#there is no heterosexual explanation for the first gif

[wrexwas]

CUTE MEKAMECHANIC MOMENTS in LE SSERAFIM (르세라핌) 'Perfect Night' OFFICIAL M/V with OVERWATCH 2

[ingravinoveritas]

Another excellent BAFTA interview moment with David and the Scottish lady from HuffPost. Bless...

[thechalkofultimatedestruction]

Kafka Asagiri really just wrote the same dynamic three different times and I fell for it every time

First gen:

Second gen:

Third gen:

They say they hate each other but there's just no heterosexual explanation for this

[naneun-no]

From my drafts so it’s late but:

Today’s delulu thought is that Standing Next to You has too many lyrical coincidences to not be about Jimin.

🫣 I SAID IT WAS DELUSIONAL OKAY

You are free to disagree. You probably should 🤣

I mean we know it wasn’t written by Jung Kook but obviously the version he recorded was arranged with and for JK, and “leave your body golden” can’t be a coincidence right? Like it’s the whole ass album name, plus a word that carries connotations of JK himself, which the ppl who worked with him on Seven must have known.

So if that wasn’t a coincidence… then what about:

1. “How we left and right is something we control” — a callback to both Left and Right by CP feat JK, but also a nod to Butter, a massive BTS hit and a song that he performs alongside his boyfie bestie JM.

2. “When it’s deep like DNA, something they can’t take away” — a callback to another massive BTS hit, interesting. And *delulu warning* also reminds me of JM and JK’s extreme similarities that they themselves have referred to before?? They’re wired the same, they have the same sense of humor, they live and breathe for the same shit and even though they have some very key differences, they really do seem like twin flames (even if you just see it as platonic). They are similar in ways that seem braided into the fibers of their being. Like, in their DNA 🧬 some may say. *delulu warning #2* I’m also reminded of Jimin’s Letter lyrics: “After all this time has passed will we still be the same? Just like we were when we first met.”

Also, “something they can’t take away” is an interesting turn of phrase… more on that later.

3. Okay the real meaty part:

Screaming I’ll testify that we'll survive the test of time, they can't deny our love. They can't divide us, we'll survive the test of time I promise I'll be right here

[I seriously can’t believe how closeted-couple-coded this song is]

First off, again with the Letter lyrics mirrored here with the “test of time.” Then it’s got all this drama about being ripped apart and how it won’t happen and how they’ll be next to each other no matter what and that they have “something they can’t take away.”

Not only does all that line up with other Letter lyrics, but it is so goddamn dramatic and for what?

Be for real, what straight couple in this day and age would have this much working against them?? The only possible explanations are: 1) within the fantasy world of a song I suppose this could be some sort of Romeo and Juliet/West Side Story motif, and to be fair the music video did have a kind of rival gang/crime family look to it? Sort of? With the men fighting below the stage? Idk. Or it could be 2) the fact that idols do in fact often have to hide even their straight relationships, which is wild to me. But I know it’s a thing, so. I suppose there’s that. JK doesn’t seem the type though honestly. I think he’d be even more open about it than V.

On the other hand, the lyrics seem SO fit for a couple who are a) queer, b) closeted, c) currently in/about to be in a legislatively homophobic military and country (am I saying that right? Lol) and d) internationally famous pop idols in the SAME BAND who are both widely regarded as heterosexual sex symbols and would be shunned by many people in their homeland AND internationally if their queerness were to be revealed, much less if they were truly an item and THAT news broke.

Whew. That was a lot but like… that would be a real example of a relationship that would be VERY threatened by outside forces plotting against them and trying to separate them. Not JK and a hot blonde model, not him and a Korean actress, not basically any other scenario but a queer relationship.

Idk I know he didn’t write it but like ??? What the hell is that theme? I’m dying to get inside the mind of the people who DID write it, because are they or are they jikookers at this point like?!

4. Just for fun I’ll also point out the “leave your body golden like the sun and moon” 😏 like. Okay. At this point the songwriters are watching Jikook compilations, drooling over @slaaverin edits like convince me they’re not. CONVINCE ME.

5. “Deeper than the rain”?! “The pain”?! Alright I’m not even serious at this point but ??? Rainy day fight 🌧️?!?! 🤣🤣

6. “Standing next to you” oh you mean like… for 18 months? In a companion enlistment program? Like that?

Alright alright I’m done but you get my point. What even is this song if not an anthem of jikookery?! It’s more on-the-nose than Letter, more sneaky than Still With You. It wasn’t written by JK but at this point I’m calling that the songwriters are as delulu as me.

Hope y’all are well. If you made it to the end of this thank you for donning your tinfoil hat with me and I hope you at least got a giggle.

✌️

[xsdjkl]

How many times V and So Mi touch each other?

Total count as well every scene included is under cut. Hope I didn't miss anything. If I did, feel free to add :)

I counted scenes with So Mi's Relic version as well, even though technically they can't touch each other

Also, I allowed myself to add some comments in few scenes

Enjoy ;)

EDITED: Total count: 27/9

First number for siding with So Mi, second - siding with Reed

Dog Eat Dog - V tries to touch So Mi

Dog Eat Dog - So Mi grabs V's hand

THAT SCENE i was screaming

You Know My Name - V meets So Mi face to face and touches her back

You Know My Name - Songbird reestablishes Relic conection through touch

You Know My Name - the same

The Damned (I won't count it, but still wanted to include it ) - So Mi tries to touch V

Firestarter - V helps So Mi get up from the ground

Killing Moon - they touch each other so many times, it was actually difficult to count 😅

V comforts So Mi in the van

So Mi and V hide from the helicopter

my beloved water scene - V helps So Mi get up (and notice how she holds on to V as long as she can 🥹)

Tower scene, V kneels down and places their hand on So Mi's knee

when V connects to Songbird via personal link, So Mi takes their hand into her own

V touches So Mi's shoulder before she connects to the Blackwall

V helps So Mi stand up

EDIT : V protects So Mi from the helicopter blast (I reached attachment limit, so I can't add this gif here😥. EDIT2: I removed one gif to add this one! Also, huge thanks @jshepardtsoni for reminding me about that scene in ur tags 💙)

V checks if So Mi's still alive

V picks So Mi up (her voice breaks me)

V helps So Mi sit down in the train

Knee scene 🥹🥹 *pat pat*

V keeps So Mi awake (was I the only person who had flashbacks to Jackie's death?? I was so scared for her ._.)

A little help from V

V places So Mi on the ground

AND I'M SORRY, BUT V DIDN'T HAVE ANY REASON TO HOLD SO MI'S HAND FOR SO LONG

there is no heterosexual explanation for this

V picks So Mi up from the ground

V places So Mi in the seat

V prepares So Mi for the flight

Last time V touches So Mi

Somewhat Damaged - EDIT3: Added gif. I reached attachment limit tho, so not all scenes are shown :')

Comforting So Mi - V hugs her and the way she's holding their hand is just destroying me. and the hand nuzzle ._. i'm weak

Also, V can shake So Mi instead of hugging her

this fcking scene ._. and it's worth mentioning that V touches So Mi's face twice

V carries So Mi's body from the car

[ladyfarona]

I watched Laws of Attraction for the first time today. It was a fantastic movie, and, yes, Michael Sheen brought me here. I just want to say DAMN this man has THE RANGE.

He can really be THE biggest dick that's ever walked the face of the earth who beds any woman with a pulse

And nearly 20 years later he can be THE softest fluffiest angel for which there is no heterosexual explanation

At this rate I will end up watching anything and everything with him in it, he's just THAT GOOD

Even Twilight god help me

[divorcedfiddleford]

i already know what the story behind the picture is but please explain it anyway we need to educate the masses

oh my god thank you for enabling me ive been thinking about this all day. regarding this post i made yesterday and this classic image (which i actually just found out was posted seven years ago today!)

basically as can be read in the post at BigFest in 2016 somebody had what i believe was a fan-made prop based on the laptop from season 2 of gravity falls. alex hirsch attended this convention and decided to type in the password to the laptop. we never learned the password in the show so lots of people were excited to find out!

a HUGE thing to note here is that journal 3 was still months away from releasing and in fact while a couple pages had been released as promotional material it was still being worked on until, like... gosh i wanna say may is when they finally started printing it? don't quote me on that though my point is that this was all taking place pre-journal 3 and, therefore, many fans were still operating under the (sensible) impression that the laptop which

had been designed by fiddleford

had been built by fiddleford

had fiddleford's name on it

said "PROPERTY OF F" on it (at this point it had been established through promo images that "F" referred to fiddleford)

was assumed to be fiddleford's by, like, four different main characters

was given to and used by fiddleford following s2e7

fiddleford presumably knew the password to

would also belong to fiddleford. right? i mean logically. logically, guys.

so when alex hirsch revealed that the password had been "STANFORD" all along, people thought that was a little bit... well

of course, a couple months later journal 3 would be published and it would say that the laptop had actually been STANFORD'S, not fiddleford's, and that he had made the password his own name. so technically i lied in my earlier post, there IS a heterosexual explanation for this, but imo it's still bullshit. like sorry i don't believe for a fucking second that stanford "i need to encode all of my messages in multiple ciphers and write in invisible ink" pines would ever make a password as simple as his own name. he wouldve picked like something with six different layers of alternate meanings and also put it through atbash at the VERY least. also as i listed above there is a LOT of evidence which would support the laptop belonging to fiddleford, as opposed to ford, which has this random retcon (and like... some of the computer keys are different colors? i guess?? idk that bit was stupid) as its only supporting evidence.

my theory is that, while writing the show, alex and the other writers had intended for the laptop to belong to fiddleford, but for whatever reason, when they were writing the book, they decided to make it ford's instead. i want to make clear that i DON'T think this swap was motivated by homophobia, or as a reaction to seeing people interpret the password in a gay way. by the time that this photo was taken several promotional journal pages had been released, so it's safe to say that even if they were still adding the finishing touches to the book, it was pretty much in its final stage and in fact might have already started printing (i think the first photos we see of the book itself were posted like a week or two after bigfest). so to assume that there's a correlation there is both unfounded and extremely unlikely.

now, the stargazing scene reprint, on the other hand

[michellethestan]

Our Flag Means Jesus Christ Superstar

At C2E2 on Sunday, Con O'Neill shared that he and Taika both thought of Jesus Christ Superstar and the famously-charged relationship between Jesus and Judas in that show when thinking about the relationship between Ed and Izzy in Our Flag Means Death. (He also said they scream-sang to the soundtrack together on their first day in the makeup trailer and I would give my non-existent left nut for any footage of this event.)

Here's the video:

This set my brain on fire because I am an extreme and obnoxious lifelong Jesus Christ Superstar fan and one of the first goofy things I did in OFMD fandom was casting a JCS AU. As my brain burned, I started thinking about all of the parallels between JCS and OFMD.

So, presenting Way Too Much Thought about Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Rock Opera about the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and David Jenkins' There's No Heterosexual Explanation for this Story of Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet! I am not at all religious, so if you're looking for any takes on whether or not Edward Teach is actually God, you've come to the wrong place. I am merely a woman with an English degree and too much time on my hands.

Since we all know the plot points of OFMD, I am going to do this by JCS song. If you're unfamiliar with JCS, the wiki is below. Basically, though, it is a rock opera about the days leading up to Jesus' crucifixion, released as a concept album in 1970. Eventually it was staged, there are two movies (ignore the awful 2000 version), John Legend was Jesus on the live TV version, it tours all over, and it is Incredibly Campy. The relationship between Jesus and Judas is famously charged, and different productions choose to take that to different levels.

I'm going to use the album songs (with one notable exception) and visuals from the 1973 movie.

At its core, I see JCS as being about the conflict between Judas and Mary Magdalene and their versions of an ideal Jesus. Sound familiar? It's telling Jesus' story, but it does so via the interpersonal and internal conflicts these two people had during the last days of his life.

Ed is Jesus - For years, he has been leading a movement. He has reached a moment where the masses are seeing him as a mythical figure, King of the Jews/Blackbeard, but he's not sure that is what he wants.

Izzy is Judas - Our guy's right hand man. He has been there since the start and sees himself as a protector as well as someone with an outside perspective on the hero. Izzy wants Ed to continue being the myth of Blackbeard because it is the way they will survive. Judas, conversely, wants Jesus to take it down a notch because he is becoming too much of a myth and that will get him killed.

Stede is Mary Magdalene - (I'm not a prostitute, mate!) The new person to the group, offering our hero a way forward that does not have the weight of the world on his shoulders. Stede offers Ed retirement and a soft life. Mary offers Jesus a soft and comfortable life as well, but it is one where he does take up the mantle as the Son of God.

(A Note before we get going. Both Our Flag Means Death and the 1973 Jesus Christ Superstar film star BIPOC actors: Taika Waititi as Blackbeard, Ben Vereen as Judas, and Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene. This is fundamentally part of the stories the productions tell. People far more qualified than I have written about Edward Teach as a Maori man, the diverse OFMD cast, and about the diverse casting traditions in Jesus Christ Superstar. There is a deep dive to be written about the race of these six principle actors (and their supporting casts) and how that impacts these stories when JCS is read as an influence on OFMD. Without the qualifications to take that on, I am sticking essentially to song lyrics and script. I realize this is a huge gap in this analysis, and I would love for someone to help me fill it!)

We're skipping the Overture because it's just an overture and it is very good but still. You can listen to it if you want.

Heaven on their Minds

The show opens with Judas. Jesus, the apostles, Mary, and co. are together outside of Jerusalem, and Judas is concerned about the level of fame they are reaching and the danger Jesus is in from authorities.

Listen Jesus I don't like what I see.

All I ask is that you listen to me.

And remember, I've been your right hand man all along.

You have set them all on fire.

They think they've found the new Messiah.

And they'll hurt you when they find they're wrong.

Of course, the big difference here is that Judas wants Jesus to tone it down so he doesn't get hurt, whereas Izzy is trying to keep Ed as Blackbeard going so he doesn't get hurt.

What's the Buzz/Strange Thing Mystifying

The Apostles want to know what's happening. When are we leaving, who are we fighting, etc. While they bother Jesus, Mary is trying to comfort him.

Mary that is good,

While you prattle through your supper,

Where and when and who and how.

She alone has tried to give me

What I need right here and now.

Here we introduce the foil to Izzy/Judas. Almost immediately, with his finery and his lunacy, Stede offers Ed a different way of life.

You're a fucking lunatic and I like it.

We also get the first conflict between Mary and Judas, when Judas attacks Jesus for allowing Mary to comfort him.

It seems to me a strange thing, mystifying

That a man like you can waste his time on women of her kind.

Yes, I can understand that she amuses,

But to let her kiss you, stroke your hair, that's hardly in your line.

It's not that I object to her profession,

But she doesn't fit in well with what you teach and say.

It doesn't help us if you're inconsistent.

They only need a small excuse to put us all away.

Izzy, of course, immediately wants Stede out of the picture. He wants Stede out of the picture so badly he tries to sabotage them from the start. He doesn't respect Stede as a man or as a pirate, and is worried about what associating with Stede will do to Blackbeard's reputation.

Jesus stands up for Mary's presence, just like Ed decides they're staying on Stede's ship for now.

Who are you to criticize her?

Who are you to despise her?

Leave her, leave her, let her be now.

Leave her, leave her, she's with me now.

If your slate is clean, then you can throw stones.

If your slate is not, then leave her alone.

"Sorry not sorry." - Jesus/Ed.

Everything's Alright

Mary's first big number! She is soothing a stressed Jesus, offering him myrrh ointment (fine things!) and the idea that he deserves to be taken care of.

Sleep and I shall soothe you, calm you, and anoint you.

Myrrh for your hot forehead, oh.

Then you'll feel

Everything's alright, yes, everything's fine.

And it's cool, and the ointment's sweet

For the fire in your head and feet.

Close your eyes, close your eyes

And relax, think of nothing tonight.

Of course, Judas doesn't want this version of Jesus. He wants to get back to their roots, sees the use of the ointment on Jesus as a waste, and doesn't like a version of Jesus that is the pampered son of God.

Woman your fine ointment, brand new and expensive

Should have been saved for the poor.

Why has it been wasted? We could have raised maybe

Three hundred silver pieces or more.

People who are hungry, people who are starving

They matter more than your feet and hair!

We see this most/first in the clothes-swap scene, where Izzy is just so disgusted by the idea of Ed being anything other than Blackbeard that he literally leaves. Jesus stands up for Mary against Judas and says she's staying and Judas has to deal with it. Ed stands up for Stede and says they're staying on the Revenge and Izzy just has to deal with it.

The clothes swap scene is not the only sequence where Stede comforts Ed, of course. Just as Mary takes it upon herself to comfort Jesus at pretty much every opportunity, Stede becomes that comfort for Ed. The panic attack after the Fuckery is Stede reassuring Ed that the weight of being Blackbeard does not have to be on his shoulders. He can relax and sleep well, because Stede sees the real him. He's willing to forget a whole entire murder plot for Ed.

And more! We have two concrete "fine things" being used for pleasure here - myrrh ointment and marmalade. Both Judas and Izzy see waste and carelessness where Mary and Stede see the value in indulgence. And both Judas and Izzy want the fine things gone for more practical things. Judas wants to sell the ointment to give the money to the poor, what he argues is Jesus' whole original message. The marmalade, of course, is taking the place of literal gunpowder that pirates need to, you know, survive.

I will also just point out that "marmalade" and "myrrh ointment" sound... not really very similar but at least both start with M.

This Jesus Must Die

The authorities in Jerusalem want this rabble-rouser Jesus out of the picture. They're very moody and discussing what to do with him, deciding that he needs to die to send a message. We don't really see this happening about Blackbeard until the very end of the show, but we can assume based on the whole Being A Notorious Pirate Thing that the English authorities would do anything to take him down.

The important thing here is that Ed and Jesus are both wanted men. Izzy/Judas and Stede/Mary are offering conflicting ways to stay alive. Both think they have the solution and are trying to woo their guys to their sides.

Hosanna and Simon Zealotes/Poor Jerusalem

First of all, these are bops. Just getting that out of the way. Hosanna is Jesus entering Jerusalem and Simon Zealotes/Poor Jerusalem is the masses worshipping him, basically. Our OFMD parallel is Blackbeard with his Nine Guns - The myth of the hero far outstrips the man at this point. But what is he going to do about it?

Jesus warns the worshippers that things are about to get bad. Blackbeard starts thinking maybe he'll steal Stede's identity and sail off into the sunset.

If you knew all that I knew, my poor Jerusalem,

You'd see the truth, but you close your eyes.

But you close your eyes.

While you live, your troubles are many, poor Jerusalem.

To conquer death, you only have to die.

You only have to die.

Hmmm what's that, Jesus? We have to die to get out of this? You don't say.

Pilate's Dream

Pilate has a premonition that he's about to go down in history as The Bad Guy who Killed Jesus. (Yup.)

Then I saw thousands of millions

Crying for this man.

And then I heard them mentioning my name,

And leaving me the blame.

Badminton declares he's going to get vengeance on some Cat Bandits.

On my honor, I’ll ride these “Cat Bandits” straight into hell.

There are people hunting down our hero, in other words.

The Temple

In this scene, Jesus finds that a temple is being used for basically everything other than worship and he flips his lid and clears all of the sinners out. It is Very Dramatic.

What happens next is what parallels to OFMD, though. After the heathens are cleared from the temple, Jesus is surrounded by people with leprosy begging him to heal them. It's eerie and A Lot.

See my eyes, I can hardly see.

See me stand, I can hardly walk.

I believe you can make me whole.

See my tongue, I can hardly talk.

See my skin, I'm a mass of blood.

See my legs, I can hardly stand.

I believe you can make me well.

See my purse, I'm a poor, poor man.

Will you touch, will you mend me Christ?

Won't you touch, will you heal me Christ?

Will you kiss, you can cure me Christ?

Won't you kiss, won't you pay me Christ?

Jesus tries his best to heal them, but ultimately panics.

There's too many of you...Don't push me.

There's too little of me...Don't crowd me.

Heal yourselves!

What does this have to do with Ed? I hope you're asking that since you've read this far. The beggars are... Calico Jack! And not because he is a walking embodiment of disease. This sequence represents Jesus making his choice - is he going to be Judas' version of Jesus or Mary's? Is he taking on the mantle of Son of God or is he going relax it a bit? Calico Jack is a similar turning point for Ed. Is he going to be the old Blackbeard, or is he going to stick with Stede? Jesus hasn't really made his choice here - he tries to fix the temple and heal everyone but he is still overwhelmed. Of course, we know what Ed chose.

Everything's Alright (Reprise)

A bop. A reminder that Stede and Mary are going to take care of their men. Thanks, Mary. Thanks, Stede.

I Don't Know How to Love Him

Just imagine Stede singing this about Ed. That's it, that's the comparison.

I don't know how to love him.

What to do, how to move him.

I've been changed, yes really changed.

In these past few days, when I've seen myself,

I seem like someone else.

I don't know how to take this.

I don't see why he moves me.

...

Yet, if he said he loved me,

I'd be lost. I'd be frightened.

I couldn't cope, just couldn't cope.

I'd turn my head. I'd back away.

I wouldn't want to know.

He scares me so.

I want him so.

I love him so.

To elaborate a little, what's key here is Mary realizing that she is also being changed by loving Jesus and that they are on a path together now. She realizes that she is in awe of the myth of Jesus but in love with the man.

Damned for All Time/Blood Money

Judas turning in Jesus to the authorities. He's panicking. The only way to save Jesus is to give him up and hope that he is able to survive. He has even deluded himself into thinking that Jesus will actually be glad that he's made this decision.

Now if I help you, it matters that you see

These sordid kinda things are coming hard to me.

It's taken me some time to work out what to do.

I weighed the whole thing out before I came to you.

I have no thought at all about my own reward.

I really didn't come here of my own accord.

Just don't say I'm ... damned for all time.

I came because I had to; I'm the one who saw.

Jesus can't control it like he did before.

And furthermore I know that Jesus thinks so too.

Jesus wouldn't mind that I was here with you.

I have no thought at all about my own reward.

I really didn't come here of my own accord.

Just don't say I'm ... damned for all time.

Annas, you're a friend, a worldly man and wise.

Caiaphas, my friend, I know you sympathize.

Why are we the prophets? Why are we the ones

Who see the sad solution - know what must be done?

I have no thought at all about my own reward.

I really didn't come here of my own accord.

Just don't say I'm damned for all time.

Sound like someone we know?

The Last Supper

Oh here we go, things are heating up. Of course, The Last Supper is The Last Supper. The apostles have a lovely song about how they want to write everything down so people will talk about them when they die. That's a normal way to talk about your friend, right?

Fanfiction and the start of the Eucharist aside, The Last Supper is when Jesus announces to the team that he knows what they've been up to. He says that soon Peter will deny him and that he knows Judas has betrayed him.

Of course, when Izzy goes off to sell Ed out, Ed doesn't know it's happening because he is not a prophet. But I made this anyway because it works.

JESUS: Peter will deny me in just a few hours.

Three times will deny me,

And that's not all I see.

One of you here dining,

One of my twelve chosen

Will leave to betray me.

JUDAS: Cut out the dramatics!

You know very well who.

JUDAS: To think I admired you.

Well now I despise you.

This song also reinforces Judas' conviction that Jesus wants him to do this. Judas believes he is acting in both of their best interests and that turning Jesus in will stop the train and everything will be fine. Izzy truly believes that he is only selling out Stede. Stede has done something to his boss' brain, and once he's out of the picture Ed will go back to normal.

Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)

Jesus leaves his sleeping apostles and goes off to, basically, freak out and yell at his dad who is God.

I only want to say,

If there is a way,

Take this cup away from me

For I don't want to taste its poison.

Feel it burn me,

I have changed.

I'm not as sure, as when we started.

After walking around yelling at Dad a bit, he gets it out of his system and gets back on track. This is where he chooses to be a martyr.

By accepting his martyrdom, he might be accepting Judas' betrayal on the surface, but he's actually accepting Mary's version of himself. The authorities aren't going to slap him on the wrist and let him go. They are going to kill him, as we all know. That is what Mary was actually pulling for, even though she didn't realize it at the time.

This is akin to when Ed calls for the Act of Grace. In that moment, Izzy's plan falls apart - calling the British isn't going to save Blackbeard, it's going to destroy him. And this is what Stede was actually pulling for, even though he didn't realize it at the time.

Alright, I'll die!

Just watch me die!

See how I die!

...

God, thy will is hard,

But you hold every card.

I will drink your cup of poison.

Nail me to your cross and break me,

Bleed me, beat me,

Kill me.

Take me, now!

Before I change my mind.

The Arrest

Judas, must you betray me with a kiss?

Judas famously kisses Jesus to identify him to the Roman soldiers. If you are Going For It in your production of Jesus Christ Superstar, this can be very lustful. This is a man who loves his hero giving him up to the people that have been chasing him, probably realizing as he does it that things are about to go Very Wrong but having no way to stop it.

Peter's Denial

People who saw Jesus being led away see Peter and Mary, and accuse Peter of being an accomplice of that rabble-rouser Jesus. He denies knowing him three times.

Welp.

Pilate and Christ

Oh, Pilate, if only you remembered your little premonition. This is basically a song just to explain why Pilate doesn't have jurisdiction over Jesus and is sending him to...

King Herod's Song (Try it and See)

This song is, in a word, chaotic. King Herod tells Jesus he'll spare his life if Jesus admits to calling himself King of the Jews. It's very campy. It's amazing.

Herod demands Jesus perform miracles, Jesus won't do it, and Herod sends him back to Pilate to deal with because he decides Jesus is a fraud. This one really doesn't match up in OFMD. Oh well!

Could We Start Again Please

Meanwhile, in the movie and on the stage, Peter and Mary lead a song freaking out about what's happening. They've realized this whole thing went too far and Jesus is about to be killed, and are asking to start over.

This is Stede realizing slowly at the Privateering Academy that he has ruined Blackbeard. This comes out of order in the shows, but I'm going by JCS order. So I'm also doing the gifs in JCS order instead of OFMD order.

I've been living to see you

Dying to see you but it shouldn't be like this

This was unexpected, what do I do now?

Oh, could we start again, please?

Could we start again, please?

I've been very hopeful so far

Now for the first time I think we're going wrong

Hurry up and tell me, this is all a dream

Or could we start again, please?

Could we start again, please?

I think you've made your point now

You've even gone a bit too far to get your message home

Before it gets too frightening, we ought to call a halt

So could we start again please?

Could we start again please?

Judas' Death

Of course, Izzy doesn't die, and Judas does. Dramatically, after first running back to the authorities and trying to undo what he did.

I don't believe he knows I acted for our good

I'd save him all this suffering if I could!

Don't believe ... our good ... save him ... if I could

Izzy may not die, but he certainly has a moment where he realizes Ed is giving everything up and his plan has failed. Izzy is forced to watch Ed sign away ten human years to the British, and it is because of what Izzy did.

Christ! I know you can't hear me

But I only did what you wanted me to

Christ! I'd sell out the nation

For I have been saddled with the murder of you

Even more tragically, Judas reprises Mary's "I Don't Know How to Love Him." Imagine Izzy singing this in a deleted scene where he watches Ed and Stede be rowed away from the Revenge.

I don't know how to love him

I don't know why he moves me

He's a man - he's just a man

He's not a king - he's just the same

As anyone I know

He scares me so

When he's cold and dead, will he let me be?

Does he love me too? Does he care for me?

Ow. Sorry Iz.

Trial Before Pilate

It's a trial. Before Pilate. Some other guys go on trial, maybe you've heard of them.

Jesus stoically accepts his punishments, first the 39 lashes and then the crucifixion. Ed is also stoic when he thinks he's the only one in trouble, and of course after Stede is in danger he's not so stoic. Mary isn't crucified, so that doesn't really line up, but it's still two trials. Not much else to say here, really.

Superstar

The Big Number!

This is our climax, Judas in heaven appearing to Jesus and asking him, was it worth it? Shouldn't you have listened to me and ditched that Mary lady? (And why did you decide to come down to earth when you did instead of in 1971 when we have mass media? And also, is Buddha all he's cracked up to be? (It was the 70s, what do you want.))

Episode 10, of course, has the confrontation between Izzy and Ed. Is it worth it, being Stede's version of you? Can you survive like this? Where is the real Blackbeard?

And, who is Blackbeard, anyway?

Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ,

Who are you? What have you sacrificed?

Jesus Christ Superstar,

Do you think you're what they say you are?

The Crucifixion

Also known as:

Obviously, Ed doesn't die, and Jesus, you know, famously does.

But Ed does bury the soft part of himself, Stede's part, in an effort to continue on as Blackbeard.

And, let's not forget, Jesus does also famously un-die.

Let's hope that bodes well for Ed in Season 2.

Final Thoughts

As I got to the end, I started thinking about the "winners" and "losers" in the Judas/Mary and Izzy/Stede conflicts, such as anyone can really be declared a winner when the end result is the willing self-destruction of the person they love.

Jesus is silent before Pilate and Herod, knowing that God's plan is playing out as was intended. Could he have changed it, had he listened to Judas? Could he have prevented Judas' fate had he filled his closest confidante in? But if he had done that, would Judas still have played the role he had to play? (I'm not a religious scholar so I don't have the slightest idea. I'm just a woman with an English degree and too much time to think about OFMD and Jesus Christ Superstar.) In turning away from Judas' warnings and accepting Mary's version of himself - the one that is allowed comfort and rest and to be "just a man" albeit briefly - Jesus accepts that he'll die. Then, after everything and not portrayed in this show, he comes back to life as Mary's version. Judas goes down in history as, well, Judas. (Not even going into what's happened to Mary's reputation because do I look like Dan Brown to you? She doesn't win, either, is all I'm saying.)

Then we have Ed, who quite literally sheds Izzy's version. He signs his pirate life away for ten human years in order to be allowed comfort, rest, and to be "Just Ed." Shaves his beard, kisses his man, makes a plan to run away. That's the "death" he accepted. It's even the "death" he tries to continue when he returns to the Revenge, only to be shaken back to "life" as Blackbeard by Izzy. Stede won briefly, but then Izzy gets a second shot. And we end with Ed reembodying the myth. I don't subscribe to the framing that Ed, Blackbeard, and The Kraken are different people - they're all facets of Edward Teach. Will his ultimate "resurrection" be an acceptance that the real Edward is some mix of all of these versions? With neither Stede nor Izzy the "winner" of that battle?

That's it!! "It."

If you read this far:

Thank you I love you

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did

Find me on twitter @ michellethestan

Let me know your thoughts about how this 1970s rock opera about Jesus is actually about gay pirates

If you have footage of Con and Taika singing Jesus Christ Superstar in a makeup trailer you have to give it to me as payment for this

[beemovieerotica]

You fascinate me so much.. Will Turner and Davy Jones? Eye opening. Who are you

let me walk you through it, anon

in Dead Man's Chest, Will Turner appears on the shipwreck, and Davy Jones experiences his first gay thought.

hmm. looking respectfully!

Will says he's going to settle Jack's debt ((by joining Jones' crew)) and Jones says....

""Sorely""? ""Tempted"" ...?

Jones has been waiting on Jack's soul for an entire decade and suddenly this fresh-faced twink shows up, and he's like, "yeah, this looks good!!"

interesting.

Jack tries to convince Jones to let Will go because "Wouldn't it be sad if Will ended up with his fiance ((who is a woman by the way))"

and Jones refuses.

As a 150-year old sea captain Jones KNOWS that Will can't sail for shit.

take one look at him.

what are you gonna do with him?

tie him to the mast and---oh

...

so anyway Will needs the key to Jones' heart (don't.) and he challenges Jones by announcing it slightly above normal speaking volume. And Jones just like, walks down the steps like the belle of the ball where I guess he was eavesdropping the entire time? Waiting for Will to say his name?

Then

the rituals begin.

there is not a Heterosexual explanation for this.

they make eyes at each other and tenderly caress dice.

and the dialogue?

Jones is so smug and weird and desperate during the entire game like "haha sorry you're going to be married to me my ship:)" WHY DOES HE SAY THIS!!!

add to the fact that the stakes of the first round are:

10 years of Will's service versus releasing Bootstrap Bill forever.

Okay! so you'd take this useless twink for 10 years over infinity years of a seasoned sailor!! good to know!! priorities!!

Will wins and Jones very sadly accepts defeat, and when Will calls him back for another round, Jones pouts and CALLS HIMSELF THE DEVIL

he agrees to a second game, and the stakes are now: get Will for an eternity or fucking die.

FUCKING DIE

GIVING UP THE KEY TO YOUR HEART MEANS YOU CAN DIE, DAVY JONES.

He agrees. He wants that man.

men will literally play dice instead of being bisexual

so Bootstrap butts in and loses, and Will and Jones don't give up anything, and Jones very smugly tells Will he can leave the ship the next time they make port (never! :) )

Will does his whole thing of snatching the key and fleeing, and Jones is mad about it for 0.5 seconds, and then?

the next time Jones sees Will?

WOW... what a quick and heterosexual mood change!!

He knows that Will is literally the reason he's Beckett's dog, and yet !!!

HE WANTS HIM BACK

and then Will starts talking about his ex !!! THIRST CANCELLED!

the gayest thing he ever did was stab Will at the end of the trilogy after discovering that Elizabeth was the one he loved.

because if he had stabbed Elizabeth then he could never have Will and Will would still inhabit the world, BUT killing Will would mean nobody could ever have him!!

and he'd be free to imagine all the silly little fucked up ways Will COULD have been his!!!

Romance is sometimes hatred and sometimes stabbing, it is also an ancient weathered sea captain cursed by a goddess hoping for one ounce of passionate pleasure from a guy who can't fucking sail for shit.

I rest my case.

( there was also an end-credits scene where Jones entered Will's bedroom in the dead of night to stand over him and then left the floor sopping wet.)

[byler-4-life]

I know Mike's behavior at the airport has been discussed a bunch already, but I just wanted to focus on one particular line. The first one he says to Will.

Now in order for this to really hit home, you have to go back and actually listen to the audio. The "Oh! Hey." words that come out of Mike are laced with shock and surprise. Like...overly shocked and surprised. Like he wasn't expecting Will to be there at all, and further only had just noticed him in that very moment?

"Oh! Hey, you came too, huh? I didn't expect that my best friend that I haven't seen in nearly a year would come and meet me at the airport. And, you know, I was SO SUPER FOCUSED ON MY GIRLFRIEND as I was running up, I just now noticed you were here at all. But yeah, hey, how you doing, have an awkward half hug and an arm punch, because that's what super straight bros would do."

Jesus Christ, Michael. Laying it on pretty thick there? You knew damn well Will was going to be at the airport, and you would've been devastated if he hadn't come to pick you up. And we all know you saw him as soon as you stepped into that room.

Honestly, any time I start to even have a shred of doubt that byler is reciprocated, I just remember this scene, and how there is literally no heterosexual explanation for Mike's behavior. And that maybe, just maybe, Mike's feelings for Will are actually now at a conscious level that he has to actively battle.

gif creds: @prettyteenvamp

[nerdy-frog98]

Adding to this tag bc I think it would be fun seeing other stories :)

basically, this scene. I wish I was one of you smart folks that caught on to the tension earlier, but in my first watch of season 4, I was bewILDERED at how Mike acted to Will at the airport. His half hug, the interest in the painting and then moving on very quickly - it gave me boy kisser vibes. I was immediately interested in every single scene they had together for the rest of the season (and the fight that M!leven had solidified it).

To this day, I cannot think of a heterosexual explanation for that scene.

[petalsfm]

if you’re hearing FIRST DATE by BLINK-182 playing, you have to know RHYS HENDERSON (HE/HIM; CIS MAN) is near by! the TWENTY-SIX year old PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER has been in denver for, like, TWENTY-TWO years. they’re known to be quite FATUOUS, but being URBANE seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble JONAH HAUER-KING. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those THE SOUND OF LAUGHTER ECHOING THROUGH THE HOUSE, ROSIN DUST ON YOUR DARK CLOTHES, LARGE FLOWER BOUQUETS IN SHAKY HANDS, WINNING YOUR THIRD ROUND OF UNO vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the RINO DISTRICT long enough!

STATS:

full name :       rhys benjamin henderson nickname(s) :     n / a birthplace :      blackpool, england date of birth :       11 / 25 / 1996 parentage :      amelia abrams henderson & alexander henderson sibling(s) :      ___ henderson & ___ henderson ( wc to be written ) relationship status :     single gender identity :     cis man ( he/him ) sexual orientation :      heterosexual faceclaim :      jonah hauer-king

BACKGROUND:

born the youngest in the henderson family, rhys was used to being catered to, whether it was by his mother, his siblings, or their extended family

the move to denver really confused him. he was four and couldn’t understand his own emotions, much less process the move to a new continent.

for the most part, children can take things in stride and roll with the punches. however, rhys had just reached the age of asking perhaps too many questions. every attempt at an explanation for their move was met with WHY? - ❛ dad got a new job. ❜ WHY? ❛ so that we could have a better life. ❜ WHY? and so on.

he just couldn’t understand why he could no longer go play with the friends he had met nursery school or why he couldn’t go visit nana and grandad anymore.

because nothing was quite making sense, rhys became a bit of a terror. he would cry, throw tantrums, refuse to go his new school, take and hide things from his siblings, etc. it didn’t help that their dad was away fairly often

things settled once he officially started kindergarten. he still had his lil british accent so all of the kids found an interest in him and the silly words he said

despite how he acted initially after the move, rhys has always been quite personable. he made friends quite easily.

when he was six years old, he found an interest in string instruments. he gave the violin a go, but for some reason it just wasn’t the right fit. however, the second he heard the man at the music store play the viola, he knew that was the instrument for him

rhys was lucky his mother was able to find a schedule that worked for his siblings hobbies and his viola lessons so she didn’t have to over work herself

it didn’t take long for viola to become the constant rhys needed in his life. his father was still in and out of the house and things seemed to be changing as his older siblings entered middle and high school. one day they were all there for family dinners, and the next it was only him and his mother.

it’s no surprise rhys became a mama’s boy. next to his viola, his mother was the only thing he could count on to be consistent in his day-to-day life. 

it was the free afternoons he spent with his mom that made him a bit Domestic™

he would help her clean up around the house, help her meal prep / cook / bake, play card games with her, etc.

( i promise he’s not a mama’s boy in a gross way like these weirdos on the internet )

rhys always felt like he was falling behind with his siblings. it wasn’t like it was any of their fault– time just wasn’t on their side.

in middle school, during puberty, it was discovered that rhys was a hopeless romantic. luckily for him, after his new-to-denver tantrums, he got a bit better at understanding and expressing his emotions. his heart simply felt more love than any middle schooler's should.

being the youngest meant having to follow your siblings and their identities. while there was a bit of a ❛ HENDERSON LEGACY ❜ in the school system ( rhys couldn’t even remember how many times a teacher had told him ❛ oh, i had your older brother / sister!❜ ), that’s all it was. the past.

during his freshman year, rhys and the string quartet he was apart of ( through the lady who gave him his viola lessons ) entered the american protege international piano and strings competition for the fourth year in a row. however, this year was different. they won!

the prize for winning was the opportunity to play at weill recital hall at carnegie hall in new york city.

for once in his life, he felt he had a PURPOSE. nothing felt better than that win. the best part? getting the WHOLE family together to properly focus on H I M. something he felt he didn’t get enough of. sure, his mom attended all of his viola recitals and sometimes one of his siblings would make it too. but a performance this special demanded the presence of both his siblings AND both of his parents. that was a rarity.

he really fell into his own in high school. he was in the school orchestra and was first chair viola. he also took the opportunity to try out for tennis, a sport that did not have cuts - so he automatically made the team.

he was no prodigy, but he could hold his own in tennis. his record was about 70/30 in favor of him. 

he worked his ass of throughout high school along with his two extra curriculars ( and many volunteering hours ) trying his best to get into one of his dream schools

growing up, he always felt out of place. he had almost no memories of living in the united kingdom, so he considers it one of the best days of his life when he gets his acceptance letter from university of west london. not only was it close to blackpool, but it’s a spectacular university.

he was so excited to get the opportunity to be close to home. london, at most, was a four hour train ride from blackpool.

being back in the uk was both over and underwhelming. he loved his time there and the people he met. 

he’d slowly lost his english accent growing up in denver, but it never fully disappeared. he still had his family and the media they consumed to keep hints of it around, but being in london almost brought it back full force. 

he kept in touch with his family back in denver, texting, calling, and facetiming whenever he could. he spent all holidays with the hendersons in denver. 

after getting his degree in public relations, he had to decide what he wanted to do. staying in london was tempting, but when a family emergency arose it felt like a sign from the universe that it was time to come home.

he’s been back in denver for about four years now.

SOME NON-LINEAR RANDOM FACTS / HEADCANONS:

he may be booksmart but do not let this man fool u. he is a himbo at heart.

he truly is just here to have a good ass time

literally like a golden retriever probably

absolutely adores being an uncle. always spoiling his niece/nephew simply because he can.

if ur chara has kids he will spoil them too hes a kid at heart

like i said earlier hopeless romantic. really wants / hopes to be a dad someday. wants to be better and more present than his own dad.

[dumdumsun]

Wax and Wane

A/N: Welcome back, my luvs! Long time, no see... Oops. So sorry for the long ass wait, babes. I had a lot (and I mean a lot) going on. Many not-so-great times, I'm still trying to sort myself out after several nights of absolutely no sleep. And now I'm back in college, yay... Another big explanation for the lateness is the unfortunate fact that I just don't like s3 all that much, so half the time I was writing this, it was a trekking. That doesn't mean I didn't want to write this, because I did. When I wasn't writing for this, I was thinking about it all the time. And now all I can think about is the s4 book XD.

On the note about Will. Yes, I know, he was confirmed gay. You will see changes in the second chapter, so try and bear through he and Doc being a couple in this first one. I didn't want to make his character gay in my series until it was confirmed by someone from the show. Unfortunately, it wasn't confirmed until after s4 came out so... yeah. You'll be happy to see some changes and I'll be happy to not be labeled as homophobic anymore ❤️

For anyone who was on the first and second taglist, but do not see their handle in this one, plz lmk because it didn't let me tag a lot of you. And if you wanna be added to the list, then also lmk. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy this first chapter!

Warnings: non-permanent heterosexual relationship between Will and Doc, mentions of blood and death

Word Count: 5692

—————————————

Chapter One: Suzie, Do You Copy?

Within the woods on a warm summer’s night sat a cabin belonging to Hawkins, Indiana’s finest police Chief, Jim Hopper. The Chief had been spending his evening as he usually did as of late, which consisted of Magnum P.I. episodes with some sort of snack clutched in his hands and shoved into his face in handfuls. His poison for this evening was a bag of Tostitos tortilla chips paired with a jar of salsa.

“Don’t look at the dogs, work the lock.”

He really did try to distract himself from the two teenagers in the other room. He promised that he wouldn’t watch their every move.

“Work the lock. Work the lock. Don’t look at the dogs.”

He was getting better at giving them space. At least, he was working on getting better. Glaring at the television, he threw another salsa-soaked chip into his mouth.

“You looked at the dogs.”

Hopper swiped up his beer can and took a hearty gulp of it. He shouldn’t even think about peeking at them. He promised himself that he would try to make this work. Setting his can down, he wiped his lips free of any alcohol before quickly glancing at the door to El’s room. And that was it. That was all it took. Very slowly, Hopper reclined his chair.

“Sometimes everything goes exactly as planned.”

The workings of his chair creaked the farther back he reclined. In the three-inch sliver between the door and the threshold, he could make out Mike Wheeler sitting on El’s bed, the sound of Corey Hart lowly playing from her radio. Curious, and maybe a bit accusatory already, he leaned back further.

“Sometimes it doesn’t.”

That was when he practically fumed at the sight of the Wheeler boy’s lips smashed against his daughter’s.

“Hey!” He shouted. Startled, the two looked up and El’s hand shot out, the door slamming shut. Angered even further, Hopper shot out of his seat. “Hey! Three-inch minimum! Leave the door open three inches!”

He went to burst into her room, but when he turned the doorknob, he found that it was locked. In disbelief, he jiggled the knob some more. “El, open this door. Open the-” He successfully threw the door open, frown deepening when he saw El sitting at the head of her bed with a look of feigned shock on her face, a book open in her hands. At the foot of her bed was Mike, a comic in his hands and wearing a smug smile.

“What’s wrong?” The boy nearly laughed.

After a hasty getaway, Mike was speeding down the street on his bike, his walkie wedged between his handlebar and his light. “My god, that was priceless! Did you see his face?!”

“It was like a tomato.” El laughed through the walkie.

“Yeah, a fat tomato.”

“I wish I was still with you.”

“I know. Me, too. But I’ll see you tomorrow, alright? First thing.”

“Tomorrow.”

With a smirk, he pedaled harder. After some time, he was beginning to see the neon lights of Starcourt Mall up ahead. The shopping center had become the ultimate location for the residents of Hawkins to shop, eat and seek entertainment. It was the usual spot for the Party to unite and spend time together. Minus El, for she was still keeping her head down for another six months before she was free to become a member of society.

At the sound of another pair of tires against asphalt concrete, Mike looked to his left to see his sister rolling up next to him on her own bike. Although it had been nearly seven months now, Mike was still adjusting to the changes he saw within Doc. Yes, she obviously was getting older, they all were; her hair had grown out even more over the months, her facial features were gaining structure and losing their babyness, she was definitely getting taller, though he did like to tease that in the future their height would settle and he would tower over her still.

“You’re late again.” He smirked, the girl widening her eyes with a grin.

“So are you.”

“Where’ve you even been?”

“Well, I was at the pool all day with the girls, but we went back to Brenda’s with her mom.”

That was another change Mike was getting used to. As if a flip had been switched, Doc had suddenly started spending much more time with Brenda and Sheriece. He noticed that in the past, she was so worried about being in the Party that the two girls would be sidelined and nearly forgotten, only receiving Doc’s attention when Mike would shove her aside and exclude her. Once she was welcomed in the Party, she spent even less time with her friends.

Lately, though, ever since the spring, Brenda and Sheriece were the only words coming from her mouth. Every weekend, she was either sleeping over at their house or Mike was covering his ears at night to muffle their giggles when she would host a sleepover. He was glad his sister was balancing her friend groups, but he wondered if she would be able to breathe air being away from the two of them. They had quite the influence on her as well.

Growing up, Doc never came across as the “girly” type, but now all she cared about were her looks. In the past, he could count on his hands how many times he’s seen her casually wear a dress and now, right beside him, she was wearing a denim overall dress on top of a yellow blouse. Instead of her signature black-and-red rollerskates were a pair of white converses, yellow socks peeking out. She hardly ever wore her skates anymore.

“I’ll race you there.”

“You’re on!”

He sometimes missed his sister, but he knew that she deserved this happiness. That wasn’t to say she never spent time with the Party. It was just that when she did, she was a bit distant. Mike knew that part of the reason Doc was pulling away was because of what happened last November. When Will had been possessed by the Mind Flayer, she used an excessive amount of power to save him, El closing the gate and ending it all. At least, that was the theory the two of them came up with. They couldn’t think of any other reason her power would vanish like that.

In the following months, whenever she was around the Party, it seemed like her smile stretched just a bit too far and that her laughs were a little forced.

Arriving at Starcourt Mall, the two rode through the parking lot littered with cars and moving people before they reached the bike rack near the entrance, Doc triumphantly reaching it first. Though, the victory was short-lived when she saw three figures standing there expectantly.

“You’re late.” Lucas crossed his arms as the two hopped off their bikes.

“Sorry.” She whispered.

“Again!”

“Sorry!” Mike sighed as Max came up behind her boyfriend.

“We’re gonna miss the opening.” Will chided.

“Yeah, if you guys keep whining about it. Let’s go!”

Lucas mocked his friend's words as the Party followed Mike into the mall. When she caught up to Will, Doc threw her arms around his shoulders and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Missed you.”

“Yeah,” He quietly chuckled, gently patting her hands. “Missed you, too.”

Doc giggled and pulled away enough for just one arm to be wrapped around him, Will moving a hand to the middle of her back as they tuned in to their friends’ conversation.

“Let me guess,” Lucas teased. “You were busy.”

Mike cringed at the kissy noises his friend made. “Oh, yeah, real mature, Lucas.”

“‘Oh, El, I wish we could make out forever, and never hang out with any of our friends’.”

“Lucas, stop.” Max sighed.

“Will thinks it’s funny.” He motioned to said boy, who was snickering next to his girlfriend.

“Because it is.” Will agreed, Mike rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, it’s so funny that I want to spend romantic time with my girlfriend.”

Amused by his sarcasm, Lucas wrapped an arm around Max’s shoulders and pulled her close. “I’m spending romantic time with my girlfriend.”

Doc chuckled at Max’s attempt to keep her growing smile at bay, but it was no use. At her laugh, Will looked over at her, receiving a quick peck to the lips, the tips of his ears burning a bright red in response. As the five hurriedly moved through crowds of people with hushed apologies, Will tried desperately to keep up with Doc, who was pulling him along with her by the hand.

If tallies had to be kept, Will would have the most out of all the Party members to spend the most time with Doc. This was foreseeable since the two had been inseparable for the past year and a half. Through thick and thin, the two of them remained a couple. Even the moments when Will couldn’t even remember his girlfriend. When Doc wasn’t with Brenda and Sheriece, you could find her in Castle Byers with her boyfriend, the boy coming up with D&D campaigns while she talked his ear off about what new designs she was brainstorming. And yes, even those times were brief compared to what she gave the two girls.

“Hey, watch it!” A girl shouted when Mike stumbled into her.

“Yeah! Watch it, nerd!”

The Party’s attention was brought to Erica Sinclair, sitting and enjoying ice cream cones with her posse. Doc always did admire the girl’s spunk, which was much more than Lucas could say.

“Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

“Isn’t it time you died?”

“Psycho!”

“Butthead!”

“Mall rat!”

“Fart face!”

With nothing else to quip with, Lucas stuck his tongue out at her and blew a raspberry before Max grabbed him by the elbow. “Oh, now that was mature.” She scolded before pulling him with her and the others into the Scoops Ahoy ice cream parlor.

The place was full of customers, as per usual, but no line was formed at the register. Mike led his group right up to the very disinterested employee. She wore a red, white and navy blue sailor costume with an embarrassingly adorable sailor hat atop her light brown bob. With very intense eye contact, Mike annoyingly rang the bell at the counter repeatedly.

“Hey, dingus, your children are here.”

Behind her, the glass doors slid open to reveal The Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington in a similar costume, his luscious locs concealed by the sailor hat. With an unimpressed look, he leaned on the counter. “Again? Seriously?”

Mike rang the bell one more time in response.

Disgruntled, Steve led the five kids to the back of the parlor and opened the door for them. One by one, they all filed out and into the hall. “Come on, come on.” He urged them. ���I swear, if anybody hears about this-”

“We’re dead!” They called back. With a heavy sigh and a shake of his head, Steve returned to work, the door closing behind him. Those kids would be the death of him one day.

Within the halls of the theater, the employee door opened, Mike peeking his head out and looking around. “All clear.” He nodded, pushing the door open and quickly leading his friends down the hall until they reached a theater next to a poster advertising Day of the Dead. The Party was lucky enough to find five empty seats in two of the middle rows. Doc, Mike and Will took the open three while Max and Lucas took the two in front of them. “See, Lucas? We made it.”

“We missed the previews.” He whispered back.

“Still made it. Fart face.” Max playfully snickered, her boyfriend making a face at her before they were shushed by a stranger.

As the movie started up, Will opened up his backpack and passed smuggled snacks to his friends in front of him. He then turned to his right to pass some to Mike, then to his left to Doc, earning a sweet smile from her. Silence fell over the audience as the screen brightened with the opening of the movie. Doc didn’t recognize the actress she was presented with, (her mother would easily tell her it was Lori Cardille) but the opening scene already disturbed her.

The way the woman sat alone in a white room, staring at a calendar, surfaced so many unwanted memories to Doc’s mind. Faint memories of a white room where she would color, or where she would perform tests for Dr Martin Brenner, or when the guards would punish her for failing. She tried her best to keep them at bay so that she could enjoy the movie, but the chilling music accompanying the film didn’t help. Absently, her hand found Will’s and their fingers intertwined and locked. Sensing her unease, he gave her a comforting squeeze.

Before the movie could progress any further, the audio slowed to a stop as the screen went dark, sending the audience into a fit of groans and dissatisfied exclamations. Unbeknownst to them, this had happened with every other theater and spread to the entire mall. Lights vanished, fountains fell, escalators and mini-carousels came to abrupt stops. When the power outage reached Scoops Ahoy, Steve snapped his head up.

“That’s weird.” He hummed, strolling over to the light switch and flipping it down, then up, then down, then up, then down, then up-

“That isn’t gonna work, dingus.” His coworker rolled her eyes.

“Oh, really?” He challenged, flicking the switch even faster, much to her annoyance.

The outage reached the rest of Hawkins, bathing the entire town in darkness. A presence loomed over them all. It was a presence that was banished, but not defeated. It promised destruction, it promised bloodshed, and it promised a meeting with a certain group of young teens.

It was a presence that Doc couldn’t feel, even if it was right in front of her.

Within seconds, Hawkins brightened and Starcourt was neon once again. The lights returned, the fountains sprouted, and people jerked forward with the sudden movement of the escalators and carousels. At Scoops Ahoy, Steve had just flicked the switch up when the parlor lit up once again. He smugly shrugged at his coworker and returned to the counter.

“Let there be light.”

In the theaters, the crowd erupted into cheers when the projector came to life and brought their movie back to them. Unlike everyone else, though, Will’s smile began to fade. That presence, though Doc couldn’t feel it, was still there. And he could definitely feel it. His body stiffened as he reached a hand to graze the goosebumps formed on the back of his neck. The cheering around him was swallowed by a memory of November.

He tried to run. The sort of shadow being, rising tall enough to tower over everyone, everything. The sky lit up in a frightening red as the storm brewed behind the creature. No matter how fast he ran, it was always right there. Even as he screamed, it came nearer. And nearer. Until it had nowhere else to go but within him, forcing its way into his being.

And another memory.

Will and Doc’s screams filled the room as the dark entity flooded out of every place in the boy’s face it had entered before. It swirled up to the ceiling as a way to collect itself, and when it was done, it bolted out of the cabin, crashing through the door.

“Hey.”

Will let out a startled gasp and ripped his hand away from his neck as he turned to Mike’s concerned eyes. He gave his friend a quick once-over. “You okay?”

Will blinked. “Y-Yeah.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course.” He nodded. Hesitantly, Mike turned back to the screen. Will let out a slow breath and moved his gaze over to Doc, who hadn’t even noticed his current state. She was just like that recently, very unaware, a bit inconsiderate. In this case, though, he was grateful for it. He didn’t want her worrying. She was finally happy.

So, he held her hand tighter and went back to watching the movie.

-------------------------------------------------

Nancy shot up in bed, heart hammering in her chest.

“Shit!”

She hurriedly reached over to her wrist watch on the nightstand and widened her eyes at the time. “Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!”

“Wh- What’s wrong?” Jonathan sat up beside her, tired and discombobulated.

“It’s almost nine.”

“What?!” He moved his blanket to see that his alarm clock blinked twelve o’clock.

“We forgot to reset the clocks. The power went out last night, remember?”

Cursing aloud, Jonathan scrambled out of bed with his girlfriend and hurriedly got dressed. After slipping on his shirt, he dived across the other side of the bed to reach his pants, falling to the ground as he tried to shove his legs in. Nancy got dressed much faster than him and hurried to his window. Her purse flew outside, then her shoes before she hopped out the window to make an escape to the car. Jonathan was in the process of finishing the last couple buttons on his shirt as he walked out of his room.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Joyce rushed over to him. “Wait up.”

“Oh, no, I’ll eat at work. I’m late.”

“No.” She reached up and used her thumb to wipe away the kissy mark on his face. “Your cheek.”

With an embarrassed chuckle, he moved her hand away and backed into the living room. “Alright, alright. I gotta run.”

“Alright.” Joyce threw her hands up in surrender.

“See you later.” He called out before he disappeared out the door.

“Ugh. Gross.” Will muttered as his mother returned to the kitchen table.

Joyce snickered. “Oh, don’t be like that. You and (Y/N) can be gross sometimes, too.”

He stiffened as he twisted the top off of the syrup. “We are not like that.”

“You might be when you’re older.” She nudged him as she picked up her fork to resume her breakfast. Will irritably sighed.

“I doubt that.”

“Okay.” Her attention was brought to the mess on the floor in front of the fridge. “Hey. What happened here?” She asked as she rose to her feet and walked over to the papers and magnets in a pile on the floor.

“I don’t know.” Will shrugged and returned to his food. Joyce sighed and crouched down, sticking papers back onto the fridge. When she got to the last one, a bittersweet smile graced her features as her heart swelled in affection. Pursing her lips to suppress a tremble, she stood back up and hung the drawing Will had made of a true hero back in its rightful place.

Bob Newby. Superhero.

On the road, Jonathan drove as fast as he could with Nancy hurriedly doing her makeup in the passenger seat, eyes glued to her mirror. “Can you please drive faster?”

“Do you wanna break down?” He tried a smile as he patted the dashboard. “We’re lucky this thing still drives at all.”

“I’m serious, Jonathan, I can’t be late.”

“You mean we can’t be late.”

“No, I mean I can’t be late. They like you no matter what you do.”

“Hey, they like you, too.” He gently patted her knee.

“Yeah. They like that I’m a coffee delivery machine. They don’t actually like me or respect me as a living, breathing human with a brain.”

Once again, he tried gently rubbing her leg in a comforting manner as he gave her another smile. “Hey, you just gotta be patient, okay? They’re set in their ways, you know? But… once they realize what a gifted writer you are, they’ll come around.”

“I really don’t need a Jonathan Byers pep talk right now.” She snapped. “Can you just… please, drive faster?”

He sighed, speeding up the car the best he could. “Okay…”

Crossing their path on the other side of the road was a car belonging to Claudia Henderson. Beside her in the passenger seat was her son, headset on as he repeated the same phrase.

“This is Gold Leader, returning to base. Do you copy? Over.”

Not even a second later, he tried again.

“This is Gold Leader, returning to base. Do you copy? Over.”

His tone grew irritable and impatient.

“I repeat. This is Gold Leader, returning to base. Do you copy? Over.”

Then, he snapped.

“I repeat. This is goddamn Gold Leader-”

“Dusty!” Claudia scolded.

“What?!”

“Relax! For goodness’ sake.”

“I’m in range. They should be answering.”

“You’ve been away a whole month, honeybun.” She shrugged. “Maybe they just… forgot.”

Just in her tone, he knew his mother didn’t want to say it. Maybe because she knew there was some truth to it. Mike and El were together, Lucas and Max were together, Doc had lots of exciting things going on, a new mall opened up. Everything was changing while he was gone, but he didn’t think it would completely wipe the memory of him from his friends’ minds. They had to remember he was coming home. 

They had to remember.

After his mother dropped him off at home, he made a beeline to his room. With a defeated sigh, he plopped his duffle bag on his bed and sat down beside it, burying his face into his hands. His first day back and he had no plans to spend time with any of his friends. His face brightened just a bit when he noticed his beloved Yertle, comfortably in his new terrarium.

“At least someone’s happy I’m home.” He quietly chuckled. Suddenly, a robotic voice startled him into a standing position. Every toy in his room that moved or made noise sounded and grouped together in the middle of his floor. His R2D2, his chimp that banged its cymbals, his toy tank that made shooting noises, all of them. He looked even mildly offended when one of his toys spit little rings at his chest.

This wasn’t right. None of this was. He began panicking, hoping that he wasn’t making yet another strange discovery having to deal with supernatural powers. He noticed that his toys were filing out of his room and into the hallways. So, quickly thinking, he grabbed his choice of weapon off his desk.

The Farrah Fawcett spray never failed him before, and it wouldn’t now.

Dustin let the weapon leave the room before him, stepping out into the hall and cautiously following his line of toys. “It’s just a dream.” He told himself. “You’re dreaming.”

Behind the wall that separated the living room and kitchen stood Max, her back against the wall as she stealthily watched Dustin follow the toys in the living room. She turned to Lucas, who stood next to her. He grinned and turned to Doc, who turned to Will, who turned to Mike, who turned to El.

“Now!” He whispered. El opened her eyes, blood dribbling from her nose.

All at once, the toys powered down in the middle of the living room. Confused, Dustin ran over to them and knelt down, lifting them up one by one to examine them. His friends silently crept up behind him, noise makers ready in their mouths, Lucas holding a banner they all made that read WELCOME HOME DUSTIN.

As Lucas properly held up the banner, everyone looked to Max. She excitedly held up her fingers to signal them.

One.

Two.

Three.

At once, everyone happily sounded their noisemakers, but they immediately stopped when Dustin fearfully screamed and spun around, assaulting Lucas’s eyes with his hairspray.

-------------------------------------------------

“Cannonball!”

Happy cheering, splashing of water, and chanting of ‘marco, polo’ brought the joy that radiated from Hawkins’s public pool. If there was any other place in town that was as lively as the mall, it was the pool. It was the perfect spot for parents to cool off while letting their children blow off steam, all while socializing.

And socializing Karen Wheeler did. She sat perched upon her lawn chair, a romance novel in one hand and a coke can in the other, the tip of her straw stained pink with her lipstick. On either side of her were some of the other stay-at-home mothers of Maple Street. She was so engrossed in her novel that she almost didn’t catch what the woman beside her said.

“Ladies,” She tilted her sunglasses to the edge of her nose. “She’s coming down.”

Upon seeing Heather Holloway descend her post on the lifeguard’s chair, the four straightened their posture, checked their hair, got into seductive poses, and turned to the pool shed.

The door opened to reveal Hawkins’s heartthrob, Billy Hargrove. His shirtless body glistened in the sun, his gorgeous blond curls moved with the very light breeze, his dazzling blue eyes were concealed by his sunglasses sat on the bridge of his nose. After discarding his cigarette, he began his stroll towards his chair. His gaze scanned the entire area in search of anything he had control over. It was his shift, this was his turf, and he called the shots.

He knew every girl in Hawkins had eyes on him, but that wasn’t his focus at the moment. There was something at this pool, something not quite right, that he needed to take into his hands. Catching sight of it, his whistle that sat around his neck and on his chest was lifted to his lips before he blew into it. Instantly, the entire pool went silent and everyone’s attention was brought to a chubby little boy who was caught red-handed, running around the pool. At the sound of the whistle, the poor victim froze in his spot.

“Hey, lard-ass!” Billy bellowed. “No running on my watch! I gotta warn you again, and you’re banned for life. You wanna be banned, lard-ass?”

Timidly, he shook his head.

“Didn’t think so.”

And, with a blow of his whistle, the pool unpaused. Only this time, the little boy walked away with his head down. Satisfied, Billy continued his stroll. When he noticed the Maple Street Mothers, he nodded to them in greeting. “Afternoon, ladies.”

“Afternoon, Billy.” They seductively responded in unison.

“Dig the new suit, Mrs Wheeler.” A small smirk quirked on his lips.

“Thank you.” Karen grinned.

Billy turned the corner before climbing the small ladder and taking place on his throne. It was a safe distance away from the mothers to gawk and drool over him without him noticing. But he knew they were, and they knew he knew, and they loved it. A nice piece of meat didn’t come often in Hawkins, so it was only logical that the eager women would feast their eyes upon him any moment they could.

The woman of the Wheeler residence was lucky enough to get him in her house last fall when he was looking for his stepsister. She had hardly been wearing any clothes upon their first interaction and the way he looked at her sent her skin blazing. She was never able to quite shake that feeling he gave her, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to. He was brilliant, he was beautiful, he was powerful and he knew it.

And Karen Wheeler was all in.

From in the pool, a head of chocolate brown hair surfaced from the water. Brenda wiped at her face to clear her vision. “How long was that?”

“Ugh, look, girl.” Sheriece mumbled, her eyes glued to the mothers. “That is so gross.”

“I know.” Brenda rolled her eyes. “Could you imagine the look on (Y/N)’s face if she saw the way her mom was staring at Billy Hargrove?”

Sheriece sadly sighed. “I miss my friend.”

“Me, too,” The brunette floated on her back. “But she can’t be here, she’s celebrating Dustin.”

A moment of silence sat between them before they started giddily giggling about the Henderson boy.

In a much quieter and vacant part of Hawkins was the downtown area. With the opening of Starcourt Mall, many small businesses had closed down, much to the townees’ distress. The only form of business that was lively in the downtown area was The Hawkins Post. Which was Nancy’s current destination.

She tried to calm her breathing as she sped down the sidewalk to her place of work, a brown bag clutched in one hand. She checked her watch again and again worriedly as she sped up her pace. She could not be late. She could not.

Entering the building, she quickly and politely set down sandwiches on the desks of the writers, the ladies thanking Nancy as their gazes hardly left their work. Her next stop was the darkroom. As usual, she completely ignored the warning sign and pushed the door wide open. Jonathan, bathed in red like the rest of the room, frantically turned to her.

“Oh, no, no, no, no! Nancy!”

“Sorry.” She whispered and set his sandwich down. With an eye roll at his dramatic behavior, she shut the door and headed for the lion’s den. Pushing open the glass door to the conference room, she began passing out sandwiches to her superiors all sat together at the table as they passed around ideas for the front page of the paper.

“How about a piece on Iran?”

“I want something local.”

“I hear there’s a beauty pageant at the fair this year.”

“Yeah, I’m looking for above the fold here, Bruce.”

“Then clearly you haven’t seen Lucy Lebrock,” Bruce cupped his hands at his chest to mimic breasts. “...because I’m not sure she’ll fit above the fold!”

The men erupted into laughter, Nancy cutting a look to Bruce as she set his sandwich down for him. “Fellas!” Their boss called out. “In six hours, we go to print. I need something real.”

“Oh, I think they’re real.”

As the men laughed again, Nancy paused at the door. She had no more sandwiches to hand out. She wasn’t needed here anymore. But she so clearly was. These men didn’t know the first thing about stories worth reading. At this point, she wouldn’t be surprised if the headline of the paper read about some missing dog on a cul-de-sac. Inhaling deeply, she dove right into untrifled water.

“What about Starcourt?”

The room went silent as all eyes were on her, some eyes on other parts of her. She tried to ignore it as she continued. “I-I was just… thinking…” A deadly thing for a woman to do. “I mean, I know everyone loves the mall, but… how many small businesses have closed since it opened? Like, five on Main, at least. It’s changing the fabric of our town in a way-”

“‘The Death of Small-Town America’.” Bruce pitched a headline idea, receiving a hopeful nod from her. “I like it. I like it a lot. But I think I’ve got something even spicier. It’s about… the missing mustard on my hamburger!”

Once again, the room exploded into laughter as Nancy’s eyes flitted away defeatedly.

“You think you can follow the clues and solve the case of the missing condiment, Nancy Drew?” He mocked above the laughter.

“Sorry.” She whispered and took the sandwich back. Breathing in through her nose and out her mouth, she threw the door open and hurried out of the room as Bruce taunted,

“Look out, Phil, she might be after your job!”

At the Henderson residence, Lucas had his head in the kitchen sink, warm water running over his assaulted eyes. He winced and hissed in pain as he slowly stood up straight, slowly blinking as he tried to regulate his sight. He’d kill Dustin for this.

“Better?” Max asked in front of him.

“Still stings.” He sighed out. Blinking some more, his vision began to clear as he noticed a red dot on his girlfriend’s forehead. “Is that a new zit?”

Max widened her eyes and grabbed hold of the back of his head. “What is wrong with you?”

“I was just asking!” He screamed out in pain as his face was shoved back into the stream of water.

In Dustin’s bedroom, the boy was excitedly showing off his contraptions he had gotten from camp. He was currently showing off a device that resembled a windmill, using his other hand to crank and spin it. “I call it the Forever Clock. Alright? Powered by wind. Very useful in the apocalypse.”

He handed it off to Doc, who held one side of it, Will holding the other. They both stared at it in wonder as Dustin took out another contraption. This one was a hammer with several objects stuck to its handle.

“Then I give you…” He pressed some sort of button that made the hammer shake. “...the Slammer.” He chuckled as El, attached to Mike’s arm, moved away from it. Doc and Will were only partially paying attention, Doc attempting to make the Forever Clock move by blowing on it, Will watching her in interest.

“Pretty neat, huh? But this…” He put the Slammer away and picked up his duffel bag, grunting as he plopped it on the ground. They knelt down with him, Doc putting the object in her hands off to the side. “...this is my masterpiece.”

He unzipped the bag with a grin on his face. “I would like you to meet… Cerebro.”

The four stared at the millions of pieces within the bag. Nothing was formed, which made it hard for them to understand what Dustin was showing them. “What exactly are we looking at here?” Mike voiced their confusion.

“An unassembled one-of-a-kind battery-powered radio tower.”

The room did not match the enthusiasm Dustin possessed. Will slowly nodded. “So, it’s a… a ham radio.”

“The Cadillac of ham radios. This baby carries a crystal-clear connection over vast distances. I’m talking North Pole to South.”

“That’s actually pretty cool.” Doc shared a nod with her boyfriend, who looked on his other side to see that Mike and El were still not impressed.

“It’s more than ‘pretty cool’, Doc. With this baby, I can talk to my girlfriend whenever and wherever I choose.”

Now there was something that got their attention.

“Girlfriend?!”

—————————————

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[admirablespoling]

My final ✨uplifting Byler✨ post until volume 2

Here’s some Byler takes/a little recap of evidence for anyone who’s doubting that Byler is going to be end game. Keep your eyes on the prize.

-There is a zero percent chance that the one way sign is a coincidence. This is literally setting up Mike’s arc for the season. Mike is in the closet. Period. (If the intention was for Mike to be straight, don’t you think someone on the crew would have pointed out how this set piece may be misleading?) also see season 3’s infamous final kiss and the framing of the absolute flirt fest of ep 4

-We get a glimpse of “normal” Mike until he gets around his girlfriend and his best friend. Then he turns into a mega-douche. He rarely looks his girlfriend in the eyes and intentionally ignores his best friend. He dodged a hug even though he was cool with full front hugging Dustin. He is hiding something, and he sucks at it.

-Mike’s idea of ignoring Will is to not show that he cares when he really really does. He pays close attention to Will but to the audience and the other characters, he’s happily ignoring him. He then allows Will’s (justifiable) behavior and questioning to get under his skin even though HE is the one acting weird. He practically blames Will for El lying to him. He reiterates their friendship status. To me, this argument symbolizes that Mike’s issue in his relationship with El is literally the fact that Will exists. I think Mike is aware of the effect Will has on him, but maybe hasn’t quite accepted what that really means for their friendship/his life in general.

-Mike and El get into an argument that Mike wasn’t prepared for. He blows his facade to shreds, and makes it look like he’s fallen out of love with El since she’s regular now. He once again deflects blame instead of being honest. He also switches to calling her “Eleven” during this discussion (doesn’t help his case at all). I think this was the final blow to the romantic relationship.

-After El leaves, you would expect Mike to still act weird around Will based on the last few days, but now we see a very different Mike. Still preoccupied with El, but markedly gentler with Will. Mike is suddenly very comfortable having close physical contact and emotionally charged conversation with Will from this point forward. We are supposed to see how Mike goes from total asshole to puppy dog with Will when El leaves. Will barely had to say anything to soften him up.

-Mike initiates (because duh) a chat with Will about the weirdness between them. He starts by thanking Will, in a playful way, for snapping him out of being a “self pitying idiot.” Then the two have an extremely flirty exchange that also tells the audience that these two just get each other (I didn’t say it, you didn’t have to).

Mike then tells him the truth- he has really missed Will. This fact alone really doesn’t explain his behavior, though. Actually, there’s no heterosexual explanation for “I feel like I lost you” translating into dodging hugs and appearing to actively ignore Will. I think that this is the moment where the math starts mathing a bit in Will’s head. Mike was flat out flirting with him, and I think he picked up on that a little. (He took the painting)

Something I want to mention about this scene that I haven’t really seen talked about is Will’s position shift. In the first half of the exchange, the closet is between Mike and Will. He stays here until Mike begins to say “Listen, the truth is…”

Then he shifts to being quite a bit more in front of the closet. I’m not 100% sure if this shift is intentional, but if it isn’t, the timing is impeccably coincidental. Just as Mike starts telling the truth about what he’s been feeling, Will physically gets between him and the closet. ✨symbolism✨

-Once we reach the desert, Mike seems to be deep in thought. He’s not shutting Will out, but he’s also acting a bit off still. I think he’s probably coming to terms with how he really feels about El and Will and just in general. He’s aware that what he said to Will yesterday was gay as hell and that El sees through him now. He gets flustered and does the Triple Take™️ which appears to imply that he is self conscious of Will catching on. He’s too wrapped up in his own head to notice Will’s EXTREMELY OBVIOUS pining.

-Will gives Mike advice that applies specifically to himself and then looks intently for Mike’s reaction. I think Will may have always had an idea that Mike felt the same as he did (esp before season 3) but now he’s feeling just a bit more confident. So he is putting the feelers out there hoping that his heavily queer coded advice will resonate with Mike. Seems like it does.

So at this point, I believe this is where each of the two stand:

-Will has accepted his sexuality and his feelings for Mike. He is cautiously optimistic that he might actually have a chance but is towing the line of confessing and watching how Mike reacts intently.

-Mike is aware of his sexuality and his feelings for Will, but is scared to accept/admit it. He has no idea Will feels the same (somehow, even though Will is being really obvious). I think that when Mike realizes Will loves him he’s going to have a Proper Full-on Gay Crisis unless Will ends up on the brink of death, and he just skips the crisis and goes full s2 Mike mode.

Their arcs are definitely not finished, and I still believe Mike will need to initiate anything between them since that’s how it goes with them. But I do believe Will will continue to push Mike to confront his feelings and I am hopeful that by the end of v2, Mike will at minimal accept that he loves Will and that Will loves him back and the (entire) audience will know that this is a thing that’s happening. I also hope to see El and Mike break up, and Mike being honest with her about his feelings.

Even if we have to wait for it to be canon season 5, I am confident in this ship sailing. Stay strong everyone, only one week to go.

[malboraslihan]

open  to  f  /  nb  

muse  :  noah  hernandez  —  benjamin  wadsworth ,  stolen  from  his  family  into  a  mob  family,  second  in  command  and  heir ,  heterosexual

plot  :  i  faked  my  own  death  to  protect  you  and  now  three  years  later  i  send  you  a  text  asking  you  to  meet  me  for  dinner  and  at  first  you  think  it’s  a  joke  but  then  you  come  anyway  and  hi  i’m  alive

‘  i’m  surprised  you  actually  came  ——  but  i  had  a  feeling  just  ‘  not  dead  ‘  wouldn’t  be  a  good  enough  explanation  to  you  ‘

[thecleverqueer]

Today's "Ahsoka Being Gay" moment comes from S7:E6 of The Clone Wars "Deal No Deal"

This episode picks up after Trace and Ahsoka's date on the Warf. It starts off with them talking about their past with each other while working on Trace's ship. The banter is flirty. They’re flirting in this scene.

Afterwards, Ahsoka mentions that her life is a big mess so she just wants to be alone for a bit (oh Barriss, get out of her head). Trace begs Ahsoka to stay, and Ahsoka agrees to as long as Rafa is cool with it. Rafa walks in and indicates that she has a job that she needs Trace's help on, so they get ready to set off on an adventure, but first... Rafa gives Ahsoka a shovel talk.

This is the dialogue verbatim:

Rafa: You show up outta nowhere, then suddenly you and my sister are inseparable. What are you after?

Ahsoka: Excuse me?!

Rafa: Come on. Everyone plays an angle. I don't mind except when it involves Trace. So tell me. What are you after? Her mech bay? Her ship?

Ahsoka: I don't have an angle. Unless maybe to keep you both out of trouble.

Rafa: Hmm. You ever thought you might be the trouble that she needs to stay away from?

Ahsoka just sort of sighs and rolls her eyes.

Look. I've honestly tried my BEST to come up with a heterosexual explanation for this conversation, but... on God, there is none.

Anyway, they depart. Ahsoka and Trace give each other a cutesy little flirty glance as Trace takes off.

We soon learn that Rafa has made a deal to smuggle drugs. And, they go to Kessel to pick them up. Ahsoka isn't pleased.

Ahsoka is basically like, "Babe, this is dangerous." Trace thinks that she can manage.

Can we just stop right here for a moment and appreciate the fact that after Ahsoka leaves the Jedi, the first thing she does is smuggle f*&^ing drugs across the galaxy with her rebound girlfriend? Jesus, Dave. Goddamn.

Here's another ambiguous, not-at-all gay glance between Trace and Ahsoka as they're loading spice on the ship.

So, turns out, Rafa has made a deal to drop this said spice off with the Pyke Syndicate, and this sets Ahsoka off into a panic. She realizes that this shit has gone from bad to way worse, and she alarms Trace to the point that Trace and Rafa start fighting. Ahsoka intervenes by stepping in between them, grabbing Trace and standing hella close to her until she calms down.

The oxytocin probably saves Rafa's life. Then, Ahsoka and Rafa start arguing. While this is happening, Trace gets this hare-brained idea to just dump the spice. That way, she doesn't have to chose her sister’s or her girlfriend's side in their argument. Both Ahsoka and Rafa are floored...

Rafa points to Ahsoka and Trace and says, "Oh you two are just a pair, that's for sure” once again implying that there’s “something” going on between the two of them (that neither Trace nor Ahsoka denies).

Rafa suggests that they sell off Trace's ship to pay off the Pykes, but Ahsoka comes up with another idea. She tries a Jedi mind trick on the Pykes to convince them to give the Martez sisters the money while leaving them with empty drug crates. Ahsoka and Trace share yet another unspoken, suggestive glance as they walk off.

They think it's going to work. But, of course it doesn't. The Pykes are drug lords, and the episode ends with them getting captured.

Side note: This arc right here is by far the gayest arc of them all, and it clearly stems off of the Barriss incident, which only serves to make that whole thing gayer too. It's like a gay spiral.