#I'm still so thrilled to see you back again ;w; <3

[phoenix-flamed]

Gently holds @phoenixshards up like Simba

[vbecker10]

Loki's Silent Sentry (Part 3)

Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7

Pairing: Loki x female reader (y/n)

Summary: You are not just a soldier in Asgard's Royal Army, you are Lieutenant Y/L/N, Prince Loki's personal guard, his sentry and you are not supposed to fall in love with him. If you followed your training properly, you should never have even spoken to him. As a sentry, you are expected to remain silent and invisible as you shadow your appointed member of the royal family or member of the court protectively throughout their daily tasks.

Rumors (that happen to be true) begin to circulate through the palace that you serve the younger prince of Asgard both outside and inside his chambers. There is little you can do once word of your off duty activities spread through every maid, cook, gardener and seamstress in the palace. You soon find even the soldiers in your own company are now questioning how exactly you had come to earn your seemingly quick rise to lieutenant.

As the annual Winter Solstice Ball approaches, you come to the heartbreaking realization that your relationship with Loki must come to an end if you are both to fulfill your duties.

Warnings: Angst, arguing, Thor trying to be a better brother, Odin being a terrible father

A/N: I know this was only supposed to be three parts but you guys know not to believe me when I say stuff like that lol... enjoy 💚

You close your eyes as he pulls you tighter to him, you are sure he can feel your heart pounding in your chest. "Are you really here?" you ask in a whisper. You fear he will vanish like one of his illusions the second you let go of him.

"I'm here my love," he reassures you. He kisses the top of your head and you look up at him. "Follow me," he says in a low voice.

You smile and nod without caring where you are going, you will always follow him anywhere.

He takes your hand and leads you into the room he came out of. You can see he has been busy with his magic, his abilities have always thrilled and impressed you. The magically altered office is twice as large inside as it should be and is an exact replica of his chambers. You look around in awe and can't help but wonder if this isn't an illusion but one of his transportation spells.

He smiles with pride at your reaction and puts his arm around your waist, pulling you close to him again.

"How did you do all of this?" you ask. "Its amazing... you're amazing," you tell him as you turn in his arms to face him.

"I'm afraid the young corporal spent has a large portion of her time this week dutifully guarding my empty office," he jokes and you laugh with him.

"Gods, is that why you requested a new sentry?" you ask.

He smiles mischievously, "Sergeant Tones paid far too much attention to my comings and goings." He strokes your cheek slowly and says, "Now, enough about them," he leans down to kiss your lips and you kiss him back, gripping the fabric of his shirt. Without breaking the kiss, he waves his hand slightly and your armor suddenly vanishes. You smile against his lips, feeling the added weight disappear and his hands rest on the back of your shirt.

You look up at him and say, "I've missed you so much. Did your mother tell you?"

He nods and takes your hand, leading you to the sofa where you sit close together, his arm around your waist and your hand on his knee. "She told me," he answers. "There are only two people in this world I have ever been able to confide in, you and my mother." He pauses for a moment then says, "After you left the throne room, my mother and I went to her private library. I needed her to know how much I care for you, how much you mean to me. I was still afraid my father would find a reason to send you away somewhere but she promised me she would protect you."

"She's been very kind to me," you tell him, smiling to reassure him that you are okay. "You're very lucky to have a mother like her."

He nods in agreement but you can see something is weighing him down. "Loki, what's wrong?" you ask in a worried tone.

"I hate this," he says after a moment. "I hate not being able to see you and when I do, I'm barely allowed to look at you. I hate being able to give you orders but not speak to you. I hate having to pretend that you mean nothing to me. I don't know how much longer I can stand to be without you."

You kiss him and you feel him relax slowly in your arms. "Our passing moments together will never be enough for me but I promise you, I savor every second I see you or hear your voice," you tell him.

He smiles at your response then you can see his attention shift and he says, "I need to tell you something."

"You can tell me anything," you remind him.

"Your paperwork for the transfer wasn't denied... I never submitted it to your captain," he admits, "And I was never going to."

You look at him in shock and he continues.

"I'm so sorry I lied to you. I know it was wrong and I swear on all the Gods that I've never lied to you before but... I just couldn't let you leave me," he says, you can hear the worry in his voice.

You can't help but let out a laugh and he shifts uncomfortably. "I'm sorry," you smile but he still looks concerned. "A part of me was desperately hoping you would somehow delay the transfer. I never wanted to leave you," you admit. "I was a fool for thinking if we were apart, I would be able to move on."

He smiles and kisses you again, his hands traveling up and down the back of your thin shirt. "Stay here with me tonight," he says between kisses. He doesn't say it as a prince ordering his sentry but you obey his request without a second thought.

You stand quietly in front of the queen's office, eagerly awaiting the end of her current meeting. She had informed you this morning that her last meeting was going to be with her youngest son. You couldn't wait to see him, even though you knew it would be brief and he would be unable to speak to you. Any second you saw him outside of the time the two of you stole was appreciated greatly.

It is almost three months since your new Sunday night routine with Loki began. He would slip through the palace with ease after he dismissed his sentry for the night and you would take a left at the top of the stairs after his mother released you.

While hidden away, surrounded by his illusion, the two of you could pretend everything was perfect. You love him with all of your heart and he loves you back just as fiercely. He would kiss you and hold you and tell you that you were his but the moment the sun came up, everything would change. You always did your best to hold back your emotions as you put your armor on and returned to your silent duties.

It devastated you every time you needed to leave him but you kept your pain to yourself. You were afraid to ruin the small window of time you had with wishes and false hope that things could somehow be different.

You follow the queen as she moves gracefully through the long marble halls of the palace, her dress flowing around her. You groan internally when a third council member stops to greet her, delaying your arrival at the prince's office yet again. She nods politely at his failed attempt at what you assume was a joke and kindly excuses herself.

After what seems like hours, you finally you turn the corner and his office is in sight, your heart races knowing you will see him even if it is just for a moment.

You can see his young sentry leaning against the wall behind her and remember how heavy your armor was when you first started. She hears you approaching and stands at attention. You signal for her to knock and announce the queen's presence which she does quickly, it is easy to see how nervous she is. You can't fault her for being anxious around the royal family, especially when you are terrified of the king and less than fond of the older prince.

The door opens and you hold back the smile that tries to slip free when he steps out into the hall. "Hello mother," he smiles at her and she embraces him.

"Good luck with your meeting," she says after taking a step back.

You look between the queen and Loki in shock when you realize she is talking to you. "I'm sorry your highness?" you say quietly.

"Prince Loki has something to discuss with you, Lieutenant Y/L/N. Corporal Glasgow will be temporarily assigned to me for the remainder of the day," she says.

You and the corporal exchange a quick look with a mix of surprise and confusion. It was not protocol to simply switch sentries, especially in the middle of a shift but neither of you were in a position to question the queen. The new guard bows to Queen Frigga and Prince Loki, then without another word they leave the way you came.

You find yourself standing in front of Loki, completely alone and unsure why. It was only Tuesday, had something happened that couldn't wait until Sunday? Your mind suddenly races with all the horrid things that keep you awake at night. Had someone discovered the two of you have been sneaking off together? Were you being sent to a post far from the palace? Had he finally gotten engaged to a woman his father and the kingdom would approve of? Both Loki and the queen were far too calm for any of these to be true but you couldn't push the thoughts away.

He motions for you to follow him and you close the door upon entering his office. Your fears subside momentarily when Loki pulls you into his arms. You close your eyes tightly as he whispers, "I have news."

"Good news or bad?" you ask hesitantly, pulling away slightly but his arms hold you to him.

He smiles in response, "Very good news my love." He takes your hand and the thoughts that had been swirling around your mind fade in an instant. "Come, let me show you," he says, you can hear the joy and excitement in his voice as he leads you through his office.

He pulls out the leather chair behind his large desk, "Sit." You pause before doing as he asks, sometimes it was hard to break protocol even when you were with Loki. You had never sat on this side of his desk before and hadn't realized that until this moment.

"Relax," he says with a light laugh. "I promise you, no one will barge in and find you sitting here."

"Sorry," you let out a nervous laugh. "I guess I'm still a bit worried that your father will banish me to Migard or somewhere."

He kneels next to you and takes your hand. "I would never let him send you away, you know that right?" he asks.

You nod, "I know." You clear your throat, pushing away that fear and ask, "What did you want to show me?"

He smiles so wide you can't help but smile in response. He gets up quickly and grabs the large book on his desk, picking it up he places it right in front of you. "What is this?" you ask, opening the cover. "Asgardian Marriage Law..." you read the cover slowly. "Loki, what-" you start to ask.

"I found it," he is too excited to let you finish your question.

You look at him for a moment, unsure what he is talking about when suddenly it clicks. "You found... you found a loop hole?" you ask, your heart beating faster.

He nods quickly and he repeats, "I found it."

You pace anxiously outside of the throne room, your heart pounding in your chest as you wait for the grand council to convene. "Please stop, Y/N," Loki says as he leans on the wall across from the tall doors. "You are making me dizzy."

"Sorry," you walk over to him. "I'm just nervous. What if he says no? What if he gets angry again?" It was only a day ago when Loki spoke to you in his office but in that short time, your mind had invented hundreds of scenarios that filled you with dread.

Loki seems quite the opposite, he has never been more sure of anything as he holds his research calmly. He extends his free hand and you take it, "Y/N, if I know my father as well as I think I do, he will say no and he will be angry."

"That is not making me feel better," you frown but he chuckles.

"Do not give up on me now," he says. "I told you I will find a way to make you mine and I intend to keep that promise."

You smile at his words and move closer but before you can kiss him the large doors to the throne room are swung open. You pull away from Loki and swallow hard as your nerves ramp up again. He keeps hold of your hand and leads you into the throne room.

The room comes alive around you as the council members that line the room begin to whisper frantically to each other but you pay no attention to them. Your eyes are fixed on Odin, sitting atop the tall throne at the rear of the room. Frigga stands to his right and Thor, in his full dress uniform to his left. Loki squeezes your hand tighter and you are unsure if he is trying to calm you or himself.

The two of you come to a stop at the base of the stairs leading to the throne and Odin holds up a hand to silence the council. Loki bows briefly out of respect for his parents and you kneel as you've been trained.

After a moment or an eternity, you can't tell, Odin says, "Rise".

You stand but keep your head down slightly, knowing Loki is the one who needs to address the council. You are simply here because he wanted you to be, but this isn't where you belong and you know that.

"Why did you call for the grand council to meet?" Odin asks and you look at Loki who gives you a small smile before facing his parents.

"I've called you all here to discuss the marriage requirements for the second child of the king," Loki says.

"The laws are the same for all children of the crown," an older man to your left calls out. The crowd mumbles amongst themselves in agreement but Odin holds his hand up again.

Loki continues, "I am not speaking about the laws that my older brother is meant to follow. Prince Thor is heir to the throne, the next king of Asgard but I am not on the same path."

A few more hushed whispers are heard but it doesn't stop Loki. "There is no argument that the heir must marry someone who is of a certain status and has the approval of the grand council as well as the king and queen," he says and Thor nods, knowing that is his fate. "What I am bringing to the court's attention is that the rules for the second child, the spare, are not the same," he pauses for a second, "And they never were."

The council members all begin talking at once, denying Loki's claim that he is not to be held to the same rules as Thor. The throne room fills with voices and Loki looks around as if he is becoming lost. You squeeze his hand to get his attention and when he looks at you, you reach up and kiss his cheek. You know you shouldn't but he needs to know you support and believe in him.

As soon as your lips touch his cheek, he smiles but Odin stands up, causing the whole room to go silent in an instant. The queen gently places her hand on his arm and he slowly sits without saying a word but it is obvious your display of affection for Loki is not appreciated. After a moment, he waves for Loki to continue.

Loki takes a deep breath and begins where he left off, "I am not suggesting that the second son or daughter of the royal family is free to many anyone. I am merely stating that the rules are not the same for the heir as they are for additional children."

"And what are the requirements for the son who is not the heir?" Thor asks, you are surprised that he genuinely sounds curious.

Before Loki can answer, a woman you always found especially condescending says, "Does it matter? This soldier will never meet them."

Laughter spreads through the council and you look down at your boots as you feel your face flush. Loki squeezes your hand again and you look up, raising your head high.

"I would like to know, that is why it matters," Thor says simply and the laughter stops. He offers his younger brother an encouraging smile, "Continue, please."

Loki answers Thor's question, "The council is of course aware of the numerous rules that surround choosing a spouse for the heir, but the rules for the second son or daughter in the royal family are the same as those written for the children of council members."

Several low whispers begin to fill the room but Loki keeps talking over them. "It is true," he looks at you briefly before turning back to his parents. "Lieutenant Y/L/N does not currently have the rank to become my wife but in a few short years, she will."

"This can not be true," a voice off to your right says.

"It is, I am allowed to marry a soldier from an established military family who is ranked captain or higher. Y/N's family has served Asgard for generations, several members of her immediate family are high ranking officers in our army or royal guard and she is only one rank shy of becoming a captain herself," he explains.

The whispers become louder until the council members are shouting amongst themselves. A few voices in favor of acknowledging the forgotten rule rise above the others and you dare for a moment to feel excited.

Odin raises his hand for silence once again and your heart sinks. He looks at his youngest son then at you and you can see in his eyes he is not convinced even though it seems some of the council is shifting their opinion.

"I wish to see this rule," Odin says. Loki nods and holds out the leather bound book he is holding. A young council clerk walks between members of the crowd to Loki. Loki opens the book, pointing to the page he marked and hands it to the clerk who delivers it to the king. Odin sits quietly, reading the passage again and again.

Loki looks down at you and smiles but you can tell he is as nervous as you feel. "It's going to be ok," you whisper.

"I love you," he whispers back.

Before you can tell Loki you love him as well, you hear Odin stand from the throne. He holds the book open, looking down at the page at if it offends him. "This was clearly a mistake," the king insists, still looking down. "One which I intend to correct immediately," he says, looking up at you and Loki.

He rips the page from the book and crumples it in his hand, you can barely believe your eyes. "Thank you for bringing this unfortunate error to the council's attention. From this day forth, all children of the crown, regardless of birth order, must follow the same strict rules for courting and marriage. Spouses will be chosen from the family's of the high court as they always have been," Odin proclaims. "Soldiers will continue to be ineligible for marriage to a person of royal blood, no matter their rank or lineage," he adds, making sure you will never be able to marry Loki even if you become a general in the future.

"No! He can't do this," you think angrily. Your mind is spinning and your heart races. How could he take this away from his own son.

"You dare to tell me what I can and can not do!?" the king asks in a booming voice and you suddenly freeze.

You look at Loki, his eyes filled with fear and realize you didn't think that, you said it out loud. Odin slowly takes a step forward and you fight the urge to turn and run.

I hope you liked this!! Please like, share and comment if you did 💚💚

@soubi001 @michelleleewise @harlequin-hangout @ace-of-gay @xorpsbane @mochie85 @sheris532 @lokiswife-dark-fox-queen @kkdvkyya @animnerd @peaches1958 @peachyjinx @theaudacitytowrite @lokiandbuckysdoll @winterfrostlovetriangle @high-functioning-lokipath @winniewings @pics-and-fanfics @cabingrlandrandomcrap @icytrickster17 @lokisgoodgirl @mischief2sarawr @stupidthoughtsinwriting @mjsthrillernp @holdmytesseract @holymultiplefandomsbatman @lulubelle814 @crimson25 @goblingirlsarah @janineb86 @chantsdemarins @simone818283 @tonystank8 @im-briana-stan @foxherder @chantsdemarins @catsladen @alexakeyloveloki @siconetribal

[laladellakang]

partners (1/2) ♡

masterlist | wattpad

DETAILS: bold dialogue: english members: ot7, (individual scenes) nrk, psh, lhs, yjw word count: 5.1k add. della in dark blood/bite me

SUMMARY: behind the scenes of dark blood [revamp] hehe revamp like vampires 1/2 + slight continuation of burgundy lipstick on jungwon's part

NOTES: hi! i'm so sorry for being away for so long! i have an explanation here if you wanna see what's been happening BUT NOWW i've come back for this new special birthday + anniversary month chapter! this is basically the partners chapter but revised + more scenes. i was gonna just combine it w part two but it was hecka long and i hate extremely long chapters. oh yea and della's dance in bite me includes a girlie now (but still has a man) please let me know what you think by sending asks/commenting. i look forward to them while writing and they really make my day <3 

Della's hand injury at the start of 2023 has caused an obvious shift within Enhypen's dynamics. The fear of another relapse has caused the members to grow increasingly protective and wary of the girl, doing everything they can to get the love of their life back. Displaying it through their constant supervision when Della is in the kitchen, to being assured that she has taken her antidepressants, to an overall improvement in communication to ensure that her negative thoughts don't boil over.

Fortunately, the slump went away faster than they anxiously expected. Following the tour and her plastic surgery, Della had regained her usual self just in time for her birthday and their two-year anniversary. As their bond grows stronger by the day, the eight found themselves back in their honeymoon phase— practically inseperable.

Then the time came for a comeback.

It would have been ten months since their last one, and the group ready to go back into their busy routine with barely any rest but at least looked cute while doing it. They were excited for the change, and even more thrilled to find out that the concept would be something sexy. However, when they were briefed about the potential couple choreography, all seven boys froze collectively.

"We have to see how this goes. This is uncharted territory for us, so we're not sure if it's the best idea," the creative director explained. "BTS' Jimin incorporated mixed dancers, and the response was pretty good. However, 'Like Crazy' wasn't a full-on couple dance, so it might be different this time."

Jungwon, who was sitting to the left of Della, immediately held her hand under the desk, while the other six stole glances in her direction. Their minds were mostly occupied with how their girlfriend would react, as opposed to fully sinking in what such concept would entail for them.

"You'll hear the song in a bit, but since the key point is about a man doting on the woman who turned him into a vampire, we are going to have Della be the killing part," another director continued. "You'll have slightly different lyrics from the boys and you'll have an overall more seductive look."

"Thank you," Della bowed in her seat. "Is it altered to be more feminine?" she asked.

"No, no. You'll be singing from the girl's perspective. So if we look at the next page—" the sound of papers flipping echoed through the room. "Here, for Della's part in the teaser, we're gonna have you bite an actor— of course, not literally," the director's comment made a few people snicker. "—and turn him into a vampire. So, essentially, you'll be singing to two people: the woman who turned you and the man that you turned."

"Ahh, understood," Della nodded calmly. "Thank you," she said once again before caressing the back of Jungwon's tense hand. She glanced over at the others to find most of them looking at their sheet with a hard gaze. She could additionally see Jake playing with the corner of his and hear Jay's foot tapping on the floor. 

"Thank you for the question, now back to the previous page—" another round of paper-flipping. "Now given that backstory, Della's partner in this comeback will be the only male—" the comment made Ni-ki choke on the coffee he was sipping. "Are you alright?"

"Ye– yeah! My– apo– apologies." he said in between coughs, turning his body away from the table while Sunoo patted his back.

"Like we said, we don't know how this is gonna turn out. We're sort of taking a gamble by doing this type of concept, but it's certainly going to be different and memorable."

The car ride home was tense. The members made an effort to conceal their emotions in the office, but in the privacy of the car, they saw no need to do so, and thus, they didn't. Though the discussion had to wait until they reached the dorm, as they needed all seven boys to be there. Della, who already knew the reason behind the tension, just calmly played with her phone and hummed to their upcoming title track.

"You really like the song, huh?" Jay commented as he entered the combination to their dorm. Since they had freshly heard it, all Della kept doing was humming the tune and repeating the words 'just come kiss me and bite me',which only heightened the tension among the three boys in her car. She could have chosen any other parts of the song and instead went for that specific line.

"It's one of my favorites of ours. It's so good," Della stopped her humming to reply with a grin. "We're ho—"

"Group meeting!" Jungwon immediately called out.

"As expected," Della muttered to herself. The four new arrivals swiftly put their shoes away and made headed to the living room, where the other four were already waiting. "Hello—"

"Lala, how are you feeling?" Jungwon wasted no time in asking. The question that all seven boys have been meaning to ask for the past two hours.

"I feel great," she replied with a soft smile, sitting on the couch armrest. "The song's great! The concept's great! I really can't wait for it."

"Is there... anything you dislike about the concept?" Sunghoon asked with a suspicious tone.

"Honestly..." the boys all looking at her with curious, yet almost eager eyes. "I think it's our best concept yet. It really represents Enhypen," her words made them collectively sigh in relief. "Were you expecting me to hate it?"

"No, it's just— like..." Sunoo struggled to find the words to explain the situation. "We were worried about the couple concept thing. The couple dance plus all the acting."

"Why were you worried about that?" Della furrowed her eyebrows. "Are you expecting me to be jealous?"

"No!" the seven said simultaneously in different tones. "We were just worried." Della couldn't help but scoff and giggle at her boyfriends.

"You guys have gotten so used to being a group that you often say things in unison," she covered the bottom half of her face, unable to contain her giggles. "So cute!"

"Wait— Lala, stay focused— are you seriously, seriously fine with everything?" Sunoo placed a hand on her knee to grab her attention.

"I'm totally cool! I don't mind you guys dancing with girls at all!" Della said with wide eyes and a genuine tone. "Guys, I used to train in YG— dancing or acting with the opposite sex is nothing! It's all professional," the mention of her old company itself suddenly provided the answer to their question.

"But the concept is quite sexy. We won't just be dancing next to each other, it's gonna be a couple dance with hand touching, at least," Jake explained.

"Honey, have you seen groups like Winner and BigBang? With Riki still being a baby, I doubt any of the parts will be suggestive— the worst thing they can do is have you hold onto the dancer's waist or something," she gave the Aussie a knowing look. "This is the art of dancing! We're exploring new stuff that fourth gen hasn't done before!" her eyes shone with every word she spoke, clearly showing her enthusiasm for the concept.

"I mean... on top of that, we don't love the idea too," Sunghoon spoke up, trying to be gentle. "We— or at least I wouldn't want to dance with another girl, let alone seeing you dance with another guy," Heeseung and Jay pointed to him in agreement while the others nod.

"Aww, darling, it's all professional, I promise!" Della made her way to the Sunghoon and released his crossed arms. "I'm only dancing with him for a little bit! Barely half a minute, I'm sure," she linked her arm with his and stared up at him with puppy eyes.

"It still ain't fun," he muttered, gulping down at the sight of her.

"Della, it's not that we don't trust you or anything," Heeseung sighed. "You have guy friends, for Christ's sake, we really do trust you! It's just... it's just..."

"It just fucking sucks," Jay bluntly completed for him. "—and we really don't wanna do this couple dance thing either. We know it's gonna hurt you."

"I'm not hurt, honest!" Della straightened her posture and widened her eyes. "I mean, we can always try to reason with the team if you guys are rea—" her idea was immediately cut by a string of 'no's.

"Forget about us, we'll be fine!" the other six wanted to smack their maknae on the head for lying. No, they will certainly not be fine. "But you! We don't want to hurt you or anything!" at least his other point was correct.

"I'm not hurt! Look, guys—" Della sighed, sitting down in betweenn Ni-Ki and Jay on the sofa and held their hands. "I'm not gonna lie, I might get a little jealous, but just a little! I'm not gonna be 'hurt', I swear! Just this conversation alone is enough to assure me that you all are seriously the best boyfriends in the world," she said with utmost sincerity. "I have nothing to worry about and— I know it's easier said than done but so should you. I'm completely obsessed with you guys! I don't want anyone else"

"Well, there are seven of us," Jungwon blurted out without thought. "I'm sorry!" his eyes instantly filled with regret while his hand went up to cover his mouth. "I didn't mean it like that. That sounds so wrong, I'm sor—"

"It's okay, darling. I'm not offended," Della got up from her seat and ruffled his hair. "Plus, you're absolutely right! I have seven boyfriends, I don't need any more! Especially when you're all so perfect." she placed a kiss on Jungwon's cheek before heading towards the kitchen. The seven boys all looked at each other in flabbergast.

"Are you absolutely, positively certain you're okay with the couple thing?!" Jay called out.

"Absolutely! I trust you guys! Best boyfriends ever, I tell you!"

The boys eyed each other as the same thought crossed their minds; one that they could never say aloud. "She gets jealous and upset over fan ships with idols we barely (or never) even talk to, yet she seems completely fine when we act with a girl for the screen?"

When the day came to finally learn the choreography, the boys were evidently really tense. They didn't even bother to conceal it in hopes that they might magically cancel the idea due to lack of chemistry. Little did they know that that is what the company prefers; for them to not 'stray from Engenes' hearts.'

The overall lesson came out smoothly, with everyone remaining professional and focused at the task at hand. Yet that was also because Della had not even touched her male dance partner. That part would only come towards the end of the song, on the second chorus, as Della dances with a girl on the first half. It was easy for the boys to cast their jealousy aside, but it certainly wasn't when the man finally came along.

"Della, your partner, Ingyu, as you know," the choreographer introduced the two out of formality. "Ingyu, Della," both Della and Ingyu politely bowed, despite already knowing each other from earlier. "Do you think you can do the moves from memory?" the choreographer grinned at the girl.

"Maybe...? Hopefully?" Della nervously grinned back, causing both the choreographer and Ingyu to chuckle.

Everyone had practiced and (essentially) mastered the chorus dance, but Della needed to be taken aside to learn the part switch she has with her male partner. It was an entirely new set for her, whereas several of the members just had to change partners.

This also provided an opportunity for them to fully observe their girlfriend dancing with another man. How lucky were they to have their full attention on the session they dread the most.

"Let's see what you've got," the choreographer stepped back to observe. "Five, six, seven, eight— it's you and me in this world..." Della did a great job mirroring the moves. Although some details in her leg movements were missing, her upper body ones were practically all correct.

"Damn, we just had to have a break while they are doing their part," Jay mumbled to his fellow members. "If it had happened earlier, we would have had something to focus on. But now it's right up on our faces."

"They have great chemistry, don't they?" Heeseung scoffed with a sardonic smile. Their eyes followed as the choreographer instructed Della on how much she needed to bend, having her hold onto Ingyu for support. "Wow, such amazing chemistry," he sarcastically remarked.

"Did I ever tell you about the time I asked her about the chemistry between my partner and I?" Sunoo asked Heeseung, who replied with a shake of his head. "I asked her how she would feel if I had good dance chemistry with my partner, and she just said, 'That's great! You should switch partners if the dance chemistry isn't there.' Like, what the fuck?"

"Ahh, you mentioned that to me," Jungwon reminded him. "Della really isn't jealous—she even encouraged Sunoo-hyung to make eye contact," he pointed at Sunoo.

"Really?!" Jake's eyes widened. "Even in front of the cameras?!"

"Uh!" Jungwon and Sunoo nodded with wide eyes. "I think as long as everything remains professional, she's completely fine."

"Well can someone tell her that we're not completely fine?" Sunghoon really tried to not glare at the couple but it wasn't like he was the only one.

It took around fifteen minutes for Della to get all the moves down. While it wasn't long by any means, the boys felt like the session ran through a hour. Instead of making the most out of their break, they were using up their energy on the glares that they sent the couple's way. 

Both the choreographer and Ingyu (and certainly Della) could feel the potential holes that were burning through the male dancer's skin, yet they decide to brush it off since it doesn't appear to affect Della's performance. They always knew that the Enha boys had a crush on the girl anyway.

The keyword was professional, and as long as everyone remains that then all should be well.

"Are you finish?" Sunghoon asked Della as she finally made her way over for her break.

"Yup," she gave a thumbs up. "Thankfully, it wasn't difficult."

While they were all feeling jealous, they knew that Della had done everything they asked of her and there was wasn't much she could do. So they resorted to the only outlet available for them to express their emotions; teasing and poking fun at her.

"Was it fun?" Sunoo playfully glared at her with a pout.

"Aish, it's all professional," she playfully pushed him.

"So it was fun?" Sunoo pestered further, causing Della to scoff and mutter a "no it wasn't."

"'It's all professional,' but you were fully leaning on his chest?" Jungwon teased as well.

"It was no different from you!" she protested with a point to him. "—with all of you! We maintained our distance and everything."

"Our distance was like this—" Jake opened his arms wide in exaggeration. "While your distance was like this," he demonstrated by getting very close to Jay.

"No, it wasn't!" Della stomped her feet repeatedly. "You guys are exaggerating!"

"In that case, show us how it was," Ni-ki stood up from the floor and got closer to Della. "Demonstrate with me," he smirked.

"Eyy!" the members teased, impressed by their maknae's smooth flirting. "Go on! Show us!"

"Aish, you seven," Della complained with a roll to her eyes but complied anyway. "It's you and me in this world..." she sang monotonously and lazily repeated the moves that she just learned.

"Wah! Look at the large gap when it's with me!" Ni-ki protested to his hyungs. "Wah... seriously..." he pinched his nose bridge and shook his head.

"What the—" Della's confusion was immediately cut off by the members simultaneously jestering her. Choruses of "wah Della!", "how could you do that?!" "with our maknae too!" and "can't believe you play favourites," ran through the circle, making whoever else in the room glance at them with an amused expression.

"What are you talking about?!"

"Riki, riki, what do you think of this? So everyone disappears out of the frame except for you," Della explained her vision, using her hands to mimic curtains opening. "All eyes are on you and then Sunghoon-oppa emerges!" her hand then dramatically raised as if she was Thanos. "Brave heart— pam, pam, pam!" she said Ni-ki's line while popping her chest. "Then you and Sunghoon-oppa couple dance on his part!" the pen in her hand dropped as if it was a microphone and she had just said something life changing. 

"Couple dance?" Ni-ki raised an eyebrow. The two dancers were ecstatic when the choreographer had asked them to take part in the process. They have wanted this for so long and were finally given the responsibility of the pre-chorus and second verse. The pre-chorus practically screams Ni-ki's name so it was a no-brainer for the maknae to take the former. 

They were experimenting together but didn't interfere with each other's section, simply situated in an empty practice room with snacks and their phones playing the recently recorded song. It almost reminded them of the time when they had their first kiss.

"Not literally, but like... a pair dance, y'know? Something like Given-Taken," Della grinned. "Then Heeseung-oppa emerges! Then I emerge! Then everyone gathers and emerges—"

"What is with you and people emerging?" Ni-ki laughed. He was feeling a little too happy to have his girlfriend all to himself whilst doing the activity they love the most (especially since said activity was recently ruined by the couple dance). It was evident in his clinginess and the shine in his eyes. 

"It's the drama! The vampire! The darkness!" the younger could only laugh more, letting his head drop on his girlfriend's lap. 

"I'm sure you know what suits the mood, and I think the emergence thing sounds great," Ni-ki can't help but hum when Della's fingers tangled themselves in his hair. "I'm doing something like this; come here and get some—" with his eyes still closed and basking in the soothing sensation, he brought his hands up to form the first part of his original dance. "Something with a cool vibe, y'know?" 

「大好き」 Della smiled softly. 「まじ力のスタイル」 she got close to his face to place a sideways kiss on his lips. [daisuki: i love it, maji riki no sutairu: it's seriously riki's style]

「ありがとう」Ni-ki muttered out before closing the gap to deepen the kiss. [arigatou: thanks]

Della and her boyfriends wouldn't call herself a jealous person. However, what she definitely is, is an anxiety-filled, insecure person. Otherwise known as a jealous person. 

But she's not envious! She simply overthinks that some girls just suit the boys better than her and that they deserve better. While she's not jealous of the boys acting with Park Jiwon for the trailer, she had to admit that she was a little nervous before the shoot.

'What if they look great together? Especially Sunghoon since he has a lot of scenes with her,' she recognises that she's overthinking it but she really can't prevent herself from doing so.

'Sunghoon and one of your close friends look great together, but they don't give off couple vibes,' she reminded herself. 'You look great with them too, Lala. Give yourself some credit, you bad bitch.'

With the help of her self-pep talk (and antidepressants), her nervousness subdued quick. It also didn't take long for it to completely wash away, resulting from Jiwon being a massive shipper of Enha as a group. It was evident in how she giggled to herself whenever Della and the boys did anything close to being couple-like.

Furthermore, she had caught Jiwon pouting to her manager, questioning; "Is that all we're getting? Della being disappointed in Sunghoon and they don't even hug?" or along those lines.

Needless to say, there was no reason for Della to feel jealous, and that almost annoyed Mister Park Sunghoon himself.

"You're seriously, seriously not jealous?" Sunghoon asked when they had a moment to themselves on set.

"No? Why would I be?" Della said with a borderline sassy tone. The boys have been walking around eggshells with Jiwon and have constantly asked the same questions to Della. A rotation between "are you sure?" "is it really okay?" "aren't you jealous?" and "are you feeling okay?" Although she appreciates the gesture and thinks it's incredibly sweet of them, she has gotten tired of saying the same things over and over again.

"Not even the slightest? Babe, the storyline literally includes me defending her more than yo—" 

"And what are you gonna do if I said that I was?" she cut him off, moving closer to him with a low voice.

"I– I mean," he stuttered at the look on her face and sudden close proximity. Even after two years, there are still moments when he finds Della intimidating. "Just wanted to make sure you were okay—"

"And what are you gonna do if I said that I wasn't?" she practically repeated. "You want me to congratulate you?" an eyebrow was raised to challenge him further.

"No! That's not what I meant!" his eyes widened in panic. "I– I was just– a little—" he did have an reason, but the addition of Della's hand pushing his bangs to the side had distracted him from whatever it was he was trying to say.

"Why don't you relay this to the others as well, hm?" she then brushed her fingers on his cheekbones. "I am rarely ever jealous because, at the end of the day, when you act out those scenes or record our songs, I'm the one who's on your mind. You don't think of Jiwon, your dancers, or even Sooha or Engenes. You think of me," she lets out a smirk when he appeared to be in a daze.

"The lyrics that you sing in your songs? Those are all for me."

"I get to have a couple dance with you?!" Heeseung exclaimed when Della broke the news. "Sweet! Nice!"

She really couldn't help it. She just had to reveal to the guy that she sneaked in a tiny pair dance for the two of them. It wasn't much in her eyes but it's more than enough for Heeseung.

"You have to show me! Please!" Heeseung got up from his bed, ready to replicate whatever it was that Della came up with. "It's definitely gonna be the choreo, right?! Like they won't ask you to change it or anything?" Della couldn't help but chuckle at how adorable the older was. His eyes sparkled with eager and hope, incredibly ready to perform his girlfriend's arrangement in pride.

"Nope. Absolute free to do whatever I want," she grinned before standing up as well. "All you do is kneel..." she kneeled on the floor to demonstrate, with Heeseung following suit. "Then rise... walk... then this," what he had to do wasn't difficult at all, so he would definitely still be able to sing live. "That's it."

"And yours?" Della smiled and made her way behind him. It was a tight fit, but the two can definitely make it work with how simple the moves are.

"Go ahead."

"'Come to me, make it right,'" Heeseung could feel himself get even more excited when Della placed her hand under his chin. "'Please connect me again,' woah!" his eyes widened at her hands running down his arms. 

"'Devour you,'" Della whispered, leaving goosebumps on his skin. Her face got close to his neck while her right hand mimicked a claw on his shoulder blade. Knowing Heeseung, this move should drive him insane.

"No fricking way," within a flash, Della was back onto the bed with Heeseung lips on the side of her neck. "Gosh, I love this vampire concept."

"Gosh, I hate this vampire concept," Heeseung rumbled under his breath.

"It was all fun and games until we realise what a vampire concept entails," Jake mumbled with crossed arms. 

"Yeah, and it's whatever this shit is," Jay huffed, openly glaring at the unfolding scene without a care.

Della was in the midst of filming the scene where she wakes up and bites a passerby. For budget conveniences (since his face wouldn't be visible anyway), the actor was none other than her male backup dancer, Ingyu.

It seems that, although she had made her lack of jealousy clear, her reasons did not resonate with her men. Even when they implement her advice, they still felt that red, hot jealousy. 

"If his face ain't even on the video, then can't one of us do it? Seriously..." Sunoo rolled his eyes to avoid looking at Della leaning into Ingyu's neck. 

"I know right?" Jungwon and Jay briefly replied, shifting their eyes to the monitor and giving them a closer look at the scene.

"Oh my God!" the boys (with the exception of Sunoo, who was still avoiding the performance), held a shocked look when Della's pretend bite appeared very realistic.

The segment is definitely different from that of Jay's and Sunghoon's. With Della being the one to initiate the bite, the focus is on her face instead of the partner's. The audience could see her laziness-laced body with eyes holding a convincing hunger to them, making it look like she was an actual starved vampire. She looks incredibly alluring, all while looking at another man.

"Oh great, she's amazing at acting too," after a quick glance back, Sunoo let out another eye roll. "Does she always have to give it her all? She should've half assed it," he spat out. 

"Sunoo-ya," Heeseung and Jungwon laughed while the other four snorted with grins on their faces. 

"You're gonna get us in trouble with that language," Jay chuckled.

"I wasn't screaming it or anything— I'm just saying what you all are thinking," Sunoo shrugged innocently. "You three are way louder than me without even saying anything" he gestured to Heeseung, Jay and Jungwon, additionally giving them a pointed look. The others know they can't disagree, as the trio really placed their heart on their sleeves this time.

"I don't fucking get it. Any one of us could really act this scene, I swear," Jungwon huffed out with a sarcastic smile. He placed his hands in his pockets, turning his body around to avoid looking any further. "Seven boys and they went with someone else for fucking budget reasons when they don't need to pay us fuck all for that scene alone. It's like they're doing this on purpose just so his name is on the fucking credits and Engenes won't ship us or—" 

"Woah, woah!" Heeseung and Jake cut him off from his tangent. Jay and Sunoo's eyes simply widened while Ni-ki and Sunghoon held him back as if he was going to fight.

"You need to have a talk with Della or something," Sunghoon pat his left shoulder in attempt to calm him down. On his right, the youngest did a similar gesture by massaging the tense area.

"Or your therapist..."

"A little birdie told me you need to let things out," fortunately, since Della's part was the last shoot of the day, Jungwon's sour mood did not interfere with their work. It also gave them the opportunity to talk in the fully private hotel room. 

Jungwon only scoffed out, keeping his arms crossed as he sat on the bed. The man himself doesn't fully understand why he was so upset. The other boys had quickly calmed themselves— unbeknownst to him, it was because they saw how angry their leader was, yet he remained with a scowl for majority of the time. 

"Who?" he avoided eye contact when he muttered, afraid to raise his voice at the girl.

"It doesn't even matter because I can tell with my eyes closed," Della mirrored his body language but remained standing before him and leaning on the desk behind her. She has always been nervous whenever any one of the boys are mad at her, but Jungwon is probably the most intimidating. His leader energy is incredible.

"I just don't understand why they need Ingyu to act when there are seven other men who can do it," he went straight to the point. "If his face isn't even showing then any one of us could've done it! Heck— even the director could use his own neck! They couldn't have one of us to do it?!" as he went on, his voice started to raise a little in passion.

Della only stood there with an occasional nod, listening to the tangent that the other members have already heard. He talked nonstop for a few minutes, leaving Della room to ponder through her words.

She noticed that he kept repeating points like 'any one of the members could do it,' 'the bite could've been even more realistic,' and 'why they would want you to imitate a bite on another man.' It all finally clicked to her when Jungwon said, "They scrapped the kiss mark for the jacket shoot and now this? They're definitely keeping us apart on purpose."

"Jungwonie?" she grinned mischievously, to which he stopped and replied with a hum. "You're so cute," she didn't give him much time to react, as she had already hovered above him to connect their lips.

"Wait, Lala—" the younger was certainly not complaining, but he wished that Della would say a bit more than that, especially after he went on and on.

"You want more neck kisses, don't you?" she grinned once again. "You felt special during the jacket shoot and want that again, right? And you're jealous because the concept was scrapped for you yet another man got it. Am I right?"

Jungwon blinked slowly, taking in the observation that the mind reader had made. He didn't even know that he was feeling that way but it all makes sense. His emotions weren't even specifically directed to Ingyu; it's towards a man who wasn't him. He would feel the same if the team had chosen any other member. 

A rare occurrence for Jungwon, but definitely not impossible. As much as he loves his best friends and the relationship, he did originally want Della all to himself.

A giggle interrupted his train of thoughts, and when Della asked for a confirmation, all he could do was nod in embarrassment. She let out another giggle before closing the gap between them once again.

"Don't worry, Wonie. I'll give you a million neck kisses if that's what you want."

my writing style has evolved and i'm hating a lot of my old works so i'm going to edit + tweak them soon but i'm still keeping the old ones on wattpad just in case they're someone's comfort fics <3 n e ways i hope you enjoy because i hope my writing style has progressed instead of regressed

part two coming soon

taglist! @afiaaaa19 @riikiblr @one16core @i90snoo @danyxthirstae01 @seulgifted @clar-iii @nichmeddar @jiwlys @duolingofanaccount @nvmbheart [i have removed accs that i can't tag so please send me an ask/message to be in the tallest again]

[heavenlytouches]

since it's cold here I got myself the famous "Tate Langdon" sweater and I decided to ask for female reader x Tate. Like, when he's alive and you're hanging out but it's cold so he gives you his sweater pls

Hello dear!! Awww I love this so muchh! And also, I have the same sweater, we're matchy now ^^. Let's get writing (also I wanna say, I'm so so proud of this banner, I'm getting good at designs TwT) El <3

Tate Langdon- lovely threads

*ੈ𑁍༘⋆

FEM reader

<3 (SFW)

TW!- none

Cozy but chilly spring night with Tate

Tate is alive in this one <3

Tate Langdon

The chilly spring night wrapped around you like a soft reminder of the world beyond your thoughts. As you laid on the grass outside the infamous murder house, you could feel the cool earth beneath you, the cold air prickling your skin.

It felt peaceful, though — surreal in a way that made every moment seem like an echo of a distant memory.

You hazily gazed up at the stars, wondering how many others had watched them shimmer over this haunted terrain. But it wasn't the sky that captivated your thoughts; it was the presence beside you, one that turned a spooky night into something warm and thrilling.

Tate Langdon glanced sideways at you, a smirk teasing at the corners of his mouth, eyebrows raised like he was in on a fantastic secret.

"Isn't it just beautiful?"

You finally turned to him.

He didn’t even pretend to look at the sky. Instead, he lifted a cigarette to his lips and took a slow drag. His eyes glimmered with amusement.

“Not as beautiful as you are."

He said, exhaling a cloud of smoke that vanished into the night. A rogue breeze caught your hair and ruffled it, and you rolled your eyes, hiding your smile behind your hands.

Tate had a way of disarming you, of making reality feel less like a tangible burden. You could see he had that effect on others—his charm like smoke, intoxicating and invisible, leaving a lingering warmth. But you knew him; you understood that beneath that staggeringly flirty demeanor lay a heart shadowed with darkness.

“Flirt all you want. It’s still freezing out here."

You replied, shivering ever so slightly.

He chuckled, an intoxicating sound that made your heart race.

“You need a sweater?”

Before you could respond, he undid the loose strings of his black and green striped sweater and pulled it over your head, pulling you closer to ensure it fit snugly around your form.

“There. You look better in it than I do, anyway.”

It was slightly oversized, wrapping you in Tate's scent—a heady mix of cigarettes and something distinctly him. It made you feel warm in more ways than one, and you bit your lip, trying to suppress the grin that threatened to spill over.

“God, I must look ridiculous.”

“Not even a little. It’s kind of cute.”

He winked, moving to lay back on the grass again, arms folded behind his head.

“You got that whole ‘lost wandering girl’ vibe going on, and I dig it.”

“Lost girl?”

You propped yourself up on an elbow instead, shaking your head in disbelief.

“You’re the one who’s lost, Tate. Half the time, you don’t even know what you want.”

His gaze shifted to you, curiosity shimmering in his brown eyes.

“Maybe I know exactly what I want, and it’s just sketchy around the edges.”

He took another drag, his focus unwavering as he studied you under the dim starlight.

“You’re not like the others. It’s like you can see through the bullshit.”

Your heart stuttered at his unexpectedly earnest admission.

“You say that like it’s a good thing.”

“It is.”

He turned onto his side, propping his head into his palm, and the intensity of his gaze almost made you forget about the haunted house behind him.

“You care. You’re real. Plus, it makes you cute when you blush like that.”

You felt heat creep across your cheeks, and you attempted to deflect his attention with a laugh.

“You just like corrupting innocent girls, Tate.”

“Who said you were innocent?”

He feigned innocence itself, a smirk tugging at his lips.

“Maybe I'm just a sucker for messy girls who light up in dim places.”

You raised your eyebrows.

“That sounds ominous.”

“Guess it depends on the situation.”

He shifted closer, his hand brushing against yours, and the touch sent jolts spiraling through your entire being.

“Honestly? I just like being around you. Everybody else? They don’t get it.”

In that moment, the world faded, the murder house, the chilly air—it all dissipated, leaving just the electric connection crackling between you. Your breath caught in your throat.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you’re here, and it feels normal. For once, everything doesn’t seem so...”

He paused, searching for the right word,

“dangerous.”

His sudden vulnerability caught you off guard, and you weren't sure how to respond. You didn’t want to ruin the moment by recalling the very real darkness that surrounded him, that tried to seep into you every time you were together. Instead, you felt the urge to lean in closer, to let the suffocating anxiety drown in the warmth between you.

“Are you always like this?”

You asked, your voice almost a whisper, as if raising it would break the magic of the moment.

“Only with you.”

The honesty in his expression glimmered like the stars above. With a boldness that surprised you, you leaned in, close enough to see the way the moonlight danced in his eyes.

“I think you’re pretty damn perfect.”

“Perfectly messed up.”

He corrected, his expression playful but laced with truth.

Your laughter was light but came from a place of understanding—a recognition that neither of you was perfect, but still found something extraordinary in your connection.

“So, if we’re both messed up, where does that leave us?”

“Right here..”

He said, the distance between you nonexistent now. He brushed his thumb over your knuckles, leaving a soft trail of warmth you wished would last forever.

“Together in our own little world. What could be more perfect than that?”

You didn’t look back at the house, didn’t dwell on what horrors lived within it or what doom awaited beyond this fleeting moment. You focused on Tate, the way he effortlessly flipped the ordinary into the extraordinary. The chill of the night faded, leaving only the warmth of stolen glances, the gentle touch of friendships steeped in something deeper—something hopeful.

“Maybe this is exactly where we need to be."

You whispered, allowing your heart to speak in a way that your mind never could.

He leaned in, and as the world transformed around you, you surrendered to the feeling of promise hanging in the air—an intoxicating truth sealed with just an electric spark beneath the stars.

This was great for upcomming spooky season! I can write anything for any character babes and don’t forget- requests are always open and welcome <33

I love you guys so much

El <3

(all images were made by: El via canva & paint)

[respectthepetty]

petty I just need you to know I go back to read your colour analysis of our we best love babies every so often and it makes me so happy (because you’re brilliant and they’re brilliant and the show is just. Brilly!) but also unbearably sad because you end it off with “they promised us another season and we still haven’t gotten it” but the date on that post keeps getting further and further away WHEN DO WE GET THEM BACK?!?!?

I'm holding out hope for Transplant (the sequel to Manner of Death WITH MaxTul) and HIStory 27: Freed (a sequel I alone am manifesting for HIStory 3: Trapped) but every day my hope for We Best Love 3 dwindles. I know to never trust a Thai BL, which is why if I ever get Big Dragon 2, I will be thrilled, but why did Taiwan hurt me like this?

Why did it tell me the story wasn't over only to never speak of it again?

Sam Lin showed up in the W Series: Love Yourself in a queer story line. He also showed up in the BL Unknown, and I know his character has a thing with that mafia man. Yu is still acting in Taiwan and Japan, so like . . . can't I have them back? Please? Just one more time? That's it.

I need to see their best friends get married, and those other two sort out whatever odd little love story they had going on.

It doesn't even have to be a series. It can just be one episode. Maybe even two.

PLEASE!

[howi99]

A Qrow's nest prologue 3

Ozpin: *drink from his thermos* I heard what happened yesterday.

Qrow: *sweating* Ozpin i-

Ozpin: *stopping him with a hand gestures* I'm not mad, Qrow. In fact, i probably would be mad if you did nothing instead. *Look at Cinder* Tell me, Cinder, what is your age?

Cinder: *hiding behind Qrow* I'm 8... I think.

Ozpin: *shaking his head* She looks clearly malnourished. *Look at Qrow* i wanted to talk to you in private but...

Qrow: *putting a hand on Cinder's head* She doesn't really trust anyone and i can't really blame her. *Look at her* She reminds me of myself when i was her age. *Kneel at her height* Cinder, would you like visiting Beacon?

Cinder: *slowly acquiesce*

Qrow: *smile* I have a friend, she looks mean but she would protect everyone she could with her very life. I'd like for you to visit the school with her.

Cinder: ... Will you leave me behind?

Qrow: *shaking his head* No. I promised, didn't i? I just need to have a talk with my friend. *Looking at Ozpin*

Ozpin: *smile* I'm sure Glynda would be thrilled to guide you, she may look grumpy but she's a real human teddy bear.

Cinder: Ok...

_________

10 minutes later, when Glynda took Cinder to see the premise

Qrow: Now, what did you want to tell me?

Ozpin: As you know, after the fiasco of yesterday you won't be able to enter in Atlas, at least for a time.

Qrow: Ironwood told me i should stay low for a time.

Ozpin: *shaking his head* I will need your help for something. Theirs an augmentation in grimm attack near a certain SDC mining operation.

Qrow: That's unsurprising.

Ozpin: I don't think you understand, it's alarming and clearly something is going on. I'll need you to work as security for the mine and see what's really happening.

Qrow: *sigh* Ozpin, i'd be "thrilled" to go fight grimm for a scummy company, but i kinda have to take care of an eight years old.

Ozpin: She could be the perfect alibi for you to enter their services. A single father huntsman down on his luck.

Qrow: You can't be serious! I won't bring a child near a place you specifically said was getting attacked by grimm!

Ozpin: You wouldn't be alone. Glynda would be following you and i did give you the gift of flight for a reason. You'd be able to live in the city while working at the mine.

Qrow: Still, why not sending Glynda by herself?

Ozpin: You know damn well she is far too known by the public. She is the youngest person to have become professor at Beacon.

Qrow: *roll his eyes* Then what about Arc?

Ozpin: Still pregnant. And Verdant is already working on something else.

Qrow: Again!? Isn't that her 7th?

Ozpin: 7th and 8th. She's having twins.

Qrow: For fuck sake. Fine! What's good having allies when they are always unavailable?

Ozpin: *smiling* You shouldn't have been this reliable Qrow.

_____

Cinder: So uh....

Glynda: You can call me Glynda.

Cinder: Ok. So, Glynda, what is this room?

Glynda: This is the library, dear. It's... My favorite place in the school.

Cinder: Oh?

Glynda: Yes. I like the atmosphere of the place. *Looking at cinder who didn't understand* The feeling of it, if you prefer.

Cinder: Oh!

Glynda: I particularly like reading adventures novel and romance but don't tell Qrow, he still believes i only read study material.

Cinder: How did you meet him?

Glynda: Hm? Oh, he tried hitting on me when we were in the same year.

Cinder: Did you date him?

Glynda: *a bit of pink appearing in her features* N-no! Of course not! He was a slacker and a complete slob!

Cinder: And what about now?

Glynda: W-well, he did get better... I think. But still far too immature!.. maybe i should tell you of some of his misadventures?

Qrow: *appearing from behind a door* Should i tell her about when you outdrank me during the dance?

Glynda: QROW!? When did you arrive?

Qrow: Around the time you called me a slob? *Look at Cinder* Hey kid, i need to talk with you.

Glynda : *getting back her calm* Did you come to an agreement with Ozpin?

Qrow: Apparently WE *point at them then himself* Have to go to mistral for a bit.

Cinder: *shake her head* I hate Mistral, everyone is mean.

Qrow: *sigh* I feel you kid, but we sadly have no choice. Though it's not for long, about 2 weeks.

Cinder: ok... Do i have the time to read a book?

Qrow: Uh? *Look at the library* Oh yeah, we don't leave until next week anyway. You got the time.

Cinder: *looking happy* Glynda! Show me your favorite book!

Glynda: *wincing* I-i'll try. *Goes with Cinder inside the library*

Qrow: ... She better not give her the smut she was reading in hiding back in the day.

End of first prologue, 3 more to go!

[miilkyrolls]

a finch rambleshit of id2's finale

now that id2 is fully released for vip and is on its way to being wide released. i have some thoughts in the form of a tag "rambleshit" noun: a long winded, strings of thought, typically about a choices book made by finch

minor spoilers, BUT JUST IN CASE

okay let's get my final feelings about the book/ last couple of chapters out the way. i've needed these last few days for 2 reasons: one, the last chapter came out on my birthday and i was literally sitting in the parking lot waiting for my reservation while watching the Himeme playthrough , and two, i needed to digest just how much exposition lore was dropped in the last 2-3 chapters that to a point I felt overwhelmed ! Anyways, overall score 8.5/10. it was a good book story wise, however, it had SO MUCH RETCON and plot holes to a point that i felt like id2 could've been it's own standalone, set apart from id1 (kinda like untamable vs unbridled). there's a few i could explain away, for example, the concept that was the entire point of book one about how vampires get sick from even the tiniest bit of fellow vampire blood, but we have an entire ceremony of vampires doing the exact opposite? or the scene where cas bites mc's lip and licks the blood away. now, imo this could be explained as A) the vampires are just biting for the symbolic purpose of the ritual OR they're injecting venom without drinking mc's blood (which kinda makes less sense then the former but anyways) and B) Cas just doing shit for the sexy thrill or whatever which i can accept

what I CAN'T explain away is things like..mc having powers that everyone just..accepts(?!) with no issue but with cas it's seen as some type of anomaly..? claims "the leylines can grant special abilities" but why only cas and mc? why not the oh idk leaders of the covens? or the elders or even just pull a warrior cats "Power of Three" situation and give gabe, cas and mc powers that's because they have a special destiny or are reincarnations or something freaky deaky about them being polyam or being from different covens IDK SOMETHING! and before someone mentions it, i know cas is a more direct witch descendant then the other vamps, but considering we know nothing about her family, if we go with the assumption that cas is last preforming witch since great grandmama constance, that still wouldn't explain why her powers get awoken now? like please for the love of god correct me if i'm forgetting something but the only connection we have is

cas gets cut from the business card, lennox's face morphs (again, odd ability cause cas's powers seem to be exclusively nature related and premonition doesn't seem to match that, unless she has mc's type of premonition from the leylines but that wouldn't make sense either cause mc's manifests in out of body, future seeing, while cas's manifestation is more like actual intention sensing *cough, they should technically switch their ability names cough*, the cut never heals unless cas let's the power out/or is happy and gets worse when she's upset. so when you think of it, there's really nothing that directly correlates with the leylines that connects it. maybe it's because the leylines come from creators and witches are split descendants of vampires so whenever the ley lines are getting fucked with it affects witches too?? idk

a few more unaddressed issues are but not limited too: what beef cas and gabe have in the branding room (i'll get back to that one later), libby having partial memory, (same thing as above), if vampires can sleep, how in the first book G+C can hear us murmuring their names from miles away but we can't hear cas screaming in the woods, having vampire sight but can't straining to see that pile of bones in the dark in the back of the cave etc, WHY LEWYN IS STILL NEVER HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR KILLING HIS OWN COVEN MEMBERS??

that's my biggest issue with id2, there's so much guess-timating on w/ info and lore that would be fun to theorize or hc in a standalone but in an ongoing series it creates more headaches and others are plain plotholes. i think id would've been more consistent if they spent more time explaining the lore of WHY things are instead of WHAT things are, you know?

now lastly, here are my id3 theories/ hopes:

libby is a witch. that's the only explanation we have for why she acts so odd all book + why her memories are the most intact despite her not doing anything to awaken them like for mc's mom did

gas's beef with each other is explained. i saw someone hc that the reason gas hate each other beyond the typical Clement vs Venandi bs is because they're exes and while i would love the angst of exploring that + it would explain their sudden intrigue (if u choose the poly route end) to possibly get together + it would be so carnally delicious if we have some real slow burn enemies to frienemies to lovers out here but i doubt it. however their beef seems to stem from before mc came into the picture purely because of how gabe talks and treats cas in the first few chapters of book1 and from the branding room scene (my hc/ theory however: in the branding room premium scene, g+c talk briefly about a situation where gabe "was playing the hero", cas was "scaring humans" and as a result got punished likely by branding. my theory is that while as a human, gabe's grandmother was a fluked hunt by cas, with gabe protecting his nan, this sparks sarah to investigate into vampires more which leads to the covens trying to kill her. so gabe hates cas for nearly killing her and consequently getting him turned and cas hates gabe for ruining her hunt / giving her first brand)

gabe getting powers. we know gabe is kinda a literature nerd and can read specific vampire languages that seems like pretty rare ability for a newer turned vamp so maybe that could be his. idk it just feels odd that cas and mc have powers but gabe doesn't (even if reading super well is for NERDS 🙄/j maybe they can make it fun and unique to him)

witches are absolutely the villain of the next book, there's no doubt in my mind but since it seems like witches were playing both sides of the field of vamps v hunters, it's safe to assume we might befriend a teenage witch (possibly libby??) and we have to fight with against evil witches??? 🤷🏾‍♀️

more like point 4.2 but we could also possibly meet cas's family or even parents! while its safe to assume them being dead is what made cas an orphan, its pixelberry and there's a good chance they'd bring out that a random plot twist like with gabriel and lennox being cousins like that out of the blue andddd the heirloom book cas has from her parents looks suspiciously like the grimoire astoria has🤔

multi pov: if id3 is assumingely the last id book, and they're going to keep teasing gas, i would love see that all exclusively from their pov's (ik it's unlikely pb would suddenly change the format of a book at the supposedly end of the series but these books need a new element or it's going to feel like a repeat of the last 2 books)

gas. self explanatory. they need to kiss regardless of which route you choose. idk how or why or when but it needs to happen

these mofo's will graduate human high school. yeah that very forgotten aspect of immortal desires is that it's a TEEN supernatural, so we need to pop in some extra credits or something and graduate since they're all seniors/ "18" (in my hc cas is a super senior and is like 19 when she was turned but anyways)

[campgender]

“Interlude 3” from The New Topping Book (2003) by Dossie Easton & Janet W. Hardy

A role-play scene, played by "Akasha, " a novice top friend.

I woke up with great difficulty and realized my mind was full of thoughts of domination, weird fantasies about devices that I did not own but wished I did. I thought of my friend Richard, and a wonderful night we had shared many months before.

I called him and found him still in bed. I said, "God, I am really having a problem today."

He shifted in his sheets, I could hear it, and said, "Hungry?"

I was doodling, cracking pencil leads and then throwing them away.

"Yes," I said, and I was sort of half shaking, just wanting to make him beg on the phone, make him get out of his warm bed and kneel down, make him whimper, do anything. But I wanted more, so I held back and asked him to see me.

He half moaned and sighed, yawned again, and told me he had class that night. I told him to meet me afterward. He paused, and I felt like I was going to die.

"Richard, please. I'm going crazy. Do this for me, OK?"

"You want to hurt me?" he said softly, making me face it. This was back when it was still hard for me to accept that I enjoyed making men suffer.

It's difficult to describe what a day like that feels like, waiting for the hours to go by, trying to concentrate on work, going one step at a time.

When I am in that mindframe I can smell everything in the air, I can feel mist against my face in the cold air. The moon is more illuminated, the sound of my feet in puddles as I walk somehow thrills me with a feeling of authority.

I arrived at the cafe a few minutes early and waited in the lobby. Richard arrived a few minutes late. When I stood up and hugged him he laughed softly into my ear, "How're you doing?" I just moaned and started fingering his hair, tugging at it a little. We parted and I looked at him again, blinking. I felt weak, numb. I wanted to take him by the hair and force him to his knees. Instead I said weakly, "You probably haven't eaten yet. Can I buy you dinner?"

When his food arrived I stole his silverware and he laughed. "I'm serious," I told him in a low voice. "I am feeding you this entire meal." His eyes searched around the room and he lowered his voice, "Come on, people will see. We can take care of you when we get home. Let me eat."

Any other night I wouldn't think twice about him eating dinner across from me. But in that mood, on that night, I wanted to be the one feeding him. I wanted to make him part his lips each time I lifted the spoon. I wanted to make him beg with his eyes for more, or look at me longingly. Or I wanted to force him to do it.

I leaned over the table and we argued a bit about it, finally compromising in that I would feed him the first few bites and then let him finish. Knowing that he hated doing it but would submit to it for a few minutes was enough for now.

When we got into my room he sat on the edge of my bed then finally lay down, spreading his arms out and sighing tiredly. I slid down and moved on top of him, moving my hands up to his wrists and holding them down there. His eyes flickered open and he stared at me expressionlessly, waiting.

I consider it true, deep headspace when I am capable, without hesitation, of exercising acts of cruelty or power as if they were second nature. These are things that I would never do in a normal state of mind. On that night I slipped into it relatively easily, maybe because I had been lingering around the edges of it for so long.

I set up a series of short scenes, because my appetite was varied and I wanted to satisfy it all. Sometimes I want total resistance, sometimes I want fear, sometimes I want pathetic, eager submission. That night I wanted them all.

I used every single restraint device on him that I had, in every position I could imagine. I kept a hand over his mouth most of the night and wrestled him to the ground three or four different times, ordering him to feign resistance until I hurt him into submitting.

I roleplayed kidnapping him, interrogating him, seducing him, and fucking him. I had an orgasm just from the way he felt against me as I took him against his will, one hand holding his head back by a fistful of hair and the other over his mouth to muffle his protests.

For the grand finale I put him in my chair and handcuffed his wrists behind his back, taking my wall mirror down and putting it behind him ,so I could see his wrists and enjoy the way they looked while still facing him. "I put water in his hair to simulate sweat and messed it up, tied his ankles together, and told him I was going to kill him.

He put his head down solemnly and I walked around a bit, touching his skin gently, telling him how pretty and helpless he looked. He shifted, and struggled uselessly, then lifted his head to me and looked at me with his teeth clenched, saying "You have to let me go. Don't do this to me."

I leaned down and held his face in my hands, putting my lips close to his, licking them gently. "Kiss me goodbye, my tortured slave." He shut his eyes and leaned forward to kiss me, hungry, passionate, as if to seduce me with his mouth and tongue. This kiss was long, desperate, and when I broke from it he was breathing hard.

His eyes were pleading, yet strong. "I'm not afraid to die," he said softly.

He always knew the things to say. He was begging, yet he was strong. He was submitting, but he was still powerful. He amazed me.

We had played these execution scenes before so I didn't need to give him any instruction. He was to pretend he had about three minutes left to live, locked in some airtight chamber or given some poisonous gas, and he was to struggle yet remain brave until the moment I came to save him from his fate.

And he really knew how to play it. Perfectly, yet differently every time. The way he pulled at the handcuffs, letting them cut into his wrists as if it didn't matter,. The way he threw his head back to breathe with such pained difficulty, the way he looked at me through wet bangs with desperation, his lashes damp with tears.

I felt so close to orgasm, but it was a different sort of satisfaction. I just watched, emotionless, as his struggles became weaker and his breathing more labored.

Then it hit me, at once, it was like a sensual overload, like an orgasm but of the mind. I shivered, I felt a cold sweat on my body and suddenly I wanted to cry, I thought, "God, what am I doing to him?" I unfastened him quickly and slid into his arms, shaking, telling him I was sorry. He laughed softly into my ear and told me it was okay, that he was acting, and that I needn't feel bad.

But feeling bad makes me feel better, so I spent some time crying, letting him reassure me. We lay down in the bed together and eventually fell asleep after I had sufficient reassurance.

Waking up the next morning I felt a different kind of exhaustion. It's impossible to explain how much dom headspace rips the energy right out of you. Sometimes it takes me days to recover.

[throwaway-yandere]

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE YIUR WORK 🙏🙏 like you’re genuinely the only writer on here who doesn’t romanticize and sexualize yandere writings and it’s so cool, like the work is raw and actually thrilling 🙏🙏

This isn’t really a req and I’ve never made one before so idk if this is considered rude to take up inbox space and stuff but I just had to say something about how much I admire your work 😿🙏‼️

[sorry I'm still drawing w/ my fingers—]

This is so sweet of you!!! Thank you for your kind words and don't worry, you're not being rude at all, I appreciate this a ton <3. I think this is the first time someone pointed out that I write w/o the aim of romanticizing and/or sexualizing yanderes and that makes me very happy (≡^∇^≡)!!!

As someone who thinks they're on the ace spectrum (not sure about aro), the latter probably comes too easy for me lol. For the former— I think it stems from the fact I just enjoy writing the horror aspect more than romance. I feel like yanderes are a great outlet for people who like writing "dark"/horror stories ^^.

Though, I highly doubt I'm the "only" writer who does this, I'm sure there's plenty more who doesn't sexualize/romanticize yanderes— in fact, I think the majority of writers do not romanticize it. We're all aware of the dangers of having a real life relationship with "yandere"s (or at least I hope we do). For many, this is just an escape fantasy. And even if I can't really relate, I think it's fine letting people explore their "kinks" in a safe space such as fanfiction. Have more faith, we writers are smart enough to know that "sexy" in fiction ≠ "healthy" in real life.

Still— aaaAHHH I'M GLAD SOMEONE THINKS MY WORKS ARE THRILLING 😭😭😭😭😭 ah, I feel like my life is complete. I can now go back to the SCP Foundation. Goodbye, Kamisato Clan. I can now leave and never see your f██e again Ay█t█—

[DATA EXPUNGED]

[belmottetower]

3.09 - "I'm flattered."

Another part of my Subjectify review that I am REALLY curious for people's thoughts on. This is following on directly from the killjoy post about Sam, Jamie and the armband, and it's about the moment everyone in the room apparently clocks Jamie as queer. This was something we both immediately enjoyed, obviously, but then my co-writer came to find quite weird in a not-so-great way, and I am still in a state of "What did that even mean?" I think Nat makes good points here but I'm curious where others are at about it

‘Ted Lasso’ season 3, episode 9 in conversation: Second-best way it could’ve gone

Natalie: Sorry to crush your joy. I’m about to do it again with the whole 10% gays in the dressing room moment, another bizarre choice regarding Jamie that I am going to complain about. Obviously we follow Isaac to the boot room for a moment, but we don’t hear much there before we cut BACK to the dressing room to follow up on the team’s mood after he leaves. I had high hopes for where this was going as they try to work out what exactly just happened here. Firstly, Moe assumes that Isaac’s reaction is because he himself is gay. It’s not an unfair assumption given the circumstances, and we – and more importantly Colin – get to see how the group would react when talking about a team member being gay.

I thought this was quite a clever way to show Colin that he was safe, all that kind of thing. It’s still not exactly a coming out on his own terms that he chose to do just because he wanted, but the stage was very well set for him. Of course everyone reacts well to Isaac being gay, of course Jan has a statistic, of course Beard pointed out the implication of that statistic. And now is the moment I get to stomp all over people’s happiness again by calling out how deeply shady I found the whole Jamie moment here to be.

This one wasn’t immediate hate, it was mostly a lot of confusion, and some delight at such an absurd response and non-denial. There’s a LOT of good things I have to say about the way Jamie responded to apparently the entire room assuming he’s in the 10%. But the fact that this was the gag – that everyone’s like, “Well, Jamie, right?” Oh, this felt very bad to me after a few minutes’ consideration. I’m such a fucking Zazu and a fun vampire I know, but like, this is NOT the same as a bunch of fellow queer people being like “Wow that earring, wow, that whole vibe.” This is not “I know what you are – one of us!” from a group of people in the LGBTQI+ community. This is “I know what you are – you’re not like us” from a bunch of straight guys who clock him as Other.

What the hell was going on here? What is the joke? What is the joke within their world? Is it how he dresses? Because spoiler alert, they all dress wildly. WHY THE FUCK IS HE THE ONE THE WHOLE ROOM THINKS IS QUEER? It’s so fucking difficult, because as a queer person I DO think he is queer. He feels like the MOST queer-coded player on the team to me and he always has. He is a CLASSIC bisexual disaster and every queer fan thinks so. So was this fan service? Is this Ted Lasso knowing that all the queer people watching the show claimed Jamie immediately and gave us a little nod to say “Sure, we get it!” Because fam, that does not come across the same way when it’s a group of straight footballers being like “Oh yeah, I always thought Jamie was a bit gay, bruv.” WHAT WAS THIS ABOUT, MEGAN?

It genuinely kind of concerns me that they’ve decided to be like “Oh, he’s clockable,” but in a straight guy “Oh well obviously he’s not one of us, the fruit” way. No one in that dressing room is thinking it that meanly, but like, what? Even Ted? Just… us as the queer audience clocking him is not the same at all as a bunch of straight dudes clocking him! For their presumed assumptions of what makes someone queer! What was the reason? Floral tracksuits? Hearing his dad call him a pussy? Of course my first reaction was like “WELL, NOT A NO!” and I’m also so thrilled he would say that even if straight, like it’s a compliment, given how his dad acts about him being soft. The fact he acted like that as opposed to being like “Fuck off, not me!” is beautiful. But WHAT THE FUCK, GREYHOUNDS?

Megan: Firstly, I respect and love you and your Zazu-ness. Or perhaps your Babs-ness, for an in-show reference. But yeah, look. Nearly every single person who I talk to about Ted Lasso sees Jamie and thinks “that is not a straight man,” but nearly every single person I talk to about Ted Lasso is also not, themselves, straight. So we are looking at Jamie, and seeing things about him – whether it’s tropes or style or behaviour – and thinking “Oh yeah. I see you. I recognise you. You are me.” But it is very different for a bunch of sports bros to look at Jamie and, with whatever well-meaning possibly internalised stereotypes they have, thinking “Oh yeah, Jamie’s the other one.”

I think this is probably meant to be fan service. That, as you say, it is meant to be an acknowledgement of the fact that so many queer fans who watch this have claimed Jamie as our own. We know that some involved know about this. Phil has spoken about Jamie and Roy it A LOT, and liked a comment on his instagram that said Jamie should get a boyfriend in season 3. I think that is what they are intending to show with this – “hey, we heard you, wink wink!” – and I think people who do have that valid read of Jamie loved it, especially because Jamie does not deny it! But when you dig a little deeper, the implications are not so good. Why you always gotta make me dig a little deeper, Babs? I mean Nat.

Natalie: Look, reductive as it may sound, them – them being the team, Ted and Beard, all of them thinking he’s queer because – what? He has an earring? He gets his eyebrows threaded? I literally don’t know! – is NOT the same as us thinking he’s queer. Like with us it’s the call is coming from inside the house. If he is NOT in fact actually going to be confirmed as bi, this is just a bunch of footballers being like “Well that guy feels gay to us for reasons.” WHAT REASONS? Because he’s very obviously been demonstrably into women!

Megan: And they don’t mean it in a negative or nasty way! But it would be based on the way he acts or dresses. I mean technically there are probably 25-odd people in the room. So 10% would be 2.5. We know about Colin and Trent. Maybe they’re thinking Jamie is bi and the .5. Maybe I’m overthinking it.

Natalie: Yeah, but no one here is saying the word queer or bisexual, no, someone else in this room is probably gay, and it’s probably Jamie! I mean maybe they all think he’s in love with Roy, because the way he acts about Roy is loud and embarrassing. Or maybe he’s always saying things about men being fit, casually, without meaning much by it. But we have never seen anything like that happen. We have to judge it on what they’ve shown us. Maybe this is because Isaac also wore a pink tracksuit and they currently think Isaac is gay and Jamie also wore a pink tracksuit.

Megan: It’s probably the Roy thing. Maybe they don’t think he’s realised it himself yet and they’re all staring at him waiting for him to do a realisation face about how him being obsessed with Roy makes him queer. One 3 second scene and two words have driven us mad.

Natalie: SO many people are DELIGHTED by this, like “Hahahahah they all know Jamie is queer!” and I’m just like…. “Okay, this feels very bad to me!” Even though I absolutely think he is queer! I think it’s a great response from him, given absolutely everything we know about him and his baggage with a toxic father. Jamie has done nothing wrong here. It’s just an INSANE implication from the other guys. And if it’s going nowhere, I also do not like to be pandered to. If Ted Lasso is doing fan service, like “We know you all think he’s queer, so here you go, a moment that acknowledges that maybe he does have a vibe like that, even though we don’t actually think he is,” they can keep it.

Maybe I’m not giving them enough trust, and next week he will just try to snog Roy because he can’t contain his feelings after his England call up. But if I was a footballer in the closet and the whole dressing room was like “We think you’re gay,” like. It’s not great! I would really like to know what the stereotypes are about him that mean these straight dudes who apparently haven’t clocked TRENT think this about him! Because yes, he may have expressed things! But we never saw those things. We only have like… what. Hair? Clothes? Vibes? Like what the hell did the GA think of that moment?

Megan: Especially if I was a footballer with James Tartt as a father!

Natalie: And especially if my COACHES were in on it! Look I have to move on from this, it’s so fucking weird. It’s so weird that all of this happens. And what’s weirder is that after all that, Colin steps up to clarify that no, Isaac isn’t gay… He is. Except we don’t see any of what he actually says because Ted Lasso decided that cutting away from Colin and only coming back to him in the aftermath was some sort of subversive way of doing his coming out. Instead of hearing what he has to say, and how he chooses to express himself, what parts he tells about his story or what happened with him and Isaac, we just cut back to Isaac and Roy – which is a very important scene, but like…They really think they did something here, cutting Colin. I think they thought it was meant to be powerful. It was not.

Megan: This is the moment for me which, unlike the other two you’ve flagged, I had an instant dislike of.

‘Ted Lasso’ season 3, episode 9 in conversation: Second-best way it could’ve gone

[afriendlygoblin]

my thoughts on TOTK because i need to ramble about it somewhere and my friend hasn't finished it yet

SPOILERS

i'm gonna go through the main quests/parts as i completed them

1) the opening, Great Sky Island, Temple of Time and landing in Hyrule

it made me really really really happy to see that Link and Zelda were still around each other like this, exploring stuff together and all. the awakening cutscene gave me chills and really all i could think about was finding Zelda.

discovering the Great Sky Island was fun, though i was used to my comfort in BOTW so it was quite a shock to not have the paraglider and get one-shot by literally anything. but i guess that's normal

then i really liked meeting Rauru though i missed having at least a clue of what was going on. like in BOTW, the king tells you "alright, the world is shit because this happened, Zelda is over there waiting for you, now u do u". there i had this feeling of being absolutely clueless for the first few hours of gameplay and it was frustrating at times.

Lookout Landing was a heartwarming sight, seeing people rebuild and stuff genuinely made me smile. i did feel a pinch in my heart when i recognized that it was built on the very ground where Link swore his oath as Zelda's appointed knight. but overall it was great and i loved the concept of the new towers.

2) the Temples and Sages

i started with Rito Village and the Wind temple. i love Tulin with all my heart and i have to say i use his ability the most. the temple was a pain to access and the cold was annoying but i had a blast with the boss battle. didn't really use Tulin's help there because it was really easy to do on my own but i enjoyed having a supporter during the fight.

i was favorably surprised when i found out that Tulin's clone would accompany me forever. BOTW was a pretty lonely game. peaceful and beautiful but lonely nonetheless. also seeing Teba give his son the Great Eagle Bow made me emotional i admit. i wish there were more references to Revali (and the Champions in general) but eh at least he has a Landing named after him. also where did the Flight Range go?

next i went to Goron City. it felt strange to not instantly catch on fire but well, i was happy with no more elixirs and ugly outfits (not a fan of the fireproof set). the battle against the 3 headed monster in Death Mountain was awesome and it reminded me of how fun it was to yeet Yunobo around. speaking of which i was so relieved when i got him back to normal because that rock boi is precious and seeing him being mean was not cool.

the Temple was a bit annoying tbh, i got lost in the rail system so i just went and monkeyed around climbing everything and flying everywhere. the boss fight was also quite forgettable though i liked using Yunobo's ability more. again, there was zero mention of Daruk (that i remember) and Daruk's Protection has been entirely forgotten. i know the goal isn't to live in the past but i find it sad to see it pretty much forgotten about in some areas.

after that i went to Zora's Domain and had fun yeeting splash fruit at the sludge. i almost had a heart attack when i saw that the Mipha statue had been replaced but i was so thrilled to see it relocated to where the Lynel used to be. they really built her a splendid memorial and she can really watch over her people from there.

i had missed Sidon and his smile, and helping Yona bringing him back to his true optimistic charming self was really great. i liked that since the Zora live long lives, everyone remembered me (Link) more than in other parts of Hyrule. oh and Sidon's coronation had me smiling ear to ear because i was so proud of my fish brother.

i had so much fun in the temple and its weird gravity, sometimes i go back just to jump around and dive in slow motion. the boss fight was correct, though it was annoying to go so slow through sludge.

finally, i made my way to Gerudo Town. the gibdos surprised me but by pure luck i had a fire lizalfos horn weapon equipped so i was never in any real danger. i loved organizing the defenses of Gerudo Town and fighting alongside Riju's warriors.

i loved seeing how Riju had grown since we last saw her, she and Tulin were like my young niblings and seeing them grow made me so proud. again i don't remember any tribute to Urbosa but seeing Riju's dual Scimitars of the Seven was a nice touch so i didn't say anything.

the temple was really cool and the boss fight made me rage quit once or twice so i consider it to be awesome. i thought i was gonna throw my Switch against the wall but then i remembered Zelda needed me so i took a breath and went back to the fight.

overall i really liked this part of the game, seeing my old new friends was very heartwarming and having their clones follow me in my daily life made the game so much less lonely than BOTW was.

3) Tears of the Dragon

no. i am still sobbing, throwing up, rolling on the floor. no. seeing Zelda finding not one but 2 loving parental figures only to lose them 20 min later, Ganondorf's ascension, Rauru's sacrifice, ZELDA'S SACRIFICE ABZBZBFKGNDKDLS I WAS NOT READY. i didn't find the memories in chronological order so when i found the one that hinted what was going to happen to Zelda i rushed them all and stayed up until like 4 am to see them all. the final one tore me apart and i basically cried myself to sleep (not really but almost). i actually had to go spoil myself online just to put my mind at ease because like what if we could never get her back???

after that and the Master Sword quest, whenever i saw Zelda not too far from a tower i'd go see her and rest on her head for a little while while imagining Link talking to her.

i was at a point where i didn't really know what to do with myself, i still had Gerudo Town to visit but eh i was a bit sick of boss battles at the moment. seeing the memories remotivated me and pushed me to finish the main quests as fast as possible to get Zelda back.

4) the Master Sword

as eager as i was to just go and beat up Ganondorf, i couldn't imagine doing it without my trursty blade, and also the reason why Zelda sacrificed herself. so i decided to go see the Great Deku Tree so seek counsel. after a quick in and out trip to the depth, i found a dying tree in no shape to answer my questions.

Phantom Ganon handed my ass to me a few times but once i got his attack patterns right, it all went smooth like a baby's butt cheek.

getting the Master Sword from Zelda's head made me so emotional, i had just seen a fanart of that scene where Link let himself fall while crying and clutching the sword against his heart. that was how i felt it really.

5) the Depths and Fifth Sage

so after crying my eyes, heart, lungs and intestines out, i had to continue investigating to know where the hell Ganondorf was. that led me to the Depth, searching for all the abandonned mines and everything. on the way i had fun in the battles against Kohga, i had missed his ridiculous... him.

i'm not the biggest fan of the Depths but hey, you can find pretty awesome stuff down there so i do spend a lot of time farming Zonaite and throwing Brightbloom seeds around.

finding and assembling Mineru's construct felt a bit ehh. the shrine like puzzles to get the limbs were thankfully not too long but really all i wanted was to get over with it. funny enough i was fully prepared for a big twist like Mineru revealing that she was with Ganondorf and having to fight the construct i had just built myself.

what i got was even better. like mech fight??? hello?? that was awesome though it took me some time to get the controls down. but ah as a kid who grew up playing Solatorobo, riding the construct was just cbfkdkd SO COOL.

6) the Final Fight

i'll just focus on the battles because the way to get to the Gloom's Lair or whatever was just like yeah sure go off i guess. chasing Zelda through the Castle was just a delay of what i knew would happen underground and then i mostly dodged the monsters except the Lynel because come on who has time for that.

the. EPIC. BATTLE. AGAINST. AN ENTIRE. ARMY. my Goddess fighting hordes and hordes of monsters alongside my friends with the most epic music was just so euphoric and cathartic and just fullfilling ahhhhgg. when i saw the temple bossed coming back to life i was gully prepared to take them on with my friends but nope, the game had other plans for me.

and what plans oh bloody hell this FIGHT? THAT is what i call a boss battle. in BOTW, Ganon wasn't hard to kill. like it had taken me less than 5 tries i think, 3 of them being just to learn the fight's mechanics. but here? the first part i got quickly, after all it was just a one on one against a (large) human sized villain. the pace was slow, there was no music, in a word : a warmup.

then he activates his secret stone and turns into a human emo LED. alright sure. and then his health bar replenishes. AND KEEPS GOING. i was expecting it to just go beyond the screen border at this point. and oh the clones, how many times did i accidentally get killed by one of them. having my friends fight them for me was cool but too many times i ended up ignoring them and taking a lost bullet becayse of that.

then comes the real 1v1 againt the Demon King. THAT was the fight i'd been waiting for. the final confrontation between the Hero and Evil, the final battle that would- he can Flurry Rush? what do you mean he can Flurry Rush?? alright then, i'll just be careful, good thing i have a good shield haha HE CAN FLURRY RUSH MY FLURRY RUSH?????? HOW WHAT WHY WTF ah at least i can Flurry Rush his Flurry Rush that he Flurry Rushed from my Flurry Rush. McFlurry.

after at least 20 tries, tears and a break because my left index was sore from keeping my shield up, i finally got to deal a final strike. and then oh my GODDESS THIS PART

Zelda rushes to my aid and together we face that giant Demon Dragon. she soars, allowing me to dive and land right next to one of the Demon's weak point. i attack it, then bet blown off. Zelda gets me back and we repeat the maneuver 3 times. finally, i dive one last time to the Demon's head and shatter the Secret Stone.

no more Demon, no more Ganondorf, it really is over this time.

7) the End

is it? the sky is peaceful, as i, behind my screen, thank the princess for her help and tell her that we succeded, i start floating off of her head. Rauru and Sonia appear and somehow channel their magic through my arm.

and there she is. my princess. my Zelda. the one i travelled through Sky, Land and Depth to find. the one i've been chasing for (in game) months (days irl).

and she's falling. shit. so i dive as fast as i can, i extend my freshly restored arm and.... i got her! a perfect echo to the opening, an exquisite parallel, i took so many screenshots of this scene and i will cherish them forever.

then i watched the last cutscenes, my Zelink heart that was already screaming exploded when i saw Link gently put Zelda down on the grass. she wakes up, sees Link, looks around and... "you really did it" no princess, we did it together. "Oh Link... i'm home" AAAAAHAHBBFNDKDBBF I SCREAMED i really screamed and thank the Goddess that i live alone because it was again 4am and had i been at my parent's place, Zelda's smile would have been the last thing i'd seen before certain death (not that i would have minded). i wish i could hug my princess in that moment. yes, you're home. i promised i'd get you back when i saw your memories so here you are. and you're never leaving me again.

end credits, i use that time to process what i just lived. then i watch the post credit cutscene, shed a tear watching Mineru rest in peace and the new Sages swear their oath. everything's good now.

and then i'm transported back to Castle Chasm. yay.

Additional 1) the Gameplay

as an engineering student, i had been waiting for this game for so long (only could play it a month after release because of finals) and it didn't disappoint. well to be honest i was used to BOTW's controls and though they were similar here, i missed using the cross' top arrow to pick a rune. minor stuff like that. BUT WHO CARE WHEN YOU CAN BUILD CARS, PLANES, ROCKETS AND TORTURE DEVICES

i fully started enjoying vehicle building when i expanded my battery. from then on i was unstoppable, roaming around Hyrule on my Turbo Deadly Flying Tricycle that shoots fire and laser beams.

also i'm a pretty peaceful being but i have to admit that nailing a Korok to a cross and pulling it around with your horse like "do you have time for our Lord and Savior Korok Christ?" is really really fun.

Additional 2) the World

also i loved the additions they made to the stables like the Pony Points system. and ah finally i don't have to talk to this random girl to change my saddle.

i'm a sucker for fantasy sky island so i was so happy to see some in Hyrule sky. though i wish there were a bit more or at least some bigger ones. Great Sky Island was nice but then in other regions, aside from a shrine here and a dispenser there i didn't spend a lot of time up tthere.

Hyrule was at the same time the good old same and a totally new and foreign place. cities and villages were in the same place but they were so different. Tarrey Town had grown so much (btw fuck you Rail Car guy i built this place you should pay ME). Kakariko had its new Ring Ruins, Hateno had developped a mushroom frenzy... AND ZELDA HAS STOLEN MY HOUSE??? HAY PRINCESS YOU HAVE A CASTLE AT LEAST LET ME HAVE THIS oh? is that my hair tie? and... you're writing about me in your diary? oh so we live together... alright then all good! also seeing the photo from Champion's Ballad exactly where i hung it in BOTW brought a tear to my eye. no, our omd friends aren't forgotten. and they will always be home.

i'll stop there because i'm hungry and i've been rambling for an hour and a half but this game is just so so so good. the story touched me a bit less than that of BOTW for some reason but it did make me emotional af. i wish we had a postgame which solely consists of completing the secondary adventures and like... farming in Hateno Village with Zelda but eh, be grateful for what you have i told myself. i think i will go have a cutscene marathon starting with Age of Calamity now.

Additional 3) the Side Quests

while i ignored most of them (will get to them eventually no worry about that), i particularly appreciated the Monster Control ones and the Lurelin line. these quests really made me feel how important community and cooperation are in this game. because you have your own community of heroes with the Sages and also the researchers, people who are in the heart of the story but there you get to see other communities. the losers with a valiant heart, fighting silver moblins with mops and buckets as helmets, the exiled fishermen who lost their town but with your help get to rebuild their home etc. this makes this game whole because it reminds you that yeah, there are always epic tales of legendary heroes, dramatic tragedies and heroic sacrifices but there are also smaller, equally as important stories. there's the story of how anyone can rise up and fight monsters and there's the story of how to rebuild your home after it was totally destroyed. and you get to be a part of all these stories, big or small. and that's beautiful.

also i liked stealing Zelda's horse again. you took my house i take your horse, fair is fair.

[thegeminisage]

THE FINAL FRONTIER breakdown

as always my first impressions were typed hastily and in shorthand w typos on my phone and i am translating them to proper readable language

opening scene was very reminiscent of mad max and the sound effects made me think of sybok as darth vader, lol. when i realized he was vulcan i knew exactly who he had to be

the first mind meld scene was like. weirdly sexual. that share your pain thing also reminded me so much of sound of my voice lol

cathy's reaction to the names in the credits: sighing heavily on seeing william shatner's name. no reaction to leonard nimoy's name. delight at seeing deforest kelley.

second scene of the movie i watched while blinded by tears because spock was there. to be fair to me i had been primed by the world's longest rock climbing scene ever in which i glorified in the sheer fact that i was NOT watching tng. i needed this so much. my reward for finishing most of the first two seasons which is some of the worst tv i have ever watched in my entire life.

cat lady with three tits. bill shatner is a fucking freak

every time there's a woman catherine and i have a bit where we gasp and go, in shock, a woman! but when it's a romunlan woman we really are shocked every single time. just like in the enterprise incident, so true

uhura is still super mega fucking hot in these movies btw. she's so beautiful. it's very cute that she's with scotty i guess (and i was really surprised!! i guess this explains why i see them as a side pairing in fics so often) but she could be marrying ME instead

thrilled to learn that bones can cook and that spock is. willing to sample his beans, as it were

i loved the whole camping scene. i understand the Plot of this movie is bad but the character scenes were some of the best in all 5 movies and indeed the entire tos series. like this is the most married those 3 old men have EVER been. "we don't have families but we have each other" THEY WERE LITERALLY DOING THE GAY FOUND FAMILY ON ACCIDENT. HOW DID WILLIAM SHATNER WRITE THIS???

"i've always known i'll die alone" is maybe the worst thing kirk has ever said or will ever say and i don't want to talk about it.

my one point of complaint is "marsh melon" or whatever spock said. it was cute but i know his ass read and pronounced it alone in his quarters like 700 times first. it's like when you make castiel not know what an egg is. maybe he was being silly on purpose to amuse kirk and bones <3

LOVED their singing. i didn't think they'd actually do it but they did. times were different back then

bones was in fine form in this movie. he had a lot to complain about but he also jumped to spock's defense at least once that i remember right off hand. i swear he just gets progressively better with each season/movie the way uhura just keeps getting hotter. some things truly do get better with age ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

i loved how when spock had some distress re: potentially recognizing sybok they all had to go in their little longue and have a heart to heart together with him. i don't think this movie ever left anyone out - even in the voyage home, which i LOVE, bones was left out of the kirk-and-spock duo. but almost every single scene they had involved all three of them. truly a win for the throuple enjoyers <3

really mixed feelings about naked uhurua. i'm glad she got to sing her little song. and she is, again, extremely hot. AND i love when she gets to surprprise people even though nothing will ever beat her telling that little ensign to get in the fucking closet. but how could they DOOO that to her william shatner IS going to hell

"hold your horse captain" made me chuckle. also, can you vulcan nerve pinch a fucking HORSE?? i guess you can now. i bet they had to train those horses so well. how often do you see a fucking HORSE play dead

when sybok was like "well spock what do you have to say" and spock, outnumbered 100 to 1, guns pointed at him, obviously in deep turmoil, was silent and expressionless for 5000 years and then replied with "you are are under arrest." KING shit

sorry to be like this but spock with a gun was fucking awesome. i'm glad he didn't shoot his bro but still.

the three of them truly bickered like an old married throuple in the brig. bones coming to spock's defense was so funny he's like fine to gang up on spock until he realizes kirk is genuinely upset and then he switches sides because they're only supposed to gang up on him for fun

"STAND BACK" i knew those idiots weren't going to get the morse code in time and it was still funny. same with scotty like "i know this ship like the back of my hand! [BONK]" anyway he totally came in clutch i love him sm

i don't remember why i wrote "bones is so frail and waiflike" because we said it about 7000 times during this film but it's true

spock's rocket shoes saving the day nearly made me cry again except i got jerked out of it by my SHEER ECSTATIC GLEE that he got to take both kirk and bones ently in his arms while carrying them around. wow <3 love wins <3

"the people of your world once believed it was flat but columbus proved it was round" bitch the fuck he did. i'm blaming william shatner for that one. who knew that in 2023 they would still fucking think the earth was flat

the whole thing with bones's dad was fucking brutal. normally we talk through everything but we were dead silent for that bit. even though i knew what was gonna happen my jaw was on the fucking ground

spock's little baby vulcan ears...wait hold on

LOOK AT HIM!!!

that birth looked brutal. for once i'm giving aos some credit whatever they had going on looked much nicer. sarek seemed less disgusted too. maybe this was just spock's imagination he was like yeah my dad took one look at me when i popped out of the womb and diagnosed me with human cuz i was crying lmao

the second half of this movie was where the plot started getting dicey for me. i didn't really care what was going on before now bc i was having fun but when they started talking about the great barrier i got confused. i thought that was on the outside of the galaxy? and i thought at the center of the galaxy was some fucking anomaly and the devil lived there. cuz that was in the animated series. i know. i watched the whole thing.

like we get there and everyones like wow its so beautiful! like no offense cool rocks bro but ??? there's literally nothing there

the big ribcage rocks popping up out of the ground gave us a laugh. at first were like: hopeful: tentacles? no. just spikes. this place is not a place of honor etc

god as a giant inverted face over white light who shot lasers out of his eyes was the stupidest fucking thing i have ever seen in my life. i laughed so hard. i do love though that kirk is apparently an atheist who enjoys backtalking god. he talked to god the way he talks to computers when he's trying to suicide-bait them

i wish we had gotten some explanation of what that actually was? and why everyone thought it was god? but whatever. apparently this movie was also trying to say something about cults but it didn't. again, whatever, i was mostly having fun with whatever was going on so i didn't care but the plot was really very very bad

at one point in my hysterics i typed "LMAO GOD'S GONNA FUCK THE SHIP" as in "and make jim jealous because that's what he wants to do" but i don't remember why so i'll just leave it as the mystery that it is.

spock's little "get ahold of yourself" when bones started being frantic about jim being al;one down there after the two of them got beamed up. lol.

spock's little "damn you, sir" 🥰

metal as hell and also anime as hell that they killed god. what a ride that was. first i thought kirk was gonna do it. then i thought the klingons did it. then it was SPOCK that did it. i could not have asked for a better outcome

"not in front of the klingons" i finally have context for this. i had seen snatches of it in gifs and videos but it was even gayer than i imagined. WILLIAM SHATNER WROTE THIS???

genuinely in SHOCK they ended it with them camping again. i was like if they start singing i am Going to scream. and you know what they did?? yes. yes. yes.

i don't understand why everyone hates this movie. like, yes, the plot was bad near the end. the villain was bad. the stuff about god being In Your Heart was lame af. but the character moments were PERFECT and the movie was extremely funny and everyone was very charming. it boggles the mind that it almost meant there was no sixth movie. like it wasn't perfect but it had so many redeeming qualities!!

that said. i did watch it after some of the worst tng i have Ever seen AND on the same day i watched into darkness so maybe that has something to do with it lmao

[captainaikus]

Another event for another milestone HBJBFIGOVNEJOGVJNGGM AND IT'S A YANDERE FOCUSED ONEEE KYAAAAAAA!!!!!!!! (≧◡≦) ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ Congratulations Belle! ヽ(>∀<☆)ノ

HOWEVER, JUST A BIT SIDETRACKED TOPIC THOUGH! I kept on re-reading the Yan!Rin fic aND UGH- NO WORDS, I'M JUST IN AWE AND APPLAUSE, Reader-chan is so independent on her own and very cool for outsmarting Ghostface!Rin during that scene before the delicious smut!! <3 (/▽＼*)｡o○♡ Most of the Rin smut I've read leaned toward Rin being the dom one all throughout... BUT HIM AS A BOTTOM (what a sight to behold really, made me realize that I'm blushing a lot when I read the part where Rin masturbates and submits to her) THEN TURNED AGGRESSIVE TOP AND BECOMES POSSESSIVE AF----- FUEEEEEEEEE (｡・////////・｡) Yes Rin, I'm only yours ;;;;; This is just the first chapter of your fic and as I saw the tags of characters included there soon then I saw on one of your posts here saying along the lines "I still have a lot of ideas-" OH BELLE ;;;; I can't wait!!! Do take your time writing because I know you really put a lot of effort into all of your fics >w<)b!!!

O-okay... Back to the event. I'll let you decide whether it's sfw or nsfw for my ask :3

sfw or nsfw for Rin: RINNNNNN!!! ヽ(^∀^)ﾉ (Running towards Rin for a quick hug as a greeting, I got distracted by my male best friend who abruptly hugged me affectionately from behind and Rin witnessed all of it)

tysm wuv ꒰ᐢ⸝⸝•༝•⸝⸝ᐢ꒱⸒⸒ yandere characters have been my fav as of late you re-read my fic? That is so sweet ♡ i wanted to make y/n smart, independent n the kind that doesn't take shit lying down cause when it comes to yandere works, i've only experienced reading very naive reader who can't fight for themselves or end up getting trapped. It's thrilling, yes; but most times its the guy who is a psychopath / sociopath while the girl is oblivious. I see the troupe but it makes the story very monotoned. so i prefer to write the chase. smart + independent + strong n kinda deranged y/n 🤝 equally deranged yandere bf/ gf to compete n be insane with oh yeah i remember the whole process of doing that scene. it lead me to creating a wip for another character altogether, but rin takes her painting home n gets turned on from it • inspiration for that as creepy as it sounds, i remembered kira yoshikage (for non jjba fans, kira got turned on when he saw mona lisa's hands in a museum n cause of that he has a fetish for hands) Rin : *pulls you by your hair making your back meet against his chest, his arm beneath your chest* I don't like you smelling like other men. Take off your clothes and get in the shower. I'll take my time cleaning and dirtying you over and over again until you learn that you are mine. And no one else's. Do we have a fucking understanding, puppy?

[nerice]

"find the word" week 3 give it up for week 3 !!

create (never leave ur adhd boyfriend unsupervised or he will cause the inciting incident)

"the portal in the palace may have been destroyed, but it's not impossible to create a different path." cait's heart grinds to a halt even before reina speaks the next words: "your boyfriend has done it." the anger in her fizzles and takes with it all the heat, leaving her insides hollow and cold, her clammy hands clutching at the handle of her sword. it seems to be the only thing that won't leave her, that will not slip through her fingers. a portal... not again. "raiu can't..." the words come like tar, syllable by syllable reluctantly up her throat. "lucie was lost. the same thing will happen to him."

prevent (romnov but make it common eli lore exposition)

"nothing of what i'm about to tell you leaves this room." jumie finds herself nodding before she knows it. this is yet another new side of reina, not conceding power but not fraught with it either; strangely sincere. "eliada calls himself a scholar, a researcher of universes. he appeared in my world much like he appeared in this one, his assistant in tow. and i knew he spoke true because i could feel they were different from the people of my world. wherever they came from, even i cannot fathom it." she lets the words hang, the implication of something even beyond herself, the origin of all creation. "once he was there, and now he is here. and he has always called me these things—true ruler, too, is not a word i came up with myself—acting like he knew." "knew what?" "everything. about me, about what i am. and the most humiliating part is that he has never been wrong. sometimes i cannot help but think... maybe he knew what was about to happen to my world. maybe he saw it coming. maybe he could have prevented it, helped me—" the words stumble, eager to get out of her mouth, but then she shuts it and shuts the remaining words inside. back to callous stoicism in a heartbeat. "he makes my skin crawl," reina finishes, her voice solid stone. jumie feels like she almost glimpsed something there, a certain truth, when those words spilled out. but the moment has passed and reina now stands. "never question my capability again, jumeira. i have my reasons. and i want you wary of eliada, always, that's all i came here to say."

hour (prelude to the end of black swan :3)

faye's presence has disquieted gray, but what linnea didn't anticipate is how restless it would make her, too. she is itching to skin her, string her up and flay the rotten blood out of her, no matter how many hours it takes. rid her of what makes her soulless and burn the husk. it's different from her usual affectations for mortals, this time there is real malice behind it. she runs a finger through the splatters of blood on her arm, so mundane-looking for what it can do if ingested. it would be the same as gray's, right? linnea is tempted to have a taste, if only because the two of them seem nothing alike. she is still pondering the gore on her fingers when a bone-splitting scream pushes into the room, a delicious howl of agony followed by uneven steps down the stairs. linnea shifts out onto the landing, but faye is gone, all that remains of her the mangled flesh that once made up her left arm. the stench of blood hangs thick in the hallway, gray's own hands rank with it. "what happened?" "nothing. just talk."

unlikely (reina is thrilled to learn abt eliada's deals w soulless :)!)

eliada has the remarkable ability to make any room seem smaller on the inside by filling it to the brim with the odds and ends he has accumulated from his myriad trades and ventures. he sighs deeply and closes his journal. "an unlikely guest. what brings you here today?" reina slams her hands onto his desk, the impact toppling several stacks of books and something brassy shatters on the floor behind it. good. "you fucking bastard." "i see we are skipping the formalities."

sword (garvith sees eliada's old god-killer sword and goes nope!)

for the first time, lucie catches a glimpse of her sister's sword unsheathed: a delicate, slender blade with gold inlay that seems ill-suited to slaughter, if it weren't for the hostile tilt with which she holds it between her and avery. "that's enough, don't you think?" cait says, voice even deadlier than her weapon. avery's grip on the knife turns white at the knuckles. she is fixated on the ruby set into the sword hilt, like a watchful eye, her aggression withering. in its place sprouts something much colder, at the verge of trembling. it's not like her to back down from a fight, lucie thinks.

helpless (jumie's very tired dream game ending)

jumie casts a hollow, unseeing gaze at the gargantuan doors, washed white as bone. when reina once talked of the soul plains, her breath had been laced with awe, but jumie fails to see the beauty of it. the oddly bent horizon, the suffocating blackness beyond. countless souls humming like insects between the flowers that birth them. and above all, these towering doors. the hard pit in her stomach heaves; what beauty? what lonely, empty nothingness. how could reina think this place sacred when it had refused her like any other part of this universe? a desperate fist helplessly pounding against those very doors as she begged the observer to let her in. jumie does not want to enter where her queen had been denied in her moment of need.

also brain was technically the monday word but due to content... pared down & horny jailed down here lol

(3kau for context) warming faye up to bigger things :)))

arianna pulls out of her and returns only two fingers. "turn off that smart little brain of yours, faye, stop trying." she hooks her fingers upward and faye's thighs clench. wet heat stoked by arianna's expert tongue, kissing and sucking her clit with hunger that sets her blazing, moaning incoherent curses. faye arches into the pillows, losing herself, her mind—"wait"—she's so close but this is not how she wanted to come. "ari... wait—" "shut up." faye comes, hard. riding out the climax on her fingers as she guides her through the aftershocks. with a dirty grin, arianna pours the remaining old into her hands, spreading it between the inked digits and letting the excess drip onto faye's cunt. "that was foreplay."

[troglobite]

once again pls make no comments to me abt the shows i watch lol

ppl literally are so angry that the show is focusing on zava and shandy and these "awful" storylines abt rebecca's fertility & motherhood, and this "nonsense" w keeley and jack

and i'm just like

hey have you ever considered that these are fictionally real people with real lives who make and have plenty of relationships that don't fit within the core cast of a fucking sitcom?

and that season three is deliberately exploring that?

and using new characters as ways to introduce and explore different themes and areas of growth for the main cast?

have you ever considered that a show that is only 3 seasons and has had clear goals and plans FROM THE BEGINNING would be doing these things deliberately and that maybe you should just trust that they know what they're doing? bc this isn't a fucking show that dragged on for 15 unnecessary seasons--

it's a show that, like very few others, like the good place and gravity falls (bizarre to put those together and also w ted lasso lol), has planned its ending since it began.

i don't watch many interviews bc they're often Weird

but in one that i did watch, jason literally mentioned that jeremy's audition for higgins included him with a goatee, and at some point he found out that he played standup bass in a jazz band

and he went "perfect, that'll be perfect for higgins' storyline at the end of season 1"

like.

nothing in this show comes out of nowhere

this is all so clearly signposted.

like for example you wanna rag on rebecca for being "hung up" on rupert?

HE is hung up on HER.

season one AND two, and even NOW, everything he does is just to piss her off and try to make her retaliate.

i mean come the fuck on

he went and dated the youngest available woman he could find at the charity thing in episode FOUR of season one

they ended up dating and getting engaged

he used her to buy shares in richmond

when that didn't work, he fucking bought west ham

he stole nate, not because he actually believed in his ability to coach (though that was a bonus), but bc he saw him as a tool to use to HURT REBECCA AND TED AND EVERYBODY AT RICHMOND.

there is a scenario where, by doing this, he gets richmond back--which is what he wants, alongside hurting rebecca.

we just don't SEE it as much as we see REBECCA being "hung up" on it all, bc, y'know, HE'S NOT A MEMBER OF THE MAIN CAST. we don't get his pov!

rebecca's growth is counter to rupert's lack thereof. he's cheating--AGAIN. he got the youngest, prettiest woman--even NAMED rebecca. he decided to have kids. he bought a different football club. he should be thrilled. and instead he's cheating, bc that's just what he does. old habits.

rebecca is still trying to change. she's going through different phases, but she's trying to figure out what it is that SHE wants.

rupert just follows his first instinct, without fail, and doesn't really care abt anyone or anything else. manipulation to get it every time.

and that is. clear. from the beginning.

he's not just doing things and oh side benefit, it hurts rebecca.

he is doing things SPECIFICALLY TO HURT HER.

fuck idk why i got stuck on this tangent.

anyway the point being.

these ~pointless side characters~

someone literally said that the first 4 episodes "meant nothing/are pointless" now and i'm like ??? in what universe.

zava highlighted how out of touch ted is, beard's and roy's obsession w winning at any cost and also being out of touch in different ways, jamie's incredible growth and insight, and the vulnerability of the players on the team to be led easily astray or distracted by bright pretty things. it all culminates in ted tearing up the believe sign--he's right, and this will likely lead to him being More Involved, and as someone else suggested, possibly leaving back to kansas thinking it's what he wants, before returning and realizing he wants to be in england.

zava may also end up factoring into stories in other ways. his presence and now absence will have a lasting effect on how the players are evaluated, how the media reports on them, specifically colin's own difficulties with confidence, etc.

shandy, as well. her story is SO far from over, in my opinion. keeley has a lot to learn, and she wasn't able to teach just yet. shandy also (along w the lamb and shit thing) is sort of like--sometimes a cute face disguises a problem. i definitely think there's more, bc i can't put in a pin in shandy's story, yet. given that it happened in the same episode as keeley and jack, i'm interested to see where it goes. her think w the star fckr? like come on. she is ABSOLUTELY going to be involved in SOMETHING later in the season. for better or worse! it'll be compelling to see what happens, there.

but her presence wasn't "pointless", not least bc i don't think she's permanently gone.

oh also, zava was the catalyst for getting roy and jamie together to help train jamie even harder. that builds their relationship and jamie's confidence AND skill. it shows they both have commitment to this.

jack is the most intriguing! i hadn't thought abt it but someone mentioned that she might be jane's sister. which, i mean, their names ARE similar, and they look similar, it would make sense.

regardless, keeley isn't going to end up w jack--it would be odd for a latecomer to end up being part of a main cast member relationship.

HOWEVER this affords keeley some more opportunities for growth. had she KNOWN she was bi before this? was she a bisexual woman who hadn't really been w women much? it happens! it's common! straight men are just easier to find in a lot of cases, esp w the crowds she typically runs in, y'know?

and beyond that, how does keeley feel abt this? she's still hurt abt things w roy. she said as much. clearly this is a sort of rebound situation. it's nothing serious, but it is serious thematically and in terms of character development.

jack will be part of exploring what it means to be professional, finding her own identity as a businesswoman, finding her own identity in herself, leaning into that even more, exploring vulnerability and power dynamics. like it is RIPE with opportunities. and i do mean ripe.

also colin is so clearly not forgotten. keeley and roy are so clearly not forgotten (she literally wasn't able to talk abt him w jack! she said so!).

also how and why did jack know that keeley and jamie had dated, but not keeley and roy? SEE? THERE ARE MORE THINGS THERE TO BE TEASED APART AND SEE LATER IN THE SEASON.

and ted truly has felt detached from a lot of things.

also i can vouch for his persistent lack of detailed knowledge abt the rules of the game: i have watched figure skating my entire life, and i still cannot tell ANY steps apart. i can barely tell pattern dances apart. the best i can do is identify some spin positions and correct positions for jumps, and i had to study v hard to get that. even though i know the names of these things and have read rule books and watched for years--if someone like beard and roy were there for me and i could focu son some other shit. i simply would. ted DOES have knowledge of the game. it's just not the nitty gritty details. he's picked up plenty. knows positions and formations and strategy. but christ the offside rule is confusing and it's a funny running joke.

ANYWAY.

i agree w everyone that i need roy to unpack his anger issues. he's been toxic abt it for the whole show.

and i just KNOW something is going to come up and make him do a 180, bc it's a veneer for something else.

it'll be VERY interesting to see it teased apart.

but trent dropped his mug and EVEN BEARD WAS SHOCKED by what roy was describing.

and i mean, given their dynamic, it does feel partly like roy hamming it up for an audience.

at the same time, he's speaking from SOME kind of experience.

and we STILL don't know why he broke up with keeley and how that conversation went down.

i'm sure that'll come out in the next episode? truths unlocked for many? YES PLEASE. lol

anyway i find it incredible that on a show like this, ppl don't trust the writers to know what they're doing.

or on a show like this, ppl are annoyed and only focused on Ship Stuff.

meanwhile i feel confident that both ted and rebecca will end up single and in a different situation, and that'll be the healthy resolution they need in their stories. lol

for everyone, their fulfillment lies OUTSIDE of romantic relationships.

everyone's al jaw;efhalskdjf alsdkfj abt rebecca and keeley and them being "distracted" by relationships.

have we maybe considered that that's part of their journeys of self-discovery? that maybe they, as characters, are hung up on what it means to be single or in a relationship? to be alone? and that their stories right now and reckoning with those fears and needs and desires?

can they maybe be allowed to be complicated messy women who are BOTH in situations that put them under a LOT of pressure and misogyny? are they not allowed to like, actually cope w that in real fucking ways?

idfk man.

if the story feels real and honest to me, i sort of don't give a shit if it's ~perfectly feminist~

i'd rather have fictional women who feel real (it was established IN SEASON ONE that rebecca always wanted kids! that is a NORMAL AND COMMON THING for MANY people!) than fictional women who fit some bizarre perfect ideal of feminism

also unrelated to all of this but

if that IS a picture of trent crimm's daughter on his desk--

is she standing ALONE?

and if so--

[stares in GAY]

i'm just saying! she's SO YOUNG! at HIS age? and NO mention of ANY other parent?!

AAAAANNNNNDDDDDDD

in SEASON ONE ted was TALKING to her and PROMISED HER COOKIES!! AND DECORATED THEM FOR HER!!!!!!!

i'm just saying this all screams Extremely Gay Single Dad Energy and i LOVE it.

please, more gay little mugs and ways of standing and your old shoes and band and concert t-shirts and your fancy snazzy little jackets and your ~cool~ bag, trent crimm. thank you. lol

okay i need to rid myself of this brainrot. i need to stop engaging w shit online. lol it's not doing great things for my brain.

i regret beginning to read fanfic for this show, as well, even though there are some good writers. lol

but truly the amount of ppl convinced that ted and rebecca are endgame. and here i am like [stares in 'the rest of the show has not been building to that and i will eat my arm if it ends up being true']

*this is not a legally binding contract and i will not actually eat my arm if, SOMEHOW, it is true.

the only compelling "evidence" i've seen is apparently hannah liking a tweet that Implied Something abt it

and even then i'm like

please, actors LOOOOOVE liking tweets where they 1. don't understand the implications or context, or 2. get to engage w fun fan theories and shipping bc they like the characters, too, and it's fun.

//shrug.

idk

anyway.

fucking christ i need to sleep

[petalsmooth]

When the HELL did Anthony apologize or have a redemptive arc?

And if he suffered, he deserved to suffer.

First off I don't give a damn about Marina. Penelope befriended her. Colin and Penelope in fact befriended her. No one else did. And what did she do? Looked to deceive Colin and belittled Pen in a spiteful nighttime conversation. I understand being unwed and pregnant in the 1800's could be frightening, but they had NOTHING to do with the events that got her there. Pen basically begged her ANYONE else and Marina had options. That drawing room was full of men at start of season, she is the one who turned them away.

Even the old lecher was an option much as she disliked it as he would die soon and she'd be rich. He didn't care if she was having another man's baby either. Nor can you use how it's repugnant, though it is, because Marina basically made it plain even when she had a young, attractive and kind man marry her that she was less than thrilled with him. Nor did she pretend when met Colin again that she was attracted to him. Marina didn't want any man but the one who died. So what does it matter if you marries young or old in that case? It would have been more of a kindness to marry the old one than shackle a young man to a lifetime of estrangement and cold distant conversations.

Penelope ONLY outed Marina because she chose to trap the one man Penelope loved and considered a friend. Marina manipulated Colin's naivete and need to feel wanted and his kindness and would have completely destroyed him had she succeeded. You could see in season 3 how he still bore scars from what she had done. The person who SHOULD have apologized is MARINA to Colin and I will NEVER like her until she does. Only I know she never will. She justifies every cruelty she inflicts on others as justified for HER survival, while expecting others to feel for the injustice she receives. I don't have a lot of empathy for people like that. Hence why I hated the entire Cressida sl this year and only started to like Portia in ep 7 and 8 of season 3.

Anthony and Benedict basically called Kate a beast too you nitwit and you still love him. It was not a slight against her appearance either, but commentary on his anyone seeking to get close to Edwina was going to have to obtain approval from her sister that would not be easily swayed. Kate embraced this role btw and I doubt very much was bothered by it at all.

Penelope actually DID send Violet a letter. That we didn't hear the conversation with Colin of have the letter read aloud is because the show screwed over Luke/Colin in screentime but it WAS an apology letter. If you had any discernment you'd know that. But since Colin flat out said she was rather PROUD of Penelope you haven't a leg to stand on. You FORGET Violet USED Lady W to help save Daphne. You FORGET Lady W spared Colin a marriage to a woman he didn't love (Violet HATED that betrothal). The only thing she might have argument with Pen over would be Eloise and I'm pretty sure Violet knows her daughter well enough and Pen well enough to know Eloise didn't tell her the entire story about what happened there. She was by Colin's side supporting him when Pen made the speech, if she had an issue with Pen she would have made it known. Violet has never shied from giving an opinion. Even when it hurts her children, such as Francesca this year.

And sorry if I am not a royalist and don't care what is said about them in print. The monarchy was on the verge of a collapse which would have collapsed their entire government because Charlotte and George raised over a dozen irresponsible children who couldn't. secure the bloodline. It may not be "kind" to allude to George's state but someone had to light a fire under them before their family dynamic created a crisis they could not come back from.

Now personally I would favor letting it burn because they basically exist and feed off the working class just as the nobility does but the Bridgerton fanbase doesn't want to have that conversation. Especially not fans of Anthony "VISCOUNT" Bridgerton. So if the price for living in a castle, being well fed and clothed is a little back talk about their mental instability so be it. I'm an American...people have been questioning Biden and Trump's mental faculties on the daily here (which doesn't bother me) and I'll be damned if I care if Whistledown does so to the fictional King. I think some people would do well to remember that while the show is fictional, it does still draw on some real elements. The British monarchy for one. And I am NOT a fan of theirs no matter how I like the Casting of George or Charlotte.

Whistledown btw is my FAVORITE character on the show. AND I am beyond ticked they had Penelope apologize AS Whistledown to that society of spoilt, cruel, hypocritical ingrates. I wanted the way it was done in the book and I'll die on that hill.

Nevertheless Penelope DID do a blanket unequivocal apology to everyone on that floor so have no ground to speak of. Especially when the Queen basically gave consent to continue.

Anthony on the other hand? I don't recall seeing him apologize to Edwina. NOT ONCE. He took Edwina's breaking of the engagement as a call to pursue Kate immediately after. No regard to Edwina's feelings given.

He basically only stopped creating Chaos in Siena's life with his constant broken promises and cruelty because she forced him to leave.

Benedict basically gave up his art because feels Anthony bought him acceptance and I saw NO signs Anthony cared his brother hasn't touched a paint brush since. One brief comment in at a ball saying he should continue did not undue that damage. Anthony in arrival home basically tells Benedict he's surprised he handled the ledgers competently. Really wonderfully supportive is he not?

Anthony is so obtuse he didn't notice Colin developed an entire new personality because he felt even his own family didn't care for his real one, then proceeded to congratulate Colin for being like him raking around town.

Furthermore, Anthony was about to upstage Colin's engagement dinner with news they were pregnant because...he's such a supportive empathetic older brother right? Note in episode 8 Colin references not asking for more funds from his inheritance from Benedict because he doesn't want to interfere with Francesca's big day. Night and day difference between Colin and Anthony.

Kate had to restrain Anthony was interfering with his mother finding happiness, proving he learned nothing from his disastrous intrusion into Daphne's life season one.

And I never, not once, heard Anthony take back any of the number of misogynist comments he made about women including in season 2.

I keep hearing how the show can't write a story because the actor isn't there but that's not really true. They CAN. It's just the one they COULD write would be one where it's acknowledged he hasn't been the best of men or brothers and maybe have him grow as a person from that. But no one seems to want to address that. I mean they write Colin basically feeling unsupported or loved by his family unless he does something for them, but they don't follow up and let him confront any of them? You don't think there could have been room where Colin confronts Anthony about how he only got approval from Anthony when he buried his entire personality? I for one would have liked THAT confrontation denied in season 3 and it's one that could have happened without Jonny being there every day. It would have been better than the constant discussions of repeat honeymoons.

but no matter how you argue it, Anthony has NOT had a redemption arc and Penelope apologized far more than HE ever has in his life. And HE has caused MORE damage to his family than Penelope EVER has if you look at the impact of HIS words and HIS actions on Daphene, Benedict and Colin.