#liz’s letter box

[modernmanblues]

Who are your best friends on here?

everyone is, really but i will mention that ones i am closest to i suppose: @fancycolours @burn-on-the-flame @glennsdick @coolerthansnow @milkyway-ashes @jwclapton @brunetteboyfriend @shades-of-tiefes-purpur @baycitystygian @the-verb-to-yeet @rkee-tmbr @thedirtymac @gerardslivingdeadgirl @death-of-a-ladies-man @aonekonotorso @veryfancydoilies @starrybluez @lock-my-feelings-in-a-jar @radioroger @clockworkfairy

…everyone else has been very kind, though! always happy to see what everyone’s up to ☺️

[baezdylan]

jess mariano and dan humphrey have all the lyrics to "sad eyed lady of the lowlands" memorized

100% YESSSSSSSS

[hanniluvi]

TO THE BOY NEXT DOOR — JW ONESHOT.

“i don’t know if this is weird to say but, you’re truly someone special to me.”

synopsis : Does love at first sight exist? Apparently. You noticed a boy your age while helping a family move in. Your family made you hang out with him more. In result, you fell in love with your new neighbor, the boy next door. Who wouldn’t? Now, what if he feels the same way?

pairing — neighbor!jungwon x neighbor!fem!reader

genre — fluff, neighbors to lovers, strangers to lovers

featuring — leeseo, liz - ive; sunoo, niki - enhypen

warnings — kissing, lmk if i should add more

word count — 8.5K+

author’s note — now if you think the heeseung wc was a lot…you’re wrong 🤕 this def took longer then expected..so sorry abt that 😭 i’ll try to get the rest out asap, can’t guarantee it though!

001 — THE MOVE IN

You're in your room, sorting through some random items. Scraps of paper, stickers, letter paper—you name it. You raise the volume of your speaker once more, only to lower it again when your mother calls your name. You walked out to greet her, turning off the music. Your mom smiles at you, pleased that you came out so quickly.

You noticed her optimistic demeanor; perhaps she received a raise. You grab a glass of water while you wait for her to say something. "Dear, have you heard about the new people moving in next door?" You pause to think about it. There’s a new family? You exclaim and nod in response. "Oh, yeah, I saw those moving trucks when I was walking to school two days ago. Why?”

"Are you free right now?" You nod hesitantly, unsure what she expects from you. "Let's help them move!" You stopped getting ice from your refrigerator. You quickly turned to face her, a shocked expression on your face. "Mom, do you know who these people are? They've only recently moved in!"

“Of course I do, silly. Also, put that cup down before you drop it.” You slowly place the cup on the counter, following your mom to convince her.

“Okay..maybe I am busy.”

“Busy doing what? Being locked up in your room? Well sorry, that excuse isn’t going to work right now.”

“But I’m cleaning my stuff!”

“Why do that now? You never do it. Plus, you can do it another time.”

“Come on, you know I can’t get along well with new people.” Your mom ignores your excuses, quickly putting on her shoes. “And I’m here to fix that.” You groan as her response, knowing you have to come along anyways. “Hurry up! I can see them moving in boxes already!” You ran upstairs, grabbing the nearest hoodie you could get. “Okay, okay I get it!”

Here you are, dragging your feet along the sidewalk, wishing the time would fly by so you wouldn't have to help the new family. There was no personal grudge; you simply dislike interacting with new people. Your mother quickens her walking pace, forcing you to sprint to catch up. She cheerfully greets the family's mother, or so you assume. The lady greets you while holding two large bags.

"We're delighted to help out!" You stood behind your mother, giving her a small wave and an awkward smile. "This is my child. Say hello, there's no need to be shy." You shot your mother a quick glare while she smiled back. “Nice to meet you yn!” “Hello, Miss.” “Oh, call me Mrs. Yang.” “Oh, sure. Thank you Mrs. Yang.” You flashed an awkward smile to lighten up the air.

You stand there awkwardly listening in on your mother's conversation with Mrs. Yang. Your mother exclaims, catching your attention as you pick at your nails. "You should meet Jungwon, YN. He and you are the same age!" She gestures to the boy in the distance who is carrying a box into the house. You squint your eyes, unable to make out his facial features. "Why don't you introduce yourself?" Mrs. Yang follows you two from behind as she brings you to the boy before you can say no. Great, you are now about to embarrass yourself.

“Hi Jungwon!” your mother says cheerfully. The boy sees her, gives a small smile and says hello back. He spots you next to her, making him nervous all of a sudden. He broke off eye contact with you, looking around the truck cluelessly. Did he find you a bother? Well, you didn’t care—it was just gonna be a one time thing. “YN, go help Jungwon bring the boxes in!” She leaves you standing with Jungwon, you awkwardly make eye contact with him.

"Let's just get this out of the way." You sighed as the boy nodded and followed you behind. You noticed a box with Jungwon's name written on it. You reach for it, but he also tries to grab the same one. He pauses, drawing your attention to him. He pulls away shyly, grabbing the next box and walking away. He's definitely out of the ordinary. Despite the fact that you didn't know him, he exudes a comforting aura.

You notice Jungwon walking up the stairs to his room and decide to follow him. His room appeared to be quite simple once you entered. There were white walls, white bookshelves, and a mattress with a black cat plushie on top. He quickly hid it under his blanket because you suddenly stared at the plush. "Why hide it? It's cute," you said as you set the box of his things down. "Do you like cats?"

"Yeah," he says, the word barely escaping his mouth. You had no idea why he was nervous—you guessed it was because a random stranger was trying to talk to him and was in his room.

“What do you like, then?” In an effort to continue the conversation, he questioned.

"I really love stars. I enjoy the way they sparkle in the night sky when I see them in videos, of course. I never spent any time stargazing or staying up late to do so. I don’t think I’ll ever have the time or patience to do all of that. But, they seem really pretty.” As you took a seat on his floor, you said. He nods in silence, perhaps noting your preferences for the next time.

"I met her when she came to visit my family. "She's nice," he says as he begins to take items from the box. He took out posters and even small figurines. You went to take a closer look. You're right behind him, and he stiffens up. You give him an odd look that causes him to clear his throat. He walks away, his cheeks flushed. "What's the deal with him?" You thought to yourself.

You've noticed that he enjoys being well-organized. He gets irritated if his posters aren't straight and has the perfect number of books on his shelf. He's definitely not like the other guys you'd meet. You tried having small conversations with him here and there, but he only responds briefly. You kept going because you found him interesting. Something about him pushed you to speak with him even more.

The minutes flew by. You and Jungwon were still in his room, which was awkward. But you and him continued to talk until it was time for you to leave. You looked at your phone screen when you heard your mother call your name. It lights up, revealing 4:30 p.m. "Oh, it's kinda late," you say, making eye contact with him and letting him know you have to leave.

“I’ll see you later?” As you stood up, you said. He nods, a solemn expression on his face. Didn't you just meet today? Why is he so upset about you leaving? And why was your heart beating faster than usual? No, you had to gather yourself together. You walked out of his room, ignoring your original thoughts, not noticing him following you.

“Wait-“ You heard him call out. You turn around, seeing the sight of the nervous boy. "Thank you for hanging out with me even though I was awkward. And you know, you kept the conversation going with your questions, so really I’m grateful for that. I thoroughly enjoyed all of our conversations! Thank you...?"

“Oh yeah. YN. call me YN.”

“Thank you YN. See you tomorrow?” His face turns bright red, with a hopeful expression. He really wanted to see you again.

“See you tomorrow.” You smiled and waved him goodbye. When he returned your smile, the first thing you noticed were his dimples. Your stomach flipped. Is that normal? You walked back home with your mother, smiling at your short interaction earlier.

Your mother notices your cheerful mood and immediately suspects you. "You must like the family I see," she says in her sentence. You lift your eyebrows slightly, waiting for her to finish her sentence. "Especially Jungwon." You hurried to deny her claims, saying, "What—just he's cool, I think."

“That’s what they all say! Kids these days..” As she passes by your room, you hear your mother's voice fading away. You forced yourself not to consider what she said. You didn't care about him. There is no way that after only meeting today, you have already begun to feel something like this.

Your mind said otherwise. All night, you couldn't stop thinking about his smile. As soon as you got into bed, you hoped that these thoughts would fade. As you were about to close your eyes, Jungwon's presence forced you to open them right away. The image of him being stuck in your head wasn’t helping. At this rate, your eye bags will show up tomorrow. Did you really like him? Even if you did, you believed that these emotions would go away. Not wanting to think about your feelings, you relaxed into sleep, turning off the light on your nightstand.

And you weren't the only one who was thinking about the incident earlier.

So was Jungwon.

002 — SECOND MEETING

When your alarm went off, you sluggishly hit the snooze button. You sat up, one hand rubbing your eyes. You only got 4 hours of sleep and had school today—wonderful. You went to the restroom to conceal your visible eye bags. You didn't want anyone to make a comment about them, especially on a Monday morning. The aroma of coffee permeates your room as you get ready.

You dashed downstairs when you noticed a cup of iced coffee and a bagel with cream cheese. "Thank you for the coffee, mom," you sighed, relieved. "You've saved my life." As you take a quick sip, she smiles. "I know your sleep schedule is messed up—really it's the least I could do."

"See you later, Mom!" You said this with your mouth full of food. "Be careful, dear!" Before you walked out the door, you heard her say. You checked your watch: 6:55 a.m. Okay, you might be able to catch the bus on time. In fact, you were extremely early.

You liked going to school early and killing time by going to the shops nearby for some reason. You're not sure why you do it, but it's enjoyable for you. You walk to the bus stop with your hands in your pockets. As you approached your neighbor's house, you noticed the brown-haired boy hurrying out the door.

His clothes were a little sloppy, and his hair was a mess. Someone appears to have just awoken. You noticed he was dressed in the same color uniform as you. Did he go to the same school as you? You saw the yellow pin with the school's logo, confirming your predictions. You kept looking at him, getting closer to him.

You laughed as you watched him almost trip over his shoelaces. Jungwon turns to investigate the source of sound. He makes eye contact with you and panics. He straightens his clothes and hair before bending down to tie his shoe. Oh, how he wished you'd leave. It’s embarrassing for you to see him like this.

You, however, did not. You simply moved closer to him, waiting beside him. He looks at you, puzzled. You gave him a look, breaking the strange silence. “Um?”

“What? I don't mind waiting for you."

“Why…?”

"We attend the same school. We should walk together. "Please hurry up." He quickly ties his shoes and dusts his pants from kneeling. You walk ahead of him, causing him to trail behind you. He's wary, but he really wants to speak with you. He's been looking for a way to talk to you comfortably since last night. Something about you makes him want to be your friend.

You two have already arrived at the bus stop, where you are waiting together. The only sounds were the wind and the vehicles passing by; nobody cared to speak. Your face went red from the cold, and you weren't even wearing a hooded jacket.

Jungwon notices; he has a keen eye for details. He was brave enough to give you your scarf when he saw that you were shivering from the cold. He timidly moves closer to you while removing the gray scarf. It's the first time he's given someone permission to borrow something of his personal belongings, especially to someone he only met yesterday.

You give me an odd look after seeing Jungwon offer you the scarf.

“Huh?”

“What? Are you not cold?”

“Oh, hold on, don't give me the scarf; it is yours. Is it strange that you’re—" Sighing, he moves closer to your side. He makes you face him, wrapping the scarf around your neck. Even more redness appears on your face, but Jungwon doesn’t appear to notice it. He finishes covering you with the scarf and smiles, revealing the dimples once more.

"It's fine; I believe we are getting quite close actually. Even if we just met.” He glances at you while putting on his hood. “Plus, I have this whereas you do not.” You grinned, flushing, while he kept his triumphant grin.

Finally, the bus arrived at the bus stop. He let you board the bus before him and followed closely in your steps. Fortunately, there are enough open seats for just two people. As you motioned for him to join you in sitting, you turned to face him. He nods, his face showing just a hint of blush.

You choose to take a seat beside the window. There wasn't much room between you and him at this point; your legs were practically touching. You glanced quickly to check what Jungwon was doing as you heard a zipper pop open. He pulled out his wired headphones and phone.

You fixed your gaze on him as you saw him with one of the earbuds in his ear. He motions for you to join him in listening while holding out his earphone. You take the earbud after agreeing. The warmth in your stomach returns as he moves further closer to you.

He presses play, staring at you to see whether you like the song. He exhales with relief once he notices that you're humming along. You let out a small chuckle, gaining the boy’s attention. “You listen to songs like this?” He asks with a quick nod, “Who doesn’t love Twice?” “That’s true.”

Along with the music, you guys bop your heads while laughing heartily with one another. He looks at you lovingly and longs to hear your endearing laughter repeatedly. He has already fallen head over heels for you on day two. You looked adorable wearing his scarf, and he wanted to see you wearing it every day.

You are forced to return the earbud back when the bus arrives at your school. You couldn't get out first because there wasn't enough space between your seat and the one in front of you. He stands up after noticing your glance. You noticed he quickened up his speed, leaving you behind in the bus seat. Isn’t this his first day of school? What if he has no friends? You followed him so that you wouldn't make him feel the same way you did on your first day.

As you ran from a bus stop to the campus, you quickly caught up with him, breathing a little harder than usual. He sure was fast. When he sees you rushing over for him, he starts grinning. You asked out of breath, "What are you smiling for?" “Nothing. I just noticed how far you sprinted to catch up with me from there.”

“Whatever!” You puffed, trying to get rid of the tightening pressure in your chest. When you noticed him taking his schedule out of his folder, you asked, "What's your first period?" His schedule was well-organized, with the classes being emphasized in every color imaginable, including red to purple. The words "chemistry" and "first period" were underlined in this bright green, making it simple to see what he had.

He sighed, "Chem," as if he hadn't noticed you looking at his schedule. “Oh, our classes are the same.” His attention was drawn to your terribly disorganized schedule. The paper had folded corners and appeared to be crumbled. It looked like you pulled it out of the bottom of your bag (which you did). He saw that you seemed unbothered, though. You kept double checking your paper and his. Lucky you—the same classes both showed up on his and yours.

You made him forget about your crumpled paper by saying, "That's great!" He grinned when he noticed how your eyes took on a crescent shape. It was enough to make his heart ache to see how happy you are. He joins in on your laughter, which fills the busy hallway. It seemed like it was just you two in your own little world. You forgot about your friends and so did he. But who cares—you want to spend time with him as much as you can.

You saw one of your friends out of the corner of your eye while you were walking in class together. When you see Jungwon approaching a group of six people, your worries about him vanish. After all, he had connections, which is great. “Who was that guy you walked into school with?” Leeseo pulls curiously on your sleeve.

“Oh him? the boy who yesterday moved in next door. We decided to walk together to school today.”

“Damn, I should visit your house more often.” Liz jokes, receiving a little slap on the arm from you. “Not funny.” They were staring at you after you said that. It was easy to tell you apart, anyone could tell whether you actually liked or hated someone. You spotted Leeseo and Liz exchanging glances as they made an effort to communicate with their brows and eyes.

Confused, you finally understood what they were doing. You made a little gasp that was audible to the two. When Liz discovers that you are speechless, she struggles to contain her laughter. It was way too much watching you like this. “You like him?”

“What—no! We just recently met, like yesterday! That is not possible.” You babbled while doing random gestures with your hands in the air.

“How come not?” Leeseo remarks while putting her chin on her palm. You recline, mumbling to yourself. Liz arches an eyebrow in an effort to understand what you said. "You know, falling in love with the new kid isn’t that bad. Probably could just be love at first sight.” Liz and Leeseo both nod in agreement.

“But that's so cliché!” You mutter into your palms as you groan. “I didn't want to fall in love this way.” you said.

“Well too bad! Now, will you help me with this worksheet?”

You didn't need much time to start looking for Jungwon. You searched everywhere, even every staircase and the areas around the lockers. You just wanted him to walk home with you, that's all. You swear you glanced at him briefly when the bell sounded, and then he vanished into the crowd. Five minutes have passed; time was moving much more quickly as normal.

You sighed and decided to go home by yourself. You hoped to see a boy with cat-like features running down your path as you dragged your feet along the concrete pavement. You kept turning around, but there was no boy in sight. He might have actually left. You put in your earbuds and started listening to the same song you did with him on the bus to get here.

It was a mistake to put your earbuds in. You were unaware that the boy you were searching for was chasing you. Even though he was gasping for air, he ran. You certainly moved too quickly for him. He constantly called your name but got no reaction from you. He seemed foolish—it looked like he was attempting to get back with his ex or something.

“Please have the red light turned on, please.” He spoke quietly to himself. Fortunately, the red light turned on, causing you to stop moving. He was relieved that you stopped as he was catching up to you. He touched you on the shoulder while gasping for air. You jumped when you noticed the boy's face was covered with sweat.

"What the hell?" you say. You remove your earbud and put it back in the case for your airpods. "You're drenched in sweat. Literally.” "I'm aware," he said. When Jungwon wipes off his sweat with his sleeve, you can see a red flush forming on his cheeks. “I literally ran all the way from there to catch up.”

“I didn’t even see you!”

“"Listen, I didn't even see you either! I felt as though I was being drawn into a blackhole—a blackhole packed with people—as soon as the bell rang. I was too busy searching around to look for you.”

“It took you that long to get out?”

“Yeah, I was stuck at the other side of the school.”

“Oh. Forgot to search that area.” He gave himself a forehead slap, which made you laugh. “My bad!”

“Whatever. We have each other now.” A smile was plastered on his face, looking at you once more. You nod, returning back the smile. You knew this school year was going to be a long one.

003 — SNEAKING OUT?

You and Jungwon were hanging out every day at this time. Your relationship became closer and closer every time you saw one other. Really, you now face-time each other for hours on end as part of your daily routine.

But things are different now. You didn't call him, and he didn't call you. During the walk to school and back home, all you did was talk. You were aware that the upcoming exam week would be busy. You guys couldn't stay on call for hours talking about who knows what because studying was a top priority.

You yawn after spending two hours poring over your textbooks. As you stretched, the message alert you had been waiting to see appeared. You quickly reach for your phone as you notice Jungwon's contact with a heart emoji appear. You grinned and quickly read his message.

“look outside :]”

You rushed to your window, seeing the boy wave with his phone flashlight on and a grey sweatshirt on. You glanced at the clock, 11:30 PM. You caught a quick glimpse at the time—11:30 PM. Oh my god, it's already very late and your parents are sound asleep. You went to message him, “it’s late :(“

“it’s my only time to actually see you </3 it wouldn’t hurt to hang out for a bit!” You took a flimsy sweater from the closet and climbed out the window, knowing that your mother wouldn't mind. That's what you wanted to believe. He was keeping an eye on you from above to make sure you didn't trip.

Once you got down, you hardly saw his smile, but you were aware that his dimples were showing. When he's happy to be around you, you love to see his dimples, which was one of his best features.

“Hi.” Jungwon says in a sweet tone, making you fold instantly. “Where do you wanna go?”

“Oh you’ll see. Come on YN!” YN! He took hold of your wrist and led the way. Your stomach was besieged by a strange but warm sensation. Thank god it was dark outside since your cheeks were flushed with a light pink hue.

You two arrive in a grassy location not too far from your separate homes. “I've always wished to come here with someone.” He said it excitedly. “I’m glad I’m here with you.”

He had a huge tote bag that he brought along. He retrieved a plaid mat and set it down for you and him. He invited you to sit down with him by gently tapping the ground. You accept the iced coffee he offers and ask, "So...what are we doing here?" Oh my goodness, he was ready for this.

“We’re here to look at the stars.” He smiles broadly as he turns to face you. He recalled everything, including your two of you's very first chat. You and your crush are here under the stars gazing for constellations, you couldn't help but feel all giddy. Not to mention that you had never done it before.

You two kept talking and laughing together as usual. There was something about his voice today. As you continued to listen to him, you realized that his voice was enticing you to just shut up and listen to him rant all day. It was soothing and pleasant to listen to—why have you only recently paid attention to his wonderful voice?

As the laughter dies down, you two made the decision to maintain silence while allowing the breeze to fill the space. You two kept waiting. White dazzling stars begin to appear just when you're about to give up. “Wow, those are lovely.” You uttered the words reverently while holding your breath. As you continue, Jungwon nods in agreement. He is happy that he chose to invite you for this.

Jungwon noticed that your eyes sparkled like the stars above. That warm sensation returns to his chest. He's not sure why, but he feels strange whenever he's near you. You just have this effect on him that makes him want to hug you and fantasize about being in a relationship with you. He paid even more attention to you this time, seeing the wind beautifully blow your hair.

He examines your facial features; you were truly special. Seeing you this enthralled makes him want to see you like this every day—he's in big trouble. He realizes why he is feeling this way—he only wants to be with you.

That's right—being here with you under the moonlight makes him realize how much he adores you. Oh, you're going to have to pay for his next hospital visit— his heartbeat keeps increasing per second.

You lay down on the mat, hoping to get a better view of the stars. He joins you shyly, both of your heads touching. When you saw Jungwon point into the sky, you heard him chuckle. "Doesn't that one look like it's going to make a cat?"

You fixed your gaze on what he was pointing at. He wasn't mistaken—the lines did create those cat ears. "Oh, I see what you mean. Just a cat meeting another cat," You teased him again. You turned your head to see him, and his ears turned red. You return your gaze to the sky, a wide smile on your face.

"Do I really resemble a cat?" You respond with a nod. "You really do! The way you act at times, your features—particularly your eyes—uh, you're cute like a cat, too." Fuck, you used the word "cute" way too casually. You came to a halt and cleared your throat as Jungwon processed what you said. Did you just say he was cute? In shock, he thought to himself.

You're all flustered this time, while he gets cocky. "Do you really mean it? You know—about my cuteness."

“Take a look at that big dipper over there.” He leaves you alone, chuckling at the abrupt change of subject. All he knew was that his heart was racing, and it was all because of you.

It was becoming very late, and as much as you wanted to continue gazing up at the brilliant sky, you didn't want your parents to get angry with you. Additionally, it was starting to get a little chilly. Crossing your arms, you were rubbing your arms as you came down the road. That flimsy sweater was not going to help keep you warm. Jungwon notices, he was worried that you were going to get sick. He reaches for your arm, stopping you in your tracks. You turned around, looking to see what he wanted from you.

He gives you his tote bag. He quickly slings it on your shoulder after noticing your slow reaction. He removes his hoodie, gaining gasps from you.

"What are you doing, Jungwon?" He grabs the tote bag strap and drops the hoodie into your arms. While you fiddled with the material of his hoodie, he held onto the tote bag. He looks at you and smirks slightly.

“What? Do I have to put it on you now? Like I did when I helped you put on the scarf?" His voice was teasing, and deep down inside he wished you had said yes. He didn't know where the confidence came from—he probably just wanted to see you blush. Even though you were at a loss for words, you still didn't put on that hoodie. He reaches back for his hoodie, only to put it on you. He inserts both of his hands into the clothing, making it easier for him to put on you. When he put it on your head, you stuffed your arms into the sleeves.

He lets you do the rest, you pull the hoodie down to your stomach. His hoodie was quite large—he must prefer baggy clothing. Jungwon smiles fondly at you while you're all comfortable. You looked adorable in his hoodie—why is he like this?

Ba bump. Ba bump. Your heart beats faster with each stride. You want to kneel down in the middle of the sidewalk at the mere thought of you wearing this. As you’re making up random scenarios in your head, you hear a faint purring sound. You scanned around the area, looking for the source of the sound.

A black cat can be seen moving toward the lamp post. As you drew nearer to the cat, you gasped in awe. Jungwon keeps an eye on you from a distance, hoping the stray cat won't hurt you in any way. As you knelt down, you cooed to get the cat's attention. The cat slowly makes its way towards you, letting you easily pet it.

You gave it a little scratch under the head, and it purred in answer. As you continue to pet the kitten, Jungwon unexpectedly reaches into the bag. He approaches you and lowers himself alongside you.

Click! When the polaroid camera made a loud noise, you unexpectedly turned to face Jungwon. He takes out the polaroid and fans it in hopes of getting a photo. Once the image shows up, a small smile creeps onto his face. “Didn’t it turn out nice?” He shows you the polaroid, allowing you to see you and the cat. You said with a smile, “Where did you get that camera from?”

“I’m just a magician.”

“Oh cut that out.”

“Seriously though, I wanted to take pictures of us earlier. I forgot about it until now.”

“Then let’s do it now.” You motion with your hand for him to get closer. He is now crouched next to you, wondering what you’ll ask him to do next. You tug his sleeve lightly, making him move even more near you. You carefully picked up the cat and placed it into your arms. You held it with one arm while the other was free. You hold out a peace sign, waiting for Jungwon to snap a quick picture.

He notices that you’re ready and extends his arm into the air. He pressed the button twice, the sounds of the polaroid coming out was heard. He smiles at the picture—it looked like you two were owners of one cat. It was like you guys were in a small little family.

“Can I use that camera real quick?” Getting a yes from him, you grabbed his camera. He sipped his coffee as you held up the device. The light hits his eye, making him blink his eyes a bit. You took the polaroid, satisfied with the outcome.

“I’m keeping your polaroid.” You told him, showing him his picture one last time before putting it into the back of your phone.

“Only if you allow me to keep yours.”

“Deal.”

You reached his house first—but he wanted to walk you back home. So, instead of refusing, you let him come along. Before entering the front door, you looked at him one more time.

“Thank you for today, Won.”

He smiles, “Thank you for making my night better. Don’t get yelled at, alright?”

“You too. Goodnight!”

You say your goodbyes as you enter the house, him slowly walking away. You moved slowly up the stairs, closing your room door behind you. You took another look at the polaroids—you and Jungwon in one, and just Jungwon in the other. You collapsed onto your bed, giggling a little too loudly.

Meanwhile, Jungwon delicately held the two polaroids. He decides to put them in a glass frame and display them on his desk. He sits on his bed, looking at the photos you took.

Tonight was the day you realized you both liked each other.

A lot.

004 — LETTERS, LETTERS, LETTERS!

It wasn't surprising to hear your mother yelling your name. She always does that when she needs something done for her or wants to talk about school. You removed your earbuds after hearing a faint noise.

“WHAT?” You responded by yelling back at her. There was a brief pause before she continued. "YOU RECEIVED SOMETHING FROM JUNGWON!" You were perplexed—what had Jungwon gotten you?

You took a brief break from your homework to look for your mother. When you walked downstairs, you noticed her smirking slightly. You notice a white envelope in her hands when you look at her strangely. She hands you the letter quietly, allowing you to read the words "To: YN <3, From: Your Won!" You took it from her hands with a slight smile.

"Did my dear receive a love letter?" Your mother made you laugh, causing you to roll your eyes. "I did not."

"No matter what you say, the drawings on the envelope say otherwise." She exits the kitchen and goes to her room. You dashed upstairs to your room after she left. You sat in your chair and carefully examined the envelope. You flipped it over and noticed a slew of doodles on the blank side. There were hearts, smiley faces, and whatever else you could think of.

You carefully ripped the washi tape off, hoping not to tear the envelope apart. You noticed a letter, as expected. You took it out, stickers strewn across your desk. You quickly opened it, skimming over the words.

To… YN !

hihi! It's Jungwon, your next-door neighbor :]

Okay, enough with the greetings. Anyway, you might be wondering why you got this letter, so I'm here to tell you!

I think writing letters to each other would be a lot of fun, and we live right next door, so why not? When we can't call or, who knows, when we lose our wifi... We can use these letters! (Jk, I'm just trying to improve my writing...I think it's getting worse.)

all jokes!! I'm sure this letter is becoming increasingly difficult to read. But don't worry—our future letters will not be like this. (hopefully).

So, don't be afraid to leave a few letters nearby—I promise to read them all and keep them safe. (If you send one back, I'll show you proof!)

For the time being, goodbye :)

waiting your letter hehe ^^

From... your only won <3!

You squealed to yourself after rereading the letter several times. Unfortunately, your mother walks in on you doing so. She slowly raises her brow, looking at you and your reaction a few seconds ago. "Look at who's happy. Look, who helped you feel this way about a guy?"

"Oh, please, Mom, stop." You said this while covering your face with your hands. "Don't worry, I've got your back!" Besides, there's a reason I forced you to accompany me that day." You cringe as she sends you a wink. She laughs and walks out of your room with what she needs.

You looked over at your desk, where all of your writing supplies were piled up in the corner. You took out a piece of paper and a pen. These supplies will be put to good use.

You're writing a letter to the boy next door instead of doing your homework.

So productive.

005 — LOVE IS STRESSFUL

Without a doubt, Jungwon was going crazy every day. He worries that one day his heart may spring out of his chest, and seeing you every day didn't help. Almost everyone is aware of his and your romantic interest. And you and him? too terrified to act at all. You guys actually believe you're doing it slowly and carefully, which is a giant lie.

“Hm.. so—Ow!” One of his friends, Sunoo, hit Jungwon with a notebook. “What’s my dearest friend thinking hard about?”

"Not much at all." He sighed and admitted that he had been lying. He was debating whether to ask you out or not; perhaps he would postpone asking you out for a while.

“No need to lie.” He was exposed by Sunoo, who forced Jungwon to concede defeat. “I know you’re worried about ruining your ‘friendship’ with her, but maybe it’s better to get your feelings off your chest before it’s too late.”

“Right.” Jungwon sighed. He closed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair. This was simply too much for him. He only had to confess, which shouldn't be too difficult, right? Wrong—the anxious feeling reappeared.

"However, I'm not sure about my feelings." Sunoo rolled his eyes as watched him lie straight through his teeth. "Jungwon, are you serious? Everyone knows you two have something going on at this point—hey, if I didn't know you two, I'd think you two were dating!" Sunoo rambles on, forcing Jungwon to take in everything.

“You’re in denial. Too much denial.” Sunoo walked back and forth, an open palm and a fist hitting against it each time. He appeared to be far more stressed than Jungwon—what was Sunoo up to?

"You know, Jungwon is constantly in denial. Ever since she showed up." Niki appears from nowhere, snickering. The sounds he makes then fade as a result of Jungwon's glare. "Calm down, I was joking." He raises his hands, signaling his surrender. Jungwon rolls his eyes and settles back into his chair.

How should he approach you? He wanted this moment to be perfect not only for him, but also for you. But he knew he had to act quickly. Sunoo was right.

Just maybe, Jungwon will finally have a Valentine's Day date this year.

006 — TASTE OF VICTORY

Today was a big day. Jungwon finally mustered the courage to ask you out. That doesn't mean he isn't scared—his palms are sweating. He's nervously biting his nails and looking at his phone screen every time it lights up.

Ding! A text message. When he sees the contact name, he grabs his phone quickly. "future gf <3" was displayed, prompting him to take a deep breath in. Every day, seeing your text messages was nerve-racking. He reads the words "in front of your house rn!" as he clicks on your message. He rushes out of his room, opening the front door for you.

He opens the door to reveal you standing there. You give him that big smile he wishes he could see every day. He lets you in first, then walks up the stairs right behind you. He observes you as you relax on his bed. He's all over the place while you're calm.

"So, what do you want to do?" You broke the silence with your words. "Anything you want." He says. He needed to lighten the mood by playing video games or doing crafts—anything to calm his nerves.

"All right then." You handed him the video game console. "In Mario Kart, I'm going to beat you." You smiled at him, and he smirked back. "I'd like to see you give it a shot."

It was about time that he should confess. He notices you reading a book from his shelves. You were reading together, which you did frequently after playing games. "Let's listen to some music." You respond with a hum, forcing him to say something quickly. "Of course, to listen while reading." Okay, he's pretty smooth with it.

He hands you an earbud and starts playing a song he chose after hours of deliberation last night. He chose ‘I WANT U BABY’ by STAYC, a song that relates to his current situation. He kept an anxious eye on you as you turned the pages of the book. He probably assumed you wouldn't be paying attention to the lyrics, but you would. You were always interested in the songs he played around with you. Jungwon was never the type to make a big move first, unless he really wanted to.

How do you know that? You don’t know—you guess people seem to pay more attention to their crushes instinctively.

Playing it off normal, you just stayed silent and listened to the song.

Even if I toss and turn in my sleep, when I wake up.

I smile today due to your words from that day too

When did this start? Insane (-sane)

It's funny because it's similar to what both of you are going through right now. Every time he compliments you, it follows you wherever you go. Where did this blossoming feeling come from? The exact same question you tried to ask yourself.

Now I feel I'm floating all day

Everything seems to be floating, like a dream, yeah

Everything feels like a dream—as if he's not real. Everything appeared to be too good to be true.

I want you, baby

On a starry night, I want you to pick a star for me

Just want you, baby

Your cheeks warmed up as you recognized the lyrics. Isn't it amusing that you went stargazing a few weeks ago? Is he trying to tell you something? Is it all just a coincidence?

I want you to fill my empty heart up, I love ya

'Cause I'm crazy in love, crazy in love, I'm crazy in love

Crazy in love with star

If only he knew you were crazy in love with him too.

I want you baby

On a night like this

I knew that you were thinking 'bout me

He’s pretty much reading your mind at this point. Yes, you did want him—you hoped he caught the signal from you. You’re just humming along to prevent awkwardness.

Tonight will end, but I'm fine

I'll shine on you and me

Love might be a little bit foolish, but all right

You could be my only star

This song really hits home. You kept listening, feeling as if you could relate to every word. There was a brief pause after the song ended. You smiled, not wanting to get your hopes up, and said, "That was a really good song." Jungwon was nervous but relieved when you finally made eye contact with him.

“You think so?” You nodded, making him smile shyly.

“I picked that song for you.” He’s fiddling with his fingers, while you pretend to be clueless. “Hm?”

“Did you pay attention to the lyrics?” He pretends to fix his sleeves, trying to say what he wanted to say to you. “Those lyrics are the same thing I wanted to tell you.” You were shocked because you had been waiting for this for a while. You admire Jungwon's decision to confess since he was always such a shy person.

“Jung-“

He spoke quickly and cut you off, saying, "It's okay if you don't feel the same way, I just wanted to tell you this before it was too late." He gives you a frightened face since he undoubtedly expects you to reject him.

“I feel the same, Jungwon. I like you too.” You extended your hand and clasped his with your own. He was going to experience heartache because of the red color of his cheeks. You both hesitantly exchange glances while allowing the space to become silent.

What are we, then? He looks at you while clearing his throat. "Whatever you like, Won." You look at each other with admiration in your eyes.

As your faces move closer, your foreheads touch. He brings you further closer by placing his hand on your chin. Then, he places his soft lips on your lips. It was exactly right—not too fast, not too slow. You were both simply moving at your own rate.

After that, you two started to break apart while clearly blushing. It felt just right for Jungwon—the taste of victory. He tastes the strawberry lip balm you applied as he licks his lips.

“I’m gonna need to borrow that lip balm.” He chuckles, getting a shy response from you.

“You and I on Valentine's Day?” You answered yes when he asked. “You’re my first date, by the way.” Being your first, his heart flutters with happiness.

“I’m glad.”

You rested your head on his shoulder, playing around with his fingers. With the earbuds still in, he plays the song one more time.

“This will be our song now.” He smiles like a fool, while you laughed at him.

“Our song only.”

007 — YOUR MOON, HIS STAR

Finally, the day you've been looking forward to has come. It was Valentine's Day, a day you didn't usually celebrate. You never went on a date; you just hung out with your friends.

But this time, you actually got a date, and it was with your ideal guy. He is essentially everything you could ever want. It has been two weeks since you two started dating. He still tries to be with you everyday and leaves you love letters in your mailbox. Sometimes, you can’t even believe he’s yours.

You two have yet to tell your friends, but you will do so today. Although you were both anxious, the time had come for you to make your relationship known by them. They were already suspicious of you guys, so informing them now would be better before they discover it for themselves.

“You ready?” When you nodded in response to his query, he squeezed your hand firmly. “I bet they are gonna freak out.” Swinging his arm back and forth, you laughed. “I can see them from here…and why is Niki wearing a fish hat?”

“At least we had no trouble finding them.” As you moved toward the friend group, you spoke. When he sees you two holding hands, Niki is the first to catch you and lets out a startled gasp. He points at your hands with one hand while covering his mouth with the other.

The others soon catch on and begin to gasp. “FINALLY!!” Sunoo applauds, making the other people around him chuckle. “Congrats!” Liz says with a smile.

“Was sort of anticipating this”, While donning heart-shaped sunglasses, Leeseo remarks. “Hurry—let's go on some rides!” After putting on heart accessories, the group bolted off, heading to a ride they had their eye on.

As soon as you noticed Jungwon was exhaling, you turned to face him. “I’m glad that went smoothly.”

“Of course it would—they supported us in the beginning.”

“Oops, really?”

“Yes, I'll fill you in on everything when we finally catch up with them. Let's go, shall we?”

“Of course.”

“That roller coaster was fun!” Liz exclaims, locking arms with Leeseo.

“It really was—oh and Sunoo looked like he was about to pass out there!”

“Shut up Niki! This is literally why you don’t have a Valentine’s date!”

“Hey!”

You laughed along with them until you came across a merchandise store. "Ooh, let's stop by!" When you walk into the store, everyone walks in with you. It was a small but comfortable space. You split up into pairs to see if there was anything you wanted to buy. While you're amazed by everything in the store, a specific item catches your boyfriend's eye.

He taps your shoulder before lightly dragging you by your arm. He points to the silver star and moon necklaces, as well as the matching bracelets. "Wow, this is gorgeous!" You examined the jewelry by bringing it closer to your face.

"I think we should get it because it reminds me of us."

“You think so? Why?”

"If you like stars, you'd be my star, and I'd be your moon. I believe the moon and stars complement each other." He says, causing you to flush. "Then I'll agree with you."

"All right, I'll get it for us. We will get each other’s bracelets but keep our own necklaces that represent us. Just so we have something to remind us of each other wherever we go."

"You're so adorable, Won."

"Your adorable boyfriend only," he says shyly.

"All right, I cringed."

“Come on, you knew that was a good one. See you’re blushing right now!”

“No I’m not!”

"Whatever you say!" he chuckles. “I’m checking things out; you can keep looking."

You and your friends wanted to take pictures after a couple of rides and shopping. You came across three photo booths, all of which were empty. You asked your friends what they wanted to do. You only caught a glimpse of Niki smirking, which turned you and Jungwon around.

Your friends pushed you and Jungwon into the same booth, leaving you both perplexed. “What?”

“What?” Niki raises a brow. "The lovebirds must be in the same booth! Take pictures with him first, yn—you're his Valentine's date!" His voice fades as he enters a different booth.

You chuckled at his words as you straightened your hair. "All right, let's take a few pictures!"

You both decided on a photo strip with a light pink border and white hearts all over it. In no time, you both found props to use.

One. You both are wearing heart sunglasses, making peace signs as well. You both were close together—your faces were touching.

Click!

Two. Pushing the glasses to the top of your head, you made a hand heart with Jungwon. He completed your heart, with a heart sticker with him.

Click!

Three. You both grab the paper mustaches, holding the stick attached to it. You held it close to your face, so did he. He made a fake gun with his free hand, making you do the same as well.

Click!

Four. You quickly grabbed his waist once the 10 second timer appeared again. You brought him closer to you, making him flustered. You press your lips against his cheek, feeling his dimple appear.

Click!

When you’re finished taking pictures, he takes both photo strips from the booth. He gives you one copy and keeps the other. He smiles as he looks at the picture. "Another picture for my room." You noticed his cheeky smile and couldn't help but smile along with him.

You reached out for his hand again, grabbing his attention. He kisses the crown of your head, getting a small giggle from you. “You know, I’m glad you moved in next door.”

“I’m glad too.” He looks at you again, smiling, this time showing his teeth. You couldn't help but want to pinch his cheeks right then and there. He takes your hand in his and lightly kisses it. Oh, how deeply you both loved each other.

“I love you, my moon.”

“I love you more, my star.”

-

ENHA PERM TAGLIST — @son4taa @mokiverse @yenavrse @shinsou-rii @luveuly @ilovewonyo @yenqa @dimplewonie @bubblytaetae @wtfhyuck @ineedaherosavemeenow @starcubes @starikizs @wonioml @chirokookie @xiaoderrrr @neozon3nha @en-chantedtomeetyou @millksea @enhaz1 @eundiarys @ahnneyong @hanienie @zuyairus

TAGLIST — 🏷️

@soov @taejays @i4yuns @trsrina @ddenoudepression @ghostiiess @feeeli @bucketofhiros @foxsunoo @akashisthighs

[afewproblems]

and there you go hurtin' me so good again with the continuation of your cheating!Eddie steddie fic.. thank you! <3

Based on Part One, and this Ask here,

I was chatting with @samcoxramblings yesterday about this and I think maybe there should be some Steve POV, as a treat.

If Steve thought about the last few weeks of his life alongside every other instant of sorrow and pain he'd experienced, his relationship with Nancy, the Upside Down, the death of Barb, his parents, he'd say he should be used to this sort of thing by now.

But perhaps he'd been spoiled.

He'd had more than twenty years of happiness, contentedness, with Eddie and their life together. He'd relaxed too much, and here was the other shoe crashing down.

The home phone line in their apartment has been ringing off the hook, reporters have been trying to get ahold of him to see his side of things, leaving messages and one bold enough to come to their apartment leaves a letter taped to their door.

Steve disconnectes the phone and installs another lock after that.

And speaking of letters, there have been a mix delivered to their shared PO Box, some in support of Steve, sympathetic to the situation, others are ecstatic --seeing it as their chance to wedge their way into his marriage just like the last person, that they've always hated Steve and can't wait to see him gone.

He only reads a few letters before letting them pile up on the side table by the door.

All because of that stupid photo.

There was no discernable face in the photo, or photos, that ended up online.

Just Eddie talking animatedly to someone facing away from the camera view. It pieces together the evening, a meet cute, a conversation, walking out of the bar together, and a passionate kiss before getting into a taxi.

Eddie confirms it, and it's like his heart breaks in two.

There are a million questions rattling around in his head.

How many times has this happened? How long has Eddie been lying to him, was this a one time thing or have they been secretly meeting one another for multiple tours? Does the band know? Have they been lying to his face as well?

Steve feels as though he's been on autopilot, walking around in a fog while at home, and mechanically moving through his lesson plans while at school.

To make matters worse, his principal calls him at home after the news breaks.

"Steve, how are you doing? I'm so sorry to hear," she tells him solemnly over the line, "if there is anything we can do please let us know".

"Thank you Liz, I, I really appreciate it," Steve hums, his voice much more level than it has been in awhile, "I'll take Spring break to finish up my marking and get my head on straight before we're back--"

"Steve, I'm sorry, I think," she hesitates, Steve can hear her pace around her office, her signature kitten heels click against the tiled floor, "I think it would be best if you take a little longer than Spring Break".

He feels his stomach drop into his shoes, no, no, they can't...

"What, what are you talking about, are you--"

"No, no, of course not," her voice shrill, panicked and tinny, over the line as she backpeddles, "no, we just think it would be better for you and the kids if you took some time away. We have a sub lined up and this wouldn't be permanent, just until it dies down".

"You can't be serious Liz, come on, their finals are coming up at the end of the month and I've never let my personal life affect my job before and I'm not about to start now, I don't need a leave of absence, I'm fine," he lies.

It has been difficult to get through class, to ignore the whispers from the kids during break or while they work in groups. He can feel curious eyes follow him in between the desks as he walks around for questions.

Liz sighs into the line and all at once knows the conversation is over, that it was never a conversation to begin with.

"Look, you're the best department head we've had in a long time Steve, and I want you back, fresh, for the kids. I can't imagine how you're feeling right now and I know this isn't what you wanted but I think it will be for the best".

"How long?" Steve manages to say, so softly that Liz asks him to repeat himself.

"Excluding the break, I'll say three weeks, so you can be back to see them through their exams," she sighs again, "the school year isn't over yet Steve, you'll still have lots of time with them".

Steve raises a shaking hand to his hair, running his fingers through it from root to tip. It could be good to take that time, Robin had asked him if he would when they initially spoke. It could give him a chance to think about what to do.

But, at this point, he worries if he stops moving, if he slows down, he won't be able to stop the grief he can feel, knocking at his window.

"Okay, okay, Liz, I'll take some time".

***

Steve finishes his marking in record time, but perhaps it's easy when one doesn't sleep.

He reorganizes the pantry twice, deep cleans all the storage closets, he throws every piece of clothing in the house into the laundry, including Eddie's, drops off the dry cleaning, and washes the walls.

He moves the furniture around and finds himself looking at rentable scaffolding to see about finally starting that painting project he's been thinking about.

It's only Wednesday.

One by one his family begin to reach out as the news begins to circulate more prominently in the regular entertainment news outlets. Hopper and Joyce call, Joyce asks Steve if he wants to come back to Hawkins for a bit, that their door is always open for him, just as it was when he was in his twenties. Hopper tells him all Steve needs to do is give him the word and he'll be in Chicago with a shovel, no questions asked.

Steve thanks Joyce and gives Hopper an emphatic, 'NO,' but he appreciates them all the same.

Dustin innocently brings up that he'll be in Chicago for a few days the following week, that Robin offered Steve's guest room to him, and Steve finds himself smiling while shaking his head at the co-conspirators.

All of the kids call at least once, but they are busy themselves, none of them are on a leave of absence after all, he thinks bitterly to himself.

Thursday afternoon there's a knock at his door, Steve is in the middle of changing out the old washer from the kitchen sink -finally getting around to fixing the small leak, he freezes at the sound.

He's not expecting anyone and even though he and Robin are nearly joined at the hip she still has the decency to call before showing up at his door.

Steve climbs out from under the sink and wipes his hands on the nearest towel before slowly walking towards the door. All the locks are still bolted from the night before, so he feels safer leaning in to peer through the peephole.

It's Wayne?

Steve feels his heart begin to race, what on earth was Wayne doing here? Was Eddie with him? Corroded Coffin was still on tour, he couldn't be.

He hazards another glance through the peephole but he can't tell if there is anyone else in the hall.

Wayne knocks again making Steve jump at the sudden noise.

Steve breathes in deeply through his nose and out through his mouth once, twice, before he unlocks both bolts and the chain with shaking hands, he opens the door a fraction.

"Wayne? What are you doing here?" Steve says softly, he steps aside to let the man through.

"I came to check on you," Wayne says after a beat, he wipes his feet on the second mat inside and shrugs off his red windbreaker. Steve tries to take the jacket to hang it up but raises his hands in surrender as Wayne waves him off and opens the closet to hang it up himself.

Steve takes him into the kitchen and puts on a pot of coffee, they never did invest in one of those single serve coffee machines, Eddie drank so much coffee when he was home that it made no sense and, 'brewed coffee just tates better Stevie'.

Steve shakes the memory away and grabs two mugs from the cupboard, "Just sugar right?"

He reaches for the empty sugar bowl as Wayne nods, he hovers awkwardly as Steve flits around the kitchen.

Steve grabs the sugar from their pantry and fills up the bowl before placing it on the table with a spoon.

"So," Steve sighs as he leans against the counter next to the coffee maker, it hisses and bubbles filling the air with the smell of brewing coffee, "Eddie put you up to this, huh?"

Wayne frowns but nods, "Call it the first good decision that dumb-ass has made in the last few weeks," he scratches the graying scruff on his cheeks and steps closer, "how are you doing son?

Steve wants to tell him about how he hasn't let himself even think about the future. How he told Eddie he couldn't come home yet, how he's so achingly lonely despite the number of people that have reached out. How he doesn't want to think about a life without Eddie, but that he also can't imagine being in the same room as him for more that a minute without wanting to just scream at him.

How, Steve firmly believed that he would lose the man standing in his doorway, how his friendship with Gareth and Chrissy would inevitably fracture over Eddie, and once again Steve would be alone, picking up the pieces of his life to start again.

Instead, he manages to say, "I'm so glad you're here," before stepping into Wayne's arms, and allowing himself to be held as he finally, finally cries.

Wayne's arms come around him firmly, he reaches one hand up to cradle Steve's head while the other rubs his back, "its okay son, I gotcha," he whispers as Steves shoulders shake and his chest stutters.

"I gotcha".

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

I wondered what you thought about the rumours of a lot of Tory MPs preparing letters of no confidence in Truss, do you think they’re going to destroy themselves this quickly?

LMAOOOOOO THEY ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO DESTROY THEMSELVES THIS QUICKLY

Honestly I think what people maybe haven't fully internalised is that the Tory party as it currently exists is entirely, irreparably, irrevocably broken. That's it. They're done. They've done the one thing that is the death knell for any political organisation.

They schismed.

We talk a lot about how leftist infighting sinks progressive movements, but the fact is, the right are not immune to that either, and the Tories have done it. They now cannot heal from this quickly enough. They are a fractured, splintered mess, bleeding coherent messages. Look at the leadership battle! Liz Truss is such a great example. To get votes, she had to simultaneously promise that she

Was against Boris Johnson and approved of him leaving

Was loyal to Johnson and wished he was still here

Was a Remainer

Is a Brexiteer

Loves queer people and their rights

Hates "woke rubbish" and will get rid of trans rights

Will improve the economy and give people more money and services

Will cut tax for the rich and butcher services

Every campaign promise was a contradiction. It had to be. None of them agree on what they want anymore. And she was not alone in that; Sunak had to tie himself in knots over his Johnson stance and it still didn't work.

They'll eventually come back from this, of course. But it's going to take years before there's a cohesive party again, and that will destroy them at the ballot box. They can't even hang onto a prime minister between elections anymore. On YouGov, Labour are currently polling 17 points ahead; that is the highest lead since these polls began. And there is no way they can possibly fix themselves by the next election, assuming we even make it until then.

[moonbreezes]

Things they would have made Mary and George infinitely better (or funnier) in my humble opinion

- historically accurate pet names (oh come on you’ve had access to those letters and speeches shame on you), literally why there is no my wife my child my steenie my husband my dad my gossip your dog your wife your child ETCETERA

- SWEAR BOX SWEAR BOX SWEAR BOX

- “my little beagle” *wink wonk*

- james moping around on a horseback

- any of James’s bestsellers being mentioned

-sickly Georgie (literally trauma bonding through sickness and period accurate “medicine”) he was ill every other month why not use it

- CARRIAGE INCIDENT

- gunpowder plot mention?????

- selling land and titles in Ireland (literally you have sandy why not make her slap George for selling pieces of her homeland ffs)

- letters??????????

- one singular mention of 30 years war / princess Elizabeth (rip liz)

- at least one impeachment oh come onnnnn it would be so much fun to see George sweat

- Robbie telling George to fuck off when he asked for *guidance*

- Robbie and Frances pardoned by yours truly james

(and less Mary - this too would make this show infinitely better)

- looking for the pot of gold (mention) and the subsequent assassination attempt

- witch trials (I really don’t count the Somerset trial in the show)

[neuroprincess]

Law & Order: SVU - You meet again (Preferences)

Classification: Fluff

Pairing: Alex Cabot, Casey Novak, Liz Donnelly, Olivia Benson and Rita Calhoun

Warnings: None

Word count: +900

Alex Cabot

- It's been 18 years since you saw each other in person, during your teenage years you kept sporadic contact through letters and phone calls. You felt proud of her every step, supporting her in all the courses, internships, sleepless nights studying, but two months before high school graduation the blonde cut ties abruptly, there were many unanswered phone calls and letters that returned or were never answered. This didn't stop you, years later, from sending one last letter to congratulate her when you heard that Alex had graduated in Harvard, her dream since you were kids. In the meantime you went on with your life, graduated, bought a house in Texas and got married at 30, divorced at 32, the dream house was sold and you started your own business in NY, a coffee shop in a good spot. Weeks after opening a group of detectives walked in and you immediately recognized a blonde head accompanying them. Much taller than you remember, wearing a feminine suit that fit her body well, eyebrows coming together in a thoughtful expression that you know well. She took a moment to choose something in the display case, and when she looked up, she was in shock. Your name escaped through her lips in a whisper.

Casey Novak

- A simple softball game got you three days off work, a mild concussion and a pretty purple eye. The ADA visited you every day since the event, on the day you returned to work the veteran detectives made a few unfunny jokes about you being able to handle big men but getting knocked down by a ball, giving you slaps on the back in consolation for the attempt. At lunchtime you received a bouquet of yellow roses, a box of Swiss chocolate and a handwritten apology card inviting you to dinner to make up for the hospital trip. You had exchanged phone numbers at the hospital, so making the appointment was easy, finding a space in your professional calendar was not, and after two weeks you met at a restaurant a few blocks from your apartment.

Liz Donnelly

- As you work together you frequently bump into each other in the hallways, there are always cordial greetings and brief conversations about the case you are working on, but nothing beyond that. Two months go by quickly, you seem to have fallen in everyone's favor and perform your tasks with competence, making Alex proud and excited to celebrate your work, especially for being your first formal job in the law area, you meet after work in a chic Manhattan bar, not far from the office. About 15 minutes later another blonde joins you, dressed more casually than usual, a smile painting her lips as she walks toward you after meeting you by happenstance. "Well well well, Cabot and her ward, so what are we celebrating? I'll pay for the drinks."

Olivia Benson

- The same night of the misunderstanding the Captain sends you a message apologizing for the situation in front of your house. You talked for a few more minutes and she thanks you for always being the one with Noah on the occasions she can't, in the end you agree to let the kids meet on a weekend after their punishment. For your children it was long, but just two weeks forbidden to go out play after school and video games. Evelyn was anxious, running around the house to make sure everything is ready for Noah's arrival, initially you had arranged with the Bensons to meet at the park but the rainy weather made you change your plans, finally deciding on a day of board games. Catan, El Dorado, Detective, Monopoly, even Jenga and Twister, there is a table full of snacks and treats, a wine is kept in the back of the cupboard in case Olivia enjoys it, you don't know what they like so you buy everything. At the appointed hour the doorbell rings and you find mother and son as excited as you are. It would be a fun day.

Rita Calhoun

- She didn't show up for weeks, every Tuesday you drove customers to other tables to reserve that special one in the hope that Rita would show up, which didn't happen. After the fourth Tuesday in a row you gave up. The new manager didn't harass you anymore, while he didn't make things easy at work, denying you overtime and events that usually pay a little more, after all, the generous tip from those rich people is what pays your bills. You chose to resign when you realized that there was no advantage or anything that bound you there, the emergency fund lasted long enough until you got another job, this time in an Italian restaurant, not as fancy as your previous job but much more welcoming. Monday is usually a slow day, you found out after two months as a waitress, so you are alone with the chef, working overtime late at night when she enters the homely environment, looking out of place in her expensive suit and high heels worth a rent. "Miss Calhoun?" you whisper, an involuntary smile on your lips. "I told you to call me Rita, sweetie." she sits up and signals for you to come closer. "What are you doing here? Forgive me, but this restaurant… it's not up to your level, it's not fancy." deep down you wait for the answer that comes next, not being able to think of any other explanation for her being on the other side of the city alone on a week day. "I came after the service of my favorite waitress."

[rd0265667]

Wonyoung x Reader: Today, December the Second

TW!: (implied) suicide A/N: I've gone sadistic. To Fluff lovers, don't worry, this is only one route, there will be a fluff route soon. Also, hope you guys like this, got inspired by a poem I saw Part 3A to Tonight and Back to you Part 3B Permanent Taglist: @cwpiqwon@justme-idle

On December the Second I woke up, a numb feeling in my chest as I sat up, my old room doing nothing to cushion the void I felt.

On December the Second I woke up, lying in bed as I looked through old photos, beautiful pictures and moments lost to time.

On December the Second I woke up, looked out the window, and saw her in the clouds.

On December the Second I woke up and looked at the box of letters I had brought everywhere with me, her letters that she wanted me to read so I could cheer up when I was feeling down, and I can't help but wonder if she needed those letters more than I did.

On December the Second I found our bracelet, the first gift she had ever given me, the same bracelet I decided to wear everyday, and everywhere, my last reminder of her, the last glimpse of us.

On December the Second I found the case of old DVDs that she made me watch with her. Even now when I look at the DVDs, I can see her smile in the reflections, and I can hear her melodious laugh in the breeze

On December the Second I found the albums she gifted to me, the way she would snatch away any picture cards that weren't of her, instead replacing them with hers, her pout as she did so was the stuff of dreams

On December the Second I found that as I dressed up for the last thing I could do for her, looking around, everything I see reminds me of her, no matter how insignificant or small the memory was.

On December the Second I stood behind her family and friends, trying to keep a low profile amidst the chatter and tears.

On December the Second I stood as I tried to contain my anger, only moving to barricade the paparazzi and dispatch away as they tried to ruin all she had left, as if they hadn't taken enough away from her.

On December the Second I stood as all eyes turned to me, 5 familiar ones in particular, expressions ranging from shock to knowing sympathy, but for one, rage.

On December the Second I stood as Leeseo screamed with tears in her eyes, punching and hitting me as she cried for her friend back. Her cries soon dissipated, Gaeul and Liz moving to take care of her as she sobbed.

December the Second would have been the day we celebrated an anniversary, a date that we both held dear

December the Second would have been the day I came back to leave her a gift, a promise I couldn't break

December the Second would have been the day I saw her in person again, not inside a casket.

Today, December the Second, would have been a joyous day, if Jang Wonyoung were not gone.

[madmaddoxfuryroad]

getting in on the fun because i only have few days left to wear my clown make up with pride.

as much as i would love to see a full confirmed tedbecca endgame, i am not the most confident in that happening at this point. and even though i might be a little bummed, i would be okay with them not going there so long as they really take the time to acknowledge just how fundamentally important these two have been to one another and give their relationship the attention it deserves in this last episode.

with that being said, i believe it would truly be a disservice to these two characters if we did not get an “i love you”. and before you write me off as tedbecca trash (i mean, i am but not the point) HEAR ME OUT. i don't NEED it to be in a romantic context at all. in fact, the one thing i keep coming back to that gives me quite a bit of comfort is how 30 rock handled jack and liz.

if tedbecca really is nothing more than platonic soulmates, they still deserve no less than what jack and liz got in their finale. which was honestly a beautiful scene that paid respect to the relationship between these two characters. that acknowledged how indispensable they had been to one another. that made me cry. and if they can do that on a show like 30 rock, that never took itself too seriously and was often irreverent about so many things, surely a show as earnest as ted lasso would do AT LEAST this.

what might this scene look like you ask? oh don't worry. i got you covered.

to preface: i like to think of it as a sort of hybrid of the 30 rock jack/liz finale scene and the fantastic beasts newt/tina scene before he gets on the boat all wrapped up in an airport scene because of course it is. 

i am operating on the popular assumption that ted told rebecca at the end of the last episode that he is moving back to the states. and as such, some of the finale episode is focused on ted trying to have dedicated moments with each character as a way to say goodbye (ie. crown & anchor one last time with beard). 

so i would think that for rebecca it would be their last biscuits with the boss. but due to plot reasons (maybe rebecca is off helping bex with her divorce or whatever that storyline is going to be), they are unable to get the timing right and that last moment never happens. 

ted, taking a page out of doctor sharon’s book, decides he will at the very least write her a goodbye letter. he pairs it with a fresh box of biscuits, along with the recipe, and leaves it all with higgins to give her. 

rebecca, however, does not take this as an acceptable send off. when presented to her, her expression is unreadable, but almost looks angry. she snatches the letter from higgins and marches out. 

~airport scene~

ted is in the airport with henry (yes i decided he comes to london to see the last match and if this does not happen, i blame michelle). they are walking toward their gate.

rebecca: (spotting ted & henry) THEODORE LASSO!

her tone carries across the terminal. she sounds angry. ted’s head snaps up. he sees her almost immediately. he looks confused. rebecca continues making her way toward them. once she is almost in front of the two, ted leans down to henry.

ted: hey bud, why don't you go buy us a pretzel and i’ll catch up to you in a sec?

as ted is saying this he is searching his pockets for money. at the same time rebecca is already in front of them. her expression softens a little toward henry. she pulls out cash from her pocket.

rebecca: (handing henry the money) it’s on me.

henry examines the bill.

henry: this is a hundred pounds.

rebecca: and keep the change. (&take that doctor jacob)

henry looks to his dad for permission. ted just shrugs. henry takes this as the green light to go get his pretzel. he runs off contentedly. ted turns his attention back to rebecca whose expression has returned to angry. 

rebecca: (holding up the letter) what the fuck is this?

ted: (still looking confused) did you read it?

rebecca: no i didn’t fucking read it. what the fuck is this?

it’s subtle, but her tone shifts from pure anger to anger laced with hurt.

ted: yeah, i’m sorry about that. i wanted to say your goodbye in person, but you were busy all day and then before i knew it i had to make like a tree and leave (looks up, sees rebecca is unamused. this is not the time for folksy wordplay) ...for my flight. 

rebecca is still holding up the letter. this did not answer her question. ted takes the hint and continues. 

ted: but i didn't want to go without saying anything so i wrote that and left it with higgy for when you got back. 

rebecca nods. taking in what he is saying. she folds the letter into quarters. creasing it a couple times, mulling over her next words. 

rebecca: (much softer now. but the hurt is still audible) did it ever occur to you that you’re not the only one who needs to say goodbye, ted?

comprehension finally dawns on ted. a contrite look crosses his face, but he stays silent. he knows she is not done speaking.

rebecca: because i cannot fathom the idea of you back in kansas not knowing exactly how much you have meant to richmond. and to me.

she gives a soft smile. he meets her eyes, wordlessly telling her she can go on. 

rebecca: (somewhat pulling back from the moment) i hope it’s something you already know. so perhaps me making the point of saying this is a terrible waste of your time. and now that i’m thinking about it this whole dramatic airport chase is starting to feel a bit foolish. i’m sorry. i shouldn’t’ve––

ted: oklahoma.

ted has not broken his gaze the whole time. rebecca meets his eyes again, a little surprised at how quickly he cut her off. she nods. 

rebecca: right. then. i’ll just say it. because this is something you of all people deserves to not only know but to hear. 

beat. 

rebecca: and it’s the best way i can properly express how profoundly important to me you have grown. 

beat.

rebecca: so i’m just going to say it now. 

longer beat. rebecca is struggling to say what she wants to say. her eyes are starting to grow glassy, but not quite tear-filled. 

rebecca: i don't know why this is so difficult. what i am trying to say...

rebecca closes her eyes, trying to recapture the confidence she had at the start of the conversation. 

ted: it’s okay. you don't have to. (simply) i love you, too. 

rebecca’s eyes dart back open to meet ted’s. her expression is blank for a moment then she quickly pulls him into a hug (very truth bomb #1), which he immediately reciprocates. she hugs him a little tighter.

rebecca: i love you.

still in the hug, ted cracks a smile. 

ted: hey. there it is. 

they break apart. ted is still grinning. rebecca is wiping away a tear, but smiling as well. 

ted: now that wasn’t so bad.

rebecca lets out a tear-filled laugh and lightly shakes her head ‘no’. she smiles back at him. 

she wipes her eyes again, happy with herself that she was able to say what she wanted to say. 

rebecca: well, then. off you pop!

rebecca gives him a nod, letting him know he can go back to his son. ted turns back toward henry. about halfway he stops and looks back at rebecca, who is still standing in the same spot. she gives him an encouraging smile and a small wave, which he returns. 

once she sees ted has rejoined henry, rebecca smiles to herself, turns on her heel, and starts to leave. 

henry: rebecca!

rebecca turns back at the sound of her name and sees henry running toward her, pretzel in hand. ted is jogging behind him. 

henry: i wanted to say thank you.

rebecca: oh no need to thank me. you’re very welcome for the pretzel. 

henry looks down at his pretzel.

henry: oh not that! well, thank you for that too, but i meant thank you for everything you've done for my dad. it made it a lot easier being away from him knowing he has nice people like you who care about him over here.

rebecca: (looking at ted) well he certainly does. (turning to henry) it was my pleasure, henry.

rebecca extends her hand to henry. they shake. 

ted puts his hand on henry’s shoulder.

ted: come on, bud, we should get over to the gate and let rebecca head home. 

henry: okay. we’ll see you tomorrow?

rebecca: (deeply confused) sorry, what’s tomorrow?

henry: the first digital biscuits with the boss, karlie kloss!

rebecca shoots ted a look. ted raises his hands in surrender and points to henry. 

ted: all his idea. and only if you’re up for it. but we figured we could facetime you. even if it’s just once a week or once a month and––

rebecca: that sounds wonderful. 

rebecca beams at ted and henry. 

ted: good. well, we best be going. say goodbye.

henry: (waving while already turning away) bye, rebecca!

rebecca: bye, henry!

ted takes a step toward rebecca. he reaches for the letter that has been clasped in her hand this whole time. he undoes the extra folds she had nervously made, until it resembles how it looked when higgins first gave it to her (save for the additional creases).

ted presents it back to her. 

ted: goodbye, rebecca.

rebecca: (carefully taking the still unopened letter) goodbye, ted.

they hold each other’s gaze for one beat longer. and then he is back with henry walking toward the gate. they don't look back again. 

~cut to~ rebecca in the back of her car leaving the airport.

she is looking out the window, but redirects her gaze to the letter still in her hand. rebecca finally gives in and opens the letter. 

she pulls out a piece of paper with a single sentence written on it. she rereads it a couple times over, smiling to herself: i think i’ll miss you most of all. 

i was going to end it at off you pop. but i couldn’t resist giving henry the chance to interact with rebecca since we were robbed of this dynamic. i think i got a little off message along the way. well i hope you enjoyed this chaos anyway.  

**bonus details for the shippers I left out of the scene: -when ted is searching his pockets for cash, he pulls out the green matchbook again -part of the reason this interaction can take place at all is because the flight had been delayed. due to weather. thunder and lightning.  -and as part of his thank you to rebecca, henry gives her another army man, so hers doesn’t get lonely. and he mistakenly calls it a green matchbook army man (ted politely corrects him, it is a matchbox army man, but the damage is done)

[moocha-muses]

Happy Friday the 13th!

What's up my favorite meat hives? It's once again October and the ghosts inside me want to share their beautiful, terrible words with you so I'm opening up the prompt box again for #hallowpoems.

If you want your very own set of hastily organized letters, just send me a word or a phrase! It doesn't have to be spooky; I think we got really good results with 'marshmallow' last year.

Here's the first poem for @dunne-ias, who asked me to write about boxes:

Liz found the box buried under a pile of unworn clothes and unwrapped presents, deep in the back of her mother's closet. "Oh, that was "that's -a distracted smudge of lipstick, purple as a blackberry, a head tilted like a bird's- "wasn't that aunt Vivienne's?" Liz has never heard of any such person as her great aunt Vivienne. There is nothing here she can confirm or deny. Vivienne may be ephemeral. She might be a feverish imagining of Liz's mother, who invents cover ups for the way she buys things no one needs, and promptly loses them. But the box is real. It's large, and solid, and covered in musty white leather, and now it smells of forgotten clothes. The mother bestows it generously upon her daughter -is it really hers to give away?- with all the pomp of a queen granting largess. Liz, -the supplicant- kneels before it in her jeans and messy braid and works out the latch. Inside is- -water stained purple-pink silk, curling away from the wood in spots where the ancient glue has evaporated, the unwholesome smell of old metal- -a glittering swarm. Mom's chin digs into her shoulder as she peers in, pronounces: "Cheap costume junk. It's all yours, baby." The box opens up like a butterfly's wings, a dizzying array of smaller, silk-lined little nests. This long one has a dragon fly with crystal wings, and this one has a little golden bee, and there's a spider in that box, with rubies for eyes. Not real rubies. Obviously. Whatever they make the fake ones from. Little drops of artificial red, congealed like blood. Liz won't anyone else near the box. Her sister swaps the placement of a spider and bee, each in the other's cell, and Liz screams, wordlessly, motionlessly, for what feels like hours, until someone puts them back. She goes to the craft store to buy bags of glittery little rhinestones, and shakes a portion delicately into each little box. "Feeding time." She must come back, in secret, to remove them. Because they always disappear. How does she make the delicate, glittering cobwebs that appear in the cell of spider? Where does she get the sparkling, almost absolutely clear substance that fills up the boxes of the little golden bees? -it tastes like honey- -and glass- Liz keeps that box on her dresser for years. For years. Until her mouth is surrounded by wrinkles and her hair has gone very gray. And when she breaks her leg one spring, no one will go out and buy her bags of cheap costume rhinestones. They find her one morning, in front of the window. With a small red mark on her palm, and jeweled wasp lying near her throat. The white box closes its butterfly wings, and settles back into the closet.

[whentherewerebicycles]

morning with the pups. I have a headache from crying but I bought myself a small treat (orange scone from panera) and managed to get some good work done this morning. I will be honest I feel Bad still but am trying to ground myself so I don’t spiral off into the deep despair again.

here are five small positive things:

I am being actively befriended by this very gruff middle-aged women’s studies faculty member who was on my search committee. I thought she hated me for the entire Zoom interview and the first seven hours of the campus visit but then in the last hour of the visit it suddenly became apparent that she liked me a great deal and just has a very brusque no-nonsense demeanor. we have been emailing back and forth all morning about this faculty pedagogy fellowship she’s leading and I think we are going to co-teach a couple workshops together. also we’re going to start going on walks together because we live so close. it’s nice to be befriended! and it’s nice to think about work as a place where I could build more friendships, especially with people who are there for the long haul.

my best friend lives so close to me now 😭 it was nice to break up the crying jags last night by going over to see her.

I’m genuinely excited to be an aunt. there is a lot of pain around it too and it is going to take some time to work through that but it will be so nice to have a baby in the family. also I am requesting nicely of the universe that if my brother & sister-in-law MUST have a baby before I do, please let the baby to be born on my birthday so we will have a special aunt/niece or nephew bond forever. I do not think this is too much to ask. ugh my heart hurts a lot but I am being brave about it.

last year I wrote a long letter of rec for my old boss/beloved grad advisor for this major mentoring and leadership award she was up for. she won the award and I guess they sent her the file with the letters attached. anyway she sent me a box of woolf & vita sackville-west books, a beautiful handmade glass vase, and a long letter where she said my rec letter made her cry and cry. it was really nice to hear from her—she’s been dealing with really scary long covid health issues since early 2020 and there was a period of time where she was in and out of the hospital so often with such serious issues I thought she might die. she is doing better now though and she says she’s retiring this year, which will be a huge loss to the university but I hope good for her. idk I was happy to hear from her and it was nice to get a surprise package of books (with more on the way, apparently).

oh friends. to quote that tumblr meme from the other day, they should invent a way out that isn’t through. I just don’t want to do the soul-work of trying to break down this grief and metabolize it and integrate it into my sense of self all over again. I’m just sad, you know? I’m sad and I’m tired of feeling sad, I want to feel otherwise, but it’s exhausting to think about clawing my way through these feelings again. I want to be on the other side of this experience and I thought I was there but I see now that I’m not, or maybe that the grief and painful agonizing uncertainty about future losses is going to keep surging back every time something reopens the wound. I feel like I’ve spent the past seven weeks swimming so hard for shore, and I’d finally managed to haul my exhausted self up onto the beach only for a massive tidal wave to crash down over me and pull me back out to sea. and I know it is just the start. liz will be pregnant soon and my SIL will have the baby and people in my social circles will continue to post their pregnancy announcements online and ugh. ugh. I just have this hugely selfish wish that everyone would hold off for like six more months so I could crawl a little further inland before the next wave hits. this is not a positive thing from the day but I can’t quite wrangle myself into feeling gratitude for all the good things in my life today. I think I’m just going to be treading water for a while.

[modernmanblues]

Challenge: Tag a couple of your mutuals on this ask and give them a compliment. Go ahead, brighten their day. 🌟

right so i received another ask that was similar to this one, but i will respond to this one bc i would like to tag several of my beloveds on here:

@fancycolours number one best Chicago groupie!! Robert and the rest of us here love you very much. you are always a delight to see on my dash, and i love the positivity you bring to this community. i’m glad our paths crossed and i’m happy to know i’m not the only one who’s crazy about Chicago (the only jazz rock band ever, duhh). stay amazing, our beautiful sunflower 🌻🌼

@glennsdick what a talented lady!! a sweetheart. an absolute angel!! Glenn is one lucky fella to have you in his life <3 i love your aesthetic sm!! as a die hard eagles fan myself, i really dig the high quality content you post about the bird boys ✨ keep shining on, rock n roll queen 💫🌟

@burn-on-the-flame it is bc of YOU, my dear, that i have started to gain a liking for Sweet 💗 you are a wonderful person and i’m glad i have found a friend in you. Mick loves you with all his heart and he’s a real lucky bloke to have a sweetheart like you in his life 🧡

@rebelrollerqueen quite literally, one of the coolest people on tumblr. i absolutely adore your aesthetic love. also, i love that we both seem to be fascinated by the Davies brothers (i mean who wouldn’t tho? they’re so painfully attractive how could anyone not be a little obsessed with them?) anyways, always love seein’ ya on my dash girlie <3

@milkyway-ashes i can’t thank you enough for educating me thoroughly about Yes 🤩 they’re such a solid group i’m very glad i got into them, and it’s all bc of you, pal 😌 you’re an amazing person and i wish you nothing but the best in life. i’m glad there are still good hearted people like you out there <3

@teenarama the coolest chick! i love the positivity you bring to my dash and i always enjoy our interactions ☺️ Amber, i’ve been meaning to tell you this but what i love the most about you is that you are very wise beyond your years. the way i see it, you’re gonna go places my friend. keep dreaming big, stay humble and stay beautiful. i’m so glad to have a friend in you 💖

@jwclapton we may not talk that much but just know that i cherish our friendship always. i love your aesthetic as well. your content always takes me back to a magical time in the past that i can only imagine living in my wildest dreams. the best. Mr. James 🤍

[baezdylan]

i saw a vid on instagram that was basically this group of friends have a test for songs they call the Bob Dylan Test and it's basically you can tell if a song has substance if you strip it down to the most basic elements: acoustic guitar and half-sung, half-recited vocals.

it reminded me of you <3

oh my god, this is the jo method... not to quote bobby my man bobby, but a song is anything that can walk by itself... you can feel it when the thing comes from the very core of the person who's telling you this story (it makes you feel like it comes from somewhere within you too)... you can't lie to the listener. deceive the listener? perhaps! there's a particular type of shiny for all of us, but... when you strip the song naked and it's still very much a song... THAT'S IT!!!!

[bechdelsghost]

The Bechdel Test was a test made by Alison Bechdel when she made this comic strip

IMG ID: a comic strip in a black and white sketchy style.

first panel: a big sign on an old movie theater. on the top it says "Dykes to watch out for" in hard to read lettering, and in the box where movie titles would be it says "presents, THE RULE, with thanks to Liz Wallace"

second panel: two women are walking by the movie theater, one with blonde hair and one with darker hair, the blonde says, "wanna see a movie and get popcorn?" and in the background is a movie poster with a very angry man holding a gun called "the mercenary"

third panel: the dark haired one says "well, ... I dunno. I have this rule, see"

fourth panel: a close up on both of them shot with another angry man movie poster in the back, dark-haired woman continues "I only go to a movie if it satisfies three basic requirements. One, it has to have at least two women in it.."

fifth panel: a movie poster showing the arm of a man holding a gun titled "vigilante" the women's feet are shown on the side as they walk away and text continues "...the two women in it talk to each other about, three, something besides a man"

sixth panel: the two walk and think

seventh panel: a close up on the two. the blonde one says "Pretty strict, but good idea." and the dark-haired one says "no kidding. last movie I was able to see was Alien..."

eighth panel: a close up on the dark-haired woman talking with dramatic hand movements saying "... the two women in it talk to each other about the Monster."

ninth panel: the two walk and look down

tenth panel: the silhouette of the two are walking away from the theater and the blonde says "wanna go to my house and make popcorn?" and the other says "now you're talkin,"

END ID

While the test is extremely simple and easy to pass, a surprising amount of media fails it even in the modern day. It has come to be known as an easy test to see if a piece of media has good representation of women. Not to say that every piece of media that passes it has good representation of women, but if it fails it doesn't have good representation of women.

failing the Bechdel test does not make a piece of media bad, it just means it doesn't have good representation of women.

I've made this blog to keep track of movies that do or don't pass because I want to. If you want to participate send in an ask, if you notice an error in one of my posts, correct it in a reblog.

Thank you

[kudosmyhero]

The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 1) #25: Captured by J. Jonah Jameson!

Read Date: October 04, 2022 Cover Date: June 1965 ● Writer: Stan Lee ● Penciler: Steve Ditko ● Inker: Steve Ditko ● Colorist: {uncredited} ● Letterer: Sam Rosen ● Editor: Stan Lee ●

Synopsis: As Peter goes to sell pictures of a crime to J. Jonah Jameson, an inventor named Smythe comes in with a robot guaranteeing the destruction of Spider-Man. Since Peter needs money badly, he eggs Jameson on to hear out the wacky inventor. Smythe shows how his robot instantly shoots out steel tentacles at the hint of a spider's presence and grabs a hold of Peter much to his surprise. Jameson is given a remote control and they agree to a deal. Betty is furious with Peter for trying to trap Spider-Man, not understanding his true reasons. Peter shows up at school and has Flash Thompson waiting to fight him as he hangs around Liz Allan too much to his liking.

As Peter exits school, he sees the robot and begins to run. Flash, thinking he's running away from a fight runs after Peter. Peter turns and fights the robot and tries to put webbing on the robot, but it slides off and avoids its steel tentacles until he can come up with a plan. Meanwhile, Liz is concerned for Pete's safety due to Flash Thompson and Betty is concerned since the robot is attacking Spider-Man and both head to his house. Both are in for a shock as Mary Jane Watson is waiting for Peter Parker to come home. Although we can't see her face, Betty thinks that she looks as beautiful as a movie star. When fighting the robot, Spider-Man is caught by the steel tentacles and can't escape.

Both Smythe and Jameson rush off to locate the robot and unmask Spider-Man but Spider-Man undoes the power box so when Jameson goes to unmask him he comes up empty-handed. Peter goes home, happy that he lives another day but is in trouble when Aunt May has discovered his extra Spider-Man outfit and demands an explanation. She accepts it but now Peter Parker has no Spider-Man costume.

(https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Amazing_Spider-Man_Vol_1_25)

Fan Art: THE-BUGLE-LORD by totmoartstudio2

Accompanying Podcast: ● Swinging Through Spider-Man - episode 28

[dr-lizortecho]

Michael Guerin, for the character ask.

first impression: lol, followed quickly by ‘please let them be brothers’

impression now: fluffy cat, like not the kind from being long haired but from Max and Isobel towel drying him a little roughly. Anyways, on a more serious note I wasn’t a fan of his season four characterization (and a decent chunk of season three) so it’s been a difficult track for me to come to terms with his character. But I love and adore him and all his arcs of that makes sense. So I guess my impression now is he’s as delightfully complex as most if not all of the rnm cast. And I really wish they’d delved more into his hopes and dreams (specifically earth centric) and that intellect that’s always there. Instead of just saying he’s a genius and such. Like maybe he’s waxing poetic about how his future is going to look and he’s in graduate school while raising his three beautiful alien hybrid kids.

favorite moment: Hands down his intro scene. I mean ‘crying and masturbating to Russian moralistic literature’. But also cause I love to cry that scene in 1x12-13 where he and Max are at odds post his mothers death. I think Vlamis did a good job of capturing Michael’s desperation and the way sometimes rational thought escapes people in the face of loss.

idea for a story: One day I’m going to actually write the season one au where he and Liz are the main couple, and they lock themselves “accidentally” into his grotto for legit days science-ing and banging.

unpopular opinion: Idk, probably not liking how Hollier changed a lot of his character once he got the reins. (Specifically the fact Michael stopped having palatable interactions with women -barring Liz in 4x08- during season four)

favorite headcanon: I would love love love that he and Heath had shared a group home when they were around the ages of nine. And Michael was always like ‘what are you doing?’ cause Heath hand wrote letters to Dallas every day, and then Mikey starts writing to Max and Isobel. But he doesn’t have an address, just keeps them in a little box he took three homes ago.

send me a character <3