#1.09 Year's End | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

auroraborealyss · 2 years

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐎𝐎𝐋 | 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐢𝐢.

⊹ pairing: morpheus x reader, corinthian x reader if you squint

⊹ summary: you reunite with an old enemy and an even older friend, the corinthian, and confront him about his betrayal to morpheus, and more importantly, to you

⊹ tags: unexpected hints of a love triangle (more like a love V since there's no third line), contains more corinthian than morpheus in this part

⊹ warnings: violence, spoiler for 1.09

⊹ word count: 3492 (an absolute menace)

⊹ previous part: part ii

⊹ up next: part iv → coming soon

⊹ now playing: run boy run by woodkid

𝚛𝚞𝚗 𝚋𝚘𝚢 𝚛𝚞𝚗! 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚛𝚞𝚗 𝚋𝚘𝚢 𝚛𝚞𝚗! 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢'𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑 𝚢𝚘𝚞

The basement is cold and empty.

You shiver as you walk quietly through the hall. The years have taught you how to step lightly as if you were gliding on the marble rather than stepping.

Even though there was no logical reasoning that bound the Corinthian and you, you can still feel his presence. He was somewhere on the floor, getting closer and closer with each step you take even though your not working purposefully in a directions. You can feel him waiting for you to find him. To come to him — ironic, considering it’s been him chasing you all this time.

You don’t know what will happen when you see each other again. Will he hurt you? Try to claim the very bounty he set on your head? Has he finally gotten tired of your cat-and-mouse game?

Your thoughts are put to a pause when Jed Walker appears ahead, just a few doors from where you’re standing. You whisper his name but it goes unheard as he pushes open a set of doors and steps through, disappearing from your view. You still don’t know what the Corinthian could want with two young mortals, but given his track record, you don’t trust him with them. If saving them means your game has to continue, then very well.

“Jed!” you whisper louder. You hurry after the boy, slipping through the doors just before they close and nearly bumping into him.

The room isn’t empty. In fact, there are four—technically, three—other people in the room. A dead mortal, two killers, and in the centre of it all, the Corinthian himself.

The Corinthian smiles at you.

You push Jed behind you. He grips onto the back of your shirt, trembling in fear as you and him both look at the Corinthian and the man being stabbed to death behind him.

Even with those dark shades on, you know the Corinthian is looking at you. You can feel his stare burning into you, taking in every inch of you greedily. It has been a century since he last saw you, after all. An entire century since he stopped you from entering the basement of Rodrick Burgess and freeing your husband and his maker, and instead put a bounty on your head.

“Hello, my lady,” the Corinthian says, his honey-like drawl drawing shivers from you. He takes a step towards you, and you take three back. “I’ve missed you.”

He hasn’t changed much since the last time you saw him—nearly a hundred years ago. He still insists on indulging his materialistic side—something he got from Morpheus’ tendency to spoil you, probably—by wearing high-end suits. His golden hair is still the same length, though he no longer wears his hat. And he still wears those damn shades that covers his eyes—eyes that Morpheus spent days crafting specially for him.

You shove Jed further back, and the boy thankfully takes the hint and bolts. You stay.

“Who’s she?” one of the killers, a woman with straight hair, asks.

“She’s mine,” the Corinthian says dismissively. “Just continue with him.”

The woman looks at you before shrugging. She raises her hand to resume stabbing the man.

“Both of you, stop,” you command, and the two behind him immediately stop. Not just their arm, but every muscle in their body has frozen in compliance with your order. Even their hearts have frozen, and though you’re sure they’re feeling terrified, their bodies can’t show it because of what you’ve done to them with a single spoken word.

“All these years, and you still can’t control it, can you?” the Corinthian says. Though he sounds slightly disappointed, he keeps his tone light, as if remarking that it was raining when it should have been sunny. The casualness in his voice enrages you.

He’d always been a nightmare, but the last time you saw him, he had also been your friend. Not the maker-and-created relationship he has with Morpheus, but a friend. You hadn’t been surprised he’d want to keep Morpheus trapped and stop you, but you hadn’t expected for him to put that bounty on your head and reveal Morpheus’ and your’s, secret. To Morpheus, it was an act of defiance. To you, it was an act of betrayal.

“Corinthian."

His features softens slightly at the name you chose and gave to him. “My lady.”

“What have you done?”

“I inspired people, just like you said I would be able to.”

You flinch, as he’s spat your words back at you verbatim. You and him had been walking through the Dreaming once, your arm linked around his. It had been after your wedding to Morpheus but before the power transference ceremony. The Corinthian had asked what your intention was for him, as while it had been Morpheus who crafted him for you, you had decided his purpose. Even Morpheus had been surprised that you would choose to craft a nightmare rather than a dream, but you defended the Corinthian by saying nightmares had just as much power influencing a person and their decisions as much as dreams did.

“Confronting one’s fears challenges a person, but when they emerge, they come out stronger and firmer in their beliefs,” you had told him. “That’s what I want you to be. To be a mirror for humanity’s darkest self so they would choose to be better.”

He had smiled down at you in response, and dipped his head in a small bow. You tightened your grip on him as you resumed your walk, the sun warm down on both of you—so different from the cold that filled the air between the two of you now.

“I wanted you to inspire others to be good, Corinthian. Not…this.”

“I’m letting them be their true selves.”

“You’ve taught them to be selfish and cruel.”

He tilts his head before taking a step forward. You take another three back until you hit the door. But you don’t run. Not yet.

“Are you disappointed in me, my lady?” he asks lowly.

You toss your nametag to his feet in response. Of all his atrocities to you, that was the worst. “You made me that,” you spit out. Lady of Whispers. The name he gave you. He was the one who blew on the flames and built your reputation when he knew that you never meant to hurt anyone. It was his fault that people feared you, when you had been the complete opposite in the Dreaming.

“I gave you a name of your own,” he says through gritted teeth. “Something for people to know you by other than being someone’s wife.”

There is truth behind his words. People still knew you as Lady of the Dreaming, but now they feared you for you, and not because of Morpheus solely.

The two killers behind him fall to the ground, dead. Death was always the only one able to put a stop to your powers.

The Corinthian bends down to pick you your name. As he does, you seize his distracted nature and run, going after Jed wherever he is. As the doors swing shut behind you, you hear the Corinthian’s throaty chuckle, the sound raising bumps all over your arms.

You sprint up the stairs rather than wait for the elevator.

Floor after floor, you search the halls, hissing out Jed’s name. By the fifth floor, you’re breathing heavily. By the eight, there’s a sharp cramp in your side. On the tenth, you’re forced to stop against a wall to catch your breath. As you will the fire in your lungs to go away, you remember the key in your back pocket. The room reserved for you is on this floor. It’s a completely irrelevant point, but you can’t help but wonder what you would find if you entered that room: one bed or two.

A girl walks past you, her head tilted upwards to the room numbers. You stare after her in surprise, recognizing her from the picture you’re carrying.

“Rose Walker?” you ask.

She turns to you. She blinks, and you see the recognition flare in her eyes. “I know you, don’t I?” she says thoughtfully. “I think I’ve seen you in my dreams.”

That wasn’t possible. Mortals already rarely remembered the full extent of their dreams. They rarely remembered Morpheus being by their side as they went through the Dreaming, you even more, talking to them and guiding them through. The most they remembered was the warmth of your presence.

“Y/N,” she says. “You’re Dream’s wife.”

You stop. “How do you know who I am?”

“He told me I’d know who you were.”

“My husband?” You step closer. “He’s spoken with you? Is he here? Is he alright? What did he say?”

“He told me to tell you something.”

“What is it?” you ask insistently, the desperation clear in your voice. Was it an explanation for why he isn’t here? Anger or hurt? Understanding?

“He told me to tell you that I’m a vortex,” Rose says.

You freeze and stare at Rose. It takes a few seconds for the pieces to click—why your husband would want her to tell you that apart from everything else. But when it does click, your shoulders relax and you smile at her. Of course he’d have her tell you that. You never would have figured it out on your own.

“Why would he tell me to tell you that?” Rose asks. “Does it mean something special to you?”

Of course you pity her for what has to be done, but you’re also relieved that you’re almost done. But before you can give her an answer—a partial truth to not be so cruel—someone calls her name.

You both look down the hall and see Jed Walker standing there. Rose breaks into a smile, forgetting you, and hugs Jed tightly. You recognize the man behind Jed, Fun Land, who’s too busy looking at him like prey. He moves forward and starts to tug Jed from Rose, who screams at him and you for help.

You rush forwards and slam your elbow down on Fun Land’s neck, hitting a nerve that sends him crumpling to his knees.

“Run, Rose!” you bark at her, and though her eyes don’t turn gold, she does as you command anyway.The three of you sprint down the hallway, only to be forced to a stop as you reach a locked green door. You try to kick it down, but the lock is thick and made of metal. As Rose and Jed begin to knock on it desperately, shouting for help, you think about who you’d call for help—Morpheus. But he isn’t here. At least, not yet. And you couldn’t let someone like Fun Land appease the appetite that the Corinthian had inspired in him.

“Cover his ears,” you command Rose. As Fun Land reaches you, you shove the kids behind you, using your body as a protective shield.

“Stop,” you command. Gold fills his eyes, swirling in his irises like sand. Fun Land halts a few step from you, standing completely still and waiting for more instruction. “See yourself for who you really are.”

Immediately, he flinches and recoils into himself. He starts to whimper and seek forgiveness from Jed and Rose and every other unfortunate child he’d collected that would not and should not ever be given to him.

“What are you doing to him?” Rose whispers.

“Exactly what I said,” you say coldly. If the Corinthian inspired them to be who they really are, then let them see just that. He would see the monster he is.

Fun Land’s whimpers begin to turn into screams as he slaps his hands over his eyes to hide the world. Because that isn’t enough, he digs his fingers into them, the squelch as he hits his eyeballs echoing in the hall despite Rose’s horrified gasp and Jed’s cries. You only continue to stare, true, merciless and just, just as the Lady of Dreaming should be.

Fun Land’s cries are cut off when he suddenly drops dead. His body falls to the floor, a dagger protruding from the back of his head. Standing behind where he one stood, is the Corinthian.

“What a waste of a snack,” he says with a tut of his tongue. He licks his lips. “But my lady. We haven’t finished our conversation. Shall we?”

The Corinthian tosses your nametag to you. Out of instinct, you catch it.

“I did not make you this way,” the Corinthian says. “Dream did. If there’s anyone to blame for your talent, your gift, it’s him. He made you this way, just as he made me this way.” He takes a step towards you. “This is who we are, and if you would just stop running for one second and look in the mirror and see how much better you are in this form—with your powers and without him—you would be a lot happier.”

“With you?”

The Corinthian looks taken aback. “What?”

“Do you think I would be happier with you than with my husband?”

If Morpheus made him, then perhaps he had put his affection for you in the Corinthian as well. Perhaps that was why the Cortinthian insisted the bounty be for you to be taken alive, and why you had never been able to use your powers to stop him. You’ve always known those emotions were there, even if it went unsaid by you or him. Even before Morpheus’ capture, the Corinthian’s affection for you had always been soft, gentle. Lingering touches on your arm, laughing a little too loud at your jokes, his gaze on you longer than a friend’s should. But you always ignored it, as you never saw him in the way you saw your husband. You loved the part of him that was Morpheus,, but you could not love him completely. You could never.

“I did them for you,” the Corinthian insists. “Inspired them for you. They worship you, just as everyone should. Dream never let the others see your beauty and talent, but I did. I let them see you as you really were and they adored you. Because of me, you are loved.”

His words and the veneration in his tone—something you wish he was faking but can tell is genuine—struck you into silence. He’s standing before you now, one hand brushing a stray strand of hair behind your ear. His movement is gentle. A caress.

“My lady,” he says quietly, his voice deep and thick with emotion. “I have missed you.”

Was it possible that he was right? That he loved you in a way Morpheus loved you differently? In a way you should be loved? Whereas Morpheus hid you from the world to protect you, the Corinthian showed you to the world and gave the world a reason to fear you—your own protection. Was he right?

He’s about to brush your cheek with the pad of his thumb when you grab his wrist tightly; painfully. A stark contrast against his touch.

Through his shades, your eyes meet. “Don’t. Touch. Me.”

Though you don’t see his eyes, you know they fill gold as the effects of your powers take control. The Corinthian yanks his hand back like you were the surface of a hot stove. He tries to slap you, but his hand stops inches from your cheek and he cries out in pain as his other hand grabs his wrist and pulls it away forcefully. He stares at his hand in repulsion, then up at you in anger, and just like that you know that whatever emotions he has for you is gone. The Corinthian had rebelled against Morpheus so he would not be under his maker’s will, and now you had just forced him under yours.

His lips curl into a nasty smile. He directs his attention to Rose, who’s been watching with fearful eyes this whole time.

“You don’t think she’s going to protect you, now do you, Rose Walker?” the Corinthian says, his tone sickly sweet and charming. “Do you know who she is?”

“Dream’s wife,” Rose says hesitantly.

“Oh, she’s so much more than that. She’s one of his tools.”

“His tools?”

“Dream is known for three of his tools: his pouch of sand, his helm, and his ruby. But what’s lesser known is his fourth tool: his wife. While the first three were crafted, his fourth was given to a mortal that he fell in love with.”

“Enough,” you snap, but the Corinthian doesn’t listen.

“The ceremony was beautiful. A slice from his palm to draw blood, which he placed on top of hers so that his blood may enter her veins. In his blood was his power. When the blood had dried, it was done. She had been remade into one of his tools, and like his other tools, she has powers. Did you see what she did to Fun Land?”

“She told him to stop,” Rose says slowly. You can hear her piecing it together, and as you turn to her, you see the growing fear and apprehension in her eyes. “You told me to cover Jed’s ears…it’s because you didn’t want him to hear what you would say. Your order. Is that your power? You can tell people what to do?”

“The proper term is she inspires,” the Corinthian said.

You aren’t blind. You’ve seen the slow, small steps he’s taken to Rose, as if he’s offering her his protection. And you can see how Rose has been leaning away from you and towards him too. He’s always been good with words. That he got from you.

“Dream stored inspiration in her,” he says. “The ceremony turned her into the physical manifestation of inspiration; of the aspect of our thoughts and dreams that incline us to do something.”

Rose looks at you, perhaps waiting for you to say he was lying or there was more to the truth, but you don’t say anything. You can’t.

“Dream’s coming to kill you, Rose Walker,” the Corinthian whispers in her ear.

“What? Why?”

“Because you’re the vortex.” He turns to you. “And as Dream’s tool and his wife, she’s going to kill you too if she can.”

There’s betrayal in her eyes towards you as she tugs Jed closer to her. And fear. That’s what’s in her eyes. That’s how everyone’s looked at you in the past century.

“Is he telling the truth?” she asks. “You’re both going to kill me?”

“You have to die, Rose,” you say, void of emotion. “For everyone. For your brother’s safety. You are the vortex.”

“Is that why he had me tell you that I was one? So you could finish the job if he couldn’t?”

Perhaps it was one of the reasons he told her that, a sign that he still had trust in you. But you knew the main reason he had her tell you that was to reassure you that he still loved you and was coming for you. As the vortex, Morpheus had to come for her. His message—the unspoken words behind it—was to tell you to stay close to Rose Walker so that he could find you.

In other words, he was asking you to wait for him.

“I’m sorry, Rose,” you say softly. Behind your back, you reach for the hilt of your dagger. Morpheus will find another way to get to you. But he won’t be able to do that if the Corinthian has Rose.

But before you can grab onto it, the Corinthian moves. He’s a blur of speed and strength, and you’re soon slammed against the wall with a syringe sticking out of your neck. You gasp and dig your nails into his wrist, hard enough to draw blood, but it’s too late. When he pulls the syringe out, it’s empty. The liquid burns through your veins and dulls everything immediately, and you go slump against his body as he brushes your hair out of your face.

“He’ll come for me,” you mumble.

“Oh, I’m counting on it, sweet thing,” the Corinthian murmurs. He grips your chin with his thumb and points and points your face towards him. “What do you think the reward for the bounty is?”

Your eyes widen in horror. The Corinthian smiles and nods.

“Dream, your husband who’d do anything to get you back. Well. Let’s see just how much he means that, shall we? When you get home, why don’t you tell your husband that I’m waiting for him?”

You try to push away from him, but you’re too weak. Soon, you can’t feel your limbs. Then, you begin to drift. For the first time in a long time, you’re falling asleep and entering the Dreaming. But before you do, you feel the Corinthian press his lips against your forehead. His words are the last you hear.

“I’m sorry, my lady.”

ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴘᴀʀᴛ…

Morpheus walks slowly towards the Corinthian, the weight of his footsteps and anger to be felt by all as the world tremors. Across the waking world, dreamers encounter nightmares that haven’t been seen since the Morpheus was first captured. They stir and cry out in their sleep, unable to wake and escape the monsters. Some wake up and find that the monsters have followed them into the waking world.

They all scream.

But in the hotel, where the cult of serial killers are asleep in their seats, it is only the King of Dreams and Nightmares and the Corinthian.

“Where is she?” Morpheus asks eerily calm. His voice is deep and dangerous; wrath being barely restrained from being unleashed on the Corinthian.

The Corinthian smiles. “You can feel her, can’t you? Feel her strength? Or shall I say, her strength diminishing?”

“What have you done, Corinthian?”

“I want to kill you, Dream. And what easier way to kill you, than to kill your wife.”

ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇᴅ…

𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲: 𝗋𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗆𝖻𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗂 𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗂 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝗆𝖺𝗇𝖺𝗀𝖾 𝗌𝖼𝗁𝗈𝗈𝗅 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗐𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀? 𝗍𝗎𝗋𝗇𝗌 𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗂 𝖼𝖺𝗇'𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗎𝗇𝗂'𝗌 𝖺 𝖻𝗂𝗍𝖼𝗁. 𝗍𝖾𝗅𝗅 𝗆𝖾 𝗐𝗁𝗒 𝗈𝖿 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗆𝗒 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗌𝖾𝗌, 𝗂𝗍'𝗌 𝗆𝗒 𝖼𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗐𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗌𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗌𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌??? 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗂𝗍'𝗌 𝗈𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗋𝖽 𝗐𝖾𝖾𝗄 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗂'𝗆 𝖺𝗅𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝗒 𝖻𝖾𝗁𝗂𝗇𝖽??? 𝗐𝗍𝗁 𝗂𝗌 𝗀𝗈𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝗇.

𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗒𝖾𝗌, 𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗇𝗈 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝗉𝗁𝖾𝗎𝗌 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋. 𝖽𝗈𝗇'𝗍 𝖺𝗌𝗄 𝗆𝖾 𝗐𝗁𝗒. 𝗂'𝗆 𝗇𝖾𝗐 𝗍𝗈 𝖿𝖺𝗇𝖿𝗂𝖼 𝗐𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖼𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗅𝗒 𝗂'𝗏𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝖼𝗎𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝗈𝗇 𝖿𝗅𝖾𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋 (𝗅𝗈𝗐-𝗄𝖾𝗒 𝖺𝗇 𝗈𝖼) 𝗋𝖺𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝗉𝗁𝖾𝗎𝗌 𝗁𝗂𝗆𝗌𝖾𝗅𝖿. 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗁𝖾'𝗅𝗅 𝖻𝖾 𝖻𝖺𝖼𝗄 𝗇𝖾𝗑𝗍 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍!

𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗆𝖺𝖽𝖾 𝗂𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖿𝖺𝗋, 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗍𝗌 𝖼𝖺𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝗂 𝗇𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗅𝗒 𝖽𝗂𝖽𝗇'𝗍. 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗂 𝗌𝖺𝗂𝖽 𝗂 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗀𝗈𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗈 𝗋𝖾𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗌𝖾 𝖺 𝖽𝖾𝗌𝖼𝗋𝗂𝗉𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝗑𝗍 𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝗂 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗉𝗅𝖺𝗇𝗇𝖾𝖽, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗂 𝗐𝗈𝗇'𝗍 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝗐𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂𝗍 𝗎𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗅 𝖺𝖿𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗂 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝗂𝗌𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗍𝖺𝗄𝖾. 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝖾𝗇𝗍𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗌𝗒𝗇𝗈𝗉𝗌𝗂𝗌 𝗂𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌: 𝖽𝖾𝗌𝗂𝗋𝖾 𝖽𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖽𝖾𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝗆𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝗉𝗁𝖾𝗎𝗌 𝖻𝗒 𝗀𝗂𝗏𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝖿𝖾 𝖺 𝗌𝗈𝗎𝗅𝗆𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍'𝗌 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗁𝗂𝗆.

╰┈➤ 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵!

╰┈➤ 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘧!

𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩: @aurorarevenclaw1927, @hueanhdang, @queen-taryn, @cyanide-mustard, @azrielloveselain, @sherazyjade

𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩: @justviktormlolm, @amirahroronoa, @sunna-fangirls, @mrs-captainsteverogers, @absbdbshhs, @urbanbts, @theamuz, @ac-procrastinator-13, @thegreatestsandwich, @julegrav009-blog, @harrypotter55, @blossomedfloweroflove, @lestaikkeullsokka, @thetrashypanda423, @ponyboys-sunsets, @izzicle, @dilfsandtherapy, @mischiefmanaged71, @grippleback-galaxy, @cynic-spirit, @thecrazytealady, @violet-19999, @junobutbored, @avanisbored, @redskull199987, @bilesxbilinskixlahey, @ladymoon666, @celestialceremonials, @mm2305, @ttae-yong, @thegreatestsandwich, @notabotiswear, @boofy1998, @crimsonsabbath, @megumimind, @itsnanabun, @spygrrl99, @regulusblacksimpsblog, @maverey, @storm4433, @writerinlearning, @lokigirlszendaya, @thesadvampire, @thestarsanctuary, @floreoo, @pinkpunkdynamite, @jesllianaquilesrolon, @aegeanblues, @anjimimimoo, @imaginativefanatic, @book-place, @littlemoistcarrot, @lorosette, @wondermia69, @commanderfreethatdust, @flowerpersephone, @carrietrekkie, @mividaesmeh,

@tea-effect, @lex-the-flex, @dreamamubarak, @witchxlove, @mxtokko

𝗂𝖿 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝖻𝖾 𝖺𝖽𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝖺𝗀𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗌, 𝖼𝗁𝖾𝖼𝗄 𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝖺𝗇𝖽𝗆𝖺𝗇 𝗌𝗁𝖾𝗅𝖿 𝗍𝗈 𝖿𝗂𝗀𝗎𝗋𝖾 𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝗍𝖺𝗀𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗄𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗒𝗈𝗎!

#the fourth tool #the sandman imagine #morpheus imagine #morpheus x reader #dream imagine #dream x reader #dream of the endless x reader #sandman fanfiction #dream fanfiction #sandman imagine #the sandman #dream of the endless #morpheus #sandman angst #corinthian imagine #corinthian x reader #corinthian angst

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vestaclinicpod · 13 hours

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Audio Drama Sunday - 28th April ✨

Happy Audio Drama Sunday! I started two new shows this week and fell in love with both of them!!

👻 @tellnotalespod (S2E8.5) ohhhhhh I’m so emotional. The end of this series is going to make me cry so many happy tears, I can just feel it.

🌲 @hellofromthehallowoods (149) With the description this week, I think I truly realised just how scary-looking the pig man is 😰 Things are looking decidedly down for Shelby and Clem. Eek. God, Valerie!!! She’s such an interesting character because you can literally connect the dots of her trauma but still be slightly disappointed by the consequences on her behaviour! And the poor Mr Greenstreets ☹️ Raj is very Syrensyr coded?? Vincent as a grief counsellor makes me wonder… about who or what Voltaire is….

Also, I want the Auditor to be Polly so bad and I want Nikignik to get out of the interrogation by bargaining to reunite him with Yaretzi and Mort - PLEASE.

🧳 Travelling Light by @monstrousproductions (19) I loved seeing our Traveller stand up for themself!! It’s always so fun to see characters who are usually soft gain a backbone of steel because their core values are tested. And the discussion of the nanobots was so interesting!! The laws on nanobots elsewhere when they are literally required for survival makes the entire person illegal. And we all know that’s not right!!!

👁️ @malevolentcast (41) I’m thinking that maybe Rafters was an exception that proves the rule… Alexander the owl was creepy as anything and I hated the way he seemed to be guiding them towards the crack in the wall. Now we’re in a possible parallel universe, it feels like all bets are off and I’m scared to even consider what might happen to John and Arthur now!

⚔️ @camlannpod (8) OUGH. Oh my god. Can’t they just have FIVE MINUTES to RELAX?? I actually snorted out loud at: ‘you’re good with an axe, right’. Pere is a little shit and I love that for them. Morgan!!! 🫨 And Dai!!! I’m so hopeful that starting down this path will lead to good (or, at least, a whole load of shenanigans for S2!)

🖥️ The Magnus Protocol (13) It’s very interesting to me that we were able to listen in on Sam and Cecilia’s date… how did that work? There’s something here about gambling and chance with this story and the previous one about the dice rolling?? I’m connecting the dots (I’m not connecting shit).

🌞 Small Victories by @wgc-productions is so good, I wish I’d started listening years ago. I love the 90s sitcom vibe and the intro/outro are so unique. I absolutely love shows that centre around character studies. Marisol’s story is so gripping and I love how the writing takes us right inside her brain as she justifies every decision (good or bad). It’s so clear how loveable she is and how much people around her want her to be okay (mostly), but don’t know *how* to get her to that place given the shit they’re dealing with themselves! I got up to 1.09 so . . . bit of a cliffhanger there!! I’m very excited to see how the story progresses. I’m rooting for you, Tiny!!

🧋 I started @hinaypod and it’s safe to say that I’m in love already! Listening has given me the same amazing feeling of listening to Desperado - the sensation that the creators have opened up a door to a brand new world and I’m so happy to be in it! I adore Mari. Even from episode one, she has this quiet self-confidence in herself and her skills which is so refreshing. I also really like the horror writing here and I’m really looking forward to delving deeper into this story!

Hope everyone has a good week! 💙

#audiodramasunday #tell no tales #hfth spoilers #travelling light #malevolent spoilers #camlann #tmagp spoilers #small victories #hi nay

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nonsensegnomes · 2 years

Photo

better call saul + dogs

bonus:

IMAGE DESCRIPTION BEGINS

Eleven gifs depicting dogs or people talking about dogs on Better Call Saul.

1. Kaylee Erhmantraut plays with her new dog in 1.09, as Mike tells Stacey: “Hey, it’s good to have a dog around. Bad guys think twice about breaking into a house with a dog.”

2. Jeff’s friend Ricky starts his car in preparation for their robbery during 6.11, while his dog glances around in the passenger seat.

3. Gus tells Mike why he won’t cut Nacho loose in 5.09: “A dog who bites every owner he’s had can only be disciplined with a firm hand. Or, put down.”

4. Jimmy approaches a bench in front of the Doghouse sign, where he tried to sell people burner phones during 4.05.

5. Chuck & Howard discuss Kim securing the Mesa Verde deal in 2.05: “A fourth year associate snags a quarter of a million in billings? (...) She’s out of the doghouse, I presume.” / “We’ll see.”

6. Howard approaches Kim’s lunch at the restaurant in 3.08. As she begins to stand, he tells her: “Kim, sit! I insist.” // Later that same scene, Kim comes up to Howard’s table and puts a hand on his shoulder as he tries to rise: “Howard, sit! I insist.”

7. Nacho showing Mike his scar from Tuco during 2.04: “And this? A piece of Dawg’s skull. Under the skin, a little piece of him. I tried digging it out but it’s in there pretty good.”

8. Hector shouting at Bolsa in 3.10: “Me! And my family! We built this whole business. (...) Salamanca blood! Salamanca money! (...) And you treat us like dogs!”

9. Lalo hushing the widow Ziegler’s dog in 6.05: “Shhh. Be quiet, be quiet, okay?” // Lalo shushing Kim & Jimmy after he shoots Howard in 6.07: “Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh. Okay?”

10. Gene lying to Marion about the titular missing dog of 6.10: “What happened to poor Nippy?” / “It was my fault! I was driving with the windows open, (...) and I don’t know, something got into him - maybe he saw a cat or something - but he jumped. (...) I was screaming my head off: ‘Nippyyyyyy!’, but, heh! He was gone.”

bonus: Jesse looking up at Walt from where he’s sat on the RV floor during 6.11.

IMAGE DESCRIPTION ENDS

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love-me-a-lotta-whump · 1 year

Text

의문의 일승 - Oh, The Mysterious - Whumplist - 🇰🇷

Whumpees: 김종삼 aka 오일승 (Kim Jong Sam aka Oh Il Seung) played by 윤균상 (Yoon Kyun Sang) and 딱지 (Ddak Ji) played by 전성우 (Jeon Sung Woo)

Synopsis: Kim Jong Sam and his friend Ddak Ji were falsely accused of murder, mixed into the coverup of a bigger crime. The corrupt prosecution and detectives at the time beat the two of them and threatened them until eventually Jong Sam confessed to protect his friend. After 10 years wasted away in prison as a death row convict, Jong Sam finds a way to temporarily escape the prison. Will this give him the chance to clear his and Ddak Ji's name?

Genre: Cop/Crime, Prison, Mystery, Conspiracy

Watch On: Kokowa, KissAsian, DramaCool

CAUTION: This drama discusses s**cide, non con and other sensitive topics. Please continue with caution.

WARNING: THERE ARE SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT!

Kim Jong Sam / Oh Il Seung

1.01 : in a car chase ::: kicked, tripped, chased

1.02 : concerned for someone ::: fought prison guards, hit in the thigh, forced to kneel, restrained (manhandling and batons ::: scared, chased ::: scared, desperate, in a car chase ::: desperate, concerned for someone, thrown, manhandled, saving someone ::: scared

1.03 : (flashbacks: emotional)

1.04 : hit over the head ::: found unconscious, woke up, coughing

1.05 : (flashbacks: forced to kneel, restrained, strangled, hit over his head, unconscious, Found unconscious), woke up in the hospital, anxious (semi comical), holding his stomach and groaning (semi comical) ::: threatened ::: chased, scared, jumped off a platform, fell, groaning

1.06 : concerned for someone, fought ::: cornered, scared, defiant, tied to a weight, out of it, restrained, manhandled, pushed into the water, struggling, drowning

1.07 : tied to a weight, out of it, restrained, manhandled, pushed into the water, struggling, drowning) saved, angry ::: arrested, taken into custody, traumatic memories surface

1.08 : fought , face bloody, on the run, panicked, trapped

1.09 : trapped, saved ::: in a car chase, in a wreck, bloody hand, wincing, holding his arm, concern for him, struggling to stand ::: beaten, concern for him, in shock, weak, manhandled, pushed, wincing, groaning, concerned for someone

1.10 : bloody, concern for him, holding his arm ::: fought ::: chased, cornered, scared ::: hung over the side of a building, escaped ::: shown a video of his best friend being held captive

1.11 : panicked, on the run ::: saving someone, running away, pipe swung into his stomach, collapsed, weak, concern for him, attempting to sacrifice himself ::: captive, restrained in a chair, betrayed, concerned for someone ::: hanging in the air, struggling, concerned for someone

1.12 : hanging in the air, struggling, concerned for someone, using himself as a human shield, saved ::: panicked

1.13 : on the run, panicked ::: hunted ::: told he’d be put on a ship (to end up as a slave), scared, friend threatened ::: interrogated, scared ::: drugged, manhandled, collapsed

1.14 : captive, unconscious in the back of a car, restrained (tape) ::: unconscious, woke up, concerned for someone, in a wreck, crawling out of the car, concerned for someone, sobbing, panicked, watched his little brother die (not biological but still), grieving, screaming, held ::: grieving, crying ::: grieving, in a depressed state ::: grieving

1.15 : none

1.16 : loved one threatened, taken ::: captive, restrained in a chair, (tortured: head held under water repeatedly, defiant) ::: restrained (zip ties), forced to kneel, groaning, emotional, angry, slapped, crying, manhandled

1.17 : threatened, scared

1.18 : concerned for someone ::: concerned for someone, panicked, fought, angry, restrained, struggling, crying, concern for him

1.19 : none

1.20 : talking about his traumatic past ::: chasing someone, fought, kicked, concerned for someone ::: concerned for someone, panicked

1.21 : concerned for someone

1.22 : threatened ::: in shock

1.23 : in shock, emotional

1.24 : emotional

1.25 : fought

1.26-1.27 : none

1.28 : in shock, emotional, feeling betrayed, teary eyed ::: emotional ::: traumatic memories ::: in shock ::: concerned for someone

1.29 : concern for someone ::: emotional

1.30-1.31 : none

1.32 : semi fought, knocked unconscious, collapsed, manhandled (drug) ::: concern for him ::: restrained (zip ties), gagged, struggling, groaning, heavy breathing, passed out ::: concern for him, found restrained and unconscious, saved, shivering, looked after ::: concern for him, looked after, emotional ::: concern for him ::: in shock, traumatic memories surface, angry, crying

1.33 : angry, crying ::: emotional, crying, angry

1.34 : in shock, emotional

1.35 : in shock, angry ::: angry, emotional ::: emotional ::: in a depressed state, isolating himself, emotional outburst, crying

1.36 : someone saves him from being hit by a car, groaning, scared, panicked, concerned for them, crying

1.37 : scared ::: angry, emotional outburst, restrained (manhandled), struggling ::: punched a mirror

1.38 : emotional ::: concerned for someone, saving someone

1.39 : emotional, crying, angry outburst ::: repeated angry outbursts ::: found in a depressed state, arrested ::: interrogated, crying, looked after (emotionally)

1.40 : emotional ::: arrested, emotional

Ddak Ji

1.01 : none

1.02 : concerned for someone

1.03-1.06 : none

1.07 : emotional, grieving

1.08 : none

1.09 : emotional

1.10 : best friend is shown a video of him tied up, blindfolded and sobbing

1.11 : captive, tied up, blindfolded, sobbing, intimidated, (flashbacks: manhandled, drugged), hair grabbed ::: restrained (rope), beaten ::: restrained (rope) weak, flinching ::: manhandled, weak, concern for him, saved, running away, threatened, using himself as a human shield ::: captive, restrained in a chair, threatened, concern for him, hanging in the air, struggling, concerned for someone

1.12 : hanging in the air, struggling, concerned for someone, protected, saved

1.13 : scared

1.14 : captive in the trunk of a car, bloody face, concern for him, died

———+———

MORE WHUMP LISTS >>> {X}

Note: The direct translation of the drama’s title is “Mysterious Il Seung”. The drama is known as Oh, The Mysterious or Doubtful Victory

#whump list #whumplist #kdrama #asianwhump #asian whump #kwhump #whump list library #whump list directory #whump #doubtful victory

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peggynet · 3 months

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AGENT CARTER SEASON 1 ✦ 1.01 Now Is Not The End ✦ 1.02 Bride and Tunnel ✦ 1.03 Time and Tide ✦ 1.04 The Blitzkrieg Button ✦ 1.05 The Iron Ceiling ✦ 1.06 A Sin to Err ✦ 1.07 SNAFU ✦ 1.08 Valediction SEASON 2 ✦ 2.01 The Lady in the Lake ✦ 2.02 A View in the Dark ✦ 2.03 Better Angels ✦ 2.04 Smoke & Mirrors ✦ 2.05 The Atomic Job ✦ 2.06 Life of the Party ✦ 2.07 Monsters ✦ 2.08 The Edge of Mystery ✦ 2.09 A Little Song and Dance ✦ 2.10 Hollywood Ending

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OTHER MEDIA AGENTS OF SHIELD ✦ 2.01 Shadows ✦ 2.08 The Things We Bury AVENGERS ASSEMBLE ✦ 3.03 Saving Captain Rogers ✦ 4.14 New Year's Resolution ROGERS: THE MUSICAL (2023)

OURS all creations by Cassie by Laura by Maria by Pfeiffer by Raffaella

SHIPS Peggy/Angie Peggy/Daniel Peggy/Dottie Peggy/Jason Peggy/Natasha Peggy/Steve Peggy/Steve/Bucky

WHAT IF...? SEASON 1 ✦ 1.01 What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger? ✦ 1.09 What If... The Watcher Broke His Oath? SEASON 2 ✦ 2.02 What If... Peter Quill Attacked Earth's Mightiest Heroes? ✦ 2.05 What If... Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper? ✦ 2.08 What If... The Avengers Assembled in 1602? ✦ 2.09 What If... Strange Supreme Intervened?

#mobile navigation

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kolbisneat · 1 year

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MONTHLY MEDIA: February 2023

Okay I didn’t watch any movies this month BUT I’m very excited for the D&D movie and I watched plenty of youtube.

……….TELEVISION……….

Arcane (Episode 1.01 to 1.09) It took a few episodes for me to get invested (and a few mid-season eps that felt like a CW series...only young beautiful people allowed) but by the end I was into it. I know nothing about League of Legends and to the show’s credit, I couldn’t tell when there was fanservice. I’ll check out season 2 if it happens.

The Great (Episode 2.01 to 2.08) Loved the first season and currently love the second. Still a few eps left but it’s kept me guessing the entire time. Stellar characters, very funny, and the world continues to walk the edge between whimsical and dangerous.

Spy x Family (Episode 1.01 to 1.07) Super fun premise and very funny. I’ve only just started but I hope we get to see more of Yor’s world. It seems to be spy-centric and psychic-centric (which, based on the name and current plot, makes sense) but I hope it can start weaving in more of her role in the future.

Cunk on Earth (Episode 1.01 to 1.02) Sure I’ve only seen two episodes but both were very funny. Something about her timing and delivery just works every time for me.

……….YOUTUBE……….

Chronically underwhelmed? This might be why... by Daily Mindtrap A concise reflection on why we’re not having as much fun as when we were kids. Touches on a lot of thoughtful points though my hatred of subscriptions does make me a little biased. VIDEO

The Decline of Tim Burton by Broey Deschanel One thing that scares me as an artist is that I’ll get stuck in a spot and start copying and reiterating on my own work to the point that it becomes caricature. Just a random thought and totally unrelated to this video. VIDEO

How To Analyze Movies – Film Studies 101 and What Do The LOONEY TUNES Mean In 2023? by Patrick Willems Both really great in their own way. Film studies 101 is fairly universal as a lot of the topics apply to all art. And the Looney Tunes share a room in my mind palace with the Muppets: concepts I love but haven’t connected with anything of theirs in the last 15 years. VIDEO (Film 101) VIDEO (Muppets)

……….READING……….

Your Friendly Neighbourhood Death Pedlar by Jimmy Sangster (Complete) The cover was so good and the write-up pitched it as a comedy that I took a gamble on a thrift store find. Swing and a miss. Comedy is difficult in your own time let alone 50 years after being published. Are the offensive bits a sendup of the time, or have they just aged poorly? Comedy that requires context doesn’t land for me so this whole thing fell flat. Anyway all this is to say I’m a sucker for a good book cover.

Confronting Capitalism by Vivek Chiboer (Complete) An easily digestible primer on Capitalism and it’s...faults. It really gave a lot of insight into the structural problems with politics in a capitalistic system and for that alone, I recommend. I wish the last chapter (talking about how a society moves past capitalism) was a little more robust, but hopefully I can find some other books to fill in those gaps.

Batgirl/Robin Year One by Scott Beatty, Chuck Dixon, Marcos, Martin, and Javier Pulido (Complete) Great introductions to both characters and the perfect balance of fun and dangerous. It feels like there are real stakes while not getting too dark. I’d love if a Batman movie could strive for this sorta tone, you know?

……….AUDIO……….

Paranoid by Black Sabbath (1970) One thing I appreciate about getting into Girl Talk years ago was it introduced me to bits of really great albums. And I somehow missed that Ozzy Osbourne was the lead singer. Anyway filling in a lot of blind spots here and War Pigs holds up so well. The whole album really.

……….GAMING……….

Oz: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The group is unearthing some underground tunnels and playing the political game as well. If you want to read more of the recaps, they’re over here!

Neverland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The Mof1 group is busy making plans and saving Pirates. They recently acquired some protective suits so they’re now exploring the iron mines and its fluctuating temperatures!

And that’s it. See you in March!

#Monthly Media #Kolbisneat #Andrew Kolb

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kent-farm · 8 months

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Felicity, this is the I.T. Department. It’s not the ladies’ room.

—Oliver, Arrow, “Year’s End”

#Arrow #Oliver Queen #Stephen Amell #Felicity Smoak #Emily Bett Rickards #Olicity #1.09 Year's End

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mittensmorgul · 2 years

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I’ve been listening to the Supernatural: Then and Now podcast, and overall it’s been a lot of fun for what it is. It’s an interesting perspective on the show, two guys who are completely involved in the show but who’d never really sat down and watched it from the beginning. Sometimes their thoughts are informed by what they’ve learned through fandom, or through their own work later in the series, but sometimes they’re... kinda out of left field lol.

But there’s a few things in this week’s episode (about 2.01 In My Time of Dying, with Jensen and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as guests) that I really feel I need to talk about. Let’s start with Jensen and JDM’s thoughts on John Winchester. There’s likely been a lot of fandom pushback on their insistence that John wasn’t a bad father, that he loved his kids, put them first, and was willing to die for them (and did!).

And it’s like... well yeah, nobody doubted whether he loved his kids or would be willing to die for them. But that doesn’t make him a good parent to them. It’s not just that Sam and Dean were latchkey kids who had to raise themselves. I mean most of my generation were latchkey kids who at least partially raised themselves (waves in gen x). They weren’t left for a few days in a comfortable and safe home with resources and neighbors to call if they needed help and plenty of food to eat. Dean KNEW what his father was doing when he left them behind, that there was always a chance he wouldn’t ever come back, and sometimes he DIDN’T come back when he said he would, or didn’t leave them with resources to fend for themselves without him.

(even JDM didn’t remember having come back in 1.09 Home, wherein he completely ignored Dean’s tearful, terrified pleas for help, let his kids almost die in the home where his wife had been killed, already knew far more about what was really going on than he was telling them-- ostensibly for their own protection despite the fact they both nearly died in this episode-- and then didn’t contact them again for weeks afterward... so yeah I think his memories are a bit hazy on how awful John was as a parent, even in s1)

The show depicted their childhoods as largely adrift, cut off from society in general, and forced to be silent about the circumstances of their lives. In addition, John “trusted Dean” to take care of Sam in ways that NO parent should-- to keep ALL of the supernatural stuff secret from Sam, leaving Dean to feel like a failure at age 12 when Sam learned the truth... and leaving Dean to feel like a failure at like age 9 when he disobeyed a direct order after days alone in a motel terrified that John would never come back, when a monster broke into their room and nearly killed Sam-- and then he had the nerve to passive-aggressively give Dean the chance to “correct” that mistake years later with nothing more than some texted coordinates to a town where the same monster was killing kids again... like... this is SEASON ONE of the show, not some later retcon that somehow changed our impression of John.

Sure, TO JOHN, IN JOHN’S MIND, he was doing the best he could for his kids in horrific circumstances. And I get why JDM feels this sympathy for the character he played, because he had to portray it. And I do not doubt that John loved his kids.

That doesn’t make him A Good Father.

That’s the disconnect here. Defend John’s love for his kids, but heck... his actions are understandable in his broken, revenge-driven mind, but not defensible in any way. That makes him a good CHARACTER, not a good father. And I appreciate that Rob and Rich, and even Jensen... and yeah even JDM a little bit, trying to make that point.

There’s also comments about what JDM was whispering to Jensen at the end of the episode-- which we the viewers find out the truth about at the beginning of 2.10 Hunted, when Dean tells Sam what John’s final words to him were: That Dean needed to save Sam, and if he couldn’t, then he’d have to kill Sam. That reveal is a gut punch to the audience, not only for us sympathizing with Sam for learning this after so long, but for Dean and the fact he’d been carrying this terrible secret and this horrific burden his father laid on him in the moments before he knew he was gonna die because he sold his soul to a demon-- along with literally their only weapon against that demon-- to save Dean...

And Jensen and JDM were both laughing over some of the inappropriate things JDM whispered to him for the first few takes of the scene. Nothing was scripted there, he was just told to pretend to whisper something in Dean’s ear. They were struggling to remember what Kim Manners eventually told John to whisper to Dean, and didn’t quite recall the exact language. One of them said something implying that Sam wasn’t really Dean’s brother before getting pretty close to what the actual reveal was in 2.10.

Now, I need to remind people (or inform folks who haven’t listened to this podcast yet) that at the beginning of the episode JDM and Jensen both said they’d just rewatched this episode for the first time in a very long time, and didn’t completely remember what it was about. Understandable, they filmed it in 2006, you know? long time ago! They didn’t remember what had come before it, or after it, either. I mean, I don’t remember what I was doing in 2006, either... wait... I went to the Daytona 500 that year... I think... pretty sure... wait... i moved into this house i’m currently sitting in that year. that’s a pretty big thing not to remember lol. whatever, point is, their memories are foggy on the details.

Now I found this pretty interesting, that they essentially DID remember what they were told John would be whispering in Dean’s ear here, which wasn’t written in the script but was clearly already planned as The Big Plot Arc of the season leading up to Dean eventually saving Sam by selling his own soul and thinking (hoping) that it truly DID save Sam from the vague Dark Destiny that John’s warning had implied he was doomed for otherwise.

I found it interesting that Jensen knew that big secret from the season premiere and literally did carry it with him until he revealed that truth to Sam nine episodes later. Kudos to him. Early s2 is an emotional wrecking ball for Dean. Though... that describes most of the series, too, I guess...

But hilariously, in the most awful of ways, at the end of the podcast Richard Speight went on a little headcanon journey that took the totally wrong takeaway from their little trip down misremembered memory lane, and had somehow latched on to the (totally wrong) comment about Sam not really being Dean’s brother as having been the true statement. He and Rob were like omg REALLY?! Because all these years I thought they were brothers! That’s like the premise of the show! Are they not brothers?! Did Mary have a demon baby?

And the whole time I’m listening to this, I’m driving, and I’m yelling at the radio NO! NO NONE OF THAT IS TruE?! WTF?!

I mean for folks who might not believe that, the rest of canon proves it just fine. But it sort of reminds me of fandom in general, where we’re all playing this long weird game of telephone with misremembered snippets from years and years ago, and it often leads to either the fuzzy haze of nostalgia creeping in where long debunked nonsense like this can instantly become fact(ish) again with a few misspoken words, or the rehashing of old drama that was put to bed years ago.

And sometimes it’s just nice to be able to sit back and laugh about it.

(while also still reminding myself that it’s a bunch of bunk)

#spn 2.01 #spn 2.10 #spiders georg of the tnt loop #i just had to purge this from my brain :'D

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insomniactalks · 2 years

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I've been thinking about/meaning to write this meta for several months, even before making a Tumblr LOL. 😅 I finally found the time this week, so here we go, folks! The main point of this meta: Portwells, I think we should prepare for a possible love confession for EJ and Gina by the S3 finale. Why? Keep reading! 😚 (I'll be analyzing episodes 1.10-2.12 and a bit of S3 bts for this meta. This is deff super long. Read at your own risk! 😓🤣 Sidenote: I think I’m getting the hang of this gif-making haha😁)

1.10: "Breaking Free"

Here’s the stanza that Ricky and Nini are singing when we see EJ and Gina talking about the plane ticket in the S1 finale:

More than hope, more than faith

This is truth, this is fate

And together we see it comin'

More than you, more than me

Not a want, but a need

Both of us, breakin' free

I’ve bolded certain lines and phrases I wanna focus on. While Rini are singing these lines, Portwell are further solidifying the fact that they are a unit, a team, a fact established as early as 1.02. They are “team Wonderstudies” (2.06) after all, and while they both contentedly watch what they’ve done (meaning Gina got Ricky back in the show and EJ stepped aside for Nini to choose her Troy), they stand as a team. I believe at some point in 1.09 and 1.10, both EJ and Gina knew deep down that Nini and Ricky were always gonna choose each other. So they had to let them go. Doing the right thing was about “more than you, more than me” for EJ and Gina b/c they ultimately put their selfish goals aside for the ppl they care about. As Gina thanks EJ for “buying her the plane ticket,” the last three lines are being sung in the background. Bringing her back for opening night was more than just EJ wanting to look good in the public eye (which is what he was tryna do with his Instagram confessionals LOL). It’s a private conversation b/t the two of them where Gina quietly thanks EJ for his kindness and he simply says it wasn’t “fair for her to miss all this.” The “both of them” are finally “breaking free” by that point, together, whether they know it or not. They even look at each other at the exact same time while Nini sings “together” in the background!

2.01: "Something in the Air" and Happy Ever After

Here’s the exact stanza EJ and Gina sing in the video/song:

The end and the beginning of another year

Takin' in the memories that we've made right here

The tree is goin' up

And my roots are goin' down

All around I'm feelin' it

Are you feelin' it?

I’ve once again bolded the lines I wanna focus on. While Gina and EJ 1.0 is in the past, the first half of S2 (and the new year) sees the two of them struggling with old habits. Thankfully, by 2.05 and 2.06, EJ and Gina are embracing and loving the support around them from the other Wildcats and are slowly but surely opening up to them. They no longer operate as strong-minded independent individuals, interested in their own selfish desires, they are now real team-players, having the Wildcats’ backs. The “feeling it” lines could refer to the “it” as the love and support from their friends, or the holiday spirit, etc. In my opinion, for the purposes of this meta, I think the “feeling it” lines are referring to future love between Portwell, esp b/c they sing the last two lines together. Besides Seblos, Gina and EJ are the only ones to walk down the stairs in the video. Gina is a little ahead of EJ (just like in their character arcs hehe) but EJ eventually catches up and they meet at the landing, together. Also, Gina crosses her hands over her chest (heart?) as she sings those lines (“I’m feeling it”):

Gina also sings about “finding happy ever after” right besides EJ in the “HSM 2 Medley”:

Maybe she finds her happy ever after by the S3 finale (*hint hint clue clue* LOVE CONFESSION!!!)? She even looks in EJ’s direction as she says it.

2.05: EJ Opens His Eyes to Love

After dropping by the AV Club for a few weeks, EJ is tasked by Mazzara to “figure out his story” and “try to find more interesting ppl to learn from,” which is an assignment he takes seriously. EJ never stands in front of the camera or even have his phone out this episode. His focus is entirely on the ppl around him, even when the camera’s not on (like his tender moment with Gina)! What’s important about the progress of Portwell’s relationship in this episode is EJ’s moment of realization. He starts to fall for Gina b/c of what he learns about her. She, along with Seb, just spent the last few days planning out the quinceañero Carlos always wanted. EJ also learns more about Gina’s life during her speech on stage, where she admits she “keeps on dancing” to “escape” from whatever is going on in her life. Not only that, she recreates one of Carlos’ dances to honor him as her friend and fellow dancer. Whether they know it or not, Gina and EJ work as a team once again to show Carlos how much they care about him:

I think there’s something to be said about the fact EJ starts to realize his feelings for Gina when she does something really kind and selfless for someone they both love.

2.06: Learning to Love Again / 2.08: Lessons Learned

A while ago, I sent an anon ask to @gracestone about EJ asking his future self if he could ever “learn to love anyone after Belle” and how that connects to the lyrics of “If I Can’t Love Her” that are playing during the montage. Anouk even made an absolutely beautiful gifset about this. Check it out if you haven’t already!😍 I’m not gonna go into more detail about the foreshadowing of EJ and Gina falling in love in 2.06 and 2.08 b/c it seems obvious enough. Lmaooo. I think Anouk perfectly captured the moments I was talking about and it seems self-explanatory. In 2.06, EJ asks his future self if he can “learn to love anyone after Belle” before taking a seat next to his future girlfriend, Gina, who shows her sign of approval by patting him on the back:

In 2.08, after spending several hours together having heartfelt convos and watching TV on the couch, Gina eventually falls asleep while EJ takes care of her before he leaves. Howie sings, “no lesson could teach me how I could have loved her and make her love me too” during Portwell’s part of the montage. I mean, all signs point to EJ and Gina falling in love in S3 (with 2.06 and 2.08 being the most obvious!).

2.09: Gina Opens Her Eyes to Love

Besides deciding her first kiss has to be "the right guy" who "shows up and stays around" (all things which apply to EJ), I wanna note what made Gina realize her feelings for EJ. After a really long, tho insightful day, he shows up with a granola bar in hand, the very thing she's been craving. Not only does he anticipate her wants and needs, he shows up with a plan to drive her back for her flight in the morning. Beyond that tho, it's the fact Gina realizes her feelings for EJ while wearing his sweatshirt, even before they start dating. She's waiting for her flight to Louisiana so that she can visit her mom over spring break, so the very fact that she's wearing his third-generation Caswell family Duke sweatshirt is very telling. Gina leaves Salt Lake and the Wildcats for the week, but she takes a piece of home with her in the form of EJ's gifted sweater. That Duke sweatshirt provides a feeling of home, comfort, safety, etc for Gina while she visits her mom in a place she's "never been" (2.06). Gina briefly takes the sweater off for the "Ain't Seen Nothing" video, but promptly puts it back on when she's heading back to Ashlyn's house. I'm not claiming EJ's the only one to make SLC feel like home to Gina because all the Wildcats have played a part. However, she's wearing his clothes even tho she admits she's not sure where they stand. And then she puts the sweater back on even though she has two suitcases full of clothes. She makes a conscious decision to have something of EJ's close to her. Also, the very thing that makes Gina realize her feelings for EJ is the fact that he shows up without having to be asked. The granola bar is just a small, sweet gesture and reminder of how much he cares. He pays attention to her. And he shows up. Plus, she looks down at the granola bar EJ just handed to her twice b/c that's the simple sign the universe was sending her and gave her her moment of realization:

I also think the "right guy has just gotta show up and stay around" line is foreshadowing EJ will stay local after S3. By S2 finale, Gina decides EJ has met the requirements for who she wants to be her first kiss. In her own words, EJ is the "right guy." I feel like the "staying around" part could be interpreted as foreshadowing for PW's relationship by the end of S3.

2.10: Romance in the Cards

Miss Gina Porter literally spoke the words "he kinda saved me" in this episode. Gina 1.0 would never admit she wants or needs anyone's help. She does not see herself as "a damsel in distress" (2.09) so for her to admit EJ "saved" her over the break is major. Unlike Nini, who never wanted to be the "kinda girl who needs to be saved," Gina appreciates EJ looking out for her and taking care of her. He finally gets "the chance to be a hero" (1.04), but this time for the right girl. By the end of the episode, EJ decides Gina is worth the risk of getting rejected again, while Gina decides EJ is worth the risk of misreading the signs again. They both take a second chance on each other.

2.11: "Something There" and Family Affairs

Gina looks over at EJ three times while "Something There" is playing, a literal love song, mind you!

The "something" Belle and Beast are singing about is love. This seems to be clear foreshadowing of Gina and EJ falling in love with each other some day. The lyrics of this song are perfect for them because neither one ever expected to fall for the other, they just happened to bend unexpectedly over the course of the year. The lyrics "who'd have ever thought this could be," which plays over PW glancing at e/o thru the curtains, perfectly describes their situation. A similar line comes up again in "Second Chance." Before getting into that, I wanna note the sequence of events before, during, and after "Something There." Gina talks with Jamie (where you can tell they love e/o but the sibling relationship is strained), then we follow her into the "S/t There" performance (with EJ and Gina constantly smiling/glancing at e/o), to Jamie's convo with EJ. The whole point of those sequence of events is to show how absent Jamie has really been in his sister's life. Jamie so badly wants to assuage his guilt for not being there for Gina that he tries to put off his responsibilities on to EJ. We obviously know Gina has romantic feelings for EJ by this point b/c she calls their risotto plans "a date." Regardless, the show made a point to have EJ and Jamie meet and have the audience hear from Terri on what she thinks about him (all good things btw!).

One last thing I wanna talk about before getting to the next episode is the first pic of Gina looking at EJ in “S/t There.” As much as I was rooting for PW as S2 progressed, I wasn’t quite prepared to call Gina and EJ 'soulmates.' However, the moment of EJ and Gina looking at e/o thru the curtains made me change my mind. It’s the very fact that they cannot physically see e/o, yet EJ and Gina can just feel the other’s presence and that’s enough for them. Ashlyn sings “who'd have ever thought this could be" and PW immediately stare in the other’s direction? I mean, come on! 😫That’s exactly it! If you told EJ and Gina they’d be falling for e/o someday at the start of S1, they’d have laughed in your face. They’re even in the same side of the wings as they were in 1.01 when EJ grabbed the basketball off the floor behind Gina right before Nini’s audition. In that scene, they’re glaring at each other LOL.😂 Fast forward to about 7 months later, and in nearly the exact same spot, EJ and Gina are sending e/o heart-eyes without even knowing it! (I can’t add pics of this parallel b/c I’m pretty sure I’ve reached Tumblr’s pic/gif limit. So, just take my word for it hehe.😅)

2.12: "Second Chance"

Both EJ and Gina are completely devastated when they think the other doesn't return their feelings (thanks to the miscommunication brought on by Jamie):

Before they even go on their first official date, the above scenes show us just how much EJ and Gina already like e/o. Then, we get to hear their inner thoughts thru song in the episode's namesake.

EJ's lines:

Was I a fool to read between the lines?

Did I misread the signs that much?

Who would've thought we'd come this far as friends?

Maybe that should've been enough

During "Something There," Ashlyn sings the line "who'd have ever thought this could be?" while EJ and Gina looked at e/o thru the curtains. That's exactly it! No one expected Belle and the Beast to ever actually fall for e/o. Just like Gina and EJ never expected to agree to go on a date t/g and eventually start to have feelings. These are the same characters who angrily walked away from e/o in 1.04 during their Wonderstudies schemes. Several months later, in what looks like the other side of the hallways in East High, EJ and Gina unknowingly break each other's hearts in 2.12. So much has changed b/t them and they truly have come so far as friends.

Gina's lines:

Maybe I'm safer when I'm on the run

No time to open up my heart

Maybe I'll hide behind my walls again

Instead of tearing them apart

Before talking about Gina feeling "safe when she's on the run," I wanna talk about the second line. We know Gina will be at Camp Shallow Lake over the summer, so she certainly has time to "open up her heart" now! I think a part of opening up her heart in regard to her relationship with EJ next season will be Gina falling in love. In terms of Gina feeling "safe when she's on the run," perhaps it can directly relate to her running towards EJ in the S2 finale to have her first kiss. He makes her feel safe by that logic.

Once they're on stage, the first transition we see is from EJ to Gina singing the following:

In my opinion, with Gina finishing EJ's sentence, it makes me believe they both found another chance to "fall" in love. The "falling" next season for Portwell will be falling in love (in my mind at least LOL😅). And the fact Gina is "wondering" what it'll take to "make the tide turn" tells me her searching for answers shows how much she likes EJ. They both also sing "what can make the fire burn" which implies the burning passion of love b/t them some day...maybe in S3?

S3: Behind the Scenes

I took a screenshot of one of Sofia's TikToks while they were still filming S3 b/c I noticed something. Here's the pic:

It's totally possible this is Sofia's own style and she may not be in costume yet. However, given she has her makeup done, and she's wearing a jacket over her clothes while inside her trailer, I'm gonna take this look as Gina's wardrobe. That being said, you notice the headband? Its got hearts on it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Gina Porter has only ever worn hearts on this show one other time in 2.03- the Valentine's Day episode. That makes sense given the occasion, but hearts aren't typical of Gina's fashion. Nini's and Ashlyn's sense of style have plenty of colors and patterns, including hearts. But heart-patterned clothes are rarely worn by Gina. Given the S3 sneak peek, it's fair to assume Gina and EJ have been dating for some time (a few weeks, maybe a month. Depends how long after S2 the next season picks up.) So the fact Gina has now incorporated hearts into her wardrobe I think is indicative of how EJ makes her feel. If she's in a lovey-dovey mood b/c EJ continues to show her how much he cares, perhaps that's reflected in the clothes she chooses to wear. The only time she wears hearts in S2 is in the Valentine's Day episode, which I'm just going to chalk up to the occasion. Now that she's dating EJ, and they're actually boyfriend and girlfriend, Gina wearing heart-patterned clothing items seems intentional. If EJ makes her feel cared for, taken care of, loved...maybe she'll present how she feels thru her clothes? Hearts usually only mean one thing...LOVE! I suspect (and am manifesting!!🕯🕯🕯) a Portwell love confession by S3 finale.

Further proof of a possible Portwell love confession are the kind of characters EJ and Gina are. EJ tells Nini he "was trying to hold onto what we had over the summer" (1.04). Gina tells Ricky she "wouldn't quit on us if I wasn't moving away" (2.06). In both scenarios, we learn more about the type of people EJ and Gina are. Once they have a good thing going with someone they like, they're willing to put in the work to keep it going. After just a few months of getting to know and falling for Nini and Ricky, EJ and Gina admit to wanting to continue to fight for the relationship. Both are hard workers who, once are sure of what they want, they are willing to put in the work to get it. They just keep going. They don't quit. Given the "leaks" for S3, the majority of which came from unreliable sources, I've seen some predict Gina may step out on her relationship with EJ b/c she has feelings for Ricky. I've also seen some ppl say EJ would cheat on Gina before she would cheat on him. If you truly believe either EJ or Gina would ever actually cheat on each other, you've mischaracterized the core of who they are. Plus, that just seems so disrespectful of their characters. 🤦🏽‍♀️

At their core, EJ and Gina are extremely loyal and protective of their loved ones. Once they've gained one's trust, and more importantly, once one has gained EJ's and Gina's trust, you can bet they've got your back. After experiencing and actively working thru their previous heartbreaks, EJ and Gina took a chance on e/o. They know how hard it is to gain their trust and to open up their hearts to one another. Why would EJ and Gina, after all the growth they've had, hurt each other by breaking e/o's trust? Now that they're finally dating, why would EJ or Gina ever hurt e/o by catching feelings for Val or Ricky, etc.? It took 2 whole seasons for them to agree to go on a date together. You expect me to believe they’ll be ruined in 8 episodes, in the first season they’re actually dating? 🤨

Besides sharing similarities to Troy and Gabriella, EJ and Gina are also a lot like Sharpay. By the end of summer in HSM2, Sharpay finally realizes how much the Wildcats really mean to her after almost losing everything. Tho EJ and Gina aren’t the one-dimensional kinda of antagonists Sharpay was in the HSM movies, they share similar character traits to her, such as being hardworking, ambitious, and talented. By the end of HSM3, Sharpay stays local by going to a state college b/c she’s willing to help Ms. Darbus with the Drama Department. She’s not ready to give up being a Wildcat just yet b/c it means too much to her. Both EJ and Gina learn over the course of S2 that true happiness is with the ppl they surround themselves with. Now that they both know that, wouldn’t it make sense for EJ and Gina to fight for what makes them happy (i.e. staying in SLC and wanting to continue their relationship b/c S2 has deff showed us they seem their happiest when they’re together [2.06, 2.07, 2.08, 2.09, 2.10, 2.11, 2.12])?

I'm not saying Portwell won't be faced with tons of drama in S3. I'm sure they will simply b/c they're a main ship (plus they're the only couple at camp t/g). But that doesn't necessarily mean PW's relationship is completely and utterly doomed next season. Just like Troy and Gabriella, and Shane and Mitchie, EJ and Gina just might end their summer stronger and better, together. 🥰

(Last thing, I do think it’s only fair for Redlyn and Seblos to have their love confessions first b/c they’ve been dating longer. However, Ash, Big Red, Carlos, and Seb might be too scared or nervous to actually admit it out loud. In 2.08 and 2.10, both couples seemed to have trouble communicating (which is perfectly normal for teenagers!), but were able to resolve their issues soon enough. Gina and EJ had only one instance of miscommunication in 2.11 (which was entirely Jamie’s fault, btw. But they resolved it in just a few hours anyway). Portwell don’t seem to have any issues communicating. In fact, they’ve been shown to have really healthy, open communication skills. Because of that, I think once EJ and Gina are sure of their feelings, they’ll have no problem admitting to loving e/o. Seblos and Redlyn might let their fears take over and get a bit “tongue-tied” (2.10) when trying to admit they’re in love. But I deff think we can expect a Seblos and Redlyn love confession soon! Maybe even in S3 (thru phone call/facetime or night of the musical if Seb and Big Red come to visit! Could even happen really casually, as if they've been saying it. 🤔)).😊

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