#everyone wants a friendship between a man and a woman without romance

[taolaoo]

There are a lot of things that make me despise dudebros. One of them is when Abigail and Arthur's relationship becomes the object of their stupid jokes.

So, Abigail and Arthur's relationship. If you ask me, I really don't think Arthur was head over heels in love with her. Absolutely not. The way he describes her and Jack in the journal is more like grieving for what was taken from him. It's so painfully obvious that he's comparing them to Eliza and Isaac in his mind. It's not love, it's just a glimpse of a lost feeling. But even if it is love, it's not in a healthy way.

An important clarification, but I also don't think Arthur ever slept with her. How could he if he had women of his own at that time? (Eliza and Mary, we don't know for sure which one he got into a relationship with first). Arthur doesn't seem to me like a man who can sleep with someone when he's already in a relationship, you know.

Bill's words in rdr1 about Abigail sleeping with everyone sound very funny coming out of his mouth in my opinion. Because first of all, it's Bill; secondly, he's a bastard who always likes to say things to piss others off; thirdly, why do you expect me to take him seriously after he said he slept with her too? I'd rather believe in flat earth than that Abigail, strong woman that she is, would let this smelly boykisser too close to breathe next to her.

What is certain between Arthur and Abigail is trust. From the way Jack is very friendly with him and not afraid to ask for his help, you could tell that Arthur has always been there for him and Abigail, especially after John left. And that's totally understandable. Because Arthur is the only man in the camp who seems normal, kind, and good enough to look after a child. (Hosea too, I'm sure he and Arthur were that strong support for Abigail when she was having a hard time, but that's a bit beside the point right now).

Because Abigail is careful and smart, maybe she even saw something in Arthur that he didn't want to tell anybody (you always know that a man can only be gentle and caring to a child when he has one of his own). That's why they have such a strong friendship, that's why Abigail can ask Arthur to take Jack fishing without a problem.

And yeah, it may be hard for Arthur because he sees ghosts of his past around them, but he doesn't say no. Because he's kind, selflessly kind to those he cares about no matter how hard he tries to deny it.

Their friendship is so underrated, I wish for once it was talked about in terms of strong friendship and trust, not some dumb pseudo romance that doesn't exist.

[nalu4ever]

Nalu Fanfictions recs:

Starfall » by riverofmemories Lucy has one rule when it comes to surviving her new life in an apocalyptic world: don't be stupid. Of course, that rule gets thrown right out the window when a man who thinks himself a god literally falls into her lap. It doesn't help that he seems to be particularly good at walking her into trouble.

M, English, chapters: 50, words: 179k+(ongoing)

Song of the Dragonborn » by Psilocybinlemon Lucy's life changes forever when dragons come back to life after centuries of endless slumber. As her hometown burns down in flames, a young fire mage named Natsu saves her from certain death. Brought together by a chance of fate, they set on an epic adventure to find their roles in the ancient prophecies about the end of the world. / High Fantasy/Skyrim AU

M, English, Adventure & Fantasy, chapters: 78, words: 602k+(ongoing)

Flame's Desire » by rougescribe Life after life, two souls are destined to meet only to be torn apart: A curse set to repeat in an endless cycle. With the cards already dealt against them, Natsu and Lucy begin to follow their fates once more, unaware of the tragic loss assured the moment they touched hands.

M, English, Romance & Fantasy, chapters: 32, words: 191k+(ongoing)

She will be mine » by LaynaPanda The Dragneel's and Heartfillia's arranged for a marriage between their kids before they were even born. With their parent's determination and tight bond, the pressure is immense as Natsu and Lucy struggle to accept their fate.

T, English, Romance & Humor, chapters: 26, words: 210k+(complete)

The Secret Deal » by MonsterinaCup She's an actress and he's a heir. They don't know each other but destiny doesn't care. They're quite not the perfect pair but sure enough they have those stares. They are not friends but rather a strange with each other. When they made that secret deal, they didn't know where it led them to. Meet Lucy, the series princess and Natsu, the Dragneel heir.

T, English, Romance & Friendship, chapters: 19, words: 150k+(ongoing)

Berserk » by Rivendell101 Berserk. Out of control with anger. This is what Natsu was born to be. A warrior soaked in blood. A murderer. This is what Pergrande turned him into. Taken at a young age by the King, Natsu is a soldier of the Royal Army, a creature of rage and violence—a weapon. Lucy is a thief from Fiore with a price on her head and magic in her blood.

M, English, Adventure & Romance, chapters: 49, words: 238k+(ongoing)

Greedy Dragon » by moeruhoshi Young fire dragon, Natsu Dragneel meets his best friend, a golden star named Lucy, one day when he mistakes her for a piece of gold he intends to keep for his hoard. This series follows their everyday antics with each other and their friends who are surprisingly dramatic for their age.

T, English, Romance & Humor, chapters: 41, words: 106k+(ongoing)

One-Night Stand (NaLu) » by lucyheartfjlja "She liked it. His bluntness and honesty. His ability to reach out for what he wanted in all confidence, without playing any games. She wanted it too. Ever since she laid eyes on his salmon hair and jade eyes that pierced right through her, she knew she needed him. Just for the night, and just to get over her fiancé. I mean, ex fiancé."

M, English, Romance & Drama, chapters: 56, words: 139k+(complete)

Nalu- A twist in time » by nikki1997 Natsu and Lucy redo the war they already lost. Natsu knows everything about his past now. All Zeref desires for is death at the hands of his brother. All Natsu wants is to live a life with the woman he loves even though he knows he will have to fight for it every step of the way. Lucy just wants everyone to live. Will they all get what they want this time? Time travel. Canon couple

T, English, Friendship & Adventure, chapters: 29, words: 172k+(ongoing)

New Adventures » by RedFantasies FT Gang AU in the future. Lucy runs away from home only to find herself witnessing the infamous Fairy Tail gang about to blow up a building. They have no choice but to take her with them, but is that really a bad thing? Nalu of course. Rated T for some violence, swearing, mentions of torture, and self-harm

T, English, Adventure & Humor, chapters: 61, words: 158k+(ongoing)

Passive Aggressive Post-Its » by quite-a-riot When a fateful encounter results in Lucy being linked to a complete stranger, she will have to find a way to live with (and maybe just love) the messy scribbler who seemingly shares her skin. Lucy can't help resisting the pull of fate, but when friends get involved, she doesn't stand a chance. Set where Earth meets Earthland, being a college freshman has never been quite like this.

M, English, Humor & Romance, chapters: 58, words: 569k+(ongoing)

Of Dust and Shadows » by riverofmemories After falling through time, Lucy Heartfilia finds that history – both the world's and her own – isn't as black and white as she thought it was. With the discovery of magic and the fact that she's arrived in a three-year period no one knows anything about, Lucy is determined to stop the devastation she knows is coming – all while being irreversibly tied to the one who creates it.

M, English, chapters: 143, words: 506k+(complete) ❤️❤️❤️

[ashesandhackles]

@hprecfest Day 2 - A Comfort fic

Regretfully Yours by @maria-de-salinas

Severus/ Petunia. Explicit.

The unexpectedly tender and intimate romance between Severus and Petunia - post the events of First War- tops this list. Maria has a way of writing care, intimacy with such loving attention to detail, it blows me away in all of her work. This also has a sequel!

Summary:

1981 was not Petunia's year. The day before New Year's Eve, determined to make a fresh start of it, she straps Harry and Dudley into the car and flees north--only to hit into the biggest snowstorm she's ever seen in her life. Grief-stricken and dazed by his pivot from Death Eater to teacher, Severus Snape spends his holiday far from everyone, wandering aimlessly through the snow. The last thing either of them wanted was their paths to collide, but when Petunia gets stuck in the snow, they'll get stuck with each other.

2. Not bright or noble, but almost sublime by @yletylyf

Severus/Sirius raising Harry. Explicit.

I remember talking to Lety when we connected in Snirius fandom: "Where are the fluffy fics? Where are the raising Harry fics?" Of course, Snirius fandom as a whole is interested in the tension and delicious angst of Sirius and Severus together, often veering to darker territories - so it was a relief when Lety started writing this! A very fun Snirius raising Harry story.

Summary:

On that fateful Halloween night in Godric's Hollow, Severus Snape and Sirius Black unite in a common cause: find the Secret-Keeper who betrayed their best friend. Or: A temporary truce turns into something much more.

3. The Dog and Deer Detective Agency by @artemisia-black

Sirius/OFC.

If you ever wanted to see Sirius Black in a noir-esque mystery, this is your fic. Not only is Artemisia good at building the luxuriant atmosphere for the foreboding story, this is a good exploration of Sirius in an alternate universe without threat of Voldemort. He is a freer version of the man you might see in canon, but still has that family baggage. There is also tons of baby Harry and Sirius cuteness (yes, that is my catnip- Harry and Sirius are my favourite dynamic in canon)

Summary:

Set in an AU where Voldemort is never born. James and Sirius are both the best of friends and brilliant wizards, and not wanting to be tied down to a 9-to-5, they founded a detective agency. A year in, they have had a steady business from scorned spouses until one day a woman arrives and draws them into a sinister plot in the Scottish Highlands.

sore subject by @incalculablepower

Lavendar Brown/Parvati Patil & Demelza Robbins/Parvati Patil

No one gets the romantic comedy #vibe of Half Blood Prince quite like Incalculable Power. This fic is special among her work because she captures an experience lot of queer women go through - an intense codependent friendship that is just waiting to edge into romance.

Summary:

The High Priestess, reversed. Trust your intuition. Your true self is waiting; she refuses to be contained for much longer.

Orchards by @whinlatter

Harry/Ginny.

Whinlatter dropped into the fandom with a 17k fic written about the summer Harry and Ginny fell in love, and it was utterly beautiful tribute to first loves, Harry, Ginny and also, the third character: the orchard. Even when the fic weaved in the grief Harry is still dealing with and references the war years, it is infused with hope for the future.

Summary:

The orchard is a wild, thousand-flower, crumpled-gate, fall-down-fence sort of place, where things grow that you’ve never asked for, that you’d never expect. The summer of ’96, the story of something flowery he thought he might have smelled at the Burrow.

[impatient14]

Thinking about how I've always wondered if they knew after Runaway Bride and Martha's arc that the best thing for 10 would be a platonic soulmate, someone who wouldn't be dazzled by his charm and would call him out on his shit, but also love him so much they couldn't imagine their future without him. My favorite trope is the slow burn, platonic BFF to lovers, but if they would have gone that route with 10 and Donna, I would have been absolutely crushed. I wonder if they knew what they had with 10 and Donna, if they knew it was a safe casting when it comes to romantic undertones. David and Catherine's chemistry is so unique. They portray genuine love and devotion without the threat of romance creeping in. It's something you don't often see in characters who aren't related. It feels like there's always a little twinge of a "will they, won't they" scenario. And with 10 and Donna, it felt like a disservice to ship them together. I'm not disparaging the people who did, because everyone has the right to interpret their relationship in any way they want, but their platonic soulmate vibe was so personal to me.

(Because it seems like no matter what I do, I cannot maintain a friendship with a (single) straight man or queer woman (like me) without that twinge of romance creeping in, and it is rarely from my side. I say that not to boast or stroke my ego, but because it is the genuine truth. I'm actually in the middle of that right now. I have a long-distance colleague that I have so much in common with and the relationship crept into the friendship territory pretty quickly. It was established before that friendship started that I was unavailable and uninterested in anything other than a professional or platonic relationship, and he seemed to totally accept that. He didn't flirt. No innuendos. He even started talking to me about his dates. At times I thought I sensed a vibe on his side, but there was nothing I could point to directly that would explain it, so I chalked it up to narcissism and trusted him. However, we finally met at a conference after about 3 months or so of our acquaintance and growing friendship, and being in the same space, his body language and general disposition made it crystal clear that he harbored feeling for me. He did not try anything directly or say anything that crossed the line, but I am confident he has feelings for me. Now, if he maintained our professional and platonic relationship without letting his feelings get in the way, I wouldn't cut off the relationship necessarily. It isn't his fault that he developed feelings, and if he continued to respect my feelings and not address those feelings directly to me, I would not hold anything against him. I'd be more careful about my own behavior and make sure those boundaries were always clearly defined, but I'd try to maintain our relationship.

However, after we met, it seemed like as soon as he realized he really didn't have a chance, he didn't see any value in my friendship. We have a lot in common professionally, joke a lot, and just generally get along pretty well (though his ego is *insane* and he has the emotional maturity of a toddler). I felt like we were developing a really great foundation for friendship, but apparently not. If he feels like he needed to distance himself to get over what he's feeling, that's fair. I can respect that. But it's so frustrating and isolating to feel like the only thing you have to offer is romance. It actually breaks my heart.)

So (getting back to Doctor Who) to see a real platonic friendship between people whose sexuality preferences align is so special to me. And to have the privilege to see that relationship continue with 14? It really was such a gift.

[my-midnight-musings-xoxo]

Light spoilers for Veil manga!

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A few posts ago I mentioned writing about Veil, and as it's currently taking over my thoughts once again I thought it's best to muse about it. A simple summary of Veil: A blind woman named Emma literally stumbles into a police officer called Aleksander. They strike up a conversation and she mentions looking for a job. It just so happens the police station needs someone to take phone calls, and their story begins. It's told in vignettes, and every chapter builds on the sweet dynamic. I admit when I first saw Veil I thought it was a story meant to look pretty with little substance. I don't like being wrong, but I'm happy I was this time. The art is elegant, serene, and delicate, with almost every chapter having bonus sketches of Emma (and sometimes Aleksander) looking lovely and having cute character interactions. I was worried Emma would be infantilized in some way, but far from it. She's assertive, coy, playful, and sweet. They do address her being blind and how she navigates the world because of it, but she's more than her disability, and that makes me quite happy. Romance isn't my typical genre, so if it isn't yours either, I'd honestly recommend it. It's called Veil because there's a veil that tickles them, their relationship is between friendship and dating, which is one of my favorite parts. For years I've liked the thought of an intimate friendship, as I dubbed it. A relationship that isn't quite dating, but you're close and comfortable with each other. You're simply together without any need for strict labels to define you. I'm not quite sure if that's an actual thing, but Veil perfectly encapsulates what I'm poorly describing.

It's also just adorable. There's a cute chapter with Emma and Aleksander playing rock, paper, scissors with a kid at a stoplight. (I've been looking for minutes now and I cannot find it I'm so sorry!) When Aleksander keeps losing he convinces Emma to win for him. In Volume 2 Chapter 24: Present, Emma buys a suit for Aleksander, saying it was from an invisible man. Once he tries it on he picks her up, declaring he wants to see the invisible man too.

Tell me this isn't adorable.

If my ramblings have convinced you to read this manga, hooray! There's a playlist I'm listening to while writing this called 'Veil manga vibes' on Spotify by yuumin. It's perfect for reading this story.

If not, that's alright too. It's not for everyone, but thank you for reading this far anyway.

Veil actually inspired me to enjoy drawing again, no matter how silly or unfinished. There are also poems interspersed between the manga. Sometimes it's Aleksander talking about Emma, other times it's about inanimate objects viewing them. This is going to sound silly, but one of my favorites is about a key and a keyhole. Trust me, it's very cute. It's at the end of Volume 5, Chapter 48: To get drunk with.

Just to be a little presumptuous, if anyone's wondering I do plan on writing more about MadK. After the wonderful engagement on my J and Datenshou posts, I'm very grateful for all of the notes and reblogs by the way. It was a wonderful surprise to return to 25 notes and more than one reblog! I thought those two posts wouldn't do very well, J's especially, I'm glad you do. I can't thank you in person, as much as I'd like to. With such nice responses, it's boosted my confidence to post more about MadK. I might analyze Makoto's design this week! Have a wonderful morning/afternoon/evening/night and stay hydrated!

I hope I've made at least one person a Veil fan today, hehe. <3

[lyncirenzei]

I just really wanted to respond to the assignment outlined in this tweet...

Why can't I watch Sydney and Carmy be in a friendship with tenderness and obvious chemistry without pushing for romance?

The short answer is, I can watch without pushing for romance.

The extended answer is, I AM watching without PUSHING for romance.

Yes, they both have chemistry and they are both actively trying to deal with each other with care and tenderness because they are in an intimate relationship with each other already. They are business partners.

Intimate Definition:

So because Carmy allowed a close connection to start with Sydney by not only hiring Sydney but making her his number 1 in HIS family business, it would be wise for them both to exercise tenderness as much as possible when dealing with each other. Now I can go on a tangent about WHY he made her his number 1, but that's for another time. But just to add to the fact I won't discuss now, let me leave this here: Carmy checks often to make sure Syd is on board while Syd checks often to make sure Sugar, Carmy's own sister who he SHOULD be checking on, is on board. But I mean, Carmy said he can't even ask Sugar how she doing cause he don't know how he is doing most of the time, while constantly asking Syd how she is doing, so we know the "Men will do it (make it happen) if they WANT to" applies directly to Carmy... (and we ALSO know how and when that statement is usually used-and if you want to act dense, that usually is applied when a man is attracted to a woman and wants to make something romantic happen with her) but I digress.

Now, from what I see, people are picking up on what I noticed the minute Syd came on the scene in Ep. 1 Season 1, that there COULD BE something between Carmy and Syd. The writers and if not them, then the editors keep putting little plot devices in our face and making the COULD BE even more of a thing than what I initially picked up on. And there are so many great post that point out what those moments, interactions, conversations, scenes are. So I will not include them here.

Now it was stated in the post that chemistry isn't the only reason two people should start dating. And to that I say, you don't say? Really? I'm glad you know that and shared with the rest of us. Cause once again, what most people are commenting on is what COULD BE. Not what CURRENTLY IS.

You see, CURRENTLY, we are in season 2 and are still getting to know everyone and what makes them tick. We, the audience, who has a bird eye view, is STILL getting to know everyone. So if we're still doing that then naturally so are the characters with one another. They know less about one another than we know because they dont have the bird eye, omnipresent view. And all of this is controlled by the writers and editors. So no, currently I and I think most people who see Carmy and Syd as being a viable option for one another is wanting to see them start dating now.

When will they have time to establish a REAL romantic connection that doesn't take away from our thirty viewing minutes of the plot? Not anytime soon, that's for sure. But can they continue to give us 5 second moments that continue to build up what could be? Yes.

Now the question does remain, can they actually establish a real romantic connection? Yes. They definitely can. However, not in the way I am interested in seeing on THIS show with THIS plot. This is not Bridgerton, so I'm not interested in seeing Bridgerton type romance on The Bear. And I think most people will agree with me. You see, we already know this show isn't about romance. It deals with serious topics regarding business, family, mental illness, and human connection. And many people feel showing a romance would disregard those topics because of how romance is traditionally handled in media. Does that mean romance is not serious? No. It just means the way it is portrayed many times within a plot not needing romance, leaves one wanting...

However, The Bear may not be about romance, but as mentioned above, it is about Human Connection. And holding onto, and building on that human connection despite flaws, hurtful words/actions, because the people who portray them and suffer them are willing to change, improve, and do better.

I mentioned above that Syd and Carmy already have an intimate relationship. And THIS is what can potentially makes them Endgame.

Romance can be fleeting, it can be just like we witnessed between Carmy and Claire. Claire clearly had butterflies (idk about Carmy so much. He was very closed off with her and the moments he wasn't was told to us rather than shown to us) but their situation was the type of thing that we could have done without. Though, I believe Claire was needed, not only as a foil character, but as a plot devices as well.

However, in contrast (something the editors also wanted us to do with all there three-way contrasting scenes involving Claire, Carmy, and Syd) what Carmy has and is developing that will only get stronger the longer Syd sticks around and vice versa that Syd will develop the longer Carmy improves and sticks around is a deep respect and a deep love.

They are already intimate because of the business. They speak to each other intimately (also because of the business while some kind of way NEVER mentioning the business) personally, vulnerably. Carmy wants to hear Syd speak about her feelings, dreams and ideas. He even wants to hear her speak about her personal business though that part is hard for her to do. And Syd wants to speak about those things to Carmy even when it's difficult to do so.

THAT is the kind of intimacy I want to continue seeing on my TV screen. I don't need 5 minutes dedicated to them on a date, giggling and laughing about nothing! I need 5 minutes of them sitting closely, talking lowly about deep personal things that they can later laugh about together. I need the eye connections from across the room cause they GET each other and know what the other is thinking. I need small smiles of flattery that never get to be too much because they are in a professional setting. And at the end of the night, after they've worked another successful day at a restaurant that runs itself cause it's that successful (like Terry's restaurant) and they are just showing up to work cause they "still love to cook" but don't have to if they don't want to, they close down shop, walk out hand in hand down the street bumping shoulders like two best friends on their way to their SHARED home where private things happen privately (cause seeing all that is not important to the main plot. Though I wouldn't mind 😏).

That is Endgame.

That is slowburn

(And that ain't happening next season folks. I do not want them getting together sexually or otherwise next season. They have a lot of work to do not only on their restaurant but also on themselves). That is what I'd call an intimate relationship that hasn't distracted from the main plot, but that is still very real.

Now for those who think that possibility is "forced" that's most likely because Syd is a dark skinned black woman. Not actually because you can't see Carmy and Syd happening.

And for those who only see her with Marcus, that also may be because she is a dark skinned black woman and you really want to see her with a black man. Not actually because you can't see Carmy and Syd happening.

The same way I can see them remaining professional partners, only cause the writers and editors may decide to stop playing in our face with the hints regarding their already established intimacy, is the same way you should be able to see what is literally playing in your face when it comes to Carmy and Syd interactions, or the way they think/speak about/to each other.

So now I'm asking you to examine why you can't watch Sydney and Carmy be in a friendship with tenderness and obvious chemistry without admitting that the writers may decide to take it in an even more intimate direction, and being OK with that if they do?

[wandawiccan60]

I’m Sorry

An Alfie Solomons X Freya(FemOC)One-Shot

A/N: Hello everyone I know I have ghosted for a while just school and other things have happened lately good and bad really. But enough said but here is a lovely lovely One-Shot that I had the honor with working with my bestie and lovely @i-love-th-characters1. We thought of this story out of nowhere and we decided to make Alfie be such a brute because we thought that Alfie never really apologizes so we decided to make this tale of him and we are very proud to share this short and yet long one shot of the lovely King of Camden Town and his beautiful Scandinavian. Gypsy Freya(our very own OC). Romance, Friendship, etc is presented before your eyes and I hope you all enjoy this as much as me and I-love had such a fun and brainstorming time to bring this to life. Without further ado please as always enjoy, Reblog, Comment, and thank you all for being around I appreciate it every single one of you.

Summary: ”I'm Sorry." 

Two words that she never thought she would hear from the man in front of her. If she's honest, she did look at him like he had 3 heads. Silence took over as they both stared at each other, wondering who would break it as his apology lingered between them.

WARNING 18+: Fem is a Virgin, Lit SMUT, Cussing, Mentions of Alcohol, & Lots Fluff

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The old grandfather clock chimed throughout the small hallway indicating that it was past 10 o'clock at night. Freya was peacefully sitting on the red velvet couch facing the small chimney fireplace. While in her hands she continued to read a book that she got from one of the bookshelves. Cyril was lying next to her feet on the floor while the smooth breeze of the ocean outside the window came inside the lit-up living room. Freya let out a low sigh placing the closed book on top of her lap feeling uneasy about Alfie not arriving home yet. 

“Where could he be, it’s getting late?” she said out loud resting her back against the head of the couch hearing the crackling sound of the fireplace continuing to burn. 

Feeling like time was going slow for Freya, Sophia, their young maid, appeared inside the living room making Cyril lift his head up from his nap. 

“Would you like me to get you anything else for tonight Mrs. Solomons?” the young girl asked while picking up the silver tray from the small brown table in front of Freya.

“No, I’m quite alright now, Sophia thank you. It's best you head home. I'm still waiting for Alfie to arrive from his workplace. Don’t you worry about me, I can take care of the rest of the house. You have done a lot today which I appreciate very much and so does Alfie but enough said. Oh, and yes, your payment for this week's salary I’ll get that right away for you my dear. I’ll be right back,” Freya said, walking her way out of the living room to head to Alfie’s office, while Sophia put away the tea tray in the kitchen area.

A few minutes later Freya returned with the young woman’s payment in her hands, she saw Sophia giving cuddles and scratches to the big Bullmastiff. She smiled at the site while the big dog lay on his back enjoying the amount of attention he was getting from the young housemaid. 

“Silly Cyril you, now come on then off to bed with you. Go on shoo, shoo,” Freya clapped commanding the big brown mutt to go away but was not listening. 

“Hehe, seems he doesn't want to go to bed just yet, but I must go now Cyril I’ll see you tomorrow you sweet dog,” Sophia cooed raising herself on her feet smoothing out her white shirt dress.

“Here you go love,” Freya said handing over the young woman’s money as she continued speaking, “We’ll see you at the same hour in the morning as always, you walk safely back home now. Goodnight Sophia.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Solomons, and I’ll be here at 7 in the morning sharp like I always do. And it is a pleasure to serve you and Mr. Solomon-.”

The front door suddenly burst open making both women jump back in fright, noticing Alfie angrily mumbling some words under his breath. Both Sophia and Freya couldn't quite catch what he was saying, as he shut the door with force. 

“Fuckin’ hell can tonight be something more difficult than the other nights,” Alfie loudly said walking his way towards his office room not noticing the girl's presence who have been seeing his small tantrum all this time.

“Umm, well then that means he didn’t have a good day at work I suppose. I apologize for my husband's behavior Sophia, he really isn't like this every night believe me. Anyways again goodnight dear, until the morning,” said Freya, opening the door for Sophia feeling embarrassed on the inside from Alfie’s actions.

After Sophia left the house, Freya with a small temper growing from inside, quickly walked her way toward her husband's private office. Cyril followed right behind as she opened the door with ferocity, seeing his back facing her way.

“What the fuck is the matter with you, Alfie? Have you gone out of your mind coming back home with that temperament?” Freya questioned, closing the door behind her and crossing her arms in front of her chest glaring her eyes directed at him.

“So fuckin’ what, eh? I can act whatever way I want, yea, you won’ understand the amount of shit I went through today,” he said, forwarding himself on his knuckles on top of his desk, letting out a big frustrated sigh.

Freya let out a slow sigh trying her best to steady her breathing, wanting to try and communicate with her loving husband. She felt her body relax until she talked to Alfie once again.

“Alfie, talk to me, you know you can always tell me what is wrong,” Freya said, placing a gentle hand on top of his left shoulder but he shoved her hand away from him startling her with fright.

“Why would you fuckin’ care about what happened to me at the job today, it's business that you won’t understand. And now you here telling me ‘what is wrong,’ like if talkin’ will make me feel better,” he said giving a menacing look at his wife, Freya felt chills forming through her body appalled by how Alfie was raising his voice at her.

“Are you listening to yourself, Alfie?” Freya now had her voice raised while her hands turned into tight fists as she continued on speaking, “What is the matter with you, how dare you're raising your voice at me when it isn’t my fault you had a terrible day at work. And you're standing here taking your anger out on me. Who by the way is your wife? Who wants to try and understand what the hell caused you to act like this.”

“Do me a favor, my dear yea? Why don’ you just leave me alone and shut your goddamn mouth and instead you can fuck off from my site yea! You're makin’ my damn head hurt more just by looking at your face,” he said breathing heavily in and out from his nostrils, Freya stayed silent feeling as though a sharp knife stabbed through her heart.

Not wanting to stay any longer Freya angrily walked out of Alfie’s private office, shutting the brown door with a loud bang. She leaned her back against the wooden door placing her hands over her eyes and letting out a small quiet whimper. She felt tears forming through her dark hazel eyes, inhaling a long breath of air as she walked her way through the small hallway. She grabbed a long black scarf from the coat hanger and wrapped the material around her shoulders. Freya made her way out of her house without a care in the world, as some thunder was heard in the far distance. Indicating that a storm was coming in but that didn’t stop her from walking her way to who knows where. Back inside the house, Alfie took out a bottle of whiskey from a side drawer of his desk. Before opening the cap, he stared at the bottle for a moment until he saw Freya’s face.

Realizing what he did and said to her was incredibly wrong and inside his soul, he was regretting it ever so much. Grabbing the whiskey bottle with his right hand he frustratingly threw it across the room, making a big splatter spot on the wall. Along with the pieces of glass shattered throughout the floor as he let himself fall on top of his armchair. Tilting his head back looking up at nothing else but the ceiling, exhaling a long sigh while he had his eyes closed. 

What the fuck did I just do… I’m such a fuckin’ idiot…

Alfie walked his way out of his office room, walking through the hallway towards the stairs that led up to the second floor. Cyril walked alongside him making their way up wanting to apologize to her for acting such a dick towards her knowing that his anger got the best of him. Alfie reached the bedroom door and before going inside he softly knocked on it. 

“Freya… sweetheart, I’m… forgive me for screaming at you. I… I don’t know what came over me,” Alfie said, letting out a disappointed sigh and placing his right hand on the doorknob making his way slowly inside the room.

But to his shock, she was nowhere to be found inside but only their empty bed and a small table lamp on the other side of the room. Alfie panicked feeling his heart racing out of control, as he walked his way back down the first floor. 

“Freya. Freya, where are you?” he called out looking from one room to the other, not finding any trace of her whereabouts.

Alfie started to become more agitated after failing to find her in every part of the house thinking about where she could be or run off to. Alfie caressed his fingers through his short brown locks, letting out another irritated sigh. Wondering where Freya could have gone too and somewhere he and she would know to go when they wanted to clear their heads out. That's when it suddenly hit him where exactly Freya could have gone to.

The old stone bridge… she must have gone there…

Alfie didn't wait another minute to pass by and made his way out of the house, leaving Cyril all alone in the house. Outside the dark chilly night, it started pouring small drops of rain as Alfie walked his way towards the path that leads to the old bridge. Where they met for the first time when they were in their adolescent years. He only hoped and prayed that Freya made it there safely the rain however only continued to come down heavily.

This is all my fault…my own damn fucking guilt…

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

14 Years Ago: Somewhere In Camden Town

"Follow the path, Cyril. You know better." A young Alfie told his then puppy. 

The pup happily sniffed and walked along the path again, a path he and Alfie took for their afternoon walks for a few months now. It was all very familiar to both boys. Today was no different, or at least, it wasn't supposed to be. Yet, their ears picked up on something. 

"Stop." Alfie whispered to his pup who stayed in place in front of him, waiting for his owner to be closer. 

Looking around, Alfie couldn't place where the sudden singing was coming from. Not that he minded the joyous and raucous tune, but the path is known to be private, which is why he began walking Cyril here two months ago. Straining his sight again, he finally saw a figure under the old stone bridge. 

A young woman, to be exact. She was dancing while singing. Her swaying movements and the unfamiliar tune was like a siren's song to the young man and his puppy. Neither even felt themselves starting to walk in her direction. Their feet simply had minds of their own. Slowly, they approached the young woman who hadn't seen or heard them yet. She was too busy dancing her heart out, the jingling of her many necklaces clinking against each other adding a different beat to the, what Alfie could tell was a, foreign song. He was in a trance as he watched her body move. Nothing provocative, nothing grand. She just seemed so free. Cyril looked up at his owner, wondering why he hadn't said anything yet if he liked seeing the girl dance so much. So, being the curious puppy he was, he happily barked. 

The echoing noise immediately had the young woman stopping her movements and her song as she sharply inhaled, clearly startled as she looked towards the direction in which the bark came from. 

"No, no, shh." Alfie told his dog as he tried to subdue the embarrassment he began to feel since he had gotten caught staring.

Instead of being able to control his puppy, Cyril barked again, and again, and again. His tail was wagging and his ears stood up halfway as he wondered why the girl wasn't singing or dancing anymore as she kept looking at them. Alfie wasn't sure what to do as he looked up from his dog. His eyes met the young woman's, and he could tell that she was either seconds from running away or she was too scared to move and was hoping they'd leave first. He knew one thing was for certain; neither parties moved from their spots as they simply stared at each other. 

He could tell she wasn't from here. He had never seen her in the town, much less under the old bridge that he has been passing under daily for two months. He softly cleared his throat as he gave her a tiny nod, unsure of what to do as she kept looking at them. He wasn't sure if she'd do them both harm, though she didn't seem to be a bad person. Cyril, on the other hand, was still curious about this girl who seemed so free a moment ago and was now hesitant to leave the safety of the shadows of the bridge. 

So, Cyril took matters into his own paws and sniffed the trail as he wandered over to where she was standing. He was surprised when Alfie didn't bother stopping him. Looking up at the girl who slowly looked down at him, Cyril barked, wagging his tail to let her know he was friendly. He sensed that she was being cautious, and the pup didn't blame her. He and his owner were strangers to her after all. He sat in place and softly whined, giving her the best puppy eyes that he could muster. Alfie took cautious steps towards the two, stopping just under the beginning of the bridge. 

He watched her necklaces clink together as she slowly moved to kneel down in front of the puppy. Cyril immediately climbed into her lap, causing the young woman to seem taken back by the gentle action. The pup nudged one of her hands with his small nose, letting her know it was alright to pet him. Carefully, she very lightly patted his back, now curious about the tiny animal in her lap who seemed happy to see her. So she patted him again, and again, and again. Each time, she grew less afraid, less cautious, and soon, Alfie felt himself smiling as he watched her scratch Cyril on his belly which caused one of the pup's back legs to scratch the air. 

He found her smile breathtaking, even if it was directed at his dog and not him. 

"I…um, we're sorry for interrupting you." He said, noticing how her eyes were taking all of him in. 

It made him feel too warm for his own comfort, but some tiny part of him deep down enjoyed the attention from this beautiful young woman. 

She only gave him another smile, seeming confused as to what he was saying. Deciding to try and help the situation, Alfie carefully kneeled down in front of her and his pup, hoping she could tell that they're both friendly and meant her no harm. 

"Cyril." He told her, pointing at the puppy. 

She tilted her head slightly to the right, still seeming confused. 

"Cy-ril." Alfie repeated, only slower this time so she could grasp the name. 

She looked at the dog, slowly nodding. Though she didn't say anything, Alfie knew she understood. Suddenly, she was pointing at him, head tilting to the right again. 

"I'm Alfie." He said, placing one of his hands on his chest. 

Her eyebrows raised in confusion. 

"Al-fie. Al-fie." He slowly repeated, being patient with her. 

She gave him a slow nod, understanding that he was introducing himself. 

"Alfie Solomons. I live here, in Camden. Do…Do you live here?" He asked, only to receive no answer.

They both stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity.

"Freya," She softly spoke, copying him and placing one of her hands on her chest, 

"Fre-ya." She said with a smile. 

"Freya." He repeated the name, liking how it rolled off his tongue. 

She happily nodded after he had said it. He stretched out his right hand towards her, watching as she looked at it with curiosity. 

"You give me your left hand, and we shake 'em together. That's how you greet someone who you just met." He explained.

Freya still didn't understand, so he gently took her left hand in his right one. Very slowly, he shook hands with her, noticing that she seemed to be paying close attention. 

"It's nice to meet you." He said, adding a slight smile for good measure. 

He tried to let go of her hand, but she didn't want to let him go. She had never been so patiently dealt with by someone foreign to her. Alfie felt himself blushing as they just awkwardly kept holding hands, wondering why she would choose to keep holding on to him. 

"Do you live here?" He asked her again, only to earn another head tilt. 

"Um," 

His mind was racing as he thought of ways to gesture at a house or anything that resembled a home. Suddenly, an idea hit him as he spotted a small twig beside his leg. She let go of his hand as his other began picking up the twig. He did the best that he could to draw an outline of a house between them on the sand beneath their legs. 

"Home?" He asked, motioning to his simple drawing. 

All Freya did was curiously look at him before something visibly clicked within her. She pointed to the twig, and Alfie quickly gave it to her. He was so caught up in looking her over that he hadn't realized what she was doing. That is, until a voice was heard in the far distance. 

"Freya!" A man's voice shouted.

Alfie watched as she happily turned around, looking towards where the voice came from. Turning again to face her new friend, she pointed behind her. 

"Tata." She said with a smile. 

Now it was Alfie's turn to give her a look of confusion, watching as she handed a snoozing Cyril to him before she carefully rose to her feet. He quickly followed, careful to not wake his puppy. 

"Freya!" The man's voice shouted again, sounding slightly closer this time. 

"Tata." The young woman repeated to Alfie who gave her a slow nod. 

Then it clicked. 

'Must be her father.' He thought as she gave him another smile. 

"Home." She softly added as she tried her best to copy how he had pronounced the singular word, once again pointing in the same direction she had a moment ago. 

"Oh, right, yeah. I best be headin' back myself. 

"Home?" She asked with a curious expression, her words laced with happiness. 

"Yes. My home is that way." He answered with a slight smile, pointing behind him, his thumb gesturing towards the path he and Cyril took.

"Jutro." She said with a look of hope. 

Once again, he was confused. 

"Jutro?" She asked instead, hoping it would make a difference. 

"I…I don't understand." He softly explained, taking a step closer to her.

"Jutro…jutro." She slowly repeated, making a gesture with her hands as she also took a step closer towards him.

Alfie paid close attention, trying to grasp what she meant as he closely watched her hands. Her left hand stayed still as her right one moved back to the front over her left. 

"Jutro?" She asked in a whisper. 

Then it hit him. 

"Tomorrow!" He blurted out, finally understanding. 

"Jutro!" She happily hummed out, grateful that he knew what she meant. 

"I'll come back tomorrow. Me and Cyril," He pointed to himself and his pup, 

"Will meet you," He pointed at her,

"Here." He promised as he pointed between them.

They were both happy that they had reached an agreement, just in time, as her father called out a third time, the voice closer now. She reached towards Cyril, giving his head a loving pat, being careful to not wake him. With a final look to Alfie, Freya slowly waved at him, giving him such a sweet smile before she hurried out from under the old stone bridge. He watched as she soon disappeared into the fog that was covering the far distance of Camden. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Some Time Later

Freya, Alfie, and Cyril were inseparable. Wherever one was, so were the other two. The three spent much time each day under the stone bridge. It was mostly because Freya was scared to leave its safety. She had never dared go past the bridge, and Alfie never forced her. Until one month later when one particular morning Cyril had stepped on a small thorn and Alfie wasn't sure what was wrong with his pup. 

"Mate, you're limping." He said in concern as Cyril sat in place. 

Squatting down, Alfie carefully looked over his whimpering pup, trying to figure out what the source behind the discomfort was. 

"Alfie!" Freya happily called out to him from under the bridge. 

Looking towards her, he waved at her since she was waving at him. 

"I'll be just a second, alright? Something is wrong with Cyril." He called out to her as worry towards his dog's health began creeping into his head. 

Freya quietly watched as Alfie sat on the floor and Cyril didn't climb in his lap. In her eyes, it was all too strange that the puppy would rather sit on the floor than in his owner's lap because Cyril loves being in her and Alfie's laps. 

She could hear Alfie talking to Cyril, but all he would get in return were whines and whimpers of discomfort. Worry rose within her, and it was so fast in that moment that she hadn't realized her feet had minds of their own. They quickly walked her out from under the bridge and towards her friends. She sat beside Alfie, who glanced over at her then back to his dog, but then he quickly fully looked over at her. 

"Cyril." She said in worry with a small frown. 

Carefully, she picked him up, doing some inspecting of her own to see if Alfie possibly missed something when he had done the same just a second ago. 

"Freya, you're-" 

"Found it." She announced as she very gently laid the dog on her lap. 

She spotted a very small thorn wedged between the pads of his left back paw. 

"A thorn?" He asked her as she held it up for him to see. 

"Yes." She answered before flicking it away from them. 

"Better, Cyril?" She asked the pup as she set him on all fours. 

He happily wagged his tail before barking, obviously in a much better mood. 

"Freya," 

She turned to look at Alfie who wore a surprised expression on his face. 

"Yes?" She asks curiously. 

"You're out from under the bridge." He told her gently. 

She looked behind them, finding he was correct. She had left the safety of the bridge. Yet it didn't feel different now that she was out from under there. She was with Alfie and Cyril, which made everything seem normal. 

"Is good?" She hesitantly asked him. 

He gently smiled at her, enjoying that she had learned the English language so quickly with his help.

"Do you feel good about being here in the open?" He asked her. 

After giving the question some thought, she nodded, giving him a smile in return. 

"Then this means I can show ya the shops in the town." He excitedly said, and the thought of seeing all the different stores and products they have to offer caused her to smile again. 

That day, while they were in town, he asked her if she would allow him to be her boyfriend. She looked at him in slight shock as she thought of what he had just asked.

"If you don't want to be with me, I understand. It's just…I fancy you so much, Freya. You understand me like no one else does. You're beautiful and kind. Your nature is to heal and comfort. Mine is to destroy and create chaos. But none of that happens when I'm with you." 

"Yes." She answered once his words ceased. 

They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. Slowly, big smiles began to spread across their lips before she happily hugged him. He hugged her back, holding her tightly as she excitedly giggled into his chest. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

1914: World War I

Two months passed before their lives drastically changed. A war had begun, and by what Alfie told Freya, any and all help was needed. 

"They sent me this." He told her, holding up a folded paper. 

"What is it?" She hesitantly asked. 

He took a good long look at her. He didn't want to tell her. He couldn't. He couldn't bear to see the sadness he knew would be on her face. He didn't want to tell her that he might die far away from home. Yet he forced himself to answer her. 

"It's a letter. I've been…" 

She stepped closer to him, seeing the worry in his eyes,

"I've been drafted. They need me to go fight. I leave in two weeks." 

Silence lingered between them as they looked at each other.

"You can't leave." She whispered as a small frown took over her lips. 

"I have to. They'll punish me if I don't." He softly explained. 

"But…But what if you don't return?" She asked him.

Tears began to form in her eyes, and he quickly wrapped his arms around her. 

"I will. I will return. That much I promise you." 

Those two weeks were spent with each other. The young couple felt that they couldn't get enough time together as the day they both dreaded quickly approached. When that morning came, the two closely stayed by each other's sides as they waited for the designated train to pull into the station. 

Freya couldn't stop thinking about how to help Alfie feel less nervous. He was holding her hand as if his life depended on it. Then it dawned on her.

She moved to take off one of the many necklaces that hung around her neck. Making sure she had the one she wanted, she moved to stand in front of her boyfriend. He looked at her with curious eyes, wondering what she was doing. He had his answer when she held the necklace towards him. Understanding that she was trying to help, he slightly dipped his head down and felt her carefully slip it over his head. As it rested against his chest, he looked down at it, finding a small coin-sized plate hanging from the chain. The name of his girlfriend was engraved in a fancy font on the face of it. 

She had opened her mouth to speak, but the train was coming into the station, blaring its horn in the process. The other men, young and older and who had also received a letter that requested their help in the war, began saying goodbye to their significant others or their families. Slowly, Freya's eyes met Alfie's. 

"I promise to come back to you. No matter how far away I am, you'll be here in my heart. That's why you gave me this, right?" He asked as he pointed to the necklace. 

"Yes." She answered in a whisper. 

The train horn blared again, and even though the recruited men didn't want to, they all began lining up beside the train car to board it. Mothers and wives were crying while waving their sons and husbands off. Looking down at Freya, Alfie tightly embraced her. It was warm and loving, and neither wanted to let go. Reluctantly, he was the first to pull away after a solid minute. 

"Don't cry, my love." He whispered as he gently wiped away her tears. 

She placed her hands over his own, wanting to feel them in hers one last time until who knew how long. He leaned down, placing his mouth over hers, and she followed along by closing the space between them. The kiss was beautiful; familiar, and slow as they tried to be physically connected for as long as they could. When they couldn't breathe anymore, they pulled away, and after they caught their breaths, she sadly watched as he picked up his bags. 

"Can I ask you for a favor?" He spoke softly. 

"Anything." She answered quickly. 

"Will you please look after Cyril and collect my mail while I'm gone? I don't get much, if any, but I'll write to you every chance I get." He explained. 

She gave him a nod as it sank in for both of them that they were not dreaming and would be apart with neither knowing for how long. With an apologetic expression towards her, he began to also join the long line of recruited men. 

He was only 15 feet away from her, yet she was already missing his touch. So, she did what any love stricken girlfriend would do. 

"Alfie!" She called out. 

He was about to fill an empty spot in the line when he quickly turned around. He was met by Freya rushing towards him, and just before he could drop his bags, her arms were around his neck. The force that came with her was so great that he almost lost his balance, but the young men on his right and left sides steadied him. They gave him knowing smiles as they took his bags and held them for him. His arms were wrapping themselves around her waist once his hands were free. 

When she looked up at him, they kissed again, the action done in haste as the train horn was heard again. When they pulled away, Alfie rested his forehead against hers. 

"I love you." He told her with such seriousness that she couldn't help but smile. 

"I love you, too." She responded, and he slowly began to let go of her just like she did to him. The warmth they both felt from the embrace quickly turned cold as the two young men handed Alfie his bags again. Freya smiled sadly at him, earning the same smile from him.

A woman gently pulled her away from the line as it shortened, telling her that it was safer to wait by the waiting area than be too close to the tracks. Freya learned that the woman was a mother and had just said goodbye to her three sons. They both stood together, watching in fear and sadness as the train began to slowly take off. Alfie waved at her, just like the woman's sons did. The four had gotten seats right beside some windows. Freya waved back at him, trying her best to not cry so Alfie wouldn't remember her like that.

From that day, exactly one week passed until she heard from him. She was sitting in the living room of his home. Cyril was lying beside her as they both occupied the longest sofa. As she went through the mail to see if he had written to her, her heart raced when she saw her name on one envelope. She dropped the other few envelopes to the floor and got to opening hers right away. Her eyes were met by her boyfriend's handwriting, and they didn't hesitate to begin reading. 

'Freya, 

I am missing you. I know it has just been a couple of days, but I cannot wait to see you again. It is hard to be away from you for this war against France. I know that what I am doing is for the good of people, but nothing truly feels good without you. I am hoping to see you again soon. But, until then, know that I love you dearly and that I left my heart with you, my darling. 

I love you, 

-Alfie 

Tears ran down her cheeks as she realized that only a week had passed. How long would it be until they saw each other again? Would he make it back? Would this war turn him into someone she wouldn't recognize when…if…he returned? Looking at Cyril, who was closely watching her, Freya continued to softly cry. The dog became concerned, so he moved his head to be in her lap. As soon as she felt Cyril's weight, she hugged him, crying into his fur as he lowly whined. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

“Freya. Freya, can you hear me love?” Alfie called out walking through the big green forest both his shoulders and hair drenched in rain.

He has been calling out for his wife for an hour or so hoping that she didn’t go far from where they lived. Beneath his shoes the pathway was muddy in some spots trying his best to not slip. Some paces later Alfie saw a black smokey cloud in the distance. At first he thought it would be Freya’s family that were set at camp but as he made his way towards the cloud. It turned out to be the old stone bridge where he and Freya would mostly spend time together and where they first met all those years ago. It’s like he could remember it like it was yesterday.

How time flies so fast…

Seeing the smoke coming from underneath he carefully made his way down a steep path. Once making it down Alfie embraced the site of the old bridge placing a hand against its few stones. Remembering the old days of both him and Freya’s life when they would meet each other secretly. Until Freya’s father found out about their meetups one day and it caused both of them to not see or speak to each other for weeks. But eventually Freya told her father that Alfie was nothing but a gentleman and a marvelous boy towards her. Knowing that Alfie wasn’t never the type of man to lay a hand on her for any reason. Her father at first didn’t believe in her daughter for a while but eventually when one day Alfie without feeling afraid. Went to visit her home and talked with her family hoping that they will see a different perspective and let Freya be his friend. 

“If you ever do anything that will harm my lovely daughter you stay away from us and never come back. Is that understood boy?” Said Harald Freya’s father pointing a sharp finger at the young boy which in reply a nod in agreement. 

And after that discussion Freya was free to see and speak with Alfie which she was relieved that her father finally let her see her friend. It was as if that event just happened yesterday how he wished to relive that moment one more time.

Alfie then made his way towards the large opening of the bridge where he found Freya sitting on the wet cold ground. Hugging her legs together while she stared at the small campfire she made not too long ago. Her long dark brown hair was wet from the rain as well as her clothes. It didn’t bother her since she is after all a gypsy who has traveled to many places. And the rain was one of her favorite weathers feeling like she is at peace for the most part. Freya didn’t notice his presence until Alfie sat next to her. She scooted a bit to the side still feeling upset towards him not forgetting what he told her earlier. Alfie noticed this not wanting to push her buttons anymore knowing he has caused so much tonight. The crackling sound of the wood against the fire continued and Freya and Alfie didn't say much for a moment. While the sound of faint thunder was heard far towards the distance as the drops of water continued to gently pour down. Alfie wanted to say something at first but he didn’t feel brave to say anything yet. Freya tightens her long black scarf around her shoulders, feeling the cool wind feeling shivers running through her body. Noticing this Alfie without exchanging any words removed his long black coat from himself. He gently placed the warm material over Freya making her flinch but yet welcomed it. She looked him in the eyes giving off a small faint smile nodding her head in “thank you.” Alfie returned the gesture they both didn’t say much again. As some time has passed for too long Alfie finally surprising himself at the words he said next.

“I’m sorry,” is all that he could say looking forward to the fireplace.

When Freya heard him say those two words she looked at him with a confused look. Not believing in what he just heard him say.

“What did you say?” She then said wanting to make sure she heard him correctly.

Before he said anything he sat straight while clearing his throat. He turned to see his wife having to repeat himself again. Inhaling a small breath he heard himself again saying those two words he mostly never says until now.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you back at home my love. My frustration and stubbornness got the best of me and I never meant to say those things to you either. Work has been a pain in the ass these past couple of days and today was the worst of them all,” he says, lowering his eyes looking at his hands biting his lips together as he went on, “once those words came out of me mouth I knew I'd made a terrible mistake. Looking at your eyes I saw how hurt you felt and I wanted to just kill myself then and there for what I have said to the love of my life. I just…just.”

Freya could see the tears forming against his blue eyes knowing that he meant every word that he was saying to her. Seeing and hearing the guilt in his eyes and voice wishing he could take back what he didn’t mean to say. She also felt her eyes filling with tears as one teardrop stream down the corner of her right eye gently wiping it away with the back of her right hand. No words were exchanged Freya tightly hugged Alfie around his neck almost making him tilt to the side. But they both steadied themselves; she then felt his arms wrapping around her embracing in each other's arms. 

“I know you didn’t mean those words my love, but that doesn’t make me stop loving you no matter what. I love you so much my Alfie, like you don’t imagine,” she said leaning back to look him in the eyes, placing her right hand against his left cheek as their foreheads touch each other.

“I promise you at this very moment that I’ll not let my emotions get to me very easily. Because I never want to see my flower look sad and hurt ever again. And I love you too my Freya like you don’t know either,” he said back, placing a small light kiss on top of her forehead.

“I hope you know I’m not one of your workers who will tolerate your screaming and shouting, Alfie. I'm your wife." Freya reminds her husband placing both her hands on each side of his cheeks.

Alfie nods immediately. "I know, sweetheart.”

"Don't you ever do this to me again, yes?” Freya says, sounding not too angry anymore with a more relaxed smile.

He gives her a small smile while nodding again. "I wouldn't dream of it." He says as he gets closer to her. 

She can't stay mad at him forever, so she also gets closer to him. He leans down to kiss her, and when their lips touch, it all comes flooding back to him. The very first moment they shared their love for each other. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

She could only imagine the beautiful bodies of other young women he had seen before she had ever met him. How could she compare? Surely they were much more beautiful than she. Every scar she had ever earned, from quick evacuations with her family when they encountered danger throughout their travels, were on display. They were like directions to every imperfection she had. Yet there she stood in front of the edge of his bed, bare. He stood before her, wearing only boxers. His bright blue-green eyes drank in every centimeter of her skin before they looked deep into her eyes. 

"Freya," 

The way her name gently left his mouth made her heavily blush. All she could hear in his words was love. The emotion was very clear, and it gave her some relief, but not enough to wash her nerves away entirely. 

“You’re absolutely stunning; a vision, a work of art.” He spoke, genuinely meaning every word.

He slowly closed the space between them, his eyes staying on her face the whole time as he walked a few steps towards her. She suddenly held her breath. She didn’t want to tell him that this was her first time having sex. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked in a whisper. 

He could see there was some concern written on her face, and it only grew the more he looked at her. 

“Alife, I…” 

He patiently waited for her to say what she needed, 

“I’ve never had sex.” 

His face grew pink at her confession. 

“We don’t have to do anythin’, love. I would hate to make you uncomfortable.” 

“I want to.” She quickly assured him. 

Silence took over between them as they stared at each other. 

“Neither have I.” He confessed. 

“What?” She asked softly. 

“I’ve also never had sex.” He clarifies. 

“Do you still want to…with me?” She asked with hesitance. 

“It would be an honor to have you be my first, my darling.” He answered.

She smiled up at him as her body relaxed a bit more. Slowly, she reached towards him, lightly placing her hands on his bare chest. It showed scars, all of them proof of his time away from home and fighting against enemies. A small smile crossed his lips as he placed his right hand at the back of her neck. His left hand made itself at home at her lower back. Before she knew it, he gently laid her down on his bed, helping her get more comfortable before he was hovering over her. His body was flush against hers but he made sure to keep his weight off her. 

“I’ll look after you, my love.” The promise was said in a gentle voice, and it caused the rest of her nervousness to fade away. 

Slowly, he dipped his head down and his lips began to pay special attention to the crook of her neck, leaving gentle kisses along one side. A sharp inhale had him straightening up. His eyes met hers, only to receive a nod. 

“I’m alright.” She whispered as a blush appeared. 

“I will not hurt you.” He spoke once he realized that she had been enjoying herself. 

Her focus on the soft pressure of his lips against the skin of her neck was broken when an entirely new sensation caught her by surprise. His right hand had begun to slowly trail up the inside of her leg. It traveled up slowly, leaving goosebumps behind as it rested on her hip. Lifting his head once again, his eyes were glued to her. He needed to make sure she was okay with what he was doing. The look of sheer lust in his girlfriend’s eyes was enough to send a blush erupting through his cheeks. He never removed his gaze from her face as his hands met at her underbust. 

“May I?” He asks, hoping he didn’t sound as nervous as he felt. 

“Please.” She answered, arching her back off of the bed. 

He wasn’t sure if it had been the way she sweetly exhaled his name or if the sight of her so eager to be felt by him caused confidence to surge through him, but he was grateful that she trusted him so much. Slowly, his hands made their way up her sides, stopping on either side of her breasts. Very gently, he cupped them at the same time, earning a satisfied hum from her. 

“You’re warm.” She spoke, causing a chuckle to leave his mouth. 

“That’s one of the reasons you’re with me, innit?” He asked, watching a smile form on her lips. 

“One of many.” She answered, closing her eyes as his large, calloused hands began to completely cover her breasts. 

It was a nice contrast of rough against smooth. She enjoyed the way his hands held her so perfectly as his lips began kissing down her chest. They moved to kiss her left breast, then her right, and each kiss felt better than the last. He loved the way her back arched into him; it told him that he was doing a good job so far, and he wanted to keep that up. His index and thumb fingers found her nipples, and he gently began rolling them between his fingers at the same time. 

“Oh!” She moaned out. 

Her hands reached out to grab his arms, but by no means was she trying to get him to stop. Instead, she pulled him closer, and her fingers threaded his hair. She could feel immense heat between her legs, knowing that as much as she wanted to take it slow, she wasn’t going to last much longer. Her eagerness aroused him so much that his erect cock was throbbing in his boxers. Yet, he didn’t want to rush anything, for her sake. The last thing he wanted was to wind up hurting her unintentionally. His lips continued their kisses along her chest, leaving light love bites here and there, before they trailed kisses up to her neck. One of his hands left one of her breasts to gently glide down her stomach and stopped just above the place she needed his touch the most. She moaned into his mouth, hoping to convey her feeling of arousal to him enough for him to be bold enough to touch her. 

“Alfie, please.” She whimpered after they pulled away.

“You’re sure?” He hesitantly asked.

“Very sure. I need you.” 

“Say less, my darling.” He hummed out. 

He never removed his gaze from her face, his eyes boring into hers as his hands continued to move down her body while his mouth kissed every inch of her skin that was available. Finally, his fingers rested at her core, and the heat radiating from it was enough to make him groan in approval. Very slowly, his fingers circled her clit, and the look of pure relief flooded her face just as her head tilted back. Her back arched off of the bed and her hands found his hair to grab hold of. 

“Alfie…” 

The way she moaned his name had him circling her clit a little faster, wanting to see if the same blissful look would cross her face again. It did, and it made him so happy to see her enjoying his touch. His hands had done unspeakable things during the war, but none of that was important in that moment. Very slowly, he slid his finger inside of her, the accumulation of her arousal having made it an easy entrance. He slowly groaned as he felt her walls take his finger deeper, tightening around it while he gently moved it around inside of her. 

“You alright, love?” He asked, earning a moan in response. 

“More.” She breathlessly answered. 

“You’re sure?” He asked, slowing his movements. 

He stood up with his finger still inside of her, but he froze in place when she gave him a look of pure need. 

“I want you to make me yours.” She answered with such a seriousness that had his heart fluttering in his chest. 

“You're…sure?” He asked again as he hovered over her. 

“Yes.” She answered. 

His free hand made its way behind her head, lifting it enough so their mouth could meet for a loving kiss. He removed his finger from her aching walls and that hand swiftly slid down his boxers. No longer was there a barrier between them, and while it made her nervous, she found herself excited to finally be one with her boyfriend. He adjusted himself between her legs, gently parting them even more. When she caught a glimpse of his erection, heat flooded her face. It looked much too big to fit inside of her. 

“Do you want to stop?” He asked, having seen the way her eyes went a bit wide. 

“No.” She quickly answered. 

“Make me yours.”

Slowly, he brushed his cock along her soaking wet lips, causing them to slightly part. Then, very gently, he began pushing himself inside of her. Their groans harmonized for a few seconds as he stayed put for a few moments, allowing her to adjust to him. Everything felt so warm and so right when their lips connected once again. 

“You feel amazing.” He heavily sighed, the sound sending pleasant shivers up her spine. 

Her walls clenched around him each time he moved, the motion carefully done before he drove himself deeper. He held her body close against his, hoping to ease any pain that she felt. They lasted several minutes in that same position before her legs were wrapping around his waist. Their eyes met, and he could tell that she wanted more. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer. The speed of his thrusting increased, and it wasn’t long until both of them were moaning messes. She didn’t even have time to process the entirety of what was happening to her before she felt an all too strong sensation flood her body that caused her senses to be at a standstill. He stopped moving, wanting to make sure she was alright as her high ended a moment later. He peppered her face with gentle kisses before his lips were covering hers. 

“Freya, I…I’m close.” He warned her when he felt her walls fluttering around him. 

She tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, preparing herself for what was to happen. He was about to move away from her to pull out, but she was quick to stop him by his shoulders. 

“Fill me.” 

A look of shock covered his facial features when he realized she was being serious. 

“Please.” She begged, and the whine alone was enough for him to give in. 

Hugging her to himself once again, he thrusted into her a few more times before he was groaning into one side of her neck. She softly moaned at feeling his hot cum filling her. He stayed inside of her for another minute before very carefully pulling out. He was quick to lay beside her, wrapping her up in his arms as she curled into his body. He reached for his discarded shirt, draping it over her as they both caught their breath. 

“Are you okay?” He asked, being the first to break the comfortable silence that filled his bedroom. 

“Yes. Are you?” She softly asked in return. 

“Yes.” 

“Thank you.” 

He looked down at her and gave her a small smile. 

“Love, I should be the one thankin’ you for trustin’ me so much.” 

She smiled at his words as he kissed her head. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Epilogue: 5 years Later

“Where are those two rascals off too again?” Freya said to herself looking around from one room to another.

It has been a while since they moved out from Camden Town where Alfie was lucky enough to inherit a house near the beach. Margate was the name and it has been treating them fairly well where there was nothing else but a wonderful view of the sea and most of all quietness. But that wasn’t the only thing that brought the couple closer together. 

The sound of a small giggle was heard somewhere beyond the hallways which Freya knew exactly who it belonged to. 

“Alright now come out, come out wherever you all are,” called our Freya quietly tiptoeing her way towards where the chuckles were coming from. 

After Alfie and Freya got married some 3 years ago they afterwards welcomed their first child. It was such a blessing for the married couple that Alfie thought it was all a dream. Ellie was the baby girl's name, brown eyes like her mothers with a mix of stubbornness just like her father. It was a day to remember when they heard their baby’s first breath. Ever since that day Alfie was determined to be by his wife’s side, not caring if the distillery could continue without him. What mattered to him the most was his wife and daughter helping Freya out whenever she needed some time away from the baby. One late night however when Ellie was crying for hours Alfie took the baby in his arms while rocking against a wooden chair. He started to sing a lullaby to her in his mothers tongue which surprisingly made the little creature feel at ease. He also didn’t notice that her tiny hand was tightly holding onto his right index finger. He then smiled as he placed a gentle kiss against Ellie’s soft hair.

“I love you my little Ellie always and forever.” 

Freya continued to quietly make her way to the small giggles that she could still hear. Knowing that she is already near them wanting to scare them in surprise. 

“Shhh… be quiet mama is going to hear us,” said little Ellie to someone else.

A couple of months later after the birth of Ellie, Alfie and Freya then welcomed their second child. It was Alfie that encouraged Freya to have another baby which she didn’t hesitate to say no to him. Nehemiah was the boy's name that was given to him. Just like his father he wasn’t afraid of anything, always liking to get into some sort of trouble taking no for an answer but always obeyed his father whenever he would go one step far. But he would also have his moments whenever he felt like he needed to talk with his mother. Trying to also find his calmer side of himself and getting as much advice from his mother. 

“Whenever you feel angry or lost, always remember that I am here for you my love. And so is your father but just know that you're never alone my little one.”

“Oh you also be quiet Ellie I’m sure by now mama will hear us,” Nehemiah said playfully, nudging onto his sisters right arm not noticing their mothers presence.

“FOUND YOU BOTH!” Surprised Freya, making the two children scream from fright. 

Both children got on their feet quickly running away from their mother which she wasn’t too far behind. She scooped Nehemiah off from the wooden floor yelping and laughing while Freya hugged him tightly around her arms. She then placed a couple of kisses on the little boy's cheeks while feeling Ellie hug her mothers legs.

“Haha mama let Nehemiah go, how did you know we were here?” The little girl questioned, still holding onto her mothers leg.

“You both were giggling and that led me to finding your hiding place. But enough of playing around you two how about we get the table ready for dinner before papa comes home. How does that sound, my darlings?” She said kneeling in front of her two beautiful children while they nodded their head in “yes.”

Some time later it was already dark outside as the cool breeze blew ever so gently while Freya and her two children waited patiently for Alfie’s return in the living room. The crackling sound of the fireplace was heard in the background while Cyril lay down beside Ellie and Nehemiah while the children played with their toys. Freya was sitting on top of one of the couches while looking at the clock, seeing that it had passed the time Alfie should be home by now. Quietly tapping her right foot against the carpet floor the trio then heard the front door open. Indicating that they had finally returned home as Nehemiah and Ellie then ran their way out of the living room to greet their father. 

“Papa papa,” said both children in unison as Alfie opened his arms wide out to them while kneeling down. 

They all huddled down to the floor making both children giggle at their action.

“How are my two lovely children doin’ eh? I miss you all very, very much,” Alfie said as he gently stood up off the floor while Cyril nuzzled his wet nose against his owner's face.

“I also miss you as well you big mutt.”

“Ummm excuse me where is my welcoming kiss? I  hope you don’t forget about me Mr. Solomon’s,” Freya said, placing her hands on top of her hips but gave a cheeky smile.

“Hehe why would I not forget my lovely beautiful wife that always brightens my heart whenever I see her hmm?” He said getting up on his feet while Freya smiled and giggled as they both exchanged a kiss on the lips. 

“Ewwww, gross,” said Ellie, making a disgusted face which Freya found funny. 

Once the happy family settled down for dinner the night went on perfectly. As everyone feasted, Alfie and Freya held hands together as they memorized their beautiful little family. Not believing that they have come this far not expecting to have children this quickly. Alfie always thought he would only focus on himself growing his empire until his passing. But when he found Freya all those years ago as a child and saw how they both fell in love with each other. Suddenly all those ideas faded away seeing the perfect future already blooming in front of him. As dinner was ending both Ellie and Nehemiah started to grow sleepy while they all sat in the living room together. Alfie took Ellie in his arms gently taking her up stairs to her bedroom. Freya following close behind held Nehemiah in her arms while the child tried his best to stay awake. 

“Mama I’m not tired yet really,” protested the little boy but Freya wasn’t having it.

“Now my dear don’t be that way, it is late and you need your rest. And we’re going to the beach and if you don’t get your sleep you’ll be tired the next day. Now be a good boy and rest your eyes now, yes?” She said as she opened the door to the boys room as he placed him down on the soft bed. 

“Really mama, do you mean it? Oh I can’t wait to go now alright I’ll head to bed now,” cheerfully says Nehemiah as he gets himself under the bed sheets making Freya chuckle at this. 

“Very well my little Nehemiah i will see you in the morning my love. Goodnight my sweet boy,” she said, placing a gentle kiss on top of the boy's head caressing his left cheek in between.

Once Freya quietly closed the door behind her Alfie was already out of Ellie’s room. They both smiled at each other Alfie held out his hand towards his lovely wife. Freya walked up to him placing her hand on top of his making their way towards their bedroom. Once inside Alfie gently shut the door behind him and without losing another moment he embraced Freya around his arms. They both looked deep into their eyes as their foreheads touched against each other. 

“How is my lovely Queen Solomon’s feeling hm?” He asked, feeling her arms hugging around his neck while she let out a small giggle. 

“Wonderful as always you know I always still question to this day. How did I get very lucky to have you in my life Alfie? Why me and nobody else?” She questioned him wanting to hear those same words over and over again.

“Hehe do you really want me to repeat the same thing over and over again? How many times do I have to tell you my love? Because if I never met you in my life I wouldn’t have known such a wonderful spirit free and goddess like you. And that I am grateful and blessed   to say that you're my one and only woman. I wouldn’t want no one else but you my dear,” he said while gently placing Freya down against the bed hovering above her, taking in her thin lips between his.

Embracing each other in their arms they both laid there nakedly while Freya could hear her husband's heartbeat against her right ear. A small smile was spread throughout her face wanting to be like this forever. And all the while without Alfie not knowing Freya is expecting another blessing that was growing inside her womb.

I love you always and forever Alfie Solomons… until the ends of the earth…

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[misty-doodles]

AIB Executive Board found family HC's 2

He ho here are the last 4 of my exec fam. I decided not to do Arisu, but he is in my heart. as a reminder, this is a dysfunctional family unit, so there is some angst ahead.

This time on the board; Hatter, Ann, Niragi, and Lass boss.

-hatter is the fun dad. Hides the best alcohol in his room,

-also didn't intend to adopt a haggle of emotionally stunted 20 somethings', but here we go

-oh, is absolutely still gay for Aguni, but respects their friendship enough not to push it. Would 100% play matchmaker with the other execs and be fantastic at it (read this for whatever ship you desire)

-special spot for Arisu, as a fellow heart player. It is in the 'I can make him worse' kind of way, though, so this causes some grief with Aguni

-the person you go to for hair care tips, and nothing else. Can't cook for shit and would probably give you food poisoning. 

-Makes sex jokes, and every time someone covers Arisu's ears

-his slow descent into madness makes everyone sad, bc they know he's a good guy at heart. Everyone can see how the beach is slowly poisoning the humanity of those who run it, but they wouldn't have met without it. It's a sad reality the executive board face.

-Does like Niragi (again not in a good way) but they have an animosity between them. They both care for Aguni, and neither can express that properly. 

-Ann is the only one with her own brain cell, and she waves that above everyone's head.

-The older sister of the group and laughs wherever people find out she's like almost 30. Gives 'when I was your age' ironically but in a deadpan tone. Vibes with Chishiya the most bc he can be quiet.

-Wears shades all the time because she's shit at maintaining eye contact. 

-She and Mira are girl-buddies, and will sit and whisper during meetings whenever the disaster duo start arguing. 

-She likes to paint her nails different colors every day of the week, and has successfully gotten hatter, Mira, Lass Boss, and Kuzuryu to wear it as well.

-she wears heals to spite Chishiya, who is 5'5 in (1.65 m) elevated sneakers. They have peak sibling rivalry, thank you.

-the exec board likes to play 'is this woman Lesbian, Straight, or Aromantic?' bc with Ann it is honestly a toss up. (again, read this as you desire)

-Hates Niragi with her whole body, since she's quite close with Usagi. They don't get a long at all.

-Niragi is the most detached from the family unit. They all (reasonably) give him grief for the bad things he does around the beach, and he's too proud to apologize or, ya know, stop so here we are

-Being given a gun was the worst possible choice, and Hatter and Aguni both know it made him a worse person. He was a normal asshole with anger issue before, and since joining the militants he's become…. Well…

-He is a game engineer nerd at heart, tho, and will occasionally go off on a 20-minute tangent on something game related. The exec's find this side of him very cute.

-Although he doesn't care for other's lives, he's usually the one who can find loopholes in games that would allow for the least amount of deaths. He doesn't say this, ofc, but he does know it.

-Best friends with Lass Boss, and is the only one who gets first name privileges. They sometimes vibe in comfortable silence when no one else is around. Lass boss knows the most personal facts about him, and his silent acceptance is why Niragi likes him. They're platonic soulmates, no romance, thank you.

-Actually really likes Arisu and wants him around, but doesn't know how to do that in a healthy way besides making him as fucked up  (i.e removing Usagi from the picture). On a good day, they can have a semi-civil convo about games and be nerds together. 

-Has the most respect for Aguni and views him as a sort of father, but won't acknowledge that for shit. He knows hatter is what makes Aguni sad, unintentionally or not, and that's why he hates the man so much. Aside from the fact he's a bad leader.

-Lass boss is certainly neurodivergent, you can decide in what way

-A dyslexia journalist, (he just like me fr)

-Doesn't talk much, but agreed to be a chill militant with a stabby stabby obsession. Aside from that, probably the least problematic militant. Still not great, but really they're all different flavors of 'please seek help'

-Would have an in depth discussion on certain books with Kuzuyu, and they'd be very analytical. 

-Respects Kuina for her fighting skills and the fact she can do it in a bikini

-Gender? Fuck if Lass boss knows or cares. He/They/it pronouns, but you'd only know from context clues. Literally never came out, people just figured it out. 

-Would rather die than obey the swimsuit rule, and hatter has come to accept this.

-Is one of the few exec members who can cook, and since Niragi can bake, they're a functioning unit in the kitchen.

-(ha i did this all without using third-person singular pronouns without even trying)

[featheryfoxes]

Have a Palia Ot4 thingy

Hassian

The hunter's love was shown in actions. Small things that felt so much larger.

If Tish mention offhandly that antlers were just the thing to bring a piece together the next day a Proudhon antler would be in her workshop. She always had enough hide and fur to work with. Najima would find a chappa plushie on her bed after the Majia market without even a lecture on how they were invasive. 

Hodari would find herbal remedies on his workbench, ones for the back pain he complained about, for the nightmares he still woke up from tangled between three other bodies.  Adriana found she rarely had to hunt anymore, and would find the spice she just finished using replenished by nightfall.  

He listened and worked to make sure they had everything they needed. He still had issues opening up to them, but the three understood. More than understood if Tish’s rather terrifying confrontation with Tamala was anything to go from. 

Hodari

He was a father, and it showed in everything he did. Hodari wanted to take care of the people he loved, to keep them well and safe. He never wanted to lose someone else again.

He made sure Hassian knew the younger man to have a shoulder to lean on  if he needed it, that he knew being open about grief was difficult but needed. He was no Sifu but he took care in crafting arrows for the hunter, maintaining the paladin on his shoulder. 

Hodari helps Tish with her work, retrieving ore and smelting it. Crafting ornate filigree for her designs ; inspired by her visions and high-spirited creativity. He visits her shop at lunch, food in hand to make sure she takes a break.

Adriana rarely slept, up exploring the world new to her, helping literally everyone in town or trying to piece together exactly what happened to her people and why she was here.  So when night fell and his lovers start tucking into bed he makes sure to go out to find her. Reminds her that sleep is something even humans need and that the favor, the crops, and the questions can wait until tomorrow. 

Tish

Tish spent half her life being taken care of. It came easy to her: maybe too easy to hear Hassian complain when he finds her doing Reths sidework for the hundredth time.  

She cared with the soft rope tied around Hassian’s wrists when the hunter couldn’t turn off his mind, in the room she made for him bringing the wild into their home; a sanctuary that only they knew about. In the way she threw Tamala out of her shop when the woman made snide remarks on they relationship. 

She cared with the way Hodari rested against her chest, curled together as he hid muffled tears. In the workshop that was big enough for them both to create and work, furniture made with ideas from Nijuma. Stations solid enough to take rough work and experiments of metal and fire. 

Cared for her sweet Ria, helping her garden; patching up injuries from falls, from old temple ruins sharp and dangerous. Listening to wild theories that end with quiet panic of why now, of what did we do. What if it happens again? 

Adriana 

She was so very human about her care.  

It was cooking their favorite meals for birthdays, old but new holidays that she remembered and showed them. 

It was learning of Tish and Hassian’s almost romance, seeing the feelings still there and pulling them back together.  Seeing the lonely set of Hodari’s shoulders and offering friendship than more between the four. 

She showed love by helping Najuma test projects carving out part of her plot for the young inventor. Making sure she remained safe to ease Hodari's worry. 

Showed care in the way she created spaces for them in her home, to get away from the world. The way she held each through grief and pain, and allowed herself to be held. She loved fiercely, touches given freely and softly. 

[fics-n-stuff-n-stuff]

Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia Gray Fullbuster/Juvia Lockser Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox

all fairy tail characters basically - Character

Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic

Fluff and Angst

Romance

Friendship developing feelings

Lucy has new spirits I checked constellations and gave her ones I thought were cool

Summary

Lucy is thrown into a world she didn’t know existed. Join her as she unravels this new world full of magic that brings adventure, romance and destruction along with it.

———

Just a modern re-telling of Fairy tail following its arcs with a few twists and turns along the way💞

You can also read it here

——————————————————

Chapter 4

Lucy didn't want to admit it, but so far she was having fun with Natsu on their job.

She just wasn't sure he was feeling the same.

Looking down at the man doubled over in pain on the seat next to her, she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him.

'I see why he asked me if we could walk to Peace Village now.' She thought with a grimace looking at his green, slightly sweaty skin.

"How is your motion sickness this bad?" Lucy asked, more to herself, but Natsu seemed to have heard her as he let out a low whine, turning to look at her, green face and all.

"It's a drakon thing, Wendy has the same problem. We can't handle transportation." He made a gagging noise in between sentences, as the train hit a bump on the track.

"Oh that sucks, we'll be there soon I promise. Why don't you try and sleep it off, huh?" She suggested.

He straightened as best he could in his seat, looking at her through half-closed eyes, and promptly sprawled himself over her lap.

"What are you doing?" Lucy squeaked.

"I need to be comfortable so I can sleep, do ya mind?" One of his eyes turned to her, and he looked so pathetic that she couldn't turn him down.

"I don't mind, just don't puke on me!"

"Aye." He mumbled, burrowing his head in her stomach.

Staring down at him, she watched his breath start to even out, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach at the intimate contact, and the way she could feel his breath through her shirt.

Tentatively she put one of her hands in his hair, lightly scratching his head.

"Huh, it's softer than I thought it would be"

Lucy said quietly to herself out loud as she turned her head and looked out the window thinking back to the previous days she spent in the guild, meeting new people and picking her first job.

* ********* ********** ********** ********* *

When they returned from Hargeon with Lucy's things they put them in the temporary room she was staying in at the guild.

After putting everything away, Lucy finally met more of her new guild members.

Gray Fullbuster was a snarky, slightly sarcastic man, who had a serious stripping problem, but he was nice and fun to talk to. That is when he and Natsu weren't trying to kill each other.

The woman who could drink like no other, she learned to be Cana Alberona, an exceptionally talented witch, that excels in tarot cards.

The girl offered Lucy a reading, and they agreed to do it when she returned from her job.

She also met Macao, and his son Romeo, who both had fire magic, though different and not as powerful as Natsu's, but still very cool.

Wakaba and Nab had been interesting characters to meet as well, the former having a type of smoke magic, and was never seen without his smoking pipe, while the latter Lucy learned through Gray, was always standing by the job board, but never actually picked out any jobs.

Bisca and Alzack were quite a duo as well, they were a couple, who had an old western vibe to them, and their magic was composed of magical weapons, like shotguns and the sort.

Lucy had to admit, they were cute together and seemed to pull off the Western theme.

Everyone was incredibly nice and welcoming, and extremely curious about her magic, as if they'd never seen anything like it before.

'Sure, Natsu can eat fire, but the moment one of my magical keys summons a person from a different realm it's a cause for gawking' Lucy thought, remembering how freaked out she was when she witnessed Natsu slurp up fire.

After showing Mira and Levy the key she found whilst, in Hargeon, Levy urged her to summon it in the guild so they could all see.

The spirit Lucy had acquired turned out to be Crux the Cross.

He was an odd one if you asked her. With the body of a man, the head of a cross, with a mustache to top. He was asleep when he came out of the golden light.

Levy, as well as anyone else in the vicinity, marveled at her power, and that was when Lucy learned that her Spirit Summoning was thought to be lost magic to their world.

She recalled the man that bound her magic telling her father she was the last known summoner.

"They were supposedly eradicated on the orders of a dark mage, known as Zeref," Levy told her after she had made a contract with Crux. "There aren't many records left about them, it happened a long time ago. But I guess at least one of them survived, considering you're here."

Lucy decided to summon Crux again with Levy there so they could both learn more about her magic once she returns from her job since Levy seemed just as eager to learn about it as Lucy.

The Cross spirit turned out to be an encyclopedia of sorts, having information about the history of spirits as well as their Summoners. He was a kind if not a bit aloof old man, and Lucy's heart swelled for the spirit.

After talking with Levy, the other girl excused herself, having to go finish some translating work she was hired for.

Lucy then turned to ask Mira to inform her more about the jobs they have to offer, explaining how Natsu asked her to go on one with him.

Mirajane had a wicked look in her eyes when Lucy informed her that she was going on a job with the pink-haired man, making Lucy wonder if she should have asked someone else for help.

After schooling her features the older girl explained to Lucy that there were several different ranked jobs, and usually the higher the reward, the more dangerous the job was.

There was also a special class of jobs specifically for S-ranked mages, the more powerful ones.

Those had rewards with billions on them.

She then pointed to the bulletin board on the raised platform and told Lucy to go check it out.

Natsu joined her as soon as he saw her looking at the board, and tried to persuade her to go fight some monsters that are on Mount Hakobe.

That was when Lucy had to remind him that she only had one fighting spirit, that one spirit needed water to be summoned, and she didn't even have the stamina to keep her gate open long enough to fight.

He pouted at her, saying she didn't need to fight he could kick ass for both of them, but Lucy wouldn't budge. If they were going on a job together she wanted to be able to contribute in some way.

She ended up choosing a job that seemed simple enough, it was a good amount of money offered but it didn't sound as scary as some of the others.

They were to meet their client in Peace Village, retrieve a rare book, and safely deliver it to a scholar near Desert Village.

Taking the paper to Mira, she asked her if this would be a good one to take, the white-haired girl approved telling her it was perfect for a first job, and stamped the paper for Lucy.

* ********* ********** ********** ********* *

"Natsu, Natsu wake up, we're at our station, and if you don't get up, you're gonna be stuck on the train till the next one."

Natsu felt his bed moving and heard a familiar voice call for him to wake up.

"2 more minutes Happy." He mumbled out, trying to remember where he was, and why he felt so sick.

"Who's Happy? Just get up already, the train is about to take off again."

With a sudden jerk, Natsu found himself waking up on the floor in between two train seats, and a blonde girl staring down at him in amusement.

"Luce?" He asked dumbly.

"Come one, we have to go." She pulled him up and out of the train.

The moment he hit solid ground Natsu got out of Lucy's hold and bent down, kissing and revering the pavement.

"Oh sweet solid ground, how I've missed you." Natsu muttered, his senses returning to him slowly.

He could hear the train leaving the station, the people walking and talking all around him, and smell the merchant products that they were selling at the market next to the station.

A young girl crying in one of the bathrooms, a child crying for their mother. A man and a woman fighting.

He took a calming breath, trying to slow down his heartbeat and readjust to the smells and sounds coming from every direction.

As he was trying to find something to focus on, a hand landed on his shoulder and his nose caught the scent of lavender and sage, he heard a giggle come from the girl next to him.

"And you call me weird. Come on, we need to meet our client and then I'll treat you to some food, how does that sound?"

Lucy asked him, and all of Natsu's nausea and disorientation from the steel death trap evaporated at the mention of free food. He perked up instantly, flashing her a smile.

"Yes! I'm all fired up now. Let's go get some food." He took her hand in his and pulled her from the station into the village.

"We are meeting with our client first!" She yelled after him but he ignored her, running even faster and cackling as she yelled at him to slow down.

They're going to be a great team, Natsu thought.

* ********* ********** ********** ********* *

The meeting with their client went smoothly, the man was polite enough and gave them the book wrapped in cloth and safely secured in a satchel, as well as the address of where they were supposed to deliver it.

When they parted, he warned them not to open the book, and to protect it with their lives.

Lucy was a little spooked at his warning, hands clutching the satchel around her shoulder.

When she took the mission she was under the impression that it was a somewhat tame job, with minimal danger.

I mean how dangerous could delivering a book be?

Now, she didn't know what to think, she could feel a malicious, twisted sort of magic on her hip emanating from the book.

"Hey, Natsu." She called out to the man walking slightly in front of her, arms crossed behind his head as he tried to sniff out a place where they could eat.

She noticed in the few days of knowing Natsu that Levy was not exaggerating when she said Drakons have heightened senses. As she noticed that Natsu could hear a great deal, and from great distances.

His nose seemed to be like a bloodhound's as well. He could always sniff out the best places to eat.

And that's what they were doing right now.

Walking the streets of the village, looking for somewhere they could eat and sleep, preferably both at the same place, after deciding to stay the night here and continue traveling in the morning so Natsu could at least eat one meal and get a good night's sleep.

"Yeah?" He answered her, looking over his shoulder.

"Do- Can you feel the magic coming from this thing too?" Lucy asked him quietly, knowing he would hear.

Stopping in his tracks, he turned so he was standing in front of her, a serious look on his face.

"Yeah, felt it the moment we entered that droopy-eyed guy's house. It smells evil, so no reading it." He told her and she scoffed at him.

"I wasn't going to read it." She shot back, not believing her own words, she did think about sneaking a peak, but just at the cover! She didn't want to open it!

"Right, like I believe that, the room ya have back at Fairy Tail is filled with books, ya were thinkin' about it." He snorted at her, bringing his hand to flick her forehead with two fingers.

"Come on, I can smell some good barbecue this way." And just like that, his focus was back on food.

Lucy sighed, touching her hand on her forehead for a second, it was still warm where his fingers touched.

Shaking her head with a smile, she followed after him, clutching the bag close to her the entire way.

* ********* ********** ********** ********* *

Lucy thought things were going pretty well for her first mission. And that's probably what jinxed it.

They managed to leave Peace Village early the next morning and arrived at Desert Village around 11 am.

It will take them about an hour to walk to where the man they were delivering the book to lived. Lucy decided last night to pity Natsu and agreed to walk the hour route.

They grabbed some quick breakfast at the station when they arrived and started a steady trek towards their destination.

Not ten minutes after leaving Desert Village Lucy saw Natsu tense slightly turning his head to the side and sniffing the air.

"Natsu?" She asked the pinkette as he continued to smell the air.

"We got someone followin' us." He muttered so low that she could barely hear him if they weren't next to each other.

Lucy felt fear envelop her at his words, her hands subconsciously clutching the satchel closer to her.

"Are you sure?" She trusted his nose, but she had to ask, hoping it was a coincidence.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I caught their scent when we were walking through the village, I didn't think about it till I smelt them following us now." He told her, and her heart sank.

"Okay, so what do we do? Do we keep walking and see what they're gonna do or?" Lucy asked him, rationalizing that he had more experience than her and should know what to do.

Instead of answering her question, Natsu turned so he was facing the trees next to the road they were walking on.

"Come out ya bastards, I know you're there!" He yelled and Lucy felt like she was going to faint.

'What was he thinking?!'

There was a slight rustling through the trees. "It seems you have caught us, now, hand over the book and no one gets hurt." A voice said, coming from the forest.

"Come out ya coward so I can beat your ass!" Natsu antagonized the voice and Lucy knew at that moment that he was an idiot and that she was going to die.

Hitting him upside the head she yelled at him. "Are you crazy! Why did you do that?"

He rubbed the back of his head, turning to look at her with a wide-eyed expression. "Hey, what'dya to that for."

"Me? I'm not the one challenging our stalker to a fight!" She exclaimed.

Before either of them could do anything, an explosion sent them flying in opposite directions, and suddenly they were surrounded by 4 men, dressed in black hoods, and their faces covered by masks.

"Now I'm all fired up! Come at me ya sons of bitches." Natsu yelled out as he covered his body in flames and took on a fighting stance.

"You should pay more attention to the enemy, instead of fighting each other."

The same voice that spoke to them earlier said, making Lucy look up, disoriented from the blast her surroundings came into focus and she saw a man by her side, before she could move, or scream, he ripped the satchel from her and started running.

Not even thinking about it, Lucy ran after the man following him through the forest.

She had faith in Natsu and knew he could take down those thugs without breaking a sweat. Lucy also knew he would be able to, for a lack of better word, sniff her out when he was done with his fight.

Lucy had never been more thankful than today that her father insisted on her having a 'proper' physical education and hired private coaches for her.

She may not know how to fight, but she at least had the stamina to run.

It took her a couple of minutes to catch up to him, he seemed to have run into a clearing, not noticing her following, the man stopped running and opened the satchel, going for the book.

Picking up her pace, Lucy put all of her into the run and charged straight for the thief.

'I can't let him open it!' She thought to herself.

The moment she was in touching distance she threw herself into him, taking him by surprise and knocking him over, the book fell out of his hands and landed a few meters from them.

They both hit the ground hard, Lucy on top of the other man, thinking on her feet, she started attacking him as best she could.

With a war cry, Lucy punched and slapped the man, who tried his best to avoid the attacks.

Not focusing on keeping him pinned down and loosening her hold he managed to push her off with force making her cry out and land roughly on her back.

"You bitch, you're gonna pay for that." The man told her, voice rough.

He held his hands out and a ball of energy was suddenly coming towards her, jumping to the right to avoid getting hit Lucy barely managed to move on time.

"Fuck" she muttered.

"Aren't you gonna fight back?" The man taunted her, throwing another blast her way.

Lucy moved, but not fast enough and the impact knocked her off her feat.

"Is this what Fairy Tail mages are like? Pathetic." He spit out at her as he walked closer.

Lucy managed to get up on shaky feet, clutching the arm that she fell on. 'I think my shoulder popped out.' She thought, not taking her eyes off her opponent.

"Fuck you. You know nothing about Fairy Tail and the people that are a part of it! They are all amazing mages and individuals, they help and protect people. Something you will never understand. So don't go running your mouth." She launched at him as she finished her impromptu speech, but he saw her coming and sent another blast her way.

She had no time to dodge this one, it was coming fast, Lucy closed her eyes, putting her hands in front of herself for some protection, bracing herself for impact.

Only to feel warmth envelop her entire being, opening her eyes Lucy gasped, she was on fire.

She was on fire. 'What the actual fuck?'

Natsu. It had to be, how else would she be on fire, and not burnt to a crisp?

Looking up, she noticed the energy blast getting disintegrated by the fire before it could make an impact.

The mage in front of her was dumbfounded, staring at her with his mouth open.

Before either of them could comprehend what just happened, Natsu burst out of the tree line with a roar.

"Fire Dragon, Iron Fist!" He shouted as he punched the thief with a flaming fist, sending the man flying through a couple of trees before blacking out.

Lucy followed the trajectory of the man, wincing slightly at the damage done to the forest around them.

"You okay Luce?" Natsu was at her side, hand on her chin, turning her face to look at him.

He had a fervent look in his eyes as he assessed her, brows furrowing and eyes hardening as he noticed her shoulder.

"The hell where ya thinkin', just runnin' off on your own?" He scolded, hands moving to hold her shoulder.

Lucy winced when he put pressure on it.

"I'm gonna hafta pop it back in, on the count of three, okay?" He told her, apologetic eyes finding hers.

Lucy nodded her head and grit her teeth, mentally preparing herself for the pain to come.

"One, two-" and with a twist of his hands the shoulder popped back in its socket with a scream from Lucy.

"And three. There" He said pulling his hands back and giving her some space, but hovering close enough to help her if she needed it.

"Thank you, and sorry for running off it's just," she nodded towards the book in the middle of the clearing and went to pick it up and put it back into the satchel "He used the fact that I was disoriented to steal the book and you were busy with the others." She shrugged her good shoulder at him.

"I knew you were going to be fine, and honestly I didn't even think about it. I just ran."

Natsu stared at her intensely for a moment before letting out a sigh and finally relaxing.

"Just, don't go runnin' off alone, okay?" He asked, gentler this time. And Lucy could tell he was worried about her.

"I won't. Let's get going, we lost time with the fight. Should we call someone about them?"

Lucy asked as she stood next to Natsu, the satchel back around her shoulders, she could already feel her injury healing slowly.

'Huh, Wendy was right.' Lucy thought.

"I called ahead, don't worry, someone's on their way to arrest them." He gestured for her to walk in front of him and they started walking again.

"That was cool what you did back there." Lucy said out of the blue.

They've been walking in comfortable silence since the attack, both alert and looking out for any more trouble.

As they were nearing their destination, Lucy thought back to how Natsu's flames had enveloped her body, and how she felt protected in its blaze.

The man in question turned his head to look at her, confusion evident in his eyes.

"The way your fire surrounded me and stopped the attack? I would've been a goner if it had hit me." Lucy elaborated, making Natsu look away quickly, a hand coming to rub the back of his neck.

Huh, he was either embarrassed or uncomfortable.

"Yeah, it was. I didn't think I'd get to you in time so I sent a blast instead." He shrugged it off.

Lucy hummed in response, deciding to drop the subject since it seemed to bother Natsu.

"Look, I think that's it!" He exclaimed suddenly, and Lucy looked to where he was pointing.

Sure enough, a small cottage was in view, tucked between some trees, with moss growing on the roof. It looked cozy.

They approached the house and knocked on the door, a few moments later an older dark skinned man opened the door.

"Good afternoon, how may I help you?" He asked them politely, and as his eyes looked at Lucy they widened "Layla?" He asked softly, almost in disbelief.

Ignoring the look on his face Lucy cleared her throat and smiled slightly before answering. "Good afternoon, we are Fairy Tail mages." She flashed her left hand to him, showing her guild mark. "We are here to deliver a book?"

The man shook his head and smiled at them. "Yes! Of course, welcome! Come in, please." He opened his door wider and stepped to the side to let them in.

"My name is Lucian Grayson. I have been expecting you, but you can never be sure these days." He told them as he gestured for them to sit at the round table by the kitchen area.

"Can I offer you some tea? Or maybe water?"

"I am Lucy, and this is Natsu, yes to the water, if it isn't a bother. We ran into some trouble on the way here. I should warn you they were after the book." Lucy told the man.

He should be aware that people might come after him because of it.

"I am sorry to hear you were attacked, here have some refreshments." He set a plate of cookies on the table and two glasses of water.

Natsu instantly went for the cookies, stuffing his face.

"These are good." He mumbled with a mouthful, making Lucy cringe slightly at his lack of decorum.

Slapping him on the back of his head, Lucy snapped "Don't talk with your mouth full, and don't just shove them in either."

She heard Lucian let out a laugh at their interaction and she turned to face him, cheeks flushing red.

"I apologize for that, thank you for the cookies." Lucy said politely to the man.

Reaching into the satchel she took the book out and placed it on the table.

Lucian took it, carefully tracing the spine with his fingers.

"Might I ask what this book is exactly?" Lucy asked him and he looked up at her.

"It is known as the book of Zeref. Well, this is one of them. Nemesis. There are several

out there, not all of them books, technically.

All varying in power. This one in particular has a nasty array of spells and possessions." He explained voice grave.

The atmosphere in the room dropped.

"Zeref, I've heard that name before. He's the dark mage that annihilated the spirit summoners." Lucy said, remembering Levy's story about him ordering the attack.

Lucian froze at her words, eyes snapping to hers, he looked at her with a question in his eyes. "You're Layla's daughter aren't you?" He then asked softly.

"You look so much like her, I thought I saw a ghost when I opened the door." He continued

"I, yes, I am Layla's daughter. I'm sorry, how did you know my mother?" Lucy asked, a little confused.

"We were part of the same guild in our younger days." The man said with a reminiscent laugh, pulling up his shirt sleeve to show a dark blue mermaid on his forearm.

"You were a part of Lamia Scale." Natsu supplied.

"Yes, I was already a member when Layla joined, she was maybe 16 back then. We were good friends." Lucian told them, a nostalgic smile on his face as he reminisced.

Lucy smiled at the thought of her mom being a part of a guild. How did Lucy not know this? And at 16? Mom told her she met her father when they were in their early twenties so her mother had spent a good part of her life in a guild.

'Why did she never tell me? Why didn't she stay?' Lucy thought to herself, feeling a pang in her heart at the fact that she never really got to know her mother.

She felt a warm arm wrap around her shoulder, and the scent of smoke and pine filled her senses. Natsu squeezed her good shoulder and Lucy relaxed into his hold.

Lucian was observing them, and then suddenly he stood up. "I have something to give you."

He walked towards a bookshelf that was covering one of the walls of the cabin, it was filled to the brim, not only with books but various objects, and what looked like bottles of bright liquids.

He searched for a few moments before pulling out an ornate box, similar to the one Master Makarov gave her when she retrieved her memories.

"I received this almost 11 years ago, it was sent by someone from your estate after your mother's passing." He explained, bringing the box to Lucy.

"There was a letter that stated it was her last wish for her beloved spirits to be in the care of her trusted friends and allies all over Fiore. I do not know who else received them, but I can give you this one. As it belongs rightfully to you."

Lucian placed the box in her hands, and Lucy thanked him, looking down at the box. Hands trembling slightly.

She felt warmth wrap around her, and Natsu's presence at her back, grounding her.

She opened the box carefully to reveal a golden key, with the sign for Virgo engraved on the top.

Lucy looked up at Lucian, with tears in her eyes. "Thank you, truly, for not only this. But being a friend to my mother and protecting her spirit all these years."

Lucian smiled back at her warmly.

"It was my pleasure, and I am glad to see you love them as much as she did." He told her and Lucy felt a few tears escape and cascade down her cheek.

[bridgertonbabe]

In the Royals AU, do they ever have to tackle rumours about Eloise being bi or lesbian? Or does she accidentally create those rumours herself by joking about Penelope being her "bedfellow"?

Some of the European royal courts have in recent years made statements about royals being able to marry who they want or the very diplomatic, "what's allowed for normal citizens is allowed for the royal members", so I'm curious how you see the Bridgerton royals tackle this topic & especially if rumours start to flurry about one of the kids' sexuality

Honourary mention to King Karl Johan who during his reign cancelled over 200 newspapers because the newspapers wouldn't stop speculating if he was gay & had an affair with the Prime Minister. The rumours started because it was public knowledge that the King had meetings with the PM in the King's bedroom, the explanation was that the King couldn't cope with the cold Swedish weather hence he had to stay in bed when the PM was visiting. You probably won't be able to do anything with that knowledge, I just find the whole thing funny & it's one of my favourite stories to tell 😂

So with Eloise being so righteous in promoting a woman's right to be independent and not need a man to be validated in life, of course it opens up the public and media speculation that the princess is the least hetero-normative of her siblings. Coupled with the fact that she's never been reported to have been in a relationship before (especially in comparison to her siblings), most people believe that Eloise is closeted - in public, at least.

In truth, Eloise was a late-bloomer when it came to dating and relationships, being so staunchly focused on her studies and dismissive of needing romance to fulfill her that it wasn't until her last year of uni that she had her first kiss with her tutor, Theo. They secretly dated for the remainder of her time at university but beyond being intellectual equals with some shared interests, there wasn't enough there to build a serious relationship on and they amicably parted ways. It was only following this first foray in being with another person that Eloise began to crush on others - at which point she realised she was getting the hots for girls as much as she was for guys. By this time her sexuality was already a topic of conversation in the media and while Eloise wanted to be out and proud, she didn't want the media scrutiny in her life by becoming the first openly queer member of the royal family, knowing just how awful the tabloid press could be or how they might paint her confirmed sexuality in an unattractive light just to sell papers.

Eloise found herself between a rock and a hard place because while she wasn't ready to be out about her sexuality in public, there was still the difficulty of exploring her bisexuality in private. She had never been one to keep big social circles like her brothers and she wasn't trusting enough of people in general to think that stories wouldn't be sold on her and her dating life. It was bad enough that her close and only friendship with Penelope was already raising eyebrows that they were in a long-term lesbian relationship, and quite frankly she dreaded being pictured with anyone due to the constant speculation (and seeing as everyone assumed they were more than friends Eloise ended up asking Penelope if they could practice kissing each other so Eloise could be better experienced for when she eventually managed to find someone to be in a relationship with).

But in spite of her close-knit social circle, Eloise did manage to find someone she could date without the relationship leaking; Edwina Sharma. They had been close since Kate and Anthony got together but it wasn't until they were hanging out one night, drinking and lamenting of their shared frustration of their dating lives being so heavily focused on in the public eye that they found themselves making out before waking up together the next morning. For the next eighteen months they were quite contently dating (and while they were snapped hanging out together the papers reported on them being nothing more than gal pals) and Eloise even began seeing their relationship making it in the long run to the point that she suggested to her girlfriend that they could come out together - but to her great disappointment Edwina didn't want their relationship to come to light. While she did love Eloise she didn't want their relationship and sexualities to come to light. She had enough press attention as one of the country's leading supermodels as well as being the queen's sister, and she told Eloise she couldn't bear the thought of the media circus that would forever surround her if she came out as being gay and in a relationship with the king's sister. Eloise tried to win her round, envisioning them being a power couple and an inspiration for the queer community but Edwina shattered her hopes when she told the princess she didn't want that before ending the relationship.

Eloise closed herself off to dating as she recovered from her heartbreak and threw herself into her royal duties even more, particularly when it came to charities and programs promoting women's rights. From time to time she considered coming out and she regularly discussed the matter with Benedict and Sophie - both of whom understood her dilemma as while they were comfortable in their sexuality, they didn't want the media to make a big song and dance over it by coming out, especially with how cruel the tabloids had been towards Sophie - but always ended up opting out of opening up about her bisexuality to the public.

When she got with Phillip she was even less keen to address her sexuality publicly, apprehensively imagining the speculation that would come with it of people assuming her marriage was just a cover-up by the royal family. She began to make peace with the fact that her sexuality was only a matter for behind closed doors - but then one day Eloise came across Amanda playing with her Barbie dolls and making them kiss and her step-daughter stated that her Barbie thinks kissing Ken dolls is gross and that kissing other Barbies is better because they're so much prettier; and in an instant Eloise decided to make a public statement of her sexuality. She wanted to be a role model to her daughter, to show her she never needed to hide her true self away and that she should be proud of her identity.

At an LGBTQ+ charity event, Eloise made an uplifting and powerful speech in support of people being more accepting before biting the bullet and sharing how she identified as a member of the queer community herself. She declared her bisexuality and spoke out against bi-erasure, knowing how easily people could dismiss her just because she married a man and completely missing the point of what being bisexual means. While she got a resounding cheer and round of applause in the room, she was terrified to face the rest of the world and all of their opinions; but much to her relief the reaction was overwhelmingly positive (and even though there were still certain factions who criticised or talked shit about her, she didn't let their judgment bother her in the slightest).

[two-sides-samecoin]

Yeah, you are right, even without genders being considered and even if Ronance was a straight ship, I would still think the same way because of Robin and Steve's friendship situation. Logically if Ronance were to happen it would have to take a lot of time to wrap up and focus, and there ought to be some sort of a conflict coming in between Steve and Robin's friendship, especially since we canonically know Steve has trouble moving on from Nancy and has feelings for her, and Nancy and his break up was not even good. I just think by saying 'we are reducing the situation to a man's feelings' people are trying to prove themselves as right and ignore what is represented.

yeah like people just act blown away by the fact that we don’t want robin dating steve’s ex but i’m 100% sure if steve was a woman everyone would be screaming about girl code which is don’t date your friend’s exes. like please the whole ‘why are you caring about a man’s feelings’ is the worst thing to ever say about this especially with how sexist they’re being. and regardless dating a friends ex is weird. also like that whole thing is just an excuse so they can feel better about themselves- THATS IT! it’s just an excuse in their brain so that they can ship it and want it canon. meanwhile in canon it would take a lot of work for them to be actually shipping. honestly ronance only works in fanon when they’re only together for a couple of weeks, stobin’s friendship suffers, and ronance wants to kill each other. llike THEY AINT EVEN COMPATIBLE!! it’s also just insulting that the fandom just gets annoyed about romance in the show but then shows their true colors when they think this shit is excusable to do to your friends in the sake of romance. like y’all just double standards and stabbing your friends in the back. i wouldn’t be surprised if they do this shit to their own friends so glad i ain’t irl friends with y’all so i don’t have to be friends with some of y’all but condolences to their irl friends

[emmym1]

My thoughts on... (Part 1) Spider-Gwen/Spider-Man: Sitting In A Tree & Spider-Gwen 2015B (#19-23) "Predators"

So i finished reading both the Spider-Gwen/Spider-Man: Sitting In A Tree & the Predators arc that follows right after it. I will say i was a bit dissapointed with the crossover however the Predators arc was really amazing! So Spider-Gwen/Spider-Man: Sitting In A Tree crossover was very okayish. The Spider-Women crossover was a lot better story and character wise. I feel like there was a lot of wasted potential exploring Gwen & Miles' friendship and bonding over their spidey related troubles (the Spider-Verse movies handle it so much better). Also i really didn't like the romance angle, it just doesn't work with their comic versions and the crossover would've been a lot better without it. Regardless, i still had a fun time reading it and it had some cool and interesting moments. Now for the Predators arc, that was AMAZING stuff! Gwen has basically lost all control over her life at this point. Murdock is breathing down her neck being super infuriated that she isn't holding up her end of the deal and that's she's not as useful as she can be with those power ups she has to take to temporarily get her powers back. To make things worse, the entire reason she originally took this deal - getting her dad out of prison - isn't working out as he doesn't want to cooperate. Captain Stacy knew very well what he was doing when he let himself get arrested. He wants his trial to be a stage for him to tell the truth about Spider-Woman, to tell everyone she isn't the bad guy they think she is. It was his plan from the start so he doesn't want any of Murdock's help. Which frustrates Murdock a lot so he sends the Rhino to beat him up in his own prison cell. So i wonder how Gwen is gonna react to that. Speaking of Gwen & Murdock. Things have gotten super interesting between them. Before Matt was able to offer her unlimited power ups meaning Gwen needed the kingping of crime to be Spider-Woman and was completely dependent on him. But now with the help of Elsa Brock they have found a way to not only give gwen her powers back but also cure Harry Osborn from the lizard formula. Because up until now he only had access to a supressant given to him by Gwen that temporarily supresses the lizard formula. As it turns out if the lizard formula mutates when coming in contact with the isotope/power ups that Gwen uses. Upon contact it removes the lizard gen and turns into a black goo also known as Venom (it's really cool that Venom on this earth is kinda artificially made). Upon bonding with a host Venom gives the host spider-like powers and in return it absorbs the isotope/power up in the host. Problem is that upon doing this it starts to become radioactive ultimately killing it's host. However due to Gwen being immune to radioactivity it wouldn't kill her. Meaning she gets all her powers back for good.

[sunshine304]

Movies watched in 2023: Dungeons & Dragons - Honor Among Thieves

(crossposted from Dreamwidth)

I had a blast watching “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”! Everyone who wants to have a good time and doesn’t have an intense hatred of all things fantasy should go and watch this, because I want this movie to be successful and have many sequels. Not necessarily with all the same characters, because some character arcs seem to have come to a satisfying conclusion, but in this world and with this general tone of delight in the subject matter. That would be great!   What I love especially about this movie by directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (“Game Night”, which already should be an indicator for quality comedy) is that it’s very accessible even for people who are unfamiliar with the whole DnD world/game. I’ve never played it and I only know a little bit about how it works. I guess that a DnD player will get a whole lot more out of this movie than I did, because I’m sure there are many fun things to discover for fans in this movie. I also know that players found many scenes very relatable, easily imagining what that scene would look like being played around a table. But even if you're totally unfamiliar with DnD, this movie is very entertaining.

But what is the movie about?

Roguish Bard Edgin (Chris Pine) and his best friend Holga (Michelle Rodriguez), a taciturn Barbarian, finally get out of prison, where they’ve been for two years after a heist gone wrong. They immediately try to locate Edgin’s daughter Kira (Chloe Coleman), who was left in the care of their former colleague Forge (Hugh Grant). Turns out that Forge really went up in the world, now being a Lord and ruler of a kingdom. Also turns out that he betrayed Edgin and Holga and told Kira all kinds of lies about her father. Fleeing from the city for now, Edgin is determined to not only get his daughter back, but also steal the Tablet of Resurrection from Forge – the fabled artifact that their heist-gone-wrong was all about and that he wants to use to resurrect his dead wife. But how to get his revenge? Well, they’ll definitely need a sorcerer for this, and a druid would be great as well, which is how former teammate Simon (Justice Smith) and his acquaintance Doric (Sophia Lillis) join their team. But that’s only the beginning of their quest…   Chris Pine is perfect as the disillusioned bard. He has to do a lot of heavy lifting with exposition, but he sells it so well that it’s never grating. The whole cold open is a big exposition scene and not only hilarious but also quite moving, too. He’s a strong enough actor to also carry the more emotional scenes, and his talent for comedy is well utilised. I also really liked the team as a whole; Rodriguez, Smith and Lillis work well together, and especially the friendship between Edgin and Holga is very believable. (Also, how refreshing to have a friendship between a man and a woman that is loving and trusting but also still stays a friendship without any forced romance crammed in?!) Doric is a great character and gets some cool scenes with her shapeshifting powers, and Simon also has a little arc of his own that is well done and has a cool pay off in the end.   Hugh Grant obviously is still having a blast to play smarmy villains and he does so to best effect here. At his side is Daisy Head as sorcerer Sofina, her dead-eyed stare truly chilling at times. And of course a special shout to Regé-Jean Page as Paladin Xenk, whose role isn’t as big as the trailers make it seem, but who is a hilarious addition to the quest and seems to bring huge joy to all DnD players as his character type is very recognisable.

I loved the tone of the movie. It is frequently funny, sometimes hilarious, with great quips and one-liners or entertaining dialogue and sight gags, but – and this is important – it laos gives emotional moments time to breathe. It doesn’t feel the need to undercut a sad or poignant moment with a quip, it’s really genuine in how the characters interact and it takes its characters seriously. A great example is the scene were Holga meets her ex again. The scene starts out funny and predictably awkward, but as it progresses, it actually becomes a quite heartfelt scene with two adults being mature about their break-up.   The special effects were great for the most part, and I also loved that they used many practical effects and also shot a lot on location. The movie was expensive but it shows. The world we’re presented with feels lived in, like there are stories around the corner. Really good production design, the costumes were awesome, too (check out Xenk’s armour! XD), and a lot of opportunity for horse girls like me to appreciate pretty horses. I also really enjoyed the action sequences and set pieces; for once, they weren'r edited to death or being dragged down by unnecessary shaky cam.

I also want to thank the movie for the decision to not end on a cliffhanger. There was a moment where a cliffhanger could easily be used, and looking at online discussions, many people basically expected the movie to end there. But they didn’t do that, they actually told the story completely and it was a good decision. And another heartfelt thank you for being proof that "set up - pay off" works for a reason!   Some stand out scenes in no particular order that either were incredibly funny or really, really cool:   - "JARNATHAN!" MVP character right there XD - that dragon! XD (shame that the dragon is in the promo, they should've kept it a secret) - the whole graveyard interrogation XD - botched guard distraction XD (Which will likely become a new meme or something) - the whole final battle in the streets - the brain eater monsters XD - the fucking bridge! XD XD (But basically that whole part of the quest was amazing.) - “He walks in such a straight line…” XD   Can’t recommend this enough! Really give it a shot in the cinema if you can. The trailers don’t do this movie justice, it’s far funnier and a real feel good movie!  

[raccoonshinobi]

Bonds will always form differently between guys and girls.

While both boys and girls bond through similar tastes like favorite forms of media and ideals, boys form bonds through the same actions we take and see in life as girls form bond sharing the vibes of their life experiences, more so than the actual events.

Why it seems like a guy and gal CASUALLY bonding is strange is because a girl bonding will always develop a more emotional connection like a support group than how guys bond which tend to feel more like a clubhouse where there are unspoken rules and where we live for the experience itself. Women tend to allow about anyone enter their social circle as long as they're in agreement with something and the positive vibes it grant. Men are always actually very particular about who we let into our lives because it's surprisingly easy to tear us down once we're fully vulnerable. Kind of in the same vein as women being vulnerable in general because they freely wear their emotions on their sleeves.

So no, we're not just picky about what life partner we want to have and/or whether they're hot; we're picky about everything in general because we consider the long time effects of our decision-making while women typically live in the here-and-now of life.

Though I can't speak for all men and women in such regard… Our individual perception on life choices will always vary based on our upbringings and experiences. It just so happen that women tend to focus more on the vibe of any given situation rather than the reality of the matter, which can be and has been a detriment to any relationship or decision in life. Just as detrimental as men's shortsightedness of current events planning for that one ideal future that may never happen.

It goes without saying, a man's friendship with another person isn't as superficial as people try to make it.

Girls can't read guys because our expressions are usually more internal; for men there's a wall that usually only a few people of that man's choice and familiarity in their lives can pass. We express ourselves by bonding through group action, forming a trust I don't think people realize takes place and builds over time. That kind of trust can be demolished immediately with the smallest sign of betrayal. Frankly it's kind of why we obsess over sport and video games; it grants that comradery men crave by working together.

Guys can't read girl because when their expressions are easier shown, it can still overshadow what they truly feel inside. That inner wall functions the same only that she allows everyone that she agrees with in, whether she knew them for years or just met them minutes ago. They love company no matter what and express themselves through sensations, and thus trust is built very differently for women. Self-expression is easier but as a fault make her trust in others far too easy to achieve. Leading some today to have undue distrust with strangers with the exact amount of intensity.

Boundaries are set differently; women are palaces, men are walking fortresses.

As it goes, when a man and woman's friendship from childhood spans into romance territory, there's confusion. LOTS of confusion.

It's like when a passerby reaches a gate that a familiar guard who maintains the road let pass because they're on good terms, not realizing the guest is given special privileges for getting that far unlike anyone else. The two like each other but the guard convey a level of trust that the passerby fail to acknowledge because the guest assume the guard lets everyone in… When it becomes apparent, it's a matter of who's taking advantage of who.

In this case, the guard willingly let the passerby through anytime because they like the guest enough to open themselves but the guest appreciates the privilege, not realizing this kindness comes from the guard's personal feelings and not the vibes of the circumstance the guest is used to; the guest at the time may only be concerned with the favor because it made their life easier taking the shorter road.

Now if the guard even explains why they allowed only this person through, 5 things will have:

1- The guest will be taken aback by this and wonder if they were led on or leading this guard on and will choose the other road from now on - severing the relationship entirely and making it hard to ever come back.

2- Take advantage and abuse the guard's trust self-assured that nothing further will ever happen anyway, potentially rotting what you two had so far into an ever worse position than the above.

3- The guest explains that the guard's feeling are misplaced and that they don't feel the same nor owe anything to reciprocate it, very much risking the access to this shortcut for the rest of their lives. At that point it's up to the guard on what to do next… Hard feelings are still likely.

4- The guest shows appreciation and while still shocked could understand why as this road is rarely trekked and look glorious compared to the other road. They can try to reciprocate and see what flourishes from there. At least there's room for reconciliation.

or 5- Wonder what took the dumb shmuck so long to say something, the guest is all in…

Really in the end, it depends on how the guest feels for the guard, no matter how the guard really feels for the guest…

And on the chance of folks razzing on this parable, the idea is that the gate and short road represents the guard's personal life and why they're sharing it with the guest. they guard other roads but this one is the most precious to them and only a few if, not just one person, ever gets to travel through it.

So of course it's a special road: there's only one path to a person's heart.

I hate explaining things because many of you aren't children and are capable of critical thinking, and I know for a fact some of you refuse to do so. But I also understand that people don't have the time of day to ponder on something when their own lives are in the skids, so I try to step my judgement aside as long as this point help folks understand why men are the way we are.

Once again, in a general sense. I don't speak for all males, especially the NiceGuyTM variety. Unrealistic and forced expectations are never healthy.

Men have a very chaotic inner being where our emotional state NEED full assurance once we make up our minds about who we interact with as well as who we look to share our future with. As anyone would.

That's basically what dates are for, to evaluate the person we hope to share the rest of our lives with - Supposedly. But that's another topic for another day.

[nightwhispcrs]

francesca slytherin (harry potter, janet montgomery fc);  33 years old; uses she/her; is aware that she is not from washington dc; been stuck here for a few weeks. pureblood witch. 

          francesca is guarded , strong-willed , adaptable , moody , impatient , self-critical , and brilliant .  she is the estranged wife of salazar slytherin , one of the four founders of hogwarts .  francesca , or ‘ches’ as she is referred to by the very few people in her inner circle , grew up in an incredibly strict , disciplined family where everyone fell into line without question .  it was no surprise that in the 10th century , ches had very little say in anything as a woman , even though she was from a wealthy and ‘pureblood’ lineage .              despite being born into abundance , francesca fought fiercely for all she obtained in life and did everything in her power to maintain it .  she had little to no patience for anyone who wasn’t hardworking and willing to sacrifice personal happiness for the greater good .  ches sacrificed so much of herself to try and get the one , elusive thing she thought would gain her true happiness : acceptance , specifically from her parents and extended family .  unfortunately for ches , this never materialized no matter how hard she tried .              there was no room for her to shine or be herself .  any spotlight she secured to please her parents only further alienated them , because it took attention away from them and their accomplishments .  and then fancesca committed what was the ultimate betrayal in her parents eyes .  the very day they caught her holding hands with another girl , they immediately began looking for suitors and arranged for her to be married to a man .              when francesca was arranged to be married to salazar slytherin , she didn’t fight it .  she’d heard that he was a brilliant man , and everyone who knew of the imminent marriage was excited and giving her attention for the first time in her life .  he was a catch , and she was lucky that his family had agreed to the union , especially without ever learning that francesca was a lesbian .  for once , her parents seemed pleased with her .  every bit of anger and frustration ( including the internalized hatred and homophobia she held towards herself due to the environment she grew up in , )  ches channeled and harnessed in her chest and in her magic .  she could pull off spells and charms that far exceeded her peers , and she took pride in that if nothing else .            as she gained notoriety as the bright , charming , beautiful new bride of salazar slytherin , francesca exuded a public persona that may or may not have matched up with who she truly was at her core .  whatever she once was or could have been was eroded by who she had to be .  in public , she defended salazar fiercely , when he was helping found hogwarts and even later when he was ousted from the institution .  in private , their relationship was volatile and unpredictable , as neither one of them was honest with themselves or each other .  sal was in love with another woman ( helga ) and francesca could never love sal romantically , as hard as she tried to force herself to .  naively , she believed maybe it was possible for them to have a real marriage , but every time they started to develop any sort of friendship or respect between them , she would either try to force romance or pull away dramatically without warning .  each time she felt more and more inadequate and hated herself for it .             one of the few joys of her life while she was alive was her two children , sylvie and silas .  francesca held both of them dear to her heart , even if she was sometimes ruthless or harsh .  she simply wanted them to be the very best people they could be , and she was entirely too aware of her own self-sacrifices to create the maintain the life and family she had built .            here in washington , ches has her guard up .  she doesn’t know if she can trust anyone , including her estranged husband and anyone who knows of her from her past .  her magic is mostly dulled , but sometimes she can garner enough energy to cast some spells , especially when the magic of dc is in flux .  she works as a luxury real estate agent .  she is still living as a mostly fake version of herself , but she will hopefully start to blossom and understand that she can gain the acceptance now that she always desired .