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#It worked then because it was done once for the finale. But Season 2 does it ALL THE TIME to the point of annoyance)
fortune-maiden · 4 months
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Finished Link Click Season 2!!
I still think it's not as good as Season 1 and the pacing has issues, and there is just too much focus on characters who are not our main three but I still adore the plot and the cliffhangers and especially what we learn about Lu Guang in the very final episode.
THERE'S THAT TWIST THAT GOT ME HOOKED ON THE SERIES :D
SEASON 3 WHEN!
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81folklore · 18 days
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i can do it with a broken heart - f1 grid
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parings: gn!driver!reader x platonic!f1!grid x ex!jacob elordi
summary: after yn and their ex break up, they carry on as best they can and no one had any idea how bad they were struggling
type: social media au (smau)
notes: george is in this but he does not drive for mercedes, yn does. i also used a mixture of fem and masc pictures because i couldnt decide and thought you could just imagine whatever you wish!!
notes 2: probably the longest fic ive done so far but im pretty proud of it. the time stamps above each section are semi important so i would keep an eye on them!! also i know ive been gone for so long but i do not promise ill be back. alsoooo i know i only included a bit of the grid but i kept getting distracted and then couldn’t figure out how to include everyone!!
masterlist
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march 2024
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charles oh my god i cant believe my cat is finally the pfp
i have been waiting for YEARS
max yes well you better enjoy it because it’ll change soon and you’ll be back to waiting again.
lando jesus max do you have to use punctuation???
alex be glad he doesnt use captials
oscar one thing at a time lando, we dont want to scare him
max ???
lando anyway
yn mate you ok?
yourname im fine? ur scaring me you never ask how i am
lando yeah but usually your not single
lewis oh no! you and jacob split?
yourname yeah, wasnt working anymore
charles ah im sorry, that must suck😣
yourname i mean it does but its been coming for a long time so its not surprising
fernando hello! yn what is wrong? you always use emotes!
yourname theyre emojis nando, and im fine just a bit lost
fernando do not worry, i will come and find you!
yourname no, i dont mean literally just..we were together for so long i dont really know what to do now you know?
lando i get it, you wanna play tarkov with me???
yourname cheers ill get on now
george let us know if you need anything!
may 2024
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liked by mercedesamgf1, lewishamilton and 814,583 others
p✌️ was just what we needed this weekend!
thank you to everyone who came out and supported myself and the team and huge thank you to the team for working so hard all weekend⭐️
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mercedesamgf1 mega job this weekend yn👊 *liked by author*
landonorris nice to share the podium with you mate
yourusername same time next race?
user33 loved seeing you back on the podium
user2 absolutely smashing it this season
user21 more podiums please🤲 *liked by author*
user3 fourth podium of the year first p✌️*liked by author*
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*pretend it says after march i changed dates around last min*
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august 2024
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liked by lukehemmings, charles_leclerc and 1,124,642 others
did some reading, painting and writing
baked some good food and spent time with some good people, also got a cat…not bad for summer break☀️
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user66 AHHHHHH
yourusername ahhhhhhh
user26 cats name plsplspls
yourusername norman🐱
lukehemmings nice music👍
yourusername woah arent you the guy who wrote mum?!
mercedesamgf1 ready to see you back on the podium
yourusername always!!!!
user74 have you had funnnn??
yourusername yesss!! ive been doing lots of things i enjoy, basically treating every day as my birthday😋
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*was supposed to write them instead of her sorry!! was doing two stories at once and kept getting mixed up😅*
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october 2024
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liked by mercedesamgf1, gracieabrams and 1,291,638 others
p☝️ for the 3rd time this season, very very pleased
huuuuuge thank you to the team, every single one of you who worked tirelessly over the summer break and every moment since then, these have been for you⭐️
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user55 what a good season to be a yn fan *liked by author*
user6 these races have been incredible to watch, so proud
yourusername ⭐️⭐️
gracieabrams woop woop!!!!
yourusername 😝😝
user2 gracie??
user41 why have we not had any personal photo dumps yet😕😕
user88 right we miss seeing you yn!!
yourusername sorry guys😣ive been suuuper busy working on something i just honestly forgot
user41 NEW PROJECT?? WHEN?? (also pls dont feel bad we love u)
yourusername soon!! (and i love u guys too)
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november 2024
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liked by taylorswift, lewishamilton and 3,689,921 others
tagged: taylorswift
i cannot believe i get to say this, but my new friend taylor just released a new album and i was able to write a song on the album
im honestly not sure how this came about but i had so much fun writing this and expressing all my thoughts and feelings in a way ive never done before
i poured my life and soul into this song and im so glad taylor is the one who is singing it and really bought it to life
send some love to my friend and go and stream THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT (most importantly i can do it with a broken heart😉)
comments have been limited
taylorswift thank you for trusting me with this song, so much love🤍
yourusername NO THANK YOU!!! i will be forever grateful⭐️⭐️
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yourusername added to their story
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seen by taylorswift, lewishamilton and 729,282 others
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charles i feel completely betrayed yn
fernando oh no😟! what did yn do?
charles THEY DIDNT TELL ME THEY WERE WRITING A SONG??
AND WITH TAYLOR SWIFT HOW COULD YOU☹️☹️
yourname sorry charles, surprise?!
charles ill forgive you because its a good song
yourname thank you my life just got infinitely better!
yuki very good song yn! has been on repeat☺️
yourname thanks yuki, glad you like it!!
lando I LOVE IT TOO
but seriously are you ok?!
yourname yeahhh im better now
was just a lot to navigate
lewis glad you found an outlet! but remember you can always talk to any of us
yourname i know and i appreciate it, i really do
alex yn was that twitter thread right?
yourname mate youre going to have to elaborate
alex user56tweetlink
yourname oh pretty much yeah
some things were changed with taylor but not much
fernando just listened to the song yn! very nice👍well done!
yourname thank uu
max good song yn!
now
lando can you please tell me what you meant on your twitch stream!
oscar max is kind of scary
max dont make me talk about that interview next oscar!
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wildestdreamsblog · 3 months
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Latibule Season 2: II
Pairing: Min Yoongi x Reader (Mafia/Detective AU)
Summary: In which he lost his latibule.
Warnings: Secret Identity, Yandere behavior, Obsessiveness, Possessiveness, Manipulative behavior, Violence, Mention of death, Disability, Sexual themes, If you’re not 18+ please, PLEASE, do not interact. Be mindful of the warnings. Let me know if I miss anything.
A/N: A late valentine's gift <3 I’m so sorry for taking so long. A lot happened and work is the busiest and and and life.
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Masterlist, Latibule 2.I
“Hyung, did you hear me? I said-"
Kim Namjoon sighed from the other line, headache already creeping up his temples from the boatload of information Jimin was dumping on him on the other line. As who he considered to be the only sound and sane one among the seven, Namjoon was accustomed to being the voice of reason, getting the boys out of tight illegal situations, and managing the members. Min Yoongi might be the head of the mafia, but all seven of them were leaders in their own right and fields.
Seokjin was the head of the medical field, Namjoon of the twisted world of law, Jungkook of the technology world.
And this definitely was one of Namjoon’s specialties: stopping the fearless and heart-stricken leader of Bangtan from kidnapping a woman in broad daylight. For fuck’s sake, he wasn’t even against the illegal act itself, but could he just do it when there weren’t eyes watching him?! When the sun wasn’t at its highest?! When he wouldn’t be tomorrow’s headline?!
He ran his hand through his disheveled hair, glaring at the eldest hyung who was chuckling to himself. Seriously, he thought doctors were supposed to have no life and no time to annoy their friends? Why then was the Chief of the hospital barging in his office and lounging on his fancy sofa?
“I’m glad you found this amusing, hyung,” he commented dryly which only made the eldest laughed harder. “This isn’t something to laugh about.”
“What?! We all know something is definitely wrong with Yoongi. This isn’t news to us! This only confirmed our suspicions!”
“You could at least be supportive of what he’s going through right now.”
“Namjoon,” he started when he was finally done laughing, wiping the tears from the side of his eyes. “How do you expect me to be supportive of him right now? He’s on the verge of kidnapping a woman because he thought she looked like her. Does that make sense to you?”
He tilted his head before standing up, his movement elegant as he crossed the room to where Namjoon was sitting behind his desk. He smiled down at him, his hand supporting his weight as he leaned down on his wooden desk. “Dead people don’t exactly come back to life after burning from a fire as immense as that one, do they?” he asked, his tone light yet his eyes held faux curiosity. And at that moment, an air of danger surrounded the office. He could see the coldness that reflected on Jin’s eyes.
Namjoon knew when to back down, especially when Jin was in this mood. It was almost comical how quickly Jin’s emotions could switch, and it was definitely not amusing how bloody the effects could be. He wasn’t exactly the mafia prince for nothing. He, of all people, knew how perceptive and strategic Jin was. Never once did he do anything without a reason. And precisely because of that that it took him a moment before he answered. He lowered his eyes for a second before returning to Jin’s now amused ones. “They don’t, hyung.”
Jin nodded before turning to leave, his hand was in his pocket, his stance relaxed as though nothing was amissed. He had opened the door when he paused as though he remembered something. He twisted his body, his eyes trained on the famous attorney before his lips twisted into an entertained smile. His finger was now resting on his lips.
“Ah, unless they’re actually not dead.”
—-
Min Yoongi was like a man possessed, never leaving any stones unturned as he religiously looked for his angel.
He looked at every single piece of record of the town that the town had, employed several people to look for you, searched every available CCTV to trace any evidence that you existed, that you weren’t merely a figment of his imagination, that you weren’t merely indication of his declining sanity. Yet all roads lead to nothingness.
It was like any leads he got were mere fragments, offering little clarity or direction in the investigation. Likewise, it seemed as if someone was making sure that he’d go nowhere with the little pieces of evidences he was able to gather of your existence.
As days turned to weeks and to months, he was starting to be convinced that you were just his imagination playing tricks on him, that his mind was just too cruel to conjure an image of you, that it was just too sick to think that you came back to him. In this moment of profound longing, when the ache of your absence weighed heavily on his twisted soul, he couldn’t help but ponder about his choices in life.
On some days when he missed you the most, he thought that this must have been his karma for living his fucked-up life brutally. On a day like this when he should have been celebrating your birthday, when you were supposed to turn a year older, when you were supposed to be by his side as you blew your candle, he thought that this must have been his penance, a consequence of the twisted journey he had decided to walk on.
But wasn’t this just too painful?
Wasn’t his punishment too cruel to have the world gave him you, only to wretch you away from his arms?
Wasn’t it too cruel to have loved and lost you?
Yoongi let out a humorless chuckle, the puffs of smoke coming from his lips as he looked at what once was your home. It was your birthday, and tomorrow was your second death anniversary.
How he survived the existence without you, he would never know. He decided that he would never stop looking for you because accepting that you were gone from this fucking earth was not an option. He could feel inside the dead heart of his that yours were still beating. He knew a love as immense as what he felt for you wouldn’t die as easily as that. No.
Min Yoongi would find you.
“Happy birthday, my angel,” he whispered to nothingness, only the moon bore witness to his greeting, the night enveloped him in a solitary embrace. The echoes of his sentiment lingered in the air, hoping that his words reached you where you were.
---
“Happy birthday, eomma,” Jung Hoseok finished the song lightly, clapping the chubby little hands of your son in sync with the tune of the song. Your son was giggling as he bounced him on his lap, looking over his long lashes to Hoseok.
“Careful, the candle’s just in front of you,” he warned before shuffling the cake an inch closer to you. He came home almost an hour ago from his work in the docks with a box of cake in his hands he bought. You could no longer count how many times the three of you moved over the year, the last one being the most suspicious to you when after you came home from the market, he had already packed your bags. Before you knew it, he was already driving away from the town.
You lived in so many places.
You never felt at home in any of them.
It was unfair how you only felt at home when you were in his arms.
You clutched your walking stick on one hand, the other cautiously running your hand on the table to detect the cake’s placement.
“I’m not fully blind yet, Hoseok,” you admonished him teasingly before closing your eyes and wishing with all your heart that your son grew up happy. You wished to the heavens that his fate was kinder to him, that he didn’t have to suffer the way you did. You prayed that his fate was free from the shadows that haunted your own past.
You wished that he could live the life he deserved.
“Eomma,” he called for you, lifting his chubby arms to go to you. Hoseok cooed at him before lifting him to your lap carefully. You felt the warmth of his little arms encircling your neck, tiny lips pressing sweet kisses on your cheeks before erupting into giggles. "Eomma!"
A smile graced your face as you soaked in the pure joy radiating from your beloved child. Leaning in, you planted a loving kiss on the person you now cherished most in the world. His eyes lit up in response, a mirror image of his father's, carrying the same warmth and affection he did when he looked at you.
Hoseok watched the two of you from his seat. It was almost comical how he loathed your son’s father with all his heart, only to love his son with the same intensity. If he couldn’t end that bastard brother of his, if he didn’t have it in him to finish the job and kill you, then he would just take the life Yoongi was supposed to live.
He would never let go of the two of you- not when he found peace in this little family. The only way he would let go of this was if the only person he loved came back to him. But that was impossible, right? After all, Yoongi made sure that she would cease to exist in this world.
Wasn’t this the crueler revenge, he thought. Wasn’t this what Min Yoongi deserved?
It was almost amusing to think how he could have been dead if not for one of his brothers that saved him and you that fateful night. He could have almost missed this little slice of heaven had it not been for his brother, the only one who knew that he was still alive.
---
Almost two years ago, somewhere in a small province of South Korea
You woke up with a start, your heart beating faster as evidenced by the spike in the heart monitor attached on your bruised skin. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor, attached to your bruised skin, echoed in the room, its pace mirroring the accelerated beat of your heart. The sudden awareness left you momentarily disoriented, and the sterile environment around you hinted at the gravity of the situation. As your senses sharpened, you couldn't shake the feeling that the throbbing in your chest was not only from the abrupt awakening but also from the lingering echoes of a disconcerting dream or a painful reality.
Every single thing that happened went back to you.
Every single detail of that night, of the way he smiled so tenderly at you, of the way he softly told you that he would be back, of the way a strange man entered your house and threatened you.
The recollection was vivid, etched into your consciousness like a haunting melody.
You remembered the way Suga’s face became cold the moment he saw that man. You remembered not seeing even a trace of the man you loved.
You remembered the truth and the pain that came with it, and then you remembered thinking it was your end. Beyond it all, beyond all the betrayal, lies and deceit that unfolded, you remembered wishing that he would be fine after all of that like the fool you were.
Wincing, you lifted your fragile hand to your shoulder, feeling a faint pain where the bullet had pierced your skin.
“Don’t move,” a tired voice sounded on your left. Startled, you turned to look at the source, only to find the man who attempted to kill you leaning against the wall, his own arm bandaged, his handsome face colored with faint bruises.
Hoseok didn’t come out of it unscathed, no. He looked so hallow. It was like he was a lost child, like a man that lost his purpose, like he was a shell of what once was a soul.
He must have seen your alarmed expression. He waved his other arm, his jaw clenching from the events that transpired. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”
You blinked at him, never trusting a word that came out of his mouth. It would be difficult for you when you saw how he unleashed hell that night.
“I-I,” you swallowed, your dried throat making it harder to speak. “d-don’t believe y-you.”
He watched you for a moment before nodding his head. That was fair, he thought. “How are you feeling? You’ve been unconscious for almost a month.”
What?
“Y-you waited that long to kill me?” you asked, your voice hoarse as you sat down. If he was going to end you, then you wouldn’t take it lying down.
Wordlessly, he crossed the room, lifting the glass of water on your bedside table, the straw turned to you. “Drink.”
You glared at him, distrust and anger in your eyes as you met his emotionless ones.
“I’m not going to kill you.”
You scoffed, turning your head away from him to look at where on earth you could have been. The hospital room was small, the window offering no clue as to your whereabouts. You wondered where Suga could have been.
Did he make it out alive?
Was he hurt?
Was he looking for you?
Did you want him to after what you knew?
“I do draw the line on killing expectant mothers.”
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Latibule 2.III
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ineffable-suffering · 9 months
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Aziraphale, I love you. But you lied. And here's why.
Okay. I’m not gonna beat around the bush for too long. It’s time now for me to also throw my try at a personal Good Omens Season 2 Magnum Opus into the mix of already existing magnum op..i? Opusses? (Smited? Smote?)
If I’m honest, it isn’t fully my own magnum opus, as I read this meta not too long ago that made me go: „Oh! My God! That’s it!“ And I’m pretty sure a lot of other people have clocked this too by now. Of course I’m not saying it’s the objective truth but after having mulled it over for many endless nights and days, wading through the onslaught of coffee theories, body swap theories, The Metatron re-writing the Book of Life theories and many, many more, this is the one I think is most plausible and, if you look closely, most obvious.
And it goes as such: Aziraphale lied.
To all of us. All of them. And most of all, to Crowley. He lied to him. Well, he sort of did and also sort of didn’t. He certainly didn’t tell the truth. At least not all of it. I hear you ask: “OP, what the fuck are you talking about”. I answer you: Let’s start from the top and under the cut.
(Small note: this meta ended up being way too large for Tumblr, which is why I will redirect you to an external doc at the end of the post, where I have written it all down nicely and accurately. It's about 35 digital A4-pages long, just in case you want to save it for later.)
(Word count: 12.831 | Approximate reading time: 50 minutes)
Let’s start with a short recap of what happens before the Metatron crashes the bookshop party and everything goes to shit. The proper visuals for this are in my Tumblr post but I am absolutely convinced that right up until when the Metatron comes to take Aziraphale away and talk to him, the angel is fully ready to get into Crowley’s Bentley-chariot and finally ride off into the sunset (or Alpha Centauri-set or whatever). You can see it in his face and body language. You can see when the penny drops for him that a) Crowley loves him b) he loves Crowley and c) they can finally start their happily ever after. Aziraphale realizes this all throughout said Brielzebub reveal in the bookshop. And he’s such a lost cause once he does. 
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I mean, look at that. Look at it. This (very shitty recording, sorry, I'm not tech-savvy enough to avoid the Amazon Prime screen recording blocker) is the very second Aziraphale realizes hat Crowley loves him. When he hears him suggest Alpha bloody Centauri as a getaway for Gabriel and Beelzebub, as Crowley has done to Aziraphale for so, so many times now. He finally understands what Crowley was trying to tell him with that all those times.
Aziraphale realizes this all throughout the Brielzebub reveal in the bookshop. And he’s such a lost cause once he does.
Right when Crowley suggest Alpha Centauri as a nice getaway spot to the two, Aziraphale looks at him and he gets it. That Crowley has loved him, has been loving him for millennia. Truthfully, they've both known that for a long while now. But there's a difference between knowing, wanting, craving and actually being able to finally have something. And that's exactly what we see on Aziraphale's face here. This is it. This is where it all starts working out for Crowley and him. This is were they can start their eternity together.
So from that second on, Aziraphale only has eyes for Crowley. He keeps physically pawing at Crowley with complete heart eyes, as if to say „Look, look, that’s gonna be us too! Finally!" He’s actually so smitten that he doesn’t even hear what Crowley is saying when he asks Shax if he can have back his apartment now because he’s sick of living in his car. (Also, what way to drop that bomb right in this moment Crowley, lmao). 
Once the Metatron comes in, the first thing Aziraphale says is that they don’t need to talk because „he’s made his position quite clear“. He doesn’t even want to talk to the Metatron, because in his mind, he’s already made the choice. Actually, he made the choice way before the bookshop showdown. For starters, I’m convinced that the Jane Austen Ball actually never was for Maggie and Nina but for Crowley and him (you can read more about that here). And apart from that, for this whole season we have seen Aziraphale trying to advance his relationship with Crowley romantically and domestically and move them to the literal next base (our car!). And after everything he just witnessed with Brielzebub, the final nail in the coffin of ethereal-infernal romance being possible, his choice is absolutely crystal clear: It’s Crowley. It’s always been Crowley and it always will be Crowley. And now it can be Crowley. They can be an us.
The whole of Season 2 is such a massive learning curve for Aziraphale’s character, with him remembering all those important pivotal points of his past,  and this very moment is the peak, with him not only understanding that Crowley loves him (because he certainly knew for quite some centuries now) but accepting that love, letting himself have that love, being allowed to want that love and taking that love and starting their new and final chapter with it. Nevertheless, the plot clock ticks for them. The Metatron saunters into the bookshop, evil and stinky as Metatrons do, and urges Aziraphale to come with him with his whole Take The Coffee schtick, which I will get into later. And Aziraphale, immediately sensing there’s Something Up, does. Can’t really turn down someone as high-ranking as the the voice of God, after all. Even if you were currently already planning how you were going to elope with a certain red-haired serpent of Eden. 
he next time we see Aziraphale on screen, it’s so painfully evident on his face that he is neither happy nor excited. Not even the slightest bit. We’d know if he was, thanks to Mr. Michael master-of-microexpressions Sheen. None of the usual “Aziraphale is happy”-signs are there. No blinding eye-smile, no giddy wriggling, not giggles and gasps. No, when the Metatron tells Aziraphale to „go tell your friend the good news“, his expression looks like this:
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I’m gonna go out on an entire limb here and say: That does not look like someone who’s absolutely tickety-boo hyped to tell his demon soulmate that he just got the juiciest promotion and that they can both be angels and live happily ever after in ethereal eternity now.
This, folks, looks like someone who knows exactly that the news he has to break right now, are going to be tickety-shit awful and very upsetting to said demon soulmate. And already, from that very short snippet of conversation, we can tell that Aziraphale isn’t really given a choice by the Metatron. Because while the Metatron does tell him that he doesn’t have to „answer right away“, he immediately follows it up by: „Go ahead and tell your friend the good news!“ Very distinct and definitive choice of words here. It’s “good news” because it’s already been decided. Because it’s already a done deal. There is no “yes, no, maybe”. This is the only choice he’s giving to Aziraphale. Because it’s ‘Coffee or death’. 
And he already gave him the coffee. 
***
Tumblr won't let me continue this over a certain character limit and I am not even remotely done yet – so, I feel like this is a good moment to redirect you to the continuation of this insane meta before we're in too deep. You can do so right here!
I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions about this once you've fought your way through it. Hope you have a good time with it!
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jillianallen14 · 10 months
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Incredibly proud of Crowley and how strong/brave he is in the finale
This is gonna be really long, so if you’re in a rush, here’s a TLDR: Crowley is hella brave for confessing to Aziraphale even after Aziraphale spoke first, especially given Aziraphale’s track record of rejecting him, and I’m so proud of him. I’m also proud of him for standing his ground and not giving in because he usually always does whatever Aziraphale asks eventually. Crowley needs to learn to truly stand on his own two feet in order to have a successful relationship with Aziraphale, and Aziraphale needs to learn how to choose/put Crowley first just as much as Crowley chooses him and puts him first. Basically, in human terms, Crowley currently has an anxious attachment style and Aziraphale has an avoidant one, and they both need to get to healthy attachment styles in order for them to work.   
See how long that tldr was? That’s what you’re in for if you read this whole thing lol. 
Alright, here we go. 
Disclaimer: I love Aziraphale so much, but I think he has a lot of work to do before he’s ready to “deserve” the kind of love Crowley is offering him. I also think he is 100% going to put in that work, though. 
So Crowley’s tried to advance things forward with Aziraphale many times over their thousands of years together, and usually these advances are rejected, though sometimes Aziraphale does come around. He’s the one who suggests the Arrangement (and sort of gets rejected at first). He’s the one who is constantly pushing the idea that the two of them are on their own team. He makes grand gestures, rescues Aziraphale, and he makes a lot of sacrifices. In the 1960′s, he tells Aziraphale that he’ll take him anywhere he wants to go, just to be told, “You go too fast for me, Crowley.” I sort of count this as “run away together” offer #1 because I think that’s what Crowley is subtextually offering here. His second offer of running away together is also rejected during the almost-apocalypse. He suggests Aziraphale stay at his place when Aziraphale’s bookshop burned down and is once again rejected, though not as directly as some of the others. Aziraphale calls their friendship/partnership “fraternizing” in the 1800s. In the bandstand fight scene, Aziraphale tells Crowley, “We’re not friends” and “I don’t even like you.” 
Of course, we as viewers know that Aziraphale says and does most of these things because he’s constantly trying to protect Crowley from Hell’s punishments. We know that Crowley is what Aziraphale loves most in the world, and honestly, Crowley probably knows it, too. But I’m sure that doesn’t stop the constant onslaught of rejection from hurting and from discouraging him from ever really wanting to have The Big Conversation (the “what are we and what do you want us to be” conversation, as it were lol). 
Crowley has been relentlessly chasing Aziraphale for literal thousands of years, and Aziraphale never really gives all of himself to Crowley in return. That’s got to sting, and that’s got to be so disheartening, even though Crowley is definitely aware Aziraphale does love him/care about him. We all give Crowley shit about not communicating properly, but imagine how hard that would be when he gets that kind of a reaction whenever he does try to communicate? It would certainly not make it any easier. 
In addition to the chasing that Crowley does, he is also the one to almost always give in and apologize. We’ve established that Aziraphale says no to many of the requests Crowley makes of him. And yes, often Crowley says no the first time Aziraphale makes requests of him as well, but Crowley usually comes around. And Crowley always apologizes, even when he really shouldn’t have to because Aziraphale was also at fault or, at the very least, they should both be apologizing. We rarely ever see Aziraphale actually apologize for the hurtful shit he says and does to Crowley. Yes, we know from season 2 that Aziraphale has done the apology dance, so we can infer apologies do happen from time to time, but how often do we actually see this? Not often. 
I love Aziraphale to death, but he has a “my way or the highway” mentality, and Crowley gives in like every single time lol. (Because we know Crowley is so in love it’s not even funny and would do pretty much anything to keep Aziraphale around. #Aziraphale fell first but Crowley fell harder (or at least accepted it earlier) #I will die on this hill). 
So now we get to their fight in the finale of season 2. 
Crowley was so ready to confess. Our boy was prepared. He probably sat in that bookshop rehearsing what he was going to say over and over [just thinking about this hurts my heart lol, ouch]. Then Aziraphale comes in and Crowley literally asks Aziraphale if he [Crowley] can talk first, and Aziraphale still interrupts him (lol, Aziraphale, come on). [I really do wonder how that scene would have gone if Aziraphale had let Crowley speak first; fanfic writers, I’m looking at you]
Then Aziraphale proceeds to say Crowley’s worst nightmare lol. We can literally see on Crowley’s face that his heart is already breaking, and I’m sure he knows there’s a good chance he’s about to receive “let’s run off/be together” rejection #3. To be fair, Aziraphale is literally also telling Crowley he wants to be together, but all Crowley seems to be hearing is the “in heaven, as angels” part. So at this point, Crowley can be pretty sure the love of his eternal life is “choosing Heaven” over him once again [we, as viewers, know this isn’t really the case, but Crowley doesn’t]. 
Yet, he interrupts Aziraphale. He makes Aziraphale let him talk, he doesn’t just let himself be talked over or unheard this time, and Crowley proceeds to confess anyway and practically does the Good Omens equivalent of asking Aziraphale to marry him. Like holy shit, y’all. That takes some massive balls. 
Crowley is “rejected” (kinda-sorta; Aziraphale isn’t rejecting Crowley this time, just the “running off” bit, but Crowley sees it as a rejection of him). Fighting ensues. Aziraphale says accidentally hurtful things because he’s just as bad at communicating as Crowley is lol (ie “Nothing lasts forever” instead of saying, “You matter more to me than this bookshop,” which is what he meant). Crowley is literally beyond heartbroken, you can see it all over his face, especially when he puts the sunglasses back on. And yet he still has the courage to kiss Aziraphale? BRO. BROOOOO. I want what Crowley has lol because he’s certifiably insane for having the balls to do that. 
I’ve seen people say that the kiss was the wrong thing for Crowley to do in that moment, but I don’t agree. They were still talking past each other, and Crowley needed to do something to make sure Aziraphale knew exactly what he was offering (marriage). Crowley needed to do that because if he didn’t, there was still going to be ambiguity, which would make their eventual resolution harder in the end. I also think Crowley just wanted to kiss him out of desperation because he thought it would be his last chance and because he wanted to show Aziraphale exactly what he was saying no to, but that’s beside the point. And yes, the kiss broke Aziraphale’s heart, but I truly and genuinely think Aziraphale needed to have his heart broken this time in order for him to grow. 
Then Aziraphale once again says something incredibly hurtful and rejects him again. And what does Crowley do? He doesn’t run away this time, like he usually does. He goes out by the Bentley and stands there and watches Aziraphale. I think he did this partly out of the desire to give Aziraphale one last chance and partly out of a desire to make Aziraphale sit there and look at him as he chooses Heaven again. Balls, man, I tell you. 
And Crowley doesn’t go back to him, and he doesn’t beg him to stay. And he doesn’t give himself up completely to be with this person who can’t accept him as he is. He lets himself be known, and then he holds his ground. He doesn’t let someone fundamentally change him just for love. He doesn’t lose himself to love. 
And this leads me to my next point, which is that this fight needed to happen because both Crowley and Aziraphale have lessons to learn. 
Crowley’s lesson is that he needs to learn how to stand on his own two feet. He needs to learn how to put himself first sometimes so that he doesn’t completely lose himself to Aziraphale. He needs to learn how to say no, to really say no. He needs to learn how to hold his boundaries. He needs to develop an identity outside of Aziraphale and what Aziraphale wants/needs him to be, discover what he wants even when Aziraphale isn’t around. He also needs to learn how to clearly state and ask for what he wants and needs. I think him learning this lesson will also help with his anger issues because the kind of people-pleasing self-effacement that Crowley does for Aziraphale only breeds resentment, which comes out every time they get in an argument. 
And Aziraphale’s lesson is that he needs to learn how to really choose Crowley, not try to change him, not try to pretend he’s something he’s not. He needs to learn how to take Crowley exactly as he is. He needs to learn how to give Crowley as much as Crowley gives him so that their partnership is on more of an equal footing. Essentially, his lesson is the opposite of Crowley’s: where Crowley needs to learn how to not lose himself completely to Aziraphale, Aziraphale needs to learn how to lose himself a little bit to Crowley. I’m not saying Aziraphale is selfish because he’s absolutely not, but I am saying that his sense of individuality is a little too strong and that doesn’t exactly work when you’re trying to have a long-term, committed relationship/partnership with someone because yes, you’re still an individual, but you’re also now part of a unit. And that requires making decisions together and genuinely hearing the other person out. It requires compromising, which Aziraphale is not particularly good at. 
Crowley needs to let go a little bit and Aziraphale needs to hold on a little tighter so that they can meet in the middle. You can see this in almost all of their fights. When things don’t go Aziraphale’s way, he immediately resorts to telling Crowley he can leave. Think of this as the two of them holding on to opposite ends of a taut rope: Crowley pulls a little too hard, and Aziraphale lets the rope loosen, leaving Crowley to fall backwards on his own. Aziraphale needs to learn how to hold onto that rope just a little tighter so that him and Crowley are putting in equal amounts of effort.
And folks, they’re gonna do it. They’re gonna put in the work. They’re gonna learn their lessons. And then they’re going to kiss and make up (preferably with Aziraphale initiating the kissing this time lol, let’s give poor Crowley a rest and let him be chased for once). And then we’re going to get the most beautiful, loving, healthy relationship. But they just have to go through this first. It’ll make their resolution so much more satisfying. 
So Aziraphale, it’s time to do some chasing.  
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luviemax · 5 months
Text
bookstore girl- ln4 oneshot
a/n: inspo from this song :D
masterlist
-> lando norris x female!reader (no physical descriptions)
warnings: none really, just lando being super whipped tbh NOT PROOFREAD :(
word count: 809 words
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He doesn't read.
Pratically everyone in the paddock knows that for a hard and solid fact, Lando Norris' many hobbies does not include reading.
He plays golf. He occasionally streams on Twitch. When he's really desperate, which doesn't really happen with his full plate, he bothers Max. Plus, most of the time, he's occupied with organising and planning for more Quadrant content.
But Lando's never found himself with this much free time. He's so free that he has practically no clue as to what he should do. He's travelled back home to the UK for Christmas. Now that the festive season has slowly come to its end, the streets are more dreary, lacking all the festive decorations and the cheer which once veiled the streets. Lando notices that everything is significantly less empty now, and supposes that everyone's gone back to work.
Carlos thinks that Lando is a hothead.
Lando doesn't agree. In fact, he was in such intense opposition of this opinion that he refused to speak to Carlos for two days. However, this argument is long forgotten; it did happen at least 2 years back anyway, when they were still teammates at McLaren. But Lando still remembers how Carlos recommended for him to start reading more often to hopefully get a grip of himself. He never really considered it, up until now, simply because he has the opportunity, but also because he's just come across a quaint little bookstore.
When he opens the front door, the first thing he notices is how warm it is.
Not hot, like how the Qatar Grand Prix was, but warm, like a hug from his dad. Like coming home from a 3 week long stint. He'd never been a big reader, but immediately he'd felt at home in that bookstore. He smiled back at the elderly man behind the counter, and began to browse the selection of books available.
By the time he was done, he'd decided that he would buy a few books. Just testing the waters, Lando thinks to himself. That's when he sees you for the first time. You're talking to the man at the counter.
You're postively gorgeous.
Your hair angelically frames your face. A wide grin crosses your face, but Lando swears that even with a scowl, he swears you could still look gorgeous.
He thinks that you're the most beautiful girl he's ever seen, and it takes every ounce of his attention to ensure that he doesn't drop the stack of books in his arms, simply stunned by your presence.
But before he can catch you, you're in wind.
The chime of the bell rings behind you as you close the door, and Lando swears that he's never been more devastated in his entire life.
He walks home, and he feels down the entire day. He didn't even manage to get your name. And yet, something as mundane as your name feels like a sacred artifact to behold. If he's even able to get your name, he swears that he'll protect it. Hold it in his hands like a fragile piece of porcelain. Shield it from the prying eyes on the public and the screaming voices of the paddock.
But no.
That isn't possible, because he doesn't even know your name.
He sleeps like a baby that night, dreaming of your face, what he'd think your voice would sound like, what he thinks that you would feel like safe in his arms, and it feels like a douse of cold water when he finally wakes up from his slumber.
His friends, Max, Carlos, Oscar... they hear of you. Non-stop. In fact, they're kind of tired of Lando, and have taken to ignoring him, because he won't stop going on and on about the beautiful girl he saw in the bookstore. They don't hear the end of it for a few hours.
By chance, 2 days later, he sees you in the cafe.
It was purely coincidental.
You'd never left Lando's mind. He did stop nagging his friends about you, mostly because they got annoyed at him, but he came back to reality with a rude awakening.
Really, how likely was it for the two of you to cross paths again? Especially in these few golden days back home, before Lando would return to Monaco.
But hey, always dream of the unthinkable, right?
You're working on your laptop, eyebrows knitted together in intense concentration. He thinks it's cute.
Lando delibrately sits to the table next to yours, and whips out one of the books he'd bought the other day from the quaint little bookstore. You briefly glance at him through your peripheral vision, before you're making a delighted expression and excitedly chatting to him about his book.
By the end of your impromptu coffee session with Lando, he's pretty sure that you were made for him.
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ladykailitha · 27 days
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Batshit Soulmates: Epilogue
Here it is. The end of an era. I struggled mightily with this one because I was so focused on canon that I forgot that I'm a writer and I can do what I want.
Once I got over myself the story just flowed so well it was done in two weeks.
But as I said last week, I'm a little mean to you in this. Spoiler under the cut.
In Medias Res| Prologue|Pt 1|Pt 2|Pt 3|Pt 4|Pt 5|Pt 6|Pt 7|Pt 8| Pt 9|
This ends the way season four does only with all the allies together not just some of them.
****
Nancy, Robin, and Dustin all returned to Steve’s house to make sure Eddie was safe.
Steve told Eddie that his uncle knew he was alive and would get into contact soon.
Eddie nearly cried in relief. “Thank you, Stevie.”
Then a car pulled up at that exact moment. Then of all things a pizza truck. Steve pushed Eddie into a nearby bathroom and looked out the window.
Out of the pizza truck hopped out both Byers boys, Mike, and the driver, a long haired native boy in a Hawaiian shirt. Then Joyce, Murray, and a very much alive Hopper exited the car.
And Steve’s heart nearly burst. He quickly ushered them all inside. His street had a lot of empty houses since the earthquake, the rich having somewhere else to go, but he didn’t trust the ones that remained.
Everyone was hugging everyone else. Jonathan and Nancy, El and Hopper. Joyce and Will. Everyone was safe. Max and the Sinclairs weren’t there, but they were safe too.
Robin, Steve and Eddie on the sidelines feeling happy that they were all reunited at last.
The first thing everyone did was tell their stories. El started, then the Byers, then Joyce and Murray, Hopper next, Steve and Dustin, then Nancy and Robin.
There was just so much to do.
“He’s still alive,” El said, “I couldn’t kill him. He hurt Max and I couldn’t leave her. I couldn’t leave her and the bastard survived.”
Joyce scooped her up into her arms and rocked her back and forth, gently. “You did the right thing, sweetheart. Max is alive because of you.”
“We’re going to have to find a place to stash Hopper and El until this blows over,” Nancy said. “They can’t stay here, it’s already a risk with Eddie being here. But at least with him, Steve can claim truemate status.”
The heads of all the people who hadn’t been in Hawkins turned to Steve in shock.
“Eddie is your truemate?” Mike wailed. He sat down and put his head in his hands. “Of course he is. Fuck that makes too much sense.”
Steve could only agree, honestly.
Eddie put his arm around his waist and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I didn’t think so at first, but clearly the universe is smarter than we are.”
Dustin scoffed. “I think that could be said for most of the universe’s population, too.”
Both Eddie and Steve knocked off his hat together.
Robin cackled. “Hey, kids. If Steve’s the mom, then you all have a new step-dad!”
Joyce and Hopper chuckled but everyone else groaned.
Nancy tapped her foot irritated. “Can we get back on to the topic at hand, namely finding a place to put Hopper and El so the government doesn’t find them?”
“My cabin is in pretty shit shape,” Hopper admitted. “But I think if we all work together, we can make it livable again for me and Jane.”
Steve nodded. “That should work. No one found El when she was there before, so they should be safer there.”
“Just not everyone show up at once,” Joyce warned. “Too many people coming and going will alert others.”
Everyone agreed, but as they piled out of Steve’s house the sky lit up in red storm clouds. Ash fell upon Hawkins and ground trembled.
Everyone stopped on Steve’s lawn looking up at the sky, knowing Vecna had finally made his move.
The Upside Down was bleeding into the top world.
The war had begun.
****
I want to thank everyone for coming long with me on this ride. It's been fun!
Tag List: @mira-jadeamethyst @rozzieroos @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @emly03
@spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 ​
@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi
@messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv
@wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @bookworm0690 @vecnuthy @bookbinderbitch
@littlewildflowerkitten @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @scheodingers-muppet @cinnamon-mushroomabomination
@genderless-spoon @anne-bennett-cosplayer @irregular-child @oxidantdreamboat @mogami13
@samsoble @xandriumbat @ellietheasexylibrarian @lololol-1234 @y4r3luv
@disrespectedgoatman @king-zacharyy @chameleonhair @tinyplanet95 @thelittleclare
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sevensoulmates · 29 days
Text
7x05 Buddie Meta YDKM Part 4 (of 4)
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
I really didn't want this meta to be four parts again, but there's just SO MUCH to analyze. Thanks for sticking with me!
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Eddie is aware that going the route of trying to force a relationship, the route of over-committing almost never works for him, and yet he still wants to try again despite knowing that something inside him was trying to warn him this episode. He's ignored the signs yet again.
Going back again to the notion that Eddie doesn't really want to try again with this relationship because he so desperately wants to get to know Marisol. We know he doesn't, because we just saw when he was on his own, he closed the box on Marisol's things, his metaphorical chance to get to know her. So what does he really want to work out this time? The relationship. A relationship. Eddie would really like it if this relationship could work because as we saw earlier in the episode with Bobby, Eddie wants the relationship so badly, the domesticity so badly, that he doesn't care who it's with. He let go too early with Ana, and this time he's not doing that.
Eddie's words don't match his actions. He tells Marisol he wants to start over with her, get to know her, but he doesn't really act like it. It's possible in future episodes he might try to put in an effort, but at least from his attitude right before Marisol walked in, it didn't really feel like he was being genuine. So I'm not sure if really getting to know her is really what he wants. Sure, maybe this time he'll get to know Marisol, but I don't think it'll matter what he does or doesn't learn about her. Something will always be wrong, and he's going to have to learn that on his own.
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The tone of this scene is made to make us feel hopeful, and yet the words themselves aren't really that hopeful. They speak of Marisol moving out in the hopes of starting over and getting to know Eddie better. Though he's smiling, Eddie's words feel odd. He's happy she's moving out. I'm not entirely convinced it's because he's excited to get to know her. Maybe that's an aspect of it, but it just feels to me like he's relieved she's moving out.
Additionally, I want to point out that Marisol was first introduced in season six in an episode called Home Invasion, and in this episode that was exactly what she was. She invaded Eddie's home, though it was an invasion he invited, and almost immediately regretted. I get the feeling that this episode's title isn't to be ignored because although we finally got to know a little bit about Marisol, Eddie failed to really learn the true root of his issues--because it's not catholicism, though it may be a part of it. When Eddie closed the box on getting to know Marisol, he closed the box on examining himself further, and therefore, Eddie still hasn't gotten to know his true self yet. However, I do believe this is the start of his arc, and more of this will be progressively deconstructed throughout this season, and probably extend into next season. I get the feeling that we're laying the groundwork now and that next season it's going to really pop off.
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In the same vein, Buck admits that he and Tommy don't know much about each other as well. The difference here is that Buck actually looks open to learning more about Tommy, open to actually seeing if what they have could be something worth exploring further.
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Tommy however does demonstrate a real care for Buck's feelings here. Maybe he could've communicated that a little bit better after their date, but his actions were done out of care for Buck in the end.
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This line was once again vague. Because in the moment, you're lead to believe that Buck's unsure about possibly being in a relationship with a man, but wanting to explore it. In my opinion, this is another one of those statements just like the one Maddie gave him earlier in the episode, where he knows that he's on the right path now that he's discovered and accepted that he likes men, but he's not yet discovered who the right person he should be on this path with is yet. But something in him tells him that this, exploring men, is the right path, and that's what he's ready for.
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But for the time being, Buck wants to explore what he has with Tommy and I think that's a good thing. But it is also a good indicator that Bucktommy is not endgame and somewhere inside Buck (and likely Tommy too), he knows.
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We then get an interesting parallel with Buck and Eddie once again by having Buck make a pretty big step forward with Tommy. Most people would agree that asking someone you've only been on one date with to be your date to a wedding you're involved in is a pretty big jump. It's slightly more "serious" than they are at the moment. Whether or not this will backfire is yet to be seen.
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I very briefly want to touch on the characters they're supposed to be. I originally did not understand the reference, but I saw this opinion piece someone posted on twitter and thought it was interesting to share.
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I just find it interesting that the writers made the choice for Buck and Eddie to be wearing couple costumes in the likeness of a pair that was also at some point read as queer-coded and had an "inseparable" relationship yet was never allowed to move out of subtext. Even if it wasn't the original writers of Miami Vice's intention, that doesn't matter to me. The fact that the relationship between Crockett & Tubbs appears to be a mirror to Buck & Eddie is what fascinates me.
This episode as a whole was mostly what I was expecting with Eddie doubling down on Marisol, but at the same time, I did NOT see the nun stuff coming and I definitely didn't see them diving into catholic guilt coming. My hope is that this laying down the groundwork to have Eddie work through these issues more later because this feels far from over.
I'm confident that this is the start of Eddie's eventual queer realization arc and I'm willing to wait however long it takes for them to write through it thoroughly.
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
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cycat-carisi · 6 months
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Lonesome Superhero
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Pairing: Gator Tillman x f!reader (not romantic)
Summary: Gator keeps hitting on you and you finally give him a piece of your mind. He's not the sweet boy you once knew anymore - or if he is, it's far too difficult to see.
Tags: No spoilers! Angst. Post episode 1 and 2.
Warnings: language, misogynistic themes from the show
Length: ~1.3k
A/N: This just popped into my head and I needed to get it out. Gator is despicable and unless he has some major character growth, I can't bring myself to romanticize him. I do think his character is super intriguing though. I hope we get to dive deeper into what makes him tick throughout the season. (:
(Plus, I have a theory that Gator may have unintentionally been a witness to his mother's murder as a boy...)
Fic below the cut or on AO3 here
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It's in the way the frosted glass door harshly swings open that immediately lets you know who is behind it. There could only be one person who felt entitled enough to barge into a retirement home like he owned the place.
You swallow thickly. Not again.
Turning around from your medicine cart, you find him standing there in his camouflage cargo pants and a black t-shirt that is two sizes too tight. His hands perch on his hips as his narrowed eyes and cocky smirk aim in your direction.
"Gator, please. Not today," you speak coldly.
His smirk only grows. "Oh, c'mon, babycakes, you don’t know what you're missin'!"
"Gator!" you scold, trying to hush your voice in front of your patients. "Come with me, please." Anger bubbles up inside of you as Gator's face contorts into a triumphant grin. He saunters forward as you lead him toward the back entrance of the small facility.
In the shadow of the building, the fall air nips at your bare arms. The chill, however, is easily quelled by your boiling blood.
"How dare you come to my place of work!" You waste no time laying into the Tillman son.
Your ferocity catches Gator off-guard, causing panic to dart across his features. He takes a half-step back, pulling his head and neck along with it.
Oh, but you’re far from done with him.
"For weeks now, you've been popping up wherever I go, asking me to go out with you in the most degrading ways possible! Every. Single. Time. I have turned you down, yet you clearly cannot take ‘no’ for an answer! And now you have the audacity to show up at where I work and do the same? No! It doesn’t work like that, Gator. I worked hard for my career. I went to college, got my license, and came back here to help my community. I am respected in this building, and I will not tolerate you waltzing in here like God's gift to women and disrespecting me in front of my patients!"
Out of breath and seething, you continue to stare Gator down. He looks downright gobsmacked – a mixture of a wounded pup about to run and a cornered hound ready to bite.
The silence is deafening. You wait for Gator to snap back like he always does – some moronic comeback that's as pathetic as his barbed wire LOL tattoo.
And predictably, he does just that. "What the hell?!!" he cries out, stepping towards you and invading your space. The pungent odor from his last puff of vape wafts off his breath. "I'm the law in this town! I'm a winner! All you ever do is humiliate me! You're fucking awful!"
"I'm awful?!" you scoff, eyebrows shooting skyward. You're about to rip him a new one when you simply stop and shake your head in pity. "What happened to you, Gator?"
Once again, the Tillman son is rendered speechless. His dark brow pinches together in confusion. "Wha-?"
You seize your opportunity to dive a little deeper. "I mean, what happened to the Gator from middle school? The one who used to be my friend? The boy who was sweet and kind and would spend lunch hours reading comic books with me. It's like you suddenly woke up one day and decided to become an asshole, always acting out in class and purposely bullying other kids. Doing reckless shit because your dad could get you out of trouble. And now? I think you've gotten worse! Hell, Mrs. Lakeland told me that you all but pushed Gladys Baker out of the way at the corner store the other day. What the heck is wrong with you? Who do you think you are?"
"I - I -" he stammers, head spinning. Then Gator swallows, puffing up his chest. "I take what's mine! I take what I'm owed. I made it through police training. People in this town owe me their respect, so I take it as I see fit."
"Newsflash! That's not how you get respect, sunshine," you retort. "Respect is earned, and from where I'm standing, all I see is a pathetic man-child whose daddy got him where he is today. 'My father is the sheriff' are the magic words that force people to step out of your way. That's not respect; that's notoriety from being a grade-A asshole!"
Gator's face twists into a snarl while his fists clench and unclench at his sides. You've clearly hit a nerve.
Even though you’d love nothing more than to lay into him some more, you remind yourself that it’s notworth the fight. Instead, your chest constricts with disappointment. "I don’t get it, Gator,” you speak softly. “Why do you let your father run your life? He says to jump and you ask how high. When are you gonna wake up and realize that he's just using you?"
If it wasn’t clear that you’d struck a nerve before, it certainly is now. Gator’s combat boot strikes the gravel, sending up a cloud of dust and dirt, and his cheeks glaze over with a deep red flush. "I don’t – He doesn’t –" Lost for words, Gator simply clamps his jaw shut. He kicks at the ground again and throws his hands to his hair, letting out a frustrated yell.
You hop back in surprise; a fearful gasp escapes you at his sudden outburst.
Gator's head whips back up, and those dark eyes meet yours.
Middle school was a long time ago, yet Gator remembers everything. He remembers how nice you were to him; how one day you saw this quiet boy sitting alone at lunch with a comic book and decided to come over and ask what he was reading. He used to dream of being as invincible as the superheroes in his books – Gator's way of shielding himself from everything that he'd seen. But then you came along and somehow made him feel a little less alone. He adored you and your friendship, eventually developing a little crush. That was, of course, before Gator was taught that girls weren't supposed to like comics, that men lead while women follow, and that his father's word was absolute. If he pleased his father, any situation could go Gator's way. The power sought after by characters in his comic books was right at Gator's fingertips; all he had to do was prove to the senior Tillman that he was worthy. Nothing else mattered.
And now? Gator almost had it. He was so close to having his father's approval. He was certain of it! Why couldn't you see that? Why couldn't you see how awesome he had become? He had buried his crush on you away while you were at college, but now that you were back, there was no reason to hide that he wanted you. And there should be no reason why you wouldn't want him either!
Except…your words today hurt. They made Gator feel puny and pathetic. How could you say that he was just his father's pawn?! He was his own man! A tough and strong and important man in this town...right?
You watch as despair briefly flashes across Gator's face before quickly being replaced by aggravation. He grunts again prior to spinning on his heels and stalking off.
No! Gator is his own man, and you were just the type of woman his father had warned him about! His crush is stupid, and so are you...
As Gator storms off, his ears catch your quiet words laced with pity. "Silly me for thinking that the sweet guy who read comics with me would still be in there.”
For the first time since he was a boy, tears stab at Gator's eyes. He scrunches his eyes closed and shakes his head, instead focusing on the sound of gravel crunching under his boots as he slinks away.
Thanks for reading! Feedback is loved ❤
| Series masterlist | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 |
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xjustakay · 7 months
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(10/2) prompt: lantern — 959 words (firefighter james vs. his beef with the month of october - pt.1, pt.2, pt.4, pt.5) @jegulus-microfic
Regulus leans his hip against the edge of the counter, sliding a for-here mug in front of where James sits on a stool at the seating bar there. He’s out of the full uniform he usually stops by wearing now that he’s free, but still wears the navy colored tee emblazoned with the station’s shield on the left side of his chest. Dark brows lift when James blinks down at the warm beverage before looking up at him.
“What’s this one, then?” James asks.
He rarely looks as tired as he does; his job keeps him extra busy but it doesn’t typically show. He’s done four twelve-hour days in a row and unfortunately they’ve been consistently busy ones this time around. Regulus is glad that he’s got a full two days off from the station now, because James needs it. Of course, he’s glad for selfish reasons, too, but that’s beside the point.
“Try it.” Regulus nods toward the mug.
Despite the instruction, he prevents James from immediately doing that when he reaches across the counter. There’s a small black smear of smoke residue high on his cheek —clearly not washed off completely before James exited the station— that Regulus smudges away with his thumb. As if his few days hadn’t been long enough, James’ final day of this stint had consisted of some idiot teenagers setting off fireworks as a prank and accidentally setting a fire.
He probably should be nicer, perhaps not playing a cheeky little joke on him, all things considered, but Regulus can’t help himself. Knows that James tends to appreciate this about him anyway.
When James finally does get the chance to lift the drink in front of him and take a careful sip from it for a taste, face immediately scrunching in disgust, Regulus can’t help but huff out a quiet laugh.
“Oh, you’re so mean to me,” James whines petulantly, bending to drop his forehead against the counter.
“Quite the opposite reaction I typically get to a pumpkin spice latte,” Regulus hums.
James lifts one hand to flip him off and Regulus laughs fully this time. He’d learned as soon as the seasonal flavor was set to come out that James hates it, has hated it since the very first time he tried it, thinks it’s overrated and that ‘pumpkin doesn’t belong anywhere but in a pie.’ James sits back up with a deep breath, pushing the mug back across the counter.
“Can’t believe you’ve done this to me right at the start of hell month,” James complains.
“Should I have waited until November?” Regulus jokes.
James sneers at him, but it borders on playful. He scrubs both hands over his face after the fact, nudging up his glasses to rub at his eyes. “God, October really is fucking awful for emergency responders.”
“Halloween really brings it out, huh?”
“You don’t even know.” James drops his hands and looks at him levelly. 
Once again, Regulus is struck by how exhausted he looks. He can’t wait to get off work soon and go home, put James right the fuck to bed so he gets a bit of rest finally.
“Last year, this one woman had lined her porch with this old fashioned oil lantern, a whole bunch of them. For aesthetic, or whatever, all for a decorating contest in her neighborhood. Nearly set her whole bloody yard on fire when one got bumped and knocked over by one of her kids,” James shares.
“Here I thought it would have been one of those jack-o-lanterns people just leave candles burning in for hours on end,” Regulus says.
“Pumpkins actually aren’t combustible, funnily enough. As long as it’s a real one, anyway. Those popular new fake ones people like so much might avoid the rot, but they’re extremely flammable,” James replies.
“Love when you talk fire facts to me,” Regulus teases.
“Shut up,” James chuckles. “Now, if you could oh so kindly fix me a coffee that is not this seasonal abomination, I’d appreciate it.”
“Mm, you’ll have to pay for that one.” Regulus scrunches his nose faintly.
James rolls his eyes, shifting on his stool to retrieve his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans, but before he can get it out, Regulus shakes his head. He moves to stand directly across from him, pressing one palm into the counter to lean forward while his other hand tucks beneath James’ chin, tilting his face upward. Recognition flashes in James’ hazel eyes, a lopsided smile curling at his lips.
“Oh, that kind of payment, I see,” He breathes. “Do you let all your customers pay like this?”
“Only the obnoxious, attractive ones from the fire station up the street,” Regulus mutters.
“Your ability to insult me and compliment me at the same time never ceases to amaze, love.”
“Well, I aim for above and beyond customer satisfaction, obviously.”
James hums and straightens up just that little bit more to be able to press their lips together. It’s a slow and lingering sort of kiss, sweet and wanting, but not too much. It’s just lucky no other customers have come in and that Regulus’ cousin owns the place, or he’d never get away with all the time he spends interacting with his boyfriend like this while on the clock. He eases back after a few seconds, brushing his thumb back and forth beneath James’ lower lip.
“Little less than an hour left, yeah? Then we can go home and get you to bed,” Regulus notes.
“Always trying to get me into bed with you,” James teases, blinking heavy lids, eyes flickering down to Regulus’ mouth.
Regulus snorts and gently flicks at the edge of James’ jaw. “To sleep, you heathen.”
“Mhm, whatever you say, love.”
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ferraris-gf · 19 days
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explaining f1: pit stops
boxing
teams have to carefully plan strategy around pitstops, taking factors like tyre wear and track position into account.
once a driver hears the "box, box" radio message, they will enter their pit box, located in front of the team's garage. garage positions are assigned based on the constructer's championship of the previous season, with the winning team normally closest to pit entry and so on.
drivers can pit as often as they want, though they generally keep their visits to a minimum because each stop costs racing time.
the crew
there are 12 members involved in the tyre changing process. there are 3 members for each driver, with one removing the old tyre, one putting the new try on and the third loosening and tightening wheel nuts.
this process requires the car to be raised, so 2 members operate a front jack and 2 operate the rear jack. a further 2 crew stand to the side with spare front and rear jacks.
there are also 2 members in the middle of the car holding it steady, and 2 adjusting the front wing.
one final member ensures the pit lane is clear so the driver can move off.
rules
pit stops are mandatory as a result the rule that requires drivers to use at least two different tyre compounds during a race (read my explanation of tyres here). if a driver violates this during a dry race, they will be disqualified but this rule does not stand for races where 'inters' or 'wets' are used. in 2021 in turkey, esteban ocon finished the race without a single pit stop.
mechanics must make sure to take at least 0.15 seconds while changing tyres to ensure they are properly tightened. the driver must also wait a further 0.2 seconds before leaving.
speeding in the pit lane (going above 80kmh) will result in a penalty, as will impeding a competitor while exiting. drivers will also be penalised if they leave their box in what is deemed an unsafe manner.
each member of the pit crew is required to wear safety gear and a helmet in compliance with fia requirements.
pit boxes are also where 'stop-go' penalties are served. punishment for rule violations, a driver can be required to enter the pit, stop for a certain amount of time without any work being done to the car, and then rejoin the race.
strategy
undercutting and overcutting are the two most common pitting strategies.
the 'undercut' is a strategy where a driver pit early (and usually unexpectedly) and uses fresh tyres to get ahead of a rival who will have to pit later.
the 'overcut' happens when a driver delays pitting in order to gain position while rivals pit. this allows the driver to take advantage of the clean air in the hope that when they do pit, they have built up enough time to come out in front.
refuelling
refuelling has been banned in f1 since 2010. prior to this, teams would refuel while changing tyres, a useful strategy tool.
safety concerns surrounded refuelling. in hockenheim in 1994, jos verstappen's pit stop saw his car accidentally soaked in petrol before it erupted into flames. no one involved was seriously injured, but this was not the only incident of dangerous a refuelling incidents.
records
the current record for fastest pit stop belongs to mclaren. in qatar in 2023, they executed a pit stop for lando norris in 1.8 seconds (beating the previous record of 1.82 set by red bull in 2019).
alternatively, the current record for longest pit stop belongs to mercedes. in monaco in 2021, during valterri bottas' stop, a mechanic was unable to remove the front right tyre due to an issue with the wheel nut which forced the team to retire the car. the team was only able to remove the wheel nut after 43 hours.
another notable pitstop occurred in japan in 2023. sergio perez sustained damage and retired from the race. after 41 minutes however, he returned to the race to serve a 5-second penalty, his team exploiting a loophole to ensure this penalty wasn't transferred onto the next race.
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lizard-queen-izzy · 3 months
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I'm actually not done thinking about it so here you guys get more thoughts.
Tma season 2 finale spoilers ahead.
Tim knew something was wrong when Jon apologized for everything. He knew Jon was going to do something stupid. He knew because he knew Jon meant that apology. And that meant he didn't think he was surviving whatever he was about to do. Because as desperately as Tim wanted and apology from him, he didn't want it to be the last words he heard from Jon.
He was willing to march back in to the Institute, with or without Martin to find out what Jon was going to do. He had no way of knowing what would happen when he did, and he still did it. And he brought a fucking the recorder to get it on tape. To make sure there was a record.
I've said it before, the beginning of season 2 from Tim's perspective is devastating, but having finished it now? It really only does get worse. Because Jon doesn't get better, but neither does Tim.
Their fight at the end of MAG 65 is such a parallel to their first conversation in the beginning of MAG 33! They're talking over eachother, they're muttering, they're cutting eachother off, they're yelling. They're yelling at eachother! Their calm back and forth is gone. Their patience with eachother is gone. It's all replaced with anger. At the situation, at the Institute, at eachother.
What starts as Tim coming in to ask Jon where he put something so quickly dissolves into bitterness. Tim being fed up with Jon's suspicious behavior, and Jon being tired of Tim's attitude. Jon tries to brush it off, tries to shove it back under the rug but Tim's exhausted. So he blows up. He's pissed, rightfully so, because Jon is still trying to find a way to blame someone in the Archives for Gertrude. To blame him.
He's grasping at straws, trying so desperately to twist the narrative to make it someone's fault. To pin the blame on someone so he can then get justice? He's rambling, he's spiraling, and Tim can't take it so he tells him to shut up. He stops him, cuts his explanation short. And tells him, point blank, to stop talking. He's sick of it, he's sick of Jon. Sick of his former friend blaming everyone around him for things they didn't do. Sick of him blaming him for it.
And Jon tries to start again, and Tim tells him to stop, to listen for once. He tells him he was happy in the Research department, and ever since Jon brought him to the Archives with him everything has been falling apart. And no one has his back.
"Elias doesn't care, Martin just wants a tea party, and Sahsa - ugh - and you! - you're treating me like I'm somehow to blame for it all, like I didn't suffer the worst right alongside you!"
Tim suffered. He suffered what Jon did, they were the most affected by the worms together. They are both irreparably damaged by the Jane Prentiss attack, mentally and physically. And Tim knows no one but Jon will get it the way he needs to be understood. He can't talk to anyone else. And Jon has made it impossible to talk to him either. Because instead of talking about it, instead of healing and working to move past it, Jon let it consume him all over. Let it swallow him whole and make him into a paranoid mess. And he's facing zero real consequences for his actions.
Jon was stalking Tim. Spying on and taking pictures of his flat. He was going through 'Sasha's desk. He was watching Martin. And all Elias did was stage one intervention style talk and then nothing. He just got to spiral even further, keep spying, keep replaying that damn CCTV video footage on a loop. Keep staring at Tim like he's the enemy.
And then they have a moment of common ground. A moment where they're both on the same page. When they realize they can't leave. And just when Tim thinks they're making progress, Jon tells him he can't trust him. Not just that, he won't trust Tim. And all they can do is, what? Keep working? In a building that won't let them go? Where everyday there's another disaster lurking around the corner? Where any of them could all be next? That's the only option?
And it is. And so he leaves. He goes back to work. Because he has to do something, and this is the only option.
And that's why he goes back in after Jon. Because if he can't leave, he's going to do something. He's going to find answers, even if it goes horribly. Because everything is already horrible.
And no matter what. No matter how mad he is at Jon. No matter how betrayed he feels. He still cares so deeply for him, and he needs to know what he's doing. Because he can't lose anyone else.
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theoraclephobetor · 5 months
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Every time he shows up at Hannibal's door it hits me just how isolated Will has been. He works with people who can't help but have a professional interest in the way he thinks, and that hinders his ability to open up to anyone around him. Even Alana, who tries so hard to be his friend, admits that she makes efforts not to be alone with him. The one time she is, it's because she feels the need to corral him before he runs off to see Abigail - essentially a therapy session and in defence of her young patient.
There's nothing else in his life beyond his dogs and his teaching post. But Hannibal is right there every time Will needs him, and he's getting conditioned to reach out to Hannibal first. Because, for all that Hannibal is manipulating Will, he also firmly sees him as capable. Every time Jack decides to undermine or coddle Will, Hannibal turns around and tells Will to trust his instincts - about Abigail, about cases, about everything. Hannibal is giving Will permission to act, permission to trust himself as much as Hannibal does.
I don't think Hannibal sees Will as an equal (at least not until season 2), but he certainly sees him as a man worthy of his respect. And as a man who could be just like Hannibal. He could share a life with Hannibal. They could honestly find a path to be happy together, and Hannibal sees that. All he needs is a push, and then neither of them need to be isolated again.
And Will, he keeps going out to help the FBI and only barely keeps himself together. He's so damn tense in the field, in the morgue, and even in his home once he starts sleepwalking. But you can see him relax (as much as he ever does) when he's with Hannibal. Will tethers himself to Hannibal and lets him be the anchor he needs. Because the alternative is feeling so damn alone that he can't function.
Jack doesn't help anything either. He's so focused on the idea of saving people that he ignores Will's warning ("the thinking is shutting down") and the very simple fact that Will immersing himself in horror each day is bad for him.
For all that Hannibal is working to keep Will isolated, no one moment is as impactful as Jack's unwillingness to listen when Will says he's done. Will might have been primed to question Jack's care for him, but Jack was the one to give the final push. Even the truly sweet moment at the end, where Will sits with Jack as he struggles with knowledge that his wife is dying, doesn't fully mend that break.
Will still wants connection (or why else would he be there for Jack), but he's now too injured to really trust that anyone is on his side.
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dariaslookalike · 3 months
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Building Houses and Burning Bridges Pt I
Tumblr media
Summary:
It seems, oddly enough, that Gregory House lives to annoy you. He takes 'arseholish boss' to the next level. Wake up in the morning, ready to have breakfast, and drive to the hospital where you both work? Nope, you're getting a text that says you're late to his impromptu 4:30 AM meeting where he's had the 'breakthrough of the century' on the team's latest case. Get your hair cut and walk into work, for once feeling confident? Nope, he's saying that he would have done a better job blinded, hands tied and going through Vicodin withdrawals. Finally, 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, prove him wrong and attempt to wipe the cockiness off his face? Nope, you're simply slow because you didn't get to your diagnosis quicker and weak-willed because you didn't fight him for it in the beginning. Everything House does infuriates you, and it seems everything you do infuriates him. No wonder you end up pinned to the wall of your apartment and groping him like your life depends on. And knowing House, it very may well.
Warnings: Adult language, mature themes, eventual smut, female protagonist, no reference of y/n
Rating: 18+ MDNI
Current Status: Ongoing
A/N: No Beta readers for any of my fics, so apologies for spelling mistakes. I wrote this originally on AO3, and it's still a work in progress. As with my other fics, I'll be uploading here and there when I get inspo
Masterlist: Building Houses and Burning Bridges
Next Chapter: Pt 2
-----------------------
Your mind trails off to the strangest of things when you’re nervous. You’re staring out the window pane, and there’s a small robin, hopping from branch to branch. It’s entrancing in a way. Do robins have little bird interviews for their little bird jobs? Or does everyone simply know what their role is, without having to apply for it? Collect the sticks, eat some bugs, and raise the young. Simple little bird jobs for simple little birds.
But then the woman in front of you clears her throat and you snap back to reality. Lisa Cuddy stares at you, but it’s not coldly like some interviewers may have. She smiles and you are flashed with her rows of perfect, white and straight teeth. Across from her, you feel underdressed, and not only in the literal sense. Some light makeup, to hide the fact that you hadn’t slept the previous night due to nerves, form-fitting but very obviously last-season pants, and a coat that you had quickly folded onto the chair beside you, to hide the tea stain down its front. But outside of that, she held a certain properness and professionalism you hadn’t mastered yet.
Despite that, she had beamed across your resume, congratulated you on your achievements, and told you that the job was almost ‘as good as yours’. She did, however, warn you. You would have another, more unofficial, interview to complete with your team leader before you began work. With the infamous Gregory House.
She inhaled, and it whistled through her nose. “Now, can I trust you to give you the very blunt run down of House, without you screaming and running for the hills? Because I think you need to know, while this job is incredibly hard and taxing…You may find he’s the worst part of it.”
You laughed politely. “I’m sure he’s not that bad. I once had a boss who had me make him coffee and lunch for three weeks straight after I had completed my PhD. He said it was a ‘chance for me to relax’,” You gesture air quotes, “before I got into serious work.”
Cuddy pinched the bridge of her nose. “No. As condescending as that is, House is worse than that.”
She must have seen your eyes widen because she quickly waves her hands in front of herself. “Don’t get me wrong. He’s brilliant, and, don’t pass this on to him, one of the best doctors you will ever work with. But…He can be rude. Egotistical. Infuriating. There are some days when he will make you feel pathetic and exhausted and other days when he will make you feel like you’ve discovered the secret to medicine. I’m not saying this to scare you, but rather I think you need to know that the people who are able to manage House and manage to work under him, do so with a lot of patience, humour, and resilience.”
You nod your head, and your brow furrows in seriousness. “I understand. Regardless of how he treats me, this is honestly an opportunity that I can’t pass up. I’m not going to let someone else ruin that for me.”
She beams at you. “That’s what I like to hear.”
You smile back at her, and she begins to shuffle papers on her desk and sort them into a stack. When they’re ordered into a neat pile, she looks back to you. “Rather than an interview, House will see this as a test. He will try to push your buttons. Make you nervous; worried. Don’t let him. You’re young, you’re beautiful, you’re smart,” You find yourself flushing at the honesty she seems to hold in her words. Cuddy was genuine and seemed like someone you could trust. That would be important if House was as bad as she made him out to be. “And he will try to make you all the more miserable for it.”
You let out a breathy sigh. “At least I’ll have time to prepare myself. What day would you like me to come in next?”
She winces and hands you the stack of papers (perhaps some miscellaneous files and formalities that you’ll investigate later, in private). “There won’t be another day, I’m afraid. He’ll be expecting you by his office following this.”
You breathe out, but afraid to seem well…Afraid, in front of Cuddy, you grit out a smile. “That’s perfectly fine. Sometimes it’s better to rip the bandaid off sooner, rather than later. Can you please direct me to his office?”
—--------
You feel your stomach plummet when you leave the elevator and begin walking down the hallway, clutching at your files as you do so.
Your short heels still manage to clack against the tiled floor as you walk. You pause and peer into a glass office. Sure enough, beside the door is a small plaque reading Dr G.House. Your hands reach for the doorknob, but it’s locked and you can’t push through. You peer into the office and see an empty desk, among other things.
It appeared the G.House was not home. So much for Cuddy’s warning that he would be waiting for you.
You breathe in deeply and scan around you. There are four or so chairs across from you, lining the side of the hallway, and sprawled across one of them is a man, staring right at you. You smile, half out of politeness and half out of awkwardness, and move to sit on the furthest seat. You settle down your papers, but when you look back, the man is turned and still staring. He has cropped, greying hair and steely blue eyes, and you quickly skim over him. Worn out jeans. A shirt with some sort of stain on it. A scuffed, dark cane resting beside him. Ratty trainers. At least he didn’t have the professionalism or poise that Cuddy carried around.
You realise you’ve stared a second past the respectful amount and you smile, fully out of awkwardness. “I don’t suppose you’re waiting for Dr House too?”
“Me?,” He raises an eyebrow, “Noo, I just like to wait outside his office as a pastime. See if I can conjure him through my psychic powers alone.”
You snort and raise your hands to your face quickly. “Well, do you know when he’ll be back?”
The man clicks his tongue. “Not at all. He doesn’t seem to care at all for punctuality, especially for…Who are you? A new hire?”
You tilt your head at him. “How’d you guess?”
He mimics you, tilting his head in the same direction. “You don’t look sick enough to be a patient, or tired enough to be a worker. Then there’s only the patient's family, new hire, or hooker to choose from. And no offence,” He trails his eyes down your form. “You don’t dress the part for the last option.”
You bark out a laugh at his incredulous words, shocked. “God. I’d hate to see the new hire who does.”
You’re happy to turn from the man and count the minutes until the infamous House appears, but the man draws your attention back to him with a question. “Why do you want to work with him?”
You squint your eyes at him. “And why do you want to know? Weren’t you the one to say that sitting here means you’re sick, a worker, a new hire, or a hooker?”
He nods, and his eyes appear calculating for a second. But then they’re masked and replaced with a forced smile “Yes, I did. As you can tell from my wicked cane, I’m a cripple hooker. I charge $200 for the hour, by the way. $300 and I’ll bring out the wheelchair.”
You can’t help but smile. Its funny, in a very twisted way. But you breathe deeply and try to compose yourself. You had never met someone as strange or bold as this man, but you supposed hospitals were the perfect place to find such specimens. The perfect mix of medicine, death and life, and you were produced with nutjobs.
“I’ve heard he’s a brilliant doctor-”
“And incredibly rude. I saw him the other week for the pain in my leg, and he just shoved a Vicodin bottle in my hand and called me an addict.”
You sighed. “You’re the second person to tell me that today. While I’m sorry to hear of his bedside manner, there are certain things I’m willing to go without in trade for working with him. I’ll deal with any rudeness or arrogance if it means I’m able to learn from him and contribute to his team.”
Now it’s the man who snorts out a laugh. “You’ll deal with being disrespected and abused just so you can be the ‘teacher's pet’ of medicine?”
You narrow your eyes at him. “No! Obviously, I’m going to stand up for myself and my own morals. But I think to some degree, people are set in their ways; if he is, I’ll learn to work around it, rather than break through it.” You huff, “And I won’t be a ‘teacher’s pet’. Been there, done that; it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”
The man says nothing, and you turn to him, waiting for a witty reply or another snarky hooker joke, but then another man strolls up to the two of you. He has tousled brown hair, dark eyes and a strikingly white lab coat. House.
You stand up quickly and offer your hand. He shakes it, and you introduce yourself.
He smiles at you, with a sincereness that nearly startles you. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m assuming you’re the new hire? I’m James Wilson, head of Oncology here.”
Oh. So not House.
You stutter for a moment but compose yourself. “Oh! I’m sorry, I thought you were Dr House. Let me know if this is completely out of your ballpark then, but we’ve,” You gesture over your shoulder to the man still sitting down, “been waiting here for Dr House. Could you please point me in the right direction? He wasn’t in his office.”
The man raises his eyebrows at you, and you’re worried you said something to offend him -not like you made a hooker comment about him- but then he sighs, and pinches the bridge of his nose, the same way Cuddy did. “House, would you like to introduce yourself to your new hire?”
Your eyebrows narrow. “I’m sorry, what?” Who was he talking to?
But then there’s the slight tap of a cane against the floor, and the man beside you rises to his full height.
You turn to him, perplexed, and he mockingly widens his eyes and raises his free hand to his mouth in faux shock. “Whoops! I forgot I transferred from being a Cripple Hooker to being a doctor. Don’t worry, I still charge the same rate.”
He shuffles past you, limping, and into his office. Wilson remains beside you, and he shakes his head, eyes cast upwards. “You’ll get used to him. Just don’t let him hassle you too much or he’ll get used to that.”
You turn to thank him for the warning, but House clears his throat loudly from within his office, and sits down at the wooden desk as if to say ‘well hurry up then’. Meekly, you gather your notes, tell Dr Wilson it was nice to meet him, and walk into the office to sit across from House
He stares at you, the same way he stared at you out in the hallway, and you find yourself prompted to speak first. “So, Dr House. While it’s nice to formally meet you, I’m wondering if it wasn’t for Dr Wilson, were we just going to sit outside and trade hooker jokes for the next few hours?”
His eyebrows narrow. “You don’t need to lie.”
“What?”
“It’s not nice to meet me.” He rolls his eyes. “I’ve met me before. It’s not a pleasant experience.”
He runs his hands down his worn face and continues to speak. “I have your resume. Your, quite frankly, startling long list of academic achievements and medical mumbo jumbo. I could give less of a hoot about those things; they won’t help you here. Awards and experience and acting like you give a shit is Cuddy’s forte, not mine.”
You find yourself puzzled about how to reply, but he saves you the effort and continues speaking, first drawing out your last name in a long drawl. “You seem intelligent and as if you lack a backbone. Both are necessary things for my team. But,” He stares intently at you, “Why do you want to work here? With me? On this team?”
You suck in air. “Well, as I said earlier, you’re brilliant. I know your cases and I know the work you’ve done. To put it blatantly, you’ve saved lives where others would have prepped the morgue. I want to know how to do that, and how to become the best doctor I can be.”
He laughs. “Being a suck-up isn’t a requirement for being a good doctor.”
“Neither is being an arsehole, but you seem to have that covered.”
Shit. Shit. Did you really just say that? To your boss? God, he was infuriating yes, and rude and-Oh. This was what Cuddy was warning you about. Losing your cool in face of his taunts and remarks. Well, low and behold, you lost your cool.
He narrows his eyes and leans forward to rest his head on his steepled hands. “Do you usually call people names during interviews or just the ones where you don’t want the job?”
You huff, exasperated. “I want this job. Hell, I need this job.”
“Everyone needs a job. Everyone has bills. But you’re avoiding the question.”
Your jaw clenches. “Well, not everyone has tenure. And, to answer your question, I only call people names during interviews because you made an incorrect assumption about me; I do have a backbone.”
He leans back in his chair and studies you. “Snarkiness isn’t a backbone. It’s a defence mechanism, sure, but a backbone would be walking out of here and knowing that your worth as a doctor means you shouldn’t be disrespected like that.”
Staring into his icy eyes, you speak. “You’ve got to ask me question after question. Am I a hooker? Why do I want to work with you? Now, I’m going to ask you a question. Why are we doing this?”
“Well sweetheart, I’m not sure if you’ve heard of this amazing thing, but there’s an interview you have before you start a job to see if you’re suited to-”
“No. I mean why are you ‘interviewing’ me if you’ve already made up your mind?”
At that, he stays silent. Confirmation. You get the sense that if he hadn’t made his decision even before you saw him, he made it the second you sat down outside. Maybe it was the way you walked, or the awkward smile you passed to him. Whatever it was, he couldn’t give less of a shit about your credentials; or you.
You nod and gather your things again. “Thank you for your time, Dr House. Please pass my regards to Cuddy.”
You reach the door before he speaks again. “You didn’t ask me what my decision was.”
You huff. “I think you’ve made it abundantly clear.”
“You’re hired.”
Oh.
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melbatron5000 · 18 days
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Good Omens Season 2 Chiastic structure
Inspired by @drconstellation I am working on a chiastic structure for the second season.
I'm not done yet, but there are already some things I've noticed.
When Gabriel first arrives and says, "You're funny, I love you," Aziraphale stops himself from saying "I love you" back -- because he doesn't, and it's not a secret that he doesn't. In the Final Fifteen, after the Big Damn Kiss, Aziraphale also stops himself from saying "I love you," but this time because he DOES, but it is a secret that he does.
Directly mirroring Gabriel bringing something to Aziraphale so something terrible doesn't happen to him (but he forgets) is Crowley giving something to Aziraphale so something terrible doesn't happen to him, Aziraphale. There's been a lot of speculation as to what Crowley could have passed to Aziraphale, and I thought it was the fly and now I'm sure. Gabriel fails to give Aziraphale the fly and whatever is in it, Crowley succeeds.
The middle point is Shax confronting Crowley about Gabriel being in the book shop, and then confronting Aziraphale about Gabriel being in the book shop. Okay, Shax Closes In is the middlest bit -- what does that mean? If we assume that Crowley and Aziraphale are hiding something besides Gabriel, we get two tidbits: That Shax is looking for something besides Gabriel, as evidenced by her question to Crowley on the bench at St. James park -- got anything for me? And she asks about Crowley sharing anything he gets from his contact in the book shop. Whatever she's after, it's something Heaven and an angel would know about. Jesus, perhaps? Gabriel is a side-mission for her. She's after Jesus, and Crowley and Aziraphale are hiding her. The middlest bit is Shax Getting Too Close.
I'll be sure to post the finished chiastic structure once I have it all figured out!
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tgammsideblog · 3 months
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Scratch and Leadership
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The season 2 episode premiere ¨The New Paranormal¨ explores the consequences of Season 1 finale ¨The Jig is Up / Molly vs The Ghost World¨. With the original Chairman getting destroyed, the Ghost World needs a new leader to fill the space that got left. Since Scratch is the ghost that ¨defeated¨ the previous ruler, he has to become the new Chairman.
In ¨The New Paranormal¨ Scratch gets tricked by the Ghost Council into becoming the new leader by having to use the chairman robes to scare the frightmares that were in the Mcgees house away. He gives the order to not cause any chaos to the ghost population, since ¨it brings trouble to him and he hates it¨. Scratch makes a deal to work with the Ghost Council considering they know how things work.
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In general Scratch doesn't want anything to do with taking charge of his responsibilities in the Ghost World. He would rather do his best to avoid them or quickly be done with them and teleport back to what he was doing previously. He doesn't make much of an effort to learn how the system works nor tries to change it for the better. He feels like it is a role that was unjustly dropped into him without being able to make a choice in it.
A lot of this seems to come from Scratch feeling like he was stuck in a very repetitive job that made him miserable as human (Todd). Once he became a wraith/ghost he lost his morals of taking responsibility since it unconsciously reminded him of his depressive state when he was human. This could explain in part why Scratch avoids most of his chairman duties and responsibilities.
As the creators put it in an interview, Scratch's arc as chairman during season 2 is about this:
One of it was [that] a lot of people want to grow up and be in leadership, and something like want[ing] to be president. But then, to be president is really hard, and it takes a lot of responsibility, and you have to care about what you’re doing. So, it was sort of a little metaphor about [how] leadership is tricky, and it takes a lot of attention and care and thought. Again, he’s the leader now, right? He’s the guy in charge, and that comes with a whole raft of responsibilities. And we’re going to see, like Bill just said, being a leader is hard, and you got to be intentional about it. And Scratch is not. And that’ll lead to disasters coming down the pike. Many of them.
Source: https://www.nerdsandbeyond.com/2023/04/01/interview-the-ghost-and-molly-mcgee-creators-bill-motz-and-bob-roth-on-what-to-expect-from-season-2/
In multiple episodes we see Scratch making questionable decisions as chairman, like avoiding his duties, making others do the work for him, causing a mess in the workplace and misusing his power.
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In ¨Dance Dad Revolution¨ he tricks ghosts into cleaning the Haunty Haunts club by making it look like a fun dance instead of doing it himself. He abuses his power as chairman, ordering others to do his duties as it was a game while he goes to sleep. At the end of the episode a mess is caused that leaves the room all dirty again and he is forced to clean it up himself.
In Season 1 there has been a few episodes that show how Scratch would be pretty authoritative, if not abusive, if he decided to take his role as leader more seriously. These episodes being ¨Goat Your Own Way¨ and ¨The Internship¨. During both occasions he was giving orders because he enjoyed the power that came with it and it was a responsibility.
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¨The Ghost IS Molly Mcgee¨ also shows that he could be an effective leader if he put his mind into it when he decided to take Molly's place to be charge of a play. He threatened kids with using a hammer if they didn't follow his orders, making obey him quite quickly. In this example he was doing this to help Molly and for the sake of having fun, demostrating again that he cares about leadership if he sees it as a game.
As much of a disaster Scratch is as chairman, he does make some positive changes to the Ghost World: He doesn't use the Flow of Failed Phantoms as a punishment for ghosts, instead chosing to trap them in things like dolls and canisters if they are causing trouble for others.
He does give Lord Doom, one of the most dangerous ghosts, a second chance after he got cursed to be trapped into a doll. In Necro-comicon episode he is happy that Lord Doom is doing well with his new family. In ¨Unhaunting of Brighton Video¨ he is seen helping the team dealing with Blair and her unfinished business. He brings down the whole system of forcing ghosts to scare off humans and keep the Ghost World miserable since he doesn't feed off from misery like the original Chairman did. Ghosts now scare for fun like seen in the episode ¨Frightmares On Main Street¨. This allows them to be able to be more friendly with humans. In general he lets ghosts to have fun and be more free under his reign as long as they don't disturb other ghosts or humans.
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He seems to have a lot of fans seeing in ¨The Afterlife of The Party¨ and ¨Jinx!¨. Not surprising considering he isn't as authoritative as the past Chairman and he is a lot more approachable. There is a crowd following him in ¨Jinx!¨ asking for his autograph and he gets invited to a popular ghost party in ¨The Afterlife of The Party¨. In contrast, when the original Chairman showed up in ¨A Very Hungry Ghost¨ in the Mcgees's backyard, all ghosts disappeared, being terrified of the Chairman.
The way ghosts act around Scratch in Season 2 resembles someone meeting a celebrity rather than a leader. Makes sense because Scratch doesn't take his job seriously and uses is for the status and fame that gives him. Still, most seem to like it regardless of that.
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In ¨The Afterlife of The Party¨ he lies about being sick to Geoff so he is able to go to an elite ghost party, something he wanted to do all his time as ghost. Before becoming the new chairman he was always pushed around by most of the ghosts. He was happy when he got invited to one of these popular parties for once. Near the end of the episode he learns that the party was Geoff and Jeff's 100th anniversary of being partners. He apologizes to Geoff for lying to him and Geoff forgives him.
Scratch constanly misuses his chairman powers to throw random curses as a way to fix his problems. He uses curses to help Molly with her fears in ¨FONAA!¨ and to get a perfect day in ¨Perfect Day¨, only for the curse to end up backfiring. In ¨Alaka-Sham¨ it is shown that he used so many curses that the curse cabinet was as its fullest and, because Scratch refuses to do something about it, the cabinet ends up exploding on him and the Ghost Council and has to clean up all the mess. There is one occasion he used this in a way that was useful: In ¨All In The Mind¨ to find why his spectral body was having bubbles all around. He and Molly went inside his own mind and found a memory that was a childhood friend that Scratch had named Adia.
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In ¨All Shark No Bite¨ he learns that he can create ghost creatures using his chairman powers and they obey his commands. He accidentally created a ghost shark that he later adopts as his pet and names him ¨Sharkie¨. Sharkie appears in some episodes after that, either in his small or big form.
In spite of having many followers, there is someone that doesn't see him fit of being a chairman. That is Jinx, who was a huge fan of the previous chairman and wants things to go back the way they used to be before Scratch became the new leader.
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Jinx represents someone who doesn't like the idea of losing the power she previously had in the past status quo. She enjoyed being a joy hunter and feels like Scratch stripped that away from her. She doesn't consider Scratch worthy of being the new chairman, thinking that she would be better at it instead.
As petty as Jinx is, she does has a point of Scratch being lazy and irresponsible as leader. Jinx had to explain to him how jinxes worked, something she pointed out it is a thing the chairman should know about. She acts as a constant reminder for Scratch that he isn't a good leader for the Ghost World.
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All Scratch's irresponsible behaviour culminates in ¨Jinx VS The Human World¨. This episode starts with Scratch leaving the chairman robe unprotected and unguarded, which Jinx takes advantage of and steals it, using to take over the Ghost World and almost the Human World. Scratch also makes the mistakes of accidentally getting Molly captured by Jinx when they look for her in the Ghost World.
Near the end of the episode Scratch comes up with a plan to stop Jinx. He suggest others to ¨spread out joy¨ and extra feeding the sobgoblins, making them explode as result. Sharkie gets summoned by Scratch and grabs the chairman robes from Jinx. The Chens trap Jinx inside the phantom canister so she can't cause any more trouble.
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The ghost celebrate Scratch as their true chairman. This leads to Scratch to reconsider things and to finally admit that he isn't a good example of a leader. He uses his powers one last time to make the chairman robe select the person they consider the ¨most worthy¨ to be the new chairman. The robe fly away, looking for a new leader.
In the end, Scratch's arc as chairman this season gives the lesson that not every person is fit to be a leader and it would be better to step down and give that role for those who would be more responsible. While Scratch did bring some good things to the Ghost World, he was incredibly lazy and didn't take the job seriously, which end up putting both worlds at risk. He gives up his status, knowing someone should be in the position instead of him.
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