#NOW SHE SHIPS YOU 8D

[saph-y]

Tagged by @dingoat♥ A while ago BUT today I have trouble getting to work grading some students so thank you for the procrastination instead xD

3 ships (did the first that came into my mind !)

Siv(my oc)/Archibald(selkys's oc) : Truly The Ship, at the core of the story I'm rp-ing with Selkys. They fought the plot AND tons of shit in-universe to be together. How to sumarize them... ha, picture an evil genius Sith Lord suddenly switching his whole reason of living from revenge to absolute devotion toward his fiery sunshine smol wife and you get and idea !

Hazel(OC)/Sycamore (Pokemon) : Basically started because I wanted to explore a ship with Sycamore and Hazel was my only Pokemon OC at the time - I didn't even knew much about him except I liked his design and vibes immensely. I actually managed to write a deliciously complicated story around them and I really hope to explore more♥

Willow(OC)/Grimsley(Pokemon) : Willow is my pokemas protag and in a game were you basically meet all pokemon trainers, I do have many ships with her and that is originally why she was created, just a character to be indulgent and explore different stuff. But Grimsley is my fav pairing for her because I imagined such a """fun""" (for me 8D) dynamic between them ! Two word : trust issues.

First Ship

I can't really remember my first FIRST ship, but growing up I wasn't too much into romance stories I think. But I do vividly remember my first "holy shit you can do THAT??" when playing Mass Effect 2 for the first time and discovering you could romance Garrus. Thus, my first "active" ship was born (meaning I was actively searching/producing works around it) Guess I was a monsterfucker all along Thank you Bioware for expanding my imagination 🫶

Last Song

At this very moment I'm listening to Wild Child by The Black Keys (love vibing to this band.)

Currently Reading

Just started Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett and I'm delighted to be finally reunited with the idiots of the city watch♥ I waited for MONTHS to get to a proper library that had it...

Last Film

...Not sure ? A silly spy film I forgot the title I think ? ...If I can offer a serie instead, I'm currently watching Lupin the Third part 4 and 5 ! It's funny how every Lupin thing I watch feels like meeting with long time dear friends even tho it's not a universe I've been aware of for that long... is that weird ? xD But given how fanartists for this fandom influenced my artstyle for years before I even saw a single film (yep, do you understand some stuff about it now ? :p) it might be the reason !

Currently Craving

Hum... idk ? ...Maybe another coffee xD But that would not be a good idea and thus I must resist u_u

[our-blood-is-our-ink]

89! 8D

Sky's stolen ask game

Paper Rings

Ship(s): Claire Debella x Agatha Harkness, Agatha Harkness x Reader, Claire Debella x Reader, Claire Debella x Agatha Harkness x Reader

Summary: Claire and Agatha can't seem to keep from arguing as tensions run high between them.

Word Count: 2.6k

Disclaimer: 18+ ONLY minors dni

Warnings: mentions of death, mentions of character death, mentions of torture, mentions of sex, vague descriptions of sex, accusations of cheating

A/N: Whew! This turned into an actual fic, so thank you for requesting!

"Roaming the streets was never safe for her. What makes you think it's different for you? Your magic won't protect you, otherwise your bond, which was supposed to protect her, would've done its job and killed them before they could kill her."

Claire's voice is cold, and it hits a nerve.

"You don't have to remind me." Agatha snaps. "I don't know why the bond failed, but it did. It's all I can think about. About how I felt it. How I felt it as they carved her up and made her death agonizing and torturous. How I felt it as if it were me there and not her. I hope it means she didn't feel a thing. I really-" Agatha's voice hitches as her anger washes away. "I really do."

Claire only frowns. "I'm not losing you too, Harkness. Go home."

Agatha rapidly shakes her head in flat out refusal.

Claire's frown morphs into a glare.

"They targeted her to get to you, you idiot!" She yells, clearly having reached the end of her rope. "They obviously have methods against witchcraft so go home where it's safe. I'll track them down. They have nothing on me."

"Well clearly they do seeing as she was kidnapped when she was with you!" Agatha shouts back, tears pricking at her eyes. "Bonding with her was never supposed to be about protections or safety nets. It was always about being committed to one another. Always. It's not like claiming someone. It goes deeper than that."

"I wouldn't know, now would I?" Claire crosses her arms. "I've claimed you twice over now, and yet you still refuse to bond."

"Because it's different. It isn't the same at all."

"At first I thought maybe you just had commitment issues, but clearly that's not it." Claire says, sounding a bit defensive. "Clearly it's me. Clearly I shouldn't have ever claimed you, not when you're not my mate. Not when you don't want me."

Agatha drops her gaze to the ground.

"Bonding leaves both parties vulnerable for months, Claire." She says in a subdued tone. "I can never bond with you because you never want to be weak. That's what bonding is about. It's about truly becoming whole with someone on a deeply intimate level. The magic won't take if you can't accept showing the parts of you that you'd rather die hiding before showing them to even yourself. It isn't in your nature to be so exposed. And that would get us both killed. The magic would demand retribution for being called on for something that is not so wholly desired."

"I know that!" Claire's voice rings out with frustration.

"Then why do you still hold it against me for wanting us both to live!" Agatha explodes. "This isn't about me not loving you, you insecure ass! It's about me loving you too much to risk you!"

"So you loved her less? Is that what you're saying?" Claire asks, well knowing the answer.

Agatha closes her eyes. "No." She takes a breath before opening them again. "I loved her in a different way. The love we hold for each other is not the same as the love we held for her. I loved her enough to know that even if the magic wouldn't have accepted our intent that I'd rather have died trying to bond then gone on living wondering what if. And!" Agatha raises a finger, preemptively cutting Claire off. "I was unaware at the time we would eventually open our relationship to you, someone who could tie us together in a far more safer way."

Claire's jaw clenches.

"I have asked only twice to bond." She softly says. "And both times I allowed you to convince me to merely lay claim to you."

"Yes." Agatha meets Claire's eyes, tilting her head proudly. "Because it strengthens our relationship."

"Because you're a coward." Claire sneers. "Can you not admit it even to yourself? You're terrified what it would mean to be bonded to me."

Agatha's gaze remains steady.

"Yes, I am. I'm scared. I'm scared of bonding to a vampire who has a track record of cheating on me with people who aren't even their mate, even though I allowed myself to be claimed by them. I'm terrified of giving you what you want, something that is not undoable, even in death, only for you to cast me aside when you grow bored of me."

Claire stills.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"What do you mean what the hell am I talking about! You fucking cheated on me! Or was that so insignificant to you that you don't even remember the reason why I left in the first place?"

"You left me because you thought I had cheated?" Claire sounds incredulous, but her eyes are beginning to water, a sign that Agatha hit something sensitive.

"I didn't think. I knew." Agatha insists.

"I would never. Have never." Claire takes a step forward. "Agatha, it goes against my nature, the very same one you're using as an excuse to keep me at bay. Do you have any idea how rare it is for a vampire to claim someone who isn't their mate? To claim the same person twice, especially after they had the first one cruelly and brutally suppressed and removed?" Claire brings her arms up to hug herself. "I don't think I ever experienced such pain." She whispers. "And you're lucky I couldn't find you for the decades after that. To take a vampire's blood, to use it to force them to give up someone they had given their heart to?" She shakes her head. "I was so wholly devoted to you, Agatha. I have no idea how you've come to the conclusion that I had been cheating, but I wasn't. I never had been. The very thought of it makes me feel sick."

"I don't believe you. I know what I saw, what I heard." Agatha suddenly feels emotionally drained. "And it's cruel of you to try to lie to me."

"I'm not lying." Claire insists. "Tell me what you saw, felt. Tell me so I can tell you what was going on."

"What I saw." Agatha grits out. "Was your legs spread open as a man I did not recognize ate you out. What I felt was betrayed. Especially as I heard you moaning another woman's name. It wasn't mine, and it definitely wasn't his."

Claire blinks.

"What?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, do I need to repeat myself?" Agatha's voice has gone cold, but she can feel the way her lip trembles and the way her lungs struggle to take in air. "I had been out that day, and came home to see you being pleasured by a stranger, while you were calling out for another stranger."

"Agatha, that never happened." Claire's eyes are wide now. "That never-" She cuts herself off.

Agatha laughs bitterly.

"Jogged your memory, did it?"

"Agatha." Claire says breathlessly. "How soon after that did you leave?"

Agatha snorts. "Like you don't know."

"Humor me. Please." Claire bites her lip. "I'll beg if I have to. I need to know."

Agatha falls silent for a few moments as she weighs the worth of Claire's words. The truth of them.

"Two years." The witch finally says quietly. "I just... Couldn't take it anymore. I felt so awful throughout that entire time. I had to leave." Agatha looks away. "At first I had stayed because I wanted to see how long it would take you to admit to it. Then I found myself forgiving you. And I couldn't live with that, couldn't live with hating myself for being a lovesick fool. So I left."

"Agatha." Claire says firmly, drawing the younger woman's eyes back to her. "Two years before you left, nearly to the exact date, you had screwed up a spell. You couldn't tell me what it was, because I found you out cold in the basement. After you had woken, when I asked about it, you refused to tell me. And I didn't push, because I thought you were embarrassed. If I had realized..." She trails off, shaking her head slightly. "Surely you remember me asking you this?"

Agatha opens her mouth protest, but then shuts it again when no sound comes out.

"The very thought of cheating makes me ill. Forget about actually doing it." Claire takes another step forward, but Agatha jerks backwards.

"I still don't believe you." Her eyes look fevered, brightly colored and slightly glazed. "I- I can't. Not unless you let me-"

Claire waits, to see if Agatha will finish her sentence, but when she doesn't, she sighs.

"Just ask." She says softly. "I'll let you."

Agatha stills in shock.

"You'd let me in your head?" Uncertainty laces her words.

This time, as Claire steps forward, she's sure to keep her movements slow, gentle, as if Agatha is a frightened kitten easily startled.

"I told you, I wanted to bond. How could I ask that of you if I'm not willing for you to be allowed in the most intimated place I have?"

And oh, hell, she's crying now. She's crying when she was doing so well in not, in refusing to mourn and move on.

Shakily, Agatha reaches her fingertips to Claire's temples, doing her best to ignore how she's crying, how Claire is watching her tears roll down her face with what is clear anguish.

A few moments are enough to confirm what Claire is saying.

"Oh, goddess." Agatha whispers, horrified. "Oh, fuck."

Claire softly takes Agatha's wrists into her grasp.

"It's okay, doll." She says soothingly. "I promise. I'm not upset at you."

Agatha shakes her head.

"I messed up. I messed up so bad."

"No, you didn't." The vampire says firmly. "You made a mistake, one that is understandable. I am hurt you had felt that you couldn't confront me about it, but Agatha, that was literal centuries ago. And now we're here, together again. Missing our other half. And neither of us wants to make it missing both halves. So please." Claire brings one of Agatha hands up to her lips, pressing a gentle kiss against it. "Forgive yourself."

Agatha stares blankly at Claire.

"You say that like it's simple."

"Forgiving yourself?"

Agatha nods.

"It's not. But I need you to try anyways."

Agatha wants to turn away, but can't.

"And you said we were missing our other half like she's just lost and not-" Agatha's voice hitches. "As if she isn't dead."

Claire squeezes Agatha's wrists before releasing them.

"We never saw a body. Not in person, physically. For all we know she is alive."

Agatha does look away now.

"Then why can't I feel her?" She roughly asks. "Why can't I touch her through the bond, hear her heartbeat singing in my ears, feel her love coursing through me?"

"It's possible these people that have been after you found a way to break the bond."

Agatha's head snaps around so violently, Claire's surprised that she didn't break it.

"Impossible."

"Except that nothing is impossible, only improbable."

"No." Agatha flexes her fingers. "Bonding is the literal joining of-"

"Of souls, of essences. I'm aware."

"It can't be undone because... It's like if you have glasses of water colored by different dyes. Once you pour them together, you can't unpour them back into their original separate colors."

"So maybe there's a way to subdue it then. Suppress it. Like how someone can do what you did with the first mating bite I gave you."

"Except that was just a step to complete removal." Agatha frowns, tears having dried up as her analytical brain kicks in.

Claire clearly hesitates, before saying, "it was never a complete removal."

"What?" Confusion colors Agatha's voice.

"A mating bite, for a vampire to claim someone, it physically alters both parties on a biological level. You can suppress those changes after the fact they've already taken place, but it's not an erasure of them. Merely... It's more like putting them to sleep. What you did was the most efficient way to do that. It's why when I gave you the second mating bite you collapsed. After going so long pretending like those alterations weren't there, your body couldn't handle the way it suddenly stopped suppressing what was now natural to it."

"That- no. No. I would've known about that, it would've been-"

"Agatha." Claire softly interrupts. "It's not something vampires ever share."

"Why not?"

"Because it leaves us vulnerable. Only those who have been claimed.."

"Can kill their mate." Agatha finishes. "So this was devised by vampires as a way of tricking others into believing they could no longer harm them if something happened to end the relationship?"

Claire's smile is small, but genuine.

"You've always been clever." She praises.

"Oh."

Claire hums in response and silence falls over the alleyway.

"You really want to bond." The whisper seems to echo off the brick walls.

"I do." Claire's eyes gleam. "I don't care how weak or exposed it leaves me." She brings her hands up to cup Agatha's face. "You were my first true love, the first person I mated with, despite how much I tried with the handful of others before you who my every instinct told me that they were my match. My mates without being claimed."

Their lips are now close enough that Agatha can feel the way Claire's form her words.

"I've loved you. I've always loved you, ever since we met. I still love you. I love you so much it pains me physically to think of you hurt. I love you so much I desire to be utterly as one with you."

At those words, Agatha closes the miniscule gap between them and kisses Claire deeply, moaning into the older woman's mouth as she gently sucks on her tongue.

She can feel the spark of magic rising between them, the way it starts, flickering in the pit of her stomach before traveling up to her heart, the center of her life force, can feel it's twin doing the same within Claire.

And then, suddenly, and so faintly it would be concerning if it weren't for the situation, Agatha can sense a third being mirrored within you.

Agatha immediately pulls away from Claire, and the magic instantly dies out.

"Whats wrong?" Claire sounds nervous, as if she thinks the answer will be that Agatha no longer loves her.

"I felt her." Agatha gasps, trying to force herself to breathe. "We can't- I can't bond with you without her consent, because if I bond with you she bonds with you, and Claire-" Agatha's eyes shine with relived tears. "Claire, she's alive."

Claire doesn't care how painful her grip is on Agatha's arm, can't bring herself to even try to control her strength.

"She's alive?"

Agatha nods.

"She's alive, Claire! We have to find her, I can't- we can't lose her."

"And we won't."

Agatha can see the bloodlust starting to rise within Claire, can see it in the way her eyes shift to take on an unnatural tone as she imagines ripping the ones who dared hurt her mates into two.

"You're not going to send me home?" Agatha asks.

Claire hesitates, then shakes her head.

"No. I will not deny you the opportunity to enact your own retribution. I trust in your ability."

Agatha lets out the breath she hadn't been aware of holding. "Then let's go bring her home."

"Where to first?" Claire questions

"She's alive, and now that I'm aware that the bond can still be felt..."

Agatha smiles sharply, and Claire reflects it back to her.

"You can transport us directly to her."

"We're going to make those fools wish they had the mercy of death." Agatha hisses.

"Yes we are." Claire solemnly agrees. "And yes they will."

[novelmonger]

12, 13, 16, 19

12. compliment someone else in your fandom

@x-rainflame-x is one of my absolute favorite FMA fic writers. (It's been a couple years since she's written any, and to my own embarrassment I haven't tried out any of her more recent Trigun fics, but I'm sure they're just as good! ^^') Stairway to Paradise remains one of my favorite FMA fics. Parental!RoyEd hurt/comfort? Torture? PTSD? Roy getting to show his softer side, but then also sending the bad guys packing? YES PLEASE. And then on the other end of the spectrum, she can also be hilarious, as seen in Silver Bullet, in which Ed becomes convinced Roy Mustang is a werewolf XD

Getchu a fic writer who can do both, I say :3

13. your favorite type of fandom event (gift exchange, ship week, secret santa, prompt meme, etc)

Well, I've already answered this one and said my favorite is prompt challenges. But one I've always wanted to do yet never had the chance is a Big Bang. Getting to write a big long chapterfic and be assigned someone to make fanart of it? 8D Sounds like a dream come true! And I've read some truly phenomenal fics that have come out of that sort of thing.

16. a tiny detail in canon that you want more people to appreciate

I've been saying this for years, but I wish more fic writers paid attention to how Alphonse Elric never calls Ed by name. I know most of the blame probably falls on the English dub, where he does say his name from time to time, but in the Japanese he only ever calls him "nii-san." Part of that is cultural, I know, but he never even says "Ed o-nii-san" or something like that, which I would understand translating as simply "Ed."

Oftentimes, I feel like I'm the only one who thinks this is a small but vital piece of Al's characterization. It tells you something about him - if you ask me, it says that Ed being his brother is almost more integral to his identity than his own name. And I wish more people would talk about that.

19. your current fandom(s)

The fandoms I currently think/talk/write about most often:

Captain America

Lord of the Rings

Full Metal Alchemist

Star Wars

There are a lot of other ones that pop up now and then, and I'm always down to talk about them. Once a fan, always a fan. I'm also dabbling in a lot of fandoms that have lesser prominence in my life now because of Let Me Count the Ways.

Love Your Fandom asks

[hyunverse]

for the ask game — 6, 10, 20 <33

hi lila ^__^ thank u!!! for sending this in!!!

a song you’ve had on repeat lately:

absolutely obsessed with this song as of right now. it’s so catchy 😭 i keep singing it in my head too

how do you generally listen to music? (spotify, youtube, CDs, earbuds or speaker, etc)

ooo interesting... i usually listen to music on spotify! i have so many playlists on it, so it’s the most ideal. i usually use my headphones to listen to music, though i just put it on the loudest volume when i’m getting ready (i have a getting ready playlist i call “she’s a maneater! absolutely love that playlist) i use youtube to listen to 8d audios, and cds when i’m in the car ^__^ i bought them albums for a reason ‼️ might as well listen to the cds when i have a car that still has a cd player hehe

a song that reminds you of a fictional character or ship (feel free to specify)

THIS GOT ME BRAINROTTING FR!!! mmm ship in a bottle by fin truly reminds me of kaeya alberich. specifically the lines — “you set sail alone, there is no crew. no one on the deck who can help you.” i feel like those lines align with his character lore. the fact that he had wound up in mondstadt alone after having his nation destroyed?? yeah. tbh i can go on and on about kaeya’s lore pls hold me back 😭 i love him he is my darling dear

music ask game!!

[moonstone27ls]

Inside Job season 2

Thoughts....

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.....warning....

spoiler warning.....

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.....

..I warned you...

what did I think of it? It was pretty good. Not saying it was as good as last season but I sat through it all. I give Reagan props on wanting to have a better life and actually be happy,

Cause I’ll be blunt and I’m sorry if it offends anyone but her parents are LITERAL shits. Now her mom dunno her excuse, and I guess her dad is... pft sorry I’m not giving him excuse. He’s only on a level below from Rick villain/asshole because he gets a few moments of clarity of “I’m a dick parent”. But just a few. As antagonist to her story they are awesome. Parents pft lordd. I mean her dad during both seasons his whole purpose other than control/is trying to make his exwife love him again. I mean real life wise thats stalking and a part of me was sick of his obsession.

But anyways yes I enjoyed her and Ron’s romance and both wanting better. Because well yes I liked them and I wanted them both happy. Was I shocked that none of them tried to help Reagan kick her dad out or that they ignored her when her instincts were right... heh nah. I mean Brett aside, they are office friends at most. They are better than Rand to a degree I guess? They helped in the finale and I guess thats what matters.

The episodes were pretty much up to the level of last season. With us seeing how both Reagan and Brett have miserable family lives.

And although I did like her with Ron. I will not lie the last two eps made me ship her with Brett again. I mean Reagan had a chance to have Brett stay with her to take down her dad. But moment she saw he had a chance of being actually happy with his life. She let Brett go. Out of all the characters in the series, its Brett whom she cares about and is willing to sacrifice her happiness for.

And same for Brett, though he had doubts of taking her job. And was clearly having a problem with that whole “keep the airbud dog”. The moment he saw that Reagan just wanted to be happy with Ron. He withheld his insecurities from her, he toughened up and tried again. Because all he wanted was to see her happy even if that meant they’d never see each other again. My shipping side was screaming for them to kiss/or hug XD.

It is too bad she and Ron didn’t get a happy ending. But maybe among those many aus. They’re happy. And maybe next season if I’m lucky I’ll see one where she’s with Brett. Don’t judge I think they’d be cute together. Lord I can see her being the boss and Brett with a babysling going “Aww look at mommy yelling at the everyone again 8D!” Pft.

Anything I want if they get a next season... I dunno figure out what those robes are? Whats they’re plan and whatever happened to Reagan’s robo doppleganger? Cause first season it disappearedddd.

[justmilah]

For the ouat characters as mythical creatures thing I could also see Belle as a swan maiden 1) for much of the same reason Milah's a selkie but 2) it's different enough from a selkie that she's not just a copy of Milah and 3) it kinda fits her since swans are seen as very beautiful and elegant (and Belle is very beautiful (it's even mentioned in the name of her story - beauty and the beast) and has that kind of princess aesthetic and there kinda almost seems to be an aspect of some other characters treating her a little like a decoration (idk? it's subtle but I kinda see it?) which is what a lot of domestic swans are kept for) but swans in reality Can Fight You (and Belle is adventurous and not content being in a passive role all the time and actually is quite competent (at least... when the threat isn't coming from Rumple)). (And 4) one of my favorite Rumbelle songs (Writing on the Wall by Blackmore's Night) mentions swans (I mean what I'm not choosing this for superficial reasons not at all))

Okay so A) I'm used to getting anons and was having an existential crisis wondering how I was gonna tell someone I don't ship Rumbelle without coming across as 'SO DON'T SEND ME THESE' which isn't what I mean but 'I don't ship them so I hope I don't come across as hatey because I know how that feels please don't hate me' then I remembered how to read and saw your name and was all 'Omg good they already know how I feel! 8D' B) HI!! and C) I'm using letters since you used numbers :D

1) and 2) Oooo good points! (I know I told you how similar I find them, but yes, similar doesn't mean copy! So I like that idea.)

3) Ooo that IS fitting! (Yesss, I've always loved that, and that Belle means beauty, eee! Eight year old me's mind was BLOOOOWN when I was told that! It might have been the first time I actually thought about name meanings. I'd thought they were just sounds we called each other. Now I know better! For instance, apparently my name, Catherine, means pure! ...I was oddly offended when I found that out.) I can very much see where you're going with the comparrison and I can see it, too! Oh man, swans are scary. (One got aggressive with toddler me!) And sometimes Belle is scary. (Right?! (Right?!))

4) Oooo I haven't heard that song! I'll have to give it a listen to. (What I would never do such a thing either what do you mean.)

Thank you for your input!! And I agree, Belle is more suited to Swan Maiden than Selkie.

[flamexbound]

🚢

do i ship our characters together?: yes | no | not yet but maybe soon

I feel like Magna would be strongly resistant to being in a romantic relationship with Caspian because he's a King and therefore has power over her. Their relationship would be imbalanced, and unequal because Magna serves as his court mage. Also, Magna is not the most romantic person. Still, once you have won her heart, she will climb over the moon for you...but the downside to romancing a necromancer like Magna is that if Caspian were to die before her, she would sacrifice everything to bring him back to life. She would sacrifice his subjects if it came down to it. Loving Magna would mean throwing away your morals and ethics and greenlighting her most heinous plots. So, yeah. Magna would repeatedly ask Caspian if loving her is really what he wants. She comes with a disclaimer and everything. Plus, she wouldn't want to drag Caspian down with her in her own vile corruption. He's a good man and king who deserves to be with someone as kind and good as he is.

would i like to ship with you?: yes | maybe, i'm willing to try | no

If you want to ship our two characters, we can try it and see how it turns out! 8D

type of relationship i could see: childhood or high school sweethearts | exes | engaged | married | long-term relationship | crushes | unrequited love | fling | long distance | online relationship | just dating | new relationship | toxic lovers | friends with benefits

I am sad to say that a romance with Magna will not be all sunshine and rainbows and farting unicorns. She might not even return Caspian's feelings at first because she's too focused on acquiring more power for his kingdom and building a zombie vampire army using the bodies of his enemies...soooo there's that. They might even have a little fling! The possibilities are endless!

tropes i'd enjoy writing for them: friends to lovers | enemies to lovers | exes to lovers | fake relationship / dating | forbidden love | grumpy and sunshine | star-crossed lovers | surprise pregnancy | second chance | soulmates | amnesia / mistaken identity | forced proximity | secret relationship | slow burn relationship

I don't know if a romance between a King and his Court Mage would be looked favorably upon due to their difference in status. Magna would insist on secrecy because nobles talk and reputation is everything. The King MUST appear flawless and without a drop of scandal.

would i rather plot first or jump right in and see where it goes?: develop their relationship first | jump right in | something in between ( what specifically? )

I wouldn't mind if we popped into each other's inboxes and went full steam ahead with a romance arc between them!

what now?: let's plot something | send me shippy memes | i'll send you shippy memes | write me a random starter | i'll write you a random starter

Whichever floats your boat!

anything else i want you to know about me / my character / my shipping habits: ( put whatever you want here )

Be prepared for the amount of playlists I'll create for them!

@luposcainus

[wormstuck]

4 + 7 + 21 for Cerrin <3 27 + 29 + 19 for Her Majesty Xiphia <3

4. What were your thoughts when you were planning your hive?

CERRIN: UH, SORRY!!! THEY DON'T LET US LOWBLOOD TYPES PLAN OUR OWN HIVES!!! >8/

CERRIN: BUT IF I HAD MY SAY, I'D HAVE ASKED FOR A LAB WITH MY OWN TOTALLY SWEET UNDERGROUND BUNKER!!!

CERRIN: WE'LL SEE HOW LONG IT TAKES MY LUSUS TO CHEW THROUGH THAT!!! HEHEHE!!!

7. If you could have any blood color, what would it be?

CERRIN: GOLD!!! DUH!!!

CERRIN: SORRY, I GOT A TOTALLY SWEET DEAL OUT OF THE BLOOD COLOUR LOTTERY!!! I WOULDN'T SWAP THESE PSIONICS FOR ALL THE HIGHBLOOD MONEY IN THE WORLD!!!  

CERRIN: 'SIDES, BEING HATCHED AS A HIGHBLOOD DOESN’T GUARANTEE THAT YOU’RE TOUGH!!! HAVE YOU ***SEEN*** DRACMA LATELY???

DRACMA: (i hea7d that)

21. What are your opinions on Imperialism?

CERRIN: HUH??? YOU MEAN LIKE THE ALTERNIAN EMPIRE???

CERRIN: EHHH, SUCKS TO SUCK FOR THOSE ALIENS WE KEEP SLAUGHTERING, BUT THAT’S NOT MY PROBLEM, Y’KNOW??? I’M NOT GONNA BE THE ONE KILLING THEM!!!

CERRIN: …I’LL JUST BE THE ONE POWERING THE SHIP THAT’S KILLING THEM!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! >8D >8D >8D

27. If you could ask your ancestor a question, what would it be?

XIPHIA: / /MAG/NE / WOULDN’T GET FAR ENOUGH TO ASK HER A QUEST/ON. D/D YOU M/SS THE MEMO ABOUT FUSCH/ABLOODS HAV/NG A GENET/CALLY /NGRA/NED /MPULSE TO K/LL EACH OTHER ON S/GHT?

XIPHIA: EVEN /F / COULD SPEAK TO HER NORMALLY, SHE FA/LED TO COMPLETE THE HE/RESS’ MOST /MPORTANT DUTY. / HAVE NOTH/NG BUT CONTEMPT FOR HER.

29. What factors do you consider when choosing clothes?

XIPHIA: MY OUTF/TS ARE ALL PREC/SELY CRAFTED TO ENHANCE MY /MAGE AS AN HE/RESS AND PROJECT TERROR /N THE HEARTS OF MY ENEM/ES. AND THE HEARTS OF MY SUBJECTS.

XIPHIA: OF COURSE, / COULD DO THAT /N ANY MODE OF DRESS. BUT PEOPLE E×PECT AN EMPRESS TO LOOK AS WELL AS ACT THE PART. AND THE ‘PART’ JUST HAPPENS TO REQU/RE A LARGE AMOUNT OF GOLD JEWELLERY.

XIPHIA: .../ TH/NK / D/D ACTUALLY HAVE A TA/LOR /N MY ENTOURAGE AT ONE PO/NT, BUT SHE HAS S/NCE DEPARTED FOR HER CAREER /N THE FLEET. OR MAYBE /T WAS A HE. / DON’T RECALL, NOR DO / PART/CULARLY CARE.

The Heiress chooses not to remark on the fact that she apparently swordfights in high heels. 

19. Is loyalty to the caste system a factor when choosing quadrant mates?

XIPHIA: WE’VE BEEN OVER TH/S. / DON’T HAVE THE FUCK/NG T/ME TO WASTE ON NONSENSE L/KE THAT, CONC/L/ATORY OR CONCUP/SCENT.

XIPHIA: EVERY CASTE HAS A UN/QUE ROLE TO PLAY W/TH/N OUR SOC/ETY, YADDA YADDA, AND EACH /S AS V/TAL AS THE OTHER. YOU OUGHT TO HAVE P/CKED UP ON TH/S BY NOW.

XIPHIA: MALCONTENT TYPES AREN'T GOOD ENOUGH TO BLOODY MY SWORDS W/TH. YOU CAN QUOTE ME ON THAT.

[tumblingdowntheway2019]

Random thought time!!

So this is a head canon, I am actually enjoying doing this now. 😂

(You are free to have this as a Family Dynamic, where Lady Dimitriscu has basically adopted her sister and help raise her in a better environment, or Donna is adopted as a new daughter all together.

Or a ship one such as Lady Dimitriscu x Donna or the BelaDonna ship. I don't mind which you prefer. 🤗)

Anyway, so due to being comfortable with the Dimitriscu Ladies and their habits and behaviours, she isn't all that afraid to be a bit sassy in some way. Much to the Daughter's delight and occasional amusement of Lady Dimitriscu as well.

Example:

Lady Dimitriscu: "Can somebody give me a hand?"

Donna: *Passes a mannequin hand.*

________

Lady Dimitriscu: "You don't have have a leg to stand on in this argument."

Daniela: "Actually, (Aunt) Donna let me borrow this. So I think I do!" As she victoriously holds up a mannequin leg!

Lady Dimitriscu and maybe Bela: *Facepalm.*

________

Donna: "Can I get a little help with this?"

Lady Dimitriscu: *Basically yeets Angie to her.*

Donna: "....Touché"

Angie: "AGAIN! AGAIN!" >8D

Dimitriscu Trio, who witnessed this: "US TOO!" :D

________

And that was another random thought. Hope ya like it! If you wish to draw this, all I ask is credit for the idea and to be tagged.

Have a lovely day! 💪😎💕

[jade-green-butterfly]

Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve done a crossover ship and this was all heavily inspired by the exciting crossover RP I’ve been doing with my lovely friend, @x-elyssa-x​~💜 I put in the idea of doing a crossover with Synth meeting Disney’s Kaa, wondering how it would all turn out. And I must say we got some really heartwarming results! >w< It starts off with Synth meeting Kaa in his dream from listening to a famously familiar storybook, and of course Synth fears Kaa at first but it turns out that the mysterious snake manages to find his way to the Trolls’ world (where anything can happen ;p) encounters our Techno Ambassador and instantly takes a liking to him! Ovo Still fearing the persistent snake, Synth wished Kaa would leave him be but as time passes, he slowly but surely begins to enjoy the snake’s company as they get to know each other better (as Kaa is kept secret in Synth’s home) and the more time they spend together, the more Synth begins to gradually fall for Kaa while the snake already had strong feelings for him~💓 Eventually the two of them became inseparable, especially when Kaa decided to finally leave his old jungle life behind to be with Synth, for it seemed the Techno Ambassador had changed him for the better, opening the snake’s eyes to his brighter world and together, they go to visit an old acquaintance of Kaa’s to help him become a troll like Synth, permanently. And as seen above, that is what Kaa’s troll form looks like - a Techno Troll with the new name to disguise his own, ‘Kayne’. Elyssa and I came up with the design together~ :3 She did the template lineart, I did the colour scheme (inspired by the first movie and sequel) and details, along with designing Kaa’s new troll hairstyle~✨ I am super pleased of how it all turned out and I really enjoyed doing the collab with you, Eylssa, dear! 💕 I also added a heart-shaped crystal opal necklace around Kaa’s neck, which was given specially to him by Synth as symbol of their loving bond~ 🎧🎶 💖🐍 Kaa, now ‘Kanye’ has become a very supportive and loving partner, protecting Synth with his life and love, and even comforts him about his fear of the dark~ ;//w//; Also, Kaa still has his hypnotic powers but he doesn’t use them as much as he used to. He sometimes uses them to soothe Synth when needed~ UvU But that’s not all, folks! 8D ‘Cause lookie what my sweet buddy, Emi a.k.a @groovinyeen​ drew for me below!! 🌟0🌟 💘 My very first fanart of SynKaa, which I absolutely, love, love, LOVE~!! 😍 🎧🎶❤️🐍 😍 

🎧🎶❤️🐍

My fave crossover ship, up there with Bluegnouf (Groognouf x Blue Diamond)

Thank-you, thank-you ever sooo much, sweets! *mega-hugs* 💞 You did a fantastic job and as promised to you and Elyssa, I wished to share your amazing work with the fandom! ✨👍Consider Emi’s piece a birthday gift from me too~🎁 ;3 Hope you all like - especially you, my dear Eylssa and I would like to also wish you a very Happy Birthday to you for tomorrow~!! (31st Jan) 🎊 💝 🎉 🎂 🎉 💝 🎊 =^o^= Thank-you so much for being such a wonderful friend, you deserve the best in my eyes~💜 😘 *mega-cuddles* 

And also a very Happy Birthday to our dear Branch too, a.k.a Justin Timberlake! 🎂 🎊

*~Reblogs are also deeply appreciated as well, so please do reblog as well as like! Thank-you kindly!~*

Synth (c) Trolls TrollsTopia/Dreamworks Animation

Kaa (c) Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book

Kaa’s Techno Troll Form ‘Kanye’, Design, Lineart & Colour Scheme (c) @x-elyssa-x​ & @jade-green-butterfly​ (Me~!) 

Synth x Kaa (SynKaa) Gift Art (c) @groovinyeen

[jennathearcher]

(Meant to send this earlier but I'm forgetful) I know you haven't caught up fully yet but I feel like I have to send Stranger Things for the TV show meme (even if I could probably guess some answers) :P

Leave a TV show or movie in my ask box and I'll tell you...

yes YES THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ASKING LAURA I WAS SO HOPING YOU WOULD 8D

favorite male character:

If you had asked me this pre-s4, I would have said Jonathan hands down, and I don't love him any less now, it's just that EDDIE FUCKING MUNSON HAS STOLEN MY HEART!!!!

favorite female character:

Nancy Wheeler, that much still hasn't changed :P though Chrissy Cunningham is a very close second, I had her for five minutes and I got SO ATTACHED TO HER SHE DESERVES THE WORLD!!!! (also obligatory mention of Max because I adore her)

least favorite character:

M I K E. OH MY GOD I CAN'T STAND MIKE HE'S THE WORST XD Like I find Murray annoying but I at least understand why he is the way he is, Mike is just. a TOTAL DICK.

prettiest character:

Henry Creel :P try and tell me I'm wrong

funniest character:

Dustin 8D He is a CONSTANT DELIGHT

favorite season:

All the seasons have their strengths and their flaws, honestly I think in terms of overall strength I would say s3, the only thing I didn't dig about that season was the extremely stereotypical Russians :P But in terms of storyline, content, and characters, it's still s4 even though I haven't finished it yet XD

favorite episode:

So far it's s4 ep4 for sure with Max's whole storyline :P

favorite romantic ship:

Nancy/Jonathan and Eddie/Chrissy :3 also like.......Billy/Karen rights I don't make the rules :P

favorite family ship:

THE BYERS, Joyce, Will, and Jonathan and I absolutely count Eleven and Jim in that as well <3

favorite friend ship:

STEVE AND ROBIN. OH MY GOD THEIR WHOLE DYNAMIC MAKES ME CRY. DEFINITION OF PLATONIC SOULMATES. ADORABLE.

worst ship:

I'm gonna get eaten alive for this but, Steddie and Harringrove :P like I get it, you wanna see two hot dudes bang, at least make sure they actually have chemistry first XD Steve is the most boring character ever to me I'M SORRY LAURA :P CLEARLY HE WAS JUST MADE FOR THE FANS TO LOVE

[darkicedragon]

Watched Our Flag Means Death eps 3-5. 8)

‘And he bested you at swordplay’ Well. With a lil knife? XD

‘Then invite them aboard the ship.’ Damn, you were interested as soon as you heard about him, huh?

‘After all, he IS a gentleman.’ AND HE WANTS TO DO IT IN THE WAY STEDE WOULD PREFER, AAAAAAH.

‘We want to make a good impression.’ Oh REALLLLLLYYYY now? Mmhm.

Oh, is Frenchie scribing today? .......Oh. Where’s Lucius...? owq

Can Frenchie write? I thought no-one else could read. ... Ah. He did his best!! owq

They still don’t have a plan for the hostage!! They don’t know what to do with him, aaaaaah.

‘He smells like he’s been roasting.’ Yeah, being outside in the sun will do that. ... Thank you, Roach. XDD

‘There’s some crispy bits there’ Buttons REEEALLLY wants to eat someone, ahaha.

The pirates have a republic? :o

ooooh my god, them complaining about the republic is great, ahahah.

‘The thing where you killed her husband!’ klasjfl;aksd yeah. That’d... That’d do it. XD

LUCIUS WAS IN THE CHEST ASDLFKJASD

Yesssss, Lucius telling the truth and not selling her out, even after all that. qwq

SIR, I DON’T THINK IT’S VERY HEALTHY THAT YOU ARE PUKING UP BLOOD.

STEDE, WHY ARE YOU WEARING WHITE. OH MY GOD.

‘It’s a powermove.’ Stede, no. XD

LUCIUS’ JACKET, NOOOOOOO. QAQ

‘Check out this booty!’ STEDE, NO. ALFKJ;LSDKFJ ... Whoops, and someone does take up that offer. XD

‘Like we rehearsed’ OOOOH, NOOOOOO.

NOPE. THIS IS. OH NO. WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DO THIS, STEDE.

Awwww, Lucius is just attracting everything. 8′(

Yoooo, Jackie looks awesome! 8O

And oooooh, took a bit to notice her prosthetic.

Daaaamn, good threat vibe. :o

Oh no. Is Jim going to be husband no. 20? XD

Finest wine. They probably only have beer or mead here, ehe. OR BLOOD, PFFFFFT.

NOSE JAR!!!!

Jim knocks it over like a caaaat, ahaah.

YO, how long ago did the husband die??

‘The man who killed my family’ :ooo

Does Jackie have a psychic bond wher her nose jar to know what that sound was, pffft. Or maybe that’s not the first time it’s been knocked over.

(Aaaaah, Lucius grabbed the blade when he snuck past Jackie. Neat!)

‘But does he know who I am?’ Awww, Blackbeard knows Stede might not know him, pfft.

Dude really likes balls. ....’Handled yourself with Jackie?’ But he didn’t? ... Oh boy.

Lucius stole the blade for her, awwww. qwq

Pffft, Lucius. But awww, she really wanted that blade. qwq

They didn’t let lucius change out of his clothes? qwq

I’m surprised Stede was the last to get onto the ship. ... Ah. Right. Because of the ladder. XD

HE GOT STABBED?

HE GOT STABBED A LOT.

OH, BOY. IF STEDE DOESN’T DIE FROM BLOODLOSS, HE’S GONNA DIE FROM ASPHYXIATION.

BUT THAT IS SUCH A GOOD INTRO FOR BLACKBEARD. >8OOO

Ep 4

Ooooh, yeah, arranged marriage. Expected that.

Awkward. So much awkward.

Oh noooo, those gifts. qwq Graves!

Awwww, he didn’t do much with his kids? ... Ah, not what Mary wanted. He’s so sweet!

Clouds! Blackbeard just wants to talk to his crew! qwq

Oh. My god. Blackbeard’s just a dork, aaaaah.

‘I painted it.’ Ooooooh, noooooo. Stede, you messed up.

Ooooh, Blackbeard just wants to break the monotony, just like Stede.

Blackbeard is SO INTENSE. >8D

Okay, but geese are scary too. >8(

LKASDJFL;AKDS BLACKBEARD HOLDING STEDE’S HAND.

So who stitched Stede up? Was it Roach? Blackbeard?

OOOOH? Blackbeard just wanting to be a regular dude with Stede. qwq

THAT SECRET ROOM

AND BLACKBEARD IS SO INTERESTED!! HE LOVES IT.

Awwwww, fine, the ruse disappeared pretty sharpish.

CRYSTALS???

Awww, Blackbeard being insulted by the depiction of himself. And that he always has to be the best. He doesn’t know about the concept of retirement! qwq

THEY SWAPPED CLOTHES/ROLES, AAAAAAAH. THIS IS AMAZING.

I love this. I love this all.

Izzy’s great, ahaha.

I’m surprised Stede doesn’t speak Spanish. ... Ah. Latin, fair.

Daaaaamn, Blackbeard knowing exactly how long it would take for the ships to arrive. And the fog from the clouds!

Even if he got it wrong, Blackbeard’s memory is so good. QwQ

The instant Stede and Blackbeard realised the same idea together, aaaaah.

I love this entire sequence, aaaah.

Huuggggsss.

Yesssssss, on their exchange of knowledge! qwq

Ep 5

Teaching them how to pirate! qwq

Oh boy. Just. That entiiiire lean over Stede when he’s trying to put books back. owo

Learning how to dinner!

Aaaaah, Stede trying to talk to Blackbeard about noticing something’s different. qwq

Frenchie in a suit!! Excellent. :D

Massive aggression. Yes. Definitely.

Oooooh, Lucius and Pete! :o

The party is on a ship?? Damn.

EVERYONE LOOKS GREAT.

Ahahhaha, Lucius is a great flirt.

Oh. Man. Just the entire investment scheme is excellent too, ahaha. And the servant also helping. :D

qnq Blackbeard realising everyone’s being passive aggressive at him, aaaah. But also Stede and Frenchie noticing and wanting to support him, aaaah.

Yoooooo, really can’t intimidate Lucius on the ship. :D

ALLLL THAT GOOSSSIPPPPPP. >8D

Oluwande and Frenchie gave the money to the servants, yessss. 😭

Stede tidying up Blackbeard’s silk, aaah. ‘You wear fine things well’ TTuTT

GASSSSSSSSPPPPPPPPPPPP. So close! aaaaaaaaaaaaah

[ragnarlothcat]

E fo the "a compelling argument" (would that one also be rated E? 8D 🍆), I, M, N, S, T, V!! 💜💜💜

My friend!!!!! 💙💙💙 I wrote so many things that I put a read more so that I’m not in the way. I have a lot of opinions!!!!

E: If you wrote a sequel to [a compelling argument], what would it be about?

Ooh I do intend to write a couple more chapters at some point! Actually, the unpublished chapter 2 was originally going to be the first chapter. I've already written part of it, I just got a little ways in and decided I needed to have Anakin and Obi-Wan's first meeting.

Basically Anakin fights padawan Ahsoka and she's pretty clearly outmatched (because she's like...fifteen) and it's looking grim until she lets slip that Obi-Wan is her master. Then suddenly Anakin is "defeated" and Obi-Wan shows up to find his padawan with that random sith he flirted with for like five minutes several months ago. It's Ahsoka's POV and it's her being utterly bewildered that this feral, murdery sith lord is now sitting patiently on their ship and making doe eyes whenever Obi-Wan gets too close.

Chapter 3 is Obi-Wan and Anakin having lots of sex, thus earning the E rating 😂

I: Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)?

I answered that here, but my main thought is that I feel way less guilty than I did at the beginning of being in this fandom. There were a few fics I avoided because the kinks were a bit much, but now very little fazes me as long as the characters are clearly into it.

M: Got any premises on the back burner that you’d care to share?

@kenobiased and I are working on a collaboration!!! We’re doing an enemies to lovers pirate Anakin/naval officer Obi-Wan fic. I wanted to post the first chapter but we keep talking and having even more ideas and that keeps changing the things that will need to be present from the beginning. It was going to be six chapters but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be even longer so that we can fit more sexually charged rivalry.

Anyway, there will be art, and swordfights, and I have to learn about boats which is very exciting, and a parrot and Ahsoka will be there and I love pirate Ahsoka—

I’m very excited!!!

N: Is there a fic you wish someone else would write (or finish) for you?

I answered that here but this could also mean prompting someone, which is fun. I’ve done that once for a fic that I know is in progress and I’m extremely excited. Maybe I should do it more often because I’ve got a slightly untenable number of WIPs at the moment. Next time I have an idea I should ask if someone wants to write it!

S: Any fandom tropes you can’t resist?

Here, but it also turns out I like kid fics! Baby Ahsoka, the twins or even some other kid who might be around. They’re cute and fluffy and that’s my favourite kind of fic!

T: Any fandom tropes you can’t stand?

I answered this here, but I also just remembered I don’t like unrequited love. It’s okay if it’s actually requited and they’re just dumb, but I read a fic where Obi-Wan genuinely didn’t love Anakin back and it made me sad.

V: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

I answered that here but I’ve thought about it and I don’t think I’d do it even with permission. Because if I was writing a sequel to a fic I think it would remove some of the enjoyment of reading the original! I’d have to read it carefully to capture the right voice, instead of reading purely for pleasure.

[novelmonger]

Thoughts on Jedi Apprentice 11: The Deadly Hunter

This one! THIS ONE!!!!! 8D I am so excited for this arc of the story! The Hidden Truth will probably always be my favorite, but after all the epic Xanatos stuff, these next three books are the best part of this series, in my opinion. Definitely some of the stuff that's stuck with me the most, even after all these years.

Let's dive in!

Chapter 2

We begin with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan landing on Coruscant after a series of missions. (Note that Obi-Wan is now fourteen. Since I'm pretty sure he was thirteen in the last book, and there was no mention of a birthday, and because they hitched a ride instead of using the ship King Frane gave them, I think we're supposed to understand that they've had other adventures in between.) Instead of going straight back to the Temple, Qui-Gon wants to stop by a cafe run by a friend of his.

The friend is Didi Oddo, who runs a tiny little hole-in-the-wall cafe that's seen better days. He's the kind of guy that seems to be friends with everybody, whether they're an upstanding citizen or a shady individual, and he doesn't hesitate to let those who are going through hard times eat for free, nor does he hesitate to coax more money out of those who are doing well. I'm not entirely sure why, because his description is just that he's a "small, round man with a melancholy face," but I always imagined him as a Little Person (though not his daughter, Astri). Couldn't tell you why, but my brain persists in imagining him that way ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Regardless, I like him. He's a bit dramatic, especially when insisting how innocent he is despite being surrounded by criminals on all sides XD

But we're not just in for an ordinary friendly reunion. After a bit of small talk, Didi takes them into his office in the back, to beg Qui-Gon for help. A bounty hunter seems to be after him, and he has no idea why. He serves plenty of criminals, but he insists he isn't one himself (though he seems to be toeing the line a little bit, since he sometimes gambles and buys things on the black market :P). So he wants the Jedi to go find the bounty hunter and convince her that there's some kind of mistake. Qui-Gon agrees, though Obi-Wan doesn't think it's a good idea. It doesn't seem like any of their business.

"'Here is a man who seeks out criminals and the dregs of the galaxy in order to get information, which he then sells to the highest bidder. If you live in that sort of world, you deserve whatever bad luck comes your way. ... I don't understand why you're helping him,' Obi-Wan said, frustrated. Qui-Gon hesitated. Then he said, 'It's because he is my friend.'" - And here, once again, we see the interaction of a Gryffindor and a Slytherin ^_^

Chapter 3

"'This place doesn't look as if it provides a soft landing to me,' Obi-Wan observed, casting a dubious eye at the Soft Landings Inn. 'More like a full-scale crash.'" - Ahhh, this book is already off to a good start XD

The Jedi go to the inn where the bounty hunter is supposed to be staying. As Obi-Wan commented above, it's not exactly an upscale place :P Anyway, they locate the bounty hunter's room, and walk in to find her sitting there silently. She's a humanoid with a shaved head, and she has a whip that Didi told them about. They try talking to her, explaining that there must have been some kind of mistake, but she doesn't say a word. Instead, she suddenly attacks them with her whip, choking Obi-Wan and tripping him up, and cutting open Qui-Gon's shoulder. Besides just being a normal whip, it also has a laser mode. While they're still reacting to the sudden attack, she slips through the narrow opening of the window, her bones compressing so she can fit through the gap. Qui-Gon says this means she comes from the planet Sorrus.

Chapter 4

The Jedi return to the cafe and tell Didi what happened. After getting his wound patched up, Qui-Gon grills Didi to see why someone would send a bounty hunter after him. Obi-Wan suggests that instead of some sort of official warrant being issued, which would be unlikely for a simple cafe owner, maybe it was a private commission because of some piece of information sold to Didi that someone doesn't want to get out. Didi can't think of anything in particular, just a senator resigning and a gang called the Tech Raiders moving their headquarters. Neither seem like big enough pieces of information to kill someone over.

In the middle of the discussion, Didi's daughter Astri bustles in. She's kind of clumsy and preoccupied, and complains about how Didi complains every time she tries to do something to improve the cafe, particularly in terms of their sketchy clientele. In particular, she's proud of getting a famous philanthropic scientist, Jenna Zan Arbor, to book their cafe for a medical conference. (This will be very important later!) I like Astri. She makes for a fun dynamic with Didi as they banter back and forth. I keep on wanting to call her Astrid, though I don't remember ever having that problem when reading these books before....

This moment gave me a chuckle: Qui-Gon: "Besides, it will give you a chance to see the seamier side of Coruscant." Obi-Wan: "Just what I always wanted."

Chapter 5

The first step is to track down Fligh, the informant who sold Didi those pieces of information. I like Fligh; he's fun in a scoundrelly-but-mostly-harmless way. He's also a total coward and pushover who is easily convinced to talk because he's intimidated by the Jedi and because Didi has been kind to him in the past.

Fligh: "How else does one survive on Coruscant?" Qui-Gon: "One could get a job." Fligh: "One could, if one were a different being. However, one is not."

Ultimately, they don't learn anything that seems particularly significant from Fligh. He heard about the Tech Raiders from their representative on Coruscant, and he learned about the senator resigning from an official memo that made it to his hands.

They stop by the office of Senator Uta S'orn, the one who is resigning, and let her know that her resignation has leaked. She seems genuinely surprised and distressed by this news, because of how it might affect support for some legislation she's going to introduce. It seems unlikely that she would have put a price on Didi's head, and even though now they've learned that Fligh must have stolen her data pad, since she lost it and that's where her announcement was saved, that doesn't necessarily mean much. Fligh could have just not wanted to admit to stealing something like that directly to the Jedi's faces.

Chapter 6

The Jedi track down Helb, the Tech Raiders' representative, in a bar. But it seems like a dead end, because Helb intentionally told Fligh about their new location so that word would get out and people could find them, like free advertising under the radar. Fligh owes the Tech Raiders a lot of money, but they have no reason to want to kill Didi.

As they're leaving the bar, Obi-Wan spots the bounty hunter again, watching them and wearing a disguise that makes her look like an old man. Unfortunately, she gets away before they can catch her.

Chapter 8

When they return to Didi's cafe to update him, they find Astri bustling about in a near-panic, preparing for the important meal for Jenna Zan Arbor. The Jedi go to talk to Didi as the guests begin to arrive...only to hear that Fligh has been killed.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan go to investigate Fligh's murder, telling Didi to stay in the cafe where it's safe. They don't learn much at the scene of the crime about who did it, but they do pick up on an intriguing clue: Fligh has been strangled with some kind of cord, and all of the blood has been drained from his body before it was dumped in an alley.

(Side note: I just remembered that this precise scene was when I learned the word pallor. Don't let anyone tell you Star Wars isn't educational! XD)

"'Do you ever get used to death?' Obi-Wan asked. 'No,' Qui-Gon said. 'That is how it should be.'" - It can be easy to forget just how young Obi-Wan is in these books, because of how much more competent he is than your average fourteen-year-old, but Qui-Gon doesn't. He has Obi-Wan stand back so he won't see the gruesome sight of Fligh's body, and he checks to make sure Obi-Wan's okay afterward. I love that, even though he's seen so much by this point, Obi-Wan is still affected by death, and Qui-Gon protects him from the trauma of it as much as possible.

Chapter 9

When the Jedi return to Didi's cafe, they find it suspiciously dark and quiet. Warily, they go in to find that all the guests are gone, and there's a mess in the kitchen and Didi's office, like someone ransacked the place looking for something. They rush upstairs to the living quarters, only to find the bounty hunter waiting for them there, having knocked Astri out and tied up Didi with her whip. After a short fight, the bounty hunter escapes yet again. Qui-Gon recommends that they leave Coruscant and go into hiding, and Didi decides to go to a house he owns in the mountains on a nearby planet. He's never been there before, because he just recently won it in a game of sabacc, but it's so remote it should be relatively safe.

The chapter is fairly ominous and action-oriented, but this moment of banter was fun: Didi: "I might--ah--have gotten myself in a tiny spot of trouble. Nothing serious." Astri: "Sure. This isn't serious. Just another ordinary evening in the cafe. I get knocked out on a regular basis."

Chapter 11

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan finally go to the Temple. Obi-Wan, poor kid, finally gets something to eat while Qui-Gon meets with Yoda and Tahl to update them on the situation. When she hears about the manner of Fligh's death and that he stole Senator S'orn's data pad, Tahl connects it to Senator S'orn's son Ren (what a choice of name!), who was Force-sensitive. But Senator S'orn didn't want to give Ren up to the Temple, so he was never trained and eventually wandered off to find himself. Six months ago, he was killed--by strangulation, and his blood was drained!

I really like this bit that Qui-Gon says to Obi-Wan: "You are too hard on yourself, Padawan. That can become a fault if you are not careful, for anger at oneself is a destructive thing. Every living being can be impatient, can turn away at a first glance, can avoid getting involved. It is a natural impulse. We are all creatures who want peace and comfort. Yet we are Jedi. Our own peace and comfort is not what drives us. We are dedicated to a larger good. But always remember that the peace and comfort of just one being is what drives us, too."

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan go to see Senator S'orn again. She admits that the reason she's resigning is her preoccupation and grief since her son died. She also mentions that her friend's data pad was stolen at the same time, when Fligh overheard them talking about trying to find a good cafe to host a meal and recommended Didi's cafe. And guess who that friend was? Jenna Zan Arbor!

Chapter 13

Obviously the next thread to follow is to talk to Jenna Zan Arbor. They go to her room in a luxurious hotel and investigate her possible connections to what's going on. She didn't report the theft of her data pad because she had backups of everything on it, and it wasn't sensitive personal information like what was on Senator S'orn's. They find out from her that the legislation the senator hasn't been able to push through because of her premature resignation had to do with creating a coalition against a black market tech gang - obviously, the Tech Raiders!

On their way back to the Temple to get some sleep, the bounty hunter shows up again, this time disguised as one of the hotel's valets. She manages to push Obi-Wan over the side of a railing, and he almost goes kersplat on the ground far below, but he manages to catch himself with his cable and climb back up. This is interestingly similar to what he does in Episode II in his fight with Jango Fett....

The next day, they track down Helb at the Tech Raiders' base on Vandor-3, a nearby planet. When they confront him, Helb admits that he hired Fligh to steal Senator S'orn's data pad, but he flatly denies putting a mark on Fligh's head; he's too useful. But then Helb lets slip that both he and Fligh lost a sabacc game to Didi the other day, and Helb is the one who gave the house to Didi to pay off his debt. And where did he get that house? From a mysterious old man he met in the tavern the same day the Jedi first spoke to him. Uh-oh....

Chapter 14

"'Have you ever used a blaster before, Astri?' Qui-Gon asked cautiously. 'How hard could it be?' Astri said. 'Point and shoot. Easy as making a meal.' After having seen her kitchen, Qui-Gon was not sure he trusted her shooting." - XD

Thankfully, the Jedi get to the "safehouse" soon enough to find Didi and Astri are completely safe. As they explain the situation, Astri admits that she paid Fligh to pass along tips for who might be a high-paying customer to drum up business. She also lets slip that Fligh actually gave her Jenna Zan Arbor's data pad for safekeeping, not telling her where he got it. She'd stuffed it in a broken oven and forgotten about it until they left to come here, but took it with her because her own data pad was broken. All the information on it is encoded, but Qui-Gon sends it to Tahl to decode it.

Just when they're about to head out to somewhere safer, Didi mentions that there's a caretaker, an old woman who comes by once a day with provisions. And there's only one person that could be....

Chapter 16

EEEEEK, the exciting conclusion!!!! 8D The bounty hunter turns up and attacks them, and an exciting battle commences! They manage to get up to the second floor of the house and out a window to the landing platform, but discover that both of their transports have been disabled. As the bounty hunter comes after them, Obi-Wan spots her cruiser down the mountainside, and they head in that direction. The bounty hunter basically sleds down the mountain on her back, getting to the transport before they can get to it in all the snow, and heading them off. She shoots Didi and grabs Astri with her whip, pulling her in and grabbing the data pad from her. Obi-Wan pulls off some really stunning moves in the fight, but Qui-Gon tells him to help Didi and Astri while he goes after the bounty hunter. He jumps into her cruiser as she's taking off, and then, the last thing Obi-Wan sees: Qui-Gon is shot and falls into the cruiser. The bounty hunter's ship flies off for parts unknown.

"Had Qui-Gon been captured by the bounty hunter, or had he captured her? Was he mortally wounded? Was he alive--or dead? The anguish of not knowing made Obi-Wan want to crash to his knees. But there were wounded he had to care for. Qui-Gon had told him to stay. 'Don't lose heart, Qui-Gon,' he whispered. 'I'll find you. Hold on.' He would find a way to bring back his Master." - And we have to leave it there until the next book! Worst cliffhanger EVER! D:

[bemused-writer]

mochijun tweeted what kind of flowers those are and she said they were impatiens

That’s what @madpierrotstuff was saying, too. (Impatiens and balsam are more or less the same thing, I think.)

For those wondering, Mochizuki  made a post about the flower in chapter 51. I can’t read it well, but Google Translate says she’s referencing a balsam flower. I’ll admit it kind of doesn’t look like a balsam flower to me, but I’m no expert and it looks like there are some varieties. For now let’s work under the assumption that’s what it is unless we hear otherwise.

Anyway, the Internet seems agreed that balsam means “ardent love” although the Internet isn’t providing any sources or history for the why and how behind that, which I find frustrating, but...

*ahem* Some of you may remember the conversation I had about the “shipping badges” and this reminds me of that quite a bit! To put it succinctly, the Queen of the Night badge set featured the flower, queen of the night, and badges of Noé and Vanitas with “unspoken passion” and “fragile love” written on each respectively. Now we have yet more flower symbolism pointing to love! I guess that isn’t shocking since one of the major questions of the series is “What is love?”

It’s not entirely clear who this “ardent love” is referencing, however and there are a lot of directions we could go with it. The word “ardent” means “passionate” or “fervent” and that fits in relatively well with Noé‘s badge, which was “unspoken passion.”

This arc of his has to do with his relationship with both Vanitas and Dominique wherein one relationship is completely crumbling (Vanitas) and the other will (hopefully) get to continue without tragedy. 8D But, uh, what I’m trying to get at here is that we’re seeing some very fierce, passionate feelings coming from Noé, which may not necessarily be romantic, but are powerful all the same. There’s no doubt he loves Dominique in some capacity, and he’s willing to do anything to protect her, no matter what it takes. If that’s not ardent love, I don’t know what is! As for Vanitas, Noé definitely considered him a friend, and that betrayal is also bringing out some powerful emotions, mostly negative at the moment. Still, he was facing the picture where he said he “didn’t like” Vanitas or anything, which basically means he does like Vanitas, so...

In other words, great shipping material for both the Noé/Dominique and Noé/Vanitas fans out there!

But I don’t think this whole ardent love symbolism is only supposed to be talking about Noé here. Both he and Vanitas are on the cover after all.

For Vanitas, love is definitely a ... complicated matter. He once said he didn’t hate “Lu” (or “Lou”), which to me means he was actually very fond of Luna. He’s facing her picture and his entire motivation this arc is centered around her and Misha. I’d say that, in his own twisted way, he is quite devoted to Luna and his revenge upon her. This could certainly count as “ardent” if not necessarily “love.”

Of course, Vanitas’s own badge said “fragile love” and that is certainly accurate for this fellow. He doesn’t want to love anyone in the first place, so anyone who reaches that status he’s going to have a hard time with (take a look at current events with Jeanne). As for whether any of this is directed at Noé... Maybe? I think he’s fond of Noé, but as we can see there are other things he prioritizes higher (and so does Noé in fairness).

Conclusion: they’re both train wrecks and any kind of love is going to be difficult for both of them regardless of who it’s aimed at.

I kind of used your Ask as a springboard for rambling there, Anon, but thanks for sending in the info! I do appreciate it. (^^)

[kehideni]

and now with subtitles...

but this time i won’t flood the dashboard just this one post that gets elongated as i go:

Compared to these two i - the aromantic/asexual - feel like a love guru. I give them some credit as they are snotty kids but come AAWWWNN....

“What about freedom of the press?”

... what about her rights as a person...?

*sigh* let’s just jump this scene... nothing she says in her daydream is gonna put this in a context where i won’t inflict bodily harm on myself....

oh... it was a potter not a popcorn machi- ... is this referencing what i think it does?!?!?!??!?! (I wonder how many of you actually understand what it references, since Marinette said “this was in case they RE-aired that film in movies”) Well... anyway, to the too young out there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23TCv05lnwk

“end up in the trash i see...” ouch... son, you ok?

hah i deciphered this scene on point... A for effort Gabiel....

“a prisoner of a memory that is no longer”

Kagami what the fk have you been doing lately? You ok, kid?

ahhh Fanfiction: the episode

“not the real me” 8D hahah..hahh... you’re the same person

“My boyfriend, who isn’t my boyfriend since i can’t tell him he is my boyfriend” is this a real sentence??? is this real? or is this fanta sea

“not any more than a while ago” x’‘‘D ahh me neither :’D

“there are 3 suns in everybody, 1 is for shits 1 is for giggles and 1 is for your love :V, the loser one will go to the shadowrealm”

“DEAR BUTTERCUP” and you expect him not to laugh?

“make a serious face, not like you are solving some math excercise” x’‘‘‘D ahh this is golden

i love that he can have watery eyes on command x’””D

“oh you know i just interpret, i’m not here to judge the text” x”““D spoken like a true actor, also it’s hilarious that these words are meant for you :’D

you see, this is the kind of shenanigans i WOULD want in every part of the love square and it’d be believable... otherwise it’s just that we all know they will end up together why we ship it -_-

sharktank, mechtiger? is this a jab at sharkboy and lavagirl?

that fkin hamster...

those fkinn icecream

Oh god finally done

i admit some of the things with context made this better. I guess this was a  passable episode and the animation wasn’t jarring.