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halemerry · 9 months

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I’m doing it. I’m breaking down the Scene. You know the one. I've been tearing it apart for a week straight now in discord and figured I should leave my observations here. So, uh, yeah, this one's a big one so buckle up folks!

I want to start with the build up because I can never leave well enough alone and because I think the framing we have coming into this sequence is important. We start with the camera on Mr. Acts of Service himself. Crowley, after banishing Muriel, starts cleaning up the bookshop. The music playing is the soft slow rendition of the opening theme. He is returning this space to the status quo, resetting back to normal, fully intending to do this for Aziraphale before dragging him out to the Ritz, falling back on their typical pattern of going out together for food and drink.

Now in a moment he's going to get interrupted by Nina and Maggie but before we get there I want to take a second to draw attention to the area of the bookshop that Crowley will be operating in for the bulk of this. This space is one we very frequently see Aziraphale in. It's his desk behind the till - a spot linked intrinsically to him, even down to the fact that it's located on the east side of the shop. The windows are throwing beams of light onto Aziraphale's chair and onto the same spot Crowley will stand during The Scene. This lighting choice will not change from now until our last shots in the bookshop and the way the blocking plays around these sunbeams is very aware (as Good Omens nearly always is) of exactly where they will land.

Nina and Maggie enter the scene to have a chat about boundaries and communication. Maggie, his own mirror, tells him flat out that he can't play with their lives like that. Maggie and Nina then both tell him that he and Aziraphale need to talk. And I don’t think they're wrong, exactly, but I do think that Aziraphale and Crowley are actually a lot better at communicating in general than they are in these following high stakes scenes. But that's some meta for later - for now I want to just focus on the particular way Crowley's been primed for the conversation he and Az are about to have. Nina in particular does something really interesting. She does exactly what we as the audience did when we first saw Nina and Maggie: she mistakenly projects herself onto Crowley. She says he has trust issues because she does and in the process accidentally frames the core of their problem as Crowley needing to allow himself to trust Aziraphale, a thing that he actively already does and has done for quite some time and has been shown to us several times throughout the two seasons.

Now the build up we get for Aziraphale going into this conversation is very small. By which I mean practically non-existent. We start at the end of his conversation with the Metatron who tells him to go tell his friend the good news - which notably does not imply that the news is something that would require Crowley to make a choice - and sends Aziraphale on his way. Now the most crucial thing in this sequence, to me, is the expressions Aziraphale makes when he thinks the Metatron isn't looking at him. While polite and smiley when engaged with him, Az's expression falls as soon as he doesn't have eyes on him. Something is wrong and Aziraphale knows it.

Aziraphale enters the shop. The doorway is dark and shadowy and he hasn't composed himself yet - though he does give Nina and Maggie a little smile as they leave. Then, as soon as they're not looking at him, but before he approaches Crowley, the tension is back.

He hesitates, then smiles and approaches Crowley. Crowley, planted dead center in that beam of light from earlier, takes off his glasses and promptly starts nervously rambling. The music cuts off here entirely, giving us nothing to focus on but the noises coming from our lead actors, the background noise from the street, and the ticking of the clock in the background. Aziraphale puts up his hands like he's going to interrupt then lowers them again as Crowley keeps talking, his face shifting into this helpless sort of smitten look.

Now look at the light and how it hits the bookshelves behind Crowley as he tries to get his confession going. It's in the shape of a wing. Keep an eye on that - when the camera chooses to show us this one wing of light is important.

Aziraphale then interrupts and there are two things I want to draw attention to here as Aziraphale fumbles for words. First of all is the fact that he glances in the direction of the door (and the Metatron) at least three times as he's struggling to speak.

Secondly, I want to draw attention to the words Az actually says here. He first echoes the Metatron's earlier statement about good news. He then does not roll into the news itself and instead glances at the door and says the Metatron. He starts rambling about the Metatron to a very confused looking Crowley and evetually talks his way into that the Metatron said something. He then hits a wall again, scrambling to find words and instead of explaining the context of what the Metatron says he lands on Gabriel. His brain latches onto someone obviously on the forefront of both their minds and something vaguely relevant to the news he's about to share. He rambles more about Gabriel's job, glancing once again at the door in the middle of this, still avoiding getting to the actual point or perhaps even synthesizing said point as he goes.

We then cut to what is framed as a flashback. I think it is very notable we only see this as Az is telling it to us. In other words that this is not us witnessing an event happening but us witnessing what Aziraphale is telling Crowley. This sequence is the single scene where the Metatron calls Crowley by name despite actively avoiding it in any real time continuity sequences. He uses it twice here which I think also is the strongest thread in here that tells us that we are seeing what Crowley is being told not necessarily what actually happened.

The instant the idea of restoring Crowley comes up the wing of light behind Crowley loses visibility. Crowley's speechless for a moment so Aziraphale fills the silence, already looking like he wants to cry as he talks about the old days. (I also can't help but to notice that the lights behind Az in this shot look like eyes.) Crowley finally speaks and circles around the beam of light he's been standing in like an object seeking to re-establish a source of gravity. The music cuts back in here with tense drawn out notes.

Crowley talks about how Hell offered him his place back and he turned them down. Aziraphale in turn presses on ideas that we know he doesn't really believe. It's a echo of the bandstand and uses a lot of the same language of that fight - another fight we know features Aziraphale saying things he knows aren't true. By now, we have seen him multiple times this season express he does not want to go back and make it abundantly clear that the side they have made for themselves is important to him. We see him actively calling angels bad and incompetent, contrary to everything he's telling Crowley here. We see him be the one to repetitively remind Crowley that they are on their side and be the one that always draws attention to that first. Yet here he says Heaven is the side of light to Crowley - who by the way is literally framed in light. The frame is telling us outright that Crowley is already Good as he is, while Az's expressions are telling us he knows Heaven isn't.

Aziraphale can't tell him that he did not turn down the job and Crowley does another orbit. The music cuts again. This time, he stops with his back to Az, tilts his head upward and decides to ruin me by invoking God.

Here he is, hearing these awful things that he was sure they had moved on from, hearing these things he has tried for so long and so hard to help them both unlearn. But these sorts of habits and lessons are insidious and he knows that and he himself is even a victim of that himself. I mean, don't get me wrong, he recognizes this is weird, I think, but between his own self worth issues and the stress of the few days they'd had can't work out what exactly is off here. He's confused and lost and just been told, in his mind, that he is not good enough as he is - a thing he has always on some level also believed. Yet he reaches out to the parent that taught him that lesson in the first place for strength and grounds himself with that. He circles back to stand in the beam of light and, with that wing of light finally backlighting him again, he is brave and tries to be enough anyway. He bows his head downward, fully emerging the line of this body in the light and tries again. Because even now, even after that emotional blow, Crowley is an optimist who can't help but to try.

At first Aziraphale can't figure out quite what is going on here. He squints at Crowley and glances at the door again. Crowley meanwhile keeps continually glancing upward, whether at God or to hold back tears or some combination of both. In most of these shots Crowley bisects the room, creating a dark half to his left and a light half to his right.

Crowley says he relies on Aziraphale. Even here, even now when he's just hurt him. Because it is the truth. Because Aziraphale makes him feel less alone. Because Aziraphale proves to him that no matter how fucked the system is that there is still good in the world, even if he doesn't always agree with it.

It is only once there is no doubt what Crowley is doing that Aziraphale starts shaking his head in very small quick shakes. He looks panicked even as they both physically draw closer to each other. It's huge not here, not like this energy to me. Aziraphale asks Crowley to come with to help him run Heaven. This is the point where Crowley starts tearing up.

Crowley then says you can't leave this bookshop, trying to say you can't leave me. Az, nearly in tears himself, says 'oh Crowley. Nothing lasts forever' as a means to convey that the books aren't what is important here. Crowley, naturally, hears 'including us.'

Crowley looks down again, quietly agrees, and puts on his glasses, covering himself up again. He then wishes Aziraphale good luck and the music starts up again, still tense but sorrowful now. He leaves the light and heads to the door. Az can't help but to call after him. Please wait. And Crowley can't help but to listen. It's worth noting here that even as he rotates toward the north door, the light still gently hits his face. The shots in general are darker though. He's moved away from the light but it still can't help but to touch him.

"Come with me," says Aziraphale and then after a pause adds "To Heaven." Aziraphale, looking heartbroken, starts one of two 'I' statements he will struggle around in the next few moments. He lands on I need. Which. I want to pause there a moment because holy shit. That is not something they say out loud either. Az looks at him a moment, visibly struggling before he says his dialogue about Crowley not understanding his offer. Like he's said something he didn't mean to and needs to cover it up or like he can't handle the silence after such an honest statement. And on some level he's not wrong there. Because Crowley doesn't understand what Aziraphale is trying to say. But Aziraphale doesn't understand the way Crowley is reading it to course correct either.

Crowley says that he does understand and that he understands better than Aziraphale does. And he also isn't wrong either, from his perspective. Because he does understand the implications behind the offer theoretically in play here. Because he does know that the position Aziraphale is presenting him is not going to result in the outcome Aziraphale is presenting him with. There are some things you can't undo just like memories slipping through the cracks.

Az says there's nothing more to say, trying to dismiss Crowley despite having been the one to pull him to a stop moments ago. He puts on a fake polite smile for a beat but then his is jaw sets, mouth working as his eyes drop - unable to look Crowley in the eye.

Crowley tells him to listen as the music fades out and points upward. Aziraphale humors this, glancing up a few times before looking frustrated, saying he can't hear anything. The light from the window shines down in his direction without actually touching him. Crowley tells him "That's the point. No nightingales." The shot he's on here is a dark one without even any of the book shops pillars visible in it to brighten the shot.

Aziraphale looks frozen a moment here and then as Crowley calls him an idiot and says 'we could have been us' his face completely crumbles. He rapidly glances away to hide his face and Crowley moves and reaches to pull him back. They're both distraught. Az is clearly already holding back tears even before Crowley touches him. The angle of this shot frames Aziraphale in the light of the window. For the first time in this whole sequence Aziraphale is in the light, literally being physically pulled into it by Crowley.

The music swells, playing a similar theme to the one that plays as the Pillars of Creation are formed at the start of the season. They shift back and forth, the camera focusing on Aziraphale's face and hands. His hands move uncertainly, trying to reach out even as he's struggling emotionally. He is visibly shaking but he crucially does not pull away, not even a little.

His hands settle on Crowley's back, right where his wings would be, and for a brief moment gets taller, like he's allowing himself to lean into the kiss. They press together tightly, their mutual gravity sending them crashing together before they break apart. When they do Aziraphale looks devastated and his eyes move pretty much instantly to look out the window where the Metatron would be.

Crowley's glasses make him harder to read here, but he looks at Aziraphale like a man awaiting judgement in a trial he knows he's already lost. He's sad too, but as always, is waiting for Aziraphale's reaction. Because he might push continually at he boundaries of them as a unit but he has always let Aziraphale decide where to set them in stone.

Az fumbles over words here. He gets stuck on "I" here and lets it hang in the air. He then visibly thinks his words over, his expression slowly filling with resolve as he comes to some sort of conclusion. Then, like it's difficult to say, he falls back into old coded language. "I forgive you." A thing he has always said in response to things that he agrees with but cannot or should not allow himself to have.

Crowley sighs and tells him not to bother, refusing to fall into the old pattern that Aziraphale has. He is setting a boundary, for once, and even if it is one born from misunderstanding I am proud of him for being able to. He turns away and leaves. And this is where Az seems most in danger of falling apart. His lips move as Crowley goes, forming the start of a 'no' after him. He draws back from the door and turns his body away from it, physically distancing himself from anything that would feel like following Crowley. Except he can't help himself. With shaking hands he reaches up to touch his lips. He presses in, like he's trying to recreate the pressure and then his jaw works a moment and his expression sets as resolved.

The Metatron enters through the front door, which is framed in dark lighting. Aziraphale looks panicked and immediately turns his whole body away from him to hide his face while he collects himself.

He turns around after a beat and the Metatron asks 'how did he take it?' This is an odd question that only sort of half fits the fact that we are meant to believe at this point - that Aziraphale should be obtaining a yes or no from Crowley. It's not asking Crowley's choice at all. It's like the Metatron assumed a different conversation had happened or perhaps that he already knew the answer.

Aziraphale says he took it badly and the Metatron just takes a moment to direct a few casual digs at Crowley. He references him being stubborn and too curious - all the while avoiding the use of this name. At this point Az's eyes are locked out the window in the direction Crowley vanished to. The Metatron asks if he's ready to start despite originally having promised Az time to think over his answer. Aziraphale keeps glancing out the window.

For a moment he cracks, stepping away from the Metatron and back toward the east side of the bookshop. For the only time in this whole sequence he steps right into the sunbeam Crowley started in. It notably never illuminates his face as he mentions the issue of his bookshop (a statement absolutely not about the bookshop).

The Metatron explains Muriel will take care of it. Aziraphale looks back out the window with the start of an objection.

The Metatron interrupts him asking if there's anything he needs to take with him. Az's mouth takes a moment to try and form words. He steps out of the light again, starts to object, and then cuts off, eyes back to the window. Then his expression shifts again, settling in another state of resolve before he puts on his falsely polite face and follows the Metatron out.

As they leave the shop we cut back to Crowley. Crowley, who could've left to go handle his own emotions, did not leave. Instead he planted himself there, nice and noticeable. Like he wanted Aziraphale to see and know that he still has a choice. Like he needs to see Aziraphale make that choice for himself. Like he can't quite bring himself to be the one to close that last door. He stands there, framed by light, and doesn't move until the doors to the elevator to Heaven close behind Aziraphale. He then glances at Nina and Maggie and then gets in the Bentley, which starts playing the song that we now know he knows is supposed to be theirs. He turns off the music and drives away.

So there's a lot in these sequences and most of it probably won't help us figure out exactly what comes next, but there are definite signs that all is not as it's being presented to us. Whether he's actively lying or not, something is wrong that Aziraphale either can't or won't talk about frankly with Crowley. I suspect, whether it's under stress from a literal threat or because he believes that it is the safest option for them, that Aziraphale is doing all of this to protect Crowley.

There are also all sorts of signals here, especially in the lights, that gesture at the fact their togetherness is a net good. Together they are balanced and stronger for it and likely more in alignment with the Ineffable Plan. And, more importantly than that, that said togetherness is so clearly what they both want. They have loved each other longer than anything alive has ever loved anyone and none of this changes that. They both are saying that in their own ways here, even if those ways are not ones the other is particularly good at picking up and I for one cannot wait to get to see the payoff of them learning how to.

#good omens #gos2 spoilers #good omens spoilers #good omens meta #kind of #is it meta if its mostly me pointing and yelling?#come suffer with me #you have no idea how many times i had to watch these sequences for this #crowley #aziraphale #the bookshop

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petrichor-idyllic · 1 year

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HI could i request a minho x reader where they’re best friends and have a thing for eachother but they’re oblivious so everybody in the glade starts pulling shenanigans to get them together

I can sure try I guess.

Gender neutral reader because you didn't specify.

Guys pls start specifying lmao I am stressed.

HOW TO WINGMAN (POORLY)

MASTERLIST | MINHO MASTERLIST

SUMMARY: See above. Gender Neutral! Builder! Reader x Minho. Takes place before the arrival of Thomas. Book based fic purely because no big 3D map.

WARNINGS: Inappropriate language, teenage shenanigans, oblivious reader/Minho, no one knows how to interact like normal humans, one awkward shower scene and mild suggestive content but nothing explicit.

You and Minho have been best friends since you popped up in the Glade.

Honestly, you're not really sure how it happened. You came up the month after Minho, so he was tasked with looking after you, and you just kind of stuck.

Minho is obviously the Keeper of the Runners, which means he's out in the Maze most of the the time, and you spend your days working as a Builder. But, you both still find time to enjoy each other's company after your long days.

It's definitely a close relationship, and anyone that knows Minho is often caught off guard to see the difference in him when he's around you. He's almost softer, definitely more smiley and easier to be around. His bitter and often slightly negative attitude is dulled in your presence. Of course, everyone likes Minho.

But everyone likes Minho a lot more when you're with him.

And that goes both ways. You're noth completely different people around each other; more approachable and easier to get along with.

It's obvious.

Of course it is.

Everyone in the Glade knows.

You guys like each other.

You have been harbouring a massive crush on Minho for pretty much as long as you can remember. And Minho isn't much better.

It's obvious, to everyone but you two.

Maybe you're both blinded by not wanting to mess up your friendship, or simply the pressure of living in a death maze is enough to give you both different priorities, but you're both blissfully unaware of your feelings for one another.

And it's starting to take the piss.

You have the other Gladers wanting to rip their hair out and just scream at you to go off somewhere and make out for a bit to let off some steam.

Obviously, they don't do that (probably because Alby would have their heads for distracting his best Runner).

But they want to. Man, do they want to.

So, instead, the remaining boys decide to come up with a plan after a particularly slow week in the Glade. They were going to do whatever it took to get the pair of you to finally realise you share the same feelings.

Which is easier said than done, especially when Minho is MIA most of the day.

But, with Ben slowly implementing hints towards Minho on their runs, and some of your Builder colleagues doing the same for you, the seeds were getting set in place.

Though, maybe your stubbornness/oblivion might be beyond help.

"Yanno, I really like them," Ben says as he runs with Minho, insisting on joining him for the past couple of days now, saying something about two sets of eyes are better than one.

"Who?" Minho grumbles, genuinely considering make a dead sprint to get away from Ben.

"(Y/N), duh," Minho slows down slightly, coming to the same pace as his friend.

"What?"

"I mean, they're really cool, funny, hot- how could I not? You're cool with that, right? I mean, I know they're your friend but I kinda wanna ask them out, that's okay, right?"

Minho hesitates, seemingly thinking for a second. Minho wouldn't ever do anything to possibly ruin your happiness, even if he does have feelings for you and he knows you can make your own choices.

"Yep."

And with that, he sprints away, leaving Ben to stand there in some form of shock.

Meanwhile you're dealing with Gally.

"You know, you really do keep that shank on a tight leash- Minho is actually tolerable when you're around."

"Uh, thanks, I think?" You chuckle to yourself.

"I mean.. you guys are only friends, right?"

You're in the middle of trying to fix a shack that got damaged during a dumb fight between two boys. You freeze.

"Yeah?"

"Hm, interesting."

"Why's that interesting?"

"Just you guys are pretty close, some people think you'd make a good couple."

You laugh, shaking your head. "Yeah, right." You say sarcastically, going back to your work and ending the conversation in one go.

Okay, so that isn't working.

The boys need to recuperate.

Okay, so, maybe they need to get the pair of you in situations you wouldn't normally be in, alone.

So, what could a group of dumb teenage boys possibly do with that?

"Yo, (Y/N)," you'd just finished your day of work when Newt approaches you.

"Hey, Newt, you good?"

"Yeah, can you go get Minho for me? I gotta talk to him but I gotta sort some klunk out first."

"Oh, uh, sure, where is he?"

"Oh, he'll probably just be getting out of the shower, he came back earlier so he should be finishing up."

"You want me to go into the shower block to get Minho?" You blink at him. "Couldn't you have spoken to him earlier?"

"I didn't get chance to catch him- Alby wanted to talk to me." Newt seems shifty and unsure of himself.

He originally wanted no part in this, but Frypan said he'd give him extra food for two weeks so here we are.

"But-"

"Just go get him, a'ight?" Newt walks away before you can say anything else. Now, he has to actually figure out what to talk to Minho about when he inevitably comes looking for him.

Frypan owes him more stew.

You grumble to yourself, going to find your friend. Since Minho came back earlier, he should be finishing up and probably about to leave. So, you think just direct him towards Newt. Easy fix.

Though you do feel a bit weird about it.

And when you rock up at the shower block with just the sound of running water filling the room, you inwardly cringe.

"Minho?" You ask, probably a little too quiet since he doesn't hear you over the water. Sucking in a deep breath, you walk further into the shower block.

It's not like you're fazed by this kind of thing. Boys walk around the Glade shirtless all the time and no one really care about skin being shown off. But this is Minho.

He's flawlessly attractive in your eyes, and he's actually a pretty modest guy. You normally leave him to his privacy, but if Newt wants to talk to him, it must be important.

"Minho?" You say, a bit louder, which gets a response.

"Yeah?" He asks as you stand awkwardly outside of the shower booth, a good few feet away from the curtain.

"Newt wants to talk to you."

"What?"

"Newt wants to talk to you," you repeat, your voice even louder. "He told me to get you."

To your surprise, Minho moves the curtain. He holds it in a way that hides anything inappropriate, but still reveals his chiseled, drippong torso.

Minho seemingly hasn't realised what this subtle and nothing act has done, but it leaves you almost silently standing there.

"What about?"

"He, uh, he d-didn't say," Minho groans as you pull your lips into a thin line. He pulls the shower curtain back, giving you a much needed second to recollect yourself. The water stops and there's some shuffling before he emerges again.

He's wearing pants now, at least, as he struggles to put his shirt on over his damp body.

"Can't get two shuckin' seconds of peace here," he grumbles before sighing. "You eaten, yet?" He asks you casually, still completely oblivious to your flustered state.

"Uh, no, I've only just finished myself."

He nods. "Alright, I'll catch you for dinner then, yeah?"

"Yeah, 'course."

Minho leaves to find Newt and you stand there for another few seconds before leaving with nothing having changed.

So, that didn't work either.

Though I don't know how they expected it to. Trust teenage boys to turn wingmanship into awkward situations.

Somehow, this keeps going.

Gladers start "accidentally" start bumping into either of you to get you to stumble into each other. Which does nothing. Or they'll make you scoot closer together when eating so you're squashed next to one another. Which also does nothing.

After what seems like forever of the boys acting really weird, you and Minho start actively avoiding them.

So, they come up with an actual plan- because far too many people are invested now and it's getting out of hand.

It's a simple plan, really.

But it did require a questionable request list being thrown into the box and your deep concern when people starting pulling boxes of candles out.

Night begins to fall over the Glade. People were winding down and they'd gone through to effort of separating you and Minho.

Somehow, you'd ended up in a long conversation with Frypan about his dream to make the perfect cheesecake one day. And Minho was getting lectured by Alby over being mean to Ben. Plausible, really.

Then, out of

"(Y/N)!" Winston startles you. "Minho needs you! He's in the Map Room! It's urgent!"

"What? Is he okay?"

"You gotta go! Quick!"

In a panicked frenzy, you run off to the Map room.

Unbeknownst to you, Ben has just done the exact same thing to Minho.

You burst into the Map Room, completely ignoring the fact you're not actually allowed to be in there. You're certainly no Runner since you're already out of breath.

"Minho! What's-?" Your words get stuck in your throat when you see the state of the Map Room and a very clearly lost Minho.

Candles are everywhere, and in the middle of the table, there is a big fancy meal- all of Frypan's best work.

You both stand there, staring at the scene in front of you.

Almost like something out of a comedy sketch, you turn to each other. "Did you do this?"

You then stand there, blinking at one another.

"It's like..." You trail off.

"A date." Minho finishes the sentence. "Who the everliving SHUCK thought it was a good idea to put fire in the Map Room?"

"They set us up on a date?" You mumble.

He chuckles. "Yeah, looks like it." You hesitate, a small smile starting to play on your lips. "Well," he clears his throat, "shall we?"

"What?" You snort, watching him as he walks over to the chair, pulling it out and giving you a fake bow. "Your seat, darling."

You roll your eyes, trying to suppress a smirk, but you do take your seat.

"No point letting all this good food going to waste, eh?" He walks to the seat across from you, sitting down himself. "I doubt Fry is gonna be making a meal like this again anytime soon."

"Yeah, I guess so. Explains why they've been acting so weird."

"Yeah, I just thought those shanks were finally losing their marbles."

"Nice to know they think we'd make a cute couple," you chuckle.

"'Cause we would make a cute couple," he says, a little too confident. "I mean- I don't know." He chuckles.

You freeze, picking at your plate for a second. But shuck it, you might as well ask. If you can ask anyone anything- it's Minho. "...Would you want to be a couple?"

He looks at you, a soft smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, I would, actually. Just... not now. There's too much goin' on here, yanno? I mean, would you wanna be... together?"

You nod. Maybe deep down, you could tell that Minho likes you, maybe he could tell you like him. "Yeah, of course I would, but you're probably right."

"I think when we leave here," he continues, "we'd be a shuckin' good couple." He sighs, smiling to himself." But for now, we stay friends, I deal with this klunk and one day we'll be enjoying our freedom- together."

It's a tranquil image. Freedom feels so close but so far away, and being with you is just further motivation for Minho. But, if anything happened to him out there, he couldn't put that extra baggage on you if you were dating.

"Well, you better get us out quick then, huh?" He chuckles.

"Yeah, yeah- well, let's enjoy our dumb date, shall we?"

"Guess this is our first date, then, huh?" You joke and he laughs.

"Yeah, guess it is."

I really didn't know what to do with this one, lads, ngl. It's more of a funny bit than a serious story and they don't even end up together- sorry.

I hope you kind of enjoyed tho lmao :)

#🌿 petri writes #🌿 petri tmr minho #🍃 petri tmr #🌿 petri writes tmr #tmr fanfiction #tmr minho #minho tmr #minho the maze runner #minho tmr x reader #tmr imagines #minho maze runner

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ssahotchnerr · 1 year

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Ok idk if anyone else does this BUT I like to imagine an au where instead of Haley, Hotch is married to reader from the start and she’s Jack’s mother 🤭 cause its fun and I like imagining Hotch having a loving and supporting marriage throughout the entire time hes on the show (cause I mean its the least he deserves with all he’s been through 😭)

And in this au reader is like really close with the BAU team like she brings in baby Jack during paper work days, remembers the team members birthday’s and gets them small gifts, them going to her when they feel they need someone to talk to cause she’s like the mom/sister of the BAU 🥺. I like to make up so many scenarios with this AU in my head especially one where she and Jack go through the same thing with Foyet but reader survives 🫣

This isn’t a request or anything just like a idea or thought i’m throwing out there for you to enjoy or expand on in any way, shape, or form you’d prefer ❤️

PLEASE the way everything about this is perfect <3333 and honestly how the show should’ve gone from the start

having that contrast between aaron being all stoic and stern, BUT then he goes home, or reader visits with jack, and he turns into that complete softie we all know he has buried deep in him within seconds ☹️ or after a tough case, he always has a sense of stable comfort waiting for him 🥺 ughshsj i would’ve loved to see him switching between the two fronts more vividly- from hotch to aaron.

AND that with the foyet storyline?!?!?! pure genius. like obv we saw him under stress and pressure with haley, but just IMAGINE how it would be with a partner who he’s so so deeply in love with and can’t be apart from for more than a couple days at a time. like a part of him was truly missing and there's no telling when or if he would see the two of them again :( he would be distraught, so so much more tense, and just the whole process of getting foyet would’ve been more frantic, because he can't live without them and he needs his loves back or else he can't function :(

and their reunion afterwards 😣😣😣😣 the way he would just crumble and be so relieved the nightmare is finally over and refuse to let reader and jack out of his arms :(((((((( like just imagine once foyet said rip, he goes running to wherever reader and jack are and within seconds he's pulling the two into his embrace, just weeping softly and giving them both kisses and saying how he's sorry, how much he missed them, or a "it's okay, it's all over now" :( ugh what we should've received rather than him being all traumatized :(

also ALSO the ending of s4 with reader?!?!?! imagine they're in bed, they can hear aaron getting home and they're all smiley to finally see him after a few days (and aaron mentioned the pig farm disaster and how tough it was:(, so they're waiting to console him), and then a gunshot just rings through the air </3

and i love the idea of reader being close with the team :( <3333 haley wasn't at all to begin with -like the scene where she's at the bau with baby jack, she's not on a first name basis with any of them (while all other bau s/o's were referred to by their first name), it's kinda just awk completely, because they just know each other through a mutual being aaron. but reader being an outlet for them <3 like they're not in the bau, so whenever someone needs a break, reader is an easy person to turn to, for a sense of normalcy. or reader bringing them all dinner if they're working late, going out with the girls for girls nights and just being including in all family get togethers :( <3 they would just complete the bau fam overall :(

AND just reader having more babies with aaron <33333 that would've been the cutest thing ohmygodjdnd aaron wants a big family <3 it's canon in my book <3333

aaron just deserves a happy life 😣 that's all

#katie's inbox #aaron hotchner #criminal minds #aaron hotchner x reader

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active-mind-15 · 5 months

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Headcanons for Akashi laughing 🤭

Back with another headcanon post. Hooray for chronic Akashi brainrot! Lemme make this quick so I can go to bed.

As we all know, for most of the manga/anime, Akashi is someone who is portrayed as a serious, analytical, and (depending on which personality is in control) cold person. But he wasn't/isn't always like that as we've come to realize. Let me explore his character chronologically through the canon material before I get into my headcanons so we can establish some things about his personality.

When he was a child, he was seen to be much more of a smiley person because while his mother was still alive she allowed him to just be a kid. So I'm sure he had plenty to smile about before her passing.

After that, Akashi enrolls in Teiko, and at age 13 he still smiles, but they're smaller and he seems more mild-mannered and reserved compared to when he was younger. However, that doesn't mean his smiles aren't genuine. He still had happy moments in Teiko up until his second year, and he enjoyed hanging out with the rest of the GoM + Kuroko and Momoi. But we still never really saw him laugh. I'm sure he did during those times, but it was never anything that was shown explicitly.

After he switched personalities, he was barely smiling at all. Bro was miserable. He would smile every once in a while but in more of an unhinged way if that makes sense. Maybe he chuckled once when he met Mayuzumi. If you can even call it a chuckle. It was more like he puffed out a breath of air. And again, it was in more of an unhinged way. I remember in one of the Replace novels, Mibuchi made an observation that before Akashi switched back to his true self, he could never tell if his smile was genuine or if he was simply using it as a tool to get others to let their guard down. This is what I mean by "unhinged".

But post-Winter Cup? Akashi is nothing but smiley and I love that for him. Obviously, it's still slightly toned down, but it's a much better improvement from both his first year at Rakuzan AND his entire Teiko run. He seems to have just finally given up on facades and allowed himself to be more open with how he feels, which has canonically led to his teammates seeing sides of Akashi they'd never seen before.

In the post-Winter Cup content, I've seen him chuckle a lot more, and his voice when he chuckles is the most precious thing ever and I wish I could hear more of it. But that takes care of the canon, so let's get into my headcanons, shall we?

First of all, what makes Akashi laugh? Well, from the canon, we've seen that most of the time, it's when he's watching his teammates' antics and chuckles in amusement. But if you really want to make him laugh, I feel like, similar to my headcanons on how to startle Akashi, you'd have to catch him off guard. Like, you'd have to say or do something so ridiculous and left-field that it catches Akashi off guard and makes him laugh out of the sheer unexpectedness of it all.

So, how would Akashi look when he laughs? It would depend on how hard he's laughing. If it's one of those cute lil chuckles he does, he has this small smile on his face and his eyes sparkle with fondness. But if you're lucky enough to get an unrestrained laugh out of Akashi, chances are either his head is tilted back or his shoulders are hunched as he's bent over trying to catch his breath. He's probably not even looking at you either because when he laughs like that his eyes can't help but close. And his face crinkles in the most precious way.

How does he sound when he laughs? For small chuckles, we already have examples of this in canon; refer to the KNB drama CD season 3 volume 9 if you need a reference. But if he were to laugh really hard? Well, first of all, he pegs me as the type of person who would at first try and hold himself together before failing miserably.

I'm not sure if this counts as canon or not, but I remember a KNB video game where there was a scene where the GoM was reminiscing on some couple's costume event they were dragged into participating in back in Teiko, and Akashi had mentioned that when he saw Aomine in a dress and Midorima in a woman's kimono, he literally had to stop looking at them to keep from bursting into laughter.

Going off of that, if Akashi was caught off guard and found something really funny, he'd probably be like "PFFFT" before catching himself and trying to hide his growing smile behind his hand. But then it gets too hard to hold in his laugh so he gives up and just laughs wholeheartedly. The more funny something is, the harder it is to hold back, so if he's laughing really hard, you will absolutely hear it. He's not a super loud laugher like Kise or even Takao, but if he's laughing hard he's definitely not quiet about it. His voice sounds very melodic while he's laughing, too. He probably got that from his mom. 🥹

How do people react to him laughing? GoM + Momoi are more accustomed to seeing him happy/smiley, so when he laughs, they're more endeared by it, if anything, because it reminds them that Akashi is back to his old self. But his Rakuzan team (more specifically, the Uncrowned Kings) is still getting used to Akashi's true self and is figuring things out about him every day. So I would think that post-Winter Cup is when they hear Akashi properly laugh for the first time and all of them come to a nonverbal agreement that they must protect Akashi's smile at all costs. They also take note of things that Akashi finds amusing just for the sole purpose of using them to make him laugh again and see that adorable laughing face of his.

As time goes on and Akashi becomes more open, it's less and less difficult to get him to laugh, and he expresses himself much more freely compared to before. Happiness is a good look on him and his friends hope that he continues to stay this happy for a long time.

Alright, that was my rambling for the night finished. I need to sleep cuz I have class in the morning.

#I need to hear my baby laugh more on god #akashi is a precious human who deserves to smile to his heart's content #he's been through a lot and i think i would love to see him do nothing more than smile #anyway i hope y'all like that #kuroko no basket #knb headcanons #akashi seijuro

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starseneyes · 1 year

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Chenford REWIND - Lucy Chen / Tim Bradford - The Rookie - Season 3 Eps 7 & 8

I had a request for Episode 8, but that would mean 7 was living in a bubble without a real anchor. So, I decided to pair these two together for a two-fer.

I also realized that by getting these two written up, I'll have finished an entire season. Huzzah!

SPOILER ALERT: Standard warning applies. Please don't click the "Keep Reading" and expect not to get spoiled. I'm going to spoil these episodes (and everything that came before) to pieces. I do try to write these without foreknowledge, just so you're aware.

Kosher? Cool. Let's dive in.

"True Crime" AKA Grumpy/Sunshine Meme Activated

Lucy and Tim's First Interview

It strikes me that even as Tim is sitting down, he's turned in and looking at Lucy. At this point, Lucy is comfortable to Tim. What they're about to do isn't.

Tim hates this, but he's gonna do it. I don't know if it was a direct order from Grey, or he wanted to make sure it was done right so he was going to do it, damnit, but he's here and he's not happy about it.

Lucy, on the other hand, is thrilled. Her True Crime loving heart is filled to bursting and no doubt she's researched every person who was going to be there so she could fangirl all the more. It's adorable.

Also, these two make for good television. I mean, we already knew that, but the pretend producers happening onto this had me rolling. I bet the True Crime fans call them "Chenford" and perhaps that's the way the term might make it into the show someday.

"I'm sorry, I cut you off. I'm sorry."

She's so damn excited! And they haven't quite gotten their back-and-forth rhythm down that they will later display with gusto. It's close once she calms down, but girlfriend is thrilled right now, and Tim's "this is bullshit" meter is rising with every passing second.

"This is fun."

Tim looks at Lucy like she's grown a second head. And I'm trying to pick myself up from the floor where I've been rolling with laughter.

Look, the Grumpy/Sunshine trope is beloved for a reason, and we always knew Tim and Lucy had it in them. We've seen glimpses of it before. But sitting them down in an interview situation for an hour? This is pure gold!

I wasn't a fan at the time of airing, so I can only imaging how many memes were born out of these moments. It's amazing.

"Holy crap." "What is it?" "It's a, it's a-" "A what?" "A mummy. In a suit." "What?!"

Because, what else would a Mummy under a bed wear, right?

Eric Winter has this really wonderfully exasperated way of saying, "What!?" where you can really hear both the exclamation point and the question mark.

It reminds me of David Tenant during his run on Doctor Who. There was an entire scene in the TARDIS where he said "What!?" several times, and that was pretty much all he had to say on his first meeting of Donna.

It's. So. Funny. To have the ability to make a word funny. David Tenant and Eric Winter share that "What!?" power, and I kinda think Tim would enjoy the reference (see Season 4 to understand why).

"What's that saying? Those who can't do, teach?" *laugh*

We got a Tim laugh!? I mean, he made himself laugh, but it's still so cuuuuute. Like, rough, tough, mean-faced Tim having a chuckle is somehow so endearing. Especially at this phase, when we haven't seen him even smile much.

FAST FORWARD: There will be a day when we see smiley Tim. If you're just watching for the first time and wondering if it's coming... Tim's arc is one of the most complete (thus far) of the show. Stay tuned...

"You were literally my teacher. What are you saying?"

Ah, yes, the one indication that this episode was written in a post-"Amber" world where Lucy is no longer a Rookie.

See, the early days of COVID were a fustercluck for productions. I happen to know some people who worked through it, and there were so many different models of how to cope with it, copious amounts of hand sanitizer, masks, zones, wait periods in hotels for a week after landing, etc.

Now, there are more structured COVID protocols, but in the early days we knew so little about what was happening, and it impacted productions, ended series before they began, and delayed some seasons of shows that have now been permanently shelved.

So, Season 3's episodes aired in a very strange order compared to how it was written. Now, I'm grateful that the writers established Lucy and Tim's new dynamic early in the season so that's it's consistent, even when she's no longer his Rookie. So, I don't feel the need to call-out the air date vs production number, much.

But since the lower third provided for Tim and Lucy identified her as a Rookie, we know that this is supposed to happen during her Rookie year. But this one word lets us know something is amiss, if we're really paying attention.

And, golly, it's a word. I'm not trying to be dramatic, but trying to clarify for anyone who might not be aware of the whole Pandemic-fucked-everyone-over nature of Season 3 that makes this one word out of place.

So, if you ever wondered why Lucy used past tense instead of present tense, there's your answer.

Synchronicity

The moment they learn someone they know has been affected, they turn to one another.

And I love the synchronicity, here. Tim and Lucy have worked together a year, at this point, and they are very in sync with one another.

FAST FORWARD: Watch them undercover in 5x01 with how they sort of shift with one another, as though there's a cosmic pull between them that waves and they move with it. I feel that the evolution of their synchronicity really starts here in Season 3.

"It's LA. It's not the first time I've found a script at a crime scene." "I've only been on the job for a year and I've already found three." "Have either of you ever written one?" "God, no." *silence* "It was for a class."

Because she knows how he feels about screenwriters. If only Caleb had said "screenwriter" as his profession because then Tim would've locked him up right away.

"He was trying to cut her out—from the script, the cult, and the money."

True Crime Kink Activated. Look at how Lucy Chen is scoping out her future husband when he rattles off some Law-and-Order level soundbite. Girlfriend is surprisingly turned on at those words rolling off of his tongue. Oooh, the places that tongue could go.

*ahem* Now, Lucy's not going to jump his bones anytime soon, but there's definitely a moment there where she's finding Tim Bradford a little hotter than usual.

Who would've known the key to Lucy's heart was an oxford comma?

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, right?" "Cool. Way to trivialize female anger." "Hey, I'm not trivializing. All sorts of crimes are motivated by jealous ex-partners." "And how many of those ex-partners are men?" "Most."

See!? See what I mean!? These two are hilarious. We've seen Lucy call Tim on stuff, before, but this format is allowing them to be hilarious with it.

And I love the way he gives her the side-eye before saying "most". It reminds me of the side-eye he will give Grey in a future episode when having to tell a story he'd rather keep private.

"I heard it was Office Chen who broke the case wide open." "I don't know if I'd describe it quite that way." "How would you describe it then?"

Married. This is so married. Because Lucy is giving him the "don't try me" wife face, glaring at her man on-camera for mass consumption.

The fact that he stares right back and doesn't turn to ashes is only because Lucy didn't want to commit murder on-camera. But I love the way Melissa O'Neil is playing Lucy's confidence in this episode.

"Her addiction to social media finally paid off." "That is hurtful."

I bet he's not even on Social Media. That makes it easier for whatever relationships he'll have along the way before he and Lucy finally get it together (I have faith). No need to change your relationship status online when you don't have it listed to begin with.

That said, Lucy's Mom totally has a shadow account that she uses to stalk her daughter to spy and see if she's found a stable man, yet.

The Wrong Video

I love how embarrassed Lucy is, and how Tim tries to get a look at what the heck she played before she gets it onto the right video. He looks actively concerned. Like, "Please don't tell me you're one of those 'dance challenge' girls because I was just starting to respect you."

And, look, no shade from me. But Tim Bradford likes to throw shade, and I'm betting he'd throw some on Lucy if he'd gotten a glimpse of that video.

"Okay, look, the case was definitely weird. But, I mean, come on, all this? This feels so exploitational. The low-hanging fruit of celebrity scandal and murder."

Tim is not wrong. A lot of what is on television relating to celebrity scandal is exploitative. But I love Lucy, here. Melissa O'Neil gets a lot to play with in this episode, and she does not let it go to waste.

She has nailed the withering sigh of your wife sitting beside you as she lets you rant and dig your own grave.

"You should be making serious documentaries about things that really matter." "My last film was about climate injustice in Puerto Rico. It won a BAFTA." "Oh. Well. Alright, then."

And Lucy's withering sigh has transitioned to a knowing look. Like, Tim, you need to talk to your wife about this stuff, more. She has the 411 and will keep you from getting embarrassed.

"You got, you got something in your hair." "What?" "It's kind of-." "Has it been there the whole time?" "Yeah, it's pretty big. Let's get out of here." "I would tell you if you had broccoli in your teeth, man. What the heck?"

Am I the only one who thinks there wasn't really anything there? Because, Tim is so ready to be done with this, and Lucy's high over doing the interview is totally annoying him.

"Bad Blood"

Breaking Up... In A Text

Look, this is totally the coward's way out... but when Lucy's face lit up to see his message, I might've vomited in my mouth a little.

So, seeing him break it off brought out a little cheer. Huzzah! But, oh, no, poor Lucy. But *whispers* huzzah Chenford *whispers*.

I've never had someone break up with me over text... because the only person I've dated since Text Messaging has been widely available is my husband. I remember the first time we saw people texting all the time in England and we couldn't quite get why.

But I did have a boyfriend break up with me over the phone on my 17th birthday... the week of prom... because he was cheating on me because I wouldn't sleep with my first boyfriend 2 months into dating him. Later found out the entire reason we dated was because he had a reputation as a "de-virginator" and none of our friends warned me. I don't keep in touch with most of them anymore.

So, while I'm not quite on Lucy's level of indignation, I understand the frustration to have your boo cut it off in the most cowardly way available.

And putting Tim in the middle!? Emmett, my man, what are you doing!? You already have one half of Chenford wanting to set you on fire. Piss of Tim and he'll happily help her finish the job.

"I can't believe him... breaking up with me by text? What is he, 14? He doesn't have the guts to do it in person?" "Most guys don't."

Tim looks over to Jackson on that beat. I bet Tim would never do that, but he's also only got his own limited experience. Jackson's actually dated other men, so he knows better than Tim, in this case.

"Look, just be happy he didn't ghost you." "Can we get to work now?" "Did Emmett talk to you about this?" "No. Why would he?" "Because you're friends." "We don't talk feelings. We drink and watch sports together." "That's guy for friends." "Straight guy for friends."

I think Lucy doesn't quite yet understand what Tim considers a "friend". Because, at this point Tim does have one solid friend. Angela.

And, yes, we are in the era of Tim and Lucy being friends, but I'd argue it isn't until Season 4 when they are as interwoven into each other's lives (if not moreso) than Tim and Angela.

Also to note... Lucy is holding her phone the entire scene. She quite literally can't let it go.

"Look, you want my advice-"

She does. Look at her open-mouthed, wide-eyed, hoping he'll say something to make this atrocity better. And she did tell him that she values his opinion.

Gosh, I wish I could tell her to lower her expectations right about now.

"Walk it off. Clearly he's the wrong guy for you."

As said by her future husband. What? I couldn't leave that alone! Emmett is definitely the wrong guy for Lucy. But Tim's still learning how to comfort Lucy, and this time wow did our boy get it wrong.

"It's the same advice he would give me if I got hit by a pitch. What is wrong with men?"

Trust me, Lucy. Someday you'll come to appreciate his sports metaphors. And find a new appreciation for baseball!

Yes, I try to write these without foreknowledge, but c'mon! It's right there!

"Have you ever been dumped out of the blue before?" "Let me think. One time my wife left the house in the middle of the night and I didn't see her again for two years."

Yeahhh... Um. I'm not touching that. Because Tim Bradford's being flippant, and it's warranted here.

But (yes, there's a but), Tim doesn't understand all of Lucy's hangups about how she sees herself, yet. He doesn't fully understand the weight of her mother's expectations. And how she has never felt enough.

Like, she can handle romantic rejection. She doesn't like it, but she can handle it. But why wasn't she worth a real breakup? That's what's playing in her head. She need to know the why. Why wasn't she good enough for some basic decency?

"Okay, I get it, in the grand scheme of things, this isn't that bad. I just want to know why. Can you please ask?"

If she can understand it, she can process it. But we all know Tim isn't asking his drinking buddy about his feelings—unless that feeling is about how he feels about the Rams not living up to their potential.

"He must've been a seriously hardcore guy for you to obsess like that. What was his main crime?"

Because Tim would only obsess if it was something important, right? Right!?

"3EYEZ tagged your shop back when you were a Rookie?" "My TO was chasing a suspect. I was guarding a vehicle full of evidence." "A vehicle that was ten feet away from your Shop. It's right in your notes."

I love how Tim's trying to rationalize this away. He has a habit of doing that when he's called out—trying to minimize his own embarrassment by stating facts. (Trust me, he does it at the beginning of 5x01 with Angela)

But, Timmy, Lucy's got the facts in her hands. And you totally dropped the ball.

"I was ordered to keep my eyes on the car. I'd just left the Army where you follow orders to a T."

He thinks this'll get her to back down, but Lucy's long past being afraid of Tim. In fact, she's openly laughing at him. And I low-key love it because this is a form of flirtatious teasing.

Look, these two have a completely unique language. Pranks. Embarrassing photos. And even this harmless giggling.

They're comfortable around each other, and by now they know what's crossing the line with each other. So, it doesn't bother me that Lucy's teasing him, here. In fact, I think it's adorable.

"Oh, man, I can just imagine the relentless teasing. Did they give you a nickname? Please say yes." *yoinks paper* "No."

But your eyes say yes. Wow, now I sound like some of those creepy Christmas songs from the 50's. You know the ones.

"That's why you're so intent on catching this guy. It's personal."

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner! Look, when Tim tried to call in the cavalry when he first saw the tag, I wondered what the hell I was missing. Lucy, apparently, was, too.

Is this tag a symbol of a gang war? Or a killing spree? What terrible, horrible thing is going to happen because of this?

Nada. Nothing. Nil. Except maybe Tim Bradford's ego getting a bit bruised.

"Even if we were to track him down for tagging our Shop, it's a misdemeanor. Is that really the best use of our time?" *yoinks another paper* "I will get us a fresh Shop."

There's something so delicious about Tim's silent protest via yoinking those papers. And Lucy knows him well enough that they're done talking.

Look, these episodes aren't about pent up sexual tension or the angst of longing. These are foundational episodes, and what we're seeing is Tim and Lucy learning to work together. They're increasingly a unit in Season 3, even though Lucy spends most of it still his Rookie.

They're learning how to communicate with one another. So, if they ever do get their acts together, they're already going to have that part down pretty well.

"Let's go. Not a word about the Shop."

He knows her well enough to know that she'll tease him. She knows him well enough that if he says he doesn't want it, she's not going to do it.

See? They're communicating!

"What? You disapprove. You think I'm just dating him to make Emmet jealous? Heck, yeah. Maybe I am. But, he deserves it. Will you say something, please?"

Lucy processes by talking it out, we know, and when Tim doesn't interject, she starts projecting. Because even she knows going out with this guy isn't purely motivated. She's hurting and lashing out, and she knows it.

Tim's simply listening. But when she asks him to speak, he realizes that's what she needs.

See? Communicating!

"Today's the first time you've talked about Emmett in weeks." "You hate it when I talk about personal stuff."

Nice excuse. Look, Tim and Lucy are mirroring each other a lot this episode. They both have personal things that they're obsessing over that are clouding their judgment and thoughts.

And they're both rationalizing. Tim rationalized missing the tagger when he was a Rookie by saying he was just following orders. Lucy is rationalizing not talking about Emmett by defaulting to Tim's dislike of personal talk in the Shop.

They're both not thinking clearly. And, of course, it takes the other to help them get through.

"And yet you still do. But in all those conversations, you haven't said one word about your boyfriend." "What are you saying?" "Look, maybe Emmett treated the relationship like it didn't matter because you treated it like it didn't matter."

The realization hits her that he's right. It's one of those rare moments where Tim's the one helping Lucy examine herself. But that's what I love about them. They help refine one another. It's a give and take, and not just one person "healing" the other.

Tim and Lucy are on their own, personal journeys to healing and self-realization. But, I'll argue, each is a vital part of that journey. But to give one or the other full credit is to ignore the individual's effort to grow.

Tim and Lucy are growing together. And I love that so much more than one patching the other up. We're not patching up holes, we're actually healing. Yes, there will always be scars. But the healing makes it all so much more bearable, and so much easier to fully live, again.

But when he sees the realization hit her, his gaze softens. Tim hates to see her in pain. But we're not quite at the point where he's going to offer her comfort, especially on the job.

After all, Lucy is still his Rookie, and he needs to keep the lines firm between them. Because, if he were honest, he'd realize they're already getting blurrier and blurrier.

"Alright. Focus up. You read the file. Do you think 3EYEZ is done for the day?"

Tim's trying to get her back on track, like he has so many times before. But, Tim knows her well enough to know that sometimes barking out orders isn't enough for Lucy.

She needs something to help her switch her brain, something else to think about. They've done her mock-plan of how to sabotage her ex's wedding, before. This time, Tim tries a different tactic—he offers a piece of himself.

"Eagle Eye."

Lucy looks at him with confusion while I shove my face into a pillow so the kids don't hear me squealing and come running in here, mistaking it for screaming.

Tim doesn't have to do this. But he wants to. He wants to let Lucy Chen in just a little more.

"What?" "The nickname I got. After the Shop got tagged right under my nose." *giggle* "But it wasn't my TO who came up with it. It was Isabel. It kind of became her pet name for me." "Aw. That's sweet."

It's still hard for him to talk about Isabel. Those wounds are still healing, even though he's tested the dating pool a little. And it's important to remember that he and Isabel did have good times. There was a time when Tim had a lot of happiness in his life.

But he opens up a little to Lucy, here. He gives her insight. He gives a little of himself. And that's huge. He's starting to talk about Isabel without tearing up, without scowling, without the same agonizing pain striking his chest.

It still hurts. To a degree, it'll always hurt. But it's starting to heal. And I love that when he's starting to get healthier, the first person who gets to see it is Lucy.

We're not to the point of them swapping saliva and dreaming of the other's taste. But, we're building a really solid friendship. Heck, Lucy giggled when Tim opened up just now.

And I've talked about it a bit in this Meta, but I think it's important to draw out that Lucy has become comfortable to him. Why is this important?

FAST FORWARD: Remember the famous double date of S4? Why did Tim invite Lucy? Because he wanted a source of comfort in this truly uncomfortable situation. So, later when Bargain Barbie remarks about his creature comforts and about how he needs to get out and do more... nobody takes into account that Lucy is one of his comforts. So, once he and Lucy start dating, they are out all the time together. Why? Because he doesn't need all the other comforts when he's with her. Lucy is his comfort.

Thank y'all for reading and going on this journey with me. I think with this Meta, I've finished my tour of Season 3! It was a short season, so that made it a bit easier to chunk out.

And sorry this one took so long. My roof's leaking and it looks like I'm emptying out my 401K to replace it. It's always something, but I remain grateful. I've faced my death a few times in my lifetime, so every day I'm given is an absolute gift.

Just gotta take it one breath at a time.

#Chenford #Lucy Chen #Tim Bradford #Melissa O'Neil #Eric Winter #The Rookie #Meta #Lucy x Tim #Tim x Lucy

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dadswithipads · 1 year

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Kk I know aint no one cares but I do.

Shaggy and Fred's moments in Scooby Doo the mystery begins (fraggy)

Fred seems upset that shaggy is getting tripped on the bus but he doesn't really do anything other than get kind of uncomfortable knowing that it's happening.

In the library I noticed most of the scene when it shows the characters, Fred is looking in Shaggy's Direction it's just like kind of um idk gay. And it's like every time it comes to show a Fred reaction half of those reaction scenes he's looking at Shaggy.

K so they get to the cemetery and Shaggy wants to back out but Fred and Velma link arms with him and force him to go into the cemetery. We cut to them getting to the graves and Shaggy pulls his arm away from Fred's grip, which meant Fred was walking and scooping Shaggy's arm the whole way there. So gay.

There's the scene in the graveyard and Velma is talking and Shaggy's on the total opposite side of her and so he's looking near her direction to listen to what she's saying. And he's looking that way and he standing right next to Fred so he's looking in his Direction. And the whole time for the total of almost 9 seconds, it looks like Shaggy is just staring at Fred and Fred is looking directly at the gravestone. And so he looks over at Shaggy because he feels his eyes on him and it's just very gay. It's a gay scene what else am I supposed to say?.

Everyone in this group has a crush on Fred. I feel like compared to curse of the Lake Monster, Velma starts to realize she's a lesbian in THAT movie.

Shaggy's basement / room is so cool btw.

Daphnes face when Velma calls her a "Hottie".

Fred looks so impressed when Shaggy takes the blame. Also shaggy looks directly at Fred during this scene. "It wasn't just them *licks lips* I was there too"-Fred lmao.

I love this Shaggy so much you don't understand.

"Thanks to Shaggy *arm grab* now we have our suspects" idk just cute.

And so we get to the stairwell scene. Fred is so open and smiley. Shaggy is so inviting its just adorable. "So what are we gonna go as?" *Fred looks him up and down* sir-

That stare between velma and daphne. K but Fred dressed like that making me wanna headcanon that he listens to hip hop now. White boy in Ohio of course he would. Bro he got the earings in and everything.

Gotta point out that when Shaggy is ranting Fred always cuts him off and addresses it. Cuute. Freds smile when Shaggy says he was held back. All their smiles. They're just so soft.

He got distracted and started ranting and Mr. Fred stepped in. LMAO Daphne's reaction to him getting distracted.

He got distracted and Fred brought him back. Aw and Fred encourages him.

Velma just ✨staring✨ at Daphne.

Shaggy runs into the room and Fred immediately asks what's wrong.

Fred and Shaggy parenting their dog together. Fred is growing a soft spot for Shaggy you can tell.

Their eye contact when trying to alert the villain.

The ending with close proximity fraggy and vaphne.

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

Curse of the lake monster.

K but a shaggy and velma friendship is adorable.

The hayloft for vaphne is true.

Shaggy latches onto Freds hand and tries to pull him to the van.

LMAO both Fred and Shaggy giving her uncle the eye.

Fred zipping Shaggys lips shut. Idk but it's there.

Fred fist bumping Daphnes uncle and Shaggy laughing at it.

I always thought during the Man to Man scene Fred was being disrespectful but now I think it's just because Shaggy's like a year or two older. Cause Shaggy asks to talk "man to man" and Fred says "sort of" which this version of Fred idt would say that in a disrespectful way. Maybe '02 Fred but not this one.

"Play the field" he would so experiment. Bisexual. He doesnt leave Shaggy in the dark and he makes sure to not only explain to him but also show that he doesnt look down on him for not getting it first thing.

Fred playing along to shaggys antics lmao. He just nodding and smiling.

Aw Shaggy's speech about futon's vs mattresses and Fred smiling down and shaking his head after.

Fred making his chilli cheese fries joke about Shaggy and then getting a kick out of it.

They know Shaggy so well at this point its adorable.

Aw shaggy and velma run to the group and Shaggy immediately grabs Fred's arm and hides behind him. While also screaming "Save me". Too cute.

He did it again. He looked at Shaggy when talking. It wasn't even directed at him. Shaggy held contact too. He looked at Fred for like 6 seconds bruh. Fred did it too. After the wanda grubwort story. His was like 3 sec.

He goes on a rant and Fred and Daphne just smile and look down as he tries to lie to them. And then Fred interrupts his rambling and addresses what he is trying to say. And Fred tells him "It's okay" before continuing. Just so much beautiful communication. Fred also looks at Shaggy when Velma jokes and then shaggy looks at Fred and laughs and -😭💗.

Its only when Fred looks at him that he finally comes clean. Close proximity Fred Jones. Hes so touchy. Also when he comes up to Shaggy he like, runs his hand down Shaggy back. K but the deleted scene (comes from the OG script) of Fred saying "I will Never understand girls".

I mean it is true. Of course Shaggy aint her type. He's not a girl. I love that he can't understand Scooby. Its so goofy and cute.

He reaches out to touch shaggy when he asks whats wrong. Shaggy pushing Daphne out of the way so HE can hide behind Fred.

Its too funny. Fred once again protects both Shaggy and Daphne and im just like-

"Shaggy, you're okay" *Freds hand lingers* awwww and then when Shaggy starts ranting again Fred grabs his arm and reassures him that Velma is okay. And then he touches his arm and leads him. Too cute im telling y'all.

Daphne and Shaggy curling up into Fred's chest. Not only THAT but Shaggy bends down into his chest. Like sir you are 6'2. Bisexuals. All 3. Daphne and Velma walk away with their arms comforting each other. And Fred puts his hand on Shaggys back.

Fred asked Shaggy how his date went and he rested his hand on his shoulder then he let it slide down to Shaggys back and let it sit there until Daphne began reading the list of names.

Fred once again reassures shaggy that the problem is something else. I mean look, he could be a jerk and just roll his eyes at Shaggy but no. He takes time to explain and communicate.

Awww k so the group hug at the end when Shaggy ruffles Fred's hair. And he goes "Not the hair, man. Not the hair".

#scooby doo #fraggy #vaphne #mine

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subconcern · 1 year

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there is a lot to be said about season 4 mike and his behavior, especially in the roller rink scene. aka in how mike reacted, both towards will and towards the bullying that happened towards jane. i don't completely agree with his actions (in terms of believing that was how he wouldve behaved), and it definitely felt a little out of character. whether that was intentional or poor writing on the duffer brothers' part depends on the direction they take his character into during season 5. but if i apply my own headcanons onto it, i can try to make sense of why acted the way he did, even if it was a little unusual for him.

if it hasn't been made clear already on this blog: i headcanon mike as homosexual homoromantic. everyone is entitled to their own interpretation. some headcanon him as bisexual biromantic, & i respect/can see that. but for me, the argument between will and mike at the roller rink (and then their makeup back at the byers house) really solidifies my interpretation.

here are a few things i've noticed about mike's behavior in this scene:

he is unfortunately paying a lot more attention to will than to jane.

they do not interact a whole lot before the argument. his body language in the airport was clearly uncomfortable (which i will get to in another post), but at the rink, mike is being smiley and playful. he mostly addresses his affections towards jane, which of course he would be, because even if he doesn't like or love her in that way they're still friends above anything else. he cracks a joke about his "vomit green" socks and briefly turns to will for acknowledgment, from whom he gets virtually none. this quickly discourages him and he turns his head, focusing back onto jane. he's embarrassed that will isn't responding the way he wanted him to.

when jane is approached by angela and her bullies, both jane and will's body languages shift. jane is obviously unsure of what to say and what angela might say to mike. angela's tone is nasty. she is being condescending the entire time. mike is excited to meet jane's friends, and for some reason doesn't 100% pick up on this behavior, even though jane is clearly nervous/uncomfortable, not as happy as she would be to see someone she's told mike is her friend. he thinks everyone's being a little weird at most, but he's still nodding along, not really paying attention the way he should be. his mind is elsewhere. he's confused when they drag jane away but he doesn't get up or take a second glance. he just looks back down into his milkshake and drinks it.

mike is not stupid. hes not always good with romantic encounters and knowing if someone likes him or not but he can tell when someone is being a jerk. his behavior here tells me he is not 100% there. if he knew that angela was being rude, he wouldn't have just let them take away jane so easily.

when will tells her she's been having trouble and they have their fight, their argument turns into something else completely. he tells will everything he has been noticing even though we've hardly seen him address will at all. according to mike, will was being a "douche." "you were rolling your eyes, you were moping, you were barely talking. you basically sabotaged the whole day." mike was talking to jane and trying to enjoy spending time with her, but in the back of his head, he was very clearly paying a lot of attention to will if he was noticing how he was 'moping' the entire time.

2. mike doesn't jump onto the rollerrink immediately to help jane.

many people (including myself) think he could've done a lot more than what he does when he sees what's going on. but here's what i note: mike goes through a thought process here. the first thing he does is examine the situation. he stands up quickly, sees how they're antagonizing jane. he's confused, and is becoming increasingly concerned for her. but then the music turns on and it becomes very very clear what this is.

mike knows jane. he doesn't always get it right when it comes to their relationship but he knows her. if the music is blasting like that and everyone's eyes are on her, screaming and laughing, she is bound to get overstimulated. he knows this. we see her overstimulation being portrayed through the camera as it does a fast blur effect around jane and everyone in the rink. everything is happening so fast. the first thing he thinks to do is stop the noise. for her sake. that is why he runs to yell at the dj. it's not a very well thought out move on his part, but it was well intentioned.

3. the argument with will turns into something else very quickly, but mike is reading it in a completely different way.

will has been very clearly stated by noah himself and in the final episodes of the show to have romantic feelings for mike. he is canonically gay. but the way he delivers the line of "what about us?" makes mike incredibly stiff and defensive almost immediately. we've seen this happen previously, specifically season 3, during the rain scene. it seems that every time will confronts mike about being a bad friend, mike gets stressed out about it in the most specific way. season 3's "it's not my fault you don't like girls," versus season 4's "we're friends. we're friends." mike is projecting. will doesn't seem to even be thinking about the situation romantically at all, even after he says this. will doesn't miss a beat in saying, "we used to be best friends." but the way mike emphasizes the fact that they're friends (which was never stated otherwise by will, and wasn't even what he meant?) feels like such a clear case of him projecting his own conflicting emotions onto will, again.

he would not have taken the statement the same if it had been dustin or lucas saying it, i can guarantee that. but for some reason, whenever will gets onto the topic of their strained friendship, mike gets very touchy. he does not know how to deal with his feelings towards will and how their dynamic has ultimately changed and has been changing. this explains the uncomfortable hug at the airport, and the way he only faintly tries to address will maybe once and is quickly embarrassed by will's lack of response and doesn't try it again, opting to just keep "ignoring him" instead.

mike also does not mention the fact that he has been trying to call will the whole time. dustin states in a later episode that the byers' line is always occupied and that mike complains about it. mike and jane's main form of communication seems to be letters. whether this is a personal or safety choice is up in the air. but if mike was supposedly only calling for jane, why is his defense to will: "maybe you should've reached out more"? if mike knew he was secretly intentionally ignoring will during their long distance friendship, he wouldn't have said anything like that at all. but he lets himself slip up on the fact that yes, he was bothered by the fact that will didn't call him much. he might've been trying this whole time every now and then, but with scarcely any luck, i don't really see him keeping up with it if he's noticing that will isn't calling him back when joyce is finally off the phone.

4. mike's unusual anger towards jane for sticking up for herself.

there are a couple reasons i can see mike getting mad at her for standing up to bullies even though he's never had a problem with it before. in season 1 when jane hurts the party's bullies, it isn't directly traceable back to her. sure, a girl with telekenetic powers made troy pee himself and broke his arm, but what adult would believe that?

in season 4, the stakes are very different. jane is trying to have a normal life now. there is still a chance, even without her powers, that the lab could find her (which they do.) mike is a chronic worrier. what jane did to angela could have been very serious. not that she didn't deserve it, but real world actions like that have real world consequences, aka, jane getting arrested. he didn't want her to get in trouble. things like that don't just go away. he knows this, and it's why he's mad. but it's not even really him being mad at her at all, just really scared for her. and when mike gets scared for the people he cares about, he gets loud and frustrated. he's a child who didn't grow up given the open tools to express himself. this is also shown in season 2, when he is angry with jim hopper for hiding jane but really just drowning in a sense of relief that she was alive and a fear of how she was living without any contact with her friends this whole life. and again, in season 3, when he gets mad at max and in turn everyone else for being "careless" with jane's powers. he's not necessarily mad at them as much as he's scared of what might happen to her if she pushes herself too far. he doesn't want to lose her.

mike has never had a problem with standing up to a bully, especially for a friend. but the fact that jane put herself in a position where she might get in serious trouble, worried him, and that worry manifested into hostility towards her, the same way he turns hostile towards will when will didn't tell him that jane has been having problems at school.

my conclusion is this: mike has always been a moody kid. it's pretty much the staple of his character. but this has always been because he doesn't know how to express himself any other way. he wasn't raised to be so open and vulnerable with his feelings. the handful of times he is vulnerable and open about how he is feeling (not just with actions but with WORDS) is when he is with jane (this is a very thin claim because even with her he really struggles to both comfort her and tell her what's really going on with him, stuttering his way through and not being direct), but especially with will.

he is open and honest with will after they have a fight. he accepts responsibility for his poor actions. he admits to will that he was scared of losing him. he doesn't do this in a sincere way with anyone else. it comes out naturally to him with will. he doesn't need to be told to apologize or what to say, he just does it. will is his safe space and he struggles without him. jane is probably second closest to his heart and he can't stand the thought of losing her again. he is moody because he's upset. because he's scared. everything is changing and he feels like he's facing it alone.

this does NOT excuse his behavior towards his friends (this is referring to jane, will, but ALSO lucas), as much as i'm trying to provide some insight on his thought process and his inner conflicts throughout season 4, seeing as we don't get a lot from his point of view at all. i'm hoping season 5 wraps up his character arc nicely, because to me, there's a lot there that he has been struggling with since season 1. whether it be his home life, his sexuality, his fear of getting older, or all three, i guess we'll have to see.

#meta.#personals dni.#if u read this i love you.

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basingstokemercury · 8 months

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I feel like I might need a second opinion to help analyse some handling of real-world issues for one of my fics.

Heart's Mirror is a Kirashir story in which both are drawn into the mirror universe once again around the events of Through The Looking Glass, and their close proximity and mutual reliance brings out feelings neither realised they had.

Of course, the developing romance is fully entwined with an actual plot, and that's where things got tricky.

A major part of this plot involves meeting and dealing with the Terran resistance, reluctantly "led" by mirror!Julian (rip Smiley you're a less interesting character and not who I wanted to focus on).

And either shortly after or before our couple finally become a couple, they're briefed on the resistance's plan - since Smiley is out of the picture here and his attempt at using Sisko never happened, mirror!Julian's decision to assassinate Jennifer is going ahead.

Our Julian is disturbed by this, believing the killing of a civilian to be crossing a line, however necessary it may seem.

And then there's an added shock - Kira approves of the idea, and agrees it may be the only way.

This throws sudden tension between two characters who are literally falling in love and thought they were closer than ever before, forcing both to come to terms with ideological differences and see each other's viewpoint (not to mention mirror!Julian being present in the scene and bringing a whole other chaos factor).

And I don't know if I can write that.

The issue of resistance, terrorism, and acceptable civilian deaths is too close to my real, personal life and my people's history to sit back and calmly analyse, but I really want this story to go ahead and think I could do great things with it.

So uh if you're aware of my personal involvement with the topic and feel able to help with a more objective or at least less emotionally coloured viewpoint, I'd welcome advice/discussion on working out this scene and conflict.

#space station squad #the julian bashir chronicles

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fourseasonsfigs · 1 year

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Fig Fashion Week: Fendi Blue Bud Han

Today we have the matching Zhehan to yesterday's LV Blue Ice Jun. They weren't sold together, but the fig maker designed them together.

The inspiration for this fig comes from Zhehan's shoot for the Fendi Vertigo Summer 2021 capsule collection. The groovy 70's influence can be seen in the Vertigo pattern on the bag he's holding!

The fig maker absolutely nailed this design to this inspiration pic, I'm really impressed.

But! He lost one of his feet! It actually came off in my hand - the fig arrived intact, and when I was trying to stand him up he wobbled and off it came. Oh no! You know that moment where you just kind of disassociate for a second, not able to process that something just happened in front of you? It was like that. My brain could not simply comprehend for a second that his foot had fallen off. I was like, what is this? What is happening right now?

ALL LIMBS INTACT is all I ask! And while we're on the subject, WHO was the librarian back in the 80s that thought it was a good idea to stock a little kid's book section chock full of ghost story comics and books? Where all limbs were definitely not attached, in lurid pulp print technicolor?

A different time, is all I can say.

Despite my delayed shriek of horror, it was not, when it came down to it, a big deal. Nothing actually broke - the foot just hadn't been glued securely in the factory so it just fell out. I just used a couple spots of glue and it went right back in his pant leg. All good. You know, except for my childhood flashbacks.

Even with his little foot properly back in place, he doesn't stand up. I've noticed most of my Zhehan figs where he's wearing a bucket hat don't, I think because of the sheer size and weight. I propped him up to take this pic, and then promptly put him on a fig stand.

This little cutie is thankfully a balm to my frazzled nerves. He's got little cats in his eyes, for goodness sakes!

The fig maker changed the colorful strap of the bag in the inspiration pic to just a plain black strap in fig form. I think this was a good call - it's probably just too impractical to get all those colors in over that much territory.

I will note that when I was searching for fig standee bases I was trying to figure out what exact size to get, since there was a wide variety. I finally settled on this 4cm size since I figured that diameter would provide enough real estate to counterbalance the weight of the figs, while also not taking up more space than say your average fig head. In the case of Zhehan and his wide variety of hats, they're definitely larger than the standee!

I do love Zhehan in his hats. As someone who most definitely does not look good in hats, I especially appreciate when people took particularly cute and/or charming in them. Zhehan is both!

This is a good angle to see the pose he's standing at, with one leg bent. All poses are good to see those very fancy shoes too.

He's got the Zhehan fig proportions, all right!

The little pocket design does, in fact, look a bit like a smiling face! I love it.

The details on this fig are really well done. We have the details on the turtleneck, the smiley pocket tie! The exceptionally colorful bag and then of course those fancy kicks.

I will say I wish he was smiling in this, but that's simply my own personal preference. The fig maker was true to her muse and replicated the picture beautifully!

I forgot to take a lying-down bottoms-up angle pic, so here's my poor attempt when he's already been fastened to the standee. I take zero responsibility for this lapse of memory given that I was so distracted by his foot falling off. I can't blame myself one bit!

The top down is just about one big bucket hat! And a little wisp of hair.

You'll notice he has the same matching style of artwork as yesterday's LV Blue Ice Jun! A different scene, but very much the matching style.

Once again, more beautiful box artwork from this fig maker. I was her I'd be so proud of all the box art I had made for these figs that I'd get them all framed for my house.

Here's our two handsome men, all dressed up in their beautiful blue clothes. They go beautifully together.

Material: PVC and sufficient glue!!!!

Fig Count: 333

Scene Count: 24

Rating: 💙💙

[link back to Master Fig Index for more posts]

#zhang zhehan #junzhe #word of honor cast #shl cast #fig fashion week #bg photo credit joseph perigot on unsplash

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theold-ultraviolence · 1 year

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Oh no big brain for me i sent the ask wo finishing it. Jdjdjdjdjdjjd

Anywho

I was thinking. Them just chilling in eddies van gettinh high talking. Maybe some smooches. Eddie being like oh you wanna smooch her do it. So Aemond smooches her. Its all fin and games yknow truth and darw card games strip poker. Etc

ANON THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE! I couldn't wait to get home to reply to this because I really wanted to sit down at ease and this ended up being longer than just a small blurb LMAO but I needed to take my time with this because

*inhales*

AHHH yes yes yes this is everything, I went to bed thinking about something similar, where they're in Eddie's room, just chillin' and then something like that happens. But I love the idea of them being in Eddie's van...

...They're just vibing listening to music, the van windows all fogged up because they had been smoking earlier, added to just their general shared heat all compressed in that space. Maybe you're draped along the seats, or have the passanger seat all reclined so you could lean back properly and be perfectly sandwiched between Eddie in the driver's seat, with your legs across his own, and Aemond in the back, leaning in so he could be close to the two of you, and to maintain the conversation going because Eddie and Aemond had been going back and forth all damn evening about the European metal scene - ultimately agreeing on Doro Pesch from Warlock being an absolute babe.

But all throughout, be it the haze that you're all in and how all of your pupils are equally blown, bodies all flushed and glistening, Eddie had noticed how Aemond kept gazing longingly at you, especially whith all the shameless PDA that Eddie and you had engaged in all freaking day. Eddie just smirks to himself because truly, he doesn't mind. And he knew you didn't either.

Eddie then drapes an arm across your reclined seat and turns to look at Aemond with a certain impish twinkle in his big doe eyes, while biting his lip. "If you wanna kiss her, man, just go for it." He says as if it's the most normal thing in the world, and you don't even bat an eyelash, just turns to look back at Aemond all smiley and giggley.

Aemond just widens his eye and quickly looks between the both of your mischievous faces, "No, no, no,"

"It's alright, man! Or you could kiss me, if you wanted." Eddie shruggs, keeping it playful as to to test the waters on that regard with Aemond, mentally sighing of relief when he didn't tense or reacted negatively to the suggestion. He just keeps looking intently, on and on between the two of you, until he finally murmurs, "are you sure?"

You just surge up from your sitting position and frame his face with your hands and kiss him. He's shocked at first at first, but quickly he places his own hands around your neck and the back of your head, deepening the kiss and leaving no trace of that shy boy that he'd appeared to be a mere second ago.

Safe to say, Eddie is all too pleased, and even more turn on looking at you.

---

tagging the two besties I know will dig this very niche au that has emerged lol @dumpsterfirecee @naelys-the-aster

#anonymous #my writing #aemond targaryen x eddie munson crossover #aeddie au #the 80's crossover au of my dreams lmao idk how to even tag this #I think the first post of this universe didn't show up in any tag lmao #oh well #all the more fun at my house aka my blog

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kinetic-elaboration · 1 year

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February 5: Tinker Tailor (Movie Version)

Just finished re-watching Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. That was... an interesting experience. Last time I watched it, it was before reading the book, on purpose to see how well I could follow it blind, and this time I just finished a re-read.

Overall impression: this was made for people who've read the book. It's not that it was difficult to follow exactly... that's too hard for me to judge at this point. It's more that I think it might be hard to see the point or to really get invested without the book. But maybe I'm wrong because I think I was pretty invested after my first watch, with just the movie to go on.

Often times, what it reminded me of was a sort of summary, picking out the most important part of each section or scene and presenting it with minimal context. When I was a kid, and the internet had like 3 sites on it, I would amuse myself sometimes by using the summary function in Word to make summaries of various lengths of things I had written. This movie felt at times, especially early on, like such a document. It was accurate in picking out the most important bits but they weren't presented with much context and they had no particular room to breathe, no time for excess detail. (Which is sort of understandable because it's a 2 hour movie but also not understandable because there are a lot of quite random interlude scenes of Smiley... walking? swimming?)

I did think it did a good job of compressing important plot points when necessary. For example, cutting out Dani and her mother but still having a reason for Guillam to suspect Tarr was lying, or simplifying the confusing situation with Haydon at the club.

The relationship between Smiley and Peter was so good, and I thought there was a subtlety to the performances that really brought a lot that was unique while still being in keeping with the book. Smiley's "You're going to do something for me" really sent me. He didn't get to show off that much of his softly powerful interrogation style, but he had moments--"Yes, I am a better spy than Bill Haydon" moments--like that one, or like when he had Guillam pulled off Tarr, that really drove his character home.

The Karla encounter story was also really well done. That's a long story that seems like it should be a flashback in a movie, and yet it can't be a flashback without showing Karla, and they way it was done here really solved that problem beautifully. The smoky brown room and they're both fucking plastered and Smiley's re-enacting the whole memory to a blank chair on the second half of the screen... Karla is the empty space, the eye of the storm, the vortex around which everything else whirls.

I really liked Tom Hardy's portrayal of Ricki; it seemed a stand out performance to me this time around. He's certainly more sympathetic, but he still retained that coiled up nervous energy.

In general, a lot of the characters came off more sympathetic here, in particular Ricki, Connie, and Westerby--though Westerby was arguably just a name, really, since he didn't have either actual Westerby's personality or the personality of Sam, the actual duty officer on the night of Jim's shooting.

There were some bits that were added that I liked quite a bit: in particular, Haydon bringing his bicycle into the Circus, because it was a quick, fun way to show how quirky and likable he is; Tarr using the mirror to draw light on Irina's face, because it made them both sympathetic very quickly and it was beautiful; and the use of the Mr. Wu song while Guillam was stealing from the Circus. It's hard to depict on screen the sort of paranoia that is so obvious on the page, especially in Guilliam's arc, but having him pass by Roy singing on the stairs did that super well, and in a way that fit the medium. Is he singing it because he was listening to the same radio station, or because he was listening to Guillam on the phone? You simply can't know!

I'm also pro-recurring Christmas party scene, though I wonder if that's a controversial take.

Though there were places where I felt the summarizing was well done, there were other places where I felt like shortcuts they'd put in created inconsistencies, or where things were cut I would have liked to have seen kept in. For example, Smiley tells Jim when they meet that it's presumed that he blew his networks to save himself--no, it's presumed he died immediately from being shot. You can't have both. Seems a weird thing for Smiley to lie about and yet it doesn't fit with the movie timeline. It makes sense in the book--but then the networks were a much bigger deal in the book as well. Similarly, I get why they depicted Karla shooting Irina in front of Jim--it established she was dead and showed what kind of torture he endured, two birds, etc.--but the timeline, fudged as it is, doesn't make sense. Either Tarr sat on his info for even longer than in the book, or she hadn't been captured yet.

I also think the movie was too coy about Bill and Jim. I've heard both takes--it was too coy and it was (somehow) too explicit--but I'm bothered that one completely legitimate interpretation of this movie by itself is that Jim's feelings were not requited. It's true Bill takes the photo of them, and that he mentions having both a man and a woman he's attached to in England (aka canonically is bisexual) but the Christmas party scene makes it look perhaps like it's only Jim who has those feelings. Also, the truly fucked up relationship between them and the depth of Haydon's betrayal are not clear enough in my opinion. It wouldn't take much to make them so. It could be as little as adding "because he loved you" in the middle of the line "He came to warn you. Because he knew all along it was you."

On a related note, I think it was important to make clear that Operation Testify was not a legitimate operation that the mole fucked up. It was a set up from first to last. Again, there isn't a lot of excuse for keeping this unclear in my opinion. Smiley's last talk with Haydon is extremely short--very much one of the 'summary scenes'--and adding in a few more lines wouldn't have made it run too long. They do talk about it! After Haydon saying "Dammit I got him back," Smiley could have asked if the operation was ever real, for example, and he could have said no.

I also think it was unnecessary and mean to make Jim reject Roach at the end. That's completely made up, not just truncated from the book, and I think both characters deserve more than that.

I realize I'm harping on Jim stuff (I wonder why) but it also bothered me that the kids talked about his hunchback but he absolutely did not have one??? Am I just not seeing it? He seemed fine to me.

Another nitpicking detail: Witchcraft was the name of the intelligence product, and Merlin was the name of the source. I don't get why they didn't differentiate those two things. Jarring to hear "Witchcraft" used as the name of a person.

Overall.... the structure of the film seemed softer and less precise than the book, and I realize this is book bias talking but... I was a little frustrated. Why does Ricki tell his story so late? Why isn't Operation Testify given its due? There was a real build up to Smiley and Jim meeting in the book; in the movie it's just another interview, like with Connie or Westerby. Even really big scenes, like the Jim interview, or the reveal of the mole (which could have used more violence imo), or the Haydon scene at the end, seemed like, eh, just another scene. The pacing was too even, I suppose is what I'm saying, and the placement of scenes too random. I think that's what people find hard to follow: the when of each scene seems quite arbitrary most of the time. It isn't always, but I think if the movie followed the larger structure of the book, which is really quite smart and well thought out, I mean it's all done for you right there, it might have been easier to parse.

But that's easy for me to say as someone who's never written a screenplay I suppose.

Now where's my movie that's all about Thursgood's?

#the year 2023 #2023: movies

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kurt-wagner-official · 6 months

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Post #102: XF Annual issue 2 and XF issues 21-23

This annual is written by Jo Duffy and guest stars the Inhumans and Power Pack. It opens with Franklin telling the other Power Pack members about a dream he had about the moon blowing up and Quicksilver saving him. They tell him it's probably nothing and continue their day of chilling at the park with Artie and Leech, with X-Factor there to supervise. The dream starts to come true when Quicksilver does show up and try to kidnap Franklin, but Leech slows him down long enough for X-Factor to come intervene. Leech moves away so they can use their powers, but Quicksilver quickly summons Lockjaw (the giant teleporting dog Inhuman) to teleport him, Franklin, and our heroes to the Inhuman city on the moon. It quickly becomes clear that Quicksilver and Lockjaw are under someone else's control and not in league with the rest of the Royal Family, who try to apprehend them. But Quicksilver and Lockjaw escape with Franklin and now Medusa in captivity. Refreshingly, X-Factor and the Royal family don't have a big misunderstanding fight and instead immediately team up to find Maximux the Mad, who Black Bolt believes is controlling Quicksilver and Lockjaw. Along the way, Scott learns that Quicksilver is estranged from the family since he and his wife Crystal separated and both left for Earth, leaving their daughter Luna in the care of the other Inhumans, which brings out the sad in him. Jean is also angsty because they're very near to the place that Phoenix died, and the rest of her team remembers it. They brush it off and go with the others to find Maximus, whose evil plan is to strap Franklin into a machine and unlock all his latent powers to boost Maximus's mind control powers. There's a big fight and the heroes win in the end. Before they head back to Earth, Jean asks Scott to show her where the Phoenix died so she can pay her respects to her. This was a fine story but there's not really a reason for X-Factor to be here. The first half was from the POV of Power Pack and the second half was all centered on the Inhumans and Franklin. And it ends before we see Jean visit the Phoenix's death site for the first time, which would have been nice to show on panel.

Back to the main book, the hunt for Hodge proves easier than expected when he shows up on their front door for Warren's will reading. He denies the Phoenix holograms, but Scott still says he's fired for how he's been using his position to spew mutant hatred. The kids are hanging out with Hank, who's still recovering from Pestilence's touch (it wasn't mentioned in the annual, but he didn't really do anything in that so I'm gonna handwave it). They're all worried what this means for X-Factor, but Hank promises that Warren will have left them his fortune. The adults head to the will reading, minus Caliban. Caliban is feeling a lot of frustration, both for being unable to pass as human and for his lack of physical power that left him a sitting duck in the fight against the Horsemen. When the others get to the will reading, they learn that Warren did leave his money to the X-Factor organization- but Hodge was named as the executor of the funds and the new head of X-Factor. As they angrily leave, a reporter named Trish Tilby, who's been hounding them for a while, tells them that Hodge was the one who signed over Warren's power of attorney to the surgeons who took his wings, and she's figured out their secret- but before the conversation goes any farther, a bunch of guys in power armor with smiley face helmets fly out of the sky screaming for the death of all humans. Our heroes are forced to use their powers to defend themselves and the people around them before fleeing, their cover now blown. Hodge then goes to the press and tells them this was an act of dangerous mutants. The students back at HQ watch the scene on the TV in horror, but they have their own problems when the same guys burst into the room and attack them.

The kids fight back but are quickly overpowered by the villains, who put power dampeners on them. Caliban rushes in and tries to stop them but gets clobbered. He's not on their list so they pump him full of tranqs and leave him to take their other prisoners off. Tabitha chooses this moment to finally return from the Fallen Angels, and she sneaks off after the villains, eventually tracking them to their plane and sneaking on before they take off. X-Factor returns soon after and bring Caliban to the infirmary before the tranq overdose does more damage. Caliban overheard the villains mention Arlington, Virginia, so the whole team heads for their own plane to go find the kids. Tabitha has a head start, and sneaks off the plane after landing to see her friends loaded on school buses and taken to a science museum. She sneaks in, where it seems to be a normal museum, but the villains are in an underground compound and have mutant detectors that she sets off. She escapes into the ventilation shafts and begins her search. She frees Rictor, who tells her that this is the same organization that held him captive, but when they try to find the others they run into the Right's leader- Cameron Hodge.

X-Factor arrives, following Caliban's senses, and attack the Right's compound, but when they try to question the guards they learn they all have bombs implanted in their chests that kill them when captured. Watching the action from afar, Apocalypse commends the Right for testing the strength of X-Factor. He then tells the Horsemen it's time for them to battle each other to decide their leader, and finally unveils Warren's new Death persona. He now has blue skin and metal wings with razor sharp feathers that he can fling at people. Before the other Horsemen can even react, he's taken them out and been declared Apocalypse's right hand. X-Factor presses on through the compound while the kids manage to escape and meet them halfway. Hodge arrives in ruby quartz armor tailor made to fight Scott, but with teamwork they manage to take him down- only to learn it was a robot there to delay them while Hodge escaped and set the building to self destruct. They escape with the kids just in time, but Apocalypse decides his time has come and teleports X-Factor up to his ship to face his Horsemen. This book has been less focused on long action scenes since the Massacre, but this issue was basically one long fight scene, and the Simonsons proved they can write and draw a great one. The next issue is part of the Fall of the Mutants event. This one is different from Mutant Massacre; each of the three X-books has an independent plotline, with the thematic link of each team having major losses and status quo changes.

#wes reads xmen

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aetheternity · 3 years

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Draken, Chifuyu, Mitsuya, the Kawata twins and Kazutora in:

When they see you with your ex.

Disclaimer: E/N means Ex's name. The ex changes gender for each one to be more exclusive I'm sorry if it feels confusing. Kazutora's has mild angst but otherwise this is really sfw.

🌟 Draken

☆ He'd kinda crashed Mikey and Emma's day out. You'd told him you had something to do this weekend so what else was he supposed to do with his free time? The three of them had stopped to eat on the outdoor patio at a nice restaurant and while Emma and Mikey chatted away about something school related. Draken sat quietly sipping his tea.

☆ You'd been kinda weird when he'd asked why the two of you couldn't hang out today. You didn't even tell him what it was you were doing instead. And you always told him literally everything about your life. Sometimes unprompted.

• "Hey, isn't that Name?" Emma's voice suddenly caught his attention.

• "Who's the guy?" Mikey questioned in between bites of his food.

☆ Draken's head shot in the direction Emma had pointed in. Sure enough there you were, talking with a guy who was about the same height as Draken. Weirdly enough Draken felt like he'd seen this guy somewhere before.

• "Is that?.. E/N?"

☆ Draken squinted still staring at the two of you talking. You didn't exactly look happy but you and your ex were standing way too close. He felt a little pang in his heart.

• "Maybe she just.." Emma cut herself off. Your arm came up to wrap around your ex's neck. Pulling him in for a hug which he just as soon reciprocated.

• "Let's just go." Draken said and Emma seemed to immediately agree. As soon as Draken and Emma squeezed back into the open doors of the restaurant Mikey hightailed it in the opposite direction.

• "Dammit Mikey!"

• "Mikey!" Emma called but it was definitely too late for that.

☆ Mikey ran up behind you tapping your shoulder as Emma and Draken made their way down to the scene that was now forming.

• "Are you cheating on Ken chin?" Mikey questioned with zero hesitation. His face stern and his shoulders bared.

• "Mikey.." You said

• "I would've preferred to do this later." Draken grit. Though Mikey didn't even spare him a glance.

• "This is.. your new boyfriend right?" E/N asked

• "Name." Emma began "I know you wouldn't cheat on Draken.."

☆ You sighed putting some space between Mikey who looked two seconds away from punching someone and your ex whose confusion seemed to grow the longer this went on.

• "I'm not, I would never.." You sighed before continuing on. "He's dating my friend now and since we had some bad blood between us.. I figured I should try to get along with him since he's staying in my life. But I'm so sorry Ken Ken, I should've told you yesterday when you asked."

☆ Mikey stepped to the side as you held out your hand for Draken to take. He wasted no time pulling you into his arms, pressing a kiss to the top of your forehead.

• "Don't ever do this again."

• "Go out with my ex without explaining myself? Or get caught going out with my ex without explaining myself?"

• "All of it." Mikey interjected, hands placed in his pocket but his normal smile was starting to reappear.

• "Go home you two. I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon with these two."

• "Oh? Is it because you're worried something will happen?" You asked Draken laced your finger tips slipping your hand into his pocket.

• "I was never worried, I just wanted to spend time with you." He explained

☆ Definitely should've just invited him in the first place because within a couple hours your ex and Draken have become better friends than the two of you were supposed to be.

🌟 Chifuyu

☆ Him and Takemichi decided to spend the afternoon in Chifuyu's favorite manga shop since sitting at home had become tiresome.

☆ Takemichi had organized a small pile of books around his body like a nest while Chifuyu just searched the aisles aimlessly. He didn't have a book in mind before coming here so he figured he'd pick one out from his favorite section once they got there.

• "Hey Chifuyu?" Takemichi looked up as Chifuyu flipped through one book while he held another in his hand.

• "I can't buy both of these. Takemichi which one do you think is better?"

• "Isn't that Name?" Takemichi pointed over the stack of books on his left sure enough just outside the aisle was you with a girl chatting away.

• "Who's the girl Name's talking with?" Takemichi asked looking up at Chifuyu, though Chifuyu had already ducked his way behind the bookshelf peering out of the aisle at the current scenario.

• "What the hell are you doing?" He asked coming over.

• "That's Name's ex."

• Takemichi fell in line next to Chifuyu peering over his head, "I didn't know Name dated girls too.."

• "Yeah.. it's not a big deal.." Chifuyu said as the two of you giggled about something a couple feet away.

• "If it's not a big deal why are we hiding?"

• "Shh!" Chifuyu ducked back as you and your ex walked a little ways away. "Come on let's follow them."

• "Why don't we just go talk to them?" Takemichi followed reluctantly.

• "I don't want Name to think I came here because I was stalking-"

☆ Just as Chifuyu had made it to the next aisle he tripped over a snag in the carpet causing an oblivious Takemichi to bump into him. A loud oof from both of them alerting you and your ex of their presence.

• "Chi?" You called annndd now you were coming over. "Hey Chi, what are you doing here?"

• "This is my favorite manga place." Chifuyu answered with a grunt, stepping into the aisle.

• "I know.. I just thought you and Takemichi would be at your place."

• "What's going on?.. This is what you were busy with?" He gestured between the two of you.

• "Chi." You stepped forward and Chifuyu took one step back. "You know how me and, E/N are childhood best friends and how my grandmother is sick right now? My grandmother is basically a second mother to her so she invited me out to take my mind and her's off things, She suggested we come in here and I said ok but it wasn't right of me to not tell you, I'm sorry baby."

☆ Chifuyu looked between you and your ex his eyes slowly beginning to soften.

• "I'm not mad love. It was just weird you don't normally do underhanded things like this." He pulled you into his chest for a hug and you wrapped your arms around his waist.

• "You should come with us." E/N said pointing to Chifuyu and Takemichi. "Name won't stop talking about how wonderful you are as a boyfriend anyway."

☆ A bright pink flutters over both you and Chifuyu's cheeks as Takemichi snickers behind you both.

• "Next time you can bring Hina and we can make this into an outing." Chifuyu said, poking Takemichi in his side with his elbow before wrapping his arm around your midsection.

☆ You guys probably end up staying in the store for a couple more hours honestly because if there's anything you and Chifuyu have in common it's your love for manga.

🌟 Mitsuya

☆ He'd been running errands for his mother all morning so by the time he reached the supermarket he was completely exhausted. He pushed his shopping cart through the aisles with a long sigh, checking off items as he went.

☆ He rounded the last corner glad that his day was nearly over and already thinking about what he was going to prepare for dinner when the sound of your voice caught his attention.

☆ His first assumption was that he was so tired he was imagining it but the airy ring of your laugh soon validated his suspicions. You'd told him you were hanging out with friends today after all.

☆ He grabbed the last thing on his list deciding to go say hi. He wheeled the cart directly into the next aisle walking up as you and a person he didn't recognize were having a chat with an elderly woman.

• "You two are so cute together." The woman gestured with a small smile.

• "Oh.. no we're exes and friends." E/N explained

• "Aw I'm sorry things didn't work out for you two." The woman nodded

☆ You opened your mouth to respond but Mitsuya's warm gaze caught your attention first.

• "Suya, hey!" You greeted, walking over to greet your boyfriend with a small hug.

• "That's the actual boyfriend." Your ex explained to the woman.

• "This is the friend you told me about yesterday?" Mitsuya asked looking at your ex with a blank expression.

☆ The tension in the aisle could be sliced with a knife and the lady from before quickly walked away to another side of the store.

• "We are just friends now I promise. There's nothing going on between us and they're having a party tonight that's why we're here." You gestured to your ex who awkwardly waved back. "I was going to invite you later so that you could sneak out when Luna and Mana are asleep."

• Mitsuya nodded his expression softening as he reached up to cup your cheek, "I wish you had just explained that earlier, next time just tell me I won't be angry."

• "I will, I promise." You gave him a quick peck which he reciprocated. "I'm going to head with Suya but I'll see you at the party later?" You asked turning to your ex.

• "Yeah, I'll see you then." They replied as they left.

☆ And yeah sure Mitsuya said he was cool with it but you two ended up skipping the party and after dinner you both stayed in bed all night.. (Do with that what you will. 🙃)

🌟 Nahoya/Smiley

☆ You'd only been dating Nahoya for a month and everyday you two met up at the same place after school.

☆ Sometimes (like today) he'd grab Souya/Angry and head out to meet you. Today the three of you were just supposed to grab a quick bite to eat before heading to the Toman meeting.

☆ The second the two of them had stopped their bikes Souya pointed you out where you were holding a box and talking to some stranger.

• "Who's that guy?" Nahoya's grin tightened as he watched the way the guy yapped away while you just silently listened.

• "He looks like somebody." Souya pondered for a second before his gaze fell on his brother. "I recognize his face he was in some picture on Name's wall."

☆ Nahoya didn't wait another second to storm over to the situation Souya trotting along behind with his teeth grit.

• "What the hell is this?" Nahoya grunted though his smile never wavered. The indent of anger extremely noticeable on his forehead.

• "Hoya, this is E/N he-"

• "E/N as in your ex?" Souya chimed up before you could finish.

• "You invited your ex here when you knew I was coming? What kind of shit are you pulling here Name?"

☆ His smile began to dip at the edges but it was obvious he was trying to keep up his natural facade. His fists clenching at his side, book bag carefully slipped into Souya's arms behind him.

• "I just needed my stuff back, I promise." You tried to explain, shaking the box in your possession for Nahoya to see.

• "I didn't mean to intrude on your-"

• "You shut the fuck up!"

• "Hoya!"

• "So you thought you should invite him on our date? Are you trying to piss me off?"

• You stomped your foot exasperation slowly starting to take over in your face and tone. "Hoya, I didn't invite him! I told him I was here and he's gonna be on vacation for three weeks but I needed my camera back." You hold up the camera that you'd fished from the box, Desperation thick in your voice. "So he decided to drop my stuff off with me and you just happened to get here before he could leave." You rest your fingertips on the bridge of your nose. Glad for the silence that soon arises.

• "I should go." Your ex whispers doing a little scoot around Nahoya who still hadn't completely cooled off.

• "Hey, stop it." Nahoya grips your chin pulling your shaky form closer to himself. "You should've just asked me to get your shit for you."

• You muster a little giggle, sniffling and wiping your face with the back of your hand. "You would've kicked his ass then brought me my stuff."

• "He would've deserved it."

☆ You pull Nahoya closer though he's still a little hesitant to return your affection.

• "Let me make it up to you please? You and Souya." You turn to Souya who's still holding both his and Nahoya's backpacks.

• "You're paying for lunch today." Nahoya replies pulling you into his side. He lowers his voice leaning into your ear as Souya walks ahead to his bike. "And if I ever see that jackass again I'll break his jaw."

🌟 Kazutora

☆ Baji and him had spent the day riding their motorcycles until they decided to take a break not too far away from the shrine where Toman meetings were always held.

☆ They soon found themselves parking their bikes and skipping stones by the riverbed.

• "So, why is it that you're hanging out with me instead of your partner today?" Baji asked as his stone plopped into the water.

• "They said they had something going on." Kazutora replied

• "If I was with someone that gorgeous I'd be willing to go with them but whatever."

• "Maybe you should have someone before you start dishing out relationship advice."

☆ Baji grinned wide throwing a soft punch which Kazutora caught with a snicker pretending to right hook him. It soon lead into a chase with Baji dodging all of Kazutora's playful jabs walking backwards and making sound effects to go along with each swipe of his fists.

☆ Baji grabbed both of Kazutora's fists pushing him back until he nearly tumbled onto his ass. His laugh unbridled in its volume.

• "Come here Kazutora I'll show you how to throw a real punch."

• "What the fuck.." Kazutora's gaze followed two people walking along the path that went just overhead.

☆ Baji's head whipped around to track Kazutora's gaze stopping on the two people walking side by side almost out of sight at this point.

• "Is that-" Kazutora was nearly gone by the time Baji had processed the words. "Hey!" He called out running to catch up but Kazutora had already sprinted to the top of the bank, jogging along to catch up to the people they'd spotted.

• "Name!" His voice boomed closing the distance scarily quick.

☆ You'd stopped dead in your tracks, turning to face the chilling look in your boyfriend's eyes as he stood before you. Baji right behind and practically out of breath.

• "Who is that?" Kazutora pointed

• "Tora.. baby don't freak out.."

☆ His earring clinked against his face as he stared into your eyes.

• "Are you leaving me now? Is that it?"

• "Tora!" You huff, putting your hands out.

• "Kazutora.." Baji called out already sensing the weight of the situation.

• "She's my ex but listen-"

• "So you are cheating on me.." Kazutora's jaw locks and when you reach out for his sleeves with pleas of his name he just slaps your arms away.

☆ When he leaves he runs for his bike. His leg anchored over the side already gripping the handle bars tightly when Baji's loud scream of his name rips through the air.

☆ He's got his bike out of park but just as he starts to drive away you dash out from nowhere and yank his handle bar.

• "Dammit Tora listen to me!!" You beg, he can clearly see the beginnings of tears stinging the corners of your eyes as you hold onto the hand still clutching his handlebars.

• "What could you possibly say? That it didn't mean anything? That you love me?!"

• "Yes! I do love you! You mean everything to me! I needed to be with E/N today because her mom went missing a couple days ago! The woman that took me in and loved me all my life is out there somewhere and no one knows anything about it so dammit Kazutora if you love me even half as much as I love you, don't leave me right now!"

☆ You latched onto his jacket letting your loud sobs fill the now quiet air.

• "You told me.. You love me.." His whispered tone barely reaches your ears as you continue to choke on your own tears.

• "I.. love you.. Tora.." You hiccuped

☆ His arms wrapped gently around your waist, face deep in the crook of your neck as you slowly began to relax.

• "I'm sorry." You felt him tremble as he held you closer than he ever had before. "I love you.." He reciprocated. "I'm here.."

🌟 Souya/Angry

☆ Souya tended to listen more than you realized. Like when you go on and on about a band you absolutely adore to the point where he stays up until almost 12 am to snag tickets for the two of you to go see them on the weekend. And this was that weekend.

☆ He'd been nearly bursting with excitement over it and now he could finally surprise you with the news after holding it in for a solid week.

☆ He parked his bike across the street from your house, reaching into his jacket pocket for the umpteenth time to check that both tickets were there. After a few more minutes of preparing, blowing into his hand to check his breath, smoothing his sweaty hands over his jacket. He rung your doorbell. The heel of his toe tapping against the floor as he waited for you to answer.

☆ When the door finally opened a person much taller than Souya answered.

• "Yup." The person pursed their lips one hand on the tool belt wrapped around their waist. For a second Souya pondered if he'd somehow rung the wrong doorbell until he looked at the number in plain view embellished on your door front.

• "Who are you?" It definitely came off more aggressive thanks to Angry's naturally violent resting face.

☆ Before the person could answer you came bounding down the stairs, pulling the door open wider.

• "Why the hell would you answer my door?" You spit at the person standing beside you as you pull your boyfriend inside, shutting the door behind him.

• "I think you mean thank you."

• "Fuck off." You tell the person who was already walking back to the kitchen.

☆ The naturally angry imprint on Souya's face seems to deepen as he makes eye contact with you.

• "I wish you had called." You sighed, tugging Souya into the living room by his jacket sleeves.

• "Who the hell is that?"

• "You remember how I said my ex is in the remodeling business.."

• "That's your ex?"

• "Yes but listen! If I work with him I can get a discount, I just want that wall taken out to open up the space a bit more." You gesture to the kitchen where your ex is currently examining the wall. "I would've told you sooner but between my friend coaxing me into doing this remodel and that drunk night with you and Nahoya it was hard to find time."

☆ Souya dipped his hands into his pockets, staring blankly into the distance. His brow furrowed deeper than normal and his foot tapped against the hardwood.

• "If you're uncomfortable with this I'll get someone else.."

• "Get someone else."

• "Wait before you answer." You scoot closer to your still ticked boyfriend and he makes eye contact with you again. "This kind of remodel normally costs way more than the bargain I'm getting with them."

☆ Souya blinked blankly at you.

• "Sou plllleeeeaaasssee, you can be here whenever they are." You gesture to the kitchen.

• "No I can't I have a job."

• "Fine.. I'll call you the entire time." He sighed with a roll of his eyes. And you rubbed both his arms with a long groan of his name. "How about this, I bring you and them to dinner. Once you see how disinterested I am you might be more for it."

• "Not worried about you, I'm worried about them." His forehead rubbed against yours and you giggled.

• "I promise I only love you."

• "Would you love me more if I got tickets to your favorite band for today?"

• "I'm never leaving you." You proclaim wrapping your arms tightly around Souya's midsection. "That's a proposal by the way we're engaged now. I don't make the rules."

• "E/N I'm engaged now!" You yell towards the kitchen.

• "I heard, congrats!" They yelled back

☆ Souya just scoffed but his cheeks bloomed into the deepest shade of red as he walked upstairs with you to your bedroom to help you pick out an outfit for the concert.

#gender netural reader #tokyo revengers headcanons #tokyo revengers x reader #draken x reader #chifuyu x reader #mitsuya x reader #nahoya x reader #kazutora x reader #souya x reader #draken hcs #chifuyu hcs #mitsuya hcs #nahoya headcanons #nahoya hcs #kazutora hcs #souya hcs #souya headcanons #Kazutora when he sees you with your ex: This is all Mikey's fault

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sapphicwhxre · 3 years

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your first time | HCs

what your first time having sex includes (for anon)

Г includes : hermione granger, draco malfoy, harry potter, ron weasley, ginny weasley, pansy parkinson, fred weasley, george weasley, luna lovegood, cho chang, fleur delacour, nymphadora tonks, bellatrix lestrange, and narcissa black

♡─

hermione granger

♡─

actually researches everything she can to make it good for you (which ends up working really well)

is such a nervous wreck about making it perfect that you have to remind her

"it's with you, it'll already be perfect"

uses terms like vagina until you straight up tell her you're comfortable with dirtier words

foreplay QUEEN

does absolutely everything in her power to get you as wet as possible before doing anything

to the point where you wonder if you'll cum before even fucking

is already asking you what kinks you wanna try at this point

doesn't shut up but she's complimenting you the whole time

gets really encouraged + turned on whenever you moan

clingy, grinning mess after

asks you immediately what you want her to do better next time

♡─

draco malfoy

♡─

cocky, cocky, cocky

secretly really nervous but still plays it up

will not let you top

returns anything you do

doesn't stand for you being quiet

he will do everything in his power to get you as loud as possible

also doesn't take his eyes off you at all ─ like he wants to memorise every second of it and every inch of your body

pretty rough but instantly softens if he thinks he hurt you or something

won't cum until you do

tells you how hot you were after

teases you for cumming for him like that wasn't the intended goal

acts non chalant instead of telling you how head over heels he is

♡─

harry potter

♡─

harry is CURIOUS and no one can tell me otherwise

you're the one that has to tell him it's ok to touch you and he goes all out once you do

wants to do everything, touch you everywhere

actually wouldn't be able to get over you or shift his focus from pleasing you

"these are so pretty", "i love this", "say my name again", etc.

you probably have to pull him away at some point if you want to actually touch him ─ or fuck

absolutely shook when do you touch him

tries to stay quiet until you tell him you wanna hear him

then he won't shut up with the babbling and the praises

wants a second round as soon as you finish

♡─

ron weasley

♡─

thanks to hbp, we know how inexperienced ron is

so don't expect him to get actually kinky the first time

sure, he wants to go all out with you but he's actually really gentle

accidentally tries something in the moment (like choking, degrading, basically any kink) and apologises

then can't believe the experience actually gets better when you roll with said kink (and enjoy it)

slows and asks if you're ok the whole time

and every time you say yes, he gets really encouraged

doesn't even want to pull away when you're done ─ basically never wants to take his hands off of you again

heavy breathing and huge grinning right on your skin when you're done

having a snack together after because it's cute and he's all worn out so

♡─

ginny weasley

♡─

effortlessly sexy

honestly gets you going without even knowing it (you're done for when she actually tries)

she's really casual but sweet

definitely confident

puts her hair in a ponytail so you can see her face but still grab her hair

can't stay serious for shit ─ she's so happy and makes sure you know it

absolutely teases you if you stare at her

"its like this is the first time you've seen me naked!"

voices how turned on she is and how hot she finds you

forces herself to keep her eyes open because she wants to see you come undone

gets as many orgasms out of you as she can

sits on your lap and plants all these little kisses on your face when you're finished

♡─

pansy parkinson

♡─

"y/n and i are going to fuck, you should all be jealous" "oh my gods pansy,"

only a little nervous ─ she's more excited than anything

starts to confidently tells you about her daydreams, fantasies, and wet dreams but ends up blushing really hard

gets to work immediately

assumes she's topping but is actually willing to let you if you'd like

cocky, teasing, and sweet the whole time

goes for dirty names right off the bat

doesn't miss a beat when you cum, "baby 'm gonna take you against the wall now"

keeps going even after she gets tired

finally stops once you're both mindblown and unable to walk

falls asleep naked with you, head in your hair, mumbling about how she has the best s/o

♡─

fred weasley

♡─

will pick you up/drag you/etc. to wherever you're doing this

excited as fuck but wants a safeword first and foremost

probably makes it something really stupid

you can barely get anything other than moans out once he starts touching you

gives you kisses, talks dirty, fucks you as hard as he can... he goes all out

just to make your first time the best you've ever had

focuses on giving unless you want more

softer during the second round but way kinkier ─ the boy likes trouble more than work but he's still a quick learner

slow, tired makeout when you're both worn out and him spooning you

♡─

george weasley

♡─

also really excited

has already figured out your kinks at this point through conversation cues and imagined making you cum with all of them

won't stop kissing you, saying stuff like, "ready to cum for me baby?"

SWOONING banter, "so long as you fill me up love"

confident + teasing about it

"fuck, how did you know i like that?" "a weasley is always prepared y/n," "didn't you forget to wear shoes to class last week?"

absolute gentleman

makes sure everything's ok with you

knows how to get you hot and bothered without being too rough

grunted i love yous

pulls out of you once you're all fucked out but keeps you close so he can give your forehead wet, praising kisses

♡─

luna lovegood

♡─

so ready to do this

tells you really non-chalantly how bad she wants you

also a queen of foreplay

undresses you so carefully and slowly, telling you how gorgeous you are

long kisses

open about her kinks, asks straight up what yours are

locking fingers while you fuck and agreeing to only let go if one of you wants to stop

spoiler, your hands may as well be fused together by the end of the night

coaxes you through her moans and checks on you

even though she knows ─ and trust me, she KNOWS ─ you're having the time of your life

wants you to lay on your back after you cum and plays with your hair + swirls her fingers on your skin from her comfy lil seat on your waist

♡─

cho chang

♡─

sweet over sexy first time

nervous at first that someone's going to walk in but once she starts touching you, the whole world disappears

lots of blushing and giggling

nothing too serious ─ your legs are tangled and you're just heart eyed

plants kisses all over you the whole time

actually loses herself with you

like eyes scrunched shut and looking like an angel

if she didn't want to see you all pretty and moaning so bad, she'd probably keep her eyes closed and just be happy with how good you feel

whispers the cutest but dirtiest shit

so smiley when you cum

gets pouty if you pull away or stand up after

wants to cuddle, skin to skin, and keep giving you kisses

♡─

fleur delacour

♡─

wants it to be perfect

wears the prettiest lingerie she owns

sets a romantic scene

physically and verbally

trust me when i say this girl is a romantic goddess when it comes to words

pulls out the french and tells you how beautiful she thinks you are

magic touch ─ her fingers are stroking and caressing you during everything and it feels magical

during this first time, actions > words

barely says anything

other than moaning your name

quietly praises you under her breath but says it louder if you tell her to

just really sensual and passionate

holds you in her arms and kisses all over your neck and shoulders when you finish

♡─

nymphadora tonks

♡─

"love, are you sure you want to do this together?"

the second she has your full comfort and consent?

she goes wild

fucks you a thousand different ways but is being so sweet with her words

respectful yet dirty, complimenting in the sexiest tone you've ever heard

wouldn't want to do anything too kinky the first time

only because she wants to leave you wanting more

(as if you won't already ─)

definitely loses control of her hair colour in the moment

it just feels so good that she can't help but go bright and vibrant

all bubbly and talkative when you finish + gets herself together and changes her hair back to your favourite colour

♡─

bellatrix lestrange

♡─

lays out all her kinks that first time

goes absolutely wild in bed

covers you in sloppy kisses and hickeys

moans shit like, "i have been thinking about this since the moment i laid eyes on you,"

loud the whole time

possessive pet names

my doll, my love, my pretty little thing

melts the first time your hands are in her hair

(whether they're pulling at it or running through it)

won't say anything about it but looks for cues that you're comfortable and enjoying it as much as she is

doesn't stop until you're completely worn out

lays on your chest when you're done

and falls asleep mumbling praises

♡─

narcissa black

♡─

tease

wants to stretch out your desire before you do anything for as long as she can

long kisses, hooked fingers, etc.

and when she does fuck you?

respectful queen, looks at you for consent before trying anything

stays serious but if you let out a little giggle, she indulges it because she's just as excited to finally be doing this with you

knows what she wants and expects it

she doesn't stop coming up to kiss you

tells you how good you're doing the whole time

makes you cum as many times as she possibly can before finally letting go

doesn't let go when you're done ─ she wants to stay close to you, hot breaths and juices mixing while she kisses the top of your head

─────

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brwnicons · 2 years

Text

Zhongli x reader

☆ I've had a couple of rough weeks so writing this was my therapy. Probably a bit out of character(? I'm tired of period cramps and seek comfort, so don't judge me ☆

-> Summary: You show Zhongli your serenitea pot and end up having a date with him there. Short fic, fluff and reader's gender not specified. I'm not used to english petnames so if they're not neutral enough please tell me

-> Warnings / Triggers: None

-> Words: 1K

If you find any mistake please tell me

"Well, what do you think?" You proudly asked Zhongli when you finished showing him the garden inside your serenitea pot. But he didn't hear you. He was completely absorbed, a smile on his face and bright eyes lost into the clouds sea before you two.

He continued looking at the sun hiding beneath the far clouds, an almost ethereal sight. The wind was softly caressing his brown hair locks and lightly wiggling his earring, and a warm ray of sun lighting his golden eyes as two ambers; making them, if that's even possible, prettier.

You chuckled softly at his dissociation, the sound of your giggles catching his attention. "Excuse me, my love" -he stroked your hand gently- "I'm afraid I got too absorbed by the atmosphere of this delightful scene" he said as he closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of the trees you had placed around.

You took his hands, admiring the orange clouds above you. "You know you can stay here and enjoy it as long as you want, Liyue isn't at your charge any longer" you looked into his eyes and whispered, afraid of what could happen if luck heard you "You're free now, Zhongli"

He smiled softly, pure adoration in his honey gaze, a hand raising to caress your face gently, as if you were the most precious thing he had ever hold.

You both stayed like that for a few seconds, just looking into each other's eyes, taking in all your favourite features of your partner.

But Zhongli changed his expression soon and sighed, his hand still on your cheek "Love, much to my regret, I believe we must be going, otherwise we won't be able to find a place in the Heyu Tea House, you know how crowded it is at this time"

You looked at him with pity eyes and hesitated for a moment, you really liked Heyu's tea, but being here with Zhongli surely was much better: there were no irritating crowd noises and no storyteller that could interrupt your conversations, just you two in view of a completely peaceful and serene scenery, surrounded by trees of orange and golden leaves and the calm sound of the flowing water from a nearly pond.

In that moment, Zhongli could swear that he saw a light bulb lighting above your head, but he couldn't ask you since you speaked before him "I've got an idea! Just wait for me here, I'll come back soon" And without waiting for response, you disappeared from his sight.

The geo archon sighed in defeat, but he wasn't too surprised about your manners, he loved you and that included your impulsivity and sudden ideas; so he just made his way into a especial place you made for you both and waited there. The spot was a grassy circle inside a small woods you made of golden birches and sandbearer trees with a little wooden table and a pair of benches. You loved to go there together and just talk about life, with its virtues or its sorrows.

He sat on the rustic bench and got lost in his thoughts again, thinking about how he could be as lucky as to meet you, and not just that, since you also decided to stay with him and to love him even after he hid you that he was Rex Lapis. He also thought about his life as Morax, about Guizhong and the war of archons. He was there, drowning in his own memories, until the sudden smell of meat and mushrooms made him come back to reality. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw you in front of him; your face bright and smiley and your hands carrying a big smoky Bamboo shoot soup bowl and a couple of teabags.

"You know, it has been kind of difficult to convince the boss to give me the special Heyu's tea, but when I told them it was for you, they gave me a bunch of them and even this soup!" You exclaimed as you placed carefully the bowl on the table and gave him a couple of chopsticks.

"Thanks you y/n" He said with a welcoming smile "I'm glad to hear that, and I hope that they didn't treat you inadequately. Otherwise I'm afraid I'll have to speak personally to them"

"Hey, don't worry" you laughed softly as you poured water in your respective teacups "We decided to stay here to melt into the ambience, so just relax"

Zhongli raised his brows at you and laughed silently "We decided? Dear, you unexpectedly disappeared. Not that I mind it, and how can I blame you if you even come back with all of these" You groaned at his words when you realized what you just did previously. You just left without even telling him anything, he could have wanted to go to Heyu's and you just ignored it! "Sorry... I got too excited about the idea of being here together and didn't even ask you about what you preferred" You apologized and looked into his eyes "Is this... okay to you? We can still go to Heyu's if you want"

Without saying anything, Zhongli put his chopsticks on the table, got up from his seat and went to you. He took the teapot from your hand, set it on the table and grabbed your face lovingly "Dear, this is far better than just okay" he whispered just before kissing you tenderly. You smiled against his lips and grabbed his lapels to deepen the kiss as he brushed his thumbs on your cheeks.

And what better way to end a date with your boyfriend than just laying along with him on a carpet of soft grass, surrounded by shining fireflies while watching the stars, as your archon lover explains you how to find his friends' constellations in the sky. Or maybe he pointing at Celestia and talking to you about it, or just admiring the occasional falling stars and silenty wishing for plenty of moments like these.

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