#they finally have a healthy and communicative relationship and it only took the end of the world

[finedinereception]

some details on what im tentatively calling wizard married au- in which betty is here from the start and happily magic married to her equally deranged husband.

past

like canon, betty flees when simon first wears the crown. however, there is no portal to the future this time. she finds somewhere else to stay, and during that time, she begins researching. she can tell that wasnt normal. surely if it had just been simon, he would have shown some symptoms of whatever that breakdown was. it had to have been the crown.

she pours herself into her research. it saves her life, because a few weeks later the bombs drop.

she uses her research to attain magic powers, a la magic betty. like simon, she obtains immortality. however, she loses her sanity the more she uses her magic.

a while after the bombs, she finally meets simon again. by this time hes picked up a travel buddy- marceline. the two of them are relieved and happy to see each other.

the apocalypse ironically saves their relationship.

turns out knowing you and your man are going insane and losing your memories is a pretty sobering, emotional thing to really grasp. it ends up breaking the wall between them, and theyre finally, finally able to begin sorting out the issues in their relationship.

this is an important moment between them. even when they fully lose themselves, it becomes the basis of their future relationship. betty starts doing things for herself, and simon starts paying more attention so he can stop her if she starts focusing too much on him again.

its never easy, but for a while, they get a sort of peace. a surprise family at the end of the world.

simon loses it first. during the night, when marceline is asleep, he tells betty that he has to go. hes held on longer than canon simon thanks to betty being around, but hes finally slipping, and hes worried hes going to hurt marcy. sure, betty could protect her… but shed be expending her own mind if she did so. betty knew this was coming, and they agree.

simon leaves before marcy wakes up, taking nothing but a scrapbook hed been keeping from before the bombs, and the clothes on his back. they should have waited- its something theyll regret in the far, far future. he should have said goodbye. but they didnt think they had the willpower to go through with it if they heard her begging. at the very least, betty is there to offer support.

betty continues to hang out for several more years. she gets to see marceline grow up. marcy can see with every spell that betty is becoming more reckless, more eccentric, more distant.

betty finally loses herself protecting marceline during a vampire hunt. she holds on just long enough to get herself away from marcy.

and she begins to travel. until one day, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to a land of ice.

they dont remember who simon and betty are. all they know is that hes ice king and shes magic queen and they love each other.

Betty Grof/Magic Queen

basically the “main character” of this au lol

she begins using the name “magic princess” when she can no longer remember her old one. it feels right to her. she changes to queen when she and ice king get hitched. she doesnt use the name “ice queen” because she no longer pins her identity to just simon. shes got her own stuff going on. hes part of her life, but not her entire life.

magic queens not around the ice kingdom as often as ice king. she likes to explore and travel! a huge amount of the books on ruins, dungeons, and artifacts were penned by her, from hands on research. shes well known around ooo as somebody who can be dangerous, but is also a very reliable source of information.

shes more “grounded” than ice king. she doesnt remember anything from before the war, or for a while after it. as far as she knows she just spawned on ooo ready to dungeon dive. still, shes better at retaining information, and can read a room better. shes still pretty eccentric, though, and likes showing off.

magic queen was the one who beat the shit out of ash and got his magic carpet. she doesnt remember marcy, but like ice king, finds herself inexplicably drawn to her. so when ash hurts her, it puts him on her shit list.

speaking of, she can hold a grudge. she ends up cursing finn for a while because he beat up ice king based on a misunderstanding.

shes the one who had the idea for a giant library in the ice kingdom. ice king helped with the room layout, and she collected the books.

magic queens doing a lot better mentally than canon betty was. her relationship with ice king has become way more healthy and balanced. shes happily married. she has 53 penguin children. shes been able to chase her dreams, and her work is acclaimed and respected.

shes still a creecher tho. girl is skittering through those dungeons. does a backflip and shoots fireworks into your eyes. she is very bold and loves doing crazy things just to see what happens.

gets her own “i remember you” episode where she takes marcy dungeon diving.

ice king/simon petrikov

stay at home husband now lmfao

but fr. he fully supports magic queen, but hes a pretty forgetful and clumsy guy, so they both agree that he probably shouldnt be dungeon diving with her.

he keeps things stable at home. takes care of the penguins and writes fanfic and plays music in his free time. hes come to really enjoy creative pursuits, even when hes not particularly good at them.

magic queen puts a gun to your head and forces you to read fionna and cake. ice queen (simone) and magic king (benny) if you even care btw.

mq ended up putting a checklist up in the home to make sure ik doesnt forget to take care of himself. eat breakfast you goof

instead of kidnapping princesses, he goes out often to find things mq has mentioned wanting or needing for her research. sometimes he steals them and it gets him in trouble. if hes being a real jerk mq will only step in to take him home. sometimes that man deserved to get his ass whooped.

hes already nicer and more stable to start out with since he has somebody to talk to whos nice to him. people wonder why magic queen sticks around and if you ask her she will get mad. hes funny!!! and sweet!!! also hes canonically caked up.

he wants to be a dad soooo bad. he spoils the penguins.

[dollycxre]

Fem Mortal Reader x Yandere Hestia, but the reader isn't a pushover.

:)

yandere! Hestia x fem! mortal! Reader - ♡ general hcs

warnings -> none....it's hestia...actually, slight clinginess??

paring/s -> yandere! Hestia x mortal! fem! reader (gender of the reader isn't mentioned or relevant tbh)

a/n -> rising from my grave to finish this

————————————————————

-> meeting her as a mortal means that you're probably gonna meet her in your fireplace

-> the most likely scenario is that you had just faced one of the worst heartbreaks in your life— losing a family member, a regular breakup, whatever

-> Hestia, being who she is, would probably not be able to bear the sight of someone in pain, guiding the fire to warm you up, flames flickering up towards you as if in a comforting manner

-> her presence is a very comforting and homely feeling and when she concentrates on a particular hearth, her power increases tenfold

-> probably resulting in you dozing off in a cozy armchair, fast asleep like your world hadn't just come crashing down around you

-> she watches you sleep so peacefully (but like- in a non creepy way)

-> she keeps on at it for a while, watching you do your daily chores for a while, admiring you from a safe distance and slowly falling for you

-> I don't think Hestia would even bother trying to disguise herself as a regular human to you, she just pops up in your fireplace one day and shyly starts a conversation

-> Depending on your reaction, she'd either cool you down or happily continue your conversation like literally nothing ever happened

-> I'm not gonna go into details but she'd win you over pretty damn quickly and starts dating you as soon as possible

(now for some domestic fluff...cuz it's hestia)

-> I have this headcanon that because Hestia is the goddess of family, she'd know all the best picnic spots

-> like you cannot tell me that she wouldn't know the most gorgeous cliffside overlooking a sea view in the world and take you there as a date

-> she likes baking for you because she adores how your face lights up when she makes you those cookies you love so much

-> she already knows your allergies and taste in food so don't even bother telling her, she's already got the best recipes she has set in mind :)

-> she likes taking you on peaceful walks with her while she's disguised as a human

-> watching all the different people walk by with their dogs, significant others, etc, etc makes her very happy

-> she'll point out to you all the small, gorgeous details your eyes might've missed

->she wants to show you the beauty of the world you live in!

-> definitely takes you to visit her favourite places in greece

->dresses up like a local that the people know well by now and takes you to her favourite parts of her homeland <3

->wants you to try all the native food, 100%

->when it comes to the issue of her being an immortal goddess and you being a regular ol mortal with a short life span (compared to her anyway), she'll try to convince you to let her feed you nectar

->obviously, you say something along the lines of 'fuck no'

->she's devastated when you abandon her at the table in the restaurant she took you to, to run away

->keeps popping up in the hearth whenever you light your fire (only for you to extinguish the flames with water)

->she finally gets you to have a normal, healthy conversation with her when she catches you off guard while you're napping by the fireplace

->would probably end with a compromise (somehow) that she'd make your closest friends and family immortal with you so that you'd all be able to live together

->after that, your relationship is pretty much smooth sailing

->Hestia isn't a very possessive or jealous person and she usually communicates that she's uncomfortable when she is

->cuz, y'know...she's actually sane (unlike the rest of her siblings and nephews and nieces)

->adopts an animal with you, a hundred percent <3

->likes cuddling you in her hearth, because it's so warm and cozy that you always end up falling asleep on her chest

->and she likes that :)

->takes you up to Olympus because she isn't scared of someone else taking you away

->none of the gods would even try because who would want to make Hestia upset? (especially cause it's mostly out of fondness, rather than terror *cough cough* Athena *cough cough*)

->anyway, she's probably one of the best girlfriends in the world <3

->can't and doesn't marry you because of her vow, but gives you a promise ring and lets you give her one if you really wanted to <3

->mostly just overly clingy, staying by your side whenever she can and hearth-hopping to wherever you go— work, out with friends, etc

BONUS!

-> she leaves you with Aphrodite if she's busy, because Aphrodite thinks you're adorable and always spends her time with you helping her doves make you all pretty for Hestia, Cinderella's fairy godmother style :)

[br4ttyeilish]

You dont really need a break .. (Wanna see what you can take.)

BILLIE EILISH X ARTIST!FEM!OC

Summary: Jocelyn and Billie have been dating for a little over a year now. They accidentally plan their tours to be during the same time which means they werent able to see each other in person for nearly 3-4 months. They both decided to agree on going on a "relationship break" until they get off tour. Which means both Billie and Jocelyn get full freedom to do whatever they want with other people. But what happens when Jocelyn fully uses that to her advantage?

Authors note: not my first ever smut fic but my first ever Billie fic on tumblr so eee !! I’m excited to share my writing with the Billie community so I hope you freaks like it :)

Today was the first day in nearly 4 months that Jocelyn and Billie had seen each other in person. 

They had both gone on tour at the same time and only talked to each other a little bit on call and through text while they weren't busy. 

Even though Billie and Jocelyn had a very committed and healthy relationship they both agreed to go on a relationship break a few days before they started their tours. Jocelyn was the one who brought it up. Mainly because for some reason she was scared of the fact that Billie would be away for so long and the thought of Billie cheating really scared her. So if she just asked to take a break, she had no reason to get mad if she saw videos online of Billie with other people. 

Billie wasn't too happy about the idea but she knew they were gonna be busy anyways so she agreed. She didn't mind. 

The thing is, Jocelyn took this 'break' thing a little .. too far. With the tour being so stressful and overwhelming, she needed a stress reliever. And Billie was her stress reliever. After a hard day at the studio, Billie was at home waiting for her so she could help her. Lay her down, massage her, eat her out, fuck her, whatever she did it really calmed her down. Especially the fucking part. So with Billie not being there, she needed someone. More.. than just someone. 

Jocelyn started hooking up with random people. Nothing more than hooking up. She wouldn't even let the people do foreplay or even kiss her or touch her in certain ways. Just casual sex. 

Jocelyn's best friend, Quen, decided to go on tour with Jocelyn because Quen had been wanting to travel more and she knew Jocelyn needed some company. 

Quen knew about everything that was happening. Jocelyn would blab about it every night to her. Quen has a big mouth and she also happens to be good friends with Billie. So she ended up telling Billie every detail. 

The people she was fucking, when and how often she was fucking them, and everything. 

Of course, Billie was a bit jealous, even a tad bit hurt. But she knew they had an agreement. And Billie knew when Jocelyn came back she would put her in her place anyway.

Billie and Jocelyn met up together at the LA airport. They were both extremely excited to see each other. Jocelyn ran into Billie's arms with a big kiss. and Billie returned it. Snuggling into her neck and holding her tightly. Billie showed no sign of being mad or upset. In fact, she was being joyful around her. Even in the car ride home Billie had a good conversation with her. Billie kept it all in until they got home.

Jocelyn opened their shared room and put her bag down. "God I'm so glad tour is over. It was amazing but I really did miss our room." Jocelyn admitted. Billie smiled, "Yeah I missed it too. I was pretty homesick most of the time." she said setting her bag next to Jocelyn's. Jocelyn began to take her belongings out of the bag and put them up. Billie doing the same. 

Jocelyn sighed, finally finishing and zipping her suitcases up. She plopped her back onto the right side of their bed with a loud huff. Billie walked over and laid down next to Joc, facing her. Jocelyn was facing the ceiling. 

"So joc, what was the most exciting part about your trips?" Billie asked getting the conversation started. Jocelyn continued to look at the ceiling. "Uhmmm I liked the vip q&a sessions. I liked being able to talk to the fans and-" Billie cut her off. She turned Jocelyn face to face hers. Her blue eyes piercing into Jocelyn. 

"No baby, that's not what I meant. Outside of the tour." Jocelyn furrowed her eyebrows. "Oh uhm.. well. Me and Quen went sightseeing a lot and stuff and that was fun. we even went to an-" Billie cut her off once again. This time pushing her back down on her back. A gasp escaping Jocelyn's lips at the sudden shift. Billie gets on top of Jocelyn aggressively and wraps her hands around Jocelyn's neck. Jocelyn's eyes go wide. Billie's silver rings make Jocelyn shiver. 

"Stop fucking acting dumb. You know exactly what I'm talking about." Billie aggressively said into Jocelyn's ear. 

That's when it hit her. nothing left Jocelyn's lips, she was stunned. "Let’s talk about all the people you fucked on tour huh? I mean I know we were on a break, but, wow. You really are a fucking slut, Jocelyn. SEVEN people!" Billie spoke, still on top of her. 

Billie began to unbutton Jocelyn's shirt with her other hand. Jocelyn would be lying if she said she wasn't loving this. "Well... if you wanna act like a slut Jocelyn.. let's treat you like a fucking slut." and with that, Billie tore off the rest of her shirt. Throwing it somewhere across the room. 

Billie began to leave harsh kisses all down Joc's neck. Shaky moans try to leave Jocelyn's closed-up throat. Her eyes rolled back. Jocelyn's perky tits were on full display for Billie. She began to trail from her neck down to them. Placing kisses and bites on her nipples. Jocelyn was in pure bliss. Not for long though. 

Billie looked up at Jocelyn. Her eyes were soft. Billie took her hand off Jocelyn's neck and placed them down on the side of her. Rubbing both her hands up and down Jocelyn's body. Jocelyn looked down at her in awe. Billie was being so ... gentle with her? It confused her. 

Then suddenly Billie’s eyes went cold. She harshly grabbed onto Jocelyn's hips, sure to leave marks from Billie’s uncut nails, and flipped Jocelyn over. Having her ass up and her head down into the soft mattress. A loud moan leaving her pink lips. 

Billie takes her left hand and slaps Jocelyn's clothed ass harshly. A yell being heard from the girl under her. Billie began to take her shorts off swiftly. Billie rested both her hands on her ass and rubbed her way up her back. Billie grinded her metal belt against Jocelyn's ass, placing her mouth above her ear. "Bet nobody on tour did it as good as me, hm." she spoke cockily. Jocelyn got the balls to say "You might have some competition with Ruby." Ruby being one of the girls she fucked. That made Billie's mood switch extremely. 

Billie knew deep down Jocelyn didn't mean that. Billie knew she wanted to get to Billie's head. And that she did. Jocelyn looked back with a smirk. That smirk only made Billie's face light up red. 

Billie grabbed a fist full of Jocelyn's hair and yanked it down into the mattress more. Making Jocelyn's face covered up. It hurt Jocelyn a lot, even cutting out most of her oxygen. But god, it made her so much more turned on.

Nothing left Billie's mouth. She had nothing to say. She took her other hand and placed her fingers in her mouth getting them wet. They left her mouth with a pop. She took them and roughly placed them at Jocelyn's hole. She then slammed into her with 2 fingers at once. That made Jocelyn's thighs squeeze together and she moaned into the bed. Her eyes rolling back once again. 

Billie immediately spread her legs open. Her other hand still placed in her hair. She took the fist full of hair and brought her back up. pulling her head back. still roughly pounding in and out of her with her fingers. Jocelyn was panting like a helpless puppy for Billie.

"Look at you. God, you look fucking pathetic." Billie growled. All Jocelyn could reply with was moans and pants. Billie took her hand out of her hair and slapped her ass again. "I know damn fucking well nobody had you like this. Let’s be realistic princess," Billie stated. and she was right, nobody did. Nobody could. 

"B-Billie'm so close please.." Billie immediately took her fingers out. Making Jocelyn groan and gasp . "No. No. No. Billie no." Jocelyn desperately spat out. 

Billie flipped her back on her back. Her legs spread, all on display for her. Billie crawled in between her. her face met hers. inches apart. "Go ahead. Admit that im better. Admit that nobody can fucking do what I do." Billie demanded. Her iconic cocky smirk plastered all over her tan face. Jocelyn rolled her eyes. She always hated this. 

Billie noticed her attitude. Billie took her hand and grabbed Jocelyn's jaw. Jocelyn's eyes go wide. "Fucking say it whore." Billie spat. Their foreheads were touching. Jocelyn was once again quiet, but out of shock. Billie’s grip tightened on her face. 

"Fucking say it or I will sit here all fucking night and make you cum until you fucking pass out." Billie once again demanded. 

Jocelyn's eyes only grew wider and wider. "Yes Billie fuck oh my god your better. Nobody even fucking comes close to you. M-mommy please.. please make me cum please I haven't had anything as good as this in months." Jocelyn finally admitted. Everything coming out all at once now. Her eyes were watering, tears stained her pink cheeks. Billie let go of her jaw and grinned happily. 

Finally getting what she wanted. 

Billie crawled back and rested her face down to her pussy. She placed her hands on her knees so she could spread her more. She made direct eye contact with Jocelyn and lowered her face down on her. Swirling her tongue on her clit. Her crystal clear siren eyes making this so much hotter. Moan began leaving Jocelyn's mouth.

Billie began to eat her like there was no tomorrow. Her tongue going in circles over and over again. Occasionally fucking her tongue in and out of her. Jocelyn rested her hands in Billie's hair, pushing her more and more down on her. Jocelyn's back arched. She was in utter fucking bliss. "p-please im so close.." she told her. Billie continued. She wanted to get her off. 

Jocelyn finally came down from her high and her legs began to shake. Her thighs closing in on Billie's face. shoving her even farther in her. Her white liquids coating all over Billie's pretty face. Billie moaned on her. 

Billie didn't even try to lick up her cum, instead, she whipped it off her face, and off Jocelyn's pussy onto her fingers. Jocelyn watched as she did this. thinking that she would just lick it off her fingers.

But no. 

Billie took her cum coated fingers and stuck them back inside Jocelyn. Jocelyn's swollen and overstimulated cunt ache. Making Jocelyn let out the most pornographic moan of her life. Billie forced her cum back deep inside of her. Jocelyn watched her in shock. That had to be the hottest thing she had ever seen Billie do. 

Billie began to get up, slapping her wet clit one last time. 

"So, princess, mind reminding me who does it best?"

TAGLIST (dm,inbox,or comment to be added!) : @muchloveforhacker @chrissv4mp @mseilishmwah @chrissfawn @dev-sturns

[queers-gambit]

Careful What You Wish For

prompt: he's highly reactive, you're incredibly enduring. he's a righteous dick, you're criminally empathetic. he's temperamental, you're amenable. but you're done being his doormat. -> or in which Billy resorts to breaking up when you two fight, but when he comes to make up (like clockwork), you finally have a change of heart.

pairing: Billy Hargrove x female!reader

fandom masterlist: Stranger Things

word count: 5k+

warnings: it's not much so don't expect a lot! author has Daddy Issues™️ and you're gonna deal with it, cursing, drama for drama's sake, Billy Boy's trauma translates into a toxic relationship, feelings are hard, abrupt ending, angst, hurt not a lot of comfort; healthy parent relationship? wild.

and NO this is NOT influenced by Hoover's book / Blake's movie! i have NOT read the book nor seen the movie, so if you recognize similarities, it's 100% unintentional!

To be reactive means to impulsively act upon circumstances instead of rationally considering situations that would asses a humane, clean, agreeable, "legal" response. To be reactive is exactly what it sounds like. It's reacting. It's not thinking, it's not being considerate or logical. It's being fueled by emotion, to be impulsive and rash. To be reactive was borderline selfish as the response is one-sided and results from only a single person's perspective.

Part of growing up is learning to handle your reactions; to absorb situations and consider the best possible option forward. Thing is, it's not a skill people could master in a day, week, month, year - it took a lot of time, focus, and constant, conscious dedication. People in high school were attempting to master this skill; people in college, their 20's - hell, there's even people in their 30's and 40's still trying to learn and perfect the ability to fucking handle their reactiveness.

So, in actuality, you couldn't fault Billy for being "this" way. It's not like he was doing it consciously, maliciously, or on purpose; he genuinely didn't know better and it's hard to unlearn lessons life taught you. Considering the environment he grew up in, you knew Billy stood absolutely no chance to learn and develop healthy coping mechanisms and forms of communication - but Christ, it was difficult to date him.

All romantic bullshit aside, Billy's attitude was increasingly concerning the further your relationship progressed. He required a lot of love and patience - of which, you had an abundance of and was happy to give. Yet that's the key word, abundance - NOT unlimited. He's sensitive, meaning easily irritated; damn near any and everything inconvenienced him. His mouth moved before his neurons could fire. He refused to compromise or admit defeat like Flat Earthers refuse scientific evidence. He would always choose throwing a fist over using his words. He embodied the cutting image of "bad boy", but he also lived it if his lack of manners and foul mouth was any indication. He was aloof, malcontent, egotistical, had the emotional intelligence of a fucking jellyfish, operated as an iron lock with a thrown-away key.

And Billy loves you. You knew, in his way, he loves you. But you also knew how hard it was for Billy to have any degree of emotion for any given reason. This meant more often than not, you worried his feelings for you were forced, or at the very least, ebbed and waned. Odd, isn't it? How his trauma causes a trauma response in you?

Billy was far from perfect, but you didn't need him perfect. You needed him to be loving, supportive, kind and caring, honest, empathetic... All things nobody would EVER think of when trying to describe Billy.

Yet you two worked. Polar opposites; two ends of the spectrum; a flowery romance novel and a doomed tragedy.

You used to think he was the ebony ink and you, the pure snow in the Yin and Yang symbol - or a taijitu. He was dark and brooding and abused and hateful - but with you, as that single dot of white, he felt balanced. You're bright, blinding, glittering, passionate - and with Billy, he added that speck of darkness (or realism) to your purity.

Sure, this could mean literally since you lost your virginity to him within a couple months of dating, but more so in the sense that Billy's pessimism was darkening your optimism; almost as if he was pouring water from your glass into his to force you to see your glass (read: reality) as half empty. It was as if he was corrupting you. Yet perhaps not in the sense we all might think - like he takes you to party all weekend, blow off school, engage in sketchy or concerning or dangerous activities, experiment with drugs and sexual positions that border on acrobatic. His corruption was more along the lines of draining you; where you were once bright and happy, so excited to love and be loved, to live life; you're now just tired and passive and accepting.

Billy wasn't easy to love. When you first started dating, it felt like a challenge - winning him over. You were determined to prove yourself ideal, capable, and willing to endure him and all his (and his family's) antics. Yet as time passed, you fell so deeply in love with him that you didn't even remember why you first kept coming back for more. He was intoxicating; he invades any space and commandeers not just attention, but leadership and control.

Billy was the flame. You, the moth. Yet eventually, fires will die. They will not burn forever. Whether from a lack of oxygen, wood, or something like the wind snuffs it, no flame ever endures forever. And now, the flame was dying and you were finding lesser reason to linger around dwindling warmth.

You see, there's only SO much a person can take. Being so reactive, fighting with Billy is fucking clockwork. It's eerily like a science the way you two will always fight when one of you has the realization, "Wow, things are SO peaceful and SO nice right now!" Naturally, because God (or karma, the universe, whoever) had a sense of humor, would choose that moment to cause issue.

Fights with Billy were usually sparked by something decently simple - like you being paired with Jason Carver for a tutoring session, or taking an extra 10 minutes in the shower after your sports practice, or telling him, "Sorry, I can't go out Friday, baby, I told the Wheeler's I'd babysit." This would cause Billy to spiral. Akin to a ripe, seasonal Kansas tornado.

Fights with Billy usually got personal, and since you knew and trusted one another so well, there was plenty of ammunition. Insults were hurled for an unGodly amount of time, but it was because Billy loved pulling loose threads to watch everything unravel.

Fights with Billy usually ended in a single, consistent manner: with him breaking up with you. Oh, it was infuriating! Billy had both fight and flight instincts - you know, from being so reactive - that he was all for throwing a punch, but when it came to real accountability or resolution, he'd flee; never caring about who he might hurt in the process. He'd engage his "fight" response, and then turn around and "flee", only to return later and resume fighting! Talk about fucking whiplash! Billy was like a wrecking ball, and if you were gonna fight, he was gonna make sure he was ready for it.

This fight was no different.

You can't even remember why it started, but it did and now, you sat on the front porch stairs of your family home, head bowed into your arms while silently weeping. Was it sadness? Was it despair? Acceptance? Frustration? Defeat? Was it anger that made you cry? Were these tears of humor? Disbelief? Exhaustion?

Perhaps all of the above at once.

"Look, I just think we need to take a break. From each other."

You held your breath, rolling your lips between your teeth and slowly looking up at the boy you loved and hated most in this world. Billy was standing at the bottom of the stairs, one arm propped on the freshly painted wooden bannister to hold his balance; watching you with mild remorse, mostly neutrality. You smirked mirthlessly, nodding, "Right, okay."

Billy scoffed, ash falling from the end of his lit cigarette, asking, "Really not gon' say nothin'? Don't wanna fight or argue 'bout this?"

"Why bother, Billy?" You snipped, wiping your tears. "You do this every time. Fuck's sake, it's like something gets a little hard or inconvenient and we break-up."

He scoffed, "Yeah?"

"Mhm."

"Well, maybe this is the last time, sweetheart."

You just sighed, "Okay, Bee. I'm gonna go in, you kinda interrupted movie night to do this. So, now that you have, cool if I go in? Great, get home safe." You stood without waiting for his answer, turning for the front door and immediately seeking refuge inside. You locked the doorknob, then the deadbolt, and just for dramatic flare, latched the chain, too.

Using the sleeves of your shirt, you dried your face.

"Who was that, honey?" Your mother asked as you entered the dark living room, sighing as you dropped into your spot on the sofa; taking your little sister in arms as she settled on your chest once more.

"Just Billy."

"Oh, he didn't want to come in?"

"No, Mama, he had to go."

"Shame," she sighed, "I thought he would like this movie."

You only hummed, draping a thin blanket over you and your sister. "Pops. Hey, hey," you whispered, hand out, wiggling your foot into your father's thigh, "dad, hey. Daddy." Without looking, he handed over the bowl of popcorn mixed with Peanut M&M's and jumped when the sound boomed and the screen flashed with blinding action.

No matter how hard you tried, you couldn't focus on the heavy Austrian accent of the time traveling Terminator. Your head repeated the argument with Billy; how it had now spanned over several days and he had the audacity to knock at your door tonight, interrupting the week-standing movie night he KNEW your family participated in, and proceeded to break-up with you - AGAIN!

Yet something felt so fucking different this time.

You weren't sad by this "break-up" (yet) because you knew he was just being reactive and sensitive, but something didn't sit right about tonight. Your parents both worked incredibly long hours at tedious, stressful jobs, but they were very firm that every Thursday night was movie night - and Billy knew this. He knew where you were every Thursday. He knew better than to interrupt, he knew this time together was sacred since your parents worked so frequently but also actually seemed to like family time.

So, he chose tonight as the best time to initiate this break? Your heart hammered as you began to convince yourself this was a malicious move; he knowingly came to your house to inflict emotional turmoil when you were with family. It was deliberate, it was a manipulative power move; knowing he had such a hold on you that even during your beloved family time of bonding, despite being in a fight, you would still receive him; still come back to him.

Angry tears coated your eyes as Sarah Connor fought for her life. Where Billy was always highly reactive, being the eldest daughter, you were resilient and enduring; able to handle anything thrown your way. You were rational, decently calm; able to think through a storm, being only motivated by the sight of the sun. Billy had a bad attitude, he was arrogant, his ego inflated by the small town girls all drooling over him, but it was his abuse and lack of coping ability that made him into a righteous dick. Perhaps that was why he was attracted to you, being so empathetic and understanding that it bordered on criminal - especially with the way it slowly drained you of life. Billy was temperamental, angry and hurt by the world; and you were amenable, agreeable - not a pushover, but similar to water in the sense that you could adapt and conform to any space, shape, or circumstance you're put in (willingly or not).

Something in your gut finally clicked.

You're done being his doormat. Loving Billy was dismantling you brick by brick; he thought because you were so accepting and understanding that he could act anyway he wanted, get away with it, and you'd always forgive him. You'd always take him back. He could rip your heart out of your chest, crush it into dust, and you'd still thank him when he sprinkles it in your hands - because at least he did that. At least he gave you a sprinkle. You were supposed to be grateful - never-minding that he was the one who continuously hurt you in the first place.

Your eyes drifted from the television to your mother and father sat together at the far end of the couch. 20 years married, and they still sat together like high school teens; his arm around her shoulders, kept close, sharing snacks, a throw blanket cocooning their legs. They were so gentle with one another; relying majorly on nonverbal communication, like when there's a jump scare, your father's thumb would sweep over the back of your mother's hand resting on his lap. It was a grounding technique you have long taken note of, but seeing it now just made you sad.

The desire to have a relationship like your parents was strong, but what was even stronger was simply setting a good example for your sister. You'd be devastated if you ever learned she dated a man like Billy; who put her through the emotional wringer for no direct or good reason. You thought you'd tell her it wasn't her job to fix anyone; it wasn't her responsibility or burden to help mold a boy into a man. Your heart would shatter if you learned she was like you - crying to sleep, throwing towels over all mirrors to avoid any reflection, walking on eggshells in an effort to keep the peace you weren't even charged with!

Watching her eyes glittering in the glow of the action movie, you knew what you had to do. If you didn't practice what you preached, you had no true leg to stand on; your words become contradictory, your concerns warped by perspective. You didn't want her to look at your parents, then at you and Billy, and think someone was wrong - or that love was somewhere in between your relationship examples. You wanted her to know love wasn't supposed to hurt, and if you needed her to understand that she deserved the best of the best, you needed to walk the walk that you talked.

Blinking back tears, you resigned yourself to forcing the feeling of contentment; hugging your sister closer, relishing the feeling of your father's warmth against the bottom of your feet where they laid. And as if he could read your mind, your father mutely kept his one arm around your mother, the other laying on your ankle; glancing over to catch your eye and offer a small, soft smile before focusing on the movie again.

You pecked your sister's forehead quickly, whispering, "You okay, Bug?"

"Uh-huh."

"Not too scared?"

"No," she answered, completely entranced by the television.

"Sure?"

"Uh-huh. Can you pause it?" She asked your father, who almost instantly reached for the remote to hit pause. Your sister jumped up and rushed from the living room before quickly doubling back to hang in the doorway, "I'll be back." Then she dipped behind the wall, only to pop back out a second later and punctuate, "With weapons!"

The living room was full of boisterous laughter as she scampered off to the bathroom.

There was a gentle knock at your closed bedroom door, head lifting from the lowered crane it unconsciously drooped into while reading the novel on your lap. With a grimace, you rubbed your neck and called, "Come in!"

"Hey, honey," your father spoke softly, poking his head in, "got a second?"

"Yeah, sure, Daddy, c'min."

He offered a small smile and entered at full, shutting the door behind him and confirming what you sensed - this was sure to be a serious conversation. He sat gingerly at the foot of your bed, heaving a great sigh, asking, "Whatcha readin'?"

"Oh, uh, just," you showed him the cover of your book, "it's for school, I have to write a report on it."

"Is it interesting?"

"It has a good message," you allotted, making him snicker. "I'm trying to be nice!"

"Uh-huh," he nodded, sighing again. "Listen, honey, I just wanted to talk to you about... You know, Billy."

"We use condoms, Daddy, and I'm on birth control."

"While that's great and exactly what every father wants to hear," he whined, "that's not what I meant."

"Oh," you sat up, book marked and set aside, "you mean tonight?"

"Yeah."

You shrugged, "It's not that big of a deal."

"You sure?"

"I got a handle on things, Daddy."

"I don't know if I can believe that, honey," he frowned, dimples on display, "because - you've - you're just..." He paused, shaking his head, "Your mother and I are worried about you. You're different since dating Billy and it's hard to ignore. I know it might not be comfortable to talk about, but you know you can always come to us, right?"

You nodded, "I know, Daddy."

"Good. 'Cause, he's 18, right?"

"I'm almost afraid to answer that, but yes...?"

Your father nodded, "Good, so I can legally kick his ass."

"Being friends with Hopper helps."

"Damn straight," he confirmed. "You sure everything's okay?"

"Yeah, we just broke up."

"What!?"

"Daddy, chill," you chuckled, "we do this every few weeks."

"Oh, Jesus - "

"But it's the last time!"

"Well, how can you be sure?"

"'Cause I deserve better."

The sigh your father released was out of relief, musing, "Goddamn right you do! Good girl!" He leaned in to peck your forehead quickly, patting your leg. "Well, I'll let you get back to reading..."

"Hang on," you halted him, feeling your heart lurch, "can I ask you something?"

"Anything, kid."

"Do you... not... like Billy?"

"Well, now that I know you two break up every few weeks, less so."

"Daddy."

He nodded, "I thought he was an all right kid, and you never had an ill word to say about him. But he was always kinda troubled, something about him always made me a little suspicious. Is there reason I shouldn't like him...?"

You stared at your father for several long seconds, both with varying expressions as you tried to telepathically communicate. When you understood his meaning, you blanched, "Wait - woah - hey - what!? No! No, Daddy!" You groaned, "Jesus, no! Billy's - Billy's troubled, yes, but he's not abusive or aggressive - not with me! I swear!"

"I'm sorry, I just - I needed to be sure! There's no easy way to ask these things, you know?"

"I know," you nodded, "and I appreciate you checking, but I promise, I'm okay, Billy's not like that. He's abrasive, yes, but he's still respectful."

"Noted," your father breathed, "that's actually relieving. So, uh... Am I supposed to bring you ice cream? Or rent some romcoms? This is your first break-up and I'm not sure what to do."

Your eyes rolled lightly, "Not yet, but keep that energy for when the emotions really set in."

"I'll stock up after work tomorrow," he promised.

"You're... Home this weekend?"

"Your mother and I thought for the next couple months, we'll take a break from conferences," he grinned, "spend some time with our favorite girls. Maybe even take a family vacation this summer!"

You grinned, "You mean it?"

"Of course!"

You launched into his embrace with a laugh, both full of mirth and amusement. Instead of leaving, your father actually situated comfortably on your bed and listened to your read your book - reminding him of the days he read you bedtime stories. He eyed the essay prompt your teacher had passed out with his listening ears on, and when there was a quote or relevant detail he thought related to your thesis, he made sure to speak up.

It was the most at-peace you've felt in ages.

"Bug! You have exactly 90 seconds to get down here!" You hollered into the house, walking out the front door while storing your novel in your book bag. Turning forward, you gasped when you nearly ran into Billy - standing before you, fresh as a fucking daisy. "Jesus Christ, Billy, you scared me," you scolded, keys jangling.

"Sorry," he muttered, sighing, hands going to his back pockets, "didn't think you'd be comin' out so quick."

"We gotta catch the bus," you told him, turning to holler again into the open door, "BUG! LET'S GO!"

"Why? You know I normally drive you two."

"Yeah, but we broke-up last night, Bee, didn't think you'd wanna play taxi driver still."

"It's not bein' a taxi - "

"You live on the other side of town," you scoffed, "my house is literally out of your way. So, don't feed me that line." You could see Max leaning on the passenger door from where Billy's Camaro was parked on the street, waving to her; watching her grin and wave back. "What're you doin' here?" You asked him pointedly.

"Look, I know we argued and I got a little mouthy, but I was just pissed off and reacted poorly. But I slept on it, and I'm sorry for what I said. Can we please just try to move on?"

You scoffed, "Billy, you do this so often, I can't keep up anymore. Your insecurity isn't your fault, you're not to be crucified for it, but I can't be your punching bag. You can't lose your cool and yell and get 'mouthy', break up with me, run away for me to deal with shit, and then come back the next day. So, I appreciate the offer, but Bug and I are gonna catch the bus 'cause... Because..."

"Because why, baby?" He asked, voice hazy and thick.

"Because you should really be careful what you wish for, Billy, you might just get it. I think we should honor this break-up."

"What?" Billy breathed in earnest confusion. "No, hold up - "

"Billy, I'm sorry, I am. You know I love you - "

"So you're breaking up with me, 'cause you love me?"

"You're the one who broke up with me, Billy," you reminded, "and yes, I do love you, but I have to love me, too. I can't do them simultaneously, it seems."

"Of course you can - "

"Loving you means disrespecting myself," you told him. "Every time I come back to you, I'm chipping away at who I am. You and I - we used to be so good for each other, Bee. Remember? But now? You're just on this warpath and I refuse to be a casualty. So, yes, I love you, I love you so much, but I don't think we should be together anymore. I need time alone, to breathe and figure out who I am outside of you - and you obviously need time to process and get your shit together. If we stay together, we're only gonna hurt each other. But apart, we can freely move and improve and curate change without risk of harm to the other."

You both just stared at one another, the sound of thundering footsteps heard from behind you. "Bee!" Your sister squealed when she rushed out the door.

"Hey, Bug!" He beamed, bending to scoop her in his arms - just like she wanted. "Woah, woah, woah - when did you get such cool shoes, kid?" He asked her, holding her ankle to show off her tie-dye canvas shoes.

"Daddy got them! Aren't they cool!?"

"So cool."

"Do you want a pair? We can match!"

Billy smirked, setting her on her feet, "Tell you what, Bug, if you can find a pair my size, I'll match with'cha, yeah?"

"I'll tell Daddy!" She gasped, turning to look up at you. "Can we ride with Billy to school?"

"Not to - "

"'Course, kid, c'mon," Billy cut you off, and it was like you never even opened your mouth with the way your sister bounded down the porch, over the yard, and towards Max.

"Billy," you grumbled.

"You really wanna break the kid's heart this early in the day?" He asked, sighing and offering his hand. "C'mon, just until the end of today - she'll have the weekend to process."

"You know we're not a married couple getting a divorce and Bug is our kid?" You grumbled, slapping your hand into his and allowing him to lead you towards his car; where his sister was settling yours in the backseat.

"Might as well be."

"You're dramatic."

He only hummed, opening your passenger door and waiting until you were inside safely before shutting the door. You greeted Max happily in the backseat, Billy getting in the driver's and pulling off safely - slowly - to start towards the elementary school. While the middle and high school conveniently shared a lot, the elementary school was just a couple streets over. Bug was excited to tell the car all about her upcoming "field day", where the entire school participated in these outside courses, doing various physical activities - it was all good, honest fun.

"What team were you on?" Bug asked Max. "I'm on the Blue Team!" She proudly pulled out the bottom of her shirt; showing off the color. "We won last year, too!"

"Woah! That's so cool, you gonna win again this year?" Max asked.

"Uh-huh! Did your team win?"

"We didn't have field day."

"What?" Bug asked, sounding heartbroken.

"They didn't go to school here, Bug," you told her from the passenger seat, "they lived in California. Remember?"

Bug frowned, "You didn't get to play?"

"We had other activities," Max assured, "we just didn't have a whole day of it - your school sounds so cool!"

"You should come!" Bug gasped. "Today! You and Bee should come! Then you could have field day, too!"

Your heart melted listening to Max tell her why she and Billy couldn't - but that she needed Bug to pay extra close, extra special attention to the games so they could all play together later in their very own field day. You didn't have the heart to halt the plans, to tell Bug why that wouldn't be happening.

You felt Billy's eyes on you periodically through the drive, sisters in the back discussing what California was like. Bug was fascinated by the beaches - having never been - and asked all kinds of questions, nearly exploding in excitement when she learned Billy knew how to surf. You knew it was a source of anxiety for him; you knew Billy associated surfing with his mother and that ever since she left, he couldn't ride the waves. He wouldn't. It hurt too bad to look back on shore and miss that bright smile, yellow blonde hair he inherited, loose, free-flowing dress, and floppy straw hat.

Yet talking to Bug, he seemed relatively at ease.

From the back, Max watched as you, who hadn't so much as looked at Billy since he got in the car, reached over for his hand to hold in silent support. He held on tightly.

"All right, Bug," you called when Billy pulled up to the elementary school, getting out to pull the seat forward and assist her out.

"Bye, Max!" She hugged the redhead, then lunged between the seats, "Bye, Billy!"

She clamored out of the car, Billy fixing the seat for you as you knelt on the sidewalk and helped fix her backpack. "You good?" You checked, smirking at her.

"Uh-huh."

"Good. Listen, we'll take the bus home today, okay? Billy's got practice, so, remember - it's bus 104. Got it?"

"Bus 104."

"That's right, good girl. You get on bus 104, it'll take you to the high school and pick me up. All right?"

She took a deep breath, nodding, "I can do this."

"I know you can, Bug. All right, big hug!" You hummed as she wrapped her wee arms around your neck. "Oooooh! All right! That's good stuff!" She pulled back. "Have the best day, Bug. Love you."

"Love you," she messily pecked your cheek before rushing to join the procession of streaming kiddies. You stood straight and dusted off, sliding back into Billy's car, and once clear of the children, let his lead foot drop on the gas and speed into the school lot.

"Jesus," Max grumbled when the car swung into a parking space, "inna rush or something?"

"Just," Billy sighed deeply, shaking his head, "get out. You," he pointed at you, "stay put, we gotta talk." You remained, wishing Max a good day, watching her climb out of the car with her skateboard. As the redhead rode off for the middle school, Billy dropped back into his seat, slammed his door, and lit a cigarette with slightly trembling hands.

Silence echoed between you both, Billy handing over the cigarette mutely; students, peers, and faculty all milled around the Camaro to head into school. Smoke wafted from the rolled down windows. When time, the butt was tossed out and the silence remained.

"Bee," you whispered finally.

"I'm just..." He trailed, sighing, "Trying to savor this. Don't know when I'm gonna have you this close again."

He took your hand gently and stroked it with his thumb, emotion heavy in both your chests. "It's not like we're not gonna see each other again," you whispered.

"Not in the way I want."

"It's not like I want this, either."

"Then why're you doing this?"

You scoffed gently, "It's not me doing a damn thing, Billy, you've already done it all. I'm just holding you to your word because I know how fearful you are of commitment." You tossed his hand to his lap and grabbed your bag, reaching for the door handle, then pausing. "For the record," you ended softly, "I'm sorry, and I love you. I hope you find what you're looking for, Bee."

As you finally climbed from the sports car and into school, you felt like you were breathing air for the first time. Like you were feeling sunshine after a decade underground, like there were springs in your sneakers; vigor in your blood, optimism misting your mind into new possibilities. Yet, behind you, in a navy blue Camaro, Billy loosed two tears before tearing out of the parking lot in a fit of anger. Rage. Sadness. Desperation.

He wasn't seen at school the following week, but by the next weekend, rumors spread that he hooked up with both Allison Scott and Kimberly Jones at Donald Reefer's weekend party - so, you know, he seemed to be handling this break up well. It was what he wanted, after all.

And you? Let's just say, you were finally happy, healthy, feeling confident, rejuvenated, and ready to move forward and ONLY accept that which you KNOW you deserve.

requesting rules and masterlist

Stranger Things masterlist

[miss0atae]

So much progress for Phum and Fang in We Are, episode 11:

The two brothers made so much progress this episode. It was really great to see them embrace more their feelings and trying to get closer to the one they love.

If we start with Phum, he took upon himself to really try to understand Peem and be there when he needed. It is not easy because, we saw, before how he could end up saying the wrong things or hurting Peem because he didn't know how to talk to him. Deep down, Phum wanted to be the one Peem can count on. In this episode, he finally admitted to him.

He tried to ask him questions and understand his problem because he knows how it is to just keep everything for himself and not being able to communicate.

Phum and Peem both are people who need physical touch to feel safe. So Phum gave it to Peem several times during this episode. He offered a place where Peem can relax and forget about his worries.

Of course, the best thing he did in this episode was to finally admit his feelings and said it directly.

This is such a big progress for Phum if we compare him now with how he behaves at the beginning of the series!

Phum isn't the only one who made a lot of progress in this episode. We can also say that Fang did a lot more in this episode. It's not easy to be the reliable brother and to do well. Fang puts himself under so much pression. He is not used to be vulnerable even to his loved ones. In this episode, however, he finally admitted his fear of being "too much".

Lucky for him, Tan clearly understands his boyfriend well, because he reassures him and in this way offered him the possibility to be more vulnerable with him, without fearing to be judge.

We can see how Fang is being put at ease by Tan. He is smiling more. He also started to call Tan, "babe". I believe it's only possible because he feels more confident.

This episode really showed us more how a healthy relationship can make you be more proactive and ignoring your insecurities.

Fang may know just one dish but the way Tan react to it with such passion and love, makes him proud and more confident. Tan provides Fang with trust, communication, and an overall relationship satisfaction.

That's why we could see them share such intimate moments. I have to admit now how they make so much sense together. I also appreciate how the series conveyed it.

[nvertheless]

didn’t want to have to do it

you sat in your bed with a strange feeling twisting in your stomach. each breath you took in and out through your mouth was an attempt to calm your nerves, but it wasn’t working. your anxiety gnawed at you.

you and jake, your boyfriend of one year, had recently ended your relationship. despite the breakup, you both wanted to remain friends because the thought of losing him completely was unbearable. jake was your everything, and you loved him deeply. he felt the same way about you.

but however, as individuals, you both started to feel unhappy, and being in a relationship was only pushing it. jake felt he couldn’t tell you anything without you getting upset, and you felt you couldn’t share your thoughts without him becoming defensive and angry.

despite those challenges, the love between you two never wavered. a connection that sealed your hearts and souls together.

you stayed in contact, texting often. whether it would be checking up on each other or sending reels, you maintained communication. but the love never faded, even though you both knew it wasn’t healthy to stay in touch. yet, the fear of losing him completely kept you horrified.

as you lay in bed, you grabbed your phone and started texting.

You: it just really hit me.

My love: it’s okay, i understand.

My love: it’s hitting for me too.

You: do you ever think we could just work things out?

My love: yn, you know we can’t.

My love: i’m sorry.

My love: maybe it’s best if we stop talking.

You: jake please don’t do this

in a panic you called him, your heart pounding as you waited for him to answer. when you finally heard his voice, your heart dropped

“hello?” you asked, struggling to hold back your tears.

“yn…” jake’s voice trembled, filled with emotion.

“jake, please don’t do this. i’m sorry.” you broke down, the tears flowing uncontrollably.

“yn, you know we can’t be on and off like this. we can’t keep going on like this,” jake said, his voice cracking as he cried.

“i don’t want to lose you. i feel like i can’t go on without you,” you sobbed.

“im sorry yn, but if we keep going like this, we’ll never move on and still have feelings for each other.” jake replied, his own tears evident.

both of you were crying, your hearts breaking more with each passing second.

“please don’t leave me. i care about you so much,” you stuttered, your voice quivering. “i know we said we could be friends, but im going to miss you as my boyfriend. i wish things hadn’t turned out this way.”

“i’m sorry for not giving you the happiness you deserved.” you said as your eyes were burning from the tears.

“yn, don’t say that. it’s not your fault,” he reassured you.

“but i ruined everything jake. i’m sorry for everything,” you cried, your head aching from the tears.

“you didn’t ruin anything. we both were unhappy with each other but i care about you so much, but we know what we have to do,” jake said, trying to keep his voice steady so his mom wouldn’t hear him crying in the next room. he never wanted to hurt you because he loved you.

“let’s not talk for a month. we need to give each other time, i don’t want to do this either, but it’s for the best, and i know you know that,” he said, his voice filled with sadness.

“i don’t want to lose you.” you whispered.

“i don’t want to lose you either, but we know what we have to do.” jake replied, his voice breaking.

“I love you, jake.” you finally said, your heart pouring out through your tears.

“i love you too yn. i’m so fucking sorry,” jake said, finally letting out a loud cry.

“this is goodbye for now. i’m so sorry,” he said.

the phone hangs up and you both are left in tears and broken hearts.

sorry for the angst and sudden comeback, this is based on what’s currently going on in my life as i’m going through a breakup, i missed you all 🤍

♡'ೃ ↳ taglist (if you would like to be added to my perm taglist send an ask or message me!) @un-flirt @en-flirt

[interracialgooningsafespace]

Chastity Cages for White Boys

The story of how wearing chastity cages became the norm for white boys starts with the events in the year 2030. In early 2030, a prominent intellectual named Anwuli Okoro penned an anonymous essay called “Physical Remedies to Systemic Racism.”

In this essay, Okoro argued that many of the historical inequities perpetuated against Black communities stemmed from a kind of sexual “lashing out” from white males. She argued that attempts to date to counter this had proven to have mixed results.

To progress further required a physical remedy: Widespread usage by white boys of chastity cages. In particular, Okoro argued that if this was adopted in the college years, it would have an instrumental effect on white girls, who would be forced to look for alternatives if they wanted to have sex. This would undoubtedly lead to more white girls dating Black men, inhibit white male aggression, and strike a critical blow against both white patriarchy and white supremacy.

From Essay to Hollywood A few influential Hollywood writers read Okoro’s essay and took it to heart. To bring these ideas to the mainstream, they created a sitcom, Apartment 34. The show’s premise was based on a white boy’s progressive mother gifting him a chastity cage for college based on the principles outlined in Okoro’s essay. The white boy is at first reluctant to wear the cage, but when his mother tells him that choosing to not wear it would mean no parental financial support, he agrees.

In the show, the white boy goes to college across the country, and the mother keeps the keys to the chastity cage to ensure the boy remains true to his commitment to wear it.

This setup ensures many moments of hilarity as the white boy navigates college with no possibility of sex, but the show also has a serious undertone. Over time the white boy starts to enjoy having his cock caged. By the end of the show, he actively prefers it and begins advocating for other white boys to try it. The show is careful to show the white boy as happy, and he ends up befriending a beautiful white girl who it is made clear is comfortable being with him only because his cock is caged. The chastity cage helps foster a healthy platonic relationship with the white girl, who eventually ends up dating a Black guy.

While controversial, the sitcom also became hugely popular. It wasn’t long before serious articles were written in mainstream publications like The Atlantic arguing that chastity cages for white males, especially in the college years, held significant promise.

Hollywood and Netflix then upped the media exposure by producing movies showing this as the new normal. In Jack Goes to College, all of the white boys in the freshman class at a liberal arts college pledge to use chastity cages everyday at least throughout their college years after a racial incident in a nearby town. Keys are sent to families or volunteer key holders out of town. The movie traces the positive effects of this pledge for everyone.

A Widespread Movement This media coverage led to a burgeoning movement, with thousands of white males voluntarily caging their small cocks.

By 2033, the practice was widespread, and at most colleges the majority of white boys used chastity cages. There were still a few holdouts, especially among conservatives. Finally, 2 years later, the DEI offices of Ivy League universities and prominent public universities began requiring that white male students wear chastity cages, in order to “foster an environment that promotes inclusivity, undermines white supremacy, and redresses sexual injustices of the past.”

Conservatives challenged these rules, but the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the universities, and not wanting to give up coveted spots at top universities the few remaining white boy holdouts complied. Less prestigious universities and colleges soon copied these rules.

By the end of the 2030s, between voluntary adherence and enforcement of the DEI rules, all white boys at colleges and universities across the country were wearing chastity cages every day. After graduating, most continued to wear the cages.

The effects proved Okoro’s essay to be correct. Relationships between white girls and Black men – already quite common – skyrocketed, racial tensions were eased, and the crumbling edifice of white patriarchy and white supremacy was dealt a crippling blow.

[siampie]

Finding You||Chapter 2

Pairing: Michael Kinsella x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 3 k

Warnings/tags: pinning, childhood trauma, eldest daughter syndrome, mention of emotional abuse.

A/N: Enjoy this chapter, you guys. I don’t have much to say about this chapter. Apart from the fact that there’s some set up for Reader’s own story.  

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Tag list: @marytheweefrenchie, @sunflowersandsapphires, @schneeflocky, @danzer8705, @shouldbestudying41,

@beezusvreeland

Dividers by @cafekitsune

I have to talk to you, call me.

That was all what your sister;Mary;had texted you. She had sent it last night while you were sleeping. You couldn’t call her that morning. Not being in the same time zone made communication between you difficult but not impossible. It had also triggered your anxiety. What did she want to talk about? Maybe it was nothing too important. You were trying to convince yourself. A feeble attempt to calm your nerves.

Still, you were anxious. You usually called one another on the week-ends. And you never asked to call. It was never a thing. That she went out of her way to ask you to call was strange and worrisome. So being in a different time zone than your sister, you waited for your lunch break to call her.

“So, how’s life in Dublin?” You sister asked you once she picked up the call. You stood outside of the building. Your sister was finishing feeding her son his breakfast as you were calling her.

“Good.” You answered quickly. “How’s the little one?” You knew what she was doing, she was stalling. Whatever she had to say must be really bad if she felt the need to stall. So, you played into it. But the fact that she was stalling only spiked your anxiety levels.

“He’s growing up.” She said, you could hear the smile in her voice. Your sister had always wanted to be a mother and after years of trying with her partner, she became one to a healthy little boy. You were happy for her. “But it always seems like he’s trying to get himself killed.”

You snorted. “It seems like he’s failing so far.” You heard the clatter of utensils on the line. “Why did you want me to call?”

“Oh, boy!” You sister let out a long breath. “It’s about mom.”

“What about her?” You let out a shaky breath.

“Dave may have told her where you live. Giving her your address and everything.” Mary told you.

Dave was your brother. You did not have a good relationship with him. You didn’t hate him but he had failed to show up anytime you asked for his help. While you showed up each and every single time. And he sometimes had the audacity to blame you for being ungrateful for all that he was doing for you. You could not be grateful for something he had never done or that he done once in a blue moon. Whereas he failed to see all the times you had helped him.

He had not been in favor of your moving away. Judging that the money that your father had left you, should be shared amongst you. Because that was what your father would have wanted; for you to share the money equally. But you had refused. You were going to but the fact he suggested the idea. No, not suggested. Demanded that you do it, had made you decide otherwise. You chose to enjoy the money your father had left for you. Mary and Matthew had found it natural that your father would leave that money to you. You had earned it for all the sacrifices you had made for them.

After all, your sacrifices had allowed them to move out, to live their lives. It had allowed them to fall in love and build their own home and family. While you remained behind, taking care of your father, and maybe wasting your life away. They knew what you had done for them. And all they wanted was for you to finally be happy. This money was your reward. And you could do with it as you pleased.

You felt your anger flared up in your veins. You took a deep breath before you spoke. Trying to leave the anger out of your tone. Your sister was not the one who betrayed your trust. She was only the messenger. And you didn’t want to yell at her. Not at your sister.

“What the hell did he do that for?”

“I don’t know.” She sighed. “All he said was that mom asked and he saw no reason not to tell her.”

“Look, I get why all of you want a relationship with her. I do. But I told you, I don’t want to have a relationship with the woman.” You reminded her.

“I know that.” Mary reassured you. “And Matt knows that. And so does Dave. And honestly, I don’t know why he did that. But you’re in Ireland. She’s not gonna show up on your doorstep. You really think she’s gonna waste money on you?”

“No, I don’t think she will.” You replied, leaning on the wall behind you. “Still, I don’t want her to know where I am. She’s still with that prick, isn’t she?”

“They’ve been together for twenty years. And there’s no sign of a separation. They are more in love than ever.”

You scoffed. “Of course they are.”

“Listen, I don’t think they are gonna come and find you in Ireland. And why would they?” Mary tried to comfort you.

“To stir shit up.” You replied.

“I think she genuinely wants to have a relationship with you. And I know, you don’t. And Dave was wrong to give her your address.” Mary kept on. “I don’t think she’s going to show up, I just needed you to know.”

That gave you pause. “You don’t think she’s going to show up. But you needed me to know that she knew where I was?”

“Yeah—just in case.”

You huffed out a laugh. “Just in case. Yeah, she’s definitely showing up. With her boyfriend.”

“Husband.” Your sister corrected you.

“Fantastic.” You said dryly. “Remind me again why I decided not to go no contact with Dave?”

“Your goddaughter.”

“Yeah.” You nodded. “Thanks for telling me.”

“Of course.” Your sister breathed out. “What kind of sister would I be if I didn’t?”

“The bad kind.” You joked softly. “I love you.”

“I know.”

“Say it back.” You frowned up.

“Talk to you later.” And she hung up. You immediately texted back a middle finger emoji.

You laughed when she texted it back to you. You dropped your head back against the wall.

Your mother had left when you were a child. And immediately after leaving your father, she had found love in the arms of her new husband. After years of emotional abuse, and manipulation on her part, of constant walking in and out of your life, you put a stop to it. You couldn’t go through this anymore. It was too painful. Plus, you hated her new husband. He was—he was not good. You had tried to accept him. You wanted to. But something about him, the way he behaved around you, made you afraid and unsafe. You couldn’t have that in your life. You didn’t want to feel that way anytime you were around your mother. You stopped any attempt at having a relationship with her. You no longer wanted her in your life.

Hopefully, your sister was right, your mother would not make the journey to Ireland. You were hoping for it at least. Your life was finally getting together. You were at peace here in Ireland and you wanted it to stay that way.

As soon as you got home, you discarded your shoes by the door, dropped your bags by the couch and fell into it. That day had turned out to be a long one. You loved hearing from your sister but you had regretted to call her at all. Especially with the bit of news she had given you. You should have stayed in bed this morning. Although, if you had—you would not have met your quite handsome neighbor.

Your mind flashed back to his soft hazel eyes, and the lone dimple that appeared under his beard when he smiled. Quite handsome, indeed.

“Damn it!” You cussed. “He’s a criminal. A drug lord and a murderer. You can’t find him attractive.”

You shouldn't and you wouldn't. He was a Kinsella and they were dangerous people. You needed to stay away from him.

Dressed in grey leggings and a large hoodie, you were enjoying your small diner in front of mind-numbing TV. When the red and blue lights flashed through your front windows. The Garda were down your streets. Shortly after they arrived, you heard the heart wrenching wail of a woman down the street. You slowly put your plate down. What had happened? You knew by the sound of that scream that terrible news had just been delivered.

The flashes of blue and red had vanished a while after that. You were lying in bed, hopelessly trying to fall asleep. But your thoughts could not just stop swirling around in your mind. Jimmy and Amanda had lost their son; Jamie Kinsella. The local news had broadcasted the news on their websites. It was brief and they didn’t have much information. But all of them relayed the same information over and over again. Jamie Kinsella had been shot and died on the scene.

You couldn’t help the sadness that taken over you when you read the news.  He was barely seventeen. Too young to die. He was just a child. You knew how it felt to lose a parent. It was painful and heartbreaking. In your case, you had time to say goodbye and come to terms with it. It was a loss; it was painful but not in the way the world perceived it. You had known it was coming. And you had already mourned your father before it ever happened. You had expected it.

As for Jamie, it was unexpected. It was so sudden and brutal. How did one prepare for such a death? How did one prepare for the loss of a child? It was not the natural order of things. That was not how it was supposed to go. A parent should never have to bury a child. And yet, it happened.

Why were you affected by it? Yes, it was sad. A young life had just ended but you barely knew him. It shouldn’t bother you that much. It shouldn’t affect you as it did. Your thoughts inevitably drifted to your neighbor next door. How was he feeling? How was he coping with the loss? Was he over at his brother’s to bring his support? Or was he alone in his home dealing with the loss on his own? No one should be alone when dealing with a loss. You knew how terrible it was to receive no comfort. To just stew in your own pain, alone.

Seeing as you couldn’t sleep, you had moved downstairs. You quietly made your way into your kitchen, looking for something that may help you fall asleep. The gold door light of your neighbor was filtering through your large window. Against the dimmed light, you could make out the silhouette of a woman walking away from Michael’s house. It was too dark out for you to be able to tell who it was. You watched as she disappeared behind the brick wall.

It must have been hard on all of them. Especially after they had all celebrated Michael’s release from prison. And now this. The tragic loss of a child. You could only imagine how Jimmy and Amanda were feeling. And Michael—

You took a deep breath and grabbed your keys off of the hook. You stepped out of the front door, in the chill air of the night. After you locked your door, you hugged yourself to keep warm and made your way to your neighbor’s door. You two had just met and this was probably bold of you to assume. But you thought that he might not want to be alone to face this. And maybe you were wrong. Maybe Michael did not mind being alone. That thought alone made you hesitate. Still, you made your way over to his doorstep. Your fist hovered for a few seconds. Hesitating. With another deep breath, you knocked three times. And you waited. You were growing more nervous as the seconds went by. You hugged yourself tighter. The door swung open revealing Michael behind it.

“Michael, hey.” You greeted him. Shoulders slumped, eyes red from crying, Michael looked tired and pained. Although, he tried and failed to hide it all behind a mask. “I saw the Guards earlier—” You went for the direct approach. And mentally slapped yourself for it.

“So, ya know about Jamie?” He nodded solemnly.

“I do.” You nodded. “I just came to see if you were—how you were doing?”

He scoffed, his sorrowful gaze dropping to the ground. “Not great.”

You puffed out a shaky breath. “I don’t mean to intrude or—” You trailed off. “Do you want to be alone?” You questioned him. His eyes snapped up at you. His brows scrunched up in confusion. His eyes roamed your face, studying you. “I know what it’s like to be alone when you lose someone.” You blurted out. “It’s not great but—if you’d rather be alone—” You trailed off.

His sorrowful eyes scanned you over. Studying you. You had surprised him. He clearly did not expect his neighbor that he barely met, to come to him in the middle of the night. Especially not to offer him comfort. Comfort that he desperately needed. Birdy had told him that he needed to be there for Jimmy and Amanda. Amanda had asked him what were Jamie’s last moments like. And for all of them, he had shown a brave face. He had stood strong but he was there too. He had seen it all. And no one had stopped to ask how he was feeling—except for you. His gaze roamed your face, he noticed how you tightened your arms around your middle.

He cleared his throat. “D’ya—want to come in?”

“Yeah.” You nodded. Michael stepped to the side to let you in.

So much for staying away from the criminal next door. There you were, in his home in the middle of night. The layout of his home was almost identical to yours for the most part, kitchen by the front door. The hallway that led to the living room. You left your slippers by the front door and followed Michael to the sitting room. He sat down in his couch as you stood by the doorway. Putting a semblance of distance between you.

“I was there,” Michael said after a few minutes of silence.

Your breath hitched in your throat at his words before your eyes fell shut. Pained to hear that he had seen it happened. He looked up at you, grief etched into every line of his face.

“He was laughin’, messin’ around and then—he was just gone.” Michael said quietly. His face crumpled as a set of fresh tears fell down his face. His hand quickly wiped away any traces of them.

“I’m so sorry you had to see it.” You said quietly, tears pressing against your eyes.

“He was just a boy.” Michael continued quietly.

“I know.” You were itching to reach over and just pull him into your embrace. Would he even allow it?

“Birdy told me I need to be there for Jimmy and Amanda.” His voice cracked. “Losin’ their son and everythin’. But—I—I lost him too.” He buried his face into his hands. “Jamie was—” His voice muffled by his hands. You waited for him to finish his thought but it never came as a sob racked his body.

You quickly wiped away a stray tear from your face. You moved to go sit down next to him. Your arms slowly and gently wrapped around him. And pulled him into you. His hands went up to your forearm, around his neck. You leaned your cheek on the top of his head. Whispering words of comfort as he wept. You probably had overstepped boundaries here. But what were you supposed to do? This was the only way you knew how to bring comfort.

Your ran your hand on his back in a soothing circle. When he seemed to have calm down, he pulled gently away from you. Your arms fell back at your sides. He ran his hand over his face, erasing the tears that had fallen there.

“Sorry.” He apologized as he did so.

“Don’t be.” You shook your head. “It’s okay.” You started to run your hands on your thighs, in a nervous manner. “I just—I’m so sorry about Jamie.”

Michael nodded solemnly; his eyes red from crying. He rested his hand on your knee. Your breath hitched in your throat at the gesture. Your eyes went to his face. He was staring at you, chewing on his bottom lip.

“Thank you,” He said. “For askin’ and for—bein’ here.”

“Ah.” You nodded, smiling softly. “I have no merit. I was just doing my neighborly duties.”

“Is that it?” Michael retorted his voice still thick with emotions. He cleared his throat. “Is that why you here?”

You shrugged. “Like I said, I know how it feels like to lose someone and have no one there with you; to comfort you. When you desperately need it. It feels very—”

“Lonely.” He finished for you.

“Yeah.” You stared into each other’s eyes for a few seconds. “And should you need a shoulder to cry on again—I’m right next door. Whenever you need.”  

He squeezed your knee gently, as tears welled back up in his eyes. A warm smile made its way onto his face. You had meant it. You probably shouldn’t have offered but you couldn’t help yourself. Michael Kinsella had looked so broken and so pained; it was hard to not offer comfort when he needed it. You knew too well, what it was like to not receive any when you needed it. And Michael needed it.

You just really hoped you had helped a little.

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[minsarasarahair]

My thoughts about Devil Venerable also Wants to Know by Cyan Wings after finally finishing it. It took a while for me to finish this because I'm obsessing over You Yao donghua...

Well, it was fun and very insightful read. I believe the message of the book are:

Be a critique to what you read and don't consume everything you read as if its the only truth available. Perspective matter. Look at the bigger picture. (God of Annihilation vs Abusive Romance)

Difference between a hater vs critique (Commenters vs Wenren E questioning the plot holes)

The balance between good and evil is important for the cycle and order of the world. World is not Black and White. (Baili Qingmiao character development)

Roles matter in relationship. You should know what your partner wants, strength and what role they are comfortable with if you want the relationship to work. (Yin Hanjiang & Yin Hanjiang story)

Real love is not abuse nor about social order. Its about equality and healthy communication. (Wenren E, Yin Hanjiang, He Wenzhao & Baili Qingmiao story)

I know there's a lot and it varies depend on what the reader noticed but that's what I remember that are the most important for me. I really love it when danmei point out some issues I barely see in straight romance. For example, this story shows the difference between fiction media for male and female. Male demographic care about the strength and power of MC while the female demographic are either annoyed to the naïve heroine or protective of her. Its really interesting to see that different media have different types of people. This is why its important to consume different genre to improve your media literacy, people!

As for the characters, I really love Wenren E as the protagonist. He's very aroace-coded and levelheaded so its easy for me to relate to his thoughts. Even if he's the leader of a demonic sect and chose a path that is harmful to him, he's very rational. His character explore what I wish MDZS Wei Wuxian should care. Demonic cultivation is not the issue here but MDZS Wei Wuxian dismissing the fact its harmful to him so it got worse to the point where there's no turning back. Wenren E on the other hand, know the stake very well so he focus in cultivating his mind seriously. But well, MDZS WWX is younger so it make sense he's more reckless and Wenren E is already jaded by his past experience. Anyway, I love both characters okay? Tbh Wenren E reminds me of SPL's Gu Yun more than WWX because they are both generals. I'm also thankful that Wenren E is very knowledgeable about the cultivation world and explained to the readers how it works while adding his own input about it such as heavenly tribulation is a thing, dual cultivating, bonded weapon etc. I don't really have a problem with him aside from the fact he use the ABUSIVE romance book to try to understand love in the beginning LOL That's like the worse book choice to understand what real love it.

Yin Hanjiang's journey in accepting what he desire is very compelling to me. I love that he was never submissive or yes man originally but he's more like playing the role that don't fit his personality at all. Thanks to that, the result is he became mediocre or he can't progress. All this time he's suppressing the real him with the thought of being afraid it won't fit to Wenren E's standard. I like that their whole fighting dynamic was changed in the ending. He used to just assist Wenren E like a typical righthand man or side kick but later we found out he shines more if he's the one who charge first or be in offensive. I like that in the final battle he become the star of the show while Wenren E became his support.

Baili Qingmiao is the heroine of Abusive Romance. I admit I'm annoyed to her in the beginning because I hate naïve mary sue heroines with romance-driven mindset. It turns out she just need Shu Yanyan, Zhongli Qian, Qiu Congxue and Wenren E's guidance to realize what she's doing is wrong. Revolving your life to just one person especially if this person is not even worth your sacrifice is not the way. Life is not all about Romance. Its about love that comes in different shapes. That's why platonic relationship also exists. Self-caring and caring about the world are also love. I also love her realization that the world is not black and white. Even the righteous sect has bad apples in it and it don't mean righteous sect is entirely bad just like how Xuanyuan demonic sect is not pure evil either. They have demonic cultivators and ruthless, yes but that don't mean they are guilty to every bad thing happened in their world. But that don't entirely excuse them that their sect is still one of the most cruel sect when it comes to brutality. At least they have rules that they only harm cultivators and not commoners lol

There are so many interesting characters to talk about. We have Shu Yanyan the right protector who was always seen scheming against Wenren E but always failed, the scholar-like handsome gentleman cultivator Zhongli Qian as the most reliable supporting character ever, the insufferable He Wenzhao who treat women as his stepping stone to advance his cultivation, etc. But I'm afraid this post will never end if if I talk about it more so I only chose these 3 because I think they are the most important to the story. Just read it if you want to find out more.

I think I recommend this to people who read MDZS, and TGCF if you want to know how cultivation world works because it covers the immortals, gods and cultivators. I also recommend it to You Yao and SVSSS fans because it has the comedy that make fun of story stereotypes. And yeah, to Tian Ya Ke fans because of antiheroes couple with healthy relationship. I will read the Governor is Sick next because I'm thirsty for this dynamic.

[sophieinwonderland]

When you’ve reached the point in syscourse where you’re sending screenshots of yourself to a cringe blog in order to be able to respond to it, that. That doesn’t seem at all healthy.

I really hope you’re taking care of yourself.

Thanks for the concern but I'm actually good.

I want to be totally upfront about the tactics I'm using. Someone once affectionately described viewing my blog as the morning news. But it's also true in a more negative way.

There's a great video by CGP Grey discussing how loud arguments will attract more bystanders and cause both sides to grow.

This is a great illustration of a big part of why I tend to argue with anti-endos so much.

If you watched what happened with "The Future is Plural," anti-endos took a slogan that only a handful of people were actually using, manufactured a controversy around it with loud and ridiculous accusations of this phrase being a call to traumatize children, then pro-endos pushed back in large swathes and the phrase became a rallying cry for our community. The more anti-endos attacked it, the stronger our resolve became to defend it.

It was amazing and we couldn't have gotten to the point where so many pro-endos adopted it if not for the anti-endos creating this opposition.

Other people view anti-endos as enemies. And I do too to an extent. They hurt so many of us and cause so much harm to innocent people.

But in the grand scheme of things, I also see them as the butterflies to our garden of flowers.

If I'm sending anti-endos images of upsetting posts from my blog to intentionally make anti-endos angry at me personally, it's because I think making them angry is the best way to propagate and spread my ideology.

(And more selfishly, advertise my own blog. But like, I wouldn't send sysmeds images of anyone else's blog out of fear of another pro-endo getting harassment they might not be able to handle. But if I'm sent harassment personally... that's just more pollination.)

Our actual biggest struggle as plurals right now is awareness. The reason so many plural children grow up without knowing what's happening to them is because the general population doesn't know much about plurality. They don't even know the sides to this argument.

Anti-endos are an enemy in a sense... but I also view them as a tool. A means to an end. Our toxic relationship with its constant fighting is one that, when utilized properly, can be of symbiosis that I think will result in greater awareness of plurality and will ultimately benefit all plurals in the future.

But to achieve this, I need them mad. I need them angry at me.

I need them to see my posts bragging about teaching people to dissociate and hallucinate because when they do, it turns me into a threat in their eyes. They view me, personally, as someone who is dangerous. And then they can't ignore me, because if they believe I'm hurting people and they do nothing, they'll be allowing me to hurt people.

When a pro-endo sees me talking about teaching people to dissociate and hallucinate, they're familiar with our practices and know these things are harmless. It has no affect on them.

When an anti-endos does, they see these scary words and see dangerous evil cult indoctrination inducing mental illness in innocent people and I'm the monster that they need to destroy.

And finally, I wouldn't say that I sent that ask because I wanted to respond to it. I sent the ask because I wanted that post I made to be visible in anti-endo tags by a blog the hardcore anti-endos follow and will see. I responded to that post to help it get more notes and appear higher up in the anti-endo tags.

And I'll confess... maybe I find it funny too. I enjoy seeing their absurdly over-the-top reactions to scary descriptions of basic tulpamancy practices. It's comic relief for me.

[gaylittleeddie]

You want Soapghost asks, you get them… headcanons, share. It’s my favorite thing to ask bc we’re all so creative and I love it.

oh I used to make a whole tiktok series on this so I’m happy to oblige.

- Most ppl make Soap the picky eater but I actually think the opposite. (No hate to the ppl who do obviously). Ghost is the picky eater. Outside of missions, he’s very meticulous about what he eats. He doesn’t like certain textures and if it has a weird aftertaste he won’t eat it. Soap however, will eat anything you put in front of him like dog

- Soap has a thing for bad boys and always had. Any man that screams elusive and dangerous, he gets infatuated with. So he’s not at all surprised by his crush on Ghost. He does get surprised by him falling in love with Ghost, though. He’s had a strict no allowing himself to fall in love rule after he had joined the military, afraid of leaving someone behind. So in a way, both Soap and Ghost were each others exceptions when it comes to falling in love.

- Ghost is one clingy mf. Sometimes, if Soap is sketching something or watching tv, he’ll take the object from his hands and toss it to the side before settling onto his lap, pulling him in for a cuddling session. Soap calls it “dedicated to Simon time.” Each time the Scot just laughs lightly and hugs him tightly. This only happens when they’re alone tho.

- They try to keep their relationship a secret for as long as possible and it’s actually Rudy that ends up clocking them on it. Alejandro and Rudy had come down for a visit. Rudy took one look at them and said, “Glad to see you finally got together.” This causes both Price and Gaz to look over at them in confusion.

- Soap actually cut his hair into a Mohawk for two reasons. 1) it looked cool and his parents always told him no to it growing up. 2) he has a terrible habit of tugging at his hair aggressively when he’s stressed and had originally planned to cut it all off in a buzz cut but couldn’t fully let go of his hair. It’s harder to rip at like this.

- they are always in each others spaces. if soap is standing, you’ll find ghost pressed up behind him as he talks to someone. If ghost is somewhere you can guarantee you’ll see soap right next to him

- Ghost gets man flu. Badly. ghost whenever he’s sick and will spend the whole time complaining and latching onto Soap

- Although Soap will eat anything you put in front of him, if there’s a sudden hard object in his food or a weird crunch, he’ll convince himself it’s a bug or bones and will be unable to finish it.

- Price had caught onto Ghost’s feelings as soon as he had heard Soap switch from “Mactavish” “Sergeant” or “Soap” to “Johnny.”

- They communicate sometimes via tapping or squeezing Morse code into each others limbs. This is both on missions and when they’re around their friends. Bonus if this is what gets them together.

- Ghost tends to shut himself away and hide when he has a breakdown. Soap is always able to find him.

- Soap apologizes a lot when he’s breaking down. Ghost reassures him it’s okay and that he doesn’t have to apologize.

- Ghost is a really attentive boyfriend. He puts his all into loving Johnny, even if scares him. He tries every day to fight against his trauma that’s begging him to run and hide. When they first started nearing more than friends, Ghost tried his best to stay away but just couldn’t. He never was toxic to Soap. Just tried to emotionally and mentally distance himself by trying to spend a more normal amount of time with him where he tried to be more friendly than lowkey flirty. Nothing worked. So then he figured if he was going to do this, he’ll treat it like he treats a mission and give it his best shot at succeeding. Be the best he can be in his role. They have a very healthy relationship bc of it.

- Soap has two sisters. One older (by only a year. He was an oops baby as she loves to tell him) and one younger (by two years). His older sister has always been overprotective over him. She’s headstrong and practically helped their mother raise the two younger siblings since their father was always working. His younger sister is more on the shy side. She’s very quiet. Doesn’t defend herself much. She likes music and art and is actually a famous violin player. His older sister is a stay at home mom to two wonderful children. An elder boy and a girl. She named the girl after Soap bc she said said she reminded her so much of him as a baby. Her name is Johnna. Soap thinks it’s because she was born after he just left their house for a slightly longer leave.

- My friend hammy and I actually both have this one. Ghost likes photography. He takes pictures of his loved ones off guard with a Polaroid camera and keeps them in a fire proof box underneath his bed. He does this bc he really has nothing to remember his original family by, so he tries his best to keep memoirs of his found one. Soap takes up a majority of them.

- Sometimes if Soap isn’t paying attention to him when they’re on leave, Ghost will just straight up pick him up and haul him over his shoulder to bring him wherever he wants to go. Soap always loudly protests about this but let’s him do it anyways.

- Ghost is gay and demisexual. Soap is bi with a heavy male lean.

[androdetective]

Basic notice: I'm aware the show isn't serious and is basically just jokes. It's just fun to psychoanalyze

Cindy as a character wasn't developed much past being Tulio's girlfriend (and/or ex 💀) Which is really unfortunate, as the show doesn't have as much developed female characters. This is really unfortunate as from what we've seen of her, she seems like an interesting character with more to bring. And even more unfortunate was that over time she was made into the "spiteful obsessive ex lover" character. From what we're aware of her, in the beginning of the second season she had a summer fling with Tulio. She took it very seriously and was head over heels. When Tulio was trying to host the news, he would be interrupted by many incoming letters for him. They were all sent from Cindy trying to get his attention. They got so invasive that he couldn't continue on with the news. Eventually she gets inside the studio and manages to talk to him. Tulio, embarrassed, by all the attention he's getting from Cindy and his friends cooing at him, tries to get her to leave and deny things that happened between them. He then says something rude to her that gets her to break up with him and leave. Tulio only did this to impress his friends, and has now realized his mistake and wants Cindy back. Later, Cindy does give him a chance to make it up to her. Initially, he fucks it up stupidly bad, but then wins her over. (Bc he remembered her cell phone number, which is insane)

The next big appearance she had was in episode 33. She arrived at the studio, saying she was upset at tulio for lying about the show being educative. Tulio again tries to win her back, this time by reenacting a play of Don Quixote. It went badly and Cindy left him. (I'm amazed by how bad Tulio is)

The last bigger appearance she had in the show was in season 4. She pretends to be a dangerous, escaped criminal who wants revenge on Tulio. She is aided by the help of the other studio members to teach Tulio a lesson. Tulio, the entire episode, is scared shitless. Until in the end, it's finally revealed to him it was actually Cindy. Cindy tells him the reason she did this was because he forgot her at a restaurant 6 YEARS AGO. and to make matters worse, a TV in the restaurant was playing a live interview Tulio was doing. In it, he said he "would never miss a chance to talk about himself" and "he had nothing important to do." After that, she reasonably held a grudge towards him. But to have such a strong grudge for six years seems depressingly desperate. She evem had pictures of Tulio she'd throw sharp objects at. Why did she hatch such a dramatic plan to get back with such a shitty guy. A guy that forgot about her for six years. We're aware that she loves people strongly, to the point of it being excessive. But to do that with such an awful partner is concerning. We don't know her background, but I do wonder if if she was given one, would it explain why she attached herself to someone so quickly? Does she not have other better people in her life? Why Tulio of all people?? At the end of it, Cindy just wants to be loved and have attention. She does it in unhealthy ways, though, and attached herself to an overall bad partner. Tulio is far from mentally healthy and has rocky relationships with everyone. He has a push and pull relationship with people in his life. This generally isn't Cindy's fault. If either were more functioning, they'd communicate their unhealthy habits and reach a mutual conclusion. But they're not that at all, so that's never gonna happen. Tulio ended up hurting Cindy, a lot. This isn't unusual with the closest people in his life, but this feels particularly egregious. I hope Cindy ends up leaving Tulio for good one day, manages to recover from him, and evolve mentally.

[smashing-teacups]

A Breath of Snow and Christmas, Chapter Two

A/N: Only a bit delayed, now that it’s, you know, February... 😅

“No she did not!”

“Aye, she did.” Even in the dim lighting of the bar, I could see Jamie blush straight to the tips of his ears. Shaking his head, he brought his tumbler to his lips and took a healthy swallow. “Fair certain the whole campus saw ‘fore I got wind of it.”

Despite the dire warnings from Google that the holiday might impact business hours, it had been surprisingly easy to find a pub that was open at 9:30 PM on Christmas Eve. Even more surprisingly, we found that the place was packed by the time we arrived: middle-aged couples dressed in their finery, out for a nightcap after the symphony or ballet; clusters of raucous university students clutching pint glasses as they chatted and laughed; a handful of lone patrons hunched over their cups.

Willing to take whatever space was available, we’d gratefully accepted a pair of stools at the far end of the counter, huddled quite close together by virtue of necessity. Given our unorthodox day back at the hospital, though, what might otherwise have been an awkward proximity for a first date felt surprisingly comfortable — natural, even — between the two of us. And with the addition of alcohol, the last of my social inhibitions had all but dissolved, my head pleasantly light, my belly warm with whisky, and my knee tucked intimately between Jamie’s.

He was a born storyteller, and I found myself completely enraptured as he spoke about his childhood in the Scottish Highlands, his embarrassing trials and tribulations at uni (I simply couldn’t get over the fact that he’d been a frat boy, and had teased him until he finally relented and told me about it), and his bumbling romances all throughout. I couldn’t help my initial skepticism when he mentioned that he hadn’t been in many relationships — one look at him, and I thought he must have slept with half of Massachusetts. But the more he talked, the more apparent it became that he actually found his appearance to be a hindrance; he was frustratingly noticeable, always drawing the wrong sort of attention at the wrong time. He’d just finished telling me about a girl at uni who’d printed out his pictures from Facebook and pasted them over the faces of naked men in a Hot Scot calendar, then pinned it up on the community board with a sticky note that said You’re welcome, ladies!  

“I hope you got a bloody restraining order!” I fumed.

“Nah.” His mouth twitched, not quite a smile. “She was only a lass, a freshman. Didna mean any harm by it, jes’ thought she was bein’ funny.” He tipped his tumbler back, draining the dregs, then spun the empty glass between his hands for a moment before shrugging dismissively. “But that was, uh… that was the end of my love life at uni. Most everyone thought I was the one who’d put it up, and ye can imagine what sort of impression that left on the women I was interested in.”

I nodded slowly, well aware of what I would have thought — assumed — had I been in school with him. “I’m so sorry.”

At long last, he raised his lashes to look at me, and not for the first time, I was struck by how kind his eyes were, how soulful. “I’m not,” he said softly, setting his glass down on the bartop with a dull clink. “Probably better that way, in hindsight. Meant that I was able tae put all my focus into my studies. Dinna ken that I would have ever gotten into nursing school otherwise.”

I smiled, watching him over the rim of my glass as I took a long, pleasantly burning sip of my own whisky. Following the segue onto common ground, I asked after I’d swallowed, “So what made you decide to go into nursing?”

Keep reading...

[artistic-mathematics]

my 2am analysis on Dwangela

okay I really don’t know why I decided to write a canon compliant Dwangela fic spanning the entire show like

I don’t even know how I’m gonna begin to write season 4′s stuff. like every time I even think about it I just want to vomit bc HIGHKEY if Dwight had just fed Sprinkles the medicine Angela told him to they probably would’ve gotten married in season 4 and all would’ve been fine but nope it took them eight whole seasons to even get engaged afterwards and then we got almost 0 content of them actually being in a healthy relationship again and it’s just like 3u5irefwngkjej54

this all stemmed from the fact that I genuinely think to this day, Dwangela is still misunderstood by the majority of the community. actually, Angela as a character is still misunderstood, which is crazy considering that this show ended over a decade ago and my first watch was like two months ago.

before anyone says anything YES, Angela was still a horrible person and I don’t really think I need to cite why, but I do think her motivations and eventual progression arc are just completely slept on (and also, season 9 finale Angela is a much, much better person than she was during the rest of the show).

I think the biggest thing I’ve seen from people is like “why did Angela end up with Dwight?” and they just tend to forget that Angela went through an entire character arc in literally just the last half of season 9. would it have been better if the show actually like shown more of it? absolutely. but it’s pretty obvious that Angela from S9E20: Paper Airplane is a completely different Angela from S9E22: A.A.R.M. is she still the greatest person? oh absolutely not, but I do think that her actions in this last half (starting from S9E16: Moving On) show enough growth and maturation that she deserved her own happy ending with Dwight.

(ALSO YES, IT’S A HAPPY ENDING. people who say that Angela is going to cheat on Dwight clearly misunderstood this entire plot line. I’ll get to that later.)

she hits rock bottom in S9E21: Livin’ the Dream and even then we can see a huge difference between this episode and S9E20. in the previous episode, she refused to accept help from Dwight (and by extension, Esther), but in this episode not only does she try to go out of her way to help Andy but she also accepts help from Oscar and actively reaches out for his hand, something that she’d deadass refused to do since season 3 when he was outed as gay. by accepting she needs help and then finally, FINALLY admitting out loud that she loves Dwight (something that she pretty much skirted around when possible, even back in seasons 4-5), she’s shown that she’s finally letting down the walls that she’d constructed for years and years. she’s finally letting herself be vulnerable, and that shit takes strength, especially from someone who’d spent so many years letting pride dictate her life and practically pretended to live a life that wasn’t hers just to save face.

(yes, she did it because she hit rock bottom. but then again, she literally didn’t even have to do that. she could’ve just kept digging a deeper hole for herself anyway, blaming Oscar and the state senator and still refusing to admit anything. would it have helped her? no lol, but at least she was able to analyze and recognize that her own actions were her downfall instead of continuing blaming others for her issues, which she had no problem doing throughout the show.)

another thing I’ve noticed is that people were like “she continued lying to Dwight about Phillip” and I’ma be real with you, I think that lie is the most ethical lie she told throughout the entire series.

let me explain.

actually, let Angela explain, because she outright explains this during Dwight’s proposal that she wanted him to marry her because it was her he wanted to marry. I don’t think this was selfish at all. sure, she probably should’ve told him -- lying about it is still shitty -- but what does she even gain from lying about it? she literally gains absolutely nothing here. she already admitted to Oscar (and by extension, herself) that she loves Dwight. if Dwight were to propose to her because of Phillip, there’s no world where she’d be unhappy in that relationship since she knows she loves Dwight.

but she doesn’t know if Dwight still loves her (yeah, they did make out like five episodes ago BUT remember he’s in a committed relationship now) -- and she was literally just in a loveless marriage. she was also in a loveless engagement, with Andy (and oh my god I might make a post about this at some point but I HAVE SO MANY GRIPES OVER THIS ENGAGEMENT. not at the writers, but just like how did this even??? like?????).

in S9E21, she makes it very clear that she’s accepted that Dwight and Esther are a thing. S9E22 happens some time afterwards (around a month or so according to Dunderpedia) and it’s probably long enough for Angela to realize that it’s genuinely serious, and I mean. just look at Dwight in that episode. he looks so happy.

when Dwight calls Angela into his office to propose that business marriage, I think all of these things came to her mind -- and let’s be honest, the last time they tried to make some business out of something that clearly should be romantic (cough cough sex contract cough cough) it, uh, didn’t go well. and so she lies. she tells him that Phillip isn’t his son, and that lie was enough. it sent his emotions into turmoil, enough so that he ends up calling Jim in and talking to him about it makes him snap to his senses -- that he still loves Angela, and now that Angela is actually available again he needs to go for it.

and of course Angela accepts. you can see her anger from Dwight almost running her off the road completely ebb away when Dwight yells “I love you!” she pauses and processes.

oh also for the people who think that marriage is terrible and that Angela is just gonna cheat on Dwight? the entire point of Dwangela was that Angela couldn’t commit to any of her other romantic relationships because she still loved Dwight. from seasons 2 through 9 she was still very much in love with Dwight, and only cheated on people with Dwight.

also I don’t think Dwight ever stopped loving Angela, either. I mean like, he seemed to really like Isabel and went through an entire talking head where he compared Isabel and Angela to each other but as Jim said to Dwight in S9E21, “you just have to forget about all the logic and fear and doubt” -- and the thing is, I don’t think love ever made sense to Dwight after he broke up with Angela in season 5. it also makes sense as to why Dwight broke up with Isabel so brutally as a result, treating her like absolute garbage the day of Pam and Jim’s wedding.

also I think people forget that like, Dwight was very in on the cheating??? Angela knew she was engaged to Andy in season 5 and knew she was engaged (and eventually married) to the state senator in season 8, like he obviously was a part of this too lmao? and there was a whole episode where people shat on Michael for dating a woman who had a husband and how he was a horrible person LIKE. he knew she was in a relationship and still chose to do what he did. I’m not saying that it’s his fault entirely bc it’s still like 95% Angela’s fault but Dwight buddy, come on, idk what you expected

anyway I go sleep now I just had to get this out before I passed out lol

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🦇 Triple Sec Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

❓ #QOTD What's your favorite drink (non-alcoholic or cocktail)? 🦇 Post-divorce, Mel is now a jaded bartender at Terror & Virtue; a swanky cocktail lounge in NYC that gives the bar staff little room for creativity. There, Mel meets Bebe; beautiful, funny, and all too enchanting. Oh, and Bebe's partner, Kade. Mel tries to put meeting the bubbly beauty out of her mind until Bebe makes a unique offer: she wants to take Mel on a date. So begins Mel's first steps into the polyamorous world, prompting Mel to open her long trampled-on heart. While Mel balances shifts and dates with Bebe, she contemplates entering a cocktail competition to turn the dream of opening her own bar into a reality. But what if it all becomes too much at once?

💜 So, TJ Alexander is now a new auto-buy, a new fave, a new literary love. There are some books you have to read for chapters and chapters before you fall into the voice, before you recognize the main character's tone and inflictions and moods. The essence of Mel, from that very page, is both familiar and foreign, as most bartenders are. That's what makes them easy to talk to. Alexander's word choice is easy and enthralling; a comfort. Each character lives off the page until they're telling the story alongside you, from Bebe's bubbly personality to Kade's soft stoicism. This book is so beautifully, unapologetically, and above all NATURALLY queer. It's as refreshing as the palomas Mel loves (hopefully, since I wouldn't know), smooth and citrusy, sparkling and fun. I'm sad that I had to reach the end, even though the story's ending quenched my thirst after a long drought of 'meh' reads.

💜 Alexander provides a healthy, comforting, realistic glimpse into the polyamorous world. Each amendment to the written agreement Mel and Bebe began with showed us Mel's development as she opened her heart a little bit more with each chapter. I adored Mel's reason that many people she already knew (including her own roommate and best friend) were in poly relationships. Even though it took Mel by surprise, the actual existence of these relationships was natural. Alexander provides so many small glimpses into this world, inviting readers to understand different dynamics and arrangements, but there are bigger themes at play that I wish we delved into more for Mel's sake. For example, the analogy that relationships are gardens we must tend to, less they wilt. While Mel decides to put more of an effort into her friendship with Daniel, we only see two small attempts (a brief conversation and her meeting Daniel's paramour).

💜 Mel's trip with Kade was everything, providing us with an opportunity to focus on Kade's microexpressions and inner workings. I honestly could have lived in that chapter far longer. Maybe we can get a prequel, with Kade and Bebe and Blue, from Kade's point of view? I understand too well, being the person who feels so, so much but doesn't always show it. The commentary on jealous, their reasoning behind Bebe calling them "wife," their reaction to Mel defending them when so many people misgendered them at the airport; everything. Kade's smallest gestures had the biggest impact, including their urging for Mel to TALK with them and Bebe instead of getting upset over a minor mistake. Communication is a big theme in this book, in the BEST way. Bebe and Kade urge Mel to process her thoughts and feelings, even when Mel tends to fight them. Again, a wonderful portrayal of a healthy relationship.

💙 As captivating as Alexander's voice and wordplay were, I feel like some moments were rushed through. We don't get much of a chance to linger on the development of the relationships, HOW the feelings came about, instead moving quickly from the first date to Mel's unexpected attachment to Bebe, then again from the snow trip to amending the agreement once to include Kade to eventually the final amendment. There was just a bit too much tell and not enough show for me. Also, can we get some of Mel's recipes, pretty please?

🦇 Recommended to fans of Casey McQuiston and Alexandria Bellefleur.

✨ The Vibes ✨ 🍸 Delightfully Queer 🍸 Polyamorous Relationships 🍸 No Third-Act Breakup 🍸 Cocktail Competition 🍸 Contemporary Romance 🍸 Lesbian Protagonist / Sapphic Ship 🍸 Non-Binary Love Interest 🍸 Smut

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #TripleSec

💬 Quotes ❝ "There’s a difference between feeling something and letting it consume you.” ❞ ❝ 'Just’ friends makes it sound like something lesser. Easier. I don’t think it is. It’s still a garden that needs tending, even if it’s growing something else. In some other season.” ❞ ❝ “Blue used all pronouns. They used to say it was the closest they could get to describing the infinite spirit inside them.” ❞ ❝ “You grow up, thinking, ‘If only I can find the one person I can be with for the rest of my life, if only I can get a house with a yard, as long as I am living the most normal, blameless life, then that will show ’em. You know? You think you have to tick all these boxes. That your relationship has to look a certain way. Even if you’re—no, especially if you’re queer. There’s so much pressure to do the right thing.” ❞ ❝ The boot shape of Italy stared back at her, reminding her of Pompeii. She had roots in a disaster zone; she’d been born into it. Maybe, instead of running from it, she could stand still, face the eruption, and embrace whatever came. ❞

[ceruleanwhore]

I’ve been thinking a lot about the end of Ted Lasso ever since the finale dropped and part of that is that I’m starting to really stop and think about season 3, which I didn’t have a chance to do before the finale because basically I was way behind and watched the entire last two seasons in like a week before the finale dropped to catch up just in time for the end. Because of my viewing experience and how I did rush through everything like that in order to be able to watch the finale when it aired, I didn’t really have a chance to analyse those seasons in any real capacity before that last episode dropped, which I now think contributed to my shock at how bad I felt the ending was. In retrospect, I actually think that the show was starting to go downhill even before season 3 first started and that this finale is the end result of that shift rather than it being this cheap shot out of left field that it first felt like it was.

First, there’s the matter of how they handle Nate’s fall from grace and his bit of a villain arc. While it’s not unrealistic for a guy to be unpopular and have no friends and then, when someone chooses to give him a chance because they think he’s just misunderstood, he turns out to be shitty, this doesn’t actually fit for Nate’s character or for the story in general. Nate is a kind of awkward guy who reads as neurodivergent and blossoms with the help and encouragement and validation that he first gets from Ted and then from the others and at the time they start this shift to the dark side with him, he’s actually in the middle of positive growth and is doing really well. There are other characters that they could have done this sort of arc with and had it make sense but, in the context of the story and Nate’s own character arc, it frankly just doesn’t really make sense. Combine that with some other aspects of how his character and this arc are written and it comes across like there’s maybe some bits of racism or perhaps also ableism floating around in the background there, especially when it comes to fucking Jade.

When Jade interacts with him, it definitely comes across as racist and potentially also ableist and classist, and yet her actions are never criticized and she’s actually rewarded by the narrative for some of this shit. Refusing to let Nate book that one table for no discernible reason is treated like a good thing for giving him an opportunity to learn and grow or whatever and when they’re actually dating and she goes behind his back to get him fired in order to force him into a life decision he doesn’t want to make, he never criticizes her for it and I think he even ends up thanking her. This is all coming from a show that, in the first season or two, showed us very solid, healthy relationships such as Roy and Keeley (regardless of if you ship it) and took the time to pick apart the makings of a healthy relationship and how it’s built on solid communication and mutual respect. For them to turn around and have Nate revert into this crude stereotype of a weird loser and then put him in a relationship built on disrespect and, dare I say, bigotry against him while having the audacity to present it like it’s good and healthy makes it feel like this is a different show entirely.

Going along with the idea of race, I also want to talk about Akufo. There are definitely more truly wealthy people in the show than just him and Jack, and yet I do take issue with how the only two people who are acknowledged to be billionaires, with a b, are a sapphic woman and a black man, since both are villains and both of their villainy is wholly rooted not just in money but in them being billionaires. I’ll talk more about Jack in a minute but I want to start with Akufo, because it makes me uncomfortable that they didn’t just create a villainous billionaire who happens to be a black African man but that his character is so… crude and gross and does stuff like have his assistant throw food at people who disagree with him. I mean, for fuck’s sake, throwback to when Sam turns him down and he is literally out here pantomiming taking a shit on him or whatever that was. It feels really racist and I just don’t understand for the life of me why they wouldn’t put in a white African billionaire based kind of on Elon Musk who’s out here with his fortune he built on Daddy’s blood money and then have that kind of character be doing all this crude, childish shit. It would’ve also added another layer to the conflict between him and Sam by introducing an element of racism and I just feel like it both would have actually made more sense and would have fixed the issues with the presentation of Akufo’s character.

As for Jack, the biggest issue is that we apparently can’t let a main character like Keeley be in a healthy, happy relationship that isn’t straight. It’s not that I think every lgbtq relationship in media needs to be nice and happy and healthy, but it just sits wrong with me that the only relationship that happens in the course of the show that is presented as being this unhealthy is the one sapphic romance featuring a main character. Don’t get me wrong — I love Colin and his bf, but Colin’s a side character and his bf is just a hair above being a nameless extra. Also, it bothers me to no end how they choose this relationship to point out issues with power imbalance but when Rebecca does it with Sam, she’s a girlboss who ✨slays✨ 

My other issue with the Jack situation is that, as someone else pointed out, the writers are willing to put in gay characters, but only in certain ways, and they aren’t willing to *go there* and allow existing characters to just happen to end up in lgbtq relationships with each other. Instead, it’s that we have our set, token lgbtq rep characters and they are exclusively allowed to do gay stuff with designated side characters that are invented solely for that purpose. They can invent a whole new person so Keeley can snog a girl, but they couldn’t possibly let her just do that with Rebecca, or even Sassy. Also, I was talking to my mom about Keeley and Jack’s relationship and she pointed out that while I had previously talked about how Roy and Keeley’s relationship really did a great job of showcasing the female gaze, Keeley and Jack really came across like they were written and filmed through the male gaze. In particular, she pointed out the scene when they’re in Keeley’s office and Keeley first kisses Jack and how, to my mom, that felt like the ‘girl on girl’ stuff that skeezy straight guys like to watch, and she’s right. Again, to my original point of this show going downhill, how tf did we go from a straight relationship that was the epitome of the female gaze in season 1 to a sapphic relationship that’s just more male gaze, homophobic, objectifying bullshit in season 3?

So as I start to consider all this kind of shit, suddenly that ending isn’t so shocking anymore. All it really was was a clearer demonstration of how this show has changed for the worse and it hit harder just because it was the finale and that was their chance to fix a bunch of stuff, but they didn’t. Ted Lasso is a show about hope and believing in everyone’s potential for good, so I think what happened is that, by virtue of the original messaging of the show itself, we all ended up hoping and believing in the show and the writers to become aware of their mistakes and fix them in time, just as their characters do, but they didn’t.