#insert marriage music i guess

[toastyexistedsomewhere]

Marriage/j

[cursed-man-prayers]

Before folklore came out, I would tell people that liking Taylor Swift was the straightest thing about me. Then folklore, evermore, and Red TV came out. As I saw the queer themes in those albums, I began seeing them in reputation, 1989, Speak Now, Fearless, and debut. The themes have always been there, fluctuating in subtlety but steadily increasing since 1989. So why did I think of Taylor Swift as so quintessentially straight? You guessed it: Compulsory heterosexuality and heteronormativity.

Taylor was supposed to be universally relatable. When she explained her songs, she refrained from using gender-specific language. Us. We. That person. Someone. And people that as “Me. I. A man. That guy I told everyone I was dating.” We were told she dated men, and a woman dating a man = heterosexual. No other options.

Even now, Genius will remove lyric annotations that imply her lyrics might not be about a man. Even with Hits Different, Question…? and Maroon. Taylor says reputation is about Joe and swifties believe her bc “Taylor wouldn’t lie to us!!!” even though there’s so many inconsistencies with the narrative that Rep is about Joe.

To say outright or even imply that Taylor might write songs about women because she likes women is met with scores of comments about how we “shouldn’t speculate on her sexuality!!! she said she’s straight!!! stop being disrespectful!!!!” But Taylor, as she has never said the words “I’m gay” has never said the words “I’m straight.” What she has done is align herself with. LGBTQ artists (YNTCD music video, Phoebe feat., posting support for queer musicians on social media, and, of course, the Pride parade that is her list of openers for the Eras Tour).

If Taylor didn’t people thinking she’s queer, she would’ve thrown in “as a straight woman…” in her speech before performing Delicate at multiple Pride events, when being interviewed about her advocacy during the Lover era, or at literally any point in her adult life.

Writing about women from the male perspective is queer. Her dressing in drag for the Man music video and showing herself in bed with a woman is inherently queer. The way she writes songs about her love interests’ girlfriends is queer. People bend over backwards to justify the gay shit she does, the same thing people have done for centuries with Sappho, Emily Dickinson, Louisa May Alcott, and so many sapphic artists throughout history. Taylor Swift is THE songwriter of our generation. She IS the music industry. But swifties, and hetlors all the more, would rather believe she is stupid and ignorant rather than intentionally using phrases like “hairpin drop,” “lavender haze,” “all the bricks they threw at me,” “you’re the West Village.” When she describes her muses as having scarlet lips, having hair that falls into place like dominos and braids in a pattern, gorgeous, it’s just because she thinks men are really pretty I guess (insert MetGala 2016 Joe photo). When she describes men as toys, playthings, “dudes who give nothing,” she’s being satirical. When she says “weird rumors,” that can’t possibly refer to rumors about marriage, pregnancy, or her having had multiple children during the pandemic. It’s *weird* to say that Taylor is queer. It’s weird and bad and gross. Why? Because people saying this believe being queer is weird, bad, and gross.

But it’s not weird. Being queer is beautiful, a gift. And that gift comes with a world that hates who we are. Of course Taylor is too soft for all it. And I admire her softness, that she continues to write vulnerable music. Midnights (esp 3am Edition and Hits Different) holds her loudest lyrics. She’s never beating the rumors and she doesn’t want to. Even if she never says the words “I’m gay/bi/pan/a lesbian,” the eardrum-shattering volume of her lyrics is more than enough for me.

[grimaussiewitch]

(Note this won’t be for a while as I’m currently busy and there’s a bunch of other events going on, it’ll be closer to the near year)

Hey mcyt fans, if I was to suggest a gift exchange themed around weddings, would you be interested in hearing me out?

It would work via ao3 where you fill out 3-10 prompts and 3-10 offers and you’ll be assigned a person but you’ll still be able to see everyone’s prompts so you can make a treat or two as a bonus.

Doesn’t even have to be romantic/shipping, here’s some examples:

Prompt 1: heart foundation boys run a wedding cake shop and have to bake their tallest cake yet (Skizz & BigB & Tango) art, fic

Prompt 2: after too many wars and attacks, an arranged marriage is set between two empires (any empires smp ship) fic, web weave

Prompt 3: someone in House Builder Gang has made a new speedrun challenge: quicker marriage and divorce (HBG) fic, web weave

Prompt 4: what would flower husbands wedding playlist be? (Jimmy/scott) playlist

Prompt 5: Quackity finally has a proposal fall through, now he has to plan out a wedding on behalf of his partner’s request. No Vegas shotgun wedding, a proper ceremony and he’s stressing. (Quackity/anyone) fic, art

Prompt 6: Martyn tries to stop the rendoc wedding (ren/doc and optional ren/Martyn or Martyn/doc or ren/martyn/doc) fic, art, web weave, playlist

Prompt 7: anyone’s perspective at a wedding minus the people getting married (insert smp here) fic

Prompt 8: gempearl wedding but it ends with heartbreak (gem/pearl), fic, web weave, playlist

Prompt 9: beeduo wedding playlist but Tommy hijacked it so half is the original music and the other half is whatever Tommy put in there (Ranboo & Tubbo or Ranboo/Tubbo), playlist

Prompt 10: a day in the life of Cleo making or selling wedding attire, art, web weave

Along with this will be you wants and don’t want and you don’t have to have them for the same prompt. Want one to be fluffy and the other one don’t have fluff? Put it down in the wants and don’t want!

Offers would simply be what you’re comfortable in creating.

Offer 1: hermitcraft smp, XYZ ships, will do art and fic

Offer 2: dream smp, only platonic relationships, will do art, fic, playlist

Offer 3: empires smp, XYZ ships, will do playlist and web weave

Offer 4: life series, XYZ ships but mostly platonic relationships, will do fic

When it’s closer to putting together I will put down what’s allowed and not allowed, Eg: RPF/RPS and Explicit ratings (nothing wrong with explicit fics I just don’t trust minors wanting that or an adult giving that to a minor, I don’t want that responsibility)

I’ll ask again sometime in November because there’s too many events happening or going to happen and I’m a bit too busy this month to even start on this XP

So consider this a half baked interest check? I guess???

[hilarychuff]

#1, #5, #17 for the fic ask game!

ty for the questions!! they were hard!!

1. What fic of yours would you recommend to someone who had never read any of your work? (In other words, what do you think is the best introduction to your fics?)

ok well the most strategic answer to this would probably be one of my au graphic collections (asoiaf and stranger things)!!! gives the reader an idea of the characters and relationships i'm interested in and the fact that i'm forever obsessed with aus. the kinds of stories that catch my interest/what i choose to expand on and what stays as just a lil idea. also!!! the reality that if they need something rn they might need to imagine a good chunk of it!! lmao

if they want to read an actual fic i would say all the right reasons (all the wrong places). it's a stranger things chrissy/robin bachelor au where you don't really need to have seen either source material to tap in, plus it's a finished original fic as opposed to a wip or fully adapted au.

5. What do you wish someone would ask you about [insert fic]? Answer it now!

ok really trying to think this one through and i bet something brilliant will come to me later but right now i just keep being like "hil how do you come up with such perfect adaptations from canon for your movie/tv show/whatever aus" like!!! babes i think real hard about it for a really long time 😩 it has to feel right!! and i have a backlog of au graphics i've finished making but haven't finished blurbs/casting for bc i can't figure out how this side plot works or whatever. it has to be the perfect marriage of the two things!!! it's tricky. that said i'm pretty pleased with myself for how i pulled it off for my sansa scream au howl and howl 2 (hopefully still maintaining some surprise for the finales!!! even if you can guess much of it ahead of time!!). howl 3 also in the works 😌

17. What highly specific AU do you want to read or write even though you might be the only person to appreciate it?

ummm i think howl hits that sweet spot actually 🙃 i write that for me and 1-3 potential readers i think.

the ones that are really just for me because they haven't even made it out of drafts or notes at all yet are like. high school musical robb/jeyne sansa/jon. sharp objects sansa/jon. killer klowns from outer space steve/chrissy/eddie lol. the host chrissy/robin and nancy/jonathan probably.

if i could just post notes and get away with it i would do that all the time!!!!! unfortunately for me a lot of the times people like fics to be actual writing and that takes me a lot longer than just coming up with ideas but i have ideas (especially au ideas) aplenty

[magician-kitty]

Spider Gang x Male!Reader(Seperate)

Context: your ex is bothering you. Oh no…This won’t end well.

Spider Queen 🕷️👑

You were not having a good day, like at all. Your ex girlfriend, who you haven’t seen in years has crawled back into your life and somehow wants to get back together. 1st, you’d rather drink bleach than get back together with that cheating ass skank. 2nd, you’re already in a relationship with the Spider Queen.

When you first told her about you’re situation, she wasn’t thrilled as you were, in fact she’s FURIOUS. She be dammed if someone’s gonna come and snatch you from her they got another thing coming. “Tell me where that little hussy is and I’ll make sure she won’t try steal my man away” 😡

You reassured her that everything will be fine, you would handle this yourself and just talk to your ex like a reasonable adult. Seriously, what’s the worst that could happen?

You’d soon regret those words. 😫

You tried to be reasonable with your ex girlfriend, but she definitely wasn’t getting the message. "NO! I said I don't want to see you anymore, it's been one year and nothing's changed, especially you! So LEAVE ME ALONE!" You huffed as you started to walk away from her. She made a grabbed and your arm, turning you around glaring at you right in the face. “What’s the big deal!? You have a new beau don’t you? C’mon you can’t tell me you miss all this don’t you? Even my…sweet kisses~ *she started to lean in for a kiss, until a string of web fluid interrupted her.

Oh…Man…She’s in for it now. 😆 (Insert Boss Music)

Your ex was suddenly wrapped in web fluid and was dangling over your girlfriend. “So you’re the little harlot my man’s been telling me about? I’m actually glad to meet your acquaintance, ‘cause I can tell you this here: If I ever see you layin' hands on my man again, you’re the first who’s gonna be fed to my children. Understand?” 😡

She’s seemed to got the message and took of screaming.

(Sigh) “Was that really necessary, sweets?”

“You damn right it was, now bring your fine self up here and back to my lair~”

Oh man, consider yourself Lucky. As. Hell. 😳

Huntsman🕸️🕷️

This was the second time this week, your being hassled by your ex boyfriend and he just won’t leave you alone. First he shows up to your job, then he’s blowing up your phone with unknown messages (You don’t bother reading them) and Now he’s somehow stalking you, although you weren’t sure about that yet.

You didn’t want to include your spider boyfriend, Huntsman and decided to handle this yourself.

Hm, You couldn’t help feeling you forgot about something…..🤔

Uh oh…You have left your phone lying down and guess who peeked in it? 😒

All day you haven’t heard a word from your Brave Hunter and you were starting to worry; not even the others or the Queen knew where he was. You decided to check back at your place and see if he’s there.

Your phone suddenly ranged and checked your phone, it was a message from Huntsman.

“Don’t worry, you’re little “situation” is taken care of. Look up..” 😏

You had a confused look on your face before hearing a groaning sound, you looked up from a lamppost and..

There he is, your Ex hanging upside down, covering in web fluid from head to toe. With a note attached to him. “Got Wrecked”

“What the hell…” You felt two strong arms wrapped around your shoulders and immediately knew who it was.

“Surprise, I took the liberty of handing that pesky vermin for you, you’re welcome”

“You didn’t had to do that, I could have handled it myself.”

“Hm, no. Nobody, messes with my mate and leaves unscathed~”

(Sigh) What we’re you gonna do with this guy.

Syntax🕷️💾

Your on the run from the one thing you hated. What that might be you ask?

Two Words: Arranged Marriage. 😩

You were supposed to marry some (Prince/Princess) for the sake of your people, or so you thought. But in truth it’s just so your parents could gain more power that way.

Seriously? Like hell you’re going through that! You took the first chance you’d get and got the heck outta dodge.

Fast forward now you knew that it’d catch up to you again. You were summoned to your hometown because your former betrothed had somehow found you. Just your luck, you finally found a life you loved and a special someone to share it with.

Your smart genius, sweet Syntax~ 🥰😍

He was pissed the (Bleep) off when you told him about your “situation” He told you that you shouldn’t have to go through it, but you had no choice. He insisted he’d come along

“Oh, fine. I trust you my dear. But I insist I tag along as well. You might be in need of assistance”

This betrothed of yours was just like how you remembered; Beautiful on the outside, yet cold and cruel on the inside. They insist that they missed and can’t wait to marry you, as if!

“My dear, you don’t have to go through this; we can leave right now..”

(You know, I can’t really think of anything else. Sorry! Let’s say reader and Syntax handled the situation)

Goliath🏋️‍♀️🕷️

It’s been years since you ran off from your ex, your abusive ex. And you couldn’t be more glad than you did.

Because of all the hardships of the beating, the neglect, the number of scars you’ve suffered; you moved on with your life.

A new place to call home, new friends, a the love of someone better, even if he is a giant spider demon.

Despite his tough demeanor, he’s a sweetheart, not that smart; but you still like him.

Whenever you were feeling bad he’d give you gentle shoulder massages. Or even listen about your past experiences.

He’s just dying to finally meet your ex. 😡

And he may get his wish when he tells him that he’s being stalked. Blowing up your phone, unannounced gifts and crap, etc.

“Goliath, please don’t do anything rash, that last thing I want is you have blood on your hands”

“Aw relax, babe it’ll be fine. I won’t mess him up that bad. Much 😏 He chuckled darkly and went about his way.

Oh no, this won’t end well.

Later on you received a text message. You opened your phone and saw the most horrific picture you’d seen.

Your abusing ex, In the spider’s lair being fed by multiple spiders.

“He won’t be bothering you anymore, nobody will as long I’m here” ❤️ he texted to you.

Heh, wow…what a guy. You’re truly grateful to have him.

[watching-pictures-move]

Put On Your Raincoats | Friday the 13th: A Nude Beginning (Lincoln, 1987)

You guys all love the part in a Friday the 13th movie where Jason puts on a hockey mask and kills people? What about the part in a Friday the 13th movie where Jason puts on a hockey mask and...sits around cutting up pictures from a magazine? I guess that’s implied violence? You know, giving us some insight into his psychology? Now what about the part where he takes off the mask, and it turns out he’s a demon in hell played by Paul Thomas, and he bickers with Justine, another demon played by Amber Lynn, about who’s better at corrupting mankind? And the part where Jason and Justine go to earth and proceed to orchestrate a series of sex scenes involving a bunch of completely unrelated characters in an effort to prove who’s the most devious of them all? Yeah, that’s usually a fun part of any Friday the 13th movie, right?

Well, that’s what happens in Friday the 13th: A Nude Beginning, a porn “parody” directed by Fred J. Lincoln, who most people know as one of the villains in Last House on the Left, which was a Sean S. Cunningham production, like the original Friday the 13th, which starred Kevin Bacon, and that’s within six degrees. Really, aside from the fact that one of the characters is named Jason and briefly wears a hockey mask, there is no attempt to evoke the series. Like, there are no scenes where Jason runs around and, instead of sticking machetes into people, he inserts marital aids. Which is something you’d hope would happen in a porn parody of a slasher, but the movie disappoints on that level. The only attempt at any horror aesthetics is the discount hell that the introductory scene and interludes take place in, a mix of lo fi set design, and overactive fog machine, and lots of red, that captured on video take on an endearing quality not unlike heavy metal music videos of the era. Otherwise, this is aesthetically in line with the average SOV production of the era, where the camera doesn’t do anything too fancy and usually points at the places you’d want it to point in a porno.

It probably sounds like I’m being dismissive here, but I actually had a really good time with this. I knew going in this wasn’t going to be a very good parody of the series, but I wasn’t expecting a script with this much great dialogue, which I will naturally provide samplings of. If there is a satirical target here, it’s at the usual establishment figures of the ‘80s: the US government, televangelists, and an anti-porn feminist activist modeled after Andrea Dworkin. There’s also a scene where Thomas persuades a character to violate the sanctity of marriage by making up an old tradition that “dates back to the Celtics, or is it the Lakers?” I’m not sure how exactly this is satirical, but when she says what they’re doing is “evil”, I’m not sure I buy it. I mean, it’s not good for her relationship, but evil seems like a strong word here.

There’s a scene between the President and a Colombian guerilla, where the latter pleads for military aid to overthrow her country’s government. Now, my guess is that she would be from FARC, who I understand are Marxist-Leninist, so I’m not sure how likely they would be in real life to ask for help for the Reagan administration. I did like this exchange, where the President speaks of the importance of coffee to Colombia’s economy.

"It's the drink of the fascist oppressors."

"I like mine without cream."

Of course, this scene proceeds as one would expect, arguably rendering the figurative fucking over of Latin America by the US in more literal terms. In that sense, it’s about as astute a satire as Alex Cox’s Walker, replacing the explosions of blood and gunpowder with explosions of...something else. Now, Lynn takes credit for orchestrating this scene, but aside from briefly appearing at the beginning and leaving the room, it’s not clear what her contribution is. And as Thomas points out, "You picked a politician. He didn't have a soul to begin with." 

The scenes with the televangelist are more broader but funnier. First Lynn appears as a nun, surprising the televangelist played by Joey Silvera, who is very shouty and very animated. ("Today's the 12th, sister, and Mother Teresa wasn't supposed to come until the 13th. You're supposed to be a Japanese schoolgirl.") Naturally they get it on, but then there’s a second scene where he ends up having a threesome on live TV. Lynn’s role again isn’t apparent at first glance, but when Thomas knocks her efforts, she takes umbrage.

"Are you kidding? I had to work my ass off on that one! I had to bring in a blind girl from Russia! I had to go out and find a black lesbian nymphomaniac! I had to break some homosexual makeup artist's legs! And have you any idea how hard it is to grow a one-legged man's leg back?" 

As they say, great art can often seem effortless.

The final stretch of the movie has the Dworkin stand-in, played by Nina Hartley, being seduced by Thomas and giving up her militant ways. And then out of concern for his fate, Lynn intervenes to seduce her as well, only to hand her off to a pimp played by Billy Dee (who unlike the King of the Pimps played by Jack Baker in Let Me Tell Ya ‘Bout White Chicks, does some actual pimping at the end). If there’s an issue with this section, it’s the suggestion that dolled up hairspray Hartley is somehow more attractive than glasses Hartley, but the scene between Lynn and Hartley is a clash of the titans, like between King Kong and Godzilla, but the new one where they’re actually friends. Whether or not the results are sexier will depend on the viewer, but I can report most of the performers here are in fine form, if you’re watching it for those reasons.

So there’s plenty of great dialogue, and some very funny supporting performances by Silvera and Hartley, but as you can guess from the poster, what really makes the movie work is Amber Lynn herself. She’s great. Aside from a few minor roles (scenes in 52 Pick-Up and The Devil in Miss Jones 3: A New Beginning) I’d previously seen her in Things, where she managed to project some degree of glamour despite the fact that she was reading off the cue cards and was in fucking Things. And here, you get some of that same quality. As her character says, she does things with “style” and “pizazz”, and the results are evident onscreen, as she struts around hell, radiating star power. (I should note that while she carries a trident on the cover, she never actually pokes anyone with it, which is one disappointing thing about the movie.) She and Thomas have lots of great banter and both hold their own pretty ably. I’ll be honest, I hadn’t really considered diving further into her filmography, as I got the sense there wasn’t much artistry in there, but now I think I’ll have to do some further investigation.

Anyway, a few more good lines, because why not:

"One must always jack off with their preferred hand."

“Have you spoken to the Lord today?"

"I can't say I did. His line was busy."

"I'll show you corruption with a capital K!"

"A blind communist with cancer? You're on in two minutes."

"God bless you."

"Fat chance."

"I will not let your puns get to me." 

"Are you on glue?" 

Not the Friday the 13th parody we wanted, but the one we needed.

[ezamevolni]

Distinctions between Cute and Sus

I guess this is common sense but in the shipping realm, common sense is often MIA.

I'm deep into shipping so I've been around these waters quite a bit now and have noticed most so-called 'my ship is real' moments are just very, very cute. But definitively romantic? Nope.

Cute moments are totally ship-worthy but they are not significant as proof the two people are involved in a special relationship.

Exercise #1

The members are close to each other's families.

Jimin called out "Eommoni~" to Jk's mom and Jk's mom told Jimin "I love you!".

RM and Jin's family got together to watch Bangbangcon. RM and Jin's dads are great friends who hang out daily.

Jk often imitates Suga's dad and Suga said that his dad calls Jk gentle/softie.

Are Jikook, Namjin, Yoonkook in romantic relationships because their families are close?

Ans: Seventeen is in a polygamous marriage. Hoshi says 'hi' while eating galbi with Joshua's mom in LA.

Exercise #2

The members often hang out together in private.

Jikook and their Tokyo trip. Nuff said. Only two who went on a long distance trip together so far.

Vmin used to do long walks on the pier when they couldn't sleep during their Japan tours.

Taekook and their recent outings skiing, bowling, watching a musical.

Vope who went on a candlelit rooftop dinner date.

Sin who went biking and fishing during their long break in 2019.

Were Jikook, Vmin, Taekook, Vope, Sin all on romantic dates?

Ans: Let's just pretend for a second that friendly hangouts are a thing. Yes, even between two men. I know this can come as a shock to some but deep breathes, it's alright.

Exercise #3

The members love skinship.

[Insert X amount of hugs, kisses, massages, butt slaps.]

Are [all 21 BTS ship names] in a secret relationship?

Ans: Right, because the 21-ships orgy fan fictions you read on ao3 is but a glimpse into their open-mindedness and deviance.

To think I wrote the answer part before finding the example...and was spoon fed confirmation down in the comments thread 😭

Exercise #4

The members know private details about each other.

Jin knew when Jk took English or drum lessons.

V loved to show off Jhope's sleeping habits on variety shows.

RM knew Suga was going to see the dermatologist the next day after filming.

Jk knew V recently went to get nail care.

[insert X amount of instances they showed certain members their solo work before release.]

Are Jinkook, Vope, Namgi and Taekook (and more) accidentally revealing how much attention they pay to their partners?

Ans: Contrary to popular belief, the members still talk to each other after the cameras are cut.

Exercise #5

They look great together. In the group photo, the two of them stand out as 'that couple'.

[What's this? Top tier all-male group hides three couples and loner Sunshine cried asking 'Where's my other half?'] Read p9 for the full story

Are Vmin, Yoonkook, Namjin, Jikook, Taekook, Jihope, Jinkook, Minimoni using the chance to show off their relationships?

Ans: This is the very reason why tabloid mags and clickbait articles still have readers.

When you see your OTP interacting, that excitement and happiness is from the same place in your brain that activates when you get a sip of hot cocoa after coming inside from a raging blizzard. You find them cute, lovely, more of that please! But it's just that. Those moments show the chemistry, rapport or good relations between the two. It doesn't automatically support them as 'boyfriends/girlfriends'. It does not Define the relationship.

Jinkook have plenty of cute moments. Plenty. But those don't say 'They're dating'. I can show my friend a video of them hugging, smiling at each other, playing around, but I can't stop the video and ask "Now do you see how in love they are??" My non-army friend will think I've finally gone bananas from the internet. Lots of moments that I find cute about Jinkook fizzle to bits once I lift them out of the shipping realm. Very very squeal-inducing, but does not define them as a couple.

I gave so many counterexamples of what not to consider when trying to ship a 'real' couple. So what're the correct things to look for? Ha, if I had solid examples, I wouldn't still be floundering here on the internet. In the realm of shipping, the correct answer is: no single moment can prove that a ship is real. Shipping is fun but if you want to be serious about it and actually consider if the two people are dating irl secretly, guess what, it's detective time. If you don't have a recorded confession, well it's time to get down to the nitty gritty, start theorizing, find evidence and make your stand. It's work and effort now, not just appreciating the cute moments as they appear on your tl. Unfortunate I know.

Legend says there exists another kind that is more thought-provoking and nuanced. After seeing such instances, the correct reaction should contain a little bit of self-doubt, discomfort and a pinch of 'Let me rewind'. And the next thought following should be 'that can't be. I'm reading too much into it. They're just brothers.' And then somewhere down the line you might join me here. These are moments you spotted in the wild and not in a shipper edit. The moment has to be organic.

Of course, that goes for any ship at all about any two people on the planet. Who's to say whose instincts are right? ☺️

[scienter]

I saw that other anon's message. I wanted to clarify, I was referring to the S7 finale not the series finale. Like I said that itw was back in S7 and I felt like JP was referring to the S7 finale because I'm pretty sure at the time S8 hadn't been picked up yet so it wasn't a guarantee we were going to get another season. Also, with regards to the series finale. I'm just speculating but had it ended like it was originally planned with Damon dies Stefan lives (we can only guess how Defan would have been resolved) and Steroline leaving Mystic Falls to find gifted children to bring back to the school, I don't think there would have been a KC acknowledgement/fan baiting. Like you pointed out as well as JP in itw's, it was Kevin's decision to switch the death and kill off Stefan.

However, I think JP knew she could "bait" that fandom cuz they were one of the one's left she could. DE fans didn't have any incentive to watch TO's final season, she knew the SC fans were going to be pissed, the SE fans have been pissed off for years, the BE fans were pissed, BD fans were pissed, the Klayley fans have been pissed off for years, Klamille fans were pissed, the Haylijah fans were pissed, Marbekah and KC was about all she had left (besides the GA). And, at the end KC fans were pissed because Klaus died and KC never became a couple which was hilarious, it made my day!

Like kmze called it right from the get go, Candice's stint on TO was nothing but a rating's ploy so JP could get Legacies but what's so funny about that is TO's S5 avg ratings & total viewers dropped slightly from TO S4, TVD S8 had better avg rating's and more total viewers, Legacies S1 avg rating's was basically the same as TO and had more total viewers, so that ship being serviced one last time did nothing.

At the end of the day, I do wish Steroline would have got their much deserved happy ending but at least we won and got our endgame! Stefan's death was a tragedy, not an end to their love. "I will love you forever", "I will love her forever too", "We will see him again", she changed her last name officially to Forbes-Salvatore, she runs a school in Stefan's honor, she still wore her engagement ring and wedding band around her neck. We got 2 proposals, them living together, a marriage, tons of great quotes over the years, they'll never have anything close to that. Not to mention, Legacies further solidified who was the ultimate winner of Caroline's heart, SC's marriage was mentioned, we got that musical tribute, KC's reference in Legacies "Just some guy who had a crush on Mom"

Last, in a few itw's post Legacies series finale Candice talked about the school being a nice full circle story arc for Caroline and how it was rooted in her love for Stefan and how it was the mark she wanted to leave on the world for the person she loved!

However, I think JP knew she could "bait" that fandom cuz they were one of the one's left she could. DE fans didn't have any incentive to watch TO's final season, she knew the SC fans were going to be pissed, the SE fans have been pissed off for years, the BE fans were pissed, BD fans were pissed, the Klayley fans have been pissed off for years, Klamille fans were pissed, the Haylijah fans were pissed, Marbekah and KC was about all she had left (besides the GA). And, at the end KC fans were pissed because Klaus died and KC never became a couple which was hilarious, it made my day!

And this is why it’s a bad idea to center the story around so many different love triangles.  It makes the fans divided, angry, and uninterested. When that happens, the writers are left baiting the audience into watching.

Like kmze called it right from the get go, Candice's stint on TO was nothing but a rating's ploy

Yeah, I think kmze is right on this point. Inserting Caroline into TO was fanservice/fanbait because (1) Caroline told Klaus she didn’t want to see him ever again and (2) their will-they-or-won’t-they conflict was resolved in 500 Years of Solitude.  Klaroline had closure. There wasn’t a story left to tell. Now, I’m not against fanservice (I quite enjoy it myself), but it can feel gratuitous or contrived when there isn’t a narrative reason. There wasn’t a narrative reason to bring Caroline into the originals when she hated Klaus and didn’t want anything to do with him.  

Compare Candince’s stint on TO to George Clooney’s return to E.R. Doug and Carol were the IT couple on E.R. and their romance abruptly ended when Clooney left the show in season 5 (Doug is forced to leave for a controversial/illegal medical decision). Doug invites Carol to leave with him, but she decides to stay because that’s her life is in Chicago. However, it was later revealed that season that Carol was pregnant with Doug’s twins. Doug and Carol were still in love and now share children. Their story wasn’t over. So, when Juliana Margulies decided to leave the show in season 6 Carol had an epiphany: Doug was the love of her life and she wanted to be with him. So, she gets on a plane and is reunited with Doug. Having Clooney return for that single episode had a purpose beyond just fanservice. Clooney returned so that Doug and Carol could reunite.

At the end of the day, I do wish Steroline would have got their much deserved happy ending but at least we won and got our endgame! Stefan's death was a tragedy, not an end to their love. [ ] Legacies further solidified who was the ultimate winner of Caroline's heart, SC's marriage was mentioned, we got that musical tribute,

For sure.  Stefan is the love of Caroline’s life.

KC's reference in Legacies "Just some guy who had a crush on Mom"

Last, in a few itw's post Legacies series finale Candice talked about the school being a nice full circle story arc for Caroline and how it was rooted in her love for Stefan and how it was the mark she wanted to leave on the world for the person she loved!

Awww! That’s sweet.

[thelonewriters-fic-central]

Bombshell

Chapter 21

Your POV

Today was the big day. I am finally marrying Cheryl. I never thought this was going to happen, especially when I hid my feelings from her for a long time. But know here we are standing in front of the alter with by best friends on either side of me. Rose petals scattered around the isle. The song thousand years started playing, the door to the chapel opened and revealed my stunning soon to be wife walking down the isle with Veronica. With every step she took it was like time froze. Finally she stood in front of me.

"Dearly beloved we are today to witness the marriage of Y/N Cooper and Cheryl Blossom. Do you Y/N take Cheryl in sickness and in health to death do you part." He says.

"I do." I smile.

"Cheryl do you take Y/N in sickness and in health till death do you part." He says.

"I do." Cheryl blushes.

"Do you both have your vows prepared." He say and we both nod.

"I guess I will start. You have always been my best friend. You have been there though thick and thin. You saved me on multiple occasions, and I can't imagine a life without you. I love you so much that words can't describe how much you mean to me." Cheryl say as we both start to tear up.

"We have been though hell and back. I don't know what the future holds for us but I know one thing for sure is that you Cheryl Blossom are my future and will always be. Ever since we met on the play ground and asked me to play with you and Jason was the best day of my life. I had a friend, but now this is the best day of my life because I finally get to marry that beautiful girl I meant all those years ago." I sniffle.

"Let exchange the rings." He says and we give each other the rings.

"I now pronounce you wife and wife. You may now kiss the bride." He says. I wrap my hands around Cheryl waist and she bring her arms around my neck. I lean in and she meets me half way. We shared a passionate kiss pouring all of our emotions into it. Everyone was cheering us on. The music came on and we pulled apart earning a slight groan from Cheryl wanting to kiss me some more. I take her hand and walk out of the chapel together. Eventually comes out side and takes pictures with us. Cheryl's red convertible was waiting outside for us written on the side of the car was "just married". I open the door for Cheryl and she gets in. I head to the front seat and drive us to our hotel room. Once we get close to our room. I sweep her off her feet into my arms, she giggles. I open the door and lay her on the bed. She pulls me back down for another kiss. She takes off my blazer, along with my shirt and bow tie. I unzip her dress and take it off of her. God she is beautiful. She notices me staring.

"You know this is all yours know, not is wasn't before but not it is officially all yours." Cheryl says gesturing to her body.

"I know. I am just admiring you." I say and she kiss me again and undos my pants, and pulls them off.

We both strip the rest of our clothes off. I kiss down her neck sucking on some areas leaving a few marks here and there. I lower my hand down to her dripping core, I insert three fingers inside her earning a loud moan of pleasure from her. I pump in and out and a fast but comfortable passé. I move down and start sucking on her clit. Flicking it ever so often.

"Babe I sit on your face, so I can work on you two." Cheryl says trying to steady her breathing. I pull out of her and lie down, while she moves and positioned her self over me. I start licking the strip of her folds. Her face is positioned right over my area she starts insert her tongue at a rapid passé. Making me moan her name. As we were working on each other our organisms was almost at its peak.

"Cum is my baby girl." I say and shortly we both release. We both laid back down, Cheryl ladies her head on my chest, while I wrap my arms around her.

"I am just say that was the best sex we have ever had, and that's saying something because we have a lot of amazing sex." Cheryl says.

"I don't know why we have never tried that position before." I kiss her.

"Well I can't wait for round two, I am thinking in the shower next." Cheryl says lustfully.

"Sounds good." I say picking her up.

(A:n you might need some holy water after this)

[minseologs]

arc plot shenanigans

*insert dramatic music*

This new plot is focusing on her struggle of leadership. two of her previous arc focusing mostly on grief and good vs. bad, this one will probably a mix of both too. because I would get bored and too lazy to make another muse like I always say I would, I decided to play the idea of what this muse would do once she discovers the fact that she is living her father’s life- someone she didn’t want to become. (Instead of just focusing on morals)

So I guess this is a list of ideal plots she may or will come across. I’ve had muses who could potentially be part of these so please let me know~. I mean, if anything I might add a new major npc again idk let’s see how my attention span goes for this one 👀

~ Plots I probably will be discussing heavily: ~

scapegoat circles: Minseo’s public image is here. She’s known to be the charitable and I’d love to have multiple charities that she sponsors. The catch is that perhaps she uses some employees to carry out her underground stuff. Of course this plot involves underground, and it would be up to you how heavily you want your muse to be involved. The family’s main hold on the underground line is imports and exports of weaponry illegally, but is not limited to high-tier underground shenanigans. its also canon that local gangs in Gwangju, Hoengsoeng, Jeju and Seongbuk pledge some kind of allegiance to her family for protection. Minseo’s cattle farm up in Hoengseong is one of her recent ventures for weaponry storage.

untraditionally traditional: realistically speaking, minseo is, and still is, considered as a weak leader in the eyes of the prominent men surrounding her business affairs in this story (specially she wasn't expected to take over). she is in a place where women aren't considered a good leader unless there is a man to support her ventures. to date, everyone is out to get CRM because she no longer has an heir. Minseo highly considers marriage and family in her cards for the sake of one.) to shut them up for a cover up and two.) having another child but plot twist! she is/ will have a hard time conceiving due to her past bodily injuries but no body knows that, yet. I also want this to focus on the fact that she is a woman, and considering that many people think she’s unfit to be in her new position as the head of her family business affairs, she constantly would have to prove herself and mainly resulting her to becoming an overbearing perfectionist.

plot is inspired by one of BL Mangaka Scarlet Beriko’s characters, in which the head yakuza leader marries a prostitute out of rebellion, who carried their heir for the sake of having an heir while he is having an affair with another man. Although aware that her husband has multiple affairs that he doesn’t bother hiding either, they both remain loyal to one another and are confident that they will need each other through this unconventional lifestyle they have.

threatening futures: minseo is torn because the Choi clan’s years of history may die with her, and she will sell CRM to someone else. Which she would rather not because of the mentality that is “I suffered for nothing” and though she hates to admit it, the new found power had made her somewhat happy. Because of this, her position is constantly threatened by the only living direct family she has (Hyeseo is in jail but she didn’t have children) and is constantly on the brink of death with her enemies. she’s the target now. Muses who have intel on things like government positions could be an ideal link to this plot, because minseo needs to have hold on corrupted stuff. Of course, this will probably bite her ass in the future.

new found allegiance: honestly this is just her own troupe of legal and underground buddies. I know minseo already established some muses with this, I just thought it could be different since she’s the new head of her family’s ring. She has more power over things. but then again, she would have a hard time taking it in now that everyone is looking at her as someone who makes the shots.

Some NPCs that’ll be more frequent in the story:

Head Housekeeping Auntie, aka Minseo’s primary guardian <3

Her uncle in Japan, who is secretly linked to the yakuzs with more of a rebellious state like minseo's. he watches over japanese business

some guy? :)

anyway, lets plot, but I do know my threads will be slower starting at the end of september/ beginning of october but dms are always open

happy plotting~!

[starlene]

I briefly discussed this with @chazmina​ back in, what, February, and wrote a note to myself that I should make a post about it... well, I guess time’s a construct and it’s always better late than never, so here goes.

The Problem with Emma/Jekyll in Jekyll & Hyde the Musical

So. I’ve never really felt any chemistry in between Emma and Jekyll in J&H the musical, and whenever I watch the show, I have a rather hard time trying to get invested in their relationship. I wanted to write a little post exploring why that might be!

First off, because coming from me, someone might think this is the case – I don’t think it’s because I ship Utterson and Jekyll. The way I ship those two (namely, a semi-unrequited mess of mostly bad feelings) doesn’t really get in Emma/Jekyll’s way. If anything, having an impending wedding to someone else enhances my Utterson/Jekyll experience. And hey, you know what the meme says, Jekyll has two hands... and he effectively uses them both to hurt many, many people. :)

But, thinking about Emma...

The musical, of course, does what every other adaptation of Jekyll and Hyde does and gives Jekyll and Hyde separate girlfriends. And at first glance, the whole situation with Emma and Lucy is built on some very tired stereotypes: you have the goody-two-shoes rich blonde for the good guy and the promiscuous poor brunette for the bad guy. The musical does little to combat this – but for me, the things it does make the situation worse, actually.

The Problem

When we first meet Emma in the engagement party scene, we soon find out she’s not quite what you might expect. Sure, the writing’s ham-fisted at best, but even so – instead of a demure little wife-to-be, Emma is rather sassy. She’s also broken off a relationship before, apparently simply because the man didn’t appreciate her for who she was. And now, she’s marrying a man of her own choosing, even if there are people out there who don’t approve of the match. Pretty advanced for (our stereotypical vision of) the Victorian era.

I think in some other story, this would be great! A quick-witted, self-confident lady to balance off the scientist with lofty ideals. However, in J&H the musical... first, the musical takes pains over showing us why Emma and Jekyll are a good match – come on, they badmouth the stuffy party crowd together! – and then, we see Jekyll take his leave of this fantastic woman to go ogle at dancers in a local burlesque house.

(Sure, sure, it’s a bachelor party cliché to hire some strippers, but even so. He doesn’t even hesitate. Maybe it makes a little more sense whenever they’re using the script where it’s Utterson’s idea to go to The Red Rat, but it doesn’t seem like many modern productions are based on that.)

Then, of course, Jekyll runs into Lucy, and we’re supposed to believe he sees something in her right away. Something, you might assume, that’s altogether different from whatever he sees in Emma.

Sure, the obvious thing that pops to mind first is that Lucy is sexually available in a way Emma is not – but then again, it’s six weeks to go unti Jekyll and Emma’s wedding, so soon enough, Emma will be too. (And even back in those days, I guess if they wanted to get it on right there and then, they could. I repeat, it’s six weeks, so even if they got a baby on the way right away, she wouldn’t be showing until after the wedding.) So maybe instead, Lucy understands Jekyll mentally in a way Emma does not? But if she does, what was Jekyll and Emma’s big song about knowing and loving each other as they are about? Are we supposed to think it was insincere? Or are we supposed to assume that Jekyll assumes that, unlike Emma who knows and loves Jekyll, Lucy would also love Hyde as he is? (I guess that might be it, I’ve previously talked about this with someone who was an advocate of that theory – but it’s still a lot of assumptions stacked on top of each other without ever making the situation quite clear.)

This all leaves us with a rather weird situation: Jekyll is in love with and getting married to Emma, who loves him back and is very likeable. At the same time, Jekyll finds Emma lacking somehow, because when he gives way to his repressed urges, he immediately goes to cheat on her with Lucy.

Of course, you could use a setup like this to argue, say, that you shouldn’t except any single relationship to fulfill all your dreams, and that monogamy is not the right lifestyle for everybody – but this show is decidedly not smart enough for that, and the extremely stereotypical way the women are otherwise handled doesn’t really allow for enough nuance to argue something like that. From a storytelling point of view, in a show like this, you’d except something a bit more overt.

The Solution

To fix this, here’s what I’d do:

I’d still write Emma as a feisty, likeable character – but I’d add in a couple of lines where the engagement party guests whisper about her embarrassing breakup with Simon and how she’s getting on in years, so it’s good she’s settling down with someone, even if Jekyll is way beneath her.

When it’s time for the big Jekyll/Emma duet, then, I’d write it in a way that makes clear something’s not quite clicking in between them, that they’re not quite in tune with each other (maybe literally.) There would be some clever lyrics implying that, while they’re dreaming of a harmonious future together, their exceptations of what their marriage will be like actually contradict each other. Maybe Jekyll doesn’t even understand Emma’s sense of humour, and when she tries to make some sassy remark about a party guest, he just stares at her, nonplussed.

And then, when Jekyll and Utterson leave the engagement party for The Red Rat, you could have Jekyll confessing he’s a bit worried about how balancing his work with the duties of a family man is going to work out. And Utterson’s all, hey bro, I hear you, but it can’t be that bad, I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, but once she inherits her father’s fortune, [insert ka-ching noise]... and then you could have Jekyll sheepishly admitting that Papa Carew’s fortune is something he indeed considered when proposing to Emma... but John, don’t get me wrong, it’s also that I’ve never met any woman I like as much as I like Emma, and isn’t that a perfectly respectable reason to get married to her?

And boom, then Jekyll meets Lucy, and she’s the one. He knows it immediately after seeing her: what he feels for Emma is nothing compared to this, this is the woman of his dreams, the only one for him, and no matter what he does or who he marries, he’ll never be able to put her away from his mind. (Shhh. I know it’s saccharine. I guess at heart, I’m a tragic romantic.)

Then, Jekyll’s dilemma becomes this: he knows that by breaking up with Emma, who’s already scandalised everybody by breaking off an engagement with Simon Stride, he would destroy her chances of ever getting married, and he cares for her enough that he doesn’t want to ruin her. He knows that by now, it’s his gentlemanly duty to go through with the wedding. What’s more, he obviously knows marrying a prostitute would destroy whatever credibility he still has in the London society – and if he ever wants to advance his career and make a real difference in the world, he cannot have that. He knows that a connection with the Carew family, and in time, Papa Carew’s fortune, would greatly help him to reach his professional goals.

And maybe Hyde treats Lucy badly not only because she prefers Jekyll to Hyde, but because somewhere deep inside, Jekyll and therefore Hyde is angry at her for existing – for destroying what would’ve otherwise been an okay-ish marriage and an okay-ish life. Because now that he knows her, he knows how true love (and lust) feels like, and a lukewarm existence simply will not do anymore.

What do you guys think? Does this make sense to you? Or if you really like Emma and Jekyll’s relationship in the musical and don’t think it should be changed, why is that, and what is it that I’m not getting about it? :D

[latte-fairytaekwoon]

Ateez: Going On We Got Married

Kim Hongjoong:

Anxious was the word to describe Hongjoong when he was about to meet his 'wife'. He kept looking over at the camera man, waiting for the signal that would allow him to open the door to the room where you were already waiting in, another camera crew capturing your reaction as well.

"I can go in now?"

Getting the ok, Hongjoong took a deep breath and opened the door. He peeked his head in and burst into a nervous giggle when he saw you. You in turn, covered your face to hide your blushing cheeks. The situation was just so funny and new to both of you rookie idols that you couldn't help but be shy.

"I guess I'll introduce myself. Hi, I'm Ateez's leader, Kim Hongjoong." He bowed to you.

"Hi, I'm [insert group name and position], L/N Y/N." You responded awkwardly.

The staff couldn't help but chuckle and 'aww' at your cute interactions.

"We're already like a newlywed couple. Can't even look at each other in the eyes." You pointed out.

"I'm sorry, it's just....... it makes me more nervous knowing I got such a pretty wife." Hongjoong confessed.

His comment made you cover your face once again.

"Oh thank you. You're very handsome as well." You complimented him, and Hongjoong swore his heart stopped for a minute.

"Can we get you two to pose together for a few pictures for the fans and viewers?" The director asked.

It was awkward at first, trying to figure out how to position yourselves.

"Is it ok if I touch you?" Hongjoong wanted permission before laying any finger on you.

You nodded and he instantly wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling you close to him. Both of you could feel your hearts pounding against your chests, you wondered if the other could hear it. But the awkwardness was soon gone and you both got very comfortable with each other, capturing some very cute and adorable photos that the viewers were going to eat up. In no time, were you guys about to become the most popular couple, both on and outside the show.

Park Seonghwa:

It had been a month into your 'married' life and it was time for a new challenge chosen specifically by your fans. Seonghwa and you entered into the location given to you and were confused when you guys saw it was a daycare center. You both looked at the director for an explanation.

"The challenge fans wanted to see you do was the daycare challenge. For the day, you'll transform into caregivers and take care of the kids here."

Both you and Seonghwa looked dumbfounded.

"What is this?" You laughed slightly at the situation your fans decided to put you in.

"Ahh really Atiny?" Seonghwa shook his head.

Soon you both changed into the proper attire and after going through a quick tutorial with the women in charge, you guys proceeded to go meet the kids. It actually proved to not be so hard and both of you were having fun with them. It surprised both of you to see you were actually good with kids.

"I had so much fun." You told Seonghwa when you went back to your 'home.'

"You were so good with the kids. They really loved you." Seonghwa said as he picked at his plate of food.

"You were not bad yourself. Remember the baby that wouldn't stop crying until you held him? I bet Atinys will love it." You smiled at the memory.

Seonghwa blushed and was hesitant to ask, but he really wanted to know.

"Do you think you'd ever want kids?"

You instantly lit up at the question.

"Of course I do! I'd love to have a family of my own one day."

Seonghwa wasn't surprised, he knew you were the mom in your group, just like him. It was something you two bonded over when you first met. You looked up from your food to see him staring intently at you.

"What?" You asked.

He only smirked before saying "I bet we'd make really cute babies" and winking at you.

You almost choked on your food, causing Seonghwa to laugh at your flustered state. You blushed intensely and threw a towel at him.

"Yah Park Seonghwa!" You nagged at him.

Jeong Yunho:

Yunho and you looked at the place you were staying at during the duration of your 'marriage'. It is definitely cute and had a lot of room. You two looked around the place like little kids, excitedly pointing out so many things. It was when you both looked at your bedroom that reality hit: you were going to be sleeping with a total stranger cause room only had 1 bed.

Yunho looked over at you and could sense how tense you got. Quickly, he nudged you with his elbow.

"If you want, I'll do something to really annoy you and we get in a fight." He suggested

"Why would we do that?" You asked, completely baffled by his suggestion.

"So you can send me to sleep on the couch and you sleep here. You know, like an actual married couple." He actually held two thumbs up and had a goofy smile on his face.

You burst out laughing at him. He never failed to make you laugh.

"No, I'd feel bad. Besides, your long limbs wouldn't fit in the couch."

Soon nighttime came and both of you were getting ready to go to bed. Yunho was currently in the king sized bed, playing around on his phone when you came out of the bathroom, face clean and makeup free. Yunho dropped his phone and just stared in awe.

"Stop looking at me like that! I'm already self conscious about being bare faced in the camera." You exclaimed.

Yunho only smiled lovingly at you. "Trust me, you have nothing to be self conscious about. You're absolutely beautiful."

You blushed but quickly got over it and got into bed with him.

"You better not kick me in your sleep." You warned him.

"I won't. I'll just do this."

With no warning, Yunho tangled his long arms and legs around you, encapsulating you into a giant embrace.

"No! Stop! I don't like it!" You shouted half heartedly.

"Don't lie, you know you love it. And if you don't, get used to it. You're stuck with me for a long time.... wifey." He teased you.

Kang Yeosang:

"Eek! I'm going to fall!"

You squealed as you tried to balance yourself on Yeosang's skateboard. It was the challenge set for you: you two had to share with each other your favorite hobbies and experience them together. The day before, you already had Yeosang try out [insert hobby here] and you two had lots of fun.

Now it was his turn and he was already excited about showing you his skateboarding skills, but nothing made him happier than teaching you a few things.

"No no no. It's ok. I got you ok?"

Yeosang carefully held your hands, slowly pulling you forward as you kept both feet on the board, trying not to think about losing your balance.

"What if I fall and mess up my face? I'll lose my source of income!"

Yeosang chuckled. It was one of the things he loved about you: your sense of humor even when you were scared to death.

"Don't worry. I won't let you fall, I'll catch you."

You and Yeosang shared a heartfelt smile and continued on with him pulling you. Everything was going great, until a dog suddenly rushed past both of you, making you lose your balance and almost toppling to the ground. Luckily, true to his word, Yeosang stopped you from getting hurt, locking you in a tight embrace. You both stood still for a moment, getting over the shock of what could have happened.

"Are you ok?" Yeosang asked, looking you up and down to make sure nothing was damaged.

"Yeah.... I'm fine. Thank you."

Neither of you let go for a while, you just stared into each other's eyes, simultaneously leaning on closer and closer before one of the staff following you two accidentally sneezed, making you two remember where you were.

"Are you going to add special effects and a drama ost in the background when this airs?" You asked so casually causing the entire staff to burst out laughing.

"Please play either the Goblin soundtrack or Boys Over Flowers, make it more sentimental." Yeosang added.

He picked up his skateboard.

"I think we've had enough for today."

"Yeah. I don't want to have my life threatened once again." You agreed.

"I told you I'd catch you didn't I? And I did. But now you need to catch something..." Yeosang paused and looked at you.

"What?" You tilted your head.

He hesitated before reaching into his sweater and then pulling out a finger heart.

"My heart!" He exclaimed in a cute voice.

Choi San:

From the start, you two were viewer's favorite couple. Your interactions were just so cute and adorable they couldn't help but eat them up. San was especially happy when he found out you were to be his 'wife', he already admired you since you debuted, but with this new experience, he knew for sure he had fallen for you.

It was more than a month into your marriage and you two had yet to share your first kiss. Everyone else already had theirs but you two. It just seemed you two never had the perfect opportunity to do it. But San was determined to make the moment, not for the fans or viewers but for himself. That's how you two ended up on a late night picnic date.

"Oh my God San!" You almost cried at how beautiful the scene was.

There were lights decorating the nearby trees, flower arrangements at every corner and fake candles around the blanket for your picnic.

"I hope I like it." He said shyly.

"I love it! Oh my God! It's beautiful." You couldn't help but hug him tightly.

You spent most of the date eating the delicious food he prepared and overall talking, with music playing from his phone. When a certain slow song came up, he stood up and held his hand out to you.

"May I have this dance?"

Of course you couldn't refuse him. Not when he smiled at you with his pure and sweet smile. You stood up and allowed him to wrap his arms around your waist, you in turn put them on his shoulders. You two just swayed to the music. You could hardly look at him in the face, you were still too shy around him.

San, however, took his chance and proceeded to dip you like in the movies, catching you by surprise. You looked at him and saw something different in his eyes.

"Can I...?" He asked you.

You smiled and nodded, knowing full well what he wanted. San leaned down and softly pressed his lips against yours. You returned the kiss, your hands going to to the back of his head. Even when he lifted you back up, San never broke the kiss, he simply deepened it and pulled you closer like his life depended on it. He completely forgot about the cameras and didn't care at that moment.

When he finally pulled back, he scanned your face to see your reaction. You were blushing and smiling widely at him.

"Was it ok?" He asked.

"It was perfect. You're perfect." You assured him, pecking his lips once more before laying your head on his chest.

San released a breath he didn't know he was holding. He felt truly happy having you in his arms. He simply grinned like a fool in love.

Song Mingi:

"Everyone, today as you can see, my lovely wife and I are going to cook breakfast together. As you all know, I'm actually an expert in pancakes."

You only rolled your eyes at Mingi's comments towards the camera, knowing full well he can't boil water to save his life. You were so focused on mixing the batter, you didn't notice he took one of the cameras and started coming closer to you with it.

"Here we see our pretty Y/N barefaced. She looks even more beautiful than she usually does today."

You looked over to see a camera all over your face, flustering you.

"Stop." You told him, trying to hide your face.

"I'm only trying to share your beauty to the world! Let me finish!" He protested, trying to film more of your face.

You responded by holding up a wooden spoon and threatening to swat him with it, making him quickly run away.

"This should count as domestic abuse!" He exclaimed.

You had Mingi watched the pancakes while you tried to set up the table. You took your time trying to make everything look as pretty as possible when a high pitched scream made you run back into the kitchen.

"What did you do?!" You shouted as you took in the smoke emanating from the pan.

"I swear I didn't do anything!" Mingi shouted.

"Yeah I can see that!"

You proceeded to put out the smoke that was now causing the smoke detector to go off. You thanked god none of the staffs were there with you at the moment cause they would have been losing their minds.

Once you got the situation under control, you looked at the completely burnt pancakes, your hard work gone to waste. You blinked slowly, trying to process what happened.

"I'm sorry Y/N....I really didn't mean- Oh god. You're mad aren't you?"

You looked over at poor Mingi, who looked so guilty and afraid of your reaction. You couldn't find it in yourself to stay mad at him.

"It's ok. I'm glad no one got hurt."

Mingi was taken aback when you hugged him, laughing softly at the situation. He started laughing with you.

"Does that mean you'll allow me to help you again?" He asked with hope in his eyes.

"Not a chance."

Jung Wooyoung:

It was finally the part of the show where you two had to meet your parents. Wooyoung and you were very much nervous even if it was just for fun and entertainment. You all met up at a restaurant and introduced everyone. It was difficult at first, your families trying to get used to being filmed and you two trying to make sure everyone was comfortable. But soon both your parents were having a good time poking fun at your expense.

"Honestly mom, what was your reaction when you found out who I was marrying?" Wooyoung had a smile plastered on his face.

"Truthfully.....I'm still not sure how she puts up with you and your loud mouth." His mom spoke honestly, causing everyone to erupt in laughter.

Wooyoung simply poked his cheek with his tongue, not very amused by the comment.

"If you ask me, I thought he'd get annoyed with Y/N." Your dad piped in.

"Why me?! What did I do?!" You exclaimed at your father's comment.

"You hardly talk and when you do, you tend to nag like an old lady."

Now it was Wooyoung's turn to laugh at you, and you simply glared at him.

"I do not!" You protested.

"Yes you do!" Wooyoung said.

The conversation soon took a better turn.

"In all seriousness sir, what kind of guy would you prefer your daughter to marry?" Wooyoung couldn't help his curiosity.

"Well I...."

All of you looked forward to his answer.

He turned to look at Wooyoung and patted his back.

"I actually like you for her very much."

Everyone was surprised by that, even Wooyoung himself.

"Right? I feel like they have such good chemistry together. I'd want Y/N as my actual daughter in law."

You blushed when his mother added her opinion.

"Would you guys consider dating for real?"

You and Wooyoung looked at each other. Sure things started off rocky with you, but over time you learned to put up with each other and found out you actually complimented each other. Wooyoung's extroverted personality helped you become less shy and not worry too much about things, whereas your calm nature helped Wooyoung to have more patience and self control. You actually couldn't imagine what it'd be like without each other in your lives anymore.

"Well I mean.....our parents approve, our fans ship it and we definitely are cute together....what do you say?" Wooyoung winked at you.

Choi Jongho:

It was the final filming of the show. Jongho and you were supposed to sit down and look back at all the fan favorite moments you had together and also answer a few questions they left for you.

"Is there any clip you hope made it into the top 5 moments?" The director asked.

"For me it's when I serenaded Y/N on our first date." Jongho answered.

You smiled at the memory. "That was cute."

"Were you surprised by my beautiful voice?" He asked you.

"I was more surprised by the fact you split my apple in half." You responded.

"I see how it is. You only like me for my strength, not my talent." He fake pouted, causing you to laugh.

You guys had your eyes fixed on the screen, watching the clip of when you first met and the reactions you had backstage without the other knowing, now watching what each of you really thought.

"Wow! You seriously thought I was going to be a boring stick in the mud!" Jongho was offended when he saw your interview when you said you thought your marriage would be boring.

"I'm sorry! You came in all intimidating onto the set! I was scared of you!" You explained why you thought that way then.

"You were scared?! You were wearing all black when I saw you! I thought you were planning to hex me or something with your creepy aura!" Jongho exclaimed.

"My stylist picked that outfit!" You said.

"Is her stylist here? I want a word with them."

The rest of the filming spent in laughs and reminiscing about the past weeks between you two and eventually the cameras stopped rolling and it was officially over............

It was over on the show, but not for you two.

"I'll pick you up after we're done with recording ok? I love you Y/N." Jongho smiled and pressed a kiss to your lips.

Gifs not mine. Credit goes to their respective owners.

[wonderful-prompts]

Hi! Could you give me an arranged marriage mafia romance prompts? Ones where they're just starting to fall in love, thanks!

Arranged marriage mafia? Well, I’m not very familiar with... the mafia’s customs, so this might not be the highest quality lol.

As is the usual custom for my regular prompts, if there’s a gender, feel free to change it. Same with pronouns and gendered titles and such.

Prompt 1: Spark

“Stop that.”

They stopped flicking their lighter. Had someone else said it, they would’ve kept going with a hearty “go to hell.” But it’s their fiancé(e). Trying to irritate the person they’re supposed to spend the rest of their life with would kick everyone’s asses in the long run.

And maybe—just maybe—it doesn’t have to just be a business arrangement.

“Fine.”

Prompt 2: Tell Me

There’s a hostage situation from yet another mafia... sect(?) who’s managed to hold one half of the couple for leverage.

“Tell me where they are. I’m not asking twice.”

[insert violence here]

Prompt 3: Little Things

For one reason or another, the couple is forced to spend time in a secure location together.

Maybe it’s the way one of them laughs, or the other’s bad taste in music, but soon the tiny irritating things are outweighed by the endearing stuff.

Maybe they even share a hobby. Or they have big opinions on things that they can debate over (ice cream flavors, cheese but one’s lactose intolerant and the other just doesn’t like it, which action movies are actually good and which are just blown money, etc.)

Prompt 4: Stitch

They never thought they’d take a bullet for anyone other than the boss, but here they were, getting stitched up on a grimy old couch in a dusty basement. They don’t even know why they did it. It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience.

“Stop moving.”

“It fucking hurts!”

“It would hurt less if you stopped moving.”

“Stop pulling so hard!”

“You act like you’ve never gotten stabbed before.”

There’s a pause. Everything is still for one uncomfortable moment.

“...you’ve never gotten stabbed?”

“I’m the one lurking in the shadows to knife people! Of course I never got stabbed!” They sigh, wincing when the movement pulls at their stitches. “Until now, I guess.”

Prompt 5: Obligation

“This is for business only,” they’d said when the arrangement was first made. “If you so much as look at me the wrong way, don’t think I won’t break a few bones to get my point across.”

But now they’re sneaking glances at their fiancé(e) like a kid with a crush. It’s ridiculous. They’re an adult with an obligation.

And now their heart flutters whenever their obligation comes near.

Prompt 6: Nothin’ Like It

“Nothin’ like a near death experience to bring people together, ah?” They tried to steady their breathing beneath their fiancé(e), heart beating hard against their rib cage.

Their shaky smile is met with a glare.

“Next time when I say ‘duck,’ you’re either gonna duck or you’re gonna get filled with lead.” Their fiancé(e) rolls to the side, gingerly getting to their feet. “Let’s get a move on.”

Prompt 7: ????

“It’ll never work.”

“Whaddaya mean, it’ll never work? I’ve been planning this for a year and a half!”

They scoff. “Yeah, but no one’s gonna believe we’re a couple.

“We’re about to get married, dipshit.”

[neerasrealm]

AAAAAAAAAAA I LOVED that poly!Slender x reader x LJ!! I didn’t originally request it, but if it’s not too much, can I please request a sequel (featuring the adorable Slendra Jackson?) Ty! 😁😁

Anon you have no idea how happy this request made me- I NEVER get asks about my OCs so you calling Slendra adorable and aSKING TO INTERACT WITH HER??? MADE ME REALLY REALLY HAPPY SO THANK YOU- sorry this ask took a bit to answer, I only got your ask late in the evening so I had to finish it off over the course of my morning. Thank you again for the ask!! I hope you like what I came up with- (put it under a cut since it’s a little long)

‘’More wine, dear?’’ Slender asks you from across the couch. It’s late, and quiet. A rare combination here in the mansion. Somehow, every other person in the mansion is downstairs, in their room or somewhere else. Meaning you and your two boyfriends are free to occupy the couch by yourselves and have a quiet evening, and you couldn’t ask for more. Being curled up against Jack’s soft body with Slender’s arms wrapped around you both. Even Jack is being quiet for once, his face resting against Slender’s chest. He might be asleep- you’re honestly not sure.

‘’Sure.’’ you murmur back, looking up at Slender. He seems to smile despite his lack of face and reaches over to the coffee table, pouring you some wine from the already-half empty bottle sitting on it. A benefit of not being human, you guessed, was being able to drink a lot of the stuff without worrying about intoxication. As you’re taking another sip from your glass a soft, shy voice interrupts you.

‘’Mama? Pops? Dad?’’ 

The three of you look over at the voice’s owner. A short girl with fiery hair and brownish-purple skin. Her eyes are bright and gold, and she has pale red horns and dark red claws that scratch gently against the bannister she’s holding. Your shared daughter- it’s odd, she’s not related to you, she’s adopted like every other child in the mansion, but she’s one of the few that calls you mom. Everyone took fairly naturally to you dating the mansion’s ‘dads’, just treating it like you were dating anyone else, but Slendra? She’s been calling you mom since day one. Not that you're complaining.

‘’Need somefink, luv?’’ Jack murmurs behind you. He sits up a bit. 

Slendra shifts where she stands. ‘’...can I get a bedtime story?’’ she asks quietly. Slender IMMEDIATELY sits up, alert. ‘’I-I know I’m a little old for it but-’’

‘’Ye can’t ou’grow bedtime stories, kiddo.’’ Jack says. Slender nods. You can’t help but smile a little bit at the two’s excitement- though Slender’s is far more obvious. You can’t blame them. Slendra is beginning to hit that- odd phase where kids think they need to act like adults. Except she’s only five years old. Damn demon aging. ‘’Ow abou’ me an’ Slen do i’ fer ya? I’ll do th’ voices an’ ‘e can narra’e. Like when ye were li’le.’’

You look at the two of them. ‘’I want in too.’’

‘’Ye can be th’ damsel in distress.’’

You give Jack an offended look and playfully slap his chest. ‘’Rude. Slender fits the damsel role better and you know it.’’

‘’...I do look good in a dress.’’ Slender says as he climbs off the couch. You and LJ cackle in amusement. Slendra giggles shyly.

The three of you follow Slendra upstairs to her room and walk inside. Her room is like a mix between Jack’s room and Slender’s office. Her walls are a deep lavender with darker swirls running across them. Her bed is round, oddly, and covered in pillows. She has a desk piled high with books and papers for her drawing and writing habits and her ceiling is covered in not only glow in the dark stairs, but music notes too. Her carpet is soft and your socked feet sink right into it. There's shelves on nearly every wall, full of toys, trinkets or books.

The little demon girl crawls into her bed and grabs her favorite stuffed toy- a purple and green dog you tried to win for her at a carnival but...well of course the game was rigged. It was actually her older brother EJ who managed to win it for her. With a little help from his demonic strength of course. She named it Scam, and you’re still proud of her for that.

The three of you all sit down at the foot of her bed. "Wha're ye in th' mood fer then?" Jack asks.

"Can you make a story?" Slendra asks, her eyes shining. A toothy grin curls up Jack's face. 

"Oh, I ge' ta flex me wri'in' t'nigh', eh?" He reaches into a puffy sleeve and pulls out a book. Slendra grins excitedly. You glance at the book's cover. Apparently Jack's homemade bedtime story is called 'The Damsel's Dragon'.

He clears his throat and opens the book. "Once upon a time, there wuz a pre'y young lass named…" Jack holds the book over to Slender. He shoots Jack an annoyed look and sighed.

"Damsel N. D. Stress." He finishes in the most airy, feminine voice you've ever heard him do. The three of you laugh while Slender fixes his tie. 

"Damsel wuz th' pre'ies' lass in th' land. People came far an' wide ta see 'er an' 'er collection 'f antique ties. All th' men in th' land wanted 'er 'and in marriage, bu' she wanted none 'f tha'." You watch Jack hold the book over to Slender again. 

"I hate you." Slender mutters. Slendra giggles. "Oh if only a big, handsome clown would come to admire my ties... if only…"

You laugh so hard you almost fall off the bed. Jack's hand reaches over quickly, his palm against your back, and pushes you back up. You snicker. "Sorry, sorry continue."

"Damsel spen' 'er days in 'er castle, wishin' an 'opin as th' worl' wen' by. Until one day, th' castle began ta shake! 'Er ties fell off th' shelves, 'er wine smashed to the ground!"

"Not the wine!" Slender exclaims in that airy, overly dramatic voice. You snicker again. 

"Th' castle stopped rockin' an' Damsel ran up ta th' top tower ta see wha' 'ad 'appened. When she go' up there, she saw a big migh'y dragon sleepin' on 'er castle's roof!" Jack stops and nudges you. "Ye're th' dragon." He whispers. You grin. 

The book is handed to Slender again. "Mr dragon, whatever are you doing up on my roof?" He exclaims. Jack holds the book over to you. Slendra looks at you excitedly. You're nowhere near as good at voices when compared to Slender and Jack, but Slendra doesn't seem to mind. You clear your throat.

"I'm taking a nap of course!" You growl out. Jack smiles as he passes the book to Slender again.

"Fockin' 'orrifyin', luv."

"Jack!" The three of you yelp. He laughs a bit.

"Sorry."

"Well you can't nap up here!" Slender continues with the story. "This is my castle! You have to go somewhere else!"

You lean over Jack's shoulder to see your next line. "Mmmm…No." You say. 

"Now Damsel wuz'nt tha' dumb. She knew be'er than ta argue wiv a dragon, an' so she wen' back into 'er castle an' began lookin' fer a way to ge' rid of th' dragon." 

"Good to know you don't see me as a total idiot." Slender murmurs.

"Wha' do ya mean? This isn' you, i's Damsel."

"Of course it is."

Jack grins to himself and looks back at the book. "She looked through 'er ye ol' phone book an' foun' somefink ta 'elp 'er!" He looks up at Slendra for a moment. "Th' mos' famous dragon extermina'or in th' worl'. 'Er name wuz Jackie Ardlens."

You force yourself to to 'awe' at the Slendra self-insert. She doesn't seem to have realised the character is literally named after her. 

"Jackie came ta th' castle an Damsel led 'er up ta th' tower."

"It's terrible!" Slender exclaims. "That great big ugly dragon does nothing but snore all day!"

"I don't snore." You retort. Slendra looks at you. You clear your throat. "I don't snore." You say again, this time in your dragon voice. She laughs. 

"Oh dragon," Slender continues with the story, ignoring you. "I've brought someone to drive you away!" You can't help but smile at how much he's actually getting into this role. Slendra is certainly enjoying it too.

"Huh? Drive me away?" You growl back at him. "How am I supposed to fit into a car?"

A grin curls up Jack's face. "Jackie stepped forward an' looked up a' th' dragon." He passes the book to Slendra who looks surprised, but then smiles wide.

"I've come to make you leave this poor lady alone!" She reads. "Why do you want to stay on this castle so bad?" 

"Why the sun of course, it's nice and warm up here. And this castle is the comfiest bed I've ever had!" You read back. 

"Hm…" Slendra cups her chin in her hand, pretending to think. "Well I say we build a new tower for you to sleep on! That way both of you will be happy."

Slender clasps his hands together. "Of course! That can be arranged." He says. Jack takes the book back and turns to the very last page.

"An' so, they buil' a big ol' tower fer th' dragon ta sleep on, an Damsel continued ta collec' 'er ties an' live 'appily ever after." He closes the book and smiles. "The end."

Slendra smiles wide. "I liked that one."

"Good." Jack leans in and kisses her forehead. "Now ge' yer res, swee'pea." He says softly while Slender pats the girls head. 

"Mama?" As you're following Jack and Slender out of the room Slendra calls you. You stop and look at her, curled up around Scam, a bright golden eye looking at you. "I love you."

You swear you can feel yourself practically melt for a moment. You smile at her. "I love you too, sweetheart." You say softly. She smiles, a couple fangs glinting in the light, then closes her eyes and snuggles up under the covers.

[vaguely-concerned]

The Mandalorian s2 ep1 Reactions Post That’s right I’m BACK

and none of you not even god himself can stop me from rambling about space cowboy dad and tiny green baby stuff for much longer than any sane person should 

the TL;DR is that I still love this show SO MUCH, beware a bunch of spoilers under the cut!

- costume design wise I LOVE how badly the armour fits Cobb Vanth

 especially when you get shots with him and Din side by side for contrast:

It’s not just that it’s clearly not made for him (it seems he’s a lot lankier and more wiry than Boba is), he simply doesn’t know how to wear it, and he doesn’t know how to take care of it, because he doesn’t know what it means. Remember when Din’s breastplate got bent completely out of shape by the mudhorn and he had it repaired to the best of his ability long before they even finished with the ship? That’s why he looks so grounded and natural in it and Vanth has sort of a clumsy Spiderman-in-his-first-home-made-costume air about him. (also Boba’s helmet has a beautiful heft and solidity to it in this, they make all the beskar have a Feel and weight to it, makes it feel important)  

I like that Vanth is taller than Din; everything that drives home that Din’s strength doesn’t come from being naturally physically imposing or impressive is a joy to me 

- Boba’s armour seems to be confirmed to be real beskar, which gives me so much hope that they’re doing something actually nuanced and interesting with Boba and Jango’s cultural identities as Mandalorians (whether they do consider themselves that or not, for example), unlike George Lucas’ inexplicable yet unbending stance of ‘They aren’t and never were lol get fucked Fetts’  

the way the triumphant heroic part of the mando music sputtered and died when the man himself showed up tho... uh-oh this might be bad news 

man but that’s a stunning and surprising way to introduce a well-known character divorced from what makes them so iconic, though, just from that I’m going to trust they know what they’re doing (AND they got temuera morrison back I’m so EXCITED!!!). without the armor there’s the face of someone who shared that face with literal millions and at the same time must be looking older than his father ever got to at this point, and that’s super interesting as a starting point to me. (I... guess there’s still a chance it’s a fakeout and that it’s actually another clone, but that would be such a letdown when they’ve already given us this haha) 

- an excellent [mando sighs] moment

this opening scene did a great job of re-summarizing him for the audience -- establishing again that he gives you one chance at dealing with him fairly and if you insist on continuing to be an asshole about it, you’re toast, the fact that his fighting style is so much about being able to tank blows rather than not getting hit in the first place, the horror movie monster mando setup as he stalked the dude down and strung him up, the Poetic Justice predicated on some very careful word choices, and most importantly “where I go, he goes”... all wonderful, I’m sure I’ll watch this scene back for fine details and better looks at the background characters many many times 

(word seems to have spread about him and the baby for real now, which makes me VERY nervous btw)

- Pulserifle’s back! Jetpack’s back! Razor Crest’s back! Grappling line’s back! PELLI’S BACK!!!!!! Tattooine... is also back *Finn voice* Why does everyone want to go back to Tattooine????

I really enjoyed the way they fleshed out and (for lack of a better word) humanized the sand people, though, if you are going back to this desert hellplanet again that is a worthy reason to do it 

- Din swearing :O!! and one of the less egregious star wars swears too, I’m fine with this

- in campaign star wars news: I guess there was sort of both a binbon and a jubna in this ep! what a time to be alive

- as usual I love the jawa. a bright spot in any day, just a bunch of lil goblin-y friends hanging out having the best time loving sparkly crystals and rescuing silver foxes.  

get in loser we’re going shopping

-  

I uh. Do you think. Hm. Is there maybe a metaphor here somewhere. Is there perhaps a hidden, one may say double, meaning, at play, right here, in this image? Who can say, it’s just niggling at me (there’s a very similar set of shots with Toro in season 1, but seemingly the show went ‘I fear we might have gone too subtle with it, let’s amp it up this time’ over the season break loool)

honestly though this dynamic really highlighted everything I love about the ways Din performs masculinity. It’s so much softer and more community/collaboration focused and more comfortable to be around than Vanth’s version -- and Vanth isn’t a bad dude by any stretch of the imagination, it’s not hard to see why he’s like that considering where he’s from, he’s just such a... man. The lone person who can protect this village! The only man who’s got what it takes! It’s all on his shoulders and no one else’s, so do exactly as he says or he’ll put a hole in you! (I think it’s telling that one of his first comments to Din is ‘I’m sure you call the shots wherever you’re from, but ‘round here, I’m the person who tell folks what to do’, because as we as the audience knows, Din very much does not call the shots of where he’s from lol) I guess it says some nice things about the tribe of Mandos Din is from that this is how he approaches things, and it says some good things about Vanth how quickly he comes around to this smarter and less confrontational/domineering style of doing things once he’s been exposed to it and sees how it works. it’s just neat

(it’s smart of Favreau to set his ~*lone gunslinger*~ character up like this, too, it makes him so much more interesting and versatile)   

- With the way Din says ‘a Mandalorian Armorer sent me on my path’ it does seem confirmed that’s the equivalent of a priest role or a sort of shaman -- I wonder if he knows the name of ‘The’ Armorer or if they take on the role as a whole identity 

- the sheer contrast between the two people who wanted Din to take his helmet off for them in this ep tho... wants Mando’s armour off for horrible awful reasons and got exactly what he deserved:

wants Mando’s armour off for entirely sympathetic and understandable, just culturally uninformed, thirsty thirsty reasons & also having drinks together:

 (the sort of... little lick over his bottom lip he does there? keep it in your pants vanth my GODjflsadf he’s a good dude tho he understands and respects the ‘no armour removal before marriage’ thing and backs down gracefully)

- This is a nuanced thing: I don’t think I actually ship it (not in a requited way from Din’s side, anyway, Vanth I’m 100% sure about lol), but the incredible potential for out-of-context-taking of “Take it off, or I will”/”...we doin’ this in front of the kid?” is uh astounding  

(anyone got the vibe Vanth sort of had something with the bartender too? no just me? well well)

- I was never really scared Din was actually dead or hurt b/c baby wasn’t scared and I figure he’d know lol, a very useful fear barometer 

- “What’s the plan?” “Take care of the child” “What are you gonna do?” “I don’t know, but wish me luck *yeets his new bro out of harm’s way before diving in head first himself*” fksdjhfkjlashdfkjsldahfkasldjhfskldajhfsadkjfh WHAT a summation of Din’s entire approach to battle & life, dad please you carry a not insignificant part of my heart around with you be careful 

(Also with the heavy implication that Boba was watching the whole thing... can you imagine him just looking on as Din throws himself down that gullet like a madman. There must have been some ‘o_-7 *headscratch headscratch* ???’ going on for him there)

it’s kind of sweet that din trusts vanth will take care of the baby if something happens though, they really bonded quickly huh 

- the sand people who kept willingly going over to the krayt dragon’s cave are honestly braver and more admirable than anyone else has ever been, I kept just shouting in anguish as they were gobbled up, they deserved better 

- can we talk about how clear it still is that Din’s just... lonely. When he thinks he’s found another Mando and he sounds almost reverent with relief... and then it gets odder and odder (’uh... drinks? I guess... does he have drinking straws with him or -- HE’S TAKING THE HELMET OFF???’ oh buddy)

I wonder if they’re building towards something about him realizing it doesn’t have to be Mandos for him to trust and bond with people longer term? Basically all the characters he’s met and we’ve watched him form attachments to and get help from are non-Mandos -- Kuiil :’^(, Cara, Omera, Cobb Vanth, IG-11 :^’’(, Greef Karga to a degree. Establishing so firmly what he’s looking for this early would be good setup for a ‘what a character thinks they want vs. what they need’ thing later on just on a writing level, anyway, Boba Fett could bring in some interesting points of view about Mandalorianness too   

- baby’s happy gurgles when he sees pelli!!!!!! din speaking sand people language and petting alligator doggies!!!!!!

- pedro pascal’s voice work remains an utter joy to me. din’s measured, earnest, occasionally slightly stilted way of talking is still so good, and then he does things like inserting some more... idk life is the wrong word but that more charged and dynamic tone he took on when he said (”I thought you weren’t a gambler”) “I’m not”. *chef kiss*

- if the pulse rifle’s stun is able to do that to a fuckn krayt dragon... that’s some serious shit din is carrying around with him lol (interestingly the actual shooty pew-pew part of it didn’t seem to do much to it, but then I guess he was shocking it from the inside out and not through thick hide, so idk)

- my only real complaints about this ep: Vanth’s backstory ran a bit long, and not enough baby & dad interaction. the concept art’s got me tho: 

 (din often wears his original/old armour in concept art still, incidentally, don’t know what that’s about)

awwwwwww

+ omfg ;______;

- this sand people person conscientiously brushing a bantha’s teeth... blessed

- Customary flame thrower report: there was a rare useful deployment of the flamethrower. Good job Mando’s flame thrower for furthering the field of diplomacy

ETA: I CAN’T BELIEVE I FORGOT TO MENTION THIS: DIN BEING COMFORTABLE(ISH) AROUND DROIDS NOW!!!! GROWTH????!?! IG-11 WE MISS YOU??????????

[katblu42]

The End?

This is something I wrote for a creative writing competition. The challenge was to write something (within a week) starting at the end and working back to the beginning. For some reason the prompt/challenge sparked this little piece, which is pretty much non-fiction. I guess it came at a time when the subject matter was on my mind. I wanted to post it now because a related anniversary is coming up.

There are warnings!!! Please heed the tags. Death, Sickness, Hospitals, Cancer. (If more warnings/tags are needed please let me know so I can make appropriate edits!)

Below the cut for length and warnings.

This was not how their story was supposed to end. There were still so many chapters they had hoped to write together, so many journeys toward possible futures that they had imagined spending side by side. She never anticipated being a childless widow before she had even turned forty-two. She’d never considered being faced with a hopeless situation, or the unenviable decision to allow them to stop treatment and let him slip away. Treatments that could prolong his life a little, but not fix him. Their plans had never included his hand desperately clinging to hers as she tearfully told him it was okay for him to let go and leave her behind.

He had wanted to fight. It broke her heart that there was nothing the combined efforts of all the medical staff could do to support his fight. It was a losing battle. His body was giving up on him, organs shutting down even though his mind was not ready to give up. The three weeks he lasted in the ICU had left him battle-scarred and exhausted, but he had still not wanted to give in, or let her down.

His Forty-second birthday was less than a week before the end. It was spent with family, visiting two by two according to ICU visitor limits. He was barely able to communicate by then, his lips scabbed and bloody, and a ventilator tube in his throat inserted by tracheostomy. The medical team had not wanted the tube to remain in his mouth any longer, but he was too weak to breathe on his own.

He had been off the ventilator for a while, during one of the hopeful moments. They’d been able to remove the breathing tube, and they had been able to reduce the blood pressure medication for a while. His temperature had stabilised and she’d focused on the improvements, encouraging him to think positive. Facing the alternative had been unthinkable.

She had put such hope in the drug she’d had to sign permission for them to administer – one that had to be shipped urgently from interstate, that had approval for use in the US, but not here. They had told her it was possible too much time had passed for the reversal drug to be fully effective. It had been more than five days since the chemo treatment which now needed reversing had ended.

Hope was all she’d had at that point. Seeing him finally settled in Intensive Care with all the monitors and their beeps and alarms, the ventilator with its click and hiss, the hum of the heat pump regulating his temperature, the blood transfusion and IV lines all keeping her unconscious husband alive, she had to cling to every scrap of hope she could. His immune system was so compromised she had to wear the gown and gloves and mask just to sit in the corner of the room and let the silent tears fall.

The ICU waiting room was deserted during the wee hours. She and her Mum stayed until dawn before buzzing the door intercom to enquire about seeing him. His Dad had left after the surgeon had spoken to them all some hours before, explaining that in his current state surgery was not a viable option for the infection in his gut. The previous wait in Emergency had been shorter, and the waiting room slightly more comfortable, but the constant worry and the lack of information had been excruciating.

Two ambulances had attended their tiny unit in answer to her call, such was the seriousness of his condition. Despite having four uniformed people fussing over her husband, she had not been given much information about what was happening. She’d been instructed to get all his medication together to bring with her to the hospital, then left to change out of her pyjamas while they loaded him into an ambulance. All this happened in a blur of action and confusion. Less than 20 minutes before they all headed to the hospital she had been performing chest compressions on him on the tiled floor of their cramped bathroom.

The Emergency Services operator on the other end of the phone had talked her through the CPR procedure. She’d learned it years before in first aid training, but having to actually perform the chest compressions on someone she loved was still horrifyingly daunting. He hadn’t stopped breathing, but the ES operator had assured her CPR was necessary because his gasping breaths had been so far apart.

She had never had to call an ambulance for anyone before, but it didn’t take a genius to see she needed help. His level of responsiveness had decreased so rapidly after she’d found him slumped forward sitting on the toilet, unable to sit up unaided. The yellow tinge to his skin had startled her. He had cried out to her in such a way that instinct had brought her rushing from the loungeroom without taking a moment to process anything more than the feeling that something was very wrong.

He had just wanted to sleep, so she tried to give him space to do that, sitting quietly in the loungeroom while he stayed in the darkened bedroom. He had refused to let her bring him something to eat, which had concerned her. She’d offered to call the hospital for advice, knowing he was uncomfortable and wanting to make sure he was okay, but he had refused to let her, insisting that there was no need to make a fuss. She’d arrived home from work around five, and suspected he had been in bed all day, “just feeling a bit yuck.” Later she would feel so much guilt for not trusting her instinct to get help for him then.

For the first couple of days after his chemo treatment ended he had seemed okay, feeling upbeat, acting normal. He had been in high spirits despite the prospect of months of treatment still ahead. There had been a little grumbling about feeling a little bit off, but that was to be expected, right?

His first (and only) round of chemo had been a five day affair. Three medications, two of which had been administered within a day at the clinic and the third he had carried around in a little pack while it slowly released over the five days. The plan had been laid out by the oncology team, with lots of consultations and discussions during the preceding weeks. He was to have two or three rounds of the chemo drugs, then radiation treatment would begin. Combination therapy to treat the cancers in his mouth and throat.

There had been months of discomfort, reducing his ability to eat properly, or enjoy food. He had lost a considerable amount of weight before she had been able to convince him to finally go and see a doctor and find out what was wrong. He’d always been the type to avoid going to a doctor unless he was literally at death’s door. She knew that part of what had held him back for so long was the fear that it could be something serious.

He didn’t want to ruin their holiday, but he promised he would see someone about the sore throat when they got back from the Gold Coast. It was only a week spent away, but they had visited all their favourite haunts. This was one of their regular holiday spots during their ten year marriage. They always felt like big kids, visiting the theme parks and the beaches, playing mini golf, messing about in the resort pool.

The two of them had been lucky to share many little trips away over the years. They’d had many more days of laughter and smiles than they’d had of tears and troubles. There had been precious gifts exchanged between them – but not many in a physical form she could lay her hands on. Each of them had broadened the other’s horizons, sparking interest in new experiences, sharing the activities and pass-times they loved.

Their wedding day had been filled with fun and friends and family. She had seen then how many people his bright and generous personality drew to him. So many people had wanted to share in their joy, and had told her she would never find a more loyal and loving mate. All the elegance and finery, the colour and music, the celebration of their union had been a wonderful way to begin their journey hand in hand to the future.

His proposal on the beach, early in the morning in a place he had been holidaying with his family every year since he was tiny, had taken her by surprise. He had asked her to come with him for a walk. They had travelled quite a long way up the beach, just watching the waves crash on the shore, listening to the shrieks of the gulls and making small talk. Then he had dropped to one knee and asked the question. She needed a moment to take in what was happening. His heart just about stopped, thinking she was hesitating. She had said yes, and put him out of his nervous agony.

Their first “proper” date was a walk to the local McDonalds for burgers and sundaes. Neither of them had much money, so neither had wanted to go anywhere fancy. She had been happy with the little things – like the way he always walked beside her on the footpath placing himself between her and the busy road. He was not rich, nor did he have impressive style or a brainiac’s intelligence, but he was open and funny and kind and she wanted to spend time with him.

She hadn’t ever been to the trivia night at the local bowling club, so she wasn’t sure what to expect, or how it all worked. The lady who hosted the quiz gave her an answer sheet and steered her towards a table, telling her the young man with the twinkle in his blue eyes, and the dimpled smile would look after her. That was the moment their story had begun.