#oh also it was finals week. but that was so irrelevant

[ofpd]

the top ao3 ships bracket is being run extremely well i must say

[livwritesstuff]

for @steddie-week day 6 | drunken confessions

tags: alcohol, drunk steve, sober eddie, post-canon, vague references to period-typical homophobia

By all calculations, Steve shouldn’t be this drunk.

Eddie knows Steve only had three beers – one during Corroded Coffin’s set, and he was halfway through a second when Eddie finally caught up with him after the show, and he started on his third while they were hanging out at the bar.

(Exactly why Eddie knows this is entirely irrelevant, and it has nothing to do with how he'd had one eye on Steve throughout the entire performance trying to gauge how much he might be into it. Definitely not).

Eddie had seen Steve “Keg King” Harrington in the flesh enough times to feel pretty confident that he holds his alcohol better than this but…fuck, if Steve isn’t absolutely sloshed, eyes glassy, cheeks flushed red, and he doesn't seem to have any idea how precariously he's swaying in his bar-stool.

It's fine. Steve's a pretty quiet drunk on the whole, and Eddie gets sorta wired after shows – extra adrenaline or something – so Steve is mostly just listening to him ramble about whatever happens to cross his brain, which isn't a bad way to spend an evening, all things considered.

Midway through an entirely one-sided debate over the merits of starting guitar lessons on electric versus acoustic, Steve reaches over and pushes a curl of hair falling into his eye-line off his forehead with just the tips of his fingers.

Eddie trails off, losing track of his sentence entirely as his eyes dart back and forth between Steve’s face and the hand still hovering by his forehead. He blinks a few times, his parted lips just as forgotten as the end of his sentence.

Eddie knows there’s a kind of question in his eyes when they finally hold firm on Steve’s.

Eventually, after a few beats of silence, Steve supplies, “I like your hair.”

“Uh-huh.” Eddie lifts his chin, still looking at Steve like he doesn’t know what to make of him.

“I like you,” Steve continues, and Eddie feels himself freeze for a moment, a nervous kind of shock running down his spine because, fuck, he's big enough to admit he's fantasized about hearing those words come out of Steve's mouth more than once (way more than once), but his voice was also abnormally loud, and while it’s definitely an interesting little tidbit on Steve’s part, he really doesn’t need the rest of the goddamn Hideout knowing it too. 

“I mean,” Steve continued, “Seriously, I’m, like, super into–”

“Alright,” Eddie cuts him off as he grabs the back of Steve’s jacket, yanking him off the stool and dragging him down the hall, past the bathrooms, and out the back door into the gloomy alleyway. 

“Jesus Christ, Steve!" Eddie exclaims once the door firmly closes behind them, "You can’t just – fuck, man, you’re gonna get us killed!”

“No,” Steve argues, and Eddie’s eyebrows fly up.

“Oh, okay, never mind I guess,” he shot back, “Sure, let’s go back in there, maybe make out on the bar for a while. What could possibly go wrong?”

"Okay," Steve replies simply, reaching forward to clumsily hook fingers around Eddie's belt loops, "You wanna?"

“Uh, no,” Eddie replied, and he regretted it immediately when he saw the look on Steve’s face. He shook his head, desperately trying to course-correct, “I dunno what kind of boys you’ve been kissing, but I certainly don’t take advantage of guys when they’re too drunk to remember anything the next morning.”

"Not kissing any other boys," Steve slurs, "Just waiting for you." He blinks at him for a moment, then says, "Do you...I sorta thought you might..."

Eddie swallowed nervously, because despite his earlier comment, he doesn't actually think Steve is so drunk that he won't remember any of this tomorrow, which means he's gonna remember this: "Yeah, I like you, Steve. Jesus Christ, I like you loads."

And Steve's mouth split into the biggest, dopiest grin Eddie's ever seen, and, fuck, yeah, he wants to kiss him. He really wants to kiss him.

"Tomorrow morning too?" Steve asks hopefully.

Eddie can't help a little laugh as he nods, "Definitely tomorrow morning too. Probably time to head out, though, for now."

"Okay," Steve nods, and so Eddie untangles Steve's hand from his belt loop, clasping it firmly in his own when he's done (because he can do that, he thinks). As they head for Eddie's van, Steve adds, "Y'know, I bet if you rolled all the windows down I'd sober up on the way back."

"Sure you will, sweetheart."

[lecl3rcw]

MAGIC IN YOUR VEINS

pairings: Charles Leclerc x sister!reader

summary: Charles comforts his favorite sibling.

warnings: badly translated French, sibling fights, Arthur being a lil mean, just a little tho.

author’s note: this is a lil disappointing, also Thankyou guys so much for 50 followers💗

song recs: none:(

————————————————————————

She didn’t know how a small comment of hers escalated to a full blown argument between her and Arthur.

“Arthur you know I didn’t mean it like that!” She tries to defend herself, “Oh cut the bullshit Y/N, you know how I feel when anyone compares me to Charles, you off all people should know” he yells really upset with his sister’s comment.

“I was just joking! I didn’t Intentionally compare you to him” she sighs out, putting her hand on her face, a little distressed. “No you always have to bring this up, and it’s funny because you’re probably the biggest failure out of all 4 of us, Enzo is starting his own business, Charles is a F1 driver, I’m an F2 driver, meanwhile you can’t even pass a grade 11 exam” he says, finally finishing his rant getting the anger and frustration of his stressful week out.

Her mouth was wide open as tears were visible in his eyes, sure her and Arthur exchanged insults but never had they fought this seriously. “Why are you crying? Cant handle it when it’s directed at you?” He says, “I’m sorry Arthur” she whispered before running to her room and locking the door.

She felt guilty, she wasn’t upset at him because he gave her a taste of her own medicine but it did sting, hearing someone she genuinely looked up to call her a failure was a statement she could never shake off. Although it hurt, it also made her realize that he was right. Once Arthur was cooled down, he did apologize to the girl and she did as well, but despite saying sorry, his words rang in her head. She vowed to herself that she was going to pass this test without anyone’s help no matter what.

“Do you guys know what’s been up with your sister?” Pascale asks placing food on the table, “What do you mean Maman?” Charles asks looking up from his phone, his next race was 3 weeks away so he was happy to spend time with his family, “I don’t know, she seems really distant” their mutters, “I heard she has a big test tomorrow , maybe she’s stressed out?” Lorenzo said, “yeah perhaps, but I would appreciate if you guys could talk to her and make her feel better” she says, the two sibling nodded their heads.

Charles was walking up to his bedroom but he noticed soft music coming from his sister’s room, curiously, he walked in only to find his sister’s head resting on the desk, the dim light of the lamp was the only thing lighting her room up, her papers scattered across her desk. He softly smiled at her, he placed a sweet kiss on her head before turning the light off and letting his sister sleep.

The next morning the girl jerked up in panic, she wasn’t supposed to be sleeping, she was supposed to be preparing for her test. “I’m so fucked” she says her hands on her head. She checks the time and she quickly gets ready to go to school.

“Hey Chérie” Pascale says, “Goodmorning maman” she says rubbing her eyes tiredly, “you alright?” Pascale asks the girl in concern, “I’m good ma, I was supposed to study but I fell asleep” she says, “Oh you’ll do great my love” she says as she goes to give her daughter a tight hug, being in her mother’s arms bright the younger girl a lot of comfort, “I love you Maman, I should be leaving” she says breaking the hug, she gave her a smile before heading out the door.

The rest of the day went by in a blur, after giving her test she actually felt confident, the smile that the past few weeks stole from her made its way back on her face, now all she had to do was wait till 5:00 pm for her results. Charles texted her saying that he could pick her up to which she happily responded.

“Hi Chérie! How was your day” Charles asks, “it was alright” she responds, the siblings talked about irrelevant things the rest of the way, jamming to music, Charles even bought Y/N some food as the two shared the meal. She felt really happy that Charles wanted to spend time with her as he was such a busy man. Unfortunately for her tho, her interactions with Arthur had died down since he was never home, either with his friends or with Carla, which made her really sad.

It was 5:03 when the siblings made it home, “I’m gonna go check my score Charles, I’ll be right back!” She says, “wait! Bring your laptop here, we will check it together” Charles says wanting to be as supportive as ever to which she was more than thankful for.

“Ok…so what did you get” He asks her, the minute she looks her heart drops to her stomach, she felt nauseous, the exhaustion of so many weeks of not sleeping and eating properly catching up to her, she was upset beyond repair, and Arthur’s voice calling her a failure started echoing In her mind.

“I’m a failure” she says mindlessly, before burrying her face in her hands. “What? No you’re not” He says grabbing the laptop. “Oh my god. I’m a screwup” she says as sobs start racking her body, Charles immediately wraps his arms around the girl tightly, her face still in her hands. “I’m so dumb, I studied for nothing” she says as places her head against his shoulder.

“Y/N you’re not a failure, who told you that” Charles says caressing her hair, “It dosent matter Charles, the test results tell me everything I need to know” she says tears still running down her face, “why can’t I be more like you, or Arthur, or Enzo” she wails out, “You’re not a failure Y/N, everyone has ups and downs, you can’t base your worth on test scores, or people’s opinions” he says tightening his hold on her, she stayed quiet wanting him to continue. “You can’t be perfect all the time Chérie, and whoever told you that you’re a failure is probably a failure themselves” Charles says getting a little mad that someone (Arthur) called his sister a failure.

“But-” “no buts, You tried Y/N and that’s what matters, you didn’t give up, everyone has bad days, but you can’t let a test score hold this much power over you” he finishes, she sniffles wiping her nose, “you’re right, I’m sorry, maybe this was a bit of an overreaction” she says, feeling a bit embarrassed, “No never apologize for showing emotions, you were disappointed and that’s ok, use this disappointment as motivation, you’re going to kick that next test’s ass” he says shaking her shoulders as she lets out a laugh. “ I love you Charlie” she mumbled giving him a final hug that he reciprocated, “I love you more” he says. “Now tell me, who said you were a failure? I’ll give them a piece of my mind, I’ll get Arthur on them too” he says confidently,

“………”

[t1oui]

going to school and being friends with percy jackson would be REALLY WEIRD so let's discuss it rq

he gets dropped off every day in his stepfather's car, which inexplicably has hoof prints on the hood?

the panic attacks... there's a lot of them, and nobody can even tell what's triggering them at this point

the old counselor disappears about a week into his first year at AHS (here's some cotg lore for yall) and is replaced by a weird lady who finds a way to bring percy up to every. single. student. who visits her office.

randomly disappears multiple times throughout the year

very very sea green eyes and a gray streak in his hair

once got out of the pool after swim practice and was completely dry (he insists it was a trick of the light)

the blue food obsession ofc

talks about his girlfriend annabeth all the time... even his friends are convinced it's a "my canadian girlfriend" situation bc he never calls her. he doesn't even have a PHONE

always carries around a pen in his pocket and even though it's just a shitty old ballpoint, NOBODY IS ALLOWED TO TOUCH IT. also he never uses it. ever.

every teacher has sent an email with their concerns about him to the counselor and when that doesn't work to his parents. the responses are always very awkward and vague

talks about his bio dad a lot... never explicitly negative but bro clearly has daddy issues lol

will sometimes randomly mention camp/war/gods and then brush it off like it never happened

absolutely vibrated in his seat the entirety of the greek mythology unit... told the teacher "a demigod named perseus fought ares once" and the teacher just assumes he means the og (aka the one he's named after)

that one upbeat popular guy everybody knows absolutely nothing about, his friends included

they probably have a spreadsheet with all the info they actually DO know about him

finds a way to brag about his mom in every conversation no matter how irrelevant... his friends are used to it atp

everyone's so used to seeing him smiling and laughing that when, say, he catches a younger kid being bullied, it's actually terrifying to see how angry he gets. everybody in that hallway gets chills

there's something off about him and nobody can tell what. that's just how he is

sometimes weird people in weird outfits are hanging around the school and they're ALWAYS looking for him.

every time someone asks what college he's going to he gives a different answer or straight up avoids answering so nobody actually knows

(if he says a school and someone is like "omg me too" he changes his answer right then and there lol... he's like "oh nvm i forgot i'm actually going here my bad" and the person is so confused)

nobody ever sees him working on college applications but he complains about having to do them all the time... bro is like "yeah i had to go through a sewer system but at least my girlfriend and my best friend were there" and his friends are like yo HUH

never explains anything he says

presentation night presentation = all the shittiest things my family has done and he's laughing about it but wdym your aunt kidnapped you and gave you amnesia???

sometimes he's getting fed up with a teacher or another student and a pipe randomly bursts in the school. like it's weird how often his anger ends in a plumber being called when he's nowhere near the problem

where everyone else is excited to watch a movie and chill in class, percy complains through the entirety of hercules - not just "oh this movie sucks", more like "god hercules is such a dick, idk why they made him chill in this movie"

the weirdest part is how, when percy complains about zeus being a good dad in the movie, it starts thundering outside

nobody can keep track of how many schools he's been to at this point... there's a whole section of the spreadsheet for this

when percy's friends finally meet annabeth they are SHOOK bc they truly did not think this girl was real

alright i can't think of anything else but if i DO i will add on later

[jnnul]

THE GF NING DRABBLE WAS SOOOO CUTEEEEE !! okay okay this is slightly irrelevant but what about dating k 🥺 i think he'd be the sweetest everrrrr :( - hype boy anon

a/n: oh don't worry anon i'll talk about my husband (real) all day any day <33 word count: 889 words genres: fluff + nsfw content

so koga yudai is a THE pretty princess of the century

like i hate to break it to you

but he is the princess of the relationship

since he's usually the oldest/one of the oldest members of a team wherever he goes, he likes being doted on

he likes being the center of your universe

he likes when you have heart eyes for him, when you back hug him after a long day, when you declare your love for him, etc.

HOWEVER

it is simply in his nature to be a loverboy he can't help it

so as much as he loves princess treatment, he naturally takes care of you anyway in more subtle ways

like if you're the one who's initiating pda or hugging him when you guys are around people, he'll shy away a little more

but in confined spaces, he literally clings to you and WILL NOT let go

he's a closeted princess <3

but because of this, no one believes you when you say that he's clingier than you

because he loves when you fawn over him

but the second you guys get home, he's all over you

he really releases all of his babygirlism™️ when it's just the two of you (he can't be losing all of his carefully accumulated street cred that easily)

the KING of back hugs whenever he can

you could be just standing in any situation and suddenly, you're wrapped in koga yudai

genuinely any situation he can have his hands on you (in private), his hands will be there

as much as he does it because he loves you and he thinks you're the sexiest being to grace the earth

it's also because he can't make you his priority number 1 and the guilt eats him up

k's been working for his dreams for SO long and now that they're slowly finally coming to life, he always gives them priority

so last minute cancellations or having to plan time together weeks in advance is smth that you'd have to just be ok with

he also always encourages you to pursue your dreams tho

in his rare time off, he spends it with you and will literally bend over backwards to help his s/o continue to grow in whatever field they want to

you want to become a doctor? he will quiz you about whatever subject you have a test in text week. you want to become an engineer? he's sitting with you and providing massages as you try and figure out the question. you want to be a teacher? he patiently sits with you as you practice your lesson plans.

knows that he has a s/o that's very patient and puts up with a lot more from him (namely, his dramatics) than anyone else so spoils you rotten

of course in physical touch and sharing your passion for whatever you're interested in, but also gifts

he will buy anything and everything that reminds him of you in the slightest (anything pretty)

it's his way of coping when he spends a long time away from you

[NSFW CONTENT BELOW]

his other way of coping is phone sex 😭

k is a very visual person so he really needs to see you to get off

and i mean that literally

once you guys have sex for the first time (which would be so sweet because this boy just loves you so so much)

he genuinely cannot get off without you

needs you in some way, shape, or form to cum and while some people think it's weird, you think it's peak romance <3

is a switch but i think more dom leaning

he's more used to having more control, experience, power, etc. so he slips into the role pretty easily

he enjoys seeing you all drooly and fucked out for him so it works out

has an INCREDIBLE level of stamina

i mean it so literally that when you guys fuck after a long time of not seeing each other, it's all day and all night

like calling off of work the next day and everything

doesn't really like hurting you with words or pain

but he does like seeing you overwhelmed with pleasure

top 10 dick game out of everyone in kpop

but to get there, he will make you cum at least 2 times before he even sticks his dick inside

big dick energy

probably has to make you cum at least 2 times so that you're wet enough to fit him inside of you

will overwhelm you with pleasure whether you're the sub or dom tho

he can't help it :(

when he's subbing, he's like an overexcited puppy

and he can't help but fucking into you even after you tell him to stop

he just finds you so so so attractive and can't believe that you like him of all people

doesn't believe you in aftercare when you tell it was good

or that you're so happy you're with him in general

will just smile and clean you up gently in the shower

he only believes you truly love him when you're cuddled up next to him and even when you're dead asleep, you smile when you smell his perfume

after a long day at work

he's so sweet :( omg i want him so bad :(

[sgiandubh]

It's all fake, anyway

Oh, my. The last two or three video snippets in Marina del Rey. The revolt. The pearl-clutching. The hate.

Again, you know nothing, Jon Snow. It's all about the medium being the message, again: carefully calibrated snippets of information, destined to a captive, deeply divided and (how can I put that without sounding offending, I wonder) unexperimented (yes, that's decent enough) audience.

During the last 24 hours, we've got the Marina del Rey gin promo & MPC teambuilding (hardly an orgy, btw) and C's MUA (or is it hairdresser? irrelevant) hinting on Instagram about a photoshoot at a gin distillery in a #beautifullocation, somewhere on Earth, presumably in Scotland - given her last IG follow. No further details, of course. Very probably a (late-) latergram, too, when she finally got the green light to publish it. Implying nothing, but leaving a boulevard bandwidth for people to infer whatever suits their own narrative. Expect FMN news soon? I highly doubt that and stand corrected: the last photoshoot (with McSideburns, in London) was on May 3rd, when she needed to somehow show the world the Two of Them were continents apart. Identical modus operandi. And always, always via tertiary players.

As for the Marina del Rey teambuilding, if you think that is 'S living his life' you are: a) living in a remote mountain/island area or under a rock; b) an impenitent Mordorian with an agenda to boot or c) incredibly incompetent with the way of the world (or at least, that world). Allow me to translate?

It is alcohol promo, duckies, disguised as teambuilding. The intended message is aimed at a younger, non-OL related audience (as I already warned you) and it roughly goes like this:

'we are a fun loving, no nonsense, start-up business in the spirits industry. Because we don't have a huge advertising budget, we're testing the waters with a cheap, reality-TV snippet to better evaluate the number of social media clicks and new followers and help gauge & calibrate the next step'.

Was it poorly executed? Yeah, you could say that, but then what to do, in a very restrictive, highly regulated tobacco & spirits advertising market, hum? Is it my cup of tea? I don't drink, therefore this type of message touches one ball without really moving the other.

Yes. Start-up business: if we take into account the COVID logistic delay, I believe we're still in that three-years frame. And this detail is essential in order to put context around a very forgettable snippet. Selling a brand-new, more democratic product. Selling it clumsily, in an effort to build relevance, because even bad advertising is, ultimately, good advertising. But make no mistake: it's nothing more than that and it is all they can do, in the current context.

This brings to mind another aspect of the charade, namely the fact that after the Remarkable Week-end (and with the exception of some carefully scripted 'slips'), released and available information progressively became (at least) two-tiered.

First tier: information carefully calibrated for immediate release and general consumption, primarily but not exclusively by the fandom. This includes: spirits shilling, innuendos galore, look-here-not-there latergrams. It also entails less direct interaction with the fans on socials and delegating the media management to secondary players (often called to the rescue, too).

Second tier: public information with a limited availability (you have to take the plunge and pay), for sleuths able and willing to go the extra mile. They paint a very different landscape. And draw two copycat timelines of people who are investing, buying and selling property and overall branching out of their primary source of income with a plan.

I am not a photo sleuth. But with a little bit of time on my hands, I am a decent paperwork analyst. Accounting is not my forte, but legal and business is. I saw what I needed to see and it holds.

So before you start screeching (bad idea, right?), remember this (credit given to @dillon7fan, thanks):

Not really: it is doctored make believe. Bless your heart, honest guy.

Next stop, Tehran. Yes, you read that correctly.

This evening or tomorrow, at the latest. Because context is everything and this fandom severely fails at this.

[xxvalkyriesxx]

Nessian Week | Day Four | AU

AU - Modern AU

Read on AO3 or below

@nessianweek

Summary: Tonight is the biggest event of year in Velaris - Helions' Halloween Hysteria. It's Nesta's third one and this year she's determined to bring home the best dress award along side her long-term boyfriend, Cassian. Will they woe over the crowd to win?

AN: This was a lot of fun to write! It may not be the best work I've posted, but I wanted to do something fun for this day! This is the fic I made costume poll for (can be found here). Did your favorite costume win? Banner made by me via Canva.

Snippet:

“Nesta! Oh my gosh you’re literally beaming!” A reporter said as Cassian and Nesta reached the doors of the museum. 

“Thank you, you’re very beautiful tonight.” Nesta watched the young woman blush with a sheepish smile.

“So what can you do with a broken heart?” The reporter asked.

Nesta peered over to Cassian who stood off to the side, letting her have this moment.

“Well, believe it or not, that was Cassian and I’s motto in our season. We were both dealing with pretty bad heart breaks that year. Somehow we made it through everything.”

The reporter brightened. “Oh gosh, I’m so sorry that you both were going through it. But I guess the universe wanted the two of you together!”

Nesta grabbed Cassian’s hand, kissing his knuckles gently. 

“Babe, are you ready?” Nesta called out from the bedroom she shared with her boyfriend. Adjusting the white coat in the full length mirror, her matching white two-piece set glittering in the light. Rarely had Nesta kept her hair down, but for the sake of her costume, and to be a winner tonight, she did it. 

Reaching over, she held the reference photo in front of her. Her hair wasn’t blonde and it was long, but it would make do. The classic red lipstick looked perfect on her. The afternoon sun shined on the Mirrorball Trophy that was on a nearby shelf. If we could win DWTS, we can do this.

The bathroom door opened. “Well, my lady, I’m here at last.”

Cassian Night walked into their bedroom, his black tailcoat and matching black tophat. He lifted the hat off his head, bowing in a smooth motion. A breath left her as she stared at her old dance partner. They met on Dancing with the Stars three years ago with Cassian being the MVP of the NFL that year. They ended up winning that season, making Nesta’s first win on the show. A few months later they launched their relationship.

Nesta couldn’t fight the grin that appeared on her face. Cassian leant down, kissing the top of her hand.

“Well, Sweetheart. Are you ready?”

“Ready to beat my sisters and finally win this year?” Nesta asked.

“Fuck yeah.” She smirked, answering her own question.

Cassian smirked back. “Let’s win this, Sweetheart.”

**

It was the biggest event of the year in the city. Bigger than the solstices parties and equinoxes holidays combined. Bigger than any Super Bowl or dancing event. 

Tonight was the annual event of the year: Helion’s Halloween Hysteria. 

Helion Day held this event on Halloween every year for the past fifteen years. It was a fabulous party with an insane guest list, rivalering the Met Gala. With social media being at everyone’s fingertips, Helion’s event was not only bigger, but was more anticipated. But unlike the Met Gala, there was an official poll that was made the second the celebrities appeared on the carpet and would be finalized by the time dinner was over.

The winner (or winners if they were a couple) would win the best dressed with receiving a plaque and proceeds from the night’s event would be donated to the winner’s chosen charity.

Nesta’s first HHH (as most of her friends and sisters referred to it as) was two years ago, and each year Nesta and Cassian hadn’t won. Their first couple’s costume, to put it simply, was irrelevant. They dressed as a winged hero and a witch, and unfortunately Nesta found out very quickly how relevant your costume needed to be in order to win. Cassian also had failed to incline that their costumes needed to be more of a pop culture reference even to be voted for.

Then last year they showed up as Barbie and Ken…along with everyone else. Her youngest sister won with her husband being Barbenheimer genderbent. Everyone lost it at Rhysand’s blonde hair. Meanwhile, Nesta lost her appetite having to bear witness to that monstrosity. 

The prize wasn’t the reason why Nesta wanted to win. Donating to her and Cassian’s charity of choice meant a lot, but that wasn’t the sole reason why she wanted to win. Nesta and her younger sisters have always been competitive with one another.

Feyre won last year, but the year before Elain won with Emerie, one of Nesta’s best friends, and her sister’s long term girlfriend. That year they came as Princess Bubblegum and Marciline the Vampire Queen from Adventure Time.

Cassian’s hand held Nesta’s as the car reached the Velaris Museum of Art, the traffic slow from all of the celebrities appearing. This particular event was shared between Helion and Nesta’s brother-in-law, Rhysand as he offered the city’s Museum and was usually on the board. 

Board members typically changed year in and year out. However Rhysand and Helion were the only two that were continuously on. This year however, Nesta received the nomination to be on the board. She contributed to the decorations, guest lists, and overall design of the event. 

From inside, Nesta saw the whole place decorated with classic Halloween decorations like ghosts, ghouls, zombies, and witches. Black bushes lined the blood “soaked” carpet keeping the reporters and paparazzi a good distance from the celebrities.

Cameras flashed, famous people from everywhere lining the steps, posing for pictures, speaking with reporters. From the otherside, Nesta saw the everyday people of the city and fans alike line the streets watching, screaming, probably going live on Tik Tok.

“Ready to win this, Sweetheart?” Cassian asked as the car stopped in the drop-off zone. 

Their driver wrapped out of the front, going to their door. She nodded, her feet kicking slightly from excitement. Cassian gestured to the driver to open the passenger side door. Noise erupted as Cassian came out. He waved at everyone before turning around, offering his hand to Nesta. She took it as she stepped out of the vehicle hearing the crowd collectively gasp and scream.

The two practiced for two weeks how Travis carried Taylor on the stage as Cassian pulled her into his arms. Dramatically she posed herself similar to how Taylor was, her microphone in hand. 

**

She kept her eyes closed as Cassian carried her up the steps. He would jokingly tell her to wake up as he walked the carpet. She heard paparazzi call out her name, begging for her to open her eyes. In spite, she kept them closed. Not once in her career she had listened to what random men wanted her to do, and she wasn’t going to start here. 

As Cassian got to the first landing, he gently put Nesta on her feet. She playfully swayed with tiredness, having Cassian catch her in a dramatic dip. The crowd gasped and screamed. Millions of cameras were clicking now.

Nesta recognized the look in her boyfriend’s eyes. It mirrored her own from earlier. They were equally matched as he too was extremely competitive with his family and friends. Pulling Nesta back on her feet, she started greeting the nearby people around them. She carried her bejeweled microphone with her, as the two posed together. Her gaze drifted up and down the carpet, seeing people from all over the world.

“Nesta!” Familiar voices called out to her. She couldn’t help but drop her jaw at Elain. She was in a pink gown that must have cost millions as the sheer size made her sister look like the most elegant pink cloud. With a high lace necklace embedded with flowers, a corset back, and a chapel train, Nesta ran through her mind what her sister could be. She noticed Elain carried a diamond scepter in hand and a matching giant crown on her head.

Her sister was beautiful. Fuck.

Her sister was a witch. Double fuck.

Of course she’s Glinda the Good. Nesta thought with a mental roll of her eyes.

“Glinda.” Nesta curtseyed to Elain.

“Ms. Swift.” Elain spoke with elegance, curtseying back.

The two broke out into smiles before gently hugging one another.

“Why am I not surprised that my best friend shows up as her favorite person in the world.” Emerie appeared then. Her skin was painted green as she wore a black gown and the most beautiful witch’s hat. She carried a broom that resembled the one from the original movie.

“Don’t be so envious, Em.” Nesta playfully joked.

Emerie rolled her eyes. “Love you too, Nes.”

The two hugged as Cassian turned from the reporters smiling at them.

“Oh why isn’t it Glinda of the South and Elphie from the East.”

Emerie gave Cassian a deadpan glance. He elbowed her gently.

“Take a joke, Em.”

The two smiled before bumping fists. Cassian and Emerie were the only two out of their friend group that were professional athletes. There was some kind of a bro code between them. Nesta and Elain liked to call it the “ball-code” as their partners played in football and soccer.

Emerie pulled back, resting a hand comfortably on Elain’s waist. Elain laid her head on her shoulder. Emerie whispered into her ear, making her sister’s face flush pink, matching her outfit. She made a quiet outburst, but Emerie just grabbed her neck and kissed her softly. Elain and Emerie knew each other for years as Nesta met Emerie during her time at UCLA. Emerie was a part of the national women’s soccer team and Elain was a cooking influencer.

Cassian mumbled something about getting a room, followed by Nesta smacking his arm. Seeing her sister and her best friend made her heart swell. Nesta leaned into Cassian admiring the two. But their moment was short lived when another familiar voice called out to them.

“Oh fuck, you guys are so perfect!”

Nesta and Elain peered down to see their youngest sister, Feyre. She was dressed in all gold with a halo sun crown on her head.

“Are you an angel?” 

“No, I think she’s a star?” Is this the pop culture reference I don’t know about?

“I’m actually the sun.” Feyre said proudly.

Nesta couldn’t hide the wince that flashed from her face. She loved her baby sister dearly, but science was not her best friend. If Nesta thought all of their outfits were beautiful, Feyre’s was not only radiant, but a show stopper too. While Nesta and Elain tend to dress more modestly, Feyre was all about showing much of her body. Her dress was gold, short, and styled to look wet. Her golden heels made her taller than Nesta.

“The sun? Are you trying to attract Helion and his wife?” Nesta questioned.

Feyre laughed. “Who knows what the night will bring.”

“Darling?” Rhysand called out as he climbed the steps to them.

In a similar style, Rhysand’s look also was styled wet, but while Feyre was gold, Rhysand was silver. His shirt was cut low showing his oiled up skin. Nesta would be lying if she denied throwing up in her mouth. She blocked her eyes as nearby camera flashes reflected off the literal diamonds and pearls all over his shirt.

Rhysand Night, the literal archetype for every billionaire romance in the world. He ran one of the biggest corporations known to man. It was somehow bigger than Amazon, although the two were always neck to neck with their numbers.

Feyre met Rhysand at a work conference in a hotel in D.C. Well Rhys was there for work, Feyre was at her gallery. He apparently saw her one time and that’s all it took. Swept her off her feet right there and then.

“My my, little brother what are you, the moon?!” Cassian and Rhysand greeted one another.

“Better than what you’re wearing. Really, Kelce?” Rhysand asked, eyeing the costume up and down.

“Better than the freaking moon! Next you’re gonna tell me that my rising sign is how I’ll die.”

“Cassian, that's not how rising signs work. Both Rhysand and I have explained this to you multiple times.” Nesta sighed.

Rhysand sent her an apologetic look. The two of them hadn’t seen eye to eye for a long time, however there were moments here and there where they did agree. 

“You look beautiful, Nesta.”

“You look…well, Rhysand.”

“It’s Rhys, we’re family.” 

Nesta rolled her eyes. “Rhys.”

Rhysand pulled Feyre into a gentle kiss that regrettably became a bit much. Nesta spun around not wanting to see her baby sister get her soul sucked for the billionth time.

Ushers from the event advise the whole family to keep moving up the steps. Nesta and Cassian greeted other guests and reporters. They posed for several photos including some with a blush brush Nesta made Cassian have in his pocket. Needless to say, if you knew, you knew.

“Nesta! Oh my gosh you’re literally beaming!” A reporter said as Cassian and Nesta reached the doors of the museum. 

“Thank you, you’re very beautiful tonight.” Nesta watched the young woman blush with a sheepish smile.

“So what can you do with a broken heart?” The reporter asked.

Nesta peered over to Cassian who stood off to the side, letting her have this moment.

“Well, believe it or not, that was Cassian and I’s motto in our season. We were both dealing with pretty bad heart breaks that year. Somehow we made it through everything.”

The reporter brightened. “Oh gosh, I’m so sorry that you both were going through it. But I guess the universe wanted the two of you together!”

Nesta grabbed Cassian’s hand, kissing his knuckles gently. 

“All along there was an invisible string.” 

Cassian laughed, pulling her into his arms. “You’re ridiculous.”

They kissed quickly before saying goodbye, entering the museum.

**

The whole Archeron and Night family sat at a round table together. The tables were decorated with black and gold table cloths with a black roses, crow feathers, and skulls as the centerpieces. The plates were black and gold with matching silverware. A red menu was placed on each plate regarding mocktails and cocktails. Everyone’s dinner order was placed ahead.

 Almost everyone was there, however there were two seats empty between Nesta and Feyre. Nesta titled her head as her white booties clicked against the marble floor.

“Where’s Azriel and Gwyn?” Nesta asked, turning to her sister.

Feyre pulled out her phone. “Az texted the group a minute ago. They’re arriving now.”

“I wonder what made them so late?” Elain pondered as she drank her glass.

Nesta and Emerie gave each other a knowing look. Gwyn Berdara was their best friend, the final part of their trio. She was always good at arriving on time, however since she started dating Azriel, she’s shown up late a few times. And every time there were a few hickies on both parties.

“Wabbits.”

Nesta and Emerie laughed as they both quoted Elmer Fudd. Cassian walked back over, handing Nesta mocktails for them both. They both had their battles with alcohol, however not long after they got together, they both decided they didn’t want to drink anymore.

She mumbled a thank you as he kissed her head before sitting down.

“They’re still not here?” Cassian asked, gesturing to the empty seats.

“Didn’t you know it’s wabbit season?” Feyre amused with mischief in her smile.

Cassian sighed. “God above those two.”

“Look who decided to join us after all.” Rhys nodded over to the double doors that led into the private room they were in. 

Everyone swung their head around and collectively gasped at the same time. Nesta and Cassian both shared a look and cursed. Standing in the doorway was indeed Azriel and Gwyn, however Gwyn was dressed up as Ladypool and Azriel as Wolverine. Their costumes were accurate to the exact detail as they made their way to the table.

“Hello!” Gwyn sweetly said, a little breathless.

“Sorry, we’re late. Traffic and all.” Azriel said, taking a sip of the nearby water glass.

“Is that what we're calling it now?” Rhys' smile matched Feyre’s looking at the late arrivals.

Azriel gave his brother a hard look. Rhys inclined his head before backing off.

“How long did it take you guys to get into the costumes?” Elain asked.

“Too long. Azriel and I went to the premiere and decided then this is what we should wear. However no one told us how hard it is to take this on and off.” Gwyn adjusted in her seat.

“Well regardless, you look amazing.” Emerie said.

“I’m stealing Rosaline to be my head stylist next.”

“Absolutely not, Nesta Anne.” Gwyn warned.

Nesta made a face at the mention of her middle name.

Gwyn was the other person Nesta met at UCLA. Gwyn, Emerie, and Nesta had been inseparable since they met in an English class. Gwyn worked in musical theater for the longest time, but she ended up switching careers to a solo artist two years ago. Azriel Night was one of the most famous music producers in the world. He also happened to be the eldest brother of the Night brothers. He had more awards in general than anyone else in the family. Gwyn worked with Azriel on her first solo album, and the rest was history.

“Oh good, all of the Nights and Archerons are all finally here.” A smooth voice said behind Nesta.

They swirled around to see Helion dressed as…well actually what the fuck was he wearing?

“I’m a chess piece, Nesta, please catch up.” Helion gestured to her, making Nesta flush.

Helion wore a crown that resembled a king chess piece on his head in black. His suit was unbuttoned, showcasing the golden glitter that decorated his abs. 

“And my queen.” Helion beckoned his wife, Autumn over. Helion was a fashion designer that had several stores located around the world. Autumn was one of his models. She was his inspiration for almost every piece in his shows.

Nesta could tell that the work on their costumes were just divine. Autumn wore a matching chess piece but as a queen piece instead. Her dress was also black with gold accents among the v-line of the dress. She wore a queen chess piece crown on her head. Her ginger hair was neatly done in a bun.

“Good luck to everyone at tonight’s competition. The results will be in shortly after dinner!” Helion said as he and Autumn traveled to the next table, greeting more guests.

The three Archeron sisters instantly looked at one another, a rivaling glare in their eyes.

“Don’t be a sore loser, Nesta.” Feyre said, drinking her wine.

“I didn’t say anything, Feyre.” Nesta sneered.

“You two should bond over losing again, it’s been awhile.” Elain mumbled, sipping her wine.

As the sisters began to bicker with one another, the other half of the table sat and spoke quietly to themselves. They’ve all learned not to get involved in a spat between the Archeron sisters. Fighting a bear would be easier than trying to calm down the situation the siblings were in. Rhysand had tried one time, and all three Archeron sisters had teamed up against him. That was the one and only time she had seen him fluster like that. 

It made her day.

She rolled her eyes as her younger sisters stuck out their tongues while dinner was served. The aroma of wagyu steak, whole lobsters, pastas, salads, quinoa dishes flowed throughout their table. Cassian took pieces of his lobster, placing them on Nesta’s dish. Nesta did the same with her steak. She took a bite out of the lobster and nearly moaned. Helion’s events were simply the best for everything.

Cassian leaned over, whispering in her ear. “Maybe I should dress like a lobster to get you to moan like that.”

Without missing a beat Nesta replied. “I have a big mallet for cracking big ass lobsters, so I’ll be fine.”

“I love it when you’re violent.” He chuckled, kissing her behind her ear sending a shiver down her spine.

Nesta looked around at the nearby tables, seeing Lucien Vanserra with his boyfriend and girlfriend, Juriuan General and Vassa Queen.  The three formed the band Exiles years ago. They’ve even worked with Gwyn and Azriel on a few songs.They were dressed as the popular meme, distracted boyfriend. However it of course had an interesting spin as the meme had two women alongside a man. It seemed that Vassa played the girlfriend while Jurian was the distracted boyfriend, and Lucien was the “other woman”.

Nesta glanced over to a closer table where Eris Vanserra sat between his husband and wife, Kallis and Viviane Winter. From what she heard down the vine from Feyre was that Kallis and Viviane had opened their relationship and somehow Eris fell into their rhythm several years ago. All three of them were college professors at the University of Velaris, however all three came from old money families. They were all disowned the night before their wedding, however they couldn’t be happier at that moment. They were dressed as Barbie, Alan, and Ken. Along their table was Morrigan Night and Vivane’s sister, Liliane. The two were dressed as Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. Morrigan was Rhys’ cousin hence why they had the same surname.

Cassian rested his hand on Nesta’s thigh, drawing lazy circles with his thumb. She sighed into his touch, smiling softly.

“Have I told you how beautiful you are?” Cassian asked.

Nesta flushed, resting her face against Cassian’s shoulder so she wasn’t facing the table. Compliments were said and done, but when they came from Cassian, she acted like a teenage girl. She felt him chuckle as he kissed her hair.

The lights flashed signaling that the results were in. Nesta sat up, her hand resting on Cassian’s. Helion walked onto the stage, greeting everyone. “Happy Halloween everyone!” 

“Now I know you’re dying to see the results of this year’s HHH winner, but I wanted to thank everyone who brought this event back for another year. Can we have a moment for our board members please.” 

Nesta and Rhys were the only ones to stand at their table. Eris and Vassa also stood along with several other people scattered across the room. Everyone cheered and applauded them. Cassian kissed Nesta’s knuckles, mirroring her move from earlier. She smiled sheepishly before sitting back down.

The drumroll started as Helion opened the envelope where the results were in.

“Our best dressed goes to…”

Cassian’s hand squeezed her’s. This was it. Their win.

“..The winner is…” Helion laughed. 

“The winner is my wife and I.”

The room gasped collectively as Autumn made her way up the steps laughing. She kissed her husband before speaking into the microphone.

“If you know how this works, then you know even if Helion and I get the most votes we can then pick the winner ourselves. Since this is his event, Helion wanted to be a part of the fun, but he’s already won with this event being a success.” 

“This happened a few years ago so my beautiful Autumn came up with a perfect plan to create an even field in all of this. We’ve already decided the winner before dinner was served. So Autumn, please find our winners.” 

The queen glided down the steps as she made her way through the room. Nesta saw Cassian winced just slightly as her nails dug into his. The anxiety of outcome coursing through her body. 

Autumn made her way through the tables until she ended up at theirs. The whole table was stunned as she made her way around until she stood next to Nesta. The dancer was about to shoot to her feet when Autumn’s hand landed on Gwyn’s shoulder.

“You have to be fucking kidding me.” It was out before she could stop herself. 

Gwyn giggled, hugging Nesta as she hugged her back. “I’m for sure stealing your stylist, Gwyn.” 

“If you’re using her we’re going to HHH together next year.” Gwyn mused.

The entire table laughed as Gwyn and Azriel walked to the stage, hand in hand. 

Nesta pouted, crossing her arms playfully. It sucked to lose, but still seeing one of her best friends happy and in love made Nesta feel so much joy. Nesta clapped for her family that won along with Cassian. He kissed her softly before whispering in her ear. 

“Next year, for sure.”

**

As everyone said good night, Nesta wanted to go home and rest. Events like this drained a lot of her social battery. Cassian was more than happy to agree as he scooped her up into his arms before heading into their car. They shared a small kiss as they buckled into their seats.

“Win or lose, Sweetheart, we never go out of style.” 

Nesta tried not to sing along to the song as it played quietly in the car. She took his hand into her’s.

“I’ve decided that for next year we’re going back to basics, Cassian.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“I think you would make an excellent Mr. Darcy.”

[silverpelt3600]

Halo 2x7 Spoilers!

What’s up y’all we’re back with another series of my irrelevant and incomprehensible thoughts on this weeks episode!

- OOH! “There’s a difference, you’re human!” “Am I? Are you?” Woah! Easy there tiger that hurt his feelings.

- also the jump to seeing him not bloody feels so jarring, and then immediately back to him being beat up lol.

- YO! Didn’t expect Cortana to pop up immediately.

- good grief the whole “you train them I choose what to do with them”, careful girly you’ll show your true colors to your partner in crime!

- KAI! All my homies love Kai, shout out Kai. And lmao John “I didn’t ask for your help” like DUDE be so fr right now you’re not doing so hot.

- wow the condors getting taken out so fast, the look on Ackerman’s face. Like, it totally just set in for him how deep in shit he is with this whole operation.

- Soren’s flashbacks mixed in between scenes of the new Spartans. Great show of how nothings changed for the spartan program. And jeez, he wants to go back? Some real Stockholm shit.

- WHAT THE HELL KAI! “I made a mistake. Maybe you don’t know that but that’s what humans do.” Can everyone just take a CHILL with bullying John?! Good grief it’s like everyone’s go to when they’re upset with him is saying he’s not human.

- live laugh love John going sicko mode fr

- Also woah! Surprise with the spike! Not surprised that the crazy lady is crazy though! And “those Spartans are my life’s work” “I’ve heard that before” LMAOO bad word choice when talking to the angry spartan with trauma.

- THE ARMOR YEAHHHHHH!!!! Aw Vannak’s armor nooo

- “he wasn’t scared, just didn’t understand.” What if I cried. What if I started sobbing.

- also John’s “I’m the proof” hell yeah you are buddy what a power move

- starmap moment was cool. Halsey as usual charging head first and the two science brains just not having the perspective needed.

- Kai’s “they’re mine”, I love her she cares so much about both of her teams.

- good grief Halsey drives me NUTS with how tunnel visioned she is.

- damn Makee, alright girly that was maybe a bit much but I get it.

- alright Soren’s situation just got a lot more complicated!

- THE SUIT! HES IN THE SUIT! He’s so cool I love him. Also “what it would mean to me” from Perez just breaks my heart. And her humanizing him! When literally this episode has had multiple of the opposite!

- oh FUCK YEAH John just walking through the building like a badass. All those people stopping and looking at him! He knows how awesome he is

- Holy shit the Halo!

- and that’s it?? Omg the writers are killing me.

Alright y’all I hope that was somewhat coherent. This show drives me nuts with the cliff hangers but John truly has skyrocketed to the top of my list of favorite characters. Also he’s attractive, so that helps too lmao. Anyways season finale next week will probably kill me! :)

[glassprism]

Hi, maybe it's a silly question because it's irrelevant in the performance but...

What do you prefer? Wedding dress in final lair or PONR costume as well?

I notice now it's very commun to see Christine's PONR costume in this part of the show in severals non-replicas (Italy, Spain, Greece...). In my opinion, Wedding gown have so potencial and it's so sad to see how this production desicion deny us of to see variants of this costume.

I hope you have a great week

Bye

I definitely, definitely prefer seeing the wedding dress in the 'Final Lair' over the Aminta dress.

Now don't get me wrong, I understand why many non-replicas forgo the wedding dress: it can be just another expensive costume on top of a show that can be fairly costly (all those different period costumes, the Phantom's lair sets, faux opera sets, not to mention the chandelier itself), plus the way many non-replicas are set up, there's just not enough time for them to do the quick change from the Aminta dress to the wedding dress. I get it, and I don't really get fussed about it.

But on a thematic and symbolic level, the wedding dress wins. First, the wedding dress is just one of the best visual shortcuts to tell any audience member who is still unaware that, yes, this is what the Phantom intends to do to Christine: marry her, willingly or not, and with all the consequences expected thereafter. One can easily imagine that Christine figures this out too; why else would she demand of the Phantom, "Am I now to be prey to your lust for flesh?" Yeah, it doesn't really affect the performance, Christine can react this way whatever dress she's in technically, but I think seeing her in that wedding dress can certainly help audience members understand the state she's in, her fear and horror.

Within the show, it also acts as the "payoff" to the "setup" that's the Mirror Bride. We see the Mirror Bride in the wedding dress during the first lair scene, which is a pretty massive hint at how the Phantom views Christine; when we reach the second lair scene, it's Christine in that wedding dress, taking on that role (if against her will) that the Phantom envisioned for her. There's also some nice parallels, possibly unintentional, in Christine being in a white dress in both lair scenes - first the dressing gown, now the wedding gown.

And if you really want to get meta, you can say something about the Phantom trying to force Christine into the role of the passive doll that the Mirror Bride is, and that Christine arguably was during 'Music of the Night' when she was entranced; and you can also note how it shows Christine growth and the fact that she's not a passive doll, in that she resists the Phantom at every turn in the 'Final Lair', no longer acting as the hypnotized object of desire who's happy to be led around by the Phantom.

Where was I going with this? Oh yeah... anyway, wedding dress for the win.

[safetycar-restart]

what are your thoughts on poly!screaming meals and pegging? They just seem like they would be super into it…

Oh god yeah absolutely. I adore poly!screaming meals so much!!

So firstly, I think pegging is something that was kinda a no brainer the moment the relationship starts? You four sit down and talk about your feelings for each other, about how you all love each other and all want to be together. Once all of that has been established and once it's clear that everyone is loved and wanted, there's a few seconds of silence followed by James looking at you and going "So who are you pegging first?"

All three of them are verses, and all three very much enjoy bottoming, but all three of them are also subs. This causes some issues, because as much as they're all more than happy to top each other, they can't dom each other.

And all three of them have this desperate desire to be railed into oblivion, to be drifting in subspace and fucked so hard and then wrapped up and cared for afterwards, which is something none of them can provide because again, they're all subs.

So when they all fell for you AND you were a dom? Yeah they wanted to be pegged. Now. Like right now, like last week.

It actually takes a minute to work out who gets pegged first, because you know that you can't just choose, choosing one of them like that will make the other two feel inadequate. As much as they try to use humour to seem like very confident, stable people, you know your boys are all insecure and yearning for approval and praise on the inside so picking one over the other two would ruin them.

So you couldnt do that.

And explaining to them why you couldnt do that puts the pegging on whole because clem bursts into tears at the realisation that they finally have a good dom who loves them and is taking care of all of them. So the pegging gets derailed for the day and instead there is a cuddling clem session.

The next day, you make them play Rock Paper Scissors. Marcus wins, therefore Marcus gets to be pegged first. The scene is you pegging Marcus while clem sits of James's dick and they watch. Once Marcus is all fucked out, he gets to eat you out while you watch clem riding James. It's great.

The next day, clem and James play Rock Paper Scissors and clem wins, so he gets pegged next while James and Marcus take turns sucking each other off (Marcus LOVES to have his mouth full).

When it's finally James's turn, you make clem and Marcus just support him and ignore their own needs, because you know having to watch his boyfriends get pegged first has taken a toll on James. So that scene is just everyone loving on James until he's sobbing into the mattress and coming so hard he might have blacked out for a moment.

And after that... yeah all four are absolute sluts for pegging. They LOVE it. In their own ways of course.

James loves a good vanilla pegging. When it's just you and him alone, he loves some slow vanilla sex involving you two taking turns fucking each other and multiple pictures taken for your two horny boyfriends.

Marcus just loves being filled, he wants a plug after he's fucked, he wants everyone's cum, he wants a cock to suckle on. He's just so greedy to be stuffed full and pegging is now different. He'll whine and cry and wriggle around on your dildo, so so happy to be nice and full and not even wanting to ride your strap properly because that would mean letting the dildo out of him for a moment.

And clem.. well clem is a simple man. He wants to fucked into the mattress until he can't remember his own name (he also has a habit of moaning all of his partner's names irrelevant of who is actually with him at the time, so there's that).

[rachelsshowerthoughts]

Gosh, sorry just had a thought on that previous ask I sent you, sort of a book end,-ish.

Basically, when Ladybug arrives to confront Fable, 'Adrien' checks out.

Adrien: Whether I want to help you milady, my friend or even myself doesn't matter, I'm only here to buoy people's spirits and be passive.

IE, a commentary on how he feels he lacks agency, especially fitting as this is in S2.

Kagami: Whether I want to watch her kill herself by your hand is as irrelevant as to whether I want to be free, treated kindly, or so much as rest. My duty is to play my role.

Chloe (Hysterical) Whether I want to be a hero, to have even one person love me or even as for help doesn't matter, all I know how to be is a monster!

Of course Ladybug wins, the story demands a satisfying conclusion.

When everyone's trying to piece themselves back together, Adrien is checking on Plagg, Kagami is closing off and Chloe is... Scattered.

"I.. We. am. I... Leaving. Leaving now."

Then Ladybug just pulls her into a hug, "You aren't a monster, you're a young girl whose hurting more than she realizes, but I've seen before underneath all that fire is a hero."

Suffice to say Chloe just breaks down sobbing in her arms, but gets it under control by force when she hears Ladybug's earrings beep. "I'm not going not be selfish now of all times."

Before leaving Ladybug says she'll be checking in on the others too.

Kagami: You don't have to-

Ladybug: I'm not getting permission to treat you kindly, and Adrien, you're stronger than you realize, you got this far after all.

(Then she leaps away)

Notes:

Also, it occurred to me that this could actually take place in regular S2, or early S3 without needing Kagami in the same class as them. She just needs to decide she's sick of Chloe's attitude and Adrien's passive attitude after all.

I think I see the Final Confrontation as . . . a bit of an anti-climax? Like. They know how the story goes. They know they are going to be "rescued", that Ladybug is going to win. But also, I feel like their "curses" keep them from doing much, cause part of it is that NONE of these kids really have a lot of agency.

Adrien's vines have drained him so much he can barely move. Kagami's crystal form keeps her rooted to the spot. The one most able to move is Chloé, and I could see her actually fighting HERSELF rather than Ladybug. The Masks would make her fight, but Chloé doesn’t WANT to fight Ladybug, she just wants everything to STOP. So, actually, I see her finally ripping off a Mask, then covering her face so none of the others can attach themselves. All any of them could do is talk.

Chloé: "And so, the hero arrives at last."

Kagami: "And so, the hero arrives to save us from our fate."

Adrien: "And so, the hero arrives to save the damsels in distress!"

Kagami: "To save the prince, who thinks his vines a gift, not a curse."

Chloé: "To save the warrior heir, who sees her crystal form as strength, not a curse."

Adrien: "To save the princess, who has worn masks so long, a curse they've become!"

Ladybug approaches the Writing Desk.

Fable(all three): "Our story is told, our story is written. Our curses are cast, our Savior arrived. So tell us, oh Hero of this Tale - are we villains or victims? Architects of our own misery, or merely locked in its halls? Is the moral a farce, the message unclear? Is Ever After to be joyous or damned? Our story is told, but its ending is not. Are we to be saved, or defeated? Tell us The End."

Ladybug breaks the desk, purifying the Akuma.

Fable, fading: "Ah, a fitting End to our Tale."

Then, after. Well, most people don’t remember what they did as Akuma. This is true for the kids, though they are still affected by what happened in different ways. Adrien is - physically, mentally, emotionally - drained and EXHAUSTED. He wants to eat for three and sleep for a week. Kagami feels stiff, tense, but weirdly wired. She wants to stretch, to run, fence until her muscles ache, she needs to MOVE. And Chloé. Chloé may not remember it clearly, but she just spent the past two hours cycling through every emotion she could possibly have at a rapid, ever-changing pace. She just breaks down in tears because she is so overwhelmed, the tears are her body trying to release that pressure somehow. She is feeling WAY TOO MUCH, she needs the world to STOP for a second so she can find her bearings again. Again, it’s the emotional equivalent of a thirty car pile-up during rush hour traffic on a twenty lane highway. Ladybug hugs her, and Chloé is clinging to a single point as she tries in vain to wrestle her emotions into something she can actually DEAL with.

@tumblingxelian

[allamericanb-tch]

you signed up for this thoughts (1)

currently riding off the adrenaline rush that was doing my final project for english literally 30 minutes before it was due. will i be pulling an all nighter? i hope not. i have things to do tomorrow. but it is entirely possible. it is currently 12:11 am on may 4th. i will be back with the time when i stop reading. ok. it’s 1:50 am and im done with chapter two. i’m tired but also im not but im going to force myself to sleep bc ill regret it if i dont. 

chapter 1

guys i need long rosekiller fic recs. this is so irrelevant but

cruel summer! i love swifties.

modern AUs are really starting to grow on me

guys i love dorcas so much she’s so cool i’m in love with her 

celsius jump scare (i just looked up the conversion and 30°C is 86°F which is PERFECT WEATHER what is regulus yapping about)

“honestly, straight guys. a mystery to regulus.”

“dorcas is almost too gay to function.” we should totally just stab caesar!!!

they’re in spain why did i think they were in australia

BARTY?!

yes dorcas you ARE a bad bitch

i’m living for dorcas and regulus friendship

lily! my love <3

remus!

JAMES POV!!! james is my favorite guys i love him so much

is james hispanic in this omg (wait yeah that would make sense if this takes place in spain…) hispanic james is so dear to me

MARLENE!!!! just a mention of her but i love marlene. so. much.

no why is he being mean ☹️ i mean i get why but james fleabag potter is the most Genuinely Nice Guy to every Genuinely Nice Guy

peter!

frank!!

hogwarts spa and resort 😭

regulus pov again!

rip bartylus ☹️

six weeks!

the tired is setting in i might just read one chapter and then go to sleep

omg black brothers reunion when??

james pov again! i’m glad this fic clarifies the povs i like that

eeee jegulus

sex wax mention

regulus pov again again! 

dorcas calling remus “tall dark and handsome” genuinely that phrase confused me so much for so long (it still does) like im just imagining them being enveloped in a perpetual shadow

what the fuck is a half british half american accent with a spanish twang

this fic is irking me, but generally all modern AUs do

“there go his plan for ogling” REAL

james pov again again!

sirius!

not lily thinking regulus is dorcas’ boyfriend

sirius is a short queen and i love him 

remus pov!!!

eeee sirius

wolfstarwolfstarwolfstar

PANDORA!!!!!!!

i love remus and regulus friendship

i love long end notes

chapter 2

“But also, he’s so freaking tired.” james being the realest ever

enemies to lovers wolfstar

SIRIUS BEING 5’5 i love it

regulus pov! 

oooooo

jegulus is jegulusing

i have to pee SO BAD rn omg

eee james pov

oh me oh my 

remus pov! 

dorcas!!!!!

regulus pov again 

chapter 3

i am back many hours later (i am driving to prom) (don’t worry i am not the one driving)

excited for this one

i have no idea what the work aspect of this fic is about

STOP DONT CALL SUNSCREEN CREAM AHHH

“i’m weird. i’m a weirdo. i don’t fit in. i don’t want to fit in.” 

platonic prongsfoot ❤️‍🩹

“i want to be marlene when i grow up” REAL

i hate the way paraphernalia is spelled so much

dorlene!!!!!!

marlene 😭 i love her so much

ew stop saying tall dark and handsome it’s so wattpad

dorlene is dorlening

i think regulus is going to stumble upon sirius rn

I KNEW IT AHHH

and he’s running away

AH james

jegulus is jegulusing

oh my god

this is so wattpad and im living for it honestly

“hello brother” BAH STOP

regulus having a canis major tattoo ❤️‍🩹

chapter 4

i stopped reading and it is now one more day later

james is so. james.

“Grumbling under his breath, he connects his phone via Bluetooth and finds his one sad playlist. It exists for emergencies only, but he thinks this qualifies.” HELP

regulus has been found 

jegulus jegulus jegulus

james 😭 

regulus having a peanut allergy

jamessss whyyyy ☹️

barty jump scare

stoppppp omg ew

lily!!!!!

pandora!! i love her so much

🎶you look like stevie nicks🎶

pandalily ?! eat. 

i love pandora so much omg

greyback ??

james and sirius 

chapter 5

what is 1700 in normal time

sirius leaving the note for regulus ❤️‍🩹 

remus “i can’t fucking stand you” lupin and sirius “you’re welcome to kneel” black

dorcas!

arepas mmm

dorcas!

PLEASE barty and regulus texting i can’t with them

i lpve moonwater

chapter 6

dinner ahhh

beer is literally just bread soda

james is such a mom friend

midnights !!!!!

NOAH KAHAN !!!!!

sirius has excellent music taste

jegulus ahhh

peter 😭 i love him so much

stop this is giving me the ick

WHAT THE F

i’m eating this enemies to lovers wolfstar up please they need to kiss so bad

jegulus

chapter 7

regulus just pining

yes sirius you’re absolutely right lost the breakup IS a banger

MATILDA IS NOT A SKIP

omg is it called you signed up for this bc of the maisie peters song. 

“There are only two reasons Sirius will get out of bed before eight am. Mortal peril or good waves.”

sirius and remus alone together ?!

KISS ALREADY

AHHHHHHH

wolfstar is wolfstaring

oh they’re really going at it

yeah that was really. hmm. i mean good for them honestly but

“Remus’ mouth twitches, then he looks at Sirius, who is trying very hard to avoid his gaze for some reason. It’s odd, and Regulus doesn’t like it. Did they have a fight or something?” yeah or something

sirius and regulus ☹️

marlene 😭 icon as always

james!

yay i love dancing

regulus being regulus (pining after james)

chapter 8

oh? hanky panky in this chapter ?!

no hablo español

regulus calling james mr darcy

THE HAND FLEX SCENE yes it is a classic

mcdonald’s so america core

james carrying an epipen for regulus ❤️‍🩹

omg they’re going dancing

james respectful king

omg daddy yankee mention we used to listen to his songs in middle school spanish class 

jegulus is jegulusing omg

sirius pov 

eeeee wolfstar happenings

moonwater friendship <3

CANNON FODDER 😭

chapter 9

lily!!!!!

pandora ?!

i love lesbian lily

pandalily!

keeping it platonic my ass

yeah inside joke. sure.

“If Mary finds out he took Remus into the staff corridor, she’ll neuter him” 😭😭

wow this author just loves the phrase “kisses their teeth”

i love sirius and regulus

BAH REGULUS AND THE TAYLOR REFERENCES i love him so much

regulus having no friends his whole life he’s just like me fr

james you menace

STOP SAYING CREAM IM BEGGING YOU

“While Regulus is having a small, private crisis” that’s one way to put it

i really don’t like barty in this which is sad for me because i love barty

“Do you really want to faint in front of Sirius like you’re a Victorian lady?”

what are they doing

please stop saying “#/10 would ___” it’s so millennial 

i was gonna stop here but i think i will read one more

chapter 10

hanky panky hanky panky

i love dorlene 

i love pandalily

we need more wlw centric fics if i was confident in my writing abilities that is what i would do

dorcas!! 

guys i love dorlene so much

being a multishipper is so fun bc i love marylily so much but pandalily eats every time

i love forced proximity

sirius having to run after remus bc sirius is Very Short and remus is Very Tall so real

oh they’re in the backseat now

oh jegulus

oh me oh my

THEYRE KISSING AHHHHHHH

stop i can’t believe it’s only been a week

they’re really going at it aren’t they

ew stop this is giving me the ick

ok im going to read another chapter

chapter 11

this is the last one i swear

sirius telling lily! underrated friendship frfr

marlene!

i love jegulus so much omg

i love the word magnanimous 

remus telling regulus

poor dorcas ☹️

“You’re like a pesky mosquito, you know that?” Remus groans, shaking his head. Unbelievable.

“Hmm, yeah, I guess. I mean, I’d like to bite you.” 😭😭 sirius you menace

regulus you menace

“You are a menace.” this is exactly what i’ve been saying

sirius jump scare

oh me oh my

i love pandora

oh ?!

ok reading the next chapter

chapter 12

oh me oh my

not imagine dragons 😭

hospital 🫡

eeeeee they’re kissing

wolfstar

sleepover ?!

why is this hilarious

sirius is such a menace

i love sirius and regulus so much

“Barty made Regulus feel like the world was against them. James makes Regulus feel like it’s them against the world.”

dorcas! 

dorlene ☹️

jegulus is jegulusing

ew stop this is giving me the ick

ok i actually have to sleep now 

[all-the-things-2020]

Jealousy

Summary: Poe and Finn and some of their friends deal with jealousy in its many forms.

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 2000+

Jealousy did not look good on Poe Dameron, and he knew it. Still, he couldn’t help feeling that way when he saw the captain of the Vagrulian fighter squadron flirting with Finn. Leia was trying Finn out in a variety of different capacities within the Resistance, and this week he was acting as a liaison officer, coordinating the integration of new fighters into the Resistance ranks. Every so often, a small group of soldiers or pilots would break away from the Republic or independent planetary defenses and join the Resistance. This week, it was a six person squadron from the Vagrul system, who had brought their small but nimble fighter ships with them.

The captain was extremely handsome, tall and broad-shouldered, with incredibly green eyes. He was also closer to Finn’s age than Poe was, and wore his pants much tighter than any man had a right to. Under other circumstances, Poe might have taken a shot at the man himself, but now that he and Finn were together, he wasn’t interested.

Yet it seemed that Captain Rizer was very interested in Finn, and Finn was polite enough, and naive enough, not to notice it. So Poe was sitting in the mess hall, watching a very charismatic young pilot do his best to charm the pants off of his boyfriend.

“Easy there, Dameron,” Snap told him. “Finn’s not biting, so just let the newbie dangle his line in the waters until he figures it out.”

“Please don’t talk about Rizer dangling anything in front of Finn,” Poe said miserably. Snap laughed and ruffled Poe’s hair.

“Just don’t make a scene, Commander,” Snap said. “Your boy’s trying to work and if letting Rizer flirt helps get the job done, that’s just the way it is. After all, you’ve been known to turn on the charm to grease the wheels of rebellion yourself.”

Poe grimaced. It was true, he’d used his looks and personality to talk more than one reluctant ally into siding with the Resistance, but he’d been unattached at the time. And anyway, it was different when you were the one doing the flirting and not watching someone else do it to your boyfriend.

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

Finn was having a hard time keeping Captain Rizer on topic. He was trying to feel the pilot out about how many other Vagrulian troops might be willing to join the Resistance, but the man kept asking irrelevant things like if there was a good place to get a drink on base. It was very irritating. He finally managed to get the pilot to agree to meet with General Organa the next day and was ready to call it a day.

“Lieutenant Finn,” Rizer said as Finn started to stand up. “Why are you in such a hurry? Stay and eat with me.”

“Look, I’m flattered, but you’re not my type,” Finn said.

“Oh, really?” Rizer said. “And what is your type?” He smiled charmingly.

Finn pointed at Poe on the other side of the mess hall. “My boyfriend.” He waved at Poe, who had been watching them with an odd look on his face.

Rizer gave Poe an appraising look. “He’s kind of old for you, isn’t he?”

“What? No! I mean, yeah, he’s older than me, but …,” Finn stumbled over his words. It had never occurred to him that the age difference between him and Poe could have any importance.

“Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it,” Rizer said quickly. “I’m sure he’s a nice guy. It’s just … in my experience, it never really works out with an older man. And believe me, I’ve tried it a few times.”

Finn was getting irritated. “Well, it’s not like that with me and Poe,” he said, standing up. “I’ll see you at 0900 in General Organa’s office, Captain.”

He crossed the mess hall and slid into the seat next to Poe. “Hey,” he said.

“Hey,” Poe said, glancing once more at Rizer, who was still sitting at the table, lounging gracefully in his chair.

“He’s kind of full of himself,” Finn said. “Couldn’t get him to stay on topic. He likes to hear himself talk.”

Snap laughed from the next table. “Oh, that doesn’t sound familiar at all,” he said.

“Shut up, Snap,” Poe said.

Finn shook his head. “I don’t mind it from you,” he said, taking Poe’s hand. “I like listening to you.” He kissed Poe on the cheek.

“Thank you?” Poe said. Snap laughed again and Poe made a rude gesture at him.

“You’re welcome,” Finn said. “So what’s for dinner tonight?”

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

Finn was not used to this feeling. He knew that Poe was only being charming to the visitors because it was in the Resistance’s best interest to keep them happy, but still it hurt to see his boyfriend smiling at someone else and laughing at their stories.

“Why do I feel this way?,” he asked Rey as they hung back at the outskirts of the reception.

“What way?” Rey asked, in between mouthfuls of appetizers.

“Like I want to hurt that guy,” Finn said. “Like I want him to fly off into a wormhole and never return.”

Rey laughed. “Aw, Finn, you’re jealous,” she said, bumping her shoulder against his.

“Am I?”

“Yeah, I think so,” she said. “I’m not an expert on interpersonal relationships, of course, but I’m pretty sure what you’re experiencing is jealousy.” She popped another appetizer into her mouth and chewed it rapidly. “You see someone else enjoying your boyfriend’s company and you don’t like it. It’s perfectly natural.”

“But it doesn’t make sense,” Finn protested. “I know Poe’s just being nice to them because of the circumstances, and I know he’s not interested in them, and I know he’s with me …”

“It doesn’t have to make sense,” Rey said. “It’s an emotion. They aren’t rational.” She paused for a moment, her head cocked to one side. “Hmm … I wonder if that’s why the Jedi were against having attachments?”

Finn tuned her out. Poe was clapping the delegate on the shoulder and making his goodbyes. He was heading toward Finn, and suddenly his jealousy dissipated.

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

“No, BB, I am not cheating on Finn,” Poe told his droid. “I am helping a friend through a tough time.”

The droid beeped a long string of binary. [Friend-Poe was in the quarters of Not-Friend-Markus until 2200 hours. Friend-Finn was alone]

“He was not alone, buddy, he had you,” Poe said, patting the droid on the head. “And I was in Markus’ quarters because his mother just passed away and I understand how that feels.” He sighed. Oh, how he knew how that felt. “Markus just needed someone to talk to who’d been through the same thing.”

BB-8 retorted with a string of beeps and blats. [Did Not-Friend-Markus need someone three nights in a row?]

“Yes, he did,” Poe said firmly. “Look, you don’t understand the emotional attachment we biological entities have with our parents. Markus is from a planet with a very strong matriarchal society, so he had a very strong bond with his mother — you know what, I don’t need to explain this to you. Finn’s fine with it, so just let it go, okay, BB?”

The droid rolled away, beeping and booping disdainfully. Poe shook his head. He loved the little droid but sometimes it was too protective.

He went back to tinkering with the forward engine on his X-Wing. He had almost forgotten about his conversation with BB-8 when he heard a knock on the side of the ship.

“Hey, don’t mean to interrupt,” said a familiar voice.

Poe disengaged himself from the depths of the engine and wiped his hands clean. “No worries, Markus,” he said. He’d known Markus for several years, but they’d never been particularly close, since he flew in a different squadron and they hadn’t had many missions together.

“I just wanted to thank you,” Markus said, his blue eyes still lacking the sparkle they usually had. “For everything.” He handed Poe a bottle of Corellian whiskey. Poe’s eyes widened.

“Whoa, that’s the good stuff,” he said. “How’d you get hold of that?”

“Don’t ask,” Markus said, shaking his head. “But I thought you deserve it after putting up with me and my nonsense. And half of that is for Finn, for loaning you to me.” He winked. “Don’t think I don’t appreciate him giving you up for three nights. I tried to apologize to him yesterday morning, but he wouldn’t let me. You’re a lucky guy; don’t forget that.”

“I won’t,” Poe said sincerely. “But you really want to apologize to someone, find a present for BB-8.”

“Your astromech droid?” Markus said. “What does your droid have to do with it?”

“It’s a little overprotective,” Poe explained. “Got it into its processor that I was cheating on Finn with you.”

Markus laughed. “Oh, that’s hilarious! You and me?” He doubled over, laughing until tears were running down his face. “Your droid does know that I prefer female companionship, doesn’t it?”

“Apparently not,” Poe said. “But maybe if you join Finn and I for a few drinks, and I just happen to invite someone else … say Jessika Pava …”

Markus stopped laughing. “No, you wouldn’t,” he said. “I’m not ready for that.”

Poe smirked. “Nobody’s ever ready for Jessika,” he admitted, “but you’re never going to know how she feels if you don’t speak up.”

“Says the guy who had to be locked in a ship for two weeks with his crush before he’d admit his feelings,” Markus shot back.

“I’ll have you know it only took us two days to end up in bed together,” Poe said. “But don’t let Finn know I told you that,” he said quickly.

“I won’t tell him if you don’t push Jessika on me,” Markus said.

“Okay, I’ll invite Rose or somebody else who’s less threatening,” Poe said. “But you are going to have drinks with a girl tonight and make sure BB-8 knows you’re enjoying yourself.”

“Deal,” said Markus. “I don’t want your droid mad at me. When it took a dislike to that one mechanic a few months ago it talked half the droids on base into tormenting the guy. He ended up quitting.”

“That guy was a First Order spy,” Poe said smugly. “BB’s a good judge of character.”

“It misjudged you,” Markus retorted. “Thinking you were cheating on Finn … with me!” He shook his head and laughed loudly as he walked away.

Poe sighed. He was going to have to have a talk with the little droid.

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

“Do you ever get jealous?” Rose asked Rey as they stood at the edge of the room, watching the party.

Rey swallowed the puff pastry she’d just shoved into her mouth and said, “Jealous? I don’t have anybody to get jealous about,” she admitted.

“Oh, I know,” Rose said. “Neither do I, but sometimes I just … well, look at them!” She indicated Finn and Poe, who were crammed into an armchair that was meant to hold one person, and Snap and Kare, who were slow dancing even though there was no longer any music playing, oblivious to the rest of the world.

Rey shrugged. “I guess it would be nice to have someone to be with like that,” she said. “But I’m so used to being alone, just having friends is enough for me right now.”

Rose nodded. “Fair enough,” she said. “Well, I’m going to go chat with the new recruits for a bit.” She elbowed Rey in the ribs. “Maybe I’ll get lucky and meet someone to get jealous about.”

Rey laughed and snatched another appetizer from the table behind them. She was getting the hang of parties, but she still found herself happiest when stationed near the food supply. It was enough for her to watch her friends having fun, dancing and talking and … were Finn and Poe making out in front of everyone? They were! She shook her head. “Silly boys,” she muttered, before choosing a fruit tart from the dessert table on her other side. This party really did have great food.

[shifttea]

Omg I love the doll collector can you do a part 2

Size Shifter + Doll Collector “Friend” Part 2

A/N: Thank you!!! I'm glad you love it! Honestly, I really didn't think of anything past what I wrote but now I've come up with an ending. Enjoy!

You were locked in a display case, surrounded by other dolls

This is so creepy. The dolls that you were once able to hold in your hands now towered over you.

The first night you were left alone in the workshop was the worst night you have ever had. Your captor left out water and some food for you but you couldn't stomach it. The collar on your throat reminding you of your situation.

Your captor came intermittently to feed you, otherwise, you were bored out of your mind.

So far, the worst thing that happens is "bath time" where they try to make you take a bath, with their "assistance". It is the worst thing you have experienced.

One day, you come up with a plan to escape.

It was a risky plan, and if it failed, you would be put under tighter surveillance

You pretend to be unconscious.

Your captor gets worried, they don't want their masterpiece dying.

They are frantic, trying to get you to wake up.

To up the terror for them, you held your breath for a while

Once they noticed that you stopped breathing they get even more rattled

They even get desperate enough to take off your collar

Which was their mistake and your key to escape

You feel them fumbling around

Muttering to themself " was the collar too tight" and "i don't want my masterpiece dying and rotting"

Is that their biggest concern right now??

They finally get it out and you feel so relieved

Your lungs are now begging for air so you finally take a breath

But still kept your eyes closed, pretending to be passed out

Your captor was relieved that you started breathing again, and this time tried putting on a different collar on you, before you could "wake up"

A collar that wasn't as tight but would still prevent you from growing

You wouldn't let that happen again

Your eyes snapped open and you bit their finger as hard as you could

They yelped in pain and drew their hand back

And that's when you trigger your growth

And grow bigger and bigger

Until you reached your previous size...

And Beyond!

Now you filled up the entire room basically

The table you were placed on was crushed due to your size

And you could see your captor trembling in fear beneath you

(You were also very naked, but that is irrelevant right now)

You were thinking about how you could deal with them

Make them feel as desperate, humiliated, and trapped as they made you feel

But then they starting begging and grovelling beneath you

It was absolutely pathetic

This person, who literally kidnapped you, is now a blubbering mess before you

You decided not to do anything in the end

After all, you would be no better than them if you did

You just decided to leave

You took your clothes with you

And vowed to never come back here

And if their entire workplace and dolls were ruined from when you were big

Oh well... They deserve it!

I hope you enjoyed reading this. Have a great week!

[frazzledsoul]

Took me a while to see the episode (family issues). My thoughts:

I really like the Jace/Cregan scenes, even if the dialogue was a wee too formal for me. No, guys, you were never going to get an epic Cregan/Jace love affair, and you were dumb to believe that was going to happen. Cregan and even Jace are largely irrelevant for the majority of this story.

There's also a mini stan war brewing over these scenes in certain parts: Jonsa/Kit fans find Harry Collette and Tom Taylor laughingly bad and an insult to House Stark: Dany fans/Kit haters view Harry as the "real" embodiment of Book!Jon, as opposed to Kit, who they despise because Jon killed Dany and because Kit refused to marry Emilia IRL to make up for what happened in the show. All of this is silly, of course, but I do like Jace (the superior Strong boy as I always despised Luke) a lot more this season. He seems a lot more competent than I ever found Rhaenyra, in fact.

Not much to say about Aemond except that he's clearly playing up the facade of the remorseless "villain", although we know the truth is a different story. I hope we get more of him next week.

Oh, AliCole. As much trouble as they caused, it wasn't very hawt.

Aegon is one hundred percent an improvement this year. He's naive, but he has good intentions, and I think he wants to be a good king. And yes, I think he really does love his (legitimate) kids and wants to be a better dad than Viserys ever was to him. It was a delight seeing him egg on baby Jaeharys and being so proud to show him off at "work". You know he hoped he'd grow up to be a little shit stirrer. Viserys never looked at any of his younger kids with the pride that he did.

Heleana and Aegon do have that strange sibling/arranged marriage dynamic. Neither of them wanted this, but they will annoy and tolerate each other as long as they have to.

Finally, my poor girl Heleana. I have to think that some part of her knew it was going to happen all along, and once it did, she had no choice but to accept it, take her remaining child, and run. Jaeharys was always lost to her. Phia did a great job, you could really see the resignation and shock in her eyes. My poor clairvoyant baby. She never wanted any of this to happen, but she knows it's no use fighting it if it does.

Rhaenys and Corlys continue to bore me. Also, Rhaenys is a moron.

I remained unconvinced this episode that Rhaenyra has any political acumen or common sense whatsoever.

MVPs this episode: definitely Aegon and Heleana.

As always, I think it's not much use harshly judging this show. The source material isn't some masterpiece, I'm not sure Ryan has much of a plan, and I really could care less about what the mass audience thinks. I am here for my favorites only. It is what it is.

[declinlalune]

Onward and Upward || Andy & Arden

TIMING: early june. LOCATION: downtown / harborside. PARTIES: @stainedglasstruth & @declinlalune SUMMARY: double a run into one another and decide to go on a picnic! CONTENT WARNINGS: n/a

With pride celebrations underway, the bakery had been a little more busy than usual. The street just outside the shop was busy with constant foot traffic, and while Andy typically liked the way being in a rush felt, the day had been tiresome. She had the day off, but she still went in to support, grabbing a few different loaves of bread and a box of bear claws. Distracted as she was leaving thanks to the slew of people, she barely registered running right into Arden. Her shoulder connected with the other woman’s and the box of baked goods nearly flew from her hands. 

“Oh, shit.” She steadied the other woman, holding the pink box close to her chest. “You okay?” She looked down at the woman’s feet to make sure she hadn’t twisted an ankle or anything. Andy looked up to meet her gaze and she smiled. “Hey, it’s been awhile.” It’d only been a few weeks, and though she hadn’t known Arden then, there was something about watching somebody be so vulnerable on a small stage. She still remembered the way that Arden’s poem had made her feel. A little empty, maybe, and hopeful, too. “How’ve you been?”

—

It had been an interesting couple of weeks for Arden. First, Nicole had come out to her about being a balam, then she’d slept with a nix– in both definitions of the word. She had also been catching up on work after trying some migraine medications that ended up just wrecking her sleep and making her nauseous. But she had finally found one that worked after going to the specialist Dr. Kavanagh had referred her to. And it was Pride month, too, which gave her the perfect excuse to finally stop by Bread Cemetery. She could get some pride themed treats for herself and her roommates, maybe get some more pins, and perhaps even see a certain red head?

She’d stopped by the grocery store first, grabbing a few things they needed and some snacks because they always needed snacks, before heading over to the bakery. As she got closer, Arden could see the shop was pretty busy. It seemed that the gays of Wicked’s Rest were excited for some gay little treats, which she loved to see. It did mean that she’d be waiting in line and wouldn’t get an opportunity to talk to Andy. Or Lil or Jonas. Whoever was working that day. 

A twinge of disappointment ran through her, but, you know, it was probably for the best she shouldn’t–

Someone bumped into her shoulder, nearly sending the tote bag of groceries to the ground, though she thankfully caught it in the crook of her elbow. She blinked as Andy herself steadied her. “Uh, yeah, I’m good,” she replied, a little dazed at the fact that she had literally just run into the woman she’d been thinking about. Granted, it was in front of the place she worked, but still.

“You?” Pulling the bag up over her shoulder, Arden looked over the other, a small smile tugging at her lips as she remembered how adorably flustered Andy had gotten that night. Goddammit. “It has, yeah. I’ve been wanting to stop by, but it’s been a busy couple of weeks,” she explained, tucking a few stray strands behind her ear. “Can’t complain, though.” She absolutely could, but that was irrelevant. “How have you been?”

—

“It happens.” Andy opened the box, frowning slightly to see that Jonas had snuck in a pride cookie. She didn’t like getting things for free, even if she did believe in petty theft. But that was only towards people who deserved it. She closed the box and looked up at Arden again. 

Her gaze flickered to the bag of groceries that Arden was holding, then she looked back up to meet her eyes. Arden stood only a few inches taller than her, and it wasn’t something she’d really noticed when they’d been sitting down listening to others speak their poetry, but it was apparent now. Andy shrugged. “Things outside of work have been slow for the most part. I’m trying to make a dresser, but that’s… well, it’s going.” With a laugh, Andy ran a hand through her hair with free hand. It was a little windy, and of course it would be on the day she didn’t wear a braid. 

“Good though, I mean…” Andy thought for a moment, “aside from the headaches, the crabs, my cousin’s snoring– good.” She flashed a smile at Arden, stepping to the side as somebody moved around them. “What about you? Were you going somewhere? Looks like you’re loaded up for a picnic or something.” Andy knew that Arden was roommates with Zack and she briefly wondered if there was something else there before remembering that Arden had explained that Zack was sort of seeing that one weirdo named Levi. 

—

Arden’s anxiety flared a bit as she saw Andy open the box and frown. “Ah, crap, did they get ruined? I’m sorry, I was a little distracted.” Never mind the fact that she had only been distracted because she was thinking about Andy. Irrelevant. 

She had a nice laugh, the kind that brought a smile to her face just from hearing it. “You’re making a dresser? That’s pretty impressive, even if it is slow-going,” she replied, noting the other had her hair down today. It was a good look, framed her faced nicely, and added a bit more contrast to her pale skin, making the freckles on her face that much more noticeable. Arden also spied the scar running across her cheek, something that had gone unnoticed under the dim lights of the Red Eye. She wondered if there was a story behind that. 

Cousin, right. She vaguely recalled Andy mentioning something about a cousin while they were chatting at the cafe. “Oh, yeah, how's the chapstick been treating you? Helping at all with the headaches?” She personally hadn’t noticed much of a difference after trying it, but her migraines were always miserable. Hopefully that wouldn’t be much of a problem anymore. 

“Man, it's busy today, huh?” she asked as they moved out of the way. “Not really, I was just picking up a few things from the store, and figured I’d stop by and check out the Pride stuff. Looks like I might have better luck if I came back another day, though,” she smiled. “But, I’m glad folks are excited about it. Wicked’s Rest has always been pretty progressive, but it’s nice to see that it’s just gotten more openly gay in my time away.” Arden paused for a moment, an idea wreaking havoc on her stomach. “Were you heading somewhere?”

—

“No, no. They didn’t. Jonas just snuck something extra in, didn’t expect him to.” It wasn’t like he wouldn’t have listened to her telling him not to, anyway. Andy held the box carefully, not wanting to accidentally crush the contents that were inside. 

Andy shook her head, mildly embarrassed. “I say it’s a dresser, but it’s more like a shelf with two holes and… another shelf underneath.” She had wanted to try and make it for Kaden so that he would have some place to put his things rather than in his suitcases, but she didn’t have enough wood, and she didn’t exactly feel right going around chopping down the trees in their area. She’d have to buy it pre-cut and sanded, she thought. “But I’ll let you think it’s cool if you really want to.” 

“Mmm, it’s been working a little. Not great, but it’s more like a mixture of spearmint and sulfur not, not just the sulfur.” Andy wrinkled her nose to try and smell her upper lip. She had just reapplied some. “But then I have to do this and it just looks a little stupid.” Andy wasn’t really sure why she had decided to show Arden what she did in order to better smell the chapstick. “Sorry– but um, how about you? How are yours? The headaches, I mean.” 

Andy turned to look back inside of the shop, then looked back at Arden with a smile. “A little, yeah. Has been like this on the street since the first.” She shifted the box around slightly so that she could smooth down the tape with her index finger. “I could always let you know? I’ve got a front row seat to the foot traffic, usually.” Andy’s smile grew a little wider as she looked down at the bags Arden was holding. “It’s cool, seeing the community come together, absolutely.” She and Alex hadn’t had much of one before moving to Wicked’s Rest. Andy refused to consider what they had been raised into as a community. “Mmm? I was thinking of going somewhere, just not sure. Didn’t want to go home.” She paused for a moment. “Any suggestions?” 

—

“Oh, that’s really sweet of him,” Arden smiled. She didn’t know Jonas personally, but from everything she had seen and heard about him both in school and now, he seemed to be a very kind individual, and Andy seemed fond of him. 

She tried to picture the half constructed dresser, but her mind betrayed her, supplying her instead with an image of Andy building it, looking very buff and concentrated, aaaand that was enough, brain, thanks. “Hey, I mean, that’s progress,” she shrugged. “The best I could do is, like, assembling IKEA furniture, so yes, even attempting to build a dresser from scratch is very impressive to me.” Living on her own for six years had taught her how to be somewhat handy, but making things was on a whole other level. 

Arden bit down on her lip, trying very hard not to laugh at the cute scrunched up face Andy made. Fuck, she was cute. “I, uh,” she started, trying to contain her grin, “you’re fine. And the migraines have been a struggle,” an understatement, “but I’ve finally found a medication that works, so I’ve been feeling so much better.” After over a month of dealing with it, she was finally feeling like herself again. 

“I mean, that works. If you wouldn’t mind, that is.” Avoiding the crowds and being able to talk to Andy? That sounded like a pretty good deal. And she was thinking of heading somewhere, too. “Oh, well, I was thinking about heading over to Harborside, and checking out Hanging Rock,” she said, trying to sound nonchalant. “I haven’t been there since the weather’s gotten nicer, but the view is always nice.” She had been wanting to visit now that they were getting into the summer months. She hadn’t exactly been planning on going today, but…  “Would you care to join me?”

—

“It is, yeah. He’s sweet.” After meeting him, he’d quickly become one of Andy’s favorite people. Lil, too. Andy had gotten lucky on where she’d ended up landing a job. June had been kind enough to take her in as an assistant, even without any experience at an actual bakery. 

Andy laughed before shaking her head. “I’m sure you could make a birdhouse, if you really tried.” Andy was sure Arden could do anything she put her mind to, especially after the poem she’d read. Even now, Andy still felt like that’d taken more guts than most things she’d done. “But hey, appreciate the vote of confidence.” Andy hadn’t realized it, but her cheeks were beginning to hurt from smiling so wide. She reached up, rubbing at the side of her jaw, suddenly embarrassed. 

Her expression morphed into something of concern as Arden explained that her migraines were still a problem. Andy’s brows knit together as she tried to recall any and all remedies that’d been suggested to her. “Medication is good. Some tea might help, too. There’s a place downtown that has a ton of different stuff, and Meera is really um.. smart, so she could probably help you figure it out.” Hopefully the meds would continue to help. “It’s good to hear that they’re doing their job, though.” 

As Arden explained her plans, Andy nodded along as if she’d known them all along. “That sounds nice.” She’d been there only a few times, but she knew the history of Hanging Rock and it made her stomach knot in anxiety. Though, if Arden were to– 

“Oh, I’d love to.” Maybe too quick on the draw, idiot. Andy cleared her throat. “Sure, I– I can drive?” Her jeep would be able to take the incline like a champ, and she wasn’t sure what kind of vehicle that Arden had. “Sorry, I’m just– I’m parked down that way.” Too quick, too quick. “Or you can, if you want?” 

—

Arden grinned. “I mean, I’m incredibly persistent and stubborn, so if I really wanted to, probably. No guarantees it’d actually be good, though.” She shot Andy a pair of finger guns because she was stupid and awkward and bisexual– sue her, okay? Seeing the other rubbing at her cheeks, though, made her realize just how much she’d been smiling, too. She was truly useless. 

“I’m not usually much of a tea person, but I’ll give it a try. Maybe peppermint tea would be something to try?” She made a mental note to stop by the shop sometime. “I do really appreciate all the suggestions. Hopefully the meds will keep helping out. Or the smell goes away because that would also be so nice.”

Biting back a chuckle at Andy’s speedy reply, Arden gave her a smile. “That’d be great, actually. I left mine back at home, figured I’d go for a walk now that I can handle the smell a bit better.” After a moment she added, “It’s still absolutely repulsive, to be clear, but I kept my time outdoors to a minimum while I was figuring this all out, so it’s just nice being outside more. But anyway–” She nodded her head at the other woman, “Lead the way.”

—

“They just need to make their nests in it, not much else.” Andy shrugged. “I’m sure it’d be suitable.” When Arden shot her finger guns, Andy’s jaw slackened slightly and she snorted. “What was that?” Shaking her head, she looked in the direction of Bread Cemetery one more time. 

“I’ve only recently got into tea, but I’m more of a coffee person.” Andy nodded at Arden’s question about peppermint tea. “If the meds don’t work, which I mean, I hope that they do, I definitely recommend checking out something like that.” There had to be something else that could work too, Andy thought, but she wasn’t sure if suggesting something magical to a human (or assumed human) would do any real good. 

“You’re starting to like the smell… I don’t get it, but more power to you.” She wasn’t sure if the joke fell flat or if it soared, so Andy supplied Arden with a stupid grin, motioning the other woman to follow her in the direction of her jeep. She got into the driver’s seat, putting the baked goods in the back seat and reached over to unlock the passenger side door for Arden. 

“I only have a cassette player, but you can try and get the aux cord to work, if you really want.” She handed the wire over to Arden before putting on her seatbelt. “It sounds like shit most of the time, so I usually have to put my phone on speaker.” Andy scrunched her nose before looking over at her company. “Ready?” 

—

Arden shrugged. Her perfectionist tendencies had a tendency of flaring up on those sorts of personal projects with no set deadline, so she could just picture driving herself crazy trying to make a birdhouse that worked and didn’t look like shit. Not that she really cared to, nor did she have much use for a birdhouse personally, living in an apartment and all. 

She flushed, though, at Andy’s laughter, wishing a hole would appear under her to save her from her embarrassment. At least it was a cute laugh. “I don’t know,” she laughed. Covering her face with her hands for a moment, she could feel the heat radiating off of her cheek. 

“Oh, I’m with you there, I’m a coffee menace.” If these meds didn’t work, she was going to lose her fucking mind, but sure, she would try the tea after that. “Yeah, well, fingers crossed, they do” she said, crossing her fingers as she spoke. “But, again, I appreciate all the suggestions.” It had not been fun dealing with all of this, but it was nice to know some people cared. Even a little.

She chuckled, more amused by Andy’s delivery and adorable grin than the actual joke. Trailing behind, she followed the redhead over to a parked Jeep. Arden waited outside as the other got in and unlocked the door for her. It was clearly an old, well-loved car, the fact made even more apparent when Andy mentioned the cassette player. She accepted the cord after buckling up. “Oh, I mean, I can just play stuff off my phone if that’s easier. What’s the vibe, what are we feeling?” She wasn’t sure if her go-to playlist would be to the other’s liking. Her taste had previously been described as ‘stoner dad music.’ “Ready when you are.”

—

“Um…” Andy paused for a moment before starting the jeep. Her music taste was all over the place. She could listen to virtually anything, aside from country music. Call it distaste, or maybe some kind of PTSD over Tennessee. “Whatever is fine.” That was better, she thought. To let Arden choose, especially because she was the one with the cord to begin with. She threw the jeep into drive and pulled away from the curb, heading towards Harborside. 

The drive would have been short and sweet, if not for the foot traffic. Andy didn’t mind, though. For the hours spent traveling across the states with Alex in tow, she actually didn’t mind driving. Maybe it wasn’t the best time to do so, but driving gave her time to clear her mind, and though Arden was in the passenger seat next to her, it didn’t bother her one bit. She pulled off onto one of the viewpoints, taking in the deep brown sign that advised them of a lookout point, towards Hanging Rock. 

“I’ve thought about running here a few times.” She liked the woods better, it was more familiar, despite the way she often mistook sap for blood among other things. Andy turned the jeep off and looked over at Arden with a smile. “You want to go down? Or up?” The topmost viewpoint from Hanging Rock would be spectacular, but Andy wasn’t sure how her company felt about heights. “I think the trail starts over there.” She motioned towards the dirt path that dipped down and then back up towards the rocky structure. 

—

Plugging the cord into her phone, she hesitated for a moment, feeling oddly anxious about sharing her music with the other. There was something about it that felt a little too vulnerable, in a way that made her skin prickle. But Andy had already seen Arden with her masks down, close to tears, in front of a crowd of people. If that hadn’t killed her, a few songs certainly wouldn’t. 

The aux cord was a bust, so she ended up just turning up her volume, filling the car with the familiar tunes of her playlist as they slowly made their way toward the cliffside park. This wasn't a common occurrence for her, being in the passenger seat, but she found it kind of relaxing. Even though she and Andy didn’t speak much on the drive there, the silence was a comfortable one. And if she spent a portion of the ride sneaking looks at the other? Well, that was totally, definitely not on purpose. Also, shut up. 

“Oh, the trail here’s great. Running up will kick your ass, and the view makes it worth it every time,” Arden grinned. “I used to run it all the time back in college.” Between living in Deersprings and her frequent visits to the headquarters in Oldtown, she had often found herself strolling through Harborside in those days. She turned the music off as Andy turned to her. “I wouldn’t mind going up, if that’s alright with you.” It was a nice day for it, the breeze of the water cool and not so strong that it would be bothersome. Directing her gaze to where the other had pointed, she nodded as she noticed the familiar path. “That’s it, yeah. You good to go?”

—

Andy wasn’t the kind of person to turn towards what was comfortable, not by a long shot. But she did like familiar things, and Hanging Rock was not one of them. Arden, maybe– she could be one of them. A friendly face in a sea of mishaps. Andy liked the idea of making friends who wouldn’t expect much from her. She could be normal, or as close as she could get to it. In this town, that was a blessing. Whether or not Arden was harboring some secret about herself wasn’t for Andy to speculate, and so she returned her company’s smile with her own. 

“That sounds like a lot. The running up it.” She craned her neck to get a good look at the trailhead from the window of her jeep. “But sure, we can go up.” She didn’t mind, really. The view probably would be worth it, after all. Andy got out of the jeep and closed the door with her hip, grabbing the items from the back seat before returning to Arden’s side at the trailhead. “Couldn’t forget the important stuff.” She lifted the picnic items, swaying slightly in case Arden tried to take the items from her in a show of help. “Upward and onward, that’s what they say, right?” 

In Arden’s company, things seemed normal– kind, almost. She liked that. Andy looked up towards the sky as they trekked, the bad thoughts and doubts simmering below her ability to be a yes man. Maybe she could make friends and hold onto those friendships. It’d been years and she’d been reluctant, so now was as good of time as any, right?