#or he is lying about being happy now and the truth will be revealed later on

[oakt733]

i wish so bad this gerry is happy and healthy and is telling the truth when he says he doesn’t remember but i don’t believe him for a second the guy lives with GERTRUDE !! oh you don’t remember your time in the institute do you? is it because of the intense trauma ? are you lying because gertrude is behind you? are you trying to get sam and celia to stop looking into the institute?

this guy is NOT!!! gonna stay this happy

[tpwk-formula1]

It Was Obvious - LN4

Lando Norris x Fewtrell Twin reader

Summary: Lando and Y/N Fewtrell have been seeing each other since just before the season started, what happens when they all go on vacation for summer break and are forced to continue and try to hide their relationship.

TW - NOT EDITED, lowkey mad cheesy, some fluff, talks of slight anxiety, secret relationship

WC 1200+

Y/N POV

"Lando, he's going to kill us if he catches you in here," I whisper to my boyfriend of 6 months, who is currently in my room pulling me in for another kiss.

"I'm willing to fight," Lando whispers again before kissing me again. It was a rushed make out session knowing we didn't have much time making me feel like I was back in year 10 hiding my boyfriend from my parents. But instead of my parents not knowing it's my twin brother who just so happens to be Lando's best friend.

"I love you," I whisper when he pulls away. I see the light blush crawl up his neck before settling on his cheek showing that regardless of how long we have been together we still get the giddy feelings.

"I love you too," he whispers back before slipping out of my room presumably going to his or Max's.

It's not even ten minutes later before another knock rings out through my room making me think Lando is coming back in already..

"Come in," I call out not moving from my bad. When the door opens to reveal Pietra I relax slightly knowing I don't have to worry about my twin coming in and finding out the truth had it been Lando.

"I wanna talk to you," P tells me softly making me sit up and start to feel some anxiety sink in, not knowing what she wants to talk about.

"Im not picking sides in the divorce," I joke softly making her laugh and shake her head.

"I'm not breaking up with your brother," P tells me softly making me laugh cause I knew damn well she wasn't trying to talk to me about that.

"So you and Lando?" She asks with a smirk on her face. I instantly feel all the air in the room leave making it increasingly more difficult to breathe.

"Hey, hey, hey, calm down! I'm not here to get anyone in trouble. I just wanna know more information," P tells me softly when she notices the panic starting to take over my body.

"Please don't tell anyone," I whisper out not knowing how to to trust anyone right now.

"I won't tell anyone. I think it's something you and Lando will need to do on your own time," she tells me with a smile making me relax a little bit more.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asks me with a smile. I nod my head with a smile knowing I haven't been able to talk about my relationship with anyone but my mom.

"We started dating in February shortly after Max dragged you and I to that stupid golf thing. We had been talking before that but after Lando got wasted and couldn't take care of himself I went back home with him and pretty much babysat him until he went to sleep. The next morning he woke up and he set up a really cute brunch where he asked me out," I tell her with a smile making her smile with me.

"How did you figure it out?" I ask making her laugh out loud.

"Girl I love you to death but you guys are terrible at sneaking around. We've been here for for two days and everytime I can't find you, Lando just so happens to be missing as well, so I decided to spy on yall. Well kind of, I just so happened to be coming out of the bathroom when he was leaving your room and I truly wouldn't have thought anything of it but I was already suspecting you guys," she tells me making me nod.

"I think Lando and I are gonna make Max to lunch and tell him. I'm tired of lying to him and hiding my relationship," I tell her making her nod and smile.

"I think it's about time 'cause that was almost 7 months ago," she laughs out. I laughed with her happy to know she was happy for me and supported my relationship.

We're nearing the end of our trip and I have decided it was time. Keegan was already making jokes about us being together and thankfully Max was brushing them off as a joke but I'm sure he's going to start realizing the truth.

"Hey Max, I was wondering if you wanted to go to lunch later?" I ask softly not wanting to give too much information and try to pass it off as twin bonding.

"Ya, we could go to that one restaurant you've been begging to since we arrived," Max says with a laugh.

"I saw it on TikTok and it looked amazing," I reply back showing my excitement.

I make sure to text Lando the plan and while I plan to tell Max just us I want Lando nearby incase he wants to talk to both of us.

We're halfway through our meal when I finally drop my fork and clear my throat.

"I have to tell you something," I tell him making him drop his fork and roll his eyes jokingly.

"I knew you didn't just want to hang out with me," he jokes making both of us laugh.

"Ya, um but you have to promise to hear me out before getting upset," I tell him suttering in stress a little making him focus on me completely.

"So, please don't be upset but, landoandiareseeingeachother," I breath out in one breath talking too fast for anyone to understand.

"Try again and breathe this time," Max says trying to stay calm at the situation.

"Lando and I are dating," I tell him refusing to look at him. When I meet his eyes I he is giving me the most disbelief look possible.

"Are you kidding me?" Max asks in pure disbelief making me grow increasingly more nervous.

"I promise he's a good one," I quickly come to defend my partner.

"You thought I didn't know?" Max rephrases his statement making it clear he already knows.

"You knew!" I announce being quite a bit louder than I had hoped.

"I've known since Miami. I mean that confirmed it but I definitely caught on before that," Max tells me slightly stunned that I didn't realize.

"I wanted you to tell me when you were ready. Besides its been funny watching you and Lando try to sneak around all this time," Max tells me laughing slightly.

"So you don't care?" I ask him trying to get clarification. He just shook his head no.

"What about P?" I asked just getting curious to the situation now.

"What about her?" Max asks, clearly confused now.

"She came into my room earlier in the trip and asked me about it," I tell him, giving him some more detail about the conversation.

"Oh, no I didn't tell anyone I knew. Meaning she also caught on to your guy's terrible sneaking," Max laughs before adding, "Hell, even Keegan caught on."

I just laughed at that before sending Lando a quick text to let him know he could come in if he wanted. When he met us at the table Max explained to both of us how he caught on and when he realized we both had feelings for each other, which had been long before we started talking.

"Hey but if you break her heart I will pay Verstappen to take you out," Max tells Lando as we are walking back to the beach house we rented for the week.

That just made Lando laugh before telling him he wouldn't dare hurt me.

It was nice being able to spend the last few days of break not having to hide my relationship.

[cbrownjc]

My thoughts about Devil's Minion right now after Rolin Jones' comments (spoilers):

A meta so thorough, that I first wrote in a post/reply elsewhere, I'm putting it into a separate post, (with some more added to it), just because. And especially since I know I've gotten a lot of followers over the course of Season 2 because of my Devil's Minion posts as well, and I want this all in a separate, individual post for quick reference, just in case.

Fair warning: if you are totally happy and fine about what happened -- i.e. how Armand turned Daniel -- then yeah, what I am going to say here isn't for you. I'm not trying to harsh anyone's vibe, especially if you are just happy that Daniel is a vampire now, okay? This is just about how I feel and see things about it at the moment (particularly regarding RJs comments about it). So if you're not up for criticism, critique, as well as speculation about Devil's Minion right now, then yeah. IMO, just skip this post, please.

Okay. So. Rolin Jones just gave an interview with The Hollywood Reporter and this is what he said about Daniel's turning by Armand:

Jones confirms that, just like in Rice’s books, Armand is the one who turns Daniel into a vampire. “Will we see that moment of turning? No, but Armand finally made a vampire and clearly made him out of spite,” he says with a laugh. “It looks like it was really not a great moment [between him and Daniel], but that connects those two characters. They will have scenes going forward, obviously.”

-- Rolin Jones, Hollywood Reporter, 06/30/24

Okay so, to start. For me, someone who has been waiting since 1995 (when I was 17) for Devil's Minion, for Armand and Daniel's relationship to finally be adapted in some way, I'll be honest. There are only two ways this can go now that I can see at the moment: either Rolin is lying/trolling to hide the truth about all of this, or he is telling the truth and this is truly the way they are going with this.

If Rolin is lying/trolling to hide something about all of this, then I'll forgive that lying/trolling instantly once it's revealed that he was. (Put a pin in this.) Having to flat-out lie or troll is sometimes par for the course when it comes to running a show and not wanting to spoil anything about what might be coming up in it. So honestly, if that's what's going on with what he said here? Meh. No skin off my nose.

If he is telling the truth, however? Then I'll have zero desire to watch the show anymore, once I see it 100% confirmed in some way with my own two eyes in some way on screen somehow. (Again, pin in this.) Because I have very much learned my lesson when it comes to TV shows and lazy writing/bad adaptations after Game of Thrones.

Because Armand turning Daniel out of spite is the antithesis of what Devil's Minion is supposed to be for both characters. It is an utter and complete misunderstanding of both characters and their relationship together. It's an utter downgrade of their relationship from the books, and I am not here for it. I literally do not care what "romance" they might later have planned for them if this is how Daniel was turned.

Look. If you are someone who only ever cared about Daniel just being a vampire, then this is all likely fine for you, and that's okay. But not me. Because Daniel being a vampire never was, or has been, the important part of Armand and Daniel's relationship. Not in my eyes and, frankly, not when it comes to the original story. Daniel becoming a vampire is not the important part of the Devil's Minion story. The actual love and romance before Daniel is turned is because it is during that part of it that the actual character development and growth both of them go through from it takes place. Especially for Armand's character.

And that only has any depth when Daniel is human and Armand is forever refusing to turn him because of his hangups about making another vampire.

And Armand finally turning Daniel out of love was a huge step that showed Armand beginning to move forward and heal -- from not only his time in the Children of Darkness cult, but begin his healing when it comes to his Marius issues as well.

Armand turning Daniel out of spite undercuts all of that. It undercuts the whole story. And flat-out guts some of the major depth of the relationship and Armand's character development overall.

Not to mention it makes Daniel no better than someone like Claudia wrt Armand turning him now. Maybe even less than her since at least Claudia got turned out of Lestat's love for someone else. Daniel doesn't even get that? The person who is supposed to be his eternal companion doesn't even get turned by him out of love, an important point to the bond between such Maker and Fledgling eternal companions, but out of hate and spite instead?

Yeah, no thank you.

This is not what I've waited since 1995 to see with these two and the fact their relationship may have gotten treated like this -- if this is true -- utterly astounds me how this show could get Loustat so right (and even upgrade them so beautifully in so many ways such as with Louis' turning) and utterly fail Devil's Minion so badly. Because yes, it's failing them. It's a terrible and, moreover, just a shallow adaptation of Devil's Minion if this is how it really all goes down.

Because there is way more to Armand and Daniel than them just Daniel being a vampire and them finally "getting together." Or at least there is supposed to be. And this ain't it.

(Pin!) Now, with that all said? The fact that Rolin flat out says that we'll never see Armand turning Daniel? Yeah okay, I'm sus on that one. Because really. The only reason not to show Armand turning Daniel next season -- and visually confirm that Armand did it -- is if because . . . Armand never actually turned Daniel in the first damn place.

Or, if he did, it maybe was not fully Daniel.

I mean, you're not going to ever actually show Armand turning his first-ever fledgling (who he's supposed to go on to have a romantic relationship with at some point) after making a big ass deal out of the fact that Armand has never turned anyone before? Ever?

See I know damn well that Armand is being framed as a villain right now. He very much has to be given how the end of the book IWTV and how the upcoming book The Vampire Lestat, goes. Armand is the main villain/antagonist in it. Even in the present day, it is clear Armand hasn't gone yet gone through all of the growth that he does from Queen of the Damned on. So he's still back in his villain-era mode right now. And his post-breakup with Louis mode in the present day. Which is fine, it's how his story -- and the story where it is right now -- goes. I am thoroughly okay with that.

And the very idea that Armand turned Daniel out of spite? Very much plays into that framing-him-as-a-villian state where Armand's character is right now. And will be for the majority of Season 3, which I've already before now suspected and said.

So here is where the speculation on my end of things comes in. Because yeah, not only can I not help myself but because -- until I see this play out with my own eyes -- I'm willing to be reasonable and look at the various ways this all could still play out that doesn't completely gut out the very heart of Armand and Daniel -- as characters and their relationship together. (Or at least not have it be so damn shallow by the end when they inevitably get and stay together.)

So as @nalyra-dreaming can confirm, I gave her a few scenarios that could be behind Daniel's turning weeks ago, when I first suspected it was going to happen (before the screener leaks about it started). In one of the scenarios, I said that if Daniel's vampire eyes are any color other than violet, then that is NOT Daniel's spirit/soul/consciousness in Daniel's body that has been made a vampire.

As the saying goes, "The eyes are the window into the soul." And am I really supposed to think this show got Lestat and Louis' eye color dead on correct but just missed Daniel's iconic eye color? Really? (Because no, I do not find it romantic that Daniel has his Maker's eye color, or whatever. Besides, vampire eye color doesn't even work like that -- the show didn't even do that with Louis and Lestat who are the main, grand romantic couple of the damn show.)

As I said here in this reblog, I stand by my opinion/theory that no way this show gets Daniel's iconic violet eye color wrong, even on accident. I said so weeks ago, before even seeing Daniel's eyes in that final shot in the season finale, and just predicting that he was going to get turned.

No way this show got Daniel's iconic eye color wrong when he became a vampire, not when they went to all the damn trouble creating those vampire contacts and gave Jacob's Louis green eyes to match book-Louis.

And yes I damn well know they could just have Daniel pop up with violet vampire eyes in the Season 3 premiere and there goes all of that, and it really was all just laziness, incompetence, and a mistake when it came to the color of Daniel's eyes in the finale. But right now? I'm treating Daniel's eye color as the equivalent of Rolin saying "Lelio is so boring!" as to the question of why Sam's Lestat was playing Harlequin and not Lelio in the Season 2 theater flashbacks. Something the show changed on purpose and for a reason.

Because we all damn well know that we are going to see Sam's Lestat as Lelio in Season 3, correct? Because we are.

And yes. I know some people really hate the idea of a body swap scenario regarding Daniel, but I'm sorry. At this point, it really is the only scenario out of this whole storyline that I can see right now, that will keep it anywhere close to retaining the heart of the Devil's Minion storyline, especially if Armand really did turn Daniel out of spite here (even though, again, we'll apparently never see that turning to confirm that in full. Uh-huh, okay.).

And two things that I think do set up the possibility are:

1.) Louis says Daniel was turned after he left Armand alone with him. But Louis actually wouldn't know something like that unless he was told since he wasn't there. All we can really assume at the moment is that Daniel told Louis what happened after Louis left the room. And as RJ and Assad said, we'll never see the actual turning. So who knows when the hell it happened.

2.) Raglan James, via those direct messages asking Daniel for "reciprocation" for getting him a copy of the script, with Armand's handwritten notes, of the trial-play. Between that request and the Talamasca publishing Daniel's book, that loops Daniel into the James orbit very much. And ties Daniel very close to any Talamasca going on even more.

And, quite frankly, I've thought since Season 1 that David Talbot's character was out and would be merged with both Louis and Daniel on the show. And Sam pretty much confirmed in his interview with Autumn Brown that some characters from the books will be merged together with others in the show. So, yeah. David's character is very much a character I always thought they were doing that with, and I know I'm not the only one who's thought it before now as well.

And honestly, I can much better deal with some type of scenario in which Armand maybe ends up turning two versions of "Daniel" -- and therefore technically having two fledglings, even though they are kind of the same person -- over what is being put forth about this right now. One turning -- in spite -- of Daniel's body without his true spirit/soul/consciousness in it, and the other turning -- out of love -- of Daniel's spirit/soul/consciousness inside a different body of some kind. (Which I won't go into now, as that is a whole separate long meta if I did.)

Because at least with that scenario then, in a weird way, Daniel being Armand's only fledgling would still hold. 🤷🏾‍♀️ Along with a few other things that can happen regarding Armand's character growth in between each turning.

But that is it. Because there is no way they can have Armand turn Daniel (as fully Daniel) out of spite -- as Rolin directly says he does in this interview -- and actually keep the heart of the Devil's Minion story and romance now. Not even if the Devil's Minion chase and parts of the relationship happened in the past IMO . . . another thing they are clearly avoiding talking about, btw. Which, at least right now, just tells me that, if we're lucky, we'll only -- once again -- get one episode that flashes back to that time in Season 3. Can't really be helped, since Season 3's primary focus will be regarding Lestat and Lestat's backstory. (As I've said before Daniel isn't even in that book. So whatever we get with him in Season 3 really will just be extra, added stuff.)

Oh, and something else I very much recognize is that Loustat shippers -- particularly book ones -- have gone through it these past two seasons, but now seem to be coming out of that darkness. Maybe now it's time for Devil's Minion shippers like me and others to face the same damn thing now. Because of something Assad let slip a few weeks ago about not getting Armand's full story until Season 4, I think that is how long we're going to have to wait to see the full of this play out.

But I advise right now that if some of you think you can't handle that and would just rather quit the show and binge things later, I totally get it. Waiting two seasons -- basically 4 years minimum -- is going to be a pain in the ass. I already know right now that there are some things I'm not going to have the patience for during the hiatus times in between, particularly this one. (One thing I can already say, at least right now, is that I'm not inspired to write any show-based Devil's Minion fanfic this hiatus like I did during the last hiatus).

But quitting the show altogether? No, I'm not there yet. Because yes Rolin does like to troll. Plus Hannah's tweet. Plus what was said about Devil's Minion at ATX Festival. Plus my thinking, long before now, that David Talbot was always out wrt the show, and the fact that Raglan James is here and Daniel's character has been heavily tied into The Talamasca plotline of the show.

And given everything I've seen this show do wrt it's writing up until now, I just can't fully believe they would really make Devil's Minion this damn shallow and devoid of its depth and heart. And just have Armand turn his one and only canon fledgling and immortal companion out of nothing but spite. When Armand loving Daniel and finally having to trust in Daniel's love for him, as well as his own love for Daniel over his own fear was a major point and culmination of the Devil's Minion storyline.

After everything I've seen these first two seasons wrt this show, I can't think these writers would miss such an important heart and point of the Devil's Minion storyline and romance so completely.

Not yet at any rate.

[saradika]

— BLEED FOR ME | part iii

[masterlist]

mand’alor!vampire!din djarin x f!reader

rated e - 2.4k

haunted hoedown prompts: vampire!au + “i would burn the world for you.” + vampire has a taste for specific blood + revenge + (one-sided) enemies to lovers (+ 1 to be revealed!)

tags: vampire!au, drinking blood, reader has scar on shoulder, mentions of death, shared memories, light angst, references to seduction, sexual innuendo and thoughts, references to violence

The days until the winter solstice tick down. Early Autumn days start to cool at night.

You sleep under the last warmth of the sun, with windows drawn open after he leaves. The canopy is wrapped around your bed, letting in the afternoon breeze but mimicking the darkness.

And still, you feel adrift. That funny feeling is still settling in your stomach. Rolling with the sway of your step as you follow at the Mand'alor's - Din's - heels.

No longer seating across the room in the throne room. Now next to him, in a golden seat that matches his silver one.

Listening as he conducts his business. Trades and agreements, settled firmly and carefully. A disagreement, broken up without violence.

It’s fascinating.

But it feels... wrong. Your own task seeps into the honor of being at his side, polluting it. You're expected to enjoy it, to look happy, and it's become all too easy to forget what happened - why you were here.

Too wrapped up in the quiet questions he asks, in those moments of dusk and dawn. Half truths becoming whole as you guard slowly lowers. As you begin to learn about him, as well.

Things he tells you. Things you pick up, absorbing greedily without thought.

It feels like a betrayal, later.

How could you forget what happened? How could you forget your promise?

His kindness only extends because you are physically keeping him alive. You should have ended things by now.

But, you haven't.

The guilt gnaws at you. Seeping into your dreams, into those moments of connection, when your eyes can't help but close.

The images so much more vivid, now. Almost a tangibility to them - the quick, blurred edges coming into focus. Repeating, growing longer.

So much seems to focus on that night. You think it's because it still haunts you. Replaying how the shouts had awoken you. That startled feeling as you crawled out of bed.

The shadows on the walls, the weak and watery grey sky. Soon turning red, and then black - with flame and smoke.

A glint of gold. Your grandmother's necklace, lying on the bedside table. A photo of their wedding day inside, painted with such care.

Something you wish you could have saved - one of the few relics from your family, a gift from when you had left them to find your purpose.

You had always wished for a love like theirs. A fated connection.

There’s a throb as you remember the collision - something solid that knocked you to the ground. Fingers coming back sticky, your mouth tasting of copper. The visions always swim, then.

Parts you've never been able to remember, before. Always growing dim, until you'd been woken up under the tree, and it was over.

But lately, there's more. As if you're outside your own body. The limp sway of your arm, dangling as you were carried. The murmur of a low voice, though you can’t make out the words. Dark eyes looking down at you, almost brown in the morning light.

There's a sharp edge of a knife that you always walk.

Torn between pressing, nudging - trying to get get a glimpse of the vampires, the destruction. A way to remind yourself what has happened, why you are here.

And then, not wanting to see.

What if it's something you can't take back? What if it disgusts you so much that you can't help but act in that exact moment - ruining your chance?

So, you don't.

You let the images pass - carefully collecting them. Pressing them lkke flowers between a book, something to come back to layer. Not even realizing that deep, deep down...

You’re really just hoping that you don't see him.

You really shouldn’t have gone down to the kitchens.

A heat still burns in your cheeks at the thought, when you finally made your way back to your room. Your treasure procured - a freshly baked pastry with homemade jam clutched in your fingers.

The food here is the best you’ve ever had. You can admit that, at least. All the Companions are well-fed, with treats and delicacies always left out downstairs.

It’s here, that you had found a few others.

Beautiful men and women, all gathered around a smoldering fire as the sun had begun to rise. Their other halves flitting off to hole up until nightfall.

But just like you - there was a desire to see the sun, at least.

You had joined them, half out of loneliness and half intrigue. They had accepted you quickly, stifled laugher and glances over their shoulder as they had whispered questions.

“So how is the Mand’alor? I’ve always wondered.”

“You don’t have any marks. Does he drink from your-”

An elbow then to her side, her words had cut off with a giggle. A head turned- an aside to her friend.

“Lady Kryze is always so thorough. I haven’t slept in days.”

Someone else had sighed.

“What I wouldn’t give to be Lord Fett’s Companion.”

You had realized there’s desire in their words. That none of them were afraid, that there was a sense of private camaraderie and knowing amongst them.

That unsettling, confused feeling comes back. They were human, like you. Did they not know what the vampires did? Were they so shallow that coin and finery had bought their loyalty?

Their eyes were on you, expectant. You had no choice but to shrug with embarrassment.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

They were quick to set you straight.

“It’s like, a feeling, you know?”

“You have to lean into it. That connection.”

“The first time I tried it, I had marks up and down my thighs by morning.”

There was an eagerness that laced with jealousy, leaving you even more bemused than before. Faking a prior engagement as you had left them, promising to give it a try.

Privately, you told yourself you wouldn’t.

You couldn’t.

Looking back, you can’t even remember the taste of the jam, what fruit it was. All you could think about is this new facet of their relationships.

Wondering if that will be expected of you. Wondering why you weren’t warned.

Wondering if you cared.

Wouldn’t that be a good way to get closer?

The thought makes you uneasy.

You’d put an end to this. But you weren’t so cold-hearted to stoop to seduction. That wouldn’t be fair, to Din.

But as the sun rises, when he comes back.

When his mouth is pressing against your wrist, when you’re looking at the bow of his lips and the wide breadth of his armor, that wondering comes again.

The thoughts creep in.

For he is handsome… the parts of him you have seen. A rich voice and the breadth of his shoulders in his armor. The little upward tick of his lips in a rare smile.

And you are human, after all.

You find yourself imagining marks on yours thighs, on the soft curve of your neck.

How your blood would throb, rushing down to pool beneath heated skin - wet and swollen. The thud of your heartbeat kicks up a notch, as your thighs press together. As you squirm in your seat.

You don’t know his face but you do know his mouth. It’s his teeth you picture sinking into your skin, your mind nudging curiously at the thought.

It sends a jolt down your spine. Pricking at your skin, heat licking at your chest and down to your belly. Then slipping lower. Your breath catches in your throat-

His grip on you tightens, then. It’s almost painful - startling you. A hushed cry rattles from your lungs as he pulls back with a rough gasp.

“Ulyc, cyar’ika.” Din’s voice is ragged, as his hips shift upward - letting go, as you pull your wrist back to your chest, “I’m sorry. But you can’t-”

He doesn’t get the chance to finish his thought. A knock at the open doorway, Boba’s face grave as it turns your way.

“Mand’alor.” His voice is low, his brows drawn together. “The city, it calls for you.”

Din’s chest still heaves, his hand dragging across his mouth as he composes himself. The helmet sliding back into place as he stands, but still keeping himself close to you.

“Wolves?” He asks.

Boba shakes his head, “Raiders, from the looks of it. Like before. I can send someone, or go myself.”

You forget about the pain, about everything, for just a second. The thought of the town below in ruins sends you back to a year ago, sorrow twisting through your chest.

It has you half-standing, but Din’s hand is pressing against your shoulder, carefully easing you back down.

“I’ll go.” His voice is firm, “This has gone on long enough.”

A second, as he turns to you, “I need to take care of this. Boba will look out for you while I’m gone.”

Something like worry creeps in. Aware of the weak light that slips through the cracks of your curtains, how soon it will be morning.

“The sun…” You begin hesitantly, and he’s stepping closer.

“I’ll be fine.” His fingertips touch your jaw and that has you looking up - wishing once again that you could see his eyes.

Giving him just a small nod, instead.

From your window you watch him leave. The glint of his silver armor in the morning sun, now - his movements practiced as he swings a leg over the slate-grey horse.

Drawing his sword - the metal dark and gleaming and looking almost alive, even as far away as you are.

Watching as he gallops down the path, racing off to ward away the threat.

Leaving you inside the castle, to wait.

You worry turns into something else, as the hours pass.

Anger, at the thought of him rushing off to save this town, when he had launched an attack on yours. Did human life mean so little?

Did he even think about the bodies that had lied littering the streets, the memories that has been torn down?

Was it only because these humans were complicit, that they were spared?

You had awoken to screams. You don’t know if your town had even been asked.

The mark on your wrist stays red, unhealed. A reminder while he is gone. That you’ve slipped too far, that you need to get over the tender feelings you’ve pretended not to notice.

They fester inside your chest. You dream about him while he’s gone, as the day bleeds into another.

His face bare, features blurry above the lips and nose you know so well. Leaving you to wonder if his eyes are red, like the glimpses you’ve gotten of Lady Kryze? Are they burgundy, like Boba’s?

Replaying the sound he had made, the morning that he left. The edge his voice takes just after he feeds, lasting through the few moments he stays afterwards. That pulsing, thudding beat that leaves you squirming, when you’re alone again.

Leaving you with the urge to sink your own teeth into something.

Those thoughts are ruled by your heart, not your mind, not your logic. Another betrayal, your eyes unable to help flicking towards the window, again and again.

Looking to the others throughout the day, checking for any news or weakness.

A sign that he’s fallen.

None come.

You try not to think about the relief that follows. Or why you feel listless, your eyes dragging over the same words in the books you pick up, in an attempt to pass the time.

Your enthusiasm for the food waning - more in tune than ever with the hours that pass.

Still wondering about the town, below.

You had spoken to some, in your journey here. They had been good people, honest folk.

Maybe along the way, there had been a mistake. An itch in your brain that you haven’t been able to scratch, irritating you since you arrived.

You’ve decided to ask Fennec about it.

Not about anything that would raise suspicion.

Just why the Mand’alor himself would feel the need to go alone. What sort of promise he had made, to go rushing off with such intensity?

Maybe then, you could understand.

You find her by accident - in a large ballroom that you often cut through.

The ceiling painted in a wash of colors, accented in gold. Seraphs lying on clouds and sprawling gardens and somehow always feeling bright, even in the dim room.

Liking the way your feet echo, in the empty room. A swing in your step as if you were dancing too, even if just pretend.

But you’re not alone today - she sits in one of the plush alcoves. Arms bared where her shirt pushes up, a dark jerkin slung over one of the marble statues that line the walls.

"I'm sorry-" You manage, attempting to back out of the room. The moment looked private - your question could wait.

Her eyebrow lifts, looking unbothered, "You can come in, I'm just preparing."

The way she lounges is casual, as if she does this regularly. Propped up against a nest of pillows, a book opened against her bent knees. An arm draped to the side, an ooze of red that drips down to a half-full goblet below.

A jar of that same salve Din had given to you sits in the open windowsill, for after. A means to wipe the mark from her skin, to knit it neatly together again.

The sight makes your stomach turn, even after all this time.

"Are you leaving, too?" Your head nods towards the cup, as you linger in the doorway - thinking about what Boba had said about her ferocity.

Her brows pinch in question, as you gesture to her arm.

"No," Fennec's head shakes, as she understands. "This is our arrangement."

"I didn't know you could do it another way." You say this without thought - wondering if this had been what Din was offering, that first night. An alternative to biting - another small attempt at adjusting to your comfort.

"I tried the usual way." She shrugs, eyes dropping down at the text, "This is better, for us. It's tedious, for certain. But I've never enjoyed the connection. Boba's memories are..."

Fennec searches for the word, as you go still, "...Unpleasant. And I am sure mine are worse."

His memories.

Is that what you've been seeing? Those flashes of thought that blend with your own, when his teeth sink into your skin?

But how can they be, when you are in them?

"But, I am sure that's different for you." Her expression is sly, lips curving in a small smirk. A sharp glimmer replacing the far-away look in her eyes, coming back from her own evocation.

"What do you mean?" You ask, your voice sounding far away.

Dazed, as if the words are taking their time on their trip from your thoughts to your tongue.

That look comes back. As if you're on two different brainwaves, as if she isn't understanding what you're asking.

"Well, I thought that would be obvious. We’re not like you���" Fennec frowns, her head tilting. A breath, as she clarifies.

"Boba isn't my mate."

Ahh and the last Secret Prompt from the list is soulmates / fated mates! 💕 thank you so much for reading! If you’d like a tag for the last 2 parts, please let me know!

Ulyc, cyar’ika - “careful, beloved”

(Tags: @dameron-grant-spector, @sugadolly, @writingsofestella, @spaceydragons, @-ohsolovely-, @survivingandenduring, @queenquazar, @alitaar, @dindjarinsslut, @avarkriss)

[itsmattchou]

when and how might our relationship start ?

pairing: zb1 maknae line x gn!reader warnings: ricky's and your mom are just ANNOYING🤬, GYUVIN AND READER ADE LIARS, pining gunwook, yujin has communication issues, the reader in yujins is considered a CHILD (if you ain't a child dni tf?), english isn't my first language!!! genre: fluff, maybe a slight bit of angst if you squint your eyes real hard synopsis: why you started fake dating. notes: i know i said I'm only gonna write for mline + matthew from now on but honestly fuck matthew (lovingly). FUNFACT gyuvins is basically what happened to me 😍😍 life is a fanfic fr. for some reason i am not aware of i included some smau... maybe my urge to write one finally took over? who knows. ignore the bad quality pls.

shen quanrui - to get your parents off of your backs

it was basically like this: rickys family and your family knew each other for decades now. your moms were already besties when they went to s highschool together 😭

so best believe they were THRILLED when they got pregnant around the same time

and since day 1

seriously. since ricky and you were little INFANTS

you two were being shipped by your parents

"oh, they must marry one day!" 🥰 no

you two grew up together and were naturally really close to each other

but ROMANTIC FEELINGS? nuh uh. not a thing. not happening 🙅🏻‍♀️🙅🏻‍♀️

but your parents- or more specifically, your mothers- did not want to hear it

they're CONVINCED you two will fall in love eventually and won't leave you two alone

after years of suffering and repeated "no mom we're not gonna be dating!"s you two hit your LIMIT

so you two went ahead and decided to get your family off of your backs and to start 'dating'!

only to 'break up' like a month later and tell them that you actually aren't a good fit at all🔥

your parents literally threw a big ass party once you announced your relationship… awkward

kim gyuvin - to prank your friends

you actually thought it would be funny to tell your friends that you two started dating; they wouldn't believe at all you but it would be hilarious

hilarious you said. TURNS OUT, it wasn't all that funny

instead of not believing you when gyuvin and you dropped that bomb as believable as possible, they started cheering and congratulating you

"we knew this would happen eventually! finally!" you what. 😃

originally you planned on playing the prank for one day and then tell the truth- but by the way everybody started congratulating you (even a teacher exclaimed that she was happy for you!) you two couldn't help but feel incredibly bad at the end of the day

so you two did the only plausible thing to do in a situation like that; continue on lying instead of simply telling the truth 👍🏻

the very next day you two came to school again, still as a couple. it hurt your heart to lie to your friends like that, but they would be SO disappointed in you if they found out about the joke :(

park gunwook - to make your crush jealous

gunwook was a close friend of yours and he was aware of your unrequited crush on that one guy in your class

well, kind of unrequited? it was honestly hard to tell for sure. your crush sometimes acted like he was interested in you, on other days you didn't even exist to him

his mixed signals drove you CRAZY🥴

so out of pure desperation you asked gunwook for a small favor.. to please fake date you in order to make your crush jealous

AND REVEAL HIS TRUE FEELINGS!!!

gunwook was reluctant at first but he also had a small but secret crush on you so he took his chance and RAN

you had like an hour long talk to him about your great plan, about do's and don't's, about boundaries and what not

he was just silently listening and nodding his head whenever needed

(his heart shattering could be heard whenever you mentioned your real crush) 💔💔💔

you let your other close friends know about your plan too in hopes they will help to make it believable

han yujin - to prove that he is not a 'child'

poor yujin has to go through that 'youngest in the friendgroup' treatment 😪

everybody treats him like a baby and he feels as if he's not taken seriously by any of his friends

bro should probably try COMMUNICATING with them homies but oh well

and in his mind, the ultimate proof to not being a baby is having a significant other 👍🏻

and this is where you come in!!

you're one of the very few people who did not make fun of him- maybe because of your similar age- and that's why he felt save to propose that idea to you

and considering that you weren't taken all that seriously either due to your age… he was sure that you would understand where he was coming from!!

and to his delight you actually agreed to fake date him! 🤗

so after discussing everything further, you two announced your not-so-real relationship to your friends the very next day

YUJIN'S PLAN WORKED! there was gyuvin who dramatically whined about "his two babies growing up way too fast"

but the question now is… for how long should this keep going…?

[autismprotocol]

TMAGP Theory Board (Episode 8-9)

Hi guys sorry about the missed week of theory crafting my schoolwork has been extra demanding and I haven't been able to get around to updating the board until now so here's the updated board

Episode 8 especially was insane so I'm gonna break the episode breakdown into two sections.

What Happened in Episode 8: Running On Empty

New Norris Statement! it's been a while since we heard from our buddy and he did not disappoint. though there's not much to say story-wise this was just a cool incident report I loved the way they described the Lonely as a constantly hungry entity. I also noticed that the pattern of Norris's statements having to do with lost love continues to be true. it's much more subtle than his previous two incidents but the statement giver does mention losing his wife because of divorce. which I believe still follows the pattern I've theorized is taking place. 

Something up with Alice. She seems more depressed and serious than she usually is in this episode. (through episode 9 I think I know why but I'll get to that later. I don't believe she is completely in the dark like some of the newer employees and after hearing about Gwen's promotion she is getting suspicious. we have yet to know if Alice knows what's happening. but her behavior in this episode might give us a hint about how naive she actually is.

Colin is Absent. After his freakout in EP 7, Colin is MIA. according to Lena, he's on a mental health break but I would not be surprised if that is a lie.

Gerry and Gertrude are Alive!! Probably the most exciting development in this episode was meeting an alive Gerry Keay and Gertrude Robison. Sam is on the hunt for info about the Magnus Institute after the emails Jon has been sending him and he and Celia end up meeting Gerry who in this universe is considerably more happy and lives with Gertrude. I'm interested to know what role Gertrude plays in this universe is she at all connected to the Institute? I definitely think something is up with her because of the way she tries to deflect Sam's question to Gerry.

Celia Lore. after the meeting with Gerry leads to a dead end for Sam, Celia asks him to help her with her mystery. "I'm trying to look into... Weird physics stuff: time travel, other dimensions, teleportation" More proof for this Celia being from from Archives. why else would she be looking into other dimensions specifically if she wasn't trying to figure out what happened at the Panopticon. (Remember as far as we know Celia before the change in Archives was just a normal person she had no connection to the entities or the Institute.) when Sam asks, she says it's for her friend's podcast but I think she's lying. or not telling the full truth.

Georgie Barker Perhaps? speaking of the friend. our last reveal of the episode is Georgie in protocol. I don't think she is from Archives because Georgie appears after Jons's sacrifice in MAG 200. 

And thats it for episode 8 so im gonna move on to Episode 9

What happened in Episode 9: Rolling With It

Sam is back to filling out onboarding paperwork but the questions on it are strange. asking about past traumas, how many dead things you've seen recently, and the infamous question why? similar types of questions that appear in TMA job interviews.

A Magnus Statement!?! After Celia tells Sam she can't find anything at the Magnus Institute Sam considers cutting his losses and letting it go. But then Chester without any prompting begins reading a Magnus statement incident to Sam. I still believe Chester is Jon and he acts as a mentor to Sam trying to keep him safe by providing him with bits of the answers he's looking for. (this way Sam won't be in danger of looking for answers elsewhere and maybe he won't be targeted by this unknown force that had killed RedCanary and driven Colin to extreme paranoia.) the statement reveals that the institute collected and stored artifacts much like the Institute in Archives. 

What's the deal with the Institute? the statement Chester shares this episode is pretty standard Magnus stuff, magic fear dice is just another Thursday for TMAG enjoyers. but what I found most interesting was the pre-statement info. What does this viability survey mean? viable for what? I and my roommate have a kind of joke theory that the Institute in this universe is a hub for training and creating new avatars but now I'm starting to think this might actually be the case. I think they are looking for people who have the potential to become avatars as subjects. for the agents, they might be employing avatars to work for the institute and the catalyst has to be finding an avatar that can complete the ritual and bring the Change. The unknown statement giver in this episode can't be a subject because they are already claimed by a power from the dice (still unsure what power it is ) they have low potential to become an agent because based on the end of the statement they now want nothing to do with the dice stepping away from their identity as a fear avatar and then dying. and for some reason, the institute must see some potential that this individual can serve as a catalyst for the ritual. I'm hopeful we'll get another avatar statement and maybe we can revisit this Viability survey again 

Gwen's First assignment. Gwen gets her first Liason assignment and it has brought up a major player from the protocol ARG. Mr Bonzo is this weird mascot character that showed up multiple times in the ARG that was launched back in the fall of 2023. Gwen is tasked with delivering an envelope with a name and address to Nigel Dickerson someone who according to Gwen is known for Mr. Bonzo. Basically, I have no idea where this is going but I definitely think it must be important. 

Poor Alice. Alice meets with Teddy to catch up. Nothing story significant happens here but we do learn that maybe Alice still harbors some romantic feelings towards Sam.

The Ruins. After her conversation with Teddy Alice is approached by Sam with a request. He wants to go to the old Magnus Institute ruins and wants Alice to come with him. This is definitely a bad idea but she agrees and that's where we leave off

and thats it for now. The story is getting so good and I'm already attached to all the characters so im terrified to see what Sam and alice dig up at the ruins (Sam clearly didn't heed the warning of the RedCanary)

[pjsk-story-summaries]

Whip the Wimp Girl! Event Story Summary

TL;DR: An's assignment from Ken was to get the rest of the town serious about their next event. Though he was nervous about her now strained relationship with them due to the truth about Nagi, An has already managed to resolve those feelings.

However, a different feeling has been holding her back now- Kohane. Whenever An thinks of Kohane's singing, she feels anxious. She thought she'd gotten over that, though, so she goes to SEKAI to ask Akito and Miku for help. Luka and Toya end up overhearing the conversation and join in, too. Luka suggests actually telling Kohane about her feelings, but An is scared of letting her down.

Time goes on, and An still hasn't done anything to confront her feelings. Toya asks to meet her one evening and explains his former situation with Akito. He had been too scared to tell Akito about his lack of resolve towards surpassing RAD WEEKEND before because he didn't want Akito to think less of him. He feels An might feel the same about Kohane. An realizes the reason she's been hesitating is because she doesn't want Kohane to see this ugly side of her. Later, An thinks about what Nagi would have done in this situation. She decides that Nagi would have battled even harder- which gives her an idea.

An asks Kohane to battle her, and explains how Kohane's rapid growth scares her. She's scared of one day not being someone she looks up to, but knows she has to face these feelings. Kohane's happy she's finally someone An sees as a worthy opponent and agrees to the battle.

Meanwhile, Toya, Akito, and Kotaro enjoy the day off when they hear commotion on the street. The group go and investigate, also inviting EVER to watch. They find a massive crowd watching An and Kohane, who continually trade ever-increasing blows. The two have massive respect for one another, but refuse to lose. On their last song, Kohane surprises everyone with her skill, but An, believing in both herself and the town that grew up with her, gave it everything she had and ultimately won the battle. Moved by An's determination to face her fears, EVER rejoins the group.

Fan translation (lozy bug) / Song (Fire) 2DMV

Chapter 1: Kohane arrives at a street corner An had asked her to come to, though she isn't sure why. In order to complete her assignment, An ask's for Kohane's help- in the form of a battle.

Through a flashback, An's assignment was revealed to be getting the rest of the town serious about the event. RAD WEEKEND wouldn't have been possible without the feelings of everyone in the town; in order to surpass it, they need to rile everyone's belief back up. Ken warns that the town is still caught up on chasing Nagi's shadow and their guilt over lying to An of her death.

The rest of Vivid BAD SQUAD are nervous about this talk going to An since she had taken the news of Nagi's fate hardest, but understand this is something only she can do. An reveals that the crawl green owner, along with the rest of the town, had already apologized to her for the lies. An accepts her assignment with a smile.

Chapter 2: That night, back in her room, An begins planning her approach. She's confident her best song is the one that will convince everyone they will go beyond Nagi's dream. She goes over to Ken to ask for some singing advice. Though Ken was worried about the strained relationship between her and the rest of the town would prove difficult to overcome, watching her practice, he knows it will be alright. While An sings, though, when trying to channel the heat she felt from Nagi, she's reminded of Kohane. Ken stops the performance and asks what's wrong.

Chapter 3: An confides in Ken of her troubled feelings about Kohane. She'd thought she had resolved those feelings before, but the anxiety still lingers within her. Though it had motivated her to grow before, it has now turned into an obstacle.

An meets Akito and Miku in the SEKAI to ask for their help. It's hard, since she knows Kohane won't leave her, but she still feels this way. Luka and Toya ended up overhearing the conversation and stepped in to cut off her self-loathing. Luka points out how cool it is that An cares this much about Kohane. Toya apologized for eavesdropping on accident. An reassures them both and asks for their help, too.

Chapter 4: An recounts her story to the others. Toya is sympathetic, but doesn't understand her anxieties. He believes An is an incredible singer in her own right, standing toe-to-toe with Kohane. Akito agrees. Miku has Toya and Akito explain how they see Kohane as reliable and motivational. An agrees, and explains how she'd always dreamed of having a partner, and how Kohane made that a reality. However, that weight is the source of her anxiety. Luka suggests actually telling Kohane that. An doesn't want to, though, for fear of upsetting her (and a deep feeling of unease over the thought).

Chapter 5: Some time later, Vivid BAD SQUAD reflect on a recent event. Kohane and Toya both notice hesitation in An's demeanor. Even later after that, An and Kohane walk home together after another event. After some light chat, Kohane begins talking about surpassing RAD WEEKEND before she has to split paths. An still can't rid herself of that feeling. She knows she should, but she still can't talk to Kohane about it.

After receiving a message fro him, An meets Toya at a street crossing to talk. Toya shares how An's hesitance to speak to Kohane reminded him of the past, when he tried hiding his true feelings from Akito about his perceived lack of resolve in surpassing RAD WEEKEND. He was scared of letting Akito down, and assumes An feels the same. An knows Kohane looks up to her, but she feels that deep down, she's not someone worthy of that pride. An knows Kohane will accept all the parts of herself, but still is scared to let Kohane see her worst. Toya reassures her that things will be alright in the end- it's how he managed to move forward with Akito. An thanks Toya for the help.

Chapter 6: Later, An wonders how Nagi would have dealt with something like this. She thinks she would have strengthened her resolved and fought back. An gets an idea.

Back in the present, An explains how she was scared by Kohane's rapid growth, that she would one day no longer make her heart race, and that telling her all this would make her disappointment. She had tried to run around the issue, but ultimately decided that if Nagi wouldn't have hid her feelings from her teammates, neither should she. She wants to fight to surpass Kohane. Kohane apologizes, surprising An. However, it's just because she's happy that An finally sees her as a worthy opponent. Kohane agrees to the battle.

A little later, Akito, Toya and Kotaro hang out at Weekend Garage, enjoying the day off. Meanwhile, chatter picks up on Vivid Street about an intense battle. Akito sees EVER among the crowd and chases after them. They had been helping out around the street, but are trapped by the crowd watching An and Kohane's battle. Though Akito and Kotaro are surprised, Toya's proud of An. They all run to watch. Akito asks EVER to come, too.

Chapter 7: The group arrives to find almost the whole town watching the intense battle. It's Kohane's turn first, and An can't help but be reminded of Nagi when she sings. An sings back, and Kohane admires the determination in her song. She wants to sing like An can. Still, she doesn't want to lose, even to her partner, and picks up the pace. An thinks this is the best Kohane has ever sounded, and thanks her for bringing the seriousness she needed. However, if she loses now, she'll keep singing by Kohane's side forever, with that anxiety forever. An ramps it up even more.

Toya asks Tatsuya if he's ever felt fear because of someone's song before, reminding him of the battle with Taiga. Akito explains that this is how An has always felt about Kohane.

An had only noticed that the whole town had come to watch once the song ended. She's reminded of the little her that has always been loved by the street. The partners decide to end the battle after one more song. Kohane starts off with even more than she had before, startling everyone. An knows Kohane is the best partner she could have ever asked for. She dragged everything out of her: the good, the bad, and the ugly. An wants to return the favor now with her own song. An begins singing. The whole town begins cheering her on. She drives herself to put in even more, because she's Shiraishi An- the person who grew up on this street, who was trained by Nagi, who has the whole town behind her, and who has the resolve to surpass it all.

The crowd congratulates the two on the battle, declaring An the winner. Though Kohane's frustrated she lost, that battle made her heart pound more than it ever has before. She asks to battle again sometime in the future. An's happy to have such an incredible partner.

Chapter 8: Even after the battle ended, the whole crowd was fired up. Tatsuya talks about how it felt impossible to move past the battle with Taiga, but always questioned if it was right to just give up. They had all started because they wanted to overcome a dream others said was foolish. EVER was convinced that they would never win. However, after watching An conquer her own fear, they decide to stop running away and rejoin the group.

An announces to the crowd that they will surpass Nagi's dream, and asks them all to follow her there. No matter what the feeling is, they will overcome it, and they will surpass RAD WEEKEND. The owner of crawl green promises they all will see it through to the end, no matter what path An follows.

An thanks Kohane for the battle, to which Kohane returns. They both feel stronger for it. Kohane's sure she'll be able to complete her assignment now. Toya runs up to congratulate An on the win, and Akito reveals EVER is back on board.

[krockdove]

You know, after watching the last batch of Earthspark, I was really disappointed for a number of reasons. I was angry about it.

But then I learned the producers were treated terrible by Paramount and had no choice but to end a lot of things in season one, now I'm not mad at them at all. I instead curse Paramount forever.

so....I'll write some headcanons I was looking forward to in Earthspark. I maybe do a series of related posts. Today is about one of the most important characters, Starscream.

Warning! This post contains spoilers.

Let me make one thing clear: I have no beef with his redemption. No, rather, I believed that Earthspark would do it as a matter of course. I never once doubted it.

The one of themes in Earthspark is "Second Chance". Starscream is the character in the Transformers franchise who most deserved a second chance, the character who could become the most dramatically three-dimensional with a second chance. Even though S1C was made under pressure to wrap everything up quickly, his redemption eventually came, which is what the show was meant to do from the beginning. The problem is, because the story had to be wrapped up in one season, all the dramatic plot points, connections between moments that should have been important, and characterizations were weakened across the board.

We are happy with his Redemption, but this is Earthspark. Not TFP. That means, we once had the opportunity to explore Starscream's character much more deeply. Not just in one episode, but a few.

Especially since I was serious about what was hinted at in the Warzone episode, I was disappointed that it wasn't used in the story.

I've seen several theories about that episode, the conclusion was that Starscream was caught in the Space Bridge explosion and was officially declared dead. I was actually pretty sure. That's why his appearances were low throughout the season, and he survives the explosion, BECAUSE Allspark revives him and fuses with him, right?

It makes it natural for Megatron to talk about the battle like that way and reveal his trauma, especially if he thought he lost both Shockwave and Starscream because of his actions. (This explains Soundwave's anger too.)

So Starscream was treated as dead, but actullay he was secretly imprisoned by the evil GHOST. He was unconscious when it happened, so it would have taken him a long time to figure out what was going on. He doesn't know that others to think he's dead. He sees his comrades locked the cell and thinks Megatron has really abandoned them.

This misunderstanding would have been a very important source of conflict when he was later reunited with Megatron. I even expected him to be the one to reveal the truth about GHOST.

I was almost certain that the GHOST and Mandroid plots would carry over into S2, so I thought it would be a conflicted ending with Starscream revealing the truth at the end of S1. It would have been nice if Starscream's character to be explored at the beginning of S2, along with his redemption, and the past war story.

And that would have made for some interesting drama not only between him and Megatron, but also with Optimus.

Imagine if that really happened. Starscream insists GHOST is wrong. How do you think Optimus and Megatron would take it?

Yeah, I can hear their doubts up here.

The point is, Starscream is seen as untrustworthy. Megatron would have a 50/50 chance of trusting him, but Optimus certainly wouldn't. From his perspective, Starscream would be seen as trying to drive a wedge between him and Megatron and reignite the war. In this situation, no one is lying, but someone ends up being unfairly labeled a liar. Optimus would compromise for the sake of the people he cares about, but they wouldn't include Starscream.

And I think this is the perfect moment for Hashtag to appear!!

Like, she's going to show up and be one who believes Starscream. If she believes in him, so do some of the Terrans – not all of them for now – but eventually the Hashtag and the Terrans believe in Starscream, and it would be really touching if that led to his redemption!

(also it inspires Terrans to dig into the truth of the GHOST themselves)

After it was revealed that he had an Allspark inside of him, he must have had an internal conflict. When he realized that the hope of his home planet and their people lay within him, could he handle it?

He struggles with it, but eventually does something heroic to help the Terrans. Maybe he uses the power of Allspark.

Terrans believe in Starscream when even Optimus doesn't, and it changes him, it would have fulfilled the show's message – Everyone deserves their second chance.

[nanomooselet]

Episode Eight: Our Home

When this episode was first airing I saw someone describe it as "com[ing] for your feels with a rusty shiv" and it sure does! It sure does. It'll only get worse from here on out. :D

Little sprouts in their little hats! This scene is so friggin' cute and the show ruins it by cutting straight to the aftermath of the crash. Unfair.

The first time I watched this, I realised that Nai wasn't "evil" from the start. That is, he wasn't always... like he is now. I think he truly loved Rem and Vash, though he might have only realised how much later on. But on rewatch, I also don't think Vash's memories of his childhood with Nai carry the same level of nostalgic longing that Knives does for his memories. In the few short minutes he's being recorded, here are three things that Nai does.

Upset Vash by acting as though food - judging by Vash's reaction - makes Vash less of a Plant.

Play a prank by convincing Rem of something that isn't true.

Show affection to his brother... after Vash goes along with it and Rem falls for it.

I think, for Vash, the discovery they eventually made wasn't so violently unlike what he'd come to expect that he couldn't handle it. Vash believed he could rely on Rem to accept him and that was all he really needed. But what did Nai believe he had? His brother. He could rely on Vash to back him up, to play along, to understand. Vash seemingly being lesser, being other (like Rem) made Nai feel lonely. And though this touches on the manga* more than what we've so far seen in Stampede, I think Knives is far more of an idealist than Vash has ever been, even now.

Vash wants a better world, and he's willing to work for it, to fail, and to try again. He knows what it's like to fall short.

Knives wants a perfect world, and perfection admits no mistakes.

I just damn near made myself cry thinking about Rem and what she considers her mistakes MOVING ON.

THIS ISN'T AN IMPROVEMENT although it is a lovely colour scheme.

When Nai reveals the truth about the crash (or what he believes to be the truth; Knives cannot be relied upon as a source of information even a little bit), Vash flees. He continues to flee; even lying in the sand, it's to seek some kind of escape - not a good kind, but that's what it is. "I want this all to end./I don't want to be here." He can't, of course. Not before humans find him. We're survivors. For all our many faults, evolution didn't select for us giving up or failing to help each other, especially in the wake of such a disaster.

It's true that Brad and Luida aren't initially accepting of Vash, but it's Vash who frames himself in terms of usefulness, echoing Nai. It's Vash who seems to believe he shouldn't live unless he can... somehow make up for what "he" did. Luida doesn't know that. She sees another survivor, wrestling with the same guilt. I think the way she speaks with him may have been how she coped herself - and perhaps the way for Brad too, come to think of it. He acts like a paranoid dick, but when given a lead to pursue, he runs right off to dig through wreckage and bodies for some sign of Rem and finds the only shreds of comfort Vash was likely to get. They both have something to do. While I do wish Vash had chosen to live for the sake of living, I think what's keeping him in that bare little room isn't that he's an unproductive Plant or the hatred of humans (at least not just that). It's a trap he built for himself. As long as he does nothing, he's doing nothing wrong and he's not adding to the burden he already bears. They shouldn't trust him, not after what he did.

So when Luida trusts him to help the dying Plant as Rem's blank ticket story plays, she's making a choice. And that's to allow Vash to make his own choice: to live, even with his guilt.

The montage of him travelling around helping Plants! He teaches people how to take care of them properly! It makes him so happy!

So I really, really hope the speculation is wrong and Vash isn't burning himself out doing that. It seems paranoid, and it doesn't feel intuitively true the way some of my other speculation has, but that might just be wishful thinking. I definitely can't rely on Vash admitting it if it is true. I really hope he has at least one nice thing he doesn't pay for with his blood. :(

When Nai's influence re-emerges, so to does the burden of guilt, death and destruction he represents. It's funny that Brad's impulsive anger and mistrust is what drives Vash to seek his brother out - where Vash is going, he'll find plenty more of that.

One more thing. In the shot where Vash enters the Plant carrier (the city of July, or at least, the site where it'll be built in future), it zooms in to show Nai, standing. But if you look very closely as it does? He's rising to his feet from a kneeling position. I wonder what would have happened if Vash had entered a little earlier?

*Reading Maximum in like two days and then watching the final three/four episodes of Stampede was a terrible idea.

[nobodyfamousposts]

To be fair, Adrien's 'apology' effectively amounted to Marinette comforting and reassuring HIM that oh, he's just such a *good person* that he couldn't see how bad and nasty and evil Lila was. Claiming that he was just too PURE and simply couldn't comprehend what kind of person he was dealing with. So I question how much it really 'validated Marinette's feelings' versus patting him on the back and coddling him YET AGAIN, with a hefty dose of "It's not HIS FAULT he's so sheltered and trusting!'

You're not wrong.

Sadly, honestly at this point, the bar is so low for Adrien and the writing around him that it seemed impossible that he would ever say the words "I'm sorry" in any truly meaningful way.

So a lot of us are just happy that he at any point acknowledged being wrong at all and apologized for it. That was all we wanted. That was all we've BEEN wanting. So much so that we're willing to give leeway for the sheer fact that he says it.

Unfortunately, this apology comes a good while too late to really matter and it's further invalidated by having the victim reassure him and make him feel better by framing his justification as being too nice.

The thing is, Adrien's words and apology DID validate Marinette. The problem is that the writers can't let Adrien be at fault for anything and of course make it Marinette's job to make him feel better, so they have the victim try to reassure HIM and thus undercut the validation that she deserved and the fandom was long wanting.

...then there are a couple other things to consider here:

For all that they're trying to twist his mistake into a sign of how wonderful he is, the problem is that Adrien's issue here wasn't that he was "too nice" but that he was passive. He actively prioritized the feelings of a liar and manipulator like Lila over the wellbeing of his friends.

This is evident in the other problem in that Adrien is apologizing for what he said to Marinette and NOT the fact that he hadn't acted himself in the matter. This is indicating that he had no problems with Lila lying until it bothered him and it only bothers him NOW because he's in love with Marinette and they're dating.

The OTHER problem is that Adrien is LYING.

Adrien: I shouldn't have told you to wait to act against Lila.

Stop.

Review that.

Do you see the problem here?

Because while I don't know about the French version of this scene or the scene in Chameleon, there's a major discrepancy here in the English version:

He never told Marinette to wait to act.

Adrien: Are you going to tell everyone? Marinette: 'Course I am. Lila is— Adrien: (interrupting) A liar. Yes, I know. But do you really think exposing her will make things better? If you humiliate her, she'll just be hurt more. Making a bad guy suffer has never turned them into a good guy. Lila: Ladybug and I are like two peas in a pod. Marinette: So we just stand by and let her lie? Adrien: As long as you and I both know the truth, does it really matter? Marinette: You're right, maybe it's not such a big deal.

It's been a common argument from Adrien defenders that this is the approach Adrien was taking. So in a way, it makes sense for that to be the angle the writers try to use since the fandom practically handed the excuse to them.

But at NO point in this discussion did Adrien say to take a wait and see approach. At no point does he imply that they would or even should act against Lila at a later time. At no point does he even express a belief that Lila's lies will be revealed. Because at NO point in any of his lines did he express genuine concern for anyone but Lila.

What he DID do was invalidate Marinette's feelings and dismiss her very valid concerns.

And yet his apology wasn't for that.

[oatmealcrisp-freak]

Yuuri Katsuki has Bullied Kid energy.

Yuuri : Don't you dare see me as weak or perceive my vulnerability. Please comfort me and reassure me. I'll be constantly afraid of your reaction if I inconvenience you. Nothing scares me more than the people I trust lying to me. I'm more competent and at home in the face of people's scorn than in the face of their genuine love for me. The idea that anyone could see me as desirable is baffling. The world sees me as little more than dirt and I don't disagree with them. I am going to make them eat their teeth with their words or so help me I will set myself on fire trying. Just watch, I am the most beautiful woman in town and you will rue the day you underestimated me. How you like me now?

Victor, thinking he'd been dumped by the first person who'd made him happy in a very long time : I see this, I respect this, I am going to use the hell out of this. Hey. Hey fatty. Watch me pry the thing you love and use to cope with your feelings right out of your fingers until you lose weight. kinda reminiscent of what you did to me :) kinda sorta you know just a lil bit. You don't know what eros is? Okay, now you're just making fun of me.

Victor, after Yuuri had his katsudon eros realization : ...JFC he actually literally doesn't know. I. Uh. ...Huh. Well. Uhm. Okay. Maybe that means he doesn't get OTHER things too. He. He genuinely doesn't know what he did to me. He probably didn't even do it deliberately. Okay. Okay? Okay. I can work with this. THINK OF THE JUICY SUCCULENT PORK, BABE. ...I can't fkn believe this.

Victor, several episodes later when Yuuri reveals he literally doesn't remember the banquet: ...Well shit. The past year of my life has been a lie and I might be an asshole. Hm.

I've read some fics where after Yuuri's ED gets triggered and he crashes hard Victor looks back at all those early comments and goes 'I didn't mean it that way babe you're hot when you're fat and you weren't even that fat it was just that it could be unsafe for your joints to skate in that condition' and sure okay I get wanting to minimize the blow and Yuuri is adorable AF when he's heavier and i still enjoy those fics for the most part but

I disagree with that fully and completely cus nah, Victor's a petty lil bitch who can be cold and ruthless and isn't afraid to hurt people. Is he also warm and kind and loving and doing his best? Yes. He contains multitudes. But he was absolutely aiming to hurt, because he was hurt.

Yuuri, meanwhile, who's been bullied for a great majority of his childhood but has complete faith in Victor and unwavering confidence in his honesty - especially when that honesty fits his world view - that he has an entire Victor shaped blind spot : Eh? Pfft. He wasn't bullying me, what are you talking about? He was literally telling the truth. :/ I mean really, he was taking care of me.

Victor, falling to the ground and clutching his stomach with a groan because ooouuugghhh guilt-nausea : Y-....Yuuri.....

Yuuri : I mean Yurio can be a bully but that's just how he shows he cares so :3 Nah haha, I've had waaaay worse, trust me, lol

Yurio : ....I would very much like to be excluded from this narrative, one that I have never asked to be a part of?

Victor, convulsing :

I think Yuuri can absolutely pick up on when Victor is being dishonest with him and poking his sharp little fingers into the sore spots, but more on an intuitive level that he doesn't know how to make sense of logically, so he just accepts it and moves on largely without comment a;dlkf he'll probably figure it out like fifteen years down the road when he's older and wiser and one day he squints at his husband and goes "...huh, okay" and then never does anything about it anyway because he loves Victor and forgives him and also Victor's hot when he's being mean so

[rkart221]

This will make no sense but eventually it will I promise

For context bc this is my first post, I have 3 tma ocs, Fletcher, Alice and Ivy, more lore will eventually come out about them though it will not be in order, like the Lyf tag Alice and Fletcher's relationship It's a very tricky one, and not the most healthy. The first time they met she hated him, seeing him just as a slob and wanting him to get out of her house. Within the events of TMA, he's all she has, her magnum opus, all she loves and all she needs but her biggest failure too. So! Let's discuss it! Alice is an interesting one. She was raised around the concept of fears and knows of them all too well. She, for this reason, knows how being aware of their existence effects someone. She's a very jealous person, jealous of all that got to live a normal life, have a normal childhood. Though she initially despised Fletcher, she grew to be almost obsessive with his normalness. She loved it. He was a breath of fresh air. A man untouched by the horrors that plagued the world and blissfully unaware of what hid within the shadows. When Fletcher first asked about her parents, and she lied with her response, he did not question her. All her life, being around other avatars, being apart of this giant chess game of the mind, his lack of suspicion, of any sort of reaction except taking it at face value. She loved it. Then later, when she had to admit she was lying about her parents he did not retaliate, understanding there was probably a reason behind her lack of truthfulness and never asking why she did what she did or who they were. It was almost addictive. She finds Fletcher's normallness, his lack of curiosity or suspicion somewhat contagious. When she's around him the fears do not exist, avatars do not exist. When she truly allows herself to relax in the moment Fletcher is the only one that makes her feel normal. Though this develops into a very strong poison. She is very defensive of Fletchers innocence. She tries very hard to not let him know anything of what she does and hides any affiliation with him in her work very well. The problem arises when Fletcher should very much know of whats happening. Her line of work is dangerous, and she's making enemy's with very powerful, very dangerous people. Though she knows its not hard to find Fletcher she pretends not to see, trying ti block out that thought fot the sake of protecting her delusional state of freedom when shes around him. This also doesnt help when she views him as less than. She loves Fletcher, very much there's no denying that but she does not see him as equal. She sees him more as a tool in a way, a means to release the stress of work and the horrors of the world. She cares about him but never enough to tell him. If it got between making him happy and comfortable and revealing her secret or letting unknowingly die, she would let him die. When she saves him from the notthem, or at least tries to it is more so for the sake of their child then Fletcher and she very much does not want to be around when he finds out so tries to save him in a way that means bailing herself. When they finally reunite in s5 they do not work out for this very reason. Alice cannot stand Fletcher knowing and understanding and constantly subconsciously undermines/ still conceals information from him even now he knows. It's more so a defense mechanism, trying desperately to make it go back to how it was before and when Fletcher finally stands his ground/ argues with her word, her opinion on him only sours.

Ty for reading, here she is for compensation

[arshisrabbave]

IPKKND: Anjali’s perfect man

“Anjali deserved to find the true love”, “Wish Anjali ended up with someone better”, “Anjali should’ve found someone”. These are few of the things that most of the Ipk fans say and honestly Anjali finding true love, the man that actually deserved her love would’ve been great but, under one circumstance. That is if show had few years leap in the end.

If makers had shown few years leap in the last episode then seeing Anjali with the man she always deserved would’ve been great, but the show didn’t have any leap and I am glad that Anjali didn’t end up with anyone.

Now don’t get me wrong! I love Anjali and she deserves all the happiness, all the moons and stars. However, showing Anjali finding another man would’ve been completely unrealistic

As we all know that Anjali’s first marriage broke, after her parents died the guy she was supposed to get married to left her at the alter and for ten years no one was ready to accept her. Ten years later comes Shyam Manohar Jha in the picture, after facing rejection from everyone for ten years he finally accepts her.

But Alas! He’s only there for her money and wealth, he doesn’t care about her or her family. Unfortunately she doesn’t know that, even though he shows constant red flags like missing anniversary party, fleeing away, lying to her about him being in another city when he was literally living in Khushi’s place, etc she was blind towards it all.

Shyam was good with his words, he was very manipulative (no wonder he’s a lawyer!) and Anjali who always had a sensitive and fragile heart got easily manipulated and trapped in his plan constantly. She put him on the pedestal, she had blind faith on him, not to mention even most of her pooja path, fastings were for him, she was even superstitious when it came to him.

When Khushi revealed about Shyam the very first time, everyone believed her except Anjali. Anjali wasn’t ready to see or accept the fact that her Shyam ji is actually not who she thinks he is. I like to believe that when Arnav stepped up and showed that even he thinks Shyam is guilty somewhere in her heart she believed it to be true but the devoted part of herself that she had for Shyam wasn’t ready to see the truth.

She went against everyone for him, even against her Chote and Khushi ji, she completely isolated herself, stopped eating properly, she would ask Arnav to return Shyam to her. Heck! She even tried aborting her own baby as Shyam was thrown out of Shantivan.

Later when Shyam comes back in Shantivan during Arshi’s 2nd marriage the only reason other family is tolerating him because Anjali felt better seeing him as she was miserable after her miscarriage. That’s irony considering how he was the reason she had miscarriage in the first place (That man truly disgusts me)

Even the day when she found out the truth about Shyam just before the moment he was her perfect husband, her beloved Shyam ji.

So, you see how deeply and emotionally she had trauma bonded with him. Finding out that Shyam is not the guy she thought he was, definitely was difficult for her to process. Although they showed her moving on quickly and easily I refuse to believe that it didn’t affect her in any way. Maybe they didn’t dive deep into it as show was coming towards its end, but if that wasn’t the case then they most probably would’ve shown her processing the emotional trauma that she got.

Just like Arnav, Anjali also had PTSD most likely but we don’t see it on the surface as her way of grieving and dealing with her trauma was different than his. But after she could see Shyam behind the mask I feel like her repressed PTSD started affecting her as well.

It’s easy to say that she should’ve found another man but at the same time it’s also hard to overlook the things she most likely went through after coming out of an emotionally abusive relationship.

Anjali already had abandonment issues which surely got worse after Shyam was exposed and not to mention now she even surely developed trust issues. I personally think that if Anjali would’ve dated another man after Shyam it would’ve been very unrealistic and also kind of triggering to those people who have been victim of Emotionally abused relationships in reality, even though it’s just a fiction IPKKND has had many cliche breaking moment and it showed many things that we normally don’t see in an itv show, showing Anjali moving on so quick would’ve ruined the unique story telling style of the show, atleast for me.

However, I do wish even during the Sheetal and Mrs India track they showed Anjali going for a therapy

[chirpsythismorning]

How the Ending of Stranger Things 3 Subtly (Blatantly) Foreshadowed the Love Triangle in Stranger Things 4

During Mike and Will's last scene together alone (essentially their goodbye), Mike shows visible concern over the fact that Will is probably gonna want to join another party after he moves. In response, Will reassures him that would be impossible, with Mike looking visibly relieved and even happy about this reassurance.

However, in contrast, as Mike is saying his goodbyes to El, only a moment later, Mike doesn't voice any similar concerns about the possibility of her meeting new people (even with the concept fresh in his mind, might I add). Also in contrast to his scene with Will, their goodbye here ends with Mike looking conflicted and confused at El's form of reassurance (love confession/kiss), rather than relieved/happy.

These are honestly such weird narrative choices on the writers part, if I'm supposed to believe that what Mike has with Will is strictly platonic and what Mike has with El is strictly romantic.

In fact, Mike even makes a point of mentioning Will's name in his plans to reunite with El during their goodbye, but he makes no mention of El when he says goodbye to Will...

Now, what should that tell you??

Even just reanalyzing these scenes from s3 in combination with what ends up happening in s4, how can anyone still come to the honest conclusion that m!leven makes more sense as endgame than byler?

El was still very new to basic experiences, let alone high school, and so although things did go horrible for her in Cali, they could've gone well in a better scenario.

She even gives Mike this impression in early ST4, saying that things were going amazing for her, and we saw Mike being fairly open and kind when it came to the topic of her new friends and new life in Lenora.

Though, once again in contrast, Mike was visibly uncomfortable over the topic of Will's life in Lenora, or more specifically, what El mentioned in her most recent letter, which was that she thought Will might be painting something for a girl he likes.

Interestingly, besides the fact that Will is painting more, this small piece of (mis)information about a girl, is the only thing we were shown Mike knowing about Will's new life in Lenora.

After humiliating himself at the airport by asking about the painting, since we the audience (and El) already know Mike knows about it and who it’s probably for, what follows is Mike making absolutely zero effort to find out anything else about Will’s new life, after now assuming El's suspicions were correct.

How very platonic of you, Mike.

We even get these hints via subtext that Mike thought El's new friend Angela could be the girl Will made the painting for.

So we’re seeing this pattern here, and it’s that Mike is actually shown to be more scared about losing Will to new people than he is scared about losing El to new people.

Then, low and behold, it turns out El was lying about having friends. In reality she’s quite miserable in Lenora.

You would think, despite the unfortunate circumstances, if Mike had actually been insecure about El moving on, only for those insecurities to be disproven, wouldn't he have been at least slightly relieved?

But we don't get that. After the truth is revealed, Mike looks even more upset and conflicted about his relationship with El than before.

He can try and say that his behavior is related to his fear that someone new will discover how special El is, followed by her not needing him, but in reality, that possibility was just literally disproven.

El had no one new in her life, and she was literally standing before Mike, begging him to need her. All he had to do was say I love you. Problem solved, right?

But he didn't. He didn't because the truth is so much more complex than he's making it out to be.

Going into the rest of the season, after El has left and it's only Mike and Will, there is absolutely no mention of Will's life in Lenora, with the focus instead being all on Mike.

Mike's trying to reveal to Will that he wants to end things romantically with El, saying their fight was one he didn't think they could come back from (even though he and the audience know all it would've required was three simple words), him even going as far as to say that he doesn't think him and El meeting each other was anything special ("IT WASN'T FATE! IT WASN'T DESTINY!" like, okay! Chill out, Michael!).

Mike is trying as subtly as he possibly can to hint to Will that he is having these insecurities about his relationship, a relationship that he believes is doomed to fail, but that he is scared of ending himself because it might mean losing El altogether.

Tragically, all it probably would've taken was Will voicing even an ounce of agreement in Mike's doubts, for Mike to finally end things with El. Seriously, where is s3 Will when s4 Mike needs him?? Will could've said anything to support his doubts, and Mike would've been throwing in the towel (no, but like literally the only time Will showed Mike any annoyance in s4 over Mike moping about El, and here Mike was, throwing El's letter in the garbage almost instantly... )

Only problem is, Will isn't letting that happen this time.

And what do you think that tells Mike? I mean, if I were Mike, I would assume that Will is definitely not interested. After all, he apparently likes girls now, despite implying he wouldn't move on last time they talked. And now he has someone else to gift his paintings too, not Mike.

Mike's probably realizing rn that he's going crazy all alone, without Will.

Because like, let's be real. If your best friend has feelings for someone, you talk about it with them.

We literally see this happening right now with Mike and Will when it comes to El. All. Season.

So why, after finding out about Will's potential love interest, has Mike made zero effort to learn more about said girl?

WHY not have Will become aware that Mike assumes there is a girl in the first place????

Matter of fact, why didn't we see Mike's reaction to hearing Will talk about his life in Lenora, at all???????

Maybe because it would've been even more obvious than Mike admitting to Will that Hawkins wasn't the same without him?

Maybe because this is a classic case of the misunderstanding/miscommunication trope, where it could all be solved if everyone just knew the truth?

Honestly, I think the moment we do finally get to see Mike's reaction to Will, maybe even just slightly implying life was better for him in Lenora, Mike is going to look... well, devastated.

And that would've been a little too on the nose for ST4, especially if their plan was to keep the general audience second-guessing Mike's feelings, up until the final season.

I do believe it's likely we'll eventually get Mike's true reaction to Will's life in Lenora though, because the lead up has been quite extensive.

In the s3 finale, they could've easily shown us Mike being worried El would find someone else in Cali, but they don’t. Instead they show us that Mike has that insecurity linked to Will.

The main insecurity I saw Mike having in regards to El at the end of s3, standing in front of Will's closet, was that it genuinely looked like he knew that if he was 'normal', he would've tried harder to fight for their romantic relationship. But he just couldn’t do it and so that’s why he looked annoyed with himself as she started walking away.

But suddenly, El's turning around, confronting him, and Mike doesn’t look the least bit relieved. He looks distracted and caught off guard. When she mentions his heart, that's when he starts looking downright panicked. Then, she's walking back up to him and kissing him, all while his eyes are wide open. Afterwards, he's silent and she leaves him in Will's room by himself, looking dumbfounded.

I would argue that if Mike did truly love El (romantically), but just didn’t know how to express it, he would have been relieved that she was making it so easy for him. After all, it didn’t even require any work on his part in that moment.

BOOM. She said she loved him too. BOOM. She kissed him. BOOM. They’re boyfriend and girlfriend again. That was easy, right?

But if them being together again was what Mike truly wanted at this point, 3 months post-breakup, then his reaction here makes no sense when you compare it to his reaction to Will only minutes before.

Which brings me back to the importance of the whole walkie/phone call/letters debacle.

What I think is that, initially, Mike intended to use the walkie to stay in touch with El, and to reserve writing letters for Will ('Love Mike'). Either that, or perhaps he was initially open minded to having equal contact with both of them, via letters and phone calls/Cerebro.

After finding out Will did want the same future as him, even getting confirmation from Will that he wouldn’t be 'joining any other parties', Mike is hopeful. How they talk is basically code for them both hoping their instincts are right about the others feelings; that they equally feel the same way about each other and that maybe, sometime in the future, maybe.

I do think they both had this realization in that moment during their goodbye. And that's what makes everything that follows going into s4 so stupidly tragic for everyone involved.

I think that talk with Will was when Mike realized he wanted to reserve romantic gestures for Will again (like he did in s2) and to go back to the more friendship based gestures with El (arguably also what he did in s2 with the walkie).

That's what was holding him back, this realization that he actually wanted him and El to stay broken up so that he could go back to this bond he had with Will.

But suddenly, El is telling him she loves him too and she’s kissing him and??? How the hell does he take back what he said those few months ago? She lost her only real father figure, she's moving away AND is revealing that she's in love with him? Obviously he’s not thinking about how in the long run, this misunderstanding will only hurt her more than just breaking it off now. He's thinking about how much she's already hurting and that he can't do this to her. And tbh, I don't really blame Mike for not having the courage to do it. I probably wouldn't either.

Quite frankly, I think a lot of the audience can't give up on M!leven because they too have the same mindset as Mike, which is that, because they feel so bad for El and everything she's been through, he's practically indebted to her, as she's saved his life countless times, and pretty much the entire world. How can he not love her? It's the LEAST Mike can do in his mind (and the audiences').

Don't get me wrong. I never wanted El to be heartbroken. I can say with full confidence that 99.99% of bylers want El to be the one to break it off with Mike. It's seriously starting to look like Mike is just going to pull a Ted Wheeler and be miserable forever if she doesn't take the initiative on this and so that's really the only satisfying way they can go about that at this point.

I do believe that El and Mike have a good dynamic, well, when they're not forcing themselves to be someone else just to be with each other. And I think s1 dynamics making a return means we'll hopefully get some of those honest interactions between them, like we did before society kind of forced its expectations on them.

But, if we're being honest with ourselves, season 4 is said and done, which means everything that happened, happened.

Mike has already broken El's heart. He's already done the very thing he didn't want to do, all because he was convinced that his only option was to lie to her, himself and everyone about the truth.

Like, there must be a reason why the writers keep showing us Mike struggling with committing to El, over and over throughout the entire series. The fact that when it's finally caught up to him, he looks downright terrified, like it all adds up, honestly. It all makes sense.

He’s also got internalized homophobia working against him, telling him, 'El is incredible, beautiful, a literal superhero and she loves you…? What’s wrong with you??'

And I think Mike’s visible turmoil at the end of s3 is this realization that he's right back where he started. Repressing his true feelings; reserving romantic gestures for El and as a result having no choice but to reserve platonic gestures for Will.

Then s4 comes around and we find out El and Mike have been keeping in touch via letters, with no mention of the walkies at all.

We can presume that they did not talk over the phone because of government surveillance, which was why Mike initially mentioned the walkies in the first place (again, remember he said this BEFORE they kissed/got back together).

We also know from Will's perspective that Mike only called a couple of times. We can assume maybe more than once, but probably no more than 2-5 times, he successfully got through to the Byers.

But we also now know from Dustin's perspective (and El's because she heard this conversation in the void), is that Mike called so much to the point where Dustin said he was 'always whining' about the line being busy.

And this will never not be the most important piece of the puzzle to me.

First of all, this line was put here for a reason. Second of all, no one outside of bylers in the fandom talk about this much, if at all, and that's probably because those refusing to consider the possibility of byler would rather not acknowledge that there's literally no other way to interpret this.

In present time, Dustin has just said Mike is 'always whining about' the Byers' line being busy, which means that even though it's been 6+ months since the Byers' moved to California, Mike presumably hasn't stoped 'whining about it' (always more so implies still/currently, not so much in the past/previously/'maybe a couple times').

So, why didn't Mike tell Will he called way more than 'a couple of times' when Will confronted him about it?

And why didn't we get anything regarding Mike and El keeping in touch via the walkie, ie, Mike's original plan?

We saw that in her room, El had a shrine dedicated to Mike, with the walkie sitting right in the middle, just waiting for him to call her. Because technically, in order for them to keep in contact via the walkie, Mike would have to be at Dustin's using Cerebro, or having stolen it (like he said he would).

But instead of seeing El being annoyed with Mike calling her constantly, we get Mike reading a letter from El, with shots of the Mike shrine, and El saying "I miss you so much I can hardly breathe, do you miss me too?" WITH NO RESPONSE and this awkward tension, seeing as what follows is nothing that constitutes an El shrine in Mike's space, the scene ending with him crumpling up her letter and moving on entirely.

We even get a scene of Dustin talking to Suzie on Cerebro directly after this scene with Mike.

So... What if this means Mike didn't follow through when it came to actually calling El on the walkie? What if she was already suspicious, not only about the letters all ending with 'from Mike' but also because she remembered Mike saying he would call so much, only for her to find out, directly from Dustin that Mike was always 'whining about' the Byers phone line being busy. Which meant all those times he could've called El, all those times she was waiting for him to annoy her like he said he would, he was busy annoying Dustin over the fact that he couldn't get ahold of Will...

What if Mike went from telling El he would call her so much she would have to turn it off, to in reality, only calling her on the walkie maybe a couple times, only to drop it all-together, which is what lead to the letters being the main source of contact in the first place.

Also WHY even have El be the one to find out that Mike was constantly calling the Byers to talk to Will, before Will himself finds out, with him still currently assuming the opposite...?

Honestly, I think it's kind of obvious, but I'll try to continue spelling it out.

I think Mike made a compromise with himself after both El and Will moved to California.

He couldn't break it off with El, not now and not this way. Maybe if he was straight and only liked girls, he could end things without feeling self conscious about the potential perceived implications behind it. But because he knows the true reason, he feels like it will give him away. Sadly, Mike also has very low self esteem and so he just genuinely believes that he should be honored to be loved by someone like El, because this is probably as good as it's gonna get for someone like him.

This compromise also involves Mike trying to keep things as platonic as possible with Will, and yet the way he goes about it still somehow tragically does exactly the opposite.

By not going through with using the walkie to call El, he's making the phone calls between him and Will 'their' thing, even when Mike tragically can never seem to reach him.

I think the idea of talking to El 'romantically' on Cerebro, only to hear Will in the background, who Mike now may have the urge to talk to after not being able to get ahold of him for weeks.?. I just know Mike cringed at the mere idea of that, like I could totally see something like that being a catalyst for why he made that separation between how he'd allow himself to communicate with them in the first place, post s3.

I also think he knew that if he wrote letters to both Will and El, there was a small chance they could end up comparing letters at some point, and the difference between how he opens up with Will in comparison to how he doesn't as much with El, would have made his true feelings glaringly obvious.

I do honestly believe that the reason they never let us read any of Mike's letters to El (beyond how they all end...) was because of this very fact, that it would have been the biggest giveaway of all.

Like, what the hell would Mike have even talked about anyways? It's literally canon that he was a 'shitty knockoff' of his true self when they reunited at the airport and then all day at rink-o-mania too (just like El), so maybe it isn't a reach to assume he also lied in his letters (just like El). Or even more likely, he probably focused on just asking questions about how she was doing/how the Byers were doing. After all, Mike has no reason to believe El wants to hear about Hellfire, or any of the things he knows aren't exactly perceived as 'cool'.

source

This is also why I'm fairly convinced they're saving showing the audience a letter written by Mike for the final season, because that's when his true feelings will be revealed (and this time, it will be a letter that ends with, ‘love Mike’...)

Though I think it's unlikely we'll get flashbacks about what Mike was thinking between ST3-4 (possibility scene in New Moon... iykyk), I like to believe that he did try to write a letter to Will at least once, maybe right after they moved, but at the very last second he realized it ended with, 'love Mike', in contrast to a letter he wrote to El ending with, 'from Mike', and that's when it really hit him.

He knew he had to set boundaries with himself to be a good boyfriend and a good best friend (in theory of course, because he failed miserably).

The biggest giveaway of all though, is Mike not being able to fully submit to this compromise he's made with himself.

Even though he reserved writing letters to El, to convince himself he was at least trying to be a good, romantic boyfriend, while also trying to convince himself that his feelings for Will were strictly platonic (SHES MY GIRLFRIEND, WILL! /WERE FRIENDS. WERE FRIENDS!), he still couldn't give in entirely; he still couldn’t end the letters to El with, “love Mike’.

It took Will giving Mike constant reassurance and support all of s4, up until the very last second, for him to finally tell El he loves her.

And now here we are! Forced conformity caused the end of the world, so now we just gotta wait for gay love/endgame to save it.

[sarcasticbambi]

Found Souls Chapter I

Next>

Marinette would like to say she never believed in soulmates. She does. But that would be lying, and if there’s one thing she hates the most in the world, it’s liars, so she’s stuck with telling the truth.

She believes in them. She would also like to enjoy the feeling of excitement over the reveal of her soulmate’s wing design on the inside of her own. The feeling of looking for your soulmate and wondering if it’s like in the movies - where you knock into them and you just know it’s them by glancing into their eyes, wondering if the world stops at that moment and it’s just the two of them.

Unfortunately, she was cursed with never experiencing those moments or knowing any of those feelings. Not that Hawkmoth (or Shadow Moth or whatever he’s going by these days) would ever allow for those to last long anyways, he’d probably find a way to ruin it. Not that it’d be the first time.

No, Marinette, was born wingless and thus, soulmateless. And it’s not for being a late bloomer as she’s been her whole life.

She simply and purely doesn’t have them. Anatomically, she doesn’t even have the structure that would allow her to develop her wings at a later time, were she truly just a late bloomer.

Her whole life, from the moment she was born until she turned 18 - when she gave up on trying - she’s been going through tests and exams like fire eating away at the wood.

She was such a special and peculiar case that the doctors were fascinated and couldn't get enough of trying to understand where such a defect came from.

Her parents, poor things, were just worried about how this could affect her day-to-day life. Not having wings in a world where the majority of things function and are accessible through them was hard. Everything in their building - bakery and residency space - was modified so she could have easier access to whatever was necessary.

At some point, she gave up on it. She’s destined to not have a soulmate, and that’s ok. She’ll just have to work harder and look for one without the whole “made for each other” thing. It’s not like she’s going to die without a soulmate.

Now, at 21 years old, she would like to meet Little Her and hug her. Tell her everything would be alright. Although she may not have a soulmate, she got as close as she could without having the universe on her back telling her if she was right or not. Tell her that she was happy with him and loved him with all of her existence, and would forever cherish what she had with him because they found their true love and were happy as they were, soulmateless and all (at least in her case)

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Damian really should avoid having Marinette and Stephanie in the same room. Actually, make it a 100m radius, because the two of them in such close proximity spells disaster, what with her influencing his precious angel and all.

That's what he says every time, but looking out the window now - where he has a view of the garden in the middle floors of Wayne Enterprises building - and he sees the two of them, arms locked with each other’s and a big smile on Marinette’s face, whatever mischief they’re up to this time spelled clearly in her bluebell eyes, he can’t help but smile to himself. 

(And postpone the threat for the next time his sister-in-law tries to taint his angel with her troublemaking plots)

Seeing them lying on the grass under the big tree (?) in the middle of the garden, he turns around and returns to his office.

Now, with his beloved out of sight and a bunch of papers in front of him on his desk, he allows his mind to be overtaken by thoughts of her and how much she changed his life since meeting each other on that dreadful and gloomy day. 

Flashback time

It was just another morning like any other. He woke up and his clock read 05:30 AM, like always. Getting off bed was as easy as usual, and he got ready for his regular routine.

Wake up. Training. Sparring. Shower. Eat. And then be driven to school and dropped off at the gates at exactly 07:30 AM. 

The whispers while he walks down the hallway were the only disturbance to his routine, and he would like to let it be very clear that he is not appreciating that fact.

While it was normal to have whispers and glances his way because of the Wayne last name, they were different this morning. Most were not even directed at his person at all.

Damian would just like to let it be known that he would like to have a talk with whatever or whoever it was that was causing such an uproar, because if there’s one thing Damian hates, it’s a disturbance to his routine.

If it was back at the League, he’d probably have already  cut someone’s head off. But that wouldn’t happen because everyone there knew to respect a routine and their respective roles.

Entering his classroom, Damian tried figuring out the reason for the whispers and his eyes followed those of his classmates to the back of the room, specifically his seat.

At first, he thought it was because the person - a petite girl with midnight blue hair who looked like even the slightest of the winds would blow her over - actually had the audacity and courage of sitting in his place. But then he thought that maybe she just didn’t know who sat there so he’d just put her in place. The nickname “Ice Prince” wasn’t just for show after all.

But then, as he walked closer, he noticed something missing in her figure. Something that was bound to catch everyone’s attention and cause the disturbance that has been affecting the whole school, including his routine. 

She didn’t have wings. Which was such a big detail that he was surprised he hadn’t noticed earlier.

Shaking off his shock and the inquiries caused by such an anomaly, he walked over to his seat and stood there glaring at her. She had her head down the entire time, but raised it up when she felt his presence.

Now looking at him, were beautiful azure orbs glazed over with unshed tears - no doubt caused by the attention on her person probably since the moment she stepped foot on school grounds.

Looking down at her as he does to everyone, he expects her to just scramble as everyone does whenever they look at his face.

However, she either is fearless or just plain stupid, because no matter how much he glares at her and scowls, she just won’t budge.

“May I help you?” she says with such a low volume that he’d probably have missed it if it weren’t for his many years of training to be alert.

Tsk’ing, he scowls even harder. 

Will I really have to voice it for this idiot to understand?

By now, the whispers have just got louder.

“You are seated in my place.”

Realisation slowly comes to her face and she methodically picks up her things and starts moving.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware it was already taken. Could you point me to an empty seat so that I won’t make the same mistake?” Even the small and gentle smile on her face wasn't enough to hide the tired tone that coated her voice.

Probably exhausted from having to deal with the same thing as he does everyday. Although hers seemed to be for a different reason than his.

“The one in front of mine is currently available”

With a small, barely noticeable bow of her head, she moves around him to sit where he pointed her towards.

“Oh my God! Did you see that?” “Yes I did! Kind of impossible to miss!”

“I thought he’d kill her for certain! I mean, last time someone sat in his place the person almost bawled their eyes out!”

“I know! Do you think he likes her?” “Who? Damian Wayne??? No way! He isn’t known as the Ice Prince for no reason! He simply isn’t capable of love!”

“Maybe he just pitied her? You know, she-”

“I’m certain if you people used half of the brain you use for bavardage in actual studies, your parents wouldn’t be so disgraced by your grades that they have to pay for you scandalmongers to stay enrolled.”

The silence that fell the classroom surprised even the teacher who’d just entered the room. Usually he’d have to order them to sit and shut up, but the silence was such a blessing that he didn’t even bother commenting on it, knowing it would just make it worse. He settled with just starting the class instead.

“Good morning students, I hope you had a good weekend. There's some things we need to address before starting class today. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, we have a new student with us. Mind coming up front to introduce yourself, please?”

The ravenette calmly got up and walked to the front of the room, turning to face the class and, with a slight accent, she introduced herself.

“Hi! My name is Marinette DuPain Cheng. I just recently moved here from Paris. I hope we can get along well!” The glowing smile she graced the class with seemed to hit some people straight to the heart, if their awestruck expression was anything to go by.

That explains the slight accent I guess.

“As you’ve noticed, Marinette here has a condition that has prevented her from developing her wings. I hope you guys will be mature enough to understand that there are obviously some actions that she won’t be able to accomplish and thus will require your assistance. The school is already doing all possible accommodations for this situation, but there are some things we’re bound to be unable to assist, so, as the great students you are, you’ll have to step in.”

No one missed the heavy sarcasm dripping from the teacher’s voice when he said, “The great students”. Everyone and their mothers knew that Gotham Academy’s students were nothing but spoiled brats, so, with the exception of a few students here and there, expecting them to actually help someone else with no sort of reward was plain idiotic.

Next>

[rachelkaser]

Stay Golden Sunday: Scared Straight

Blanche's brother Clayton comes for a visit -- and he's got a secret to share with Blanche. Sophia receives an omen of death.

Picture It...

Sophia looks conspicuously depressed on the sofa, incensed that Dorothy is ignoring her. In the kitchen, she says she had a prophetic dream in which her late husband Sal spoke to her. She dreamt he said, "Sophia, you can come now. There's room for you now." She now believes, based on the clock striking nine and Sal wearing his Saturday-only fedora, that she'll die at 9pm on Saturday. Dorothy says she's being ridiculous. Back in the living room, Dorothy compliments Blanche, who got very dressed up for her visiting brother, Clayton.

The doorbell rings and it's Clayton, who is Blanche in male form. She introduces him to Dorothy and Rose. They've obviously got a very close relationship. Later that night, Dorothy returns home to Sophia sitting in the dark. She's still convinced she's going to die on Saturday and tries giving Dorothy some valuables. Blanche enters with Clayton and reveals she's set him up on a blind date with her colleague Lois. He's not pleased, but goes along with it. Blanche coaches Dorothy on how to break the ice with blind dates.

Rose runs into Clayton in the park -- his date wasn't a success, as Blanche doesn't know his type. Rose takes the challenge to pinpoint his type and they sit down to people-watch together. A few women walk by with no reaction from Clayton. Then an attractive man walks by who gets his attention, and it takes Rose a few minutes to figure it out before Clayton confesses: He's gay.

DOROTHY: Ma! What are you doing up? SOPHIA: Someone left the lock off my cage.

Rose asks if he's told Blanche, and he hasn't. He keeps chickening out. Rose asserts that Blanche might be upset at first, but she'd get over it. He agrees to tell her tonight while he's still got his nerve. Back at home, Blanche, Dorothy, and Sophia are all still awake, and Clayton almost immediately loses his nerve when he walks in. He tells Blanche he and Lois weren't suited. Rose pushes him to confess, and Clayton chokes and says he and Rose slept together and runs out. Everyone is horrified.

The next morning, Sophia tells Dorothy she wants to be cremated to Dorothy's frustration. Rose enters and tells Dorothy that Blanche is still upset. She whispers what really happened in Dorothy's ear, and Dorothy is shocked. She tries to conceal it from Sophia, but when Clayton enters the kitchen, Sophia asks him a few choice questions. When he leaves again, Sophia says the immortal line:

SOPHIA: The man's as gay as a picnic basket! DOROTHY: Ma that is . . . that is incredible! How did you know? SOPHIA: I heard him singing in the shower. He's the only man I ever knew who knows all the words to "Send in the Clowns."

Clayton apologizes to Rose later, saying he's really struggling with telling Blanche the truth. Blanche herself enters and barks at Rose for "seducing" Clayton, and Rose storms out saying Blanche is going to come crawling back with an apology. Clayton, upset, tells Blanche she doesn't understand. He says nothing happened between him and Rose. He finally comes out to her, and Blanche initially doesn't think he's being serious. When he keeps telling her it's true, Blanche is stunned and Clayton leaves to give her space.

Sometime later, Blanche follows Clayton to the restaurant where he's sitting and they reminisce about their teenage years. She tells him she's having a hard time reconciling what she's always known about him with the revelation that he's gay. He tells her he's the same person he's always been, and that he's spent a long time lying to himself. He's happy that he can be honest with her, and Blanche, touched, tells him this doesn't have to change their relationship at all. She also mistakes the restaurant for a gay bar.

BLANCHE: You remember the night me and my date parked right next to you and your date? Pretty soon it got to be a contest of who could fog up whose car the fastest. I think you won! CLAYTON: You weren't doing too badly considering you were in a convertible.

Later, Blanche comes back and invites Dorothy out to dinner for Clayton's last night. As it's nearly 9 pm, Sophia goes to the door and Dorothy one more time tries to convince her she's mistaken . . . until the doorbell actually rings. Rose peeps out and sees a fedora. Sophia opens the door and sees her friend Mildred in a fedora -- her lucky bowling hat. Mildred says she yelled through Sophia's window that "you can come now" and "we have room now." Sophia turns and tells Dorothy that she's going bowling.

As they prepare to go to dinner, Rose goes back into the kitchen, and Blanche follows her. She hesitantly tries to apologize and Rose accepts before she has the chance. Blanche dramatically says she had a whole speech planned, and Rose apologizes for ruining it, and they forgive each other and hug it out.

"Sweet Jesus, I've just done the impossible! I converted one!"

First of all, Happy Pride Month everyone! I hope you're all celebrating happily with people who love you! And I'm very glad I waited until we crested June before I published this entry because this episode of The Golden Girls is one of the most notable for its depiction of Clayton, an unapologetic gay man, and his relationship with Blanche. Even as someone who wasn't alive in 1988, when the episode was made, I know enough of the cultural context from growing up in the 90s and 00s to understand what it means and how important it is.

BLANCHE: Rose, honey. There's something I have to say to you. It's just two little words, but they are the hardest two little words in all the whole world for me to say. ROSE: "Not tonight?"

Clayton Hollingsworth is not the first gay character to appear on The Golden Girls -- he's beaten in that regard by Coco from "The Pilot" and Jean from "Isn't It Romantic?" However, he's the first gay character to be related to one of the Girls, which makes his sexuality more immediately relevant to them than Coco's or Jean's (at least until the latter confessed her feelings for Rose). Whereas those two characters were also very open about their sexuality, Clayton starts the episode closeted, at least to the Girls.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: As a white, cisgender, heterosexual woman, I'm not in any position to say what makes an episode like this important or representative of the time period. So I once again leave it to Matt Baume to talk about the importance of this episode (and its future sequel, "Sister of the Bride") for Culture Cruise. Baume's got one of the best video resources I could find on YouTube, covering the cultural context at the time and what it means for a popular TV show to portray a gay man and what it's like to come out:

If I could point to one thing I love about this episode in particular, it's that Blanche's difficulty accepting the revelation is shown to be 100% her problem. She's the "antagonist" of the episode, in that her lack of acceptance causes the issue, but she readily admits, once she's had time to think about it, that she's the one who has to come to terms with it and accept the new normal. She's adamant that this won't affect her close friendship with her brother. She even tries to set him up on a date -- with his preferred gender this time -- though she only succeeds in slightly embarrassing herself.

While Blanche's reaction to the news is the most important for the episode, the other Girls' reactions are also worth mentioning. It's no surprise to me that Rose is the first person to whom Clayton comes out, as she's very accepting and sweet about the situation once she understands it. Dorothy isn't at all perturbed by the news, absorbing it without comment. Sophia isn't bothered, either, simply adding it to her list of things to tease Clayton over -- before her biggest piece of ammo was his Southern-ness.

ROSE: Isn't it nice to see a brother and sister who are such good friends? DOROTHY: It certainly is. I always wished I could have been closer to my brother Phil. You know, go places together, share experiences. Although I did love borrowing his clothes. ROSE: Did you like wearing boys' clothes growing up? DOROTHY: No, but fortunately, neither did my brother Phil.

Monte Markham, who played Clayton, said in Golden Girls Forever that he wasn't the least bit bothered by playing a gay man, saying he would have been in the wrong business if that had been a hang-up for him. He's fantastically cast, not only because he doesn't fit existing stereotypes about gay men, but he also looks like he could be Rue McClanahan's brother. I completely believe Clayton when he says he's as irresistible to men as Blanche is.

The tiff between Rose and Blanche is the one sour note of the episode, though I understand the purpose it serves. Poor Clayton throws Rose under the bus in a panic when he can't come out to Blanche. It gives Blanche someone to have conflict with who isn't Clayton -- I would hate to see her be as much of a bitch to him as she is to Rose. Any Girl-vs-Girl conflict is hard to watch, but at least I think this time it was added for a good reason.

ROSE: Clayton, you're selling your sister short. At times, Blanche can be very understanding and compassionate and forgiving. BLANCHE: *storming in* Get away from my baby brother, you cradle-snatching, empty-headed, two-faced dummy! ROSE: . . . and then at other times she can be a real bitch.

The B-plot of the episode doesn't really merit too much discussion. Sophia has a funny dream that she thinks is her husband summoning her to the afterlife, which turns out to have been her fedora-wearing buddy Mildred inviting her out to go bowling. It mostly just exists to add some laughs to an otherwise serious episode and the thoroughly unserious conclusion helps relieve any remaining tension from Blanche and Clayton's conversation.

Funnily enough, I remember this being one of the first times I ever discussed the concept of "gay" with my mother. I was very small at the time (and we didn't watch the episodes in chronological order, so I saw this episode before "Isn't It Romantic?"), and this episode was a great jumping-off point for her to explain different sexualities and gender identities (or at least so it was understood in the 90s) to me in a compassionate way.

Episode rating: 🍰🍰🍰🍰🍰 (five cheesecake slices out of five)

Favorite part of the episode

Rose and Blanche both come to terms with Clayton's coming out in . . . different ways.