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canonicallyobserving911 · 2 years

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5x3 Eddie: “I thought it would work. I…I did. The idea of us.”

The Buckley-Diaz Family is the family Buck and Eddie chose.

5x18 Buck: “I thought I could learn to live with it.”

Buck & Eddie: “I thought...” Parallels

5x3 Eddie: “I thought it would work. I…I did. The idea of us.”

5x18 Buck: “I thought I could learn to live with it.”

Buck and Eddie both said they had “thoughts” about their relationships before they broke up with their girlfriends and both of their breakups happened not long after their girlfriends had front row seats to the inner workings of The Buckley-Diaz Family. Eddie broke up with his girlfriend after she saw Eddie, Christopher and Buck together at the firehouse and she realized they were family. She became uncomfortable and touched Eddie’s arm for reassurance but she knew it was over even though she tried to avoid the breakup when he went home after the blackout. Buck broke up with his girlfriend too after she saw the three of them as a family while they were having dinner at Eddie’s house. She also became uncomfortable and placed her hand on Buck’s arm for reassurance but even though she thought she would be able to keep Buck’s attention away from the family he chose…she was wrong and he broke up with her anyway (read blog post: “Buck & Eddie: Buck has always been in LOVE with Eddie; Taylor never had a chance” for more on this topic).

GIF #1 5x2 “Desperate Times” Eddie’s girlfriend had her front row seat to watch The Buckley-Diaz Family when she took Christopher to the firehouse and used the excuse that Christopher said he thought Eddie was hungry to gain access. Since he had never invited her there, she used Christopher as a shield to get inside. Once she saw how comfortable Eddie was with Buck and Christopher and how brightly he smiled while he looked at them, it seemed like she became uncomfortable. She touched Eddie’s arm for reassurance but he was so enamored with Christopher and Buck that he didn’t even introduce her to Ravi; she had to introduce herself. Buck never spoke to, looked at or acknowledged her while she was there and that was the second time that he completely ignored her. The first time was in 4x14 “Survivors” after Eddie woke up from his coma and Buck rushed to the hospital to see him.

GIF #2 5x3 “Desperate Measures” Eddie broke up with her after he went home following the blackout. He told her “I thought it would work, I…I did. The idea of us” which illustrates how he felt about having a family and future with her. But he’s never had any second thoughts regarding the family he chose to build with Buck. The thought of having a family with Buck never caused Eddie to panic or have shortness of breath even though Buck stepped into his life less than one month after they first met and became partners. Eddie broke up with her because the thought of him building a family and a life with her would never compare to the family he had already built with Buck more than four years ago.

GIF #3 5x11 “Outside Looking In” Buck’s girlfriend had her front row seat to watch The Buckley-Diaz Family while Eddie, Christopher and Buck ate dinner at Eddie’s house. While she didn’t eat any of the food Eddie cooked, Buck had no problem scarfing it all down by the mouthful and complimenting Eddie on how good it tasted. Buck participated in conversations with Eddie and Christopher that she couldn’t comment on because they included inside jokes that only the three of them were privy to. While she tried to keep a brave face, it appears she became uncomfortable the more Buck looked and smiled at Eddie and Christopher so she placed her hand on Buck’s arm to reassure herself. Eddie gave Buck’s girlfriend the very best of “Petty Eddie” during that dinner with his side eyes, snappy comments and death glares towards her. He gave Buck a pair of his softest heart eyes after Buck complimented him on his cooking (read blog post: “Buck & Eddie: Petty Eddie vs. Jealous Buck” for more on the way Buck and Eddie treated each other’s girlfriends). Eddie looked like he was five seconds away from asking her to leave when he asked her if the food was ok.

GIF #4 5x18 “Starting Over” Buck broke up with her after he spent several days avoiding his loft so that he wouldn’t have to talk to her. He spent time with Eddie helping him repair his bedroom walls but he avoided having a conversation with her as long as he could. Once he finally went home, he waited for her and once she entered and they started talking, he told her “I thought I could learn to live with it” after she told him that he knew who she was when they started dating. The thought of living with her after she broke a promise to him was too much for him to handle and he knew he couldn’t learn to live with someone like that; a person who would betray both him and his family. Buck broke up with her because she broke his trust but he’s never had to worry about the amount of trust he and Eddie share with one another. They’ve been trusted partners since Eddie’s first shift with the 118.

#buddie #eddie diaz #evan buckley #christopher diaz #911 fox #the buckley diaz family #buckley diaz family #911 #911 s6 #911 meta

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userhobi · 3 years

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LIFE IMITATES ART | BTS X SHAHRUKH KHAN AND KAJOL PARALLELS

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rovermcfly · 3 years

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The Princess Bride (1987) Screenplay by William Goldman

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) Screenplay by William Goldman

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jafael-gifs · 5 years

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You know reading it(Jane's book), brought it all back. how we felt, how i want that again...

#jafaeledit #jafael #jtvedit #jtv #jane x rafael #i loove these two shits so much #someone take photoshop away from me #i cant stop giffing them #i want them back already #i love that their r/ship has grown but still some of their best traits are the same #there were so much to get for this gif but mostly i had already giffed in previous parallels gifsets #i just noticed i never giffed jane and raf making out in the pool #i'm gonna gif that next #also notice the second row when Jane created a safe space for Raf after he he had lost his dad and his hotel and she just wanted to be there #for raf that is one of my top 3 jafael scene #i love that Rafael also tried to do sth nice to commemorate their i love yous milestone in season 4 #okay i will stop now but these two make me so emotional

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lemoncupcake · 3 years

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the bolands: a match made in shipper hell

[caption: 10 gifs with purple details from good girls, of beth and dean boland, paralleling their behaviour. gifs on the left column show beth, while gifs on the right column show dean.

the first row shows them cheating on each other - beth with rio in 4x06 and dean with gayle in 3x08. the second row shows them lying about medical conditions to not suffer consequences - beth by saying she’s pregnant in 3x02 and dean by saying he has cancer in 1x04. the third row shows them belittling each other - beth by inderectly calling dean an idiot in 3x10 and dean by saying he’s calling the shots on boland bubbles by himself in 4x02. the fourth row shows them infantilizing each other - beth by suggesting dean ride his bike up and down their driveway like jade in 4x06 and dean by screaming at her to sit down in a very paternalistic way after she asks him not to yell in 1x06. the fifth row shows them saying “i love you” to each other after their lies are found out - beth in 4x03 after dean’s arrest and dean in 1x01 after beth found out about his affairs and their financial problems.]

#nbc good girls #good girls nbc #goodgirlsedit #tvedit #usersource #chewieblog #cinematv #luzpost #captioned #edits #tv: good girls #ch: elizabeth irene boland #ch: dean boland #d: beth + dean #i know i said i was gonna post this when i quit the show #and i'm actually happy-ish with the last 2 eps #but the show quit me #so i was never gonna have the chance to use this as my swan song #and like it's been sitting on my drafts for 2 weeks #so i'm posting it now and just being done with it #also i just wanna add that i do kinda like these similarities when i take a step back??#and also that i can forgive beth for the cheating bc she did it with her crime hubby and that's hot while dean is involved in dean cheating #so automatically that situation is not #plus when beth infantilizes dean it's sexy bc i like it when he suffers but when dean does it to beth i burn with rage bc he's a garbage man

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jiminrings · 3 years

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Can I request a drabble, hobi is kinda like a band singer and Y/N is like his old time friend and they like had a falling out bc he got super successful but years after they're like together again? IS IT TOO SPECIFIC UHM :")

parallel

pairing: hoseok x y/n

wordcount: 4k

glimpse: hobi’s kind of an asshole and is vERY much emotionally repressed, y/n’s serotonin is dependent on wearing bridesmaid gowns, the dwindling one-sided pining anD the everlasting question of where the fuck was hoseok when you needed him :D // gif is from pinterest!

notes: this drabble really hits close to home and tysm for the request babe!! even if i’m a month late yeesh :O

you can’t believe yourself either when you say it

but holy shit — weddings are definitely your thing!

there’s something about the union of marriage that gets your head into overdrive but in a gOOD way

there’s just something so pulling about last-minute changes and family drama and awkward trips to the restroom that make your mind mHMMMM THIS IS IT CHIEF

yea granted that not every wedding you go and participate in isn’t exactly straight out of a rom-com

lmao sometimes it’s so obvious that the bride doesn’T love the groom but hey!!! who’s keeping tabs :D

you love wedding environments so much that here you are, two years out of uni and a couple of gigs later — couples are LITERALLY fighting over you

heh not to brag but uh

you weren’t recognized as best wedding planner for two years in a row and have your face in multiple covers of bridal magazines and such

time magazine recognized you as one of the most influential people in the scene last year but hey !!!!! no big deal lads

“i am asking you for just one minute, y/n!! stop being a wedding planner and start being my maid of honor!!”

nayeon exasperates and tugs you by your sleeve, having already noticed your second nature of taking charge the moment you entered the hall

after all, this is just cake tasting! that’s why she’s brought her maid of honor to help her out, nOT immediately go fishing for a clipboard

“well if the planner you hired wasn’t so sloppy-...” it’s a fact! he relies too much on his tablet and doesn’t even have any paper with him, and even if he’s already using a tablet, he doesn’t even use different colors to mark out!

apparently nayeon can’t handle the truth because she’s stamping her hand to your mouth that’s already a frown, about to suffocate you if only you didn’t bite it

>:|

y/n - 1 | jisoo’s hand - 0

you’re just a lil bit cranky alright

the last wedding you’ve catered to was just three days ago, and well you’re thankful for your job!!! really!!! bc not everyone is as booked as you nor sought-for

but there’s something about her wedding that puts you off :((

she’s very kindly yet firmly told you that no, you would absolutely not be her wedding planner and coordinator

“b-but i-“

“i want you to relax! and it’s-...”

“we said-“

“we said when we were kids that we’d plan each other’s wedding, but we didn’t swear on it! and i want you to-...”

“y-you told-“

“i told you that we didn’t have a wedding planner yet so you’d intentionally clear your schedule for me! and here we are-...”

“i’ll cry-“

“aww you big baby, save it for the wedding! i told you, just relax, m’kay? let yoongi handle the planning, and you do the unwinding.”

goddamn yoongi

yoongi who’s a wedding planner in his sPARE time could fuck right off

you don’t care if he’s very persuasive and firm and happened to book nayeon’s wedding even it was peak season :((

you don’t wanna admit it, but being a wedding planner has basically been your personality trait for the past years and it’s hard to cope when your job is to not.... plan and worry

anyways besides that

you’re a little iffy because nayeon’s wedding is your wake-up call

you’ve been planning weddings.... but uh when the FUCK is yours

u are so tempted to put a sock over your head and just yell gIVE ME A RING!!! PUT IT IN THE BAG

unfortunately, you don’t even have someone in your life to readily propose to you

you would have had someone, actually —

if only hoseok didn’t wake up one day and decide to remove you from his life

if only your childhood friend didn’t suddenly decide that you’re not worthy of his attention and time!!!

god he thinks he’s a bigshot

and well yea ok he IS a bigshot

who doesn’t know jung hoseok at this point :((

you’ve always figured that he’d be successful at whatever path he chooses and for a moment, you feel sorry for him that he’s stuck in such a state of mundaneness

he’s stuck between home and school and since he has no choice — you

your each other’s day one!!! the moment your mom went home from the hospital, her first instinct was to knock on hoseok’s mom’s door and then iMMEDIATELY present you to her

the two of them are absolute best friends and why not make our babies the same way ya know????

the two of you were apparently so close as babies that when one was crying, the other would comfort

and you weren’t even a year old then????

you’ve shared cribs and milk bottles and clothes and everything in between with hobi

so why is it that when you’re just almost at the peak of your life with graduation, he just suddenly decides to drop you?

he’s suddenly too cool for you as if he hasn’t spent countless nights crying on your shoulder for any inconveniece that gets brought up

he can’t even meet your eyes :(((

that’s why graduation is the blandest and emptiest day you could recall

hoseok is over there with his bandmates looking the absolute hAPPIEST and you’re there by the corner.,.,. alone by yourself feeling like your cap has the words dropped by jung hoseok :D all over it

he’s at his peak and at the top of his life performing and touring, whenever and wherever

he’s happy

but without you in it :(

the irrational (and probably rational) part in your head is beyond infuriated at him because atleast offer an explanation!!! if you did wrong at one point, then he should tell you!!!

not suddenly pretend that you were nEVER in his life

even his mom feels guilty and ashamed over his son’s actions so she orders flowers from the shop signed underneath your company, then send it back to you

for awhile she tried to pretend that it was hoseok but no :((( that man will physically convulse if he doesn’t add (atleast) three hearts after his name

you hate him so much that you still religiously visit his instagram and wonder if he could see your likes despite a couple other million liking the same posts

you hate him so much that he’s number one on every single thing in your spotify wrapped

you hate him sO much that you wonder who’s behind the songs his band plays and how you’d wish that you’d be the one he’s writing about

“is the cake that... perfect?”

nayeon gently places a hand on your shoulder to which you flinch and she backs off because christ i’m nOT taking the cake away from you!!!

oh my god why are you tearing up

“yeah, yeah! it’s so good. you should try it nayeon!” you’re scrambling to scrape up your plate, almost shoving the fork into her mouth as she squeals with the sudden attack

yoongi has ???? hovering around his head but this is nOT about you my man

he sneaks a look to the bride’s plate and uh-huh... yup..... she has the same moist chocolate fudge cake with coffee ganache on her alright

the topic of hoseok that you bring up to yourself, one that no one knows (not even nayeon!!!), is just something that never seems to vacate your mind fully

it’s been two years and you’re still so touchy and you dON’T KNOW WHY

he probably doesn’t even think about you when he’s drunk and bored

“this champagne must be so... nice?”

nayeon thinks out loud as you’re once again crying into doing your maid of honor duties

she’s a lil worried if she’s being honest but you always whisk her away when she’s about to ask

like right now :D

“are you-...”

“i just can’t believe you’re getting married!! wow, you’re so cool. with the love of your life. then the two of you could be cool together after the wedding. you aren’t gonna forget me once you’re married, are you? nayeon do you think that i would ever be married-...”

you should just accept it now :((

you’re a little bit of a mess and a half underneath your pantsuits and walkie-talkies and the special pride you’d carry whenever the couple mentions you in their wedding speeches

absolutely WHY in the hell do you think about hoseok when it comes to weddings???

it’s almost a pavlovian response when you instruct the people to open the doors and the bride to start walking and your mind would iNSTANTLY think about him

it’s sometimes awkward when the couple would ask ah !!!! ms. y/n u are such a world-renowned wedding planner !!!! your own wedding must’ve been magnificent :D

aha actually about dat.,.,

you get tons of gifts of gratitude from just a single client alone and you don’t have hoseok and his stupidly powerful arms to help carry boxes back to your car

you don’t have him to give untouched and left-over flowers to

you don’t have him to remind you when you’re getting a little ahead of yourself over just talking to sponsors and trying to squeeze in as much as you could for an initial budge

you don’t have hoseok, in all his glory, to put his hand on the small of your back when you’re talking to how you need the fireworks to start the moment the band starts playing ice ice baby and the vendor does nOT need to know why it’s the song chosen by the couple

it’s what he’d do when you’re trying to fit two semesters’ worth of notes into a pricey A3 notebook that you’ve bought

and just how many weddings do you plan and coordinate, even within just a span of two week?

a lot.

often.

you think about hoseok a lot. often. oftenly a lot.

but aha nOT TODAY!!!

today’s nayeon’s wedding and you’re not gonna ruin it for her by projecting your yearning into your best friend’s wedding that clearly isn’t yours

10/10 she’d probably stop reciting her vows to ask you why you’re sniffling

your only source of distraction is your gown!!!

your maid of honor is the absolute pRETTIEST and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t feel gorgeous in it

it’s floor-length silk!!! fLOOR-LENGTH !! SILK !! GOWN

it’s in a deep mauve with an off-shoulder situation and a little risqué bit of cleavage!!! cinches right at the top of your waist and poofs a little and oh my god mayhaps you aRE pretty

god hoseok may have not written you a song, but sean kingston dEFINITELY did

nayeon knew you’d be catching everyone’s attention as much as her wedding dress would and she’s absolutely happy and fine with it!!

in fact she’s strategically practiced her throws for her bouquet so you’d catch it and your gown would nOt go to waste

having a wedding happen right where you are, but being in it as a guest instead of a planner, is just so much... calmer

you’re not fixing the chaos but you’re just watching it!!! if you feel a little more bubbly then you’re gonna partake in it hee-hee

yoongi’s actually not so bad

he could just be a little too lax which ends up with him being lost and distraught

you could see so much of you in him when you were just starting out and it’s endearing actually

(( nayeon’s told you in passing that she once told yoongi that you were her best friend and he looked both intimidated and awed at the same time ))

the only thing you help yoongi with is sending him a thumbs-up every now and then and he perks uP because that’s the signal that he’s doing a good job and not fucking up

nayeon looks so beautiful and you’re already tearing up fixing her veil :((

you know how wedding photographers and videographers LOVE people crying???? they r probably eating your shit up so quick that you won’t be surprised if you take up atleast half of the same-day edit of their wedding film

there’s something so serene about the hecticness everyone’s indulged themselves in

you’re grinning when you walk down the aisle because you realize that omg you haven’t doNE this in a long time!!!

the last time you did was testing out the aisle for a client that wanted it ala crazy rich asians and you had to walk back and forth cOLD-ASS water with damp rolled-up pant cuffs before they got the temperature and the levels right

nah you should definitely know how it’d be because after all :D you aRE the consultant for that scene in crazy rich asians :D no biggie :D

it’s such a serene blast to see everyone happy and in their element

you’re sitting the reception out bc yoongi very kindly pleaded to please give him notes and promising that he’d never tell it to anyone else

the whole planning process for nayeon and not oNCE did he bring a notebook..,., but he just hAPPENS to have one when you’re telling him how to say no to your client

“listen, you have to tell them in the sincerest way possible, that you tried everything. it gets them going when you tell them that you even pleaded with the vendors, but don’t go too low on your knees, alright? and then after that, you say a strict no. no, because their choice of flowers is absolutely sHIT for their tie-dye theme they’re so adamant about!”

yoongi has never listened so intently

not even when his roommate lists out their grocery checklist

“mhmm. and if they still push, should i give them an ultimatum? or tell them about a wedding that totally happened that did exactly what they were planning, and how much the guests hated it?”

okay nOW he’s talking

“what you do is...”

the buzz of the reception never really dies down because it’s barely even starting!! the couple’s still finishing up on their pictorial which gives everyone time to get to the venue and freshen up or get last-minute gifts lmao

you know that it’s starting when the band or the dj starts doing polished mic checks

mic check! one, two, three! sKRRRRRRRRRRRRRRA

no, no

there’s something definitely wrong

the rolling and the lull of routine words just seem so familiar

mic check! J-A-Y! H-O-P-E! J-HOPE! jung-...

fucking

gOD

that’s hoseok.

that is most dEFINITELY hoseok

you turn your back to see the stage set-up and god...... fuck

it’s someone you haven’t seen in the flesh for two years yet spent the years of your life with before that

he looks sickening in his black mandarin-collared suit with thick white lining on it wITH his hair styled up and parted to the site

it’s even more sickening for you because you don’t actually know if you can mANAGE to be here

you’re standing up abruptly and yoongi squawks at that because he is the furthesT thing from being finished about asking how to make the guests arrive on time without holding a field trip assembly-like type of line with the megaphone

the fastest way out was dashing through the front part and you must have forgotten that hoseok has a knack for catching things with his perfectly good eyesight

“y/n?”

ok what now

he mumbles your name to the mic, his eyebrows furrowing as his eyes trail the speed-walking speck of mauve from in front of him

his little question to himself must have gotten people more than curious

they’re already mORE than curious because it’s his goddamn band that’s playing!!!! and the fees are not cheap and it’s practically impossible to book them!!!

but jungkook, their drummer, was a close friend of the groom’s and alright.,.,. okay maybe we CAN play at weddings now

ok hoseok’s mind is probably just playing tricks on him and he should finish setting up before the lights dim again for what they insist is the 𝓼𝓱𝓸𝓬𝓴 𝓯𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓸𝓻

but then he can’t help but look oNE last time

then he sees the watch he’s gifted you on his wrist — one that he was supposed to give you at graduation but later made his mom give it to you instead and not say that it was from him

...

....

whew he might need his inhaler for this one and he doesn’t even hAVE asthma

oh my god what the hELL is hoseok doing here????

you haven’t seen him for two years, and the moment you do, it’s in your best friend’s wedding with no date present??

you’re clearly panicking and the only form of caffeine you’ve gotten is the pre-game of getting a few bites from the coffee ganache in nayeon’s wedding cake that she was munching on while getting her makeup done

you know what!! it’s fine

it’s totally fine :D

hoseok is just hoseok and you’re not gonna be intimated by the man you’ve been loving in the sidelines from practically your whole life :D

it’s not a big deal!

besides, people are looking for you bc you’re supposed to give the opening toast to welcome nayeon and her groom in

you’re walking, you’re talking, aaaaaaaand-

yeah this is not nOT a big deal

you’re crumbling from the inside out because seeing hoseok is just too painful after two years of wondering where you could’ve went wrong and what could’ve happened if the two of you didn’t fall out

you feel especially bitter when hoseok starts singing their famous song about love and everything in between

everyone’s sWOONING and on their feet and you’re literally just there vibrating with how furious you are

you keep downing the good champagne as iF it’s gonna get you drunk

yoongi has a clue that the server must be a little dizzy having to go and back forth to your table so he just offers his portion to you

you’re so goddamn busy and absorbed with loathing him that you don’t even turn your back to notice that his eyes keep flickering to you

even at the cheesiest lyric, hobi expects that you’d atleast LOOK at him for that one but nOOOO your champagne flute and the blondie beside you is just much more interesting

you’re buzzing with anger that you aren’t enjoying this reception At All

you fail to even recognize that nayeon’s intentionally had your favorite food to be served!!! and you have an extra portion delivered to your table!!!

you just want your suffering to eND wow absolutely how much longer could this go

you’re so busy with cussing the whole ordeal in your head that you didn’t even notice how the band isn’t playing anymore and instead everyone’s swooning over the cake

it’s lost in you that hoseok’s shooed yoongi from his chair, sitting right beside you and even scooting closer until his knees bump to your own

and that’s when it sinks in

hobi doesn’t even have time to tell you how beautiful you look because you’ve gone straight to seething him

“for the record, i want you to know that i hate you.”

...

okay hoseok didn’t expect that

for all he knows, the two of you even vOWED to never say the h word even if it’s meant jokingly!!

it’s a lethal word and the two of you collectively agreed to never play with it in regards to saying to one another

but well here you are

you’re saying it as if you’ve never been more sure of anything in your whole life

you feel actually relieved to say it to him right to his face, a miniscule weight lifted from your shoulders while your arms are crossed just by looking at him

hoseok does you one better with a timid chuckle, looking down on his rings that he’s fiddling with nervously

“yeah. i hate me too.”

.... oh

you’re perplexed at his reply so much so that you’re speechless

you’ve been keeping to yourself what you should say to him the moment you see him for two years and now that he agrees to what you’ve just said.,.,.,

oh fuck that

“i hate you so much, hoseok! i don’t even know what i did wrong and i asked even your own mother what’s wrong with me! did you know that you are, without a doubt, so fucking selfish???”

you exclaim as quietly as you could but that doesn’t stop people from glancing because the two most-known people in the room, besides the bride and groom, are having what seems to be an... intimate conversation with how close the two of you are??

“did you even try once to consider how painful it was for me to wonder why i just am the way that i am? or is that even too big of an inconveniece for you to think about because you’re so busy?”

“did you suddenly get too big for me, huh?” you ask straightly without malice, not even thinking about the double meaning because clearly, you’re too PRESSED lightly jabbing your finger to his chest

right he deserves that

hoseok’s fucked up big-time, that much he knows

his eyes are actually stinging right now and he would ask you for your handkerchief that you used to always carry for him but uH he thinks he doesn’t deserve any of that

“why couldn’t you just tell me what was in your mind? you know that nothing would change whatever it was that-”

“i love you, okay?”

hoseok interrupts you with his mumble before he sets his eyes down once again on your watch

you’re speechless for long this time

“..... w-what?”

okay maybe he fucked up even more

“listen i-...”

“if you love me, a single text wouldn’t have hurt, hobi!!”

your chest doesn’t hurt anymore but it iS constricting with the amount of emotions and scenarios you’re trying to process

he’s kinda lost because oh my god you aren’t mAD anymore!!

and you don’t look fazed that he just declared his love for you

“i dropped you because i-i — i don’t want the people i love seeing me fuck up, y’know? i finished uni for the sake of it, and i didn’t even know if the band thing would work out!!”

“but baby it dID work out!!!!”

jesus christ hoseok may be a fucking iDIOT

you’re shaking him by the shoulders and he actually has to stand up so he wouldn’t fall by your ministrations

you feel so happy because your processing was just about to be finished, equal parts relieved and happy and maybe a tiny bit confused still

“it did work out because look at you now!! hobi, you could’ve just called me and i would’ve accepted the call before it even rings!!” you’re happily frustrated with him that you push him until the two of you are in the dance floor, his mouth curving up both in disbelief and giddiness

“i didn’t because i thought-...”

he’s interrupted by a swift and tight hug to his middle, his arms moving on their own to envelope you in his warmth

the top of your head still smells the same :D

his purpose is lost before he gathers his bearings once again, freezing in his stance before weakly attempting to push you off

“... you were married.”

the harsh sQUINT of your eyes you’re giving him prompt him to explain

why is he so nervous

“i-i go to your instagram? and well you uh, you posted this pic of you in the middle of the aisle???? you had your back turned and your silhouette’s seen then you were holding a bouquet!!! then after that, i-i never opened your account. jesus christ, is your husband here with you, y/n? what am i supposed to-...”

the realization’s starting to sink into hoseok because it’s something he’s shoved to the back of his head and now he’s seeing it straight-on

you’re throwing your head back laughing at him :D

great

now he’s both heartbroken AND a fool

there’s a gentle kiss on his cheek, one he didn’t expect and one he doesn’t hate

“i’m a wedding planner.”

god now this is just so fucking funny

the two of you fell out and remained distanced because of just a series of unprecedented miscommunications!!!

the whole thing is so ridiculous that it actually feels light and relieving to talk about

“you’re.... a wedding planner,” he mumbles once again for confirmation, his loose arms around your waist now tightening

oh my god

hoseok starts chuckling to himself out of delight, turning to full-on cackles with you at how much the two of you have just been beside each other like parallel lines

“i need to make up the past two years to you.”

he declares seriously as a promise, pressing a tender wet kiss to your cheek that gets you giggling

“only if you write me a song,” you do him one better, kissing him on the corner of his mouth

“don’t you know that most of them are about you? anyways, you should plan our wedding once it happens,” he’s forward with his words, having waited long enough that he nuzzles his nose to yours

you’re gonna do him one even better

you’re gonna go right for the kill, the truth spilling out of you before you kiss him longingly, for the first time that it feels that it’s been something you’ve always yearned for

“don’t you know that you’re in my mind for every single one?”

#feedback pls and thank you :D YEEEEET LAST PIECE FOR 2020!!!!#hoseok #jung hoseok #hoseok imagine #hoseok imagines #hoseok drabble #hoseok drabbles #hoseok au #hoseok oneshot #hoseok oneshots #hoseok x reader #hoseok x y/n #hoseok angst #hoseok angst imagine #hoseok fluff #hoseok fluff imagine #hoseok fluff imagines #hoseok fic rec #hoseok fic recs

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thereigning-lorelai · 2 years

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2021: a year in review through gifsets

i was tagged by @concepts to share my most popular & favourite sets of the year, so i guess we’re doing this. ♥ (disclaimer: all of these are—as you would guess—julie and the phantoms gifsets. the first half of the year isn’t as good as the second imho.)

january

top: unsaid emily (this is, like, my first or second gifset for this fandom. and it’s luke and unsaid emily. found my brand really early on.)

favourite: about our music... it’s like an energy (the pacing is all over the place and i’d love to redo the whole set ngl, but i’m still fond of it.)

february

top: molinas and pattersons parallels (i’m loving a good parallel and this one is one of the most heartbreaking but also one of my favourites.)

favourite: “poison and wine” for @pearlcaddy‘s incredible soulmate!AU (again, not my best one but it evokes memories for one of my absolute favourite fics.)

march

top: so, thank you for the flowers. they really brighten up the room. (theeeemes. especially in love with the “petals on the beach” bike shop where reggie’s old house was.)

favourite: i know you always want what you can’t have, but luke is next-level. (still like the gradient in this one.)

april

top: after tonight, everything changes. (spot the rose in the middle gif.)

favourite: luke’s outfits from head to toe (listen, this was so. much. work. and i still love the whole concept of it.)

may

top: julie and luke saying each other’s name (i missed one “julie”, shame on me, but the statistics are still fun.)

favourite: julie/luke + favourite place (i decided to experiment with the text in this and i really like how it turned out.)

june

top: 3 time emmy award winners (say their names!)

favourite: #who allowed you to be so pretty while sad 1/2 (all of my favourite sad!lukes. goddamn he’s so pretty when he’s sad.)

july

top: when men roll up their sleeves (i’m still so weak for the rolled up sleeves look. especially the rolled up dress shirt sleeves.)

favourite: jatp vinyl album cover (i think i’ve already said it somewhere else but this definitely is one of my favourite sets. ever. i’m just super happy with it.)

august

top: sunset curve vinyl cover (that shot of alex’s drums in unsaid emily is one of my absolute favourites. definitely expected more backlash for leaving out bobby ngl.)

favourite: so humor me this one last pitch (watch me go off in the tags to this gifset. people misinterpreting caleb’s pitch to the boys will be my villain origin story.)

september

top: anniversary post for julie and the phantoms (the way this got 2k notes until i realised i missed an “r” in “anniversary”...)

favourite: Luke, you wanna take this one? (am i still screaming about this theme? yes, i am.)

october

top: how it started vs. how it’s going (again, i can’t say no to a good parallel. love all the growth we can see in the show. (i also feel like i have to point out, again, that the last row does not mean i agree with alex’s assessment of the “julie needs a hug” situation—it’s literally just about them becoming comfortable enough to give each other comfort and love.)

favourite: but when he goes i know he doesn’t leave (it was either this one or the “julie’s ‘i love you’ pulled the boys from the brink of non-existence“ set but this one was lots of work because of the text and i also like the visualistion of the lyrics.)

november

top: Our band has a real chance at greatness. ઇଓ (very proud of this one. it’s one of my favourite sets from last year.)

favourite: you’re everything (one of my favourite songs with one of my favourite ships? it’s more likely than you think. very proud of the blending in most of these.)

december

top: ✨ emotional support group ✨ (i’d hoped for another post concerning renewal news but it is what it is.)

favourite: my gift is my song, and this one’s for you (happy with the typography in this one. this song just makes me feel things, you know?)

i have no idea who to tag and who’s already been tagged, so... @luke-pattersons, @pink-flame, @alexisclarerose, @rickybown (you don’t have to do each month if you don’t want to and you can do graphics as well for all i care. ♥)

#i know i probably wasn't meant to TALK so much #but if you know me you should also know that i love talking about my stuff #sorry not sorry #yay i was tagged

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charming-charlie · 4 years

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Like Father, Unlike Son

Title // Like Father, Unlike Son

Pairing // Evan Buckley x Reader

Warnings // Mentions of absentee parents. Mentions of sex. Maybe some other little triggers, especially toward our man ☹

Summary // Buck’s parents are in town. Are you sure you want to meet them?

Word Count // 2.7k

Prompt // Hey! Hope you're doing good! I don't know if you ccurrently do requests or not or if this is where to ask for them but I have one in case you do take them. Evan Buckley x reader where his parents come to town and they are really passive agressive towards him, complaining about his work and that he's "not as nice of a boy as he used to be" but he doesn't tell them to stop. Eventually they remark on his birthmark, hitting an old insecurity and reader comforts him? Thank you for your time! <33

Author’s Note // Okay listen writing this broke my heart. Someone fix it by sending me cute little Buck gifs <3

“What are you doing?” you asked your boyfriend, firefighter Evan Buckley, as he pranced around his loft apartment. Armed with a duster in one hand and a broom in the other, you would’ve made a bet with Maddie that he was dressing as Cinderella for Halloween. It was a weird sight to see because he was cleaning. The man was actually cleaning and you could not get over it.

You took your phone out and secretly snapped a few photos of Buck. He was dusting the top of the fridge and it just occurred to you… is that an area people are supposed to clean?

This was getting more and more strange.

You sent the photo to Maddie, who instantly replied, ‘all he is missing is an apron!’ with a few laughing-crying emojis. You smiled at her response, letting your brain picture the sight of Buck prancing around in an apron, holding various cleaning tools, like some 1950s housewife. You would’ve hung onto that ridiculous thought if Buck didn’t decide to speak up just then.

“I told you. My parents are coming. This place needs to be spotless,” Buck started dusting the undersides of the kitchen cabinets and you continued watching him. Your face was scrunched up as you followed his hand movements. Did Buck ever clean like this before?

For as long as you’ve known him, he never really mentioned his parents and that was not something you wanted to ask about unless he brought it up. Maddie mentioned a few things to you, in order to prepare you for the day, but it wasn’t much. Both Buckley parents were absent in their children’s’ lives, forcing Maddie and Buck to rely on each other while growing up. This would be the first time you’ve met them, and the first time Buck has seen them in who knows how long. This was a big deal. You thought you should be the one who is nervous. This would be the first time meeting the boyfriend’s parents and you needed to make a good impression. But Buck… he was acting like the world was going to end if the spout of the kitchen sink wasn’t properly polished. He was nervous enough for the both of you. Your job, which you were trying to settle into without overthinking, was to be calm and level-headed enough for the both of you.

That still didn’t stop the butterflies from moving full speed in your stomach.

When Buck started to pull out all the Tupperware containers and begin rearranging them in a new, organized, and super unnecessary way, you decided to intervene. Standing up, you made your way to your boyfriend and you slipped your arms around him, essentially hugging him from behind. Your head rested between his shoulder blades as you just held him in a comforting way.

Buck froze for a second and you could feel how tense and stiff he was. However, he instantly relaxed in your arms, like a weight had been lifted and you could sense a grin that splashed onto his face. He turned around in your arms, facing you while you hugged him at the waist.

He was taller than you by a good foot. Even if you stood on your tippy toes, you would not reach his lips, and damn did you want to right now. It was a good thing he knew you well enough to read your mind because he was thinking the same thing. He leaned down, much to your happiness, and placed the sweetest, softest kiss upon your lips. It was perfect, the way he dangled himself in front of you, leaving you wanting more and knowing you couldn’t reach him. He teased you in a way that made you both frustrated and excited.

“I know I’m acting crazy. I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you,” Buck said as he captured your lips with his one more time.

The second kiss caught you by surprised, but you welcomed it. You leaned into him and your fingers instantly tightened and gripped his white shirt. You tried to let go, knowing his pressed white shirt and black blazer were for show and he wanted to make a good impression on his parents, but if you didn’t hold onto him, you were going to melt into a puddle of goo.

Imagine Buck trying to clean that up.

You grinned into the kiss as the new image that popped into your head, but it was short-lived. There was a knock on the door, five concise raps in a row. Buck instantly pulled away, and you caught a small, tiny look of fear in his eyes. He masked it by putting on a brave face but you knew him better than that.

“Go get the door, I’ll clean this up,” you told him with a gentle smile. You firmly nudged him toward the door and Buck reluctantly went to open it. You hurriedly put all the Tupperware containers back in their original cabinet, with organization going out the window. The door opened just as you shut the cabinet door, and you turned around on your heels and leaned against the counter, trying to act calm and casual.

You could hear the greetings and see the hugs before you saw the people. Buck’s parents appeared into view, smiling at their son, who you would’ve guessed they haven’t seen in such a long, long time.

First, you saw a woman. Her hair was tightly pulled back into an updo and she dressed in a business suit, paralleling her son in a semi-formal way. Following her was an older gentleman, dressed nearly identical as Buck. Apparently, looking proper was part of the Buckley charm. You must have missed that memo, since you were wearing jeans and a nice shirt, more casual than the Buckley family.

“You must be the one my son is so smitten with,” the woman replied with a smile. She made her way across the living area and into the kitchen, pulling you into a weird and awkward one-armed hug.

“I didn’t know firefighters could afford places like this,” the older gentleman said as he looked around.

You looked at Buck, who’s smile seemed to twitch with slight offensiveness. You knew he was proud of his job and you remember telling him that he loved his job more than you. Naturally, Buck denied that but played along and said his job kept him satisfied in ways that you couldn’t. You took it as a challenge and the two of you had mind-blowingly incredible sex that night. However, you were now cursing at your brain to abandon this train of thought at the station. You didn’t need to think about your sexual life with Buck while his parents were right there.

“I’m doing well for myself,” Buck said with a proud smile.

You nodded in agreement. Buck was doing good. He had a semi-stable job, he was healthy (especially after those blood clots in his leg that gave everybody a scare), and he was happy. Life was pretty good for him, and you could see how he was taking things all in stride.

“I thought you would have made something of yourself by now, Evan.” His mother spoke up. She was standing right next to you and it took every ounce of your strength to pull yourself together and not flash her a ‘what the hell did you just say????’ look. Instead, you kept your eyes on Buck, showing an obvious emotion of confusion.

Buck was certainly caught off guard by his mother’s words and seemed to be rendered speechless when his father chimed in with agreements.

“Firefighting is not a career, you know. I thought we raised you better than that,” his father said so casually, like he was making normal conversation and not offending his son by his choice of employment.

You felt a sense of dread swirling inside. You were longing to meet Buck’s parents and now you could not wait for them to leave.

“He does a very good job as a first responder. He saved countless people. Maddie also helps. It’s pretty great seeing the two Buck siblings take on the world together,” you said, trying not to cringe at how pathetic you sounded. Buck wasn’t speaking up, which meant that you had to take the reins and defend him. He deserves to be treated better than that.

“And to go so long without a phone call, or a letter, or even an email!” Buck’s dad was rambling as he walked around the apartment, staring at how immaculate Buck tried to make it, “would it have killed you to let us know what you’ve been up to? Seems like you just dropped off the face of the earth!”

If that wasn’t disgusting enough, the laugh that Buck’s dad gave shortly after sent your blood boiling. Was he finding this funny, calling his son out like this?

“You used to be such a nice boy,” Buck’s mother said as she approached her son, “but now it just feels like you and your sister enjoy ignoring us.”

How Buck was still standing was impressive to you. If it were you, some deep-rooted anger would have shot out right now and slapped his parents across the face. Buck told you bits and pieces about his parents. They were never there growing up. Their careers were more important than their children, leaving Buck and Maddie to sort of raise each other and look out for one another. It was not an ideal situation, and it broke your heart when Buck told you. He was visibly upset when it came to sharing details about his parents and you didn’t ask further questions.

But when Buck received a phone call from his mom, saying that both mom and dad will be in Los Angeles for a conference, you saw how excited he was. Hell, he was waltzing around the apartment, cleaning and tidying things up all week, after his mom mentioned that she would stop by for a visit with his dad. What was it all for? To be continuously kicked while he was already down?

“And this thing,” Buck’s mother said as her face scrunched in disgust, “you should get this removed. You would look much more handsome.” Her hand brushed against the birthmark on Buck’s face, and Buck instantly pulled back at the touch.

If you weren’t paying attention, you would have missed the part where Buck’s father actually nodded in agreement without having said anything. Your hands were shaking, and you stuffed them into the back pockets of your jeans, trying to keep your nerves in check. These people were Buck’s parents? This is how parents act toward their children?

Buck’s jaw clenched as he inhaled deeply, sending the worst disguised smile in his mother’s direction. “I wonder what’s keeping the food. I’m gonna check, be right back.”

He left the apartment, and you immediately felt like you were swimming in awkwardness. With Buck gone, they might pick on you next, and you were not going to let that happen. Racking your brain for an excuse, you settled with a simple one.

“Shoot, he forgot to grab the money to pay for lunch. I’ll be right back,” you flashed a friendly yet passive-aggressive smile in their direction and took off after your man, who was outside in the fresh air and taking deep breaths with his eyes closed, like he needed to practice meditation in order to calm down.

“Hey,” you said, grabbing him by the arm gingerly. He pulled back quickly, and his eyes popped open, but once he saw it was just you, he relaxed. “Sorry.”

He shook his head at your little apology. “Don’t be. Are you glad to have met them now?”

There was anger laced in his voice and, while you knew it wasn’t directed at you, it still stung a bit to be talked to like that. He could see it on your face and his features melted into pure apology as he reached for your hand. You let him take it, and he slowly tangled his fingers through your own. You let silence wash over the two of you, because that was what was needed right now. Sitting through lunch with those two people was going to be hell, and you wanted no part of it, but you needed to be there for him.

“You know,” you said, leaning into him a little. You couldn’t help it; he was like a magnet that always pulled you in. “You don’t need them. You have a loving, supportive family at the firehouse. Bobby and Athena can be your new parents. They already act the part.”

Buck let out a soft, sweet laugh. The fact that he found your little quip to be entertaining was music to your ears. “You don’t regret dating me, do you?”

You stared at him, unsure if he was being sarcastic or not. The look on his face told you everything you needed to know. He was really asking. Apparently, his parents verbally beating him up made him question a lot of things. You frowned, thinking at how just a fifteen-minute conversation with Buck’s mom and dad could change almost everything about him, you, and your relationship.

“Of course not,” you responded evenly, without even having to think about it, “I love you for you. You can sometimes be dumb, you know this, but you have a true heart of gold. And honestly, Buck, you are hot as hell.”

He laughed again, this time deeper and genuine. He let go of your hand and pulled you into a sweet hug, holding you tightly against his chiseled physique. “I needed that, thank you.”

You pulled away from him just enough to look at his handsome face. “I mean it. You are perfect. Your parents haven’t seen you in years, they haven’t seen how much you’ve changed. I see you every day. I’ve seen the progression. I’ve seen the pain you went through to be who you are today, and I love you so much for it. Let’s just get through this lunch and send your parents on their way, and you never have to think about them again.”

It wasn’t the greatest speech, but it comforted him. His smile never wavered as he looked at you, soaking in the words as they left your mouth. He nodded in response, feeling a newfound sense of bravery seeping inside. “I’ll do it if you are by my side.”

“There’s no place I’d rather be,” you said, knowing exactly how cheesy that sounded. But you didn’t care.

Buck leaned in, claiming your lips against his own in a welcomed surprise. You went back to leaning on him, his arms snaking themselves around you as he kissed you. Your heart was beating erratically as adrenaline pumped through. Your head was slowly filling up with fog and you were losing all sense of direction. If he wasn’t holding you like he was now, you would have no way of knowing which direction was up. Everything was blurry and out of focus, and it was a state of euphoria that you loved being in.

“Excuse me, I’m looking for the Buckley residence? I have eighty dollars’ worth of Chinese food here,” someone’s voice squeaked into your thoughts, taking root much to your annoyance.

You pulled away from Buck’s lips, looking surprised. “Eighty dollars’ worth of food?” you couldn’t help but ask in shock.

“Okay listen, I was planning ahead,” Buck retorted with a smile. He shrugged like he did nothing wrong, like he was not guilty of spending so much money on a Chinese feast.

“Planning for what?’

“You and I aren’t going to leave the apartment for a couple days. The food is to help us replenish our strength.” He winked at you. Since when did he start winking at you?

“Are we working out or something?”

“Yeah, in bed.”

You slapped his arm with a gasp as he laughed and went to the deliver driver to collect the food. God, he was so good to you, and you had to smile at how happy he made you. The two of you could do this. You could both get through one afternoon with the Buckley’s because afterwards, it would be just the two of you again. No worries, no stress, no fear. You wanted that more than anything.

Despite a rocky start, you had a newer outlook on his parents. After all of this, there was one thing you knew for certain. Evan Buckley was not like his parents and you have never been prouder of him.

#Buck #evan buckley #evan buckley x reader #buck x reader #evan buckley x you #9-1-1 #911 #oliver stark #writing request

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bettycooperoutfitwatch · 4 years

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3x18 Chapter Fifty-Three: Jawbreaker

We begin, for like, the millionth time, right where we left off. Riverdale really does have a short timeline.

Track jacket, chesty blue ribbed long-sleeve shirt, key necklace. Edgar confrontation mode.

W o w, this backpack really sticking around huh.

This might be one of the most crop-toppy crop tops we’ve seen Betty wear yet! Paired with a tartan a-line mini.

Her earrings look like little eyes 👁 Evil eye vibes.

Been a minute since we visited Hal, but it’s been an episode since we saw this jacket. Hard to tell what sweater she’s wearing underneath it, but it appears to have a crew or boat neckline, and is white or ecru in color.

Heyyy, this yet another trench coat that it new to us. Betty’s worn like three or four different trench coats over three seasons. This appears to be a dark windowpane check, and it might actually be black. We rarely see Betty in true black; usually just at funerals, which...works for this moment in which she brings Alice to Charles’s fake grave.

Fittingly, if I recall correctly, she last wore these gloves at Midge’s funeral in 219. It’s entirely possible I’ve overlooked another appearance of them, I’m only human.

It’s kind of great that she didn’t go full-black for her outfit. It’s a fake death, after all.

The knit of her sweater reminds me of Super Mario Bros.

Love some prop photos. The bottom left picture is clearly taken during the filming for 109 (brick thru the window scene). Top right, while defo season 1, is a little too hard to place, and bottom right is undecipherable (I could prob hunt it down via Alice’s sweater, but this isn’t Alice Cooper Outfit Watch.) The rest are (presumably) from the Reinhart Family Collection.

Betty:

Archie:

gif via

Me:

Striped collars and cuffs are a regular Betty Sweater motif.

A zombie cheerleader, nbd.

Just to get an idea of the coat’s true length.

This sweater is such an interesting echo of the red daisy sweater she wore last episode (317).

Half-length sleeves and puff shoulders, a very subtle heart detail in the knit, worn with her blue velvet Mary Janes and some skinny denims. This is, I do declare, a Look. It speaks innocence, and yet.

Stone Cold Bitch Betty Cooper!!! Ask around about her, ppl will tell 👏 you 👏 !

This moment echoes a favorite early Betty moment, from 102:

Love a parallel.

Let’s get into Alice Farm confessionals for a moment. I think these are interesting to consider in the arc of Alice’s Convert-to-Informant storyline.

We don’t know the timeline of these recording sessions, but I’d suggest that this one, at least, happens after Alice has started to truly become suspicious of the Farm.

By telling Edgar this, Alice tells him Betty is capable of violence—she’s trying to keep him away from Betty, to make him afraid of tripping that Darkness™ wire. She’s dissembling; Alice holds her own, and I don’t think she’s afraid of Betty.

Another new coat? We’ve never seen this coat before. Note the pink trim. Note the... fckn absurd span of the sherpa collar. It kind of echoes her Sisters of Quiet Mercy uniform, right? Please note she’s standing in what once was the Sisters of Quiet Mercy.

The outwear train carries on. We met this jacket in 315, but we get a better idea of its shape here, a fairly dramatic flare out from the waist, and its shiny shiny buttons.

What a distinctive Betty Cooper sweater! It’s a light blue ribbed long-sleeve, and from the collar bow (delightful), it’s very clearly a cousin of the sweaters we saw in 211 and 222.

I really love this moment where she looks down before asking Toni her question.

I wonder what Hal is up to?

nvm.

Summary: Six different outfits, including the one that ended last episode. Also, so much fckn outerwear in this ep, right? I’m not crazy?

Key necklace appearances: Key necklace starts off the ep for us

Is Betty a River Vixen??: A Vixen in practice uniform cracks her head open against the lockers on a bad G trip, but neither B nor V are in uniform...

That backpack?: Backpack 2.0 seems to be sticking around.

The floggingink Memorial Peter Pan Collar Count: I’m gonna say one half, just for that sherpa collar coat.

Best outfit: For the second ep in a row, it’s red daises

#3x18 #s3 #riverdale #betty cooper outfit watch #betty cooper #long post

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thebestplltheories · 5 years

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PLL The Perfectionists - 102 Sex, Lies & Alibis: LIVE REACTION

Previously on Pretty Little Liars The Perfectionists. Ahhhhhh. Feels like home hearing those words!

Wtf this is an excessively long Previously On.

I love episodes that pick up where we left off!

I don’t know why but I’m not connecting with Dylan’s boyfriend like I connected instantly with other partners like Maya, Ezra, etc. I’ll give it some time!

That’s so sad that Caitlin and Jeremy has to duck when there’s a car :(

Ummmm why is Ali concerned about that text “from Nolan”? Surely the police can see that it was sent just now and not last night...

Caitlin being concerned about what the barrister thinks of her over how many sugars she wants... yikes. Desire for perfection, even in front of people that don’t matter/never see again.

Why is Dylan always pointing out the obvious?? First “that’s exactly how you planned it” (or whatever he said in the pilot) and now “Not just gone, murdered”?

OMG I think the “safe place” Mona was told to go to is this nerdy and obsessive place! She feels safe when she’s nerdy Mona because she feels like she has the situation under control. And look at her go. She’s trying to solve the murder (with mathematical equations????)

I just got a text from the dead guy whose body we just saw while he was dead. Sorry Marlene (I think she wrote this episode) but that line was cringeworthy! So far the writing has been very good though.

“A-like” 😭

Ok I’m really liking Dylan. Eli is doing an AMAZING job. And he’s the new kid! First acting job. Seriously impressed.

Car drives at night. Why did my mind instantly go to the Ezria scene where Ezra says that sometimes the bad guys win?? Anyway, car scenes at night is typical PLL.

Jeremy seems like a good dude. So he’s probably the killer.

I think they’re overdoing the pie thing. That was Ezria’s thing! Ali and Mona never had pie in the original series and now Ali is like “HELLO I HAVE PIE, MONA LISTEN TO ME, I HAVE KEY LIME PIE DAMNIT!” It was cool for episode 1 but just drop the pie thing now?

I feel I’m back on the hamster wheel like I’m back in Rosewood. Love that line!

Ali slapping Mona was clearly a nod to PLL 505 and the scene could’ve gone without it but... why not? I guess it fit the context here. I’m not against it but I’m not totally in love with the scene. I’m just neutral.

“I dont know how long I have until you slip back into your beautiful mind” that’s a great line. Nice one Marlene. It’s like an insult (implication is that she’s out of her mind) and a compliment (beautiful mind) at the same time. It beautifully captures the relationship between Ali and Mona.

Loving seeing the trio Ava, Dylan and Caitlin! So far all the scenes with the 3 of them in it have been some of my favourites.

OMG A PLL FUNERAL HERE WE GO BITCHES

I AM LIVING

SOFIA THINKS THE FUNERAL IS A CATWALK AND IM OKAY WITH THAT

“You should sit up the front it’s what Nolan would’ve wanted” omg do I even need to explain the parallel here

Waiting for someone to pass Ava a drink and say “today I think you do” lmao

Ok nope didn’t happen

HAHAHAHA IS THE COP’S NAME DANA BOOKER BECAUSE SHE PLAYED ARIA’S BOOK PUBLISHER IN PLL HAHAHAHHAHAA

But in all seriousness it makes no sense that she’s back in this show as a different character. Next thing you’ll know they’ll bring back Keegan and he’ll play a new character named Bill.

If they wanted us to be scared of Dana in the same way we were scared of Wilden in PLL’s pilot, I don’t know if it’s working? I mean, not because there’s no drama going on. There’s plenty of drama. But I’m not sold by this actress?

“I will find out who killed Nolan Hotchkiss” should’ve been way more iconic than that.

This scene between Ali and Mona is everything I needed from this spinoff. I knew they wouldn’t be enemies! It’s beautifully written too. Love the little nod to original PLL, where Mona says “because you know you’ll lose” (at my game). Well Ali did lose, Mona fooled her that night.

I love Caitlin and Dylan’s scenes!!! They’re funny and Sydney and Eli seem to have great chemistry.

FREEFORM CAN SAY SHIT!?!?!?!

Why do I feel like Mason was in a relationship with Nolan???

Omg that note Dylan found! That’s so A like. We’re back 😭😍

I put my phone down during this night scene walking with the candles. Loved the entire scene.

Wait where have I heard that song in the background???

Ugh I’m hating Dana because she’s everywhere but I guess that’s a good thing. I think this is the beginning of a “love to hate her” relationship.

Ok Claire it is NEVER ok to scare people like that.

Did Claire just say when Taylor disappeared???? She definitely knows she’s alive.

How hard would it have been to get Ashley Benson to send over a couple lines? That phone call just screams fan service, which is fine, because some fans are watching the spin-off purely for moments like this, but it just felt out of place and I can’t pinpoint why. But whatever. It was cute I guess. I’m happy that Haleb and Spoby fans got their updates.

Again I put my phone down now because I sensed that shit was about to go down. But that final scene was EVERYTHING!!! It was on an epic level in my opinion. Alison stepping in to give them an alibi came out of nowhere so I was shocked AND happy. Happy, because they just revealed how Alison is going to get entangled in this mystery! And the ‘bring it on bitch’ was simply iconic. I want a gif of that right now. And if this show was more popular, that’d be a meme all over social media by the morning. Anyway. That final scene was amazing. It set the entire tone of the show and established a new dynamic/relationship within seconds. Ali is now on their side!

It feels so weird being in a mindset where I’m not demanding answers. I’m not expecting to find out who killed Nolan for a damn long time and I’m okay with that. I’m fine to keep asking questions for a while. It feels weird to be watching PLL and not thinking “where are the answers???”

Overall, another 10/10 episode. Definitely. It was sensational. If this show goes for another 5-7 seasons, I can picture these episodes being “the glory days”, like how PLL seasons 1-2 are considered ‘prime time’. So far, they’re on a winning streak of 2 flawless episodes in a row. Obviously can go downhill at any time but let’s not look at it from that perspective!

No filler. Every scene was like adding a new brick to the house being built so to speak. Honestly, this episode could’ve even been called Pilot Part 2. It picked up exactly where the pilot finished and it continued to established the tone and foundation of the rest of the show. It did everything an episode 2 should do. Well done Marlene! (Again I think Marlene did write this one.)

So yeah. I’m hooked.

#pll #pretty little liars #pll the perfectionists #plltp #pll tp #the perfectionists #pretty little liars the perfectionists

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padfootagain · 6 years

Text

Heroes (I)

Part 1 : Real Dreams

I'm sorry. But I'm too obsessed with this show. I can't help it. So here we go, I'm writing for Steve Harrington too from now on. Feel free to send me requests for this character and to ask to be added to his tag list.

This is a little AU, but if you've read a few of my writings you might have noticed that I don't really care about being AU as long as I'm not out of character… I hope you all like it anyway.

As it's my first time at writing for Steve Harrington, I hope it's going to be good. Tell me what you think about it and don't hesitate to tell me if you think that I should change some things about his characterization.

I hope you all like this. This should be a two-parts series, unless you want me to make it longer… I'll post the two parts in a row.

Gif not mine.

Word Count : 3635

You walked out of Hawkins Laboratory. Again. The meetings occured more and more often, as your crisis were more frequent as well these days.

You kicked a stone in frustration, struggling not to shout your lungs out.

No one in this bloody lab believed you.

Since you had managed to escape from the Upside Down a year ago with the help of Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper, you didn't feel fully like yourself. You felt like a part of you was still trapped there…

Just like Will, you had been dragged in this other world that existed next to yours, but unlike Barbara, you had managed to survive. Running blindly through the forest to escape this monster that had captured you, you had fallen upon Will as he hid in his house, and the two of you had tried to survive together from then.

What had happened in the real world while you were trying to survive in this parallel universe had been told to you after you were rescued. The search for Will. The search for you. Nancy and Steve breaking up quickly as he spent all his energy looking for you, and she tried to figure out where Barbara was. Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper walking in the Upside Down to get you and Will back. You felt grateful for such efforts to rescue you, but all you had left from this part of your life was fear and trauma.

And actually… you were certain that it was more than trauma. It felt tangible. When you had these crisis of yours, the world around you suddenly switched from bright and full of life to dark and filled with death. Suddenly, you were not at Hawkins anymore, you were back in this world you tried to run away from. It happened without real reasons. Suddenly you were not there anymore. Suddenly you were back in that giant tomb. And you didn't know how to get out of it.

Dr Owens and his team thought that you were just suffering of a severe form of post-traumatic stress that caused hallucinations that were so vivid that you got confused and took them for reality. But you knew it was more than that. No matter what this bunch of scientists kept on saying, you knew that there was something more to it. The clues were there, obvious, relevant, but somehow, they all chose to ignore those signs.

Will had the same type of crisis, sometimes at the same time as you. And when it happened simultaneously for the two of you, you could see him in the Upside Down. You could talk to him, touch him, he was there, tangible. And he felt the exact same as you. There were all the feelings you felt as well during these crisis. They were strong, real. You could touch things, you could grab things… Your nights were also punctuated by terrifying nightmares, but they felt different. They were vivid, yes, violent for most of them, but they were more… blur as well. Some bits were missing, they were not completely coherent, some pieces didn't fit. But your crisis were flawless. Every one of your actions led to a logical reaction, there was no hole in the events that occurred then. And you couldn't imagine that some things like hallucinations could be so logical.

But no one believed you. Except for Joyce Byers, who was too much worried about her son to ignore the worst theories. And your boyfriend, who trusted you enough to believe whatever you said.

You walked towards the large gate of the lab, the sun warm on your skin despite the cold air, but you couldn't feel the warmth. You were too worried to focus on anything. You didn't even see the road your feet were striding upon, you just let yourself being carried out of the lab out of habits.

You finally were dragged out of your thoughts as you arrived before the metallic gate, and waited for the security guard to open it for you. Down the road, Steve was waiting for you in his car. He waved at you, a warm smile on his lips. You smiled back at him, feeling a bit less desperate at the sight of him.

The two of you had been best friends for years, but your disappearance a year before had shaken something into him. He had changed as a person, growing out of adolescence and leaving his kind of stupid behaviour behind to turn into a more responsible person. But that was not the only change caused by your vanishing. He had suddenly realized that you were more than a friend to him.

Perhaps it was because you had always been here, because it was just that his mind had never dared to imagine such a terrifying thing, but he had never thought that he could ever lose you during all these years of friendship. To him, you were a safe place he knew he could always go to. But then you disappeared, you almost died, and he realized that nothing lasted forever. He woke up from what he now called 'his shithead time' and suddenly realized that he never wanted to lose you again.

If your disappearance woke up his feelings for you, he was careful not to hurry, and you were grateful for the kind gesture. He waited a few more months before confessing his true feelings, waiting for your life to find back a more normal rhythm, waiting for the trauma to partially subside and for your smiles to shine more brightly again. He reckoned that you had enough troubles to deal with before that, you didn't need your best friend to suddenly confess his love for you on top of all that you had been through.

But Steve being by your side had helped you a lot to deal with the trauma. After all, he had fought the Demogorgon, he knew what had really happened to you. It felt so good to be with someone who understood what you had been through, for a part at least.

You climbed inside his car, sitting down on the passenger seat, and you let out a heavy sigh.

"That terrible?" Steve asked with an amused smile and a quirked eyebrow.

"Yeah… useless, as usual."

He nodded slowly, starting the car, and slowly driving towards the town.

"They don't believe you, huh?" he asked, looking at you for a few seconds, before focusing on the road again.

You shook your head.

"They say it's post-traumatic stress. And that… as it's been almost a year, the anniversary coming closer and closer enhances my symptoms. But I know that there's more to it."

He nodded, before reaching for your hand.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked softly.

You could feel your heart swollen with gratefulness. You knew he meant it. He wanted to help. But you also knew that he couldn't.

"I don't think so," you gave him a sad smile. "But you're here, and that's enough to help me feeling better."

He smiled, one of his hand tightly wrapped around your fingers while the other rested loosely onto the wheel.

"What about the kid?" he asked.

"He wasn't there today."

"It's strange that you both have the same… visions."

"I'm pretty sure that we've never been really brought back here. That we're still… connected to that place somehow."

He let out a heavy breath, clearly thinking hard. But there was nothing he could do, he could see no solution to help you escape this damned place.

"Next time you have one of those crisis of yours, if I'm around, you call for me, okay? Because… perhaps I can help you snap out of it, you know?"

You slowly nodded.

"Okay, I will."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"Do you feel like going to school today? Or we could… not go there," he proposed.

You rolled your eyes.

"Don’t use me as an alibi to miss class."

"Hey! I just want to help here!"

"I can go to school. On the contrary. It'll keep my head busy."

"Sure?"

"Yeah, I'll be okay."

"I'll probably get out of basketball late tonight," he said. "Will you be okay?"

"I'll wait for you," you nodded. "Is Hargrove still giving you a hard time?"

Steve shrugged, but you knew better.

"You don't like that guy," you added.

"He has his eyes on you. So no, I don't like him."

You smiled as Steve parked the car before the school. It was almost time for your first class to begin, but you didn't mind arriving a bit late. You wanted to stay with Steve for a bit longer.

You lifted your hand to his cheek, and he turned to you again, as the sound of the engines died out.

"I'm not interested. I already have a boyfriend."

He smiled.

"And a very good one!"

You laughed.

"Now… don't get ahead of yourself, Harrington!"

He chuckled.

"Should I feel worried then?" he joked.

But you shook your head, unfastening your seatbelt so you could lean towards him.

"I love you, you idiot."

He smiled.

"I love you too, you reckless arse."

But instead of kissing you, he frowned slightly, staring right at you. And his voice sounded like he was making a promise he intended never to break.

"I won't let anything take you away from me again, Y/N."

You leaned further and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

"I know. I'm counting on it," you smiled. "And I intend to keep you all for myself too."

You both chuckled.

"I knew you were possessive," he joked, making you giggle.

He brushed a lock of your hair away from your face, his gaze gentle as it rested on your eyes again.

"Just… don't leave me again. Deal, Y/L/N?"

"Deal, Harrington."

This time, he was the one to capture your lips in a loving kiss.

And you both definitely arrived late to your first class…

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

It was strange to walk through a deserted High School. It was late already, and classes were all over. Only a few boys were left, playing basketball in the gymnasium. Steve was one of them. You had waited for him, watching the game, and raging against Hargrove again. Now though, you were left alone, pacing up and down the corridor next to the gymnasium, waiting for Steve to get a shower and take you home.

You hummed softly to yourself, the sound of your voice echoing in the empty corridor. Your footsteps sounded louder than usual as well, the only movements disturbing the silence. You heaved a sigh, hoping that Steve would soon be here.

Above your head the neon lights faltered for a second.

You looked down at your watch.

But you didn't read the time.

Your eyes grew round as the lights above you went out altogether, leaving you in a dark world filled with cotton like particles that got caught in your hair like snowflakes. You recognized this oppressive feeling over your chest, as if it was suddenly harder for you to breathe. The air burnt your lungs, you recognized the poisoned atmosphere.

And when you looked up again, everything was covered with grey and shadows, dark plants covering the walls.

You were back in Hell…

You took a few deep breaths, trying to slow down your heart that was now rushing with fear.

You gathered enough air in your lungs to shout as loudly as you could.

"STEVE!"

You fell silent, listening closely to the sounds around you. But the world was silent.

"STEVE!"

Again you were met by nothing but the echoes of your own voice and a heavy silence.

"STEVE!"

Nothing.

You closed your eyes tightly until your eyelids turned white. Perhaps if you shut your eyes tightly enough, it would all disappear, as if you woke up from a nightmare.

But when you lifted your eyelids once more, it was to see the long plants growing on the walls of your school.

And Steve was not here.

You felt tears stinging your eyes and blurring your sight. Your heart was pounding but you couldn't slow it down. You were too scared for that.

You were trapped once more, and you didn't know how to escape…

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

Steve ran out of the shower. He ignored the two other boys who laughed at him for hurrying to his girlfriend as he charged through the changing room, grabbing his shirt and struggling to put his trousers on despite his hurry. You shouted his name a second time, and he pushed the door open, hurrying in the corridor.

"Y/N!" he called, running to you.

He stopped right before you, still wet from the shower, traces of shampoo lingering in his messy hair, his shirt still in his hand for now.

Tommy and Hargrove walked out of the changing room too, still laughing. They were both shirtless as well, and were drying their hair with white towels.

"What's with your girlfriend, Steve? Getting mental again?" Tommy laughed.

But the look Steve threw at him made his laugh die in his throat.

"Don't you dare, Tommy," Steve warned him.

He turned to you again, as you shouted his name again. You seemed completely panicked.

"Y/N! I'm right here!" he said.

He waved his hand before your eyes, but you didn't follow his movement, staring through him as if… as if you couldn't see him…

"Oh fuck…" he breathed.

Finally, their coach walked into the corridor.

"What's going on here?" he asked.

"You have to call for Hopper!" Steve urged his teacher.

"What?!"

"Y/N is not well, she needs help. Call for Hopper. Ask specifically for Hopper. Tell him that she's having a crisis, he'll understand."

"I'm sure a bit of fresh air will be enough and we do not need to call the chief of the police dep…"

"DO IT!" Steve roared.

He was shaking from head to toe by now. He knew you were stuck in this world all over again, and he didn't know how to help you.

"Just do it! She's been like this before. Trust me, it's serious!" he told his teacher, who mumbled something under his breath, but walked to reach the phone anyway.

"No need to linger here, boys," he told Hargrove and Tommy before disappearing in search of the phone, but the two adolescents didn't move an inch.

Steve turned to you once more. He saw you closing tightly your eyes, and when you opened them again, they were filled with tears.

"Y/N… babe, come on… Can you hear me?" he asked.

He raised his hand to touch your arm, but was interrupted as Will Byers stormed into the corridor, calling for you.

You turned towards the child, frowning hard.

"Will!" you breathed, bending to hold him in your arms.

"It's happening again!" the boy breathed, his voice shaking with panic and fear filling his eyes.

"What the hell is happening?" Billy Hargrove asked, an amused smile on his lips before the show.

"I know, buddy," you tried to reassure him, stroking soothingly his hair and holding him close to you. "I know. But it's gonna be okay. I'm here."

"Hey! Y/N!" Steve raised his voice, trying to get you out of your trance.

The sound of children's voices reached the little group, and Steve was not surprised to find Lucas, Dustin and Mike hurrying towards them. He heaved a sigh, rubbing the edge of his nose. As if he didn't have enough on his plate already…

"Steve!?" Dustin called, struggling to catch his breath, as his friends and him had clearly been running to the gymnasium, following Will. "Why are you… not wearing a shirt?"

"I was taking a shower," Steve explained.

"Why do you have shampoo in your hair?" Lucas asked as well.

"Weren't you listening? I was taking a shower."

"Yeah but…"

"I was taking a shower, but Y/N called for me. So I didn't finish to wash my hair and tried to help her instead!"

He looked at you and Will again.

"They're having a crisis again, right?" Mike asked softly, looking up at Steve with worry painted all over his features.

Steve nodded.

"Yeah, looks like it. I've asked a teacher to call for Hopper. Hopefully, he'll know what to do."

"But if it's some kind of… hallucination… can't we just… wake them up? Like… from a nightmare?" Lucas asked.

"What do you think I've been trying to do since she called, smartass?" Steve asked back.

"Have you tried to shake them?" Dustin asked.

He didn't wait for an answer and grabbed you with one hand and Will with the other, and tried to shake the two of you. But somehow, he couldn't move any of you at all.

"What the hell?!" he cursed, letting go.

"Y/N keeps on saying that it's not just post-traumatic stress," Steve breathed. "That she's still… there."

Steve and the three children exchanged worried glances. Behind them, Tommy and Hargrove were starting to get annoyed.

"I don't know what kind of scene you all are trying to make, but it's boring, King Steve," Hargrove yawned, walking away, closely followed by Tommy.

Steve exhaled loudly, but didn't reply. You needed him now, he would deal with Billy Hargrove later. For now, he finally put his shirt on, before resting his hand on your shoulder.

"Babe, can you hear me? You have to come back now," he said soflty, shaking you gently, like he would do to wake you up when you overslept and needed to go to school.

But you didn't answer him, you shook your head instead, answering to Will.

"Yeah well… Out of the question. This place sucks. I'm not setting a foot there ever again."

The little boy in your arms smiled at the joke.

"It's gonna be okay," you reassured him.

"The party was with me," Will said. "Do you think they followed me?"

"Not here," you shook your head again.

"Do you think that they will find something to bring us back?"

You nodded.

"I was with Steve. He's… they're all going to find out something. Like the first time."

Steve felt tears wetting his eyes, and he shook you a bit more violently, becoming frantic with all this frustration that made his blood boil.

"Y/N! I'm right here! Wake up! BABY!"

You frowned slightly, and seemed to turn towards him. You narrowed your eyes, as if your eyes searched for his.

"Y/N, can you hear me?" he asked again.

You narrowed your eyes even more, but didn't seem to distinguish anything…

But then he felt you tensing under his touch. In your arms, Will turned around, horror covering his face, his eyes wide with fear.

And when your gaze followed Will's, Steve read the same horror in your gaze…

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

"It's happening again!"

"I know, buddy. I know. But it's gonna be okay. I'm here."

You held the boy tightly in your arms. You tried to make your voice sound reassuring, but you were shaking with fear from head to toe. Steve had not answered your call, and it was just one more proof that you were right. You had been right all along.

This was real.

It wasn't simply a dream, and yet, you knew somehow that you were still connected to Hawkins. Perhaps it was not completely reality either. Perhaps it was something in the middle…

… like a real dream…

"What do we do, Y/N?" Will asked, trembling in your arms.

"I… I'm thinking," you cleared your throat to fight the lump that was starting to form there. "I'm thinking of a plan, buddy. Give me a minute."

"Dr… Dr Owens says it's in our heads."

But you shook your head.

"No, Will. I don't think it's just an illusion."

"Bob… said that it was just like a nightmare. And we had to force it to go away."

"I don't think it's that easy. I think there's something more."

"Like… As if it wanted us back?"

You nodded slowly.

"Yeah well… Out of the question. This place sucks. I'm not setting a foot there ever again."

Will gave you a weak smile.

"It's gonna be okay," you reassured him.

"The party was with me. Do you think they followed me?"

"Not here," you shook your head again.

"Do you think that they will find something to bring us back?"

This time, you nodded.

"I was with Steve. He's… they're all going to find out something. Like the first time."

But then, a hushed sound reached your ear. It wasn't something frightening though, more… like a whisper. Or more precisely, as if someone far away was shouting, and all you could catch was a whisper. It wasn't loud enough for you to understand the words that were spoken, but you were not afraid of it. It was reassuring, on the contrary. You turned towards the source of the noise, but could only see a wall. You tried to narrow your eyes, but there was nothing.

The whisper came back, but again, you couldn't understand, you tried to narrow your eyes even more, focusing hard.

But another sound echoed through the corridor, and this one made your freeze. You felt every single one of your muscles tensing, a shiver running down your spine.

You looked down the corridor, knowing Will was looking in that direction as well.

You saw the monster slowly walking through the empty space. It didn't seem to have noticed you yet. It looked like the Demogorgon, but instead of standing like a man, it was walking on all fourth like a dog. You could recognize the same faceless head though, the large mouth opening in four pieces and ready to swallow anything.

And then, the beast turned towards you…

*****************************

Tag list : @ponycake27 @mxrihollxnd @horsesreign

#steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington imagine #stranger things #stranger things imagine #stranger things fanfic #steve harrington fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic #imagine #writing

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comfortablynumbonthepuzzle · 6 years

Text

Mike/Will Season 2, Episode 1: A Shot by Shot Analysis

Ok, here it is! The first installation of my shot-by-shot analysis series!

Some things to know before reading:

This series will go episode by episode and each post will discuss scenes that I think are relevant to understanding Mike and Will’s relationship. I’m publishing them as I write them, so I might miss things. If I do, I’ll be sure to include them later.

This analysis focuses on what I think the Duffers’ intentions are as far as this pairing and what the Mike/Will scenes in season two could indicate about season three. It’s not always going to reflect that Byeler is endgame, because as much as I love Byeler (and I really do), I just don’t think it’s going to be canon, at least not in the way that we hope. Don’t despair, though.

If you haven’t, read my Is Will Byers Gay? post first! It basically establishes my thoughts about Gay Will. Give it a reblog if you’re so inclined :) Note that I wrote it BEFORE I knew about the stranger things bible clipping which basically confirms it, which you can find here.

These are just my thoughts/opinions! Feel free to disagree, and please do! Just do so respectfully :) I wrote this because I love Stranger Things, something we ultimately all have in common. If you have negative/nasty opinions about this analysis or are offended by the suggestion that Will Byers is gay, I ask politely that you keep them to yourself.

I couldn’t find gifs for everything I wanted :/ if someone knows a better way to do this, I’d appreciate the help!

Anyway, thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoy! (Also: I’m tagging @packupyourthingses @leondrmccoys @we-dance-like-marionettes who (I think?) asked to be tagged, and @thebandersnatchoftheshire who expressed an interest in the post a while back.)

EPISODE 1: MAD MAX

Let’s start off with some general observations.

In the first season, Will is missing, leaving his three best friends and Eleven to recover him. In the second season, Will is back, Eleven is gone, and Max has joined the party. Obviously, each of these changes makes a significant contribution to existing group dynamics. Mike, for example, changes significantly in the wake of Eleven’s departure, while Lucas and Dustin are overjoyed at Max’s arrival.

In season 1, storylines are segmented by age group. i.e., the kids, teenagers, and adults all embark on separate adventures that ultimately converge. As we would expect of a second installation, narratives in season two reflect character and story arcs established earlier. As a result, the groups are not so neatly divided. Ergo, Steve hangs with Dustin/Lucas/Max, Mike/Will end up with Joyce/Hopper, etc.

Crucially, the core group of boys is divided into pairs. Mike and Will spend most of the season together, as do Dustin and Lucas. The use of these pairs, which are established almost immediately, is an unmistakeable narrative device all throughout the season.

1. Arcade

The arcade scene is the first in the season of all the boys together. They spend the first half of it together playing video games, arguing with Keith, etc, and the second half divided into pairs. This begins when Will is transplanted suddenly into the upside down and steps outside the arcade.

Lucas and Dustin, at that point, are preoccupied with divining MadMax’s true identity. Because of this, it’s Mike who comes out to check on Will, and likely the one who noticed he was missing in the first place. This is the first clue as to the extent of the closeness between the two. It’s deliberate: as we see here, and throughout the season, Will/Mike and Dustin/Lucas are partitioned, and their individual friendships are developed.

In the scene, Mike comes outside and finds Will. He then makes sure he’s okay, puts his arm around him, and guides him inside. This gesture, to me, reads as pretty innocuous physical affection (of course, you’re welcome to disagree). It was, however, a conscious stylistic choice, made by the duffers with the intention of communicating a number of things. In this scene, we begin to learn firstly that Mike and Will are close, and secondly, that Mike is protective of Will, concerned for his wellbeing, and (probably) an important source of emotional support. The arm gesture underscores Mike’s key character traits: his protectiveness, his characteristic warmth and compassion for others, and his ability to take charge when the situation calls for it and help those in need.

Here’s why that matters: Mike’s behavior in this particular scene is especially interesting in the context of his recent character development. Eleven’s disappearance has clearly affected him profoundly, and in the first three episodes of the season, we learn just how much. Earlier in episode one we see him stealing from Nancy, and in a later scene with his parents, we learn that he’s acted out in a number of ways over the past year, all indicating that Mike’s moral compass, distinct and venerable in season 1, has weakened somewhat. Same goes for his trademark positivity and determination. This season he’s sullen, irritable, apathetic, and in [my paraphrasing of] Finn Wolfhard’s own words, “not as much of a leader.”

And yet, Mike manages to be there for Will in that moment, to take note of his presence (or lack thereof), to guide him, to help heal him. It would appear that, in Mike’s moody “post-eleven period”, it is in his relationship with Will that he has remained his best self.

The question is, WHY? In the first episode of Beyond Stranger Things, Finn Wolfhard remarks (and the Duffers agree) that in Eleven’s absence, Mike needs “someone to impress” and therefore “tries to impress Will”. I also agree with this interpretation. Romance aside, Mike and El’s relationship is (among other things) characterized by a deep mutual admiration. Will, who’s obviously vulnerable, is an opportunity for Mike to be important to someone again, to be needed. Because of this, Will in particular has assumed a new level of importance in Mike’s life post-eleven, because in a way, Will helps Mike cope with the trauma of his loss. And, of course, Mike is very important for Will, who needs someone compassionate, sweet and understanding to help him cope with his trauma. They’re bonded by shared horrifying experiences from season 1: Will going missing; Mike losing El. They are, for all intents and purposes, “crazy together”.

I can’t say with certainty that their relationship has a new dimension/purpose/function in the wake of all that’s happened, because Will was missing for the entirety of last season and we saw basically nothing of their friendship, so it’s impossible to make a comparison. But, I predict that in the aftermath of season one, Mike and Will’s (already close) friendship matured and deepened, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the change in their friendship had an effect on Will and how he sees their relationship.

What are the implications of this? It’s worth it to consider:

The effects of this close relationship on Will. How does he feel about his closeness with Mike, new or not? How does he feel about the reemergence of Eleven? I predict angst. Lots of it.

The potential of a love triangle. There are a bunch of amazing posts about this, find some here and here. I’m not convinced we’ll get one, but it’s interesting to consider in the context of this analysis. Remember that Will and Eleven have never interacted (which I think is also deliberate). How will Mike balance his emotional responsibilities to both Will and Eleven? How will Will and Eleven adjust to each other, when each of them is emotionally significant to and in some form, emotionally reliant on, Mike Wheeler? (Not suggesting Eleven needs Mike, she obviously doesn’t need a man, but it would be silly to deny how much he means to her, and vice versa.) Consider also, that there are SO MANY parallels between Will and Eleven. SO MANY. There are a lot of posts already analyzing this, I’ll link one here.

That being said, I do think Mike and Will have always been close. There are hints to this even in season 1. Exhibits A and B.

2. Mr. Clarke’s room

The next shot we see of the boys is in Mr. Clarke’s classroom, just before Max is first introduced. They sit in two rows of two: Dustin and Lucas in front; Will and Mike in back. This, if just visually, emphasizes the “pairs” theory I discussed earlier. Dustin and Lucas look at and whisper to only each other.

3. Will gets in Joyce’s car while Dustin, Lucas and Mike watch from a distance

The physical set up of this scene again is deliberate. Mike is in front, with Lucas and Dustin behind him. (If you think this is grasping at straws, try picturing the scene with Dustin up front - it changes the mood). All the boys are concerned; Mike especially so. The exchange is as follows: Lucas asks, “Do you guys think he’s okay?”, to which Mike says, “I don’t know, he’s quiet today”. Lucas responds, “He’s always quiet.”

Then, the camera zooms in on Mike’s particularly troubled expression. We, the audience, KNOW that all is not well. We KNOW Will had an episode the night before, which explains why “he’s quiet today”. Lucas dismisses Mike’s uncertainty, but WE know that Mike is right. This is supposed to tell us that out of the group, Mike is the most intuitive/perceptive when it comes to Will, and that Lucas and Dustin obviously care very deeply for Will, but don’t know him like Mike does.

4. Lucas and Dustin at the arcade.

In this scene, Lucas and Dustin are at the arcade, trying to figure out if Max is MadMax. Will isn’t there because he’s at Hawkins lab, but where is Mike? Mike is uninterested in Max from the beginning (and so is Will, for that matter, beyond wanting to figure out if she’s MadMax. I don’t think we ever see them interact directly).

Mike is unessential to the scene, so there’s no real reason to have him there, but I thought it was interesting that they weren’t all hanging out. This scene demonstrates that Lucas and Dustin are a pair. They have shared jokes, a witty banter, and now a shared goal, which is to befriend Max. That goal bonds them and frames their eventual storyline of setting a trap for Dart.

5. Will drawing in his room

(Sorry guys - I couldn’t find a screencap of the line I wanted; if you find one where Will says Mom, Dustin, Lucas, Everyone” PLEASE let me know!)

When Will takes Jonathan to task for treating him like a baby, he implicates “Mom, Dustin, Lucas, everyone”. The only person he doesn’t mention is Mike, which is interesting, because so far, Mike is the only one of the friend group we’ve seen express concern for Will in any capacity. This is ABSOLUTELY on purpose. Again, it emphasizes their close relationship and alludes to a symbiosis: later in the exchange, Will says “It doesn’t help. It just makes me feel like more of a freak.” Perhaps he doesn’t feel alienated by Mike’s help because Mike has been through something similar, which makes him also a freak.

It’s worth it to mention that Will has no screen time alone with any of the other characters. I think it’s probably because the writers felt the only relationship of Will’s they needed to emphasize was with Mike.

SO...

That’s it for episode 1! Let me know if there’s anything I missed!

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becca-archive · 6 years

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People in the 100 fandom have such a distorted view of what a parallel is i swear some of your gifsets don't even make sense

LMAO this message is so rude and unnecessary!!! also you’re saying gifsets but im going to assume you’re talking about my most recent bellamy/raven gifset, because it would be quite pathetic if you took your time going through my gifs tag just to find other parallel sets and say they don’t make sense either. anyways, since you took time out of your day to send such an ugly message im going to explain to you why you’re wrong since you’re clearly too stupid to understand what my gifs meant.

the first row of gifs is bellamy & raven both coming down to earth on their own since they’re not part of the 100 prisoners, ALSO they both came down to protect someone they love so = parallel

the second row is self explanatory, raven stopping bellamy from shooting someone/something on two different occasions

the third row is also self explanatory

the fourth row again is self explanatory, bellamy running towards raven when she’s hurt in 1x12 and 2x09 = parallel

the fifth row might be where im reaching, but the scenes just reminded me of the other so i considered it a parallel, which i’m allowed to do

you’re not the end all be all decider of what is and isn’t a parallel, and if you don’t understand what someone else considers a parallel, instead of being ugly and rude, you could just message them asking to explain. there’s no set rule of what does and doesn’t constitute as a parallel, people are allowed to make their own interpretations. so instead of messaging people who take their time to make gifs, you could just fucking ignore it and keep scrolling because i really don’t care if you like or dislike my gifs, but i do care when you send me rude messages.

#answered #i was initially just going to delete this message #but you're being rude for no fucking reason #sorry i didn't explain each parallel in the caption instead i put them in the tags #but i guess u were too busy being rude and messaging me to look there #have fun being negative for no reason when other people make things #Anonymous

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logh-icebergs · 7 years

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Episode 17: Before the Storm

January 797/488. As the Yang fleet settles into their new home on Iserlohn, Reinhard (and Oberstein) concoct a scheme to keep the Alliance out of their hair while they’re busy seizing power: plant a bitter, drunken, disgraced Alliance commander among two million prisoners of war they offer to exchange, armed with a sheaf of paper outlining apparently foolproof instructions for instigating a military coup d'etat. Despite immediately seeing through this plan, Yang can’t stop the exchange, so has to content himself with confiding his suspicions to Bucock. Kircheis visits Iserlohn to conduct the prisoner exchange, filling the fortress with dangerous levels of sexual energy, as literally no one (except Yang) can shut up about how hot he is.

Julian Explains It All

Can you believe it’s been a whole year since we started? Well, a year in-universe that is: It’s January of UC 797, a year since the Battle of Astate; and for no one is the passage of time more exciting than Julian, who at the age of almost-fifteen-thank-you-very-much is soooo much more grown up than the babyfaced thirteen-year-old we first saw making Yang tea back in episode 3—or so he is eager to believe.

“I’ll be fourteen-and-five-sixths later this week, Kircheis-kakka!”

This line and the line above deftly show Julian’s impatience to project himself into the future; the amazingly grown-up second in command of the entire Imperial fleet is after all not *so* much older than him.

Having talked his way into coming along to Iserlohn, Julian now has the official rank of gunzoku (軍属), “civilian in military employ” (if anyone knows a better/less clunky translation of that, let me know!), and gets to do important military things, like…

...taking marksmanship lessons from the leader of the Rosen Ritter—sweet, that’s pretty badass!—and...

...uh, right, also still making Yang tea actually. Of course.

Julian keeps a diary for the first several months of his time on Iserlohn, written by Tanaka as one of the side stories to the novels; and in fact some of the dialogue in this episode comes from that diary rather than the novels themselves. While of course the stories are not Official Icebergs Canon, episode 17 is the only Alliance episode that takes place fully during the time span of the diary, and Icebergs-canon or not the diary is too fucking adorable for me to resist peppering this post with quotes from it. It’s never been officially translated into English, so all translations are by me.

On Yang

“I accidentally only wrote about Yang so far. I should write about myself a bit.” —Julian’s Iserlohn Diary, first entry, p. 12

Julian’s world revolves entirely around Yang. This has never been subtle: From the way he styles his clothes and body language to exactly match Yang’s, to his desire to emulate him by becoming a soldier, to his expression literally every time he looks at him, Julian’s idolization of Yang has been clear from the moment we first saw him.

As Elizabeth mentioned, Julian wears his heart on his sleeve; his expressions are almost always a clear window into his emotions, especially in a shot like this where no one is looking at him. That tiny smile as Yang grumbles about the party they just fled conveys so much affection.

The beautiful thing that happens when you stop relying on narrative shortcuts to define relationships is that the variety of different relationships you can depict blossoms into an infinite array. Julian and Yang’s situation certainly seems to defy simple description: Yang is Julian’s legal guardian; but as I’ve discussed, the language and affect Julian adopts around him are more those of an official subordinate of some kind than family, and indeed in his diary Julian uses words like “orderly” (従卒) or “disciple” (弟子) to refer to his role in Yang’s life. Between the two of them, Julian is both the caretaker and the protector: In episode 10 we saw him try to sooth Yang’s sour mood with tea, as well as rush to defend him physically when he’s attacked.

This gif will absolutely never get old.

Now that Julian’s older and stronger and discovering a talent for physical combat that Yang completely lacks, he’s even more eager to officially take on the role of protector/bodyguard. But there’s an awkward mismatch between Julian’s sincere desire to play this important (and adult) role, and Yang’s very “aww how cute” reactions.

Julian's aspirations get no help from the fansubbers' choice of translation for koitsu; I'd go with a simple "you..." here personally.

This “go keep watch” gimmick is so transparently a way to get rid of Julian for a few minutes that the seriousness of Julian’s nod breaks my heart a little.

Julian’s worship of Yang at this stage of his life is many things: overly intense in that way that emotions are at the age of I’ll-be-fifteen-this-year; more than a little unhealthy; and totally adorable. It’s unclear right now whether Julian himself sees his feelings as a crush; given his general lack of self-consciousness about it, my read is that he doesn’t. But it’s the sort of proto-crush/obsession that could easily become romantically tinged as he continues to grow up.

"Yang sucks at 3D chess." —Julian’s Iserlohn Diary, p. 68

On Frederica (...and also Yang)

As we follow Julian around Iserlohn early in the episode we find him accosting Frederica while she’s washing dishes, which means it’s time to introduce the Yang-Bechdel Test! Elizabeth has been using the Reinhard-Bechdel Test to measure whether Kircheis ever actually thinks about Annerose without simultaneously thinking of Reinhard (spoiler: he does not). Along the same lines, if we put Julian and Frederica in a room together, it’s not hard to guess the topic of conversation to which they will gravitate.

Here Julian seeks Frederica out to pick her memory about the events nine years ago on El Facil that launched Yang into his uncomfortable position of fame, and they end up giggling together over Yang’s lack of commanding presence, and speculating on how his life would have gone if he hadn’t become famous.

Like other El Facil flashbacks, this was redrawn for the DVD version to deny us this amazing vision of Yang choking on a sandwich. (Julian is speaking here.)

Bonding with Frederica by discussing Yang serves multiple purposes for Julian: He gets some insight into Yang’s past, since she met him many years before Julian did; and like his interest in Yang’s plans with Jessica in Thernusen, it lets him keep an eye on Yang’s potential love life. The friendship between Julian and Frederica is very sweet, but we’ll be continuing to keep track of how often they actually pass the Yang-Bechdel Test.

On Kircheis (and Dusty) (...and also Yang)

“The person standing at the front looked astonishingly good in the splendid Imperial uniform of metal on black fabric. He seemed about 30cm taller than me, towering above everyone else. Under his unusually red hair, his youthful face was both handsome and gentle. This was High Admiral Siegfried Kircheis.” —Julian’s Iserlohn Diary, p. 181

The Main Event of this episode is the prisoner exchange, the first direct contact we see between the Empire and the Alliance where no one is shooting at each other. From the moment Kircheis steps off of the Barbarossa (which must be making all the Alliance ships in the dock feel rather bad about themselves), all anyone in the whole fortress seems able to talk about is how attractive he is, starting with Dusty’s not-so-subtle dreamy gaze:

Along with Julian, Dusty’s expressions are usually quite transparent. Here he reacts to the other admirals’ shock at his mooning over an enemy commander with deflection, but come on. Dusty. We saw you.

After Julian and then Frederica both comment that Kircheis is super handsome, even Poplan and Schenkopp get in on the discussion, in an exchange the anime team felt was important enough to snag out of the diary.

“It may have been an attempt at modesty for Poplan that he didn’t say not as good-looking as himself. Perhaps due to their age difference, what Schenkopp said was more shameless.” —Julian’s Iserlohn Diary, p. 183-184. (Nah Julian, it’s just that Reinhard is so hot that even Poplan’s comfortable admitting it out loud.)

Okay to be fair, here we also see Julian and Frederica bond over how handsome Kircheis is and uh, how gay Poplan is...I guess that passes the test?

At the actual ceremony, a collection of NPC officers get in on the fun of staring in awe at Kircheis, but of course Julian and Dusty have front-row seats.

In a small-scale version of the technique we’ve seen before of drawing parallels to heteronormative relationships, the random women whispering in the background are repeating almost verbatim what Julian and Dusty both said just moments ago; we’re even focusing on Julian and Dusty in the foreground of the shot, as they gaze up at Kircheis. We get it, anime team, sheesh.

On his way out of the room, Kircheis notices Julian and speaks to him, or in Julian’s own words…

“As High Admiral Kircheis, who had been saying something to Admiral Yang, was exiting the room, the gaze from his blue eyes suddenly rested on me. He had a pleasant, kind voice. [...] I worked hard to keep my voice calm.”

“With a smile, High Admiral Kircheis turned his tall figure and walked away from me. I stood for a while in a daze. I couldn’t believe the second in command of the enemy fleet actually talked to me.”

“I felt strangely unsteady below the knees, like I was standing on a floor made of jelly. If Admiral Attenborough hadn’t pushed my shoulder, I might have just stood in the emptying assembly hall forever.” —Julian’s Iserlohn Diary, p. 182-183

I’m supposed to be doing incisive, below-the-surface analysis here, but the anime team made my job pretty pointless in this case. Even without the diary commentary, between Julian’s dazzled expressions and Dusty’s blatant teasing, there’s nothing to say here except that I agree guys: Kircheis is uhh, the real deal.

But if you’re worried, like Dusty, that Julian’s loyalty might actually be tested by his newfound infatuation, fear not; at the end of the day, Julian knows where his real affections lie.

“Anyway, isn’t everyone forgetting our own representative? Admiral Yang isn’t as dashing as High Admiral Kircheis, but his completely natural, unforced manners and expressions were really charming. [...] Even if Admiral Yang were to come face to face with Marquis Lohengramm, he would calmly maintain his composure and his own pace. I’m sure of it. For me, Admiral Yang is number one, always. So what Admiral Attenborough said when he pushed me, umm—I’d called it a ‘needless anxiety,’ totally impossible. Although, if Admiral Yang himself defected, that’s a different story.” —Julian’s Iserlohn Diary, p. 184

The Secret World of Paul von Oberstein

Meanwhile on Odin, bathed in dramatic sunset hues streaming through arched columns, Oberstein continues to find that (for some reason he still can’t entirely fathom) Reinhard’s treatment of Kircheis is the one topic on which his opinion is not welcome.

Echoing their very first interaction, in which Reinhard refused Oberstein’s request for Kircheis to leave the room (until Kircheis himself offered to comply), here Oberstein suggests that promoting Kircheis to second in command creates too much inequality among the admirals. Ever the utilitarian, Oberstein believes in using each person in the most logical and expedient way; promoting Kircheis above the other admirals, especially when Kircheis is clearly displeased with some of their recent strategies, goes against his sense of order.

Until now, Reinhard has held onto the belief that he can use Oberstein’s Machiavellianism to accomplish certain goals, while simultaneously maintaining his privileged working (and otherwise) relationship with Kircheis. But this is a delicate balancing act—Oberstein is less willing to drop his objections to a “number two” position among the admiralty than Reinhard anticipated, and Kircheis’s discomfort with Oberstein’s methods hasn’t abated even after the demonstrated success of Amlitzer.

Not surprisingly, it’s Oberstein who finally pushes Reinhard to snap and finds himself on the receiving end of some harsh words. Reinhard still doesn’t give in to any of Oberstein’s Kircheis-related demands, but his nerves are visibly frayed, and it’s clear that the fragile peace between the three of them can only last so long. Because this is LoGH and things are never simple when they can be headache-inducingly nuanced, Reinhard isn’t on his way to a trite “choose him or me” ultimatum—but there’s no doubt that he can no longer ignore the ever-widening chasm between his two closest advisors.

Stray Tidbits

The worldbuilding at the beginning of the episode is amazing, showing us around the many sides of the giant floating sphere that is Iserlohn. The fortress holds three million civilians, which is kind of weird—was there continuity in those civilian communities even as the fortress changed hands from the Empire to the Alliance? ...In any case, the “Gone with the Sun” movie poster is one of my favorite random background details. I also like how we get to see the main control room still under construction.

Julian, dear, you know I love you, but what in god’s name are you wearing? Is that like, a light purple sweatsuit? With a blue and yellow jacket? I support your fashion experiments but this one is a miss.

Keep the bag and shoes though, they’re working.

Yang reacting to coffee is everything. *shakes fist at DVD remasters*

“There is no coffee in our house. Even if we have guests who are on team coffee, Yang just gleefully makes them drink black tea.” —Julian’s Iserlohn Diary, p. 70

Yang and Kircheis interacting in person is a breathtaking moment, for the audience as well as for Julian. Reinhard and Yang have clearly admired each other as tacticians from the start, but Kircheis brings a more personal angle, actually articulating a wish that they could have been friends. Hmm do you think maybe this show thinks war is…...bad?

You need this Schenkopp gif in your life.

#Legend of Galactic Heroes #Legend of the Galactic Heroes #author: Rebecca #Alliance #Iserlohn #Julian #Yang #Frederica #Dusty #Kircheis #Oberstein #Julian's Iserlohn Diary #Yang-Bechdel Test #real deal

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justanothercinemaniac · 7 years

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Epic Movie (Re)Watch #173 - X-Men: Days of Future Past

Spoilers Below

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: Yes.

Was it a movie I saw since August 22nd, 2009: Yes. #294

Format: Blu-ray

1) The film marks Bryan Singer’s return to the franchise he helped to start, making it his first X-Men film since X2. He was a producer on X-Men: First Class and originally Matthew Vaughn was slated to direct this film. But Vaughn dropped out to speak with Lucasfilm about Star Wars: Episode VII before focusing his efforts on Kingsman: The Secret Service allowing Singer to step back into the director’s chair.

2) Magneto, Xavier, every mutant in the X-Men films (especially the original trilogy) had fears about war. The X-Men tried to avoid it while Magneto was preparing to win it. Well now everyone’s worst fears have come to past in a dark and desolate future were Magneto was right and the X-Men are forced to band together.

3) John Ottman’s theme from X2 plays in the opening credits, making this film feel like a triumphant return to form from the get go. It fills the audience with an energy, hope, and even nostalgia that helps make the film as great as it is. While I absolutely adore Henry Jackman’s score for First Class, Ottman’s theme has now become the (unofficial?) theme for the franchise in a lot of ways.

4) We’re off to a strong start with the movie’s opening action sequence.

This film features - by far - the best action sequences in the entire franchise. It embraces the powers of its mutant characters in a way no film has before it. This leads to incredible visuals and extended action scenes which never lose the audiences interest. It does what some films (The Last Stand) have failed to do before: show off the X-Men’s powers in incredible and memorable ways. The opening action sequence alone feels like something out of a comic book or (dare I say?) the 90s animated series. Characters like Iceman and Colossus have finally reached the full potential of their mutant powers, making good on a promise any X-Men film makes. New characters too have small roles but are wildly memorable. Blink, Sunspot, Warpath, and Bishop come across as unique with not a lot of lines and not a lot of screen time. But they have an impact because of the visuals of their powers/fighting styles.

From a storytelling standpoint the opening scene also works to set the stakes of the film. We understand immediately how much of a threat these sentinels are, they are able to massacre an entire squad of mutants with relative ease. If it weren’t for Kitty’s ability to send people back in time this war would be over very quickly. The dark tone and sense of dread this future has is established immediately through the action sequence, making the rest of the film carry that weight in a conflict driven/interesting way.

5) I am so impressed and so grateful that this film was able to get all the original cast back they wanted. Kelsey Grammer couldn’t participate because of scheduling conflicts with Transformers: Age of Extinction (ew), but most of these actors have gained a higher price tag since X-Men: The Last Stand. Ellen Page in particular is a critically acclaimed and Oscar nominated actress who comes back for what is essentially a supporting role, but she (like the rest of the returning cast) commits to it all the same. It provides a nice amount of fan service which also feeds into the story and I love it.

6) It is so weird for me to hear Patrick Stewart Xavier talk about this.

Professor X: “I knew [Mystique] as Raven...she was like a sister to me.”

He never talked about her like that in the original trilogy, it first came up in the First Class prequel. But it adds something to Professor X’s character: he walls parts of himself and his past off for the sake of the future.

Note: In this post Patrick Stewart will be referred to as Professor X and James McAvoy will be referred to as Charles.

7) The decision to send Logan back instead of Kitty might upset Kitty Pryde fans and comic book purists (as Kitty was the one to go back in the original storyline), but I think it makes the most amount of sense. The original story was published in the 80s or 90s and Kitty came back from 2013 into her younger body. Movie Kitty has no younger body in 1973 but Logan does. So that’s why it makes sense from an in world decision, but also from a filmmaking standpoint it makes sense too. Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is the face of the X-Men films primarily, with only one film up to this point not having him in a prominent role. So it makes sense to put stock in his character as you have in the past. My biggest regret though is that I do LOVE Kitty Pryde and so it would’ve been nice to see her do more, but she still serves a more important role in this film than she does in The Last Stand.

8) I absolutely love this.

Professor X: “Logan, you’re going to have to do for me what I once did for you.”

I am a sucker for character development and having watched now seven X-Men films in a row seeing Wolverine in this role is incredible to me. This was the guy who originally wanted to ditch the X-Men, who was a loner and who primarily looked out for Rogue. Even with that he was mostly out for himself? Now. He’s invested. He’s older, a bit wiser (if not perfect), and gets to repay the kindness Professor X showed him by helping Charles along his way. It puts him in a new role, a role he’s not all too comfortable with, but it is just so damn interesting and I love everything about it.

9) The extended prologue in 2023 as well as the fact that this film will cut back to that time occasionally helps make this film a worthy ending to the cast and characters first introduced in X-Men. It could’ve ended that series entirely, a farewell tour for all the actors we came to love in their respective parts. Despite this, at its core this film - more than anything else - is a sequel/continuation of the story set in place by X-Men: First Class. Doing both of these things is no easy feat but the film is able to pul it off beautifully.

10) Peter Dinklage as Bolivar Trask.

Dinklage is one of the finest American actors around right now, notable for his work in “Game of Thrones”. And his performance as the villainous Trask gives us the best X-Men villain since William Stryker in X2. While I do LOVE Sebastian Shaw in First Class, there is something fundamentally more unsettling in Dinklage’s performance. He is chilling, focused, intimidating. You know this is not a guy you want to mess with. And Dinklage himself has a unique look on the character. This according to IMDb.

According to Peter Dinklage, Bryan Singer picked him to play Bolivar Trask because of his height, stating, "With my dwarfism, I'm a bit of a mutant. I can't move metal or anything, but I thought of it as self-loathing. Deep down, Trask is quite sensitive about that aspect of himself."

11) Mystique in Saigon.

The scene of Mystique saving a group of mutants in Saigon from being shipped off to Trask (including Lucas Till’s return as Havok) works really well for a number of reasons. First of all: it helps not only re-introduce her character but also her motivations for this film. She has gone through a lot between First Class and now so this scene helps to establish just exactly this NEW Mystique is. She’s one with a lot of pain, working towards avenging the loss of her friends. Mystique is also much more of a fighter in this film than in First Class, with her choreography and skills leaning much closer to what we would expect from Rebecca Romijn. She has been pushed up to the point of no return but hasn’t crossed that line yet and that’s what this film is about. If she’s going to become the Mystique she does in the original timeline or if this is her second chance. The writing for her character is conflict filled and amazing, I absolutely love it.

12) Logan really needs to give people a spoiler warning about their futures.

Logan [before punching out Beast]: “You and I are going to be good friends.”

13) And because he’s Wolverine, it doesn’t take long for Logan to cause shit.

(GIFs originally posted by @ofsagitta)

14) James McAvoy’s return as Charles Xavier.

So First Class was really about Erik becoming Magneto, this is about Charles becoming Professor X. We have never seen the character so low, he has never been so low. He is a broken man with the events of First Class changing him more than he - or the audience - even expected. He tried soldiering on but the war in Vietnam led to his school being shut down. Charles is wallowing in pain, in self pity, he is exactly what Professor X said he was: as lost as Logan used to be. Hell, he’s a drug addict! The serum to give him his legs is a not-so-subtle parallel for drug use. There is a great conflict there, a great pain, and it leads to an incredible story.

15) This is kind of a perfect representation of how continuity works in the X-Men films. The movie tries to remember something from the past, tries to have continuity track, only to get something about it wrong and make everything more confusing.

(GIFs originally posted by @mcavoying)

In fairness the original line in the First Class script WAS, “Fuck off!” but First Class was released three years before Days of Future Past meaning they knew that wasn’t the actual line for a while. Granted I’m probably just nitpicking.

16) In this film we learn that Emma Frost, Zoe-Kravitz-Angel (as opposed to the Angel from The Last Stand and Apocalypse), Azazel & Banshee are all dead by the hands of Bolivar Trask. Which is sickening and heartbreaking but left a unique opportunity which Apocalypse never took with the characters. I’ll talk about it briefly now but go in depth during my Apocalypse post but in the comics Apocalypse’s Four Horsemen are resurrected dead characters. Using this to bring back the four mutants I just listed would have been a smart move I think.

17) Let’s share what IMDb has to say about the rights to Quicksilver:

The addition of Evan Peters as Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver to the cast sparked wide discussion over the direction of the character who is also slated to appear in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). Quicksilver had been discussed previously as a potential character in both X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) and The Avengers (2012), but legal complexities over the license to the character resulted in his omission from both films. However, in May 2013 both Marvel and Fox Studios announced a resolution to the previous legal issues, and that Quicksilver would appear in this film as well as an Avengers sequel, though under certain parameters: no reference to Quicksilver's membership in the Avengers can be made in an "X-Men" film, and no allusion to his relations to the X-Men or Magneto (the character's father) can be made in an "Avengers" film; the rights agreement between Fox and Marvel even goes so far as to stipulate the character cannot be referred to as a "mutant" in any Marvel film. Additionally, the day after the announcement of Peters's casting, Marvel and Fox entered into a legal standoff over provisions of the rights agreement for the character, including the issue of whether Peters would be allowed to portray Quicksilver in any other film outside the "X-Men" franchise, possibly necessitating a second actor to play Quicksilver in any Marvel film, resulting in two different versions of the same character appearing in two competing film series. Ultimately, Fox and Marvel decided to cast different actors in the part for the "X-Men" and "Avengers" films, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson taking on the role in the latter sequel, thus preventing any connection between the two franchises and keeping the X-Men confined to a separate universe from those of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

18) Evan Peters as Quicksilver.

No, I said EVAN PETERS as Quicksilver!

That’s better. Anyways: Evan Peters’ performance as the speedster is the definite scene stealer in the film. His screen time doesn’t amount to much - with a more significant role in 2016′s X-Men Apocalypse - but every time he’s on screen you are drawn to him. The character is wonderfully fun, with his smart assery amusing to us as the audience without being totally annoying. There’s a unique and vibrant energy that Peters brings to the character which is 100% captivating. By far one of the best new elements of this film.

19) Peter Parker could learn something from this.

Quicksilver [to Erik]: “I’m holding your neck so you don’t get whiplash.”

Erik: “What?”

Quicksilver: “Whiiiiiiplasssssshhhh!”

20) Okay, so Logan knocks out a bunch of Pentagon guards with a frying pan. Is it wrong that this is the only thing I could think of?

21) Oh boy....

(Screenshot taken from a GIF set originally posted by @barrel--rider)

22) It is unique and conflict filled to see Charles filled with such intense hate/loathing towards Erik when Professor X always has hope for his, “old friend,” Magneto.

Charles [upon first meeting Erik]: “I’m never getting inside that head again.”

Note: In this recap Michael Fassbender’s character shall be referred to as Erik while Ian McKellen’s shall be referred to as Magneto.

23) THE QUICKSILVER SCENE!!!!!

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This is without a doubt the best scene in the entire film and it is absolutely brilliant across the board. Like the earlier fight scenes it takes the concept of mutant powers and is able to translate it into absolutely phenomenal visuals. From a technical standpoint the scene is a masterpiece, as the seams are practically invisible. It’s hard to make, but you don’t want the audience to know that. Which makes it all the more impressive that it seems so relaxed. The scene pulls your interest and never lets go, using music and point of view in absolutely stellar ways. How boring would this scene have been if it were from Erik’s point of view? Or Charles’? The most interesting way to do this moment is through Quicksilver and that’s what we get. It is intelligent, organic, full of small surprises, and despite its short length is strong as hell. If they were to teach this class in film schools some day, I would not be surprised.

Although it does raise the question: why don’t they just bring Quicksilver to Paris? It seems like he’d be really helpful.

24)

Erik [looking at Wolverine’s bone claws]: “Imagine if they were metal.”

25) Erik and Charles having it outis very key to the film. Right now the audience sees Erik as the one who messed up. Taking away Charles’ legs, getting arrested for killing the president, etc. But Charles needs to know he’s made some pretty crucial mistakes.

Charles [to Erik]: “You abandoned me!”

Erik [after bringing up the dead mutants]: “We were supposed to protect them!...You abandoned us all!”

26) A part of me gets why Raven seduces the Vietnamese general in order to take his place at the pace conference. Another part of me lives in a post Wonder Woman world and A) never sees male characters doing this and B) thinks there was probably a different way she could’ve gotten into the peace conference. And this isn’t a comment on a woman using her sexuality in a way she is comfortable with, this is a comment on men trying to shoehorn scenes were a woman’s defining feature is her sexuality.

(GIF originally posted by @marshmallow-the-vampire-slayer)

27) I love the added conspiracy theory that JFK was a mutant. I remember reading a promotional material at the time that Bobby Kennedy was a mutant too and that’s why he was assassinated. I’m a nut for conspiracy theories though.

28) Okay, I just need to take a minute to geek out about HOW HAPPY RAVEN IS TO SEE CHARLES!!!!

29) And this is the turning point of the film.

Wolverine gets rocky and weak when he sees Stryker, injuring Kitty in 2023

Erik tries to kill Mystique

The world can’t deny the existence of mutants anymore and reacts with fear

Charles & Erik are now against each other again

Trask gets Raven’s blood

The tone of that is not lost. There’s a sense of darkness and dread which falls upon the film as it moves forward. It has an impact on the audience and helps to raise the stakes.

30) Okay, this is funny as hell to me. In an effort to calm Logan down:

(GIFs originally posted by @marvelheroesdaily)

31) Hey look, a Bryan Singer cameo!

So now in the X-Men universe, Bryan Singer is someone who first introduces mutants to the larger world through his movies. How meta.

32)

Erik [after Mystique pulls him into a phone booth and holds a knife to his throat]: “It’s been a long time since we were this close.”

(GIF originally posted by @rocktheholygrail)

I don’t know why, but I don’t like the idea of an Erik/Mystique relationship. Maybe it’s just a hold over from how I felt about their seduction scene in First Class.

33) And this right here is Mystique’s motivation, clearer than before.

Mystique: “I’ve seen too many friends die, Erik. I don’t want a war. I only want the man who murdered them.”

Mystique is no longer an idealist. She does not subscribe to Charles’ or Erik’s way of thinking. She is on her own now, which she said in the very beginning of the film. It makes her character and the conflict she has all the more interesting.

34) The first step in Charles accepting who he is comes from accepting his powers. He tries Cerebro, but it’s too much at first. All he has is pain and suffering. But then - and I can’t understate how much I love this - Logan helps guide him.

Logan: “I was your most helpless student.”

Logan is able to guide him, showing off not only his own growth but also the strength in his relationship with Charles/Professor X. We are reminded of all of Logan’s pain as Charles sees it, but we see now that he has moved past it. It is absolutely incredible for me and leads to an amazing scene.

34) Charles (McAvoy) and Professor X (Stewart) meet.

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This scene has much more of an impact now than I was expecting. Charles is at his most broken in life, it will never get worse for him than this. Or so he thinks. He looks into the future and sees just how awful things have gotten and he sees his older self in Professor X. Except when Professor X speaks of the future...he still has faith that it can turn out well. He still has HOPE. Professor X’s endless search for hope has always been his defining feature and it is something he has even in a dark future. It is something Charles has lost and which his older self helps him find again. It is an absolutely beautiful and moving scene, perfect in so many ways. Developing Charles, giving us a peek into the mindset of Professor X, we even get an incredible new theme from composer John Ottman. “Hope (Xavier’s Theme)” I think might be the most moving piece of music in the entire X-Men franchise and I absolutely love it.

35) If you’re a writing student, I suggest you analyze Raven’s character in this film. Particularly the scene where she and Charles are talking about Trask in an airport. It’s an excellent example of how important stakes are to a story and its characters. If a character can leave the scene without what they want and not be devastated, the stakes are too low. Raven’s personal stakes are high as are Charles’. And the fact that Raven doesn’t is still set on this path leaves Charles - in some shape or form - devastated.

36)

Hank [about where his device monitors news]: “Over all three networks. And PBS.”

Wolverine: “All three? Wow.”

Hank: Yeah. And PBS.”

37) The effect of Charles’ discussion with Professor X has an immediate effect and shows that he IS now that man. He is the man who has hope when all is lost, when everything looks grim. He still has faith in people and hope for the best.

38) How powerful do you think this is to hear?

Logan: “Storm, Scott, Jean. Remember those names.”

Charles [after a moment]: “I’ll do my best.”

Logan: “You’re best is enough.”

Can you imagine what that would feel like? This guy from the future telling you that you’re best is enough. Because that’s all we can ever do is our best. And to know that that is enough is just...I cannot tell you how happy I would be in life to hear those words.

39) Thanks to @orsonkrehnnic for this amazing GIF set that perfectly captures this scene:

40) The dual climaxes are edited between wonderful, carrying pacing between the two wonderfully and interesting throughout. Cutting between 2023 and 1973 could have been a mess but John Ottman’s editing helps bring the scenes together spectacularly. When one breathes, so does the other, and that’s what works.

41) Logan...

Hank: “In the future, do I make it?”

Logan: “No.”

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

42) Of course Wolverine still gets his ass kicked by Magneto, even without the metal bones. But I will say that removing him from the final conflict is a strong story choice. Because at this point what’s going on between Erik, Mystique, and Charles isn’t about him. It’s about them. The future is about him but it is much more impactful if it results from a choice by everyday people as opposed to the guy who knows what is about to happen. It’s very smart.

43) If this isn’t a beautiful final line for Ian McKellen’s Magneto I don’t know what is.

(GIF originally posted by @hughxjackman)

44) I love this.

Charles [when he can control Raven’s mind]: “I’ve been trying to control you since the day we meet. Look at where that’s got us.”

Charles TRUSTS Mystique. He trusts Raven. He lets her make her own choice and she choses life. She choses to be better. She choses not to become the murderer that Mystique is in the future. But her journey isn’t over yet. That won’t come until Apocalypse.

45) Did I mention I love that Charles embraces the Professor X philosophy?

Hank [about Mystique and Erik]: “Are you sure you should let them go?”

Charles: “Yes. I have hope for them.”

46) I cannot begin to express how satisfying this ending is.

I wish I could find a video clip of the ending so I can perfectly illustrate just how amazing it is, but everything about it feels EARNED. Everything about it breathes HOPE. And not just for this movies. It may be most effective while watching these back to back, but I geeked out at seeing everything. Seeing Rogue and Bobby back together, Kitty and Colossus teaching a class together, Kelsey Grammer’s brief cameo as Beast, Storm as a teacher. THEY EVEN GOT JEAN AND SCOTT BACK! Everything about it just feels SO GOOD! The characters we’ve cared for and loved for 14 years now are happy and at peace. And so what if Logan fucks up their lives again? Right now, everything is just good.

Note: I also own The Rogue Cut version of this film, which reintroduced a subplot featuring Anna Paquin’s return as Rogue that was deleted from the theatrical release for pacing issues. I WILL be doing a post about that sometime in the future. I’ve never seen it before so whatever that post looks like it’ll be a first time viewing. That’ll be labeled as 173.1.

There is a chance that X-Men: Days of Future Past is the best X-Men film yet (as in has X-Men in the title, so discounting films like Deadpool and Logan). It seamlessly blends together a large cast of characters from both the original trilogy and the First Class cast in a story which does the same. With strong performances throughout and incredible character drama (ESPECIALLY for Charles), it marks a triumphant return for director Bryan Singer. The action is better than ever, featuring that amazing Quicksilver scene, and it is practically perfectly paced. X-Men: Days of Future Past is an incredible entertaining and emotionally satisfying film all fans of the series - old and new - should watch.

#X Men #X Men Days of Future Past #Hugh Jackman #Jennifer Lawrence #James McAvoy #Michael Fassbender #Patrick Stewart #Ian McKellen #Peter Dinklage #Nicholas Hoult #Epic Movie (Re)Watch #Ellen Page #Bryan Singer #Evan Peters #Jimming the Camera #Movie #Film #GIF

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