#but it's her father's party and arguments and blah blah blah

[iamfitzwilliamdarcy]

ok this one IS an explicitly anti-maiko post, I'm not sorry. The Beach is a great episode except that a lot of it doesn't actually land for me in terms of relationship dynamics, and the extremely obvious one is maiko.

This episode does a lot of work for trying to establish the Fire Nation kids group dynamics and their motivations and insecurities. It's really good, especially for Azula. It also is where Zuko first starts confronting returning to the Fire Nation was not going how he expected and his growing internal conflict. But background to this is also further establishing the Zuko/Mai relationship, and lemme just say-- I do not think the writers do a good job.

This got long esp because of transcript quotes, so I put it under a read more, but here we go

Throughout the episode, Zuko and Mai snipe at each other, culminating in a blowup argument and a breakup. And then they literally just kiss and make up at the end of the episode, without doing anything to fix the things that led to the break up in the first place.

So let's start with the argument, work backwards from there, and back to their resolution. This is the argument:

Mai [Angrily.] Zuko, what is wrong with you? Zuko What's wrong with me? Mai [Scolding.] Your temper is out of control. You blow up over every little thing. You're so impatient and hotheaded and angry! Zuko [Snapping back.] Well, at least I feel something, as opposed to you. [Frontal view from behind Mai.] You have no passion for anything! You're just a big blah! Mai [Turns away from Zuko.] It's over, Zuko. We're done.

Immediately preceding this, Zuko shoves the Fire Nation kid talking to Mai at the party. Zuko's been jealous of him all episode and it's frankly not entirely unfounded. Chan invites Ty Lee to his party, Ruon-Jian notices Mai and invites her too-- Zuko is ignored until Azula insists on getting them both invites as well. Zuko's jealousy is out of line, and getting suspicious Mai likes Ruon-Jian is too, I can see why Mai would be annoyed by that. I can also see why it would trigger Zuko getting so upset when he sees Ruon-Jian talking to her at the party.

I... have trouble believing Mai would actually be so mad/upset that Zuko shoved another guy. It's a little controlling, but it is exciting and she had just been saying she as bored. It would make more sense to me if Zuko had taken this out on her -- she can't talk to people, etc-- as a reason for being upset-- because that would go better with her personal family trauma revealed later in the episode about being controlled and stifled.

I also think it's interesting Mai says Zuko's temper is out of control because other then going after Ruon-Jian, he's not really angry in this episode? He's annoyed about being handled by his father, he's dismissive of Mai's negativity at the party, he is suspicious and jealous but he doesn't do anything outright and hot tempered until then. What is Mai basing this on?

(after this Zuko IS very mean to Ty Lee at the fireside but we have no in show evidence he was before)

We certainly address Zuko's anger later at the fireside-- he's in conflict with himself, he is angry at himself. They sort of address Mai not feeling things and being a big blah in the fireside scene -- I'm gonna put the long block quote here lol:

Zuko [Camera pans right. Getting up.] Yeah, you do not believe in anything. Mai [Close-up; sarcastically.] Oh, well, I'm sorry I can't be as high-strung and crazy as the rest of you. Zuko [Aerial view of campsite. Walking up to the campfire.] I'm sorry, too. I wish you would be high-strung and crazy for once instead of keeping all your feeling bottled up inside. [Frontal view.] She just called your aura dingy. Are you gonna take that? Mai [Aerial view of campsite. Leaning back.] What do you want from me? You want a teary confession about how hard my childhood was? Well, it wasn't. [Close-up.] I was a rich only child who got anything I wanted ... as long as I behaved [Cut to shot of the sky.] and sat still, and didn't speak unless spoken to. [Close-up of Zuko.] My mother said I had to keep out of trouble. We had my dad's political career to think about. Azula [Side-view of campsite.] Well, that's it, then. [Close-up.] You have a controlling mother who had certain expectations, and if you strayed from them, you were shut down. That's why you're afraid to care about anything, and why you can't express yourself. Mai [Frontal view.] You want me to express myself? [Stands up and yells.] Leave me alone! Zuko [Side-view of campsite. Frontal view of Zuko.] I like it when you express yourself. [Approaching, attempting to put a hand on her shoulder.] Mai [Frontal view.] Don't touch me! I'm still mad at you. [She sits.] Zuko [Side-view of Mai.] My life hasn't been that easy either, Mai. Mai: Whatever. That doesn't excuse the way you've been acting.

Anyway, again, "the way Zuko's been acting" isn't really obvious to me-- he's a little snide after their fight and that's mean. And even here, Zuko is (I think fairly earnestly) trying to give her an outlet and she's not moved by it. It's not until he confesses he's angry at himself that she seems to forgive him, and it's unclear exactly what has moved her about this --

Zuko [Close-up.] Because I'm confused. Because I'm not sure I know the difference between right and wrong anymore. Azula You're pathetic. Mai [View from behind Zuko.] I know one thing I care about. [Walks up to Zuko. Frontal view.] I care about you. [They kiss.]

Press X to doubt because the whole episode has not shown once that Mai cares about Zuko. In fact, it's shown her rebuffing all his attempts to connect with her and the arguing with him. The episode hasn't shown me one piece of evidence that Mai even likes Zuko. There's nothing that's changed between the start of the episode and now, except that Zuko's addressed why he's angry and who he's angry with-- but it doesn't explain why that would make Mai not mad at him anymore. They haven't addressed any of their earlier grievances, but once again the writers use a kiss to show us everything's all made up and fine now, I guess. A kiss isn't a resolution, but I mentioned in another post, Book 3 does this a lot!

Also it's weird to me to just ignore Zuko expressing his conflict-- Mai has no opinion about that? This becomes a point of conflict a bit later in The Boiling Rock episodes, where Mai tells Zuko he is betraying his country, but again it's never really satisfactorily addressed. Azula at least calls him pathetic -- which isn't nice but isn't ignoring it either.

I would even go as far to say Ty Lee is shown to care more about Zuko when she calls him out for burning the family portrait and it's Ty Lee who says "I know you." That line just really hits me as very meaningful, but they opted not to give it to Zuko's girlfriend, not even to his sister, but to Ty Lee.

SO that is all to say-- if this is supposed to be a Maiko episode, it doesn't land. All it does is lay seeds for their dysfunction and conflict, then refuses to resolve it.

[lovejay98]

The Idea Of You starring Nicholas Galitzine & Anne Hathaway….Love them both but the plot of the movie. And the fact that it’s based off of a Harry Styles fanfic so they say…

One can we PLEASE stop turning fanfics into movies. Especially the Harry Styles’ ones. Like ‘After’ has a whole universe at this point like please..put it to rest please..

Two..umm…Hollywood when we gone stop making movies about older women dating younger men?? Like if the roles were reversed, there would be more talk & conversation. Cause seeing an older man pursue a younger woman is seen as assault and creepy. So..why we can’t see that with older woman/younger man. I think it still applies. And I don’t like the argument some people give like ‘oh if it’s consensual on both parties then it’s fine’ or ‘you just don’t want to see an older woman happy’ ummm…

That’s not the serve you think it is. And just cause it’s consensual does not make it right. Young people make bad, impulsive decisions all the time. Stop feeding the narrative that a young man getting with an older woman is like receiving a badge of honor. And also just because someone is in their 20s still does not make it okay. There is no reason someone old enough to be your mother/father should be pursuing you. Like you were in middle school when this person was about to graduate from college. Do you hear how repulsive that sounds???

And the narrative about ‘if she’s happy & he’s ‘of age’ then what’s the problem?’…ARE YOU SERIOUS?????? You mean to tell me you couldn’t find someone closer to your age bracket to date? Like.. AT ALL??? And WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK WOULD YOU TWO HAVE IN COMMON???? The whole ‘oh you’re very mature for your age’ IS NOT A COMPLIMENT!!!! OKAY SO YOU’RE INTO CLASSIC ART, YOU LIKE TO READ, YOU ARE ABLE TO HAVE A DEEP CONVERSATION ABOUT THE MOON AND THE STARS AND THE UNIVERSE AND BLAH BLAH BLAH….THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS OKAY!!!!

Something like this could and probably has been perceived the wrong way. You can’t continue to make this narrative for impressionable minds to consume because it’s not okay. Like..you have 18/19 year old boys who are willing to date 23+ women because they’re ’of age’ and it’s consensual on both parties. Like wtf…what could you possibly have in common with someone fresh out of high school??? What the hell could a high school graduate have to offer you, a woman in her mid 20s. Lord forbid she’s older than that. Like be so fucking fr…

I could continue but I’m too fucking mad to continue typing. Can’t even really form coherent sentences without short circuiting….

[trustreset]

❛   I’M  FINE  .  i’m  fine  .  ❜   it’s  not  fine  ,  clear  by  intonation  as  she  brushes  off  the  black  cocktail  DRESS  ,  holding  flute  of  champagne  close  to  her  dress  .  heed  no  attention  to  the  fight  with  her  father  just  mere  MOMENTS  before  ,  LEST  SHE  break  face  and  start  crying  or  become  angry  ,  so  she’s  become  the  epitome  of  ICE  ,  eyes  blankly  staring  ahead  of  them  .  this  is  the  FIRST  TIME  she’s  been  smothered  out  in  so  long  .  next  to  nothing  lingers  on  her  face  ,  but  she’ll  look  up  through  dark  lashes  at  eiji  .

❛   just  ...  enjoy  yourself  tonight  ,  okay  ?  don’t  ...  don’t  listen  to  what  father  says  .  ❜

@secondranked​   /   starter  call  !

[hatari-translations]

can you maybe tell us a bit more about the parties in icelandic politics? that is super interesting for me after reading your last post

Well, sure! Please bear in mind that as you may have gathered I am not unbiased, and I'm by no means the most knowledgeable person about this.

Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn (The Independence Party)

Originally founded in 1929, this party's name originally referred to independence from Denmark (achieved in 1944), but today it's just Iceland's dominant right-wing party. On other countries' scales they're fairly center-right in terms of policies; they want a strong welfare system, they're pro-immigration, they're not against LGBT rights, etc. However, they are very much the party of Iceland's rich elite establishment, and in particular have close ties to Iceland's largest corporations, and every other political scandal involves them being varying degrees of terrible, from "Independence Party minister breaking COVID restrictions" to "Independence Party minister in the Panama Papers" to "Independence Party minister's father signs a letter to 'restore the honor' of a convicted pedophile" (these three were all the same minister, who by the way still leads the party and is still finance minister) to "terrible corrupt fishing company Samherji introduced the Independence Party's health minister as 'our guy in the government' at meetings with the Namibian officials they were bribing".

The Independence Party opposes the new constitution, ostensibly because blah blah stability distractions about how changes to the constitution need to be approved through the appropriate process (yes, we know, we want that process to happen), but we all know it's really because the new constitution would have the fishing companies pay a fair price for their access to Iceland's natural resources, and that would be bad for their bottom line. They are also opposed to joining the EU.

The Independence Party has been the largest party in every single Icelandic election since it was founded except the 2009 one (which was right on the heels of another scandal - believe me, I barely scratched the surface above - as well as the 2008 financial crisis), where they managed to dip below the Social-Democratic Alliance with 23.7% of the vote, their lowest parliamentary election result ever. Historically they'd get upwards of 40% or even more of the vote; these days it's more like 25%, and this election's result of 24.4% is their second lowest ever. Even in polls days right after a huge scandal, the lowest I've ever seen the Independence Party poll at was something like 19%; that's why I've said here that 20% of the country will just vote for them no matter what. This means the Independence Party is always the most powerful party, and them not being in the government coalition is very much the exception.

Framsóknarflokkurinn (The Progressive Party)

Iceland's oldest political party, founded in 1916. Originally it was the farmers' party, and they've historically been most popular in rural areas, where they have longstanding loyalty. They're more or less center to center-right. Historically, they've formed coalitions with both the right and the left, but particularly in the past few decades they have been glued to the Independence Party in particular. They have occasional particular pet issues that they latch onto, but overall it doesn't really feel like they stand for much of anything in particular, other than wanting to maintain the status quo and be in government with (preferably) the Independence Party. They are also against the new constitution and the EU.

Vinstrihreyfingin - grænt framboð (The Left-Green Movement)

Founded in a 1999 split on the left, the Left-Greens are a left-wing party with a focus on equality and the environment, but with enough of a semi-conservative bent to have some common ground with Independence and Progressives on matters like opposing EU membership and being hesitant about the Constitutional Committee's draft constitution. A lot of their voters were very unhappy with them entering into the current coalition with the Independence Party and the Progressive Party (the former in particular); two of their MPs actually left the party after that decision, reducing but not destroying the government's majority.

Samfylkingin (The Social-Democratic Alliance)

Founded in 2000 as a fusion of two parties (hence the 'alliance'), the Social-Democratic Alliance is a center-left social democratic party. They were very popular in the early 2000s, almost rivaling the Independence Party for votes, and formed a coalition government with Independence in 2007, which oversaw the 2008 financial crisis; initially people mostly blamed the Independence Party, allowing the Alliance to become the biggest party in the 2009 election with 29.8% of the vote, but as the following coalition with the Left-Greens had to deal with the fallout of the recession, a lot of anger was directed at the Alliance too, and the party has never managed to recover since, instead hovering between 5-15% of the vote (but still stands strong in some municipal elections and currently leads the Reykjavík city council). They want to join the EU and ratify the new constitution.

Píratar (The Pirate Party of Iceland)

You may have heard of Pirate Parties before, originating with the Pirate Party of Sweden. Iceland is the only country where the Pirate Party has actually managed to get elected to the national parliament, and is an entirely serious political movement. At one point after the revelation of the Panama Papers, the Pirate Party was miraculously polling at 43%; sadly, by the time there was an actual election they'd gone down to 15%. Their primary concerns are transparency, democracy, privacy, human rights and freedoms, and "no bullshit", and among other things they want to establish a universal basic income. A lot of its founders were computer scientists and geeks of various stripes.

They refuse to be classified on the left-right scale, but in practice, their policies are strongly aligned with the leftier parties (one popular website comparing the parties on concrete policy questions for this election classed them as having 90% agreement with the Social-Democratic Alliance, 87% with the Socialists, and 83% with the Left-Greens). They are strongly in favor of ratifying the new constitution.

Miðflokkurinn (The Center Party)

After the 2008 financial crisis, the Progressive Party gained a more populist bent, led by Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, who was prime minister from 2013 until 2016 when he was implicated in the Panama Papers. He was reluctant to resign as prime minister and fully intended to stay as the leader of the party, until the party chose to boot him and replace him with current Progressive leader Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson; Sigmundur Davíð went off to form his own party instead, the Center Party, and took the populist arm of the Progressive Party with him. They're where most of the anti-immigration and anti-LGBTQ vote goes, and along with the People's Party, some of their MPs were implicated in "Klausturgate", a scandal where a disabled woman at a bar overheard and discreetly recorded several MPs (including Sigmundur Davíð) who were drinking together while making a variety of sexist, homophobic and ableist comments about named people including members of their own parties. The Center Party was perfectly happy to keep them on board, which really says all you need to know.

I am unendingly disappointed that the Center Party managed to scrape past the 5% threshold to get parliamentary seats this election; for a glorious moment the early numbers looked like they wouldn't. Last election they managed to get seven MPs, and then the two guys from the People's Party involved in Klausturgate joined up with the Center Party too, giving them nine, so seeing them reduced to almost nothing was still deeply pleasing.

Viðreisn (The Reform Party)

A center-right party that split off from the Independence Party in 2016, largely over the latter's opposition to the EU, while the Reform Party supports EU membership, but also because of the endless scandals, cronyism, etc. The Reform Party instead claim to be proponents of "ethical capitalism" and have so far avoided the major scandals and general douchebaggery of their parent party.

Flokkur fólksins (The People's Party)

A populist party with a primary emphasis on eradicating poverty, especially for the elderly and disabled, letting the nation reap the benefits of our fish instead of the few large fishing companies, funding health care to reduce wait times, and so on. All this is lovely in theory, but unfortunately their rhetoric then goes off into pitting the poor/elderly/disabled against immigrants, Muslims, etc. Chairperson Inga Sæland seems totally well-meaning to me off what I've seen of her (disclaimer: have not actually seen that much), but it also contains less savoury people and sentiments, as seen by two of their MPs being part of the aforementioned Klausturgate. To the party's credit, they did expel those guys, but it's not the only example of the party attracting questionable people.

Sósíalistaflokkur Íslands (The Icelandic Socialist Party)

A hardline democratic socialist party founded in 2017, with this as their first parliamentary election. It looked like they would get MPs in polls, but in the end they didn't. They're led by Gunnar Smári Egilsson, one of the original founders of free newspaper Fréttablaðið, and have a much more radical left rhetoric going on than the other lefty parties, focusing on economic equality, housing, free health care, and a shorter work week. They made some pretty controversial remarks campaigning for this election, such as suggesting replacing all the judges of the Supreme Court if they won't agree to changing the fishing quota system (the argument being that the Independence Party appointed all the judges in an organized bid to maintain the current system), but who knows if that dampened their following or something else. They also want to ratify the new constitution.

[sokkastyles]

I said that Mai treats Zuko the way her mother treats her (no I'm not saying Mai is abusive, but this is bad behavior that has the potential to become abusive if left unchecked, and it is behavior that the finale plays as romantic and hilarious and that will always be a problem), and there's a lot of argument about Mai. Many people who dislike her will deny that she was abused by her parents and say her mother was just "encouraging her to express emotion," not repressing her emotions. That shows a misunderstanding of what controlling and emotionally abusive parents are like. In "Return to Omashu" Mai's mother tells her that she should be happy for her father's position and not complain, and the reason this is emotional abuse is because although she is encouraging her daughter to express emotion, she is only encouraging her to express the right kind of emotion. That's what Mai meant when she said her parents gave her whatever she wanted as long as she behaved, and why she struggles to express emotion of any kind.

But she also treats Zuko in a similar way and she does this many times, but I want to talk specifically about "The Beach" because I've seen people make the exact same claim here that they make about Mai and her mother, that Mai was encouraging Zuko to express his feelings. But what she was actually doing, just like her mother did to her, was encouraging him to only express the kinds of feelings she wanted him to express.

No, I'm not saying it was acceptable for him to fly into a jealous rage at the party and attack another guy for talking to her. Of course it wasn't, and she is right to shut him down and not put up with that kind of behavior. But she also shows an inability to engage with him emotionally that he calls her out on during their argument, and that does not get enough focus because people focus on his jealousy and anger. And I think the reason for this is because we tend to assume that's what toxic behavior looks like. But the kinds of behavior we associate with abusive men, anger and aggression, are also often symptoms of being abused, especially in men and boys who are victims of abuse. That's where the myth of mutual abuse comes in, and this is quite common in situations where women are the perpetrators. We see this kind of behavior a lot with Azula and Zuko, in fact. Zuko often is upset and hurt by Azula but can't express himself so he'll react with ineffectual anger which she immediately shuts down. Zuko acted out because he felt like Mai didn't really care about him, and that does not excuse his behavior at all, but it is very clear what is behind it. She's also easily able to shut him down.

Mai: [Angrily.] Zuko, what is wrong with you?

Zuko: What's wrong with me?

Mai: [Scolding.] Your temper is out of control. You blow up over every little thing. You're so impatient and hotheaded and angry!

Zuko: [Snapping back.] Well, at least I feel something, as opposed to you. You have no passion for anything! You're just a big blah!

Mai: It's over, Zuko. We're done.

Of course Mai should not have to put up with Zuko's behavior here, but their conversation also reveals that jealousy wasn't really the issue. When she angrily asks what is wrong with him, he immediately shoots back "what's wrong with me?" And he doesn't say that what he thinks is wrong with her is her talking to other guys, he says she has no passion. He says at least I feel something. Now, why would he say that?

Mai: [yawn] I just asked if you were cold, I didn't ask for your whole life story. Don't worry.

And this is exactly the dynamic between Mai and her mother. We see Mai express negativity, acting out because she's unhappy, and her mother tells her she is wrong to express negative emotion. In "The Awakening," Zuko tries to talk about his feelings but since those feelings are negative, Mai does not want to hear it.

And then at the party, then she wants to know what's wrong with him. She acts like she has no idea why he's upset, because she doesn't, and when he tried to tell her what was bothering him before, she shut him down.

And the scene around the campfire? Is this Mai encouraging Zuko to express emotion?

Azula: There's a simple question you need to answer, then. Who are you angry at?

Zuko: No one. I'm just angry.

Mai: Yeah, who are you angry at, Zuko?

All three of the girls keep pushing him in this scene until he says that he's angry at himself. And I've talked about this scene before but, oh, boy, this scene. Yes, Zuko should be angry at himself, but he also has justified anger at his father, Azula, and Mai that he does not get to express because he can't be angry at his abusive father when he's under his control. He can't be angry at Azula when she's right there pushing him and manipulating him and insisting that her actions are for his own good, he can't be angry at Mai when she's yelling at him and expressing justified anger at him for his blow up at the party, nor can he tell her what's really wrong. This isn't a scene where Zuko can safely express himself. So he directs that anger inward, and his real problem with Mai, that he wants her to care - specifically, to care about him, does not get addressed. It only gets addressed when he stops being angry at her and blames himself. Then she immediately says she cares about him and it's make out time, despite her having broken up with him a few scenes before that. She never addresses the reason she broke up with him in the first place, but she's happy now that he's not angry at her, but at himself. Yikes. So the message, whether this was intended by the show or not, is that Mai cares about Zuko when he is expressing approved emotions. Even if he's expressing self-destructive anger, at least he's not angry at her! What she is doing, whether intentional or not, is encouraging him to internalize negative feelings and turn them into self-blame. This is NOT a healthy dynamic. For either of them, considering how Zuko lashed out at her after repeatedly being forced to bottle up his emotions.

I know why Mai acts this way, I do believe she does care about Zuko, but her behavior is extremely hurtful and damaging especially since Zuko already has a tendency towards self-blame. I'm not saying Zuko never hurts her, either, but the difference is in how the show portrays their actions. And the final note the show leaves us with in the finale is one in which Mai again invalidates her boyfriend's emotions and agency, says she "kind of likes him," and warns him never to break up with her, and this is portrayed as cute and funny.

[bitchapalooza]

🤪🥸🥴👅🤫

The second one is just a box for me lmao so imma just roll with that, please don't mind my dumb phone

A comedy-fantasy adventure of Prussia and Austria trying to find a magical item said to heal any sickness and break any curse. Sort of a d&d-like feel to it. Simply put, Adventure Dorks AU.

Germany has fallen gravelly ill. Doctors say there's nothing they can do. Sorcerers claim no spell of any kind would work. Prussia, losing hope, begrudgingly contacts his prissy cousin as a last resort.

Austria knows everything. Or thats at least what most are left to believe what with his immense collection of books and scrolls. He doesn't know everything, just the history od the world, no big deal, not like he earned an actual doctorate or anything. He's a historian with a side hobby in reading is all.

When Prussia comes crestfallen on his doorstep, on the verge of begging, Austria could just about laugh. Finally his boneheaded cousin is groveling like the idiot he his! How can he not laugh! He's only proving his point!

Wait.

What was that about Germany being sick?

Prussia explains everything. Germany's symptoms. How they come and go. How he's seemingly not contagious despite it resembling a severe case of the simple little flu. He begs his dear, dear, totally not as annoying as a bleating faun in the early morning cousin for help. After gloating and laughing his fucking ass off, Austria goes through the copious amounts of medical journals he's purchased through the years; only use he's had for them before was the occational read. Nothing helped, however. Next he goes to texts about medicinal herbs. Just as he suspected. Squat-diddley.

Finally, he turns to a bundle of scrolls that was left by his ex-partner some odd years ago. Spain was a curious fellow. Loved learning about magic, be it fun little spells or life threatening hexes. Austria was highly invested in Spain's practices. He's not as familiar between the differences of a spell and curse, but he can spot the symptoms sometimes.

And so he takes those scrolls, albiet hesitantly, and he begins to read them. He and Prussia split the load, but its Austria who figures out that it is indeed a very high level, very dangerous hex as he has suspected. As they can only be broken by the one casted it, or die from it, Austria regretfully tells his cousin that there is no hope.

But Prussia won't go home empty handed. He will not return and let his other siblings and friends know he's failed. He won't let his baby brother down. He stubbornly plants his ass right back down and begins to reread everything, convinced theres some conman-type fine print in between sentences as if it were a goddamn laffy taffy joke under the tab.

Austria tells him to give it up. There was no fucking use. He has no idea what kind of sorcerer Germany had pissed off to have been hexed so badly, just that Prussia needed to leave. To give that young man a comfortable rest of his life, not stress and pain. But Prussia won't fucking listen. Just as he always does. Just as when they were children.

When Austria was about to give this assclown a piece of his mind, Prussia suddenly jumps up. He pushes an older looking, torn scroll into Austria's chest and demands he reads it. Prussia is pacing, clearly holding in his excitement. His tell was that toothy grin of his. Austria frantically read the text but was. Neutral.

A Golden Dragon's Fang? Really?

"This is a myth, cousin." He says, matter a factly. "If you think you can somehow find your way to wherever this is, then you are stupid and reckless. Get your own foot out of your ass and face the facts. He's going to live in agony with this curse or die with it."

Prussia tries to snatch the scroll back, anger in his eyes as he prepares to leave and never look back. But Austria stops him. "I say all that, knowing full well what asinine bullshit you plan to pull to get this thing."

"And so what? Give me the damn scroll and let me go get it."

"No."

"No!?"

"This may come as a surprise to you, cousin, but I hate you. You are insufferable. Bullheaded. A textbook MORON—"

"Blah blah blah, you sound like that talking cow that only insults people who don't pay immediate attention to her."

"THAT MAYBE SO." Austria takes his glasses off, eyes genuine and true. "But that doesn't mean I don't still care about you."

"Now I know a guy. She has her ways of getting information and she might be able to get information on this dragon fang— if it even exists. Its a big IF, cousin. Don't get your hopes up. V does not make promises."

And so with that, they embark on their journey for the Golden Dragon's Fang. Many many many many arguments to happen. Petty insults thrown. Not much bonding because wow nothing changes a cold heart and rat bastard, y'know?

HA! Prussia embarrassed Austria in front of the Great Oracle, someone get a picture I think he's about to piss himself lmao!

Oh the Forest Of Truth? Oof, did Austria really just get owned by a foggy ghost of his ex husband? Damn dude. Well at least Prussis is....

...

Prussia is being assualted by the clown and his balloon sword his father hired for his 5th birthday party. Oh you weird little man thing you...

[imcryingbuckets]

My Whole Heart "Hates" You

I did it. Ha, yes, I wrote a Bill Hader x OFC fanfiction. Although I write a lot in my spare time, I've never written a fic before so pls be nice :(

It's sorta enemies to lovers, I know y'all love that shit, so I hope everyone likes it. Or at least one person. It's going to be multiple chapters, but I've only written the first one so far!

TW: Swearing, a lot of it (I'm British, sue me), no sexual content in this chapter, but if there is any in future chapters I will be sure to notify you (warnings are already tagged on ao3 just in case I forget to add them later on)

Summary: Violet works at Studio 8H, for Saturday Night Live! But one Monday morning she turns up to work to find out that Bill Hader is hosting. They have a past of getting under each other's skin and constantly getting into arguments and spats all over the office, but will that change when he returns to host this time? Will they put aside their differences? Do they really hate each other or are they just bad at flirting? I'm sure you know the answer to all these questions, but how 'bout you read this anyways! I suck at summaries

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31072760/chapters/76766612

Chapter One: Oh, boy.

I walk into Studio 8H clutching a hot cup of coffee in my hand, in attempt to bring myself some warmth during the surprisingly cold breeze of March. Arriving at the building only a few minutes late (better than usual), I quickly set my things down at my desk and walk over to Lorne’s office with my co-workers to find out the host line-up for the next month. We all file in and find seats, some of us sitting cross-legged on the floor, and we collectively gaze upon the corkboard as Lorne fills us all in. My stomach twists into knots as I read the first blue postcard pinned up, blinking twice to make sure I’m not seeing things. I rub my eyes because maybe I saw it wrong, maybe he isn’t hosting, maybe I just have something in my eye. But when I look back up I know I’m wrong because everybody’s eyes are on me, staring closely with hesitance to watch how I’ll react. Right above the yellow card that read ‘Arcade Fire’ was a blue one, reading

BILL HADER

My mind begins to play out a thousand different scenarios and outcomes on what could happen this week, now that Hader would be here. I start getting a light headache (quite the ordinary when it came to working here) and I notice that everyone is still staring at me, some in remorse, and some in fear of how I’m going to react. I decide pretty quickly that I should say something to settle everyone’s nerves.

“Guys, seriously, chill the fuck out.” Perhaps a little harsher than I intended so I backpedal a bit. “I know what you’re all thinking, but stop, okay? It’s not like I’m gonna go batshit crazy when I see him and punch him in the face or something. I intend to keep my job, thank you very much.”

The faces all around the room seem to relax at this and return their attention back to Lorne. Thankfully, no one heard me add ‘As much as he is an absolute cockwomble’. Well, Kate might have as she started giggling on the floor next to me.#

Kate knows of my small hatred towards the man everyone on Earth seems to praise (Hatred is a strong word, annoyance is probably better suited for my feelings towards him but I genuinely just enjoy how the word rolls off the tongue). 4 years ago when Bill hosted SNL back in 2014, Kate was the one that put up with all my complaints and remarks about him, and she was often the one I went to when I needed to vent about anything really, middle-aged-comedian-themed or not. I feel a little guilty seeing as she will probably have to reprise her role as the one who deals with my Hader ‘hatred’ when she actually quite likes the man and has friendly chats and jokes with him whenever he’s around. Normally when I tell people this, they think that the fact that they’re both friends would annoy me. But I actually couldn’t give the smallest of fucks (pardon my French). I think it’s great that everyone gets on with him, good for them! But we never seemed to be able to do that.

See despite our efforts to be professional, we kept getting in small bickering matches across the office the last time he hosted. It was never full on screaming, just very heavily charged snide comments and evil glares to one another.

Back home in the UK, my friends and I would often joke around playfully and poke fun at each other, but it was all light-hearted and we all knew that. Even some of my friends here at work do the same. But when Bill was here, everyone that was unfortunately present to witness our spats and quarrels all knew that it didn’t come from a place of love or admiration as it did with anyone else. No, it came from this annoyance in our guts that we got from each other. It certainly made the entire office largely tense for the whole week leading up to the Saturday, and thankfully he skipped the after party so the terror ended after the last sketch of the night.

I feel bad knowing that we’ll probably put the entire building through the same torment as we did 4 years ago, but I don’t feel an ounce of guilt for Bill. No sir. Every nasty remark I threw at him I meant with 100% intention, and I feel no urge to take any of them back when I see him this afternoon when he walks into the office. Not because I’m some cold-hearted bitch, but because he said some things that were equally as bad as mine. So suck on that, William.

Quicker than expected, the meeting ends. I get up eagerly off the floor, with the intention to get to my office as quickly as possible with hopes to not run into Bill. However, before I get the chance to leave, I hear Lorne call after me to ask me to stay behind.

“I need to talk to you about this week’s host.”

I see Kate give me a small smile that said ‘good luck’ as she left through the door with the others and a wave of her hand. I turn back to the man behind the desk, not knowing what to expect, apart from the fact that it’s probably about Bill. Obviously.

“I’m assuming you’ve seen who the host is for Saturday?” he says.

I give him a small nod with a tight small and a mutter that resembled something close to a ‘yes’.

“Well I know that the last time he hosted, you two didn’t get along very well and had some…”

I watched him for a few seconds as he tried to find the right word.

“…differences.” He decides. “But I don’t want that same thing to happen again, it’s been 4 years now so I’m hoping that you’ve both matured at least a little.”

“Yes well he is like 40 now.” I respond, a little uncomfortable as I feel like a three-year-old getting scolded by their teacher for flicking crayons at the other kid’s head.

“Yes, well… I hope that you both can learn to get along, or at least push your differences aside for one week?”

I nod, “Yes, yes, ‘course.” Wanting the conversation to end before Bill arrives.

“Good to hear, Violet. Although, if I hear any screaming between the two of you, I won’t hesitate to step in and organise something to put an end to it. Understood?”

For a moment I thought he was suggesting firing me, but I caught the slight smirk on his face that told me something different. He was planning something mischievous, but I couldn’t place what. Nor did I care enough to look for it.

I sigh in relief and nod my head for what felt like the hundredth time that day, starting to feel a bit like a bobble-head doll. “Yes, Lorne, I understand. No bickering, got it.”

He smiled with a look that suggested he got the answer he wanted, and waved his hand to say I could go. I gave him a goodbye and made my out of his office and started to speed-walk to my own, crossing my fingers that Hader hadn’t arrived yet.

I thank the mighty beings in the sky that I made it to my desk without seeing him, and shut the door with a click. My eyes fall upon the coffee that I left earlier that morning in the rush to get to the meeting and I frown as I realise that it’s probably gone cold and all icky. I grasp the paper cup and I’m surprised to be met with warmth, I guess the meeting wasn’t as long as I thought it had been. Content with this happy discovery, I sit down in front of my computer and open a script document from the other night, sipping at my lukewarm coffee. I begin to rapidly type away and fall into the rhythm of writing, before I am frustratingly interrupted with a knock at my door.

I pull away from the screen and yell “Come in!” to whoever is on the other side of the door, standing up from my desk to throw my now-empty paper coffee cup in the bin (or trash as these Americans I work with call it). The door opens to reveal Aidy peeking her head hesitantly through to look at me with almost sorry eyes.

“Pitch meeting in Lorne’s office. Got to discuss sketch ideas with…the host.” She smiles kindly at me knowing that I don’t want to go and see him.

“With Bill you mean?” I say knowingly, to which she just nods her head. “Okay, well, best to just get it over with. And besides, maybe he’s less of a dick now?”

She laughs a little in attempt to be supportive. I think.

As we’re walking down the corridor, I think back to when I first met him back in 2014. Obviously I knew who he was, ‘Bill Hader: SNL Alumni, Comedian, Actor, Father, blah blah blah’. At the time, he was also ‘Husband’ but I was told that the fact was no longer true. I make a mental note to not be so harsh on him, not wanting to be that person who bashes him so soon after a divorce.

I remember I was actually quite fond of him at first, I watched most of his stuff and admittedly, he was my ‘celebrity crush’ for the longest time. And when I met him in person, he actually was exactly like everyone described him as: funny, sweet, charming, an all ‘round nice guy. Not to mention insanely attractive. He was cute, even I can admit that. I don’t really remember why we didn’t get along all those years ago. I think it was a mixture of a clash of personalities and the fact that we’re both quite stubborn. Terribly stubborn. From what I can remember, we never exactly agreed on sketches or punchlines or anything really. But like Lorne said, it’s been 4 years. Maybe we’ll get along better.

My train of thought gets lost when we reach the door to Lorne’s office. I see Aidy push it open and walk in as I follow her, hearing that everyone seems to be in the middle of a conversation. Right before I get through the door, I hear him. His loud, obnoxious laugh filling the room. The laugh that so easily gets under my skin and makes my stomach feel all weird and uneasy.

I head into the room and find a seat, and that’s when I look up to see him. Bill. Standing in front of me in a blue shirt and black jeans and those white trainers he seems to wear to every fucking interview. He stands there staring at me with this smirk on his face that make my cheeks go red. He doesn’t say anything, he just stands there by Lorne’s desk and right before he looks away to continue his conversation with Kenan, he winks at me. I look down as not to cause trouble like Lorne said, and partly to hide my cheeks getting hotter and pinker by the second.

I tug at the loose thread of my sweater, looking at the floor to avoid his gaze. I don’t know why I’m getting so flustered, it is Bill after all. The man who so thoroughly annoys and teases me relentlessly. My mind begins to over-analyse everything and before it begins to run any further, I get called on to pitch a sketch idea.

Right before I open my mouth, I see Bill cross his arms in anticipation and looking deeply into my eyes with that stupid smile of his, probably eager to find something to tease me over later. But then I catch him lick his lips suddenly and a chill runs up my arms.

I look back down at my notepad and think, Oh boy, this week will be interesting.

[classic80sand90smovieloves2]

Meeting and Dating Brad Hamilton

(Not my gif)(requested by @justabunchofthings​ )

- You met Brad through his sister. The two of you had been walking to her house when you were met with the sight of her brother washing his car in the driveway. She casually introduces you while you internally freak out over how attractive he is.

- Brads pretty popular in school so you know who he is before actually meeting him. He just gives you a smile and says hello before Stacy pulls you inside. 

- For a while he only thinks of you as his sisters friend but seemingly out of nowhere he looks at you and all of a sudden it’s like he’s seeing you for the first time. 

- It’s after his sister jokes about you being asked out when the two of you got home from the mall. He gives a fake laugh when she tells the story and teases you a little even though he feels an uncharacteristic wave of jealousy course through him. 

- Over the course of a few days he starts paying more attention to you and realizes that shit, he’s really fallen for you. 

- He tries to subtly flirt with you whenever he can get you alone like when you come into the kitchen for a drink or are waiting for Stacy to get home. 

- Finally he decides to ask you out before someone else does. 

- In the morning before school you walk out of your house preparing to go to the bus stop until you see Brad standing outside leaning against his car. When you walk up and greet him you expect that Stacy is inside the car but he’s completely alone. 

- He offers you a ride to school and when you get to the parking lot he turns to you and blurts out an invitation to a party.You agree to go and he picks you up the following day. While you’re there you both end up getting drunk and the two of you kiss. 

- You avoid him for a while after that considering you’re friends with his sister and just feel awkward about the whole thing. Its only when you accidentally go into the restaurant he works at that you’re forced to interact with him. He apologizes for the night at the party and asks if you’d ever give him a chance.

- To his surprise you agree and the two of you go on your first date. You go to the mall where you mess around in different stores for a while, joking around and just having a good time. 

- You keep your “relationship” a secret for a while until one of Brads friends sees you and word gets out. You become more well known around school by default considering how Brad knows everyone. 

- His sister doesn’t mind at all; she’d rather you date him then some random chick and vice versa. You are her best friend after all. 

- He has a little sister so he has a firm grasp on how you want to be treated and what to do in certain situations. His grasp ranges from when you’re upset to being on your period to gift ideas and so on. 

- Is really good at keeping your secrets and doing you favors. He just tells you not to mention it or gives you a wink and a kiss on the forehead. 

- He fantasizes about you constantly. He’ll be in class one minute and all of a sudden your boobs will flash across his mind. It’s a big problem for him; sometimes he can barely focus and just zones out while thinking about you. 

- Even though his minds in the gutter a lot he actually prefers kissing/making out over actual sex. 

- He sees you as more of an innocent person considering you’re younger than him/his sisters age and that kind of leaks into your relationship sometimes. He mother hens you a lot, making sure you take a jacket or that you’ve eaten/drank enough that day. 

- He gets pretty jealous and possessive when guys flirt with you. He’ll usually snap and threaten them.You have to pull him away before he actually throws a punch and gets in serious trouble. 

 “The fucking nerve of that guy, did you see the way he was looking at you. I swear to god if you hadn’t-“ blah blah blah.

- You always get rides to school. 

- His arm is constantly around your shoulders whenever you’re walking down the hallways at school.

- He always helps you with your homework or studying. After all, he’s already passed those classes and probably has his own version of that exact homework/test. 

- He asks Stacy for advice or ideas whenever he wants to surprise you with something. She knows you better than anyone else and is usually able to plan something perfect leaving him forever in her debt. 

- He absentmindedly rubs your back whenever he’s standing by your side and watching you do something.

- Dates are usually going to the mall with him.

- Making out on the hood of his car.

- Washing his car with him. The ordeal usually ends in a water fight. 

- Pool dates. He throws you into the water with him and carries you on his shoulders while he does laps around the pool.

- He loves when you sit on his lap.

- Whenever you’re making out he usually pulls you over to straddle him.

- Loves when you hold his face in your hands. It’s just such a sweet, tender feeling. 

- Gets kind of cocky yet blushes when you talk about having had a crush on him for a while. He’ll usually ask what you liked about him and get progressively more pink as his grin widens. 

- He likes sending you flowers. Every now and again you’ll wake up to them outside your door. 

- He invites you over every time his parents and Stacy aren’t home.You get to  cuddle and watch movies/television without feeling awkward about Stacy being in the other room.

- He’s usually the big spoon or you’re tucked into his side whenever you cuddle. 

- A lot of compliments, most aren’t exactly innocent sounding. 

- The ones that are actually innocent are usually when you’re feeling self conscious and voice your opinions of yourself. He usually ends those compliments with “so shut up you’re beautiful”.

- Tight hugs where you bury your face in his chest. 

- He has a very brotherly way of treating you when you aren’t being totally intimate. Sort of like you’re one of the guys/a little kid. Its kind of annoying sometimes. 

- Visiting him at work when he actually had/has a job. 

- Making fun of his stupid work uniforms.

- You actually tease each other a lot; it’s cute. 

- You probably get him a job at the place you work and the two of you hang out whenever you’re on break. 

- Pecks on the lips and cheeks. 

- He brushes your hair back from the top of your head before leaning down to kiss you.

- He’s pretty tall so he likes teasing you with it like not bending down when you try to kiss him.

- His pet names are usually pretty generic.He calls you babe a lot and occasionally throws in a sweetheart to spice things up.

- He puts his hats on your head whenever he takes them off. You are his little hat rack and he loves you. 

- Pokes and tickles your sides when he passes you in the hallway.

- Joking around and making pretend threats to each other. 

- He can kind of be a dick at times.You have more than a few arguments; you feel like he’s just using you and is gonna break up with you any second. He tries to reassure you he isn’t but why would you trust him?

- The two of you say things you don’t mean and ignore each other for a while but soon enough you guys get back together.

- He just loves you so much. Even if it seems like he doesn’t at times, he never stops.

- He doesn’t want to go to college but supports and respects your decision if you end up going. 

- Definitely proposes when you get your college degree. You guys stay in town and buy a house in the same neighborhood as his old one. 

- You probably have two kids, a little girl and boy. He’s a great father and you couldn't be happier. 

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

🔈 Kirsty + The Vow Renewal Fight With Christopher, Finding out Lorelei married Christopher without her and Rory, Richard and Emily giving her and Jess and Tristan the keys to the NYC appartment?

Vow Renewal Fight: Love Story, Taylor Swift & Fighter, Christina Aguilera (Piano Covers)

So it starts with a piano cover of Love Story as Tristan and Kirsty dance at the wedding, before Logan asks if he can cut in.  Logan and Kirsty dance, and Kirsty says something about how cutting in isn’t necessary, before she pulls he and Logan out into the hallway.  There’s a moment of silence before Logan asks Tristan if Kirsty was being serious about not needing to cut in, and Tristan nods.  Logan asks how that would work, Kirsty retorts that they’re all Yale students, they’ll figure it out, and can she please kiss him already.  Logan laughs and kisses her, before Tristan interrupts going “my turn” and kisses Logan.  They stumble their way into a room and it’s a mix of kissing and talking about relationship logistics, but mostly kissing.  The scene fades out into the canon scene of them trying to find Rory for the pictures except obviously they’re looking for Kirsty instead, and Jess and Rory offer to help.  The song comes to an abrupt end as the door swings open on them.

There’s no music as Christopher rants, calling Kirsty a slut and being homophobic towards the boys, but then a piano cover of Fighter starts up as the metaphorical camera pans to Kirsty, who’s clenching her fists and looks like she’s about to cry, it fades in as the argument continues — mostly it’s Christopher yelling as everyone else tries to make him shut up, hitting its climax just as Kirsty punches Christopher in the face (followed by kneeing him in the balls, and trying to hit him again but Jess acts quickly and grabs her).  Christopher then goes off about how he’s her father and blah blah blah, at which point Kirsty just snaps that Luke is the only dad she’s ever had, all Christopher ever did was forget a condom.  At this point Lorelai and Luke manage to get Christopher out of the room.  Rory and Jess are trying to comfort the trio when Lorelai pops back in and says something about how Christopher is gone, but when Kirsty tries to thank her she says something about how none of this would have happened if Kirsty hadn’t tried to have a threesome in the first place, and makes her own several slut shaming comments about Kirsty.  Rory basically forces Lorelai out of the room while Jess hugs Kirsty and promises to stall the photos, before leaving the trio to make themselves look presentable again

The song ends as they go back to the wedding, but the introduction plays again quietly as Kirsty very firmly informs both Lorelai and Emily that there’s no room for Christopher in her life and that as much as she loves the two of them, she doesn’t actually need either of them and if they ever try to push Christopher back into her life then she’s done (which does happen with Kirsty and Lorelai in season 7)

The Marriage: The Scientist, Coldplay

Okay so, to set the scene — Kirsty refused to go to the dinner, and is instead at Logan’s party in Manhattan, along with Tristan.  She steps outside to answer the phone when Rory calls, and it goes completely silent after Rory tells her the news.  The song starts up as Kirsty goes back into the party and finds her boyfriends, telling them what happened.  She insists that they stay and schmooze, and heads outside.  The song continues to play as she walks through the streets of Manhattan, and Lorelai calls.  Kirsty answers but tells Lorelai that she’d told her before that there was no room for Christopher in her life, and no room for anyone trying to force him into her life.  She tells her congratulations and to have a nice life and that she loves her, then hangs up.  The scene ends with her opening the door to her apartment, where Jess is sitting on the couch; she collapses onto it and curls up next to him sobbing, still in her party dress.

The Keys: Somewhere Only We Know, Lily Allen 

basically the song would start at the end of the graduation when everyone is hugging (Jess came of course and Tristan joins them once he can get away from his parents), then they head out to show Rory her car and as she’s all excited, Emily gives Kirsty a set of keys and she’s looking around in confusion and a bit of a “how do I pretend I don’t hate cars” before Richard tells her to take a closer look, she realizes what the keys are and starts thanking them, then Emily holds up a hand to stop her, before giving Jess and Tristan each their own set of keys, and then we get more thanks yous, Kirsty hugging her grandparents, and then turning around and practically jumping on the boys in excitement and the scene ends with a cute group hug

send me 🔈+ an oc name and a scene from their fandom, and I’ll tell you what song would play if they were in a movie

[keichanz]

Possession

Okay so I stayed up super late last night to try and get this out, but I couldn’t do it because i was so tired lol and now I’m kicking myself because I could have posted the first half of it because honestly the last five pages aren't even that relevant but eh whatever. 

This came out a lot longer than I anticipated, but only because I wanted to have the argument between Inuyasha and Izayoi resolved and that will be posted later today, but not as an official Spooktober prompt. It’ll be more like a bonus chapter. 

and once more, the prompt has nothing at all to do with anything spooky or Halloween related lmao oh well there's no rules saying that is has to XD

Spooktober Day 25: Possession

Izayoi stared at the festive and brightly decorated door of her locker, feeling oddly detached as she took in all the well wishes and brief, personal messages from her friends. As was a custom whenever someone in their tightly knit group of friends had a birthday, they always arrived early to decorate their locker with homemade cards, cut out stars, dollar store cheap decorations and silly little messages.

Rin’s was, of course, front and center, her handwriting big, bold, and loud, just like the girl herself was. Kohaku’s messy scrawl was just beneath hers, and she’d spotted a few other birthday wishes from people she knew of, but didn’t talk to that much, probably just sparing a second to write down a quick happy b-day as they passed by.

Seeing Kohaku’s had made her think that maybe someone else had taken the time to write something too, but upon realizing that his name was missing from all the rest, the disappointment had been swift and stinging.

Thinking on it now, however, Izayoi grudgingly admitted that it made sense; being two grades above her, Raiden was in a different part of the school where his own classes were located. She hadn’t seen him all day and didn’t know if he was even here today and if he was, certainly he had no reason to venture this far out of his way just to write a silly little message for a silly little girl with a not so little crush on her birthday.

And why would he, Izayoi thought bitterly, features twisting into a pout as she put in the combination and roughly yanked open her locker door. Probably wants nothing to do with me now, the girl with the crazy overprotective jerkface of a father. Not after Friday.

She knew it wasn’t the end of the world or anything. Plenty of fish in the sea and all that. She was young, blah blah blah.

Didn’t stop it from hurting, though.

Sighing, Izayoi carelessly tossed her bag on top of her texts and her eyes landed on the sleek device sitting quietly on the top shelf. She hesitated for a fleeting moment – it was lunch period so she was allowed to have it – then gave in and reached up to grab it. It was cool against her skin as she brought it down and her face was reflected in the dark, smooth glass of the screen.

Despite her current mood she had to smile a little. She’d found the cell phone in her backpack that morning when exchanging her books for first period and she’d been so surprised she’d nearly dropped it. The note taped to the box it was in had nearly made her cry on the spot, and thinking of it now Izayoi once more felt her throat tighten and her eyes to feel hot.

The note had simply said “Happy birthday, babygirl. Love, Mom and Dad” and it had been in her dad’s handwriting.

She still hadn’t spoken to him since their argument Friday. All weekend she’d actively avoided him and though it was clear her mom disapproved, she hadn’t stopped her either, and Izayoi was grateful. She was still angry, still hurt from what he’d said and done and she wasn’t ready to talk to him yet.

Surprisingly her mom wasn’t trying to play mediator like she usually did, and even more surprisingly, her dad hadn’t tried to approach and talk things over. He was giving her the space she wanted, respecting her silent wish to leave her be until she was ready.

The fact that he was letting her come to him made her feel a guilty, and that just made her feel even worse, and round and round the vicious cycle went.

God. Here it finally was, her thirteen birthday, making her an official teenager, and here she was, absolutely and completely miserable.

Izayoi closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and once she felt like she wasn’t about to break apart, she tucked the phone away in the back pocket of her jeans and swung the door to her locker closed.

“Hey, pretty puppy.”

The breath left her lungs in a deep, aggravated sigh and she grumbled, “Leave me alone, Daisuke. I’m in no mood to deal with you right now.” Or ever.

“C’mon,” he crooned and swiftly stepped in front of her when she moved to walk away. “You’re not still mad about what happened, are you? It was an accident.”

Izayoi snorted. “Maybe on your end,” she mumbled under her breath, not really caring if he heard her. Because breaking his nose had definitely not been an accident.

“Look, it’s your birthday, right? So lemme make it up to you. Let’s do something after school, my treat.” He grinned charmingly down at her, probably thinking it was actually going to be that easy.

“No thanks,” Izayoi said and moved to step around him. “Rin and the girls already promised to take me out and I’m doing something with my family afterward.”

Lies, but he didn’t need to know that. Or at least the first part was; she was pretty sure her parents wanted her home at some point so they could have a small celebration with family, cake, and ice cream and embarrass her by singing “happy birthday” horribly off key. And normally that would have appealed to her, but right now all it did was remind her of the plans she used to have today, and her chest ached.

“So they can come with us,” Daisuke said with a shrug, frowning when she went to step around him. Once more he intercepted her, using his longer legs to his advantage. “The more the merrier, right?”

Izayoi set her jaw and pegged him with a peeved glare.

“No,” she said firmly and again went to brush past him, their less than stimulating conversation over as far as she was concerned.

Daisuke darted a hand out and caught her arm, preventing her from leaving.

“Alright, I get it,” he said, ignoring her annoyed growl as she yanked at her arm. He held fast and continued with a smirk, “My pretty puppy’s playing hard to get. Fine, if you won’t go out with me tonight, then go with me to your parents’ Halloween party.”

He paused, and then frowned. “Wait, you can still go with me even though you live there, right—”

“I’m not your anything, Daisuke,” Izayoi hissed, ears pinned against her head and amber eyes snapping fire at him. “Let me go. Now.”

“We can meet somewhere and go together,” he said, completely ignoring her. “It’ll be like a real date.”

Amber eyes narrowed as she said through gritted teeth, “You want me to break your nose again?”

Daisuke blinked and frowned, however he did loosen his hold enough for her to jerk her arm free.

Glowering at him, her patience for his idiocy worn out, she snapped, “I’m not going with you to the party. I’m already going with somebody else.”

As soon as the words left her mouth Izayoi wanted to take them back. Oh, why did I say that? It’s not true. At least, not any more.

Aaaaaaand she wanted to cry again. Great.

Daisuke blinked and he proved that he was capable of feeling more than just arrogance as confusion crossed his features.

“Wait, you are? With who?”

Izayoi merely crossed her arms and looked away. She would have left already, but she knew he would just stop her again so there was no point.

Daisuke’s face darkened and he scowled a little, jealousy flashing in midnight eyes.

“Who the hell is it?” he demanded in a low, dangerous voice, not wanting to believe someone had gotten to his pretty puppy before he did. She was supposed to be with him, dammit!

Izayoi cut her eyes to his briefly and muttered, “None of your business.”

He growled and stepped forward. “Dammit, who—”

“She’s going with me, dickless,” a voice interrupted from behind her and as Daisuke whipped his head up to level a glare at the intruder, Izayoi fought against the urge to weep in relief because one, he had perfect timing, and two, he still wanted to go with her to the party. A part of her also wanted to laugh because he’d called Daisuke dickless, but that was easily suppressed.

Daisuke scoffed and with his attention on the other demon he didn’t notice Izayoi take a step back to put some distance between them.

“You can’t be serious,” the wolf said with a derisive snort and crossed his arms, lifting his chin haughtily as he stared down his nose at the dark-haired dog demon. “It’s you?”

Standing just a few feet away with his arms crossed and an unreadable look on his face, Raiden regarded Daisuke mutely for another minute before crossing the distance between them. With Izayoi’s back facing him he couldn’t see her face but he didn’t need to; her scent told him everything he needed to know.

He purposely positioned himself in front of her and crossed his arms again, unaffected by the snarl Daisuke was currently aiming at him.

“I’m completely serious,” Raiden finally answered and he heard Izayoi inhale sharply behind him. “I’m her date, she’s not available, so you can go now. I can take it from here.”

Then he actually smirked and Izayoi bit back a snicker.

Daisuke snorted again and mirrored the dog demon’s pose, crossing his arms and giving him a once over, his expression suggestion that he was not impressed.

“Please,” he scoffed. “Inuyasha Taisho would chew you up and spit you out barely breathing if a pathetic weakling like you ever came near his precious daughter.” Then he returned the smirk and added, “And you’d go running with your tail between your legs so you can lick your wounded ego.”

Raiden merely cocked a brow and drawled, “And yet, here I am.”

Izayoi slapped hand over her mouth to stifle her laugh.

That particular implication wiped the smirk right off of his face and Daisuke scared incredulously at him before narrowing his eyes in disbelief.

“You mean you actually faced off against her old man and came back in one piece?” he asked, the idea clearly ludicrous to him.

Raiden stared at him before slowly looking down at himself, as if to check that he was, indeed, all there.

“Seems like it,” he said and this time had to grin when Izayoi failed that time in smothering her laugh.

Daisuke scowled, not amused by his show of nonchalance and cockiness. He’d had enough of this wise guy and his holier than thou attitude and it was time to end this pointless conversation.

“Listen here, smartass—”

“No, you listen,” Raiden interrupted and Izayoi watched in fascination as his face twisted into scowl, something she’d never seen on him before. “I’ve seen the way you act toward her, like she’s some kind of possession, a thing to claim, and I’m sick of it. She’s not your ‘pretty puppy’ or your anything; she’s Izayoi, she’s cute, funny, smart, and she’s my date, so do both of us a favor and back off, Matsuno.  Your advances are clearly unwanted, and maybe you’re too dense to understand that, but I’m more than happy to demonstrate in a much more physical way if you continue to bother her. And by physical I mean my fist to your face, just in case you need that clarification.”

Daisuke surprisingly had nothing to say to that, his face flushed in anger, jaw clenched, and blue eyes swimming with all the loathing he had for the dog demon in front of him. Raiden was unmoved, staring steadily back at him, an unmovable object against an unstoppable force.

Gritting his teeth, the wolf shifted his gaze to the hanyou standing silently behind his advisory, seeking some kind of sing that the dog was wrong, but Izayoi wasn’t even looking at him. Her golden gaze was trained solely on the damned dog and he could have sworn there were goddamn hearts in her eyes.

He blinked and his shoulders slumped in defeat. Well. That was his answer, wasn’t it.

Straightening his back and turning his eyes back toward Raiden, Daisuke set his jaw, glared into eyes that were the weirdest freaking shade of blue-green he’d ever seen, then with a barely perceptible nod, he turned and wordlessly stalked away.

The second he rounded the corner and disappeared from sight, Raiden exhaled loudly and turned around to face the pretty silver-haired hanyou he was starting to develop some serious feelings for. Feelings that he maybe, sort of, wanted to explore, but first he had to get passed the fair lady’s guard and protector.

Easier said than done, as he’d found out first hand, but he was sure as hell going to try.

Realizing that he may have overstepped his boundaries a bit, Raiden grimaced and cautiously peeked at her face. He was met with the smiling countenance of said fair lady, her pretty golden eyes soft, and slowly he relaxed.

“Hi,” he said lamely. You know, like a dumbass.

Her smile widened. “Hi,” she breathed, eyes suspiciously bright. “Thank you. For saying all that. You didn’t have to, and...” she trailed off, shrugging and shifted her gaze to the side, her face flushed.

Raiden frowned. “I did have to,” he said firmly. “Otherwise I don’t think he would have ever left you alone. I’m sorry, I...probably shouldn’t have said some of it—”

“Did you mean it?” she asked him, voice serious, eyes searching his own.

He didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

Her smile was bright and beautiful and, yep he was a goner. Shit.

“Then don’t be sorry. I’m not.”

His eyes widened.

...Oh.

Oh.

Ridiculously Raiden felt his face heat and he coughed into his hand, looking away briefly to regain his bearings.

“Jeez, woman, warn a guy,” he grumbled and was rewarded with her soft giggle. Sneaking a glance, he saw her looking away too, but she was still smiling with a soft blush on her cheeks, and oddly that helped to regain his scattered nerves and he sighed before reaching into his pack pocket to pull out his reason for seeking her out.

“I wanted to give you this,” he stated, holding it out and Izayoi blinked in surprise, her smile never fading as she reached out and took it. “I waited for you at the cafeteria but when you didn’t show, I got worried. Now I’m glad I went looking for you.”

Izayoi turned her smile on him. “Me, too,” she whispered, her gratitude obvious in her eyes and voice.

With a small grin Raiden watched her open the simple card he’d gotten her and had to admit, he was very satisfied with the way her flush deepened and her smile became positively radiant. It wasn’t much, but he’d thought of her when he saw them, and knew he had to get them.

The card read, “Happy birthday, buttercup. —Rai” and tucked inside was an artificial stem of golden buttercup blossoms.

It was so simple, a little cheesy, and Izayoi absolutely adored it.

“I love it,” she said honestly, lifting her golden gaze to meet his own blue-green depths. “Thank you so much, Raiden. It...it means a lot.”

Raiden grinned and innocently turned his head, lifting a hand to not so subtly scratch his cheek as he rolled his eyes heavenward, waiting.

Izayoi immediately caught on and laughing, strangely not at all shy or embarrassed, she stepped in close and leaned up to brush a kiss across his cheek. When she leaned back he was as smug as can be with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face and once more she had to laugh. What a goober!

“Score,” he said proudly, taking the fake flower from her hand and carefully tucking it behind her ear.

The soft flesh flicked against his fingers and he had the insane urge to grab the appendage to see how soft it really was, but he refrained and dropped his hand, admiring the splash of golden color amidst the sterling silver of her hair.

When he flicked his gaze back to her face, he was amused to see that it had gone red again and her bright amber eyes were wide as she gazed at him. Her fingers brushed the delicate faux petals and her pleasure from the simple act was obvious in her brilliant smile.

Raiden was momentarily struck stupid but got ahold of himself quickly and stepped back to give her some space. He tried not to read too much into the flash of disappointment he saw on her face before it disappeared.

“So, uh,” he said, clearing his throat. “We’re still on, right? For the party I mean.” He gave an easy smile and shoved his hands into his pockets, his posture relaxed.

The happiest she’d been all day, Izayoi eagerly nodded, relieved that he still wanted to go with her.

“Definitely!” she answered and then suddenly remembered the phone in her back pocket and with a little sound of exclamation, Izayoi reached back to fish it out and proudly present it to him.

“And look!” she gushed, grinning as she woke up the screen. “Birthday present from my parents. I found it this morning in my bag, those sneaks.”

Raiden positively lit up and he took it from her, unlocking the screen and nodding in approval.

“Wicked,” he praised, going into her message app. “I’m sending myself a message so I can have your number.” He paused and glanced at her. “If...that’s okay—”

“Yes!” Izayoi immediately answered, then blushed at her enthusiasm and cleared her throat. “Um, yeah. That’s fine.” She smiled and tried to act cool.

He grinned, secretly pleased and shot himself a quick text with the peace sign emoji. He politely didn’t mention the heart eyes emoji next to his contact info as he handed the mobile back, trying not to smirk proudly.

Izayoi secured her new phone back into her pocket and beamed at him, clasping her hands behind her back.

“So we’re still going to the store after school, right? I’ve been browsing the website and I think I have a few ideas,” she stated, bounding a little on the balls of her feet in excitement. She suddenly couldn’t wait for Halloween!

The grimace that crossed Raiden’s face, however, was not encouraging and Izayoi blinked, her brow furrowing slightly. His next words had a ball of dread forming in her stomach and her ears wilted atop her head.

“Listen, buttercup,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking to the side. “I don’t think that’d be such a good idea after...well. You know.” He shrugged and dared a peek at her face. Her completely dejected expression threw him for a loop and his eyes widened in horror.

“Oh,” she whispered, biting down on her lip and blinking rapidly to stave off the tears. She’d thought...did he change his mind? Did he not really...want to be with her...?

“Wait,” Raiden said suddenly, urgently, and his hands landed on her shoulders, prompting to her lift her wide-eyed gaze. “Hear me out, okay?”

Swallowing thickly, Izayoi nodded, desperately hoping she was wrong.

Squeezing her shoulders, Raiden began, “Rin told me about the blow out you had with your dad after I left Friday and I feel...well, I feel pretty damn horrible about it.”

Izayoi winced and looked to the side. With a wry smile, he continued, “It’s my fault you got into an argument, and I wouldn’t feel right whiling you away to look at costumes while you guys are at such odds with each other. I think you should go home and talk this out with him, buttercup. I don’t want to be the cause of a rift between you two. Family is important, and if we...well.”

He cleared his throat and flushed slightly. “If things...uh, go any further and your dad doesn’t trust me, I don’t want you to have to choose between them or me. Because it should always be them, buttercup. So before we go gallivanting off into the sunset”—he was rewarded with a watery giggle at that and he grinned—“I need you to make up with your old man so you can stop him from ‘chewing me up and spitting me out’ when I come face to face with him again. I sorta like all my limbs attached to my body, you know.”

Izayoi released another wispy laugh and wiped at her eyes, heaving a sigh. He was right. Of course he was right. And anyway it wasn’t like she didn’t want to make up with her dad. It had been eating at her all day and the phone was a burning reminder of it. She needed to stop being a baby and make things right. He’d already demonstrated that he wasn’t going to start anything, so it had to be her, didn’t it? Just like she wanted.

Izayoi released another wispy laugh and wiped at her eyes, heaving a sigh. He was right. Of course he was right. And anyway it wasn’t like she didn’t want to make up with her dad. It had been eating at her all day and the phone was a burning reminder of it. She needed to stop being a baby and make things right. He’d already demonstrated that he wasn’t going to start anything, so it had to be her, didn’t it? Just like she wanted.

Ugh. Easier said than done.

“Okay,” Izayoi agreed at length, nodding and offering a small but genuine smile. “I will. But...tomorrow, though?”

Golden eyes, like rich honey, pleaded with him and damn, how could he possibly say no to that?

Expression softening, Raiden grinned and couldn’t stop himself from gently tugging on a lock of sterling hair.

“Tomorrow,” he promised. “And I’m already looking forward to it.”

Izayoi’s smile was genuine, her eyes were soft, and her voice was fond as she replied, “Me too.”

Nodding in satisfaction, Raiden dropped his hand only to wrap his arm around her shoulders and steered her down the hallway. Izayoi blushed but leaned into him. Damn, she was cute.

“So,” he said conversationally as he lead her toward the cafeteria. He glanced down at her with a cheeky grin and asked, “Did you really break his nose?”

“Ohmigawd,” Izayoi groaned as she buried her face in her hands while Raiden, the brat, threw his head back and cackled gleefully.

[brooklynislandgirl]

[Beth and Cop] ❤♡❥ღ💕💘💝💓💌💟💙💚💜💛

This || Not Accepting

❤: who is more affectionate in public? in private? She slides a foot out of her heel and runs the tips of toes along the length of his leg. A feat that he can’t begin to fathom how she manages without ever having moved in her chair. Especially when she grazes his ~ and instantly he reaches down to adjust the napkin in his lap but what he’s actually doing is stopping her from doing that a second time.

He’s squirrelled away and saved to take her to this place, something he knows that she might take for granted but that twists his gut. He never knows which fork to use and the bill at the end of dinner will be twice his electric for the month. And there she is, making eyes at him that by looks alone could set the place on fire. He’s a hundred percent certain that Elizabeth Riley is evil. Later, they take a walk through the park. His arm slips around her waist as if it belongs there. Once they get to the fountain, he takes a perch on the dry edge of it and pulls her close. Sitting as he does almost makes them the same height, makes it easy for him to reach up and run fingers through her hair as he pulls her close for a chaste kiss on the lips. He doesn’t remember the last time he’d been able to do that, or when the return is so much sweeter, more tender than he expects. It’s going to be a nightmare, remembering to hate her at work tomorrow. ♡: who is the bigger romantic openly? secretly?

They don’t do romantic in public. Sure, there’s rumours based strictly on the amount of snark that passes through them when they have to process a crime-scene together. The way he slams her down on the padded mat in the precinct gym. The way they compete on the gun-range. There’s a million little signs the other detectives can point out but none of it is more than circumstantial.

They have to be this way for their careers, and to keep Luka’s secret. The secret that cuddles between them on movie night. The secret that Beth reads to before bed, the one he puts through dance classes and goes to PTA meetings ~sometimes~ and who wants a dog one week, a horse the next, a dragon the one after that.

And once this particular secret is asleep in her bed, that’s when things change. When Luka takes hold of her foot and rubs the tension out of her sole. When she brings him a beer and curls up at his side. Separate in their own heads, but companionably comfortable together. He stocks her plant-based coffee creamer, or the way her hands seem to always know where in his neck the tension sits. Going to Church when he’d rather be anywhere else, and the way she lets him watch football ~REAL Footy, Be’d~ even if she doesn’t really know the rules.  And Beth is okay with that. Sometimes, being able to just be comfortable with another person is more important than heated arguments and sex in weird places.

❥: who is more likely to plan something big for valentine's day?

Luka was out the door before he’d double-checked the paper calendar attached to the front of the fridge by toe-shoe magnates. Some parents would call that a violation but what they didn’t know is that he scoured five bakeries in two different Burroughs just to make sure he had twenty seven gluten and sugar free red, pink and white cupcakes for the class party. That he’d actually contacted the school nurse to double-check any possible allergen alerts. That he’d helped Maria make up twenty- six valentines cards ~including one for the teacher~ and made little pink tulle candy-heart and Dove chocolates attached to the envelopes. Didn’t even curse when he burned himself no less than three times with hot glue.

So of course Beth makes the delivery on time for the class party. She also stops at one store on the way over to his place to pick up a bottle of wine for dinner.

She doesn’t expect the lights to be out when she gets there. Or the door to be unlocked. Or for Maria to be spending the night with her uncles.

There’s been a massacre of roses, petals strewn from the front door to the bedroom and the apartment is lit up by candles enough to warrant a violation from those two brothers of his. There’s Chopin cello sonatas on the stereo. Almost everything needed for a romantic evening except maybe the most important part.

She finds Luka in the bedroom, after leaving the wine and her coat on the kitchen counter. Hours later, he gets up, goes to get them some water after teasing her about the importance of keeping hydrated. He comes back with a tray and on it, there’s a single unmolested rose in a bud vase. There’s two glasses of wine, and a plate he’s covered with a plastic mixing bowl because he doesn’t have a proper domed cover. She holds the sheet to her chest and eyes him suspiciously. “Wha’s dat?” “Open i’n see,” he says cryptically. She does and for a split second there’s alarm bells ringing in her ear. Her empty hand rises up to take hold of the crucifix around her neck and she slashes a troubled gaze at him. She doesn’t want to open the box. She isn’t ready for all this to be over. He kneels by the bedside. Takes the box in his hands. She cannot for the life of her recall what exactly it is that he says, can’t hear him over the throbbing pulse pounding in her ears and the vaguely sick feeling twisting her guts into knots. But eventually he opens the box, and inside, glimmering in the soft light is a thing of beauty. High-polished and brand new. She’s pretty sure this isn’t how you’re supposed to give someone the key to your place, but she lets out a sigh she hasn’t realised she’d been holding, and simply nods.

ღ: who is more likely to initiate hand-holding in public?

“...Car 556... 10-33 Zebra. Repeat, 10-33-Zebra.”

“Dispatch 10-4. All available units respond to 10-33 PBMS.”

There’s a moment when the world comes to crashing stillness. When it doesn’t matter that you’re stuck in traffic after a long day in the office. When you know the car number like the back of your hand and the message relayed is that an officer in plain clothes requires emergency assistance. When it doesn’t matter that you work in a completely different Burroughs and that you’re technically not supposed to even have your radio on. You do what you have to, and are grateful your car is kitted out with lights on the grill and you’re allowed to run silent.

And she doesn’t know how grateful she’ll be later. After arriving on scene, the suspect is already under arrest and being sent to central booking. That the officer in question isn’t Luka, but that his car had been loaned out to a different unite. It’s terrible that he’d been shot in the course of his duty, but it’s only a winging. He’ll have a scar but will make a full recovery. She doesn’t even really catch his name. Instead, she’s too glad to be standing behind the barricade with Luka who other than troubled by the whole incident, is perfectly fine. There’s enough people surrounding them, civilian and other cops alike that she doesn’t think anyone really notices when she reaches down and slips her fingers through his. Squeezes the life out of them. 

💕: who is more likely to make huge declarations of love in front of other people?

“Can ya b’lieve dis?”  “Wha’s d’at, luv?” “Six hundred cable channels, an’ I swear all dat’s on is reruns of Game ‘a T’rones, an’ reality tv. Bachelah, Bachelah in Paradise, Bachlahrette, Marry in Paradise, some kine momona weddin’, blah-blah-blah.”

He arches a brow and she takes a breath. The next fifteen minutes is a tirade about every aspect of human life having to be televised, having turned into human verisimilitude and sell-out voyeurism. She talks about how ultimately disgusting it is. But her life has been vastly different. When she has to represent her family at charity events or when she’s in the city, there’s photographs being taken. People coming up to her and starting conversations as if they’re dear friends even if she hasn’t seen them in years, things of that nature. But it always makes him second-guess plans he’s making and things he wants to say. 💘: who developed a crush on the other first?

“O’Rian and Riley, sitting in a tree.” Maybe it was the moment when she helped him make Maria’s lunch that night while they were working on his case. Or the time she was putting a band-aid on Maria’s skinned knee. Blowing gently across the wound to take the sting out and she looked up at him. All wide green eyes and smiles. Or maybe a half a dozen other times over the last year of what might be argued in court as the start of their friendship. And he absolutely isn’t going to ruin it. No matter what stupid sing-song tone his partner takes with him.

“K-I-S-S-I-N- OW!”  “Shu’i’ House.”

💝: who spends more time (possibly overthinking) what presents to get the other?

 “....So I can clearly no choose wine in front of me...” She more or less quotes the Princess Bride verbatim to Jay. Tapping on the anniversary hardback, gilt edged, colour plate hand-drawn images version of the book that she’s gotten for Maria. They sit in the coffee shop three blocks down from FAO Schwartz. Jay’s proud that Beth didn’t buy the girl a whole store’s worth of Christmas gifts but the trouble on her face is about the father. Jay smiles behind her cup. There’s more behind the anxiety than the already stated fact that Beth doesn’t want to go over or under board. And as both her friend and her lawyer, Jay knows she’s got to throw the little woman a rope before she spirals into a strange mania. “What do you wanna say to him, through this gift? That you think he’s super hot and you wanna do terrible things to him? That you want to date forever while the rest of us die of old age waiting for a wedding invitation? That you just really love his kid and hope he doesn’t mind you hanging out with her?”

“....”

“It’s a joke, kid.” When her only reply she gets is a frustrated, defeated little whine and Beth’s forehead brushing the tabletop, Jay shakes her head. “Decide how much he means to you and get him something that you know is in the same group of things that he cares about. Like last year I got Baz a brand new tool kit and backboard so he could stop shimmying under whatever car was on the docket for the day and coming home with his back, and leg fucking him over. Ergo. You clearly cannot choose the wine in front of me.”

💓: who initiates most physical contact?

It’s the little things. Toes stuck under his leg or in his lap because they are made from polar ice. The way she reaches up and readjusts his ties, not that they need it. How sometimes the backs of her fingers come to rest against his wrist. The way she gently shoulder-checks him when they’re walking. The way she holds one of Maria’s hands and gets him to take the other, swinging his daughter between them even if she isn’t much taller than the girl.

He doesn’t really think Beth notices these things. He’s sure if she did that she would stop doing them, or at least make a concerted effort. That’s something he’d list as a negative were he ever to make a pros and cons list about her. When she’s not inside her own head or when things are quiet she comes out of her shell and it’s gentle and amazing. But as soon as it’s brought to her attention she shrinks back away from everything, but especially from him. More than once this has made him wonder about her ex and the kind of relationship they had that this would become ingrained behaviour, but he’s never found the right moment to ask about it. Maybe he doesn’t really want to know.

💌: who is more likely to send cutesy texts to the other?

It starts with a good morning. Through-out the rest of the day it’s all just random thoughts and cute pictures. A joke Maria told him. Fun facts from the morgue which aren’t exactly fun but he knows it’s a release valve for her job. Puns. It’s easier to express themselves in a text than it is to say aloud.  Some days they graduate to songs shared. Sometimes it’s a quick video call when they’re working opposite sides of the city or they fall asleep talking. There’s less pressure this way, less strain on already busy days. And some days, it is the hardest thing. When you want to reconnect physically but you can’t.

💟: who spends time reading their zodiac compatibility?

“Dis so ridiculous.”

He glances at her, brow raised, from where he’s making scrambled eggs. “Pisces an’ Cancer make beautiful combination. Dese are some of mos’ romantic couples we know. Bot’ waddah sign an’ connect t’rough a feeling vibration, makin’ words unnecessary. Dere is unspoken bond dat keeps dem togeddah t’rough sorrow, pain, ecstasy.” So far, he isn’t hearing the problem. “Sounds good so far.”

“Should be easy-easy t’ move into her magnetic force field. Ya got every kine it take t’ win her wit’ ya sensitivity an’ psychic attunement. Ya probably speak her favourite lines or appear at da door wi’ her favourite accoutrements intuitively. Don’ ovah t’ink it. Pisces is preddy much able t’ read anybody an’ no one would welcome dat more dan ya Cancer lady who will interpret it as intimacy an’ closeness.” She makes a sound in the back of her throat putting down the paper, but nothing he’s heard so far is wrong or out of place. And he knows better than to say anything.

“Cancer is cardinal sign which means ya got natural leadership ability an’ energy f’ launch one project. Should ya decide dat dis Pisces man ovah dere is da one for you, go into strategic mode. Come up wi’ a plan. Shy an’ feminine as ya are, ya need to have details ready f’ go. Some of da more welcome traits you can exhibit is cookin’ ~yeah right, probably set ya place on fiyah~ cleanin’ up messes, straightenin’ out da details of his life, makin’ sure his clothes are press an’ ready f’ wear, and organizin’ his kitchen. He would probably be grateful for ya help in any of his areas, an’ you can do it wi’out being pushy.”  She makes a face. “Like look for girlfriend...or ya maddah?”

He doesn’t say anything. For the most part he doesn’t like to argue with her, doesn’t know how it would make a difference. And he’s not going to take the bait about her inability to cook. Instead he pads over, kisses the top of her head, and slides eggs onto her plate.

💙: who is more protective?

“Hey, baby. Let me buy you a drink.” “Name nevah is baby, an’ I’m waitin’ for someone.” The guy with Very White Teeth opens his jacket the same way peacocks fan their tailfeathers. She is unimpressed and sighs. “What’s he got that I don’t?” “O’ badge an’ o’ gun.” The words are growled behind VWT and she smiles. VWT turns and looks up. And up some more, all the way to Luka’s face, which is also smiling but not in the same ways and for the same reasons. The guy scuttles back to whatever table he came from and Luka takes his place at the bar. Beth leans over and places a chaste kiss on his cheek. Whispers in his ear every thing whiskey and heat. “Love it when ya do dat.” ~*~ Somewhere between still drunk tonight and early the next morning a strange sound shocks them both awake. Instinctively she reaches for the gun that is no longer on her nightstand but in the unsafe they agreed to when Maria was here. At the same time Luka slips out of bed, grabs the bat she uses for the NYPD baseball team. They pad silently from her bedroom to the kitchen. They both have adrenaline in their system and are prepared to commit grievous bodily harm on the intruder. Who happens to Maria.

And a carton of spilled milk that Houdini is graciously lapping up so no one has to mop the floor. There’s a bowl of cereal and a spoon on the counter.

She smiles at both of them. When the snack is had and the mess is cleaned up, they go back to bed. He kisses her not quite as chastely and definitely not on the cheek.   “O’i love i’ when ye do d’at.”

💚: who tends to get sick more often? who is better at taking care of the other?

He can’t be sick. He doesn’t have time for it. There’s a presentation for science that needs to be finished, he has a sixteen hour volunteer shift he’s got in a couple hours, Maria still needs to get to school, he’s got a meeting with the lawyer, there’s- “Come on, Lu’a,” she murmurs. “Let’s get ya sit up.” She eases him from the pillows into a vaguely sitting position, one hand on his chest and one rubbing small circles against his back. She’s careful not to touch the new, still red scars.

“An’ before ya wan stay argue wi’ me...M’friend Bobby D is gonna cover ya shift. He’s in trouble wi’ his husband again cause of ‘Lantic City an’ can really use da cash. Diorama’s already done. I still t’ink she picked sharks t’ make sure I’d help. I can drop her off before I go in an’ take a early day f’ pick her up. Got ya big glass of juice here. Cold an’ Flu medicine righ’ here wi’ da plastic cup f’ measure wit’.” “Be’d...” “Uhuh. I’m really amazin’ an’ ya no know wha’ ya do wit’out me, I know. I really am dat perfect.” She winks at him. “Gonna wheel in m’ spare tv so ya can catch up on ya Netflix queue or play on da Xbox, but I no wan ya gettin’ out of bed. Doyle say him an’ Anrai comin’ over t’ check on ya an’ bring ya lunch. All I wan’ ya to do is rest. Got me?” “‘F O’i dunna?” “Den is gonna be real hard t’ fit ya in one of my morgue drawer, Detective O’Rian.” He would laugh but for the wracking cough that shakes him stem to stern.

💜: who said "i love you" first? or, if neither has said it yet, who is more likely to say it first?

It sits on his lips a dozen times a day, often a lot more. And every time he thinks he’s going to say it, something comes out of her head that makes him file it away for a better time. Not that he thinks there’s going to be one. So he tries to show her in little ways, in the kind of thing he thinks she’ll find acceptable. Running a hot bath for her. Cooking hot meals for the three of them. Slipping a new book on her night-stand that he thinks she’ll like. Picking up the deep red wines she seems to prefer over everything else. But most of all, he tries to show her he listens. This ... relationship... is vastly different from his marriage. He’s older now, more mature. He’s learned from all the missteps that almost lead to being divorced if not for his wife’s murder. He’s trying to prove himself.

But that’s not the secret to holding this all together.  It’s that he’s learned that, like the sharks she loves so much, the secret of Beth is to never hold her still. She has to be free to move and swim as she likes or she will drown. Suffocate under the weight of everything in the world, her family, her job, her grief. He’s hoping that if he is patient for long enough, she’ll finally see him as safe harbour rather than a cage that will stifle her. ~*~ She spends more time on her knees in her pew these days than she ever did when Andy was alive, and they would go to Mass three times a week. She comes here for peace, for the meditative silence, and to seek forgiveness. She prays to her saints. To the Blessed Mother. But mostly she prays to her brother. She wants his forgiveness. She has to change to survive. She never meant to live her life without him and he had to know that. If things had been different, if he’d been the one to live, she’d want him to be as happy and as whole as he could manage.

She’d never intended to move on. Never intended to meet someone, certainly not another cop. She had absolutely no intention of ever falling in love. But then Luka happened to her. And he’d been so infuriating. So arrogant. So...lost. And he has a daughter who needs if not a mother, certainly a woman she can grow to trust, who can give her advice and teach her things that her father maybe can’t.

And while the guilt will forever eat at her, she’s happy. For the first time in a long time. Is it love? She’s not sure but it very might could be.

💛: who believes in soulmates?

Maria sits on the bench with her friend Tamiqa.

“So who’s picking you up?” “Beth.” “She and your dad have been dating for a while.” “Yeah.”

“Is she nice? It is she like your wicked step mother?” “oh, she’s great. She makes him really happy. But...” “But....what? “They are so dumb. They’re so perfect for each other and still they don’t even hold hands.” “That’s so sad!” “Maybe. But I bet my dad’s going to marry her. They’re soulmates you know.” Tamiqa nods at Maria’s sage wisdom. 

[mtvswatches]

Jane the Virgin 2x16 Chapter Thirty-Eight

Click here for previous recaps!

Stray thoughts

1) All the Villanuevas are staying at the Marbella for free and making the most of it. Pablo is also staying there with Alba? How do you go from “he’s cursed” to “move in with me and my family to this hotel while my house gets repaired”? Man, Alba was really thirsty, am I right?

2) Rogelio is planning Jane’s wedding and he wants to invite the President of Mexico, Charo, and Oprah. Sounds like the event of the year, if you ask me.

3) Hm. Michael was interrogating Rafael’s brother and Rafael burst into the room pissed at the fact that his brother was being interrogated without a lawyer. I’m not buying it. I think Rafael and Michael are probably in cahoots and trying to get Rafael’s brother to trust him by creating scenarios in which Rafael stands up for him. Or Rafael is an idiot. It’s a toss-up, really.

4) Michael and Jane are looking for a new house and Jane is torn between what Michael and herself want as a couple and what’s best – and fair – for Mateo and his relationship with his dad. Rafael offered to chip in with the difference so that she can get the place she wants in Miami, and I honestly can’t see why this would be a problem? I certainly don’t know the laws in Miami, but in my country parents are supposed to pay for rent as part of child support, so it would be kind of like that? But I can imagine Michael won’t have any of Rafael’s “charity”. What do I get if he uses that word when he argues with Jane?

5) Petra is going through a rough patch because unlike Jane she doesn’t have a whole support system to help her navigate the first few months of motherhood. Both Jane and Rafael notice she’s kind of down, and Petra ends up asking Jane to take her out, which I’m here for.

6) Kudos to Michael. He didn’t use the word charity, but as expected, he wasn’t on board with the idea of Rafael giving them money to buy the house.

7) Hmmm. Jane convinces Rafael to accept her moving 40 minutes away just for a year to see if they can work it out. She actually uses Rafael’s argument that they need to make compromises against him, and this doesn’t seem like a compromise? It seems like she’s getting everything she wants and kind of screwing her baby daddy over? Look, Rafael is hardly my favorite, but he does seem to be a good dad so far, he’s very invested in all of his children, and I don’t think this scenario is fair to him.

8) Ah, okay, Alba hasn’t slept with Pablo. YET. She’s a tease, though. You go, girl!

9) OH MY GOD ARE THEY SEVENTEEN? GETTING MARRIED SO THAT THEY CAN GET LAID?! WTF!

I know she hasn’t had a good laid in years, but chill, lady! Have a taste first!

10) I don’t think this is what Petra meant when she asked Jane to take her out…

11) Okay…

12) Yep, Petra seems to be suffering from postpartum depression. That should be interesting, if it’s not only one-episode thing. It’s not a storyline that’s usually explored in TV shows, so I hope they handle it well.

13) Clearly, Rafael is not comfortable with Jane moving away with Mateo…

But then Petra intercedes and scolds him because he was “preventing Jane from having his dream house”? And while I do appreciate the fact that Petra and Jane have mended fences and Petra did not take the chance to drive a wedge between Jane and Rafael and actually took a stand for Jane instead…

Rafael still has rights? He’s the father? He has every right to be concerned he won’t be able to spend as much time with his son as he deserves? Why should he be the only one compromising and giving away time with his kid so that Jane can get her “dream house” with her new husband? I don’t like this, and I don’t like the show presenting this as the Good Resolution of the problem. Nope. Not one bit.

14) Rogelio’s character is having tea with Marie Antoinette and seriously, I want to see this TV show...

 ...but I’m also wondering, is this Jane the Virgin mocking Outlander, because if so,…

15) Oh, Rogelio. He always means well but ends up putting his foot in his mouth. He was so eager to get all of his three million friends in the wedding that he actually said: “Why not? I am paying for it.” And that was the last straw. Jane is not having it and she is right. It is her and Michael’s wedding so it should be any way they see it fit, and Rogelio has to accept it. Knowing Rogelio, he’ll apologize and understand why it was wrong of him to try to turn their wedding into his own private party.

16) Mateo is almost walking and Jane FINALLY realized they can’t move there because Mateo NEEDS to be close to his father. FINALLY. Thankfully, Michael understood, too.

17) Petra made an appointment with a therapist to treat her post-partum depression (GOOD!) but now she needs to ask her mother if she suffered from it, too.

18) Ha! I KNEW IT!

The narrator sets this up as “Michael is spying on Rafael” but I KNOW they’re in cahoots. THEY’RE IN CAHOOTS, I TELL YA! (I just love the word cahoots, alright?)

19) Well, Xiomara did bring up a good point. Rogelio missed most of Jane’s milestones, that’s why he’s probably going over the top with this one. Jane is now considering pleasing her dad and letting him have a big party.

20) So, not only is Pablo cursed but he’s also a two-timing asshole…

I knew I couldn’t trust that mustache.

21) You do not want to mess with Alba.

But now I’m like, what was the point of this whole storyline? Huh? Introducing a character as Alba’s great first love and the curse and blah blah blah? And now he’s just gone after two episodes? They really don’t know what to do with Alba as a character.

22) This honestly made me laugh…

PETRA: The doctor asked for my family history, so I was wondering if, um, well, after you had me, did you ever feel depressed? MAGDA: Depressed? I had baby girl. In Czechoslovakia. In 1985. Of course I was depressed. You were depressed. The neighbor who delivered you was depressed. We were all depressed.

23) I just can’t get over the fact that ROGELIO IS THE BEST? EVER? He comes off as shallow and ditzy but he’s also a keen observer and he always puts his loved ones first? And him and Xiomara? Now, that’s an example of a healthy relationship. I kind of don’t care about Jane’s love life, to be honest, I’m not into it at all (probably because I don’t relate to Jane as a character? Idk.) and I don’t necessarily ship Rogelio and Xiomara, but I just find them so wholesome and mature? Yes, they do on occasion act childish, but they always, always find a way to have an adult conversation about their feelings and desires. Anyway, I’m ranting. Rogelio wants to throw the perfect wedding party for Jane, but he understands he may not know what Jane likes considering he’s still getting to know her. So, even though he’d set out to ignore Xiomara hoping she’d miss him and ask him to get back together, he approaches her, comes clean about his previous intentions, admits that he understands they’re done, but argues that they’re still family and they’ll always be, so he asks her to help him plan the wedding, and she agrees with a smile on her face, and it’s just so healthy and wholesome and lovely.

24) I. WAS. RIGHT. Rafael and Michael are IN CAHOOTS! And they also had a very mature conversation about the whole new house thing. Jane and Michael finally found their dream house nearby and thought it was too cheap. Therefore, they assumed Rafael had paid the difference. While this eventually was not true, it did lead to Michael choosing to compromise as well, which is a great development.

25) This was cool…

Rogelio recreated Jane’s house at the studio so that she can get married where she had always wanted to get married – her house. What’s cool about it is that they’ve clearly used the show’s real sets for this. It feels meta, doesn’t it?

26) Oh. Petra bought the house for them. Nice. I hope.

27) It feels like the end of an era.

28) Petra can’t be leaving her daughters, can she?!

Is... this... what they were planning to do with the postpartum storyline? Huh?

29) It was an alright episode but I still don’t feel this magic “I’m in love with this show” feeling and the season arcs and plots are a bit messy, in my opinion. Is this normal? When did you guys fall in love with the show? I feel like I should have already, but I’m just not feeling it…

30) Hope you enjoyed my recap, and, as usual, if you’ve got this far, thank you for reading! If you enjoy my recaps and my blog, please consider supporting it on ko-fi.Thanks!

[primedirection]

Homecoming

In which things don't go as planned

Warnings: A lil angst & a lil fluff mentions of panic attack

AN: Kinda did this one for me idk.. Hope you like it anyway!

(Uce- Samoan for brother. Sounds like oose)

Harry wasn't coming home.

He'd been away for three months this time and it seemed to be the hardest. Promises of coming home were thrown around left and right so much it lost it's merit. It was supposed to be his last week two weeks ago and yet he was still needed all over the place for reasons she lost track of. Hosting for James Corden, Album teaser promos, Gucci photo shoots, music video location scouting, auditions and so on and so forth. So busy that at best she was lucky she got a text of recognition or a FaceTime session every other week.

Honestly she tried not to fault him for it, not to hold it against him. She understood more than anyone what his career meant to him and how hard he worked to achieve his goals and dreams. Truly a blessing and a curse all at once. But once the disappointment hit it, it hit and took it's tole.

For right now she was done dealing with it.

She'd been so fed up of being alone and having no one to talk to in person that she requested the week off from work and sent for tor nephews to come visit. The same week of vacation time she'd been planning to use to visit Harry on the road. But decided that she'd only be a distraction to him during the short moments she did get to see him. The boys were out for the summer anyway and thanks to the overwhelming Facebook post of their mother, she knew they all could use a break.

From the moment that they stepped inside the departure terminal she realized that she had made the right decision. Bombarded with affection from all directions the second they were close enough. The relief practically consuming her. It was all quite surreal since she practically helped raise them. Like just yesterday she was changing their diapers for extra cash on the weekends so that their parents date nights could ensue. Now here they are teenage heartbreakers bragging about their own personal lives.

As the week went by things only got better. For once the massive house was filled with endless laughter and the type of love that came without judgment and ridicule. Unconditional love. That alone created a joy so pure that the evilest intentions couldn't spoil it. Something she honestly hasn't felt in a while. The atmosphere was almost magical whenever either of their families visited and this time was no different.

This was exactly what the doctor ordered and a complete win-win situation. Because while she gave them something to somewhat brag about to all their friends back home (via pictures with their beloved uncle's Mustang) they gave her enough peace of mind to stop checking her phone every 30 seconds, nonetheless throughout the entire day. To the point she felt comfortable enough to turn it off. Thanks to the hyperactive bunch most nights sleep found her first since the boys turned out to be a handful in the best way.

Or so she thought.

When it was their final day she decided to go all out. An early trip to The Grove to spoil them rotten, as any elected favorite auntie would. Then retired back home to fire up the grill for dinner while the two full-blown teenagers made their last rounds of projecting themselves like missiles inside the pool.

"Heyyy, unless y'all want to find out how edible chlorine is y'all better chill out!" She shouted playfully over her shoulder when a particular splash reached far enough to soak her from the waist down. ”Now out of the water so we can eat!" She retreated back inside the house followed by a chorus of disappointed 'AWWWWWs'.

"Good to see you're 'avin fun," Harry's sudden appearance in the kitchen nearly made her scream. So divulged in burger making she never noticed him. Short hair a mess from his incessant hand's tousling, everything about him was hard and only amplified by the bags resting under his eyes.

Though by the look on his face and his tone she wasn't sure how to feel. The impulsive urge to rush over and enrapt him in over due love was killed when she felt the energy around him. Clearly he was upset. So she gently tested the waters, "When did you get back?"

"You'd know if you read at least one of my fuckin' messages," Harry was pissed and right now her oblivion to it only made it worse as he silently noted that she didn't rush to greet him as he had expected.

They were both stubborn to a fault sometimes, this one being one of them. And while he had his passive aggressive moments she had her combative confronting moments to match them. Thus why disagreements often turned into war zones.

In her eyes he had absolutely no right to be this angry, "You mean the one you send every other week? Sorry, didn't know I was supposed to wait every got damn second by the phone for a chance you might get the urge to call me!"

"S'not like you couldn't call me. Guess I'm not much of priority to you when I'm across the world am I? Much less having a panic attack," That's not at all what he wanted to say. He honestly didn't even mean it. But sometimes, very rarely, he spoke without thinking. Though every single one of those times his words were purposely reckless, usually with the intent of pushing buttons. Which in this case happened to be several of hers.

There was so many things wrong with his rebuttal that it frazzled her, "Panic attack?!"

"Yeah. Tha' thing where you can't breathe and it really feels like you're dying," his attitude was in full force as he elaborated.

Her eyes narrowed in a glare, "How was I supposed to know that would happen when I finally try and distract myself?"

"There's a difference between distracting yourself and flat out ignoring me,"

"So now it's my fault that you don't know when to fucking quit? One more week.. one more week.. Jeff says this Jeff says that blah blah blah!" She mocks his voice angrily. "Do you ever even think of how hard it is for me when you're gone? You've got hundreds of people constantly around you and I'm just here alone in this big ass house-"

"Fuck this!" He groans utterly aggravated, pivoting on his heels to storm out. The past three days had felt like the worst of his life and she was totally none the wiser. Even now as he struggled to keep afloat, to keep his head above water she only seemed interested in knocking him down.

"Fuck what? Fuck me? Is that what you're saying?" She demanded hurt, meanwhile in his mind he knew she was seeing nothing but red.

At that response he knew this was going nowhere fast, definitely nowhere good anyway. He couldn't talk to her when she was like this, angry beyond reason where even the most innocent things rub her the wrong way.

"Uce?!" As soon as he was noticed they both knew the argument was temporarily over. Long ago she had indulged Harry of their dysfunctional childhood due to the immaturity of their parents, and sworn to always provide safe spaces for them. So for everyone's sake she quickly left the room, using her soiled clothes as an excuse.

Harry may not have been in any mood to host but managed to allow his anger to dissipate when he was pulled into welcoming hugs. He loved her family, especially her nephews. The respect and regard they had for her was daunting and unparalleled. Upon first meeting them, at thirteen and fourteen years old they laid into him better than any father ever could or ever had. Especially since hers passed away when she was young. So profoundly protective there was no surprise on his end when they shared their plan of walking her down the aisle to give her away someday. Though now they were in every way his family without marriage. "We thought you were taking over the world again Uce, what happened?"

Uce, a nickname that was lovingly given to him by the entirety of her family because of his thick accent whenever he said the word 'us'. Endearing enough to immediately strip him of any and all ill feelings. "Not happy to see me?" He teased knowing full well just how much they adored him in return. Proven when they both erupted in offense bright eyed and bushy tailed.

"Uhhh... she's cool, or whatever but even when we're having fun she's still intense," the younger of the brothers informed pointing in the direction she disappeared in.

"And she doesn't have the keys, Uce! She doesn't have the keys!" The elder of the two wailed in true melodramatic fashion.

"Keys?" Harry queries with a frown and yet amused, leaning against the counter and folding his arms over his chest patiently waiting to be clued in on their slang. "Keys to wha'?"

"You know, the Audi.. The girls... How do we get into one of those wild model parties where they do org-"

"Boy the next word out of your mouth better be organization! And you need to be talking about the keys to passing your college entry exams!" She yells on her way upstairs. She'd be so happy when the girl craze phase was over for them, and it couldn't come soon enough.

"See what I mean?" The younger of the two mutters through a mouth full of food shaking his head and Harry started to laugh. He'd never be able to convey how much he missed them when they weren't around. Just them being there almost made him forget he was angry to begin with. Almost. "Anyway you never answered my question?"

Harry sighs heavily suddenly exhausted, "Didn't feel well,"

Sparking even more questions from the two young boys, "Don't you have doctors that travel with you for that?" Snowballing to a squabble even, "Is it contagious?" "Dude!" "I'm just saying, I have football practice when we get back I can't afford to be sick,"

Chuckling despite himself Harry shook his head, "No mate, was a panic attack. Jus' need some rest, been going non stop,"

Both their faces dropped with worry, "Whoa. You okay Uce? I mean is it cool we're here?"

Harry nodded reassuringly, "M' getting there," honestly adding, "Thanks to you lot. Actually wish I'd been here the whole time, s' been awhile since I've seen you last,"

The eldest made a nonchalant noise, "We'll be visiting again soon don't worry. Especially when you start touring for real, the ladies need me,"

"Mate, have you ever heard of quality over quantity? That is the biggest key,"

"Yeah just now, and look who you're with. The biggest control freak of them all,"

Although Harry wasn't totally thrilled with her he had to admit, "It's actually quite sexy when she's not being a pain in the arse,"

"Bruh, I'm eating!" The younger brother snarled and Harry laughed at that. God, he loved them. Practically the little brothers he's always wanted. That feeling in particular struck remembrance inside him, remembrance of what brought on the panic attack in the first place.

He wasn't happy. Sure his professional life was thriving since business was booming, but his relationship suffered the most because of it. These days he was hardly ever home, barely even had the time to make phone calls and the realization scared him. Not once did she complain but he wasn't blind to the fact she was slowly but surely slipping from his grasp. Whether or not her cold shoulder had been intentional over the past week it shook him down to the core. So many of his previous relationships ended like that, with them losing the will to fight for him. Not that he was putting in the same effort back then and he had the worst habit of blaming them for it anyway. Hince the incident a little while ago. But that was the absolute last thing he wanted for them. It just wasn't worth it.

Harry wanted romantic vacations, joint family holidays, anniversary parties, babies! Lots and lots of babies...

A distinct warning pang in his chest made him realize he had to take advantage of the boy's presence while he could. Glancing over his shoulder, he listened hard to make sure the shower was running, "Since we're on the topic I need to talk you lads about something,"

"If it's about your sex life please don't,"

"Relax if I wanted to torture you I'd left you with her. I'm talking about tour. I've been thinking and after this week I'm not sure I want to do it. Like anymore.. Or well at least for right now anyway,"

"Please don't do this to me, I'll finally be old enough to get in the club by the end of this year!" The elder boy whined and the younger smacked the side of his head annoyed.

"Dude shut up he's serious! Anyway... Why not?"

Harry was filled with nerves deciding to break it down nice and easy, "Remember what you told me when we first met?"

"Yeah, 'why are your jeans so tight'? To be honest I'm still wondering...that can't be good for you." The eldest teased.

"Not tha'," Harry chuckled rolling his eyes.

A lightbulb seemed to go off in the mind of the youngest, "Oh, that we're a packaged deal and anything you want with her has to be run through us first,"

Harry took a deep breath nodding in confirmation, "Well, man to man...to man. I think you've had long enough to feel me out. Have I earned your blessings to become your official uncle?"

"Let me get this straight, you want to skip a worldwide tour and a chance to make millions more to get married? Weddings aren't all that much fun,"

"To get married, to go on a honeymoon, and to start making your baby cousins," Harry clarified.

"I'm more so concerned at you not knowing you already had it. We wouldn't have let her move in if we didn't,"

"Yeah Uce, we've all been wondering what the hell is taking so long. Especially grandma, she's been super suspicious of your Aquarius nature," the older boy teased and both boys laughed apparently there was an inside joke he wasn't aware of.

"To be fair I was waiting for your aunt to say something. Guess she's not much of a control freak like we thought huh?" Harry muttered stealing fries from both their plates.

"Yeah right, do you have a ring?" The younger asked as he shielded his plate from Harry's invasion.

"Still having it made," he confessed a little embarrassed.

"Well don't pop it out without us!"

Harry snorted, "Mate, I'd never dream of it," and from the bottom of his heart he meant it.

After everyone showered, the final movie night had progressed rather smoothly. Horror was the only genre the boys would focus on, though it probably had something to do with all the topless scenes in them. Nevertheless she picked this one; 'Wrong Turn' easily one of her favorites.

To her surprise before it started Harry came in the room, dressed in a loose gray T-shirt and navy basketball shorts. Earning a round of cheers from his ever adoring audience. He sat in the row of plush recliners directly behind the boys and it kind of hurt her feelings since she was in the one in front of them. "S' your last night here where else would I be?"

For a long beat of a moment they both exchanged wary glances before drifting back to the screen in front of them. Though in reality she was hardly paying attention. Her curiosity peaked through the roof at just what it took to get him to join. Mostly because, she knew better than anyone when Harry was in a bad mood he isolated himself. But just now he didn't seem to be the slightest bit hostile. Then again she shouldn't be too surpised given he was just another giant kid to them.

Against her better judgment she spared another look just to find him already staring at her. A dimple sinking in one cheek as the corner of his lips tug in a reluctant smile. In turn making her belly swell with butterflies of relief. She also became painfully aware of the distance between them and hated it.

Before she even had time to process the idea of swallowing her pride, she was up out of her seat with her blanket wrapped around her. She could've easily sat in either of the seats beside him but that still wasn't close enough. "Truce?" She whispered pouting guiltily, waving the tag of her soft throw blanket like a flag.

But apparently she wasn't as quiet as she thought, "Wait, you guys are fighting?" Both boys were turned around in their seats, eyes ping ponging back and forth between them worried. Ultimately falling on her, "What did you do?"

"If you don't mind your own business I swear to God you're going to the airport tonight!" She warned icily and that quickly got them to turn back around.

At first Harry doesn't say anything, he simply reclines his seat further back and readjusts his legs to make room for her. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief. Springing into action, she climbed in next to him sitting with her legs draped over his lap tenting them both in warmth. From there they practically melted into one another her chest to his front, stealing kisses and touches they'd been deprived of. Silent apologies in a way, but just in case she said it aloud, "I'm sorry H," tucking her face into the crook of his neck. The closer she was the better she felt. "Should've been there for you."

"S' okay love me too, I should've been here," he sighed holding on tighter.

"Well we're all here now so can we watch the movie please?" The eldest brother chimed.

She started to swat him in the head from behind until Harry caught her wrist and laughed, "Sorry lads won't happen again," figuring there was a better way to make it up to her quietly. Confusion was blatantly on her face up until Harry stealthily slipped his hand under her shirt, sliding upwards tortuously slow. To stifle her impatience she kissed him deep then. But before she could receive the pleasure of the taste of his lips properly Harry stiffened, and not in the place she wanted him to.

Eyes peeling back open Harry's smirk was sheepish and directed to the front. Met with a grimace, "Ugh puhleeease don't be that couple!" And a glare, "Yeah, I really don't want to be in the room when my baby cousin is conceived,"

She rolled her eyes, "Tuh, it's only fair. I was right next door when both of you were." Kissing him again and causing an over the top show of dry heaving and gagging.

"Uce, c'mon man make it stop!"

Harry merely smiled finally feeling like all was right in the world again. "Gotta keep it fresh lads, it's key."

[dreamofkpop]

family matters

stray kids 10th member au

Charlie x Valerie x Stray Kids

[for those don’t know, or have forgotten Valerie is Charlie’s step-sister (she’s the same age as minho) and she hates Charlie & Jacob (Charlie’s twin brother) she is very rude to them.]

important information: Charlie’s father and step mother are both unfit to work at the time after a incident so Valerie is looking after their companies (which are massive) because neither Charlie or Jacob are able to do it...and their recoveries could take months.

questions? thoughts? requests? send me an ask!

bold = english

(gif not mine! credit to owner!)

October 21st - unveil showcase

“we can eat now!!” Felix cheered, as they exited the stage and walked down the long corridor back to the dressing room. most of the boys laughed at his enthusiasm, agreeing with him. Charlie walked behind them all with her head down, deep in thought.

that couldn’t of been her in the crowd, why would she be in korea, why would she come to the showcase. why-

her little train of thought was cut if when someone slipped their hand into hers, tugging on it a little. she looked down at her hand then up at the person, it was Minho. 

“what’s wrong with you? you’re never this quiet” he nudged her shoulder with his own, a small smile painted onto his lips. Charlie shook her head dismissively and looked back down

“it’s nothing, just thinking about something”

Minho pulled his hand from hers and swung his arm over shoulder. “about what? you seem....troubled” he raised on eyebrow at her. the younger laughed and leaned against him, “you sound like my English teacher..” Minho laughed at her comment before she started talking again “i just thought i saw someone in the crowd” 

“ahhhh okay” he nodded. with no attempts to continue the conversation from either of them they walked in silence, listening to the other boys bicker playfully, that was until the sound of feet running down the corridor and shouts caught the attention of the whole group. 

“hey! charlie, wait!”

i recognize that voice charlie thought and spun around coming face to face with her step sister, Valerie. the older girl skid to a stop in front of Charlie, breathing heavily. “Jesus Christ girl you need to pay more attention to the people around you” she snapped. 

Charlie scoffed and went to reply but remembered the boys were with her she quickly turned back to them. “you guys go ahead, seems like I've got company to deal with” she rolled her eyes. 

“who is she?” Hyunjin piped up, Charlie glanced behind her before answering “my step sister from hell”

some of the boys bit back laughs, Charlie as well. “i’ll join you guys once I've sorted this out, but if i’m not back in 10 minutes someone come look for me” 

they all nodded and turned around, shuffling towards the dressing room and disappearing through the door. once she was sure they had all gone she turned to Valerie. “two thing. one, why the hell are you here? two, what the hell do you want?” 

Valerie scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest “that’s no way to talk to your sweet older sister is it?” she fluttered her false lashes, a wicked smile on her lips.

Charlie took a step threatening step forwards. “you are not my sister, and you’ll never be. so tell what you need to and get lost” she glared up at the girl. usually Charlie held back during arguments with Valerie but that wasn’t going to be the case today.

 “okay first things first darling, you are not allowed to talk to me like that. i’m older than you and that means you respect me, got it?” she grabbed Charlie by the collar of her shirt, tugging her forward.Charlie grabbed hold of her wrists, yanking them off her collar and pushing the older girl backwards. 

“i have no respect for you and i never will” she kissed her teeth, glaring at Valerie. “just tell me what you were gonna say and fuck off, i don’t have time for this” Charlie took a step back, shoving her hands into her pockets and leaning all her weight onto her left leg. 

“oh, right!” Valerie giggled obnoxiously which made Charlie roll her eyes. “i have some exciting news for you!! you’re going to have a step-niece soon!!” Charlie’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she watvhed the older girl move her hands over her stomach.

“y-you’re...you’re pregnant?!” she yelled, startling Valerie “wait hold on, give me a minute. you, the biggest bitch on the planet, are having a child?” she snapped.

Valerie’s face contorted in anger. “you will not raise your voice at me! you are not allowed to do that!”

throwing her hands over head, Charlie walked in a small circle. “so i can’t raise my voice at you but you can scream at me all you want?! no see that’s not how it is works mate if i’m gonna raise my voice then i will!“ Charlie raised her voice, glaring daggers at Valerie. “so tell me, who’s the dad?” she crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot against the floor. 

a proud smile grazed over Valerie’s face. “a man, Micheal, that i met at a party a couple of months ago!” Charlie felt like her eyes were gonna pop out of their sockets at the amount they had widened. 

“okay so if i’m hearing correctly you got knocked up by some guy that you met a couple of MONTHS ago at a PARTY?!” Charlie stressed the words ‘months’ and ‘party’. Her mind flicked to the company, a bad feeling washing over her.

“have you completely forgotten about the company? you are in charge of one of the worlds biggest companies and you go and get knocked up by some guy? do you not realize how much responsibility you have right now? Who’s gonna look after the company when you go on maternity leave, cause my dad and your mum aren’t gonna be well enough when that happens so who’s gonna do it?” Charlie snapped, the vein in the side of her neck bulging. 

an evil smirk and glare took over Valerie’s features. “that’s for you to decide sis, gotta run~” she winked and took of running before Charlie could register it. 

a heavy sigh escaped her lips as she rubbed her hands over her face. “i fucking hate her” she muttered angrily. stomping towards the dressing room, she stood outside the door taking a few deeps breaths to calm herself down. “okay charlie calm down, don’t tell them what happened” she spoke to herself before opening the door. 

“Noona!!” Jeongin shouted when he saw her enter. “what happened out there?” he ran up to her. Charlie giggled and ruffled his hair. “nothing jeonginnie, just a little.....family business” he nodded and ran off to where he had been sat.

Charlie took a seat in the furthest corner of the room, pulling off her hoodie and dropping it into her lap before dropping her head into her hands, feeling a headache beginning to form in her head.

pushing her hands up onto her head, she knocked off her hat and ran her hands through her blonde hair before closing her eyes. someone crouched in front of her, gently placing their hands on her knees to steady themselves. Charlie opened her eyes and looked up, becoming eye level with Felix. 

“Charlie...” his deep voice rang through her ears. “yes lix?” she asked, leaning her arms on her thighs. “what happened with your step-sister? you like your ready to cry and or murder someone” he laughed, Charlie weakly smiled and looked down. 

“its a long story lix, i’m sure you don’t wanna hear it” she played with a loose thread on her jumper, distracting herself. looking p, she saw Felix shrug and check the nonexistent watch on his wrist. “I've got time, spill, what’s going on?” 

with a drawn out sigh, Charlie sat up and pressed her palms flat against her thighs. “so y’know my dad and step-mum own these companies and shit but they got into a really bad accident a couple months ago and they’re both in hospital blah blah blah and my step-sister had to basically run the company and shit. turns out she’s pregnant which means that soon enough she’ll go on maternity leave and i know for a fact that my parents wont be well enough by then which means that there’ll be no one to look after the company because i can’t do it and neither could Jacob and....and...” she started breathing heavily, beginning to panic.

Felix gently placed his hand on her face making her look at him. “hey char, look at me, you’re panicking, breath okay? go on, in....out, again” he helped her calm down then let her lean her head on his shoulder. 

“i can’t deal with this now Felix, not with how busy things are going to get, i don’t want any of this stress...it’s too much” her voice dropped to no higher than a whisper, Felix barely hearing it over the boys’ loud bickering behind him. 

his hand gently threaded through her hair. “i know Charlie, first a breakup and now this...” at the word ‘breakup’ Charlie pushed herself up and looked up at him questioningly. 

“how did you know?” she raised her eyebrow cautiously. Felix chuckled and shook his head. “the night you two broke up, he told me and hyunjin what happened” he said quietly, remembering the others didn’t know. 

Charlie groaned and rested her head back onto his shoulder. “why must my life be such a fuck up?” she shook her head. Felix started playing with her hair again to calm her down. “don’t worry char, things will work out eventually” 

she went to reply when their manager walked into the room, announcing it was time to leave. Felix stood up and pulled Charlie with him, chuckling when she slumped against him, “okay, let’s get you back to the dorms...you need sleep”

[vixenofthemist]

Todomomo Kids Appearance and Personality

Bc I realized in the original todomomo kids post I never described what they look like

Hajime:

Hajime is the oldest sibling, and he looks like a male Momo, with a more Shouto face

He’s hair is black (or red I haven’t decided yet but leaning more towards black) and he always keeps it short and very tidy. He always styles it by combing it (IT LOOKS LIKE THE HORIKOSHI SKETCH WERE BEST JEANIST COMBED SHOUTO’S HAIR)

He always looks a little bit stern and serious, but in the inside he’s a huge nerd

A perfect mesh of Momo and Shouto’s personalities tbh

He’s as serious about being a hero as the two of them, but he also geeks out on the inside and super liked helping people with homework

On hero duty he’s def stopped to help a kid with homework

He’s known as the Homework Hero lmao

His hero name would probably just be Hajime lmao

And since he has Momo’s quirk his outfit would probably be…. revealing <.<

But he would prefer it to be like a suit or something bc it looks nice (tear away suit??? Detachable sleeves, pant legs, etc?? Idk yet)

He helps his little sister with her homework a lot, and tries to help Haku but they have different methods of solving problems so always end up getting into small arguments about it

When he first became a side kick, he worked under a hero who he had interned under instead of his parents (even though Momo wasn’t subtle and left flyers for her hero agency around the house in hopes he’d pick the one she worked at lmao)

And in his first official villain fight it ended up being really strong so Shouto was requested as backup, and the entire fight Shouto was just like “that’s my son, look at him fighting his first villain I’m so proud :’)”

And afterward, Shouto insisted on taking pictures to commemorate

Hajime was so embarrassed lmao he was like father please we are both professional heroes and this is official business please put your phone away there are civilians watching

It was all over the news lmao

“EVEN TOP HEROES CAN BE EMBARRASSING PARENTS, AS EVIDENCE FROM HERO SHOUTO, WHO TOOK TIME AFTER DEFEATING A VILLAIN TO TAKE PHOTO’S OF HIS FIRST BORN SON’S HERO DEBUT; REPORTERS CAPTURED THE WARM FAMILY MOMENT AS WELL”

Hajime was so embarrassed and Shouto had the headline framed

(Hajime is also dating Izuocha daughter)

Haku:

Haku is the middle son, and he got all the good looking features of his parents

He got Shouto’s white hair, Momo’s smile, Shouto’s blue/green eyes (and possible his heterochromia, still considering this) and best of all Shouto’s ABS physical appearance and Momo’s lower lashes

His jaw is more sharper than when Shouto was fifteen tho

His hair, when not styled, looks like Shouto’s, except it leans more towards having Momo type bangs on one side (they’re as long as the rest of his hair tho)

And when he styles his hair, he gels those bangs up in like a wave like swoosh, and he combs the rest back…(IDK HOW TO DESCRIBE IT EXCEPT TEDDY LUPIN ISH HAIR)

He also has light blue streaks that he dyes into his hair, because he wants to be like his aunt Fuyumi :’)

Haku knows he has good looks and FLAUNTS IT (jokingly ofc)

School field trips have definitely happened where someone tells him they can’t see past him to the view (bc all the kids inherit the tall height from Shouto and Momo)

And without skipping a beat you bet Haku said “I am the view” while posing with his hand on his hip and an overly flirtatious wink

Haku has such a different personality from Shouto at first sight, that a lot of tabloids have gossiped that he’s an illegitimate child from an affair blah blah blah, the usual dramatic tabloid gossip stuff

But…. Haku literally looks like Shouto the most besides Fujiko, so like the tabloids are basing it solely off his personality

And his personality is like permanent bouncy Momo, where he’s happy and excited to help people, with some added traits of his own and some that are from either of his parents, just combined with his more expressive personality (it’s a little hard to explain his personality rip)

He’s best friends with Kamijirou daughter, and they have very similar taste in fashion (ripped jeans (fashionable ripped ofc) denim/military jackets, graphic tees, etc etc)

Haku got his ears pierced for his fifteenth birthday, and Momo almost fainted when she saw them (Haku convinced Uncle Kaminari to take him to get it done lmao)

He got grounded ofc, and so did Uncle Kaminari

He was more rebellious when he was a young teen, but he mellowed out as he got older and at 17 he’s pretty “chill” (haha get it he has an ice quirk) and very laid back

He’s still very joky ofc, but it’s more of a mature joking/flirting

No one can ever tell if he’s flirting or joking btw

Not even he knows

He has a crush on TsuyuToko teenager whose his age, and KiriMina daughter has a crush on him (it’s the Mina in her lmao)

He often helps KiriMina daughter with homework, and she never learns anything bc she’s spending the entire time gazing at him lmao (I’m leaning towards pairing him with her, but the Tsuyutoko child is still in development so his relationship status is as well till I figure everyone out lol)

Haku’s #1 with grades in class, and he’s so serious about schoolwork that people claim his personality does a 180 whenever homework is brought up and he gets so serious and focused (it’s also why he doesn’t notice KiriMina daughter obvious staring lmao)

At the end of every test however, as soon as the teacher says times up- Haku always throws his hands in the air and creates snow confetti and party poppers out of his hands in celebration while everyone cheers at the test being over

His hero name is either going to be Fullbuster (bc his quirk is like Gray’s powers lmao) or Ice Maker

Speaking of his quirk, Haku loves his quirk so much

It’s so useful for both jokes and serious situations- perfect for him!!

He wants to be a search and rescue hero, and figures his quirk is quite useful for that and fighting villains if needs be

He’s interning under Shouto, to help learn more about his ice powers and combat stuff, and when the media heard about it they were super interested

Because Shouto and Haku interacting is only seen rarely in the eyes of the public, and they’re eager to see how Shouto treats Haku (they want to see if anything happens to feed their gossipy “Haku is an affair child” theories)

Everyone’s so surprised bc Shouto’s so supportive of Haku and they get along so well???

And Haku’s the only one who appreciates Shouto’s (terrible) dad puns so gosh dang it Shouto’s going to say them more often now Haku’s around!!! (He says them with a straight face and that’s 70% of why Haku laughs lmao)

And when they’re patrolling, they have a game of who can say the most subtle ice related things in an interview without being caught

And it’s only figured out when they’re being interviewed together for the first time, and they just both decide to not hide it anymore and just let all the ice puns fall

Momo has that interview recorded

And in another interview, during Haku’s first couple weeks of internship, a reporter asks Shouto what he thinks of Haku, and Shouto being Shouto assumed they were referring to what he thought of Haku’s potential as a hero, since they refereed to him as “Your intern Haku” (they didn’t want to say son in case it’s a sensitive topic for Shouto… the media is really focused in on Haku being from an affair tbh, poor Haku he has to deal with this shotty media gossip his whole life :’( ) but so Shouto’s answer really baffles them bc it’s it what they’re expecting yet

“Shouto sir, can you tell us what you think about… your intern Haku?”

“Hm, well, Haku has great potential. He’s always had great control over his quirk, and he’s getting the field expierence he really needs and it’s boosting his potential even further. Like I’ve always said, I have no doubt he’ll make a great pro search and rescue hero.” “Errr, that’s great- but Mr. Shouto sir, we were wondering more what you thought about him as… you know…. a son.” “Why didn’t you just say that then. Whatever. To answer your question- *tabloids hold their breathe- this is the moment they’ve been waiting for*- Haku’s a great son, always has been and always will. Ever since he was born he’s been nothing but a pleasure to take care of.” “Al-alright.. uh uh, what do you think about the rumors that he isn’t your son?” “What? That’s a rumor?” “Yes sir, it is.” Shouto turns, looking behind him at Haku, who is in the background literally making cranks out of ICE to leverage some buildings up. Shouto turns back. “Do the people who believe that rumor know how quirk inheritance works?”

Needless to say, Shouto squashed that rumor once and for all :’)

Fujiko:

The youngest Daughter, Fujiko looks practically identical to what Shouto as a girl would look like

She has the half red half white hair, the usual facial expression, his personality- all of it!

She does have Momo’s eyes- onyx color and shape!

But that’s all she has looks wise from Momo at least until she’s older

And she also has both of Shouto’s quirks, which she’s a natural at using

Shouto dotes on her so much and Momo adores her

She’s still pretty young (only like 12-13 ish) so she hasn’t gotten into U.A yet, but when she does eventually attend, she wants her hero name to be Miss Half and Half LMAO

Fujiko isn’t as developed as her two older brothers sadly so this is like, pretty much as far as I’ve gotten with her :’(

[percontaion-points]

Let’s Play “Moments: Hold Me, Leave Me” Part 3

Amelia comes in to confront Angela about who was in her room. Obviously, Angela denies this, and Grayson has already left... Except that there's a lingering scent of cologne in the room. Angela denies anything, and then asks why Amelia cares so much about her. She says that their dad has a right to know if his precious little baby is up to no good. (Which, you self-centered asshole. If you cared so much about your father, maybe you wouldn't be partying and whoring yourself out...) Angela calls her out on this (HA!), but Amelia is bitter over something Angela did. 12 years ago. (Nothing quite like a grudge...)

And I really don't give a fuck, but we're apparently going to get a flashback anyway. Angela apparently overhead her sister and her latest boyfriend talking about running away together. “You're sixteen; you can do whatever you want.” *laughing in adult* But anyway, the boyfriend is a “drug addict” and dear old daddy doesn't want him around Amelia. And obviously, Angela went to tell daddy, who had the estate security guards barge in, just as Amelia and her boyfriend were going to leave. (Subsequently: why is my daughter an out of control mess? Probably because I'm an emotionally abusive, physically controlling asshole of a parent.)

The next morning, Angela goes down to breakfast, where she tells her dad that she's anxious about her upcoming graduation. He expresses how proud that he is of her... UNLIKE NO-GOOD AMELIA WHO DROPPED OUT OF BUSINESS SCHOOL TO BE A MODEL. There's also... some underlying drama because he FORCED Amelia to get a business degree, but let Angela do whatever the hell she wanted in college. (Which is art, apparently.) She asks about it, and he says that Amelia's a wheeler-dealer, who can talk anybody into anything. (Sounds like a politician or a lawyer, too...) The only thing standing in Amelia's way, however, is Amelia's attitude and self-destructive behaviors.

He then asks Angela to go to New York and be the interior designer on a new hotel he just bought. She's hesitant that she wouldn't be a good fit for the job, but she agrees. He then says that he wants to run this through the proper channels, including her submitting her resume and going for an official interview. He doesn't want it to look like he hired his daughter simply because she's his kid, but because she was the right fit for the job. Angela finds that kind of shitty, but doesn't say anything.

William leaves for work, and Angela picks up the paper to read an article about Grayson. He's apparently an up-and-coming actor... who can't ever get any fucking work. (So, he's not an up-and-coming actor, then?)

She calls Ashton. There's zero mention of the dropped call from earlier, for some reason. They agree to meet at the coffee shop later. She tells him about the job offer, and he assures her that it'll be a great experience for her.

She then confesses that she slept with Grayson. However, Ashton gets up and starts yelling at the poor barista about how the coffee machine should work. (Well, it is his father's business, so I guess he would know, but come on. Don't take our anger out on the poor girl.) Angela doesn't know what to do, so she just leaves.

As she's going, she gets a call from Grayson. He laments over his latest audition, and how he hasn't heard back yet (even though it's only been a day), so he's probably not going to get the part. They agree that she'll come to his apartment. He's only wearing a towel, and it's like? And if I hadn't been your latest fuck-buddy? He does go to get dressed, and... She's not like other girls because being around a naked man (even if you've had sex with him or not) makes her uncomfortable. Ugh.

Just then, Grayson's dad calls. He's also a business man... and apparently kind of abusive towards his son. Anyway, this daddy dearest chews Grayson out about wasting his life in dead-end auditions and DEMANDS that Grayson come down to the office. Oh, and he parades the better, more successful older brother in front of Grayson. (And I just realized that Angela is basically dating the male version of her older sister...) They fight about this for a moment before Grayson hangs up. Like... some part of me feels sorry for Grayson, because he didn't ask for his name to be splashed all over the papers, nor to have an abusive shit-fuck father. But most of me is like “if you don't want your name in the tabloids, maybe don't be a partying fuckboi?”

He bitches about this to Angela. Instead, she says that maybe it would be best to remain on his dad's good side, and to go to auditions in his spare time. He then asks her on a date, and tells her that they're going to go somewhere fancy. She tries to leave, but he stops her; she insists and then leaves to get ready.

At home, she runs into Amelia, who's suspicious as fuck-all over why Angela is happy. Like... excuse me for being in a good mood, bitch. Maybe you'd be happier if you weren't so vindictive and petty?

Anyway, Grayson is over an hour late, and no calls or texts. (Honey, DUMP HIM. That's not cool.) While she's waiting, Ashton calls. He apologizes for his earlier behavior, and invites her to get ice cream with him. She says that she's waiting for Grayson, and Ashton quickly hangs up.

Grayson finally shows up, with roses. He explains that he went to talk to his dad, and they got into an argument. And then Grayson lost track of time. They talk about music in the car; Grayson sings really well, but doesn't want to be a singer. Next.

He takes Angela to what turns out to be his brother's restaurant. Everybody stares at them... or rather, at Grayson. Angela gets angry at him, because the press will be there, too, and will take lots of pictures of them together... and then daddy dearest will find out and be angry and blah-blah-blah. However, Grayson wants to be out in such a high-profile place to show off that he's not just dating some bimbo floozie... which only angers Angela even more because she's not some showpiece date. Jeez, what a piece of work. But he smooths over her anger quickly, and says that she makes him want to be a better person. Tacky and lame; try harder.

After dinner, he suggests going back to his apartment, but even if that wasn't VIP, I don't want to be alone with him. JFC why the hell would I even want to go on a date with him, and forget about sleeping with him more? Instead, she suggests going to the club... And boy, if she thought her dad was going to be angry at finding out that she was on a date, wait until he finds out that she went to a club with Grayson, too.

They get to the club, where they meet up with Grayson's friends. Grayson promptly ditches her to dance with some other bimbo (and hey, when the guy that you're on a DATE with goes dancing with somebody else, you are allowed to call her whatever you'd like.)

As Angela contemplates leaving, some asshole is like “let me buy you a drink” “no thanks.” He gives her a drink anyway, and then grabs onto her when she tries to leave, and tries to bribe her into sleeping with him through the offer of money. What is she, a prostitute? The only thing that's a good example of is how to get beat up in a bar. And guess what happens? Grayson comes over and knocks the guy flat. Angela says that he shouldn't have done that, but Grayson says “he touched my girl!” But Angela's like “You were dancing with some floozie. I WAS ALONE. OF COURSE HE WOULD ASSUME I WAS ALONE.” Grayson insists that the other girl is a lesbian, BUT THAT DOESN'T FUCKING MATTER BECAUSE YOU WERE SPENDING MORE TIME WITH HER THAN WITH YOUR DATE. He then starts dancing with her.