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fortunatelylori · 10 days

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A defense of Eloise Bridgerton and her friendship with Penelope Featherington

I should probably start this post by pointing out the fact that I’m not the biggest Eloise fan out there. In fact Eloise has consistently annoyed me for two seasons straight with her I’m “not like other girls” shtick and the writers using her as a prop for modern feminist talking points.

Mostly what I disliked about Eloise was the bluntness and lack of charm used to put across the themes of women’s role in recency society and the lack of options for girls not interested in playing the marriage mart mind games.

Jane Austen, for example, makes many of the same points regarding women in her novels but instead of beating us over the head with it, she uses wit, eloquence and wisdom to get her points across.

But, above all, I disliked just how self involved Eloise was, what a major chip on her shoulder she had. She’s a privileged girl from an immensely powerful and rich family that spends her days whining and being dismissive of everyone around her.

She spends most of season 1 picking fights with Daphne for no reason and the second season making fun of Colin and running around town like a chicken without a head not so much because she wants to find out who Lady Whistledown is but because she’s bored and wants something to do (something other than talking to men potentially interested in marrying her because she’s gay she’s not like other girls).

Even as I’m writing this, I’m questioning whether I’m even the right person to defend Eloise because, as you can clearly tell, I don’t much care for her. But I do think Polin and Penelope fans are really misjudging Eloise and wanting to make her the villain of season 3 due to her resentment towards Penelope and her anger at the Polin engagement.

So I guess I have to be the hero without a cape in this instance.

Here it goes …

It’s very easy to look at the friendship between Eloise and Penelope in season 1 and 2 and conclude that Eloise has always been a bad friend to Penelope. After all, almost every scene they have together is about Eloise, her interests and passions, her frustrations at the ton and the marriage mart, her inability to fit in with societal expectations, her quest to find out the identity of Lady Whistledown etc, etc. There’s almost never room for Penelope to even get a word in because Eloise talks and talks and keeps on talking.

But I’d like to put forth another interpretation and say that perhaps this dynamic in the relationship isn’t all on Eloise. That it’s Penelope herself that prefers it that way. That she’d much rather talk about Eloise and her issues than to reveal anything truly meaningful or vulnerable about herself.

A scene that supports this theory is the scene they have in season 2, episode 1:

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This is about as open and vulnerable Penelope ever is with Eloise and in this scene we can observe several things:

Despite her being more open than usual, Penelope is still lying to Eloise. She talks about how she enjoys being a wallflower because she can have all the fun without the pressure that comes with being in the spotlight. In reality we know Penelope would love to be in the spotlight but is frightened of being rejected. She’s not having fun hugging the wall at all and yet she’s unable to share that with her friend.

As soon as Penelope opens up, albeit only partially, Eloise is quick to notice that, despite pretending not to enjoy the balls and the marriage mart, Penelope actually likes all of these things. This shows not only that she knows Penelope pretty well (as well as Penelope herself will allow Eloise to know her) but that, despite disagreeing on the topic, she’s supportive of Penelope and listens to her.

It’s also worth comparing the way Eloise behaves with Penelope vs. the way she behaves with Cressida in season 3.

Cressida and Eloise’s relationship is much more balanced and equal because Cressida stands up for herself, pushes back at Eloise when she needs to (like explaining why she needs to marry Lord Debling despite not being compatible) or when Eloise accuses her of telling everyone about Colin helping Penelope find a husband.

And Eloise learns to adjust. She becomes a more supportive friend, sharing her knowledge of birds so that Cressida can impress Lord Debling, making conversation with him when Cressida doesn’t know what to say and coming to her house to visit her and offer support.

My point is: Eloise is not perfect. She’s self involved and dismissive of things she isn’t personally interested in but is willing to put in the work for a friend if said friend is honest with her about what they need from their friendship.

Which leads us back to Penelope. Eloise is the most meaningful relationship in her life (Colin is as well but that’s a much more fraught relationship for Penelope because she wants to be lovers not friends) and yet she refuses to share the two most important aspects of her life with her friend: her love for Colin and her being Lady Whistledown.

Let’s leave Colin to the side for now because Eloise being his sister complicates matters as far as Penelope telling her she’s in love with him.

But why doesn’t she tell Eloise about Lady Whistledown? Particularly in season 1, when she’s just starting to write the scandal sheet. She has no idea where Lady Whistledown will even lead, if she’ll keep going etc. She’s basically doing it because she’s a writer and she wants to have fun talking about the society she knows so well.

So why not share the fun with her friend? It’s pretty clear Eloise doesn’t even know Penelope is a writer and hasn’t seen anything she ever wrote before Lady Whistledown because, otherwise, she’d know it was Penelope doing it.

Also let’s not forget that, in season 1, Eloise was Lady Whitledown’s number 1 fan. She can’t stop talking about how amazing and brilliant she is.

And yet Penelope says nothing. She’d rather grin proudly behind Eloise’s back than go: “Actually this woman you like so much … I am she. She is me.”

She again fails to do it in season 2, despite knowing that Eloise helped her in escaping the queen’s men at the end of season 1.

And then the worst part of their friendship begins as the pressure from the queen mounts and Eloise is more and more determined to find out the identity of Lady Whistledown. Penelope chooses to gaslight and manipulate Eloise for weeks.

It’s not just Eloise’s relationship with Theo and her attending political meetings that put her in harm’s way and eventually forces Lady Whistledown to write about her in order for the Queen to stop suspecting Eloise. It’s Penelope’s refusal to be honest with her friend.

Penelope is so determined to keep Eloise in the dark that even at the end of season 2, when she walks into her bedroom and sees Eloise, she still tries to gaslight her one last time.

Penelope: You’ve been reading too much Whistledown. Her voice is echoing in your head.

Penelope is stuck in a pattern of toxic behavior because that’s what she’s learned to do from her family. She cannot be honest about Lady Whistledown or anything truly meaningful, despite how hard it is for her to remain isolated and in the shadows:

Penelope: You have no idea how horrible it has felt to keep this from you! From everyone! For so long.

It’s no wonder that, in their fight scene, Eloise tells her:

Eloise: I do not even know you.

That’s because Penelope herself has made it so that the people closest to her, Eloise and Colin, don’t actually know the real her. She’s given each of them what she thought they wanted and needed (she’s very similar to Colin in that way) but not enough of the real her.

So when the Lady Whistledown revelation happens, there’s nothing for Eloise to fall back on in order to try and understand Penelope.

All of a sudden her best friend feels like a stranger. A stranger that has exposed her intimate affairs to the whole world and who tells her this:

Penelope: At least I did something. All you ever do is talk about doing something. You have all of these great ambitions, these great plans but I am the one who actually did something great and you can’t stand it, can you?

Now, because we, as the audience, are privy to Penelope’s inner world and we know just how riddled with low self-esteem she is and how she’s used to those closest to her being dismissive of her or her achievements, it’s easy for us to see that Penelope tells Eloise this in anger. Particularly after Eloise tells her:

Eloise: I look at you now and all I feel is pity for you. Sequestered here, in this very room, writing your secret little scandal sheet, tarnishing everyone in town all because you are too afraid to stand up for yourself in reality. You are something else, Penelope. An insipid wallflower, indeed.

Eloise’s words hit too close to home. Too close to the reality of Penelope’s isolation and fear of being alone and abandoned so she hurts Eloise back the only way she can. By pointing to the fact that despite talking and talking endlessly about all the great things women, and she in particular, could be doing, Eloise isn’t actually doing anything.

Basically, these two manage to hurt each other worse than anyone else could because they’re best friends, because they know each other and what makes the other one tick.

But from Eloise’s perspective? In this moment, where she’s been betrayed by her best friend? Well, Penelope doesn’t feel like a friend at all. She feels like someone who got close to her only to exploit her so she could write a scandal sheet and make money off of her misery:

Eloise: This was personal.

Penelope: Eloise, I’m so sorry. I was only trying to protect you.

Eloise: Is that what you were doing? By writing about me in your latest sheet? By telling the entire world about things I trusted you with? [...] The only person you were interested in saving was yourself. All so you could keep making money at the cost to everyone else. At a cost to Miss Thompson. To my brother. To my entire family. To your entire family. [...] All because of your self serving manipulations.

Which brings us to Eloise’s reaction to the closeness between Colin and Penelope and the announcement of their engagement.

To Eloise’s credit, since their fight, she’s tried her hardest to be an adult and not punish Penelope more than she needs to. She’s very hurt by what her friend did and she can’t trust her but she also doesn’t want to hurt Pen.

She’s kept the Lady Whistledown secret and refuses to tell Colin why their friendship fell apart because she doesn’t want Penelope to lose the one friend she still has.

She also misses Penelope which is why she ends up telling Cressida about Colin helping her find a husband. She’s trying to figure out what’s going on with her friend and the only way Eloise knows how to figure stuff out is by talking … and talking … and talking … in full earshot of everyone at the ball.

But despite all of this, as far as she knows, Penelope is still the girl that divulged her secrets, ruined Marina Thompson’s reputation and hurt Colin, not only by revealing Marina’s pregnancy but by taking cheap shots at him only weeks before her brother waltzes into the Bridgerton drawing room to announce he’s engaged to Penelope Featherington.

What kind of sister would Eloise be if she wasn’t angry at Penelope for that? If she didn’t want Colin to find out the truth as soon as possible?

Personally, I think she’s showing real restraint. She cares so much about Penelope that she’s not dragging her brother into the study the moment she hears the engagement news to tell him that he’s about to marry the dreaded Lady Whistledown.

Which brings us back to my earlier point: Penelope never trusted Eloise enough to tell her she was in love with Colin. Maybe if Eloise knew that Penelope has had a crush on Colin since she was 10 years old, she might be able to understand this engagement better.

But from her viewpoint, all she’s likely to see is that Colin is an impulsive romantic who once again has gotten engaged to a girl who is lying to him and using him to avoid social ostracization.

I know that by the end of the season Eloise and Penelope will have mended their relationship and they will go back to being the besties we know they are.

But what I would love to see in part 2 of the season is Penelope actually being brave and honest with the two people that she loves most in the world. Not just about her being Lady Whistledown but about the reasons why she became Lady Whistledown. It’s only by her decision to be vulnerable and open that she can actually mend her relationship with Eloise.

Friendships aren’t just about being there for your friend, about listening and giving them what you think they need but also about allowing your friend to be there for you. To allow them to truly know you: your fears, your sadness, your hopes and dreams. That’s the only way for a friendship to thrive.

#eloise bridgerton #penelope featherington #polin #bridgerton #bridgerton season 3 #bridgerton s3 #Youtube

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skyward-floored · 4 months

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I think I’m coming down with a cold again and possibly have a fever but I’m here to scream about the update some more anyway! (and analyze a bit but mostly scream). Dawn part 7 here we go!

(All images belong to @linkeduniverse <3)

First off I have to say this was my favorite panel I think, it’s so pretty. The faint glow! The colors! The cape over his shoulder! Amazing. This truly was Sky’s update, I loved every bit of focus he got. Jojo fed us well :D

So it looks like I was wrong about Sky reading everyone’s mail. He just immediately took off after the mailman instead (and spent all morning chasing him ha!),

Side note but I love the npc guy. He’s simple but still Zelda-y. the character design in this comic is just👌

Looks like the mailman has a list of who he’s supposed to deliver to, or at least that’s my guess. It could be a map maybe, but that probably wouldn’t do much good since he’s time traveling?? How does he do it. Don’t question the magic of the postman I guess.

*green hill zone music intensifies*

Shoutout to Sky’s face here, I make the same expression when I’m trying to chase after my nephew and stop him from eating crayons

This looks like a postcard no joke, I'd frame this and put it on my wall. Plus the way the trees were done in the background is really neat, there’s something just really pleasing about this panel. Also the return of Sky: Just Standing There

They’re all bein silly <3

...except for Four. Because I think him and Warriors both realize that Sky isn’t just telling them what he was doing all morning— he’s got something important to say, something they all actually need to know.

(Downfall duo laughing together I love them)

Also I agree with everyone saying Warriors is close to snapping— they’ve all had a pretty stressful 24 hours, but Warriors has been breaking up arguments and repeatedly checking on everyone while they’re struggling, and... I don’t think he’s had a break. Take a nap bud, please?

SKY TALKING TO FI MY BELOVED he's hoping there’s enough of her aware to help him dowse hhhhh. And then he’s so sad she didn’t seem to hear him waahhh 😭

It doesn’t look to me like she truly helped much, but maybe Fi gave just enough of a nudge for Sky to find the postman’s footprints? Even in her sleep? She is glowing just a bit there... Interesting to think about.

It’s confirmed that the postman uses the portals! And that the Shadow is alive and kicking! Uh-oh! (Also does anyone else think this one seems more... firey? Then the last one? Maybe it's just me).

And the chopped-off darknut head is still there too.... and I’ll bet you twenty rupees somebody is going to kick it when the Links go through the portal later. (My guess is Wild but I’d put my money on Legend or Wind too).

I’m also really curious where that portal leads... My guess is either Twilight’s Hyrule or Sky’s, based on what hints we’ve been getting, but I really don’t know. It’ll be fun to see!

*Wind rapidly thinking of at least three conspiracy theories*: SUS

Also an amazing expression from him I’m laughing so hard, he really said 3:<

Tag yourself I’m Four

Also Sky just chugging away at the stamina potion, poor guy XD he must be beat from all that running around, I hope he has some more time to sit before the Links get moving.

(And I mentioned this in another post, but Legend looks so alarmed at this information, as does Wild... it’s not going to be pretty when they cross paths with the Shadow again, that’s for sure)

I love when Time breaks out the dramatic language... makes me remember that this guy is going to be the Hero’s Shade someday (who’s speech is 99% dramatic things).

Now the Links just have to decide what to do next... will they stay another day at the inn for Twilight’s sake, or get moving right away? Is Four going to confront Twilight about the dark magic he uses to turn into Wolfie?

So many questions... but in the meantime I will gladly continue to reread this amazing update, I really loved this one :D

#linkeduniverse #linked universe #linked universe analysis #lu sky #and a bunch of other guys I don't feel like taggig #update spoilers #rambles from the floor

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theknightofsolitude · 1 month

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Seeing some of my fave rappers cape for Drake really hurts my heart, man.

Cam’ron… CAM?! Cam calling out Kendrick for racism is wild… because i thought one of my fave MCs would be able to see what was being said and the first thing he brings up is Kendrick’s wife in comparison to Drake?

Everyone who listened to Kendrick diss Drake KNOWS what he is saying and to call him racist and colourist is DUMB. He’s talking CULTURALLY… Drake is CLUELESS culturally.. (Side Bar… Drake posting 10 Things i Hate about you.. Knowijg DAMN WELL that Kendrick was referencing DMX.. just proves Kendrick’s point about Drake manipulating public opinion of him and trying to sway a culture)..

So he (Drake) is doing what he thinks would make him appear more BLACK to the CULTURE.. he portrays all the negatives associated with black culture. Being a thug, being tough, over use of the word “nigga”, claiming to be “catching bodies”, talking about the struggling in the hood, he has gangsters and shooters ready to do his bidding, and being “good in the hood”. Bro, we watched you grow up on television. We have seen your entire life in front of a camera, We have heard you out of your own mouth have issues with your own identity as a black man. You have said “My Blackest friends”.. if you see yourself as a black man why would you make reference to having “blackest or blacker” friends?

Kendrick using the word “Features” is multilayered.. Features: How you portray yourself

Features: what makes up your appearance

Features: who he aligns himself with/works with.

How many things do you need to feel black enough? When will you feel comfortable in your own skin to knock off all the bullshit you’re portraying? Kendrick is telling Drake he is “black facing” and needs to stop BAMBOOZLING the culture. (Black people in black face).

Your idea of blackness is flawed. All the things you’re pretending to be doesn’t make you black.

I also find it funny how there is a video of Drake sitting with a bunch of non-black teens and he is making fun of the “Toronto accent” and Toronto slang and saying how annoying and ridiculous it is.. Now look at him.. Got rich and ran to the same people/culture he was dissing and making fun of for acceptance.

Don’t like when Kendrick says it? How about when Lil Wayne does?

Or how about from drakes own mouth?

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#isolated thoughts #me #personal #thinking out loud #Euphoria #kendrick Lamar #Aubrey #Instagram

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internetgiraffekid1673 · 11 hours

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Did you know you can move onto other brainrots and STILL be stuck brainrotting on the old thing too? My brain is a decaying piece of wood that has become an essential breeding ground for several species of rot. One of them is still the BatFam variety, so onto the next member!

Initial traces of Carrie Kelley, my child! Be honest, how many of you who have seen the Nightwing and Red Hood posts thought that I was doing Tim next? Well HA! Joke’s on you, I make the rules here! I have a very specific order in my head, and I will stick to that order!

Carrie is technically an elseworld’s Robin from The Dark Knight Returns, but Robin is my favorite superhero, and anyone who has been Robin will get my attention (yes Robin. Not Batman or Nightwing or any of the individual characters who have been Robins. Robin as a hero, regardless of who it is, is my favorite). At this point, she’s actually graduated to Catgirl and then her own iteration of Batwoman, but in my head, she’s the same age as Damian or younger, so she gets to stay Robin in my art for a bit.

I did two traces here because, unlike other Batfam characters, Carrie is in so few comics that I can’t just FIND a perfect, full body action pose from an angle that I like. The first trace is by far the most popular and easy to find picture of her, but it has her hair blowing around in the wind. This is a Problem, you see, because Carrie’s hair is a special challenge for me. In The Dark Knight Returns, she has this very distinctive hair shape that I do not like looking at OR drawing. So I knew the pose I used for my reference was going to need to be a pose where I could update her hairstyle. But, I also needed a full body, and that first photo is iconic, so two for the price of one again.

Stylization time! Carrie was honestly really easy to stylize, her hair is just a bit of a nightmare for me. I finally got a handle on it after the complete project, but it took a WHILE! Anyway, I more or less just lifted her updated hairstyle from her Batwoman costume and some cosplayers. And no, I’m not giving her pants. Damian and Tim are edgy Robins, they can have pants. Dick, Jason, and Carrie are not edgy Robins, so they get short shorts. I did give up on coloring her sleeves green. Too much of one color for me to effectively handle when her gloves overlap her sleeves. Also, I need to draw more characters with capes. They’re so fun to draw!

Characterization pose! In the comics, Carrie wears her goggles as a civilian too. I interpret this as her needing glasses, so I gave her regular glasses instead because wearing the same distinctive goggles you wear as a superhero is maybe not the best way to keep your identity secret. Comics Carrie has like one friend that you don’t see after she puts on the costume, and her parents don’t remember they have a kid, so it’s not like she has a whole lot of people to be hiding her identity from, but it’s the thought that counts. Schoolmates and random civilians and nosy reporters and all that.

I put her in a Girl Scout uniform for her civvy outfit because I think that it’s important to her character. The whole reason Batman took her on was because she was 1) crazy/traumatized/determined enough to buy herself a Robin costume, fight petty crime on her own, and follow him into dangerous situations and 2) used her Girl Scout first aid training to save batman’s life and splint his arm after he got his sh*t rocked in an ill-advised fight. I figured a salute, even if it’s a bit of a sassy one, was a good pose for her not just because of this, but also because The Dark Knight Returns is a very depressing comic, and so Batman calls her “good soldier.”

If you saw the first two posts, you may notice that I did not trace the hero text for this one, and that I used the same font for both names. This is because 1) I didn’t feel like the regular Robin font with the spiky R fits Carrie’s vibe, but she doesn’t have any comics covers of her own I can steal from and 2) I feel like Carrie’s personality is the same as Robin and Carrie. Unlike with almost everyone else, there’s no posturing, no distinction, no divide there. So the same font works for both personas.

Nightwing Edition

Red Hood Edition

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kotlc-deleted-scenes · 8 months

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Stellarlune Paperback Edition Marella Short Story

Hello, wonderful Keeper readers! Some of you might already know that I love to sneak a little something extra into the paperback versions of my books whenever I can (since I don't think hardcover readers should get to be the only ones who sometimes find fun bonuses). For those who didn't know that: surprise! ☺

I knew I wanted to include a story from Marella's POV this time. Not only is she on the cover (looking fierce and fabulous!) and a fan-favorite character, but she also had some key scenes in Stellarlune that we only got to "hear" about. The Keeper books are limited to Sophie's POV, so I can only include moments where Sophie is present—and since Sophie didn't go with Marella to her meetings with Fintan, we only learn what Marella tells Sophie later. But what if there was something Marella didn't share?

Over the next few pages, you can watch one of Marella's conversations with Fintan play out in real time and hear all Marella's thoughts and reactions to what's happening. I've called this story "The Trade"—and I've worked in lots of fun little extra details (some of which might even turn out to be important later…*wink*). For those wondering, this story is based on a scene in chapter 31 of Stellarlune—and if you haven't read Stellarlune yet: SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! Reading this first will probably be confusing and will also give away a few tidbits too early. You'll be much happier if you start by reading Stellarlune and then come back here for all the Marella fun once you're done.

Happy reading!

—Shannon Messenger

THE TRADE

Marella

“Ugh, I hate this place,” Marella muttered, shaking the freshly fallen snowflakes out of her gilded blond hair much harder than necessary and yanking her thick velvet cape tighter around her narrow shoulders.

She said the same thing every time she had to trudge through the knee-high snowdrifts and found herself staring at the icicle-crusted entrance to the now familiar cave. Didn't matter how many times she'd gone there—or how important her visits were.

She was never not going to dread making the long, slippery trek down to Fintan's frozen cell. The cave looked like some sort of open-mouthed snow beast Mating to devour everything in its path—which was probably intentional, since the prison was designed to be as miserable as possible.

Especially for someone like her.

The goblin guards even gave her pitying stares as they moved aside to reveal the endless icy path that wound down and down and down a whole lot more to a place where the tiniest glimmer of heat had long since been swallowed up by the suffocating cold.

No amount of clothing could keep Marella warm in the heart of the prison. She'd actually tried wearing so many layers that she'd looked like an overstuffed gulon and she still couldn't stop shivering. And the whole "body temperature regulation" thing wasn't exactly possible when she had to use so much concentration to make sense of Fintan's ranting.

It wasn't fair.

Everyone else got to train their special abilities in fancy rooms at Foxfire, with Mentors who weren't creepy, unstable murderers.

But they weren't Pyrokinetics.

Marella was lucky the Council was letting her use her ability at all.

They could just as easily label her Talentless, kick her out of their snobby academy, and ban her from ever sparking another flame.

Or they could decide she was too dangerous and lock her away.

In fact, Marella wouldn't have been surprised at all if the Council was already building an icy cage just for her—but the thought still made her shiver and she wished she could have manifested as…

Nope.

She stopped herself from finishing that sentence.

If life had taught her anything, it was that there's no point wanting things that were never going to happen.

Instead, she focused on the thin beams of sunlight streaking through a gap in the gloomy gray clouds. The light was far from warm, but if she really concentrated, she could feel a hint of lingering heat tangled among the brightness.

She called the warmth closer and soaked it in—let it pool under her skin, pounding with her pulse, swelling with every heartbeat. Growing hotter and hotter and hotter until…

Snap!

A flick of her fingers sent a small tangle of flames sparking to life above her left palm.

"Feel better?" Linh asked as Marella let out a long, slow sigh.

Marella nodded—though she definitely could've done without the whispers that were now hissing around her head.

The flames had a soft, crackly voice. And they always made the same plea.

Feed me.

Fire craved fuel—constantly wanting more, more, more—and it would've been so easy for Marella to let the fire swell bigger and bigger and bigger.

But that was the kind of thing that would lead to a lifetime of shivering in an underground ice cube, so she forced her gaze to shift to Linh, who stood in a small, snowless circle surrounded by a halo of hovering snowflakes—-none daring to touch her long silver-tipped hair or shimmery purple cape.

Marella knew how hard Linh had fought to achieve that level of control, and how tentative Linh's hold over her ability still was. But the fact Linh could stand in a sea of frozen water and do nothing except keep the falling snow from settling on her flushed pink cheeks was very…

Annoying.

Then again, everyone annoyed Marella a little.

Her dad used to call her "fiery" long before he realized how accurate that description truly was.

But it wasn't Marella's fault!

People tended to be annoying.

Especially a Hydrokinetic who was currently looking all peaceful and pretty and perfect while making snowflakes flutter and spin in intricate patterns.

That didn't mean Marella wasn't also grateful that Linh was willing to tag along to her Pyrokinetic lessons. it was nice to see a friendly face after hours of Fintan's rambling. Plus, it seemed like a good idea to have someone with water powers around while she practiced setting things on fire.

They were even finding some pretty cool ways to work together. Fire and water might be opposites—but that didn't mean they couldn't be combined. Marella had actually figured out a way to ignite Linh's rain, and she couldn't wait to use that little trick on the Neverseen—assuming those black-cloaked losers ever showed up again.

For a fearsome, unstoppable rebellion, they sure spend a lot of time hiding.

"Are you going to start by asking him about the cache or do the lesson first?" Linh asked, reminding Marella why they were there.

Marella shrugged. "Depends on Fintan's mood."

Sometimes he was already babbling about some fancy new fire trick when she arrived, as if he'd started the lesson without bothering to wait for her. Other times she couldn't get anywhere with him until she'd let him go on and on and on about how foolish the Council was, or how badly he'd been wronged, or how much he missed the feel of a flickering flame—and she didn't necessarily blame him for the last one.

Part of her wanted to hold on to her fireball forever.

Make it her smoky little pet.

Instead, she curled her fingers into a fist and snuffed it out—but she didn't let all the heat dissipate. She called a single tingling glint deeper, letting it sear through her veins and settle into her heart.

She knew it was a risky move, even with all the defenses she wrapped around it. But she couldn't bear the cold emptiness of Fintan's prison without a least a tiny fleck of warmth tucked away.

A secret spark whispering, I'm here. You're not alone.

"Okay," she said, weaving a few strands of her hair together to clam her twitchy fingers. She'd picked up the nervous habit years ago—after her mom's accident—and the tiny braids were kind of her trademark now. "i guess I should stop stalling and head down to deal with Sir Creepysparks, huh?"

Linh smiled. "Probably. Unless you want to rehearse what you're going to say."

"Nah. I'm just going to offer him an ugly flower—that doesn't exactly need a big speech. Oh, but that reminds me…"

She reached into her cape pocket and pulled out the spiky dark blue Noxflare—which looked more like a dying weed than a super-rare flower—and held it up to the guards. "Mr. Forkle already checked this before I brought it here, to make sure it's safe for me to offer to Fintan. but I figured you'd want to check it too."

"We do," they agreed in unison as one of the biggest, deadliest-looking guards took the Noxflare from Marella and brought it over to the other goblins.

A lot of mumbling about potential kindling and fire hazards followed.

Eventually, the guards decided to quick-freeze the Noxflare into a block of ice in case there was any heat stored inside.

"Whoa," Marella said when the scary guard returned with the flower-filled ice cube—which had turned out as big as her head. "How heavy is that thing?"

The guard studied Marella's skinny arms. "I can carry it for you if you'd like."

"That'd probably be smart." Marella was pretty sure she'd drop it, or her fingers would freeze off during the long walk—and using telekinesis would drain her mental energy. "But can you stay out of sight? I was planning to tell Fintan he can only see his weird flower thing if he gives me access to his memories, and that's kinda ruined if there's a giant goblin holding it right next to me.

Not that it made the plan any less pointless.

Fintan was obviously going to turn her down.

He's already made it super clear that the only trade he was interested in was for his freedom—which was never going to happen.

Marella doubted a dying flower frozen in ice was suddenly going to make him be like, You know what? Who needs out of this horrible prison when I can have that!

But she was out of other ideas.

And Sophie wanted her to try the Noxflare thing, so…

Whatever.

Marella didn't care about Sophie's current power trip the way Stina did.

As long as she didn't have to be the one coming up with all the plans—or almost dying all the time—Marella was fine following orders. Especially if she got to say I told you so when they turned out to be a huge waste of time.

"Sure you don't want me to come with you?" Linh asked as Marella pulled thick gloves onto her hands. "Fintan likes me."

Marella wasn't sure if "like" was the right word, since Fintan didn't seem to like anybody. But he'd definitely been impressed with Linh.

He'd demanded to speak with "the Hydrokinetic" after Marella mentioned she practiced her pyrokinesis with Linh, so Marella had convinced the goblin guards to let Linh down into the prison. And when Fintan asked for a demonstration of Linh's ability to ensure she wouldn't "hinder his training," Linh had stirred up all the ice shards on his floor and made them rain around him like he was trapped inside a snow globe—which actually made him applaud.

Apparently, most Hydrokinetics struggled to manipulate water in its solid form, and were limited to liquid water or water vapor.

But not Linh.

Of course.

Marella was pretty sure that Linh was more powerful than any of her other friends.

"Well, if you need me, you know where to find me," Linh said as Marella forced her feet to carry her into the cave. "I'll just be here, making another snow menagerie." She flicked her wrist and wove the hovering snowflakes into a soaring alenon.

"Ugh, at least make some ugly creatures this time," Marella called over her shoulder. "I want to see a row of snow ghouls when I get back here. Or a giant Princess Purryfins!"

Linh gasped. "Princess Purryfins is not ugly! I'm going to tell her you said that!"

Marella laughed. "I'm sure you will."

She would've teased Linh more about her ridiculous obsession with her pet murcat, but the frigid air from the prison hit Marella hard, and she had to lock her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering.

At least she didn't have to make the journey by herself this time.

Marella could hear the scary goblin guard keeping pace several steps behind her as her eyes slowly adjusted to the dim blue light cast by a series of glowing spheres dangling from the ceiling. The downward slope grew steeper with each winding curve, and Marella was always tempted to try sliding down the icy floor instead of walking—but she'd probably end up crashing into one of the weird ice thrones outside Fintan's cell. And she knew better than anyone that injuries couldn't always be healed.

Plus, the trudge gave her a chance to add extra defenses to the heat she'd tucked away in her chest.

She often wondered if Fintan had hidden a few sparks of his own when he was arrested. After all, he had to know the Council would put him on ice for the rest of eternity. Wouldn't he try to preserve what little heat he could?

But Marella had stretched out her senses a zillion different ways and never felt the slightest tingle of warmth when she was around him. So either there was nothing to find or Fintan was that good.

She had a horrible feeling it was the latter, and he was waiting for just the right moment to reveal his grand plan—but that wasn't the kind of thing she should be thinking about before having to face him.

Still, she spent the next few turns trying to figure out what she'd do if she were right.

Her feet turned numb while she plotted, and her bones were officially aching by the time the path widened— the only warning that they were getting close to Fintan's cell.

A few curves later, his cage came into view: a stark, icy bubble in the center of a circular cavern.

The round wall was reflective on the inside, so even though Marella could see Fintan pacing along the edge of his frozen barricade, he wouldn't be able to see her until she triggered the sensor by sitting in one of the freezing thrones positioned at the only point Fintan could peer through.

He looked extra tired that day—his sky blue eyes sunken by more shadows than usual, and he kept muttering under his breath about incompetence as he tucked his messy blond hair behind his pointy ears with a bit more force than necessary.

Marella glanced back at the scary guard, making sure he'd ducked into the shadows near the back of the cell before she made her big appearance. Then she took a deep breath and pressed her hand against her heart, reaching for her secret spark of warmth one last time before plopping into the closest ice throne.

"Awwwww, looks like you missed me," she said, tossing back her hair and flashing her brightest smile.

She liked to start her visits by showing Fintan she wasn't afraid of him—even if she totally was.

But Fintan didn't glance her way.

"I'm not in the mood for games," he warned as he continued his slow march around his cell.

"Neither am I" Marella assured him, deciding that was her cue to start with the cache. She sat up taller, trying to look extra confident as she added, "But I do have an awesome trade to offer you!"

Fintan sighed. "If this is about my cache, I already told you what I'm willing to accept. Unless you're here to grant me a day of freedom—"

"I'm definitely not. But! I found something you should like even better." She paused, hoping the extra bit of anticipation would somehow make her offer sound more exciting when she told him. "Noxflares!"

Fintan scrunched his slender nose. "What are Noxflares, and why would I care about them?"

Marella tilted her head, trying to tell if he was faking.

She hadn't expected him to jump around or applaud or anything—but she had expected him to at least know what Noxflares were.

Then again, his mind had been shattered and pieced back together so many times, his memories had to be in shambles—and Ancient minds tended to be a total mess anyway, since they were crammed with thousands of years of information and the past and present blurred together.

"Would it help if I told you I stopped by your old estate on my way here?" she asked, "Your garden could use some gnomish help, by the way. All the plants have turned into a giant dying tangle. But I dug around and managed to find this scraggly vine with dark pointy flowers—and I hear that plant is special to you, so I picked a few and—"

"You picked my Noxflares?" Fintan snapped, rushing to the wall of his cell and pressing his palms against the ice. "You must let me see them!"

Marella's lips curled into a huge smirk. "I thought you didn't know what they were."

Fintan gritted his teeth so hard, it sounded like cracking ice.

"Hey, I'm not saying I won't share. Buuuuuuuuuuut it'll cost you—and I'm pretty sure you can already guess what I want." She paused for another beat before she added, "Just so we're clear: I'll show you one of your Noxflares if you open your cache and show me what's inside."

Fintan's jaw tightened even more and his hands curled into fists.

But he didn't say no.

He didn't say anything—which was definitely new.

Marella had already offered him a long list of trade suggestions that she, Linh, Maruca, and Stina had all come up with—some really cool ones! And Fintan had shot each one down before she could even finish the offer.

She couldn't believe he looked so tempted by an ugly flower.

but as the silence dragged on, Marella started to wonder if she'd misread the situation.

maybe she'd pushed him too hard—taunted him too much—and now Fintan was letting her sit there in the cold, knowing the icy throne was turning her butt and legs numb.

She was trying to decide if she could make standing up look like a power move when Fintan told her, "Fine. You have a deal—but since you're only offering one Noxflare, I'll only show you one memory."

Marella barely stopped herself from blurting out, SERIOUSLY?

"Orrrrrrrrrrrrrr," she said instead, wanting to kick herself for not bringing more Noxflares with her. The whole thing had just seemed so silly—and the first few she'd picked had crumbled to dust. But the vine had lots more flowers, so she could fix the mistake super easily. "How about I go back, grab eight more Noxflares, and then you show me all nine memories?"

Fintan grinned. "Tempting. But one Noxflare is really all I need."

Need?

Marella wasn't a fan of that wording.

But before she could ask him what he needed it for, he added, "My offer expires in ten seconds," and started counting down.

By "six" she decided that one memory was better than nothing.

"Fine," she said, pulling the cache from her pocket and holding the marble-size orb up to the light. "But you go first. How do I open this thing?"

No way was she going to risk letting him back out—especially since he probably wasn't going to be happy when he saw his precious flower was stuck in the middle of a giant ice cube.

Fintan held out his hand. "Give me the cache, and I'll open it."

Marella laughed. "Hard pass."

"Ah, but you don't have a choice. I'm the only one who can access the memories. And I need to make physical contact with the cache in order to do so."

Marella squinted at the tiny gadget.

She didn't know much about caches—aside from the fact that only Councillors used them and that each colorful inner crystal held a single Forgotten Secret. But she did know that Dex had already tried everything he could think of to open the cache and failed—and he was one of the best Technopaths ever.

"Do I need to start counting down again?" Fintan asked. "I believe we'd gotten to five…"

Marella chewed her lip. "Uh, how do I know you're not going to destroy the cache or try to hold it for ransom or something?"

Fintan's smile was colder than his cell. "You'll just have to trust me."

"Yeah, I don't see that happening."

Fintan shrugged. "Then our deal is off."

Marella rolled her eyes. "Come on. Even if I wanted to, it's not like I can open your cell door and hand the cache to you."

She wasn't even sure if his cell had a door. The wall looked like one big solid piece of ice.

"You've proven to be very resourceful during our lessons," Fintan reminded her.

"Yeah, but—"

"It's your call," he interrupted. "If you want a memory, you'll have to trust me."

She snort-laughed—but before she could get another word out, he repeated, "You'll just have to trust me." And she could tell that was the only response he was going to give.

She turned to the scary guard, who had started pacing in the shadows. "Is there a way to pass Fintan a small item?"

"Ah, you have a hidden goblin escort—I knew you were resourceful!" Fintan clapped his hands. "And yes, there is a way to pass me my cache, otherwise I wouldn't have suggested it. Any guard can open the disgraceful tube they pass my horrid, frozen bits of food through. The cache should fit nicely."

The guard gripped his sword. "I cannot allow any unauthorized item to enter his cell."

Fintan clicked his tongue. "Clearly you're not considering the fact that I've already had plenty of chances to make this trade—and turned them all down. Do you think I would do that if the cache was even remotely useful to me?"

The goblin couldn't argue with that logic.

Neither could Marella.

And when Fintan went back to counting down, she told the guard, "The Black Swan knows I've been trying to make this trade—and they're working with the Council now. No one would let me do this if they thought the cache was dangerous."

Then again, they'd never discussed the possibility of handing the cache over to Fintan—but surely someone must've considered that during all their endless talking and obsessive overplanning…right?

Besides, if anything went wrong, she could always remind them that this was Sophie's idea.

"I don't like this," the scary guard growled. But Marella gave him her I-totally-know-what-I'm-doing glare until he set the frozen Noxflare down with a particularly dramatic thud, snatched the cache, and spent an eternity squinting at the tiny crystal, spinning it all different ways. "If anything happens, my priority will be subduing the prisoner—not protecting you. Are you certain you want to take that risk?"

Marella absolutely wasn't.

But…this might be their only shot at seeing one of Fintan's Forgotten Secrets.

Plus, she had her tiny little spark buddy she could call on if she needed. Surely she could use that to…

To what?

Take down a superpowerful, much more experienced Pyrokinetic with a history of murdering poeple?

But…did she really want to wimp out?

Sophie wouldn't.

And yeah, Sophie had, like, a permanent bed in the Healing Center. But Marella was pretty sure their whole group would vote "DO IT!"

There were also a dozen other armed goblins who would rush down as backup.

And Linh could attack Fintan with her cutesy snow animals.

It'd almost be worth it to watch Fintan get swallowed up by an ice wave shaped like Princess Purryfins.

"I can handle myself," she decided, using a tone that hopefully sounded intimidating.

Fintan's gleeful laughter echoed off the ice.

The scary guard muttered something about the arrogance of elves as he reached toward the top of Fintan's frozen cell and felt around for a specific spot. A faint clicking sound followed, and a tiny round door slid open—far out of Fintan's reach.

"I can neutralize you within seconds," the guard reminded him as he held the cache up to the opening. "By numerous means. Some far more painful than others."

"Yes, I'm well aware of the absurd lengths the Council has taken to keep me contained," Fintan assured him. "But I don't plan on giving you a reason to use any of them. Not today, at least."

The guard bared his supersharp pointy teeth, and Marella wanted to shout NEVER MIND, JUST KIDDING! But she let the guard shove the cache through the tiny opening—and then it was too late to change her mind.

All she could do was watch the glass orb make its slow descent, rolling around and around and around—down some sort of invisible path etched into the wall of the cell.

Her stomach backflipped with each rotation, and she felt more than a little vomit-y when the cache dropped low enough for Fintan to catch it. But he simply held it up and studied it.

Then he coughed on it.

And sneezed on it.

"Ewwwwwww," Marella groaned when he followed that up by drooling on it. "You know, there are better ways to give it your DNA."

"Yes, I'm aware." Fintan cleared his throat and launched a slimy blob of spit at the cache. "I also know your little Technopath friend is going to ask you how I accessed the memories, so feel free to give him a detailed list." He wiped the cache dry with his fingers and then ran it through his greasy hair before sneezing and coughing on it again. "Some of these methods are vital. Some are distractions. None can be re-created without me—but it'll be fun if he tries, don't you think?"

He laughed so hard, it brought tears to his eyes, and he smeared them across the cache before sneezing and spitting on it again—making Marella very glad she had gloves to keep her hands clean once he returned the cache.

Assuming she actually got it back…

She tried to make out what he was saying when he started mumbling a bunch of stuff into the crystal, but the words were all mushed together. He also tapped the cache in so many different places that she doubted even Sophie and Keefe with their fancy photographic memories would be able to re-create the patterns. And he looked so smug as he did it all that Marella decided to look as bored as possible—which was why she was barely paying attention when the cache flared to life, projecting a small hologram of Fintan standing alone in a wide, empty field.

"Huh," Marella mumbled. "Gotta admit, I was expecting something a little more exciting than a tiny glowing Fintan in the middle of nowhere doing…nothing."

"Then you should learn to be more observant." Fintan pointed to the swaying grass around the hologram's feet, and after a few seconds, Marella realized there was a vine of blooming Noxflares. "I figured I'd show you what Noxflares can do, since you're so generously bringing one back into my life."

Marella squinted at the tiny flowers, waiting for something to happen.

And waiting.

"So…they…blow in the wind?" she asked.

Fintan sighed. "No, they do this."

The hologram of Fintan waved his arms, and all the Noxflares erupted with searing white flames.

"Yeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaah, still not seeing why this needed to be a super-hush-hush Forgotten Secret," Marella grumbled as the Fintan hologram flicked his wrist and added purple fire to the white.

Sure, the flames were pretty—but all flames were beautiful.

"Try thinking like a Pyrokinetic!" Fintan snapped. "Tell me, are there any other flowers that could remain intact under such an inferno?"

Marella couldn't think of any.

And the Noxflares still didn't burn when the Fintan hologram added yellow flames to the fiery mix.

but other than clearly being fire-resistant, Marella didn't see the Noxflares actually doing anything—and the hologram of Fintan must've been equally unimpressed.

He frowned at the flaming petals and dragged a hand down his face, mumbling "something's missing."

"Still not seeing the point of this," Marella noted. "I mean…"

Her voice trailed off as the tiny Fintan waved his arms again and blasted the Noxflares with pink flames—which made the flowers spray sparks in every direction.

The effect was breathtaking.

Kind of like the sky during the Celestial Festival.

But that still didn't necessarily scream, THIS MEMORY IS IMPORTANT.

"How come the grass isn't catching fire?" she asked, grasping for anything that might be significant. "Do the Noxflares protect it or something?"

"No, I was protecting it. A pyrokinetic should always be in control of their flames."

He sounded so smug Marella was tempted to remind him that he let five Pyrokinetics die when he tried to teach them how to call down Everblaze and they all lost control—but that would probably make him throw one of his tantrums and send her away.

She needed the cache back first—and to hopefully find something useful in this boring memory. But sadly, all Fintan's hologram did was stare blankly at the stars and mumble "something's missing" again before the image flashed away.

"That's it?" the scary guard demanded, beating Marella to the complaint.

"Yeah, so…you put on a little fire show all by yourself with some spark-shooting flowers," she added, trying to sum up what she'd seen. "You were clearly disappointed by that little show. And then you must've remembered you needed to…"

She waved her hands, cuing Fintan to fill in the blank with whatever was "missing."

But he just stood there, staring at the cache with the same glazed look he always got whenever he started rambling about the beauty of fire—and Marella wished Linh had come with her after all.

Linh could pelt him with snowballs or something to snap him out of it.

But then she realized…

"You never figured out what was missing—did you?"

Fintan blinked and met her gaze. "Noxflares are full of possibility. But they need to burn."

"That doesn't answer my question," Marella noted.

Fintan shrugged. "Context was not part of our bargain."

"yeah, because I figured when I saw the memory, it would be obvious why it's this big Forgotten Secret. How does you setting some flowers on fire and then realizing you did it wrong matter to anyone?"

"I did nothing wrong," Fintan assured her, with a particularly haughty smile—but Marella wasn't buying it.

There was a tightness around his eyes that was way too familiar.

Her dad had that same tightness every time her mom was having one of her "bad days," and she knew exactly what it meant.

Disappointment.

Frustration.

A hint of helplessness.

So she marched over to the guard and grabbed the frozen Noxflare from the floor—too irritated to even notice how heavy the ice must've been as she hauled it back.

She plopped it in front of Fintan's cell. "Ta-da! One ugly flower, as promised—and I'm sure you're not surprised that I had to freeze it before I brought it down here."

"I'm not." Fintan dropped to his knees and gazed at the Noxflare like he was seeing a long-lost friend.

He pressed his hand against his cell, trying to get as close as he could. "Such power. Such…promise."

"Uh-huh," Marella agreed, letting his stare and stare, hoping it would help him let his guard down.

When his eyes turned a little teary, she went in for the kill.

"But there is something still missing, isn't there? That's why you saved this memory—to remind yourself to keep looking."

A whole lot of painful silence passed before Fintan slowly nodded.

Marella wanted to feel triumphant.

But all she'd done was prove the entire trade had been pointless.

There was no game-changing clue.

No dirty little secret about the past.

Certainly nothing to help them stop their enemies.

And she had a pretty strong hunch the other eight memories in the cache would be just as ridiculous.

"The answer is out there," Fintan murmured. "I can feel it. I just can't grasp it. Perhaps…"

"Perhaps?" Marella prompted when his eyes locked with hers.

Fintan stepped closer to the ice, keeping his voice low, like he didn't want the guard to hear him. "Perhaps a different Pyrokinetic is meant to find the truth. One who's already convinced the Council to trust her."

Marella laughed. "The Council doesn't trust me."

"The fact that you're here for a pyrokinesis lesson says otherwise—particularly since the lesson is with me." He started circling his cell again, mumbling under his breath and nodding. The only words Marella caught were "possible," "improvising," and "best option."

After three more times around the cell, he stopped in front of Marella again, leaning even closer to the icy wall as he whispered, "I believe it's time for me to offer a trade of my own."

"A trade," Marella repeated, not missing the way the scary guard gripped his sword.

Fintan glared at him. "This conversation is between me and my prodigy. She stands here of her own free will, shielded by who knows how many different kinds of protections—and she can leave anytime she pleases. Your presence is no longer needed."

"You still have her gadget," the guard argued.

"I suppose I do. but that can be easily remedied." Fintan set the cache on whatever invisible ledge it had slid down in the first place and gave it a good shove, sending it spinning up the path toward the top of the cell.

The guard had to scramble to catch it when it launched out of the ice bubble.

"See?" Fintan said, shifting his gaze back to Marella. "I can be trusted."

"Pretty sure the only thing I can trust is that you'll do what's best for you," Marella countered.

"As long as you get what you want, why would you care? After all, no matter what, I'm still stuck in here, aren't I?" He waved his arms around his little ice bubble, which suddenly looked way less secure than it had during her other visits. "Oh, relax—all I'm asking for is a little information."

Marella crossed her arms. "Right—and information has never gotten anyone hurt or killed."

"It's not that kind of secret. It's…" He frowned. "Honestly, I don't know what it is—and for someone my age, with my connections, that says something, doesn't it? I doubt any of the Vackers even know the full truth."

"Then how am I supposed to find it?" Marella demanded.

"As I said, you've proven to be quite resourceful. Particularly when you team up with your little friends." He scowled at the guard again before motioning her to step closer—until her ear was practically pressed up against the ice.

A voice in the back of her head kept screaming, WHY ARE YOU LISTENING TO HIM?

But…she was curious.

And there was nothing wrong with hearing his offer, was there?

Fintan's breath fogged the ice, obscuring his face as he whispered, "All I ask is that if you ever find out what's missing from the Noxflares, you share it with me."

"Why?" Marella glanced at the frozen flower, wishing she could see something more than just ugly shriveled petals.

"Because I want to know," Fintan said simply. "And because I can give you what you want in return."

"The rest of the memories in your cache," Marella clarified.

Fintan nodded. Then his lips curled into a smile. "And one other—something you've long wondered about, even though you probably don't admit it to yourself."

Marella raised one eyebrow, refusing to show any more interest than that.

Fintan cupped his hands around his mouth and pressed them to the ice before he whispered, "I know what happened to your mother."

Marella sucked in a breath.

"Yes," Fintan added. "I'm talking about her 'accident'—if we can really call it that. I know why she fell. And why her injuries were so incurable."

Marella stumbled back, collapsing into the nearest throne and hugging herself to stop her body from shaking with tremors that had nothing to do with the cold.

A tiny, terrified part of her had always thought the story she'd been told about her mom's fall hadn't totally made sense.

But everyone—everyone—was convinced it had been an accident.

Even her father.

And if it wasn't…

She leaned toward Fintan. "I don't need your games."

"Oh, this definitely isn't a game. But it's the only way you'll ever know the truth, and before you start overthinking everything, consider this: You have all the power here. Make the trade, don't make the trade—it's totally your call. You also don't have to make a decision right away. I'm trapped in this prison. I'll never find the answer on my own—and I'll never know if you find the answer unless you decide to tell me. So there's zero pressure. No one even knows we've had this conversation—and don't worry about the guard. See how frustrated he looks? That's because I made sure he only heard what I wanted him to hear. The rest is our little secret."

Our little secret.

Fintan was probably the last person she should have a secret with.

And yet…he had a point.

No one knew he'd made her this offer—and it wasn't like she'd come to any decision.

She didn't even have the information Fintan wanted anyway!

And with the way their investigations always seemed to go, she'd probably only find a whole lot more questions.

So there was really no point in telling anyone about this.

She could tell them whens he needed to.

If she needed to.

That wouldn't be wrong…would it?

It didn't feel wrong—or it wouldn't have if Fintan's smile wasn't so creepy.

"I'm not agreeing to anything," she said, wanting to make that very clear.

"You're not," Fintan assured her. "So how about we put this out of our minds and get started with our lesson? I'm sure your Hydrokinetic friend is wondering why you haven't come up to practice yet."

Linh was probably starting to worry.

She'd probably also built enough snow animals to make a frozen Sanctuary.

"Fine," Marella said, standing up and dusting ice off her cape. "What do you want me to work on today?"

"How about I teach you how to make those colored flames you saw in the memory," Fintan suggested. "You know, in case that ever comes in handy."

He winked, and the guard groaned and held out the cache to Marella. "Sounds like I'm no longer needed."

"You aren't," Fintan agreed.

The guard growled—looking scarier than ever—and turned to march away. But he spun back after a few steps. "He's right that I don't know what he offered you. But I can tell you're tempted. And I hope you're smart enough to reject it. Never make a deal with someone who has nothing to lose."

"I'm not," Marella promised.

And she wasn't.

She hadn't made any decisions—except to keep this to herself. But that didn't mean anything.

She was just trying to avoid a ton of drama and arguing and having people give her advice she didn't need.

Plus, everyone has secrets.

Shoot—the great Sophie Foster had more secrets than anyone.

So it was fine.

Everything was fine.

Nothing had changed.

Time to focus on controlling her fire.

And yet, for the rest of the lesson, the tiny spark in her heart burned hotter and hotter and hotter. Whispering a new plea.

Trust me.

Note: Thank you to @bookwyrminspiration for doing the bulk of this transcription!

#kotlc deleted scene #kotlc deleted scenes #stellarlune

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daily-ish-syndicate-headcanons · 10 months

Note

HC:

(Warning it’s a bit long lmao)

So obviously just bc, the syndicate takes turns babysitting Micheal.

Phil knows how to take care of kids, but in a very responsible way. He entertains him with fun little games out in the snow like hide and seek and peek-a-boo (imagine Michael standing in front of Phil while Phil uses his wings to cover himself and behind the wings and then WOOSH! “Here I am!”And then Micheal just giggling so hard he falls on his lil booty in the snow and then gets up only for the process to repeat) ofc tho when I say responsible I mean responsibility flying the child as high as possible and then doing a free dive bc the child loves it.

Techno didn’t really know what to do with Micheal at first, but when he was rummaging through his attic one day (cluttered house) he found some old toy wooden swords, and the idea hit him faster than that anvil… Anyways! Cue Techno fake struggling against Micheal as they play swords. (Micheal always wins ;) and then afterwards Techno makes some hot cocoa while Micheal draws some pictures of “Uncle Techno.” Ranboo comes to pick up Micheal and finds them both fast asleep on the couch, with Micheal curled up in a little cocoon consisting of protective Uncle Techno and a massive ass cape.

Niki likes to shove a bunch of baked goods and sweets at him. She’s never had much experience with kids, but it can’t be too hard, right? Just give them some candy and attention and they’ll be happy, right? Wrong. Give this child sweets and baked goods, and he’s a menace (and also your best friend forever) I’m talking jumping on the couch and countertops, running around the house, and just overall being a hyper child. He winds down once he gets a tummy ache, but he’s content to sit at the counter and watch Niki make some more stuff while he’s not feeling great.

Ranboo is obviously not babysitting seeing as he is Michael’s parent (I hate it when someone comes up to a parent and says “oh, is someone on babysitting duty today?” Like, no, SARAH, it’s called PARENTING, bitch) Ranboo just does typical dad stuff, like taking him cool places to spend the afternoon, playing on the floor with him and his toys, and making him the equivalent of a TV dinner (Ranboo may be worlds best dad (according to the mug Tubbo and Micheal got him for Father’s Day) but he still can’t cook for shit)

And Connor doesn’t even babysit. No, Connor is babysat right alongside Micheal because he cannot be trusted on his own. He is legit just a toddler with rights.

-🌻

AAAAA I AM SOBBING AT PHIL’S ONE PLEASE /pos

Techno absolutely lets him win, its like how snow leopards (?) will pretend to be scared when their kittens try to scare them to boost their confidence or something. Cape cocoon. Dude I wanna take a nap in the cape cocoon fr.

I SO agree with Niki having no clue what to do with kids. I see far too many people portraying c!Niki as this responsible motherly/older sister figure and it boils my blood like NO!!! This is the same woman that tried to nuke a child!!!!!!

Ranboo is just Dading fr. He’s just bein a dad.

“toddler with rights” I’M EVAPORATING PLEASE

#daily ish syndicate headcanons #dsmp #the syndicate #technoblade #dream smp #ranboo #nihachu #philza #connoreatspants #syndicate

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btnclmrttn · 2 years

Text

Glasses

Reader has glasses that's it. I got sunscreen on my glasses and got pissed off at them so I'm writing stupid shit so I don't break them

~~~~

Saitama

If you ever loose them he'll put them on his head and pretend to be oblivious to where they are

Its gotten you a couple times. He thinks its the funniest shit

If he hasn't found them first he's just as lost as you but he'll know where to look first at least.

If he sees you struggling to clean them (that streaky oil shit that never comes off) he'll just take them from you without warning and try to do it himself. His cape works the best

Or you'll be in the store or whatever with him and just borrow it to clean them. He doesn't care

You think he might even need glasses himself. He admitted to seeing a little better so it's likely your prescriptions could be similar.

But he refuses to be bald AND wear glasses like some old ass. Absolutely not. He's gotten by just fine

Genos

He knows where your glasses are at all times, almost like he's got a tracker on them.

He can see a speck from a great distance and will immediately attempt to take them and clean them

Steam cleans them like brand new, only takes a few seconds

If by chance they get broken he will probably be able to fix them, but if not he insists on holding your hand or being by your side absolutely everywhere to "prevent any injury"

If you put them on him and tell him he's cute it makes him bashful, but you'll get a lengthy explanation of his flawless mechanics that allow him perfect vision.

Saitama (as you would probably be visiting a lot) will hide them in a difficult spot sometimes on purpose if he finds them first. So he can watch Genos and you look around like a pair of dumbasses

Sonic

Has no idea how glasses work at all first off

"If you know how many fingers I'm holding up, how come you need glasses?"

You just stick them on his face and say to look around so he gets the message. He hated it, feels kind of bad for you.

If you loose them he can help find him quickly, if you can get him to help. He's a busy body.

He can't clean them I'm sorry he tries. There isn't much material he owns that works okay and he always looses the microfiber cloths.

Sometimes you can be sitting around or doing whatever and all of a sudden you can't see. He takes them and waits for you to hunt him down to get them back. Like hide and seek.

Contacts would make him cringe. A way to get him to do what you want is to threaten to take them out in front of him, if you really wanted to. Use sparingly.

Garou

Says you look like a nerd and pushes them too high or too low to tease you, but he thinks they're cute

Also didn't understand glasses at first. You had to do the same to him as you did with Sonic

If you can't find them it's because he's wearing them and throwing jokes around. Never directly mocks you, just stereotypical prestigious smart people

Has a little too much fun with them, and you're worried he'll end up breaking them sometimes

He only broke them once and tried to fix them without you noticing, but it was so obvious. He was acting goofy also avoiding the topic. They were wearable at least.

Otherwise he's careful and always cleans them before you put them on in the morning or while you're showering. That oily streak shit pisses him off just as much

Get him a pair of non prescription glasses and he'll think it's fucking Christmas. It gives him the perfect excuse to act a fool (this dude's inner child needs to have fun don't blow it)

He gets kind of weirded out if you wear contacts. Yeah, you're still cute, but it's just weird to him and he don't know why

#one punch man #opm #opm x reader #caped baldy #blonde cyborg #hero hunter #saitama x reader #genos x reader #sos sonic #sos sonic x reader #garou x reader #saitama #genos #garou #the four horseman of opm

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three-bunnies-in-a-trenchcoat · 1 year

Text

Anyway. Some observations.

God I love this theme

Apparently Ghirahim knew of Link and was hoping the tornado would kill him

Ghirahim calls Zelda Her Majesty

Link, despite knowing at this point that Ghirahim is hostile, HAS NOT DRAWN HIS SWORD,

Bitch (affectionate)

Link finally draws his sword after Ghirahim introduces himself- apparently hoping Link would die is fine, but mentioning he's a demon? Oh no

Is that a chain on his cape? That looks like a chain

The screen started shaking a bit a while ago but here's where it gets real bad, when Ghirahim mentions Impa

Dramatic bitch (affectionate)

His teleporting is kind of cool, actually

"Appetite for bloodshed" He licks his sword during the fight so... that was literal, I guess

He sneaks up behind Link and that's just. It's so damn funny. Why did you get in his face like that

Also yeah that's. That's just a chain. On his cape. Bro what.

Ghirahim: I'm a lord so it's not right for me to flat out murder you :) I can however beat you senseless :)

Seriously why is Link just letting him stand so close like that Ghirahim is not holding a weapon or anything

Actually how much taller is Ghirahim? He's leaning over a bit, he's like six inches taller at the most?

He wiggles his fingers, kinda like he's about to draw a weapon (he does not)

Cape on, time for a monologue. Cape off, time for an ass kicking

Why does he walk like that

WHY DOES HE HAVE ABS

His fists are clenched when Link doesn't have his sword drawn

He backhand SLAPS YOU

He actually gives Link advice lol

When he manages to grab Link's sword, he swings it if you stay close and then THROWS IT

He'll also head for it instead of towards you if you don't pick it up

Link rolls to pick it up and Ghirahim will sometimes teleports away as soon as he does

You can parry and knock it out of his hand

His jump backwards is so weird I love it. Why did you do it like that tho

If you just stand there with your sword drawn and don't try to attack, he will flip his hair a bit with his other hand (bastard (affectionate))

No matter how close your sword gets, he won't grab it. You have to attack

Also uh if you stand there too long he uh. He slaps you. I know because I just stood there too long (his patience seems to run out at three or four hair flips)

You cannot force him to go backwards

There's some sort of shield around him that makes Skyward Strikes unable to hit him

There are the same slits on the back of his pants? Not sure if I've ever noticed that before

Ok he's not licking the sword no matter how many times he hits Link :(

When you parry his attacks, he seems to adjust his grip on his sword a bit?

He twirls the sword just a bit after hitting Link with the running attack (which seems to his favorite)

Uh anyway my shield just broke. So. No more fun battle observations :(

It's REALLY HARD to backflip away from the running attack

He calls Link soft lmao

Also he very briefly seems to clutch his face after the final attack?

That sword is the only reason I still live? No, it's my MAD PARRYING SKILLS

(Why can't I parry like this in botw...)

Ghirahim's sword is very cool honestly

Teasing and toying? Bro I just spent half an hour on a fight I could've finished in five minutes. I was toying with you

Huh. It's not Skychild, its just sky child. (Why did I think it was the first one?)

Dramatic fucking exit lmao

Anyway to conclude. I spent too much time on that BUT. at least I have something to use in my fic now?

#ghirahim #loz ghirahim #skyward sword #loz ss #mb plays a game #saving for later

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leviathans-watching · 2 years

Note

Request: headcanons, in what order do the brothers get up and what do they do to prepare? Who tends to be stuck with breakfast? Who takes too long in the bathroom? Who's far too loud so early in the morning for the others to deal with? Etc, etc.

I hope that was cutesy and not done by you before lol. I wish you a pleasant evening.

their morning routines

includes: the brothers & the brothers

wc: .8k | rated g | m.list

warnings: depictions of food and (potentially unhealthy) eating habits

a/n: this was so fun to write and super refreshing. ty for sending it in, i really enjoyed it!! my inbox is open to chat, req, or leave feedback, so come say hi!

please reblog or i'll cry /j

➳ lucifer is the first up, that is, if he ever went to bed. he has his own private bathroom and showers each morning, keeping the water tepid. he spends a few minutes doing his hair, then, on days where his eyebags are especially bad, using some concealer asmo had gifted him to cover them up to the best of his ability. once he’s dressed and presentable, he gets some coffee (black, ofc) and something light, like an english muffin. he used to not eat breakfast but you kicked up a fuss about it and now he does, unwilling to admit it actually make shim feel a lot better and more prepared for the day. he then goes and wakes those who aren’t already up or have ignored their alarms.

➳ mammon wakes up in the middle of the pack, not bothering to make his bed or anything like that. he had thrown his clothes over the back of his char the night before and now pulls them on, uncaring that they’re slightly crumpled. he then goes to the bathroom he shares with levi and satan, sometimes having to wait for one of them to finish up, depending on how fast he got dressed. he then brushes his teeth and hair, making sure he looks okay. then he goes back to his room and grabs his bag, joining lucifer in the dining room for some companionable silence before he fully wakes up.

➳ levi only has to be waken by lucifer sometimes. most of the time he’s up with his alarm and prepared for the day with ease. it all depends how late he stays up gaming the previous night. he keeps his uniform hung on his door, so he slips it on, then rushes to the bathroom to try and beat mammon and satan. once in the bathroom he washes his face and finger-combs his hair into place, gelling it slightly. he doesn’t typically eat breakfast, but he does try to get at least one glass of water in before he goes to rad.

➳ satan is the third up, ofc, and follows the exact same routine every day, going to the bathroom and brushing his teeth, then going back to his room to dress. he spends some time arranging his school things before he goes back to the bathroom to do his hair and adjust his outfit accordingly, like straightening his bowtie and making sure his cape falls correctly. he then gets some coffee, also black, and a piece of fruit before heading back to his room to do some reading or writing before he has to leave for class.

➳ asmo is second up, making sure he has lots of time to get ready. before he gets out of bed he checks his ddd, liking and replying to messages and sending out a good morning message to his followers, sometimes including an ‘i woke up like this’ selfie. he then pulls himself out of bed and into the shower, making the water as hot as it can go. once out, he dons his robe then blow-dries his hair, curling it and then doing his makeup. once hair and makeup are done, he gets dressed, including any cute accessories he thinks will work for the day. then he makes a healthy smoothie and posts a breakfast pic to his story, before enjoying it slowly, knowing he got his school stuff together the night before.

➳ beel has a habit of snoozing one-too-many times so lucifer has to wake him and belphie most days. he showers in the evenings so he only needs to brush his teeth, as most days he forgets to do his hair. he then gets dressed, waking belphie for the second time, and once he’s sure his brother is up, goes downstairs for breakfast. he obviously has a delicious spread, and sometimes asmo will come by and pick off a piece of whatever he’s made, which he doesn’t mind. he also makes some food for belphie.

➳ belphie gets up last, to the surprise of no one, and it takes several alarms and having to be woken by lucifer and beel for him to actually get out of bed. he’s slow-moving in the mornings, so he tries to get as much ready the night before, meaning everything is already laid out for him and he only had to put it on. beel is out of their shared bathroom by the time he goes in and brushes his teeth and he runs a brush through his hair a few times before calling it good. he brings his schoolbag with him downstairs as he knows he’s running late, and beel hands him his breakfast, which he eats (mostly out of obligation, though he is grateful) as they’re rushing out the door.

leviathans-watching's work - please do not copy, repost, or claim as your own

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annwayne · 2 months

Note

You gotta give me sith!obi-wan x jedi!reader (pretty pretty please)

Hehehe yessss. I can't take all the credit tho, like with many fics you supplied several ideas years ago when I first came up with it lol. But that's what writing friends are for >:D

The idea- an AU where Palpatine was betrayed by Dukoo well before the clone wars and took Obi-Wan as his sith apprentice. Otherwise canon isn't that different. The fic is a kinktober oneshot, so sexy interrogation with reader as Obi-Wan's captive set during the Clone Wars. I never got super far writing it.. but it is a fun idea.

Strawberry ginger hair was the first thing you saw. Then your eyes jumped down- maybe to give your face time to recover from your violent awakening before your captor saw how disoriented you were. You noticed black boots hidden under white dress pants and a long cape with gold lining. Those boots stepped forward. As he walked towards you, he also moved further into view, ruining your attempts to avoid looking at him. Sleek fabric and a familiar gold chain finally met your eye. A gloved hand rested under your chin and firmly lifted your head up.

Beautiful blue eyes stared darkly into your avoidant ones. You dropped your gaze to his mouth then behind his shoulder; anywhere but his eyes. “Ah-Come now, avoiding eye contact is just rude. I know you have better manners than that, darling.” His voice was the same–but somehow it felt unfamiliar.

“Kenobi.” You said his name like it was bile stuck on your tongue. Most of the feeling in your body was gone- a side effect of the stasis pumping electricity through your body in order to keep you floating in place. You knew it usually wore off within the first hour, which meant you hadn’t been here for long.

“How lovely. You really shouldn’t hide away such beautiful eyes.” That handsome face grinned at you. Then, he started circling you. The tap of his heel moving oh so slowly.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

“You gave us quite the scare,” Obi-Wan’s voice bounced around the holding cell. “We weren’t sure you’d even wake up after those commando droids dragged you off that wretched planet.”

Tap. Tap. Tap.

“But I knew you wouldn’t let me down.”

Tap.

Those boots stopped behind you. You hadn’t noticed when you stopped breathing.

#also it was maybe the third time writing in 2nd pov?#so not super strong in that regard lol #but I think it's pretty good-captures sith!obi-wan's dangerous elegance #ask game #wip game #sith!obi-wan/jedi!reader

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birlwrites · 7 months

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hi just wanted to say that i love heather brown. tell me about heather brown. if you want to. <3

HEATHER!!!!!!!

i'm just going to say random facts about her afjlskghljksdf, some of these may be things i've said before but who cares, LETS GO

so, she's the middle child, the only girl, and the only slytherin among her siblings - she has an older brother rowan, who's heir to house brown, a former gryffindor who graduated at the end of heather's 4th year (so, reg was in 3rd year). she also has a younger brother linden, who's going to start hogwarts this fall and go to gryffindor. gryffindor is a common house for the browns - they have kind of an even mix of the other houses, when someone does get sorted into another house

(side note, heather's younger brother is going to be in the same year as the eldest of priam's younger siblings - his sister is going to go into ravenclaw though)

she loves pink because a) she loves it and b) she associates it with things like sunset clouds and other things that are both soft and fun, like cotton candy, except not because cotton candy is the american term, but u know. it's basically her comfort color lmao. it's her go-to in any situation and like, Her Color

and heather genuinely loves being around people - she thinks people are fascinating, she loves figuring out what makes them tick, she's very chatty and it's a good thing she and regulus have never tried to study together because they'd drive each other bonkers, what with heather keeping up a steady stream of Unrelated Talking and regulus responding with monosyllables if at all. she's bored and he can't focus. hell. (but that's why heather does most of her schoolwork in the slytherin common room - she gets to hang out with her friends as she does it, and also chances are high of priscilla parkinson appearing, aka heather's favorite cat)

priscilla is not heather's favorite ANIMAL because heather has a beloved barn owl named thistle, who has been very helpful to the plot, but thistle doesn't really hang out in the dungeons so

her birthday is december 1, i feel like i've mentioned that before but i'm saying it again - it renders her birthday Very close to evan's, which i didn't plan and am actually only realizing now ajfhglkjdf. such is life, i don't think that'll affect the plot so we carry on

she has a generally solid relationship with her immediate family - they keep in touch during the school year and like, spend time with each other over the summers and all that jazz. her mom is first cousins with arnold macmillan's dad. heather is capable of getting along with arnold, but he's a very straightforward person, so she kind of picked him apart long ago and there's no more puzzle to be had there, which means she's kind of whatever about him

the browns are the highest-ranked non-dark family in the sacred 28 (which tells you how much the dark families DOMINATE). they and the weasleys are the only non-dark noble and anciente families, and the weasleys basically don't count, so. heather's not on regulus's level, but nobody is.

she tends to run cold and has Many blankets in her room, which she will either use as a cape or put over her lap when she's in the dungeons - she can cope without them, but like, why be uncomfortable when you could be comfortable. (priam is also an option for Heat Source afjslghjskf)

she loves sour candy - anything that's a combination of sour and sweet really

and she's in slytherin because she is very good at piecing together how to get what she wants!

#dark lord wip #should i make an inbox tag #part of me thinks 'i should make character tags for my ocs so i can find these posts'#part of me thinks 'birl you're in way too deep for that already'

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crazyk-imagine · 2 years

Text

Let’s do the Time Warp Again!

Pairing: Mickey “Fanboy” Garcia x Theater kid!reader

Characters: Mickey “Fanboy” Garcia, Theater kid!reader, Macey (reader’s friend), Penny Benjamin, Jake “Hangman” Seresin (implied)

Warnings: Time warp, Jake was a douche to the reader (implied, no actual interaction), Penny trying to use the new kid lingo, Mickey makes for an adorable vampire and is a quiet walker

Word Count: 1,131

Happy (almost) Halloween!

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

Your friend, Macey, nudges your shoulder, “Hey, Hey. You hear what’s playing?”

You nod, a wide smile stretching across your lips. “Let’s do it.” You two usually spilt the song with you singing the part of Riff Raff and Macey as Magenta.

The two of you start spinning around the table.

Time is fleeting

Madness takes its toll

Neither of you notice the group of people entering, or the wondering eyes watching the two of you having fun.

You and Macey walk back-to-back, with your fingers curled as you two take large strides toward the center of the bar.

She leans her back against the bar top, singing her part.

But listen closely

Not for very much longer

You walk towards the center of the room only to be pushed to the side by a customer dressed as Riff Raff

I’ve got to keep it in control

You throw your head back and laugh, clapping them on the shoulder before taking a step back.

I remember doing the Time Warp

Drinking those moments when

The blackness would hit me

You skip over towards Macey who was also pushed away so someone also “conveniently” dressed as Magenta could play out the scene.

And the void would be calling

They pull Macey out of her seat to dance the rest of the Time Warp.

Let's do the Time Warp again

You chuckle and shake your head, watching her having a blast.

“They don’t have nothing on you,” Penny says.

You turn around, “hey there, Peggy Sue.”

“Would it really hurt you to use my real name?”

“Hurt me? No. Is it fun? Yes.”

“I’m not gonna win this argument, am I?”

You shake your head, “no.”

She slides the same drink you had earlier in front of you.

You furrow your brows, “I didn’t order this?”

“I know. Dracula over there,” she points towards the pool table, at the only vampire, offering you a small wave.

“He’s cute.”

“And nice… smart… in the navy… did I say nice? Oh, and he's a little salty?”

“Salty?”

Penny looks away, “I may have overheard Amelia the other day.”

You stick your bottom lip out, “I’m proud of you, getting out your comfort zone, using the young kid lingo.”

“And no more free drinks for you.” She tries to take the drink back; you reach for it with a hearty chuckle.

“No, no. I’m joking, you know I am, Penny my dear.”

“How many nicknames is that so far tonight?” She asks with a sarcastic tone.

You squint your eyes as a relaxed smile stretches across your lips, “you know you’d be sad if I didn’t make your life fun with this,” you gesture between the two of you.

She hums, walking away to refill a few of her customers drinks.

You lean over the bar top, so half your body is hanging over it. “You know you would!”

“Go find the vampire!”

You chuckle, taking her advice. You tilt your head when you realize he’s not there anymore and pout.

Luckily your distracted by the tapping on your shoulder, for a moment you think it’s Macey but when you catch her dancing with one of the transylvanian’s, your very confused.

But you turn to an almost unexpected surprise (there was a part of you that hoped it was him and not the cocky jerk dressed as Daenerys Targaryen).

“Hey,” he says, a small smile dancing across his lips.

“Hey,” you greet him. “Dracula?”

He looks down, flapping his black and red inner lined cape. “I mean, I guess. Honestly, I didn’t realize I was coming until my friends, who... are currently watching us talk-”

You turn around, finding the not-so-subtle group of pilots quickly looking away. “Maybe we should give them something to talk about.”

“You mean more than your Rocky Horror Picture Show moment?”

You hum, “you know your stuff, good. Now I don’t have to fake an emergency.”

“You would have if I didn’t know what you and your friend were acting out?”

You tilt your head, “no. But the other guys I’ve talked to don’t find my knowledge of movies or shows to be that, dare I say, fascinating?”

He shakes his head. “Let me buy the pretty lady a drink and listen to her talk about the Time Warp.” He lifts his arm for you to take.

You accept his offer (needing something to drink that’s different than your usual) and interlock your arm with his, “you wouldn’t just be saying that to persuade me into giving you my blood, would you, Mister Vampire?”

He clears his throat, “please, Mister Vampire was my father.”

You chuckle at his terrible old Vampire accent.

“Call me, your almost boyfriend? He says, hoping you don’t have one.”

You hum, removing your arm from his to stand closer to the bar. “You work fast, don’t you?”

“Not usually but it is the time of giving.”

“If I’m not mistaken, that’s Christmas.”

“Oh, right. Right. Maybe when we’re still together by then I could give you my cape, to keep as a memory of our first-time meeting?”

“Wow.”

“Too much?” He grimaces, finding his shoes to be much more interesting. “I’m sorry. My friends were offering me advice and-”

You shush hum. “I get it. My friend, the one I was dancing with, said I should do something to capture a guy’s attention.”

He perks up at the confession, staring at you through his lashes. “Did you?”

You shake your head and smile, “no because it seems like when I was myself, I was able to meet a sweet guy who’s trying his best.”

“He sounds like an interesting guy.”

“He does, doesn’t he?”

“Would this guy be able to consider himself lucky and get your phone number?”

“I don’t know,” you turn, sticking your bottom lip out pretending to think about not giving him your number. “I think I’m gonna need to know the name of the vampire I’ll be talking to for the rest of the evening before I can decide.”

He chuckles, focusing on the ground. Is that- is the cute vampire blushing?

“Fanboy.”

Of course, he’d give you his called sign.

“I’d prefer if I would be able to call you by your actual name and not your call sign. You know, maybe like the name your parents decided was yours when you were brought into the world?” You stop your mini rant (if you could even call it that) find that he’s taking a sip of his drink to hide his amusement.

“I do. It’s Mickey.”

“It suits you…” You furrow your brows, realizing something. “Where’d you get that drink? I didn’t see you order anything.”

“I brought it with me when I walked over.”

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