing to him, he grabbed his own outfit.

“We are going on a date! We’re not doing this whole thing again, I need more and I know how to get it.”

Argyle thought the sweater over, listening.

“Like I said, Chrissy and Robin are out right now and, I don’t know, I think they’re a bit lonely on their date and since that’s my best friend, I can’t allow that.”

Steve watched the lightbulb turn on over Argyle’s head. A test Steve didn’t know he’d issued but he watched closely to see how this was taken. If Argyle protested and tried to talk Steve out of it or thought it was stupid, maybe they weren’t the right fit for each other.

What Argyle did was let a devilish grin grow on his face as he slowly nodded his head. “I gotchya, man. I gotchya,” He looked back at the sweater Steve had thrown him then snapped his stare up to Steve. “She’s gonna kill ya, though, you know that right.”

“Right there in Enzo’s. We’re going to ruin her night and then she’s going to ruin everyone else’s. It’ll be hilarious. So we get one shot at this! We can’t fuck this up. I’m not dying for nothing.”

“Noble!” Argyle pumped his fist in the air and laughed.

Steve couldn’t remember the last time he was this excited for a date. Giddy was a more apt word as he shed the clothes he’d been lounging in and swapped them out for something befitting a formal dinner.

Sure Argyle would be wearing a comfy pair of weirdly printed pants and high-top Converse but it’s not like the man shipped out his tuxedo. Something about the juxtaposition of the two styles was something only Argyle could make work. Half dressed and bubbling with excitement Steve stole a kiss.

Being a thorn in Robin’s side was fun and all but this was a date. Something Steve wanted in a way that almost hurt. With his own sweater in hand, Steve threw it on without care, looking at Argyle.

“I can deal with Robin being mad at me but we can’t ruin Chrissy’s good time. She’s collateral damage here and I’d feel like an asshole if she didn’t forgive me.”

Argyle nodded.

“Let’s be real, she’ll have to get used to this but let’s stop by and get her flowers? Y’know and maybe I can get you some too?”

“Is it a peace offering if it’s just an excuse to get me some?” Argyle asked, crowding into Steve’s space.

There’s a different energy to things and has Steve thinking they don’t need to ruin anyone’s date night. Maybe things are more fun at home. He sucks in a breath and tries to act unaffected.

“Something, something the thought?” Steve tries.

“Mmhmm, definitely. Yeah but what’re your thoughts.”

“Nothing I could tell Chrissy right now, that’s for damn sure.” With eyes a little too wide, Steve looks up at Argyle.

He knows at that moment they’re not leaving. Not a bit of his brain can find a complaint. Somewhere in the excitement and attempted romance they veered off the path and Steve was so ready to get lost. They could ruin Chrissy and Robin’s night some other time.

[frodothefair]

Expats. [Ch 1/?]

An Elijah Wood real person fanfiction.

Pairing: Elijah Wood x OC (Marina) Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Elijah Wood, no offense or defamation is meant, and Marina is not real. Tags: @konjugaltdien @konartiste @from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras @bumblingbriars @invisiblewashboard Summary: Elijah Wood gets romantically involved with a fan, and to escape some unexpected Hollywood drama, the two of them move to Ukraine, the country where she was born, and where she lived as a child. A/n: I went a little nuts. That is all. This could turn into a longfic... or into a post I delete the next morning. A scorpion bowl of the mind may have been involved.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that every fan dreams of being with their idol, and it is a truth equally well-acknowledged that it hardly ever happens.

And yet, for nearly ten years, Marina Kotchoubey (1) was living that reality. 

As far as biographies went, Marina’s was perfectly ordinary, except for the fact that at nine years old she had moved to LA from Ukraine. She was also fairly unremarkable, as far as Ukranian girls went – for she had dark-blonde hair and vaguely pretty features, she had grown tall and lean in middle-school, she had done ballet, and she excelled at school – for nothing short of A’s was accepted by her mother, herself a tall and lean academe, who had also done ballet.

In fact, the only feature that distinguished Marina from her mother was that Marina, in spite of every maternal reproach, could not help but slouch.

But that aside, she was quiet, and she loved music and movies.

She had seen Lord of the Rings when she was a junior in high school, on a Tuesday night when the movie tickets were cheap, and she had fallen deeply and hopelessly in love with a man who had the face of an angel and bitten-down, stubby fingernails.

When she was a freshman at UCLA, she had begged, borrowed and stolen to get a ticket to the Lord of the Rings Oscars Party, an event geared toward fans. It was the year that that The Return of the King had swept the awards, and Marina, quite inebriated, found herself being admitted by the imperious bouncer, and entering the large, dimly lit venue, wearing an outfit cobbled from bits and pieces from her friends’ closets, and somehow – she had no idea how – she ended up speaking to the man whose likeness had decorated her notebooks for years, and was the screensaver on her computer.

And when Marina was inebriated, she had a habit of fancying herself a poet, and saying terrifyingly stupid, regrettable things.

At first, she lost no time in confessing that she had watched The Ice Storm no less than thirty times to soften the horrors of the college application process. Then, she gave a treatise on why she thought Elijah’s character in that film had autism. (2)

And then, at some point, they spoke of the Gypsy punk-rock band Gogol Bordello, and how Elijah was fascinated by their music even though he could not understand a word, and his plans to film Everything is Illuminated in Ukraine. Marina (of course) had shared that she was Ukrainian, and Elijah commented politely on her having no accent – as everyone did – and then she told him that if he happened to be Kyiv, he should go to her favorite restaurant – the one she always frequented with her father whenever she was back – and that the fish in that restaurant tasted like it had leapt right out of the river, high on life because it survived cancer.

She did not remember much after that, but she could not shake how awkward she felt. Why on earth did I just tell Elijah Wood to eat cancerous fish? And, Why must I be so cloying and so zealous? He’ll think I’m one of those deranged stalkers! And she remembered thinking that she had taken up far too much of his time – for it was his night, after all. But the complimentary drinks had been deceptively sweet, and blush-colored, and little plastic scorpions and crabs lay across the bottoms of the glasses… And she was drunk, far too drunk to remember how to end a conversation.

And so it was, in a few minutes’ time, that Billy Boyd appeared at Elijah’s elbow, his smile going not to Marina, but through her, and with remarkable tact, he had intoned that there was someone he thought her idol should meet. And she knew, right then and there, that she had overcrowded her welcome, in a sense, and she gave a small, frozen half-smile as he said his good evenings and was gone. And then she felt awful, and rued every word after “Hello,” and every drink after the first. So she stood in line and got herself another. And in a corner, feeling nonsensical and overdressed, she ruminated.

She had ruined his night so much that he had needed a friend to spirit him away. And that – that made her feel like Gollum. In the corner, in her borrowed dress and borrowed heels, she began to weep. But the weeping turned into a senseless, foolish laughter – until Billy Boyd, who had all but air-lifted Elijah away from her, tapped her on the shoulder from behind. 

She cursed the screen-printed cocktail napkin for refusing to absorb her tears, but courtesy demanded that she turn around, so she did. And Billy, whose face and shoulders looked older than they had done when he was Pippin, said very little – though his eyes were kind. He only handed her a small white napkin, folded diagonally, like a triangle, and said, puzzlingly, “Elijah wanted me to give this to you.”

Bumbling thanks was all she could give in reply, and Billy Boyd bid her good evening, turned on his heel, and melted into the crowded night.

Feeling poorly and baffled, she stood like a statue for a long time before opening the napkin. Inside it were ten digits and a couple of dashes. A phone number.

She did not believe it was real. The scorpion bowl drinks were full of alcohol and fiction.

For a week, she agonized over whether to open the napkin again. The necklace, heels, dress and perfume all returned to their rightful owners, the only things she had left of the Awards party were her creased ticket of admission (General Admission: Admit One) and the triangular napkin. They sat like orphans on the painted-over radiator.

She was certain that if she opened it again, she would call. And she was certain that if she called, she would find that it was not his number, but some anonymous digits, or the rejection hotline, or the police.

But in the end, she called. Of course she did. And it did turn out to be his number, and they met in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Venice Beach that very same weekend, drank Last Words served by an unscrupulous bartender who checked neither of their IDs, and talked for hours. He then took her home to her college apartment in his modest BMW 3-series – modest for a movie star, anyway, and there were crumbs all over the interior – and they continued to meet, frequenting live concerts, and arthouse movie matinees with five other people in the audience, and karaoke bars in Japan and Korea-town.

Elijah was surprisingly easy to be with – as unassuming, kind, and humble as his public image suggested, and far quirkier and more cheerfully irreverent than any camera could capture. Before long, they had all but invented their own language – a bubbly vernacular of cockeyed misquotations, and twisted references that only they understood (3). By her 23rd birthday, he had proposed, and they married quietly, wearing their rings on their right hands in the Ukrainian way so that nobody would guess. (4)

In the years that followed, Elijah made film after film, became a DJ, and started a record label and a production company, while Marina had gone to law school and joined a firm, her angular student awkwardness blossoming into a chic, sublime femininity. They lived in Venice Beach, and tried to keep a quiet existence – and for the most part, they succeeded. 

But in the end, it was as true a statement on Earth as it was in Middle-earth: the hearts of men, and women, were easily corrupted. 

Kotchoubey is a noble family name that originated in Ukraine. After the revolution of 1917, however, few of its members remained in the Soviet Union. The fictional Marina’s ancestors were among the ones who stayed behind and did not flee, as she herself is a Ukrainian immigrant who came to the US in the early 90’s. 

Based on the fact that yours truly has watched The Oxford Murders repeatedly for the last month. I watch it at least three times a week, on weekdays, as I eat and relax.

Mr. Nisile and I have such a language. So thick is it that military code-breakers would pull out their hair.

In parts of Eastern Europe, wedding rings are worn on the right hand, while in Western Europe and the US, they are worn on the left. In real life, Elijah is also often seen wearing a plain silver band on his right hand, though I doubt he was ever secretly married to a Ukrainian beauty.

Bonus: What do you think Elijah calls Marina in private? Answer: Mari.  ;)

[thestrangestthing89]

I like that the main couples have followed a similar trajectory.

Jopper works well together from the beginning and they have some conflict in the middle. In S2 it was that Joyce was dating Bob and Hopper is clearly jealous. In S3 they aren't on the same page because Hopper is ready to have a normal life and Joyce is grieving. But they are on the same page now at the end of S4 and together. It's implied they will be working together again like they were in the earlier seasons while being a couple. It also seems to be a foregone conclusion that they will be a family and raise their kids together.

Lumax works well together once Lucas tells Max what's been going on in Hawkins with the lab in S2. They have some conflict in S3 with juvenile breakups. They are broken up in season 4 for more serious reasons - because Max is depressed and isolated herself. But they are now on the same page again and it seems like they will be working well together again once Max is awake.

Jancy always worked well together for the the first two seasons. They have some minor conflict in S2 similar to Jopper - Nancy is with Steve and Jonathan doesn't like it. But they are a couple by the end of the season. They have some conflict in S3 and S4 where they aren't on the same page. In S3 it's because they aren't understanding each others perspectives about how to handle their hostile workplace. In S4 it's because Jonathan is holding back about why he didn't apply to college. But the college thing isn't solely about Nancy, it's about him feeling obligated to his family. And Jonathan and Nancy have always worked well together so them working through this too makes sense. I think it's possible they may breakup for a bit and go to separate colleges but I think they will still talk to each other about their families and Hawkins during this time. Once the drama starts building up at the end of the season it makes sense that they would work well together again like always. Continuing to follow the same trajectory as the other couples.

Byler is separated in the beginning because of Will's disappearance but Mike's entire storyline revolves around him and it's clear he cares about Will. They work well together throughout S2. There is conflict in S3 and Will calls Mike out for not acting like himself. In S4 Mike acknowledges Will was right and they spend the whole season problem solving their situation about how to get back to El and Hawkins together. It seems very likely that with the drama early on in the season that they will be working well together again since they always do. It makes sense that Mike would be protective of Will again since we have seen this established in S1 and S2. And also a bit in S3 - Mike notices something is wrong with Will at the movie theater and by the end of the season when they know something is wrong Mike listens to Will and helps to create a plan.

So the endgame couples follow a pattern. Work as a team -> conflict -> reunite/resolve conflict -> work as a team.

Then there is Mileven and Stancy.

Mileven meets and fights a lot through S1. They are also separated twice through the season - once when Mike leaves her on the side of the road when Will's fake body is found, and once when El runs off after she hurts Lucas and Mike yells at her. They also end up separated at the end of S1 and only reunite at the end of S2. They don't work well together in S1. There is a lot of fighting and their teamwork isn't as a couple (they aren't a couple at this point, but they also aren't a duo). It involves Lucas and Dustin too. They don't interact much in season one and even though El comes back at the end to help, it's not her and Mike teaming up to save Will. They both help Will separately. In fact, Mike is supposed to wait at the Byers house while El goes off to close the gate. But Mike goes off to help Will in a way that he saw earlier in the season - he knows the fire in the tunnels will help draw out the MF from Will because he watched it happen. It had nothing to do with something El told him. They didn't discuss this. S3 we see more conflict. They are together in the beginning and it causes conflict with the rest of the group - their friends and Hopper are not happy about this relationship. They breakup and are apart for a lot of the season. When they reunite to problem solve it's again, not as a duo but with the whole group. They are sort of a couple at the end? I guess. El decides they are back together so... In S4 we see more conflict. Their relationship isn't doing great. They breakup again (yes, the From El letter was her dumping his ass) and she runs off back to the lab. They are separated most of the season while Mike spends his season working as A TEAM (a thing that was stated directly) with Will. They reunite and still aren't discussing their problems but aren't even speaking at the end of the season.

They aren't following the pattern.

Stancy doesn't either. They are together in S1 but it's clear Nancy has reservations about it. They aren't on the same page. It results in her neglecting Barb and Barb disappearing. Steve doesn't care about this which results in Nancy finding someone who does - Jonathan. Steve and Nancy are a couple at the end of the season but it feels forced and random considering everything that happened this season. They are together in S2 but are still having problems and breakup (yes, the alley conversation was a breakup). Nancy spends all season with Jonathan and her and Steve are officially over at the end. They don't interact one-on-one in S3 and the teamwork here has to do with the whole group.

S4 has them working together, but again it's with the whole group. Nancy and Steve don't exactly work well together. Nancy holds back from him at first about her suspicious about the Creels because he's dismissed her before. Nancy works better with Robin and pairs herself off with her a couple times. When the group comes up with the plan at the end it's a bad plan. Max dies, the town is destroyed and multiple people die, Vecna isn't killed. They aren't a great team.

They don't followed the pattern either.

Mike/El and Nancy/Steve don't ever work one-on-one together the way the other couples do. Jopper, Jancy, Lumax, and Byler are always paired off together. Even though we haven't seen Lumax and Byler alone exactly, this is more because of their ages. They still manage to have moments where they are clearly communicating and working together though. In S2, Byler had their crazy together conversation and Mike is able to find a way to help Will with his possession because he listened to Will. So he's able to communicate to Joyce and Hopper what's wrong and help him. Lucas talks to Max about her depression and helps come up with a plan to help her with Kate Bush.

Both Byler and Lumax have scenes where they are talking through their problems. Since they are older now, I think we may see scenes next season where they are off together without a group around. I think Mike is tied into the story with Henry and he will be helping Will like he always has since the start of the series. And Lucas is very supportive and protective of Max and will want to keep helping her through everything. It makes sense narratively for Mike to be with Will next season and for Lucas to be with Max.

But I cannot think of any reason why Mike would need to suddenly out of nowhere learn to work as a team with El. Are they supposed to magically learn to communicate overnight? Will they suddenly be on the same page, again out of nowhere? They have never been a team. They have always worked separately and this benefits the group. They don't support each other the way they need to be supported.

Same with Steve and Nancy. They get people killed whenever they are together because they aren't on the same page. Mike and El killed Max too, in the same way Steve and Nancy killed Barb. Nancy and Mike weren't being honest and it resulted in the loss of a friend. Steve was not ok with the plan at the end of the season and tried to stop it at first. He gave in pretty quickly. He doesn't challenge her when she is wrong and he dismisses her feelings often (with regard to Barb and when she is upset about the Vecna vision). They are not a team and never have been.

Mileven and Stancy don't follow any clear path. They are a mess. Whereas all the other couples have a trajectory that from a writing standpoint, makes a lot of sense. You can understand the formula they are following and it doesn't feel like it's a roller coaster ride that is all over the place. Which is why I'm always exhausted by both of those relationships. The constant back and forth and breaking up and getting back together and endless conflict is so tiring to watch. If they wanted them to be endgame they would have written them to be a team. But instead they stress how they don't work as a team. And it stands out in comparison to the couples that do work well together.