#I'm assuming they keep that part in because it would do a great job of giving more weight to the convo Joel and Tommy had

[social-cocoon]

So Troy Baker's character on HBO TLOU is absolutely dying in the next epsiode and my theory is that he'll be one of the guys Joel tortures for information about where Ellie is

[stevieschrodinger]

Part One of Rock Star Eddie and Baker Steve wrong number AU

Link to Part Two

Eddie's got dubious history with picture messages. Only a very small group of people have his number, considering he's the front man of a multimillion best selling metal band, he doesn't ever want his number to be public knowledge.

So yeah, picture message from and unknown number? Dubious.

Eddie's had enough dick and...vag...pics in his time that he, honestly, doesn't really want another. But when the picture is followed by a message, "were you thinking something like this?"

Well, Eddie's a curious guy. So, committing himself to the idea that this might be new number time, again, he opens the message.

To be confronted with a cake. A really fucking cool cake actually, it's got a car dashing around a muddy track on top with a big '5' in the middle. All of it looks edible, made out of...cake stuff. Eddie has no idea what it is, but it looks delicious.

"One layer chocolate, one layer red velvet? I can do any combination of flavours you want."

Well. Eddie isn't anything but impulsive and he was trying to figure out what the fuck to do for the 'quiet' celebration they were planning for going platinum. Again.

"I think you have the wrong number'" Eddie types, "but I definitely want to order a cake from you."

"Oh my god I'm so sorry, unsolicited cake pics are the worst 😉"

And Eddie can't help it, he laughs, and types back, "if I told you I wanted three tiers of the darkest, spookiest, cherry chocolate what would you come up with?"

It takes a couple of minutes, but Eddie's phone pings twice in quick succession, the first picture is of a spooky orange cake clearly Halloween themed, covered in ghosts and skeletons and stuff. The second is jet black and has a coffin on top that looks like it's leaking green corrosive stuff and Eddie nearly throws his phone in excitement. "That! The second one!"

"🤣 that's an old pic, I was just starting out then, but everything is edible, the green slime is made out of jello"

"Where are you based and can you make it for the 15th? I'll get a courier to collect."

"Sure thing, how many portions? And I need a deposit up front. I'll do chocolate ganache and cherry filling."

"Errr...like, 150? Maybe?"

Eddie sits and watches as the dots appear and disappear, appear and disappear, and then there's a pic.

It's a selfie of the most beautiful man he's ever seen. And he's standing in a kitchen, holding a cake pan. Suddenly Eddie's phone is ringing in his hand and he is panicking because beautiful man is calling him. "Hello?"

"Hey, man, it's Steve, the cake guy?". Eddie assumes he makes an affirmative noise because Steve keeps talking, "anyway, that cake pan I'm holding is literally the largest one I own, even if I did three tiers, no way will it cater that many, I'm a small business, you know, it's just me. I can recommend you some companies I know would do a great job."

But then, Eddie will never get to talk to beautiful man ever again, "what if you made like, three cakes?". He asks desperately.

There's a long beat of silence on the phone, "I mean, in theory, I mean, it might cost you more than-"

"I'll pay it. I'll pay double, for, inconvenience, or whatever-"

And oh no, beautiful man has the most beautiful laugh too. Eddie's fucked. He's so fucked.

"I'll raise you, two cakes and fifty muffins?" Steve laughs again, and Eddie laughs right along with him.

Steve grabs his phone when it pings, hoping for Eddie. It is Eddie. It's a selfie from the neck down, like always, Steve still doesn't know what the guy looks like, but Eddie's wearing a deep red shirt that he's clearly just dumped a whole cup of coffee down, "hope your days going better than mine, sweetheart,"

Steve sends back a selfie with a lump of uncooperative modelling fondant in the background, "that depends, can you tell what this is supposed to be?"

Steve's pretty sure it's wierd to talk to a customer every day, but he's started to find he's looking forward to Eddie's messages. Even when they turn flirty. Especially when they turn flirty, maybe.

And maybe it's not exactly professional that Steve's found a lot of reasons to call Eddie. He just, needs to get this right, and if Eddie wants chocolate covered cherries on the cupcakes, well, Steve needs to call him and check, right? Right.

Steve heads out into the lounge with flour on his nose and a mixing bowl under his arm, Dustin, Lucas and Max are sprawled on the couch, El lying on the floor. He can hear Mike and Will fucking around outside. He spoons up some cherry mixture, "hey will you try-"

"Shhhhhhhh!"

Well. Rude. Steve looks to the interview they're watching on the TV. It's some metal band Steve vaguely recognises, and when the lead guy speaks...Steve has to sit down. Because that sounds a lot like-

"So, Eddie," the show host guy starts, and Steve's knees would go weak of he wasn't already sitting down. He's certain his stomach has left the building. "Seeing anyone?"

Eddie laughs, says no, but the band mate next to him makes a show of nudging Eddie and sharing a look.

The host picks up on it immediately, "so there is someone," Eddie's still shaking his head, but he's got a shy smile on his face that makes Steve feel like he's melting. "Come on Eddie, give us something."

"It's not a thing," Eddie flaps his hands, "don't make it a thing."

"Oh it's a thing alright," the audience laugh, "come on, give us something!"

Eddie looks uncomfortable for a second before shrugging, "they, uhm, they make the most amazing cakes you've ever seen."

[prettynice8]

My Bodyguard Part 1

Jeon Jungkook x male reader, haters to lovers?

This wonderful man

Stuff: fluff, angst, this whole thing is just a buildup to Part 2.

Word Count: 1,501

Notes: I was inspired by ai. Fun fact, Jungkook is by bias so that's fun.

Fucking great, Jungkook has to guard another prissy little girl who has never faced any kind of troubles in her entire life. Some rich bitch who doesn't even need a bodyguard and yet here he is, practically wasting his time.

This wasn't his first rodeo, though he was at the young age of 26, he's seen a lot of shit. A lot of annoying, prissy, useless, and rage inducing girls who always try to have their way with him. He's never given in though, not very hard to do when they're all, well, girls.

Jungkook nearly dreaded when your father finally led him to your room. He desperately wanted to leave and quit this job forever, but it would be a waste of all the training he has had to endure over the years, so he stayed his ground, expecting the worst.

As the door opened, Jungkook was greeted by an enormous room full of personality. The walls were covered in various posters, stuffed animals and dolls littered the room. It was a little different than the rooms he'd been in before, but that doesn't mean anything. You're probably just as spoiled as all the other girls he's had to guard.

"She's just another spoiled rich girl." He whispered under his breath.

"Well for starters, she's a he." You stated, Jungkook was incredibly surprised, he did not expect you to actually hear him, most of the others don't give a shit about what he has to say.

"O-oh dear I'm so sorry." He apologized, trying to cover up his mistake. He looked at you, and you were in fact a boy, a pretty cute one at that.

Your father was long gone by now, leaving just you and Jungkook to awkwardly talk.

"So, what's your name?" He asked, trying to be friendly.

"You're supposed to be my bodyguard and you don't even know my name." You said, sass apparent in your voice. "Well, I feel like I'm in safe care."

He completely forgot what your name was, the person whose life is technically supposed to be in his hands, and he was so caught up in dreading seeing you that he didn't take the time to see what your name even was. Fuck did he hate this job.

"It's y/n." You stated coldly, already questioning this man's competence. "And yours?"

"My what?" He questioned back.

"Your name dip shit." You answered, not having it right now.

Jungkook was taken back, people never ask what his name is, though you could've been a little nicer about it.

"It's Jungkook, Jeon Jungkook." He replied, a smile making its way on his face.

"You also didn't even know my gender, god you suck at this." You stated flatly, not impressed by whatsoever.

His smile was crushed, your words feeling like poison each time you talk.

"You really are like all the other rich bitches I've had to deal with." Jungkook complained, growing tired of your behavior.

"You don't even know me." You exclaimed, growing equally tired of him.

"I know enough." He stated coldly before leaving your room, leaving you to stare daggers at the door.

That was your guy's impression of each other, minor disdain. He hated how you seemed like every other shit head he's had to deal with, and you hated him because he just assumes shit about you, he also kind of sucks at his job, where did your dad even find this guy.

Though you both kind of hated each other, he had to be around you. All. The. Time. No matter where you were, eating, in the bathroom, even sleeping, he was right there or just right outside the door. You both haven't said a word to each other since your first meeting, and you both hope to keep it that way.

"Why do you hate me?" You asked flatly while eating your dinner, finally breaking the weeks-long silence between the two of you. Also no one else was there so this seemed like the best moment.

"Why does it matter to you?" He questioned right back, hoping to prolong the silence.

"Because I don't want the person who's supposed to save my life to dislike me, but more importantly I feel like you have no reason to dislike me the way you do." You responded, arms crossed over your chest.

"No reason! I have every reason to hate you! The moment I got here you greeted me with disrespect! Your so fucking stand offish and it's clear that you have no idea what the real world is like, able to be in your fucking mansion and eat your fucking food while I'm in a job that I hate, having to be around clueless people I hate, like you!" He shouted at you, every word hitting like a bullet.

You just stood there in silence watching each other, tears daring to come out of your eyes. He stares at you heavily breathing, too angry to realize your sad state.

"You don't know anything about me." Was all you said before the tears fell down your face like a waterfall. You stormed out of the dining hall and into your room, leaving Jungkook standing there alone, feeling like an idiot, which he was.

He finally got the courage to walk up to your room. Knocking on the door to see if you're okay. Hearing nothing but your sobs, he took the liberty of opening the door. He was greeted with the sight of you sitting on your bed, curled up and crying into your legs.

"Go away, it's not like you actually care about me." You ordered, not wanting to see the face of the man that made you an emotional wreck.

Jungkook just stood there, so he just sat next to you and awkwardly patted your back.

"I-i'm sorry I said those things, it wasn't fair, I really don't know anything about you, except that you're pretty when you cry." He said with that charming smile, causing you to laugh.

"I'm always pretty." You replied, wiping the tears from your face.

"Can't argue with that." He said, causing you to laugh more.

Since that interaction, things between the two of you have been lovely. There was no ill will anymore and you might even say the two of you were friends.

"Why do you always just stand there and watch me eat, sit down, there's plenty." You ordered, Jungkook was taken back by this act of kindness, though it wasn't a big deal, it surely felt like it was. He took the seat right next to you and started to dig in.

"When do you eat anyways?" You asked.

"When you go to your room, or when there's off time." He answered.

"Well, you're always welcome to eat here with me." You stated. "Do you have any hobbies; it seems like you're always just around me?" You asked another question. Finally wondering what he does when not around you.

"Mostly work out." He answered quickly, enamored by the taste of the food.

"I can see that." You said, but then suddenly stunned with your own words. Jungkook almost chokes on his food, also surprised by your flattery.

"I-i mean y-you're like objectively built." You stuttered, digging your own grave deeper and deeper. He starts laughing at your nervousness.

"Thank you. I try." He said, the rest of the dinner goes smoothly, though your words still hang in the air.

Once you both finish the meal, you two walk to your room, talking along the way.

"Wanna come in?" You offered when you got to the door of your bedroom.

"I'd love to." He eagerly answered, a little too eager.

You both take a seat on your large bed. You lay on the pillows while Jungkook awkwardly sits on the edge. He looks around the room, never actually getting a very detailed look. It's incredibly big, almost the size of an apartment. There's even a balcony that leads to a gorgeous view of the ocean, looking especially incredible because of the sunset.

He gets up to get a closer look at it, making his way to the balcony. You realize this and get up to chase after him.

"Pretty great huh?" You ask rhetorically, already knowing the answer. He just nods in agreement, totally dumbfounded by the amazing view. The way the water reflects all of the colors makes it all the more vibrant. The pinks, reds, oranges, and yellows mix together beautifully. This has to be the most wonderful sight of his life, almost magical. Though he's pulled away by the sight of you.

Your equal fascination with the view that you've had to have seen so many times before is enchanting. The way your face lights up and how your hair is carried in the wind is to the sunset like the Mona Lisa to a child's macaroni art. Finally, he realizes that all other beauty in the world is utterly and totally dwarfed by yours.

wait for part 2.

[thefandomenchantress]

So everyone's talking about the new episode right now. Understandably so, since it had so much new evidence! In fact, I'm going to talk about it as well. However, instead of focusing on the bombshells David dropped or Levi's secret, I'm going to do what I do best: Focus on Ace and ignore literally everything else. /hj

(Spoilers for Chapter 2, Episode 12!)

All joking aside, I'm sure you're wondering what the hell I'm talking about. Ace literally said, like, five lines of dialogue this episode. And yeah, you're right. Actually, that sort of ties into what I'm talking about.

Okay, time to explain. The thing I want to talk about is this: Ace is weirdly...Not as confrontational as usual this episode? Let me show what I mean through examples.

What's so special about this moment? Well, strangely enough, it's what comes after it.

Now, when I first watched the episode I laughed and thought, "Oh, someone insulted Ace, now Ace is going to be angry" and then they never cut back to him being angry. They just said that (admittedly very funny) line and moved on.

And after it happened, I didn't think too much of it. I was far too consumed by the episode's greatness to care too much, and Ace's reaction wasn't necessary for the scene anyway.

These two lines aren't as strong for what I'm trying to say, so I'll lump them together.

But I thought it was worth mentioning that in the first photo, Ace joins in with Nico and Levi on saying Arturo should've been better at his job. But after Arturo scolds the three of them, as well as everyone else by extension, it only cuts back to Nico and Levi. Which is fine, it can be assumed that since Ace's comment was a late addition, shorter, and didn't have too much substance, him not getting a reaction makes sense (I mean he's not the one who got called a whore like Jesus Christ Arturo--).

In the second photo, Hu tells Ace to stop blaming Nico because they have an airtight alibi, and Ace...Just shuts up. Nico complains about being interrupted and they move on to other people's alibis (or more like the lack thereof). Which sorta makes sense, Ace can't really refute her point because he can't prove she didn't have breakfast with Nico. Then again, he could've made a point to say no one can prove they did have breakfast together, since they were in private, but still. Maybe Ace is too scared to seriously argue with Hu after that slap, haha.

It's this last example that actually made me notice that there may be anything resembling a pattern here:

During this part of the episode, I was immediately reminded of J's line about Ace being incapable of being quiet and expected Ace to refute her point. After all, it's basically the same as refuting her earlier point. He just has to say that he's not always spontaneously combusting every 5 seconds like she thinks again. He's not a grenade launcher in a glass house. More like a small batch of fireworks, thank you very much.

But Ace doesn't say anything. This is only made more obvious by Charles immediately cutting off the conversation there.

And this moment made me think something. Keep in mind I could be totally overthinking this an unnecessary amount, but that's what most of theories end up being anyway.

Since the conversation is immediately ended by Charles, DRDTdev could've ended J and Ace's interaction off with Ace trying to insult her back, maybe him going "Listen here, you--" before Charles cuts them off because they have a trial they need to finish. But DRDTdev decided to not make Ace have any reaction whatsoever to this insult, at least not one the audience can see. And based on how loud and opinionated Ace is, I'm guessing that if the comment did make him have an extreme reaction, we definitely would have heard him say as much. But we don't.

I think what makes all this so weird to me is that whenever someone is condescending to Ace, usually he's very upset and it shows. In trial 1, we see him be one of the few to cave pretty quick to the idea that they were wrong and that Teruko isn't the culprit. Yet when Whit says Charles isn't the culprit, Ace suddenly feels very strongly about it, because Whit actively talked down to him about it, (I think Whit said something like "use your big boy words" but I'm too lazy to rewatch the whole trial to find it) and now Ace doesn't want to agree with him (Or at least that was how I interpreted it, he's so petty I love him). So you'd think he'd be more resistant against those who kept making comments about his intelligence or demeanor, but so far, he hasn't.

That could mean two things. One, he's the culprit and is trying to at least vaguely avoid unnecessary confrontation and bringing attention to himself. But honestly, I doubt even that would stop Ace from impulsively insulting people back.

The second option is this:

My first thought and explanation in my head for this connects to Ace's overall arc. Let's recall Ace's secret quote:

"I don't know what to do with myself anymore"

This line gives off a sense of hopelessness. Like Ace has completely given up on everything.

And for some reason, a couple of the moments above made me feel, at least slightly, the same thing. If Charles says Ace is so stupid he's never seen anyone more stupid ever before in his life and didn't think it scientifically possible for anyone to be that stupid? Ace has no response. If J says another line about Ace's explosive demeanor? Ace has no response.

I don't know, something about Ace just not bothering to refute them makes me feel that something is off. He complains that everyone sees him as an idiot and how he hates it earlier in the chapter. He seems so distressed as he does it, it's a full-on break down.

And yet, when people do exactly what he was talking about here, he can no longer muster up a response. It's like he's given up on changing their minds. He knows they think he's stupid, and impulsive, and intolerable, and he thinks there's nothing he can do about it anymore. Blowing up at them will only make them think they're right. So he's given up on doing anything at all.

I suppose my line of reasoning is that maybe small details like this will pile up over time, as Ace, unnoticeably at first, loses some of his fire bit by bit, until inside he's just...Empty. He doesn't know what to do. He's so tired, and he doesn't know anything that can help or distract him from his situation. And seeing as the secret quotes seem to embody a character's mindset at death...That seems to be the place Ace might die at. Perhaps even at his own hands, who knows.

Is that an overreaction on my part? Possibly. Am I overanalyzing microscopic details? Yes. But that's my job.

So anyways I really enjoyed this episode and Ace was great too! Yippee for the return of DRDT, and my Eden culprit idea not being completely debunked yet!

[a-small-writer-in-a-big-world]

Closer pt.2: cbf!soap x f!reader

Warnings: smut mdni (18+), mentions of sex, mentions of masturbation, nudity, awkwardness, body image issues, reassurance, slight hand job

Long part but real stuff will happen in this next part due to length

Ever since that night it was hard for Johnny to keep his hands off you, more so than usual.

He tried not to make it obvious when he pulled you into him and held you by the waist. Truth be told it wasn't any different than all the other times he held you, but to him it was so much more. Ever since he felt you flutter around his fingers and heard how you sounded, how he made you sound, he was addicted to feeling you.

Johnny wouldn't admit that he had thought about having sex with you a lot more than a best friend should. There were countless nights at basic training and AIT where he'd touch himself after ending a call with you just thinking about what it'd be like to have you with him.

He thought it was a little embarrassing how he wanted it to only be you, that he wasn't sure there was anyone else out there he trusted right now to take his virginity but you, so when he found out you felt the same he felt immense relief.

And that's what gave him enough courage to start.

Neither of you went any further than touching each other. You both barely kissed each other while it happened, Johnny too afraid it might be a step too far and he assumed you felt the same when you avoided his lips.

He didn't have a problem with what you were doing together, he'd be content if he left and all that happened was him fingering you especially because he was a little nervous about having actual sex with you, but that didn't mean it wasn't on his mind often.

Johnny could only imagine how good you'd feel around his cock...

"You make me worried when you get this quiet." You teased him, bringing him out of his thoughts, and he sent you a look from your bed.

You were at your desk doing homework while he talked your ear off from your bed, a regular routine since he had come back.

"I'm not gonna do anything." He huffed and couldn't help but smirk when he saw you smile. "Unless you want me to tell your neighbors to fuck off."

"Please don't, I still have to live here until I graduate."

"Fine."

He sighed dramatically and flopped back on your bed, his eyes on the ceiling. He went quiet again, feeling his stomach tie up in knots at the thought of asking you if you wanted to take it further.

Would you want to go further with him? Fingering was one thing but actual sex?...he wasn't exactly the most attractive man and he may have gotten more muscle but he didn't think he was all that impressive compared to a lot of the other men's dicks he'd seen in porn.

Though he knew that wasn't real he just couldn't but feel like maybe he wouldn't be up to standard, which was mainly the reason he stopped you every time you tried to touch him.

"What're you thinking about?" You wondered innocently and he swallowed hard.

It was you. He could tell you anything and he knew you wouldn't judge him but this was getting into uncharted territory.

"Do you...want to take things further?" He couldn't look at you as you both fell silent.

He could feel his heart in his throat before you spoke.

"Like now?" You asked and he sat up, finally looking at you with pink dusted cheeks.

"It doesn't have to be now." He shrugged and pulled at his mohawk. "Just...whenever I guess."

You had a flustered look on your face as well while you struggled to look at him. You went quiet again and made the face you always do when you were in deep thought, the face he loved but almost dreaded right now as he waited for your answer.

"We can." You told him and his eyes widened. "Like you said, I trust you and...at this point I can't see myself doing it with anyone else."

Johnny tried not to let that get to his head, or his heart, but he felt some sort of pride and relief knowing that you felt that way about him.

"Awesome...I mean great-" He fumbled and cringed, but you gave him a sympathetic look. "Yeah."

"I'm going to take a shower." You told him and he nodded, his entire body on fire.

When you were gone he tried everything to get rid of the nervousness he felt. He wouldn't say he was anxious guy, in fact he was overly confident in literally everything he did yet when it came to this, when it came to you, he was a mess.

How was he supposed to do this? He wasn't sure if he could live with himself if things didn't work or if he made it bad.

He paced around your dorm, stuck in his own thoughts before he glanced at your bunny. He propped it up on your bed without further thought and stood in front of it with his hands on his hips.

"What the fuck am I gonna do?" He huffed as it's beady eyes stared back at him. "I should know what to do but I'm lost. She might not even like what she sees, she might think this is a bad idea."

Johnny was in the SAS, he had practiced disarming bombs and sniped professionally yet this was the most nervous he had been since his last exam. He almost felt pathetic, especially as he aired out his anxieties to your stuffie.

He stared at it, noticing how it's fur was more worn and how it had discolored from the years of use. It was your prized possession, something that gave you comfort when you needed it and he wished it helped him the same.

"You don't even have to worry about anything." He sighed as he picked it up gently. "Wish I was you right now."

He ran he thumb across the bunny's face, a soft smile pulling at his lips. To think that a stuffie was the reason why he was here in the first place, the whole reason why you two became best friends. He had never lived his life without you in it and despite all of the other embarrassing stuff that had happened you were still here.

"What're you doing?" You stepped in and gave him a curious look.

His smile only grew wider.

"Remember when I got this back from Holly?" He asked, knowing you did but wanting to reminisce with you.

"How could I forget you calling her a 'daft cow' at the age of five." You laughed as you tossed your towel in your closet and he chuckled.

"Yeah, that was kinda mean."

"It was deserved I think."

"Worth the phone call to mam."

Johnny set your bunny back where you had him, the fondness taking over some of the nervousness as he watched you hop onto your bed. He joined you immediately, sitting close enough that he could smell your body wash.

You snuggled up close to him, melting into his side like you always did and he naturally wrapped his arm around you.

Neither of you said anything, both of you too focused on taking in each other's presence rather than anything else.

"Are you nervous?" You asked softly and he sighed deeply.

"Yeah, you?" He asked just as softly and you nodded.

You surprised him when you straddled his lap, his hand holding onto your hips firmly while you struggled to look at him. You placed your hands on his chest and he stared at you, holding you close to him while you chewed your bottom lip

"What's wrong?" His eyebrows knitted together. "We don't have to-"

"I know, I'm just worried about..." You trailed off before you gestured at yourself, at your chest and stomach.

Johnny shouldn't have been surprised knowing that you felt insecure about yourself just like him but for some reason it made him forget all about his own. How could you be insecure when you looked the way you did? Hell, you were the prettiest girl he'd ever seen, there was no reason for that and he'd gladly change your mind.

"I can take my shirt off first." He offered with a smile but you still looked nervous.

"It's different." You argued but he shrugged.

"Better if I'm half naked too."

Johnny tossed his shirt on the floor and gave you a grin, suppressing a shiver when you place your hands on his bare chest. It wasn't the first time you'd touched his chest but everything felt heightened right now.

You scoffed as you squeezed his pec and his ears burned.

"What?"

"Even your chest is bigger. What were they feeding you?"

He barked out a laugh and you giggled, your shoulders loosening up while you ran you ran hands across his chest.

"Nothing good, but a man's gotta eat." He said and you hummed, your smile faltering. He frown as he rubbed circles into your hips and waited until you looked him in the eyes. "I could close ma eyes. Would that help?"

You hesitated but nodded, looking a little guilty as you did so, but he just smiled and shut his eyes. There was moment before you took off your shirt and he clenched his jaw, imagining what you looked like right in front of him, on his lap.

You let out a shaky breath, you hands shaking as well when they returned to his chest. He gave you a comforting squeeze and you told him to open his eyes.

When he did, he felt himself began to grow hard and stopped you from moving anymore on his lap to save himself. He had thought about what you may have looked like bare in front of him but his thoughts had nothing on the real thing.

You looked beautiful. He's not sure what made you think he wouldn't like what he was seeing because the long he stared the harder he got and the more he had stop himself moving his hand to touch you, especially as your nipples hardened.

Johnny licked his lips.

"Can I touch you?" He wondered, as if he hadn't touched you many times before.

When you nodded he ran his hands up your waist, cupping your breasts and massaging his palm into them. You sighed and leaned into his touch, pressing yourself against his lap.

He groaned and began to kiss your breasts. He reveled in the way you whimpered, in the way your soft skin felt against his lips and tongue and grinned when you shuddered underneath his touch. He took a nipple into his mouth and ran his tongue across it, playing with the other between his fingers while you squirmed.

Every time you moved it only made him harder and it was hard to keep his head straight. You threaded your fingers through his hair and tugged lightly, which practically short circuited him.

"Johnny!" You squealed when he lightly nipped your breast.

"Sorry, couldn't help it." He grinned and you whined when he ran his tongue over the spot to soothe it.

He pulled away but held you close to him, his forehead resting against yours. He stared deep into your eyes, clenching his jaw when you purposefully began to grind against his hard cock.

It felt good but some of the nervousness came back.

"You know, I'm fine with staying like this." He admitted but you didn't look convinced.

"Really?" You breathed out and he nodded.

"Yeah...you're beautiful."

He didn't miss the way you became flustered and god it made his heart flutter when you smiled before you wrapped your arms around his neck.

He opened his mouth to say something when you pressed your lips against his. He was stunned by the kiss but didn't pull away this time and instead melted into it. He hummed as you kissed him tenderly, your lips soft against his own while you stole the breath away from him.

Soon he was passionately making out with you, his head going dizzy as you held onto his face while he lightly pinched your nipple. You moaned into his mouth and he stuck his tongue in, tasting you like he had dreamt about.

Johnny was so caught up in you, being consumed by you and consuming you as well that he missed the way your hands had gone to his sweatpants. It wasn't until he felt you tug at the hem of them that he pulled away.

He couldn't look at you, shame bubbling up inside him while he caught his breath. His face had to be red.

“I can close my eyes.” You offered sincerely and he clenched his jaw.

“Nah, I can’t do with the suspense.” He let out a shaky laugh. “Just, don’t get your hopes up?”

“Johnny, don’t say that.”

He grunted but grabbed the hem of his sweatpants. Despite his racing heart, he pulled them down and let his cock spring out, unable to look at you as the cold air made him twitch.

You were silent for a moment and he was sure his entire body was red.

“Johnny, Jesus fuck, how is that supposed to fit?” You squeaked out and his attention snapped towards you with confusion.

“It’s not that big-“

“Yeah it is. Believe me compared to the dick pics I’ve gotten this is…you’re huge.”

He wasn’t sure if he believed you but the way you stared at him made some of the nervousness disappear.

You were telling the truth. He was just a bit over average length but he was thick, and yet somehow he didn’t realize that.

“Can I touch you?” You wondered and he shifted.

“Uh, yeah.” He swallowed hard.

You hesitated for a moment before you attempted to wrap your hand around him. Your fingers couldn’t even connect and the feeling of your warm skin against his throbbing cock made him get even harder.

His breathing got heavier as you held his heavy cock and watched a bead of precum form at the tip.

You gave him a tentative squeeze, not hard, and a moan got stuck in his throat. He guided you on how to move your hand snd soon he was squirming underneath you.

He was impossibly hard and he could feel the tingling pleasure race through him with every passing movement. Your hand felt so good, better than he imagined. He was so close and it was only your hand.

“Holy fuck.” He cursed breathlessly. “I’m gonna come-you need to stop.”

You didn’t stop however, a gleam in your eye as you listened to him moan and watched as precum dribbled down his shaft and over your fingers.

He groaned and grabbed your wrist, pulling you into a heat kiss that you gladly returned. He held onto tightly as he rolled on top of you.

Before long it was just you and him completely naked on the bed together.

tags are closed! Sorry no more tagging

A/n: boom. I know I said I’d wait until tomorrow but I’ve got other stuff planned so here’s this enjoy

Tags: @elysian0612 @cassiecasluciluce @pepsicolacoochie @hayleybarnesx @tiredmetalenthusiast @misshoneypaper @sodavrr @ghostslittlegf @glitterypirateduck @comeonatmebruh @mandalover2023 @blush-haze @xxshadowbabexx @infpt-zylith @sadsackssss @fandomsfanficsfantasize @blush-haze @writingmysanity

[vettelsvee]

CLIFFORD AND EMILY | Sebastian Vettel

f1 masterlist | ao3 | ask me anything or let's talk!

ferrari sebastian vettel x race engineer wife!reader

word count: 3195

summary: y/n tells seb that it would be a great present for his birthday to adopt a puppy, and they find the perfect one

warnings: fluff, fluff and more fluff. dad ferrari!seb as i can't get rid of him. based on 2018 season and narrated on seb's pov

a/n: once again, this is part of history series (coming soon as is being heavily edited) and translated by cele! changed my layout to my comfort people so are you like it? also, as always, i'll be waiting for your feedback, as well as comments and chats on that anon button please! and also, don't forget reblogs are truly appreciated guys! tysm <3

© VETTELSVEE (2024). please, do not steal, copy or translate my works. thanks for reading!

Normally, I didn't have trouble getting up in the mornings, especially during Grand Prix weekends, but today it had been incredibly hard to leave Y/N and Emily sleeping.

Maybe the problem was that today was my birthday, and, in part, we couldn't spend it like a normal family. I didn't mind working on such a special day, but it did bother me when I thought it was my first birthday with Emily.

Very reluctantly, I decided to start my day, trying not to let my bad mood consume me. As soon as I set foot on the floor, I adjusted the sheets to cover my girlfriend, taking the utmost care not to wake her. Nights with our daughter were exasperating, and I didn't know how Y/N managed to be at one hundred percent during team meetings, press conferences, free practice sessions, qualifying and the race, and especially the briefings and all the data analysis her job entailed.

I trained with Eddie for just an hour and a half. According to him, my birthday present was a less strict training session; even so, we ran a lap around the block where the hotel was located, and then we went straight to the gym.

At half-past seven in the morning, to my good fortune, he told me I could go back to my room to get ready for that Friday.

I entered as quickly as I could, being very careful because it was still quite early, and I assumed my girls would be resting. Deep down, I knew that wasn't going to be the case, so I wasn't surprised to see Y/N, still in her pyjamas, walking back and forth while breastfeeding Emily and trying to eat a piece of toast.

“God!” She quickly swallowed the bite and pretended she hadn't been eating. I couldn't help but laugh at how cute the scene seemed to me. “I'm so sorry, Seb. I had ordered breakfast to be brought up and ready for when you came, but I was so hungry and wasn't sure when Eddie would let you go today…”

I shook my head and approached her. I left a short kiss on her lips and then placed another on my daughter's forehead.

“Happy birthday, sunshine,” she said, wrapping her free arm around me. “How many birthdays have we spent together now? Eight?”

“Seven,” I corrected her, remembering we didn’t get to spend the 2008 one together. “And I hope there will be more because I'm not going to let you get rid of me anytime soon.”

“Do you really think I'm going to get rid of you so soon? In case you don't remember, we not only work together: we also share a house, a cat, a daughter, and we're going to have a dog…”

After that last part, Y/N let out a small scream and covered her mouth with her hand.

If I was the one who could keep secrets perfectly, Y/N Y/L/N was the complete opposite.

“What do you mean by a dog, Y/N?”

“Oh, well, I don't know… I must have mixed up some conversation I had with Aristella about Cherry,” her nerves were quite noticeable. “I got confused, and…”

“Y/N, I know you perfectly, and I know when you're lying to me. What did you mean by we’re going to have a dog?”

Given my insistence and, why not say it, the poker face I probably had, my girlfriend sighed. She placed Emily in the crib next to our bed and, while asking me to sit down and start having breakfast, took her mobile phone and immersed herself in it.

“Well, you see…” she began, sitting in front of me and taking a strawberry in her hands. “Since you adopted Vanilla as a surprise for me, I've been thinking that I would like to do the same for you, but between the chaotic 2013 we had and Emily's birth, I found it a bit impossible. It's also true that it's something I would like to discuss before doing it because it's a matter that depends not only on me but also on you,” she clarified.

“And that means…?”

“Forget it, Seb. It doesn't matter. I haven't told you anything, okay? Forget it.”

It bothered me to see her so indecisive, though it didn’t stop me from finding her idea quite endearing deep down. I knew she was nervous; the constant fiddling with the napkin and her flushed cheeks were proof of that.

“Do you want to adopt a dog?” I asked her, loud and clear.

“It’s not that I want to adopt a dog. Well, I do, but…” she sighed, stopped eating breakfast, and looked at me directly. “The thing is, I know you’d like to have a dog, and you’ve had that idea in your head for quite some time, so I thought that, only if you want, we could adopt one,” she finally explained.

“Do you want to wait until we get back home? If you want, we can talk to Michael and have him recommend…”

“No, no, not at all! I’ve already talked to Lewis about it, and he’s informed me,” she hastened to clarify. “Since I wanted to do all this, if possible, today, I asked him where he adopted Roscoe and Coco. I thought today was the perfect day for the adoption because it’s your birthday,” she repeated.

I nodded as I got up and headed towards Emily’s crib, who had started crying once more.

“I mean, all this is only if you want, of course,” Y/N spoke again. Before I could respond, she interrupted me once more. “But if you want, we can do it when we get back home. I don’t mind, except I wouldn’t have another birthday present to give you…”

Still holding the baby in my arms, I approached her and silenced her with a long, slow kiss, one I took my time with but received no complaints about, quite the opposite.

Y/N always went out of her way with gifts, even during times when her finances weren't the best. I much preferred her giving me something symbolic over an expensive whim.

So, the fact that she wanted to adopt a dog today, as my birthday present, made this thing I had wanted for so long even more special. Plus, thinking that Emily would grow up with the new member of the family made it a thousand times better.

“If my girl says it’s happening today, then we should follow her lead,” I finished saying. “What time do you think we’ll be done with everything we have to do today?”

[...]

“I hope there aren’t too many people, because if Britta finds out we’re doing all this without telling her…”

“Y/N, relax. If there’s any problem or anything, I’ll handle the press. Besides, it’s not like they don’t know me: remember I adopted Roscoe and Coco there, so they know me quite well.”

Lewis had decided to come with us to, according to him, ensure his friends received proper treatment. Deep down, I knew it was because he didn’t want to see Aristella, Britta’s niece and Y/N's best friend, hanging around Rosberg even while they were in the middle of their divorce process.

Hamilton’s concern for the girl wasn’t just something a friend would have, and I knew he was fully aware of that.

“Do you have something in mind, Seb?”

Lewis’s voice snapped me out of my trance.

“Sorry, what?”

“If you’ve thought of a name for the dog,” the dark-haired man spoke again. “I hope it’s something different from the usual. You know, the world has too many Tobys and all those common dog name variants.”

“If we’re talking about giving common names to pets, Seb is your guy,” Y/N spoke now, almost shouting. “When he adopted Vanilla just to get me to move in with him, he told me Garfield was a better name. Garfield, like the cartoon cat! If that’s not common…”

“What do you want to call an orange cat, Y/N? Vanilla? I remind you that you wanted to name her Cheeto…”

“Because she looked like a Cheeto and I thought it was a male!” she retorted. “Later, when I realised she was female and not so orange, I named her Vanilla.”

“Vanilla, I like it. It’s an… interesting name,” Lewis intervened. “Can I ask why you named her like that?”

“Y/N's favourite ice cream flavour is vanilla. That, and if you add the fact that cats are her favourite animal…” I answered in her place.

I saw Y/N's lips curve slightly in the rear-view mirror.

Then, she turned around and put a hand on my leg, stroking it.

“I hope you find the perfect name for the new family member, love. Even if it’s the same as every other dog in the world,” she said ironically.

After those words, I realised we had arrived at the shelter Lewis Hamilton seemed to admire so much.

The Brit, as he guided us towards what appeared to be the entrance, commented that we should be careful with Emily, not because the furry ones were aggressive, but because they got very excited when they had visitors, especially if they were children.

A dark-skinned woman with completely dark hair was at the door, as if she had been waiting for us for a while. Lewis gave her a hug and immediately introduced us.

“These are Sebastian Vettel, his girlfriend Y/N, and their daughter, Emily.”

She gave us a smile, and I saw she intended to shake our hands until she saw our little one. She approached to dote on her as soon as Y/N gave her permission with a glance. Emily’s laughter began to fill the room, and she started to move cheerfully in Y/N's arms.

“I’m so sorry for my lack of manners, but when I see such a beautiful baby like this little one…” the woman began to say, still playing with the child. Then, she cleared her throat and looked at both of us. “Nice to meet you, couple,” she finally shook our hands. “I’m Jade, and well, I’ve been a volunteer at this shelter since time immemorial, back in the prehistoric times.”

“Don’t say that, Jade! You look wonderful,” Lewis told her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t be so flattering, young man,” she chided him. “I appreciate all kinds of compliments for my age, but that’s not why we’re here. Well, tell me: if I’m not mistaken, and as your friend here has told me, you want to expand your family, right?”

Now she was looking intently at both of us. I nodded in response; at the same time, and by inertia, my right arm wrapped around my girlfriend’s waist, which made Emily start reaching out her little arms to come to me.

“Today is Seb’s birthday, and he’s been wanting to adopt a dog for quite some time,” my girlfriend explained.

“Oh, the adoption is a birthday gift!” Jade exclaimed, beginning to clap and approaching me quickly to give me a hug that I gladly accepted. “Happy birthday, dear! How old are you now?”

“Twenty-eight.”

“Oh, dear. If I could be that age again…”

I smiled at her response as Y/N handed me Emily, who had started babbling to come to me.

“A daddy’s girl, I see, huh?” Jade chimed in. Y/N was about to answer, but before she could even do so, the woman was already speaking again. “Well, since it’s your birthday, I think I have the perfect gift for you.”

Without saying anything more, the woman gestured for us to follow her, and we did. We passed through several areas with dogs of different ages roaming freely, who approached us to sniff and perhaps convince us to adopt them.

Lewis mentioned that some of them were related to Coco. I laughed at the supposed joke, which stopped being a joke when Jade confirmed it. Y/N lagged behind a few times because she stopped to play with the dogs that approached her, which were quite a few. Emily and I, however, kept a brisk pace, possibly eager to find out what the woman was talking about and why she was being so mysterious.

Finally, we arrived at a kind of room with less light than I expected and, to my surprise, full of what seemed to be soft little beds. On top of them, not only was there a dog lying down that seemed quite tired, but there were also several puppies nursing from her.

Jade indicated before we entered that we should remain silent.

“One of our dogs gave birth last night,” she told us. “I don’t want to give all her puppies up for adoption since I’d like at least one to stay with her, but considering that the puppies and you share a birthday, I’d be delighted if you adopted one of them.”

I opened my eyes wide and couldn’t say anything. Next to me, Y/N seemed to have reacted the same way I did.

Saying we were surprised would be an understatement.

“But… are you serious?” my girlfriend commented, still in surprise.

“Of course, dears!” the woman responded cheerfully. “The only issue, so to speak, though it’s not really a problem, is that it’ll take about a month and a half before you can take him home. You know, the separation process from the mother is crucial.”

“No problem, really. We’ll wait as long as it takes,” I finally spoke. “Besides, I think we have a break around that time, right?”

“Yes, about a month,” Lewis replied.

“We’ve already got our vacation destination, sunshine,” Y/N said to me, apparently much more excited than I was.

“Now, I need you to tell me something important: which one of them do you want to be your little girl’s new brother?”

Still holding Emily, Y/N and I carefully approached the puppies.

To our eyes, they all looked exactly the same. We couldn’t see their eyes, but I was almost convinced they would be similar to the colour of their fur, a light brown skin similar to beach sand. They were huddled together and didn’t seem to be doing anything other than trying to nurse for as long as possible.

“Do you know what breed or mix they are?” Y/N asked the lady with that characteristic curiosity of hers.

“If I remember correctly, their mother is a golden retriever and their father, a big labrador.”

My girlfriend thanked her, turning towards her and leaving Emily by herself for a moment. At that point, seemingly unaware that her mother wasn't watching her every move, the little one began to crawl towards the puppies. Instinctively, I quickly scooped her up in my arms to prevent her from doing so. However, she didn't seem to give up: she started kicking until, just like that, I brought her a little closer to the furry animals.

While Y/N and Lewis chatted with Jade, I remained seated on the floor next to my daughter, who seemed to have settled on a particular puppy. I tried shifting her gaze from side to side, attempting to get her to notice the rest of them, but it seemed the one farthest from its mother had caught her attention the most.

“I think Emily has chosen who’s going to be her adopted sibling, hasn’t she?” I remarked.

As soon as I said that, the three of them turned towards me, crouching down to my level. Emily was still engrossed with that little one and seemed to continue being so until we left.

“Have you chosen for Daddy, Emi?” Y/N asked, almost lying on the floor to join the game that Emily was playing with the one who seemed to be our new child. “Do you want this to be your new little brother? Or sister, of course.”

“He's a boy, actually,” Jade intervened. “And, if I’m honest and don't recall incorrectly, he’s the oldest of the whole litter.”

“Do you want to adopt this little one then, sunshine? Honestly, if you’re not convinced we can wait a bit…” Y/N whispered as if wanting it to be a secret between us.

“Clifford,” I suddenly blurted out.

They looked at me as if they had seen a ghost. Of course, I would act the same if someone dropped a name out of nowhere in a situation like this.

“I want to name him Clifford,” I clarified. “Remember the series about that big red dog you told me you watched with your sisters when they were little?” I asked my girlfriend, who nodded. “Well, if I remember correctly, you told me that the main character of the series, who was also the owner of the dog, was named Emily.”

“What’s that got to do with it, love?” she asked, curious. Did she really not know why I had suggested that name?

“Well, it just so happens that your daughter is named Emily and she seems to have chosen for us.”

Y/N’s eyes lit up and widened exaggeratedly. I swear I saw them get a little misty when she finally seemed to understand what I meant. Immediately, she stood up, took the baby in her arms, and began to talk to her while they played as if they were the only ones in the room.

“I guess I already have a birthday present, right?” I asked the redhead, standing beside her and giving her a kiss on the forehead and another to our daughter.

“Emily and Clifford…” she murmured. “I like it. I love it, actually.”

“Well, I hope that when we have the next baby, I can nail it in the same way.”

Jade, after the last sentence that I had just said, was left dumbfounded. Lewis, for his part, tried to turn a deaf ear and, instead, told me that they would be waiting for us at the entrance to do all the necessary paperwork, not without whispering to me in the least blatant way possible that he hoped that this would be my other birthday present.

Obviously, he deserved a well-deserved punch from Y/N.

“Are you already thinking about the next baby, love? Emily hasn’t even turned one yet!”

“I always think about the second baby, to be honest,” I replied. I was convinced, and I knew as well as she did that we had barely laid the foundations of our family. “A puppy brother for Emily is fine, but a human one would be a thousand times better. Don’t you think so?”

Y/N rolled her eyes and turned away, heading towards the shelter entrance. I quickly caught up with her, and her laughter filled my ears.

“If you're already thinking about our second baby, then we'll have to listen to Lewis and start practising tonight before dinner with my parents,” she suggested.

Her mischievous look infected me, and I couldn’t help but return it.

“As the birthday boy, I vote for squeezing in a free practice session before dinner with my parents tonight. How does that sound?”

“Whatever you wish, birthday boy,” she replied. “But I hope you come up with a good enough excuse for them not to suspect anything when we arrive late, and also when you ask if they can keep Emily overnight.”

[eightyonekilograms]

I went to the Apple Store yesterday to try the scripted demo of their VR headset. My overall impression is that it's the best possible execution of what might be a fundamentally flawed idea.

The passthrough video is pretty incredible. It's somewhat dimmer than reality, and the color accuracy is just OK, but it's more than good enough to feel like you're looking through clear displays at the real world. I'm told the passthrough on the Quest 3 is even better, but haven't tried that and can't comment. One thing is that there is a weird motion blur effect when you turn your head, I'm not sure if that's a display tech limitation or introduced deliberately by the software as a workaround for a different display tech limitation.

The resolution is 4K per eye, which, as mentioned, is more than enough for a powerful sense of presence in the real world. One of the nifty bits of the demo was when you turn the dial to tune out the world and suddenly you're sitting by a mountain lake, and the feeling of actually being there is overwhelming. The dystopian implications of needing a VR headset to sit at a mountain lake aside, it would be cool to have one just to have your office be anywhere you can imagine. Not $3500-before-tax cool, but cool.

Wow sports leagues are going to love this thing. I don't give a shit about sports and even I was thinking, "If the NBA put a stereoscopic camera courtside and sold you games for $50 a pop, I'd absolutely buy that"

But 4K per eye is not enough to do work, not even close. The experience of using normal computer-y applications on this was not unlike plugging your laptop in to a TV that's at the normal TV distance. You can do it, it works, but it's not anyone's preferred way of working. Text is amazingly legible, but only at sizes that are equivalent to having a single webpage take up your entire 4K monitor at normal monitor distance.

It is not particularly comfortable. Part of this might be that the store demo makes you use the "catcher's mitt" strap, which only goes around the back of your head and so gravity has to be countered only by the pressure of the thing against your face. Reviewers have said that if you use the other band that goes over your head the situation is better, but still.

A lot of early comments were making fun of Apple for having the battery be an external thing you put in your pocket and attach with a wire, but I think that's just fine: we all walk around with giant batteries in our pockets anyway, and anything you can do to have less weight on your head is a Good Thing. But then Apple took all those weight savings and spent them on making the stupid thing out of metal and glass instead of polycarbonate. It's nuts! It's like if you made a car that was 500kg lighter because you invented magical tech for keeping the engine somewhere else, and then went "great! with all the weight savings now we can build the body out of lead". Apple, you don't need to fear plastic. Plastic is good! Plastic built modern civilization.

You control it with a combination of eye tracking and pinch gestures. This is the main piece of evidence of my "best version of a bad idea" thesis: it works really, really well; so well that I can tell this is probably an evolutionary dead end. It's just fine— miraculous, even— for dragging windows around and doing the basic stuff the in-store demo has you do. It's amazing that you can more or less have your hands anywhere, including on your lap, and the recognition works perfectly (by contrast with the HoloLens I tried 5 or so years ago where the gesture recognition was total crap). But it's immediately obvious that you can never do serious manipulation of your computing environment with this.

The takeaway is that it's incredible for passive consumption of specifically-made media, assuming that ever exists at scale. But it will be a long time before we're gogged in like Hiro Protagonist to do our office jobs this way.

[lume-nosity]

an: this is a reupload!! (copy and paste pain) because for some reason my original post wasn’t showing up on the tags?? even my own??? if this doesn’t show up again i’m just gonna leave it as is. also the og’s who saw the post before i took it down are the real ones <3 anyways, requests are closed but i took this as a suggestion because i wanted to do it. when i saw this in my inbox i felt productive/determined to fulfill this ask so you're welcome /Ih and holy shit 2k+ notes on part one you guys are crazy thank you so much i'm so glad you liked it!! you take care of yourself as well dear anon <3

‘i've got my eye on you.’ (pt. 2)

prompt: what would they do if they saw their s/o in an uncomfortable situation

characters: itto, diluc, zhongli, ayato, tartaglia, thoma, kaeya

style: fluff, much fluff

notes: not proofread, lowercase intended, possibly ooc because i used character demos/teasers/ a few voicelines as references, gender neutral reader, the smaller text is whispering, no dialogue/use for [name], kuki shinobu mention in itto's part, how tf do you write zhongli and kaeya, petnames: beloved, treasure, love, swearing, blood mention in tartaglia's part, tartaglia getting a little violent, got lazy while writing the last few portions

reblogs are appreciated!

itto

"HEYYYY THERE YOU ARE!! so uh, are these guys bothering you?"

"huh, so they are. hey! hey, no worries! ill getcha outta here. i'm THE arataki numero uno they’re dealing with."

"hey, so, you're making my lovely super amazing wonderful partner uncomfortable and i would absolutely LOVE it if you leave em alone."

"oh wait, they're already gone. OHHHH did i scare them?? HAHAHAAA, man, that was great. totally worth the scare. anyways! want to have an onikabuto battle? yeah? OKAY! come on, come on, come on!!! i know the best spot to find them. but just so you know, i will beat you this time!"

let me tell you itto's was a lot of fun to write. i don't have to write too seriously!!!

he was looking for you actually, to have a little onikabuto battle since he's determined to win. (despite the many losses he has under his belt)

but seeing you look so uneasy from afar, yeah no he's not having it. ran towards you at mach 20.

one simple glance at him, those creeps are running to their mothers. the best part was that itto was confused as to why they've run off but he assumed it was because of him.

well, he's half right, because what really scared them off was kuki shinobu's shadow quite literally appeared out of nowhere next to you and itto. mvp! you guys weren't aware of her presence, because after they ran off, she just walked away. stealthy. like a boss.

i find it canon that if itto has a s/o shinobu would do anything in her power to keep those two away from trouble/danger. it's her job as deputy leader of the arataki gang, right?

diluc

"look, i'm not interested in small talk, but i'll get straight to the point. if you wish to make things simple for the both of us, see yourselves out. i won't ask again."

"what am i going to do about it? well, wouldn't you like to know." (casually readies his claymore)

"what a bunch of imbeciles. *sigh* i apologize for not arriving here sooner, i'll escort you home."

"you. want to stay with me? alright, i'll arrange a room for you at the winery right away. no? ah. i see. then i suppose my bed would big enough for the two of us to sleep on. are you satisfied with that? good. now let's go."

he isn't the darknight hero for nothing

like the gentleman he is, he was going to accompany you until you get home safely and then exchange goodbyes.

but no, you wanted to stay with him for the night. he has many rooms for the guests to use, but when you in particular suggested to sleep with him in his room, he of course doesn't mind since it's you.

should it be anyone else, it'll be an immediate no. so be glad you get to have this privilege from the guy because he loves you and is willing to do anything for you

zhongli

"pardon the intrusion, but i believe now's the time for the both of us to take our leave. please excuse us."

"it'd be wise for you to not place your indelicate hands onto my beloved. lest you'll see a rather.. grotesque, outcome."

"my dear, are you alright? ... how did i find you, you may ask? oh, please do not underestimate me. i'm far more than what meets the eye."

"we are sharing a contract, after all. to live and cherish life with one another until the end of time, to be safe, filled with tenderness and warmth within our hearts, and to not have anyone interfere that great deal of a bond. for you are my greatest treasure."

rip my brain for having to push zhongli's portion out because it clearly cannot comprehend this man's vocabulary.

you and him are to follow a contract, yes. but it's similar to a confession, if that makes sense?

basically zhongli was the one to confess to you first with his built-in thesaurus (to which you accepted of course if you like him too) and then have you and him sign' this sort of contract as a promise to stick with one another for as long as life can allow it. and by sign...

it's a kiss. to seal the contract :)

ayato

"a pity. hm? yes, i am 'the head of the kamisato clan. but your concerns about my reputation is irrelevant."

"you're harassing my lover, and if i catch you doing this unsightly act once again, then i'm afraid i'll have to resort to something that'll make you wish you've never been born."

"ah, my words were too harsh? nonsense, it was vitally necessary. at least it'd driven them away. well, i guess there are benefits for someone of high status."

"come now, i'll have my staff cook you something to your liking. you are my lover, so they'll be sure to suit your needs. you needn't worry."

fun fact: i've never finished ayato's story quest so i was writing this blind (with the help of some voicelines/demos/teasers, this goes along with the rest of the men on this list)

originally, you two were going on a nightly stroll since he was free but were stopped by a group of creeps. however, ayato handled the matter in his way.

in his head, those creeps are a waste of time and mere bugs because, well, they are. and pathetic, because they immediately recognize him for his high status and they all shrank in his presence. which made things easier for ayato. he made a small threat, and then they zoomed.

afterwards, he wanted to bring you home for dinner instead. continuing to stay out after that ordeal was not an option in his book.

what a good man

tartaglia

"wow, you all are quite bold. daring to do that while i'm here? hah, how risky. i'm actually impressed, by how wrong of a move you've just played."

"say, wouldn't you guys be interested for a sparring session? i'll be delighted to fight you all at the same time to enhance my combative capabilities. no? are you sure? okay, the offer's still on the table you know. and don't think i'm letting you all off so easily."

"love, are you alright? did they hurt you? if they did then i'll be sure to give them the same pain as they did to you. but worse. hm? no? okay, if you insist."

"moving on, let's go home shall we? the more i think about those creeps, the more i'm itching to grab my blades and hunt them down. oh! no, it's nothing. let's move, wouldn't want to stay out for too long."

we all know that he'll definitely end them

the thing is, he was right next to you when it happened and it's almost as if those asshats were blind!!!

blinded by his beauty ig

well, those assholes should sleep with one eye open every night now that tartaglia has seen them.

thoma

"excuse me, my partner and i are in a hurry. we have important business to attend to and we wouldn't want to be late."

"we won't take up the rest of your time, so please, if you'll excuse us."

"phew, that was rough. i didn't like how they were treating you, so i wanted to help you out. oh nonono, there's no need to thank me! as your boyfriend, it's my job to make sure that you're safe and happy at all times!"

"to get your mind off of what happened, i'll cook dinner for you tonight. any preferences? favorites? recipes? ill be sure to write them down!"

thoma based

instead of staying and insulting them, he just makes up an excuse to leave! it saves less time!!

..which shunned the creeps to bits. because you see, to me, people who are as kindhearted as thoma are equivalent to sunshine. and by sunshine i mean blindingly bright.

too nice and polite to the point the creeps are blind and deaf, you get what i mean?

kaeya

"well, well, well, how amusing of you all to act in such a way while i'm here. clearly you weren't cautious about your surroundings nor able to understand the differences between common courtesy and disrespect."

"how do i think so? from what you were displaying a few seconds ago, there's an obvious answer to that. it's allill written in your face. uneasiness. just like my partner."

"run along now, before your feet will run cold."

"ah, please, spare me the thanks. i only did what i had to do. as long as you're safe, that's all that matters to me. now then, allow me to treat you to dinner. it's all on me~"

honestly i got very lost in writing kaya's portion despite listening to his voicelines for like 2-3 times :,)

but, what i can conclude from this is that he'll be the sly bro he usually is with people

except in here, it's a bit different. his words are like that of a snake, wrapping around its prey.

makes sense, because kaeya doesn't stand people who make his s/o uncomfortable. if he scares them off or anything, then so be it. anything to keep you safe.

[altraviolet]

How do you find a character's 'voice'? I have no problem writing OCs, but when it comes to existing characters I get so anxious that I'm mischaracterizing them!

This is a great question! This is definitely something I struggle with sometimes. Here are some of the things I've done to try to keep characterization consistent:

watched a bunch of videos about characterization and the craft of writing

gone back to the canon and reread parts that featured the character you're trying to write

reduced the character to like, ONE descriptor, ONE "essence," if you will. JRO did a great job making very identifiable characters for us. although many of the initial characterizations are modified by the end of the comic, you can still use that "essence". I'll give an ex in a minute but after you identify that "essence," keep it in mind for your character when you write them

when writing from their POV, or from a close third narration (or heck second person talking to them), remember what the character knows. how did they get to the place they are now? what kinds of details in a room would they notice?

This is not all I've done but it would take me SO LONG to put together more points so we'll move on~!

Okay so for more details on the above:

The Essence Thing

I think Ultra Magnus is a really good example of this. We're introduced to him having a very specific outlook on life (we literally see through his eyes in one early panel, it's great). We understand him to be a VERY strict mech who adheres to the Autobot Law to the letter (semi-colon, actually, lol). We see him meticulously arrange and rearrange objects, we see him point out screws that are misaligned by 0.001% (paraphrase, I don't remember the exact wordage). All in all, it's really easy to understand in just a couple of words who he is. Meticulous to a fault. Rodimus distracts him by using bad grammar on purpose.

By the end of the comics, he's loosened up a little. And (SPOILERS for the end of the comics), Megatron telling him to abandon his armor and be true to himself is something he's receptive to. Whereas in the beginning he wore it as somewhat literal armor. And refused to smile.

So what have I done with my fic? Well, it's important to keep in mind that UM isn't going to change all his ways. He won't be as much of a stickler as before, because he's learned to have friends in some capacity, and that's loosened him up a little tiny bit. But he's going to retain that core trait of being really into keeping things neat and tidy. And, the UM that Megatron told to abandon his armor isn't the one that made the jump. So I assumed they had that convo later in their friendship. The TEG UM still has those organized traits (cuz it's funny), but he's not as bad as he used to be.

So hopefully that makes sense. Boil your character down to a trait or two and keep it in mind for everything.

Oh boy the asks are piling up so I'm gonna try to go a bit faster now.

What The Character Knows

Let's do a little thought experiment. Tailgate and Drift walk into a random Autobot bar. What does each mech notice?

If I said one of them quickly identifies friendly mechs and the other one identifies unfriendly mechs, can you tell which did which? Who notices the energon specials and who takes note of the weapons behind the bar? Which one will remember a time he went with his conjunx to a bar and didn't get in a fight? haha

Okay so you can probably guess the answers that I intended for the above! Drift had a hard past, then became a violent Decepticon. Tailgate was asleep for 6 million years and then woke up and befriended a ton of people and had Movie Nights and also some trauma but he never had to fight for his life like Drift did.

So, as you can see, what the character knows (which is informed by their past, their education, their belief systems, the friends they have, the enemies they have, etc) really impacts how they see the world. And you can use that to your advantage by trying to look through their eyes keeping in mind what they know.

Sorry I'm gonna have to end this here, but this is a great topic. I'll try to write more about character voice and POV in the future. If you want to poke me later about it here or on twitter, please do. I will get my thoughts together and also find the links to the videos I've watched :)

[drdemonprince]

I think I remember you saying you were writing something for autistic adults having trouble meeting people? Actually I just remember the ask you got about someone who found a lot of social spaces being for youths. I have a similar problem. I've lived in the same city my whole life, but I don't have friends here because I don't know how to keep in touch with people after the situation we had in common (school, job) ended. And currently I'm unemployed, so I don't have coworkers, and I'm suffering a lot from the lack of a social context. There are some kind-of-niche social events I can go to, trans brunch once a month, queer board game nights every friday (and I don't even like board games). But even once I'm there I struggle to reach out and talk to anyone. For the former event, most people go with friends, so I assume I'm imposing if I make more than very brief small talk. For the latter one, we do often end up a group of polite strangers sitting around talking about random stuff, but I find I don't care about the interaction and I just want to go home. I have friends online that I'd rather spend time with, but it also feels so miserable when I don't have anyone to just grab coffee with. I tried tinder briefly, but I can't stand chatting with strangers, I react to it like an obligation and just ghost them. I'm not curious enough about strangers. I don't want to make friends, I want to already have them. It's rough.

The good thing here is you have 100% already articulated what the root of the problem here is: you're not taking an interest in any of the people you're spending time with, and the people you are meeting are not interesting to you.

People like us when they can feel that we like them, care about them, and find them interesting. People want to spend more time with people who make them feel heard, and who have genuine enthusiasm for their existence. The people you're meeting are almost certainly picking up on your lack of curiosity about them, and your sense that spending time with them is some grueling obligation, and so nothing deeper is taking root.

The solution is to have a genuine interest and curiosity for people. If you can't access that, you won't be able to make new friends. Having close friends that you can meet with for coffee at the drop of the hat isn't a status you can simply arrive at, it's a relationship dynamic that you build, painstakingly, interaction by interaction, invite by invite, one open-hearted, presence conversation after another. And you won't now who will become a lifelong, cherished friend to you if you don't start by trying to find what's worthy of cherishing within other people first.

Now, you mentioned that some of the social groups you take part in aren't even all that interesting to you -- and that's certainly part of the issue. If you don't like board games, you're not going to have fun at board game night, you're not going to like talking about board games, and you're going to feel a palpable disconnect between yourself and all the people who are present because they really like board games. You can either try to find something about the activity interesting, and really put your mind to learning about it and taking an active interest in it, for the sake of your own enrichment, or you should stop going, because there's no reason to drag yourself to regular obligation you don't like and aren't putting any investment in.

I would recommend that you find other social gatherings in town that line up more with your interests. Meetups, book clubs, volunteer shifts, video gaming leagues, sports teams, community theater, whatever it might be. This article has more advice about how to find new social groups and to make friends there:

But I'd also encourage you to practice being curious about the great diversity of humanity. There are so many wonderful subcultures out there to learn more about, so many creative and industrious practices to be awed by and to learn about, and so many funny, bizarre people out there worth making a study of. Even if you don't get along with the vast majority of humans or don't want most of them within your close social circle, you should, I think, be able to find something worth learning about in within nearly every human community, and within every person.

I firmly believe that the purpose of life is to grow, experience new things, and learn -- and if you're seeking new friends, you do want your world to be a bit larger than it is, right? So why not try to enjoy learning more about the broader social world? That doesn't mean committing to a regular hobby that bores you to tears (I hate tabletop games, for instance), but it does mean dipping your toe into new waters with some genuine receptiveness to it (I tried tabletop games for the hell of it, learned I didn't playing them, but now I do love hearing about my friends' campaigns).

I wasn't a furry when I first started going to Furfest; I just thought it was interesting and I was awe-struck by the dedication and creativity of people practicing the craft of making fursuits and drawing anthro art. The passion of that community was addictive, and the joy and friendliness of the space opened me up, and within a matter of two convention visits, Midwest Furfest had become one of the absolute social highlights of my entire annual calendar.

I've also gone to a lot of anime conventions, and they didn't grab me quite the same way, but I still sat in on some panels where I learned new things, and I still met people who were lovely and got to take in a bunch of beautiful cosplays. I've tried out all kinds of things, from betting on horse races to performing in sketch comedy troupes to attending naked yoga, and I didn't love or feel good about all of it -- but every single one of those things was worth trying out, because it helped me make contact with a broader spread of the human experience and learn a bit more about myself and other people. it broadened my knowledge base and expanded my social skills -- even if yes, i did absolutely sit in on some conversations that bored me to absolute tears.

If you don't have the energy to be curious about new things and new people at this stage of your life, anon, that is completely fine. When I was in the throes of deep masking and Autistic burnout I didn't always have it in me to make polite small talk or to endure overstimulating new situations. It's difficult to be open when one is traumatized or overwhelmed, and so if you find you really cannot feel anything for any people that you meet right now, working on soothing that internal vigilance and treating that trauma might be the first step. Even trauma recovery requires making contact with other traumatized people, listening to their stories, and being able to recognize yourself within them to some extent, tho.

There are periods of life that are for growth and there are periods that are for dormancy. If you don't have it in you to make new friends right now, that's fine. However, if you do want to have new friends in your life, you do have to be able to like people and care about them.

[bedtimegiraffe]

Here's my little essay about King Arlan (and a little bit about Baldur) and their complicated relationship with ruling effectively.

Arlan, the (overall) very good king

King Arlan is keeping the kingdom running well

In the very first lore tablet, you learn that, "King Arlan Valleros VII currently sits on the throne. Known as the Gentle King, Arlan has reigned over a period of great peace and prosperity."

Periods of great peace and prosperity are not easy! It's a combination of luck, delegating effectively, and putting in a ton of administrative work to make sure the laws and policies work for the unique situation your nation is in at this moment. That stuff does not happen on accident.

Based on Aerin's statements that he never really saw his father, I'm assuming Arlan keeps busy with actually running the country. We never see Arlan show interest in hunting or any vices that would take similar amounts of time. I also don't get the sense that Arlan and Baldur are always like, hanging out. And we don't interact with many administrators, making him seem pretty hands-on.

King Arlan knows how to maintain an image

When you return from the Shadow Realm...

King Arlan is very savvy. Maybe he's sincere, who knows! But publicly honoring the heroes who saved your ass is a great way to get goodwill for yourself and make it so you no longer owe those heroes. Your party puts in quite a lot of work to save Morella and King Arlan just lets you take some weapons and armor no one was using anyway. Doesn't even send a single guard to help. Unlike Book 2...

Before the battle he does a great job making it seem like he's doing you a favor. Like you asked for his help and he's magnanimously granting it, even though the Ash Empire is very much coming to destroy his capital!

Which brings us to his take on Aerin being gone (assuming he was imprisoned previously)...

This is an awful thing to say about your son! But it's actually a pretty cunning move as a king. Arlan was absolutely right- his best move was to let Aerin go and hope he got killed. He gets to eliminate a problem making him look bad to the court (his son who committed murder and treason in a very public manner) and keep his reputation as a nice guy. He's the 'Gentle King,' not the 'Strong King' or 'Decisive King.'

And in the very unlikely (in his estimation) chance Aerin did come back alive and looking heroic, Arlan could keep him imprisoned indefinitely. Or (much less likely) he could say Aerin was corrupted before and use his success as an excuse to get one of his kids back in the line of succession. That's good for your ego and can help prevent a succession crisis if there isn't a super clear heir in place (which seems to be the case currently).

Overall, (and completely separate from him being a horrendous father) it seems to be like Arlan is actually a very good king. But there is one part of the job he sucks at...

Arlan's fatal flaw is that he is terrible at reading people.

'Baldur's great, no concerns!'

Obviously, we know that thinking that Baldur is going to be a good king is stupid.

But why didn't King Arlan know that? Aerin (who does seem to be pretty good at reading people) says he's, "handsome, bold, outgoing." Those things are all great for winning people over!

But not nearly enough to actually run a country. We know Baldur's not really even trying to have any of the practical, administrative skills that requires. And this system does not seem set up to function with a figurehead.

You know that tutor must have clocked that Baldur was asleep! It was probably common knowledge at the palace that Baldur never learned a damn thing. Either Arlan didn't realize his heir was not gaining any practical ruling skills (bad sign) or he didn't care (also a bad sign).

Even monarchs who aren't invested in their kids as people are usually very invested in their education. Because that's how you make sure the wheels don't fall off once you die, ending your glorious bloodline.

Aerin tells us that Baldur would never contradict their father. So Arlan absolutely could have forced him to read a damn book. But for some reason, he didn't.

'My second son sucks...

Arlan truly thinks that Aerin is useless. Which is a wild stance to take after you watched him kill big strong Baldur in a single blow and open a portal to the Shadow Realm.

Arlan got there a little late for Aerin's full villain monologue. But the second your party disappears through the portal, the smart thing would have been to determine if Aerin did any more damage. It didn't feel like it to Aerin, but he had tremendous access to people and resources. For all King Arlan knows, this could have been just one piece of a bigger plot.

And it was! Aerin admitted to corrupting dozens of people, usually very connected people. That's a ticking time bomb just waiting to cause more damage. One it doesn't seem like King Arlan ever looks into.

Arlan seems to just assume that Aerin can't cause damage because he's... not physically imposing? Because knowledge and connections are never a threat to power?

Pre-crisis, Aerin also talks about trying to smooth over Baldur's brash decisions. Having someone to soften the blow of harsh or unpopular decisions is absolutely crucial for any ruler, but especially one like Baldur. Yet Arlan doesn't seem to have any awareness of that either.

So Arlan at least picked up some vibes from Aerin that he was... something. Troubled could be 'miserable,' but this statement makes it feel more 'he creeps me out.'

-and I'm not worried about that.'

Even if Aerin was incompetent or messed up, King Arlan should have been concerned about that! Baldur is very strong and presumably good at not dying. But he throws himself into dangerous situations all the time for fun! There is a very good reason most monarchs don't stop at one kid if they can help it.

History is absolutely littered with examples of people who inherited a throne and ran things into the ground because they didn't have the ability to manage the amount of power they had effectively. If Arlan thought Aerin could fall into that category, he should have had people working around the clock to get him up to standard just in case.

Instead, King Arlan fully ignored Aerin, letting him just haunt the archives like a depressed ghost.

'The Heroes of Morella obviously agree with me, they're important!'

King Arlan makes the assumption, based on your party's status, that you'll agree with him on the 'complicated politics' of executing your own kid. Because you're not 'commoners.' Your party includes one elven noble, one orcish (until like 2 days ago) princess, and one human with a very prominent position in the Temple. Mal is more under the radar, but he was still proclaimed a hero. And your character is the most Hero of all.

So Arlan basically does that thing some people do where they trash talk a marginalized group, because everyone in the room looks like they belong to the majority group, so why would they object? (Never a good look.)

But Mal and Nia are both, at least to you, visibly angry with Arlan for being excited his son is (presumably) dead.

Still, no effort to backtrack or soften the blow from King Arlan. Just sails right over the dude's head that Mal looks pissed and Nia is using her damn customer service voice.

Seriously, King Arlan should probably keep an eye out for Mal... Not a big monarchist, that one.

Bonus Baldur, the tremendous idiot

The fact that Baldur thinks he's the first of his name, when "Baldur Valleros" literally founded his dynasty, is incredibly funny to me. Such ignorance. Such hubris.

I am not about to give him the benefit of the doubt that maybe Baldur I went straight to being king, so our dumbass is the first "Prince Baldur Valleros." His father is Arlan VII, there's no way no other king has named their heir after the founder of the dynasty. More evidence that he has never once learned a thing.

(Don't worry about Kade- he took a shadow lance to the face but he's fine. He's mostly fine. Feel free to look at my older posts if you're curious how that went down.)

Baldur seems to make the same assumptions about people based on their status as his father. I don't think it's an accident that when Baldur wants to tell gross stories (including the phrase "slum girls"), he immediately grabs Mal, the human man. Mal isn't all that subtle about his disdain for the nobility, but he still looks like the best one for Baldur to win over. Mal is also the one who steps up and negotiates for the group, making him look like the leader- even more Baldur catnip.

[desi2go]

Flowers from the prince (2)

part 1 of Flowers from the prince here

pairing: Prince Seungmin x lifeguard reader

warning: fluff, angst, comfort, forbidden romance, fighting, injuries and death

summary: After working as a soldier at the border, you were finally transferred to the palace. You should protect the prince from everything that could be a harm...

Before accepting the job, you swore that you will keep your professionalism under any circumstances. And in the beginning, you could fulfill it but you made that promise without the prince. Seungmin was stoic and sometimes rude but you were sure that underneath this hard Shell was a soft core.

You liked his sarcastic and ironic behaviour and answers because it showed you that he wasn't just a helpless royal that couldn't defend himself. He tried many times to flee to the town even though you always caught him before he could even reach the outer part of the town. He was confident and talking to him made you feel like yourself.

You knew that in the end, he was the task, he was the one that you should defend. Just a job and nothing more. However, your steadfastness and professionalism went down the hill when you agreed to take him to the town. You knew the risks and nevertheless, you let him visit the town.

You remembered how Seungmin looked at you when you said that you will go with him. He was confused but content. Everything went great without any incidents. You had lead him back into the castle after two hours so that no one would notice your absence.

From there on, he tolerated you more and wasn't so uncomfortable with you in the room. He began to talk to you while he worked in his study room and you trained together nearly every morning before he would go to breakfast.

You knew that it wasn't the last time you would follow him into the town. He still tried to get away on his own but he was easy to see through and each time, you catched him. However, Seungmin stood in front of you with pleading eyes to just let him out of the castle every time. You catched yourself falling for his pleas faster than you assumed.

He would give you a small smile when you caved and agreed with a sigh. You knew that it was wrong but you could understand him. He lived in this castle since his birth and the king and the queen loved their children. They don't want anything to happen to them. Plus, he was the crown prince because his older sister wouldn't get the throne due to the law.

"Come on, Y/n, please. You know that today is the Sommer Festival!" He argued with you once more.

"Yeah, I know. But it isn't safe, Seungmin" you responded, leaning against a tree and crossing your arms.

"You are going with me. So I'm safe! You are the best warrior" he said while, batting his eyes.

You laughed, shaking your head. He was unbelievable.

"Are you trying to win me over with complements? It's not working" you answered, feeling a light blush on your cheeks but you held your point.

"It was worth a try" he shrugged his shoulders, giving you a confident smirk.

"Please, y/n. It's just once a year and who knows what will happen until next year. I'll stay by your side the whole time. I promise" he pleaded, doing his best puppy eyes. Your heart melted as his dark brown eyes looked directly into your soul.

Well, he knew how he got you, you must admit that. Usually, people couldn't see through you like that. You trained it so that your enemies couldn't foreshadow your next movements.

You sighed. There goes your professionalism.

"Okay" you gave in, rubbing your forehead. Seungmin's eyes sparkled in the sunlight as his lips were decorated through a heartwarming smile.

"But, just one hour and you are glued to my side. When I tell you something, you will follow my orders" you added, not believing yourself that you actually agreed to that. You just hoped that you wouldn't regret it.

He nodded and continued his way to the town. You followed the prince without saying anything.

The marrow streets and squares, otherwise filled with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, were festively decorated for this special occasion. Flags and pennants in the colours of the town and the kingdom fluttered in the warm summer wind, and an atmosphere of anticipation prevailed everywhere.

Men wore armour and tunics, while women appeared in long, embroidered dresses and elaborate bonnets. Children, dressed as little knights and damsels, ran around excitedly and marvelled at the scenery. The market square was the heart of the festival. There were wooden stalls where traders offered their wares. There was fresh bread and cheese, honey and mead, and exotic spices from faraway lands.

Craftsmen showed off their skills: Blacksmiths hammered red-hot iron, potters turned artistic vessels and weavers spun colourful fabrics. Jugglers and bards entertained the crowds with their tricks and stories, while the smell of roasting meat and freshly baked bread filled the air and a large stage was set up in the centre of the square, where musicians played on their instruments. They played on flutes, drums and lutes, filing the air with energetic and happy rhythms.

Seungmin didn't stand out at all with his light brown chemise and the dark trousers. His exposed forearms revealed by the light-coloured skin that he was not often outside and therefore did not belong to the working class of people here. Even in these normal clothes, he looked good. Muscles showed under his chemise, revealing that he was well trained and capable of fighting. They came mostly from the training you gave him every morning, well it usually consists out of many small fights. You must admit that he learned pretty fast and it was fun to train with someone even though you were more skilled than him.

Seungmin observed the people around him with curious eyes, staying right beside you like he promised. You followed him as he looked at every stall. You recognised some people, persons that knew you since your birth. Some were friends with your mother and you were relieved that they greeted you but didn't speak to you. Your mother was precious to you, you loved her wholeheartedly and speaking about her was still painful.

The prince pulled you to a stall full of pastries and confectionery.

"I always wanted to try these!" Seungmin exclaimed and nodded to a handful of small cakes, not bigger than your hand. The cakes, lovingly and skilfully decorated, layed on silver trays, their golden-brown crusts gleaming in the soft glow of the sinking sun. Each cake was a little masterpiece. Some were round, others rectangular.

"Really? Couldn't you eat tons of that in the palace?" You asked him as you waited to buy some.

"They aren't very common within the noble class and therefore not served often." He explained and ordered some. He was right, they looked delicious and it was a shame that he never really tried these. You knew the baker. Your mother bought all the bread in his bakery and you often accompanied her, getting to know not just the baker but his son too who was now appearing behind his father.

He smiled widely when he noticed you.

"Y/n! It's been ages since I've seen you. How are you?" His name was Taeyang and your best friend back then.

"Taeyang! Long time no see. I'm great and you?" You were content to get in touch with him again, Seungmin listened to your conversation with his little cakes already in his hands and payed.

"Couldn't be better. Are you staying here longer?" Seungmin grew restless as the talk continued. Annoyed, he tapped his fingers against his dark trousers. He didn't know why he was so annoyed to see you talking with that baker's boy. Maybe because he was used to get your undivided attention all the time. However, he was aware that you had a life besides your job as his life guard. It just confused him.

You were still happily chatting with Taeyang, when the baker's son shifted his gaze to the prince. He observed him from head to toe and was clearly judging him. Confident, Seungmin stuck his chest out and tried to intimate the other male.

"Is this your boyfriend?"

You giggled while shaking your head.

"That's Seungmin. He is a friend who wanted to experience the Summer Festival" you introduced the prince. They both shook hands, a teasing smirk forming on Taeyangs lips because he could see that Seungmin was jealous dud to the attention you gave the baker's boy even though he didn't want to admit that.

Slowly, Seungmin had enough and slid his free hand that didn't hold the bag of cakes in yours, pulling you away from the stall.

"Come, Y/n, let's watch the musicians" he coaxed, liking the feeling of your hand in his. You nodded at his request and fortunately waved goodbye to Taeyang. During the whole time to the small stage where the music was played, your hands were holding onto eachother. No one said anything while you listened to the lively rhythm caused by flutes and other instruments. You looked so beautiful to Seungmin even in the dark grey armour.

He leaned to your ear and you felt his breath against the right side of your neck. "Wanna dance?" he asked and you shivered at how close he was.

"I can't dance" you admitted and Seungmin laughed.

"That's okay, I'll teach you"

He took your other hand and guided one of them on his upper back while the other one was clasped tightly by him.

"Just follow the rhythm. I'll do the rest" he mumbled, puffing his chest out as he got into position, placing one hand on your waist. The next song was played and Seungmin pushed you tenderly into the direction he wanted you. He was a great dancer and lead you around the other dancing pairs like it was nothing.

Even though you felt a little sorry for him because not just once you stepped on his foot. But it was fun. While you danced, you let your gaze wander around the festival. You still needed to concentrate on your environment. You saw two persons, dressed in black hoods directly looking at you.

Alarmed, you detached your hand from his and leaned further to him. The prince was confused.

"Do you see the two persons in black? We should go" you whispered and you felt Seungmin tense. Both of you cut off the dance and walked with big steps away from the dance floor. Before you could even disappear into one of the streets, an arrow flew through the air. Quickly, you tried pushing Seungmin out of the way but it bored through the skin of his thigh. And the pure chaos broke out. People screamed when they saw the person was shooting arrows, running around to try to get away.

Seungmin grunted in pain, a high whine leaving his lips as his injured leg gave away and he stumbled. You cursed and helped him with walking, putting his arm around your shoulder to support him. The attacker followed you through the screaming mass of people. Fortunately, you reached a small street, however, they were hot on the heels. You let Seungmin sink down against the wall of a house, getting a quick look on the wound, the arrow was still sticking in it. You ripped some fabric from your cloak and pressed it against the bloody wound.

He cried out again. "I know it hurts but press firmly against it so that you won't loose so much blood" you exclaimed and shot up as the attacker reached you. You drew your sword and shielded the prince.

Their faces were hidden under low-set hoods. With daggers drawn, they charged towards the prince.

You reacted with lightning speed.

The first attacker, a massive man with a hulking face, swung his dagger in a wild arc. You dodged, your movements smooth and precise. With a quick step forward, you parried the attack and knocked the man to the ground with a powerful blow.

But the second attacker, slim and agile, was already on the move. His eyes flashed with determination as he charged at you with a series of quick, precise stabs. You moved with the elegance of a dancer, your blade flashing in the pale moonlight as you fended off his attacks.

Your blades clashed once, twice, three times. The attacker made an unexpected thrust, forcing you to take a step back. A searing pain shot through your upper arm that wasn't shielded by your armour as the tip of the dagger left a small wound. Blood seeped through the fabric of your sleeve, but you were undeterred. You have had much worser wounds from the training.

With a determined glint in your eyes, you stepped forward again, guiding your blade in a perfect line. You fended off the next attack with a hard block and countered with a lightning-fast slash that knocked the attacker's dagger out of his hand. The dagger clinked on the cobblestones and the attacker hesitated.

With a final thrust, you killed the man because he was to dangerous to be kept alive and you didn't want to risk another attack when you didn't know if there are more. You calmed your breath and turned to Seungmin, putting your sword back into the scabbard.

His head leaned against the wall as he still pressed the piece of cloth against his leg. You needed to get him to a safe space where you could look at his wound properly. Plus, the arrow stopped most of the blood from spilling out. You didn't know if these two where the only attacker. It could be that there were a lot more.

"Seungmin? Come we need to get off the street" you exclaimed and pulled him back up. He helped you as good as he could, releasing his breath painfully.

You lead him into a much smaller street with a tiny shop that sells art of all kind. The door opened and the small bell ringed as you both entered. A small red haired woman came out of the backrooms, clearly pregnant. She laughed joyous as she recognised you.

"Y/n! You're here!" She exclaimed.

You chuckled. "Of course, Sannie."

Her gaze fell on the prince in your arms. "What happened to him?"

"That's a long story. Can we please use the tunnel?" You answered. Sannie nodded immediately and showed you the way.

"Who is the baby daddy?" You added. Without even noticing it, your long time friend caressed her belly.

"Do you remember the son of the blacksmith? He asked for my hand in marriage" she explains with a dreamy smile. She always had the biggest crush on him and you were happy for them that they finally found their happiness.

"And who is that? Your husband?" she nodded to Seungmin looked around the mass of art projects while being still in your arm. At his mention, his attention drifted to the conversation.

"He is someone I must protect at all costs" you avoided her question and stepped into the tunnel through a small door at the back of the room.

"Good luck then" she said and waved at you.

The tunnel was small and stuffy, obviously not used in a long time. Just some small lights lit the way.

Seungmin huffed in pain. "Where are you taking us?" he asked curious. "To my childhood house. My father is a soldier and he has many enemies. Sannies father too. When we moved here, we bought our house just because of the tunnel so that we can escape" you explained and readjusted him in your arms. The wound still bleed even if it was just a bit but you needed to hurry up. An infection would be fatal.

"We are almost there?" You added and whiped some hair out of his face. He huffed. You knew the tunnel in and out. As a child, you often visited Sannie through it.

At the end of the tunnel, you pushed an old door open and pulled Seungmin through it. After being away for so long, you had assumed that some things had changed but to your surprise, everything was still there at its original place. You stood in your kitchen that still smelled like home. Your mother had cooked her infamous meals here while you played with your dad outside or in the living room.

You lead the prince to the small couch in the living area where he sat down with a grunt. You left him there, searching for the bandaging materials and some medicine and rummaging through some cupboards in the kitchen.

When you returned, bandages and other things in your hand, Seungmin had layed down completely, looking at up at you.

You placed the things on the small table right beside you and knelt down next to him.

"Let me see" you said and moved the piece of fabric from his wound. It was bloody but luckily the arrow hasn't bored far into the flesh. However, removing it would still be extremely painful.

"I need to cut your trousers to get a better look" you added, getting a small scissors from the table. Carefully not to cut into his skin, you trimmed the dark fabric at his thigh.

"What's your plan?" He asked when he looked down where the arrow was bored into his skin.

"Well, we need to get it out" you emphasized. Luckily, you had already treated a few wounds during your training, so you knew what you had to do.

You knelt before him, your hands trembling slightly. You knew it was dangerous to remove the arrow, but there was no other choice.

"I'll do it as quickly and painlessly as possible." You said in a reassuring voice. You fetched a bottle of high-proof alcohol and a clean cloth from the kitchen.

"This will sting, but it's necessary to avoid infection," you warned, pouring the alcohol over your hands, the cloth and finally over the prince's wound. Seungmin gritted his teeth and groaned in pain.

"I'm sorry, but it has to be done," you said, applying gentle pressure around the wound with the clean cloth to control the bleeding, but taking care not to move the arrow.

The prince was breathing heavily, beads of sweat standing out on his forehead. "I'm going to pull the arrow out now," you said, your voice calm but determined.

"Take a deep breath on my sign." You checked the arrowhead and realised that there were no barbs. "One, two, three," you counted and pulled the arrow out in one smooth pull. Seungmin cried out as blood gushed from the wound and you immediately pressed the clean cloth onto the wound to stop the bleeding.

"Hold on a little longer," you whispered and reached for the bottle of alcohol again to disinfect the wound. Seungmin winced as the liquid touched the open wound, but he held still. Then you tore another cloth into strips and tied it tightly around the prince's thigh to stop the bleeding further.

"I'm done" you added and cleaned your hands on a cloth. He panted and rubbed his hands over his face.

"Thanks, I guess" he mumbled, his voice shook slightly.

You smiled at him and rubbed his shoulder before standing up. From the outside, you may seem to be calm but within you, thousands thoughts kept twirling in your head.

It was all your fault that he was hurt. You did a terrible job as a life guard. You should never have agreed to going to the festival. As his protector you had failed terribly. You walked into the kitchen and just kept looking out the window, mindlessly staring at the street.

Shuffling overtoned the storm of thoughts and you broke your stare to see Seungmin limping into the room.

"What are you doing? The wound could start to bleed again" you lectured him.

"Stop it" he interrupted you, his gaze hard and determined. He looked pale, yet beautiful.

"What? What do you mean?" You were confused.

"Stop giving you a hard time, you hear me? It wasn't your fault" he gripped your arms, holding deep eye contact.

"it was my fault, Seungmin! I should have known better. I'm your guard for god's sake. It's my job to keep you safe" you argued, your voice pitched and tears pricked at your eyes. The shame and regret ate you alife.

Without you noticing, Seungmin closed the short distance between you and leaned into you, pressing his lips. You stumbled back when he leaned onto you, kissing you hard and passionate. At first you didn't process what happend there, but you felt your own body pressing instinctively against him, returning the act of love. You knew this was completely wrong. But you couldn't stop yourself, you had suppressed your feelings for him long, without even noticing. However, as soon as his pillowy lips touched yours, your head cleared, all the thoughts long forgotten and you felt nothing but love for the prince.

"You saved me. Without you, I would be dead" he whispered against your lips with a soothing voice, catching his breath. Your mind was in a haze, all the words were gone and you couldn't help but stare at his beautiful lips. You leaned against him, nuzzling your head into his shoulder, enjoying his comforting scent.

"I'm sorry" you mumbled while Seungmin caressed your back.

"It's okay, Y/n. Everything will be okay"

[genericpuff]

Mystery solved.

Okay. Okay I gotta figure out where to begin with this- breathes

A fellow ULO community member was going through old S1 panels and pointing out typos that we had all somehow missed (LO typos have a tendency to sneak by like that) and one thing they pointed out that I had never noticed was this one panel from Episode 102:

Particularly pointing out how the font overlays Hades' fingers which is just hilarious. That was where it was supposed to end.

But have you ever actually read the letter?

Because I did. And it took me on a ride I wasn't expecting to go on at 2:30 in the morning.

This shot of the letter is from the second instance it appears, when Hades scratches out part of it and writes, "I love the way you treat me, and I want to feel that way all the time."

But the first time this letter appears, when he's actively writing it, it's delivered to us through narration, in Episode 47. I actually love this episode, it does a great job at visual storytelling without overuse of active dialogue, and the content of the letter itself shows a great amount of self-awareness from Hades in the moment, even though the dark implications of what he's feeling is falling on his own deaf ears and the scene itself is quickly dashed by the obligatory quip-for-comedy-so-people-don't-get-too-sad of Hades' dismissing his therapist's advice, with the irony of him not realizing his own issues as he's writing this letter mere hours before overstepping his boundaries and having a guy whacked for taking photos of the Goddess of Spring.

But there was one line in particular that's always stood out to me.

The line "it ends up hurting you" felt random and out-of-context. In the beginning on my first read through back in early-mid 2019, I thought maybe it was just being poetic and I "didn't get it", until I became a critic of the series and had a reality check and realized it was likely just a typo, perhaps it was meant to be "It would end up hurting you" or something of that nature.

But it was looking at that panel of the letter and actually reading the text that was there that I realized - the line feels random and out-of-context, because it is random and out-of-context.

Look back at the letter. Paragraph eight. Rachel didn't write the full line despite it being necessary to the line 'it ends up hurting you'.

The full excerpt reads:

"I WISH I COULD EMPTY A DRAWER IN MY DRESSER FOR YOU, OR BUY YOU A TOOTHBRUSH TO KEEP IN MY BATHROOM. THE TRUTH IS, EVERY TIME WE HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH EACH OTHER... IT ENDS UP HURTING YOU."

I can't believe it's not just a typo. I can't believe it took me this long to find this. I don't know how this got missed by Rachel, I'm assuming she wrote the letter out first and then copy and pasted the words into a larger font size which she placed throughout the episode, but how could that one part have been missed when the line "it ends up hurting you" is a dependent clause that can't stand on its own without the line that precedes it?

At the very least, I do finally feel like I've found closure over this one scene, now that I know the full context to the line. And I wouldn't have found it if it weren't for people joking about the letter panel being drawn like shit.

But it's definitely discouraging because it begs the question, what else is being haphazardly left out of the dialogue? What other clunky sentences with next to no context or build-up or reasoning could be better if they were actually finished or if Rachel and her team had spent the extra time to double check the script and ensure that no sentence is being left half-finished?

The irony in this scene as well is that Hades acknowledges he's too old for Persephone, he acknowledges that they aren't good for each other and that he'll only wind up hurting her, he acknowledges that he barely knows her and he shouldn't call what he feels for her 'love', but infatuation, a very accurate and self-aware statement that I feel like the current Hades lacks. It makes it feel all the more distressing when the letter makes a return in Episode 102, and he makes one simple change:

As impactful as this statement was back in the day, looking back, knowing fully well how far his character has now fallen, this now feels less like a triumphant statement accepting his feelings and more like one of giving in to his selfish desires. This is even more accentuated by the use of the red ink, which splatters across the page alongside messy handwriting, contrary to the meticulous typewriting above.

He's pushing off his baggage as a mere bridge to cross later.

He's making hopeful assumptions about her feelings and putting her on a pedestal without communicating his actual baggage outside of his own head and with her directly. In fact, he doesn't get around to talking about this baggage until she's in a position to depend on him in Season 2.

He's fantasizing about their future with next to no foundation yet, and while he's recognizing that she might not be happy with him in the long term, he still tosses all those legitimate concerns aside to "I love the way she treats me", as if all that matters is what she can do for him - and what he can and can't do for her isn't important until it will inevitably rear its ugly head after she's already become his.

This is the turning point where Hades has become the villain. Where he's shifted from being the responsible adult and leader to an obsessive fanatic whose only goal is to have Persephone. To the point that, despite him saying in the letter that it would be best to limit his presence around her-

-seems to be upset over the notion of doing that exact thing as soon as she's the one to suggest it. Acting as if he's being rejected when he was the one to originally conceive the idea to limit their presence around one another for her own good.

Hades being a responsible King and adult went out the window years ago and I feel like this was the moment where it happened, and that red pen was the gavel. Apparently all it took was her admitting she has a crush on him - undoubtedly as shallow as his crush on her, based solely on infatuation but not written on paper as Hades' confession was - for him to toss aside all that work to unpack his feelings and all that responsibility he was willing to take. Never mind the fact that her feelings could undoubtedly use unpacking of their own. Never mind the fact that her liking him back still doesn't change the reality of their situation - that they're fundamentally different people, from different worlds, with vastly different experiences and outlooks and values and goals, living in massively different life stages. Try as it might to be presented as romantic, that "opposites attract", it's more appropriately and commonly known as being incompatible.

If this were any other story, this would be a precautionary tale in so many ways, made especially significant for an audience that's largely coming of age and experiencing feelings of infatuation and attraction for the first time.

But this isn't that story. It's Lore Olympus.

Hades is, through and through, the villain of this story, no matter what the narrative tries to convince us of otherwise. I stood by that statement before and I stand by it even more so now. Unfortunately we're now at the point where Persephone herself has become a villain, corrupt by the same system she used to criticize.

And just like the letter and all its raw text admitting to Hades' faults and baggage and showing he's willing to take accountability, so too does the narrative itself slyly tell the ugly truth in between its lines: that love is not enough, that love is not the same as obsession, that power can corrupt even the purest of hearts - that love is enough, that you should pursue the one you desire until they're yours and only yours, that you should climb higher towards those in power above you until you have that same power in your hands.

Because you love the way it makes you feel and you want to feel that way all the time.

[bleakbittersoul]

Bright out of context

Most of these are sent by me in rp some are sent by some awesome people in the server, and I think only one is from the wiki? Thanks for the help from @reddiamondgamer and @jack-of-amulets for their contributions to this list!

"The fear of spiders is kinda misogynistic."

"I think you'd be much more attractive if you ever got rabies"

"Could you in theory make yourself into jam for me?"

"How is it my fault you can't read minds?"

"Great now I'm thinking about dissections and formaldehyde and now I'm hungry"

"being meguca is suffering…"

"Where is your bathroom? I think I'd like to slam my head against a wall in private"

"This water is chunky"

"I only drink diet water"

"Have you ever gotten mad so you put a fork in someone's microwave and then irish goodbyed?"

"Water on toast"

"If you don't marry me I'm going to start collecting more of your DNA to do unethical science with."

"So if I wanted an audio clip of you meowing you'd do that for me?"

"I know what you're referring to. I don't enjoy fake animal ears. Skin an animal. Wear it's ears. Stop being afraid of commitment."

"I want to lick your eyelid."

"I like your eyes. When I first saw you I wanted to ask if I could keep them when you die but that would have been inappropriate and thankfully I don't have to worry about that. But they are lovely and I do want a bigger collection."

Screaming to wake Clef up and then trying to play it off as if he had a nightmare.

"Scientists don't get bullied enough anymore " after implying some people were baby talking an anomaly.

"I want to peel your face off and eat it it's so cute."

" I once possessed this really attractive girl and then got a job at a Walmart and started relentlessly flirting with you every time you went to Walmart to see if you would cheat on me but you never did"

"I wouldn't mind sucking on your wet hair."

"What if we kissed in the 1996 Teletubbies set "

"I want to scratch your head with my teeth."

"I like waltzes. I also like music that makes me feel like poisoning myself and or others as of right now."

"IT'S NOT A THROW PILLOW UNTIL SOMEONE GETS KNOCKED THE FUCK OUT WITH IT!"

"I'm going to lick your bones."

"I want your warm skin."

"I'll remove part of your intestine and eat it while you watch."

"I WANT TO CHEW ON YOUR FACE!"

"YURRR"

"Uhhuhuhuhuhuh" (like an angry shaken pug fly thing)

"Eyes, aren't right. They need to be improved."

"I don't have the energy to cry hysterically or resurrect you if you die. I'd still do it but it would be significantly less dramatic than it should be."

Heard their partner say "My chest is open for you to lay on" but only heard "My chest is open for you" and immediately assumed he meant for dissection. And when corrected Bright said "You're drawing a line on our love?"

"I like eyes. I have some."

"I don't mean that your eyes are pretty in a collectable kind of way they look good alive and on you…"

“…Don’t you just violently HATE having body parts?”

"My life fucking sucks because they… dont let me play with grenade launcher "

"GOD, FUCKING. BITCH! BECOME A WATERMELON." pause "[INSERT SEVERAL MORE EXPLETIVES]"

"I have two of your teeth. One bloody, one…normal"

“…We should kill MORE children!”

"I WANT THE GRAVESTONE! DO YOU WANT MY TOE TAG?"

[Dr. Bright shows signs of agitation, swearing in several different languages, and throwing equipment about the room.]

"If you ever leave me I'm robbing your fucking grave. And I don't mean that in a normal way. I would be after your organs."

"Oh skin"

"Okay to be fair I've seen screaming trees"

"WHY DO YOU HATE MY HAMSTER!?? WHY DO YOU HATE IT'S EYES??? IT HAS NORMAL EYES!!!"

“Can someone get me a shovel? I just murdered the gender binary and I need it to hide the body.”

"Human life or not I'd eat it."

"You'd make a cute poison victim"

"If I made you hot chocolate, I would make it with love and I wouldn't poison it at all"

"I fucking love carcasses. That's why I love meat, it's like edible taxidermy"

"Would you still love me if whenever someone got hurt in a breach or someone got hurt or people get into a fight I would say and that's how it feels to chew five gum and then look away as if I'm looking at a Camara like a character in the office."

"One heart? ONE HEART?! WHAT AM I YOUR GRANDMOTHER? SOME EASILY APPEASED SIDE PIECE???"

"I want to touch you with my bones."

"Okay, well when you feel better I'll go lick a bathroom doorknob so you can repay the favor."

"Would you still love me if I didn't believe in toothbrushes?"

"You've never had your house set on fire before and it shows…"

"Are you often covered in blood. I've been covered in blood a few times. Interesting feeling isn't it? Almost primal."

"Cute color pattern. Was the theme bio hazard?"

"I'm being haunted by myself right now"

“sorry for going through the entire spectrum of human emotions in the past 10 minutes…. do you still like me? ”

"It's yellow and I wanted to think of something other than piss when I look at it. So egg. Piss egg for the piss baby."

in his most demonic voice "I'M FROM…. NEBRASKA…."

Bright: You know I once made a table set disappear.

Clef:… Did you steal it.

Bright through evil manic laughter: Yes

[mandaplease10]

Season 3 Part 2 Thoughts...

I'm probably going to do an episode by episode recap and thoughts later on.

Initial thoughts after watching Ep 5 - 8 at 2am and then rewatching Polin only scenes later on.

I have very happy with how this season and Polin's love story turned out. Of course, there are things I wish happened differently, but for the most part it was wonderful!

Colin's Love - I love that Colin realized he loved Penelope right away and that he basically always felt something there, but didn't realize what it was. Many of us said this after part 1, but I love that we got it confirmed by Colin himself.

Colin's Insecurity - I also love that Colin was so caught up in his own revelation that he was worried that Penelope didn't feel the same. It goes to show that he was still a little unsure of himself and even had his own insecurities. Typically with male leads they assume their feelings are reciprocated, but with Colin his biggest fear was Pen not loving him back.

Featheringtons - I loved them including the healing of the Featherington family because Pen's feeling of loneliness and wanting to be part of the Bridgerton family stems from her lack of family support and love within the Featheringtons. Having Colin stand up for her was the catalyst Portia needed to truly see Pen as she should have and it also gave Pen the confidence to stand up for herself in her own family, which lead to Pen having a deep conversation with her mother that they've always needed to have.

The Wedding, I wish it happened on a bit more of happier terms, however, it was still obvious that Colin did want to marry Pen and not just out of duty like he had said. He just didn't know how to process what he was feeling and to allow himself to be with her. He put his guard up again basically.

The Cressida drama - loved they included this and how it was handled. This was the catalyst that kicked started the true reveal - similar to the books. The writers did a great job in allowing Book!Colin to come out by trying to handle everything himself, but also allowed Penelope take matters into her own hands.

Reveal to the Ton - Pen was so bad ass for this! She truly is the most impressive woman of the Ton. I love that she did this herself instead of Colin like in the books. However, I wish that Colin would have joined her after the Queen left or at least right after because I found it a little odd that he stood by without rushing to his wife to make up. I'm really happy the writers ended up tying up that story line within Polin's season. I was little unsure if they would because LW is a huge part of the show, but because Whistledown was Pen's voice and confidence in the ton, her being herself and with Colin has allowed her to find her own voice and no longer hide. Had they kept the big reveal a few more seasons, it would not have carried the same impact.

Epilogue Moment - I seriously wish we could have an entire episode dedicated to happy epilogues where everyone is happy and maybe gearing up to head to the countryside in between seasons. I hate that these scenes are only like 5 minutes. Anyway, Congrats on a Baby Polin who is now Lord Featherington! I loved that Pen got this and would have loved to see Colin's face when he found out, but it is what it is. I also love that both Pen and Colin are writers like in the book, but that Pen is able to keep her column. The final kiss taking place in front of the drawing room window where Pen would sit was such a great choice.

[total-drama-brainrot]

YOU. YOU'RE THE ONE THAT MADE REINA..

TAKE MY LIFE!

this sounds a whole like a request but do you have hcs for her and Ale??

they're "went through a traumatizing experience" buddies

(shh..I may or may not think that that cat is middle eastern and so has seen stuff..now I feel like I'm stereotyping the middle east my apologies)

Politely declining your life, since you probably need that for living purposes, but I'm super happy to hear that people like Reina!!

Considering Reina herself is a headcanon, I have a few ideas I can share!

The Burromuerto parents initially decided to give Alejandro the skrunkliest cat they could find to serve as a (not) subtle indication that they don't love/care about him as much as José, who got an objectively "nicer" pet. What they didn't anticipate was Alejandro being immediately smitten with the wet rag of a cat they presented him with, who he immediately names "Reina" - meaning queen.

When making the post, there were a few different mental images I had of Reina. For the most part I was thinking of that one video of the weird stray cat outside (because that video lives rent free in my head), but I also considered having her be some sort of street-worn Rex cat, like a Devon Rex, because they're the weirdest looking cat breed I know. And also because "Rex" is latin for "King", so it plays into the royalty motif she's got going on. But Weezerfan's and CuriosityCryptid's interpretations of her are so so great! I encourage everyone to just envision Reina how they want to!

Alejandro absolutely spoils her rotten. Reina starts out super skittish around the whole family, but Alejandro's the only person who has the incentive to work past her rational fear and get to know the sweetheart she truly is. As a result, the two of them become major sources of comfort for each other in the Burromuerto household. Reina becomes sort of an emotional crutch for Alejandro; he vents his frustrations to her and then smothers her in all of the suppressed love and affection he has in his heart.

Her initial skittishness stems from her time as a street cat, wherein she gained a lot of scars (and perhaps lost an eye or an ear, depending on how tattered you want to envision her). Keep in mind, despite being an absolute sweetheart, she's also feisty - a cat doesn't survive with as many battle scars as Reina has without being a fighter. Consequently, Alejandro gained many scratch marks in the early days of owning Reina before he gained a proper understanding of her temperence.

With all of the love and care she recieves, Reina quickly goes from being a mangy street cat into being a relatively normal looking cat, though her scarred appearence is far too distinguishable to mistake her for a normal housecat. Alejandro scrounges up money from his various competitions (and other unofficial odd jobs he works to build connections around his neighbourhood - the power of nepotism is a valuable asset after all) to buy her pretty collars and accessories and cat toys.

Alejandro had assumed that nursing Reina back to "presentability" would prove something to his parents. In fact, he thought Reina's whole existance was just another test from them to prove himself capable of caring for something dependant on him and/or being independant enough to be a pet owner (or something along those lines). So when he presents his parents with a well pampered Reina and is met with cold indifference, it hurts him quite a bit; didn't he do a good job? (There was no "test" or "challenge", his parents are just assholes.)

They're kinred spirits personality-wise. Both of them have gone through a lot in their limited years, and that unspoken mutual understanding helps them bond quickly. Reina also becomes just as vain as Alejandro once he starts buying her sparkly accessories and trinkets. Alejandro eventually learns how to empathise with other people through his experiences empathising with Reina.

Alejandro and Reina are equally as protective over each other. Reina hisses and swipes at anyone who causes her boy emotional distress if she's around to witness it, and Alejandro gets super jealous when other people try to give Reina attention - she's his cat. (Alejandro has issues with possessiveness and being second place, so having anything in his life as solely his is something he takes quite seriously.)

As for Reina's backstory? I didn't really think much on it other than "tattered looking street cat they found at an animal shelter", but again I'm happy for other people to interpret her as they see fit.