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the-oblivious-writer · 4 months

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Get Her Back!

Clarisse La Rue x Daughter of Athena!Reader

One-shot

Summary: You and Clarisse have always had a reputation for the rollercoaster you both called your relationship. While on another one of your "breaks," you decide you want to mess with her

Warning(s): Swearing, Clarisse & r are hella toxic, jealousy (on both ends but mostly jealous!Clarisse), making out (nothing more is hinted at, just Clarisse & r kissing like the problematic girlfriends they are), & arguing

Notes: Wooo this one got a bit heated before I knew it. Hope you enjoy

You and Clarisse La Rue… how does one sum up your relationship with the Ares kid? You and her were known for being on and off, arguing almost as much as you made out. You were both in a toxic, heated, yet passionate, relationship.

Oh, how you loved each other.

You met Clarisse the first summer you got to camp. It didn’t take long for you to discover what you had gotten yourself into. She argued with you about everything, she had an ego and a temper and a wandering eye; you couldn’t help but be attracted to her, even when she was so obviously lying about her height.

The first time you left Clarisse was in the spring, that was when your current dynamic truly started. You lasted about a week before you were back in her arms, forgetting how you threw all her stolen clothes out your cabin’s window just a few nights before.

You were currently going through another one of your breaks with Clarisse while you laid down on your bed, reading as you tried to ignore another little lecture from your friend.

“All I’m saying is that I don’t understand why you stay with her, you know? The second my boyfriend did me wrong, I kicked his ass out the door. For good,” he said, sitting at the end of your bed.

“That’s because you didn’t have what me and Clarisse have,” you responded, looking up at him from your book. He shrugged, mumbling, “Whatever.”

“Do you love or hate her? I honestly can’t tell anymore. One second, she’s the worst human being to ever exist but then the next, she’s the love of your life, the woman you’re gonna marry.”

“I guess it’s up and down,” you replied in a nonchalant tone before looking back at your book.

He lightly chuckled, shaking his head a bit as he said, “I need to learn when to give up trying to figure you out.”

—

Later that night was the bonfire. You didn’t really feel like attending but your friend had basically begged you to go. Just five minutes in, and he was already flirting with a girl from cabin ten. You were staring off into the fire, red solo cup in your hand, when you suddenly heard somebody sit next to you. You turned your head to see a dark haired boy, looking at you with a smile as he spoke.

“Hey gorgeous, I’m Steve. I think I’ve seen you around before. Athena cabin, right?” He asked, his eyes never pulling from you. You didn’t feel like entertaining him. You weren’t stupid, you knew he was flirting with you. But thoughts of not reciprocating his flirtatious attitude quickly disappear when you see Clarisse watching from the corner of your eyes.

All night you had to watch Clarisse cuddle up with someone who wasn’t you. And all night you refused to give her the attention you knew she was hoping to get out of it, your pride and stubbornness wouldn’t allow you to. So when you finally get the chance for that sweet revenge, you don't hesitate.

You looked at the boy next to you, putting on a sweet smile and placing a hand on his knee. “Yeah, cabin six. What about you?” You slightly tilted your head, looking at him as if he was the most interesting person on earth.

“Hermes cabin,” he responded. He suddenly grew a bit shy under touch, but welcomed it nevertheless. “Hey do you uh… wanna get out of here? I know this cool spot I could show you.” You knew what that was code for; do you want to make out?

“Sure, sounds good,” you winked at him before getting up. He held his hand out for you, which you took as you both began to walk away from the fire. Clarisse's eyes were on you the whole time, clenching her jaw as she watched you walk with him hand in hand. She ignored her siblings’ confused looks as she walked over to you before you and Steve could go any further.

“I think she’s good here,” she said—not asked.

“Um, I think she can make her own decisions. She’s a big girl, if she wants to go, she can go,” he responded.

“I don’t know who you think you are, but she’s not leaving with you.” She glared at the boy with storms in her eyes, her fists balled up. By now your hands were separated from the boy’s, watching the entertaining scene in front of you with a knowing look on your face.

“Excuse me–” Before he could get himself into any more trouble, you walked to Clarisse’s side—she instantly put her hand on your lower back.

“Listen it was nice meeting you Steve, but she’s right; I should really get going; it’s getting kinda late.” You gave him a fake apologetic look. “Maybe I’ll see you around some other time?” You managed to get out as Clarisse was practically dragging you away.

“What’s your problem?” You said to her when you both finally made it to the cabin—her cabin.

“My problem? What’s yours! You know Steve is a douchebag, we were literally laughing about it last week,” Clarisse let out with an aggravated tone.

“Why do you care so much? Shouldn’t you be thrilled that somebody else is stuck with my high maintenance ass!” She only rolled eyes, shaking her head. “Yeah, you really think I wouldn’t bring that up!” You dryly laughed.

“Oh my Gods,” she mumbled before continuing. “You are the most frustrating woman I have ever met!”

“And you’re the most hot-tempered woman I have ever met!” You shouted back, throwing your hands up as you stepped closer to her. “You’re a hot-headed asshole!”

“Well it’s better than being a stubborn know-it-all!” She took a step towards you; your faces were now no more than inches apart. You both stole a glance at the other’s lip before a moment of silence. Suddenly, your lips connected. She was firmly gripping your waist while one of your hands found itself in her hair as the other held the back of her neck.

“I fucking hate you,” you mumbled breathless against her lips. She pushed you up against the cabin door; Gods, you didn’t even care that you were still outside and anybody could just walk by.

“I fucking hate you too.” Her kissing was hungry, passionate. Blood was rushing through veins, your cheeks were warm, and butterflies had erupted in your stomach. You could feel Clarisse feeling for the door's handle for a few seconds before you reached behind you to turn it.

You both went inside, Clarisse kicking the door shut. You could feel her warm touch as her hand grazed the skin of your lower back. She walked you backwards toward her bed, never daring to pull away.

“Fuck, I love you,” you let out as Clarisse moved down to your neck.

“I love you too, don’t you forget it,” she murmurs against you.

Clarisse La Rue may have been narcissistic, stubborn, hot-headed, and pretentious, but you were your mother’s daughter, so maybe you could fix her.

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A/N: she could abuse me, beat the dog-shit outta me, cheat on me, hit me with her car

#clarisse la rue x reader #clarisse x reader #clarisse la rue x y/n #clarisse larue x reader #clarisse la rue #dior goodjohn #pjo fanfic #pjo x reader #heros of olympus

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earlgodwin · 1 month

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hot take but the borgia apocalypse script was actually pretty good, and the characterizations were spot on. it's mindboggling how some fans hated on it solely because they expected a sunshine and rainbows ending between cesare and lucrezia. the truth is, they were never meant to be a pure fairytale couple. the most compelling aspect of their relationship is their intense toxic codependency and destructive dynamic. their obsession with each other consumed the energy, love, affection, and innocence of those around them, leading to tragic outcomes for anyone who got close to them. neil jordan stayed true to the plot with the apocalypse script, unlike what we saw in the s3 finale. despite cesare proclaiming his devotion to lucrezia and claiming to prioritize her happiness, he hurt her by killing alfonso and betraying her, alongside rodrigo, while keeping her in the dark about their plan. cesare ultimately turned out to be just like his father—his mirror image, his favorite chess piece, and a future king and pope. it was captivating to watch both rodrigo and cesare spiral into ambition and murder, becoming sociopaths. personally, i'm fascinated with the idea of cesare and lucrezia's relationship growing darker and cesare prioritizing his political gain, which terrifies lucrezia. this is the direction cesare's character would have headed if the show hadn't been canceled and if showtime had allowed neil jordan to film the script. 'world of wonders' should have been the episode that made the audience realize cesare was a manipulative, self-contradicting psychopath but alas! anyway, in the apocalypse script, he reaches the last stage of becoming a complete monster (for example, *spoilers* when he cuts off catrina's lips and poisons naples' water, killing half the city). this transformation occurs as he loses the remaining traces of humanity that were present in the first three seasons. valid criticism of the rushed nature of the script is understandable. jordan didn't have time to edit it and only released it to console devastated fans. i'm confident that his final draft would have been 100% better than what we have. in short, there's no way someone as genius as him would ruin the show he created with a disappointing ending or ooc moments. so if there's an opportunity for him to adapt it for the screen, it would be a serve as i enjoyed the overall conclusion of the story

#like bro idk what to tell you the reviews about the script had me giggle like y'all cannot be serious helpppp #wdym you need a happy ending because the show is literally made like its a tragic opera #the borgias #the borgias apocalypse #lucrezia borgia #cesare borgia #rodrigo borgia #neil jordan #borgia #text post

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hotmonkeelove · 6 months

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My Black Butler Ships

Sebastian x Mey-Rin - Mey-Rin is the only one who's actually in love with Seabastian, rather than just lusting after him. She isn't constantly throwing herself at him. Instead, she's too shy to tell him. Much of the fandom says he knows about her feelings, but I have to doubt that. Sebastian claims she's incompetent because she's stupid, which says to me he's clueless as to the stupefying effect he has on her. He might know she's attracted to him, but I don't think he really understands the nuances of love. He believes that humans are all selfish and never satisfied, despite knowing ones who aren't like that. Mey-Rin, in particular, is nothing like that. She thinks being a maid and receiving a pair of glasses are the best things in the world. The only thing she wants is him, yet she's never aggressive about it. I think their dynamic has the most intriguing possibilities.

Claude x Hannah - angsty and kinky! I love the twists in their relationship and Claude's character arc. While I think we can all agree Ciel becoming a demon at the end of Series 2 was stupid and deserving of getting disregarded in the third, Claude and Hannah's ending was perfection!

William x Grell - they have the best chemistry of all the Grell ships. And William seems to have a bit of a soft spot for Grell, despite all the trouble she causes. (Whereas Sebastian is far more hostile to her.)

Ciel x Elizabeth - they're adorable and they've been maturing together.

That's it, at least so far.

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ninja-muse · 4 months

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I've found my first review-worthy book of the year!

Eve by Cat Bohannon is a female-focused history of human evolution and a synthesis of pretty much every research field as it pertains to women. It's also readable and witty and one of those rare science books where I actively had to stop myself reading because I had to, say, go to bed.

Simply taking all the scientific research and turning it into layperson language would get this book praise. (You should see how many studies get cited.) Taking that research, relating it readably, and then drawing overarching conclusions? For instance, studies on how and when cis-female bodies produce sex hormones, and studies on how sex hormones affect neurology, and then saying something like, "this is why pregnant people are moodier"? That takes the whole thing to another level.

And it covers so much! It starts with the first mammals, moves through early primates and hominins, draws in studies of mice and apes and history and economics, talks about language and aging, and ends with the evolution of social relationships and thoughts on the future. There's a lot that I found enlightening, engaging, and validating, and a lot of moments where she reframed something and changed my thinking. And she's very comfortable calling out cultures and researchers and ways of thinking (and ducks and chimpanzees) for how they treat their species.

But like all books, it isn't perfect, though with such a subject, it probably couldn't be. For instance, because Bohannon is focusing so much on the average (i.e., cis-perisex) female body, trans and intersex folks don't come up much, though she's very clear that trans women are women, trans men are men, and intersex conditions are not problems. (Also, I'm sure the lack of info correlates strongly to a lack of studies, but she only mentions this a time or two.) *

More importantly, though, given that this is science writing and one expects scientists and writers to back up their claims, she doesn't always. Most of the time when she doesn't, it's clearly speculation or synthesis or some form of "if X, then Y" but sometimes it's less clear. I keep going back here to her statement that the first hominin culture with midwifery had exclusively female midwives. I would absolutely buy this, especially based on some of her points later in the chapter, but she never says why there couldn't have been the odd male. After all, later in the book she also mentions how men-who-help-women could have shifted the dynamics of the band/tribe/group closer to what we see today and that this probably started around the same time. To be fair, jumps like this are fairly rare but they do make me question if there were others I missed or more statements I should have questioned.

So basically, I'm saying this is an important book, and a good book, and a book that should be read by a lot of people, but also a book to read a little critically. Bohannon makes a lot of really great points and relates a lot of intriguing facts and tells some compelling stories about who we are and how we got here. She's done good work with this book and should be proud of it. But also, there might be some spots where her arguments could be tighter. *she also prioritizes words like "she" and "mother" and "woman" over words like "parent" and "person", which I can see not being great for some trans people even though I understand that she's trying to upend the notion that the average human is a cis male and show that female/afab bodies are pretty important.

#booklr #bookblr #adult booklr #science writing #book reviews #human evolution #hominins #cat bohannon #eve #my photos #read in 2024 #non-fiction #book recommendations

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genshrineimpact · 2 years

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You did state how goddess! reader would be afraid to touch fragile and beautiful things, fearing that whatever their fingers brush will die in their hands. It's the reason why they are so protective of those who are under her care.

I think they would relate to Xiao in one way or another. He's aware of what his Karmic Debt can and will do to him now and in the future. He knows how much it would hurt the humans around him, which is why he stays away from fragile living things.

They would slowly bond together, just like a mother to their child, and put Xiao under their wing to take care of and train. Add plus points if goddess! reader could temporarily take away his karmic debt for, let's say 6 hours per day.

Just like Zhongli, Xiao has great respect for you. He will silence and kill those who dare curse your name, often looking from afar once you settle with Zhongli in Liyue as "mortals".

oh gosh yes definitely!!! there were some replies about this too under the dragon hatchling hc, and i love to imagine that xiao is basically (one of) reader's and zhongli's adopted kids lol

⬙⤠ masterlist ⤝⬙

reader and xiao's relationship would be very wholesome. they connect on a spiritual level and understand each other's fears. speaking about karmic debt, it got me thinking... xiao got them because of all the demons he fought and defeated, right? and since reader in this case is the god of war themselves, surely there must be repercussions for taking so many lives over thousands of years?

perhaps there would be a certain time in a year - maybe on the seventh month (the hungry ghost festival irl), where it is said that the souls of the dead are free to roam the lands of teyvat. on one particular day, the spirits whom you have killed with your hands come back for vengeance in a form similar to xiao's karmic debt, and maybe it renders you severely weakened and vulnerable? just for that one day, it would be very easy for the god of war themselves to die in the hand of the other gods.

this is a secret you guard with your whole life, even from morax at first. he knows nothing of it even after years into the relationship - but with how close you both are, and how perceptive he is, he'll connect the dots and figure out a hypothesis in the end. he doesn't force you to talk, but he takes it upon himself to always place himself somewhere nearby. not enough to breach your privacy but close enough for you to call upon him if you need to.

and xiao notices, of course. he notices the pattern of your disappearance, sees the 'festival' celebrated by your people, sees the way zhongli always lingers near your abode, and the tenseness of his lord's posture. he remembers the way your eyes hold sympathy and the way your lips curl into a bitter smile when you see him struggle with his karmic debt for the first time. and xiao too, start to have a suspicion about what's going on.

tldr; starting then you have two protective guard dogs who would be more than ready to throw hands if they spot any sort of danger or threat that might endanger you at this time of the year.

shoot i strayed off from the topic lsdkjflksdf

anyway, yeah, xiao and reader. overall, very wholesome parent-child kind of dynamic. zhongli loves seeing you both get along. you're one of the few people who can make the adeptus smile. 15/10 in the wholesomeness scale.

ps. morax calls him "little one" / "young one" and you call him "child" and no one can change my mind. the nickname never fails to render xiao into a blushing mess, and whenever you start pampering him like two overly doting grandparents he feels himself dying inside. still, he visits your home regularly. just to check on you both <3

◇ taglist ◇ @paintingsofdragonspine | @genshinparty

ps. if you want to be removed/added from the taglist, just send an ask or dm me!

#genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #zhongli #xiao #zhongli x reader #platonic!xiao x reader #god of war! reader au #rin writes #rin answers #paintingsofdragonspine

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maislovebot · 5 months

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Hiiii :D could I request that you write vampire!sigma x human!fem!reader (sfw) where the reader (crying) returns home after a rlly bad day at work and goes to her bf to calm down/comfort? (and since Sigma is a vampire who doesn't know much about human emotions he doesn't know how to comfort her “properly.”, But he tries his best)

Light shower

Light shower by melanie martinez rlly reminds me of this whole dynamic tbh

Hello anon! I’m so sorry this took so long to write, I always get really demotivated during the holidays, but I’m back and hopefully to stay this time!! Thank you for your lovely request!<3

Contains: afab + fem reader, drabble, human/vamp relationship, not proofread sorry I’m tired, vampire sigma, he doesn’t really understand human emotions but he tries, sfw, hurt/comfort, domestic fluff, emotional intimacy, not the same as the vampirism outbreak in canon, it’s a totally different thing

You enter your apartment house and you let out a loud, audible sigh. Sigma looks up from his spot, comfortably laying on your flush couch as he read a book with a blank rustic cover. Sigma turned the corner of the page in as a makeshift bookmark, wordlessly shutting the book and walking up to you.

“What’s wrong?”

As he got closer to your face he noticed frustrated tears running down your face, and he wordlessly placed his finger right below your waterline to catch the tears that kept streaming down your face in an endless supply. You were exhausted and ultimately just planted your head against Sigma abruptly, and he wasn’t quite sure of what to do. Back when you two had first gotten together, anytime you’d be crying he’d assume you were struggling to breathe and he would ask if you needed a glass of water.

It was nice that he understood human emotions better now.

He was more aware of what to do at this point, and he instead wrapped his arms around your waist, walking you to the couch as you refused to lift your head. It wasn't until he tried to place you on the couch that he realized you were gripping him so tight, your death grip on his shirt pulling him down with you.

“What happened today?”

You sighed, rubbing your temples as Sigma slowly got off of you to instead lay on your side.

“Honestly nothing horrible, it was just overly busy at work today, and everyone was extra annoying.”

“How so?”

Oftentimes when he asked these questions, he was unaware of why these things were bugging you so he’d ask for more detail, but it still felt nice that he was so invested. It seemed like he was trying to get you to put your thoughts into words, which always calmed you down.

“We had a meeting and the boss went on a rampage about how we need to act more professional when we’re on calls with other people, and it was so overwhelming. He could’ve talked to us like an adult instead of screaming at us the way he did.”

Sigma moved his arms over to hold you close, pulling you into him until your back was facing his stomach. He draped an arm over your stomach and it was rather comforting.

“I couldn’t handle being yelled at and I ended up tearing up a little bit during the meeting, and he called me a child. It really got on my nerves.”

You clenched your fist.

“But of course, I need a job, so I hit my tongue and nodded.”

Sigma sat up from where he was laying, looking at you quizzically.

“Does it hurt?”

“What?”

“Does your tongue hurt?”

You looked from side to side, confused as you turned to face him.

“Why..why would it?”

“You said you bit it..?”

You bursted out laughing. It was honestly nice, it felt like a weight had been lifted off your shoulders from his misunderstanding. Sigma looked confused for a few moments, not understanding your sudden fit of laughter.

“It’s a metaphor..it’s like when you wanna say something mean to someone but you hold back. When you do that you say you bite your tongue.”

Sigma nodded, his mouth turning into an ‘o’ shape as it all clicked in his mind. He still didn’t quite understand why you were laughing, though.

You stood up, feeling significantly more motivated now.

“Well you surely brightened my mood! Let’s make dinner!”

“I’m not sure what I did to help, but yes, let’s make dinner.” Sigma’s lips upturned into a smile at seeing your expression, his face turning a little red at how lively you suddenly were.

You truly were lovely.

Wc - 0.6k

Now that I have the idea of vamp sigma I’m thinking about him in a less wholesome context..I have stuff to write but once I finish my current oneshot I might have to add that onto my wip list..hshshd

#pixie’s asks:3 #bungou stray dogs #bsd x reader #asks #bungou stray dogs x reader #bsd #sigma x reader #sigma x you #sigma bsd #sigma bungou stray dogs #bsd sigma #sigma

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bcbdrums · 5 months

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Given the fact that we were talking about our perceptions of certain kinds of ships in regards to Stein and how they suit or do not suit his character, how do you feel about smut/the relationship dynamics within Stein x character smut fics?

All righty then...! Here comes a very long rambling of my headcanons about Stein, his two primary relationships, and his relationship with those deeper intimacies. This takes some turns before it gets to the main point but well, I love talking about this man. Extremely long post under the cut.

Also - there are two blogs I tag at the very end of this post - you two feel free to ignore all my ramblings, just know I praise you both at the end and I still re-read your Soul Eater stories VERY regularly.

I'm truthfully still trying to reorganize my thoughts on this specific topic because 1) I have listened to many a headcanon from others on the subject and I always try to give validity to their thoughts even when they differ from mine, and 2) I've also read tons of smut fic with Stein out of sheer desperation for...well, Stein fic. (Come on Stein fandom where you at? Write me some gen fic too, lol)

I have not read too many fics of him with Marie cuz those always contain manga spoilers so I'm skipping those for now until I finish reading (exactly halfway through!). So what I've read is mostly Stein/Spirit smuts and just a couple with Marie, and I want to say….almost zero?? I think zero of those fics (and boy I've read plenty) have "hit the spot" in terms of what I would want for a Stein smut. They're good stories, in some cases great stories, well-written and thoughtfully conceived, but they're not fitting my headcanons and interpretations of who I see onscreen (and who I see in the manga so far).

All that said now… Some of my own relevant headcanons for him, and then I'll get more into fic of others.

I go back and forth toying with the idea that Stein experimented with intimacy just a little as a teen. He's not immune to puberty and hormones; he's human whether he likes it or not, which isn't to say mind over matter doesn't work for him. (Clearly it does, in staving off madness among other things.) But he's a scientist. He's curious. And I can see him justifying an experiment or two in his teen years. But they would in fact be just that, experiments. It's still a big maybe. I can't say for certain he would, it's the sort of thing like…if all the dots line up just right, he'd attempt it. If not, he wouldn't. And it would only be with those two people: Marie and/or Spirit. He doesn't trust anyone else enough. (Yes, I'm on board with the popular fanon that Marie was one of his other weapon partners after Spirit.)

Another teen headcanon... I can also easily see a sort of angsty distraction possibility for him. When he loses Spirit to Kami, I can see him getting into a "romantic" relationship with Marie as sheer distraction, and even misguided retaliation. Spirit "cheated" on him with another meister and abandoned him, so why shouldn't he do the same with another weapon? Which sucks for Marie but well she's not healthy about relationships any more than Stein or Spirit are. But this is just another sort of maybe-thought; another situation where all the dots would have to line up just right for him to go for it. But I can see it, no question, just like the prior thought.

As for Stein as an adult, at the point we see him in the show… While I think relationally he and Spirit have the most interesting dynamic to explore, the one he shows more openness toward is Marie. It's clear that he cares for her. And he doesn't fully understand that either. Now I don't think he wants to get into bed with her, or marry her, or anything traditional to a romance. But I also don't think Marie is going anywhere. Thinking post-anime now…. Unless he gives her a sign that there is nothing between them, I think she's staying put. But sadly for her, I think there is something between them... Sadly because, Stein doesn't know what it is, and it's not "love" the way that Marie wants it. It's just something he's unfamiliar with. Meanwhile she's devoted to him, poor woman.

Now, end of the anime… Let's talk about this…. Marie helps him back to sanity with her healing wavelength. But…then he's just "okay"? No he isn't. Look at that man. His dark circles are darker, his eyes are more haunted. That man has been living off madness and cigarettes for weeks. When is the last time he ate anything? Showered? Legitimately got any sleep?? How he's even standing up let alone fighting Medusa is beyond me, and then he performs freaking major surgery and then waltzes into the death room afterward like he's fine. Because...that's who Stein is.

Stein will fight until he is incapable of fighting anymore, to serve those he loves. Yes I said loves. And it is agonizing how much he strives to show his love for others, and it's something he doesn't even realize he has within him. He thinks he can't understand love? It's because he feels it so deeply and passionately it's beyond definition. Part of this however I'm also certain is motivated from his deep desire for purpose as an adult. The manga shows that aspect of his character even more-so than the anime (in what I've read so far). That man is desperate for purpose and to belong somewhere, with someone. He can't escape his human nature even if he doesn't understand it, can't define it, and even though it drives him crazy all on its own…

So bringing this back to Marie… End of the anime. I don't think Marie is leaving. She's gonna stay, help nurse Stein back to health and sanity despite his pretending he's fine (or perhaps even sheer ignorance of his condition), and Stein…is gonna be confused the whole dang time about his feelings for Marie. He knows he feels something but he has no idea what it is or how to process it. But "love" in the romantic sense he doesn't possibly consider, because well...his conceptions of that sort of thing aren't based in anything healthy (see: Spirit's relationships).

So yeah… She's not leaving. He won't reject her attentions because he does care about her, just not in a way he understands and also not in the way she wants. And as she starts to realize that he has some kind of feeling for her, I think she'd turn up the romance and she'd make a move on him. OR…she'd play the extremely...long...patient game, and wait for him to make a move on her, when it's within his comfort zone. And let me be clear… This man still does not know what love is in this traditional sense, does not understand love. He knows what physical attraction and hormones are and darn him he can't shake those either, but as an adult he wouldn't act impulsively on them nor would he confuse them with love. Stein is the ultimate master of mind over matter. If he were to sleep with her, it would be a choice; a decision he makes consciously and deliberately. I see this within the realms of possibility. But if he chooses it himself, if he's the one who makes that decision simply out of his wanting to…it would be a long, long time that that woman is waiting for him. But I do think it possible. The question is simply, how long will she wait. And she's also the type to try to stir things up (see: her behavior toward Joe in the manga). So who knows when they may end up in bed together... These dots are more complicated to align than those of his teenage years. And if Marie made the move first...I think he'd accept it. Because, see again, his wanting to belong with someone, and he knows he feels something different with Marie.

As for Spirit, well... Stein sees that Spirit likes women. And Stein sees that Spirit can't commit. I think Stein "loves" Spirit more than he loves Marie. First love, young love... Spirit is the relationship of his life, even though that's yet another thing he cannot possibly understand. I think that while part of him, the mad obsessive part, and the curious part, does want to be close to Spirit in the intimate way…it's not out of a healthy desire or even typical motivations. It would come from a desire to possess, from his deeply human but inexplicable yearning to be closer to the one he loves even though it's not the right type of love for that type of intimacy. Not really sure Spirit would be all-in if Stein were to make the move... I think Spirit would take persuading. It's another circumstance where all the dots have to line up just right, and in this case probably more while caught up in madness than in sanity. Because as previously mentioned… In his right mind, Stein knows that Spirit likes women and more importantly that Spirit cannot commit. And he's ironically smart enough to know not to attempt a traditional human romance with someone who cannot commit. I don't think Stein would himself attempt intimacy with Spirit in his right mind at all, unless something happened to make him utterly desperate not to lose the man... Another instance of, all those dots have to connect.

But ugh, the angst. Spirit abandoned him after five years... Stein is not going to willingly subject himself to possible heartbreak again. Plus, he does not think Spirit has forgiven him for the "experiments." I think he thinks Spirit only hangs around him now as an adult as his handler, despite desperately wanting his friendship again. But I think he figures it's a lost cause so he just takes what is offered and never pursues more.

Okay but before I digress further into my endless thoughts about Stein's and Spirit's relationship (I'll do another post for that maybe), back to the point of your question.

I am really not one for labels, partially because I don't understand them but also because I think the spectrum is just so deep and too much defies definition. But if I were to label him, I guess I'd go with...gray ace with demi leanings…?

The man is driven only by curiosity, about anything and everything. But the level of intimacy we're talking about is more than he ever wants to trust anyone with. It's always gotta be on his terms, and more often than not…his terms would be unhealthy.

So let's talk about what shows up in fanfic, since that was what the original question was about. And once again, I like to lend validity to everyone's interpretation. Just because it isn't mine doesn't mean it's wrong or shouldn't exist. But you did ask about MY thoughts, so that's what I'm sharing here.

Once again, I've barely touched Stein/Marie fic because I'm avoiding manga spoilers. In the one or two I've seen, he comes across as not connecting emotionally in the typical way, but knowing that there is indeed something different about being with her. He knows she cares about him, and he cares in return. But it doesn't come across as anything intimate on his side of it. This isn't a characterization I particularly like, because Stein as an adult... As I said, I think he'd choose that intimacy if and when he wants it. In the stories, it comes across more as him just doing her a favor, just going along. It doesn't sit right. But like I said, that's only two stories. For other Stein/Marie, I reserve opinion for later.

Stein/Spirit... Okay. I've noticed a great many commonalities in the fics I've read. And this isn't a taste or preference thing; like I said I have devoured almost every smut fic just in desperation for any fanfic of them. Would prefer more gen fic less smut personally, but anyway.

Most fics have Stein in the dominant role, Spirit in the submissive role. I understand that interpretation but it's not how I see them. I see them as equals if they were to get into that type of intimacy. There is often a lot of bloodplay, frequently madness on Stein's part, major instances of non-con, pet play, BDSM, sometimes light cannibalism... It all suggests an impersonal and unhealthy relationship most of the time, which again...is not at all how I see them if they were to become a couple. Could such things come about? Unhealthily, possibly. But darn me and my desire for happy endings.

These two men are so broken, that if they were to become a healthy couple...I feel like it would be slow, cautious...extremely hesitant. There is extreme distrust on both sides, and also misconceptions about how the other feels. Which...I will save that analysis for later. Focusing back on smut fic.

I have seen only a few that touch on the give and take in a trusting relationship (all by the same author) that come closest to what I feel is accurate to the characters onscreen as I see them, but still the emphasis is too much on lust. It still isn't hitting the spot for me due to a lack of that relational development... Make no mistake, the stories are great, but I personally am hoping for something much deeper.

In my view, Stein just does not seek out physical intimacy in that way. I don't think he can fully escape the innate human need for touch, but in terms of a drive to get into bed with anyone... I think the occasional human desire for it crops up, and he easily ignores it/packs it away because it's not useful to him. It doesn't bother him. He doesn't think about it.

So this is where that...gray-ace, demi vibe comes into play for my view of him. Talking about Stein here as an adult and in control of himself, not consumed by madness... This is I supposed a bit of a summation of my thoughts.

If he did get into a relationship with anyone (and again I think his only choices are Spirit and Marie), it would not be based on the physical at all. I also don't think he would rush into any relationship. It would be a long process before he trusted the person enough to consider them a romantic partner. And really, we could get away from the word romance entirely... Life-partner is a better word, in Stein's case. If the person wanted physical intimacies, I think he would be responsive to that. The other person would be in the lead, but in no way dominating. It would have to be an equal trust thing or else Stein would nope out hard. Stein would gradually learn what it is he likes physically, and how to give his partner what they want. He can come to enjoy it because this is his life-partner, the one he belongs with, the one who needs him and is part of his purpose. But again...the physical is not something that drives him at all. Not in how I see him portrayed onscreen or in the manga.

So, overall, in my point of view nearly all smut fics miss the mark. Now...the stories I've seen where I think the physical intimacy is nailed don't even get to smut. Those are the stories by @asymmetryestablished (AO3 NothingSoDivine) and their characterizations of Stein and Spirit defy description in any words I have. The other author who nails it is @wispforever (same on AO3) and the closest to physical intimacy they get is dancing, but my gosh still the characterizations are utter perfection. I will be re-reading y'all's Stein/Spirit stories forever.

I hope I did in fact answer your question, but overall, I was delighted to just spill out so many of my thoughts about Stein even if in summary form. Yes this was a summary... Okay. I'm done. Thanks.

#soul eater #franken stein #spirit albarn #marie mjolnir #stein #spirit #death scythe #crossstitch #steinspirit #spiritstein #steinmarie #stein x marie #stein x spirit #spirit x stein #headcanons #ask answer

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erinsintra · 8 months

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Weird ways of reproduction across the animal kingdom

Since a lot of people who don't understand sarcasm are mad at me because of that one post about bugs, I figured I should write something cool to soothe the biology side of tumblr.

Plus, I'm bored as hell and have plenty of time.

Anglerfish

Remember that one weird fish thing that showed up halfway through the first Nemo movie? The one with a lamp on its head and stuff?

This one???

In case you don't know, that's an anglerfish. They're probably one of the most famous "weird" fishes out there, with their bizarre-looking faces, tusklike teeth, and the lantern thing on their heads - which they use to hunt prey in the cold darkness of the deep seas.

But what if I told you this only applies to girls?

To begin with, male anglerfish don't have lamp things. Or tusks. Or anything resembling their female counterparts, really.

They are tiny, barely-functioning creatures who are easy prey to anything larger than a hand. The only way they survive for more than a week on the open darkness is due to their heightened sense of smell, which helps them to find food and mates.

And when the latter happens, things start to get crazy.

Anglerfish mate for life, because their life basically ends after they mate.

When a male anglerfish finds a partner, he'll start biting her skin on a random spot - usually on her back, as if trying to eat her. Then, amidst the constant lovebites, his whole body will start melting like an icecream cone under the summer. He won't mind, though, and will keep biting his girlfriend until he is completely fused to her skin and becomes a brand new organ on her body, being kept alive solely via the blood coming through her vascular system, which are now connected to his. The female can then use his sperm cells to impregnate herself whenever she feels like it.

One last thing before we go: this can happen to the same girl angler multiple times. Meaning that, somewhere under the sea, there's an angler with an entire harem's worth of males fused to her back. Cool.

Side-Blotched Lizard

The side-blotched lizard society is home to four different genders: male, female, gigachad and femboy.

For starters, we have the orange-throated lizard (left); which is usually stronger than the others and constantly adds new females to his territory, building a harem of his own. Though he is somewhat violent towards the other males and does protect the females from outside threats (and competitors), he does not form any sort of bond with them.

The blue-throated lizard (centre) is smaller, weaker, and only mates with a single female, which bonds with him for the rest of his life. Though he is weaker than the orange one, he does his best to protect his wife and maintains a (albeit smaller) territory of his own.

And then we have the yellow-throated lizard (right), which is my favourite one. They are weaker than the other two, have no territory of their own, and resemble females due to their colouration. He lives near the orange lizard's territory, and constantly sneaks in to mate with his wives when he isn't looking. Since the orange lizard doesn't form lasting bonds with his wives, he is not always near them, and they in turn have no problem mating with another male - the blue lizard's wive, however, will refuse any yellow lizards, remaning faithful to her husband instead.

Every article I found about these little guys says they're like a game of rock-paper-scissors - but for me, the way these guys mate is more similar to modern human relationship dynamics than any other primate I can think of.

Flatworm

These bitches look so cool. They're like the drag queen version of slugs.

To begin with, flatworms are all hermaphrodites. They can self-fertilise themselves in order to produce offspring, but they would rather not to. They are fully aware of Bateman's principle (Which has NOTHING TO DO with this Bateman, thank you very much), And hate getting pregnant, for it means spending valuable resources to nurture your offspring for a rather long period of time.

So, instead of self-fertilising, some species literally beat the shit out of their potential partner to decide which of them will get pregnant.

But since they have no hands, they use their penises instead.

A flatworm's dong is pointed - sometimes hooked - and capable of direcly injecting sperm on their partner (or adversary?)'s skin like a syringe, instantly impregnating them. The "match" usually lasts a couple of minutes, with the winner impregnating the loser and leaving to search for another adversary, and the loser eventually giving birth (metaphorically - they are egg-laying animals) to a new generation.

Neotrogla Wasp

I stand by my previous point - wasps are evil. But this one is kinda cool.

These wasps - which, unfortunately, are native to my home state and this is something I have to deal with - have an unique method of reproduction which some people call "gender-bender sex": the females have penises, which they inject into the males in order to suck sperm out of them. Here, the Bateman's principle is reversed: females try to mate with as many males as they can, whilst the males are more selective with their partners. The whole reproduction process can take over seventy hours to complete, and the happy couple will not be separated until it's over - when scientists tried to forcefully separate them, the male was split into two, its reproductive half remaining attached to his wife's lovemaking stick.

Jellyfish

Jellyfish are the coolest animals on the entire planet and none of you will ever make me change my mind.

Jellyfish have this rather bizarre way of having babies, which combines asexual and sexual reproduction. Firstly, a jellyfish gives birth (again metaphorically - they have no coochies) to a larvae, which slowly grows into a polyp. After a certain point, the polyps stop eating and attach themselves to the seafloor, growing into something that resembles a mixture of a sack of coins and a sea anemone. After that, it becomes a strobila; whose top segments are slowly peeled off and drift away to become free-floating creatures known as ephyras, which then grow into an adult jellyfish.

Using human terms for familiarisation, it's kinda like if a woman gave birth to a walking womb, which then attached itself to a wall and slowly grew into a small pile of babies - which, in turn, slowly freed themselves from the pile; growing into a child, then a functional adult, to restart the cycle again.

Sharks

I don't particularly like sharks. They're like the dinosaurs of the oceans - people think they're so cool because they are big predators with sharp teeth, even though the actually awesome creatures are crawling through the unseen dephts, like a jellyfish. Still, their reproductive process is metal as hell.

To begin with, not all sharks lay eggs. Some of them get pregnant just like humans - though they obviously have no boobs to produce milk. One key difference is that a shark fetus will grow teeth whilst still in the womb, and if they do happen to share said womb with a sibling or two, it's not an uncommon occurence for them to literally bite themselves to death inside their mother. When this happens, one of the sharks usually keeps fighting until he's the only one in the womb, and he safely comes into this world knowing he'll always be his mum's favourite. (just kidding - sharks don't raise their young.)

This might be a bit "normal" compared to the other creatures on this list, but imagine if you're expecting triplets, only to give birth to a really buff baby with lots of scars nine months later. Like I said, metal as hell.

There was one other animal I was going to write about, but I forgot which one it was. So, uh, that's the end of the post. Make sure to subscribe and press the bell button. Or something like that.

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frannyzooey · 3 months

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Daddy stuff has always been a little uncomfy for me when the guy is an actual dad, so having reader call marcus daddy when she literally only knows him because of his daughter should be a no from me BUT the way you write it is so fucking good. Marcus and missy's dynamic is so sweet and lived in, and reader taking that in and appreciating it for what it is but also being a little sad that she doesn't have that... it translates so clearly to what she needs from marcus. And of course he understands completely and wants to be whatever she needs him to be. It's so sweet and comforting and hot. That au might be my favorite adaptation of marcus (says the girl with a mountain of daddy issues of her own). (I'm pretty sure if your marcus told me that he's proud of me, I would be healed. Excuse me while I go re-read for the thousandth time)

"I'm pretty sure that if your Marcus told me he was proud of me, I would be healed."

#same and also, that's that praise kink, baby 🥰 (but also very much the validation and thoughtfulness and need to be seen and heard we all have, amirite)

This ask and this compliment means so, so much to me. So much. I really truly love writing for Marcus (fun fact, I really think that anything I have written for him on my Masterlist might be some of my best writing, but the closest to "nailing down" what I look for in fic) and to know that you love this version too means the world. Thank you not only for sending this, but for also taking a chance on it ❤

I totally get this not being everyone's cup of tea and I completely understand the reasoning you listed above as usually passing on it, and that is so valid! I think the best thing about exploring anything you want in fic is just that -- exploring it. Exploring what you might be into and what you might not be, exploring problematic relationship/situations without any real life consequences, exploring the many fine line's that make up different dynamics, so you can navigate and be like "oh man, okay so I really don't like that" and then keep poking around and be like, "okay, actually I like it when it's paired with this, or only in this specific situation" or "normally I wouldn't like that, but in this situation it's okay..." etc. It's my biggest gripe about people writing off age gap as problematic and grooming and 100% manipulative, because 1) it's not, and 2) the harsh judging that it receives often makes people feel problematic themselves for liking it, and I can assure you, you are not ❤

The above situation (fucking your best friends dad) irl could be extremely problematic -- BUT, the core concepts of the fic: the caring, the nurturing, the encouragement, the safety, the trust, the praise, the need to be seen and heard and feeling that safe space embodied by a human being who has the experience in life to not only give you what you want, but to accept you as you are while you are still figuring things out -- THAT to me, is age gap. But it's also the most important thing to me, as a writer, that you feel those things reading it because that is the whole purpose of this fic in particular. Not only a safe space to maybe?? explore something you didn't know you were into??, but also to experience the core things that every human is into.

You are so spot on with their dynamic: she needs, and he selflessly gives because he gets something out of it too. It is such a comfort to me to write, and I am glad that it's such a comfort to you to read. ❤

#the date ask

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lanaluthorlang · 6 months

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Now, I don’t necessarily think that Lexana are that out of character in season six. On the surface at least. With everything the two of them had been through, together and separately, you wouldn’t have to suspend your belief to accept that cracks would begin to show. Those trials could have strengthened their bond, or,they could have brought to the surface any anxieties that might have been lurking in their minds.

For Lana, this is a new relationship. There’s bound to be doubts or fear that she’s rushing into things. Especially when you take into account everything that happened with Zod possessing Lex. She had to make a choice on the spot to follow him into the unknown. And she did. And once the dust settled she had time to sit and think about what she just got herself into. All her past relationships have either been built on lies, or staying with someone she had fallen out of love with for the sake of the other person’s feelings.

Nothing new would have ever been easy for someone who’s used to being put on a pedestal until it’s time to discard her and move on. Clana might have had many ups and downs but at the same time, Clark represents a safe place for her to run to when her current situation starts to feel too real or she starts to have second thoughts. Lex might have been her confidant, but Clark had always been her constant, no matter how fragile that base might be.

And there is a version of Lex where his paranoia leads him to do all these awful things. Here is a man that has had every bad thing said about him proven to be true in the eyes of the people he cared for most, and as a result been rejected and abandoned. Who’d been lied to and deceived countless times over. There is a world were his fear of losing Lana, the one person he has left, leads him to going to extremes to keep her in his life. And with this being a sci-fi show, a fake pregnancy or a little cloning wouldn’t be out of the question. I think that’s what this season was going for, but the writing was so cold and detached that we couldn't connect with Lex’s reasoning.

Also, obviously manipulating situations to keep your partner is wrong in any circumstance, but the point is that they could have given Lex a very human motivation and they didn’t. They wrote a mentally ill character and never followed through in a way that mattered.

The biggest change in their dynamic this season is the absence of their communication. Y’know, the very foundation their relationship was built upon. I could buy Lex lying to Lana about his secret projects. I could buy Lana hiding her resurfacing feelings for Clark from Lex. I could even buy the clones and the fake pregnancy. But Lana wouldn’t have been afraid to push Lex until he told her the truth. She wouldn’t have been afraid to vent to him about her fears, her feelings, or her insecurities. Lex has had a habit from day one from hiding the truth until it blows up in his face (secret Clark room anyone?) but he wouldn’t have so coldly brushed aside those massive breaches of trust.

You could make the argument that every single thing Lex did to and for Lana in the previous seasons was leading to him trapping her in this abusive marriage, but quite frankly, I don’t think the Smallville writers were smart enough to plan long term like that. I still respect that reading, but, as with a lot of things, our perception of these characters changes how we perceive their interactions with others and how we read their overall narrative. This entire breakdown is soaked in my bias, but it’s still how I see the show at the end of the day.

Because I don’t see the Lex from the first half of the show as a scheming mastermind. You can have Lex be the big scary villain all you want, but you can’t go from one season where he’s clearly shown to have empathy and understanding to having him be a volatile gaslighter in the next with no signs leading to that point. As for Lana, I could buy this relationship being an act of rebellion on her part. After all, Clana was the dying star that this show revolved around for eight seasons. Still, it’s a disservice to her character to tie her to a ship we all know is sinking.

Tldr: the foundations of the Lexana divide is in character for both of Lex and Lana’s traumas, but the execution of how they deal with it, and the framing of Lex as the shallow villain and Lana as the silent victim makes the entire storyline feel cheap and poorly written.

#smallville #lexana #lana lang #lex luthor #meta #if this reads kind of messy its bc I'm throwing all my thoughts out before leaving for work #been having a lot of thoughts about s6 lexana and how it drives me up a wall #bc the seasons isnt that bad as a whole but their storyline makes it borderline unwatchable #like okay cool you're trying to spotlight domestic abuse but you're doing an awful job #at least lana fights back in the end but its so hard to watch how lex interacts with her in the buildup #and its so funny bc I can watch ship vids of this season and understand the vision #bc quite frankly I get these two in a way the writers never will #bc they dont respect lana as anything more than a prize and rush lex into the villain role when they realized they were taking too long

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azrielgreen · 8 months

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This is long. Forgive me.

Also, I have posted this on AO3 as well, cause sharing the love!

Right, I think the only way to do this is thus...

Jason... I hated Jason in the show. He was vile, and he scared me more than Vecna did. He showed the true depth of human fear and hatred, and he was terrifying. In this, I love that you gave him a second chance to show who he truly could be given the right environment. By the time Steve didn’t once let go of his hand, I was in love. He was so beautiful in this, well crafted and thought out. His journey wasn’t a slow thing. It took time, trust, and love. Thank you for giving him and us the chance to know him.

The boys, not including Will...the three of them are so sweet in this, just as they should be. I loved how you had Dustin and Lucas play if each other, how they worked together on their theories, how they gave each other the confidence to say what they thought and back it up with science. With Mike I’m so glad he got to be the soft caring Mike we all know he can be. He was so beautiful in learning to show his emotions and feel no shame, to voice his concerns for those he loves knowing he would be listened to. You gave them all a voice in this, keeping them true to themselves, making them feel alive rather than just being there.

Will...damn I love that boy, his instinctive caring nature, his shyness in his own self. We all know how powerful he is, how amazing, bright, and beautiful he will always be. I love the relationship he has with Eddie and Steve, how he slowly opens up to them, allows them in, and how they let him take the lead. I love the question about the world with the monster and the smile he only gives in response to Steve saying no and asking if the monster was scary. That was Little Bit wasn’t it?

Max and El... their friendship was pure light, pure life. I loved how they talked with Steve, letting him learn with them. Max is so special, her to the point nature, allowing brutally honest conversation that help bring to light facts that help them all at times. She’s like a little flame that shows people the truth of things, never shying away what’s before her just showing the truth of it all. El is pure joy. Despite everything, she just brings light and laughter into her world, sharing it with those around her. When she tells Hopper that his kids are just like him and he says that they are all little assholes and she deadpan responds that no, they are all superhero’s, I cried! Again, you brought them to life, made them real, and had them be the beautiful lights they are.

Hopper...oh my god, that man, that beautiful gruff, hard-headed man. I cried when you brought him back when he walked out of that bathroom. He is just brilliant in this, the pinnacle of being a good person, of putting family and loved ones first. Sure he does it with gruff words, and an angry frown and a few swear words scattered throughout, but he wouldn’t be him if he didn’t put some sort of affronted look on while happily doing it. I love that you made Steve his, gave him a son, gave him another child to love and care for. But also to give Steve an adult he could love and trust because he needed that, he needed that so bad after everything Sylvia and Daniel put him through.

The rest of the adults... I have to say I wish all adults were so understanding and accepting. Just taking things as they were thrown at them and simply saying “as long as you are happy and safe”. That is how it should be, how people should love, with knowing its not their right to choose how others live, but it is their choice on how they react.

Chrissy... this beautiful bright light of a human. We saw it in the show, that light softness that was still there despite everything she was going through and you ran with it. She is so lovely in this, just a tiny little fluff ball of joy and light. The dynamic she adds to the four of them is so spot on, the way she just slips in like she was always meant to be there, to be part of their pack. I love her relationship with Steve, how she instinctively became a fellow Omega, loving on him in a way the others didn’t. But more so I loved her and Eddie, again, we see a little snippet of what could be on the show and again you ran with it. Their cute nicknames, the way they played and leaned on each other was just so lovely and made me smile so much.

Robin... God love her. Her every word, action, and thought was just so her. Her relationship with Steve is a thing of pure love, pure need. They are definitely soul mates, totally made for each other in a way not many people get to have. The scene in the bathroom, when Steve wakes covered in blood, is done so well. I’m sure when that door opened, she wanted to scream, make a fuss, but she had promised, and she kept that promise, only looking at him. She is so amazing, she reminds me of my best friend so much.

Robin and Chrissy.... arghhh so perfect! Their dynamic is spot on, I wish we got to see a little more of their relationship, more spilt coffee, please!

Doors... love, love, love this idea. Being able to travel through worlds, seeing imagined lives, seeing the what if’s. The construction of this idea must have taken some time to make it plausible and real. I liked that Steve had a guide, that little Stevie got to be with him, show what to do, how it worked, that he got Charlie, he was sweet and cute. The scene with Sammy was brilliant, and heart wrenching, to be able to see her grown up and alive was such a gift, for us readers and Steve. Then...then, you threw in Eddie, not just any Eddie, our Eddie, the one from the show, I cried, I was happy he was there, helping Steve understand that he deserved love, just as he did in the show, just as he always has in every story written about the two of them. What I love most about this concept is that not only does it link each and everyone of your stories together it also links every single story written about them because this concept is unending and infinite ♾️.

Eddie... my love, my beloved, God, I love this boy. Every incarnation of him is just amazing, especially when he loves the way he does. This Eddie, Alpha, is so raw. The struggle he has with becoming who he is, is so real and heart-breaking. He truly believes he is unlovable, a monster. The time when they broke up was horrible, I know we saw it through Steve but you still felt how horrible it was for Eddie too, especially having that need to care for Steve and not being able to and having to reconcile those feelings with his Alpha self as well as his human side. He tried so hard not to push Steve, to let him do what he needed even as it went against ever instinct in him. I love how you don’t romanticise what they have. You make it very hard, very real, make it imperfect, and above all you make it human.

Steve... my sweet sweet boy. You gave him magic! You gave him powers to be what ever he needed to be, let him become what he had to be. Beautiful inhuman monster, made all the more human because when humans love to their full ability they are magic. Steve is love personified, he breaks, becomes fragile and brittle when he can not love, doesn’t understand why some people just can’t accept what he so willingly offers, and it destroys him. He becomes this new thing, a new word, Omega, because he just loves so deeply, so wholeheartedly and being human isn’t enough to give the love he has inside of him. Him loving Eddie was always going to be a lot for Eddie to bare, for someone who thought themselves unlovable suddenly having the love of Steve was never going to go down well. I know why Steve felt so hurt and crushed by what Eddie said, being told his love was too much, would have of course broken him. Their time apart again, horrible, but it was nothing to when Eddie died. God that stole my breath, it broke me, had me crying, sobbing because I could feel what Steve was feeling. It took me a while to push through that part, to get to the other side of it because you made the pain so real.

I think, if I could, I would spend a year going through this story, breaking it down, analysing it, showing the world just what you have created, and that it is a work of genius. Nearly 400k words of pure brilliance is something you need to be proud of. It is an accomplishment not many authors have made. I looked up how many published books have that many words, and there are not many above that word count, but you are up there with the likes of Stephan King and George R.R Martin.

Az, thank you for letting me bombard you with silly little Asks as I have read Touched, it has been amazing to touch base with you, to tell you my little thoughts and feeling as I have read. I could never give you enough praise for what you have accomplished, what you have shared.

So, thank you, just thank you.

Natasha x

OH MY GOD THIS *BEAUTIFUL* GENEROUS KINDNESS JUST MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME, THANK YOU MY DARLING SO SO MUCH 😭😭😭😭😭😭

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cherubdulce · 6 months

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HI AGAIN!!! ok so admittedly delayed my watch for dis.venture but im at ep 5 now and honestly im so?!?! holy shit? the writing is so mature and realistic, like usually i dont feel bad if the eliminated character leaves but i actually got so... hurt?!!? even if i knew theyre gonna be voted off but the emotional impact they gave me made me actually hurt for them like omg? like i did not think i would actually feel so bad for grett after that phone call. everyones not a jerk... theyre all so human..... theres still so many good details i didnt mention but im sure we can agree its so good

i guess its the perfect time to say how LOW my jaw dropped when fiore did that whole 180 snap in personality - she showed her true colors AND IM HERE FOR IT. SHES SUCH A VILLAIN BUT I SUPPORT HER GIRL WRONGS AHSKAFSAFSA AT LEAST FOR NOW. i was actually so sad learning that drew got out quickly (i liked the way they written his mute trait :< it reminded me of red wwiwiwi) i like him now but i will miss him fr....

ANYWAYS IM NOTICING THE DEVELOPMENT IN TOM AND JAKE'S RELATIONSHIP AND I LOVE THE BUILD UP, IT FEELS SO NATURAL AND GOOD. THEYRE SLOWYL GROWING ON EACH OTHER IM SUCH A SUCKER FOR THAT DYNAMIC SNIFFNSNIFFFUEUEU

i dont wanna keep this message long but its. its so good im having fun hehe :}} ALSO DAN STILL SURVIVES I WAS CHEERING FOR HIM SO HARD I DONT WANT HIM OUT TOO EARLY WAAAAAA im developing a soft spot for him ueueue sniff sniff

LONG REPLY !!! BE AWARE I APOLOGIZE FOR HOW LONG TJIS IS JIL

WIWIWIW OMG DONT FEEL BAD .. IM ACTUALLY SO HAPPY YOURE STILL CONTINUING IT!!! I’m surprised honestly. YEAH DISVEN.TURE CA.MP does such a GOOD JOB in writing realistic emotions and situations into their characters compared to tot.al dra.ma. It keeps going forward and gets more divided whenever it shows a situation that’s supposed to “pick a side” but it really isn’t for that case. YOULL UNDERSTAND ONCE YOULL CONTINUE BC THERES SO MUCH DRAMA IN THE LATER EPISODES.

THEY NAILED THE SUSPENSE ON THE ELIMINATIONS EVEN THO SOME OF THEM ARE PREDICTABLE? I was really sad when drew got eliminated too because of how well they portrayed a mute character— (I didn’t know red is also mute,, that’s so cool…) also what I like about the series with their representation as well 😭 I’m relieved you feel bad for Grett even tho she can be mean but she’s literally playing the game so I can’t BLAME HER as much (same goes to Fiore). For me, Grett’s development through the series is by far one of my favorites as it progresses (and one of my favorite characters) .

IM GIGGLING OVER OVER THE REACTION ON FIORE’S TRUE COLORS. She’s veryyyy messed up (I COULD NOT GET OVER HER BURNING ASHLEYS AND NICKS STUFF JUST TO FRAME LILL THAYS FUCKED) but also plays the game very smartly. She’s such a freaking gremlin I love her so much 💔

THE BUILD UP ON TOM AND JAKE IS SOO SWEET TO WATCH I LOVE HOW NATURAL THEIR LOVE STORY AS IT PROGRESSES IM glad you like those goobies ahaha 🫶🏽 IM HAPPY YOURE STILL ROOTING FOR DAN AHAHAH he’s just a special “just a guy” dude and I love how he plays the game fairly and use logistics 😭💕

#🍀jil!#💛love mail #I’m very normal with this show #🏕️dc talk

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rickie-the-storyteller · 10 months

Text

Steph's Crew - Part 19: A Special Connection

Intro:

And we're back!

I've actually mentioned this part in previous posts… this is the part of the story that came out of nowhere! But I decided to keep it in. Added some much-needed tension (and it leads to some fun callbacks/references in future instalments). And it gives a lot of interesting development to Stephanie and Bret, exploring their relationship/dynamic in a way that hasn't really been done before.

It is kind of bad, though. Like, morally. These two do something that's not so great… (I mean, they're rebels. So they're always causing trouble. But this is a different kind of mistake if you know what I mean.)

We're going to get some follow-up on where the last part ended off... brace yourselves for that lol. It's a doozy.

The start of a friendship (Flashback to last academic year)

(It's lunchtime. The library is bustling with students sitting together and studying. Stephanie is sitting alone at the only free table remaining, engrossed in a textbook. Bret walks in, scanning the room for an empty seat. He notices the only available spot is at Stephanie's table. He hesitates for a moment, then reluctantly approaches the table. Stephanie looks up and smiles at him)

Stephanie: (sincerely) Hey! You want a seat? You're more than welcome to join me.

Bret: (hesitates, but eventually smiles back) I guess. Thanks. (sits down next to her)

Stephanie: You're welcome! (pauses) So…

Bret: So.

(There’s an awkward silence. Bret glances at her textbook with mild interest)

Bret: You’re reading.

Stephanie: Astute observation.

Bret: That’s crazy. I never saw you as the reading type.

Stephanie: (rolls her eyes) Oh, shut up, you.

Bret: What's the book about?

Stephanie: Oh, it’s about psychology. It’s Elise’s, she let me borrow it when I told her that I'm really into understanding human behaviour and how the mind works.

Bret: Are you actually into that crap?

Stephanie: To be honest, no. I was just looking for a conversation starter. But I may start to properly get into it… this book is fascinating AF.

Bret: (laughs) Fair enough. (confused) El doesn’t take Psychology, though. How does she have textbooks on it?

Stephanie: Yeah, she told me that she just studies it for fun.

Bret: Ah. Figures.

Stephanie: (puts the book down) So, tell me about you. Are you interested in psychology? Or anything, for that matter?

Bret: Hmmm. Well, I've never really been into psychology. Sounds like a bunch of mumbo-jumbo to me. I feel like people are just mentally messed up, that's all.

Stephanie: Well, not everyone can appreciate the wonders of the human mind. But you never know, maybe one day you'll find something in psychology that piques your interest.

Bret: I highly doubt that, but I'll keep an open mind, just for you. Since you’re new and all.

Stephanie: Why, thank you very much!

Bret: How has your first week been?

Stephanie: Much better than most of my first weeks at new schools. I think I'm going to like it here a lot. Could've done with a little less attitude from you, though… just saying.

Bret: It's all just part of my charm, Steph. You'll get used to it.

Stephanie: (laughs) You know, I sense that underneath your laid-back exterior, there’s a hidden deep and intellectual side just waiting to be discovered.

Bret: Well, you really shouldn't get your hopes up too high, Stephanie. You get easily disappointed that way.

Stephanie: I doubt that, Bret. I believe that everyone has potential.

Bret: You're beginning to sound a lot like El, you know.

Stephanie: Well, she's right. She's pretty great, you know. I've only known her for a week and I already love her so much.

Bret: Yeah, she's an amazing friend. I'm really lucky to have someone like her.

Stephanie: Yeah. (pauses) But she makes a good point, you know. Everyone has potential. Even you. You just need to believe that.

(The two smile at each other, sharing a moment of connection. A spark of curiosity and possibility flashes through the air. Little did they know, this encounter would be the start of a complicated but transformative friendship)

Stephanie: And besides, your best friend is a total brainiac. She’d be happy to help get you interested in more academic and creative pursuits.

Bret: (laughs) Really? I don’t think El has the time to waste on hopeless causes such as those. But who knows?

Drunk, lonely, miserable losers

(Stephanie is chilling at home alone in the evening. She's sitting on her sofa and finishing off some homework. Suddenly, there's a knock on the door. She heads to the door and opens it, seeing Bret. He looks stressed out about something)

Stephanie: Bret?

Bret: Hey, Steph. Nobody else is here, right?

Stephanie: Uh, no. Why?

Bret: Cool. (immediately walks in and heads into the living room. Stephanie follows after)

Stephanie: Bret, are you okay? Also, where’s Elise? Lately, you two never seem to be apart.

Bret: We're going through a weird thing right now.

Stephanie: Define "weird."

Bret: We kind of had an argument.

Stephanie: What?! Why?!

Bret: Because I lashed out at my aunt right in front of her. She came over ours and she had to witness a whole screaming match.

Stephanie: Damn, bro. That's a lot.

Bret: (sighs) Yeah.

Stephanie: Aw, poor El. (pauses) Why did you fight with your aunt, Bret?

Bret: It was about Gordon.

Stephanie: Gordon? Your uncle Gordon? The one with the radio show?

Bret: (voice laced with bitterness) Yeah. Him.

Stephanie: Oh, I used to listen to him all the time! He's so funny, oh my gosh… (trails off when she notices how angry and upset Bret is) Ahem. Sorry. What seems to be the problem with Gordon? Why are you fighting with your aunt about him?

Bret: Well, for starters, he's the same prick who threw that damn party, the one my parents were driving to when… when they died.

Stephanie: Yeesh… (pauses, then proceeds gently) Ok. So, what exactly happened with you and Elise? I mean, does she even know you're here right now?

(Bret looks away, unable to answer, and instead takes a step forward)

Stephanie: I'll take that as a "no."

Bret: No one knows. (pauses) Here's the thing - both me and Aunt Rach hate Gordon, for different reasons. I guess I was just angry that she was kind of invalidating my feelings towards him. I tried explaining that to El, but she just… she doesn't get it. Nobody does.

Stephanie: I- um… Ok. But you guys are going to be ok, right? Like, you're still together? You're not broken up?

Bret: Well, no. But we haven't spoken since it happened that night. And now, I'm all confused. I have no frigging clue what to do with myself. Normally when I get like this, I go talk to El about it, but I have no clue how to talk to her about this.

Stephanie: (trying to get him to leave) I think you should just go to her now. Have a proper conversation about this with her as soon as possible. I mean, you can't avoid this forever, man. And Elise really loves you! She cares about you so much, I'm sure she'll understand-

Bret: That's just it, though. She cares so much. You know how she's like… It's like all everybody else's problems are her problems. And I have so many problems! I don't want to be a burden on her. Not like how I was before… you know, like back when I broke her favourite vase last term and almost ruined our friendship. And other stuff like that. I don't want to stress her out with all the crazy shit that I have to deal with.

Stephanie: (sympathetically) Oh, Bret… come here (she hugs him)

Bret: (whispering) I feel stuck. And I can't really talk to my aunt, either, since we're still not exactly on speaking terms right now.

Stephanie: A bit grudgy still?

Bret: Yep. (sighs) I just didn't want to be alone right now.

(Stephanie nods, sensing his need for comfort)

Stephanie: Don't worry. You're not. I'm here for you, ok? You're more than welcome to stay. I've got beer in the fridge if you want any.

Bret: (smiles) Ah. You get me.

(Stephanie chuckles and the two stop hugging. Then, she walks to the kitchen, and Bret follows, taking a seat at the counter. She returns with two chilled bottles, handing one to Bret)

(20 MINUTES LATER - Stephanie and Bret are hanging out in the living room, sitting on the floor. They are clearly getting drunk, and there are beer bottles scattered around the room. They are just laughing and joking around about their problems)

Stephanie: Bro, why don't you just say you're sorry? You could literally solve all you're problems with your aunt by just manning up and being the bigger person in all this.

Bret: Look, look, it's a pride thing, alright? It's a matter of pride.

Stephanie: (giggling) Fair enough. And I mean, I'm one to talk. I'm like, never the bigger person. EVER.

Bret: It's overatted, Steph. Being petty is way more fun.

Stephanie: Amen to that.

(The two clink their bottles together)

Stephanie: (sighs) I had a pretty bad fight with Ben just last week.

Bret: Oh? Do tell.

Stephanie: I had a horrible nightmare about him cheating on me one night, and I interrogated him on the phone the next day.

(Bret starts laughing hysterically at this)

Stephanie: Yep. That's pretty much how Ben initially reacted as well. He was all like, "You know I'd never do that to you, Steph. Calm the fuck down, will you?"

Bret: Well, he WOULDN'T. You should know that by now.

Stephanie: I've prided myself in the past… on being a strong independent woman. Like, I've always seen myself as "THAT bitch." But as it turns out, I'm hella pathetic.

Bret: Oh, don't say that…

Stephanie: It's true! I'm like, super attatched to my man, bro. I can't live without him! I need him around! I've been all depressed and lonely since Ben left.

Bret: Well, long distance is tough, Steph. I bet Ben is finding it hard, too.

Stephanie: Lately I've been struggling a lot, you know? With Ben being so far away, it's hard to keep the relationship strong. I just miss him so much, it almost physically hurts.

(Bret's gaze softens, and he looks at Stephanie with genuine concern.)

Bret: I'm sorry. Genuinely can't imagine how difficult that must be for you, Steph. But you're strong, and you guys will make it work. I know you can.

(Stephanie forces a smile, appreciating his words)

Stephanie: Thanks.

(10 MINUTES LATER - They've changed topics back to Bret and his issues. Bret is still sitting on the floor, but Stephanie is now lying down on the sofa, her homework shoved underneath a cushion and completely forgotten about)

Stephanie: And what about you, Bret? It seems like you've been dealing with this whole thing in the wrongest way possible.

Bret: Right, 'cause you're such an expert at dealing personal issues. Weren't you the same girl that literally travelled to Austria in the middle of the school year just because she was depressed?

Stephanie: (laughs) Shut up! This isn't about me. Look, aren't there other people you could talk to about your problems? Like El? Why haven't you talked to El, again? I mean, don't you always talk to El about your shit?

Bret: Move. (stands up and tries to sit on the sofa. Stephanie adjusts herself so that there's space for him) I HAVE tried to talk to Elise about it. Once. And I've thought about going to her again and discuss it properly. Try and make things right.

Stephanie: Yeah. You really should! Properly.

Bret: I want to. But it hurts.

Stephanie: What do you mean?

Bret: Talking to anyone about Gorden just hurts SO much. I can't help but blame my uncle, even if it’s wrong or “unfair”, as aunt Rach puts it… and I don't want to burden her with all of this.

(Stephanie sits up and reaches out, gently placing her hand on Bret's)

Stephanie: Ok, but you don't have to keep things to yourself. I really do think you should talk to Elise. I know it's hard, but you can't let this tear your relationship apart.

Bret: I know.

Stephanie: El is my best friend. And you're her first real relationship, which is a huge deal, you know? I don't want you to hurt her.

Bret: I don't want to hurt her, either. I care about her a lot.

Stephanie: Don't be afraid of being vunerable. That's what relationships are all about. She deserves your honesty, Bret. And I doubt that there's anything that you could say or do that could make her stop loving you. I'm being serious. Like, aside from your aunt, I'd say she's probably your biggest supporter in the world. She cares so much. You just need to let her in.

Bret: You're right. I'll tell her. I should probably patch things up with my aunt first, though.

Stephanie: Yes! Make amends with Rachel and have a deep chat with El. That's the way to go. And don't forget that you have us, too. Dylan, Alice and me. We're your friends. We're all here for you too, whenever you need.

(Bret's fingers tighten around Stephanie's. Stephanie gives Bret's hand a supportive squeeze)

Bret: Thanks, Steph. For everything.

Stephanie: Anytime.

(Bret's eyes meet Stephanie's, and the two of them stare at each other in silence. Then, they start to lean in closer, their faces inches apart, until Bret abruptly stops)

Bret: Wait. What are we even doing right now?

(Stephanie gasps softly, her eyes widening in realisation)

Stephanie: I… I don't know. It just- you looked like you wanted to-

(Bret's expression shifts from confusion to shock, tears welling up in his eyes)

Bret: (whispering) I did.

Stephanie: (softly) Me too.

Bret: Oh my God. I’m the worst boyfriend ever…

Stephanie: Hey. It's ok…

(Stephanie's heart sinks, and she reaches out to give Bret a hug. He shrugs her off)

Bret: Stop!

Stephanie: Dude, it's ok. Shh. It’s going to be alright.

Bret: What are you talking about?! No it isn’t … Also, how can you be so calm right now, Steph?! You were about to cheat, too…

Stephanie: Yeah, but I didn’t. And neither did you. We’re not terrible people, Bret. We’re just drunk, lonely, miserable losers in need of some love and comfort right now. That’s all.

Bret: Oh my God… promise me you won't tell anyone about this?

Stephanie: I promise, Bret. This stays between us.

Bret: Ok.

(There's a long, awkward silence between them. Neither of them feel comfortable making eye contact)

Bret: I-I should go. Yeah. I'll go. Bye.

(Bret stands up and leaves the room. Stephanie's gaze follows him, but she stays seated and doesn't move)

What's going on? (Flashback to the fight earlier)

(Bret goes to his aunt's room, clutching Gordon's letter in his left hand. He knocks)

Rachel: Bret?

Bret: (bursts in) Hey. So, we need to talk. Right now.

Rachel: (organising her sewing kit) Ooookay. What's going on?

Bret: (confused) Wait, what are you doing?

Rachel: Oh, I've been trying to get back into crafts. I was about to make this! (shows Bret a picture of some basic sewing art - a pink love heart)

Bret: Oh. 'Kay. Moving on… I can't believe you'd do this!

Rachel: Uh… do what?

Bret: Talk to uncle Gordon! And then keep it from me!

Rachel: (surprised) What? What do you mean? Wh-where is this even coming from?

Bret: Well, for starters, I know about the letter.

Rachel: What letter?

Bret: This letter! (passes it to her) Man, this probably isn't even the only letter he's sent you. What, you guys are communicating through letters now?! This isn't the olden days! Email and texting are a thing, in case you didn't know-

Rachel: Honey, calm down. This is the first and only letter he's sent me.

Bret: Really?

Rachel: Yes!

Bret: Ok. (sighs) You're not going to write back, are you?

Rachel: (shakes her head) No. Of course not.

Bret: Good. We don't need his bullcrap. God, the nerve this guy has to just show up whenever he wants and bring a ton of confusion and chaos and hell..

Rachel: Well, we're going to be seeing a lot more of him from now on. He's moving back into the area.

Bret: Yeah. I know. Does he insist on just making life harder for-

Rachel: (interrupts) Wait, how did you know that? You didn't read the letter, did you?

Bret: (sits on the bed next to Rachel) What do you think?

Rachel: (hopefully) You didn't?

Bret: Come on, aunt Rach. Have you ever met me?

Rachel: YOU DID?!

Bret: Yeah. I was about to get into that-

Rachel: How could you?! That letter was meant for me to read, Bret! ME! You can't just disrespect a person's privacy like this.

Bret: Not even when the letter's about me? Because a lot of it was about me. And my mum and dad.

Rachel: Honey, I wouldn't read something that's addressed to you, so you shouldn't read something that's addressed to me!

Bret: That's kind of rich coming from you…

Rachel: What is that supposed to mean?

Bret: You used to read my journal!

Rachel: Alright, now that is just-

Bret: Don't even try to fucking deny it! I know you did!

Rachel: Ok, but it was back when you first moved in! Like, look at it this way - you were in this terrible state, you were all depressed, you're parents had just died and I was worried about you. You were clearly struggling! I actually thought you were going to like… hurt yourself, or something. I just wanted to know how you were doing, because you were clearly not willing to share anything with me yourself-

Bret: That's still invading a person's privacy, aunt Rach!

Rachel: I KNOW! I know. (sighs) I'm sorry.

Bret: It's ok. (pauses) I'm sorry, too.

Rachel: Oh, honey. Come here. (wraps an arm around him and pulls him into a warm hug)

Bret: Why is he even trying to reach out to us, anyway? What does he want with you? And why now? Why not before?

Rachel: I don't know, dear.

Bret: And why are you even letting this happen?

Rachel: What?!

Bret: Why are you giving him the time of day? Like, you took the time to actually read his letter instead of throwing it out immediately. He's your ex for a reason. When an ex tries to text me after ages of no contact, I block 'em.

Rachel: (chuckles) Well, I was married to this ex for 5 years. And before that, he was my boyfriend throughout most of high school, so it's slightly different for me.

Bret: Hmm. Still though…

Rachel: Hmmm. I do have a confession to make, though. This isn't the first time I've heard from him recently.

Bret: Wait… what?! (breaks the hug) But you said that he’s only sent you the one letter-

Rachel: Yes, that’s true. But that’s not all he’s done. He also came by the house not too long ago.

Bret: When?

Rachel: Like, last week? Friday. After you went to bed.

Bret: Oh my God…

(Elise is also upstairs while this conversation is taking place. She can hear the two argue, and part of her wants to go to the room and see what's going on. But the other part of her wants to leave. She quietly makes her way to the stairs and tries to sneak down them as quickly as possible… but just as she reaches the bottom, Rachel's door opens and both she and Bret are leaving her room and going downstairs themselves. She rushes to hide in the living room)

Bret: (coming down the stairs) What the actual fuck is wrong with the both of you?!

Rachel: (following after him) Bret, will you just settle down?

Bret: No! I will not "settle down," aunt Rach. This is getting out of hand!

Rachel: Nothing bad is going to happen!

Bret: Won't it?!

Rachel: No! I'll make sure of it.

Bret: (sarcastically) Wow. That's so very reasurring, aunt Rach. Thanks a lot for that.

Rachel: Oh my God!

(They get to the bottom of the stairs and Bret turns to face Rachel)

Bret: Every damn time… EVERY TIME he's here, something goes wrong. He has to ruin our lives somehow. And the thing is, things have already gotten so bad this past year that I don't know what he can do to ruin it more. Like, I've already lost pretty much everything! What now?! What the hell could he possibly want now?! I don't know whether to be annoyed or afraid or-

Rachel: Ok, why do you hate your uncle so much anyway? Like, can we talk about that for a sec? Honey, you do know that it isn't Gordon's fault that your parents died, right? You can't blame him for such a tragedy. It's not fair!

Bret: You know what isn't fair, aunt Rach? The fact that-

(Elise's phone chimes with a text message from Alice letting her know that she and Dylan are on the way. Bret and Rachel hear the noise, and it distracts them from the conversation. Elise sighs. She hates that she’s been caught)

Rachel: Damn it. Forgot we had company.

Bret: El?

Elise: (comes out of the living room and joins them in the corridor) Yeah?

On the balcony

(Stephanie is pacing around the apartment, in kind of a shocked, hazy state after that intense moment a few minutes ago. She stops upon noticing that Bret is still there, smoking on the balcony overlooking the city of London late at night. She takes a deep breath before approaching him, recollecting herself and thinking about what she needs to say to him)

Stephanie: (opens the glass door leading to the balcony) Ah, you've found my thinking spot.

Bret: (lets out a breath full of smoke) What?

Stephanie: After Ben left, for the first few weeks I'd go to that corner of the balcony - that one, where you're standing right now - and I'd just sit there and think. And simply stare into space. Sometimes for hours.

Bret: Wow.

Stephanie: Mhm. Still do, sometimes.

(Bret gives Stephanie a cigarette. She starts smoking it)

Bret: I still can't believe I almost did that, you know? I suck. I cannot believe how much I suck.

Stephanie: Look, Bret-

Bret: I should've known dating El was a bad idea.

Stephanie: What?

Bret: I mean, it was only a matter of time before I wrecked it somehow. That's all I ever do, after all…

Stephanie: No, no. Don't do that. Look, what happened back there was wrong. I know. I'm not feeling particularly great about it myself, either. I mean, I love Elise so much. And I'm in love with Ben. If we actually went through with that, then we'd be hurting two of the people that mean the most to me in the whole world. This whole thing was a huge mistake. But the thing is, that happens. People make mistakes. It doesn't change the way we feel about the people we truly love. Like, when you enter a serious relationship, you'll have moments where you'll get scared that you'll mess things up. And you'll have moments where you'll find yourself attracted to other people, too. Lord knows I have… But that doesn't necessarily mean that you are making a mistake with the person you're with. It doesn't mean that you shouldn't be with them or anything like that. I know that I'm way more into Ben than I'll ever be into you.

Bret: Well, that feels nice.

(They laugh for a moment)

Stephanie: No but you get what I mean. I love Ben. I want to be with him, and I know that completely. I don't even know why I tried to kiss you. I guess I've been alone for so long, and I've just missed it. That feeling of connecting with a person. I miss him holding me, and giving me comfort and advice when I'm down. And tonight has kind of been the closest thing I've had to that in a long while. And even now, I'm looking at you, and talking to you, and I know that he's not here, but it's like I'm seeing him in my head right now. You're like, filling the empty void where he used to be for me.

Bret: My God, you're drunk.

Stephanie: Yeah…

(They laugh some more)

Stephanie: I don't know if I'm explaining myself all that well. But my point is, the fact that you had a weird little moment with me doesn't mean that things are completely wrecked between you and Elise. I mean, be serious - do you actually like me like that?

Bret: (pauses, deep in thought) What, like in the "I really fancy you" sense? Or the "I think you're fit" sense? Or both?

Stephanie: Any. I don't mind. Like, if you were to rank me on a scale of 1 to 10?

Bret: Right now, a solid 8.5.

Stephanie: (flattered) Wow. Well. I'll take that!

Bret: But honestly, up to 9 or even 10 on a good day. I mean, you're hella cute.

Stephanie: (flicks back hair in a sassy manner) Why, thank you very much.

Bret: I do think you're attractive. Most guys at school do, I bet. But I've never liked you in an "I want to date you" kind of way. Partially because you already have a boyfriend, but also because - and I mean this in the nicest way possible - you're not really my type.

Stephanie: (pretends to be offended) Ugh! How dare you.

Bret: (laughs) No offence. And I mean… El isn't the usual type of girl I'd go for either. Like, she's different from other girls I've been with in the past. But I don't know… I've never felt the way I feel about her before with anyone else. Things with her are different, you know? Special.

Stephanie: (smiles) Awwww.

Bret: What?

Stephanie: (playfully) You wuv your girlfwiend…

Bret: Oh, shut up Steph. (pauses) But yeah. (blushes) I think I might. I don't know, though. I mean, it hasn't been all that long. And I don't think I've ever been in love before.

Stephanie: (nods) I think you're in the early stages of falling in love, bro. I remember what that was like…

Bret: What, with Ben?

Stephanie: No, with Danny Davids. My ex from when I used to live in Birmingham. He was my first real boyfriend. The first person I ever fell in love with. But I digress. See what I mean, though. I'm not into you. You're not into me. We just got a bit lost for a minute there. Doesn't mean we can't bring ourselves back.

Bret: I guess. (pauses) I'm sorry. If I made things weird just now.

Stephanie: I'm sorry, too. But oh well. What's a little bit of weirdness between friends, eh?

Bret: Thanks for being so chill.

Stephanie: I try my best, Bret. I try my best.

(The two break eye contact to take in the view of the city and the lights from the balcony. Even amidst the awkwardness of their previous moment of tension, there is still a genuine understanding and connection between the two friends. They take comfort in the fact that as long as they have each other, and they try their hardest, things can get better for the both of them)

And I think I'll end it here haha.

I'm actually so curious as to how people are going to react to this one lol. Especially if you've been following this series from the beginning. Bet you didn't see this one coming!

Steph and Bret have a moment of unexpected chemistry after spending an evening together and getting really, really drunk. How do we feel about this development? Happy? Sad? Angry? Don't blame anyone for being mad, tbh... I'm kind of mad myself, and I freaking wrote this... I'd get into my feelings on it in more detail, but we'd be here all day if I did, so let's try and move on lol.

Next time, Steph is going back to school, and we get to see the rest of the gang as well - including Elise. We'll get to see her perspective and her feelings regarding the whole Rachel, Bret and Gordon fiasco, which is the most important thing. And we'll see the crew getting all set and ready for prom! Can't wait to share the prom parts, they were a total delight to write (and I hope they'll be a delight to read as well)!

Finally, I think I'll give myself some props for mentioning this plot twist in previous posts without fully giving the twist away (apart from a few people. Like my sister. And people on my Discord server lol... which is only two people so far, so I don't think it really counts as "spoiling" anything. Especially since I didn't name any names on there when I talked about this plot point).

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tirorah · 12 days

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Oh man, this moment! I've been dying to talk about this.

Makoto finally steps forward, going from mere contributor to driving force. And what does she do? This. This is what she does!

I'm going to talk about this in more detail later in this post, but I need to tell you the core of my opinion right now: Makoto is being a bad friend. I can't believe I live in a universe where she gets the chance to do that. PGSM is incredible!

Don't get me wrong: Makoto's intentions are good. She's feeling empathy for Usagi...but that empathy is drowned out by her number one priority of 'Tuxedo Mask bad, Chiba Mamoru better'.

Here, she steamrolls over Usagi's valid objection and leaves to dig up information. I don't even think Usagi needs to be more adamant here; Makoto is the guilty one. She's the one forcing her point through. She's the one taking away Usagi's agency in this situation.

So, what's going on here? Remember this:

I'm super glad I spotted this line in the previous episode, because it completely recontextualises Makoto's actions during this part of the story. Sure, Tuxedo Mask is a man of questionable character and a criminal besides; in Makoto's eyes, she has reason enough to distrust or even dislike him. But that's not why she's been hovering over Usagi since the Knitting Drama(TM) began.

Like I said before, Makoto is trying to protect Usagi from heartbreak. She doesn't want Usagi to go through the pain she herself suffered. And guess what? She failed. Usagi's heart was broken right in front of her and she couldn't do a goddamn thing!

Now that Usagi has finally admitted her true feelings, Makoto should be helping her. Comforting her, letting her vent and cry. Maybe--once Usagi is past that stage of intense sadness--Makoto could help her take her mind off things for a while. Take her outside for a fun activity, make her comfort food, I don't know. Whatever helps Usagi pick up the pieces.

But Makoto, like all main characters in PGSM, is a flawed human being. Rather than do the right thing and be the steady tree for Usagi to cling to, her protectiveness goes straight into overdrive. She needs to fix this--at all costs. Getting Mamoru and Usagi together is the only way she can repair the damage she couldn't prevent.

And so, she questions the stability of Hina and Mamoru's relationship (without any facts to back it up) and leaves on her self-appointed mission. Neither Usagi nor Ami are in a position to stop her. Usagi's too vulnerable and Ami is too timid.

But hang on, isn't there someone else who could help out here? One Hino Rei? Where is she?

She's just arrived at the church with dog food. Completely oblivious. Oh my goodness.

There's an elegance and beauty in how this entire situation is constructed. Remember, PGSM is written around a group of four friends, not five. This allows it to build four distinct pairs that each have a unique dynamic and group role: Usagi and Ami; Ami and Rei; Usagi and Makoto; Rei and Makoto.

With Rei out of the picture, that equilibrium is gone. There's no one around to rein in Makoto's protectiveness when it goes too far. No one to argue with Makoto on how all of this is a horrible idea and that she should cut out this nonsense right now. Sure, Rei might be really harsh about it, and that might upset everyone, but it would also force Makoto to consider her own actions. You can see an example of this during episode 8:

Maybe Makoto would still leave this time, but the seed would be planted for her to realise she's going overboard.

Would Rei also understand what a blow this is for Ami? Maybe, maybe not. But her presence might give Ami more confidence to speak her mind on what Makoto is doing. As for Usagi: she respects Rei. Again, she might get emotional, but like Makoto, Rei would probably get through to her a little.

None of that can happen now. And why is that?

Minako, the outside influence, has unknowingly messed up the perfect symmetry of the Senshi team's dynamics. One of the links in the chain has been pulled loose, and now the entire group is collapsing in on itself like a house of cards.

I love this scene. I adore it. I want to serenade it and bring it flowers and bake it brownies. No show is perfect, but this setup? This expert usage of interpersonal relationships? 10/10, no notes.

#tirorah rewatches pgsm #pgsm ep 18 #pretty guardian sailor moon #pgsm #yes I'm slinging my Makoto feels into your tags #I hope it's not too much #edit: that tiny exchange in episode 8 might very well have been setup for this!#it depends on how far along the script was before they filmed that episode

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serpentinearchitect17 · 1 year

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Hi there 😊

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, but I just had an idea for a particular scene today, so I decided to write about it. I’m taking a break from anything Red, White & Royal Blue related to focus on my current love and hyperfixation: Avatar the Last Airbender. I started watching the series last fall, and I haven’t been able to turn my mind off from it since then. Unsurprisingly, I quickly became obsessed with and fascinated by Zuko and Katara’s dynamic. They’ve become my muse lately. I’m working on a Zutara fanfic as we speak, and I’ll create a post about it once I get it up on AO3.

In the meantime, I wrote this very short scene. It takes place several months after the end of the 100 Year War. Zuko has made great progress as the Fire Lord, and Katara is now an Ambassador for the Southern Water Tribe. They’re in a committed and loving relationship at this point. I used some direct quotes from the Brooklyn 99 episode, “Chasing Amy.” This was initially meant to be a quick, humorous thing, but it turned into something sweeter (I have no regrets, heh). Full disclaimer: If you know anything about the reference to the B-99 scene, you’ll understand that Jake and Amy did have a significant moment of affection on that rooftop, whether it was technically love or not. As for Zuko and Katara, I personally don’t believe they were anywhere close to feeling love or deep affection in the Crystal Catacombs, but I think it’s the first time they truly connected on an emotional level.

Anyway, without further ado…

*****

After a long day of beginning preliminary discussions with the Earth King about the newest trade agreements among the Earth Kingdom, Southern Water Tribe, and the Fire Nation, Ambassador Katara snuck off for some alone time in Ba Sing Se. She managed to convince the Earth King to let her down into the Crystal Catacombs, even though most individuals in the city have been strictly prohibited from ever entering the area again. It’s still in the process of getting repurposed for better, more humane uses. She gave him some flimsy excuse as to why she wants to venture into the cavern. Despite the deep frown he gave her, he apparently didn’t question her motives, and had a couple of guards (thankfully, not the Dai Li) follow her to ensure that she made it there safely. She didn’t need the protection, of course, but she didn’t feel like arguing. She had told the Earth King not to let anyone else know where she was; she promised him that she’d be back to her guest house later.

Now, she finds herself back in the same spot that she was imprisoned with a then-banished Fire Prince.

Just as she runs a hand over one of the crystals, she hears soft footsteps behind her and turns around to find the love of her life.

The Fire Lord is dressed in his formal regalia, but he’s taken his crown off, and his top knot is undone, leaving his shaggy fringe hanging over his bright, golden eyes.

“There you are! Thank Agni,” he sighs in relief, drawing nearer.

A look of surprise flits across her face. “Hey, how did you find me?”

He raises his eyebrow at her. “Well, the Earth King didn’t want to tell me at first, but I figured it out. If I recall correctly, a long time ago, Master Katara and the banished Crown Prince Zuko were trapped under Ba Sing Se, in the Crystal Catacombs.” He gestures to their surroundings, and his lips quirk into a tiny smile. “This is where we were the night you fell in love with me.”

Katara snorts, shaking her head. She crosses her arms and gives him a half-hearted glare. “Zuko,” she warns, with just a bit of an edge to her voice.

“All right, fine. The night that you flirted with me for 20 seconds and I became obsessed with you forever,” he amends sheepishly, his cheeks flushing.

“That’s slightly more accurate.” She steps closer to him, so that there is barely any space between them. She reaches up toward his face, tracing her fingers over his scarred cheek.

“Are you okay?” he murmurs, automatically leaning into her touch.

“Yeah,” she answers softly. “I guess I just wanted to come back to see what it was like, now that things are so different.”

He swallows nervously, though he keeps his eye contact steady. “I understand. I kind of did, too, honestly. I hope…” he pauses, looking like he was choosing his words carefully. She waits patiently for him, and in the next moment, he continues, “I hope we can associate better memories with this place. They’ll never be perfect, of course, because of all the bad things that happened here before. But, maybe when we think of it from now on, it won’t be quite so grim.”

She nods before pulling him into her arms. He hugs her back with everything he has in him, pouring all of his affection and love, and apologies and regret into the gesture.

He lets her go briefly to press a kiss to her forehead. “Do you want to head back up?” he asks quietly, cradling her to his chest with his chin resting on top of her head. “We can probably explore more parts of the city before our next meeting, if you want to.”

She glances up at him and smiles. “Not yet. Let’s just stay a little while longer.”

He agrees and holds her, while the green crystals glow around them.

Yes, she thinks to herself, we’ll have better memories from now on.

#incorrect atla #avatar the last airbender #inspired by brooklyn 99 #zutara #zuko x katara #zuko and katara #katara #zuko

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