#bc if they've been wished away by their loved ones they must have been in some kind of danger right

[muddyorbsblr]

secret notes part 7: pancakes for dinner

Series Masterlist See my full list of works here!

Summary: Thor finds out your secret and Wanda finds a reason to go a little rogue.

Pairing: Loki x Reader

Word Count: 2.7k

Warnings: brief mention of blades; other than that, nothing bc this is a fluffy story [let me know if i missed anything!]

Things to be aware of: mutual pining; idiots in love; reader in denial; translations will be in the Author's Notes

The common area was uncharacteristically quiet this morning; everyone either training or prepping for the upcoming recon mission meant that there was nary a soul in the usually bustling area of the tower. Save for Thor. 

"Hey, Thunder."

"Greetings, Lady Y/N." You busied yourself with fixing a cup of coffee as you listened to the ambient noise of the blond Asgardian fiddling with his phone. From the tapping and scrolling pattern you surmised the god was doom scrolling through TikTok. 

"Anything interesting on your for you?" you called out to him, earning a deep rumbling chuckle in response. 

"Just one. Something about karaoke and the songs that the divas of the group choose to sing. I think the song goes a bit like…gusto ko nang bumitaw."

"Ngunit ayaw pa ng puso," you continued the meme purely from muscle memory over seeing the same thing for weeks. It was a few seconds too late once you realized what you'd done. 

"I knew it!!" He stood up from the armchair and walked over to you. "You're the lark!" he said in a hushed tone. "Oh my brother will be so pleased with this revelation."

"Thor, no!" you pleaded, your voice hushed and frantic. "Please you can't tell anyone. Especially your brother."

"Lady Y/N, my brother has been beside himself trying to unearth the identity of his lark, desperately hoping that—" He stopped himself short before speaking any further. 

"What, Thor? Desperately hoping what?"

"No. I've overstepped. That is purely Loki's business and if he wishes to disclose that with you then I must respect that wish. But Lady Y/N you must tell him. He deserves to know the identity of the woman that's kept his mind running circles."

"I will. I promise. Just…just not now."

"You better. Or I will, Lady Y/N. He deserves to know."

"Brother what in the Nine Realms are you doing? You need to cease your haranguing of Y/N and allow her to prepare for her mission with the assassins." You sighed in relief as Loki walked into the kitchen area, placing a hand on your lower back. "Are you alright, darling?" 

"Fine, Mischief. I'm fine. It was just a misunderstanding." You turned your pleading eyes towards Thor. "Right, Blondie?"

He sighed. "That is correct. It was a simple misunderstanding, Brother. No need for concern." He quickly tucked his phone away, his session of doom scrolling concluded. For now, at least. "I'll leave you to your pre-mission rituals, Lady Y/N." And with that he left you in the kitchen alone with his raven-haired brother. 

"Must you truly accompany Agents Romanoff and Barton on this, dear Y/N?" Loki's tone was laced with concern. "This Ten Rings seems to have its fair share of formidable allies. Henchmen. Creatures they've subdued to do their bidding."

"Why, Mischief, were you reading up on my assignment?" you teased, trying to mask the effect that the realization had on you. How your heart was fluttering like a butterfly's wings in your chest. How his words almost made you feel like you were flying.

"Would it be so out of place for me to be concerned?" he asked softly, gently taking your hand in his, thumb stroking across the inside of your wrist. "Perhaps I simply wish for you to return safely." 

"I have two master assassins covering me. It's just a quick recon mission, Mischief. I go in, poke around some files, clone some drives, and get out. If anything fucks up, I can take care of my—"

"If anything goes awry I want you to call for me, Y/N," he cut you off. "I will be there in a heartbeat, this I swear to you." His hand traveled up your forearm, his fingers wrapping gently around the inside of your elbow. "Promise me, darling." 

"I promise," you replied in a rush of breath, as if your lungs couldn't hold in any air. "If things get bloody I'll call for you." 

The next moments happened so fast you barely had time to process it, let alone react. His other hand held you gently by the waist as he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on your cheek before he relinquished his hold on you altogether and strode out of the kitchen. By the time you gathered your thoughts and turned around all you could see was his retreating form as Sam walked in with a knowing smirk on his face.

"Shoulda walked in here a few seconds earlier, I guess," he joked. "Aren't you supposed to be prepping for your recon assignment, Y/N?" 

You could only respond with a nod, clearing your throat to shake yourself out of the stupor that Loki's actions put you in. "Uhh…yeah. Just gotta run a few errands and then I'll be ready. You want anything from the store?"

"We're running low on grape soda so…" You tapped your nose and pointed his way. "Thanks, lil bird. Say hi to Lance for me." 

You walked out of the kitchen waving off his comment with a playful scoff. 

As Wanda made her way to the kitchen she heard Sam's comment about "Lance", who he still assumed was the name of the man you'd been seeing, making her stifle a chuckle. The smile quickly faded from her face the moment she saw that a certain god had been nearby and heard the comment as well, a crestfallen look breaking his usual confident, smug facade, before storming off to the combat training area.

She kept her movements as quiet and undetectable as she could manage, trailing a more than reasonable distance away so that he couldn't detect her or her magic. When she found him he was swinging his daggers left and right with the grace of a ballet dancer against a flurry of holographic simulated faceless adversaries. 

Something inside her broke at the unmistakable pain on his face, finally making her decide to make her presence known by blasting the last of the figures charging at him with her magic, and effectively ending the simulation program. "Maximoff," he huffed into the empty space. "How can I help you?" 

"You can tell me what caused that look on your face to start with." He scoffed at her request. "Is this about Y/N?" She knew that bringing you into the conversation so soon was a risk, not to mention a stab in the dark from where he stood. But considering that this might be her only chance at getting anything resembling a genuine reaction from him, she decided to roll the dice.

"I wanted it to be her," he answered, barely audible but it might as well have rung as loud as church bells for the sorceress. "I wanted her to be my lark. Ever since we'd realized that she was working within the Tower, I'd held on to hope that perhaps Y/N could have been the owner of the voice that sang of her emotions towards me." 

It took all her strength to not jump in place and scream it to the high heavens that it was you. "Wanted? Do you not want that anymore?" 

"It's becoming less and less of a probability in my mind," he answered with a scoff. "How can she be my lark if she is courting another?" 

She couldn't help it anymore, she began to laugh so hard that she began to clutch her stomach for some stability. "You mean Lance?" 

"I don't understand how this is humorous, Maximoff." 

Might as well go a little rogue, she figured. "She's not seeing anyone." She scrambled for a feasible excuse that didn't give away your visits to a recording studio. "Lance is the name of her contact at the grocery store. She places orders through him so that all she has to do when she stops by is pay. Hence the 'thanks Lance, I'll see you later'." 

Dammit Wanda, you idiot, he's the God of Lies, you better pray he doesn't see through your bullshit. 

"I see," he commented, his face stoic. "Thank you, Maximoff. For clarifying." 

"Anytime," she said, her inner fangirl jumping at the thought that he still held on to hope for the literal truth. "As for your lark? I really do hope you find her. Someone willing to express their emotions the way she has, I think at least, secretly wishes to be found." 

With those parting words she was on a mission to find Natasha. She needed backup for knocking some sense into you once you got back from the recording session you once again masked as errands.

After a quick recording session, a trip to the grocery store for some grape soda and an extra few boxes to add to Thor's weekly supply of pop tarts, and a stop at the post office, you finally made it back to the Tower to pack for your mission with Nat and Clint. What you weren't prepared for was finding the Russian spy in your apartment's living room along with Wanda, looking like they were ready to beat some sense into you. 

"You have to tell him," Wanda spoke first. "I nearly went rogue."

"She really did. Y/N, you have nothing to worry about. He's not gonna hate you or suddenly stop having your back. Babes, I'm pretty sure he's just as in love with you as you are with him. And if all your little hand holding, hair tucking moments aren't enough to lead you in the right direction, you adorable idiot, then sit down and listen to what Wanda has to say." 

You sighed and took a seat on the armchair opposite your friends, opting not to tell them yet that you had every intention of telling every member of the team, and effectively the rest of the world, once you got back from your mission. Mostly because you were curious what information the Sokovian had to share.

"Sweetie, he said he wants it to be you." Your heart stopped beating at Wanda's words. "He's been hoping it's you since the first live show. So here's what we're gonna do. Either you tell him, or I--"

"Can I have a turn now?" you interrupted. She nodded, giving you the floor. "I'm going to tell everyone after the mission." Her eyes lit up at the announcement. "I've already set the wheels in motion. Tomorrow while we're gone, an invitation to my next live show will pop up in our mailbox for the entire team. When my show starts, I'll do it without Stark's glasses. The whole world will know." 

Your friends hopped up from their seats and tackled you into a group hug, squealing and giggling as if none of you had a care in the world. They helped you prep for the mission that you would leave for with Nat later on in the night, triple checking that every blade was sharpened and every cloning device was running as expected. 

Nothing should go wrong. But it didn't mean that nothing could. 

Once your bags were packed for the two days that you'd be gone, the three of you set off to the runway where the Quinjet was already prepped and waiting.

"Anything you need me to do for you two while you're gone?" Wanda shouted over the roars of the engine. "Any pets I should know about? Besides Y/N's god, of course." 

"Very funny, Wan!" You swatted her arm, having nothing nearby to throw her way. "Just make sure he's at the live show, okay?" She nodded giving you two cheeky thumbs up. "And text me once the upload I scheduled went live." 

"Make sure Tony doesn't go through my things while I'm gone," Nat called out. "He keeps trying to get material to create a reference of me in that holo-simulation training program of his." 

"I'll put a force field around your apartment. Knock him on his ass if he even tries!" The two women exchanged a high five before the three of you huddled in for a final hug. "Be careful, you two! No getting kidnapped by the Ten Rings, that's forbidden in the unholy trinity." 

"Don't worry if Y/N gets kidnapped she has a god on standby ready to rain hell on them for touching his girl." That made you swat Natasha's arm. "I'll go board." She took your bags as she and Wanda backed away from you. "Looks like someone wants to see you off, babes." She pointed her chin at the direction of a new comer, your heart stopping at the sight of Loki walking up to you.

"Hey, Mischief," you called over the engines, thankful that at least you could chalk of the hammering beat of your heart to being around the roars of the aircraft. "You decided to join the mission last minute or…?" 

He grasped your chin lightly and the moment his skin touched yours, the roars of the engines dulled down to a low buzzing, allowing you to hear each other perfectly. "Remember what you swore to me, darling." His thumb touched your bottom lip lightly, causing you to form a slight pout.

"I promise," you murmured, your lips moving lightly against his thumb. "If things get bloody I'll call you."

He gave you a little nod before he leaned in and pressed a kiss to your temple. "Stay safe, dear Y/N." Then he pressed a lingering kiss to your cheek. "Come home," he whispered against your skin. He pulled away to press one final kiss between your brows, and you weren't quite sure because he'd brought down the little quiet bubble that dulled the roar of the engines, but you could have sworn he whispered, "Come home to me." 

Surely he didn't say that, though, you thought to yourself. When you took a step back you felt his other hand grasp yours and you gave him a smile as if trying to reassure him that you would be safe, squeezing his hand lightly like you were trying to tell him the words you couldn't utter. I'll be safe. I love you. Even if you don't. 

He brought your hand up to his mouth and pressed a kiss to your knuckles before letting you go, his eyes trained on you until you turned around to board the jet.

Despite the knowledge shared by Wanda that you were not actually in courtship with anyone, Loki couldn't find it in him to tell you his sentiment in the plainest words. Not in a runway as if he was saying goodbye to you; he refused for it to feel like a goodbye.

So instead he whispered for you to return home. To him. And perhaps once you'd returned he could actually sit down and have a conversation with you about his affections, and whether you returned them. He was finished looking for the signs, the indicators; he simply wished to ask and bring your situation away from the blurred boundaries of ambiguity.

When he awoke the next morning, he saw two messages on his phone. One from you saying "Going into the Ten Rings base. If I don't text in five hours, take that as me calling for you to come save my reckless ass. Thanks, Mischief." A quick check on the message's timestamp told him you had a good three more hours to send a follow-up telling him you were safe.

The second message was a notification for a new video from The Lonely Avenger. As her voice filled the emptiness of his bedroom, he read the description, surprised to find more than her usual message that dedicated the song to him. "By the time this goes live I'm probably either in the air or offline doing something for work, so enjoy, everybody. And I'll see you at Groove tomorrow." 

In the air? Those words made the god sit up on his bed, checking what time the video went live and, on a pure stab in the dark, comparing it against the timestamp of your message. The air left his lungs as a smile found its way to his face as he concluded that the time of the song going live coincided with the time you were still en route to the base. 

"My darling Y/N," he whispered into the now quiet of his room. "Come home to me." 

A/N: Y'ALL HE KNOWS!!

Translations: Gusto ko nang bumitaw – I want to let go already Ngunit ayaw pa ng puso – But my heart still refuses to

Taglist:

Everything: @lokisgoodgirl @lokischambermaid @imalovernotahater @mygfloki @lucylaufeyson3 @thomase1 @springdandelixn @fictive-sl0th @mochie85 @laliceee @xorpsbane @gigglingtigger @silverfire475 @cabingrlandrandomcrap @vickie5446 @salempoe @lokixryss @sinsandguilt @lokidbadguy @alexakeyloveloki @glitterylokislut @arch-venus25 @freefrommars @littlemortals @cakesandtom @girl-of-multi-fandoms @mischief2sarawr @thedistractedagglomeration @five-miles-over @goblingirlsarah @peaches1958 @huntress-artemiss @lilibet261 @iobsessoverfictionalmen @holymultiplefandomsbatman @lovingchoices14 @avoliax @devilsadvocactus @purplegrrl27 @lokiprompts @sititran @imherefortomhiddleston @ladyjames78 @stupidthoughtsinwriting

Loki: @calumance @severuslovebot

[skitskatdacat63]

catie let’s discuss vettonso headcanons what are ur favs

*sends you to my vettonso tag* shsjkdkf kidding kidding, but wah this is so weirdly hard to answer despite the fact that I think about them literally every day of my life, ig they're just kinda intrinsic to me 😭 but I'll try my best!

I think Fernando really resented Seb for a while, especially during the championship fight years, and originally was very unhappy when Seb then went on to take his Ferrari seat away from him too. But then while he was gone from f1, he kept track of f1 still and realized Seb was going through the same ferrari bs and pain and failure to realize your childhood dream that he himself went through, and he then softened on Seb.

I find them literally to be the same person(but their narratives are offset.) And I think that's a big reason why they never really became friends, they're *too* similar to the point where it annoys each other too much fhfkkff Especially bcs theyre always ahead of one another in the narrative(fernando won his wdc before, fernando is in ferrari before Seb, seb is in Aston before Fernando, etc.) It's just weird to kinda witness someone that's so similar to you, but at a past stage in your life.

They would be the best and most annoying teammates ever. I think they'd both just constantly try to out-compete each other, and maybe it would be toxic back in the day and make the team fall apart like 2007 mclaren or martian rbr, but if it happened at Aston, I think it would actually make the team stronger and the car better. Like fighting for "who can give the best feedback" "who can do the most sim time" etc etc, I think it'd be really sweet 🥹🥹 I just imagine them making post-race debriefs last like 5 hours, except everyone else snuck out of the room at the hour mark, and they've just been debating abt the telemetry at each other, cause they only have eyes for each other <3

^ but yeah seriously think they have the type of competition that could bring each other together, not drive each other apart. Especially at their softened old man age. I guess I think, being forced into such close quarters with each other, they'd be able to realize how similar they are. Bcs otherwise it's just too easy for them to avoid each other. I mean I think a lot about the japan 2023 pics, them talking over the car that was practically the product of their joint effort, and that makes me so emotional 🤧

They absolutely love irritating each other, irs like a sport. I like to think though that Seb kept doing it soooo much pre-Fernando first retirement, and Fernando was always like 😐 just sooooo done with it, and often unwilling to fully play along. I love how seemingly Seb is one of the only ones who can kinda make his mask break, and have him show full annoyance. Like think about the "you must leave the space" clip, Fernando is sooooo annoyed, its just so funny. But yeah I love how Seb kinda forces Fernando in a way most others don't, if that makes sense? And then he comes back, rejuvenated, different mindset, and is suddenly willing to play along??? And now Seb is the tired one :( but Fernando has realized all he was blocking out before, and is willing to engage :,) BUT YEAH! see again, think about the fact that Seb literally paid a fee to not listen to Fernando talk. Mutually they are the only ones that annoy the other so much that they crack to that point, and I love it seemingly swapped over time. They're just such equals in that way.

Here's the interesting thing, I find them to be mirrors, right? I think like if they met each other when each were at the same place in their career(i.e. ferrari Fernando with ferrari seb, renault wdc fernando with rbr wdc seb), I think they'd have a better chance of getting along. Cause they understand where the other is at deeply, but the way it is in real life makes it so they're at different points and suddenly are at odds with each other. Ig that's why I wish we got them as teammates at Aston! It was pretty cute with alpine fernando x aston seb, but ah man if only we got the actual "conclusion", I would have loved to see what they'd be like when genuinely in the same parts of their career together. I think a lot about timeswap AUs I guess. Like both of them at ferrari being able to commiserate together, their wdc selves bragging about how many races they won(until they find out who the other had to beat to become wdc, and then they choke each other out.)

Me: ill try!!!

Also me: six paragraphs

Though I think if you asked me abt one of my AUs, I could come up with more than just daydreaming about their dynamic sjfkkg. Hope this was what you were asking for???? Also lmk, what are your favs!!!

[sorryimananti-romantic]

viviz's maniac's intrument sturcture is actually so unique n smart

idk the name of the instrument but they have only one beat stretching through the song until the first chorus, which is where a few more beats are added. then those beats continue until the second chorus, where even more beats are added. and the final chorus is like the result of the build-up ygm

also which group(s) do you think need more attention?

i say oneus and stayc. if those groups were under big4? you bet they'd be one of the biggest 4th gen groups. not to mention their songs, which are literal bops, and apart from one or two, their title tracks never miss. people fr be sleeping on amazing music!!

omg. i literally agree with all of this and it's like you've taken a peek inside my mind!

viviz maniac is such a good song, i cannot say this enough. the instrumental is so euphoric esp when it comes to the end with the amalgamation of all the beats. also doesn't help that the last chorus choreo hits the sweetest of spots hehe this song deserves all the recognition, it's so... gfriend. viviz. kpoppy. all good things.

i agree with you- oneus and stayc have so much potential, they've always done sth a bit different and unique and their sound is so pleasing to hear, they def would have had more recognition if they were from the big4 (or if ppl had taste bruh i know most of the ppl don't listen to groups that aren't from the big4 or close). and i don't think they've had a single miss-- they've always done their thing brilliantly and if we don't like a specific song, we should just accept that it's not our taste and move on instead of thinking that that cb was not it, yfeel? can't like every song from a group even when it's your fav 🤷‍♀️ and that's okay hehe. essay ahead:

i've been listening to oneus since debut, and they've always done that thing with their title tracks where all 3 chorus are different, with the first two being just one thing away from pure satisfaction- like they literally tease us throughout their entire song, and when the final chorus hits? utter relief, ascending to the clouds, 9999 levels of euphoric satisfactions achieved! not everyone can do that, and they do this incredibly well. their choruses always hit the spot! like in 'come back home' and 'lit' to name a few. i swear if ppl just listened to them, they literally have top tier discography

and stayc! i'm not familiar with their bsides, just the title tracks, but i bet their bsides are just as good. i think like everyone else my first song of them was asap and i started following their music soon after. i love how while trying different concepts and sounds, they're still so distinctively stayc. you just know it's a stayc song as soon as it plays. if i could have one word to describe their songs, it would be 'fun'. like even with their more sentimental song 'beautiful monster' (my underrated queen, literally my fav song from them) they have that fun element about them, bubbling with youth and it's so refreshing. i'm quite a fan of their recent cb too. they never miss, and i wish more ppl heard and appreciated them.

you can tell i'm serious about them LMAO i've written an essay. i do think kbands deserve a whole lot more too bc come on. they're just another level. however, for kpop groups... i must talk about weeekly.

weeekly literally have such amazing vocals and performances. i know prob everyone heard their song 'after school' but like, don't you think they have such a nostalgic sound about them? if you heard their recent cb 'vroom vroom', it's so... idk why it reminds me of sth and i can't quite put a finger on what. their songs do that to me. monday is amazing and has so much potential as a main vocalist, so does soeun. they're literally such a power vocal duo. i've been listening to them pre-debut so its sad to see they still don't get the recognition they deserve. idk if it's bc their company don't have the budget for them or they're not that popular that they don't have many comebacks but they always slay

dreamcatcher too. literally such an amazing group full of the best performers in the industry, dare i say. their presence, concepts, skills are on par with some of the greatest kpop groups and im glad they're finally getting some limelight. the fact that they have choreos like 'scream' and they're singing live blows me. they're like the ateez of girl groups.

there's so many more i could talk about- purple kiss, pixy -- both with unique concepts and amazing performances. i don't stan a lot of the 4th gen boy groups so i can't say for sure (i'm made for the girls i guess) but sf9 comes to mind.

[jungshookz]

hey cee I think I’m aLso in my smitten!yn era

there’s this guy I met last year and he’s the sweetest dorkiest funniest darling ever and I think we get along really well. he lives quite far away so we’ve been facetiming a lot and (since we both play violin) sometimes we’ll call each other while we’re practicing and give each other feedback, or sometimes just listen to music and vibe and it’s the best thing ever. we also have a lot of inside jokes and we even have matching zebra plushies!! I just really really like him.

but he just told me like last week when we were calling that he was gonna go to his one friend’s graduation that’s happening on the 13th (and I think he’s traveling early to see her).

I have a feeling that he really likes her bc he always talks about how her siblings are like his own brothers and they just get along so nicely. this girl is also like the sweetest prettiest smartest person and she’s so nice and I also know her fairly well, so I could never wish ill on her bc she’s just,,,so so wonderful.

he’s also mentioned briefly that they had some sort of argument or falling out last fall (he didn’t seem to want to tell me so I didn’t push it) and that was when he kind of just shut off and didn’t answer to my texts or anyone else’s. so he plans to go to her house and surprise her and he seemed really excited about it (she had just texted him telling him they needed to ‘talk’—im assuming theyre gonna work out whatever’s been going on).

so I’m just kind of conflicted and sad bc for one I kind of feel like I’m living in someone else’s romcom—they really do have the perfect setup and deep down I know they’d be great together. I do feel like a second lead or whatever lmao. also he’s four years older than me and we just might be on different paths in life.

I’m just choosing to be happy for him and hope that he and the girl work out their disagreement or whatever happened between them, and that he has a lot of fun surprising her for the graduation. I know I’m probably just a friend to him and whatever I think is just in my head.

sorry to whoever is gonna read this, and if you made it this far thanks for listening <3 I’m not asking for any solution, just wanted to tell someone what I’ve been burying for a while. love you cee :)

okay people we really need to focus on our own traits and what we bring to the table and what we love about ourselves because yes other people may be sweet and kind and smart but WE ourselves are also sweet and kind and smart!!! i don't know if what i'm going to say is going to useful or even relevant to your situation but i have been getting a concerning number of 'cee i'm also in my smitten era' messages and I MUST SAY THIS

ever since my breakup i've been operating with the 'the universe will always lead me to where i need to be' mindset and just trusting the process and i think that if ur in ur smitten era you should also trust this mindset -- if you are not meant to be with this person, it just means that there's someone else out there who you haven't met yet that will think YOU are the sweetest kindest smartest person they've ever had the pleasure of knowing. we do not chase after people who don't want us and as hard as it was for me to understand this point (and tbh i'm still working on this) our self-worth and value is dependant on ourselves and nobody else. just because the person you like potentially may not like you back does not mean that you are not good enough or pretty enough or smart enough, i always chalk it up to a compatibility issue! and why the heck would you want to be with someone you aren't compatible with romantically!!! gosh darn it!!!! everyone needs to STAND UP i want everyone in this room to tell me what they love about themselves nAAoOWW

but also yes depending on how old you are a four year age difference is significant because like 18 and 22 or 19 and 23 for example are both SUCH different foundational ages (recently found out my ex just started dating a 19 year old and it skeeved me out a little so maybe i'm just biased) so you can be sad about this for as long as you need to but just know that perhaps this is for the best and you will find someone more compatible

[kagejima]

I can just imagine Swordsman!Nanami being Bodyguard!Sukuna's dance partner as he teaches this brute how to ballroom dance before the birthday ball.

hhehehehe FHAJDFHJDALKS I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

if you want to know more about Bodyguard!Sukuna, you can find the first few posts here and here and here!

If you are interested in them, we also have Swordsman!Nanami and Blacksmith!Osamu that we will gladly direct you to the posts / tell you more about them if you wanna know!!!!

Also Wendy and I were NOT expecting this royalty!au to get as popular as it has, so bear with us bc some of these might be out of order (like this one, the birthday ball already happened in the above posts), we've been yelling about the whole plot for like hours over the last couple of days lmaoooo.

Also also Bodyguard!Sukuna is also true form Sukuna big as a reminder!

more thoughts under the cut (female reader)

Bodyguard!Sukuna who has watched you day in and day out with your princess lessons. There's so many things you have to learn - world history, agriculture, politics, proper etiquette... It makes the poor man's head spin.

Bodyguard!Sukuna who can't deny that one of his favorite lessons for you is watching you learn how to dance in order to be ready for your birthday ball. You practically float around the floor with your instructor as he counts out the rhythm for you and praises you for being a natural.

Bodyguard!Sukuna who wishes that it was him holding on to your waist. Him holding your hand. Him being able to gaze into your eyes as you move across the floor.

Bodyguard!Sukuna who has the smallest smile cross his face as he imagines it.

Bodyguard!Sukuna who pays close attention to what the instructor is saying. Who pays close attention to the counts. Who pays close attention to each spin and gesture.

Bodyguard!Sukuna who feels his heart hammering in his chest as his friend, trainer, and confidant Swordsman Nanami raises an eyebrow at him the next day after he hears his request.

"You want me to teach you... how to dance?" Nanami repeats, folding his arms across his broad chest.

"Yes." Sukuna nods.

Blacksmith Osamu, the man who owns the forge they're standing in right now, can't help but start laughing.

"That'd be a sight..." Osamu grins as he wipes his hands with his rag, "It wouldn't look right. She's so much smaller than you, ya brute."

Sukuna ignores Osamu's jab, his eyes never leaving Nanami.

Nanami almost feels bad for the much larger man because Osamu is right. It will look funny to have a man who's size resembles more of a beast's than a human's dancing with the princess, but he sees the sincerity and hope in Sukuna's eyes as he stands before him.

Nanami sighs and stands up from the post he's leaning against.

"Very well. Did you learn anything from watching the lessons?"

Sukuna rambles about counts, something about "a... waltz, he said? I think he said waltz..."

In the short time that Sukuna is answering, Nanami realizes he knows nothing at all.

"Let's start with the basics."

Sukuna tries not to be embarrassed as Nanami tells him to put his hand on his waist and hold on to his hand. It's such a simple thing to do, but it still is awkward.

"You need to be more gentle..." Nanami gently chastises him when he notices how Sukuna's grip on his waist tightens, "The princess and I are not the same. You must think of her as porcelain. You must treat her with care. Imagine that I am her."

Osamu snickers over off to the side, and Sukuna glares at him.

But poor Sukuna becomes frustrated all too quickly with the steps, trying to lead, trying to remember the count in his head and not saying it out loud. He drops his hands from Nanami's as if they've burned him when Nanami corrects him for the fourth time.

He's never done this before. Who did he think he was, trying to learn this? He was never going to be able to dance with you at the ball anyways, so why even bother?

He groans in frustration and steps away from Nanami and to the edge of the forge, looking out into the town.

He looks up towards the castle and he knows what awaits him when he returns a few short hours from now. Everyone will be busy preparing for your ball on the eve of your birthday and for the arrival of your suitor.

Even you. You're probably dancing with your instructor right now, gliding around on the floor like an angel.

Sukuna is brought back to reality when he feels Nanami's hand reach up and touch his shoulder.

"Do you want to dance with her?"

Sukuna sees it in his head. Sees the way you would smile up at him, sees the way his hand would hold yours so firmly but gently as he guided you around the floor. He sees it all so clearly.

"Yes." Sukuna answers softly.

"Then you have to learn. Now come back. Let's try again."

[rsmrymnt-tea]

Thats so funny because I only dont care for lesson 16 and the lessons around it because i felt the resolution was a bit rushed in terms of everyone just suddenly being lovey dovey with MC cuz theyre descended of lilith. I would love to hear your thoughts on this when you get the chance!

honestly i WISH i were apathetic about lesson 16... but as a person being apathetic about something is impossible (sadly... it would bring me so much more peace if i could just not care) and so i do have a lot of thoughts about lesson 16? like bestie you've just unlocked a long long rant that's gonna be hidden under the cut

because it is just sooo absurd to me that that was somehow the best idea that the writers came up with, and the execution ended being so rushed and poorly written that it managed to make so many people think that the brothers only love mc and/or only started being open with mc about how much they adore them because of the lilith reveal. it's very much not like that at all (i have arguments for every single one of them tbh) but the way lesson 16 was written + some of the handling of some of the brothers' relationship to mc before that definitely makes more than understandable to me that people would think so.

so like, firstly i think that yeah, the resolution is so rushed and weirdly written. i think at the end of lesson 16, belphie should not be so immediately buddy-buddy with mc and there should've been dialogue from ALL the brothers that they're glad that MC is fine and isn't actually dead. the mammon favoritism from the writers kills me here—levi and beel should've said something about being worried to death and i won't take any other opinion on it! they've been close to mc and have had pacts with them for much longer than asmo and satan!! i can't even agree that asmo and satan wouldn't have been concerned because they were definitely worried when mc was sent back in time (as shown in lesson 12), and that is just a few hours away from the events of lesson 16.

not to mention, just a few hours before (technically after, but never got the chance to happen in the new timeline) they were called family—there is just no way that none of them are greatly relieved that mc is fine (because those feelings are there even if they're never said), and it's not enough that they're showing it through coddling them during that stupid scene where diavolo drops that 'there must be so much they've wanted to do for lilith' line.

in fact that line is another major issue i have with lesson 16—why did the writers think it was a good idea have that said? it just adds more to the 'oh they only love mc bc they're related to lilith' thing, and in a game where y'know, the goal is to kiss and fuck these guys, it's very weird and off putting.

(inb4 someone brings up that mc wouldn't have any blood relation to lilith and the brothers + it's been millennia (probably; but parts of canon imply that it's been like, just 200 years ago) since then so it's fine. idk but my inclination to fuck someone who drop super low if i thought/knew they associate me with being related to their sister, and it's also a little weird if they're thinking of their sister when they're with me—which isn't the case at all because the brothers very much love you outside of your lilith relation, but the handling of lesson 16 really makes it seem like youre now someone to project their affections for their long dead sister on sdgjkg especially with belphie being the only one to openly say that he doesn't like you purely bc you're related to lilith and that weird scene where lucifer's reminded of holding hands with his sister while he's holding hands with you at a carnival? such a baffling thing to make him say, writers. whatever blush i'd have would immediately drain from my face.)

i also think it's a fault of the writers that there is very, very little clear romantic attraction from the brothers to mc before the revelation. as far as i know, only mammon's been anything transparent + there's hints from lucifer and satan in lesson 12; i personally wouldnt count the time everyone was stuck in an otome because theyre were obligated to do all that or else they wouldnt be leaving the game and it was clear that they're all just saying those words to literally get points. they all make fun of mammon for having a crush on mc which sends the message that none of them are interested. while there is a huge, huge timeskip of what's apparently 10 whole months between the end of lesson 18 and the start of lesson 19, the fact that we don't get to see that development of feelings makes it feel even more like the revelation had something to do with the rest of the brothers catching feelings :/

then there's like, all the other issues i have with lesson 16 which have honestly become inspiration for dola's vitriol towards diavolo. it makes it so that all the of the heartwarming moments that mc experiences with the brothers never happened. all those little one-on-ones with the brothers when mc come back to the HoL with beel after belphie's arrested? never happened. all of them working together to get lucifer out so they can actually talk? never happened. and neither did that talk where lucifer himself tells everyone what really happened to lilith or why he's so loyal to diavolo, or the moment where mc is called family? erased. lucifer proving to diavolo and all his brothers that he cares more about his family than his eternal obedience to the prince? absolutely did not happened and is replaced by diavolo rubbing it in lucifer's face that he shouldn't have ever doubted him in the first place or some shit during lesson 16.

it's why i think mc should be so much more upset than they were during lesson 16. i get that the writers wont do that because ~blank slate~ (not saying cant bc lbr they lock you into choices and emotions you dont agree with ALL the time) but it leaves a sour and bitter taste in my mouth that after losing all of that, mc is just okay with everything. everything returns to almost normal, and we're actually in charge of making sure it goes completely back to normal! we have to help belphie bond with his brothers again!! great.

most frustrating somehow, all the things i come up with in trying to justify why that stupid lesson played out like it did feels like copium lmaooo especially since it feels like there's not really any payoff to diavolo ensuring that the only reality that exists is one where lucifer never openly opposed him in front of his brothers >.>;; it's such a weird lesson with such a weird conclusion, and an aftermath that i sped through because i could not get into the idea of my mc being so willing to help belphie bond with his brothers again so fast. i think with all the magical bullshit that they can make the brothers and diavolo pull bc OM has no rules to their magic, they couldve easily had mc come back from their mission to report that te door opened with their touch. then through some magical ritual of some sort, they go and investigate and find that lilith's spirit is just there and was the final sibling that enabled the door to open, and then diavolo channels enough magic through some obscure spell or device to get her to talk to them and belphie or whatever—literally there's so many ways that that lesson could've gone.

instead we have like... whatever the fuck that lesson is and i hate it lol

[terrainofheartfelt]

Oooooh I’d love to hear some of your natessa thoughts! Your fic has been making me remember why I liked them so much

lmaooo whoops I started answering this immediately and then I had to do Work or something, and then time really got away from me BUT! here we are <333

it's reminded me too!! lol. but really spending time having to actually think about them and how they fit together has made me discover some stuff that I really love about their dynamic that maybe I felt, but was never cognizant enough to articulate it before.

for me, they hit something similar to date, but in a different way, and it's profound in a different kind of way, if that makes sense. which essentially boils down to this: Vanessa gives Nate the space and permission to take himself seriously, and Nate gives her the space and permission to take herself less seriously.

Leila's articulated this well before, how parallel their journeys end up being, not in literal circumstances, but in the emotional state they are in when they first connect. They've both grown up with parents who -- to varying degrees -- emotionally neglect their kids

obviously I would rate anne and howard archibald as Worse, but Vanessa must have decided to move back to New York and in with her sister for a reason, and I have to assume that at least one of those is that she felt unhappy and smothered and trapped by her parent's expectations, much like how Nate feels. but what's interesting is that they are outwardly on the opposite ends of the spectrum, like the vdb expectation was that Nate go to an Ivy at all costs, and Vanessa nearly didn't take the SAT because of her families opposition to privatized higher education. She tells Nate not going to college is the expectation of her parents.

I wouldn't say that the Abramses (and really we only meet Gabriella) are wrong for pointing out the system's faults, but from what we see, they put the onus of saving the world and being So Very Virtuous All the Time on Vanessa's shoulders, to the degree that she feels like a failure if she doesn't live up to those ideals. When Dan tells Gabriella "She loves you, she does, I just think she wishes you spent half the time listening to her that you do strangers" (I'm paraphrasing bc I don't feel like looking at the quote) It is a little bit of March Parents Syndrome, if that makes sense, they put so much time and energy into saving the world and assuming that their kids will be just fine that they kind of...fail to check in and make sure they're fine.

So Vanessa holds herself to this standard that she always be unassailable. and then we have Nate, who has all this pressure on him, but it isn't focused pressure, he doesn't have direction, and every time he makes an effort to find it, he's essentially told not to worry his pretty little head about it. the unspoken collective assumption is that he isn't smart enough or capable enough, so his parents and grandparents and blair and chuck all try to smooth his way at some point, probably not knowing that they're diminishing him. (I think you just said this to me in fic comments, but when chip says "your only problem is worrying whose hair is shinier.") Because he's beautiful, and not conventionally intelligent, Nate is written off, but Vanessa never does that.

and, while I was thinking about this response, I thought (yet again) of that speech serena gives in s4 when she's "trying to choose" between dan and nate, and she decides, "I guess I just need to find someone who gives me what I get from both of them." and the more I thought about it, I think that's Vanessa for Nate. Like Blair, she challenges him and brings him out of his intellectual comfort zone, and like Serena, she doesn't come to him with any expectations of The Great Golden Boy. He's just Nate with her. A good guy, but Vanessa doesn't have "good guy blinders" that keep her from calling him out when he needs it, just because he's relatively better than most men.

So, that is the core of what I really love about them. Vanessa challenges Nate, but not in a way that makes him feel small or stupid, like the VDBs do, but in a way that shows that she sees him and what he could be, and that he doesn't necessarily need to stay in the feedback loop he's known his whole life. And Vanessa, who is working so hard all of the time, Nate gives her permission to relax, to find joy without having to pick it apart for all its problems first. They complement and settle into each other in a way that I don't think any other partner they have in the show does.

[rahleeyah]

i shall dub myself your d.c. anon. first time asker, long time reader. I have some thoughts and wanted to share and get your perspective on some things… (this might be a long one)

1- I loveeee your bunny. we have wild rabbits in our neighborhood and it’s the best part of my day when I get home

2- your fics are just ::chefs kiss:: I literally can’t read them until your done bc I just want updates right away and I can’t wait. did I mention I livedddd for the epilogue of monsters?!

3- svu/oc have been so much better this season esp with the new sr on svu and the moving on from the casino story line on oc BUT why do you think it’s so hard for us to even get a mention from the characters that they are even in each other’s lives from the sr?

for example, if fin walked into Olivia’s office and she was hanging up the phone and mentioned to fin that it was stabler and they were talking more and working on things. And then just move on with the episode.

I know we got a little last week from Elliot and Amanda but I’m just genuinely curious. I completely understand the limitations of money, time, problems with syndication when it comes to crossovers, sr turnover, etc. and I’m not one to just complain but even just a mention would cost nothing but would make so many ppl happy.

I have more thoughts but I’ll leave it here for now. I’ll be back soon!

hello dc anon!!! welcome aboard lovely to hear from you lmao

sammy says thank youuuuuuu lol he is the cutest it must be said. i do love bunnies so much so thank you for this

oh my god thank you so much?? i'm so glad that you're enjoying the work, and i'm super excited that you got to read the monster epilogue. i don't often revisit fics once they're done but that seemed like a fun thing to do, and i really enjoyed it

i actually haven't been loving oc, it's felt a lil off to me; like last season oc felt to me like the stronger of the two by a long shot, but this season svu is really pulling away. mr david really knows what he's doing and i've really been enjoying the changes. all i can do is speculate about why we haven't heard anything about eo talking to each other outside the shows; i like to think it's bc we're building towards something. a confrontation, maybe. a festivus level airing of grievances that would require them to have still not spoken about a lot of things so that they could explode about those things in our faces. i think they're trying to leave the door open on what eo's relationship looks like right now so that when they pick a direction to go in they aren't shoe-horned in by something they've already written. that may be wishful thinking on my part tho lol

[jentlemahae]

Y’know, I keep hearing a lot about this “mistreatment” of Blackpink by YGE, but I think that’s a bit of a stretch. I think it’s more appropriate to say that they’re being mismanaged, but even I think that’s also a bit of a stretch.

I think many Blinks have to come to realize that YGE is a company that sees their artists as influencers first, artists second. And I say that with respect. I think the company would rather make money pushing the members individually and getting endorsements and brand deals than pushing group content and music. Why? I don’t know. Maybe because they probably earn a lot more with less cost this way. However, they also recognize that realizing music is also valuable to the BP brand and bringing in more and more fans, but they probably think one comeback every two years is enough to do that. And judging from the immense loyalty and dedication that Blinks have to the girls, this is a strategy that is producing enormous gains for the company. YG is an entertainment company, not a music company. To them, music is not the product, but as a means to an end to market of the girls’ global recognition.

Now, is it a possibility of BP to not re-sign. Yeah, probably. But it is kinda a well known speculation that YG must be giving/offering their artists whatever they want during renegotiations to keep them. Doesn't change the companies incompetence, but there has to be a reason that their artists keep re-signing, knowing full well what the company is like.

We dont know what the girls might request in those meetings, they've been vocally unhappy with their musical output in the past so I wouldn't be suprised if that is likely their largest demand going forward. But since we dont know what they might ask for and we aren't in that room, to say if they re-sign will speak volumes.

Now, there can be a lot of criticism said about YG, but I think many Blinks need to recognize what YG has done to make BP one of the, if not the most, recognizable girl groups in the world, whilst keeping them relevant despite their sparse music releases.

bestie i know i literally studied release strategies in music at uni 😩 but the fact that i know why they do this doesn’t take away the fact that i think it’s stupid and also disrespectful to the girls, that’s why i think it’s mistreatment on top of mismanagement - they are literally not allowing the girls to showcase what they have trained for at their heart’s wish. and why? bcs they are lazy and know that anything bp puts out will give them money even if they (the company) puts no effort into it, or barely the bare minimum

and if u wanna know how yg treats ggs when they resign just take a look at cl bcs that’s quite the eye opener .. and as u said yes there’s a reason why ppl keep resigning but that’s likely that the groups want to stay together and don’t want to become soloists, and imo that’s partly due to the fact that yg groups have so little cbs so the idols (the women) are not really allowed to discover who they are as artists so venturing in a soloist career out of the blue is daunting

and yg has not done smack to make bp the biggest gg in the world. bp is the biggest gg in the world bcs the pinks are lovely and talented and people want to support them, but the way they are managed and treated has has basically no relation with their success

[fullycompletely]

also thinkin about making a multi for the fiftieth fucking time... all my weird muses from the past and all my strange choices of the present/future under a brand new name to hide until i feel comfy going back to my main trio...

[jenanigans1207]

(1.1) The day after Kiri's ep airs, a tweet that says "IS ANYONE GONNA CHECK IF RED RIOT IS STILL ALIVE" goes viral. Ppl who don't watch the show are so confused bc was Red Riot in a fight?? This is how Kiri indirectly gets MORE ppl to watch the show (I mean idk who ISN'T watching the show w/literally the country's top 2 Heroes, anyway 🤷 up to u) --esp those who were skeptical. I'd love to see the skeptical ones livetweet their change lmao.

(1.2)After that basically EVERYONE & their mom is watching ((Kiri replies to the tweet with "yep still good 😁👍" & a selfie of him grinning & throwing a peace sign & a very obviously livid Bkg in the background. Twitter is NOT comforted. The selfie becomes a meme & Bkg thinks of ways to kill the internet 😂))

This is actually the single funniest thing I have ever read and nobody can ever take this away from me, thank you for this. I am absolutely feral over this idea and absolutely MUST include it.

I can just see it, too. Red Riot trending on twitter as everyone is trying to figure out what on earth is happening. The clips from the show start circulating (because Kiri has some thoughts that he's absolutely about to share, just you guys wait!). And suddenly the agency's YouTube channel is hit with so many views that it nearly crashes. People start calling Kiri to ask him what the hell he was thinking, or to congratulate him on finally saying what they've all been wanting to say-- some even call him to jokingly wish him goodbye because he may be Katsuki's best friend besides Izuku but that won't stop Katsuki from murdering him.

Of course, Katsuki is getting phone calls, too. I think he's generally not involved in social media much, so people start calling him and texting him to send the clips directly to his phone-- or even worse, to send the theory tweets to him as everyone is starting to piece together everything. And maybe he was GOING to let what Kiri did slide, but he sure as shit isn't about to now! Except that the whole internet is petitioning to protect Kiri, of course, so he can't very well murder him without confirming everything Kiri said/implied during his episode on the show.

The absolute SMUGness Kiri would feel, the furious hopelessness Katsuki would feel now that the whole country (minus one particularly dense hero) are catching on to his feelings, the chaos of it all. It's just-- the flavor is immaculate, thank you for this, I will now die happy.

[newtonsheffield]

Hello again!!!! I'm the Spanish girl back in here!

Firstly, I'd like to send you my best wishes for this tough week of work, and I bet we're going to miss you around here this week. But duty calls! And, look, how many people can say they've got a whole week for relaxing after a week of work? 😌 (Perhaps I've misunderstood the whole thing; I've read your posts quite quick and I've understood sth different to what you wanted to say lol)

Well, what can I say with one of the last prompts you have gifted to us...? Kate, Anthony (and his Spanish!!!!!!) and Spain; you got me there. 😂 I even cried the famous "Ole!" when I read all of it (curious note: not all Spaniards use the expression "ole" in daily contexts; it is more like a regional expression that became worldwide famous bc of several reasons that are too long to post here, lol) and I think it's needless to say I loved it... isn't it?

And, I LOVED a lot Edwina's POV and story (well, I've loved everything you have posted and gifted to us, but Eddie has a special place in my heart)! I don't know, but sometimes I get the impression that, in romantic literature, relationships between sisters are not addressed at all and kinda force them to be friends (if they're not rivals... which I find stupid, tbh), not really deepening in the bond between them. Like, they're sisters and they behave more like "my next door neighbour and friend to whom sometimes I'm distant bc life happens" instead of "this person and I share much more than many people can imagine that's beyond friendship and she's more important than anybody else" -idk if this makes sense anymore... I rewrote it a couple of times bc I got the impression I can't express my idea very well 😂-. And that's something I think both of you, JQ and yourself, have achieved and gifted to all of us! We see Edwina and Kate as sisters: they fight, they tease the other, they can't stand each other sometimes, but always, ALWAYS, they care for and love the other just as sisters do. Because of this, I think TVWLM is one of my favourite books in this genre: they give us a two fantastic love stories, not only between a -heterosexual- couple but also between sisters; which is as important as any other kind of relationship.

After my TED Talk (sorry if it's been too much... 😅), I cannot help but imagine an escapade between Anthony and Kate (sans children) and Matthew and Edwina (oh, Matthew... I love you) to Spain just for Anthony, in his stupid one-side battle against Matthew (I love this, tbh; it's sooooo fun 😂), demonstrate Matthew he can speak fluently another language... Just for Matthew be oblivious to this and enjoy a little escapade to Spain with his girlfriend and her family. 😂

Anyways; I hope you're alright and, again, I wish you all the best for this week.

Besos!!! 🥰 (Spanish equivalent for the "Love!" farewell expression; it means "kisses")

Hola! You’re back again! And I’m so glad! 

I do have a week off once I finish work tomorrow (Saturday)!! Very Exciting! I have a scarf to knit, and lots of writing to do so that’s very exciting. 

Oh Anthony on a Spanish beach in tiny little flamingo shorts? Ole! indeed! That is a curious note, I literally love learning things about other cultures and languages so if anyone wants to share a curious note about their culture, hit me up! I will in turn tell you about the curious culture of The Land Down under, and our propensity to butcher the English language!

I agree, Sister relationships are a very curious thing in media. I’m not a huge fan of very contentious relationships between sisters, I’m not saying they don’t exist in real life, they definitely do, I just think having them as constant rivals is exhausting. And Yes! I Love the relationship between Edwina and Kate very much because I see it as a mirror of my relationship with my own sister. My sister drives me more insane than any other person on this planet. We fight, we bicker, I get absolutely enraged when she steals the last property I need for a set in Monopoly, and yet, She is my favourite person. She can say whatever she wants about me, but were anyone else to? It’s fight on sight. I’ll be honest, that all I’m doing is basing their relationship in these fics  on my own with my sister. Nothing special! 

Okay! Here we go! Anthony and Kate + Goose and Edwina +Spain

Kate Bridgerton was many, many things, but she liked to think an idiot, was not one of them. And so, when Anthony had said, in a tone she was sure he thought was casual. “I think we deserve a holiday, you’ve been working very hard to grow the little broad bean after all and your sister and her little gander should celebrate their engagement.” She had known exactly what he was up to. And she wasn’t really sure why she played along along with it. Perhaps something in her thrived on the chaos she knew Anthony would would create, perhaps part of her just really wanted a decent paella. Surely it didn’t matter, the result was the same: Kate fixed an innocent expression on her face and said  “Where did you have in mind?” 

 And so, surprise, surprise, here she was: back on a beach in Spain. She had to admit, eyeing Anthony appreciatively as he paddled demonstratively in the shallow water, his plan had its merits. though thus far his attempts had been... unsuccessful at best. Matthew Bagwell seemed absolutely thrilled to be in Spain, on holiday with his fiancée, giving them helpful facts he knew about the architecture as they walked through the city, a wide smile on his face, Anthony practically purple when he corrected a fact Anthony himself had said.   “Do you speak Spanish, Goose?” Anthony had said dryly in the hotel lobby shortly after they’d arrived. And Kate had rolled her eyes at Anthony, though Matthew was not paying attention. He had his arms wrapped tightly around Edwina’s waist, whispering something in her ear that made her nose crinkle in delight, the sapphire of her engagement ring glinting in the sunlight. And the beautiful picture they made gave Kate’s heart a little stutter. Anthony tutted. “Matt!” He said sharply, getting the man’s attention, Matthew’s glasses slipping down his nose as his head shot upwards in surprise.  “Do you speak Spanish?” Edwina was rolling her eyes now. And Matthew, for his part was completely unbothered  “oh, no. Sorry Mate, might have to lean on your pretty heavily this week.” He said, and Kate caught the smug smile on Anthony’s face and bit back a groan Damnit Matthew.  “I’m pretty fluent in French, German and Mandarin though!” Matthew said smiling happily, turning back towards Edwina, completely oblivious to the scowl Anthony tossing his way. “Of course you fucking are.” He muttered, fixing Kate with an irritated glare as a laugh escaped her!   

The water surely must be a little cool in early October but Anthony showed no signs of it, Beckoning Kate into the water. She groaned and made her way towards him, laughing happily as he tugged her in, his hand resting on her stomach, still no sign of her pregnancy. “Is he watching?” Anthony whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist, spinning her through the water So she had a brief image of her sister smiling brightly at her fiancée who appeared to be... bless him building a sandcastle. 

“No. He’s not.” Kate said batting her husband’s hands away irritatedly as he scowled.  “Are you really trying to look more in love than they are?” Kate scoffed, disbelief at her husband’s idiocy rising with in her. Anthony looked indignant. “No! A man can’t take an interest in his wife now? Very poor show Mrs. Bridgerton.” He said, but his eyes, darted towards the shore at the last second.  “Oh I cannot believe you! You’re absolutely manic!” She replied as Anthony attempted to pull her back towards him, Kate putting up very little fight as she tumbled against. him, his voice hot in her ear. “Insufferable I hear.” Kate scoffed. “Ugh! If Anyone’s insufferable it’s him!” 

Kate turned to follow Anthony’s gaze to find Matthew waving at them, grinning broadly, completely unbothered. And Kate couldn’t keep from laughing as Anthony went on another muttered tirade.

Besos! 

[seoafin]

Sooo i may or may not have become obsessed with the rip!verse (each of your posts make my day and white lighters what a delightful read, holy shit) and i have so many questions! (Pls ma'am... feed us... we need the high quality content you provide...)

1. What is reader's cursed technique? I remember toji saying she had potential upon (brutally) trying to kill her and her examining yuji to... idk, try to seal sukuna, but you've never explicitly said anyting and i am dying to know more (pls help)

2. We all know poor, poor Megumi suffers from the incessant pining between reader and gojo. But what about Yuji and Nobara? And the second years? Do they try to set them together, crossing out the ideas/plans they've already tried, becoming more and more desperate each time it inevitabely fails in the most improbable way? Or does gojo asks for their help?

3. And how could i not talk about the Shibuya Arc? (also known as "gege please for the love of god stop" arc) Where is reader? Did she manage to follow gojo abd watch the... incident unfold? Did she stay behind with Shoko? Did she go with the students? Did she join the kyoto school? How did she react upon learning that gojo was chillin' in his lil cube while the whole world was going to hell? (And did she see Getwo??? What was her reaction??? I have whole scene in mind and am now itching to write it down although i must sleep?? Why??)

(Yep, the rip!verse leaves rent free in my mind. Not that i complain though. It never ceases to amaze me no matter how many times i read it. Plus it inspires me for my own writing so *bows* thank you so much for creating such a bloody brilliant masterpiece! Have a lovely night/day!)

THIS ASK??? Hxhsbndnd i’m so glad you like the ripverse!!

prepare for an info dump + general information on rip!mc which I probably should have typed out/ elaborated on earlier LOL

1)

honestly i'm still working out the details but it's probably going to be something along the lines of the ability to suspend time for a person/object with certain conditions that must be met. but once they're met you can hold it for as long as you wish. It’s not exactly an offensive cursed technique, but deadly if utilized properly! it also comes in handy when trying to study curses!

rip!mc is a historian/researcher who classifies curses which is a fascination which was born after geto left. weirdly, it helps you feel closer to him. your research takes you around the country, and even abroad some times (which gojo despises), but you’re more than well equipped to defend yourself. you trained maki with the polearm!!

I also like the idea of them occasionally teaching as an adjunct professor at Tokyo University (grad student MC ftw), so they know what it’s like to be a teacher, although it’s not exactly the same! the semesters you do teach—you occasionally stay with gojo

the reason why toji said that is bc rip!mc caught toji's eye a split second before he stabbed gojo. since you’re very very sensitive to cursed energy and by default, other people, the pure absence of cursed energy made you instinctively turn. toji was referring to the fact that if you honed your skill a little more, you maybe would have even sensed him!

also the reason why rip!mc is more sensitive to cursed energy than gojo is because he probably automatically filters out the sheer number different cursed energies (since the sensory overload would be crazy while rip!mc never really learned to do that and as a result became more attuned to cursed energies in general)

Also more about the cursed seals! Rip!mc is exceptionally good at making seals because of how sensitive they are to cursed energy. In harmonious, you had to gauge sukuna’s overall (at the time) power in order feel out whether or not you could make a good enough seal (the higher ups requested it) to contain sukuna.

2)

Everyone is tired of gojo’s pining. And suspicious at how oddly ignorant you are. When gojo makes himself at home on your lap in the middle of a meeting for the umpteenth time, and you’re completely unfazed, everyone’s like?????

It kinda goes back to how rip!mc refuses relationships because she knows she’s going to die (hazards of the job), and she’s afraid of leaving a lover behind more than anything (childhood trauma. involves parents), and in her head, friends and lovers are two distinctly different things (they really aren’t). Getting over a friend's death is different from getting over a lover’s death (once again, not really, who’s going to tell her???)

And gojo, for as much as he lacks boundaries (ie; has none) tries to accommodate it the best he can although you’ve always been his. shoko always tells gojo that (like always when it comes to rip!mc) he’s jumping the gun, but he shoots her with finger guns and says that he has no idea what she’s talking about :)

Maybe the reason why you’re never home is because you doesn’t want to confront your feelings haha

When it comes to the nosy students. Nobara likes you but can’t fathom gojo in a relationship. Yuji automatically assumes you and gojo are dating. Maki thinks that you can do so much better than that idiot. Panda thinks it’s cute. Inumaki: Salmon. Yuta sees the way gojo “looks” at you but thinks he’s overthinking it, and doesn’t want to say anything.

Megumi, on the other hand, tells everyone to leave it since he’s a bit protective over rip!mc.

3

You’re not the only one!! I’ve gotten messages on ao3 asking about the shibuya arc LOL 😭

the reader was called back from Okinawa as backup and reached tokyo as soon as gojo entered the curtain. he texted her saying not to worry (haha). They entered with shoko and yaga to protect her and the patients. And when she hears that gojo’s been sealed, she’s completely bewildered. Gojo can take care of himself wherever he is, she’s more worried about the students than him tbh LOL (gojo is definitely going to whine about that later)

When megumi’s dropped off by yuji (ugh!!!) this is where it could go either way.

1) Shoko sees how worried you are about yuji, whose cursed energy you picked up before he ran away, and tells you to go. You find him but he runs away from you. If this happened I could see a getwo reunion (I’m hurt, did you already forget my face?) where getwo reaches out to touch your hair and gets stopped by surprise, surprise, original geto deep inside. Cue some more body vs soul philosophical talking points before you eventually meet up with the kyoto gang AND utahime!!!

2) Stay with shoko. Eventually get called to the Kyoto group.

Meanwhile inside the prison realm gojo is playing with a ring the size of your ring finger (how he got the measurement nobody knows)

[zukoshotleafjuice]

The funniest thing about june teasing katara and zuko about being a couple is that she just sees a pretty girl and an attractive guy, both looking almost the same age which immediately makes her go "you two must be a couple" and it just reminds me of zvtara shippers, you know what i mean? I'm convinced one of the reasons a lot of ppl ship them is bc of their looks. katara being the female protagonist and also a pretty, smart and powerful girl & zuko, despite not being the male protagonist, being the most attractive guy in the gaang. Boom, a "bomb ass ship". It is worth to recall that "people ship zutara bc they projected onto katara and had a crush on zuko". And if they say they don't ship them for that reason, then it's bc they read too much between the lines in every interaction they have. So, back to june, she didn't even care if they had chemistry or if they were friends or anything, she just straight up teased them about being a couple lmao. Because in all honesty zvtara can be an appealing ship in anyone's eyes but THAT'S IT, it doesn't go further than that. I can be testimony of that😅Before even watching the show i was like june, one day i saw a zk fanart and was like "wow aren't those zuko and katara from atla? They look so good, she's gorgeous and he's hot" i already knew kataang was endgame and that mai was zuko's love interest but seeing zuko and katara together was pleasing to my eyes. However once i watched the show for the first time (2 months ago i think) i realized there was really no romantic chemistry between them, nothing, literally nothing, i mean, i wasn't even waiting for the zvtara content in the show that made ppl ship them so much, i was actually very neutral about ships, i couldn't care less about them, but i still realized nothing was happenig between them and that it was obvious since book 1 ep 1 that kataang was endgame. Zuko and katara were two teenagers from opposite sides of a war that tried to kill each other multiple times and when zuko changed sides they developed a completely platonic relationship. As i said, people either ship them because it's an appealing and aesthetically pleasing ship (water/fire, enemies to lovers, opposites attract, the common red & blue ship) or they just love reading too much between the lines, OR BOTH, because they were so thirsty about it they ended up convincing themselves there was romantic tension between them, that they liked each other and that zvtara was scrapped when it was never planned in the first place. Not to mention the reasons why they claim zvtara should've been endgame are based only on symbolism and things they have in common that are just so ??? Random. e.g. (i saw these on a post on facebook and the comment section was hilarious, it was full of ppl being sarcastic about it & making fun of it) saying they should've been canon bc:

1. "They both lost their mothers at a young age" (?)

2. "katara was good but had rage in her heart and zuko was bad but had good in his heart so it was like yin and yang, and that was the main purpose/topic of the show" (?)

3. "they both had alter egos (painted lady and blue spirit)" (???) this one sounds like saying maiko was canon bc zuko worked in a tea shop and mai worked in a flower shop😂

4. "Zuko was the only one who supported katara in taking revenge on her mom's assassin" (?) if you ask me, that just proves zuko is not right for katara, he led her to do something she was gonna regret later (not trying to hate on zuko, i love him, and since i love him i acknowledge his flaws. I understand why he thought it was the best thing to do, he's an impulsive and resentful boy (he would've done the same if it was his mom) and he noticed how thirsty katara was for revenge, ofc he wanted to help her + he wanted her to accept him and thought it was the right thing to do in order to gain her trust, but it wasn't) unlike zuko, aang tried to make katara come to her senses and do the thing that was best for her: forgive and let go, and it was basically what she did at the end. She didn't do what zuko expected her to do. She did what aang expected her to do. She didn't forgive her mom's assassin, but she forgave zuko, and she didn't do THAT thing she (and aang) knew would regret later. Aang knew katara and what was the best thing for her to do.

5. and the most ridiculous one, "they both saved each other's lives in the final agni kai"(???????) and the funniest part is that it was followed by "WHAT MORE PROOFS DO YOU WANT???". Honestly wtf did ppl expect? Did they expect zuko to stand there and watch katara die? Did they expect katara to just stand there and watch zuko lay on the floor & die? And this has been said a million times and i am going to join and say it once again: zuko would've done that for ANYONE from the gaang, he would've done the same for toph, sokka, suki and aang. Because he learned to care about them. As for katara, she would've done that for anyone too wtf she healed aang once too and even brought him back to life. (I wouldn't be surprised if zk shippers used that as a parallel for romantic zvtara proof bc they're just like that💀)

There were more "reasons" but they're just so stupid and taken out of context like "they care for each other" & "katara was the one who encouraged him to talk to his uncle" like yeah that's what friends do. Basically all zvtara shippers do is REACH.

Also, i just can't see it happening. I like the enemies to lovers trope, maybe if the writers really intended to make it canon, i would have been down for the ship, it would've been interesting to see how it developed, but,, they didn't, and later i came to the realization that if it would've really happened, it would've been so... weird. Time to bring up the "colonized and colonizer ship" and how some ppl feel uncomfortable about it. Besides the fact that a relationship between zuko and katara wouldn't have worked (they're incompatible af, katara is a girl with a strong character and zuko is a guy with anger issues that takes everything personal, they'd be at each other's throats 99% of the time) it's just weird to think that katara would choose to marry a man from the fire nation, the nation that caused a big war that traumatized her, the nation that took her mother away from her. Imagine katara ruling along with zuko a nation she despised for years. Fire lady katara doesn't sit right with me, and i'm sure it doesn't sit right with a lot of ppl as well. I don't see katara doing that, and yes, i know she forgave zuko, but still, she would've never done that 🤦🏽‍♀️ i think it would've been so OOC tbh.

Another thing i laugh my ass off at is when they say "zuko should've chosen katara instead of mai" as if they were ever in a relationship for zuko to say "ok imma choose katara i wanna be with her". As if katara was EVER an option for him. They never showed interest in each other, what's not clicking?????? And zuko only had eyes for mai, not to mention that despite zuko and mai had a rough relationship, no girl would've dealed with zuko's bs better than mai. Can you imagine katara dealing with zuko blowing up over everything? Because i can't. Also people saying things like "zuko deserves someone who is always there for him and listens to him" (and ofc they're talking about katara) like, ok, you hate that katara is aang's "therapist" but you want her to be zuko's therapist. Logic? Where? And I do remember mai being a supportive gf and trying to cheer him up multiple times. Did they watch the same show as me?

Zvtarians try to play the victims about how they were "robbed" bc some voice actors shipped them and from what i've read people who worked for the show suggested to go for zk, but that's stupid, it doesn't count as "they planned it but scrapped it, we were robbed". The only word that counts are the creators' voice and they have stated they were always rooting for kataang, so no, you were not robbed.

People are just so in love with the idea of zuko and katara together they really convinced themselves it was likely to happen. Honestly zvtara it's a fine ship as fanon but ppl ruined it for me and what i hate the most is when they ship it and hate on aang and mai at the same time and make them look SO bad to invalidate kataang and maiko. Saying aang is abusive and mai is toxic is complete ✨bullshit✨ and lastly, it's ridiculous when they say the creators were cowards for not making it canon. They're cowards for not fulfilling your greatest childhood wish? Something they never planned? It is THEIR show. If you hate sm how things turned out then quit atla once and for all and go find another show that you know is gonna give you what you expect,,, it's tiring that they've been crying about it for 15 yrs , like, i joined the fandom recently but i can imagine how tired old atla fans must be of this.

OK so I have a lot of thoughts about this and firstly,,,anon I appreciate the dedication that it took for you to write  this, and I agree with many of your points. However, the attitude I have on this blog towards Avatar ships is far more neutral than what you’re saying.

Ultimately, romance is not and never was the focus of Avatar. Romantic development was always secondary or tertiary plot, and the entire show was far more focused on platonic relationship development. My attitude towards shippers on here - including Zutara shippers - is that people can ship what they want, as long as they’re respectful of each other and of the other characters that “interfere” with their ship. End of the day, shipping is irrelevant to the core of the show. 

People shipping something because they find it aesthetically appealing is honestly,,,fine. Personally, I think it’s reductionist, but I don’t care if you do because everyone has the right to enjoy media however they want to. 

That being said, we absolutely should call out racist or problematic tropes that we see, including ‘fire lady katara”. I also agree that it’s upsetting when people bash other characters in order to further their ship, as much of the bashing is also pretty racist and/or misogynistic. Calling that out, however, is separate from calling out every single person who happens to enjoy certain ships. 

“She didn't do what zuko expected her to do. She did what aang expected her to do. She didn't forgive her mom's assassin, but she forgave zuko, and she didn't do THAT thing she (and aang) knew would regret later. Aang knew katara and what was the best thing for her to do.”

I understand where you’re coming from, but I honestly disagree with this take. Both Aang and Zuko were approaching the situations from their own life experiences, but Katara didn’t do what either of the boys wanted. She chose her own path, by both sparing Yon Rha’s life but also refusing to forgive him. The episode is about Katara and her personal trauma and its focus should not be on her relationships with either Zuko or Aang. 

When I make posts such as this, it’s less about hating Z*tara and more about how this fandom focuses all its attention on romance and shipping, to the point where if you acknowledge a relationship’s importance it’s assumed you pair the two romantically. I don’t read Zuko and Katara’s relationship as romantic (for reasons that it would take too long to explain here), but their relationship development is extremely important, the two of them share tons of parallels and the final Agni Kai marks the culmination of both of their character arcs. Yes, Zuko would have taken the lightning for any of the characters, but it’s thematically important that it was Katara. None of this inherently means it’s romantic, but refusing to acknowledge the significance of the relationship between them is equally reductionist. 

This isn’t an attack on you, anon, and you’re 100% allowed to have negative feelings about a ship. But at the end of the day, it’s not worth getting this worked up over. If I were you I’d focus more on creating/consuming content for a ship you like than bashing ships you don’t!

[arhylle]

So I just finished watching a Youtube compilation of the 100 comic cons and it seems the fans and interviewers are the only ones shipping Bellarke. It's depressing.

In all the interviews Bob Morley basically just says he doesn’t see any romance between Bellamy and Clarke. But how can he say that when a lot of Bellamy’s tender moments with her say otherwise.

Jason Rothenberg also thinks they are just platonic soulmates. So then what is the meaning and purpose of some Bellarke scenes that in my opinion are full of unplatonic subtext? Like Bellamy being affected by Clarke's nearness when he was teaching her how to shoot a rifle;

Kane noticing Bellamy's reaction when Clarke was crying and telling her mom how much she loved Lexa;

(Bellamy, you're not a fool to believe, by the way.)

Allie/Raven saying to Bellamy, “Clarke’s back for one day and you’re already taking orders. A good, little knight by his queen side. Too bad you were never this devoted to Gina.”; Lexa to Clarke about Bellamy, "but you worry about him more."; and my favorite: when Octavia said to Bellamy in reference to Clarke, "here we go again. Pleading for the life of a traitor...who you love." It must be noted that neither of them denied outright Lexa and Octavia's statements.

And let’s not forget this:

Just kidding. But click to see the rest of the gifset. I wish something like this really happened.

And also, the way Bellamy and Clarke sometimes touch each other. It's full of longing and tenderness to say the least. Even when one of them is angry. Usually Bellamy.

The next gif is my favorite. I can feel the chemistry and the romance. If you're a true Bellarke fan, you know what I mean.

It’s obvious there is romance between them. Clarke took her time but she's been on the same page with Bellamy since Season 4, but then Praimfaya separated them. She might actually have been attracted to him since season 1, but he was a jerk back then and she fell for Finn instead. And now Bellamy's with Echo.

So can Jason and Eliza and Bob just please acknowledge the truth and for once just say something like, There is attraction, there is love, but they haven't really had the chance to process that, let alone act on it, bc there is always something going on. Either they're busy fighting for their people's lives and their own, or they get separated, or there's someone else.

That would be a better and satisfying answer than the BS they've been saying for the past five years.

Bellarke is slowburn and I love that about them, but Season 5 was supposed to be the last one and they didn't happen. Meaning Jason truly doesn't want them to be together, and Echo would have been Bellamy's endgame. Why can't he see that Bellamy and Clarke are each other's the one, and it's cruel not to let them love each other the way they were meant to. Just look at them.

Quick recap: In this scene Bellamy is hurting because his sister hates him and he’s unable to forgive himself for all the horrible things he’s done. He tells Clarke he’s so angry at her for leaving but he doesn’t want to feel that way anymore. Clarke tells him she too is trying to forgive herself and that maybe they are both going to get forgiveness someday but they need each other and the only way for them to succeed is together. Clarke then hugs him and he hugs her back.

But we can clearly see his hug also says, i’ve missed you so much when you were away but you’re here now and I can't get close enough, pls don’t leave me again. And hers says, im so sorry for leaving. I've missed you too. I’m home now. It's good to be home.

Imagine what full-on in love with literally a century of pent-up feelings Bellarke hug looks like, which is then followed by an equally powerful kiss. Or the kiss happens first. Either way it would be epic.

THEY NEED TO BE TOGETHER LIKE THEY DESERVE, JASON ROTHENBERG. PLS. DON'T LET THE SHOW END WITH THEM NOT ENDGAME.

[denimini]

I agree with you 100 percent that they've ALWAYS been close, maybe the closest (aside from Vmin) but his attention during 2016 (from what I've heard ) was dispersed between JM and TH, as they have so many "evidence" for them during that time. But then again, what is the credibility of said evidence. What I'm confused about is in 2015 where you had JK kind of open up more to JM, show him more affection and pay extra attention to him, those moments where he stared at him and then turned away (+)

(+) turned away when he got caught looking (gayo track ). Which lets me know that whatever other shippers hold as true contradicts what he had with JM. Like why would you turn away when he catches you looking if you had nothing to hide. Happened a couple of times. But then in 2016, it wasn’t until Wings era his attention completely was directed to JM. So, what happened in late 2015 to Fire era? Sorry if I’m not making any sense. Or, maybe it’s just hard to see everything in one place, because

(+) turned away when he got caught looking (gayo track ). Which lets me know that whatever other shippers hold as true contradicts what he had with JM. Like why would you turn away when he catches you looking if you had nothing to hide. Happened a couple of times. But then in 2016, it wasn’t until Wings era his attention completely was directed to JM. So, what happened in late 2015 to Fire era? Sorry if I’m not making any sense. Or, maybe it’s just hard to see everything in one place, because

in one place, because connecting the dots are kind of hard. We can’t get every single detail right. And compilations of videos don’t show everything without looking at every day and their consistency. So, yeah. I’m rambling. lol. sorry. If you can get the gist of what I’m saying, that’d be great. :) Thank You

~

Anon2:

The tension was quite there during 2014 and early 2015. There were time when JK would kind of touch JM’s hands and caress it and then realize what he was doing and then let go and lower his head. He kind of limited himself a LOT when it came to JM. But they weren’t their stuck to the hip selves until Wings era. Which makes me wonder what happened during that time. Why the steady decline during Fire era when he started to show more attention to JM in 2015 and craves his attention after JM pulled

~~~

Hey, guys! I combined your asks because my thoughts on them are pretty similar. You have pretty much the same outlook which I find interesting. I want to talk more about that but this will be my last answer today (it’s 2am here and I have to get up at 7). I’m also on mobile so that’s torture (can someone please fix this goddam app). Onto it:

What exactly happened with KM in 2015/2016 will forever be a mystery. There will never be “connecting the dots” or having the full picture, as I believe we miss valuable pieces of information (as it’s right, we’re just fans). Did JM ignore JK? Did JK chase after him? Did they simply grow first in different directions to only come out the same way in Wings era? Was it gradual or was it on and off? Did they engage in sexual activities in that time? What is the place of t/k in all of this?

So many questions that we must accept we will never get the answers to.

I can’t and won’t get into full analyses of 2015-2016 as that would be a 20k ask BUT I will say this: when I state I’ve thought over every scenario in the book about that time, I trully really mean it. I’ve thought about t/k being together and then KM, about both Tae and JM having feelings for JK at the same time, about him having feelings for them at the same time, about all of them engaging in some sexual activities together, about Kook being with both of them separately at the same time, about Tae having had feelings for JM or for JK while KM had feelings for eachother….. Honestly, I’m not kidding, I thought about it all. I tried to put myself into the shoes of a t/k shipper, a v/min one.. I gave all possibilities some consideration.

In the end, no matter what “evidence” t/k shippers pull out of that time, and by evidence really we mean moments, I always get to the conclusion that no, t/k was most probably not involved at that time at all. Not bc it’s impossible,no, but because this scenario (Jk going from Tae to JM) is not consistent with Jks character or the fact that v/min was still going strong in Wings era and although t/k didn’t have many moments there seemed to be no hostility. How could that be true if there was any love triangle? As professional as they can be, it still would be extremely hard. Something doesn’t fit so I ruled that possibility out because of that.

Part of it why I did ruled it out is exactly what both of you mention - there was a development with KM in 2015, clear as day evolution. There was also hesitation on Jungkook’s part which he showed with no-one else other than Jimin. Call it gay panic if you wish but he really only behaved like that with him. He acted like a scared teenager with an impossible crush, which is exactly what he was.

About 2016 and that push and pull, I think they crossed a line then. I don’t know which one - did one of them confess, did they make out, did they try to be together, did they have sex- really I don’t know what but SOMETHING happened and I mean something between THEM not v/min/kook. I think they took a bold step forward and then either one of them got scared and backed out or something else happened and kept them in a grey zone but to me they didn’t seem settled down then. They had the chemistry *hello Own it and Coming to age* but they didn’t have the commitment yet, I think.

Uncertainty is what I feel could have been a problem back then. What is happening?What should I do? Can we do this? Should we do this? What are we? Are we on the same page? What about our careers, Bangtan? These are the questions I imagine they had to answer and they’re pretty big ones especially considering how young they were. These answers don’t come all at once immediately. They take time and often they take mistakes. So that type of a situation - one step forward, two step back and then reversed makes a lot of sense.

Simultaneously, this could have brought them to seek advice and help from the outside, particularly from their closest hyungs (for example Jin for JM but Suga as well) and their best friend(s), which for both of them was probably Tae. Could it have been that JK turned to his friend in that time? Absolutely, though I don’t want to explain away nice t/k moments with “JK needed support”. T/k were and are cute and close and no-one should have a problem with it. But I don’t think thsy had a romantic involvement then.

In the end after a ‘hot summer’ somehow KM managed to settle at least some issues and by the time Wings came, they had new dynamics. By the New Year - yet another development. After that - further evolution.

It is exactly what makes them real to me: they have always had progression, they always seem to move forward and evolve. The development in their relationship looks very convincing to me when I take everything into account - age, possible sexuality crises, rise to fame, responsibility to the group etc. It looks plausible to me, all things considered INCLUDING t/k and v/min relationships. It all makes for a reasonable timeline and progression in my head, albeit with many holes and uncertainties.

To put it simply: no other ship fits the bill better when thinking about all the aspects, even going back years in the past, such ad 2016.