#like I put off trying sailing bc I was made to think I should lose weight first. but it’s fine.

[shatterthefragments]

The urge to fuck off and fuck me is strong with this one

I can do this. I can. But fuuuuuuck.

[izzy-b-hands]

Still can't sleep (and I actually want to, but it just. Isn't happening yet) so I'm mulling over edizzy thoughts/fic ideas, but one in particular is sticking hard rn, like-

I sort of want to do a kind of. I don't know the right word for it right this minute, but essentially it breaks down just how close they were/are and how intertwined they are like

In a modern au it would be someone making them do what my old therapist said she sometimes had couples do when they came to her for couples therapy. Not necessarily the first thing, but sometimes among the first things, to help crack the shell open. Have them sit and list all the little things they know abt each other, and the things they find silly to remember abt the other or the endearing things/quirks/habits (that maybe have turned to fond or less fond irritation versus endearment even.) Just write it down, and take a minute or two to reflect on the trust and vulnerability required to learn some of those things abt another person, and remember why you let yourself be that trusting and vulnerable, and ask yourself if you still want/feel that sort of connection or not. One answer isn't better than the other, and it's couple dependent on which answer is the better one for them as unique individuals in a relationship unique to them.

In canon time period I'm not totally sure how I'd intro it, so that might wind up more of a 'izzy talking to jim and they wind up discussing these things he knows abt ed, meanwhile stede is doing the same thing with ed, later jim goes to stede like "dude holy shit those two HAVE to talk" and stede's just "yeah they do but i don't know what arts and crafts project to sit them down with so that they might open up enough to go over stuff. Please tell me you have craft ideas" and we end up with some eventual edizzy discussion/also maybe shared art project bc i do like the idea of that mirroring the s1 flag project' thing?

I just. Have so many little ideas for the things ed and izzy know abt each other.

Roach bemoans (in a fondly frustrated for Izzy way, not a because of Izzy way) giving Izzy massages to help him heal post gunshot wound and to just. relax for five fucking minutes. Ed's sat there in the galley snacking, thinking abt how he knows exactly which knots in Izzy's back are worst to work out, but he also knows exactly how to do that. But to tell Roach what to do for that would be an incredibly intimate and vulnerable thing both for him and Izzy and it feels warm and like home but it aches at the same time. When did he last do that for Izzy? He can't remember. He wishes he did.

Stede is fussing over trying to put together better lunches for Ed when he goes fishing with Fang (bc Roach is already making lunch for everyone else by then and has asked Stede to help out by making sure Ed's separate more easily transportable lunch is taken care of) and just. mildly losing his mind bc he can't keep sending jars of marmalade and little else (even if Ed ultimately doesn't mind that too much.) Izzy sits in the overstuffed chair in Ed and Stede's quarters and bites his tongue bc he has an entire fucking multi-course meals menu for Ed that he's memorised without even trying to over the years. But he'd feel like an ass just busting that out; Stede should have the chance to learn these things abt Ed as their relationship progresses. That was part of what made it special for Izzy and Ed, after all. They know each other's safe foods and favourite over expensive treats that they used to only have when they could steal them, and he can't shut off the flow of memories even when Stede asks him why he's tearing up during a discussion abt food.

There's so much. So many little niches. They know which parts of each other's bodies have the worst pains and aches and creaks, some from old poorly healed injuries, others from age and overuse and the way sailing and their work can be so incredibly physical some days. They know just as well how to make the other come undone underneath their hands and fingertips. Be mindful of Ed's knee and back, Izzy should take it slower when his neck and back ache (and now his leg and torso too.) If you kiss directly at the base of the back of Ed's neck while fucking him from behind, leaned over him with him on his hands and knees on the bed, he'll almost always wind up coming untouched. Holding Izzy's hands up over his head while riding him and gently teasing him to let go will at least 8 times out of 10 result in him being instantly undone and an adorably blushy mess abt it.

He could tell you exactly the sort of blankets and quilts Ed prefers between the warmer and colder months, down to designs and the sort of materials used to fill and cover them.

He knows exactly how Izzy likes his clothing to fit, even if he can't ever fucking convince Izzy to buy much of anything new, and he has fucking tried!!

On that note, they can recite each other's current measurements, blood type, allergies, phobias, and more without having to think abt it. it's as easy as breathing or being asked something abt themselves.

Only towards the end of the fic, both modern au and canon time period, do either of them pause and go

"...oh. what happened to us?" with fearful and confused tears in their eyes because it wasn't always like this. Maybe it could be more like it used to be, again. Maybe they can't entirely undo what was done to them or to each other, but they can love and care and look out for each other.

And this time, sitting sobbing and vulnerable they can let themselves admit they never stopped, the love was so interwoven in it all too that they stopped noticing it. They let it become background noise versus a pronounced and acknowledged sound special to them both (and to those who have or might share them, like Jack and Stede.) And that on its own isn't necessarily bad, being comfortable with each other and letting the love sit as it will isn't bad. But everything else going on, their own past unaddressed traumas, and the outside stresses of their lives and trying to survive turned it into something unhealthy and hurtful.

it hurts horribly to lay it all out like that. Feels like being flayed open while alive.

But the next few days after sees them able to talk again, really talk, like they used to. They can be close again and occupy that very particular space in each other's lives, while letting each other have more (ed has stede and in my mind for this fic izzy has at least three or more crew members that have been taking it slow but are absolutely down bad for him)

It's not exactly what they had before. It never will be, it can't be. And they both come to terms with that.

But it's better than what things had become, and they have time and space now to keep working on it.

[a-libra-writes]

How the GoT Characters Comfort You Before an Arranged Marriage

This request was interesting bc ayyy, as anon said, this is Westeros and this would probs happen! Also I just realized u requested this ages ago i am so sorry lmao. I really need to keep track of dates n shit

In this preference, you'll be comforted by: Ned Stark, Robb Stark, Sansa Stark, Jon Snow, Benjen Stark, Jory Cassel, Dolorous Edd, Mance Rayder, Tormund Giantsbane, Theon Greyjoy, Yara Greyjoy, Daenerys Targaryen, Jorah Mormont, Missandei, Grey Worm, Tywin Lannister, Tyrion Lannister, Jamie Lannister, Sandor Clegane, Bronn, Podrick Payne, Petyr Baelish, Stannis Baratheon, Davos Seaworth, Margaery Tyrell, Brynden Tully, Edmure Tully, Brienne of Tarth, Ramsay Bolton, Roose Bolton, Oberyn Martell, Beric Dondarrion, Gendry

NED STARK

He’d take it upon himself to talk to you before the arrangement was official, even if your family had already decided on it. Ned would take your hands in his and reassure you, hoping he could put what he was feeling into words. He was sure you’d do well in Winterfell, which had gone so long without a proper Lady in its walls, but you were also much younger than him, which made him worry that you wouldn’t be happy. However, your genuine thanks and a sweet smile would be enough to make the “cold” Lord Stark blush a little.

ROBB STARK

He had been told about this arranged marriage some months ago, but evidently your family didn’t bother with the same consideration. You didn’t find out until you were on the road to Winterfell. Robb had a fondness for you right away, so he gave you a tour of Winterfell to cheer you up. He was very considerate, asking what kinds of things you liked and pointing out places you could go to relax if things got too overwhelming. The whole time Robb was touching and guiding you gently, trying to prove that you didn’t need to be afraid around him.

SANSA STARK

Both of you knew it was only a matter of time before your marriage was arranged, since that was the entire reason your parents brought you to the Red Keep. It didn’t mean you had to be happy about it. Several times Sansa snuck into your room, bringing stolen sweets with her, letting you vent and pout while she held you. Sansa would try to be the optimist, assuring you that you were still a courtier in the Red Keep and once she was Queen, the two of you could visit anytime. They were nice fancies, something to distract you two from the inevitable. 

JON SNOW

For a long time Jon had known he couldn’t marry you, but it still stung fiercely when you told him about the arrangement. His own pain was dwarfed by how much he hated seeing you this upset. As much as you both talked about this happening, now it was actually here, and Jon just wrapped his arm around you while you were petting Ghost. He alternated between reassuring you that it would be alright, but now that he was leaving for the Wall, he wasn’t so sure. He decided to visit you every day until he left, bringing you small gifts and making sure Ghost gave you plenty of attention. He hated having to leave you like this, so he made Robb promise to ensure you were treated well.

BENJEN STARK

It had to happen eventually, but Benjen always casually brushed off such things, and you grew used to that. When the news finally arrived and you told him, you didn’t expect such a strong reaction. He was trying to keep a cool face, but it quickly broke as he asked if you were sure. He didn’t outright ask you to try to break it off, but it was obvious he hated the idea of losing you, even if you weren’t supposed to be together in the first place. Benjen would have a hard time letting you out of his embrace as he promised it would be alright, although you knew he was already thinking of ways to keep the two of you together.

JORY CASSEL

He didn’t think much about marriage, only that he should eventually get around to it. He had always privately thought that, since he was from such a minor family, he would choose his own bride, but that didn’t turn out to be the case. Still, you were a pretty girl and clearly beloved in Winterfell. He wanted to make a good impression, so he tried to talk about different things and show you around the keep. Sometimes he’d become nervous and stumble over himself, and your cute laugh didn’t help him feel less fumbling. 

DOLOROUS EDD

He always said he’d pity the bride who got “stuck” with him, and that was true now. He was genuinely curious to meet you, since this arrangement helped his family far more than your’s. You were far more reasonable than he expected, but he still lowkey suggested that you could back out if you wanted to. You two actually spent a long time talking. He found it easy to talk to you, since you weren’t immediately off-put by his dour humor and you thought it was more amusing than rude. He was still worried you’d regret the match, and figured you’d call it off eventually. 

MANCE RAYDER

Your father was the leader of the largest group of wildlings that had yet to join Mance. He would only accept the promise of a marriage. You agreed to the arrangement, but Mance already knew you weren’t some Southern bride. He admired your strategy and stories of your battles, and genuinely wanted to get to know you. He could tell you’d make a capable strategist, even second-in-command, and he wanted you to know he valued you as more than a simple agreement.

TORMUND GIANTSBANE

He was not happy with Mance about the arrangement, even if he knew it was the only way your tribe would join the massive army. He did a complete 180 once he realized who you were. He’d heard stories about you, and suddenly he was beside himself with excitement. Once you arrived, Tormund was quick to regale you with stories of his own triumphs, hoping to impress you and gain your approval. Mance was totally entertained by this change, figuring the both of you would get along. Tormund would find out your tribe’s courting traditions and do them, wanting to prove he would be a capable partner even without the arrangement.

THEON GREYJOY

Right away he’d brag about what an honor it was to be marrying a Greyjoy, and when he tired of that, he’d casually mention being a prince to the Iron Islands, too. This hadn’t impressed you much, since your family was one of the biggest ones on the Iron Islands, and just as old as the Greyjoys, besides. Still you humored him, and since Theon was attracted to you right away, he wanted to get to know you. He wanted to see how you fought and sailed, but also how you rode and if you knew some archery. It was amusing how much he liked the idea of a tomboy wife, as opposed to the proper ladies he met in the North.

YARA GREYJOY

Shit like this happened all the time to women, and you and Yara already knew it wasn’t going to keep you two apart. Yara didn’t have to worry about such things, but you were from a less powerful family that needed connections. To cheer you, she took you on a wild night before your wedding day. You both would hit up a chain of wine sinks, drinking and dancing your way into all sorts of debauchery. At one point, she’d honestly tell you what you meant to her, and if you were the slightest bit unhappy in your match … She and her axe would be there. 

DAENERYS TARGARYEN

She wasn’t happy about the announcement, but she understood the politics of it. You had a say in it, at least, although she could tell it wasn’t what you wanted. You both could carry on your relationship - who was going to stop you? - but she still hated that it was necessary. On your wedding night, Daenerys would find your husband during the feast and pointedly tell him that if he did anything to cause you pain or distress, she had three dragons just outside that she was more than happy to introduce him to. Daenerys would ask you several times if you were comfortable with this arrangement, and she’d begin to think on ways to get you out of it. 

JORAH MORMONT

He knew he didn’t have much to offer, so the proposal from your parents came as a surprise. Jorah had always admired how polite and graceful you were at feasts and in court, you’d even spoken kindly to him several times, even when most brides were told to disregard the Mormonts as a serious match. When you two met up, he made a point to bring flowers he heard you liked and was nothing but kind as he promised you’d be comfortable with him. He didn’t need to say how considerate he’d be; you could tell by the gentle way he held your hand and spoke so honestly. Even if you’d be living modestly, you knew he’d be loyal and amiable.

MISSANDEI

She was familiar with the marriage customs of most cities in Essos, so you telling her about the arrangement shouldn’t have been such a shock. Missandei should have known it was going to happen, but she was just so happy with your relationship and the time you spent together. Things would still stay the same between you two, since it was a marriage of convenience, and that cheered her some. While she helped take off the stress of planning it, she shared ideas of how you two could still meet, especially since you were an important advisor to Daenerys. Before long Missandei had come up with several plans that made you tease her about being so sneaky. 

GREY WORM

While he understood the reason you had to go through with this arrangement, especially since it benefited Daenerys’ army, he wasn’t pleased about it. Grey Worm hadn’t imagined for a moment that you and him would have anything like that, but … It still hurt to see how displeased you were with making plans. He became even more protective of you, pointedly glaring at your “betrothed” anytime they were in the room together. He’d also make a point to bring you simple, nice things, like a cup of tea you liked or flowers, especially on days when the pressure of the date was grating on you. 

TYWIN LANNISTER

This marriage was part of a larger plan he made, and your family was in no position to refuse. He would never marry a fool, however, and while he wouldn’t admit how much he liked your cleverness and wit, he knew there was no sense in making an enemy of you. Tywin would make it clear that you had every luxury available in Casterly Rock, your family could visit, there would be feasts and galas. As he expected, you took the news well, although you wondered when and how you’d come to the attention of such a powerful man. 

TYRION LANNISTER

Well, the day had finally come, his father suddenly decided Tyrion was useful for a political match. He figured he should meet you before the day and warn you about what sort of family you were marrying, and what kind of husband you were going to have, as if both weren’t obvious to all of King’s Landing. Tyrion was pleasantly surprised by how considerate you were to him, and understanding of the situation, as your family had gladly offered you up to be a Lannister bride. Still, he carefully stressed that it could be dangerous for you. He promised to look after your safety and ensure you had every comfort you wanted, and he’d always treat you respectfully no matter what. 

JAIME LANNISTER

It seemed to Jaime that the gods were punishing every aspect of his life they could get to. He really didn’t think his father was truthful in this threat of arranging a marriage, but here you were, just an hour after he was informed of the decision. He had a nagging feeling that you didn’t understand the extent of his family’s ruthlessness, like his sister - and worse, in the past, he would’ve left you at their mercy. He was different now, and he knew you from court. You didn’t deserve to be thrown into a lion’s den. Jaime tried to be casual as he explained to you the marriage was a bad idea, but since there was no way to avoid it, you had to be careful. He asked you to come to him if you saw anything suspicious, or especially if Cersei said anything. He’d even ask Tyrion to keep an eye on you. 

SANDOR CLEGANE

Your “arrangement” was so thoughtfully put together by King Joffrey, who thought his dog needed a woman to keep him from barking so much. It was all a big jape to the court, a slight against you and your family… and there was no getting out of it. After days of avoiding each other, Sandor finally cornered you in the evening. He was totally drunk, but spoke to you bluntly. He wouldn’t make you do anything you didn’t want, and he’d never hurt you. You two could completely avoid each other. He was quite calm as he said all this, drunk as he was, and it surprised you. You’d heard such awful stories about the Hound, but here he was speaking softly and trying to reassure you. 

BRONN

The fact that he, a great stuffy knight, would have to go on with a typical, stuffy arranged marriage. Your family was fairly wealthy, but a new name most old families weren’t interested in. He met you as a formality, but he was surprised by not just your looks, but how easily you sized him up and told him off. He was expecting a timid proper girl, not a woman who spoke fouler than most men under his command. Bronn made a point to visit you several times, bringing bottles of expensive wine and wanting to keep talking to you, even if you were prickly. Tyrion told him not to push your buttons but now Bronn was too interested.

PODRICK PAYNE

The arrangement was a surprise to the both of you, and something Podrick never expected, as he was always treated as a less important member of his family. He’d immediately go to Tyrion for advice, and if possible, a way to call it off. He was sure whoever was going through with this was an old spinster or a frightfully young girl. Worse than either, he was told by Tyrion that you were his age, pretty and well-liked in the court. When he met you, he tried to make conversation, but his nerves kept biting at him. He finally asked if you were alright with the arrangement, as he couldn’t fathom why you’d want to marry into his family. He appreciated your honestly, and figured you two could at least be on friendly terms, even if thoughts of a sept and wedding night was a bit too much at the moment.

PETYR BAELISH

He’d made this arrangement in the first place, all but backing your family into a proverbial corner to ensure they’d comply. Since you knew him as little more than a friendly acquaintance, he made a point to visit with you before any official wedding. Petyr was all charm and amiability, promising you’d have whatever your heart desired, and he’d treat you better than a princess, especially since the arrangement was so sudden. Each day before the event, he’d send a gift with a nice letter attached. All the sentiment made you wonder if this arrangement was your family’s idea after all. 

STANNIS BARATHEON

Stannis isn’t the best with comforting words, and arranged marriages were expected of lords and ladies. But you were a much younger woman being arranged to marry an older man as a second wife, and he could understand how that could make you uneasy. He’d make a point to tell you about Dragonstone and the sort of comforts you could have there, and promise you could change things if you wanted, like rearrange a library or have a stable to yourself. He’d also promise to be loyal and respectful to you, since ideally, he wanted a wife who could help him run the household. 

DAVOS SEAWORTH

He never dreamed of being part of a “political” match, because when would he ever have the position that was sought after? He’d been a widow for years, besides, but this was still presented to him. He felt bad for you, a fourth daughter being sold off to a man far too old for her. When he met with you, Davos was clearly nervous, but your understanding made him feel a little better. He tried to reassure you that there could be a way to get around the arrangement (somehow), but even if it had to happen, he assured you that he’d be nothing but gentle and would make sure you were cared for. Davos had seen some terrible conditions ladies had to live in, and while he was pleasantly surprised by your wit and understanding of the situation, he still thought you deserved much better. 

MARGAERY TYRELL

She wasn’t able to prevent a match from happening, but she could ensure you were matched with one of her brothers or even a cousin. Margaery’s family was aware of her fondness of you, and she was stubborn in wanting to keep you close. Her grandmother warned her against such sentiment, but you knew she wouldn’t be swayed. Long ago you both had talked about what you’d do when duty called, and Margaery made it clear she would keep you as close to Highgarden as possible. She was so confident in herself that she’d help you plan the wedding, giving suggestions on jewels and wanting to be the first to see your gown once it was finished.

BRYNDEN TULLY

It happened, he was finally worn down and forced into a match. The fact you were so young and the match was highly beneficial to the Tullys was even more irksome. He argued with his brother that Edmure would be a better choice, an obvious one, but the deal was done. By the time you arrived he had simmered down. It wasn’t your fault this happened, and he admittedly began to get a soft spot for you as you two chatted. He still felt he was too old for you, but he straightforwardly said that he’d be loyal and make sure you were provided for. He was quite serious as he said this, but he was also holding your hand very gently and had to lean down because of how tall he was, so … it just ended up being endearing. 

EDMURE TULLY

He was very delighted by this marriage proposal - Edmure remembered you from a gala several years back. You were the prettiest girl in the room, so it was great luck that you were engaged now… Except he learned that you weren’t told anything about it until the last minute. He hated the idea of you being unhappy in Riverrun, or worse, with him, so when you arrived he tried to give you a nice tour, showing the nice room you’d have, the pretty Godswood and sept, the lovely view of the river, and so on. His desire to please you would be obvious to everyone.

BRIENNE OF TARTH

The only thing that lessened the blow of your arranged marriage was that she could still be your personal knight. Had anyone tried to send her away, they’d have to deal with the two of you. You tried to reassure Brienne and promise that she’d always be by your side, and it would be easy to keep the relationship under wraps. It wasn’t an ideal situation, and you know she struggled with it, but as a Lady of a prominent House, your options were always limited. Brienne was comforted by your constant reassurances that you were always her’s, and in turn, she promised to protect you if your husband ever attempted anything untoward.

RAMSAY BOLTON

His father made it clear that you were a beloved daughter of a powerful family, and Ramsay wasn’t to toy with you in any way. If being scolded wasn’t irksome enough, you’d already heard unsavory rumors about him. When you arrived, Ramsay put on his best charm, treating you like the lady you were. There wasn’t much to the Dreadfort, so Ramsay asked questions about you and showed you his most docile horse and hound. He’d be pleased if you were a rider, as it was something you both could do with little talking. The charade was annoying, but it didn’t take long for him to form an interest in you.

ROOSE BOLTON

This arrangement had been a long time in the making, unbeknownst to you, as Roose had desired you ever since he first met you years ago. You only knew his family’s questionable reputation, and he knew he had to ensure your first visit to the Dreadfort was a good one. Roose was very gentle in speaking to you, considerate of your space and made a point to ask you how you wanted things arranged. You could have your own room if you desired, horses to ride, the Godswood to yourself, and so on. There was no way for you to back out of the marriage, but Roose didn’t want you to be unhappy. In time, he wanted you to enjoy being at the Dreadfort, and with him. 

OBERYN MARTELL

His family finally managed to tie him down with an arranged marriage, and he would have refused it had he not already known of you. Oberyn was intrigued and attracted, and he did want your powerful family to ally with his. When you arrived in Sunspear, it was easy for Oberyn to be his charming and slightly scandalous self - even if his brother begged him to tone it down - and he gladly gave you a grand tour of the liveliest places in the city. He’d want you to meet his daughters, since they were your age, and he regaled you with all the fine rooms and things you’d have as a Princess of Dorne. Honestly, it was a bit overwhelming, but you could tell he really wanted your happiness. 

BERIC DONDARRION

He was a knight of good standing from an honorable house that had long needed a Lady, so Beric understood the arrangement, but he also understood why you might be uneasy. With his well-known sunny smile, he’d want to know your honest feelings and how he could make you more comfortable. It didn’t matter if it was filling a room with your old things or going out riding alone, Beric would indulge you. Truthfully, he was fond of you from your first meeting, and he wanted to make a good impression.

GENDRY

Being legitimized was already terrifying, then he learned he had to marry a proper lady. It gave him stress headaches just thinking about it. To make matters worse, you were beautiful and you greeted him nicely. He’d try his best to sound”confident, but once you both were alone, he’d just come clean and apologize to you. He felt like you expected something different, a “real” lord, not a glorified bastard. Gendry would be relieved how considerate you were, not at all like most ladies he heard about, and hoped you two could at least be friends.

[mementofloreo-archived]

@sorrowmarked || smoochie prompts || hehehehehe[this is cut bc it is SUPER FUCKING long. This is literally the longest thing I've written for you I think]

His team has had a couple of practice matches against the soccer club from Ken's school since they both entered high school, in part thanks to Daisuke's friendship with him. Even without any influence from dark gears or things like that Ken has managed to remain an excellent player with a wide reputation.

Daisuke is unknown, of course. There was no soccer club at his middle school, after all, so he wasn't able to play competitively. He stayed on top of fitness training, even adopting some of the rigorous conditioning routine his sister had used for prep after being scouted by a pro team. Still, with no reputation to boost him he had to earn his place on the main lineup when he entered high school.

...Which he's done, really. He's far exceeded anyone's expectations, especially his own. His drive, his vigor, and his honest love for playing have earned him a lot of strong friendships, and apparently also skyrocketed the morale and motivation of his teammates on more than one occasion. They went from a club thought of as 'not bad, but nothing special' to semifinalists at the prefectural tournament all within the course of his first year. They'd lost to Ken's school, in fact, by a single point shave in the last two minutes of the match.

At his school, first years who join the club via application and not recommendation don't play starting positions in tournament matches(common practice, really). Daisuke still managed to distinguish himself, though. When he was played as a starter in practice matches against Ken's school he was usually placed in a midfield winger position. It gave him some flexibility for movement while relying on the one thing the coach and captain already knew he had, which was stamina.

When their first tournament rolled around, he was put in as a substitute for their attacking midfielder. The position was considered the playmaker, as far as team structure. They were responsible for helping to direct the flow of the team's offensive play, connecting the defensive positions to the forward ones and managing the support for the striker, who was the primary goal scorer(and the position he had played in elementary). For Daisuke, it felt like a test, an opportunity and a show of faith all in one, and so he'd pushed himself past his limits to live up to those expectations.

His fierce, quick, and precise play style coupled with his apparently 'freakish' stamina and adaptability in the position have since earned him a place as its starter as well as the team's vice captain in his second year.

When he was ten or twelve, he'd have been gunning for the striker position. It was flashy and considered the really 'cool' position in most formations.

Now, though, he's stopped caring about looking cool. He wants to play his best, he wants to have fun- and he wants the rest of the team to have those things as well. Realizing that his play sense and his technical skill are best suited to that position when those goals are in mind, he's both content with and proud of his current place.

Ken is a striker. And in their practice matches this season his team has, as usual, come out on top(even if it's usually close).

In the prefectural finals this year, Daisuke's team drags Ken's into a lengthy and brutal double overtime- in the pouring rain, no less. Everyone is exhausted, sore, soaked and filthy. Losing momentum, losing cohesion, desperate for a goal just so things will be over.

...Daisuke, though, ignores it. His burning legs, the sharp pain of his overworked lungs, the chafing of his drenched uniform, the slick ground beneath him and the way the water impedes the ball's movement. He puts himself in a mindset as if he were playing a one on one scrimmage against his sister. She's a professional player on a high ranking team in the highest tier women's league of Japan's professional circuit and has even earned a place on its national team.

If Daisuke's stamina is freakish, then Jun's entire spectrum of skill is on the same level as a natural disaster. The ferocity and lack of hesitation she shows on the field would terrify any normal high schooler, boy or girl, and even a lot of capable players from the men's league.

Which means that even a casual match against her demands ignoring his body's pleas for a break and pushing past its screaming to keep playing at his top form no matter how exhausted he is.

That's the extent he exerts himself to in that double overtime. He's in a state where he barely even registers physical sensation because he's so focused. He barely even registers the directional tips he shouts to the other mid and forward positions, and he doesn't register at all the captain calling for everyone to follow Daisuke's lead.

There's a single thought in his head: keep moving. If he stops or even slows down for just a split second, he knows he'll keep losing steam and he won't get it back. He has to barrel forward no matter what until the game is over. He doesn't pay attention to the faces or numbers of the opposing team. He focuses on keeping the ball in play, keeping his body in motion and staying at least aware of where his teammates are, though he doesn't differentiate between them very well.

When he scoops the ball right out of Ken's grasp, turns sharp, rockets past him, he doesn't know that it's Ken. He doesn't try to close the full distance to the goal either. The moment he sees a small gap in the defense he shoots. For the left corner and with every ounce of strength he has left.

The ball hit's the keeper's open palms- and blasts right through them like they're made of paper, making a loud snap sound and spinning against the net. Daisuke watches it sail in, speechless, and slowly he sinks to his hands and knees, well past being completely spent.

His awareness comes back to him gradually in the several seconds both the players and spectators are left in shock to process the split second reversal and upset of a team that made it to the nationals last year. Even the referees take a few second to declare the clean goal. But once they do, everything erupts around him.

He hears it, registers the shouting and the celebration, the exhausted and frustrated but still impressed acceptance of the other team. And he lets himself laugh breathlessly in relief, still completely unaware that he left Ken dizzily in the dust a few moments ago. Right at that second, he's mostly glad he still pre-medicates with his inhaler before any kind of exercise and keeps it on hand as a rescue. He's going to need it.

His teammates, bless them, have the presence of mind not to jump on him the way they would normally. The captain and Ken make sure he's not injured and help him to his feet, and once he confirms he can walk with some support they help him to the sidelines. The teams shake hands, exchange congratulations. Both for a hard earned victory and a well played match despite a loss. The coaches and officials are able to get the attention of the crowd enough to let the players have some breathing room for a few minutes.

Ken informs Daisuke of exactly what he did in those last few seconds while he digs for his inhaler and then takes a long drink from his water bottle. Daisuke is a little shellshocked by it all now that he's properly registering it, but he's happy all the same. He's helped carry his team to nationals, a first time accomplishment for them.

Moreover, he had the time of his life with this match, even as exhausting as it was. The frail little kid he used to be would never believe he could accomplish something like this.

He makes a note to himself to call Jun with the news- this isn't the kind of thing he should relay via text. She'd just drop everything and call him to yell about it anyway.

There isn't a formal locker room building at this field, but there's covered areas around the benches and a lot of the seating. Daisuke and a lot of his teammates take some time to rinse the mud and sweat off of exposed skin, towel off, change into dry shoes from their cleats, put their warmups on to keep from catching cold.

Everything is so hectic that when he finally shoulders his bag and shambles off the grounds a half hour later he's completely forgotten that Hikari was planning to try and be at the match.

So when he sees her he's not really shocked, but he does sort of stare at her for a few seconds, brainless.

She's been his girlfriend for less than three months. Having her so openly focused on him is still a new experience. In general he's really not used to being anybody's first priority. He still pinches himself sometimes to make sure he's not dreaming when Hikari ducks under one of his arms to curl against his side on the train or in front of the television.

Still, he manages a weary smile, and greets her. "I'm glad you managed to make it out," he says, and his voice is hoarse, "I know you weren't sure you'd be able to see the whole game, or even be here at all."

He lifts his neck towel and wipes some lingering rainwater off of his face.

...She's a little flushed, he notes. Wearing a decent raincoat and carrying an umbrella. She's just a bit damp, where he's still pretty drenched. (the moisture and humidity add just a touch of wisp to her hair though, lift it just a little from its usual straight line. It's cute.)

A half suppressed laugh trickles out of her as she looks up at him. Daisuke's not very tall- he's right around average height- but he's strong, filling out a lot as he nears the end of his growth period, so Hikari looks almost tiny next to him now. (She certainly feels delicate when he hugs her)

Her eyes are shimmering. It's easy to see she's feeling pretty emotional right now, and she still hasn't said anything. Daisuke rifles a hand through his hair awkwardly.

"...Uh...Hikari-chan?" He asks, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she blurts, beaming, "Sorry. You were just- you were incredible out there. I think you left everyone there starstruck."

"O-oh," he feels himself flush, "Y'think? Those last few minutes I was running on autopilot, so I wasn't really-"

The rest of whatever rambling he was launching into freezes and catches in his throat. If real life came with record scratches or freeze frames, this would be one of those moments.

She's usually the one to kiss him first. He's a little shy, still, not completely confident taking the initiative with affection yet.

But this is- she's never jerked him down by the collar before. Certainly not so suddenly and so sharply that he's actually unbalanced and brought in.

It's a hell of a kiss, to be frank. Firm, held out for so long, her hands moving to his shoulders, pulling herself in as close as she can until he has the presence of mind to lift her at the waist and kiss back.

He's outright dizzy when she finally lets him break away for air, and Hikari is flushed and beaming.

"Uh," he fumbles, "Oh, uh. Okay."

She peppers his face with short, sweet little pecks until he's laughing, and then she hugs him tight.

"I know how hard you worked to get here," She murmurs, "I'm so proud of you. Congratulations, Daisuke."

He tenses just a little in response. Hearing this kind of praise from anyone is always a bit of a tearjerker for him, but from Hikari it's a million times more significant.

"Yeah," He breathes, setting her down and holding his hand out for the umbrella. "...Let's get to the station, though. I want to get somewhere I can change into dry clothes. And then maybe pass out for a couple of hours. I'm beat."

[dudeandduchess]

Hurt your readers week ideas 😂 The reader not being able to have kids, but Kyo says he can get past it even tho he wanted a large family. He has two options. Live the rest of his life with his wife and be the uncle forever with this deep ache inside of him feeling like he missed out on part of life. Or asking his wifey if they could have a surrogate which means giving him permission to sleep with another woman (bc it's ye olden times), which goes horribly. Either way he loses but he loves her.

Hi, Biz. Hope this is heartbreaking enough for you. 😂✨

This is something that had been a personal issue for me as well, so I may have gone over the essential amount of self-loathing and anger that Kyō’s s/o needed to get her feelings across. 😂

***

Kyōjurō x F!S/O: Barren (SFW Scenario):

Warnings: Angst with Happy Ending (?), Talks of Infertility, So Many Feels, Toxic Womanly Beliefs (i.e. a woman is only a woman if she can bear kids for her husband; which I don’t think is true), Open-Ended Ending

The heaviness in the air couldn’t even compare to the heavy feelings that weighed down on (Y/n)’s heart. No matter how hard she tried to tell herself that things were fine— that she was fine— she couldn’t get herself to believe in her empty words.

Because she wasn’t fine. At all.

Her heart was breaking so much, at the very knowledge that something essential to a woman had been taken away from her. There was no way to know for sure what the problem with herself was, but she knew that it had to do with her body.

After being married to Kyōjurō for five years, and having been together for seven, they should have already had children— what with them trying so hard to conceive after all those years.

“Useless,” She breathed out through the tightness in her throat, biting down on her bottom lip as she buried her face in her hands. And it was then that the tears she had desperately been trying to hold back began to fall; one by one, in hot rivulets that smeared across her face— as her palms were pressed flush against her clammy skin.

(Y/n) tried to breathe through the pain she felt, yet didn’t get any sort of reprieve from her efforts. Even with the sobs that wracked her body, she still felt no lightness in her chest, which usually came when she cried.

Yet that time was different; as it seemed that her sadness and guilt weighed down heavily on her heart, to the point where she couldn’t even breathe.

“(Y/n)? I’m home!” The sound of her husband’s warm voice echoed throughout their estate, which had her sobbing even more— as the guilt inside her festered even more.

Her thoughts centered around nothing but her being a failure as a woman, because she couldn’t even get her body to function properly. And, with gritted teeth, she pushed her hands up into her hair— just so she could pull at the locks in her own self-loathing and frustration.

Quiet yet keening sobs bubbled free from her lips, as more and more of her tears fell from her eyes.

“(Y/n)? Where a-” Kyōjurō couldn’t even finish his sentence, because when his eyes landed right on his crying wife, he practically tossed his sword aside to race over to where she sat in the living room.

She was practically curled in on herself, with her hands still pulling tightly on her hair— while the most heartbroken cry he’d ever heard from her pierced the air. Never in the seven years that they had been together had Kyōjurō ever seen her look so anguished; to the point where she was in the midst of an emotional breakdown.

The Hashira knelt down next to his wife, quickly but carefully getting her to let go of her hair. It was a tad difficult, what with her still pulling at the silken threads but— when he did manage to remove her hands— he pulled her arms up around his neck, so that he could hug her to his chest.

He could feel his own tears pricking his eyes, yet he pushed them back in an effort to remain strong in front of (Y/n).

“What has you so heartbroken, my love?” Kyōjurō asked softly, as he cradled the back of her head with his left hand, while the right one smoothed her disheveled hair down.

Still, only the sounds of (Y/n)’s sobs answered him. She then held on to him tighter, before burying her face against the crook where his neck and shoulder met.

And after what seemed like an eternity, she answered— albeit thickly and choppily through her tears, “I’m sorry, Kyō. I’m so sorry that I’m a useless wife.”

Anger flared up within Kyōjurō at that and, even though his code of ethics told him to never hurt someone weaker than him, he still wanted to knock some sense into whoever had made his wife feel so horrible; preferably with his fists.

“I’m so sorry that I can’t give you any children.”

Those words took the wind right out of the young man’s proverbial sails. He felt his heart practically drop into his stomach, as the thoughts he’d desperately tried to push to the back of his mind resurfaced.

It was true that he’d always wanted kids— lots of them, in fact— and that he and his wife had been trying for a long time, yet still weren’t blessed with any; so he resigned himself to being happy for his friends who did have children. He would often volunteer to babysit his fellow Hashiras’ kids when they needed days off, because he wanted to experience what it would have been like if he and (Y/n) had their own kids.

His heart would sink every time he saw her with children, as it was a constant reminder of what they didn’t have; yet he never bothered to speak about it, because to put it into light would only hurt (Y/n) and make her feel inadequate.

And that was the last thing that he wanted to make her feel.

Kyōjurō loved her too much for that, and he would rather die than ever think of cheating on her just to get a wish of his fulfilled. She was much more important than any dream of his; because she— as he believed— was the one thing in his life that he got right.

“I’m so sorry that I can’t make you happy,” (Y/n) uttered through her bawling, curling her fingers into the soft and sturdy material of his haori— in an effort to keep herself afloat in the proverbial sea of her feelings. “I’m sorry.”

(Y/n) kept repeating her apologies, even though most of them had begun to sound garbled through her tears. But she kept going, as if apologizing to her husband over and over would make things right.

But she was silenced when Kyōjurō hugged her even tighter, and began peppering kisses along the top of her head. He couldn’t hold back his own sad tears, because seeing her in so much pain like that was one of the most heart-wrenching things he had ever witnessed.

It was made even worse with the feeling of helplessness that pooled inside him; as her pain wasn’t one that could be taken away by medicine or rest— her pain was something that dwelled much deeper, and lied somewhere where even he couldn’t reach. He knew that he could only do so much to help her, and that tore at him even more.

“You do make me happy, (Y/n). And you’re not useless,” Kyōjurō answered thickly, as his own tears kept running down his cheeks in warm streaks. “We’ll figure it out, okay? We’ll go to Shinobu tomorrow and get you checked up again.”

He knew that he was rambling, but it was all that he could do to keep himself from breaking down as well. “And if she still can’t help us, we’ll go to the city. One day at a time, my love.”

Another press of his lips was dropped against the crown of her head, and he pulled her in even closer— as tight as he could hold her without it being uncomfortable for her; as all Kyōjurō wanted was to make his wife feel whole again.

And the action perfectly relayed the parallels of him trying to hold her broken pieces together; because that was the case: He was the only one who still kept her going.

“You don’t ever have to be sorry for something that wasn’t your fault, (Y/n).”

[persephonesfill]

My OCs: TYatD

@anarchscry you asked for this very long post so you’ve made your bed, now lay in it. (jk jk i love you)

Osanna Gaza, 17 (on the verge of 18), She, Her, Hers. Osanna is the eldest child of Ivon Gaza (who is a fucking BITCH) and Adelina Gaza (who has never done anything wrong in her life ever). Osanna is the princess of Astoria (one of the kingdoms I created) but she’s not the heir to the throne since Astoria doesn’t practice equal primogeniture. She’s not bitter at all. Really. She has long golden blonde hair, dark blue eyes, tall, lithe stature and fair skin that tans easily (yes that’s relevant to the plot). Osanna is prone to bouts of jealousy and pettiness, especially when she doesn’t get her way. She’s headstrong and as stubborn as an ox, much to her father’s chagrin. It’s a struggle for him to get his daughter to do anything he wants. She isn’t all bad though. Osanna would do anything for her family, especially for her youngest brother, Eden, and isn’t one to balk at confrontation. Osanna is smart, resourceful, and ambitious. All she wants is to be recognized for her mind, which is her greatest strength, and she spends the majority of my book trying to get that recognition. She’s also bi as fuck 🌈🌈 I’m putting the rest under a read more bc holy fuck this got long 

Lani Neda, 17 (on the verge of 18), She, Her, Hers. Lani was orphaned at a very young age. Her parents were found mauled to death in her family home after they refused to let her leave home to attend the school meant for spellcasters secreted away in the mountains of Maras (another kingdom I created). Coincidentally, the caster who came to visit was also the one to pull her from the orphanage and take her to Magai (the school/city for casters) anyway. Totally not related at all. Lani was basically a child soldier, trained in magic, combat, and espionage, and only concerned with protecting the royal family of Maras, especially princess Mai, who’s her closest friend. Lani had short, dark, curling hair, brown skin, and eyes so brown that they appear black. She’s short but well-muscled from her training (and reliable palace meals). Not every orphan is as lucky.  Even when she's not aware of it, Lani carries herself like a soldier; back straight, firm stance and arms at her sides ready to salute or unsheathe her weapon at a moment's notice. Lani is quick on her feet, abrasive, and not the easiest person to get to know. All her life she's had her weaknesses exploited and vowed to never show weakness again. She's intuitive and relies more on instinct rather than logic. She's loyal to a fault and can be absolutely ruthless in battle, holding nothing back. Lani is brave and willing to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. She's serious and seldom jokes around with others. She hates when people don't apply themselves or give up prematurely. She always gives it her all and expects everyone else to do the same. She values hard work, tenacity, and strength. She’s also gay as fuck (for Mai and later Osanna) 🌈🌈.

Aidan Aterra, 18, He, Him, His. Aidan, like Lani, is also an orphan, except he never knew his parents. His caretaker at the orphanage, Dame Mara Finch, or Dead-Eyes as the children called her behind her back for her pale grey eyes, said that he had been left out on the porch of the Foxbrook orphanage in the middle of one the worst blizzards Iskald (another kingdom) had ever seen. His lips had been bluer than death, his skin cold to the touch. She told him that she had contemplated leaving him outside and letting nature continue to run its course but as soon as she had turned around to close the door, the most ghastly wail had burst forth from his lips. He grew up in the orphanage constantly being reminded of her kindness and her generosity, even when he went to bed without supper, or was forced to sleep in the manor’s old dungeons when he misbehaved. When Aidan was ten, he had decided enough was enough and that he was going to run away from the orphanage, making it as far as to the marketplace of their town. Aidan tried to pickpocket a mercenary and ended up following him home instead. The mercenary, and his mercenary company, the Fox Claws, took him in and Aidan was raised in their life of killing, thieving, and the occasional case of vigilante justice. Normally, Aidan is a fun-loving and spontaneous boy who isn’t one to shy away from a party or conversation (only with people he’s let in).  He’s also observant, a trait that has saved his life more times than he can count. However, in extreme situations of distress, such as his childhood at the orphanage and his life after Asher’s disappearance, Aidan withdraws on himself. He’s more prone to risky behavior and uncaring about his wellbeing. He feels a growing numbness inside of his chest and wonders why he should even bother doing anything at all. He also experiences intense regret and self-loathing. He’ll never tell anyone though. Lord knows Dead-Eyes didn’t like criers. All Aidan’s life, he's been met with derision and prejudice due to him being an orphan and likely a bastard. His personality is a result of that. He's sarcastic. Evasive. Shuttered. He puts on a devil-may-care facade to keep others out. Although he can be selfless and kind around children, Aidan is usually self-concerned. He rarely thinks about the consequences of his actions. Some view him as brave for all of the dangerous situations he welcomes with open hands. Others think he's just plain stupid and has a death wish. Aidan always likes to jape that it's a little bit of both. Aidan has black hair that touches the tips of his ears, and strange eyes for an Iskali, who all typically have blue or gray eyes. Aidan's eyes are hazel. Not quite brown. Not quite green. That paired with the olive cast to his skin tone makes him an outsider among the Iskali. After the disappearance and suspected death of his best friend and partner in crime, for which he is the main suspect, all Aidan wants to die is fuck off from the main continent and drink his way into an early grave so he can be with his best friend, Asher, again. He’s also pan as fuck 🌈🌈

Kali Sylva, 16, She, Her, Hers. Kali is the daughter of Alwin Sylva and Tiatha Meimri, and the crown princess of Dererra (another kingdom. you get the idea). Kali is also the sole heir to the throne, due to her being the only child of Alwin and Tiatha. Her very existence is a bit controversial, at least in Dererra. Dererrans are extremely traditional (read: pretentious, prejudiced fucks) and expected for Alwin to marry a Dererran noblewoman. Instead, he married Tiatha, a Khosagho (another kingdom) native. Princess Kali Sylva is a walking contradiction. Quiet, yet opinionated. Shy, yet brave. Sweet, yet fierce. Kali has little confidence in herself and often thinks the worst of others—mainly because they assume the worst of her. Half-breed, they call her. Part Dererran, part Khosaghi. Kali is straightforward and doesn’t much care for silver-tongued folk. She likes to keep to herself and more often than not, prefers the company of animals over humans. She struggles with being from two different worlds and doesn’t feel as if she belongs anywhere. Around friends, Kali can let loose and be herself, and even be playful. With strangers, Kali is reserved and keeps to herself in fear of being reprimanded. Kali is prone to reading into something too much and jumping to conclusions. The only time she feels at peace with herself is when she’s in woodlands of her home with her bow in her hands. Part of her feels as if she doesn’t deserve the throne due to the years of scorn and derision she’s been faced with from other Dererrans. Kali has jet black hair, done in one of the traditional Khosaghi styles, with it being in long, uniform braids. She has smooth dark brown skin, and her father’s bright green eyes. Kali has broad shoulders and strong arms from years of firing a bow and elegant, high cheekbones. 

Cyd Pollock, 15 going on 16, He, Him, His. Cyd is the son of Myra, an innkeeper, and Cyrus Pollock, privateer turned full-blown pirate. For nine years of his life, Cyd never knew his father. It was just him, his mother, and their roadside inn, The Dirty Wolf, and that was all they needed. Everything was fine until a wave of influenza swept through western Masae and his mother, Myra, had fallen ill. Two weeks later, she passed away. Cyd was only nine. His father showed up a week later, stricken by grief, he took in his only son and raised him in the company of pirates, thieves, and murderers. Ever since then, Cyd has had to watch his back. He never knew what his father was like before the death of his mother. He’s only ever known a hard man who was impossible to please. The slightest toe out of line, and Cyd was subjected to cruel and unusual punishment. He learned to keep his mouth shut, don’t ask questions about his father’s “business” and to keep to himself. Cyd keeps to himself. As long as he asks no questions, as long as he doesn’t mouth off, he’s safe. Sometimes in particularly emotional moments he loses control and has a slip of the tongue; a witty comment here, a sarcastic barb there, and he takes the consequences every time. Cyd is very insecure and can’t help but care what people think about him, especially his father and his pirate crew. He hates how much he craves their approval but relishes the rare moments where he’s bestowed with praise. He’s smart though. Smarter than people give him credit. All the years he’s sat in silence, he’s picked up a few tricks from those around him. When he puts his mind to it, he can complete any task with accuracy and fervor. Cyd has wavy sandy hair that falls into his dark brown eyes. Cyd has fair skin and his body is speckled with freckles from spending hours upon hours out in the sun. He has rough, calloused hands from years of pulling and tying sailing ropes and hauling heavy cargo. He has many scars, most along his hands and wrist, although there is one particular scar below his bottom lip from where he had gotten a fish hook stuck in his face as a child. Cyd is relatively short, standing at about 5’9. He hasn’t yet hit his growth spurt. The last vestiges of youth are starting to fade though. The baby fat in his face is starting to melt away and revealing the shadow of a strong jaw. 

[suits-of-woe]

im shaking.. would you do fluffy hamratio?? maybe like a fix it or something... i love them!!

Thanks for the prompt and sorry for taking ages to write it! There’s honestly so many good options for alternate Hamlet endings that I had trouble choosing, but I went with one where Laertes ends up getting second thoughts about killing Hamlet and ultimately becomes king bc I honestly feel like Hamlet’s ideal life involves him being as far from the crown as possible.

Laertes is the kind of man whois far quicker to forgive than to actually admit he’s forgiven. All thingsconsidered, in Horatio’s mind, this isn’t the best of the new king’s qualities,but, in light of his other virtues, can be overlooked easily enough. Because whileLaertes might not be able to match wits with Hamlet, he’s certainly not stupidenough to think banishment is actually an undesirable punishment for the formerheir. If anything, though he’d never admit it, he’s done him a favor.

The coach is far from fit for aking, but it’s small enough that it’s only natural for its inhabitants to betouching, a fact that Hamlet has thoroughly taken advantage of. He lies withhis head against Horatio’s chest and Horatio’s hands combing through his hairas Horatio murmurs his way through an account of Nero’s early reign. He putdown the book he’d been reading from about an hour ago when his arm started tocramp. Hamlet seems to like his version better anyway.

It’s only when Horatio pausesfor a long moment, stumbling over some half-forgotten detail, that Hamlet openshis mouth.

“You’re a born scholar,” hesays reverently. Then his brow creases. “Of course, you’re going to stay atWittenberg. It’s as good as made for you.”

His intonation doesn’t suggesta question, but Horatio knows him well enough to understand that it is one. Hetries to phrase his answer carefully.

“I didn’t have other plans,” hesays mildly. “And my scholarship still applies as far as I know. It’s probablythe most obvious place.”

“Probably,” Hamlet echoes. “Andthat’s not to say that – I’ll be wherever you are, I mean, if you’ll have me.”

“Of course, my lord—”

“Not your lord,” Hamletinterrupts, a little too sharply. He raises his head and looks Horatio straightin the eyes. “Not anymore.”

Horatio cringes inwardly.

“Right. Yes. I’m sorry. I’msorry, Hamlet.” He can feel color rising to his cheeks. It’s ridiculous that he’sspent more hours naked with Hamlet than he can count, and yet using his realname still feels intimate enough to make him blush. “Force of habit.”

“I know.”

Hamlet smiles, relaxing alittle, but doesn’t lay his head back down.

“That’s the problem with Wittenberg,”he says after a brief silence. “Everyone there only knows me as the prince. Evenyou. Well, no, not you. But you’re the only one who doesn’t.”

“That’s true,” Horatio agreesevenly. He’s been trying not to think about it, waiting for Hamlet to bring itup first. Throwing away that kind of money feels beyond irresponsible, but evenso, it’s complicated.

“And it would be odd, too,without...” Hamlet trails off.

Without Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Horatio mentally finishes thesentence for him. And it’s true. It’s hard enough to imagine returning withoutthem at all, but considering the fact that Hamlet was the one to have themkilled, he can’t imagine looking their mutual friends in the face. Too manyghosts there now, just like Elsinore.

“Let’s not go then,” Horatiosuggests, and he can tell it was the right thing to say by the way Hamlet’sbrow instantly unknits. “I mean, I’ll need to get my things. And we need toleave the country somehow anyway. But after that, we’ll go somewhere else.”

“Alright,” Hamlet agrees, barelypausing for breath. “We will.”

Horatio presses a kiss intoHamlet’s hair and lets out his own silent sigh of relief. It’s all so differentfrom how he imagined things ending. Hamlet isn’t happy, exactly, but then,after losing both his mother and Ophelia within the week, he can’t imagineanyone would be. But he doesn’t seem to be breaking either, no more than he hasbeen for the past few months. He’s startling...okay.

“Do you mind this?” Horatioasks. “Really?”

“I...” Hamlet pauses,thoughtful, but still steady. “I wish someone would visit my mother’s grave.”

Of everything that’s happened,Horatio knows, the queen’s death hit him the hardest. Of course, if she hadn’tdrank from the poisoned goblet, god knows Hamlet might have been the one tofall for it, and Laertes might not have been moved to expose the king and put astop to his revenge. She as good as died for him. That’s probably why it upsetsHamlet so much, because he didn’t know she loved him enough to do it until shewas already gone.

“She’s with my father nowthough,” Hamlet continues. “That’s...how it always should have been, I think. Notthat I wanted her dead, but they should have been together. And I know Laerteswill look after Ophelia. And I think...I think I’ve honestly had my fair shareof ghosts for a lifetime.”

“Definitely.”

“And I finally have an excuseto force you to use my real name,” Hamlet laughs, and Horatio can see most ofthe clouds over his expression clearing away. “So it could be worse, don’t youthink?”

“I’m just glad you’re alive,”Horatio says softly.

“I am too,” Hamlet agrees. He laughsa little. “Imagine that.”

Yes, Horatio thinks. It’sastonishing how okay they really are after all this.

Hamlet’s eyes light upsuddenly. “Horatio, what do you say we buy a boat?”

“A boat? Do you...know how tosail?”

“Well enough. Pirates aresurprisingly good teachers. You’d pick it up faster than I did, I bet.”

“I suppose if we have the moneyfor it.”

“Perfect. We’re buying a boat.We can take it somewhere warm.” He grins. “We could go to Rome. You’d likethat, Horatio, wouldn’t you?”

“I’d love it, my—Hamlet.”

Hamlet reaches a hand aroundHoratio’s neck and smashes their lips together with a vigor that speaks of bothpain yet to fade and joy yet to come. In a second he’s trailing kisses downHoratio’s jawline, running his hands all over his chest, and by the timeHoratio can make himself pull away he’s already dizzy.

“The driver,” he manages to getout. “It’s not exactly private—”

“So?” Hamlet counters. “We’rejust two common men. Why would he care about us?”

[alitaimagines]

Would you be able to do the sfw abcs with Toshi?

Enjoy!

A = Affection (What are they like with affection, public and private?):

In the public, he’s very minimal with it. He won’t kiss you or do anything massive. He rather stick to his affection being in private. He will hold your hand though! 

B = Boast (How often do they boast/talk about your to other people?):

Not a lot. Toshinori is once again a very private person. Everyone around will think that he’s very much single but when they look over to his phone and see your name with a heart, they’d be shocked. 

C = Communication (Are they good a talking about how they feel and listening to how you feel?):

He’s getting better with communicating! He isn’t that good with expressing how he feels but he does try! You just have to push him to tell you whatever is happening. On the other end, he’ll listen to you 100%. Whatever is wrong, he’ll listen to you and try and give you advice. 

D = Dates (What are common dates and how regular are they):

After Toshi retired, he’s gotten a lot more chances to take you out on dates. They usually consist of taking you to a cafe or library. He hates loud places so don’t expect concerts or busy places. 

E = Effort (How much effort do they put into the relationship?):

Toshinori thinks that a relationship should be 100% on both ends. If the two of you aren’t putting the same amount of effort, he thinks that the relationship won’t work. So whatever is going on, the effort has to be on the same both parts. 

F = Flirting (How do they flirt and how do they react to being flirted with): 

He tries so hard but he fails just as hard. You think it’s endearing but he really lost his touch after high school. When someone is flirting with him, he gets flustered rather quickly. He’ll just take it but won’t know how to react to it. 

G = Gift (How often do they give you gifts?):

Toshi is the kind of boyfriend who will give you gifts but they aren’t the most expensive or the nicest. He knows your heart and the way to your heart isn’t by buying his way through nice things. He’ll take you ice skating and buy you hot chocolate or buy you a single rose on his way home. 

H = Health (What do they do when you’re sick?):

He helps you so much. He’ll take a few days off of work and nurse you back to health. He’ll make you soup or pick you up any medicine. Depending on the sickness, he’ll make sure not to get too close since he doesn’t to contract the sickness but he will wait on you hand and foot. 

I = Insecurity (How insecure are they in themselves and the relationship?):

Toshinori is extremely insecure. He knows he isn’t the most attractive and you could do so much better and sometimes, he just thinks of breaking up with you so you can find some better. What finally knocks some sense into him is when he sees you doing the most domestic shit. He thinks it’s cute as hell and it just gives him that sense of validation he needs. 

J = Jealous (How often do they get jealous and how do they react?):

Not that much. He’ll get jealous on some occasions but won’t make a scene about it. He knows where he stands in your heart but he can’t help but feel that sense of jealousy sometimes. 

K = Kiss (What are their favourite kisses and where do they kiss you the most?):

He loves giving you forehead kisses. Since it is kinda hard for you to even reach him, he has to bend down a lot. It usually ends up with him being the one to bend down and giving you kisses. His go to kisses are forehead kisses because he just finds a sense of purity to it. 

L = Love (How often do they say they love you and how do they show it?):

Usually before he leaves to work. It might be thrown around a lot but he doesn’t say it often to other people. It’s usually to you and to Izuku. Obviously it’s two different connotation considering one is father-son relationship and the other is a romantic relationship. (Had to make it clear bc I know some ppl with strange ships and this is not the blog for it.)

M = Marriage (Do you get married? When?):

Yep! He asked for your hand in marriage after four years of dating. He made sure that nothing would interrupt the very serious moment but it all went to shit when he went down on one knee. He accidentally slipped and fell on his ass. While he tried to play it off, you knew you had to put him out of his misery and you said yes!

N = Naked (What’s their reaction to seeing you naked?):

He immediately shielded his eyes. He knew you probably didn’t want him to see you naked so quickly into the relationship but he did save a mental image! You know, for science reasons. 

O = Occasion (What do they do on special occasions?):

For special occasions and holidays, you’ll take him to meet your parents. Whether it’s both parents or just one (child of divorce representation woo woo!), he’d make sure he’d do everything that was asked of him and more. If it’s his turn, he’ll take you anywhere you want! His goal is just to make you happy! 

P = Protective (How protective are they over you?): 

Very! He makes sure that when you’re out on the street on your own, you know how to defend yourself. He will train you with Izuku and while he make sure that you know how to get yourself out of a situation. 

Q = Quirk (How do they use their quirk in relation to your?):

His quirk and your quick take a while to get used too. If your quirk doesn’t do well with his, the two of you work on making it work if that makes sense. His quirk and your quirk could probably do a lot of damage if the two of you work on it. 

R = Relax (How do you two relax?):

You have to force this mf to relax. Literally it takes you and sometimes Gran Torino to make him relax. You know that his injury needs time and he needs to take it easy so the two of you try to relax as much as possible. It’ll consist of you two soaking in the bath together with warm water. 

S = Save (What are they like when they save you?):

If he saved you and the two of you are already dating, the facade of his All Might form goes out the window. You’ll whisper into his ear, “you’re my hero, Toshinori,” and he’ll get all flustered. 

T = Temper (How often do they lose their temper with you?):

Not a lot. He deals with Bakugou for crying out loud. He can calm down before he even tries to yell at you. If he does though, he’ll instantly regret it and try to talk it out. 

U = Upset (What do they do when you’re upset and what do you do when they’re upset?):

Like previously stated, he’ll try to help you out when you’re feeling upset. If you’re upset at him, he makes sure he knows what it’s about and try to resolve the issue. If he’s upset with you, you know it’s better to deal with the problem head on than to ignore it. 

V = Vacation (Where would you go on vacation together?):

Usually, it’s to different places in Japan. You’ll try to knock out all of the tour-y places first and then it’s out of the country and you know you have to take to the United States. 

W = Wash (What’s it like to shower/bathe with them?):

 If it isn’t sexual, oh my god it’s a struggle. He has to move the shower head because he is literally taller than it so after a while, you leave all annoyed because you can hardly get any water. Toshinori can’t help but laugh. 

X = X-ray (How do they react to you being injured?):

He’s really pissed off about it. He kinda blames it on him for not being there for you but in reality, he’s pissed that he can’t catch the villain himself. Since he’s retired, he can’t help but want to become a hero for one more day so he can deal with the villain all on his own.

Y = Yearn (How much to they pine when you’re not around?):

Not much. Toshinori is pretty occupied when you’re around and if you leave, it doesn’t change much. If you’re gone for a long time, he’ll start getting a bit more annoyed as time passes and starts to lose his temper a little more.

Z = ZZZ (What are they like to sleep with?):

It’s pretty smooth sailing. He hugs you from the back and he stays that way. The only reason why he’ll move is if you have to use the bathroom or he has too. The two of you stay pretty still. 

-alita

[realmzenith]

benke !!!!!!

u truly want me dead but ily so- BUT OK BENKE my meme child

What’s the maximum amount of time your character can sit still with nothing to do?.2 seconds i hate him. if he HAD to sit still and he was feeling slightly more chill than usual he could prbly go five minutes. tops. he’s just rlly antsy. he needs to be doing smth w his hands

How easy is it for your character to laugh?EH not super easily but defo more easily than a lot of my other ocs from one to ten one being laughs extremely easily he’s prbly a 4. the key is to find him memes esp political nihilistic memes or fall in front of him bc he’s terrible

How do they put themselves to bed at night (reading, singing, thinking?)he doesn’t sleep. e v e r. who do u think he is?? nah jk on a more serious note, he actually doesn’t sleep very easily so usually he just listens to music until he dozes off

How easy is it to earn their trust?gosh that’s. difficult to say. p hard actually?? surprisingly hard for how much of a meme he acts like and how relatively extroverted he is. from one to ten w one meaning it’s very easy to gain his trust i’d say 7

How easy is it to earn their mistrust?he doesn’t rlly attach himself to ppl easily so it’s p easy to get him to not trust u. like he’ll be chill w u but he wont trust u all that much it’s a weird dynamic w him. w one being v easy to get him to distrust and ten very hard, he’s a 5. p much in the middle not rlly too much to one side or another

Do they consider laws flexible, or immovable?rules are great until they impede him from getting what he’s aimin for :) on a more serious note, he doesn’t rlly give a damn abt most laws like he doesn’t want to go to jail but at the same time if he’s not going to get caught he’s going to do it bc hey wtf yolo

What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling?LOL NOSTALGia thats a joke he dislikes sappy things n nostalgia falls into that category but he will on v v rare occasions reminisce. certain musical pieces have that effect on him esp the classical ones as he’s grown up w music (being a practical prodigy on the piano and all). he guesses that sometimes it is kind of nice to remember. just once in a while tho. in a while being the key phrase here

What were they told to stop/start doing most often as a child?I MEAN he’s sixteen he’s still technically a child but basically the most common thing he hears is stop slacking and work harder. being an asian kid getting As is? absolutely crucial he’ll be smacked upside the head by his parents if he doesn’t so they always tell him to stop slacking tf off n actually study for once (tbh it’s fine he’s a genius practically he gets As easier than u can say banana split)

Do they swear? Do they remember their first swear word?absolutely and he doesn’t rlly remember but he thinks it was “shit”

What lie do they most frequently remember telling? Does it haunt them?once he set out twenty peeps just behind the wheels of his mom’s car and when she backed out the entire wheels got covered in peeps and when she came home saying there was all this weird gooey stuff on her wheels and looked pointedly at him. he just blurted out that it was god exacting judgement on her for her sins. it didn’t end well. he ended up washing the entire car by himself. it still haunts him to this day

How do they cope with confusion (seek clarification, pretend they understand, etc)?he’ll literally just say “what the fuck” and laugh

How do they deal with an itch found in a place they can’t quite reach?whine about it until someone scratches it for him dependent on how comfy he is around the ppl he’s with. if he’s not comfy around the ppl he’s w he’ll just sulk internally or scurry off to the bathroom and like, rub his back (presumptively that’s where he can’t reach) against the edge of the stall until the itch is gone bc he’s high

What color do they think they look best in? Do they actually look best in that color?he thinks he looks best in all colors also he doesn’t rlly care abt fashion. he looks best in HM like purple or royal blue?? 

What animal do they fear most?he has this weird fear of armadillos and no one knows why it has smth to do w an incident at the zoo when he was six

How do they speak? Is what they say usually thought of on the spot, or do they rehearse it in their mind first?he honestly doesn’t say everything that comes to mind even tho it SOUNDS like he does but he also. basically says everything that comes to mind. it’s odd bc he ends up being rlly engaging in conversation anyways. however he isnt immune to being at a loss for words and when he’s under pressure he will stumble a lil thru what he’s saying. but most of the time what u hear is what he’s thinkin

What makes their stomach turn?ok he’s not SUPER big abt justice or anything like that but if someone’s being torn down he’ll get rlly uncomfy unless he’s the one who initiated it bc he’s like hey hey haha guys dont say that abt them. also he dislikes roly polys w a passion bc they remind him of armadillos :)

Are they easily embarrassed?on one hand he has no shame on the other he does get p flustered if ppl flirt w him and it hits a spot (in a good way)? like he does get embarrassed moderately easily but it takes him a few seconds to realize he should be embarrassed if u get me

What embarrasses them?flirting, if u get a well aimed compliment in that he didn’t expect. also realizing he’s made a fool of himself bc that oftentimes happens but he also rarely realizes it so if he REALIZES he’s made a fool of himself he will get flustered

What is their favorite number?420 duh

If they were asked to explain the difference between romantic and platonic or familial love, how would they do so?he’d be like wtf why r u asking me this but if someone he does trust and is close to asked him he’d try his best to give a serious answer after a bout of awkward laughing to make sure they were serious. prbly like “familial love and platonic love are the same thing basically right? i guess platonic love is how u love ur friends so yk brofists and shit and then romantic love is more? special? idk it’s fucking great tho *fingers guns at sev*”

Why do they get up in the morning? his mom makes him get up for school otherwise what is leaving his bed when he can just pull his comp onto his lap while STAYING in his bed and game from there

How does jealousy manifest itself in them (they become possessive, they become aloof, etc)? oh he’s very possessive. he’ll defo keep whatever he’s worried abt losing close by to start and if it’s a person- friend or s/o- he’s going to be touching them a lot more. a hand on the back, a hug at the side, running his hands through their hair casually. anything to assert that no back off ur not taking them from me. but if it continues, which it v well may, knowing him, he’s going to start getting snarky n verbally fighting the other person. basically Messy pls reassure him if u are the object of his affections and he’s getting side-eye emoji abt someone 

How does envy manifest itself in them (they take what they want, they become resentful, etc)? he defo becomes resentful a bit. like he doesn’t get envious over most things- it’s mostly fear of losing the thing once he has it- but when it does he will get resentful and hole up a bit and generally just seem a little ticked

Is sex something that they’re comfortable speaking about? To whom?yeah he’s comfy talking abt sex. prbly a little too comfy. so basically anyone willing to engage him in the conversation topic will likely hear abt it but he’s calmed down ever since he got involved w sev

What are their thoughts on marriage?marriage is good? but far off and amorphous in his mind. for the most part he’s like there’s nothing wrong w it but it crosses his mind EXTREMELY infrequently   

What is their preferred mode of transportation? preferably in the back of a private plane, squirrel suit gliding or on a giant eagle, none of which he’s ever experienced in his life. but out of the things he has he is fond of sailing when it’s calm out bc he does get seasick a tiny bit. he likes fast cars too

What causes them to feel dread? his mother :) she may be small but she is Frightening

Would they prefer a lie over an unpleasant truth? he doesnt rlly give a damn so lie most of the time but at the same time if he cares abt the thing and he’s asking u abt it pls do urself a favor and tell him the truth. it’s what he prefers and it’s rare anyways that he actually asks after smth

Do they usually live up to their own ideals? nope. he wants to win a nobel prize, publish a meme compilation book, become a world class pianist, go to pluto- u get the idea. ya boi has many high hopes for himself which he’s not rlly meeting atm. he’s a little all over the place, so despite his many talents he isn’t quite living up to the ideal version of himself he’s seeking after and prbly never will it’ll be very hard to get him to admit this not bc he’s an edgelord or smth but it’s hard to get him to talk abt deeper things but he does sincerely want to be a good moral person which dependent on the day and his level of seriousness he may or may not be living up to in his own eyes as well as in the eyes of others. what can i say he’s kind of a hoe

Who do they most regret meeting? life…. when life’s hand touched upon his little heart and gave him the gift of herself he immediately was filled w Ragret- on a more serious note it’s prbly the armadillo from the zoo

Who are they the most glad to have met? sev? he also adores his piano teacher but good luck getting him to admit that w heartfelt sincerity 

Do they have a go-to story in conversation? Or a joke? it’s honestly whatever’s the most recent thing he observed, heard or experienced when it comes to stories. he has no shortage of words to say and his fav sort of memes and jokes are politically nihilistic ones. so those are? in a way his go to?

Could they be considered lazy? yes. he only applies himself if he’s interested and for most of school he has no qualms abt being a lil sus and casually “accidentally” getting the answers to things so yeah that’s. that could be considered lazy. however, when he does care abt smth he will absolutely dedicate himself to it. he practices piano consistently and diligently day in and day out so it honestly depends on if he cares or not

How hard is it for them to shake a sense of guilt? v difficult. he rarely becomes guilty for longer than .4 seconds but when it does he’s srsly going to internalize that bc if he’s feeling guilty he prbly f-ed up real bad. he also won’t rlly talk abt it to anyone so it’s even more likely it’ll just get internalized 

How do they treat the things their friends come to them excited about? Are they supportive? that’s extremely dependent on who it is and what it is. if it’s sev he’ll b v supportive but sev is a VERY big exception in most cases also sev rarely gets visibly excited abt things so it’s usually a cause for celebration when he does. if josie (his bff) is excited abt smth? if he can relate he’ll be excited for her but if he can’t he’ll TRY his best but there will be some teasing involved bc that’s how he diffuses confusion. their other bff will get the same treatment but w slightly more effort bc she’s more sensitive but gosh if it’s someone he doesn’t know rlly well he’ll be rlly confused he’ll be like good for u ha?? or someone he knows casually. they’ll get teased so he tries but he also sucks at life. for such a great analyst he’s terrible at being socially delicate

Do they actively seek romance, or do they wait for it to fall into their lap? tbh prbly actively seek it. he defo pursued sev before they got together

Do they have a system for remembering names, long lists of numbers, things that need to go in a certain order (like anagrams, putting things to melodies, etc)? he doesn’t rlly give a damn abt ppl’s names but if it’s say a piano piece it’s honestly just cold, hard repetition 

What memory do they revisit the most often? he doesn’t reminisce often hes a p go go go type of guy but if he does it’s prbly abt sev. neither of them voice it often but they’re both rlly grateful for the other

How easy is it for them to ignore flaws in other people? see, he’s kind of oblivious he doesn’t rlly think abt these things but when something annoys him? oh it annoys him and he’s going to make no effort to hide it or ignore it. so he’s honestly rlly bad at ignoring other ppl’s flaws. he’s a bit of a b like that 

How sensitive are they to their own flaws?very

How do they feel about children? no particular opinion! he’s the younger sib by quite a bit so he’s always been kind of the baby. he thinks kids are fine and he’s actually p good w them but he’d prefer to not babysit or anything like that. there are better more enjoyable things he could be doing w his time. as for having kids he almost never thinks abt that so he’s got no opinion there either. what happens happens after all

How badly do they want to reach their end goal? he doesn’t particularly have One End Goal but he has many aspirations and if he cares abt smth he will do everything in his power to reach it at least within reason. so p badly relatively speaking? 

If someone asked them to explain their sexuality, how would they do so? he’s bi so if someone asked him to explain it he’d be like “it means idc what someone’s gender is when it comes to whether i want to fuck or not ;)” yes i hate him too

QUESTIONS FOR CREATORS

A) Why are you excited about this character?MEME KING but also i’m excited to try and work out the balance between apathy, drive and subtle but very much present care for the ppl around himB) What inspired you to create them?i need a best friend for the main chara of the story benke is a part of! additionally, he shares a lot of character traits w an irl friend of mine so it’s a bit of a nod to themC) Did you have trouble figuring out where they fit in their own story?nope! benke was created for the purpose of filling a role tho honestly he’s spun a wild story for himself somehow looking @ u sevD) Have they always had the same physical appearance, or have you had to edit how they look?i must admit benke does NOT have a set appearance as of the present. he’s afab nb and does nothing to present as more masculine than he naturally appears. he’s indian, 5′4″ and he’s got short hair w highlights but beyond that i’m still working out his appearance E) Are they someone you would get along with? Would they get along with you?yes on a surface level to both. we’d meme together but at a deeper level we wouldn’t make good close friends. benke’s brand of caring for ppl is nearly opposite to mine and bc we’re already both unconventional in how we show we care abt someone we’d prbly both end up feeling neglected. there’d be a lot of miscommunication and honestly, ya boi would get on my nerves n i’d prbly get on hisF) What do you feel when you think of your OC (pride, excitement, frustration, etc)?TIRED he TIRES me but also a bit of pride bc he’s growinG) What trait of theirs bothers you the most?where do i begin. prbly how he’s unintentionally self centered. benke is far from uncaring abt his friends he will do crazy stupid brave things for them if it ever came to that but it’s hard for him to see why some of the things he says hurt other ppl’s feelings esp if they’re diff from him. he’ll be like ?? why u offended i didn’t say anything mean. he’s also RLLY bad at handling serious emotions even when they sometimes do need to be dealth wH) What trait do you admire most?HM prbly his knack for being a great conversationalist. ppl like him even if he isn’t the most popular bc he’s funny and p chill. he doesn’t have too much drama so it’s like hey there’s the meme guy even tho he’s kinda weird and tbh goals. being a good conversationalist can get u places and ease up SO many social situationsI) Do you prefer to keep them in their canon universe?PRBLY but also i think he’d do rlly well in a sci fi universe eyes emojiJ) Did you have to manipulate or exclude canon factors to allow them to create their character?nah not rlly?? not yet at least ! 

[ohdeargodnotyouagain]

Way Down We Go (Side Piece)

Down the tunnel as they followed as a lightshow- but not the normal kind in clubs or bars. This one the memories were sketched out on the walls of the caves as Cassander walked in front of them. He glowed as he started to jog- the man running through time to get someplace. His memories were scratched in white in the darkness.

322 BC. The tunnel shifted around them suddenly to where they were inside a temple- a beautiful, tall, elaborate stone palace that dancers and people sang. The food smelled so sweet; it was an almost painful contrast to the scent of death before. The shadow remained beside Shade, but perhaps, slightly more whole than before. It breathed raggedly behind her, like it could not fully expand its lungs- but it was soft enough to lose over the sound of the music around them. 

A man was dancing with several other men; he was younger than Shade knew now. Still boyish in expression and not the soldier she yet knew. He danced and twirled, leaving all those, including the king who sat on the thrown with another man beside them. It was obvious who those were from the men who sat beside her body in reality. Alexander and Hephastian were both dazzled by him, though Hephastian seemed far more worried in his expression than the other.

Cassander had once told her how they had met. He had been a spy for the Persian army, sent to assassinate Alexander but had instead saved them both. The moment Alexander looked away from him; the man seemed to take offense. He pulled a strap from his body that was both rope like and a decoration. He moved it like a weapon at first, because he was a warrior in his movements. He was trained and honed from a young age. And he was graceful in a predatory way.

Cassander took the front of the dancers and walked forward, standing before the king and his lover for a moment. Before he twirled and moved forward to them, taking out his whip and cracking it- it came to life with a dazzling brilliant blue electric bolt. It twirled with his movements, creating a tornado one moment and then being a new creature before them the next. The bolt became a projector instead of a killing bolt and it showed them gorgeous images from his own memory. A brilliant cat padding its way toward them and roared, and then a glimpse of their jungle homeland. Birds breaking over a brilliant sunset and the images exploded into shining light that sent a brilliant ending to their dance. The servants dropped before it and the dancers dropped too, leaving only him standing. The drums that were banging their climax to the song stopped dead and Cassander stood before the king.

It was a sight. All the other dancers were to the floor, heads bowed to- What seemed like, Cassander. He stood at the front, the entire clan behind him in one soul. Cassander raised his head in dignity only of a prince… and then bowed himself, setting himself as a guest to their court. A peaceful gesture. The servant posing to be the prince in his place beside the King frowned, but did not clap as so many others did around them. The room was alive with them. “See me, king.”

The king stood, stepping down to him in the saunter that Shade would know so well. "What is your name?" The memory again, translated for her. The dancer bowed low, "Gaia."

Alexander scoffed, "That's a woman's name. And you are no woman." He thought for a moment, "I think... you should be called Cassander in my court." His smile was devious but Cassander's eyes widened a fraction of an inch. "For in your court, and always." He answered the young king, who nodded his satisfaction. "Come to my side, meet Adia." He gestured to another young man who was also Persian and beautiful beyond believe. His eyes shown like gold in the firelight. "Hello." The man greeted, and Cassander blinked, smiling at him, "Hello." The fire in the middle of the room seemed to grow as they continued to speak and then the people were running- a memory blending into another, one in which when Shade looked away, another took over. This time, of a new scene before her.

148 BC. Cassander was being drug by his armor, bloody and war torn, by Hephastian who had tears streamed down his face. Alexander gasped for breath, sword swaying in his hand as dead lay around him. "They are burning it!" Alexander cried aloud, "They are burning Macedonian and everyone in it. Gods I wished never to see this day." Hephastian swallowed, "My king-" He had to say it twice more before Alexander looked at him, "We need to go- Roxanna and the young prince are safe thanks to our friend- now we need to go- run away with each other until we can no longer see smoke." Cassander moaned softly and Hephastian shushed him, "We must go, my love." And Alexander nodded, dropping his sword and picking up Cassander instead. "We will stay together." He told him- and they drug his limp body into the dark burning night.

60 BC. More fire. This time images of a volcano erupting and Cassander swimming, watching death and destruction around him. The shadow behind her looked up at the volcano erupting and hunched over, too long arms seemingly pooling into the ground to mix with smoke and ash.  Alexander's face in the crowd, holding onto Hephastian for dear life, screaming out for Cassander who was swept into a different direction. It was sad to watch as the people around them died and they were separated.

40 BC. Then another memory came, this time of Cassander looking at Graego across from a tavern and going to him. "Me'ami?" He whispered and the face turned around and they kissed desperately- some of the men around them barked laughter that the drink had gotten to their heads and he pulled him into an alleyway, "Never leave me again." Graego whispered and Cassander shook his head, "I- I- I'm such a fool." He sobbed, shaking terribly in Graego's hug. What he could not see was the smile that curved Graego's face as he cried into his shoulder. The shadow raised a hand, gently touching her but not entirely. Just hovering there. A man that Shade did not know came from the darkness to whisper to Graego, "Meet my new apprentice Cassander. Brutus, general of the recently deceased Caesar." He purred and Cassander jerked backward from him, "You... made an immortal?" He whispered to Graego and he nodded, "Yes... do you like him?" Cassander's mouth worked and he swallowed, "You..." Whatever he said was cut off very suddenly- the memory was shifting again.

1095. "Charge!" There was a scream as horses ran past them- their hooves beating the ground and wading through lakes of blood. The crusades- and Cassander was there on a hill overlooking the bloodshed, before he dropped to his knees. "What have I done- What have I-" He gasped, trying to wipe the blood from his hands. Behind her, the voice of the shadow repeated it, but it was softer, "I killed them all." It responded to the Cassander that couldn't hear it.

1227. The next memory was strange because it was not of Cassander, but a woman. There was screaming and crying going on outside the window of a village shack. Perhaps it was someone else that he remembered- but when the woman peeked over the side of the window, shushing several other women in the room with her, it was clear who it was. Cassander, with long black hair and the brightest blue eyes, watched the men of Genghis Khan walk over the bodies of the men. The shadow beside Shade was purposefully standing close by her this time, almost in front of her like its presence would keep the memory from being real. Cassander would give a single for small groups of women to run, until she was one of the few left when the door burst down. She stood there, scared out of her mind with a knife in both hands.

1230. The next few memories of her made the shadow disappear from view- she was captured by the man, put in a cage and treated like cattle. It was... It was horrible and sickening and had no real word to describe the inhuman nature of what was done to this woman. And one could see the haunted look Cassander had in his eyes truly form here. The flickering scenes were like a television on bad reception until it landed on her in a barn. The other women were either dead or sleeping around her. She was crying softly as she held a small albino baby who wasn't breathing. Cassander sung a soft lullaby to it, rocking it back and forth. A mother, naked and bathed in moonlight, singing to her dead child who had undoubtedly just been born. She would occasionally try to bring it back to life- the same way Cassander had done to Graego, Alexander and Hephastian, but nothing seemed to take. A man came into the same area as her and started to remove his-

The ending was just as horrid. But this time, the woman stood victorious. The village that Khan had inhabited was destroyed- leaving nothing but the men's heads on pikes. She stood standing over a funeral burning of the women that did not make it; the bundle was no longer in sight. "What will you do?" Another woman asked and she shook her head, "I have nothing left. I will left the ocean take me, and hopefully let it drown me." She again, left the funeral pyre behind her, only this time with tears in her eyes.

1270. Ocean sounds rattled the world around her, and the shadow still had no returned. This time, this time Shade could see the woman tying up sails far above her. She looked down at a man who stared back at her. "What are you staring at?!" She snapped at him and he grinned, "Just the most beautiful woman I have ever seen!" He called and she slid down one of the ropes to land in front of him- billowing shirt barely falling off her shoulders. "Keep your eyes to yourself, Polo." He shrugged, "My eyes are my own, but I can't help them when you catch them with yours." She blushed and he shrugged, "Doesn't it seem just lovely."

 She took a breath, "What does?" Marco Polo gestured to the ocean, "This. And you." Cassander swallowed, "I know what you want, I you cannot have it." When she walked away, he followed her, "And what says I demand it from you so?" Cassander twisted around, "All men do."

 "Not me." He sobered, "Not me." His voice was soft on her, "I have one love, and she is the sea. But you seem as though you need more than the sea." Cassander swallowed and he smiled at her kindly, "Come, let me show you the world." The next few years was her exploring with him- the adventures they got into. They almost... almost, found love in each other. But by 1299, he had found someone else, and Cassander left in the dead of the night when they docked in England. A little heartbroken, and with one eye looking backward to see if he would follow. He didn't.

1350. The woman was running again, but this time from a group of men on horseback through the woods. Witch hunters. For a moment- just for a moment- the woman saw Shade. Her eyes widened and she yelled at her, "Run you fool! The hunters are here!" She screamed, grabbing hold of Shade's hand and running with her. The memories were becoming much more real. She ran until she could no longer run and they fell into a trench- except Shade kept falling. Fell into the next memory of a man looking down at her. 

1481. "Are you alright?" He asked and the woman blinked up at him, "Yes." She whispered and sat up, "Where am I?" Cassander asked him and he, the young man, shrugged, "Nowhere and everywhere it seems. You feel through my roof!" He pointed upwards and she shook some straw out of her hair. "Oh." Through the hole, there was another building that towered over the man's home. It was clear what she had been trying to do and it had nothing to do with flying. "It seems quite lucky you hit my roof!" He laughed, "You could have died!"

She said nothing as she picked up herself, "Excuse me, I must be going. I will pay for the damages as soon as I can- I promise you sir."

He stepped in front of her before she could leave. "Now wait just a minute, my dear. You are sick, cold and hungry. Any man can tell. Please, at least sit with me and have a warm drink." It was no secret that she was gaunt. Thin and tired. She looked at the bread he waved in front of her face and cleared her throat as he led her to sit. The memories fast forwarded to him showing her his drawings. Her becoming more and healthier until she was the one fixing the roof. They talked and enjoyed each other's company. The memories slowed to where he was older- in his forties now. "Leonardo?" She asked across their living room. He hummed softly in response.

"Why do you not desire me?" She asked and the man lifted his head, "Pardon?"

"You and I have lived together for many years- but you have never once fancied me to join you in bed. Am I ugly to you?" He laughed and she frowned at him.

"No my dearest... I just... I am not a normal man." She frowned at him and asked him what that meant and he sighed, slowly explaining his... awkward tastes. Now she laughed, "There is nothing awkward about you." She told him, "I just wish I was in my other form- perhaps I could belong to you in such a way I hold you." He came to sit beside her and refilled her drink, "My dear, you have given an old man hope for our future and not to mention, helped with some of my designs and... been my companion." He pointed up at the pair of wings they had strung from the ceiling.

She stayed by his side until the day he died. She did not change one bit, and closed his eyes for him when he let his last breath out. Cassander placed a kiss on his head, "In another life. I will meet you. And I will love you all over again, my dearest Leo." She whispered to him, wrapping her face in a shawl and leaving the room.

1517. There were heads Cassander saw in the distance. He gasped, running in a full sprint across the market screaming their names. Alexander and Hephastian twisted, eyes lighting up and tears all over again. They tackled each other, laughing and crying. A woman was with them with her long blond hair pulling around her shoulders. She cried seeing them too, and so did another, the one that kissed Cassander so deeply the memory couldn't convey how much it made Cassander's heart stop. They had found each other. The pyramid stood towering in the distance and he gasped, "I thought I had lost you all- I thought-" He gasped and Alexander gripped him, "We will always find each other- We will." He promised.

1650. Another flash of memory- this one felt realer than the last. Cassander stood on a pyre, tied to a pole. "Can we hurry it up please." he called to the pilgrim holding a torch. "This is getting very boring. Burn the witch. Yes- Yes, burn the witch." He snarled at the man who jerked with the flame. Cassander yawned as he was slowly burnt alive- and then came right back to life before them causing the villagers to scream and run. "Burn the witch my ass." He snapped at the few had remained. "All witches are under my protection! For every witch you burn I will bring back to unleash hell tenfold!" He screamed and the villagers went running as the skin on his face regrew. "Amateurs." He grunted, jumping down from the pyre and adjusting his burnt clothing. Adia sighed, handing him another coat. "Please, Me’ami, can we not try to antagonize the locals?" Cassander scoffed, "Why not, is the question."

1718. Another memory took over for the last. It was getting to mentally exhausting being here. This one on another ship that was circling a whirlpool. Cassander stood, wide brim hat with a feather in it waving in the wind, right at the front of the ship as cannons flew past him. The shadow had returned. It was behind her and human shaped. It no longer had the film grain around it, but solid edges. Cassander, and the group, lead an unholy siege against the British Empire. The Golden Age of the Pirate was upon them. A well placed canon ball hit the mast and they started to sink into the whirlpool.

1801. They were at a bar, Adia and Cassander. A smile on his features as he whispered into Adia's ear and slipped something onto his finger. Adia's face lit up and he turned, kissing him deeply. They laughed and sung together with a group of people. Alexander, Hephastian and Lykana were nowhere in sight. There was a horrible sound of yelling and the scene flickered in and out. "No...” Said a voice behind her, "not this again." Cassander's voice came out of the black shadow. "Not this." The scene's sound went in and out as Cassander was thrown into a wall and beat nearly to death. Adia was dragged in front of him.

Graego was there, shouting in words that were temporarily muted. "You thought you could take another?!" He snarled at him when the sound came back. People were screaming and running from the bar, leaving Graego, Brutus and several other immortals there. "YOU DARED. THINK YOU COULD. REPLACE ME." He hit him again with every word. Cassander begged for Adia's life- not his own. "See what is like- to lose the most important person in the world to you!" The shadow moaned behind her as it curled in on itself. "Adia- baby-"

Cassander looked into his eyes; "Look at me- I'm sorry- I love you so much-" And Graego took a sword from the hand of one of his men and swinging it downward. Beheading Adia- Cassander screamed- a bone breaking, lung crushing scream of agony seeing it. "No- No-" The shadow got louder like Cassander, "I don't take pleasure in this, Cassander." Graego whispered angrily, "But you can't just replace me. I am everything to you. And I will not be forgotten."

1850. More images. Ones of Cassander crawling through the dirt with people behind him. Him talking to a present- Abraham Lincoln. Pained expressions as Cassander drunk... and drunk more. It lead right into the civil war where he walked amongst the bodies of men and brothers. His long, thousand yard stare.

1889. They were on a bridge, overlooking a long river that flowed beneath them. Cassander was close to the man that she knew now, but yet, somewhat innocent in his features. He was talking a young woman from the ledge, “Jane… please…” He whispered to her on the other side of the railing. “Please, my love. Come down from there. I don’t care what you’ve done.” His voice was soft, begging quietly, but urgent. “Jane, I don’t care- Please don’t take yourself away from me.”

The woman turned to look at him. Her eyes were red, “I killed those women.” He swallowed, “I know.” She took a breath, “You know what your little police force call me?” His voice was soft, “They think it is a man. Jack the Ripper, I’ve lead them astray- come now.” He whispered to her and she hissed at him, “Jane. Jane the Ripper. Much more fitting.” Cassander swallowed, “Please, think of the baby.”

Cassander had had nightmares of this when they slept together. Shade would know the softness of his voice, the whisper, “Jane no- Jane-“in his restless sleep. When asked, he told her once of a woman he loved in England, who had killed herself and the baby he thought was his. How much he had been looking forward to it. It was a topic of pain neither of them liked to bring up.

Cassander stepped a little closed and she climbed over the railing after taking his hand. “This baby isn’t yours.” She told him suddenly and he blinked at her, “What?” Jane looked into his eyes, frown on her pursed lips. “It isn’t.” She hissed at him. “And I was right- That’s the only reason you’re saving me. You want the baby. Well you can’t have it!” He shook his head, “No! That’s- What- JANE!” She had taken a knife out of her pocket, cutting into her stomach and repeatedly stabbing herself. Cassander caught her, calling out for help. He put a hand on the blood and she stared at him, “I won’t let you take my baby.” She hissed at him and he shook his head, “No no- I don’t- I want you both- you both-!”

The image sped up- again, like a poorly used television- to images of her taking her first breath as an immortal. To Cassander buying them a house by the ocean. To her hurtful words and her abuse. To the relationship that Cassander was so willing to go along with because he thought he deserved the pain she caused. The shadow said nothing in this- not even when they sat across a courtroom and she pointed at him- to the cuffs that were slapped around his wrist that he had hurt her even when the bruise was on his jawbone. To the Asylum they had put him in and the bars he had grown accustomed to. His entire life had been one tragedy after another.

1876. He picked up the phone- the first time it had ever rung and put it to his ear slowly. “Uh… Hello?” He asked and the voice on the other end was screaming with joy. “I knew it!” Alexander laughed, “WHAT AN AGE!” He laughed and Cassander practically collapsed. They talked for hours on this new thing- this telephone that he knew would connect people across the world soon enough. “Find me.” He told Alexander, “Find me and take me away from here.” Alexander asked about Adia and Cassander couldn’t answer him. “It’s my fault, Alexander…. Everything is my fault. Please... I need to see you. I just...” Alexander calmed him, “I’m on my way, brother. Hold on. I know...” He swallowed, “I’m coming. Just hold on.”

1914. The worst war he had ever seen and he stood to take a picture with his troops. Captain Roshack. A name he had forged on his papers to make it look legal. He had misheard the man asking him to look at the ink blots and he had answered with it. It seemed like a good name as any. The flash made his eyes hurt and he walked toward the encampment. The sounds of fighting were not far away. A man handed him a cigarette and he thanked him, smoking it as he looked over the fields. “God I hope this is the last war like this.” He sighed, “It won’t be.”

1944. The shadow left her side and walked toward the dying man on the ground- and seemingly went right into him. They went through his years at Ford, the good years of the 30s in Cassander’s barhopping. Alexander, Hephastian and Lykana staying together against all odds. Until he was drafted. He built his first engine, to only come here on the battle field of World War II. He was filled with holes, and was staring up at cloudy sky above him. His eyes found Shade looking over him and he blinked slowly, “Are you an angel?” He asked quietly, looking up at her. His voice was cut off by the blood rising up his throat. The rain pelting down came in sheets, soaking him to the bone. He shivered as he sunk further into the mud. There was no one left alive on this side of the battlefield. “It’s okay…” Cassander whispered to her, “It doesn’t hurt anymore.” He was holding the hand of a soldier who had died not too long ago. It wasn’t clear if he was talking to him or to her, even as he stared into her eyes. Through the rain was a small bark and a dog no bigger than a puppy came sloshing through the rain and sniffed him. A small, black ball of fur that was desperate to find someone, started to tug him out of the mud, digging with his front paws to get him out as best he could. Cassander gasped in pain as the dog drug him up the trench was the water started to rise further and he rolled over and the dog crawled under his arm to try to get him up, Cassander moaned again and gasped as he started to throw up bullets. The dog licked his bloody hand, whimpering as he slowly got to his feet. He picked up the dog with shaky legs, not strong enough to even carry his gun by to drag it behind him through the muddy field of bodies. “What do they call you huh?” He asked the dog, limping heavily towards the sounds of gunfire. “Artemis. That’s what they call you.”

1986. He drove away, tears in his eyes with a handful of people in the back of his truck. The ruins of Chernobyl behind him as he drove fast to get out of dodge. Graego had done it again- tried to take the world from everyone. He had found a place he could have been happy and Graego had gotten in the way of it again. Damn him. DAMN HIM. He swallowed, Artemis panting beside him in the floorboards. He patted his head, “Don’t worry boy. We’ll be okay.” He whispered to the dog, who huffed from where he was on the floor.

2012. His eyebrows rose a little at the piece of paper in his hands. The address was… interesting, to say the least. Cassander looked up at the building and cocked his head to the side. His suit was impeccable, as was the rest of him. Not a hair out of place, tie practically glued into its spot with its sapphire pin holding steady. The man glanced at the note in his hand before it turned to ash in a flash like someone had taken a picture- then it flew into the wind off his palm. No evidence of his charge would be left for people to see.

He let the sunglasses slide down his nose a little as he stepped to the front door. A light touch to the doorbell and he waited, arms behind his back. When it opened he didn’t smile. It wasn’t his job to do that. “Ms. Shade, I presume?” He asked softly, his throat gave his tone a low rumble. Another her stood there in front of the door, her face immediate suspicious of the man. This time there was no shadow to make ominous comments about this interaction. Cassander kept her at arm’s length, but as time went on, he started smiling at her when she wasn’t looking. But he let his guard down. Just when they were starting to seem to get to that edge of- of whatever he was he was scared of.  Her ex- there was a battle and Cassander made it just in time to get her to the hospital- She had killed him. Cassander waited there by her side, praying that she would wake up. That he could protect her better. Lykana came to her in the middle of the night. Her steps silent. “Cassander.” She greeted and he looked up at her, a tired expression on his face. “Hey.” He breathed, “How’d you find me?” She shrugged, “Alexander.”

He nodded, “Go get some sleep.” She told him after a moment, “I will watch over your new pet until she wakes.” Cassander frowned, “I thought you didn’t like me fraternizing with the humans.” Her smile was soft on him, “I know you. You’ll do it anyway.” He stood, “I’m just going to get something to change into from home and I’ll be back.”

The memory sped up and he was at home, stepping out of the shower when he got the call. Lykana was so quiet when she told him what happened. “I… I’m sorry Cassander. Cassander-“

He had already hung up, dialing the hospital. “I need- I need some information on Artemisia Ca-“The nurse spoke over him, “Oh its- Sir, I’m sorry.”

The phone broke on the ground. Why did he always start loving people who left too soon?

2013. He knew it. The woman from last night at the bar knew it. But what he couldn’t quite figure out was why she was standing over him. A not so friendly look on his face or why he was in a bathtub in his shitty apartment. Was it his shitty apartment? They were looking a lot alike these days. “Waffleck do ya want?” He grunted, face muffled with his arm, and turned over in the tub, his rolled up jacket a surprisingly comfortable pillow. The bottles rolled around in the tub with him.

She knew this moment. The moment they had supposedly had met. She had gotten him cleaned up- they had rebuilt that apartment building. They had gotten closer- danced when the roof was leaking. He had talked about so much with her- such open honesty. If only she knew that he was so desperate not to mess things up this time- to tell her but hoping she- she…. Wouldn’t leave.

The memories blending together. So far the happiest ones that she had seen so far. But now they were in a different space. Lykana stood not too far away from him; they were on a roof overlooking the Kremlin. “You told me she was dead.”

Lykana was quiet for a moment, “I was saving you from yourself. You haven’t watched yourself- You’ve been dying from the inside out- all over humans. I didn’t want you to get attached and lose another-“ “That is my choice!” He screamed, “How dare you get involved with that- How dare you tell me she died and she has been alive all this time- How do I even begin to tell her what happened!? What we were!”

She scoffed, “You’ll find a way. You’ll fall in love with her- You’ll love her. SHE’S HUMAN, CASSANDER! Humans die!” She yelled back at him, coming closer and the steps she took froze over. “No matter how much you love her- she will always die in the end!”

“Then I will love her with every last breath I have!” He shook his head, “I don’t care if she’ll die- I will spend my entire life making sure she’s happy. And I swear to all the gods, if you intervene again I will find a way to end us both.” She stared at him, “Cassander-“ He held up a hand, “No- Lykana. You were wrong.” Her mouth shut, “And this conversation is over.” 2018. More images of his capture from his last job. His desperation to be free. The thoughts and hallucinations of her there. The vague distorted memories of her coming up to his cage. And then nothing- Shade was standing in a dark room. Nothing inside, nothing around them… Cassander stood behind her. Eyes confused and vacant. “Artemisia…?” He asked quietly, he was the one she knew. The shadow fully forming. He had become clearer and clearer the last few memories but now he was there. “Are you an angel?” He asked, eyes blurred looking at her.

[yume-x-hanabi]

Gaius Comparisons #5

@goldenangelwings​ it’s been a while, but I’m back with comparisons! Hopefully I can finish everything this year XD Previous entries.

Scenes analyzed here: Jude Side scenes, from their encounter in Fennmont to catty schoolgirls.

(After beating the Exodus soldier)

Gaius: So you survived after all.

Jude: Gaius!

Gaius: Throw him in a cell. These people are with me.

Exodus Soldier: Stop it! Let me go!

Rashugal Soldier: Come quietly or else!

Exodus Soldier: All of Elympios will die at this rate! What did we do to deserve this?!

Jude: Gilland said the same thing.

Leia: Wow, Gaius! When did you start ordering around Rashugal troops?

Gaius: Everyone in Rashugal succumbed to terror and panic after Nachtigal's death. [“The citizens and soldiers”] I led them from the chaos. [“I simply led them” LIKE IT’S NO BIG DEAL]

Teepo: Wow, that's some trick! [“That’s exactly what’s impressive!”]

Rowen: What exactly are you doing here in Fennmont?

Gaius: We are working with the Rashugal military to salvage the Lance of Kresnik from the bottom of the ocean.

Jude: Why? What do you want with the Lance now?

Gaius: Exodus may be gone, but it's unlikely they've abandoned their Otherworld Reactor Plan. I will put a stop to it. And you? What of your plans? [“I will stop the ORP. Exodus may be gone, but I doubt the plan itself is gone.” Same thing, just wording order.]

Jude: We want to talk with Muzét.

Gaius: Why come find me? [“Muzét?”]

Leia: [“Yes.”] We heard you've been fighting her, so we figured you might know something.

Auj Oule Troop: Your Highness, we're ready to set sail. [not important, but he calls him “Gaius-sama” here rather than “heika” like they usually do. Interesting detail.]

Gaius: Good. Come to the seahaven.

Jude: How come? [“But I…”]

Gaius: Come with me, and you may get your chance to see Muzét.

Rowen: We should join him.

Jude: Okay.

Commentary: not many changes here, mainly wording.

Wingul: His Highness is already aboard. We will depart soon.

Elize: Excuse me.

Wingul: I presume you wish to ask about Jiao.

Elize: Yes. Do you know why he protected me during the battle?

Wingul: Perhaps he sought to make amends for his past crimes.

Elize: But he ended up dying as a result. [“Make… amends…?”]

Wingul: There are some who believe that nothing is more important than survival. But priorities change. Life starts to lose purpose when you've gone astray. Sometimes the only means to make amends for one's actions in life is to die. [“But that’s just one point of view. People can only live in society. In that case, sometimes you need to make amends, even in death.”]

Jude: ...

Elize: I don't really understand.

Wingul: Nor should you. You should focus instead on enjoying what you have. [“That’s why you should live as a child for now.”]

Elize: How do I do that? [“As a child?”]

Wingul: That's for you to find out. Jiao's greatest wish was for you to find happiness in life. [“Jiao’s greatest wish was for you to find childish happiness.” Aka for her to enjoy her childhood] Of that I am certain.

Elize: Okay. I'll find a way. [“As a child, right. I’ll think about it.”]

Wingul: That will put Jiao at peace.

Rowen: If I may. [”Wingul.”]

Wingul: Full of questions today, aren't we? Let me guess. Is it about His Highness? [He doesn’t say the italicized line.]

Rowen: What are Gaius' plans for Rieze Maxia?

Wingul: No doubt His Highness will one day unite this world. [”Rieze Maxia”] That should tell you what you want to know.

Rowen: Thank you for your time.

Leia: What is it? [“Rowen?”]

Rowen: It’s nothing. Shall we move onward?

Commentary: Wingul is so gentle here with Elize ;A; This really speaks about his relationship with Jiao (especially when you know everything that happened between them). The reasoning is a bit hard to translate nicely in English, which is why I can see why the translators altered it a bit.

Originally it’s not really about Jiao going astray and death being the only way to make amends. What he’s alluding to here is that for a long time Jiao lived isolated, uncaring about other people, but “people can only live in society,” meaning that that lifestyle isn’t sustainable in the long run, you need to make connections with people. And that sometimes means making amends for your wrongdoings. Important distinction, but originally Wingul doesn’t say that “death is the only way to make amends,” just that making amends was so important to Jiao that he’d die for it. It’s not that he was fated to die for redemption, just that, in that particular moment, he chose to give his life to make amends, because it was more important to him than his survival. That kinda echoes what Milla did, in a way, and what the other Chimeriad will do later. The reasons are different than Jiao, but they all chose death because they had something more important to them than their own survival.

Then he talks about Elize living “as a child,” which is the best I’ve come up with but the concept is kinda hard to translate in that context. Basically what he means is that Jiao wanted her to have a “normal” happy childhood (bc he robbed her of it), and so she shouldn’t worry about all that and just focus on her own childish happiness while she still can. That’s a concept that comes up again during her scene with Alvin, though there again her lines are changed a bit and kinda remove the “as a child” part.

Gaius: I see. All that time, she was just bait.

Jude: That's why I want to meet the real Maxwell. To find out the truth.

Gaius: He'd most likely reside in the spirit realm.

Leia: But, does such a place even exist? [“I’ve heard about it. That’s the world where spirits live.”]

Rowen: And even if it did, we have no means of getting there. [“However, no one has ever found such a place.”]

Wingul: Indeed, it's little more than a legend. But we know for a fact that spirits exist. So it follows that they must reside somewhere. Likewise, a path to their realm must also exist.

Teepo: Hey, what about Nia Khera? Don't they call that place the village of the spirits?

Gaius: You have a point. [“Yes.”] It lies near a mountain known as the Hallowmont. Perhaps you might find a clue there. [“It wouldn’t surprise me if there was something there.”] [Note: In Japanese, the Hallowmont is 霊山 – lit. “spirit mountain” ... the way it’s worded makes it sound like it’s just a type of mountain, not a unique “The Hallowmont,” if that makes sense.]

Leia: Well, what are we waiting for? Let's check it out! [“Really?!”]

Wingul: Don't get too excited. [“Wait.”] This ship isn't turning around before we reach the Lance of Kresnik.

Leia: Really? Come on, who cares about that stupid Lance?

Rowen: Gaius, earlier you spoke of stopping the Otherworld Reactor Plan. I suspect you're planning to invade Elympios using the Lance of Kresnik.

Gaius: It is for the good of Rieze Maxia.

Jude: Hold on. You would need massive amounts of mana to use the Lance.

Gaius: I understand. [”Of course,”] I do not wish to sacrifice humans or spirits.

Elize: Then... maybe we don't have to use it. [“You’re not sure about it, are you? Then…”]

Gaius: The reality is, someone must.

Jude: Are you trying to finish what Milla started? [“Gaius... You want to protect her spirit too?” (spirit as in, what she wanted, what she tried to accomplish)]

Gaius: I never put it into that perspective, but inevitably yes, that is what I'm doing. [”That might be the case... No, it is.”] No one has ever made such a strong impression on me. [“No woman”]

Jude: Then we also need to consider the fate of Elympios!

Wingul: You're worried about them? At a time like this? They were willing to sacrifice every human and spirit life in Rieze Maxia! [“When Rieze Maxia’s humans and spirits are at risk of being sacrificed?!” English line is in past tense, referring to what happened before. Japanese line is about a future threat. (voice acting note: he sounds rly offended here XD)]

Jude: Why does one side have to suffer for the sake of the other? That doesn't sit well with me. It wouldn't sit well with her, either. [“It’s not about sacrificing one side for the other... That’s what she would say.” (voice acting note: the second line is barely audible in Japanese, he’s whispering softly)] She would destroy the schism and save everyone. [No “she would” in Japanese] That's what I want to do.

Gaius: I'm surprised to hear such words from you. [“You…”]

Wingul: …

Gaius: Are you trying to repay her for what she's done for you? [“~protecting you with her life”]

Jude: Yes.

Gaius: You've grown strong. [”You’ve changed.”] Jude, join me and–

Wingul: Your Highness, we've nearly arrived. The salvage operation needs your attention. [”Please get ready.”]

Gaius: *side eye* ...Very well.

Jude: Gaius?

Commentary: Someone is jealous XD

/shipper goggles on/ “No one has ever made such a strong impression” very literally is “no woman’s existence has ever been so significant to me”. The fact he’s precising it’s a “woman” and not just a “person” could imply that there is a “man” whose existence is quite significant to him already 8) /shipper goggles off/

(Post Muzét fight)

Leia: Phew! It’s a good thing we didn’t try tackling her on our own.

Jude: Muzét, why are you doing this?

Muzét: Why? All I am doing is— All I’m trying to do is protect Rieze Maxia! That’s what!

Jude: I mean… [He doesn’t say anything here, he just gasps.] How does what you're doing protect Rieze Maxia? [”What does ‘protect Rieze Maxia’ mean to you?”]

Muzét: How am I supposed to know?!

Gaius: So you are acting under order.

Jude: Please, you have to tell us. [Muzét, tell us.] Where is Maxwell? We need to know. [he doesn’t say that last line]

Muzét: What do you people want with Lord Maxwell?

Wingul: So, there is another Maxwell after all.

Leia: Muzét! This can't be what Maxwell really wants, can it?

Muzét: Of course it can! Lord Maxwell, is this not your divine will? Lord Maxwell! Please! Command me to smite these humans!

Elize: What is happening to her?

Rowen: I do not know.

Gaius: Wingul, come, follow me! [Literally, either “Let’s go” or “I’m going” depending on context. In English his longer line causes Wingul to speak at the same time (rude!)]

Wingul: Yes, sir!

Jude: Gaius, no! [just “Gaius!”]

Wingul: After His Highness! Send word to the Chimeriad!

Commentary: Where were you hiding that wyvern Gaius?

srsly he’s so badass here *insert more wishes for a Gaius side*

Leia: Where are Gaius and Muzét?

Jude: You sure this is the right place?

Rowen: What?

Elize: Why?

Teepo: What's the big idea, featherneck?! [“black-clad guy”]

Jude: Are you going to tell us why you're doing this?

Wingul: Because it's dangerous.

Jude: What is? Us?

Wingul: No, Jude. You.

Leia: Why would you say that? [“Jude?”]

Rowen: Having Jude meet Maxwell may impede on Gaius' progress. Is that what you believe? [“You don’t want Jude meeting Maxwell, is that it?”]

Wingul: ... [voice acting note: in English it sounds like an annoyed “rrrhhh”, in Japanese it’s a smug/amused “hmph”]

Jude: You think I would get in Gaius' way?

Wingul: Don't let them escape.

Soldier: Now, please come quietly.

Jude: …

[Rowen, Elize and Leia beat up the soldiers]

Jude: Wait, really? [“Elize, Leia!?”]

Rowen: Now, let us find Gaius!

Leia: But where’d he go?

Rowen: One place comes to mind.

Elize: The Nia Khera Hallowmont! [”Nia Khera’s hallowmont” again a wording that seems to show “hallowmont” is just a type of mountain and not just this place’s name]

Rowen: Yes. Precisely. [“We have to bet on that.”]

Jude: Come on, guys. I wouldn’t mind a heads-up next time you plan a rescue. What? I’m not a mind reader! [“Guys… Let’s coordinate better if we’re gonna do it. What? I’m the one in the wrong?!”]

Commentary: Wingul couldn’t have believed this would be sufficient to stop them, could he? Is it possible he’s not completely serious about stopping them there because he knows that’s not what Gaius’d want?

(skit: The Hand of Gaius)

Teepo: I can't believe he turned on us! [“tried to arrest us”] Stupid featherneck! [“black-clad guy”]

Leia: He really caught us off-guard. [“He never lets up.”]

Elize: Why would he do that after he told me about Jiao?

Rowen: When Wingul makes a decision like that, he's thinking only of King Gaius. He would do anything, and stop at nothing, for the good of his king. [“even eliminate any potential obstacle”]

Leia: Ugh. He must really look up to Gaius. [love. LOVE!]

Rowen: I think it's more complicated than that.

Elize: Gaius and Wingul aren't friends?

Rowen: They are friends. They share the same ideals, and they walk the same path. Which is what makes it so complex. They are close friends, and yet at the same time, fierce rivals.

Teepo: What does that mean? I don't get it!

Elize: Leia, do you understand?

Leia: Not really. I guess it's like the dude version of being a catty schoolgirl? [“a maiden’s heart”]

Rowen: Heh. That's... Well... That's surprisingly accurate, actually. [“That might fit, surprisingly.”]

Commentary: Look I know that Leia was joking, but come on translators, couldn’t you have at least given us this? Besides, “look up” sounds really weak for a remark following “he would do anything for him.” Why are they so intent on changing every “suki” into “respect” in this game? They did it with Milla too...

[auroargraves]

Webgott!!!!! Omg

oh man I actually screamed when I saw this ship because my boys💕

who hogs the duvet - Lieb does esp. when he is annoyed with Webster and he always kicks Web so he could tug the duvet around him so Web is used to sleeping wearing long john now.

who texts/rings to check how their day is going - Web does this because he’s a soppy boy and usually Lieb doesn’t answer his phone bc he’s driving but he always texts back by including a cute selfie of himself in the car.

who’s the most creative when it comes to gifts - I got to say Webster because he is the kind of guy who puts a lot of thought into a gift even a simple one. And he’s extra too so out come the chiffon papers and silk ribbons that refuse to be cut by scissors.

who gets up first in the morning - undoubtedly this is Web bc he’s used to sailing early in the morning so it becomes a habit even when he lives in the city now.

who suggests new things in bed - Joseph Liebgott bc he watches stuff on the internet and he thinks that he and Web could pull this off esp. the one with the long mirror and handcuff.

who cries at movies - they both do! but Lieb is like tears silently trailing down his face while Web goes all blotchy face and red eyes and hiccupping.

who gives unprompted massages - Lieb bc while he is seen as abrasive, he’s also a very tentative boyfriend so when he sees Web stretches out to pop the kink off his back, he just quietly pulls Web to sit down and work out that knots.

who fusses over the other when they’re sick - Again this is Lieb because he’s secretly a mother hen and he nags at Web for staying up late too many times yet he makes chicken soup for Web and herbal tea and making sure Web is comfy before coaxing him to sleep the flu off.

who gets jealous easiest - Webster and he’s the kind that will be jealous in silence and he won’t say anything when some guys/girls flirt with Lieb and Lieb flirts back. But Lieb knows bc Web will be silence and stoic and won’t even look at him and gives one word answer to whatever Lieb is asking so he always kisses Web all soft and gentle until Web looks at him.

who has the most embarrassing taste in music - It’s Webster but he doesn’t feel embarrassed abt his love for country music.

who collects something unusual - Web has two humongous shark plushies and a chest full of shark memorabilia.

who takes the longest to get ready - Joseph Liebgott bc he spends roughly 15 minutes to do his hair.

who is the most tidy and organised - Lieb and Web is the messiest bc he leaves his papers and books and sweaters all over the place smh.

who gets most excited about the holidays - neither one of them honestly bc Web’s holidays were always stressful and Lieb is too tired to even bother about holidays except for Halloween.

who is the big spoon/little spoon - big spoon is Lieb, little spoon is Web and it’s hilarious because Lieb is shorter than Web so it looks like he’s trying to climb his boyfriend which is probably not far from the truth.

who gets most competitive when playing games and/or sports - Joseph D. Liebgott and he’s a sore loser and a loud winner.

who starts the most arguments - David K. Webster because he never knows when to shut his mouth.

who suggests that they buy a pet - neither because Web believes they should adopt and Lieb agrees.

what couple traditions they have - dressing up as each other’s fav characters/persons during halloween and making out/have sex later while still wearing the costumes.

what tv shows they watch together - cooking show also anything about sharks.

what other couple they hang out with - oh man Skinny and his partner and sometimes it’s Janovec and Patt. Luz and Toye always hang out with them too.

how they spend time together as a couple - not much honestly because they have their respective works and they usually see each other at night so they always get dinner together and sometime Lieb stays up with Web when he has to write an articles. But when they both have off day, they sleep in or have lazy morning sex and late lunch and do laundry together or drive out to the beach.

who made the first move - Webster because he thinks he has nothing to lose and a boyfriend to gain if Lieb likes him back so yeah.

who brings flowers home - Web and usually he brings beers too but sometime when he is hit with love bug, he’d bring back flowers to Lieb which makes Lieb laugh at him but he still puts them in the vase and kisses Web all sweetly.

who is the best cook - Joseph Liebgott and he always denies Web’s entry to the kitchen because something will burn if Web is in there.

send me a ship and i’ll tell you

[samanthasroberts]

Southern Charm Recap: Can They Get Any More White?

I have emerged from my two-day hangover solely to write this weeks recap. Guess killing brain cells is one of my hobbies now.

When we left off I wasnt sure if I was Team Kathryn or Team Whitney, and I dont think thats ever going to get resolved tbh. However, I did just notice Kathryns facial expression in the opening sequence more or less sums up her entire personality.

Thomas and JD, back at it again with the polo. Cause that ended really well the last time. Can they get any more white?

Whitney has some fruit salad and is making coffee and Larissas like, If that’s cooking, I’m about to be the next winner of.

Whitney trying to explain what going steady means to Larissa is pretty hilarious tho.

Kathryn andKody? Corey? Fuck, I forgetare getting a seaweed facial or some shit, AKA Bravo is pampering them so they can talk shit in style. Nice.

Kathryn is bummed that once she has her baby she has to go home alone with her two children.

Kathryn: Im a 24-year-old soon-to-be mother of two. If you dont think Im overwhelmed and nervous then you dont think.

Wow that was like, unnecessarily aggressive Kath.

Cooper? Cooper! Calls Thomas a 50-year-old playboy and is like,

Cooper: Instead of letting it frustrating you I just say let it strengthen you.

Cooper is the moral compass this show needs.

Meanwhile Thomas is sipping bourbon with JD on his porch because Kathryn really needs him.

JD: Hows the baby? Thomas: The doctor said fine… JD looks skeptical, because Im sure he knows better than a trained doctor.

JD: Kathryn moving up the due date seems awfully peculiarseems suspect.

JD is a regular Hardy Boy over here.

JD: I think women dont like being asked for paternity tests.

NO FUCKING SHIT.

JD is like, and Thomas is like, Its clear hes forgotten who hes about to have a kid with because Kathryn is NOT going to be down with Thomas basically accusing her of slutting it up and then trying to trap him into fatherhood. JUST SAYING.

Its date night with Craig and Naomie. Craig chooses going to L.A. over the biggest event for his company, because hes never been to L.A. before. And Craig wonders why hes not allowed to head a bourbon division. I don’t foresee this ending well AT ALL. Craig, youre a fucking idiot and for once Naomie is in the right to tell you youre fucking up.

Craig: Do you see how hard Im trying to justify this?

Yeah, because you KNOW YOURE IN THE WRONG. Thats literally what justification is.

Cameran and Landon meet up for a candle-making class and I am kind of jealous because that low-key sounds fun. Landons explaining her travel guide to Cam, so Im going to take a quick nap.

Cameran: I think its hard for Landon bc she was a typical Southern stereotype of the woman who got married young and was taken care of and she doesnt have that anymore.

Wait, how is this the first Im hearing of this failed first marriage? How has this NEVER come up before this season??

Cameran: So any man prospects? Landon: IDK not really its kind of sad and pathetic.

Landon is like Same tho. Cameran: Do you think the reason youre not meeting anyone is because you want something to work out with Shep? Landon:…Yeah

Cameran and I are both like, FINALLY!

*Cue a montage of them looking really couple-y* I’m rooting for you guys!

Landon brings up every middle schoolers dilemma which is that if she dates Shep, then shell lose him as a friend. Can we get like, a violin quartet to score some melodramatic music or something?

Craig and Shep make it to L.A. and Whitneys bachelor pad is sick. I guess this is what that Bravo money gets you. On an unrelated note, I have a very compelling idea for a new reality show, if you wanna get on board Bravo, Ill get you in at the ground level.

Craig: I wouldve had FOMO if I hadnt gotten to come out heresothanks.

Whitney: Meh whatevs

Whitney: #NewCraig has taken on this persona thats like, not chill dude.

Whitney basically lets it go with the caveat that he may never fully trust Craig again. Eh, Im sure theyll be fine.

Shep: You know when youre perfectly drunk and youre really good at pool? Is that like when Im really drunk and I think Im really good at dancing?

Classic Shmosby.

Larissa crashes the boys weekend which is not at all chill. Larissa is, I guess, the WGG of the group.

Shep: Should I change? I dont want to look all fratty and Southern.

Well that ship sailed like, approximately 36 years ago. Whitney makes a joke about waking up in the morning covered in blood and vomit. Was he secretly with me and my friends this weekend? Unclear. V. possible.

These two slutty-looking blondes show up and Shep is in fucking heaven. Craig low-key wants to kill himself.

Whitney: The goofy, disarming thing works in Charleston but not so much in L.A.

I’m sorry, Whitney, but who you callin goofy? You’re not exactly a chiseled Greek god over there. Whitney takes a casual shot at Craigs bourbon knowledge, or lack thereof, and now that hes gotten that off his chest this friendship is back on track.

The aftermath of Whitneys party looks a lot like the scene I dealt with Sunday morning. So, like, maybe they really were there.

Whitney: The marker of a good boys weekend is a pool of vomit with a partially digested meatball in the middle.

Whitney talks about how Shep didnt get any last night and Whitney said he had a meeting with Hand Solo which made me LOL.

Sheps like, and Im getting soooo mf sick of this trope. I am convinced Shep just acts this way because y’all expect him to be a fuckboy and nobody challenges him or holds him to a higher standard. Also, there’s just no way his dick games that good. THERE IS NO WAY.

JD is on the phone with Paula and SURPRISE, Craig basically didnt do shit for this festival yet still wants to be head of the bourbon division. The entitlement is strong with this one. Craigs phone is dead, party casualty, so JD is calling around to all Craigs friends like the angry dad he is. Did I mention this was dumb af, Craig?

Also, LMAO at how hungover they all look. Their hangovers are giving me life.

Craig: I just feel like Im being used to do all the bitchwork and its annoying. I lied, THIS is the whitest thing to happen on this show.

Shep: People take work too seriously. What happened to just drinking beer and laughing your balls off?

Yeah Shep, I think this may be why your restaurant is struggling to pay the rent.

Thomas and Kathryn are discussing the ins and outs of labor, which I will file away for future knowledge. Thomas calls Kathryn an expert at giving birth which is like, kind of rude lol. But I guess also accurate?

Kathryns opening up to Thomas about being alone this time around, looking up at him with big doe eyes, and Thomas is like,SHUT DOWN.

Thomas: The timing is really bad for me, could you just like, not give birth rn?

Kathryn: Thats why I like having you around, youre like a calming presence IDK why.

Kathryn, do you know what calming means? Im starting to think not.

Back at Whitneys, some massage therapist named Megan shows up, and Shep clearly has a boner.

Shep: So youre gonna give us all massages now?

Megan: Its like holding space to really connect more with yourself.

Shep is blatantly sexually harassing this poor girl. JFC. This is so creepy. Tone it the fuck down.

JD & Co. is launching his bourbon line at Charleston Cup, this horse race in Charleston. Craig is nowhere to be found, shockingly.

JD: Work isnt all roses and cherries. Sometimes its dirt and trenches.

Im putting that on a needlepoint for my office.

Sheps not going because his grandpa died. OK thats actually like, very sad. My condolences.

We will now resume with our regularly scheduled program of shit-talking.

Craig is taking forever to get readyCraig and Chad from are both the secret Betches interns.

Craig is hungover with an upset stomach and a sinus infection, which is literally what happens to me every time I drink. AKA right now. We’ll get through this, Craig. Emergen-c and green tea all mf day.

Cams like,

Craig apparently slept in and didnt do anything to help JD set up. Which, Im not surprised by, but again, is a really bad move for when youre trying to show initiative.

Cameran: #NewCraig is starting to run its course because at this point hes becoming #OldCraig

Dannis dropping some random whiskey fun facts and Craig is like, Fuck the bourbon division, Im not sure Craig is qualified to have any job at Gentry HQ, PERIOD. How the fuck is he going to be a lawyer if he never wants to do work? He’s gonna have a rude awakening if he ever makes it to first-year associate (I have heard).

Craig is there for all of two minutes and is already like, fuck this Im leaving.

Oh JK Craig didnt actually leave. JD gives a speech and what do you wanna bet Craig is gonna get shafted in this thank-you speech?

Wait for it..

BOOM. SHAFTED. I called it.

Cameran is so into this race its scary. How much money did she put down on that horse? Judging by her reaction to losing, Id say a lot.

Once again JD is dressed like a 1920s fat cat. Live your truth, JD.

JDs like, and Craig is like,

JD: Do you think you should have gone out of town? Craig: I mean Ive never had to give up a trip for a job so

Oh boy, Craig. I fear for you in the real world. I really do.

At Kathryns, she and Thomas are eating dinner. Kathryns going into labor tomorrow morning. I hope they dont actually film her birth. That would be kind of fucked.

Thomas: I want to have a traditional family, hear the shnookums running around, hear the house fill with laughter.

Lol, “shnookums” only makes me think of one thing:

Thomas: I still love Kathryn, I care about her but Im afraid a day of reckoning is forthcoming.

UH OH.

Kathryn asks Thomas how he feels and he says hes apprehensive and shes like, BRUH, FEEL APPREHENSIVE?!

Kathryn: If I say anything mean to you tomorrow just give me a free pass.

OK thats fair, she is giving birth and all.

Kathryn gets up and eats some generic brand Lucky Charms before giving birth. I take it all back, she really is struggling with money.

OK low blow. Sorry. Kind of.

Seeing the sheer amount of diapers in Kathryns house is enough to make me never forget to take my birth control.

Thomas: For some reason, maybe through divine intervention we were brought together. Steven Spielberg I believe said, Ive made a lot of movies, but my greatest creation of all was a child.

So I wonder at what point Thomas is gonna be like Who am I kidding, theyre gonna drag that out at least over the course of another epsiode.

OK enough shit-talking from me. That baby is cute. What did they name him?? How they gonna leave us hanging like that?

div.body_middle_part_right .bodypart:nth-child(n+2), a.prevBody{display: none;}

Source: http://allofbeer.com/southern-charm-recap-can-they-get-any-more-white/

from All of Beer https://allofbeer.wordpress.com/2018/03/16/southern-charm-recap-can-they-get-any-more-white/

[jimdsmith34]

Southern Charm Recap: Can They Get Any More White?

I have emerged from my two-day hangover solely to write this weeks recap. Guess killing brain cells is one of my hobbies now.

When we left off I wasnt sure if I was Team Kathryn or Team Whitney, and I dont think thats ever going to get resolved tbh. However, I did just notice Kathryns facial expression in the opening sequence more or less sums up her entire personality.

Thomas and JD, back at it again with the polo. Cause that ended really well the last time. Can they get any more white?

Whitney has some fruit salad and is making coffee and Larissas like, If that’s cooking, I’m about to be the next winner of.

Whitney trying to explain what going steady means to Larissa is pretty hilarious tho.

Kathryn andKody? Corey? Fuck, I forgetare getting a seaweed facial or some shit, AKA Bravo is pampering them so they can talk shit in style. Nice.

Kathryn is bummed that once she has her baby she has to go home alone with her two children.

Kathryn: Im a 24-year-old soon-to-be mother of two. If you dont think Im overwhelmed and nervous then you dont think.

Wow that was like, unnecessarily aggressive Kath.

Cooper? Cooper! Calls Thomas a 50-year-old playboy and is like,

Cooper: Instead of letting it frustrating you I just say let it strengthen you.

Cooper is the moral compass this show needs.

Meanwhile Thomas is sipping bourbon with JD on his porch because Kathryn really needs him.

JD: Hows the baby? Thomas: The doctor said fine… JD looks skeptical, because Im sure he knows better than a trained doctor.

JD: Kathryn moving up the due date seems awfully peculiarseems suspect.

JD is a regular Hardy Boy over here.

JD: I think women dont like being asked for paternity tests.

NO FUCKING SHIT.

JD is like, and Thomas is like, Its clear hes forgotten who hes about to have a kid with because Kathryn is NOT going to be down with Thomas basically accusing her of slutting it up and then trying to trap him into fatherhood. JUST SAYING.

Its date night with Craig and Naomie. Craig chooses going to L.A. over the biggest event for his company, because hes never been to L.A. before. And Craig wonders why hes not allowed to head a bourbon division. I don’t foresee this ending well AT ALL. Craig, youre a fucking idiot and for once Naomie is in the right to tell you youre fucking up.

Craig: Do you see how hard Im trying to justify this?

Yeah, because you KNOW YOURE IN THE WRONG. Thats literally what justification is.

Cameran and Landon meet up for a candle-making class and I am kind of jealous because that low-key sounds fun. Landons explaining her travel guide to Cam, so Im going to take a quick nap.

Cameran: I think its hard for Landon bc she was a typical Southern stereotype of the woman who got married young and was taken care of and she doesnt have that anymore.

Wait, how is this the first Im hearing of this failed first marriage? How has this NEVER come up before this season??

Cameran: So any man prospects? Landon: IDK not really its kind of sad and pathetic.

Landon is like Same tho. Cameran: Do you think the reason youre not meeting anyone is because you want something to work out with Shep? Landon:…Yeah

Cameran and I are both like, FINALLY!

*Cue a montage of them looking really couple-y* I’m rooting for you guys!

Landon brings up every middle schoolers dilemma which is that if she dates Shep, then shell lose him as a friend. Can we get like, a violin quartet to score some melodramatic music or something?

Craig and Shep make it to L.A. and Whitneys bachelor pad is sick. I guess this is what that Bravo money gets you. On an unrelated note, I have a very compelling idea for a new reality show, if you wanna get on board Bravo, Ill get you in at the ground level.

Craig: I wouldve had FOMO if I hadnt gotten to come out heresothanks.

Whitney: Meh whatevs

Whitney: #NewCraig has taken on this persona thats like, not chill dude.

Whitney basically lets it go with the caveat that he may never fully trust Craig again. Eh, Im sure theyll be fine.

Shep: You know when youre perfectly drunk and youre really good at pool? Is that like when Im really drunk and I think Im really good at dancing?

Classic Shmosby.

Larissa crashes the boys weekend which is not at all chill. Larissa is, I guess, the WGG of the group.

Shep: Should I change? I dont want to look all fratty and Southern.

Well that ship sailed like, approximately 36 years ago. Whitney makes a joke about waking up in the morning covered in blood and vomit. Was he secretly with me and my friends this weekend? Unclear. V. possible.

These two slutty-looking blondes show up and Shep is in fucking heaven. Craig low-key wants to kill himself.

Whitney: The goofy, disarming thing works in Charleston but not so much in L.A.

I’m sorry, Whitney, but who you callin goofy? You’re not exactly a chiseled Greek god over there. Whitney takes a casual shot at Craigs bourbon knowledge, or lack thereof, and now that hes gotten that off his chest this friendship is back on track.

The aftermath of Whitneys party looks a lot like the scene I dealt with Sunday morning. So, like, maybe they really were there.

Whitney: The marker of a good boys weekend is a pool of vomit with a partially digested meatball in the middle.

Whitney talks about how Shep didnt get any last night and Whitney said he had a meeting with Hand Solo which made me LOL.

Sheps like, and Im getting soooo mf sick of this trope. I am convinced Shep just acts this way because y’all expect him to be a fuckboy and nobody challenges him or holds him to a higher standard. Also, there’s just no way his dick games that good. THERE IS NO WAY.

JD is on the phone with Paula and SURPRISE, Craig basically didnt do shit for this festival yet still wants to be head of the bourbon division. The entitlement is strong with this one. Craigs phone is dead, party casualty, so JD is calling around to all Craigs friends like the angry dad he is. Did I mention this was dumb af, Craig?

Also, LMAO at how hungover they all look. Their hangovers are giving me life.

Craig: I just feel like Im being used to do all the bitchwork and its annoying. I lied, THIS is the whitest thing to happen on this show.

Shep: People take work too seriously. What happened to just drinking beer and laughing your balls off?

Yeah Shep, I think this may be why your restaurant is struggling to pay the rent.

Thomas and Kathryn are discussing the ins and outs of labor, which I will file away for future knowledge. Thomas calls Kathryn an expert at giving birth which is like, kind of rude lol. But I guess also accurate?

Kathryns opening up to Thomas about being alone this time around, looking up at him with big doe eyes, and Thomas is like,SHUT DOWN.

Thomas: The timing is really bad for me, could you just like, not give birth rn?

Kathryn: Thats why I like having you around, youre like a calming presence IDK why.

Kathryn, do you know what calming means? Im starting to think not.

Back at Whitneys, some massage therapist named Megan shows up, and Shep clearly has a boner.

Shep: So youre gonna give us all massages now?

Megan: Its like holding space to really connect more with yourself.

Shep is blatantly sexually harassing this poor girl. JFC. This is so creepy. Tone it the fuck down.

JD & Co. is launching his bourbon line at Charleston Cup, this horse race in Charleston. Craig is nowhere to be found, shockingly.

JD: Work isnt all roses and cherries. Sometimes its dirt and trenches.

Im putting that on a needlepoint for my office.

Sheps not going because his grandpa died. OK thats actually like, very sad. My condolences.

We will now resume with our regularly scheduled program of shit-talking.

Craig is taking forever to get readyCraig and Chad from are both the secret Betches interns.

Craig is hungover with an upset stomach and a sinus infection, which is literally what happens to me every time I drink. AKA right now. We’ll get through this, Craig. Emergen-c and green tea all mf day.

Cams like,

Craig apparently slept in and didnt do anything to help JD set up. Which, Im not surprised by, but again, is a really bad move for when youre trying to show initiative.

Cameran: #NewCraig is starting to run its course because at this point hes becoming #OldCraig

Dannis dropping some random whiskey fun facts and Craig is like, Fuck the bourbon division, Im not sure Craig is qualified to have any job at Gentry HQ, PERIOD. How the fuck is he going to be a lawyer if he never wants to do work? He’s gonna have a rude awakening if he ever makes it to first-year associate (I have heard).

Craig is there for all of two minutes and is already like, fuck this Im leaving.

Oh JK Craig didnt actually leave. JD gives a speech and what do you wanna bet Craig is gonna get shafted in this thank-you speech?

Wait for it..

BOOM. SHAFTED. I called it.

Cameran is so into this race its scary. How much money did she put down on that horse? Judging by her reaction to losing, Id say a lot.

Once again JD is dressed like a 1920s fat cat. Live your truth, JD.

JDs like, and Craig is like,

JD: Do you think you should have gone out of town? Craig: I mean Ive never had to give up a trip for a job so

Oh boy, Craig. I fear for you in the real world. I really do.

At Kathryns, she and Thomas are eating dinner. Kathryns going into labor tomorrow morning. I hope they dont actually film her birth. That would be kind of fucked.

Thomas: I want to have a traditional family, hear the shnookums running around, hear the house fill with laughter.

Lol, “shnookums” only makes me think of one thing:

Thomas: I still love Kathryn, I care about her but Im afraid a day of reckoning is forthcoming.

UH OH.

Kathryn asks Thomas how he feels and he says hes apprehensive and shes like, BRUH, FEEL APPREHENSIVE?!

Kathryn: If I say anything mean to you tomorrow just give me a free pass.

OK thats fair, she is giving birth and all.

Kathryn gets up and eats some generic brand Lucky Charms before giving birth. I take it all back, she really is struggling with money.

OK low blow. Sorry. Kind of.

Seeing the sheer amount of diapers in Kathryns house is enough to make me never forget to take my birth control.

Thomas: For some reason, maybe through divine intervention we were brought together. Steven Spielberg I believe said, Ive made a lot of movies, but my greatest creation of all was a child.

So I wonder at what point Thomas is gonna be like Who am I kidding, theyre gonna drag that out at least over the course of another epsiode.

OK enough shit-talking from me. That baby is cute. What did they name him?? How they gonna leave us hanging like that?

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source http://allofbeer.com/southern-charm-recap-can-they-get-any-more-white/ from All of Beer http://allofbeer.blogspot.com/2018/03/southern-charm-recap-can-they-get-any.html

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Southern Charm Recap: Can They Get Any More White?

I have emerged from my two-day hangover solely to write this weeks recap. Guess killing brain cells is one of my hobbies now.

When we left off I wasnt sure if I was Team Kathryn or Team Whitney, and I dont think thats ever going to get resolved tbh. However, I did just notice Kathryns facial expression in the opening sequence more or less sums up her entire personality.

Thomas and JD, back at it again with the polo. Cause that ended really well the last time. Can they get any more white?

Whitney has some fruit salad and is making coffee and Larissas like, If that’s cooking, I’m about to be the next winner of.

Whitney trying to explain what going steady means to Larissa is pretty hilarious tho.

Kathryn andKody? Corey? Fuck, I forgetare getting a seaweed facial or some shit, AKA Bravo is pampering them so they can talk shit in style. Nice.

Kathryn is bummed that once she has her baby she has to go home alone with her two children.

Kathryn: Im a 24-year-old soon-to-be mother of two. If you dont think Im overwhelmed and nervous then you dont think.

Wow that was like, unnecessarily aggressive Kath.

Cooper? Cooper! Calls Thomas a 50-year-old playboy and is like,

Cooper: Instead of letting it frustrating you I just say let it strengthen you.

Cooper is the moral compass this show needs.

Meanwhile Thomas is sipping bourbon with JD on his porch because Kathryn really needs him.

JD: Hows the baby? Thomas: The doctor said fine… JD looks skeptical, because Im sure he knows better than a trained doctor.

JD: Kathryn moving up the due date seems awfully peculiarseems suspect.

JD is a regular Hardy Boy over here.

JD: I think women dont like being asked for paternity tests.

NO FUCKING SHIT.

JD is like, and Thomas is like, Its clear hes forgotten who hes about to have a kid with because Kathryn is NOT going to be down with Thomas basically accusing her of slutting it up and then trying to trap him into fatherhood. JUST SAYING.

Its date night with Craig and Naomie. Craig chooses going to L.A. over the biggest event for his company, because hes never been to L.A. before. And Craig wonders why hes not allowed to head a bourbon division. I don’t foresee this ending well AT ALL. Craig, youre a fucking idiot and for once Naomie is in the right to tell you youre fucking up.

Craig: Do you see how hard Im trying to justify this?

Yeah, because you KNOW YOURE IN THE WRONG. Thats literally what justification is.

Cameran and Landon meet up for a candle-making class and I am kind of jealous because that low-key sounds fun. Landons explaining her travel guide to Cam, so Im going to take a quick nap.

Cameran: I think its hard for Landon bc she was a typical Southern stereotype of the woman who got married young and was taken care of and she doesnt have that anymore.

Wait, how is this the first Im hearing of this failed first marriage? How has this NEVER come up before this season??

Cameran: So any man prospects? Landon: IDK not really its kind of sad and pathetic.

Landon is like Same tho. Cameran: Do you think the reason youre not meeting anyone is because you want something to work out with Shep? Landon:…Yeah

Cameran and I are both like, FINALLY!

*Cue a montage of them looking really couple-y* I’m rooting for you guys!

Landon brings up every middle schoolers dilemma which is that if she dates Shep, then shell lose him as a friend. Can we get like, a violin quartet to score some melodramatic music or something?

Craig and Shep make it to L.A. and Whitneys bachelor pad is sick. I guess this is what that Bravo money gets you. On an unrelated note, I have a very compelling idea for a new reality show, if you wanna get on board Bravo, Ill get you in at the ground level.

Craig: I wouldve had FOMO if I hadnt gotten to come out heresothanks.

Whitney: Meh whatevs

Whitney: #NewCraig has taken on this persona thats like, not chill dude.

Whitney basically lets it go with the caveat that he may never fully trust Craig again. Eh, Im sure theyll be fine.

Shep: You know when youre perfectly drunk and youre really good at pool? Is that like when Im really drunk and I think Im really good at dancing?

Classic Shmosby.

Larissa crashes the boys weekend which is not at all chill. Larissa is, I guess, the WGG of the group.

Shep: Should I change? I dont want to look all fratty and Southern.

Well that ship sailed like, approximately 36 years ago. Whitney makes a joke about waking up in the morning covered in blood and vomit. Was he secretly with me and my friends this weekend? Unclear. V. possible.

These two slutty-looking blondes show up and Shep is in fucking heaven. Craig low-key wants to kill himself.

Whitney: The goofy, disarming thing works in Charleston but not so much in L.A.

I’m sorry, Whitney, but who you callin goofy? You’re not exactly a chiseled Greek god over there. Whitney takes a casual shot at Craigs bourbon knowledge, or lack thereof, and now that hes gotten that off his chest this friendship is back on track.

The aftermath of Whitneys party looks a lot like the scene I dealt with Sunday morning. So, like, maybe they really were there.

Whitney: The marker of a good boys weekend is a pool of vomit with a partially digested meatball in the middle.

Whitney talks about how Shep didnt get any last night and Whitney said he had a meeting with Hand Solo which made me LOL.

Sheps like, and Im getting soooo mf sick of this trope. I am convinced Shep just acts this way because y’all expect him to be a fuckboy and nobody challenges him or holds him to a higher standard. Also, there’s just no way his dick games that good. THERE IS NO WAY.

JD is on the phone with Paula and SURPRISE, Craig basically didnt do shit for this festival yet still wants to be head of the bourbon division. The entitlement is strong with this one. Craigs phone is dead, party casualty, so JD is calling around to all Craigs friends like the angry dad he is. Did I mention this was dumb af, Craig?

Also, LMAO at how hungover they all look. Their hangovers are giving me life.

Craig: I just feel like Im being used to do all the bitchwork and its annoying. I lied, THIS is the whitest thing to happen on this show.

Shep: People take work too seriously. What happened to just drinking beer and laughing your balls off?

Yeah Shep, I think this may be why your restaurant is struggling to pay the rent.

Thomas and Kathryn are discussing the ins and outs of labor, which I will file away for future knowledge. Thomas calls Kathryn an expert at giving birth which is like, kind of rude lol. But I guess also accurate?

Kathryns opening up to Thomas about being alone this time around, looking up at him with big doe eyes, and Thomas is like,SHUT DOWN.

Thomas: The timing is really bad for me, could you just like, not give birth rn?

Kathryn: Thats why I like having you around, youre like a calming presence IDK why.

Kathryn, do you know what calming means? Im starting to think not.

Back at Whitneys, some massage therapist named Megan shows up, and Shep clearly has a boner.

Shep: So youre gonna give us all massages now?

Megan: Its like holding space to really connect more with yourself.

Shep is blatantly sexually harassing this poor girl. JFC. This is so creepy. Tone it the fuck down.

JD & Co. is launching his bourbon line at Charleston Cup, this horse race in Charleston. Craig is nowhere to be found, shockingly.

JD: Work isnt all roses and cherries. Sometimes its dirt and trenches.

Im putting that on a needlepoint for my office.

Sheps not going because his grandpa died. OK thats actually like, very sad. My condolences.

We will now resume with our regularly scheduled program of shit-talking.

Craig is taking forever to get readyCraig and Chad from are both the secret Betches interns.

Craig is hungover with an upset stomach and a sinus infection, which is literally what happens to me every time I drink. AKA right now. We’ll get through this, Craig. Emergen-c and green tea all mf day.

Cams like,

Craig apparently slept in and didnt do anything to help JD set up. Which, Im not surprised by, but again, is a really bad move for when youre trying to show initiative.

Cameran: #NewCraig is starting to run its course because at this point hes becoming #OldCraig

Dannis dropping some random whiskey fun facts and Craig is like, Fuck the bourbon division, Im not sure Craig is qualified to have any job at Gentry HQ, PERIOD. How the fuck is he going to be a lawyer if he never wants to do work? He’s gonna have a rude awakening if he ever makes it to first-year associate (I have heard).

Craig is there for all of two minutes and is already like, fuck this Im leaving.

Oh JK Craig didnt actually leave. JD gives a speech and what do you wanna bet Craig is gonna get shafted in this thank-you speech?

Wait for it..

BOOM. SHAFTED. I called it.

Cameran is so into this race its scary. How much money did she put down on that horse? Judging by her reaction to losing, Id say a lot.

Once again JD is dressed like a 1920s fat cat. Live your truth, JD.

JDs like, and Craig is like,

JD: Do you think you should have gone out of town? Craig: I mean Ive never had to give up a trip for a job so

Oh boy, Craig. I fear for you in the real world. I really do.

At Kathryns, she and Thomas are eating dinner. Kathryns going into labor tomorrow morning. I hope they dont actually film her birth. That would be kind of fucked.

Thomas: I want to have a traditional family, hear the shnookums running around, hear the house fill with laughter.

Lol, “shnookums” only makes me think of one thing:

Thomas: I still love Kathryn, I care about her but Im afraid a day of reckoning is forthcoming.

UH OH.

Kathryn asks Thomas how he feels and he says hes apprehensive and shes like, BRUH, FEEL APPREHENSIVE?!

Kathryn: If I say anything mean to you tomorrow just give me a free pass.

OK thats fair, she is giving birth and all.

Kathryn gets up and eats some generic brand Lucky Charms before giving birth. I take it all back, she really is struggling with money.

OK low blow. Sorry. Kind of.

Seeing the sheer amount of diapers in Kathryns house is enough to make me never forget to take my birth control.

Thomas: For some reason, maybe through divine intervention we were brought together. Steven Spielberg I believe said, Ive made a lot of movies, but my greatest creation of all was a child.

So I wonder at what point Thomas is gonna be like Who am I kidding, theyre gonna drag that out at least over the course of another epsiode.

OK enough shit-talking from me. That baby is cute. What did they name him?? How they gonna leave us hanging like that?

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from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/southern-charm-recap-can-they-get-any-more-white/ from All of Beer https://allofbeercom.tumblr.com/post/171944066947