#not saying that whatever is in the leaks is actually true but don’t say he didn’t warn you guys

[therealcocoshady]

Recovery - Chapter 38

Synopsis : Reader listen to the leaked track in which Em mentions her.

Tags : angst

You stared at Marshall for a couple of seconds, in complete and utter disbelief. He seemed terrified. You had seen this look more often that you liked to admit. The very look that said he was guilty of something he definitely wasn’t proud of. You had first seen it the you fount out about him sending armed guys to threaten the rapper who had referred to you in a diss track, when he had admitted to threatening Josh, when you overheard Tracy mentioning blowing him in London… He stared at you, nervously biting his lip, not saying a word.

- Is it true ? You asked. Did-did you really name-drop me on a track ?

- I… It wasn’t supposed to be heard, he said. By anyone. Ever.

- What track is it ?

- Doesn’t matter, he said. Babe, I swear to God, it doesn’t matter. I… I have to call my team. We need to get that shit removed.

- You really are stupid, aren’t you ?! Jamal asked with a sardonic laugh. It dropped last night. It’s been listened to millions of times, reposted everywhere.

- I want to listen to it, you said.

- No you don’t, they both said at the same time.

- If my name is mentioned on a stupid track, I deserve to know ! You argued.

- Babe, please don’t, Marshall pleaded. Please.

- Don’t ‘Babe’ me, right now, you said. Jamal, give me your phone. I want to listen to it.

- Y/N, no… I hate to agree with this motherfucker, but… Don’t listen to this shit, Jamal said.

- That motherfucker’s still your boss, Marshall groaned. You better-

- Wait until I shove a drum machine up your ass, your friend shot back.

They stared at each other, looking as if they were about to hit each other. You didn’t care for either of their arguments. You didn’t need any of these grow men babying you and you deserved to listen to this damn song. You sighed and ran up the stairs to grab your phone. If the track had already gone viral, you’d find it pretty easily. As soon as you started to walk, they both followed you and tried to argue but you slammed the bedroom door in their faces and locked it behind you. You heard them yell at each other and sighed.

- Y/N, come back, Jamal said.

- Baby, open the door, please, Marshall asked.

You sighed and simply started to play the song. As soon as the first notes started playing, you heard complete silence. For an agonizing four minutes, you had to listen to your boyfriend, the man you loved, who said he’d always have your back, assassinate your character. You felt complete disgust, similar to the first time you had heard « Kim ». It wasn’t that the song was bad - on a technical and lyrical level, it was probably excellent - but knowing that these lyrics were about an actual person, about you, made you feel sick. He was describing nothing less than a torture scene, rapping about sequestering you in order to avoid a breakup, painting a scene in which he hurt you physically, going as far as impregnating you and making you abort with a butcher’s knife. The whole thing was horrendous and you thought you were about to faint when you heard your name, your actual name. It was impossible. It couldn’t be. This had to be some sort of nightmare. To make it worse, you had the urge to check the Internet’s reaction. Everyone seemed to be out there, celebrating « Eminem going back to his Shady era » or whatever that was. A few people seemed shocked but, in majority, fans seemed to be here for it. To add to the nightmare, people were linking the name in the song - yours - to the pictures that had leaked a year ago. The pictures of you in lingerie, that the Internet seemed to have forgotten - was back. It made you sick to your stomach. You felt vulnerable, like a prey. Your face, your name, your body were out there for people to make fun of. You were starting to feel dizzy so you laid on the bed, trying to breathe. You kept on listening to the song, hoping to hear another name than yours. Any other name. But each and every time, it was your name that came up. You heard the guys knock on the door, begging you to open. After a couple of minutes, you shakily opened, tears streaming down your face.

- I’m so sorry, Marshall said as he tried to pull you in his arms. Baby, I am so, so sorry…

- DO NOT TOUCH ME ! You screamed as you pushed him away.

- Baby, le-let’s talk, he begged. Please, Y/N. You have to know it-

- Tell me it’s a fake, you pleaded. Please tell me it’s AI or something.

- I’m so sorry, he said.

- Please tell me you didn’t write this, you continued. That you didn’t mention my name.

- Y/N, I- I didn’t mean to, I swear, he said.

- You didn’t mean what ?! You asked as you screamed. You didn’t mean to make a beat ? Didn’t mean to write the lyrics and then take the time to record the whole thing ?!?!?!

Your chest was heaving and you were full-on bowling. Marshall was standing in front of you, too close for comfort. He extended an arm to reach for you but you slapped his hand away as soon as he tried to touch you.

- Touch her again and I’m throwing you out the window, Jamal threatened.

- Fuck, Marshall said. Talk to me, Y/N. Please talk to me. Please look at me.

- I… I need to leave, you said.

You started running down the stairs and opened the door. You were in your pajamas, barefoot but at least you got some fresh air in your lungs. The skin on your face was burning, so were your eyes. You tried to focus on the air filling your lungs, trying to regain some composure. After a couple of minutes, you felt a had on your shoulder and immediately recognized Jamal’s.

- Hey sis, he said sheepishly. You holdin’ up ?

- I can’t believe he did this, you said. Have you heard that track ?!

- I have, he said. That’s why I came.

- That’s the most disgusting track I have ever heard, you replied. He… He fucking name-dropped me. And all these comments online…

- I know, Jamal said. I know.

- It’s vile. It’s disgusting. It’s… It can’t be true.

- I know, he simply repeated.

You started crying again and he engulfed you in a big bear hug. You had been hurt before, but no pain compared to this. You felt betrayed and humiliated. You kept on crying in Jamal’s arms, still not believing the man you loved had done this.

- Get in the car, Jamal said.

- Why ? Where are we going ? You asked.

- Home, he said. You really want to stay here ? With him ? After he did that ?

- I guess not, you shrugged. Wait… I have to take some clothes with me.

- Get in the car, I’m taking care of it, he said.

He opened the car and you sat in the passenger seat while he got back to the house. A few minutes later, you heard him come out of it, arguing with Marshall.

- Let me talk to her, he begged. I can explain.

- She doesn’t want to talk to you, man, your friend said. Leave her alone or I swear to God I will end you.

- Jamal, please, he pleaded. You know I would never hurt her. You know I love her.

- What I know is that you used one of my fucking beats to rap about torturing my fucking sister ! Jamal roared.

Your friend got in the car and drove you to his house, where Talia greeted you with a long hug. The three of you sat at the kitchen table and they encouraged you to eat some breakfast while you discussed the horrendous track.

MARSHALL’S POV

He didn’t hear of Y/N for a whole week. In the meantime, he heard from a lot of people, though. A few hours after she left the house in Jamal’s car, he got a phone call from Paul, who chastised him as if he were a teenager. The manager came to visit him and they sat in the living room, in order to work things out, on Paul’s insistence. As far as he was concerned, he only cared about Y/N and how he could get her to talk to him. As soon as he arrived, Paul examined his face.

- Did she hit you ?! He asked with a hint of surprise. Wouldn’t have thought she’d be this strong..

- Jamal did, he replied curtly.

- You might be lucky, then, Paul said. Is Y/N here ?

- Left with him, he mumbled.

- Never thought I’d say that, but I’m actually grateful she didn’t sign the NDA or put the addendum she talked about, Paul commented. Might have taken you to the cleaners…

- Paul, no offense, but I don’t give a fuck, Marshall said. My girlfriend left and won’t answer my calls. For all I care, she can take all of my money and full ownership of the label.

- Thank God It’s not happening, Paul groaned. I think we should talk about it, though. Because you seem to have set the Internet on fire.

- I don’t know what happened ! He finally snapped. We argued, I went to the basement studio and recorded that shit out of spite, because I was fucking pissed and scared after an argument. I have no fucking idea how this shit leaked !

- I’m sure we can find someone who can trace the leak, Paul said. But we have other issues. I have people calling me asking for statements from you. The Internet is truly ablaze. That’s some shock value right here.

- You say that as if it were a good thing, Marshall commented.

- If there’s someone who can make something good out of it, it’s you, the managed pointed out. It’s a leak but we might use it to our advantage. Slim Shady being back again. Maybe there’s an album concept…

- I don’t care about Shady, I want Y/N, Marshall roared. And I want the head of whoever leaked that shit ! I’m not using it to my advantage, I’m not promoting it and I’m not giving anyone a fucking statement !

They discussed for about an hour. Paul was a long-time friend and understanding of the situation. He knew more than anyone that Marshall was prone to using recording as a cathartic exercise and that some songs were not meant to be shared. In the past, they’d had to deal with leaks and, though each one had been a colossal pain in their asses, none was as bad as this one. Leaks were usually bad for business but, so far, none of them had destroyed his personal life. This one might as well do the trick, though. He had recorded it right after their argument, when Y/N would not speak to him and it was nothing but the result of his mind going to the darkest of places. Something shameful, using words to convey anger instead of sadness and fright. In a way, this was no different from the Kim track : him using violence on a track in order to express his obsession for the person he loved the most.

- So we agree, no statement ? Paul asked. No promotion ?

- If we put out anything, that should be a public apology to Y/N, Marshall said. I went on Twitter quickly… Have you seen that shit ?! Her picture, her name, they’re fucking everywhere and it’s my fault. I fucked up.

- At least, when you rapped about killing Kim, there was no social media, the manager agreed. Look, if that’s what you want, we can put a statement. I should warn you it might be pretty damaging, because a lot of people might not take kindly to you backtracking on something like this, but if you feel like we have to do this… We will.

- Really ? You’re not suggesting that we feed Y/N to the wolves ? Marshall asked sarcastically.

- I know I’ve been hard on you about your relationship with her, Paul said. But I also know that you usually put in your best work when she’s around. As your manager, I don’t think it would be strategic to publicly apologize to her. But as your friend, I want you to be happy. And I know she’s turned you into a better person. The whole team does.

- Thanks man, he replied.

They were interrupted by the noise of the front door opening. He quickly jumped from the couch, hoping to see Y/N coming home, and that he would finally be able to talk to her. Instead, he was met with Hailie’s angry gaze.

- Hay, he said. What are you doing here ?

- What do you think I’m doing here, Dad ? She asked. I’ve come to ask you for an explanation. Stevie and Alaina are on the way too.

- I take it that it’s about the track…? He asked.

- Of course it’s about the track ! She almost yelled. I can’t believe you did that !

- It’s a leak, he tried to explain. It wasn’t meant to come out or be heard by anyone. Ever.

- Still, she said. Y/N is a mess. She’s being harassed on social media, everyone’s coming for her…

- You talked to her ?! He asked.

- Yes, I called her, his daughter explained.

- She won’t take my calls, he said.

- Shocker, Dad, she said. Jesus, I wonder why she wouldn’t want to take a call from someone who recorded a song about torturing her…

- I know I fucked up, he said. I don’t know what to do…

- I can’t help you here, Dad, Hailie shrugged. She specifically told me she doesn’t want to speak to you.

He nodded. In the grand scheme of things, he could see why Y/N wouldn’t talk to him. Hell, if the shoe was on the other foot, he wouldn’t want to talk either. He looked at Paul, who was still sitting in the living room.

- I think we should put out that statement, he simply said.

- I’ll call the publicist right away and have him draft something, Paul replied.

- I want to approve it first, alright ?

- Of course, Paul said.

The manager said his goodbyes and promised to get back to him as soon as possible. Stevie and Alaina arrived and he was met with some sort of intervention which, really, was his three daughters chastising him. He wouldn’t expect them to support him blindly, they were old enough to have a mind of their own, but he was a bit shocked by the intensity of their reaction. Overall, there was a lot of screaming and shouting at him, pointing out how inappropriate the whole thing was.

- It was bad enough when you rapped about killing Mom, Alaina said. But Y/N is our age. You’re literally slandering someone who’s old enough to be our sister !

- I know, he said, but you girls know it’s just fiction, right ? I would never actually do these things. Half of my tracks are fictional.

- It’s not the issue, Dad ! Stevie argued. The issue is that she’s our age, being attacked by a grown ass man who could be her Dad. And that the fans are siding with him ! She didn’t ask for anything !

- I know, he said. Believe me, I know… I just… With everything that went down with your Mom, I have learned lessons, you know ? I never would have put out this track. I know how much it hurt her and I wouldn’t wish the same thing on Y/N. It wasn’t meant to be heard. It’s just me, taking things too far. Like a diary.

- Except that someone accessed that diary and leaked it, and now she’s paying the price, Hailie said.

- … Yeah, he said. I don’t know what to do.

It had been more than twelve hours since Y/N had left and he still hadn’t heard from her. And, as it was to be expected, neither Jamal nor Talia would pick up the phone either. He buried his face in his hands. He had fucked up, he knew it. But he was merely trying to let his anger out in the only way he knew how. The last thing he had wanted when he made that stupid track was for anyone to hear it, let alone enjoy it. Knowing that some fans were praising his writing on this one had nothing pleasant.

- Honestly, Dad, this is the most disgusting song you ever put out, Hailie continued.

- Agreed, he said. I don’t know what to do, girls. I don’t want to lose her. I know I deserve to, but I can’t.

After a couple of hours of discussion, his daughters ended up leaving. They were still clearly mad at him, just like everyone else seemed to be. The day after, he got a call from Dre. His mentor and friend sounded genuinely concerned. The leaked track was typically something he would have told him to shelf and never put out.

- You went too far with this one, Dre said. I’ve heard you go hard on some shit but that was… nasty.

- I know, Marshall replied. Believe me, I know… But it’s a leak, you know ?

- That’s what I heard, Dre replied. How is your girl doing ?

- I wish I knew, he said.

Dre wasn’t the only friend and collaborator who was concerned. Even Porter and Royce talked to him about the lyrics and how they went too far. He’d heard that so many times that he almost snapped at them but, really, he couldn’t really blame them. He was the only one to blame and he knew it. They also told him that Jamal was livid, threatening to come and destroy the entire studio, and they had to talk him out of it. His friends were disappointed in him, Y/N wouldn’t talk to him and even his daughters didn’t seem to want to be associated with him at the moment. It seemed like everything was falling apart. He was truly disgusted with himself. That’s when he decided to put out a statement, speaking in his own name. It was a rather short message, posted on his social media account, apologizing for the shocking lyrics, explaining that the track was not meant to be shared and calling for everyone to stop harassing his partner, whom he had made the mistake of name-dropping. He also apologized for using Jamal’s beat, stating that it was originally meant for another track whose release was postponed. He was not used to public apologies but this one might be overdue. And perhaps it would get Y/N to talk to him. However, in the following days, he still didn’t get any news from her. He tried to go to Talia and Jamal’s to talk to her but he was met with an angry Talia who refused to let him see his girlfriend and threatened to call the cops on him for harassment. He resorted to sending flowers and letters to Y/N, begging her to at least let him talk to her, even on the phone. One evening, almost a week after the track leaked, he got a call from Talia’s phone.

- Talia ? He asked. What’s up ? How is she ?

- It’s me, he heard Y/N say.

- Thank God, he said. How… How are you ?

- How would you expect me to feel… ?

- Right, he said. I’m… Thanks for calling me.

- You know, for someone who made fun of Josh for buying out every flower shop in town, you sure are filling the house with a lot of bouquets, she commented. I guess I’m calling because I’m afraid there won’t be any flowers left in Michigan by next week if we keep this going.

- Jewelers are next on the list, he said sarcastically.

- You know, you could spend all the money in the world, it wouldn’t make things better, Marshall, Y/N said.

- I know, he said. Believe me, I know. I guess I just wanted a chance to apologize, tell you what really happened. You have no idea how sorry I am.

- I believe I do, she said with a sarcastic laugh. Every one of the fifty bouquets you’ve sent contains a note saying how sorry you are.

- Can you come home ? He asked. So we can talk ?

- I would, but for one, I’d be afraid of being held up against my will and, two, Simon is coming over for diner tonight, she replied.

- Simon… Your ex, Simon ?! He asked.

[yeah-yeah-beebiss-1]

I feel like if people had any sort of common sense at all, they would've realized that Nintendo firing a voice actor over an apparent pay dispute but then hiring someone that costs much more might have meant that there was more to the story than just money. Perhaps unrelated, Hellena Taylor is a TERF.

Thing is, “video game voice acting pays like dogshit” and “companies can and will use lowball offers to get contractors to leave of their own accord” are both commonly-known facts. With this in mind, I don’t blame people (myself included) for taking Taylor’s initial claims at face value because they were plausible. The multiple-session rate that it turned out Platinum actually offered was still low in a general sense, but it was at least consistent with union rates in the field. From what I can tell, if this new information is correct, it seems like it went something like this:

-Platinum approached Taylor with an industry-standard offer, five several-hour sessions at $3-4k each. VAs absolutely should be getting more than this, but it isn’t a lowball offer by current industry standards.

-Taylor declined and asked for six figures plus residuals, which is frankly unrealistic in the current industry (even if game VAs absolutely should be getting residuals).

-Platinum opted to bring on a new VA who would take the standard union rate (Jennifer Hale). Platinum initially announced to the public that the change was due to “scheduling conflicts.” They still offered Taylor a cameo role that would be a single $4k session.

-For whatever reason, Taylor took to the social-media warpath and spun the cameo offer as her being offered $4k for the entire game. People took her at face value because, again, plenty of VAs have been paid less for similar projects. Other VAs in turn speak up about some of the dogshit rates they’ve been offered for games that are frankly much bigger than Bayonetta.

-When Taylor’s story went viral, rather than hunkering down and letting PR do their thing, Hideki Kamiya went on his usual hyper-abrasive Twitter routine. When people started roasting him online over the allegations, he made very angry vaguetweets about the situation and blocked so many people that the Twitter suspicious-account-activity algorithm flagged his account. This is, as the kids say, not a good look for someone whose studio is facing scrutiny.

-Someone within Platinum or familiar with the project leaks documents showing the full situation to journalists, Jason Schreier is the first to break the story. He’s generally been pretty aggressively pro-worker when reporting on stories related to labor issues in the games industry, so the fact that he’s vouching for these documents suggests that he’s pretty confident in their legitimacy.

-Taylor doubles down on her side of the story. Jennifer Hale has mostly been silent on the matter (likely due to NDAs), but has liked tweets alluding to the idea that there are two sides to the story. Platinum has yet to issue a direct statement about the situation beyond the initial “scheduling conflicts” claim.

This is just my attempt to piece the situation together based on the public information available right now. For all I know, some new development may crop up that completely vindicates Platinum or proves Taylor correct. We’ll watch this space, I guess. My gaming time is still being consumed by Xenoblade 3 so I’m in no rush to get the new Bayonetta at launch, as much as I love the series.

(And yeah, Hellena Taylor’s dodgy politics don’t strike me as surprising in retrospect; I’m already on a “probably transphobic until proven otherwise” attitude with any Brit over the age of, like, 40. But if her claims of being offered $4k for the lead role of the whole game are true, then her being a shitty person doesn’t change the fact that Platinum made a ridiculously low offer.)

[ringsreforged]

Natalie's *deep* Haladriel thoughts - BEWARE

Pau - When you read this later, let me know if you want me to move it to my personal account, yeah? If it even still exists...

I’m not really sure what this post is going to end up being. A defence of the show and the separation? In part! A critique of the show based off leak spoilers and my own gut feeling? For sure! A desperate ramble in an attempt to get my head in order? Absolutely!

I will say before we dive in that I’m absolutely a Haladriel shipper, but the way I ship isn’t always in line with fandom. I ship what I see as part of the narrative because it’s the narrative, and everything else is a bonus. I make this distinction because I think this is why I’m so okay with a lack of scenes when some others are not, and I don’t want to come across preachy. I don't think I'm in any way superior for this by the way. In fact, I wish I could be more *normal*!!!!

If you came to this show for Haladriel alone, and simply want to see them share scenes week to week – that’s your prerogative. I’m not trying to say you shouldn’t feel that way. What I might try to say is that I don’t think that makes the shows bad or suggests that the writers have baited with this relationship. I think that’s ultimately what I find frustrating…

But anyway, let’s get into whatever this is. A reflection on expectations, a five-season arc, and those STUPID spoiler leaks…

AND THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. STAY AWAY. HISS.

Alright, so this post is mostly brought to you by a sinking feeling I have that the leak spoilers are real. Because everything in that episode 7 promo matches up.

STOP READING if you don’t want to know the spoilers. And honestly? STOP READING IF YOU THINK YOU WANT TO KNOW because living with this knowledge has truly made this season less enjoyable for me (credit to it, then, because I still think it’s incredible). IF I’M MAKING YOU PANIC, STILL STOP READING because there very much is a world where these spoilers aren’t that bad in context…but I prefer to keep my expectations low…

Have you gone???

HAVE YOU GONE?????

SPOILER TALK

Okay.

So, the leak spoilers say that there is no kiss between Sauron and Galadriel (which, honestly, I have no great issue with – more to come on that later). Instead, the kiss is ELROND AND GALADRIEL, and I absolutely do take issue with this.

I can only hope and PRAY that it works in context, but I can’t get my head around it. And yet, the promo…it’s all falling into place. Elrond will be sent to discuss terms with the orcs before the battle. He’ll see Galadriel in chains, and he’ll ask for a moment to say goodbye. Adar will allow it because he’s a gent like that. This is where we get the chin touch with the thumb everyone speculated over and then…HE LEANS IN AND KISSES HER TO PUT A NEEDLE IN HER MOUTH? SO SHE CAN RELEASE HERSELF LATER??

To clarify, most of this is my spec, but THE KISS TO PASS HER A NEEDLE IS A REAL LEAKED SPOILER THAT NO LONGER SEEMS FAKE.

It's just…so convoluted and weird??? Does he store needles in his mouth like a squirrel? Why couldn’t he have slipped the needle into her hand??? WHY ARE YOU PUTTING ELROND’S LIPS ON GALADRIEL’S?

And look, maybe this spoiler IS still fake! But the details were so specific, and everything about the context seems to be accurate, so that feels like it would be a bonkers coincidence to me. Maybe when we actually see it play out, it will be fine.

But that does bring me back to the Haladriel of it all, just briefly. With my whole heart, I do not need them to kiss. After season 1, I didn’t think it would be possible, and I’m okay with that. But if you’re willing to let ELROND’S lips touch her, then MY GOD, you could have let Haladriel have ONE kiss where she’s trying to distract him or some shit. OOF.

My only relief is that it happens next week, so we can hopefully get it out of our systems and enjoy the finale.

That said, if these leaks are true then that also means the finale leaks are true. Now, I actually never wanted to see any of these spoilers (hence me making it VERY CLEAR what this post is about, because I wouldn’t inflict this stress on anyone unwillingly), so once I got the Elrond kiss details, I tried to get away without seeing much else. But there was some information on the big Haladriel scene.

I’m actually not going to detail it here, because – overall – I think we’ll still super enjoy it (just…lower those kiss expectations) AND because I don’t think all of it was spoiled. At the end of the day, there will be plenty to unpack, they’ll be back on our screens, it will be meaty, it will be layered. I’m really looking forward to it, in general.

My one fear is that it’s a season 1 finale repeat. And again, that won’t necessarily be bad per se, but it will feel a little bit underwhelming. Now, I’m not somebody that wants a true corruption arc for Galadriel. Normally, I love that shit, but not in this IP and not with this character. I want to see her explore her darkness, I want to see her face it and accept it, and I certainly want to see her be tempted…but I don’t expect or believe we'll ever actually get the whole ‘dark queen of Mordor’ vibe. Prisoner? Maybe. But not an actual dark queen.

That said…surely this scene doesn’t play out the EXACT same way as season 1? Sauron shows her a vision, she’s tempted, but ultimately resists and tells him she’ll never be at his side. I just don’t get why we’d repeat that, when there are so many other options that still keep Gal on the side of light.

I keep coming back to Galadriel’s line to Elrond in episode 4 – when it comes down to it, he has to choose to defeat Sauron and sacrifice her. I feel like if I hadn’t seen the leaks, then I would be 1000% expecting this to be the outcome. Especially with how Elrond’s theme comes in at the end of The Last Temptation track. He comes upon the confrontation but chooses to do the thing that will harm Sauron in the long run, rather than the thing that will save Galadriel.

I hope so badly for this, but I do worry that it will go the other way. What if it parallels Gandalfanger’s destiny/friend choice, and Elrond chooses her because THAT is how light wins or some shit? Not that this will be a bad scene by any stretch – I love their relationship and want to see their FRIENDSHIP (grrrr) reforged…but, again, the S1 finale! Sauron left her in the water, and Elrond was there to save her.

There’s also Galadriel’s conversation with Adar in the most recent episode – you succumbed, I resisted – but I guess this could go either way? He succumbed, so she resists. She insists she’s able to resist, so she succumbs. URGH. MY HEAD.

There MUST be a difference. SURELY??? Like, this season has been so well written…I just can’t comprehend the copy and paste.

Again, this isn’t anything close to a deal breaker for me. I firmly believe the showrunners when they say this relationship will remain the core of the show, but…hmmm. Okay, on that note…

DAMAGE CONTROL – MOVING ONTO THE DEFENCE OF THE SHOW

So, this is where I want to get into some stuff that I just…don’t agree with that I’ve seen being thrown at the show by shippers. And I’ll reiterate here that I’m truly not telling anybody what to feel. You can hate the show for its choices and feel how you feel. You can express yourself in your social media spaces, and if anybody doesn’t like it they can mute/block/unfollow. This chunk isn’t really aimed at you guys.

This is more for other people like me, because I’m cursed to be somebody that generally wants to just…enjoy things for what they are, while also being susceptible to the mood of others. I want to scroll tags and have a good time, rather than see negativity because it lowers my mood (this isn’t just ship related by the way, I really love this show overall…it’s just this tag that has been impacting my mood most this season). Regardless of the nonsense that might be in episode 7, and even if the finale scene is a repeat of S1, I’m still going to want to focus on enjoying what we get, enjoying the narrative being told etc. So, for those of you that have a little sinking feeling in your gut after the first half of this post, hopefully this second half will help.

This isn’t a ‘typical’ ship. This is a true ENEMIES ARE ENEMIES dynamic where the bad boy is ultimately going to be (is already) pure evil, and where our heroine is the embodiment of light. There are certain things that we just have to accept when it comes to loving this dynamic as part of the show – there will never be another season like season 1. Nor should there be?

Do I wish for s3 to have them in close proximity for at least a few episodes? Of course! Do I think it’s possible with or without finale spoilers? Absolutely (given how quickly characters travel from place to place on this show, they could end the season at opposite ends of Middle Earth and this would still be on the cards…). I’m also anticipating Season 4 as a good time for them to be in full MIND PALACE mode – where the rings are all ringing, but Galadriel hasn’t yet worked out how to shut him out yet. By season 5, there might just be one final scene before the final battle. But, again, I really do think there needs to be a little bit of acceptance of that. Or, at least, expectation of it.

Something I really want to push back against is this idea that Haladriel was baited or teased, but the writers don’t actually care for it. Honestly, that’s nonsense to me on a couple of levels.

First of all, almost EVERY dynamic this season has been reduced to a handful of scenes here and there. The most consistent relationships have probably been Annatar and Celebrimbor, and Durin+Durin+Disa (off the top of my head). Elrond and Durin (probably the other most popular dynamic of S1) have been apart all season, Elrond and Galadriel have too. Isildur popped up to say hello and we might not see him again.

When you actually stop and look at this season…Sauron and Galadriel had to be separated. She could not be anywhere near him while he’s working Celebrimbor, and there’s no world in which they were ever going to change that narrative. And yet, the Sauron and Galadriel dynamic has been consistent across the season. With Galadriel predominantly (and depending on how the finale goes, I may have thoughts on this), but it has also been easier with her because people have talked with her openly about Sauron. It’s been harder on his side, but the fact that Mirdania seems to have been cast to look like Galadriel honestly – right now – feels like it was done with the express purpose of giving Sauron a Galadriel reference.

Again, I’m not saying you have to like the lack of scenes, but it’s not bad writing to respect the overarching narrative of an ensemble show. Galadriel’s season has been all about him, and we’ve had countless insights to make that clear – building up to their final confrontation. If Sauron was running around mentioning Galadriel every five seconds with Celebrimbor or with the dwarves, it would be horrendously out of character.

This next comment is…somewhat dependent on the finale…but as somebody that loves Elendil and Miriel, everything in Numenor has been somewhat crammed in. I would firmly argue that the Galadriel/Sauron dynamic across this season has been treated with care and reverence, all building to a climax designed as the high point of the season. Will we be 100% satisfied? Who can say! But it IS what the season is building to.

I think this brings me around to a particular gripe I have, and maybe the people that believe this came to the show after S1 had fully aired or something…but there’s this idea floating around that the showrunners don’t like this dynamic and are just giving it crumbs to bait people into watching. This makes me want to scream.

These showrunners literally took a few lines about Galadriel being tempted by Sauron and PITCHED THE ENTIRE SHOW OFF OF THAT. The Tolkien estate wasn’t only pitched by Amazon BUT CHOSE THIS PITCH OVER ANYTHING ELSE. Season 1 was written pretty much like a prologue centred around GALADRIEL AND SAURON HAVING A PERSONAL CONNECTION WITH ROMANTIC UNDERTONES…and guess what?

They wrote all that…they filmed ALL THAT…before knowing anything about the audience reaction! That was ALL the showrunners, the writers, the directors, the actors. They ARE the narrative. They are not bait.

Does that mean the fundamentals of their dynamic will always please you, individually? No, of course not. Some people want outright romance, some people want soft Sauron, some people want Dark Galadriel. Will they kiss? I doubt it. Do I wish they would? Sure! Will they be separated again next season? Probably! Will I also wish that they could at least be stuck together for a run of episodes again? Absolutely!

But the idea that any of this is bait, or unimportant to the show drives me a little bit bonkers.

I guess my personal feeling of frustration comes from the fact that I feel so lucky they are exploring this show from the perspective of this dynamic, regardless of specific details/scenes. I’d bet my house (I don’t own a house) that every other pitch hinged on Elendil or Isildur as the protagonists of the show. Now, I love those dudes, but just IMAGINE? The fact that we’re on this path at all is still WILD to me.

ANYWAY, this is what happens when Paulina goes on holiday and I have nobody to ramble too. Sorry for the explosion, but I’ve been dreading the stupid kiss spoiler since I stumbled on it after EPISODE BLOODY 3 and so I needed to vent somewhere.

TL;DR: You are welcome to feel the way you feel, and if you hate everything you go right ahead, but maybe this makes sense to somebody. IDK. IDK.

[paddockletters]

I'll take the opportunity | pablo gavi and pedri gonzalez

2nd part here request: yes/ hello can you do a love triangle with pedri and gavi where they both compete for yns attention thank you for you request ❤ summary: two best friends in love with the same girl, she is confused as they both want her. pairing: pablo gavi x reader ; pedri x reader warnings: some angst, arguments, maybe a broken heart? words count: 1.9 k author note: I enjoyed writing this so much, I REALLY want to write a second part, what do you think? if you want a second part and have any ideas, please let me know, thank you!

You had met the boys through friends.

Mostly, you had a better relationship with Gavi, since you were the same age, had similar interests, and used to go out from time to time.

You could say you were romantically attracted to him, though you weren’t sure if he felt the same. Still, you had been flirting for a while, having conversations that went beyond friendship, even holding hands. But nothing had been said openly, so you kept it to yourself while trying to figure out your true feelings.

On the other hand, you had a good relationship with Pedri too, although he was a bit more reserved than Gavi. You had hung out a few times, but only in groups, never alone. The conversations with Pedri were always interesting. He was pretty cute too, you had to admit, but with him, it was hard to tell if there was any romantic interest.

You had been trying to meet up for days, but between his training, interviews, and your busy university schedule, it hadn’t worked out. Still, you kept messaging each other.

This week, you had agreed to go out for lunch with Gavi, since he would be busier in the coming days with an important match. He had already invited you, and you couldn’t say no, obviously—not just to see your favorite team play, but also to spend time with him and Pedri... Just to enjoy watching your two friends.

You were sitting with Gavi in a restaurant, hidden away from fans and the press, as they could be quite annoying. He didn’t want to expose you. Gavi wanted to keep you to himself, not wanting to ruin whatever was happening between you, especially not against his friend. Because yes, Gavi had noticed the looks you and Pedri exchanged.

“How are you feeling? Aren’t you nervous about the game on Sunday?” you asked Gavi, smiling.

“Kind of, but I’m more excited than anything. I hope Xavi lets me play the whole game and, obviously, score a goal.” You could see the excitement in Gavi’s face, and you couldn’t help but feel it too. You knew he was a great player, always giving his all in every game—even if sometimes he went a little overboard.

“You’ll definitely play, but please don’t get into any fights, or you’ll get too heated,” you teased, giving him a playful tap on the shoulder.

“¡Qué va! Que yo soy un tío muy tranquilo hasta que me provocan.” (No way! I’m a very calm guy until someone provokes me.) He gave you a mock-offended look, laughing.

“Okay, fair enough. Gavi, I hope you manage to win; the team deserves it. You and Pedri have been great.” You couldn’t help mentioning Pedri—it was true. These two were the golden boys of the team.

Hearing Pedri’s name made Gavi feel a twinge of jealousy. Did you really see Pedri as just a friend? Did you have feelings for him too? He couldn’t lose you. Gavi immediately came up with an idea.

“Alright, I’ll make you a deal. You wear my shirt to the match, and if I score a goal, I’ll dedicate it to you. But you have to give me something in return,” Gavi said, flashing you a big smile.

“Okay, but where will I get the shirt from?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll give you one of mine before Sunday,” Gavi said, still smiling.

“Alright, it’s a deal. But what do I have to give you in ret—”

“Guys, I didn’t know you’d be here.”

It was Pedri.

Actually, he did know you were eating there. Some fan photos had been leaked online, and Pedri had come across them while scrolling through Twitter. Seeing those photos made him jealous, sad, and mad at himself for not asking you out sooner. But he wasn’t the only one upset—the fans were too. Even though the pictures only showed your back, Pedri knew it was you because of your silhouette and the way Gavi looked at you with that silly grin. So, Pedri didn’t hesitate to come to the restaurant. He knew this place; he and Gavi used to come here whenever they wanted privacy.

“Man, what a surprise!” Gavi said with a forced smile and fake excitement.

“Really? I wasn’t expecting to find you here. I was supposed to meet Ferran, but he’s running late. Mind if I sit with you?” Pedri asked, staring at you.

“No.” “Yes.” You and Gavi answered at the same time.

Gavi clearly wasn’t happy about Pedri’s interruption. It was his moment with you. But you, though slightly confused, were happy to see both of them together since you hadn’t been able to meet Pedri recently.

“Pedri, I’m glad to see you. We’ve finally managed to catch up!” you said, smiling at him. Pedri couldn’t help but smile back; he was happy to see you too.

Meanwhile, Gavi sulked in silence, annoyed by Pedri’s presence. He wasn’t going to let him ruin the moment.

“In fact, I was going to message you to meet up today,” Pedri said.

“Sí bueno, mala suerte, tío, que ella ha salido conmigo” (Yeah well, tough luck, man. She’s with me.) Gavi mumbled, scooting his chair closer to yours.

Pedri noticed the gesture, and his smile faded.

“Well, since I’m here, I wanted to invite you to the game on Sunday.”

“Thanks, Pedri, but—”

“I already invited her. She’s even promised to wear my shirt,” Gavi interrupted, pouting slightly and giving you a mock-sad face, which left you confused.

“Pedri, don’t worry. I’ll support you both. You’re my friends.”

Both boys went silent.

“Fair enough. That’s what friends are for, right?” Pedri replied, forcing a smile.

“Well, I guess I’ll order something to eat and join you guys,” Pedri said.

“Sure, I’ll talk to the waitress,” you said, smiling.

After Pedri’s food arrived, the three of you tried to chat as normally as possible.

“I’ll be right back,” Gavi said, standing up to head to the bathroom, leaving you alone with Pedri.

“What do you say I pick you up from uni tomorrow, and we watch a movie at my place?” Pedri asked, smiling with excitement.

“That sounds great!” you beamed. It was a perfect chance to spend more time with him.

“How do you feel about the match?” you asked.

“Pretty confident, actually. I’m really looking forward to it,” he replied, smiling. Like Gavi, Pedri’s passion for football was clear when he spoke about it.

“I know you’re going to do great. You’re an amazing player, Pedri.” He blushed at your compliment, looking incredibly cute.

“Thanks, Y/N. I promise, when I score, I’ll dedicate it to you,” he said, and now it was your turn to blush.

Two boys—best friends—had just promised to dedicate their goals to you on Sunday.

“Who are you dedicating your goal to? Tania, the girl you’re seeing?” Gavi suddenly asked as he sat back down.

You froze. That was awkward. Pedri’s expression quickly changed from surprised to irritated. He hadn’t expected Gavi to bring that up, especially not in front of you. Sure, he had gone on three dates with Tania, but that was before he started liking you. Those rumors about him and Tania being together? Just rumors. And now he was afraid you might believe them.

Tension hung in the air. Both boys seemed to be competing for your attention.

“¿Eso a qué viene, tío? Esa chica no tiene nada que ver, son solo rumores y ya.” (What’s that about, man? She has nothing to do with this, it’s just rumors.) Pedri responded, clearly annoyed, his face flushing with anger.

“Nothing, Pedri, you just told me there was something between you two. Relax.” Gavi played dumb, pushing Pedri’s buttons. He wasn’t going to back down.

“Okay, guys, calm down. I have to go. Y/BF/N is coming over to study,” you said, standing up and picking up your bag, leaving some money on the table for your meal.

“Do you want me to take you home?” Both Pedri and Gavi asked at the same time.

“Pablo, you don’t even have a driving license, what are you on about?” Pedri shot back at Gavi.

“We’re taking a taxi. Let’s go,” Gavi said.

“No way, I’ll drive her,” Pedri insisted, pulling out his car keys.

“No, no, it’s fine. See you on Sunday!” you said, heading for the exit.

“See you tomorrow, Y/N,” Pedri called after you, causing Gavi to turn and glare at him.

“¿De qué vas, tío?” (What are you on about, man?) Gavi asked, annoyed.

“No, ¿de qué vas tú? ¿Por qué mencionaste a Tania enfrente de Y/N?” (What are you on about? Why’d you bring up Tania in front of Y/N?) Pedri shot back, pointing at him.

“I was just being honest. Better she knows you already have a girlfriend. I’m taking my shot.”

“You’re an idiot. You know there’s nothing between me and Tania,” Pedri snapped. “But you won’t win this, Gavi.”

“I’m not trying to win anything.”

“You like her. I like her. And Y/N’s too good for you.”

Pedri’s words hit hard, but Gavi didn’t let his temper get the better of him.

“Y/N deserves someone who treats her well. I won’t fight you over this; I’ll let her decide.”

“You think you’ve already won. But let’s make this clear—if she chooses me, you better not get in my way.”

“She won’t choose you, Pedri. I know her better.”

“We’ll see, Gavi. May the best man win,” Pedri said, flashing a smile.

By this time, Gavi was really pissed off, he definitely wouldn't let Pedri have a chance with you, not with the strong feelings he had for you, and that he knew you felt as well.

"Pedri, you can't do this to me. You know she and I have been flirting for a while now."

" You've said it, you're just flirting, fooling and there's nothing going on between you. I'll take the opportunity. I'm sorry Gavi, but I really like her". Pedri says that and leaves the place.

[petercaths]

SPOILERS: Helaemond 2x08 Analysis

Helaemond scene was actually so insane, I might pass out from all the layers uncovered and I NEED a place to break it down so LEAKs SPOILERS ahead.

LEAKS LEAKS LEAKS LEAKS

Well, first of all let me rage on what I thought wasn’t well done. There’s definitely a proper set up missing, both for Helaemond and the way we see Helaena interpret her dreams - which have been nothing but riddles , but now there’s coherence ?? I’m very mad at all that was done off screen / out of nowhere. Her arc deserves proper growth, she has so much potential.

Anyways, onto what I liked and a proper analysis of the two Helaemond scenes (LEAKS).

There’s something about the way we were thrown into two completely different ends of their dyanmic. that agressive volatile nature that we have seen build up in Aemond, and then something soft and genuine and vulnerable that he seems to reserve for Helaena now.

Obviously, the scene in which he drags her is one of controversy (and rightfully so). But the desesperación within, it’s very clear he doesn’t want to hurt her, if anything I’d argue he wants to protect her (their family) in the only way he knows how: with more ruin and death. Alicent tells him Helaena is still queen, and his answer is to call Alicent a weak queen. Alicent tells him Helaena is the most deserving of his protection, and his answer is “who will protect her if she cannot protect herself?” I actually think there’s a fear of cycle repetition here, Aemond sees the ways in which Alicent falls short (to him) and how that has endangered their family, and he does not want the same for Helaena or himself. But in the end, he cannot actually force Helaena to fight, Alicent would never stand for it, and I honestly don’t think he could get Helaena to do it unwillingly either. So he leaves.

Which leads to:

!!!!!THE BALCONY SCEEENNNEEE!!!!!

*screams in high valyrian*

The scene was actually a delicious serving of everything I wanted Helaemond to be if they ever shared a true scene together. I remember someone once asked what gothic ship Helaemond would serve, and I said Cathyheathlcliff and boy was I right!

First of all, the scene establishes a visual familiarity with Helaemond , as this is meant to be the same secret passage that Daemyra meet in in s1 which is kinda psychotic of the writers to do with no proper build up, but whatever.

I think it’s so intriguing that Aemond starts the scene by doing the exact opposite as what he did last time. He’s slow and soft, and he appeals to her gentle side, It’s almost manipulative. He says, “we share the same blood…we will answer outrage with outrage,” he wants to tie her to his vengeance and his doom through fire and blood. He reaches out to touch her, but instead his hand ghost over the arm that he hurt earlier. And the fact that he doesn’t touch her, to me that’s his apology. That’s him putting some of his needs aside so she can understand where he is coming from , putting her boundaries first, because he is so desperate for her of all people to stand by him.

All season long he has rejected the help/guidance of his family, but the one person he asks for help is Helaena. He doesn’t just ask for help, he asks her to come to Harrenhall (which was actually insane ?? never thought he’d do that). Alicent mentioned corruption and he fucking ran with it and said “yeah, maybe.” I think what’s so beautiful about Aemond in this scene, however, is that he really does understand her. “I know you do not wish to hurt anyone…” he understands what he’s asking of her, he understands where her morality lies, and even if his does not lie in the same place, I do think he respects it. But in his mind, this is not the time to stand with your values because it really is kill or be killed, and he’s already deemed Alicent a lost cause, but he’s trying to save himself and Helaena from one doom to put them into another where - in his mind - together they can prevail.

And then we have Helaena, and her answer to him in the most lucid vision she’s had (which deserved proper build up). Everyone has an idea of what Aemond did, but Helaena, she knows what he did. She saw it as if she had been there, and she makes sure he knows it too. She throws everything at him, and I think a part of her is pushing to see how far gone he really is.

She tells him“Will you burn me like you burned Aegon?” and it clearly stuns him, and he denies it, and she hesitates but then she keeps going. And then she lands the final blow, “Aegon is yet to see victory… you will be dead.” And it is such a bittersweet reveal , because we know now all that she sees, and that must include her own death as well. It’s bittersweet because Aemond comes into this scene trying to doom and corrupt her, but he does not know that she already carries that doom and corruption with her, and even with all that darkness , she choose to rise above it.

And of course, Aemond can’t have that so he threatens “I could have you killed…” and it’s so half baked because would he? Would he really kill her? Like she said earlier, would he burn her as he did Aegon? But then the most important part of this is said by Helaena, which is that it won’t matter, because she knows her fate is as sealed as his, and whatever he does to her won’t change what will happen to him.

Ultimately, Aemond comes into the scene trying to make his burden hers as well - force them onto her really- and she completely reverse uno’s him. Instead of letting him drag her down to physical ruins, she drags him down a psychological one. She is the one who shares her burden with him, one that she’s had since living memory, that no one in her family listens to. Just like Aemond, Helaena has a chance to place it on someone and make someone else understand, and she takes it, and she chooses Aemond - and by proxy herself. Now she doesn’t go through all of this completely alone.

This intertwines their arcs in such an odd way, she knows they’re doomed to die together, and because of her, he knows his fate is sealed. That’s peak intimacy.

And I guess I’ll end this by saying that we see Aemond show regret about his actions exactly once, and that’s when Helaena rejects him. And also that I really hope that if Helaena never see HH, they find a way to intertwine her arc with Alys more and have them share scenes.

[stuckinapatriarchalbullshitland]

Hello, hope you are doing well, I have a theory.

Remember when Camila said she had sex for the first time with that old dumbfuck idiot?(LMFAO). Anyways, this makes sense. Not because it is true of course not, it’s false because 1) that was PR 2) Camila will never fall for his dumbass 3) Camren was actually together during the PR ( AMA, 2018! And number of indirects which were not coincidental) 4) this is subjective because I believe Camila is a lesbian. It makes sense because the narrative made by her team is that she was never in love before Matthew and then again changed it to Shawn( lmfao, they can’t keep it consistent) C being a romantic hopeless fell in love with Matthew and “gave her virginity to him” (🤮) and then she always had a crush on Shawn and ended up being with him after dumping Matthew. That didn’t work out, she tried to move on with a dude who made an app or something (don’t know don’t care) Shawn and C tried again didn’t work out again because he is a person who needs help( lmfao, he does need help with singing especially) and now is in a era of basically just being happy with herself and exploring.

Now, this is interesting(I think), basically the narrative is saying she didn’t explore her sexuality until she was 20( funny how it also destroy the myth of those leaked texts between her and Michael from 5sos) this could be potentially used when she will come out of the closet. Saying, “ I am exploring my sexuality now and I discovered I like women too so I am bi/ pan(whatever her team thinks suits her better)” this also just proves( at least for the GP) there was nothing between Camren back in the band days (sure, Jan), leading to the future where they could come out as a couple without exposing their past. (If they are still together). I believe this for one more reason as recently in an interview, Lauren said “I was the only queer in the group….AS FAR AS I KNOW” I think it is self explanatory why that is important. Another thing is how much Gaymila has been out. I could be wrong, but then again nothing is coincidence with these two. What do you think?

Hey buddy, I'm going well 😊. I liked it. I'm not sure if It would be just as you mention, but I like your theory. I don't know where Camila will go with her image from now on, but I hope that at least she can free herself with time, she needs it.

The part about Camila dating Lauren doesn't fit, at least not as a couple, but as friends who reunite after "years" of not seeing each other. I'd like to see that.

[livwritesstuff]

Absolutely obsessed with your steddie dad’s verse!!! Everything about it is just so good, thanks for sharing!

I love Moe, Robbie and Hazel, and I can’t get this idea out of my head that probably doesn’t fit the vision of this verse at ALL but hear me out. What if one day all the upside down stuff became public knowledge? Somehow documents get leaked, someone talks, idk. And it’s suddenly all over the news. Would be so interesting to see how Steve and Eddie would react to this and how they’d talk to their kids (who just found out about their parents saving the world from the news) about it 👀

So here’s the thing:

Realistically, I don’t think the story would ever get fully leaked, for two reasons (probably more, actually, but two primary reasons).

It makes the U.S. government look terrible, and they do a good enough job of that publically to afford any more hits to their rep so they keep that shit on lock

Nobody would believe it. Maybe there are whispers about the truth of what happened to Hawkins, Indiana in the 80s, but the second the words “monsters” and “superpowers” get thrown in there, nobody buys it. That’s why the cover stories work.

What I absolutely think would happen is ✨conspiracy theories✨

Like, come 2014 there’s a rising interest in true crime and conspiracy theories and some enthusiasts stumble upon the story. A few devoted folks pull a Murray and start building a timeline and they quickly realize that there are some pretty serious holes in the narrative. It kind of takes off from there.

Robbie is Eddie’s daughter through and through, so she’s totally into that kind of stuff. Steve and Eddie have always been relatively upfront about what happened to them in Hawkins (relatively, in that they have the “here’s what you’ll find if you google your dads” conversation with an extensive Q+A, but to avoid dumping trauma on their kids they stay light on the details), so she’s more intrigued than surprised when not only is she suggested a YouTube video about her dads’ hometown, but the video also mentions both of them by name.

Here’s the problem – like most conspiracy theories, it's true that some pretty damning evidence has been uncovered that the government probably didn’t want circulating. However the story is still missing key details in a way that makes the resounding conclusion this close to the truth, but not quite there.

Hence, this conversation Robbie has with her dads after she watches the video:

“So is it true that Uncle Will was abducted by aliens?”

Steve’s eyebrows fly up.

“Are people saying it’s aliens? It wasn’t aliens.”

“Was he though?”

“Uh…kind of. I guess.”

“Is it true the government put a fake body in the lake and pretended it was him and then when Will came back they had to pretend it was another kid?”

“Yep.”

“That’s fucked up. Is it true that Russia used a mall in Hawkins to build a secret lab?” Robbie asks.

“Yes.”

“Is it true they were doing research on the aliens and then one of them escaped and that’s why the mall got destroyed.”

“Not even close.”

“How did the mall get destroyed then?”

“Bunch of people got possessed by a shadow monster and he made them eat chemicals until they exploded and reformed as this giant mass thing that cornered us in the mall. We attacked it with fireworks. I wasn’t there for most of that, though. Just the end.”

“Whatever,” Robbie rolls her eyes, fully convinced that her dad is bullshitting her, “Is it true the Hawkins earthquakes were actually the aliens invading.”

“No – yes…kind of? Not earthquakes. Not aliens.”

“I mean…technically they kind of were aliens ,” Eddie jumps in, “Technically anything from a land foreign to yours is an alien.”

“They weren’t aliens,” Steve insists, “They were monsters. They were big and gray and their faces opened up and they had all these rows of teeth like sharks.”

“Sounds like an alien to me,” Robbie replies.

“Monsters.”

“Is it true Dad was attacked by them and he almost died and you saved him, Pop?”

“Yes, indeed,” Eddie says proudly before Steve can respond, “He’s quite the hero, don’t you think?”

“In space?”

“Nope. In an evil alternate dimension, and he dragged me all the way out through the portal and everything.”

Robbie rolls her eyes again, “Nevermind, you guys are useless. You’d think you weren’t even there.”

Steve sighs, “God, I wish that were true.”

In terms of how Steve and Eddie respond to the story gaining some attention from the general public, they do family viewings of the conspiracy videos made about the situation and make fun of the incorrect narratives. Their daughters fully do not grasp that their dads are telling the truth because, again, the truth does not seem real.

[frankenfossil]

Oh! I nearly forgot, but can I ask the significance of this panel?

It comes directly after Dee explains that he can’t come and see her from the future whenever he wants. (Which is one of my favorite moments where Dee’s true eldritch horror leaks in to the story), so I assume it’s… sort of a metaphor? How Emily finds herself at the foot of something she realizes is much, much bigger than she contemplated before?

(Also, I just wanted to compliment you for this panel)

(The first time I saw it, I imagined Dee was showing her this on purpose, time traveling from sometime the same day to really show her what it would be like. An object lesson.

The second time I saw it, I started to wonder

Because Dee himself doesn’t really look aware of what is going on behind him.

And maybe, just maybe, this one moment in time has become the only moment that Dee allows himself to come back to to see Emily, the one moment where he can get lost in the crowd with every other time he came back to look. The one moment where he’s explaining why he can’t come back.

Just… Makes me sad, and I wanted to say thank you for that too, because I love these characters and the story they tell, the sweet and bitter.)

Oh!!!

(Quick test of my ability to find which chapter stuff happens in)

I love your reading of that Uluru panel!! I think I probably didn’t intend anything that deep with it; these time skip montage style chapters are pretty choppy and I’m usually trying to figure out a way to touch on all these brief scenes or moments that I don’t want to spend a whole chapter on for whatever reason, and arrange them in a way where the cuts aren’t too hideously abrupt. For visual reasons I try to contrast different locations and not put 2 dialogue heavy moments directly next to each other. Mood wise, I don’t really want to cut from something serious and angsty to something that’s a complete backflip on that. I also sometimes just feel like drawing a nice landscape and hope it achieves my aims on these fronts haha.

I think also here I was trying to move from that final sentence, “The present is more than enough”, to demonstrating them appreciating having that present together - being able to go do cool and enriching stuff, something not completely mundane but not completely fantastical either. (I mean... sightseeing within your own country is extremely normal, but going to Uluru from Melbourne... not a convenient day trip, since it’s 2000km; 25 hour solid driving, or you can fly in a few hours but I think you have to go via Sydney, so that makes it take at least twice as long I guess. Not that it's specified how long they're there for. I haven’t been myself but I’d love to one day...)

So, yeah!! More of a mechanical/compositional rationale than an intentional metaphor, but I think your reading makes complete sense and actually improves the page! (Sometimes I do intend visual metaphors... but sometimes they’re just happy accidents.)

And thanks for the compliment re the crowd of Dees!! I also love the moments I can lean into his eldritch qualities... they’re sadly few and far between but maybe that helps them be more surprising?? Definitely your first reading was what I intended, that he zigzagged back pretty quickly, probably even from within the conversation, but there is an inherent ambiguity to Dee’s time travelling where unless I take pains to spell it out, there really is no way to know when he’s come from. Even if he can be assumed to be taking every interaction chronologically, there’s no knowing how much time has passed for him between each visit. I don’t even know how to estimate how long his experience of time is, when he’s zigzagging back so densely all the time; even the number of living things on Earth any moment is an incomprehensibly mind-boggling number. That eldritch horror again!

Truth be told I hadn’t thought of him coming back to this moment and blending in with the crowd for the rest of the future ;_; but that’s so real... he could well be, the sad sack...

I had a different sillier thought from slightly misreading your question on first pass, which is that maybe he doesn’t originally know what’s going on behind him, but then later on as he’s just going about his business he goes “oh I know exactly how to punctuate that thing I said earlier!!!” and then does it as an afterthought. Oh to have the ability to add the things you wish you’d said to an earlier conversation 😂

[bebx]

Honestly, I don't get how people can think that Sylki won't be endgame. Are they forgetting that it's Disney? Or that the writer is a Sylki shipper? Let's be realistic. I agree that it would make zero sense, but this argument is lame, because we know Marvel doesn't care and they're capable of doing that. I wouldn't be surprised if they rushed it and pulled "actually Sylvie has been in love with him the entire time, but she's been hiding it, trying to push him away, because she thinks she doesn't deserve love. But she got over it now." Not to be rude, but I feel like everyone who believes that Sylki won't happen is delusional. I really want Lokius to happen, not Sylki, but even the idea of Sylki not happening is too good to be true. I feel like those leaks are true.

the leaks, which came from several people who claimed to have seen the entire season (and they all said the same thing), were correct about Marvel’s revealing that Mobius has 2 sons in episode five. I know it’s just a “rumor” and there’s no way to know if they really did see the entire season, but tbh I expect Marvel to pull the Sylki endgame in the finale (like how those leaks also said they would do that, getting Loki and Sylvie back together in the last episode).

if I had to guess, I’d say it’d go exactly the way you said, that Sylvie was always in love with Loki all along, but didn’t think she deserved to be loved, hence why she tried to push him away.

I would love to be wrong, but I guess we’re all finding out soon.

also I wouldn’t call anybody delusional for thinking Sylki won’t be endgame or that Lokius will be canon, unless it’s in a joking manner where I’m also making fun of myself. but in all seriousness, I don’t think anybody is ever “delusional” for having opinions about which direction the show will go based on what was actually showed so far in the series. because if this weren’t Disney, I’d say Lokius would absolutely go canon, after all those hints and everything they gave us so far. Sylki parting ways as friends and Lokius going canon as a couple are very highly unlikely, but it’s not entirely impossible either.

as for the writer, if you mean Eric Martin, dude’s a troll (and I say this with respect lol nothing against him, I’m sure he’s a good person with good sense of humor), he’s always liked both Sylki and Lokius posts because he knows fans monitor his likes and I fully believe he’s doing it on purpose just to (playfully) mess with the audience. so I wouldn’t take whatever he liked on social media as a “confirmation” of anything, not even his personal opinion about which ship he thinks is “better”.

*and even if he does personally ship Sylki, it’d still be unfair imo to assume he only made Sylki endgame solely because he personally liked the ship. if he’s a professional writer, I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt and believe that he had other reasons behind his writing choices that had nothing to do with his personal feelings, since after all, the characters belong to Marvel, not him. so his personal preferences shouldn’t be the only factor in deciding which direction things should go. (to be clear, what I mean is: it’s perfectly okay — and it is a good thing — to write a story based on how you, the writer, personally prefer, but I don’t think he’d make Sylki endgame just because he liked it without any other reasons involved when it’s still Marvel’s show and he was hired by Marvel, not his show, if that makes sense.)

[apomaro-mellow]

Part 4

After a few games and a few beers, Steve didn’t even notice how close Jonathan was pressing to his side. Well, he noticed. It would be more accurate to say he was less self conscious about Jonathan being that close.

“Okay, Nancy, Robin, settle something for me”, Eddie hobbled over to a family portrait and took it off the wall. “Are these the actual Harringtons?”

Nancy shrugged. “I actually never met his parents.”

Steve turned his head to look at her, mouth open in shock. “We dated for a whole year!”

“Yes and I never saw them.”

“I saw them pulling out of the driveway once”, Robin said. “But I’m not entirely sold.”

“On my parents?”, Steve questioned.

“I’m like 90% sure that was a hoax. I think pulleys were involved.”

“You guys are insane. I have parents. And there’s photographic proof. Eddie was here when they left.”

“Like Robin, I’m also not entirely sold”, Eddie said, putting the frame back. “Those could’ve been actors.”

“Why would I hire people to pretend to be my parents?”

“Because you're a Cabbage Patch Kid”, Eddie surmised.

Nancy snorted up some of her drink while Argyle simply nodded in understanding. “That explains so much man…”

“I have a birth certificate!”, Steve exclaimed.

“Just like a Cabbage Patch baby would”, Robin pointed out.

Jonathan easily slung an arm over Steve’s shoulders. “Don’t worry. I’d like you even if you were a turnip baby.”

Robin grinned. “With his head it’s more like a pumpkin baby.”

“The hell is that supposed to mean?” Steve had been in the middle of deciding how he felt about what Jonathan had just said and whether or not it was true and why that even mattered when Robin made her comment.

“Your head is like a square dude”, Argyle said.

“Oh my god, it is”, Nancy said like the answers of the universe had been brought to her.

“Are you guys high? Is that what this is?”, Steve asked as he looked all around them.

“I’d kiss your pumpkin head too”, Jonathan said, giving Steve’s temple a kiss.

“I gotta take a leak”, Eddie said, making his way around some game pieces and heading to the bathroom. 

If Steve ever felt insecure about his appearance, Eddie would’ve kissed that square head of his until he ran out of breath. He couldn’t really begrudge Jonathan since he was pretty much doing that, if a bit reserved since they were all hanging out together. When he and Steve were alone, they were probably less restrained. Probably had their hands all over each other and kissing more than just foreheads.

Eddie let out a breath and then looked down. He bit down on his knuckles. He really had went to the bathroom to piss but now he had a different problem. Turns out thinking of pretty boys kissing wasn’t conducive to NOT getting an erection. Eddie washed his hands and tucked himself away, giving himself a moment to calm down.

There were other fish in the sea. Especially compared to the very small pond that was Hawkins. He wasn’t gonna get hung up on whatever Jonathan Byers and Steve Harrington were getting up to. He was better than that. Eddie opened the door and immediately got a face full of Jonathan.

“Whoa!”

“Sorry! Sorry, I was just coming to check on you. Steve said I should, in case you get lost and I’m only now just realizing that was a joke.” The Harrington house was big but not that big.

“Yeah it was a joke”, Steve said, coming down the hall to retrieve his boyfriend.

“Don’t take it too hard Byers, Stevie here has a wit drier than a cracker”, Eddie said, giving Jonathan’s shoulder a pat.

“If that’s another jab at the shape of my head-”

“I wouldn’t dream of it my liege”, Eddie bowed with his head and moved past Jonathan to get back to the others.

Once they were behind him, he looked down real quick just to make sure his little buddy wasn’t trying to make an entrance and thankfully, it was gone. Eddie was wringing his hands as he got back to the others. That had been a close call. He really needed to reign it in when it came to those two. Eddie had thought he only needed to get over Steve but one of Wayne’s comments made him realize that Jonathan was easy on the eyes too.

Just his luck to have a crush on two guys who were all wrapped up in each other. Eddie was about to excuse himself for the evening, unable to take much more when in his hand-wringing, he realized he forgot to put one of his rings back on. He had taken them off to wash his hands and had gotten all but one back. It must still be on the sink.

Eddie turned heel to get it, making his way back to the bathroom. He was kind of hoping neither Steve nor Jonathan were using it because it’d be a little embarrassing to ask them to pass it to him while they were on the toilet but he might have to.

The next few moments felt like they were in slow motion.

Because Jonathan had Steve pressed against the door as he was kissing him.

Eddie felt like time was moving through syrup. He’s had his feelings hurt before. He’d been turned on before. Never had it happened at the same time. There was a whirlwind brewing inside him and reaching a point where it was about to burst forth. He stumbled backward, grabbing their attention. He could only take their eyes for about 2 seconds before he was bolting from the hallway.

Had somebody called his name? Probably. He had rushed from the hall and right through the door to get outside. Anyone who saw would think he had an angry mob on his tail. Eddie got to his van and drove off, not giving a thought to where he was going beyond ‘away from here’.

He did eventually stop, on a dark street corner somewhere. He really didn’t want to go back to Wayne like this. And there was no way he was going back to Steve’s house. Eddie knew eventually he’d have to make a choice, but for now, he turned off the van and moved to the back where he always kept an extra blanket and pillow. There was one thing he was good at and it was moping in the darkness.

Part 6

Tag Team

@freddykicksasses

[camrensrealbish]

Hello, hope you are doing well, I have a theory.

Remember when Camila said she had sex for the first time with that old dumbfuck idiot?(LMFAO). Anyways, this makes sense. Not because it is true of course not, it’s false because 1) that was PR 2) Camila will never fall for his dumbass 3) Camren was actually together during the PR ( AMA, 2018! And number of indirects which were not coincidental) 4) this is subjective because I believe Camila is a lesbian. It makes sense because the narrative made by her team is that she was never in love before Matthew and then again changed it to Shawn( lmfao, they can’t keep it consistent) C being a romantic hopeless fell in love with Matthew and “gave her virginity to him” (🤮) and then she always had a crush on Shawn and ended up being with him after dumping Matthew. That didn’t work out, she tried to move on with a dude who made an app or something (don’t know don’t care) Shawn and C tried again didn’t work out again because he is a person who needs help( lmfao, he does need help with singing especially) and now is in a era of basically just being happy with herself and exploring.

Now, this is interesting(I think), basically the narrative is saying she didn’t explore her sexuality until she was 20( funny how it also destroy the myth of those leaked texts between her and Michael from 5sos) this could be potentially used when she will come out of the closet. Saying, “ I am exploring my sexuality now and I discovered I like women too so I am bi/ pan(whatever her team thinks suits her better)” this also just proves( at least for the GP) there was nothing between Camren back in the band days (sure, Jan), leading to the future where they could come out as a couple without exposing their past. (If they are still together) . I believe this for one more reason as recently in an interview, Lauren said “I was the only queer in the group….AS FAR AS I KNOW” I think it is self explanatory why that is important. Another thing is how much Gaymila has been out. I could be wrong, but then again nothing is coincidence with these two. What do you think?

😅😅 he does need help with singing especially 😭

I love you 😅

Thanks for submitting this, I had a great time reading it. And yes, I think your theory is correct.

Speaking of one more thing that doesn't make sense in this timeline, Camila wrote "Camila" before Matthew. She sings about sex there, and not in a metaphorical sense or whatever nonsense they are trying to call it now, and I'm pretty sure she was talking about it in interviews at the time (Zach Sang interview if I'm not mistaken).

Coming back to your ask, they've been covering the grounds in case she decides to come out one day since 2019. They can keep advising her against it, but ultimately they can't stop her from coming out if she decides to do soq. So they made sure it doesn't turn against them (Epic, managers, etc.) when she does. Lauren saying multiple times by now that there might be other 5H members who weren't queer back then but might be now (literally why would you say that 😅) is a big clue for us that they're planning for this eventuality that Camila might come out.

I think she's a lesbian too, but if/when she does come out it will be as bi, to fit all her PRs and everything people know about her so far into this story. And this way it's less risky too, because it doesn't alienate straight people as much 🙄. They really care about seeing themselves represented in media 🙄🙄🙄.

The thing is, I'm not so certain she wants to come out anymore. She definitely doesn't seem as keen on it as she used to be. But I truly hope she does one day, simply because I'd like to see it 🥹.

[glatisant-questing]

Harada's Short Story from the Manyo no Shou Limited Edition Booklet

Harada's story is a bit flat tbh...but I adore the fact that he feels it irresponsible to give Chizuru any superficial words of comfort before she actually knows the whereabouts of her father.

(This SS was written by 長野 和泉)

On a sunny afternoon, after finishing the morning practice and washing off all the sweat, I went to Chizuru’s room. 

I had no plans for the rest of the day, so I thought I would take her out with me. 

(I’ve been occupied lately, and I haven’t been able to help her find her father… Even though it can’t be helped, I want to do as much as I can for her. After all, she is forced to live with us in such a cramped place.) 

When I arrived at her room, I called out through the shoji, “Chizuru, are you there? I’m going out now, do you want to come with me?” 

There was no answer. 

(Maybe she was on some errand and went somewhere else? No, I didn’t see her in the headquarters, and none of the other soldiers said they had seen her.) 

So I decided to call out again just in case. 

“Hey Chizuru, are you not there?” 

There was still no response, but I heard a faint shuffling from inside the room. 

“I’m opening the door.” 

After saying that, I gently opened the shoji and… 

“Huh?” 

Chizuru was leaning against the wall inside her room, asleep. 

(I didn’t expect her to be sleeping at this early hour. She’s been busy lately with moving and stuff, so maybe that’s why…) 

I wanted to wake her up, but seeing her sleeping soundly and breathing softly, I felt it would be better to leave her alone like this. 

(But if she continues to nap here, she might catch a cold. Maybe I should bring her something to cover herself with.)

As I was thinking that, “Mm, mm…?” A voice leaked from her soft lips, and her eyes opened. 

“Huh, Harada-san…?” 

She said in a dreamy tone, then blinked her big eyes several times. 

And then, as if she finally took in the situation, she said, “S-sorry! I…!” 

“You don’t have to apologize. It’s my fault for entering your room without permission. I called you from outside the room, but you didn’t answer.” 

“No, it’s not like that…!” 

She looked adorable and charming as she blushed and shrank back a little.

 (She looks so composed when she treats the soldiers’ wounds or talks about medicine. Well, it’s reassuring that she shows me these unexpected sides once in a while, as befits a girl of her age.) 

Soon Chizuru lifted her face and asked me. 

“Um… Harada-san, what did you want from me?” 

That reminded me of why I came here. 

“Oh. I have no other plans today, so I thought we’d go out somewhere. You know, I’ve been busy lately and haven’t helped you look for your father.”

“Is that true? Thank you for going out of your way to do that for me.” 

Chizuru said with a sparkle in her eyes, but… 

“But, judging from how you were napping, aren’t you really tired? Why don’t you take it easy today and have some rest?” 

I suggested, worried about her. 

“No, I’m fine. I was just dozing off because I happen to have some free time.” 

Chizuru answered steadily, as if she didn’t want to worry me. 

“Really? You’re not pushing yourself too hard?” 

“No, I’m not. I’m really fine.” 

Her expression showed some fatigue, but… 

(She’s probably thinking that she has to do whatever it takes to find her father. Well, Chizuru is not the kind of girl who can relax in this situation.) 

If I refused her now, I would only disappoint her. 

Thinking that, I lightly tapped her slender shoulder. “Alright, then get ready to go out. I’ll be waiting outside.” 

“Yes, thank you.” 

I left the room and waited for Chizuru in the hallway.

After that, we searched for Koudou-san until dusk, but… 

“We couldn’t find any clues today either.” 

“Yes…” 

“I’m sorry. I dragged you out when you were tired, and I couldn’t find your father for you.” 

“No, please don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault, Harada-san.” 

She smiled and said that, but there was a hint of sadness lingering on her face. 

(She must be worried about her father… Of course she does.)

 I felt frustrated that I couldn’t find her father for her, and that she was living in such a cramped place because of Shinsengumi’s circumstances. I wanted to cheer her up, but before Koudou-san is actually found, it would sound irresponsible to say anything. Thinking of this, I gently held her hand in mine. 

“How about we find something good to eat on the way back? Some sweets might make you feel better.” 

I thought she would refuse and say that she wasn’t in the mood or something, but… 

“Thank you, Harada-san.” 

Chizuru answered me with relief. 

“Okay, then what do you want to eat? I’ll treat you to anything you like. You’re not like Shinpachi or Heisuke who always want to have extravagant meals when they go out.” 

“Harada-san…” 

She chuckled and looked much brighter than before.

A few days later. It was a day after heavy drinks with Shinpachi, and my head was unusually hazy. 

Maybe it was a hangover.

 “I’m not that old yet.” 

Since it was my day off, there was no need to rush. I sat down on the veranda, all in a haze. 

Leaning against the pillar, I dozed off in the warm sunlight. 

Before long… 

“Harada-san… Harada-san…!” 

I woke up to a small voice calling me. I knew right away to whom this cute voice belonged. 

“Mm… Chizuru? What’s wrong?” 

“Please wake up.” 

“No, it’s okay. It’s my day off today.” 

“Um, are you feeling sick?”

 Chizuru looked at me with concern and asked me. 

“I’m fine, I’m fine. It’s just a little hangover. It’ll go away if I rest like this for a while.” 

“If that’s the case… I’m glad you’re okay. But you should get up soon.” 

“Huh? Why are you in such a hurry? Is something wrong?” 

“Hijikata-san is coming here.” 

“What?!”

 I jumped up and put my hand on Chizuru’s head. 

“Thanks for telling me that and waking me up.” 

“….I just want to do something to thank you for helping me out the other day.” 

She answered in a small voice and I nodded back at her.

(The end)

[mrs-gauche]

Ok, I'm pretty sure no one actually cares about this and I'm probably *really* overthinking the plot of a very simple comic here, but hey, wild speculations are fun and since there's still a bit of time left until the final volume of The Missing releases at the end of this month, why not write it down just in case there could actually be more to this (or you all get a reason to laugh at me in about two weeks)! 😂

Because for some reason, I just can't stop thinking about the "true identity" of the mysterious "Venatori assassin" that had been stalking Varric and Harding since volume 1...

(...Assuming the person we see here was actually one and the same throughout all these scenes. 👀) But before I go on, just beware of spoilers for the whole comic obviously, but also some stuff about the DA4 reddit leaks from a few weeks ago under the cut! 😁

So, to reiterate real quick, by the end of volume 3, Varric seemed to think that, whatever happened the moment he was almost killed by a Leopard and then heroically saved by a "Venatori assassin", was somehow instigated by none other than Solas himself. First of all, let me start by saying that there's a good chance that none of this actually matters, the guy was simply a cheap plot device to keep readers guessing and we'll never see them again, there won't be any grand revelation about them nor will they play any significant role whatsoever, given that the poor guy, whoever it was, appears to have basically disintegrated because of the strange time-altering magic in the Arlathan Forest after saving Varric from that Leopard and is therefore presumably.. pretty dead now, I guess. lol

Yet, in any case, the way this mystery person had been presented to us throughout all this, almost made it feel like they were setting this person up for something big or some grand unmasking by the end of this comic? 🤔 At least, that's what I thought until the end of volume 3... Which leads me to believe that there’s still a small chance for some sort of surprise in the final volume despite the unceremonious disintegration. lol (Or that’s just wishful thinking...) I kinda already did this in my post on volume 3, but after giving it some more thought, here are all the potential "identities" I consider possible now: 1) What I have come to realize now and what seems to make the most sense actually - and thank you again @thebookworm0001​ for pointing it out to me 😁 -  that it could've simply been one of Solas' agents who was ordered to keep an eye on them throughout this whole journey and to save them in case they got in any dangerous situations. Which would also explain what happened at the end of volume 1, when Varric and Harding found that deepstalker lying dead in front of Solas' hideout, suggesting that this agent had killed it to prevent it from attacking Varric and Harding, saving their life yet again. lol

This could also fit in with some comments I’ve seen, assuming that this pouch thing that the assassin carried in that scene in volume 3 showed the same “Dread Wolf” symbol that was also seen on that wax seal on Solas’ letter.

Though I still think it would be kinda weird for a spy to openly carry a symbol of identification like that? lol But if that’s the case, might I add that Solas’ agents would therefore quite literally be wearing a badge of Pride. (*ba dum tsss*)

2) The guy was actually a real Venatori assassin, but somehow manipulated by Solas to save Varric. 3) The Venatori was Solas himself in disguise. Now, while that IS the most fun scenario to think about, it still just doesn't make much sense to me tbh, because of basically all the reasons I talked about in this post, so I won't bother to elaborate again. 😂 I'll just say that, again, ever since "the Orlesian Bard", anything is possible, so I can't fully outrule it either, I guess. lol (Though in addition to this, I also don't know why Solas wouldn't just kill that Leopard (or the deepstalker in volume 1 for that matter) with a simple spell or something, instead of jumping in and "sacrificing" himself. lol Actually, now that I think about it, it seems a bit suspect now that he also wouldn't interfere when Varric and Harding were being attacked by that Tevinter mage in volume 2?) 4) Varric was simply wrong. lol Solas wasn't involved in this at all, the Venatori was the real deal and this is all actually part of some grand plan by the Venatori to get Varric and Harding to lead them to Solas/the ancient artifacts like the Crucious Stone. Which is why they saved Varric to ensure they made it out of the Arlathan Forest alive to continue their pursuit and use those ancient artifacts for... something not good. lol With the way Varric and Harding were seemingly lead to follow all those (purposefully laid out?) clues, only to end up at this letter telling Varric not to interfere, makes me actually hope that this was all part of the Venatori's schemes, just because I still don't fully understand what the whole purpose of this was then, if Solas was the one behind all this. (Unless his intention was to simply keep the Inquisition distracted or something.) And looking at the blurb for the final volume again, which seems to have Varric and Harding going back to Minrathous because Solas "has been spotted" there, maybe this will all culminate in the Venatori trying to get the Crucious Stone back from him/Solas trying to stop the Venatori from doing something really stupid with yet another ancient artifact (much like what he did with this one Tevinter mage and the red lyrium idol in Tevinter Nights). 5) The person was someone else entirely, neither associated with the Venatori OR Solas! Which brings us to the last and probably my favorite theory (and actually the main reason I even wanted to talk about this again)... What if this mysterious person... is actually the next protagonist? 😂 Hear me out! This comic was marketed to lead directly into DA4 somehow, right? So this should be taken almost like a little (yet ultimately irrelevant) prologue to the main story, right?

It also seems pretty clear by now that the overall purpose of this whole comic is to introduce us to/highlight the four factions (Grey Wardens/Antivan Crows/Veil Jumpers/Tevinter... something) that are probably going to play an important part in DA4's story in some way, or rather the four factions that are likely going to be options to choose for our next protagonist, if we're looking at how those four factions were already presented in concept art/short stories, but also the 2020 teaser, along with Varric's narration talking about how "It's time for a new hero" and "Someone they'll never see coming".

And with this, I'm also looking at the reddit leaks again from a few weeks ago and how "Rook" will apparently be the name/title of our next protagonist. A name that might suggest a spy background (along with everything we know about the first version of DA4 "Joplin" and the ominous "red book" with a rook on its cover), someone who goes by an alias rather than their actual name to operate, like many of the spies we know from DAI. So... when Varric's talking about "a new hero" and "someone they'll never see coming", wouldn't it be so hilarious to have that one mystery person disguised as a Venatori assassin, turn out to be literally the one spy no one saw coming? 😂 Obviously, I have no idea how they would even be involved in all this.. Like, why would they stalk Varric and Harding and why would they even want to save Varric? But who knows, maybe at the end of this comic this person will pop up again in Minrathous, which will segue directly into the start of DA4 when the protagonist will bump into Varric saying "Oh wow, I don't know who you are but you've done an amazing job at spying on me, would you be interested to work for us?" 😂 "Rook, it is? Oh don't worry, you can keep your silly spy name." Or what if Varric will be the one to assign this name to the next protagonist then when he’s recruiting them? After all, Varric IS still a spymaster, right? lol

What kinda speaks against all this though is, for one, that the Venatori assassin was already shown to be of human or elven like stature, which would therefore already "canonize" the next protagonist to be of a certain race, and while BioWare has used their own canon default Hawke/human Inquisitor for promotional stuff before, I don't know if they would do it like this... Also, I can't see BioWare actually have the next protagonist be introduced in a comic/additional media that most people aren't going to read anyway. lol But still, I think it's a lot of fun to think about. 😁

So that's where I'm at. Again, I'm about 99.9% sure that none of this will actually be addressed or matter at all in the final volume and we'll just be left to forever speculate who the mysterious no name was who saved Varric's life. lol

If anything, thank you mystery person for saving our favorite dwarf (unless it was actually you Solas, in which case, shame on you for even getting Varric in a situation like this in the first place. 😂)

[ladymcres]

brief disclaimer here, this is about build, so skip it if you find it uncomfortable

i waited a little bit before dumping whatever my brain is coming up with because yesterday was overall a hard day (real life shit happened) and i was not ready to face the eventual hate i could get for, you know, having opinions.

so, let’s start from the fact that i am not a perfect person, i do have flaws and for the same reason i do not expect perfection from anyone, neither from my close circle of friends/family nor from the people i happen to follow online.

that’s why what has been coming out in the last months - and yesterday specifically - is closure enough for me. i can’t even fathom how people can look at this whole situation and pick good and bad guys when it’s kinda obvious that they were in a relationship which turned to be pretty toxic and ended up in fire. what’s also true is that the allegations against build were indeed fake, (both the ones coming from netizens on twitter and the ones coming from poi) therefore he got his life ruined on the base of accusations that were never backed up from any evidence and were actually supported by fabricated pictures and blatant lies (making threads is not my thing, but this story is all over twitter if you’re interested) there’s also the fact that when push came to shove, he decided to take the whole thing on the legal route, while she decided that harassing him, his family (the whole thing against build’s sister was disgusting) and his fans was the right thing to do.

i’m not saying anybody should support him or turn into his fan, because i understand that we are all different and we perceive things differently, but refusing to acknowledge that in the beginning - and i put myself in there too - we were all blinded by prejudice and that the situation is now much clearer is hypocritical. I also believe that what happened to him is unfair and he deserves some sort of reparation for having his life ruined considering that things are clearly not going back to what they were before.

You do not need to be a build’s fan to see that poi lied from the beginning to the end and that as imperfect as build is, he was the one to be slandered and potentially abused. I mean, voice on the street (not confirmed from any parties, but you know, info like to leak) is that she will have to pay him a whole lot of money for this mess, which to me does not sound at all like settling, but rather admitting to a fault and deciding to pay up instead of facing more gruesome consequences.

I would also like to point out how the whole kp and bl fandoms are very much filled with double standards considering what’s been happening in the last week (and i’m not referring only to the whole gmmtv situation), but on the other hand i have hope that maybe people are starting to realize how dumb cancel culture (or fandom life the way it’s turning to be) is.

I hope Build can somehow get what he lost back and i hope he’s taking care of his mental health and, more than everything, i wish he’ll learn something from this experience. Just to be clear: this is a build-friendly blog. I won’t pretend i know him as a person, but i know him as an actor and artist and you know, 10 minutes of his acting left me gaping for a year now, so I will support any kind of project he may have in the future (i know chances of 4M happening are low but a girl can dream).

To conclude, please, do not send hate to people if you don’t like them, do not spread lies for clout, but practice kindness. There’s nothing to lose in that.

[littleperilstories]

The Prince of Thieves: I Think I Need a Sunrise, I'm Tired of the Sunset

Mood Boards | Chapter Titles | Also on A03! | Playlist | Story Intro

Warnings: Angst, self-doubt

If you want even MORE angst for this chapter, consider playing Playlist Roulette for some emo vibes:

[possible spoilers] Song 1 / Song 2 / Song 3 / Song 4 / Song 5

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Word count: 1739 || Approx reading time: 7 mins

I Think I Need a Sunrise, I'm Tired of the Sunset

Teaser: Out there, leaking through those gaps in the curtain, is the sun, the world, the life I thought I might never get to see. A life I’m only just lucky enough to be facing now. I want to be thrilled, I want to feel safe, I want to be grateful. One thought, however, beats me black and blue from the inside.

Bree

When Spider—no, her name is Colette, what a beautiful name—disappears, I leave Jamie to talk with Allan, who is skittish now about a million different things. About making the musket wound worse; about the constables coming after him, too; about the fact that he inadvertently joined a gang in his act of betrayal against Bulwell, Hatchett, Michaelson, and the rest; and probably about more stealthy intruders sneaking in through his window to threaten him with a knife.

I suppose I can’t blame him.

Silently, I leave them to argue about whether Jamie should take whatever tincture Allan gave him earlier, something to dull his senses and ease his pain. Jamie is staunchly trying to refuse it, insisting he doesn’t want to be unconscious or out of it when he and Will are reunited. So far, he is winning that dispute, but Allan seems confident he will prevail in the end—once Jamie actually tries to move and fully understands what it feels like to pull on the musket wound. I hope Allan does get his way, because every time I look at Jamie, I cringe, remembering what I said and wondering why I decided to say it, and every time he looks at me, I can’t imagine his thoughts are very charitable.

Trying to forget for a just a few moments how exhausted—and embarrassed—I am, I curl up by the front window, relishing the sliver of light that peeks through Allan’s drawn curtains. The rain, it seems, has stopped now, and some tenacious streak of sunlight has managed to break through the earlier clouds. The gentle light is comforting, but not enough to calm me. To caln the frantic fluttering of my heart and the churning of my stomach and the boiling in my chest at the thought of what comes next.

Reunited. Altogether. Off to Colette’s family home, to the others, to Will.

The curtains are old, tattered at the bottom and moth-eaten throughout. The longer I sit there, trying to even my breath, I find more ragged holes letting in the fading light. I count them—One. Two. Three. On and on.

Out there, leaking through those gaps in the curtain, is the sun, the world, the life I thought I might never get to see. A life I’m only just lucky enough to be facing now. I want to be thrilled, I want to feel safe, I want to be grateful. One thought, however, beats me black and blue from the inside.

I don’t belong here.

It’s true, isn’t it? When Jamie, Colette, Geoff, and I were united with the common goal of getting Will out of prison, our alliance made perfect sense. Their family was torn apart, and I was able—I wanted—to help in reuniting them.

Now, in a few short hours—if that—their family will be stitched back together; perhaps the threads are a little frayed, perhaps some repairing needs to be done, but they’ll be whole again.

They don’t need me anymore, and more than that, why would they want me? I am the one who just tried to pick a fight with a wounded man, hours after he almost died, over something that didn’t even have to do with me. I am the one who brought Hatchett right to that cabin in the woods and nearly ruined things for everyone. I am the one who gave Hatchett the bit of information he needed to see through Will’s lies.

Jamie needed me to get Will, then Will needed me to get Jamie, and now Colette will bring them together, and perhaps it’s best for everyone that my presence is no longer needed at all.

Of course, I heard what she said—that Allan and I should both go as well. Never mind that it was an afterthought, something blurted out after she barely even looked at me. It’s more than that. Something about the very idea threatens to splinter me into pieces.

Throwing myself upon the mercy of these strangers—the thought makes my skin crawl. For so long I just had myself; I didn’t need to rely on the charity of others. If I go with Colette, though, I will owe her for her kindness, when I’ve only just repaid Will and Jamie for saving me. I’m not sure I want another debt hanging over my head.

It’s mostly that single prickling thought, though: there’s no real reason for me to stay. Whether I’m here or not, their lives will heal. Go back to the way they were before Will was caught. For them, each new day will dawn kinder and gentler and happier than the one before, until the darkness of our time in prison is nothing more than a tragic memory.

To know that I was only ever a side character in the story of these brothers, to accept that Baden Hatchett’s words are once again true—You aren’t important to them, either—threatens to leave a hole in my heart.

—

Not long after my father died, a few days at most, when he was cold and buried and finally, finally, out of my life, a man named Baden returned to keep his word—a promise that had been made long ago, when things were different. When my family still had money. When I was still a respectable girl. He looked at me with distaste, but at the time, at least, he was willing to hold himself to the agreement he’d made.

“We’ll wed next week,” he said. “You will come with me.”

Next week? I had just escaped from under Father’s thumb; now here was Baden Hatchett, ready to crush me beneath his.

“I’d rather wait,” I said. “It’s too fast. Too early. I…”

He scoffed. “That isn’t for you to decide.”

“What do you mean, it’s not for me to decide? How—”

Even now, I can still hear some of what he said in answer. How dare you argue with me? Don’t you know your place? You think you have any say in this? You know I’m doing you a favour, right? You understand that? You’re the one who needs me. I don’t need you.

Only once did he touch me after my father’s death—just a hand wrapped around my arm as he ordered me out of the shabby apartment where Father had died and into his home. That grip, the first shackle he ever locked me into—it was a message, a reminder that I was his and would remain so until I was dead. Later, upon my skin, I found bruises in the shape of fingerprints, purple and throbbing.

It was nothing less than hatred that fuelled every step that night when I crept from the house, never to return. I slid along the floor in stocking feet, terrified of every floorboard and how it creaked, the bolt and how it scraped, my breath and how it gasped loud enough to fill the air, my heart and how it pounded in my chest, threatening to shake his home to rubble.

Perhaps it was luck, perhaps fate, perhaps a goddamn miracle. He heard nothing. He slept through my escape, and I made it outside. It was out of spite as much as precaution that I left the front door wide open, an invitation for moths and spiders and rats, for some other unfortunate creature to invade his house and take my place as some spineless, obedient thing that he could squash beneath his boot.

Today, however…

It isn’t hate, I think, that fuels this escape. In fact, it is perhaps something quite the opposite.

James Wardrew falls asleep while he waits, senses dulled and pain softened in the wake of the doctor’s victory, and Allan Armstrong Dale busies himself with choosing which possessions he wishes to bring into his new life as an outlaw—as he now wryly calls himself. While they are both distracted, I pinch a pen and some paper from Allan’s desk. He’s got an odd assortment of things strewn across its disorderly surface: coins and sheets of music and buttons and other bits, too, that might be of some value, at least. Surely things he will not miss.

My cruel, wicked imagination whispers things to ink onto the page. I should free these sentiments today, it murmurs, so I can live my life without the stinging regret of things unsaid. If I immortalize my thoughts on this page, if I say what’s in my heart, Will Wardrew might look back at them and remember me without disgust or hurt or betrayal. At the very least, maybe he will remember me with a sense of peace.

Maybe he will remember me as I will remember him.

It whispers to me that I should tell him he was the only thing that made my prison cell bearable. Tell him, it murmurs, how you fear Hatchett will never give up. Tell him that you don’t want another constable to lay hands on him ever again.

Tell him, it hisses. That I don’t want him to have to look at my face and remember every moment of suffering he went through with me. Because of me.

That I wish him health and happiness.

Tell him how you get a peculiar feeling at the thought of never seeing him again. Tell him that it makes leaving so much harder. Tell him that strange feeling is why you must leave. Tell him this is for the best.

In the end, I write very little.

In the end, it is mostly an empty page.

Goodbye, I think, but I cannot say the word out loud. Jamie still sleeps. Allan is fussing with his medicines. Will…

Will, I can only hope, is all right.

Goodbye, and thank you, and I’m sorry.

The wind is bitter when I slip out the door. I will have to find a few more clothes from somewhere if I am to survive the cold. No matter. I’ve done this before. I can do it again.

Into the wintry dusk. Into streets full of constables, of strangers who would turn me in, perhaps go running straight to Hatchett if they knew. Into a new life, a new town, a new name. Into a second chance.

I’m on my own, but that is nothing to fear. It means that this life—this new life—is mine. And mine alone.

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Here's the full list of songs, whose lyrics range from "vaguely match the vibe" to "nauseatingly on the nose." Enjoy!

Boston / I Will Remember You / Dare You to Move / On My Own / Bleed / Tongue Tied / Gotta Go My Own Way

Tagging: @starlit-hopes-and-dreams, @gala1981, @kixngiggles, @whither-wander-whump 💕

[wrenjacobswrites]

NAME: Untitled Ryan/Dylan The Quarry fanfic.

FANDOM: The Quarry

Ship: Dylan Lenivy/Ryan Erzahler

RATING: Explicit

Summary:

Dylan pulls back and gazes into Ryan’s eyes. “You’re as stiff as a board, big guy. Some guys get off on that but not me. I don’t like peace and quiet.”

“Are you seriously quoting known necrophile Henry Lee Lucas?” Ryan asked.

“Yeah, from your podcast, remember?”

“During sex?”

“Yeah, why not?”

Author’s note: Some The Quarry porn I wrote years ago. I remembered it when I booted up Until Dawn.

“Are you, the man that can’t be moved, actually scared?” Dylan asked.

“I’m not scared, this is just dumb.” Ryan said before he turned his head to watch Dylan. Dylan’s eyes were shiny and liquid in the lowlight.

They’re lying shoulder to shoulder in a tight bunk bed. The cabin they’re in is empty, the scent of pine in the air. It was warm—the summer night swept over Hackett’s Quarry. It was dark and quiet since the campers were having one last hoorah by the lake. The rest of the consolers were with them, telling stories and roasting marshmallows over the red fire in the deep dark forest. It left Ryan and Dylan watching the stars leaking through the ceiling. The low, tinny pop song bled from the radio. Dylan’s sweaty arm stuck on Ryan’s. Ryan is going to lose his virginity to smart ass Dylan who he just realized he had a crush on earlier this morning, when he watched him make the announcements. He always had the worst timing. Well, like summer, it wasn’t meant to last forever. Ryan isn’t the going steady type anyway.

“Well, we’re leaving tomorrow and you’re super indecisive.” Dylan said.

“Oh, so you’re not?”

“No. I think I should be top.” Dylan shrugs as he props his head up with his left hand. He uses his other one to stroke Ryan’s cheek with his rough index finger, tracing circles into his skin. Ryan tried to control his breathing as Dylan watched his mouth before looking into his eyes again.

“So, you’re just immovable? Stubborn?” Ryan asked.

“Like a Shetland pony.”

“Don’t you mean, ‘like a mule’?”

“I know what I’m about, Ryan.” Dylan said. “You still want to do this, right?”

“Have sex? Yeah…”

“And we can’t decide who the top should be. So, Rock Paper Scissors is a totally legit way to pick who the pillow princess is.”

“Who’s the what now?”

“Pillow princess.” Dylan said it again, like it would make sense repeated. “Guy who sits back and takes it.”

“You make it sound easier than it actually is.”

“How do you know it’s not easy? You’ve never done it.”

“Neither have you.”

“Okay, true.” Dylan said. “But…how about this: you can pretend I’m Mr. H, if it makes you feel any better.”

Ryan’s face pricked with sweat as he glanced at the mosaic of water stains in the ceiling. Chris’s sandpaper rough hand as he gripped the back of Ryan’s neck—tight, tight, tight—the smell of his woody ginger aftershave. His deep chuckle rumbling through him, his slick skin when he held Ryan close to him after the right number of beers. Ryan licked his dry, flaky bottom lip. His face must be red. Good thing this cabin was shadow soaked. He was hidden in the golden light.

“You’re a dick.” Ryan said.

“Everyone knows you have a thing for him.”

“Define ‘everyone.’”

“The people that matter, like me and Kaitlyn.”

“I don’t have a thing for Chris.”

“Isn’t that like, illegal?”

“No, we’d both be consenting adults.” Ryan says. “If he…if I were interested.”

“Yeah.” Dylan says with a breathy laugh. “Whatever you say, Jailbait.”

“I don’t think you know what that word means.” Ryan says. “Are we doing this or not?”

“Rock Paper Scissors?” Dylan asks, laying back down to watch the ceiling above them. “Yeah. If you’re still up for it.”

“Fine. I can think of dumber ways to lose my virginity.”

“Best out of three and no ifs, ands, or buts if you lose.” Dylan says. “One, two, three, go!”

Ryan gets paper. Dylan gets rock.

“That’s how we do.” Ryan says.

“Don’t celebrate too hard, Champ.” Dylan says, using Chris’s nickname for Ryan, making Ryan’s swallow thickly. “We still have two rounds left.”

“One, two, three…go.” Ryan says.

Ryan gets paper. Dylan gets scissors.

“This feels so right.” Dylan says. “Okay, final round. One, two, three, go!”

Ryan gets rock. Dylan gets…Paper. He lost.

“And the winner is me. I’d like to thank my family and friends.” Dylan says. “Your ass is mine, Erzahler.”

Ryan swallows dryly as Dylan moves to get between his legs. The man’s chest presses against his, hot and heavy, weighing him down into the mattress. Dylan’s drowned in Versace Eros. It had enchanted Ryan since the first day at Hackett’s Quarry. Dylan’s hands frames Ryan’s side, firm and hot, holding him in place. Dylan presses his lips against Ryan’s and steals his breath away. It’s Ryan’s first kiss—not Dylan’s. The man had kissed other people, but he said it never went any further than that. Now they will. Dylan licks against Ryan’s gated lips and Ryan opens his mouth. Dylan tastes like cherry coke and Ryan thinks he’ll remember that on his deathbed. His face burns, his heart races. He gingerly wraps his arms around Dylan’s waist and holds him close. Dylan smiles against his mouth, dragging one of his hands up Ryan’s side, crushing up his shirt until his hot, rough, sweat silky, big hand on Ryan’s lower stomach. Ryan goes still, not sure what he should do.

Dylan pulls back and gazes into Ryan’s eyes. “You’re as stiff as a board, big guy. Some guys get off on that but not me. I don’t like peace and quiet.”

“Are you seriously quoting known necrophile Henry Lee Lucas?” Ryan asked.

“Yeah, from your podcast, remember?”

“During sex?”

“Yeah, why not?”

Ryan chuckles. Leave it to Dylan to make an awkward situation less awkward by being awkward. Fighting fire with weird ass fire. He’s one of a kind. It’ll be so hard to leave him. Sucks they waited until the last night to hook up, experiment, love each other. They didn’t even get the chance to carve their name into a tree like Emma and Jacob did—not that it mattered. He heard that relationship extinguished like the flames of the campfire before bed. Maybe what Ryan and Dylan were going to do is better. Make it a night to remember and then depart and not have to worry about jealousy, falling out of love, arguing just like his parents, and Dylan finding out that he was just an indecisive, scared kid under his ‘stoic’ exterior. Still…

Ryan takes in every fluttering eyelash, the brown fleck of stardust at the bottom of his chin, the updo of brown hair—his pupils black in the golden light, as shiny as the night sky freckled with stars. He searches Dylan’s face, not sure what he’s looking for. He tries to commit him to memory, but it feels like tracing his shadow on the cabin wall or writing their names in the shore of Lake Septimus—when Hackett Quarry disappears, so will Dylan.

He cups Dylan’s warm, satin cheek. “I thought my job was to lay here and take it. I’m your…’pillow princess.’

“It’s even hotter when you say it.” Dylan says. “Seriously, though. Are you…good?”

“Yeah.” Ryan half-lies. He lifts his knees, digging his heels into the springy mattress, his thighs bordering Dylan’s hips, the front of their jeans rubbing together, causing Ryan to take a shuddery breath as he hardens under the delicious friction. Dylan bows his head, tangling his fingers in the hem of Dylan’s shirt. He balls the material in his fist and pulls up until the slight, summer breeze brushes over Ryan’s nipples. Ryan gasped and holds on to Dylan’s side to anchor himself as the man drinks him in deep through his mouth, almost hard enough to bruise. Dylan’s moves are so abrupt, and rough like he can’t wait to get to Ryan. It makes Ryan harder—someone wanting him so badly they couldn’t be gentle about it. Most of the people in his life made him feel unloved unwanted but Dylan seems like he’d die if they stopped right now.

“If we don’t undress I might just fucking explode.” Dylan says as he sits back on his knees between Ryan’s legs.

“Yeah, yeah.” Ryan says. “I guess we should hurry up before a kid drowns or needs a playlist or something.”

“Hey, my job is just as important as yours.” Dylan says as it tapers off into a laugh. Ryan sits up a little before hooking his fingers under his shirt. Dylan puts his hand on Ryan’s to stop him. “I want to undress you, pillow princess.”

“Hm. I’m starting to think you’re not using that term ironically.” Ryan says as he lays back down. Dylan smiles and hooks his fingers under the hem of Ryan’s shirt. He moves it up, Ryan lifts his arms to help Dylan pull it off. The man balls the shirt up and tosses it to the floor. Before Ryan can protest, Dylan pressed their mouthes together, kissing him deep, wet, hot, and obscenely good. Ryan’s eyes flutter close—his face is on fire, brain getting foggy like he’s three beers deep, as he opens up to Dylan. He places his hand on Dylan’s lower back and stroked the smooth skin there. Dylan pulls away and Ryan’s lips burn with the distance between them. Dylan unbuckles Ryan’s belt before unbuttoning his jeans and pulling down his zipper. Dylan moves back and yanks Ryan’s jeans off, the jangling of his belt louder than the morning birds in the clear mornings.

Ryan’s just in his black boxers and white socks. He crosses his arms as Dylan watches him with his eyebrows raised and his lips slightly apart, like he was in awe of him. Ryan’s sure his own face is colored red.

“You are extremely hot. I mean, how do you not fall in love with your own reflection?” Dylan says. “I’ve been dreaming about this all summer.”

“Yeah…why didn’t we do this sooner?” Ryan asks.

“Because you ooze straight guy.” Dylan says. “I had to learn that Ted Bundy likes brunette, middle class white women to even start a conversation with you.”

“Guess I’m not good at picking up hints, huh?”

“No, you’re clueless. Let’s hope you pick up the next thing I’m laying down: my dick.” Dylan says as he strips off his shirt, his milk pale chest and abdomen lightly muscled and shiny with sweat. Ryan swallows a lump in his throat as Dylan steps out of his blue jeans, now equal to Ryan in his cranberry red boxer briefs.

“Mmmm. Smooth. Your wit knows no bounds.” Ryan says, a little more at ease. Maybe Dylan’s secretly a genius, because with every dumb joke the man makes, Ryan’s walls crumble a little more.

Ryan lets his gaze wander from Dylan’s legs, past his bulge, until he meets those dark eyes again. Dylan smiles and flexes his arm muscles.

“You…have a condom, right?” Ryan asks.

“Uh, no.” Dylan says as if Ryan asked him a dumb question. “We don’t need one.”

“Chris told me I should always use condoms…”

“Mr. H gave you the talk? That must’ve been the most confusing jerk off sesh of your life.”

“I’m not crushing on Mr. Hackett.” Ryan said. “You think Jacob has any?”

“Any what?”

“Condoms.”

“We’re each other’s first so we don’t need any.”

“Yeah, but they’re slick so it’ll make it easier for you to…you know, yeah.”

“I have lotion in my bag. I’ll just use a ton of it.” Dylan says. “Ryan, big guy, I got you. Just lie back and let Dylan handle it, okay?”

“You’re a little too confident, Dylan.” Ryan says. They watch each other, Ryan’s arms crossed and Dylan’s hands on his own hips. It’s like a game to see who breaks first, who’d be the first one to take off their underwear. “We should remove—“

“Get our dicks out. Got it.” Dylan finishes. He smiles and pulls down his boxers, letting them fall to his ankles before stepping out of them. His hard cock springs free—Ryan’s not really a porn guy so he only had like six other dicks to compare Dylan’s to. It looks big—bigger than Ryan’s, uncircumcised, with dark hair around the base. “Tada.”

“Um, wow.” Ryan tries to think of something sexy to say, but he can’t so he just gives the man a thumbs up. Dylan chuckles.

“Alright. Your turn.” Dylan says, sitting on the end of the bed, watching Ryan intently. Ryan swallowed something thick in his throat, he was sticky with sweat. Dylan did it. It wouldn’t be fair to chicken out now. Ryan can’t pretend his dick wasn’t aching, Dylan wasn’t beautiful, and they didn’t only have tonight. His stomach tightens, what if he was a trash lay and the last thing Dylan saw of him is him sucking in bed? He takes a deep breath.

“What are you thinking about?” Dylan asks. He seems genuinely concerned, not like his usual sardonic edge, so Ryan comes clean.

“Just…I’ve never had sex with someone, so what if I’m bad at it?”

“Oh, you’re going to be bad at it.” Dylan says “So will I. We’re each other’s first, remember?”

“So why are we doing it?”

“Because, I heard sex is like pizza. Even when it’s really bad, it’s still really good, ya know?”

“That weirdly makes sense.” Ryan says.

“I do that sometimes. Now take off your underwear. I’ve reached the limits of my patience.”

Ryan nods as he moves his hands to the black band of his underwear, his hands trembling slightly, from fear or arousal, he doesn’t know. Dylan’s gaze burns like a brand. Ryan takes a deep breath to steady himself as he pulls his underwear down his thighs, they get caught on his raised knees. Dylan grabs the bottom of Ryan’s underwear and pulled them the rest of the way down, taking them off Ryan’s ankles.

Ryan was about to protest but Dylan was on him, pressing their slick mouthes together, their skin dewy from sweat, the smell of Dylan’s cologne overwhelming, their dicks glancing off each other’s causing Ryan to moan into the kiss. Dylan snuggles between Ryan’s open legs as Ryan turns his head to the side to suck in breath. Everywhere they connected, burned. Dylan lands a wet kiss on Ryan’s temple before he moves his mouth down enough for his teeth to scrape against Ryan’s jugular. Ryan shivers with pleasure, his dick getting harder as the man bites down, sure to leave a mark. That’ll take some explaining tomorrow, but tonight, Ryan doesn’t mind it.

Dylan drags his nails down Ryan’s side, making him shiver and sure to leave red marks. He devours Ryan’s mouth again, drinking him like he was the elixir of life and Dylan was fucking dying. Dylan moves his hips against Ryan’s, their chest pushed together like Dylan was trying to scent him up, mark him as his possession. Ryan had never belonged to someone, had never had anyone who cared about him enough for that. He never felt wanted and even though sex is a temporary, fleeting ego boost, it felt good to belong to someone. To belong to Dylan.

Dylan sat up on his knees, his thighs propping up and open Ryan’s legs. Dylan reached behind him into the open gym bag and took out Lubriderm. His hands were slightly shaking as he smiled at Ryan, now the cool guy façade is starting to flinch.

“So, I guess I’m not worth a lotion that’s more than six dollars?” Ryan joked, trying to ease the mood.

“It’s handy in a pinch and trust me, they’ve been a lot of pinches this summer since you’ve been walking around with your shirt off.”

Ryan blushed. Here goes nothing. “You’re beautiful, Dylan.”

Dylan looked away as a smile spread on his face. His cheeks were dusted pink in the low light. He tightened the grip on the bottle before releasing it. He pressed down the top and gathered a lump of white in the palm of his hand. He put the lotion to the side and rubbed his palms together. It looked stickier than lubricating. Ryan swallowed thickly. Dylan rubbed his slick hand over his own dick, shuddering, stroking himself from hilt to tip.

A heavy wave of want crashed over Ryan as he bit his bottom lip. He moved his hand toward his own dick but Dylan slapped it away and replaced it with his own hands. His grip was hot, tight, and slick, making Ryan’s toes curl as his breathing sped up. The man stroked him, using long, leisurely motions. Ryan felt like he was going to melt as the sound of his breathing filled the small cabin.

“Dylan.” He groaned out. Dark eyes met his as the man had a crooked smile, like Dylan needed another excuse to be cocky, but Ryan couldn’t help it. Jerking off had never felt this good. Dylan kept stroking him with one hand while he used his other slick hand to rub against Ryan’s entrance. He dipped his finger in, and Ryan flinched. It didn’t burn, but he was concerned that even that little bit of Dylan’s finger felt big and intruding.

“Are you okay?” Dylan asked, never stopping stroking his dick.

“That certainly…is a sensation.” Ryan said.

“I wouldn’t know because I’m the big, handsome top.” Dylan said as he pushed his finger until it was buried up to the root in Ryan. Ryan’s gasp echoed through out the room as he tangled his fingers in the sheets below him and clenched his toes. It was unlike anything he’d ever felt before—he wasn’t sure if that’s a bad or good thing, but the finger felt like a lot. Dylan moved his hand from Ryan’s cock and gripped Ryan’s hip hard enough to bruise to keep him in place—Ryan hadn’t realized he was trying to move away from the finger. Dylan made him take his finger as he pulled out and pushed it back in. “How are we doing? Still doing great?”

“I don’t know, just…jeez.” Ryan grabbed his own cock and stroked it enough to let out a breathy sigh as Dylan finger fucked him. Around the tenth pass he loosened up, relaxing his toes until…Dylan pressed something deep inside him, causing his dick to leak come. He moaned and took a shuddery breath.

“Bingo.” Dylan said as he pressed on Ryan’s prostate hard enough to make Ryan delirious. “The look on your face is almost enough to make me fucking blow it right here.”

Ryan couldn’t do anything but pant and cry out when Dylan removed his finger. He felt empty and open—just wanting to be filled. Dylan climbed over him, his body heat fucking volcanic, as the man grabbed the base of his dick and pressed the head against Ryan’s hole—it was way bigger than Dylan’s finger. Ryan bit his bottom lip as Dylan pushed in with a gasp, stilling with just the tip of his cock in Ryan.

“Fuck.” Dylan said with a shiver. Ryan cupped his sides and pulled him down, Dylan going down easily until he was fully seated in Ryan. God, he was so full—he could almost feel Dylan in his stomach. Their chest were pressed together, Dylan between Ryan’s thighs. They were slick, Ryan’s dick was sensitive and trapped between their bodies, giving him an almost unbearable pleasure. It didn’t hurt as much as he thought it would. Dylan freezes on top of him, holding him down with his dick deep inside of him. “This is way better than pizza.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Ryan said breathlessly. “Can we, can you move?”

“Anything for my pillow princess.”

“Would you stop saying—“ Ryan began before Dylan moved, drawing out his cock until just the tip was in Ryan, before pushing back in, knocking a groan out of him. “Oh my god.”

“Yes,” Dylan agreed to a question Ryan didn’t ask, as he fucked him slowly, the springs of the mattress squeaking with each move of his hips. Ryan dragged Dylan down and pressed their mouthes together, drinking in that nectar of cherry cola. It was hot, wet, and animalistic with the spit dripping down his chin. Dylan sped up and increased force, fucking him into the mattress. Ryan takes short, sharp breaths every time he was filled as he clawed at Dylan’s sides. “You feel so good. Better than I imagined, and I have a great imagination.”

“Fuck. Dylan.”

“I am.” Dylan said breathlessly, always the smart ass. Ryan turned his head to the side to suck in breaths, so Dylan placed his wet lips against Ryan’s temple. Ryan felt something cresting within him, it inched closer and closer with every push of Dylan’s hips.

“Dylan, please just—oh my god.” Ryan groaned out. Dylan stilled before pulling out, leaving Ryan stretched open. “What the fuck?”

“Get on your hands and knees.”

“Why?”

“So I can have more control.”

“You don’t have enough already?”

“Ryan, this whole questioning authority thing is getting really old, really fast.” Dylan said. “Now turn around. You won’t regret it.”

“Whatever.” Ryan said. His body is heavy and pleasure drunk as he turned to face the door on his hands and knees. Dylan wasted no time kneeling behind him, gripping his hips tight enough to bruise and filling him up roughly. Ryan cursed as the smacking of the skin and squelching of the lotion made his cheeks burn. If only the others knew what they were doing instead of helping them watch the kids.

“You’re so hot.” Dylan shuddered out. “If only you could see yourself, you’d want to fuck you, too.”

Ryan let out a breathy chuckle that tapered off into a groan as Dylan hit his prostate. The new angle made him feel helpless, with Dylan holding him in place as he made him take his dick. He felt his own dick bouncing with every move of Dylan’s hips. Dylan leaned on his back, weighing him down until his stomach touched the bed. Dylan used one of his hands to cup under Ryan’s throat and tilt his head to the side so their lips can meet. His chest constricted; his breathing shallowed as he breathed through his nose. Sweat sprung on his forehead, he was weighted down as his cock rubbed against the coarse bedsheets almost painfully. He felt something building up inside him as Dylan fucked into him hard, each stab of his dick against Ryan’s prostate cause fireworks to bloom and die between the curtain of his eyes.

He came onto the stale sheets, the pillow muffling his moans, his body shuddering as he clawed the material under him. Dylan fucked him through it, breathy grunts barely audible over Ryan’s breathing. Ryan felt heavy and fucked out, the pleasure overwhelmed him and became tight and painful. Dylan never relented on fucking him. His grip got tighter as his hips sped up. His groans got louder as he fucked into him once, twice before spilling inside him. Ryan didn’t know what come inside him would feel like, but he didn’t know sticky and somehow runny was an option.

“And that’s how it’s done.” Dylan said breathlessly, as cocky as ever. “How was it?”

“Not bad.”

“Man of few words. Yeah, I totally get it. Too stunned by me to speak.” Dylan pulled out, Ryan flinched in pain. Dylan flopped down next to him, turning his head to watch Ryan. Dylan slipped on a smile. Ryan smiled back as he sank into those black tea eyes.

“Sucks that we’re leaving tomorrow.” Ryan said.

“Yeah. I should’ve kissed you first day. Soon as I put down my bags.” Dylan said. “Look, Ryan, I don’t want to be a Jacob about this, but I don’t want us to end.”

“Dylan, c’mon, man. I can’t even decide if I’m going to college or not. I don’t have time for a relationship.”

“All I’m asking for is the opportunity.” Dylan said. “You can start by giving me your number and we’ll go from there, okay?”

“You’re relentless.”

“It’s one of my finer qualities.” Dylan said. “So, what do you say, big guy? Star-crossed lovers until we fall madly, deeply, truly in love with each other or until we get bored and bang other people?”

“Pessimistic optimism. Not many like you, Dylan.” Ryan said before moving his face closer and brushing his lips against Dylan’s. He skimmed his thumb on the warm silk skin of Dylan’s lower stomach as Dylan sighed into the kiss before inching back, blowing soft breath into the caesura of their lips.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Dylan said.

“