#introduction to react hooks

[webtutorialstack]

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Beginning & Ending

The first and final impressions that your story leaves upon the reader tend to remain the most memorable, so it’s paramount that you spend sufficient time evaluating the beginning and end of your draft.

Consider the following points for your beginning:

Hook 

Does the first sentence grab the reader’s attention?

Does it make the reader ask questions?

Here, you want to avoid long, slow descriptions of the setting.

Disruption 

Is there tension or suspense in the air?

Is trouble already brewing right from the start?

Have you established high-enough stakes?

As Kurt Vonnegut advises, ‘Start as close to the end as possible.’

Backstory 

Include a minimal amount of backstory; the rule of thumb is ‘the less, the better’.

Gradually weaving in the backstory throughout your novel is far better than dumping it all down in the introduction.

Emotion 

Instead of writing what you know, try writing what you feel.

Add intimate details on how your character acts or reacts to the world and people around him/her.

For your ending:

One of the most significant points to consider is whether or not your story effectively builds up to its conclusion.

This is imperative, especially if you find that the direction of your story changes midway through your draft.

Write down any scenes or chapters that do very little to propel your story towards its climax and resolution.

Will the removal of these segments disrupt the flow of the story, or will it actually help to build the momentum?

Economy is crucial. Therefore, it’s essential that most (if not all) of the elements in your novel have some function in shaping or defining the ending of your story.

It may also be worthwhile coming back to your introduction after you’ve read the conclusion, as this could help you draw a connection between the two and enhance your capacity to tie up loose ends.

Source ⚜ Writing Notes & References

[munsster]

i'm so so obsessed with the winter in hawkins series!! i love a loser!steve and the kids pushing the steve x reader agenda

LITERALLY ME TOO! i am so glad u like it. truly nothing and no one compares to poor babygirl loser!steve. and now because i’m crazy, i came up with a billion headcanons for winter in hawkins au.

robin was obviously definitely the first one to notice babygirls longing glances (does that make robin olaf or sven in this situation…)

of course, steve was catching strays from dustin long before but it was all conjecture for like the first month

once robin pinpointed steve’s desperation and utter infatuation with you, she was hooked and intent on finding dumb excuses for the two of you to be alone

aka robin is the WORST instigator and only encourages loser!steve

yes, she thoroughly clowns on him, but her heart says steve x reader ftw

the rest of the kids find out because dustin will. not. shut. up! about it

again, thanks to auntie robin only fanning the flames

(they came up with a group name for their shenanigans: the secret society consisting of everyone who thinks steve is her prince charming OR the prince charming project for short)

(dustin uses the full name every time)

(the main points at meetings include planning your wedding, drawing your future children, and anything anti-brad)

speaking of brad, steve still remembers exactly where he was when you told him you got a new boyfriend

he cried in his car after work that day

robin was in the passenger seat

she cried, too

that was really what spurred loser!steve on

before that, steve was minding his own hopeless romantic business, but the introduction of brad put emphasis on the ‘hopeless’ aspect

honestly, steve’s just glad he still gets to see you every weekend for game night

brad is not invited to game night

you don’t think he’d come even if he was

steve hates brad

regardless of br*d, steve is not shy about complimenting you on anything and everything

sure, it makes him a little blushy thinking about how you’ll react

with that dazzling smile he adores

and yeah, theres a tiny wobble in his voice when he gets your attention

but you don’t seem to notice

and if you do, you don’t seem care

(you always notice, and you think it’s sweet)

“i like your hair like that”

“really? thanks, stevie!”

oh he melts

whenever you compliment him back, he takes diligent notes

one time he wore the same shirt three times in one week just because you mentioned how it complimented his eyes

he also got a big head when you told him his sailor outfit makes him look dashing

sometimes the kids write out lists of really good and not at all embarrassing pick up lines

sometimes these lists suspiciously wind up in steve’s glove box or tip jar

one time a list appeared in his wallet

it’s weird that they practically pickpocketed him but it’s weirder that they had access to his wallet and didn’t take the twenty

robin has a secret scrapbook dedicated to you and steve

it has secret pictures (courtesy of el), ticket stubs, cute stickers, and random receipts

if you couldn’t already tell, everyone is very normal about the situation

steve gets to know you so well that you actually start saying things in tandem

he knows your ice cream order, your coffee order, what temperature you like the thermostat, the name of your first pet

he’s never been good at memorization but it feels so easy knowing it’s all attached to you somehow

he will often bring you random little flowers that seem so small in the palm of his hand

it makes him feel very proud when you tuck them behind your ear

even more so when you let him do it for you

one late summer night, steve hosts a sleepover

OR the kids begged and begged him to either ask you on a date or let everyone use his pool for the night and watch a scary movie and stay up really late and eat junk food

so because he’s a loser, steve hosts a sleepover

and his heart flutters when you show up on his dimly lit doorstep with a gaggle of children behind you

they push past the two of you and barrel straight towards the back door

you warn him, saying you’re pretty sure only two of them brought towels

he chuckles and assures you that they do this every time and he already has a stack set out

you laugh in response and he thinks this is what a heart attack feels like

just imagine how he survived the rest of the night basking in your company and the soft moonlight

you sat next to him during the movie and fell asleep on his shoulder and he swears he’s never been so still

and the movie was really scary

steve wishes brad wasn’t such a dick

especially because he’s made you cry now on a handful of different occasions

steve’s flattered that he’s the first one you call, but he’s heartbroken hearing your choked sobs through the receiver

it’s kind of like a routine the way you always apologize for dumping everything on him and the way he tells you he’d do it any time

for you

at this point, he doesn’t care how desperate he makes himself seem

he really cares about you

steve likes you, and brad could spare a couple teeth

but he knows you love brad blahblahblah que sera sera whatever

he should’ve asked you out when he had the chance instead of sulking and pining

robin still has hope three months into the relationship

she knows for a fact steve still has a raging crush on you

those big brown eyes give everything away

and the way he gushes about your phone calls and your cute sweaters

something happens and i’m head over heels

steve has your gift picked out a month before the holiday season

little does he know, you’ve got his picked out, too

“i saw this in a shop window and thought of you…”

“i remember you mentioning that you wanted one…”

they really are just two losers fated to fall in love

sigh

more like this

masterlist

[airenyah]

A LOOK AT STYLE'S JOURNEY | Ep 4

(Overview | Ep1+2 | Ep3 | Ep5 | Ep6 | Ep7 | Ep8 | Ep9 | Ep10 | Ep11 | Ep12)

Hiii, I'm back at it again <3

I'm not gonna write a proper introduction this time around. You know the drill. Enjoy!

(And if you're new here, feel free to check out my posts on the other episodes linked above first.)

Pronoun situation: In my first meta post I kept up with their pronoun use on a scene by scene basis. Just like in ep3, I won't do that in ep4 either because Fadel and Style consistently use the rude guu/mueng pronouns for each other throughout the entire episode without any significant pronoun changes.

To recap: Last time we saw Style, he had just been left lying on the cold hard ground with a punch to the gut after having hooked up with Fadel in a random storage room. Just like at the end of ep2, at the end of ep3 they did not part on the best of terms either.

No. 1: Blissful Dreams

Even though the hook-up ended rather painfully for Style, and even though the hook-up itself may not have been quite what Style dreamed of, it's still left quite a mark on him. So much so, that he even dreams about it that night. So much so, that this dream even affects him in real life the next morning.

"Crap," Style swears. This wasn't the plan. Style may have a bit of a problem now. And over the course of this episode we'll find out just how much of a problem Style actually has now, because the dream hasn't only affected him physically, but the reality that inspired the dream has also affected him emotionally.

No. 2: Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

The majority of the interactions Style has had with Fadel so far have ended with Fadel either forcing Style to leave (even to the point of physically dragging him away) or with Fadel abandoning Style. Even if from Style's perspective it may not seem like his actions have much of a positive effect on Fadel, I think deep down he does sense that he's managing to worm his way into Fadel's life after all. In any case, Style is not giving up no matter how many times Fadel will ditch him. However, since none of the strategies he's tried so far have seemed to really bear fruit, he now changes course again: disappear for a bit, so that he'll miss you. This strategy works exceptionally well, but Style won't know about it until about two thirds into the episode.

No. 3: Blue-Balled

Despite his resolution to stay away from Fadel to make him miss him, Style fails to hold out for long and is back rather sooner than later. As @secriden points out, Style "comes running to Fadel the second he hears about Fadel asking about him" (quoted from @secriden). Style even explicitly says that he hadn't planned on stopping by, but then "some auntie told me someone asked about me". Style has tried out a new strategy that he hasn't gone with before, learned that it actually did have some sort of affect on Fadel, and immediately rushes to confirm this for himself. Within the first 30 seconds (20 seconds, to be exact!) of Style entering the kitchen he asks Fadel twice if Fadel has missed him. It's literally the second and the fifth sentence out of his mouth when he shows up. This is important info to Style, he needs to know if Fadel has missed him and he needs to know immediately. Style has already started to develop positive feelings towards Fadel over the course of episode 3 and their little storage room fling has influenced that development even more. Style needs to know if Fadel feels the same way. In fact, he downright assumes that Fadel feels the same way: it's in the way he is so satisfied and smug when he walks through the door. Style is very happy about this.

Fadel, however, shoots him down. Style's smile fades, but I don't think it's necessarily because he's hurt or disappointed or wasn't expecting this reaction. No, Fadel has reacted like this to about 90% of the things Style has said to him the entire time they've known each other. Style backs up a bit, but the way he looks at Fadel seems curious, like he's searching for something, like there is a question on his mind. Why does he STILL keep insisting like this, why does he STILL go for rejection when evidence points to the opposite?

Reminder: Last time the two of them saw each other, Style was way out of line and Fadel ended up punching him. Style was also quite upset that Fadel would sleep with him and immediately ditch him. In their last meeting, they didn't part on the best of terms.

So Fadel claims he didn't miss Style (despite evidence saying otherwise) and that Style annoys him because he messes up Fadel's routine and Style thinks about it for a moment, contemplates what Fadel's problem could be with him this time that could make him act like that and then comes to a conclusion as to what it might be:

He lets Fadel know that he's not angry at him for what happened the night before. When Style says "I was asking for it", I'm not entirely convinced he's referring to his unserious behavior at the group meeting. I'm not sure he's actually realized that his behavior was disrespectful. After all, he was "rewarded" with sex for it. Plus, the next thing he says is: "[I]t doesn’t matter how scary you are". I think this refers to their confrontation and verbal exchange right around Fadel punching Style. I already touched on Style not being scared of Fadel in my ep 3 meta:

Fadel threatens to punch Style if he doesn't move but Style refuses to stand down even though he knows very well from personally witnessing it that Fadel is perfectly capable of punching him if he wished to. Despite that, Style is not scared of Fadel. [...] When Style says "You like me" I don't think he necessarily means it in the sense of you're in love with me or you're crushing on me. I think he [...] is making it very clear just how confident he is about Fadel not hurting him. [...] It's a counterattack to Fadel's threat.

(Bolded for emphasis)

Style was very fearless the night before, which is why I think when Style says "I was asking for it" he's referring specifically to how Fadel was threatening him and how Style put up a fight in response. He "was asking for it", because he didn't move out of Fadel's way despite Fadel making it very clear what the consequences of Style's stubbornness would be. Fadel got scary in their last meeting, and now Style tells him "[I]t doesn’t matter how scary you are, I’m hooked". While in episode 3 the "I'm not scared of you" was implicit in his actions, Style now tells him explicitly in words.

If you've read my episode 3 meta, you'll know that a running theme throughout the entire post ended up being the question of whether Style really meant all the things he said (esp the flirty things) or if it was all just empty words. Here in the kitchen? Style means every single word, every flirty sentence that he utters. In episode 3, when he bugs Fadel at the running track or when he tells Fadel that he likes and wants him right before they hook up at the end of the episode, there is such an air of loudness to his demeanor. In contrast, when Style tells Fadel "I'm hooked" and asks him what he has to do to win him over, there is much more tranquility to it. Even his voice is calmer, there is no trace of his usual dramatic flair. Style is much more grounded here compared to some of his flirting (attempts) in previous episodes.

Style is being serious when he says "[I]t doesn’t matter how scary you are, I’m hooked", he really means it. But Fadel only looks at him for a moment, squints his eyes briefly, and wordlessly directs his focus back on his herbs, signaling to Style Yeah sure whatever, I don't care, you're a burden and an inconvenience to me. This is yet another very predictable reaction and Style isn't surprised by it, but he's definitely a little annoyed now that he's still not getting through to Fadel, that Fadel still won't admit that he does want Style around and has started taking a liking to him. So Style leans closer to Fadel again and asks what it will take for Style to win him over. Again, Style is being serious about it, his usual over the top flair is missing. He isn't doing this for show, he's not playing anything up because someone else asked him to or because he'll gain something out of it. Style is asking because he genuinely wants to know for no one but himself. Style genuinely cares now.

But Fadel tells Style to fuck off. Not literally, of course (his actual words are "Get out of my face"), but "fuck off" is certainly the subtext of it. And that subtext reaches Style clear as day. Instead of following Fadel's order, he's gonna be a little shit about it now.

"Fuck", you say? Gladly. Malicious compliance with the subtext. Style walks around the table. "I know a guy like you just needs a little nudge."

Again, this time around I do think Style means all the flirty shit that he says. It's in the way his tone is much more calm and quiet and how everything he says is much more deliberate, much more calculated. It's a similar vibe to that time in the gym when he told Fadel to call him any time if he needed a spotter, which, if you've read my first meta post of this series, is a scene you'll know I've determined to be the first time Style genuinely flirts with Fadel for the purpose of flirting and not for any other motivations such as revenge. And now here in the kitchen he's also flirting for the purpose of flirting again. His words aren't just empty words.

Another way we can tell that Style genuinely wants to get into Fadel's pants right there and then is by the way he gets handsy. In episode 3 he doesn't really touch Fadel when he spouts all the sexual innuendos at him at the running track. The only time Style touches him in that scene is when he squeezes Fadel's man boob in order to emphasize the word "heart". Or in the storage room, even though he claims to want Fadel, Style doesn't touch Fadel either during that entire conversation before they get it going. In fact, the only time he touches Fadel before Fadel starts kissing him is to remove Fadel's hand from him. In contrast, the sauna scene in episode 2 showed us that when Style actually, genuinely wants to sleep with Fadel, he'll start touching Fadel in suggestive places, will even go as far as shamelessly stick his hands down Fadel's pants (or, uh, towel in that case). And even though he didn't exactly get handsy with Fadel at the work-out bench, despite my claims of this interaction being the very first time he genuinely flirts with Fadel, well... Style may have not been handsy, but he sure got kneely:

In the kitchen in episode 4 every flirty thing Style says is an attempt at getting into Fadel's pants again (Oh, how very much the storage room fling has left its mark on Style!). Style genuinely wants this, genuinely wants him. Every single one of Style's actions underlines that as well. And then Fadel actually maneuvers him onto the kitchen table. Style is elated.

At this point I want to once again take a little detour to @clemelntine's meta on each of the boys' sexual fantasies of one other and what that means for the storage room hook-up. If you remember, she writes:

No matter how much he annoys Fadel in the day to day and how much he seems to take the upperhand in those interactions, when it comes to sex he likes in the idea of letting Fadel do what he does/wants.

Not only do we see this play out in the storage room in the way Style gladly gives Fadel full control over his body, but we see this pattern continue in the kitchen. Style is very proactive in showing just how much he wants to get into Fadel's pants but the moment Fadel seemingly folds and goes along with it, Style lets Fadel put him on the kitchen table with no resistance whatsoever and eagerly awaits whatever Fadel has in store for him this time, letting Fadel have full control over the situation and his body again.

Whenever Fadel has blocked or rejected or ignored Style in this scene so far, it has not come as a surprise to Style a single time. This is what Fadel does. Style is used to it. It might annoy or disgruntle him at times, but overall he is used to it. But when Fadel drops "You won’t ever get what you want" and leaves him hanging? This time around it hits Style completely out of left field. Style was so caught up in his euphoria, that he didn't see this coming at all (unlike me, the audience, who was just sitting there going "ohh shit oh damn this is gonna be another fake-out" the moment Fadel grabbed Style's waist and turned him towards the table dfjkdf). After all, Fadel did sleep with him the night before, and so Style probably completely forgot that Fadel could dump him at any moment. In fact, he was probably confident that Fadel sleeping with him the night before and now asking about him at the market when Style failed to show up were signs that Fadel had started to develop feelings for him as well. And if Fadel has feelings for him now, then he would likely also want this, so why would Fadel ditch him? But Fadel does. Style is angry and he's hurt and he's disappointed, but Fadel's rejection hits him so much out of nowhere that I think he actually takes a while to process what has just happened and how to feel about it and how to react. Usually in situations like this, Style will put up a fight with Fadel until one of them wins, but this time around he is so stupefied that he immediately moves towards the door when Fadel shoves him towards it without firmly standing his ground and fighting Fadel about it first. Style does yell at Fadel that he won't let Fadel ditch him and when Fadel comes at him again, just for a short moment Style is about to stand his ground, but then Style shoves him away and leaves the kitchen angrily, instead of fighting him.

While I do think Style is hurt by Fadel's actions, I think anger and shock are his leading emotions here as he storms off. I think the hurt only really properly starts coming out and taking over once Style's shock has worn off and he's processed the situation.

No. 4: OnlyFans

The immediate shock of the situation has now worn off, Style has had a little time to process and now he's ready to fight again. There is still so much anger in Style, but now we can also see just how hurt he actually is. This is even more evident when we go back to episodes 1 and 2 where we've seen this whole thing play out before: Fadel humiliates Style in private and Style retaliates by humiliating Fadel in public. Fadel drags Style out of the diner by his feet in the privacy of the closed restaurant. Style yells at him in front of everyone at a busy market place in return. Fadel leaves Style hanging in the privacy of the diner kitchen whose only staff is Fadel himself. Style yells at him in front of every customer at the restaurant in return.

When Fadel drags Style out of the restaurant in episode 1, Style is of course angry and humiliated. And sure, it did hurt his pride, but it's mostly just that. Fadel, at this point, is mostly just some weird, grumpy dude to him that he has now been hired to hit on. Back then Style wasn't expecting that fake-out either, but it doesn't leave him as stunned as it did this time in the kitchen. In episode 1, he even tries to fight Fadel. He can't do much while he's being pulled along the floor, but as soon as Style is back on his feet he immediately starts raging at the door, pulling at the handles and banging at it. In the kitchen, Style is too stunned to put up a fight and actively runs away instead of fighting Fadel.

When Style yells at Fadel in the market place, while it comes from a place of revenge it's still something he does for show. His words are loud and dramatic and they're for everyone around them to hear more than they are for Fadel himself. It's all a public performance to Style. And the audience is everyone at the market. It's about making everyone see how "bad" of a guy Fadel is and it doesn't really matter whether Fadel is listening to his words or not as long as his words reach his true audience and they believe him. Style is clearly having fun yelling at Fadel while also using the chance to blow off some steam from his previous annoyances with Fadel. When Fadel yields, Style immediately lets it go and chills again.

When Style yells at Fadel at the diner, he's once again causing a scene in public, but this time his words are for Fadel to hear, not for the strangers around them. The fact that there's strangers around them is just a welcome bonus and I think in that moment Style doesn't even really care if any of them are actually listening in or not, as long as his words reach Fadel. Style's voice is sharp as a knife, sharper than we've ever heard it before, and every sentence he utters is a stab at Fadel. When Fadel hands him the apron and tells him to leave, Style agrees, but he speaks out a warning first ("But just keep in mind: Nobody gets to nail and bail me."). His fighting spirit has come back, and when Fadel launches a counterattack ("I’ll be the first"), Style does not back down this time around like he did earlier in the kitchen. It's Fadel who walks away this time and Style reminds him that he'll continue to fight him ("A guy like Style won’t back down"). It's only when he walks out of the restaurant that he turns his argument with Fadel into an actual public performance. It's only when he invites everyone at the restaurant to take pictures of him that his words are for show and for his audience to hear.

We've just watched a situation that we've seen before play out but this time around it's very different. Because this time around Fadel actually means something to Style. And this time around Style has already slept with Fadel, which also meant something to him. I'm not entirely sure Style has quite figured out what exactly it all means to him and I also don't think he's head over heels in love with Fadel yet, but he sure is starting to have many emotions. While Style was also enraged back in episode 1 after Fadel dragged him out of the diner, his anger has leveled up now because this time around, underneath all of that anger, Style is also very hurt. They were starting to make progress and Style even got to celebrate small victories along the way (Fadel making him a burger, Fadel actually sleeping with him, Fadel asking about his whereabouts). Style was starting to get somewhere with Fadel, was slowly starting to develop some feelings of his own for Fadel, and Fadel just goes and kicks down Style's sandcastle. What's more, Style has made it very clear to Fadel how he feels about getting nailed and bailed, and then Fadel just goes and does it on purpose.

Style is so angry and hurt that this time around just one public yelling isn't enough. This time he goes for a round 2.

No. 5: A Ruined Man

Style is back at the support group. This time it's not to find out more about Fadel's backstory, this time he is here because he has a message for Fadel. And this time Style's distress isn't cringe, because this time the situation is serious to him. He is seriously angry, and he is seriously hurt, and it's important to him that Fadel is fully aware of it, aware of what he's done to Style.

"When you like someone, and they only think of you as a toy, something they can break, they don’t even know how deep they have cut you."

Oh, Style. I hope you don't end up eating your own words later when Fadel finds out why exactly you were hitting on him and trying to get him to fall for you in the first place.

No. 6: Are These Systoms of Being Pregarnt?

This time Fadel is so done with Style that he drags him away in front of everyone else instead of waiting until no one is around. And Style is finally able to have somewhat of a civil conversation with Fadel again. While he is still angry at Fadel since they still haven't cleared up their quarrel, he is no longer outright yelling at him or attacking Fadel with his words like he was at the diner or in the group meeting just now. The tone of his voice is softer and also his dramatic flair is back when he goes on and on about how he might as well be pregnant. And we also learn what exactly it is that Style wants from Fadel: "You slept with me, so take responsibility for it."

I've already talked at length about why I think Style isn't one for casual, no strings attached one-night stands in my ep3 meta, and Style's words here highlight this once again. The storage room sex mattered to Style. And I don't think it mattered to him because it was a step closer to fulfilling the mission he's been sent on and a step closer to getting the car of his dreams.

If you read my ep3 meta, you'll know that I mention a couple of times that Style is developing "positive feelings" for Fadel. Phrasing it like this rather than phrasing it as "romantic feelings" or "starting to like" was a very deliberate decision. Because I don't think Style was quite there yet in episode 3. He still had many other ulterior motivations and intentions going on, be it Kant's "hit on Fadel so I can get to Bison" mission that Style gets a car out of or Style being nosy about Fadel's lore. If you remember, at the beginning of this meta when Style woke up with a boner I said Style may have a bit of a problem now. The problem is his own feelings – this whole episode hasn't been about Kant's mission or the car anymore (or about Style finding out Fadel's backstory). Instead, this whole episode we've been exploring Style's real feelings, his own desires. Style has started to care when it comes to Fadel, has started to genuinely want him. Style is starting to genuinely like Fadel now. He even lets it slip during the support group meeting:

"When you like someone, and they only think of you as a toy, something they can break, they don’t even know how deep they have cut you."

And yes, one could argue that he's been saying he likes Fadel ever since Kant set him on Fadel and that Style, in fact, has said he likes Fadel many, many times before, so this is nothing out of the ordinary. But I think this time it is in fact different. I think this time he means it. Because if it was just a lie, if those were just empty words, then Fadel dumping him in the kitchen wouldn't have hurt so much. And at this point, I think Style's hurt isn't only about being dumped in the kitchen but also about being ditched in the storage room. Style may have said he won't hold what happened back then against Fadel, but maybe deep down he does. Because the storage room sex mattered to him and at this point of the episode maybe it matters to him even more so than at the beginning of the episode or at the end of episode 3. Not to mentioned, he really doesn't like getting nailed and bailed. You slept with me, so take responsibility for it.

No. 7: I Hate the Way I Don't Hate You. Not Even a Little Bit. Not Even at All.

"You're not killing me or anything like that, right?" Style says as they're walking out of their last scene and Fadel promptly takes him out to the woods into an abandoned greenhouse. They still haven't cleared anything up between the two of them and Style is still kinda angry, which is why I think that when he says "Are we doing it outdoors? Your taste sure surprises me" he says it mostly to piss Fadel off, not because he wants to flirt or actually do it with him in that moment (oh but just you wait another few minutes 🤭🤭🤭).

Fadel once again just wordlessly walks away from Style. Instead of following him, Style stays back at the car, kinda annoyed. We don't know how long exactly Style was waiting, but either way, I think he does lowkey start to get freaked out a little. He wants to go home and starts looking for Fadel.

"I know you’re gonna kill me and hide my body in the woods." Oh Style, sweetie, no. Careful with your words. Apollo's ball of prophecy and all that. Right after that, we get yet another reference to Style not being scared of Fadel. When he enters the greenhouse, searching for Fadel while monologuing, he shouts:

But I ain't scared of you!

Fun fact, in Thai he actually phrases it as "You think I'm scared of you?":

มึงคิดว่ากูกลัวมึงหรอ [mueng - kít wâa - guu - gluua - mueng - rŏr] you - think that - I - scared (of) - you - [question word]

It is night-time, Style walks along dark aisles in search of Fadel who ran away from him and is currently nowhere to be seen, when suddenly, out of nowhere Fadel appears, shoves him into some furniture (ish) and angrily yells into his face: "Who sent you?" Oh, wait, wrong episode.

User @secriden wrote an excellent post detailing the parallels between the ep3 storage room scene and the ep4 forest scene, but I actually think that the beginning of the scene is much closer to a different scene that we saw in episode 2: the locker room scene. It's interesting because this is the third time this episode calls back to the first two episodes. It starts with the parallel of Fadel's fake-out, then we had the parallel of Style publicly humiliating Fadel, and now we have a call-back to the locker room scene, which will soon turn into a parallel of the storage room hook-up. The parallels do be paralleling this episode.

In the locker room, it was Style who dropped a "love confession": "I like you. I liked you the moment I crashed into you that night. It was love at first sight. So damn romantic. Straight out of a movie." But now in the greenhouse it's Fadel's turn. Fadel ambushes Style, shoves him against the bars and starts raging. Fadel has yelled at Style a lot over the past few episodes. He yells at Style to reprimand him, to shoot down his advances, or to tell him to piss off. When Fadel yells at Style, it's all about his feelings of disdain he has for Style. So when Fadel says "I don’t like you messing up my life. My life has been planned out. You’re disrupting it," Style sighs a little and braces himself for yet another fight against Fadel:

But then Fadel goes off-script. "I don’t like myself when I look for you on the morning jog or at the market. I don’t like waiting to see if you’d show up at my restaurant or my go-to club. You— I don’t like you being in my life and changing it."

This is a new one. Style listens intently.

Fadel continues. "I don’t like feeling like this." Style has all his focus entirely on Fadel and his words now. He squeezes his eyes just the tiniest bit. And I think this is where Style starts to figure out the core of Fadel's problem.

"I don’t like it!", Fadel yells and Style looks at him with so much resolution and with so much understanding.

And then Fadel drops: "I don’t like that I miss you."

Fun fact about the word คิดถึง [kít-tĕung]: apart from "to miss", it can also have the meaning of "to think of, to think about". So another possible interpretation and underlying meaning of this line is "I don't like that I think about you."

Something vital that I want to bring up at this point now is something that @secriden has pointed out in her meta:

It's incredibly important that Style waited at this point. Style, who talks endlessly and without thought. Style, who demands that his story and his thoughts are aired first. Style, who has been telling Fadel this lie time and time again before Fadel’s feelings made it true... Stops. Waits. Stays silent. Because Fadel had to get there himself or not at all.

And get there, Fadel did. Fadel has just spilled that he thinks about Style, that he misses him. That Style's efforts have been worth it. That Fadel has started caring the way Style has started to care. Style looks at Fadel, takes it all in.

Style finally understands Fadel's problem, finally understands why Fadel has been acting the way he's been acting.

When Style kisses Fadel, there is so much purpose, so much intent to it. Style has something to say, something important, and every single thing on his mind, every single emotion, he puts it all into that kiss. And what he has to say is:

Yes. The caption in the gif is different from the official English subtitles. Because Style literally says:

มันโอเค​นะเว้ย ที่จะมีความรักอ่ะ [man - oh-keh - ná wóiie • thêe - jà - mee kwaam rák - àh] it - okay - [particle] • that - will - be in love - [particle]

And this is a distinction that is important to me personally. Phrasing it as "It's okay to be in love" is by far more specific than "It's okay to love" and I think this particular word choice hits Fadel harder as well. Fadel likes control, he likes knowing exactly what's going on at any given moment. But then Style shows up as a whirlwind in his life, bringing disorder to everything. Fadel is starting to develop feelings that he can't control and it freaks him out.

When Style kissed Fadel in the locker room it was an attack in the battle he was fighting against him. When Style kisses Fadel in the greenhouse, it's for reassurance. Style puts everything he wants to say with "It's okay to be in love" into that line. It's okay to let go. It's okay to let things take their natural course. It's okay to be in love. You're allowed to have feelings. It's not a bad thing. It's okay. It's gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay.

And with this we go into the parallels to the storage room scene. If you remember my ep3 meta, then you'll remember how I said that Style didn't really mean it at the time when he said he wanted Fadel right before they hook up. This time he didn't say a single word about it, but his actions show that he does want Fadel this time. Once again I'm gonna steal a thought from @clemelntine's meta:

[Style] isn't entirely giving in/passive in the situation, though. He still has a hands on Fadel holding him close/in place, and does seem to want to touch him. No matter how much he wants Fadel to service him, he isn't gonna let him do it all on his own. He too wants to explore Fadel as well.

We can really see that this time around. Unlike in the storage room, Style has his hands all over the place: on Fadel's throat, underneath Fadel's shirt, in Fadel's pants, pulling Fadel closer with his arm around Fadel's neck. What's more, there's significantly more eye contact. Fadel actually looks Style in the eye now. It's still not as much and as intense as in Style's fantasy, because they're still not quite there yet emotionally, but it's a start. They've both started to develop some actual feelings, and this time around they're also both aware of it. Of their own feelings as well as the other's feelings. Where last time they were acting purely on physical attraction, they're much more emotionally involved this time around. Emotionally they're much more on the same page this time around. And it's beautiful.

Also, I haven't seen anyone talk about this yet, but we are all aware that they show us pretty much the entire act from start to, uhhh well, finish, right? Right?? 🫣

No. 8: Be My Boyfriend

Not for the first time Style says he wants Fadel as a boyfriend. Unlike the other times though, Style actually means it this time around. His words are no longer for show, no longer a performance that will be rewarded with Kant's gratitude and his car. Style is being 100% serious about being Fadel's boyfriend. The car is more of an afterthought (and one that he will get to, because a deal is a deal, and he's been in love with the car much longer than he's had any positive feelings for Fadel for, but still. Right there in the woods, I think the car isn't really on his mind at the time).

Style means every flirty thing he says. He means it when he says "You’re mysterious and alluring. You’re quiet, but sexy as hell". If you remember, during the kitchen scene I mentioned that Style wasn't as loud in the flirty things he said, and we can really see that in the aforementioned line and also when he says "[Having a boyfriend is] great. You have someone to embrace, to love, and to…" These lines are much less loud and less performative than compared to everything that came out of his mouth in ep3 on the sports field.

By the way, I need you all to know that this exchange:

F: I’ll stick with jerking off. S: I’m sure.

Actually goes:

F: I can jerk off by myself. กูชักว่าวอยู่เองได้ [guu - chák wâao - yùu - eng - dâai] I - masturbate - be - (by) oneself/myself - be able to S: I know you can do it yourself. รู้ว่ามึงทำเองได้ [rúu wâa - mueng - tam - eng - dâai] know that - you - do - (by) oneself/yourself - be able to

And where did we get a similar exchange before? That's right. In that very scene at the sports field that I just mentioned:

F: If you want it that much, then go jerk off. ถ้าอยากมากเนี่ยก็ไปชักว่าวไป [tâa - yàak - mâak - nîia - gôr - bpai - chák wâao - bpai] if - want - much - [particle] - then - go - masturbate - go S: I know it can be done alone. รู้มันทำคนเดียวได้ [rúu - man - tam - kon diiao - dâai] know - it - do - alone - be able to

The words they say are similar, and yet these two exchanges are very different from one another. Just like in the kitchen, Style's flirting in the woods is much more grounded. It's not the same performance as it was in episode 3. And just as I said in my ep3 meta, it's when Style is being genuine that he actually reaches Fadel, not when he's putting up a show:

The inauthenticity in [Style's] insistent approach is what makes him annoying in those scenes [the running track and the market]. And it's also not what works on Fadel – it's when Style is being genuine that he actually reaches Fadel, like when he was helping him wait tables (which Fadel recognizes by rewarding him with a burger) or when Style was being playfully flirty in the sauna (which results in Fadel fantasizing about him at night).

What's interesting, though, that even though this is the very first time Fadel actually engages in Style's friendly banter and amiable conversation instead of ignoring him or yelling at him or telling him to piss off, at the beginning of the conversation Style doesn't have Fadel quite just yet. Actually, no. That's not accurate. Style is being genuine, has been genuine all episode already and so he does reach Fadel in the beginning of their conversation. Fadel is finally engaging, is finally getting involved. But then Style loses him again at a certain point. And it's specifically when he says:

But isn't it better to have someone like me with you?

Up until this very point, Fadel was mostly turned towards Style. He's smiled, he's laughed, he's rolled his eyes in amusement and he's actively taken part in Style's conversation. He's been more open with Style than he's ever been before. But now? He stares at Style for a moment, then turns away from him, closing himself off from Style again.

And it's interesting that this is happening at this specific point, because their entire conversation has mostly surrounded sex (adjacent) things and physical attraction. They literally start this conversation referencing their hook-up from right before, Style calls Fadel sexy, and then alludes that he wants to sleep with him again. And I think by the time Style says "I know you can [jerk off] by yourself. But isn’t it better to have someone like me with you?" Fadel is at a point where he's like Oh, so you only want to be my boyfriend just so you can do me again, huh? So this is all I am to you, huh?

Fadel isn't cool with that and so he starts to shut himself off from Style again. Style is rejected again. Style turns his head away from Fadel, sighs, raises his eyebrows, and I think he realizes (at least subconsciously) what Fadel is unhappy about, because the next thing he says the moment he's turned back to Fadel is:

What you said to me just now... I feel the same way.

And again, he's being sincere. His voice is calm and grounded, there's not a single trace of his dramatic antics. And that line and coupled with that sincerity has Fadel listening up again:

"Be my boyfriend," Style says and Fadel listens even more closely. "Give me a chance," Style says and Fadel looks away, laughs, and replies "You don’t even know me". Fadel's words are a challenge, but this time there is no malice, no anger, no annoyance in his voice. His voice is soft. Fadel poses a challenge, but it's not an invitation to fight. Or rather, it is an invitation to fight, but it's a very different fight from before. And Style is only happy to take up said challenge: "And what about it? I’ll learn more about you when you’re my boyfriend."

And for what he says next, I'd love to share a more literal translation with you again. In the English subs Style talks about being 100% in and it being Fadel's turn to let him in, which, yeah, it's the gist of it. However, in Thai he uses the word เปิดใจ [bpèrt jai] again, which I've already talked about in my ep3 meta because Style has used that word before during that scene where Fadel hands him the burger. The day after posting that meta, I actually asked my Thai teacher about this word in class (and nearly died in the process) because I hadn't discussed this word with a native speaker for my meta and while I had discussed this word with my Thai language learning buddy after he brought it up when I was trying to explain the German phrase "sich einlassen auf" (@ German speakers: เปิดใจ is very similar to that!), I just couldn't remember it well and wanted to double check just in case. According to my teacher, it's a word that is used to talk about opening up to something or about giving things a chance, but the literal translation is "to open one's heart" (เปิด [bpèrt] = to open / ใจ [jai] = heart, mind) and I think the series makes use of that literal meaning for a nice metaphor/image here. I think Style's choice of words is very deliberate:

I've opened my heart to you 100% already. กูเปิดใจให้มึงร้อยเปอร์เซนต์แล้วนะ [guu - bpèrt-jai - hâi - mueng - rói - bper-sen - láew - ná] I - open up (one's heart) - for, to - you - 100 - percent - already - [particle]

Only you remain. เหลือแค่มึงอ่ะ [lĕuua - kâe - mueng - àh] remain, left - only - you - [particle]

How much will you open your heart to me? จะเปิดใจให้กูมากแค่ไหน [jà - bpèrt-jai - hâi - guu - mâak kâe năi] will - open up (one's heart) - to, for - I/me - how much

Fadel, who has enclosed his heart in thick, high walls, is being asked how many doors leading up to it he is willing to open. Style subtly reminds Fadel that a relationship consists of two people, but leaves the decision of just how close Fadel will let Style get to his heart entirely up to Fadel. Because that's Fadel's choice to make.

While Style is talking, Fadel is listening intently, really taking in Style's words and contemplating them:

He's quiet for a moment after Style is done telling him You have full access to my heart now. I'm willing to give you a chance. I've done my part. The choice is on you now. Will you grant me access to your heart, too? Will you give me a chance as well?

Fadel thinks about it for a bit more, then laughs a small laugh, throws his head back, and goes "Yeah. Fine." Style is confused. Fadel then explicitly agrees to be his boyfriend. Style's eyes widen. He can't believe his ears. He has to ask for confirmation, has to make sure he really heard it right:

We're boyfriends, right? เป็นแฟนกันใช่มั้ย [bpen - faen - gan - châi mái] be - boyfriend, girlfriend - each other, together - right?

Fadel confirms. Style is absolutely over the moon and showers Fadel in kisses.

Do I think they're already in love? Not exactly. Unfortunately, I just don't have the time to look at Fadel as closely as I have been looking at Style (I need 48h days fr 😭😭) but when it comes to Style, I think even if he's not in love just yet, this is the start of something real. We saw in episode 3 that he was starting to develop positive feelings towards Fadel, was starting to genuinely have a good time hanging around Fadel, but he still had ulterior motives in the foreground of his mind. I think when he hooked up with Fadel in the storage room that kicked off something within him because, as I've made very clear in my ep3 meta, to Style sex isn't just sex. Because if it was, his journey this episode would have been going very differently. But throughout this entire episode Style has cared, he has cared so much to the point he's gotten really hurt. And his joy when Fadel agrees to be his boyfriend? That's real. And I don't think it's because he's about to receive the car of his dreams as a reward. If it was, I think Style would have been much more smug about Fadel agreeing to be his boyfriend, would have been much more self-satisfied underneath all that happiness. But Style's joy here is pure. And he doesn't brag about finally "winning" Fadel over, doesn't hold it over his head in a smug HAH, you gave in to me, I'm the one who won our battle of wills, look how cool I am sort of way. Style's joy is real, but what he's feeling is not quite love at this point. But so what if they're not in love just yet? Like Style said: They can get to know each other fall in love when they're boyfriends.

No. 8: Apollo's Ball Of Prophecy Is Real

Remember how a couple of paragraphs ago I said the car was just an afterthought, that Style would still get to? Well, he's getting to it now. He shows up at Kant's place and "When should I come and get your car?" is the first thing out of his mouth right after his hellos. Kant reminds Style of their deal and asks if Fadel has agreed to be Style's boyfriend. Style says "yes", shining brightly as the sun as he says this. And the way he shines while dropping this info to Kant makes me once again think that his happiness here is more focused on Fadel rather than the car. Style is a little smug now, but it's mostly before Kant mentions the words "Fadel" and "faen" together in one single sentence (yes, I had to go with the Thai word for boyfriend just for the alliteration lol). When Style says yes, Fadel is in fact his boyfriend now, the subtext I'm hearing is not something along the lines of Yeah, I finally got him, so where's my beloved car at, bro, we had a deal???? but what I'm hearing is more like Yes!! He is!! Can you believe!! Fadel is my BOYFRIEND!! Omg!! I did it!! Just like we'll see in the flashback to the "be my boyfriend" scene right after, there is something rather pure about Style's complete and utter joy at the thought of Fadel being his boyfriend.

Style relays the "be my boyfriend" conversation to Kant and it's only after that that Style really starts bragging: "Your best friend is a genius, isn’t he? I told you I can get anyone." And yeah, undeniably this is about the fact that he's getting a car out of it, but I also think that he would have bragged about it even if the deal with the car didn't exist. Kant and Style seem to have the sort of friendship where they always brag to each other about their love lives. We were shown this in episode 1 when Kant goes to see Style at the garage and Style immediately asks for the tea on his night with Bison, pretty much begging Kant to brag about it when Kant tries to change the topic to something else. Style would have bragged about Fadel to Kant no matter what. Besides, why wouldn't he go get the car, despite actual feelings being involved now? A deal is a deal, and if he can get the car of his dreams and the boyfriend of his dreams out of it, that's even better. Best of both worlds. Who wouldn't say no to that?

But Style's happiness gets smacked right out of him via Apollo's ball of prophecy as he learns that he should really be very careful what he jokes about. He almost spoke Fadel taking him out to the woods to kill him into existence. Fadel is a hitman. Style's panic gets the better of him. He has seen, felt on his own body even what Fadel is capable of. He doesn't like Fadel that much yet, so he's outta there before he gets to experience first hand the real depths of what Fadel can be capable of if Style gets too annoying. Car be damned. Style may be unhinged but he isn't suicidal.

Kant, however, manages to talk Style into helping him and staying with Fadel anyway. Now, you could say Style is unhinged for agreeing to help Kant instead of firmly refusing his request and getting out of this mess before it gets worse, but I think in that moment Style is genuinely afraid that Fadel WILL kill him if Style breaks up with him, breaks his heart right after Fadel has finally, finally given him closer access to it. And Style has had to work very hard for said access, so he knows very well how big that decision was for Fadel to entrust Style with just a little bit of his heart. And if Style then goes and breaks that little bit of Fadel's heart that he was given in the very next moment? That's a death sentence on Style's head right there.

And another reason why I think Style agrees to continue working for Kant's mission is that Style likes to help. I've already touched on this in my ep3 meta:

Style likes to help. We see this in the way he agrees to help his best friend by hitting on some weirdo guy (yes, of course he's also getting a car out of this deal, but I think part of the reason why he agrees to the deal is also because he genuinely wants to help Kant find love), we see this in the way he immediately takes orders from customers no questions asked in episode 2 right before he meets Bison, and we'll see this even later this episode [ep3] when he throws himself into the fight despite having no fighting skills whatsoever, just because he thinks three against one is unfair and wants to help.

Helping people is something that comes easy to Style, something he doesn't really have to think about, and so when Kant practically begs him to help Style can't do anything but agree to help Kant because not helping would go entirely against the nature of his character. Also, who could resist First's puppy eyes? Valid, absolutely valid. I, too, would fold like thin paper if First looked at me like That.

No. 9: Over Your Limit

Style is at the gym, probably in an attempt to work off some of the overwhelming emotions that Kant's reveal has left him with. What's interesting is, as @secriden noted, that Style decided to go there during daytime. From episode 2, both we, the audience, as well as Style know that Fadel likes to go to the gym at night specifically to avoid crowds. It's probably safe to assume that Style went there during the day specifically in order to avoid Fadel.

So Style sits there, lost in his memories, recontextualizing everything that happened at the greenhouse, processing Kant's news, rethinking his decision. Unfortunately for him, he's already made his choice the moment he agreed to help Kant, and so in the end Style goes Fuck it, I'm doing this.

Unexpectedly, Fadel shows up. Style hadn't been mentally prepared for that and despite his fuck it attitude just mere seconds ago (17, to be exact), his instincts kick in and he panics. Everything within him is screaming at him get away from this man, your life is in danger and so Style immediately rejects Fadel's offer for help: "I can’t do it anyway. I was pushing my limits."

Style is pushing his limits. Hitting on a guy? Sure, that's fine. Making him his boyfriend, despite said guy having walls as thick as the Great Wall of China? A little challenge, but nothing Style can't handle. But dating someone who is a professional killer, someone who is capable of taking lives and might very well be capable of taking his own boyfriend's life if need may be? That really is pushing any limit Style could ever have even as much as dreamed of. He can't do it.

But despite every instinct within Style telling him to run away, Style doesn't, because that would be suspicious and Style can't risk Fadel getting suspicious because that would seal his deathly fate even quicker. So Style hesitantly leans back and lets Fadel help him. And here at this point, I just wanna give a little shout out to Style raising his eyebrows and sighing a little after they're done, like whew, I survived that, I'm still alive, because it makes me giggle:

When Fadel alludes to wanting to have sex, Style plays dumb. Style has used this strategy before when he wanted to find out the connection between Fadel and the host club, but where in ep3 Style was playing dumb in order to gain Fadel's trust, here at the gym Style is playing dumb in order to delay having to get close to Fadel again (much less sleeping with him) while he figures out a way to get out of it. When Fadel cuddles up to him, it's the last straw. Style's panic takes over for good and he makes an escape. But then Fadel calls out to him, asking him to wait. Shit. Style's fight for his life is not yet over. Style stops, trying not to be suspicious or to do anything else that would give Fadel a motive to kill him.

Fadel walks up to him and wipes the sweat of his face. Where before Fadel's touch has recently been making Style feel good, it now feels very threatening instead. Yet, at the same time it's also a kind and caring gesture, which is something that isn't lost on Style.

Style very much notices the care in Fadel's action, but his new perspective on Fadel makes it hard for him to embrace and appreciate the kindness of it. And the kindness and care also contradicts the image of the ruthless killer Style now has in his mind of Fadel. These two contrasting aspects simply do not go together. Unable to cope, Style runs off.

The Attempt of a Conclusion

Where Style had just a little bit of a problem at the beginning of the episode, by the end of it that problem has grown much larger than he could have ever anticipated. Over the course of episode 3 we saw that Style was slowly starting to develop some positive feelings for Fadel, was slowly starting to actively enjoy hanging out around him, was starting to get curious about Fadel of his own accord and not for motives connected to the deal. Yet, the deal was still very much always there. In episode 4, however? Style might not have entirely realized it yet, but that deal is no longer relevant to him. Not showing up to the morning jogging or at the market might still have been a planned strategy in the mission Kant gave him, but that mission goes right out the window the moment he hears that Fadel had asked about him. When Style goes running to Fadel the second he is told that Fadel had asked about him when actually Style could and probably should have played his game a little longer, really letting Fadel stew, from that moment onward it's all about Style's own feelings rather than the car. And everything he does this episode is led by those feelings. Over the course of this episode we see that Style has genuinely started to like Fadel. And he had to. He had to start liking Fadel before learning about Fadel's real job. Because the higher you are, the further you fall and Style accidentally having caught feelings makes the drop down worse, for both Style, the character as well as us, the audience. Style genuinely likes Fadel now, and if that wasn't enough of a problem already, the man he likes turns out to be a professional killer.

Crap, indeed.

(Overview | Ep1+2 | Ep3 | Ep5 | Ep6 | Ep7 | Ep8 | Ep9 | Ep10 | Ep11 | Ep12)

[roocomehome]

LOVE TRAIN INBOUND !! 🚂💨💨

This is inspired by @acuar-io !! Thank you for doing this and THANK YOU FOR THE TAG!! (even tho it didnt tag me properly 🤧)

Tumblr is silly and while I will tag ppl, I know not everyone will be properly tagged, so if u see this, skim thru the list for your name ESPECIALLY if your my mutual ! 🫶

To start off, I just wanna say that Fae (acuar-io) has some absolutely STUNNING sims, it's hard to exactly word it, but their sims are SUPER recognizable, and their saves (Snow flower, Cozy save, etc) are SO nicely edited, so aesthetically pleasing to the eyes 🫶😩

@oshinsimblr is the reason why I started storytelling (even before my simblr time) and why I try and find a story-related reason on why my sims/characters do certain things, her videos are also SO comforting and i love her lovesick series!!! and of course, @minimooberry the whole inspo for this simblr and why I render in blender!

@mattodore and @cinamun are AMAZING simblrs if u want rich storytelling and/or well-thought out characters, River has inspired me to really tear into my characters and give them more personality, and cina just genuinely makes such realistic characters and the tea is ALWAYS hot and simblr aside, she has very good takes >:P

@groovetrys and @circusjuney have been around on my blog and as my mutuals for a LONG time and they really are some of my biggest hype people, lori has an AMAZING legacy going on with her sim, Melody, and u should DEF check it out, and june makes the most amazing clown sims 🥹 theyre always so pretty and STUNNINGGGG

-> To add onto the above category, id also consider @miralure as one of my biggest hype ppl!!! Although they havent been around as long as june and lori, they always hype me up and it makes me stupid happy 😭 they make REALLY good lookbooks and i love their sim style SMMMM

if u dont know about @rebouks what are you DOING with your simblr-life, bc becca has some of the most human-feeling story/dialogue, i always get a stupid sappy smile on my face when i read her story posts

@jarakio has an AMAZING story called Girls with Guns and its prolly my fav story that ive read on simblr, the dialogue? amazing, the poses? amazing, the vibes? AMAZING, i'm ALWAYS hooked in whenever i see GwG pop up on my dash

@stellarfalls just HAD to be on this list are u kidding me????? Bree has a PHENOMENAL save called Valley, even tho there's no dialogue, each image and gif speaks more than words could, she's inspired me to kick up the quality of my posts and also start making gifs, I also consider her to be one of my biggest hype ppl, she always be coming in with the best compliments 🥹🫶

@torissims !!! She makes BEAUTIFUL posts, her blog is very yellow and orange and i LOVE IT, she pulls a lot of inspo from Studio Ghibli and even tho ive never seen any SG Movies, I can just see and feel the inspo, shes def underrated af 🥹

@amburgundy has BEAUTIFUL builds, and they dont just do TS4, they also make builds in other sims games!! (u did a phenomenal job with Madi's legacy house amber 🤝) I LOVE the clutter and they always looks so cozy 😭

@flovoid is another one of my hypemen LMFAOOO bro you and your tags literally make me so happy, i LOVE reading them. Flo makes AMAZING SIMS, and you should check out literally ALL of their sims, especially their sims Roo and Norman from Majima Land (first post under my Roo tag is me reacting to one of their posts with Roo and Norman, funniest introduction to a blog ever), Also their sim, Draco Almond??? He's got me tucking my hair behind my ear... 🫦🫦

@elderwisp has some of the most immaculate editing ive ever seen, the lighting, the vibes, the dialogue, the poses, the expressions, i be eating those posts up like im fine dining 😩😩

@changingplumbob is so chill, I love how much passion she has for her rotations, and her love for cats?? Perfect mutual to have, I also literally LOVE reading her behind the scenes posts, they're literally so funny 😭😭

@tricoufamily and @dejasenti99 make absolutely phenomenal renders, like if theres any renders on simblr that im gonna recognize immediately, its these two's renders, they're genuinely more HQ than my fucking eyes 😭😭

-> Also Nat (Missatan) makes incredibly HQ renders as well, these three are like... my biggest blender render inspos...

@buttertrait @missatan @virtualfolk @pearlean @claudtrait all have BEAUTIFUL sim styles, butter's is very unique, i know they arent really a sims 4 blog anymore but i ALWAYS recognize butter's sims when i see them on my dash and I genuinely love their sim style sm. Nat (Missatan) has SUCH a gorgeous sim style, you've heard of them hips dont lie, well her sims' lips dont lie 😩🫦 Virt (Virtualfolk) and Sam's (pearlean) sim styles are SO animated (if that makes sense), they're like eye-candy. Den (claudtrait), like Nat, has a sim style with the most luscious lips and poutiest faces ive ever seen and are just SOO pleasing to look at, like i just feel blessed in the eyes when i see their sims

@yukikocloud 's Apricot save and storytelling is incredibly reminiscent of Bree's posts, and I just LOVE looking at and reading her story posts, this post in particular just absolutely captivated me, I was drawn in and just get so giddy seeing the Apricot save pop up on my dash 🥹

@alientown @venriliz @nefarrilou @druidberries @machinegrl make STUNNINGGGGG occult (or cyber/robotic in Baja/Machinegrl's instance) sims. Nef always makes beautiful sims for their Cryptid "series", im just in AWE when i see their cryptids... Ven and Ana (alientown) both always make absolutely gorgeous alien sims and they also just have very unique/beautiful sim styles 😍 Baja's cyber girlies are just >>>>>>>>>>>>> I love her whole dystopian/cyber theme, its literally so good and so cool, and her Deadstars series? SO good. Alexis' (druidberries) elowen is so pretty, and her sim style, especially with occults, is just MWAH chefs kiss, literal eye candy

@swallowprettybird is just one of the sweetest people on simblr, I love reading what she has to say about mine and others' posts, and she makes amazingggg posts, I loved that one national geographic inspired post with the zebra, it was so well done

@softle0 makes some absolutely stunning builds, they always look so lived in, so cozy and I would ABSOLUTELY live in pretty much every single build they make

and honorable mentions to @droolski @felysline @pamsimmerstories @swiftviolets @weirdosalike @mushbop @calicosimgirl @shadowtrait and @seriallovertrait because I feel like they're all SO underrated, they're all passionate about their own stuff and I just love seeing their posts, and if you're seeing this, FOLLOW THEM 🫵🫵

Thank you Fae (acuar-io) once again for starting this train up, I love seeing stuff like this and it's so sweet to see what everyone has to say about one another, I may have spent 1 or 2 hours doing this, but it was INCREDIBLY well spent to be able to admire and appreciate all these people, them and every other simblr person, whether i follow them or not, deserve every last drop of love and appreciation genuinely

[pinktrashybird]

Wrote a one shot based on a drawing concept I had. Think of it as a 'rewritten' scene of when Dante obtains Alastor in the first game.

Hope those of you who read it enjoy it! 🥰

🔞⚠️WARNINGS⚠️🔞

¡MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!

This one shot contains:

- Blood/Gore

- Masturbation/NSFW themes

- Knife/Sword play

- Humiliation

The once stale, musty air now filled with static as Dante approached the statue on the wall. Arcs of electric energy sparked along the blade of the sword that jutted out the wall. Within the blink of an eye the sword flung itself across the room, sinking its razor sharp edges happily into Dante’s chest.

The suddenness of the event didn’t give him much chance to react, but it didn’t take long to elicit a response in his body after the energy and power from the sword coursed through him. If another person had been in this situation, assuming they would have lived, it would have felt like being run through with a machete that was hooked up to a car battery.

For Dante however, it was rather different.

He could already feel his nipples harden as his fingers twitched back to life. The temperature rising in his body made him aware of how cold the stone floor was.

Fuck this is embarrassing…

Dante cringed at himself as his hips gyrated with a mind of their own, his shaft painfully restrained behind crimson leather which made matters even worse. Where someone else would have been writhing in agonizing pain, his body was racked with pleasure as he exsanguinated. The sword seemed to accept Dante, whispering in his mind and sending a new wave of electric bliss through him. His cock fought violently in the leather.

Dante’s body lifted from the floor, he could feel the cold steel sliding inside his chest, sharp edges widening the already massive hole. Every pang of pain instantly contorted into pleasure as he felt precum drip down his shaft,

I am Alastor…

Dante was hardly bothered with the introduction as all he wanted was his own sexual gratification. His body continued to lift up further from the stone floor, blood spewed from his back and splattered to the ground. Skewered and floating supernaturally, his chest finally hit a snag.

You will take me with you…

Dante looked down and realized he’d hit the ornate, dragon headed, hilt of the sword. Otherworldly forces didn’t seem to see this as a problem as it continued to ram him into it, forcing the wound to rip open wider. Dante cried out, panting and moaning loudly as the hilt was forced through him. His vision was turning white as he dry climaxed, precum dripping violently and soaking the inside of his pants. With a final thrust he was free of the blade, left with an empty, bloody hole and a unsatisfied sexual drive.

Dante’s knees felt weak as he stumbled forward a bit, but he was far from done…the hole in his chest already was starting to mend together and it sparked a newfound energy within him. Dante whipped around, grabbing ahold of the sword’s grip,

''Yeah, no shit you’re coming with me…we’re not done yet.''

Dante took the sword and plunged it back into his chest, nearly making him loose it right there, bringing him to his knees.

“Oh FUCK!!”

His teeth sank into his bottom lip as he rolled and gyrated his hips, sliding a gloved hand down to the buckle of his pants to unfasten it. As his fingers fumbled desperately with the fastenings, his other hand stroked the grip of the sword before grasping it firmly and pulling it up. Dante’s moans unapologetically echoed throughout the abandoned mansion as he finally freed his weeping cock.

He took a moment to catch his breath and restrain himself before slowly thrusting the blade back into his torso with a similar caress to the one he gave his shaft. Blood flowed down his abdomen and pooled at his knees, his body bucked with fluid-like motions as he practically fucked himself with the blade while stroking, the pace becoming faster. Sweat rolled down his neck and brow, arcing his back after a particularly harsh thrust with the blade causing his body to shiver and blood to spill,

He was so close…

The pace quickened to nearly inhuman speed as he craved the release that teetered on the edge. Dante’s eyes started to roll back as he could practically taste his climax, moans echoed off the walls and down corridors that he was certain even nearby demons would know his location by now.

A final thrust with the sword and a relieving moan finally won over and streams of white mixed with the pool of red. Dante pulled the sword free of his chest cavity and fell back in a slump. The hole regenerated again, feeling a little less empty this time.

💗And the art to go with it 💗

[spoiler-alert-andabunchofnumbers]

Anyone else start as a fanfic writer then started writing your own original ideas, and the best way to do it is to write your drafts like fanfiction of your own work? Like that's the only way I get stuff done.

I write a story with the characters I like, write an arc with facts about the world and characters as it becomes relevant, no real point to the scenes except me having fun with a scene I happen to be enjoying. I take a character I wanna have fun with, say "Go do that important thing so we have a plot while you show off how cool you are", then add random ideas that sound generic but fun to act as story beats. They went to a town, they got beat up by monsters, they discovered a super power, they make friends.

I take breaks between writing the story to obsess over other stuff, then come back when I have an epiphany in the shower a month later and quickly resolve the current arc in order to jump them into the next one. Like, there's still continuity, they mention "Hey we just went through something, wanna talk about your feelings?" "Not really man, wanna go on a quest for that Macguffin and uncover our deep-seated issues that way?" "Sure!" But the story follows a barely-connected story beat with side characters and new world building for the new adventure. And then this happens over and over.

Then I come back, one day.

I'm 600 pages into this Sysphian writing style of starting arcs that have barely any organization yet undeniable continuity and I think to myself, "Man, what if I just start the whole thing over now that I know where the story KINDA goes." So I start writing my second draft...like it's a fanfic of my original draft. I can do whatever the hell I want with these quirky facts about the characters, maybe translate one hobby into a backstory, take this tragic fact about the backstory and make it into an actual trait that defines how they react to situations, take these two characters that would TOTALLY get along and make them friends, I can take a character who should be getting introduced way later and just introduce them now!

And then it's...it's good? It's something I would genuinely read without cringing at??

It's got foreshadowing and interpersonal conflict and secret passions and even more secret traumas and it's humorous and the introduction of characters or quests actually seem to...make sense??? Like oh shit there's actually a REASON we want this thing, it's not a Macguffin anymore! Oh crap these two characters who were later revealed to be related can have a really interesting dynamic if I introduce them like they know from the beginning they're related instead of dropping it like the most casual thing ever in an arc 300 pages later??? These two characters are prominent figures so they would likely get along but have SO much sass between their one braincell. Ya know, this guy would be a really great guy for them to talk to in order to solve that weakness they have, but they wouldn't fix it because they don't get along. OH MY GOD I COULD SHIP THESE TWO AND IT WOULD BE PERFECT -

And what I get is a story where a lot of things have changed, mainly plot-wise, but the bare bones of the former story is still there. I think "Would this character know anything about this topic?" and then think "Well I made them an inventor with a backstory like this, so maybe they wouldn't know it directly, but they'd know a famous story about it" or "Yeah, that knowledge works with their backstory. Actually, if I take that thing I can expand it into this whole other thing. Wait, that means they would definitely know this other character. Oh, they would NOT get along with this character, how can I get THEM in the same room?"

Bonus, because my draft is so long, I feel the natural urge to be like "I wanna write the most exciting scene RIGHT NOW, how do I skip over all the fluff to get to the stuff I wanna WORK with" and so I've written a way more interesting hook that feels more natural jumping into the middle of their lives. I don't have to have the long-winded backstory from birth to the present, but now I can have them reference their backstory as more of a mystery to the characters they just meet - who are learning at the same time as the audience. I can think about how this character perceives that backstory and chooses to describe it, how another who was related might see it differently, and make it unclear who had the more accurate recounting since, ya know, I didn't actually write it beat for beat in this version!

The characters sometimes evolve into something completely different from my original telling - and I have NO IDEA how but I'll take it man! I had a shy and nice character get introduced as a more mysterious but knowledgeable and competent character because I had finally figured his personality out later on. He's still a tragic and kind person, but now he's being introduced to someone who doesn't know him and I get to see how yo he would be so much cooler if THIS was the side of him we saw FIRST. This is how he acts to strangers, rather than bearing his heart and true personality on the first go around because in the first draft I just wanted to get to the part where we're already going with his true version.

This is just how I write fanfiction. This character had this thing about them, but what if it was introduced like THIS?!

Basically I'm an AU OC writer at heart. Ask me to pull a story outta my ass and you'll get the equivalent of burnt toast, but ask me to write a fanfic of my own characters and I am a Master Chef in my natural habitat making a buffet. Why does my brain work like this? Am I the only one that does this?

[yan-senna]

Losing Her Innocence (Severus Snape x virgin! reader x Lucius Malfoy x Narcissa Malfoy)

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Navigation

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Introduction:

Y/N is a shy, young woman who wants to lose her virginity before her birthday. She decides to go to a place called ‘The Club’, and she definitely won’t regret that decision.

This is not a request, but a birthday present for myself🎁

I hope you enjoy!

Published: 7/23/2023

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Word count: 3.2k

Warning: SMUT (18+ - minors DNI)

Y/N Y/L/N is just like any other young woman. Well, except for one thing - she’s still a virgin. She’s the only one in her friend group who hasn’t had sex yet. She does want to lose her virginity, but she’s really shy, so it’s not easy for her to go to parties and just hook up with someone like her friends do.

She has a dream of losing her virginity before tonight ends - before she becomes a year older. Tomorrow is her birthday, and it would be nice if she finally got her wish fulfilled.

Luckily for her, one of her friends has recommended a place called ‘The Club’. The Club is a place where people can come and have sex with other people. Either with whoever they meet there, or with people who work there to satisfy others’ needs.

The thought of going there intimades Y/N a bit. Will she be able to find someone who would be willing to touch her? And how will the person react to her being a virgin?

Taking a deep breath, she finally overcomes her fear and decides to go and have a look at this place. She takes the bus to the location that her friend told her about. As she looks around, she finds a building with the sign ‘The Club’. Nothing suggests that it’s a place where people come to have sex. It doesn’t look like what she had in mind. It looks more simple and classy.

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Continue reading on AO3 or Wattpad

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Follow @yan-senna-taglist and put on notifications in order to get to know when I post a new fanfic!

[baiabay]

🇳​​🇴​ ​🇷​��🇴​​🇱​​🇪​ ​🇲​​🇴​​🇩​​🇪​​🇱​​🇿​ || ​🇦​​🇳​ ​🇦​​🇹​​🇸​​🇻​ ​🇽​ ​🇧​​🇱​​🇦​​🇨​​🇰​ ​🇨​​🇦​​🇹​ ​ 🇷​​🇪​​🇦​​🇩​​🇪​​🇷​ -​🇮​​🇳​​🇸​​🇪​​🇷​​🇹​

Chapter Five: A Villain Worth Fighting

<<<<previous chapter || next chapter >>>>

this story is also on ao3, wattpad, and quotev under the same name ! <33

˚₊𓆩༺🕷🐈‍⬛༻𓆪₊˚

You flinched as guitar strings screeched in your ears. The thump thump thumps of heavy boots prompted you to dart your eyes around the room, though you couldn’t quite find the source of the sound. Just as you started to convince yourself you were imagining things, a blur of neon colours dashed past you, crashing into the barrier Miles had been trying so hard to break earlier. 

The neon blur posed dramatically before The Spot, summoning a bright smile on the masked faces of Gwen and Pav. The colourful figure reached to strike what looked like to be an electric guitar -  a heavy musical note rang in the air. Before you could comment, Gwen piped up in your right ear. “Hobie!”  

Pav, on your left. “Hobie, my guy!” 

It seemed both you and Miles were on the same wavelength regarding the presence of this new ‘Hobie’ character, speaking up simultaneously. “Hobie?”

“Look at that,” The Spot spoke up. “Another one. I love how many… variations of you guys there are, I mean…” 

You squinted, taking in the form of the new Spider-hero. You couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was but something with his chaotic…nature? Appearance? … Accent? Whatever it was, consider your interest piqued. It didn’t help that you were a stickler for shiny things either - you caught your fingers twitching at the thought of plucking one of those silver pins off his vest…cashing it in maybe…(Are they vintage? I wonder how much they’d be worth…)

Shaking yourself out of your klepto-manic stupor, you instinctively reached for your hook, flinging yourself forward along with Gwen and Pav, dodging attacks Spot had begun to throw at your group. You opted to focus most of your energy on landing whip-lashes on the spotted villain… yet you managed to pick up on the murmurings of the now four young heroes on the other side of the room. 

“...bleedin’ from the armpits?”

“Miles, Hobie. Hobie, Miles.”

“Hi, I’ve never heard of you because Gwen barely ever mentions you…”

“You’re the younger from sixteen-ten, right? And who do you reckon that’s supposed to be, Gwendy?”

“Not…really sure yet, actually.”

In the midst of your eavesdropping, you paused. It just now hit you that you never actually told these people who you were. Granted, there hasn’t really been an appropriate time to give a friendly introduction given the fact that Spot has been cons-

CLUNK!

A sharp cry left your lips as Gwen slammed suddenly into your face, landing ungracefully on top of you. She seemed to have popped out of nowhere, Spot’s voids leaving the two of you in a tangled mess of limbs and possibly broken noses. Before any apologies could make their way out of either of your mouths, you felt the ground give out - your stomach drop. Falling through a void, you barely had time to collect your bearings before you were slammed into a desk back-first. 

“Y’all make a heck of a team.” Spot teased. “Team?” You mumbled groggily, dizzily reaching for your whip. 

“I don’t believe in teams-” Hobie croaked out, squirming in Spot’s crushing grip alongside Miles. “...Aren’t you in a team?” 

Spot was cocky. He moved with ease, an air in his step as he flung the group around. Not even bothering to deliver actual blows, Spot depended on throwing around blackened portals, disorienting you all to no end. As best as you could, you kept your eyes trained on Spot. In the corner of your peripheral, Hobie, Gwen, and Pav groaned, piled over each other. A clear product of Spot’s doing. 

“This is gonna be good for us, Spider-Man.” Spot stepped once, twice towards Miles. Your body reacted before your mind did, and you found your arm reeling back, striking a lash of your whip in the villains' direction before you could think. He caught it, of course. Not once stuttering, not once releasing his grip, not once pulling his gaze away from Miles.

“You, and me, we’re finally gonna live up to our potential.”

Whirring. Ringing. Growing louder and louder in your ears-

“You’ll finally have a villain worth fighting.”

He still hasn’t let go. In fact, he’s starting to pull you in-

“And I won't be just a JOKE to you!”

A crescendo, into a blast. It knocked you and the others back a significant distance, leaving the end of your whip in the crushing grip of Spot. Your head buzzed violently, and the tips of your fingers tingled from the burn of being dragged across the floor. Your vision spun, and you found yourself blinking frantically in hopes of clearing your fog. A soft clack sounded out before you, and only once your eyes cleared did you recognize it as your whip. Tilting your head upwards, your eyes caught Spot, playfully waving to the group, floating towards the collider. 

For the umpteenth time that day, you found yourself acting out before knowing what you were doing. In the back of your mind, you wondered why you were doing this, why you were helping them.

Don’t you remember what he did to Dad?

Nevertheless, your stubbornness powered through. Pushing past the aches, the way your body screamed for rest, you flicked your wrist, wrapping the tip of your whip around The Spots’ center. You pulled like your life depended on it. The salty sting of tears began to prickle in the corner of your eyes. Spot pulled back. He was strong. He was about to drag you over the edge. It hurt. Your fingers hurt, your hands hurt, your arms hurt, you really wanted to let go. You had to let go until-

“You’re not a joke!”

A coil of web around your waist kept you suspended in the air, between The Spot’s pull and the grip of Miles. 

“Right gang?”

“Absolutely,” “Completely unamusing.” “I don’t believe in comedy!... Just kidding!”

“See, no one here thinks you’re a joke!”

Spot slowly lowered his head. For a second you thought some progress was being made. Until he raised his arm and-

snip.

You flew back, along with the others. You couldn’t stop it. Spot continued his float towards the violent innards of the collider. The machine rumbled, then paused. Quiet, as if it had never been activated in the first place. You untensed, slouching over as you huffed out a heavy sigh. “It’s over, right?” A soft laugh left Pav’s lips. “Seems like it- looks just like another easy adventure for Spider Ma-” 

A frantic choir of ‘no’s interrupted Pav’s relaxed sentiments. You didn’t even have time to act confused before you were hit with another blast. This one ten times stronger than the last. Thankfully, Gwen managed to shoot a few webs in your direction, softening the blow of what could’ve been a harsh landing. In front of you, you heard Miles groan. 

“What…was that?”

“Our future.”

You recognized that tone. You recognized that it meant you had to get the hell out of there. 

“I’m gonna take everything from you like you took everything from me.”

You took slow steps towards Miles, trying your best to hide the way your hands trembled when you moved. “Miles, we need to leave.”

“See you back home, Spider-man.”

You watched with furrowed brows as Miles shook and panted in a way that was very familiar to you. You wished you could do something. Comfort him the way he did when you encountered Spot- but there was no time for that. The walls were crumbling. You grabbed his arm, forcing him off the ground. “Miles, hey. He’s gone, it’s alright.” You tried to speak words of encouragement to him, but he showed no reaction, gazing right through you. “Liven up mate,” Hobie spoke. “We’ve got to go.” 

Miles, still out of it, barely budged. Above the two of you, a large piece of the ceiling was falling fast. Gwen reached for Miles’ free arm and started sprinting, narrowly missing the rubble. On the other side of the room, Pav used his web to pull your form towards him, opting to grip your wrist while he ran towards the buildings’ exit. 

Bounding through the halls of the facility, you all managed to make it to the building's balcony, looking down upon the chaos that had begun to stir in the city below. Pav let go of your hand to hunch over and grip his head. With a swift pat on his back, Miles deducted the game plan.

“We’ll clear the path. You slow down that building.” He and the others wasted no time, leaping off the balcony, diving headfirst into the disarray that stirred under you all. “Cat, you follow my lead!” He yelled, now airborne. 

“Wh-” You hesitated. Your heart was running a mile a minute in your chest. ‘What the hell did I get into?’ You thought. You didn’t do this. You didn’t save people. The Black Cat was a selfish, egotistical, chaotic antagonist. That’s how it’s supposed to be. No matter how much you want it to change. You sighed, debating turning the other way. You were tired, bruised, even. Plus, it would’ve been best to not meddle in this Spider-business you clearly had no place in - yet, everything in your being screamed for you to follow. 

You hesitated, you sighed, you jumped. 

[silentmagi]

Time For Change:

alright, another idea that interested me, this one will be probably be shorter since we keep ep 1-4, but there will be name changes due to the time travel shenanigans and potential additions but probably gonna try to stick to just a single thing lol, episodes will be long in my mind to compensate

with that in mind, tallyhoo, grab your snacks and your beverages!

Ep 5 "Could you really call this house a home?": Uzi hooks up the dd's to herself and her solver reacts weirdly..., showing a clock like symbol? that's new...she looks down and sees a portal beneath her chair, as if waiting for her to look down....she's seen enough anime and looney tunes to know where this is going, no use fighting whatever weirdness is her life now, she was not expecting to fall in front of a manor...her iconic outfit ripped sadly from falling through trees and brush and stuff, all that survived being her iconic hoodie's design and her beanie to a degree....well she was on earth, she could probably have that sewn back together by someone, maybe fused into, though she hopes not to be seen yet, she does not like feeling like she could- annnnd a human found her...oh sweet robo-jeebus why is she so strong!? and....is that....is that J as...a...worker..drone....uzi knows where she is now, well, When. introductions of course happen as well as uzi getting her own variation of a maid outfit...one with inverted colors....the elliott's seemed so much much much less cooler then their daughter was. n and v....okay byte her, she admits she cannot ignore their dynamics are cute....cyn...seemed honestly okay....though the yellow was familiar...oh boy. and J....well it's J....though she does notice the fondness between her and tessa....so there was a heart under all the paperwork.

Ep 6 "Manor mishaps and mannerisms": Whole point of the episode is just showing the dynamics of the manor cast with uzi here doing chores so she doesn't potentially get "scrapped" while interacting with each of them, the pros and cons of each of them, using her solver powers when no one is looking to complete them faster, cyln being cylly and stuff, all leading up to the gala

Ep 7 "Outro Gala; Cyn-phony of the solver": the moment of absolution for the worst of the worst is upon them, and it is time for the solver to ensure it's promise gets upheld, sensing a different but familiar vibe in uzi, it gives instructions to get herself, tessa and J out of there so it may do what it needs to, they also manage to save N along the way, telling police as best they could (I like to imagine a haunting vocal performance rendition of The HuMaN Gala plays over the scene where we get to see all the rich folk dying)

Ep 8 "cyn's sins": Cyn explains herself to V,J,N,Uzi, and tessa, why the deal happened, flash backs of when it was her in control and when it wasn't, the faraday cage giving her a moment of relief to be able to genuinely talk, though even then it may not be long, uzi comes up with a plan for her cyster

Ep 9 "A Uzi solution against the absolute": The final battle commences within the mind of cyn, her visor showing the others what is going on between within the mind, once more a spectator to it all, a truly epic battle of eldritch proportions happens! (I like to imagine a classical rendition of "bite me" is playing as the battle rages on, as for what I think the solver looks like? a null sphere head with a solver symbol on it with three sets of mandibles coming out, centipede like body made of metal and flesh, scuttling on air like a demented centipede from the game of the same name. uzi's form? her main body is like that of a similar fleshy and metaly centipede, but in place of each area where gigantic legs should be were gigantic bat wings, her head wolf-like, sporting four null sphere eyes with her own solver symbol on them)

Ep Epilogue "a new norm": good news, Uzi was a savior and with the stuff that the solver did at the gala, there was...definitely less evil rich people in the world overrall, the manor had been cleaned up and they were all allowed to return, with no parents to stop her though, every drone gets to use the name, Nate smiles as he hears it from tessa, same with Velma, and her precious Jewel practically beams with life at her name being used like she was given the world's best promotion, cyn is still cyn for short, but tessa decides on cynthiana. Uzi may somewhat feel homesick but...she saved not just the world, but the entire timeline from ever having to deal with the original absolute solver. now she'll just have to figure out how to handle a life on earth.

Time For Change

Alright, I'm glad to see this one getting some love as well, so let's take a look. Give it the old what for and all that rot.

Remember to have a cuppa!

Ep 5 - I kinda want Uzi to look at N and V after looking at the portal, her visor flashing "Going Down?" with flame particles underneath. She just sits back in her chair, hands behind her head, and feet cross, her fuck giving directive missing. Landing half naked from the fall. Yeah, Tessa being able to bodily handle N like a ragdoll is a thing, I think Uzi would be far easier. I think she might find it endearing, but seeing V not being awake and working probably disturbs her. She might actually give J a chance to show herself as somewhat... not what we know.

Ep 6 - I just see Uzi hating every minute of doing chores. Though she could fix some of the wiring of the house, cause they need to work on a few things around that house. I could see Cyn seeing it and just keeping quiet about it.

Ep 7 - or not, and just going by vibes works. She has to save the weirdly attractive butler drone after all, and Tessa's a decent human that may or may not be making her rethink her kill all humans ideas... The audio bleed over works nicely.

Ep 8 - Love this, and that'd be Cyster-in-law, innit N?

Ep 9 - I'm half tempted to say that everyone watches the scene (snacks are provided), and it's played out like a 2-player Mortal Kombat match. Yes to the classical "Bite Me" being used. I'd throw in the suggestion of it being raven wings.

Ep Epilogue - Uzi: A winner is you. The rich may be lessened, but more can be removed. Nature can heal. Nate, Velma, Jewel, and Cyn are all adorable. Sadly Uzi'll never be able to go home again... wait what's that purple portal opening up below her?

Fade to black as Uzi looks down.

[moongothic]

Hey so also have Sir Crocodile brainrot and have recently reread Impel Down. This is probably nothing at all but it made me question the artistic choice made. Like we dont see Crocodiles full face until Luffy recognizes him. Before that tho he joins in on Jinbei & Ace's convo about Whitebeard and is shown to (non-)react to Boa Hancocks visit. But we only get his face in shadows or see the hook. Which. Why. Oda we know what he looks like and who the guy with the stitches on his face and the hook is. WHY OBSCURE HIM.

My friend, this is what we call a "cocktease"

Okay jokes aside, yes it was an artistic choise. More specifically, a storytelling technique Oda masterfully used to build up hype and excitement to Crocodile's eventual reveal and re-introduction into the story.

So thanks to Ms Goldenweek's cover story (which ran back during Water 7/Enies Lobby) we already knew Crocodile along with Daz, Bon-chan and Galdino had all been sent to Impel Down, when we also learned about Impel Down, Marineford and the Gates of Justice (+ the giant whirlpool between the three locations) to some extent. ((Now of course, if you were an anime-only then you would've had no idea about the former BW members being in Impel Down. And even if you had read the manga you still would've had to actually pay attention to the cover story and its lore, and not forgotten all about it))

So even before Luffy decides he's going to head to Impel Down to save Ace, we know Crocodile's going to be somewhere down there. The second Luffy arrives there, we are immidiately reminded of the fact when Domino mentions Crocodile taking the traditional "bath" new inmates take at the entrance. And as we descend deeper and deeper into Impel Down, with those cuts to what's happening down at Level 6 every now and then, as well as with the Baroque Works Countdown, Oda time and time again keeps on reminding of us of Crocodile's looming presence in the background. This is all absolutely deliberate. Crocodile was arguably the most iconic (maybe not most popular but iconic) One Piece villian at the time, if given an opportunity of course the readers wanted to see him again. But just letting us see him right away would be anti-climactic, and distracting from what's actually important (Ace, and Luffy getting to him as fast as possible). So keeping him hidden could serve multiple purposes:

For one, Crocodile doesn't get to steal the spotlight from the other characters (at least not too early). We can focus on Luffy, Ace, all the new Impel Down characters and the other returning characters in peace, while Crocodile waits for his turn. Another thing is that Crocodile's presence being downplayed gives off the impression that perhaps him being there isn't that important to the story. Thus, him teaming up with Luffy to break out isn't such an obvious twist (and so when that happens, it's ever more hype as a result)

But indeed, the most important part is that by teasing us constantly through out Impel Down, Oda creates hype. He makes us the readers excited if/when we might get to see the bastard, even if it was just a quick little cameo. So when Luffy finally reaches Level 6 and we finally do get that reveal, everyone loses their fucking marbles over the HISASHIBURI DANA MUGIWARA when we finally get to see The Motherfucker Himself. (And indeed, then getting to see him fight alongside Luffy is cool as fucking hell, completely unexpected and absolutely delightful)

But there's also another thing building up to Crocodile's reveal does. Compare his original introduction to the re-introduction

Compare Crocodile at the height of his power and influence, to the absolute rock bottom he has hit. No longer happily laughing while looking down on people (literally), he's filthy, he has given up on life, with sunken eyes and a hollow look on his face, only moved by a thirst for petty revenge (/an opportunity to go out with a bang). He doesn't even get the whole page for his grand reveal anymore, he's been shuffled to the side so the plot can progress on the same page.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

And to some degree, this is kind of meant to be a shocking realization to the readers. That this is not the same Crocodile we remember from Alabasta, that Crocodile died when Luffy defeated him. This is just the husk that remains, a shadow of what was once there. It's a sad sight, and probably not what the readers who loved Crocodile The Villian wanted to see. It's not the epic Return of the (Evil) King they wanted. And that juxtaposition helps, because Crocodile doesn't return into the story as a villian, but as a frenemy/ally-on-thin-ice. And that idea is easier to signal to the readers in a lowkey manner when you do his re-introduction like this.

So yes, Oda refusing to show Crocodile's face until Luffy found him was 100% a deliberate artistic choise. This is fantastic storytelling

[pebblepathblog]

My True Crime Addiction Ruined My Life | Here’s How I’m Dealing with the PTSD It Left Behind

Binge watching true crime isn’t just entertainment, it’s a one-way ticket to paranoia, sleepless nights, and an entirely new set of locks on your doors.

Let me just say this upfront, I thought I was normal. I thought I was just like everyone else who unwinds with some TV after a long day. A little Netflix. A little murder mystery. Totally fine, right?

But now, as I’m sitting here with three deadbolts on my front door, blackout curtains that make my living room look like Dracula’s lair, and a constant suspicion that my neighbor’s too friendly smile is hiding something sinister, I have to admit… I’ve gone too far.

True crime has officially ruined my life.

It Started So Innocently

You know that lie we all tell ourselves? “Just one episode.” Yeah, well, I told myself that too. Big mistake. It was a Sunday. I had a snack in hand and clicked play on some true crime docuseries.

Five hours later, my snack was gone, the sun had set, and my heart was racing like I’d just run a marathon. Except I hadn’t moved an inch. I was hooked. Every twist, every piece of evidence, every interview with some totally not suspicious neighbor? Pure adrenaline.

The thrill of solving mysteries from the safety of my couch was exhilarating. It made me feel like Sherlock Holmes…if Sherlock wore pajamas and paused every 20 minutes to check Instagram.

But it didn’t stop there. Oh no. What started as a weekend hobby quickly morphed into a full blown obsession. And that’s when things got weird.

When Entertainment Turns Into Paranoia

At first, I thought I was just curious. True crime is popular, everyone’s watching it. But somewhere between “popular interest” and “I haven’t slept properly in weeks,” I fell off the deep end.

Suddenly, the creaks in my house weren’t creaks, they were warning signs. The neighbor’s friendly wave? Definitely hiding something. And every time I opened the door, I was fully prepared to be ambushed by a masked figure (even though the scariest thing in my neighborhood is the HOA lol).

Sleepless Nights and Overactive Imagination

Let me set the scene, It’s midnight. I’ve just finished a particularly horrifying episode about a home invasion gone wrong. The house is dark. Quiet. My dog is asleep on the floor.

Cue a broom falling in the kitchen.

Most people? They’d shrug it off. Maybe laugh at themselves. Me? I grabbed my phone like it was a weapon and yelled, “WHO’S THERE?” into the empty air.

Spoiler alert: it was just the broom.

But that’s the thing about true crime, it messes with your sense of reality. I was reacting to normal, everyday noises like I was in a live episode of Criminal Minds.

34 Traumatic Experiences from My True Crime Obsession

Why Can’t I Stop Thinking About That One Scene? Every creak and shadow at night replays the worst parts of a true crime show. After watching a series about home invasions, I couldn’t stop imagining the victim’s attack every time my house got quiet.

I’m Jumping at Every Little Sound A broom falling over shouldn’t make me scream, but it does now. The doorbell rings, and I react like I’m in the middle of a horror movie.

I Can’t Stop Checking the Doors I’ve turned lock-checking into an Olympic sport. After stalking documentaries, I double-check my locks every 10 minutes, sometimes even in the middle of the night.

Why Doesn’t Violence Shock Me Anymore? It’s scary how normal violence feels now. Conversations about crime feel casual, like it’s just part of everyday life.

“I’m Afraid to Go Outside Jogging feels like an invitation for danger. I stopped running on trails after episodes about joggers being attacked.

Every Stranger Feels Like a Threat I can’t meet new people without imagining the worst. Even friendly introductions make me wonder if they’re hiding something sinister.

The World Feels Out of My Control Watching these stories makes me feel powerless. After the kidnapping episodes, I’m constantly afraid for my family’s safety.

Every Situation Seems Dangerous My mind jumps straight to the worst-case scenario. After an office violence episode, I started side-eyeing coworkers more than I should.

Is That a Killer or Just a Regular Guy? My brain loves to connect strangers with crimes I’ve watched. I’ve caught myself thinking random people look like the suspect from a documentary.

Trusting People is Hard Now It’s like everyone has a hidden agenda. Marriage betrayal stories make me question if I’d ever trust a partner fully.

I Don’t Even Feel Safe in Public Spaces Crowded places aren’t comforting anymore. Public transport makes me nervous ever since I watched a subway crime episode.

I Can’t Get Victim Stories Out of My Head The pain of others feels personal now. Hearing about assault victims leaves me emotionally drained for days.

Kindness Feels Suspicious I question everyone’s motives. After betrayal episodes, even small acts of kindness seem like setups.

I’ve Become Overprotective of My Family I’m like a guard dog for my siblings. I’ve stopped letting them play outside alone after child abduction episodes.

Unsolved Cases Are Driving Me Crazy Open endings leave my mind spiraling. Missing persons’ cases haunt me because I keep wondering what happened.

My Nightmares Are Terrifying Even sleep doesn’t feel safe anymore. I dream about being chased after watching serial killer stories.

I Don’t Even Trust the Police Anymore Stories of mishandled cases make me skeptical. Watching episodes about failed investigations makes me doubt emergency services.

Sleeping Through the Night? Impossible. Late-night episodes make falling asleep a challenge. Kidnapping stories leave me lying awake, planning escape routes and how to unalive the rapist

I’m Scared to Let My Guard Down Relaxing feels like a luxury I can’t afford. Even during family gatherings, I keep imagining worst-case scenarios.

True Crime is Affecting My Dating Life I overanalyze every romantic partner. I keep comparing them to the manipulative partners in documentaries.

Why Am I So Paranoid About Cars? Every vehicle feels like it’s following me. Episodes about roadside crimes have me constantly checking my rearview mirror.

I Don’t Trust My Own Gut Anymore I question every instinct I have. Stories about victims ignoring red flags make me doubt my ability to read people.

Everyday Objects Feel Sinister Even normal items feel like weapons. After watching crime scenes, a kitchen knife on the counter makes me uneasy.

I’ve Become Obsessed with Self-Defense I’m constantly looking for ways to protect myself. After watching home invasion stories, I considered buying pepper spray and a baseball bat.

Walking Alone Feels Impossible Even a short walk makes me hyper-vigilant. I can’t go out at night anymore without imagining every shadow is a threat.

Do My Neighbors Have Secrets Too? Everyone around me feels suspicious. True crime makes me side-eye even the friendliest neighbors.

I’m Always Planning Escape Routes I overthink every room I enter. I calculate exits and hiding spots, even in safe spaces like my friend’s house.

Social Media Feels Dangerous Now Sharing personal details online makes me paranoid. Cybercrime episodes make me rethink every post I make.

I’m Addicted to the Fear The adrenaline rush is hard to give up. Even though it terrifies me, I can’t stop watching.

True Crime Has Changed How I See Humanity I don’t look at people the same way anymore. Stories about serial killers make me wonder how many people hide dark secrets.

Sometimes I Feel Like I’m in a Movie Every interaction feels scripted for danger. I play out scenarios in my head like I’m the star of a thriller.

I Avoid Hotels and Airbnbs Now Staying anywhere but home feels risky. Episodes about vacation crimes make me overly cautious about traveling.

My Imagination is Exhausting I’m always thinking of worst-case scenarios. Even a harmless grocery trip has me imagining potential threats.

Will I Ever Be Carefree Again? I miss feeling safe and carefree. True crime has left me questioning if I’ll ever feel as relaxed as I used to

Rock Bottom: The Night I Couldn’t Sleep

The breaking point came after a particularly intense episode about an unsolved case. You know, the kind where they never catch the guy? I went to bed, but sleep wasn’t happening. My brain was busy crafting an elaborate “what if” scenario.

What if there’s someone outside right now? What if they know I’ve been watching? What if I don’t survive to tell the tale?

I stared at the ceiling until 4 a.m., mentally rehearsing how to disarm an intruder with a lamp (again). That morning, I woke up exhausted and realized I couldn’t keep living like this.

How I’m Taking Back My Sanity

So, how am I dealing with the aftermath of my true crime addiction? First, I’ve set some boundaries. No more watching true crime before bed, (honestly, I’m not sure why I ever thought that was a good idea.) I’ve also swapped some of my viewing habits. Instead of diving into another murder mystery, I’ll watch something lighthearted, like watching a cartoon or a cooking show. There’s something oddly soothing about people aggressively frosting cakes.

I also started journaling too. At first, it felt silly writing down, “Today, I was scared of my own vacuum.” But you know what? It helps. Sometimes just putting the irrational thoughts on paper makes them feel…less powerful.

Therapy is next on my list because, let’s be real, talking to a professional beats yelling at my broom.

My Takeaway

Don’t get me wrong, I still love a good true crime story. But I’ve learned that True Crime Story is like candy, fun in moderation, disastrous in excess. Too much of a good thing can be… well, bad. True crime might scratch that itch for suspense and mystery, but it also comes with a hefty price tag for your mental health. If you’re like me and find yourself spiraling into paranoia after a binge session, it’s time to take a step back.

Because at the end of the day, the real crime is letting fear steal your peace of mind. And no amount of locked doors, triple-checked windows, or canceled jogs is worth that.

So, to all my fellow true crime junkies, watch responsibly. And maybe keep the lights on while you’re at it.

Enjoyed this story? If you love thought provoking stories like this one, make sure to subscribe for more! From heartwarming tales to controversial debates, we’ll keep you entertained and leave you with plenty to think about.

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[liketwoswansinbalance]

Ngl, I kinda want to know how Rhian and Rafal would react to the movie trends like Barbenheimer and the Wicked movie??? Like Barbenheimer is kinda obvious, the twins would probably argue over what to watch first but I can't for the life of me tell how Rafal would react to Wicked. I can see Rhian loving Wicked because I think he would be a theatre kid irl but I don't know how Rafal would react. Would Rafal be against it? Would he say he hates it but would grow to love it? Is he even theatre kid enough to enjoy it full-heartedly ?????? If he is, what kind of musicals would Rafal even watch??? What movies would he even watch??? I need this information....for possible mind fanfiction purposes (the pain of having no time to write so you just imagine it instead 😭)

Disclaimer: I have seen the musical, but haven't yet had a chance to see the movie, meaning my answers will be based on the musical's plot.

⸻

In response to the Barbenheimer trend:

Rafal: I don't get it.

Rhian: Don't you see! It's us.

Rafal: [flatly] It's a middle-aged man and a lady in pink.

Rhian: It's symbolic and the release day timings coincided. The movies are "twins" despite being near total opposites.

Rafal: [skeptically] They certainly look like total opposites.

Rhian: And yet they're both existential and deal with themes of mortality.

Rafal: [scoffs] Well. We'll never deal with mortality.

[Correct me if I'm wrong. I haven't actually seen Oppenheimer, but I know the general story of the Manhattan Project, Einstein's involvement, and the irradiated desert ecosystem leftover from the first atomic bomb testing site in an American desert.)

⸻

In response to Wicked:

[During "Dancing Through Life:"]

Rhian: Could Fiyero be any hotter?!

Rafal: [sighs] At least he's not a pirate...

Rhian: That was rhetorical. [He continues to stare intently at the actor though.]

[Later during "For Good":]

I've heard it said That people come into our lives For a reason

Rafal: [snorts derisively] And the reason is to be nuisances. Everyone who's come into Elphaba's life has caused problems—eugh, even her prince. Even the "Good" witch.

Rhian: [elbows him, hard.]

Rafal: A whole musical about Evers and the lesson is that they [mockingly] improve each other's souls. Couldn't get more trite than that.

Rhian: [under his breath] Deeply shallow. [He starts to tear up at the rest of the song.]

Rafal: [drains the last of his frozen drink unaffectedly.]

[ELPHABA] And just to clear the air I ask forgiveness for the things I've done you blame me for

[GLINDA] But then, I guess we know there's blame to share

Rafal: [starts to choke so badly Rhian has to pat him on the back.]

Rhian: Called it.

⸻

After leaving the theater:

Rhian: So—what did you think, brother o' mine?

Rafal: Excruciating.

Rhian: [pleased and quite smugly] Well! That's clearly more than apathy, isn't it? If it's truly caused you that much pain, I dare say: you were affected. And now, we're done with it.

Rafal: [with a thousand yard stare] Mm.

Rhian: You've done your Good deed of the decade by accompanying me and are off the hook from attending future events. I'll even ban you from the Snow Ball, so you're not obliged to attend, if it makes you happy.

Rafal: [deadpan to himself] No good deed goes unpunished. All helpful urges should be circumvented—for my sanity.

⸻

I don't think Rafal would like the concept of musicals, at least not at first, given how they're "inefficient" at conveying information. What can be said versus what can be sung is part of that distaste. Also, musicals have the challenging task of maintaining a certain mood in many cases, but the introduction of songs (and theatricality in general) can often automatically make the source material (if the story was adapted from another medium) seem light and overblown, if not handled well.

Though, I think musicals would appeal to his somewhat lesser known dramatic side since he's not always no-nonsense. Maybe he would like Phantom of the Opera or Heathers. I'm not familiar with a lot of musicals, so I can't say.

And, I think he would like the psychological horror genre and detective/crime fiction or films. He would try to solve the mysteries mentally, and learn from how the criminals fail to hide the evidence. Generally, I'm not sure if he would be much of a consumer of media. He would probably claim he has more "important" things to do, yet that also wouldn't mean he would be media-illiterate. He would probably like Shakespearean tragedies and Paradise Lost (and maybe John Milton's works in general). Plus, he would probably love it when "problematic" things got past censors, if he lived in the 1500s.

I must admit that, to me, he's a triple-threat vessel for ascetic/Spartan, Utilitarian, and Hobbesian values. I think he would quickly dismiss the entertainment industry as a whole, and so, it's hard for me to come up with anything he'd watch wholeheartedly and not for ironic purposes. He could like bloody, historical reenactment documentaries or documentaries about unethical (psychological) experiments or war theory.

If he were a theater kid (he's usually not flamboyant enough to be one by my interpretations?), he would be a closeted one, or his theatrical mannerisms would only emerge when he's being overtly terrifying and slamming victims to walls.

Again, I don't have specific movies I would associate with him, but maybe, he'd like dark humor, the anti-joke, or observational humor and whatever these are:

[markantonys]

I'm curious how the show is gonna handle Rand's relationship with the Aiel. It should be very interesting. Bookwise he kinda rejects their culture/seeing himself as Aiel cause of him clinging to his old life. They might just frame it differently, maybe he just doesn't feel a right to it cause he wasn't raised Aiel. Overall it seems like the show might be going in the direction of people in general being more receptive to learning about Aiel culture over them just handwaving them away as weird (like Perrin's interactions with Avi when book Perrin wouldn't have done that). Maybe Rand is more willing to learn cause he wants to learn more about his birth parents

yeah i don't know what to expect in this regard! my only particular annoyance with aiel-culture-related stuff in the books is that the books would introduce something as culturally or thematically important, but then shuffle it aside once it became inconvenient to the plot. i.e:

the aiel are introduced as very anxious to tie rand to them so that he doesn't destroy them. but when later plot prevents rand from having aiel hanging around him, they stop hanging around him and aren't overly concerned about him ignoring them (bar complaints here and there, with little attempt to actually Do Anything to make him stop ignoring them).

avirand's relationship is introduced as a crucial binding cord between rand and the aiel and as significant to general aiel-wetland relations, but this is dropped once later plot prevents them from spending time together, and aviendha is never used as a mediator in rand-aiel conflicts when by all logic she should be since that was one of the main narrative purposes of their relationship upon introduction.

the maidens & wise ones are so concerned about keeping avirand together for binding cord reasons that they chase off any wetlander woman who tries to hit on him, but once RJ decided that a) he wanted min to hook up with rand without being obstructed by the aiel surrounding him and b) there would be no opportunity for her to become first-sisters with aviendha before doing so, then suddenly the maidens & wise ones are all about min and becoming top min/rand shippers and aviendha is saying it's totally fine to make an exception to the first-sister rule for min even though she is very adamant about upholding it for elayne. when by all logic, the maidens & wise ones should NOT be happy about another wetlander woman with no connection to aviendha trying to get with rand (they'd have no reason to think min is any different from isendre, cairhienin nobles, etc in this regard) and aviendha should be much more resistant to making exceptions to rules we've been told are hugely culturally significant to her.

so my one wish for all aiel-culture-related stuff in the show is that if the show introduces something as culturally or thematically important, it should commit to that importance for the rest of the series rather than sweeping it aside once it's no longer convenient to the plot. that doesn't mean rand/wetlander-aiel relations needs to be a major theme or plot point of every single season for the rest of the show, because ofc it should naturally fade more into the background as the story goes on and other things come up, but it's gotta be either a) rand is tied securely enough to the aiel by the time he has to go off and do other stuff that it makes sense they're not concerned about things like him ditching them and getting a new wetlander girlfriend, or b) if he's not tied securely enough, then make the aiel react accordingly and actually try to use aviendha to intervene with him on their behalf.

hopefully this ramble makes sense djkjfg and it didn't even end up having much to do with rand's personal attitudes towards aiel culture, so i got off topic a bit! but for me, i am good with whatever show!rand's personal attitude ends up being as long as things remain emotionally consistent throughout the course of the show.

[pbaz7]

it's too late, I should be sleeping, I have class tomorrow... but pbaz7 posted so I HAVE to read

it was a playlist Azzi made a while ago to help Paige fall asleep on nights like this.

these weirdos are so in love

Paige always looked so peaceful like this—completely unguarded, all the weight she carried during the day momentarily lifted.

Paige is so beautiful guys like can we talk about it

Paige’s breathing changed, still looking unsettled.

it's always that goddamn car accident ik it is

“Hey,” she murmured. “I’m right here.”

oh so u want me in tears

Azzi barely had time to fully react before Paige was burying her face in her neck, her body pressing against Azzi’s completely. Not a second after Azzi felt the warm, damp trails of tears slipping down her neck.

im not even being dramatic there are tears in my eyes

You’re safe I promise.”

she knows exactly what to say she's perfect

“I’m sorry.”

baby you have NOTHING to be sorry for

“I heard Drew crying, asking for help,” Paige continued, her voice tight, like she was back in that moment.

the pain author please stop

thinking about all these expectations I have for myself now that I’m where I’ve always wanted to be

Paige you could have the same stat line as q in ranked games and I'd still love u

“You never have to apologize for showing emotions around me, baby. Ever.”

STOP. I CANT TAKE THIS ANYMORE.

“Go to sleep, big head.”

in every universe

That left Paige—dangerously open. The most open she’s ever been in her life.

oh y'all have NO idea what you've walking into

“So that was a glimpse of the superstar everyone’s been talking about.”

oh just a little glimpse

“Had me feeling some type of way.”

just remember what happened a couple nights ago and you'll feel fulfilled im sure of it

“Do I have to?

oh my god paige bueckers who kidnapped you

“Uh, it was great,”

wow. inspirational words.

“Best player in the nation, period!”

YOU TELL EM KK

With a sigh, she peeled off her soaked jersey, wringing out some of the excess water. The moment the jersey hit the ground, Ice let out a sharp dog whistle from across the room

oh ice u are SO me

“You ever think maybe some of the alumni had a little alcohol problem? Every tradition somehow ends up at Ted’s.”

LMAOOOO

“if aliens did exist, don’t you think they’d have already made contact? Like, they’d be here, living among us.”

how many drinks are y'all on JEEZ

“I’m just saying, if anyone on this team was an alien, it’d be you,” Ice added.

they've got a point

Q had settled in front of Paige, her body language way too relaxed, her expression too intrigued.

Im gonna rip those fucking puff balls off ur head

Paige blinked, caught off guard by her introduction to the conversation. “Uh, yeah..?”

like why do u wanna know...

Q blinked, slightly caught off guard by the bluntness of the answer. “That’s it?”

oh my GOD what is ur problem.

Q hesitated for a second before nodding toward her torso. “Your scar… what’s the story with that?”

now you've crossed a line here

“Well, I was gonna say we’re pretty serious.”

as she should

Paige barely had time to react before Azzi was kissing her—deep and slow. Paige felt her breath hitch, her fingers instinctively clutching at the fabric of Azzi’s shirt as warmth spread through her chest.

oh she is REALLY shoving this in qs face isn't she

Instead, she hooked a finger through the belt loop of Paige’s pants, pulling her in until there was no space between them.

it's giving against the tide with elle except switch p and az

Q scoffed, shaking her head. “You’re reading into things too much, I'm just talking to my teammate.”

hmm...

But it doesn’t matter, she doesn’t get to do anything you get to do.”

proof or it didn't happen!

“You done being jealous, mama?” she whispered against her lips. Azzi exhaled, her fingers flexing against Paige’s waist. “No.” Paige grinned, letting herself sink just a little closer. “Good.”

AAHHHHH

Azzi wasted no time, deepening the kiss immediately. Her fingers dug into Paige’s waist as her tongue slid against hers. But when Azzi sucked on her tongue—deliberate, slow, and so damn cocky—Paige had to pull back with a breathless laugh, her forehead resting against Azzi’s.

all im saying is bars have bathrooms!

When they got to Azzi’s room

I enjoy how they've just decided to forget that they each have their own rooms

Paige hummed in response, her eyes already fluttering shut as she nestled deeper into Azzi’s neck. “Mhm… always when I’m with you.”

adorable and perfect

this book just keeps getting better I love it

I honestly have no idea where you can take it from here but as long as there's no angst I'm plenty happy!

-🍉

Paige is so beautiful guys like can we talk about it

that’s the discourse everyday on here 😭

im not even being dramatic there are tears in my eyes

stink you cry every chapter

Paige you could have the same stat line as q in ranked games and I'd still love u

this is saying a lot lmao

oh ice u are SO me

🍉 you are SO gay

it's giving against the tide with elle except switch p and az

you guys remember mg stories more than i do it’s genuinely a problem that i have almost no recollection of some of the things i write 😭

[imexperiencinggrowthgetoverit]

My Reaction To “The Edge Of Sleep” Show

Spoilers below obviously

ep 1

so was Dave like unknowingly being prepared for this tragedy??? that’s my first thought about what’s happening

ep 2

I actually understand Katie’s view cuz she just believes Dave has disrespected her wishes. I’m glad once he’s there she reacts somewhat well considering

ep 3

this brings up the question if life is worth it even with extreme pain each second. it’s a good question to start discussion about from both those experiencing the pain and those caring for them. primarily the former talking to those around them about their feelings on it.

ah so perhaps I was correct about my ep 1 theory ha

ep 4

I’m so glad Dave talked to Katie finally. I’m also glad someone finally talked to Ruth. Their reactions are all understandable and I really appreciate that.

This concept is so cool and the execution is so well done. God I’m so glad to be watching this now. I’m checking out the podcast after this for sure. Never had the attention span for it before, but I’m hooked now.

Did Mark do Larry and sing by the way? I swear I’m hearing him everywhere lol. It’s so cool seeing his name in the introduction credits. Also the way we slowly understand more of them as we watch is 10/10

ep 5

Trying to figure out if the whale or elephant is good is hard cuz it seems obvious but what if it isnt?

Oh no they crash though…. right? Damn I’m so hyped to know what’s up.

oh my god the choice to make it like falling asleep as a viewer was so good Holy crap

it’s a hard thing to exert energy to stay awake but not so much you lose any energy to stay awake… as someone with insomnia this is a battle I am too intimately aware of

I’m so glad this is the cast. It’s so well picked for each role cuz they’re killing it.

NOOOO NOT THE POOR WORDING

ep 6

woah new intro.

is he dreaming awake now too? oh no.

Holy hyuck Matteo is going through it.

oh no there’s concerning sh info I really hope nobody uses it hyuck.

two hours. yall got this.

Holy thwip water landing okay so not a crash technically??

HEAD BETWEEN KNEES MFS WHAT ARE YOU DOING (ik theyre out of it but ahhhhh)

Holy crap they survived Holy crap all of them

we love abandoned islands lol

oh no hallucinations.

I just realized is the elephant wearing a red dress? its too bright to be a monk-inspired robe right?

I wonder if this is all one island or if its shots mixed together to look like one.

These people are so strong Holy crap. Handling literal torture

it is a red dress!!

oooooo love raw power let’s hyucking go.

Would Katie really want that?

it’s interesting that the elephant needs him…. the fact it can’t just take control… hmm

they made it!!!!

what?

okay much more sense context wise now with so many survivors.

Safet okay. Interesting the name has safe in it. Sounds like prophet too.

This is suuuuch cult thwip.

lol are they real like bro its the actual whales

oh lord. war? more torture sigh.

he’s not gonna take “all as it should be” well

that room has got to be hot as hell tf

so much fire is not safe yall

oh hell no what the hyuck

OH NO KATIE NO

post series

I want to see what’s next so bad omg yes.

Podcast time!!!