#yes of course I contrast her with Taylor

[illinoaventing]

Taylor is so Tiktok-y. She is a culture vulture yes, but she is... also in it.

See, whenever something is popular, especially in the culture of white women, she will release an album with similar aesthetic.

In 2014, Tumblr was major and we have photos with these kinds of faded filters and Polaroid pictures. 1989 follows that too, but it looks off yk not like a deliberated attempt to create an artistic statement for the album like other artists. But what do I expect from a goofy ahh album title wdym your special trait is being born in the year 1989? Are you Christ?

And then in late 2019 early 2020 the cottagecore aesthetic was trending and she released folklore... like she wore long flowery dress and touched grass and stuff.

Then the Fall/Downtown girl/Rory Gilmore aesthetic. Miss girl wore thick jacket standing among trees 😭.

Then the whole 80s era came back and people loved it hard. Of course the next album must copy what the most mainstream aesthetic is trending! The lighting must mimicks the dreamy, glowing vibe of 80s pictures, with lots of contrast to create a vintage air. Tabloid of course must be sitting in a room with vintage interior design she damn well never lives in and even with a bloody vintage keyboard piano to complete the look 😭!!

And here we have the rise of #booktok and literaturetok community where people quoted Dostoyevsky and Kafka and Jane Austen and stuff. Is it a coincidence that Swifties start to chant about Taylor's pen and compare her to Emily Dickinson just by accident? Idk. But there she is promoting a whole album which is essentially about making literature an aesthetic, and she did it in a very surface-level way, like what do we imagine when we think of literature? Books, typewriter, fountain pen, cursive writings right? She basically grabbed them all and display it everywhere in the blandest way possible. Like, there's nothing visually artistically stimulating and curious. Black and white filter, paper, typewriter? Ground breaking. This MV should be preserved as a cultural relic. Even when a movie or video game tried to take an aesthetic but wrong, they still intertwine some modern twist on it to look more interesting.

So my take is that Taylor has no artistic individuality. She hops from trend to trend like a chameleon. She thinks of herself as an aesthetic enough of its own. Of course nothing is wrong about wearing what everyone is wearing but as an artist? You know how important personal artistic style is, it's to establish your own image. I think her signature is her blond hair, that's all. So despite being very famous, the general public just don't recognize her much except for being a white blond woman who sometimes sings with guitar... and there are many white blond women singers with guitar, they're just not as famous or insufferable as.

[nottsbitch]

The Alchemy - T.N.

Based on the Taylor Swift song

✩✩✩✩

To say that you were stressed was an understatement. You were currently in your seat at the Quidditch World Cup, where your boyfriend, Theo, was about to begin playing the biggest game of his career.

“Calm down, would you?” came from Draco on your left. Next to him was Daphne, and on the other side of you were Blaise and Pansy.

You glanced around at your friends, their presence offering a mix of comfort and distraction. Draco, with his usual air of nonchalance, was trying to ease your nerves, while Daphne’s calm smile was a soothing contrast to the chaotic energy of the stadium. Blaise and Pansy were on the other side of you, their faces set with a mix of anticipation and support.

“I’m trying,” you said, gripping the edge of your seat. “But it’s easier said than done.”

Pansy leaned in, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. “You know, I’ve seen Theo practice, and he’s exceptional. If anyone can handle this pressure, it’s him.”

Blaise nodded in agreement. “Pansy’s right. Theo’s worked incredibly hard to get here. Just focus on the game. He’ll give it his all.”

Draco gave you a reassuring pat on the back. “Remember, it’s just a game. It’s important, yes, but it’s not the end of the world. He’s already made a huge achievement by getting this far.”

Daphne’s voice was steady and calming. “And no matter what happens, you’re all here to support him. That’s what matters most.”

As the announcer’s voice boomed, signaling the start of the match, the stadium’s roar grew louder, drowning out all other sounds. The players took their positions, and you watched, heart racing, as the game began.

Draco, Daphne, Blaise, and Pansy cheered enthusiastically as the teams flew across the pitch. The intensity of the game was reflected in their faces—Draco’s eyes were sharp and focused, Daphne’s were filled with quiet confidence, Blaise was almost vibrating with energy, and Pansy was practically bouncing in her seat.

The match was competitive, with both teams demonstrating incredible skill. Theo’s team was holding their own, but it was clear the game was going to be a nail-biter. Every goal, every maneuver, every close call had you on edge.

At one particularly tense moment, Draco turned to you with a grin. “Remember how you said you didn’t want to be here for this? You’re doing great.”

You managed a shaky laugh. “I think I’m the only one who’s more nervous than he is.”

Blaise chimed in, “That’s probably because you care so much. It’s a good thing. Theo's lucky.”

The game continued with relentless energy. The Seeker from Theo’s team was weaving through players, searching for the elusive Golden Snitch. The tension was palpable as the Seeker and the Snitch seemed to be locked in an almost eternal dance.

Then, in a flash of gold and green, the Seeker’s hand closed around the Snitch. The whistle blew, and the crowd erupted into a thunderous cheer. The match was over, and Theo’s team had won.

You jumped up, your emotions spilling over as you celebrated with Draco, Daphne, Blaise, and Pansy. The sense of shared joy and relief was overwhelming. Theo’s victory was not just his; it was a testament to the support and belief of everyone who had been with him on this journey.

In that instant of triumph, the world seemed to narrow down to one person—Theo. The moment he saw the Snitch in the Seeker’s hand, his eyes locked on yours, cutting through the chaos and noise of the celebration.

With his heart pounding and adrenaline coursing through him, Theo pushed through the crowd of players and supporters. Every step was a surge of pure focus as he sought you out. His face was a picture of exhilaration and relief, his eyes scanning the stands until they found you.

Ignoring everything else, Theo sprinted towards you, his gaze never wavering. As he reached you, he threw his arms around you, pulling you into him. Before you could say anything his hands were on your face pulling you in for a long-awaited kiss. When you pulled away his breath was heavy and quick, his voice trembling with emotion.

“I did it! We did it!” he shouted, his voice choked with tears of happiness.

You hugged him tightly, tears streaming down your face. “You were incredible! I knew you could do it!”

Theo held you close, his eyes shining with the intensity of the moment. “I couldn’t have done this without you. This trophy is ours.”

Draco, Daphne, Blaise, and Pansy joined you, their cheers blending with everyone else's in the stadium. “We wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” Daphne said warmly.

Pansy nodded, her eyes sparkling. “You were amazing out there. This is a dream come true!”

Blaise clapped Theo on the back, grinning broadly. “You’ve earned this moment. Enjoy every second!”

As the celebration continued around you, the sense of joy and accomplishment was overwhelming. But you couldn't focus on anything beside the man next to you and the smile on his face.

✩✩✩✩

[lecsainz]

READY FOR IT

parings: luke castellan x ares!reader

summary: where you're the daughter of ares, and during a capture the flag game, you get angry with the son of hermes and the best swordsman at the camp, leading to a big fight with him.

an: I'm still trying to get used to the fact that the next time we see luke, he'll already be the villain 😭. and if you have any pjo requests, feel free to send them! yes, the title is from the taylor’s song, cause it was on repeat while I was writing.

( my last work || my last work for riodanverse || main masterlist )

You tightened every strap of your vest, ensuring it fit snugly against your body before the impending round of Capture the Flag.

The confidence in your team's prowess echoed within, just like the confidence in your own abilities. Your team's unbeaten streak reassured you, a source of collective pride among your half-siblings.

"Ready for another victory?" Clarisse's playful toss of her sword in your direction was met with your quick reflexes as you caught it, securing it to your waist, a reassuring weight that promised defense and offense in equal measure. "Of course! As always," you affirmed with a nod.

Walking in step with the other campers, you moved through the forest's lush foliage, Chiron's instructive words playing in your mind, an automatic script recited from countless past games.

Once Chiron signaled the start of the game, your gaze shifted to Clarisse, exchanging a playful yet determined glance. "See you on the other side," you quipped with a hint of competitive spirit.

"Better be!" She laughed back.

Parting ways from the group, you ventured alone into the forest you knew by heart. The plan was to grab the flag while the others distracted the blue team. It had always worked, so why change it?

The forest engulfed you as you traversed deeper, rustling leaves and the distant calls of woodland creatures accompanied the group, a symphony of nature lending an atmospheric backdrop to the impending contest.

The path you trod felt oddly tranquil, an eerie calmness in stark contrast to the usual pre-game adrenaline rush. It raised a flicker of unease within you, a foreboding sense of something amiss.

Eventually, the azure flag emerged, solitary and unguarded, a tantalizing prize nestled among the foliage. However, your intuition whispered a warning, urging caution amidst the apparent opportunity.

Your instinct proved right. A subtle shift in the surroundings alerted you, a subtle disturbance that stirred the air, prompting you to whirl around, unsheathing your sword with lightning reflexes.

"I knew it!" The accusation slipped from your lips as you swiftly aimed the weapon at the figure of the Hermes boy who had materialized behind you, an unexpected yet anticipated intrusion.

"The rules of the game don't include killing or maiming," Luke's voice echoed, his calm demeanor belying the tension.

"Since when do you follow rules, Castellan?" You retorted sharply.

Glancing around quickly, you realized it was just the two of you.

"Why are you alone?" You took a step forward, still pointing the sword.

"It's easier to catch you off guard," he shrugged.

Then you advanced towards him, but he held back the blow easily with his sword. But it seemed too effortless for the best swordsman in 300 years at the camp. You noticed he was going easy on you when he countered, and that made you angry.

"Stop," you demanded as you attempted a move you'd practiced with Clarisse earlier in the week, catching Luke off guard.

Luke used his shield to defend. "Stop what?" He asked, not understanding.

"Stop trying to be kind!" You spat. "I can fight with you without you going easy."

"I'm not being kind, I'm being fair," he replied, parrying your sword. "I don't want to hurt you, Y/N."

That made you furious with the boy. You lunged at him with the sword, showcasing an anger inherited from your father and proving you could match Luke's level. With every strike you made, Luke stepped back until he found himself cornered behind a tree.

And with a final clash of swords, you ended up throwing Luke's sword away and stood face to face with him.

You breathed heavily, examining Luke, noticing details you hadn't seen before. And then, as you realized, you took a step back.

"Tired of looking?" Luke asked, a smirk forming on his face.

Pretending not to hear, you bent down to pick up Luke's sword. But as you reached for it, he was quicker, throwing you to the ground and pinning you down.

"Let me go, Castellan!" You squirmed under him but to no avail.

"You told me not to go easy on you, Y/L/N," he pinned your wrist to the ground when you tried to reach for his dagger at his waist.

"I hate you," you said.

Luke's laughter echoed through the forest, his eyes locked on yours. "No, you don't."

Frustration bubbled within you as you squirmed, trying to free yourself from his hold. He was strong, but you were clever.

With a swift movement, you feigned surrender, allowing your body to go limp beneath his grasp. Luke relaxed his grip slightly, thinking he had you under control.

But it was a ruse.

In that split second, you used the distraction to your advantage. You swiftly twisted your body, catching him off guard, and managed to slip out from under him.

Luke's eyes widened in surprise as you sprang to your feet, picking up his discarded sword and pointing it towards him. "I told you not to underestimate me, Castellan."

He smirked, impressed by your maneuver. "I guess I owe you an apology for that." You couldn't help but notice the glint in Luke's eyes and the hint of a smile playing on his lips.

[sebscore]

hey lovely! i love how u write and i’ve just had this idea for a request for a while and it’s with charles and u know how he plays the piano 😁 so the reader loves to sing and has a really nice voice so he loves to play like an adele song and let her just singgg. I think it’s so sweeet, have nice day/night ily!!🫶

PIANO PRINCE | CHARLES LECLERC

pairing: charles leclerc x singer!reader

warnings: this is heavily inspired by taylor swift and joe alwyn's relationship!

author's note: this is probably the first and only time I'll ever complete a request the day it was requested lol- I'm proud of myself. I know it is not exactly like how you suggested it, but I still hope you enjoy it! thanks for the support and I hope you have a nice day!

masterlist

• • • • • • •

''There is this one name that comes up a few times in the song credits,'' Jimmy puts the cover art of her new album down, ''Jules Perceval.'' He reads out loud, a humorous grin on his face.

Y/N nods her head, already knowing where this was going. ''Yes, Jules Perceval.'' She confirms.

''Your fans are quite confused on who this person is, because it's the first time they've shown up in your album credits and they have a lot of theories so can you confirm who Jules Perceval is?'' Her publicist had already confirmed with Jimmy's team that they had permission to ask about the mystery person that had producing credits on her new body of work.

The singer laughs as the audience reacts enthusiastically. ''Yes, I can,'' she mischievously smiles at Jimmy who claps his hands, ''Jules Perceval is a pseudonym for my boyfriend.'' As soon as the words left her mouth, the crowd started applauding and making 'ooh'- noises.

''Your boyfriend? Is he a composer or?'' The host grows more curious at the revelation that it's her significant other.

She shakes her head. ''No, he's actually a, uh, race car driver.'' Y/N chuckles, Jimmy's surprised face amusing her greatly.

''A race car driver? Wow, that's quite a contrast,'' he laughs, the audience giggling along with him, ''how did you guys end up working together? Because your jobs are vastly different.'' He asks, putting his cards down.

''It wasn't planned, but Charles- my boyfriend- he loves playing the piano and he's been doing that for years, and one day he was just playing around on it and not taking it very seriously, but he played this certain melody that caught my attention,'' she explained, ''I asked him to play it again, recorded it on my phone and I send it to my producer that I usually work with.''

''He sent a more worked out version of the melody back and that's how it came about.'' She finished her explanation.

Jimmy and the audience looked impressed. ''That's amazing! And why did he decide to use a pseudonym and not his real name?''

''We wanted people to listen to the song without having any higher expectations simply because he was in the credits.'' Y/N answers, diplomatically.

''Jules Perceval sounds very fancy,'' Jimmy smiled, gathering some laughs from the crowd, ''did you come up with that or did your boyfriend?''

''That was all him,'' she grinned, ''his godfather is named Jules and one of his middle names is Perceval so that's how the name came about.'' Y/N remembers clearly how proud Charles looked as he told her and her team which name he wanted to be credited under.

''I love that! Well, if the racing doesn't work out, he has another profession he can get right into.'' Jimmy teased, leaning his arms on the desk.

Y/N giggled, hiding her face in her hands. ''I'll tell him that.''

''So… I can quit racing, huh?'' Charles' tired voice sounded over the phone, the mischief still present.

Y/N snorted at his greeting. ''You watched the interview then, I thought you might be too busy to watch it.''

''Of course I saw it, it was your first time on the show- I couldn't miss it.'' His words melted her heart, touched by the fact that he still took the time to watch her interview despite being busy in Italy with simulator work.

''I really appreciate it, honey- I hope you're doing well, you sound very tired.'' His voice was a bit deeper than usual, indicating just how exhausted he was.

She could hear him chuckle on the other side. ''I'm fine, chérie,'' he assured her, ''it was just a long day, that's all.''

Y/N was about to reply, but her manager waved her hands in front of her face. ''I'm sorry, we have to go now.'' She whispered, pointing at the door of the dressing room.

''You have to go, huh?'' Charles sighed.

''Yeah,'' the singer pouted, disappointed the couple didn't get to call for at least a few more minutes, ''I'll call you later, though.''

''It's okay, mon amour,'' despite not seeing him, she was sure he was smiling, ''I'm always proud of you, okay? I'm thinking of you.'' The driver let her know the words in his heart.

''I'm thinking of you too- I love you.'' Y/N bid him goodbye.

''Je t'aime.''

[lily-fics-11]

The Girl Next Door: Chapter 2 (Hazel Callahan, Bottoms)

Fic master post here (feel free to comment to be added to taglist)

The Girl Next Door

You hadn't been close with your neighbor Hazel for years. But you find her beat up in the locker room after fight club and all of that changes.

Chapter 2

Car rides with Hazel have you falling for her harder than ever. 

CW: mentions of blood and injury, mentions of violence, cursing, Taylor Swift references (I know not everyone is a fan so if people don't like it, I won't add anymore) *not beta read

You and Hazel walk to your car in silence. You get in the car and pass her the aux. “You still listen to Taylor Swift?” She asks shyly. 

“Of course I do!” You tell her with the biggest smile. She remembers your favorite singer. Does she remember all the times you would sing those songs together?

“What do you think about the new albums? And the re-recordings?” Hazel sounds excited to talk about Taylor Swift too, she remembers. 

“The 10 Minute Version of All Too Well has literally changed my life.”

“Should I put it on?”

“Absolutely!”

Before you know it you are on your way home, scream singing the 10 Minute Version of All Too Well, with Hazel. Since the song came out you’ve been listening to it over and over and thinking about her. There were so many lyrics that reminded you of your relationship with her. 

Her sweet disposition, and your wide eyed gaze. Being able to picture it after all these days. You might be okay but you’re not fine at all. How you got lost in translation. You had lost the one real thing you had ever known. It was rare, you were there, you remember it all to well.

But singing these lyrics with her, it was healing all those old wounds in a way you didn’t know was possible. You were stealing glances to see the smile on her face. Sometimes she would catch your gaze. As the words “ever lovely jewel” play she’s looking right at you.

Usually you were happy to live so close to the school. It was convenient. But with Hazel beside you it just wasn’t enough time. It’s hard to keep the smile on your face as you pull into your driveway, knowing that your time together is about to end. 

As soon as you are parked Hazel throws open the door, like she’s trying to run away. 

“Wait!” You yell at her, wondering why she’s so anxious the get out of your car. You do have to admit that this was a little overwhelming for you and it probably was for her too. She was the one that left you. She probably never wanted to be in this situation. 

She’s halfway out the door when she acknowledges you. She doesn’t say anything, just stares at you. 

You nervously clear your throat. 

“I just wanted to see if 8:00 was good for tomorrow morning…”

“Yeah. Yes. See you then.” Is all she has to say before she’s out and walking away from your car.

You were hurt for a moment but you started to watch her walk away and you realized that her wearing your sweatshirt meant that she was wearing your last name across her back. You just started giggling and then you punched your fist in the air and said “yes” when you thought about the smell of your perfume being stuck on her, even if it was only for a little while. You were never religious but you point up at the sky and say thank you. 

That night you spent about an hour curating the perfect outfit and set your alarm for an extra hour early so you would have time to perfect your makeup. 

When your alarm goes off the next morning you are immediately up and getting ready for the day, which is as stark contrast to your usual slamming of the snooze button. 

You usually just filled in your eyebrows and put on mascara for school but today you were going to be the first person Hazel saw and you wanted to stay on her mind all day. 

You start with your face. A little bronzer to warm up your face and a little blush to liven you up. Some highlighter on your cheekbones and the tip of your nose to catch light, and Hazel's attention. You also add a bit of highlighter to the inner corner of your eyes to draw her eyes right where you wanted it. You add a subtle wing to further accentuate your eyes and then do your usual mascara and brow routine. You finish off with your lips. You over-line them with a darker brown and fill them in with a nude lipstick to make them look as full as they can. You add a layer of lip gloss on top to make them look as inviting as possible. Not that you expect anything to come of this, but you can dream, right?

Your light wash ripped jeans are high waisted and perfectly hug the shape of your body. Your shirt is the perfect amount of low cut to highlight your assets and short enough to expose a tasteful amount of midriff. You put on your trusty pair of converse for good luck. 

You are in your car a few minutes early feeling a mixture of nerves and excitement. You sip on your coffee as you wait for Hazel. 

The clock hits 8:00, no Hazel. Not a problem though. You told her a few minutes early because you know she has a tendency to run late. That girl is nothing if not easily distracted.  

Hazel emerges from her house at 8:05 looking a little disheveled. She’s got hair sticking up out of place and she’s wearing… holy shit she is wearing your sweatshirt again!

Hazel plops down into your car. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to be late. I was just thinking about… things, and lost track of time.”

“Don’t worry about it.” You tell her, and you can’t help yourself from pointing out “I see that you’re still wearing my sweatshirt.”

Her eyes widen, pupils dilating, and a bright red flush appears on her face. 

“I, um, fell asleep in it last night. And I didn’t have time to find another sweatshirt after getting dressed,” she tries excuse but you don’t need any justification. It takes everything in you not to giggle and kick your feet. Your sweatshirt. On Hazel all night. The smell of your perfume on her and now on her pillows and sheets. 

You just nod, “makes sense.”

“I didn’t even have time to make coffee,” she shakes her head in disappointment.

You are not really sure what caffeine would do to someone like Hazel but you still offer “you can have some of mine.” You didn’t think it was possible, but she is blushing even more.

“No, it’s totally fine. It’s my fault I don’t have any coffee. I’m the one that got distracted. You shouldn’t have to give up any of your coffee because I’m a mess.”

“I don’t usually finish it before it gets cold. So feel free to go for it.”

She doesn’t say anything.

“We used to share everything, right?” You remind her.

“We used to share everything.” She echos. 

She mumbles something under her breath that you can’t quite make out. But to your surprise she picks up the coffee and takes a sip. 

You bite down a smile when you see a bit of your lipstick on her mouth, it must have gotten left behind from when you were drinking it. 

“What?” She questions, seeing your failed attempt at holding back a smile.

“You’ve got a little something…” you motion to your mouth. 

She looks confused and opens the visor to look in the mirror. You expect her to be upset that your lipstick got on her but she just giggles. “Believe me, this color looks very good on you, but I think it looks even better on me.”

You can’t help but giggle too.

To your surprise she doesn’t bother to wipe the lipstick off, she just leaves it there. Leaving behind the indirect connection of your lips for anyone to see. Not your ideal way to leave your lipstick on her lips but you can’t complain either. 

Your sweatshirt. Your lipstick. You feel like you are going to pass out. 

You clear your throat, “we should probably get going…” Hazel nods in agreement. 

You turn on the car and put it in reverse. 

“Can I have the aux?” She asks.

“Go for it.” You pull out of the driveway. 

“I made us a playlist.” Your jaw drops and you accidentally slam on the breaks. 

You look at Hazel and Hazel looks at you in a panic. “I’m so sorry!” You tell her.

“It’s ok, it’s fine, it’s all good,” she tries to assure you but she is clearly fearing for her life. How stupid could you be? Hazel will never get in your car again after this!

You just stare at her for a minute trying to gauge where she’s at. She clears her throat. “You should probably drive now…” she suggests.

You just nod and start to drive, focusing on the road, afraid to make eye contact. 

“So, the playlist,” she says very hesitantly, “it’s all the Taylor Swift songs we haven’t gotten to listen to together.”

Your mouth drops open and you are speechless.

Her eyes widen, and she quickly tries remedy the situation “if you don’t want to listen to it we don’t have to!”

“No! That’s not it. I’m just surprised. That’s all.” You mumble, just clear enough for her to understand what you are saying. 

“I always used to make us playlists,” it’s her turn to remind you. The memory is a little bittersweet, tainted by the years of separation.  Music starts playing over the speaker. 

If there is one thing people should know about Hazel it’s that she’s a talker. She can talk about anything and everything for hours on end. But in the best way possible. She always puts a smile on the face of whoever she is talking to. It’s quite endearing. 

Hazel goes off on a tangent about fight club. After telling you the story of how she ended up in the state you found her in yesterday she pauses for a moment. 

“You could always come with me today, to fight club. We meet everyday after school.” She shyly offers.

“Hazel I don’t know if you remember the blood all over you yesterday, but I do. And you have a black eye.” You are thinking it but neglect to mention how the black eye and smear of your lipstick are making you feel a certain type of way. 

“Yes there are, side effects, but it’s worth it to learn how to defend yourself. I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you.” That last part comes out as more of a mumble that may not have been intended for you to hear. 

You start to take the offer into consideration. How far are you willing to go to spend more time with Hazel? You don’t want to seem desperate, doing something you clearly don’t want to do just for her. So you ask “Isabel and Brittany are in the club, right?” They are two of your very close friends. 

“Yeah, and a bunch of other girls. I promise that everyone is really nice. Everyone except PJ. No one is trying to hurt you. Everyone except PJ. But if you are worried about who you are going to have to fight, you can just pair up with me until you get comfortable. You know I would never do anything to hurt you.” A lump forms in your throat and you focus on the road, afraid that if you look at her you will burst into tears. If asked at the age of 13 you would have said that Hazel would never in a million years do anything to hurt you. You absolutely believe she would never physically harm you. But she didn’t just break your heart, she ripped it out of your chest and stomped on it. If anything you would have preferred for her to have punched you square in the face. That pain would have only been temporary. A million thoughts are swimming through your mind but you snap back into reality once you realize that you just parked your car. 

You thought the pain of losing Hazel was the worst thing you would ever feel. But now that you are thinking about it, missing out on the opportunity to get Hazel back would be astronomically worse. You remind yourself that you wouldn’t be getting Hazel in the way that you truly want her. But it was better than not having her at all. You turn towards her and she is looking at you expectantly. 

You let out a deep breath you don’t know you were holding in when you tell her: “fuck it, I’m in.” Her face lights up.

“It’s going to be great,” she assures you, “I promise.” She holds out her pinky and you feel butterflies in your stomach. You hook your pinky around hers and you both kiss your thumbs. The way you always used to.

[majaloveschris]

That pic is cute but all I can see is when Chris wants to sell something he can, meaning, if people are questioning if his marriage and relationship are real yet we clearly can see he still shows affection to others while unknowingly being filmed, yet he struggles to do that with, the woman with the disappearing ring, when he’s being filmed knowingly and unknowingly, then there’s your truth people. 😎

Remember the park video when he wasn’t aware he was being recorded and his hand went in his pocket as she reached for it once she saw the lady filming them.

Remember the VF video of him seeing the camera and then pretending to be affectionate towards her.

Remember the VF video of him not knowing he’s being filmed and eyeing other women and then noticing the camera and trying to play it off.

Now we seem to have partially returned to the Chris we all came to know and love or he’s just relaxed as he’s in his element. But my thoughts are running rampant so…..let’s discuss.

If Chris was actually in this based on love and not some Hollywood pr, there’d be no questioning anything at least not to the extent it’s gone. There’d be no major plot holes. 🤭

If Chris was cool with said person in some Hollywood PR stunt, maybe things would be done more naturally like ….*cough* Taylor Swift and Travis. (Believe what ya want but I think they are PR and doing a damn good job of it) #TeamTT ❤️ 😂

Now back to Chris….if Chris was against this or the person involved regardless if he initially signed up for it or not, he would probably drag his feet if he couldn’t end things and boy would you lookie there, he’s been dragging his feet like hell even after claiming to be “married”. Meaning if Chris wanted us to believe this were legit, we wouldn’t be here discussing their bs over the past three years.

Imagine being a celeb and KNOWING people are online questioning you and your spouse’s marriage. If he truly loved or gave a damn about her, He’d have shut that down quick.

This is why I don’t bother arguing because in due time this is going to end, he’ll move on and once he’s in an actual relationship, the ones who currently think this is “real” will clearly see the stark contrast between Chris Evans in love vs Chris Evans in some Hollywood bullshit. I rest my case. 👩‍⚖️

They made a red carpet debut and all most could do was laugh. This fandom still rides for this man even when they are mad at him. Yes, this situation is stupid but man the jokes, the pure shade, the letting this girl know we aren’t buying what she’s tried and miserably failed to sell is Icing on the flipping cake!

👏

Also…..the flag mixup will never NOT be funny. 😂 GO LIBERIA!!!! 🇱🇷

Of course, he could sell this whole thing if he wanted to, but he just doesn't want to.

That park video says more than a thousand words. The fact that he didn't want to hold her hands and put his into his pockets when he thought no one was watching says a lot. They do everything for the camera. They are always trying to be sweet and all of that, but they can't keep up the act for so long, which we could see on the VF red carpet. Yeah, they tried playing the happy newlyweds when the camera was watching, when most of the time they were just standing next to each other and talking to other people.

As you said, there are a lot of plotholes. And I know people must be tired of me always bringing the wedding ceremony's location up, but that's my favorite example. Where was it? In Cape Cod? In his Boston-area home? Were the ceremony and party at two different locations? Different outlets mention different places and locations when this should be the easiest one to get, especially since these are all coming from "sources." The same goes for everyone who was at the wedding. Nobody saw them during that one year, yet now everybody is spotting them. Why are they saying they are private when they are putting out video dumps, are at different award shows, and call the paps on themselves?

I think most of the time, when it comes to celebrity couples, especially if one of them is not that well-known, the thought of them being PR is always there, and there will always be people who think certain couples are PR. I'm sure there were couples who were solely PR, and people didn't even figure it out because they were good at selling it. Maybe because they were comfortable around each other, and even if they weren't in love, they liked each other as people or even as friends. However, to me, their fake relationship lacks everything that would make it believable. I don't really think Chris thought this through, and I don't think he is capable of selling a relationship with someone he doesn't have feelings for. I don't necessarily mean "love" (in love with someone) here, but just love (liking the person as a friend, respecting them, wanting to be around them).

[allamericansbitch]

If I may weigh in again because I've been thinking about this nearly all day you're right that it really does not matter whether or not Taylor is mentally ill, and she is not in anyway obligated to discuss her mental health publicly. If she were mentally if, if she was so mentally ill and physiologically resistant to medication that her best option was ECT, it would not change the fact that what she is doing now is sensationalising both mental illness and ECT. There is no ethical way to sensationalise something - exoticisation is inherently racist, fetishising queerness is inherently queer-phobic, and aestheticising mental illness is inherently abelistic. No one is saying that she isn't allowed to engage with the concept of mental illness in her music and performances. What we are saying is that the way she is doing so is incredibly insensitive. She consistently denigrates someone else for being depressed, and having substance abuse issues in TTPD, then turns around and co-opts both those things in a highly performative, trivialising way.

The contrast between the accusatory way she says "You needed me but you needed drugs more" and the flippant delivery of "I was high functioning alcoholic/until nobody noticed my new aesthetic" makes it very clear that she is not approaching substance abuse with any gravity at all - in the first instance she only cares that it's getting in the way of someone loving her in the way she ways, and in the second instance she explicitly states that she views alcoholism as a personality to role-play for attention.

"Here we go again/the voices in his head/called again to end our days of wild" very succinctly embodies a recurring issue in the album - He implicitly has persistent, capital-letter mental health issues, and she is fed up of them interfering with her ability to have fun. She is very clearly trivialising someone's mental health issues, and expecting sympathy for having been victimised and "broken" by it. He's not mean to her, doesn't do anything to her, she's just tired of his problems -- and that's the feeling we're expected to be sympathetic towards, that's what's being valued over mental illness.

And all this is directly harmful. The wide-spread trivialisation of mental illness means that people have a harder time being taken seriously by professionals, it means that their friends, peers, co-workers, bosses, parents, teachers etc, don't understand the extent to which mental illness affects a person's life. Perhaps most dangerously of all, it means that the mentally ill individual may not understand that what they're experiencing isn't normal because the language of their experience has been misappropriated into a causal context. I understand that she's just following a trend, but in following it, she's also perpetuating it in a very big way because unfortunately, we live in a world where she has much more influence than anybody actually qualified to talk about mental health.

(I wanted to rant a little about how disgusting the TTPD choreo is from both a mental health and feminist perspective, but this is probably already way too long.)

yes YES YES! all this is exactly it. no one's saying she isnt allowed to talk about mental health issues or specifically her struggles with it, of course she can. it's the way she's choosing to express it that's just very problematic and she's ignoring the problematic history of and trivializing them for performance/aesthetic purposes. she's just treating every issue she discusses with no empathy or gravity. she repeatedly treats others with mental health issues as a liability but then we should feel sad for her when she didn't feel bad for anyone else.

and the last part is just perfect and wanna reiterate it:

"I understand that she's just following a trend, but in following it, she's also perpetuating it in a very big way because unfortunately, we live in a world where she has much more influence than anybody actually qualified to talk about mental health."

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

no we need to talk about all of taylors vocal decisions on ttpd, between the monotone voice mixed with the high vocals on so long london that alludes to both resignation but also a sort of self explaining, or the softness in loml or a play on who's afraid of little old me being both high and low (which symbolizes for me her voice at the beginning of her career and now) or the how she chokes up on 'for free'...i could go all day

So I had written a long post answering this and went to hit post and instead Tumblr ate it 🤬 I am going to try my best to remember it lol.

I COULD TALK ABOUT THIS FOR DAYS.

With a disclaimer that yes, I know all musicians use their voice to tell a story and Taylor is not unique in that bla bla bla, the way she uses it and specifically the way she uses it on TTPD is so masterful. She truly uses her voice as an instrument on the album the same way she uses her guitar or piano on stage.

There are so many songs where this is evident, but So Long, London is the one that sticks out the most immediately, because the way she uses the tools in her voice to tell the story of what is in some ways the stages of grief within the song is incredible.

The song opens kinda cool, almost dare I say jazzy with “I saw in my mind fairy lights in the mist,” telling a story throughout the verse like someone on stage in a dark club, or even in my mind, like the beginning of a film noir movie. She’s not IN the situation anymore, she’s recalling it like she’s giving a police statement. I feel like you can practically feel the smoke in the air.

When she gets to the first pre-chorus, she sounds almost exasperated, like you can hear the fatigue and almost exasperation in her voice with that kind of low, raspy drone. “How much sad did you think I had, think I had in me? Oh, the tragedy,” always gets me because spoiler alert: she flips it the next time she sings it, with just the change of one word, but specifically here, that “Oh, the tragedy” is sarcastic; you can hear the eye roll. It actually reminds me a lot of the way she sings “Here we go again, the voices in his head” in My Boy. She’s tired of it the merry-go-round.

She gets airy in the chorus, decidedly gentler in “So long, London, you’ll find someone,” like her mind is trailing off, but she’s also, if not tender, then at least like… vulnerable? Considerate? You can feel the ache in the lightness of her voice.

In the second verse, she finds her voice again, and the lower register feels like something is bubbling, even in that kind of jazzy cadence. But she also kind of rushes her words together, like she’s building steam, so that by the time we get to the end of the verse to the first real shocker moment of “I’m pissed off you let me give you all that youth for free,” you feel the anger starting to take over. The first verse ended with exasperation, the second with frustration. She’s finding her footing and her groove in this rant. The way she sings “for free” is filled with so much emotion, and again the fact that it’s all beneath the surface in her lower register, and almost spat out, conveys how mad she is underneath the sadness.

By the time we get to the bridge, that anger is ready to burst out, which is when she starts using her belting too to effect. She hits higher notes, and there’s again almost a kind of gospel/blues/church-y sound to it, not unlike Don’t Blame Me to my ears, which contrasts so starkly with that steady low thrum you mentioned in the earlier verses. You can feel her white knuckle dying grip. The whole bridge just feels like a rant she wishes she could unleash on the person, but of course they aren’t there and hadn’t been for a long time. I think I particularly note the way she sings “every breath feels like rarest air,” because it FEELS like she’s taking a big breath. As @grilledcheeselouise reminded me of (from Tumblr eating my post 🤬), it almost sounds like hyperventilating in the middle of an anxiety attack, or in between sobs. (Which matches the pulsing beat of the song that FEELS like you’re being chased, or like a building anxiety attack.)

My favourite part of the song, and one I’ve written about before (good luck trying to find it, thanks tumblr) is the switch when she repeats “How much sad did you think I had, think I had in me, how much tragedy?!” She only swapped out two words (“oh” for “how much”), but the way she sings it completely changes the meaning of it. It is raw and sad and angry. It’s less breathy and more desperate. Whereas the first time she’s kind of snarking, the second time she’s IMPLORING the person to understand how much pain she endured. What did you think was going to be my final straw?! How did you not think I was going to break right in front of you?! She modulates the power in her voice and vocalizations and tone to great effect to tell the story.

Yet I love that it then starts to temper when she sings, “Just how low did you think I’d go before I’d self-implode, before I’d have to go be free?” Because she ends it on such a breathy note, like she’s already flown away. Her voice trails off, just like she left the relationship.

So then when we get to the last verse, the anger is replaced by sorrow. The rasp in her voice and the pulling back on her power sounds like you would after you’d been yelling or crying and are just exhausted from your grief, which matches “You swore that you loved me but where were the clues?” Part of the verse. BUT! BUT! As she sings that she’s “just getting colour back into my face,” you FEEL her coming back to life, and she sings louder and more confidently, and when she gets to, “I’m just mad as hell because I loved this place,” she SOUNDS like she singing through gritted teeth, like you can heard the difference in her mouth shape as she sings. She’s angry because she felt like her hand was forced, because she the relationship that brought her so much comfort at one point and as her home completely imploded.

By the final chorus, you feel the resignation and the acceptance of it all. It’s sad, but there’s also an… understanding? In her voice in “had a good run,” acknowledging the good in the relationship that is now gone. It gets breathier and lighter so that by the time you get to “You’ll find someone,” you know she’s fully walked away. It fades away as quietly as the memories first entered her mind in the opening line of the song. (And it’s an interesting outro to lead into “But Daddy I Love Him” next.)

I said the last two paragraphs so much better in my original post but now I’m too tired and mad to try to remember it lol.

Another moment that stands out to me is how at the end of The Black Dog, she sings “old habits die screaming,” where she can barely choke out the last word in the faintest of whispers in contrast to the word which would demand a belt. It conveys how despite how angry she is, by the end it’s really just left her broken.

There are so many other instances of it that I could not possibly list them all!

[tumblingghosts]

re: ask game

felix ratvinstill, the patron saint of rodents

because I would love to know any and all behind the scenes thoughts

of course! happy to yap about the rats <3

(i have an embarrassing about of lore about these rats)

i already mentioned a few things in these replies:

gaul's beef w/ felix & where the rat obsession started

clemmie is tired of felix's rat shenanigans

reference to livia worshipping taylor swift

max making sure the rat parade was not broadcast

expanding on those:

felix's rat obsession started shortly after his parents' deaths as a coping mechanism that no one addressed until it was too late & felix was irrevocably attached

it was still war time so there were a lot of rats around on the streets and felix had somehow managed to capture one (aesop) to keep as a pet turned support animal

max (president) was pretty concerned about the whole thing, but between the grief of losing family members and the ongoing war, he basically went 'kids will be kids ig' and let felix be

felix originally calling aesop 'mr rat' and would read him some stories (aesop's fables) to help him go to sleep bc that's what his parents would do to help him sleep when he was younger

aesop was named as such because he went 'storybooks' -> 'rat that helps me sleep' -> 'perfect name :D'

max (president) did have gaul 'check' aesop (without felix's knowledge) once it was brought to his attention that felix was letting aesop sleep in his bed bc he did not want felix to be killed off by a potentially diseased rat

(is aesop the same rat that felix originally caught? maybe. maybe not. gaul certainly isn't saying whether she modified aesop or gave a mutt replacement. maybe the rat she melted on their field trip as nine-year-olds was the original aesop. again, gaul certainly isn't going to say anything one way or the other)

anyway, that's how all of felix's rats live past 3-4 years 🐀

felix stopped collecting rats when the war ended (eight-years-old) because max (president) was able to convince him that it would be too much of a hassle to have more rats once transitioned from homeschooling to a school with others. max was not, however, able to convince felix to get rid of any of the rats (his original intent).

when felix was younger, i like to think he had one of those little red wagons to bring all his rats along everywhere. by the time he reaches the academy, he just carries them in his pockets and/or lets them follow him on their own.

asclepius is his medic rat (named after the god of medicine) and the first rat that clemensia was introduced to. she was severely weirded out, but came around after an asclepius alerted a teacher when she was having an allergic reaction (strawberry allergy headcanon from medea)

yes, felix did make clemmie thank asclepius for quote "saving her life", which she did do. her thoughts on felix's rats after that event were basically 'well, i guess this is a thing.....this is fine....' which felix took to mean that she was an ally against rat haters (livia)

max (rat) was the last (36th) felix had adopted. it was just a few months before the end, and he quickly became felix's support rat. max (president) was not present enough in felix's life to realize felix had named after him under nearly a year later.

max (president) knew about albanus (rat) but was fine with it because he thought felix was just honoring a dead family member. max (president) side eyes felix's interactions wtih max the rat all the time. marius and gnaeus are just grateful that no rats are named after them.

side note: originally, this fic was just supposed to be felix's perspective, but as i was writing, felix's pov sounded too 'rational' bc of how much he was coping, so dill's pov was added in for contrast (and get an outside view of the rat-related insanity)

the rat parade happens at heavensbee hall. the people in attendance were the mentors and tributes (and, of course, felix's rats). max (president) did not attend. gaul was not invited. livia was also not invited, but she showed up because she was insulted that facet was given a personalized invite.

felix wanted it to be bigger, but that was the compromise that max (president) was able to negotiate felix into agreeing to. there were cameras that felix insisted on being there with the intent to broadcast the event, but none were actually recording.

max (president) made sure that none of them were on and told felix after the fact that they had 'malfunctioned' so the rat parade 'unfortunately' was not shared. felix is very disappointed by this and has to be comforted by max (rat) when he can't host a second rat parade to make up for it.

no one ever believes reaper and dill when they go back home and tell others about the rats. eventually, they just fudge the story to stop people from pressing them for the "real" story (aka "the mentors were convinced by the tributes' humanity from interacting with them and realizing how bad things were in the districts & dill's mentor was able to use nepotism to stop the games" - basically the same concept minus the rats)

i didn't have any solid ideas after that, but i like to think that felix visits dill in d11 sometime in the future and she has to awkwardly explain to her family that 'this is felix ravinstill, yes, that ravinstill family, yes, these rats are normal and please don't say anything against it to his face, please'.

and there you have it! 🐀🐀🐀

thanks for the ask abyssal! :D

[painandmovies]

The argument that if Taylor Swift/Greta Gerwig/any rich white woman can face sexism and discrimination it means any middle class to poor woman (white and especially of color) can face this sexism and discrimination, so you should be in support of their agenda is stupid and I'll tell you why. No one is saying women of all races and classes don't face discrimination. Of course they do. But there is a fundamental difference in the capabilty between these women and others: safety. A system in place for physical and emotional safety. Taylor Swift and Greta Gerwig and whoever else have a system of safety in place. If they walk the streets of LA, they have bodyguards and protection in place. They have better access to resources for mental health and overall emotional wellbeing. That's not saying bad or unexpected things can't happen and definitely not saying that people don't have feelings. But when I see the things that people deem as issues, it highlights a large contrast in the issues of those in power vs. issues of people with no outlet, no platform, and no voice. Because in the long run the outrage of these things does not help or engage with the fundamental injustices of the world. The outrage over these "issues" that involve privileged celebs in the long run really don't incite change at all or trickle down to the larger population the way people think it does. The Barbie movie getting snubbed does not contribute to injustices and an overall look to feminism. Can it draw attention to a male-dominated culture and space? Absolutely (and it should). But the Barbie movie not receiving nominations for it's female producers and actor is not the same as say a woman in the workplace paid scraps for her hard and far greater labor than 1 or more of her male co-workers. Their world will still go on, not in the way of someone who struggles financially due to these issues with no justice. Because they still have the money and resources to make movies. Looking at the state of our world-if you even just look at the people in Palestine vs the women in Hollywood who just got to attend the Grammys, where they didn't say anything about the horror people are facing, and some and others will later attend the Oscars, you are reminded of the fundamental difference between people with privledge and people with no freedom. They even have financial safety in place. But even if we're not comparing the 2 extreme opposites of Hollywood and Palestine, there still is a vast difference between those people and us when it comes to the right to that safety. Even if you look at Lizzo (bad example given what's happened, but I'm using her as a specific example as someone with 2 forms of discrimination against her), there is privilege there. Do black women in the public eye generally face more scrutiny? Yes. But it is the luxury of that lifestyle that separates from where they were (talking about minorities specifically, but for any woman whatever race) to when they become famous. So, when I see people say that essentially we're all screwed if even a rich, white, and successful woman can get hated and endure what they deem as mistreatment, it makes me upset, because all these statements do is put in place a continuous worldview where white women in power are prioritized above lesser in power women of lower classes and minorities the same way it's always been, and that doesn't incite change. All it does is keep these women in power, who can't even call support for Palestine when they have the luxury to celebrate their music and movies (which in the scope of what I'm talking about add nothing of value to a wider problem and topic). So, these causes for concern from a large section of the public are really minor in the overall look of underprivileged people, grand injustices that don't even make news a lot of the time, and the state of our world/economy (which are never considered priority). And these people that are causing concern for their "being wronged," multiple "snubs," movies, and music can't even say ceasefire when they trend for far more minor things.

[cookies-over-yonder]

the red on my face is matching you

dedicated to @officialgleamstar

[title from The Red Means I Love You by Madds Buckley]

"If I can't make you a vampire, can I at least give you a makeover?" Taylor asks, with a mischievous glint in her eye. And, of course, Link obliges. ✧*.♡.*✧ DnDads Halloween Week Day 1: Vampires

ao3

✧*.♡.*✧

"I wish you could be like me," Taylor whines, wrapping her arms around Link and sighing oh so dramatically.

"What do you mean, honey?" Link asks, carding her fingers through Taylor's hair. She's cold, as per usual.

"You know," she tilts her head toward Link, opens her mouth, and points a claw-like finger at her right fang.

"Like a vampire?"

"Yeah! Then we could be together forever, y'know?" she pouts, and Link's gaze drops from her sparkly eyelids to her blood-red lips, being tugged at a little by her sharp fangs. The lipstick has a little shimmer to it. Link knew she'd like that when she bought it for her. If she were drawing blood right now, it would be nearly invisible.

"Well, you have me right now, and you'll have me for a while."

"True…" she says, running her gaze up and down Link in that way she always does. A hand snakes its way down Link's arm, and they're locking fingers, and Taylor's eyes are fixed on the grip they have on each other.

A smile creeps onto her face, and she looks back up with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"What is it?"

"If I can't make you a vampire, can I at least give you a makeover?"

"A makeover?"

"Like, like, like, I wanna do your nails!" she giggles, and it's the cutest sound.

"O—oh!" Link feels herself grow warmer. She's always flustered at the thought of getting her nails done or wearing makeup and jewelry and dresses, but she's never known where to start.

"Can I? Please?" Taylor asks, pulling her hand out of Link's hold and making grabby hands at her, all complete with the sound of her long, glittery black and red rhinestoned nails clacking together.

Link feels her own mouth curling into a smile. Taylor's excitement has always been most infectious. "Ye—yeah, sure!"

"Yay, oh my god," she grabs Link's arm and pulls her off the couch, starting toward her bedroom hurriedly, dragging Link along. "Let's go!"

Soon enough, Link is sitting on Taylor's bed, surrounded by body pillows, some of which have red lipstick stains she pointedly ignores.

"Okay, here we go!" she says, plopping down a gigantic box on the bed. She takes the lid off and gestures for Link to come look. "Heh, check these out."

It's filled to the brim with nail polish of every colour imaginable, and there's a little clear case of what Link assumes are gems and stickers.

"What colour do you wanna try?"

Link doesn't know. She's never really… worn nail polish before. In fact, before Taylor, there were a lot of things she'd never done, and a lot of things she hadn't realized about herself and about the world.

"I have no idea…"

"Hmm, I guess I could surprise you…" she smirks, and the crinkle of joy in her eyes tells Link the answer.

"Do that. Yes."

Link watches Taylor pull out a few bottles: a few clear, one red, one black, and one white. She pulls out the box of gems as well, and digs to the bottom of the box to find a few tiny metal tools for which Link knows not the use.

Then she clicks the lid back onto the box, and grabs Link's hands, placing them flat on top of it. The sudden feeling of her cold hands startled Link for a moment, but she's grown used to the temperature, and truly finds it rather comforting and grounding in contrast to her warm body temperature.

"Hold still," she says, in a low, almost whispery voice that sends a shiver down Link's spine, and then she holds her hand so gently, with her claw-like nails just barely grazing the back of her hand and the inside of her palm, and Link can feel electric tingles all the way up her arm.

The nail polish is cold. It's not as cold as Taylor's hand, but it is cold. It's a nice feeling. She's careful and precise with each brush stroke, and her eyes glow a fiery red that would make Link weak at the knees had she not already sat down.

Link finds her eyes fluttering shut. It's cool. It's safe. Taylor is here.

Link remembers the feeling of Taylor's fangs grazing against her neck, but never piercing the skin. She knew how Taylor wanted to. Wanted to bite, wanted to transform her, wanted to spend eternity in vampire bliss with her, wanted, wanted, wanted her blood.

And, well, Link wanted to give that, she did, but she just couldn't. She can't.

And Taylor, she respects it.

A little tune breaks the silence. It's definitely an anime opening, Link knows that much. Taylor's humming to herself, or maybe to Link, as she paints.

This is bliss.

If someone had told young Lincoln Li-Wilson that not only would she be a girl, but she'd have a cute vampire girlfriend painting her nails and serenading her on a bed surrounded by lipstick stained body pillows, well…

Actually, she might have believed it.

It's not too far-fetched, all things considered.

"What are you giggling about?" Taylor asks, and Link's eyes snap open.

She hadn't realized she'd been laughing.

"I was just thinking about you."

"What about me?" Taylor asks, bringing her gaze up from the nails to lock eyes with Link, and that same fiery gaze burns bright, and Link feels her heart catch fire.

"You're pretty…"

"Heh, you're pretty too," she says before turning her attention back to the task at hand.

Link feels the same flutters she always feels in the presence of that word. Pretty . She wants to be pretty. Girls are pretty. Taylor is pretty.

Link is pretty.

"I'm gonna put some gems on."

"Alright."

Link's gaze flickers to her nails for a moment before she closes her eyes once more, not wanting to spoil the surprise.

She can feel Taylor adjusting the placement of the gems, and she's so careful with it. She's always been like that. As eager and hyper and impulsive as she can be, she's gentle and cautious whenever necessary.

"You have nice nails," she says.

"I do?" Link replies, eyes still closed.

"Yeah."

"I always felt like they were too short, but I can't stop biting them."

"Heh, I know what that's like, but no, I mean the shape, and like, they're strong. That's good."

"Nice."

"Yeah, and the length is cute too. If you ever want longer nails, though, I have some fake ones I could give you."

"I may take you up on that."

She giggles, and it sends another shiver down Link's spine. "Yay!"

"Yay."

"I'm almost done."

"You work fast."

"You lose track of time."

"Maybe so."

Link feels Taylor press her lips against the backs of her hands, each with a vocalized "mwah" in accompaniment.

"Open your eyes."

And she does.

The thumbnails are black, with red blobs dripping from the tips to the centres, like blood. Spooky.

Her left index finger is red, and her right index finger is black, and there's a row of gemstones increasing in size from the tips down to the bases of the nails.

The middle fingers are split across the centre with red and black on either side. There are two teardrop shaped gemstones on each nail, placed in such a way that they form a small heart.

The ring fingers are a gradient from red to black, with red at the base and black at the tip. But on top of that, there's white circles with small black gemstones placed atop them, almost resembling…

" Soccer balls! "

"Yeah! Cute, right? Honestly, I've been wanting to do your nails for so long, because I always had this specific vision of doing exactly that, and I just knew you would love it—"

"I love you so much ."

"I love you too, my angel," Taylor says, in the same sly yet flirty voice she takes on every now and then.

"Why do you call me that?"

"'Cause you are one. Simple truth."

"I guess I can't argue with the truth."

"You're right."

Link looks back at her nails for a second. The pinkie nails are half black and half white, much like the ring fingers, except that with these ones, the base is black, and the tip is white. as opposed to being split vertically.

"These are so cute. Thank you so much."

"Heh, anything for you," she says, picking up the box and dropping it next to her bed. The bottles she used on Link are still on the blankets, but they're all sealed, so no spillage should occur. "What do you wanna do next?" she asks, and Link's eyes trace the outline of her face. Her sparkly eyelids, her artificially rosy, glittery pink cheeks, her blood-red shimmering lips…

"You know, I—I know I got that lipstick for you, but I kinda wanna try it on."

"Oh, we can do that. I have a special way of applying it, you know," she says, crawling closer to Link, and closing the gap between them where the box once was.

"Oh yeah?" Link asks, her hands itching to wrap around Taylor's waist as she feels Taylor's hands slide up her arms and up her neck to hold her cheeks.

"Don't wreck your nails," she whispers, and Link can feel Taylor's breath against her own.

"I won't, I promise," she whispers back, holding her hands out in front of her with wet, cold nails.

And Taylor leans in, and Link's lips are shimmery and red in no time at all.

✧*.♡.*✧

[cometcrystal]

schrucy songs. if you even care

since other schrucy nation ppl were doing it i wanna do it too.

this doesn't have any classical songs bc i don't really listen to classical at all. sorry schroeder. featuring select lyrics from each song

just what i needed - the cars

this song is simple and straightforward and could be applied to a lot of ships in a general sense but the reason it sticks out as a schrucy song to me is the insistence that the singer ENJOYS having this other person stick around and bug them and so on and so forth. schroeder POV obviously. echoes of the van pelt moving arc are here. also the line “i needed someone to bleed” god. idk where to begin unpacking that with them but its lots of fun. something something their best match is always gonna be someone who they can be a bit of a cunt around

i don’t mind you coming here / and wasting all my time

i guess you’re just what i needed / i needed someone to feed / i guess you’re just what i needed / i needed someone to bleed

i think you're alright - jay som

if i had to pick only 3 songs to attach to schrucy, this would be one of them for sure. my GOD i don’t even know where to begin. schroeder POV again. the blood on the concrete line referencing lucy’s hotheaded nature... maybe after a fistfight with a 3rd party. saying that someone is pretty, then that their smile is unforgiving; two contrasting statements at first glance. and then “i’ll place it where nobody can find” in reference to that same smile. this 100% reads as a song about someone being in love with someone who is mean and abrasive, but the singer still treasures them. and THEN, after all that praise, the singer’s just like “yeah you’re okay i guess” which is SO funny and good. idk man. just listen to it. if you get it you get it.

and god, you’re so pretty / your smile’s unforgiving / i’ll place it where nobody can find / i’ll play all your favorite songs

build me up buttercup - the foundations

this one’s a lucy POV and its pretty straightforward.... this is one of the most canon-compliant songs on this list. i don’t feel the need to elaborate too much its just a fun bop about an unrequited crush (or is it...)

although you’re untrue / i’m attracted to you all the more

she's always a woman - billy joel

of COURSE this song was gonna make this list. was there ever any doubt??? this is THE schrucy song. the amount of respect and understanding and ADMIRATION the singer has for this woman that sounds like a nightmare to deal with is INCREDIBLE. he talks about her flaws the same way you’d expect him to talk about her graces. this reads to me like a married, adult schrucy, who are very much settled into their lives and are in that stage where there’s not many surprises from either of them but they’re just cozy with each other

she never gives out / and she never gives in / she just changes her mind

she’ll bring out the best and the worst you can be / blame it all on yourself / cause she’s always a woman to me

ringtone - 100 gecs

YES i am putting a 100 gecs song on this list. if it fits IT FITS. we get both POVs this time! i think the original is kind of alluding to a breakup or something negative, but i’m choosing to make it about unresolved feelings for my own purposes. of COURSE a modern lucy would give schroeder a custom ringtone and be overjoyed whenever she hears it. schroeder hearing the ring that he has set for lucy on HIS phone and feeling sick because he’s realized that he likes her now. etc etc. anyway this song is fun and i like

it’s my way of trying to let you know / i’ve got a little thing for you / i’ve got a little crush or somethin’

mastermind - taylor swift

this song is so damn lucy it HURTS. once she and schroeder get together she’s probably very annoying (affectionate) about it and is like “I planned this all along >:)” and the mention of people not liking her so she has to actively manipulate the situation to make them like her???? ITS SO GOOD!!

no one wanted to play with me as a little kid / so i’ve been scheming like a criminal ever since

and i swear / i’m only cryptic and machiavellian cause i care

how to embrace a swamp creature - the mountain goats

this one’s a bit of a stretch but this is my list not yours. this could be from either of their POVs tbh... schroeder while he’s preparing to confess how he feels? lucy while she tries to grapple with the fact that her feelings are finally requited after so long? theyr’e both SUCH complex and messy characters and their relationship is no different. it takes them a while to stop feeling so strange, even if it is a good strange

i try to tell you just why i’ve come / it’s like i’ve got molasses on my tongue

end of post. no i will not put this under a cut. read my post boy

[terramythos]

TAYLOR READS 2024: MORT BY TERRY PRATCHETT

Title: Mort (Discworld) (1987)

Author: Terry Pratchett

Genre/Tags: Fantasy, Comedy, Third-Person

Rating: 7/10

Date Began: 1/6/2024

Date Finished: 2/4/2024

Mort, a young man with no clear direction in life, becomes apprenticed to Death himself. While learning the so-called trade, Mort makes a mistake which threatens to rewrite the course of history.

I INVITE YOU INTO MY HOME, he said, I TRAIN YOU, I FEED YOU, I CLOTHE YOU, I GIVE YOU OPPORTUNITIES YOU COULD NOT DREAM OF, AND THUS YOU REPAY ME. YOU SEDUCE MY DAUGHTER FROM ME, YOU NEGLECT THE DUTY, YOU MAKE RIPPLES IN REALITY THAT WILL TAKE A CENTURY TO HEAL. YOUR ILL-TIMED ACTIONS HAVE DOOMED YOUR COMRADES TO OBLIVION. THE GODS WILL DEMAND NOTHING LESS. ALL IN ALL, BOY, NOT A GOOD START TO YOUR FIRST JOB.

For live reading notes, check the reblogs (contains unmarked spoilers).

Content warnings and review (spoiler-free and spoiler versions) under the cut.

Content Warnings: Mentioned -- Suicide, animal abuse. Depicted -- Death (i mean. yeah), animal death, sexual humor, suicidal ideation, fatphobia (kinda).

**SPOILER-FREE REVIEW**

Before I dive into the review, I want to acknowledge that despite several criticisms, I did enjoy reading Mort. It certainly has issues that keep me from rating it higher, but I still recommend it as a fun read despite these flaws.

A major reason for this is the prose. It's difficult to express just how clever Pratchett was as a writer. He has a unique way of presenting scenes and situations which consistently feels fresh and original. Whether it's clever wordplay or a unique spin on tired cliches, he's always catching me off guard in the best way. Saying someone's voice "could have kept milk fresh for a month" instead of "was icy" is one among hundreds of delightful examples. And while there's plenty of witticisms, they feel genuine rather than cynically scripted to appeal to as many people as possible.

Pratchett also doesn't shy away from serious topics despite the general comedic tone, and this contrast makes the grounded parts of the writing all the more poignant. His fantastic style is so omnipresent in his work that to explore it in detail would devour the rest of the review. Even when taking notes while reading I'd have to be selective on WHICH great phrases I wrote down lest I only spend time on them to the exclusion of all else.

One specific thing I like about Pratchett's writing is how specific jokes recur throughout the story but often in ways one doesn't expect. There's a running bit in Mort where characters will call him "boy" or "lad" and he tiredly corrects them with "Mort". As a reader I fully expected him to eventually get fed up and chew someone out for failing to use his name. And… he does! But later the joke is subverted again in a (spoilerific) way I DIDN’T expect, which caught me completely off guard. Setups and payoffs like that are delightful.

**SPOILER REVIEW**

My biggest struggle with Mort is that I found it difficult to care about the plot until the end. There are two things working against Mort's story that made me feel this way.

The first is the main conflict's inciting incident: Mort commits a selfish act and saves the life of a princess who was supposed to die. In doing so, Mort warps reality and the fabric of history itself. The problem is, the only reason he saves Princess Keli is because of a superficial crush on her just from seeing her for a few seconds. The two barely interact before he saves her, and when they do later, there's not any chemistry to make this decision interesting. And yes, I'm aware that this was probably intentional: Mort did something foolish and impulsive and has to deal with the consequences. The problem is that since the rest of the plot hinges on his choice to intervene, and the context around that choice is so lackluster, it brings the entire plot down. I found myself wondering why Mort bothers to keep up the ruse and lie directly to Death when his reason for doing so is so vague and uninteresting. The personal stakes just felt nonexistent to me.

The second issue is how the story is structured. Rather than closely following a standard plot progression, Mort is more like a series of vignettes and scenes loosely tied together. There's nothing wrong with that in and of itself; I'd argue Guards! Guards! follows a similar style, and I'm willing to bet much of Pratchett's work does. The problem is when this lack of focus combines with a weak core conflict. Reality being split and history diverging should be compelling, yet I wondered why I should care at all. The main thing that kept me reading was the clever writing and setups in these scenes. So I found the book fun to read but the story mediocre.

To Mort's credit, the stakes get more personal and involved toward the end. I finally found the story and characters compelling when Mort started to become more like Death. It's jarring when his dialogue intermittently switches to Death's unique typeface. This is probably the only time I've had a font choice genuinely catch me off guard-- unexpected Death dialogue is surprising in other Discworld books, but here it serves a different function because it's NOT actually Death speaking. The true love interest Ysabell also gets a lot of characterization toward the end, which is a shame because she's a great character who should have had plot involvement sooner.

Speaking of characters near the end, it seems like Pratchett suddenly realized the book needed a villain in the third act, so randomly assigned the role to side character Albert. So he's evil for a few dozen pages after showing no indication of this before, then the whole incident with him is resolved by Death with zero problems. It's super weird-- in fact, you could probably cut Albert out of the story entirely and nothing would change. Perhaps I'm missing something but I really didn't see the point of this. There is some context suggesting he is an historical figure referenced in other Discworld novels, so maybe it's more interesting if you've read those. However, having only read Guards! Guards!, this obviously fell flat for me. While inter-book references are fun (I was delighted to see The Librarian, for example), I don't think key components of the plot should rely on them, assuming that is the case here.

On the positive side, there are some small details I loved. One is how Pratchett uses the phrase "There is no justice. There is just me," to refer to Death. Because the moment I read it I wondered when we would hear "there is just us" instead, since the pun speaks for itself. So when we DID get that line during an emotional moment of the story I was cheering and hollering and punching the air and shit. It's one of those predictable things that is nevertheless extremely satisfying as a reader.

Another great detail is that every person has a literal book that describes their life until they die, which is constantly being written. While this is true metaphorically, it's a literal thing in Death's domain. Mort the novel closes with Mort the character seeing his own book and reading from it, and this becomes the narration for the last page or so. It's a clever payoff to a mechanic introduced in the novel.

A last thing to note is that there are still some loose ends. This isn't necessarily a criticism since there is a chance they are addressed in future books, but I'm mentioning them for my own benefit. In one early scene, Mort bungles his job so badly that a witch named Goodie Hamstring successfully manipulates him and escapes dying entirely. Considering the emphasis on this scene and the ominous tone, it isn't addressed at all by the end of the book, so it is possible this character shows up elsewhere.

Something not fully explored is the theme of reality. When Mort rescues Princess Keli, he creates a paradox where multiple realities exist, and one has to dominate over the other, which serves as part of the main conflict. Death's realm is not real despite being a major location in the story-- something that's true in a meta sense (Mort being a work of fiction) but also in the context of the story. Then there's implications throughout the book that Mort becomes "more real" the more he behaves like Death. While Death is the final reality of life, obviously, this is presented more in a mechanical way than a philosophical one. At the end of the story Death gives Mort a pearl of reality that Mort created due to the events of the novel, stating that it can be the beginning of a new universe whenever Discworld finally dies. This is… quite the detail to drop at the end. I feel like reality is explored as an in-universe mechanic rather than a metaphorical theme in the story, which is why it doesn't feel conclusive by the end. It makes me wonder, again, if this is going to come up in a later Discworld novel.

**CONCLUSION**

Overall while I had some issues with Mort as a story, as a reading experience I really enjoyed it. I might delve into more of the City Watch storyline next, since I had a great time with Guards! Guards! and want more of those characters.

[darlenicy]

I’m really interested to hear what are your 3, 19, 20, 21, 23 and 29 for Riven?

sorry, that it took me so long, dear!

3. A song that reminds me of them

Ha, going again with driven, because that is the first song, that comes into my mind when I think of Riven (with or without Darcy but I use to think of them both if I think of one lol). GETAWAY CAR by Taylor Swift

19. The most random ship you've seen people have with them

Riven and Helia? I mean, if you like... but I don’t feel it lol.

20. A weird headcanon

He’s a really good cook. His specialty is Mediterranean food. And yes of course there is a Mediterranean side of the magic dimension.

21. When do you think they were at their happiest?

This is a hard one. I think the issue of his character is, that he’s either sad or grumpy the whole time. Funny thing is also, that most rivusa scenes are both of them arguing – not really happy lol. So, just look at his little face here:

He’s so happy! How he looks at her! At the girl who finally LISTENS! Omg my heart. Look at his precious little smile. 🥹🥹

23. Future headcanon

Again, I have to refer to Darcy here, because, of course, they end up married. However, as I said in this ask post about Darcy, Riven too will become a teacher but at Red Fountain of course. His determination and talent lead him to a teaching position which teaches fighting skills as well as strategy. The latter in whom he’s an expert.

29. How do you think they would be as a parent? (and if they are a parent, how do you think they would be if they weren't?)

Ohhhhhh. I think he will be overly protective. We don’t really know a lot about his past. But the fandom agrees that he was treated badly by his mother and was eventually abandoned by her. So he in contrast wants to make sure, that his child is safe. All the time. Which might lead to conflicts because what child wants to be safe and watched the whole time? However, Riven doesn’t mean that in a bad way – it’s his way of showing affection. He doesn’t want to make the same mistakes as his parents did with him. I personally hc him and Darcy to have twins, a boy and a girl. The boy will be quite rebellious against this behavior of his father, while the girl would accept her fate and eventually look for adventures in books because she is not allowed to have them herself irl. You know I hate him, but I think it will be a similar dynamic as Simba has with Chiara in The Lion King 2. While Darcy has the role of Nala being like “you can’t protect them from everything. If they don’t fall they will never learn how to stand up.”

[mirahuyooo]

Hello, yes, I'm here to stake my claim on #14 please~~ with Jiminie, in a college au, sorta strangers to future lovers, loosely based on Enchanted by my queen T-Swift 🥰🥰

And here I made you a moodboard just cause 😘😘

CONGRATS BABE I LOVE YOU 🥹🥹🥹

014. Please don’t be in love with someone else + park jimin 

— Park Jimin can't possibly be real. 

word count: 1,230 contents: fLUFF sO FLUFFY, ROMANCE, wallflower YN with It boy jimin, paired in a project trope, everyone has a crush on jimin (and that’s a FACT 👏), kind of a song fic uwu (alexa play Enchanted by Taylor Swift), miss yn shooting her shot rawr, College AU, Strangers (kinda) to Lovers pairing: park jimin x reader

[masterlist] | check out more of [Four Years with Mira]!

A/N: JAYYYYY!!! ILY2 💖👄💖✨ Thank you so much for joining AND FOR THE MOOD BOARD TOO KAJSDKJASD I hope you like this one 😭💕💓💞 i nearly got carried away lmao enjoy!!

Let it be known that, while you were not one to simp, you understand the craze over the campus it boy, Park Jimin—the awestruck stares that follow him as he walks by, the giggling gossip that always manages to reach even you, or the line of people that try to get close to him. You suppose a big part of it is his pretty face with a soft, gentle image that he knows well how to contrast with an occasional sultry, jaw-dropping look. 

All you've ever done, however, is look respectfully and appreciatively from far away. You were far too swamped attempting to balance your college workload, your job, and your meager social life to ever dare give a go at the competitive waters that surround Park Jimin himself—let alone speak directly to him. 

That is, of course, until you got paired with him for a project, yourself. 

Before then, the two of you had belonged to different crowds, and yet, in spite of the daggered stares of his little fanclub following you around, you've been spending a few weeks completing a paper with the beloved Park Jimin. 

Current verdict? Park Jimin can't possibly be real. 

Even the fluorescent lights, which usually make things dull in the classroom, softly grazes his blond locks, forming some sort of halo around him that you couldn’t really complain about. In your blessed eyes, Jimin very much looked like a cherub and he’s very much an angel, too! Oh to have a classmate as reliable and kind as Jimin for every project! You’d willingly stay and repent in this hellhole. 

Okay, okay. Maybe your crush on him got a whole lot worse.

A blinding, sweet smile comes your way as the students file out of the lecture hall by the time the period ends. "You did great, (Y/N)!" Jimin beams as he jogs over from his row to yours, where you were occupied with gathering your things. "We handled that presentation well, didn't we?"

Ah, there it was—the bittersweet end to this whole fiasco. Just minutes ago, the two of you stood before the class and reported your findings for the paper, though you could tell most of the class only ever really paid attention to Jimin’s half instead of yours. 

Still, your heart races to have him approaching you, but you miraculously manage a smile back—or did it come out a grimace? "You did great, too," you tell him, truthful in every sense of the word as you nearly sing praises of his behavior while the two of you exit the classroom. "I've truly been blessed to have you as my partner for this."

At your words, the It boy’s eyes disappear into crescents from his smile, one soon obscured by his hand and oh God, is Park Jimin blushing right now?

Frankly, it surprises you that, in spite of Jimin’s near superstar popularity in the campus, he’s still susceptible to praises and compliments from certain people. Heck, he's a prince charming himself!  

By the time you two make it to the grounds, Jimin gives you a gentle nudge to the side. "Do you need a lift?" he asks, knowing well from the past weeks that both of your schedules end at this time. He’s given you plenty of rides before, but while yes, you’d love a ride home, for the sake of your sanity;

"You don't have to," you bashfully decline, adjusting the strap of your bag as you nod towards the bus stop. "I'll manage."

Ever the gentleman, Jimin doesn’t let you go home alone if he can help it.  "Nonsense," he insists, linking his arms as he invites you over to the parking lot where his car awaits. "C'mon."

You sigh, though not so begrudgingly, as you follow suit. 

Curse your weakness for pretty boys. 

As usual, there’s a comfortable silence that settles between you and Jimin, the air filled only with the songs that play through the radio. The next song that spins is a familiar one, and you stiffen upon hearing the lyrics. It embodies your situation a little bit too well for you to fully function in the midst of this car ride. God damn it, Taylor Swift! Not now!

Would he even want to go on a date with someone like me anyways?

"Here we are," Jimin softly smiles, definitely not making things easier for you. 

Right, time to get off. "Thanks again for driving me home," you gratefully tell him, shoving your mushy feelings back as you unbuckle your seatbelt. 

“Oh, wait!” 

Shocked and bewildered by his sudden exclamation, you watched as Jimin quickly got out of his own seat just to go around the car and open the door to yours. “My lady,” he playfully bows as he holds out a hand for you to take. Your eyes look owlish as you stare between him and his hand, and yet you found the gall in you to take it, butterflies coming to life in an instant upon feeling his skin on yours. Whattheheckisthis?!

Okay, okay. Maybe you have more than just a crush on this guy.

The last thing on your mind right now is going home, because maybe, just maybe, you might have a chance here. “Jimin?” you timidly call his name, wondering if he could feel your palms sweating. 

He squeezes your hand—squeezes it!—and tilts his head. "Yeah?"

Fuck it.

You take your hand out of his hold to gather some of your bearings. "I know we're not going to be hanging out more now that we're done with the paper but," you swallow thickly, hoping to catch your breath. "I was wondering if you'd like to go to the movies with me this weekend?"

"Ooh, like a date?" Jimin teasingly wiggles his eyebrows at you, arms coming to rest at his hips. 

The visible blush that spreads like wildfire across your cheeks shocks Jimin into a stop, much so when you begin hesitating between a nod and shake of your head. He, too, becomes flustered—the two of you becoming tomatoes in the middle of the sidewalk. 

Jimin takes a deep breath to calm himself down, as he runs a hand through his blond locks. "Actually…"

Oh no. While part of you prepares for the rejection, the song from before also comes into fruition as you, too, find yourself becoming just as wishful, because in spite of Park Jimin having a lot of other options than a wallflower like you, the chances are never quite zero, right?

Please don't be in love with someone else.

Please don't be in love with someone else.

Please don't be in lo—

The shy glance he steals and the uncontrollable smile on his lips melt you first before his words could, shining so blindingly your mind goes blank. "I've been meaning to ask you that myself," Jimin says, to your utter shock, before putting on a playful pout on his plump lips. "And for the record, I didn't plan on stopping my interactions with you, you know."

"Really?" you dumbfoundedly ask the It boy, who only gives you a bashful nod. You suppose you'll have to get more answers on the weekend. "It's a date, then?"

There’s an angel that smiles back at you, eyes twinkling and almost as giggly as the girls that fawn over him. "It's a date." 

[unproduciblesmackdown]

billions sure seemed to settle on the people with Less Power who have in-universe supporting roles to the more powerful players ultimately doing better than the central men do (and not quoting hitler & raring to launch nuclear attacks as much, so nice job) & deserving to walk away, but where then it's like okay & so what about the people with less power than Them who had supporting roles to Them. so the pyramid scheme here crumbles as each more burdened tier may fall alway, is the extension. & billions is like oh no no it isn't. because the people in a lower tier than These [better than the central men] parties have less power b/c that's what they Deserve, of course. then you can turn to all the instances of billions, with the central men it knows are shit & refuse to change, having those central men express "other people have less power than me b/c that's what they Deserve, of course," and billions like "oh god. sickos. not true, & we're freeing those people these guys wrongly think are inferior" like okay and whoosh lightning fast swap that [central men / their support network] juxtaposition with [that support network / the Lower Ranking people who work with Them] and nope billions is just going "no yeah This power imbalance is objective & righteous. the Winners deserve to do whatever they want" like you do see how it falls apart (they do not, presumably)

and that as always the pyramid scheme is also a sierpiński triangle b/c you look at any point & zoom in & as always when [well a hierarchy is objective] is thee way, as soon as you have multiple people in a situation there must be an establishing of the hierarchy in that situation. and there we go in the finale where it's like the [s1 yay axe wags wendy sooo cool even if i guess don't let people die] continues and like taylor in s2 did get in in time with enough thought & with enough intention that the character be in Juxtaposition with everything s1ly, and they belong to the adequately deserving group of characters in the end and certainly with Any effort at giving them some focus, but they cannot disrupt their Deservingness by disrupting the Deserved Hierarchy and i.e. Not deferring to wags, wendy, axe. taylor & sacker (& philip) team would've had this wrapped up in two to four episodes; instead we have way too much focus on wags & wendy not doing anything except getting in the way, or being sooo cool, & at least taylor interacting w/axe was more characterful material for taylor, but they don't even really get to criticize anyone for getting in the way or being sooo cool terrible now or prior, like, okay look just ask axe why he's not being as totally epic as you know he truly is, and don't be helming this shit that's always Actually been most relevant to this once-newcomer character who was written to inherently contrast with all the s1 epicness, wonder why that relevance is. step aside and let our hero wendy through please while we all kneel & clap & think about our inferiority to her

then just bonus mentions like that i guess rian was supposed to also be contrasting but she just turns out yet another bog standard axe cap bully who happens to so totally be a woman, we remind you, yet different from bonnie in that she also is less overtly aggressive, despite this she's So deserving but not so much that they ever made room for something besides [if you removed her from the series it'd be so easy to make it so that pretty much nothing changes] despite that she was supposed to be like, relevant. even better we have our beloved ben kim who billions cared to have in every episode (if some eps cut post production?) and who was here in s1 but to first illustrate like where my 50something fellas at these damn young whippersnappers think they're sooo smart but NO only axe. which is why he deserves to be epic boss boy. and later on it's like well yes he's lower tier than these other characters but it's because he's Too nice. to truly become a winner you simply need to Believe you are one & act accordingly confident (i.e. it's still Deserved, his fault, he needs to step up & stop acting Like he belongs in loserdom) and we like get any material for him here & there & eventually tuk (zoom in on Multiple People, tuk is lower tier than ben, presumably billions considers that once again this is indeed Deserved) and in the end well he's still here, hooray, still so Unstrategic and An Pussy so we all see that, though we may pity him, his lower tier status is still brought upon himself, and hey also we need people to fill in the ranks for epic boss boy again so come stand over here okay thanks byeee