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whatstruthgottodowithit · 1 year

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The Arrangement

Fandom: Elvis Presley, American Actor, RPF

Pairing: Elvis Presley x Female Reader, Elvis Presley x Female Reader x Jerry Schilling

Characters: Elvis Presley, Female Reader, Jerry Schilling, Sonny West, Red West, Lamar Fike

Word Count: 4236

Rating: Explicit

Summary: Elvis loves to show you off. Fortunately he doesn’t mind who’s looking.

Tags/Warnings: Non Chronological Order, Oral Sex, Threesome, M/M/F, Cunnilingus, Semi Public Sex, Graceland, Wife Sharing, Established Relationship, Reader and Elvis are Married, Memphis Mafia, Teasing, POV Second Person, Extra Marital Sex

Notes: Havent we all asked ourselves which members of the mafia we’d fuck?

LINK TO MADE FOR THE MAFIA

You could hear them downstairs, deep voices echoing up to the floor you were on as you rushed to get ready. In fact, you had been going for hours and still you weren't finished. You were sure you were going to be the last one downstairs. At times you envied them. Though you knew your husband always took extra effort with his appearance most of his friends didn’t opting to throw on a suit and hope for the best but tonight wasn’t one of those nights. Tonight was a charity dinner, black tie, and as Elvis was a major donor all focus would be on your party. Again you envied the boys. Even when they had to make an effort it still wasn't even on the same level as you. Their options were limited to one, a tuxedo, and yours were endless. You had managed to find something nice though, something demure but with a cutting-edge of sexy. That was something Elvis had insisted on. But it wasn’t the only thing. Before you could dwell on that request too long you heard him call your name from the bottom of the stairs and after one quick check of your make up you headed downstairs with your bag in hand. Elvis was waiting at the bottom and his face broke into a smile as he noticed you at the top of the stairs. As you made your way down slowly he let out a low whistle. ‘God damn if I didn’t know any better I’d say that was an angel coming down those stairs,’ he said as you reached the bottom making you blush just a touch. ‘Well you look pretty good yourself,’ you said as he wrapped an arm around your waist and leaned in to capture your lips for a moment. As he pulled back to look at you though you noticed his blue eyes looked almost black with desire which made a tingle run down your spine as did the hand burning into the small of your back. He smirked at your reaction looking away which was when you noticed you weren’t alone. Jerry was standing by the staircase watching the pair of you closely and Red and Sonny were waiting by the door. All three of them dressed in tuxedos though admittedly Jerry looked the best. ‘Ain’t she a vision Jer?’ Elvis said as he noticed you eyeing Jerry. His grip tightened on your back his thumb teasing along the planes of your ass through the satin dress. ‘Stunning,’ Jerry said thickly as if the words caught in his throat, ‘real pretty.’ ‘And it’s a good job too,’ Elvis said looking at you, ‘if the end result wasn’t worth it I’d be worried about being late.’ You smiled but didn’t say anything else as Elvis nudged you forward towards the door that Sonny was now opening. You should’ve been embarrassed that the entire party had been held up because you were making sure everything looked just right but as you felt Elvis’ thumb trace taunting touches against your satin-covered skin you knew it was the right thing to do. Your actions however didn’t seem as well thought out as you stepped out into the warm summer night air. You could hear them behind you, the boys, as they repeated Jerry’s words in mocking tones earning themselves a swift, ‘can it,’ from the man himself. It caused your face to flush. Not because of the compliment. After all, you knew he probably wouldn’t have said anything if Elvis hadn’t asked. It was because they didn’t know. They didn’t know that only a few days before tonight Jerry had offered the same compliments though then you had been wearing far less. They hadn’t heard the string of expletives that had left his lips as you wrapped your mouth around his cock, your husband watching on with words of encouragement. Elvis however didn’t blush but you felt him stiffen against you as you walked down to the long car idling on the driveway, Lamar in the driver’s seat. As you reached the bottom of the steps Elvis leaned into you, low enough that he was sure the boys wouldn’t be able to hear as he whispered, ‘did you do as I asked?’ ‘Yes,’ you said though it was barely more than a breath. ‘Good girl,’ he smirked before he pulled away looking towards the men who were now behind you. ‘Jer would you help her into the car?’ he said offering your hand to Jerry who looked nervous but took it without question. As he led you around to the other side of the car it struck you how the pair of you did most things Elvis asked without a second thought. You heard Red snigger but you didn’t dare look back. You probably should have, after all, Red probably didn’t know how much he was pissing Elvis off, but you could tell it was a lot. You glanced towards Elvis as Jerry opened the door for you. He was standing on the other side of the car, blocking the boys from being able to climb in the other door. ‘Something wrong EP?’ Red asked his voice laced with confusion. Jerry’s gaze immediately dropped as did yours whilst he helped you manoeuvre into a seated position which was providing difficult to do in the tight-fitting fabric. ‘You two need to ride up front with Lamar,’ Elvis said simply. ‘Why?’ Sonny asked making you cringe as Jerry climbed into the seat opposite you with a matching expression on his own face. ‘No room,’ Elvis said. You glanced around at the seats you and Jerry were sitting on, the pair of you barely taking up a third of the space in the car. ‘But-' Red protested. ‘I’m sorry,’ Elvis said, ‘did that sound like a request?’ You looked out of the window but all you could see was Elvis’ back against it as he faced off with the two men. Eventually, you heard a disgruntled mumble and then the front passenger side door opened so that the boys could slide in. As you watched Red shuffle into the middle of the bench with Sonny right behind him you felt Jerry’s eyes on you. He looked confused but he wasn’t the only one. After all the boys hadn’t been teasing you. They’d been teasing Jerry and Elvis was very much a ‘if you can’t take the heat get out of the kitchen’ kind of guy so you doubted that was what had got him acting differently. No, you had a sneaking suspicion he had something up his sleeve. Elvis slid into the seat beside you shutting the door roughly as he placed his other hand on your thigh. You smiled at him trying to ignore the flutter in your core as he looked at you. He looked good in black tie and if it hadn’t taken you an age to get ready you figured you might have ravished him then and there. As the car took off down towards the gates and then on the open road his attention turned to Jerry who was still watching you like a deer in headlights. You didn’t know how he could be so nervous. Not after the other night. ‘Put that screen up would ya,’ Elvis said gesturing to the open compartment that separated you from the front of the car. You could see Red’s head turn just a little but he didn’t look back and as Jerry immediately obeyed they disappeared from view in an instant. Elvis settled back, his hand still on your thigh as he looked at you his eyes roving every inch of your body. ‘Wanna know something? he said turning to look at Jerry who glanced at you and then shuffled in his seat before he answered. ‘Sure.’ ‘I hate these functions. Hate ‘em,’ Elvis said. ‘I know what ya mean,’ Jerry said growing more comfortable the more normal Elvis acted, ‘still at least these ones are for good causes not like some of those Hollywood functions we’ve been to. Takes the sting out of it a little.’ ‘You’re right,’ Elvis mused before a smirk played on his lips, ‘you wanna know what really takes the sting outta these functions for me?’ ‘What?’ Jerry asked. ‘You don’t know?’ Elvis asked as Jerry shook his head. ‘How about you baby?’ he asked looking at you. ‘I don’t know,’ you said. ‘Not one guess huh?’ he asked and though you tried to think you found your mind blank. You shook your head. ‘My favourite thing about these functions is that I get to take you to ‘em. Flaunt you round looking like a million bucks and then bring you home so I can fuck you,’ he said his words dripping off his tongue like honey as the two of you watched him. ‘Elvis,’ you said feeling a blush creep up on your face. ‘Don’t be acting shy on me now mama,’ he said squeezing your thigh, ‘and don’t be pretending in front of Jer that you don’t love dolling yourself up just right so it’s all I can think about all night. He knows what you’re like remember.’ ‘That’s different,’ you said though you weren’t exactly sure how. Jerry had already seen just how much you liked to show off. ‘You don’t think I clocked the pair of you looking at one another?’ he said looking between you both. ‘EP,’ Jerry protested. ‘Don’t worry about it I ain’t mad,’ he said casually, ‘if I didn’t get mad when you had your cock in her mouth ain’t gonna get mad now am I?’ ‘S’pose not,’ Jerry said though even in the low lighting you could see a dash of pink on his cheeks. ‘In fact, I quite liked having you show off for him and me,’ Elvis admitted, ‘got me thinking about the other night.’ ‘EP we said it was a one-time thing,’ Jerry said quietly. ‘Oh sure,’ Elvis said, ‘a way to help out a friend and my girl was more than obliging don’t you think?’ ‘Yeah of course she was,’ Jerry said throwing you an apologetic look. ‘But you don’t wanna do it again?’ Elvis asked. ‘It’s not that,’ Jerry started unsurely looking at the pair of you as he thought over his words, ‘I just thought it was a one-time deal. I mean you guys are married.’ ‘What you think she’s gonna leave me for you?’ Elvis said with a laugh that made Jerry’s blush deepen, ‘don’t worry yourself ain’t that right baby?’ You dropped your gaze to your lap. You liked Jerry and you had enjoyed yourself, but Elvis would always be your one and only. ‘Look,’ Elvis said capturing both of your attention, ‘if you don’t want to do it again fine but I can’t help but think from your reaction when she came down those stairs that ain’t exactly the truth. And since I know just how much my girl enjoyed herself the other night I wouldn’t feel right not venturing to explore it again.’ ‘Really?’ you asked feeling that coil in your lower belly tighten just a touch. You hadn’t talked about what had happened much since. You’d been too nervous to bring it up. He’d been happy at the moment but you feared through the haze of daylight he might have changed his mind. ‘Hey I knew what I was signing up for when I married ya,’ he said leaning in so his nose was nearly touching your own, ‘greedy lil thing that you are.’ ‘So what? We just fuck? I mean the other night I could understand but this, I mean what if it gets…complicated,’ Jerry said. ‘We’re all adults aren’t we?’ Elvis said, ‘unless you don’t think you could fuck her without falling in love with her?’ ‘I would never,’ Jerry protested, ‘she’s your girl.’ ‘And as long as we remember that I don’t see a problem. I know I can trust her. And I know whatever she’s not comfortable with she’ll tell me, right honey?’ Elvis asked. ‘Of course,’ you nodded, trying to ignore just how hot and bothered you were becoming at the prospect. How it worsened as that same sultry smile appeared on your husband’s face. ‘But you gotta be the same,’ Elvis said looking back at Jerry, ‘are you in?’ Jerry hit his lip as he deliberated on that point. And then he nodded gently. ‘I’m in.’ ‘Great,’ Elvis said, ‘because I meant what I said. I think this could be good for us.’ ‘You’re happy with this, right Y/N?’ Jerry asked looking at you. ‘Yeah, I’m happy,’ you said. ‘Oh my baby’s always a happy lil thing aren’t ya,’ Elvis mused. ‘That’s because you treat me so good,’ you smiled. ‘Well, I have to what with you being oh so obliging and all,’ Elvis mused as he squeezed your thigh again making that coil in your belly tighten. Then he looked at Jerry, ‘you know Jer before we do this I wanna talk about something that happened the other night.’ ‘Oh?’ Jerry said shifting in his seat as his face became nervous. ‘Yeah because if we’re gonna do this I wouldn’t want us to get off on the wrong foot now would you?’ he asked. ‘Of course not,’ Jerry said. ‘You see I can't help but feel we’re on uneven playing ground at the moment,’ Elvis said. ‘How do you mean?’ Jerry asked his brows knitting together. ‘You see my girl here was oh so obliging, took care of you good and proper right?’ Elvis asked earning himself a nod, ‘but we haven’t seen you in action yet. And if we’re gonna do this I need to know she’s gonna be getting something out of the deal.’ ‘I didn’t know,’ Jerry said, ‘I didn’t know what you’d be comfortable with.’ ‘Oh I’m sure there’s plenty we’ll find out about don’t you?’ Elvis smirked, ‘but I know one thing she’d love from you.’ ‘What’s that?’ Jerry asked but Elvis didn’t answer him instead he looked at you with a smirk. ‘You did as I asked?’ he said. You nodded, ‘why don’t you show Jer?’ You glanced at him and then at Jerry before you nodded and leaned forward to pull the fabric of your dress up off the floor wiggling it up until it bunched around your hips allowing a waft of cold air to hit your bare sex. Jerry’s eyes never left you, his pupils blown with lust as he watched. ‘Pretty ain’t she?’ Elvis smirked as he pulled you onto his lap, your legs wrapped around either side of his spreading you open. ‘Gorgeous,’ Jerry said swallowing hard. ‘You want to touch her?’ Elvis asked. Jerry glanced at you and then nodded. ‘Can I?’ he asked. You nodded. ‘Use your words doll,’ Elvis said making you look at him. ‘Yes,’ you said as Jerry sank to his knees on the floor in front of the pair of you. He was essentially kneeling in between his boss's legs but that didn’t seem to faze him not with the show he was getting. ‘Atta girl,’ Elvis said, looking at Jerry who hadn’t done anything more than marvel at your slick folds, ‘well don’t just leave her hanging around man.’ ‘Right,’ Jerry said as if it hadn’t occurred to him. He leaned forward teasing a finger through your folds before he spread your lips apart, your slick already there from listening to the conversation. You should’ve been embarrassed. You loved your husband and the thought of another man eating your pussy shouldn’t have gotten you that excited, but it did. As he leaned in and licked a flat swipe from base to tip Elvis’ hands found their way to your chest, fondling you through the satin and making your nipples harden. You heard him groan as he realised not only were you not wearing panties but the bra had been forgone as well. Whilst his mouth attacked your neck, suckling and kissing every inch of skin he could reach Jerry lapped at you, his tongue flicking over your clit in a rhythm that was driving you wild. ‘He doing a good job baby?’ Elvis grunted as you shifted your hips trying to get every sensation his friend was offering. ‘Yes,’ you panted. You could hear muffled conversations coming from the front of the car but they weren't loud or clear enough to even get you to come back into the realm of reality. Every movement of Jerry’s tongue was hitting another amazing spot and as he teased your entrance slipping two fingers into you without warning you moaned so loud you were sure the whole car would be able to hear. ‘Fuck,’ Elvis grunted as your ass rubbed against him. You could feel him hard as a rock in his pants his hips meeting every movement of yours. ‘E,’ you whimpered, ‘fuck I’m gonna cum.’ ‘Ain’t me you gotta tell honey,’ Elvis said. ‘Jer,’ you moaned, ‘fuck Jer right there.’ Your hands knotted in the other man’s hair trying to keep him in that sweet spot as long as you could. He was pumping in and out of you, his fingers working expertly against the curve as his tongue focused on your clit. Jerry’s expert touch and Elvis’ loving caresses were edging you over into bliss with each passing second. The sensation of it all was too much. ‘I’m gonna cum,’ you said earning a hum from Jerry in response. The vibration was enough to send you spiralling, your excitement spilling out of you in a way you had never anticipated. You could feel it drip down your legs no doubt soaking Jerry’s chin as he carried you through it. As you came down he pulled back and you looked down to find not only his chin glistening with your excitement but the shirt of his collar damp. ‘Jeez,’ Elvis chuckled as he looked at the man who now looked a state. Jerry wiped his chin with the back of his hand and flopped back, not bothering to push himself back onto the seat just yet. You lay in Elvis’ arms, limp and lifeless, unable to pull yourself back together as your high faded. Elvis’ teasing touch was gone now, his touches tender as he wrapped his arms around you keeping you from flopping all over the joint. ‘You good baby?’ he asked earning himself a weak nod, ‘Jer?’ ‘I’m good,’ Jerry said able to find his voice quicker than you had though you didn’t miss the somewhat smug smile now dancing across his lips as you lay there blissed out. ‘Forget good I’d say you were outstanding,’ he said, ‘ain’t ever seen her do that before.’ ‘Really?’ Jerry asked. ‘Nope, must have the magic touch huh honey?’ he chuckled kissing your temple. ‘I’ll say,’ you giggled. ‘Looks like we’re all on an even footing now huh?’ Elvis asked though at his words you realised something. ‘Not you,’ you said turning in his arms so you could look at him. You could still feel him hard against your ass which made you pout. ‘Well that ain’t what I signed up for,’ Jerry chuckled as he pushed himself onto the seat. ‘Me either,’ Elvis chuckled which grew louder as he noticed your frown, ‘look at you all worried about me.’ ‘I can help,’ you said turning yourself around until you were straddling him, your bare cunt against hot and wet against his slacks. You’d already made one load of laundry with Jerry. No harm in another. ‘I’m sure you can but we ain’t got that kinda time,’ Elvis said. Now that he said it you realised the freeway you had been on had now transformed back into normal roads meaning you were sure to be nearing your destination. ‘But that’s not fair,’ you whined making him smirk. ‘I don’t get my dick wet and it’s my wife who’s worrying,’ he chuckled, ‘can you believe it Jer?’ ‘I don’t know what to believe any more,’ Jerry chuckled. ‘E,’ you grumbled your hands going to his lapels. ‘Don’t worry about me okay? Seeing you happy is what I want and from all that moanin’ I gather Jer made you very happy, right?’ he asked raising an eyebrow. You blushed but nodded, ‘so we’re good. Besides, Jer got you on the way over I didn’t promise anything about after.’ ‘Promise?’ you asked still pouting. ‘Do I ever say no to ya?’ he said making you smile. ‘Nope,’ you smiled as he leaned up to press a kiss to your lips. ‘Never can that’s my trouble,’ he smirked smacking your ass lightly making you realise you should climb off of him. Once you had slipped off his lap onto the seat beside him and fixed your dress you looped your arm through his, resting your head on his shoulder as he pressed a kiss into the top of your head. You closed your eyes for a beat but when you opened them you found Jerry watching you both in awe. ‘You two are unbelievable you know that right?’ he said unable to help but smirk. ‘Hey you said you were all in man,’ Elvis chuckled, ‘don’t go changing your mind now.’ ‘Oh I must be unbelievable for agreeing to it,’ Jerry said. ‘You’re not backing out now right Jer?’ you giggled. ‘If he does he'd be going out on a high, huh baby?' Elvis teased. ‘Oh I think he should at least try and top this,’ you said smiling at Jerry. ‘I thought you might say that,’ Elvis said though as he did his attention trailed away and he looked out the tinted window which was now being permeated by camera flashes. You looked at each of you. Your dress was creased from where it had been gathered around your hips as were Elvis’ pants from where you had been moving against him. Still, Jerry looked the worst by far. His lips were puffy and red and since his collar hadn't quite dried yet it still had an off-white hue which varied from the rest of the shirt. Not to mention that though his hair had been straightened back into some semblance from the mess you had made with your fingers it wasn’t the perfectly coiffed style he had left the house with. You feared the back of your hair might be the same from the writhing you had done against Elvis’ shoulder. It made you blush which was odd to think of. In the moment you were outgoing and comfortable but the idea of people staring and muttering behind your back made nerves bubble into your stomach. Once the car had stopped the camera flashes intensified something that didn’t help your nerves. You heard the clunk of the front doors opening and soon after Elvis’ door opened. He climbed out turning to offer his hand for you to hold onto which you did, the flashes of the camera hitting you the second you stepped out though Elvis didn’t seem to notice. Once you were upright he wrapped his arm around your waist pulling you to him as he waved at the press waiting for a moment before he led you forward towards the venue. He walked you quickly up to the front until finally you were out of the spotlight and safely in the confines of the lobby which is when you finally breathed a sigh of relief. Elvis seemed to notice the breath you had been holding as he pulled you closer leaning in so that only you could hear him. ‘You okay?’ he asked. ‘Fine,’ you said before adding quietly, ‘you think anyone noticed?’ ‘That you just got fucked?’ he said so low you were sure only you heard him. When you didn’t say anything though he smiled sympathetically as he moved a strand of hair off your face, ‘no honey, I don’t think anyone knows.’ ‘Sorry I just panicked for a second,’ you admitted. ‘It’s alright,’ he said, ‘Jer on the other hand looks like he’s definitely just been fucked.’ ‘I went a little overboard huh?’ you giggled. ‘You were enjoying yourself,’ he said, ‘it was hot.’ ‘You sure you’re okay with it?’ you asked that panic slipping in again. ‘Promise,’ Elvis said before he nodded his head away from you, ‘come on sooner we get this over with sooner we can get back to our lil arrangement.’ ‘Okay,’ you said as he started to lead you towards the banquet hall, ‘but next time it’s about you.’ ‘You’ll hear no complaints from me,’ Elvis chuckled pulling you in so he could put his arm around your shoulder. His words had comforted you. He was right, you were being paranoid. After all most of the eyes would be on him and out of the three of you he was the most presentable. And even if people did have things to say it wasn’t as though they were going to say it to your face. Your confidence was bolstered a little more as you all took to your seats, Jerry sitting on your other side with a smile on his face. What you didn’t notice though was the fact that two of the other members of your party had yet to arrive at the table. In fact, they had been hanging back watching the three of you interact, a suspicious look plastered across their faces.

ELVIS TAGS

@literally-just-elvis-fics @caitlin1996 @notstefaniepresley@18lkpeters

#my writing #the arrangement #made for the mafia #elvis #elvis presley #elvis x reader #elvis presley x reader #elvis fic #elvis x reader x Memphis mafia #elvis presley x reader x jerry schilling #jerry schilling #red west #sonny west #lamar fike #memphis mafia

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cobainqueer · 1 month

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Nirvana’s Music in Chronological Order

This is a list of released Nirvana songs in chronological order by the time they were written or recorded.

There’s a lot of Nirvana songs that are known but never been released, they aren’t included here.

Some of these are covers so I the date listed is the date they were recorded.

Spank Thru - Mid 1985?

Downer - Mid 1985?

Anorexorcist - Mid 1985?

Help Me, I’m Hungry - Late 1986, Early 1987?

Mrs. Buttersworth - Late 1986, Early 1987?

Mexican Seafood - Late 1986, Early 1987?

Floyd the Barber - Late 1986, Early 1987?

Pen Cap Chew - Late 1986, Early 1987?

If You Must - Late 1986, Early 1987?

Hairspray Queen - Late 1986, Early 1987?

Aero Zeppelin - Mid 1987

Beeswax - Mid 1987

Paper Cuts - Late 1987

Raunchola - Late 1987

Beans - Late 1987, Early 1988?

youtube

Polly - Late 1987, Early 1988

Sappy - Late 1987, Early 1988?

Don’t Want It All - Late 1987, Early 1988?

Clean Up Before She Comes - Early 1988 (Estimated guess for sure)

Blandest - Early 1988

Mr. Moustache - Early 1988

Blew - Early 1988

Big Cheese - Early 1988

About a Girl - Mid 1988

School - Mid 1988?

Swap Meet - Mid 1988?

Scoff - Mid 1988?

Sifting - Mid 1988?

Love Buzz - Recorded on June 30th, 1988

youtube

Big Long Now - Late 1988

Negative Creep - Late 1988

Dive - Late 1988, Early 1989?

(New Wave) Polly - Late 1988, Early 1989

Do You Love Me - Recorded on the spring of 1989

Been a Son - Mid 1989?

Stain - Mid 1989?

Even In His Youth - Mid 1989?

Token Eastern Song - Mid 1989?

They Hung Him on a Cross - Recorded on August 20th, 28th of 1989

Grey Goose - Recorded on August 20th, 28th of 1989

Ain’t It a Shame - Recorded on August 20th, 28th of 1989

Breed - Late 1989?

Lithium - Late 1989?

In Bloom - Late 1989?

Sliver - Late 1989, Early 1990?

Pay to Play (Early version of Stay Away) - Early 1990?

Verse Chorus Verse - Early 1990?

Here She Comes Now - Recorded April 2nd, 6th of 1990

Opinion - Mid 1990?

Dumb - Mid 1990

Aneurysm - Mid 1990, Late 1990?

Radio Friendly Unit Shifter - Mid 1990, Late 1990

Marigold - Mid 1990, Late 1990

On a Plain - Mid 1990, Late 1990?

Oh, the Guilt - Mid 1990, Late 1990

Something in the Way - Mid 1990, Late 1990

Endless, Nameless - Late 1990

Pennyroyal Tea - Late 1990

All Apologies - Late 1990

D-7 - Recorded on October 11th, 1990

Turnaround - Recorded on October 21st, 1990

Molly’s Lips - Recorded on October 21st, 1990

Son Of A Gun - Recorded on October 21st, 1990

Territorial Pissings - Late 1990, Early 1991?

Lounge Act - Late 1990, Early 1991?

Old Age - Late 1990, Early 1991?

Come As You Are - Early 1991

Drain You - Early 1991

Smells Like Teen Spirit - Early 1991

Rape Me - Early 1991

Curmudgeon - Early 1991, Mid 1991

Talk to Me - Early 1991, Mid 1991

Been a Son - Recorded on November 9th, 1991

Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle - Late 1991, Early 1992

Return of the Rat - Recorded on April 7th, 1992

Very Ape - Early 1992, Mid 1992

Tourette’s - Early 1992, Mid 1992

Serve the Servants - Mid 1992

Scentless Apprentice - Mid 1992

Heart-Shaped Box - Mid 1992, Late 1992

The Other Improv - Mid 1992, Late 1992

I Hate Myself and Want to Die - Mid 1992, Late 1992

Milk It - Mid 1992, Late 1992

Moist Vagina - Mid 1992, Late 1992

Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip - Mid 1992, Late 1992

Seasons in the Sun - Recorded on January 22, 1993

You Know You’re Right - Mid 1993, Late 1993

Do Re Mi - Late 1993, Early 1994

Jesus Doesn’t Want Me For A Sunbeam - Recorded on February 5th, 1994

If you like this in a playlist format:

#kurt cobain #kurt #cobain #nirvana #music #Nirvana songs #Nirvana playlist #playlist #songs #chronological order #kurdt #kurdt kobane #90s #grunge #Spotify #Youtube

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havin-fun-imagining-twd · 11 months

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"fondness" LOL

When -- directly after Scary as a sleepy kitten. We're back to season 2, slowpokes. We had taken a brief trip to pre-season 9 for Still beating

Is there a picture of baby Carl at the end as a prize? -- yes, just as Dale describes it to you!

What -- Andrea and Dale thought you and Daryl were a thing? Lol. But like why are you so defensive about it? While also being defensive about the mangy hick, oh, this is confusing...

Perspective -- 2nd person (you)

Pronouns - nada

Who -- You, Andrea, Papa Dale, and Glenn. Daryl's sleeping, he's concussed and fell down a ridge twice with a bolt hole in him, he needs his rest.

How long is this one? -- shorter, about 10 minutes!

TWs -- a few cusses, and reference to Carol's spousal abuse

Reading assignments -- How's your head? Part 2, then souls stripped bare if you want more emotional context, as well as Invisible tugging strings Part 1 but especially -> Part 2 , then Spell your last name, please. , He hasn't been himself, and Scary as a sleepy kitten.

All that for reading assignments?? -- reading is healthy, y'all :P

Choose your fighter: The Full + Official Masterlist vs Chronological Slowpoke Chapters Only (reading them in publishing order as opposed to chronological order is recommended)

have fun and happy reading!

“Ah, the culprit behind Andrea’s little conclusion. How are you?”

Dale finishes matching a pair of socks as he responds with a quiet chuckle, “Just fine, I hope. I see now that the conclusion caused some…offense?”

“Don’t be silly, Mr. H, you meant nothin’ by it,” you play off, and start to help his sort through the pile of clean, dry socks.

“‘Meant nothing by it’ implying there was some offense taken.”

You tuck in your lip, and meant to return eye contact, but you’re still feeling strange about the whole mix-up. With the simple words, “nazi-bike,” you tell him what you consider a fair reason to have taken some offense.

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20 minutes ago

“Y/N, I didn’t realize,” Andrea says, slowly walking beside you.

“Realize what?”

“You two.”

“Me, too? What’d I do?” Is she talking about how you’ve got the medical wrap on your upper arm, maybe? “Do you mean this?” you question, looking down at your shoulder.

She peers at you, head tilted to the side.

“You and Daryl,” she softly clarifies. “It was Dale who wondered first, after you had to excuse yourself.”

Me and Daryl? “What’d we do?” Perhaps she's referring to the search today? Andrea isn’t one to not speak her mind, you wonder why she’s not being more succinct. She doesn't know about you having shot that guy. Dale has an idea, but he's tight-lipped about it.

“So, you and he…?” she trails off.

So, you start to fill her in about the search. “Before Daryl found the doll, we’d—”

—OH WAIT, now you get it!

---------------------

Once you figured it out, your hands were raised in innocence and you kept your voice lowwww. “Ain’t nothing romantic happened between us two.”

And you weren’t fully sure why you were going into defensive mode so hard, either, but there you went. “C’mon, Andy, there’s a fuckin’ nazi symbol on his drug dealing, motorcycle gang bike,” you’d grit, doing your best to play if cool regardless of how weirdly defensive you’d gotten.

Forcing a smile to cover up for that fact that you licked your teeth in annoyance, you finished up, “He’s my friend, but that right there would be a deal breaker off the bat for aught else. And besides, back at the quarry, we noticed he didn’t seem into people.”

“I’m not entirely sold on that. Maybe, it’s simply that he’s shy and careful and not a pig like his brother was.”

Andrea then had peered at you as if she could see something you couldn’t, which disturbed and annoyed and for some reason thrilled you even more.

You thought about it, and supposed that he did seem to blush that time Amy was headlighting after the first rainstorm at the camp. A squall had come out of nowhere. Last time she ever wore that shirt without a tank top underneath.

Anyway, Daryl had immediately turned his head away, in fact, as opposed to (Merle, obviously, but also) even Glenn, who’d frozen when he’d seen. Amy didn’t know who’d been gaping, but you’d been on the hunt for anyone objectifying your new friend, so had been darting your eyes around like a cat getting ready to pounce, and took inventory of every glance.

That Daryl turned his head so readily was the main reason you’d felt safe enough to ask if him if he’d teach you how to hunt, in all honesty…

“It was his brother’s bike, not his,” Andrea next stated, very like the way older siblings will talk down to younger ones. “Merle was the head, and the dealer. Would you want to be held accountable for what your brother does, his choices?”

That simple reminder made your bow your head, and you could hear your pulse begin to thrum in your ears. You wouldn’t want to be held to Shane’s choices and actions. You still couldn’t (can’t) wrap your head around the fact that he’d just flirted with Lori. And kept flirting after she’d clearly been alarmed by it.

“Something Merle once said made it sound like Daryl wasn’t a big part of the gang,” Andy went on.

However, you got even more defensive at what you were taking as insistence of Dale and Andrea’s little conclusion. “And? He still rode or, or at least hung with them. He still wears the cut sometimes.” 'Sometimes' meaning that spate of a few days when he was particularly sad about Merle...

“‘Cut?’” she repeated, then remembered, “Oh, I remember learning that from Sons of Anarchy, it’s the um, that’s the Boy Scout vest that bikers wear, right?”

Ha. You were cracking up despite yourself, that was funny. Boy Scout vest.

“As for the bike,” Andrea added mildly, “painting over that symbol isn’t on his radar. I mean, routine hygiene isn’t on his radar.”

Nope, you weren’t defensive at all. “…So he’s grimy and desensitized to a nazi symbol. It’s a match.”

With a tut very-like what your eldest sister would make, she stated, “I didn’t remember what the symbol on the bike stood for at first, and I'm a civil rights lawyer. I thought they were stylized lightning bolts.” You heard her breathe deeply as she rested her arms on the livestock fence. “The symbol, the one on Merle’s bike, what’s it mean again?”

“Shoots-stah-full.” You’re bad at pronouncing it and were feeling embarrassed, so spoke it shyly. “SS is easier to say.”

“They were the secret police?” she checked.

“The secret police was the gestapo, the SS were another sort of special branch. Über-jarheads, I guess.”

“See? I only really remembered the swastika as being a nazi symbol, until you and Dale were talking about the symbol on the bike. It’s not unreasonable to think some things in Daryl’s education were forgotten or missed, too.”

That was the point in the conversation when the private knowledge of him having gotten lost for 9 days, as a young child, and without anyone looking for him, slapped you in the metaphorical face.

Why did you react so strongly to her assumption in the first place? It’s not a big deal. You’d have probably assumed the same. Like, for goodness sake, you were the one who couldn’t keep the pet names for him from going on parade little over an hour ago. You'd cupped his cheek and kissed his forehead in relief that he was alive!

Either way, there was a (…sane?) inner battle in your head between being offended at Andrea and Dale’s conclusion versus being offended at your own negative reaction to it.

Bitch, he tossed the ‘hard stuff’ this morning, obviously he isn’t a user.

Still ran with the dealers, still was complacent and complicit with it all. And think about how cruelly he insulted you earlier today, how scary he was? You were expecting it to turn into his backhand. It’s something that was plainly done to him, you think he’s unlearned that yet? No, because you remembered how he grabbed you by your arm and dragged you back at the house until you cussed him out.

But then he apologized. Then, when you needed help, he carried you gently and made sure it wasn’t hurting you. You saw how careful he was being, and he isn’t good with touch.

Then he stole Mr. Greene’s horse instead of just asking like a normal person.

He also gave Carol that flower and told her the story to go with it, and meant it.

Before drinking about four beers last night and was hardly buzzed from it.

He carried, buried, and mourned that family of strangers with you today, he’s not some selfish deadbeat, Y/N!

Well, he chain smokes and drives a nazi bike!

And still almost died today three times to give the group—to give Carol—concrete proof that her baby girl’s been near.

Fine! Explain away the r-a-c-i-s-m.

That mangy hick saved Glenn’s life, he saved T-Dog’s life twice. He gave Jacqui extra root beer when she said she loved it, helped the Morales kids learn to throw a punch (and a kick). Y/N, he’s clearly doing some kind of weeding of the bad stuff in him and letting good things take their place, idiot, are you stu—

“Y/N. It wasn’t an attack on you, or a judgment. Amy told me how,” Andy paused to think of a good verb, “discerning you are when it comes to things like that. How strong your boundaries are. And how hesitant you’ve been to enter into a relationship for those reasons.”

She was diplomatic and tactful, you were grateful. You’d have just said ‘old-fashioned, kinda scared, comparatively prudish.’ Lol.

Crossing her arms as she walked, she then drove home, “Maybe I would have trusted your decision, if there was a ‘you two.’”

A slightly stammered “Okay,” was the best you could do right in terms of responding. Let’s be real, sentences aren’t your strong suit on a good day, never mind today.

Andrea stuck her hands into her belt loops and she ambled alongside the fence. You followed, looking out at the cows. One of them had twin calves.

“You gave him the benefit of the doubt before any of us,” she reminded you. “Are you backtracking?”

Your voice cracked when you tried to insist, “I ain’t backtracking on that, it’s j-just been a long day.”

“It’s been something else,” Andrea softly agreed. Her pace slowed a little and she placed her hand on your back as she continued toward the nearest cow field. “I saw Carol washing your stuff. Where’d the bloodstains come from?”

You shrugged. “My stitches ripped.” Ohh damn it, you said it out loud. “Wait, Andy, don’t—please don’t let Shane find out,” came out of your mouth in such a desperate tone of voice that you couldn’t not see a red flag.

“Oh, I won’t.” Andrea’s lips pursed, and she put a hand on her hip. “He’s been acting up.”

One word for it. You closed your eyes, and mumbled, “Thank you. He has been.”

“It doesn’t seem like you to hide stuff from him.”

Hide stuff? “No, it’s the…” After inwardly tugging the halyard to get that red flag down, you give up. Let it fly; you were hiding stuff from your brother, plain fact. Still are. For now, at least.

Andrea said nothing more about it. Again, you were grateful. You also felt stupid.

You stood there in silence for a few minutes, listening to the breeze, the mooing, the birds chirping, the cicadas buzzing.

Once the sun was halfway set, she lead the way back.

“At any rate, back to what we were discussing,” she relaxed her position and gave you something of a teasing smirk. “T-Dog is convinced Daryl’s a good guy, too, so what does that tell you?”

“That Teddy’s a saint,” you answered quietly, mouth twisting into an embarrassed grin. You may or may not sometimes remind her of what a catch you think T-Dog is combined with the fact that he’s single and in her age range. “Andy, where was all this goin’?”

“I have no idea, at first I thought I was being supportive,” she chuckled. “I guess: Daryl is proving to be a different man than we thought. And I’d say you know that better than anyone here.” She inhaled, then made a slight groan. “And, well, I did just shoot him, so maybe I’m biased.”

You held back a giggle. “So you’re tryin’ to set Daryl up to make amends?”

“Mmhm,” she sassed back. “Guess I’ll need a more willing victim.”

“Understood, let’s find Carol, she's half in love with him after today.”

“Perfect, let's get her. She’s probably hanging laundry,” was her initial sarcastic agreement. After a few steps in silence, she grew serious. “Carol needs to learn her worth before we can let a man near near her again. Especially one like Daryl.”

The first half of her statement sent you in for a hug. But the second sentence in her statement put you right back on defense and simultaneous offense. What came out of your mouth as you sought clarification, however, was unproductive. “Seriously?”

Per usual, Andrea remained unruffled. She held a hand up. “Based on what I know, your bar is high enough to do pull-ups on. Now, you’d help hoist someone up to your bar—and would kick off anyone who tried to lower it.” She gave you a pointed look. “Carol’s bar wasn’t only low, Y/N, it was taken down and used to beat her.”

The mental image struck right in the gut.

Blindly, you followed her past the grove of trees where Otis’ cairn lay, so offered a quick blessing in your head for him.

She turned back to look at you. “Do you understand where I was coming from, Y/N?”

You had to swallow some of the emotion down first. “I think so.”

“You and him, I’d be fine with, because your bar is set high and firm. It would imply good things about Daryl.”

After a sniff, you thanked her, that was a very generous compliment. And unfortunately, unable to not be a weirdo, you mumbled this dumb comment: “I can’t be hoistin’ nobody up until my darn shoulder is healed.”

----------------------

Now

“The motorcycle was Merle’s,” Dale lightly defends. Same response as Andrea, but with more of an understanding tone of voice. He was raised Jewish and lost family during the Holocaust, you know that.

Still, why didn't he react with more gusto, then? You hum and end up matching a sock somewhat aggressively. Which is not a sentence you’d ever have imagined thinking.

“Y/N, you can’t fault the man for accepting his dead brother's gas-friendly, easily repairable and reliable mode-of-transport that can go places bigger vehicles cannot. Him being able to go ahead and scope out the roads has been a boon. The emotional connection to the bike in itself would be understandable.”

“Yes, sir.”

He sighs. “My first thought was one of…how to describe it, uh, it was an...” he considers for a moment. “I suppose the best word is ‘confidence’ in Daryl’s character, if you had taken a shine to him.”

“‘Taken a shine to him?’”

“You know, a fondness for each other.”

“A 'fondness?'”

“Though I suppose the camaraderie that you two have is a commendation for him in itself,” he went on, eyeing you with something of an exasperated look. Good humored, though.

You scratch your nose. “I think we all have some kind of camaraderie or, y’know, a ‘shine’ with him after today.” It would be impossible not to. “To be fair, I couldn’t stop callin’ him pet names earlier. There’ve been a lot of up and downs we’ve gone through together the past few days, I’m not lookin’ too deep into it.” And you were merely so relieved that he was alive after getting grazed by that bullet, which is why you pressed your forehead to his and gave it a kiss.

“And he was injured, a circumstance which tends to encourage terms of endearment,” he kindly agreed. “Nothing wrong with that, kiddo. And there’s nothing wrong with acknowledging that he’s not so bad.”

Nodding, Dale points his finger after matching another sock. “For me, what solidified it was when he found out that T-Dog had the blood infection.” He pressed his thumb and pointer finger together. “The man immediately gave us those antibiotics, as well as some painkillers.”

The recollection of that blessed relief trickled from your belly down to your toes and fingertips. And hearing that it had been done ‘immediately’ sent a tightness to your throat. You swallowed.

“However, it was before that, at the quarry, when I really started to trust that the, uh,” he raised his brows, then grinned briefly. “That the ‘first impression’ wasn’t accurate in several ways. One, I imagine you will remember, it was a few days prior to the supply run to the city. The last supply run, as it were.”

You nod. You’d been barred from going due to an uptick in getting migraines the previous two-ish weeks. Must’ve been the barometric pressure or something.

“Daryl had been looking for you, found fresh tracks close to the campsite, if I recall.”

Just then, Glenn walks over with his mouth full of something—oh snap, he’s got a container of honey wheat pretzels. Yay!

He plunks it in the middle of you and Dale and begins to help with the sock-sorting and laundry folding.

Like a starving Dickensian orphan, you zero in on the pretzels and quickly stuff a few too many into your mouth. Glenn finds this very funny, cracks up, and now you’re trying not to snarf as you desperately try to chew and swallow.

“I gave half my supper away,” you do your best to enunciate as you crunch.

“Glad you’re doing better after passing out earlier.”

You press a finger to your lips and subtly shake your head, just in case your brother would somehow overhear it.

“Anyway,” Dale gets back to it, with a handful of the pretzels for his own, “after I explained to him that you were indisposed, he seemed irked, wandered off. Some time later, however, he came back to me with a sports drink in his hand, asking if you’d left your tent yet. It seems that he intended the beverage to go to you.”

The memory kicks in and, mid-motion and mid-chew, you stop reaching to grab the mate to the sock in your hand. Another sensation spreads through your belly, a nice but nervous one. Your eyes flit up at Dale, who paused to take a drink from his water bottle.

“I hadn’t seen you or Amy leave your tent at that point, so let him know,” he narrated, capping his bottle again. “Except, on his way back to his and Merle’s spot, he slowed and crouched to look under the truck. Then, he held out the bottle.” Dale next makes a chuckle that probably qualifies as a ‘guffaw,’ it’s a proper old man belly-laugh. “And to my quite vocal alarm, a skinny, pale little arm popped out from underneath and took it!”

The name “Gollum?” is the unfortunately first thing that enters into your head and, yes, you say it out loud…but it’s cool, because Glenn happens to say at the same time, “Like Sméagol.”

“You’re such a nerd.”

“Look who’s talking, dork,” he pokes right back.

“My mind went to the two children hiding behind the Ghost of Christmas Present’s cloak, personally,” Dale muses, then continues the story. “Daryl wandered off on his way after that, but, naturally, I hopped down from the RV to see who on earth was under there." He lifts a shoulder. "I bend down to see who but our young Carl! The boy had already drunk half the bottle, said he felt much better for having done so. It seems he’d felt sick before and crawled under the truck to escape from the sun.”

Daryl gave your Carl a gatorade, too, and said not a word about it.

Good Moses, just when you thought you’d tamped down any notion of irrational affectionate feelings toward that mangy hick...

“With that, little Luis came dragging Miranda over with a cup of water—Miranda had been watching the boys while Lori was out foraging for mushrooms, Eliza must have been with Sophia and Carol.” Another sip from his water bottle. “Mmm. Those mushrooms were a treat,” he said mainly to himself. "Y/N, he found you later and gave you the beverage before you washed up, if I'm not mistaken? He came by with another bottle, I directed him to the quarry lake after seeing you head down with a wash bucket."

You nod. Was it obvious that you flushed when he told you the story?

Because you feel flushed, and that’s with the cool breeze outside this evening. You fold a shirt. Some undies. Match another pair of socks…then you figure you should say something, you’ve been too quiet and Dale is looking at you expectantly. “C-Carl does have a way of, uh, slippin’ out of sight.”

“Like a hobbit.”

“Just like a hobbit, Glenn, the boy coulda burgled us blind.”

Your friend remains mock-serious. “He still might.”

“He’s a tricksy one.” And with that, you take more pretzels. Maybe if you feed the butterflies in there, they’ll get tired and nap. Or, if you stuff enough into your belly, there won’t be enough room for them to fly.

“Hey, saw Shane’s setting up his own tent,” your friend mentions.

“Mm. Privacy will be nice.” You kept your face and voice nonchalant, except for maybe searching a little too intently for the matching sock that was plainly in front of yo—owww, you reached too far with your bad arm.

When you found out from Lori last night about the new baby and who the biological father potentially might could be, it’d felt like the seed of dread that had taken root in you however many months back, regarding Shane, had blossomed.

Now, after you caught him flirting with a very unreceptive and visibly shaken Lori, it feels like the plant shot up and was now pushing against your insides. It’s a wonder the irrational butterflies in your stomach even have room.

“That sound good, Y/N?”

“Huh?”

Glenn nudges you with the side of his foot. “Can you join?”

“Join what?”

“I told you, head was in the clouds,” Dale commented, kindly razzing you.

“Jimmy and I are playing board games later, we want you to come. Beth will be there, too. And maybe Maggie? I-I don’t know…” His cheeks turn purple-red. “Sound good?”

“Yeah, sounds real good. On the porch?”

“Yup.”

“Cool. I’ll be right in the house tonight, anyhow.”

“No way?”

“Way. Daryl needs overnight supervision, I think Carol might will be helping, too?”

Dale looks up from his lap. “Oh, did he enjoy the spam and eggs that she made for him?”

“Not sure, he was asleep last I knew.”

“Ah, that’s right, yes,” he remembered. “Well, maybe in that case she’ll have the pleasure of watching him eat and enjoy. I tell you, it smelled heavenly. She was very intent on making something special for him.”

The first half of what you said was totally innocuous, if maybe on the wishy-washy side.“Who could blame her? After today, she’s probably half in love with the guy.”

But then you followed it up with, “Who isn’t?” and you knew right then that you’d misspoken.

Dale’s made a point to keep his eyebrows level, as if that would help him hide his surprise and suppressed grin better.

But Glenn was under no such pretense, and your best friend dead-ass coughed his mouthful of pretzel.

“Dude—” you go to say.

He held up his hands after getting the pretzel bits off them. “I didn’t say anything.”

You held up yours, too. “I was bein’ objective.”

“Okay, Amy,” he said regarding your choice of word. Amy liked the word ‘objective.’

“Calling me that’s a compliment.”

“We are all objectively in love with Daryl?” he repeated. “Isn’t that a little…wait. Dude, are you saying you—”

“—It was hyperbole.”

“But you’re not, like, do you like him?”

“Now, Glenn,” Dale starts.

That surge of both self-defense that people would think you’d be into a grating racist or that one would be into you collided and was catalyzed with protectiveness against the poor man. That wonderful sumbitch has been on a solid redemption arc, let anybody try to deny it. “Define ‘like.’”

“Like like.”

“Bless your heart, no!” What is with people today? “However, I want you to think back over how he was when we done first met that mangy hick, to today, in terms of his behavior. Try and make like he ain’t grown. Don’t you love a good redemption arc?”

Glenn considered it. “Fair.”

The awful thought that Glenn might not believe you and might think less of you only worsens the mosh pit that is your stomach right now. “I’m gonna, um, g-go grab some of my stuff, bring it inside.”

“Wait, bumpkin, I wasn’t trying to, like—I meant it more as, um,” he can’t seem to get the wording right.

You’re making it worse, man. “Dude, it’s cool, you didn’t mean nothing by it.”

“But like—”

“—Glenn, I’ma start chargin’ a quarter for you using too many ‘likes’ per sentence.”

“Perfect, I’ll charge you for talking too hillbilly.”

Eh. You reckon admit you’ve been speaking a lot more twangy now than you had been at the quarry camp. There’d just been so many new people, you’d toned it down. Maybe being around more folk people who talk like you is why you’ve let it fly. “It’s a deal.”

“Good — you owe a quarter for saying ‘when we done first met’ Daryl,” he races to say.

“And you owe me one for how many likes you done sprinkled durin’ this here conversat—shoot! Did that count?”

“Yup.”

Dale, entertained by the looks of it, cuts in, “See, this is why I’ve been thinking that you two had a fondness for each other.”

“Aw, hear that, buttface?” you giggle, folding the last undershirt from the pile.

“Fondness.” He makes an exaggerated curious face and strokes what would be there if he had a mustache.

“You two expect me to believe there wasn’t fondness between you two?” Dale remarks with a bit of a tut thrown in.

“There still is, it’s just different now,” you insist. And immediately hop into gear to (gently) bust your friend’s balls. “Especially now that Glenny-boy here’s got his eye on a certain mystery lady.”

He’s right there with you. “And now that Y/N’s apparently hopelessly in love with Daryl.”

“There’s such fondness,” you barely manage to say without laughing, as much as it makes your newly stitched abdomen ache.

Dale sighs and throws back a gulp of his water as if it were something stronger. “Glenn, just tread lightly with the certain mystery lady, is all I ask. And Y/N, kiddo,” he looks at you. And winks? “I trust you completely with Daryl.”

“What?” Glenn protests, to which you just slap your leg and snicker “Ha!”

“If between you, there ever was a…” Dale pauses long enough for you to see the twinkle in his eye. “Fondness.”

----------------------

And here's the picture from Dale's memory

------------------------

-> Masterlist link here <-

and our teeny tiny taglist :D

@spenciepoo338 @its-freaking-bats @whistlesalot @buffy-the-assbutt-slayer @dreamingaboutthewonderland @kwazii-kat @darylsmavis @outlanderhornet22 @battinsonrobs @dontputyourfckingdrinkonmytable @multiifandomhoe @writingmybeloved @boomergirl123 @iheartathena0 @moonliight-luv @suniloli @supernaturalgirl02 @cnake-garden @daryldixmedown

(inbox is open if you would like on or off the taglist, slowpokes. Please don’t feel bad or nervous if you don’t want to be tagged anymore, just let me know! We’re all friends here and your comfort level matters!)

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sillyrabbit81 · 1 year

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I al obsessed with your story ‘Even If You Don’t Mean It’! No shade to the many writers on here but it’s been a while for me to find a story that I can dig my teeth in - where character development, setting and story pace is great and you succeed in all of this! Thank you for this gift ha ha - hope to see more stories featuring Sy (new love unlocked lol) and all of Henry’s characters because you’re a phenomenal writer ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Thank you very much for your lovely words. I'm so glad you enjoyed that story and that you thought it was well written.

I have written A LOT of Syverson a couple of series and a lot of one shots. Here is a link to my Syverson masterlist.

There are a lot of great Sy series out there from other writers, here are a few I can think of right now:

@just-chirpin Eyes That See Your life consists of caring for others. This is a story of you learning to care for yourself.

@thesaucynomad No Morals It’s a continuing series of episodic parts centred around Sy, after getting out of the army. It’s gonna contain graphic spice here and there as the timeline progresses.

@mayloma Of Investments and Returns Due to global economic troubles, Sy was forced to sell most of his company's shares to investors. Much to his displeasure, the investors commissioned a business consultancy to check the company for potential savings and optimization. Dahlia Lewis is one of the unwelcome visitors. And she will soon begin to get under his skin in a different way.

@invisibleanonymousmonsters Syverson After Y/N’s job declares that employees may continue working remote for as long as they want, she wonders if this is sign from the universe to take a break from New York City. When her crazy cousin finds out, she begs Y/N to spend a year with her in Texas. For some crazy reason, Y/N agrees. A true city girl and a northerner, Y/N immediately feels like a fish out of water in the south. And her cousin’s friends enjoy teasing her for all their differences – especially a certain Ethan Syverson.

@peternoonewantsthat Shug and Sy series Masterlist An ongoing series of oneshots following the everyday life of Captain Syverson and his family.

@rmtndew Where Kindness Grows The Great Depression took its toll on a lot of people and some had to get creative to survive. Seraphina’s father decides his solution is to sell his only daughter to a much older man. But when Sy overhears a conversation about the young woman, he makes a decision that will change his life - and Seraphina’s - forever.

@angryschnauzer As Sweet As Honey Finding a new life in a new town, you stumble upon a Honey farmer at the town market. You both have pasts that have shaped the way you now live your lives, but can you find a way of putting them behind you to find happiness?

@poledancingdinos Girls Night Out

@littlefreya Lines In The Sand She is one of the best snipers serving in Iraq, but she is also suffering from an attitude problem and ironically has a hard time following orders. After an incident in her former base, she is sent to join the Special Forces unit led by Captain Syverson, who requires a talented sniper. Unlucky for her, Captain Syverson is a hard man who likes things by the book and according to order. He ain’t got the patience for troublemakers.

@winter2112rose A Captain and his Cowgirl A series of one -shot stories about how one meeting on a night out, changes the life of a young solider, Travis ‘Sy’ Syverson, forever. Giving him the one thing he’s always dreamed of, a family. The stories are in the correct chronological timeline.

@wolvesandhoundshowltogether Kissed By Fire Petra’s small art studio takes fire and a beefy cocky soldier-turned-firefighter is among the responding fire crew members. The acquaintance wouldn’t be long-lived but Lieutenant Syverson accidentally👀 takes something that belongs to her.

@viking-raider Southern Generation After more than a decade of service, Captain Syverson as retired from the military, but now that he is retired, he still needs to find a job.

Feel free to add anymore to this list!

❤️ Rabbit

#peacefulwriter88 #ask sillyrabbit81 #rabbitsrecs syverson

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vvatchword · 8 months

Text

Uprising: Black Scrapbook Hub

Summary

Bits and pieces from my BioShock epfic of Jack Wynand, Johnny Topside, Eleanor Lamb, Dr. Sofia Lamb, and many other brutal motherfuckers. Lots of first draft nonsense. Some of it won't ever be used. Listed in chronological order.

Rating

R Content warnings: Extreme violence, swearing, -isms and -phobias, sexual violence

Notes

Consider this work as Creative Commons 4.0 BY-NC-SA. Feel free to translate, podfic, fanbind, MST, or otherwise reinterpret this work as long as you give me credit, link to the original, and do not profit off of the venture.

I’m fine with criticism—most especially when you catch factual mistakes. It’s very big and very old and I ain’t affordin’ no editors anytime soon, so I see that kind of thing as a huge favor.

And thank you for reading. You don’t have to be here. I appreciate you and all your time.

Uprising Chapters

PART II: UPRISING

The story of Rapture, from founding to failure.

What Things We Have Done Frank Fontaine was really hoping ADAM production could be amped up by milking cows for it. Instead, he gets... this.

PART III: ONLY MAN

The tragedy of Johnny Topside. Prequel to BioShock 2.

Gimmicks Johnny Topside's Rapture debut goes off without a hitch. OR DOES IT

Hobnobbers Johnny Topside ain't scott-free after all. Features Frank Fontaine, Augustus Sinclair, and an original character talking shit.

Protection Dr. Lamb opens a business in Pauper's Drop.

Burning Dr. Lamb beholds the face of god.

Metamorphosis Dr. Lamb writes her first best-selling book.

From on High Dr. Lamb begins to sink her claws into Pauper's Drop.

Bailout Augustus Sinclair and Andrew Ryan address the elephant in the room... albeit obliquely. (Topclair.)

A Game Augustus Sinclair wants Johnny Topside to put out, and he won't take no for an answer.

Someone Else's Dream Subject Delta hates the theater. Too bad he's the star attraction.

The King Is Dead (Long Live the King) Sinclair bets on the wrong horse.

Sleeper Subject Delta can't protect his Little Sister forever.

PART IV: CITY OF WORMS

Jack Wynand and the story of BioShock 1.

Take the Head Jack Wynand lives an ordinary life. I'm sure it will be boring forever and nothing will ever go wrong at any point

PART VI: THOSE WITHOUT FACES

Subject Delta and the story of BioShock 2.

What Is Mine, What Is Left Subject Delta comes back from the dead and doesn't much like it. Warning: extreme violence.

A New Thing Mark Meltzer finally gets to meet Augustus Sinclair. Eleanor Lamb has a few things to say. Delta probably wishes she'd choose a different way to say them.

PART VIIII: LONG BROWN EVENING

BioShock 2 sequel. Everybody lives, nobody dies... but problems are eternal.

Who We Were We're all monsters here.

Brother Jack The return of Jack.

Slow Drive Delta walks to Sinclair's house and freaks out some dogs. (Topclair.)

Main Menu

Uprising Menu

Black Scrapbook You are here

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Part VI

Part VII

Part VIII

Part VIIII

Uprising Non-Tumblr Hubs

AO3

Fanfiction.net

deviantArt

Pillowfort

Wattpad

NeoCities

Gopherhole

Non-Uprising Hubs on Tumblr

A Summer for Saya

Mud-on-Her-Face

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dorothytv10 · 10 months

Text

A love letter to Bughead shippers!

*Warning: this is very very long, so only continue reading if you have time to spare 😜

I haven’t been part of the Bughead fandom since the beginning of 2019. I watched the show in chronological order until the end of season 3, then binged season 4 during covid lockdowns, but refused to continue with season 5 onwards. But over the past few years, I have kept up with spoilers and watched s5-7 episodes sporadically. I just couldn’t take the show seriously when they had Betty cheat on Jughead, then do a random time jump and turn the show supernatural. It was jarring!

I still remember the first time I started shipping Bughead. Let’s start from the beginning:

I had seen ads for Riverdale about a week before it aired, and decided to give it a watch purely because I am such a sucker for murder mystery style shows. That was the catalyst. I also have a tendency to invest in CW shows because of how heavily they push shipping, and romance is another genre that I cannot get enough of. I remember watching the pilot episode and thinking this whole Betty & Archie storyline is just NOT compelling nor did I feel the actors and their characters had any romantic chemistry. It just felt forced and awkward, especially watching Betty get rejected. I thought she was way too good for him, and if he couldn’t see that in all the years they were friends, then he ain’t the right guy for her. But some part of me just expected them to be the main love story of the show because that’s such a predictable trope in teen dramas. So even though I didn’t feel any part of my shipping senses tingling, I decided to continue with the show for the mystery part, and accepted that the romance would just not play a factor in my interest. But boy was I wrong! The following week, I watched episode 2, and the show just felt different. Jughead was featured more heavily and finally shared the screen with Betty, even though no dialogue was exchanged. But I remember thinking to myself, “Jughead and Betty would be so cute together”. During the week after episode 2 aired, I remember their season 1 kiss from episode 8 leaked online: the one outside FP’s trailer. I saw that one scene on Twitter and was instantly a Bughead shipper. I couldn’t believe that I got my wish and Betty and Jughead were going to have a romance. Riverdale went from “a show I’ll watch when I can be bothered to a must watch show that I will not dare miss an episode of”. Episode 3 started getting promoted online a lot, and Betty and Jughead were shown to interact in the trailer; I was hooked. I couldn’t wait for the next episode! It became an obsession. I even joined tumblr and met so many amazing fellow Bughead shippers. It was such an exciting time, waiting every week for a new episode to drop to finally see them get to that ep8 kiss, which I foolishly believed was going to be their first kiss. But episode 6 threw us all a curveball and had Jughead kiss Betty and call her Juliet in the same scene. I literally had butterflies. I hadn't felt that strongly about a ship in so long!

I was a big part of the early Bughead tumblr days. We were a force to be reckoned with. Each episode, our fanbase grew bigger to the point where we were the most popular ship out of every show airing at the time.

But as much as I wanted Bughead to be endgame, there was always this part of me that worried she’d inevitably get with Archie because that was so clearly what RAS shipped in the comics. I do believe Bughead lasted as long as they did because of how big and strong their fanbase was. Also, the real life romance between Cole and Lili always played a huge role in their onscreen coupling, too. That doesn’t diminish how beautiful their love story was in the show. But unfortunately, I think it is the truth. I have seen it so many times in teen drama shows. The head writers always seem to ship the pilot episode ship: Dawson and Joey, Stefan and Elena, Lucas and Peyton etc. I’m using examples of previous teen love triangles.

As much as RAS loved Bughead, and wrote them such beautiful content, he always had one foot pedalling on B*rchie. It was inevitable that at some point they’d want to explore them, especially because they had placed little clues all throughout the first few seasons. But as long as Cole and Lili were together, the show was never going to be daring enough to go full steam ahead with B*archie. Bughead was too popular and so was the real life romance. It would have caused riots. But alas, like every CW actors who date, they broke up. And what happened? They were kept apart for the remainder of the show. It was Delena all over again :(

Whether the rumours are true about the two not being able to work together, only they truly know. But I think it’s a mix of a lot of things, including new writers who were clearly all for the other ship, or in this case, the other shit. I don’t want to insult anyone, but the Riverdale writers are some of the most incompetent writers in the industry. Their inability to maintain continuity, and all the contradictions and character assassinations they created, we had no hope in s5-7. It became a whole new show. It simply lost its spark, which was already quite dim after how they handled the cheating arc in season 4. There was a huge tonal shift, and our favourite characters acted OOC.

So here’s what I really want to say:

I officially stopped watching Riverdale when they decided to jump the gun and have Betty cheat on Jughead with Archie. If you’re a Bughead shipper, it’s completely justifiable to be disappointed and sad about the way Riverdale ended. It’s like when people talk about that one person who got away, that’s how Bughead is to us: it’s the ship that got away, and never came back. To be fair, the show was no longer what it started out as. When you start off as a teen drama show promoting thriller/mystery as your main genre, only to shift gears in later seasons and become supernatural and sci-fi, there’s really only one way to explain the show in a cohesive and logical manner: it’s either all inside one of the character’s imaginations or it’s a multiverse with totally new characters who are the doppelgänger/counterparts of the original characters we knew in the beginning. So it no longer really counts. I don’t think we will ever get any definitive answers and closure from RAS nor the cast about why Bughead was completely abandoned after they broke up on the show, but I’m going to give you my take on how I think the last episode played out. Take it as you want, but I am a budding writer myself, and from a writer’s point of view, this is my theory on what really happened to Bughead in the end…

Consider the show a multiverse at this point. Remember that line Jughead said to Betty in 4x17? “in what future are we not together?”

It’s the same episode she cheats on Jughead. My theory is that the show shifted into another universe/timeline (whatever you want to call it) to show us the versions of Betty and Jughead that don’t have a future together. By her kissing Archie, she irrevocably changes the course of her relationship with Jughead. So that’s what we are shown, a new world where Betty kisses Archie and she and Jughead split and don’t end up back together again. And what is this new world? It’s really dark!

Bughead had been referred to as Romeo & Juliet, soul mates and endgame in the earlier seasons. That’s exactly what they are. But what are Romeo and Juliet referred to? Star-crossed lovers. No matter what, they could never be together. But I’ll get back to that later on.

In my opinion, there are 3 universes shown to us in the show’s run:

1 is the prime universe and original timeline in which Bughead are together and endgame. No cheating takes place. They are still in high school and will continue to date after it and make it work. But we’ll never get to see it unfold because from the end of s4 onwards we are in the other universes.

The second universe is the one where she ends up with Archie — Rivervale or Riverdale 2, but they all die in the end when the comet wipes them out of existence 👀

And the third universe is Riverdale 3.

Seasons 1-4 are set in the prime Riverdale universe.

Then season 5-6 are set in the second universe— Rivervale/Riverdale 2. My opinion is that even after 6x05, they never really left rivervale. Bunker Jughead just wrote it differently and called it Riverdale.

Then season 7 is set in the Riverdale 3 universe.

The Rivervale universe has all the magic and supernatural elements to it, which technically began in s5 with Cheryl performing magic. Rivervale is the darkest universe and timeline of the 3. Riverdale 3 universe is the most tame and fun of all the 3 universes. It’s the one where the characters behave like actual teens and don’t have serial killer fathers, cults, gargoyle kings and evil warlocks tormenting them. Riverdale 1 universe is the most realistic and grounded of the lot, albeit some weird storylines did occur during seasons 3 and 4, but it’s the universe that has both light and dark inside it like real life. Tabitha confirmed there is a multiverse in 7x19 when she said she couldn’t untangle “all” the timelines and instead made them into a single one. But even though she gave them back their memories, these versions existing in the 50s/Riverdale 3 universe are really not the original characters. This theory is proven by how a lot of dead characters are alive in this universe and how Tabitha has another version of herself living in this one.

The one single timeline she is talking about is that she gave them all the memories from every universe so they can live their lives with the knowledge of their other selves. Especially when having to navigate the 50s. They are variants (Loki reference) of the originals who now have the same memories (not all the memories) but haven’t actually lived the same lives. That’s why none of them aged and are still teens in high school; it’s also why they no longer have super powers and magical abilities. Same memories, but different bodies and souls.

So going back to endgame talk: in Riverdale 3, the universe which all of season 7 takes place in, including the final, Betty and Jughead weren’t technically endgame, but they were treated as star-crossed, just like Romeo & Juliet. They couldn’t be together because all of their memories from every other universe/timeline they existed in were now a part of them and it was too convoluted of a situation to actually make sense of in their heads, so they just all dated one another. In this new Riverdale 3 universe, Betty has feelings for both Archie and Jughead because she has the memories of both universe 1 and universe 2 Betty inside her, so she can never really choose between them. Instead, she chooses herself.

Jughead never marries because the girl he has always loved in every universe didn’t want to get married, so he didn’t want to settle for just anyone. Archie moved on because Betty was never the love of his life in all 3 universes.

Ask yourself this, why did Betty tell Reggie that she remembered what being with Jughead felt like, and that’s why she chose to be a part of the quad? Why didn’t she feel this way about Jughead in s6 (Rivervale/Riverdale 2 universe)? Wasn’t it strange that she just seemed to forget she was ever with him? It’s because it was a different timeline/universe, one in which Betty only loves Archie. That is why Jughead has that moment in season 6 episode 14 with that flashback montage of him and Betty, it’s him remembering their relationship from universe 1, something he isn’t really aware of in the Rivervale/Riverdale 2 timeline. The reason for them not remembering is because Bunker Jughead from Rivervale has written them to forget their past together. My theory for why he did that, is after the bomb went off in 6x05, part of the deal was that bunker Jughead make Betty forget being with him completely just like she had to forget that he sacrificed himself to save the universes. He retconned their story so she could move on and he could continue writing away from her with no distractions. Rivervale’s Bunker Jughead loves Betty, as confirmed by Ethel. Which brings me to the final part of this theory…

I think bunker Jughead is the same Jughead that appears to Betty in the final episode as her guardian Angel. He’s OG Jughead and has been writing an anthology all along. There is a reason the show is so heavily focused on Betty. She is the main character in Jughead’s story! In S1-4 he is chronicling his love story with Betty, kind of like an autobiography or diary of them and how they’re an investigative duo. In S5-6 he ventures into writing sci-fi and supernatural stories. Finishing up in s7 with historical fiction.

The angel Jughead in the series finale is the writer, the narrator and the version of Jughead that Betty loved most as evidenced by what he wore. He exists in all 3 universes, like a time-traveller of sorts. He’s the writer and narrator in Universe 1, the bunker writer in universe 2 and the guardian Angel in universe 3. But he took his version out of the story these last few seasons to show the audience a future with no Bughead, and instead wrote a version of Jughead that doesn’t pine after Betty and one that had a different girlfriend. That’s why when universe 3 Betty asks him on the park bench if he regrets never getting married, he says sometimes. Because he sometimes regrets never writing the two of them getting married in this universe. But he couldn’t because his version of Jughead wasn’t the main Jughead he was writing about in this story.

In the end, his universe 3 story wasn’t about Bughead, it was about Betty and wanting to give her everything she dreamed of, even if that didn’t include him. He wrote her a world where she didn’t have a serial killer father, where her sister was still alive, where she and Veronica were best friends, where Betty could enjoy her youth and explore her sexuality without having to choose between the two boys she was always torn between. He wrote her as a writer and a successful career woman rather than an FBI agent chasing down murderers and putting herself in danger. He wrote her as adopting a daughter that wasn’t at risk of inheriting the serial killer gene. He wrote a world where she got to be a normal teen and not have to investigate homicidal maniacs all the time. She got to go to school dances, drink milk shakes at Pops and hang out with her friends. She was able to repair her damaged relationship with her mum and find peace. She was a liberated woman with a strong voice who made a difference in the world.

So why did the show end with this version of her? Because it’s a way to show Betty finding peace and strength, and also not having to choose between Jughead and Archie. It makes her more than just a girlfriend who goes back and forth between two best friends.

This whole theory is further evidenced by beanie Jughead appearing outside Pops in the final scene and then hearing his typewriter as the show fades out. This was Jughead’s story all along, and the main character was Betty. It’s always been about Betty. The reason Jughead and Betty didn’t have any romantic scene in the series finale is because this wasn’t beanie Jughead’s Betty. This was the version of Betty that ends up with no one. It’s the last version of her that Jughead wrote in his book. The version of her that’s truly happy and at peace with herself and her life. He wrote her saying goodbye to Archie because that was not her endgame. Archie was just a childhood crush that existed in a fantasy world filled with magic and unrealistic scenarios like sewing on decapitated heads and bringing people back from the dead. Rivervale universe was never real and never made sense, just like Betty and Archie never made sense. And guess what happened to Betty in universe 2? She died, just like B*rchie did in the finale 😉

The only version of her that is still alive is the original one from Universe 1 that ends up with Jughead. We didn’t need to see their endgame on screen to know it happened. Their endgame is in the subtext. Jughead always loved Betty, and his story was about her. In universe 1 they are endgame, in universe 2 they are soul mates as bunker Jughead is able to do the impossible and contact her in Riverdale from Rivervale. And in universe 3 they are Romeo and Juliet. She spent her last day on earth with him, and died the day after finding out he died. They were star-crossed and couldn’t be together. The writing is on the wall.

As much as I would have loved an I love you, a kiss or even just a conversation discussing their history in the last episode, I take comfort in knowing that the characters I fell in love with in season 1 were completely different people in season 7. And from where I stand, the only explanation is it’s one big multiverse of madness concocted by a sardonic writer who was always in love with the girl next door, and spent most of his youth writing about her only to end the story with them both forever being 17. That is the same age they were when they were together and in love. It’s the same age their iconic duet is about. They just wanted to be 17, and that’s exactly how the show ends for them. Screams endgame to me :)

Just remember, nothing lasts forever. The greatest moments in life are the ones that don’t last long but leave a lasting impression. It’s the reason why we are so enthralled when we see a shooting star. It’s something so beautiful, yet so rare, so fleeting and near impossible to see with the naked eye that we stare in sheer wonderment at a dark sky full of dead stars waiting and hoping that such a spectacle will reveal itself to us again. So don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. And never lose hope; it’s the only voice inside of you strong enough to silence fear.

Thanks for the memories, Bughead family! Even though I haven’t been around the last few years, it’s an experience I’ll never forget, and I’ve made met people on here that I will be friends with for life ❤️❤️❤️

#bughead #betty x jughead

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aritamargarita · 1 year

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ATTITUDE || 018

hey guys. so i decided to upload the regular installment instead, it would make more sense chronologically (when do i ever follow timeline though lmfao) since there’s one match in the Christmas episode that’s really important and it ain’t the eggnog match LMAOO

ik after last chapter being a complete mess we need a break. reader said she'll make lita scream but now they're chillin getting snacks smh... its like..."cant stand her fake ass!!" 10 minutes later: ME AND THE BESTIEEE

nellieee & rated: sweethearts readers. this one is for you..the girls that get it GET IT

to all my fellow jeff fans, this is a love letter from me to you. i hope you enjoy, i felt kinda eeerrrhhh this chapter but only cause i had to keep rereading it lol

THE SHOW’S OVER! You felt really, really hungry. Not for actual food, you wanted some junk food. It’s a candy extravanganza.

You took the liberty to ride with Lita, with you two leaving as early as possible in order to stock up on snacks. The both of you had that segment together so it was pretty easy for the both of you to meet up afterward.

She mentioned Matt left his camcorder in the car, so you picked it up and started to record. He may be pretty iffy on you, but you figured you may as well leave a gift for him.

Just because you can.

“Hello world!” After making extra sure that it was actually recording, you turn the camera towards yourself. “And hello Matt’s camera. I’m sorry for taking most of your film!” You then turn the camera towards Lita, zooming in slightly. “Your little girlfriend is driving.”

For a split second, Lita takes her eyes off the road and swats at you.

“Woah, woah, woah, focus on the road!” You complain. For someone who was so insistent on driving, she sure enjoyed trying to be a passenger. She’s been messing with you for this whoooleee ride. More than likely it was because of your Mapquest directions….

“We’re gonna stop for some snacks. Don’t Canadians have chocolate smarties??” You question.

“Pretty sure they do.” Lita nodded. “Trish mentioned it before.”

Oh shit! SHE IS CANADIAN!! You forgot! Now that you think about it, most of your coworkers were Canadian too.

The hotel wasn’t that far, but the detour you two were taking probably was going to make it a bit longer than that. Not that bad, you two were just getting back a little later tonight.

“I need my fix of candy,” You say, turning the camera over to the 7/11 sign that was now coming into view. “Something that’ll make my teeth fall out.”

“Then you can put them under your pillow for the tooth fairy.” Lita suggests. “I’m sure you’ll get a lot of money for it.”

“Yeah, right. If the tooth fairy was even real.”

There’s silence for a moment before Lita stops the car just as she’s about to park. “…The tooth fairy isn’t real?”

You look at her slowly. Did she really ask that? “No. No, the tooth fairy isn’t real.”

“Damn. I’ve been lied to my entire life.” She says, running a hand through her hair. She looks absolutely destroyed by this new information.

You’re just surprised she even thought the tooth fairy was real. “No one told you this entire time? Ma’am…y…”

“Listen, I need some time away to think about this.” Lita says dramatically. What, were you going to say that Santa Claus wasn’t real either?! You do believe in Santa, so she’s safe for now. “Grab what you want. I’ve gotta get gas, I’ll be in to fill my arms with as many snacks A-S-A-P.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” You wave your hand at her. “…Oh, shit, there’s a Subway here too. Is that Tim Horton’s? I haven’t had that in a while. Let’s grab—“

Lita shakes her head. “Nope. I’m in charge tonight, we’re going to IHOP. No ifs, ands, or buts. I printed out the directions! Look in the glove compartment.”

You pop it open and pull out folded paper. You look at her and she motions her hand towards it, making you unwrap it into it’s true form. A huge ass map with directions printed clear on the side.

Wow. She was serious.

“…Let me get out of here.” You open the door and get out of the car, tossing the map back into your seat.

Mission 7/11 was in full effect. Once you enter the convenience store, you look around. It was pretty empty. Maybe one or two cars were around. It’s only about 10 pm, so you wonder where everyone’s ran off to.

The bright lights of the store make you blink a few times. Damn, they turned the brightness UP. Your eyes had gotten used to the dark car. “Evening.” You greet the cashier at the counter.

He looks up from the magazine he was reading for a second. “Evening.” But then he does a double take. He couldn’t believe it. You’re [Name] from the WWF! “Holy shit—hey, excuse me?”

You’re about to walk into one of aisles, but you stop, turning over to the cashier. “Yeah?”

“Are you…” He pauses for a moment. “You’re [Name], right?? The wrestler.”

“I do!” You confirm with a nod. “You know me?”

“You’re literally my favorite wrestler.” He says. “I know there was a show tonight, my boyfriend’s been paging me like crazy! I got him to tape it for me since I’m working, but I don’t want him to spoil it.”

“You won’t get any outta me either.” You reassure with a smile. Your eyes look down to his name tag curiously. Jean-Pierre, huh?

“Well, wait….is Lita in it?” He asks, quickly caving in. It be like that sometimes. “I’ve gotta know. She’s my favorite too.”

Man, wouldn’t he be surprised. “Oh, she’s in it alright…...”

“What does that mean?! No, don’t tell me!” He shakes his head, looking away from you.

You’ve always enjoyed meeting fans. People who appreciate what you do in the ring was always pleasure.

…It gives you a idea, actually. You hold out a finger to him. “One second.” You hate to be one of those customers, but you had to! You wanted to take a picture with him. But he wouldn’t know until you check out, that is. It’s the least you could do!

Especially since Lita’s traveling with you. It just works, man. Speaking of that lady, where the hell did she go?? Gas does not take that long to pump. She’s crucial in this plan. You go back into the aisles, not only searching for cameras, but for Lita as well.

The place isn’t huge, per say, but it had a lot of items. There’s giftcards, magazines (is that a Raw magazine?), just about anything you could think of. It’s a convenience store, after all…

You totally got distracted for a minute looking at the Stacker 2 bottle. You really hope they give you a commercial for that, even if you don’t really use fat burners.

Finally finding a small aisle for miscellaneous items, you lean down to look at your options.

There’s only two FujiFilm cameras left on the shelf. You’re feeling greedy, so you just take both of them. Heading back up to the front, you place them on the counter. “Just these:”

He doesn’t exactly catch on quite yet, so he rings you out without a second thought. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

You weren’t exactly ready for the question he had next though.

“Jeff Hardy or Raven?”

It immediately makes you laugh. Whether it was out of nervousness or just the fact you found it hilarious, you truly didn’t know. “Can’t tell you. Who do you like with me better?”

“Gotta say…” He thinks about it for a moment after bagging your items. “Jeff Hardy. You two are really cute together.”

Huh….interesting. People really liked you and Jeff together, you couldn’t see it, but hey, an opinion is an opinion.

Lita finally comes in, waving at the cashier and shooting you finger guns. “Sorry. The pump wouldn’t take my card. I got it this time though.”

Somehow, the surprise was a bit ruined in your eyes. Jean-Pierre looked like his eyes would pop out of their sockets. Both of his favorite wrestlers were here!! He rubs his eyes, trying to wake up from this dream.

Holy shit, this is reality! He doesn’t even know what to say at first, completely starstruck. You take the opportunity to speak up for him, waving one of the cameras.

“…Want a picture?”

He sure as hell did, why was that even a question? The fact you two came to this location is amazing. It’s small, so it’s fairly easy to miss. This has gotta be the best shift he’s ever had.

“Wait, hold on, let me get snacks first.” Lita says, rushing into one of the aisles. You playfully roll your eyes and unbox the camera.

“We don’t need her! Let’s take a picture with just us two.”

You, Lita, and the young man at the register were chatting up a storm for quite a bit after checking out and taking pictures. You all talked about your favorite matches in history and things you felt inspired by.

All good things have to come to an end unfortunately. You both wave to him goodbye, letting him keep one of the cameras that had your photos on it. There’s twenty seven exposures in total, so he could use the rest however he pleases.

You’ll have to come again sometime, maybe when Raw or Smackdown is in town. Very convenient place too, you’d get Subway, but Lita forced you to go to IHOP. It’s like she has a gun to your head.

You’re behind the wheel, meanwhile Lita’s holding up the directions and reading out the directions to you. Every so often, she’d look out the window to make sure you were going the right direction.

No more mistakes. Tonight, Lita’s about to enjoy her time at the International House of Pancakes. She’s been waiting for this all week! “Okay, [Name], make a left here…” She’d guide you.

You could tell she’s excited. You don’t get why she’s so excited. You’re ordering a Belgian Waffle to spite her. To spite her and give an ode to RVD saying it’s the capital of Brussels. Bless him.

In little to no time, you pull up to the restaurant. Lita says it’s all thanks to her directions, but you pay her no mind.

You two get out of the car and head to the doors. You open one up and immediately try closing it quickly behind you, making Lita pull on the handle to try and open it again.

“Oh, you fucking—“ She curses, lightly hitting you in the back as soon as she gets in. You laugh as you walk towards the front counter.

Before you can ask for a table, Lita shakes her head and grabs your hand. “No need. I’ve already called it in.”

Huh. She was serious about this pancake situation. She must’ve called it in while she was outside or something. You go along with it, letting her drag you to one of the tables nearby a window.

…Wait, didn’t a hostess have to sit you down? You’re just about to question her when your eyes fall on two familiar people sitting in a booth.

It’s Matt…..and…..Jeff. Both of them were there. Matt didn’t seem too surprised, but Jeff on the other hand seemed shocked you were even here.

Lita lets go of your hand. “Wow! What a coincidence,” She says, putting her hands on her hips. “I had no clue you guys would be here tonight…”

You slowly look at Lita. There are no words to describe how irritated you were. It’s no wonder she merrily skipped past the desk and any hostesses. Does she think you’re stupid?

You want to leave. Seeing Jeff was starting to make you sick to your stomach.

“Are ya’….gonna sit?” Jeff suddenly asks, scooting over. It’s obvious he wants you next to him.

“…I guess.” You have no choice, so you sit down right next to him as Lita sits next to Matt.

Across from you, the two of them spare glances to each other, almost like they were communicating telepathically or something.

“We have to use the bathroom.” Lita announced, jumping out of her seat. She reaches over and grabs Matt to bring him out.

He nods with her. “Yeah. We’ll be back.” The two leave you and Jeff alone, but unbeknownst to you two, they weren’t too far away..

You hate them. They’re doing this on purpose. This must’ve been premeditated. You’re going to kill Lita and then yourself. Damn it.

“If you’re wondering, I’m not mad at ya’ or anything.” He says, setting his hand on the table.

Unable to look him in the eye, you turn your attention toward his hand.

He painted his nails…cute.

“I’m mad at Raven,” He continues. “He doesn’t deserve you. I think he’s just using you. I know we had something, [Name]. Don’t tell me it was nothing when we kissed.”

The more he talks, the more guilty you’re starting to feel. You’re not entirely sure what to say, either. Your mouth starts to feel uncomfortably dry as you look down under the table. “Did you get any water? Phew.”

“….” He doesn’t say anything at first, instead pushing his glass of water towards you. “Didn’t drink out of it. It’s all yours.”

You happily open a straw lying on the table and drink some.

“It would’ve gone further if my neck wasn’t hurting.” He admits. “It’s risky, but I just wanted you all to myself on that table.”

You look around as you sip your water. Thank goodness his voice was pretty quiet. He sounded tired and you couldn’t blame him. You’re starting to feel a little worn down from the show today, too.

Without you staring at him, he doesn’t think you’re taking him seriously. “Look at me, [Name]..”

You don’t.

Even as you can see him expectantly staring at you from the corner of your eye, you just decide to stare straight ahead.

And Jeff has already had enough. He takes his hand and decides to pull your face towards him. You’re taken aback by it.

He too, seems surprised that he’s even done it. “I…sorry. I just want ya’ to look at me…”

You’re conflicted. You don’t know whether you want to slap him down or just kiss him. Even if the latter made you feel guilty.

“I would say you’re my muse, darling.” The pet name makes you flinch. “I’ve..painted you at least 3 times now.”

“Three times?” You repeat. “Three times….when can I see these paintings?”

Three times is crazy to you. You’re hoping he isn’t too crazy for you right now, this is just a horrible time.

“I don’t have it with me right now. Maybe next time I see you.”

Boo…..

Jeff feels like he’s making progress with you. He feels like the luckiest man in the world because you haven’t shoved him away yet.

He feels even luckier when you don’t reject his advance. He takes your hand into his own, the two of you quickly interlocking fingers with one another.

You still think this was wrong. However, your heart was telling you otherwise. The moment he squeezes your hand is when you feel like Jeff’s the one you want right now.

“WE’RE BACK!” Lita announces, a smile on her face. Matt trails behind her, nodding to the both of you. The two slide right back into their seats and the waitress comes over just in time.

Lita seems to eye you and Jeff holding hands on the table, a smirk playing on her lips. You remind yourself to strangle her when you get the chance, though that time may come after Vengeance.

Even the trip back to the hotel was calm. Jeff wanted you to go with him instead. Lita almost pushes you towards him, eager for you two to actually be alone. She knows her and Matt were having issues, but she definitely wants you two to sort shit out.

She can tell that Jeff really likes you. He always has, just didn’t know how to go about it.

Hand in hand, you two make your way upstairs. “Are you scared for your match?” You suddenly ask, swinging your hand.

“Nah.” He shakes his head. “It is what it is. If Matt wants a challenge, then so be it. I just wish he didn’t bring Lita into it.”

You make a noise, signifying that you agree. Poor Lita, she’s in the midst of their rivalry.

“Hold on, my room is right here.” You start to pull out your keycard. “Are you coming in or you just wanted to walk me?”

“I can come in if ya’ want.”

The answer is absolutely. You do want him to come in. “Feel free.” You unlock the door and the both of you walk in together.

And now that Jeff’s here, you’re not entirely sure what to do. It’s a hotel room, not your house, so you didn’t have a lot to entertain him with.

“Wanna sit?” It’s a tentative offer, but truly this situation was getting more and more awkward by the second.

“Yeah.” He takes a seat on the bed, watching you as you pace around for a minute. Eventually, you come over to sit next to him.

“…[Name].” He calls. Jeff turns over to you and grabs your shoulders. “…Who do you see me as?” He asks. “Do you see me as less than Raven?”

“No, it’s just—“ He interrupts you by pulling you into a kiss. It’s almost like he wanted you to start talking just so he could cut you off.

You exhale through your nose once he parts away. He tasted like syrup, hehe.

Jeff kisses you again, but this time changes direction and makes his way down towards your neck. It makes you laugh. “What’s funny?”

“Nothing.” You replied. You just can’t believe how you got in this situation. “Hold on, hold on,” you say.

“…I’m going to be honest, [Name]. You’re making me nervous.” He admits. “I feel like my legs are gonna give out if I stand up.”

You’re about to pass out yourself. “I’m not feeling any be—“

And then, the phone’s ringing. It just takes you out of the moment. You groan. No way you just got the ick from the phone. Problem is, neither of you want to stop the direction it’s heading.

You crawl over the bed towards the nightstand. Whoever’s calling sucks.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Nitro Girl.” Hunter greets, his voice as chipper as ever. “Been a while.”

Goddamn it. OUT OF ALL TIMES HE COULD GIVE YOU A CALL..

“This isn’t a good time.” You say, letting out a huff of air. “If it’s important, make it quick.”

“Didn’t know you were the type to rush things. Whatever you say. Listen, I’ll cut to the chase. That lingerie I gave you. I need you to use that and bring Jericho to a hotel room. I’m gonna ambush him.”

Because Jeff was still there, trying to catch his breath as much as you were, you do your best to keep things as vague as possible. “Are you seriously gonna do that?”

“Yeah. Everyone will go crazy over it. Just think of it as a hookup. You won’t have to try and seduce Jericho after this again. I’ll even let you hit him once.”

“I knew it wasn’t just some gift out of the blue. The fact you never explained was confusing.”

“Didn’t have time. Steph’s been hassling me all week. She’s really excited for me to come back. Honestly, I feel like I’m ready to go.”

“Right. Excited to…” You think for a second how to phrase it. “—see you again. Have a good night.”

“Wow, it’s almost like you REALLY don’t want to talk to me.”

You sigh. “It’s really not the best time.”

“Then I’ll call you tomorrow night. Goodnight.”

“Night.” You hang up the phone and turn to Jeff with an apologetic look on your face.

“Who’s that?” He asks, scooting back and laying down. You decide to join him, laying right next to him and staring up at the ceiling.

“Old friend of mine.” You lied. “…Wanna stay the night?”

Better luck next time…

ITS DONE PLEASE DONT KILL ME PLEAAAASESSD. VENGEANCE IS NEXT BUT I NEED TO FIX CERTAIN PARTS OF THE MATCH!!!! and other matches. because reader is coming to fuck with everyones match YEAH!

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spacepiratenemo · 1 year

Text

Firecracker & Cheeks

https://www.instagram.com/r0tt3n_rabbit_/

#canonxoc interaction post!

#portgasdace - #spacepiratenemo

I needed something wholesome, playful and something to make me smile! So, I drew Nemo being the usual lil’ shit she is, bragging and being a brat as always, playfully provoking the friendly punishment that is about to be served!

TBF! Nemo does have quite the loose tongue and an even cheekier potty-mouth! Sometimes she’s a lil’ savage, sometimes she’s gonna drop you the mic and often she will tongue-twist a diss that would make a rapper like Busta Rhymes blush! So let’s be real - That tickle-attack she earned herself yet again was well deserved!

Ace, smirking cheekily, having a firm grip on the space punk: Not so smart now, are you?!

Nemo, laughing maniacally, being tickled relentlessly: HAHAHA! STOOOOP! My tummy hurts! Have mercy with me, Firecracker!

A: No mercy in war!

N: Please! I swear I’m not gonna do it again!

A: That’s a lie and you know it!

N: That ain’t fair! You’ve got muscles! Someone! Help me!

Whitebeard: Marco, hold her feet so Ace can tickle her even better!

N: WHAT THE HELL HAVE I EVER DONE TO YOU???!

Marco: Do you want the list in alphabetical or chronological order?

Ace, laughing his ass off: So, what are you gonna do now, Cheeks?!

Nemo, trying to pull off the puppy-eyes-move now: Pleeeeeaaasseeee? I’ll behave! I promise!

Ace, not buying it, but stopping the tickles for a moment to let her breathe: Really?

N: …

A: …

N: … NO!

The tickles shall continue until less cheeky behaviour has been archived for the next two hours!

If you love to irk people, you might want to have the muscle to fight the payback! Nemo might have a brain so smart that Einstein would feel stupid, but she also is silly enough to provoke this little fight over and over, fully knowing, she ain’t got no chance! But thb, tickles and playful games with the Firecracker are simply the best!

"If I could sell your soul for a coconut… I would." - Nemo

You can find my fanfiction on my Wattpad :3 Likes, shares and comments are much appreciated 🤍

"There's more than sixtillion trillion stars, planets and homes in this universe with more living souls than one googilion could count, and I was lucky enough to meet you, Firecracker!"

"Well, I just woke up! What did you expect? Confetti?", Nemo after hissing at Marco who tried to be funny and pull a joke before she had coffee.

"Do you think you can fix it?", asked Jozu, worriedly gazing at the broken down medical machine. "Am I a joke to you?", words spoken by Nemo without vocalisation, but only a look of her eyes, which switched her gaze from the highly advanced spaceship to the oldschool, badly engineered medical machine of the pirate crew.

#fanart #one piece #original character #one piece oc art #canon x oc #one piece art #my art #fanfiction #portgas d ace x oc #portgas d ace #anime art #my oc

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noonaishere · 8 months

Text

All of the Times Ateez Has Been Plagiarized (That I Know Of, So Far)

For legal purposes, these are all allegations.

So, I’m making this little essay/list/thing partly for myself (because I know *I* keep forgetting all of these instances) and partly because I always see incomplete lists going around and it annoys me a little that some of the people on this list seem to have been forgotten for whatever reason. Also, a lot of lists I’ve seen aren’t in chronological order? Which I just find odd. I’m going to try and include as many links as I can to articles, videos, etc, and I’ll be including pictures from them here, just to make it easier for you lovely readers.

(Also, if you think I'me being biased towards koreaboo articles, it's only because they embedded the tweets they used correctly, so they actually click through. Other sites I looked at, either the tweets show an error, or they're static images of low quality.)

Here's the incomplete article that inspired this.

So here is the list of:

All of the Times Ateez Has Been Plagiarized (That I Know Of, So Far)

---2020

MONOPOLY, HOLY MOLY – 2020 (Sept)

I can’t find anything about this artist, it seems to be only one person so maybe they’re just releasing it for fun? They plagiarized Treasure: Epilogue Action To Answer (and not even well, if you look at the shape of the black bar closely).

They did end up apologizing and changing the cover to something else, so at least they have more integrity than some of the other people on this list.

---2021

Ammonit, Reverse – 2021 (Oct)

Another small artist or group, Ammonit plagiarized the style of the Fever series album covers. Like Monopoly, Ammonit also changed their cover later. Though I haven’t seen whether or not they issued an apology, at least they changed it.

TRINITY, Life Ain’t Over – 2021 (Dec)

For their 2021 release of *Life Ain’t Over* Thai three-member group TRINITY copied Ateez’s Deja Vu photoshoot (the one member even having the same shirt as wooyoung), and their Fireworks mv. I’m actually not sure if they had ever acknowledged that they were being accused of plagiarism or not or apologized when I tried searching. (I thought someone had made a video comparing the two, but I can’t seem to find it.)

Now we get into Ateez’s worst year for plagiarism (so far)...

---2022

Soyeon, Sun – 2022 (Feb)

This is probably one of the biggest ones to happen, I won’t lie. I remember the indignation of Atiny, the disappointment of (G)-IDLE fans, and general disappointment and confusion by Knets.

This was the finale of the survival show My Teenage Girl, and the song in the video, Sun, was written for the contestants by (G)-IDLE member, Soyeon. The chorus sounds like a pitched up version of the chorus from Ateez’s Wave.

Sportskeeda article

Koreaboo article

At first people wondered if it was maybe a sample, but it wasn’t. To sum up the initial discussion:

Then on Feb 28th it got weird, because suddenly EDEN-ary (Ateez’s production team) had a credit on the song on Bugs (though this wasn’t changed on other platforms).

Also on the 28th, KQ issued a statement after receiving reports from fans about the similarity:

“On the 27th, the Challenge Team’s stage, called ‘SUN’, was broadcast for the first round of the FINALs on My Teenage Girl. Afterward, we received multiple reports through the company’s official channel and mails from webmasters that the song’s chorus melody was similar to ATEEZ’s ‘WAVE’, which was released in 2019. As the company was monitoring the related issue, they discovered that the company’s producing team, Eden-ary, was listed in the credits for ‘SUN.’ We want to clarify that we did not have any discussions before with the company or Eden-ary. In hopes of respecting creators and their unique works and in hopes that any misinformation can be corrected, we ask everyone to refrain from making unreasonable assumptions regarding the issue. Thank you.”

So they did not have discussions with CUBE about the use of Wave prior to the premier of Sun on MBC.

CUBE then released a statement:

“Hello, this is CUBE Entertainment. We would like to explain what happened on MBC’s My Teenage Girl regarding the song ‘SUN’ and (G)I-DLE’s Soyeon. First, we sincerely apologize for the concerns caused by the production of the song ‘SUN.’ Following the broadcast, through monitoring the episode, we recognized some of the similarities in the two melodies. Our artist immediately reached out to the original composer to explain the situation and apologize. In this process, especially since we admitted the similarities, we decided the song credits should be edited and properly given to the original composer. Soyeon discussed this option with the original composer and we asked the producers of the show to implement the credit change.”

So their statement seems to be that they realized the similarities after, and that Soyeon contacted EDEN-ary and then added them to the song credits. Their statement continues:

“An hour before the song’s release, however, the original composer’s agency declined our suggestion to be credited. We asked the producers of the show to undo the credit change but the change could not be applied and the song became released as-is.”

So, an hour before the show aired, they called up KQ, KQ declined a song credit (I would guess because it sort of made it look like a collaboration and let CUBE/Soyeon off the hook for plagiarism), and it was too late to change it.

Soyeon’s statement is a little different:

“After the episode aired, I thought I should apologize to the original composer for some of the similarities that have been suggested. So I got in touch with the original composer, explained what happened, and apologized for it.”

In that, in her recounting of events, her apology took place *after* the show aired.

Koreaboo article

As one person observed:

So yeah, kind of a Grade-A Mess.

After everything died down, CUBE registered the song copyright and it seemed like comments regarding the controversy were disappearing? No clue what that’s about.

Koreaboo article

NMIXX, OO – 2022 (Feb)

Welcome to: A Bigger Mess.

Koreaboo article

Someone at JYP is a BIG Ateez fan, I think. There are similarities between the look of their mvs (NMIXX even having some locations be the same as Ateez’s mvs), but there’s similarities with lyrics, graphic design choices, and lore. Basically, the only thing that isn’t similar is their sound.

The studio DIGIPEDI has worked with Ateez before and worked on NMIXX’s O.O video, but Illusion (the mv that NMIXX’s debut seems to mirror most strongly) is not one that DIGIPEDI worked on.

Now, while it’s not as if another group can’t have a pirate ship, can’t have a dreamy landscape - in fact, the group Treasure has a flying ship and a dreamy landscape in some of their mvs - but, as someone observed:

(I apologize for having to screencap a tweet from an article, but Mr. Muskrat has made his website so unusable that I can’t even find the original tweet.)

Even if the production team at JYP somehow happened on the same concept and look that Ateez has used for years, it would still be on them to realize, “Oops, this is too similar, we need to change something before people think we’re copying,” and then change the things that were too similar so they didn’t look like they had no ideas. Marketing research is a thing that companies that make stuff (even music) do as a prelude to starting a project, so I don't understand why it seems like JYP's team didn't do any.

Like, Charles Dickens had books where people were arrested for stealing bread, Les Miserables has a main character arrested for stealing bread, the Disney movie Aladdin has a character almost arrested for stealing bread; having the action “someone stealing bread” doesn’t mean that all of those creators have stolen the idea from each other, the idea exists as an idea a lot of people have. Just like flying ships and flying whales (Gojira, anybody?) and pirates and dreamlands aren’t owned by anybody - not even Ateez - it’s when you use all the ideas someone else has already used, and you use them in a way that looks JUST like the person or people you got the ideas from that it starts to become a problem. You can take inspiration from someone or something else, but you can’t just take That Thing and make it “2 inches to the left,” you know? For instance, I might read Lord of the Rings and want to write a book with elves and dwarves and a terrifyingly evil bad guy with a ring - those are all things in other stories that no one owns - but I CAN’T write a story where a group of people take a ring once owned by a terrifyingly evil bad guy and bring it to a volcano to throw it in, I have to write a different story where the ring does something else and the elves and dwarves maybe won’t even work together and there’s a different type of battle, and the bad guy looks a different way and maybe isn’t even a guy, and the world doesn’t look like Middle Earth-- and definitely I can’t use hobbits because they’re legally owned by the Tolkien estate because they were his original idea (that’s why they’re called “halflings” in DND, because of legal reasons.)

Anyway, back to normalcy. Please direct your attention to the lyrics portion of this video:

There’s a lot of similarities with their lyrics as well, so I don’t think NMIXX’s look kind of being “Ateez but 2 inches to the left” is as coincidental as some people wanted others to believe.

(PS: this is not me hating on the girls in NMIXX at all, they seem talented and nice. This is about one of the Big Three companies having a production team that doesn't need to copy others but seem to have done so anyway. But, since their look and even their sound seems to have changed a whole hell of a lot since debut, it seems like JYP has sort of abandoned NMIXX’s look at debut?)

Eltee Skhillz, Odg – 2022 (Mar)

(Sorry for the quality.)

I don’t even have to say anything, the evidence is right there.

youtube

I think I have a moral obligation to make the joke, “His name is Eltee Skhillz [elite skills], but the only thing he’s skilled at is not having his own ideas.” (I think I’m allowed to be salty, he really went frame by frame as he copied.)

Eltee Skhillz (or someone in his team) put in the youtube description of the mv, “Partly inspired by ATEEZ "The Real" and "Say my name" music video”. Please see my earlier tangent about how inspiration and copying are not the same.

Vata, New Thing choreo – 2022 (Oct)

This accusation was about a point of choreography. On the dance competition show Street Man Fighter, We Dem Boyz leader Vata performed a dance move that looked pretty similar to Atinys:

This is straight up the Driving move from Ateez’s first comeback, Say My Name. It’s in between a “starting a bike” move and a “getting off a bike move”, but the move in between is the SMN Driving move.

Interestingly enough, there’s a moment in Street Man Fighter where We Dem Boyz is unhappy that it seems that another group has copied their choreography, and they say, “They copied about four counts,” of the choreo, from 1:48 - 1:54:

youtube

I WISH I could find this other video, where they were in the middle of a dance battle on the show, and Vata copied another groups move. The other group got annoyed and started arguing and Vata and his group said, “If it’s three beats, we’ll consider it copied.” Meaning: if someone does 1 oe 2 beats of someone else's move, it's not copied, but 3 or more beats is. I just found that so funny because Vata insists he didn’t copy the SMN move, but it’s 3 or 4 beats, both of which match with WDB's (conflicting) arguments for why they didn't copy other teams during Street Man Fighter.

(If anyone finds that clip, please let me know. I saw it around the time everything was happening but I can’t find it now. It was sort of dark and the two groups were in kind of a tight ring as the members of each were dance battling and the camera angle was from higher up.)

During the show the groups were allowed to “vandalize” each other’s rooms earlier in the season, and other groups wrote some interesting things on We Dem Boyz flag:

From this Koreaboo article:

(Written on the paper) “Melvin copycat ㅋㅋㅋ” and “JBLAZE copycat” (the comment circled with the hearts) “JBLAZE copycat” “This is SMF but they said they’re going to do Street Boy Fighter after!!” “Tristan copycat” “We Dem Kid” “Some people might think you made Fear of God” “Some people might think you also made Essentials” “If you mess with us” (knife) “You need to practice dancing. ‘You should dance the same dance at least, you guys are a team'” “Vata [cut off] Melvin copycat”

JBLAZE (along with Anze Skrube and Josh Smith) are the choreographers who created the dance for Say My Name (Anze credited Josh with creating the Drive move). Coincidentally, Melvin Timtim is another choreographer who also worked with Ateez, so that’s kind of interesting that the other groups accused WDB of copying him as well. It seems as if Vata has a well known history (in the dance community) of copying other choreographers.

Anze Skrube took to Instagram to reblog some posts regarding the situation (there was more than just this, he was popping off for days) and talked about it on his Stories:

(“I thought you are a friend of San” is in reference to San and Vata having done a challenge together a few weeks before and KQ uploading it to social media.)

Allkpop article

Mnet also coddled Vata, not taking a stance, but saying "We are in the midst of arranging a position while respecting the situation of the artist (Vata) as much as possible." Which fans HATED, because - if anyone needs to be respected here - it’s the people who were stolen from, not the one doing the stealing. (What the *fuck* Mnet? Why are you like this? This is why kpop fans use a snake emoji when they talk about you and how shady you are.)

Koreaboo article

Vata made an apology:

“This is Vata. I thought this would be a cold wind that would breeze by, but I am writing this to stop the misunderstandings. When I first heard the song, I thought of the wilderness and so I made the intro of riding a horse or motorcycle. That’s why in the beginning, there is a motion of kicking to start the engine and a motion of getting off the bike. These are parts of one move that transition from one to the other. I think the choreography its being compared to has a different transition and means something different entirely. As someone who loves the dance culture, I believe it is at its best when the artist and dancer respect one another. It saddens me to see that this isn’t taking place. Regardless of the reason, I apologize to viewers of Street Man Fighter and to those who root for We Dem Boyz for any controversy that had occurred on my behalf. I will repay you by putting on a better stage.”

Koreaboo article

I just have to say: this really reads like one of those youtube apologies, where the youtuber deflects and doesn’t want to be held accountable for their actions. He also seems to say that Wooyoung and Anze are being disrespectful by calling him out. (And he even said "I was hoping this would blow over" I don't think you're supposed to say that in your "apology" even if you were thinking it, homes."

Because, PS!: Wooyoung called him out with the “biting” motion during a stage at Kcom Saudi Arabia:

And here are some other shorts that have clips from Anze and his IG:

Short 1

Short 2

While everyone was doing WDB's dance on tiktok, San did the LAW challenge instead (which I feel is a better song anyway, but that's just me) and it seemed that, aside from Wooyoung's call out, and San's snub, KQ was not commenting on it.

Atiny, meanwhile, streamed Say My Name and made art about respecting artists (what Vata had NOT done to Ateez). There were hashtags and SMN challenges and tweets galore:

The thing that made this whole incident REALLY strange, is that the dance Vata had plagiarized the Drive move for was for the kpop artist Zico… who is managed under KQ. So, when the music video for Zico’s song, New Thing, came out, it lacked the drive move at the beginning:

Dance Performance video

So all the people trying to say that it wasn’t copied or tried to defend Vata (I saw someone say they would defend him because he’s more famous than Ateez… please lick boots somewhere else) didn’t matter because… Zico and KQ thought it was too similar to let it slide.

(Oh! Also, Carats, EXO-Ls, Shawols, Ahgases, Monbebes, ARMYs, ELFs, and Inspirits were spotting tweeting on Atinys’ behalf, so I would like to personally thank our friends who stan other groups for their help and support. The kpop world needs some love more often than not, because we are not each other’s enemy… capitalism is our enemy.)

(Love you, bbys 💖💖💖)

---2023

Super Dragon, Revolution – 2023 (Feb)

I hate trying to look this group up because the SEO for their name is GOD awful. Like you could not pick two more common words to name something. It’s also the name of several restaurants, the co-creator of a California wrestling promotion, and - of course - part of a title for a Dragon Ball series.

Maybe that’s why this is probably the incident I see the least. Maybe it just gets lost in the SEO sauce and no one even sees it so it’s just flying under the radar? Which is weird, because it’s like a combination of the TRINITY incident and the incident that will come next. A Frankensteinian amalgamation of a lack of imagination, if you will.

But oh, oho! I have twitter-- I don’t have twitter, I have *a friend who has twitter,* and she messaged me very early in the morning on February 21st to send me a bunch of tweets of this band:

It’s the sound of Wonderland and the look of Fireworks.

The two songs played at the same time:

The thing that - I don’t know if I find it the funniest or if I hate it the most - but the thing is… there’s such a *severe* LACK of imagination. I’m inspired by things all the time, people, places, things, any kind of nouns, inspire me… but like I said earlier, there’s a difference between writing a story with elves and dwarves and just rewriting Lord of the Rings and pretending it’s your own. And this is just a poor man’s version of Wonderland.

3WICH, Kicking Your Face – 2023 (Sept)

On the Taiwanese music competition show, Music Maker, group 3WICH had a song that didn’t just seem similar to Ateez’s Guerrilla, but seemed to be almost a carbon copy:

If you listen to the whole song, it’s literally just been skinned so they could put new lyrics. Originally, 3WICH and their composer, Jhen F, did a livestream where they denied there was any plagiarism, and at first the song had been left up pending investigation, but was soon taken down until the copyright issues could be clarified. The president of the TV station that ran Music Maker, Huang Liang-hsun, made a statement:

(translated by @ananmiyabi630 on twitter (I think))

Koreaboo article

This story is still developing as I write this, but it seems to have affected the president of the TV channel Music Maker is on a lot:

If he goes, I hope he has fun. 3WICH and Jhen F can sit in the parking lot and think about what they did while they listen to the stadium scream “Break the WALLLL!” at the end of the concert.

------

So yeah, those are All of the Times Ateez Has Been Plagiarized (That I Know Of, So Far). I hope you enjoyed all of this mess, and maybe people won’t try to plagiarize them so much, now that they’re a bigger group and it’s more apparent that people are paying attention to them.

Idk.

Probably not.

I’ll update if I see any new ones in the future.

#ateez #plagiarism #thank you for coming to my ted talk #I was thinking of making this multiple posts #but I think one is enough lol #so sorry that it's a bit long #I got tired of forgetting things on the list so I made it so I can see it and others can if they're looking #I literally never see the Super Dragon one and it's like the worst one #like did their producers think that combining the music of one song with the mv of another would stop people from thinking they copied?#please have your own ideas #and thank you to my friend for being my twitter liaison lol

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raayllum · 2 years

Photo

RAYLLUM AS TAYLOR SWIFT SONGS → in somewhat chronological relationship order

i. And all I've seen since eighteen hours ago / is green eyes and freckles and your smile in the back of my mind making me feel like I just wanna know you better ii. Said, "I'm fine, " but it wasn't true, I don't wanna keep secrets just to keep you iii. Twenty questions, we tell the truth, you've been stressed out lately? Yeah, me too iv. You two are dancing in a snow globe, 'round and 'round, and he keeps the picture of you in his office downtown, and you understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars vi. You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess, it’s a love story, baby just say yes vii. Like I want you, bless my soul, and I ain’t gotta tell him, I think he knows viii. But this love is brave and wild, and I never saw you coming, and I’ll be the same ix. Long live all the mountains we moved, I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you x. All those times that you didn't leave, it's been occurring to me, I'd like to hang out with you for my whole life xi. I wake in the night, I pace like a ghost, the room is on fire, invisible smoke, and all of my heroes die all alone, help me hold on to you xii. Family that I chose, now that I see your brother as my brother, is it enough? But there's robbers to the east, clowns to the west, I'd give you my sunshine, give you my best, but the rain is always gonna come if you're standing with me xiii. I think I’ve seen this film before, and I didn’t like the ending xiv. Should’ve known I’d be the first to leave, think about the place where you first saw me xv. Your heart was glass, I dropped it xvi. And they're all standing around me singing, "Happy birthday to you,” but there was one thing missing, and that was the moment I knew xvii. And it would've been sweet, if it could've been me, in my defense, I have none for digging up the grave another time, but it would've been fun if you would've been the one xviii. But if you ever think you got it wrong, I’m right there where you left me xix. And I wish I could run to you, and I hope you know that every time I don't, I almost do xx. You think I'm gonna hate you now 'cause you still don't know what I never said I wish you would come back, wish I'd never hung up the phone like I did, I wish you knew that I'd never forget you as long as I'd live xxi. You and I walk a fragile line, I have known it all this time but I never thought I'd live to see it break, it's getting dark and it's all too quiet and I can't trust anything now xxii. In dreams I meet you in warm conversation, we both wake in lonely beds in different cities xxiii. I'm not much for dancing but for you I did, because I love your handshake, meeting my father, I love how you walk with your hands in your pockets, how you'd kiss me when I was in the middle of saying something there's not a day I don't miss those rude interruptions xxiv. Say you’ll see me again, even if it’s just pretend, in your wildest dreams xxv. Quiet my fears with the touch of your hand, paper cut stings from our paper thin plans xxvi. You're the only thing I know like the back of my hand and I can't breathe without you, but I have to xxvii. Losing him was blue like I'd never known, missing him was dark gray all alone, forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you never met xxviii. There I was again tonight, forcing laughter, faking smiles, same old tired, lonely place xxix. And maybe I don't quite know what to say, but I'm here in your doorway; I just wanted you to know that this is me trying xxx. Right now is the last time I can dream about what happens when you see my face again xxxi. Your guard is up and I know why because the last time you saw me is still burned in the back of your mind, you gave me roses and I left them there to die xxxii. The more I think about it now, the less I know, all I know is that you drove us off the road, stay, hey, all you had to do was stay xxxiii. I'd tell you I miss you but I don't know how, I've never heard silence quite this loud, now I'm standing alone in a crowded room and we're not speaking, and I'm dying to know is it killing you like it's killing me? xxxiv. And if this is the long haul how'd we get here so soon? Did I close my fist around something delicate? Did I shatter you? xxxv. And I hope I never lose you, hope it never ends, I'd never walk Cornelia Street again xxxvi. And you know damn well for you, I would ruin myself a million little times xxxvii. And when we go crashing down, we come back every time ‘cause we never go out of style xxxviii. There's an ache in you put there by the ache in me but if it's all the same to you, it's the same to me xxxix. I wish I could fly, I'd pick you up and we'd go back in time xl. I knew you, tried to change the ending, Peter losing Wendy, I-I knew you leaving like a father, running like water xli. For you, I would cross the line, I would waste my time, I would lose my mind xlii. Hey, it's all me, in my head, I'm the one who burned us down xliii. Missing me at the golden gates they once held the keys to, when I dropped my sword I threw it in the bushes and knocked on your door xliv. And then you say I want you for worse or for better, I would wait for ever and ever, broke your heart, I'll put it back together xlv. Chains around my demons, wool to brave the seasons, one single thread of gold tied me to you xlvi. These hands had to let it go free, and this love came back to me xlvii. My baby's fly like a jet stream, high above the whole scene, loves me like I'm brand new xlviii. I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this, uh huh, that's right, darling, you're the one I want xlvix. I don't wanna look at anything else now that I saw you, I don't wanna think of anything else now that I thought of you l. I had a feeling so peculiar, this pain wouldn't be for evermore li. Darling, you're my, my, my, my lover

#taylor swift #rayllum #my playlists #music #51 SONGS I HOPE U ARE ALL PLEASED WITH YOURSELVES #also yes will be updated when new album(s) comes out obviously #tdp #tdp spoilers #arc 1 #arc 2 #but also with future happy ending songs #the dragon prince #long post #s4 spoilers

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riverdale-retread · 1 year

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Riverdale S7 E9 (Chapter 126) Betty and Veronica

Jughead Jones is mourning the death of Brad Rayberry. Even though he’s in his happy place, the Diner, all around him feels like a black void where he is cast in a chilly blue shadow. (I assume this is a reference to Joan Didion’s book about the death of her daughter, Blue Nights, published in 2011). He’s not so much as narrating the story to the audience as telling himself how he’s feeling in order to cope with the magnitude of his emotions. The soundtrack though is being breathtakingly unkind - it plays “Ain’t that a shame” over his grief. The lyrics are as follows: You made me cry when you said goodbye/ Ain't that a shame / My tears fell like rain / Ain't that a shame / You're the one to blame/ You broke my heart when you said we'll part.” Not the most tender, either in content or delivery. Poor Jughead.

Maybe like all intense life events, the death of someone important to you brings out whatever is your strongest (or possibly weakest) emotional color. Jughead is the saddest boy in the (television) world to ever be sad, so in grief he finds the world itself has a slow, sad rhythm, distorted and gooey, as even the big cupfuls of sugar he downs to try to make himself feel better don’t pep him up. He does look so very bereft. He’s reading all of his mentor’s work, maybe in chronological order, as his grieving process. (When I suffered the catastrophic loss of someone, I was not sad. I was furious. I’d be walking along, and suddenly remember they were dead, and then my vision would literally turn red, forcing me to stop walking for a bit because I was actually blinded by rage.)

Jughead is too disheartened to narrate, so the ‘show’ takes over.

Betty is sitting in a fetching red gingham dress dead center of the screen, facing off against Werther who is behind is big desk. Above her head flashes her name, Betty, in the famous Riverdale comics font - hot pink outline, pale pink innards.

Werther acts like he didn’t realize that cheerleading was a sexualized environment, which he might well have, I suppose. Werthers says that Alice agrees with him, which is very strange, because it was HAL who was the one to tell Betty she has to join the Vixens, and HAL was the one who called Clifford Blossom, who forced Cheryl to make room for Betty. It was Werthers, Hal and Clifford that decided to put Betty into the cheerleading squad to both her and the cheer captain Cheryl’s chagrin, and yet, when the time comes to recognize that this was a stupid thing to do when the goal was to force Betty to stop thinking about sex, somehow Alice is brought into it. Werthers disclaims responsibility for this little cheerleading foray, absolves the two other men for going along with his stupidity, and somehow foists the blame for this on Alice.

Betty thinks Werthers is a very silly man. She has a hard time keeping a straight face as Wethers says odd things. She questions her interrogator right back - How does Werthers see high school as an institution, if to him it’s not horny at all? “As an academic institution meant to provide a safe environment where students can challenge themselves intellectually…” blahblahblah - a holding cell to safeguard young people’s virginity, apparently. She isn’t even a bit abashed. I am in awe that her confidence seems so genuine. She thinks she’s talking to a silly, out of touch adult who is participating in the continued wasting of her time that her parents keep pushing her into. Werther is very annoyed about his failure to intimidate Betty, so he tries a different tack : You stripped in front of your window! You flashed your underpants on live television!

Betty’s glow does dim a bit at this attack, so he turns quite vicious. He calls her all the things Kevin Keller did - nymphomaniac, sexual compulsive, exhibitionist. Betty has been called these insulting things when it really mattered, so she’s insensitive to it now. She wants Werthers to get to the point. (Again, I am so in awe of her not being crushed by the weight of his disapproval. Catholic confuscian little old me could never have dared. But then, nobody thought I was especially sexual. This specific form of torture is being inflicted on Betty not just because she did those things, necessarily, but because she is beautiful and desirable to older men and so people like Werther want to talk to her about sex. If you’re not attractive and yet still horny, you get treated quite differently.)

Werther’s for example wants to know about Betty’s first sexual memory. Fortunately, it turns out to be just thinking her friend Archie is super handsome when they are playing Operation! together, but we all know that if it turned out to be something more upsetting, there is no way Werthers would have been able to cope. Betty lies and says she can’t remember, so Werthers moves on. “How often, Betty, would you say that you think about sex?”

The show, that played the sarcastic music over Jughead’s grief, decides to play the Lollipop song that was the ring tone for when Betty was getting terrorized by the Black Hood i.e. her dad, who wanted to recruit her into being a serial killer with him in 2017. And she did just recently suddenly start with eating actual lollipops, didn’t she?

When Betty opens her curtains first thing in the morning, Betty has no choice but to look out across the way at Archie’s bedroom. She imagines him shirtless with rippling abs, and she imagines coming in from behind to wrap her hand around the back of his neck to kiss him good and proper. Her hallucination of early morning horniness includes her hopping onto his waist to be on top even as they’re standing. Betty Cooper likes to ride on top whatever the universe.

The day continues with her encountering a mint green gas guzzler of an American vehicle, which she gives an affectionate pat as she skips her way into school. On the steps is Fangs, who his combing his hair handsomely off his handsome face. Betty immediately imagines laying him out on the hood of the car she likes so much, to get on top and have her way with him. The Lollipop song’s opening is going on forever, but then it seems to have a POP! smooch! sound.

Betty is walking down the halls looking a bit freaked out as the song continues to play. She’s wearing a pink flower print dress with a tightfitting green sweater and a red belt. Here comes Jughead Jones, wearing the green vest over a pink shirt combo that he was so perfectly matched with Tabitha in on her first day back in Riverdale. Uhhh I guess this outfit really did it for all the ladies of Riverdale?!?! He starts out scowling, looking cranky, but because this is Betty’s fantasy, his faces relaxes as he sees her looking at him as they walk towards each other. In time with the lyrics “His kiss is sweeter than apple pie,” Betty grabs Jughead by the arm, spins him around, and they are in an embrace, lips locked.

This song is hyper sexual - I call him Lollipop! - like did everyone who liked this song know that this was a fellatio pun?

Then! In the girls’ changing room Betty looks up from lacing up her pure white sneakers to see Veronica Lodge, shiny of hair, red of lip, almond of eye, looking meaningfully over her shoulder at at her. This is artwork stolen straight from the cover of a pulp novel, except in this instance the blonde is the aggressor. Betty slams Veronica up against a locker before kissing her.

Back in the hall, Betty looks more unsettled than ever, when she slams into Reggie. And Reggie gets the steamiest fantasy of all - she’s right back in the shower room, making out naked with him under running water. This is actually how she and Archie have sex for the first time as adults in the future, so basically, they kept Betty’s favorite positions and sex locations consistent this season. Why the fantasy about Reggie is so much more advanced than her thoughts for the others? Maybe she just desires him more.

Then she walks into science class, where Dilton has set off a mini volcanic eruption.

Having made Dilton Long Duk Dong coded, the show can’t bear to give him a kiss scene with Betty. Lame!

And anyway, after that glowing fantasy with cheerful music, we are yanked back (with a record scratch sound) to reality with Werthers who keeps insisting on saying the word SEX to Betty. Betty tries hedging the answer to the question about how often she thinks about sex. An average amount → every seven seconds like Kingsley’s study concluded → “I think about sex all the time.” She’s pushed into saying things by Werther who really wanted her to give this answer, by goading her into it. He needs a number, he keeps insisting, so she gets annoyed and says she “thinks about sex all the time.” This is the same kind of ill judged, rebellious energy that had her doing the panty flashing to begin with.

But I also do this and have done this, just not questions about sex because this particular issue (being viewed as hypersexual) has never been a problem for me. I have, however, reacted this way about other things, so I’m inclined to generalize and say that most people would respond to this sort of aggravating stimulus in the same way. At some point when you push and needle and harass someone long enough, in a nasty enough way, they will give you what they think you want them to say, to just get you to stfu. Poor Betty. I can’t believe they’re taking her out of school for this, to have this conversation about sex with this crusty old man. (There is so much fucked up about Confuscian cultural heritage when it comes to gender and sex but THIS particular iteration - of having a young girl isolated with an old man to talk about sex explicitly - would never be permitted no matter what she’s done or what his qualifications are, so, uh, thanks for the small reprieves, I guess?)

But I mean - there’s a reason that Betty is in a way forced to think about sex all the time. She’s beautiful and sexualized by all the adults in her life well before she herself is ready. They’re doing this TO HER.

Werthers asks WHY she thinks about sex all the time - and the real answer is what I’ve written above. But Betty keeps answering in a straightforwardly honest way - She’s curious about how it feels.

Oh, the other solution to her horniness, assuming it’s genuine and self-produced, is to make her take tests constantly, publicize her rankings in school, train her to see all classmates of any gender as competitors, and put the terror of utter failure as a person by hinging success on acceptance into three university options and then make her do endless rounds of rote memorization punctuated by spot quizzes non stop from ages 10 through 18.. i.e. Give her a S. Korean college prep education. That really squashes the horniness out of your teenagers, lemme tell ya.

Betty wants to have sex for pleasure. Werthers snaps that sex is for reproduction only. (So in this way he’s very Catholic priest coded - a celibate gay man who hates women wanting women to suffer lots of unwanted pregnancies before dying young). (I joke about this but though I’m sure they’re cohabitants and gay together I doubt Werthers and Featherhead can actually bear to touch each other, hence celibate.) Betty snaps back about men’s use of pornography to question this “sex is for creation of heirs inside a marital relationship.”

The fact that the Coopers go to church at all is surprising to me, but that’s because I temporarily forgot this was 1955. The thing is, having the structure and community of church seems to have no steadying effect on Alice Cooper whatsoever. Her hankering for that kind of connection is what led her to keep shoving her daughters into the hands of the Sisters of Quiet Mercy and definitely what made her so susceptible to the Farm in Modern Times. In any case, Hal keeps his porno in his sock drawer AND

ALICE AND HAL DO NOT SLEEP IN THE SAME BED.

The girl on the cover of Prance has Veronica’s raven hair, strong eyebrows and her penchant for killer heels. The cover says “In Broad Daylight, A Nude Lighting Study” and “Twisted Sisters; Beverly Barry on her blasphemous defection from the convent.” Betty is very turned on by the centerfold of the dark haired girl, who is very gorgeous and looks very happy. (That’s kind of what I like too about these old Vargas style pictures. The women look so happy.)

Betty, ever quick on the uptake, retorts that she isn’t a child, either.

Werthers, as a celibate, is very not into talking about a person who has undeniably had sex with another person at least twice in his life (Hal Cooper), when Betty wants to talk about it. The reason he gives is that he is “a CHILD psychiatrist.”

She’s so smart.

That evening, Betty is sitting in a very uncomfortable posture on her bed, trying to get what looks like math homework done when the overly friendly looking Alice Cooper bursts in with a whole clutch of wedding magazines. At first, Betty thinks her mother is being silly. Possibly cute. But as Alice’s strongsuit is not subtlety, the comments she emits keep getting more pointed. “A girl can daydream about her wedding” and”When I see you in that white dress, standing at that altar, it’s gonna be the happiest day of my life.”

Because yeah - you wouldn’t really be asking these horrible slavering questions about “how often do you think about sex” to a child, would you? Once she has the advantage, Betty tells Werther that his attempt to enforce compulsive, correct (read, repressed) heterosexual norms on her have utterly failed. “I don’t think I want to get married.” When she says that she wants to have “an impact in the world” rather than “just have a family,” Werthers is so upset at the extent of his failure that he looks like he might cry. Betty Cooper is some sort of peak genius person, because to get ‘I want to have a career and possibly never get married’ from the weeks and weeks of slut shaming disguised as therapy is a rare accomplishment of historic proportions. Round 1 for Betty!

This is Riverdale being (intentionally? accidentally?) brilliant. The loveliness of the wedding, the joy of wearing a pretty dress and having everyone fuss over you and celebrate you on that day, is a recruitment tool for the female side of the marital union (legally speaking, the female side of marriage has always been absolutely shit, you know it has, even if the union itself is happy and fulfilling and loving), exactly like how really gorgeous army uniforms (the ones that are recycled and referenced even now in high fashion and consumer items!) were a major way to get young men to sign up to be exhausted canon fodder. Moreover, it’s not the enticement of the clothes and the ceremony itself that suffices - there needs to be a concerted societal effort to brainwash the hapless participant into truly believing that joining up has immense meaning. Without this concerted effort, marriages don’t happen and neither do military volunteers.

At school the next day, Veronica Lodge, is promoting her theater by giving out free tickets to a showing of a James Dean double feature: East of Eden and Rebel without a cause. She’s flanked by her two gay boyfriend minions, who are dressed the same - checked shirts covered up with a Mr. Rogers style cardigan with contrast piping. She keeps wearing purple, and her clothes are still quite demure, for Veronica. A dark purple dress with a full skirt below the knee, high neckline, short sleeves, and a big bow sash at the waist. You can see what a tiny human she is by how gigantic the girls and boys who are getting their free tickets look next to her.

With a KSHH! sound, the ‘show’ tells us that this is Veronica’s arc by writing her name across the screen in Archie Comics font - ice blue edges outlining a bright white center. Cheryl, as ‘president of the James Dean fanclub’ want to know what all this is about. She’s rather irked that Veronica has decided to do this celebration of James Dean without involving Cheryl. Riverdale is as much a hick town as Veronica has already called it, because they’ve been waiting months for a chance to see East of Eden. When Veronica says she has a print of East of Eden, Cheryl counters that she prefers the screen at nearby Greendale because it’s larger. She also coins a new term, too, does Cheryl- Deanizens - to denote her posse. Veronica offers her free passes, which Cheryl jumps for, so Veronica attaches conditions: The club has to spread the good word about the Babylonium. (Wealthy Cheryl jumping to clutch free tickets is very apt commentary on the wealthy).

Cheryl is ultra powerful - she can deliver the James Dean Fanclub, the Vixens and the Bulldogs. Archie when trying to console Veronica back in earlier episodes that Cheryl is “just like that” and “nobody listens to her” were all lies. Like truly - she is the most powerful girl in this school, and it’s not just money either, because Julian has access to (or possibly, is considered the sole true heir because the Blossoms hate women throughout time) the same money and yet he’s routinely punched in the face and overridden by others, and constantly has to bring up his daddy and his money.

Veronica refuses to concede influence of this magnitude to Cheryl. The competitive energy between Cheryl and Veronica in this universe - which was set up and dissipated almost right away in the OG universe - is sort of funny. Veronica is so obsessed with Cheryl that she is willing to throw business interests to the side to win a mere conversation. She should examine the intensity of her feelings about Cheryl a bit more closely.

Kevin because he’s stupid as well as hated by me dares to question Veronica’s tactic of giving away tickets to the movie for free (even as he’s been participating in doing this for some time). She explains that the real money is made at the concession stand, not via box office. Clay and Kevin together want to know why she entered that dick measuring contest with Cheryl over inviting the Bulldogs - “Is it all the Bulldogs or just one Bulldog in particular?” they ask.

See, this is the problem with gay boyfriends in fiction - they goad the girls they befriend into going out on risky limbs in wonky ways. Actual gay boyfriends tend to make you sit down and examine yourself closely.

Veronica has taken it upon herself to break into the boy’s locker room to distribute her free movie tickets. This is some gender outlaw behavior to me. I had to try to uh, rescue a very upset little boy who got overwhelmed by his first solo trip to the men’s room (because his mother, my relative, was preoccupied with a nasty diaper disaster in the women’s bathroom) and even though the boy was visibly standing there in the middle of the bathroom crying every time a man went in or out and I was clearly there to fetch him, I found it too terrifying to actually GO INTO the men’s room, and instead eventually coaxed him out by cooing at him from afar (my throat almost collapsed from the strain.). I just couldn’t do it.

Anyway, so she’s in there, timing her visit to meet the boys just as they would be done with practice. There’s like, barking noises the guys are making at each other as they enter because that’s normal human behavior (Sports people are SO WEIRD). Fangs, Archie and Reggie are shirtless, displaying their obviously oiled bodies that scream that none of these guys ever eat carbs, but they initially looked comical to me because their shorts seemed hiked up eunuch high. Then I paused the screen because I am a horny bitch and I realized that they were just super high waisted shorts. Oh OK .

Fangs is just a ridiculous, charisma free dumdum and doesn’t know the difference between Twinkle and Tinsel. Veronica offers him a free pass to the Babylonium James Dean evening anyway. Well, she offers his tits the tickets - eyes are on his face when she says “I want to personally” but at the word OFFER they go right downwards. She does the same to Archie (talk to his face out of manners but looks down because she can’t not and really truly, Veronica is a girl after my own heart in so many ways). She gives Archie less attention though, because she’s seen all that before.

Fangs is so pleased with himself for no reason that he does a walk like a 5 year old who has pooped his pants and is trying to pass it off as something cool (Dude WHAT is that WALK).

Reggie is one cool customer. He knows that Veronica is there for him and only him, so even though all the other guys move immediately to their lockers for their free tickets, Reggie keeps still, in his pec poppin’ pose, allowing Veronica’s approach. Veronica channels Lauren Bacall to ask Reggie if he knows what James Dean used to do in high school (it’s really the same tone as “You do know how to whistle, don’t you Steve?” aimed at Bogie). He was a basketball player, is what she tells Reggie, who apparently did NOT know (oh but yeah, because his town didn’t have a theater and he didn’t own a tv). Veronica is so cute when she singsongs - “a basketball star, just - like - you!’ I’m fascinated that she does NOT look down at Reggie’s pecs, keeping her bright eyes on his face the whole time. (Well done Veronica.).

Something about Reggie’s face indicates that somehow this gambit worked, when all the other ones have not at all, to date. Is it because she said the words basketball and star within 3 words of ‘you’?

Reggie shows up to the double screening, buying a quarters’ worth of popcorn. Veronica, instead of taking his money, suggests that he could treat her to a milkshake after her work is done. Reggie admires her - “You just keep shooting, don’t you?” is what he says, which is pretty neutral, but his face is fond. I also think it’s hilarious that someone as gorgeous as Veronica , complete with her knowing tone of voice, is supposed to be working this hard to get some dude (even one with Reggie’s face) to ask her out, but it’s television so I’ll let it pass. He says Sure, to the date, but then pays anyway. Oh what a great egg.

Kevin bursts Veronica’s bubble of happiness by summoning her to the projection room. It turns out these three children who are running this movie house didn’t check that the movie reels they were going to load into the projector for this big screening at this ‘sold out’ showing. I have no idea how movie reels and all that are supposed to work so if I am wrong about the projectionist capacity to check that the reels he’s received are in good working order before the day of the actual showing, please do let me know. (I suspect not, however, because Veronica didn’t seem like she was lying when she told Cheryl that she already had the films in hand for her double feature earlier on in the day (or week).

Veronica is someone who never lacks for courage, so she marches right down to her patrons to announce that there is, in fact, a problem. She’s trying to warm up to telling them the bad news when Fangs is the first to interrupt to tell her to hurry up. I hate Fangs second only to Uncle Fucking Frank. Cheryl knows what’s coming as soon as Veronica says ‘technical difficulties. Cheryl stands up to immediately demand a refund, and having received the tickets for free counts as nothing, because Cheryl knows how the movie house makes its money - through its concession sales. Again, Cheryl the wealthiest teen in Riverdale making this much of a fuss about money is saying something about the moneyed class and though it’s at Cheryl’s cost, I think it’s true to life. Veronica tries to parry by offering vouchers, but this ploy is so transparent that even Fangs catches on that it’s worthless. The audience starts pelting Veronica with the popcorn they want refunds for, with Cheryl adding the cherry on top of the turd: It’s like Jimmy Dean died all over again!

(If only she knew that Veronica was indirectly responsible for Jimmy Dean dying the first time! Apparently, 1950s Archie is not one for kissing and telling.)

As the last person gets their refund, Reggie, who has been patiently waiting all this time, approaches Veronica. She regretfully tells him that she just can’t do a thing today, but she wants to still go out with him. Smiling all cute, so cute I wanna jump up and down to try to reach his cheeks to pinch him, Reggie makes a graceful exit.

In the executive suite at the movie theater, where it looks messy enough for Veronica to be running several businesses, Veronica is on the phone taking the film distributor to task. The old fart on the phone is all oily, offering his “deepest apologies for this mishap.” She is not to be mollified - Veronica actually wants the prints of East of Eden. When she pushes he says there are no available prints. With her two boyfriend lackeys listening on the other line, Veronica has to endure a lecture from someone who sent her defective prints that as the owner, “it’s always your problem.” Clay finds it extremely suspicious that a studio would simply ‘run out’ of prints for its biggest release of the year. Kevin is useless because of course he is.

Veronica is in a very fetching seriously business colored navy dress. She wants the boys to work the phones, and somehow they are able to get all these apparently big-wig executives on the phone. She is hunting for something “exciting, fresh” unlike the crusty old East of Eden. She wants To Catch a Thief, or Oklahoma, or Night of the Hunter, but as one guy puts it, “Riverdale isn’t a market we’re interested in cultivating.”

This made me laugh. Riverdale, formerly not really in America somehow, is too cruddy for capitalist entertainment to be interested in its money. She’s also told that her particular theater is too small, so “please don’t call us again.” At the end of this very long series of discouraging phone calls, Veronica is finally given the hint: It’s her parents that have caused her to be blacklisted by every major studio in Hollywood. The Lodges of this universe want “to see everyone but themselves fail, including their own daughter.” The Lodges’ idea for what to do with this real estate of the theater is a nice Joni Mitchell reference but not a very good business idea - lack of parking does not seem to be a problem that Riverdale’s residents have ever complained about even in the future. What need is there for a parking lot in a town that’s surrounded by vast swatches of woodland?

Clay has an idea because he’s useful as a human. He suggests trying for independent films i.e. B movie studios. Veronica doesn’t even know what the names of these “small studios are” but it’s always so nice to see her perfect little face light up with the possibility of business revival.

In super tight close ups, which is glorious when it’s Betty and ovary-imploding when it’s Werthers, the two are at it again. This time, Werthers wants to know what Betty’s sexual dreams are. I think Betty answers because grotesque as her interrogator and this whole situation is, there’s really nobody else for her to speak frankly about sex with.

Betty dreams about being a teacher who molests Archie Andrews. This is apparently a score that the show’s makers still feel very salty about six years later. I suppose it’s hard to be confronted with the fact that you are Old and the Youngs have evolved beyond set ups that you were wrongly raised to think was hot in the ignorant before-times. School teacher Betty of her sex dreams (these aren’t so much dreams as her actual sex fantasies, I would think?) wears very tight fitting clothes that display bra straps and cleavage. And glasses, for some reason (Oh -because Grundy was bespectacled. Which as a spectacles wearer I object to, sigh. It’s bad enough being four-eyes, RAS.) She would slithery-sexy with Archie and Jughead, but she would beat Fangs with a stick and I am ALL FOR THIS. So, Archie, Jughead, Fangs, Reggie (who looks like he can’t believe his luck) and then - Veronica.

Veronica.

VERONICA??

So, to bookend how the show started, we are shown Archie as a minor making out with a teacher, except physically the actor playing him isn’t any older than he is (by much) and he himself looks the actor’s physical age. The soundtrack insists HE’S IN LOVE!! DOO-DOO-DOO as Betty-Teacher and Archie-Student make out in the sunlit classroom of Betty’s dream. The dream progresses to the Teacher laying Archie down on the desk to undress him and kiss his tit like we’re in some sort of gender-and-consent-flip schoolgirl hentai.

Look, Roberto, you were wrong to think anyone would find the Grundy-rapes-Archie storyline hot. I know that to you, the fact that much of the fandom would simply know to use the correct word - rape - when the ‘situation’ involves a pretty older woman predating on a handsome minor who is both taller and bigger than her, but you should’ve just taken your lumps. Because you were wrong. Your middle-aged-man self using Betty Cooper in her I’m a Sexualized Pretty Teen Girl Arc to insist that WE ALL have this teacher-rapes-a-child fantasy is actually quite ugly.

Plus I’ve been a teenage girl and NO WE DON’T. (Yes, I speak for all women who want to have sex with men and I am right.) NO WE DON’T! NONE OF US HAVE THIS FANTASY, IT’S NEVER EXISTED EXCEPT IN YOUR MIND. You were wrong the first time, and got defensive, and though you seemed to finally learn that this might have been a harmful, traumatic experience for Archie (and not just because Grundy was murdered by Betty’s dad), you’re regressing to your pre S1 creator self and honey, don’t do that!

Anyway, Betty says that her dreams get hot and heavy, until she realizes that everyone is watching. Everyone are: Reggie, who wants a better look, Cheryl frozen solid, Veronica wistful, Jughead looking very grim, Dilton fascinated, Kevin with his hands tensely clenched, Fangs open mouthed and Clay wondering why he has to be here and when he is expected to ever learn actual biology. (There is no Toni nor Tabitha.) There are eight more extras that I don’t care about. Betty-Teacher is at first a bit startled, but then decides this is also a turn on, and proceeds to molest her student some more.

Riverdale seems to think that a girl keeping a diary is a bad idea when her mother is Alice Cooper. Betty is really weird about her diary. It’s like she’s proud of keeping one, though those tedious women who wanted to marry the important Ernest also kept diaries and were ridiculous people. Even though she knows - or has good reason to suspect - that she is not being granted any sort of patient’s rights in this ‘therapeutic’ relationship she has with Werthers, she still nevertheless mentions that she puts all her sex fantasies /dreams into this diary. Is this a desire to be known better by her mother??

Werthers, after sexualizing Betty 1:1 all this time, has the temerity to ask HER where HER urge to be seen in “a sexualized way” comes from. Betty Cooper with her beautiful eyes looking right at me and saying what the narrative, the show, or maybe RAS wants her to say - that she’s doing all the things she’s done in S7 so far because she wants “to be seen, period” and also “as a person with autonomy and desire and self determination.”

OK so up until this point I felt very hypnotized because Betty is really so intriguing but then comes this asinine statement that means the middle aged men putting this show together are still trying to justify - and even worse - anticipate in advance the avalanche of negative reactions, ranging from mild distaste all the way to rage and bitter disappointment, of making Betty Cooper, sufferer of serial killer DNA, unwitting bearer of her mother’s trauma, survivor at the hands of an evil father, expert basher of people’s skulls - a kind of sex doll for this final season. “What better way to understand a person than to understand their desires?”

Oh get the fuck away from me. People waste time on all sorts of desires that have nothing to do with what they quote unquote really want from life. This feels unnecessarily condescending, and they are still trying to have the last word in this world where no creator can have that expectation. As soon as you release this thing, makers, it’s ours to pull apart and recook as we see fit. And you’re wrong. This arc that you’ve put Betty on where she acts out sexually in ways that give her no clitoral contact and hence no satisfaction but gives lots of voyeuristic unilateral pleasure to men (and mostly men) both in the show and I guess in the audience who are into that sort of thing TAUGHT ME NOTHING ABOUT BETTY WHATSOEVER.

Veronica goes to the Diner and she runs into Jughead, who still looks very sad and teary eyed. She calls in Holden Caulfield again, but he is too depressed for quips. She runs her only available movie idea by Jughead, and he says he loved the cool monster, “Mr Rayberry loved it too.” One of the things I really love about Jughead is that he freely shares a lot of ideas with women in his life. He was all about solving Betty’s mysteries for her, then ceding credit to her so she thought she solved it. Now, he nicely suggests, without mansplaining or other forms of condescension, that Veronica try a neat little 4D gimmick, name dropping “William Castle.” The Tingler had electric shock distributions under the seats. Veronica understands him immediately - “Sell the gimmick, not the movie.”

Betty comes home from doing a 1:1 with one gross wrinkly old man to be confronted with another one sitting with her mother. He’s here to hear her confession and uh, do an exorcism if need be, Har Har. It turns out that Werthers ‘prescribed’ the reading of her daughter’s sexually explicit journals to Alice which is - really, Alice is not my favorite, but erotica written by virgins tends to be REALLY TRULY very wild, so I can only imagine the afternoon that Alice has had. Betty suggests that Alice might be better off coming to therapy with her. Alice has a wonderful line - “I’m a grown woman, I don’t need therapy!” She thinks what her mother did was ‘breaking and entering’ rather than ‘violation of privacy’ or just, you know, ‘betraying my trust.’

I thought it was really very strange phrasing, until of course, Betty storms out of her home, muttering, ‘breaking and entering’ to herself like no person has ever done in the history of ever, and decides to ‘break and enter’ into Werther’s office. She manages to get his desk open, and finds comic books, slingshots, and a copy of Lolita. Any sort of hidden book she finds - starting with Ethel’s copy of the ‘sex book’ - Betty feels compelled to read, so she takes it. She clearly doesn’t know what it is.

She goes to the diner, where basically Jughead is making like Lucy Van Pelt at her therapy booth. He is just sitting and reading all of his mentor’s works one by one. He’s been having a sort of one man wake for his buddy the dead writer. I love Jughead for things like this. Brad Rayberry seemed like an exceptionally solitary, friendless person, so he must be very pleased in the afterlife that he made this much of an impact on this one kid. Betty calls Jughead a bookworm, then sidles in to ask him about Lolita.

Jughead knows exactly what it is. ‘Holy moly!” He calls it salacious, then describes the plot. When Betty hears exactly how young Dolores Haze is, she immediately draws something very close to the right conclusion. What she says is, “So it’s a book for perverts?!” but of course, the truth about Lolita is that it’s a book misread by perverts. Jughead says the silencing thing that men always say about things that get them off, especially if they know it’s objectionable on human rights grounds (i.e. on the grounds that female humans are fully human like men are): “Passing moral judgment on a work of art is a slippery slope.”

No, it isn’t, but I have no space to get into it here. Though this discussion intrigues Betty, what Jughead has to say about a book in which an adult ‘professor’ man ‘has an affair’ with a 12 year old child makes her not want to talk to Jughead too much, so she skips (literally runs) away, book in hand, to go find out for herself about this ‘work of art.’

Under her sheets, Betty is reading Lolita under a flashlight.

At school, Veronica is trying to sell the experience of watching “The Crawling Eye” at her classmates. She’s wearing blue check gingham, and Cheryl, who can’t keep her legs closed and keeps swinging them when she’s in Veronica’s vicinity, is in red check. This has to mean something. Veronica says that it’s playing for one night only Cheryl calls the film “dreck” as well as old (“came out a few years ago”). The depth of Cheryl’s film knowledge is startling to Veronica, but she soldiers on, stoutly touting that her film will be shown in 4D, insisting that it’s not 3D but a fourth, new dimension. At this moment, Long Duk Dong with an American accent (that is to say, 1950s Dilton, who I dislike 3rd after UF Frank and Fangs) bursts out with some dorky factoid that time is the 4th dimension. Cheryl approves of this, smiling smugly down at Veronica from her leg swinging perch. Veronica swats Dilton down with a simple “Shut up, Dilton.” She has her boys handout novelty eyeballs, which Cheryl wants nothing to do with, but they pop it into her little bag anyway.

Then Veronica forces Clay and Kevin (Klay? Clevin?) to cover their balls with newspaper. She actually says this, and says they have to dry the balls completely so she can do the “paint job.” She says these things like they’re some sort of sexual innuendo, but thank god, no. Then she goes to wait for Archie and Reggie, who she knows have to go home together because they sleep in the same room. Archie is extremely animated as he talks to Reggie, almost skipping ahead of him. “Just the two strapping he-men” she wanted, Veronica says. She’s there to hire them as performers for her 4d experience.

Archie immediately demurs - “We’re not actors!” they have KJ Apa say. He looks whole-milk wholesome and goofy as he says this, but then, as Reggie remains deadly serious, he alters his face entirely to imitate that weighty look, even lowering his voice a register or two, so find out “what exactly” he and Reggie are being asked to do. Archie has never been as adorable to me as he is this season, but if any one of the S1-6 Jugheads saw this he’d totally have done a murder suicide right there on the school steps. Veronica wants to compensate them handsomely for two minutes of work. Reggie can’t say no to an offer like that, so Archie is also down for the count.

Betty is just walking down the school corridor, and tells Werther that she will not be attending their session this day because she’s too busy reading something very interesting, which will be discussed tomorrow.

So it’s like I thought - she doesn’t necessarily HAVE TO do this. She kind of wants to do it, because he’s letting her at least think about and talk about sex as much as she wants, even if it’s for really grotesque reasons. She needs an outlet, but the call of Nabokov turns out to be stronger.

At the showing of the movie, the eyeballs they have as novelty gifts are truly very gruesome. Dilton has somehow been roped into volunteer duty handing out flyers. Cheryl shows up, and Veronica practically leaps over to accost her. Cheryl’s very presence is a victory for Veronica, you see. She shows off for Cheryl’s benefit, telling her oh, she might die of fright and if she merely faints, there’s a nurse on duty! No matter what she says, she just looks so pleased that Cheryl is there that fails to come off as threatening or mean.

The nurse on duty turns out to be Midge in a jokey nurse costume. Cheryl is annoyed that she wasn’t invited to be a part of Veronica’s campaign, so she takes it out on Midge instead (“I am extremely disappointed in you!”) before whipping around to tell Veronica that if this experience sucks, she will use her crowd rousing powers to make sure Veronica loses money this night as well. Veronica is quite nervous.

The 4D experience turns out to be (1) 3d glasses (2) a fog machine and (3) archie and Reggie in really fantastic eyeball with tentacles costumes feeling people up in the audience with those costumes.

Midge is into tentacle porn. Her willingness to fuck Fangs is now fully explained to me. The emergence of these tentacle monsters makes Midge plant one on Fangs.

Cheryl is having a wonderful time. She’s laughing joyfully. The crowd begins to chant, “Go Eyes! Go Eyes!” while Veronica, up in the projection booth, is very pleased by her own success.

Betty goes barging into Werther’s office to toss Lolita on the desk to demand what he’s doing with that book. He is an absolute candidate for a summary execution. He says that by learning about Lolita’s mind, he was hoping to better understand Betty’s.

Which only proves he didn’t read the book, because Humbert Humbert never understands or even thinks that Lolita has a mind. He just wants to (and does) fuck her barely pubescent body, because that’s the kind of thing that gets him off sexually. At the description of Dolores as “a sex crazed young woman” (he really hasn't read the book) Betty goes off. Her rant - all of which is perfectly correct - ends with “I no longer feel comfortable being alone in a room with you.”

This has all the hallmarks of the kind of movie that Aishwarya Rai has made, where she is oppressed and put upon until she erupts in a long interrupted speech of righteous indignation. Then she stomps off.

The thing is, Betty making the leaps that she makes in Werther’s terrible so-called therapy were completely unconnected to what was actually said during them, and that book Lolita suddenly giving Betty all this, uh Betty Friedan type of insight is also ludicrous. This has the feeling of shoving in pseudo-feminist points because what the show makers really wanted to do was accuse all of us of having their personal hot-for-teacher fantasies. (No, we don’t).

The next night ,Veronica is amazed to see the blockbuster crowd at her theater. Unfortunately, it turns out that Reggie and Archie don’t want to service her balls anymore. She thinks they’re angling for a raise, but they genuinely don’t want to do this anymore. Archie because he wants to look at Reggie play with balls and give him balls and things like that, and Reggie because this form of after school Arbeit is too undignified for him, and he doesn’t like being an employee of the girl he has a crush on. As soon as Archie delivers the form of notice that Reggie has clearly made him do, Reggie asks out Veronica a second (or is it third?) time, but Veronica is yet again too busy, this time because her show is a success. They’ll try again tomorrow, she says, after she’s called Variety to let her parents know that they haven’t beaten her yet.

The Lodges communicate via press releases, apparently.

Speaking of communication: Back at the Cooper house, Alice is mad that Werthers ‘giving up’ on Betty. (Werthers realizes that Betty might end his career, so he’s officially ‘fired’ her as a client.) Alice very much wants someone to ‘fix’ Betty but I guess not spend any money on this problem, so she’s about to call Werther’s back when Betty Cooper really does become Betty Friedan. She diagnoses her 1950s picture perfect housewife mother (who moreover has some species of career) with being unhappy with a nameless, unnameable problem. When Betty hits that sore spot, Alice turns around and says immediately that perhaps therapy for Elizabeth is a bad idea after all. “Talk to me,” Betty begs. “I’m right here.” She also asks if Alice is afraid FOR her or afraid OF her. Before the conversation can get anywhere worthwhile, they are interrupted by the patriarchy, in the form of the doughy Hal Cooper, emerging from his deep dark hole to call Alice a wonderful mother and wife who has sacrificed so much, just sooo much, for Betty. He summarily sends Betty to her room when Betty wants to know exactly what was sacrificed on her behalf.

The next morning, Betty wants to try reconciling with Alice, to “try to find a path forward.” The thing is, Alice Cooper in all universes has a hateful relationship with the truth, and since Betty told her not one but two major truths (she is afraid OF Betty, and she is otherwise unhappy) she lashes out by disowning Elizabeth altogether. Alice Cooper, I’ve said before, is someone who should be a very serious free-abortion-on-demand advocate because that’s what she should have done. I wonder if Riverdale knows that this is the character portrayal they are putting out - an illustration of a woman who should’ve had an abortion each time she got pregnant, and didn’t get to, and what happens to her in the aftermath. “Marveolous” is what Alice says at the prospect of a teen daughter who doesn’t need or want the kind of mother (castrating. p.s. Oh hey, Germaine Greer’s “Female Eunoch” reference) Alice wants to be. She also hates the task of being a domestic worker if any kind - “You can make your own damn breakfast” she says.

The smokey eyes on Alice first thing in the morning make her eyes bewitchingly cat-like.

That evening, Reggie is waiting for Veronica with a sweet bouquet of flowers. It’s already been half an hour. Kevin turns out to be an amazing retail worker, diligently wiping down the counters while Veronica is back on the phone with that Roth guy, the one who failed to get her the proper prints of East of Eden. She’s managed to get the Variety reporter to take dictation:

“Boffo B.O. for Babylonium: Riverdale Exhib Draws Eyeballs with Crawling Eye.” That alliteration plus strange word choice is Veronica Lodge through and through. Her gambit to use Variety as the platform to announce her resurgence in the world is turning out very successful.

In a bit of fanservice (rather than show maker masturbation which is the whole Grundy non-apology using Betty), Roth says he’s “always been a fan of Riverdale. Great town. Superb audiences!” to which Veronica says, “It’s like no place else Mr. Roth.” She’s now going to get a proper print of East of Eden. She’s wearing a pinstripe print, to mark her success. Later on, we see that she is wearing a black belt with a rhinestone buckle and a string of pearls with this. It looks amazing.

By the time Veronica has wrapped things up with Peter Roth and come down to meet her date, Reggie has left because he was tired of waiting. He’s left the bouquet for Veronica, because he’s a gentleman. Veronica is pensive over the fact that she has managed her time badly. Because that’s what it means, right? They’re not doing that stupid thing where they are saying a woman who has to try to lift her business of the ground has to choose between having a persona life and success, right?

When Veronica tries to go home after a long tiring day, she finds that her locks have changed. Smithers, who is loyal to no one other than his own paycheck, has changed the locks on her, so as to be able to report her genuine distress to her parents properly I guess, and also informs her that her parents deeply resent her roarin’ success. Veronica never loses her equanimity, so she says “a crawling eye for a crawling eye.” She is going to move into her own theater, to live there homeless while she gets her business fully launched. This has happened to her, of course, in other universes. Even though Veronica is always wealthy, ridiculously so sometimes, she also suffers consistent bouts of being ‘unhoused’ as the show calls it, same as Jughead.

The song the soundtrack plays is about how sometimes you’ve “got to start at the bottom.”

Unsurprisingly, we transition over to Jughead, who has finally gotten to the end of his wake for Rayberry. He’s finished the last word on the last published work by the authors, so he’s ready for the check now. Jughead says that “Time passes. Seasons change. Life moves on, you know?” as well as “I’m ready to move on.” Of course, as a Jughead and Riverdale fan I can’t help but hear something meant for me in the “I’m not done mourning, but I think I’m done wallowing.” I mean. Jughead’s version of wallowing while mourning was to read all of Rayberry’s work. I’m retreading all the episodes, in one form or another. But the show is wrong. I don’t want anyone involved in the show to move on. I want all y’all to be trapped in Riverdale forever and ever and ever.

Pop’s is glad to hear that Jughead is ready to get on with his life.

But of course, Riverdale the town won’t let him move on with anything ever. Keller comes in with sirens blazing (why?) to tell Jughead that he is going to need help ‘solving’ Rayberry’s suicide.

So much for moving on, Jughead says, sardonically.

#Riverdale recap #riverdale episode summary #riverdale s7 e9 #riverdale episode 126 #lolita mention #riverdale opinion #too many thoughts about riverdale #riverdale s7 recap #riverdale s7 #riverdale episode recap #Riverdale s6

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amu-azu · 2 years

Note

I just wanna hear your opinion as a fellow amuazu shipper :) since amuazu is my comfort ship and I feel like Rei deserves a sunshine as Azusa in his life to balance out his hasty and dangerous lifestyle and heal his broken and hurt heart …and not forever alone or someone connected to his past etc.

I know ZTT ain’t canon but a setting in a parallel world yet the characteristics are still the same , the parallel world is just mentioned so it won’t overlap with the chronological order of the main main story etc. abut Gosho was the one behind every amuazu content in ztt and closely supervising it lol i mean Gosho‘s Original drafts and corrections at the end of each physical volume are the proof for it. And the biggest shocker was when Gosho wanted the final volume 6 of ZTT to be rearranged and packed it with almost only amuazu content, not to mention the final chapter Lmao literally screams Amuazu doujin lol. So we can be safe in saying Gosho is an amuazu shipper himself, I mean he was the one behind the shopping scene in m22 and even dubbed it as romcom. He brought amuazu to life. Anti’s say every amuazu content is non canon but then we got that Amuro vs. kid chapter in the main canon story where Azusa appeared for the whole case .. and the setting again as romcom .. where not only JK‘s and fan girls noticed Rei and Azusa but this time a well known reoccurring character as Sonoko (who’s always right with her intuitions) teased Azusa if her and Rei are on a date, to which Azusa tried to dismiss as usual to avoid fans getting angry, but Rei told her to not mind .. like what sir ?? So he’s fine if people think he’s dating Azusa ?? Even a main character as Ran supported that suspicion and our little Detective Conan also remarked if a PSB officer has so much free time, not only once. I mean if Poirot is closed then it’s the perfect chance for Rei to take care of BO stuff or PSB work no need to go out of his way and accompany Azusa to the museum, also isn’t it better to keep proper distance and avoid any unnecessary contact to a coworker (if Azusa is really just that to him) while infiltrating a place ? Rei is literally not following the rules lol and I think same as in ZTT when Kazami indicated the same upon noticing how Rei‘s doing unusual stuff with or for Azusa plus even getting along with her bro, if he isn’t doing that subconsciously cuz he enjoys the company of Azusa and her fam, he gets to live a brief moment of a normal life only with Azusa around him. Rei is definitely oblivious or purposely avoiding such thoughts since he always says is to fit into the infiltration place, but always does more than necessary lol. Antis always accuse us as delusional and apply real life logic on DC and amuazu saying a PSB officer won’t ever date a person from a place he infiltrated in .. yeah a PSB officer also won’t risk everything and take illegal measures to receive cooperation of a smart elementary schooler lol they forget everything we got for amuazu to base our assumptions was directly from the creator himself and he never denied the possibility of amuazu lol he even just feeds us with more stuff and is aware of the amuazu ship to mention them alongside the official police couples or during animal crossing game as a hint for the next chapter also during interviews ,SDB or content he himself releases. Not like for Rei‘s other ships where they just have headcanon’s and theories. I respect every ship and their shippers as long as they respect ours as well and mind their own business but these days shippers of ReiShi I don’t wanna generalize but just stating what I experienced, literally force their theories on amuazu Stan’s and stated that Rei is indirectly connected and fated with Shiho due to her mother, that Elena was his first love which was impossible from the get go thus he’s bound to end up with Shiho cuz they are very alike also share similar experiences and he’ll be the only to share stuff about Shiho’s mum to her. Okay and why is it necessary for her to live on ? Also since when does Gosho pair off people who are alike and share same experiences? Never !he always balances out his couples where one had it rough in life or is more closed off/tough and more intelligent and the other is the opposite bright , easy going, cheerful /goofy with no hardship. And the biggest point against them is the huge age gap.

sorry for the wait @angelcherrypie, my pc broke and I had to buy a new one (but I was also broke XD) and I was feeling kinda down.

I'll answer the ask by topics, okay?

let's go!

I agree with you, I think Rei needs someone to balance out his "dark" side. someone that can cheer him up when he is feeling down and I believe Gosho thinks the same. in Super Digest Book 90+ he answered an ask about the type of woman Amuro likes with that: "I think Amuro-san likes intelligent and cheerful women."

2. ZTT, Gosho's stand on the ship and antis

yes ZTT is a spin-off, the events that happen there aren't canon to the main series but as you said Gosho's is directly involved with the manga. the moments amaz got there can't be ignored cause they might reflect their future in the main series.

Gosho seems to like (to tease) the ship, he himself made moments between them, in movie 22, the og manga, the spin-offs, and teases the ship when answering questions about romance in the series.

about antis, I don't care what they say. I've seen too many ship wars to care about them anymore. my approach is completely ignoring their existence and enjoying the things I like.

3. about Rei and Shiho's relationship (and this will be the last time I talk about them):

yes, he's indirectly connected with her because of her mom. he's also connected to Sato, Takagi, Komei, and Chihaya for similar reasons so...

"they are similar/have similar experiences" they can be a little similar but just like you said Gosho likes to balance out the couples.

"he's bound to end up with her because of his "impossible love"~(aka a kid's crush, yep first love but c'mon he was a little kid crushing on an adult married woman, it was a platonic and innocent love) with her mother" that's...kinda weird to me...

"he'll be the only one to talk to her about her mom" isn't Mary her auntie?? the sister of her mother?? and it always comes back to her mom?? damn.

about the age gap, the manga has some couples with an age gap (Yamato x Yui (same gap as amuazu, 6 years), Sonoko's parents I think, and Megure and his wife that I don't have an idea of how much it is, is it over or under 10 years? ), so I think if Gosho wanted them to be together he would do it regardless of the age gap (but he also could've made her age closer to Rei's if it was the plan, they have a gap of 11 years, he made her age closer to Shinichi's and even Higo's and that was a choice).

To end this matter, here's what I think their relationship will be like: the same one she has with Akai. both are indirectly connected to her because she's related to someone dear to them. just like Akai, he'll be one of her protectors.

I hope these answers satisfied you and my advice is to ignore antis, and just enjoy what you like.

#ask response

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angelvyxen · 1 year

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on the jayson cheating on ella topic… her last album was entirely abt him……………. i haven’t listened but apparently he’s not a saint lmfao

It took me three days but I finally listened to the album (the deluxe) Here is a summary of the songs in chronological order:

Trying; this one is about the beginning of their relationship/dealings with each other. She says prior to meeting him she had a couple flings that she was never attatched to because that’s not her, she was more focused on other things. Then she met Jayson, that changed. He told her he’d been working hard to get her attention, he made her ‘feel so soft’ & ‘threw her decisions off’. She says that she’s not a typical girl & she’s not easy to read but she can see that he’s trying. He’s making time for her, they spent some time together, then he proceeded to be all that was on her mind. He’s not her usual type, she tried to cut him off, he didn’t allow that, now he’s ‘messing up all her plans’ and she ‘was trying to fight it’. She said she made him wait and he’d never had a girl put him in his place. (2nd chorus happens) fast foward, now she’s hooked on him. ‘Truth is I’m down, you ain’t never been in love but you’re learning how. I need you now, kinda feel weird cause you’re not so comfortable sharing your feelings.’ They must have had a conversation when he explained this to her. By the end of the song he’s the only man she’s talking too, she says he has no competition.

Not another love song: She’s DEEP in love with him. She says multiple times that she feels like she’s drowning, so maybe she’s investing a lot of herself into the relationship and he’s not. She thinks she’s in love (she is) & she wants to know if he is also in love. He’s very laidback, sometimes he ignores her. He’s using sex as a pawn and I don’t think she realizes it. He be fucking her goodt, I guess he says a couple sweet nothings and she’s on her merry way & alright with the half-assedness of it all. ‘I guess it’s all in my head until you let my body know, cause everyone needs you babe, don’t want nobody but you babe, so tell me what you gon do babe?’

Didn’t say: He’s not good at expressing feelings, she takes his standoffishness at face value and decides to fall back. ‘It’s all the things that you didn’t say, that made it so clear to me’ she says ‘her views changed now and she can’t entertain’ his bs. ‘So take it, here go your nonsense, all the shit you hide ain’t no need to lie. No more weighing on your conscience. You playing clue games.’ That man was messing with other hoes behind her back. ‘Flip games on you…pulled the rug from under your feet, did you think I would my eyes closed? Who’s going to vouch for you, you and your mixed signals, you coulda kept it so simple, I woulda made you official.’ She cut him off or either started reciprocating the same energy because she realized he ain’t shit. He did a whole lotta lying. She’s also come to the realization that he was mainly with her for sex, ‘like when you go off it but you just stay for the profit, and I ain’t talking bout wallets’.

Break My Heart: All that character development from ‘Didn’t Say’ has been thrown out the fucking window. She’s once again giving into her love for him and is now willing to step into something with him KNOWING what she knows about how he his, ‘Cause if I had to choose who would break my heart, baby it’ll be you.’ She says they’re connected, he commands her, this bitch is ditzy, he got her singing love songs daily and shit. She’s facing ‘her fears’ by choosing to stick with him, says ‘she doesn’t want sleepless nights anymore’ and asks him to ‘be careful with her heart’. Bitch. 🧍🏾‍♀️ next song, she pissing me off.

Fallen Angel: Crank that previous delusion up 10,000, she has lost her GODDAMN mind. They have fully reconciled at this point and she accepts him back, ‘Even though my hearts been torn apart, I still welcome you with open arms’. She thinks that this second time around is different and that he’s changed ‘maybe this is compensation for unmet expectations. Feels too good to be true, been questioning you, but lately you make me feel at home’. Throw a brick at her head, NOW! But in the back of her mind she still has sense, she knows this man isn’t good for her, ‘but I know where you’re from… it’s a long, long, way from heaven and I know you don’t belong so let’s make the most of this’, she knows it’s still not going to work but the delusion makes her stay the second time around. It was going well, until it wasn’t, he switched up on her in her ‘darkest hour’, she said he let her down and now all she has is Ella, herself.

How: THE REDEMPTION ARC HAS ARRIVED! It starts with ‘what’s the worse that could happen, rolling with myself, I got too attached, now I’m working on my health’. She’s saying she’s facing the facts, she can’t let heartless, broken boys win (Jayson lol). She’s let him go, it’s just her, herself, and time and he’s out so she has put herself back in her heart. And then there’s the added ‘how could you switch up on me’ yadda yadda shit, but overall, she’s in her growth era.

Pieces: Throw everything I just said out of the window, she’s done got back with this man and is now actively giving excuses and I quote, ‘maybe it’s cause we’re two fools, broken by love.’ *sigh* but this time is different because they’re taking it slow, she’s not going to do too much, chase him, or let him change her. She says she’s not gonna sweat him this time, because they both know better this time. She says that they’re happy with this new arrangement, it sounds more like friends with benefits to me imo.

DFMU: I love this song, it’s been in my playlist for like a year. Literally the only song I listened to on the album. In this one she’s just asking him not to fuck up again and let her down, because she wants to be around him. She’s in love with this man, real bad. She says she knows exactly where she wants to be and that’s with him, she’s asking him to open up to her, says if he really cares for her then he’ll be there for her and she is very aware that she’s falling back in deep but she’s okay with drowning now. She’s pissing me off, but the song is good.

Hide: She’s on her soft girl shit real bad in this song. This sounds like a love song directly to Jayson. She says he gives her so many feelings, he’s one in a billion for her. He is her safe space, her place to ‘hide’. Is that healthy? Probably not.

Power of a Woman: She’s saying her pussy got power, in a pick me way. Think of like.. Beyoncé ‘Upgrade You’. She’s saying she knows her position, she says she can take care of him and she’ll show him she’s exactly what he needed.

A Mess: the beginning of her just talking, it’s sounds light hearted. All she’s saying is ‘we don’t want love if it’s toxic, mmm mmm, no ma’am’. Yet another sappy ass love song saying she can fill the space in his heart if he’ll let her. She can ease his pain if he feels the same. The whole song is this and at the same time she’s acknowledging that it’s a mess, but it’s their mess. A noteable quote ‘it’s just different, they wont understand. We can’t waste time trying to explain’. ‘Know it should be easy, but we make it hard.’ It’s a good song though, 10/10.

Feels like: ‘Can you do all the things you say you’re wanting to? Keep on talking all you want but talk is cheap. And if I’m investing my evenings on you, you better fucking please me.’ That’s the beginning line, and basically summarizes the entire song. She’s sick of empty promises, wants to be treated like a goddess and says she knows what she wants and likes, she doesn’t need her time wasted and she doesn’t need it or want it if it doesn’t match her expectations.

Leave You Alone: She’s self aware, she knows that she keeps going back and that’s her fault. She doesn’t know why she does it, but she does and she can’t get enough of him. Every time she goes back he gets her out her draws and she knows that’s bad. She hopes that it’s not just her body that he wants, but at this point it’s sounding like that’s all he wants.

Sink or Swim: The album is getting repetitive now. She’s sinking, she knows. He’s started his lying again, not answering calls, staying out late. She even admits that she goes to the lengths of calling his friends to find out where he is. She says it seems like he just loves doing her wrong, but she’s stuck on him. His ‘love’ costs too much, and she’s broken.

Fading Out: THE REDEMPTION ARC IS BACK (a little). She acknowledges that they’re not working out, he’s fading out, she’s fading out, they’re both fading out but they keep going in circles, whenever she says she’s leaving, he begs her to stay, and the next day they’re back on their BS. But she says by now they should just know they’re not working out, and she’s coming to terms with that.

2 O’clock: SHE MADE HER DECISION Y’ALL AND ITS DIVISION! THE SHIT IS DONE! She says she should’ve never let him in, because he’s flip-floppy with his love, one day he’s in love the next he’s not and she doesn’t want to deal with it anymore.

This is: This is a sample of ‘This Is For The Lover in You’ by Shalamar lmao, it’s cute. It’s another love song, and I think the redemption arc is done for once again. She says she wants to stick with this man, good and bad, thick and thin, flaws and all and if he’s ever in the wrong she’s going to let him know. At this point I don’t even know if it’s worth me being disappointed in her again. Her overall excuse is that love is unpredictable and that’s okay because this is what she wants to do for the rest of her life, and it’s worth every bit of her time. It’s ‘real love’.

Our Song: Last song on the album. She’s with him once again, they’re spinning the block for what seems the be the 3rd or 4th time. They’re leaving the broken promises at the door and trying once more to make a healthy relationship out of unhealthy habits. It’s a nice song, don’t like what it represents, but it sounds nice.

In conclusion, the album was good. They’re toxic, but if she’s happy all we can do is be happy for her.

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